Restriction [p]

Age : 32 Posts : 1912

"Restriction"

Day 2

A few hours had passed since he had spoken to Kimiko about what had happened to Toshiro. While she seemed to understand why things had happened the way they did and managed to put the blame on the both of them as opposed to his prior beliefs, she was still sad about how he had been the one to strike him down as hard as he did. To Yoroi, there had not been a great many options for him to take that meant he would not be taking any damage, obviously not being a fan of being cut into two halves from the waist. Had he allowed for such things to happen, not only would he have been severely hurt but Kimiko's marriage plans would most certainly be in shambles. What everyone needed right now was some time to work out their problems, that much he knew well. Unlike last time, he would not be leaving the country but would be doing something else entirely. This time, he intended to head down to the Fire Temple to meet up with a close friend of his, Modoroki of the Elder Council. It was thanks to this man and his guidance that Yoroi had managed to sort out the mess that was his chakra meridian system, unleashing his locked potential and releasing the blocked points that in turn allowed him to use all three of his elemental natures, water, lightning and fire.

Having wandered through the woodlands for several hours since he departed from the hidden leaf, it was not that Yoroi had gotten lost, it was just that he did not feel like following the main roads much. It was in his being to want to wander through the woods and see what nature had to offer. Whether it would be some juicy berries or nuts he could eat along the way or if he managed to find a pretty patch of nature he had not seen before. The good part about nature was that it was ever changing and growing, creating life from death and death from life in a never ending cycle. Wearing his usual black attire, there was little to nothing that he had taken with him at all. The only things he had brought with him were his clothes, a black cloak and the white Kitsune mask. The mask and cloak were a combination of tools that made up a very different character, the entity known as Kitsune, Snow, Salt and more. It was an alias he used in order to interact with the more shady individuals without letting people know that they are in fact dealing with one of Konohagakure's Sennin. It would have been bad if word got out that he was openly associating himself with the more dangerous and lawless people of the shinobi world. The names were ones given to him by the people he met while under the guise, using no real name when in that form.

When he walked out of the treeline, he could see the majestic iron gates that guarded the monks from the outside world, a large Tengu statue standing on both sides of the gate, these being the ones that held the gate locked with a powerful seal Modoroki had once told him about. Continuing his march towards the gate, he stopped at about a distance of five meters while awaiting somebody to see him from the top of the wall. As per usual, it did not take the perceptive men very long to open up the gate, probably already knowing who it was that was approaching their gates before Yoroi had even seen them. It was to be expected of the gate guardians, for if they did a poor job, the likelihood of people ending up dead would be quite big. Most Monks were incredibly potent fighters, but if they were not aware of what was coming, many could be taken down during their meditation periods that took place several times a day. Yoroi had been part of some of these periods of time during the weeks he spent in the temple before when he was trying to find his hidden power, meaning he knew all about the times at which they were performing meditation. With the sound of a loud drum, those inside the confines of the gate were informed that a guest had arrived, moments before the gate itself started creaking as it slowly opened. Through the opening gate it was not too hard to spot the old man wandering towards him from the temple.

"Ah, Yoroi-san, how good it is to see you again. What brings you to our temple on such a beautiful day. Could it be that you are here to discuss the matters of the festival?", The old man said with a smile on his face. Apparently he had been expecting someone to talk to him about some festival, though this was not why Yoroi was here.

"Not quite, Modoroki-dono, I have come here to seek your guidance again. You see, during a spar I had with one of Konohagakure's shinobi, I was forced to retaliate and hurt them more than I should have out of spite. That is why I want you to teach me how to restrain myself." Yoroi said in response, not even being sure as to what festival the old man was referring.

