Unlocking the Knowledge Within [Solo/P]

Red was such a warm color and yet every time he thought about those eyes since their meeting they sent a cold shiver right down his spine. Satomi visibly shuddered as he shuffled along the village street, loose dirt dragging under his feet as his body exhausted prevented him from picking them up any further. Following his impromptu training session in the Gardens, he spent the following week returning to the park to practice.

“Whew! Who knew producing clones could take so much out of you?” His words sounded as exhausted as he felt, even if there were only audible if for no other reason than to have someone to talk to—even if it was himself. While his body was tired, his mind was on overdrive. Satomi couldn't help but think about his up-coming Genin Exam. He may have started late, but he was going to be a honest-to-goodness shinobi. That thought alone was enough to defy his tired muscles to bring a smile to his face and almost enough to return a bounce to his step. Almost. The weight of his fatigued body was a bit more resistance to his pleasant thoughts and warm fuzzy feelings. It wouldn't matter much longer anyway as he approached his destination: The Kozai Yuki National Archive.

If there was one thing more silent than a shinobi it would be a library, the Archive building being no exception as Satomi shuffled inside. He thought the building already looked impressive from the outside, but he legitimately lost within its walls as began to roamed the interior. Where would even start? History of the Five Great Shinobi Countries? A copy of  “Art of Shinobi” Or maybe they have the “Make-Out” series...? A broad grin very reminiscent of the “Make-Out” creator himself stretched across the boy's face, growing just a bit flush too. While he had no personal experience with the books, it seems like every young boy becomes aware of them at some point or another and Satomi was no exception. As tempting as it was to seek out the mature material, perhaps his downtime would be better spent on something a bit more educational. Besides, it wasn't like the archives would go anywhere, he'd have plenty of time to explore his curiosity another day.

Reaching around behind him into a satchel across his lower back, he fished around for a moment before he'd reveal an object wrapped in thin paper. Unwrapping it he would reveal a small batch of bite-sized kasutera cakes which he would promptly pop one into his mouth as he wandered the archive's endless shelves. Fortunately the crinkling of the paper didn't seem to be too distracting to any of the other visitors as he snacked, his eyes scanning the books hoping tofind something that would catch his interest. As he mulled over the various aspects of both the shinobi and jutsu, it him him, literally. Satomi promptly finding himself with a headache as the object of his assault made a cushioned thud on the floor after striking him on the gourd. “Hey w-who's there!?” He attempted to call out to his would be attacker while still trying to whisper—it sounded even less threatening than his usual young, squeaky voice. After looking high and low and around the neighboring shelves, there wasn't a single suspect which lead Satomi to return to the scene of the incident and picked up the book that lie just next to where he'd been walking. It seemed to be a fairly old book book, certainly not as old as most of the scrolls he saw, but the leather cover was warn and cracked. Besides the wear and tear of age, the book was covered in various symbols.

“This almost looks like a seal...” His voice was but a murmur, the strange book made him forget all about how exhausted he was just a few minutes ago as he carried it over to an empty table to have a more comfortable place to study the bizarre piece of literature. He nudged the book as he hunched over the table, spinning it in place with an inquisitive hum. No title, no writing at all on the front or the back. The only words were embossed in the spine and darkened by careful staining of the leather that read “OPEN ME”. Of course it would be rude not to, so he carefully lifted the cover and with it he ended up just turning the book over. “What gives!?” The expression of his irritation made with an equally irritated shushing. With a slight blush of embarrassment he turned the book upright on it's spine to discover a metal latch securing the book's two covers to one another. Simple enough, he'd just flip open the latch... and it wouldn't budge. So he'd try again with even greater force, even attempting to pry it open with a pair of chopsticks he had packed with his lunch. No matter what he tried it just wouldn't open. “Ho--” He almost did it again before catching himself. How am I suppose to get into this thing!?

Satomi gave the latch a few more tugs before he let out a defeated sigh and laid the book back down in front of him. For a book asking to be opened, it certainly didn't seem like it wanted to be opened. The boy's face wrinkled as he scooted the book away from him on the table as idly examined it, casually passing it back and forth across the table between his hands. I thought it was just for decoration, but could it be a real seal keeping the book locked? Students at the academy didn't get much exposure to fuinjutsu, just a basic overlook. He pondered putting the book back, but why would it be sealed? And why would a sealed book ask for someone to open it? He couldn't image that it contained any secret techniques or the location of a lost treasure, but how could anyone pass up the opportunity to find out what was inside—especially a child already brimming with curiosity? Okay, so how do I open it? He was in perhaps the largest library in the entire world, the answer would be here somewhere.

Starting in the obvious place, Satomi returned to where the book had conked him in the head. Wheeling over a ladder, he explored the shelf high and low for a book that could help him in his endeavor of unlocking whatever secrets were held within the dusty tome he kept snugly tucked under one his arms as the other helped him skim book spines for possibly relevant titles with a finger.

