This Isn't My Workshop, But It'll Have To Do [Open]

[Kazu]

As one walked down the streets of the most economical part of all of Tsuchigakure, one might expect to see glittering walkways, fancy shops that sold all manner of things, and a generally well to do crowd of people. This was a civilized area, after all! This was the part of the village where one went to get away from the depths of the Shinobi Village that lived underneath Maruishi. This was a place you went to when you wanted to relax, get away from it all, and enjoy a nice Sunday evening stroll. Maybe eat some dinner? Watch the sunset? Enjoy the grass? There was one corner, however, where this was simply not the case. It was just outside the center area, where the shops started to be less well-to-do, and more practical-minded. There were shops that sold food, clothing, hardware, furniture, and even pets. All manner of things were sold here. But the only one that really mattered in this whole district was perhaps the one that stood out the most—it was the most out of place. There was a single shop that sold shinobi equipment, despite the fact that they were well away from the center of shinobi business. Why the shop owner had decided to set up here was beyond anyone's comprehension, but here the shop was. It sold all manner of things, but mostly had to do with weapons and shinobi equipment. Usually only a couple people would be in the shop at a time—today was no different. However, these people were usually quite quiet. Not today. Shouting and angry cursing could be heard coming from inside the shop. Not a minute later, a young man came storming out of the shop with a bag filled to the brim with supplies. With an angry scowl on his face, the young man looked over his shoulder as he yelled something back inside the shop. "No way I'm tipping you! This equipment is a total rip off, you cheapskate!" And with that, the door was slammed shut before a response could be made.

Fuming, the young man carried his supplies a little ways down the street until he'd made it to a public park. Still scowling, the man dropped his things and began to lay out a tarp to sit on. With the arrangements all made, parts and pieces were strewn across the tarp as the man found a place to sit as he kicked his wooden sandals off his cargo shorts adorned legs and allowed his bare feet to relax. "Damn overpriced parts..." Grumbling under his breath, the young man tried to distract himself by focusing on what he wanted to do. Pulling up his fishnet sleeves that ran underneath his black shirt, the young man fully exposed his mechanical right arm for everyone to see. The arm was almost pristine looking—in fact, it was pristine! The thing had just been repaired yesterday, after all. Wiping his neck-length messy brown hair out of his face, the young man tried to focus on the task at hand. He wanted to figure out what he could do with this thing, as he hadn't exactly been involved in repairing the thing directly. Rolling out a scroll, the man gave a quick handseal before a puff of white smoke revealed a small assortment of tools. Picking up a screwdriver, the young man began working on opening up the compartments of his arm to try and see what he'd have to work with. He'd bought all these parts in case he needed to get creative here, but he honestly wasn't sure how much he'd be able to get done here. He kept getting weird looks from people, since he really was kind of ruining the atmosphere with his work. The young man didn't care, and merely continued with his work. Why should he let these other people tell him what he was and wasn't supposed to do?

The young man began unfastening metal plates off of his mechanical arm, taking care not to mess with any internal mechanics quite yet. The whole project was really quite intriguing for him, and pretty much constituted the young man's idea of 'fun'. Puppets were his passion, after all! Speaking of puppets, he'd have to see about working on those after he finished with his arm...

 

[Sekuro]

Date: Tuesday
Time: 2:01PM
Location: Inner Maruishi​

He'd made his way into the village and by no means was it difficult. He'd congratulate himself on a job well done but the simple fact was that he wasn't really trying very hard to sneak in. Matter of fact, Kage down right strolled inside without a care in the world. The only reason why he went all the way in was because no one stopped him to check him. This village was incredibly lax if anyone could walk in. However he wouldn't hold it against them. He'd successfully strolled into several villages in a similar manner. Either Kami was watching over him, or he was just lucky. Either way, every time he did this, his ego would swell and his view of the strength of the shinobi from the village he just entered waned a bit. However, he was still penny-less, and committing a theft in this village would more than likely be much harder then it was to steal the clothes he was adorned with from a random farming village. It was still fairly early in the afternoon and he'd done little but walk around to acquaint himself with his new surroundings. The man he'd met days before had called himself Souji and told Kage that several Leaf shinobi had made their way to Stone in refuge of the events that'd happened in Fire Country. He was looking for anyone familiar but had yet to locate anyone.

Until now...

With a tattered piece of cloth acting as his blindfold, Kagemaru spotted a familiar chakra. Was it his young student? It had been over a year since he'd last seen him. The boy had grown and from the looks of it, he'd gotten himself a new arm. Walking up to the young man, Ginjiro seemed to be busy tinkering with what looked to be puppet parts. Kage was just happy to find a familiar face. Clad in black tinted farmer clothes, looking a bit worse for wear then he'd preferred, the young Hyuuga made his way to his past student and spoke.

