Aiza, looking in the mirror that morning, was barely noticing just how much he'd changed in the last few years. Not that that was a bad thing, in fact it was a relief to know that not everything was the same as it had been since he'd joined the ANBU. His whole identity was changed, his life was pushed into secrecy, and even those close to him weren't allowed to know exactly what he had dedicated himself to. He had been on countless missions for the sake of the village, more often than not, eliminating dangerous targets and tracking down others, all without anyone in the village finding out. To their knowledge, everything was fine, and the village was in what seemed to be a consistent period of peace, when in fact the ANBU were behind the curtain, controlling every variable, making sure nothing went wrong so that the village could remain so peaceful and prosperous. It was a noble cause and what he wanted from the beginning when he became a ninja so late in life, but it was exhausting, that much was true. He was planning on retiring, soon enough, so that he could go back to living life normally. Since he was Special Jounin, he could get away with a simple job, like teaching students at the Ninja Academy. Though it didn't seem like something that would fit him at first, he had warmed up to the idea, considering it would be much safer and easier and even more fulfilling than his current position. Luckily, he didn't have any ANBU responsibilities to attend to that day, so he was going to take his "day off" and make the most of it. Instead of putting on his armor and his mask like he usually did, he put on loose sweatpants, an oversized shirt, and plain sandals as he went to pack a bag.

With an extra pair of clothes in tow, as well as towels, gauntlets, and smaller ninja tools, Aiza went to a local dojo to practice his Taijutsu, and after an hour and a half of intense training, left for the day to go get lunch at a nearby curry shop. His stomach was filled in no time and he headed straight to the next destination on his to-do list, which was the hot springs. What made that occasion so special was the fact that he had only ever been once prior, years back, and so he was excited to return and let go of all the tension and stress in his aching muscles and bones. His short red hair had a few long strands near the front that bounced slightly as he walked, and he had a full beard, the likes of which was unheard of in his younger years but had become a common sight after reaching 30. He resisted the urge to light a cigar and smoke before going into the hot springs, for fear that his tobacco smell would disturb other guests trying to enjoy their time there. Always thoughtful and courteous, that Aiza. Probably the nicest person on that side of Konoha, and the nicest person in the ANBU Black Ops, that much was certain.

540

Issei, having nearly exhausted his list of things to do in Konoha and growing bored with the village, sat atop the roof of one of the smaller buildings, reading a pamphlet entitled, "The Must-Sees of the Hidden Leaf!!!". Exclamation points included, likely imperative to getting people to pick up such a plain looking booklet. He had found it in the administration building when taking his mission, and being the tourist that he was, he naturally had to take a look at it, even if just to learn more about things in the village if he didn't feel like actually going to see them. The Hot Springs were number seven on the list of must-sees, with a claim that they were the "most relaxing thing in the five great nations!". Issei doubted that, having traveled most of them and found a number of things that he would imagine to be more relaxing than hot water in an enclosed space, but still, it was something that caught his interest and thus he found himself heading straight there that morning. He figured he might be able to try and talk to people in order to recruit for Ninshiki, as he always seemed to be doing those days, but he wasn't sure how well strangers would take to a man talking to them about joining up with a historical restoration group while they were both naked and trying to relax.

The Chuunin got there earlier than he'd expected, with the walk from the inn to the springs being no more than 10 minutes total, and he looked down to remove his Kirigakure headband from around his neck to put it into his backpack. Just then, he ran into someone around the same height, nearly falling completely over as they collided. He dropped his headband onto the ground and it slid forward a few feet. That was his immediate priority, and he walked over to pick it up, looking to see if there were any deep scratches to its metal. He was happy to find that it was completely fine, so he more carefully this time opened his backpack and put it away before turning back towards the person he'd run into. "I'm so sorry, I clearly wasn't paying attention to where I was going so that was completely my fault. I swear I'm not usually this clumsy." The man seemed to be still on his feet and looking fine; he looked somewhat similar to Issei, with the exact same build, physically, and similarly colored eyes. What was very different from Issei was the man's deep red hair, which was cut-short, and his full beard, growing well past the limits of his face. Issei lingered there, waiting to make sure the man was okay and was not upset before entering the springs, just out of common courtesy for making such a silly mistake in the first place.

