Ame, the teapot part one [Bijuu]

Leon walked around Ame, a black trench coat donning his figure and a hood pulled up over his head. This constant switch between rain and drizzle was quite annoying and a downer, making his mood very melancholy and thoughtful. He was trying to keep his mind away from the trip to Ame, he had blocked some of those memories as much as he possibly could. He shook his head, flinging water left and right off of the top of his hood. The weather seriously was annoying.

Looking around, Leon noticed a small little antique shop sitting on the corner of the street, a small lit up sign saying that the store was open. He sighed in relief and made for the store, dodging around a few people carrying umbrellas and opened the door, stepping on the mat and wiping his feet off on the shagged carpet that served as the stores welcoming mat. A fog of smoke hung in the air near the ceiling, with red lights hanging and glowing, allowing a faint mystical scene to be in view as the creaky fan mixed the smoke around.

Leon walked around slowly, listening to the rain pick up in intensity, as he scanned the items, looking for something to catch his eye. It seemed like there was a lot of old antique items that could have been considered mythical or charms back in the far old days, the days before Shinobi existed. There were vases and lanterns, statues of things that could have been gods, and statues of demons. In the light of this shop, along with the smoke, these figures gave off eerie glows, and the faces seemed menacing. It was almost like they were possessed, but Leon shook that off with a shrug. The people of the olden days needed to meet Kaji before they could carve an actual demon.

Leon yawned slightly and coughed, having inhaled some smoke as he did so. As he was rubbing his eyes to clear them of the involuntary tearing, he noticed a small teapot , its carvings eerily similar to those he had seen in Kumogakure portraying the nine bijuu that had tried to ravage the world decades ago. Along with the creature’s picture, a small village was seen on the other side, one looking like Takigakure, which Kaji and Riku had just blown up. A small vial of what seemed to be water, or liquid, or something of the sort, was shown being poured in the teapot, one that looked exactly like this one.

Picking up the pot, Leon paid for it with some money he had found in his pocket. He didn’t remember having money in these new clothes, but the money could have been Riku’s, or Kaji could have put it in there, or it could be some random person, Leon wasn’t really sure which option it was. He grabbed the paper bag the old man running the shop had put the teapot in, and hid it under his trench coat. Rushing out into the rain, Leon headed back towards the area where Riku had left him, hoping the white haired Ero-Sensei was still there hitting on someone. He forgot to show Leon how to get back to the place where they were staying, considering Leon had spent a large amount of time unconscious, especially after Kaji had finished with him.

He shrugged as he walked back. If the pot wasnt anything, Riku could use it for tea. God knew he drank enough of the stuff.

With people, their are only two things when one is cooped inside of a shelter on a rainy day. One side is what most people do, including the residents of Amegakure, was more laidaisical and solemn; staying inside until it was just a light sprinkle was the more comfortable thing to do. Risking getting wet for no apparent cause is not worth the time. The other side were the ones that didn't necessarily care about the rain, it was just like the sun to them and regardless of what comes down from those murky skies, they'll continue to have the sought out thrill they so desired. Riku would fit this spectrum perfectly, having that urge to run out in the rain and jump from building to building, risking his own self with the buildings that did not have the rain resistant tiles on the rooftops. But he wasn't on this side of the spectrum meter, no today was something he wanted to focus on, something that had been bothering him since Kumo.

He knew right away it had to been the blades who were behind the voices, the kill instincit he felt when he was drawing towards the katanas, the sudden pain he felt when he tried to save Leon from the puppeteer. Doubts about not being the blades was out of question when he heard two female voices yelling in his head as they were running from the explosion not out of terror but for the sheer excitement. It was giddy yell with laughter that faded out just as quickly as it came.

"Legend says that these blades was created during a horrible castrophe millenia ago. A swordsmith with immense power forged the blade out of admantum, sharper than anything yet lighter than air" Riku said. In a seperate room away, he was sitting in front of the bed with his legs folded underneath him with the two blades, sheathed, laided out in front of him "Bullshit" he finished off in a whispered. He closed his eyes and slowly began to silence his surroundings. First sound to leave was the sounds in the other room, softly fading into oblivion, then it was the television in the other room that was on. Leon left it on after he left to do whatever it is he does. Then the rain. Once it was pouring heavily on the window, pressing over and over until it was only a soft patter, drops of rain hitting the window sill then nothing. He could hear absolutely nothing, he thought absolutely nothing, he was just existing

