Meeting a star or something [Uri]

[Azai Momotaro]

Today was not a fun day for Momotaro, his left arm was broken and useless still unable to do any training with it which bummed him out. More days spending lazing around drinking tea and eating sweets are days spend by others getting stronger, it was a bummer and having others constantly stare and ask him about the cast was not ideal either. But at least today he found one way of entertaining himself, on his usual walk he ran into a mail man who was also his friend, the older man was always cheerful and a lot of fun to talk to but not today, today he was distressed standing in the corner talking on the phone with someone. Azai chose to walk up to him and ask him whats going on, the boy waited for the man to finish talking about something about a hospital.

“Oh Azai-kun, I did not see you there. Sorry but I am busy right now I need to carry this heavy box and deliver it to a studio of some sorts.”

“wait before you go can you tell me why look so nervous ?”

“oh is it that obvious ? my wife is having a baby and I want to be there for her but my boss will fire me if I do not deliver this and well our equipment broke down so I have to carry it myself and this is just the worse, sorry Azai-kun but lets talk later.” The older man tried to lift the box but every muscle of his body tensed up as he was unable to carry it. Momo felt bad for the man and proposed a way to help.

“let me carry it for you mister, I need something to do anyways.”

“what the hell you are talking about, you arm is broken and even if it was not you are way too young to be dealing with stuff this heavy. “

Momo smirked as he swiftly picked it up from the older man with one hand raising it above his head, it was thanks to his training with Nozomi and even his parents, now the boy was physically stronger than your average person.

“wh- wh- what!! When did you grow up to be this strong Azai-kun.”

“it’s a long story but I will tell you it later, now hurry tell me where do you want to me to take this, so you can be with your wife.”

The man told the boy where to go and turned around taking off, only turning around to thank to boy and wave goodbye, Momo did not know it at the time but he did the man the biggest favor anyone has up to today.

Walking around the boy once more had all eyes be on him, this time for more justifiable reasons. He was carrying something that looked heavy with one arm and making it look easy. Then it took the boy a little while before he reached the door of a fancy looking building he did not recognize, the boy decided that there is only one way to enter this place appropriately and that’s kicking the door open since his arms were busy. And with a thud the door slammed open and the figure of the boy was clearly visible for everyone inside the room, which at first glance was no one at least for Momo. “um hello, guys I have a delivery for this place a bunch of equipment and stuff. Oh god did I get the wrong place, oh no that would be so bad.” He said still holding the box above his head with one arm.

[Topic entered]

 

[Kiri]

[OOC: Entering with NPC Shizuka]

Sometimes it’s difficult to concentrate in the melody of the heart when the mind is in chaos. It wasn’t uncommon, though, for he had grown surrounded by many distractions that it was easy to get his thoughts lost so easily. But for some reason, the recent incident back home would not leave his mind and so the music remained without lyrics. Nevertheless, the rhythm was alive in all its fervor, but the absence of certain nuances was making him frown by the second.

Shizuka was lying on the ground in the middle of a small room. Hands were spread apart, one clutching the music sheet, and the other was barely holding the pen. He was staring, not so much towards the ceiling, but to the diagonally slanting window of this attic room like area, watching feint traces of the clouds move. He felt so still that he could almost sense a strange urgency from inside him. Something wanted to run and shout and jump and be free.

Just as he opened his mouth, there was a loud thud. Well, it may have normally been shut out by the soundproof walls his special room, but his hearing was far more delicate and powerful than any other. He rose to a sit as he faced the lone steady door of the room before glancing around him. An empty couch, a rucksack, a mirror, a guitar, and a futon. Things weren’t coherent, pretty much how his state of mind was, perhaps.

Meanwhile, it would take a couple of minutes before someone finally came to the entrance of the studio. Her name was Anya. She was around twenty-three, spunky with colorfully dyed hair, a mixture of hakama and oversized jacket, and the biggest round spectacles on her face. She was caught gasping at the sight before remembering what had happened. “Hey, hey, hey! Be careful!” She said as she approached the boy, looking between the kid and the heavy equipment. “Uh… so you’re the delivery boy or something? Uh… never mind. Come and put it down here before you hurt yourself more.”

Odd to say it knowing that they lived in a shinobi village, and being privy to Shizuka’s other life, Anya can sometimes act as if she wasn’t a shinobi of her own right. In any case, she guided the boy towards the makeshift stage area – which was nothing more than simply a large open space, where the instruments were placed around it. She quickly went back to close the door after giving the boy a quick instruction of putting it down by the center and if he could, open the package and start getting things out. “Because everyone decided to go on flower viewing today that we’re very much underhanded,” or so she said.

At that point, somewhere on the ceiling of this odd warehouse looking studio (despite the fancy looking exterior) – something that the owner once said about having a more genuine and raw musical ambience within as opposed to the glamour of the outside world … or so– there would be a strange knocking sound. And then, a hatch opened, big enough for a person to pass. Down came a rope-ladder, before a black-haired man in his early twenties began to descend. Midway, he glanced around to spot the delivery boy and quickly noted. “Hmmm… So, I guess his wife gave birth huh? I told them not to bother the guy and give him some vacation leave but… I’ll have a talk with Ryo later about this,” said Shizuka, who may have known the usual delivery man from the way he talked.

As he got down, he went crossed the room and sat by one stool, simply watching the boy until Anya would return…. Which was seemingly taking her so long. Perhaps someone else was by the door?

[Topic entered]

 

[Azai Momotaro]

Upon entering the sound of silence made the young boy more and more nervous, luckily that was broken by a feminine voice. Looking over Momo found a lady wearing glasses who he assumed to be an employee of this weird place. Chuckling at her comment about hurting himself further, Momo shook his head and said.

“you could say I am the replacement delivery boy, and thank you for your concern Miss but I am more competent than you may think, honestly I do not like to brag but I am over qualified to this. I’d say I can do this with one hand but you get the picture.” It was the first time Momo made light of his current condition, and it felt great. Listening to her instruction the young boy carried the box of equipment and placed it where she wanted. He then took out his kunai and began to spin it in his hand, this served two purposes, to look cool and for the boy to have some fun with this menial task. He then quickly used this Kunai to help him open the box and began to take out the equipment.

