New Beginnings: A Distant Land

The air was heavy with humidity, its weight sinking into Hyo's clothing, as the ominous sound of silence threatened to drown the boy. His stomach was empty, and his body fatigued from his voyage. It had taken him three years to reach the Land of Water, and he didn't know how many times he thought he'd starve on his journey. He didn't know that cargo holds would be so unforgiving... let alone so dark...

   His clothing was tattered by years of wear. Its threadbare structure just barely clinging to the boys slight frame. At thirteen Hyo could definitely be described as a runt. His shaggy pastel blue hair, dripping with sweat and condensation, lay plastered to his forehead. His bright blue eyes searching the landscape for any sign of relief from the weather. Step by step he made his way deeper into what only could be described as a hellscape. 

   "Just perfect, I'm going to starve to death before I even make it to Kiri..." 

   His voice was a whisper. He often talked to himself, a bad habit from being alone he supposed... He hoped... The memories of his mother and father where the only thing giving him nourishment, to be frank he didn't even know why he was living. Why didn't he join them... It couldn't be any worse than this.

   He shut the thoughts out, and became comfortably numb. He didn't have time for self pity. His father worked in the Land of Water before his passing. To Hyo Kiri represented opportunity, escape, and purpose. He didn't know what he would do when he reached the gates, if he did... All he desired was to go somewhere he had only heard about, to find a new meaning to all this...

   He cleared a ridge and below a vast tributary lay before him. Among the flora he noticed some cat-tail stalks peeking out of the water. Perfect!!! He nearly stumbled into the water once he finally got down to it. The water was murky from its swift pace, and all the silt beds. Grasping the cat-tails by the lower stalk he pulled them from the murk, washing and stripping the bulbous roots of his find. Filling his belly for the first time in days. It was rough nourishment, but it would do.

   With the day ahead of him, he decided to pause at the waters edge and take in the nature. He wasn't sure how close he was to Kiri, or anywhere to be exact... It didn't matter. He knew that one day he'd become an splendid ninja, he just needed a village first...

Word Count: 435

Well... Today was a hot one. The climate around the village hidden in the islands was usually pretty warm, though today it felt more than just muggy. The condensation on anything colder than a boil was quite telling of that. To make things better... Daiko was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt, along with some purple pants. He hadn't dressed up for anything in particular, though he was in the mood to dress somewhat less bummy than he was used to. He remembered when he first came to this land. He was a bit nervous at first... But who wouldn't, meeting a village leader the moment after you show up to a strange land. Though in the beginning Daiko only found confidence in Saya, the many faces that he had met had made him grow... Somewhat attached to this village. Though he had only gotten brief exchanges with the more powerful figures of this village, he felt that they weren't a country for people to trifle with. The genin ran around with bright eyes, and full hearts. To think that some of them thought they could change the world to such an extent with mere force of will. It wasn't laughable, though it still seemed somewhat unrealistic.

Either way, Daiko decides that today is the day that he goes for a walk outside of the gates of the village. He had been taking his time with just about everything nowadays. Pushing through the heat and through the gates, he continues to wander and finds himself at a distance to the village. It was hard sometimes, though aimless wandering always seemed to find him in whatever place he was needed. Tilting his head up from looking at the grass that was littered with small rocks and sand particles, he sees something... Odd. Daiko stops for a second, seeing a young man scavenging for food. At this moment, he feels a tinge of pain shooting through his heart. Ah... Roots. That definitely beat eating rodents, though it probably wasn't as nutritious as the young man needed. Fucks sake.... Daiko takes a moment to gather himself, thinking back to a small scruffy black-haired little guy who had also known what it was like to be alone in the world. There was something about this moment that resonated with Daiko, and he decided it was best to make himself known to this stranger.

They were both 1km from the gates of the village. They weren't too far away, though probably too far for Daiko to take the squirt over to get some real food. Some sort of picnic would have to do. Daiko scans the landscape for a moment, noting that where the boy was standing was about 20 meters from himself, in the small outlets of streams and whatnot. Around them was essentially a field, with rocky cobblestones inlaid with the grass, and 50 meters in front of Daiko was the end of the island, crashing waves tearing apart the soft sand, high tide having created the gulch that the kid was now sitting in. "Ayo kid. Come over here."