After this brief moment of interaction, Modoroki closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in sighing deeply, almost like he had been expecting this would happen. Remaining quiet for a good bit of time, Yoroi scratched himself behind his ear while wondering what was going to happen next. When Modoroki's eyes opened, he made no attempts at looking at the young Kaguya, instantly turning around and wandering back towards the temple. Gesturing for Yoroi to follow him, the two started climbing the stairs heading up to the temple itself. Figuring that he was receiving the same silent treatment Kimiko gave him when he had been doing things she did not appreciate, a frown sat upon his face as he walked behind the old Monk. Hearing the iron gate closing behind them, there was no doubt about the fact that he was apparently going to have to stay here for a while. Whether this time would be spent while receiving some sort of punishment or receiving training was something he did not know himself, though he knew that he was no longer a child that could be put into a corner, not like this had ever happened to him in the first place. As one of the Council members of the temple, Yoroi knew better than to underestimate him just because he was on old man. There was a large chance that the man would still be strong enough to put a dent or two in Yoroi's ego.

Age : 32 Posts : 1912

When the two walked into the great temple, the first thing that he saw was a massive statue in the back of the room, another large Tengu just like the two standing at the gate. Being the curious kind of person that he was, he could not help but find these Tengu very interesting and wondered why they were here in the temple, wondering what purpose they were supposed to fulfill. Not being the least bit religious, Yoroi had been taught to be open to that which could not be explained through logic and reason. While he had never seen a Tengu outside of the statues made in their image, he hoped he would one day get to see one so he could fight it and figure out first hand why they seemed to be so very important. That said, many monks were sitting on a small rug in front of the great Tengu, meditating in his presence like this was somehow better than doing it outside like most of the other monks. Finding religion to be a tricky subject, it seemed that those who truly believed in something had a lot less trouble with the unexplained portions of their lives. In more ways than one, religion sure helped some people out, though it was the animosity between those that had no faith and those that had a different faith that made religion a dangerous factor that was best left contained inside of a monastery or a temple, at least that was what Yoroi believed. As he looked up to the statue, Modoroki seemed to know exactly what he had been thinking about.

"In case you were wondering, this is a statue of Soujoubou, a great Tengu. The two outside are known as Karasu and Konoha Tengu. They are important figures in our religion, the Shugendo. We seek enlightenment and oneness with the Kami. The Tengu are fierce protectors from the forests and mountains, and we had these statues made to gain their blessings and protection. The clothes we wear are the same as that of the Tengu, and it is for that reason that most would call us Yamabushi, translating to "one who lies in the mountain". Truth be told, this is rather accurate, seeing as our temple technically lies in the mountains."

Listening to the things the old man was saying about the Tengu and the Shugendo religion, he thought that all of it was a bit strange, though it interested him none the less. To think that the monks of the Fire temple believed that they were being protected by powerful and fierce Tengu seemed like the kind of thing most people would laugh about, but not Yoroi. Yoroi had experienced the power of nature first hand during his first ten years in which he had been living at the mercy of nature itself. Whether there were unseen forces at work when Yoroi had grown up or not was something he did not know, though he has always believed that there was more to nature than met the eye. Many people believed in a god or several gods, though Yoroi believed that the only real forces out there were fate, time and nature, these being far more tangible than something as vague as a god. While he was not one for believing in spirits of nature and gods, there were always things that went against logic and reasoning, one of these being the tailed beasts, primordial demons made up from chakra and the ability to seal them inside of a human host that can from that point on channel their great power to some degree. Aside from that there was also the chakra meridian system that allowed shinobi to do what the regular villager could not, another mysterious system some could use while others only had a vague system that had hardly been developed. The way the elder spoke about their religion made it seem like it was not something absolute to him, being able to make a few jokes about it while going through his explanation.

"You are more like a Tengu than you can imagine, Yoroi-san. Though you may not know this yourself, the Tengu take many different shapes, ranging from human form to a bipedal bird of prey and many others. Like you, the Tengu aim to protect that which they hold dear while they live out in the forests and mountains of the world, and like you, many of them have a temper and can be very vicious combatants as stated in the scrolls of Soujoubou, the mythical king of Tengu. Do you see how much you have in common with these beings?"

