Time never slowed down in the Shinobi World; not even in its most peaceful and untroubled place. It was the end of June, and the Silent Island was bathing in green and sunlight, only the awash rocky coast and the cliffs of the Turul Mountain remained brown or grey. Speaking of the mountain, a lone figure was climbing upward on it with such skill and agility even an ibex would get jealous watching him. The climbing figure was a man: young, strong and determined. When he reached the very top, he pulled himself up and sat down on the small, flat surface, which was about the size of a bed. He glanced at his watch, and smiled when he saw the time on it. 10:32.

- Yes, I beat my record! – he panted. This figure was wearing loose, knee-long brown trousers, a white t-shirt with a beaked hood, a beige sack on his back, and strange black shoes with their front opened. He never knew why ninjas wore shoes which didn't even cover their toes, and why it was the only design he could buy from overseas. It didn't matter now; and in this heat it was better for his feet than the usual boots the Magor people wore. A light breeze caressed the skin of his toes and his legs, and he pushed back his hood so the wind could blow his sweaty blonde hair too. He closed his eyes, the already strong sunlight wouldn't pierce into his pupils. – What a perfect Sunday forenoon... – he sighed as he enjoyed the fresh air. He remained completely still for a minute then he took the sack from his back and placed it on his lap. – I'll entertain myself until he catches up. – he spoke and took the telescope from his bag. – Bringing this was a good idea! Let's see where Emiko and my clones are... – he started to search the coast for them with the help of his spyglass.

It had been more than two months since he had encountered the pirates and talked with the old lady about his chakra. She kind of treated him as an apprentice at the moment, and had been teaching him different types of techniques she knew. For the past eight weeks, the blonde created a clone every morning and sent it to her to learn, except Sundays when he didn't work and could send two more. By the time he used to go the bed, the clone or clones dissipated and the original him got the knowledge they had learnt, along with their tiredness. And he had learnt many things. First of all, some basic and crucial techniques, which were so quick and easy to learn, the blonde felt like he was repeating what he knew. Then some Wind-type jutsus*, for he seemed to have an affinity to it. Besides these, he had to learn Water-type and Sealing jutsus, because these were Emiko's affinity and speciality. At first, the old lady was careful with performing her techniques because of her lower reserves; but that five unit of chakra had been quite persistent and lasted more than a month, despite of the fact she had used it many times and in large amounts, too. And when she had run out of utilizable chakra they had wanted to use the pirates' scroll to transfer some from the blonde into her. It had been the right time for another discovery: that her apprentice was able to give her by himself. So, they had found a very useful skill of his and the lessons could go on.

Beside from this jutsu-oriented training, the blonde had tried what it felt like to fight with the help of his chakra, not only his muscles. The difference between these two ways (in speed, strength and effectiveness) was overwhelming. His opponents, which were usually his clones, and his environment too had taken greater damage, but he also had to consume chakra for his moves, and he was afraid he would run out of it someday. Fortunately and strangely, there was no sign of it, which was quite odd, regarding the rumours about the shinobis out there who were getting frustrated because of their loss of chakra. The villages had some certain methods to gain and get hold of this energy, but it wasn't public for the civilians.

- Ah, there they are! – he smiled when he spotted his clones on the sea's surface. Walking on water was quite awesome by itself, enough to make Karcsa turn green in jealousy, but fighting on it was another level. One of his clones launched a Water-type attack, which the other one blocked with another jutsu, while the first one was preparing a seal to interfere in the other's chakra control. – Where's the third? Must be with Emiko. – he whispered and moved his spyglass. Suddenly his eyes caught something on the pebbly shore. On that certain pebbly shore where he had fought with the pirates.

Beautiful Magor girls, bathing in the warm sea, wearing nothing. Their bodies were mature and feminine, they made the blonde sigh in joy. – Why haven't I thought of this before? – he smirked, enjoying the sight of Bíbora's round, juicy breasts. 'Perverted me', the blonde thought and bit his lip, 'I have to stop this or I'll fall down from here'. So he lowered the telescope and sighed. – No doubt Magor girls are considered the most beautiful... – he spoke and rolled his eyes. - Of course, among those who know about us at all. - he gritted his teeth and lifted the spyglass to his eye. – Just one more look!

'Damn, I really need to visit Emese, I haven't seen her in ages!... Well, only three weeks, but still! I'm hearing voices in my head, repeating "fuck"! Or... Not in my head?!' he lowered his telescope again, closed his eyes and focused on his ears. He heard the voices getting louder, until...

- Fuck you and your fucking fucked-up challenges! Do you hear me, you fucking cunt?! – Karcsa shouted, five metres below him, making the blonde laugh. He slowly pulled himself up and exhaustedly collapsed onto the flat rock. – Finally... horizontal...

- Aren't you tired? – his friend was laughing so hard his eyes started to fill up with tears. Karcsa moved as less as he could, so he just bent his fingers, except the middle ones.

- Fuck you. – he panted and went still, so the blonde went back to his research. After a few minutes, Karcsa sat up and asked him seriously. – Kese, why are you doing all of this?

Said blonde put down the spyglass. 'This won't be a short discussion.' – What exactly?

