The Ruthless Shinobi?

Tensing as a hand landed on his shoulder, Rato exhaled shakily as he realized that the person the hand belonged to was his uncle- aka, Teppeki Igen, the Kazekage. The fact that Igen was speaking to him wasn’t all that surprising- the man had spoken to him on more than one occasion- but that he was, apparently knowingly coming to his “aid” was new. Regardless, he was relieved that the two gossipers had left, even if they probably resumed talking about him the minute they were out of hearing.


“Thank you…” He mumbled, averting his eyes to the floor as his uncle seemed to praise him, a blush flickering down his neck. He bit his lip as Igen attempted to explain why people acted the way they did around him. Despite the explanation, he couldn’t’ quite grasp why the lack of an ongoing war influenced people’s impression of him- they had all done something similar, hadn’t they? Wouldn’t they do the same, if it was the safety of their home, or friends and family on the line?


He jerked his head up as the Kazekage asked for him to follow him, wondering why the man wanted him to, but followed after the man nevertheless. He squinted as they entered the desert sun, his eyes having long since adjusted to the relative darkness of the library. A gust of dry desert air blew past them, mild, but having the potential to suddenly stir into a sandstorm that would black out the area for hours, and strip exposed skin to the bone in the same time.

Rato shrank in on himself as the people around them went from pleased to varying negative expressions as they took notice of him. Civilians and newer genin took on fearful expressions, while those of his rank or higher took on expressions of varying levels of wariness and disgust. He nearly ran into his uncle when the man suddenly stopped moving, and was startled by the unexpectedly kind look in the man’s eyes.


He was glad to follow Igen off the streets and away from the nearly palpable collective distaste that came off the people on the streets. He wasn’t sure where they were going until they were nearly at the top of the Kage tower, at which he realized the location. He watched the other look out over the village, and listened to the man’s words, uncertain about the honesty of the offer, but more than slightly desperate for the words to be true.


“I… uhm…” He tried to reply, voice failing him as he looked away, out across the village. The street goers looked small, insignificant, deceptively so. He was so tired of being alone…

Rato fidgeted as his Uncle seemed to be truly apologetic about their relationship, or rather the lack thereof, and spoke about teaching him, not just as a leader but as a member of the family. He bit into his lip, uncertainly meeting the other’s gaze. He began to speak hesitantly, “I… if… If you really want to, and it wouldn’t be a burden… I would really like that. But… is it really okay? People…don’t like me, won’t it be bad for you to be seen teaching me…?”


By the end of his reply he found his gaze back on the village, watching the people run around doing…things. He wondered how many people received training from family members-from anybody- and didn’t think of it as anything special, as something they were entitled to rather than something important. He had the feeling that the number was all too high, that most people believed they had the right to training, to the sort of relationship like the one his Uncle was offering him.

Rato gave an uncertain smile as the man defended his offer, wondering if the man would stand by it if push came to shove, but willing to give the man the benefit of the doubt. The other man had more experience with people- particularly in the non-hostile sense, and that was experience he was willing to rely on, if it meant that he would be able to change people’s minds about him.


Respect, and maybe even people not being afraid or disgusted by him… it was something that he dearly wanted. He watched as the man walked over to the railing, and he gave a shaky exhale, mildly nervous about it. “I… would really like to learn from you.” He paused, uncertain of how to address the man, given that there were more than a few ways he could do so.

Rato side stepped a blow from one of the five chuunin that had apparently taken offense to…something that he had done, although he couldn’t think of what the hell it was. The entire thing was stressful, especially when those around simply watched, rather than attempt to break it up. ’Then again, to them it means that they might be rid of me.’ came the bitter thought.

He moved his arm to block a kick that probably would have broken his jaw if it had connected, then jerked when he caught the gleam of something metallic in his peripheral vision. A moment later he was relieved, even as his eyes widened in shock as a line of pain flared on his cheek, that he had moved- as the metallic object turned out to be a kunai. The movement turned what would have been an attack that cost him his left eye if not kill him outright, into a relatively shallow gouge along his cheek bone.

The realization that, at least one of these people who were supposed to be his comrades, actively wanted him dead, sent a flare of distress through him. He twisted to disengage from the chuunin he had blocked, trying to place which of the other four had attempted to maim or end him. The attempt was disrupted as one of the other chuunin lunged toward him, forcing Rato to jerk to the side to avoid being grappled- something that would have likely ended in a fair amount of pain. ’I could move behind that one and use Inryoku to pull that ones weapons into- But then the Kazekage will be disappointed.’ He thought, a bolt of fear at the idea of being abandoned.

Blood seeped annoyingly from the wound, down his face.

He fought the urge to cringe as the chuunin called him a monster, the insult oddly painful, despite the fact they were in the middle of a fight. Relief flooded Rato as Igen appeared, interrupting the fight. The chuunin caught their teammate as the man pushed him towards them. He backed away from the other five chuunin, wary of them attempting to pursue the fight even with the Kazekage present.

“Kazekage-sama, he…We were just….” One of the chuunin muttered, sweating slightly, although whether it was the sun or stress, Rato couldn’t place.

A different chuunin spoke up, tone poisonously sweet, “We just… had a disagreement, Kazekage-sama. Rato-san was attempting to avoid repaying a debt he owed us.”

A jolt of anger surged through him and he snapped, voice vaguely growly, “I don’t even know you people!” He ignored the ache in his cheek from the cut.