It had been a few days ago since he had been in the interior of the hotel resort that was Mt. Ikkyu. The location that was a hot spring didn’t exactly fit well with him, especially since he was so young since he didn’t entirely see the purpose as to why one was needed, but he did simply feel as if they were… Weird. Why not simply take a hot bath in your privacy instead of stripping to the nude in front of the same gender as you? There were much more ways for someone to relax in the world, and being naked just wasn’t one of the things that he found… Entertaining. Because it had been a few days since he had last been in the hotel, it had also been quite a while since he had seen a Hyuga other than his father’s brother and his cousin, the two retainers that had come with the young Hyuga Genin that was Satsuji. Due to that inconvenience he was forced to practice what he knew of Juken on his own time, and alone. Not that he particularly cared, he rarely saw the reason to find someone to be his partner.

Unless it’s father, then it’s fine. He’s one of the best.

Drawing in a breath, he looked around Kumogakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Clouds. There were so many people around, although he had been made aware that it was significantly less after the first stage of the Chunin Selection Exams, and when he had gone as far as to ask why, his uncle had reminded him that many people had gone to see members of their own village partake, friends and family, and in the instant that said participant had fallen or loss in their assignment, then those groups of people that had come to support them would’ve no doubt left soon after. Because they had arrived between the first and second stages, Satsuji’s cousin and uncle had both told him repeatedly that he was quite lucky to have arrived when people were leaving and others prepared for an even longer stay. But he didn’t bother asking another question in the fear of being berated by those handlers of his.

Folding his arms over his chest, he walked down the road, ever closer to the Durian Tree of Knowledge. A tree that sits on the same mountain as the Administration Building, and it’s even speculated to be evil. He had heard rumours that in times past the inhabitants of Kumogakure no Sato had wanted to remove it, but they were also smart enough to not attempt such a thing. It was said that the tree wasn’t actually evil in essence, instead, it simply harboured evil, absorbing malicious, violent, and evil thoughts from those that came within it’s proximity. Looking closely, it was clear that the tree had fruits upon it, and he remembered the words of his uncle that morning.

“Don’t think about touching those fruit, boy. No one knows the true mysteries that lay behind thise great tree. Tread carefully and…” Of course at that point Satsuji was already gone, not caring to hear the rest of the counsel that he was meant to be receiving. He knew he’d receive an earful for it when he returned to their room at the inn, but he was particularly interested in this tree… To see if it truly drew out evil and malicious thoughts from those that came close to it.

The breath that he had inhaled moments before was finally exhaled, releasing the pent up breath as if it were going to protect his inner, darkest secrets from the public eye. Once he started to get close to the tree, he expected to see a darker version of himself being torn from his body’s clutches and to be absorbed by the tree, but alas, he saw nothing… Except wood, and fruit hanging on the branches high above the people that had came alone.

WC: 666

Waking in a daze, Fukai leaned up in bed. His mind was stuffy and his mouth was dry. Where was he again? Oh yeah, Kumo. Sun filtered into the room that he lay in, the cross of the window frame's shadow fell across his sheeted legs. His body felt great, almost numb with how well it had recovered from the exertion. His index finger went to his eye to scoop out a large chunk of sand and sleep. It seemed so very much like a dream, one that his body did not seem to remember either. Fukai whipped open the bed spread and started dressing for the day. As softly as he could, he sneaked out of the competitor housing that he and his entourage had been assigned for the event's duration. Tightening his purple clothing and tying back his hair, he started off in a random direction. A quick stroll before breakfast would let blood flow resume and maybe he could bring the feeling of life back to his body. A few minutes through the chilly mountain breeze and his mind had sharpened and regained it's memory. Oh that's right..

Scroll of heaven. Golden dunes. Fashionable hippo. Nameless kiri nin. Fukai had completed the first round of the Chuunin Exams in less than a day. After collecting both scrolls, he lay them together to gather directions to the end point. After that, it had only been a four hour trek. The island tortoise called Genbu was the location, it's massive size could not be explained to one that had not seen it for themselves. Fukai had noticed almost 20 competitors at the briefing yet had only come across one other during the round. After finishing, he had been transported home and traveled back to their accommodation where he promptly fell into bed to sleep for a couple of days. It was not an unusual thing to happen to him, his large body took a lot of sleep to recover from strenuous adventures but at the end of the rest, he would feel good as new. He had been fortunate (or maybe it was skill) not to come out with any sort of wound or injury.

He sighed as he trudged around the mountain top, his feet leading the way. He did not want to think about anything, at least for today. He had another 12 days before the next round started and worrying was not going to help him. He was one of the oldest competitors this year, being 20. Yet he still felt boxed in and away from the world in some respects. He had not minded this sort of situation in the past but as he thought about it, he realised that it was time for a change. These exams were a sort of coming of age for ninja and he was well overdue for that. Whether or not he won, when he returned to Iwa, he would become a different man. A new leaf was to be turned and his leaf turning resolve would not be broken easily.

