-next morning-
Pov: Kenzo
No more early runs with Lee considering that I have to get up at five- sorry four so I can make sure that Naruto is eating anything other than ramen everyday, usually just make him a sandwich for lunch and stick it in the fridge.
I clean up anything I can, get all my ninja gear ready and head out the door ready to be apart of my new team, Heading through the streets of Konoha into a forest section just south of my apartment I eventually arrive at the training ground we used yesterday and it seems that sensei, Katsuko and me are now just waiting on Kanata to arrive.
"Kenzo. Gd to see you made it on time" Kurenai-sensei nods her head and I smile back.
Ten minutes early, so Kanata shouldn't be that far off and we can start doing whatever a new genin team does under a Jonin sensei, I heard that genin corps genin do a lot of miscelneous tasks like messengers to the borders and outposts throughout the nd of fire... I also know they can be used to babysit, as they once helped me catch up in css.
Ten minutes eventually pass as the two converse while I wait in silence.
...
Twenty minutes pass from then and finally Kanata arrives, he walks up calmly and without panic in his steps.
"Hey guys" Kanata yawns.
"Kanata, you are very te- twenty minutes te" Kurenai sighs.
"Sorry, sorry- I slept in, my bad" Kanata yawns again.
Kurenai sighs to herself and takes a breath before looking at all of us, her gentle stare nds on us all.
"For today I will let being te slide, but there will be punishments for every other offense understood? Good. Today we will start your training schedules and do our first D-rank mission together, your personalities don't csh but we still need to do teamwork drills in the afternoons and personal training in the morning" Kurenai-sensei tells us and we nod along.
"Kanata- absolutely need you to do more exercises and physical training, as good as you are with ninjutsu you only know a total of four including the three standard, your taijutsu is less than mediocre and needs addressing in order to better move in the battlefield, only after you have reached a level in taijutsu that I deem worthy will you be permitted to learn another ninjutsu" Kurenai-sensei tells him.
"Katsuko- physical fights are where you excel and I appreciate the effort you put into your kenjutsu however, you need to start training your auxiliary jutsu- the flicker mostly in order to help you move faster and use your kenjutsu with much more ease... apart from that we will start you on bettering your body- we will go over your physical training together in a moment" Kurenai-sensei tells her.
"Kenzo- you have great mastery over your physical self and clearly know what you are doing in genjutsu, until we start reaching higher levels of training for now the mornings are a free time for you, all you need to do is report to me at five every morning and then come back at 12 for your missions" Kurenai-sensei says and I nod my head in understanding... I see, so that isn't really bad at all.
"What? How come he gets free time but I don't?" Kanata asks in a annoyed tone.
"Lets start with forty ps of this training ground Kanata, watch out for the roots and careful of any traps- I only rent this training ground for the morning, sometimes ninja leave stuff around and don't clean up after themselves" Kurenai-sensei orders.
"Could use the time to py my violin" He whispers to himself before starting to run.
He really does have a love for music doesn't he? I watch as Kurenai takes Katsuko to a clearer area and starts to tell her the new schedule she will be training with.
...
Seven hours to myself? I could use a few scrolls... hell, Kurenai-sensei knows that I can get stuck in my meditating so even if it is longer than necessary I should be great.
I pull out the two scrolls I have around my waist and pick up the first one.
I can only train hearing...
I blink as the surroundings change into a deep orange box- I take off my blindfold as I dont have anyone to scare in here and I look around.
*Scratch* *Scrawl*
Soon letters, words and a sentence are scratched and etched onto the wall.
'Hear the world around you. Distinguish every detail and hear the near impossible... what someone is writing... what someone is painting...'
*Thwack!*
My blindfold immediately sps onto my face and tightens onto me, I cant even stare through it as the seal on the cloth glows bright enough to hurt my eyes when I open them... all I can see is my glowing orange eyelids.
...
*scrawl*
I can hear someone scribbling on a piece of paper though... I don't know how I am supposed to guess what they write however- another figure it out yourself task.
I sit down and enter into a meditative position to focus entirely on my hearing... the scrawling is very, very boring.
