Taking the time to slow down was something that Daisuke had not done for quite a while now, not that he rushed himself in anything – but his training often required him to be quick on his feet and several mental steps ahead of his enemy. None of the training he had done thus far had been especially serious, it was instead the regular training of someone intent on being an efficient shinobi. Relaxation or sloth wasn’t within Daisuke’s vocabulary, and his actions reflected that. He had bountiful vitality that he channelled into his work, his training, and his exercises – to onlookers it might seem that Daisuke did not expend any more energy than he needed to in a task and, in a sense, they were right, but only because Daisuke tasked himself to train almost constantly. The Minamoto boy also knew that he needed to offset his constant training, that was why he set aside one day every fortnight to relax and take care of himself. In truth though, it was this aspect of his routine which he found most difficult. If it wasn’t for the belief that this was good for him in some aspect, then Daisuke would not utilise his spare time in such a manner. But still, every two weeks he took the journey just outside the village towards the great body of water that rested before the valley of the end.
Daisuke knew that visitors often spent a lot of their time inspecting the top of the waterfall and the great stone statues that faced one and other from events long past. For the young boy, the architecture of the sculpted figures was interesting at first, but his focus was on the bottom of the waterfall instead. That was where he began his routine at the valley of the end, with a short meditation under one of the gentler sections of the water towards its edge. This served to help him focus his mind on the moment at hand rather than the countless factors influencing everything that was going on around him, instead of calculating Daisuke allowed himself to be present under the buffeting waterfall. As the water shielded his vision and covered his body, the student had to take some time to focus on his breaths, making sure to take in as much air as he could while his surroundings were mainly liquid.
The boy spent almost an hour drawing his mind inward, not out of choice but out of necessity. One of the biggest challenges that Daisuke faced was quieting his mind, it wasn’t as though he was hyperactive but rather, he constantly felt the need to observe everything around him. But when he was surrounded by water, things seemed to be a lot easier for him. After his meditation was complete, Daisuke made his way further along the edge of the large pool that formed at the base of the waterfall, and after making sure he was an adequate distance from the falls, he moved to step inside. There was something about water that helped the young boy relax, something about its ability to flow regardless of any obstacles that stood in its way inspired him – its ability to transfer energy without being disrupted taught him to move along with the forces that he encountered. To resist would take more effort than it was worth, but to redirect the energy that opposed him was a better use of his time and talents.
On this day Daisuke waded out into the water, it was cold of course but not painfully so. With slow, methodical, deep breaths the Minamoto boy continued his journey into the valley, he did his best to regulate his temperature and soon he found relative comfort among the eddies and whirls of the current. After he had gone as far as he could walk, Daisuke began to swim further out, eventually coming to a stop in roughly the centre of the river. From there he lay back, floating, alone in the water. Each breath he took sent ripples across the generally still surface of the water, causing several peaks and troughs on the crisp blue pool.
When floating on the water Daisuke felt at peace, he could close his mind and simply focus on being, the ability to relax was something difficult to truly find in the shinobi world – thankfully that was no longer a problem for the Minamoto boy. He was lucky in that regard. But there was still a further step that Daisuke could take to feel even more at peace. His deep breaths continued as Daisuke began to sink into the water, his form gradually started to become less clear as his body slowly changed its state. Not only was Daisuke inhabiting water, but he had also become water. It was no longer possible to differentiate the boy’s body from the mass of the river, only his head was visible for a few extra moments before that too sunk under the river’s surface.
As Daisuke descended, he finally felt as if he belonged in his environment, he felt at ease and without the need to know every detail of what was going on around him. Despite being in an area that was inhospitable to many, the Minamoto boy did not hesitate to continue his dive down towards the floor of the river. He had seen it several times now, with each rest day that he took he managed to get further along his desired subaquatic path. On occasion Daisuke would find items long lost to shinobi – there was the odd kunai, or training shuriken that had surely been used for practice. This was alongside other items too, lost headbands, the occasional bag, wire traps – a plethora of ninja resources that had been used throughout the years. Looking at the discarded items provoked a deep sense of thought within the young boy, in fact it was here that he felt the ability to actually think about things that had little meaning to his life or immediate future.