While he was busy with his work, the boy saw someone coming from a ladder upstairs. The person on said ladder was an older looking person who seemed to know the delivery man Momo just helped, the man then just sat by a stool and watched the boy work. Momotaro was confused by this decision.

“hey there, my name is Azai Momotaro, pleasure to meet you. Listen it may be none of my business and I certainly do not need help, but why did you not offer any ? don’t you also work here ?” The boy asked with a confused look as he raised his brow at the man.

 

[Kiri]

Keen golden eyes went to observe the boy’s motion. He certainly seemed rather apt for the task but there was something else that touched upon Shizuka’s interest, until he finally spoke. He remained silent for a little, glancing briefly towards the hallway where Anya may have went to. Now, he really wanted to know if she was taking forever to come back already. Then he set his eyes back to the boy and replied, “If you’re tasked with something, is it proper to go out of line and interfere with another’s work? From a glance, it may seem kind and benevolent, but when you do not understand another’s line of work, you may end up becoming a burden than help.”

He let a heavy pause hang over them for a while before he stood up and added, “That’s the logic as to why people specialize in certain things – because we want to do something that only we can do. And that is why there are times when brats decide that they can do just about anything because they think the world is as simple as a glance from the outside, ultimately making it difficult for others.”

Shizuka walked towards the center of the makeshift stage and lifted one of the amplifying equipment with ease and placed it next to a set of keyboards in silence. He went to busy himself with the wirings by then, back turned to the boy.

 

[Azai Momotaro]

Momo was surprised by the response he got, almost stopping his task and turning towards the elder man with an angry look at his face. he did not like what he heard from the guy and he did not know, nor care who this guy was, Momotaro was about to let him know how he felt.

“listen there buddy, I just asked a simple question. And besides there is nothing wrong with asking to offer help, the other person could simply turn the offer down if they do not want it. So stop trying to lecture me about what to do. I may be younger than you, but that does not mean anything alright. Sheesh this is what I get for asking a simple question” Momo watched as the man got up, and walked towards him the boy simply rolled his eyes and scoffed.

“ok buddy I do not know who you think you are, but you can keep your lesson to your self. I know that I can not do what a doctor can, but if there is an emergency outside and a doctor wants me to help them by say carry the patient I will. Your logic does not apply to everything, you can help and not necessary be good at what you are helping with, as long as you can offer anything to make the situation easier. Also you seem to be full of yourself, and I am here representing a friend, but let me tell you this brat is more than you can handle man. What is it that you even do here, why are you here ? just to be an unpleasant presence ?”

Momo said as he walked up in front the man, starring him in his eyes with a defiant look. The young boy was not pleased and it was clear on his face.

 

[Kiri]

Listening to the boy did not necessarily mean listening to his voice. Shizuka was different in that aspect. The words registered in his mind, but not in the way that one would first think. It wasn’t the gravity of the words, nor the insistence, nor the rise and fall of the tone. It was the cadence. Something about the rhythm of the voice, the sound being made that seemed to have more emotions than the words. Shizuka smirked as he could see through the sound, colors popping through his vision in recognition of the special quality and yet, he had seen them somewhere before.

And just as he finished preparing the amplifier, he glanced up from where he was kneeling on the ground to catch a glimpse of the boy who walked around up to his front. Such angry eyes. He tapped the exterior of the equipment and then stood up before sitting on top of the equipment’s case. Taking a moment to explore the boy’s features, he would then cross his arms in front of him.

“And this is why you are a brat, pretending to be an adult,” started Shizuka. “First off, you claim to be a helpful friend to deliver, an act of selflessness that should be noted, yet the moment you see another who is not at work, you begin to criticize. If you are a mere replacement, then you don’t have a right to judge others, let alone expect them to be like you. What’s more is the way you talk. You may need to refine you vocabulary and tone if you want to truly be of help to others in the future. You assume too much and jump on the opportunity, and it would be good if it was a normal observation, yet the words you choose and the tone you use are both condescending to begin with. As a replacement, you should be careful of your actions. You may think you are helping your friend, but if word returns to the employer that your friend allowed someone else to handle the job and created a commotion, it is not you who would be on the spot, but your friend. Be realistic, kid. You are not a hero that if you think an apology at a later date would clear up the mess. Now, what if it wasn’t just your friend who was put into jeopardy? What if the client found the service of the employer unprofessional for sending such a tactless brat? Now, both your friend and the company he works for would be in trouble. Worst case scenario is the newly made father would have to go searching for new work while ostracized by his employer and associates, making it difficult to do so. You have to understand that every word and action that comes from you is a representation, not of yourself as a person, but of someone whom you are here supposedly helping.”

Seemingly counting with his fingers, he now raises two digits, “Second, you preach as if you want to prove something. ’I certainly do not need help’ blah blah blah, is a signpost you create for yourself, to set a tone of superiority. Especially with your current condition of a broken arm, as it seems, you want to show no weakness. That’s understandable for someone of your age, but not everyone in this world has the same point of view. For example, I can very much carry everything you brought with the use of jutsu, and yet, I would not expect nor proclaim my mastery and strength. What you have, brat, is your own insecurity that you need to address. You preach so much almost as if you want to believe in your own words. And that is rather sad.”

A third digit, “Thirdly… a doctor would not ask just anyone to carry a patient. A doctor would be the one to do it for various of reasons. Movement of the injured without proper training can only further the damage, whether it be physical, external or internal injuries. For a doctor to suddenly ask a random person who is not aware of the patient’s condition is too much of an optimist and clearly has no foresight. A true doctor, would be the one to ensure the patient’s condition and personally take the risk should moving the patient deteriorate the condition. Certainly, this particular train of logic seem rather specific, but it is because it is that it should not be taken half-heartedly. And if you were to say that you were helping with the presence of the doctor, then that means first and foremost, there was the permission to carry out the action, and not that there was an expectation for the action to be done in the first place. You have a knack of expecting and assuming, it would seem.”