An hour into his stroll, he had come across a clearing. The building density had decreased around him without notice. This clearing grew grass and ivy that snaked around the odd abandoned cottage. A grand tree stood in the center, it's branches did not move at all despite the mountain breeze. It's stationary pose seemed to leach an eerie feeling into the surrounding atmosphere. Fukai's eyes were drawn to it. It sort of looked like an oak but had numerous low hanging and reaching umbrella like branches, similar to that found on a willow. On all accounts a normal looking tree, it was just that feeling it emanated.. He couldn't put his finger on it. Fukai noticed the grass grew grey nearing the tree and a few skeletal parasitic vines hung themselves from it's branches, managing to suck only poison from the host. Approaching and transfixing, the genin noticed the spiky green/ brown fruit that hung in bunches. He did not know what type of fruit this was but he sure wasn't going to try it.

A presence at his peripheral snapped him out. To his side, about twelve metres away was a young boy, also staring at the tree. He was all alone but had a headband on, Fukai decided to ask him what this place was. A mild interest was peaked for the moment. Approaching the mop of dark brown hair, he saw the symbol on the kid's head. The leaf of Konoha and- he then noticed the large white eyes. A Hyuga? The clan from Konoha was famous for their all seeing white doujutsu. As he neared, Fukai would speak out. Excuse me young man, would you happen to know what this place is? He towered over the boy and approached hoping not to startle him. He had his own doujutsu, the purple eye with a black vertical line and was wearing his own forehead protector with the Iwagakure symbol engraved into it.

[850]

Standing at the base of the tree, the dark of hair Hyūga thankfully remained alone as he stared at the bark of the tree. When he had first arrived, he had walked around the perimeter of the tree to see how wide it truly was, and when he had gone around completely he had eventually returned to a similar spot that he had just been standing in a few minutes before. Pushing a few strands of hair that had formed a clump on the side of his peripherals, he pushed them back behind his hair to join the hair that flowed down the back of his head and the top of his shoulder blades, to join the rest of the ponytail that he on most days sported.

Like on most days he had woken up early. Early enough so that he was able to eat his food in the peace and quiet, do whatever homework that he had been forced to bring with him, and showered thoroughly enough to be considered beyond presentable for public viewing. The only reason he had brought his homework and made a bit of a show of doing it while he was within sight was mostly to appease him. In the past, and still to this day they had never actually molded to each other, but it had never been so bad as recently, and so for that, he only wanted him as far away from being mad with him as possible. So, that's why he had left the papers on the table instead of putting them away as he would normally do if he were still at home. Except instead of doing his homework in the afternoon as he usually did back in the Hidden Leaf Village, he did it early in the morning. It was something that he had always done, even when he had supposedly been a friendly and loving child, one that was speculated to have the innate ability of making friends with anyone who they came into contact with. Doing his homework in the early morning hours was a habit that he had started so that in the evening after the Academy was over, he'd have no reason to be kept inside his household and the Hyūga Grounds, and would be able to play to his heart's content in the afternoon and evenings.

The fruit is bitter... "Hmm..." He took a couple steps, but remained in his current spot, simply so that his legs wouldn't start to cramp and clench up as they usually did when he didn't maintain continuous movement. I am curious as to who the first person to do such a thing was. He frowned, allowing those tell tale white eyes of his to track and locate every single person around him, either trying to decide whether there was someone present who would be stupid enough to actually try and eat one of the fruits, or to imagine if he'd be able to find the original eater of this fruit... Or was it only a rumour... At times, when his mentality of maturity slipped, the more childish thoughts and interests started to mingle and poison his thoughts, something that he always kept hidden behind the perfect face of impassiveness.

From the corner of his peripherals he saw something moving, but he ignored it, deeming it be a piece of garbage, a bird, or simply a passing person and didn't even bother to focus his attention on it, but it only took him a moment to realize that it wasn't disappearing from the corner of his eye and the dark brown haired boy finally allowed those white eyes of his to lurch around in his skull and to focus on the man as well as they could. After a few moments of closing the distance between them, he heard the words emanating from that direction. Young man? Oh, he means me... Why?

Simply from the spite that he held for most people, he didn't immediately register the male until he'd stop walking, and when he did, Satsuji would finally look upwards and allow his own pale eyes to appraise those of the apparent Iwagakure shinobi. The man's eyes were purple, a peculiar colour, but he had no actual qualms about it. The Land of Fire had two especially powerful clans that had eyes that held equally peculiar colours. Me being apart of one of them. His respect for the Uchiha clan wasn't something that anyone knew, and he would keep it that way. He regarded them as the only true challenge to the power of the pale white eye that he held in those two occupied sockets in his head; the Byakugan. The vertical black line that went through the man's eyes specifically reminded him of those that belonged to any feline, specifically the cats of the Land of Fire. For a moment, he wondered if he knew that, but he again wouldn't make a comment on it. Like many Hyūga, he himself had been a product of a temporarily 'bullied' academy student. That was, until he graduated before those who had previously made fun of him.

I wonder if he holds the same power of the Land of Fire's doujutsu.

"It's a tree," was the obnoxious and yet plain tone that was accompanying that childish voice of Satsuji's. He remained quiet for a brief time, and before his new found companion could answer, he said, "Durian's Tree of Knowledge it appears." The arms that rested at his sides rose upwards and were placed on his chest in the form of being crossed. I suppose it's best to be more... Friendly. "It supposedly takes away evil and malevolent thoughts... Or something along those lines." At certain points in his speech he temporarily removed his arms from that crossed position to wave it around as if he didn't believe in such a thing.

