[Kota]

Feels like We had         matching wounds But mine's still black and bruised      And yours is perfectly               fine Kota had felt trapped in Kuwana for what felt like entirely too long. He'd never intended to wind up in such a barren land made of stone to begin with, but when he'd stowed away on someone's cart, he'd had no real say in where he ended up--and his poor luck had gotten him in the thick of Tsuchi no Kuni.     He'd not had much opportunity to leave, after that. He'd tried a time or two, to leave the city of Kuwana. But the wilds of Tsuchi no Kuni were purely unforgivable, and he'd hardly made it one night on his own before he recognized how dangerous it was, and his life had been too precious to gamble with such little information, no proper resources, and no confidence of where he was headed. So, until he could figure something else out for himself, he'd done what he could to survive within the city with what resources he had.     Mostly, it had been stealing.     But with such a densely population location, it'd been incredibly difficult to get away with any crimes without being caught. Thankfully, he was mostly given just a slap on the wrist--but Kota knew the dangers of getting caught by the wrong person. He'd seen plenty of thieves killed and made examples of in the streets of small villages if they were sloppy enough to get caught--if they were lucky to get that far without having dogs set on them.     While Kota had no conscious and concern of the morality of theft, he knew that with so many eyes focused everywhere, it was nearly impossible to get away with it--which made it far more dangerous than usual. He couldn't rely on nature to give him what he needed to survive--because a rock couldn't give him much of anything. And without money, buying food and things he needed to survive hadn't been much of an option, either.     He couldn't keep living there like he had been--it had been a mistake to begin with.     But he was trapped.     There was no way of escaping, either.     And things seemed to get more and more difficult--and his desperation and fear settled in deeper by the day. A stroke of luck had graced him--and he'd managed to get his hands on a bag of ryo--without pick-pocketing, mind you--but he felt like it was a rare opportunity that he couldn't waste hastily.     Ideally, he could try stocking up on food that wouldn't go bad even if a month passed--and if he had plenty of that with him, maybe he could actually make it out of the Land of Stone.     He decided to try his luck again. While there had not been many visitors leaving in carts or caravans for quite some time--eventually vendors began to pack up their belongings and make to the roads, whatever event having pulled them to the city no longer being relevant. Kota could have tried leaving on his own--it was dangerous out there, but usually safer to be alone than to be in bad company. However, if he was able to stow-away again, there was the possibility that he could make significantly more distance with far less energy spent, and that appealed to him greatly. All he had to do was not get caught... right? Which was exactly how Kota found himself in this predicament. It had been hours since he'd snuck onto the lone merchant's wagon--slipping away unnoticed beneath some tarps and tucking himself away with some of the sacks of whatever. With only one other person around--Kota only had to worry about being spotted by one set of eyes.     But there came a time and place when the wagon came to a stop, the man deciding to take a break and to check on the things in the back--and Kota had nowhere to run.     He stayed as still as he could, hoping that if he stayed out of the man's line of sight he might not notice--but unfortunately for Kota, he did.     Immediately angered at discovering the unwelcomed passenger, the man started yelling--moving to grab at the stowaway and to pull him from the back of the cart. Dammit! This is bad! Kota yelped and fought back--kicking and pushing the man away from him, stopping when an opportunity came to bite into the man's arm--causing the older male to wail out in pain.     Taking the opportunity of alarm, Kota broke free from his grasp and fell to the ground from the back of the wagon--quickly kicking himself up from the stony ground to make a run for it. At the very least he slipped out the man's grip--so there was still a chance that he could get away. I just need to make some distance-- the boy thought in desperation, his eyes wide as he began racing away.     "Get back here ya damn thief! What did you take?!" the man hollered after the boy.     "I didn't take--" Kota started, "Anything-!" He wondered if it would even make a difference what he said. I'm pretty fast, I can probably outrun this guy--     His thoughts got cut short when a rock struck him in the head and he toppled into the ground in a heap.     Kota's vision blurred and he pushed himself up to his hands in knees--the world spun beneath him and he felt sick suddenly. That really-- tears started welling in his eyes, making it even more difficult to see as the pain blossomed throughout his body like a flower in spring. That hurt-- I think this guy is gonna actually try to kill me--     The boy barely had any time to respond, instinct taking over as adrenaline coursed through his body. His hands reached to his knife and twisted himself around to face the man who grabbed him roughly from where he'd fallen.     What happened next occurred too quickly for the boy to fully register--a moment of struggling, screaming, and violent thrashing before Kota's blade buried itself deep in the man's gut.     Time seemed to freeze.     Kota looked up from where the man was hovering over him, anger melting away as shock and realization settled in the merchant's face.     Then, rage.     "YOU FUCKING STABBED ME YOU LITTLE SHIT!!" The man roared. He backhanded the boy with all of his force, repeatedly beating the child into the ground until he face face-down in the earth. "YOU WORTHLESS FUCKING RAT!"     He's going to take me down with him-- the thought came to the boy, coughing as his life flashed before his eyes. His body didn't respond--not even able to scream out as the man grabbed him by his hair and pulled his head back, a bloodied knife raised.

