Saying Goodbye (P)

Salzem wandered through Suna with a purpose. He didn't want to train, he wasn't hunting down baddies. No, Salzem was looking for his first friend in Sunagakure and best friend, Ryu. He needed to  tell him goodbye before everyone else. The kid who accepted him first before everyone else, the kid who fought with him and befriended him regardless of his ghoulish appearance, the kid Salzem respected above all others, Salzem was looking for Ryu. The sun was low in the sky that evening. Really, it was the only comfortable time to be out at all. With the sun down low and the sky degrading into a peaceful blackness, the comforting chill of the night sunk over the village of Sunagakure. As is the way of things, as the sun bulged and sunk below the horizon, on the opposite side of the earth, the moon rose, it's silver glow replacing the yellow the sun had so graciously provided an abundance of. Salzem felt the cool chill of the desert weave beneath Salzem's skin, chilling his warm flesh comfortably as he walked. It was one of the three things he enjoyed about the night.

In any case, Salzem needed to find Ryu. He had hoped the kid hadn't gone home just yet. Salzem had a couple of words for him. Words of thanks, words of promises. Promises that as soon as he had killed the murderer of his friend, he'd return and they'd have the most intense sparing match they'll ever have. Salzem looked forward to the fight himself, fore it was the symbol of their friendship. Both being fighters, both endlessly pitting their will and strength against each-other's... this was what made them friends and it was what reinforced their friendship. Salzem began whiffing the air, hoping to catch a trace of Ryu's scent. The air was so fresh, so crisp, it would be a nice night for a spar. It really was a beautiful night outside. Crickets were chirping, cactus flowers were blooming... On nights like this, people like them should be fighting with everything they have. It wasn't a night for that though, regardless of how much the circumstances set it up to be.

With the power of chakra sensory the presence of people who couldn’t see he would automatically become aware of. That feels like Salzem’s chakra. The boy thought looking out the window of the bakery. He still sensed the wolf even though he couldn’t see him. “I’ll be back I have someone to go find.” He threw a hand up as a gesture of goodbye before walking out of the door and into the streets of the village.

Heading towards the chakra signature by roof top, the genin gazed upon his friend. It was dark with the moon shining overhead, something that Salzem likely preferred. “Looking for someone?” Ryu asked while jumping from the roof to the grounds below. “Maybe I can help you.”

Salzem followed Ryu's signature, meeting him half way as he was running across a building top. He made a snide comment asking if Salzem was looking for someone and that he could help the wolf with that. Salzem smiled and jumped up atop the building next to him, his face both happy and somewhat serious at the same time. A strange and perhaps intimidating combination.

"You already have. I needed to find you Ryu." Salzem confessed, sitting down at the edge of the roof next to his friend. "We have some things to talk about, you and I." He gestured for Ryu to sit next to him so that Salzem and his friend could have a heart-to-heart as it were.

"Uh.... As you know, I'm leaving very soon. I have to go find a certain person..." Salzem explained, expecting questions. "And.... well.... I really can't put that off any longer... My time here has been great, the fights we've shared, unforgettable, but my job, my duty requires I do this." Salzem's tone became tarker, almost depressed. The thoughts milling about his head made it painful to even imagine the outcome of this obsession of his.

"I might be gone for a long time. There is a chance I might not come back at all. And so, Ryu, I want to tell you a couple of things." Salzem cleared his throat and readjusted himself. Obviously, it was tough for the wolf to be this... sensitive and open to anyone. It made him feel uncomfortable. "Uh.... You are my best friend Ryu, and... uh.... yeah..."

Ryu arched his eyebrows questioningly, as he fixed his sunglasses and took a seat next to his friend. “So what’s up, Salzem this seems different than how we normally meet.” The boy threw his legs over the side of the building and let them dangle.

“I understand you have to do, what you gotta do.” The boy shrugged his shoulders as he spoke. “If there is something that can put your mind at ease, then go for it.” He placed a hand onto the ninja’s shoulder. “Do what you need and if you ever decide you want to come back, feel free. I’ll let you in myself if possible.”

As the wolf continued he seemed to become emotional, needing to clear his throat. “Well you better come back otherwise as your best friend, I’ll need to beat some heads in.” He smiled as usual and kicked his feet a little more. “You are my best friend too, you know. We may not have talked much, but I think we do more talking with our actions than our words.” He stretched a little letting some of the tension move from the air. “Still as your friend I won’t try and stop you from doing what you need to do. Friends help each other so if you ever need me feel free to summon me.” (If you can summon feel free to do what you need to summon someone.)

Salzem offered a weak smile as Ryu relayed his similar feelings to the wolf. He mentioned that Salzem was free to summon him as needed and that made the wolf laugh a little bit. Summoning wasn't exactly something he specialized in, however, he had a technique that allowed him to track people's chakra and maybe, if Salzem refined it enough, he'd be able to learn how to summon through it.  The wolf raised his hand and placed it on Ryu's shoulder.

"You may feel some discomfort." The wolf notes, flooding his chakra into Ryu's. The chakra would begin to coagulate on the kid's skin, slowly forming a tiny black dot on his shoulder no more than a few millimeters wide. A tracking seal so that he'd always be aware of Ryu's condition and situation regardless of the distance between them. They had a bond now, one of chakra. The discomfort Ryu may or may not feel would be due to the foriegn forcing its way into Ryu's body, literally branding his skin with the mark that linked them.

"There." Salzem said after a moment or two. He took his hand from Ryu's shoulder, leaving it hanging limply by his side again. "I've marked you. I'll be able to tell where you are and what stress you might be under. I'll be able to come running should the unthinkable happen and you need me." The wolf joked with his friend, trying to postpone his necessity of leaving as long as he can. He had a fear that the moment he left, the moment he took his eyes off those he loved, that would be the moment they'd die. History had proven him right. 2/3 of his students had died, most of his konoha bretheren hated and blamed him and Salzem had remained strong in those moments. The question wasn't if he could be strong, but for how long. If Ryu died.... Salzem didn't know what he'd do.

The wolf got quiet for a moment, forming the right words in his head.

"Hey, Ryu... Stay safe for me, will ya?"

With all this being said, Salzem offered Ryu one last grin before jumping down off the building and disappearing into the darkness below

(exit)