Serendipitous Circumstance

[King of Cats]

It was early in the afternoon, the sun had just past noon, and the river flowing through Xincha was rife with motion. There were fishes jumping out from all angles, as a local species of salmon were heading up river. There had been lots of rain in this early spring, so the river was high too. It was perfect conditions to cast a line into the freshwater, and of course, Heart's titular fisherman was there to test his luck.

The Blue Tailed Beast, Roku Shuryo, was standing in the middle of two fishing poles. One was a fiber optic fishing pole with a fancy reel attached to it, and the other was simply a bamboo pole with line tied to it's end. The bamboo pole was curiously glowing gold, however.

Roku stood there, staring at his two fishing poles. He was testing something out.

Yoshijutsu, or Luck Release, was a skill unique to only Roku and the spirit dwelling inside of his body. By offering chakra to a unique spiritual realm inbetween the mundane and the afterlife, Roku could influence luck as if he were a politician and luck was cash. It was a delicate art, but Roku had long since mstered it. It had been over seven years since he ecame familiar with Hideoyoshi's inherent talents. The thrill had yet to fade. However, on this day, Roku was utilizing Yoshijutsu in a new way.

Typically, Roku sought to catch big fish with his skills. The samurai spent all of his free time by the water, fishing, swimming, surfing, all sorts of things. Roku loved the water. He loved fishing the most, and catching big fish was particularly fortuitous to Roku. He could eat well, and sell the rest, all y a stroke of guided luck. It was a sweet deal, but Roku wanted to test out a new technique.

He watched his fishing lines, when, suddenly, someone appeared behind him.

[Diatenshi]

Yōsuke had been swimming in the river, the closest he felt at home being so far inland. It made him feel strange not being able to smell the sea. It'd been a constant presence since his birth and being so far away made him homesick. Especially being trapped in this peaceful shrine. It was even duller than the brothel. No loud noises, no wild fights, and worse of all no sailors. He missed the tales of the ship workers. It wasn't as good as sailing himself, but it reminded him of his father and the stories he'd share while drinking from a bottle of cheap rum.

The water at least eased his heart and mind. He could relax and feel like himself again. Though it was quiet it was refreshing and made him appreciate quiet moments more. He'd never quite understood his father's love of fishing. It was much too passive in his opinion waiting for a fish to bite. Instead, he preferred hunting sharks or sword fish. They put up a proper fight and gave him a thrill. he'd occasionally get a fresh snack. Every now and then, a plump salmon would swim by him and almost mechanically his head would snap and snatch it up his sharp teeth digging into its juicy flesh, entrails and blood polluting the crystal clear waters.

After finishing off a particularly large salmon, the hunger pains in his stomach faded a bit. He looked around for another and noticed it swimming towards what appeared to be a fishing hook with no bait. It astounded him and made him wonder what was the appeal. It had no food for it to go after nor was it particularly flashy. It was the definition of plain. After watching the giant salmon bite the hook he decided to peek his head above the water to see if the fisherman could actually reel it in. To his surprise he saw a member of his mother's clan.

The fisherman must've been part of the faction that settled in heart after the war. His mother used to lament about how the war tore her clan apart. To this day he'd yet to meet another Shuryō other than his mom and grandfather who died in the war. What stood out to him the most however as this man had a tail sticking out his ass. He wondered to himself if this was common amongst Shuryō. Perhaps he and his mother were the odd ones out. He noticed the man was looking at him and hadn't notice the line of the plain rod going taunt. "You may want to focus on your rod. From what I saw it should put up a good fight." He pointed in the other direction towards the end of the line and wiped the remnant blood off his face.

[King of Cats]

It was surprising for Roku to see another fish rise from the water where he had his line cast out. What was more surprising was that the fish seemed to be a Shuryo like himself. Roku smiled as he saw the boy rise from the water, and he walked over to his taut fishing line. It wass the mechnical fishing pole, not his glowing bamboo one. Roku yelled something indiscernible to the boy and then started reeling in the fish. It ws no problem for Roku to bring in a fish of this size. He was strong and practiced with the motions of reeling in. Roku was a professional fisherman. He guided the line side to side, pulling in the fish and ensuring the hook was properly set.

