[Hiesin Mairusu]

TAKE ME TO VALHALLA WHERE MY BROTHERS WAIT FOR ME

A brisk wind blew through the countryside that at first seemed aimless but as many things in nature had purpose. Whether it was carrying seedlings or bringing rain clouds to a much needed area it always had a reason to be, and it like everything else on this planet was something that Mairusu had been tasked with protecting as a wannabe Sage. Kasumi had informed him of his charge at the very outset of his training even going so far as to say that when it came to protecting nature even the village was not above reproach. Call it childlike eagerness to hurry up and learn something new or the boy not truly understanding the words that had been spoken that day but it was something that the genin had agreed to and over time that line of thinking had begun to weigh on him.

His family, friends, former classmates were all in the village and he was a shinobi of Konoha so his allegiance should have been undoubtedly tied to the gleaming metal symbol sitting atop his forehead. Alas, if he continued to travel down the path of being a Sage then that would all to the wayside. What would happen should he be on a mission and orders came to raze a forest in pursuit of a target? Would he disobey? Would he be compelled to fight his fellow shinobi? Surely not... right?

"Why is this so stressful?" The boy exclaimed to himself as his eyes wandered up to the clouds. He had taken a lengthy trek into the countryside to think things through and had been the case recently found Konoha too noisy for his liking. Rolling hills and trees stretching into the heavens were about all that he could see in any direction outside of the single road that snaked along. Sat up against a rather large tree the boy sighed before closing his eyes once more and bringing his closed fists together. He needed to work past this to help with his focus but how easy could it be to just be ok with forsaking all he knew?

▲

WORDS ● Muramasa Uemon ● NOTES

deltra of gangnam style

[Muramasa Uemon]

the devil hit me up he wanna talk...

---

A few bushes rustled along the side of the road.

Soon after, out hopped a snow white rabbit. The small creature hopped into the center of the pathway, wrinkling its nose for a moment before standing on its hind legs and looking around. For a while it scanned the area eventually coming to rest its sights on a boy sitting against a tree. One of its ears perked up as the youth spoke aloud. The rabbit stared as if fixated on him for some odd reason. Minutes later, a young man emerged.

Dressed in a dark blue high collar jacket with matching tapered pants he looked normal enough. A kunai holster strapped to his thigh and a hip pouch signs of a shinobi. Yet.. he wasn't quite. "Still needs some tweaking..." He thought to himself as he walked into the road, crouching down next to he animal. No headband identified him as part of a Hidden Village, and odder still was a bulbous green frog situated on one of his shoulders. Casually he reached out to pat the white rabbit on its head, a sigh escaping his lips. It was almost field ready. Almost wasn't good enough however. Standing to his full height he placed his hands in his pockets, gaze shifting to the boy sitting nearby. "Rough day?" A question came, his tone nonchalant. It was clear from the youth's body language that something was on his mind... and normally he wouldn't engage a stranger with such a question. But the way he figured, this was part of the testing. He had somehow heard the boy talking about being stressed while being out of earshot.

Strange indeed.

Since he was here already the least he could do was talk. It was the sociable thing to do... much as he himself wasn't.

---

[Hiesin Mairusu]

TAKE ME TO VALHALLA WHERE MY BROTHERS WAIT FOR ME

The rustling of the bushes had not gone unnoticed but Mairusu had attributed them to whatever forest critters were running around at the moment. This was their home after all and he had been learning to not let every little sound break his concentration; however, when a face voice spoke out to him it was then that the boy knew he had made a mistake. Yaki would have scolded him into tomorrow for not being actively aware of his surroundings and for once the girl was right, but he'd never let her know that. Opening his eyes the boy would see a curious sight: a rabbit standing next to a man with a frog on his shoulder. Almost out of instinct a brow raised in confusion and the genin wasn't quite sure to what to make of things, but he figured it would be a good idea to start by answering the question.

