Syy lay on the ground, wheezing, a hand pressed to his ribs. He'd gotten a stich about half way through the second run and was now laying in the grass trying not to throw up. Aika was rolling about again in the grass, her paws flying about in the air as she wiggled. Propping himself up on his elbows, Syy eyed her with a bit of mirth It's much hotter here than it was in Kirigakure. he felt sweat running down his back under his bodysuit. It wasn't that he was normally one to overheat but this was practically unbearable. He flapped a hand at his face, avoiding actually touching it. While running, he'd accidently got too close to a tree branch. The resulting flick of leaves had hurt a lot more than it normally would. He dreaded looking at himself in the mirror I'm...quite hungry. what a strange feeling. Sitting up properly, stretching to make sure his legs didn't cramp up, he tugged on Aika's tail I wonder if they have a dumpling shop. Standing, he walked with Aika back the way they came, feeling a bit better than he had before he came.
Having only just left the area earlier that morning, Syy moved fairly confidently through the trees. There was a little clearing near the edge that he was aiming for "There is a n-nice spot here." he said, stepping into it and avoiding the spot where he had gone face first into the dirt. Searching around a bit, he settled to the ground in much the same way he had in Minowa's room the night before. A tree at his back, Syy took his notebook out but paused to wait for Minowa to settle himself and Itoko as well "I-I'm sorry about Aika startling Itoko-san." he held the notebook in his lap, looking a little forlorn. It was a bit out of the blue but he hadn't been able to apologize this morning when Aika had shown up. He'd been too caught up in the joy of seeing her.
『 ᴄ ⁷³¹.⁶ ⋮ s ⁵⁰¹.⁵ 』
『⫸𝕀 have been changed by what was done to 𝕞e but 𝕀 will not be 𝕣educed by it⫸』
"Am I not meant to?" Minowa asked back once their pace had settled. Bright blue eyes were watching the older Senju with an unwavering focus. "You are my Dad. Should I call you something else?" He asked, looking up to the canopy briefly once Syy had settled on the ground. Both the Genin and Binturong were itching to climb up into the tallest branches, enjoying being out of sight and up in the air more than down on the earth. Minowa didn't sit, but he stared intently at Syy's notebook while Itoko shifted on his shoulders, sniffing the air curiously, ears and tail flicking. "Itoko and I will get used to it." He promised, voice even, almost entirely toneless.
I t o k o : Chakra Pool: 180 // 180 Stamina Pool: 230 // 230
T e c h n i q u e s : Element : Element Jutsu
• Name Rank: X :: Simple/Spiritual/Complex Details
Syy thought about his answer a bit before speaking "It is n-not that you are not meant to." he said finally, looking up at Minowa "I am v-very happy to be your Dad. And to be c-called Dad by you." he paused, noticing that Minowa hadn't sat but was starting at his notebook. He couldn't hide another small smile "But I w-want you to know that it is your ch-choice to call me Dad or not." he had not been a part of Minowa's life for six years. And while that was not by choice, it did not change the fact that this was a strange new experience for them both. The last memory Syy had of Minowa was when the boy was a toddler. Too small to really call him Dad. As for Aika "I'll k-keep her at my place until you're b-both more comfortable." he said finally, then tapped the notebook "I th-thought about what you mentioned last n-night and d-did some reading." he started, flipping the notebook open before setting it on the grass for Minowa to look at as well. In it were several jotted down notes under the label Techniques for Min"I can s-see you being able to do q-quite a bit if we can apply the techniques pr-properly." he explained "I'm not s-sure how much you've worked w-with your Mokuton. Could you show me your m-most advanced technique?" Syy very carefully kept his hands from shaking. He didn't want anything to do with the Mokuton and the idea of being in the presence of one of the techniques was terrifying. But this was his son. And he'd do what was necessary to help him.
