Study long study wrong! (Social)

[Ign0miny]

Reiji sat comfortably on the edge of a bolder overlooking Konoha. He had seen this scenery countless times, and though it was always the same he found a sense of serenity every time he came here. To wash off the trials and tribulations of family and the constant façade he immersed himself in.

At times he wondered if this was what a deep-cover operative felt like. His face was stoic as it had been the day he received his special Hitai-ate. Pulling back his sleeves he examined them again. He looked at his left hand and began tracing out the leaf symbol with his right. Is this really what I wanted; to be apart of this or am I still just dancing to a tune that sounds familiar. He brought his hand to he face shielding it from the bright rays of the sun. It appears the clouds have moved, I should get going as well.

He had taken a small break during his attempt to locate and study the plant-life on the outskirts of the village. The day was still young though so he had ample time for breaks. He moved southwest through the forest toward an area he had not yet searched. The sun could be vaguely seen through the leaves as he leapt from branch to branch. His pace was slower than normal, since he had no pressing matters, only the thrill of the hunt.

Reiji landed on the ground kicking up a minute dust cloud. Spotting a rare specimen he rushed over to it. He pulled a book from his bag and thumbed through its numerous pages. He made a mark on the page and then crouched down to read about his new find. The "Pitcher Plant", members of this plant family have leaves that connect in a tubular-fashion to form a pitcher. Plants like this cannot receive as much nutrients from the ground due to poor soil, so they survive by digesting insects.

Reiji closed the book and peered into the opening to see several bugs; some swimming, some drowning in a pool of liquid. Reiji opened the book again and made some notes. He looked back towards the direction of the village and mapped out the route in his head. I have to come back here to get some samples, his eyes seemed to smile even though his face did not. He looked past the pitcher plant deeper into the woods and wondered what other treasures he would find.

[Vitamin]

[[OOC: You should post a link to your character in your siggy, I couldn't find what he looked like.]]

Bu walked slowly through the forest, his bare feet landing softly on the green grass below him. He was a tall, rather porky man, with a slouch in his back and several wrinkles in his face that gave the indication that his finer years were far beyond him. His face was oily, the color of his skin masked by a thin layer of dirt, and even the few patches of grey hair he had left showed filth, perhaps a result of the warm Konoha days and muddy forests. His beard was thick and scruffy, almost concealing his lips and neck below the thick white bush, his eyes a lovely hazel, showing that in his younger years, he'd been the desire of many young women, but these years were long past him. He wore a knee length white robe, which contrary to his appearance, was as white as milk. He smelled of an over-whelming earthiness, like a freshly opened bottle of wine. His eyes were practically closed, his mind focused on the closest thing next to nothing.

As he walked through the forest, it's almost as if he sensed someone near him. Peeking with his right eye, he spotted a boy, almost staring right at him. He raised a weary eyebrow. "Someone's found my hiding spot! Ho ho!" He stopped, and sarcastically began to march towards the boy, pumping his arms back and forth in an exaggerated manner. As he approached him, he raised his right hand straight into the air. "Who dares wander into this forest under my sentry?"

[Ign0miny]

[[OOC: I fixed it you should be able to examine my characters profile now.]]

Reiji was actually startled by the mans appearance, so much so that he took a step back and placed his hands on his belt just above his shuriken. As the man exited the brush and came into the light Reiji relaxed a bit, and stared at this chubby man wondering if he even knew where he was. Reiji wasn’t even that close and he could smell his pungent aroma. ”Your protection.” This forest is under the protection of Konohagakure no Sato, so you are technically trespassing.”

Reiji’s face remained stoic, as did his tone. The man would have appeared as a beggar or a drunkard if it weren’t for his clean garb. Reiji studied the older fellows movements hoping to gain some sort of gauge of his ability. In order to keep things moving the newly appointed Genin began asking the weird gentleman questions. ”My name is Reiji; what is yours if I may ask?” Reiji formed his mouth into a smile and tried to put an interested tone in his voice, as well as make his facial expression kinder and more inviting. So he is hiding but from what?

