Relaxing on a Day Off

The air was thick and heavy in the village. It was a humid day and the sun was shining. Loads of people were spending the day sitting indoors or in the shade. Ryuken liked days like this. The village was quiet and peaceful. Tranquility was sometimes hard to come by for Hoshi, so when faced with it Ryu could only smile and enjoy it.

He walked along the edge of the gardens and took in the sights. He was looking for a nice spot to sit and read in the shade. A fresh book in hand he made two whole laps around the garden without picking a spot. He was simply lost in the beautiful view.

"I'm being picky at this point. Anywhere is fine." He muttered to himself. He was stopped just outside the old gazebo. Once destroyed, the spot was now a small source of pride for Ryuken. Its restored state signifying the restoration of Hoshi itself. It would make for a fine place to tuck away and read in peace. He stepped in and was delighted to see no one else was inside. He took a seat by a window and adjusted his glasses.

Ryu had been looking for something new to read when he noticed an interesting book in one of the village bookstores. It was called Giant Beasts, a fantasy novel. The theme of the book wasn't so much what made the book intriguing. What really sold it for him was the author of the piece, none other than the current Hogokage himself. He was too curious to not check it out. Yasaki was a man Ryuken respected. It was only natural one would want to know what his writing style was like. There weren't many copies left so he figured it must be at least somewhat decent.

He cracked the book open and began reading. It was a thick book so he had no plans of finishing it in one day, but to his surprise the book was quite captivating. It wasn't until the sun started to set that Ryuken realized how long he had been reading. The whole day had gone by and there were only a few more chapters left in the book. Ryuken's stomach began to rumble and he thought about saving the rest to read at home later. The thing was, he really wanted to know how the story ended. He weighed his options for a moment and leaned back in his chair. The sunset over the treeline was a sight to see. You forget to appreciate those types of things in times of war. Only in peace do you relax enough to really enjoy a sunset.

Ryu leaned back forward in his chair and reopened his book. Dinner could wait, it was only a couple more chapters after all. Plus he wasn't in the mood for returning home just yet. What kind of day off would it be if he went home so early? Maybe he would go out to eat, after finishing the book of course.

(WC 508)

A brand new day was on its way. Yasaki counted every day as if it was his last day. To take it in with every breath meant a lot to him. The grind and success is what he always dreamt about. But to relax in peace and harmony, he needed that. He always wondered when the day would come he finally would just sit out.  As his duty, he was all about protection and service. He recalled once where he placed a young genin to a world filled with blood and hatred, that was his family getting slaughtered to pieces. But now that kid somewhere getting stronger every day, as Yasaki expected.


He was a huge fan of books, especially releasing them to the public. The two successfully risen to the top, one being named as The divination child and the other giant breasts. The first book was a reference to a shinobi of this village he once eyed upon. His growth and determination are what Yasaki saw. He understood he was the child of divination, hence releasing this book. Unfortunately, Yasaki’s tale went away as news spread of the young genin dying tragically. It hurt Yasaki as he continued to do his natural things; he hoped a lot of them were on their way and that was just the beginning. Yasaki moved on forth as he headed to a nearby store, sitting down and thinking about the future. 

WC:244

Ryuken snapped his book closed with a satisfying thump and leaned back to glance out the window again. The sun was fully set at this point and the stars were beginning to make their twinkling appearance. There were almost no clouds in the sky, and very little noise coming from the village. Ryu got up from his seat and exited the Gazebo. He was greeted by a breath of crisp night time air and he couldnt help but smile. The thick muggy air from earlier was gone and all that remained of the humidity was the dew left on the greenery. The way the light danced off the shiny leaves on the trees was simply mesmerizing.

"Such a serene setting, if only I'd brought my sketchbook." Hed sigh before setting off back into the village to find a place to eat. "What sounds good to eat? Barbecue? Maybe noodles? I should probably eat a salad...huuuh barbecue it is. It'd go great with a cup of sake." He would laugh to himself.

He walked through the village he loved with a smile on his face. He knew the backroads and all the best paths to where he wanted to go, but lately he had found himself purposely walking along the main roads. Seeing smiles on the villagers faces instead of fear was something he hoped he never got tired of. He meandered about the streets as he went, in no rush to get where he was going. He made a short stop just to say hello to the woman who owns the textile shop where he buys his fabric. He hadn't been in for a while and wanted to make sure she was okay. He left delighted to know that business was picking up for the little shop.

