Ryuu honing his skills

Ryuu was more than intrigued by what he had just learned of the Sealing technique. The idea that you could actually store an item such as a shuriken, mask, or whatever you needed, inside a scroll is amazing! Ryuu grabbed the scroll that Salzem was holding, and gave it a quick look around, and instantly he knew that his was a technique that he needed to know. How convenient would it be to hold your weapons and tools in a scroll that hardly weighed anything, rather than holding onto kunai and shuriken that weighed a could pounds each. Ryuu then knew that he didn't have a scroll of his own, so he was going to have to go to the store and buy one, not knowing how much one of these scrolls would cost, which he assumed was going to be a lot, he realized that he was going to have go to the Kazekage building and do a few missions so he could build up his funds. He looked at Salzem and thanked him for teaching him such a technique and as soon as he could get his hands on the scroll, he would immediately train that technique so he too, could store his things in scrolls, rather than in his pockets or pouches. Ryuu then asked Salzem, "Do you think these scrolls are sold in the ninja shop?" Hoping the answer would be yes. If they were not, it's not like Ryuu had the capability to just up and leave the village, especially for how "unseasoned" he was as compared to people that he had encountered in his recent past, and Salzem himself. Ryuu then stopped rambling along in his head and looked at Salzem, hoping for the answer of "Yes" so he could run to the shop and buy one.

"Buy one like this one here? No." Salzem shook his head. "No, you'll have to buy a blank scroll and write down the symbols yourself, which takes time. A couple hours to do a single one to make ABSOLUTELY sure that they are all correct." Salzem shrugged. He was forced to know all the symbols inside and out back in konoha so he didn't have to constantly look at a complete one for reference. Salzem placed his bloodied palm back onto the scroll, and, by pulling the chakra he'd put in out, in another puff of smoke, his mask had appeared back on the scroll. Salzem slipped his mask back onto his belt before holding out the next scroll. A black one.

"Do not open this until I've finished speaking, okay?" Salzem sounded serious tone. This was for Ryuu's psychological safety after all. "Genjutsu is basically chakra pinpointed at the senses, making the afflicted see, feel, etc. things that aren't there. What is within this scroll is such chakra. Upon opening it, the chakra will influence your senses, causing a scenario to play out: The destruction of Konoha. The goal of breaking out of a genjutsu is finding something within the jutsu that breaks from reality. Something that seems... off for lack of a better word." Salzem hands Ryuu the scroll.

"It won't be that easy however. Your sense of reasoning will be impaired, making you believe that you are part of the scenario. You have to know that you are not. You must find this break in reality. When you do, form your hands into the tiger sign," Salzem demonstrated. "And flood your body with chakra. Your chakra will force out the alien chakra and the Illusion will dissipate." Salzem waited to see if Ryuu got all that, then watched and waited for him to open the scroll.

(Side note: Please try to build the illusion. Makes it much more interesting)

Ryuu listened to everything that was said to him. He knew many of the symbols, but he was for sure going to have to study up again. When Salzem took out the black scroll, he immediately knew that this scroll was different, much more serious, playing a slight note of fear. As Salzem explained to him what the scroll was, he understood what Genjutsu was, but he had never actually been or seen anyone be under its influence. This immediately worried and slightly scared Ryuu, mainly because he knew that this was going to be his first time actually experiencing genjutsu, not just studying it out of a book, or getting lectured about it, he was actually going to experience it.

The idea of what the genjutsu was, "The death of Konoha" he said. Although it was not something that would affect his home, it would affect his home's allies, which is indeed sad. Ryuu attempted to mentally prepare himself, taking the advice that Salzem had explained, "Look for something off? I have no idea what you mean?" Ryuu thought to himself. Ryuu couldn't even begin to think of what was going to happen the moment that he opened that scroll and looked at what was inside. Ryuu slightly trembled as he took the scroll from Salzem, getting more and more nervous as he the scroll got closer to himself. Ryuu then grabbed the scroll with both hands, and prepared himself to open the scroll. "You can do this, Ryuu." He thought to himself. Ryuu looked up at Salzem, saw him looking back at him, he looked back at the scroll, and slowly opened the scroll.