Just as Aiza was passing the threshold into what was considered the Springs' property, a man collided with him from the side. The funny part was that Aiza was completely unfazed by the hit, still standing completely straight and perfectly on his feet, while the man who hadn't been paying attention nearly fell over, and his headband went flying forward. Aiza turned to look at the headband, and instantly noticed that it signaled the man was from Kirigakure rather than from Konoha. He looked at the person suspiciously; long hair, pale blue eyes just a tad lighter than Aiza's, appeared to be of a similar age and body type. The person reminded Aiza of his brother, Katsu, despite the snow-white hair. Concerned more with his headband than Aiza's condition, he went straight for it and picked it up to examine it closely, and when he realized that it was fine, he turned to Aiza and rushed to apologize, saying that it was his fault and he usually wasn't so clumsy. Aiza was completely fine, and he was quick to assure the man of that. "Don't worry about it, it happens. Based on your headband, you're not from around here, either. Not everyone in Konoha is forgiving as I am, so you should pay more attention, for future." Aiza said, with a chuckle. He brushed past the guy and pat him on the back before entering the springs. Inside, there was the divide separating the male and female sections, each with a sign designating which was which. Aiza slipped into the men's section and went to the back to find a locker. He chose number 123, just for the fact that it was sequential, though it was further from the water than the others. He unlocked it and shoved his bag in carefully before starting to undress. He wrapped his towel around himself and folded his clothes neatly and placing them on top of the bag.

From there, he closed the locker and started walking toward the water. He tested its temperature with his toe, and when he felt its perfect warmth, he stepped one leg in, then the other, and sank until the water reached his chin. He rested there, his sore muscles practically thanking him for giving them a break. After such a rough training session at the dojo, this was exactly what Aiza needed. There was no one else in this part of the spring today, for whatever reason, besides the other person who had just bumped into him. The quiet only added to the calm atmosphere, and the shinobi couldn't help but start to drift off, at first daydreaming of what it would be like if he actually did start teaching at the Academy, and then being at the brink of falling asleep, keeping himself up just so that he didn't drown, though such a fate would be a whimsical one, to say the least. He cracked the bones in his fingers one by one, then flexed his hands compulsively. Things like arthritis and carpel tunnel worried him almost as much as mental illnesses common of the elderly, due to the tragedy his adoptive father had undergone. It was something Aiza thought about often, certainly not by choice, but just because things that were traumatizing as a child were hard to let go. He let out a sigh, figuring he would make the best of his healthy years while he could.

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The man replied, commenting on the fact that Issei wasn't from around the area, and saying that he should pay more attention in the future. Issei nodded promptly, and so the man moved past him, though he offered a forgiving pat on the back before he went. Issei felt a bit embarassed, so he waited a little while and composed himself before he followed the man into the springs. By the time Issei entered the men's section, the man was already in the water, chin-deep. Issei looked down at him, taking note of the large, jagged scar across the back of the man's neck, and the unusual amount of hair that the man had on his torso. The lockers were in the back, away from the spring, so Issei found number 051, because he always chose his birthday or something close to it, when it came to numbers. It opened easily, and he shoved his small backpack inside carelessly. He undressed and shoved his clothes in a big heap next to the backpack before slamming the locker door. When he turned to face the water again, he noticed that he and the red-haired man were the only ones inside the spring, so he went to the other side of the spring and stepped in so that he was facing the man directly. It was uncomfortably silent, then, and the man had his eyes closed, so Issei felt like he shouldn't disturb him so quickly.

And there they sat, in the spring, Issei waiting for the man to open his eyes, and as soon as he did, he looked down into the water to pretend he hadn't been staring. When he looked back up, they made eye contact, and Issei decided to turn the awkward up a bit more. "I'm Issei Momochi, by the way. I'm only visiting Konoha for a short time, I'll probably be leaving within the week." He went quiet again after that, fully expecting the man to just nod and go back to relaxing, but he hoped for the best. A new member of Ninshiki was always welcome, and Issei was more than willing to step out of his comfort zone for that kind of gain.

Next time Aiza opened his eyes, he found the kid he'd run into sitting across from him. He wasn't daft, either, and he knew the kid had been staring at him, though he tried to pretend that he wasn't. He smiled softly and pulled part of his body out from the water, just enough so that he could lean back against the rim of the spring with his arms outstretched. The man introduced himself as Issei before stating that he would be leaving Konoha soon enough. This obviously warranted some kind of response from Aiza, and since he was in a good mood, he decided to be extra nice. "I'm Aiza Itohane. Born and raised in Konoha. Haven't been to Kirigakure in years, but my brother lives there, now. His name is Katsu, though I doubt you guys know each other." He stopped there to consider, what if Issei did know Katsu? That would be certainly be interesting. He sized Issei up, taking note of his muscle definition and bulkiness. It was clear that Issei was a taijutsu specialist, like Aiza was, and they were both shinobi, as well. Their similarities piled up, one after another, as their eyes remained set on one another. "I see you're a hand-to-hand fighter. You've got a build like mine, and like everyone else who trains at the dojo I go to. Nice to know that I'm not the only one who hasn't given up on my fists and started using swords, yet, heh."