✜

[Muramasa Uemon]

began filled with spite

---

Kuwana.

A nice enough city, and one he had lingered in longer than he ever expected. Realizing that his own goals— his mission needed to remain foremost in his mind the wanderer had begun to take steps. Ahead of him lie countless battles. Hard times. And for him to do what was required of him meant he needed to remain unanchored.Free.

Wandering... like he had before.

Collecting his belongings he set out from the gym where he was staying. Leaving behind only a note reaffirming a certain promise he had made to a certain Okada along with an address to a post box. Addressed to 'Masamune Fudo' a name she would recognize. The letter mentioned he could be reached when he was needed. But that he had things to take care of. 'A matter of honor' specifically. The same words Hana used. Hopefully, she'd understand.

Departing from the city he trudged along the path. Garbed in his usual dark blue shinobi attire. Muramasa always traveled light, a necessity of his drifting ways. Before long he happened upon a scene. A man wounded. A struggling child underneath him. A knife wet with blood raised. "Kota?" No time to think. Reaching for his bandaged gear he tore the cloth free, the head of a white wolfdog springing to life as blue threads extended from his fingertips. The Puppet Technique. Aiming with his shoulder its mouth opened, firing a single senbon at the weapon.

Needle finding its mark the knife clattered to the ground. And before the man could react the snarling hound was upon him. Clamping down hard upon his wrist with its black iron fangs. Pinning him as he screamed in pain.

Normally rather neutral, the wanderer's face had a cold fury plastered across it as he approached slowly. "...do you make it a habit of hurting children?" The man opened his mouth as if to shout. Or swear. With a flick of his finger the dog jerked its head, aggravating the wound. More screams. "I should have my hound take your hand." By this point several onlookers had gathered. Other merchants, citizens traveling. He continued to glare down at the man. Wrath barely contained behind dark eyes. Fortunately, someone else required his attention. "You okay, kid?" Crouching down Muramasa offered the boy his hand, hoping to help him to his feet. "Can you walk?" All eyes were on the outburst. Without anyone even speaking he already knew the reality of the situation. Not good.

No amount of context would explain this. From a witness' perspective, two wanderers had attacked a citizen of the Land of Earth. Muramasa's face already known to some within Kuwana thanks to his performances. Explanations could wait for later... for now, they had to make themselves scarce. Some onlookers having already left told him that shinobi were likely already on their way. Even passed a patrol on his way here. Time was in short supply. 

---

[Kota]

Feels like We had         matching wounds But mine's still black and bruised      And yours is perfectly               fine Kota moved his hands as quickly as he could to cover his throat--frightened that the man was about to cut his neck wide open with his own knife. The only thing running through his head was how much it was going to hurt--he'd probably cut deep into his hands, maybe he'd even lose a finger or two, but it'd be worth it so long as he survived, right? That was the only thing he could think of--     --He just had to figure out a way to survive--     But how could he even make it out of this situation?     It all seemed over for him--     But the man cried out in pain, and Kota heard the familiar sound of a wild animal. Kota wasn't sure if things just got bad to worse--but what he did know was that the man's grip on him loosened, and the injured boy took the opportunity to try wrangling himself free. His blurred vision settled on a hand offered before him--the edges of his sight darkening but as he looked up at the one who had come to his rescue, the older male seemed familiar to him somehow.     "That's no child that's a damned thief!" The man cried out in protest, despite the pain he was in. "Big or small it doesn't make a damned difference--that little shit doesn't deserve to live--!"     Kota grabbed for his knife that had fallen to the ground, uncertain of his surroundings but turning his head up to lock eyes onto Muramasa. His breathing was labored--and whether he was in shock or dissociated, it would be difficult to discern. But despite the blood trickling down his face from the injury on his head, he seemed calm--relatively speaking. He wasn't crying, or screaming. But, as quickly as he registered what was happening, he grabbed tightly onto Muramasa's hand and wobbled onto his feet--the world still seemed to spin.     "Muramasa? I--" he didn't know what to say--his instinct told him to run since he'd managed to get out of his attacker's grip, but he didn't know what to do with someone else there. He nodded, only a little, then with a whisp of breath muttered, "--think so."     The man was bleeding--a lot--from where Kota had stabbed him. But Kota wasn't doing too great, either.

✜

[Muramasa Uemon]

opened to a peaceful way

---

Upon seeing the boy to his feet the wanderer nodded and placed his hands on his shoulders, steadying him.

That head wound didn't great. "You'll be fine." He said confidently. So as not to startle the child. Tearing off a section of the bandages hanging from his gear he bunched them up, cleaning away some of the blood and pressing lightly to his injury. "Hold this here." Muramasa was no doctor, but as a loner on the road you learned quickly to take care of yourself. Or you died. Nothing inbetween in that instance. The wounded man spoke, belittling Kota...

Muramasa's scowl returned, a silent fury bubbling just beneath his normally distant exterior.