Taking a momentary break from his explanation to let Yoroi absorb everything he had brought up. It was rather strange to hear that he had so many things in common with the protectors of the Yamabushi of the fire temple. It was true that Yoroi aimed to protect those he held dear to him and that he still lived in a house that was surrounded by forest on one side and mountain on the other. It was also no secret that while he was mostly calm, he could be very temperamental when poked one times too many. In battle, he was a vicious combatant, that much could be proven by the last person that underestimated his ability to perceive things he had seen in use before and retaliate before he would be struck down as Toshiro had intended. Yoroi was merciful when he had to be, a piece of his personality he had shown when he refrained from killing Toshiro when he had the chance, one of the people that had made his life a lot more hard than it had to be. Still, Yoroi wanted to learn how he could stay in control of his emotions once angered or upset, finding that once he reached his point, returning to his level headed state of mind was almost impossible to do. Not only was this dangerous to those close to him, it could be a hazard when fighting someone who was skilled enough to make use of it and put his own aggression against him. This had happened to him once in his career as a shinobi of the leaf, this being the only time he had gotten remotely close to actually dying during a mission. His anger had been the reason both he and Shakreido had almost been killed, and that could never happen again.

"You came here seeking my help in teaching you how to restrain your anger, and I do believe that I can do this through the teachings of Shugendo and Soujoubou. I will not ask of you to become a monk or join our religion, though I have to ask that you remain open minded to things or nothing I say or do will get through to you. Before I will ask you to give me an answer as to whether or not you'd want this, there are a couple of other things I want to show you that are not just some dusty old relics and statues but something more tangible, something I am sure you will appreciate more than this."

While his mind was still processing all of the information he had been given before, it seemed that Modoroki was not going to let Yoroi process it all at once, already being pushy about getting the young shinobi out into the courtyard. Whatever it was that he had to show him was going on outside, probably another meditational cycle to honor this or that deity. Even without all of the stories and statues, Yoroi had already decided that he was going to do this, so he highly doubted that the thing he was to be shown could change his mind about it in any way. Still, he felt like he could at least do what the old man wanted and follow him outside.

Age : 32 Posts : 1912

Heading outside while constantly being shoved with the cane of the old monk, it seemed that whatever there was for Yoroi to see was important. The closer they got to the door leading into the courtyard, the louder the sound of striking and moaning became. One did not have to be a genius in order to figure out what was going on, having done this kind of thing a great deal of times. Emerging from the door, he could see several couples standing in front of one another, exchanging blows at a high pace, although following a combat style he had never seen before. No doubt being something that had originated in the temple and had therefore been practiced only here, it was only normal for him to have never heard of it. It was not uncommon for Yamabushi to keep their methods of combat hidden from the world, along with everything else that went on inside of the walls. Though the young man had been to the temple several times, this was the first time he had actually shown interest in those around him, as well as the beliefs and the people of the temple. To think that all of it could be so very interesting and educational was enlightening in and of itself. Modoroki had given him a lot to think about, that much was without question, though that was not really important right now. In front of him, several men were sparring while using a style of combat that was completely foreign to him, this being unacceptable for the young Kaguya.

One of his goals in life was to become the best at what he did, Taijutsu being one of those things. Having accepted that he would never become the best at everything, he had to pick his battles, finding that in the physical arts, his kekkei genkai had already given him an edge and therefore giving him something to pursue. Believing that things were meant to be in balance in the world of shinobi, he sought to increase his physical prowess, as well as his mental and internal abilities. When he thought of internal matters, it simply meant that he wanted to increase the power of his chakra and the mastery over his kekkei genkai. Taking a closer look at the fighting routine going on at the bottom of the stairs, Yoroi inspected every move his eyes could catch. Striking each other at a rapid pace, it went without saying that these men were disciplined fighters that managed to let their emotions behind them, leaving them unhindered when they went at it in combat. When they went at each other, it seemed that neither one of them feared getting hit by the other, which in turn just seemed strange to the young shinobi. He had always taught himself that getting hit in battle was something to avoid entirely, one of the reasons why he had worked so hard on becoming a quick and perceptive combatant.

