Private Student Meets Teacher

[Minamoto Daisuke]

The top of Hokage rock gave a view of Konohagakure unlike any other, the vast sprawling village landscape had always seemed so perfectly framed by the outlying forest to Shinzo – the thought crossed his mind once again as he stood at the observation deck waiting for those whom he had sent invitations to. Of course he had given more detailed information to Jiro than to Shoma, in fact the latter knew little of what the invitation was for - with any luck his new Jounin leader would make the young boy feel comfortable with the prospect. There was a slight breeze to the day, one that whipped the tails of Shinzo’s headband every now and then, the sound was nothing too spectacular – just the odd swoosh amongst the occasional rustling of a nearby tree’s leaves. This was what he had missed in his time away, but the few years of contemplation were needed for the shinobi to centre himself once more. A sigh escaped the former head Jounin’s lips and joined the flowing air around him, things had changed here for what seemed to be the better, and to be fair so had he – yet this new age also had some challenges that needed to be ironed out. Hopefully this was something that the towering hulk of a man could aid with, but only time would tell.

He remembered the times he used to climb up to this peak while he was young, the way he would dash from place to place was extremely reckless – Shinzo could even remember instances when he used to leap between the ridges of the great stone faces before he knew anything about proper chakra control. Those were the days; the carefree days of his youth before he was thrust into a position of prominence and all the responsibilities that came with it. If he had been wiser then, he would have turned down his almost legendary promotion in favour of giving himself a somewhat less stressful youth – yet he had chosen another path that opened his mind to the intricacies of the shinobi world far more than he had anticipated at that early age.

Another sigh. This time Shinzo’s eyes closed as he forcibly took his mind away from past memories. There was work that needed to be done, and careers that needed to be enhanced. With any luck today would be the start of a new chapter for two shinobi; a new chapter that would shape them both moving forward. It was an exciting prospect after all, a student meeting their assigned teacher for the first time. Now all Shinzo had to do was wait for their arrival.

[Topic entered with NPC Shinzo]
[Requesting Jiro and Shoma]

Spoiler: Shinzo

 

[Uchima Shoma]

The invitation had come as a surprise, not by coming at all but by coming from the man whose name was on the envelope.

Shinzo-sensei wants me to meet him? Back at Hokage rock?

Panic flashed through Shoma's mind as he considered the possible reasons. Had the results of his gennin exam been revoked? Was Shinzo-sensei unhappy with him for some reason? Could it be a good thing? The older shinobi had seemed jovial enough before, and even during certain parts of the exam, but then again, he'd also implied willingness to kill Shoma and/or Toshi if they'd failed the objective of the exam. Shoma wasn't sure of the man's true nature, and that concerned him a bit.

Despite the uncertainty, Shoma aslo felt no small amount of thrill. Shinzo's entire persona had captivated Shoma since the exam. He was a large man, not unlike the man Shoma was becoming, and he specialized in Taijutsu, though he had also displayed some abilitites that Shoma had since researched in the library and learned to belong to a particular bloodline that could be found among a small number of ninja in the village. What's more, he was the former head of the Main Branch, and had lived to an age that some shinobi would never see, and that meant that he must be very, very good at his job. Shoma had been thinking of reaching out to the man, but uncertainty around Shinzo's temperament had stopped him. Now, however, it was Shinzo who was doing the reaching out, and that both excited and terrified the young shinobi.

Whatever it is, I'm sure it's ok. He won't take my headband from me.

Shoma reassured himself as he tied that same headband around his upper arm. it had grown to become his most prized posession, and he always felt a swell of pride when he wore it around the village. It was a symbol of his work ethic, determination, some amount of talent, and most of all, his devotion to service to his village. He looked down to his left wrist, where a red ribbon was tied in a snug knot, leaving two short tails to dangle. It was his reminder of the very exam that had won him a headband and introduced him to Shinzo.

I did it. I succeeded. whatever is next, I'll beat it too.

Having finished dressing, Shoma opened the door to his room at the boarding house in Maple Street and departed for Hokage Rock, letter from Shinzo in hand. He had plenty of time to get there, but he hurried nonetheless. Shoma had always hated being late, and if there was ever a time to be on time, it would be when meeting a prominent shinobi.

-----

Shoma arrived at Hokage Rock a few minutes early, as anticipated, and approached the mountainous shinobi who was standing, looking out on the village from the observation deck. He was just as Shoma remembered, as he should be given not much time had passed since the gennin exam. The long tails of his headband whipped in the occasional breeze, giving him an appearance not unlike Shoma had always imagined the heroes of the ninja novels he'd read as a boy.

Approaching the man who had set him on his shinobi path, Shoma cleared his throat quickly and addressed Shinzo,

Sensei, I got your invitation. I got here as quickly as I could, I hope you didn't have to wait too long.

Shoma prepared a quick bow for when Shinzo turned around. His nerves were still a bit jumpy, but now that he was here, seeing Shinzo in the flesh, he was a bit calmer. He looked back down to the ribbon for a moment and felt his confidence begin to return. Whatever this was, he wouldn't disappoint.

[Thread entered!]

 

[Raijin Jirou]

Jirou had received the invitation to meet Shinzo up on Hokage Rock. The invitation mentioned meeting a genin with the possibility of mentoring them. Jirou had never really entertained the possibility of taking on a student before. Of course both he and Kashikoi had been so busy training and mastering their skills that they had little time for much else. This invitation presented an opportunity and a pretty serious responsibility. Jirou had trained and worked with Kashikoi. How much different could mentoring a genin be anyway? Of course Kashikoi was also very smart and he caught on quickly. Jirou had been fortunate in that Kashikoi had been with him since he was very small. They were bound by their experiences. Trust was the foundation in the bond between them that had its roots in their earliest childhood. It was this trust that was why they had both been able to advance together continuing to train in and master new skills. How would he fare with mentoring a genin though?

