Issei didn't talk to Isamu much. Sure, Isamu had done him a huge favor by escorting him to Iwa in order to keep him within the travelling shinobi guidelines for Kirigakure no Sato, but at the same time, that didn't mean he was obligated to become friends with Isamu. It was fairly obvious that Isamu didn't see it the same way, but he had to face it; they were two very different people, and where he was a sociable and accommodating type, Issei was a solitary and cautious type. Now, this didn't mean that Issei was going out of his way to be rude or anything; he spoke to Isamu whenever he felt necessary and did his best to be kind. But the moment he had a chance to do something, he would leave Isamu to do his own thing and leave it at that. I'm sure Isamu has been busy doing missions for Kirigakure like he was supposed to be doing, anyway. Otherwise, there would be no real point in him staying here with me, since he already did his escort job, aside from not having to make another trip to come pick me up. He wondered how long Isamu had been a shinobi; he was a Jounin, Issei knew that much, but Issei didn't know his age or other specific personal information about the boy. One thing Issei did know was that he personally would take a long time before he reached a rank that high.

Some would argue that Issei was a strong shinobi. Sure, he was an experienced taijutsu user with a good backup in ninjutsu, as well as the ability to use two elemental releases and a rare kekkei genkai. Looking at other shinobi his age, though, he was so far behind. Most 30 year old shinobi were at least Special Jounin or Jounin, and Issei knew that if he were to take on someone of that rank, he would be defeated in no time. He planned on improving, obviously, but it would take a while. That morning, he left his hotel room and went to a local dojo to practice his taijutsu, getting in as much training as possible to the point of exhaustion. His arms were by far the most muscular part of his body, honed into devastating weapons through years of practice, even during his time while he wasn't a shinobi. Exercise and close quarters combat were a lifestyle and a hobby to him, rather than something that came along with being a ninja. That was likely the only reason why he'd gotten through the ninja academy in the first place, because back in the day when he was a little 12-year-old with no real skill in ninjutsu and a dormant kekkei genkai he didn't know about, he relied entirely on his physical prowess and his intellect to get by.

Once Issei left the dojo, he went back to the inn to bathe and change. He noticed that Isamu wasn't there when he returned, and the room was cleaned and the beds were made, meaning that either housekeeping had come in their absence or Isamu had tidied up before he left. Issei disrobed and went into the bathroom to wash off and unwind. The warm water relaxed his muscles as he sank down to the bottom of the tub, and brought his legs into his chest in a fetal position, resting his chin on his knees. He'd be sore in the morning, but that was always a sign that he'd done well and there would be an increase in muscle mass and strength. He remained in the tub for another five minutes or so before he washed all of the dirt and sweat from his body, his face, and his hair, then got out, drained the water, and dried himself off. He took the right side of his hair along with the strand that usually fell down the middle of his face and pulled it back behind his ear with a bobby pin. He let the left side of his hair dry a little more before letting it hang just so he could retain some of his bangs, and then he tied the back into a short ponytail, just down to the base of his neck. Looking at himself in the mirror, he looked like an oddly masculine middle aged mother and housewife, but he couldn't care less. He liked to put his hair like that from time to time to keep it out of his eyes and easier to manage.

Just then, Issei recalled that he was supposed to be meeting up with Masa to hang out at some point. It had completely slipped his mind, but it didn't make much of a difference considering Masa lived alone and would likely be more than happy to have Issei over at anytime. Issei put on tight black shorts, bandaged both of his legs in place of socks or tabi, and put on sandals. He shrouded himself in a split-he, sleeveless burgundy shirt tied his Kirigakure headband back around his left arm. Finally, he packed a bag with toiletries and extra clothes in case he was going to spend the night. With his outfit fine-tuned for comfortability on a warm, Tsuchi no Kuni night and having prepared for whatever would ensue, he left the inn again, this time headed for the Living Quarters.

Gushiken, Masahide, known by most as simply "Masa", was Issei's closest friend in the world. He and Issei had met seven years prior, when Issei was in Iwagakure still on his journey to find purpose in the world. Masa was working as a delivery man for a parcel service, and he'd collided into Issei during one of his deliveries. He immediately apologized and noticed that Issei's kekkei genkai had unintentionally activated, causing bones to stab through the package that Masa needed to deliver. Despite this, Masa wasn't angry and he noticed that Issei seemed downtrodden and flustered for having ruined the package, so he invited Issei to dinner at a ramen house that night in order to make up for crashing into him. There, he broke down Issei's walls with his assertive and extroverted personally, and the two really got to know each other. From that day on, it was history; Masa enrolled at Diamond Heights University and Issei joined his friend group and ended up moving to Tsuchi no Kuni 2 years later, at the age of 25.

