Haji had been working in the library for some time now. He had walked past a section while collecting books he was interested in that looked like it had been set aflame. Some of the librarians were hissing mean threats and comments to each other as they desperately tried to mend what had been burnt.
Haji shrugged as he walked along, a pile of books under each of his right arms, the three left continuing to scan the shelves, snagging books that caught his eye.
“Maybe Ketsu was right about me learning to read… might have been better if I hadn’t” he chuckled to himself. Haji reflected on what his studies had led him to; the eight inner gates, and he stopped for a moment to smile inwardly. It wasn’t every day that someone would discover the secrets that were held within the ancient library in cloud, but if one was lucky and diligent enough like Haji had been, they could locate any number of unknown or lost techniques.
Haji had actually come across a few books, many of them intriguing but not within his skillset, and some of them he downright made a point of hiding further within the library because they held terrible secrets within them. Haji shuddered thinking about one he had found that involved a form of cannibalization of other shinobi in order to absorb their knowledge and strength.
It had illustrations that haunted Haji often. Even for a shinobi who had seen his fair share of danger, those drawings were eerie and accurate to the point where Haji wasn’t sure he preferred the artist had seen the acts first hand, or dreamed them up in their demented mind.
“Anything for the art I guess…” Haji grumbled making his way back to the corner of the library he was accustomed to. The library was enormous, and one could wander around for many hours within its walls before coming across another soul. Haji had more than once been employed to seek out too-eager young shinobi who had gone seeking knowledge and wound up trapped in the maze that the library resembled.
Haji was near to his normal corner when he kicked a book at his feet, it was relatively dark so he hadn’t seen it at first, but now he leaned down to retrieve it, the cover was cold to his touch. Haji’s heart skipped a beat when his hand first touched the cover of the book, and he couldn’t explain the feeling of electricity that seemed to have jumped through his body. It reminded him of a chakra signature.
“There is no way the librarians would leave a book lying on the ground for very long…” Haji murmered suddenly feeling on guard. “Someone may have left this for me” Haji said under his breath, quickening his pace as he looked all around.
Finally, Haji reached his table, a few candles lighting the dark corner up. Haji sloppily dropped the pile of books onto the table, grasping only the one he had retrieved from the floor. As he neared the light of the candles he noticed the fine design that had been inlayed into the cover: That of a spider, with the face of a man. Haji’s heart skipped once more.
[WC 544]
[MFT]
Haji shrugged as he walked along, a pile of books under each of his right arms, the three left continuing to scan the shelves, snagging books that caught his eye.
“Maybe Ketsu was right about me learning to read… might have been better if I hadn’t” he chuckled to himself. Haji reflected on what his studies had led him to; the eight inner gates, and he stopped for a moment to smile inwardly. It wasn’t every day that someone would discover the secrets that were held within the ancient library in cloud, but if one was lucky and diligent enough like Haji had been, they could locate any number of unknown or lost techniques.
Haji had actually come across a few books, many of them intriguing but not within his skillset, and some of them he downright made a point of hiding further within the library because they held terrible secrets within them. Haji shuddered thinking about one he had found that involved a form of cannibalization of other shinobi in order to absorb their knowledge and strength.
It had illustrations that haunted Haji often. Even for a shinobi who had seen his fair share of danger, those drawings were eerie and accurate to the point where Haji wasn’t sure he preferred the artist had seen the acts first hand, or dreamed them up in their demented mind.
“Anything for the art I guess…” Haji grumbled making his way back to the corner of the library he was accustomed to. The library was enormous, and one could wander around for many hours within its walls before coming across another soul. Haji had more than once been employed to seek out too-eager young shinobi who had gone seeking knowledge and wound up trapped in the maze that the library resembled.
Haji was near to his normal corner when he kicked a book at his feet, it was relatively dark so he hadn’t seen it at first, but now he leaned down to retrieve it, the cover was cold to his touch. Haji’s heart skipped a beat when his hand first touched the cover of the book, and he couldn’t explain the feeling of electricity that seemed to have jumped through his body. It reminded him of a chakra signature.
“There is no way the librarians would leave a book lying on the ground for very long…” Haji murmered suddenly feeling on guard. “Someone may have left this for me” Haji said under his breath, quickening his pace as he looked all around.
Finally, Haji reached his table, a few candles lighting the dark corner up. Haji sloppily dropped the pile of books onto the table, grasping only the one he had retrieved from the floor. As he neared the light of the candles he noticed the fine design that had been inlayed into the cover: That of a spider, with the face of a man. Haji’s heart skipped once more.
[WC 544]
[MFT]