Bau sat upon a hill top watching the storm clouds forming over Kumo in the distance. He could see them thundering and it was some time before the sound reached him. He was after all closer to the border to Konoha than the village. He hadn't really done much since he had lost the first round of the chunnin exams. He had set down his weapon for a hand to hand fight and well, the kid he faced off against had a brutal amount of endurance. The final blow he had done to the kid should of put anyone else into a coma but the genin just tanked it and paralyzed him. He had begun to question if the limits of what he thought was the human body were in fact just an illusion created by his own observance of others. Perhaps he himself had not yet reached his full potential. Still he puffed on his pipe as he smoked a stronger smelling herb. He had a new job now anyway. He had been hired by a group of mercenaries to come and work for them in Konoha. It appeared someone had seen his fight in the exams and not considered it a total failure. Letting out a stream of smoke he watched the thunderclouds for one last time. The contract he signed likely meant he wouldn't be returning here. It was a pity since he had recovered his ability to move here. His spine only hurt some times now but he could feel his power returning to him. He sighed as he let the smoke wash his thoughts away and looked to the sky above him. A dull grey fading into blue. Konoha huh....it might be nice to see a new land. Having free room and board might be nice too.

He smoked the last of his bowl as it finally died and no longer produced the medicinal effects. Just a blackened ball of burnt what once was. He had more and would grow more but he really didn't feel like pulling it out of his travel sack and packing another bowl right that moment. His thoughts drifted back to where he was going. His white hair catching a breeze as his striped hat sat on his head. Shadowing his green eyes. So as it turned out...he was going to be a hand for hire once more. Only difference being he wasn't going to be the death dealer this time. His goals were to arrest and not to use the blade he still kept as a reminder. His green eyes looked down to his welded shut sword. He knew that if he opened that blade the dead that haunted it would haunt him once more....and likely summon old enemies. Ones who could hear the call of his blade from leagues upon leagues away. If they lived still they were not someone he cared to tangle with right now and if he could not bring himself to kill them...they would simply heal if he did beat them and return to challenge him again and again until he finally did lose. Not that he figured that would take too long. They were the ones who cost him his ability to move for a time. Regardless he let out a sigh and packed his pipe into his grey robes and slowly rose to his feet. Tucking his sack over his sword and over his shoulder and picking up his quarter staff in order to use it as a walking stick. Konoha was going to be interesting. Maybe even a better place to grow herb. And So he continued on his journey.

617/600 travel complete
Exit thread