It was roughly a half days trek up the steep of the mountain, the overcast gloom in shades of dull saturation had removed his last straw, the objective was clarity. It was a rather odd and unfortunate dislike to have little tolerance for stormy skies and violent weather given his residence in what was most probably the hurricane capital of the known ninja world. Though it was doubtful even the most loyal of denizens ever really came to love the meteorological curse that orbited the perimeters of their home. A strong and adaptable tolerance coupled with numbed visual expectations as far as the heavens were concerned was the only way to get by without succumbing to severe depression year round. Any other time this spontaneous expedition to the peak of the mountain would be the last thing on his agenda, but given the quiet inactiveness of the village as of late he was desperate for a lively escape. MT. Myria was about as far away as he could get without risk of severe penance for meandering too far from the village borders without proper authority.

His red gi had become rather tattered and dirty from climbing through brush and the occasional spills he was glad no one was there to see. He had taken a much less beaten path in avoidance of having to waste a full day keeping close to the main road. His black shinobi sweatpants a testament to this choice as its many small snags and rips told the story of seemingly countless twigs and branches that made him earn every step of the way. The insoles of his black padded sandals had noticeably warn down as well, the cushions not nearly as soft and forgiving as he remembered only hours prior. His long medium length chestnut colored hair and blazen hued irises were the only features of his that managed to luster in the unobstructed rays of light from above. His wire netting underlay a close secondary but hardly noticeable in contrast. The beams of light that punched through weren't much in the grand scheme of things, but they were definitely an upgrade in luminosity from the tendrils that barely reached ground level on a consistent basis.

"It is interesting how the peaks of mountains are revered. There is nothing different or worth while at the top than there is on the bottom. Perhaps it is just the physical representation of fighting to reach ones goals at the summit that explains its allure." He pondered in thought as he scanned the desolate rocky landscape before perching onto an adjacent earthen slab only a couple heads taller than himself. Its rectangular convex shape protruding rom the ground like a miniature plateau of unyielding stability. Looking out over a billow of thin descending clouds he could make out a pair of hurricanes taking their merry time patrolling the outer rims of the mainland. The heightened warmth of the sun against his back was the final key to his submission towards subtle relaxation. He had a mind not get too comfortable though, as his training still had not been completed for the day. Hike or no hike the sun waited on no one to begin its descent below the horizon. A mandate as old as the days themselves would not pause, especially of all things, for a mere Genin.


WC: 546

Four days, that is how long it had been since the last time he had been up this high, this was the first time he would train here, usually spending most his time training near the Onozuka river, it was for multiple reasons he decided to change the location, he knew that the climb itself was already part of it, but it was also because of the thin air that the mountain had, using it to gain more endurance, of course he would still train his strenght as well.

"Back on the same place as last time.. nice and quiet." After taking a short look around he walked up to a small tree and sat down against it, he had made a mental list of the things still to do, it seemed long enough to train through even the night, though he would not do everything, knowing he would still need the rest, yet he easily got bored as well and training into the night wouldn't be that much fun.

"Perhaps i should go take a look around first, this small spot won't be much use if i'm going to do everything." He told himself, he got back onto his feet and started to walk, he was quite far from the main path, though he knew how to get there, it was mostly a straight walk. As he walked he took the time to look around, observing the mountain, wondering if he was alone today, last time he saw someone hiking, though he wasn't sure if it would be the same today.

He looked at the hair that hung in front of his face, still thinking about when to cut it, perhaps once he got back from training or maybe tommorow, as long as he made sure it was cut in time he wouldn't have a problem, with his hair this long it would get in the way.
He'd been walking for a few minutes when he decided to instead go slightly more up the mountain, where he thought to see a good flat space to train on.



Words: 344

Before the day would split asunder and make way for nightfall he needed a plan to maximize the remnants of the day. His body was indeed worn from the half days trip which was good in terms of fitness, though he needed a more applicable means to practice jutsu. Tree trunks and other stationary targets such as boulders and other man made structures were good for hand seal mastery and learning the feel of each technique but did little to prepare one for battle. There were situations where one would be attacked or otherwise be put under duress where ones composure under pressure would be tested. It was hard to find a simulation of anything close without having another ninja present to help bring about the enactment. The thought of perhaps agitating a wild animal into confrontation was a constant idea but he was certain such actions risked harming an innocent creature if not worse.

