Before Graduation

While he still studied Yutaru got comfortable with himself in Hoshigakure. Everyday he went to the bottom floor of his apartment complex and bought some fresh veggies. The Hyuuga lived a vegetarian diet, and eggs were usually kept in his fridge. 

On this morning Yutaru picked up some Ramen noodles and set himself to making breakfast. Today he planned on studying some freshly collected hoshizora seeds, and needed to be well fueled for the strain of intense focus with his Byakugan. Before recording the cellular construct of rna nucleotides, Yutaru needed some brug.

With his Yutaka pants on Yu was walking around with a white v neck. He pulled the eggs out, and left them on the counter. With fast hands he grabbed a knife and started chopping up the tiny handful of green onions. They were still wet from the walk back upstairs, and Yu was crunching them up as he cleanly sliced them up with a kunai. The fledgling ninja was starving, and the broth had finished boiling. 

This wasn't packet Ramen, but it was something he had found in the market place. A liquid fish oil broth that he had tried before, but with a different noodle. As the simmering soup broth boiled over he finished cutting the last of his vegetables. On the table were three brown, teriyaki soaked eggs, chopped radishes, and green onions. There was a little bottle of teriyaki sauce that Yutaru topped off the bowl with.

The young man ate up, pondering what he might find. Once Yu was done eating he sat in his living room and held the Hoshizora seed. A few days ago he found it mountain climbing the peaks outside of Hishi. Like many times before it was hiding inside a close, white lotus that grew on a vein in the trees. This seed had a peculiar brown speckle, and Yu was looking at it in the sunlight.

The warm air oenetrating his second story window pain reflected coldly off his pale Byakugan. When it wasn't active the flight blue tiny seemed to keep the air still, and Yu was looking real focused. Suddenly he activated his Byakugan, and several veins near his temples bulged. Yutaru zoomed his sight in, penetrating the vegetative flesh of the seed. 

At night it was hard to study a living plant, but in the daylight the shape of the enzymes were clear. Yutaru could see many unusual bodies in the flesh of the cells, hiding inside the cell walls. The strain was a lot, but he could maintain it long enough to layer draw the forms. 

Yu had a little jar collecting, each one painted by color for which cellular bodies they held. Some had a G shaped fibro peptide and were painted green, other were painted Bkack for the T shape cell well it had. 

Yu wondered which one this would be, and released his byakugan. Not setting the seed down he grabbed his own and began sketching the L shaped cellular body. This peptide was useless, but it wouldn't matter in the moment. Suddenly a knock came to his door.

Whoever was standing on the other side of his apartment could smell the Ramen, his kitchen was next to the door. Yu didn't move or answer immediately, then the second knock came while he was sketching again.

Wordcount: 557

From the way Yu called out, "Just a moment." Then he stood up. As the growing ninja moved to his rental units door he wondered who might be knocking. With his hair tied back by a white band the Hyuuga opened up, and no one was there.

The faint hint of white smoke was there, and Yu immediately knew what he was smelling. A kuchiyose seal had been released. Despite no other signs of danger Yu put his guard up and activated his Byakugan. There was nothing to be seen, and Yu was standing with his one arm on the door as he looked. 

Yutaru was studied in Jikukan. The soon to be graduate had prepared the Summoning of Rashomon Gates for his ceremony, Prideful and prepared. He knew not how someone had summoned something to knock on his door, and Yu wondered if it was an animal.

Yu sniffed furthered, the breezy airways of his apartment complex were filled with lots of scents and he tried to figure it out. Yutaru could smell something musky, and he didn't know it yet but it was a floral scent of a scaled snake. As he still stood sniffing the little serpent crawled up his panties. 

Suddenly Yutary felt the presence and was entirely taken back. The snake wrapped around his sock and injected its teeth deep in the muscle of his left calf. Suddenly Yutaru was filled with the serpents psyche venom.

The toxin filled his blood and instantly he felt the effects. Yutaru grew heavy headed and threw his door shut and stumbled back. The snakes voice permeated Yutaru's mind, and he was entirely forceful on letting Yu know what his name was and who he was. The snake knew Yutaru, and it told him so.