"Oh.. uh.. sorry, guess I was too loud." Mairusu would reply with a slight smile. He hadn't expected to see much of anyone this far out let alone another shinobi, or so the boy assumed judging by the kunai holster strapped to the man's leg. "Just trying to figure out a way to balance some life stuff is all. When I answer one question another three pop up, it's kinda frustrating." He'd add with an exasperated sigh.

"But sorry if I stopped you from um... hanging out with your.. pets?" They had to be, right? Rabbits were skittish creatures so it would have had to have been raised by this guy for it to not run off by now and he could only assume the same for that big frog sitting on his shoulder.

▲

WORDS ● Muramasa Uemon ● NOTES

deltra of gangnam style

[Muramasa Uemon]

but i'm not really up for conversations

---

Upon hearing the boy's words the stranger shook his head.

Too loud? "Not at all, just happened to be passing through." Loud people were easy to spot. Annoying. This person didn't seem like one of them. An eyebrow arched as the boy continued on, stating that he had been hard at work attempting to figure out life's mysteries. If he was a more emotive person the young man might have smirked. "In my experience that's just how life goes." Was his reply, a curt ribbit sounding out near his shoulder. Dark eyes drifted down to the bunny beside him. "Always more questions than answers." A second later and the small creature slowly hopped to one side of the road, seeming to begin idly digging in the grass. "I can tell you so far, it's been a rabbit hole that hasn't gotten any shallower." It was hard to say for sure since appearances could be deceiving, but the boy seemed a few years younger than himself. By no means was he a guru... but his own unique life experiences did offer him perspective on quite a few things. Maybe he had some advice for the youth?

At the mention of his animals the young man shook his head once more. "Don't worry about it, we were only training." Training was right, but not the kind one did for house pets. At this distance the animals looked real enough... but if the boy had sharp eyes he might be able to notice something slightly off about them if he got closer. "Balancing life stuff..." The words repeated in his mind, his gaze falling upon the hitae-ate worn proudly on his forehead. "Shinobi stuff?" He asked. Ninja were curious people. Though he was trained by one for years he didn't really consider himself one.

Sure he used chakra, jutsu, and knew of their ways but he wasn't much more than a drifter. Perhaps an outsider's perspective could help illuminate some things... though admittedly waxing philosophical with strangers wasn't exactly his calling. Normally he would have just continued with his testing but it was clear to him that something weighed heavily on this boy's mind. Didn't take much out of his day to help, he thought. A notion he might have scoffed at months ago.

Had his recent interactions with people really softened his edges? If so he'd have to find a new schtick at this rate.

---

[Hiesin Mairusu]

TAKE ME TO VALHALLA WHERE MY BROTHERS WAIT FOR ME

He wasn't surprised to hear that someone else had issues figuring out life and it's seemingly endless mysteries, everyone had problems and Mairusu believe for a moment he was the only one going through something, though in an odd way it was reassuring to hear that there was not an end in sight. Life was always going to present some kind of challenge even on one's best day and it was up to individuals to find the best way to work through it; if there had been some end in sight then the boy would have felt that he was going about things the wrong way which was a spiraling outlook to have. But surely there had to be more than cutting off the endless hydra heads of life's questions. "That's not as depressing as it sounds for some reason." He nearly laughed at the thought but it was in its own weird way a decent perspective to look at things.

"Training..." A curious case made even more so. Families and clans having special bonds with animals was not unheard of, hell Konoha had a few itself, but Mairusu was still surprised none the less especially considering the combination of a rabbit and frog which seemed total opposites. He glanced between the two 'animals' and for all intents and purposes they seemed real enough. They moved like true animals, they sounded like real animals but perhaps they had deeper abilities like the dogs the Inuzuka kept. He'd call it odd but considering his own current path there was a high chance the boy would be cultivating a relationship with snakes soon enough so there was little room to judge. "...Like teaching them how to sit or speak?" He was genuinely curious and if his eyes were any sharper maybe the boy would have seen that the creatures were not as full of life as they appeared at first glance, but they still looked real to him.

