No Strings on Me [Private]

Satori was relaxing in the library. It wasn’t that unheard of for the large feral boy, in fact, many had been surprised to see him there constantly. The reason for this is simple: he didn’t learn enough in class. He never did. Soaking up information like a sponge, Satori practically devoured every lesson and memorized it casually. Perhaps due to his intellect, but also due to his raw motivation, something that many had never even seen before. His work ethic put many adult shinobi to shame.

Even when Satori wasn’t working himself to the bone, he was improving himself in some other way. Resting included reading manuals on medical and ninjutsu techniques. Herbology and chemistry. Even puppetry, though he had no interest in it. But that didn’t mean it didn’t pay to know about it. The more he pushed himself to learn the more strategies he would have against the opposition in the future.

Currently, the lanky boy was looking through a manual in regards to molding chakra specifically into the elementless form. He had a theory in regards to using chakra to amplify his body internally, in order to emit sound waves. But it was still a debatable technique at the moment, and therefore required further study in detail. He also had to improve his chakra control, but his mother had forced him to take a two-day break from Ninjutsu due to the strain his chakra network was suffering through.

He could still hear her complaining that his chakra network was still adjusting to his clans chakra, and how he couldn’t push himself so hard. Satori understood that, but it was a damn annoyance at the same time. The drive he felt to push past this early stage as an Academy Student was painful in many ways. His goals were all far beyond this, but because his body and chakra were still developing, he was being held back.

A sigh passed the boys lips, and the book closed with a lick click as his crimson eyes lifted. Glancing around the library curiously as he heard the door open.

The smell of old books and scrolls wafted through the air as Minami darted through the halls of the Academy. Many of the kids had left for the day, while a few meandered in small packs; those were the ones who could be dangerous if you were too much of an outsider. That said, Minami managed to stay under their radar for the most part. Her glasses reflected the fading light of day through the windows as she moved.

Weaving her way through the crowd was surprisingly easy for the girl. She chalked it up to dumb luck at times, but still blushed at the praise she could muster from her sensei at times. Minami’s most self conscious moments in the Academy had come from her lack of knowledge of the ninja life. She was born to a merchant family of artisans, after all. Playing catch up was still embarrassing at times, though she’d grown past that phase fortunately. Sure, some of the other kids had a bit of a head start but she’d be damned if she let that get her down too much. The way Minami saw it, it merely left room for improvement.

Of course in order to catch up, the girl found herself putting more time in than the average student was likely to. Nightly target practice with her senbon, going over chakra channeling with her hand sign memorization, even shakily tackling her water-walking and tree climbing were all things that Minami had fought tooth and nail to do; her mother would’ve been happier if she’d stayed home and learned the trade or the technique of sewing a bit better, but her middle daughter had been surprisingly stalwart in standing up to her about her life path. She didn’t need to prove herself to her peers or even really herself, but to her family? That was where the pressure started to creep in. Sometimes it felt like a small miracle and not a wounded dog that she’d even made it this far in all honesty.

The books and scrolls in her side satchel were practically spilling out as she bounced through the library door, earning a side-eye from the librarian. He was a slightly balding man, maybe a chunin or jounin? Minami still couldn’t identify the differences in rank on sight. She bobbed her head in a small bow before shuffling her haul from the week prior across the table to him.

“Excuse me sir, but could you point me towards the best books on chakra manipulation techniques?” Minami’s cheeks were reddened from her earlier exertion, her hair precariously still caught in her pigtails.

“Over there.” He said, motioning to a back corner that seemed to be currently occupied. Minami’s mouth twisted for a moment as she spotted the large boy before giving a huff. Who was he again? He wasn’t in her class, but he was so distinctive. Those facial piercings...like a villain from Lady Snowheart! That was all fiction, of course, but mental images of the kid leading a barbarian band down from the mountains and eating everything in their path filled her head briefly before she dismissed it with a chuckle.

She traipsed over to the stacks near him and began her search, eyes lighting upon her prize.

“A-ha!” Minami’s voice, triumphant with glee, was stifled in mild shame as she recalled that she was in public.

Satori allowed a single blink to form as the girl that had entered squeaked suddenly. An arch of his brow was all he could initially offer before his gaze slid toward the book she was eying. It was one he had recently finished, from his stack that was currently complete. A low hum filled his chest, more a rumble than anything before his hand lifted. The light glinting off the tips of his claws as he grasped the book carefully, before offering it to her with a slight smile.

"Looking into chakra manipulation as well, hm?" The boy asked simply, despite his rough appearance speaking clearly and concisely as his thumb trailed along the spine of the book carefully. A wide, friendly smile formed on his lips, large teeth flashing from the same beam of sunlight his pearly white claws had caught.

"I'm Satori Ryuutei, nice to meet you, I think you're in Riku-chan's class, class E, right?" Curiously examining her, his nose twitched once. She smelled different from Riku. Riku smelled of floral scents, herbs, and embalming fluids. Medicinal scents. This one smelled of materials. Wood shavings, oils, the faint scent of metal. A low hum filled his chest once more as he handed the book over to her.

"Are you a craftsman?" he inquired curiously, brilliant crimson eyes blinking once in curiosity. His tone friendly and relaxed as he would lower his hand, voice at a relatively low level. Enough to be heard, but not disturb the rest of the room.