A rush of iron filled his nostrils; the sudden fullfillment of his senses made him open his eyes. He didn't see the wooden dressor on the wall in his room but rather a large sakura blossom tree. It had to have stand fifty feet tall with the branches spreading outward with majestic beauty. What was dripping off the petals was a black liquid substance that hit the green grass below, or was once green now turn into a murky brownish color. Underneath the tree were two women, both staring at Riku as if he was intruding the space they reside in. One had short straight black hair with a mask that covered the bottom half of her head only revealing the top of her head and her eyes. Wearing a garb that appeared to be a kimono but short around the thighs and geta shoes. The other had longer straight hair that was difficult to say if it was stary white or a light pink. She also a kimono but it was longer, white with flowers that appeared to moving away in the cloth itself.

Riku stood up off his feet and walks to these two spirits. Cautioun was in his arches as he stepped to them, he was not in his mind where he had the advantage. He was in the realm of these two spirits, both with chakra that both echoed out as both evil and good, orderly and chaotic, light and dark. They did not move forward or shift the their feet. One stood with a solemn and cold expression while the other was cheerful and pleasant. The cheerful one reaches into the depths of her sleeves and pulls out a fan. She begins to wave the fan over her face with her smile only increasing in width

"Anansi-kun" the cheerful spirit spoke with a sort of fluster in her throat and stomach "Good to see you" she puts the fan to her face to cover half of her face only revealing her eyes blinking at her with surprising dexerity. "What brings you to are-ow!" a wooden cane hits the top of her head lightly. It was the colder spirit, her eyes never leaving Riku's.

The cheerful spirit eyes watered and a few streaks of tears came out of her eyes "Why did you do that" she said tearfully

"Annoying" the cold one said "Calling him Riku-kun. He is trespassing into our realm and yet you ask him what brings him here. To put it bluntly, what kind of spirit ask that to an invading person?"

"He's not an invading spirit, he's Anansi-kun. He's Noctis's son and we should be honored to have meet him. Why do you have to be all tough. That's not attractive at all"

The cold spirit eyes looked offended "Attractive? We are powerful spirits not whimsical women that humble ourselves in a presence of a man" she hits her again with the top of her cane. The cheerful spirit grabbed the top of her head, rubbing her scalp profusely though the strands of her hair did not get distrubed with her rubbing. Riku rubbed at his goatee and by habit he smiled at them both. The cold spirit glare got darker which only made Riku chuckle a bit

"You know my name. Well that gives me reassurance of seeing how we can make this work-" his words were cut off by a cold tingle on his neck. The cold spirit had appeared in front of him with the cane, now unsheathed to reveal a sword, pressing on him to cut. Riku looks at the blade itself and then at her. He pushes the blade aside. This surprised the cold spirit and she swing at his head. Riku ducked underneath and dropped to his hands where he stood up on his and begins to twirl his body, spinning around in a vortex while his feet spun quickly hitting the cold spirit.

She blocked at the last second but stumbled backwards. As she was regaining herself, Riku pressed forward on his hands and leaped forward to tackle the half balanced, half falling spirit. She landed on the grass and Riku had his right foot beside her head. She was a bit in shock to see that Riku did not loose the smile on his face while he countered attacked. Was he not taking her seriously? This assumption only made matters worse, the blade was still in her hand. She swing it around to cut Riku's arm but it only clanged with something. She looked at his arms and wrist to see the gauntlet he had on. Riku's left hand drew back and a blade came out of the gauntlet. He struck down at her but only to hit the ground.

Riku left out a joyous laugh as he stood up from the cold spirit. She got up quickly, grunting in anger only ready to strike at him when a loud voice said "Enough!". Riku and the cold spirit looked at the cheerful spirit who was waving her fan on her face "There is no need for you guys to fight. Anansi-kun did not come here to fight, isn't that right"

"Sure, totally" agreeing with her quickly. Saying that he was would only make the cold spirit even angrier at her "I was just here to see who were the ones that were talking to me that is all. I didn't want to fight anybody. Just listen to what I have to say and let's work out an agreement"

Both spirits looked at each other, one was reluctant, the other trustedly nodded there heads and listen to Riku's agreement to them. The agreement was for him to utilize the powers they wield inside of them and in return he would release them from there blade states ever so often and let them roam free in his sub-conscious mind rather than be stucked in side. Both spirits wish to be used as it was a way of expressing themselves in battle. The cold spirit glared at Riku. Her eyes really didn't change much as he was talking

