What's the fun in seclusion?(Private/Kugeki)

Orion was stir-crazy, all things considered. He had to get out and move away from the home that he was situated in. The giant of a man had left the village for at least a little while, as he just needed to. Not to mention, he had heard tales of a wandering fella, and felt like that would be fun to hunt down and hassle. Worst happens, he has to beat up a guy and take money for just wanting to have some fun. He hadn't heard much about him, which might make hunting them down hard. He had a plan though.

Accost the first man he saw and bother them. If they looked funky, and they looked like they were wanderers, he'd go after them. Realistically, what he planned on doing was rude but he was far from a gentleman. So, he was out prawling for someone or something. He saw a black-haired boy from oh so far away, and decided to accost him.

"Oi!"

Of course, this might look strange. He wore a shirt with small, cartoony red hearts plastered all about it, with bright white pants like he always wore. He wore a hat over his blonde hair, which while covered in the back, dropped mostly over his eyes in the front. It gave him a nice mystique if he were to be honest.

He wore sandals that were comfortable, and he just looked goofy as he came flying forth.

"You! Whatcha wandering about for?"

Silky strands of hair tied in a wide pony-tail swayed freely along the wandering boy's back. For someone, technically homeless he kept himself quite clean; He wore a black long sleeved shirt, with a dark red lining blending with the soft and comfortable fabric. Sandals made up the last of his attire, the typical sandals most shinobi choose to wear. Wandering, yes. Missing, no. Kugeki wore no headband, nothing to symbolize any specific allegiance to a village. During his quiet voyage, to nowhere - someone called for his attention. He had wandered aimlessly for about a year now, and surprisingly never visited a single one of the major villages. Hell, Kugeki didn't even realise he was near Kumogakure.

["OI,"] Someone said. Somewhat startled, Kugeki cut the man an over shoulder glance. Those lavender orbs pin-pointing who called out.

He asked something again, ["Why am I wondering? Is it a crime or something in these parts? Maybe I should explain..."] Kugeki's soft inner voice said.

For quite sometime after his mother and father met their fate at the hands of leaf ANBU, and his caretaker died of natural causes, the Ronin had been travelling alone for the most part. Avoiding as much contact with anyone as possible, Kugeki's backside had a odd looking backpack. It was more of a scroll holster.

"I'm sorry sir, am I not suppose to be wandering around this area?" Polite as ever, especially to anyone older than himself. Respect was the first thing he learned before his parents stepped over to the other side.

"Nah, I'm just curious." Orion spoke, walking closer, "Not many people take the risk of wandering around with such questionable things happening in the world."

Orion was right. He was wandering around. However, the boy avoided the question. He didn't explain why. Perhaps he wandered for the very same reason that Orion did. He just sorta felt like it when it came down to it. He probably had nothing better to do, but that didn't change the fact that he needed to hear it from the fella.

If he could hear it from him, that part of his curiosity would be quenched, despite his little habit of annoying people. However, he was still wanting some sort of entertainment. Maybe even a story of some sort, but this boy seemed to be the most concise fella around. That wasn't innately bad, but it didn't make for a fun conversation.

The boy hardly looked strong enough to be a member of the org that took Iwagakure. If they were, it'd be no bother though. Orion was strong enough to handle himself. Usually. He wasn't a particular expert in human psychology, although one could call his a devout master of the human body. Nonetheless, he needed an answer from the boy.

At this point, Kugeki halted completely. Stopping all leg movement, turning around to face the man. Usually Kugeki avoided everyone, stopping for a complete stranger was indeed a rarity, however he felt safe. He felt no sort of hostility. Perhaps the first person Kugeki has even bothered to stop for. "I have no home." It was a straight-forward answer to say the least. He saw no reason to lie to this masculine figure who towered over himself. "No family." As sensitive information rolled off of his tongue, he allowed a faint sigh to escape his maw.

"I have been travelling for about a year or two by myself now?" He seemed unsure. "My father and mother were killed, they were missing nin whom originally hailed from Konoha. Risky...yes. Raising me while on the run." Kugeki's lavender eyes curved towards the ground, then back to the man. "I am simply wondering." The information was vague, something he didn't enjoy talking about.

There was an odd silence from him, not the most social person especially to a stranger. He was contemplating on what to say next. "Uhm. I'm Kugeki Hyūga! How did you know I was in the area? If you don't mind me asking?" He somewhat shyly asked.