There were many creatures below the surface of the water too, a plethora of fish greeted Daisuke every time he descended, only to flee at the realisation that the boy was present. Over the last few months, however, the student had managed to gradually minimalise the presence that he presented in his liquid form – subtly blending in with his surroundings. On occasion one or two extremely curious creatures swam over to inspect the new arrival to their ecosystem, and in such instances Diasuke simply watched to observe their behaviours within the water. To him it was fascinating to see the way in which the water seemed to separate two worlds with completely different inhabitants, yet he was gifted enough to see and experience both. Maybe that was his inheritance from his family originating in the Hidden Mist. As the grandson of two former Mizukage, it was to be expected that Daisuke would have an affinity for water, but to have an affinity to this extent was far beyond what could be assumed for the vast majority of shinobi. As such Daisuke considered himself to be gifted, though it did not cause him to become complacent with his training or even in his general day to day life, instead it pushed him to realise the potential that had been gifted to him through his bloodline. It was because of this that he felt he was ready to progress from the academy despite his reasonably young age. A slight tinge of guilt flitted through the boy’s body as he began to question the decisions of his superiors, it was not his place to do so, but yet in this he felt he knew better – or at least better than was let on by them. If he were above water he would have sighed, but instead he decided to take his mind off his own opinions once again.
As the day progressed, Daisuke continued his exploration beneath the river’s surface. It was interesting down there, much deeper than he had expected and the architecture of its basin was something to behold. He wondered what sort of creatures dwelt below, in the depths that even light struggled to reach. The Minamoto boy hoped that one day he would have the ability to properly explore the depths of all places around him and in the world in general. He had heard of those with the power to go wherever they pleased, even when they were not welcome. Maybe it was this freedom that Daisuke looked for, what he truly wanted to taste for himself – this desire was not driven with malice but rather an ever increasing interest in the world around him. Maybe it was a world that Daisuke could change; his influence could grow with time and patience. But what he would do with such influence was yet to be decided. And, as Daisuke rested amongst the aquatic creatures around him, his thoughts drifted. What could he be? What impact could he have on the world around him? And what would the future have in store for the young Minamoto boy on his journey to grow into a more powerful shinobi?
[Using Discovery of Contract of your Choice card for Deep Sea]
[MFT]
[Word Count: 1,535]
Daisuke knew that visitors often spent a lot of their time inspecting the top of the waterfall and the great stone statues that faced one and other from events long past. For the young boy, the architecture of the sculpted figures was interesting at first, but his focus was on the bottom of the waterfall instead. That was where he began his routine at the valley of the end, with a short meditation under one of the gentler sections of the water towards its edge. This served to help him focus his mind on the moment at hand rather than the countless factors influencing everything that was going on around him, instead of calculating Daisuke allowed himself to be present under the buffeting waterfall. As the water shielded his vision and covered his body, the student had to take some time to focus on his breaths, making sure to take in as much air as he could while his surroundings were mainly liquid.
The boy spent almost an hour drawing his mind inward, not out of choice but out of necessity. One of the biggest challenges that Daisuke faced was quieting his mind, it wasn’t as though he was hyperactive but rather, he constantly felt the need to observe everything around him. But when he was surrounded by water, things seemed to be a lot easier for him. After his meditation was complete, Daisuke made his way further along the edge of the large pool that formed at the base of the waterfall, and after making sure he was an adequate distance from the falls, he moved to step inside. There was something about water that helped the young boy relax, something about its ability to flow regardless of any obstacles that stood in its way inspired him – its ability to transfer energy without being disrupted taught him to move along with the forces that he encountered. To resist would take more effort than it was worth, but to redirect the energy that opposed him was a better use of his time and talents.
