[Takahashi Kurai]

Yuga no Shima. Kurai had arrived at the Isle of Grace, a temperate location where monks often come to pray. The folks here usually do not bother themselves with the affairs of the mainland, so there was rarely any crime or conflict. Kurai had just gotten off of a boat, taking his first steps onto the sandy surface.

Kurai was not in his Junsa uniform nor was he in his usual suit. Instead, he was in wearing the attire that he normally uses for training which was a little more loose and rugged compared to the formal clothing he often finds himself in. He still wore his village's forehead protector around his head though and had the Executioner Blade resting on his back in its holster. Other than that, Kurai did not bring any of his other equipment...not even his collection of Romance Novels. Kurai was here for training, but not the form of training that most would think.

Kurai looked around. There were certainly a few monks here and there. Some were in the middle of praying while others were conversing among themselves. Some of the monks looked in Kurai's direction but for the most part, paid him no mind. Kurai's eyes then settled on the vast greenery before him. Kurai had heard rumors of this island, some about a giant octopus that saw as a god to most folks here, but what Kurai was mostly interested in was the nature that surrounded this place. After meeting with Suzuki Taru again, Kurai has found himself wanting to get more in touch with nature. Nature appears to have some sort of effect on his strange kekkei genkai to manipulate and create wood, Mokuton. Kurai was dismissive of nature at first..or rather in denial, but after meditating with Taru, he was starting to become a little more open to it.

With that, Kurai traveled up into the forest-like section of the Isle. As he went in, the sounds of feet stepping against sand would be replaced with the crunching sounds of leaves and such. Kurai pushed past any branches that were in his way, but as he traveled, the man was taking in his surroundings. Eventually, he would find an opening which he would walk a bit into before stopping. Kurai glanced around, noticing some wildlife here and there. He would then hear the sounds of birds above, causing Kurai to look up, and as he did he would take notice of the trees and how they sway peacefully within the breeze. There was a subtle smile on the man's face, one that showed his newfound appreciation for nature.

He was taking it all in, preparing to meditate....but little did Kurai know that he was going to get himself thrown into something else entirely.

Mika

Current Attire

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S.A.

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Enduring Hardships
While a lot of swordsmen are known for their speed, Kurai has gained enhanced physical endurance through his years of sword training, along with overcoming hardships in his life. He is capable of enduring a lot of physical punishment from those around his rank and lower, making him last longer in fights.

Mokuton
Due to having a distant relation to a member of the Senju clan, Kurai has developed his ancestor's ability to use wood release, the combination of Doton and Suiton. With this ability, Kurai is capable of not only forming wood, but trees with his chakra, molding either around him, or on his very flesh. Its durability can be used for defensive purposes, but that same durability can be just as easily used for when Kurai needs to go on the offense. However, due to him not directly being a Senju, Mokuton jutsu is a lot more taxing on his chakra compared to his other jutsu.

Flowing Chakra River
Kurai was born with enhanced reserves of chakra that go hand in hand with his endurance. He is capable of using more jutsu over a short period of time without getting exhausted. This also allows Kurai to use stronger jutsu without tiring out or draining his chakra too quick....Though, the same cannot be exactly said when using Mokuton.

Shinobi Swordsman
Kurai has honed his skills with both one and two-handed swords. He is capable of reacting swiftly and appropriately with a sword either offensively or defensively with little to no error, giving his Kenjutsu a bit of an edge against other kenjutsu users around his rank, and causing problems for those of lower rank.

[Mika]