Another one, “Fourthly, this has all been under the assumption that I am a nobody. And remember, I did not start it in the first place. And yet, your assuming self continues to berate me as if I’m someone below your league. This is troublesome, not only for the reputation of your friend or the company he works for, but also for yourself. Provided you don’t care what happens to you, this is a very selfish action of yours. Your words and means would reflect also towards your family, to the school you were part of, and even to the branch you are affiliated with.” He paused and his eyes slanted more seriously. “Yes, I can tell that there is a far more controlled chakra circulating in your system to pin you down as a normal person who knows a few jutsus. You would need tutelage for such chakra control – the Academy. And for such an overbearing attitude, you would need some kind of confidence such an affiliation or a branch. But through this brief interaction, you’ve only made one argument and that is that you are not worth of it. A shinobi of Kumogakure, no matter how small or young, big or old, is tasked for greatness, but to do so, you need to realize and accept that your actions are not yours alone, but that it reflects the entire village.”

Five. The entire hand held out to face the boy. “Suppose we are in a different situation. Suppose it is an emergency and you are no better than the other shinobi. And yet, you begin to criticize others for not following your example, of which you have volunteered yourself in. And what if you were on an important mission together with the Raikage. Then you words would not just be yours, it would reflect how people would think of the Raikage. If you want to play hero and act heroic, you must first think not of yourself but of the people you represent. Everything that comes out of your mouth speaks otherwise.”

Somewhere down the hallway, a certain duo can be seen hiding behind the corner, heads barely popping out as they observed the scene.

“Yikes. Shizuka is eating that kid alive,” whispered the man.

“And it wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t come back late. You should be the one out there preparing the kits,” whispered Anya.

Immediately, Shizuka glanced to the corner and the two hid behind completely though they had a feeling the Hashigaki knew. It was difficult to escape from his ears. And as if he knew it as well, he sighed and stood up, speaking as if to let the other two hear it clearly as well. “I’ll be back. I’m getting some lattes from the cafe down the street. Be careful with the equipment.” And with that, he moves on, dismissively without bothering to listen to any protest as he left through the front entrance.

To that, Anya and the new guy– someone with dreadlocks for hair, a coat and the standard shirt and pants– would step out from their hiding spot to approach the kid. “Tough customer, huh, kid? Don’t worry about it. I’ll get these equipment all set by the time he’s back,” said the guy as he went to inspect the remaining package.

“Yeah, Shizuka is just probably irritated about something else. He has been saying about the world’s noise is too much recently. So don’t it take it too personally,” said Anya as she would pat the kid on the head. Then turning to face the guy earlier, “This is Ryo’s responsibility, really. You don’t need to assemble the equipment now.”

 

[Azai Momotaro]

Azai Momotaro was being pushed harder than he has ever been before, as the strange black haired jerk of a man began berating him. Calling him a brat once more, and even hitting some stuff right on the nose, especially the stuff about the young boy’s insecurities. Something he never externalized with anyone before, it upset him right to the core. And at that moment the young boy clinched his fist as the veins were visible, he knew it would be simple to just punch this pretty boy in the face and break his nose or something. But it was at that moment he remembered something important, he was not here for himself but for a friend, a friend who wanted this job for the sake of his family. And whether or not he choose to accept the truth of the matter is, the black haired boy held the fate of that man and his family on his hand. It was frustrating, it made Momo’s blood boil to a tipping point, he wanted to reject that reality and just create his own, one where everyone where respectful and helpful, but he had to accept that’s not how things work in the real world.

“I guess you are right, it was wrong of me to assume you were a dece-“ Momo wanted to go for an underhanded insult but he stopped mid way, to catch himself and try to be representable. “I mean it was wrong of me to interrupt whatever it is you are doing. And you are right, I am inexperienced and not fit to work with someone like the Raikage, but I guess I time will prove you wrong. And I may not be as good with my words as you are, but I do know this. For you to be this offended and go out of way to try and hurt my pride even though you say I am a brat, that must mean you are a sad person, I feel sorry for you if you think that by telling me this stuff you have proven something. And you are not the person who should be telling people whether they can be a shinobi or not, and if you want to challenge me on that, I will gladly fight you even with a broken arm, but not as I am representing a friend, as a my own individual person. “

Momo’s eyes slowly went from extreme anger to steadfastness, he did not understand why but this man brought out a lot of emotions out of him and made him more anxious than he ever was, granted he has never been in any dangerous missions before, but he did deal with all sort of people before this and no one was as irritating as this man.

And just in the nick of time the girl from before returned accompanied with an older man, who commented on what the black haired man said, apparently the jerks name was Shizuka now that’s a name he wont forget for a while now. Then later the girl walked up to Momo and patted him on the head, to which Momo looked at the girl and smiled at her, she seemed nicer than Shizuka.

“whatever I was not bothered by what he said.” This was a clear lie. “anyways my name is Azai Momotaro, nice to meet you. “

The boy then turned back to the girl.

“yeah sure, but still does not give him the right to act like such a jerk trying to bring me down just cause I asked a simple question. If you aske me his being a selfish little cry baby, what does he even do here ? I am sure he is not helping anybody with that attitude of his.”

 

[Kiri]

Anya could only sigh as she could feel the burning feelings within the boy Momotaro. “There, there. You’ll get used to it. It’s not like he does things without a reason,” she said before pointing at Ryo, “Unlike Ryo over there who does whatever he feels at the moment, Shizuka is much more complicated like that.”

“Got that right,” said Ryo as he seemed to easily finish setting up one of the bigger kits, working his tools along the casing that showed a variety of pins and levers. “While you may think he was berating you, and sure at one point he was, you can’t really say it was out of line. You picked the fight in this one, kid.” Said the technician, shrugging his shoulders. “Well, both of you had good arguments, but the way you handled yours was pretty much how someone does when being defensive. You search for all kinds of ways to justify yourself. And that was what Shizuka was trying to tell you. He was warning you about your tendency to act that way, especially towards strangers since you don’t know him.”