“'The Sealing Seal'? D'aww~ adorable.”

“'A Brief History of Fuinjutsu'. It doesn't look very brief from the size of it.”

“There's a lot of books here by Kazuo Seno. 'Sealing the Cosmos'? That sounds like a pretty tall order, maybe something a little more my speed.” If only there was some sort of catalog he present inquires to and sort through the results without having to physically go through every book. “'Putting the Fun in Fuinjutsu?'” He stopped, the title barely made sense, but had just the right amount of cheesiness to it that it screamed beginner's manual to Satomi. Pulling it from the shelf he opened it to the preface:

Welcome to 'Putting the Fun in Fuinjutsu! Unsealing the Potential Inside You'...

Oh this was exactly what Satomi was looking for. He took it back to his seat and laid both books out in front of him before opening the manual again. As someone who shamelessly would admit to enjoying a good bun, it was an almost unbearable task as he worked through each pun-filled page. It eluded him how someone could even come up with so many puns involving art of sealing. Fortunately the author knew how to be serious when it came to the actual lessons. By now Satomi was well acquainted with his chakra and controlling it, at least on a basic level of understanding. The book however offered him another look at the subject as he followed along with the exercises proved. A little time and some sweet treats were perfect to help a body recover, having enough of both since dragging himself inside, Satomi could feel the spark of his chakra again as he practiced the examples. It didn't take long for him to build up a stead, but weakened flow out to a hand. The next suggested the dominant hand, but of course they always show the right hand. Meanwhile Satomi wiggled the fingers of his left hand—a regular southpaw.

“'Now with the index and middle digits touching and extended, place them together on the seal you wish to break.'” He read quietly to himself as his movements followed along with the placement of his fingers on the latch of the old book. “Now I just have to apply my own chakra to the seal.”

He used his chakra sparingly as he injected it into the book's seal while the seal itself was brought to life with a faint blue glow, but stubbornly remained in place, determined to hide its secrets. Retrieving his fingers he returned his the text book to review before coming back to the strange tome and repeated the previous steps with a bit more added chakra. The seal responding more positively this time, much brighter and lively. Funneling in more of his chakra, the seal he studied it closely. The longer Satomi interacted with the seal, the more he began to understand it. The tendrils wrapping around the book began to move, receding inward towards small circular symbol in the middle of the front cover on which his fingers rested. That stupid pun-riddled book actually helped, perhaps he would even recommend it to others for more than just a practical joke.

Speaking of practical jokes. In little longer than an instant the seal completely vanished from the book's cover and no sooner than it was did the book spring to life, inter-linked pages literally spilling out from within like an angry paper dragon! Satomi's heart skipped a beat or two as he watched a more than should have been possible piled onto the table before him, eventually unraveling to the last page which simply read “CLOSE ME.”

He could hear the squeak of him grinding the enamel off his teeth as he gnashed them together before he quickly moved to cover his mouth as cried out in hysterical laughter, muffled by his arms folded across his face. Every. Single. Page. Other than the last page was blank. He couldn't be mad, it was so stupid. The perfect joke. Satomi wondered how many people fell for the same stupidity as he calmed, lowering his arms and gathering the pages once the giggles subsided. He'd neatly fold them just like they were before before attempting to close the book, however it was just as he thought. The book wouldn't be closed so easily and he would have to either have to take it to an archivist or he'd have to learn to reseal the book himself. Only one of those options didn't result in further embarrassment and it wffffffcontest. “Bring on the puns...”

The chapters involving the locking technique was worse than the chapters on seal breaking. It was almost as if Satomi could tell the exact point the author stopped with any effort to make his puns work with the context. Nonetheless the lessons were still explained with care and quality as were the exercises. He would make his first few attempts on his own bento, touching the latch of the lid with his index finger. With his newly obtained knowledge he find his way as he repeated the procedure of sealing and unsealing the container. Now he could turn his attention to the prankster book, practically having to sit on the book so he could latch it shut and be able to hold it long enough to apply a new seal. Touching the latch with his index finger he made to dump as much chakra as he could into the fuinjutsu lock as he thought he could spare. Arguably it wasn't much and it was a fight to get that much out, the young boy did manage to forge a crude seal much in the fashion of the one he found on it. Satomi was tentative in his confidence in his lock, moving very slowly as he released his weight from the book. He watched with a wide-eyed stare as the book bulged slightly, he really wished he had noticed that before he tired to open it. Finally he stood up all at once and stared accusingly at the old book, just begging for it to pop open, but it didn't.

Success! Satomi would give himself something of a golf clap before picking up both books and returning them to the shelf where he'd hopefully never have to see them again. Now now maybe he could keep his father from eating his school snacks!

Approved that was a good read, by the way love the signature

Kobayashi Senshi <3 wrote:Approved that was a good read, by the way love the signature

Danke!