Shopping in the City Center (IO)

Hunger has driven Satoru to come out of his small motel room and take a walk to the city center of this village hidden under the stars. Here, there are shops and markets, a plethora of goods to be bought which are able to quench the teen's hunger. What food he brought with him from Kumogakure has been exhausted on the trip to this village. As things stand now, Satoru is low on funds and sustenance. He has enough to last him the month in paying the rent for his motel room and three small meals per day.

"Eventually, I am going to have to ask around for ninja work and put money into my pockets. It will be easy enough. But until I can find work, I should get used to conserving what I have left." Satoru thinks, strolling along.

Bakery items here, fruits and vegetables there. It is all delectable. But Satoru must hold himself back. There is food he can purchase for less than what those delicacies cost. Apples, cabbage, breasts of turkey, and rolls of bread can be found around this city center for an affordable amount. This is what Satoru seeks as he walks along these selling carts. In his right pocket is his hand. It feels around as Satoru counts what money he has brought with him today.

"It's enough." He whispers, turning to look at a cart with low prices displayed. As he walks closer to it, he sees the apples and bread and meat that is for sale. He quickly adds up numbers and finds that even here, he has few choices. "There are other sources of protein. Peanuts can substitute the turkey, they cost much less."

Into a woven basket, Satoru drops three apples, two half-pound bags of peanuts, and one head of cabbage wrapped in plastic wrap. Eaten in moderation, these items will last him two days, enough time to find ninja work. He holds the woven basket in his left hand and removes the required amount of ryo to pay for the items he has taken. The money is handed to the cart owner and Satoru is prepared to walk away.

It was a pleasant enough day here in the land of Hoshi. The weather was a bit different than what Max had been accustomed to, but the boy didn’t seem to be overly worried. It was a strange thing, being here in Hoshi. While he was happy to see Lady Akihana and meet the people she loved so dearly, Max couldn’t help but feel like he was unwelcome here. Most of the people he had encountered had given him odd looks, and many muttered things about the boy that they thought he couldn’t hear. It wasn’t something he was unaccustomed to, but it was something he didn’t have to deal with in some time in his home village. Max had learned to integrate himself better within Kumo, becoming more friendly with the civilians. Of course, this was all because of the help of Akihana. Sadly, the boy didn’t have the needed groundwork in with these people. To the civilians, he was just a shinobi monster that had a faint odor of death around him. To the other Hoshi ninja, he was a Kumo shinobi and likely seen as just as much of a monster.
 
Such things weighed heavily on the boy, and so he decided to head out into the market for some food. The boy didn’t have much reason to spend money back in Kumo, but in this foreign land they might not take kindly to his methods of acquiring new things. So the boy would count out how much money he had, and seeing that it was plenty he would begin perusing the stalls.
 
The smells in the air today were heavenly, the fresh bread being baked in a local shop. Max considered allowing himself to cave in to the temptation, but he figured that it would be best to find something else to take his mind off of the stresses of this new land. He needed some sweetmeats to help ease his thoughts. It wouldn’t be long before the boy finds himself in front of a stall selling some type of delicious looking pastry. Max would immediately purchase three and place them in a small bag, the boy ripping a piece off and placing it in his mouth. The pastry was delicious, the sweet hints of honey making his mouth water even more as he chews it up. If there was one thing that Hoshi probably had an advantage in, it was their food.
 
As he was turning to leave, the young boy would bump into another shinobi. This one was a familiar face, though he didn’t know him well. It was one of the other Genin from Kumo that had come along for the celebration. This was a place where enemies could lurk everywhere and so having a pal couldn’t hurt for either of them.
 
Max would walk up and greet the boy, “Hi! I’m Maximillain Yamaguchi, but my friends call me Max. You are from Kumo, right? How are you liking Hoshi so far?” Max would look at his fellow Genin’s basket and see the small amount of food. “Are you here for a snack, too? And why are you buying a pound of peanuts? That seems like a lot... and why the cabbage? Cabbages are awful snacks. Here, have one of these,” Max would say as he offered one of his pastries to the Nara in a friendly manner. Max had a pleasant smile on his face, and took another bite of his own. The boy didn’t really consider that Satoru had been on a budget, as money wasn’t something he concerned himself with very often.
 

Just as he reached forward to give the other Kumo ninja a treat, Max would notice a familiar crest on the sleeve of his new acquaintance. The boy wouldn’t say anything yet, simply making a note of his discovery.