Being of the hardly-known and rarely seen Itohane clan, Aiza didn't really have anything to brag about, besides his own fists. He couldn't reveal that he was ANBU, and his Ninjutsu training had been lacking, as of late. He wondered what Issei was capable of, how he would hold up to Aiza in a fight, and what his rank was back in Kirigakure. Regardless, those were all questions that Aiza didn't really feel like asking, so instead, he went for the more predictable question. "So, what brings you to Konoha in the first place? I know, it's a beautiful village, but that can't be your only reason to stay for more than a week. Some sort of important shinobi business, from your dear Mizukage?"

1,515

Much to Issei's relief, the redhead did turn out to be nicer than most people in Konoha. He replied to Issei kindly, even going as far as to pull himself further out of the water so that he wasn't practically talking into it. He introduced himself as Aiza Itohane, and Issei focused on the surname intently. His mind started to race, going through every major clan that had hailed from Konoha he could think of, but Itohane certainly was not one of them. In fact, he had never heard the name Itohane before, so he was already interested in exactly what that implied Aiza was capable of. Or was Aiza even a shinobi? He wasn't wearing a headband, but he had been sweating and carrying a duffel bag when Issei bumped into him, so he had probably come from some kind of physical training. It was hard to tell, exactly. Aiza explained that his brother lived in Kirigakure, and added that he and Issei probably didn't know each other, something which perked Issei's ears up. "I know a lot of people in the village, and though it's a big village, it's a small world, so you may be wrong. Maybe I do know him after all, or at least I may have seen him around. 'Katsu' doesn't ring any bells, though..."

Aiza was observant, commenting on the fact that Issei was a taijutsu user based on how his body looked and how muscular he was. He admitted that he was, as well, and that he went to a dojo, which explained the sweat and the duffel bag that Issei had noticed earlier. Issei nodded and smiled. "Ah, yes. I take my taijutsu training very seriously, to the point where my goal is to be able to push my tenketsu to the limits and open at least one of the Eight Gates. I'm not sure how far off that day is, though; it feels like it will be a long time before I get to that level, heh." Finally, Aiza brought out the question that Issei had practically been waiting for, and what he usually used as a bait to drop the whole "I'm part of a group called Ninshiki" business; the red-haired man asked what Issei had come to Konoha for. Issei took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Well, it's kind of a lengthy story, but essentially I started an organization called Ninshiki. Its purpose is to restore destroyed or abandoned villages, and I'm here on a recruitment mission for the group. Bolster our numbers and all that. I want a diverse team, so I have members from Kirigakure, Sunagakure, and now, Konohagakure." He stopped there, to let Aiza process the information that had been put on the table so far. When he felt that enough time had elapsed, he continued, and hoped that Aiza was open minded.

"You seem to be a shinobi, like me, so if you would like to help our cause, I would love for you to join the group. You do not need to travel out of Konoha, at least not yet, and you seem like a worthy candidate and a good person, from what I can tell thus far." From there, Issei silently awaited a response.

Issei was quick to say that he may have known Katsu, which made Aiza want to describe him to get a better answer, but he decided not to, as Issei continued past the topic and went on to talk about how he was a taijutsu user, just as Aiza had guessed. I knew it! I can always tell, right away. he thought to himself, listening to Issei politely. Issei even said that he planned on opening at least one of the Eight Gates someday, something that Aiza had never even thought of doing out of concern for his own safety. "Brave guy. I can admire that, though I would never try opening the Gates." What Issei seemed most intent on was explaining why he was in Konoha, as he took a deep breath before he started to explain it, which made Aiza laugh to himself a bit. The guy was very happy to talk, that was clear. Aiza didn't necessarily mind, though. Issei had apparently come to Konoha on a personal mission for his group, which he called Ninshiki, created as a task force to rebuild lost villages. Aiza had never considered villages besides the big five, so this was a new concept to him, and he figured it was a noble one at that. Issei took another pause before doing something that surprised Aiza: he offered to have Aiza join the group, even though they had just met less than an hour prior and they hardly knew each other. Aiza couldn't contain himself this time, and he blurted out rather suddenly.

