Walking to Xincha

[King of Cats]

The brisk winter air was thick with snow in Heart Empire on this fine morning. Roku, the Blue Tailed Beast, was walking home from his students Call to Tea. The journey waas a walkthrough the nation with sensei Roku, and Jirou had done excellently. Roku was always impressed with his student, and to be frank, he expected that Jirou would pass him up one day. This expectation from his student was revitalizing. It gave roku a new desire to train harder than ever before. The Shuryo walked fervently through the snow and towards his hometown of Xincha.

Strapped to Roku's back was a bamboo fishing pole. It had steel wire line threaded around it, and a shiny yellow goldfish bauble at the end, next to a fearsome fish hook. The weapon was Roku's preferred method of battle and he had claimed many lives of lowly bandits and even some ninja with it. Roku was deadly with his fishing pole, to humans and fish alike. What helped Roku catch fish the most wasn't his expertise with the jerking motion, of which he was most certainly practiced. It wasn't his knowledge of the fishing ponds in Xincha either, though he had plenty to spread around at the local fisheries. No, what actually pushed Roku's pole work along was the spirit that he had sealed inside of his body.

On Roku's right shoulder blade was a pentagram heart symbol with thorns surrounding it. This symbol was placed on him when he found his most recent fishing pole, a gift from an unknown admirer. The symbol represented a seal placed on the fishing pole by the very spirit that was inside of it. When Roku touched the pole his energies synergized with the spirit's and it became ealed inside of him. The proof of his status as a jinchuriki was on his shoulder. Roku had never expected his life to take such a turn, but it did, and he was thankful, over time.

As the days pressed on, Roku became more familiar with the spirit inside of his ifshing pole. His name was Hideoyoshi, the Warrior of Fortune, and Heart's most powerful asset. Hideoyoshi was a mighty spirit, and the only grand spirit in Heart's possession after what happened with the other one. A lot was riding on Roku's shoulder's but he pushed it to the side. Roku was learning Hideoyoshi, and what he found out about the bandit spirit, the noble samurai didn't exactly like. Roku found the spirit to be a pompous fool, but he respected Hideoyoshi's power. It didn't take long for Roku to tak ehold of Yoshijutsu himself.

The art of bending luck was a precious skill that no one in the world could lay claim to. For whatever reason, only Hideoyoshi seemed respondant to the forces behind the Serendipity Field, a network of spiritual forces that identified as luck. It was a delicate balance between living and spiritual forces, and Roku was blessed to have a plate at the table. He wasn't expected to be so forthcoming with his talents however.

Roku immediately picked up on Yoshijutsu. He was a natural prodigy when it came to ninjutsu. The Bue Tailed beast excelled in all five basic elemental releases. He was truly talented with chakra control, and the skill translated well to the spiritual force of Yoshijutsu. It didn't take long for Roku to master the basics, and he practiced those by fishing at the waters edge.

Using his powers over luck, Roku caught giant fish after giant fish. The hauls were never ending and he ate well. Roku also became incredibly wealthy during this period, himself with multiple connections in the Fishermans Guild of Tea, that provided him with ample opportunity to sell his prized catches. The time were good for Roku and he decided to take up a student. He worked tirelessly with Jirou, aiming to make the swordsman a master. His work was paying off, but it was time to take something for himself.

Roku thought about it all as he walked down the road toward Xincha. He had his hands folded together in front of him and he walked quickly down the cobblestone road.

[Zao]

A youth, who looked to be around the age of fourteen or so, walked up a similar Cobblestone road. His body bundled up tightly with a fleece lined hood pulled up over the travelers head Concealing all but a few wild strands of his pure white hair that was the same hue as the snow the had claimed the ground on this wintery day in Heart.

Ziv wore no signs of his ties to the Sky Reach Academy or of its parent country of the Crescent Coalition, though he was technically on an assignment from the head mistress herself. As an end of year test, the boy was allowed to travel outside the country and told to visit a set number of places within the neighboring countries to Crescent. This would be a test of the fourth years survival skills and ability to live off the land. Plus it would help the youth to develop an adventurous spirit, as not only was the boy exploring and traveling to places he'd never been but would also need to learn to deal with the challenges and dangers that came along with it.

As part of his year end finals one of the places he was assigned to was the Heart Empire, having already visited the Northern reaches he now found himself traveling towards Xincha. Ziv had enjoyed the fresh encounters with the locals and the vast amount of samurai that roamed the countryside, a welcome change of pace with his normal days with the academy. Lifting is solid blue eyes from the ground a few meters in front of him the student could see that his side road would soon his the junction with the main path towards Xincha. Upon his back was a simple looking double strapped brown ruck sack, patches of snow accenting the black leather straps of the wide pack.