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The voice pierced the silence, giving Hyo quite the shock! So much in fact that it startled him into the water as he scrambled to locate the sounds origin. The water felt nice on Hyo's skin, its cool currents lapping against his body as he floundered for footing in the silt. After sorting out which way was up from down, and getting grounded, he pushed his hair up and away from his face. 

   As his vision became clear the person in the distance came into view, striking a muted contrast with the shadows of the forest and the beige of the water. Hyo's face flushed a vibrant hue as he locked eyes with the person. 

   "Did they call me over?...Who are they...? They don't seem to be hostile..." 

   A subtle array of emotions would flash across Hyo's face as he mumbled those words to himself. They did seem to be friendly, perhaps they could help him find his way to Kiri! It was worth a shot at least. He pulled himself from the water and onto the bank. Embarrassed that he fell into the water he kept his eyes low and a smile on his face, he let out a childish laugh as he rallied the courage to walk over to the stranger.

   "Wh...where you talking to me? S...sorry I just got a little frightened that's all, you scared me..."

   His tone was soft and pitchy with adolescence. Now with his clothes being wet you could really see his frame. His tunic gripped to his abdomen and revealed a petite frame and hourglass form, its pale white blue fabric now dingy with the water of the river. Lining it was a royal blue embroidery, painstakingly stitched. Several patches peeking through of various shades of light blue.

   "I'll be right over!"

Word Count: 300
TWC: 735

Nodding his head, Daiko waves to the young man who seemed startled by him suddenly presenting himself. Luckily, Daiko had done so very obviously, as to try to avert any fear that may have come from a random ninja coming. Daiko wasn't close enough now to actually startle the young man, or to actually get any reading on him via chakra sensory. This could be a very strong young man, though Daiko got a faint remembrance of himself when he was very young. He didn't know much about the world of shinobi, though he was able to pick up some information pretty quickly from his previous sensei. It was a tough time for him, realistically. He was dropped in the world with little to no recollection of his past, other than the difficulty that was around his upbringing. Daiko was just a kid when he was the first cast out onto the harsh streets, and Daiko wondered if this young man was the same. Daiko had his master killed in front of him, and he was treated like an abomination because of his clan traits. Daiko didn't want this boy to see his traits unless they were in some real danger at some point. Shaking his head internally, he decides not to bring any of this up.

Daiko lightened his gaze, looking onto the boy. Upon closer inspection, he was definitely young... And he looked to be very frail, at least from his point of view. Motioning for the boy to come closer, Daiko sighs slightly. "You don't have any other food than that...?" Daiko points to the roots and scavenged plants that the man had been chewing on previously. "Let me teach you something... I've picked this one up in my travels..." Slowly reaching for the boy's hands, he puts them in front of him and then shows him hand-seals. "Look. Follow as I do. You'll be able to do this yourself some time." Daiko then does the Rat and then Dog handseals, and then something begins to slowly materialize in his hands. "Do these seals... You can store things, or bring them out of storage at your will." After the hand-seals were complete, a full meal of both a bento box of rice and soybean pods, as well as a bowl of mappo tofu would appear, and Daiko would slowly hand them over to the young man. 

Daiko smiled slightly, giving the young boy a hearty meal. "This is from a restaurant that my friend Saya had shown me. I used to wander around too, and a couple of people had shown me a place here that I could call home. Maybe I could take you back to the village, and show you what they have to offer." Daiko nods his head solemnly, remember being alone and afraid of what was to come. "My name is Daiko, by the way. It's nice to meet you." Daiko smiles slightly, letting the young man enjoy his meal before expecting any kind of response. 

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Hyo was stunned at the sudden act of generosity. He smiled and happily accepted the food, gently holding every precious ounce of it. He would make his way to the ground sitting on his knees placing the packages of food around himself in a tidy array. He would pick up the chopsticks and get to work on digging into his meal. Though he was still quite hungry, he ate with a measured pace. Making sure to savor every bite of the delicious food that was given to him. He would quietly eat for all of three minuets before pausing to speak with the stranger.