Reiji would have to be cautious about how he approached this, if he said the wrong thing it could set this man off, and he really had no idea what he was capable of; but if he was hiding then that could mean only one thing a Missing Ninja.
His thoughts told him that he really didn’t want this to end badly. The young Senju wanted to see if he could circumvent any exertion on both their parts. He removed his hands from his belt and took a more relaxed stance, all the while preparing for the worst situation possible. As he and the old man conversed he looked at his surroundings taking in as much of his environment as possible.

[Vitamin]

The old man eyed the boy as he spoke with an exaggeratedly interested expression on his face, sarcastic even. He leaned in ever so slightly, as if he'd received some important news, and his arms stood locked at his sides. "Reiji? That was my fathers name! Hoho, what a fateful encounter!" He stroked his beard a few times, walking over to the nearest tree, and landing hard on his bottom below it, leaning back against it. He seemed unphased by the force of his own landing.

"My name is Bu, but please, call me Bu." He chuckled softly to himself, thoroughly amused by his own actions. He crossed his arms and his legs, tucking both hands inside his robe into what looked like his armpits. He looked at the boy, rather menacingly this time, his hands very active under the garments. He looked at the boy from head to toe, examining him. "At ease, young shinobi, I am a friend of the village. I bring no harm."

His left hand shot out towards the boy, in a threatening manner, right towards the boys face. At full extension, Bu opened his hand and revealed... an apple. The apple itself was glorious; it was about the size of a small fist, perfect in shape, redder than blood, possessing some sort of glaze as if it had been picked during rainfall. "I only bring gifts. Please, eat. Sit, breathe, converse. Tell me boy, what brings you to my side of the forest?" He spoke in a very lighthearted manner. As he did this, he pulled out an identical apple with his opposite hand and took a huge bite into it, awaiting the boys response.

[Ign0miny]

Reiji was too slow to react to the movement but managed to move his body just enough to bounce the apple off of his forehead instead of his nose; which he figured would hurt less. It however snapped his head back a bit, the apple bounced hit a branch and landed on the ground with a few bruising’s appearing on its surface.”What the hell Bu, damn that hurt!” Exclaimed Reiji as he rubbed his forehead and cursed a few more times. After that he was even more on his guard, he had never heard of this Bu before and had never seen him in his widening search for plant-life around the village. His forehead began to turn red where the apple had struck him and his head was swimming with the beginnings of a headache but he pretended to be unaffected.

Bu could be lying, but Reiji couldn’t discern this from his body language, be he was sure of one thing, if this man made any more sudden moves he would be in some trouble. Just then another sharp pain hit him, but he made sure to disguise it as a common motion as he ran his fingers through his hair letting them linger on his scalp long enough for him feel some sort of comfort. That encounter had done one thing, Reiji had noted Bu’s strength, though that probably wasn’t even half of it. The excitable young Genin bent down picked up the offering and rubbed off the dirt that had covered its blood red skin. He sniffed it first wondering if the man had actually pulled it from his armpit, he took his first bite slowly to try and taste any abnormalities. As he did so he leaned against a tree for added support.

As he chewed he thought for a long while, and then answered Bu question. ”I am taking surveys of the plant-life around Konoha. When I find a new specimen I mark it in this book. That was only partially true however, he was doing this trying to create the ultimate in Mokuton/Plant techniques. He took another bite of the apple and shifted his weight to his right side; if he needed to dodge again it would be best to be truly ready this time.

[Vitamin]

Bu tore through the apple in about 4 bites, leaving nothing but the seeds and the core, and tossed it behind him. He glanced over to the boy who'd probably accuse him of throwing trash. "It's good for the earth." He faced forward again, and pulled out another apple from inside his robe, the inside his robe apparently being a mysterious warehouse for firm, red apples. He took another bite of this one, and chewed slowly, pondering.

