Time For Class [Vulgar Study]

[Shinomiya Masaru]

The massive ancient structure was certainly an imposing sight. This history behind the massive walls that held the world's largest vault of knowledge, rebuilt and remodeled over time, was enough to get any scholar's lips wet with anticipation and intrigue. Masaru's first steps into such a structure seemed to echo louder than normal, the resounding click seemed endless which was only another testament to the building's insane size. He let his eyes roam the walls lined with various texts over anything he could possibly imagine. He recalled learning that the Bibliotheca Conscientiae was built during the time of Kumogakure's founding and so concluded that, while current knowledge was among it's stores, the knowledge and lessons of the previous generations were also there for records. Masaru thought it amazing that such a structure could exist in a village that prided itself on it's military force, though naturally for a village of it's reputation to have survived for so long it could only be natural that those who had significant intellect played their parts to secure Kumogakure's future.

Stone pillars rose high to support the ceiling, rows upon rows of bookshelves were neatly lined, and to Masaru it looked like a sea of knowledge eager to be dove into. As he took a steady pace through the various walkways he made note of the multitude of topics seen. From political texts to war strategies, books over traditions and religions of old, to those on the modern chakra system and medical practices. Masaru thought the library impressive, and occasionally he would run a finger over the spine of a few books to wipe away gathering dust.

This was the stage that his mentor set for their first learning session since she had returned. He could expect no lessons on throwing kunai or striking an opponent with a backhand, this lesson was sure to be something that would strengthen his mental capabilities. Whatever his mentor had planned for him Masaru was ready to commit himself wholeheartedly to the task.

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[Sanageyama Masaoko]

The Great Library had seen years of war, internal struggle, and growth of the village. A marble silent face that watched the hidden village of Cloud since its birth. The greatest men of their kind met here, researched its wondrous fountain of knowledge, and some were even driven to madness by the secrets long locked away. Even the great fire that had destroyed the library was not enough to completely kill such a historical site. Haruka considered this place the pinnacle of true perfection their ancestors wished to achieve. She'd even say that the library was a paramount pillar to Kumogakure.

Buried in the vast amount of information was the ancient language of Kumogakure. A language long since forgotten as the common tongue in order to encourage good relations between the lands surrounding Lightning country. Now a days it was used among the ranks of shinobi in order to communicate securely to one another in the presence of outsiders. It was a aspect of her own learning that she had neglected for many years. As a young girl, she learned to speak it almost fluently, but she lost it almost completely over time. Now she only knew but a few phrases that were useless. It not only would be a learning opportunity for Masaru today, but for Haruka as well.

She approached him from behind, the click of her heels echoed over the marble floors and up towards the arched ceilings. The dim glow of oil lanterns hung throughout the entirety of the structure, but the greatest source of light came from the exquisite candled chandelier at the center of the room. “Good afternoon, Shinomiya-San. This way.” She waved him towards her, disappearing further into the endless maze of bookshelves. She stopped at an opening in the shelves where tables and chairs nestled comofortably between their masses. A few books and scrolls were already set out on one table. She took her seat there and ushered him to a chair.

“Today, I want you to learn about Ancient Kumogakurian. It is a language once used abundantly in our village many years ago. In recent times, shinobi have taken it upon themselves to learn it in order to communicate in secret between our ranks. I studied it rather in depth when I was only slightly younger than you. I must admit I have forgotten most of it, so think of this as an opportunity to learn together as equals. Of course, you won't master it all today, but starting today I will be drilling you on what we've learned every time I visit you until I deem you proficient enough.”

 

[Shinomiya Masaru]

The increasing sound of footsteps alerted him to her presence and as such her greeting did not take him by surprise. Turning on his heel he gave a quick bow, “Good afternoon, Shima-sama,” and with that she directed him to follow her. Despite all his scouting the previous few days he still found it that there were sections of the library that he still had yet to see. As usual Masaru fell in behind her, following along quietly at their usual pace while glimpsing the titles of books they past. His mentor, as usual, didn't hesitate in her steps and walked forward with purpose as she knew exactly where she wanted to go and how to get there. When they finally did arrive Masaru immediately noticed the table that was prepped with books and scrolls, things necessary for studying.

