It hadn't been long since Yanjirou entered Kumogakure, and already he was in search of places to see. The boy had yet to even secure a place to stay, despite the advice given to him by the gate guard. There were far too many things to see for him to remember everything about that meeting, Kumo's architecture was breathtaking enough, but add that to the size and amount of buildings in the village, and you've got a killer combo, that could very well be killer to the child. If he allowed himself to get too distracted, that is...
Of course he knew he was still in foreign territory, and remembering the assignment he was given, he made sure to keep an ear out for anything interesting. Eventually, amidst his goggling, Yanji heard something that certainly peaked his interest. Although their accents made it a bit difficult to understand, there was - without a doubt - the mention of a library. Like many things, the young Byakko had read about these places. A haven for academics, filled to the brim with books from all around the world; if those words were accurate, it should easily put his own collection to shame! The boy quickly pinpointed the source of those words, and followed the pair that were speaking with each other. They appeared to be around his age, but did not display their village's symbol. Perhaps they were only fledglings, certainly not worth speaking to, judging by the contents of their conversation. They only spoke of women they've "peeped" on...
After some time walking, they finally reached the building that was mentioned, and already it had the boy's hopes up. Similar to the rest of the village, the building's architecture was impressive, to say the least. Yanjirou clenched his fist.. There was no time to sit and stare, there was so much more to see inside! Passing both of the boys he had followed, Yanji rushed inside and quickly received a shock he could not possibly have anticipated. Row upon row, floor upon floor, there was practically no end to the amount of books contained within each bookcase. No book could possibly do this "library" justice, for there was no word that could possibly describe it. Simply looking at it, the boy felt weak kneed, and could swear he would be blinded should he stare for too long. There was no telling where he should even start... Normally his journey for knowledge began with finding a source, not a subject. Perhaps his days of scrounging for remnants of lost or forgotten knowledge in the abandoned scroll locker were over, perhaps he was meant to undertake this journey for the sole purpose of finding this place, and living out the rest of his life here. Only time could tell now.
Taking several deep breaths, the young Byakko decided it would be best to learn more about things relating to him before taking on whole new challenges. And there was already one thing he knew he could research, assuming that they had something pertaining to it. He approached the librarian that manned the front desk, asking her about anything that might relate to "living weapons," and she quickly pointed him to section U, which contained books on military science. Seemed appropriate at least. Thanking her for her help, he turned toward section U and made his way into what could only be heaven.
Now with an objective in mind, it was far easier to stay focused, but it still took nearly every ounce of his mental fortitude to avoid freaking out. Even then, he had brief moments where he lost all self control, grabbing books were unrelated to his research subject. Examples being books on kinjutsu, various types of weapons, and even military tactics that were released to the public. Eventually however, the boy happened to find a book that was exactly what he was looking for, and even appropriately named.
"Living Weapons: History and Modern Uses." Yanjirou couldn't help but chuckle at how simple it was to find what he was looking for, and he quickly found a nearby table to set his stack of books and get started. As he'd always done, the boy would read the entire book, cover to cover, in order to completely absorb the knowledge within. However time consuming it was, this always seemed to be the best way for him to learn, and so he began, trying his best to ignore all outside noise and stares.
Of course he knew he was still in foreign territory, and remembering the assignment he was given, he made sure to keep an ear out for anything interesting. Eventually, amidst his goggling, Yanji heard something that certainly peaked his interest. Although their accents made it a bit difficult to understand, there was - without a doubt - the mention of a library. Like many things, the young Byakko had read about these places. A haven for academics, filled to the brim with books from all around the world; if those words were accurate, it should easily put his own collection to shame! The boy quickly pinpointed the source of those words, and followed the pair that were speaking with each other. They appeared to be around his age, but did not display their village's symbol. Perhaps they were only fledglings, certainly not worth speaking to, judging by the contents of their conversation. They only spoke of women they've "peeped" on...
After some time walking, they finally reached the building that was mentioned, and already it had the boy's hopes up. Similar to the rest of the village, the building's architecture was impressive, to say the least. Yanjirou clenched his fist.. There was no time to sit and stare, there was so much more to see inside! Passing both of the boys he had followed, Yanji rushed inside and quickly received a shock he could not possibly have anticipated. Row upon row, floor upon floor, there was practically no end to the amount of books contained within each bookcase. No book could possibly do this "library" justice, for there was no word that could possibly describe it. Simply looking at it, the boy felt weak kneed, and could swear he would be blinded should he stare for too long. There was no telling where he should even start... Normally his journey for knowledge began with finding a source, not a subject. Perhaps his days of scrounging for remnants of lost or forgotten knowledge in the abandoned scroll locker were over, perhaps he was meant to undertake this journey for the sole purpose of finding this place, and living out the rest of his life here. Only time could tell now.
Taking several deep breaths, the young Byakko decided it would be best to learn more about things relating to him before taking on whole new challenges. And there was already one thing he knew he could research, assuming that they had something pertaining to it. He approached the librarian that manned the front desk, asking her about anything that might relate to "living weapons," and she quickly pointed him to section U, which contained books on military science. Seemed appropriate at least. Thanking her for her help, he turned toward section U and made his way into what could only be heaven.
Now with an objective in mind, it was far easier to stay focused, but it still took nearly every ounce of his mental fortitude to avoid freaking out. Even then, he had brief moments where he lost all self control, grabbing books were unrelated to his research subject. Examples being books on kinjutsu, various types of weapons, and even military tactics that were released to the public. Eventually however, the boy happened to find a book that was exactly what he was looking for, and even appropriately named.
"Living Weapons: History and Modern Uses." Yanjirou couldn't help but chuckle at how simple it was to find what he was looking for, and he quickly found a nearby table to set his stack of books and get started. As he'd always done, the boy would read the entire book, cover to cover, in order to completely absorb the knowledge within. However time consuming it was, this always seemed to be the best way for him to learn, and so he began, trying his best to ignore all outside noise and stares.