Her cheeks had stained briefly, but as the boy commented on chakra manipulation before passing the book and introducing himself Minami’s face relaxed, including her blood vessels. He was nice enough to pass the book to her, so she felt little shame in hunkering down across from him with a few quickly plucked books and scrolls from the racks nearby.

“Yep!” She offered him a smile, doing her best to ignore the mental image of her earlier flight of fancy. There was no way he was a horrible oni barbarian cannibal. People didn’t just eat other people, obviously. Maybe a little rough around the edges, but who could blame him? They were learning how to kill other people more effectively if it came to it.

“I’m Minami Kurage from Class - E. You know Riku Mizushima?” Her eyebrow twitched a little. “Some of the idiots in class think she’s a witch y’know.” Minami sighed, the pit in her gut feeling deep. The way some of the kids in class treated Riku was downright vicious. She was quiet and mysterious, sure, and maybe a little short with some extravagant outfits but that didn’t mean she deserved that kind of treatment. It boiled down to jealousy, if any of Minami’s books were to be believed when people lashed out like that. “Me? I think she’s just too clever for those dummies to catch.”

The girl’s eyes were just beginning to bore into the book in front of her, the volume that Satori had passed her when he asked if she was a craftsman. Her cheeks didn’t redden like they might have a few months ago when someone brought her family into the equation. “My family runs a clothing shop. We make most of our money on uniforms for the different ninja corps in the village or the naval forces.” Her head tilted slightly, large brown eyes narrowing curiously. “What gave it away?”

Her finger absentmindedly rifled the pages of the book before her. Where had she heard his name before? Not the first, but the last? Ryuutei….Ryuutei…..

Satori smiled softly as she commented on some of the students being 'idiots' that considered Riku a witch. A knowing smile playing at his lips as he rested his chin in his palm while she situated her books.

"People that don't understand intellect usually struggle to apply comprehension to it, so they resort to name calling and superstition. It's human nature," with this philosophical comment far beyond his years, Satori would then smile as she drifted into her book. Of course, he interrupted her, but he was curious.

The clarification came that she was less a craftsman, and more a clothing worker. But that was a fairly similar scent. As she narrowed her eyes on him and asked him how he'd known, Satori allowed a brief smile to show on his lips.

"You smell like a workshop. Oils, flax, wood carvings--especially alot of hard wood," his nose twitched again, "Even machinery, so it explains that if you make clothing. I know how long that process can take," as he stated this his hand lowered to grasp the simple flax hoodie that he wore and gave it a tug.

"I'm required to make anything I use, after all," he stated idly before glancing at the book she was holding with a curious gaze.

"Mind if I ask what you're working on? Chakra concentration is a broad topic, but I may be able to help," he offered a slight smile. This was for a simple reason: she had said her parents were craftsmen. Clothing workers. He didn't recognize her name either, and Satori had been careful to memorize as many shinobi family names as he could. They were his future citizens, and his future competition, it was quite important. That meant that likely, she was a first generation. Similar to Akemi.

It seemed more common than he had thought, craftsmen branching out to become ninja. Soldiers for their land. It made him glad, for a country would fall without those willing to gain power and protect it; die for it.

“Quite a nose you got there.” Minami said with a small chuckle, her eyes flicking down to the page before her as a spare hand rifled through her bag to produce a frequently dog-eared notebook. She was jotting down a few notes quickly when he asked the question, allowing her eyes to flick up to him for a moment. He was a lot nicer than some of the kids she’d met at the academy so far. Most of them just ignored her, though to be fair Minami had done little to try making friends so far. When he offered to help, asking what she was studying, the lead of her stubby pencil stopped for a minute as she leaned back. Her note-taking paused, she offered him a conspiratorial grin.

“Can you keep a bit of a secret for me?” She asked, eyes flicking to the Librarian. “So many people keep telling us to just focus on the basics here, especially for me. My family’s not a shinobi clan. Yet I can’t help but feel like I gotta push harder than that.” She dropped her pencil into the notebook. “I’m not pursuing the ninja life just to be mediocre. I’m sick of playing catch up.”

The girl dug into her bag before producing her Lady Snowheart doll. The hair was a little mussed from being buried in the confines of the bag, and the bottom trim of the kimono was fraying and she sighed, knowing she’d need to repair it again soon. Minami fought the urge to duck her head though and propped the doll on the table in front of her, between the pair.

“Some of the kids are showing their stripes, where they might focus some of their training already. Especially some of the ones from Clans.” She held her hands over the doll, taking a few steady breaths before pooling her chakra into the tips of her fingers and pushing out. It was still awkward and clumsy, a neophyte’s attempts at chakra strings, but the doll began to awkwardly twitch and move as Minami’s fingers danced above her.

“I don’t think I’m cut out for being up in the thick of fights, y’know?” She mused, paying more attention with her eyes to the movements of the doll on the table. “They haven’t taught us any elemental ninjutsu either. I can throw a bullseye with a senbon pretty easily at this point, but I figured there had to be something that’d sing to me. And then I found a scroll on Kugutsu basics.”

The doll clattered awkwardly towards Satori, dropping into a disjointed bow.