Hearing the question would bring about a moment of pause, not because the genin didn't want to answer but he wasn't sure if he could or better yet the best way to go about it. Only a few knew he was training under Mitsuda and while there had been no instructions given to keep said info under wraps Mairusu wasn't quite sure if it was a good idea to just go around telling everyone, especially strangers. He also wondered how it would sound struggling with the choice between protecting his village and nature which out of context had to sound like lunacy. "Sort of. Trying to figure out how to protect two things at once which is normally fine, but on the chance they come into conflict with one another I have no idea how I'd make that choice. They're both equally important and yeah... I don't know, can't figure out a way to choose a side."

The answer was vague but hopefully got the point across. He wasn't even sure how many in the village knew of a Sage's charge to protect nature at all costs even if it meant coming into conflict with one's own home so it didn't seem like a great idea to let others hear about that schism.

▲

WORDS ● Muramasa Uemon ● NOTES

deltra of gangnam style

[Muramasa Uemon]

just gotta make a reservation

---

A nod followed the boy's next words.

Not everything needed an answer. "Yeah, I guess it doesn't have to be." For a second his gaze shifted upwards to the sky. Slightly cloudy. "Sometimes not knowing is just... fine." Thoughts of his own problems came to mind but he promptly buried them. Plenty of time to ruminate and mope later.

Still digging, the rabbit's ear twitched a bit and for a split second a muted staticky sound emanated from within the frog. The wanderer raised a knuckle to tap on its head, silencing the noise. "You could say that." He replied to the boy's question about training, another ribbit sounding out from his shoulder after. Surely he was an odd sight but these two weren't quite meant to be used when he was in full view. More than that, they weren't all that they seemed. A fact the boy was likely beginning to pick up on. Secrecy was fairly normal in the shinobi way of life... so if the boy didn't pry he wouldn't either.

Professional courtesy, he thought... or something near it. 

Hands still in his pockets the wanderer listened to the boy expand on his problems. "Conflicting interests are tricky." He mused aloud, intently absorbing his words as he spoke. "Loyalty can complicate things even more." Vagueness he knew, and again would respect. Made it a bit more difficult to proffer advice... but by this point he was used to dealing with partial truths. Simple deduction told him that the youth was perhaps torn between guarding his village and some other unknown thing, concept, or person. "I guess you have to ask yourself... why are they important to you?" His words at first might appear self-evident, but there was more. "And more than that— what are their motivations?" Eyes shifting to meet the boy's gaze he nodded, somewhat assuredly before continuing. "If they're just, so are you for protecting them. If not... maybe it's time to reconsider that protection." Most people or organizations had ulterior motives. It was something he learned very early on in life. A neutral drifter wasn't beholden to any village's interests so perhaps it was easy for him to say... but he liked to think that even if he was born in a Hidden Village his convictions would be the same.

Mulling this over he kept on. "I won't say a cliché like 'follow your heart'... but staying true to yourself is important" His words trailed off as recent memories came to him. Of his own goals and experiences dealing with people who had opposed interests. Eventually he sighed. "Not always easy... but in the end you're the one that has to live with your choices." Realizing that he had gone on for some time he brought a hand up to rub the back of his neck in exasperation.

Hopefully his words hadn't seemed a lecture... he hated when people did that. But if it helped, maybe it was okay.

---

[Hiesin Mairusu]

TAKE ME TO VALHALLA WHERE MY BROTHERS WAIT FOR ME

Conflicting interests, that was a good way to put it though for the most part they were pretty one in the same but at the one point they butted heads it had a chance to get very ugly and confusing. If he looked at things through the lens of loyalty then his instinct told him Konoha was top priority. It's where his friends and family lived and was all he had ever known, but being an avatar of nature's power did carry with it the unspoken responsibility to protect it and that could not be shoo'd aside. The village was important to him because of the aforementioned reasons and while his training as a Sage was a recent development it, too, had taken on a high level of importance to him. Mairusu hadn't been born into one of the special clans who had powers literally flowing through their blood or even a family who had knowledge of super secret techniques so finding out that he had the ability to harness and utilize natural energy was the best news he had ever heard and he'd do anything to make the most of that opportunity.