"Why?", he said with a mouthful of apple, bits flying here and there. He looked over at the book that the boy was holding. "Homework? Or is this just a personal venture you decided to embark on?"

He looked forward again, taking another small bite of the apple, and chewed it slowly, pondering whatever it was someone like Bu pondered about, awaiting the boys response.

[Ign0miny]

Reiji sort of chuckled at his idea that this was somehow homework, "Not homework this is my own personal thing, it makes me feel something rather than feeling... Nothing." As the young Genin spoke the words he realized he had let his guard down, he didn't even bother with it now if Bu really wanted to hurt him Reiji figured it would have happened already. His head was still ringing from the throw earlier but most of the pain had subsided now.

He walked over and handed Bu the book. "I have been making a widening circle around the village looking for wildlife, new specimen, as well as the specimen in this book. I have cataloged over 9 specimen that aren't in the book, wrote that info in the back on blank pages. The others I marked the page with red, and then jot down my route so I can return to that spot." He paused a minute to take a breath and another bite of the apple.

"If I come back to that spot and the plant isn't there I remark the page with black, if there are more of that particular plant within five yard radius then I take a sample and mark the page with green." Reiji paused again and looked at Bu wondering what the old man was thinking, and if he even understood what he was even talking about. Reiji took another bite of the apple and looked up at the sky.

[Vitamin]

Bu raised a confused eyebrow as he listened to the boys words, slowing down the chewing of his apple to allow his thoughts to process. Red pages? Black marks? Plants?? Routes?!? All of this quickly went over Bu's head, as he very noticeably turned out the majority of the boys words.

Finally, when he finished speaking, Bu dropped his apple on the ground, still chewing on some. He crouched at first, wiping his hands on the grass before him, and finally stood up, cracking his back, neck, knuckles, and a few other body parts that weren't normally supposed to crack.

He looked over at the boy. "I haven't the faintest idea of anything you said.". He hesitated a moment, and then gave a quick chuckle. "Tell me something boy."

He took about 20 steps forwards, where their was a regular, green bush, connected to a few other small bushes. He looked around it, analyzing something about, finally before he stopped and stood up straight. He pointed at the bush. "Tell me, what do you see here?"

[Ign0miny]

Reiji walked over to the bush and stared at it for quite some time. He looked at Bu confused for a second, wondering if this was some kind of trick question, or if Bu was even interested in hearing this at all. After contemplating for a moment the young Senju sighed, knowing that this was more than likely Bu making fun of him. "This bush is known as a Foxtail Fern. They are very frequent around this area because of our climate." Reiji recoiled from his position and looked directly at Bu. He showed no emotion really but, he felt Bu's lack of interest which made him a bit less open.

Reiji was still dealing with his apple so he took another bite and chewed as he eyed all the foliage that spread out beyond his, and Bu's position. He couldn't help but see a beauty to all that nature had created. It was then that he asked Bu a question. "Hey Bu, where did you get these apples; is there a source around here that I can find it would be nice to eat while doing my rounds."

The Genin took several more bites of his apple until it was gone, he then dug a few small holes and planted the seeds; he tossed the remains as soon as he had finished. The young man wiped his hands on his pants as he stood up, wondering about Bu and why he was out here.

[Vitamin]

Bu nodded affirmingly at the boys response. Even with all the wisdom provided by old age, he'd not known this. "Boy, tell me; if you go around and document every single fern, tree, and bud that grows out the ground, to what purpose does it serve?"

He sat down next to the bush, reaching over and breaking off some of the foliage, placing them in his mouth and chewing them. He chewed a bit more, then spat them out at the bush. "Disgusting." He continued to spit to let go of any small pieces of foliage that remained in his mouth. He looked at Reiji after he asked his question. Instead of an answer, he responded by pulling out another apple from within his robe and extending his arm outward in the direction of the boy, attempting to hand it to him.