"And how would you want to use our powers eh? The last user, before your father, abused us both for a stand to take on the gods themselves. He was a cold man and rather than trying to be one with us, he decided to only use us like the blades you see in shops; tools"

"We've been through alot Anansi-kun. We dont want to make a agreement where you use us incorrectly. We want to use our powers as a gift to help your cause but do you have the right intentions" the cheerful spirit said

What both spirits did not expect was the cheerfulness in Riku's voice when he said "How bout we pinky promise eh? I promise not to abuse you. I have no reason to abuse two beautiful spirits. Espicially ones like you two" his voice was soothing as it was calm. Both of them blushed but the spirits didn't reveal that to Riku but Riku sensed that they were. He held his pinky out. "I dont know anything else that could make this anymore promising than my life with this so you have to trust me. You saw the enemy we are up against and you know that I can't do this alone"

Both spirits looked at each other with reluctance but they both nodded and they knew that he was right. He was not going to be able to do this alone and if he needed their help, a allyship or rather a friendship can be built between this cause. The two spirits grabbed the tricksters pinky.

"I'm Kuchiku" the cold spirit said

"And I'm Soushi" the cheerful said

"You guys already know my true name so I dont need to introduce myself. Lets have a good friendship, eh?" he smiled and Soushi smiled with him. Hidden from Riku, Kuchiku smiled


Riku woke up. The smell of blood was gone and only the sounds of the television in the other room, the rain pouring outside and his hotel neighbors were in his head. He looked in front of him and saw a wooden cane, the hook was black while the longer end was pure wooden that reflected Riku's image. The other was a fan with blue flowers on the paper. He heard someone come in. Riku quickly grabbed the fan and closed it placing it in his back pocket. He sat up and grabbed the cane by the hook ready to meet the person in the room

Rain. It seemed that the only thing that ever happened in this damned village was rain. Nonko sat beneath the awning of a shop, staring out into the darkness that surrounded his little bubble of light. He had been in this rain washed village for the past two days. It had been almost two weeks since he had left Kumogakure no sato in search of the men that had destoryed part of the village. Days had passed in the wilderness before he found them again at Takigakure, a village not too far from where he was now. The men stayed there for a day atleast and then they destroyed the village. Nonko had been caught in the backlash of the blast and flung against a tree, where he had been knocked unconcious. Waking up a day or two afterwards covered in ash, he had set out to the nearest village: Amegakure.

Since the day he had arrived Nonko had been wandering around, searching for the men that destroyed part of his village and then destroyed Takigakure completely. Nonko sighed and shook his head. He had been watching the village gates every day and searching the wide expanse of the village thouroughly. They were nowhere to be found. It was the first time the Genin had tried to find someone so elusive. It was like trying to catch a pig covered in oil. Nonko didn't see the point in looking anymore and that was the reason he was to be found just sitting there out of the rain. I need to get back to my apartment building while the rain is as light as it is. Standing up, Nonko stepped into the downpour. To most people this would seem like a storm but to the people of Amegakure this was almsot a drizzle. Nonko wasn't quite that used to it yet but he could deal with it.

People stared at him from open windows as he rushed past. Most of them were probaly shaking their heads at the young boy running through the streets in the middle of the night. Crime was a normal part of every day life in Amegakure. There wasn't a day that went by that someone wasn't getting robbed or beat up or even murdered for that matter. Nonko tried to stay away from the areas where crime was the most popular. It wasn't that he was scared or nervous about going to them places. He just didn't want to be there because he knew if he saw a woman or child being robbed he would react and attack the man or woman who was attacking.

The noise of a door closing brought Nonko back from his thoughts. Raising his head, the Genin looked to see the man he had been looking for since he left Kumogakure. He stared wide-eyed at the man before he caught himself and acted normal. The man was entering an apartment complex not far from the one he was staying at. Nonko followed the man closely inside the building, staying out of sight and trying to be as quite as possible. The older man led him to a room that seemed to belong to him. Nonko sat down across the hall from the door and waited for something to happen.

~One Hour Later~

The sound of a televison was the only noise that could be heard in the hall. Nonko was starting to grow tired and restless from all the waiting. It was time for him to take action. Standing up, the boy walked over to the door and pressed his ear to it. the only sound was the same television he had been hearing and nothing else. Grinning slightly he pushed the door open and stepped in. An eerie light spilled over him as he closed the door behind him. The room was completely dark except for the tv. Crouching slightly, Nonko stepped around the tv and into the other room.

