1 Where Rolling Stones Collect [Open|Social] Thu Sep 21, 2017 10:08 pm
Tezuka
D-rank
Dozens of miles of empty road left Tezuka's legs shaking from the effort, his pale skin already beginning to burn from the warmer climate, but it was all worth it to see the stone towers of Iwagakure in the distance. It held up to it's name: the mountain peaks nearly camouflaged the tall buildings of the village as they rose from the ground, a single spire with the 'Earth' kanji standing high above the surrounding buildings. It was almost enough to bring a smile onto the dour young man's face. Even with his great endurance, Tezuka couldn't ignore how tired he felt from simply walking.
Night was beginning to descend on the stone village as the sun crowned a distant mountain peak and bathed the sky in an orange hue. He would be forced to check in with the ruling body of Iwa as soon as it was discovered he was a shinobi. Tezuka still cringed at the thought; all his life he looked down on the ninja across the border, now he would have to count himself as one of them until he could return home. The thought of home fanned the flames of his determination. The ache in his calf muscles was immediately forgotten as the teen quickened his pace down the main road to Iwa.
Like all else in Tsuchi no Kuni, the massive gate was carved from the nearby mountains and quarried into place; despite the age of the stone it was solid and without cracks from anywhere Tezuka could see. 'Potent Doton jutsu', the foreigner speculated as he imagined what the Tsuchikage could do with the element. Scores of samurai besieged the village throughout it's long history and all had been repelled by Iwa-nin, and now the dwellers of Iron Country ignored the shinobi out of spite. He idly wondered if his Kōton would be stronger and denser than the massive construct, if one day Iwa's walls would fall to samurai Steel. Definitely not yet; he was, frankly, embarrassed by the quality of the Steel that drips from his pores. While the sun still shone the gates of Iwa remained open for travelers to come and go it would close as night arrived, making it much more of a hassle to get through. He was thankful to arrive just in time.
There were many merchants and travelers waiting to be processed, Iwa-nin with their shiny boulder headbands inspecting inventory and identifying travelers, and as the crimson-cloaked ronin joined the queue he thought of the things he would need to take care of when inside; identifying himself to the ones in charge, attend to the basic needs, and then begin training. The first would be done with hesitation, as Tezuka would much rather be under every village's radar and avoid attention, but it was dangerous to be mistaken as a bandit or missing-nin. As for food, water and shelter, that would be attended to when there was more information on how the village worked; there had to be plenty of caves and nooks around the mountains he could crawl into if need be. The last item on his to-do list required a bit more actual effort on his part. To learn more about his elements and ninjutsu, Tezuka would require tutors and associates to further his studies and the ryo to finance it all.
The line slowly grew smaller as each newcomer to Iwa was processed and either admitted or denied, sometimes forcefully, and finally the former samurai was waved to approach by a stern man in a flak jacket. The red haired Iwa-nin regarded the newcomer with an even gaze; Tezuka stood half a head above the shinobi and weighed considerably more, but the older man was a professional soldier and had seen worse than a well-built teenager. "I'll need your name and age, occupation, and the reason for your visit to Iwagakure no Sato," he stated as he held a logbook and inked pen in his hands.
"Tezuka of the Kongō, sixteen years old." The Iwa-nin nodded along as he scribbled down the information, motioning the boy to continue. "I am here to study Ninjutsu, specifically that of the Earth element." The older shinobi's pen bled ink into the page it was stopped on as he regarded Tezuka with a more critical eye. "Village-nin or rōnin?" the shinobi asked, though they both knew the answer. "Rōnin."
With a nod the Iwa-nin finished his log and nodded to a much larger comrade standing guard beside him, the approval Tezuka needed to enter. He was ordered to immediately report to the administrative building and log his identity with the record keepers, before being waved away to make room for the next incoming foreigner. A curt nod from Tezuka was returned from both guards, and the ebon-haired teen crossed beneath the stone gate.
The village interior was what he expected: stone roads and stone buildings, mountains on all sides. It was his first taste of what life was like in one of the five Hidden Villages; 'cozy' was how Tezuka would describe the rocky village. Civilians and shinobi alike hurried on their business before night arrived and he took a moment to watch the crowds of people. Civilians were alike no matter where you went, save for obvious cultural differences, but shinobi were much more numerous than samurai and were suited for more clandestine work. Many took to the rooftops in order to cut down on foot traffic and many of the shinobi were little more than a blur to Tezuka's eyes; their chakra-enhanced speed was a legendary trait of powerful shinobi, and they made their samurai counterparts look slow in comparison. He felt like standing before the gate all evening, just admiring the village itself.