『 ᴄ ⁷³¹.⁶ ⋮ s ⁵⁰¹.⁵ 』
『⫸𝕀 have been changed by what was done to 𝕞e but 𝕀 will not be 𝕣educed by it⫸』
"I know." Minowa spoke, calm and reserved. "What I say is my choice. But I can listen to what people would like better to be called." He - roughly - reiterated one of the lessons he had to learn from both his Papa and the doctor he saw in order to better understand 'society.' He paused, recalling something that he had - tried to - discuss with another Genin just the other day. "I still don't understand what some words mean, though. Like what makes someone 'cool.'" He frowned, the word still a foreign concept to him to even say, much less comprehend. He rubbed his nose and Itoko expertly clambered down the small boy's frame, the clothes built to take the piercing claws without ever a tear or pull on the weave, revealing their high quality in more than just their appearance. Minowa turned his back to Syy, contemplating for a second before his stance widened, Itoko curling around one leg as though ready to participate in combat.
With a small, grunted, exhale, Itoko was signalled to run straight ahead, Minowa's hands calmly going through a series of handseals. The movement wasn't familiar enough to go at a speed high enough to blur their motions, but soon enough four wooden pillars formed under the earth, shifted up out of the dirt to capture the runaway mammal, ensnaring all four limbs and leaving twitching ears and a flicking tail. Minowa peered over his shoulder at Syy, not taking his full gaze off of Itoko in case they were attacked properly.
I t o k o : Chakra Pool: 180 // 180 Stamina Pool: 230 // 230
T e c h n i q u e s : Element : Element Jutsu
• Wood Release: Stocks Rank: B :: Spiritual Description: The user produces wooden stocks to suppress the target’s chakra while they are restrained. There are also two candle-like appendages on each end of the device. Prevents B-Ranked and under chakra usage while in the stocks.
”Then I am h-happy to be called Dad by you.” leaning back into the tree, Syy accepted Minowa’s rationale, the words lighting a small warmth in his chest. He looked down at the notebook in the grass, giving a small hum at Min’s confusion about what words meant. Context and meaning were probably one of the more difficult areas of communication. Once, Syy had been good at them ”I b-believe, in this case, it is a per-personal construct around qualities that one h-has or finds appealing. If a person has these q-qualities that another seeks or f-finds appealing, then they are cool to the person who a-admires those qualities.” he tapped a finger on his knee, wondering if he’d been of some help in understanding ”It is a p-positive trait in a person. Or a negative.” he frowned a bit, rubbing the bridge of his nose ”It...is c-context dependent. I think.” clearly neither father nor son truly had a grasp on what the more nuanced meanings and usages of words meant. But at least they were trying. Seeing Itoko move down to the ground, Syy sat forward and shrugged out of his outer yukatas Just breath. he reminded himself, watching Minowa turn his back, hands clenched into fists at his sides.
As Itoko took off, Syy watched Min’s careful execution of the seals, recognizing them for a Wood Release technique. Unsure which one, exactly, he was unprepared for the reaction he felt as wooden pillars emerged and ensnared Itoko. Syy felt sudden pain in his hands and wrists, as if something was sliding knives under his skin. He felt his throat closing and dropped his head, one hand going to his neck as if to grip whatever had him but there was nothing there What is this? he closed his eyes tightly, fighting the ghost sensations as they tried to overwhelm him. Syy swallowed hard and felt his throat open as the memory, if that was what it was, passed and he dropped his hand to his lap. Feeling a cold sweat on his back, he glanced up to see Minowa looking at him Breath. he forced his mind to focus only on Minowa, taking the notebook off the ground and standing. Leaving his yukatas in the grass, he walked over to stand beside Min so that the boy would only have to focus on the pillars ”Fa-fairly advanced th-then.” his voice was a little shaky, making the stutter a bit worse, but there was a warmth in the words too. Pride at Minowa’s progress ”You’re a f-few tec-techniques away from the J-Jukai Kotan, which is w-wh-what I think you will need most. It will a-allow you to grow a small forest of trees, wh-which will be useful for your idea about m-medicinal or scent-based uses for the M-Mokuton.”
