Takumi had just finished with his training and decided to take a break at the site seeing cliff he had been training all day and decided to sit and just watch the village. He sat there for hours before he decided to start home as he was walking down the mountain he felt a strange presence near by and decided to check it out. He was almost in town when the presence he felt stopped when he looked around the corner he saw a older man walking taku shook his head thinking hie skills were getting rusty but against his better judgement he followed the guy.

Moving through the village, Kai slipped in and amongst the crowd, occasionally slipping his hand into the pockets of those who looked more wealthy. Nobody noticed him, nobody thought to. After all, the bandages could be thought of as covering an injury instead of covering his mark, and other than that he just appeared like every other ninja. He wore his forehead protector around his neck like a scarf, and had actually had it modified so that it had much longer tails, actually acting like a scarf.

It's tails trailed behind him as he moved in and amongst the people, before he noticed a perfect person to take stuff from. He was old, so he was likely a bit less sensitive and would likely not notice a smart hand popping into his pocket. Plus, he was limping so he wasn't going to be able to catch him even if he found out. He was a perfect mark, all apart from one thing. There was some kid standing behind him, he would have to hope that the kid wouldn't notice him doing anything, this was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Walking next to him, he used the speed that he'd acquired from training in kenjutsu to slip his hand into the man's pocket and remove his wallet before he'd noticed anything. Slipping it into his own pocket, he moved faster, turning around the corner and moving to hide in an alleyway. Opening the wallet, he could barely believe his eyes. So many ryo, he could pretty much sit in a small puddle of it if he poured it all out. There was a little identification card that was attached to the wallet. This guy was apparently called Toboshī orokamono, and was a retired ninja. Well too bad ninja boy, looked like time had dulled your sword enough for this to be a really good hit. He couldn't hear any shouting yet, so the man had apparently not noticed that his wallet was missing. Good, now he could get out of here before he hit any annoying complications.

350/2000: Kādo no shinzō-bu: Kōshukei no otoko (Heart of the cards: The Hanging Man)

Takumi was following behind the man when he saw another person walk next to him as any ninja would see the other person slipped his hand in his pocket and pulled out the man's wallet. As Taku watched the other person run off taku made sure to keep pace with him while also making sure not to make any noise. As they were running Taku wondered if this man was a ninja or just a regular pick pocket. Once he saw the other man run into a alley he paused.

Takumi jumped the roof above the other man and watched him open the wallet and take the money out. Takumi then jumped down behind the guy and said with a slight smile "you know stealing is illegal right". Then takumi waited to see what his reaction was going to be. Takumi was ready to chase him if he ran but he really hoped the guy would not.

There was someone around here... he knew it. It wasn't like he was one of those who could sense people, but he got this feeling. Hair sticking up on the back of his neck, a sudden paranoia, he was being watched. Not by the old man, no if he was then he'd have had a confrontation already. Before he knew what was going on there was a voice behind him.
"You know stealing is illegal right?" Damnation! He slipped to his feet and turned around. The boy who'd been walking behind the man had followed him. But he'd not seen him... of course, he was a ninja. Probably a higher ranking one if he hadn't noticed him instantly. Still, he was so young, he looked so weak. What, was he really supposed to take this guy seriously? Like hell he was going to do that.

"Sorry kid, I haven't got any candy to give ya." he said, clearly not amused by the boy shoving his nose in where it was unwanted. He didn't want to steal, no matter how good he was at it. Sure, it wasn't like it made him feel guilty anymore, it wasn't like he could claim that he was a good person even if he hadn't done this. He was a criminal, that was something that was completely unforgettable and unimpeachable. The world had forced him to be that way.
"Tell ya what, why don't you run off and find a nice little playground for you to play in? I'm not in the mood to be babysitting." With the wallet now comfortably in his pocket, he walked further down the alleyway, away from the interfering brat and away from all of this irritating complication.

Takumi stood and listened to the other person talk and as he started to walk away taku started to walk behind him. Taku said as he began to walk behind the other boy "It is going to take more than that to get rid of me". So takumi began to pop his shoulders as he walked behind the man. while he was walking taku said "Oh yeah ever talk to me that way again ill break your nose i may be short but i can still rip you to shreds".

Taku walked behind him without saying a word just watching the other man. Taku had his guard up in case the other guy tried anything.Taku then said "why are you picking people's pocket's that is not exactly a legal profession". Takumi was hoping for a reaction from the other person.

The brat was following him... that was irritating. He wanted to turn around and smash the little brat in the face, shatter his face for talking like that. Who did he think he was? There was so much arrogance, so much undeserved self-confidence in his voice. What had this little brat ever done that could be looked at with respect? Probably nothing, he didn't even look like he should be out of school.
"If you tried to touch me, your arms would be cut off from your body within seconds. Don't mess with me, kid." he said, and the threat seemed like it was very truthful, very honest, he would willingly do something like that. The confusing thing was there was so much strength, so much confidence in his face, yet he had no weapon to do it with. Or so it would appear.

