A Letter to Kaito from an old teacher.

Wed Jun 15, 2022 11:27 pm

A Letter to Kaito from an old teacher. RlNMUAA

Arantima had sat down and thought for a very long while on the intricacies' of how he would contact someone he knew in a very far place.. Not only contact them but not reveal where he was, nor put the recipient at risk either. The Letter he wrote would short, and not at all revealing. He Would scribe his letter and send it to a scribe, who would copy it and send it to another scribe in another land with instructions to do the same. This would repeat once for each of the main different lands, Of fire water and lastly going to wind.

When the letter would arrive in the Land of wind it would arrive at a final scribe who would rewrite the letter and Hand deliver it to a certain Ninja, A one Kaito Inuzuka. The letter would read as follows.

"Kaito, You know not who this letter is from and this is best for the both of us for now. Know only that you the know the demon who originally penned these words. I invite you to meet in a neutral land, the Rice fields are out of the way and while a far travel from where you live now are quiet enough to ensure neither of us are followed.

This Letter invites you to come see an old friend who taught you many things.. But they require a token of trust.. Something that only Kaito would know must be spoken as a greeting. You must Prove that you recall what was taught and show Your friend the Core of his teaching, and invite them to enter, Your friend knows this is cryptic but hopes that if you accept this invitation that you will remember. They also wish to say that they hope this letter will stay between themselves and yourself and the innocent scribes that copied it to keep their whereabouts and identity a secret.

If this invitation does not interest you, your friend wishes you well and hopes you meet in the future as old friends instead of new enemies.

Come alone, if at all"

Thu Jun 16, 2022 8:14 am

As the letter arrived to the final scribe, he was alarmed that the previous source of the letter had come from a sender based out of the Land of Water. Understanding the previous high tensions between Sunagakure and Kirigakure, he assumed that its contents could contain some level of classified intel that could prove vital to the Kazekage's office. His plan had been to deliver the letter, and then tip off the Sunagakure higher ups regarding the letter from Water Country. Yet as he was arriving at Kaito's place of residence, he coincidentally saw the Kazekage also approaching his home.

Guren, having just learned of the events within Kaito and Raiden's simulated battle, sought to speak with Kaito directly. He understood that his spirits may be low, and so he wanted to offer feedback to the genin on how he could learn from his mistakes. But as he neared Kaito's home, the voice of the approaching scribe would call out to him.

"Lord third!" he'd call out as he ran towards Guren.

Turning in place, Guren would exchange a glance at the messenger who bore in his hands a rolled up letter secured tightly with a black ribbon. Once he was close enough, he'd lower his voice and talk in a hushed tone so that only Guren could hear him. "I've got a letter here, for a Kaito Inuzuka, addressed to the home you're nearing. But oddly enough it's from the Land of Water. I was entrusted with delivering it to him, but seeing as you're in the area, maybe you could deliver it to him yourself. I haven't peaked, but I'd speculate it has something to do with Kirigakure."

With that the scribe would hand the letter to Guren, who was puzzled at the idea of a genin getting mail from the Land of Water, a village that had historical tensions with Sunagakure. Guren would accept the letter, grabbing hold of it softly before lowering his arm down. "Thank you, I was actually heading to speak with him myself. I'll see to it that he gets this letter as well as discuss its contents with him."

Following this confirmation, the scribe would scurry off back to his place of work, and Guren would tuck the letter into the loose pocket of his yukata without peering at it. He'd continue on towards Kaito's home until he arrived at the front door. Once there, he'd knock and wait to be greeted by the Inuzuka.

WC = 413

Thu Jun 16, 2022 6:34 pm

Inuzuka, Kaito laid upon his bed as the outside world passed him by and continued to leave him unnoticed, and for that fact, probably unwanted as well.

He didn't mind it at all, however. He just lay there, awake and alert but also inattentive at the same time.

He was contemplating the way things had gone over the past couple of weeks; the loss of his loving parents; his loss in the second round of Sunagakure's Chūnin Selection Exams against Raiden.

Was he really that weak to have lost everything that easily? Was all of the training that he had endured over the past nine months really all for naught?

