12-30-2015, 05:37 PM
“Try and keep up!”
The adolescents made their way quickly through the mid-morning crowd, laughing as they skipped hand-in-hand. Kelsie led the duo, her blonde hair flowing behind her as she tugged at the Namekian’s outstretched arm. Though more than capable of keeping pace with aspiring ninja, Probitas allowed the girl to keep the lead. A smile split his youthful face as they made their way through the village.
“Here we are!” Kelsie announced triumphantly, stopping in the tracks.
They stood before a rather large building, painted a muted taupe. Had he not been led right to the doorstep, Probitas knew he’d have missed the building entirely. As he attempted in vain to puzzle out to where he had been escorted, Kelsie raised a finger to gesture toward a sign hung over a pair of double doors.
“R and O?” Probitas re-read the words mentally. “What’s R and O?” he inquired, scratching his bald head.
“Research and Observation,” Kelsie answered, flicking one of the Namekian’s antennae. “C’mon!”
- -
“Ah, so I see you two’ve finally made it,”
“Asuma-sensei!” Kelsie stopped suddenly surprise evident in her voice. She bowed deeply, her companion scrambling to ape the gesture. “Where’s Yorin?”
“He’s got the day off,” the Jonin responded with a grin. “Morikage’s orders.”
“Oh...we were supposed to be meeting him here.” Kelsie said, slightly despondent.
“Well, if I know Yorin, he probably headed out into the forest to train,” Asuma replied, rubbing his bearded chin. “That boy never stops to rest. If you head out by the gate, I’m sure you’ll find him practicing his shuriken jutsu. Why don’t you go out and keep him company and I’ll give our new friend here a tour of the facility.”
“Okay!” The young blonde casted a gaze at her emerald friend, smiling. “We’ll be out by the gate when you’re done. Have fun!” Without another word, the kunoichi skipped out the open door.
“So, Probitas,” Asuma began, stepping forward to rest a meaty hand on the young Namekian’s shoulder. “It’s nice to formally meet you.”
“Uh, same here,” Probitas stammered, gazing up at the shinobi.
The olive-skinned ninja chuckled. “I know your father,” he replied, answering the lad’s question before it was asked. “Anyway, let’s head down the A-wing. They don’t like when I smoke in here.”
- -
Probitas followed his guide through the winding hallways of the R and O building, taking in the scholarly ambience. As they passed innumerable doors and hallways, the young Namekian caught sight of such words as ‘Bioengineering’ and ‘Epigenetics’. He doubted he could even pronounce these words correctly, let alone understand their meaning.
“Here we go,” the Sarutobi clansman finally proclaimed, pushing open a large swinging door at the end of the hall.
Probitas gasped audibly as they entered, surprised by where they had wound up. Though he was quite sure they were still inside the R and O building, they found themselves surrounded by trees. Men and women adorn in lab coats milled between the trunks, gazing up at the canopy and scribbling onto clipboards. The Namekian’s keen ears caught the sounds of wildlife from nearly all directions, birds called to their mates from their roosts among the bows as large prowling mammals plodded through the dirt.
“More like a zoo than a lab, huh?” Asuma smirked at the boy’s bewilderment, lighting up a cigarette as the adolescent’s gaze scanned the treetops.
“Are we outside?” Probitas finally inquired, finding his tongue.
“Nope,” Asuma replied simply. “We’re in an indoor bio-room. This is where the ‘Observation’ part of the operation is done. Our researchers breed and observe the different plant and animal species to better understand the Tangled Green as it has been dubbed.”
The boy nodded vaguely, only half-listening to the Jonin’s explanation. His attention had been stolen by a large bird that had landed gently upon his left shoulder. His new aven friend had taken to nuzzling against the boy’s cheek, cooing softly. Probitas stroked the parrot-esque bird softly, smiling.
The bearded ninja dragged thoughtfully on his cigarette, watching the boy gently caress the animal. Asuma had yet to see birds from the region come anywhere near the researchers, let alone a newcomer. “You’re a pretty calm guy, huh?”
