Many voices mixed together, the laughter of children playing as they ran through the mass of people that crowded the busy market street of Konohagakure. No matter where that you looked, every single shop that was in this area was opened. The employees announcing their wares and prices in order to attract customers, but the only thing Susumu would be interested in right now would be food. His stomach was growling, almost loud enough to be heard above the noise from the people around him. This wasn’t something that Susumu likes. From every direction, people bump into you forcing you to sway from side to side. It made his eyes twitch and almost a vein to pop up in his forehead. Admitting to himself that he’s getting too worked up, he made himself calm down in order to not throw some fight in the middle of this shopping district. He’d stand out too much, especially since he isn’t from around here. Between people that know each other, they easily pick out the one with the most unfamiliar face. Swiftly moving himself through the crowd of people, he scanned the area from left to right, looking at the signs above the shops to find something worthwhile and with top-notch food. He feels his energy draining with every step that he takes, his vision becoming blurry almost to the point of seeing hallucinations. Right before he felt like he was gonna pass out, he looked down the street and on the right side noticed a sign out by the door, offering food at a special price. This seemed like he’d been to heaven for the first time with the sun shining brightly in the background with its sunrays coating the shop only. Dragging his feet across the ground put him in the attention of the other people. They were glaring at him if he’d done something wrong, but in fact, he was just really, really hungry.

He stopped in the door opening of the food shop, leaning himself onto the board that was beside the door in order to get a good look inside and provide some proper balance for himself at the same time. Looking to the right, he noticed a bench outside the shop as well, allowing people to sit in the sunlight in moments of nice weather. He went inside for a brief moment, already in mind what he wanted to order. In order to still his hunger, he ordered ten sticks of dumplings and walked back outside to sit on the bench. At least out here you have a perfect view of what kind of people wander the village, it proves for an interesting observation for him, and that while enjoying his well-earned food. One by one, he started eating the dumplings, almost without swallowing. Some of the people passing by and entering the shop looking at Susumu as if they’d seen him before. That was just between their ears, but he does share some resemblance. The growling of his stomach got less and less with every dumpling that he gulped down in one bite. The sticks without dumplings on them were put into the ground in front of Susumu, so he wouldn’t have to throw them away somewhere in the garbage. Looking down at the sticks stuck in the ground, he tried to form the Uchiha crest with them, wondering if he could complete it with only two sticks of dumplings left. Quickly shoving them down into his mouth within one minute, he sticks them into the ground finishing the Uchiha crest, announcing that he has been here. He didn’t want to stand up and take a hike just yet. He needed a moment to let the food drop, which gave him the opportunity to just stare at the sky for a moment, which was covered in chirping birds flying from one direction to the other. That’s what Susumu ultimately wants; freedom. For that, he needed a little more planning and a little more training. Just in case, should he form a Squad? He left himself hanging with that question.

Words: 683

The daily sun glared down on Harue, who was still unused to the intensity of the sun’s rays that the locals seemed to pay little to no attention to. She wiped the bead of sweat that formed on her brow and continued down the dirt path that led her away from the local Ninja Academy.

Harue felt pleased with herself. She had just finished a productive day at the Academy, not so much teaching there so much as she was sharing, discussing, and learning. She had arranged with one of the Chunin instructors, Naoki, to sit in on one of his lessons, specifically that on chakra theory, whenever he conducted them. Granted, her peers were seven to eight-year-olds who didn’t even seem to understand what the word ‘theory’ meant, and it was extremely bizarre and awkward, even if she was sitting to a side of the class, to have been so absorbed in the lesson. She figured Naoki was at least somewhat pleased that someone was diligently taking down notes, even if that someone was old enough to be both his girlfriend and fellow instructor.

She did enjoy exchanging notes with Naoki on his views of chakra theory, given that whatever little she knew before she came to Konoha, and was presented with their expert and professional analysis and breakdown of chakra theory, had been self-taught from her own observations on chakra. Her chest swelled with pride when she realised that she had also inadvertently lectured the Chunin instructor, of all people, on the possible relationship that different chakra natures played when bundled up together as more advanced elemental natures.

Right now, she was excusing herself from the more physical lessons that the students of the Academy had to endure, much to their ire and her amusement. The students who had been glaring holes in her head for nearly half the day had been so desperate that she would at least stay to share in their pain. Well, she was fairly sorry to have had to disappoint them. However, physical exertion was just not her forte. She wasn’t unfit by any means, but she was simply not as physically capable or adept as the average ninja, nor did she ever plan to be, given her unusually strong distaste for physical exercise. It was probably one of the main reasons she had decided to dabble in Fuuinjutsu and Ninjutsu. Of course, the only main (and probably more significant) factor had been Takara’s insistence that she pick up those two specialties, especially after discovering her supposed heritage as an Uzumaki.

In the midst of her joy, she heard a low rumble coming from her stomach, and almost had the decency to grin to herself. In her rush to get to the Academy, she had forgotten to eat her breakfast, even if her dear Nikko had barked at her so furiously that she had to pack two slices just to calm him down before she left the house. She reached into her ninja pouch, where she remembered the two slices having been kept, and prayed against hope that neither had been squashed absentmindedly during her time at the Academy. She visibly sighed in relief when her hands closed around something soft and triangular in shape, before withdrawing one sandwich and tossing it in her hands as she looked for a place to rest while she had her lunch.

As her fingers idly fooled around with the plastic foil, she spotted a small food shop with several benches outside, conveniently placed so that customers could enjoy their food in the sun. While she wasn’t a fan of the local heat, she guessed it would have to do, granted she didn’t think the shop owners would be too thrilled with the idea of her bringing foreign food into their shop. Might as well stick outside and deal with them if they caught her.

Seeing one relatively empty bench, she sat herself down on it, resting both her hands on the wooden tabletop, just across the only other occupant, a black-haired boy seemingly no older than the children she had just spent her morning with. A bunch of sticks littered the bench in front of him, and while she was normally not one for vandalism, she couldn’t bring herself to admonish the cute boy sitting just across her.

“Mind if I sit here?” she asked, despite having already made herself comfortable on the spot.

WC: 749

Susumu, who was rather strangely satisfied with the clan symbol he had formed with the chopsticks, hadn’t even noticed the girl taking her place right in front of him. He figured that in the middle of this busy street, he didn’t need to let his guard up, so he let all of his muscles relax and pretty much take ‘a day off’. It wasn’t until she spoke that Susumu noticed her presence. Despite asking if the seat was taken, she was more than happy to already take it. Considering the seat wasn’t taken anyway, he’d figured it would be fine to let her be seated there. In response, Susumu slowly shook his head while raising it in order to be able to look the unknown individual into her eyes. “I don’t have any objections. You’ll just have to introduce yourself, first.” The look in his eyes seemed calm and really down-to-earth for a kid of seven years old. “Not only that..” He started, pointing at the food which she held in her hands. “You’ll give me one of your sandwiches in return.” He mentioned. The tone in his voice made it seem as if the conversation just took a darker turn, but in fact he was just interested in the foreign food she had carried along with her into the store area. Apparently the dumplings he had bought weren’t exactly fit to fill up his stomach completely, even though he had purchases many of them. Although it wasn’t as terribly loud as before, his stomach was still slightly growling, almost as a cry for attention.

Despite casually asking the girl for one of her sandwiches, it was still a strange situation for Susumu. Earlier, everyone that passed by just merely stared at him and didn’t even come close to getting into a conversation with him. Taking a quick look back at the lunch she had packed with the foil, he realized that this was just merely a chance meeting and not someone that would pick a fight with him, so that gave him another reason to let his guard down for just a little while longer. Earlier he was just observing the people that crossed his path, but now someone actually went up to him and probably someone who’s familiar around these parts, as well. Susumu hasn’t met that many people within the borders of Konohagakure yet and every individual has a unique difference, which makes it all the more interesting for Susumu to keep this conversation going. Just a little while back he was thinking of putting together a Squad; so maybe this wasn’t just a chance-meeting after all? With that in mind, his focus was set on getting to know her abilities and set of skills. If she’d prove useful, there could be a possibility for Susumu to get a companion for now, maybe more in the future.

