The Lay of the Land [OPEN]

[Saburo]

His arrival into town didn’t fail to attract some eyes. A strange fellow for sure, the residents thought as Saburo wandered into the middle of the small village. They first noticed his imposing stature, the man being almost tall enough to look directly at the roof of the houses! Tall, but also big! People were familiar with that body type, often associated with the Akimichi clan who controlled several farms across the Land of Fire and were known as the breadbasket of the country. However, his appearance clashed with that of the Akimichi clansmen they were accustomed to. Immediately, his skin color being a light brown had some people a little perplexed, then his clothes being almost completely foreign to that of the people. As doubt settled in, most of the gossipers concluded the man to be a stranger.

Still, that did not mean Saburo was not to be trusted! Seeing how he carried his baggage and how he presented himself, the villagers were quick to find some peace of mind. Children gathered around, curious about the seemingly giant man who took the time to entertain them in return. Then, adults joined him, questioning Saburo about his reason for being there. The man answered politely, taking time to socialize with everyone.

The day had been long and Saburo was growing hungry, Saburo headed towards the nearest inn in order to get a place to rest and grab a meal too. That last part was the most delicate given his particular dietary requirement, but usually he could get by by ordering a single dish. As he went to the cook and offered some friendly chat, he eventually ordered a big pot of Chanko nabe, which the cook agreed to cook for him.

Funnily enough, the locals were eager to have the man with them, cracking jokes and welcoming him. Sensing no ill will, he laughed alongside them. Eventually the rich pot of stew came, complete with meat, tofu and a large selection of local vegetables. Accompanying it was a steaming bowl of rice.

“Aah, much thanks.” Saburo said, respectfully bowing to the cook as the locals were impressed at the quantity of food he had ordered. There was a lot for sure.

As he enjoyed his meal, he continued talking with residents about the local news or things he should be paying attention to.

“Rumors of people wanting to overthrow the Daimyo? I see the end of the war also left this country in a state of uncertainty. Hopefully, we will see the end of it soon” Saburo remarked.

Of course, he had no real knowledge of the country or its ruler, but the folks at the inn were kind enough and appeared mostly favorable to the actual leader, so Saburo had no real reason to doubt his competence. Thinking back on the situation in the Land of Lightning, most of the population also felt quite satisfied with the Daimyo.

As the locals warned Saburo of the potential dangers, he smiled confidently.

“Don’t worry about me! I know how to keep myself safe. I appreciate it, though. I’ve met my share of thugs on the road and I don’t even have a scar to show for it!”

[Masshiro Kurama]

Masshiro Kurama Rank D Shinobi Ninjutsu: 1 Taijutsu: 1 Genjutsu: 9 Technique: 1 Toughness:1 Speed: 1 Stamina: 1 HP: 320 Chakra: 16

    When one wants to be seen, it's not hard to be seen, especially when you are dressed in the way Masshiro tended to with a long coat and long sleeves in all weather. The black didn't drew too much attention, but all of the red and black accents certainly made the color pop as much as the pure white color of his hair, or even his blood red colored eyes. Under normal circumstances he would have made no attempts to hide without good reason, but something about today made him move and act just a bit differently.

    It was much easier to blend in when no one was looking for you to begin with, allowing one to stand just feet away from a lively conversation. The large man with the large appetite and all of the various topics made it much easier to simply go unnoticed as well as they were all focused elsewhere. the discussion was certainly one he was becoming more interested in as of late, and he was fast learning that this country didn't find near as many faults in their leadership as he did, or some of his newer friends. It would perhaps be the first time in a long time he didn't join in, give his own blunt take on the situation, and stood by and watched and listened intently.

    Why was it suddenly so hard not to smile, let his grin spread across his face, lean his head back and stare up at the ceiling. At this point he couldn't help but laugh as if someone had told a hilarious joke, and whatever attempts not to stand out were gone. The room quiet except for his laughter, but still he continued, finally wiping his face as he had shed a tear and became quiet once more. In the process, he pushed his hair from his face and showing that he did have a scar, fairly large in fact, and despite how long he had been standing there, it was likely a surprise no one noticed him come in, let alone staring intently. 

OWL

[Saburo]

Friendly discussion aside, it seemed weird to Saburo that someone would be deriving so much fun from it. That’s why he looked over at the nicely dressed man when he heard laughter across the quiet inn, considering him with a curious smile. To each their own and he was certainly not going to judge the man from finding something funny in what had been said. After all, he lacked much context on the situation in the land of fire. Had he misspoke? Said something he shouldn’t have? Well, there was only one way to find out.

“Excuse me, friend!” he said, talking to Masshiro some distance away. “Have I said something bad? If so, my sincerest apologies. Why don’t you join me? I’m interested in what you are thinking.”

Honest and straightforward, with no malice dissimulated behind his words. It was a learning experience for him and thought he felt the man’s reaction was slightly strange, maybe off-putting, he had nothing to gain from letting his ego take over.

He appeared to be well-dressed, clashing with the more humble-looking locals. A person of status, perhaps? And that scar on his face. What a curious individual.

