Open Kicking Rocks and Looking Up

[Chikamatsu Nashi]

Kino was feeling good, actually he was feeling the best he had in a few years now. He knew what he wanted, was chasing that goal, and even was starting to feel like he was making the correct choices in his day to day. It wasn't like he was a bad kid or anything, actually once you got to know him it was arguable he was one of the kinder kids his age, but he had a tendency to make mistakes and get himself into trouble. There is something to be said about starting life with unstable footing that can make or break someone, and he was trying to be the former.

He looked up to the Hokage Rock, the faces of those who had chosen to chase this same ideal dream and make it their whole lives. While Kino had no aspirations to chase that exact dream, he certainly could respect that sort of ambition. He let out a sigh, looking down at his feet and wondering if his training was going to lead him into the kind of life he dreamt about, or if he was going to be just another kid with big dreams. Why was he stuck on that though, it wasn't like him to start to worry about a future he was never guaranteed in the first place? Where was this suddenly coming from?

He shook his head, "Ya no thanks, stop that already I'm not trying to be another sad kid from the leaf village." He grumbled to himself and kicked a rock, "Damn it.. Come on already." His frustration of being lost in thought was becoming evident as he continued his walk. He was feeling happy sure, but happy wasn't certain. Happy wasn't something that was going to keep him alive, or keep his head clear on his goals. All happy ever did was make him forget that life he was choosing to leave behind, nothing more was to be gained from happy. What right did he even have to feel happy? He was just another shinobi wannabe, it wasn't like it fixed everything to be in the academy. All it did was move the needle in the direction it should, why should he celebrate that?

 

[Yume Izanami]

Once again, Mitsuha would find herself at Hokage rock reading away at her manga, that is, until someone would pipe up, seemingly, talking to themselves. She would roll her eyes as she focused back on her manga. Now she was getting to the good part of the book where the antagonist was about to kill- Someone talking to themself again, this time, closer. She would sigh as she would brace herself for having to dive into conversations with the newcomer.

Closing her manga, she would put it into her bag that was by her side and lean back as she took the scenery in. When was the last time that she truly had peace like this before someone had interrupted it? It has been a while. It was right here when she had told the Fifth Hokage that she will be both a better ninja and control her bloodline powers. Now, it being so long ago, the girl is now a Chunin, vice an academy student a while ago. She has had a few feats under her belt, but she is far from being done. He bloodline, however, will need some more fine tuning. It is safe to say that she had lost her original bloodline powers and now have new ones that will hopefully get her far. She does, have a goal that she still needs to achieve.

 

[Chikamatsu Nashi]

Kino eventually looked over and realized he was not alone in this part of the rock. Seeing her put a decent amount of red in his cheeks, as he was embarrassed after very openly speaking to himself. He let out a sigh and gave a small face palm before putting his hands in his pockets. He debated for a second before approaching Mitsuha.

"Hey.. sorry if I bugged you, I just came up here for some quiet.. I assume you did the same so I can head that way," he pointed off down a path, "and leave you to it. Sorry about that miss."

 

[Yume Izanami]

She would hear footsteps approaching her as she would look over at a boy coming over to her ans started to talk. She would shake her head and say, "You're all good. Sometimes even loners could do with some company." She would pause and think back to when she was younger. Her very first time on Hokage Rock she was a shy mess, too afraid to talk, to afraid to be seen. As time would go on, her shyness was replaced with irritation and anger, something that had been bottled up for some time before hand and Keniwa, the current Sennin, seen first hand what it means if you push someone out of their comfort zone. "You seem to have some things going on in that noggin of yours." She would say, implying that she had overheard him talking to himself like a maniac.

 

[Chikamatsu Nashi]

There was a small brush of embarrassment that hit his face, his cheeks ever so slightly reddening. "Right, shit.." He's lift an arm and rub the back of his head before continuing, "I uh.. Ya I guess it's really nerves? But, I'm not trying to dump on you here.. Have a good day?" His voice was concerned, he clearly was not sure if he should be talking to this woman or hightailing it out of there like a kid caught stealing candy. Either way, he knew that he must've looked insane to her at this point.

For some reason, even though he was being incredibly awkward because of it, he wasn't exactly speeding off. He stood there waiting for her to continue the conversation. As if even though he was clearly trying to pass it off as he didn't want to bother her, he actually was looking for any excuse to chat with someone.