The sun had moved so that Susumu would be slightly covered in the shadows, being kind of relieved that the light had finally decided to let him cool down for a second. It wasn’t exactly quiet at the bench where they were sitting. Children were still coming by, playing tag and the adults just mindlessly walking behind them and just giving them the freedom they can get within these walls. Seeing this, it made Susumu glad that he wasn’t a part of a village. Being restricted by borders and especially being a Shinobi, probably needing permission to head out of the village by himself. All this time he has been capable of taking care of himself and just take matters into his own hands, but his time in this world has made him also realize that this isn’t the end of it. There are still many opponents to defeat. He wants to test himself if he has what it takes to stand at the top. Not following his father in his footsteps, but going even beyond that. This girl, across the table, might be able to make him achieve exactly that. As for his personal problems, he’ll deal with them himself. He’ll share only the information necessary as a group, rather than as a person. After all that thinking, his mind suddenly went blank and he focused himself back on reality. The image of the girl appeared back in front of him with the people walking in the background and birds leaping across the ground for the few bread crumbs lying around. The only thing that Susumu had left to add was a smile across his lips and an innocent look in his eyes, after all the things that went on in that little head of his.

Words: 777

Harue’s mind had already been involuntarily drifting off to several theories she had come up with herself on the mechanics and understandings of Genjutsu, and how it was theoretically - though she was fairly aware that no plan, or theory in this case, survived contact with the enemy - could be applied with a seal, when she heard the boy’s reply.

“I don’t have any objections. You’ll just have to introduce yourself, first.”

Well, she had to say she wasn’t too surprised or taken aback by that request. It was a reasonably fair prerequisite for taking her place opposite him on the bench. They were, after all, strangers, and it would probably be more beneficial than not to have a name to put a face to when you were idling over a harmless conversation during lunch period. Swallowing the first bite of her homemade sandwich - oh, how she just loved how the egg, meat, and vege just seemed to melt in her mouth, coalescing into one big, jumble that just screamed “Delicious!” behind her lips - she cleared her throat and answered simply, “I’m Harue Uzumaki, but you can just call me Harue.”

For a split second, she toyed with the idea of introducing her nickname, as well. “Tracer”, as she had come to be colloquially known in Takara’s village, had been unofficially dubbed her nickname due to her propensity to for tracing out Takara’s seals, both basic and unique, in an avid and somewhat painfully repetitive attempt at picking up the mechanics of sealing at an accelerated pace. Of course, she had managed to learn seals and chakra fairly easily, picking up the art as if it had been second nature to her, as if it was a skill taught to her from birth, or one that she retained from the previous life that she simply needed direction remembering. The villagers had been brutally insistent that it was her ‘legendary Uzumaki heritage’ (or something that left an equally bad taste in your mouth) at play behind the scenes. Takara, however, had assured her that her Uzumaki lineage had been only one small factor in her excellence with seals; much of her expertise and knowledge had been, to her pride, the product of endless hours of pouring over seal mechanics and, for lack of a better way to put it, blindly tracing Takara’s seals themselves. The fact that Takara himself was an Uzumaki also gave weight to his claims.

Then again… maybe not. She didn’t need a stranger of all people giving her one of those blank, weird looks.

”Hey, is it okay if we call you Tracer from now on, Tracer? Because you seem to like tracing haha!”

Yeah, she definitely didn’t need one of those right now.

Of course, she was then very taken aback when the boy had straightforwardly asked - read: demanded - that she hand over one of her sandwiches. Chalking up his request as having guessed she had more than one sandwich, she didn’t even take the time or effort to contemplate handing over her remaining sandwich. She just gave a faint nod of her head as she took another respectable bite of her half-assaulted sandwich, before shifting it to her left hand and using her free right hand to dig around the ninja pouch hanging at her right hip for the remaining slice that she knew she had. It was no big deal for her; she guessed she could easily hop back to her apartment for a third serving. Or fourth. Or many, many more after that.

God, missing breakfast was a big mistake.

She nonchalantly handed the sandwich, still wrapped in its pristine plastic foil casing, to the boy in front of her, whose expression had just eerily turned from blank to social, with a small innocent smile gracing his lips and a similar naivety reflected in his eyes. Harue had a small shiver crawl up her spine when she looked into those irises of his, though she diligently ignored it in favour of the boy sitting in front of her.

She always did have a weakness for cute things. And it was no secret this boy’s stature lent itself heavily in favour on the adorable scale.

As she waited for the boy to accept, she let her eyes drift to the symbol the boy had been making. At first glance, when she had sat down, it looked like a random jumble of dumpling sticks, nothing more than the workings of a young boy who had been too bored to throw those sticks away himself, and had been keen on having something to pass the time or grab his attention. However, upon closer inspection, she was able to discern that it looked eerily like the Uchiha crests that Takara had told her about.

A second shiver creeped up her spine as she accidentally remembered the ghost stories her village seemed so utterly fond of. The Uchiha being strongly tied to those folktales was just complete coincidence, she was sure.

“So are you from Konoha? And what are you doing out here alone?” she asked, observing his face, which seemed to natural to be fake, but, if she had allowed herself the time to think deeper, would have been too natural to be so.

WC: 890 + 749 = 1639

The innocent smile on his lips remained as the girl had introduced herself as Harue Uzumaki. As Susumu recalled, he had never met an Uzumaki in person before, so this was an entirely new experience for him. He might be able to learn more about the Uzumaki clan, as well. Watching her take that first bite of the sandwich made Susumu realize how much he was craving for something else than dumplings. In the time that he traveled by himself, he was always just eating anything to get by, really, and never had the opportunity to make something himself to his liking, nor did he have someone around who could cook such things for him. Gulping once, assuring that he’s not going to drool over the sandwich, he figured that considering she had introduced herself properly, Susumu should do the same. His blue eyes, covered by some of the spikes of his black hair, never wandered away from Harue’s eyes, he introduced himself as he normally would. Even within the walls of Konohagakure, he had no trouble revealing his entire name. Should the people know that his father had a kid, then so be it, although he had never encountered anyone who did. “Nice to meet you, Harue. My name’s Uchiha Susumu. Naturally, you can call me Susumu.” This was really a first; never before had he had a normal conversation like this with someone before, without trying to squeeze information out of that person. He’d talked to Sousetsu before, and with Tenzo. Both of them were conversations regarding the death of his father and the origin of the Uchiha clan. For now, he had acquired enough information regarding those two subjects, coming to the realization that clinging to the past isn’t the way that’s going to help him grow. He believes it’s necessary to look towards the future in order to create a future.

The teachings of Hao had never left his thoughts, either. That’s part of the reason why Susumu’s like he is. He had never been in the company of many people, other than his father and his mother. His father was always on the road. There were barely any moments where he could meet him and even when he did, all there would be done was training and lectures. It wasn’t really the life any young kid would want, but it was Susumu’s life. After all the life lessons that Hao had taught him and made him aware of, he came to the shocking realization himself a little later on, nearing the Konohagakure border in an area covered with emerald green grass blades and a forest with trees the size of buildings. The crashing sound was heard as smoke and dirt arose from the ground and one of the trees came crashing down. A trail of dust, starting from a group of four people a little farther away from the forest where the trail ended. Currently unaware of it as this time, his father had passed away and only noticed it when he sneaked closer for a peak. His father had been killed right in front of his eyes while hiding behind one of the thick trees, surrounded by bushes to conceal his appearance. He still vividly imagines his father’s lifeless body in front of him as it was yesterday, but according to the information he had received, the people who were involved are no longer around, apart from Sousetsu. This was the moment that made the switch turn in Susumu’s head, bordering on the path of evil, but knowing fully well that he still hasn’t learned anything from this world and being inexperienced himself, he wasn’t going to do anything rash and calmly analyzed his situation.

The whereabouts of his mother were unknown to him, but given that she hadn’t tried to contact him yet, made him believe that she had been killed as well. The name of his mother was Suiren, Utau. He didn’t even get to know the story about how the two met, but he guessed that it wasn’t under the best of circumstances taking their profession in mind. Thinking back at that moment, there has to be someone that was close to his mother and could tell him exactly what happened. For a kid like Susumu, he just needs closure and needs to be certain what happened. If he still has any close relatives left in this world, he wants to know about it. This was an unfortunate story for such a young kid, but that kid is still alive and kicking, trying to get by in this world that he has been left alone in. It’s up to Susumu himself to carve a path for himself and see it to the end, whether it’s happy or bad, there’s no sense in worrying about it now.  

