Seeing Eye to Eye

Peragus had come to the Grand Konoha Training Facility with a purpose. The blindfolded, generally cocky man stood in the elevator, two individuals standing behind him with a large chest on the ground between them. The chest was full of money and some materials for crafting. It was a gift, or meant as one at any rate, for one Airi Hyuuga. Peragus, like everyone else in the Hyuuga Clan Compound could not ever be accused of missing Airi in her efforts to perfect her craft. The clang of hammer to metal, the hiss of said metal as it was cooled, the clear and obvious effort the young woman put into her work. It was all known, many, most one might say, found it rather annoying actually. The sound was disturbing to those who preferred quieter hobbies such as painting, or poetry writing, or meditation.

Peragus fucking loved it.

Mostly because it pissed off those who had problems with the noise. He had spent the odd few minutes with his Byakugan on watching Airi work, admiring the clear determination and effort she put into her craft. He had spent the same time watching the reactions of those who seemed to be pissed off about it though. It always amused him greatly, and it tended to give him no end of satisfaction to watch the older, more traditional guard of Hyuuga get their robes in a twist over someone who was willing to get their dainty fucking hands dirty for once. That of course was why he was bringing the chest. He himself was too weak to carry it, so he had hired some help. Airi it would seem however spent an inordinate amount of time at the Training Facility when she wasn’t working on her craft and so he had been forced to have it brought here for the initial gifting at least.

The two men with him would take it wherever Airi wished and ensure it was secure. However Peragus did not know when she would be home or at her forge and he himself was a fairly busy individual too. So he took the time he could find. His Byakugan of course was active, the entire facility open to his vision and he could see Airi, fourth floor, toward the back where she was practicing some kind of strange technique. As the elevator opened and the threesome began to move toward the back he would watch the red head as she launched some kind of glittering stardust at a dummy and after a few moments the training dummy simply evaporated in a brilliant sparkle of lights. He blinked in surprise at that as she fell on her rear, sweat dripping from her brow right as he arrived in her clearing with his hired help. The chest hefted between the two. He moved toward the red head, reaching into his coat and pulling out a towel and holding it out to her. If she took it he would keep his hand offered to help pull her up.

“Good morning Airi, sorry to bother you here at the Facility but between your apparent training schedule and my own personal work it’s rather hard to track you down anywhere else. Mind humoring me for a bit? I have a gift for you.” He would explain with a grin as he nodded his head toward the chest the two men were setting down.

“I’ve noticed your determination to master your armorcraft. Hard not to frankly.” He would add on at the end with a cheshire like grin on his features. “I wanted to reward that hard work. The chest contains the Ryo necessary to open up and fully equip a shop. As well as some high grade material for you to work with too. With it all you should be able to make a solid income each month and have a base of operations for your craft. Hell you could even gain financial independence from the clan if that’s your wish.” He would explain as he squatted down and leaned his elbows on his knees. “The two men will take the chest wherever you ask and ensure it’s secured safely. Id’ve carried it myself but it’s too heavy for me so I had to hire some muscle.” He would chuckle as his apparent blindfolded eyes looked up to her. If the blindfold had been off he would be meeting her eyes.

[1]

OOC: Giving Airi 650,000 Ryo from Peragus 827,500 and my 5 units of Meteor Metal

He watched her reaction and his grin widened as her jaw dropped. His grin however vanished immediately as her face turned red and and her eyes started to tear up. His keen eyes saw her shaking, and he heard the quiet noises as her eyes began to gloss with unshed tears. She reached up to wipe the tears away and her Byakugan deactivated as she looked up at him with bright blue eyes. Then asked him the simplest question of all, ‘why?’. She would lower her eyes, kick her feet and ask him what she was supposed to do to pay him back and then gave the men their instructions. They lifted the chest and left, intent upon the girls workshop. He had ensured they had known it’s location, assuming she would choose to have it sent there. They were hired through the day so they would keep it safe until she got there.

Then she turned back to him and moved to him, asking him why again, why her specifically and leaned forward, pressing her forehead against him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders gently, hugging her and letting her wipe her face against him. Then she thanked him, backed up, and smiled at him. He paused at the smile, not because the smile itself surprised him. But because it was a real smile. He felt his own face form into a small, much more natural smile than his normal boyish grin. He perused the floor with his eyes and noted the lack of anyone else before reaching up and taking his headband off. Revealing his Byakugan, it was white as one would expect. But when he deactivated it eyes of brilliant blue, as if captured from the sky itself, met Airi’s own cerulean orbs. Gone was the jovial personality, gone was the over the top, almost natural arrogance and aloofness that made people both hate and underestimate him. There was just Peragus, the real Peragus. Someone as of yet, that only Hanabi had met. “I know there might be other people that could use the money too. I chose you for multiple reasons.” He would say before breaking the eye contact to look up as if in thought. Or as if in a daydream. “My beliefs for clan structure and purpose are different from others. I believe the clan’s had a duty and responsibility to lead others and help them. To pick them up when they fall, to protect the village and make it’s honor their own. I believe in a world where those within a noble clan aren’t stuck up, arrogant, elitist pricks that think they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread. I believe in a Hyuuga Clan that helps the weak and in-need. That protects those that cannot protect themselves. That helps those that need it and ensures that those without the benefits of a noble clan have the opportunity to live a good and safe life.” He would say, his blue eyes turning back down to hers and meeting them once more.

