Doubt [IO, NK]

Mokuzai stood watching the other ninjas helping the village out. He looked at his shinobi encyclopedia required for his academy student ranking. He wondered how a tiny book like this, could teach him to be a great ninja like that. Mokuzai sat with his back to the village wall, looking at the book, reading its teachings. "these basics are such shit, it doesn't teach jutsus or skills, its just words about nature, and exercising." He closed the book and started looking to the skies, daydreaming about his future life as a ninja. 

"I wonder when I will be qualified to take the genin exam, and if I do take it, when I will be skilled enough to pass it?" Mokuzai wondered to himself silently, picturing himself doing the physical test and passing with flying colors, but possibly failing the jutsu part. He really believed this area he was not particularly skilled at, though his body composition seemed to be a jack of all trades. He felt he was a master of none, and had to learn to be a specialist in something, if he was going to thrive as a ninja. Mokuzai sat there on the wall daydreaming, turned his head towards the civilians," that is what I don't want to end up being."

Lea was walking through the village contemplating the night before. He had run into someone in the graveyard when he'd been guarding it. They'd got away. 'Who could they have been' He wondered as he walked. Everyone in the village was running about their business. Lea saw one person, a kid, standing holding a book. Lea watched him for a moment. 'Could he be a Academy Student?' Lea wondered. It was just a short time ago that he'd passed the Genin Exam. He saw the boy close the book and look up to the sky then look at all the villagers. "That is what I don't want to end up being." Lea heard him say as Lea stepped closer. Lea smiled. 'Must be a student.'
"What is so wrong with them?" Lea asked friendly from behind the boy and slightly to the right.

Mokuzai turned his head after hearing an unexpected voice from behind his shoulder. He turned around to see a ninja with a fresh, spanking new headband. As he admired it, he pictured himself wearing one before he he shook his head out of his own imagery. He looked back at the villagers and said, " I wanna be a ninja, I want to be on the front lines, helping my village, I don't want to waste my days working for ryo." Mokuzai went on to explain that he believed to be ready for the exam, to join the other ninjas in their genin rank, but he worried himself he might not be good enough. "I'm not scared, just worried."

Lea couldn't help but smile at the Student. He knew exactly how he was feeling. He'd felt the same way before his exam. 
"You're right to be worried. Its actually good to be worried. Someone told me that, when you're worried it can make you preform better, make less mistakes." Lea smiled at the boy trying to reassure him.
"What would you do as a 'ninja on the front lines'? " Lea asked, wondering what kind of person this boy was. He seemed friendly enough but that could be a facade. He would wait for his answer, still standing behind him.

Today was a great day to walk around the village. All those days of constant training and sparring had really exhausted boy. So he decided to just take the day off. While walking through the busy crowd, hearing the merchants call out for customers and the conversations going on between villagers and standowners, he spotted a familiar face. 'Oh, is that Leander?' Raijin easily found his way to him but as he drew closer noticed another. This one wasn't wearing a headband. Perhaps he kept it somewhere out of sight. Or maybe he was still an Academy Student. After hearing him say something about wanting to be a ninja it was clear to him that it was the latter. "Hello!"

Mokuzai turned to the other guy walking towards him, noticing his headband, must be another person of genin rank. Moku only 7 years old, looked at the ninja standing slightly taller than him, and knew he could definitely one day be like them. He turned to both of them, and said, "I want to hunt down criminals, and defend my country from harm." He had his fist balled up tightly, and pulled it up to his chest. He announced his name as Mokuzai Senju, he wanted to be known throughout his village, throughout the country, and maybe even the entire ninja world. "I want to the name Mokuzai Senju the be a name of power." Mokuzai suddenly felt comfortable in front of the two genin. He knew he could definitely grow into a great shinobi. He looked at the two guys, and said, " Why do you want to be shinobi?"

Kojin jumped form rooftop to rooftop already bored from doing so much missions. He decided to take a little break before he did anymore. He jumped down from a building he stopped on and was now in the streets. There wasn't anything interesting where he currently was, so he moved to a different location. It was then that he spotted two of his friends and another person he never seen. He must have been an academy student since he couldn't see a headband on him. From the distance he was at he could hear what the others were talking about. Adjusting his goggles, he walked behind the boy that was speaking. "Well, I became a shinobi to protect my village. Plus I want to be the best of the best one day" he replied with a smile, "Yo".

{WC: 138}

Lea smiled as Raijin walked up. He hoped the other boy would notice his headband. Their last spar he had still been a Student himself. Then Mokuzai introduced himself. 'Bold goals' Lea thought. Then Kojin seemed to drop in as well. 'Power and being the best..We all have such high goal!' Lea kept his thoughts to himself though, smiling at his friends. He nodded his head.
"Those are both great goals." Lea said to both Moku and Kojin. Then he would introduce himself to Moku.
"I'm Leander Kaguya. Nice to meet you Mokuzai, and to answer your question.. I became a Shinobi to get stronger, so I can find my father someday." Lea would try to smile still even though the thought of his dad stung a little.
"What about you Raijin?" Lea would ask, turning the conversation away from himself.

"Ah, another Senju! Well nice to meet you Mokuzai! That is quite the goal you have there! But I know that you will accomplish it." Raijin then turned his head in Kojin's direction, who had just entered the scene. 'Seems like everyone's off today. Haha.' The boy had also wanted to protect the village and also become the best. That was every ninja's dream; to climb to the top of the shinobi world and be looked at as the greatest. "Nice Kojin! You've got some good plans but your rivals will give you a hard time. Like Yukio. Hah" He giggled and looked at everyone's face, finally realizing that Leander had earned his headband. Raijin would wait until he was finished with his plans before commenting on it. "Well, I hope that you find him one day Leander. I know you'll do it. And congratulations on passing your exam! All we have to do is wish Mokuzai here some luck and hope he gets his own as well."

The boy took a moment to himself before introducing himself properly, "I almost forgot! My name's Raijin Uchiha. Since this village is my new home I will protect it dearly! I also have plans of getting stronger so that I am able to do so......And maybe impress a certain girl."

Mokuzai listened to how similar their goals were with the exception of Leander's. Moku dropped his head in deep thought before he spoke of the only memories he had of his mother. "I never really knew my parents, my father was not around, and my mother died in birth, I live with the inn keeper now." Mokuzai patted Leander's shoulder, and showed an empathetic smile. He was happy to have met the fellow ninja of Suna, and so particularly close to his age, would easily become rivals for him. He told the genin about his peers in the academy, and how much potential and talent they lacked.

"They obviously do not hold similar dreams and goals as us, we should stick together, and grow together" Not many know of the feelings of fame, for being yourself. Moku wanted to get fame just for being a wise, and great ninja. However, at his young age, he probably was not ready for what was truly in store for him. Yet, he would try despite the fact to keep interest with these guys.