WC: 1025

Throughout the land, dojutsu were regarded as sources of great power. There were two clans that were widely know to have them. One was the Uchiha, the great red eye that could track movements with precision. They could wrap you in a prison of genjutsu or lather you in black flames. History was streaked with many powerful Uchiha as they wreaked havoc upon the land. Many tales were told and passed down to each generation until the mighty powers of destruction became the great evil that all the heroes of legend would strike down in the end. The other was the all seeing white eye of the Hyuga. A power that could see chakra in it's pure and unmolded form even inside ones body. A pure and untainted blank sheet that could see through all, a symbol of honesty and clarity. These powers were well known to everyone who knew anything about the history of shinobi.

In contrast, the Meifu no Mei dojutsu of the Fantomusodo was not known by many at all. It had only been in recent generations that his clan had descended from the mountains to serve Iwagakure in a more formal and up front manner. There had been no great international warrior from his clan to spread the word of their power to the masses. The potential was an unknown for most outside of Iwa. Fukai saw this as a great advantage. Ninja naturally wished to have their skills hidden until the last, lethal second so having his clan's power remain a mystery was advantageous. This was one of the bad sides of going to the chuunin exams. This would be the first time that the wider world would see the purple eyes. Hopefully, any onlookers would not be able to discern their use.

That brought up another problem of his participation. He would be the face of his clan, the first one to be seen by many and therefore the first impression. Wether he did well or badly would reflect greatly on the people back home. He could imagine how they would treat him if he should fail and bring dishonour. It was a massive pressure to carry around, especially when half the time he was just trying to survive.

It appeared that the little boy in front of him was of the Hyuga clan and had the signature white eye, Byakugan. Fukai had never seen it in person and his interest was piqued. He also wore a Konoha headband, showing that he is a graduated ninja. He was young and small, even for a genin but must have some form of talent if he was promoted so readily by one of the major villages. The boy would answer his question a little abruptly, his responce signalled to Fukai that maybe he did not want to be disturbed. This was fair enough as he had just come over and started talking without any previous introduction. Fukai wondered what he should do in this scenario, he was not too good at managing kids.

Apparently, this tree was called 'Durian's Tree of Knowledge'. The plant sure did have an abnormal feel about it but the genin wondered what exactly was so special that people would bother to give it such a grandious name. He listened to the boy wave away what sounded like a suspicion based around the tree. It takes away evil thoughts or something.. It was clear that the Konoha nin did not believe in such a thing. Fukai was not so sure about this sort of thing. While he was not religious or spiritual in any sense, he knew that there were things in this world that were outside of his comprehension. What you see is not always what you get and often peoples beliefs have some kernel of truth.

Turning his attention back to the kid, he would say That sure is interesting, I wonder how it would do that. My name is Fukai by the way. I am a representative from the village of Iwagakure here to compete in the exams. I notice you are from Konoha and may I ask, the Hyuga clan? He shared a little about himself in hopes that his new acquaintance would do the same. He was interested in the little figure and who he was.

[722] /1572

The Hyūga clan was indeed one that was renowned all throughout history, it was why Satsuji was so proud of his lineage. It was also why he thought himself so much better than the majority of the people around him, at least, those who were of a rank with him. The Byakugan was a doujutsu as most if not everyone clearly knew it as, and said doujutsu gave it's users quite a few benefits that helped in the form of combat prowess and sensory techniques. That's why it wouldn't have been odd to find a Hyūga in the ranks of the ANBU Black Ops in the past, or as one of the many barrier defense ninja that helped protect the Hidden Leaf Village from those that would do it harm. This Hyūga however certainly didn't see his future in the ranks of the ANBU however. He saw the use for them, and he'd be glad to go on a mission knowing that they were at his back, but he had a more... Direct approach to what he wanted in life, and that was to become the leader of his clan, and hiding behind a mask wasn't going to give you a reputation that would befit one of leadership qualities. To Satsuji, it made you seem almost untrustworthy, or almost as if you were more of an assassin rather than an actual leader.

Satsuji wanted to be trust by the members of his clan in the future. And how was he going to gain their trust? By becoming strong, stronger than the current leader now, and he would have his name in history as one of the youngest leaders of the Hyūga Clan and would be noted down in their history books... In the future, children will be doing homework about me. The faintest glimmers of a smile tickled his lips, almost as if the child within him was pushing through the countless layers of maturity, seriousness, and contempt that he held for those that weren't of the same blood as him. He was entirely xenophobic, but held more of a unneeded hatred, rather than a fear for others around him. Taking this one for example, he looked up to him again, finally taking note of the pale white hair on this one's head before looking back up to the tree as words came forth from those lips of the tall fellow.

There was a pause from Satsuji.

