Welcome to Gaia! ::

"That is oddly coincidental for him to have a bar, eh?" Hibiki and Kuro both snickered in their odd way as they looked over the place. It was reminiscent of the bar they visited in Rain, smelly, loud, obnoxious, and promiscuous were only a few of the words the Vulpine duo would use to describe the place. Luckily, there was also the smell of good beef inside the place, or at least good in the sense that it was edible. They both gulped in a breath of fresh air before marching into the fray.

Hours later, the Inuzuka brothers stumbled out of the Grill and Bar. They acted as if they haven't seen the light of day in eons as they both began to gorge themselves on the fresh, earthy air. After a bit of theatrics, the wild-haired Genin growled towards Kyu, a look of distorted rage apparent on his face, "You're turning me into a masochist. One more putrid bar and I think I'll off myself." Kuro, miming his actions, glared at the Fish Man, "Zat is zey trooth."

After they let their angers subside (which only took a few minutes with their mood swings) they looked towards Sushi-Kun, "So, there may be a sword within our home country, eh? Why didn't we hear of it before? Or maybe he just 'divulged' that tidbit to stop you from beating him?" He chuckled slightly. It was both odd and not odd at the same time. Odd that they haven't heard anything about it, but not odd since it was called the 'Seven Swordsmen of the Mist'. Of course, with a 6'1" Hoshigaki, you would say something to get him off your back, wouldn't you?

Rays of sunshine streaked down from the heavens. The fragrant earth accepted the sun into her bosom and spread its warmth throughout. Life was beginning to return to this soil, regaining its strength and health as it lay fallow until the next year. The countryside was rocky and steep, and as vast as it was there was little land suitable for farming. All land had to be used to its fullest potential, but sometimes it needed its rest. On this day, however, the land would be woken with a heavy pounding and a thick cloud of dust.

Thump, thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump: the sounds echoed through the plot of land as Tori skipped along in an uneven but steady gait, leaving a trail of disturbed earth behind him. A smile was plastered across his face. He let out a sharp but melodic whistle from the gap where he recently lost a fang, and his tongue explored the area from time to time. Today was a good day! He was on his way to the shinobi village to begin his training as a ninja. He didn’t carry very much with him—just enough to feed himself, a few pairs of clothes, some extra cloth and a sewing kit (he outgrew clothing fairly often), and a grooming kit. The trip would take about a day, thanks to his long stride, but he was expected in the village tomorrow. He began the journey with a very sad farewell to his loving parents, but then a butterfly crossed his path and all was well with the world again. It didn’t taste very good, though, so he let it go. After that, he regained his focus and headed off across the land. If he had stuck to the road he probably would have taken several more hours, and there was the risk of bandits, too. So, this route would have to do—he’d just have to keep sight of the road and not get lost.
He’d never been this far away from home before, and though his parents tried to explain the way to him, he found himself forgetting bits and pieces of the directions as he plodded along.

Soon, the arable land ended and he was faced with a rough, mountainous climb. Rejoining the path, he began enthusiastically. It was tiring, but the big tyke had plenty of energy. The dust was starting to bother his nose, though, and the heat made him pant a bit. He ascended rapidly, but his surroundings were quite unfamiliar and he was getting a bit fuzzy with the details of where he was supposed to go. At a fairly level area, he stopped to rest and to regain his bearings. The sun was beating down on him, and he dearly wanted to just lie down and bask in it for a while. Alas! but he couldn’t stay long; he needed to find the path again and press on. He sat down cross-legged and looked about with a pout. “Ohhhh,” he whined in frustration, “don’t tell me I’m lost! I don’t wanna be late on my first day…” His plea echoed off the rocky formation, carrying perhaps further than he should have allowed.

The overgrown kitty looked up with a start. His hair bristled a bit, but only briefly. He blushed a bit and stepped back, looking for the other man. He was accustomed to looking down on others, though only in a strictly physical sense. Finally, he laid eyes on the adult and kneeled down, placing the man's head just above his own. "Eheh, thanks, I guess..." he replied meekly, scratching the back of his head. "Well, I wanted to go through here, I think. I am heading to the village--well, an academy in the village, but I guess that's the same thing. But that's not here, or at least I don't think it's here, because I don't know where here is. So it could be here and I just don't know it... eh, now I'm confused," he moaned in bewilderment. "My... story?" he asked, watching the man consume the dumplings. "Well, um, my mommy and daddy work at a farm not too far from here... well, mommy doesn't actually work, since she has to sit in her chair all day. I help daddy in the fields and help mommy move around the house, but they want me to go to this Academy thingy. I've never been to an academy before. I wonder what it's like..." He reined in his wandering eyes and looked at the man again with a big smile. "Have you been to an academy before, mister?" He sat his massive frame down so he wouldn't have to kneel.

"Me? I... well, no. My folks just signed me up for it. They told me I was going to do well because I'm big and strong and kind, and they know I'll make them proud. But I don't know any more than that." He looked aside in embarrassment as he kicked his foot. "I-I am pretty strong, too. Daddy says I can lift and push a lot of stuff that most folks can." He stopped for a moment. "Goals... umm, I just wanna be a good boy and make my parents proud. I'm just a kid, though, I don't know what I want to do with my life!" His subsequent nervous laughter devolved into a hesitant sigh. "I mean, it's the rest of my life, you know? Who knows how long that'll be?" He looked down at the man again and followed his stick, moving off at a light pace. The conversation was getting awkward fast, and he was beginning to shrink back a bit. He looked into the man's eyes with a forlorn expression, hoping to be helped out of this little hole he had dug for himself. As big as he was, he was still quite soft inside--something that would undoubtedly have to change on his route to becoming a shinobi.

The boy's face fell, frowning as he tried to concentrate. What did he want to do for himself? He liked helping others, but the only thing he ever gets out of it is the satisfaction from making others happy and from showing that he wasn't a complete abomination. As self-serving as it was, it was still for others. He was so accustomed to living his life for others and pleasing them that he had grown to like it. He liked being told what to do, and he enjoyed trusting others to make major decisions for him. This idea of utter freedom--along with the utter responsibility of living for himself--was extremely stressful. It was too open-ended, and he didn't want to face it alone; no, he couldn't yet handle that. He tried to think of things he liked, things perhaps he'd like more of... but after fish, milk, and being rubbed and petted he really couldn't add anything else to the list. He needed to see more of the world first and gather new experiences. But for that, he'd really prefer not to do it alone. He was thankful for the man's presence, even if it had led to a mild bout of depression and a rather annoying headache.

Tori followed behind the man as best he could. He had to take baby steps at some points, since his stride was so much greater than the man's. It got annoying quickly, so he piped up, "Umm... do you--that is, would you like to... um, ride... me? It'd be faster than walking..."

Tori was surprised at the man's words. Most people, his parents excluded, saw him as little else but a beast, but this man could somehow see through to the sensitive little boy within. The idea that he didn't have to compensate for his size was another great surprise. It's almost as if he saw the boy as an equal--though, the boy still had respect for the man that any child owes an adult. "A test?" he wondered in a soft voice as he began to think aloud. "Then I have to go at my normal speed... but... I don't know the way!" His ears pressed against his head as he tucked his tail between his legs. It was fine to have his size and power and the man's permission to use it, but he still needed a lot of guidance. "Umm, so, what kind of academy is this? My parents didn't tell me much..."