His ears perked up when Haruka explained what they were to be learning, which after a few seconds Masaru concluded that this would not be a simple one day thing. He walked over to the chair opposite her and took a seat, listening intently to her explanation of the old language and it's current uses. The benefits to such a dead language were plenty, communicating without being understood by strangers was certainly a plus not to mention any letters intercepted could not be deciphered. He nodded once in understanding, “Thank you for taking the time to teach me such a beneficial language, Shima-sama. I will be sure to ask if there is something I don't understand.”

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

The gods were cruel to give her someone like Masaru. Already a brilliant child, one with all the restraint and disciplined she wished to have at his age. She only in the past years had learned his temperance. If she had been like that when she was a child. The possibilities of what she could have done would have been endless. Perhaps she would have been a great doctor, but that was highly unlikely. Her father held her in such a low position for a reason. The Shima bewitched at the thought of how strange everything might have been, decided not to dwell.

She watched him begin to look through the scrolls, distance in her hard eyes that spelled disaster for Haruka. She hated thinking of the past and of the missed opportunities. The past was deadly. The boy's sensei's past was filled with dark memories. “Tanaka-Sama has decided to make you Chief Ambassador of Cloud. Of course, you will not go unmonitored for some time. You'll learn under both the Lady and myself for some time. I spoke with her after I left you at the gates. I knew that's what she wanted for you, but I had to think if its what I wanted for you. Your potential lies in your gift of tongue. You are patient, calculating, and cautious. Kumogakure cannot ask for a better shinobi. I have no doubts you will surpass Tanaka-Sama.” She picked out a book, filing through the pages before letting its creaking spine settle on the desk with its pages opened up to her.

“Certain words cannot be translated into the ancient language. Words that we might only be familiar with, such as shinobi ranks. Words like headband, kunai, and jutsu. Keep that in mind.” She spoke, largely ignoring his reaction to the news. She fumed over the decision still. Was it really her's to decide? After all, Haruka had promised Masaru that she would give him purpose, but how far did that promise extend. “Why don't you try an appropriate greeting? Try and grasp the feel for the language. Its important to get the accent correct. I want you to also practice writing out the alphabet.” She pushed a pen and paper towards him, also taking up her own to scrawl the eclectic lettering on the paper while he practiced.

 

[Shinomiya Masaru]

While looking through the various texts Masaru found himself confused by the unfamiliar script he saw. While there was plenty of standard to interpret the phrases it was the mere look of the Ancient Kumogakurian that intrigued him. As he should have expected the words and letters looked rough and foreign indicating their uniqueness in comparison to the Standard Kumo that was the common tongue. Vulgar looked just that, vulgar, but it wasn't unappealing to the boy in fact you could say he was somewhat transfixed by the language despite knowing none of it.

He had yet to realize that he was inching closer to the scroll, as if the secrets of the language would reveal itself if he did so, and the only thing to stop him was when Haruka brought up a familiar name. Masaru flinched and looked up at his mentor while she explained the Sennin's plans for him. His brows knit together in confusion for a moment, palms placed on the wooden table to push himself away and into an upright position with his back against the chair. While learning Vulgar Kumo was a serious matter he determined that this took much more precedence. Chief Ambassador? That was Tanaka-sama's plan for him? Out of all the possibilities he hardly considered that to be one one of them, and considering the time that passed after the class and his promotion he thought that the praise was forgotten and simply said out of politeness to an Academy Student so that their drive wouldn't diminish. Yet Haruka was sitting in front of him telling him that the plan was still a go and that she was backing it. It wasn't the first time he had been praised for his gift of tongue, in fact he was very aware that like every Shima, well...excluding one but he had yet to have a proper conversation with the silver haired heir, he was expected to uphold to rigorous standards in etiquette so as to not tarnish the Clan's reputation. Even if he wasn't an official member he still held the blood of the Shima and thus anything he did would reflect upon them with just a hint of digging. Yet when Haruka praised him he felt as though it held more meaning, even against the words of the Main Branch Sennin.