Looking over at his closet door, he could see the brown high-collared coat that once upon a time belonged to his father when the man was alive. Upon his nightstand was the golden bracelet that his father had bought for Kaito's mother for their first wedding anniversary. Some tears began to well up in his eyes as the thought of seeing his father take his last, dying breath overcame his vision.

'I've failed you, Father...' He thought to himself. He allowed the tears to fall for a moment before a burning sensation began to fill his chest.

He was tired of being weak.

He was tired of allowing himself to be a damsel in distress.

He allowed himself a moment to stand up from his bed.

Now was the time for action, and Kaito knew just what to do.

'I put it off for far too long... I've got to go speak with Lord Kazekage!'

The Inuzuka would walk out into the hallway of his new apartment. To his left was the rather spacious living room, which had two couches facing each other and separated only by a chest-like coffee table. To his right was the bathroom and at the end of the small hallway was the kitchen. He had moved into this place the day following the death of his parents, and while he could never call it his home, he had to admit that it was a rather good find.

"Kai!" Called a voice from within the kitchen. No sooner did Kaito open his bedroom door, a husky pup wearing a Sunagakure headband around his neck ran up to him, wagging his tail ceaselessly. "You're finally awake! Any plans for training today, huh?"

Kaito lowered himself to the pup's level, placing a delicate hand upon his head and rubbing it. This pup was Raidomaru; a present to the boy from his late father. His father had planned on gifting Rqidomaruto Kaito on his birthday a few months away, but with the way things had played out, he got the Ninken a bit earlier than expected.

"Maybe a bit later, okay?" He replied in a low voice. He tried his best to sound normal. "I've got to go meet with Lord Kazekage about an important matter." The dog didn't bother to hide the scowls of disappointment from his muzzle as his tail stopped wagging. Kaito smiled lightly as the pup reminded him of himself when it came to training with his father. Standing back upright, Kaito walked into the kitchen.

"Do you want some of that take-out I got us last night, Raido?" Raidomaru's ears and tail perked up and he bolted into the kitchen, tongue handing out of the side of his head.

"Can that even be classified as a question, Kai? I'm sure you already know the answer."

"I'll take that as a yes then." Kaito replied with a light chuckle. He grabbed one of the take-out containers from the refrigerator and heated it up in the microwave before dishing it out into Raidomaru's food bowl. He then filled up the dog's water bowl and set it down next to him. "You eat, and I'm gonna take a quick shower." The boy did just that. He hurried into the bathroom, showered, and then replaced his sleep clothes with his form-fitting green tank-top and a pair of khaki cargo shorts. Just as he walked back into the entrance hall, there was a sharp knock at the front door.

'Who could that be?' He asked himself, walking at a mild pace towards the entrance to his semi-humble abode. 'It better not be another damn journalist looking to do a story on mom and dad's death...' Allowing himself to scowl with displeasure just in case it was a journalist that he would have to scare off, Kaito swung the door inwards towards himself with bravado. Standing on the opposite end of the entrance was not a reporter, however...

It was the Lord Third Kazekage himself...

Wide-eyed, Kaito took a step back from the towering man. He didn't expect the man to come to him.

"Lo-lord Kazekage, Sir!" He stammered before taking a bow to address the man properly. Once finished with that, he would step aside and outstretch his arm in a welcoming manner. "Please come in. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

AP Utilized:
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[Word Count (Post) - 834]
[Word Count (Total) - 834]

Wed Jun 22, 2022 11:33 am

"Kaito, good to see you." Guren would greet the genin before being offered entrance into his home. The Third would proceed past Kaito, walking into the home before standing idly by in the hallway near the front door. He'd wait until Kaito would officially show him in, and further into his home. Until then, he'd visually inspect Kaito momentarily before allowing his gaze to return to Kaito's eyes. He seemed coincidentally refreshed, maybe right out the shower. Considering the time of day it was a bit late to just shower, so perhaps he had been dragging his feet a bit. Maybe from the exams? Perhaps from the circling rumors surrounding the state of Kaito's family. Truthfully Guren had been a bit behind with his reports, focusing on developing some new innovations and the exams. So rather than listening to the grape vine, he'd rather go straight to the horse's mouth. And there was a lot to discuss.