“I’m still not very good yet. If I’m having this much trouble with a small doll, how am I going to handle a puppet, especially one full of weapons?”

Satori’s eyes followed the movements of the doll as she began to explain what her goals were, and a smile formed on his lips. Kugutsu was a familiar subject to him. His birth-mother, Raika, used it as a combat medic in place of becoming a combat medic. Using it to control a situation when combined with her Genjutsu and Fuuinjutsu to devastate her opponents. Mixing in knowledge of poisons and drugs didn’t hurt.

“I think that’s some impressive progress, personally,” he mused idly, staring at the way the doll shambled forward with a bemused expression. True, it may not be proper puppetry just yet, and she was right: compared to a combat puppet, it was nothing. But she had only just recently picked up Kugutsu going by what she had just explained. That, combined with the fact it was clear now she wasn’t from a ninja background in the slightest? Satori shook his head.

“Considering how new you are to it, and how new you are to ninja life as a whole, it’s impressive. Solid reflexes, aim, balance and coordination are also incredibly important for Kugutsu, so if you’re good at senbon, you’ll be a natural at it,” Satori smiled briefly.

“Unfortunately, I’m not a puppeteer, but my birth-mother is one. I can probably give you some pointers in raw combat, though, I have alot more experience than our classmates,” as he explained this his clawed thumb idly pointed at the book.

“If you like, once you finish the book you’re welcome to come back to my clan’s compound, my birth-mother is usually happy to help students I bring over. She’s already taught Riku-chan a bit about Iryojutsu,” as he explained this his hands lowered to rest on top of the book. They had one more class period today, technically, but Satori had a habit of skipping to study on his own anyway.

Most of what the Academy had to offer him was below his standards anyway.

As Satori explained how he was impressed, Minami felt a warring feeling of gratitude and exasperation. She understood her own progress was good from a certain standpoint undoubtedly. A year ago she couldn’t hold a senbon without thinking of it like a sewing needle, yet her she sat, pulling a doll’s invisible strings from her own chakra, her own essence. Her parents didn’t even know what chakra was, for goodness sake. She could give herself a small victory, Minami knew that for certain.

Yet it still wasn’t enough.

She’d grown tired of being in her sister Ayame’s shadow as a seamstress, bored with being the dutiful little shop girl at the front of the shop. Becoming a kunoichi had become a dream of hers for years, and settling with being impressive for a rookie wasn’t going to get Minami where she wanted to be.

“So you’re a taijutsu type?” Her eyes flicked to his claws, noting them. She had a suspicion that his definition of taijutsu was going to be a bit more...primal than most people’s. “I could use a couple pointers for frontline fighting, most definitely.”

When he mentioned his mother tutoring Riku in poisons, the girl nodded. It made sense, given the way the scrolls and books described kugutsu combat. Where a bukijutsu or kenjutsu master required the full weight of a swing for a killing blow, a simple cut or two could expose more than enough poison to a person’s systems. Minami knew practically next to nothing about poison or medical jutsu, though when Satori brought up his mother knowing all three she made mental note of it. Why hadn’t it occurred to her sooner? The more she studied the body, the easier it would be to make replicas of it or find weak points to attack.

The hair on the back of Minami’s neck raised slightly. She never really considered herself a violent girl, despite all of the Lady Snowheart she read. Yet here she was, fingers twitching over a practice doll as a part of her brain compartmentalized and reasoned the most effective way of becoming a good killer. Funny, the things you learned in school.

“If your mother would be willing to show a Clan-less novice like me a few things, I’d be more than happy to meet her.” Minami said, her chakra strings faltering as her thoughts shifted too far to maintain concentration on them. “I’m not certain if it’s foolish or idealistic of me or maybe even a little crazy, but if I can become a true puppeteer….” Her eyes unfocused briefly as she day dreamed. It was insane, from a certain standpoint, to think of battlefields and subterfuges as giant stages and every person an actor. These were life and death matters, after all, not simply the musings of make-believe; yet wasn’t it a pretty thought to think of it as a giant stage, with her pulling the actor’s strings?

Her inquiry about his preferred combat style made his gaze slid upward in thought. Before he shook his head slightly in refusal.

"I use Taijutsu primarily at the moment, but there's no specific form of techniques I prefer really. I don't use Kugutsu due to it not fitting my preferences and strategies, though. Kuchiyose, Fuuinjutsu, and Genjutsu are my current highest concerns in all honesty." As Satori explained this he smiled softly.

"Though it's not like I mind Taijutsu, it's an excellent way to build up raw combat experience," with this he would glance at her as he commented on her skill. Satori had seen that look before. It was a hunger, and a determination. A grin spread over the boys lips as he nodded once and simply stretched his legs outward.

"We don't care about things like clans or previous training. Anyone can become a warrior, all you need is the will to do so," he stated idly, before he eyed her. An expression of raw dreamlike state covered her face, an amused smile formed on his lips. She truly wished to become more, and he could respect that. Grunting, he would haul himself up and glance at the book in her hands.

"My clan's compound is outside the village, so we should go there now if we want to arrive with daylight to train. Or would you rather wait for another day?" As he inquired this, he idly shifted the books from his unread stack into his bag along with several scrolls. Carefully pulling it over his shoulder as he hefted the pile of read books into his arms. He'd have to return them to their locations before they left and check out the series that he had found for later use. Perhaps after his evening chores and conditioning he would have time.