"A question for a question, hmm?". He sat up, back straight, crossing his legs, placing both hands on his knees, as if to meditate. "When one who appreciates the fine arts looks at a painting, what do they see?"

[Ign0miny]

Reiji answered the elderly mans question without so much as a pause. "I wish to become stronger, and doing this helps me, for I am of the Senju clan." His last statement should have held some essence of pride but it fell far from it. He looked at Bu to gauge the response of his lineage, which wasn't the reason for announcing it. It was not to brag or to be boastful either, Reiji just figured the man would have not only a better understanding of why he was doing this, but also he Reiji wanted to feel comfortable around Bu, and he felt the only way was to completely drop his guard.

The young Senju continued his rant as he eyed his surroundings. "I am interested in learning what the trees, and forest can do so that I too can do it. This is all about gathering intel so that I can reach a higher plateau." As Reiji watched the man eat the plant he held up a hand and tried to stop him but it was too late. As Bu spit Reiji watched him wondering why he would do such a thing. "Should have warned you that plant is not for eating; apples are much better."

As Bu handed him another apple he took it in his hand, and ate it in four hefty bites. He performed the same ritual as before, returning the seeds to the earth. He stood and stared at the sky again, gray clouds were beginning to form blocking out the sun, It is going to rain soon... When the young man again looked at Bu he was in the middle of dodging his question with another.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder Bu, what I see and what you see will always be different. So the answer is they see what they want to see. Just like I see beauty when I look at nature, you may see it only when you look upon a delicious apple."

[Vitamin]

Bu remained pan-faced upon the boys proclamation of his lineage. "A Senju! Boy, I remember when...". His words drifted to a very low-volumed mumble, which probably not even Bu himself could make out. He continued on, lost in his own words for a few minutes, finally snapping himself out of it, gauging the boys response to his question.

"Wise words from a young'n. I'm impressed!" To this, he gave a hearty laugh. He was thoroughly entertained by the boy. "Your ancestors would be proud, boy." He nodded with a soft smile, looking at the boy."Now tell me boy.". He pulled out yet another apple from his robe and took a huge bite of it, chewing it with some difficulty. "If I were to bite this apple, and focus on the texture, the shape, the juiciness, the color, the density of the apple, among other things." He spoke with his mouthful, finally taking a pause to swallow the entire bite. He coughed a bit, to clear his throat. "Would I not lose sight-or taste rather-, of how delicious the apple was?"

He pointed over to the same bush he had just chewed. "In the same manner, if you focus on classifying the bush by it's color, rarity, and however else you'd classify a plant." He reached over and into the bush, digging inside the plant, finally pulling out 1 red apple, the same red apples he'd been plucking from within his robe, and held it in his hand, almost reveling in all it's mighty apple glory. "Would you not lose sight of the beauty within it?"

[Ign0miny]

It was an intriguing question that made Reiji pause for a little while, he had never thought about that. The young Senju looked at the apple and even the bush, then he began to examine them both with the utmost scrutiny. He even produced a kunai from his back and sliced into the apple core he had tossed earlier checking the texture, weight, taste, smell. He did the same with the plant, including tasting it; his reaction was the same a Bu's.

After spitting out as much of the plant as possible he longed for an apple to help rid him of the awful flavor that was dancing on his taste buds. The repulsive flavor somehow didn't distract him from his goals however; the young ninja continued his inquiry, finally standing to look upon Bu once all was done. "Okay so I have come to my conclusion now. Before continuing Reiji wiped off his kunai and stored it in its proper hiding place.

"I have come to the conclusion that you do lose some of the beauty while viewing thing at such at close proximity. The close examination, was devised, and or designed to look at the properties in which the plant was created, the substance that it is made of, its taste, texture, and general molecular structure."

