Contract Search Itsuki's Invocation [Contract Search .:. Requesting Kiriyomi]

[Senju Akio]

The old man stood like a statue, calm and tranquil as he leaned upon his walking stick, a pleasant smile plastered on his face that caused his eyes to narrow to the point that they were barely lines beneath his brow. A small knapsack-style bag hung from a simple rope that he wore diagonally across his robes, and he wore geta sandals with a strap and a covering for his toes, indicating he'd expected to travel. In fact, old Itsuki had planned this day in advance and had left a letter with Suniwa, Kiriyomi's mother, for the young boy to receive upon returning from his day at the academy.

It read:

Spoiler

Young Kiriyomi,

I have someone I'd like to introduce you to. Please meet me at the forest's edge outside the gates. And be prepared for a journey through the forest.

~Senju Itsuki

There was no true way that the elder Senju could have known whether or not the boy would arrive, but the way he stood unperturbed gave the impression that he had confidence that he would, that it was as good as pre-determined. In truth, Itsuki had great compassion for the young Aburame. The boy was forced to face the grim realities of life as a shinobi far earlier than any should. It had clouded the young man's mind, and Itsuki's watchful eye had taken note of the way the once-sweet insect-lover had been developing. After all, in the elderly Senju's mind, it was his responsibility to care for the saplings that grew within the walls of the village. To him, this budding seedling needed some careful attention and pruning. And the sad reality was that the old man knew he would not be around long enough to see it done. So today, he resolved to find a solution, and one in particular quickly came to mind.

 

[Kiriyomi]

Kiriyomi stares at the letter once again, a feeling of excitement and dread mixing in his stomach. He hadn't heard from or seen Akio's grandfather since the funeral, and he was rather rude to them at the time. He wasn't sure how Itsuki felt about him, and whether this trip was to warn him away from being Akio's friend or what exactly it might entail. Kiri trusted his Senju friend, but he wasn't sure who this stranger was that his grandfather wanted him to meet. Should he go, and apologize for his behavior from the funeral? Obviously he should have done that sooner, but he was too wrapped up in his rage for the longest time that the more he waited, the more he thought that his apology wouldn't be accepted. Not everyone was as easygoing and forgiving as Akio... No. That didn't matter. Kiri owed Itsuki a long overdue apology, and he planned on doing it in person rather than writing a letter and never seeing the old man again. That was the coward's way out.

Taking a quick shower, he dresses in comfortable clothes. A black sleeveless shirt, a pair of cargo shorts, and comfortable shoes meant for a trip through the forest. He stared down at his Cursed Seal, wondering once again when it would activate, before covering it with the glove he had taken to wearing lately. He didn't want to have to explain the mark to Itsuki and get Shusuke-senpai in trouble, so he stuck to covering it as he had been doing since he received it. Grabbing his backpack and dumping his school supplies out onto his bed, Kiri quickly grabs some water bottles and a few snacks that he tosses into the bag, and heads out the door. The weather had been beautiful lately, a gentle breeze blowing through his hair and bringing with it the familiar smell of the forest around Konoha. Kiri takes a deep breath to steel himself before heading off towards the front gates, and the figure waiting for him just beyond. As he approaches Itsuki, he lowers his gaze and shuffles forward. "Hello Ojiisan. I would like to begin with an apology that I have owed you for a long time. My behavior at the funeral was uncouth, unnecessary, and extremely rude to both you and your grandson. He and I have made amends, but I owe you an apology as well. Please forgive me, for I was grieving and didn't mean to be so blunt and mean to our guests. You both were welcomed into our home, and I was extremely ungrateful to the both of you. I want to thank you for the invitation to take a trip through the forest as well, to meet this... friend of yours?" Kiri offers up a sad smile, peeking up to see if Itsuki would smile back at him, purposely ending his sentence as a question to try and gather more information from the old man as to who, exactly, it was they were going to see.

[WC: 507]
[Using Discovery of Contract of Random Choice]

 

[Senju Akio]

The Senju elder remained near-motionless, a tranquil and content look on his face as Kiriyomi approached. As the young man came forward and began his introduction with an apology for a very understandable transgression that had been long past, Itsuki's wrinkled smile widened slightly. Face to face, it was clear both in demeanor and appearance that the boy had grown much in these years that had followed his father's passing. "Oh young Kiriyomi. You were forgiven before I even spoke for your father that day. To grieve is not only human, but it shows the heart that you have..." Elder Itsuki had a way of being able to strike straight to the core of someone. As a Sensor ninja himself, he could easily read one's chakra, but at times it seemed the wise old man could read a person's mind or soul as well. In this instance, he could tell that the boy had been having his own inner struggles, not only through his recent actions within the village, but within the boy's mannerisms and demeanor as well, and that life-hardened look in his eyes. "Don't forget that the pain that we feel at loss is affirmation of the love that we carry inside of us."