His new acquaintance extended her hand in order to hand him the sandwich wrapped in the plastic foil, his stomach definitely growling for the last time. In almost one quick movement, the wrapping had been torn off to reveal the sandwich within. For a second, the innocence could be seen as his eyes almost sparkled at the sight of the homemade sandwich. It was a feeling that Susumu had long forgotten, always having walked here and there by himself, eating by himself and sleeping by himself. He took the first bite and it was exactly as he had imagined it. His eyes were closed, savoring every time he chewed and swallowed it almost as a whole. With his fist stomping down on his chest in order to make it slide down, practically choking on the thing that was supposed to satisfy him. As the bit of the sandwich had successfully made its way to his stomach and letting out a quick sigh, Harue asked a set of questions, both of which he had no problem of answering to. Before speaking, though, he noticed that she was eying the Uchiha symbol he had made before with the sticks previously covered in dumplings. “I guess you can say, since I’m an Uchiha, that I’m from Konoha. But this is actually the first time I’ve been here. I don’t have a village I belong in, because I have freedom.” He mentioned. It might’ve been a little too bold of a statement, but he wasn’t the kind of person that would linger on something that he might offend someone with. “I was just gathering some information regarding my clan and of course, my own personal matters.” He didn’t want to reveal too much just yet, because they had just met. But for some reason, Susumu felt that this could lead to something interesting. “So, what about you? I’m guessing you’re from here, right?” He doesn’t know if she trusts him, but for a change, Susumu really doesn’t have anything up his sleeve, he’s just hoping that his good will isn’t backfiring on him.

Word count: 1154

Oh, Susumu, was it? Harue had to consciously keep her face from twitching as she let out a mental squeal.

‘That name is so cute!’ she thought to herself. ‘Just like him!’

Her thoughts were disturbed, however, when the sandwich nearly vanished from her hand. Just poof, gone like that, Susumu having snatched it so quickly that her eyes almost missed it had she not already been accustomed to the speed most ninja (at the lower levels anyway) tended to move at.

Had she been paying more attention, she would’ve realised no eight-year-old should’ve been that fast.  

Susumu eagerly unwrapped his meal, removing the transparent foil at lightning-fast speed before descending onto the sandwich with undeniable gusto. Harue watched on in amusement as the first bite of her sandwich sent Susumu into ecstasy, his eyes closing in delight as he seemed to melt into the mix of flavour in his mouth. It was something Harue was all too familiar with, and one that she replicated by taking yet another bite of her own sandwich. In the back of her head, she noted that her sandwich didn’t taste that good, but the more egoistic side of her shoved that thought aside and proclaimed in her head that there was no way in hell she was going to pass up a free ego boost. She finished the last bite of her sandwich before returning her attention to the boy in front of her wolfing down his own.

‘Poor kid,’ she thought.

How long had it been since he had last tasted something homemade, that he would’ve reacted in such a fashion? A gentle smile graced her lips as she wondered what it was about homemade meals that differentiated them from the commercial kind sold normally in stores or in restaurants. She wasn’t sure, exactly, but it was always that certain something with the food her parents made, or the food she made, that just escalated them above what you could normally get at restaurants, and she was safely betting that Susumu’s vigour was in part at leasts due to that fact. Was it the freshness? Was it how no two foods looked the same, and had at least some sort of disfiguration somewhere? Was it how no prepared meal was or needed to be perfect, as if the maker wasn’t trying to appeal to her patrons but rather trying to just fill a few stomachs? Or was it just that little bit of love and care that inadvertently went into the making of each sandwich, just like her mother had never failed to do?

Susumu reminded her so much of the children she had just passed at the Academy, but more so did her remind her of the orphans who had always cuddled up to her and demanded to sleep on her lap or listen to her play the ocarina, back when she was in Takara’s village. Such adorable little devils they were, and she couldn’t help but feel that Susumu himself was similar, yet neither was she able to shake the feeling that there was also something that made him different. He was definitely of the same age as most of them, and seeing the little ball of innocence in front of her just stirred up something within her, yet if it was protectiveness or a apprehension, she couldn’t tell.

“I was just gathering some information regarding my clan and of course, my own personal matters. So, what about you? I’m guessing you’re from here, right?”

"Not really, no. I haven't been in Konoha all that long, to be honest,” Harue replied. Flashes of Takara’s village appeared in her mind, from the children at the orphanage to the village elder who had taught her to play her ocarina, to the herbalist who never failed to let her taste her spices, to the group of guys who always loved using different, creative ways to entice her into joining them on their daily hunt in the woods. “I’m actually from a village to the southwest of here. I only came here three months ago to be a ninja, actually. We used to deal in hunting animals to make a living, and there was a city nearby that we could get our other necessities from. It wasn’t an opulent life but it was simple and easy to get by.”

Then, his previous words registered in her head. Information gathering? An eight-year-old child all by himself gathering information? That piqued her interest, and also accidentally aroused some of her anger. Why would an eight-year-old boy need to go about on his own, gathering information, and for what purpose? What irresponsible man or woman would leave their son, just nearly a decade into his life, walking around in the busy streets of a ninja village where he could easily, unnoticeably get hurt?

“What kind of information are you looking for? Maybe I can help you?” she asked. “And where are your parents? Where do you live? Maybe I can walk you home.”

WC: 859 + 1639 = 2498

It seemed that Susumu’s guess wasn’t really that accurate. He assumed that, by her behavior and the feeling he got that she felt right at home here, she was from Konohagakure, but he was wrong about that. Judging from her appearance, she must’ve been at least almost passed her teen years and she mentioned that she only moved here a couple of months ago in order to become a Shinobi. He just couldn’t put his finger on why people would want to become Shinobi in the first place. The only thing they deal with are dramatic and are involved in battles occasionally, all of them lead to an unhappy ending, with casualties on both sides. Susumu wasn’t one to question other people’s reasons, however, for he himself had chosen this path as well and couldn’t judge others on the same decisions that he has made. Still, he was interested in getting to know why a girl like her would choose to become a Shinobi. He was sure it wasn’t for fame or for the thrill of battle, which is mostly like himself. Taking into account that she used to deal with hunting animals in order to get some bread, he figured that she must’ve wanted an alternate method to earning the cash to get by in the daily life. But would being a Shinobi, like she stated, be easier than hunting animals? At least you’d have some more variation in the line of business that you chose, but also comes with high risks.

Susumu wondered for a while and all kinds of questions popped up in his mind, but it seemed that the girl was way ahead of him. While still being in thought, he got shaken out of it by the sudden streak of questions that were asked. Apparently, given from her behavior, she was worried about such a kid traveling the nations all by himself. This, of course, was also obvious because of the type of questions she asked. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to share all of the details with her yet, after all, they just met. He wasn’t even sure if she’d be willing to accompany him if he’d asked, but at this point, I don’t think he really doesn’t have to worry about that. If a young kid, like Susumu himself, asked her if she wanted to tag along, he figured that she wouldn’t have to think long and would end up joining him, because of her worrisome personality. Adding onto that the fact that she’s only been here three months, it’s not really that much time to attach and adapt yourself to such a place. He didn’t dodge the questions, however. He just answered them as truthfully as possible, just leaving out some of the details and leave them for later, when they’re more accustomed to each other.

“So far, I’ve already reached the amount of information about my clan that I was hoping for. Of course, if I could stumble upon additional information it could always be useful to me. As for the personal matters, there’s something I need to see through to the end. Regarding that subject, is all I can tell you right now.” His way of speaking was too different from that of a normal child. It seemed like he was completely aware of his surroundings and the situations that he was in or could get himself into. Even having come completely to that realization, he hasn’t even looked back once or thought of a chance to escape this lifestyle. “As for my parents, I have none. My father is deceased as I’ve witnessed with my very own eyes. An image I can’t shake off at all. As for my mother, I’m currently unaware of her whereabouts. There might be a possibility, given both of their paths in life, that she too might’ve come to her end. I’m still gathering what little information I can about her, but it seems completely futile, or I haven’t just been that lucky with the people I meet.” He paused for a moment, taking another bite from the sandwich which still tasted delicious like the previous bites he took, looking down at the Uchiha symbol, wandering off in his thoughts for a moment before shaking his head as a response that he indeed didn’t have a place that he could call home. “Although this place is the origin of the Uchiha Clan, I cannot even call this village my home. If I were to call something my home, it’d be the entire world. From the moment that my mother vanished and my father died, I made everything my home. It was my best option to survive and adapt to any kind of situation I came across. So there’s no need for you to walk me home, because wherever I am is my home at that moment.”

