No Quarrels, Just Questions [p, nk]

This meeting is not without planning. Satoru is not one to act rashly. Before leaving his apartment to go to this place, he sat for quite a deal of time determining the correct course of action as well as the repercussions of any slip ups. Who is he looking for? What is it that he should ask? Is this more dangerous than he realizes? Is what he's doing against the laws of the village? Should he have returned to Kumo with his comrades and left his desires behind? And if that had happened, how much regret would he be able to handle knowing that Hoshigakure remains a mystery to him? While this process bred fear within him, that fear could not overwhelm his curiosity. The questions in his head needs answers and there is but one place for him to seek them out.

The Royal Palace of Hoshigakure is no place to be snooping around. So, Satoru decides not to snoop around. There is an area which common people are allowed to roam and so Satoru takes up this offer. After all, he is trying his best to seem like a regular civilian. His clothes are not those of a ninja but those of a citizen. In his pocket, he carries his Amegakure headband and a pouch of money for purchasing from the shops around this place. Here, there are paintings of Akihana Akari and members of the royal family who preside over this land. What else? Trinkets and lockets and jewelry adorn the small plaza. The enticing smell of pastries baked to perfection fills the air: apple danishes, cinnamon cakes, cheese cakes, and cookies. And to top all of this scenery off, the grand Royal Palace stands tall as an awe-inspiring backdrop.

As Satoru walks forward into this plaza, this structure is the first to capture his attention. The Royal Palace is magnificently constructed. The hustling and bustling of the people around the market do very little to distract Satoru from the sight before him.

"I never saw this beauty in Kumogakure or Amegakure." Satoru thinks to himself as he continues onward. "It's definitely something I could want more of. But it doesn't answer my questions."

His eyes leave the palace view and shift to his surroundings. The people he sees wear clothes similar to his own. The main difference between them aside from village affiliation is that Satoru carries little money with him. Ninja work is difficult to come across here due to Satoru's attempts to keep a low profile. This may change today.

Not to be unexpected, Queens Guards stand sentry around this area closer to the palace itself. Satoru makes his way to a food cart, not intending to buy anything, and takes a seat on one stool. He is facing the palace, looking up at it in awe. Also in this direction are those ninja for the Queen's safety. In time, Satoru plans to approach one in order to engage in conversation. Hopefully, he might ask his questions, obtain answers, and return to his apartment with more to think about. The village's intrinsic values: its people, its culture, its conflict, its peace. These are the things which Satoru seeks to expand his knowledge on. Who better to ask without access to Akihana or the monarch than the next best thing: a Queens Guard?

(558/558)

Picking up a few donuts from the table he would start to eat them only to be hit on the head by his assistant with a news paper. "Queens-guards go through lessons on table manners and you are the kage." The giant would continue eating as he did before talking with his mouth full.

"Exackly, I on't ave time fur table manures." He would say before swallowing and wiping off his hands of the chocolate that iced the pastry. He would then grab a few more things in his hands this time of the more healthy variety and sit next to Satoru on the bench. "Banana?" He would ask holding out the yellow fruit to the kid.

Satoru's surroundings really aren't of much concern to him in this situation. What he is really focusing on is what he plans to saw when approaching someone of authority here. Part of him is nervous, another part of him thinks that this was a bad idea all together. And that latter portion seems to win in his mind as he is just about ready to leave the area. Before he is able to do so though, Satoru finds himself intrigued by overhearing a particular combination of words.

These words are: "you are the kage". Like that, Satoru thinks nothing of if this statement is true about whoever the subject of the sentence is. The speaker could be drunk and Satoru wouldn't care. He is regretting ever having this idea.

And he would leave right now if it weren't for the fact that one of the voices from that conversation now speaks to him directly. Satoru turns to look at him. He is offered a banana. Hungry, Satoru takes it. Curious, he sticks around.

"Thanks." He responds, looking down at the yellow fruit and then back to the man who offered it to him. "Those men were talking about the Kage. Is he here? Or are they joking?"