He let those words carry in the air, pausing to let them sink in as he studied the adolescent Aburame's reaction. Then, the old man adjusted the pack on his back and started walking down the same path that he and Akio had shared years ago, on that same fateful day. The elder Senju didn't beckon Kiriyomi to follow, instead assuming that he would do just that as he walked with peaceful near-silent steps that may have been surprising considering the large wooden blocks below his geta sandals. "You've been working very hard, haven't you?" Itsuki asked rhetorically, knowing the answer before he'd spoken the words. "Tell me, Kiriyomi-kun. Why? What drives you down this path as a shinobi?" He believed he knew this answer as well. The boy simply wanted to correct for what he views as a failing of his past, to not let any of his friends or family or fellow Leaf villagers fall victim the way that his father did. However, Itsuki didn't say what he'd surmised aloud, instead waiting patiently as he walked, allowing the boy the time to say the words himself.

 

[Kiriyomi]

"Why do I want to be a shinobi? Because I don't want anyone else to get hurt or suffer like I have... I have to get stronger so that I can protect my friends and family; the entire village is one big family, and I don't want any of the other villagers to suffer a loss like my family did years ago. That could have been prevented, but it unfortunately wasn't. Therefore it's my duty, my responsibility, to get better so that I can prevent it from happening to someone else." Kiri answers rather forcefully, staring down at his feet when he is done. He hadn't realized that his feelings were so strong on the matter. Glancing down at his hand, he looks up to find Itsuki smiling at him patiently. "What if I have done something... bad? Something that I shouldn't have to gain power that could possibly hurt myself and others? It was done with good intentions, but now I wonder if I should have done it at all..."

[WC: 171 - Total WC: 678]

 

[Senju Akio]

The elderly Senju listened closely as Kiriyomi poured his heart out. The genuine care in his voice was exactly what the old man had wanted to hear and confirmed his thoughts on the relatively dark path that the Aburame youth had recently began treading down. "Wanting to protect your loved ones is a noble cause, young Kiriyomi." Itsuki said, his voice coming out in a slow cadence but flavored with dignified compassion. "But let me share a bit of wisdom with you..." The old man said as he walked. Itsuki's voice trailed off a bit at the end, his breath short as he caught a cough in his throat.

"Friendship and love and a will to protect... Those are powerful feelings... They can drive us to do great things... But passion can also lead us down paths that even we know that we should never tread." The Senju elder let those words hang, allowing Kiriyomi the time to reflect on how he saw them applying to his own life. "Protecting those you love is important... But sometimes it's more important to lean on your friends than it is to protect them. After all... How can a man take care of those he loves if he does not also take care of himself?" Itsuki paused as he walked, turning to look Kiriyomi in the eyes. By now the two had continued down the path further than the spot where Akio and Kiriyomi had strayed in their chase after the butterfly that Kohara had threated way back then. "That is why I've brought you here today. To introduce you to someone that I hope you'll find the courage to rely upon as I have, time and time again." Then, that wise and sagacious smile returned to the old man's face. Despite the aged look of it, Kiriyomi would be remiss if it didn't remind him of Akio's own characteristic smile. "And Kiriyomi... If you carry a weight, know that I am here for you as well. So do me the honor of letting me carry a part of your burdens... For as long as I still can." The wise old Senju didn't mean to come across fatalistically, but the truth was that he considered what he'd leave behind quite a lot these days. So he believed he could be forgiven for facing it head on, especially in the company of a young man who understood the heavy burden of responsibility and death more intimately than he should have had to.

 

[Kiriyomi]

Kiri listens intently as Itsuki speaks, worry crossing his face as the older man's breath is caught short on a cough. He was excited for the wisdom that the older man was going to impart on him, though, because he had so many years of experience that the young Aburame boy could only begin to imagine that they were only scratching the surface of his experience. Perhaps he had a war story to share, from his youth when he did great acts to protect the village and his loved ones? Thoughts taken off of his woes, Kiri stares wide eyed at Itsuki as they walk.

What the old man says, instead, is something that he didn't expect. Passion leading towards dangerous paths... Staring down at his hand once again, he considers what Itsuki is saying. He had yet to manifest his Curse Seal, and maybe there was a part of him that was holding back? He was afraid of losing control and hurting those around him. He remembered that Take had almost hurt Shusuke when his seal took over, and he didn't want that happening to Akio and Keniwa. Hell, he was afraid that it would activate right now and he would lash out at Itsuki and hurt the old man... That would be the worst feeling in the world. How could he live with such a vile thing on his body? Why did he let Shusuke do this to him.

"And Kiriyomi... If you carry a weight, know that I am here for you as well. So do me the honor of letting me carry a part of your burdens... For as long as I still can." Kiri's head jerks up, finding a familiar smile splitting the older man's face. He looked just like Akio in that moment, the years marking his face falling away and the young soul inside shining through. Reaching for his glove, Kiri ducks his head and holds it out to Itsuki, presenting the mark on his palm.