She didn’t blanche when he corrected her assumption, since even he admitted that taijutsu had it’s uses in close range combat. Genjutsu, illusions and their ilk, and Fuuinjutsu…..those were seals, right? Like, sealing things in scrolls or making barriers?

Kuchiyose?

What the hell was that?

She hid her mild confusion before tilting her head. “What’s Kuchiyose, exactly? I don’t think Sensei’s even mentioned it in class.”

She put her doll away in her bag, returning a few books and scrolls while also making sure to separate a stack for continued study. Her chakra strings were still too weak for her liking. He made note to explain how his family valued will over anything else, including pedigree, which made a fire burn in Minami’s eyes. In a way, she felt a little more understood by him than many of her peers. How many had whispered she was only playing at becoming a kunoichi, she wondered? Still, let them talk. She had better stories to tell.

As he mused about heading back to his Clan’s compound to start that day, Minami’s smile broke wider. “Sure! My Aunt Satsu always drilled into my head to strike while the iron’s hot!” She rose to return the handful of books she was leaving behind to the shelf. “Though to be fair I think she meant that when she was showing me the basics of forging.” She said this with a chuckle, turning her head slightly upwards to meet his gaze. If she was going to throw herself at Kugutsu with all she had, why stop at just the techniques? It was fair that poison hadn’t entered her peripheral yet, but if she pushed her ability to make her own weapons that was a different avenue of growth.

“You’re kinda tall for a boy already, y’know?” She bobbed her head to the side, a bit of suspicion in her tone. Most boys in class were growing slower than the girls were, though of course even Minami knew that would change in the coming years.

“What are they feeding you at your compound, raw bones?” She said this with a mild giggle, intending it as a joke.

If she knew how right she was, Minami may have blanched back then…

Satori blinked once as she commented on striking while the iron was hot and chuckled. It made sense she had looked into blacksmithing, that was perfect for augmenting a combat puppet after all. A low hum filled his chest as they both rose up, glancing up in thought.

"Have you looked into armor or weapon crafting in detail? That and engineering would probably increase your puppet's capabilities pretty substantially," as he inquired this he would stretch, before beginning to carefully place the books back into their respective locations. Glancing down at her as she commented on his height, his head tilted slightly.

"Ryuutei grow quickly, it's part of our kekkai genkai," he explained idly, before lifting a hand and counting fingers using his thumbs claw. Debating his current physical age in contrast to his actual age for a few long moments.

"Physically I'm probably around twelve or thirteen?" Pondering this accuracy, he would shrug as he slid the last book into its spot. Her comment on the bone caused him to crack a brow.

"Well, bones do make good stock you know," he stated idly, hands going to his hips in amusement before he nodded toward the librarian. Leading the way he would wave to get the mans attention, placing down his bag for the man to go through so he could check out the books specifically. As he waited, he finally responded to her original question.

"Kuchiyose is summoning techniques, specifically living creatures. My clan has a blood contract with the Lion Tribe, has for hundreds of years. A blood offering is given before you perform a set of handseals and use a mixture of space-time transportation technique, chakra control, and Fuuinjutsu to create the link to the animal you wish to summon. You then instantly bring them to you, in exchange for some chakra. It's a bit like a sentient puppet that talks and works with you, as far as strategy goes," as he explained this, the teacher idly flipped through the books and scrolls before handing him the paper to sign.

"It's C-Rank, but its difficulty can go up to over S-Rank, so you won't hear about it in the Academy generally," he smiled softly, signing his name smoothly before offering her the quil as well so she could do the same for her own books.

Kekkai Genkai? Those words had been thrown around a few times in class and Minami had researched them a bit. In born talents secreted away to specific clans, literal bloodlines preserved with unique powers. She had to admit she envied people with them slightly at times, though deep down Minami also knew that a craftsman’s adage would carry her through. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard, right? Whether or not Minami was particularly talented as a wanna-be kunoichi was still a mystery to her, but she’d be damned if she didn’t try.

“My family business is in craftsmanship, so I know a couple of metalworkers and blacksmiths. We even do joint work with Aunt Satsu’s shop on specialty orders from some of the shinobi. You’d be surprised by how often we get asked to provide reinforced clothing that looks normal but can deflect a shuriken from twenty paces.” At least he was keeping pace with her as they moved out of the library. If he used his superior leg length, Minami doubted she could easily keep up. He was also keeping pace with her thought process in regards to learning about weapon crafting. “My parents know about the Academy, but I haven’t told them that I’m studying with Aunt Satsu twice a week. I think they’re either more comfortable believing the lie I told them about joining a poetry reading club, or actually gullible enough to fall for it.”

“Hundreds of years?” The disbelief in her voice was genuine. Kirigakure hadn’t even existed decades ago, let alone centuries. What even was the Lion tribe in the first place? Did that mean there were….ninja cats? That sounded like something straight out of a Lady Snowheart story. Though when she framed it in her head from that angle, as a grand narrative, it at least contributed to his appearance a bit more. As Satori continued explaining the nature of the art of Kuchiyose, of summoning living beings to fight alongside you and for you, Minami pondered it as she absentmindedly sent her hands through a few cycles of handseals, not exerting chakra so much as reinforce the muscle memory.