"And yet, he'll live." He said, standing to his full height to walk over to the downed merchant. A callous glare was all he offered, his dog's bite locked firmly. Having noticed Kota's empty sheath he crouched down to retrieve the bloodied knife, slowly approaching the man and kneeling down beside him. Leaning in so that his voice was barely a whisper he continued. "I don't know if I can say the same for you..." Turning the blade in his hand he paused... then wiped off the blood staining it on the man's shirt. The damage was already done. No need for a coup de grace.

Glancing to Kota he spoke again. "Do you still have your money?" He asked to the child, putting on a kinder tone for the boy. If so he would glance to him and nod. "Grab it." While the boy collected his things he would cast his gaze once more on the merchant. Dark eyes smoldering. Separating his fingers his white hound released her jaw, blood spattering on the ground as the man writhed and groaned. Lots of important veins in the wrist. Unlucky.

Rising once again he walked briskly over to the boy, kneeling down to place the knife in his sheath. "Come on." Once he was ready he would usher him back towards the road. Past the downed merchant. Away from trouble. "Keep pressure on that." Further back some activity caught his eye. More citizens approaching. Or maybe shinobi he didn't know. Either way, they couldn't stay. His pace quickened. The wolfdog trotted along just behind them.

Crimson staining the otherwise pristine white fur around her mouth. Hopefully the boy was steady enough to walk... otherwise things were bound to get rather unpleasant. And nobody wanted that. Least of all himself.

---

[Kota]

Feels like We had         matching wounds But mine's still black and bruised      And yours is perfectly               fine Everything seemed dizzy, and it was difficult for him to focus--but Muramasa's big hands steadied the boy well enough, and the child fell quiet as he tried to process the situation under the older male's comforting hold. I'll be fine. He'll be fine? Safe? Muramasa wasn't actively fighting the merchant, and the merchant had released his grip on Kota and didn't make another move to attack him--so that meant he was safe now, right? Surely?     "Hah..." The boy listened to the instructions given--holding a small hand up to keep the fistful of bandages applied to his head. Whatever pain he'd been in seemed to vanish entirely--even his scraped hands and knees didn't register. That was--what did Muramasa say? His money? "Ah, no, I bought uh..." he couldn't remember what the words were--what did he buy? He reached for his bundle where he kept most of his belongings--nah, there was no point in showing the man what he'd bought, and while Kota had some cash left over, he understood that they were leaving, now.     Looking around slowly while Muramasa gave his departing words to the merchant, Kota looked around for any other belongings he might have dropped in their scuffle. Boda had fallen out from where he'd been otherwise tucked into the boy's kimono, but aside from that, everything had been pretty securely stored--as he'd learned to do while living in the wilds. Muramasa helped return his knife to where it belonged--which helped, since Kota had gotten distracted.     Picking the wooden doll back up--one hand still dedicated to holding the gauze to his head injury--the boy nodded to Muramasa's command. "Okay," the boy answered, following after the young man. Where are we going? he wondered. But there was too much going on to even think about it or question the other wanderer's leadership. So, he tailed after. He felt weak--and for a moment Kota reached out a hand, instinctively, to hold onto Muramasa's. Though, it would only be for a moment before Kota struggled too much to keep up with the man's pacing--stumbling a bit as his consciousness slipped from him, and fainted.

✜

[Muramasa Uemon]

passion, his path

---

Hearing the child's words caused a hint of worry to flash in his dark eyes.

Injuries to the head were often serious, even if they didn't appear to be. They had to make haste. Maybe they could find a traveling doctor or- "Shit." His only thought as he felt Kota touch his hand and collaspe. Wasting no time he crouched down, collecting the boy in his arms. One hand held the mess of bandages in place, the other controlled his wolfdog. "Stay with me, kid..." Muramasa's voice sounded even, but just so. Concern filtered through.

Sure he seemed distant most of the time, but even he wasn't unphased by the suffering of others.

Glancing over his shoulder he noticed a group of people fast approaching. Unless his eyes were failing him, he spotted a glint of metal on their foreheads. "Have to move." A flick of his finger later and a hidden compartment opened up on the white hound. A Smoke Bomb dropped to the ground and burst. Thick smog filling the area. In a blur he and his dog darted out of the smoke on the opposite side. Sprinting, as fast as his legs could carry the two of them. Taking care not to jostle the unconscious Kota as much as he was humanly able to. Distance. Needed it.

Muramasa ran, and ran. Until his legs burned and his arms grew heavy. Wasn't even sure how long. Ten minutes? Twenty? It didn't matter. He'd always been fast, and he made full use of his enhanced speed to put ground between them and their pursuers. Eventually he veered off of the road, into a wooded area. It took some searching but after a while he managed to find some decent cover. A cave. Mountains and crags were aplenty in the Land of Earth. Still panting, the wanderer ventured into the opening. Gently propping Kota down, back against one of the rock walls. "Kota." He called to him, a bit more loudly than usual. "Can you hear me?" Muramasa snapped his fingers a few times, hoping for any sign of lucidity. Getting to work, he he wrapped the boy's head with some more bandages. Reaching into his own bag he withdrew an old brown cloak, one he often wore while traveling and laid out a makeshift bed for the youth. Luckily, it was big enough to wrap around his small body. Removing his jacket, he folded it for him to use a pillow and carefully placed it underneath the boy's head. "Wait here." Dark eyes stared down at the boy as he gave Kota's hand a gentle squeeze. Unsure if he could hear him. "I'll be right back."

