Karumo strolled the halls of the hospital, his footsteps resounded in the long corridors of the hospital along with him, the administrator and one doctor followed along with him. As they walked along the group was explaining some of the work happening, both in jutsu development and research of the body in general as well as some of the accolades the hospital itself holds. It was his first time in the hospital since he became the headmaster of the University and as a wing of the hospital for students to come and practice and learn their art, he had to come and see it for himself as well as meet the people he'd be working with. But he always hated these meetings, so dull and dreary, it was all the boredom of small talk but with the importance of being a responsibility of his. With each step they talk all he could think about and hear was his own footsteps, nurses rushing around and carts of supplies and other things in the hallway. Bright lights and clean floors, like they were waxed daily, and the walls as clean as anything. As they went into one room with an assortment of scientists around with syringes and test tubes and such the administrator began to explain the room and what was going on there.

More boring details followed through, for all the prowess that his intellect could carry, he was totally apathetic in his interest and still, he had to feign it for the entirety of his duration. Examining a few test tubes that were blue in color, he rolled one in his finger tips with the utmost care before setting it back down, like he could tell anything from it. From out in the corridor though, a nurse ran by in haste followed by two men, wearing black like the security guards. Karumo's eyes turned towards the hallway past the door in the room, then turning to the administrator, "Everything alright out there?" he spoke and stepped towards the door to observe what was happening. In the meanwhile, the administrator urged the two doctors to stay in the room and walked hastily towards the door, "I'll go find out, just wait here for one second. Thank you." and with that she strut out of the door and down the hall from where they came. Karumo stepped away for a moment towards one of the doctors, doing his best to entertain himself, "Does this kinda thing happen alot?"

The man adding small amounts of liquid to different tissues and stuff looked up through his glasses, "Hm?" is all he could muster for the occasion. Karumo sat down on a stool nearby and spoke up, "I mean, guards running around and such, does that happen a lot here?" he set his syringe down and looked up. "No, less than a handful of times, most of the patients are too sedated to cause any trouble. Only the ones that don't want to be here cause a problem." and with that he went back to his work. Karumo in the meantime wasted his brief moment twiddling his thumbs, thinking about how the man assumed it to be one of the patients inherently and not some other issue. It made sense, but the assumption may or may not be true. Before he could question it further, the door opened to the administrator coming back into the laboratory. "I'm sorry, a nurse had trouble with one of the patients, and they're out there trying to find him somewhere on the floor above us. We can just wait here until it's done, if you'd like?"

Karumo exhaled heavily, then stood up from his stool, "No, I think we'll be alright, I can be of some help to your security and getting things back under control. I do think our time here was all but concluded, no?" he spoke up as he walked towards the door and began to pull the door open. Using his heel to hold it open he extended a hand out to shake hers, "You've been doing excellent thus far, I can meet you back in your office if you'd like about any paperwork or requests you have? And if I can't find you there then you know where my office is." he said smiling and took her hand, and then with a quick step he moved into the hallway and let the door close behind him. Now, to find where this rogue patient was at... he was now on the second floor of the six floor building, with winding hallways and such there wouldn't be much method to the madness and as long as things stayed calm he may never find him.

Where better to start than the room where the commotion started? Two of the security guards stood at the elevator and more had run up the stairwell that was most common, but whatever about a service entrance or something of that sort? And there was always a chance that he would break the window and escape that way, but the shattering glass would set off the buildings alarm. And how long ago had even escaped? The guards having begun to made their way up less than a minute ago.. Karumo decided he would follow suit and head to the stairwell on the far end and start making his way up, as long as the bottom floors were closed off his best chance would be the window or to the roof. Karumo walked slowly and patiently, wanting to appear like a normal person just to blend in with the surrounding people. As he approached a guard near the elevator it turned out to be one of the ones that escorted him around the securtiy center, he took his shoulder with his hand and spoke with as commanding a voice as he could, "This patient, do we know what he looks like or his name or anything?"

The guard looked back and shook his shoulder to knock his hand off, some thought before he spoke up, "His name is Ryouichi and he's supposed to be fairly young around your age maybe? He's a little shorter than you and has white hair, and according to the nurse he's in quite the aggressive mood so you should stay out of it, for your own good." he shot with a suggestive glance along with it. Karumo smiled and nodded thanking him, then bursting away into the open stairwell, he moved with the speed that he could muster until he got in. More theatrical to show him that he could handle himself to some degree, and more than the base security could. Now, the ANBU that would work in the hospital from time to time would be a different story. And with that, Karumo entered the third floor and began to calmly walk around and search the area, analyzing everything for clues to the patients whereabouts, and keeping himself more entertained than he would have listening to the details of research and gloating of the hospital's repertoire.

