Yara stretches his arms over his head as he walks out to the storefront, taking in the morning air and street silence before the crowds began to flow. He could feel the warmth of summer approach as the sun was fully over the horizon, his double-layed yukata already making him want to dress down out of it.
Taking out the sign from behind the sliding door, Yara felt a chill run down his spine before looking over and finding a man staring at him from beside a booth across the street from him. The booth was closed, making it even more suspicious. He watches the man stare at him for a long moment as he set down the sign before the man walks away with a sharp turn of his head.
Yara continues to watch the man strode down the street before disappearing behind some buildings. But even after the man was gone, that sense of danger still lingered. And he's pretty sure he was able to see the exact emblem on that man's coat.
~PYRODYNASTY~
Yakeru was bored. Beyond bored.
How long has he been on suspension already? A week? 2 weeks? A month?!
"Day… fucking… four…" he groans as he stares up at the bright blue sky.
What was he doing? Literally nothing. Lying in the grass, staring up at the sky, counting the birds as they fly by. If this was Goemon's goal; it was fucking working. He was going crazy.
"Agh!" Sitting up sharply, Yakeru felt frustrated from just lying on the ground. He was so used to doing something that he felt his body twitch when it wasn't doing anything. He finished reading the five books he checked out from the library, rewrapped his cast even though he didn't need to, worked on anything academically related until his brain hurt, and cleaned all of his gear and weapons; which took longer than expected because of his wrist.
Yakeru scans the area around him before standing and positioning himself to begin practicing some drills with the addition of his ability to let out some steam. Concentrating on igniting his fire, Yakeru watches his bare arms begin to spark bright orange before a steady flame arose evenly along his hand and forearms.
As he was about to begin, a sudden voice pulls him out of his focus and extinguished the flames from his skin, "I was pretty sure I suspended you from using your ability."
Snapping his head back towards the voice, Yakeru finds Goemon leaning against a tree with a blank expression. Standing with his arms crossed over his chest, Goemon looked like he was standing there for a few minutes before speaking out to the trainee.
Yakeru responds with a frown. Not at the fact that he was caught trying to use his ability, but the fact that he wasn't able to hear or sense Goemon walk up to him until he made himself known. Usually, his ninja instincts could pick up some slight movements but probably not when it comes to elite ninjas.
Goemon notices the sour expression, it was almost immediate and not very discrete.
"For some reason, every time you look in my direction, you don't seem very pleased. You still pissed that you're stuck with me as a mentor?"
Yakeru looks away, the bitter expression disappearing and being replaced by a look of dejection. He ruffles his hair and lets out a sigh as he plops down onto the plush grass once again.
"I feel like I'm not cut out to be a ninja." Yakeru voices, his deepening voice almost being too quiet for Goemon to hear.
Goemon doesn't say anything. At first, he was cautious about getting closer to the kid, but after a minute of silence between the two, Goemon walks up to the kid and sits down next to him; bringing his knees into his chest and looking up at the opening of the trees and up at the sky.
"What makes you say that?" Goemon asks, keeping his eyes up at the sky, feeling Yakeru's gaze follow for a moment before looking down at the grass and plucking out the longer blades.
"Just now, you walking up to me, I didn't sense that. You can walk so casually without making a sound, even in grass, I can't hear you take a step. If I can't walk without making a sound or even sense someone walking towards me," Yakeru looks up at Goemon for a second, a look of defeat coming over his face, "I don't think being a ninja is right for me."
Goemon watches him, taking in the kid's features as he slumped over himself. He was still trying to convince himself somewhat that this wasn't his biological kid, even with all the evidence that went against that claim. The matching crimson hair that wasn't damaged by the bleaching process, the golden eyes that sparkled with ambition, the sharp tongue, and the stubbornness of being inexperienced with life. As much as Yakeru made it seem, Goemon did not hate him. There was just something that isn't being told between the lines. But Goemon knew that it was going to take time before that was going to be said.
"Do you really believe that all it takes to be a ninja?"
Goemon asks, Yakeru does not respond.
"Being a ninja isn't about the skills you can show off to everyone. We don't want to stand out, we try to work in the shadows to the best of our abilities and with our resources. If your resources are stealth, then that is what works for you. But if it is not, then don't worry." Yakeru looks over at Goemon as he spoke, taking in the information with that small glow in his eyes. "We aren't born to be good at anything. It is easy for us to use these skills, but years of training are behind these skills.