A bed came into view as he stepped around the television. Sitting on the bed was the man he had followed, holding a cane and looking in his direction. Nonko glared at the man with the meanest look he could muster. He doubted that the man was even intimidated by his stare but he had to try. Using the last bit of courage he had, Nonko spoke. "Sorry to intrude. I was looking for my cat and I thought I saw him run in here. Have you seen him?"

Leon yawned and shivered in the rain, having gone into three or four hotels and being disappointed with every turn. He wiped the excess water off of his hair and continued trudging through the pouring, biting rain. The wind had picked up about two hotels back, so the rain had been whipped at Leon’s face half of the time, and the other half of the time it just came down straight. His shoes and pants had long been soaked, making this travel very uncomfortable, especially since he was busy protecting the pot he had bought from the rain. It had looked old in the store, but when Leon brought it out to view in one of the actual hotels, the thing looked like it would fall apart right in his hands if he wasn’t careful.

At the last hotel, Leon had asked the owner for a plastic bag he could place the pot in. Not only was this now protecting it from the rain, Leon could move more freely than he could before, being able to tie the top of the bag off to prevent the rain from getting in and also allowing him to carry it by the handles, which made people evading much easier when they randomly appeared in front of him. That was something else Leon hated about Ame. Not only was there a lot of rain, but there was also too many hotels, and the citizens of Ame decided to pop up like bean sprouts while he was running around.

Reaching the center of the town, Leon looked around before sighing and walking forward slowly, his head hanging low. In front of him was a giant hotel, glamorous and quite obviously rich in class. It would make perfect sense that Riku chose this hotel out of every other one to stay in. Leon sighed and shook his head as the receptionist gave him a slight look of dismay as he entered the lobby, tracking water all over the floor.

Leon walked to the elevator and hopped in, quickly taking it to the floor the receptionist had shouted to him before he even crossed half way to the desk. Apparenty he was highly recognizable and they knew exactly where his room was. Yawning again, Leon waltz into the room and pushed past the young male standing in the doorway apparently glaring at Riku. Leon didnt care much about that though, all that was on his mind was how wet he was and how nice a shower would feel. Stripping his shirt off and throwing it against the corner of the bathroom through the open door, Leon set the teapot down next to Riku and scrambled around looking for his dry clothes.

"Riku, as soon as you are done entertaining your guest, I want you to look at that pot. The drawing in paticular. I think it may have something to do related to some whacked goal you and Kaji seem to always have,"Leon said as he picked up his clothes and walked into the bathroom, slamming the door shut and turning the shower on.

This was not a surprise to Riku. He blantantly disconcern himself by not taking a bit of precautions before going into a meditative state. To trust his student to lock the door and turn off the television before leaving was now going to be pressed into his memory. Riku sighed turning to the man, or rather boy, who came into the room, staring at him with a fierce look.

Riku smiled at this. He saw the trembling aura around him which was a wavering chocolate brown that was flickering like a lightbulb that is ready to go out but just has a bit of punch left in him. He was dark-skinned, short spiked hair and his one feature was the youth on his body. He could tell he was scared but certainly a healthy individual who just so happen to follow him around amegakure to this hotel. How long was Riku out honestly? A few minutes, an hour or so? He didn't notice the time when he first went into this state so anything was possible at this moment.

He knew that the smile would give the kid a eerie feeling about him. It would either give him the sense of emergency, that Riku was insane would probably run rampage, killing the boy without him taking a final breath or was just a type of insanity that didn't necessarily care for the boy and would gladly let him in for a price; a demon with white hair they'll say but Riku was definitely not that. He spun the cane in his hand and when the boy was done talking, Riku shown a bit of his teeth in his smile. The sharp points of his canines seem sharp at that precise moment, no doubt Riku could've been a cannibal but what are the odds of that happening? Not out of reach that is for sure.

"You came here to find a cat" Riku repeated the boys response. Oh the boy was trying to distract him, maybe try to escape or perhaps charge at him. Regardless, Riku could not help but look around the hotel room to humor the young boy "I dont see any paw prints from the cat. Either this cat of yours is extremely smart and avoided all of the rain and wet spots from this village constant downpour or your cat of yours does not exist and you were just here to see what I was up to" he walks forward towards the young boy still spinning the cane "Curosity killed the cat....but satisfaction brought it back" he said that grabbing the top of his cane. The young boy would then see that he was pulling out a blade from the sheath. "This kitty cat sure isn't coming back..."

Riku's grin did not widen any further but it surely didnt disappear. The hair over his eyes overshadow them and there was only the sweet face of a man who had such a grin that was maddening to look at. The boy wouldn't have seen Riku move, in fact no regular or train eye would've seen him move. It's a matter of a rare gene that gave the occipital lobe in the brain that allows a person to see a Shikyo move at such a close distance at such high speed. Riku was underneath the boy, the tip of the blade was underneath his chin but was trailing downward to the boys larynx. It was sharp that the boy would feel that. It would be nerves for the boy but it could've sworn by his grandfathers grave that there was blood trickling down that darker than black blade of his.

The man was mad. Not an mad where his face turns red and he throws a hissy fit but he was mad in the head; insanity was pumping through his veins. The boy was going to die. He would feel it around this man for he was the man who would hide in the closets of scared children waiting for them to open the closet so he could snatch him away, he was the guy who chased a helpless person down in the dark woods and all the sudden it was nothing but the harsh breathing of the helpless and nothingness around him. He was emitting that type of fear. He said the words. The words that would haunt the boy, haunt him now and maybe the rest of his life. "The moment you came through that door is the moment you gave your soul to me"

The door slightly open, the boy would then see that Riku was on the other side of the room with the television flashing at them. Riku reached over the bed and turned on a light where he sees a dripping wet Leon coming in from the cold. His face looked a bit miserable, the cold must've taken the life out of him and he was soaking like a wet dog from the rain. Leon had something in his hand, a plastic bag which contained a teapot of some sort. Leon asked him to look it over. He didn't explain where he has been for the past few hours but that didn't matter to Leon nor did it matter to Riku anymore, he was glad he was safe.

When Leon went to the bathroom to wash up, Riku goes to the teapot. Though his eyes wasn't paying attention to the boy anymore, that menacing aura did not dissipate. He opens the plastic bag and looks at the teapot, examining closely at the symbols. With his hand, he feels the teapot with a slow and steady glide. He blinks his eyes and then looks back at the boy "I'll give you a choice boy. You can either leave this hotel and forget everything you saw here. With that option, you wont have to worry about me ever have to hunt you down about the thing you just saw" he was talking about the teapot. What was important about it was anyone's guess "Or, you can die here. It will be swift and painless, almost like getting a shot at the doctors. I'm very good at it too. No shinobi could never match that type of power" Their was doubt in his voice, no cockiness or arrogance either. He said it as plainly as talking in a conversation and he was joker of the group.

He walks to the boy again, the menacing aura increasing in intensity yet the smile on his face and his calm and fun voice did not match with such a fearful intent. The boy wasn't short but he leaned over so he could get eye to eye with him. His cane was resting in his left hand, no doubt he would be able to unsheath it faster than that boy could even take out a kunai, let alone breath. "If you take the first choice, you promise me that you saw nothing. You never saw my face, you never saw that kid give me this teapot and you certainly didn't come into this hotel. You'll keep your story of trying to find your cat and you couldn't find it. Are we playing the same tune or do I have to do a number on you?"

Sweat dripped down the boys brow as he waited for the man on the bed to speak. The man flashed a smile at him and Nonko almost ran out of the room then and there. He didn't know what held him back but there was something in the back of his mind telling him to hold his ground and not show fear. Nonko stared defiantly at the smiling man as he started to twirl his cane. It wasn't his style to run away just because he was a little freaked out. This was the first time he had ever been put in a situation like this with a man he didn't even know and who was possibly dangerous. Nonko actually congratulated himself mentally for lasting this long. Most other people his age would've turned tail and ran out of the room at the first sign of that smile. Not Nonko though, he was a Shinobi and had to hold his ground.

The man began to speak as Nonko watched him stand up and move towards him. His eyes followed the motion of the spinning cane as he took in the words the man was speaking. It seemed that the man didn't beleive his story about the cat. Oh well, it was worth a try. Nonko supressed a laugh as the man said something about curiousty killing the cat but satisfaction bringing it back. The young boy hadn't heard that saying since he was small when his dad used to tell him not to let his curiousty get to him. I should've listened to you, Dad. Look where im at now. Bringing himself back from his thoughts, Nonko stared the man in his face. Now that the man was close he saw that he had aqua blue eyes that seemed to twinkle with insanity. Nonko almost took a step back but he controlled himself and held his ground firmly.