Indeed he was not strong enough to be apart of this group that had been causing trouble, so the man's judgement was correct on that part at least.

"I had heard of someone wanderin'. You looked like the type." He had made sure to note that it wasn't that he had heard of him in particular, but a more generalized someone. It had just happened to be Kugeki.  Although, he was not one to beat around the bush unless it'd be really fun. If it wasn't, it was no fun and that's not what Orion was on about.

"Call me Orion. I used to be a jounin in Iwagakure."

To even the most unobservant, Orion's demeanor would change. However, it wasn't to one of sadness, it was to anger. It calmed down after a mere second. He had taken note of this child, who had got dealt a rather bad hand when it came down to it. Having no village to back them is bad enough, but having murdered parents on top of it? That's just depressing.

Orion would go into his coat and pull out a cigarette and put it his mouth, before lighting it up using some very, very light fire ninjutsu. He starting smoking it as he took one out and offered one to Kugeki, despite their age, as they just seemed like they needed it.

"How'd a boy like you survive in the wild?"

Kugeki only smiled and nodded, denying the cigarette the man offered. He did indeed need it, he just didn't know it yet. Kugeki never found a reason to smoke or drink, so starting now wasn't an option. "Haha. I don't smoke." He curved a small smile, his facial expression changing to that of joy. Maybe, just maybe the two weren't complete opposites. It seems he lost his home, Iwagakure was the village taken over by that criminal group if Kugeki remembered correctly.

Indeed he noticed the change of demeanor earlier, but did not speak on it. "Hunting, and sometimes I would take on jobs for smaller nations and villages for Ryo to buy myself something to fill my stomach or clothing. " Kugeki usually hunted for food, but if it did not work in his favor he took on missions.

"Iwagakure? The village currently under control by that criminal group? Where do you live now?" He shook his head from left to right. ["So we aren't so different."] His inner voice noted.

He was actually curious, wanting to hear this man's story.

He put the cigarettes back in his pocket when it was denied and took his out of his mouth and holding it for the moment. He listened to the boy. The boy asked the right questions, and was good at expressing what he had to. The boy was good at that. It's a skill very useful in this world. Something not enough people had. He had the skill, despite rarely using it as going on longer often allowed for more jokes and was just overall better when it came down to it. The boy did ask for some details.

"The very same. Slept right through the original attack, office was getting raided. Beat 6 of 'em by myself before having to run. Don't even know where the girls I stayed with are. I, however, reside in ol' Kumogakure."

He had no particular reason to lie, so he didn't. It could very well be that this boys quick words were because they just didn't talk very often. He hoped it was the former, which would make this perhaps less odd. He figured he owed how he survived day to day, despite being pushed out of his old him from the criminal group.

"I'm a doctor by trade."

He'd wait to see what the boy said to determine where this conversation would continue, or if the boy just left. It was all a matter of reaction.

["Six? He must be pretty strong."] At the time being, Kugeki couldn't dream of beating six capable and formidable shinobi at once. At the moment he only relied on his taijutsu, as he lost his puppets and the few granny Ai gave to him. By lost, they were destroyed. He suddenly had an interest in this Orion fellow, whether that was his real name or an alias. Kugeki was surprised Orion didn't mistake him for a female. It was almost soothing.

"Doctor?" He almost instantly replied. Whether this was fate or some truly random encounter, Kugeki had to get to the capture this opporotunity. There may not be another for quite some time.

"Then, you're a master medical nin?" Kugeki himself was quite adept at it, he was good for his age. But there was something he wanted. He needed almost. "Will you teach me a thing or two? I don't have much money yet, but once we part ways I can come back, I'll have more!"

Kugeki wanted to be taught? How curious.  Most people wouldn't latch onto that particular fact so quickly, and with such fervent excitement. What could he teacher the boy? What did he know? That was information, crucial information, that Orion couldn't surmise exactly what the boy knew. The boy could, easily, know some basic medical ninjutsu. Did the boy know how to do surgery? Did the boy know how to use the most basic medical ninjutsu?

Alas, for a moment, Orion's hand was on his chin.  He was thinking about what he, an old man in comparison, could teach this youngster. Surely he had many things he could but that didn't mean he should. This could very well come to bite him. Oh well. What's the fun in taking careful consideration of the future. He could very well end up following in Orion's footsteps, keeping on the idea of the medical ninja in such times of oppression.