Taking in such huge information took Masaru more than just a minute. Chief Ambassador...such a noteworthy position had many pros as well as cons, but in thinking about the long term it wouldn't be a bad starting block. Even his mentor told him that he could surpass even the Sennin who had also held such a position when she was of the same rank. Ultimately he decided that it was for the best and was able to come to terms with the enormous weight of responsibility that came with such a role. Masaru opened his eyes and looked to Haruka, nodding in understanding. He could think about it more later in his free time, but for now he had a language to learn.

The first thing Haruka explained to him about Vulgar Kumo was that, naturally, some words were without translation. It was common that foreign things or words could not or did not have direct translations that was just a fact, but thinking of the long term and their profession this was important information. Masaru nodded in understanding and made a mental note as well as jotting it down on a separate piece of paper from the one that Haruka passed to him. Taking her advice he decided to write down the alphabet and it's corresponding sounds before heading straight into the greeting. On a fresh piece of paper he wrote the alphabet out one letter at a time descending, each time practicing the pronunciation before moving to the next. Drilling himself in such a way Masaru eventually started to move his mouth to get used to the differences between Standard and Vulgar, no sound came out when he did so which probably would look comical from an onlookers standpoint. He sat back straight against the chair, a focused look in his eye, and yet he looked like he was talking without making a sound, contorting his face whenever he thought the pronunciation was off in his head. After a while he reached for a different book, one that was for beginners, and flipped through the pages before finding the one that was needed. Before trying the expression himself he decided to write it down ten times to develop more memory of the alphabet and the word. After a while he looked to Haruka, waiting for a moment where she wasn't focused on her own self study, and cleared his throat. “Καλημέρα,” Masaru decided to try for something easy, and despite his mentor's admittance that she had skimped on her upkeep with the language he had full confidence that she would understand what he meant even if he hadn't said it as well as he wanted.

The Ancient Kumogakurian language would prove to be a tricky one to learn, as evident by how different the accent was in comparison to the Standard language; however, Masaru had little to no doubt that he would be able to gain relative proficiency if he kept his studies up. The usefulness of the language was indisputable and he would likely be able to find a number of uses for it in the future, but he couldn't lull into complacency like his mentor. While things came naturally to him it wasn't unheard of for him to forget things because of a lack of use or review. His ninja skills he could polish daily with training so there was little fear in forgetting those, but something like language, especially Vulgar Kumo which seemed to be so rarely used, he was certain that constant practice and review would be necessary to retain proficiency.

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

”Very good.” Haruka praised as the ancient language stuttered into the air with unpracticed grace. She laid her pen down to think over a sentence she might say in response. All those distant memories of her childhood reminded her of the ones she did know. She recalled how eager she was to learn and also the stubbornness of her cousins who sat beside her with disinterest. It seemed so far away, but the phantom images of her cousins Setsuko and Narukaze burning dimly like dying embers stoked long after the flames had died. Now she sat with the son of Setsuko, passing on knowledge she had harnessed years ago. Life is a circle.

Circling all of them, tighter and tighter like a noose. Like the game she played as a young child. Kagome, kagome... Who's standing behind her? If she didn't know, then that was it. The end of the game. Beheading, as was the general rule of what used to seem like a harmless children's game. But the game was much realer now. Haruka had to know every opponent that danced around her. She had to understand their positions and every single detail about them, because some day one will be at her back. If she's not clever enough, it'll be the proper opportunity to slay her.

For the sake of this boy, and others of her clan, she had to be smarter than them all...

“Ah,” She looked up, sudden realization on what to say coming to her mind, “με συγχωρείτε. πολύ καλή.” She began writing down some words. “Here are simple phrases I want you to practice in your spare time. You must speak them aloud every night, by memory when you are finally able to, and I will quiz you every week.”

“I want to take you and Ai out for a mission outside of the village soon. It will do you well to expand your horizons. Perhaps meeting with some officials in the capital with help you endeavor in becoming ambassador.”