The sound of metal leaving something wooden filled the room as the man drew a blade from the cane. Nonko gulped and looked at the man, fear now fully entering his face for the first time. The boy blinked and just as soon as he did the man was in front of him, with his blade pressed against Nonko's neck. The sharp metal moved down his neck towards his larynx. It took every ounce of willpower Nonko had not to back away quickly and run out of the room. He had to prove to this man that he wasn't a coward and that he could hold his own. The worst thing about having the blade pressed against his neck was the fact that he couldn't swallow. Nonko knew that if he even attempted to swallow the blade would slice through his neck like butter. That was something the Genin had to avoid at all costs.

"The moment you came through that door is the moment you gave your soul to me" Nonko cringed inwardly as these words left the man's mouth. He knew that he would never forget those words if he managed to make it out of this room alive. The man standing before him was the most dangerous man he had ever met. Nonko didn't know how he knew this but he knew that he shouldn't get on this mans bad side. It would end horribly for anyone that did. Mentally, Nonko was freaking out. He didn't know what to do or how to get out of this situation. All his ninja training seemed to count for nothing. He had never thought he would freeze like this when in the face of death but he did. It made him mad that he showed such cowardice such as this. A fiery rage started to build up within him and he was two seconds from swinging at the man when the door behind him opened.

Before he could even think the blade was gone from his throat and a light had been turned on. Nonko was stunned by how fast things had happened. The sound of footsteps echoed behind him and then another body bumped into his, almost knocking him face first into the floor. Catching him at the last second, Nonko stared at the new arrival. It was another boy about his age, soaking wet and carrying a teapot in a plastic bag. Nonko didn't know what significance this teapot had and he wasn't interested in learning more about it. All he wanted to do was punch the man sitting across from him square in the nose.

The bathroom door slammed behind the newcomer as he stormed into it. Nonko looked away from the door and back at the man. Their eyes met again and Nonko sighed. He had to control his fear. This man was just like any other person in the world. He was only human. "I'll give you a choice boy. You can either leave this hotel and forget everything you saw here. With that option, you wont have to worry about me ever have to hunt you down about the thing you just saw"Nonko liked the sound of this option and was about to take it before the man started speaking again. "Or, you can die here. It will be swift and painless, almost like getting a shot at the doctors. I'm very good at it too. No shinobi could never match that type of power"

Nonko gulped for the second time in one night as the man finished speaking. it seemed that the man was giving him the option to flee like a coward or die like a true Shinobi would. Before Nonko spoke, his mind was already made up. The boy knew what he had to do. Although he was a Genin and didn't have much experience, he knew that he couldn't allow this man to win by scaring him away. He had to stand up for himself and be a true Shinobi. That is what his father would do. Ishimura wouldn't have ran away or tried to take the easy way out. He would've fought the man and tried to defeat the evil that this man was bringing to this place. So that is what Nonko chose. Death.

"If you take the first choice, you promise me that you saw nothing. You never saw my face, you never saw that kid give me this teapot and you certainly didn't come into this hotel. You'll keep your story of trying to find your cat and you couldn't find it. Are we playing the same tune or do I have to do a number on you?" Nonko grinned at the man, something most other people wouldn't have done in this situation. He had made his mind up so he had no fear. "I choose the second option. Im a Shinobi of Kumogakure no sato and I am not afraid of death. I will fight you if I have to and if im lucky I will die valiantly. Attack me if you must."

What would drive a man, a boy for that matter, to die for such a country who would not send 100 let alone ten me to avenge his death? Didn't that boy see that? He was a statistic to them, another pawn who can be replaced just as easily as a damaged lightbulb in a socket. His aura was staggering still, parts of it was gaining the courage of standing up to fight a loosing fight and yet part of his aura was staggering out of fear and something else too; expectation. He was ready to die. He was ready to give his life away for the sake of honor, for the sake of dying for his countrymen and women so that they may live another day.

Riku's hand covered his eyes and parts of his forhead. He shook his head slowly back and forth and then took a step back. He was trying not to laugh, trying so hard not to laugh in the face of that kid. He was dead serious of letting himself get killed and yet Riku was toying with him from the moment he had that blade on his throat; cruel and sickening it was, it was good humor all the same. He turned around, removing the hand away from his eyes and stares back at him. His eyes were now a comforting green that stared at this Kumogakure shinobi who was ready to die.

