Weather Through the Storm

The sun was rising in the Land of Rice. An orange wave washed over anything exposed to the warm morning sky, and gentle winds rustled trees and grass alike. Despite the night being almost completely snuffed out, a lone silhouette moved amongst the greenery in a field, which had grown waist high.

The mint-eyed teen, glistening with sweat after a long night of training, took his perch atop one of the stronger limbs of a large dogwood tree that grew on the far end of the Senju's property. He leaned his back against the base of the tree itself, keeping one foot on the branch for support, leaving the other to dangle freely and lazily. The warm glow of what remained of the sun fought to pierce the tree's shield of leaves, which thankfully did not obstruct the view of the road on the other side of a well-worn wooden fence. Occasionally, travelers would pass by, but none took notice of the boy in the tree which Mikaela was glad for. The teen took a deep, thoughtful breath, exhaling satisfaction and relaxation. A gust of wind blew past, bringing with it scents of wildflowers, trees, and a whisper of rain to come. This was the best time to enjoy being outside, he thought even when the cold winds would come.

That's when he would jump down and head into town from his family's compound. The smell of the food was always worth stopping for. Halting at a spot that felt as safe as any, Mikaela finally looked up and took in what was around him. Mikaela had been lost in his own world. His mind stuck on the pretend game he had created to make walking bearable, had filtered out the growling sounds of his stomach. However, the tiny settlement had its fair share of lunch rushes. He had always disliked this time of day and cursed his stomach for choosing now of all times to protest its emptiness. Why couldn't he like to eat an hour from now? Maybe an hour before would have been better? Mikaela thought that he could wait. Allow the couples to share their meals, the business folk to rush through their break. He could watch, he thought. There were a few familiar faces. The old man always had coffee with his sandwich even when it was hot outside. There was the elderly group of female friends whose laughter was infectious - sitting around a table with tea. He'd waited before. 

Grabbing a warm tea and a rainbow roll he headed towards his next destination. The redheads next stop was to the bioluminescent glow warm caves that laid right off the shore next to Tanbogakure. Easy access to take the beach; however, the Senju would soon learn that even if the cave was close, the approaching storm would give him a hard time. Not all ideas end up being sensible ones, and sometimes, no amount of positive thinking and drive to succeed will assure you achieve your goal. Mikaela was being reminded of that fact once again as he foolishly tries to fight his way through a monster of a storm.

Moments later, hurricane like-winds, and torrential rain was beating the gulf that homed Tanbogakure, slowly traveling east in the direction of Konohagakure.  Soaking wet and becoming somewhat tired. He was walking hunched forward against the battling winds, his head down, eyes only shielded from the aggressive, relentless weather by his arm covering his eyes.

He forced his burning calves to work against the wind, but his strength was dwindling – the winds trying to force him backwards. He was just contemplating giving up, laying down on the ground and sleeping – even in this weather, when she heard an almighty crack from directly above.

Lighting up the area, he had to find the place he was searching to take shelter from the heavy rain, but it was pouring so hard that he could hardly see a few meters in front of him. Luckily, he quickly recognized where he was – near the bottom of a cliff, when had he gotten this far? – and knew exactly where to go.

The moment he stopped feeling the pression of water on his body, making his clothes stick on every portion of her skin, Mikaela let out a long sigh and tried to even his breathing after his running. Once he recovered, he finally allowed himself to look around him and couldn't refrain the small wistful smile that appeared on his lips.

The rock faces composing the cave he was using as a shelter were glistening with droplets of water because of the humidity, which partake in the incessant sound of running water. But what really caught his eye was the bioluminescent worms the covered the stone walls. 

Mikaela could remember the first time he had set foot inside the cave like this, like it was yesterday, eyes open wide because of wonder and excitement. As a kid, this place had always seemed like another world entirely, a place where he could play and dream freely. It was where he had come up with a lot of ideas for his drawings, his imagination always running wild, and it was also where he would go to find peace and comfort.

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Morning, it was literally the prelude to starting the worst part of the day and usually the Kaguya was attempting to find some type of shelter to sleep during this hour. There were very few times he would reverse his sleep schedule and stay up during this god forsaken time and unfortunately this was one of those times. He found that it was easier to communicate and engage with the people of Tanbogakure if he stayed on the same circadian rhythm as the rest of the village. Luckily for him he had found some entertainment in the middle of the night by the way of a villager using the moonlight to train their skills. The young Kaguya had hidden himself away in some bushes as he watched the ninja..he didn't really know who it was but he assumed it must be a ninja, did Tanbo have ninjas or was this just a very motivated rice collector? Garuda scratched his head as he pondered the question to himself and it brought along more questions as well, how was he now to tell who was trained and who wasn't, there weren't any identifiable marks or accessories that people wore that shouted I'm a ninja, what if he attacked a random villager oh the trauma that would induce!