Little moments like that made Ryuken all the more certain he made the right decision way back when. Even with his own family taking the other side, Ryu stuck with the village. He foresaw days like these if he stuck to his values. What he didn't foresee was just how difficult maintaining times of peace truly was in this world. Tomorrow he would train just a little bit harder, his resolve in his beliefs firmly refreshed.

But for tonight, it was his day off. He was going to enjoy it to the fullest. As he sauntered towards his destination a sight caught his eye. The Hogokage, Yasaki, walking into a shop. Ryu wondered if he was also simply enjoying the peace they had achieved? He pondered if he should go and find out. He of course had spoken with Yasaki before, but only under formal circumstances. He often reported high ranking missions directly to the Kage, but this was the first time Ryu had seen the man out and about. He decided to stop and say hello at least.

"Lord Hogokage, I'm glad to see you are doing well. What brings you out on this fine night?" He would say while adjusting his glasses.

(WC 501)
(TWC 1009)

.
A lot was to do with the village numbers growing back to how it was.  The peace finally coming on its way, it delighted him to be in a coffee shop enjoying the moment. Now Yasaki only needed a place to enjoy and rest. He would think of what chapters to write and more so what books to release.  A lot of things were going through his mind, and so he drank away his coffee. With every second passing by, he recalled the moments of his youth days as he was finishing his drink. He noticed a tall slim man approaching him, he wouldn’t know what it was but seeing tall guys in this village, it surprised him. 

It was Ryuken Kugutsui, one of the hardworking Jounin of the village. It was fascinating for Yasaki to witness this young man, one of the most lethal puppeteers of this village.  But he responded to the gentleman in a calm tone. “Well, I am just be enjoying the moment and be living every opportunity as if is my last. How about yourself what you were up to?”

The atmosphere in the coffee shop was pleasant. People sat quietly, reading books or newspapers while sipping drinks. It wouldn't have been a bad place for him to have spent the day. Ryuken smiled at the large man's answer, it warmed his heart a little to know he was not the only one feeling good about the current state of the village.

"Sorry to interrupt your coffee sir, I'm doing the same. The tranquility in the village is something I haven't enjoyed in a while." The thought that he was speaking to the author of the book he had just read only now snapping into his head. "I uh- I actually just ended up reading one of your books." He would show the book in his hand and awkwardly laugh.

He wondered if it would be awkward for the writer, but he figured Yasaki would be used to people coming up and talking with him. As the Hogokage Yasaki would no doubt always be talking with the people of his village. Ryu thought about how hard it must be for the man to write in between all of his duties.

"I really enjoyed the read. I look forward to what you write next..." he paused for a moment and thought about where he was headed. "I am actually on my way to get some food right now. I was thinking barbecue and sake, care to join me?" He would ask trying to sound as inviting as possible. Ryu was often told he could come off a little cold.

It would be good to catch up with the head of the village, but not only that. Ryuken wanted to know what kind of man Yasaki was outside of his duties. Ryu already knew that he could write, but a friendly meal could tell someone a lot about a person. Plus Ryu just really wanted to eat. Putting off dinner so he could finish the story may not have been the best idea. Should the giant of a man agree to dinner Ryu would begin to lead the way towards the steakhouse that he often frequented. He would of course offer to pay the bill as he was the one who gave the invite in the first place. The barbecue joint was only a short walk away from the coffee shop.

"Its days like these that make me so glad I stuck with the village. It seemed like a dream as a kid to be able to freely walk around Haven without worrying if people knew I was a shinobi." Ryu would say as the pair walked along the road. "I sometimes even walk around the village with one of my puppets by my side just because I never thought I would be able to." Ryu was always bad with small talk and so he often simply said whatever was the first thought in his mind. Once they both had some alcohol in them he was sure to loosen up. That was usually how it went with Ryu.

(WC 506)
(TWC 1515)

To be honored by such Jounin, it stunned him. He would have never predicted a Jounin like him to even try to read his book. We’ll it was nice to see the newer breed reading something which he made. He wasn’t interrupting his coffee; it overjoyed him to see the towering individual. Someone who had the authority to develop into a stable and assist by his side of his village. He took a sip of his coffee as he nodded to his statement, knowing a genuine fan of his appeared. But at least it was someone who he shares or even gets ideas from. The day was a remarkable one, especially the minute going by. 