The moment the scroll opened, Ryuu immediately lost his senses, from his feeling to his eyesight. He felt as if he was asleep, just pure blackness, no feeling, no worries, no anything. Just pure blackness. He then could hear a slight shriek. "What is that sound?" Ryuu thought to himself as he navigated through the darkness. The sound came again, this time longer and much louder, as if it was right in his ear. "What is going on?" Ryuu thought to himself. Finally he was coming back to his senses. He could feel his fingers again, and his hearing finally came back to him 100%, so the screams became even louder than before. Ryuu then realized that he was lying on the floor, in the middle of Konoha, a village he has never even been in before. "What is going on?" Ryuu tried to get people to stop running and ask them what was happening. But no one would stop, before long he finally saw what they were running away from. Ryuu instantly came into a phase of fear. He could see death, looking at it directly, in the form of the tailed beasts. Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Goku, Kokuo, Saiken, Chomei, Gyuki, and leading the pack, Kurama. 

Ryuu ran directly for the village gates, as was the entire crowd of people. "If I can just get to the gates, I have a chance of getting out of this mess alive. Just as he could see the village gates getting bigger and bigger as he got closer, he saw the sun eclipse. As he looked up, he channeled his chakra into his feet, trying to make himself run even faster, because what had eclipsed the sun, was Kurama himself, leaping over the village, and landing right in front of the village gates. That was when the people realized that they were as good as dead. Ryuu didn't know what to do, even the highest ranking ninja in the village just stood there, staring at the tailed beasts. Ryuu just looked into the sky and prayed to God to help him in this situation. 

Ryuu looked back at the beasts, and once again at the people. But in all of the danger and in the fear, he saw something. He saw the one thing that he wanted to see again, but not in the situation that he was in. He saw the people who had destroyed his life. His parents. But that wasn't the part that confused him, he saw his parents huddling around a small child. He ran up to them, and they looked at him, as if in being completely confused. "I know you left me, but you can at least remember who I am!" His parents looked completely oblivious. "Wait a second." That is when he remembered what Salzem had said. Look for something that is off. His own parents not remembering him, that is definitely something that is off. Everything was coming back to him, he remembered that what was happening was not real. He put his hands in the tiger seal and yelled "Release!"

Ryuu came back into reality, lying on the sand. He came back slowly and was very groggy. "Wow that was terrible." Ryuu said as he was rubbing his temples, trying to come back fully to reality. He looked around and it seemed like a complete other world, coming back from where he was. He then looked at Salzem and asked "How long was I out?" Feeling as if he had been gone for hours.

Salzem watched as Ryuu blanked out. The Genjutsu had begin. He always was curious as to what they saw down there, as it was different for everyone. Perhaps a plague was ravaging Konoha this time, or maybe he saw an infestation of giant scorpions. Salzem's mind raced to all manners or dark places, trying to pinpoint the most likely scenario. He was formulating another scenario involving exploding insects when Ryuu snapped out of the illusion. It appeared as if he'd been in war for the past week, with is wide eyes, pale and clammy skin. From his opinion of the experience, his reaction seemed well justified.

"You were out for no longer than 5 minutes." Salzem explained. "Depending on the Genjutsu, time can move faster or slower. In this case, faster. Know this, however. There are plenty more genjutsu out in the world and much more devastating than this little thing." Salzem rolled the scrolls up and slipped them back into his pack. "You have to be ready to use them, even if danger isn't imminent or apparent."

Ryuu was happy to finally at least say that he has experienced Genjutsu. Ryuu then looked at Salzem, and thanked him. "Knowing that I have experienced genjutsu is a great thing. Now I at least have somewhat of an idea of how genjutsu affects the body and the mind. Ryuu then asked Salzem, "How long will you be staying here in Suna?"

"Oh, I'll be around for a couple weeks. I have some business here I need to take care of." Salzem looked at Ryuu curiously. He wondered why this would even matter to him. If he was going to wander like he said, they would likely just pass each other on the roads. Perhaps he wanted to learn more from him...? Salzem didn't know much else he could teach to a young apparent Academy student. He'd have to wait until he moved up in the world before he could teach him anything significant.

"What about you?" Salzem asked. "How long do you plan to stay before you head out?" It was a simple enough question, most likely going to respond with a 'mind your own business' or 'a little while.'