 

[Yume Izanami]

She waited idly by as the boy announced his leaving, but in fact, did not leave. A small sigh would escape her mouth as she got up and studied him. He was a bit awkward, not like how she was, more so leaning to how Otakemaru was, but less awkward than him. "You know, built up stress isn't good for you. Easiest way to lose that tension is to talk about it. Otherwise all that stuff weighing on your mind is going to take a toll. At the very least, you'll get sick. At the worst, you'll get distracted at the wrong time."

She would then start walking, "Walk with me." She would stop talking for a few seconds, then say, "If you don't want to talk, that's your business. But if you got things going on that is hindering you, then it should be known so that you can get the help that you need. Whether it be financial matters, mental health, or relationship advice." She'd stop walking, "Is it a girl?"

 

[Chikamatsu Nashi]

There was a long pause before he would follow. He'd listen to what she was saying at first but upon hearing her final question he would scratch his head and blush a bit. "Uh, no. I haven't uh.. had time to think of that sort of thing. I'm just.. I mean, I'm just confused on a few things, nothing major just like what to do and how to be better you know? Girls aren't exactly a concern of mine.." He laughs trying to brush off the awkwardness of this conversation.

In reality of course that wasn't exactly true. It's not like the concept of them was foreign or something he was uninterested in. Just that relationships were complicated and his life was already complicated enough. However it was true that he was stuck on a decision of what came next. He knew the Genin exams were going to be tough, and given his training with Keiyaku there was a chance he left enough of an empression that he might get picked for Anbu selection. But, was that what he wanted? He wasn't exactly sure. Naturally though his mind was now wondering to the concept of a relationship.

He'd never even thought of the concept truly, and now that he was being put on the spot he couldn't even think of anyone that had actually made a lasting presence in his life. He had met a couple of girls around his age sure, but no one was making him immediately think of that sort of thing. Either way he was going to need to think on that or it was going to drive him crazy now.

[wc 273 mft]

 

[Yume Izanami]

She'd smile softly and say, "Well, if you ever DO need relationship advice, I'd be happy to help." Even though she offered help, she would know nothing about the relationship side of life. She'd think back to Otakemaru, how broken he must've felt about Aria. How Aria's spirit had told her of how happy she was with Otakemaru. She might not have experience in giving relationship advice, but she is a girl, and usually girls think alike, right? Either way, she focused back at the conversation.

"Earlier you said that you're confused. About what? When you say of what to do and how to be better, that can apply to an infinite amount of things. I can't really help you if you don't know what you need help with." She'd sigh, rubbing her eyes, "Okay, maybe if I introduce myself and list a few things I have done, it might help you get an idea of what you need help with. My name is Kaguya Mitsuha. I am a Chunin of the Main branch. I've been in several fights in my career, all of rather moderate notability. Against a missing ninja who attacked Leaf gates some years ago. Against the current Main Branch Sennin before he was a Sennin. And against a creep who also happened to be a serious fighter."

 

[Chikamatsu Nashi]

He would listen to her stories and nod along, absorbing the information as they walked. "Actually.. this seems to be the exact conversation that I need then. I am feeling a split in what path I'm going to be heading down after my Genin exams. I have been training with Keiyaku and have an interest in pursuing his route. But also, I feel called to the main branch and just.. I am a little mixed up. I don't feel that honestly I deserve to be in the position to pursue some special branch." He sighed before taking a second, "also.. uh.. thanks I guess for the offer?"

 

[Yume Izanami]

She would listen as the boy spoke. So he wants to know which branch to get into. And he talked about Keiyaku as if... Wait a minute. Mitsuha was slowly piecing together the pieces. She never really put much thought into which branch Keiyaku was in, just rather, knew he existed. Pursuing his route eh? Mitsuha does remember seeing a masked boy with a dog, same as Keiyaku and Morutobu. In fact... Do they sound the same?? Putting too much thought into it might do more harm than good if Keiyaku really is part of the ANBU. She only hears that they are really strict about keeping their identities hidden and who knows what the punishment is if found out. But now the real question is, if Keiyaku really is part of the anbu, how did this kid figure it out? It must have been that the ANBU are recruiting. Hm, they must be desperate, she thought to herself.