"This is nothing to a great warrior!" Roku laughed and continued pulling the fish to shore.

Once the fish was properly caught, Roku called out to the boy in the water. "Are you a Shuryo?" Roku's tail slapped against the ground in excitement. The thick, muscular, tail was covered in glistening scales, a trademark of Roku's Shuryo heritage. Not many Shuryo possessed the Umihada Tail, but many who had in histoy were known to be excellent warriors. Fighter's from Shark Country were reputable, even in modern day.

The Blue Tailed Beast was no exception from his forefthers. The samurai had developed a strong reputation as the strongest samurai in Heart. His jinchuriki status was secret, but his luck was undoubtable. People knew that rRoku was the real deal.

[Diatenshi]

As the stranger reeled in the fish his image overlapped with a memory of Yōsuke's father. He remembered standing on the beach watching his father out in the water fishing. Their movements were quite similar, and Yōsuke could tell the man had years of experience. He wasn't sure if it was them being from the same clan or the memory of his father but he felt a kinship with the man. There were definite differences however. His father's smile was sheer arrogance, where as this man's smile more showed confidence. There was a level of cockiness he lacked. He didn't seem to swagger in the same way though that might be a pirate thing.

When the man finished reeling in the fish Yōsuke was impressed. The fish was quite large and he handled it quite easily. He licked hi lips looking at the fish as his stomach rumbled loudly. The man's question however pulled the young shark's attention away from his hunger. He wiped a small bit of drool off the corner of his mouth then looked at his own form and compared it to the man's. "Indeed, but I figured you'd be able to tell. Do I look weird for a Shuryō? Is it cause i dont have a tail? Mom didn't have one ... Then again she didn't have facial fins like i do either..." his voice trailed off as he examined himself, opening and closing his webbed hands. His mom had said that the webbed fingers were uncommon amongst Shuryō but not exactly rare traits. The only thing he thought that made him look off was his fins perhaps? He looked back up at the man's tail and blinked, a clear film closing and opening over his vibrant blue eyes.

[King of Cats]

Laughing at how the kid seemed to unassuredly take count of his features, Roku flung the fish onto the bank of the river. It flopped in the air, and Roku weaved together some hand signs. A thin rope of Raiton shot from his lips and pierced the fish in the skull. It stopped flopping for a second, then it started shaking, a side effect of the lightning coursing through it.

"You'd like some fish?" Roku waved the boy onto the shore. He had a small campfire brewing and intended on cooking the fish. "You look like one of us, sure. I just thought you might be some kind of off brand fish man. You never know. Heart is filled with strange kekkei genkai, not all the royal clans of the world are represented every day." Roku walked with the boy over to the campfire. "You can have all the roe. I got a bag of salt for taste, just squeeze it out before I carve it open." Roku didn't eat fish eggs. He thought that was bad for the libido. He was opposite on a lot of medical things like that.

"You think my tail is weird? I'll have you know kid, my mom said I was blessed by the spirit of the sea. That also why I can do this." Roku pulled a knife from his pocket and flipped it out. In one fell swoop, he cut off his finger. "By the way, my name's Roku. I'm Hrubushi of Heart." He looked to be in pain, but as the two were tlking, Roku's finger began to regenerate. At first just bone was growing bck, but flesh soon encapsulated the phalange and white skin grew round it. In a secondd, blue scales covered his finger's once again.

[Diatenshi]

Yōsuke's eyes dilated when the fish was pierced by the lightning, the smell of blood and charred fish rousing his hunger once more with a vengeance. A loud rumble answered the man's question as the boy began to drool a bit. He swiftly moved over to the fish and had to stop himself from eating it raw. He couldn't be rude his mother wouldn't approve. He squeezed out the roe and started snacking on them like candy as Roku started to break down the fish.

When Roku paused to cut off his own finger, Yōsuke e tilted his head to the side curious. He wasn't freaked out as he'd seen plenty of weird people on Jinjeku Island. When the finger grew back slowly, Yōsuke wondered if the severed finger would grow as well. He picked up the severed finger and looked back and forth from the hand and it then offered the finger back to Roku not quite sure what else to do with it.