“I guess,” Probitas replied, pulling a loose berry from a nearby bush and offering the treat to his winged companion. “I try to avoid trouble.”
“That’s what I’ve heard,” the olive-skinned shinobi said, eyeing the newcomer as it chomped happily on the berry. “Hard to believe that the son of Retane would go out of his way to avoid fighting.”
Probitas turned to face the Jonin at the sound of his father’s name. “Everyone keeps talking about my Dad, but I don’t really know that much about him…”
“Well…” Asuma began, scratching his head. “Suffice it to say he doesn’t shy away from a fight. I won’t say too much more. Tell me though, why do you dislike fighting?”
The young Namekian pondered the question for a moment, stroking the parrot thoughtfully. “I don’t know. It’s just...the few times that I’ve fought, I hurt people. I didn’t like it.”
“Innocence…” the chain-smoking ninja muttered.
“I hate to cause pain. I’d rather endure pain myself than dole it out.” Probitas affirmed, letting his aven friend hop off of his shoulder and onto a nearby tree limb. “But last time...the only way they would stop was if I hurt them…”
“Sad, but true,” Asuma responded. “Not wanting to cause pain is an admirable attitude and not something you should be ashamed of.”
“But what if it happens again? What if it comes to releasing that...power, for them to stop?”
“The way I look at it,” the Jonin said, putting out his cigarette on his headband. “If I’m on a mission and my target is causing pain against my fellow villagers, causing the enemy pain is sometimes the only way to stop it.”
Probitas nodded slowly. He didn’t like it, but the shinobi made a fair point. “So I can’t avoid hurting people.”
“You should always look for a way around violence,” Asuma replied. “But you should not let your fear of causing pain bring pain upon your allies.”
The words hit home for the young Namekian. His inaction against the gang in his last altercation almost caused the death of Squeaky and the severe injury of his friends. Even if he didn’t like it, the rage that poured out of him had helped him preserve their safety. “I think I understand.”
“I bet you do,” the bearded Jonin laid a hand on the boy’s forehead. “You’re a smart kid, Probitas. And from what the kids tell me, a hell of a fighter when it comes to it. Just like your old man.”
The adolescents made their way quickly through the mid-morning crowd, laughing as they skipped hand-in-hand. Kelsie led the duo, her blonde hair flowing behind her as she tugged at the Namekian’s outstretched arm. Though more than capable of keeping pace with aspiring ninja, Probitas allowed the girl to keep the lead. A smile split his youthful face as they made their way through the village.
“Here we are!” Kelsie announced triumphantly, stopping in the tracks.
They stood before a rather large building, painted a muted taupe. Had he not been led right to the doorstep, Probitas knew he’d have missed the building entirely. As he attempted in vain to puzzle out to where he had been escorted, Kelsie raised a finger to gesture toward a sign hung over a pair of double doors.
“R and O?” Probitas re-read the words mentally. “What’s R and O?” he inquired, scratching his bald head.
“Research and Observation,” Kelsie answered, flicking one of the Namekian’s antennae. “C’mon!”
- -
“Ah, so I see you two’ve finally made it,”
“Asuma-sensei!” Kelsie stopped suddenly surprise evident in her voice. She bowed deeply, her companion scrambling to ape the gesture. “Where’s Yorin?”
“He’s got the day off,” the Jonin responded with a grin. “Morikage’s orders.”
“Oh...we were supposed to be meeting him here.” Kelsie said, slightly despondent.
“Well, if I know Yorin, he probably headed out into the forest to train,” Asuma replied, rubbing his bearded chin. “That boy never stops to rest. If you head out by the gate, I’m sure you’ll find him practicing his shuriken jutsu. Why don’t you go out and keep him company and I’ll give our new friend here a tour of the facility.”
“Okay!” The young blonde casted a gaze at her emerald friend, smiling. “We’ll be out by the gate when you’re done. Have fun!” Without another word, the kunoichi skipped out the open door.
“So, Probitas,” Asuma began, stepping forward to rest a meaty hand on the young Namekian’s shoulder. “It’s nice to formally meet you.”
“Uh, same here,” Probitas stammered, gazing up at the shinobi.