A Queen's Guard is all Satoru ever wanted to talk to, never anything more. His composure remains constant but on the inside he hopes dearly that he might be able to leave and come back another day.

(244/802)

“Oh, the kage.” He would say looking around. “He was here a second ago. He has orange hair, is about six and half feet tall. Shirtless, with tons of muscle.” He was describing himself, but if it took Satoru a moment to figure that out he would add more. “He is sitting on a bench and just handed someone a banana.”



“I am queensguard Kyousuke Snow and the current kage of Hoshi.” He would say holding out a hand to the ninja. “What can I do for you?”

As this man begins to speak, Satoru is put at ease. By the man's looking around, he is led to believe that the kage is not in the area. This conviction is further fortified when the man states that the person in question was here a second ago.

"So, I've missed him." Satoru thinks. "Good timing too. Now, if I can maybe just inquire with a queens guard, it may be that my questions will be answered without any trouble."

Then the man continues. He describes the kage, stating hair color, height, and attire. At the time, Satoru is not looking at the man speaking but out into the crowd to see if he might make sure that the description does not match anyone nearby. So far, none in this area possess orange hair, is six feet and six inches tall, and wears no shirt.

Still not looking at the man, Satoru chimes in. "I don't see anyone by that description here."

It should seem as though Satoru takes a moment to register the words following these. He thinks it over. Sitting on a bench... handed someone a banana. Some know of the phenomenon in which a fact is ignored purely due to the fact that the mind does not want to deal with it and prefers that something else to think about will come about. This is what goes through Satoru's mind at the moment.

But his mind finds nothing else to focus on and instead begrudgingly informs his body that the kage being described is indeed sitting next to him.

And even then, the body refuses to act at the moment due to not believing what the mind is telling it. It mulls things over. "I don't know... think the head's telling the truth?" "Maybe." "If it is, I don't like it." "We have to do something about it though." "Do we though?" "I do think so." "Thinking is the brain's job. Let's just sit around. Maybe it'll go away." "I'm doing something."


Something is done. Satoru turns and faces the man sitting next to him. Whatever swamp he has entered, he sees no way out of it. He dives in and speaks but not before stammering for words and saying "um" a great deal.

"It's an honor" His voice cracks. He moves away down the bench to be on the opposite side as the Hogokage himself. "My name is Satoru Nara. I came here to ask some questions about the village. I'm... a tourist, I'm not from here. Do you mind?"

(424/1,226)

So, Satoru has found himself an audience with the village’s one and only Hogokage. But he is more inviting than previously thought. The idea Satoru had in is head about what the Hogokage would be like is not what is before him. He had imagined a cold, stoic, work-oriented character, someone who too drenched in paperwork and village affairs to do much else like talk to some Kumogakure visitor who is staying in the village longer than his hospitality has given him (if it can be called hospitality).

But the difference between his imagined kage and the man before him does not phase Satoru. He goes on to speak regularly only slipping up once or twice as a twinge of uncertainty shows itself here and there. By jumping in, he may be sealing his fate. At the same time though, he may be ensuring that he comes closer to his goals.

“So, I came here as a refugee from Amegakure a few days ago.” Satoru begins, slowly removing a headband from his pocket. He tries to do so in such a way that it doesn’t look like he’s pulling a weapon. “I was trained as a ninja. Kumogakure’s empire conquered my home village. After that, I took a long trek here, knowing that this village is strong enough to defend its sovereignty. I don’t know if I planned to stay here and work as a ninja or if I just wanted to pass by and settle some place else. But being here has sold me on wanting to stay. I’ve gotten to know some of the ninja, a few are friendly and I’ve become attached. So, if you would allow, I would like to join this village’s ninja forces.”

He leaves his words at that. In a situation like this, Satoru’s lack of coordination when interacting socially is shown. What does he do with his hands? He doesn’t know.

(319/1,545)

[Mid-thread claim: 1,359 words towards Air Bullets (completed), 186 words towards shadow sewing technique]

approved