"Are you serious? No. You hardly know me. Though, you're right in that I'm a shinobi, you shouldn't offer strangers places in your group. You can't really trust everyone you meet." He realized how harsh that sounded after he set it, and grew quiet, immediately regretting being so rude and dismissive. It was very unlike him, and he chocked it up to the stress he'd been under recently. He spoke up once more, to try responding again in a more appropriate manner. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be so rude. I have other responsibilities to this village and I don't think I'm geared to take on any more, in fact I plan on retiring from being a shinobi soon enough. Thank you for the offer, Issei. I know you and your group are gonna do great things. You seem like you have a kind heart." He still felt guilty, but he figured the best he could do was apologize and move forward.

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Issei had put himself out there with the whole Ninshiki thing, which had become second nature to him at this point, but much to his surprise, Aiza shut him down. Hard. "Are you serious? No. You hardly know me." It was Issei's first direct rejection, and he sort of shrunk back in response, pushing into the edge of the springs. The warm water and steam in the air combined with his renewed embarrassment and shock made him lightheaded and sent him reeling, but he didn't break eye contact with Aiza and didn't change his expression, as not to make his disappointment so apparent. Still, it wasn't long before Aiza realized how rough he'd been, and he apologized, admitting that he was too engulfed in village obligations to join Ninshiki and pile on more. This was something Issei could understand and definitely couldn't blame Aiza for, so he nodded and opted not to push the concept or talk about it any further. Aiza assured Issei that he knew Ninshiki would do great things, something which Issei himself wasn't so sure of, but that was what he hoped for every day. In the end, he just wanted to help people, and make sure that they knew that their homes, their cultures, and their people mattered. It was a cause that was close to his heart, as of late, just understanding how important that feeling of mattering and having a place where one belongs was. Having been ripped from his home and torn apart mentally before being thrown back out into the world and feeling lost, he knew more than anybody what I was like to feel unimportant and uncared for.

"It's alright, I know you didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry for asking." Now feeling that he had overstayed his welcome, and all too aware of how wrinkly and strange he felt having been in the springs for so long, Issei stood up, got out of the springs, and picked up his towel. He put it over his shoulders rather than wrapping it back around his waist, and walked to his locker, remembering it because he thought of his birthday. He opened it up, pulling out his clothes and setting them down before he started to dry off. He took his bag out, too, and unzipped it to find his Kirigakure headband sitting inside. There, he stopped, and stared at the headband for a long while, contemplating everything; who he was, his place in the world, why he cared so much about Ninshiki, and whether or not he would ever accomplish anything with the group or it if would fail, ultimately. It was hard to escape such a sudden and torrential sadness, but there it was, and there it stayed. Issei zipped the bag closed again, obscuring his headband once more.

The Kirigakure shinobi, visibly disheartened, apologized for asking, and not even two minutes later stood up and started to make his way out of the springs. Aiza wasn't quite sure how to respond. Part of him wanted to remain silent, so as not to upset Issei any further, and part of him wanting to tell him to wait and ask him to come back so that they could talk more. Instead, he turned and faced Issei as Issei walked over to the lockers to get his stuff, and Aiza's gaze lingered there, waiting for Issei to say something else before leaving. It didn't seem like he was going to, though, and as he was gathering his stuff to get dressed, he opened his bag and was looking inside for quite some time, without moving. Aiza remembered them bumping into one another and how Issei had shoved his headband into that same little bag, and figured that must have been what the shinobi was looking at there, so despondently. Aiza knew that that was the time to speak up, and as if the words had come from a higher place, he suddenly knew exactly what to say, and do. He stood up out of the springs as well, grabbing his towel from the edge and wrapping it around himself, gingerly and modestly. Once it was secured, he walked over to Issei and put a hand on the man's shoulder from behind. Now, yet another part of him couldn't deny that there was an attraction between them, some sort of connection beyond the newly conceived friendship there in the springs, but Aiza brushed that off as an unnecessary thought, for the time being. What he wanted to do was help Issei in a way that didn't require Aiza himself dedicating his time and effort to Issei or his cause, and show Issei that he really was a nice guy, after all.

