[Takahashi Akio]

Akio listened carefully to Samemaru's words, letting the frustration and blunt honesty settle. The young sage’s gaze drifted to the path ahead as they descended the mountain pass, the winding trail weaving through rocky outcroppings as he thought about what Samemaru saw as a contradiction. Above them, the sky was an endless gray, the clouds hanging low and heavy as if they were bearing witness to the weight of their conversation. His thoughts flickered between his own words and the memories they stirred.

He gave a slow nod, acknowledging the point. "It certainly can get easier, in a way. That numbness can keep you from losing your mind on the job, but it can also strip away parts of you you’ll never get back. After enough missions, it stops feeling like this huge thing every time and that’s kinda what I’m talking about. It’s less of a contradiction and just the place I’ve ended up.” Akio sighed and scratched the back of his head, realizing that maybe he was just making it more confusing. He had accidentally said the quiet thoughts out loud and maybe caused Samemaru more strife than necessary. If he hadn’t said anything, maybe the kid’s mental state would have been better in the current moment.

Now that they were already wading through this conversation though, it almost felt like an obligation to carry it to its conclusion. He gave Samemaru a half-smile, a bit rueful. "I didn’t explain it well, and I don’t think there’s a perfect way to explain it.” The words were hard to find, but Akio did his best to make it something simple, "Whatever you let go of today, just make sure it’s something you won’t miss tomorrow. I guess that’s all I’m trying to say.”

As the path curved, opening up a view of the village below, Akio had started the mission feeling good about the mission, but this was the first time he’d been with a genin that had never killed anyone. The mission was successful, but it seemed like Samemaru might travel the same path every other Takigakure shinobi did, letting themself become numb to the killing and letting it become second nature. He let his hand graze the rough bark of a nearby tree as they passed, as if out of habit when he traveled through the jungles surrounding Takigakure.



Samemaru Natsu