I guess you survived your surgery. If I recall correctly, the last time I saw you, I left you in the apparently capable hands of Hasegawa Mana. Not only did you live but looks like you got a shiny new arm because of it. How's my favorite student doin? A smug smirk on his face, he'd wait for his student to respond. The boy obviously looked capable and Kage couldn't be more proud. He didn't teach him much, nor did he spend ample amounts of time with him, but he had a soft spot for Ginjirou in his heart.

[Marked - wc: 439]

 

[Kazu]

The young man had been intensely focused on his task. So much so to the point that everything around him might as well not be happening. He didn't notice the people walking around him, gawking at his mechanical arm which was almost completely disassembled by now. He didn't care for the kids that played loudly and made a big fuss over everything. He didn't even seem to care that a few animals had come and nestled themselves in around him. The young man was completely engrossed by what he was doing, and barely paid any mind to it all. It was because of this that, when the blindfolded, ragged man approached him, the young man didn't even pay it any mind. It took a moment or two with the two of them standing there, not saying anything, before the newcomer said anything. Seemingly from a long distance away, Ginjiro stooped what he was doing, almost as if he was surprised. Slowly looking up, the young man had to squint. The sun was directly behind this man's head. But that voice. Why was that voice familiar? Bringing a hand up to shield his eyes from the sun, the young man tried to figure out who this silhouette belonged to. "That voice...it can't be..." The puppeteer shifted his head just a little bit to one side, and suddenly the sunlight no longer held any sway over him. He could see again. And this sight was an old one. Standing before him, as if nothing had ever happened, was his old sensei—Onryu Kagemaru. The blindfolded Hyuuga had been his squad leader back during the days of Yamaguchi Kami's reign as the CEO of the Konoha Corporation and as the Hokage of Leaf City. That was a lifetime ago. Back before the rebellions. Back before Katsu. Before this arm. The young man felt like he was staring at a ghost who'd come back to haunt him. The young man was visibly dumbfounded, and he had good reason to be. He could barely mouth the right words out. "Kagemaru-sensei...you're alive..." This was crazy. The young man couldn't even bring himself to stand up properly. A slight chuckle escaped the young man's lips, though there was nothing funny about this situation. "It is you, right?"

The young man merely blinked a few times. This was tough to take in. He thought his sensei had either died or something. To see him now was something else. A smile broke out on the puppeteer's lips, and he actually found himself laughing a bit. "My god, where have you been all these years? I remember you bringing me to the hospital, but after that..." His voice trailed off. Ginjiro was still trying to digest this all, and new questions kept forming in the young man's mind. Motioning for his sensei to sit down, the young man put aside his tools and allowed his disassembled arm to merely sit on his leg. "You have to tell me everything. How did you know where I was?" So many questions. So much needed to be said between the two of them. It would take some time, though, before the two of them had told their tales. At a time when the young man wanted nothing more than to be impatient, he would have to wait. The answers would come. They were worth waiting for.

 

[Sekuro]

Date: Tuesday
Time: 2:03PM
Location: Inner Maruish​

Kagemaru was delightfully surprised at Ginjiro's reaction to his arrival. The boy was so dumbstruck at his presence that Kage was actually questioning exactly what had happened since it would apparently be more believable that he was dead then standing here talking to the boy now.

Yeah its me. How long has it been exactly? I was under the impression that I was gone for a year, but based on your reaction, I think it may have been longer then that.Kage would take a seat upon the tarp as Ginjiro motioned and once he was comfortable, he'd begin explaining what he'd been through since they last met. Picking up a smaller piece of equipment he would play with to occupy his hands while he spoke, Kagemaru began his re-telling of the past events that lead him to this place.

Well if you wanna know that badly, I guess I could tell you. He joked in a teasing manner.