Issei had grown to be cozy whenever he was around Masa, and he thought of the man like a brother to him. Masa knew how to make Issei feel loved and cared for without smothering him or pushing past his comfort zone. They had a mutual respect for one another that Issei truly valued. He found himself on Masa's doorstep, knocking on the door in a little four-on-the-floor beat, excited to see his friend. Masa rushed to the door and opened it before engulfing Issei in a hug. He was one of the few people that Issei allowed to touch him, despite Issei's haphephobia. It took Issei a long time to learn to consciously stop his kekkei genkai from activating as an automatic defense when it wasn't necessary, but he'd mastered it by age 26 and Masa had been hugging him at every opportunity since. "It's been a few months, Issei! How're you doing?" Issei gave a soft smile. "I'm good, can't really complain."

"Haha, every time I see you, you never change a bit. Come on inside, man, I'm making dinner." Masa replied as he ushered Issei in and closed the door behind him.

Masahide migrated to the kitchen and continued cooking, while Issei found a comfortable seat in the living room and plopped himself down. He laid out flat on his stomach, spanning across the whole couch, and then turned his head to face Masa. The view was rather awkward, because at that level his eyes were positioned directly toward's Masa's ass, since Masa was so tall. "What're you making?" he asked, nonchalantly. Masa was taking something out of the oven and he placed it on the counter as he said, "Just some sesame glazed salmon and rice. And enough for two!" The excitement in his voice was everpresent. The general optimism about everything, regardless of circumstance, had always been something that Issei liked about Masa. It lightened the mood and reminded him to be more positive, himself. "That sounds delicious! So how's your job been?" Masa let out a playful groan, preparing the bowls and bringing them out into the living room. He handed one to Issei along with chopsticks and then sat down on the couch next to him. Issei sat up and reclined back in his seat, placing the bowl on his lap.

"The job's been good. It pays so much and I get to do what I love for a living, which is something that not many people have the pleasure of. I'm really grateful." Masa's voice was genuine and he took a bite from the fish in front of him. "And how about you? How's the life of a shinobi treating ya?" Issei ate his food for a while before answering, mulling over his response in his head. "It's ok. I'm not doing terribly and missions always pay well, but I can't help but feel like I'm not cut out for it when I'm way older than everyone else at my level." Masa nodded, understanding where Issei was coming from. Although it was true that Masa had never been a ninja, he understood what it was like to feel outclassed by others in the same field of work. Nonetheless, he was determined to make Issei confident about his own abilities. "Although I get why you would say that, I do have to say that I think you make a great ninja. You've been through so much in your lifetime and you've been practically everywhere and unlocked your kekkei genkai. Physically, you're stronger than anyone else I know. I mean," he paused to jab at one of Issei's biceps with a chopstick, then continued, "Look at yourself! and you exercise and train constantly. Just give it time and you'll be at the rank you really deserve."

Issei smiled at his friend and went back to eating. The salmon had a savory and sharp flavor that tied perfectly with the rice. He wondered when Masa had picked up cooking, because this wasn't exactly a "beginner's level" dish. A man of many talents, his friend proved himself to be. "Thank you, that means a lot to me. I'm trying my best and that's all that really matters." Masa rolled his eyes. "Just promise me you won't get so down on yourself. I'm proud of you." he said as he wrapped an arm around Issei's shoulder and pulled him in close. Issei accepted the embrace, setting his food down and taking Masa's bowl too before wrapping both arms around him and lifting him off the ground, high into the air. The bear hug was clearly painful for Masa but he laughed it off as Issei dropped him back down on the couch and handed him his salmon. "You always know the right thing to say, Masa." he said quietly. He finished off his bowl and went to the kitchen to wash it off. Masa followed him and washed his own bowl afterwards, and the two sat on the kitchen counters, their feet hanging from the edge.


Issei recalled another thing he wanted to tell Masa. "I stopped by Haruyo's house yesterday. Part of me really wanted to see her. But when I got to her door, I kind of just fell apart and left." Masa's expression grew more solemn. "That's probably for the best, Issei. I haven't seen nor spoken to her since you two split up, but I know that she's moved on. She moved on from all of us, she's in her own world now. And besides, all she did while you were together was hurt you. You don't need that anymore, you need a woman who loves you and takes care of you and appreciates you for all you're worth." Issei honestly didn't know what that was like. His mouth opened almost instantaneously and he added "or a man," in a mumble. Masa looked at Issei for a while and then looked down at his feet. The mood in the room changed and it was awkward. Issei spoke up again. "My entire life, the biggest stranger of all has been me. I don't know myself, and I've been trying to figure myself out for three decades. At this point, I'm hoping it'll come to me in an epiphany and I'll finally feel confident and secure." Masa's eyes met Issei's again and he rested a hand on Issei's shoulder.