"What in the world do you know already?"

Admittedly, most people latched onto his height or something, and not the fact that he was a doctor, however skilled. He did have to agree that he was a master medical ninja. That was a fact.

"I'm knowledgeable on it, I was studying it for a while."

He admitted. Along with his family, his caretaker from sunagakure trained him in Kugutsu, and Ijutsu. Like most young people his attention span was minimal before his maturity. Sometimes, Kugeki skipped medical training and instead built puppets or trained somewhere along that field. "I don't have any jutsu yet and I can't do surgery or anything. Only studied, skipped it a lot for Kugutsu or Taijutsu." He was only knowledgeable, but hadn't had that needed push to actually perform any jutsu with it. His deceased caretaker never verbally trained him, yet alone teach hands-on, and instead provided scrolls and books for Kugeki to read. Which at the time was hard for him to grasp on, Granny Ai was quite old fashioned.

Kugeki's soft hands rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassingly. Nervously chuckling. Though, any child could tell his intentions were deeper, yet alone a man, as he was trying to mask a secret aspiration.

Hopefully this man would agree, despite barely knowing Kugeki.

Hmm. Strange. Knowledge without practical experience? Well. That'll hardly do. He'll have to figure out how to fix a basic injury first, and there was only one manner to do this properly. He'd have to injure someone. He couldn't injure the kid, and there was no one else around. That left... him. That was fine. He already knew how to deal with the tiny amount of pain that would come from this. Nonetheless, he needed to do this to make sure they knew how to deal with slight injuries.

At least those he considered slight. Might be different for others. Admittedly, he probably shouldn't considering his distance from any hospital, but pfft. Who needed another doctor when you were the doctor? Obviously not Orion. Orion went into his clothing, and ended up pulling out a small pocket knife he kept around for various reasons. It wasn't useful in combat, it'd end up breaking towards most people. Even the man in front of him could probably break it.

Orion then turned his arm, so that the veins weren't in sight, and cut the back side of his arm, drawing blood. He'd then continue, as casual as before. If the boy was nervous before, he was sure he'd be even worse yet.

"How do you treat a cut wound?"

Did he just cut himself? There was something different with this man's madness, but in a good way. Kugeki hasn't even known this man for more than twenty minutes, more than likely, and he could realize this. Nervous? Yes, always. But this time he was being put to a test of some kind, minor, but a test. Obviously he wanted Kugeki to treat it, so Kugeki noded. He closed the gap between them with every step, right until he was close enough to touch the towering man. "First, since I'm not wearing any gloves...." He said, albeit it seemed as if he was talking to himself more than anything.

Kugeki gripped Orion's arm, while his free hand reached into one of his pouches along the waist. He pulled from One of them a clean fabric, which he moistened with a clear liquid. Something similar to alcohol, the germ killing kind. It was more things to deal with in the world than a petty, or sometimes bad sickness caused by something as small as bacteria.

With this fabric, Kugeki cleaned any blood and dabbed against the cut wound. Causing a stinging sensation, though nothing this man couldn't handle. "Then," he mumbled.

Kugeki used a different fabric, tying it around the area in which he cut himself, applying pressure until the bleeding ceased. Finally, depending on how deep it was, the blood may have tainted the wrappings too much, so he applied a new one.

The boy carried around medical wraps? Curious, but good. He was prepared for basically anything if he had basics with him. Sure, one couldn't fix a massive gaping hole in a person with just that, but that didn't mean anything when it came to small injuries, like the one that Orion had given to himself. Having someone around who could do that would complete any sort of team. It's sad that the boy wasn't on such a team.

He'd invite him to Iwagakure but that particular village was currently over-run. He also liked how he talked to himself, even if it was just a few words. Showed the focus. The boy had hope if he were to try and become a medical ninja, or even just a basic doctor. Not to mention, he looked strong enough to carry someone that might need it across any sort of place. Be it a battlefield, or just a hospital. Physical strength did matter when you were a medical ninja, just perhaps not as much as it might with a ninja based completely in taijutsu.

Of course, if you were both, that just put you in a nice place. Orion has enough strength, if not only from his build, to do both really well. It's what made him what few were actually able to call themselves. Masters at two very different occupations, him being a taijutsu and medical ninjutsu master.

"Good response time. Tell me, do you think you could do this consistently, for hours on end? It paid well, but gee golly gosh, it was boring."

