Wuss-abi

Ren sat on a wall overlooking the accademy courtyard, the full moon casting long shadows along the ground as the fresh nights air chilled his lungs. The workman had already begun constructing parts of his vision for a new accademy, timber beams and solid bricks sat in neat piles throughout the area, whilst the walls that would soon surround the compound were already in place, the cold hard stone had a comforting chill to it; Ren held back a cough as his senses were assailed by the harsh scent of wasabi, scouring his nose like a skilled maid scoured the grease from pots and pans. Of course trust hinoki to ruin a nice relaxing evening "Hinoki!" Ren called out without turning to see the boy behind him walking past the wall; an irritated grunt like a wild boar preparing to charge escaping his mouth, and yet some how still managing to sound feminine, not that Ren would ever acknowledge anything of the sort. "Get your ass in here boy!" He said, Irritated that the boy had still not learned just how much of a hinderance that habit of chewing wassabi seeds was for a ninja. 'Bloody kids going to get himself killed' Ren thought to himself as he waited for the boy to follow his commands.

WC: 216

Hinoki walked at a slow pace towards the academy, the moonlight reflecting faintly off his glasses. His hands in his pockets, he seemed oblivious to the cold downwind that seemed to be passing through the night as he was dressed in his usual short sleeved attire. A rolled cigarette lay between his lips, a vice that he picked up early in his teen years but it had become far worse in these sleepless nights. Even though Hinoki spent large parts of his days napping, He was afflicted with tiredness that didn’t seem to be able to be rested off, like a huge weight bearing down on his being. Even though he wouldn’t acknowledge it, killing that man for the extra pay had taken a great mental toll on him. Every time he was alone in the quiet, the screams of pain would echo in the back of his head faintly, constantly reminding him of his deeds.  For some reason, he always found himself making his way to the academy as if he was compelled to go back to the scene where it all started. He flicked out the burnt out cigarette into a nearby bin whilst he fished out some wasabi seeds from his pocket. Even though smoking calmed his nerves, he couldn’t get used to the bitter aftertaste. Throwing a dozen in his mouth, he chewed on them; their fiery taste soon covering all traces of the cigarette’s bitterness.

As the Academy was in sight, its lifeless being lit up due to some recent construction; Ren’s voice cut through the silent night, shouting his name. Hinoki’s heart skip a beat, himself unsure why. He looked up, finding their way to the back of his Sensei. "Aye Sensei, Didn’t think I would find you here." He said with a small chuckle, his spirits somehow lifted for no reason. Focusing Chakra at the base of his feet, he took a few steps and climbed up the wall, plopping himself close to Ren, the wall resonating slightly with the impact of the obese body. “What the hell are doing here at this time? Did you get assigned as the Construction Supervisor?” Hinoki said with a half grin “No, wait. I got it.” Hinoki looked squarely into her eyes, his face twisted in deep thought. After moments of dramatic silence; “You were dumped from a date!” he said, barely containing his laughter.

[405]
[AP: 155/156 AP]

Ren made a pointedly loud sniff as the boy sat down next to him and ignored his remarks, the petulant child really did rub him the wrong way; all the same it was Ren's job to train the boy and if he went and got himself killed now all it would be on Ren's head; Ren softened the scowl on his face as he looked at the boy. "You stink of Wasabi and cigarettes, I didn't even have to make an effort to detect you, and a hostile ninja wouldn't either. What you do on your own time is your choice boy, but if it ends up endangering you or your comrades then it’s my problem. Got it?" Ren said, scolding the boy over his reckless behavior before dropping from the wall, his long woolen great coat made an indistinct sound as the wind whipped past it and ruffled his loose white shirt, the first few buttons undone as if to show a hint of his non existent cleavage. ducking into a slight crouch to soften the force of his landing Ren's sleek black shoes made nary a sound as he stood up and dusted himself down, as if to walk away from the boy.