Susumu let out a quick smile. He had never been the type of person to talk this much to a person before. Although there was some information that Susumu didn’t let go of, it was much more than he had ever thought of mentioning to her. Taking the final bite from the sandwich and after making his mouth clear, it was ready for one of Susumu’s questions next. “I’m curious, as well, Harue.” It felt strange to him casually talking to someone he barely knows and even calling her by her first name, but this wasn’t something that he should let him affect his thinking. “You said you just moved here three months ago, does that mean you’ve only been a Shinobi for three months? I can’t really believe you’re in this profession for the fame or the lust for fights, does this entail that you’re a Shinobi for the money?” He just simply asked what was on his mind previously. It was really something that bothered him, just slightly. If she believed that this was easier money, she should be in for a surprise. Then again, it would be all the more reason for Susumu to take her with him. Just as Susumu would gain his own share of experience, Harue should get adapted to it rather quickly, as well. He figured that he should keep that question for later, however, when the time is right. For now, he’s just strangely being entertained by this girl in front of him.

Word count: 1064

A child who had lost both his parents, and to have witnessed one of them die with his very own eyes. How was Susumu still sane? Any normal child wouldn’t have possibly grown up as level-headed as Susumu was. Then again, she was one to talk. She had heard the stories going around town. She was happy-go-lucky on the outside, as she had always heard people nonchalantly describe her, but on the inside, she knew better. What remained on the inside was a scared little girl who just wanted to hide from the world, but couldn’t do so because she didn’t want others to hide either.

At least she had had both parents’ love and affection before they had been forcefully and mercilessly taken away from her by a cruel twist of fate. Susumu hadn’t even spent that much time with his parents before he was forced to say his parting goodbyes, and she felt her heart go out to the boy who had to do it at less than half the age she had to. In a way, she could relate to him, each having seen one parent die with their own eyes, powerless to do anything to change it, to do anything to keep them.

“I’m very sorry to hear that,” Harue replied, realising that she had been the one to raise the question, and likely the painful memories that went with it. She kicked herself mentally. No child should ever have to live through that. They just… shouldn’t.

However, she realised something else about the boy. The way he carried himself spoke of maturity far beyond his age, and of experience that she had only seen once in a cold, battle-hardened ninja who had been tempered by the flames of war and strife. She immediately noticed his charisma, the type that only sought to accompany those deemed worthy, specifically those who had gone through such tragic and catastrophic experiences, and not succumbed. It was the type of air she would associate with someone who had swallowed what life had thrown their way, and spat it back out in fate’s face before continuing on their merry way. She admitted, he reminded her of Takara, her foster father and distant relative, a Konoha missing-nin who had taken her in following the murder of her actual parents.

“Yes, I’ve only been a shinobi for three months,” she responded to his question. “I did get some training before that in my village, though. But most of it was just what Konoha and the other villages call D-ranks.”

She was then taken aback by his next question. While she was glad that she didn’t come off as someone who had taken to being a ninja simply because she wanted the thrill of battle and the adrenaline coursing through their veins, or the prestige that came with a ninja (though having the latter wasn’t all too bad in a ninja village since you tended to get better treatment and service if you knew where to go), to have been mistaken for choosing this profession simply for the cash made her want to laugh. No, scratch that, she actually did let out a small laugh, and had to visibly cover her mouth and regain her composure before apologising.

“Sorry, it’s just that, if you knew me better, you’d know that money is the last thing I would be a ninja for. I’m actually short on rent at the moment, and there are plenty of other jobs that pay much better than being a Genin, but here I am, still a ninja.”

She smiled sheepishly, scratching her head in an embarrassed fashion as she remembered fondly the role models of her life. Sure, she had thought that ninja were cool and everything - at first - with jumping here and there and having supernatural abilities activated by chakra, but her idealistic views on ninja were quickly scraped when someone of that very profession had stolen her parents from her. No, what truly drove her and sealed her decision to become a ninja was how all the influential figures in her life had been ninja, at one point or another, in their lives. The fact that they were the reason she thought ninja were cool in the first place only played a small part. Just a teensy, weensy part.

“No, I’m not in it for the money,” she continued.

Her eyes then adopted a faraway look as she remembered fondly the times that she had spent idolising and looking up to her parents before their untimely death. Fast forward more than half a decade later, when she had thought her life was back under her control, and she had taken to idolising her foster father with all her heart before he too, had been taken from her. It was one thing to outlive your parents - children normally experienced it eventually, and came to terms with it one way or another - but to do it twice and in the way that she had been forced to was another thing entirely, and not one she believed she would easily get over.

“I guess, in a sense, I was curious. My parents were ninja. My foster father was a ninja. I wanted to be a ninja too. I wanted to see what it was in that career that had appealed to them, that had made them such good people. My parents were the kindest, most loving, most amazing people I knew, and Takara had taken me in without question even when he didn’t know anything about me. And I guess, I also wanted to get closer to them. You know how children want to follow in their parents’ footsteps? Well, I’ve had three, and they’ve all been ninja, so I guess this helps me get closer to them.”

A small tug at the back of her head told her that was a lie. A partial lie, but a lie nonetheless. That wasn’t the entire reason that pushed her to become a ninja. No, one more reason existed, and it was more practical than something as trivial as her emotional satisfaction, yet it was also more frowned upon by civilised society, or society in general. That reason was revenge, retribution, vengeance, whatever you wanted to call it. She had a faint desire to get stronger simply so she could hunt down the people who were responsible for wronging her and her family. She wanted to get even, and more, with her mother’s killer and her village’s attackers.

Takara had tried to convince her to abandon the path of revenge. He had talked to her on multiple occasions and even recited a quote he claimed was from the legendary Fourth Shinobi War, all in a futile attempt to divert her from the path of revenge. And she had tried. She honestly did, she swore to Amaterasu, she did! But she just couldn’t. She silently apologised to Takara as she admitted that she couldn’t completely eliminate her lust for revenge. There was always an unquenchable feeling of satisfaction every time she imagined herself strangling them, suffocating them, immolating them, sending them to Shinigami’s shores for their final judgment.

Her mother’s murderer, who for all she knew had also taken her father out when he had been faultlessly fishing out at sea, had done the deed in cold blood and without any form of mercy. He had slowly tortured her to death, his grin growing maniacally wider with every drop of blood he spilt and with every scream of his mother’s - that sick lunatic. Harue, being locked in a closet in the same room, had been forced to listen, and it haunted her day and night to the very present time. The screams, the shrieks, the blood.

And she couldn’t ignore the slavers. Those bastard Iwa ninja had come in droves, attacking the village that only had one ninja to protect it and kidnapping a good number of orphans all to make a quick profit off the slave market. Takara himself had driven them off before more damage could be done, and he managed to buy back one very, very traumatised kid from the illegal trade, but the rest had already been sold against their will to masters who probably cared about stains on their shirts more than they did about those harmless, innocent children. She felt her blood boil as she remembered the not-too-sweet moments in her life, which also unfortunately made up a significant portion of her existence, and let out a sigh to calm herself.

“Yeah, just those two reasons, I guess.”

WC: 1464 + 2498 = 3962

Shaking his head, he gestured that the girl didn’t need to apologize for the recent events, but he was rather interested in what she shared with him. The moment that Susumu questioned her about her reason for being a Shinobi, she pretty much laughed it off. Apparently, that wasn’t the case at all and she did make a valid point that there were better jobs out there suited for making a living for yourself. She explained it was her way of feeling closer to those that she had, probably, from Susumu’s perspective, had left behind. Susumu had never thought of it like that. From the moment that he witnessed Hao’s death, he knew that becoming a Shinobi would one that bring the same fate to him all he thought about were the faces of the individuals that surrounded his dead carcass. Although they were the same, Harue and Susumu, their methods of grieve were different from one another. Although from her behavior and the tone in her voice, Susumu noticed a vibe of sadness emitting from Harue’s soul, so to speak. This girl, wasn’t just some girl that had a laid back life before. The reason to become a Shinobi wasn’t for the money, nor the two previously stated possibilities, but rather it seemed like revenge. She spoke of her relatives in the past tense, meaning they must’ve deceased or disappeared. This was something Susumu could relate to, though he wouldn’t be the kind of person to show that kind of affection to anyone. Even so, despite Susumu’s born nature, he comforted her in his own way. Although the words he might choose wouldn’t be exactly calming nor relieving any stress, but like he has been through the death of his father and the disappearance of his mother, he placed himself in her shoes.