Exiting the cave his expression became stern. Retrieving a few small scrolls from his hip pouch he touched his fingers to the paper using the Puppet Summoning Technique to call forth two smaller puppets. A green frog and a white rabbit. They needed to hunt. Medicinal herbs. Firewood. Water. Food. In that order exactly. No time to waste.

It was cold out... and Kota's injury needed treating. The frog hopped on his shoulder. In a haze, the rest split up.

---

SPOILER: Click to show

OFFENSIVE TECHNIQUES:
NAME: Kugutsu no Jutsu - [Puppet Technique]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low [Continuous]
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [Puppetry]
ELEMENT: N/a
DESCRIPTION:
The fundamental and most used technique of the style, Kugutsu no Jutsu allows a puppeteer the ability to use puppets in battle. While the degree in skill determines the number of puppets that can be controlled, for starters the user can control only one. By making near invisible strings of chakra from each of their ten fingertips and attaching them to their puppets they are able to control the puppet from various distances. However there is a delay between the puppeteers orders and the puppets movements, meaning puppet movement will not be instantaneous, and the response time increases based on distance.


SUPPORTIVE TECHNIQUES:
NAME: Kugutsu Kuchiyose no Jutsu - [Puppet Summoning Technique ]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [Puppetry]
ELEMENT: N/a
DESCRIPTION:
A useful technique for puppeteers, it allows one to seal a puppet within a scroll and summon it at will on the battlefield. Depending on the scroll they seal it in, they can seal a number of puppets away at a time.


SPECIAL ABILITIES:

STRING THEORY - ENHANCED CHAKRA CONTROL

Necessary for his Puppet Ninjutsu and applicable to his other techniques, Uemon has trained extensively in order to mitigate the amount of chakra he uses with his techniques. Compensating for his average chakra reserves this allows him to stay in the fight that much longer.

PUPPETMASTER - INTELLIGENCE

A natural strategist with a quick mind, Uemon is always observing even in the midst of combat. This allows for him to find gaps and weaknesses in his opponent's techniques easier than some, and allows him to formulate strategies and deceptions to take advantage of these shortcomings. His knack for tactics cues him on which approach should work best depending on his target.

ASHIZUKAI WORK - SPEED

Honed after years of fighting and training in Jujitsu with samurai as a child in the Land of Iron, Uemon is surprisingly light on his feet and his hand-to-hand strikes are faster than most expect. Able to strike and weave with deft swiftness he is capable of holding his own against Taijutsu specialists of his rank and outright overwhelming those of lower ranks in a straight up slugfest.

[Kota]

Feels like We had         matching wounds But mine's still black and bruised      And yours is perfectly               fine Kota fell in and out of consciousness--certainly not fit to walk, let alone keep up with an adult's pace--but not completely unresponsive, either. Occasionally he'd jerk awake in Muramasa's arms, but if anything was spoken to the boy, it would mostly go unregistered before he'd faint again.     He stirred again after Muramasa set him against a wall--the unrealized change of scenery would have normally been alarming, but when he woke again his attention went more into what the older male was saying to him, rather than paying attention to his surroundings. It was dangerous to not pay attention to his environment--he knew that--but he still felt lightheaded and it was difficult to focus. And, as far as he was concerned, if Muramasa was there with him, then they were probably somewhere safe, so it was okay.     "Mhm..." the boy gave a small nod when Muramasa asked if he could hear him. He made no protest when the older wanderer began to tend to his injuries--the wound on his head taking immediate concern over any scrapes, though Kota didn't fully understand why. The child rubbed away some of the blood that dripped from his nose with the back of his hand, the bruises on his cheek from where he'd been beaten vibrant in color.     I feel like I'm going to fall asleep again, he thought, his attention drifting. His head nodded as he struggled to stay conscious, and there was no resistance when he was laid in the makeshift bed. He vaguely felt Muramasa squeeze his hand and--instinctively--Kota squeezed back before the man left to search for supplies.     He would wake again some time later, though he wouldn't immediately try to leave the bedding. Instead, he'd remove some of his belongings--the stash where he kept most of his things. His hat he placed over his face, blocking out the light as he stared hazily at the woven straw it was constructed of. One of Kota's hands held his wooden doll closely to his chest, where as the other stayed limp beside him. He would wait and listen to his environment--if there was any noise to pick up.     From inside the cave, he could mostly only hear the sound of the breeze passing by, until eventually there was the sound of Muramasa's footsteps. Or those of his puppets--whichever ones came first.

✜

[Muramasa Uemon]

the light of a candle

---

Multi-tasking was tricky in normal circumstances.

Controlling multiple puppets while trying to accomplish tasks yourself was even tougher. So it was a good thing he was practiced. And that the video screen on his frog's belly allowed him to manipulate his rabbit from further distances. "That looks like..." Just what he needed. A flick of his pinky finger and the rabbit snagged a few plant buds with its mouth. Meanwhile, his wolfhound stalked a hare that had been flitting around nearby. Moving slowly so as not to alert the small creature. Muramasa himself filled a large canteen in a stream he happened across. 

