Arashigakure: A Possible Home

Walking along the streets of Arashigakure, he wandered near aimlessly, wondering to himself what he should do. He has been wandering alone for so long and now he just wants a place to call home.

"This place reminds me of the turmoil in my heart...the sounds of war...the lightning and constant rain...I already feel at home here. Maybe I'll just keep wandering around here a while and see if anything turns up for me..."

Takeshi was walking slowly down the street towards nothing, this was the one day this week he had to allow himself from the war preparations in order to stay fresh for possible attacks. Everyone around him still seemed uppity and hardly even noticed him walking among them for the first time in days. Luckily he had gotten a good night's rest and stayed in bed late to fully recover so he was still a bit groggy while getting some fresh air. The rain did help to wake him up though, it was cold today but it was getting to the cold season so this came as no surprise to him. He just kept walking on, no weapons with him for now and dressed in his standard temple robes. A set of dark grey and white robes with two thunderbolts on the back around the shoulder blades that reached down to his waist. He might look out of place to an outsider but to the villagers he was just a priest heading toward the slums to help with some healing.

As he continues to walk down the street, he notices something out of place among the crowd. He sees what looks like two lightning bolts on the back of a man's robe. Since he was curious, Omega began casually following the man.

Even in his tire state of mind Takeshi could tell when someone was following him, whether it was just the odd looks he was noticing people giving whoever was behind him as the passed or straight intuition from decades on the battlefield it was known. However he doubted this was a hostile stalker so he just ignored it and made his way further down the road until he found an outdoor bar. The operation was a two story building that had housing on the upper floor and a large canvas stretched out on posts to cover a patio area outside to serve drinks and food. He sat down at table with several chairs and ordered a flagon of mead. As the bar maid went inside to fetch it he leaned back in his seat and listened as the gentle tapping of the rain on the tarp above him filled his ears and put him at ease.

He continues following the man regardless of the fact that he most likely already sensed Omega's presence and noticed he turned in to some sort of two-story tavern. Omega thought, "Came this far. Might as well go all the way." He walked into the tavern and toward the man, hoping to talk to him.

As he waited for his drink he noticed a strange person enter the tavern, he obviously wasn't from the village due to his style of clothing and he guessed this was probably the person that had been tailing him before. When his drink came he spoke with the bar maid briefly, "Give that man one of these as well, if he asks who sent it just point to me." Once more he leaned back into his seat and listened to the rain, this time drinking his honey flavored alcohol as he did.

As he began walking casually through the bar, a maid came up to him and said, "For you, sir." Astonished, he asked from whom it was from and she pointed to the man with the lightning bolt cloak. "So he did know I was following him," he said to himself. Drink in hand, Omega walks over to the man's table and sits across from him. "Thank you for the drink."

Takeshi simply nodded as the man thanked him for his drink, it was a custom in these lands to share a drink with almost everyone you meet so he was doing just that in addition to feeding his curiosity about who this person was. "You don't seem to be from around here, lost or something?" It wasnt really the most polite ice breaker there was but it was by far not the worst thing that could have been said, with the village in war state most people would have hounded him with a thousand questions and not let him answer before calling for his head but the kage was a little more level than that so he would just enjoy his drink and chat.

When I faced him, his face still seemed to be slightly covered. The man nodded to me and then asked if I was lost. In response, I said calmly, "Lost would not be the correct word, sir. More of a wanderer. No real set destination. Though, I have been wondering lately if I should settle in a village. My name is Omega, and my last name is unimportant. Might I ask your name?" Omega continue looking toward the man, waiting for a reply.

A wandering shinobi, there weren't many who could be ninja and not belong to a village without someone out for their blood but it wasn't to far a stretch to think this man was among them. Though he seemed to have something powerful within him it didnt seem to be tapped into so many wouldn't regard him as a threat. "No destination but looking for a home eh? Well this place is often friendly, don't let today give you the wrong impression it's just that there was an attack within our walls earlier this week and they are all still preparing for our counter strike." He leaned his head back and chugged the last of his drink before putting it down hard on the table and signaling for a second round. "Oh right, I'm Takeshi by the way."

Takeshi. Omega had heard that name once before but it referred to the Hebikage. He thought to himself, There's no way... He quickly jumps out of his chair and lands perfectly on the ground in bowing position. "Hebikage. Forgive my rudeness. I should be more conscious of the people I follow."

Takeshi looked confused, people hadn't been forced to the Hebikage in over two hundred years so this was something that for sure was not an everyday experience. He reached down and tapped the man on his shoulder, "I'm sorry did I miss something? Bowing to a kage isn't something we make people do here. And don't feel you need to show me that kind of respect even it it were, at the very least on my days off Im just a normal person." He sat back down and the woman who worked here brought two more meads, he took one and started drinking it casually like nothing had happened.

