The entertainment district of Kumogakure was as bustling as ever. Vendors tried to gain the attention of any passerby, their cries muffled by the murmuring of the crowds making their way up and down the busy main street. The scent of all kinds of foods blended together in the walkway attempting to entice anyone walking by the various ramen shops and restaurants that neighbored the regular shops selling things from kunai to accessories.
In these conditions Masaru walked on by himself, his gaze flicking from shop to shop as he went. The evening air was cool, providing a brief respite to the heat generated by the mass of people congregating about the Plaza. Days like today were rare events for Masaru as he rarely gave himself a day off, but after his self-reflection the previous day he had come to the conclusion that his body desperately needed rest.
It had been a while since he had participated in a class at the Academy, and yet he managed to fill his day with any form of training he could. He had been blessed with the good fortune of receiving letters from his mother without incident with his extended family, and she had provided him with insight as to what kind of training he should undergo in the brief time before his Genin Exam. Although he had always trained hard before Masaru was particularly eager in his training after receiving high praise from one of his instructors, a friend of his cousin and one of Kumo’s Sennin. It was a result the young man was proud of as it meant that his goal of becoming useful to Haruka wasn’t as out of reach as he thought. As such he had devoted all of his time into training his body and mind, trying to make as much progress as possible before her return. Often he would run in the early hours of morning and do basic physical exercises as a warmup for when he worked on his jutsu and weapon skills. He had a schedule planned out in his head, and hardly allowed himself any slack in preparation for advancing his rank so he could face Haruka with pride.
Such practices, however, proved to put a lot of strain on him. Masaru considered himself fairly fit so he was hardly worried about exhausting himself, but his training left no room for rest and slowly but surely he was beginning to feel the effects of his harsh schedule. He woke one morning staring at the now familiar ceiling of his room at the Shima Estate, his body ached something fierce, his muscles burning despite him not making any movement. His eyelids felt heavy like lead, and even though the harsh light of the sun shown bright on his face he couldn’t muster the strength to raise his hand to shield his eyes. It was the first time he’d felt so tired and useless, and yet he still wanted to get up and get to work. It was when he had finally managed to roll onto his side that he remembered his encounter with a particularly snarky kid during one of his training sessions. The boy’s words came to him easily, and though he was loath to admit it even now the advice made sense.
Masaru had decided on two days of rest after that, but being so leisurely wasn’t something he normally did and so he was at a loss of how to not do anything in his down time. He didn’t want to be at home with the whispers and glances of the Shima family so he decided to get some fresh air on this second day. He was painfully aware of how he had failed Haruka’s request of forming connections, as he didn’t have a single person he could call on to spend time with, and still he wondered why he should try to get along with those his age when they weren’t the least bit interested in him either. He walked along with these thoughts in mind finally spotting an area where he could sit.
Clad in his usual black shirt and pants, Masaru looked like just another face in the crowd as he made his way over to the cluster of tables spaced evenly outside of an open air restaurant. He placed the bag he had been carrying on the table and seated himself before opening it and revealing its contents: a couple of rice balls. Clasping his hands together, Masaru uttered a thanks for the food and began to eat while people watching, wondering what he should do with the rest of his lazy day after finishing his meal.
[MFT]
In these conditions Masaru walked on by himself, his gaze flicking from shop to shop as he went. The evening air was cool, providing a brief respite to the heat generated by the mass of people congregating about the Plaza. Days like today were rare events for Masaru as he rarely gave himself a day off, but after his self-reflection the previous day he had come to the conclusion that his body desperately needed rest.
It had been a while since he had participated in a class at the Academy, and yet he managed to fill his day with any form of training he could. He had been blessed with the good fortune of receiving letters from his mother without incident with his extended family, and she had provided him with insight as to what kind of training he should undergo in the brief time before his Genin Exam. Although he had always trained hard before Masaru was particularly eager in his training after receiving high praise from one of his instructors, a friend of his cousin and one of Kumo’s Sennin. It was a result the young man was proud of as it meant that his goal of becoming useful to Haruka wasn’t as out of reach as he thought. As such he had devoted all of his time into training his body and mind, trying to make as much progress as possible before her return. Often he would run in the early hours of morning and do basic physical exercises as a warmup for when he worked on his jutsu and weapon skills. He had a schedule planned out in his head, and hardly allowed himself any slack in preparation for advancing his rank so he could face Haruka with pride.
Such practices, however, proved to put a lot of strain on him. Masaru considered himself fairly fit so he was hardly worried about exhausting himself, but his training left no room for rest and slowly but surely he was beginning to feel the effects of his harsh schedule. He woke one morning staring at the now familiar ceiling of his room at the Shima Estate, his body ached something fierce, his muscles burning despite him not making any movement. His eyelids felt heavy like lead, and even though the harsh light of the sun shown bright on his face he couldn’t muster the strength to raise his hand to shield his eyes. It was the first time he’d felt so tired and useless, and yet he still wanted to get up and get to work. It was when he had finally managed to roll onto his side that he remembered his encounter with a particularly snarky kid during one of his training sessions. The boy’s words came to him easily, and though he was loath to admit it even now the advice made sense.
Masaru had decided on two days of rest after that, but being so leisurely wasn’t something he normally did and so he was at a loss of how to not do anything in his down time. He didn’t want to be at home with the whispers and glances of the Shima family so he decided to get some fresh air on this second day. He was painfully aware of how he had failed Haruka’s request of forming connections, as he didn’t have a single person he could call on to spend time with, and still he wondered why he should try to get along with those his age when they weren’t the least bit interested in him either. He walked along with these thoughts in mind finally spotting an area where he could sit.
Clad in his usual black shirt and pants, Masaru looked like just another face in the crowd as he made his way over to the cluster of tables spaced evenly outside of an open air restaurant. He placed the bag he had been carrying on the table and seated himself before opening it and revealing its contents: a couple of rice balls. Clasping his hands together, Masaru uttered a thanks for the food and began to eat while people watching, wondering what he should do with the rest of his lazy day after finishing his meal.
[MFT]