A Visit to The Drunken Kage

Today at 9:18 pm

Benjiro stepped gracefully past the entryway to the Drunken Kage bar. Benjiro himself chose not to imbibe, however he was an avid fan of tea. He went to the bar, standing there silently and respectfully as the bartender addressed the various patrons. He stood for quite a while, observing the patrons of the bar with fascination, he pulled out his journal and began a small passage.

The people of Kumogakure seem to be strong and sturdy in nature, no doubt partially from living in such a harsh place like this. The air is thin here, and the village itself is seemingly an endless uphill journey. Despite all this, I sense a camaraderie between them, these are people who are rough, but loyal to each other.-

“Can I get you something?” The bartender asked, interrupting Benjiro from his writing. He smiled and tucked his journal away.

“Do you have any chamomile tea?” He asked.

A few nearby stopped in their conversation and stared at him briefly in a mixture of disgust and bewilderment. Benjiro looked around, unwilling to back down from his request.

“Uh, sure. One tea coming up, just gotta go look for the teabags…” The bartender eyed him weirdly “That’ll be 10 ryo” He said before turning to go find the tea.

Benjiro placed the ryo on the counter and waited for a short amount of time before receiving his tea and taking a seat at one of the booths. He watched as shinobi filtered in and out, filling their bellies with food and drink. Occasionally a fight would break out although it was always short lived.

Benjiro found he could learn a lot about a town based on its bar, and this one, while undoubtedly rough, was underlyed by a warmth and sense of community. Songs would be sung, people greeted each other warmly in recognition and shared stories of their missions. He smiled to himself and began to write.

To say the people of Kumogakure are ‘rough’ is a fair but reductive statement. While undoubtedly this harsh land has created a no nonsense group, their loyalty to each other and their village shines through. The Drunken Kage bar is the place that exemplifies that spirit, and the chamomile tea is pretty good, all things considering.

-Benjiro

Benjiro finished his drink and signed his journal with a flourish. He got up and politely returned the cup to the bar, giving a brief bow at the bartender. He left the establishment with his journal tucked under his arm. The sun was setting, and Benjiro would have to find a spot somewhere in the town to lay out his mat and get some rest.

He walked for some time around the village, much of the place was either hills or stone, but he finally found a small outcropping of grass on a hillside. Setting up his Mat he knelt and did a brief nightly ritual, a time to reflect and think back to his home. It usually always made him feel worse, but he didn’t want to lose his roots on this adventure, and he felt it was important.

He finished his ritual, folding a small picture of him and his parents back into his robes before laying down on his mat and tilting his bamboo hat to cover his face.

[EXIT]

WC: 826 (551x1.5)

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