Just out of the left corner of his vision, through the drifting flakes of icy snow that still fell in the gentlest of snow falls, there was another traveler out in the cold environment. Though Ziv was use to the mountain weather from where the school was perched, it didn't mean that he wasn't cold or even for that matter liked the cold, quite the opposite really. The traveling student hasn't seen another traveler all morning and this was a welcome deviation as the glove covered left hand lifted a gentle wave of the arm towards the other figure as he nears the intersection. Calling out with the soft voice of a teenage boy, Ziv gave a friendly greeting as he neared speaking range. "Good morning, friend."

[King of Cats]

As he wandered down the street, Roku happened upon a young teenager. The boy seemed to be traveling for the long haul, his backpack was stuffed full with supplies. Roku perked up immediately upon seeing the white haired young man and he strolled over to him.

Strapped to Roku's back was a amboo fishing pole that glowed with a bright golden hue. The spirit Hideoyoshi was manifested upon Roku's body already. Roku liked to walk with Hideoyoshi, just in case. The Blue Tailed Beast was typically secretive of Hideoyoshi, but it was clear to tell his fishing pole wasn't normal.

Dressed in a light blue open robe with a white fur lining, Roku looked to be a bit cold. He wasn't bothered by the elements though, himself a masaater of several elemntal releases, he had built up a moderate immunity to the suffering of weather. That's not to say that he wasn't in pain from the cold win brushing against his scaley cheeks, he was simply beyond the normal ascertation of discomfort. Roku had an ascetic grasp of reality.

As he walked over to Ziv, Roku pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. He stuck one in his mouth and then reached in his pocket for a lighter. Withdrawing the brass flint lock lighter, Roku smiled over at Ziv.He was about 5 meters from him. "Hiya!" Roku said to the stranger and then flicked his lighter and drew a deep breath.

[Zao]

"Hey! Headed to Xincha too?" Though Ziv wasn't intimately familiar with this part of Heart Country, mainly due to this being his first time here, the teenager had studied a number of maps from both Sky Reach and those he had acquired from different little towns along the way to his current location.

One couldn't help but have his deep gaze drawn onto the almost glowing gold fishing rod that was proudly strapped to the outside of the other travelers pack. It was definitely not normal, this assessment was not coming from just it's appearance at a glance. While it may not look it, the student was an accomplished weaponsmith and Rune crafter, so he knew his way around the workshop. Having crafted and invented a fair number of mechanisms and weapons for his own puppet's.

Yet, the craftsmen of this simple item, Roku's fishing pole, seemed above his own current level which wasn't far of from many expert crafters, in his own opinion. Little did he know that it was a physical manifestation of the grand spirit hidden within the fellow youth. "I'm Ziv. " Pulling his bright blue eyes of the interesting item he looked back to Roku's face as he spoke his name after the reply from the fellow traveler.

Perhaps this fisherman knew his way around Xincha and Heart, it would be great to make some acquaintances in the country to better get an understanding of it inner workings. He was also curious of the military prowess of this place, having seen a good number of samurai on patrols after he officially crossed the border into Heart. But he didn't want to expose himself or his own strength just yet, while he had the cover story of a displaced Suna nin and traveling crafter, it was far too soon to start using it until he had established himself a bit more in the area.

[King of Cats]

"This boy isn't from here." Hideoyoshi spoke to Roku in his mind. The spirit had a knack for pointing out the obvious, and, as usual, Roku sighed in his mind. "No kidding? Next you are going to tell me his hair is white." Roku dismissed Hideoyoshi's thought bubble and turned his attention to the foreign boy.

Sticking his scaly, blue hand out for Ziv to shake, Roku introduced himself. "My name is Roku. It's a plesure to meet you, Ziv." Roku withdrew his hand from the boys, his firm shake surely leaving an impression on the Sky-reach student. "I'm on my home, to Xincha. I take it your not from the states?" Roku was talking about Heart Empire. People weren't totally aware of it, but the Shogun had declared the constituent countries that made up Heart, to be states of the nation. "I'm a Harubushi of Heart. That's like a special jounin." Roku grinned widely, his pointy shark teeth glistening in the sun.