"You look like you need a cigarette kid" his had shuffles to his front pocket, opening the lid, he pulls out a white carton with the kanji saying cigarette. He throws the pack at the kid hoping he his nerves weren't shot by Riku's dramatic acting "Listen, kid, I admire the whole honor thing you said. That little answer you gave me was a bit...cliche', if you catch my drift. And in honesty, it was downright stupid" What Riku pulled out next from his other front pocket of his black jounin vest was a wooden toothpick, he placed between the front teeth and crunched down on it lightly

"You see, if you were to had left, you wouldn't of been a coward. Cowards are those who dont have the balls to even wake up out of the bed to go to the work that day. Cowards are people who leave a teammate behind even though you are told to get the mission done first" grasping the toothpick with index and middle finger, he points at the boy "Cowards are when the foundation of a village, the people who rule it, tell the little pawns to die in the sight of danger cause it is consider honorable. It's all bullshit man, all of it is bullshit. That crap they tell you in academy school is bullshit, what your kage says is bullshit and well everything you learn is bullshit"

What the boy would realize now was that Riku was sitting down in a chair, the cane was resting comfortly on the armrest, leaning against it like a person leaning against a railing. It almost looked like it was alive in a sense, looking at the boy with glaring charcoal eyes. The blackness of that blade was ridiculous, was that even metal? It was sharp like metal but it wasn't gleaming in the light like most metals. Riku had the toothpick back in his mouth "What's wrong with the shinobi and samurai of today is that they take honor and make it ridiculous illusion up on people like yourself. You have no idea that when you look deep past that illusion that all it is a big chess game and you are just a pawn, a sacrificial thing to your village and country. They'll replace you just as quick as they got you and they wouldn't even bat an eye"

"I think the philosophy of this 'honor' will continue, regardless of what the hell I say to you. An assassin like me, if I was in your shoes, would've walked away in a situation like this. Out of cowardice? No, that's just plain tactical retreat my friend cause when push comes to shove, I could always train myself and find you again or rather lie about the fact I wouldn't snitch and just tell my Kage about the information you recieved and what you witness. THAT's just plain dumb what you said." Riku laughed, pulling out a fan from the inside of his vest and waving it slowly on his face

"You could've ran away and I wouldn't even batted an eye. The moment you lied to me and gave me that look was the moment I had this all thought up in my head and it went perfectly well" Riku looked at the boy. At first, the only thing he saw was the outer aura he was giving out and his physical appearance. Who was this boy truly? His eyes looked inside of him, deep inside the center of a metaphysical existence called a soul. What Riku saw was that the fact that this boy was not oridinary at all. Interesting, he knew who he was; a guardian of the Vongola, or at least the next guardian. Riku rubbed his chin, that smile widening a bit.

"Say, why dont I throw those two choses out the window, Nonko" the boy would realize then that Riku had found out his name "I rather just return you to the village safe and sound. No need to waste a fine gentleman like yourself on the carpet. This is expensive and I wouldn't want to ruin it" comforting as it sounded, Riku smiled widely this time; his white teeth and his happy expression made the mood in the situation a bit awkward but better than feeling like a coward or a feeling of death hoovering him "Though, we'll have to make a stop on the way to Kumogakure. Restocking of food supply"

Quick reflexes from hours of Taijutsu training allowed Nonko to snap his hand up quickly and catch the pack of cigarettes. The boy stared at the pack for a few minutes before sighing. He had never smoke a cigarette in his life and he didn't want to start now. Tossing the pack back on the bed, Nonko looked back at the man. A change seemed to have come over him. He didn't seem as insane as he had before and it seemed that he wasn't going to kill Nonko. The young Genin sighed with releif at this. He hadn't really wanted to die or risk his life for the sake of a village that was hundreds of miles away. They didn't even know he had left and probaly still hadn't realized it. Nonko was starting to see just how insignificant he was to Kumogakure and he didn't like it. It wasn't like him to doubt his loyalties to the village but he was now.

The boy cocked his head to the side as he listened to the man speak. This guy knew what he was talking about and was slowly swaying Nonko's views on the village. He didn't want to leave the village or anything like that but he didn't want to go back at the moment. The idea of having more freedom outside of the village was tempting to him. This was his first time out of the village in his whole life and now he realized what was in store for him out here in the world. He had to become stronger so that he could stand up to the more powerful people that inhabited the world. Nonko knew what he had to do. He had to ask this man to train him where he could become as strong as he was and maybe overcome this man someday.

