This Bar Ain't Big Enough For The 4 of Us!

Tired, Hungry, Hot...Just a few words to describe how Wan felt on the inside. He'd been at this for months: Constantly roaming the country borders in search of some false hope that'll guide him towards a more heavenly look towards the world in which he lived. He had no permanent place to lay his head at night, being thankful for any residence he was offered during his travels. Sweat poured down the back and sides of the Senju as he traversed a very desolate and dry region, causing his body to glisten in the sun as rays shined down reflecting off of his skin. His facial expression showed no signs of aggravation, exhaustion or even worry. Mentally he was stable enough to endure these harsh conditions, just as he endured the arctic chill of winter during its appropriate times. Wan was more disciplined than the average man, both mentally, physically and emotionally. He walked with his head held high as he slowly marched throughout this deserted wasteland, just roughly an hour from a small town that was marked on a map he kept in his backpack slung loosely around his left shoulder. The red scarf swayed freely as minor breezes of air would swoop the terrain, relieving Wan of the heat that swarmed his body momentarily. As he walked, he constantly thought about how different the countries seemed to have become following their civil disputes and minor battles. Time certainly did not seem to wait for anyone as a change was constantly happening around him. 

Caught up in his train of thoughts Wan reached the outskirts of a small town before he even realized it. The sun was nearly blinding him from the position it sat, but upon closer inspection, he later laid eyes on a small old-fashion looking town with only roughly 7 buildings total. There was a clear narrow opening that ran straight through the middle of the establishment, with the buildings lined on both sides as a water well sat directly in the middle. The people who seemed to inhabit this region wore turbans on their heads to shelter them from the heat and all wore long white gowns fashioned for both the male and female gender. They moved around socializing, some doing minor work such as pumping water from the well to take to another location, basically just doing what they normally would do. As he made his way along the road, the  Senju was an instant eye-candy to the natives. They could tell that he was not of their homeland, but they could not tell him intentions. He continued to walk with his hands in both his pockets, his eyes shifting left to right as he analyzed his surroundings. Although they stood and watched every move he made, their progress in their daily activities did not stop, with most of them resuming what they were doing after seeming to find out that this stranger had no bad intentions of coming here, at least not instantly. His eyes laid heed to a small ram-shacked building with the word 'Saloon' spelled wrong on the window. He let out a small scoff as he made his way over to the parlor, pushing back the swinging doors with one hand as the smell of liquor, feces and horrible food hit his nose as he entered.

The inside of the Saloon seemed like an entirely different location apart from the surroundings outside. It made Wan question why he received such dirty looks as he stepped into this town's borders, as the people gathered in here looked more-so like outsiders such as himself. As he looked around, the building seemed to be quiet packed with people who seemed to hail from all parts of the world. There were some Shimagakure natives here, in which he could tell by their natural appearance and there were some natives of Kiri around, this becoming an accurate statement as he notices an older friend from his younger days running the streets. The man was sitting just in front of Wan on a bar stool, seeming to be ordering another drink from how intoxicated his voice sounded as Wan walked over to him. "Give me....another round of Sake!", the rather large and drunk man thundered as he struggled to keep his balance on the small stool that holstered his massive weight. Wan reached the back of the man just in time it seemed, as he grabbed the man by his shoulder to stop him from falling as the liquor seemed to get the best of him before even receiving his next round of happy-juice. "Kobo, is this you?", Wan asked as a small smile shone across his face as he looked his childhood friend in his eyes. The man was caught off guard, of course, by such a 'random' encounter by someone who seems to know who he is. It took a minute, quite literally an entire minute, for the alcohol's effect to soon wear off enough for his memory to remember who this man who just saved him from breaking the floor was. "Wan? Wan is that you, Wan?!", Kobo said with an excited tone, holding down liquor as it seemed to want to surface as he tried his best to jog his brain on who Wan was. "Well I'll be damned, it is you, you old bastard!", Kobo laughed as he playfully punched Wan in his chest. Shrugging off the playful hit, Wan laughed as he finishes re-introducing himself to an old friend, eventually taking a seat next to him as Kasobo orders another drink for Wan while they catch up on old times.

