After Atsui's party
All the guests had left while Rei and Tai stayed behind to help Suzu with the cleanup. The party had gone on for quite some time, extending from early afternoon well into the evening
"Geez" (Rei)
"?" (Tai & Suzu)
"They were such a noisy bunch. Couldn't they have just sat down and eat in peace?" (Rei)
"Haha, true. Atsui was a little too enthusiastic about graduating" (Tai)
"More like, he was ecstatic to find out his elemental affinity was the one he'd been hoping to get for years" (Suzu)
"Poor Samui-san is gonna have her hands full" (Tai)
"A hothead gets fire...what are the odds" (Rei)
"That's rich coming from a wild child like you" (Tai)
"Osoi said something similar, but what exact part of me is wild?" (Rei)
"Looking at your past actions...I don't even know where to begin. The same could be said of Suzu" (Tai)
"Really?" (Suzu)
"I never noticed" (Rei)
{These two-! They're both messed up in the head!} (Tai)
As the cleaning went on, another subject was brought up
"Everyone was thankful for the event, so all racket was worth it I guess" (Suzu)
"What do you mean?" (Rei)
"Good grief. You know Rei, it'd be wise if ya actually tried something other than training" (Tai)
"Huh?" (Rei)
"He means, this party was a nice opportunity for everyone to unwind (Suzu)
"You're usually so astute, but not on stuff like this. Except for the foster kids, pretty much every single person there was a shinobi. But did you spot a single headband?" (Tai)
"Hmm..." (Rei)
The "Cloud Academy" graduation always provides an opportunity for R&R as all non-critical missions are put on hold. An unofficial holiday of sorts for the shinobi of the village
Everyone present at the party was relaxed and wore casual clothes instead of shinobi attire. The event was one of the few times ninja such as them could actually unwind. Take a break from heartache and strife that typically comes with living the life of a ninja
"Ah...!" (Rei)
"Now he's got it. Seriously man, learn to relax a little" (Tai)
"I do relax, just not like them. My ears can only take so much" (Rei)
"While I do prefer the quiet like you, this is an exception" (Suzu)
"I wasn't aware you were so close to Samui's little brother" (Rei)
"I'm not. But seeing the kids from the orphanage have fun like this...it's a nice feeling" (Suzu)
"Yeah, I know what you mean" (Tai)
"..." (Rei)
His interest was slightly piqued listening to her. Rei had always been under the impression they were of like mind, ever apathetic, only interacting when it's necessary. But the girl before him wore an out-of-character smirk as she recalled the children playing around today
Finishing the clean-up, Rei and Tai took their leave as Suzu saw them out
"Well, our little vacation is over now" (Suzu)
"Yup, it's back to normal tomorrow. We'll probably get a D-rank mission or something but stay ready anyway. I'll be leaving first, later guys" (Tai)
"Bye" (Suzu)
ZIP!
"And there he goes. Guess I better-!" (Rei)
Just as he was about to mimic Tai and leave, Suzu unexpectedly tugged on his sleeve
"What's wrong?" (Rei)
"How are you doing? Considering the subject we last spoke on" (Suzu)
"Oh, yeah...it's been weird, but I've managed. That funny feeling I get every time I use Doton1Earth Styleis still there. But no worries, I used to feel a similar sensation when I gained Katon2Fire Stylebut its gone now. With a little more time-" (Rei)
"That's not what I meant. Rei...for one second, stop thinking about training and Ninjutsu. How are you really doing?" (Suzu)
"I don't follow?" (Rei)
"Sigh. About what Tai said, I agree with him. It's important to take your time" (Suzu)
"?" (Rei)
"I used to think as you do, always training. Dedicating every hour, every second to getting stronger, believing it would be the key to getting what I want. Never allowing any so-called, distractions. To truly free myself from the chains of my predecessors" (Suzu)
"And now?" (Rei)
"Now I realize even if I became the strongest in the world, power alone won't help me form real connections with others" (Suzu)
"You say that despite having formed a connection with us" (Rei)
"Because you reached out to me, just as with Mariko and the kids. I...I've never had the courage to take the leap all on my own. I just went with the flow. Granted I've changed...but not as much as I'd like" (Suzu)
Suzu's words made him recall the first time he took her and Tai to Akina's diner, right after they failed Tango's test. The trio promised to put their differences aside and work together as a true team. Not giving their complete trust at first, but opting to try
She had wanted to change herself the most. To be more outgoing, and less guarded. But it's never easy to change one's nature, and due to the circumstances of her upbringing, she's had to be on guard her entire life
"It's been three, almost four years since we made that promise to change ourselves. All that time, and I've barely shown any progress whatsoever" (Suzu)
"You..." (Rei)
"However, I haven't given up yet" (Suzu)
"What are you trying to tell me?" (Rei)
"All I'm saying is, try to reach out some more. Though you've changed quite a bit, there are moments when you remind me of my old self. If there's anything you need, it's okay to talk to me or Tai" (Suzu)
Memories and words occupied his head as he remembered another life, one that seemed like it was over a century ago
"Knowledge helps you make a living in life, but wisdom helps you make a life..." (Rei)
"What's that?" (Suzu)
"Oh! Uh...nothing. Just something an annoying acquaintance of mind once said. I'll...take your advice to heart" (Rei)
"Thank you. Goodnight Rei" (Suzu)
"Goodnight Suzu" (Rei)
DASH!