Kurai was intelligent enough, and there was great reason to believe he was safe. These lands were not known for their heightened criminal activity, and while he'd been exploring the temperate nature of the wilderness, he'd been cautious enough to take note of the people who had been in the area. Monks, mostly, which made sense given the region. Shinobi were a lot more difficult to come by in these parts, and bandits usually struggled to thrive around these lands as well. 
    However, despite the nature of his environment, that did not mean Kurai was perfectly safe.
    Unfortunately for him, as he'd been wandering about, he happened to catch the attention of a particular someone. The young person had been stalking him for the better part of two hours as he'd ventured about looking for a resting place to meditate, and with how cautious and quiet they'd been moving, it would have taken an incredible amount of skill for them to be spotted.
    Kurai was no sensor shinobi, so he didn't have the advantage of being able to feel the presence of another's chakra, and with their movements as subtle and quiet as they had been--the stranger's pursuit had been almost perfectly masked by the natural commotion of the wild.
    Thankfully enough for Kurai, however, this stranger had no malicious intent. And while they had been tailing the shinobi for quite some time, it was merely out of curiosity. At least, for the time being.
    The follower would not wait around in the shadows forever, though. When the shinobi had taken upon himself to rest and begin meditating, the stranger took it upon themselves to act. Fetching a small stone from the ground, they'd chuck it at the ninja from where they'd been hiding behind the trees.
    Of course, as soon as the rock hit the shinobi, their hiding spot would be revealed, but that was part of the fun! And besides, it wasn't like it would seriously hurt the shinobi, anyway. The stranger hadn't been intending to do serious harm--it wasn't like it had been a headshot or anything! "Think fast!" They shouted quickly with a mischievous grin.

Takahashi Kurai

⌔

[Takahashi Kurai]

Kurai had stood there for a bit, taking in the scenery of this little forest. A small smile formed on the man's face, one that was rarely seen, but of course, there was no one else to see it...Or so he thought. Being both a Gate Guard and Junsa Officer for as long as he has, Kurai was observant, quick to react. It was uncommon for things to go over his head, slip past his radar, but this wasn't something he fully mastered. He also lacks the ability to sense chakra...and due to this, the man had not picked up on the little...stalker who had been tailing him.

Finally starting to settle down, Kurai removed the Executioner Blade from the strap on his back and stabbed the butcher-like sword into the ground next to him before sitting down. The man got into a meditative position similar to the one Taru had shown him, a lotus position. There was a part of Kurai that still felt a hint of embarrassment whenever setting himself into a position like this...but it does not even come close to rivaling how he'd feel if certain folks found out about his fondness for certain...themes of literature. Plus, Kurai was alone out here. He didn't have much to worry about.

Or so he thought...

As Kurai closed his eyes and was about to take a deep breath, he was quickly alerted by a mischievous shout. "Hm?" Kurai quickly opened his eyes, eyebrows furrowed as he saw the rock coming his way at the midway point.

Quickly forming chakra into his mouth, Kurai morphed it into water before spitting it out as a condensed ball, using it to blast the incoming rock. After that, he instinctively rolled to his side where his sword was and stood up, placing a hand on the hilt of it. His eyes were narrowed, focused on the individual by the tree. They appeared to be on the younger side, but Kurai did not let his guard down. "What are you doing?" Kurai asked with a mildly annoyed...and grumpy tone, not being a fan of having his peace disrupted.

Mika

Jutsu

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Suiton: Teppōdama [Water Release: Gunshot]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: High
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: Suiton
DESCRIPTION:

The user kneads chakra, and converts it into water, and then spits it out in the form of condensed balls. The high-speed water ball attack possesses just as much power to kill as an actual gunshot. While this is a water release technique, it can still be employed someplace where no water is available, which is a great advantage. It is also possible to increase the power of destruction of the spheres themselves by building up the chakra inside of them. The number of bullets is determined while kneading chakra. By taking advantage of gravity, the bullets can brutally increase in power.

[Mika]

The stranger laughed upon seeing the shinobi spit water at the rock, destroying it before it could land. Thankfully, he didn't seem hostile despite the light-hearted attack, though he did grab his sword and rise from where he'd been meditating moments before.
    He was annoyed. His voice said it all.
    Which, of course, made sense.
    The teen grinned a bit, despite it all. Smaller in physique, they were rather androgynous--tomboyish, but with feminine features. And while the shinobi had been bothered by their prank, the teen found it all rather amusing.
    "Eh? Well, I was curious about you!" they answered quickly. "I was wondering if it was really true that a ninja was around these parts. Gramps says not to bother with ruffians like you, but I wanted to see you in action." They grinned, a bit childishly. "And sure enough, you're pretty quick! What are you doing all the way out here, anyway?"
    They would shift in tone, slightly. Not accusatory or suspicious, but a genuine curiosity evident enough.
    The stranger's appearance wasn't too giving. They were bare-footed, and wore a small tunic of crimson red, with their unruly black hair tied up in a ponytail. There were signs that they were a monk of some sort--prayer beads wrapped around one hand. But on their back was a quiver of arrows, alluding to a history of hunting of some kind.
    And if nothing else, they seemed very, very curious of the shinobi.
    Enough to trail him all this way and wait until they were alone, at least.
    "My name is 'Daitan'. What's yours?"