[WC: 941]

As music and the laughter of cheerful drunks filled the Saloon, Wan sat with his arms folded alongside the bar table as he caught up with Kobo, his early childhood friend. It's been many years since the two have last seen each other, and both were rather curious about why they ended up meeting so distant from their motherland. "You're a long way from home, Wan, I'll give you that. Last time I saw you, you were at least 2 years younger. Back when I and you first started asking shinobi in Kiri to train our secret techniques. I still have those cigars you stole from that one guy in the village!", Kobo laughed while patting his large belly, his voice erupting with a rasp to it as the rather large man clears his throat. "You wouldn't happen to have any cigars on you now, would you?", the Akimichi joked at Wan, already knowing that the Senju never smoked, only stealing the cigars back then to sell to a black market auctioneer for food.  Wan chuckles at the request, quickly reminiscing on how he was one of the best thieves in Kiri during his younger years. The project areas riddled with poverty were saved by him and his stealing back then, bringing in an income that he used to help further the education of both him and those close to him. "Nah man... I haven't even touched anything with intent to still ever since I went rogue.", Wan replies, wishing that he did, knowing that the power it has to relieve some of the needs he carries while suddenly living such a strict and stern lifestyle. 

He wouldn't dare involve himself in such a risky and rather low-paying 'occupation'(at least, for those who are starting it is), and he looking for a way to earn a solid income other than having to take what he needed by force. "That's right man, you're a missing ninja in Kiri, hell, probably the whole world by now. You're just a kid still, Wan, your parents were worried sick.", answered back Kobo. He looks Wan up and down, noticing how much has changed since he last saw him, noticing how more and mature Wan had become both physically and mentally. Wan's presence almost seemed to cancel out the intoxication of Kobo, allowing for them to have a more-so clearer conversation than the occasional babbling bullshit you'd commonly get from someone whose 6 Sake shots in. Wan began to feel a slight buzz too after having his 2nd shot, provided free of charge by Kobo. The two continued their chat as the saloon was filled and emptied simultaneously, as those who were ready to leave left and those who were coming to get drunker than a skunk arrived.

Kobo grew interested in hearing Wan's tale of going rogue and living out alone, especially at such a young age. After Wan expressed how he refused to serve Kiri as a nation, being that his parents were not natives to it anyways, Kobo still couldn't grasp the idea of why Wan would choose such a harder lifestyle than the one that they were provided. "Couldn't have been me, Wan.", said Kobo as he downed another shot. Those words, 'Couldn't have been me', always pissed Wan off. He clutched the small glass of sake in his hand harder as his mind echoed that phrase over and over. To him anytime someone told him "Couldn't have been me", that was the equivalent of them calling him a bitch. He finished what would be his last shot of Sake, and looked at Kobo with a stern and amused look. "You're right, it couldn't have been you. You're not a Senju, so you wouldn't understand the cause of such a mindset, to begin with, giving that I doubt you tightened up on any of our village's clans history at a minimum. I chose to run because I wanted to do so, not because I was forced, or felt obligated to do so.", said Wan with a voice that thundered as a lion declaring his throne to the jungle. "I am not a follower of common practices of the Senju. If they choose to remain 'peaceful' with those in which revolted against their people, then so be it. They'll know how I feel about the whole situation one day.". Shocked by such a testament coming from both his friend and someone who was a Senju themself, Kobo was caught off guard and left with his mouth wide open as he swallowed his pride and nodded in acceptance to Wan. Wan cracked his neck and averted his attention to the barmaid coming towards him, calmly refusing another drink after she asks to refill his shot. A brief moment of silence overlaps the duo after such a valiant statement was made.

