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Post by Jackstraw on Dec 24, 2009 17:14:48 GMT -5
"Wait up kid." Takahiro trotted to catch up with his blue-haired counterpart, still struggling to uncap his water bottle. The sky was the bluest he'd ever seen over a red land of nothing but flat rocks and canyons off in the not-too-far distance. It was exceedingly hot with no cover and the sun bearing down on them from right above, leaving the man none too thrilled about the inevitable climbing they'd be doing to reach Iwagakure; none of this was made better by the constant worrying that they might be followed and ambushed at any moment. What crap. "You sure walk pretty quick for such a short thing..."
He ruffled his scraggly hair, wiping the sweat on the long flap of his jacket. All the clothes he wore wasn't making this walk much better. Gawd. He groaned again, finally snapping off the cap of his water and draining a good half of it in one go before offering some to his younger companion.
"Hate really hot places, ya know? Cold ones too. Extreme weather's awful on an old guy's body..."
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Post by Danna on Dec 24, 2009 17:23:49 GMT -5
Genji paused a moment to let his companion catch up, a faint smile on his lips as he looked back at him. He rarely traveled with a partner, but he had to admit that it hadn't been unpleasant thus far. Though the conversations were rather one sided, the company was a nice change of pace.
"The lands of Iwa are rugged in many ways. Its location has made its defense formidable." He noted, a bit surprised inwardly that he had begun to talk so much more than he used to (even if still not a lot). "But I know the lands, and the hindrance they present us will be twofold for those who follow blindly."
He nodded, his demeanor stern and warrior-like. With certainty he knew there was no one outside of the village who could possibly traverse the rocky terrain as safely as he could.
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Post by Jackstraw on Dec 24, 2009 18:00:22 GMT -5
"Ah, well, that's good news." The man stretched with a long, loud groan, seeming just as unconcerned and inattentive as the boy was serious. He felt curiously relaxed, even as compared to his normal stature; he couldn't quite place why, or maybe he could and just didn't want to acknowledge such selfishly cruel reasons. Still, strange deja vu state aside, the boy was a good kid. Quiet, but that's what made him likable in Taka's book. People who rambled on with nothing of great content to say were bothersome. "These people in Iwa know you well enough to allow you in? There's been a good degree of disturbance to the south, I wouldn't blink twice if they've tightened security all over the place due to it."
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Post by Danna on Dec 25, 2009 0:12:06 GMT -5
"They will be on guard no doubt, but I come through the village regularly to trade, and the Tsuchikage knows of me. Your presence may be questioned, but we should have no trouble with entering the village."
He nodded surely, continuing onward now that his older companion had caught up, the rugged red earth sloping upward slightly as they came upon the first of many rock mounds in their path. The mountain barrier that protected Iwa was visible in the distance, but still quite out of their reach. But, if all went well, he was certain they could reach the village by nightfall.
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Post by Jackstraw on Dec 25, 2009 2:30:46 GMT -5
"Ehhhh, if it's the same Tsuchikage as it was about five years ago, it shouldn't be too bad...." He sounded rather iffy about the statement but shrugged it off nonchalantly. If anything, they'd have all forgotten him by now; people were quick to move past times of war, and that was all he was known by anyone for in the end.
Except for.....
"...Nahhh, I'm lying. Full cavity searches for everyone." He chuckled lightly, shuffling out another cigarette from his pocket as he glanced at the boy at his side.
Inari. Koutaru. This is too cruel.
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Post by Danna on Dec 25, 2009 16:18:33 GMT -5
Genji smiled slightly, using his harpoon as a sort of walking stick to climb over a particularly troublesome rock. He couldn't help but wonder though, what the man had meant about '5 years ago'. Had he been involved in the war as well? It wouldn't be that surprising, considering how far the war reached but...it was hard to picture such a nice guy involved in such an incident.
"Kuma-san has been Tsuchikage for many years now...You've met him before?"
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Post by Jackstraw on Dec 25, 2009 18:58:54 GMT -5
"Eh, maybe once or twice. Can't quite recall.... He's the big guy or something, yeah? Wears his hair slicked back or something like that. Big guy, though, big. Dunno much more than that, there wasn't much talking goin' on at the time." He lit his cigarette behind his hand, hopping up the slowly inclining hill after the boy. "Ya' would expected more communicating to be going on when you're holding higher-up positions like we were, but...."
He shrugged, closing one eye and squinting up toward the sky, watching a couple birds float on past.
"Gotta good-sized scar in that fight. 'Seemed to be a good guy though. I n'unno." He looked back at Genji, a small smile twitching on his lips. "I doubt you would either though, eh? You don't seem the type to get involved in that kinda stuff. I admire that. Gotta have a good amount of willpower and balls for that."