Reiji paused, taking a few breaths before he continued again. "However, I also believe that this process lets us look at things in a different light, which as far as I am concerned allows me to look at the beauty inside of the fruit, vegetable, or miscellaneous plant." Reiji moved over to a tree and rubbed its bark, looking at the lines that made up its outer shell, he cut off a piece and tossed it to Bu. He focused on the bark following a path of the intricate pattern that was laid out before him with a finger. "This bark is a shell, or rather this particular trees armor to protect it against weather, bugs, and even animals. Any scaring will let these elements in and can harm the tree. The fact that something so still can still fight back is amazing if you want to understate it. If you look closely where I removed that piece of bark there is sap coming though to protect its inner core."

He looked back at Bu. "I think that it allows for a more beautiful picture for some, others however can get caught up on the analysis part and miss the beauty altogether. So in essence it truly depends on the individual." Reiji turned from the tree to face Bu, he smiled slightly, crouched and rested his back against the tree he had just examined.

"Are you going to answer my question about the apples Bu?"

[Vitamin]

Bu listened with great pleasure the the words the boy spoke. In stark contrast to his previous reactions to anything he said, Bu was genuinely interested in what the boy was saying, and this was clearly reflected on his facial expressions. Quite an intelligent young shinobi this one was. He'd inherited not only the clans bloodline, but the great mind that one as old as Bu had come to expect from the Senju clan members.

"Ah yes! The apples! Come!"

Bu popped up with surprising speed, dusting off his robe, and began walking towards the sunset. He walked with his eyes closed, but walked confidently, showing that the path he walked on was committed to memory and reflex.

He finally came to a strange looking bush. The color of the leaves were so green it looked almost artificial. It stood about 20 feet tall, and it was so dense and thick it seemed to almost be made of solid wood.

Bu glanced back to see if the young Senju had followed him, and was standing by to discover the secret of the apples. "Are you ready, young ninja?"

With one heavy step, he leaped into the bush, disappearing in a moments notice into the thick greenery behind the bush. He was confident the curious shinobi he left in wait would follow suit.

[Ign0miny]

Reiji was up on his feet, not is such a fluid movement of quite as fast as the old man, but he made it to his feet nonetheless. The fledgling ninja followed the man slowly keeping at least five feet of distance between them; Bu's sudden movements had caused some of Reiji's apprehension to return. He followed anyway, and caught a glimpse of the old timers features and noted his eyes were closed.

A sly smile crossed the cautious Genin's face, Show off! As they walked Reiji noted landmarks so that he could find his way back after locating the apple source. Bu was right they were delicious and he could stop here first for a snack and take a few with him while he continued his studies.

Reiji while concentrating on other things came close to bumping into Bu when he came to a halt in front of what looked like an artificial plant. The tempting urge to study this greenery was welling up in the young man but he kept it at bay for the time being, he had a question that needed to be answered and until that time he would follow Bu.

When the portly gentleman jumped into the brush, Reiji waited a moment and then followed suit. He couldn't wait to see what was on the other side.

[Vitamin]

What was waiting on the other side of the brush was something out of a fairy tail.

The trees, a countless number of them, stood evenly spaced in a huge number or rows columns. There was probably enough of them to fill up a soccer pitch, perhaps even more. Around the perimeter was the same towering, green bush that they had burst through. The sun shined directly on to the trees, giving a lovely, even light throughout the entire area. Below the trees was about a foot tall field of very green grass, giving the appearance that although it hadn't been cut in quite some time, somebody was clearly watering and tending to the grass, pulling out the weeds and ridding it of bugs and such.

The trees themselves were gorgeous; they each stood about 20-30 feet tall, with the trunk of the tree a gorgeous brown, and the leaves and branches of the tree were incredibly well maintained. Upon the branches on all the trees, hung a countless number of apples. What could easily number in the thousands, all the apples seemed to be different. There were blood red ones, green ones, yellow ones, red and yellow ones; the amount was numerous. Fluttering and taking roost on and around the trees was a number of birds, common to the entire woods. They chirped joyfully.