“Where are you from? You don’t seem to be quite from this place either. Ah, do pardon me if I assumed wrong. I’m a foreigner myself, hailing from the Land of Lightning. Saburo’s the name.”

He came in good faith, with the hopes of having a nice exchange with the peculiar fellow.

[Masshiro Kurama]

Masshiro Kurama Rank D Shinobi Ninjutsu: 1 Taijutsu: 1 Genjutsu: 9 Technique: 1 Toughness:1 Speed: 1 Stamina: 1 HP: 420 Chakra: 16

    It didn't take long for the one he had been tickled with to the point of his outburst addressed him directly. Moving away from his position he started walking closer, standing just a few feet from Saburo and simply looking him over, thoroughly in fact, and not trying to hide it. Even as he spoke again he was inspecting him from his clothes, to his exposed skin, his face, hair, likely to an extent of becoming a bit uncomfortable, but that was somewhat the point.

"You weren't lying, not a scratch or a scar to be found."

    Lifting up his bangs to show the entirety of his forehead, he leaned in to show the large scar across his face, before dropping his head and standing up straight. Looking around though, he saw an empty chair, moved to grab it, and slid it all the way across the room as it stopped right next to Saburo, and in an instant was occupied.

"Don't mind if I do."

    Adjusting his coat, he finally turned as if he was finally ready to have an actual conversation to some degree.

"Well look at you and all these manners. Where I'm from, depends on what you mean exactly. I was born in the land of earth, where my clan is. I live in the land of fire. Not exactly from around here even then, small community of my clan that moved here a decade ago."

    He had all but been trying to antagonize the man with the way he had laughed at what he had said, and yet it seemed to be shaken off and now he was having a pleasant conversation. What a strange person this was, in the best way possible. It was what you might call a disarming personality even, causing him to grin all over again.

"Masshiro"

    Throwing a thumb at himself after the large man shared his name.

"Ya know, I kinda feel like an asshole now. I heard your talking about the Daimyo and how well you could take care of yourself yet not a scar, and I thought you were just bragging. The Daimyo stuff, well, we all have our differing opinions."

    Extending his arm he made it clear he was looking for a hand shake.

"Nice to meet ya. Oh, and don't get it twisted, I'm probably gonna be more of an asshole, no doubt, but at least now I'll feel bad about it."

OWL

[Saburo]

Oh, Masshiro appeared to be quite the character to deal with. Saburo tensed up a little after hearing him speak a few times. Maybe he was being looked down upon, still he did not lose his jovial appearance in response to the man’s words. Despite it, he did not sense any malice or negative intentions in that person. Therefore, he relaxed a little. Saburo’s frame appeared almost to be twice that of Masshiro’s, yet from the way he spoke, the confidence was palpable.

“Isn’t that a chance meeting? A man from the land of lightning and another from the land of fire, born in the land of earth! Peacefully reunited in an inn rather than on the battlefield. We ought to be grateful for those moments. You’ll find that I’m very well-mannered. Why wouldn’t I be?”

He smiled to add weight to his words, also cementing that he was not looking for trouble. Though he had renounced his name as part of the Tozoku clan, he had been birthed in a clan with political power and as such, he had been taught many things like manners and politeness.

Of course, he could take care of himself, that much was indisputable. As for the Daimyo, well this could be an interesting topic. Although Masshiro didn’t seem to want to touch the subject, Saburo was indeed interested in hearing more. Was he keeping to himself because his opinion went against the general populace?

“No need to feel like an asshole. I might be bragging a little, but I know I can walk the talk. Speaking of the Daimyo, care to elaborate? You’ve been here for quite a while now and how I have only arrived, I can learn from your perspective.”

He reached out for a handshake, laughing audibly when he heard the warning.

“Do as you do, friend. I’ll just smack you around if you cross the line. For now, let’s talk.”

[Masshiro Kurama]

Masshiro Kurama Rank D Shinobi Ninjutsu: 1 Taijutsu: 1 Genjutsu: 9 Technique: 1 Toughness:1 Speed: 1 Stamina: 1 HP: 420 Chakra: 16

"I've seen more than a few Inn's become battlefields with too many drinks and too many egos."

    His attention seemed to drift between intense staring right into Saburo's eyes and suddenly seeming disinterested and looking around the room for what seemed like something specific. His confidence shined through regardless of what he was focused on however, despite the slightly oversized coat hiding his small frame, he sat and spoke like he was bigger than anyone in the room, but never with any malicious tone.

    The way he talked, the way he moved, acted, it all seemed flippant at times, as if his confidence and composure wasn't there for anyone else but himself. At no point did he try to gain any of the attention he might have garnered, but more like he simply didn't care what anyone saw or thought in the most literal way possible.

"I have a relative living here that is from the land of lightning, I was even born with an affinity for lightning. In this land of fire I seem surrounded by nothing but lightning these days. Not that I mind. I appreciate lightning as much as these manners of yours."

    It was becoming more obvious that his attention breaking away was looking for something to drink or someone that could bring him one, as he kept looking around at drinks people were holding, carrying, empty cups even. Sighing and crossing his arms he leaned back in his seat and turned his staring back to Saburo.