Turning around slightly, he concentrated his chakra to his feet and planted them on the wall, beginning to scale it. This was a simple jutsu, a basic one too. He could scale this easily, he would be able to get out of the little brat's reach soon enough, and that question was not going to get an answer.
"Why do you care? Not like you care why another person does what they do, you probably just see it as wrong if it's illegal like all the other damned sheep in this village. You can be the most horrible, immoral, disgusting person in the world and that's fine as long as you stay by the law. But the moment you break it, you're suddenly a bad guy." he spat, and at the angle he was at it fell down and would have likely landed on Taku.

Taku smiled a bit as he said "Ah you would cut my arms off huh does that mean you use kenjutsu". He continued following him while keeping his guard up he looked around. Taku began scratching his head and yawned.

They then reached a wall and the other ninja began walk up it. The technique is a vary basic one taku did the same and began to walk up the wall as well. As he heard the other ninja talk anger built in him. And when he felt the spit hit him he looked up and said "Go ahead and spit on me as much as you want". He then looked back down before saying "Im used to it". And then he became angry again and said "And 1 stealing is still wrong and 2 you know nothing about me so dont act like you do". Taku then began to walk behind the other shinobi again.

the little brat was asking questions now? Well, that was annoying, and it appeared like he wasn't going to give up the chase anytime soon. Not like that guaranteed him an answer anyway, he was just going to ignore this guy until he got bored and went away. What did he care if someone else wanted to give his two ryo about the style he chose to learn. It was his life, his style, and his choice. Nobody else got a say in edge-ways. Especially not some whiny little brat that wouldn't stop following him. He was already mad, maybe because of the fact that he'd been caught stealing, but when the boy started talking about being used to being spat on, another flush shot through his body. He was acting as if he was as unlucky, as hated, as Kai's clan was. There was no other clan that could understand it, not even most of his own clan could. The Uranai had never had a home.

Then the final straw was torn. He spoke about how he shouldn't talk about others if he didn't understand them. The hypocrisy, it hurt to listen to. It hurt to even be around. In a surge of anger, he quickly undid the bandage around his arm and tied it around his chest, dangling in the breeze. His arm was revealed, but more importantly his hand was. The glowing mark that had shown up when he started walking the wall was now much clearer and much brighter. It was like a torch, and it was the mark of the clan. He held his hand up as if it was an ID or something.

"You want me to not talk about other people until I understand them? Hah, that's rich coming from you." he feigned an angry little laugh, before continuing "You talk about being used to being spat on? I'm used to being trod into the dirt underfoot, being beaten and bruised and used for when other people want sport or want entertainment, want a punching bag or want someone to relieve them of their urges. You talk as if you are a true victim, but you can show your full body in public without fear of abuse."

It looked for a moment that his rant was over, but he finished it off with another tirade
"You treat an entire clan of people like thieves and refuse to give them jobs, they become thieves and steal the money they would have earned honorably from you. Now do you dare tell me that is wrong, that I should let my clan starve? DO YOU?!?" His last words were spoken with such anger, such dark conviction, that it was almost demonic.

Takumi was speechless that people could do that to another person. But taku had a hard life too. Taku lit a fire in his belly and yelled back "Oh yeah well my entire family was slaughtered they were killed just for being strong my mother and father almost did not escape it". Taku got in his face "My entire family was killed my clan was slaughtered the few that survived scattered to all corners of the world fearing that some body would find out who they were". Taku was red in the face "So you know what you are not the only person with problems OK".

Taku felt bad for yelling at him but he was getting sick of people treating him like crap. So taku backed up and said "Well you got anything else to say". Taku was watching for a response.

Oh, this little brat thought he had issues? His mummy was killed? Oh, the lack of care that was emitted from Kai was impressive, just in the apathetic nature of it. Angry apathy, something you don't see every day. As he backed up, Kai took the opportunity to press the offensive. Moving towards him, standing so that their fight appeared to interlock, face to face, their noses almost pressing together.

"My father was murdered for being part of my clan by yukigakure ninja who were supposed to protect him, right in front of me. I was forced to watch my own father get beaten to death for something he couldn't help. My mother has hated me since I was born, because of the fact that I inherit the clan instead of her. The closest thing I had to a friend died recently, and I couldn't even bury him in Iwagakure's graveyard because they don't want our dead! So tell me, Senju, who in god's name do you think you're complaining to? You don't have a clan's future on your shoulders, you don't have to rob and steal and hurt and manipulate just to stop your family, your friends, the ones you love from starving to death. So I stole some old man's wallet, he can just go out and earn more money. He's too old to have a family to support. It's either theft or manslaughter, and I know which one I'd rather commit."