“Okay, okay. Time out!” Anya pulled Momotaro to the side and made him sit on one of the stools. “We can’t judge Little Mo here as well. It’s not our place,” she throws a coin at Ryo who catches it with ease as he begins to tweak things with the said coin. She then turns back to Mo and continues, “You’re not wrong, Little Mo. But so was Shizuka. To you, it may sound as a simple question, but maybe you need to work on the delivery or the choice of words. You were kind of implying as if he was insensitive to not bother to help you. And, well, this is the strange part of the story, Shizuka can hear both your words and your heart… or your soul. So when you began to be defensive there, he caught on to whatever’s probably built-up inside you. Frustrations, anger, joy, all the emotions that could possibly be piling up. And he may have latched on to that, pulling it out of you. It’s a…his…”

“It’s his specialty,” Ryo interjected as he turned the next equipment around and began assembling it. “He’s part of the psychology department of the medical branch as well, and with his gift, he could pull on those heartstrings or whatever deep burdens you got inside you. Make you bare and feel vulnerable, because that’s the only way for the patient to realize and release the stress. Or so he says. I was like that too before. I really wanted to punch him after I started to mess with him. A simple tease turned into a blown-out fight but… that also meant I lost.” He paused for a moment and gestured with his hand, open-fisted and then clenched. “You see, the moment I began to think I want to beat the shit out of him and show him his place, was the moment I also realized that I was putting so much confidence on violence. As if I can prove everything I want if I can fight and beat the living daylights out of anyone. But that’s just bullying if you ask me. That’s just foolish. I mean… should I be happy and proud that all I can offer are my fists? Besides, I did start it. I’ve never seen Shizuka start anything before. He’s mostly quiet, reserved, but when pushed, he’ll reply with whatever you throw at him, tenfold. Scary, I know.”

“That aside, he was really looking forward to meeting that other guy again. The one who delivers the equipment all the time. He would stay and chat with Shizuka of just about anything. From the most mundane of things, to his silly dreams. But the real reason behind that is because he doesn’t assume much about Shizuka. Sure, he knows our Soulful Prince, but he doesn’t show that it’s an obstacle whenever he talks with Shizuka. So Shizuka can be casual with him… which was what I was really hoping for today. My bad,” said Anya as she sat on the next stool. “Shizuka’s been stressed too much with work that I wanted him to just let it all out with what he’s most comfortable with and arranged for the equipments far too late. Sorry about that.”

“Ah… I heard about it too,” Ryo’s tone became somber. “There was a group of new chuunins who got into big trouble in a mission and unfortunately, the youngest didn’t make it. I understand that it’s not right for him to lecture you about your shinobi principles, but that same attitude, the I’m-Strong-I’ll-Show-You-I-Can-Prove-My-Justice sense was what got that boy killed. I had a long talk with Shizuka about that and I must agree. While we, of the older generation-“

“Hey! I’m still young, thank you very much.”

“As I was saying… we, of the older generation, feel that the younger ones think lightly of their actions. Sure, we try to inspire them to be the best of who they can be, but we must also be there and honest enough to call on them when they’re taking that divergent route. Well, that’s my thinking. If everyone just wants to keep proving their justice with strength and violence all the time, then that’s not peace at all.”

Anya nodded and then patted Momotaro on the head again. “I know you’re a tough kid, but it wouldn’t hurt you to take a step back once in a while, right? Not all adults are right, but it is the rare type of adult who gets angry and corrects you that are the ones worth listening to at times. You don’t necessarily need to heed them, though please do. I guess what I want to say is… sometimes I wish I had someone like Shizuka get mad at me when I was younger too… Maybe then I wouldn’t have lost friends along the way. You see, even if I’m a Shinobi, I’m scared to go out to the field again because of a fatal mistake in the past. I was the kind who believed I could do everything because I didn’t want to be taken for granted or useless…” she sighed heavily and slapped her face, “Oh but that’s in the past! I need to look forward to the future by living in the present!”

“Yeah, everyone has a burden they must carry, whether it’s now or tomorrow, but that shouldn’t be something that defines you,” said Ryo. “Knowing this, we can only act appropriately, especially when dealing with others. Ah, but don’t worry, I’ll give Shizuka a good long talk about how he went overboard earlier. Even if he was responding to your psyche at that time, I should think he should show some restraints. But you must admit, he didn’t sugarcoat it all. That’s our Shizuka right there. Always as sincere as possible, even if it’s against a kid.”

“Oho…” a voice resounded in the studio and standing by the hallway’s entrance was Shizuka with a brown bag. “I see you’re back and healthy enough to talk about people, Ryo-san. And there I was, thinking you’d be spending the whole day at the park.” He went over and picked out a paper cup with a lid and placed on top of the equipment case that Ryo was working on.

“Ah, well, you know me. Always here to help a friend. Thanks for the latte.”

Then, Shizuka would walk over and place two cups on an equipment case between the stools of Anya and Momotaro – a frappe and a juice. “Still simmering, I see,” he would say in a glance at the boy before walking across the floor and finding his spot on that same stool he was sitting at earlier. Pulling the last cup, he began to drink in peace.

 

[Azai Momotaro]

Azai was not expecting to have to talk about this, but at this moment he began to think about the man’s words. The back on forth between the man who somewhat took Shizuka’s side and the girl who took his side, and began to reflect on himself. So the boy just listened and nodded as he thought about how maybe was projecting a lot of his anger and frustration he is feeling at the moment due to his arm injury being something that is just there to annoy him and stop his progress, an obstacle that has no purpose other to halt his so far amazing progress. If that was the reason, was Momo being a bad person and a hypocrite ? the boy shook his head and decided to not think about that sort of stuff now, Shizuka was a jerk and there is nothing more to it other than that.