[1196 words]

There were a few people moving about on the floor, it seems that the onslaught of security and their temperment hadn't fully scared them away yet. 314, a security guard looked around in the bathroom and out the window towards the ground, a hospital robe throw on the floor, it would tell him that the man was out in someone's clothes. Karumo knew, the bottom floors locked off, it would be a tough escape and the roof would be a great vantage point for him and just as quick an escape for the rogue patient.

Peaking his head out of the room, ignoring any other potential clues that could have been left in the room, he was running against the clock now. Any time wasted to further analyze was time he was looking to close in, and therefore a simple risk assessment said that he needed to keep moving and tracking him. The guards didn't get that and instead blocked off the bottom floors and searched the third as if it would be impossible to evade them in that case. He stepped heavily towards the left, now heading for the staircase with the only entrance to the roof, whether he was headed there or not. If he stopped on a higher floor, then maybe he would get a chance to cut him off, and if he went for the roof, then he would only have a short time to follow after him.

The stairwell was just like all of them, humid and well lit with neutral colors on the wall, it was confusing that it was the same place as the hospital given the vast disparity of the quality and design. He had walked calmly up that point but as soon as the door to the stairwell shut behind him with a heavy thud, he dashed forward, rushing up the stairs as quickly as he could. Jumping onto the railing and to the wall, covering the height of the stairwell it wouldn't be long at all for him to cover the distance of it and arrive at a heavy metal steel door.

With a heavy push he would slam it open with his shoulder, dashing in a few feet onto the rooftop, with soft weather sealing covering the ground and gravel to keep it together. His feet slid and he looked around quickly with a kunai drawn in his hand, a last chance to find the rogue patient and bring him to his senses. An important distinction to make to someone who may feel trapped by the hospital, but why was that how things were? And what would he be running from and so angry over? All things that might be revealed in time, but maybe the question should be why Karumo was getting so involved in all of this? Besides, what should he care for a random person who wanted to leave a hospital. He often felt the same way, being numb he always found them as a burden and a constant reminder of his own disability.

Regardless of where his target was, should he still be on the roof, Karumo hadn't drawn the kunai for his own safety, it was the object of deterrent from doing anything dumb. At least what he considered dumb, he would call out to wherever the man was with as much gusto and command as he could muster, "Hold it Ryouichi, where do you think you're going?" he would train the kunai on him, if he made a move for the edge or to escape he would use the kunai to cut off his path. Or, if he had to, he would use it to protect himself if the man was really as aggressive as they made it out to be, but it would be up to him to make the next decision.

[646 words, 1842 words total]

Karumo eyed in on his target, his breathe was softer as he didn't want it to make an impression on the air around him. Honestly, he wasn't sure what he was going to when he got to this moment, he knew what he had to do but the method to the madness. For what means did he need to get to the end, that was the all important question, and for the shinobi there was rarely any other path than the one most commonly taken. Hence, the kunai. But for Karumo, he sought constantly to take the alternate path, and for something like this, violence was most certainly not the answer worth providing. So then what now, as their eyes locked for that brief moment before ultimatum was made a response given, now what?

“If you want to throw that kunai, you are more than welcome to. As for where I’m going, that should be obvious. I’m going home.” he spoke calmly as he removed his attention from Karumo. With one swift throw he would deliver that kunai just before the man, aiming it to plant itself within the soft stucco of the edge of the roof. There was a two foot ledge to separate the roof from the long drop downwards, but what it seemed that what little was there for safety would often times lead to the grandeur death of many seeking it. However, for a ninja like Karumo, any ninja really, a drop such as that one would be of little to no consequence. With a kunai sticking into the roof, landing with a thud and slicing at the air around it, intent on breaking his path away from the hospital, whether he chose to heed that warning or not, or to block it or do whatever else. It was the best idea he had in the moment, but regardless Karumo would step forward and call out, "Home, huh?" walking towards the man, some haste in his step but his eyes trained on him. There was a slight chuckle at the end of his voice, still keeping his tone as commanding as possible, it was meant more as a taunt, hopefully enough to bring his attention back towards Karumo, whether that be in spite or anger didn't matter to him. He certainly seemed to hold the potential to be an aggressive individual, but then again, if he were stuck in a hospital, he might share that same mantra.