"Thank you for letting me in. I wanted to discuss a few topics with you today actually. A previous request, promise, your development, and your mental. As well as some other subjects. But first, will you show me in? And perhaps a cup of tea or coffee will be nice to accompany our conversation. This may be a bit thorough."

His tone was calm and pleasant, while his hands were tucked in his pocket and his stature was relaxed. Kaito had been a genin that Guren had known rather well, tracking his progress and having high hopes for him in the exams. The Third was not disappointed with his performance in the exams, but instead he was intrigued. He held his own against a capable and proven shinobi. But how did the genin see himself? Hopefully Guren would gain a bit of understanding during his visit.

WC = 303. TWC = 716

Wed Jun 22, 2022 11:22 pm

The Kazekage entered into Kaito's humble little abode, if it could be called that. To the boy, it really didn't seem like home. Not in the same way that his parent's home felt, that is. Knowing that he could not change his circumstances, only grow from them, it would have to suffice.

"It is a pleasure to see you as well, My Lord. To be honest, I was actually on my way to see you." Kaito side-stepped and outstretched his arm invitingly towards the living room. "Please, after you." Kaito would follow Guren's lead into the living room. As mentioned, the space adorned two couches facing each other and separated only by a chest-like coffee table in the center. A single photo lined the wall, one of a six-year-old Kaito standing with his mother and father outside of their home after they had bought the property upon moving to Sunagakure. The space too was littered with boxes, some opened and some still closed shut with packing tape. Kaito couldn't help but be embarrassed by the untidy mess that the Kazekage would be greeted with, but the boy did not expect the man himself to come to pay him a visit either.

"Please excuse the mess, My Lord. I'm still getting... settled in." Kaito choked on the last part of his sentence but did his best to keep his cool. With a forced smile, he would continue. "Make yourself at home and I'll get the tea preparation set."

Removing himself to the confines of the kitchen, Kaito would retrieve a small charcoal burner, an ancient-looking teapot, two cups, a few different jars of tea leaves, his tea steeping vessel, and a serving pot. As he did so, he could see Raidomaru looking at him and wagging his tail excitedly.

"Who is that, Kai?" The pup asked in a merrily but quiet voice. "You know I love meeting new people."

Kaito bent down to sit upon his knees and patted Raidomaru on the head delicately.

"That is Lord Third Kazekage." He paused for a second, thinking. "I don't see the harm in you joining in on our meeting, but please be respectful and relaxed, okay?" Raidomaru nodded, the wagging of his tail stopping and his posture stiffening up. Kaito patted him on the head again before standing back upright, grabbing the tea set, and making his way back into the living room. He would place the preparation set down on the coffee table before placing the teapot on the charcoal-burner and allowing it time to heat up.

"Any flavor that you would like in particular, My Lord?" Based on Guren's response, Kaito would nod and prepare the requested type. He would allow the water in the pot to come to a boil before pouring it into the steeping vessel. He would then stir the water before pouring it into the serving pot, stir it again, and then pour it into the two cups he had brought with him. He would then pick up the two cups. "Excuse me for just a moment, Lord Kazekage." He would take the two cups full of tea into the kitchen, dump them out into the sink, and walk back out into the living room. From there, he repeated the process of the tea preparation.

This was the process of "waking up the teaware", and he had learned it from his old friend and mentor, Arantima, before the boy seemingly disappeared from the village. He was truly thankful to the silver-haired boy for teaching him this process, as it really helped in his tea-making skills.

Upon finishing the waking process and finally filling the two cups of tea again, he could humbly set one down on the table in front of Guren and place the other in front of himself, allowing it to cool down a bit before taking his first sip. He would try to relax himself a bit, inviting Raidomaru to sit next to him on the couch and petting the pup on his head as he looked Guren in the eyes.

Now was time to get down to business.

