Back At It (Yoshi)

Salzem woke up this morning, actually feeling pretty good. Little sand had gotten in his hair, he wasn't especially parched nor hungry and he had a great sleep, leaving him feeling refreshed and renewed. It was rare the sanguine-eyed ninja ever had such a great sleep. Regardless of how he felt, he had the desire to get to training and learn something new. It was as if the sun itself was avoiding him too, giving him plenty of shade to walk in and that was just fine. The last thing Salzem needed was more sunburn. Parish the thought of being wrapped in red, burning flesh. Speaking of perishing, Salzem wondered why he had not yet. Where was the Konoha head-hunters? Where was the assassins from the leaf? Salzem expected that they would not stop or rest until he was back in their custody. He supposed he overestimated his importance and for that, he felt relief. At least he had some vague assurance that he was going to make it through this whole misunderstanding okay. He contemplated this all the way to the training grounds, eyes looking this way and that, never focusing on any one thing while he probed his thoughts. Perhaps the Lord Kazekage would be talking to the Hokage right now. Perhaps he was discussing his freedom as he thought.  Salzem half anticipated, half dreaded that turn of events. On one hand, he could go home and resume his search for his friend's murderer. On the other hand, he would have to face those who were once his friends and be subject to their judgement. Perhaps he would ignore their anger or perhaps he would fire back. Perhaps he would bow his head and accept their words. Perhaps he would ignore their very existance as either a friend or even as a person. Salzem didn't know. His life has suffered a thousand cuts in it's short time, each one over-lapping with another. He was not eager to go over them again, to count how many had been laid upon him.

Salzem's thought was so deep, he nearly didn't hear nor notice the Yoshi's voice nor did he see her frantic waving. Only after she started moving toward him did his eyes register her movement and snapped him out of his daze. He blinked his eyes before they fell on his young friend. He smiled widely, then, noticing the headband that hung around his neck, he felt a slight surge of pride, as if he was the architect to her success. She wasn't his student. Salzem didn't want another student. Terrible things seemed to befall those he taught, with then either dying or being crippled in Kouse's case. His smile weined slightly at these dark thoughts, them almost forcing him into another state of contemplation. Once again however, the girl's enthusiasm broke him out of his miasma of darkness and that, almost cleared him of his aching heart.

"Hey, look at that!" Salzem grinned, looking down at Yoshi's neck-band. He reached out a fist for her to bump, a slight grin on his face. "Great work!" Yoshi asked what Salzem was up to and, once again, his thoughts drifted. "I...." He sighed, shaking his head. "Well... I've been thinking." He said, shrugging his shoulders. He knew Yoshi would want more of an explanation than that. She was just that kinda girl. "I've been waiting for something for a while now. I know its coming, though it hasn't happened yet. I'm a little.... on edge...."

Yoshi clenched one of her hands into a fist and extended it to Salzem's. Her eyes were closed and a content expression could be seen upon the girl's face. Her constant grinning could not be helped. Salzem had given her a complement - praise she was not likely to forget. A couple of giggles escaped her lips. Her thoughts were in the clouds, riding high on the brief celebration. But when Salzen spoke again, his somber voice quickly grabbed the young girl's attention once more.

”Sempai … what are you waiting for? What's coming?” Yoshi asked in a naive tone and with her brown eyes full of wonder. ”Can I help?”


He's always thinking, and shrugging, the young girl thought as she waited for a responce.

”Oh, oh! Wanna see my puppet design?” Yoshi asked as she acquired her sketchbook from her person.

It was not a question. It was more of a statement to which the masked teen had no say.

”I still in the design process but I've got a general idea of what it will look like. I'm going to name him Hawks. What do you think?”

Yumi flipped to the page with her puppet design and shoved it into the nin's face. It was a sketch of a red tailed hawk. On one page Yoshi had sketched a hawk in flight bringing great detail in the range of movement of its wings. The next page contained roughly sketched diagram. Its wings were spread out and all of its joints were detailed. Some of its body looked as if it was meant to be hollow and little notes were written down explaining various components. Yoshi's handwriting was quite girly, though it was neat and easy to read. After the young girl finished showing off her design and explaining it with much enthusiasm, Yoshi tucked her sketchbook away and procured a leather ball.

”So I was hoping to learn a new jutsu today,” Yoshi started to say in her hopeful voice. ”Before leaving the academy one of the instructors gave me a couple pieces of chakra paper so we could figure out which element my chakra leans towards. I have Wind chakra. That explains why a mysterious breeze picks up any time I mold chakra. Anyway, I've been looking up some wind based jutsu and wish to give one a try.”


(WC = 393)

Salzem waved a hand at her concern, as if it would cast it away in sync with his motions.

"Nah. Its nothing important. Don't worry about it." Yoshi then, before he could answer to her question, practically tossing the book in his face. He simply rolled his eyes knowingly before looking over the pages. Just like the fox-drawing she had given him, Yoshi had put great detail into here work. It was as if she went and slapped a miniature version of her puppet in the book. He read over the different components, parts, and puppet-traps displayed on the paper. Hawks, huh? Seems appropriate, considering it's design.