He's introducing himself? He didn't frown, but he was still confused. Again, he still saw no reason as to why this man was introducing himself to him, they had only just met... They literally owed nothing to each other. In fact, if this young, dark of hair child of the Hyūga Clan was a participant in the Chunin Selection Exams, they would in fact be enemies through some form of twisted extension. Something, that even with this eleven year old child's confidence, wasn't sure if he truly wanted such a thing.

Those same arms remained folded across Satsuji's chest during and after Fukai's introduction. "There's no need to introduce yourself," he said, not bothering to use the man's name. Satsuji was bad with names anyway. Even amongst his own clan, he was quite notorious for not even being able to remember the names of his kin. "There is also no need to state the obvious," he continued after regaining oxygen into the confines of that small chest of his. Being polite was no doubt the reason behind this one's words, but behind Satsuji's was only a tone of tired, as if he were exhausted from this show of politeness. If you insist, the thought came as he sighed.

"Satsuji. You seem to have guessed what Clan I'm from somehow." His words were sarcastic in the obvious places. "No doubt, from simply being in the tree's proximity it saps away the evil spirits within you." There was still an unimpressed sound to his voice. He nurtured the anger that he held for his eyes deep within him however. The pale white eyes in his head had many positives, but in his mind, even more cons. People already knew to target you, or to take care not to get in your way when they knew you were a Hyūga. All you needed to do was read a history book, and it would be known what they could do with those powerful eyes of theirs, something that he had never liked, and enjoyed even less after this man's introduction.

Judging from the sheer height of the man, Satsuji determined this man to be at least of a C-rank, maybe even a Special Jounin. "Are you here to watch your squad participate in the Exams?"

WC: 826

The attitude that rose from the little body surprised Fukai somewhat. By choosing these tactless words he was turning back on the formalities that were expected when people first meet. He did not value these social practices either but exercised them in situations that he thought they were required. This situation had met the requirement in his mind, he was approaching a shinobi of another village. He had been told to represent Iwa well and that no stain on the reputation of the stone village would be tolerated. The little boy was callous and tactless in speech, especially when he said that there was no need for him to introduce himself. This could be interpreted as the boy not caring and devaluing the older male's existence.

Fukai thought back to when he was that young. He had left his home and been pushed into the service of Iwagakure no Sato. He lived a solitary backstreet life for many years, withdrawing into himself and his work. He was not an only child and did not receive any welfare from the state but he was the son of an all but absent father who would only see him and give him money when he was required to keep up appearances. Coming from one of the lower families in the clan, he lived on the border of poverty for a long time. His genin paycheck was not enough to give him full nutrition and a place to live. Squad? No one had ever bothered with him, let alone formed a team with him. He had no sensei nor any friends and he doubted that the rats that ran behind his apartment walls would care for a similar tone of sarcasm to the one that was being projected by this little boy. He had never had any time or energy to form an attitude of sorts. And if he did treat and elder with the same disrespect as he was receiving now, he could have expected anything from a broken nose to a concussion in return.

He let his smile drop as he looked down on the small boy. He had said that he was competing in the exams, he found it ironic that one who possessed a clairvoyant eye would miss such a thing. It was true that strengths also had their weaknesses- people with certain areas of power tended to rely on them and disregard others. Fukai looked around to make sure there was no Hyuga lord in the vicinity and then closed the distance between them and bent down to face Satsuji directly. Their faces would be less than half a metre apart. Good, I see now that I can drop the pretenses. His tone had lost all pleasantness and his face returned to a neutral expression. He stared directly into the large white eyes. He was a formidable figure, both in height and build and dwarfed the child. He thought about leaving the kid to his own devices as it seemed that was what he would want anyway. But there was something in his tone, and now he could see a faint shimmer behind the boy's eyes. There was a source for this attitude, somewhere.

He suddenly remembered who Satsuji reminded him of. There had been this kid from his clan, who was part of the higher born and more privileged families. He was the sort of boy that had never known hardship and would someday take his cozy officers job regardless of merit. He was a strong fighter for sure, the pure blood of warriors ran in his veins. He was big for his age and a natural athlete. On one particular day, he had come looking for Fukai as he was training. This was six years ago when he was fourteen years of age and the noble boy was a year older. He had come, him and his two friends, to challenge Fukai to a duel. He had delivered a condescending mouthful much like Satsuji. Young Fukai had promptly beaten him and then his two cronies when they charged in after the alpha went down. He may have been talented but Fukai was, or had been, a prodigy. After that day, nothing had changed. He went back to living in mold and drywall and his opponent would have no doubt scuttled back and crafted a glamorous tale. Fukai would have drawn satisfaction from that moment but the truth was, the small victory would not protect him from the thugs and muggers.

I see that the tree is not doing anything to help you rid yourself of whatever plagues you. Fukai looked straight into the kids eyes, locking his gaze and holding it. Come on then, out with it. What is the problem? He did not hold anything against the boy, he just saw a soul that may benefit from the council of an emotionally and psychologically mature elder. He had transitioned into a fully confrontational stance and had no intention of babying the kid. He was a ninja and should be treated as one.