   "Thank you sir, you're quite kind... You mentioned a village?..."

   He would pause to think for a moment. He did need to find some shelter before nightfall, and it would be nice to be behind village walls again. This person seems nice, and they don't seem to be the type to want to harm him, if they did why feed him first... After the brief pause he would look up at the stranger... Daiko was his name... Then he suddenly remembered! He had forgotten to introduce himself! 

   "My name is Hyokai by the way... It's a pleasure to meet you Daiko."

   He would then remember the seals taught to him Rat, Dog... In a puff of ethereal haze the leftover food would disappear to who knows where and he would stand to meet Daiko properly. He would bend into a low bow before raising his eyes to meet Daiko. 

   "Shall we be on then? By the way what village is it?..."

Word Count: 265
TWC: 1000

Daiko watched the young man eating the food, and it brought a slight smile to his face. He was honestly more surprised that the kid didn't just scarf down the entire thing in only a couple seconds. It was interesting to see that they had eaten it with such manners, and as such Daiko imagined that this guy might've been from some sort of high-class family or something of that nature. Daiko was a damn adult, and he still ended up eating like he hadn't had a scrap in weeks. It was no matter though. Daiko waited for the kid to stand up, and then noticed that he promptly bowed afterward. Daiko scratched the back of his head, letting out a slight sigh. He didn't really know how to react in these types of situations, though he definitely appreciated the gesture. Once the boy had straightened his posture, Daiko would've patted him on the head, and nodded his head for a second. "Anytime. Don't worry about it. I'll take you to the shop where we got the food eventually. Yeah, there's a village about a kilometer away from here. That's where I'm going to be taking you next."

Daiko then began to walk towards the village, checking to make sure the young man was following him. "Oh, yes. It's Kirigakure no Sato. That's the name of it at least. These islands here are essentially the outskirts of the village. We're going to have to go through the front gates though. That's just to make sure no troublemakers get in." Daiko nodded his head, scanning the area in front of him. It seemed like the path back to the village was pretty clear. All around, there was essentially just grass and mossy stones, with no other notable features. It was a pretty flat plain, considering the formation of this island and where they were at. The sun was hanging directly overhead, shifting in and out of the scattered clouds that were in the sky. They were a straight shot away from the gates, and it likely wouldn't take too long before they had made it to their destination. "So. Hyōkai, is it?" Daiko glanced in the young man's direction for a second. "I'm curious. What brings you to this part of the world? What type of things do you do?" Daiko tilts his head slightly, wondering what they are here for, if any particular reason. 

Daiko remembers when he first made it to this place. It wasn't for any particular reason, it's just the first place that he had found himself. Once he had actually arrived, he was fortunate enough to find someone who would treat him kindly. He wondered if they would run into her at the gates, whenever they had to end up going through... Out of curiosity, Daiko decided that he would join Hyo whenever they had to do the gate check. Since he was close now, he could feel his chakra. He didn't seem like he was the most powerful ever. They still had a while to go before they made it to the village, and Daiko wondered if they would run into anyone else around here. 

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The young ninjas eyes would light up at the mention of the villages name, a slight smile touching his face lending it a innocent cast. It was as if all his wishes had been answered after meeting Daiko. He had been wandering for three years in search of Kirigakure it was hard to believe that today was the day that he would finally reach his goal. He eyed the man cheerfully and parsed over his words. Collecting his thoughts, a slight mist came to his eyes as he began to speak.

   "My name is Hyokai Yuki... I've been searching for Kirigakure for three years, wandering on my own... As far as what I do well, I do any thing I can to survive... It's just been the way of the world since my parents passed..." Emotion would threaten to cut his speech short, so he would look down and away from Daiko for the moment.

   The mist in his eyes would condense into light tears that ran down his cheeks. His face remained calm, there was even a smile revealing porcelain teeth, but his eyes held a pit of emotions. Sorrow, happiness, anxiety, all these feelings where rushing into Hyokai much to his embarrassment. He would wipe his face, clearing it of the tears, so he could see Daiko better.