Up, down... no I lost it again.
Up, down, left- damnit, am I even guessing the direction right?
...
Up, down...
---
Pov: Kanata
Stupid Kenzo getting to do what he wants- this is such a waste of my time... I could have practiced so much instead of running these ps, and why does Katsuko get supervised training? Is it because I was te? That was an honest mistake!
...
Why is Kenzo wasting this time meditating? I haven't seen him move from that spot within ten ps of this pce.
Ugghhh- my wrist is hurting again, I knew I should of pyed just a small song before I left, I am getting sick of these itches to py.
I shouldn't say that... I just need to take everything one step at a time and stop letting these little things annoy me. Firstly lets save up money for a new violin, I cant keep using my old one when it is more ongoing repairs than actually repaired parts- I don't think I can even cssify it as an instrument right now.
Bah- lets stop thinking about money troubles, I should be making some money today and that should solve them.
---
-months ter... inside the orange box-
Pov: Kenzo
So I just need to focus on the slight movements in the wrist and the scratching on the paper in order to get a full understanding of what is being written- I should be capable of that now...
*Scratch* *Scrawl*
Hn? Nice, I can hear what's being scratched into the wall.
'Paintings... pictures... an image without rules, much harder to hear than with the rigid structure of words'
...
I see, now I am onto pictures instead of words, much harder when I have to make up for it all with my imagination.
Lets focus.
...
-two months ter-
Tap, tap, drag... lift... tap?
So that would make a circle on each end of a stick? Oh- a dumbbell maybe... tap, drag, tap, tap... yeah its adding smaller taps and details to the picture now...
This was much easier to get used to, especially after the writing... if I am right, this is a picture of Rock Lee.
The brush stops moving and I hear the canvas get thrown away before a new one is pced to paint on.
Okay, clear my head... deep breaths and focus on the brush.
---
Pov: Katsuko
"So, I just keep doing this?" I ask as I repeat my new training schedule, I have to repeat this set four times to match up to my current ability, and then after that I can start doing my normal kenjutsu training.
"Yes, just keep it up while I go and tell Kanata what to do next" Kurenai-sensei tells me and I nod.
"Thank you.." I reply.
I shouldn't be treated so well, I mean... I was probably just going to be in the genin ranks until I found another job suited for me anyway- I heard that my cousin wanted tutoring, maybe I could have done that?
It was only blind luck that I managed to get in a team, Neji-kun said so himself, I am a nobody brought up to be a mediocre ninja.
Lets just keep training until someone tells me not to, I am sure I will be kicked of this team for my ck of ability sooner or ter.
I wonder if Neji-kun would be interested in someone as weak as me...? Do I even have a chance?
---
Pov: Kenzo
...
"That's... Naruto riding a pony- I can tell the pony is bright orange because you dipped the same paint as Naruto's jacket, probably to throw me off... you also added another lighter colour to make it more realistic orange fur than a ft colour" I tell the painter and then suddenly I am left with silence.
They vanished after saying that, does that mean I am done with this one? Two and half months... maybe I am talented in hearing- could also be the +1 I have to it in my statistics.
*Scratch* *Scrawl*
'Complete C-rank scroll'
Nice, I blink and take a breath- looking around I haven't moved from my position and can see Kurenai-sensei training Kanata over in the distance.
I turn my head and hear Katsuko trying to stop moving as she mimics my meditating pose.
"What's... happening here?" I ask.
"Oh! I uhhh, I had some free time and wanted to see how this helps you... sorry... I didn't mean to be a space taker... I just-" She starts rambling on and mumbling to herself.
"No offence taken, just wanted to know" I tell her and she coughs awkwardly.
...
"You need help? I find it is best to do some breathing techniques while I sit- try taking in deep breaths through the nose... and exhaling through the mouth, give four seconds to each one and let your mind clear" I give advice and she nods before sitting up straight again, taking in a deep breath and letting another out with a small amount of rhythm.
"I'm going to start again so apologies if I don't respond" I tell her and she continues to breathe in and out.