"I was being sarcastic about the manners by the way, not because you don't actually have them, but so few people bother. I walk into a room and the first thing I hear are comments about my hair, the way I dress, the way I talk, and of course the scar. This certainly isn't the land of tact."

    Despite his words he didn't actually seem outwardly bothered by what he was describing, almost as if he was reading from some per-rehearsed script, or perhaps he had said it so many times it was mundane at this point.

"Oh no, you misunderstand, I know how much of an asshole I can be. I like to push buttons because that's when you get the real reactions from people, the full read on them when they aren't restraining for the sake of, well manners. You'd be surprised how often saying that still doesn't stop people from reacting."

    There was the slightest grin and what sounded like a quiet attempt at a laugh that turned into a bigger grin and a more obvious and loud laugh.

"The Daimyo, well I wouldn't know where to start, so I'll skip to the part you are actually interested in. Think the guy is scum, takes advantage of people, uses his position like a weapon. Consider those the main bullet points."

OWL

[Saburo]

“Barkeep! Bring my friend here something to drink. I’m good with tea.” Alcohol had never been his strong suit, for health and dietary reasons though he sometimes allowed himself to cut loose a bit when in good company. Not that Masshiro was not good company, but now was not the time.

There was something cryptic about his words, a feeling that Saburo didn’t care enough to dig too deep into. After all, he had no point of reference other than his own experience which limited itself to very few encounters. Life in the land of lightning wasn’t all too different, though he wouldn’t dare compare the two. Different lands, different customs and all that jazz.

“You do seem to have a lot of folks across the different countries. As for manners, I can’t say I blame the people. It’s been hard on a lot of us. Manners are for hypocrites or those well enough to have the luxury of caring about others, I’ve heard. I don’t think it’s wrong, though finding contentment will differ for everyone.”

Which category did the man belong to? Perhaps his simplicity would help guide that thought process towards the latter, which would be a fair assessment. And that’s why when Masshiro declared himself an asshole to get an honest reaction out of people, Saburo remained unfazed. He wasn’t playing any tricks because there was no purpose in doing so. He had no agenda aside from learning and the man in front of him was fulfilling that desire already.

He couldn’t say he was surprised to hear of the Daimyo being such an individual. It was very typical of those in a position of power.

“I see. I’ll take your word for it, but it doesn’t seem like you’ll get unanimous approval here.”

Indeed, pretty much everyone had turned around to stare down Masshiro after he uttered those words. Now that was a genuine reaction. Perhaps it was out of dedication for the Daimyo or because they were scared of him. One of the customers went as far as to take a knife and go straight for the blonde man, to which Saburo readied himself, saying:

“Watch out!”

There would be no drinks, after all.

[Masshiro Kurama]

Masshiro Kurama Rank D Shinobi Ninjutsu: 1 Taijutsu: 1 Genjutsu: 9 Technique: 1 Toughness:1 Speed: 1 Stamina: 1 HP: 420 Chakra: 16 Shinobi Armor Elite Shinobi armor Forehead Protector Chakra Meteorite Demonic Flute

"Tea"

    Making a motion as if he was drinking with two hands towards the barkeep he immediately turned his attention back to Saburo. He immediately gave a heavy shrug to his words, not in a dismissive way, but more not sure he he agreed or disagreed.

"I don't care if someone doesn't go about bowing and calling me sir, that would probably get on my nerves, so maybe I'm just talking out my ass. It's not like I don't say stupid stuff sometimes that would lead someone to think I have no manners. I just say what I say and try to avoid being rude."

    There was a real possibility that if two of himself walked into a room towards one another that at least one of them would leave bothered by the other, in truth. He didn't necessarily lack tact, but he had a way of being blunt that not everyone appreciated. Sometimes it was on purpose, other times he didn't want to beat around the bush, and it was a coin flip how someone might react.

"Ha, I rarely get unanimous approval for much of anything. Won't start changing my views on the world now. Though you got me curious about your thoughts since you asked first."

    He was used to the stares for something he said or did, as he wasn't exactly the most quiet, just flamboyant enough to stand out, and it was impossible to ignore him when he walked into any room with how he looked and dressed. Saying something to annoy a room full of people wasn't any sort of a surprise, but it wasn't often those he annoyed had the bad sense to physically act on it.

"I see"

    As Saburo yelled Masshiro turned and made a hand motion little more than a dismissive hand flick towards the would be attacker, as they froze in place. No one else could see it, but what they were seeing was themself oddly enough, stepping in front of Masshiro and throwing a punch on his behalf, at himself. They would have immediately fell back as if someone really swung and took a shot at them with a heavy right hook, even though to everyone else looking, they simply stopped, then a moment later were knocked right on their backside.

    Clearing his throat he stood up straight, making sure that the next words he said were clear and loud enough for the entire room to hear.

"You are more than welcome to disagree with my views, however I would dissuade anyone else from acting so recklessly. I will not take kindly to violence. You have been warned. Thank you kindly."

    Grabbing the closest chair to himself he could find, he pulled it over and sat down. On the ground the man reacted as if he took another punch, as he was seeing himself now fighting with himself.

    

  

OWL