“Your way of speaking had made me come to the realization that you and I are pretty much alike, although our ways of thinking might be different. However, that necessarily isn’t a bad thing. You, as a person Harue, have piqued my interest.” He began, leaning back on the couch, the sun having replaced itself further into the distance, a quarter of it disappeared into the horizon and the brightness of it remarkably reducing. From the little bit of shadow where Susumu was seated, his blue irises were still shining as brightly as the sun did before. I’ve decided that I want to learn about you, Harue. Your nature and your specializations.” For a young kid, Susumu had quite the confident smirk on his lips. You should be honored, Harue. You’re the first one I’ve selected as a possible member for my Squad. I was thinking about it right before I met you, so I guess you can consider this a fate meeting.” This, as well, was a first time for him. He couldn’t deny that he was eager to start up a Squad to increase his chances in survival, but it also opened up multiple new possibilities and allow himself to set new goals. Revenge, at this point, wasn’t the only thing on his mind. Five villages, each with their own Shinobi, specialized in their own unique ways, not to mention the ones scratched off the record and labeled as a Missing Nin. These were all challenges for Susumu; not only Sousetsu was his primary target. Knowing that he could get himself into some serious situations, he figured creating a well-balanced Squad would benefit him greatly. If not now, then in the not so distant future.

“Just to be sure, Harue. This continued bugging me, but that tone in your voice, it couldn’t be that you just left them behind and they’re still somewhere, right? The path you’re about to take is that of revenge, is it not? This Squad isn’t egotistical because we all have different goals, we just have to aid each other in making those dreams, or ambitions, reality. I can guarantee you that if you’d join me, I’d be as much of a help as you’d be to me. Besides…” Susumu made a quick break. He felt as if he had been the one talking all this time, but just because he wasn’t really used to this much activity. This day had been incredibly productive for him. He pointed at himself with the grin still in place and his eyes narrowing slightly, looking deep into the girl’s eyes. “I’m pretty positive that you can’t let this little kid over here wander off into the big open world on his own, can you?” It might make Susumu look like someone that just plays with a person’s feelings, but that wasn’t the only reason why he said what he did. If this girl took the path of revenge on her own, the ending it will give her might not be that much of a pleasant one, but with someone sharing the same perspective, it might soften the blow. Although he might be the son of the one that was known as a terrible man, he was still a kid and his innocence was still somewhere within him. The way he grows up, the people around him and the situations he gets himself into will be the things to define himself as a person. Being unaware of what the future held in store for him, he held his head high and used traumatic and shocking experience as a way to force himself to evolve and develop in someone who will be amongst the top Shinobi in the future, whether as a villain or a hero. “You don’t have to answer this right away, since it was a sudden question and you might have some things you need to prepare or do first.”

The streets they were sitting in became just a little more quiet than it was before. It wasn’t even dark yet, but the market district which was once flooded with people slowly started to become more and more deserted. They were entering the quiet moment of the day, where most of the people are inside, just waiting for dinner to get served. In the meantime, Susumu and Harue were still sitting in front of each other, both apparently forgetting the time while being deep inside of a conversation. Susumu, however, didn’t mind to spend the time he had like this. He gained some new information, a possible new comrade and, what seemed before unlikely for Susumu, a new friend. While patiently waiting for a response from her, he played a little with the star necklace that he suddenly pulled out from below the clothes he was wearing. He had it hidden, because it was something precious that he had gotten from his father in the past. It wasn’t that amazing to see, as it was pretty much just a simple necklace, but to Susumu it had an emotional value. He wouldn’t dare to lose it and decided on it that the moment he has exacted his revenge, this necklace will be reduced to ashes in honor of his father and in the honor of the Uchiha Clan as a sign of letting go of the past and keep his vision towards the future.

Word count: 1201

Harue was surprised when Susumu had expressed his interest in her. She listened on with mild amusement as he continued on and recruited her for his ‘squad’. Most likely, it was to take out his father. It sounded like something an adult would have been telling her, like a Konoha Jonin handpicking her for a special mission simply because he believed she had the required talents. To hear it from the lips of a child who was probably less than half her age was… well, it was a different experience altogether, she was sure.

She let herself wonder briefly about his offer. She had no ties to Konoha, so there would be no familial bonds keeping her within this village, as great as it was. The only one she was even remotely close to in Konoha was Nikko, and she was sure he would happily tag along, just as he had when she left Takara’s village for Konoha. Then she brushed off the thought, understanding that deserting was a one-way ticket to being branded a missing-nin, and as well as Takara had trained her, she was no fool; she wouldn’t last two seconds against a Chunin, much less a trained ANBU. She doubted Susumu would be able to extend protection to her, or maybe even himself, for the matter, and she didn’t feel like needlessly endangering either of their lives.

Then, he had mentioned - no, promised - revenge, and contracted to unsheathe his sword not only against his own targets, but hers as well. His words were laced with confidence, the kind that she only associated with ninja of power, like the Hokage, or like Takara. Once more, her emotions flared despite her tight reins and she felt once more the desire to take revenge for the kidnapped orphans - she wanted to make the slavers suffer so bad - and the want to hunt down her mother’s killer - she could just imagine making him suffer as she bled the crimson liquid out of his dying body and saw the life drain out of his corpse, just like how he had done to her mother all those years ago.

Her mind reeled again. It was a very, very tempting offer, one that she had dreamt about more than once. Was she willing to leave? Was she ready to leave? Would she leave, given the chance - the chance to fulfil what had driven her once all those years ago? After seven long years - seven fucking years of forgetting, damnit! - she might just get a lead on her parents’ killer. After four years of silently grieving for the children she had failed to protect, and the children Takara had lost, she would have a shot at taking the pain she felt and shoving it up those Iwa slavers’ asses. She would be able to cause them so much hurt and pain, the very same she and her village suffered.

Her village… It was Takara’s village, wasn’t it? It wasn’t Konoha. She realised that as long as she had been here, as many people as she had interacted with her, and as much of it she had experienced for herself, both the good and the bad, she was no closer to seeing Konoha as her village than she was at first. To her, the revered Village Hidden in the Leaves was just another title, one that didn’t hold any more prestige than its equivalent in the Land of Lightning, Water, Earth, or Wind.

No, to her, ‘village’ had always been the playful teasing of the hunters before they went hunting for venison, children or teenagers in age but men in heart and responsibility, in an avid attempt to entice her into coming along. ‘Village’ had always been the elder’s warm, loving eyes that lit up in passion, enthusiasm and life whenever he spoke of long-forgotten legends and folklore, delivered through hymns, songs, and narratives. ‘Village’ had always been the little kids, not those of Konoha who shot her glares of jealousy and misunderstood her desire to learn more as a simple attempt to boast to children half her age, but rather those loving, adorable children, as young as toddlers in some cases, who jumped in joy every time they heard Harue’s footsteps and cried for her to pick them up in her arms or rest in her lap.

Village was the place she could curl up against the fireplace during cold, cold nights in the local herbalist’s wooden cottage and have her serve her warm tea as she regaled her with tales of how ninja passing through the village often came to her for poisons and herbs, before proceeding to share with her the even more bizarre stories that said ninja brought along with them. Village was the place she could run in the open streets being chased by Nikko and jumping behind one of the village hunters for protection, and to have him fiercely declare that he as a man would stop any danger from befalling her, before she would playfully push him on the ground flat on his face, with Nikko jumping on his back and affectionately drenching him in his slobber. Village was where she didn’t have to worry about stingy officials chasing after her for every penny every week just so she could live a single other day in a small, simple apartment, with no alternative place to shelter herself from the elements.

Most importantly, village was the place where she could feel Takara’s warm arms embraced around her small frame. It was the place where the stoic, dark, and rumoured emo of the village proved himself otherwise through his actions, selflessly fighting off slavers, readily taking in orphans, and raising a complete foreigner in his own home. It was the abode of the man she was proud to call her father in all but blood. It was the place she didn’t have to worry too much about having nightmares and waking up in cold sweat, because she knew Takara was more than capable of calming her down with those gentle hugs and soft whispers of words of encouragement and comfort.

No, village was not Konoha, and home even less so. That special word was reserved for the place which served as her playground in her childhood, and now doubled as her parents’ grave.