“I guess they sound like Puppets, but wouldn’t you be worried about them? A puppet can be repaired if it’s damaged, but what if you summon a creature and it dies?” The Kurage girl hummed slightly as she thought of it. There was also the matter of control. An animal could be perfectly trained, that was fair, but could you honestly expect one to act in as perfect sync as a doll whose strings you pulled? Minami wasn’t sure she’d want to relinquish some of her control when she framed it that way. Maybe she was fortunate she wasn’t old blood after all. It gave her room to grow in whatever direction the winds took her.

Satori nodded slightly as she explained her blacksmithing, seeming content with her response. It was a good place to begin if nothing else for her development as a Kugutsu user. However, as it began to shift in the topic to Kuchiyose he smiled softly at her critiques and nodded slightly.

"Each has their benefits. Puppets hold more control and have no threat of death, and can be used as extensions of yourself. Essentially glorified complex siege machines controlled by chakra. They use your chakra, your focus and your perception. But summons are living, sentient and intelligent beings. They can talk, strategize, observe. They hold their own chakra, own jutsu, and work alongside you. It's just like having a squad mate. The Lions we summon have worked with our clan since, before the founding of villages, our tactics are genetically ingrained in one another. We don't even need to talk to move, attack and defend one another in sync to maximize our combat potential. But they can be injured, they can die, and they are prepared for that risk like any other shinobi." Satori's shoulders lifted in a shrug, nonchalant about the idea of death as his gaze lifted upward while they walked.

The hallway ceiling was bland compared to the sky, but it would do while he thought on the topic. In many ways, both were superior to the other, but the main reason he preferred the idea of summons was simple.

"Puppets can never be friends. But the lions and cats that are with us are family, friends, and those bonds can bring out willpower and focus that cannot be acquired working on your own. That's just my opinion, though," his shoulders lifted in another shrug before he glanced down at her and smiled.

"So, any ideas for your first puppet you're going to make?" He inquired curiously, tilting his head. "Mother Raika has three that she usually utilizes, though she can use more, that's usually her comfort zone from what I've seen of her and father's spars."

She listened to his explanation with a gravity far beyond her years. It was true, Shinobi life was an invitation for death. They dealt it, or risked it themselves. They were warriors and soldiers when it came down to it for the cause of the Land of Water, of Kirigakure. For their families even, if you considered the Clans that existed before the villages were founded.

Why did Minami want that life? She wasn’t born into it, yet she ached to prove herself. It was something she couldn’t even explain properly herself. Kirigakure was all she’d ever known and she was comfortable there, even with all of the villages faults. Her family was stubborn, boring, and judgemental to an uncomfortable degree at times but she still loved them. As much as the fire burned in her to do something, to be somebody of note in the village, the more that thought came to her the more it solidified her will.

She’d play with poisons and puppets for the rest of her life if it meant the twins got to choose. Ayame, as the eldest, really didn’t have it fair when it boiled down to it; she’d been taught sewing since her chubby fingers could hold a practice needle. Minami would’ve been stuck in the same fate if she hadn’t held fast to her dream.

She was broken by her reverie when Satori asserted that puppets could never be friends and bit her tongue. Objectively, he was right, but in her heart Minami valued her Lady Snowheart doll as dearly as any friend she had. Perhaps it was a the craftsmanship in her blood, but when she saw the way her grandmother and sister treated the luxury kimono they sewed, their passion projects and commission work, she could see the love in their eyes. Or maybe how Satsu’s hammer blows danced as she folded the steel around a ninjato. Who was to say that an object couldn’t have a life of it’s own?

Maybe there was a jutsu for that?

When he asked about her first puppet she nodded negatively. “I’ve mostly been focusing on the basics so far, like learning the chakra strings and how to hammer a sheet of metal into a shape I need. Though I guess,” She paused, staring ahead as they left the school grounds proper and let Satori take point to direct her, “I’d want something pretty. Or cute maybe. I’ve seen a few drawings of some puppets in the scrolls that are downright ugly. Seems a shame since it started out as art-form.” Minami’s voice was a bit dreamy when she explained that, but it turned hard again. “Of course, they wouldn’t stay pretty. You could probably rig a few needles in funny places.”

Satori allowed a rumble of amusement to form as he spotted the slight shift in her expression. So her opinion was different, she saw her puppets as something more than just weaponry like his mother did. Perhaps that would truly separate her from other puppeteers. Passion was a powerful weapon, especially combined with willpower.

“Sorry, I meant no offense,” he stated simply as he glanced at her, and he left it at that. Instead his gaze shifted forward once more as they walked down through the hallways.

As she began to touch on her ideas and preferences for a combat puppet, Satori released a low hum of thought. It was true that many of the puppets that were used in combat weren’t really “attractive” in the normal sense, but he did have an addendum to add to her statement.

“Everyone’s aesthetic tastes are different. Many see complex mechanisms, power and ability to be attractive after all. But, I do understand what you mean,” as he pondered this his gaze lifted up once more. She was only starting out working with metal, but there were other options that were more easily learned.