Yasaki would let out a grin as he smiled. “It is yes, I’ll agree with you on that one.” He didn’t expect someone like him to read his book. Whether it was Giants Beasts or even The future divination, it didn’t matter to him. He was always up for ideas and keen to take them in. Whatever it was, growth was always part of the man. They released the final divination weeks after giant breasts made a move. Whatever book the kid was carrying, Yasaki smiled. He would inspect the book as he skimmed over to the Jounin. “Aha, the book you say it was one of my favorites. I thank you for giving it time to actually even read it.” Yasaki grinned.

The thought of writing a new book also crossed in his mind. Maybe it was a cool idea to find out himself by jotting some ideas or better yet asking Ryuken. “Yes, more will be on its way, actually, if you got any ideas or what's so. Let me know, Ryuken. I am always down to listen to ideas from my fellow ninjas.” And that was the response. Either way, he wanted to clarify that a new story could be on its way. More or so he would be down to listen to his ideas. Maybe his next book would be about cookies. Who knows, as soon as the food was mentioned. He responded in a flash. “I’m starving and of-course I’ll join you.”

 It was going to be a good dinner. One of the best it could be. At least he would get to know his shinobi. Ryuken Kugutsui, puppeteer of hoshigakure. A denial would be an embarrassment so of-course he had to accept. Barbeque and sake, it was going to a lovely one. Yasaki followed him to the steak-house that he often visited. He made his way inside the efficient-looking steak-house; it was nice for the jounin to invite. Maybe he just wanted to talk or so Yasaki would cheerfully do so. 

“Well, I am glad to hear that.” Yasaki would listen to the jounin understanding what he was going through. “As long you keep your head up high, fella.” Yasaki nodded as he addressed the jounin. “So tell me what’s your story I would like to hear it from you.” The man just needed to hear his side of the story. 

WC:513

Ryu was glad to see that Yasaki would agree to the dinner invite. Food always tastes better when eating with others. The rare occasion of getting to bounce ideas off of the leader of the village was the perfect way to end his day off. Once inside the modest restaurant he would take a seat and order quite a large quantity of different meats as well as a large gourd of sake.

"I've been used to keeping my head down around town for so long, it feels good to look up with a smile." He would say and lay his face on his palm with his elbow on the table, waiting for the food and drink to arrive. "My story eh? It's not much of an exciting tale. While our brothers and sisters in arms fought against family and friends, I sat it all out. The civil war raged on and I took a cushy position as an academy instructor." He sighed thinking about his older brother who had sided with the Queensguard, "Almost the entire Kugutsui clan took the side of the royals, but I stuck with the village. I saw the future we live in now and believed it was the right path...but still, I couldn't bring myself to kill my own family."

Ryu realized he was spilling his guts without even taking a sip of alcohol yet. It wasn't often someone gets to tell a writer their life story, and he figured it would be good for the Hogokage to know more about his trusted Jounin. Luckily it wasn't long before the meat was brought out and the cork popped off of the gourd. Ryuken took the gourd and poured out a couple of saucers of sake.

He handed one of the saucers off to Yasaki and held his own up, "Cheers mate." He would then down the cup with a big exhale, "Hoo that's some smooth stuff. Like water!" He'd laugh.

After placing a few cuts of meat onto the grill, he continued telling his story to the man sitting across from him. "When all the fighting was said and done the village needed hard workers to maintain appearances. Couldn't let the other villages see us as weak and all. Either way I left teaching and went back out into the field. Those years were rough. It seemed like I was never not on a mission for a while there. That's where I really had to hone my skills. I thought the biggest contributor to my rising in the ranks would be my own ambition. Instead I'm a jounin because I did what I needed for the village to survive. I only trained so hard after being shown how weak I was. Long story short, nothing turned out the way I thought it would when I first enlisted at 14." He would finish with a laugh. He never had issues laughing at himself. If one couldn't laugh at their own situation then life would be a lot harder.

"Anyways sorry for the depressing story, though I am sure you've heard worse." Ryu would say before taking a bite of his grilled beef.

(WC 526)
(TWC 2041)

The large man accepted the request. It was an honor, and as well as he had respected his jounin. They were in the restaurant, enjoying the moment as it went by. He was glad to hear that he had a smile across his face. He eyed his movements as he placed his face on his palm and as well as the elbow on the table. He had a story to tell, Yasaki eyed at the jounin, listening to his fully fleshed story. It was going to be an exciting tale knowing someone who had the power to be Kage himself. So, his eyes wide-opened facing the jounin directly face to face listening to his words. 