Bu walked up to the nearest tree, giving the trunk of the tree a very firm kick. Extending his arm outward with his palm flat, a lone apple landed squarely on to it. It was one of the same red apples that he and the young Senju had been feasting on.

Bu was gleaming with pride, taking a huge bite out of the apple. He extended his hands outwards, as if to note the incredible vastness of his orchard. "What do you think? This is my greatest source of joy, my life's work!" He raised his voice towards the end, lending to his excitement.

He turned around, giving the tree another firm kick, catching another apple during it's descent, and tossing it softly back to the young ninja. He walked threw the column on his right, going down the line of trees, as if her were about to give a tour, paying no mind to whether or not the boy was actually following him. This place of serenity stood untouched by any noise aside from his footsteps and the chirping of the birds, almost if it were separate from the universe. His voice would be the only thing audible in the entire area.

"You're the first to see this orchard in years. Decades probably. I haven't kept track of time for quite a while now." He continued to walk through the field, slowly, his eyes closed once again. He stopped, inhaling slowly, exhaling out his mouth. "What say you, young ninja? What do you think?"

[Ign0miny]

Reiji stared at the endless rows of apple trees, he couldn't believe his eyes. The orchard was magnificent, as the young Senju stared basking in the beauty that was nature he was speechless. His eyes went wide as he entered and took in all that was before him, and his jaw dropped open showing a dumbfounded expression. He was completely blown away.

The trees were aligned symmetrically they were in fact numerous Reiji couldn't see where they ended when he looked to his left or his right, and the path before them seemed endless as well. The cautious young nin awoke from his shock and utter elated state just in time to catch the apple that had been softly launched by Bu. Apple fresh in his hand he took a huge bite mimicking Bu. Reiji's guard was now completely shattered, this man, this recluse of a man had become closer to Reiji than anyone had ever been. His love of plants or at least these trees and the care at which Bu had shown them had broken this boys determination to maintain his aloofness.

Reiji's face was a turmoil of emotion, the boy had serious trouble expressing it, however, now it was not fake the boy smiled and laughed genuinely. He was taken back, or possibly in shock. He looked at Bu and before the man could finish his statement Reiji turned to him. "You are a great person Bu, this orchard, what you have done here, truly there are no words to describe its beauty!"

Reiji moved to follow him after he made his statement, and to look upon all that was around him was bringing forth emotions he had hardly felt, his smile never left his face, and he walked with a sense of pride as if this was just as much his as it was Bu's. "Have been here the entire time, and exactly how long ago did you venture out here?" Reiji stared at the great gardener with a smile upon his face, looking for answers. As he followed the man while forming new questions in his mind the young man was looking at all that surrounded him.

"You also said you were a friend to Konoha, what did you mean by that, are you a ninja?" Reiji had so many questions, several of which he had held on to earlier due to his limited knowledge of Bu, but now he didn't care, he asked them regardless of the consequences, though he used a tone that meant no offense to the man. "You said that no one has been here in decades, so you have been alone this whole time, with no one but these trees, and birds?"

Reiji stopped abruptly, thinking about his existence, and how he got to where he is now. Even with family at his side his life had been no different from Bu's. He had shut himself off to them, not even willing to bring them into his world, no one had ever been able to grasp or understand the boy. It was a hard truth, and he wouldn't accept that truth now, he would live in the moment for now and piece all that other stuff together later.

He snapped out of he thoughts and chased after Bu, catching up to him just in time to hear his question. "I love this place Bu, and with your permission I would like to come back to feast on your apples, and perhaps chat about the happenings outside of this vast world you have created." The smile on the boys face was genuine yet again, he could only hope that Bu would say yes, if not he couldn't know what he would do. To Reiji though Bu was the first relationship he had actually formed, and this was the start of a beautiful, unorthodox friendship.