“I guess if I am being honest, I am a bit mad that I am forced to stop training thanks to this injury.” He said as he held his left shoulder with his right hand. “but still there was ways for him to be polite, I never intend on attacking him with my questions, if I did well he does not need to pick a fight. Especially since he said I am a little kid, or wait is that his way of seeing me as an adult ? agh I am very confused by this Shizuka person right now.” Momo said as he scratched the side of his head, guess that what happens when he mixes with people who live in places he can not fully comprehend.

“wait you mean Shizuka has friends ? how can anyone stand him, maybe I judged him wrong. I am not gonna back down though, I am just not going to fight with him. Oh and Anya-san I would not worry if I were you, you are very pretty.” The boy complimented the older women with a sincere smile on his face, the smile would later turn to a frown as he looked to the other man who just called him a kid.

“I will have you know I am no kid, I am just a young adult. This may come as a shock to you but I did not get this injury from playing games, I got it as I preformed my duty as a shinobi of Kumogakure.” He then stopped talking as Shizuka entered the room, carrying what looks like to be beverages. Starring at him the boy did not take his eyes off him for a while, completely ignoring the juice that was brought for him for now. But after the man sat down and made his little comment, Momotaro just smiled and nodded at him. “why thank you I will take that as a compliment.” Then Momo took his cup and began to take a sip from it, he did not want to but it would have not been polite. “oh since I am here, it is my first time being in a place like this. What is it exactly that you guys do here ? why do you need all that equipment ?”

 

[Kiri]

Anya almost laughed at the comment of Shizuka having friends. “Yes, yes. It’s hard to believe but he does have friends. Though it was not too long ago that he has started to hang out with us more than with his family.” She gave Shizuka a wink when she realized that the raven-haired one was glancing at her while sipping the drink, an eyebrow raised as if he was judging. “Thank you for the frappe,” she added with a smile.

At that point, Little Mo asked what perhaps may have been the most necessary question of all, and perhaps what the rest have been skirting from. “Oh right. This is one of the recording studios of Kumogakure. Well, used to be. Most of the recording equipment were transferred to a new site, and this place was about to be torn down, but Ryo over there decided to buy it. So it’s partly his apartment, and partly a rehearsal studio for Shizuka. And… wait, you weren’t briefed about this?”

Anya had a mischievous glint on her eyes as she scooted closer to Momotaro to whisper, while Shizuka stood up from his stool and came over to Ryo when the latter waved for him. They seemed to be busy with some technical thing. “Okay, so the first thing you need to know is that Shizuka is actually a recording artist here in Kumogakure. Well, he may not want to be known as an idol like that Midori-chan, though she is kinda cute, but still, he doesn’t want all that glamour and facade. Besides, to him, music is different. It’s his soul. Remember when we said earlier that he could hear your heart? Well, that’s because of his gift. He could see soundwaves, colors, visual imagery, and so most of the songs he composes and sing appear like stories to him. Because of this, he quickly became popular.”

She paused, brows furrowing. “Wait, no. That’s not it.”

Meanwhile, Ryo put down the last of the equipment on the center of the space and made Shizuka stand there. He went up to the side and took out a microphone, letting it’s long wires trail behind him until he reached to give it to Shizuka. “Okay, now I know it’s late and you’re probably having a different mood, but we got you. Just let your heart out. Scream if you want.”

“Is that supposed to be encouraging?” Asked Shizuka, looking at the microphone.

“Maybe. Who knows? Just try it.” Ryo patted him on the shoulder and went back to the other side to fumble with another equipment kit.

“Ah! That’s right,” Anya continued, “So while he was able to play some gigs here and there, and also at the hospital, since you know, he’s part of the medical branch and thought of putting up the musical therapy unit, one of the neighboring advertisers decided to make him model for a local shop. And then boom. He got more modeling gigs and his popularity shot up. Though he prefers to really spend more time singing, he does use his modeling gigs to rack up charity for the hospital.”

Just then, there was a loud feedback noise before it got toned down with Ryo apologizing. While the rest may have been irked by it, Shizuka looked more like he was in pain for a moment, shooting a death glare at Ryo before shaking his head. Then, when it was settled, Ryo gave Shizuka a thumbs up.

“Today is… not really a rehearsal day. It’s just that he’s been stressed really. And if there’s anything that could help unwind his emotions, it’s through music. So I had to drag him all the way here from the hospital, no less. I even brought a few days worth of his clothes, and set up his attic room. Of course, his family was quite supportive, saying it would help him, indeed, so no worries about this being a forced abduction or anything. Ahahaha… but yeah. We’re just a bunch of old friends who decided to come together to help this one special friend who has done a lot for us in the past. If there’s anyone in this village that seems to have everything and so hard to find a way to help them at firs glance, it’s him. But once you get to know more about him, you get to see chinks in his armor and sometimes, you just need to be the one to go up to him and tell him 'it’s okay to cry’. Not that he does, but …. Oh well, that’s a touchy topic. It’s not my place to talk about that one.” She sighed and reached over a hand to Momotaro’s shoulder, pulling him close for a sort of casual leaning as she watched the raven-haired close his eyes and seeming in deep thoughts while holding the microphone in front of him. “You can criticize him later for his music. He’ll actually love it.”

And so, he began to sing. From the very first words he uttered, he faced Anya and Momotaro and opened his eyes, looking at them intensely. His golden eyes seemed almost filled with emotions, and though Anya felt she held her breath back, it was obvious that his eyes were looking at someone other than her. His eyes were seemingly boring towards the boy who was seated there. It was a somber melody all throughout, as if his own soul was reaching out.

​

Spoiler

Translated Lyrics (in case you don’t see the video)
On a long and tiring day
I got together my heart that was filled with sighs
Today and tomorrow, I will get up again
And live through the day

Vague expectations, dry laughter

They change as time goes by

My sad heart and apparent scars

They won’t disappear

Can you hear our sad cries?

