Pov: Kenzo
I am currently eating a slice of cake that Ino offered me and enjoying my time after eating some of Ino's mothers cooking for dinner.
Naruto is home eating some ramen and probably sleeping or out preparing a prank right now.
I finish the slice of cake and smile at Ino- we are in her living room and we both are sitting next to the small table.
"Thank you very much Ino- happy birthday" I say and she chuckles a little.
"Thanks Kenzo... say, do you have your ninja uniform pnned out? Most of my css are starting to fond what they want and I was wondering if you would like to go shopping with me? I know it must be hard to pick out a few sets of clothes without seeing them" She asks and I think.
No... I have not even put another thought to that, Naruto is even getting ahead of me now- he picked out something bright and orange I am told... I believe my words of wisdom were misconstrued to fit what Naruto wanted... very un-ninja like apparel.
Hmmm... Ino does have a sense of style...
"Yeah sure, might as well get it over with" I reply and nod my head.
"Alright! I am free the morning three days from now- come to the store, my mum was going to take me out to get my uniform" Ino decres and I smile.
"Hoho- make sure to bring some money, the Hokage should give you a little bit to spend for your first few sets" Her mother tells me and I nod.
"Hey, what's your favourite colour?" Ino asks me.
Hmmm... I want to say orange due to the box... yeah orange.
"Orange- but nothing vibrant, something like my blindfold" I reply and I hear her write something down.
"What are you writing?" I ask.
"I am writing notes so we can help you get the uniform you want- do you prefer long sleeved stuff like your pants and sweater?" She asks.
"Yep- in fact that's something I need, I don't like my skin showing so it doesn't matter if its a jacket or skin tight suit, as long as it covers me neck and below" I reply.
"Got it! Okay... second favourite colour to mix with your orange?" She asks me again.
Hmmm... what goes well with orange... blue, purple, bck and maybe a few darker colours...
I am pretty white all over so maybe bck?
Something metallic maybe? Don't have the money for jewellery...
Maybe I should go a green to blend with my other colours... something that matches the forests around here.. deep orange and green...? I cant picture that looking good on myself...
Hmmm... lets go with bck- makes the orange pop out more and I can cover my orange if I am need of hiding.
"If its matching with orange? Most likely bck" I reply.
I hear her scratch it down.
She smiles and asks me various questions throughout the rest of the evening before I have to go home and make sure my brother didn't paint seven houses in his spare time.
---
Pov: Ino
I am successfully getting closer to Kenzo! The other night on my birthday I found out a lot of his likes and dislikes and also invited him to go shopping for clothes today!
Before it felt like acquaintances or just friendly customer and shop keep but now I am sure we are friends- I just need to help him with his uniform and hopefully everything goes well.
"I do like the feeling of this coat" Kenzo mentions and he starts to walk around with it on.
Orange and bck Checkerd pattern with bck fur on the ends... seems kind of Bardic? It does look good on him though.
"If you put that on top of the rest of the outfit it feels more colourful" I add.
He has pin bck pants and long sleeved shirt with some nice buckled boots and some orange gloves.
Now he just needs to buy this coat in bulk in order to wear it all the time, I also picked out a nice purple outfit that fits me very well.
I smile at my mum who waves to us from the other side of the store.
This week has gone exceptionally well for me- maybe I could ask Kenzo on another date? Hehehe- I probably shouldn't bother him though... he has extra csses in the afternoon to attend and I don't want to bother him.
Could I join him? Wait, I already asked dad and he said he is training to fight blind... I wonder if I wear a blindfold could I join him too?
I shake off my thoughts and look over to Kenzo who emerges from the changing room with his entire outfit on.
Bck pants and a long sleeved bck shirt, bck boots accented with orange, an Orange and Bck coat, checkerd pattern and very comfortable- puffy and has some bck fur on the edges, hair put into a low ponytail and an orange blindfold.
Excellent looking, and so cool~
Alright lets go and get these in bulk!
-one hour ter-
"Thanks for helping me Ino" Kenzo tells me just outside of the flower shop.
"No problem! Thanks for coming with me" I say back with happiness.
He then walks away and I head back inside.
"Hey mum! When are the clothes going to come?" I ask.
"They should be ready... about one week from now" She replies.
Cool... cool, cool.
"Ino... may I ask why you are so shy around Kenzo? Any other person and you would be straight to the point and confess your feelings?" Mum asks me and I look to the floor and think.
...
"I don't know... I just feel so- bleh around him" I admit.
She nods her head and I walk up to my room, I look at myself in my mirror and I think.
I think... its because I am sure he doesn't like me the same way... the way he walks around me feels like an adult babysitting a child... am I not mature enough?
I strike a pose and sigh- that's not what he feels like, its like he sees something I don't.
...
Lets just be friends for now....
---
Pov: Kenzo
"So, oldy?" I strike a pose and watch as Danzo takes a deep breath.
"Stop that. Focus your stare at the root agent" He commands and I roll my eyes.
My blindfold is off and I turn my gaze on the masked ninja who seems very... not there- like he is a robot more than anything.
Sorry Root man, you volunteered for this. Maybe.
I harden my stare into a Death stare...
Root man immediately backs up in a flicker and throws seven Kunai at me- *Clink* Danzo throws some to counter them and all kunai fall to the floor.
"Strange- your stare seems to be excellent for seeing through genjutsu and I am certain that even the sharingan cannot affect it... but it seems that staring at someone forces them to get adrenaline and enter into a fight or flight instinct- useful against cowards only" Danzo tells me and I nod along.
"Okay- try a different stare this time" Danzo orders and the root ninja stands against me again... this time visibly trembling a little.
I see, he remembers and his body is trying to move away from 'Danger', I harden my stare at him- this one channels something different from the intent to kill.
Strictly speaking every stare I do contains the Unyielding trait- so an unyielding death stare or this time an unyielding amused stare.
The Root agent looks over to the old guy.
"Lord Danzo-sama... it feels like I am close to... death, and this stare feels like mockery" He reports and Danzo nods.
Oh? So all my stares are tainted and corrupted a little by my unyielding nature... so even an amused stare feels like I am pying or toying with my enemy instead of just being happy or ughing at them?
I do a warm eye smile, something comforting.
"Its... kind of different- like a resolute wall that can protect me, a bnket that warms me... a stare that gives me absolute confidence that Kenzo is strong" He reports and I start another stare.
Lets go with... a disappointed stare, something saddening.
"That's- I feel like I failed him... or I did something irredeemable... it feels as though he is imbuing those feelings into me... I feel like giving up..." He reports.
"Expin the visage- do you see him differently?" Danzo orders.
...
"He feels ten feet taller... the eyes feel like they are of giants- the best way to describe it is he stares at me and two giant eyes simir to his own appear behind him... and it feels like the surroundings go bnk or bck..." He reports.
Oh? That's new.
"Dodge to the right" I command and the root agent follows.
I send a death stare to the right and the root agent flickers to the left mid-flight.
"Interesting- you can send your enemies instinctively in a direction you choose... multiple uses for combat- I think it is time you tried your best" Danzo tells me and I nod.
An unyielding stare.
Nothing more, nothing less.
The full brunt of my stare that I used against nothing to see the fabric of reality.
I stare.
---
Pov: Root Ninja.
He stares.
I feel... I have not felt anything in so long, like a machine more than man... a time before I killed my best friend...
I feel scared- this child stares right through me... only those of an iron will would be capable of moving right now- I am weak to this... most root agents will be unable to handle this... it makes us feel like our old selves, perhaps only the confident and mentally stable were built to handle this stare.
He stares.
I want my friend back.
I want to go home.
I don't want stare back.
Can I quit root?
How do I quit root?
I know a way.
Im coming home...
*clink!*
Lord Danzo-sama puts a kunai in-between my bde and my throat- my tanto is stopped and I wish to use it.
I stare in anger at who stopped me-
"Why? Let me go? I want to be me again? I am not some emotionless ninja... I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home" I blink.
Where am I?
My arms are strapped to a table and I seem to be restrained.
Ah.
I understand now.
I should not stare back into the eyes of that- that thing.
That wasn't a child- that was the thing that clung to my dreams.
A Nightmare.
I shudder and let out a breath, I failed my friend... my family, and I couldn't even be Lord Danzo-sama's ninja without failing.
I am hopeless.
---
Pov: Danzo
"Good enough?" Kenzo asks as I return to the training ground.
I just came back from handling the Root agent that suddenly went crazy from staring into the eyes of this brat.
I change my mind about this child, he wishes to go harder than most agents I train and has such unique applications of his kekkai Genkai.
Shame about being able to use basic chakra techniques like body flicker and the ck of chakra... but those don't matter, he can be a generic Genin when he graduates but for now I can teach him taijutsu and see how far he can push himself.
"How far away am I from being as good as a standard genin team?" He asks.
His goal... almost forgot about that- he needs a few seconds to let that stare of his sink in... he needs better time management as a real battle is quick while he is slow, maybe he could win if he used a good genjutsu at the right time... hm. Lets get him some training with his timing- and focus on some dodging drills.
...
"Kenzo, dodge" I command and throw a few Kunai.
His eyes light up and a smirk graces his face- he immediately jumps to the side as my Kunai sink into a tree behind him.
I click my fingers and two Root agents start throwing kunai slowly to build up instinct against these throws.
I stand and watch from the side-lines.
*thunk* *woosh* *step*
He is still a child so it is very understandable for him to be terrible at this... but why is it that he is better at dodging these when he is walking rather than actively in his taijutsu stances?
I order the Kunai to be thrown faster and faster.
*Stab*
He gets stabbed in the thigh but continues without compint.
What a mysterious young child.
Thanks for reading :)