WC: 205
TWC: 421

Even in the dim light, Hinoki could see that Ren wasn’t pleased with his presence, let alone with his teasing remarks. Lately, He had been pushing himself to excel better, especially after making it to Genin Rank and even though he did receive a few backhand compliments from his Sensei, she still seemed to see him with unending destain. Yet, for a moment; Hinoki saw actual empathy in her eyes as she talked to him. She wasn’t looking down at him; She seemed genuinely concerned, probably a first in regards to Hinoki. He didn’t realise that he had been indulging so much in his hobbies to the point were others would notice and the fact that he hadn’t taken a proper bath in days didn’t help at all. Hinoki didn’t really have any friends, let alone any close friends that he could open his heart to. “Ren has probably killed a lot of people, seeing as killing is a fine art in the village, I guess to get to Dean you gotta kill some people for sure. Maybe she can help me with whatever this is.” Hinoki thought to himself as his eyes were drawn once again to the spot where once lay his first victim. The body had been removed and the spot cleans days ago, yet he still could see its outline clearly, the heap of broken bones and organs creating a composite smear. Yet, he didn’t want to come off as some weak emotional wimp, especially to his sensei, someone who he worked hard to be in good graces with. Sort of. It wasn’t because she could probably make or break his career as a shinobi with a signature; He just did not want to be the lazy slob in her eyes anymore. The reason why he cared, he wasn’t sure.

Deciding to draw the line at seeing things that were not there, Hinoki turned towards to Ren, Only to find the space next to him empty. As he was lost in his thoughts, Ren seemed to have jumped off and moving away; to attend to what he had no idea. Seeing his chance to find solace literally walking away from him; Hinoki threw his hesitation aside. “Hey Sensei, Emmm..You killed a lot of people, right?” he would shout after her as he slid down the wall. Assuming Ren gives him a positive answer, Hinoki would reply “How do you cope with it? Since that incident, I just can’t seem to get back into my routine. I know I did the right thing. I didn’t do it for the money, I just followed your orders. Yet, I can’t get myself to spend the money and I haven’t been feeling great since.” He would say in one big rush, the weight easing just a bit from his chest. “I guessed someone like you would know about this things.” He didn’t want to make his sensei think he thought of her as some psycho killer. He sort of admired her. Sort of. He was regretting telling her all this. She will probably just laugh at him or something humiliating like that. Thinking it was best to cut his losses quickly he spat out  “I’m sorry for bothering you with this. I guess I’m just being a wimp.” and fidgeted with his glasses, his eyes getting a bit misty, preparing to turn and leave.

[405 + 580] = [985]

Ren stopped as he heard the boy slide down the wall, a question echoing across the deserted courtyard reaching his ears. 'Have I killed people he asks? of course I have...' Ren thought to himself as he replied to the boys redundant question. "Killing people comes with the job Hinoki, so yes I have killed quite a few people." It wasn't until the boy followed up with his real question that Ren realised where the conversation was heading. "How do I cope with it? to tell you the truth I never really struggled with my first kill..." Ren paused, it was only for a tiny near imperceptible moment but internally it felt like a lifetime. The conversation had stir'd up old memories of his first kill; The scent of blood, fire, smoke and ash; The cries of the dead and the dying, children calling out for their parents as they roasted alive, trapped in the barricaded houses of the village. Ren could still remember the feeling of helplessness as the once grand village of Kirigakure burned around him. As his master held off their pursuers at the cost of his own life... Ren still Remembered seeing her fall... picking up a stray blade... Running through the last of her opponents in a moment of blind rage an luck... He heard her try to call out to him, to tell him something... but all she could muster was a gargle, blood pooling from her throat and... 

Ren blinked returning to his conversation with the boy "but for those who struggle they all find their ways to cope, some learn to compartmentalise, others simply reject the value of life, more still find themselves drinking away their worries in the tavern... but if you want my opinion the trick isn't that life has no value, rather that life has whatever value you assign it. If your friends are in danger then no random strangers life should have the same value as theirs, certainly not the lives of those threatening them; and this philosophy applies to you too Hinoki, If you want something from someone, you take it, be smart about it, avoid bloodshed if you can, but when push comes to shove all life has the value you assign it." Ren said, placing a comforting hand on the boys shoulders as he spoke to him, a comforting smile flickering across his face just long enough for the boy to see it.