After I delivered you to the medical wing there was a flash of light and a strange blue box appeared in the room. A woman named Clara and some man who was only referred to as 'The Doctor' took me and showed me a grim reality of the world. Which now that I think about it, they were probably showing me what Leaf has become. Eventually, they brought me back and I was tasked with a mission to hunt down a missing shinobi named Yong and Sarunishi. I had tracked Yong down to Lightning country where I met this 'Doctor' fellow again. Except, he was different. His appearance was completely different, as was his personality, but his chakra was exactly the same. If I didn't have the eyes that I have now, I'd have mistook them for a different person pretty easily. He explained that the Doctor I had met was a future version of himself but I find that hard to believe. At any rate, as penance for his other form kidnapping me, he agreed to help me subdue Yong. We eventually found her and did just that. Kage glazed right passed the dangerous battle that the three of them had. Yong had put up a decent fight which was rare. Kouin, the man who'd also gone by 'The Doctor' was there helping. Had he not been, the fight would have been a lot closer. Yong fought valiantly, but ultimately he won due to superior numbers and tactics. Kage was one to give credit where credit was due however. He would love to fight Yong again in single combat on friendlier terms. She was a worthy opponent. He would continue telling his story.

As we transported her to Fire country, I was interrogating her in a hotel when another flash of light surrounded me and this time I was transported to a cave. This cave was apparently special because while I was there, I felt no need to eat at all. Kage knew that his story at this point was sounding a bit fantastical, but none the less, it was all true. He had been tossing the piece of equipment back and forth between his hands, and now he would sit it back on the tarp before continuing. Recalling these events made him feel a bit melancholic. Truthfully, a lot of time had passed since he'd seen Ginjirou, but it didn't feel like it had been THAT long. But as he continued to explain what he'd been doing since their last encounter, it was becoming more and more apparent that he had been gone for much longer then he thought.

There were no signs of life other then the occasional flicker of chakra in the air. I was in this cave for an unknown amount of time until yet another flash of light brought me to Earth country. I ran into some necromancer shinobi named Souji who's apparently of this village. He gave me information about what had happened to Leaf. Naturally I didn't fully believe him as he came off a bit standoffish, so I went to see for myself. I couldn't get very close due to that chakra sapping rain in the sky so I made my way back here. Honestly its just a coincidence that I ran into you here at this moment. But admittedly, its good to see a familiar face. If only I could confirm Sumina's alive... He trailed off a bit at the end. He'd said out loud what he'd been dreading to think about for since he found out about Leaf. In an attempt to keep a somewhat high spirit as the two talked, Kage figured it was time for Ginjirou to regale Kage with stories of his deeds since they last met.

But enough about me and my boring exploits. Tell me about you. I bet there is a pretty interesting story about that arm of yours. You don't see very many people with these... let alone messing with them out in public. He was genuinely curious about Ginjiro's past. He didn't have the time to investigate when he found the boy bleeding on his door step in the pouring rain, but apparently he was fine now so perhaps it would be settling to find out now. Or even help the boy if he could.

[Marked - WC: a crap ton]

 

[Kazu]

Ginjiro couldn't believe the kinds of things he was hearing. What Kagemaru was saying was...well, crazy. The young man listened to the way he said it though, and how he told his story with such conviction and truthfulness. He listened to the way that his sensei seemed to truthfully believe what it was he was saying, and how he said it in such a matter-of-fact way. Did these things actually happen? Ginjiro simply couldn't believe it. Trying to think through it, maybe his teacher had been put in some sort of hallucinatory Genjutsu? Perhaps he'd been abducted by Spirits? Ginjiro had seen some pretty crazy things happen in the Spirit World of the Kami. Though these explanations seemed to explain a lot of things, they wouldn't explain it all. Like, how had the man gotten swept away, came back to the world, then got swept away again before returning a second time? That kind of inconsistency was weird. Waiting for the man to finish his story, Ginjiro slowly responded to the man's tales with a look of wary calmness. "Kagemaru-sensei, I'm going to level with you: what you're saying is completely crazy. You do hear yourself, right?" The puppeteer kept his face calm and relaxed as he looked his teacher straight in the eye. Then, the young man smiled. "However, because you're the one saying it, I'll accept it." Continuing to look at his sensei for a little bit, the young man broke eye contact to pick up his screwdriver and begin fiddling with his arm some more as he spoke. "Though, I will tell you that it definitely hasn't been a year. At least for me, it's been at least a few years since the fall of Leaf City. Perhaps time moved more slowly for you when you were with this...er, 'Doctor', you called him?"