Takahashi Kurai

⌔

[Takahashi Kurai]

Laughter. That is what Kurai heard coming from the young stranger. It didn't seem like Kurai was under attack. It was just some child attempting to be a nuisance....which Kurai was clearly not thrilled about. Still, the man kept his hand on the hilt of his sword, but he didn't really show any signs of hostility. The strange child was quick to respond to Kurai's question, but the answer didn't really change the man's tone.

Kurai just stood there and listened to the stranger as they explained themselves. As he did, he watched them, specifically focusing on their appearance. Their gender wasn't that easy to tell, not that Kurai was worrying about that. He could tell that the teen was at least a native of this island judging by their appearance...but they sure didn't come off as calm and reserved like a lot of the other monks here. What piqued a bit of Kurai's interest was that quiver full of arrows on their back, perhaps used for hunting, or to defend themselves?

"Right...I'm the ruffian." Kurai added under his breath, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. At this point, Kurai stabbed his sword back into the ground, taking his hand off of it to fold his arms. He still didn't seem all too amused, but the man loosened up a bit. "I was trying to meditate....alone." Kurai answered, his tone neutral, but he was still trying to make it clear that he did not like being disturbed.

"Kurai." he gave out his name, plain and simple. "Word of advice, the next time you come across a ninja, I'd recommend not...throwing rocks at them." he added. Who knows what would've happened if they came across a ninja with a far more sensitive trigger finger...

Although he did not say anything about it, the fact that Kurai had only just now found out that this kid was following didn't slip past him. "How long were you following me?" Kurai wanted to get back to his meditation...but he was a little curious about this.

Mika

[Mika]

Daitan didn't hear the comment the shinobi made under his breath, but the comment of wishing to meditate alone caught their interest. The teen mirrored the man by crossing their own arms. Not out of annoyance, though. Merely puzzled by the shinobi's response.
    Meditating? Since when do shinobi meditate? That's a monk thing, isn't it? Odd, indeed. Their jaw dropped when the man suggested they not take their previous approach the next time they tried engaging with a shinobi, and the teen immediately argued, "Why not? If you're a real ninja, then it'd be no big deal! It's easy to defend yourself against a harmless prank like that, right? Besides, I wanted to see if shinobi are really as talented and aware as gramps says."
    Bah! What did this guy know, anyway?
    They huffed a little in defiance, then stretched their arms--interlocking their fingers behind them as they stretched their back and puffed their chest.
    He asked a question of his own, though. Inquiring for how long they'd been following him. Raising an eyebrow, they responded, "For about a mile back. I saw you passing through when I was visiting one of the priests, and I couldn't help but spot you. You really stick out, you know. And I've never really met a human ninja before, so I wanted to check you out." They smiled proudly. "I'm not surprised you didn't know I was following you, though! I'm really sneaky when I want to be! I move quiet as a shadow!"
    Digging their toes in the dirt, they pouted slightly and then looked at the shinobi suspiciously. "Why are you meditating, anyway? That doesn't seem like a shinobi thing to do. Are you thinking about giving up to become a monk or something? You shouldn't, it's a boring life."

Takahashi Kurai

⌔

[Takahashi Kurai]

Seems that Daitan did not get the point of Kurai's warning, causing the man to exhale out of his nose with a hint of annoyance. A part of Kurai was tempted to not elaborate, and just let the kid end up figuring this out the hard way. "I...think you misunderstand." Kurai then pointed at the teen, specifically at their forehead. "Where else do you think I could've aimed that jutsu?" Kurai asked, but it didn't really matter to him if Daitan answered or not, so long as they got the point. "Curiosity killed the cat...Or however that saying goes." Kurai added, muttering the last part once more while rubbing the back of his neck.

