To Build The Perfect Gift [Journeymen]

[Maki Kichiru]

“Woah! This place is amazing!”

His voice likely wouldn't travel very far throughout the Hall of Hammers without being muffled by the loud sounds of various artisans at work on their respective projects. Kichiru had never before set foot in the Hall and now simply stood at it's entrance entrance by the beauty of it all. Sun shone in through the expertly crafted stained glass ceiling depicting patterns of anvils and hammers, both key symbols of the Journeymen.

He had arrived with a plan in mind; one that would make Yanjiro's return to Sunagakure all the greater. Though the plan seemed to be the last thing on his mind as Kichiru walked as far forward as he could without being stopped, marveling at the details crafted into every nook and cranny of the Hall. If there were anyone who could help Kichiru learn the skills to complete his present, they would most certainly be here. Now all Kichiru had to do was find someone and convince them that he was worth the time it would take to impart the knowledge necessary for the project onto him. If only he knew just how outrageous the request he was about to make would sound.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

"Amazing is a word to describe it, yes..."<i></i> A voice would come from behind Kichiru followed by a woof from a certain canine that the child was indeed fond of. Should Kichiru turn around he would find a particular someone of violet spiky hair, metallic arm, and facial scars awaiting him. Sousuke held his hands behind his back and seemed to be tired looking. He was sporting a black and white mail armour of sorts. It had been a while since Kichiru had seen Sousuke. He was sporting a new metallic arm now.

The man would walk himself over to the youth and would smirk slightly. "Thankfully you're not a Hashigaki although a few of them work here, they wear ear plugs because of the auditory damage done to them. "<i></i> He explained to the child. "Well then, if you're here then you've come with a purpose. The question is do you know what your truest purpose in coming here is?"<i></i> Usually those who came here did not know it at first, but they would become Journeymen. Roku didn't get it at first, but he did. He merely needed the means to get there. Roku was very much a cynic, and so was Sousuke. Kichiru? He was very different. He was very much in the light of things. That was the case with most children, however, there were cases of them having a very different experience in life.

 

[Maki Kichiru]

Kichiru's eyes brightened up as he quickly spun around to face Sousuke with a wide smile “Kazekage-Sama!” He dropped into a deep bow with both of his hands on his stomach, almost as a student would when first addressing a master. Straightening his back, Kichiru dropped down to a sitting position to greet Kitchy “And hi to you too Miss Kitchy! An honor to see you as always.” He laughed out as he extended his hand with his palm facing upward towards Kitchy. If she would extend her paw to him he would gently shake it as he often saw adults doing to one another when they met.

“A Hashiwhati? Do they like the quiet? My grandmother was like that. Always went 'Hushhh!'. I guess that's kind of similar to going 'Hashhh'” He would look upwards towards the Kazekage, expecting some sort of look of confusion. Whether he got it or not, he would let out a gleeful laugh “Just kidding! I've read about them. I would imagine they wouldn't want to be within a mile of this place.”

With the questioning of Kichiru's purpose in coming here, he would quickly stand up with a sudden serious look on his face. With a nod, he would reply quickly “Yes, of course I know my purpose! I want to build a..” He would look around, as if looking to see if anyone were listening to the two of them before continuing “Library! You see, I have this friend Yanjirou. He's gone off on an adventure and as soon as I know where he is I'm going to go join him. But he really likes books. Especially those uh... the books that are mostly pictures.” He tilted his head for a moment, realizing he didn't actually know the word for manga. With a shake, as if erasing the thought from his mind, he continued “Anyway! He really likes books, and he's my best friend. So I wanted to come here so that when I find him and we return he'll be surprised. So.. I guess that's my truest purpose. I want to make a big surprise for my friend!” He looked upward towards the Kazekage, his hands at his sides and a confident smile on his face.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

For a moment Sousuke took the boy seriously. It could be well indeed that he did not know that there were members of a particular clan that were blind but traded said blindness for other abilities. He opened his mouth to explain the nature of the clan, but was then cut short when the boy said he had actually read about them. Sousuke said nothing at first, but closed his mouth. His eyes shifted to the said. During this time Kitchy had shook the boy's hand with her paw. "Well, most of them are not Journeymen, except for a few. Those ones who work here wear earmuffs which are soundproof."<i></i> He explained as in fact one of them would pass them by. "Your grandmother might be one, which would explain why she is constantly hushing you."<i></i> He offered, for he indeed was quite thankful that he himself was not one either.