So, it was Ginjiro's turn to talk, eh? Oh man, the puppeteer had to think way back to where this tale began. Back to the incident with Katsu. Resting both his arms as he stared into space, trying to remember everything, the young man slowly started his tale. "Oh yeah, it's pretty interesting..." And gruesome. But Kagemaru would learn that soon enough. "Well, let's see. It began that night you found me. A few hours prior to that, I sort of met a ghost from my past. He was my brother, Ayatsuri Katsu." Kagemaru might recognize the name. He'd been a Minister for a long time, though Ginjiro had no idea for how long. The stories may have even reached his ears. But Ginjiro didn't linger. There was more to say. "I'd thought it was a miracle. He'd been presumed dead years ago. I'd thought..." His voice trailed off. A sad expression made its way onto his face. "He killed Ayatsuri Yasuo, the clan leader. He killed him right in front of me. He betrayed us all. And then...and then he..." The puppeteer's eyes flicked down towards his arm. He held his gaze there for a few moments before he looked up at Kagemaru and gave him a weak smile. "After that I showed up at your house. I think you know what happened at the hospital, though you weren't quite there for the end of it. I ended up with this mechanical prosthetic to replace my arm, and the rest, as they say, is history." The puppeteer had to take a moment. This was a lot for him, actually. He'd spent the last two years trying to rid himself of the incessant nightmares that used to haunt him. It'd taken him a long time to over come it all. The young man took a few deep breaths, and thought about very calming things. Eventually, he was able to open his eyes and continue.

"From there, Leaf City fell. I barely escaped with my life, and spent quite a number of years residing in the forests dotting the Land of Fire. I ran into a Samurai platoon or two every so often, but it was nothing a couldn't handle. A few weeks ago, I decided that enough was enough. I licked my wounds, and decided to move on. I'd spent a great deal of time gathering some information from around the Land of Fire, but I decided that it was time to actually set some things in motion. I came here to meet with Senju Kazuki, the former Chief of Foreign Relations and Affairs." Ginjiro looked to see how Kagemaru would react. Ginjiro knew that Kagemaru knew the man, and that he was Kagemaru's former boss. They were all ministers. There was something nobody wanted to tell him about these ministers, but he knew something fishy was up with them. Continuing, Ginjiro continued to watch his teacher's face. "He gave me some vital information regarding Ayatsuri Katsu. The two of us also think that there's something more going on with how the Daimyo overcame the shinobi of Leaf City that seems a little fishy. I plan to investigate it, once my business in this city is done. That Senju even managed to fix my arm, as it was actually quite worn out since Mana installed the prototype. He used some sort of seal, or something..." The young man didn't point it out, but Kagemaru could probably see the cursed seal that resided on the underside of his metallic arm's wrist. Though, if he knew what a cursed seal was, he'd notice that its chakra wasn't nearly as dark as any others. There was a kind of spiritual energy mixed into it, mitigating the effects of the evil chakra. As such, the thing was little more than a reservoir of energy for the young man.

As he sat there, finished with his story, Ginjiro couldn't help but just sigh to himself. Looking around at all the people who were enjoying themselves on this fine day, Ginjiro couldn't help but feel melancholy. It probably had to do with bringing up the memories of the last few years. "You know, they never prepare you for this kind of stuff in the Academy. There's no way anyone can ever explain this kind of feeling to you." Ginjiro didn't look at Kagemaru. He just stared off into space, lost in his own thoughts right now.

[ooc]
I'm PMing you with some relevant information. Do with it what you will.

 

[Sekuro]

Date: Tuesday
Time: 2:08PM
Location: Inner Maruish​

Ginjiro's reaction was a realistic one. He wouldn't fault him for that. However, everything Kagemaru had just told him was absolutely the truth, but saying it out loud, even he questioned the reality of it.

Remember what I taught you about lying? Always tell a bit of the truth with any good lie? Another lesson you should learn is to never lie unless you have to. I'm glad you believe me because the experiences I've endured are quite real. If we ever run into Kouin, Yong or Souji, they should validate at least their parts of the story. I kid you not... the second time I was brought back, I was left about 12 feet underground and had to dig myself back to the surface. Thats where I met Souji. That was only about three days ago, so the hole is probably still there. But anyway... you were saying? Kage would listen to the rest of the boy's story and while the name Ayatsuri Katsu was familiar, he didn't know much about him.

Yeah, he was a Minister. I only knew his name because I made it a personal mission of mine to know all the true identities of every minister. But I didn't know that the two of you were of any relation. The boy went on to describe his exploits during the final days of Leaf and he couldn't help but feel proud of his student. The boy had grown into a fine young man. As he continued, Kage winced at the mention of Senju Kazuki.

God, I hate that man... he and his ilk are probably the cause of Leafs downfall. I've never been much of a fan of the Senju and for Leaf to fall on their watch, I've got even less reason to respect them. Though at the mention of his arm once more, Kagemaru had already taken note of the seal that was placed within the wrist. Cursed by the looks of it, but augmented to not be as dark. Strange things one could do with chakra. But he wouldn't press the subject. The boy had been through enough. If he had to resort to the power of a cursed seal to survive, then so be it. But when Ginjirou mentioned the academy, Kagemaru took a deep breath and plopped to his back to stare aimlessly at the sky above.