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Post by Danna on Dec 27, 2009 17:01:17 GMT -5
Genji scratched his cheek a little, pondering it over. Willpower? Maybe...but he had a variety of reasons for keeping his nose out of that sort of business. "Well, it does sound like him...you must be a lot stronger than you look to have stood up to him." Genji smiled warmly at his companion, wondering just what role the older man had played in the war. He could tell there was a story there, but he had no intention to push it into being told. Sometimes the past was best to remain as such, after all.
"But, It seems like people always want more for themselves. I don't understand it...I'm content with what I have, is all. There's nothing noble about it." He added with a small shrug.
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Post by Jackstraw on Dec 27, 2009 18:46:27 GMT -5
Did he not look strong....? Taka scratched his head, mulling over if he should feel offended or not.
"Sometimes.... it's not about what you want..." He spoke slowly, staring back up toward the blue expanse above them as he thought. "Sometimes..... sometimes it's about doing what you have to do... to protect what you love." He sighed, looking distastefully at the cigarette now. It left an awful taste in his mouth; he cast it aside onto the craggy earth, blowing out the rest of the smoke. " No person with anything to live for likes war. It's just an inevitable thing though. The world is full of bad, powerful people who do horrible things to the innocent and powerless to further their own means. If we didn't do anything to stop them... if we didn't go to war to stop them, we would be just as bad, if not worse than they are. It's a necessary evil."
He sighed, slowing some as the hillside rose more steeply. Just looking at the climb ahead made him feel lazy, breaking him out of his little speech.
"Baaah, it's hot out here..." he muttered inconsequently.
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Post by Danna on Dec 28, 2009 20:02:01 GMT -5
"You should write a book, Taka-san. I've been told that those romantic, wandering warrior stories sell well." The young man responded with a small chuckle, smiling warmly at the older man. "I was told by a villager once that my name came from one of those...not that I've ever read much of anything."
He reached ahead with his weapon, getting a good foothold with it to hoist himself up a particularly troublesome mound of jagged earth.
"Love isn't something I know much of...It isn't very...reasonable, for me to become involved with. " He added a moment later, something a bit depressing to his tone, not particularly sadness but a sense of displacement that suggested he'd never had much opportunity to pursue feelings of any sort in his life.
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Post by Jackstraw on Dec 28, 2009 21:05:20 GMT -5
"Well, love is... difficult." The older man muttered, hoisting himself up after the boy. He still seemed lost in though, a bit... out of it. He considered it for several moments, gazing at Genji pensively. Slowly, he smiled a tiny smile again. "And I wouldn't particularly call myself romantic. Or a warrior anymore really."
He laughed a bit, but it seemed slightly strained.
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Post by Danna on Dec 28, 2009 21:20:55 GMT -5
"A tiger can never change its stripes, you know. Do what they will with them, they'll always be there." He replied, continuing to climb in silence for a moment, the distance between them and the mountainous village slowly but surely lessening. He could feel the meaning to his own words striking deeply into his heart. Sometimes the hand dealt by fate was difficult to bear.
"But...I take it that, you were in love once, Taka-san?" He asked, quietly, careful with his tone, suggesting that the man needn't answer if he didn't want to speak of it further.
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Post by Jackstraw on Dec 28, 2009 21:44:06 GMT -5
"Once....?" He seemed to ponder it a long while, climbing up the steadily inclining hill with easy, loping steps. "No... some things just never die. There are some things you can't stop loving even after they're gone. 'Guess it's part of them stripes or something, but it just doesn't fade."
They walked quietly for several minutes before he spoke again, more quietly.
"I had a wife and son. He'd be about your age right about now, I guess. Bright blue eyes like his mother..." He smiled softly, shaking his head and closing an eye.
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Post by Danna on Dec 28, 2009 22:11:11 GMT -5
"I see..." Genji smiled softly, but could feel the sadness from the man's voice. He didn't want to ask directly, but could assume from the situation that something had happened to his family...During the war, most likely. Genji continued to lead them quietly for a few moments, somewhat regretting having brought the topic up. He seemed like a very kind man, but...war treated all equally, and made no exceptions for those that it took and left behind.
"Sorry if I brought up a sore topic, Taka-san."
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Post by Jackstraw on Dec 28, 2009 22:46:44 GMT -5
"Nah, it's nothing, kid. I've had years to come to terms with all of it." He sighed, patting the boy the the shoulder with a tired smile. "Just how life is, I guess. 'Can't say I'm over it it, but I understand it..... kinda."
He ruffled his hair, shrugging halfheartedly.
"I guess in some twisted way it's almost fair. All the people I've robbed families of and then I'm robbed of my own. They didn't deserve that. Nobody does...."
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