"I want to start by saying that I cannot thank you enough for coming to meet with me, Lord Kazekage. It really does mean a lot to me. In regards to my progress, I have made the progress that we had agreed upon in our last meeting, that being my learning of sensory abilities and also Water-Style, but I made a fool of myself in the exams." He would pause for a moment to stir his cup of tea before taking a sip of it and sitting it back down upon the table before him. "I was backed into a corner during my fight, and I couldn't see a way to get myself out of it. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that you may have heard the rumors of my parents being murdered, which I can confirm are true, but that is not an excuse for my performance." A wince appeared upon the boy's face as his fists began to ball up. "What it comes down to, in my opinion, is a lack of strength. I need to continue to get stronger and to go beyond my current limits."

Kaito would then look Guren in the eyes; a look of determination, pain, anger, and sorrow welling up in his own teenage eyes.

"I cannot allow myself to be a hindrance to the village, My Lord..."

AP Utilized:
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[Word Count (Post) - 911]
[Word Count (Total) - 1,745]

Sat Jun 25, 2022 5:00 am

As the tears of determination and sorrow filled Kaito's eyes, a deep, burning pain overcame him.

"Gah!" He exclaimed, gritting his teeth and grabbing at his head. It was throbbing with each and every beat of his heart, which began to beat faster and faster.

What in the world was happening to him.

"Ex-excuse me for a moment, Lord Kazekage…" He said, trying to keep his composure as best he could. Stepping up from his spot on the couch to go to the bathroom, Kaito got about halfway up before falling sideways upon the floor at his feet. He winced in pain, but it wasn't the fall that he winced from. As soon as he had risen to his feet, the pain in his head snapped intensely.

"Kaito!" Raidomaru exclaimed from the couch. The pup jumped down to the floor and looked over at the boy, whose eyes were closed and no longer writhing in agonizing pain. Without knowing of what he could do, he retreated to rubbing the boy's face with his muzzle and licking his face. "Kaito… please wake up…"

Suddenly, Kaito groaned from the floor, his eyes beginning to open slowly.

"Kaito! You're alive!" Raidomaru exclaimed happily, licking the boy's face vigorously. He continued this for a few more seconds before noticing something… different… about the boy.

"Kai… Why are your eyes red?"

Confused and still in pain from whatever the hell had just overcome him, Kaito would rise quickly to his feet and walk over to a mirror he had hanging on the wall. He would look long and hard at the reflection, but it wasn't the same him that was looking back. The Kaito looking back through the mirror, while almost the same looks through and through, had eyes of deep crimson. There was also what appeared to be a dot in the bottom right corner of the eye as well, and he could swear that he had seen something very similar to it before, but where?

Just what the hell was going on?

Beginning to become worried, the boy slowly turned to face Guren.

The False Inuzuka:

"Lord Kazekage…” He gulped. “Wh-what the hell is going on here?"

AP Utilized:
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[Word Count (Post) - 361]
[Word Count (Total) - 2,106]

Mid-Thread Claims:

Sat Jun 25, 2022 9:58 am

Upon being welcomed into his home, Guren would promptly walk over to the dinning room table and seat himself at the chair that had access to the kitchen. While seated he would take the opportunity to visually inspect the home of Kaito, which the boy did not seem proud of it. It showed signs of stress, pain, and loss. But the Kazekage did not judge this boy. He had known similar pain and felt similar emotions in the past, and so everyone coped differently. His observations were interrupted by Kaito asking for his tea preference. "Green tea please," Guren would say aloud. It was a blend that was naturally caffeinated, and one that he personally felt invigorated one's soul with its liveliness. The herbal essence its smell gave off was soothing, and paired with its smooth taste was enough to calm the anxiety of insecure spirits. His tea selection was always paired with the situation he was in, and it had been something he had truly grown fond of. Plus it was something that was significantly more...holistic, than alcohol. Besides, he saw what happened the last time him and Kaito drank.