Satoru is bumped into by a boy he knows only by voice as he begins to speak. While traveling to this village, Satoru rarely looked around at those he was traveling with. Instead of socializing, he listened intently to what was said around him. He learned the voices of different members of his group this way but never put a name or face to any of those voices. Seeing this boy now, Satoru takes note.

Normally, Satoru desires to go about his business without talking to people unnecessarily. In this case though, he has been asked a question and must respond so as not to come off as rude. "I'm from Kumo, yeah. Pretty sure we came here together, I remember your voice. Hoshi so far is... fine, I guess. It isn't Kumo. It isn't home."

The conversation moves to his basket. "Yeah, I have a strange taste for snacks. I like peanuts." Then, Satoru is offered a pastry which he looks at and quickly recalls seeing the same type of delicacy being sold from a cart he had left minutes ago. The food there was too expensive. But here he is now, a boy offering him a full item from that cart. Can he refuse? It is picked up by his right hand, this is his free hand.

Satoru's consumption begins as simply a few nibbles of the dough and filling to a quickened pace. The flavor is compelling but he resists scarfing it down as that would be impolite.

When the pastry is finished, he looks at the boy for a moment before moving the basket in his left hand to his right hand. He then extends his free hand outward to the boy for a handshake, saying the following:

"Max, if I can call you that. Thanks. My name is Satoru Nara. Glad to meet you." These words are new for Satoru to say, he has rarely introduces himself let alone imply asking for friendship. But this boy has performed an act of kindness and Satoru cannot ignore that it was performed of his own free will. He is warmed by this.

"What happened to your arm, if you don't mind me asking?" He asks, noting that one of his arms is in fact prosthetic. Of course, if this Maximilian would rather not share that information, Satoru will understand.

Max would watch as the young man offers him a handshake, the boy happily moving his own hand forwards to accept. “Satoru Nara, it is very nice to meet you,” Max would say, giving a firm but not overbearing grip to his fellow Kumo ninja. “Yeah, this place is a bit strange. It is very different from what I am used to. Lady Akihana has me staying with her, which is much different than anywhere in Kumo. I had only recently moved out of my shack and in with…” Max would hesitate, unsure of what all he should say. Revealing any relation to Senshi would only give any brave Hoshi ninja or civilians a chink in the giant’s armor. Max wouldn’t want to give any unnecessary stress to Senshi, and so he would refrain from revealing much about their bond. The boy would simply continue, “My teammate. This place seems to be more… pretty and grandiose than it needs to be. They have grand buildings and works of beauty. Fountains and palaces… my own room now is much larger than my shack in Kumo had been.”
 
The Nara boy would ask about his arm, and Max wasn’t one to shy away from talking about such things. “Oh this? I lost my arm in battle. I was on a mission with my team and we were attacked by a fearsome shinobi.” Max wouldn’t give the details, but if Satoru inquired any more he wouldn’t have any issue telling him more about the events of that day.
 

The boy would smile, making sure to show that he didn’t mind the questions. “I actually like my new arm a great deal. I made it myself!” He would exclaim, pride beaming from the boy. From the quality of the work, such a statement might be hard to believe if someone wasn’t familiar with Max’s skillset. The boy was quite the craftsman, though, and he was both proud and happy with the work. He would show off the arm, moving each digit as easily as one would move a normal, flesh and bone hand. He would also tap on his leg, a clang of metal on metal easily heard. “I see them as upgrades.”

They boy explains that his residence is with Lady Akihana, a title and name new to Satoru. Comign into the village, he had not payed attention to who was around him specifically. He gleams that the person he speaks of is female and quickly narrows down who Max refers to. She must be of high rank then to be called the Lady of the Land. Max does not mention that his place of stay is the royal palace but Satoru think of that as necessary information. After all, while this fellow shinobi seems like a fine potential friend, Satoru draws from past experiences and assumes that nothing will come of their meeting here.

Satoru is quite fascinated by the boy's prosthetic limbs, how they move as though they were flesh and bone. What form of chakra manipulation is this that allows an object of inanimate material to be made animated by the user's effortless will? There are no muscles, no tendons, no nerves, no blood vessels, no bones. At least, Satoru assumes that none of these human parts are within the arm or leg. And yet it mimics so well the biological marvel that is the human body.

"Extraordinary..." Satoru whispers in an awed tone, focusing on the boy's arm and leg. "And you said you made this yourself? Frankly, that is incredible. This must have taken a great deal of skill. What type of shinobi are you? Surely, not one I have heard or read of."

As the boy answers, if he does answer, Satoru finishes gazing at the human artistry that is Max's arm and leg. They must be more durable than an original body part, he thinks. This makes them more useful in battle, an upgrade indeed as Max had said.