We held it in and endured through endlessly

Even when darkness came while walking on this far path

We held hands and were always together

In a dark room, a single ray of light comes through the windows

Some day, I hope it will shine brightly

If I hope and hope, it will be fulfilled

That’s what I believed and waited for

Can you hear our sad cries?

We held it in and endured through endlessly

Even when darkness came while walking on this far path

We held hands and were always together

Why are there no answers?

Why did you hide it without a word?

On a long and tiring day

I got together my heart that was filled with sighs

Today and tomorrow, I will get up again

And live through the day

 

[Azai Momotaro]

Azai was surprised that Shizuka had a bunch of friends, granted he knew the man for less than an hour but that was enough for him to dislike him. But for now he was more interested in something else, he was different from everyone in his age in some aspect. He does not know nothing about music at all, zero knowledge. All the music he hears is his mom playing with the Shamisen, so when he realized he is in the place of more modern music, the boy had a lot of question to ask to everyone involved.

“oh so this is one of those studios I was told it’s a studio but I did not ask about the specifics, I never knew we had those in Kumogakure……oh also who is this Midori and why does her being cute have to do with music ? and from the sounds of it Shizuka has an incredible talent and he is using it for music ? I am not judging, I just want to know what is so appealing about music for him to dedicate some serious time for it. I simply don’t understand a lot about music.”

Little Mo was confused when he heard that Shizuka was part of the medical branch, he did not look like Shinobi at all. And even Anya seemed to think highly of the guy, Momotaro was not sure what to think of Shizuka anymore. Luckily for him, the boy will get to see Shizuka singing in person and finally see whats this is all about. Anya wrapped her hand around him and brought him close to her, so the two can listen to Shizuka sing. The boy looked at shizuka and waited for him to begin singing.

Once he did the boy had a look of wonder on his face, he had a mixture of emotions once he heard what most people his age where listening to. Being complete honest with himself, he was not a fan, it was not his type of music. But what he could admire is the passion behind it, staying silent till the performance was over the boy just listened to what Shizuka was doing. Once the performance was over the boy just nodded at Shizuka, he was not going to be completely honest, that would have been rude but he will not lie either. “not bad at all, I can see why you may have a lot fans listen to this type of music. For the first time listening to this sort of stuff, I enjoyed it.” The boy said with a firm tone of voice, he wanted to be taken seriously here.

 

[Kiri]

“Well, if you’re interested to know, you should ask him in person,” said Anya as the song soon began.

It was a slow somber song, building up the energy before it exploded in what seemed to be a river of explosions. And when it ended, Shizuka looked up to find the boy seemingly agree with the song. He smirked, “No, you’re not listening. You don’t enjoy because you listen. You enjoy something because you feel it. But thanks.”

Just as he was about to take a breather, there was a sudden strumming of some acoustic guitar. Looking to the side, Ryo can be found sitting on top of one the equipment kits, guitar in hand and smiling coyly as he egged on Shizuka to quickly pick up on the song. Judging from it, it seemed like a cozy song that the two seemed to know by heart.

Anya gave a warm sigh and continued to embrace Little Mo. “Oh dear, guess you’ll be trapped here for a little longer, Little Mo. Don’t worry, I’ll be cooking dinner later so you’ll enjoy it. So for now, just relax. And if you feel like joining in, just do it. Just as Shizuka said, you don’t enjoy it just by the sound, you feel it.

​

As soon as the song ended, Ryo clapped and set down the guitar for now, walking towards Shizuka and patting him on the head, which earned him the raised brow from the raven haired guy. “Break, break. I need to go get the barbecue for tonight’s feast before all the meat are gone from the stall,” he said while shooting finger guns at Anya, making the girl giggle. And no sooner did he say that, Ryo left the building, seemingly going to town.

“Okay, then I’ll go check on the griller out back. Be back in a bit boys. Don’t go biting each other’s head off while we’re gone,” teased Anya as she let go of Little Mo and started towards a door that has the FIRE EXIT sign on top of it. Shizuka shrugged and then went to the corner to place the microphone aside for now before walking over to grab the acoustic guitar and sit down, adjusting the strings.

 

[Azai Momotaro]

Momotaro was still unsure about what Shizuka said, what did he mean by not listening and instead “feeling” the song. To him that sounded like a bunch of nonsense to him, “the rhythm of his heatr” Momo was not sure how that makes any sense to anyone. To him music is a hobby something to listen and attempt playing on times of rest. But not to Shizuka who seemed to take things a bit serious, reminded Momo of how he felt about his Kenjutsu, practicing with his sword is one of the few times Momo feels at complete peace with himself, maybe Shizuka feels the same way about music ?

The boy would then turn to face Anya, his face was not pleased that he was being kept here for longer than he intended, but its not like he has any other plan for today. “eh I guess that’s fine, as long as you are cooking dinner I will look forward to taste your cooking Anya-san.” He then scratched his chin at the thought of joining in with the singing, he started to imagine himself singing but he did not like that image, so he shook his head. “I will pass on joining, I am just gonna be an audience for this one. I will try to feel it though, even though I am not sure how one does that.” Momo just listened to this song, and much like the one before it, it was not bad but it did not move Momo at all. The boy just stood motionless trying to find the thing everyone’s been talking about.

Once it was over the boy turned to Anya and Ryo who left to prepare things for dinner the two had an exchange that was curious perhaps if the boy was a bit older he could have noticed something between the two, but he was a young kid so he made nothing of it. Now Momo is left alone with Shizuka. The boy felt the air get awkward all of the sudden, he then thought of ways to try to break the air of silence. “so Shizuka, how long have you started this singing stuff ?” hopefully this question was enough to keep a healthy conversation going while waiting for the others to return.

 

[Kiri]

It would be a denial to say that the atmosphere in the studio had suddenly changed. Being left wi the boy was unexpected, but he couldn’t refuse. Instead, he tried to pull himself into the melody that was continually escaping his mind. It would be a pity if he couldn’t pin it down in one place.

