Rabbit and Master [Private/No Kill]

(Song I was listening to while writing. =o)

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It was raining. Dark and dreary, and yet it was still only the afternoon. As it poured, the mist seemed to grow even more thick than usual. Still possible to see and be seen, but it proved inconvenient for seeing far ahead.

"This weather... so nice..."

A boy moved through the mist at a slow, contemplating pace. He seemed in no rush, at peace with the world. His bright white jacket covered most of his upper body due to the fact the hood was also up and shrouding half of his face.

The hood was a rather strange sight, with large pieces attached drooping down that could only be described as looking like ears of a rabbit. The rain made them droop drastically, and so he walked looking like an animal kicked out by their master.

The katana at his side rattled as he walked, and pouches attached to his pants seemed full. He was clearly a ninja, but judging from his appearance and age, didn't seem a very experienced one. His walk put on a facade of confidence which could be broken in a moment, but at this moment, he didn't care.

He was perfectly content with his melancholic walk through a nearby park in Kirigakure. He would, after all, soon be assigned to a sensei for training. Who that would be, he could not even guess. He felt anxiety at the mere thought, but collected in his thoughts and in a trance, the world was but an illusion to him at this moment.

As he walked along a brick path, he began to grow a bit cold from the rain. He shivered his way to a large tree nearby and sat under it. Still with his hood on, he watched the sky's tears fall on the rest of the world. He felt at ease despite his cold... but also alone.

Yuudai was in his house lying down not being able to sleep. "Why haven't I been able to sleep lately, maybe I should go for a walk." Yuudai got up and wore his red gloves and his orange jacket and his dark red sneakers. Yuudai walked out his door and just walked into a random path wondering about how he is going to get a squad soon.

"It sure is rainy tonight even though it's usual for it to rain here but it's a little crazy tonight." Yuudai put his hood on to protect him from the rain and put his hands in his pocket to get all the warmth he could get.

Yuudai could see all the shops were closed and he rally needed food, he could hear his stomach growl loudly. He decided to go to a deserted park  to calm his head. "I shouldn't have gone outside without bringing a snack, I'm starving.."

"Now where is the closest park from here, I can barely see with all this rain." Yuudai went off into a deep mist and didn't know where he was. Yuudai kept walking forward in a bit fast pace to find something or someone.
Then he saw a big grassy area and some trees. "Might as well go over there." Yuudai just ran there at a moderate pace, as he got close he saw what appeared to be as a big rabbit. He thought to himself that either that's a weird creature or he's seeing things.

He reached there and he saw what he thought was a rabbit it looked like a kid. "Hey, you there what are you doing here all by yourself?" Yuudai said as he approached him.

The boy, still entranced by the cold paradise he considered the torrent hitting the village to be, was startled and suddenly jumped when he heard a voice call out to him. Looking at the ground, he could see a pair of legs approach him. He tensed up a bit, unsure what to do.

He found himself looking up, and saw a boy's observant gaze staring back into his own. By the time he had registered what was going on, he was pulling down on his hood harder, to the point where it almost looked more like a mask with how little of his face it revealed. The ears of his hood were touching the grass at this point.

"I hope he didn't see my face too well! Why would he come over here, anyway...?"

He scoured his thoughts, and then tried to calm himself down. He stopped tugging on his hood, but still kept it up so only his nose and mouth could be seen.

"I'm just... taking a walk. The rain relaxes me. I don't really talk to others so much, so I consider the rain my friend..."

He tensed up again after realizing what he had just said, and scrambled to make himself appear sane.

"Ah! Not that I'm completely alone. I mean... I guess the cats are nice sometimes. I've never really been bitten by a dog before, so they usually like me too... ah... and my parents are proud of me, too! So, I have plenty of friends!"

He tipped his hood up a little, revealing one of his pure blue eyes filled with curiosity, and stared at the boy.

"So, uhhh... what are you doing here?" he inquired.

Yuudai could see that the boy was nervous so he didn't want to appear aggressive. "You like being in this rain? Alright, and I just accidentally roamed off here thinking about the new squad I'm going to get." Yuudai approached close and removed his orange hood revealed his face and his bright burnt orange eyes and a smile.