“Have you considered using wood as a medium to start? It would allow for more aesthetic benefits, and be quite a bit lighter for you to deal with. My birth-mothers primary offensive puppet is made from wood, and focuses on striking power and agility. Then she uses a heavy metallic puppet as her primary defense, and a final one that is balanced in material acting as a vanguard.” As he explained this, he would contemplate the best woods to be used for such. Something strong, but also light.

Then again, a hardwood was significantly lighter than raw metal, and was still quite strong. But it would be difficult for an amateaur to carve properly as well.

“No need to apologize. We just have slightly different opinions, right? ‘Differences are what makes the ninja world great!’ “ She quoted one of her graphic scrolls in a false baritone, doing her best to drop her voice into a serious grown up sounding one. She giggled at the effect briefly before pausing.

When he suggested wood-working, Minami popped her fist into her open palm, a universal sign of thought and agreement. “You’re right! I should ask Aunt Satsu if we can go over wood working a bit. Or maybe even grandpa. He whittles in his spare time.”

“I couldn’t fail to notice you use the term birth-mother a lot. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I’m a little curious as to the distinction. Do you have more than one mother?” No hint of judgement passed her voice, merely intrigue. She’d never really spent this much time talking to anyone from one of the older Clans, so who knew how they lived?

Perhaps it was like some period piece, with a beautiful grove of cherry blossoms and the ladies in layers of olden kimono, and the Lord had his primary wife, secondary wives, and concubines! She never really understood how someone could feed that many family members, though to be fair Minami was only nine at the time. Ideas like taxation and class separation, evident in the stories she devoured, were still just a little above her normal train of thought.

Her mind lingered on Satori mentioning that he made anything he used. It conflicted with the image of a crooked feudal noble slightly, and did align with her earlier train of thought about barbarians down from the mountain. Yet he was smarter than a lot of the kids in her class too, of that she was certain already. Enigmatic, then, would be what she settled on to describe Satori Ryuutei, and maybe his whole family. It was more interesting than hers, she assumed.

Satori nodded once at her agreement on utilizing wood, sliding the door open for her and stepping out after. His feet sliding into the sandals as his toes clenched a few times. Claws extended from their tips before sliding back into place as his gaze trailed toward the pathway leading out of the village. Stretching his arms above his head, his gaze snapped down toward her as she commented on his birth-mother and blinked.

“Ah, sorry, I forgot you’re new to the ninja world. Ryuutei hold many wives, two to four generally, due to our children often dying before birth or shortly thereafter. Our bodies struggle surviving our chakra while we’re young,” as he explained this he lifted a hand as his hand flexed a few moments to show the claws once more, before smiling down at her.

Following alongside her, his gaze leveled on the path in front of them.

“We’re an old clan, and many of the villagers fear us due to our traditions, without actually taking the step to learn about why we do them,” he shrugged slightly. If she got scared and ran off instead of seeking out knowledge and growth, then that just showed her own limitation. Open-mindedness and adaptability were potent weapons, lacking them and falling back on fear and ignorance would only lead to one's death.

“That’s got to be hard on the mothers.” Minami finally replied when Satori explained his family situation. She recalled her own mother, carrying the twins, and the fearful trips to the doctors and the fear in her eyes when they were born a month early. It was odd, given how some of her first memories were the frantic and worried looks of the adults in her life.

“So what, they labeled you monsters and ran off? Throwing up walls to keep themselves safe?”

The girl snorted at that. She could kind of understand though, in some respects. Hadn’t she been a little intimidated by Satori earlier that day based on appearances alone? Then again, when people judged others solely on the surface they missed what lies beneath. Minami had planned to use it to her advantage one day, yet for a wholly different reason than what Satori might.

There was no sugar-coating it: from her voice to her brown eyes to her slightly frazzled hair, Minami was kind of plain looking. She couldn’t even pull off intimidating very well. So she’d look the part of the wallflower and play it. Part truth, part lie. Not too bad to be a little less noticed as a kunoichi she reckoned.

“At least your family’s lands are probably nicer than the crowded city.” Minami mused as they walked. It was a pitiful tradeoff for a pariah’s status, which is what Satori had all but claimed for his kin, but in a sense they were better off than a lot of people in the city proper. It had taken years for her family to build up the shop, and even then they really only managed to own a portion of a block with most of it occupied by tools of their trade. Her idea of a yard growing up had been smaller than their classroom.

“Do you actually run with the lions. Hunt with them?” Her voice was nothing but innocent curiosity, even if it was somewhat blunt. The part of her brain wired for blood and violence couldn’t help but picture Satori felling a deer with his bare teeth and claws and her eyes practically shot sparkles over the thought.

Satori chuckled softly at her comment in regards to them running off.

“They’re not that stupid. Instead they just put us as far away as possible to act as a shield for the village, though it’s not far off from running, I suppose.” The boys shoulders lifted in a shrug of bemusement before his brow lifted as she commented on their lands. He smiled lightly.

“I definitely prefer it sometimes, but the village has a charm of its own,” his gaze trailed along the streets that they were passing, though as they began to near the edge of the village it was gradually growing smaller.