He sat down, going straight down into a crouch, and then planting his arse on the ground. He had more questions.

"What kind of injuries have you had to treat in your time on the earth?"

He nodded at the man, backing up giving them both some space. " I could get through the boredom." For hours at end, he would enjoy helping others in need if he had the opportunity. Not to say he would actively approach a stranger, but when duty called he would be there for future comrades or even if he was to ever join a village. He pondered about it, helping people for hours and hours.

"Sprained ankles, wrists, cuts, nothing too serious."

He'd imagine the man before him treated stabs, broken bones, things he never could even work up the thought to picture. Though, he mentioned it being boring, so maybe not so much. "For myself, or animals out of boredom. Sometimes I would purposely injure them." Adding to what he said previously. Hinting he wasn't so pure afterall. That couldn't have been too surprising, given the current situation he was in. Even after admitting this, he didn't seem to really take consideration in what he said.

"Rinse and repeat." His eyes wandered off towards the ground, as if recalling it. He didn't take pleasure in it, but, it helped cope.

Orion understood the boy more than the boy could possibly understand. He had done the same to his teammates once or twice. It's that particular reason that had him fall backward in laughter, laying out to his full height. He stayed there as he finished his laughing, taking a nice, and content breath. It was odd. He didn't feel like he could actually identify with the kid as much as he wished, but he did understand the boy.

"Yknow, it's curious. We medical ninja, we tend to have a mean streak. I do it because it's fun. That's why I do everything."

He wasn't lying in the slightest to the boy. No reason to. He could lie all day if he really wanted to. He just didn't feel like it today. He couldn't particularly point to why. He couldn't figure it out. It's possible that he just saw himself in the boy. A taijutsu using, medical ninjutsu, having young boy who was out to live instead of doing anything in particular.

Sure, it seemed they were living for entirely different reasons. That, however, didn't change the fact that he knew they were mates in the least practical variety. The variety of survival.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to be any sort of missing ninja, would you? I know you said something about parents being so, but were you a part of any sort of that?"

["Why is he laughing...?"]

He stood there in confusion, watching as the behemoth of a man fell over like a tower, but in laughter. Turning his head at an angle, like a confused puppy. It wasn't until Orion spoke up the first time, that was when he understood. Picturing the image of him harming animals, just to nurse them back to health - then repeat. Combined with what Orion said, he quickly thought of medical nin doing the same from time to time. Including the man.

So probably for the first time since their encounter, the boy smiled - allowing laughter to escape his maw. "Funny."

"Missing-Nin? No. Well, I don't think I am. No one is after me. But, you'd think they would try to bring me back after finally accomplishing their mission?" Rhetorically adding. Technically he did not belong to konoha, but he was born there. Then again, he wasn't in the area during the time. It could be by some chance, he was considered dead? An assumption, but not-so-far of a stretch; taking note that he was just turning 15. They probably didn't think by any chance that someone of his skill-level and age could survive all alone. Kugeki lowered himself, sitting Indian-style.

"Tell me, there must be more to you than what you have told me?" Was this an interest in the older fellow?

He had done many things, none particularly worth taking about, and one long-standing one that was illegal. Well, that operation was taken down because of Iwagakure taken over, and they probably couldn't find his hidden stash. Oh, how to make himself seme interesting ot people on the roads that just happened to be roaming about.

He knew!

"Perhaps. Hmm. I'm a master at taijutsu as well, owner of the Janitor Style, and one of the few people who can fight multiple people at once due to the nature of said style."

While originally used to fight about 10 smaller kids, it was useful against more skilled users as a simple deterrent as Orion had the base body to allow it. His reach allowed him range that most people didn't have, and overall, were greater than literally any other person he had met so far. He still got his ass beat consistently by the really nasty fellas.

"I think I'm going to go after more taijutsu training. I've heard there are techniques out there, like the gates that I could use. I'd have to do more research to counter the absolutely nasty side effects of the gate."

He took a deep breath before continuing.

"What's your goals to learn?"

The boys reaction, the laugh, didn't just pass by Orion, he just didn't make particular note of it.

The entire time, he stayed in the laying down position, amused.

"Interesting."

Kugeki nodded. He had a particular goal, an ability to learn. Nothing else may have interested the man. So far both were Taijutsu specialists.