Then came a curious questions: what where their motivations? An audible hum left the boy as he had never given that any kind of thought, especially regarding being a Sage. Konoha was all he knew and he had a solid grasp on right from wrong so Mairusu believed that all the missions he was completing was for the greater good and keeping people safe, though he supposed ulterior motives did exist and there was no telling what the people at the top were truly up to; and on the other side well... could nature be anything other than what it was? Mitsuda-san was no nonsense, sure, but the man didn't come off as evil or trying to utilize him or Yaki to do bad things, same with Kasumi. Yet another even steven.

The man would end his response with needing to stay true to oneself since Mairusu was the only one who would truly have to live with his choices. It was the most hard hitting advice out of the man's spiel considering that the boy couldn't even imagine what he would do in a scenario where his allegiance to protecting nature would come into direct conflict with his duties as a shinobi of Konoha and how he would live with any decision he made. "Yeah the consequences are what I'm most worried about. I'm not sure how I'd be able to face certain people depending on what I choose to do."

The genin could feel his mood shifting from exacerbated to pensive, a state of mind he didn't particularly enjoy. Mairusu did his best to keep things light and funny but these thoughts had allowed him to be anything but recently. Shaking his head to rid himself of the sinking feeling for at least a moment the boy realized he was dumping vague problems onto a complete stranger which he had no right to do.

But he felt that there was a rare opportunity for insight that wasn't biased in either direction and passing that up wasn't a good idea.

"If you had to choose, would you protect your home or everything around it?" An odd question but it was as close to getting to the root of the problem without giving specific names or details.

▲

WORDS ● Muramasa Uemon ● NOTES

deltra of gangnam style

[Muramasa Uemon]

chillin' in my head but it's hot...

---

From the look on the youth's face it seemed he was deep in thought. Introspection was good. Healthy, even.

As he stood there he couldn't help but ponder— had his words scratched at some deeper truth? Not wanting to place any undue pressure on the boy he averted his gaze for awhile, watching the white rabbit paw at the grass nearby. Just as it was digging at the ground it felt as if he was digging for some hidden answer to his question. Truthfully, he wasn't likely to find the one he sought. Or at least not a very simple one.

Life was complex and muddied, one big shade of gray... but that didn't necessarily make choices any less impactful.

Nodding at his words the wanderer replied, still staring at the bunny. "Consequences always have to be considered." It was something he believed wholeheartedly. Everybody had different desires... but there was something more important than their reactions. "Still, you have to bear that burden." He said, echoing something a mentor had told him long ago. Not his village, not anyone else, but him. "You can't please everyone, but..." Words trailed off as he shifted his gaze once more to the boy. The wanderer's expression was stoic, but his dark eyes showcased a certainty. "As long as you do what you feel is right... you can hold your head high." Abstraction was necessary due to some missing context in this conversation, but he felt like they were speaking on a similar wavelength. A testament to the boy's intellect no doubt. Young as he was, he seemed fairly wise. Always pleasantly surprising.

Maybe that fact alone spoke to the wanderer... reminded him of someone. It would explain his sudden turn as a counselor.

Silence followed the last question. "That hits a little too close..." His eyes drifted upward again in thought. Home... such an interesting concept. "For me, I'd protect what's around it." Finally he responded. As usual his tone was even... but there was a hint of sullenness that came through despite his best efforts to mask it. "Home doesn't have to be any one place... and it can be lost, rebuilt, or even moved." Ruminating on his words some more his mind went to his family. Mentors. Friends. "As long as your loved ones are safe... home is wherever they are." Maybe it wasn't quite the profound statement he sought, but he hoped it provided at least some clarity. Probably the best he could do given the circumstances.