On his shoulder the frog's tongue lashed out every so often, adding another twig to a growing pile held in its grasp.

Wasn't long before the wanderer headed back, puppets and supplies in tow. Noticing Kota's small form heaving up and down he almost breathed a sigh of relief. Choosing to get to work immediately he crouched down, placing a few loose stones in a circle near the center of the cave. The frog dropped the sticks and he arranged them in a tentlike shape, adding a few strips of bark he'd collected. Directing the canine closer he stripped some fur from its kill. Wouldn't smell the best... but good enough kindling for now. Slipping a kunai from his holster he fished around in his satchel for a piece of worn flint and struck the small blade against it several times. Sparks flew.

After some blowing, a small blaze slowly grew. One thing out of the way.

Returning his flint he next grabbed a small mortar and pestle within. Nabbing the flowers from his rabbit's mouth he tore the flowers up into small pieces and mashed them up finely. A small amount of water was added and he set in near the fire to warm. Now for the messy part. Muramasa had cleaned enough rabbits in his lifetime that it didn't take long. A kunai was no survival knife, but it did alright in pinch. Soon he had a skewers of meat roasting over the fire. Stew would be better, but beggars couldn't be choosers. With the tips of his fingers he slid his mortar close, eyeing the mixture. "It'll have to do." Collecting it he scooted over to the boy. "Kid." He finally spoke. Seeing his hat over his face and Boda he figured he must've woken at some point. "Can you sit up?" If he needed assistance Muramasa would help. Though he wanted to check if he was able. Impaired motor function was a bad sign.

Either way, he would go to remove the loose wrappings on Kota's head. Gently as he could.

---

SPOILER: Click to show

OFFENSIVE TECHNIQUES:
NAME: Kugutsu no Jutsu - [Puppet Technique]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low [Continuous]
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [Puppetry]
ELEMENT: N/a
DESCRIPTION:
The fundamental and most used technique of the style, Kugutsu no Jutsu allows a puppeteer the ability to use puppets in battle. While the degree in skill determines the number of puppets that can be controlled, for starters the user can control only one. By making near invisible strings of chakra from each of their ten fingertips and attaching them to their puppets they are able to control the puppet from various distances. However there is a delay between the puppeteers orders and the puppets movements, meaning puppet movement will not be instantaneous, and the response time increases based on distance.


SPECIAL ABILITIES:

STRING THEORY - ENHANCED CHAKRA CONTROL

Necessary for his Puppet Ninjutsu and applicable to his other techniques, Uemon has trained extensively in order to mitigate the amount of chakra he uses with his techniques. Compensating for his average chakra reserves this allows him to stay in the fight that much longer.

PUPPETMASTER - INTELLIGENCE

A natural strategist with a quick mind, Uemon is always observing even in the midst of combat. This allows for him to find gaps and weaknesses in his opponent's techniques easier than some, and allows him to formulate strategies and deceptions to take advantage of these shortcomings. His knack for tactics cues him on which approach should work best depending on his target.

ASHIZUKAI WORK - SPEED

Honed after years of fighting and training in Jujitsu with samurai as a child in the Land of Iron, Uemon is surprisingly light on his feet and his hand-to-hand strikes are faster than most expect. Able to strike and weave with deft swiftness he is capable of holding his own against Taijutsu specialists of his rank and outright overwhelming those of lower ranks in a straight up slugfest.

[Kota]

Feels like We had         matching wounds But mine's still black and bruised      And yours is perfectly               fine Muramasa would work nearby and Kota listened to the movements that he made. Almost like a game, he tried to make a guess what the guy was doing--but it wasn't until he heard the familiar sound of flint being struck and the scent of something burning that he realized it. Ah, well, it was fun trying to figure it out.     Does that mean we're camping now? he wondered. That's pretty nice that he's letting me stay with him. Though, he wondered if Muramasa would make him leave next morning. Kota didn't feel like running away while the man's guard was lowered, for a change.     Muramasa shifted closer to the child, and Kota grunted slightly in acknowledgement. Until the question was asked if he could sit up--and the boy thought about it.     While the wanderer had been out, Kota had thought about it a couple of times. Each time he'd woken up he thought about doing--anything, really. But eventually he'd give out and just fall asleep again--the quell too powerful to really resist. But he'd been resting for a while now--right? At least several minutes, so that probably would make him feel better if he tried again, right?     Kota nodded a little and moved his straw hat from his face, pushing it away until it slid onto the ground. He rolled over onto his stomach and then pushed himself upright to sit up--though notably kept his hands on the floor to keep himself propped up. "Dizzy," he explained.     He stayed quiet for a while as Muramasa tended to the injury on his head--the bleeding had mostly stopped, though if Muramasa had been even slightly rougher, the wound would probably have reopened. "Sorry I fell asleep earlier," Kota apologized softly. "It was a pre'y bad time ta nap, huh?"

✜

[Muramasa Uemon]

is transferred to another candle—

---

Observing the boy wobblily prop himself up he nodded.