At first, Hinoki thought he had fucked things up as he seen Ren looking condescendingly at him and answered his question half-heartedly but as soon as he asked the real question, Ren seemed to be genuinely taken back as if the past was echoing back to her. At Least the glint in her eye seemed to be replaced with something else as she seemed to stare off in the distance, as if whisked off to a far away place. Sadness? Fear? A mix of both? He really had no clue but at least it wasn’t that condescending glare he was so used to. Maybe it was a bad idea to ask her after all, seeing as he seemed to have triggered some kind of flashbacks. As he was going to start to back off slowly, Ren put her arm on his shoulders, something which sent a hot wave through his body, which shocked Hinoki deeply. She looked into his eyes as she spoke words of wisdom which to be honest Hinoki didn’t even think Ren had. He found himself lulled in by her gaze, as a faint smile hung briefly on her lips. Even the extremity of the situation he found himself still didn’t thwart his attention, as she spoke truly and with a certain passion to her words albeit he did dare a peek or two at her chest, albeit extremely briefly.

“Of course, It makes so much sense. It’s like buying Ramen really.  Sometimes, it was worth much more to buy 2 bowls of normal ramen than one bowl of super wasabi ramen.” Hinoki nodded in agreement, mouth agape in sheer satisfaction and surprise. Her words opened his eyes to a totally new perspective that he couldn’t understand how he never thought of. Of course that Traitor’s life was worth much less than his honour.  He just had to give worth to lives like he did to everyday things. Relief washed through his body and it felt as if tonnes have been removed off his mind. His bet had actually paid off. Seeing as this was the closest he ever was to anyone, especially a girl, he decided that the best way to show his gratitude was to embrace his sensei in a hug with a quick “Thanks Sensei.”. Unless Ren hugs him back, Hinoki is going to instantly regret his decision and pull out, uttering some half-thought embarrassed apology for getting carried away.

[985 + 415] = [1400]

Ren smiled at the boy a little, it was so easy to forget how close in age he was to the children he now taught, strange how different their lives we're. Xyxer's rule was cruel, it was harsh, but Ren couldn't deny that the protection he offered was what allowed for such innocence in the children of Kirigakure. Sill, that didn't mean Ren was okay with being hugged by his least favourite pupil, just as he saw the boy begin to move in for a Hug Ren turned as if to leave, a snarky quip already on his lips as he did so. "Don't think this conversation means I'm going to take things easy on you Hinoki, Chunin exams are coming up, and don't think killing one old man is going to be enough practice for that bloodbath kiddo." 

Ren still didn't like the boy, or at least thats what he told himself, perhaps deep down he just didn't want to grow attached to the boy. Hinoki was after all, the runt of the litter, the worst in his class, and the weakest of his students, the boy was going to die in that farce of an exam Xyxer called an exam. Now halfway across the courtyard Ren would let out a deep sigh, before saying one last thing. "Good luck Hinoki, Your going to need it for what comes next" he said, just loudly enough for the boy to hear his quiet words before continuing out of the grounds, a deep anger beginning to boil in his chest. 'Who does Xyxer think he is to be condoning the slaughter of my innocent students!?'

Ren let out another sigh, an excuse already on his lips before he caught himself, Hinoki wasn't his favorit pupil but he was still a pupil, and the kid wasn't wrong, Ren did owe him a lesson. Running a hand through his hair Ren found himself Replying. "Shit, Right it has been a while, sorry Hinoki just getting the accademy to this point has had me run ragged, I haven't slept in three days" He would say, allowing just a little bit of his weariness to show through before squaring his effeminate shoulders and walking back into the Center of the courtyard. 

"All right then Hinoki lets get started, I want you to try and hit me, and watch my moves carefully while you do" Ren would say, assuming a combat ready stance, his left leg slightly in front of his centre, and his right leg braced a little bit backwards. His left hand took made a beckoning gesture to him before he brought his two hands together into a basic boxing stance. With his Right hand he held a half Tiger handseal ready.