A leaf on the road

The road between Konoha and Tanzuka town was one that was well maintained.  The two weren’t far from each other, and the various businesses in the town offered a decent amount of foot traffic no matter the time of day or night.  Along the way merchants, shinobi, civilians, messages, whatever you could imagine you could see.  While they walked Maku would keep up an ongoing commentary of all the things he’d seen and done while Youka was asleep.  Filling him in on the majority of the world affairs as he knew them, which was to be fair very little.  He also went ahead and recapped his time as Raikage, however short lived it had actually been.  It was a title that felt odd to him, not one he thought of very often.  He’d merely been acting to keep the charade going, to be the face while Youka battled his internal demon that got the best of him for a very long time.  No, if he would claim any leadership it would of been of Yukigakure, though even that one had been tainted with failure.  It seemed anytime he took leadership, he sucked the life out of the place.  His precense initially would bolster wherever he was, but then it was like the place couldn’t keep up, thus it’s energies drained away feeding him; but gaining nothing.

A lot of depressing thoughts he realized, but what else could one think about.  What was the road for other than contemplating the vast journeys that one had followed through.  No, it was good, it was a reminder of why they were here, and what they were doing.  As he considered this, he looked over at his clones friend.  He wondered, what would Youka have done if he arrived to a place that Maku was leading.  Would he have found his own status wanting and exacted the same type of judgment that he had before?  He thought likely so, if he was being honest with himself.  In fact that very thing had occurred, though thinking back he wasn’t sure what all had led to that confrontation.  Youka was a man that had often been plagued by voices or entities within his mind.  A prospect of a troubled childhood no doubt.  Back then he’d called himself the demon, and there had been one mask in particular that Maku had blamed for that one.  Yet he didn’t see any trace of that in him now.

Then he’d come to fight; just to fight.  He wanted confrontation, and Maku was a clear target due to their history.  The outcome of that fight had been decided in but a few moments, with Maku victorious thanks to a quick maneuver.  A time when the blade had rested and fit so comfortably in his hands.  His hand moved over his knife, that was about the only length of metal he’d use anymore.  Even then, if it required him to pull a blade then things had gone incredibly wrong. Letting it go, he’d place his hands back in his pockets whistling as the walked.  As they continued he’d strike up conversations with a variety of folks that we’re heading the same direction.  He’d continue to fill out his story of being a mercenary always looking for work, and talk about the rough times on the road.  His papers were shown at different checkpoints and he’d consistently made it through.  Youka’s was much the same.  His story revolves around being a more decrepit man where as Maku’s evolved around still working.  Both however were documented to be from Old Takigakure.  A place impossible to go fact check from now.

Adjusting the armor his mind now moved to Takigakure, another village he had lived in and though he could hardly be blamed for sucking that one dry, he still always felt the smallest of pangs.  Not so much of guilt, but something closer to “what ifs”. What if he’d stayed, what if he’d rose to leadership and helped the place.  All these things were what ifs and in truth if his own actual adventures as leader where something to go by, the outcome would not of been all that different.  His stories he’d written, the bases of his disguise all off a dream he had had still rolled through his brain.  Though he had tried hard, the words no longer would come to the page.  Not sense his last attempt, his work of what came next in the story…..perhaps nothing came next.  Maybe that was where the inspiration ended, or maybe….what was going on in the realm of reality was causing the block.  He’d be unable to move forward in his story, until he made a concrete decision and moved forward in life as well.  A nice thing to think, though it was possibly just waffle as well.  

Ahead, the trees where growing thicker, a clear sign that their destination was nearing, closer and closer by the step.  He’d visited a couple times before.  The first time he had spent a decent amount of time, the second and third had been brief flashes.  Discussion with Jason, forming of deals that never saw the light of day.  It would be interesting to see the place again, to see what changed, and to see what hadn’t.  It’s occupation by Kirigakure had come as a surprise in some ways and then again not.  If Xyxer had truly committed to his craft of war, he doubted many could ever hope to stop him.  So, in that way it made sense.  Still, such a thing didn’t bode as well if Youka was listing in his ledger.  No doubt he would feel that that was unforgivable.  Though Maku wasn’t so sure.  He’d sent the names of the deputy and hokage to Hook, though he may have already known them.  A Senju; and some clan he wasn’t familiar with.  Though if the later was a clan of power, he did not know.  So many names, so many clans, so much to know and so much he didn’t care about.  

His brother had been the man with the plan jn relation to bloodlines and their abilities.  In truth he’d never even read his book fully, instead merely flipping around to learn about random pieces of whatever caught his fancy.  Perhaps it was a waste, but it was what it was in that regard.  That very book was tucked away carefully on his back in the large knapsack that was starting to dig into his shoulders.  Thankfully the shoulder protector kept at least some of the dead weight from digging in too much.  

Pulling Youka off the side of the road he would convince the man to take a short break.  Their walk had taken the better part of the morning, and the noonday sun hung hot overhead.  Unpacking a small amount of food he’d prepared for a picnic, he would have a seat in the grass, enjoying it.  In truth, this should not be the last good meal he had.  If everything went as it was supposed to, there would be no fighting, no disagreements, and it would be smooth sailing.  That was the hope and dream in his mind anyway.  

If that was to happen or not, we’ll that wasn’t something he could really control.  Prepare for every outcome and you’ll never be surprised…..or simply fly by the seat of your pants for any situation, and you always had a plan:….no…..he was sure one of those was the correct saying, just not confident which.  Youka would barely touch his food, but the meal would conclude with a run through of their eventual plan.  All conversation well away from anyone or anything that could be listening.  Though even if someone was to listen they’d be dissapointed in what they heard.  Maku was in charecter, he was Taki Maki, former jonin and he spoke as such.  There conversation revolving around arriving and finding work, offering their aid in anyway they could.  In truth, this was what he was hoping for anyway.  To see the people, to measure it, to work for them and find out for himself how things were done and how they would continue to be done, so his acting didn’t have to be top tier, it just had to be careful.

Packing up the meal they would return to the road, blending in with the traffic that continued to flow towards Konohagakure.  At their pace, they were set to arrive by late afternoon.  This too had been sort of the plan.  Arriving early in the morning felt off, mostly because he hated getting up early.  Arriving late in the day or night also was suspicious and likely to bear no fruit.  Instead he had decided, a simple arrival of late evening blending in with the mercantile crowd was their best bet to get anything done.  Yep, all easy going.  


Exit 

Twc - 1480

Claims

+1480 towards rinnegan, which brings me to 50k, so removing another month from the wait time.  New date is 6/18


https://www.narutoroleplaygame.com/t52728-settling-in#397959
https://www.narutoroleplaygame.com/t52691-ever-forwardtravel#397733

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