[Vitamin]

Bu's eyes beamed with admiration, his smile stretching from ear to ear. Never in his life had he felt such a feeling. Never in his life did he ever think he would feel such elation, such joy, from sharing his work with others. "Thank you, thank you! This is many many days and nights of hard work, love and tenderness"

He continued walking down one of the rows, glancing at every tree that he passed along the way. In all his work, the times where others could share in the fruits of his labor were very few and far between. Bu laughed heartily upon hearing the questions of the young shinobi. "So many questions young shinobi!" Finally, he stopped, and made his way over to a tree with very bright green apples, and took a seat alongside it's trunk. "But I suppose you've warranted some answers. Some real answers."

He raised one of his hands to his chin, rubbing it, raising an eyebrow as if signifying that he was deep in thought. "What is time but a creation of man that exists only within our minds?" With the same hand, he elbowed the trunk of the tree hard, with a single green apple falling from it's branch, Bu swiping it out of the air mid-fall. He took a huge bite out of it, and proceeded to talk with a mouthful of the fruit. "That's no answer. Hmm... It's been ages since I've ventured out here. Much longer before your time, or before your fathers time for that matter. Perhaps even before your grandfathers time." He gave a small chuckle again, then swallowed the chewed apple. He took another huge bite then proceeded to speak.

"I'm not a shinobi, by any means. In fact, I consider shinobi probably the biggest hindrance that this world has been cursed with.". He averted his eyes for a bit, losing himself in thought for a moment, before he continued to speak. "On that subject, I can no longer speak more of." He swallowed the apple that was in his mouth, then finally took in the rest of it, core and all, and gave one rather loud crunch before he began chewing normally. "And yes. It's just me, the birds, and the bees. In fact, nobody had touched these grounds besides myself aside from you for about 20 years now. Consider yourself lucky, young Senju."

Bu continued to chew the apple, finally swallowing it in one loud gulp. He scratched his head, licked his lips, before tying up his robe. His previous jolly face had suddenly become more stern, the chirping of the birds had come to a slow halt, finally looking over at the boy. "You wish to return here? Now, why would I... or actually, should I, allow such a thing?"

[Ign0miny]

Reiji was sort of taken back by Bu's final question. "It is simple I wish to return so that I might have a friend to chat with, also we share at least one thing in common which is our love of nature." Reiji again back on the defensive had to force himself to smile. The birds were still quiet and Reiji was beginning to think that this had been a bad idea. In any case he moved in a non-threatening manner and sat by a tree.

He had grown to like Bu, and he had thought the feeling was mutual, but that last question had brought up so much turmoil within the extremely tall Genin that he could almost taste the bile in his throat. A friend, or at least that is what he had originally thought he and Bu would be, but now teetering on the edge was the fact that Bu may not want anything but his trees.

In that sudden realization he saw himself in Bu, and in looking at the man for a long moment, he actually wondered if Bu was better off, or if he should try to connect with someone other than nature. The Genin sat there for a long moment in a trance, so much so that he barely heard himself speak. "I apologize for being to forward earlier, I had assumed something and now realize my error; I will refrain from visiting here if that is your wish." His tone had become more nonchalant than before, and he lost the joy in his features. When his speech was finished he stood and dusted the dirt from his pants. "You needn't worry no one will know of this place. Take care of yourself Bu and Farewell." The boy bowed with respect, turned and began the trek back to where Bu had found him. At the edge of the apple orchard he spun to take one last look upon what had been created, to marvel in its beauty, then disappeared through the interesting looking greenery.

[Vitamin]

Bu would only watch the boy stand up and walk away, and disappear through through the brush. His eyes tracked him the entire way, but his face remained stern, his mouth silent. He continued to evaluate the young genin, while watching him disappear through the brush. There weren't many people like him left in this world, let alone a ninja that thought the way he did. Bu spoke softly, as if the trees around him were listening.