"Would you like an escort? I can show you around the city?? I'm just coming home from a mission, so I could use a refresher of the city. It's only a day's walk from here. We can get to know each other on the road, and I'll take you to my favorite tavern for some perch once we get to Xincha." Roku dragged on the cigarette he had just lit. It had strong menthol flavor and a smooth smoke filled his lungs. He loved smoking, almost as much as he did fishing. He wished he could show Ziv a fishing spot, but it was so cold by the water, he didn't expect the boy to have an interest in something boring like fishing. "What do you think Ziv?" Roku ssaid, smoke escaping from his nostrils and mouth at the same time. The samurai had a welcoming smile on his face.

[Zao]

Though Ziv's hand was in a winter glove, the young's strength was nothing to scoff at as the boy returned a firm handshake, but it fell a bit short of that of Roku's and yet that was even the interesting part. Now that the second-year student was close enough, he was able to see the unique, scale blue skin of not only the hand he was shaking but also the young face which held a bold set of yellow eyes. 'How unique!' The kid had met enough odd looking and acting people at the academy that he wasn't completely thrown off guard by the special traits that the Shuryo member had, though it was still a first meeting someone like Roku. "Nice to meet you as well, Roku." A content smile on the exposed thin lips of the traveling youth as he replied, taking note of the fellow traveler's name in that moment, getting a friendly, honest vibe from the person which allowed for him to relax slightly. Having had the unfortunate fate of meeting a number of rather unsavory in his travels with his brothers and alone for his school missions, one couldn't help but be slightly on edge when interacting with new people, but this guy's demeanor seemed genuine. But that could only be confirmed fully later on and not just based on first impressions. "The states?"

His words kind of confused Ziv, was the blue scaled man referencing something unique to the Heart empire or was it just a saying around these parts. Chalking the question up in his mental black board to ask about later he simply nodded in confirmation to the Harubushi's on words, unsure what else to say in response. 'A harubushi is similar to a third year at Sky Reach.' Another mental note was made about this ranking system of Heart, he'd have to ask about the other rankings later if he got the chance. Though the man was grinning in a friendly manner, the shark like teeth couldn't help but cause the slender youth who was around nine inches shorter to shrink back a bit subconsciously. "An escort? That would be great actually!" Breaking out of the slightly awkward moment he straightened himself back up and nodded as he spoke. This is my first time traveling to any part of the Heart Empire, I would be greatly indebted for your help as long as it isn't too much of an inconvenience for you."

This was a welcome change of pace, it seemed like for once something might actually go well for him outside of the village, plus he'd meet a rather unusual character who had an official rank within the Heart empire's samurai ranks. Or at least that was his story and due to some feeling of being completely sure about Roku there was a part of him that held a certain awareness keeping him on guard even now. "Please lead the way, Roku." Putting some trust in the fellow traveler for now, Ziv gave a smile and nod as he joined the man for the day journey that would lead them to Xincha. As the pair began to walk, the young teenager began to speak, his voice a soft one that had just started to transfer from that of a boy to a young man. "I was formerly a student in Suna that was displaced by that war. Now I make as a craftsman, forging weapon and equipment. I'm actually traveling to Xincha to see if I can study under some of the established blacksmiths here to improve myself. My goal is to travel to all the neighboring countries, eventually." Though some of the information was fabricated, there was a certain sharp look in his eye as he spoke about his goals as a craftsman, having true aspirations to become a master craftsman.

[King of Cats]

As Roku shook Ziv's hand, it seemed the boy was much stronger than an average teenager. Roku was amazed by Ziv's strength, and his eyes widened with shock. He firmly wagged Zivv's hand, then returned to his going ons. Roku was a noteworthy samurai, and part of that duty was to take particularly worthy notes. He didn't miss a beat, and as Ziv put his hand away, Roku looked him over for signs of supernatural leanings. Many peoplle in the modern age had a trick up their sleeve, and some could even perform magic. Well, jutsu as it was known to the shinobi crested world around Roku. He was a master of elemental jutsu himself, but that wasn't all Roku had up his samurai/fisherman's sleeve.

Since leaving Jirou to travel the states by himself, Roku had been thinking about just what kind of gift he would present his student with. It was customary for teachers to present their student a reward after their first rank up, but Roku was not exactly an achieved gift giver. He was notably oblivious to what people liked, but this one seemed obvious. Jirou was a swordsman, and Roku planned on crafting him a sword. A special sword undoubtedly, but he didn't know what kind of special edge his student was ready to behold. Roku had tested Jirou out many times, the boy was skilled, but he wasn't sure if he was ready for what Roku wanted to do for him.