As time passed he watched as the young man climbed up into a tree, did the boy live in the tree, was he homeless, Garuda's heart instantly wept for the lad and his mind went into overdrive as it concocted a story and a replacement memory for this new person. All things that proceed this happened in the course of five seconds inside the Kaguya's mind as Garuda continued to watch the male rest his head against the tree. How horrible it was that this young child had to battle his whole life to find a place to call home and sadly it had been this great tree that the child had named Willows Welt. The teen had spent his entire life dedicated to perfecting his craft and his parents had kicked him out on the streets for being one tracked minded. You see his family were rice farmers by trade and it was a generational thing passed down from line to line and this poor child wanted to be something more, he wanted to be a fighter, a ninja of good. Tears slowly streamed down Garuda's face as he didn't blink staring at the boy in the tree.

The boys teenage years had been rough, he'd steal food when he could and got into a lot of fights with the local youth when they would call him dirty. It wasn't his fault that he didn't have a bath or knew about the rivers that he could use to clean himself, after all the only thing the young male thought about was growing stronger and one day taking on all of the evil the world had to offer and pushing it back for good. Garuda snapped back to reality as his little trouble maker had removed himself from the tree and begun his walk, for a moment he disappeared inside a domicile before arriving once more on the outside. Now it was mission follow the homeless, Garuda simply had to ensure that his young ward didn't do anything that would result in him being caught and punished again! As the male walked, Garuda was sure to keep a good distance between them as to not be found out and his ward run off as to escape the shame of being found out by someone who just wanted to help.

The teen made his way into an establishment that looked like it mainly housed elderly, Garuda's face was firmly planted against a beam half slid off to watch the boy as he took some tea and what looked like a biscuit WITHOUT PAYING, OH THE HUMANITY!!! His ward was at it again, stealing food even though he knew he could come to Garuda at anytime he needed money or a place to stay, after all his brother Yasahiro-kun would take the boy in no questions asked if it's what Garuda wanted. As the teen left the establishment Garuda would run in  with tears streaming down his face apologizing to the store runner and paying him again for the food his ward took. The store runner would look awkwardly at Garuda, slowly taking the money and pocketing it because the teen did in fact pay. Creeping back out of the store he'd once again focus on the teen  and follow in his foot steps albeit a great distance behind. Civilians were beginning to stare at Garuda, but in his mind he ws being as sneaky as well as sneaky as a blind man could be in a situation of tailing someone.

Ah the beach, it was the one place the teen could be himself, no one judged him here it was just the open air and sea...with little tiny rocks that people somehow enjoyed having between their feet. Like seriously what was up with that, beaches weren't fun, they were hot, the air was hot, the sand was hot...and you were supposed to walk on it bare foot? If you brought food, the local wild life would attempt to steal it. In side the water were weird bubble things that if you got to close they would hurt you! Nothing about the beach was a fun place, if anything it was a war zone. However his ward found solace here so Garuda would have to let all of that go, now that they were out in the open though he couldn't follow his mark normally and instead began wandering around as a blind man would with his walking stick tapping the sand in front of him as he used another hand to stabilize his wobbling body as the sand made it hard to walk in.

Sure enough, just as Garuda had thought, the beach turned deadly, the temperature dropped, the wind changed speeds and the sky turned a grayish color as lightning and thunder filled the area. Garuda watched as the teen forced himself through the change of weather and Garuda himself followed albeit not in a normal manner as he flailed his hands in the air and began spitting out sand as it flew up into his mouth from the increased wind speeds. A little bit of travel and some rather embarrassing moments as Garuda feigned blindness and it ended up throwing himself down some hills and running his body into some fallen trees he found himself at the entrance of a cave where he lost sight of the teen. More than likely he was in here, now it was time for the play of a lifetime, Garuda cleared his throat once before speaking.

"Ahhh, what is a blind man to do, I do not know from where I have came...and I do not know where I am at!" He'd stop speaking for a moment as he looked left and right through his veil covering his eyes to see if he had any biters from his previous words before speaking again." Is there anyone there, I seem to have become lost from all of the changes in weather and it turned me from where I am supposed to be. Is there an able bodied person or just anyone that can point me in the right direction??" Now he played the waiting game.