"My father said grandma was a sea spirit. He was a fishman like you thought I might've been. Mom says its where I get my fins from and why my gills are behind my ears instead of on my cheeks like other Shuryō." He continued munching on the roe enjoying the way the yolks squirted out in his mouth. The salty flavor reminded him of the sea and mom's home cooking.

[King of Cats]

When Yosuke offered Roku hiss finger back, the Shuryo simply grabbed it and tossed it into the water behind them. He wondered what kind of fish would eat that, but didn't look back to check.

Cutting into the fish, Roku sheared the filets from each side, then left the waste in a pile on a rock. It smelled fishy and flies were quickly attracted to it. Holding the filetsin one hand, Roku skewered them with two senbon. He then placed them on the fire and they began to cook. The fish smelled good, but it didn't have ny seasoning. Roku reache dinto a pouch on his rope belt and procured some spicy, salty, seasoning. He threw it liberally on each filet and then turned to Yosuke.

"Well, see? It was right of me to ask. You are quite the odd one, that's for sure. It's a pleasure to meet you," Rok upaused for a second. "What's yer name kid?" The blue tailed beast reached into the fire to turn the fish filets.

[Diatenshi]

It wasnt long before Yōsuke finished all the roe. The tantalizing scent of the cooking fish only grew more intense as Roku threw the spices on. He openly drooled staring at the fish, his stomach rumbling louder. He was mesmerized by the fat dripping off the fish falling into the flames adding to the wonderful smell. So enraptured was he by the smell he missed the first part of Roku's question.

It wasn't till he heard the second question that he finally heard the older man. He wiped the drool from his mouth and hung his head apologetically. "I'm Shuryō Yōsuke, formerly from Shark Country before the great war. I'm sorry, sometimes my hunger gets the best of me. I always seem to be hungry; mom says it's cause I'm still growing."

He looks up at Roku before glancing at the fish, his stomach rumbling loudly regardless of his feeling on the matter. He wonders if he inherited a sharks hunger as a mutation. No matter how much he ate it never seemed to be enough. He himself wondered where all the food went. Part of the reason his mom had to work so hard was his insatiable appetite. He felt guilty and wondered if he was causing problems yet again.

[King of Cats]

Grinning wildly, Roku pulled a fish off the fire with his bare hands. The blue scales adorning his flesh protected him from the burn, and the senbon were heat resistant. Roku handedthe fish to Yosuke and replied to him, "It's a pleasure to meet you." He turned over to grab the fish that was for him. It ws perfectly charred and dripping in grease. The salmon that he had caught was a fatty.

For a moment, Roku took a break from talking nd chomped into his fish. His rows of sharp, shark teeth shreddded into the once pink flesh of fish. Roku chewed up every bite, allowing the fatty fish to dissolve in his cheeks.

Once he was done chewing up his food and ha dswallowed the last bite, Roku looked up to Yosuke once again. The Blue Tailed Beast was smiling once more and said to his companion, "So, wht brings you to Xincha? From the sounds of it, you are no samurai." Roku began to scrape the dried up fish off his senbon with his finger nail.

[Diatenshi]

Yōsuke did his best to use his manners and not eat like a starving beast. He casually brought the skewer to his lips and sunk his rows of teeth into the fish. However, as soon as he tasted the charred spicy flavor all restraint went out the window, his eyes dilating. He scarfed down the fish like a ravenous shark in a feeding frenzy making a mess of his face.

In no time at all the fish was gone, disappearing into the bottomless pit that was his stomach. A few moments after the fish was gone his eyes returned to normal and his face turned red. "I'm sorry for my rudeness sir. It was so good I just couldn't help myself." He proceeded to wipe his face and gently put the senbon skewer down. "Itadakimasu! And you're right I'm no samurai. I was invited here by a family friend. They knew my father before he died. I think it's his way of looking after me. I was told he'd help me find my father's killer. In exchange I work for him and help out the Heart Empire."