Despite initially planning on visiting the library for more studying and research, his mind was too befuddled now to even consider such action. Clearly understanding the reason as to why, he quickly returned home and went to bed
"Geez! My team or Mabui, why do they keep reminding me of...tch!"
Even though he was enhanced, fatigue filled his entire body. Whether it was mental or physical stress, Rei was too tired to even care and just went to sleep
"Sarah, Chris...haaah...damn it"
Hours later, well past midnight
At Kumogakure's northwestern gate, two guards were maintaining watch. The only thing they felt was boredom, as usually nothing ever occurs at their station. One of them even started to nod off
"Hey! Wake up!"
"Mm?! Ah, come on Senpai!"
"You can count sheep when you get home"
"Why not? I get paid to count em here. Besides, things have been pretty quiet for a while now. Hell, there's hardly been any mission requests in the village"
"That's not a good thing man"
The guard struggling to stay awake stretched as the other sighed in frustration at his idle behavior
"For the love of-hm?"
"What?"
"I think there's a...person there"
"Really, I don't see anything?"
"..."
RUSTLE!
"?!"
"Senpai!"
"This is why you should always stay alert!"
Hearing an unnatural sound, the two readied their weapons, prepared for anything when a single figure emerged from the shadows. Moving at a lively pace as it approached
"YOU! HALT!"
"IDENTIFY YOURSELF!"
"Wait! Wait! Friendly!"
"!"
"Eh? An...old man?"
"Wait a sec...aren't you-?!"
"You know this guy senpai?"
The old man who arrived could barely speak, gasping for air after running continuously for quite a distance
"I-I need to speak...with...Raikage-sama!"
THUD!
He shouted his last words before passing out
"Whoa! Hold on! You think anyone can just show up at our gates and ask to speak with-!"
"Shut up and help him up!"
"Senpai? Why?"
"This man is very important. Come on, give me a hand!"
"A-Alright!"
"Hang on master, we'll personally take to you the Raikage"
"Okay Senpai, just who the hell is this guy?"
"This man is a long heralded master that taught many of our shinobi decades ago. He's even trained Killer B-sama"
"Huh?! Killer B-sama?! This guy?!"
"That's right"
CREAK!
After the senpai opened the gate, he helped his comrade carry the old man inside
"His name is...Master Sabu"
After Atsui's party
All the guests had left while Rei and Tai stayed behind to help Suzu with the cleanup. The party had gone on for quite some time, extending from early afternoon well into the evening
"Geez" (Rei)
"?" (Tai & Suzu)
"They were such a noisy bunch. Couldn't they have just sat down and eat in peace?" (Rei)
"Haha, true. Atsui was a little too enthusiastic about graduating" (Tai)
"More like, he was ecstatic to find out his elemental affinity was the one he'd been hoping to get for years" (Suzu)
"Poor Samui-san is gonna have her hands full" (Tai)
"A hothead gets fire...what are the odds" (Rei)
"That's rich coming from a wild child like you" (Tai)
"Osoi said something similar, but what exact part of me is wild?" (Rei)
"Looking at your past actions...I don't even know where to begin. The same could be said of Suzu" (Tai)
"Really?" (Suzu)
"I never noticed" (Rei)
{These two-! They're both messed up in the head!} (Tai)
As the cleaning went on, another subject was brought up
"Everyone was thankful for the event, so all racket was worth it I guess" (Suzu)
"What do you mean?" (Rei)
"Good grief. You know Rei, it'd be wise if ya actually tried something other than training" (Tai)
"Huh?" (Rei)
"He means, this party was a nice opportunity for everyone to unwind (Suzu)
"You're usually so astute, but not on stuff like this. Except for the foster kids, pretty much every single person there was a shinobi. But did you spot a single headband?" (Tai)
"Hmm..." (Rei)
The "Cloud Academy" graduation always provides an opportunity for R&R as all non-critical missions are put on hold. An unofficial holiday of sorts for the shinobi of the village
Everyone present at the party was relaxed and wore casual clothes instead of shinobi attire. The event was one of the few times ninja such as them could actually unwind. Take a break from heartache and strife that typically comes with living the life of a ninja
"Ah...!" (Rei)
"Now he's got it. Seriously man, learn to relax a little" (Tai)
"I do relax, just not like them. My ears can only take so much" (Rei)
"While I do prefer the quiet like you, this is an exception" (Suzu)
"I wasn't aware you were so close to Samui's little brother" (Rei)
"I'm not. But seeing the kids from the orphanage have fun like this...it's a nice feeling" (Suzu)
"Yeah, I know what you mean" (Tai)
"..." (Rei)
His interest was slightly piqued listening to her. Rei had always been under the impression they were of like mind, ever apathetic, only interacting when it's necessary. But the girl before him wore an out-of-character smirk as she recalled the children playing around today
Finishing the clean-up, Rei and Tai took their leave as Suzu saw them out
"Well, our little vacation is over now" (Suzu)
"Yup, it's back to normal tomorrow. We'll probably get a D-rank mission or something but stay ready anyway. I'll be leaving first, later guys" (Tai)
"Bye" (Suzu)
ZIP!