Suddenly, the music of the saloon was cut off abruptly, as the sound of metal clashing against wooden boards arose from behind them, near the entrance of the saloon. Maybe the time had come for Wan to back up his fearless words with action since the atmosphere began to reek of trouble.  

[WC: 860]

As the music came to an immediate halt, the entire saloon itself grew silent as the noise of metal clanged against the wooden floorboards. Everyone at the bar averted their attention towards the entrance, while Wan remained in his same position without a flinch. He began to feel the effects of the alcohol now, a feeling that he can easily distinguish since it's such a scarce one known to him, given that he only drinks whenever an adult sneaks him a shot. There was a mirror in front of him, behind the bar that extended the entire length of the wall it was mounted on, covered slightly by the countless variety of liquor available for those who chose to purchase. The footsteps got closer as Wan looked into the mirror in front of him, verifying what was causing the sudden change in the previously happy-go-lucky atmosphere. Three men had entered the saloon, all wearing what seemed to be armor fit for the region they were in Camo Veils wrapped around their heads leaving only their eyes visible, presumably to block out all the dust and sand constantly swirling throughout the air. They wore matching camo leggings with makeshift, uh...honestly Wan didn't couldn't tell what kind of 'shoe' they were wearing. Did it look like fur, with a small piece of metal laced around the entirety of it to provide some form of stability? Truthfully, they looked like something from a cheap budget movie filmed somewhere along the outskirts of Konoha, and the one-shoulder pad laced with spiked worn by the guy in the middle didn't help with their 'Menacing' appearance if that was their goal. Although their faces were almost fully hidden from the Veils they wore, the one in the middle had a noticeable scar that ran from his forehead, over his eye, and down his cheek. Wan assumed that this must've been the 'head' of the group, being that he was the only one who looked as if he posed a great threat.

"Well, well, well...somebody told us we'd find a Senju down in one of 'our' saloons.", the rather large in muscle man who stood in the middle of the group said. All three men finally reached a stopped just a few feet from where Wan and Kobo sat. "They didn't tell me that it would be a fucking kid.", said the man as he rested the palm of his hand against the hilt of the saber-like broadsword fastened along his belt-loop. Kobo had shifted his body to look the three men in their faces personally, while Wan chose to only use the mirrors viewpoint as a means of viewing the assailants. The moment they said his clan's name, he knew why they were here, knowing that this wasn't going to turn out to be one big happy Kirigakure reunion. Training his morality to such high senses, Wan had almost complete control over his 'dark side', yet he could barely resist the urge to laugh the guy in his face for wearing camouflage in the middle of the desert, let alone having a single shoulder-pad as protection. That was honestly the liquor in him talking, hell, he was in no position to judge someone's choice of armor. Wan was a kid, barely big enough to fit the Kimono he wore. He was in no position to make fun of these men, who had obviously heard of his arrival somehow and was most likely seeking his body. He heard tales of both the Uchiha and Senju being hunted for their KKG, people willing to make any and all odds meet just to get their hands on the smallest amount of DNA. Either way he chose to see the current situation, it was clear that these guys were not leaving until they got what they came for. Licking his lips to aid the dryness that had settled on them, Wan slowly rotates the swiveling bar stool around, leaning back with his arms on the bar stand as his eyes finally lock with the head of the three bandits.

"How do we know it's his cap? He's just a kid, I can't even feel a decent chakra reading on the brat.", said the short, stubby bandit who stood to the left of the one with the facial scar. Wan could only assume the third of the bunch didn't know the proper dialect since all that was uttered was a grunt in response to his ally matching Wan to the description they had. "So they are assuming that I'm the person they are looking for." Wan thought to himself as he analyzed the situation in his thoughts. By their statements, he was able to conclude that they weren't here for their reasons but were sent by someone in a higher position than themselves to find him. These were just some henchmen for someone who knew a kid, possibly a Senju would be in this area and wanted him for some reason in which he did not know. By way of just being human, Wan has his fair share of both good and bad deeds, just as everyone else has, favoring to believe that his good deeds outweigh his bad ones by a decent percentage. He could only assume that these men were like the hunters he heard about who go around hunting people for their KKG. "Come on...how often do you hear of a kid who looks like that belonging down here. You might not smell it, but I can smell the wood on this kid a mile away.", the head of the bandit trio proclaimed. He made a few steps forward until he was close enough to Wan to feel the air exiting his nose on his head, positioning his body over Wan's as he looks down at the young Senju.