The intensity of his gaze deepened as he spoke. “Red hair, blue eyes, yeah, I’m willing to bet you’re not the most cherished in the clan. I myself share the same stigma. I’m tolerated because of my talent in the eyes and clan arts. Some hail me as a prodigy in the same breath they curse my very existence. I worked hard to get to where I am though, to gain my abilities in the arts. I practiced where no one could see. Day in and out, I fought my own grueling battle to rise above the expectations of those who would look down on me and sneer because my hair and eyes look different than theirs.” He would continue, his hand coming up and a finger pointing out toward her, if allowed it would touch her forehead gently for a moment before he dropped it and continued.

“I said it’s hard to miss your working on your craft. It is, one can’t help but notice with the noise it makes. I listen, and I watch too. Our eyes are uniquely suited to it. I’ve seen you working on your craft. I’ve seen the determination and devotion you’ve given to it. I’ve watched your own lonely battle toward perfection of an art that you love. I’ve held out hope for your work, for your efforts. I’ve cheered you on silently, as another who was downtrodden and looked down upon by those who would have the audacity to see themselves as her betters. You ask me ‘Why me?’, you say ‘I didn’t have to do that.’ I ask you this, how could I watch, how could I see someone fight so hard, and not do it? How could I feel any other way, and still remain true to my beliefs? To me, you are the most deserving, the one who has put in the effort, without asking for help, without pleading, without complaining. You simply roll up your sleeves and do the work. How could I see you, who embody the very things I want to spread across the clan, and not do this?” He would ask his tone quiet, his eyes finally softening from their intensity.

His feelings, his beliefs were a radical change in how many of the clans operated. They were things he did not speak of often. Not without privacy, because if anyone heard him and could put two and two together. They would feasibly be able to riddle out his personal intention to take over the Hyuuga Clan. They might also know that with his talents, that he would have a real chance to succeed too. That, that would not be good for him. Only Hanabi knew his feelings on these matters, and now so did Airi. He twirled his headband around his finger, the knot tight enough to keep it in its loop so it wouldn’t fly off. He smirked at his redhead companion, a semblance of his normal facade coming back into place. “I don’t do well with prolonged serious conversations. If I don’t keep my normal attitude up it might make people stop underestimating me and I can’t have that.” He would say with a chuckle before looking up against as if in thought. “As to how you can pay me back, you can do that in two ways. First, use what I’ve given you, make your store, love it, cherish your craft. Make your wares for others, so that those who might not survive in the field might do so with your work protecting them. Second..” He would say, trailing off almost ominously. “Train with me, finding a good training partner is a pain in the ass. Particularly because I still try to train alone as much as possible so no one knows my real capabilities. You however, know them, or more than most. So you make a perfect training partner.” He would say, his jovial tone fully back in place. His hands moved to place the headband back across his eyes, the veins around them bulging out once more to allow him to see through the headband and give him sight while maintaining his blindness facade.

[2]

Her declaration of her support brought a small smile to his features and a nod was the response. He hadn’t told her that looking for it, he’d simply told her that because he wanted her to understand that he knew what her treatment had been like. That he wanted to change that if he could. At her laughter of his conditions he would grin at her and nod when she asked if that was it. Then listen to her explanation of how easy it was to accept. That had after all, been the point. He was giving her the money and materials regardless unless she simply had not accepted them. Even then he would have tried to convince her. Still, she had agreed to train with him.

At her declaration of having a lot to teach him he would shrug. “Given the amount of time you’ve spent here I can imagine you do.” He would say as she moved toward him. When she gave him another warm hug he smiled and returned it, using both arms this time. It was a bit more intimate than the one armed one before. It was still a gesture of friendship of course, but he hoped they could become good friends indeed during their time training together. He listened to her thanks and chuckled while they maintained the hug for a bit longer. “Anytime, seriously. If there’s anything I can do, don't hesitate. I’ve got your back, alright?” He would say, looking down at her as the hug was broken and grinning at her.

At her question of if he wanted to learn a technique to kill people he would laugh at her momentary deranged look before grinning at her, his usual boyish grin in evidence once again. “Do I ever?!” He would say, a tone of overly excited cheer in his tone to coincide with her deranged look. "What kind of technique did you have in mind? I have one or two I can show you in return if you want but I don't think they're very useful except for certain niche scenarios." He would say, his tone trailing off as if considering.

[3]

Peragus would raise an eyebrow at the red haired young woman and watch as she stomped her feet and created a fiery red aura around her. Planted her feet in a much more ‘stand your ground’ type stance than a Hyuuga would normally find themselves in and went through a series of hand seals. He watched intently with his Byakugan as lightning crackled and came to life in her fingers and the sound of a thousand chirping birds filled the air. She was wrong, he had never seen nor heard of this technique before and when she called out its name and let it dissipate he would nod his head in understanding. She took a deep breath and turned back to him before raising a single finger and running off and coming back with another training dummy.