[849] /2421

Unknowingly similar to Fukai, Satsuji was also told to represent the Leaf Village and more important the Hyūga Clan to the utmost degree. They were a powerful clan, and they were respected for countless well founded reasons. Satsuji himself however was of the mind that he was representing the Village and the Hyūga Clan correctly. Even though he was not a participant and was only a spectator of this year's Chunin Selection Exams, he saw no reason to have to regard those from other villages with the same 'respect' that he'd give those originating from his own village, let alone clan. His respect for those from his own village could be described as... Repugnant, disgusting, and countless other things, but it was only a way to convey that the power of the Byakugan was what made him superior to them. It was lineage that determined one's fate and what destiny held for them in the future. And to see that his reactions to his own village members was bad, one could only expect is interactions with those from other villages to be even worse.

If it was even possible, he considered this Iwagakure shinobi to be less than dirt, and although he didn't say it directly, he was starting to feel that this Fukai was certainly realizing it.

Fukai closed the distance even more between the both of them. Still, Satsuji hardly made a movement and instead continued to scan the tree, all for the sake of wanting to show this large man how little he cared for his presence. Size meant quite a bit in a fight, it meant quite a bit in a lot of situations. But in truth he didn't care. In close situations like this, it was better to just keep one's frame of mind and to continue acting as they they had been before. The only difference here however was that, Satsuji was actually going to acknowledge this man.

The white, bland, featureless white eyes that he sported focused on Fukai instead of the tree as he spoke to him. Every blink was slow, unimpressed and bored with the show of locking their gaze. Am I meant to take him seriously with these cat eyes? He 'hmphed' by the time the man from Iwagakure stopped talking, and a smirk spread out across those thin lips of the pale boy. Nothing to help me rid myself of what? His eyebrows slowly drew closer to each other, almost as if they were trying to stitch together and form a single brow with each other as they furrowed.

"There is nothing malevolent or evil about me,"he said as he raised a hand into that already small expanse of space and covered his mouth as he made a show of blocking the yawn that he made the show of performing. "I'm also not obligated to answer anything you request of me..." The tree absorbed evil knowledge and malicious intents. Satsuji held neither evil, or knowledge within him. Through his twisted view and faux mental maturity, he was actually quite compassionate for those who he actually knew, or cared to remember. All he wanted in life was to lead his clan to a brighter future, and through leading his clan, the entirety of the Leaf Village. It was a goal that would make everything better for 'his' villagers and kin. There was nothing evil about wanting the best for your family, was there?

That was why the tree no doubt didn't 'work' or 'aid' him in his words.

Despite not being someone to give information about himself, he was actually curious about what Iwagakure was like, and why this man's eyes were created in such a way. Did he have other animal features, or were his eyes his only future, and did they hold a certain power over other ones? It was all speculation, but he was curious in finding out.

"You know of the abilities my eyes can do. What can yours do?"

WC: 680

Fukai was crouched down and staring into the large white eyes of Satsuji. The area was a quiet, a lack of breeze and the movement made the little glen seem eerie. The infamous tree rose behind him, it's branches spread like a demon's claw rising from a fiery pit below. The colour of the tree and surrounding flora was slightly off from what could be considered normal, the usual healthy green was faded behind shades of grey. The odd dandilions and buttercups that sprinkled around had their pure yellow tainted into a sickly pastle brown. The formation of trees and abandoned housing formed a sanctuary of noise isolation, the distant background sounds that were usually ever present in the viscinity of the village. A little pocket of isolation, Fukai could see why people had chosen this particular spot to hold their suspicions.

Long silver hair fell unkempt onto the back of his neck and the red scarf that always adourned his shoulders. The purple clan jacket tied him together and flowed down onto his black trousers. The look in his deep purple eyes was one of calm assertivity. Light scarring lined his eyes up to his brow and a few tendrils reached as far as his cheekbones. Many saw his normal figure as intimidating, along with the tired scowl that seemed to be his faces default setting. He exuded an air of confrontation that seemed to tilt and offput others. It wasn't something intentional, just a mix of contributing factors that led him to being difficult to approach.

The little boy called Satsuji showed little care when speaking to him, callous words that were spoken true. It was one of the positive qualitys about children, they were open books. They talked directly to the point and from themselves. They did not bother to hide agendas and were usually pretty easy to figure out. It wasn't until they grew old and twisted that a person's true self was hidden behind self created barriers. That being said, sometimes an exception would come along. The boy showed or at least tried to show an unphased persona to Fukai's directness. A disdainful little humph and smirk did not go unnoticed by the Iwagakure genin. The boy spoke (aaa) and was quite clearly intelligent for his age. Often when a child grew intellect greater to those of a similar age, a superiority complex would form. Not fining their equal in their own age group, it would become the norm to fob off people around them.

Satsuji would not answer Fukai's probing question, which was not surprising in itself, but then the boy wished him to answer his own question and on Fukai's doujutsu no less. Fukai kept his gaze steady as he thought about his answer. After his meeting with the white haired Kumo nin in the casino, he had found that he could chose a particular string of words and position a conversation in a way that would suit his preference. It was a tactical art and a new potential skill for the young man to develop. He was keen to try it out again. He wished to avoid giving out his clan's powers but wanted to continue the conversation. Directly denying to answer just as the boy had done was likely to make him clam shut and refuse to talk. He had to offer something that he would want in exchange and he seemed to be at least somewhat interested in Fukai's eyes. From the limited conversing that they had done, Fukai chose to take a logical approach as that may be best for the situation. He spoke in a low key and even tone.