"Come here, kiddo. Give me a hug." And so Aiza wrapped his arms around Issei, and couldn't help but think of his brother, and how similar it felt to when they hugged goodbye whenever Katsu would return to Kirigakure, and how the distance between them ate away at Aiza's heart. He pulled away, now all too aware of the fact that Issei hadn't been wearing a towel, and unsure of whether or not the hug was uncomfortably inappropriate, as a result. Regardless, he went to locker 123, which he remembered because they were the first three numbers in sequence, and he opened it at a 90 degree angle, taking out his clothes and placing them on the ground before pulling out his duffel bag which had been fitted toward the other side of the locker. Unzipping the bag, he pulled out a pair of metal gauntlets that he had custom-made at a local smith back when he was first seriously training as a shinobi. He held them out to Issei so that the etching on the inside was facing him, so that he could read it clearly.

"Give me somewhere to stand, I will move the earth. I think that you and Ninshiki are going to do just that. You're gonna change the world for the better. These are the Gigantes' Fists. My clan is one based in otherworldly legends, and these gauntlets were built with the strength of giants in mind. Here, I don't need them any more. I have another weapon that I use more, anyway, and once I retire for good I won't need any weapons at all. So go ahead, take them. I know you'll put them to good use." He placed the gauntlets on top of Issei's clothes, and turned back to the water, ready to get back in. Just as he removed his towel, he turned back to Issei one last time. "Oh, and one more thing. When you get back to Kirigakure, find my brother. He works at a ramen place there now, like the dork he is. I think you guys will get along great."

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[ Exit Thread ]

passing the torch, officially:

Just as Issei was getting ready to dress and leave the springs, he heard the water splash as Aiza exited it. He turned towards Aiza to find the man coming right towards him, and he called Issei "kiddo" and told him to give him a hug. Issei obliged, but was a bit confused at being called "kiddo". He supposed Aiza was older than him, though it wasn't clear by how much, but he knew that he himself looked a lot younger than he actually was, for that matter. Regardless, their hug lasted for a bit before Aiza pulled away and headed towards his own locker. He opened it carefully, removed his clothes and his bag, and then opened the bag, moving closer to Issei. What he showed to Issei was surprising; a pair of black, metal bladed gauntlets, covered in sharpened points from the back of the wrists down to the fingertips. On the wrist of one was an inscription:

と立つためにどこか私を与える、私は地球を移動します

Aiza read it back to Issei, and explained that his clan had inspired the gauntlets and that they were meant to possess "the strength of giants". Aiza went on to offer them to Issei, which Issei promptly denied. "I really cannot take these. These are so finely crafted, and if they were inspired by your clan, I can understand what a sentimental connection you must have with them..." but Aiza went on, insisting that Issei take them and that he had another weapon of his own that he could rely on. He wanted Issei to have them because he knew that Issei needed them more, and since he was planning on retiring from the life of a shinobi anyhow, it was a matter of time before the gauntlets were long forgotten, too. Issei thought of the minor villages he hoped to bring back, he thought of his enemies, he thought of himself again, not as a potential failure, but as a strong shinobi who was willing to do whatever he could to protect those he loved and become stronger for his own sake, too. He nodded, finally understanding everything as if a switch had flipped in his mind. And as Aiza set the gauntlets down on his clothes, he knelt down to pick them up, admiring their perfect craftsmanship as he did so. He set them in the locker temporarily, dressed himself, and them put them carefully into his bag, following the same procedural movements that Aiza had used when handling them. Issei shut the locker behind him and strapped the bag onto his bag. Aiza turned back around to look at him one more time.

"When you get back to Kirigakure, find my brother. He works at a ramen place there now, like the dork he is. I think you guys will get along great." Issei nodded in agreement, figuring that was the least he could do for this kind gentleman. "I promise, that will be the first thing I do when I return. Thank you for everything, Aiza. I'll prove you right, in that I do have a good heart, and I'll live up to the space you left in the Gigantes' Fists. We'll meet again, next time I'm in the Hidden Leaf." And with that, Issei went to return to the inn, no longer sad, but now feeling rejuvenated, like an entirely new man. With him was a piece of Aiza, maybe more so than he understood in that moment, far deeper than the connection forged between them as Aiza gave him the gauntlets, but in their similarities, in their personalities, they were kindred spirits leading different lives. As the distance between them grew and as time went on, Issei thought of Aiza, and the Gigantes' Fists seemed to fit him effortlessly.


[ Exit Thread ]

Training:

OOC: