Mura was walking through a swampy terrain, carelessly admiring his miao dao. He had recently bought this weapon, but one could say that it is now a crucial part of his life. Not the very blade itself, of course, but rather the act of carrying a deadly sharp weapon, which could easily slit a foe's throat. In the end, Mura did not get attached to items. As a matter of fact, he rarely got attached to anything - sometimes he had difficulties distinguishing humans from items - the same thought process and logic he followed for both. There was one main question he had always asked himself - Is he/she/it useful? No? Cut it. Yes? Take it. While you couldn't argue that his low rank, imitiation of a miao dao was of any material worth, it would definitely come in handy one day. The purpose of his walk was quite different; leaving the fiercful physical training for his first ever meditation.

The recently proclaimed genin was now slowly making way through the mystical forest. "This is the place I could stay forever". The sunrays were barely piercing the clouds and the thick bed of leaves above his head. Some corners of the forest were light, while others remained in dark, even though it only noon. Sun was not a particular friend of these lands. Nature here was definitely wilder than in the inner parts of Kiri no sato. However, it was also a lot quieter, which was Mura's main motivation of coming here in the first place. He found a good, secluded spot in the woods, right next to a medium-sized tree. Serenity was key to a good session, when you can truly relax and let your mind float. In general, Mura was very calm, maybe too calm; however, this part of his character had nothing to do with meditation. It was a 'professional deviation', as he liked to think of it, because of his harsh past, fueled with brutal training sessions that his parents had organised for him. Thus, he was definitely an amateur in regards to truly relaxing his mind – even though at a first glance his face was screaming "I'm a very relaxed person" – his thoughts were constantly racing and he was always on edge; always prepared for the next challenge around the corner. "A true warrior never sleeps, a true fighter never rests." This mentality was a double-edged sword, and Mura had completely realised this over the years. It was putting pressure on his very existence, but it had also allowed him to survive until this very point. Nevertheless, he had also realised that a shinobi needs to learn how to control the mind as much as how to control the body. The latter being his main objective throughout his unusual childhood.

He decided on the place as sufficient for his needs. Mura sat on the ground, leaving his miao dao on his lap. Even though the purpose of this session was to distance himself from the usual edginess which fueled his doubt in everything and everyone, he could never carelessly leave his weapon unattended to. Maybe this was a clear sign that no matter how many sessions of meditation he performs, the underlying feeling that someone is always waiting for the perfect moment to ambush him could never disappear.

Mura closed crossed his legs, closed his eyes and breathed in, filling his lungs with clean, heavily moist air. His body was used to the humid climate in the woods; moreover, the numbness of his body did not allow him to be distracted from the little drops of sweat that were surfacing on the skin of his face. One could say that he had all the characteristics, both in regards to how his body and his mind were conditioned over the years, to become a truly great mind-bender. He was a long way from this, though, as this was actually his first ever meditation.

Fortunately, that same constant numbness allowed him to always position himself in a comfortable stance. A powerful technique, as a next step, Mura had heard before, was to become aware of your own breathing. This would cancel out the extra thinking which occurs in a person's head, silencing the inner voice of the shinobi. He didn't know any other strategies, thus he decided to follow this one; hopefully it would pay off.

Truly, only after a few breaths, Mura had already started feeling a bit better. The commotion inside his head had been stepping back with every inhale-exhale rotation. Even though the very feeling of breething 'on purpose' , was very strange, it was definitely proving itself useful. So useful that after a couple of minutes Mura reached a state of mind he had never experienced before. "Inner peace?" he thought, while it disturbed his concentration. Then he realised he ought not to try and frame it in words; instead, he decided to go one level further. The boy took his miao dao and placed it next to him , removing it from his lap. Funnily, such a simple act could challenge a person and their own beliefs. Maybe it clouded their judgement, or maybe it opened their eyers. It did not matter, because it was doing exactly what it was purposed for - it eased the mind and synchronised it with the inner flow of energy in the body - something Mura had been uncounsciously searching for since his early childhood. He remained in this state for a while, forgetting, resting, enjoying the blisfull moment.

Around an hour passed before Mura opened his eyes. The weary feeling of a long walk made the meditation seem to had taken a lot more time. It was exhausting and satisfying. No other choice was left for him to leave - his duties awaited. There were important decisions to be made regarding his future as a shinobi... besides, it was hightime he had headed back to the village.

[EXIT THREAD]

WC: 986
TWC: 986

Perception (PER) = E-0 => D-0 986/750

WC: 240

Reaction (REA) = E-2 => E-3 246/225