Removing his hand from his neck he placed it back in his pocket, his gaze rolling off to the side. "But what do I know? I'm just some drifter." Words were just that. Words. All he could offer were insights from his own experiences which no doubt differed drastically from the boy's own. In the end he would have to decide for himself. Not an easy dilemma at all.

If he gave as much thought to that decision as he did to this conversation though... well he'd probably be alright. 

---

[Hiesin Mairusu]

TAKE ME TO VALHALLA WHERE MY BROTHERS WAIT FOR ME

Mairusu knew he hadn't given as much context as he could before asking the question which may have been asking a lot considering it was a pretty loaded question but he was airing on the side of caution, or at the very least not wanting to make it seem like there was someone in Konoha who may have been wavering on their loyalty to the village. It was a long shot but word getting back to someone higher up was just asking for trouble and the boy couldn't take that chance. Maybe he was just being paranoid about it but better safe than sorry.

Paranoia aside, he was genuinely interested in the answer that the man had to give and would take care to give him his undivided attention, or at least as much as he could outside of the odd glance at his animal companions. The boy was surprised to hear him choose to protect what was around the home instead of the home itself which in the genin's case would have been nature over his ties to Konoha. Home could be wherever loved ones were sounded odd at first but perhaps home and family not being mutually exclusive like he had believed up until now would make that choice not as daunting. If anything were to ever happen to the village and he and his family and friends had to move elsewhere that would be his new home, and in that regard it made things pretty simple.

But what about on missions or any other village related thing? If home was family and friends then did that extend to comrades and mission partners as well? Would choosing to go against them be that easy? No way. Friction such as that could cost success and risk lives which was the last thing Mairusu wanted to have happen but it was the most likely scenario he would face one day. "Hmm, yeah that makes sense, until loved ones are the ones you're in opposition with and then it's an impossible choice all over again." One step forward another couple back. This had been the pattern of his thinking for a while now and just when Mairusu believed he had reached a breakthrough something would pop up to throw him back to square one.

"Drifter... like a.. hobo?" The genin asked as he looked at the man inquisitively. He didn't look like a bum and the kunai holster strapped to his leg made it seem like he was a ninja just like him so it was super surprising for the man to refer to himself as little more than a vagabond who had somehow befriended a rabbit and a sizable frog.

▲

WORDS ● Muramasa Uemon ● NOTES

deltra of gangnam style

[Muramasa Uemon]

flames everywhere, i'm forsaken

---

Silence ensued for a while as the two became lost in thought.

It seemed as if the boy was taking his words to heart. Or at least deliberating on them quite a bit. "Never took myself for an advice-giver..." The thought occurred, watching as the youth mulled everything over. Honestly it was probably a decent role for him. A storied life and plenty of time spent traveling did lend him enough experience in this regard. If only his mentors could see him now...

The mere thought brought a grumpy expression to his face. 

Next the boy spoke of being in opposition to those he cared for, which prompted a raised eyebrow. "I wonder..." Of course he was no mind reader but maybe his assumption about his village loyalty being in question was closer than he realized. "Now that's real tricky." He spoke finally, eyes drifting to the side in thought. Fortunately he'd never come into conflict with a loved one, at least not to the degree that the youth was suggesting. But he'd seen neighbors turn hostile. Former friends abandon him and his family. "If that day ever comes, you should do what you think is right." Perhaps it sounded a bit vacuous but the look in his eyes would tell the boy that he was being serious. Not just saying things for no reason. Rarely did he ever. "A lot of the time there is no 'right' answer... all you can do is stick by your principles as best you can." Again, these issues were complex. More so than the boy was letting on he was sure just by the tone in his voice. Surely it wasn't comforting to hear but it was the truth.

In this world there was no objective arbiter of morality. Just people.. all with different wants, needs, and motivations.