And then, the boy asked him. He raised his head to glance at the boy for a moment. He did not need to look at him to know the intent of his question. The tone was enough and the beating of his heart. Shizuka made one of those rare smiles of his as he slowly stood up. “For as far as I could remember. Well, at first I thought it was normal, but when my family said that sounds don’t have shapes, it became more interesting that I just had the inescapable urge to make as much noise as I can, which eventually turned into this.”

He set the guitar aside for now and approached the boy. Slowly with each step, his expression would change from one of observation to one of deep thought and a bi of frowning. He raised his hands over to his chin as stopped just in front of the boy, looking down at him. “You are both like the others and also different. Sorry if that doesn’t make sense.” He then looked away as he tried to search for the right words to speak. “It’s like… because I can see the shape of sounds that I can sing, that I can hear, and that I see one’s soul. From the beatings of the heart, the tone of the voice… even the smallest reaction to soundwaves, wether voluntary or not, it helps paint the world I see. But the world outside is far too noisy at times that it ends up becoming a mess.”

He shrugged before looking back at the boy and reaching out a hand just in front of the boy’s face. “You for one, are almost as big and loud as the world outside. It’s a lively sound you make, though it was at the tipping point of erupting earlier. Still, it is uniquely yours.” He wondered if he made any sense with that statement. He wondered if the boy would just push him aside this time. And yet, he fell that same sound from the boy that was gradually pulling at him. “To be honest, I have been looking for something like this. A unique sound that can be unnerving and also calming. Did you know that your heart’s rhythm is resembles the wind? An endless potential of melody rides over it. Do you want to hear it?”

It wasn’t the first time he had done this. There had been a few occasions where Shizuka took to the rhythms that belonged to others, or even to what should be inanimate objects, drawn like a moth to the flame. And in all cases, when he felt that something special that urge him to grab hold of it, it showed him a world worth knowing and sharing. But would the boy allow him?

 

[Azai Momotaro]

Momo was glad that he managed to end the silence in the studio, however he was very confused by what Shizuka told him, he could not imagine sounds having any shape it was very strange to him.

“so wait a minute sound actually has shapes in your eyes ? like squares and circles and triangles and all that stuff ?”

The young boy looked at Shizuka his brow raised, the confusion was clear on his eyes. Then Shizuka began to approach Momo, which just made the young boy nervous. He did not take a step back but he was not comfortable, so he readied himself in case anything should happen. He would take a much more relaxed stance, once Shizuka would tell him something that only helped to confuse Momo further. “wait what do you mean I am like the others but also different ? this definitely does not make any sense, you know that right ?” at this point the Momo wanted to know how someone like Shizuka thinks it was clearly different from the norm.

When he was described as having a loud sound, the boy took that as a negative at first. He figured that Shizuka is probably teasing him again, calling him a brat or something once more. Then slowly it began to be more clear for Momo that it was not the case, he felt something weird when he was described by Shizuka, could he be right ? Is Momotaro’s soul like the wind or is Shizuka bluffing ? well there is one way to find out decisively.

“Alright sure go ahead show me what you think my soul sounds like, I am interested to see how this method of yours works.”

The boy said as he went and found a place to sit in, and he took Ryo’s previous spot, looking at Shizuka waiting for the man to start.

 

[Kiri]

Shizuka smirked at the boy’s sudden change. He had thought that Momotaro would be against at the idea, but for the boy to actually be interested was in itself interesting. Of course, he also began to think if he was talking weirdly and that was why it was the case. Maybe it was pity? Who knows. But before he add on to what he said, the boy already went across the floor and took a seat where Ryo had been earlier. Shizuka scratched the back of his wondering if he had gotten himself into a relatively weird situation.

After a moment of thinking, he went over to a different equipment hidden under a coversheet. Pulling the covers over, it revealed a piano, not the grand and fancy type, just a normal one, its wooden frame showing a bit of wearing from the time it’s been there. He opened the front lid to reveal the keys and pulled out the chair to sit on. He let his fingers run through the keys first before he paused, closing his eyes. At this point, there was a strange aura that engulfed the room.

Without warning, it felt as though Shizuka’s chakra poured out of his body effortlessly, settling into tiny tinges of prickly waves in the air before finally feeling nothing more than a smooth touch of ether. And for Momotaro, he might feel as though something was poking him at first, like child’s play before it disappeared into a strange calm. Then, the first key was tapped.

At each note that resounded across the room, it filled the air with a strange harmony and touch, like small shockwaves that reverberated to those around. Tiny pettings that struck the audience, and sometimes there was the occasional sheen of light against the sound wave, like ripples with Shizuka at the center, each tide moving away per note.

It began slow with just the melody before Shizuka began to speak, almost as if he was recalling a memory and he telling a story of someone. The sparkling aura in each rippling sound wave would shine and make shapes, as if they’re running, jumping, reaching higher, descending, falling, then flying.

​

The last key echoes in the silence of the place before all of the sparkling aura drops from the sky and disperses into nothingness. Shizuka fell into a long silence after that, head dropped down before he stood up without a word. He then walked over to the other corner and slumped on a conveniently placed large bean bag. Perhaps it was placed there for that very purpose. As he lay on it, eyes still closed, he almost forgot there was someone else in this studio as he continued to hum the melody.

 

[Azai Momotaro]

Azai was ready to be snarky and judge the man and tell him that he was wrong, crackling a big smug smile the boy just listened to the music that was supposed to be the representation of his soul or whatever. And at the first the boy had a smile and was thinking that this was more or the less the same as the last songs he heard, but slowly and surely the expression on his face began to change little by little. The boy looked down at his hand and let the sounds sink in, barely aware of the chakra the boy emitted just now. His mind was busy being in deep thought about himself, about the rage he felt due to breaking his arm. It was now that the boy realized he blamed those chunnin for being lousy at their job, he felt resentment towards them for letting him go through what he went through, however that rage was replaced with something else……fear.