"I am very intrigued, Max. Though I don't see myself taking up your skill, would you show me your materials or technique when crafting these prosthetic limbs? You see, I greatly enjoy the science of chakra. Chakra is used in your limbs, yes?"

Suddenly, Satoru's self consciousness which so often lingers about him and keeps him from socializing is out the window. While he has not opened up completely, he has indeed changed in a way that he does not yet realize. The same comfort he experiences when he is alone with his books and thoughts emerges in a shopping market. A peculiar happening.

Happily showing off his handiwork, pride would be the primary feeling coursing through the boy. Satoru seemed to be genuinely impressed and that made Max smile. When asked, Max would inform his new acquaintance of his art. “I am a ninja puppeteer. We focus on using our chakra to manipulate our unique puppet ninja tools. One needs a great deal of expertise to craft some of the more complex mechanisms in the puppets.” Max would consider pulling out his other puppets, but he didn’t want to cause a scene in the marketplace by bringing out his friends for all to see.
 
When asked about his materials, he would give an odd face. It was mostly because he was sad that he was so far away from his work. “My materials and workshop are all back in Kumo…” Max would almost shed a tear at such a thought. He was so far away from home, and no matter how much he wanted to see Akihana this place would likely never hold the same place in his heart. Even though Kumo was in a lot of way a terrible place, it was his home.
 
“When we go back to Kumo feel free to come over to my workshop. I’ll show you the process of building a puppet.” Max would say, glad to share his art with another. “But yeah, I use chakra in my arms. It makes use of many working inside parts and implements the use of what are essentially chakra threads to move the arm.” Sadly, without his proper tools he would have issue showing the inner workings of his arm to his new Nara friend. “Are you familiar with manipulating things with your chakra?”
 

Max would grab another piece of his food and begin to chomp away at it. “I could show you some of my other puppets at the palace if you would like to see them. It won’t be the same as watching me build it from nothing, but you could see some of the stuff. Of course, they are…. Not the same as this. I’ve been trying to master the art of mimicking humanity through the use of puppets, and I feel like I am on the verge of a significant breakthrough. If I could make them autonomous, I would cement myself as a true master of puppets and make my clan proud.”

Upon hearing that the materials and tools which Max uses to perform his work, Satoru is slightly disappointed. Such a beautifully executed field of specialization is what Satoru craves to delve into. Information and obtaining it are actually sort of obsessions for him. However, Max states that Satoru is welcome to visit him in his place of work when they have returned to Kumo.

"Sure, I would be interested." Satoru says, his face beginning to show a hint of gladness reflected from his heart. A person so desolate of social relationships aside from one person finally makes a connection. This can be likened to adding a lamp to a bright room. How new it must feel to experience a brighter light. "Thanks."

Max explains that his prosthetic limbs do utilize chakra. He brings up the phrase chakra threads and Satoru immediately visualizes what these words must refer to. Light blue threads of chakra, maybe invisible threads, which the user controls. So, by connecting this non-biological object to his body through the use of chakra threads, the non-living material can be bridged to what lives. Certainly, the line between what is and what is not part of one's body is blurred by this technique.

Satoru is asked a question, this question being about his familiarity with manipulating things with his chakra. His answer is affirmative.

"Yes, I am. Out of the ninjutsu I use, there is a group of hidden techniques taught in my clan." Satoru brings his shoulder forward and pulls on the shot sleeve of his right arm. Sewn into the cloth is the symbol of the Nara clan. "You see, I'm a member of the Nara clan. We are able to control the actions of another person by attaching our shadows to their own. Though it has proven difficult, I have learned one of the jutsu variations of this skill."

The hunger that used to be perpetual in Satoru is forgotten. Where once he felt a longing for something good to eat, he now only wants to talk further. Could the bond between people actually be an effective distraction from physically undesirable conditions? If so, can it prove to be more effective at blocking loathed memories? To answer these questions, Satoru answers affirmatively to Max's offer to go to the palace in order for him to show his puppet creations. Not only is Satoru excited to see them, he also has two other hopes. One being to test the value of a friendship, to test its ability to mend the broken heart.

A second, to make an inquiry of this Lady Akihana. While this village of Hoshigakure has yet to appeal to him, the Akihana Satoru saw at the gates emanated comfort as though it were contagious. Where is that spirit in this village? Why, in such a feel-good place, does Satoru find himself having a bad time? Admittedly, Kumogakure is a stressful place. Yuri is the person who Satoru finds comfort in. She is not here. Can't the holy village under the stars fill in the cracks that ail a person's soul? These answers, he hopes to gleam.