Grabbing a canteen from his hip pouch he began to drink. As he put it too his lips a question from the boy nearly made him spit up the cool water inside. "Uh... well..." A hobo? If you thought about it he didn't have a set home anymore... and he did wander around a lot. "Gods... I'm turning into Suppa." A realization that made his eyes widen comically in horror. "Not... exactly." Closer than he'd like though. Somewhere his vagrant of a teacher was laughing at him. "I have some family overseas, I guess I just meant I travel a lot." Sure he did. Muramasa the Hobo. What an absolutely thrilling prospect. Taking an uninterrupted swig from his canteen he screwed the top back on and shook his head. "I'm no one important so take what I say with a grain of salt." A modest, if true statement. Couldn't stand people who were absolutely certain their advice was correct. Usually they were the most wrong.

It would be up to the youth to make his own decisions. And who knew better what was the right choice than himself?

---

[Hiesin Mairusu]

TAKE ME TO VALHALLA WHERE MY BROTHERS WAIT FOR ME

Finding an answer to his question was like cutting off the head of a hydra and watching three more appear in its place. On one hand the man had told him to do what Mairusu thought was right but then immediately followed that advice by saying there often isn't a right answer anyway and to just stick to what he believed in, which was the problem since the boy believed in both. Granted, the time he had "known" both was significantly different but he was dead serious about becoming a Sage and that fervor is what had made this such a difficult scenario to work through. There was of course the possibility that he would never encounter such circumstances but being prepared now would save him plenty of time in the future.

"Seems like that's the best plan. I appreciate it, and again sorry for springing that on you out of the blue." Mairusu would reply while being sure to show thanks for the advice and perhaps more importantly an available ear.

A brow would raise as the man sputtered through his explanation of constantly moving around but somehow not being a hobo. He was pretty well kept and kinda had the lookings of a ninja but one who wasn't associated with a hidden was strange. Even a lot of tiny countries had some kind of shinobi presence so for him to not be tied to any place was wild. "Huh, well that's cool I guess. But you're a ninja, right? Never met one who wasn't associated with a village." Being so young there was quite a bit the boy had yet to experience in his life but he figured this wouldn't have been something he'd cross off his bucket list even when he was older. "Nah nah everyone's got something to offer. I mean, your pets probably think you're important to them." Mairusu had never been one for self disparaging talk mostly because it made things awkward and he hated awkward but the man had attempted to put his mind at ease about things so he was for sure important in this moment.

▲

WORDS ● Muramasa Uemon ● NOTES

deltra of gangnam style

[Muramasa Uemon]

demons tryna run up in my spot...

---

Letting his words hang for a bit the wanderer pursed his mouth and thought of himself and of his own worldview.

Hopefully, the intention behind his words was coming through clearly. In his mind there was no right and wrong... only what one thought was correct. Nobody was a moral authority. If someone said they were, they were lying. To him the only thing anyone could do was what they felt best. Objectivity was either impossible to achieve or it didn't exist. Everything was relative.

Villains, heroes... life just wasn't as simple as all that. 

Shaking his head at the boy's words he simply waved them off. "No problem, it's not often I get to talk philosophy with someone." Not that sitting around pondering the world's mysteries was his all time favorite hobby... but it certainly was interesting. The youth asked him if he was a ninja next. No softballs today. "Not exactly... again." He was just a regular basket full of answers today. Tilting his head a bit his eyes drifted upwards. "I was trained by a ninja once, use the same tools sometimes... but believe it or not I'm a swordsmith." Normally he carried around one of his works with him, but today he'd left it back at camp. Truthfully his background even made him much closer to a samurai... though he'd rather die than admit that. "I've met a few others like me on my travels." He continued on, thinking back to a wandering child he met in the Land of Earth. Hopefully the kid wasn't getting into too much trouble. "Ah... these two don't have much going on upstairs." Another tap of the frog's head with his knuckle prompted a ribbit. Empty-headed maybe, but useful.