His hands were still trembling and so his grip on the notebook was causing the soft cover to crease. Making a conscious effort to relax, he smoothed a hand over the cover as he spoke ”One po-potential that you can do n-now, until you have l-learned Jukai Kotan, is using Underground R-Roots technique to develop a-an outside chakra pool. Some pl-plants have...h-have...” he stopped to take a breath and then got the words out through gritted teeth "They h-have a root ball. If you c-can create something si-similar, with the center being c-composed of chakra, then d-depending on the type of t-tree, I can see the seeds and fr-fruits of trees g-grown from the root ball b-being capable of storing chakra that can be c-consumed.” he glanced at Minowa, ”S-sometimes the most basic techniques are a g-good starting point.” while his stutter might lead some to believe that Syy was insecure, there was a calm confidence in the way he spoke when he wasn't under distress. It was that way now, as he focused less on the trauma that he couldn't remember and more on the task at hand. As he focused more on what Minowa wanted and what he could help with, the stutter would fade to only a few words.
『 ᴄ ⁷³¹.⁶ ⋮ s ⁵⁰¹.⁵ 』
『⫸𝕀 have been changed by what was done to 𝕞e but 𝕀 will not be 𝕣educed by it⫸』
Minowa blinked, big blue eyes visibly going unfocused as his mouth ran through silent words, something finally settling in his head that seemed to make the whole concept make - if only a little bit - more sense. "Its not what people are but we think is cool." He murmured, feeling a little more at peace now that a puzzle was closer to being solved. He nods, a look of determination coming across his face. "I get it better now. I think."
Once Minowa was sure Syy had not only recognised the technique, but had no points on it to critique, the Genin released the hold it had on his animal companion, Itoko scampering over straight away to take up his perch on the small boy's shoulders. Being trapped had made him agitated, but his trust in Minowa kept him grounded enough to not run off elsewhere. Minowa however, continued to watch his Dad, a scrunched up look of concentration still prevalent on his features during the entire lecture, bright, sky-blue eyes almost entirely unblinking. At the end, Minowa crouched down, feet flat and knees up by his cheeks, Itoko a thick line of fur surrounding his head and encompassing his neck. Minowa blinked, something clicking in his gaze and he reached both of his hands to his dad, palm up. He didn't say anything though, just continued watching, waiting.
I t o k o : Chakra Pool: 180 // 180 Stamina Pool: 230 // 230
His head bobbed just a bit as Minowa indicated that he better understood the concept of "cool" which made Syy feel a little more at ease. To be honest, he often felt like he didn't actually understand anything, especially when it came to social trends. And while he was certain Min knew what cool was, in regards to a temperature, he was less sure of his own explanation for cool as a perception Min is happy with it, or at least understood what I was attempting to say. he thought as his attention left his son briefly to watch Itoko come running back to them. He didn't mind the unblinking stare that he got from Minowa when he spoke about techniques, aware that how a person memorized and thought about a concept was expressed in different ways. But when Min crouched, Syy glanced down at the top of his and Itoko's heads. Being crouched put Min just below Syy's kneecaps and so when Minowa reached up to him, it was a bit confusing.
Blinking at his son, Syy contemplated what Minowa might be trying to indicate. Did he want the notebook? If he did, he would have asked, wouldn't he? Also, Syy had not remembered to bring a pen or pencil. Did he wish to be picked up? Somehow, that did not seem likely even though it would definitely make Syy happy to hold his son. Not to mention both Min and Itoko would be quite high in the air if he did pick them up, which might make them happy too. Perhaps that was it? But Min's hands were palm up, not reaching upwards as Syy had seen other children do when demanding to be picked up. So maybe not? Finally, and with visible confusion but also open willingness, Syy crouched down himself after taking a step back, as his knees bent outwards rather than up. He was still quite a bit taller than his son, even crouched, but what he did next was a bit...unexpected? Silly perhaps, if not for the seriousness with which he did so. Syy took both his hands, elbows resting on his thighs, and placed them, palms down, on top of Min's palms. Anyone who happened upon the sight would immediately be reminded of a young boy teaching a very large dog how to shake. Head tilting sideways, his expression still confused but also interested, Syy didn't say anything either Is this right? he wondered, blinking a bit. His hands nearly eclipsed Min's, large palms engulfing his son's, and slender fingers resting gently on Min's wrists. The scars were a bit more obvious this close, like jagged and unpredicted lightning across his skin, before they thickened and disappeared in his sleeves.