No... no they don't. And no they cant... Those experiences are something you have to endure for yourself and either fade away from them, or grow stronger because of them. You start as a fresh faced, bright eyed student hoping to grow stronger and learn jutsu. But the harsh reality is that this life means an up close relationship with lady Shikiyo, or Death as it were. Jokes aside, the life of a shinobi is a hard one. You've done well to be thrown into it the way you have. I for one had been placed into it so early that sometimes I have to manually remind myself that I'm a human being and not a machine. Sometimes its easier to just ignore those small humanistic things like your conscience... but you have to hold on to something... otherwise you lose your humanity. His tone went from joking to darkly deep as he gave Ginjiro a true life lesson that he himself had learned over the years.

The life of a shinobi is double edged sword in nearly all aspects. But... we keep going... always putting one more foot in front of the other. It was at this moment that his mind flashed once again to Sumina. If it had been longer then a year, how long exactly had it been? Ginjirou wasn't specific, but he made it seem like at least 5. Had it been that long? Why did the events that transpired happen to him? Why was he special? Kage had been putting off thoughts of these questions, but this conversation was making that difficult for him. He wanted to change the subject but was falling short on ideas to change them too. Suddenly he remembered something Gijirou said about his business being done. Kagemaru would inquire about that to keep the ball rolling. He didn't move from his relaxed state of staring into the bright blue sky. The sun had not yet begin to set and there was a pleasant breeze rolling through.

You mentioned you had business to conclude... Mind if I ask what kind of business you're doing? I've actually got a few things I need to do as well. The life of a vagabond is no life for me. His tone was once again back to humorous. Truthfully, he'd put only a little thought into what he'd do for food and money, but for now, he'd keep that to himself unless asked about it directly.

 

[Kazu]

Just sitting here, talking with Kagemaru, was relaxing. It was as if the young man was a boy again, talking to his sensei about all these different things. Though, the subjects that they discussed were quite a bit more sophisticated now—still, the whole situation felt nostalgic. Kagemaru's reactions to everything seemed about right to Ginjiro. He even got a chuckle out of the young man as he spoke about things in his joking and humorous manner. It wasn't enough to completely nullify the somber mood of their conversation, but it was still a good kick in the right direction. The two of them had wandered quite a bit into philosophic discussion. What it meant to be a shinobi, how their lives were supposed to be, and the workings of the world. But something about it made the young man frown. "See, here's what I don't get. We're all trying to protect those things which are precious to us, right? We all have something precious to protect, whether that be a person, a memory, an idea, or even a state of being. Why, if we all want to just live our own lives peacefully, do we have to kill each other for it?"

The young man was still staring off into space. He couldn't bring himself to look back at his sensei just yet. "Maybe I'm naive. Maybe I'm still a kid. But it seems to me that all this killing is so pointless. Do we really have to kill each other? Is there really no other way?" Ginjiro let out a deep breath. This was becoming a harsh subject, and perhaps it was one that was stifling their reunion? Perhaps it's best if they ended it. "I don't know where I'm going with this. I guess I just got caught up in the subject, is all." Turning around, the young man gave his teacher a smile, indicating that he was done with the heavy talk, and that he was ready to just enjoy being together with his old teacher again.

Kagemaru seemed to want to move on, too. The subject was changed, and brought back to Ginjiro's mention of business. He nodded gently as the Hyuuga genius asked about the meaning to his words. "Ah, yes. Well, it actually has to do with my brother, again. I don't think it comes as a surprise, but I plan to right the wrongs he's done to me and my clan. I don't know how I'll do it, or what I'll do, but it will be appropriate for what he's done. Anyways..." The young man was starting to ramble. He needed to get back on track with this, because he could go on forever about this crap. He didn't want to bore his favorite sensei. "The night he took my arm, I tried to fight back against him. I threw a kunai into his head. But when he pulled it out, he was hollow! I've never heard of something like that, and I need to know more about it. That's one of the things I need to know about."

Standing up, the young man dusted off his clothes to try and remove any of the grass that might have gotten on him. Looking back to Kagemaru, the young man continued. "There's more, though. Remember when I said Kazuki and I think there's something fishy with the Daimyo's take over of Leaf City? We've been wondering if, maybe, Katsu's arrival in Leaf wasn't coincidental. What if he's working with the Daimyo? What if he's not the only one the Daimyo has been working with? We need information, because right now there's a whole lot of blank spots in our intel. I plan to go around, try to see if there's any information I can find, from anywhere, and hopefully try to piece this all together. Once that's all squared away, then I guess I'll be looking into reclaiming my home." Ginjiro was done speaking. There wasn't much more that he needed to bring up, but he was a bit curious as to what Kagemaru had in mind. "And you? What sort of business do you have? I can't imagine you being one to stay in this village like the other Leaf shinobi. No, you strike me more as the kind of man who'd want to travel around—I bet you've got your own agenda to care to."