 

[Shinomiya Masaru]

Surprisingly her praise meant very little to him. While it was obvious that it would take him many weeks or possibly months to execute the Vulgar accent smoothly Masaru still felt he should have done better. Perhaps it was due to the fact that he was constantly praised as a child for picking up knowledge quicker than most, but the young Shima boy knew that things such as languages took time to learn. He merely nodded in response to his mentor, waiting to see what she would do next.

While there was a brief moment of silence Masaru let his mind wander while staring at the unfamiliar words written before him, the Vulgar word or phrase was underlined with the standard written neatly next to it. To others he would have looked deep in thought studying whatever it was on the sheet, but truthfully he was far away. He hadn't had much time to think of anything other than her since she returned, honestly he didn't think of anything but the graceful Shima woman ever since they met. To have one person solely occupying his thoughts on a near constant basis was something Masaru had never reflected upon. He understood her reasoning for him to make bonds with those other than her, after all having one person on your mind could prove disastrous. He was painfully aware of the fact that nobody lived forever, and as it stood he was undeniably too attached to Haruka. Even though she had given him reason to strive for something better, he needed to create a reason for himself and stop relying on her. I can very well become something that would work against her. For now she's putting up with my selfishness, but for how long can this last? Masaru pondered.

Masaru's head snapped up the moment he heard her speak, refusing to be embarrassed by his lack of concentration over their task as he deemed his thoughts to be on a much more elevated level of importance; however, that didn't mean he thought it was something good. For now he let his previous thoughts rest in the back of his mind for when he had the free time to seriously consider any and all options. Masaru let himself listen to the Vulgar she spoke, ingraining the sound of a much more practiced accent in his mind. He would use it as something to compare his own to when they were apart, as he expected to study by himself more often than together. It seems she expected the same thing, as she slipped him a list of phrases to practice on his own, things he would need to know for next time. He carefully put the slip away and waited for her next words.

Brown eyes narrowed as Masaru shifted in his seat, the talk changing from study to something much more noteworthy. A mission...he hadn't taken very many since becoming a genin, and even then they were miscellaneous tasks inside of the village. Now the Shima proposed a visit to his former home in an effort to get him accustomed to what would be his new role. He wasn't sure when he would officially be made ambassador, but he knew as she did that first hand experience and learning were necessary before being promoted to such a position. He was eager to learn, to experience what the world had to offer in order to prepare him for such a daunting task, the only downside was she wanted to include the Shima Prince. Masaru thought him a pain. Regardless he had no reason to oppose her and nodded once in understanding. There was so much to learn, and Masaru was eager to get started.

[MFT]

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

”Its changing...” She whispered absentmindedly, eyes drawn to the book on the desk. This boy was a slate for her modeling. She wondered if he'd ever fight back? If he'd wake up one day and realize he had been led astray. So many people were looking to her for guidance. She never thought herself destined for rule until recently. Was all of this being thrusted upon her? Did she deserve all that she had achieved. She spat blood, screamed to endless nights, and clawed to this point. But, did that merit her ability to take charge?

“We're done for today.” She spoke once again after another hour of studying in silence. “Help me put the books back.” They gathered the remnants of their study materials and scattered them among the shelves of the library. Their hollow footsteps skipped across the domed structure. She stopped at the entrance, bowing slowly to her student. “Another good day of work, Shinomiya-San. I'll stop by later tomorrow if I'm not busy. I have a meeting...” She stared off into the distance, distracted by what the new sun might bring tomorrow.

“Good night.”

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[My total word count: 1348]

 

[Shinomiya Masaru]

Masaru remained focused as the two studied in silence, unaware of how quickly time was passing as it always did when one was so absorbed in a task. It wasn't until she spoke up that Masaru glanced up from the book, various pages of notes placed here and there. He nodded once, gathering up his notes and neatly tapping them on the desk before following her lead with the books. It didn't take too long to put everything back as they both did equal parts of the work without slacking. All in all Masaru considered their study to be worthwhile, and was sure he would continue at home after a small break to eat. Walking slightly behind her, Masaru paused at the entrance and bowed, "Thank you for your time today, Shima-sama." With those last words he turned on his heel heading for the Shima Estate, mumbling Vulgar to himself all the while.

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