“You don’t have to answer this right away, since it was a sudden question and you might have some things you need to prepare or do first.”

“Don’t think about revenge, Harue,” Takara’s voice rang out in her head, as it always did whenever she thought about revenge. "There are no enemies here because we’ve all suffered before. So, there is no Suna, no Iwa, no Konoha, no Kiri, and no Kumo. There are only shinobi. Always remember that. Always."

She had then jokingly asked where that corny and cliche quote came from, but then he had responded very seriously that it was something passed down in his family since the Fourth Shinobi War, and even shared with her the legend that it was rumoured to be the saying of the legendary Fifth Kazekage of Suna himself. She had told him not to joke around with her and not to treat her like a child, huffing childishly and ironically as she did so. She tried to remain angry at the slavers who had just attacked and left not an hour ago, with seven children who were barely eight. Takara had then pulled her into a gentle but firm embrace and told her to always remember his words, especially when she thought about revenge, and she remembered tearing up ever so slightly as she returned the hug and let her grief of the situation overwhelm her, burying her head and sadness in her father’s chest.

Harue winced at the sweet memory from four years ago. Well, she had kept her promise of remembering his words, if nothing else.

“Don’t think about revenge, Harue,” came the reminder once again.

She blinked away the beginnings of a few tears and softly shook her head. ‘I’m sorry Takara. I don’t want to disappoint you. I really don’t. But I can’t forgive them without making sure that the same thing is coming to them.’

Harue returned her attention to the boy in front of her, who was now playing with a necklace of his that she couldn’t even make out simply because of the tears at the edge of her vision blurring her focus. She used one hand to wipe each away before answering. “It’s okay. I accept your offer. After all, like you said, I can’t in my good conscience let a kid like you wander out into the world alone, can I?” That last part she said with a small laugh. “At least give me some time to settle my affairs in Konoha. You’re right about one thing. This is a path of revenge, but…”

“Don’t think about revenge, Harue,” came the voice again. Harue almost cursed Takara, whose once soothing voice haunted her at this moment.

“...But I don’t want it to be just about revenge. I don’t want to concentrate on making the people I hate suffer.”

‘Yes you do!’ a voice screamed in her head.

“I want to right what the world has done to me, yes, even if just so slightly-”

‘No you don’t!’

“-but I also want to make sure that other people won’t have to suffer.”

‘Stop lying!’

“If you can promise me that we’ll be helping people at least as much as we’ll be helping ourselves, I will come with you. But only if you can promise me that.”

Harue felt a surge of pride swell up within her at having gotten the words out of her mouth. Somehow, they made it seem as if her life wasn’t a complete tale of revenge, and she knew Takara well enough that while he was disappointed she had not relinquished her subtle yet iron grip on revenge, he would also be equal amounts proud that she wouldn’t let it be the focus of her life. If his ghost had been nearby, she knew she would have convinced him that she wasn’t letting revenge completely get to her.

Now if only she could convince herself of the same.

WC: 1752 + 3962 = 5714

It wasn’t a question that Susumu would ask just any one that would pass by, however, he took the possibility in the back of his mind that Harue might not like the idea at all and would just decline the offer. The struggle within herself seemed almost too obvious, but he didn’t want to point it out because she was already herself painfully aware of what kind of situation she had been pushed into by Susumu. If he had never asked her that question, she would’ve never had this experience and probably relive the moments of her past that she might’ve suppressed before. There was a sparkle in her eyes, but not a sparkle of happiness. She blinked away the tears that formed in her eyes, maybe not to show weaknesses, but Susumu didn’t pay attention to that right now. This girl was having a struggle that Susumu had never experienced before. It was like, with all her might, she tried to shake off the thought of revenge, whereas Susumu just asked his fate and the path he’d take; which was revenge. He never hesitated to continue that path nor has he ever looked back on the decisions he made which might affect his future. This girl was definitely something different from him, but that wasn’t something he was troubled by. From the moment that Susumu was young, all he had been doing was travelling, training and getting himself into battles. Right until the moment his father vanished. The two things he remembers his father by is this necklace and his cause of revenge. It was only natural, to Susumu, for his son to follow into his father’s footsteps and carry on that legacy.

Susumu’s eyes just gazed forward into the direction of Harue. It wasn’t to make her uncomfortable by any means, but rather just observe. If she were to become one of his companions, it would only be natural to keep an eye on her and the answer she gave made that definite. She agreed to accompany Susumu through the world. It seemed as though what he previously stated was dead-on and she couldn’t let Susumu head out there all by himself. She just asked a few things in return for his cooperation. The first thing was to let her finish her affairs in Konohagakure; which was a rather fair trade for her company. The other thing was something that Susumu should’ve seen coming from a girl with that nature. Although she was engulfed in the thought of revenge and suffering, she did have the heart in the right place to think about the innocent bystanders that have nothing to do with their personal business. It was the request to aid people should the opportunity arrive to do so. This normally wasn’t Susumu’s plan of action, but he couldn’t really decline the counter-offer she had mentioned. He just needed to think about it for a little bit. If she really cares about others that much, there might be a possibility that she’s getting in the way of Susumu’s ultimate goal. An image flashed in front of his eyes as if he was reliving the past. His father’s lifeless body leaning against the tree with four people surrounding him. Hao suffered the fate of someone that always walks the battlefield alone. Should Susumu make the same choice, he could end up with the same fate as his father. That was something he definitely wanted to avoid. Forming a Squad with Harue might prove very useful, especially having others around increases his own chances of survival as long as he has the right plan at the right situation. Upon hearing the laugh, it made it all clear. Susumu let out a slight sigh, as if he was doing something against his will, but he actually didn’t reject the thought of helping others, but rather respecting Harue’s choices. An important factor in having a Squad is trust and teamwork. If Susumu couldn’t handle those two things, he might be better off going alone. He leaned back a little bit and stretched, placing both of his hands on the back of his head and fixating his vision on Harue once again. “Like I said before, as a Squad, we should help each other in order to make each other accomplish our goals. In that case, Harue, if helping innocent bystanders is part of your goal, then I wouldn’t be hesitating to lend you a hand in making that reality.”

This was a side of Susumu that no one had ever seen, nor probably ever will. He wasn’t sure if it was his conversation with this girl or he was going through some changes in the first place, but he couldn’t be certain if he’d particularly liked this kind of change. Normally, being someone that doesn’t count on others, suddenly had to rely on another person to get closer to his goal. It was something to get used to, that’s for sure, but there was no doubt in his mind that this was definitely for the better. “Then it’s settled.” He began. “Whenever you’re finished with those affairs, we’ll officially be companions.” He accepted her offer to help innocent people as long as they would be able to, although it might go against Susumu’s principles. He needs to take risks himself in order to advance himself further in life. In the process, Harue might get more battle experience as well as experience of the world. Which is exactly what Susumu needs as well. Other than the training he had with his father, there weren’t exactly any real battle situations in where his life was on the line. He just needed to make sure that he had the capability on becoming greater than his descendants. For that, he needed those who seemed worthy and able to be the pillars that support Susumu to what he strives for, of course, he wants to return the same favor to them. If Susumu’s able to keep their expectations as they set them, wasn’t something that he was yet completely sure of, but it would all become apparent very soon.

Word count: 1022

Harue nearly stiffened when she saw Susumu’s eyes stare into her own. His piercing blue eyes held a weight to them that no eight-year-old should have. She remained firm, however, and looked back into his own despite the remainder of tears clinging to her eyes. While she had plenty of experience doing the same with Takara, especially all those times he had accusingly tried to pin the blame on her for having snuck out of the village despite his incessant warnings, something about the gravity of the situation at hand and the intensity of Susumu’s gaze alone that lacked Takara’s familiarity made the ordeal that much harder.

Susumu finally relented and sighed, leaning back and placing both hands on the back of his head. If his relaxed posture hadn’t been sufficient to ease the tension that had sprung up so suddenly, then the words that followed definitely helped her shoulders sag in relief. She didn’t know what she had been so tense about, but perhaps the promise of searching for the villain in the little fairy tale known as her life had tempted her more than she imagined. Or, she mused, it could have been the renowned Uchiha stare, which was credited with being able to see not only the future, but also into a person’s soul. It was possible a combination of those reasons, too.