『 ᴄ ⁷³¹.⁶ ⋮ s ⁵⁰¹.⁵ 』
『⫸𝕀 have been changed by what was done to 𝕞e but 𝕀 will not be 𝕣educed by it⫸』
Smaller fingers wrapped themselves around the sides of Syy's palms and wrists, their short length meaning they couldn't wrap all the way around, but Minowa held on in a calm, relaxed grip, as though just resting there. Bright blue eyes closed, and the relaxed grip tightened only slightly as he visibly breathed in - one. two. three - and then the grip loosened as the Genin visibly breathed out - one. two. three. Blue eyes opened and stared up at Syy; sky blue to blue flecked with gold. Again he breathed in and out, his hands being physical measures for his Dad to feel. From his shoulders, Itoko chirped a small noise, as though questioning the older male, but Minowa remained silent, almost radiating tranquillity.
I t o k o : Chakra Pool: 180 // 180 Stamina Pool: 230 // 230
Feeling Minowa’s smaller hands wrap around his, Syy blinked and then straightened his head to watch his son. Eyes closed, grip tightening and loosening, he watched Minowa breath in and out Oh. he recognized the breathing technique. And knew it would help, felt it helping. But what actually helped was being near Min, feeling the small hands. As Itoko chirped at him, Syy gave a little hum in response that said ‘I’m all right’. Leaning his head forward, he rubbed his forehead against the soft golden hair, white and black merging slightly with gold. His eyes closed, he breathed in softly before lightly tapping his forehead against Min’s. When he opened his eyes and met Minowa’s, Syy gave him a slow blink to show he was fine or at least, that he was feeling better. He slipped his hand’s under Min’s, bringing his head down to gently bump Min’s fingers with his nose before releasing his son’s hands ”Thanks, Min.” he said quietly, one hand reaching up and gently fixing Minowa’s hair that he had inadvertently disturbed with his motion earlier. The same hand reached over and gently rubbed Itoko’s nose in small circles ”Thank you, Itoko-san.”
『 ᴄ ⁷³¹.⁶ ⋮ s ⁵⁰¹.⁵ 』
『⫸𝕀 have been changed by what was done to 𝕞e but 𝕀 will not be 𝕣educed by it⫸』
Seizing the opportunity, tiny, clawed hands grappled onto the finger that was bopping his nose before pushing it down and immediately pulling itself up and onto the long pale arm that had been extended before him. Minowa simply watched, hands now steady on the grassy dirt, as the Binturong tried to quickly take a higher perch, silent except for the briefest of hums in response to his Dad's thanks, as though the breathing exercise was inconsequential. He took to the silence far easier than to holding a conversation, blue eyes looking out to the surrounding trees as though on look out.
He blinked, gaze unfocused, fingertips barely pressing into the ground as he leaned his weight into his palms. His Dad had made a good point though - making a root ball to be consumed - could he make a root vegetable? Like a sweet potato. "A chakra potato." He mumbled to himself, looking down at his hands. "No, a chakra stem." He frowned, thinking about needing seeds. "There's a plant that store nutrients at the base of its leaves. Its a fern. It tastes sweet. Only travellers and scavengers still eat it cause its mostly water and sugar." He spoke, mostly to himself to work out his thoughts with his barely-there words, respecting the quiet peace they had created. "So it isn't farmed." He mumbled, feeling something tug at his inspiration but it hadn't quite formed enough for him to fully grasp in a way that made sense.