I'm sure that you know that knowledge is power and therefore information is a weapon. I have information about your ability and that gives me the high ground. I am not going to give up that advantage so readily, maybe I will share something with you if you do the same. So tell me, why does a little boy such as yourself feel that he has the right to talk to others like that?

[697] /3118

Hyūga Satsuji wondered if there was no one else there, if it was simply him that was present at the base of the Durian Tree of Knowledge if he'd be able to hear the sound of the bugs. If he'd be able to sense them flying around him, or moving around in his actual proximity. He doubted it however, if his senses were even that highly developed, he knew that he'd have to be a member of the infamous Aburame Clan if he even wanted to see, let alone bugs on the microscopic level that he was imagining. Of course, his imagination was limited due to the man that was obnoxiously crouched in front of him and was so close to him. Why he was even there was beyond him. Was it because he was tired of being talked down to by a young child? Satsuji wasn't one to particularly care about what others thought of him. Years ago he had determined that the only opinion was his own... But, since he had already thought himself higher than this white haired man, he didn't see a reason to want him to submit to him in a way of taijutsu.

After the dark haired Hyūga had asked Fukai of his eyes and what powers they held, it was clear that he was pondering on whether or not he should actually do so, or how he should phrase his response. He didn't need to use his all seeing white eyes to do such a thing, let alone have actual eyes to know that. When it came to things directly in his proximity, he was quite perceptive of them and similar to features of his own uncle that happened to be absent in those few minutes, he saw him figuring out a way to not respond in a way that would bring out 'silent treatment.' Of course he wanted to continue the conversation with the eleven year old boy, it was clear that he had matured mentally way beyond his own peer group, and even considered himself capable of matching wits with adults such as this one. The way he crouched down in front of him was only another form of acknowledging them as equals, even though they were clearly not on the same level in size.

Satsuji wasn't one to be put off with 'tricky' word play however. His brain deciphered the words fairly quickly, with the intent of locating the point immediately without having to ask for it verbally. His blank gaze revealed nothing, though on occasion his gaze would raise up and above the man in front of him to the tree above the both of them, wondering if a fruit would fall itself when it was ripe enough, or if one had to pull them done themselves. Once he was ready to answer, Satsuji's head tilted to the side a bit and a few strands of that dark brown hair of his fell out of place from beyond his ear, ruining that perfected ponytail of his within a fraction of the time it took to make it.

Straightening out his head again, Satsuji wondered if the man would 'crab walk' after him, as he took a side step and took another one that would bring him forwards so that he was instead beside Fukai, and he spared a glance to the side as if he was some King reigning over his people and looked out from his chariot without a sparing gaze.

"You may have some knowledge of what my eyes and bloodline allow me to do, but you don't know the full extent of them." He wanted to get to this man's point already. There was hardly a wish to 'trade' knowledge here. In the event that Satsuji did give him the information that he wanted, he imagined the man... The adult would simply ignore his request and just as simply as he had crouched down in front of him, rise upwards and ignore the question of this child without a second thought. The potential for betrayal was too great, and although he projected a mean exterior, he was no liar. There was always a slight twist to his words, one that adults in his life had yet to figure out, or care enough to learn of. It wasn't lying, it was to be considered even less than giving a lack of information. "You do understand that right?" He reaffirmed for his previous statement. It was true. No matter what had happened in the past, it'd be almost impossible to accurately describe what the Byakugan was capable of for those who didn't have one themselves, had direct history from the Clan in the Land of Fire, or who had seen what members of the bloodline could do. There were only generalizations, and Satsuji was content in that fact, but the irritation that he felt was hard to put down.

"And in the event that you do know the full extent of the power of my eyes, you can't possibly expect me to give you information on myself. Even if you did decide to answer my question, you would still have the advantage of two points, to the one that I would've received from you." A long time ago, Satsuji took many things as a joke. Studying, people, history, almost anything that he encountered on a daily basis. He was friendly, and if he was no doubt of an age with this man, wrinkles that came from laughter would no doubt be profound on those features of an older Satsuji... That is, if he continued the way he had so many moons ago. That was why he spoke of a point system, an old habit that he couldn't escape from, coupled with that competitive streak that was in the genes of most human beings.

But if you really want to know...

"I'm just better than you."

WC: 1012

The eyes gave been called a gateway into the soul. Fukai had the skill to read his opponents in battle, often being able to predict their intention of movement by the twitches in facial muscles or the tension in their gaze. He wondered if he could draw some sort of similar information from Satsuji's eyes in not a combat setting, but a rather difficult social situation. He was not a diplomat by nature and did not have much talent in anything except his fighting style but he believed that he could learn such a skill if he practiced. Such a thing may be useful for the future if he were to climb the shinobi ladder. At the present time, he could not gauge much from the young man other than what he had concluded already.