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Mikaela stood drenched; water droplets dripped from his soaked clothes. The monstrous storm echoed through the deep caverns of the earth. The only lighting was that from the bioluminescent glow worms upon the walls and the quick flash of lightning that lit up the entrance of the cave. He was protected for now. Wrapping his hair around his hand, he ringed the water out before letting it fall on his back once again. The yellow traditional battle-style kimono that he wore felt heavy but nothing that would wear him down.

Turning his focus back to the walls, he stared in amazement. Such a sight felt so majestic to him. He wanted to hold the unique species of worms, but Mikaela did not want to disturb their peace. He always felt inclined to those who couldn't protect themselves, especially animals. His mindset and demeanor were what his father hated about him most, wanting him to be rigorous rice farmer and master his trade alongside his brother. Those were things that he didn't want to do. He felt more inclined with the arts of medical ninjutsu. Healing those that suffered. Mainly animals. He wished to be vet of sorts for the village, but it was too small for that sort of role. Maybe now with the influx of populace, he could reach that goal again.

While thinking, his thoughts were obliterated by the sound of a booming voice. Retracting his head back towards the entrance of the cave, he saw the silhouette of a tall figure. While the setting was eerie, what the man shouted made for less. As Mikaela's eyes adjusted to this person, the dim lighting offered support. He wears a dark garb that loosely covers his body. Dark hair. What really made Mikaela question is the white cloth that covers his eyes. This man shouted he was blind, but yet how did he make it into this cave? Did he get lost in the storm and wander here or was he just putting on a show. He never seen this man in the village before but with so many new people here, he most likely could have missed him. But he was certain he would've seen a blind man before.

Nervous was what he felt coerce over his skin as the man continued to speak about needing to help. His voice ricochet off the walls. How could he not tell he was in a cave? Also, why would he think anyone would be in here. Did he not know he was in a cave? He has too. They still can hear the deadly storm outside that was most likely going to last for another hour or so. Mikaela let out a sigh, whether or not he was playing, Mikaela's kind nature would let it get the better of him.

Strutting forward, he announced his presence, "Yes, I am here. I'm Mikaela Senju," he walked over to larger male. "We are in a cave; the storm is too dangerous right now for you to leave. Once the storm lets up, I can help you back. But for now, just sit here," Mikaela soothingly said as he reached out his to grab the man's arm to lead him to a makeshift rock seat. Whether or not he allowed Mikaela to do that action he would proceed. "What's your name? It seems you have taken quite the fall, I can heal the injuries for you, if you like," he said as he looked at the man's body, which seems it had been through the ringer.

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It didn't take long for a response to come from inside the cave just as Garuda had expected, well hoped to be more realistic. The person he was following could have stayed quiet refusing to be of any help to a stranger that roamed into an area that closed them off from any other exit. Usually in any other situation this would cause someones fight or flight instincts to kick in and they'd react accordingly. For whatever the reason this person had decided to risk their safety and respond in kind. Being blind had it's perks after all, no one ever expected the blind man to be of any notable threat, they were low on the scale of danger and often needed help doing even basic things in the world they lived in. With a cheeky smile on his face at the response Garuda continued to fumble his way forward into the cave hands in front of him ensuring he didn't run into anything face first. He'd respond to the male in quick fashion while he walked forward with a upbeat voice.

"Oh A cave, hmm that would explain why I don't feel the rain hitting my body anymore...ya know it's dangerous out there! I somehow found my way of the beach and onto this path.." Garuda would stop walking forward for a moment using his legs to step in a quarter circle around his body to ensure he wasn't going to step on any hazardous things. "Ya know my ward...these weather changes are dangerous and you shouldn't be roaming like this!"

Being told to sit down and wait Garuda did just that and plopped onto the semi dampish ground, his robes flowing down along with him as they adorned the ground. It was a weird request but he did exactly as his ward requested" You were right, this is more comf-" Garuda was already looking in the direction of the male and found it weird that he had asked him to sit down and now was reaching to grab him by the arm. His ward was a good thief and tree climber but he wasn't very smart with his words and giving task and direction. As the male reached for him Garuda would allow it and stand back to his feet being led to another seat. This time a rock, which if he was being honest wasn't as comfortable as the ground but at least it wasn't wet.

"Wha...you already know my name! It's Garuda, have you forgotten about me after all this time?!" He'd stare in the general direction of where the male had last been before speaking again." Wounds..nah I'll be fine, I'm built tough from all the damage I took as a kid being blind and all."

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