“These people aren’t bad, they’re just human. They get scared by things that are different, and my clan is no better. They’re scared of change, scared of their traditions becoming lost to time, scared of not being accepted. So the stalemate has continued for years since they joined the village. Someone has to be willing to take the first step.” Slowly his hands tucked behind his head as he glanced down at her and grinned.

“I’m the most unique of my clan, honestly. I don’t view things the way they do, but I still hold our traditions close to my soul. It’s my job to close the gap. Becoming the head of the clan, and then Mizukage, will be a good way to unite my clan and the village. From there, I can start truly doing good--for everyone.” His gaze trailed along the faces of those that they passed. They were only human, and he understood that fact. They were also his people, and for that reason alone they were worth the effort. He would do everything he could to make the nation rise to a new power, and to truly work together as one.

Still, it was a ways off no matter how hard he worked. Her comment on the lions caused him to nod once in agreement.

“Always. Though I haven’t made the contract yet. I have to master Fuuinjutsu first before I can begin dipping into something as complex as Kuchiyose,” with this clarification his lips curled into a smile. “But I hunt with the cats, our grounds guardians.”

Minami nodded along to his idea about the silent charm of the village. The clutter and cramped nature of the mercantile district aside, she couldn’t deny it’s charms much either.

When Satori began his speech, she tilted her head to the side. A child different from the family, willing to break the normal rules they operated by? She couldn’t deny the sense of kinship she felt with him in that moment. Minami also couldn’t suppress her own nagging thoughts; if Satori was this motivated to do so much good, for the village and for his Clan and for the people of the islands comprising the whole land of water, was she in the wrong? She whistled when he mentioned his goal of reaching Mizukage, though didn’t comment on it beyond that. The thought of ascending to a place with that level of power had never even crossed her mind in all honesty.

“Fuuinjutsu’s on my radar too, especially from what I’ve read so far.” She replied finally, opting not to comment on his ambitions. "I don't really know if I could carry many puppets around with these." She flexed her arms in the sweat shirt she always seemed to wear, not making any noticeable difference. "Of course, I should probably focus more on actually getting the puppetry down, and how to make them, before I go crazy figuring out ways to transport them."

As they continued on, the girl mused, "You're sure your birth-mother won't care about helping me out a bit? I've never done anything for her, after all."

A bit of Minami's upbringing showing, perhaps, with her focus on recompense. She didn't have any money to pay for any sort of lesson, though perhaps she could find something to do for or give the older woman in order to help cover a bit of her time? Her default mode went to what she knew, which was the needle.

As part of her upbringing in the shop though, Minami had developed a certain sense (though admittedly not nearly as razor honed as the adults or her sister's). Sizing up someone physically in a few glances was pretty simple when you made clothes for a living, after all.

"How much further till we're there?" She did her best to hide her mixture of anticipation and nerves.

Satori glanced down at her at the whistle and merely smiled. He had no illusions on how difficult his goal was, nor was he simply boasting to make a show. It was only his short-term goal. At most, he would live to be a hundred, and that was a stretch. He had to become Mizukage by the time he was twenty, at the least. That left sixty years to do as much good for the land of water as possible, as much to fit into his lifespan as possible before he'd have to retire and become a councilmember instead and continue advising his successor. That was assuming he didn't die in the line of duty protecting the country--always a possibility.

These were all things he understood and accepted. His goals were high, and his ambitions went beyond even that. There was no way he couldn't accept the risks and facts if he truly wished to ascend in the ranks.

Glancing down as she offered her concerns once more, Satori shook his head lightly.

"My birth-mother, Raika, is where I get my mentality. What you can do to repay her is treat her lessons seriously, and use them for the village and country. Building strong relations with ninja from the village is key, and something I've been encouraging as much as possible as a seated of my clan. It's slow-going and will be until I replace my father as head. But it's progressing none the less. If you wanted to learn her advanced techniques, or secret techniques of the clan, it would be something entirely different. But you aren't." He smiled softly, before glancing up toward the streets as she inquired on how far they had to go, shaking his head once.

"Still a bit. The compound is outside the village near its border, we act as a front line on that side of the village. It also keeps us out due to our traditions," glancing toward the sky in thought he continued their route as the streets continued to get thinner and thinner with buildings. Eventually, as they passed the primary wall and through the gate, Satori would turn left into the dense forestry. Here he followed along a slim path dotted with large stones, leading the way through the forest.

Immediately, Minami would feel the sensations of being watched, and multiple gleaming feline eyes would flicker from the darkness. But there was no sensation of threat, only wariness and warning.

"That's more generous of her than I'd expected, honestly. Probably says more about me than anything else that I feel the need to repay her somehow." Minami said with a small sigh.

She followed Satori past the main gate and into some of the forestry surrounding that edge of the village outskirts. The mists on this side weren't quite as thick as those in some parts of the outside, though to be fair Minami hadn't actually left the village nearly as much as she wished to. There was the sound of life around her in the trees, yet also the strangest tingling sensation on the back of her neck.

She lacked the sensory abilities to really know what was around her, but the girl trusted her safety as she followed the wild boy to his home. It was odd, given how they just met, but something about Satori Ryuutei managed to help endear him to a lot of people. That had become evident to her in short order. He was an odd character, Mimanmi had to give him that. Hardly the appearance of most story protagonists with all of his piercings and build; those still screamed mountain ogre to her. She giggled at the thought of him swinging a club before wondering where she herself fit into one of her own fancies.