Better than he expected. Taking a moment Muramasa cleaned his hands. Last thing they needed was an infection to add to their problems. After the bloody cloth was off he examined the wound. "Damn." Deeper than he hoped. With some luck they might be able to get away without stitches. And unfortunately they didn't have much choice as he was no doctor. Just a traveler with some idea of herbs and their uses. Though he mostly knew how to hurt with them, not heal. Hopefully his mentor's lessons on field medicine stuck. "Here, drink this." Reaching for his canteen he handed it to the boy. Cool water should help some with the dizziness, at least. Now? The tough part.

Dabbing a 'fresh' bandage with some water, he did his best to clean the dried blood away. It wasn't the worst wound he'd ever seen... but it wasn't nothing, either. "This is going to sting... but it'll help." He said, nodding to the boy reassuringly. It was a good thing his face was usually stuck in a neutral expression. Meant it was harder to give away any doubts he might have. Slowly he scooped up some of the purplish mixture and began to dab it on the outermost edge of the cut. Carefully, so as not to restart any bleeding. And staying wary of any jerking or wincing on Kota's part. "Comfrey." Muramasa spoke as he worked. "It should ease the pain... in a bit." Of course it probably burned like hell for the poor kid right now. "Keeps it clean, too." It was no substitute for a mednin, but it'd do for now. Taking care not to get any directly in the open wound he made sure a thin layer was evenly applied before rewrapping the kid's head. Not too loose, not too tight. Still would be uncomfortable for a while.

An apology caught him a bit off guard and the older wanderer looked at the boy. "It's okay." He said, doing his best to put on a faint smirk. "You toughed it out longer that most people would have." A good blow to the head could topple anyone. And something told him this hadn't been his first scrape. Turning to tend to the pieces of rabbit he had cooking he turned the skewers. "What happened back there?" Context would be nice. He arrived on the scene late. By then it was time for action, not words. "...did you really steal from that merchant?" Despite his question, his tone was as even as ever. Not accusatory. Curious. Muramasa glanced over his shoulder.

Interest in puppets, a penchant for getting into trouble... it was like he was looking into a mirror at his younger self. So many questions. But he didn't want to overwhelm the boy. Now hidden, they had time to talk. Finally.

---

SPOILER: Click to show

OFFENSIVE TECHNIQUES:
NAME: Kugutsu no Jutsu - [Puppet Technique]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low [Continuous]
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [Puppetry]
ELEMENT: N/a
DESCRIPTION:
The fundamental and most used technique of the style, Kugutsu no Jutsu allows a puppeteer the ability to use puppets in battle. While the degree in skill determines the number of puppets that can be controlled, for starters the user can control only one. By making near invisible strings of chakra from each of their ten fingertips and attaching them to their puppets they are able to control the puppet from various distances. However there is a delay between the puppeteers orders and the puppets movements, meaning puppet movement will not be instantaneous, and the response time increases based on distance.


SPECIAL ABILITIES:

STRING THEORY - ENHANCED CHAKRA CONTROL

Necessary for his Puppet Ninjutsu and applicable to his other techniques, Uemon has trained extensively in order to mitigate the amount of chakra he uses with his techniques. Compensating for his average chakra reserves this allows him to stay in the fight that much longer.

PUPPETMASTER - INTELLIGENCE

A natural strategist with a quick mind, Uemon is always observing even in the midst of combat. This allows for him to find gaps and weaknesses in his opponent's techniques easier than some, and allows him to formulate strategies and deceptions to take advantage of these shortcomings. His knack for tactics cues him on which approach should work best depending on his target.

ASHIZUKAI WORK - SPEED

Honed after years of fighting and training in Jujitsu with samurai as a child in the Land of Iron, Uemon is surprisingly light on his feet and his hand-to-hand strikes are faster than most expect. Able to strike and weave with deft swiftness he is capable of holding his own against Taijutsu specialists of his rank and outright overwhelming those of lower ranks in a straight up slugfest.

[Kota]

Feels like We had         matching wounds But mine's still black and bruised      And yours is perfectly               fine Kota took the canteen from Muramasa when it was offered. Water will probably help, he thought to himself. He had some water, too, somewhere, but really didn't have the attention or energy to drink from it until now. He'd been more unstable prior--though even now, as he tilted his head back to drink from the canteen, he nearly fell over. Wobbling, he caught himself with one hand.     Once he was done, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve--some of the water having gotten onto his chin--and handed the canteen back to the older male, and appreciative look on his face, though he didn't say anything.     Kota gave a heavy sigh when Muramasa said he was going to put something on the wound--the warning that it was going to sting an ill omen to the boy. Why did adults always put stinging medicine on wounds like this?? Kota understood that it helped keep the wounds from getting infected--but it always hurt so much he would almost rather not have it at all...     Still, he didn't argue or fight Muramasa started to apply the medicine--though he did flinch the first few times the older male dabbed it onto his skin. Kota's fingers dug into the ground and he pressed his lips together tightly, inhaling sharply and holding his breath as his whole body tensed during the application. It hurts so much, he wanted to cry. But he didn't.     Muramasa finished up on Kota's head and wrapped the injury again before turning his attention to the fire--ah, was that food? Kota stared obviously as the older wanderer spoke casually about the ordeal. With Muramasa keeping his cool, Kota carried on normally. "That was nothin'," he said slowly, grinning cheekily. "When I was four years old once--I got bitten by a wolf!" He paused, his expression growing more grim as he thought about it. No, he'd definitely had worse things happen to him, before... "I just fell's all..."     Kota looked up from where he'd been staring at the ground to look at Muramasa at the last question asked of him.     What happened?     "I--" there felt like too much to say. Tears began to dot his eyes and he shook his head--slowly. "No--I swear it I didn't take anythin'. Really I didn't--ya can look at..." He waved one arm, gesturing vaguely to his bundle of belongings. Kota bowed his head, lowering his hand to help stabilize himself again. "I was just... tryna get outta this place..."