The young man had come a long way. He wasn't the same kid who was picking stupid fights with whomever doubted his abilities. He wasn't an impatient little brat anymore. Ayatsuri Ginjiro was no mere child anymore. Even though he didn't make mention of it, Ginjiro could tell that Kagemaru felt so too. It pleased, him, actually, to have his sensei respect him in such a way. It was a kind of unspoken acknowledgement between the two of them. The young man might even be an equal to his sensei by now—though he'd hold off on testing that speculation.

 

[Sekuro]

Date: Tuesday
Time: 2:12PM
Location: Inner Maruish​

The thing about peace Ginji... is that my peace isn't the same as your peace. On a grander scale, the peace of the village isn't always the same. Take for example if a shinobi goes missing from the village. That shinobi may or may not have secrets that that can endanger the peace of the village. Thats why we dispatch people like me to catch them. But then that missing nin doesn't wanna get captured so they put up a fight. So the people like me need to be able to combat them for our own safety. A small comparison... but you get my point. Ginjiro then explained that his next order of business was to gather information on his brother. Kagemaru listened to his description of his brother being hollow. It seemed rather obvious to him but that was because Kagemaru made it a point to be pretty knowledgeable of the possible jutsu in the world. Though it was ironic, the jutsu Kage figured the Ayatsuri brother was using was one that Kage had asked Ginjrio about some time ago.

Ginji, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't I once tell you about the Human Puppet techniques? From what you've just said, and your clan's history, it seems to me that your brother has either turned himself into a Human Puppet or was turned into one himself. That would explain why he was hollow. He'd let him stew on that information for a bit before he went into his own plans for the future.

As for me... I'll probably try my hand at mercenary work. I'm really good at hunting, capturing, and or killing people. Might as well get paid for it. Besides, its not really that different from what I did in Leaf. Might as well try my hand aat doing it on my own terms. Its also much more lucrative that way. Not saying I enjoy ending people's lives... but thats what I'm good at so... yeah. What he'd just said was very dark, but every word of it was true. So much so that he was used to it by now. Fighting, killing, hunting, tracking, it was all a way of life to him now. With Leaf no longer home to Leaf shinobi, he was his own man and that meant providing for himself. For that he'd need money, and he was only good at being a shinobi so being a shinobi would have to net him more money then it did in Leaf.

But if you need help with your thing... I'm down for that. Information gathering kinda my thing yanno. He continued to lay on the ground feeling at peace. The sun was warmly kissing his skin and he didn't want to move just yet.

 

[Kazu]

Ginjiro allowed Kagemaru's words to roll over him. There was truth in them, and they did make a lot of sense. They were words that reflected a system of governance that had been built up over a long period of time. They were words that carried with them a lot of weight, and a lot of emotion to back them up. Sorrow, hatred, anger, and pain were weaved into the words that his sensei spoke, done over many years and by many people. It wasn't his sensei's fault. He was just doing what he knew. But to Ginjiro, who'd had quite a few years to think and reflect on things, he just couldn't accept that. Speaking slowly and deliberately, the young man chose his words with care. "If your peace and my peace are different, then whose to say which peace is the right version of peace? Or is it just whoever is alive at the end of day that gets to decide what peace is?" The puppeteer's voice was flat, and held a lot of weight to it. It almost felt jaded, to a degree. It was obvious that these were thoughts that had been mulling around inside of the puppeteer's mind for a while, and it was as if this were the first time he was expressing these kinds of things. It seemed like the young man still hadn't gotten used to the feeling of those words in his mouth yet, and he had to test them out. Continuing, the young man spoke again in that same harsh tone. "Furthermore, why can't two visions of peace co-exist? Do they always have to cancel each other out? Can't your peace and my peace exist at the same time?" This was some philosophic stuff right here. It felt like the puppeteer was getting down to the very roots and core of the shinobi system. He knew that he had wanted to be done with this subject, but something kept pulling him into it again. It was like...the young man couldn't even describe it. It just felt like something important.