On this day Daisuke waded out into the water, it was cold of course but not painfully so. With slow, methodical, deep breaths the Minamoto boy continued his journey into the valley, he did his best to regulate his temperature and soon he found relative comfort among the eddies and whirls of the current. After he had gone as far as he could walk, Daisuke began to swim further out, eventually coming to a stop in roughly the centre of the river. From there he lay back, floating, alone in the water. Each breath he took sent ripples across the generally still surface of the water, causing several peaks and troughs on the crisp blue pool.
When floating on the water Daisuke felt at peace, he could close his mind and simply focus on being, the ability to relax was something difficult to truly find in the shinobi world – thankfully that was no longer a problem for the Minamoto boy. He was lucky in that regard. But there was still a further step that Daisuke could take to feel even more at peace. His deep breaths continued as Daisuke began to sink into the water, his form gradually started to become less clear as his body slowly changed its state. Not only was Daisuke inhabiting water, but he had also become water. It was no longer possible to differentiate the boy’s body from the mass of the river, only his head was visible for a few extra moments before that too sunk under the river’s surface.
As Daisuke descended, he finally felt as if he belonged in his environment, he felt at ease and without the need to know every detail of what was going on around him. Despite being in an area that was inhospitable to many, the Minamoto boy did not hesitate to continue his dive down towards the floor of the river. He had seen it several times now, with each rest day that he took he managed to get further along his desired subaquatic path. On occasion Daisuke would find items long lost to shinobi – there was the odd kunai, or training shuriken that had surely been used for practice. This was alongside other items too, lost headbands, the occasional bag, wire traps – a plethora of ninja resources that had been used throughout the years. Looking at the discarded items provoked a deep sense of thought within the young boy, in fact it was here that he felt the ability to actually think about things that had little meaning to his life or immediate future.
There were many creatures below the surface of the water too, a plethora of fish greeted Daisuke every time he descended, only to flee at the realisation that the boy was present. Over the last few months, however, the student had managed to gradually minimalise the presence that he presented in his liquid form – subtly blending in with his surroundings. On occasion one or two extremely curious creatures swam over to inspect the new arrival to their ecosystem, and in such instances Diasuke simply watched to observe their behaviours within the water. To him it was fascinating to see the way in which the water seemed to separate two worlds with completely different inhabitants, yet he was gifted enough to see and experience both. Maybe that was his inheritance from his family originating in the Hidden Mist. As the grandson of two former Mizukage, it was to be expected that Daisuke would have an affinity for water, but to have an affinity to this extent was far beyond what could be assumed for the vast majority of shinobi. As such Daisuke considered himself to be gifted, though it did not cause him to become complacent with his training or even in his general day to day life, instead it pushed him to realise the potential that had been gifted to him through his bloodline. It was because of this that he felt he was ready to progress from the academy despite his reasonably young age. A slight tinge of guilt flitted through the boy’s body as he began to question the decisions of his superiors, it was not his place to do so, but yet in this he felt he knew better – or at least better than was let on by them. If he were above water he would have sighed, but instead he decided to take his mind off his own opinions once again.
As the day progressed, Daisuke continued his exploration beneath the river’s surface. It was interesting down there, much deeper than he had expected and the architecture of its basin was something to behold. He wondered what sort of creatures dwelt below, in the depths that even light struggled to reach. The Minamoto boy hoped that one day he would have the ability to properly explore the depths of all places around him and in the world in general. He had heard of those with the power to go wherever they pleased, even when they were not welcome. Maybe it was this freedom that Daisuke looked for, what he truly wanted to taste for himself – this desire was not driven with malice but rather an ever increasing interest in the world around him. Maybe it was a world that Daisuke could change; his influence could grow with time and patience. But what he would do with such influence was yet to be decided. And, as Daisuke rested amongst the aquatic creatures around him, his thoughts drifted. What could he be? What impact could he have on the world around him? And what would the future have in store for the young Minamoto boy on his journey to grow into a more powerful shinobi?
[Using Discovery of Contract of your Choice card for Deep Sea]
[MFT]
[Word Count: 1,535]
