[Note: Feel free to react however you see fit at any time.]
There was knocking nearby. The sound had increased gradually as Takumi led Yumiko and Sumusu through the dangers of the village. The three were surrounded by empty chills and abandoned houses, and it sounded as if someone had been knocking at one of the doors. Takumi walked cautiously, tracing his eyes along the narrow path of the walkway. He was ready for any crazed lunatic or maniacal madman to jump out from the shadows and attack. He had to do everything to make sure that they were okay walking through the streets. The knocking grew louder.
"I guess no one's home..." Takumi joked. It was impossible to tell where it was coming from. The sound could have been a desperate mother trying to get back to her children, or an intruder trying to lure himself into someone's home. Takumi had spent half the night investigating mysteries, stopping drug sales, and preventing murder. He was devoted to helping however he could. The sound of the knocking bothered and mocked him. He had to protect the academy students, so he couldn't help whomever might be in trouble. He couldn't save the life that was in danger.
Takumi turned back to the students and offered a weak smile.
"I'm sure it's nothing. The academy is this way."
The knocking was becoming louder. It was becoming clear that they were headed in the right direction. Was he going the right way towards the academy? He forgot to check. He was becoming focused on the sound of the banging. He had to see if anyone was in danger. Maybe someone was being mugged, or robbed, or beaten. It began to sound metallic, like a crowbar hitting a skull. Was someone being jumped?!
"Through here!" He pointed at a small, dark clearing between some bushes and trees. He led them quietly through pokey sticks and scratchy leaves, all the while checking if they were still there. Finally, they emerged into the clearing. Takumi's kunai was already drawn. He motioned for the students to stay behind as the clanking echoed throughout the entire district. The lights were dim, but the scene was clear...
Takumi sighed.
"You two can come out," he called. There was a man wrapped in filthy rags. He was sitting on a tarp laid out across the pavement and banging a pole loudly against the street light. Takumi knew him. He crossed the street and knelt down to the bum. After a few seconds, the man swayed and turned his head. He squinted the dirt out of his eyes and smacked his gums as if chewing leather.
"H-hotsuo?" The man asked.
Takumi gave a guilty smile.
"W-what are wearing all that for?" The man began yanking at Takumi's belt pouches and headband. Takumi backed away as the man staggered to his feet.
"What're you all dressed up in? What're you... playin' ninja or somethin'?" He cleared the mucus from his throat while spoke.
Takumi looked around at the neighborhood. He recognized his mansion only a few blocks away. Was the man following him? Had he seen his secret base? Takumi turned to his friends and gave them the signal to be careful. The homeless man was obviously becoming erratic and dangerous. He threw his pole down and let it bounce loudly against the pavement. Takumi let out a quick and agitated sigh and turned back to his unruly company.
"You shouldn't make so much noise around here!" He said.
"You lied to us about being homeless--didn't ya? That's how you got all that food and stuff for us. I'll bet Hotsuo's not even yer name... boy."
The man began what seemed to be his grueling process of bending over. He was old and weak, that much was obvious. Takumi watched him carefully. There was a brown bag, slightly torn and dripping. The man picked it up and uncovered it. It was a bottle of whiskey. Takumi stared at it as the man took a long gulp.
"Well, everything ya gave me got stolen, so you can just--" Wham! Takumi threw his hardest punch straight into the man's tightly wound face.
The man yelped and toppled backward into his tarp of torn shoes and broken trinkets. His bottle shattered across the ground and alcohol painted the pavement like an elephant's spit-wad. Not a second had passed before Takumi completed a set of handseals and pressed his fingers to his lips. He spat forth an intense stream of fire onto the broken shards of the bottle, scorching the ground and igniting the alcohol. The man was too busy holding his face to avoid the spreading flames, but Takumi pulled him up and turned him around just before he caught fire. It didn't take long for him to lose consciousness. Still, Takumi tied a length of ninja wire tightly around the man's hands and pushed him toward the street. Takumi's eyes never came up from the ground...
"We should drop him off first." He said quietly.