At this distance, they could smell each other's breath. Not having eaten anything but bread and water for a while, there was no real smell on Kai's breath, yet neither was it pleasant. It seemed blatantly odorless, and thus that itself was repugnant, like breathing the last breaths of a dying man.

Takumi listened as the man spoke when he was done taku replied "I feel for you i really do you have been through a lot. And the fact the village would not let you bury your friend makes me sick. ". "You have had it bad and leading a clan that steals that must be a lot of stress. Taku looked him in the eye and said "And you are right i dont have a clan to look after. Because i don't have a clan".

Taku looked back at the shinobi and waited to see what he would say. He felt bad for him he did not know how much stress he was under. But no matter what he was still breaking the law and taku could not just let it go.

The words, they were empty. What good was sympathy if it didn't cause a change in actions. The kind of sympathy this kid was giving, it wasn't helpful, it wasn't wanted, and by the body language he was all but shouting, it was clear that it had no reaction on him. There was no point in it, it was nothing but pity. Pity... pity was worse than hate. Pity where you didn't help, you just looked down on someone and said how you understood... that was not just rude, offensive and unbelievably arrogant, it was disgusting.
"You say you feel for me, but you're not going to move. I know your kind, Senju, you always say you're sorry and say you feel for others, but you never do anything about it. Empty words, empty hearts, empty emotions. What good is feeling sorry for someone if it changes nothing about the way you act?" he said, before spinning on his heel and moving away from him, getting into an empty section of roof.

"You want to stop me? Try stopping gravity." with that little cocky sentence, he stopped his chakra from flowing to his feet, causing gravity to take hold, pulling him down. His arms right open, he embraced the abyss, falling... falling... falling... At the very last second, he slammed his hand out and pressed it against the building once again, connecting them with chakra enough to stop his fall, avoiding his death. By this point, his feet could touch the ground and he was ready to run. Slipping out of the alleyway, he ran as far away from the kid as possible. He could have killed him, they could have fought, but he didn't want to. Why would he want to attack a little kid? But, if he pursued him, he would have no choice to bring the fight.

Taku saw the shinobi start to fall so he released the chakra in his feet and began to fall as well just before he hit the bottom he put chakra back into his feet and reattached to the building. Then he began to run after the other shinobi yelling "Hell no im not through with you yet". not knowing when or if he was going to stop he keep on running.

As he ran he began to think about this other shinobi. Why was he so mad at taku and why is he treating taku's pain as if it was nothing. The more he thought about his the madder he got.

The call from behind him was audible as he was chased by the other chunin. Well, this was going to be interesting, looked like the little kid wanted to get into a fight.. Well, if that was what he wanted, who was he to say no? But not here, not now, and certainly not where everyone could see them. A fight in the middle of the street, they'd end up destroying public property, hurting innocents. Not that he cared one way or another about hurting innocents, it was more that they would just be playing into the bigoted hands of those who discriminated against them just because of their clans. The little man in his head had somehow gotten a megaphone and was now shouting "come on, come all, come see the prejudice party! You want something to confirm your close-minded, bigoted views? Then have we got the show for you! Come watch the show, in the high street today!" Whilst that was not helping, he had to admit that he had a point. Of course he did, it was his own point. So, turning to face his chaser, he began to speak, trying to be as diplomatic as he could. The inflection of his voice changed from anger to steely determination. There was still no kindness behind it, his fake happiness and kindness could go to hell, it had been shown who he really was, and there was no point in hiding behind a transparent mask.

"You really won't give up, will you brat?" he asked, something akin to a sigh escaping his lips as he spoke, not really wanting to have this fight, but if it was his only option, then that was what he would do. It was to protect his clan. to stop them from starving, and maybe he could get something from it.
"You really want to fight me? Then I'll concede, and I'll give you your fight. But not here, not now. You think you're hated now? Wait until you destroy this part of the city in a fight. If you really want to fight me, then meet me in the arena tonight when the sky is poisoned by the first hints of orange. If you want to fight me, then do it then, where everyone will assume we're doing it for their entertainment rather than to settle on who's right and wrong. Hide our conflict behind the mask of an honorable duel, though neither of us are honorable. If you win, I'll give back the wallet and hand myself in as a thief. But, if I win? You become mine, to do with as I wish." his hand rose, pointing directly at his new enemy's face.
"To use and to throw away when I'm finished with you. You want to bring me to justice, but that's because of your skewed view on the world. I will show you the true horror of the world, through the eyes of those who are forced to live through it. I will bring the truth of the world down on your shoulders, whether you like it or not." Then, without letting him reply, he turned on a dime and left, slowly fading into the abyss that was the distant streets of the village.

Takumi watched the other shinobi leave and as he left taku screamed "Screw you dr. drew and freakin camera crew". And taku left in the other direction.

--Exit thread--