Nevertheless, she was glad the condition she had attached to her offer, which had almost certainly taken him by surprise if his sigh was any indication, had been accepted. It was palpably obvious the young Uchiha hadn’t expected her to request something so out of the ordinary, and she would even have the decency to laugh at the eccentricity of their situation - helping random people on a quest for revenge - but she settled for a sigh of relief instead. The notion that he wouldn’t discount her request was enough to draw her attention from further pondering about what went on in that far-beyond-eight-year-old mind of his. What mattered in the end was he had acquiesced, and it helped alleviate some of the weight of her conscience. Some.

“That’s great,” Harue followed up, wiping the last of her tears from her eyes with the back of her right hand.

He then offered to officially sign them off as companions after she was done with her affairs, which she gladly nodded in agreement to. There was plenty she still had to do in Konoha, despite her previous readiness to leave. She was determined to see at least most, if not all, of them through before she had to finally leave. There was also the nagging issue of being unfortunately branded a missing-nin if she should abandon the village just like that, though if she could somehow secure a promotion in whatever little time she had, she might have a chance at convincing the Hokage - if he didn’t end up frying her or turning her into a tree - to let her off the active roster before she eventually had to step foot outside of Konoha’s gates for an indefinite amount of time with Susumu… and who else?

Did he mention anyone else? Or was it only her? That thought caught her off guard. Susumu had been gathering a team, no? Surely she wouldn’t be the only one who had caught his eye and been enrolled into the list that made up his makeshift squad. Perhaps she could meet them while she wrapped up the last of her business in Konoha. It would be killing two birds with one stone - meeting them while marking off her to-do list - but it would also save her some of the awkwardness that was bound to surface between new travelling companions when they finally set off on their journey.

“Has anyone else also ‘piqued your interest’?” Harue asked, letting herself get ahead of all the preparations in store for her, and just sating her curiosity for the time being. “Wrapping up some of the business I still have in Konoha might take awhile, so I can meet anyone else who’s tagging along while I’m at it.”

Also, it would give her a chance to say goodbye to the few people she did know in Konoha, and the few places that did catch her eye. It was funny. Before this, she hadn’t paid much attention to them. To her, they had just been another piece in her life, another daily routine that she either opted to do or didn’t. But now that she was leaving, it seemed they carried some sort of sentimental value, and it was something she cursed herself for so easily having. There was the family that worked the yakitori stand, the kind lady that worked the front desk at her favourite hot springs, the old janitor who always got mad at her for ruining the training grounds every time, there was… were so many others she couldn’t even begin to name, just faces popping up in her head now that she knew goodbye was imminent and decided.

She was going to miss them. All of them. Dearly. A small tug at her heart begged her not to go, and she could imagine the people she had bonded with feeling that little bit duller about their lives due to her absence.

No more ‘Harue meals’ at the yakitori stand - something the lovely family threw together because of her frequency. No cute little adorable twins barrelling up to her, clumsily but still successfully delivering her order as they called out “Harue-oneesan!”. She would miss the mother’s udon, specially tweaked such that it was spicier than otherwise because they knew she preferred it that way.

She wouldn’t have the old lady to banter with any further. The same old lady who would offer her random discounts, or prep her towel warm with a lemony smell, just the way she liked it, even if it didn’t fall under her job description as a simple receptionist.

Thinking back on it, Harue could also feel the phantom pain of the old man’s broom against her calf as he took out his frustrations on her for ruining the training fields, most of the time leaving gaping craters because of a faulty experimental seal, before apologising for his temper with his homemade tea, which often did wonders for her injuries. She could just imagine the fragrance right now, and feel its therapeutic effects on her fractured heart even as she remained seated across Susumu.

Right, Susumu. Soon, he would be her life. He would be the loving family she ate with. He would be the old lady tossing her those towels. He would be the one harshly criticising her training methods. He would be the only one she could count on. Nikko wouldn’t be coming along, sadly. He wasn’t bred or trained for such a duty as demanding as that of a ninja. She would have to give him away, she was sure. Maybe she could have the yakitori family look after him while she was gone. They knew him well enough and he responded warmly to them. She knew they could take care of him, love him, feed him, and shelter him.

She knew they would be able to provide for him, like she should have been doing.

It would be hard leaving Konoha, she realised. It wasn’t her village, no, and it was a far cry from anything called a home. But, it was still something. Something… dear. And it scared her. Because if the experience was anything like her leaving Takara’s village, saying goodbye to all those familiar faces and people and activities and people, then she would loathe it when it came.

She realised that, had Susumu been speaking, she would have missed it, and muttered out a questioning, ‘What?” before standing up and asking if he had anywhere to go. “If you want,” she continued, “I can show you around Konoha. It’s not much, and the only thing unique is the Hokage Monument, but I’m sure you’ll find something to do around here.”

‘I know there are definitely things I still want to do here,’ she thought.

After all, the likelihood of her returning to Konoha after she stepped foot outside her walls was slim to none. Still, whether it was because she would resolve to instead follow Susumu instead of returning, or if she would be long dead far before she got the chance to, was anyone’s guess.

WC: 1445 + 5714 = 7159

Susumu nodded back at her as Harue did the same gesture in order to let him know that she agrees on the offer he had put on the table figuratively. Harue was the first person that Susumu had accepted as his companion and probably not the last. He wondered to himself if there were more capable Shinobi wandering around in this village, or even wanderers not even ruling out the Missing Nins. Anyone would be able to join his group, as long as they proved themselves useful to Susumu in some way or another. Harue did exactly that. He wasn’t really sure how she’d fair in the heat of battle, but she seems like a trustworthy individual to have around him. He figured there should at least be one person in the group that’s able to be trusted. The rest, really, didn’t matter to Susumu. No matter their alignment or alliance, they’d be welcome. There were already some plans wandering around in Susumu’s head for the Squad he’s about to make. A name shouldn’t really be the first thing that should be thought of, but rather the limitation of members. To begin, he should limit the people in the group to a number of 3 of 4, this means including himself. He’d need one or two more people to make his Squad complete and set their plans straight. Considering that each member has their own personal objectives and to make things fair, the members of the Squad should know of each other’s background as well as the goals they set in life. This creates a bond and minimalizes the possibility of betrayal. Knowing their background could prove useful in predicting someone’s actions.

Susumu snapped out of his thoughts the moment Harue spoke. There was a sign of relief in that tone, not overlooking the tear that she wiped off her face. He didn’t expect this turn of events. Was Susumu actually having that much of an impact on her? Being caught up on revenge himself, he quickly came to the realization that he’d actually be helping people in the process, as well. This actually all planned out better than Susumu had thought it would. Seeing the girl in front of him, revenge was the last thing that came to mind. Would Susumu be willing to throw everything aside for the sake of his own revenge? No matter who stands in his way? There are other individuals that have it just as difficult as himself, yet his ego controls him to just force himself to believe what’s right and go his own path. The meeting with Harue just might’ve changed is fate, but that is still too soon to tell for certain. All Susumu knew is that it could have a big impact on his every day life.

Leaning forward, his elbow placed on the table as soon as Harue asked the following question, resting his chin in his cupped hand. If anyone else had piqued his interest? He didn’t really have to think too long about this, since he just went over this same topic with himself just now. Looking back at the people he has met so far, no one really stood out from the rest. For some reason, Susumu also looks for individuality. No one person must be the same. This made it difficult for him to come at a decision. The sound of deep thinking escaped through his lips. “Hnn..” was the only thing that was heard. His eyes wandered off for a moment into a different direction and as soon as his thinking came to a close, his blue eyes shifted back towards Harue. “So far, you’re the only one that appeared interesting to me. Therefore, you’re the first I’m offering this to.” He mentioned. He figured that in the time Harue’s taking care of her business within the village, he should look for other candidates for a position in his squad. “Right now, you don’t have anyone to meet yet. But while you’re finishing up your business here, I’ll look for other people in the meantime. Maybe I could find someone else interesting.” He let out a slight yawn after finishing that sentence.