"Reminds me of another young ninja...", his voice drifting down, closing his eyes, and folding his arms inwards. A cool breeze brushed across him, and in an instant he had disappeared.

On the other side of the brush, Bu appeared, sitting in the same position below a tree just outside the large green brush. The boy would surely see him upon exiting the leafy wall. Bu kept his hands tucked and his head lowered, but spoke. "Reiji of the Senju, please wait."

He raised his head once more, his eyes appearing much glossier than they had before. He stood on his feet, appearing much more massive this time, as if though he had grown by about 2 feet, his face appearing slightly younger, but his voice remained the same. "Since I've made the Land Of Fire my home, never once has there been anybody, let alone a ninja, who's brought eyes upon me and showed me some sort of respect. Never once has there been someone who's brought eyes upon my orchard and not thought to use it for profit, or for some sort of personal gain. It was almost beginning to feel as if the gifts of the earth were being shunned."

Bu took a few steps to the side, turning his back towards the young ninja. The breeze had picked up, shaking the leaves and the giant wall of foliage with some strength. "Times have changed a great deal. People have grown, the cities have grown, this forest has grown. And you, young ninja, just like my apple trees, will grow as well. Grow, but do not change." The breeze now turned into a slight gust, the leaves and branches of the trees shaking somewhat violently now, the wall of foliage generating a slight thrashing sound, but Bu's voice was still aduible.

"I've served my purpose. My orchard is yours, Senju Reiji. I trust you'll treat it well."

In that instant, there was a huge blast of wind, that would cause anybody in the surrounding area to either blink or shield there eyes. No more than a second later, the wind had come to a complete halt, the trees and foliage around it showing no signs of damage or any disturbance. Where Bu once stood, was now empty. There was one item, however, placed neatly on the ground. There, in the same spot where no more than a few seconds ago stood the old man, was a single, red apple, the same variety that the young ninja and the old man had been eating this entire time.

The trees and bushes remained still. The flowers bloomed, the birds chirped, and the sun shined on the small area of the forest. A simple sight, nothing out of the ordinary. Yet oh so beautiful.

[Ign0miny]

After the gust Reiji's eyes were still watering. To a passer by, it would have looked as if the boy was crying while staring at a lone apple that laid on the ground a few feet away. He stared at it for more that a few moments before he took it into his hand took a bite and walked back through the greenery that he had just passed through. Upon entering the grove was again alive with the sound of birds, and bees. Each tree was a mark that Bu had left on this earth, and Reiji wouldn't tarnish the mans memory.

Reiji looked to the sky, "I will take care of what you have given me Bu, this will be my sanctuary and from here on out it will be protected by me. Reiji wiped the water from his eyes and face, knowing that in order to attain such a feet training would be required. He moved to the first tree and struck it in a similar manner to Bu. a slew of apples fell hitting him in the arm head and foot. He smiled and let out a light chuckle, "Perhaps training should commence sooner than later."

Reiji picked up the apples and moved through the forest devouring them as he walked, it was expansive this forest of apples and Reiji was certain that he could get lost in it even though the paths were very defined. This was his orchard now so he would need to learn the ins and outs of it all. On his way back to his entry point Reiji took the last apple in three bites how he had seen his friend do it... "Friend! Yeah I guess he was my friend!" A slight sound of elation, and uncertainty was in his voice, but he knew the truth. Bu had so far been the only one to understand him, and he as far as he knew understood Bu.

When he finally left the area the sun was just beginning its decent. The birds were quite now and the true sounds of the nights forest were just making themselves known. Reiji would keep his promise to the man that he had met that day he would keep this area free from harm, and of course eat whatever his orchard provided. He knew it would be hard though without staying there he couldn't rightly keep it safe, something would have to be done about that, and though it would take some time he knew it had to be done.

Reiji moved toward Konoha with a vigor he had never known. When he entered his home he smiled sincerely at his family walked to his room and plopped on his bed, tired from from his little adventure.