The power of Hiddeoyoshi was magnanimous like any Grand Spirit's. Hideoyoshi had the ability to bend the forces of luck around his will,, and as the jinchuriki of this spirit, Roku had this power as well. it was a great power that Roku had yet to fully master. It was a dangerous force, the Serendipity Field, but with great risk came great reward. As such, with Yoshijutsu, also, came great responsibility. Roku wanted to impart this force with Jirou, but he wasn't quite sure if the boy was fully prepared to carry on the mantle of Roku's studious pupil.

Based on the hand shake they just shared, Ziv and Roku were at least comparable in terms of strength. The samurai was impressed by the boy, and he couldn't help but wonder what kind of power Ziv was hiding. He was certainly stronger than Jirou, and even perhaps he had an edge over Roku. The Blue Tailed Beast wondered if Ziv was destined to cross his blade, a fate many with power shared with Roku Shuryo. The shark skinned man didn't worry about it, he simply smiled as he thought about it and Ziv told him about his crafting ambitions.

As Ziv passed the mic over to Roku, the samurai suddenly had a genius idea. He thought he could perhaps see Ziv's talent, and maybe have him craft the sword for him. Perhaps not enchant it, it remained to be seen if Ziv could be trusted with such power, but Roku was certainly open to it. Sharing power was a choice that many generals shared with each other. It was possible that Ziv and Roku would both be captains of their nation one day, Roku wondered what kind of bond this endeavor would forge.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Roku." He thought to himself and took a drag on his cigarette.

"Quite an ambitious goal." Roku took a few steps forward and started walking to the city. "I can't help but wonder what kind of craftsmanship you offer. Are you a master, young Ziv?" Roku looked at him nd smiled. The glow of his bamboo fishing pole sparkled behind him.

[Zao]

"A bit." Ziv couldn't deny it—his goals were ambitious, especially for someone so young. But he firmly believed in himself and the path he had been forced to tread to reach his current place in the world. That made his aspirations feel achievable, if not inevitable. His bright blue eyes flickered toward the stone road stretching before him, winding its way toward Xincha City. His gaze then shifted briefly to his traveling companion, a figure whose shark-like skin and enigmatic presence made Ziv uncertain of who—or what—he truly was. Still, the stranger gave off an air of friendliness, enough that the young shinobi felt no need to be fully on guard. For now, at least.

Walking alongside Roku, his newly acquainted guide, Ziv found himself fielding more questions from the light-blue-skinned man. This time, they centered around his craftsmanship—a topic that lit a spark in Ziv’s ocean-blue eyes.

"I wouldn't call myself a master craftsman just yet," Ziv replied with a modest smile. "But I’ve studied weapon and equipment forging, including mechanisms used in puppet frames I’ve helped design for others." He paused, as though carefully choosing his words. His time as a student and teacher's assistant at the Sky Reach Academy had been filled with projects that extended beyond his own needs, but divulging too much to someone he barely knew seemed unwise.

Still, his pride in his accomplishments couldn’t be entirely hidden. "Lately, I’ve been focusing on Ancient Runes," he added, his voice carrying a note of excitement.

Ancient Runes—a unique branch of ninjutsu with roots in Fuuinjutsu—were distinct in their permanence. Unlike traditional Fuuinjutsu, these crafted seals could store chakra and modify it, enabling effects that far exceeded the user’s natural capabilities. A seal acted as a transmuter, adapting any chakra type infused into it to the one contained within the rune. This technique allowed craftsmen to create weapons and equipment that granted abilities a wielder might otherwise never possess.

"It’s a challenging field," Ziv continued, "and not many pursue it these days. Each rune requires a chakra donor seal to harness the original energy, and crafting more advanced runes involves creating entirely original seals." His voice softened with a mix of pride and humility. "I’ve only mastered the basic five elemental seals so far, but I’m working on something special—an original seal for Kuuton. I plan to consult my mentor, Ikanbi, after this mission test."

The memory of his mentor brought a brief smile to Ziv’s face, but his focus quickly returned to Roku. There was a curiosity about the man that Ziv couldn’t ignore. He tilted his head slightly as they walked, matching the guide’s pace.

"Are you working on something yourself?" Ziv asked, his tone both polite and inquisitive. The question served a dual purpose. Not only could it reveal more about Roku’s intentions, but it might also present an opportunity for collaboration. Perhaps they could craft something unique together—or perhaps their paths would eventually cross on opposite sides of a battlefield.

For now, Ziv hoped for the former. Life outside the academy had been lonely, and the idea of forging a genuine connection with someone—especially someone as intriguing as Roku—was a prospect too enticing to ignore.