Alright... I hold the B-rank scroll and I think on my hearing once more- a skill I am coming to appreciate all the more as I can tell someone is smiling or furrowing there brows with but a twitch of my ear.
...
I take a breath in.
And out.
I open my eyes to the orange box and I yawn.
*Scratch* *Scrawl*
I take off my blindfold to see the letters, although I can hear them being written now- that is all I have been doing for a year now... in this box that is.
'Three voices. block out two. And choose your path- a mortal limit reached, means a greater ability to hear'
I see... it was inevitable- I wonder what kind of skills I can get from this.
*Scrape* *Scratch* *Scrawl*
Three stone pilrs scrape against the box as they arise from around me, on these pilrs are words written and scratched onto a pque.
'Fragment of the Mad One'
'Fragment of the Holy One'
'Fragment of the Ancient Song'
A voice suddenly starts to speak, one that sounds deep and menacing, one that speaks in a tongue I have never heard before- one that reminds me so much of that stare- and stare- one that makes me want to itch and old scratch left untouched.... an itch that never left- but only held back through outside means.
An itch I never conquered and an itch that I don't want to see ever again- and itch that- that makes me want to scratch.
Yes... my palms do itch... I should scratch them off... take them away... feel the pain and not the itch- the itch hurts much more than the pain of not having flesh.
I scratch and cw at my own palm, taking away flesh- not in chunks... but through scratches... in a day I should have them scratched away... then I can move to the elbow.... that started itching too.
I hate that itching.
Another voice starts to speak... it is soothing and divine... pleasant to the ears and makes me want to sleep or maybe just start to slowly dance... yes... lets start spinning slowly... and one step, two step, spin... and scratch, and spin... and scratch, and tap...
I tap my feet and slowly spin across the room, blood seeps from my palms as I spin and slowly lunge my way across the box with rhythm in my step.
Praise... the dance... praise... the soothing voice that speaks like water... praise the scratch and itch the spin.
When am I spin? Scratch? When? Hahahahahahahaha!!!!! Spin! Scratch! Tap!
Spin!
Scratch!
Tap!
Another voice enters the fray... this one sounds serene, calm and almost drowns out the other two- but they are still loud, like a party downstairs... or a- scratch- or a fireworks show at the other end of a city... still there... still noticeable.
It sounds like the voice is more instrument then words- nothing like the other two who speak in an ancient tongue older than the pnet I stand on... the st voice is like an opera singer next to two eighty year old librarians trying to teach me seven different books all at once.
The song... the voice... it makes me want to listen- to close my eyes and pay attention to it rather than the others.
Hum.
Spin.
Scratch.
Tap.
Breathe.
....
"Mortal... let me be your aid... I helped you so much with your eyes..." The deep voice speaks over the other two and soon becomes the prominent voice.
Scratch!
Spin.
Scratch!
Breathe.
Scratch!
....
"Mortal, choose what all find- become a part of this ones collection. Even in death you may find me rewarding" The soothing voice commands me and I focus on that one.
Spin!
Scratch.
Tap!
Breathe.
Leap!
...
The ancient song gets louder and prevails over the other two, a sudden shift from words into a mixture of sounds that scream into my eardrums and make me calmer... more at one with myself.
Hum!
Scratch.
Whistle!
Tap.
Breathe!
...
I have to pick one of these? Drown out the others and leap into only one? But that itch- it needs to be scratched and then I can get my elbow... my cheek and even my inner thigh!
But also so nice to finally feel the rhythm around me... to let everything go and rise above the mortals... to give up on mortality and ascend... to- No! Naruto is an earthly connection! I will not!
That leaves the song and the itch.
A scratch I want gone.
And a song that makes me feel belonging.
Which is better? What is hearing? What will choosing do to my hearing? What will happen?
Are they talking? Or was that a hallucination?
Am I certain that I want this? Can I back out? Is this another step too far like my stare, a stare that made me blind? Made me choose to hear? What happens when I need to seal my hearing? Can I feel my way around? Taste the locations around me? Smell the way someone writes?
How long have I been in here?