He motioned towards his own mansion and began to lead the way.
There was knocking nearby. The sound had increased gradually as Takumi led Yumiko and Sumusu through the dangers of the village. The three were surrounded by empty chills and abandoned houses, and it sounded as if someone had been knocking at one of the doors. Takumi walked cautiously, tracing his eyes along the narrow path of the walkway. He was ready for any crazed lunatic or maniacal madman to jump out from the shadows and attack. He had to do everything to make sure that they were okay walking through the streets. The knocking grew louder.
"I guess no one's home..." Takumi joked. It was impossible to tell where it was coming from. The sound could have been a desperate mother trying to get back to her children, or an intruder trying to lure himself into someone's home. Takumi had spent half the night investigating mysteries, stopping drug sales, and preventing murder. He was devoted to helping however he could. The sound of the knocking bothered and mocked him. He had to protect the academy students, so he couldn't help whomever might be in trouble. He couldn't save the life that was in danger.
Takumi turned back to the students and offered a weak smile.
"I'm sure it's nothing. The academy is this way."
The knocking was becoming louder. It was becoming clear that they were headed in the right direction. Was he going the right way towards the academy? He forgot to check. He was becoming focused on the sound of the banging. He had to see if anyone was in danger. Maybe someone was being mugged, or robbed, or beaten. It began to sound metallic, like a crowbar hitting a skull. Was someone being jumped?!
"Through here!" He pointed at a small, dark clearing between some bushes and trees. He led them quietly through pokey sticks and scratchy leaves, all the while checking if they were still there. Finally, they emerged into the clearing. Takumi's kunai was already drawn. He motioned for the students to stay behind as the clanking echoed throughout the entire district. The lights were dim, but the scene was clear...
Takumi sighed.
"You two can come out," he called. There was a man wrapped in filthy rags. He was sitting on a tarp laid out across the pavement and banging a pole loudly against the street light. Takumi knew him. He crossed the street and knelt down to the bum. After a few seconds, the man swayed and turned his head. He squinted the dirt out of his eyes and smacked his gums as if chewing leather.
"H-hotsuo?" The man asked.
Takumi gave a guilty smile.
"W-what are wearing all that for?" The man began yanking at Takumi's belt pouches and headband. Takumi backed away as the man staggered to his feet.
"What're you all dressed up in? What're you... playin' ninja or somethin'?" He cleared the mucus from his throat while spoke.
Takumi looked around at the neighborhood. He recognized his mansion only a few blocks away. Was the man following him? Had he seen his secret base? Takumi turned to his friends and gave them the signal to be careful. The homeless man was obviously becoming erratic and dangerous. He threw his pole down and let it bounce loudly against the pavement. Takumi let out a quick and agitated sigh and turned back to his unruly company.
"You shouldn't make so much noise around here!" He said.
"You lied to us about being homeless--didn't ya? That's how you got all that food and stuff for us. I'll bet Hotsuo's not even yer name... boy."
The man began what seemed to be his grueling process of bending over. He was old and weak, that much was obvious. Takumi watched him carefully. There was a brown bag, slightly torn and dripping. The man picked it up and uncovered it. It was a bottle of whiskey. Takumi stared at it as the man took a long gulp.
"Well, everything ya gave me got stolen, so you can just--" Wham! Takumi threw his hardest punch straight into the man's tightly wound face.
The man yelped and toppled backward into his tarp of torn shoes and broken trinkets. His bottle shattered across the ground and alcohol painted the pavement like an elephant's spit-wad. Not a second had passed before Takumi completed a set of handseals and pressed his fingers to his lips. He spat forth an intense stream of fire onto the broken shards of the bottle, scorching the ground and igniting the alcohol. The man was too busy holding his face to avoid the spreading flames, but Takumi pulled him up and turned him around just before he caught fire. It didn't take long for him to lose consciousness. Still, Takumi tied a length of ninja wire tightly around the man's hands and pushed him toward the street. Takumi's eyes never came up from the ground...
"We should drop him off first." He said quietly.
He motioned towards his own mansion and began to lead the way.