"Naturally, due to my Hyūga blood, I was trained vigorously in Taijutsu...."
Kugeki's eyes drifted off towards the sky, his head followed naturally. He seemed to be deep in thought while staring up at the heavens, curving another smile. Whatever this was, meant something to him. He opened his mouth again, deciding to tell the man something he had never told another soul.

"Buuuuuut, Puppets have always been my interest. An art that lives on forever. One day, I will learn to create human puppets. So anyone I find to be of importance, or held any impact on my life - they will live on through me."

Kugeki planned to create human puppets, so that anyone he felt any love for could live on forever in a sense. Of course they wouldn't be used for battles, but kept somewhere. Maybe some sort of sanctuary.

"I won't loose anyone else! Their bodies won't ever decay! I seek to preserve them." He mumbled. Well, that's if they met their maker before he did.

Curious. Human puppets? Those sounded more interesting than literally anything he's heard in the last while. He had heard legends of such experimentation. Those who could do it, could become legends swiftly, although perhaps in ways this child didn't quite understand. He couldn't do it himself, as he knew nothing of puppetry compared to what would be required. Alas, the man named Orion even heard the mumble. It was a particularly dangerous thought path that did mildly concern Orion, despite him thinking it curious.

He rose to a sitting position, and looked at Kugeki.


"Yknow, that's not the best way to do it. It is a way, and you'll end up infamous for it. Make no mistake, I understand how you feel. I haven't the foggiest if my loved ones even survived the siege, and it's probably no. I haven't seen them since. Why not just remember them? Why disgrace their memory by forcing them to live on through you in such a literal way. Let them live in memory, preach their stories, not parade their dead bodies around."

Orion sighed and then laid back again.

"None the less, it's useless to say anything until it actually happens."

Parading their bodies around was far from what he wanted. Instead of them decomposing, he wanted to preserve them somewhere. So they could live on forever in his memory and their bodies were still in tact. It was the least he could do, considering they had such an impact on his life. But, this older man spoke wisdom, warning him. Wisdom Kugeki would not take in sadly, but remember? Yes.

It wasn't until now that Kugeki truly understood that this man had mutually felt the same pain deep inside as he himself felt. He did not want to comment on it.

"I suppose you're right. You never answered me."

Recalling a question he had asked the man earlier. He didn't want to keep asking him, or be some sort of burden. Kugeki reached into his pouch, pulling from it a nicely sized stack of money. Things in this world were pretty expensive to say the least, or most places if not all. The stack of money was quite thick, but in reality it wasn't much. Even at such a young age he understood that nothing came free.

He flipped through the money with his thumb, quickly counting. "I have about 2,500 Ryo." Kugeki once again offered pay to the man to teach him medical Ninjutsu.

"Bugger the pay."

Orion shot up, to his whole height, and finished off the cigarette.  He then dug into his pocket, grabbed another, and lit it again with a tiny bit of flame ninjutsu. He couldn't tell what to teach this kid, without having any sort of injury to heal. Then he remembered the little bit of medical ninjutsu that was low enough tier to actually seem cool, but also not be taxing to Orion when he wanted to walk back.

"Watch this. This is going to be something."

He starting to knead the chakra in his mouth, slowly sloshing it around. He took the cigarette out, holding it while Orion continued. After a few seconds, he made it from the poison in his mouth. He wasn't sure how to show the effects unless he did it to Kugeki, so he might as well do so. It'd be fine, he'd do some more medical ninjutsu to take care of the poison at the very worst.

He looked around and saw no one else, thankfully, so he let the gas out of his mouth towards Kugeki, who if he let it hit, would likely drop to the ground due to the effects of said thing.

"There's no one to heal, so I'll show you the possible power that medical ninjutsu has. In that, I can use it to poison people with a mist."

jutsu:

Kugeki watched the man jump up and do...something. Was this lesson one?! Still he sat still, in the same position that he was before. He stood up slowly, and by the time Orion mentioned that it will be 'something,' he tucked the money back in its original spot. Then, it was too late by the time he noticed what actually was going on.

Kugeki already took a sniff or two of the mist, even while he backed up to try and avoid it. Backing up proved futile, obviously. He dropped, to his knees. Eyes blurry, and he couldn't really moved. Paralysed? Kugeki could only think, and he couldn't muster up the will power to move his mouth and formulate words without it sounding incomprehensible.

He could hear perfectly though, this was quite the technique.