Kurai then got his answer about how long he was being tailed and the man was not sure whether to be impressed...or concerned. "A mile? I...see." Kurai glanced away, trying to play things off but there was a hint of him questioning his own sense of awareness. If this were true then if this child had malicious intent, they could've very much caught Kurai off guard, and that didn't sit right with the man. Just seems like something Kurai was going to have to work harder on.

Though, after Daitan mentioned it, Kurai's focus was now on the teen saying something about 'human ninja'. It caused Kurai to glance back over at them, narrowing his eyes a little. He took note of this but did not say anything about it, at least not right away.

"Perceptive." Kurai would say in response to Daitan's suspicions. Shinobi weren't really known for meditating that much was true...at least for the most part. "I find that meditation helps with my training...especially within a setting like this." he claimed, gesturing a bit at the forest the two were in. He wasn't lying...but he didn't give the full truth either. Kurai was doing this to become closer with nature in a sense because of how connected it was to his kekkei genkai. Ever since he started these meditation sessions, Kurai has started to find a new sense of respect towards nature...a calmness he had not realized before when he didn't pay things like this any mind.

"A...friend of mine helped me figure this out." Did he consider Taru his friend? She was probably around the same age as this Daitan person, and when it comes to children, Kurai wasn't exactly a fan...having a certain Kuronmeru child to thank for that. Though, unlike Enyo, Taru seems a lot more level-headed.

"I have another question for you." Kurai added before turning his attention completely back to Daitan, his blue eyes appearing unphased and calm. "You said something about "human" ninja back then...Do you have ninken running around the island or something?" He once again crossed his arms, referring to ninja dogs. Although animals that are trained to be ninja exists, Kurai found it hard to believe that any lived here.

Mika

[Mika]

Their expression dropped when they realized suddenly what Kurai meant. Oh. So they might have accidentally been attacked instead, if it'd been a different shinobi, maybe. Man, shinobi are really jumpy, then, the teen thought to themselves. They supposed they could kind of understand it. They were usually acutely aware of their environment and on the look-out for danger, too.
    "How does meditating help you with training? What does it have to do with combat at all?" they wondered. It wasn't really something they understood, much. To them, meditating was... like a punishment. But it had nothing to do with fighting, really.
    The man raised up his own question, pointing out the teen's odd choice of words. A ninken? "I don't really know what that is," Daitan stated bluntly. "But I was talking about my gramps. I'd say he's definitely a ninja, he can do ninja things, but he's not really a human. He talks about the shinobi world a bit, sometimes, but I've never been to any village outside of our island, so I've never actually met a shinobi before. Just monks and my kin, here."

Takahashi Kurai

⌔

[Takahashi Kurai]

Looks like the kid wanted Kurai to elaborate, which he was totally....unprepared for. "Er...Proper meditation clears the mind." Kurai claimed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "A clear mind helps you er...focus...better in combat." Kurai's eyes started to shift slowly to the side, starting to look a little sheepish surprisingly. He was trying to figure out what Taru would say....Something about spirits? The thought of that alone made Kurai wince a bit. He wasn't the sagey type after all. "You should ask one of your monks instead." Kurai claimed, trying to regain his composure as he did. All Kurai really knows is that meditating in forests makes him feel more in control of his abilities.

Kurai wasn't really surprised that Daitan didn't know the meaning Ninken. He should've said something similar. Kurai was about to elaborate, but then he rose an eyebrow. "Did you just say that your...'gramps' is the ninja?" Kurai rubbed the top of his head a bit, looking a little confused. So this gramps they were referring to and that non-human ninja are one and the same? "Are you...You're not sick or anything, kid?" Kurai asked. Kurai was honestly a little curious now...but this kid could just be playing make-believe....talking about some imaginary friend.