"Ah! So you're going the route of the puppet-master?" Salzem asked. "Well, anyway, your drawing is very good! I hope to see this puppet out in reality soon!" Yoshi began to explain that she wanted to learn new jutsu as she put her book away. She said that she had discovered her chakra nature, wind, and wanted to give a jutsu a try. Well, Salzem didn't know how much he could help, seeing as his nature was water.

"I don't think I'll be able to coach you like I did with those other techniques. I have a water element." He said with a chuckle. "However, if you already know the technique and just want to smooth out a few edges, by all means! I'll watch."

Yoshi tossed Salzem a leather ball which he caught with his two hands, slightly startled. It was when Yoshi explained that she wanted to practice a technique known as the Gale Palm that he understood. Sounded a lot like his Daytime Tiger. Maybe he'd show it to her one day when she was a little stronger. Yeah. Maybe he would do that. Yoshi announced that she was ready, seemingly excited. Salzem looked down at the ball in his hands, then at Yoshi. He then underhand-tossed the ball at the new genin, hoping that her technique would stop it. Instead, it smacked into her chest with a "thwop" before landing softly in the sand below. Yoshi tossed the ball back at Salzem, demanding he throw it again with an expression that can only be described as childish determination. It was adorable. Regardless of his feelings, Salzem caught the ball again with both hands and proceeded to underhand toss the ball back to Yoshi obediently and without question. Salzem noticed that, more or less, he was completely rewriting what it meant to be a missing ninja. He chuckled to himself before ducking to the right quickly, barely dodging a leather ball flying at his head. He looked back at Yoshi, then at the ball a few feet behind him and laughed. He found it funny how close he came to eating his mask.

"Uh... Nice work!" Salzem praised her before going back to retrieve the ball. When he came back, he saw how tired she was. Her breath was heavy, her chest was heaving and she looked a tad pale. Perhaps a break was in order? Salzem held the ball in one hand before putting his other in his front jacket pocket.

"Maybe... uh... we can take a break? You look a bit tired."

Salzem crossed his arms and leaned his back up against a nearby wall while Yoshi sat down next to him. After a moment of silence, Yoshi spoke up something that was on her mind. She had asked him why he decided to be a ninja. Funny story, that.

"Well, you see, I was poisoned as a child. My lungs were left damaged and this mask...." Salzem tapped the mask covering his nose and face. "...was what allowed me to breath. Along with my lungs, my body was rocked from the powerful effects of this poison. I was left bedridden, weak and sick for many months. I couldn't eat on my own, I had a constant fever and some times, I thought I'd die. Gradually, though, my body fought off most of the poison, though my lungs remained devastated. My father couldn't afford to have them replaced at the time and my mother resented the idea although it still left me handicapped. When I expressed interest in being a ninja, my parents readily objected. When they saw how much I wanted this however, they gave in and signed me up for the academy with the promise that I'd be careful." Salzem shrugged his shoulders and gazed into the soft blue sky, reminiscing for a moment before looking back down at Yoshi.

"What about you? Some traumatic event make you want this life or... was it something else?"

Yoshi listened as she continued to draw the lizard half expecting the masked nin to dodge her question as he had done so in the past.  But as Salzem explained his life story, Yoshi set down her pencil and sketchbook and stared up at her teacher with glistening eyes.  Salzem's story was captivating and sad.  His tone was serious and had a hint of emotion - as if retelling the story had caused him to relive those past events.  The crawling lizard seemed to scurry out of sight.  But that was okay, even though Yoshi's sketch wasn't quite finished, she no longer cared.  Her attention was on Salzem.

"Sempai ... I'm sorry.  I ... I did not know," Yoshi exclaimed with her brown eyes.  "You're okay now though, right?  When you got poisoned, was it an accident?"

Yoshi looked back down at the ground when asked the same question.  

Aw, Mr. Lizard ran away.  Oh well, she thought as she began to pick up her sketchbook but stopped in mid stretch.

Instead Yoshi reached for her newly bought weapon pouch and procured two kunai.  She placed them on the sandy ground in front of her and sat up on her knees.  Yoshi then placed her hands above them and began to mold her chakra onto her fingertips.  A second later thin threads of chakra stretched out and attached themselves to the kunai below.  With a few short flicks of her fingers, Yoshi guided the kunai through the sand with the pointed ends sicking in the ground. 

"I've always been able to do this.  For as long as I can remember.  Some men stopped by my parent's house one day - representatives from the academy.  They wanted me to join the academy, but I was too young at the time.  Daddy would send them away, but they kept coming back.  Eventually my parents gave in and let them take me.  Not like I could no longer see them again or anything.  I just could not go to a regular school," Yoshi told Salzem.

Yoshi continued to wave her hands about and as she explained her story, she created a fantastic design in the sand.  Yoshi made circles and curved lines.  They were broken up with dots and angled geometry.  When the artistic sand pattern was finished, Yoshi tucked her kunai back into their pouch and picked up her sketchbook and stood up.

"Its okay.  I've enjoyed my time at the academy, really.  One day I hope to become a Jounin and teach a Genin team of my own.  Or perhaps be the Lord Kage's assistant," Yoshi smiled with closed eyes.  "I feel rested now.  Can we try that jutsu one more time?"

(WC = 451)