Minami couldn't connect with the helpless princesses in their palanquins and million-layered kimono, nor could she find much ground even with her hero. Lady Snowheart was the epitome of powerful kunoichi in her eyes, yet the bespectacled girl could barely swing a sword to save her life. Nor was she a nearly six foot tall busty adult woman; there were more than a few stories where Lady Snowheart used her feminine wiles to slip unnoticed past men using transformation jutsu. That even included disguising herself as a withered old woman.

In that moment, Minami actually laughed to herself a little before glancing over to Satori. She wasn't akin to the normal Lady Snowheart, that was fair, but she could feel a bit of familiarity with her disguised as the old crone washer-woman in the lord's castle. Nobody ever seemed to pay much mind to Lady Snowheart in that diguise, and she collected more than her fair share of secrets in those times. She was perfectly happy to be a fly on the wall, in the end.

Satori's footfalls were silent as they walked, and once they stepped through into the densest section of bush and forestry, he slipped out of his sandals. Bare feet gave no sound at all, like the pads of a cats feet as he walked, halting briefly he glanced up as an orange shift appeared above them.

"Khalla," he stated simply before a brilliant orange cat would fall from the tree. Landing lightly on the tall boy's shoulder, the cat was clearly too large to be a normal domestic breed. Comparable in size and build to a lynx, but hold domestic traits. The large orange cat rumbled a low purr as Satori's hand lifted, scratching it between the ears before staring at the cat for a few moments.

There seemed to be a sort of silent conversation going on, as they glanced at Minami, then back to one another. Blinking slowly and tilting heads on both sides, after a few moments, the cat released a low rumbling purr before launching off his shoulder and dashing into the bushes. Satori turned back toward the path and continued along.

"She'll let my clan know we're coming," he explained simply. Her laughter had been sudden, but it had only earned her a glance, she clearly had been lost in her own thoughts after all. It was a normal happenstance, and he was used to daydreamers due to Riku.

"She's a much cuter security system than some bells and trip wires strewn around." Minami commented as she watched the over-sized cat dart away.

Seeing Satori next to the cat, she couldn't fail to see the feline bent in his appearance slightly, from the claws even down to his teeth. It made a lot more sense to her then, though her eyes darted backwards at more sounds of rustling.

"Safe to say no one's ever alone in your woods, are they?" She mused, turning back to him.

Following the now barefoot Satori, the girl's inquisitive side still reared, as did her analytical one. IF he went around barefoot all the time, she wondered how often his feet wound up calloused and bruised. She tried glancing down to check, though even within the first few steps they'd been obscured by the rich loam of the forest floor. Shrugging the thought away, Minami quickened pace to keep up with him, walking to the side as she went.

"If your father's the Clan head," She was thinking aloud, "and appreciates the customs and traditions, wouldn't it cause some fights if you tried to change things when you got ready to run it?" She folded her arms behind her back. "The great Lord Hikaru tries to defy his father in Lady Snowheart: Snow Falling on Broken Cedars and it doesn't end well for him." She name dropped the particular story to gauge if he had any investment in the Lady Snowheart series, though he hadn't really reacted to the doll much.

"Of course, that's just a story. I doubt a real father would order his son beheaded for defying him."

Satori nodded once in agreement at her analyzation of the cat, though he laughed at her calling Khalla "cute".

"You wouldn't say that if you saw her during a hunt," he responded with amusement before he would sniff the air softly. They must have been cooking, he could smell the scent of wild boar and shark being grilled. Pushing through another layer of brush, Satori blinked as she inquired in regards to the political details of his clan. Satori remained silent as he debated the best way to explain this, though he didn't react to the story beyond a low hum.

He read many things, but they were historical articles, tactics, techniques, scrolls, books on war and important people of history. He didn't have much that he'd read as far as entertainment and fantasy stories, though he did enjoy them, they simply weren't a priority for him.

"There will be only one fight when I smash his head into the dirt," Satori explained idly. Scratching his chin in thought. "To Ryuutei, strength is the only important thing. The strongest leads, period. You can lose your position at any time, period. The only way to increase your rank is through combat, period." As he explained this he eyed a large log that had fallen along the path, the claws of his feet extending as they grasped onto it more similar to that of a cats, or chimps than humans.

This also revealed the heavy callouses and thick, leathery skin that covered the lower-half and sides of his feet as he tossed the log away before continuing on, and clarifying.

"Raw physical power isn't the only measurement. Only strength. Intelligence, strategy, poison, tactics, techniques, speed, it doesn't matter how you win. Only that you are superior. The strongest leads, the rest fall in line. If you win, but you aren't intelligent enough to lead properly: someone else will replace you as the entire clan will challenge you, one after the other until a proper replacement is found. There are no hard feelings, and if death occurs, grudges are not held. It is our way." With this explanation done, Satori idly glanced back at her comment of beheading a son for defying him and shrugged.

"Death happens." Was his only response, before his gaze focused ahead of him once more. Kiyoshi would likely never do such a thing, but it had happened in the past. Ryuutei, like all humans, had all sorts within their ranks after all.