Mika

[Mika]

It clears the mind, which made it easier to concentrate in battle... Daitan supposed that made sense. It made a lot of sense, actually. Way better than all of that spiritual bullcrap the monks liked preaching about.
    Speaking of which, Kurai suggested they reserve those kinds of questions for said monks to begin with. "No, they're useless and annoying," the teen stated plainly. "They just like talking about pointless spiritual stuff that has nothing to do with real life issues. Like oh, meditating is good for the spirit and soul, and helps ward off evil, or something. Like oh, the more you meditate the more pure your soul will become, and talks of nirvana and stuff. Which has nothing to do with fighting, and I don't really care about that at all." They sighed, annoyed to even have to think about it.
    Daitan was many things. And a wise, spiritual individual was not among their dominant traits.
    The shinobi seemed confused about what Daitan had said and reiterated for clarification. The teen simply nodded in response. Yes, that was correct. He'd heard correctly.
    "Sick??" They placed their hand on their forehead to feel for a temperature. No, they didn't feel hot or anything... plus, they didn't feel sick at all. They weren't dizzy, didn't have a headache or a sore throat, or anything like that... "No... I'm feeling just fine." It was an odd question.
    The child paused for a short while, thinking it over. They could probably walk away at this point, really. The shinobi was busy meditating, apparently, and probably didn't want to be bothered, but at the same time, this was a rare opportunity for the kid. And sure, it might be rude to keep pestering him, but they really wanted to try seeking some things out, and as far as they could tell, this man was more likely to have the answers than anyone else.
    "So um, Kurai. Question. You're a ninja, right? How'd you become a ninja? And you're pretty strong, aren't you? I mean, you destroyed my rock attack like it was nothing, and you've got that crazy big sword, which I assume you've got to be pretty good at using. Yeah?" They folded their hands behind their back and lightly twisted their toes into the dirt as they asked, now bashful in their demeanor.

Takahashi Kurai

⌔

[Takahashi Kurai]

Kurai was not expecting Daitan's sudden change in tone about the monks, but the more he listened, Kurai felt like it sort of made sense for someone their age. After Daitan let out that sigh, Kurai stifled a small chuckle. The way they spoke down upon the monks kind of reminded Kurai of his previous views of meditation and spiritual things. He was of course not as vocal about it as Daitan, but Kurai was still blunt about it, thinking that it was a waste of time, especially since he thought that it wouldn't be of any use to him as a shinobi. Of course, he changed since then. He was sure with time, the teen will end up growing to respect those teachings.

"So you prefer fighting then?" Kurai asked with a hint of amusement. Another thing Kurai could relate to. Kurai is a calm person for the most part, never the kind to instigate things...he is a cop after all. But, there is a part of Kurai, that loves getting into a scrap or even just a spar. He's practically a formal brute. Kurai may not purposely go out and provoke folks to fight him...but he does at times hope that people will try coming at him. It's a small part of why he chose to be a Junsa Officer for the Suiryu Butai. It meant that he had to deal with unruly folks and people who just didn't like cops!

On the matter of the kid's gramps....

Daitan claimed that they were alright, and from what Kurai can tell, they weren't lying...They also didn't seem to get the point that Kurai didn't exactly believe them, but it seems like a lot of things go over this teen's head.

"Hmm..." Kurai pondered a little. It wasn't exactly impossible for certain animals to develop the ability to speak...not that Kurai has personally seen this. There was enough evidence in the world to back this up...but a ninja animal living here of all places...and seemingly raising this child?

Daitan then spoke up again, knocking Kurai out of his thoughts. More ninja-related questions. At this point, meditating was the furthest thing from Kurai's mind right now, so he wasn't as bothered by the intrusion as he originally was. "Well..." Kurai looked back at the sword, smirking a bit. "I'm still working on properly wielding it." Kurai admitted that it wasn't something he was ashamed of. He was by no means a complete amateur with it, but compared to his first sword, Kurai still has some learning to do when it comes to using a big sword like this. He was starting to get better at holding it in one hand, which he is now demonstrating by picking it up by the hilt before gently placing the sword against his shoulder.

"As for how I became a ninja...I was enrolled in an academy, eventually graduated...was part of a squad, and..." Kurai shrugged a bit. "Now I'm here." Kurai claimed. There was something about telling the child this that made Kurai feel a little...proud of what he does? Perhaps because of how curious they were about ninja and such? It was...strange for Kurai, but he didn't complain.

Kurai glanced at the blade of his sword, being reminded of someone who was dear to him. "But...before all of that, I had someone who taught me about being a ninja...the one who started me on this path." Kurai smiled lightly, reminiscing a little. "I guess you could say he was my...gramps." Kurai claimed, a bit hesitant with his wording since he still did have some skepticism towards Daitan's 'gramps'.