"A little birdy told me that a run-away Senju was making his way throughout our side of Wind Country, most likely heading towards Suna. Now, I don't know exactly if that's you, but I've been here all my life. Not once have I seen someone as pale and odd-looking as you around here, let alone someone who looks like a Senju for the most part. Not many kids around to begin with, so I assume that Senju I heard of is you?", the man mocked Wan as he awaited his response. Looking up at the man from where he sat, he gave the man a cold stare the entire time he talked, not once flinching or showing signs of fear the man hoped to evoke by telling him that he had been watched for a few months now. "You are late, to be honest.", Wan said as he quickly glared at the two men who stood next to this bad-breathed hooligan. "I didn't come here to looking for trouble. I was just traversing the lands as I normally do when I decided to take a rest here, and ended up finding a long lost friend inside.", he said as he looked at Kobo, who was flushed with pure panic. Going to Suna was apart of his plan, but he dared not let these men know that they were right with any of their assumptions. Kobo shook his head frantically as if telling Wan to not mention him or his name, in which Wan quickly picked up on the vibes. "Kobo knows that these guys mean trouble. Probably some punks who do this shit often, or at least, whenever they are lucky enough to." Keeping his composure, he turns his head back to meet the stare of the man, who within the 5 seconds of Wan looking Kobo's direction has fully unsheathed his Dao, holding the blade of it to Wan's cheek as the crowd of civilians gathered in the saloon gasp at the man's action. "I didn't fucking ask you about your little 'reunion', okay? All I asked was if we had the right kid or not. It seems as if you were getting ready to go.", he says as the formation of a slight grin formed from underneath the veil the man wore. "This guy's cocky.", Wan thought to himself, recognizing the grin as a sign of dominance, a sign this man who drew his blade on him definitely should not be asserting. Gently and effortlessly lifting his right arm slightly, Wan points with his index finger towards the scar on the man's face, dropping his hand in its relaxed position shortly after making is slick remark. "Somebody did you the same way you're doing me, huh? That's how you got that scar?", Wan said sarcastically with all seriousness ad the man's eye could be seen trying to look out its corner to the location of the scar. This must've pissed the man off, as he pulled back on his sword with haste, causing a very minuscule and painless cut that dripped a tiny amount of blood. The man sheathed his blade again, and as soon as it was fully sheathed the other two men stepped loser, cornering Wan between the three of them as he still sat on the barstool. "You seem to think this is some 'joke'. We'll see how real this gets once we take you back to the Doctor. We'll see if we got the right kid once I get my hands on some of that Wood style I hear you Senju are blessed with!" Wan raised an eyebrow as the last part of that sentence given by the man confused him. "You're going to take me and use my body to gain my clan's specialty? I will not allow such a thing to occur.", he said as he straightened his posture on the stool to an upright position, both hands resting freely between his thighs as his arms rested on them.