He realized that he was scared that every other kid his age he met so far were incredible shinobi, most remarkable were Yuu who was skilled enough to teach him and Airi who has potential that surpasses his by leaps and bounds. It did not help that his first fight had him beaten almost to death, made him wonder if Nozomi is wasting her time with training him. Those fears surfaced but by the end of his reflection he found something, that unrelenting wind Shizuka talked about, that secret drive to prove himself wrong. The desire to rise up and become a better shinobi than any of his parents were, it resonated with the boy on a deep profound level, that it changed the flame in his age from anger, to fear an now to determination all in span of a couple of minutes.

It was at that moment that the young boy realized how wrong he was about music, and how this simple piece of entertainment was able to hit him on a personal level and bring out emotions he himself was not aware of completely.

Sitting in silence the boy stared at his good hand for a good minute before clinching it into a fist, looking up to the man the boy was able to utter but a simple sentence. “that…..was Awesome!!” the boy exclaimed excitedly.

 

[Kiri]

Shizuka almost jumped at the shout. Instead, he seemed like he was suddenly awakened from what was a sleep that was trying to get a hold of him. He sat down on the beanbag as he watched over the boy who seemed to look he was revitalized or so and smiled. For some reason, he felt happy. I was probably because he felt like he somehow made that happen, but he had to correct the boy. “No. You are amazing. You just needed to listen to your soul to remind yourself,” said Shizuka as he leaned back to the beanbag and looked up to the ceiling, the wooden surface that hid the attic space of a room that was given for him. And yet, it was almost as if his could still see past it and see nothing but the endless sky.

“Everyone has a sound that I wish they could hear. Maybe if they do, maybe they can all change to what they really aspire,” he added. After a moment, Shizuka looked back to the boy and stood up. Approaching Momotaro, he reached out a hand to lightly touch the hand that was on a sling. “What happened? Did you get it checked? Did they say it would take long?” He asked looking genuinely concerned and before he could even wait for an answer, there was already a gathering of a warmth light on his hand that touched the arm, albeit a similar aura and sensation as the chakra from earlier and it seemed like it was transferring from Shizuka and into the boy, sending a strange forceful healing energy that would tightly take hold of the muscles and tissues inside in a warm embrace before it could be felt spreading through the body through the bloodstream. And as he did so, a faint glow of his golden eyes could be seen. “Careful not to clip your wings before you think about flying. The sky’s so big and the wind so strong, but you’ll still need an able body to conquer it all.”

And almost as if it was an afterthought, Shizuka became wide-eyed as he realized an important thing. “Oh, my name is Hashigaki Shizuka. Nice to meet you, Azai Momotaro.”

 

[Azai Momotaro]

Momotaro laughed when Shizuka trying to sway the compliment back towards his direction, Shizuka was way more humble than he had thought. Waving him off with his good hand, Momo was not gonna accept the compliment, he really did nothing worth commenting on today. Besides it was Shizuka who managed to change his opinion on current music, from mild annoyance to actually liking it.

“haha come on now, you are being far too kind. Besides I know I am great, this injury is just a small setback in my journey to becoming a world renown shinobi. But my goals aside, you really are good at this, I can see why you chose this as your profession, and why Anya and Ryo want to help you. Sorry about my attitude earlier by the way.”

The boy was startled by Shizuka actions as he extended his hand to touch Momo’s cast, the boy looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Azai was wondering why he cant get a read on Shizuka’s personality, but when he emitted some warm light coming from Shizuka. He wondered if it was the same as Nozomi’s, it probably was not but it was something to think about.

“Ah well it’s a long story, but I got this injury due to fighting some criminal who was on the verge of escaping, I was randomly standing in his route of escape and well I thought I could stop him. As you can see I was wrong and if those Chunnin did not arrive as soon as they did, I would have been dead. It was scary, but its been two weeks since then and I am fine now. Gotta intensify my training if I want to be stronger and avoid this type of situation. And oh the doctor told me it will take six weeks give or take.”

His voice was somber and realistic, it was not angry, it was not sad Momo accepted the fact that he was too weak and it shows. But he did not want to look on he could have did something better, but instead focus on getting better and stronger. “oh nice to meet you Shizuka, I am Azai Momotaro. I hope we can be friends, despite our rough start.”

 

[Kiri]

Shizuka smirked as the boy proclaimed that he knew he was great. He was glad that the boy had some fighting spirit in him. For a moment, he was worried he would have to help open his eyes. And listening to his story about the incident, Shizuka could only nod. There was no better teacher about life than to experience it. Except for the dying part… best not to experience death personally, but that’s another story altogether. He shook his head at the boy’s apology. “No. I often start things, I suppose. I would lose myself into another’s rhythm and act accordingly. My bad,” said Shizuka as he reached to shake Momotaro’s hand.

At that very moment, they would hear some sounds, and in came Anya and Ryo, giggling at each other. When the woman spotted them, she raised what she was carrying– a large aluminum baking tray filled with some specially marinated beef from the smell of it. And Ryo was carrying a crate of drinks while flashing his signature mischievous grin. “Looks like you two made up well. Come on, let’s get this party started!” He said as he walked across the floor and onto the fire exit door, unlocking it and pushing it wide open.

“Come on, Little Mo. I’ve prepared my special menu for this day. It’d be a waste for you not to join in,” said Anya as she showed the large baking tray of the marinated ribs and flanks and kebabs. Then, she shot Shizuka a glance, “You, sir, should go and get the plates and mugs. They’re by the pantry at the back.”

Shizuka sighed and patted Momotaro on the head before saying something like he’d follow suit. And so Anya would take Momotaro through the fire exit to find their little camping area at the backyard of the studio. It was just a small space inside a wooden fence that specified the exact scale of the yard. There were a few outdoor chairs around, and a beanbag, a large metal ring in the center where Ryo was already throwing charcoals into to start a fire. There were a couple of string lights that ran from the roof of the studio, diagonally down to the top of the fence, but it was still early to turn them on as the sky was still relishing the beautiful sunset afterglow.

Anya would settle the tray on one a bench next to the makeshift metal firepit/grill while Ryo motioned for Momotaro to get the cooler at the side of the fence and bring it closer so they can chill the drinks.