"And there he goes. Guess I better-!" (Rei)
Just as he was about to mimic Tai and leave, Suzu unexpectedly tugged on his sleeve
"What's wrong?" (Rei)
"How are you doing? Considering the subject we last spoke on" (Suzu)
"Oh, yeah...it's been weird, but I've managed. That funny feeling I get every time I use Doton1Earth Styleis still there. But no worries, I used to feel a similar sensation when I gained Katon2Fire Stylebut its gone now. With a little more time-" (Rei)
"That's not what I meant. Rei...for one second, stop thinking about training and Ninjutsu. How are you really doing?" (Suzu)
"I don't follow?" (Rei)
"Sigh. About what Tai said, I agree with him. It's important to take your time" (Suzu)
"?" (Rei)
"I used to think as you do, always training. Dedicating every hour, every second to getting stronger, believing it would be the key to getting what I want. Never allowing any so-called, distractions. To truly free myself from the chains of my predecessors" (Suzu)
"And now?" (Rei)
"Now I realize even if I became the strongest in the world, power alone won't help me form real connections with others" (Suzu)
"You say that despite having formed a connection with us" (Rei)
"Because you reached out to me, just as with Mariko and the kids. I...I've never had the courage to take the leap all on my own. I just went with the flow. Granted I've changed...but not as much as I'd like" (Suzu)
Suzu's words made him recall the first time he took her and Tai to Akina's diner, right after they failed Tango's test. The trio promised to put their differences aside and work together as a true team. Not giving their complete trust at first, but opting to try
She had wanted to change herself the most. To be more outgoing, and less guarded. But it's never easy to change one's nature, and due to the circumstances of her upbringing, she's had to be on guard her entire life
"It's been three, almost four years since we made that promise to change ourselves. All that time, and I've barely shown any progress whatsoever" (Suzu)
"You..." (Rei)
"However, I haven't given up yet" (Suzu)
"What are you trying to tell me?" (Rei)
"All I'm saying is, try to reach out some more. Though you've changed quite a bit, there are moments when you remind me of my old self. If there's anything you need, it's okay to talk to me or Tai" (Suzu)
Memories and words occupied his head as he remembered another life, one that seemed like it was over a century ago
"Knowledge helps you make a living in life, but wisdom helps you make a life..." (Rei)
"What's that?" (Suzu)
"Oh! Uh...nothing. Just something an annoying acquaintance of mind once said. I'll...take your advice to heart" (Rei)
"Thank you. Goodnight Rei" (Suzu)
"Goodnight Suzu" (Rei)
DASH!
Despite initially planning on visiting the library for more studying and research, his mind was too befuddled now to even consider such action. Clearly understanding the reason as to why, he quickly returned home and went to bed
"Geez! My team or Mabui, why do they keep reminding me of...tch!"
Even though he was enhanced, fatigue filled his entire body. Whether it was mental or physical stress, Rei was too tired to even care and just went to sleep
"Sarah, Chris...haaah...damn it"
Hours later, well past midnight
At Kumogakure's northwestern gate, two guards were maintaining watch. The only thing they felt was boredom, as usually nothing ever occurs at their station. One of them even started to nod off
"Hey! Wake up!"
"Mm?! Ah, come on Senpai!"
"You can count sheep when you get home"
"Why not? I get paid to count em here. Besides, things have been pretty quiet for a while now. Hell, there's hardly been any mission requests in the village"
"That's not a good thing man"
The guard struggling to stay awake stretched as the other sighed in frustration at his idle behavior
"For the love of-hm?"
"What?"
"I think there's a...person there"
"Really, I don't see anything?"
"..."
RUSTLE!
"?!"
"Senpai!"
"This is why you should always stay alert!"
Hearing an unnatural sound, the two readied their weapons, prepared for anything when a single figure emerged from the shadows. Moving at a lively pace as it approached
"YOU! HALT!"
"IDENTIFY YOURSELF!"
"Wait! Wait! Friendly!"
"!"
"Eh? An...old man?"
"Wait a sec...aren't you-?!"
"You know this guy senpai?"
The old man who arrived could barely speak, gasping for air after running continuously for quite a distance
"I-I need to speak...with...Raikage-sama!"
THUD!
He shouted his last words before passing out
"Whoa! Hold on! You think anyone can just show up at our gates and ask to speak with-!"
"Shut up and help him up!"
"Senpai? Why?"
"This man is very important. Come on, give me a hand!"
"A-Alright!"
"Hang on master, we'll personally take to you the Raikage"
"Okay Senpai, just who the hell is this guy?"
"This man is a long heralded master that taught many of our shinobi decades ago. He's even trained Killer B-sama"
"Huh?! Killer B-sama?! This guy?!"
"That's right"
CREAK!
After the senpai opened the gate, he helped his comrade carry the old man inside
"His name is...Master Sabu"
