Lying on his back inside of his home was Arthir, staring up at his ceiling. His red hair acted like a needy little child wanting attention, hanging in front of his face. With a gentle brush, pushing aside the hair with a television remote in hand, he finally spoke.

"Damn this heat," he sat up, "I'm going somewhere else."

With that, he got up, packed a book bag full of 'unique' items, and left his home. As the sun shined on him, providing a lighter shade of pink to his eyes, it served him as a constant reminder as to why he's leaving Konoha.

"It's too damn hot," he said. He then stopped walking. "And I have no clue where I'm going, but it's too far."

Arthir looked over to a nearby group of guys and gals. There was a horse with some sort of carriage behind it. Neat. He wandered over, hearing someone say something about 'rides'. He figured the round man dressed in a tuxedo meant actually horseback riding, but...

"Yes, we are offering rides around the country! Maybe even beyond!" The man waved his black cane to the crowd. "To the lands of Kaminari, Tsuchi, or even Mizu! We'll go nearly anywhere!"

"Mizu...?" Arthir rubbed his chin. How could horses cross water? He wanted to see for himself. And so, he did what he did best. Before doing so, he adjusted his clothes, pulling his black jeans down a bit, and adjusting his red sweater. He tugged at random spots, and ruffled his hair to make his appearance look...distressed. He cleared his throat, and widened his eyes, appearing more childlike. When he was about to walk over, he took note of someone eating a sandwich. Yeah, he could go for some food too actually. Arthir went to work, crashing into the crowd of people.

"Help! Oh gods, help!" he said, his voice significantly higher than what it was. A quick glance showed that the people have shifted their attention to him. He ran right towards the man in the tuxedo. "M-my mother! My mother, I don't know what's become of her!" He turned to the crowd now. "The last I've heard, she was last seen in some other...village! There were some thugs around, and I haven't heard from her since!"

Arthir turned back to the round tuxedo man, shaking and grabbing his suit. He his his smile as he saw the irritation on the man's face.

"Please, I don't know what village it is, but you have to take me there! S-she's old and frail!" A quick glance to the man's quivering hand, Arthir knew he had him. "Please!" he said, tugging the suit hard, purposely ripping it.

The tuxedo man...smacked the 'poor' Arthir away, glaring down at him as he grumbles. Then he realized... This random person in distress, they were...sobbing. And the crowd, they were now glaring at him. "Th-the horses are not free, you see! I-"

The crowd began to shout a barrage of questions.

"How could you do that to someone in need?!"

"Cannot believe I bought this service before. Have you no shame?!"

"The mother is missing, can't you offer a free ride?!"

The man in the tuxedo tugged at his collar. "W-well, you see, I- ...I can offer a flat rate of-"

The crowd wasn't hearing it.

"Flat rate?!"

"I'll pay for the ride, if I must. This is ludicrous!"

Arthir, 'sobbing', checked the crowd to see where they stood. Good. They were on his side. Then, someone had asked what village his 'mother' was in. "I-...I don't know what the v-village is called, I-I just..." He looked up. "Cl-clouds. Clouds played a part in the-"

"Kumogakure!" the crowd started to shout at different times, catching wind of where Arthir's mother was.

Finally, the tuxedo man calmed everyone down. "I will offer a free ride to Kumogakure. Will this appeal to everyone?"

The crowd, calm now, nodded among themselves.


Now inside the carriage, the tuxedo man smacked the horse to signal it to move. The person who was eating a sandwich had put it down to do something. When they came back, however...

Inside the carriage, Arthir relaxed, chowing down on a recently gained sandwich. "Ech," he stuck out his tongue, "tuna." Despite not liking fish, he kept eating.

"We'll be arriving in Kumogakure in about...a few hours. I- ..." The driver leaned towards Arthir, "I'm sorry for smacking you."

"Yeah, it's cool," he responded, voice normal and with his legs crossed comfortably.

The driver turned to Arthir, who by the time was being looked at, looked even more distressed than before. The sandwich he was eating was...gone.

"I just h-hope," he spoke, voice high again, "she's okay."

The driver nodded, looking away. With no attention on him now, he relaxed again, pulling out the tuna sandwich from behind him. As the carriage traveled down the road, he proceeded with his free lunch.


WC: Over 600
[Exit]