While pondering the possibilities before him, Jirou and Kashikoi started making their way up to Hokage Rock. He had questions and he was curious about the genin that he would be meeting. Come to think of it, he had never met Shinzo formally either. What exactly was he walking into? Whatever it was he was up for any challenges that would face him. In the back of his mind Jirou was hoping that the genin wasn’t an Uchiha. So far two Uchiha’s that he had known and dealt with had gone missing. One was Kei from a mission that he had led Sen Kaito on and the other one was Hinata who up and disappeared from their house like a fart in the wind. Jirou was hoping that those two were exceptions and not the rule as far as Uchihas go. Of course the Hokage was an Uchiha too and she didn’t seem to be like that at all. So in all fairness, Jirou knew that not all Uchiha are the same. They shouldn’t be judged unfairly based on the actions of a few who happened to carry the name Uchiha.

After making the hike along the trail leading to the top of Hokage Rock, the clearing finally came into view. He could see a rather large man who must be Shinzo standing there waiting. There was another smaller individual also waiting. Checking his watch he could see that he had arrived with a few minutes to spare. He was glad that he was not late. Jirou hated arriving late and while he knew of Shinzo by reputation, it would not do to be late when meeting anyone for the first time. Their steps deliberate, Jirou and Kashikoi crossed the remaining distance to Shinzo, who was watching their approach. Jirou bows to him in greeting while saying, “I am Raijin Jirou and this is Kashikoi. I received your invitation to meet you up here. I am pleased to meet you.” Kashikoi following Jirou’s lead also bows, his front legs stretched out before him while Jirou directs a greeting to who he believed was the genin standing nearby, “It is my pleasure to meet you as well.”


[WC: 535]
[MFT]
[Topic Entered]​

 

[Minamoto Daisuke]

Of course it didn’t take them long to arrive, it seemed as though punctuality was an important cornerstone in each of their personalities – maybe the pair would be a good match for each other after all. Shinzo smiled to himself as he heart the first of the two approaching. The new genin, Shoma, looked to be wearing his headband proudly – though instead of sitting just under his hair line, it rested on his upper arm. If Shoma was to continue his taijutsu progression at the rate that Shinzo anticipated then he would need to get some extensions for that fabric. He knew all too well that with exercise and the changes Shoma was going through at his age that muscle would build rather quickly – something he may have enjoyed in his younger years. His smile broadened as he turned, green eyes moving from head to toe in a scan of the newly graduated shinobi; Shoma seemed ready and with that acknowledgement came a wide glistening grin that caught the odd ray of sunlight.

A thumbs up soon thrust forward to meet the young boy, Shinzo made sure to stop with plenty of space as to not accidentally hit the boy in his enthusiasm. He was sure he’d made that mistake once or twice in the past – how embarrassing. With that memory swiftly reburied in his mind, Shinzo brought his gaze up to meet with Shoma’s.

“It seems you are settling into your new status,” He gestured with his thumb towards the piece of red ribbon tied at Shoma’s wrist. “I appreciate your style; I would almost say it almost looks inspired.” A jolly wink followed the jesting comment – the ribbon may very well have been inspired, it was truly touching to already have made a mark on the journey of someone so young. Shinzo remembered the figures that had guided his career for the start, even now it was rather surreal to imagine himself in similar positions to those he had considered so influential back in his youth. Maybe this time his influence would result in a stunning shinobi – he sure hoped so, but the next course of events was out of his hands now. He would guide Shoma if needed, but Shinzo was not to be the primary teacher for the young man.

If there was an individual in any moment that personified perfect timing, it was Jirou. His arrival coincided with the exact time that Shinzo’s mind drifted to the future prospects of the genin. The smile on Shinzo’s face softened slightly as he bowed his head in greeting – now was the time for a little less overwhelming energetic enthusiasm. “Right on time, it is a pleasure to meet you.” Shinzo paused and caught himself as he spoke, his eyes fell on the canine that accompanied the Jounin. “My apologies, it is a pleasure to meet the two of you. Thank you for taking the time to make the journey all the way here, I know that it can be quite a trek at times.” A boisterous chuckle followed this barely funny remark. “I am glad to see that you have all arrived with some time to spare. How punctual, a good trait for any shinobi. Especially those working together.”

He paused yet again to allow for Shoma to take in the sudden change in variables that had surfaced as a result of Jirou’s arrival, with any luck he would be piecing the situation together now. Despite this thought his eyes remained on his fellow Jounin. “I am pleased that you have decided to take up this challenge, I am sure that you will gain as much if not more than your student-to-be here. He’s a hard worker so feel free to push him!” Shinzo’s head turned to wink at Shoma once again before he stepped back, to open the space between the three of them and encourage conversation.

“Now. Shoma, you may be wondering exactly why I have called you here. Well, now that you have passed your Genin exam it is time for you to begin your life as a shinobi. You have been assigned to Jirou here, he is to have your respect and trust for what is to come. He will be teaching you both in training sessions and in the field itself; he has gracefully given his time to help you to reach your full potential and I expect you will give your all to every moment from now on.” A swift nod followed, the gesture was intended to ensure that Shoma was paying attention and understood his new position.

“I feel as though I have spoken enough, please do introduce yourself to your new Sensei.”