Taking a deep breath he continued to weave in and out of the same thought process as he watched the yellow aura of the sun slowly transition to an orange/red hue as it began to flirt with the horizon. He had never been in an actual fight before and wasn't too sure what really to expect or how to truly go about preparation. All of the older shinobi in the village with such experience were either gone or preoccupied and the sparsely populated Genin were left to their own devices outside of the academy. Perhaps it was this phase of ones shinobi career that molded Shippugakure ninja into the types of shinobi the were meant to be. With the right process in this method, one could potentially stumble upon the key to becoming as strong as a Kage at a young age much like the villages current leader, Saizo. The prospect was all good and well, but he was running out of ideas to challenge himself outside of outright unauthorized danger.

It was at this moment footsteps could be heard off in the distance, and by the sound of them, seemed to be headed in his direction. His initial reaction was a glance aside the corners of his eye's steeped with curiosity. There was hardly any reason for alarm around these parts but the young Kogure wasn't so naive as to dismiss the low possibility. Raising up from his sedentary position he turned and faced down towards the mountain side, scarlet eyes beaming from the waning tendrils of sunlight towards the direction in question. A figure soon appeared, male, as he quickly concluded. Definitely taller, and seemingly older as well judging from the boys stature. Long purple hair done away in a pony tail framing intriguing yellow irises were the immediately predominant features. His clothing was still immersed in the shade of the overhanging canopies in conjunction with the looming aura of nightfall. He was not at all familiar, and his intentions as of yet could not be read from his expression or body language. A myriad of possibilities regarding his intentions swept across his mind, but he deemed it better to establish communication before jumping into any conclusions.


"Hello there, are you here to enjoy the sunset, or am I perhaps in your way?" He uttered in a friendly tone while looking for the boy to reveal his business in the area with the clandestine phrasing of his question.


WC: 552

As he continued forwards he saw a figure, a person seeming to stand up, the a voice, a question to which he responded. "If i took time to look at the sunset i wouldn't get any training done." Curious as to whom asked the question he continued forwards, wanting to see this person better.

Perhaps the day could become interesting after all, if there was someone else up here, especially another Genin, it would mean he could train with this person, if so he could also find out more about this person that way, better to make a mew friend then another foe."How about you?" He asked, hoping to find out wheter this person was not here to actually stare at the sunset, that would just be strange.

He used his right hand tho push some of the hair in front of his face back to the sides, he had brought his training stick, which he held in his left hand, trying not to make it look like a sword, thinking this person might take it the wrong way if they thought it would be.

After getting close enough for them to be able to see eachother he held up his right hand, waving it with a bit of a relaxed expression on his face, trying to hide his interest, though still observing the persons movement closely with his eyes, not wanting to drop his guard, just in case he gets attacked for whatever reason, that and he remembered how someone grabbed his hair when he wasn'r paying attention one time.

"I'm just a Genin from the village, no need to be jumpy or anything." He said more to reasure himself that he wouldn't get jumped at, he didn't want to repeat his mistake of last time, he remembers being chased across the village by an old guy with a cane, a bit funny now that he thinks about it, he smiles lightly, which just looks weird since he isn't that good at smiling.

Words: 330

"I see. Your dedication is inspiring, promptly ready to train upon the end of your hike, and here I am resting from the same journey." He replied with an unconveyed sense of shame, the kind that made him realize why it was he failed to progress as swiftly as he would have liked. Although it was true the levels of his training needed a live variable to increase in difficulty, it was essentially a fabricated excuse to procrastinate. Perhaps it was the villages ghost town vibes beginning to affect him as such behavior was not of his natural quality. A self starter driven to be the first master in the gift of his blood whose unyielding diligence in study and repetition were the usual traits associated behind his work ethic. If it was one thing he learned from his parents about being a consistent shinobi it was learning how to be the best when your not at one hundred percent. As a shinobi you would always be hurt in some fashion, physically or emotionally, if not both. The boys opening response a stark reminder of the temporarily forgotten lesson.

"I've come to train same as you. Although it seems my resolve is what needs improvement more so than my skills." He replied facetiously as he gave a warm and calculated grin. He understood the value of laughter to make the heart lighter in times of social interaction to make the breaking of ice a lot less awkward. The only problem he had was gauging his humor, as in most occasions his comedic timing was dull and out of place. He promptly noticed the item in the boys hand as he waved it purposely as if to suggest the makeshift weapons presence to be of good intent. He was pleased to note that he wasn't the only genin feeling the effects of the seemingly suffocated village they called home. It seemed to be something they were for sure to have in common as simple training could be relegated to grounds much more easily accessible.  He was almost certain the strangling vibe from down below was what made Mt. Myria his beacon of salvation as well.

"It's been some time since I've come across another genin so forgive me if I'm rambling. My name is Kogure Ryota. It's a pleasure...?" He concluded with a raised brow, awaiting his new found acquaintance to catch his ignorant stammer by feeling in his broken inquiry with the blessing of reciprocating his ofference of name.


WC: 406