✜

[Muramasa Uemon]

spring twilight

---

Listening to the boy's words about being bitten by a wolf nearly brought a smirk to his sullen face. The kid was certainly brave, he had to give him that. It was a good trait to have. Especially for wanderers like themselves.

One of his eyebrows arched. "A wolf, really?" He grabbed the two skewers and turned to face the boy. Handing him one. "How'd that happen?" Being face-to-face with a wolf at four years old sounded scary. Noting the bleak look on the boy's face he brought his free hand to his own forehead. Pushing his hair back to reveal a thin scar above his left eyebrow. "I got into a swordfight a few months ago, ended up with this." Maybe his own tale would clear away that severe expression. Or at least show that he wasn't alone in having bad things happen to him.

A nod followed the boy's claim. "Just a little fall." Reaffirmation. Sure seemed to be doing alright for having taken a blow to the head. A good sign. As the child spoke again he seemed to choke up. Even in the gloom of the cave he could see water fill Kota's eyes. "Oh, gods." His own dark eyes widened a bit. No crying. Please, no crying. He had no idea how to deal with that. "I-it's alright." A quick interjection, a hint of panic in his voice. "I believe you." Even if he had stolen, Muramasa likely wouldn't have had much to say in way of reprimand. Stealing wasn't great... but he understood the necessity of it for the sake of survival. Sometimes, it was take or be taken from.

Couldn't count the number of things he'd nicked when he was a kid... but he didn't need to tell Kota that. At least not now. No need for lectures, but he didn't have to reinforce dangerous behavior either.

Trying to leave, the boy said. "Were you headed home?" The wanderer asked, watching for the boy's reaction closely. "To your parents?" Part of him was dreading the answer... but he had to see if his suspicion was correct.

---

SPOILER: Click to show

SPECIAL ABILITIES:

STRING THEORY - ENHANCED CHAKRA CONTROL

Necessary for his Puppet Ninjutsu and applicable to his other techniques, Uemon has trained extensively in order to mitigate the amount of chakra he uses with his techniques. Compensating for his average chakra reserves this allows him to stay in the fight that much longer.

PUPPETMASTER - INTELLIGENCE

A natural strategist with a quick mind, Uemon is always observing even in the midst of combat. This allows for him to find gaps and weaknesses in his opponent's techniques easier than some, and allows him to formulate strategies and deceptions to take advantage of these shortcomings. His knack for tactics cues him on which approach should work best depending on his target.

ASHIZUKAI WORK - SPEED

Honed after years of fighting and training in Jujitsu with samurai as a child in the Land of Iron, Uemon is surprisingly light on his feet and his hand-to-hand strikes are faster than most expect. Able to strike and weave with deft swiftness he is capable of holding his own against Taijutsu specialists of his rank and outright overwhelming those of lower ranks in a straight up slugfest.

[Kota]

Feels like We had         matching wounds But mine's still black and bruised      And yours is perfectly               fine "I 'unno," Kota said, giving a small shrug when Muramasa asked for more details on the wolf attack. He'd been pretty young--and most of the memories from the event had been walled off. Though, taking the skewer from the older male, he tried to recall more of the details--which ones he could remember from the event. "They were just e'rywhere one night... My dad was carryin' me on 'is back, an' one of 'em snuck up while 'e was fightin' off all the others." A pause. "I got fifteen stitches on my leg," though it sounded more like he was bragging. "It hurt a lot. I cried, too." And screamed. And got nightmares about it.     Though, when Muramasa showed his own scar, Kota looked up in awe as he looked closer to see it in the poor lighting. "Whoah... A real sword did that?" he asked. Then, grinning, he placed a hand on his own head. "We match!" So, it definitely wasn't all so bad, anymore. Kota wondered what kind of a fight it must have been--it was probably pretty scary, right? Swords seemed way more dangerous than knives, and he'd never actually seen that kind of a fight up close.     Emotions subsiding, Kota gave a small nod--grateful at least that Muramasa believed him. Of course, Kota was a thief. He'd stolen, before, and to his belief he would likely do it again.     But he hadn't been lying.     Stealing mostly got him caught--he wasn't a good thief, and especially not in as big of a city as Kuwana, were people were everywhere... He'd been better at it when he targeted a small town out in the middle of nowhere, where there weren't shinobi everywhere. And, even then, there was still a big chance things would go wrong--and Kota found his odds were better surviving off of nature in the wild.     But he'd had money, this time. So, whether Muramasa believed it or not, it didn't change the reality of the situation. Though, whether or not Muramasa actually believed it, Kota was comforted in believing that he did.     "Mh..." Kota took a bite of the cooked meat from his skewer. "Don't 'ave one." He couldn't even say that he didn't have one "anymore". He just. Never did. When asked about his parents, Kota slowed his eating to think on it.     He wasn't sure what to tell Muramasa.     Kota wasn't going to his parents--the truth was that he had no idea where his parents were. Well. One of them. He knew his mother had died when he was young--but his father? He had no idea what had happened. He knew what story he came up with, but it wasn't the truth.     But it wasn't like he didn't want to find his dad. He just...     There was no point looking.     "No." Another bite.