Moving his gaze back to the youth he nodded, as if to gesture towards his headband. "How do you like being a shinobi?" It was safe to say his curiosity was piqued. The boy didn't seem like any of the ninja he knew... but then again the only ones he knew were a drunken washed-up nukenin, a family of wrestlers, a rude girl with much too powerful purple eyes, and a nukenin using the guise of a geisha to lay low. Nonstandard, all of them. "Never seemed all that appealing to me." If he were a child raised in a Hidden Village he could see aspiring to be one... but to him, that was exactly the problem with it all.

Enticing kids to become child soldiers... it was pretty dystopic from the outside looking in. Not that the warriors of his homeland were any better. Kosho were raised to be killers, too.

---

[Hiesin Mairusu]

TAKE ME TO VALHALLA WHERE MY BROTHERS WAIT FOR ME

With one mental conundrum tabled for the time being focus had shifted to what exactly the man standing before Mairusu was. Many wouldn't voluntarily claim to be a hobo so the boy half expected that answer but he also wasn't a shinobi even though there were some clear signs on his person, so what exactly was he? There wasn't a sense of malice coming off of him and for all intents and purposes he seemed like a regular dude but Mairusu had a feeling there was quite a bit more to the man than he was letting on; granted the boy had been vague regarding some of his own details so there was little room to judge.

The true answer was equal parts confusing and amazing: a dude who had been sorta kinda trained by a shinobi but was in reality a swordsmith. Dark hues absentmindedly browsed the man for any of his works yet there were no swords to be found. Bummer. Still, it was an interesting upbringing that brought with it a slew of questions yet the one about other people like him was almost immediately answered. "Well that's definitely unique. I would have never guessed there were people with some shinobi training just walking around, and one who can make weapons too. What's the coolest thing you've ever made?" Mairusu would inquire as he continued to ponder over the man's words. He knew that there were shinobi in the world who had left their village for one reason or the other so it wasn't surprising on that accord but for some shinobi to just randomly train a civilian seemed odd. The boy spent years in the academy just to learn the basics so it was hard for him to imagine the process that this guy went through.

The man would then ask him how it was being a shinobi himself, an answer that had definitely changed a bit over the last couple years. "Umm it's alright I guess. I'm not from any of those big, special clans with the fancy powers which to be honest I resented for a long time. People act like you're invisible if your eyes don't light up or if you can't control bugs or somethin'." In truth the boy was still getting over it but the process had been sped up since his missions with both Shigure and Asuka who were both pretty cool, and he supposed Kazui too even though she had done some not so cool stuff. "But thankfully I've been able to find my lane in some other cool stuff but the learning is tough... and part of the reason I was wandering out here today. Overall I like to think I've helped a bunch of people but I've still definitely got a ways to go."

It had been a minute since Mairusu had comprehensively thought about his shinobi journey up until now. He was still a genin of course but was starting to get some real world experience under his belt along with setting a solid foundation for his Sage training, so while it may not have been all that flashy progress was being made.

▲

WORDS ● Muramasa Uemon ● NOTES

deltra of gangnam style

[Muramasa Uemon]

really, really runnin' out of patience

---

Nodding at his words the wanderer allowed a faint smirk to cross his face for the first time since their meeting.

It was unique, he supposed. "I've run into all kinds of people on the road." From other wanderers to performers, Hidden Village aligned shinobi and nukenin alike. The Shinobi World was big, messy, and complex. "It's a big world out there." Being on the fringes of the major villages often caused his path to cross with others who existed there as well. On the outskirts.

Ninja, some rogue, some not called him friend. He didn't judge... especially since his own path was so tumultuous.

A question regarding his own creations caused him to bring a hand this mouth in thought. "Well..." In truth, some of his cleverer creations were also his most secretive. But there were others he could share. "I didn't make it myself, but I helped forge the sharpest sword I've ever seen once." One hand still in his pocket, he made his way over to a tree nearby the boy, leaning against it as he lowered himself to sit. "My father was a master swordsmith... he got commissioned by some official to make a katana 'even a fool could use' for his son." Thinking back on the memory the young man's face softened ever so slightly, making him appear a little less aloof. "It ended up being so sharp even a novice could cut a bamboo shoot in two and stick it back together." Odd as it sounded, that was the level of quality one could expect with masterworks. "The cuts it made were so clean the two halves literally suctioned back together." Always thought stories like that were just a myth. But he recalled it clear as day.