She thought through of what it would mean to be a main branch ninja. "While I don't know much about the other branches, what I do know is that within the Main Branch, we have three sub branches. One." She would hold up one finger. "Security detail. The security sub branch is required for the safety of Leaf and all of its inhabitants, working around the clock to guard the gates in case of an attack and will jump in if there seems to be a problem inside the Village itself. Two." She would hold up a second finger, "Journeyman. They are required to teach the newer generation of ninja, the academy students, and higher ranks would go out with teams, usually leading them out into missions, sometimes out into other countries. And three." She would hold up a third finger, "Hokage Guard. They are expected to be the elite of the elite in terms of the Main branch, battle savvy and battle hardened and ultimately ready to fight alongside the Hokage."

 

[Chikamatsu Nashi]

Kino listened as she described the differences between the sub branches, learning what he could in that moment of what made up each part of the main branch. He thought for a few moments as they made their way down the path, his mind trying to piece together what little he knew about each path for the future laid in front of him. "Seems every part of the shinobi path is one that is worth signing up for. I won't lie that doesn't make this an easy choice going forward, but at least I now know a little more about the options I might have."

He would look at her for a moment, "so then which of the sub branches are you in? That is if I am allowed to even ask that. Seems there are a lot of secretive things within this life, I've never really found value in that, but I understand why it is necessary." He thought about how he had always tried his best to stay honest in any situation, but he also had never been in a situation where the life or death of someone depended on his secrecy. In that situation, Kino knew that he would be able to maintain a level of secrecy even if it meant his own life.

After all, in Kino's eyes his life was not what any of this was about. Sure, there were benefits to pursuing a life of a shinobi, but the reality is he wanted to help the people of this village. He wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice what he had to make that happen, even at his age he was already well aware of that fact. Though now, he had a lot more to think about than just how this life would end, he wanted to know how it would be lived.

[WC 303 MFT]

 

[Yume Izanami]

"Well about that..." Mitsuha would start, actually sporting a soft smile as she rubbed the back of her neck, "I'm not part of any sub-branch yet. Though you could say that I have pretty much a lot of experience. When I was younger, as I said, I fought a ninja that had attacked Leaf gates some years ago. I was inexperienced during that time and almost died. But because of that, I focus my way of fighting using my smarts rather than talent or pure strength. I have taught a rather troubled kid to at least make him aware of the fact that facing a problem head on will only lead to death, and I am one of the contestants for the Cypress Society. So while I am not part of any sub branch, I have fulfilled or will be fulfilling bits and pieces of all three. Now if I were to choose, I would either go for Hokage guard or Journeyman."

She would settle her eyes back on the kid, "Oh, right, I haven't got your name."

 

[Chikamatsu Nashi]

"Tanatsu Kino, nice to meet you" He held out his hand to her. "If what you say is true, then you are definitely someone who is more than capable of achieving whatever it is you're looking for. I'm trying to get better about not just using my muscle to win a situation, it seems that makes the most sense if I'm being completely honest." He would laugh and instinctively touch his neck with the opposite hand, the mark itching as it did from time to time. It was not painful at this point, but it sure was capable of making a situation awkward with how he couldn't avoid scratching or rubbing it. It was like a new tattoo in that regard, while you shouldn't touch it there are many moments you will out of habit.

 

[Yume Izanami]

Mitsuha would shake his hand. She would nod, hearing what he had to say. Someone that fights using their brain, eh? She can relate. She nearly pushed Keniwa into a corner with what she was able to do. "Being smart in a fight can get you far. But you will also need proper training, discipline, and strength. While I lean on the side of using my brain in battle, I will also saying having enough strength to keep the fight going will help you out exponentially. Heck, if I was as strong as I was back then, I probably would have beaten the current Main Branch Sennin before he was a Sennin. And that would be no small feat as he is a serious powerhouse."

She would let out a sigh before saying, "A true tactician would know how to balance their smarts with their strength to draw out the most of their own potential."

 

[Chikamatsu Nashi]

Kino was surprisingly soaking all the conversation in, in a way someone far beyond his years would. He was interested not only in what she had to say, but the exact reasons she had thought to say it. She wasn't expressing anything from the place of a third party, but from hands on and practical experience. This was exactly the conversation he needed to have in this moment, but would it stick? Unfortunately only time would tell.

"Thanks for taking the time to talk with me, I really needed it. I think I understand what you're talking about, I'll let you get back to your book. Thanks again." He waved and started to walk off having to process all that he had learned. Upon turning the red mark from him nervously rubbing his neck exposed the fairly fresh curse mark on his neck.

[Leaving topic unless stopped]