Ryuu then thought of asking him if he could go with him. He knew that just staying here, training by himself was never going to get him as far nearly as quick than if he had a teacher, being a Genin now, having a teacher was not possible, except for the occasional spar. Seeing how skilled Salzem was at being a Shinobe, he knew that Salzem could take Ryuu to a whole never level, hell, a whole different league! But Ryuu was far too nervous and scared to ask whether or not he would even consider taking him, by the time that he was planning to leave, being a mere few weeks. Ryuu thought of a way to ask him and not sound like a complete burden to him, "there is no way to ask him that wouldn't make him sound like a burden, because being how slow and weak he was, that was exactly what he was to a ninja of such skill as Salzem. 

"Well I am only planning on being here as long as I have to be, I want to leave, training here by myself is going to get me only so far. What I truly need is to be out there, learning from some of the best shinobe in the world. That is why I must leave, the only issue is that I am far to weak and unskilled to actually keep up with any of the shinobe that pass through here on their travels. Staying here is nice and safe, but I know that I am not learning as fast and as efficiently as I could if I actually had experience and a teacher, teaching me the way of the ninja. Self-teaching is not a bad way to go about learning the way of the ninja, but it would be much better and more efficient if I had a teacher. So the moment that I can find a way to leave this village without being a traitorous missing nin. That is the moment that I am going to leave this village and begin my life's mission. But within these walls, it's almost like I am stagnate, never to get anywhere close to accomplishing it." Ryuu then looked Salzem, then at the village gates, Ryuu stared at them for a couple seconds, and then back at Salzem.

It was obvious what Ryuu was asking. So obvious, in fact, that it almost hurt to listen to. He wanted to leave, he wanted to get free and train with people stronger than himself. He must have felt so alone that he was willing to travel with wanted criminal ninja just to learn their secrets and fighting styles. Although Salzem was only 15, he gave Ryuu a hard look, making him almost appear like an adult. His eyes became like two sanguine chunks of ice, peering into Ryuu's being as he spoke. It seemed as though Ryuu was avoiding the main meaning however, trying to indirectly get his point across. Talks such as these held very little appeal for Salzem, preferring if he would just ask. Why could people just speak their minds and not beat around the bush?

"If you have something to ask of me Ryuu, I suggest you ask it." Salzem said flatly. He knew what he wanted, but pretended he didn't. He wanted Ryuu to ask him because if he did, saying it makes it real and making something real grants it importance. At least, in his mind.

Ryuu then looked at Salzem with excitement in his eyes, but then sucked the emotion out of his face. Making what he was about to say next have a much more serious tone to it's saying. "I want to go with you when you leave this village. You can train me at whatever times it is convenient for you. I will do nothing but walk by your side. If you have something to do, I will follow. If you tell me to do something I will do it. Leaving this village is what I want. Going with you, I feel, is the best way to do that." Ryuu then looked intently at Salzem, awaiting what he might say. Preparing himself to be declined, but hoping also, for his approval.

Ryuu's begging was slightly off-putting. He was absolutely, totally desperate to get out of here. He was practically groveling at Salzem's feet to take him away from here and train him to become a stronger ninja. To acquire power in such a demining way... To sell your life to someone for the little they can teach you.... Its just embarrassing and fruitless. Salzem kept his face as stone, unmoving as he considered his options. A traveling companion means he will have to do more than watch his own hide as well as buying twice the food an water at the general store. The costs of traveling alone will be doubled and he will have to train him all the while... He didn't necessarily want to crush Ryuu's dreams either. He seems so determined in his request it almost broke Salzem's heart. Almost. Rolling his eyes and sighing reluctantly, Salzem's stare returned to Ryuu.

"You may join me as a traveling companion. Nothing more, nothing less. However, I will not be responsible for the upkeep your training. If you wish to spar or learn something from me, fine. But I won't be available 24/7 and I wish not to hear any begging or guilt-tripping. And finally..." Salzem continued. "...No organ stealing or killing without adequate provocation. I am a traveler, not a criminal. By association, I will be targeted. The moment you break any of these rules, I will give heavy thought to leaving you on the road." Salzem would look at Ryuu before harshly, almost as if the kid himself had forced him into this agreement. "One more thing." Salzem added. "I want conformation from your kage that you can leave with me. I don't want more hunting me than there is already, which is to say, none."