Certainly, the path involving the kunai was not the way that this situation be resolved, but certainly, Karumo could use his words to convince him. Or at least an attempt to, he wouldn't wait to see what the man would do before continuing on, hoping he could catch him before he made his way down. "Going home from the hospital, it's a sentiment I could share. But what home is there for the weary and dying?" his taunt meant to turn the tract towards remaining where he was. "The dead and dying may wish to go home and be comfortable as they pass and wither away. But what of those for their loved ones and their friends? It is grief and torment that haunts them as you would suffer. Stay here, get better, let the people here help you..." he would pose, his voice changing from commanding to compassionate.

Some might find it a bit condescending but he meant it whole-heartedly, but for him, what he think. If he even stuck around long enough to hear him out, that is. His opinion was the only one that mattered and all of the decisions of what would come and what were to happen would be entirely in his hands. Karumo was only at the mercy of acting as a counter to whatever he did, there was no room or want to solve this situation where he took over. And for now, he would follow after him if he jumped or continue his conversation if he stayed, the choice was all his.

[679 words, 2521 words total]

His kunai took no affect, the threat against him wouldn't budge him or phase him in any manner. Instead, it would be his words to trigger a reaction, and not the one he would be expecting. Wrath. Anger. Primal Emotion. He burst out on the rooftop, commanding Karumo with the anger, his face spoke louder than his words though. Where he commanded silence, his face twisted into more than that, followed by the exposition of how little he understood. “You don’t know a single thing… anything about me! So maybe you should go play the good little shinobi and do something useful.” it rang out, not so much the taunt towards being a good shinobi. Whatever he meant by that, his attention focused on the not knowing.

It was true, as much as Karumo prided himself on learning and being a master of intuition and wit. For all that was worth, he still understood so little about people, his only connection to them would be the cold emotion of loss. He would never know the physical comforts of the ordinary person and while everyone could have friends, the true connection to people comes from understanding. He didn't know the struggles of ordinary people, being smarter than the average person and being a mostly successful shinobi, there was nothing to ground him to the world. The only things he had were the loss of his own family, the pain and suffering he had therein. And, his ideology, being able to share their feelings.

His chest sunk some as he began to think upon the words, his eyes fell to the feet of the man while he commanded him to go do something else and to leave him. Karumo's eyes wandered back up as he saw the man place a foot upon the ledge and began to eye the ground below, bringing his body back up. Stunned, Karumo's eyes dilated in that split second, he jumped foward after him, following him as he plunged off the ledge. Karumo stepped quickly into his posture, and burst forth after him, "No! I will not let you end it like this!" he ran forth and jumped after him. Using the ledge as a quick step, he dove headfirst downward like he were diving in water, trying to cut down on his resistance and to catch up to him.

But, as he came to the ground after him, the man landed safely upon the ground, Karumo was confused, for one second he though that his life would be in jeopardy and now it seems that he may have taken things more abstractly than they seemed. He tumbled down and landed heavily into the ground, it would have been painful on his joints at the speed he was going but the sensation of pain escaped him. His eyes would follow to the man trying to make his escape, a little confused at how he was fine. But, was it really that surprising? Ninja do get injured and sick as well, but who was this guy specifically? Shinobi should know how to behave in the care of others, but this guy gets angry and breaks away. A tormented soul perhaps? Or maybe confusion about his circumstances, it would be impossible to tell but it did make Karumo wonder about it.

If he ran away, he would follow after him, and if not, he would address him on the ground. Finding a moment it would be appropriate to call out, "You're not just some ordinary citizen then. But tell me, if you're a shinobi, then why have you no discipline? Where's your sense of self control?"

[615 words, 3136 words total]

The two of them stood as they landed upon the ground at the base of the hospital, a few turning heads from passer-bys and people loitering in the fresh air. “You talk as if you know everything.” the man said, his tone only grew more shrewd as Karumo pressed further and further on. The sarcastic tone was ever apparent, but it was probably no better than Karumo deserved, for what else was he even getting involved if it weren't for his overly concerned nature and his own curiosity to people in general. His eyes were as cold as his voice, they shot forward to lock in with Karumo's, the anger ever apparent, he gave the obvious look of a man ever frustrated with annoyance. His Karumo locked dead to his eyes as well, but his stature was still neutral, he was on the defensive of the man, still clinging to the idea that he could help him and that there was something for the man beyond his situation, whatever that may truly be.