"I was an awful trainee. I wanted to be better than everyone in a short time. I didn't have the years that Kotaro or Hanzo had in training, but I did have a bitch of a clan leader." Goemon laughs, looking up at the sky again and remembering his old master that helped him become the ninja that he is. "He did his best humbling me, showing me right from wrong, and that I did not need to be from a blue-blooded ninja clan to be the best. I had the drive, the passion to change my life, and the ambition to work to be on the top of the chain. And my ability is what helped me along the way."
Goemon looks back at Yakeru, noticing that his eyes glossed over as though he was suddenly brought back to the past and he remembered something from when he was young. He sat in silence for a minute before pulling him back into reality.
"Stealth and intuition doesn't come naturally, it will take time. Trust the process… and please trust me."
It stood still between Goemon and Yakeru for a long minute before Yakeru opens his mouth,
"Isn't instinct natural?"
"Okay, what did I just ask of you?" Laughter breaks out between the two, the atmosphere lightening around them. "I give you a heartfelt speech and you go and question me about something technical."
"This is karma for being a jackass to your mentor," Yakeru says through his laughter, nudging Goemon playfully as they continue to laugh together.
As their laughter simmers down, the two redheads gaze up at the sky in silence. A matching smile on both their lips.
"I don't blame you if you believe that you don't have the sixth sense like us," Goemon speaks out first, keeping his eyes up at the sky as he feels Yakeru look towards him. "The Fumma clan aren't one to work on that kind of skill since most of them are born into the trade. Many of the families are either pirates or sharpshooters. They are just mixed in with ninjas because they have found it to be convenient and beneficial to the clan."
Yakeru nods his head, kinda already knowing these facts but keeping that to himself.
"So I say, let's give it a test."
"Wait, what?" Yakeru asks in surprise.
"Let's test it. Your sixth sense." Goemon stood from the ground, pulling out a kunai knife from his thigh knife case and handing it to the dumbfounded kid. "I want you to stand, close your eyes, and try to find a target to hit."
Yakeru stared at the knife for a moment before looking up at Goemon.
"I thought you said I couldn't work with any weapons."
"I also told you that you were suspended from using your ability, yet here we are." Goemon counters, extending out his hand to the kid.
Rolling his eyes, Yakeru takes the outstretched hand and stands to his feet. Getting comfortable with the kunai knife for a moment, he closes his eyes and tells Goemon that he isn't cheating, keeping them tightly shut and focusing on his surroundings.
It was a bit difficult to focus at first. But after a minute, Yakeru was able to pick up even the slightest of sounds and movements. There was a sparrow in the distance singing, hoof beats of nearby horses in the pasture, and some rustling of the grass against each other. Then there were some light taps. Light enough to sound almost invisible, but Yakeru was definitely able to pick it up.
Positioning himself, Yakeru focuses on the direction the steps were coming from before turning on his heel and throwing the knife before a voice speaks up at him.
"Aim is definitely off and there was really no speed to that throw." Yakeru opens his eyes and finds Yara standing a distance from the redheads, hand extended to the side with the kunai knife's handle in his hand as though he caught it in thin air.
"Yara," Goemon bows to his friend as he approaches.
"Ishikawa." Yara holds out the knife to Yakeru before giving him a little nod. "I thought you were suspended."
"It's not a training session, just testing to see how well his instinct is," Goemon explains to him.
"It's not as bad as Goemon's, is it?" Yara teases, but when Yakeru takes a peek back at Goemon, he notices a deep frown on his face with the addition of a sharp glare.
"Is there a reason why you came out here, Yara?" Goemon asks sharply.
"Yeah, came here to warn you guys to watch your backs the next few weeks." Yara's expression turns serious, his eyes scanning the area around him out of impulse. "Hojo is back and definitely has some information on the situation that happened a few days back. He already sent a guy out to watch me."
"Wait, then what about Danto?" Goemon's expression quickly shifts. Concern clouding his features.
"He's fine. I asked a friend to watch him."
Goemon raises an eyebrow. "Do I happen to know this friend?"
"You wish you didn't know him." Yara grins at the redhead, resulting in Goemon pressing the palm of his hand into his forehead.
"Hojo isn't ever gonna know it's me though, right?" Yakeru asks, bringing them back to the very concerning topic at hand.
"Whether he does or not, he isn't gonna wanna talk at the end of it. You may have blown up the residents, but you definitely didn't get rid of the witnesses. It's only a matter of time before you get found out. Whether be you or Goemon; he wants blood."
A shiver runs down Yakeru's spine, goosebumps covering his arms and standing up the hairs on the back of his neck. This was definitely a situation he needs to keep Fuyuko out of.
