The Missing Blade [Kenjutsu Training | Raijin + Invite]

0754#words
0800#chakra

#Jounin(A)


©2013 caliburn

Okami shrunk underneath the desert heat. He wasn't used to it, not at all. Travelling from Amagakure to this desolate place was a chore, but was easily done with considering the fact that he could have been waylaid by bandits, rogues, or wild animals. Mindful always of the familiar weight of the finely-crafted katana adorning his back, he ducked under an overhang to spend the night, taking a quick swig of water from the skin hanging by his side. One had to be careful here, as one wrong move could get you killed, especially considering who he was hunting. Hyakurai Okuyama, the former Jounin Commander of Amagakure. The very name still rang with power, even after his abrupt departure from his beloved home. He was an S-Ranked Missing-nin, with a bounty of 15,000 Ryo on his head, but that wasn't why Okami was all the way out in the desert looking for the man. He was a legend with the blade, and Okami was hoping that the former shinobi would be willing to teach him in the way - no, the ART - of Kenjutsu. Okami was by no means a slouch with the blade, and could overwhelm most opponents with his skill, but Hyakurai was something else. If he wished to advance with a blade, the missing-nin was certainly the only one who could possibly train him. It was rumored that the man had been hiding out for the past ten years with his people, the Romani. They had been banished from Amagakure and the Port of Dreams quite some time ago, and had moved out to the desert. No one knew where they were in the desolate wastelands except for themselves, but that didn't dissuade Okami. In fact, he relished the challenge.

Falling into a fitful slumber, the shinobi woke to find a desert wolf sniffing his small encampment. He had lit a small fire in the night to scare off any predators, and to cook the small hare he had hunted along the path he had trapped the day before. Laughing, Okami pulled out a small package of meat, tossing it to the tannish predator. The wolf retreated several steps, sniffing at the rabbit's remains before gripping it with his teeth, dipping his head in thanks before running off. A beautiful creature, by all accounts, which was why Okami was proud of his namesake. Gathering his belongings, the man would shrug back into his white flak jacket. It was almost unbearably hot, but he didn't mind. It was a denotation of status, as was the red silken headband around his neck. The black clothing, though...That was a slight miscalculation on his part. Fortunately, he had plenty of water and the right mindset for survival. Sticking to the shade as much as possible, Okami would follow the few tracks left by humans through the desert in order to find the nearest civilization. Starting at around six in the morning, he would follow the tracks for around 4 hours, drinking from his water skin the entire way, before he managed to come across a small creek. This was a good sign, as running water often led to settlements in this area.

Refilling his water skin, he followed the creek for a few miles before he came onto a rise. Just about another mile further there seemed to be a small village, Romani from the look of the tents and such. Perfect, Okami thought with a smile as he continued walking. His legs burned from lactic acid buildup from walking for days almost nonstop and he was in dire need of good food. Not to mention the potential for finding the man he was seeking had just increased to around 87% from the previous 13% chance. Not that Okami really cared about his chances, but it was still reassuring to know that the numbers were on his side.

Entering the village, he noticed that most of the people were wary of him, despite his charming smile. People would walk more swiftly past him in the street, and children would stop playing and go inside. Perhaps they were intimidated by his being an outsider, or an Amagakure shinobi. Of course, it could also be because of the fact that Hyakurai was a wanted man in Ama. It was made even more obvious when a man stared and gawked, before running off in a separate direction. Following him carefully, Okami watched as he dashed inside a small hut before sighing. He had a feeling this was about to get ugly.