Without realising it, Minowa's thought processes had manifested in his lips pressed together and his cheeks puffing out, a frown causing his forehead to wrinkle. Itoko, however was overeager to get up onto Syy's shoulders, claws tangling in the long hair - used to its living perches having short hair instead. Unaware of any pain it could have been causing, the Binturong placed its front paws of Syy's head, perking itself upright to take in the surroundings.
I t o k o : Chakra Pool: 180 // 180 Stamina Pool: 230 // 230
Holding his arm steady as Itoko decided it was time to test the new heights Syy could provide, Syy glanced at Minowa as his son spoke. Chakra potato...now there’s a thought. Leaning his head so that Itoko had a better grip on his hair, he was silently grateful that his clothing was sturdier than average. It wasn’t that it wouldn’t tear if pressed but the binturong’s tiny clawed hands wouldn’t do as much, if any, damage to the tissue underneath. He pulled his braid over so that Itoko might see that it was essentially a ladder that would allow him to climb a bit easier, listening to Minowa think and consider different options. As Itoko placed his paws on Syy’s head, he wondered if he should stand That would be quite the treat for Itoko-san. while he didn’t know if Itoko had ever been on someone as tall as himself, Syy stayed crouched, hands resting on top of each other on his knees. He remained still, allowing the binturong to get comfortable and to steady itself on his broad shoulders. His hair getting tangled wasn’t really that much of an issue. It was normally fairly untamed anyway, with the braid only meant to keep it out of his face.
”R-Rather than a stem or a root vegetable, I t-think using a chakra source to supply f-fruit infused with chakra might be a be-better solution.” Syy mused, his voice soft if not entirely quiet. He lifted one hand to rub at the bridge of his nose, thinking, before reaching around to absently gently pet Itoko’s hindquarter ”As you s-say, the practicality of being a-able to farm the product n-needs to be considered. U-Unless you do not want to sh-share the product.” Syy knew that some were very protective of their techniques, refusing to share or teach. He wasn’t the type, and he didn’t think his son was, but it also did no good to share an imperfect technique. Especially if it became a widely desired item. Dropping his hand from Itoko’s side, he reached down to press his finger into the ground, drawing ”Additionally, u-using a vegetable or fruit that has n-naturally occurring benefits might be of greater use. S-So if you were to use a potato, the addition of chakra would en-enhance the already present nutrients.” on the ground, he had drawn in the dirt a sort of diagram. At the start, a circle with several lines radiating out of it to represent a chakra source. Then, coming down, a root system that fed into the chakra source and which was attached to, in the case of the drawing, a tree shape. From the tree, he had drawn some items to represent the product to be consumed. His hand drifted and he tapped the chakra drawing ”By establishing a ch-chakra source first, any p-produce could be grown from it and have the b-benefit of additional chakra. Be it v-vegetable or fruit in n-nature.”
『 ᴄ ⁷³¹.⁶ ⋮ s ⁵⁰¹.⁵ 』
『⫸𝕀 have been changed by what was done to 𝕞e but 𝕀 will not be 𝕣educed by it⫸』
Tiny, clawed, paws nestled themselves securely - and comfortably - into the hair on top of Syy's head, making it look a little more like a bird's nest at the ruffling Itoko had caused scrambling up there. Back legs were secure against Sypher's neck and shoulders, tail gentle swishing against the man's back as the mammal's perked-up body took in the surroundings. He chirped, surprised at the touch, looking down quickly but relaxing when seeing it was just its living perch giving affection - which he readily accepted as he went back to being a lookout, ears and nose twitching.
"... long-term." Minowa mumbled with a frown. "But I'd like an emergency one too." The Genin's small, button-like nose scrunched up as another thought took him. "I could just... take an apple and use the apple?" He asked, voice soft, showing how tentative the thought was.
