Deep inside of training field fifty seven, two figures could be seen moving back and forth rapidly. One was an older man who despite missing a leg, was fighting as if that fact didn't matter. The other was a younger lad, with short spiky gray hair and eyes which held nothing but his opponent in them.
It had been months since the attack, three to be exact. Masaru's frame had finally filled out in that time, beginning to build muscles and even a bit of fat atop of them. Maruboshi had to change his diet several times to accommodate, but his growth spurt had calmed down relatively quickly.
During this time, he'd become increasingly comfortable with his katana, and he'd even be willing to say he preferred it over taijutsu. Just recently he'd went out and had a new set forged through his clan.
The new katana was bigger than it should be, but he'd done that to make sure he could use it longer without worrying about out growing it. The blade was forged from a special chakra metal that had been made into steel, allowing it to channel chakra better than normal blades. The sheathe was dominantly black, but had flame-like highlights towards the tip. The handle had similarly colored crossed patterns of cloth and leather, and the hilt was curved, allowing him to catch and disarm someone's blade if needed.
His tanto, the smaller blade which was often used for everyday use, was different. It's sheath was a foggy blue-gray, and looked like mist or fog, and the handle was made from white and blue threads.
All in all, he was very happy with it, especially because he no longer required using the fuinjutsu tag for his hijutsu. It was a tool for younger clan members to get used to using the jutsu in battle, but he'd worked on his one handed seals and now could preform without it's use.
But a proper daisho (Big and Little blade) set was expensive, and one made from chakra steel was even more so, so how did an ungraduated genin afford one?
Well, Maruboshi had given him the ryo for it, but he never deeded to use it. In truth, he'd begun to steep in the underworld of the Hidden Leaf.
Masaru tilted his head as a fist drifted by it, and he quickly countered the next one before returing the favor with a kick to Maruboshi's shin. Then in quick progression he stepped on the man's knee, which he had planted for balance, and hopped, landing a solid kick on the man's ribs, and finally he used the momentum to spin around one last time and land a round house towards his sensei's head.
Of course, the older man had perfectly blocked each attack at the last moment, but Masaru had moved quick enough that he couldn't retaliate, or at least he couldn't while he stayed moving at Masaru's skill level.
Part of Masaru's thoughts drifted while the other focused on the fight, thinking about his recent money making foray. 'It's a wonder how many people use the black market to post unofficial missions. I suppose some people just need things done faster...'
It was a common truth that posted missions sometimes are left for weeks at a time, thus some people used the black market, where everyone was desperate for something or at least greedy for more and more ryo. He himself needed money to buy needed supplies, so he'd bought a mask and started completing missions himself.
Most of these missions took place just outside the walls of the village, but some happened inside. Nearly all the ones he'd taken were about getting rid of bandits or minor gangs, all posted by merchants or guilds that couldn't simply wait for things to be cleared or use extra money to buy more guards.
Thus, Masaru stepped in. 'It's amazing how much ryo they're willing to pay, but can't simply buy some measly guards with the same sum...'
Though he hadn't spent all his time training. After his depressive period, he'd come to the realization that he needed something to anker himself. So Masaru went a little stir crazy making friends. From playing with the other Kano kids to his classmates.
Hell, he'd even taken another gamble, sending a letter to the Hokage. It wasn't anything serious, but he detailed that after recovering his health, he felt like he owed a debt to the village. He mentioned that he knew the Hokage had many tasks to accomplish and asked if he wanted an assistant.
Maybe he'd gone too far, but he even told the man that he'd feel better if he could help him with his paper work so he could spend more time with his grandson.
The whole thing was really a way to get on Hiruzen's good side, or maybe amuse him, but he wouldn't be against doing some paperwork for the man. It'd be a good front for laundering his illegal mission ryo on top of getting good pay.
A wry smile met Masaru's lips as he inadvertently let out a chuckle, which Maruboshi raised a brow at. In quick succession, Masaru received a fist to the face and found himself pinned on his back.
Maruboshi smiled down at Masaru. "I'm glad that you've regained your smile, but you shouldn't let your mind wander in a fight."
The smile only widened. "Sorry sensei, I thought of something funny just now."
The old man shook his head, but helped him up. As he wiped the dirt from his clothes, his sensei handed him a scroll, which he opened. "What's this?"
"A pass for you to receive a D ranked jutsu from the library."
His face lit up in recognition. "Oh, I forgot you wanted me to get a summoning jutsu!"
Maruboshi nodded. "I myself use the eagle clan, but the choice is yours in the end."
Masaru nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Are we done for today?"
"Yes, you can go now, but don't forget to stretch when you return home."
"Okay I will, by sensei, see you tomorrow!"
|AN| Stone me like a leper people!