The street was almost completely empty now and the sun had almost completely set under. Susumu was still young and not used to relaxing this much, so his body got lazier than usual, resulting in his body getting tired. He pulled his chin off his hand and rubbed both of his eyes with his fists, followed by a stretch. He heard something shove over the ground and as soon as he opened his eyes back up, noticed that Harue was standing. She asked him if he’d need a tour around Konohagakure. There were things that Susumu had already seen, like the mentioned Hokage Mountain, but there were plenty of locations that Susumu hadn’t seen yet. Slowly getting up to his feet himself, bending his neck from left to right in order to crack it. His entire body, from sitting so long, has gotten stiff. It’s a feeling that he could never get used to, but it’s satisfying to hearing it crack. He looked Harue into the eyes, nodding before responding. “There are things I’ve already seen, but if you’re really offering to show me around, then I could do nothing but accept that offer. You’ve already decided to accompany me, anyway.” The thing that Harue wanted to do here; what were they? Susumu figured that if he just follows her for a while, he’d be able to determine more about the person that she is. It intrigues him and it’s part of the reason why he accepted her offer to show him around. “You could help me pick someone out, actually.” He stated. It would always be better to hear other people’s opinions, just not being sure if he could actually listen to that opinion. But for the sake of teamwork and a different path than his father, he figured that he’d bear with it for now and see how it goes.

Word count: 1010

So, she was the only one who had piqued his interest thus far? Harue… Harue had no clue how to feel about that. It wasn’t a conflicting sense of emotions, she simply didn’t know how to feel. Perhaps, she surmised, she found it more odd than impactful that Susumu, after displaying all his maturity and charisma, had yet to actually piece together a formidable team, even if it were simple dossiers or ideas of people he had in mind. Then again, she had to remind herself that for all intents and purposes, Susumu was still biologically a child, regardless of however he might have carried himself.

When he had expressed his interest in being shown around, however, she was slightly taken aback. There was the entire issue of she had no clue where to go! She had merely offered to be his tour guide in Konoha out of courtesy; she wasn’t familiar with Konoha’s geography, much less it’s tourist attractions! The few that she knew of only caught her eye because of the heavily inflated prices that would cost a fortune to enter! She and Susumu would probably have to pay through their noses, assuming Harue still even had money to spare for that stuff, to just get one of them admitted in.

Was there anywhere else in Konoha she could bring him? Maybe she could treat Susumu like a long-lost relative, or a friend from the village, and just bring him around town like how anyone would a newcomer? Yes. That would be okay. She supposed she could start with her apartment. She did see how Susumu had been so utterly delighted by her otherwise plain sandwiches. Her bringing him back to her apartment first would give her an opportunity to further stuff his eight-year-old belly with what she hoped wouldn’t end up as toxic. Meanwhile, she could also find out more about this elusive enigma of an Uchiha who she would very soon call her teammate.

Harue gave a small wave of her left hand to indicate for Susumu to follow her, before taking a few steps in the direction of her apartment, and then pausing in her walk to wait for Susumu to follow. “Come on, I’ll take you to my apartment first. We can get more sandwiches there. It’s located in this direction, in the Sunset District of Konoha, near the southwestern parts of the village. After that, I’ll take you to some of my favourite spots in Konoha. And maybe on the way, I can help you scout some new members,” she ended with a laugh.

In her head, she was already listing down the yakitori stand and the hot springs as hotspots that they couldn’t do without. She knew the family at the yakitori stand would find Susumu just as adorable as she did, and would be as enthusiastic to stuff him full like they did her during her first visit. She was also confident the old lady managing the hot springs wouldn’t mind another customer, either, and she could squeeze some money out of her tight finances to treat Susumu to one session of rest and relaxation. He did seem too uptight for a kid, which was probably an unfortunate by-product of travelling alone with such a large burden already resting on his shoulders. She made a mental note to force Susumu to kick back once in awhile during their travels. Amaterasu knew he would need it; heck, Shinigami probably knew he would need it.

“I can also introduce you to Nikko,” she said after a thought. “He’s my pet dog from when I was in my old village. I’m sure you two will get along great!”

What was left unsaid was that she wouldn’t be taking Nikko along with them. She thought that small tidbit of information need not be mentioned, at least for her sake. Nikko was untrained in any way, and would not only be a hindrance to their journey, but most likely also a liability. No, it was not only for their perceived benefit that he remained in Konoha, but for his own safety as well.

In related news, she wondered how Nikko would take to Susumu. Nikko had never been particularly fierce with strangers - he was actually very amicable with most of them - but anyone who stepped into her house, just like that postman a few months back who delivered a parcel, knew that Nikko was extremely territorial and possessive. She just hoped Nikko would behave around Susumu and keep his calm.

… She also hoped she could behave around Nikko and keep her calm, too. After all, it would be one of the last times she ever saw him again before coming back to Konoha.

If she came back to Konoha.

[Exit Thread]

WC: 811 + 7159 = 7970

Training Speed from E-0 to D-3: 1925/1925 and 150 ryo
Training Perception from E-0 to D-3: 1925/1925 and 150 ryo
Training Reaction Time from E-0 to D-3: 1925/1925 and 150 ryo
Training Endurance from E-0 to D-1: 1075/1075 and 25 ryo
Training Strength from E-0 to D-1: 1075/1075 and 25 ryo

Remaining WC: 7970 - 1925 - 1925 - 1925 - 1075 - 1075 = 45

Given from the reaction that she had when Susumu accepted the offer to be shown around Konoha, he noticed in her behavior that that was the thing she expected the least from someone like Susumu. He blinked once, figuring that it must be because she wouldn’t know where to take him to. She seemed deep in thought to figure something out right on the spot. Susumu just stood there, gazing towards the empty street as the sun had completely set. The signs of the store were ready to get carried inside in order to close up the shop. They’ve been sitting here for a rather long time, something that Susumu was definitely not used to. From sitting that long, and on top of that the food he ate, he felt a little tired. Well, at least his body did. He came to this realization when Harue waved with her hand in order to gesture that Susumu should follow her and Susumu stepped out from behind the table and walked up towards her. Every step he took felt heavier than it did before. Thinking that it must be just between his ears, he ignored the feeling and just followed Harue as she walked into one of the directions. Up until the point where Harue spoke, Susumu just followed her blindly, not knowing in the slightest where she was going to take him, but that all became apparent immediately. It seemed that Harue did have some place she called home. She was planning to take him to her apartment, which made Susumu wonder how Harue lived. How her apartment looked from both the outside and the inside. Guessing from Harue’s personality, it must be a pretty tidy place with little stuff lying around the ground. Susumu nodded once, not minding at all where they were going.

The thing that stood out the most for him, however, was the moment she mentioned sandwiches. The sandwiches that Harue made before tasted very good. He doesn’t know if that’s because he didn’t eat anything proper in a while or if she’s really good at preparing sandwiches. Either way, he couldn’t turn down more food if he was offered it, so he chose just to roll along with it. She even told Susumu that she’d be willing to help scout for new members for the squad. Upon hearing this, a slight smile was seen stretching across Susumu’s lips. Something that he doesn’t really do often. For the first time in his life he had found a comrade that, for now, planned to walk the distance with him. This quality time he’s spending with Harue should prove to be useful to strengthen their bond, therefore increase their chances of survival in the open world. Having asked her if she would be willing to join him on his travels, he couldn’t help but find himself a little bit responsible for the life he just took with him. He took it in the back of his mind that he wants to help Harue whenever he can in return for her assistance and hopefully she can be his assistance, as well. But without a doubt in his mind, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Nikko. She mentioned that name. He felt as if he had zoned out before. Nikko is the name of the pet dog she has in her apartment. Did she mention that before or was it at a moment that Susumu temporarily zoned out? To be honest, and it’s a little strange, but he never got in contact with a dog himself, so that would be a first time. Of course, he does know that they’re supposed to be very loyal animals, so he wondered if this dog of hers is trained properly to respect other people, as well. Knowing that the dog’s personality usually depends on the owner’s personality and the way of treating it, it should be a nice dog with Harue as its owner. “Well, if you’re the person that has been treating that dog and training it, then I’m sure we’ll be able to get along very well. After all, a dog takes after its owner most of the time, doesn’t it?” Although he had never received any specific information about a dog, this is merely something that he picked up on by observing his surroundings. Susumu picked up his speed a little bit to be walking beside Harue instead of next to her. “By the way, I’m looking forward to more of those sandwiches. I expect you to prepare ten of them.” He let out a small laugh the moment he finished that sentence. He made it seem that he was joking, but deep down, he was dead serious. Although Susumu wouldn’t like to admit it, it seems that Harue is well on her way for Susumu to admit that she’s his friend. The path in front of them is still ways long.

[Exit thread]

Word count: 820 + 6911 = 7731
Total thread word count: 7731

Training Stats: