[attr="class","skulloverlap"]ITS JUST [ ANCIENT HISTORY ]
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Could… Could ninja just do that? Quit a contract? He stood there, blinking owlishly as the group of genin walked off after telling him the news. This was as far as the contract said they’d go? Huh? Was that really it? Hadn’t his parents helped him set it up to at least get him to the next country? Why was he hard pressed to believe that? It wasn’t because he’d been nervously rambling since they left was it?[break][break]
He took a small step after them, but the group was already heading along the path back towards the village. It was the exact opposite direction he wanted to go. If he followed them, he would basically be doomed to crawl back home, and that wasn’t even an option![break][break]
If he could just find one person to come with him, just to get to the next village, that’d be enough for sure. Maybe if there were a group of miners, or maybe some other ninja heading off to their next town…?[break][break]
His icy blue eyes urgently flicked across the people meandering around the edge of the town, getting ready for their own journeys. The area was rather vacant of people though, as many had either already left much earlier in the morning, or the groups were those who had arrived, rather than leaving. It didn’t seem many were heading in the direction he wanted to go, and it almost felt as if all hope was lost.[break][break]
Then he spotted a person heading the way he wanted to go. A lone man, around his age, who was confident enough to go by himself down the path… Which meant he was capable enough in Hiraku’s eyes! With a hop skip and a jump, Hiraku left his horse and wagon a few feet behind to call out.[break][break]
“Hey! Excuse me! Are you heading to the next village?! I got a job for ya if you are!” He shouted with just a bit too much desperation though, but the idea of traveling these trails alone was too much for his cowardly heart.
[attr="class","bolo-grid-subtitle]round my throat, wish it'd squeeze a little more
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he's annoyed. [break][break]
eyes burning hot from the disappearing act that'd been pulled off, he exhales a largely kept breath - a valid plume of annoyance as he grumbles about the journey back home. it'd take weeks, fuck. with nothing to show for it. nothing! shit, was he going to get in trouble for it? he'd never seen boss fei mad at him... maybe boss fei would die during the sound war. right, right. maybe he's fretting for nothing. fei will definitely get stabbed in the back by one of the other mist people, and nichiren wouldn't have to worry about anything. the breath exhales is relief as he continues to walk down the road, heading towards the lands of sound. who's he kidding? that feral bitch had nine lives. [break][break]
“Hey! Excuse me! Are you heading to the next village?! I got a job for ya if you are!” [break][break]
originally he ignores it, assuming that it definitely isn't directed towards him. but accompanied with the voice is the sound and sensation of being followed after - it makes him pause and turn his head. some ginger bitch is looking at him, and instantly he considers gauma. would it really be wavy to replace gauma with a cuter ginger? damn, gauma was going to hate nichiren. suddenly the mission to escort / kidnap the kikkawa princess turns into a mission of figure out who the hell this ginger kid is and see if he's more useful in the whorehouse or alongside the other kkangpae, but- [break][break]
"me? next village? what village bro." he responds nonchalantly, hands in pocket and offering no valuable information in regards to his stature. he just seems like your typical delinquent - just... slightly different in terms of aura.
[attr="class","skulloverlap"]ITS JUST [ ANCIENT HISTORY ]
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Had the person not heard him? Hiraku grimaces a little, sparing a glance back towards his wagon and horse as if to make sure it’s there. By the time he looks back at the man he’d been calling out to, the redhead was relieved to see the guy was now acknowledging him.[break][break]
“Yes, you!” he chirped, starting over with a nervous grin. “It’s the next village along this trail in that direction you were heading. Though, I guess if you’re not heading to that one, it’s still fine. I’m just-- I just need someone who can escort me closer to the border, basically” he explained, eyeing the person a bit more properly now that he was closer. It was only then that he noticed this person’s punk aesthetic began to dawn on him. Hopefully he wasn't trying to hire exactly what he needed protection from?[break][break]
Hiraku’s observation skills were certainly not his strong suit, and he looked like the other young man’s exact opposite. Vibrantly colored clothes, clearly from some sort of noble family in his own way, he didn’t have weapons or anything that made a threat. If anything, he was like a lost little prince.
[attr="class","bolo-grid-subtitle]round my throat, wish it'd squeeze a little more
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next village along this trail... sound? or does he mean the smaller villages? rubbing his chin, eyes give the other a once over to sort of get an idea. doesn't look like a shinobi... what's he got to do in sound? ah, but wait. that whole thing he's meant to do... isn't that in sound? chews into his bottom lip, fang displayed as he gives a slight huff with his nostrils. "eh? you a crook or something?" he approaches hikaru until he's finally standing in front of him directly, a looming six foot one and cocked eyebrow at the other boy as he gives him a slight once over. looks rich, has a wagon from the way he continues to check- frowns deeply at him. "you steal that, kid? theft is wrong. i'll report you to your kage if you're a misbehaving shinobi, bro." he fibs, mostly ribbing the other to solicit further information from him. though nichiren appears the role of idiot, his words are never spoken without necessity.
[attr="class","skulloverlap"]ITS JUST [ ANCIENT HISTORY ]
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A crook? Hiraku looked genuinely confused by the accusation. Then a little startled when the other man approached, standing up a bit straighter. Though, no matter how straight he stood, there was no hiding how much shorter he was compared to this person. This was starting to feel like a mistake, oh no.[break][break]
Then came the accusation of being some kind of shinobi and Hiraku could only stare at the taller man for a moment. Him? A ninja? He glanced back towards his simple covered wagon, then around the area as if to see if the other man were talking about someone else. Then those icy blue eyes flicked back to Nichiren. The redhead looked completely dumbfounded.[break][break]
“Wait, huh? Are you serious? N-No, I’m just a traveler” he explained, before gesturing back to the wagon. “I-I bought that. Besides, I’m not a shinobi by any means. Like…” He paused, before pulling back his sleeve to show a moderately muscular pale arm without a scar to be seen. The flesh of an untouched noble. “Look at me, I’m basically sticky rice. White and squishy” he explained, wiggling his arm to emphasize the point. “Which is why I need someone to come with me to the next town.”
[attr="class","bolo-grid-subtitle]round my throat, wish it'd squeeze a little more
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he's looking at the other as if he's trying to figure out if he's truthfully ... well, speaking the truth. "... fine. say i believe that." he stands a little straighter, looking at the wagon with a gaze meant to analyze just how much product was on it... if there was any product at all. huh. was he a trader then? or just some kind of rich traveler? "are you the son of some rich merchant? i've dealt with enough merchant son's in my life, they're kinda assholes." (sorry tengfei, but it's true). thinks about it a little longer, "actually, i take it back. just tell me how much you'd pay me. i'm not interested in risking my life if you're setting me up to die, bro." let's talk numbers. [break][break] though now that he's standing straight up in front of him... almost let's out his thoughts about how he's kind of a shrimpy merchant's kid. though on second thought, aren't most rich kids twigs?
[attr="class","skulloverlap"]ITS JUST [ ANCIENT HISTORY ]
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The wagon itself is by no means carrying a merchant's stock. However, it definitely isn’t empty. Some crates line the insides, labeled vaguely with what they contain. Food, camping gear, archives, personal items… It seems he was basically bringing the equivalent of a medieval RV with him. As Nichiren eyes the material, Hiraku leaned a little as if to try and regain the taller man’s eye contact.[break][break]
“Well, no. My parents are um… Archivers for Iwagakure” he explained, unsure if he needed to detail that job or not. It didn’t seem like it mattered too much, though.[break][break]
“But, uh, I can pay…!” he trailed off, digging into his pocket to pull out a loose sheet of paper. Then from his coat’s inner pocket, he pulled out a quill and scribbled down a number. The number was then showed to Nichiren and it was at least an upper class man’s monthly paycheck to say the least. “How’s this look? This is for getting me all the way out of the country, though. It’ll be smaller - maybe half - if you can at least get me to the next town. I have free food and you can ride in the wagon, as well!”
[attr="class","bolo-grid-subtitle]round my throat, wish it'd squeeze a little more
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his eyes return back to the boy, and he gives a slight thoughtful jut of his bottom lip. what he's saying doesn't seem laced with any worry beyond wishing a safe travel, and his eyes didn't seem very "malicious" or anything of that nature. the only real issue is that if this kid was some sort of runaway (nuke, whatever ninjas called themselves), there's possibility of being chased. especially if his family is wealthy and they're sending people after their brat. [break][break]
sounded fun. [break][break]
once the number is shown to him, both brows raise and his amber hues fix solely on it. shit, he'd be able to buy a fuck ton of food for yukio, tsukiya, and even junji with this sorta dough. lets loose the breath he'd been holding in, a small plume of resignation. "add another zero and i'll take you all the way to kirigakure." it was a joke, obviously. though there was some hidden meaning behind it. tucks the paper into his pocket and walks past his new employer, heading towards the wagon. checks over the supplies, "so you're just adventuring? also what's your name again?" didn't recall if he'd been given it. probably ignored him if he did.
[attr="class","skulloverlap"]ITS JUST [ ANCIENT HISTORY ]
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To Kirigakure? There was an excited spark in his eye, the joke nearly flying over his head. He was half tempted to ask if he meant it, but even that was a bit much for him right now. Travelling investments needed to be balanced with food, until they got to the next town. Family there would help him acquire the funds for another part of his journey, but for now, two people was easy enough to finance for. He beamed at the development. [break][break]
“I’m traveling, yes! I wanted to see what was beyond Iwagakure, because I’ve been here basically all my life” he eagerly explained, making a little skip to smoothly keep up with the taller man’s longer stride back to the wagon. The horse doesn’t seem to bat an eye at the two.[break][break]
“But, I’m Hiraku Watanabe! I guess I should ask for your name, since we’re traveling together, yeah?” he quipped, eagerly shuffling around the wagon to open the back for easier access to what was inside.
[attr="class","bolo-grid-subtitle]round my throat, wish it'd squeeze a little more
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he's instantly noticing that hiraku has a very... flamboyant flair. the way he skips, how he bounces around to keep up with him - how he talked before. needless to say, nichiren's gaydar was full blast. even the way he dressed screamed "i'm peacocking for attention! notice me! rob me of my virginity!" pft... nichiren glances randomly over hiraku, eyes narrowing as he gives him a more thorough examination. honestly would probably make a high selling whore in the kisaeng house. turns his head to once again rummage around what's in the back; hm. did nichiren just validly assess the kid was really attractive? [break][break]
he's heard the request for him name and willfully chosen to ignore it. rather, climbs into the back of the wagon and tug a plump sack to its side to use as a pillow, crossing his left leg over his right knee as he reclines and gets comfortable. shit, all he had to do was keep the little runt safe, right? "get us to where we need to go, gay boy. i'll protect you with my life." picks up a loose piece of straw, placing it between his teeth to chew. ah, today was a beautiful day. and destined to end in a journey where nichiren would be fucking rich.