Eyes drifting upwards again he shook his head. "Last I heard the man's son uses it to hunt boars." Such a foolish use for a blade, but they were smiths and had no say in what their works were utilized for. "Inoshishi-giri we called it after that. 'Boar Cutter'... after all that work it ended up as a pig sticker." Such was the way of things. A ribbit sounded out from his shoulder as the boy spoke of his experiences as a ninja. The comment about special eyes nearly made him chuckle. Nearly. "I hear that. Good thing genetic gifts aren't everything." One run-in with light up eyes was more than enough for him. Ridiculous, things. That was genuinely how he felt, though. Kekkei Genkai were nice and all... but training was better. It was good he was finding his own way, though. Not the easiest thing in the world to do at all. "Help everyone you can." He said softly, his gaze shifting to the horizon. Thoughts of his own goal coming to him. "And don't lose yourself to this life... there's too much darkness, as is." If he took anything from this encounter, he hoped it was that. More jaded cynics with impossible powers was the last thing anybody needed.

Mention of learning brought his gaze back around to the youth. "Need to get some training done?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. If so, he might be able to assist with it. 

It was why he was here too, after all.

---

[Hiesin Mairusu]

TAKE ME TO VALHALLA WHERE MY BROTHERS WAIT FOR ME

Mairusu wondered what kind of people he'd meet during his life as the man standing before him was already pretty interesting, and there were surely more people out there with just as interesting experiences. He had already came across a few interesting characters in Konoha alone so there was no telling who he'd come across once he left the confines of Hi no Kuni. Of course being able to travel the land would only come with time and more experience and as he was now the genin wouldn't be of much use to anyone outside of taking out some bandits.

The sharpest sword I've ever seen... The words had definitely piqued the boy's interest and hearing about being able to chop something in two and still put it back together sounded even cooler. He wasn't much of a weapons person outside of basic shinobi tools even though he had been able to make an interesting combo out of a couple kunai and a spool of wire once, but for the most part he preferred actual jutsu. Still, hearing that there were people who could make super strong regular weapons was really cool. "Aw man that kinda sucks. A cool weapon being used to hunt pigs is just wack. I guess you can't really take it back after all this time but that sword definitely deserves better." Mairusu couldn't promise that he'd use a sword like that for anything 'better' and considering his profession it would probably be used to take more than just the lives of pigs but even that seemed more fitting for all the time and effort put into making such a blade.

He was happy to hear that there were others who didn't salivate over the idea of people with special abilities. It was exhausting hearing about such and such from clans xyz who could do all sorts of stuff and be put on a pedestal for it. Perhaps that was what he disliked the most, not the clans themselves but the people who lauded those who hailed from said clans. His stance had definitely softened after spending time with Shigure and Asuka, or maybe it was just a change in perspective. "... Too much darkness?" The boy repeated quizzically. He didn't quite know what the man meant by it but not getting too caught up in the shinobi life was pretty good advice. His path had begun a little differently and even know it was branching onto something new but Mairusu for sure had moments where finding/being taught by/becoming a Sage had consumed his every waking thought.

This day had been full of surprises already and there was yet another one in store as the man asked if the boy needed to get some training in. There was a definite need but as much as he wanted to get some kind of sage training in doing that without Yaki or Mitsuda-sensei around was just asking for trouble, so he'd have to focus on other stuff. "Yeah sure. I've done enough thinking for one day so doing something else is probably a good idea." With that the boy would rise from his seated position and begin to stretch a bit. He wasn't exactly what he'd be able to do against an older opponent, hell he had gotten his butt kicked by someone his own age, but he wouldn't get any better without putting in the work.

▲

WORDS ● Muramasa Uemon ● NOTES

deltra of gangnam style