The senju in need of a master

Tengoku had stepped out of his comfort zone with his new promotion. He hadn't expected to ever be made Hokage but now...now there was a great deal more to do. A great deal more responsibility than when he had been just another Jounin. He had made peace with his inner monsters and laid them down to sleep. Watching over a nation now as one of its greatest protectors.....no...he could no long just be another protector. He was its guardian now. He was its leader. A lot of reflection had gone into it all. He still wasn't sure if he was ready for what was to come. But he had one strong point he knew to rely on. He would keep standing up for these people. He would rise and rise again. A hero as many times as needed. But not all issues could be solved so easily as simply to fight back and keep fighting. There was a political part to all this now. Tengoku had never been one to get into clan politics as he had no famous bloodline of his own. He had been picked partially for that exact reason. However there was a vacancy to be filled for one of those clans.

Tengoku had dressed for the day quietly. Tengoku had dressed in a white Yukata with a yellow Kimono loosely over it with black lining. Around his neck was a soft black fabric that went down his right arm to a glove that covered all the way to his hand all but two of his fingers. Designed to help his grip on his weapon. Black boots covered his feet and his Tetsudashi steel katana rested on his left hip. His long white hair spilled over his shoulders with his white wolf ears sticking out of them. Amber eyes almost glowed with power but there was a warmth to his smile. However it was a mournful smile today. He had come to the senju park to contemplate their next clan leader. Ashitaka had been to young for such responsibility and in the end...it had weighed too heavily on the boys shoulders. He had ended his own life and no one had managed to stop him. Tengoku would no longer allow child soldiers to be sent to the front lines. He wouldn't put children in charge of entire clans despite whatever power they had. He needed adults now to take the reigns as they always should have.

So a name had come across his desk. Harurama Senju. A young man not high ranked in the military forces yet. Eldest child of Wasabi and Taya Senju. However he had contemplated this for some time. Harurama had once attempted to run away at the age of twelve. The village had been attempting to recruit him but all the same he had chosen to catch a train out of there. However during his capture he had shown a bloodline release of mokuton. So he had the ability and had even spent four years training at the academy. Still he was young. Barely old enough to be officially enlisted. Still Tengoku would get a measure of the boy soon enough. For now he stood in the center of the park and closed his eyes. His wolf ears twitching as he listened to the peace in the park and breathed in the scents around him. A gust of wind twirling a few leaves around him lightly. Perhaps he could be at peace here while he waited. Harurama had been asked to come here by an official messenger from the administration building but had not been told who the request was from. It was still mid morning though so the cold, while fading, clung to the grass and trees as melting frost.

Harurama was approaching Senju Park, a place he'd visited often in his youth. However, he felt somewhat nervous...ok somewhat would be being humble about it. He couldn't believe what was about to happen. Approaching a huge pond, he would follow the trail around it as a few people and even a couple families walked by him. Some walked their dogs, some fished in the lake or jogged around it. Making his way through a temple like entryway, he spotted someone with their back turned ahead. The green of the lush leaves seemed to create almost a tunnel toward this individual; as Konohagakure in this moment lived up to it's name.

The energy radiating off of this person was quite amazing. For his place, Harurama had more chakra than the average person or even shinobi for some reason, even some chuunin or even jonin didn't have as much chakra as he did. Yet he could almost "feel" the bottomless well of energy from this person. The official request from the Shinobi HQ hadn't said who he was meeting so to say the young Senju was curious would be an understatement.

He furrowed his brow as he recognized this person from behind a bit. It couldn't be.....widening his eyes for only a moment. He would walk up behind the person in question, who was wearing one of the nicest white and black yukata's he'd ever seen; with flowing white hair to match that almost resembled wolf ears in a way.

He would perform the shinobi kneel; one knee, and one fist planted on the ground.

"Harurama Senju. Reporting." he would then rise to his feet, waiting for the person in question to face him. He had a somewhat serious look on his face as he would stand with anticipation in mind.

Tengoku would feel his right ear twitch at the sound of footsteps approaching. He could hear the kids breath change. His heart beat start racing. Tengoku could smell the scent change ever so slightly. Concern? Eagerness? Emotions changed the physical body ever so slightly. Perspiration increased or decreased. Whoever was approaching him was clearly nervous. Amber eyes would turn as Tengoku looked over his shoulder. A green haired young man and who he had been expecting. He looked so young. Still he would rush forward and plant himself in a clear salute. Announcing himself formally. Well at the very least this kid was a soldier at heart. Attending to such things when summoned. Most simply followed a bow of some sort. The only ones he knew of that saluted him like that was during an active mission or the anbu virtually....well whenever they appeared. Amber eyes studied the kid a moment before Tengoku would sigh and his ears would flatten slightly. He had been raised of simple means and this kind of attention made him uncomfortable. So he would speak quietly in regards to it.

"Get up Harurama. This meeting isn't a formal affair. We are just talking."