Where is the sense of time?
Where is the sense of space?
How far have I tapped and spun into the distance?
Where did my flesh go? Since when was I all bone? When did my ears go?
When did I stop hearing?
Did I scratch away my ears? My face? My head?
Did I... Did I even stop to think about the consequences? Why wont I regenerate? Where did my bones go?
Why cant I remember having bones? Why am I still feeling that itch in my head! I don't have a head!
I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't! I don't!
Why don't you believe me itch! I told you I don't so go away! I don't want you here! I don't have an itch! I don't have an itch!
...
The itch fades away.
I made a choice.
I don't like the itch.
I don't like the ascension.
But I don't mind the song.
The song that keeps pying no matter what, the song behind the universe... the song that is older than this universe... the song that is older than the term ancient and the term new.
The song that thrums in my ears when I calm down and focus.
...
The song that pys when I take a breath.
The thrum I can hear when I want to hear it.
The Ancient song.
What does it do? Doesn't matter... as long as it drowns out the itch and takes away the ascension.
I don't care.
I just want to feel better.
I open my eyes and take a breath.
Only one pilr remains in the orange box, I look around for the others and all I see is rubble, rocks smothered in blood.
I look down to my hands and see they also are bloody, raw and red from punching stone.
I cant tell what's happening.
Its all happening too fast and I cant tell what I should do.
What I can do.
I blink and the pilrs are gone, my hands are healed and I return to my normal self- but when I close my eyes... when I feel in tune... I can hear it.
The song behind it all.
A song that allows me to distinguish meaning behind actions- I can hear the scratching and scrawling happening in the orange box as the completion of this scroll is acknowledged.
But I also can understand that the owner of the orange box is happy with my progress, and that he wants me to learn more and more.
Fulfil the reason why he chose me.
To learn.
And to use what I learn.
The orange box disappears and I return to reality, I don't move as the shuffling of the girl next to me screams of worthlessness... the meaning behind her shuffling is an awkward understanding of her own position in this world.
"You are doing very well. Much better than most Katsuko. I am sincerely impressed by your commitment to meditation" I tell her and the frantic panic seeps off of her as she smiles weakly.
"Thanks" I hear her say that... but she probably means to add that she is gd that she isn't totally worthless.
"What time is it?" I ask.
"Time to do a mission, ten minutes te because of you" Kanata tells me.
He is begging for money... practically cant stand waiting around.
"Understood, lets get going, I am sorry for the hold up" I reply.
"Its fine, Kanata needed a lesson in not being te- it seems he too hates waiting for another member of his team" Kurenai-sensei jokes and Kanata shuffles around in awkwardness, he does feel guilty however.
I stop focusing and can no longer hear the song behind everything, I get up and stretch before walking with my team to the missions desk.
As we walk through the streets of Konoha, Kanata tells us what he is going to do with his first few sets of money- mostly spend it on a violin, but also repairing his old one so he can keep it safe and as a relic rather than an instrument.
I don't need the song for me to understand there is sentimental value behind his love for music.
We reach the desk and Kurenai-sensei takes a mission for us, the chunin at the desk hands us a... hive managing mission?
As we walk out Kurenai-sensei fills us in on the details.
"The Aburame cn need us to manage a few hives they have- these kinds of missions are rare considering the manpower that cns usually have, so don't expect D-ranks like these are common, usually I would have you painting a fence or helping to rid a garden of weeds" Kurenai tells us.
"So what is 'managing a hive?'" Kanata asks
"I'm almost certain that doesn't mean anything at all- when we get there the cn will fill us in on the details, for example we could be helping to relocate the hive or perhaps securing the type of food a certain bug eats- or maybe even letting some of the chakra eating bugs have some food, that is the most common one as when training tracking bugs you want to give them a wide selection of chakra so they don't grow addicted to the users only and end up useless in tracking things" Kurenai-sensei expins to us and we reach the Aburame cns area, a few wide areas of nd with many hives and nests for bugs to grow and live in, the houses are just like the rest of Konoha.
...
Alright, lets start this mission.
Thanks for reading :)