Kaito would take time to awaken the tea ware before pouring their actual cups and bringing it to the table. Guren would calmly grab ahold of his, raise it to his lips for the first sip, then subsequently offer Kaito a subtle nod of approval. Kaito would immediately begin this meeting of sorts, thanking Guren and briefing him on his progress as a shinobi. He would admit that he was disappointed in his performance, then confirm that it was not motivated by pain he felt from the loss of his parents. Following this, Kaito would appear visually distraught. He'd state that he needed more strength, presumably to overcome the losses he felt. Guren's face would shift from a soft smile to stern. His eyes were stoic, yet his body was relaxed. He'd take another sip of tea then lower the glass to the table.

"Kaito, I first want to apologize for the loss of your parents. That is a pain I know myself, and it is one that takes time to heal. Let yourself live on to carry on their legacy, but never forget that although their flesh is resting...their spirits will live on within you forever. Learn to pray if you need to, to speak with them directly. Sometimes forms of inner meditation can allow yourself to connect with a level of consciousness you never realized you had..." Guren's first words were cryptic, yet if Kaito took his advice perhaps he'd understand some day. "Regarding the exams, you'll never make a fool out of yourself if you try. And tried you did. If I recall correctly, one of the questions on the written portion actually asked you what you would do should you be cornered. Your response, was to retreat or rely on the strength of your teammates. Both of which were admirable answers. Remember your instincts in situations like that. You waved the flag, but still had options. Either retreating momentarily to find an advantage, or better maneuvering your clones to tackle the threat. Admittedly I paired you up against Raiden, as I know quite a bit about him. He's like me, formerly a missing ninja. Though his village status may be a genin, he is realistically on par with Chunin or Jounin level. We normalized everyone's power to offer an even playing field, but he has experience. And I personally wanted to test you against someone who came from such a proven background. So do not hang your head in shame, you held your own."

Guren would take a brief pause before attempting to respond to Kaito's comments on strength. He felt as if Kaito had the strength he needed, but the boy needed to better understand how to use it. But before Guren could comment, he seemed to keel over in pain. Excusing himself, he'd leap up and fall to his knees. Guren would active his Ketsuryugan, and stand from his chair. He scanned over Kaito, who seemed to be medically okay, though his chakra was indeed spiking. Realizing what was happening, Guren would sit back down at the table as Kaito carried himself to the bathroom. Though temporarily alarmed, Guren was calm again now that he recognized what Kaito was going through. It seemed as if his intel had been true. The people Kaito knew as his parents were not biological. Yet instead they had adopted him. And his true parents were somewhere out there in the world...and of Uchiha ancestry. Thus the pain he had felt from the loss of them, combined with the agony of defeat was likely enough to awaken his Sharingan. Guren had anticipated this happening, and wanted to be present for these events. It would be a lot to handle. Soon Kaito would return to the table, his eyes bearing the truth behind his lineage. Guren would smirk, and cross his arms.

"It seems as if you've discovered the next thing I was going to say on your own. Truthfully you have all the power within yourself that you need. You just needed to awaken it, and learn how to properly use it...Kaito Uchiha." Guren would pause for a moment to allow what he just said to marinate in the air before continuing. "I don't know if you knew this, but your parents here in Sunagakure were not your blood relatives. They had adopted you, and made note of that in your shinobi file. They described that they had taken guardianship over you from a pair of Uchiha whose locations are unknown to this day. But because of this, I have been paying particular attention to your growth. Though you have known yourself as an Inuzuka, and have embraced their ways. Your true lineage is that of the Uchiha...of the Sharingan, as your eyes currently display that."

If there was ever a proper time for a shot, now would be that time. But for now, tea would have to suffice.

WC = 1011. TWC = 1727

Sat Jun 25, 2022 1:17 pm

mid thread claim approved for Kaito

Mon Jun 27, 2022 10:45 pm

[EXIT And CLAIM]

Formality as it was a letter, but claims are needed.

Putting 351 WC towards Desert Eye of Mental fortitude 681/1875 (Accounting for 25% Max stat discount and as such will not be claiming ap for this) Previous Allocation of WC Here

Tue Jun 28, 2022 9:47 am

Approved Arantima

A Letter to Kaito from an old teacher.

A Letter to Kaito from an old teacher.

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