“Don’t go around reaching conclusions that hold no actual ground. Saying I’m a shinobi is one thing, but I haven’t been one in years. So this… discipline thing you speak of… really doesn’t apply to me.” he spoke with the same anger that his eyes displayed, Karumo listened to the words and let his eyes drop down towards the ground slightly. Thinking on the words and how much hope had been removed from him, that's what it sounded like really, not so much of anger towards anyone, but a melancholy frustration at his situation. Whether he was truly, at his core, angry at Karumo for prying was one thing but perhaps this was an outlet for his anger, letting him get the bits out where he could and as cleanly as he could. Using an introverted nature to hide himself away, that was a hypothesis alright, but one he may never get the chance to really dig at. For as much curiosity as he had and as much as he was thinking things over, he had devoted himself to doing one thing for this time. “Perhaps your discipline is better suited to minding your own business.”

He exhaled as the man walked by, more of a sigh than anything, he turned his body and let his eyes follow the mans feet until he was just past him. His head then turned to the back of his head, staring at him with some conviction, even now, Karumo was beginning to get upset. Perhaps it was just the outcome of being around someone else angry, his own temper was never really that great, but hopefully his reasoning would keep him from doing anything too dumb. He would call out as he turned, conviction in his voice, "I would never claim to know anything. That's ridiculous, but there are some universal truths and ideas that not even the greatest minds could challenge." his stature was set, head held high as he looked on to the man. If he kept walking trying to ignore him, he would follow suit until he had his attention, this wasn't over until he made his point, and as far as Karumo was concerned, that is going to be no easy task.

He continued on in pursuit, "The idea of the sick being treated, and helping those who need help. Those are things that even the strongest of people accept. And don't lie to me with some self-righteous speech about being fine and not needing help. Less than five minutes ago you were in a hospital, even if by accident, there is something there needing to be addressed." Karumo might not have been the most commanding of person, and his arguments usually better worded, but his mind was divided here between analyzing, responding, and staying on track as best he could with a man who wanted nothing to do with him, or perhaps anyone at all. "You say that my conclusions hold no ground. But you're more wrong there than I am. Once a shinobi, always a shinobi. You can't take back what you've done, lives lost and comrades dead. The horrors of war. The injuries and scars we received. All of those things are forever enshrined into your soul, your mind, your body, and your memory and at the end of everything, those we fought to save and those we killed to survive will measure our own ends. So those rules of shinobi, no matter how far removed you are, will always apply to you." he spoke calmly and with conviction, as genuinely as he could. During his speech his eyes would wander from the man to the clouds and around to the people of Iwagakure that he could see from the path. All of it, the people, the village, even the land itself inspiring him to be better and to serve his village in any way he could.

But, he wasn't wrong about him entirely, he was prying in affairs that haven't affected him yet and probably won't affect him. With some solace and change of tone, a bit of regret in his voice now, he would speak up one more time "Perhaps you're right though, maybe I should mind my own business. But you're a citizen of Iwagakure no Sato, even a former shinobi. A comrade in my eyes. I was taught never to abandon a comrade under any circumstance. Past, Present, or Future. So your suffering is something I can help with, if it's not keeping you in that hospital to get better, then it will be to make sure with my own conscious that you are truly fine." There was almost no doubt in Karumo's mind that his own convictions were sound but would the other man see them that way as well? Or would he be pushed even further into his anger, hopefully not too far. That outcome counter-productive to the ends that they both hope to achieve.

[1021 words, 4157 words total]

It seemed that the emotional argument was all but lost on him, whether from lack of conscious or pure denial that was for him to figure out. For Karumo though, a world where the sensation of feeling pain or even touch in general, the emotional argument was far more compelling than anything else. He had learned to live off of it and stay rational in its facets but he never really figured out a way to deal with stubbornness. The two of them moving along, the man began to speak without addressing Karumo, an annoyance if anything else, but he listened carefully to his words. “You say you would never claim to know anything, yet you go on to say ‘once a shinobi, always a shinobi’. This universal truth of yours, only works if everyone agrees to it. Sadly, that’s only limited to you in this… conversation. You can’t really be a shinobi if the system itself doesn’t let you be one. There were no horrors, nothing was lost. There was no war. So, how can you be a shinobi if none of those facets occurred? You can reiterate yourself to say it applies to me, but as far as I’m concerned and the rest of the village, your statement is one-hundred percent completely inaccurate. So, before you reach anymore conclusions, perhaps it’d be better off if you actually knew what was occurring.”