Yuudai could see his tenseness in his blue eyes and could see he was a little frightened. Yuudai sat down in front of him with his legs crossed and his hands in his jacket's and he zipped up his jacket for warmth.

Yuudai looked up at the sky as it was filled with rain and mist as it was dropping on him rapidly. "I personally hate rain haha, but I can bare it."

Yuudai moved beside him slowly so it doesn't seem like he's going to pull something.

"So are you a shinobi?" Yuudai wondered if he was strong or if he was just beginning his path to a shinobi.

"And I'm Yuudai Kaguya, and you?" Yuudai extended his arm for a shake.

He noticed the boy get comfortable rather quickly, but he appeared nice. He had a certain... warming aura to him, at first impression.

The way he moved so slowly like a pedestrian trying not to make sudden movements and scare away a wild animal made him cringe. Did he really appear that brittle? He couldn't tell for sure, but that's what he got from this interaction.

He didn't move much, trying his best not to appear weird before the first person to seem legitimately interested in him in forever.

"Ah... yes, I am a Shinobi. But I just graduated from the Academy, so I'm not all that powerful... I only just barely got through the exams, to be honest." he muttered the last part and shrugged.

The boy introducing himself as Yuudai then extended his hand.

Rabbit boy extended his as well, hoping it wasn't a secret ploy to cut his hand off or something. That would probably be bad for both of them...

"I'm Lysero. Lysero, ummm... Lysero Takano." he spoke hesitantly. He didn't wish to divulge his true heritage to anyone, so he tried his best to carry the lie and hope he would be believed.

Lysero tried his best to change the subject, turning it back on him.

"So, are you a Jounin, then? You... don't really look as old as most, if you don't mind me saying."

OOC: Sorry for short post I was in a rush.


"Lysero..... You look more like a Marufuji, I'm gonna call you Maru." Yuudai was in a happy mood because he could tell he wasn't as tense.

"And the reason I don't look as old as regular Jounin is because I got appointed Jounin early." Yuudai stood up and stretched for a second and put his hood back on.

"I'll be right back." Yuudai ran off into the straight direction he came from in rapid speed. In a matter of minutes he reached back home, he got some food and took some food for when he is gonna be at the park and for Lyserno.

He ran back as fast as he could and got there around 6-7 minutes. "Want some food?" Yuudai asked as he gobbled down a sandwich and spoke with his mouth full.

Yuudai kept eating food but he did save a lot for Lyserno if he wanted any. Yuudai was full and had stopped eating, he seemed sleepy after having a big meal like that.

"Yum! That was delicious!" Yuudai said with a loud happy tone.

"Marufuji? What sense does that even make?"

He laughed a bit, but stopped when Yuudai stood up and began to take off, saying he would be right back.

Lysero was amazed at Yuudai's speed, but also worried that he wouldn't be back. As each minute passed, Lysero felt increasingly more worried that he had scared Yuudai off.

When he finally returned to the tree, Lysero uttered a silent sigh of relief.

"Why would you go that far to get food...?"

He was offered some, and at first he hesitated. He had been offered food by other kids in the past, and it never turned out well one way or another. They would throw the food on the ground at the last second, or pull it away, or even give it laxatives.

And yet, he found himself reaching out once more. Believing some people could still be willing to be friendly around him.

He grabbed a sandwich, and smiled; though from under his hood, it was impossible to see.

"Thank you..." he muttered, and began biting into the sandwich.

He quickly managed to tear his way through it, having not eaten much all day. The fact it came from someone other than his parents added to the special feeling it gave him.

There was a lot left, and Lysero was full from just the one sandwich. Yuudai seemed full as well. Things went a bit silent, which made the young Genin feel awkward.

"Say... why are you, ummm... being so nice to me, anyway? It's not very often that people come talk to me for reasons other than, well... I'm sure you can guess. Nobody takes me seriously with this hood on."

He sighed. He had a habit of getting depressing every now and again, even in happier situations.

"The main reason I decided to call you Maru is because.... Lysero sounds like a m-mouth.. wash, sorry." Yuudai said very hesitantly trying to avoid hurting his feelings.

Yuudai was really nervous saying that to a person who just graduated from the Ninja Academy.