✜

[Muramasa Uemon]

i write, erase, rewrite

---

Muramasa blinked. Then blinked again.

For being so young, he certainly had plenty of stories. Made him wonder just what kind of life the kid had led. Though, he wouldn't pry. It was Kota's tale to tell, if and when he chose to. Not everyone was so mindful and only recently he had a bad experience with someone feeling entitled to his past. An unpleasantness he wished to avoid.

The boy mentioned stiches. "Fifteen? Wow." Impressive. "Your dad sounds brave." Fathers were a bit of a sore subject for him, but he did his best to not give anything away. After all, he was the one who asked. No place to sulk now. Muramasa nodded as he said that he cried. Crying was okay. Normal. It's just... he hadn't done so himself in a long time. Not even sure how long exactly. And he was never around anyone long enough to learn how to deal with someone else doing it. "A real sharp sword. It got me here, too." He said in reply to the boy, two fingers tracing a diagonal path along the right side of his abdomen. "Stuff like that always hurts a lot." His faint smirk returned as Kota told him that they matched. A younger him with matching scars. It was almost funny. "I guess we do."

Dark eyes watched the boy closely as he spoke. No home to return to. Muramasa's expression softened just a touch. The more he learned, the more similarities became clear. "I don't have one either." In his case, it had been taken from him. By cutthroats and liars. Kota answered his last question curtly. And he had a feeling he knew why. As he stared at the child a sense of déjà vu overcame him. Too often had he seen that very same expression. Aimlessness.

It was his own. Nowhere to go, no one to speak with. Of course he still had his mother and siblings... but they might as well have been a million miles away. Muramasa raised the skewer to his mouth. "Where to, then?"

---

SPOILER: Click to show

SPECIAL ABILITIES:

STRING THEORY - ENHANCED CHAKRA CONTROL

Necessary for his Puppet Ninjutsu and applicable to his other techniques, Uemon has trained extensively in order to mitigate the amount of chakra he uses with his techniques. Compensating for his average chakra reserves this allows him to stay in the fight that much longer.

PUPPETMASTER - INTELLIGENCE

A natural strategist with a quick mind, Uemon is always observing even in the midst of combat. This allows for him to find gaps and weaknesses in his opponent's techniques easier than some, and allows him to formulate strategies and deceptions to take advantage of these shortcomings. His knack for tactics cues him on which approach should work best depending on his target.

ASHIZUKAI WORK - SPEED

Honed after years of fighting and training in Jujitsu with samurai as a child in the Land of Iron, Uemon is surprisingly light on his feet and his hand-to-hand strikes are faster than most expect. Able to strike and weave with deft swiftness he is capable of holding his own against Taijutsu specialists of his rank and outright overwhelming those of lower ranks in a straight up slugfest.

[Kota]

Feels like We had         matching wounds But mine's still black and bruised      And yours is perfectly               fine Kota nodded slowly, taking another small bite. He kind of felt like puking, so being able to talk like this was... nice. He wasn't used to this kind of companionship--and it allowed him enough breaks so he didn't get too sick, either.     "Yeah, my dad's pre'y brave... Strong, too," he said. He'd always been really good about protecting his kid whenever things were dangerous. Teaching him how to be safe, too. It had seemed, to Kota, that he wasn't afraid of anything, and that he was stronger than any dangerous thing they came across.     I miss him.     His expression grew darker again and, quietly, Kota said, "I'm... done talkin' about this." He was quick to babble about all of his stories and good memories with his father--but it was a sore subject for him, nonetheless.     After all, he was travelling alone.     Kota wanted to keep talking about Muramasa's injury--curious to see if the man had a scar across his stomach from the fight. But his attention dwindled. While resting and staying seated had helped, the world around him still seemed unsteady--and he felt full, despite hardly having eaten anything. He'd never been one to waste food before--and he started to grow upset at the situation, though he didn't know why.     He frowned, but tried to stay calm.     "Well uh..." Where was he going, then? He wasn't sure. He had no real reference of the world, or how to actually navigate it.     All he knew was to survive.     "Outta here," Kota answered slowly. "Just... somewhere I can actually live... It's really hard when everythin' is rock." Looking up at Muramasa, he offered the rest of his skewer. "Do you want it?"

✜