Among Yanji's list of places to see, the fabled Colosseum was high on his list. Not only did he want to get a look at more of the village's unique architecture, but it would most likely be a good chance to see a fight or two and see how strong its shinobi were. If there weren't any fights going on, the building apparently staged events, as well. So there was no telling what there might be to see!
Since he'd begun to become accustomed to most of the impressive areas in Kumo, it only took a few minutes for the young Byakko to stop staring at the massive structure before him. Being awestruck was almost beginning to get old, in fact... But that didn't matter, learning was something he would never tire of, and if being awestruck became a side effect rather than a bonus, it would be worth enduring it for the sake of knowledge.
The area surrounding the Colosseum was filled with stalls that had a large variety of weapons, armor, and whatever else might pertain to a fighter in the ring. Thankfully - for his wallet - Yanjirou didn't have any need for the equipment available. Armor would only slow him down, and all of the weapons he might need were conveniently all in one weapon on his side. So with everything situated, the boy entered through the building's large doors and began waiting in a line that led to a desk. He assumed this would be where he paid for a ticket, but quickly learned how foolish he was...
"Excuse me?" The boy said, still having troubles understanding the village's accent, and believing what he was just told.
"That's right, you're all set! I'm excited to see how you Sunans fight, I expect it will be rather... Exotic."
This was a mistake... All of this was a mistake. Yanji didn't want to fight, he only wanted to watch a fight. There was no way he could have mentally prepared himself for something like this, even if he went in with the intent to participate in a battle. There had to be a way out of it, if only he could stop stuttering over himself in ti-
"Right this way sir! We'll provide any equipment you might need in the staging area, and we'll have a representative call you out when it's your time to fight!" The Colosseum worker escorted him to a small room that was filled to the brim with weapons and armor, all of which was worn, bloody, broken, and anything in between. There was no longer a way out of this...
As time passed, the young Byakko grew more and more anxious for his turn to come. Not from excitement, of course, but from worry. He was not necessarily scared to fight, he simply didn't want to get hurt. He couldn't afford to get hurt in a foreign land... It would only delay the rest of his trip. Eventually, the representative he was told about came to retrieve him, saying that they had found him a challenger after advertising on the street just outside. It seemed some residents of Kumo were eager to get there hands wet with a foreign shinobi's blood. At least, that's the fantasy Yanji's mind was weaving at the time.
Once he took his first step onto the hard sand of the Colosseum, a strange feeling washed over him. Was this what they refer to as stage fright? It was difficult to tell if it was a good or bad feeling, but he'd just have to try his best to ignore the crowd and focus on the real reason he was there.
As soon as the crowd died down, an announcer began speaking, "We have a special treat for you today, ladies and gentleman!" He added a moment of pause to add suspense, "Today, we have a competitor that hails from the faraway village of Sunagakure, in the mysterious land of Wind Country! He has traveled the wind-beaten deserts, and endured our very own icy tundras to prove himself in our Colosseum, and he quickly attracted a challenger. Despite being so young, these two are sure to impress, so let's all give them a warm welcome, and encourage them to truly prove themselves in the fires of combat!" His entire speech seemed a bit over the top, but there was nothing the boy could really do to stop him...
After the announcer was finished, Yanji turned his attention to the opposite side of the arena, hoping to either see his opponent, or see him entering. It only seemed appropriate to introduce himself before they fought, so once the two were within earshot, the boy would give a deep bow, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, I am Byakko Yanjirou. I am prepared whenever you are." He would hope to hear the boy's introduction as well, but it didn't truly matter to him whether he received one in return or not.
Since his usual fighting technique seemed a bit lethal given the situation he was in, Yanji would try to stick to his fists. It would take murderous intent for him to respond with lethal force.
Since he'd begun to become accustomed to most of the impressive areas in Kumo, it only took a few minutes for the young Byakko to stop staring at the massive structure before him. Being awestruck was almost beginning to get old, in fact... But that didn't matter, learning was something he would never tire of, and if being awestruck became a side effect rather than a bonus, it would be worth enduring it for the sake of knowledge.
The area surrounding the Colosseum was filled with stalls that had a large variety of weapons, armor, and whatever else might pertain to a fighter in the ring. Thankfully - for his wallet - Yanjirou didn't have any need for the equipment available. Armor would only slow him down, and all of the weapons he might need were conveniently all in one weapon on his side. So with everything situated, the boy entered through the building's large doors and began waiting in a line that led to a desk. He assumed this would be where he paid for a ticket, but quickly learned how foolish he was...
"Excuse me?" The boy said, still having troubles understanding the village's accent, and believing what he was just told.
"That's right, you're all set! I'm excited to see how you Sunans fight, I expect it will be rather... Exotic."
This was a mistake... All of this was a mistake. Yanji didn't want to fight, he only wanted to watch a fight. There was no way he could have mentally prepared himself for something like this, even if he went in with the intent to participate in a battle. There had to be a way out of it, if only he could stop stuttering over himself in ti-
"Right this way sir! We'll provide any equipment you might need in the staging area, and we'll have a representative call you out when it's your time to fight!" The Colosseum worker escorted him to a small room that was filled to the brim with weapons and armor, all of which was worn, bloody, broken, and anything in between. There was no longer a way out of this...
As time passed, the young Byakko grew more and more anxious for his turn to come. Not from excitement, of course, but from worry. He was not necessarily scared to fight, he simply didn't want to get hurt. He couldn't afford to get hurt in a foreign land... It would only delay the rest of his trip. Eventually, the representative he was told about came to retrieve him, saying that they had found him a challenger after advertising on the street just outside. It seemed some residents of Kumo were eager to get there hands wet with a foreign shinobi's blood. At least, that's the fantasy Yanji's mind was weaving at the time.
Once he took his first step onto the hard sand of the Colosseum, a strange feeling washed over him. Was this what they refer to as stage fright? It was difficult to tell if it was a good or bad feeling, but he'd just have to try his best to ignore the crowd and focus on the real reason he was there.
As soon as the crowd died down, an announcer began speaking, "We have a special treat for you today, ladies and gentleman!" He added a moment of pause to add suspense, "Today, we have a competitor that hails from the faraway village of Sunagakure, in the mysterious land of Wind Country! He has traveled the wind-beaten deserts, and endured our very own icy tundras to prove himself in our Colosseum, and he quickly attracted a challenger. Despite being so young, these two are sure to impress, so let's all give them a warm welcome, and encourage them to truly prove themselves in the fires of combat!" His entire speech seemed a bit over the top, but there was nothing the boy could really do to stop him...
After the announcer was finished, Yanji turned his attention to the opposite side of the arena, hoping to either see his opponent, or see him entering. It only seemed appropriate to introduce himself before they fought, so once the two were within earshot, the boy would give a deep bow, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, I am Byakko Yanjirou. I am prepared whenever you are." He would hope to hear the boy's introduction as well, but it didn't truly matter to him whether he received one in return or not.
Since his usual fighting technique seemed a bit lethal given the situation he was in, Yanji would try to stick to his fists. It would take murderous intent for him to respond with lethal force.