Yōsuke avoided giving names. He was told that Battosai was a black ops organization and that even their members were secret from each other to some degree. He didn't want to put Ichiro into a difficult spot. Plus as cool as Roku seemed he wasn't sure how he'd react to hearing he was the son of the deceased Pirate King Patch that had been publicly executed only a few months ago. His mother had warned him that his father had made many enemies and they may hurt him as a form of revenge.

He looked back at the older Shuryō and wondered just how much he could trust this stranger. He couldn't be that bad if he was allowed in here and they were likely both members of Battosai. But that's all he knew about him. It wasn't like Shuryō were a very united clan. After the losing Shark Country they'd scattered across the globe. Some settled in Kirigakure, others here in heart like Roku and more still were vagrants like him and his mother.

Looking to change the subject Yōsuke looked back down at the skewer. "You think you could teach me to cook like that? It'd be nice to treat my mother to good food like that the next time I see her. It might put her mind at ease knowing I'm learning something other than how to fight."

[King of Cats]

With his fish gone, Roku felt pretty good. When Yosuke asked to teach him how to cook, Roku felt even better. Secretely, he was a budding chef. Roku loved the control of a cook in the kitchen. The samurai grinned from ear to ear, his menacing dagger teeth exposed. Of course, to a Shuryo like Yosuke, they werent so menacing. Roku unabashedly beamed at the idea of teaching a young one how to cook fish.

"But, of course!" Roku replied happily. "The seret to cooking fish is all about indirect heat. They'll charr if you get em clos enough, but if the flame touches the meat it'll be yechy." Roku explained.

Not wanting to change the subject, but feeling a desire to put the youth on a straight path that ws more fruitful than just cooking, Roku said to the boy, "You seem like a smart kid. Probably strong like me. Why don't you try to follow the code of bushido? You could be a chivalrous sort. A noble warrior. It's a good path to take with the nations on the precipice of war." Roku caught Yosuke's eye contact and maintained it. "I have a student like you. He's grown a lot since I first met him.You could take that path, Yosuke. I could even help you." Roku was still grinning.

[Diatenshi]

Yōsuke listened with quietly eyes watching the fire as he thought of how Roku had cooked the fish. It was a simple instruction, the man had hardly seemed to put much effort into the act. A turn here and there at the right time and a liberal application of spices. It wasn't fancy and yet it had turned out so good. Yōsuke had half a mind to jump back in the river to grab a fish to try for himself.

Before he could do so however Roku changed the topic of the conversation. Yōsuke frowned a bit hearing words like nobel or chivalrous. He shook his head and looked at Roku then smiled. "While I won't turn away learning new skills or abilities, my father did give me a start and taught me some... Restricted knowledge." Yōsuke channeled chakra into his feet and then walked out onto the river, his feet never sinking. "I have a basic grasp of chakra that shinobi use. Besides, nobel, chivalrous, these words don't describe me. I'll use any means necessary to accomplish my goals." Yōsuke looked at Roku, a bit of arrogance in his eyes reminiscent of his father to those that knew him.

"Besides, I'm a natural born scoundrel. I am my father's son after all haha!" If Ichiro or Shindo were here they'd see the shadow of Kaisui in Yōsuke's current demeanor. He looked at Roku with a devilish smile, one that betrayed his ambitions of greatness and renown. "Mark my words sir, one day they'll talk about me in ports all across the globe in hushed whispers.

[King of Cats]

Following the boy to the water, Roku also stood on it. Where Yosuke had less chakra control, Roku was a master. It ws obvious that he had a clear history with walking on water. Nevertheless, Roku was impressed by Yosuke.

When the boy was finished talking Roku suddenly had his fishing pole in his hand. The glowing, bamboo pole. Roku cast the line out into the water, not watching his cast but instead focusing on Yosuke totally. "It's good to have knowledge." He said, referencing the boys skill with water walking. "If your mind is set on being a scoundrel, as you say, I suppose I can't turn you. But as your cooking teacher, I must request that you consider your own nefarious activities to be greater than your forebearers. You should seek to improve upon the history of others, by learning lessons from them." Roku began channeling chakra into the fishing pole, activating the spirit Hideoyoshi. Fish began to swarm his bare hook.