His words were... interesting. It seemed that he truly held to his belief, and it was confusing. His logic, it seemed that he would rather cast away his past and ignore it. By Karumo's thoughts, he was just using a broken logic to deny it, placing in values and making assumptions that weren't checked, but it was enough to him. And was that all that really mattered? That as long as you believe your own ideology then all was good? Karumo couldn't accept that. He cared far too much about thinking and ideology, as ridiculous as they might be to dismiss them and the challenge of thought so easily. “Before you ask, you won’t be getting the story from me. You can’t help with this ‘suffering,’ as you call it. I prefer to call it reality.” he continued on. A subtle contradiction of his last point, Karumo took a slight exhale. He had a choice to make here, to keep pressing the issue and push the two of them into further argument and potentially conflict. Or, to make his final point and leave it at that? But what solace was there in conceding to nothing?

His exhale was followed closely by his words, "You've made the assumption to find a way to not let it apply to you. Truth doesn't need agreement, even the smallest truth. My self-righteousness is what you seem to take most offense to, or perhaps my overuse of ethos, but it doesn't make me wrong." his voice was calm. He was no longer angry or frustrated, instead he looked towards the ground in front of him as he spoke, "There doesn't need to be war for people to know struggle. For a ninja to know the pain of our occupation. But systemic oppression or not, your service to the village earned you the right to call yourself a shinobi. You shouldn't throw it away for stubbornness or to run from whatever grief you have." Maybe his words were all but lost on him. He could hardly doubt that he'd just want to run away from it all, whatever he be affected from. Whatever his story. His story had led him here, and Karumo's had led him to a very different place. It was all apart of life, but a true leader would know how to embrace that fact, not to try to retort it.

That was his latest quest, to become a true leader, after failing so miserably with his clan, his quest to rebound and become better was now driving him. "As for the story, you're right. Everyone's different and holds their own pains and triumphs. But you don't have to rant to me, I wouldn't expect it. I just think that running from whatever pains you is a path I could never take. Embracing it and overcoming it is better, even a better outlook on the world is better than living as an introvert, as tempting as it may be." he wouldn't leave much pause before he continued on, a sigh to pause himself.

"Listen, I know you're done with me and I don't think either of us see eye to eye on anything. But if you don't want to be in a hospital but are ever interested in overcoming your health issues, then you should see someone. Go search for the Kazako clan clinic, a man works there with the name of Harichimo, you can tell him that I sent you. He is the student of the Tsuchikage, Lord Akira, and the best medic I've seen next to Lord Akira. You'll work outpatient at the clinic, it means going home each day but also trying to address yourself." he scratched at the side of his head briefly.

A bit of a dorky smile came over him, he set his hand on the back of his neck, "And if you ever want a shot at being a shinobi again, come seek me out at the University. My name's Karumo Sekuro, it shouldn't be hard to find me at all. You can still become a shinobi without me, I'm just here to offer my help if you'd like it. The choice is yours, but I recommend at least seeing Harichimo." he spoke seriously at the end of his bit. He had enough and he was sure that the man had also had enough, so for now, he exited his presence. Turning away from him and jumping to a nearby rooftop, body flickering all the same time to mask his escape from the scene. There was no need for him to hear out anything more, the argument wouldn't help the situation, and while the rudeness of offering potentially unwanted advice but not listening was apparent. It was obvious that the man would probably have no quelms with Karumo leaving.

From rooftop to rooftop, he got a few blocks away from the scene and then returned to the street, once he was sure that he had gotten far enough away from him. Returning to the university to deal with whatever else he had planned for the day, his curiosity not satisfied in any form, he would just have to find another way to deal with that. Maybe he could listen to the rantings of some faculty member, but he never really did care for petty drama... Perhaps a book or some puzzles would be enough for now.

[1167 words, 5324 words total]
[Exit Thread]

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