Kagemaru's other words, though, were also important. He made mention of a 'Human Puppet', which seemed to be similar to what Kazuki had been saying before. Frowning a little, the young man was starting to get interested in this subject. "Kazuki was mentioning that too. I told him the same thing, but a technique like that wouldn't have been taught within my clan. I can imagine that they'd be quite against anything that required one to sacrifice their humanity in order to obtain it. I don't know how he learned of such a technique. Though, now that you mention it, I do remember you mentioning it once..." How had Ginjiro not seen this all coming? All the pieces had been laid in front of him beforehand, he just had to have been smart enough to see it. Maybe he wasn't so bright after all. "It's something I'll have to look into. I don't know that much about it, so I'd have to see how he could have possibly done it."

Kagemaru's next words were, actually, quite dark. Chilling, actually. He spoke of murder and death like it was no big deal. Ginjiro had always kind of known that he was like that, but there's a difference between knowing something and hearing the person actually say it. It's not as real if it's just something you 'know' to be true. When the person confirms it, then things start to feel a little weird. The young man even cringed a slight little bit as his teacher spoke the words. "I've never actually killed anyone. I have no idea what it's like. My clan has always taught me to not kill unless your own life, or the lives of those immediately around you, were in mortal peril. Other than that...I don't think I could bring myself to actually kill anyone." Ginjiro was maybe just a child still. Perhaps that's what he was. Or, perhaps he was onto something. It was one of the two, and which one it was was dependent upon what everyone else in the world had to say about it. Ginjiro, though, thought there was quite a bit of truth in those words. He, at least, thought that it was a more relevant stance. Everyone, though, was entitled to their opinions.

 

[Sekuro]

Date: Tuesday
Time: 2:12PM
Location: Inner Maruish​

Kage could tell that Ginjiro was still a bit green when it came to world matters. He almost envied that of him. His opinion on the world had become quite jaded and that much was obvious.

Its not about which is right or wrong. Right... wrong... just or unjust is a matter of perspective. We can only enforce our peace upon others or have theirs be enforced upon us. Thats why conflict happens. Because when there are multiple opposing views on what peace is, there IS no supreme power that says which is he correct way to go. So mankind takes it upon itself to enforce their own sense of justice. The kicker to this is that due to our world being infested by all manner of shinobi, samurai, monsters, and all sorts of other creatures... we're pretty much all weaponized. The strongest weapon tends to win. Or the man who has the most weapons as it were... Why do you think Leaf was as big as it was? Food for thought kiddo. At this point, Kagemaru would lift himself form the ground to sit back in an upright position and stretch while entertaining a yawn. Laying down, he'd gotten comfortable, and that had made him sleepy but now was not the place to fall asleep, so he'd stand up as Ginjiro had done.

Getting back to the subject of his brother and the possible use of Human Puppetry, Kage couldn't help but feel like he was once again stepping into the roll of sensei for Ginjiro.

Well if you take into account your clans primary teachings, which seems to be puppetry, and then take into consideration that your clan doesn't teach Human Puppetry, which seems to be a stronger form of puppetry -hence it being forbidden- one can conclude that your brother chose to take the next step in his puppetry skills by finding the answer outside of the Ayatsuri clan. Thus... he became a human puppet. But thats just simple deductive reasoning. I could be wrong, but based on your description alone, and with the added fact that Kazuki seems to have said something similar, thats probably the case. It wouldn't be the first time someone has looked to forbidden techniques to gain power... even if the reason where a good one. That last bit he was alluding to the seal placed on Ginjiro's mechanical arm. He could tell the seal was cursed in nature which in most places was a forbidden thing. It was called a -cursed- seal for a reason.

Jaded as this may sound, there really is no right and wrong when it comes to killing. Like I said earlier... its all a matter of perspective. I don't know if you're lucky or unlucky to have not killed anyone yet. Because being a shinobi, you've pretty much signed a contract saying that you WILL kill... and multiple people if need be. You're lucky because you didn't have to do it at an early age... where its the most traumatic. You're unlucky because now you're inexperienced in it and if the time comes for you to make that decision on if you should kill someone or not... that bit of hesitation could be the difference in your own life or death. I don't want to be the one to burst the world bubble for you if it hadn't already burst. But the life of a shinobi is a hard one. Being picky over who lives and dies is an unneeded complication to the equation. I'm not saying go kick puppies and slit their throats. I'm saying that if you're on a mission or just out and about and someone threatens your life... in most cases, its better to just take theirs before they take yours. Revenge is NOT something you want to have to think about in your free time... Kagemaru was speaking from experience on that one. He'd been the product of another man's revenge plot. He'd lost a squadmate due to his inability to end the life of another shinobi when he had the chance. But that was a story for another time.