Unfortunately he was sore from walking miles upon miles and still not finished with his trek. Tezuka decided to ask the very first Iwa-nin he laid eyes upon if they would show him to the admin building; he would definitely try to wriggle what information he could from them. The massive crimson-cloaked rōnin crossed his arms as he searched for someone to bother, ignoring the annoyed looks of those whose way he stood in.
WC: 1061
Night was beginning to descend on the stone village as the sun crowned a distant mountain peak and bathed the sky in an orange hue. He would be forced to check in with the ruling body of Iwa as soon as it was discovered he was a shinobi. Tezuka still cringed at the thought; all his life he looked down on the ninja across the border, now he would have to count himself as one of them until he could return home. The thought of home fanned the flames of his determination. The ache in his calf muscles was immediately forgotten as the teen quickened his pace down the main road to Iwa.
Like all else in Tsuchi no Kuni, the massive gate was carved from the nearby mountains and quarried into place; despite the age of the stone it was solid and without cracks from anywhere Tezuka could see. 'Potent Doton jutsu', the foreigner speculated as he imagined what the Tsuchikage could do with the element. Scores of samurai besieged the village throughout it's long history and all had been repelled by Iwa-nin, and now the dwellers of Iron Country ignored the shinobi out of spite. He idly wondered if his Kōton would be stronger and denser than the massive construct, if one day Iwa's walls would fall to samurai Steel. Definitely not yet; he was, frankly, embarrassed by the quality of the Steel that drips from his pores. While the sun still shone the gates of Iwa remained open for travelers to come and go it would close as night arrived, making it much more of a hassle to get through. He was thankful to arrive just in time.
There were many merchants and travelers waiting to be processed, Iwa-nin with their shiny boulder headbands inspecting inventory and identifying travelers, and as the crimson-cloaked ronin joined the queue he thought of the things he would need to take care of when inside; identifying himself to the ones in charge, attend to the basic needs, and then begin training. The first would be done with hesitation, as Tezuka would much rather be under every village's radar and avoid attention, but it was dangerous to be mistaken as a bandit or missing-nin. As for food, water and shelter, that would be attended to when there was more information on how the village worked; there had to be plenty of caves and nooks around the mountains he could crawl into if need be. The last item on his to-do list required a bit more actual effort on his part. To learn more about his elements and ninjutsu, Tezuka would require tutors and associates to further his studies and the ryo to finance it all.
The line slowly grew smaller as each newcomer to Iwa was processed and either admitted or denied, sometimes forcefully, and finally the former samurai was waved to approach by a stern man in a flak jacket. The red haired Iwa-nin regarded the newcomer with an even gaze; Tezuka stood half a head above the shinobi and weighed considerably more, but the older man was a professional soldier and had seen worse than a well-built teenager. "I'll need your name and age, occupation, and the reason for your visit to Iwagakure no Sato," he stated as he held a logbook and inked pen in his hands.
"Tezuka of the Kongō, sixteen years old." The Iwa-nin nodded along as he scribbled down the information, motioning the boy to continue. "I am here to study Ninjutsu, specifically that of the Earth element." The older shinobi's pen bled ink into the page it was stopped on as he regarded Tezuka with a more critical eye. "Village-nin or rōnin?" the shinobi asked, though they both knew the answer. "Rōnin."
With a nod the Iwa-nin finished his log and nodded to a much larger comrade standing guard beside him, the approval Tezuka needed to enter. He was ordered to immediately report to the administrative building and log his identity with the record keepers, before being waved away to make room for the next incoming foreigner. A curt nod from Tezuka was returned from both guards, and the ebon-haired teen crossed beneath the stone gate.
The village interior was what he expected: stone roads and stone buildings, mountains on all sides. It was his first taste of what life was like in one of the five Hidden Villages; 'cozy' was how Tezuka would describe the rocky village. Civilians and shinobi alike hurried on their business before night arrived and he took a moment to watch the crowds of people. Civilians were alike no matter where you went, save for obvious cultural differences, but shinobi were much more numerous than samurai and were suited for more clandestine work. Many took to the rooftops in order to cut down on foot traffic and many of the shinobi were little more than a blur to Tezuka's eyes; their chakra-enhanced speed was a legendary trait of powerful shinobi, and they made their samurai counterparts look slow in comparison. He felt like standing before the gate all evening, just admiring the village itself.
Unfortunately he was sore from walking miles upon miles and still not finished with his trek. Tezuka decided to ask the very first Iwa-nin he laid eyes upon if they would show him to the admin building; he would definitely try to wriggle what information he could from them. The massive crimson-cloaked rōnin crossed his arms as he searched for someone to bother, ignoring the annoyed looks of those whose way he stood in.
WC: 1061