The story was fascinating as he took the sauces from the jounin. He would laugh with him afterward. “Your story isn’t depressing enough it was a great story to hear. I know you are a fan of my books, do you have any ideas you got in mind what you would like to share. I’m thinking of releasing one soon, but let me hear your opinion.” He would say in a calm manner.
WC:185

Yasaki listened to Ryu's life story intently, a rather refreshing change of pace. When he was an instructor at the academy, his students often told him how they hated his stories. The food was starting to disappear and Ryu had already finished his first drink and began pouring another. As the two ate and talked about the past and books and other frivolous matters, Ryu's mind would begin to wander back towards the pressing matters in his life. It was good to relax and not worry, but he couldn't put things off forever. At the current time Ryuken couldn't help but worry if the peace would last. If all that they had worked for up till then would be wiped away by another band or rogues or a missing ninja. Anything could happen and if Hoshi wasn't prepared for it they would be right back in those dark days. He was scared about the future and felt he needed to let Yasaki know. It wasn't often he got a face to face chat with the village's Kage.

"Honestly this talk about the past has got me thinking. Things are going smoothly here in Hoshi now, I'm sure we both could agree about that." Ryu would say before taking a swig of his sake. He wondered if he should say what was on his mind. Surely the Hogokage himself would already be aware of the state of things in the village. Either way he needed to say what was on his mind, "But what about tomorrow? What about the coming weeks? Rumors about large gangs of missing ninja coming together have people in the village all stirred up. People are scared right now and I have to say I'm with them." He got out what he needed to say and let out a small sigh of relief. Ryu was still nervous talking to a superior, even if he was a jounin himself. He wasnt ever big on voicing his opinions to others.

He continued talking, determined to finish what he started at this point, "Looking at our current fighting force, we have plenty of promising faces and names but I'm not sure it's enough. Our lower ranks are looking thin and those at the top have grown a bit complacent. I truly don't know if we could stand up and fight back if something major were to happen." He readied himself for the end of his speech. His idea for what could be done. "While I think training needs to get more serious overall, I think what our shinobi are truly lacking is real combat experience. I've seen what a lack of experience can do and forgive me for saying this, but I would rather not ever have to watch a comrade die again to a simple mistake."

Ryu wasn't sure what had come over him, jumping into an impassioned speech before the Hogokage, but he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. He had been thinking all of that deep down but never had a chance to bring it up to anyone.

(WC 512)
(TWC 2553)

Another man just on another plate, forty-three in years of age. What can you expect from the man, covered with grey. He already had to deal with severe problems. He’s deputy out here somewhere doing her things as-usual. He hadn’t heard about her for some-time and needed to know what was going on. Maybe something had happened, but he shifted his focus to his jounin in front of him. Both who were having a sike and just having a talk.  His story was told, it was a fascinating one. He smiled at Ryuken. He was a special puppeteer it reminded him of a man recently, Genki Uchiha.

He watched as the fellow jounin speak, the world of his coming out with the truth. “It’s going smoothly. Everything will go to the plan." Matter of fact he checked the list it wasn’t three that left the village, it was four. But this one was beyond the limitations of the first three. It made him shiver a bit, Yasaki didn’t want to mention his name. A man who once grew up from this village, but always wondered would he ever return? Or possibly cause harm..it made him think several times. He shook his head and faced the young man in front of him. He closed his eyes and drank the sike twice. As the words of the jounin appeared, he would open them. As the red crimson eyes appeared faced the jounin, directly he would stare at him. 

“Whatever is going on in this cruel ninja-world, I understand. But in our circumstances, the village is already safe and secured. If the people are panicking I understand. But I am sure we will find away. But I agree with you, anything can happen.” He looked at the jounin in front of him shivering in fear.

Yasaki sighed, listening to Ryukeen. 

“Then gather every solider in this village. Send a message to every single of them that a duty to report to the kage is a must and important. I know you are concerned, but our army will grow only if we believe. Whatever evil that’s out today, they will be gone. And we’ll celebrate peacefully. If we are lacking the art of combat, then we shall improve. If we are weak, then we shall grow. If we are useless, then we will get BETTER. I refuse my comrades to die, a matter of fact I won’t let happen, again.” 

He understood how Ryuken felt, the worry he was showing he wants better for this village.

WC:422