There he stood, on the final step descending from his domicile and a moment away from melding into the masses. Sure enough, after a few days had passed, Tensai's mother requested he deliver food to his Granduncle. There was a frown upon the boy's face and a bigger knapsack over his shoulder, preemptively steeling himself for what he predicted would be another harsh encounter. After dropping the food off last time, he'd been hurried away much in the same way one would do to a stray dog.
Exhaling, he made up his mind that at the worst of it he'd be shooed away once more, if not having something thrown at him for good measure. It wasn't nearly as late as it had been the other night, the the streets still bustled with calm life. He'd see familiar faces, having been born into the community, but a polite grin and quarter-bow was the most he had time for. He wanted to get his chore completed as fast as possible, not to mention he had never been much of a talker in the first place.
The knapsack he carried was significantly heavier, without doubt holding more than food this time. While wondering about the contents, his journey seemed to go by at a rate completely unnoticed by the boy. Before he knew it, the soft dark soil of his Granduncle's territory, exposing the old shack before him once again. Without the heavy darkness of true night, he'd be able to get a better view of the place in the evening's dwindling light. While it wasn't very lavish, it seemed peaceful, and there were even flowers and a garden here or there.
Swallowing his hesitation was the first task at hand, which he dealt with swiftly before marching up toward's the door with steely eyes. He'd knock a couple of times, and unbeknownst to him, wore an expression that showed he was ready for anything. The click of the door's handle being turned quickened his heart's beat marginally, and his fingers tightened to form small fists. Once the door was open, it would do so fully, and instead of a single creeping eye he would see the full form of an old man with skin the color of dark olives.
The old man would stare at the boy for a moment, a good fifteen seconds of silence between them increased the tension. The old man's eyes were yellowed and reddening where it should have been white, and his irises were a hauntingly beautiful translucent shade of golden brown. Though old, he didn't seem to be one of those elderly individuals who's age had been beating them down, giving the impression he could hold his ground with strong men in their prime despite his slim physique. "I see your mother is busy once again." Each word was deliberate, and almost interrogative in nature. "That's alright, sometimes I forget she's not a child anymore and has responsibilities outside the family now. Come, we shall drink tea."
Surprise would be an inadequate word to describe Tensai's feelings as he stared at the back of the old man who retreated into the small home. "Well hurry up, you're going to let the heat out." Were the grizzled words that reached back to the boy, who quickly nodded and then stepped inside the close the door behind him. The inside seemed a lot more well-kept than the outside, to such extent even the floorboards glistened with polish. At the far end was a small fireplace, and strewn about were various types of scented incense. There was a table, chairs, few bookshelves, and a simple bed. Tensai's eyes would see gadget after gadget, globes, compasses, and geometry tools in general.
"You can set down the bag over there." The old voice would say again, without looking back and simply pointing to an empty corner. Tensai did as he was told, while watching the old man remove the teapot from the flames and bring it over to the table. Tensai would move over, and only take a seat once the old man gestured for him to do so. "I'm surprised by your disposition, boy." Muttered the ancestor as he poured a lavender colored liquid into two small cups. "You aren't like the rest of our youth. I can see a difference in you that's hard to put my finger on." The ashen-haired youth didn't know how to respond, and all that managed to slip out was "Thank you, sir."
Instead of just grabbing the cup and sipping away, he would watch the mannerisms of the old man and imitate them studiously. It wasn't very difficult, moving with patience and taking just a sip every now and then. Over the course of the next few hours, the old man never mentioned his given name, but shared much more than that. He would start talking about old stories from the time before Lightning Country, before Shinobi, and of all the wondrous things the Musai had done. It was astounding to the boy, considering he only knew much about the present era despite his diligent efforts. The man was still rough with his words, and quite crabby by nature, but overall seemed a good man. Once they were finished, and it was time for him to depart, Tensai would ask a simple question. "Is it okay if I come back tomorrow?"
The old man turned around, looking a bit surprised himself before nodding grimly. "I don't see why not, it's not every day you find a pup interested in the legacy of wolves." The words brought a sincere but slight smile to Tensai's face, who would bow graciously. "Thank you Uncle." Coughing once more, his Granduncle would speak. "Don't thank me yet. When you come tomorrow, I want you to bring an empty notebook, something to write with, and...Leave this part out to your mother, but I'm going to want a bottle of rum too. Got it?" Nodding in acceptance of the terms, Tensai would take his leave and head home. Well, the night certainly didn't go as bad as he'd been expecting.