The young boy walked past his face and stopped beside him. Fukai in natural response stood. It seemed that the kid had something to say. He would let the boy speak as a sign of respect. He would say that Fukai did not understand the full potential of the Byakugan. This was a fair point on it's own and one that he had never refuted. "A game of inches". He was particularly fond of the phrase as it represented his view on the field well. In a duel, someone with even a slight edge in speed had the opportunity to draw a foe out of position, someone with a slight edge in strength could beat an opponent down to find an opening. Fukai had many years of experience under his belt and he knew of the value that these "inches" could net you. In the field, even a small snippet of partial information could place you outside of a lethal zone. Experience honed judgement. In a situation that you had complete information, there was no need for judgement. But that was never the case. It was true that his only source of knowledge on the white dojutsu came from learning from books and academy teachings and had never seen a Hyuga in person before but that was enough to give him a sizable advantage if he was quick witted enough to take it. Fukai did not even bat an eyelid when the boy came out with the presumptuous statement "You do understand that right?"

The boy continued on to explain about him only having one piece of information to his two if they were to trade. Fukai could go on to debate with him and attempt to turn his mind but he did not feel any need or motivation to do so. Instead he chose to humor the boy. I see, well I guess we are at an impasse. The boy finished with one last statement, telling the larger male that he was better than him. Fukai had already come to the conclusion on the kid's thoughts on him but this straight forward vocalisation showed exactly how strong his mindset was. This was it, the root of this kid's actions. Fukai lost and gained curiosity at that point, losing the want to know why he would think that his self worth was higher than Fukai's as there were many causes for such an attitude (and none of them positive, in Fukai's mind). He did however, wish to know exactly how the boy thought he was 'better'.

Tilting his body slightly towards the kid so that their position was not so awkward, he asked the boy one last question. Ah so, if I may ask, in what way exactly are you better than me. Do you think you could beat me in a fight, do you think yourself of higher intellect or perhaps that you are simply of higher birth than a commoner such as myself? He had no intention of having a childish argument with the kid but felt himself be drawn in to this meeting for the rare opportunity to shed some light on such a different being than himself. He was not offended by anything the child had said or would say, he had plenty of past with such people around. He was a grown man and not one to get his knickers in a bunch over some impudent brat.

[712] /3830

A pause was had from Satsuji after he had delivered his first statement. Based upon the response of the white haired male, he knew that there wasn't a way for him to explain to the Iwagakure shinobi that he was better than him without speaking of the Byakugan in depth and the abilities that it delivered to one that was apart of the famed Hyūga of the Land of Fire. Drawing in a breath, he held it for quite some time, allowing his cheeks to randomly grow larger. Childish actions took him from time to time, things that happened in a moment with no prior thought, what usually happened when the dark headed Hyūga grew bored with whatever was meant to be occupying his attention. Raising his arms, he placed them behind his head as he began to stretch.

That exhalation of air came at long last, and his cheeks moved to reflect the loss of the air that was gathered in his mouth and the perfect 'o' that his lips formed as he exhaled. There was no point to it, he was merely filling in the gap that was between them. Does he really think there is an impasse? If so, he must be quite foolish... He doesn't play this game that well. The faintest of smirks came to his face as he glanced to the side, almost checking to see if Fukai was still there. He was, and in cause of that he looked up to him.

"You have taken offense." It was a statement. There was no question, it was said in a matter of fact kind of way, but behind that, there was another tone that some could describe as amusement as a bemused look took over the facial features of Satsuji.

"You assume that I knew you were a commoner. Are you so accustomed to being downtrodden?" A tilt of his head, as for what seemed to be the first time Satsuji truly began to acknowledge him as he turned his entire form to regard the large man that was Fukai. He most certainly was a giant of a man, and the Hyūga was truly beginning to notice that as he looked him up and down once more, that same bemused look apparent on his face. There was no source of sympathy or empathy to be found on that small, child face of his. It was simply a question that he thought he needed to be answered, but his boredom was still present. "Perhaps you already think me better than your lowly self." Most would've ended it with the subtle hints of a question, but not Satsuji. Matter of fact tone of voice for all situations that he found himself in, emotion wasn't something he deemed necessary in a conversation.

"But, to answer your question, I am better than you for numerous reasons." He started to back away from him, raising those arms of his that had been crossed over his chest for so long, and his shoulders rose in a nonchalant shrug. "Our lives are already written out for us, and you were born a commoner for a reason, and I was born into a Clan with great power and influence in the Land of Fire." With an apparent passion that he hadn't had before, his features lit up in a cocky, arrogant, almost obnoxious way as his thumb pointed at his Hidden Leaf Village forehead protector as he made mention of the 'Land of Fire.'

"For whatever reasons, our destiny has brought us to an impasse that only exists in your mind; the mind of a commoner. One day, you may realize that my words are true." He turned away from Fukai at that moment, not bothering to even turn his head as he spoke his final words, just barely loud enough for Fukai to hear as the words tumbled from his lips. "But it's too late already..." To who they were directed to, Satsuji didn't think about, but that was the end of their conversation, and thus the end of his early morning walk.