"Hey Yutaru, my name is Yuel. I've been following you for a long time. I live near the same tunnels your father built his home in." Still taken back by the snakes bite Yu stumbled further back and hit the ground. Yu turned his Byakugan back off and hit the ground. As the snake spoke to him it crawled thru Yutarus white v neck t shirt and onto his throat. The tiny snake coiled on it's idols throat, speaking thru its mind.

Yutaru knew this snake was telling the truth. To his knowledge no one in Hoshigakure knew of the Hyuuga Nest where Yutaru was raised. Yuel the serpent was certainly coming at Yu with a lot, and while he listened to the snake further he forgot about the strange summoning smoke he smelled.

"Well, anyways I am Yuel and I watch you. I like how you move, and I helped you find the Hoshizora. My father days we shouldn't meddle with humans, but you're profound to me. Anyways, someone sent a toad here." Yutarus attention snapped back to the curious summoning smoke.

As Yuel talked to Yutaru he could hear it hissing, and logic rationed him to essentially play the victim and just listen. The snake was long and white, at least a meter long. It was wrapped around a large pink flower, and tightly spoiled on Yutarus neck. He had no choice. As the snake spoke Yu had no choice but to trust it.

In his mind Yutaru spoke aloud to the snake. "Well, errm. I'm flattered Yuel, but why did this toad exactly cause you to intervene?  

In Yutarus mind he could see the pale white snake coiling ever so as it listened to him.

Yuel responded simply, "They had a kunai in their mouth. I know the Myubuku Toads, they are hateful and if one wishes you harm I wouldn't want to see it. They are thieves Yutaru." Yutaru felt comfortable with the snake answee and stood up.

While he craned his neck upward the snake wrapped itself around Yutarus right arm. It was a thin creature but strong, and Yu felt some weigh by its struggle to form to his body. The empathic link between its psyche venom was settling in now and Yutaru could tellvthe creature was happy to meet him, so Yutaru tried his best to be receptive and share his mind with the snake. 

Yutaru slowly walked over to the dining counter where he had the Ramen still warm, talking with Yuel the snake.

WordCount: 719

Byakugan active Yutaru was observing his range of vision. As far as he could see no one threatening was nearby and so he was free to speak telepathically with Yuel the snake. The two talked for a good, long hour and made acquaintances. Yuel told Yutaru that he came from the caves of Ryyuchi, and that he was a sage of the snakes. While studying the human form as a vessel for a sage, Yutaru struck his fancy.

It was as simple as that. Forbyears Yuel had been watching him, silently moving the youth toward brilliance. It wasn't so simple now though. Yuel had conveyed to him out of danger. The toad was seemingly unbuttoned by a ninja, which meant it was a strong sage like Yuel was. Why the warty amphibian was preying in Yutaru was certainly unclear. 

After long enough conversation Yuel stuck his tongue out. The long, flat utensil unraveled with the kaiju for the Ryuchi snakes. Yutaru pricked his thumb on the snakes fang, and signed his name. The contract was made and the two agreed to figure out why a toad from Mount Myaboku was after Yuel.

Beyond that Yuel had silently decided to begin teaching Yuel of nature energy, in due time. For now the wise snake was more concerned with preserving Yutaru from danger, and at the Ninja fledgling rquest; Yuel would help him master the ninja arts for Hoshigakure no Sato.

That day the two went to the markets of Hoshi, looking for signs of a pursuer but there were none. They had fun together, questioning the local people on any toads; and Yutaru became known to more than just his local produce vendor. They stopped at the Ninja shop and picked up weapons, Yuel promising to teach him advanced Jikukan.  They also went to some of the places Yutaru wouldn't usually go, like delis and animal shelters. The snake encouraged his detective eye, but the search that day was helpless.

For now it would remain that Yutaru was being pursued, but it wouldn't matter for now. The Toads of Mount Myaboku were plotting against him, but Yutaru knew not why. The new pair of snake and ninja decided to focus on their coordination for the upcoming graduation, and the summoner shinobi began the first of many journeys in his ninja life.

WordCount: 390