The Lax Student

There he was. 


A thin, tall kid with dark skin and hair twisted into dreads and the color of a warm fire in the middle of winter. Allegro’s hands were deep in his pockets, and his head was bopping to the sound of the music playing through his headphones. What was he listening to this time? Though muffled, the faint sound smooth of smooth jazz could be heard if one was to stand close enough. He stood roughly five meters away from a large wooden stump with a large target on it. He was eyeing it ever so closely, as if he was poised to make a move.The environment around him was vibrant and animated. However, the sound of the babbling brook located nearby and the birds chirping in the sky above, and the sound of the bustling leaf village were all tuned out for the moment. Allegro was focusing on something intently, attempting to build his skills. He had a newfound resolve to become a full fledged shinobi. The shinobi in Konoha were much unlike the warriors that he was raised with. The way of a ninja involved a sense of honor and duty, which he wanted very much. But something was bugging him. Something that his sensei had said was resonating deep within the young dark skinned boy. He removed his hands from his pockets to reveal two handfuls of razor sharp shuriken, with about three in each hand fitting perfectly between the gaps in his fingers. With his eyes ever so focused on the target and on his music, he anticipated the perfect moment to launch his weapons. Just as the beat of the song dropped, he let his shuriken fly with a fluid motion that he was taught in class. Multiple thuds followed in a matter of seconds. The aspiring shinobi was almost too scared to look. He had been at this all day. Would the fruits of his labor taste sweet? Or terribly sour? When he blinked and looked at his target, there his shuriken were, lined up in an almost vertical line along the tree stump. However, instead of looking satisfied, there was concern on Allegro’s face. “What….is MY ninja way?”
 
The boy tilted his head back and closed his eyes while he used his right index finger to secure his right earbud in place. His mind was reflecting on what his academy sensei had been scolding him about. This past month had been his very first in any kind of academic setting, and it was unlike anything he had experienced. The extent of his training was very rigorous, but almost senselessly violent and without purpose. The ninja academy was different, though. Much different. So far, he had scored perfectly on each assessment given. His written meant to test his ability to think critically and analyze word problems were a breeze for him. He was better than many of his pears at the fundamentals of ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu. He even showed initiative by practicing fuuinjutsu in a showcase. Still, Allegro could only focus on what his sensei said. “You are too lax, Allegro. You should take things more seriously. A shinobi must use his eyes AND his ears. If you keep those headphones in all the time, how will you function as a shinobi?” Allegro opened his eyes, still maintaining his pose after throwing his shuriken, and only returned upright to scratch his chin and ponder further. He removed his headphones, white and plain, and listened. What was there to listen to other than his music? Originally, the idea was preposterous. However, after a moment, he heard something. The sound, the sweet sound of peace. The wind carried a warm and sweet scent through the air that almost lifted the young boy off his feet. The source must have been the bakery that he loved to visit when he was in the heart of the village. The blissful moment was soon interrupted by the screeching, ringing sound that seemed to come from within Allegro’s own head. It shrieked was incredibly loud and painfully silent at the same time. The feeling threadened to make the young boy’s head explode. It was his Tinnitus coming to haunt him. He gripped his head with both hands, dropping his earbuds to the ground. He dropped to his knees and used one hand to pat the ground, searching for his earbuds. After breaking a sweat, He immediately plugged his headphones back in and pressed play on his mp3 player, thus resuming his music. Instantaneously, the disturbing sensation vanished, only to be replaced with the sweet styles of Konoha pop music. Though it was brief, Allegro heard something from nothing, though he was still too young to conceptualize this phenomenon.
 
Allegro decided he had spent enough time distracting himself from his training. After taking a look into the sky, he noted the position of the rising Sun. It was about time he head to the academy to show his sensei how far he had progressed with his training. He dashed forward, arms dragging immediately behind him, toward the target post at a full speed of 10. Stepping off with his right foot, he hopped up to the top of the five foot tall post where the shuriken were now resting. With the same foot that landed on top of the stump planted firmly, Allegro advanced forward and jumped even higher, disappearing beyond the tree line of the magnificent forest. Beyond the tree line was the village where he was heading. From the way the sun was rising, he could tell that it was almost noon, and that he would soon be late for school at the academy. He used incredible acrobatics and parkour for a boy his age, looking much like a shinobi already. By simply living in this village, he was growing stronger each day in terms of strength, speed, stamina, health, and in controlling his chakra. He dashed from tree branch to tree branch, and eventually transitioned into hopping over the rooftops of the village. Though he was usually out of breathe at this point, he was building his stamina and pushed himself onward for the sake of being timely. He used every limb to swing himself into the right direction toward the Academy, saying hi to his favorite villagers and fellow shinobi along the way. Each step that propelled him forward was supported by the pulsating beat of the song playing from his MP3 player. This time, it was a fast paced rock and roll song getting him hyped up to get going. The boy enjoyed the song so much that he started to swing his hair back and forth, even as he continued to dash at full speed through the village.
 
   
Finally, his race came to an end with the firm “click clack” that his sandals made as he landed. His hands were on his knees and he was breathing heavy, trying to catch his breathe. Other students around him were already heading inside. He finally stood up straight and put his hands on his hips. Every time he walked through that gate, he wanted to put his best foot forward. He had worked hard to be accepted and acknowledged by his peers and his teachers. He worked hard to prove his strength, compassion, and skill to everyone. He would indeed become a shinobi, even if it meant searching high and low for his resolve. He walked inside happily, whistling a tune along with the one that was playing on his MP3 player.

[WC: 1258]
Permission to claim +6 stat points

Approved.