"You can't expect something like that to come to you. You have to go out and find it yourself, and I know you've been trying, but maybe you've been looking in all the wrong places. You keep trying to build a future for yourself and find meaning in that, but maybe you have to look to your past first before you can face the future." Issei had an inkling of a feeling as to what Masa was implying, but he asked anyway. "What are you suggesting...?" Masa hopped off of the counter, grabbed Issei's hand, and dug a fingernail into his palm. Issei, caught off guard by the pain, let out an "ouch" and his eyes changed color. The bones in his wrist transformed and a sharp bone emerged from his palm, just as Masa pulled away. Issei stared down at his hand; it seemed so foreign. He wasn't controlling it, it didn't feel like it was his, it didn't look like it was his. He turned to the window behind him and caught his reflection, seeing the whites of his eyes now dark and bloodshot and his irises a dark red. He closed them and rearranged the bones in his hand so that they returned to normal, and when he next opened his eyes, they had returned to their natural state.

"I'm talking about that. You've had this kekkei genkai, the Shikotsumyaku, since you were 18 years old and you've never bothered to try and figure out how or why. Neither of your parents have it, and none of your relatives know of any Kaguya in their blood. How is that possible? You have to find out what it all means, who you got it from, why it was dormant until the Surgeon was experimenting on you. And while that topic is at hand, what of the Surgeon? Do you really believe that you killed him that day you escaped? From what you told me of when he came after your family when you were 12, your dad cut him into pieces and somehow he survived. How do you know he's not hiding somewhere, waiting for the right time to come back and try to kill you again?" Issei listened to all of this in silence, with an uncomfortable frown on his face. His eyebrows were furrowed and lowered, but he knew that Masa was right.

Passion was building in Masa's voice as he delved further and further into the topic, forcing Issei to look back on the harsh memories he tried so hard to forget. "Travelling the world and enjoying nature and reading books and trying to fall in love, none of that will lead you to the self-actualization you need. In your case, there are two things you have to find: your ancestry, and your nemesis. I honestly believe that once you those are out of the way, you won't see yourself as a stranger anymore, and you might end up becoming a better shinobi than you ever thought possible. I'm your best friend and I love you and I'll help you however I can, but let's face. it..."

Issei was tense but he kept his eyes focused on Masa. "It's in your hands, Issei."

Issei get down from the counter and leaned against it for support. "So what's my first step?" he asked. Masa looked up to the ceiling. "For your kekkei genkai? I don't know. You'll have to figure that one out yourself. As for the Surgeon, your first step is to become stronger. The Surgeon is extremely powerful and as the years go by, he's probably only getting better. You need to make it your top priority to hunt him down, but you can't be expected to defeat him until you have more confidence in your own abilities." Issei thought of Isamu, and how he was a Jounin. He thought of the war that had happened in Kirigakure while he was living in Iwa, and Ayakashi, and all of the other Kage. Maybe he needed someone to train him? He knew that Ayakashi was infamous for her Taijutsu, able to destroy anything in her path with a single punch. He could be that strong, one day; or maybe he could focus on training his kekkei genkai. It was a gift, and it had kept him alive when his body was being cut, pulled apart, prodded...if he honed it like a weapon, it could defeat the Surgeon once and for all.

Noticing that Issei was desperate for guidance of some sort, Masahide offered a final piece of advice. "You know, the Tsuchikage takes appointments whenever people would like to meet him for whatever reason. If you go to see him, he could tell you about a few things about being a shinobi. After the last Tsuchikage fell off the map, he came in and changed the village a lot. From what I hear, he's great at Taijutsu, just like the Mizukage, and he could teach you a few things. It's worth a shot." Issei nodded, then let out a sigh. "Ok, I'll try that. I'll head to the admin building and see if I can get an appointment." He considered doing missions for Iwa while he was there, if that was possible. He wasn't quite sure, though. He kept thinking about how he looked when the Shikotsumyaku; he seemed like a monstrosity, and he remembered that the first time that he saw his reflection while he was using it, he was terrified. When he'd returned home from the Surgeon's hideout, his first stop was his parents' house rather than the hospital, and his mother opened the door and screamed when she saw him. He didn't understand until he caught sight of himself in a puddle...mangled, feral, bleeding. She retreated to the back of the house and didn't say anything to him for few days because of how shaken she had been, but his father was calm and handled the situation with a level head. It seemed like he felt guilty, since the Surgeon had been his enemy and he'd put Issei in danger by relation alone. He refrained from touching Issei because he didn't have control of the kekkei genkai, especially since he had just awakened it, but he let him know that he would be alright and he took him to the hospital for treatment. 12 years ago, and yet Issei remembered every moment like it was yesterday.

Facing everything head on like that, Issei's mind was getting tired. Masahide saw the look in his eyes and smiled at him. "Okay, enough heavy talk for now. Let's go watch tv upstairs." Issei nodded and followed Masa to his room before securing a spot on the bed and holding a pillow. Masa switched the tv on, and the two sat there watching shows and laughing far into the night. Issei fell asleep first, leaning on Masa's shoulder, and so Masa decided to call it a night too as he switched off the lights and the television and went to bed. Issei managed a feat at 8 hours of sleep that night, some rest that he desperately needed.

[ Exit, Thread Closed ]

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