Max would listen intently as Satoru begins to talk about his clan. The blonde genin had recognized the symbol on his compatriot’s sleeve, the image the same as that which was on the scroll he had found. “So you can use your chakra to control people like… puppets?” Max would ask, his curiosity at its peak. If that were the case such a skill would be invaluable to the puppeteer. He could advance his skills even more and be one step closer to being the best puppeteer in the lands and strong enough to vanquish his foe…. Rot Lord Mortarion.
 
Well, if anybody would know about just what that scroll had been, it would likely be someone from the clan themselves. Max would shuffle through his pockets, trying to find the scroll case. He knew it had to be here somewhere. He wouldn’t have left such a valuable trinket back in his room. Before he could start to panic he found the case.
 
“Hey, Satoru do you know what this is?” He would say as he presented the Nara clan scroll to his new friend. “I found it back in Kumo, and I’ve tried to mimic some of the hand seals and forms…. But I’ve had no luck understanding it. Do you know anything about this? I figure since it had that symbol on it you would probably know,” the boy would mutter handing the scroll to Satoru to look over. Max couldn’t know how the Nara would react to this, but hopefully it wouldn’t strain their budding friendship.
 

“It references shadow on the scroll, but I wasn’t sure what it was talking about,” he would say honestly, not sure of what it was he was holding on to. “Maybe it is a scroll of your clan. If it is, I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted it back.”

Relating Satoru's shadow possession ability to the ability for a puppet user to control puppets is not an incorrect way to look at the Nara Clan's jutsu. Thinking about it, Satoru actually decides that it is probably a better way to describe the shadow possession techniques than anything he has been able to come up with. The only difference between the two fields is that the Nara's techniques require the user to perform the actions he/she wishes the target to perform. Puppetry may just be a more powerful talent than shadow possession, Satoru begins to think.

Max would inquire of Satoru if he knew what a certain item was. A scroll is presented to him and Satoru picks it up. The seal of the Nara Clan is visible on the outside of the scroll and seeing this makes Satoru interested in the item. Simply, it is a scroll which holds detailed information on the abilities and techniques of the Nara Clan. Upon opening the scroll, Satoru is immediately met with text which detail a jutsu that Satoru is in no way familiar with. His father has shown him nearly all of the known techniques which Nara Clan members put into use. Within this scroll, there are no such techniques. Instead, thrill is found within.

Satoru just barely holds down his surprise as he speaks in his normal tone of voice. "Yeah, it's a Nara Clan scroll. Specifically, there are instructions in it to aid a clan member in learning particular techniques... and I've never seen any of these jutsu." The scroll is closed. Satoru knows what will occupy him while he sits in this not-home-village named Hoshi. He hands the scroll back to Max. "I don't need it in my possession. To be honest with you, I would probably leave it somewhere after I learn those neat techniques. Do keep it safe. When we meet again, I would like to read that scroll in depth. Also, can I know where you came upon the scroll?"

Max would sit there quietly and listen as Satoru spoke, the Nara boy clearly being aware of what this was. He didn’t have the same confused look that Komori had when he looked it over, so Max would figure that he would gleam at least a bit more insight as to what it was. He never expected it to be what he would hear next….
 
The scroll was that of hidden Nara techniques, the likes of which even Satoru hadn’t seen. If an actual Nara hadn’t seen these techniques than they must have been incredibly rare, even more of a valuable possession than he could have ever imagined. Max would happily take the scroll back from his newfound pal, happy that he was able and glad to help decipher some of the mystery around the scroll. At least with more insight as to what it was, he would be able to read up on the clan’s history and maybe get some additional information on it.
 
“I’ll keep it safe, no worries. Most folks don’t bother much with me, and I’m pretty good at keeping track of things,” Max would say with a smile. When he was asked about where he got the scroll, his smile would fade away a bit, not quite as wide as it previously was. Thinking back to that day, Max would recall it pretty clearly.


“I was a bit of a scavenger in Kumo. I’ve lived alone for a great deal of time, and so I’ve learned to salvage what I can from people that no longer need it. I found this scroll in an old abandoned house, along with some other things like clothes and books,” Max would say loud enough for Satoru to hear but not loud enough for other Hoshi people to. While his actions were more easily overlooked in Kumo, the people of Hoshi may see things differently. Since he wasn’t familiar with their laws and such, Max would try not to cause any problems with the natives.