To think that the things he had learned were wrong was too hard for him to accept, so as perceptive as he was, he started watching closely, hoping that his eyes would be able to figure out the key to this style in hopes of finding that which would prove that he had not spent so much time learning something that was flawed. Using his trained eyes to look for whatever flaws there might be in their movement, he saw something on the faces of the combatants, something that did not change when they attacked or when they got attacked. They were beyond mere stoicism, this much was something Yoroi himself knew quite well, after all, he was rather stoic most of the time. The difference between him and these men was that in Yoroi's case, he did not block himself from feeling any emotions, he just blocked himself from showing them to others. As opposed to Yoroi, these monks did not only seem stoic on the outside, they were completely calm, cool and collected at all times, not letting their emotions affect them by keeping them locked away. From the look of things, the old man had not just taken him to the courtyard to show him some flashy moves performed by trained students, there had been a point to it that Yoroi had only figured out just now. Sensing Yoroi's struggle with the realization of this whole thing, the old monk still had something left to tell him.

"This is a style practiced by the Yamabushi, following the teachings of Shugendo. These men have learned to keep their emotions locked away when they fight, aiding them in their fight against the shinobi. While we do not possess a wide array of ninjutsu, our physical techniques are still a force to be reckoned with, as is the power of our temple, though I don't need to tell you about that. Once you learn to restrain your emotions, this will be one of many things you will be able to get access to, if you are willing."

As it turned out, it was because they did not fear to get hit that made it easier to actually dodge the attacks sent at them. In theory, it was true that fear often clouded ones mind and made one do stupid things they would not normally try, this being the definition of a "Cornered animal". While someone was most dangerous in that state of mind, they were also reckless and taking risks that could come at the cost of their own life. With the training he had received prior to his arrival at the temple, as well as his strength in mind and body, Yoroi just knew that he could also learn this style of physical arts and assimilate it into his own form of close ranged combat. While this would certainly take a lot of time, the Konoha ninja found himself to be in good company at the fire temple. After all, he would be able to learn how to restrain himself while also being able to learn a new form of combat, thus feeding both his body and his mind with something exciting and new. Most of his young life had been dedicated to people other than himself from the moment he became a Konohagakure shinobi. Having spent time on his team, Yuushi, Nomi, Genji, Mana, Viera, Kimiko and many others, he often forgot to spend time on himself, to push himself and explore the things he wanted to do with his life. As sad as it was, he had never even thought about the kind of thing he wanted to do with his life outside of being a shinobi of the hidden leaf. At least now, the choice he had to make was clear to him.

"Even before you showed me all of this, my mind had already been set on receiving your teachings. Aside from that, there are many things I wish to learn in this temple, things I can only teach myself if I stay here for a while. That said, you already know what my answer is."

Speaking with a stoic and distant tone of voice, Yoroi knew that he would have to stay out of the village and be with the Monks of the temple for a while. It was something he had to do, for not many took the chance to truly get to know themselves and seek the limits of their own might, only to break through and push even further. For himself and his new found family and friends, he had to find out what the temple could offer him, and if it worked out as well as he thought it would, he would come back to Konoha as a different kind of person, stronger in both body and in mind. From the look on Modoroki's face, Yoroi could tell that the old man was most pleased to hear this answer from him. Even though he had coerced Yoroi into doing this by showing him all of these things, he knew of Yoroi's temper and stubbornness, so nothing was certain until he actually agreed to something. Leaving Yoroi in the courtyard to observe the fighting routine, it was more than clear to the both of them that once Yoroi was finished with his observations, his training would commence.

Age : 32 Posts : 1912

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