There were few things that Satsuji took an interest to in life. Taijutsu, the Hyūga Clan, and speaking of ones destiny and fate were some things that he grew passionate about. It was the exception to his rule of not being passionate in a conversation. From this scenario, and to the end of the situation, it could be gleamed that Satsuji was heavily and deeply intertwined with the mindset that he was better than anyone and everyone simply due to his eyes, but that hadn't been stated in any form. And as he walked away, he realized neither of them had answered each others questions, but it was too late for him to turn around, not to mention too late for him to care.

WC: 820
TWC: 5029

-EXIT THREAD-

TRAINING:

Fukai had met a fair amount of people in recent times and been a part of many strange meetings. This one was a new type of experience for sure. He thought back to the type of kid he had been at Satsuji's age. They couldn't have been more different. He could see his younger self being steamrolled by the child's intelligent articulation as he receded into his shell. It was a curious process, that of the personal growth that human's went through as they grew older. How the environment that surrounds them; the people, the culture, the events change the soul and mold it into the finished product of an adult. Fukai would have to watch this young man as he became a man, he had a strong will for sure and he would pose a threat if they stood on two different sides. In that instance a though occurred to the young man.

It would certainly be easier to trim and guide the future generations into paths that were beneficial... He pushed the thought to the back of his brain. Such violent manipulation could be viewed as nothing short of evil. There could be nothing that could justify such sociopathic tinkering, could there?

Satsuji turned to look up at Fukai. The little smirk was fitting for the boy, he thought. He stated that the Iwa nin had taken offence at his line of conversation. It was a sure statement, one that he seemed pleased with. The truth was, the elder male was not taking offence at all. He had knowingly provoked this back an forth and was far from losing control over himself. He would not be insulted so easily by such a small figure with so little experience. The boy continued, his features void of any sort of human relation or understanding. He did not realise that when Fukai labelled himself as a commoner, he was doing it to highlight the boy's superiority complex.

The fact that he did not pick it up at all just showed how narrow minded Satsuji was. It was true that he was not in the particular blood line that would lead his clan and he was not born into wealth or position but he was still part of a prestigious clan and grouping within Iwagakure. But however the situation was, Fukai did not put any value in the word 'commoner' as his cultural identity lacked that certain perspective of power difference in social hierarchy. It was a problem at times like these and had landed him in trouble more than once when an official expected him to respect him as someone of greater importance. The silver haired young man's brain just worked slightly differently, his cogs were not molded to the same mass produced shape. Because of this, he didn't really fit the shape of the ideal ninja. When he was younger, the Iwa administrators would choose other less talented people over him as he was an unknown quantity. Maybe this quality came from his isolation from the shinobi regime, he had not been immersed in the militaristic discipline as deeply as most.

As he listened, Fukai noticed that the boy was going to diverge exactly why he thought that he was better than him. What he would go on to say would be of great interest. Our lives are already written out for us. This was a completely contrasting idea to the one that the Kumogakure nin that he had met in the casino had argued so vigorously. His thinking was that of a self made man and that those who claim to be the victims of fate will never amount to anything of purpose. Satsuji was now telling him that the fate of birth was for a reason. It was a strange time for sure, these exams. They brought people from all over the continent together from all sorts of cultural dimensions like a melting pot of diversity.

The Konoha nin continued on, his explanation turning into more of a flaming. Fukai did not hate Satsuji for his difference. If anything, it was the current systems that bugged him. A child's words are often a true, concentrated reflection of the environment that they grew in. They soaked up the words of their elders and repeated them much like a parakeet would. If the current shinobi system wasn't so mutated then these sort of attitudes would not exist. He spoke as though not only was he worth more, but his view was that of higher perception and that Fukai could only hope to one day reach the same level of understanding. It was just getting comical at this point. The boy could certainly talk his head off but there was a few things about this world that Fukai knew and that the kid failed to understand yet.

He had a pretty clear idea about the boy now and he could see that he was losing interest in their interaction. The elder of the two decided to impart a little of his experience based wisdom onto the boy. whether he would take it would be up to him. Fukai acted when he saw the boy posturing to start leaving. The large young man abruptly took a few steps away from his acquaintance. Be things how they may, change is always in the air. Your castle that towered above all the rest suddenly finds itself crumbling beneath it's own weight. He was not going to argue with the boy about his particular views, they were set in stone at this point. He was imparting something that was a clear truth from where he came from. Regimes rose and fell, often devouring themselves and metamorphosing into something else. You may think yourself at the top of the pile but who knows what tomorrow will bring. To dismiss those below was turning a blind eye to the very foundations of society. To hold them in such disregard was to invite them to turn against you. And at the end of the day, the masses were many and held the absolute power when all was said and done. Would Satsuji realise this as he grew? Would he fall victim to his own hubris?

Fukai could feel it in his bones. The taste of change and the power to bring it about.. His mindset had always been one of indifference, this was the way that things always were and always would be. He would be forced to roll with the times like everyone else but now, ..he felt a little excited. A chance encounter at the Durian Tree of Demonic Knowledge. Was this the fate that the Konoha boy talked of that was propelling him towards his future or was he required to seize this opportunity and proactively chance it himself like the Kumogakure nin said? Maybe it was a bit of both. Wind rippled his clothing as he walked away, his pores letting off a little fuuton chakra as he lost himself in the moment.

[1179] /5009
~exit~
Thread Closed

Training: