Kicking Rocks! [Open]

[Igarashi Susumu]

It had been an exciting past few days, Susumu had been accepted into the Shinobi Academy and was already well on his way to being the best in no time! He hadn't started his classes yet, but was expected to soon. His mother hadn't wanted him to join the academy just yet, her fear of his loss of life almost fully overwhelming her. His energy did not help with that, his excitement and nerves out of control, his dream was just beginning!

"Mother! Can you believe it? They're going to make me the best!"

She couldn't help but to sigh, pushing a thick few locks of hair behind her ear as she turned her attention from the food that she was preparing, "Susumu, they are not going to make you the best, you have to work very very hard to be the best."

"Not me! I'm almost the tallest in my class!" He enthusiastically calls out, grinning from ear to ear. His mother knew that there was no arguing with an eleven year old Shinobi Academy Student, so again she sighed, pointing towards the front door of their home. "Go on, go become the best." He needed no other motivation, leaping from his seat at the counter where his mother prepared a large stew, one they would likely eat for days, and running towards the door. He almost burst through it, coming to a halt by just about skidding on his heels, "Love ya!" His mother nods and waves, watching him hastily close the door behind himself and even cringing as it slammed shut.

His mother has no idea what it takes to be a shinobi (or as far as he thinks), how could she know that he was not already the top of his class, super skilled in all ways and forms of chakra! The monologue that had taken over his train of thought forces him to pause and throw one fist in the air. He performs handseals that he had seen on a television in the window of a store, "HYAH!" He roars, the people living as his neighbors in the slums all looking in the little shinobi's direction and snarling. "SHUT IT, KID!" cries out a scarred and derelict man who sits in the mouth of an alleyway, "YOU'RE GONNA END UP LIKE THE REST OF 'EM, DEAD! EHEHEHEH." Susumu furls his brow and glances back at the old man, who shakes a fist in his direction. He simply keeps walking, with less enthusiasm this time.

 

[Midori Futotta]

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'Heh… gotta love the bums for trying to ruin a child's dream.' Maru chuckled as he overlooked the situation from the roof of a building, hand on his cheek as he boredly watched the upcoming new student walk down the streets of Cronopolis. The Jounin was dressed in his usual attire with his traditional multi colored kimono and matching robes. The most noticeable feature being his nine white vulpine tails that moved behind him, the fox ears on top of his head standing up straight and twitched when Maru turned his head. Maru needless to say was disappointed that the child didn't go back home, since the fox was serving as the Academy Headmaster he got a lot of students coming and going into his office. Since chakra was the only requirement for joining the academy, he couldn't outright deny the application but since he was in the neighborhood, plus this would be the child's first day joining the academy; he decided that this was a good time to scare a kid into not going to the academy. It probably won't work, but with a fresh face not exposed to Maru's 'Normal' he believed he'd get a funny reaction.

"And I think I know just what to do." chuckled the sly demon as, jumping down into alley quickly using his Shapeshifting ability to mimic the form of Igarashi, folding his fox ears down into his head then wrapped his flexible fox tails around himself to mimic the clothing before stepping out in the open wearing the child's images like a costume. Maru chased after the child he was mimicking, crawling like an animal in a zig-zag to get to the child fast enough. Once he was close enough, Maru rose to both his feet then began to walk behind Igarashi with a toothy smile as he called out to the child using his own voice. "Hey! Me! Wait a minute!" Maru mimicking the child's voice and form screamed. If the child looked back he'll see himself, rather something mimicking him, smiling at him with a wide grin and eyes widened. "Look at what I can do!" with that the child would witness his mimic bring a hand up to wipe away it's face. It was holding its own face in it's hands like a mask, leaving it's face a smooth orb with no eyes, nose, or mouth. The faceless mimic now laughed, muffled from being without a face only a few moments later the face began laughing with the faceless monster!

[Ooc: A Wild Maru has appeared]

 

[Igarashi Susumu]

Susumu nonchalantly waltzes down the path he had started on, wondering what to do with the time before his mother would have dinner ready. Maybe he'd swing by the academy and sit in on a class or two... He purses his lips, raising his forefinger and thumb to rub at his stubble-lacking chin before shaking his head in response to his wandering train of thought. The enthusiasm in his walking style picks back up and he's officially on the move now, only looking forward and unable to notice that a near exact copy of the young shinobi is crawling towards him as if the antagonist of a horror movie.

Hearing his own voice forces the hair on the back of his neck to stand up. He had never heard someone use his voice before.. and it sounded differently than the way he heard it in his head. Immediately, he twists around on one heel, both of his brows furrowed at the confusion. "Me? Huh..." He pauses to really soak up what he's seeing, completely in awe at the fact that there's two of him. That smile was concerning though... How were there two of him? Two of the greatest shinobi prospects in the same place? That'd be some tough competition.

"How are-..." As the mirror image of him pulls the face away and it into its hands, Susumu's eyes widen, his mouth dropping open. His eyes lock on the faceless ..face.. and he begins to shake his head, believing that he must be lost in a dream. The laughing further unnerves him, his lower lip even offers a light quiver. "Uh... Nope!" To keep his sanity and to keep himself from looking like a scared child in front of the people of the Cronopolis, he attempts a swing towards what he believes to be some Yokai playing a prank or putting him into real danger. Regardless of if his punch lands, he would take off in the opposite direction, sprinting as fast as he could away from the entire situation.

 

[Midori Futotta]

Well the fun was just beginning, not only did the look on his face when seeing Maru wearing his image was priceless but the look of shock when he took off his face was even better. Though he believed this would be enough to send the child running, apparently he decided to step forward and take a swing at him which doesn't hurt Maru much; but it was enough to inspire Youkai to chase the child down. While Susumu ran to try to get away, his face less copy began crawling like a wild animal after him making a loud screeching sound as Maru kept up the chase. Focusing his chakra, Maru created an illusion where not only he was chasing him but the head of a demonic horse was also chasing him. Being more faithful to how the Nightmare Genjutsu looked the thing was massive, blue furred horse with a worm like tail giving it a vague similarity to a maggot and scrawny human like arm on the beast forehead that had a yellow eye on the back of the it's hand. The nightmare whined like an enraged horse, panting behind Susumu clicking it's jaws looking to devour the child.

Meanwhile, while the child was busy running away from the nightmare that was chasing him Maru climbed up on the rooftops of one of the buildings, making sure he was far enough from the edge so he wouldn't be seen using the sound of the child's scent as his guide. Running along the rooftops he used his shapeshifting ability again to turn into something else before taking off at an inhuman speed in hopes of cutting the child off and surprising him. The demonic horse was still on the chase, though the people in Cronopolis couldn't see the horse head instead looking back in amazement wondering what was the faceless thing that crawled up the wall of the building then disappeared from view. The horse wasn't real, however just because it wasn't real didn't mean that it couldn't inflict damage to Susumu's mental state. However, the child could damage the nightmare if he so chooses since the visual genjutsu could be harmed but the people around him would be looking at him like he was insane.

When Susumu came to a corner, he would suddenly bump into a rough looking thug sporting scars on his face, tattered robes and a large blade on his hip with a beastly scent about him. The man would then grab the child by the color, then proceeded to shake him. "WHAT. THE. FUCK!" the thug screamed as if he was about to bite the child's head off. Susumu noticed the horse head was gone… as well as that copy who was mimicking him. Now being brought into the real world the thug gave the child a stern glare. "You better have a good excuse as to why I shouldn't take your head off now." the thug demanded. Well would he tell the thug the truth that something was chasing him since there were other people who saw the faceless thing? Or will he lie to the thug?