"Itsuki-ojiisan... I did something that I shouldn't have. I let someone give me a Cursed Seal, even knowing that it could shorten my life and harm me. I thought that it was the right thing to do, because it would allow me the strength that I needed to protect my friends and family. The village is my family, and I don't want a single person to lose their life to another shinobi as my family has experienced. I also... I killed a man. He was part of the team that killed Oto-san, and I just lost my temper. My Kikai swarmed all over his body, biting and tearing, leaving nothing behind but scraps of cloth. I felt so happy because I took revenge on one of my father's killers, but now I just feel sick. How could I have taken pleasure in something like that?! I don't want anyone to lose their lives, yet I took his. What if he had a family at home, who is now wondering where he is. What if he had a son, just like me, who will never know what happened to their father?" Staring at the ground still, tears begin falling down Kiriyomi's cheeks as a sob catches in his throat. Falling to his knees, cradling his cursed hand to his chest, Kiri lets the sobs wrack his body. Letting out all of the emotions that he has been keeping bottled up, allowing them to be seen by this kind and observant soul who wouldn't judge him, wouldn't condemn him, but would rather help him.

[WC: 593 - Total WC: 1271]

 

[Senju Akio]

Itsuki listened, without interrupting, as Kiriyomi told him about the burden he'd been carrying. The boy had viewed his seal as a mistake, and it was true that it came at great risk to his own health, but the wizened old Senju did not look at the boy with judgment. Instead, there was a compassion and empathy in the man's eyes. He felt sad that the boy had been carrying these feelings alone for so long, but also proud that he'd been able to recognize that the way he'd felt about killing another human being was wrong. "Young Kiriyomi... Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them." The man paused, partially for effect and partially because he was choking down another cough.

"What's important is being smart enough to learn from those mistakes, and strong enough to correct them." He looked at the boy as he spoke. The truth was, as a Sensor ninja, Itsuki had already suspected that the boy had been dabbling in cursed energy. It was written all over his chakra. But that wasn't what mattered to old Itsuki in the moment. Instead, he was focusing on the boy's inner thoughts, on his heart. "You are a compassionate young man, and one that has a fierce will to take care of those he loves. Don't let your mistakes own you, instead own them and use them to become the type of man that you truly want to be." The elderly Senju added, hoping that the young Aburame could imagine exactly that. "Tell me, what type of man do you want to be, Kiriyomi?" The man's soft smile remained as he raised an eyebrow in a rhetorical gesture and awaited the boy's response.

 

[Kiriyomi]

Kiri wipes his eyes and stands up, listening as Itsuki gives his observation of who he is as a person. Kiriyomi agrees that mistakes can, in fact, be forgiven. But he murdered a man in cold blood; how could that be classified as a mistake? He knew what he was doing, and wanted the result that he got. How could Itsuki possibly forgive him for doing that? Staring into the older man's eyes, he sees a kindness and a gentleness that washes over him like a wave of love from his own grandfather. He thinks for a moment how lucky Akio is to have his Grandpa Itsuki; Kiriyomi's own grandfather mostly shelled out advice on how to play shogi and which bar in town had the best sake.

"What kind of man do I want to be? I want to be able to protect everyone in the village, in my family, with the strength that I have gained on my own. I don't want to take any shortcuts, I want to earn the wisdom of my elders and apply it to the situations I encounter along the way. I want to be proud of myself when I look in the mirror, not feel disgust at the things that I have done. I want my friends to look up to me, to walk alongside me, and to support me when I am weak. Most of all, I just want to be a man that my mother would be glad to call her son..."

[WC: 252 - Total WC: 1523]

 

[Senju Akio]

Itsuki simply smiled as the boy replied. It was clear that Kiriyomi was flooded with conflicting emotions and having trouble finding a way to forgive himself for the path that he had taken in recent days, but the elder Senju knew that forgiveness was rarely so simple. "Then it sounds to me like you are well on your way. You know who you want to be. And more importantly, you know what it means to live up to your own standards. And believe me when I say, happiness and fulfillment are the rewards we receive for living to the highest right we know." He said with an approving nod.

"And Kiriyomi... It is far more important to forgive yourself than it is to seek that forgiveness from anyone else. And, when you find it difficult to come to terms with the gap between who you have been and who you will be, you have many people in your life that I know would relish the honor of being able to be able to help remind you. In fact..." The old man added, pausing as he pulled back an obscuring branch that revealed a small grotto hidden within the woods. "I believe we have arrived. Here, let me introduce you to someone who I believe can help you in doing exactly that." The beautiful sanctum of nature that stood before them seemed to radiate with chakra and natural energy, a hidden home to an old friend that Itsuki hoped would provide Kiriyomi with the same companionship he'd received from them in decades past.

 

[Ninpocho Admin]

You've found Turtle! Do you accept?​

 

[Kiriyomi]

I accept!