The olive-skinned ninja chuckled. “I know your father,” he replied, answering the lad’s question before it was asked. “Anyway, let’s head down the A-wing. They don’t like when I smoke in here.”
- -
Probitas followed his guide through the winding hallways of the R and O building, taking in the scholarly ambience. As they passed innumerable doors and hallways, the young Namekian caught sight of such words as ‘Bioengineering’ and ‘Epigenetics’. He doubted he could even pronounce these words correctly, let alone understand their meaning.
“Here we go,” the Sarutobi clansman finally proclaimed, pushing open a large swinging door at the end of the hall.
Probitas gasped audibly as they entered, surprised by where they had wound up. Though he was quite sure they were still inside the R and O building, they found themselves surrounded by trees. Men and women adorn in lab coats milled between the trunks, gazing up at the canopy and scribbling onto clipboards. The Namekian’s keen ears caught the sounds of wildlife from nearly all directions, birds called to their mates from their roosts among the bows as large prowling mammals plodded through the dirt.
“More like a zoo than a lab, huh?” Asuma smirked at the boy’s bewilderment, lighting up a cigarette as the adolescent’s gaze scanned the treetops.
“Are we outside?” Probitas finally inquired, finding his tongue.
“Nope,” Asuma replied simply. “We’re in an indoor bio-room. This is where the ‘Observation’ part of the operation is done. Our researchers breed and observe the different plant and animal species to better understand the Tangled Green as it has been dubbed.”
The boy nodded vaguely, only half-listening to the Jonin’s explanation. His attention had been stolen by a large bird that had landed gently upon his left shoulder. His new aven friend had taken to nuzzling against the boy’s cheek, cooing softly. Probitas stroked the parrot-esque bird softly, smiling.
The bearded ninja dragged thoughtfully on his cigarette, watching the boy gently caress the animal. Asuma had yet to see birds from the region come anywhere near the researchers, let alone a newcomer. “You’re a pretty calm guy, huh?”
“I guess,” Probitas replied, pulling a loose berry from a nearby bush and offering the treat to his winged companion. “I try to avoid trouble.”
“That’s what I’ve heard,” the olive-skinned shinobi said, eyeing the newcomer as it chomped happily on the berry. “Hard to believe that the son of Retane would go out of his way to avoid fighting.”
Probitas turned to face the Jonin at the sound of his father’s name. “Everyone keeps talking about my Dad, but I don’t really know that much about him…”
“Well…” Asuma began, scratching his head. “Suffice it to say he doesn’t shy away from a fight. I won’t say too much more. Tell me though, why do you dislike fighting?”
The young Namekian pondered the question for a moment, stroking the parrot thoughtfully. “I don’t know. It’s just...the few times that I’ve fought, I hurt people. I didn’t like it.”
“Innocence…” the chain-smoking ninja muttered.
“I hate to cause pain. I’d rather endure pain myself than dole it out.” Probitas affirmed, letting his aven friend hop off of his shoulder and onto a nearby tree limb. “But last time...the only way they would stop was if I hurt them…”
“Sad, but true,” Asuma responded. “Not wanting to cause pain is an admirable attitude and not something you should be ashamed of.”
“But what if it happens again? What if it comes to releasing that...power, for them to stop?”
“The way I look at it,” the Jonin said, putting out his cigarette on his headband. “If I’m on a mission and my target is causing pain against my fellow villagers, causing the enemy pain is sometimes the only way to stop it.”
Probitas nodded slowly. He didn’t like it, but the shinobi made a fair point. “So I can’t avoid hurting people.”
“You should always look for a way around violence,” Asuma replied. “But you should not let your fear of causing pain bring pain upon your allies.”
The words hit home for the young Namekian. His inaction against the gang in his last altercation almost caused the death of Squeaky and the severe injury of his friends. Even if he didn’t like it, the rage that poured out of him had helped him preserve their safety. “I think I understand.”
“I bet you do,” the bearded Jonin laid a hand on the boy’s forehead. “You’re a smart kid, Probitas. And from what the kids tell me, a hell of a fighter when it comes to it. Just like your old man.”
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