Mika

[Mika]

Daitan nodded in response to the question posed to him. "I do!" Fighting was much more their style, and overall a lot more enjoyable than sitting around praying to the spirits. The teen wasn't one to letting their life waste away to meaninglessness... "Er--well, I mean," they hesitated. "I mean, it's not like I like violence or hurting people, or anything like that. I just think fighting can be fun and--it's necessary, sometimes." They were quite to clarify--not wanting the distinguished shinobi to get the wrong impression of them. Daitan wasn't just some punk who wanted to spill blood just for the thrill of it, or something... they were wild--not savage.
    The child listened in earnest, however, at the shinobi's story. It seemed simple enough. He'd been a student at an academy, did a lot of work, and was raised through the ranks... Still, even though it wasn't quite the tale that the kid had concocted in their own mind, they looked up at Kurai with a glimmer of awe in their eye. "I guess an academy for ninjas is only in a secret ninja village, right?" Probably not somewhere I could ever go... The thought was disheartening, though they did the best they could to hide such from their face. Crossing their arms, the teen sighed. "My gramps teaches me things, but not really ninja stuff. He says I shouldn't get involved in that kind of thing."
    Oh, how they wished their gramps was willing to train them in the ninja arts like Kurai's had... He was lucky, in Daitan's eyes.
    "So... your gramps helped start you on your path..." they placed their hands on their hips, then looked up at Kurai with earnest. "Do you think... like... possibly... I could ever do something like that? I mean, I'm not in a ninja village and there's no academy here, but... Do you think--really--I could ever be like you?"

Takahashi Kurai

⌔

[Takahashi Kurai]

Kurai scoffed lightly in a hint of amusement from Daitan's hesitant clarification. Kurai couldn't deny the existence of ninja who relishes in causing pain and death...He even knows a certain kunoichi who fits this definition real well. This wasn't really Kurai's style. He does not take joy in taking the life of another...but he will not hesitate to do so if needed, whether in the case of self-defense, required for his missions, or for the better of the village. With that, Kurai agreed with Daitan's claim of fighting being necessary sometimes. Kurai has come across his fair share of delinquents back at the village who always claim they want to be a ninja mostly for violent purposes. Most of the time, it's because they believe that's what being a ninja is all about. Kurai thought it was kind of nice to see someone who seems to have a better grasp on the idea of being both a ninja and fighting...even if they are a bit hyper. Guess they have that 'gramps' of theirs to thank.

"As far as I'm aware, right." Kurai answered honestly. The man took note of how invested in this Daitan looked, something that Kurai didn't see often. Judging from that question, Kurai could only imagine just how upset Daitan could possibly be. Being in their position, the likelihood of the teen ending up in an Academy is very unlikely.

Once again it was Kurai's turn to listen, being patient as he tends to be. Kurai didn't say anything, but he couldn't really fault Daitan's 'gramps' for thinking this way. He kind of agreed with them even. The life of a ninja was a rocky road often trailed by blood and death. Once you're part of that life, you either have to have the strength and willpower to push through...or risk being devoured. Kurai had glanced away a bit as he pondered a little about this. The moment Daitan spoke again, Kurai looked back over at them.

Kurai was posed with one question...that was soon followed by another that he was not really expecting. Kurai just looked at Daitan sternly. On the inside, Kurai was honestly caught off guard by this. To be like...him? Kurai never really thought of himself as something special, just another 'soldier' in a sense. He was mostly aware that Daitan just meant being a ninja in general, or at least that's what he assumes, but in a way, this made Kurai feel like he had purpose other than just being of service to Kirigakure...even just a little.

Kurai then stepped over to Daitan, close enough to place a hand on their shoulder if allowed. "I believe it's possible...for you to become your own ninja." he claimed, his expression loosening a bit. He'd rather Daitan focus on carving their own path...rather than becoming someone like him, or anyone else. "If it's something you truly wish to pursue...then a path will open for you, sooner or later." Whether they end up in a village like Kurai through a certain chain of events, or learn from some other means, Kurai truly believes that nothing will get in this kid's way if he really does wish to pursue this. "Don't give in to your doubts."

Mika