This conversation had gone on far too long, especially since Wan was a man of action, along with diplomacy. He rose from the bar-stool, causing the man to take a few steps back as the space around him was filled. Wan stood looking up at the faces of the three-man, looking the head of the trio in his eyes before starting all three. "Now, I'm not one for all of this", he says while clapping his fingers against his thumb, mimicking a dog barking, "talk about what I will and will not do. As I said, I was just about to leave and leave I shall. Now, if you'd just excuse me, you can all just go back and tell your 'Doctor' that you got the wrong kid, or, if you're not scared, just let him know that you found me but weren't able to successfully bring me back. With that being said,", Wan said as he began to push himself past the trio, before being stopped by the men forming a shoulder-to-shoulder wall, with the stubby one rushing over to the entrance to guard it. "I don't think you get it, kid.", said the scarred thug, "The only way you're leaving is if we escort you back to the Doctor. You don't get to make decisions around here.". Wan let out a gust of air, followed by a sigh to show his dissatisfaction with their requests. "No, I get it, trust me I do. As I said, I'm leaving, whether you like it or not. Now, I'm only going to ask you one time to please move out of my way. If not,", Wan says before pointing to the man who didn't seem capable of speech, "his head,", as he makes his final gesture towards the main thug, "is going up your ass. Now I'm only going to ask this once, okay? Will you please step out of the way, kind sir?". A brief moment of silence overlapped them all as Wan could only assume they failed to process what he said seriously. They laughed after he finished proclaiming his future before reaching to grab Wan by his arms, hoping to detain him since he seemed to not be complying with their orders. At this very moment Wan's arm flew up with haste, and with almost instantaneous movement, he lowered his body's center of gravity to avoid the reach of the arm, while extending his own to grab the legs of the man and flip him in the air, causing him to gain minor airtime before he hits the ground on his stomach hard. Shocked by what just happened, the other thug threw a punch at Wan, hoping to connect, which he soon realized wouldn't as his fist was grabbed by the Senju. As he stared the Senju in his eyes, Wan looked up at the adult, the man's fist caught in his hand as he seemed to use little effort to keep the attack at bay. "I did give you a chance, sir.", Wan says with empathy, right before he takes his other hand and wraps it tightly around the man's neck. Pulling the man over towards the other thug laying in pain and confusion, Wan pushes down on the man, causing him to fall to his knees while maintaining a tight grip around his neck. Silence overlapped the whole bar for roughly just 5 seconds, before the sound of flesh tearing and screams of disgust and fear rung throughout the saloon. Wan kept his promise to the man, and after a few moments of dusting his hands off, the two-man get up from their position, looking like a science experiment gone wrong. Wan had quite literally shoved the man's head up the others hoot-nanny. This was without a doubt the first time in the history of such a gruesome outcome to a situation. 

[WC: 2,287]

The sounds of people vomiting, screaming, and calling for their God for salvation thundered throughout the small building Senju found himself in. He had given the three men harassing him 2 options previously: Either allow for him to exit peacefully, or have the head of one of them showed up the ass of another. Unfortunately, they didn't believe that 'Lard was greasy', an old street saying Senju picked up on back in his younger days that was used whenever someone didn't truly believe the outcome of a situation, even if it was proven to them beforehand. Some people never learn, and won't believe obvious things, which was the case for these thugs right before they found themselves looking like a mutated, demonic there were no words to describe the sight everyone laid their eyes upon. An honest word for it would be disgusting, which it quiet was, but anyone in their right minds wouldn't dare pick a fight with the seemingly lunatic Senju. It served them right: every ounce of pain they felt from becoming conjoined was well deserved for the countless lives these punks have most likely tormented. Their screams were horrendous, as they stumbled around to regain their balance, they quickly flee the scene to save their life from further destruction, which would've been dead if they chose to continue their confrontation with child. As they leave the saloon through means of falling clumsily from the window, they leave nothing but their short and stubby friend at the entrance of the saloon, his pants now filled with piss from wetting himself after watching the fate of his comrades.