Sousuke listened to what Kichiru wanted to do, and why he had come here. He said nothing at first as it was ... a rather unique request. There was an Oracle Library but that was for members of that Order only. Sousuke's line of sight broke off as he seemed to be in a far away glance at something not readily visible. He was still listening to the boy speak about how he wanted to go with him, and that he was a scholarly sort. This was going to be a surprise for him, and that is what he wanted for his friend. when he returned to have this library for him. "Hrm."<i></i> He would return his gaze back to the now aspiring Journeyman. "I trust you have no issue in this gift being used by everyone? A library can be personal yes, but in this case... do you want it attached to his house?"<i></i> Sousuke would first inquire. "How big do you want this library to be?"<i></i> He would ask next. There were logistics to this that needed to be plotted out and put together. "Do you have any schematics for this building yet?"<i></i> This was going to be Kichiru's project, not Sousuke - he would show him the way.

 

[Maki Kichiru]

“Huh! Maybe I'll have to ask her next time I visit her!” Kichiru laughed after responding to Sousuke's suggestion regarding Kichiru's joke about his grandmother. It would seem that the contrast between the Kazekage and the young Shinobi would become more and more transparent with each passing response. Whilst the Kazekage seemed to be a man entrenched in the logical machinations of the world around him, Kichiru relied more on an emotional instinct when he dealt with others. While he wasn't necessarily void of intelligent thought, he more often worked through problems based on his feelings. If he felt that something had to be right and just in his gut, then Kichiru would fight for that with every ounce of his being.

“Of course it would be public! Yanji already has a pretty big house. His family lives in the big compound right at the entrance of the village! He probably already has his own private collection that his family uses. No, it definitely has to be public. Suna is my home, and that includes all the merchants, the restaurant owners, the waitresses and their children. They should be able to read about the wonders of the world too. Then they can learn all about Suna and all the great people who helped us as a village persevere over the years.” Kichiru spoke more passionately as his train of thought continued onward. As a child he would entertain himself with stories and legends of those who made their marks on the history of Suna. Of the struggles between Man and Nature, Good and Evil, and at times between Man and Himself. Sousuke, the Kazekage, would clearly be one of these men to make such a mark on Suna's history, at least in Kichiru's eyes. The question would simply be a case of which of the three struggles would define Sousuke's mark on history?

“Schematics.. I.. Guess I didn't really have anything like that...” His eyes would focus towards Kitchy for a moment as he seemed to grow quiet for a moment before perking back up in conversation with Sousuke “But.. I have plenty of ideas. Like.. Maybe we could somehow make a visual representation of some of the original stories of Suna's history? Someone could make a mural.. Or.. “ He would point up towards the glass-ceiling as he noted “It could be made of glass too! I kind of figured people here would be able to help me with the.. technical stuff.”

That contrast would likely look quite interesting to the average bystander. At times it would seem they would take on the personifications of the what some might describe as the two coin-faces of humanity. The man of logic; Hardened by experience and wisdom thrust upon him by the dankness of this world. And then a meter before him was the child of emotion; Driven by passion and the desire to do good upon the world that fostered his curiosity. Only time could tell if this were the case, or if they were simply the same type of person, simply separated by years of hardening experience.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke would take in some details for this building that Kichiru wanted to build. He would form some hand seals and allow a plasma ball to form before him. He would begin to warp and stretch the ball into various shapes. One moment the building in question seemed to be taller, another switch it would be looking somewhat wider than it was being tall. He was looking for some reactions in the youth's face to determine what kind of building he wanted this library to be. "We will make a building of steel and glass."<i></i> He announced to the child. He would shift glances between his designs and Kichiru, "Are any of these striking to you? Bear in mind of course you'll be helping to build this thing. To achieve perfection in what you are crafting you need to become one with the project. You need to be capable of walking in it without it truly being built. You need to be capable of seeing the walls upon walls that will surround you once you've obtained a mind map of the project."<i></i> Sousuke would lower his hands and the images would die out. He make a motion and point to his forehead. "A common technique I employ oftentimes when I build things is I use a mind palace. It's a mental exercise and a tactic. I oftentimes dwell within it in my own mind timespace in order to truly ... map out everything."<i></i> Suffice to say ... Sousuke'd mind palace was a scary place for some. Oftentimes it was a place of complete metal. Trees of metals. Walls of metal. Books made of metal. Everything was cast in metal. A place of complete and total technology and a place where mysticism was very dead. A cold paradise it was, but to each's own.

"Tell me Kichiru, what is your preferred element? Are you proficient in anything material?"<i></i> He would inquire. He awaited an answer, but considered the fact he made need to teach Kichiru how to use the earth. How to conjure it, call upon it, and shape it accordingly. These great structures needed a basis and it would ultimately come from the one of the oldest of elements.