[MFT]
Exhaling, he made up his mind that at the worst of it he'd be shooed away once more, if not having something thrown at him for good measure. It wasn't nearly as late as it had been the other night, the the streets still bustled with calm life. He'd see familiar faces, having been born into the community, but a polite grin and quarter-bow was the most he had time for. He wanted to get his chore completed as fast as possible, not to mention he had never been much of a talker in the first place.
The knapsack he carried was significantly heavier, without doubt holding more than food this time. While wondering about the contents, his journey seemed to go by at a rate completely unnoticed by the boy. Before he knew it, the soft dark soil of his Granduncle's territory, exposing the old shack before him once again. Without the heavy darkness of true night, he'd be able to get a better view of the place in the evening's dwindling light. While it wasn't very lavish, it seemed peaceful, and there were even flowers and a garden here or there.
Swallowing his hesitation was the first task at hand, which he dealt with swiftly before marching up toward's the door with steely eyes. He'd knock a couple of times, and unbeknownst to him, wore an expression that showed he was ready for anything. The click of the door's handle being turned quickened his heart's beat marginally, and his fingers tightened to form small fists. Once the door was open, it would do so fully, and instead of a single creeping eye he would see the full form of an old man with skin the color of dark olives.
The old man would stare at the boy for a moment, a good fifteen seconds of silence between them increased the tension. The old man's eyes were yellowed and reddening where it should have been white, and his irises were a hauntingly beautiful translucent shade of golden brown. Though old, he didn't seem to be one of those elderly individuals who's age had been beating them down, giving the impression he could hold his ground with strong men in their prime despite his slim physique. "I see your mother is busy once again." Each word was deliberate, and almost interrogative in nature. "That's alright, sometimes I forget she's not a child anymore and has responsibilities outside the family now. Come, we shall drink tea."
Surprise would be an inadequate word to describe Tensai's feelings as he stared at the back of the old man who retreated into the small home. "Well hurry up, you're going to let the heat out." Were the grizzled words that reached back to the boy, who quickly nodded and then stepped inside the close the door behind him. The inside seemed a lot more well-kept than the outside, to such extent even the floorboards glistened with polish. At the far end was a small fireplace, and strewn about were various types of scented incense. There was a table, chairs, few bookshelves, and a simple bed. Tensai's eyes would see gadget after gadget, globes, compasses, and geometry tools in general.
"You can set down the bag over there." The old voice would say again, without looking back and simply pointing to an empty corner. Tensai did as he was told, while watching the old man remove the teapot from the flames and bring it over to the table. Tensai would move over, and only take a seat once the old man gestured for him to do so. "I'm surprised by your disposition, boy." Muttered the ancestor as he poured a lavender colored liquid into two small cups. "You aren't like the rest of our youth. I can see a difference in you that's hard to put my finger on." The ashen-haired youth didn't know how to respond, and all that managed to slip out was "Thank you, sir."
Instead of just grabbing the cup and sipping away, he would watch the mannerisms of the old man and imitate them studiously. It wasn't very difficult, moving with patience and taking just a sip every now and then. Over the course of the next few hours, the old man never mentioned his given name, but shared much more than that. He would start talking about old stories from the time before Lightning Country, before Shinobi, and of all the wondrous things the Musai had done. It was astounding to the boy, considering he only knew much about the present era despite his diligent efforts. The man was still rough with his words, and quite crabby by nature, but overall seemed a good man. Once they were finished, and it was time for him to depart, Tensai would ask a simple question. "Is it okay if I come back tomorrow?"
The old man turned around, looking a bit surprised himself before nodding grimly. "I don't see why not, it's not every day you find a pup interested in the legacy of wolves." The words brought a sincere but slight smile to Tensai's face, who would bow graciously. "Thank you Uncle." Coughing once more, his Granduncle would speak. "Don't thank me yet. When you come tomorrow, I want you to bring an empty notebook, something to write with, and...Leave this part out to your mother, but I'm going to want a bottle of rum too. Got it?" Nodding in acceptance of the terms, Tensai would take his leave and head home. Well, the night certainly didn't go as bad as he'd been expecting.
[MFT]