"Sorry! I take that back that was really mean." Yuudai said as he was hoping he would accept his apology.

"I went that far to get food because if I starve I get really cranky." Yuudai said gobbling down burgers and pizza.

"You like it? I made it!" Yuudai said gobbling down more and more food. Yuudai

Yuudai got up and stretched and took a small walk making sure that Lysero could still see him. Yuudai got back around 3 minutes.

"Sorry I went off without telling ya but I just felt like I needed to." Yuudai said as he was coming back and sitting down.

"And why wouldn't I be nice to you? You are kinda alone and you just graduated from the Academy, you're officially a ninja! Be proud of yourself! And you don't have to be ashamed of the way you dress it's who you are, embrace it." Yuudai said trying to cheer him up.

"Mouth wash...?"

Lysero had been called many things in his time alive, but that was a first. He didn't know how to feel about it, so he sounded his name out in his head.

"Lysero..."

He giggled slightly. It really did kind of sound like that!

"Alright then," he smiled. "Call me what you want to. I'm fine with that."

Lysero was left to his thoughts once more once Yuudai left. He was glad that the boy kept coming back despite all the chances he had to abandon him. He felt... what was the word? Loyalty? Perhaps that was it.

When Yuudai returned, he continued to give him pep talk. He felt bad, making his discomfort with others so obvious that he'd obtain the sympathy of others. "Thanks."

After a while longer of sitting at the tree, the rain began to become less concentrated. Lysero had a poker face clearly defined on his features, and looked at the ground pelted by falling water.

"I really like the rain... it gives me a feeling of nostalgia and I don't know why. It's just..."

He stood up and went out from under the tree. He took his hood off, the rainwater trickling down his clothes and hair freely.

"I feel so strong with this weather around. It's like whatever god exists up there favors my existence so long as I'm wrapped in this cold embrace... I just want to feel this way all the time, without the need for this weather. I just want to feel..."

He looked up at the clouded and troubled skies, feeling a warmth of a sort in his heart. He was totally entranced, and in a way completely overtaken by the beauty of the sight before him. His shyness had vanished, if even for one brief moment, in the sanctuary of solitude before him.

"...Strong."

"You like rain that much? It's like your best friend haha." Yuudai said also getting up.

Yuudai patted his head getting together the words he is about to say.

"You wanna be strong? I know exactly how you feel so I'll help you out here. I'll make you as strong as I can in as many years it takes." Yuudai said smiling hoping he would say yes because he took a particular liking to him.

Yuudai walked forward focusing on the rain and truly feeling how it felt to see how he visions it.

"So this is rain?"

"Never thought of it this way, I understand how you feel about rain. I just thought of it in deep thought, if you accept my proposal I think I know how I would train you." Yuudai said extending his arms to the rain closing his eyes.

"Though, you should head home it's getting really late and you're on a Genin, your parents' will be worried." Yuudai said as he let himself to the ground face up as he was sleeping.

"Go on home, I'll stay here for a while." Yuudai said barely falling asleep.

Lysero looked to Yuudai with his eyes glimmering with wonder.

"You would... train me? I don't really know what to say. I don't even have my squad yet, but..."

He thought a moment. Saying yes would mean he may possibly have two leaders to follow. Is that even allowed in the village? He didn't know. Either that, or it meant he would be meeting his squad leader earlier than most. Saying no would result in life probably continuing as it did. He'd spend countless more days and nights wallowing and wailing and wishing for change. To him, the risk seemed worth the reward, and so his answer was...

"...Yes. I want power. To become something more, you know? Something better than one of many. I want to stand out in a way that others can rely on me, and count on me to see a fight through. I would be glad to learn from you."

When Yuudai pointed out the time, Lysero had only just realized how much had truly passed. He could begin to see the stars coming out. Not a good sign. His parents would definitely be worried for him at this point.

"Ah, you're right! I should get going. I'll, umm.... I'll see you later!"

He began running, and eventually out of the park. As he ran down the streets of Kirigakure towards his home, and though hard to see through the fog and the rain, there was a rare sight coming from the boy.

A genuine smile.

[Exit]

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1683 words

+160 Ryo