"It would behoove you to incorporate an honorable front. Samurai are respected. Feared. Their uncanny way with people rings throughout the world, Yosuke. Some even consider samurai to be scoundrels of sorts. Bullies. To be a samurai is to incorborate the nebulous code of morals that humanity respects into your life. What's wrong with that? You don't have any morals?" Roku paused and suddenly frowned. He realized he was trying to turn Yosuke.

"It's something to consider anyways." Roku suddenly surged his fishing line with chakra. A golden glow flushed the line and then traveled down the line into the water. Roku jerked his arm backwards, raising the fishing pole and snagging the hook into an unluky salmon. Grabbing his line with his hands, Roku started pulling it in the old fashioned way.

[Diatenshi]

Yōsuke quietly listened to his cooking sensei, though he seemed to be going off on a topic far removed from his position. To be told by the man to be more nefarious than his father, the infamous pirate king known the world over, that he approved of. A large toothy grin spread across his face as he pictured himself King of the Pirates, master of the seas. His eyes lit up and he listened to the man with rapt attention as he began fishing.

Though Roku's next words were very preachy and promoting of being a samurai, Yōsuke remembered something his father had told him about. Even pirates have their honor. His old man called it the pirate's code. Rules every pirate obeyed lest he be left stranded, marooned on an island. Yōsuke's head started to nod as he listened.

He wasn't going to be a shinibi like his father once was. He wouldn't become a samurai either. He was going to be the greatest pirate to ever sail the seas. "I have no intention of becoming a samurai but that doesn't mean I wont learn from them. I wouldn't be here if I felt they had nothing to offer. I'll build my path one step at a time learning everything I can along the way."

The boy smiled brightly as his interest turned once more to the fishing line curious to see the size of fish this simple looking rod would bring in. It was curious how the fish all seemed to swarm it compared to the rod he used earlier. Perhaps simple was better after all? He paused for a moment and then, sticking his head underwater, snatched a fish for himself from the throng using his teeth. Controlling his hunger, he'd drop it into his hands so he could practice cooking.

[King of Cats]

Pulling in the fish from the river, Roku listened to Yosuke declare his position in the world. It was invigorating to hear a young man so proud of himself already. Roku could tell that Yosuke was happy to be there. He had youthful exuberance that betrayed his conception. Roku found it refreshing and smiled as he lifted the fish out of the water.

The salmon that he had caught was giant. It weighed at least thirty pounds and measured over five feet long. It would be a perfect meal for both of the boys. Roku lugged it onto the shore and bent over to unhook his giant barb from the fish's flank. Roku rarely waited for fish to bite his hook. Most of the time he just snagged them out of the blue with a lucky jerking motion. He couldn't help but wish picking up women could be so easy. Unfortunately, Yoshijutsu had a backfiring effect, and altering people's Serendipity Field came with drawbacks. If he wanted to risk it he could, of course. Fishing was much less egregious. Catching a monster was a simple maneuver and Roku had mastered fishing with Hideoyoshi years ago.

Dragging the fish over to the campfire, Roku spoke to Yosuke in a series of grunts. "You will find your path. One thing I've come to learn is that one's path is predetermined by forces out of our reach as humans. You can move your feet surely, but where you're destined to be is far out of your control." Roku arrived at the campfire.

Taking his fishing pole in one hand, Roku began funneling chakra into Hideoyoshi. Quickly, the fishing pole transformed in a flash of golden light. When the light faded, a glowing machete was in Roku's hand. "This'll do nicely." He said to Yosuke, smiling widely and looking at him.

Roku swiftly carved the fish up and removed two, two-foot-long fillets. "You'll never outfish me, I promise you that Yosuke." Roku chided proudly as he began spicing the meat up from the pouch on his side. The orange seasoning covered the fish and stained it nicely.

"So what do you think, son, will you be able to cook your fish up like this?" Roku handed Yosuke his machete spirit weapon and then threw the boy his sack of salt.