   "Sorry for all the tears, I'm just so emotional... I never thought I'd make it this far, let alone meet someone so kind. Usually my hair and eyes make me enemies, that or my last name... I hope you don't view me any differently because of it...." His words would become timid at the end. A slight hesitation upon realizing that he had given his full name moments prior.

   Hyokai would continue following Daiko, with a measured pace. Not to close, but not to far from him either. His face would be red with embarrassment, and he wrung his hands together in a anxious fit. He really hoped that he hadn't made a mistake by telling him his last name. Still even in this day and time the Yuki's where considered a cursed clan, he just sincerely hoped that his new friend didn't mind...

   He would look back up at Daiko after taking a moment to eye his hands and stop their frantic wringing. It was a nasty habit of his when he got anxious. After letting them drop back down to his side, he would continue his pace. Keeping his eyes on Daiko, waiting for the response that could make or break this daydream. Worst case scenario he would run, as fast as he could and hope that they where feeling merciful. If things went well... well he couldn't quite fathom that possibility, if they did go well he would be loyal to them, forever in their debt.  

Word Count:469
TWC:1469

Daiko squints for a second, making sure that had heard the young man correctly. He truly had no idea how it had taken someone three years to find a major country. Maybe they had come from a place with no maps. That wasn't important though. It had seemed like this kid had their parents taken from them at a pretty young age. That is always a shame, especially if they had grown up close to them. Daiko recalled the time when his master was abruptly taken from him, and could somewhat understand the feelings of sadness associated with such things. He wasn't too torn up about it at this point, but he remembered the emptiness he had felt when the wound was still fresh. Healing from such a thing definitely took time, though Daiko wondered what he had been doing for the past three years if it was not getting over the loss of some family members. It took him only a couple of months and a few corpses to get over the loss of his previous sensei, though he was sure that likely wasn't the norm. Either way, Daiko would continue to listen to what the boy had to say. 

Ah shit. He was crying. It seemed that he was tearing up over the food that had been given to him. Daiko remembered when he was first introduced to the cuisine of Kirigakure. It was pretty aight, to say the least. There were many different flavors and options available, and since Daiko had been here, the country had been thriving. The tourism to the islands was pretty high, plus ninja activity was booming. Either way. Daiko was once again puzzled by Hyo's statement and the fact that they felt the need to apologize for their last name. Was it their clan? Daiko recalled Saya telling him something about how she had to hide the fact that she was part of a clan, and how people may want to hunt them down and/or do evil things to them. Daiko himself recognized the fact that killing people and ripping certain organs out, mainly their hearts, could provide a bunch of benefits. Maybe it was one of those cases. "Uhh.. Well... I don't know what the hell a Yuki is, so you're fine with me. I have a friend that like. Has something similar, I guess. They're just as afraid of giving this last name. You don't gotta worry about that with me, though. I won't kill you unless you try to attack me or something." Daiko laughs for a second, patting the tuft of Hyo's hair that was sticking up. 

Daiko then got a super-serious expression and lowered himself to the level of the young man. "Do you think a murderer would wait to see what you had to say before ending your life...? I'm not fattening you up like a turkey by giving you food. I understand what it's like to be in your shoes to an extent, so I feel like at the very least you deserve to experience the ways of this village. How convenient that you've come to Kirigakure as well... This is where I've been staying lately. Eventually, I'm probably going to be traveling around. Until then though. I'd be more than happy to train you to be a shinobi. Then you won't have to worry about people finding out your clan." Daiko chuckles for a second, as they get closer to the gates. "If you're lucky I'll let you fight my other student... He's a jumpy little guy... Maybe you'll get to meet him soon." 

With the time that they had been talking, they had just about made it to the gates of Kirigakure. Now all they had left to do was to actually get through... Hopefully, Saya was on watch today. 

[Exiting w/ Hyōkai]

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Posting Claims later.

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[2000/2000] Awakening Byakugan
170 WC discarded

Approved @Daiko