I t o k o : Chakra Pool: 180 // 180 Stamina Pool: 230 // 230
Itoko’s tail was a bit ticklish on Syy’s back but other than that, he took very little notice of the bear-cat’s presence. It was a comforting weight on his shoulders, the gentle firmness in his hair, and he was quite comfortable letting Itoko rest up there as long as he wanted to. He once more gently touched Itoko’s hindquarters as he shifted to sit with legs crossed on the ground before dropping his hand back to his lap as he considered what Minowa was asking. An emergency one. That…”Might be a bit m-more complicated.” he allowed, his fingers tapping lightly at the ground as he thought. To take fruit from the source, and then to maintain the amount of chakra in it, would not really be entirely feasible ”Re-regardless of how much chakra you can s-store in the fruit, it will lose it’s p-potency after a time. Just like fruit goes b-bad if you don’t eat it right away.” they’d need to find a way to preserve the fruit and the chakra within so that it would last longer. Syy’s long fingers began to draw in the dirt again, writing down ideas before wiping them away before trying again ”If we c-can create a sustainable storage space for the f-fruit, then it would be p-possible to take the fruit and save it for use l-later.”They could pick the product and then freeze it. he thought, holding still so Itoko wasn’t disturbed but his mind was racing If we froze the fruit, it would preserve it. But it would need to preserve the chakra within as well. Which may not be possible with traditional preservation methods. he also was starting to wonder if there was a way to create meals around chakra-grown food sources. He could see that being useful in hospitals and on missions for those who were injured.
”If...” Syy stopped, frowned, then spoke again ”A single jutsu won’t work. W-we would have to create a chained jutsu, a series of them, in order to establish the chakra pool that will be the source. Then another jutsu to grow the foods from that chakra. Another, p-possibly linked to the previous, to ensure the fruit absorbed the chakra as well. And then, finally, a preserving jutsu to prevent both the loss of the chakra and to keep the fruit fresh until it’s eaten.” he ticked off the different jutsus on his finger, his gaze a bit over Minowa’s shoulder as he thought. The distraction that this provided had reduced his stutter drastically, though he hadn’t noticed, continuing to muse over the possibilities ”It’s not impossible. But it might be better to c-create a seal, rather than a jutsu, that can be buried.” his hands came up, making a wrapping motion ”Using a b-biodegradable paper to write the seal on, we wrap it around the seed of the pl-plant, infuse it with chakra to get it started, and then it can rely on the nutrients naturally found in the earth to grow the chakra pool and the tree. Then the fruit can absorb and maintain the chakra pool within them while leaving the tree to naturally continue.”
『 ᴄ ⁷³¹.⁶ ⋮ s ⁵⁰¹.⁵ 』
『⫸𝕀 have been changed by what was done to 𝕞e but 𝕀 will not be 𝕣educed by it⫸』
Minowa nodded, giving a small grunt of a hum when being spoken to so as to acknowledge he was still listening to what Sypher was saying. "Papa was learning about seals." He spoke, voice clear and even though he appeared to be pouting. Sky-blue eyes looked down to the earth as well, appearing to focus on where Syy had been sketching into the dirt earlier, and the Genin extended his own hands - but instead of sketching he made a list, extending a finger from a curled fist for each item. "Seed, Jutsu, Tree, mhm". He frowned slightly, retracting a finger. "Seal, Tree." He corrected. "Fruit. Seal." He paused. "Preserve seal." Minowa corrected again. With his other hand, he pointed at the first finger of the list. "Seed." Minowa regarded the finger with slight frustration before nodding, becoming determined. "I need to figure out which seed." The tamer's gaze looked up to his dad, then higher to the Binturong perched up on silken white locks, appearing to be on look-out. He stood up, not much taller than the older Senju who was seated fully on the ground. With a small click of his tongue, Minowa summoned Itoko seamlessly to his shoulders instead, leaving a slightly matted head of hair behind. Minowa easily reached out to help tame the makeshift nest on his Dad's head, but gave up after a few pets. "I'm going to the library." He revealed.
I t o k o : Chakra Pool: 180 // 180 Stamina Pool: 230 // 230