Tengoku would glance around them as some people were stealing glances. Whispering as if he couldn't hear every word they said as if they were whispering into his ear. Both his ears twitched and people he was looking at seemed to realize that possibility. Quickly they would hush up and pretend they were just going about their business. Assuming Harurama obeyed Tengoku would wrinkle his nose a little in annoyance at the gossip hounds before turning and moving over to a bench nearby. Settling on it with his left ankle over his right knee with his left hand on his left knee. His right hand would rest along the back of the bench before he would nod to the spot next to him. Speaking again.

"Come have a seat. I want to know what drives you and what dreams you have young man. Entertain me."

As he rose to his feet, he would look to the left and notice a few people in the park stopping some with curiosity; some with concerned looks since shinobi business usually didn't take place in an areal like this mid-day. Realizing his salute had drawn some attention, a metaphorical sweatdrop would appear above his head as he rubbed the back of it slightly. "Apologies....".

He would then look over to the seat offered to him as Tengoku moved toward it. Eyebrows both raising he would nod as he moved through a few beams of sunlight shining through the trees and sat on the bench. Now only ambient noises, some from animals or far off people hung in the air. Sitting here, with the Hokage. He could hardly believe it; although he was somewhat caught off guard with the question, he was a quick thinker and looked away from Tengoku; elbows resting on his knees with his hands in thought cuffed below his chin for awhile.

"What drives me...." his own voice echoed in his mind, with the Hokage's words. For a few more moments he would sit there in thought.

"This village has always been my home...and my family is here. I always felt...held back before I became a shinobi. My mother wouldn't even let me enroll at the academy....I tried to run away to another village once." he said plainly without looking at Tengoku. "I desire to not only be the best, but provide whatever I can for not only this village, but the world as a whole....I truly am not selfish, even though sometimes I feel like I should be." he would stare at his hand briefly. "This gift I have.....it can feed people...make houses...and so much more." he would make a fist as he looked at it. "I need to share it with the world, and keep my loved ones safe." he finally looked over at Tengoku. "If I have to kill to accomplish this....I will." he would unclench his fist after he said that, his face took on a stone cold serious expression that couldn't be duplicated if he tried for a moment. Shaking his head he apologized realizing he'd gotten perhaps a bit too serious just now.

"Apologies...I don't mean to make light of things." he would then give him a small smile with a nod. "It's just...I want to prove to my family...really my mother that letting me become a shinobi was the right choice; and mostly...prove it to myself." plainly stating that he would in the end, like to do some good in the world. Although sometimes he did have dark and violent thoughts, in the end his better nature would usually win out. Although he would need to keep this side of himself in check if he ever hoped to lead people in the right direction. Something he desired greatly.

Tengoku would listen quietly while staring at some nearby bees on a flower patch. Simply doing as nature did and living. It was so simple and yet mankind struggled so much with it. He understood how so many fell to darkness when it was so easy to obtain everything you wanted through it. Following any other path was simply harder. And some just wouldn't survive the path of the just and righteous. This young man shared his want to help the world and his willingness to do anything to gain that power. He felt as if his mother had been holding him back and spoke of running away so simply. As if abandoning his home for power was just a common practice. For a moment Tengoku held concern in his heart. To go where he needed to gain power and abandon his family....yet wishing to do so to protect...killing if it came to it. He spoke of it all so simply Tengoku was concerned for him. Perhaps he shouldn't hand the responsibility of a whole clan to this one just yet. But he wouldn't make that decision so quickly. Instead he would let the boy finish before speaking in response.

"To kill to protect... It starts off as such a determined idea. Take a life to protect another. Take a life to save a dozen. Here and there you kill until the act becomes reflex for you. Eventually the power you gain becomes what you originally fought against. You will seek to protect but the more you kill the further you go from such a righteous path. It is an easy thing to take a life....true strength comes from sparring one. Even I will admit there are times where I have taken a life. Once out of anger when a student of mine was injured. I underestimated my own strength....or perhaps I didn't and I wanted to kill that man. But I broke him. I stopped his heart out of anger and his face...I can never forget it. It isn't the killing I fear. It's no longer regretting it. Do you understand?"

Tengoku would smile sadly before letting his foot down and leaning forward. Placing both his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. Hunched over as he seemed to be interested in his hands. Idly rubbing them together as he took a breath. They called him the paladin of Konoha but he had killed. Was he less of a man for it? He wasn't sure. But he knew there was a rage in him. A rage that if he allowed it to take over he may fall from grace entirely. He didn't want that for the young Senju. So he would speak up once more in a gentle tone.

"The reason I called you out here today was to assess you as a man. They say you are stronger than anyone else in your class. That your potential is massive. However what I am looking for today is strength of character. A man must always think with his mind and heart equally before using his fist. Yet I find myself in a world of politics. A man with no bloodline of his own commanding entire clans with long heritages. I need someone from one of the bloodlines on my side. Since the late Ashitaka passed....the station of clan leader for the Senju has been vacant. But we can not mourn forever."

Exit thread due to inactivity
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