The man was still talking. Nonko groaned and settled down for the long haul. This man seemed like he could talk the ears off a wall. Nonko just nodded when he needed to and waited for the man to finish. The last things the man said were that he would throw the chooses out the window and take him back to Kumogakure. Nonko shook his head at this and stepped forward, the defiant look appearing on his face again. He needed to travel with this man to become stronger and he would do that no matter what. Nonko didn't care whether the man said no or not. He would follow them if he had to and learn from watching if that was what he had to do.

"I don't want to go back to Kumogakure. I want to travel with you and learn from you so that I can become stronger. The world outside of the village is different than I expected and I need to learn everything I can. And your the quickest way for me to learn fromt he way I see things. Don't even try and say no either. If you do I will just follow you around where ever you go." Nonko stared down at the man sitting on the bed. He hadn't even been surpised that the man knew his name. It seemed fitting that a man like this would know many things that he didn't let on. Nonko just hoped that the man would allow him to come along and learn for him. It would be a lot easier that way.

The box of cancer laid on the bed. The boy was stressed but he wouldn't want to pick up the habit so soon. Commendable at the time but he wondered if this boy would be able to resist down the line of his life. Riku smiled at this thought cause he knew the answer to it. It was a game of random and there is no telling what could or could not happen.

The boy had easily lost interest and that was fine, he was expecting a boy of his nature to see what he was talking about. The fine points he would probably remember two months down the line but the finer points was the one that Riku was aiming for. A miss but his shots always return home. The goatee on Riku's chin made his skin itch and he welcomed his hand to scratch it. What the boy said next was funny to him. Not boy, Nonko. He'll have to get use to that otherwise he'll begin to say boy when he should say his name

He wants to come, whether he said no or not, he'll follow so he'll get stronger. Nonko is definitely a fool for he believe that Riku's life was more than just gaining power for his own gain. Kumogakure offered him nothing apparently and Riku's speech had convinced him otherwise to leave. This did not occur to him now but he believed that he had majorly influenced this boy. He could hear his mother say that his words was what drunks and addicts could not resist. Interestingly he was seeing more and more of how it influences

"You would follow me? Well that wouldn't be so hard to lose you. You are a genin, a boy who has always been in the womb of a village and you believe you would be able to follow me if I lost you" the bellow of his laughter within his stomach came out and he waved the fan over his face with a wide smile "You are too funny, too too funny. You make me laugh with that tough look you got. You still have a bit of the youth on you"

He closes the fan up and points it at Nonko "I like you kid. You got a good sense of humor and you are full of spirit. I like that in a character. Just because you threaten to follow me, I wouldn't have fun evading you cause I already read you like a book. But making you tag along might give me a bit of help with training that young man over there' he points to the bathroom where he heard the shower running in the background. He imagined Leon was not only washing away the cold out of his bones. The kid was much deeper than he appeared, much more of a broken puzzle than he looked it.

"Tell you what kid, since you are a genin and are a candidate for...well an organisation, I'll train you under the condition that you'll remove that tough look you keep on giving on your face" With his two index fingers, he places one finger on each corner of his own mouth and widen it "Like...this...ok?" he sounded ridiculous but funny regardless. He could barely talk and his like sound like 'ike' and this was 'ss'.he lets go of his mouth "Trust me, if you keep up that look, I think I'll be bored training you"

Sitting up from the chair, he stands up on his feet and walks to the doorpost. "You may sleep in this bed if you wish. Tomorrow we are setting sail towards Konoha. Again, the choice of you to leave is optional but I doubt you'll want to leave" Riku eyes were cheerful when they met nonko's, a warm tangerine that somehow complemented the silver hair he had. Wasn't it white beforehand? It would not be question. Not like this. Riku walked into the room and closed the door, locking it behind him.

The teapot was definitely it. The first part to capturing the bijuu, the Ichibi, that bastard raccoon dog. Oh he was thankful for that boy to stay. Either way, he would doubt that he would notice that the teapot was a critical usage for capture but he wouldn't know how smart of him he was. He only seen just the surface of this boy and just a pinch of his inner self. He'll later do a full estimation when he is asleep and fast into the dreams he'll have of being a strong shinobi killing other strong shinobi. Riku softly chuckled at this notion and decided not to dwell in it any longer. His legs would have to be ready and in the morning he'll have to travel with his two students and Kaji towards Konohagakure.

What fun Riku thought. An adventure