After Senju watches the two 'Assholes' (no pun intended) leave the establishment, his gaze is immediately locked on to the last remaining bandit in the room. The short bandit is still standing by the entrance, trembling in place as fear had already elapsed his body the moment he saw the strength shown by such a small kid. He drops his weapon to the ground and takes to his knees as Wan makes his way closer to his location. "P-please! I'm just the small guy, they forced me to come along with them! I didn't even know who we were looking for until we were outside the Saloon!", he cries to Senju. His pleas for mercy were useless since Wan had no intention of ending the man's life. The power to evoke fear is the greatest tool a shinobi can wield, as Wan believed. "Nobody can force you to do anything. You came on your own free will, so cut the bullshit.", says Wan. He takes a bar stool and stands on top of it, right in front of the guy to make sure that he stood over him, a representation of what they thought would happen to Wan. "You guys said your 'Doctor' sent you here, right? Where's he at?", asks the Senju sternly. A look of panic rushed the face of the bandit, "I...I can't tell you! The Doctor said the hideout is to remain super hidden, if anyone was to find out where he hangs it'll probably be the end of him!". Wan raises his brow, then quickly grips the neck of the stubby guy. "If you were going to bring me back to him, then I would've known where he was anyways. I hope you don't think I would've allowed you to blindfold me. Now, I'll ask you one more time...", Wan exerts while tightening his grip around the man's next, "Where is this hideout located?". The man begins to piss himself even more, even shitting on himself before beginning to cry like a grown-ass baby. "It's...it's 20 miles west! Just on the outskirts of the town where we first spotted you! The only way in is to get one of the citizens there to notify the 'Doctor', he's got that place wrapped around his finger! Now please, let me-", before the man could finish his sentence, he was rendered unconscious the moment his head made contact with the wooden wall behind him. He isn't dead, but he'll be out for a few hours.



Looking down at the man he knocked out, he looks back at Kobo, who has his mouth opened in shock, then looks around at the bystanders who watched the entire confrontation go down. At first, the stillness of the saloon was present, then a single clap could be heard, followed by another, and yet the next. Eventually, the entire saloon was filled with applause, claps, and whistles ringing throughout the surroundings as praise was given towards young Wan for his deeds. At first, he was caught off guard by the recognition he was receiving, but eventually lightened up and dawned a smile while waving at various applauders, thanking them for thanking him. Kobo rushes over to him, as fast as his weight would allow, and hugs Wan before picking him up in the air twirling him around. "God damn, Wan, that was amazing!", said Kobo, "I didn't think you had grew so strong. You handled yourself well!". The woman from behind the bar responded after him, cleaning off the shot glasses that they had drank from, "Yea, we've been having problems with The Doctor and his gang for months. Nobody around here has had the balls to stand up and tell him 'no', let alone get physical with them. They would've probably looked around the saloon for any other Kekke Genkai if you weren't here.". He looks over the shoulder of Kobo at the woman, before asking to be put down. "So the Doctor has been hunting down bloodlines? I'm happy I was able to help you guys out, but until someone deals with him I don't think all of your problems are over." The Senju's statement must've demoralized the crowd a bit, as the cheering suddenly ended. He felt the vibes change and immediately looked for a way to uplift the people. He walks over to the bar and picks up his backpack, slinging it over his left shoulder as usual as he walks past Kobo and to the entrance. He stands at the doorways and inhales deeply, feeling refreshed as the air courses through his lungs before exhaling. "Rest assured, I'll be putting an end to all of this. You have my word." As he finishes his declaration, he takes his first step from the saloon, reaching the streets once again as the cheers of the citizens ring loudly again, hearing nothing but "Wan! Wan! Wan! Wan! Wan!" as he walks along the path in which he first arrived in this location along.



As the sounds of his name being cheered begin to die down, Wan makes his way back in the direction in which he came, heading 20 miles west to the slightly larger town he visited a few months back, in search of this bloodline hunter known as 'The Doctor' to put a stop to his radical terrorism of this side of the country borders. 

[WC: 1,166]

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TOTAL THREAD WC: 5,254

CLAIMS:

•Claiming 2,500wc towards Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees
•Claiming 2.000wc towards Chakra Sensory
•Claiming 754wc towards Suiton: Exploding Shock Wave (754/1,750)
•Claiming 52 Stats, +33 Chakra, +10 Speed, +9 Stamina

Approved.