He stood back up and sat back down in his seat, still a bit rigid. "If you're the Hebikage, then may I ask a favor of you?" Omega takes the first mead given to him by the maid and downed it in 6 seconds and waited intently for the Hebikage's reply. He then speaks again, "I know I'm just a wanderer, but I still want to try."

Takeshi was interested when he was asked about a possible favor, it happened every now and then so he couldnt determine if it was common or rare but favors were indeed possible. He finished half of his drink then held it off to the side and spoke, "Whatever I can do to help." Then he looked into his drink like he was thinking hard about something, really he was just trying to see his reflection in the liquid but no one else could figure that out from outward appearance.

He spoke calmly and precisely to the Hebikage and looked toward him. "I want to be your student. I realize it's a rather random question but considering my horrid performance at the chuunin exams, the only person that could teach me is a kage. Please. I will beg if I must. I realize I must seem a failure for not even being able to maintain chakra in my feet on water or even get through the first round of the exams, so I'll understand if you refuse..." He then looked down at the empty glass and his eyes became near empty. He thought to himself, This is my only chance. I have to make it all count. I have to..." He would then await the Hebikage's reply.

It was indeed a rather out of the blue question but then again he had taken students for less sensible reasons than them just asking upon meeting him, though the part about him having a terrible loss at the exams was interesting to him. Perhaps if he could determine what happened there he could help from that point and grow then on. "Tell me more about these exams, who was it you fought against? This early on it would have been possibly the first round meaning none of the stronger ones took each other out yet. Got a name?"

"I remember the proctor mentioning the name "Lag Kinzoku". Do you recognize it? I was such a fool..." He nodded in shame and thought to himself, I'm so hopeless. He thinks I'm a joke I bet... Omega took another swig of his second mead and set it down, wondering how the Hebikage will react.

Upon hearing the name Takeshi spit out his drink onto the people at the table next to them. He apologized and bought them a round and went back to Omega, "I see, so your last name must be Shifumetsu. Sorry if it seems weird that I know that but I tend to keep a close eye on the names of people scheduled to fight my son." He awkwardly smiled, he knew this probably wouldn't make the man feel much better but losing to the son of a kage isn't as bad as losing to some random child.

Hearing this made Omega feel a bit better, knowing he fought the son of a Kage, though he was still ashamed that he didn't even get a chance to fight him. "Sir. I wish to train under you, but I don't think you'll want to train someone who doesn't even know how to keep himself sustained on water. If only we were on land...but oh well. Beggars can't be winners or choosers, right?" Omega shook his head again in shame and looks toward the Hebikage. "What is your decision, if I may be so bold as to ask?"

This was probably a very momentous moment for Omega, having one of the six strongest shinobi in the world deciding whether or not to take him under their wing so he had to think his answer over very carefully to make sure it fit the mood. After taking one last chug at his drink and belching loudly he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and casually responded with, "Sure, why not."

Omega lights up suddenly and says, "Thank you, sir! I swear to you, I will make every experience memorable." Though in his mind, he thought, I wonder why he agreed...maybe out of pity? He then spoke to the Hebikage again but in a more serious tone this time. "Sensei. I will follow your lead. Teach me everything."

Takeshi chuckled a bit before leaning back with his boots on the table and his arms crossed over his chest. "Well before I am able to teach you anything I have to know what you can learn. Though you may be a beginner I assume you know your elemental releases already right?" He needed this information first, he wondered though if this would relate to that hidden power he sensed within this man.

Omega answered promptly. "I possess a semi-rare advanced element. A combination of lightning and water. Storm jutsu. I'm not quite saavy at it though." He finished and then remained quiet as he waited for his sensei to answer.

Takeshi thought about this for a moment and was pleased with this, "I have had comrades that posessed this element in the past so I'm quite familiar with how it works. I can train you to the advanced levels if you stick around through it." With that he pointed to the drinks on the table and then to the large battle hall several miles away. "Finish those off and meet me there, ask for me and they will take you to the training hall I'll get prepared." With that he left a small amount of ryo on the table to pay for the drinks and was off to get ready, he had his sleep and rest so it was time to get back to work.

[exit]

His sensei left so quickly, he could barely keep up with his untrained eyes. He then looked at the drinks on the table that his sensei told him to drink. "I guess this is the first thing I complete for my training." He then proceeded to drink the last glasses of mead and felt slightly dizzy. He thought to himself, Moving to the Hall will snap me out of this daze... He then set down the last glass and ran out toward the training hall for his first order of training.

[exit pub]