He watched as she dragged the thing across the ground, grunting with effort and he moved to help her get it in place. He wasn’t powerful by any means, but any help had to be better than none at all. Once the dummy was in place, the training one, Peragus wasn’t in position yet, she would comment that he could use it to practice and that she called him Fred before patting it and moving to the side. The white haired man would chuckle as he nodded before taking a knee. He flashed through the same set of seals she had and held his hand up and to the side as the sound of the thousand birds filled the air. Pure lightning chakra able to be seen with the naked eye. He could tell that easily enough, his Byakugan showed him the immense density of that chakra, and it was obvious to him how it was supposed to be used.

He knelt a few meters from ‘Fred’ and without warning took off like a shot toward him, moving at his best speed and thrusting the arm encased with Chidori forward. The hand pierced through ‘Fred’ and out of the back of him, causing a large hole to appear in the chest area of the dummy. Peragus retracted the arm and the electrical discharge faded away, the sound fading with it. Then he turned toward her. “Chidori, ‘One Thousand Birds’, seems fitting. Deadly too, thanks. Although you’re incorrect in assuming I’ve heard of it.” He would say with a frown. Should he have? He played it off well but he actually was not the most intelligent person he knew in any way. He got a lot of his information from watching people training with his Byakugan but still he had never seen nor heard of Chidori before. Still, it was time to move on. “As I said before I don’t know many things but I have at least two things that might be useful. One is a different form of ‘Gentle Fist’ that I designed to work with the lightning element. It turns any of the damage done by the style and its derivative techniques into lightning damage, interested?” He would ask, raising an eyebrow at the girl in curiosity.

[4]

Airi’s response to his question of if she might want to learn the gentle fist style variant he had come up with would cause him to smile. It felt good to have made something that someone was interested in learning. Like he had succeeded in a new way that he had never felt before. Still, part of his mind was running through the possibility of what an upgraded version of Chidori would be. He could imagine concepts utilizing control and more powerful chakra. But he didn’t know what else they might be or how they might be formed. Still, for the moment he needed to teach Airi Fulminating Dance. He dropped into a new stance, his center of gravity centered lower, arms wider outstretched and more pronounced differences that were almost more sensed than seen or felt. It was more of a change in ‘feel’ beyond the difference in the stance itself.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and it tended to for others nearby when he used this technique. Arcing lines of electricity danced between his fingers and he would dash toward Fred again. The dummy had a hole in it’s chest of course but seeing as it felt no pain it was still a suitable target for the technique. He struck it lightly in the head as he passed by, electrical discharge flowing from his fingers although notably not burning the outer layer of the dummy. After a brief moment though one could see a few strands of smoke and a small fire begin from within Fred’s padding, the penetrative lightning strike causing a small fire in the dummy. As he moved back toward Airi he padded the fire out, it was early in it’s life so doing so stung but there wasn’t enough for any lasting harm.

Then he would stand in front of Airi and nod toward her. “Obviously you channel large amounts of Raiton chakra through your tenketsu. It changes the way the style flows and feels so the stance is different than the normal gentle fist. I call it the ‘Fulminating Dance’. Give it a try.” He would say with a smile at her. If she should and she made any mistakes he would move behind her and gentle guide her arms and legs into the correct positions. To many it might seem intimate, but to taijutsu practitioners it was part and parcel of training a new style in many ways. He would work with her on it until she had the stance down then step away for her demonstration.

[5]

Teaching This:

Right when he moved and touched the dummy she would do the same. The visual of her hair standing on end brought a good natured chuckle from the man as they patted out the fires on Fred. Poor Fred, he really didn’t deserve this. Except as a training dummy this was the type of punishment he was specifically made to deal with. So in a way, he did in fact deserve it. Regardless, Airi would comment that she probably should have waited for the go ahead and he laughed while shaking his head. “No no, you’re fine. You’re a big girl Airi, you certainly don’t need my go ahead to try something. So long as I wasn’t in danger, and I wasn’t.” He would say.

At her question of if that lightning technique she had taught him could be turned into senbon he would frown and then openly turn his head toward the entrance. There was a clock near the elevator and while a Hyuuga certainly did not need to turn their head to see said around them. It was a bit polite to show people around what direction you were looking when you weren’t in danger. Such as at a training ground. He could see the clock easily and he would grimace. “That sounds like it would take a great deal of shape manipulation work. Which I’m out of time to work on I’m afraid. Remember earlier when I said that between my own personal work schedule and your own crafting and training schedule that it was hard to track you down? That work schedule I mentioned has me needing to be heading out to tutor a young clan member in his lightning release. I’ll have to catch up with you later if you’re game. For now though I hope you get to get your shop open soon. I’m looking forward to visiting it.” He would say, turning back toward her as he spoke and giving her a large smile at the end.

With that he would give her a two fingered salute in farewell and head off, moving toward the exit in his normal jovial and contented step. He had some work to do now and new jutsu to work on. Eventually, probably soon, he would need to work on that Chidori Senbon idea too, and see if more could be done with it too.

[6]

[Exit]