Well, I'm gonna go see about making some money. Now that I know at least ONE person I knew in Leaf is alive, I'm a bit more optimistic about finding others. We'll meet up again Ginjiro. As he turned to leave, he stopped and turned back to face Ginjiro one final time.

Oh... and congratulations on making your way into the real shinobi world. Sorry its not the glitz that its made to be like when you're a student. The real world can be a bitch like that. He was jaded indeed. But the world had been slowly going to shit over the last few years and Kagemaru 's view of it deteriorated because of it but it wasn't without its merits. Being as pessimistic as he was... on the rare occasions that things surprised him, he was always delighted and embraced each of those moments whole heatedly because he was never sure when he'd get another chance at that feeling. The silver lining to a very bleak outlook on life.

[Topic left unless stopped]

 

[Kazu]

Perception, huh? The words Kagemaru spoke made it seem like the situation was exactly like Ginjiro feared. Was there to be no peace? Was there even such a thing? If his peace and his neighbor's peace couldn't coexist, what was there left to do? Strike first before he did? That's a pitiful world to live in, where trust and the idea that humans had rights meant nothing. From there, it could follow to mean that what had happened to Ginjiro, who had lost his arm to his brother, was completely justified. Ginjiro peace didn't mean anything in this model of thought, and he was simply the man who didn't have the bigger stick with which to club his opponent. That's all this boiled down to, wasn't it? Who was the stronger man? The answer to that question also answered the questions: who gets to survive, who writes the laws, who determines what to do next, who will lead the next generation, who writes down history, and who is the hero. The enemy is always those who didn't win. Those who were cast aside, beaten by their stronger opponent, and labeled as wrong despite the fact that they did the same thing the victors did. What made those people right but not the losers?

Nothing. Just that they had lost.

Ginjiro couldn't accept that. That couldn't be right. Could it? Giving his sensei a sad smile, the young man uttered only five words in a voice that sounded so dejected, hurt, and pained that it was a wonder why Ginjiro was smiling. "I don't believe you, sensei." He couldn't believe this. He couldn't allow himself to. If he did, then he would have nothing to fight for. "If that's true, then I don't want to be a shinobi. I want to be a man." The truths of this world were all he had left with which to cling. If there were no truths to cling to...then the young man would need to find a new path with which to walk. Perhaps that was what needed to happen. Is that what happens to everyone once they grow up? Do they have to find a new path to walk? Ginjiro had so many questions, but he knew that they wouldn't be answered here. He would have to keep going forward in order for them to be answered. Now was not the time or the place.

The conversation shifted to the puppets again. Or rather, the generalized quest for power. Kagemaru seemed to be making mentions as to the simple reasoning behind his brother's technique, and how it was all so simple. Furthermore, he even seemed to be making no big deal of it. But there was something else in his message. It felt a little bit like his sensei was referring to something else, specifically to Ginjiro. The young puppeteer wasn't quite sure what he was referring exactly to, though. While to his sensei it might have been obvious that the seal on his wrist was cursed, the young man had no such knowledge on them. He'd never even known they were a technique that could be used. The young man had assumed that the chakra stored up inside of it was a natural reserve pool of chakra which Kazuki had bestowed upon him. In effect, the two differing versions on what it was weren't too far off. While the seal wasn't particularly cursed, it wasn't just an ordinary pocket of chakra either. When Kazuki had cast it, the Kamis that were bound to protect Ginjiro had actually altered the seal as it was being placed. The seal, no longer powered by the corruption of a malevolent ninjutsu, instead fueled itself from the energy around them. It passively stored up chakra, steadily between uses, so that it could all be released at some point in the future. There were risks, of course. But those, and its effects, could be explored at another time.

The conversation was whittling down. The promise of another meeting was made, and Ginjiro smiled back at his sensei. This time, it was a genuine and happy smile. "I'm glad to know you're alive too, sensei. I'm sure we will see each other again, so until then..." As the man turned to leave, Ginjiro prepared to as well. When his teacher turned back with one more thing to say, though, Ginjiro could only smile. His words were quite true, in one way or another. As the man turned his back again, he looked out over towards the groups of people enjoying the sunny afternoon. The sun would be setting soon. "I think I'll manage. The world isn't exactly as I was told, but it's not that far off, either." Raising one hand, the young man waved as his sensei left. The young man was left there, alone with his parts again. Taking a few minutes to let the whole conversation sink in, the young man let out one last sigh before he brought his eyes back down to his work. He still had an arm to maintain, after all.

[ooc]
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