- Your chakra training. Your Baranta training, both Tug and Ráró*. These insane climbing, running on trees and cliffs challenges. What's that all for?

- I like to do these.

- Okay, I'll ask it differently. What's your plan with these? What reason or goal do you have?

- I don't understand you.

- You are a blacksmith, and blacksmiths just don't do this kind of things.

- That's a stereo-

- You could say that it's good for your health, or to reduce your urges after adventure, or that this island is dull itself, or you're just simply insane, or something like that. Everybody could say at least one of these after seeing what you are doing. But what I see is that you have a future purpose behind all of this, that these practises are not goals, but tools; like you're preparing for something. And I want to know what it is; so tell me already!

Kese raised an eyebrow. – I still don't understand.

- Sorry... Maybe you don't even know it for yourself.

- Excuse me?

- I mean, it must be subconscious then.

- I... want to protect our village if the pirates come back. – he confessed.

- First: we've agreed on that they definitely wouldn't come back. Second: you'll leave the island soon. So you won't be here at all if anything ever happens. But nothing will happen, you can count on that.

- It's not even sure I'll leave; we haven't got a reply from him!

- Doesn't matter. I need another answer from you.

Kese fell in silence. His gaze followed the line of the coast until he got to where his clones had been training. He had to make the best out of his remaining time on the island: he might have to move to Siplak in a week or two. A month ago his uncle, Csík, had brought word from the neighbouring village that their blacksmith, a man named Ushimaru, was looking for an apprentice, and Tas had found it a good opportunity for him to learn more while staying relatively close to their home. So, he and the blonde had sent an application-like letter to him, and had been waiting for an answer for three weeks now. 'He could at least tell us if he's not interested in me!', the blonde thought, and returned to Karcsa's question. 'Why do I do it? Hell if I knew.'

- I can't answer your question. – his voice was quiet and calm. - I don't know the answer myself. I don't know what I'm preparing for. But I feel like I need to do it. – he knew he hadn't satisfied his friend's curiosity with his response, so he changed the topic – You've been strange since I told you I might leave. Why?

- I feel... despair. And of course jealousy. – he chuckled bitterly. – Not because you'd leave. But because you'd get out of here before me... In my eyes, you are one of the few worthy people on this island.

- Eh?

- You... are my best friend, Kese. Without you, this place would get even more boring than it is already. There wouldn't be loud spars, stupid competition or crazy adventures like this. And I wouldn't know what to do with myself. – he sighed. – I would probably die in boredom.

'That was quite the confession', Kese thought, repeating his words in his head. – You know, Karcsa, just thinking about losing these carefree days spent here makes me shudder. So... why don't we just enjoy them? - he picked up the spyglass and handed it to Karcsa. – Look for the pebbly shore.

The Magor boy looked at him with suspicion, but did as he asked, and for about twenty seconds nothing happened. Then in all of a sudden, his eyes flew wide open, his mouth gaped and his face started to redden in a very fast rate. In addition, his breath stopped halfway in his throat, but he didn't let down the telescope. Kese chuckled at him. – You look like you've never seen a naked woman!

Karcsa blushed even more, if it was possible. – I... I haven't. - the blonde hummed, then quickly picked the spyglass out of his hands, closed it and put it back into his sack. His friend got reallydesperate. – Give it back!

- This is the right time you take a closer look at some! Race to them?

- Okay! – he replied almost immediately. – But you can't use your chakra!

- I didn't plan to. And I'll be generous and give you a minute advantage. Be careful on your way down.

- Alright, I will, let's do it! – he yelled keenly then become quiet. – But what if they-

- We are the Sneaky Bastards of the Silent Island. – Kese stated with a grin appearing on his face. – They will never notice us.

Kese was wandering on the island's south-eastern part. There was a vast pasture where the villagers' livestock lived and grazed: sheep with their long, spiral-shaped horns, giant and robust grey cattle, and some herding dogs. Magors kept a few livestock guarding dogs too, but they didn't really need them because there weren't any large predators on the island. The blonde stayed far from these animals, just to be sure. Two years ago a few Komondor and a larger bull the weight of eight hundred kilograms had chased him across the field just because they hadn't known him and he had walked too close to them. Kese had to jump into the sea to get away from them and to save his life. He still didn't know how he had been able to run faster than them.

Suddenly, he laughed out loud. Karcsa's face came to his mind when he had first glanced at the girls on the shore. He had leaned forward so eagerly that he had nearly fallen from the tall tree they had been hiding on. The blonde had caught him in the last moment and it had been only their luck the girls hadn't noticed anything.

Kese strolled to the end of the island. Twenty metres below him was the rumbling sea with gorgeous white yeasty waves crashing into the massive cliffs. He lifted his eyes and watched the horizon at the south-west. 'Siplak must be somewhere there', he thought and was quiet for a few second. 'What if I move there? Would mother and father be okay without me? And how would the little ones take it? And the others?... I feel so guilty because of this, like I'm betraying them. But in the same time, something pulls me out of this island. Not just something: everything, the whole world! I want to see it and experience as much as I can. And maybe, just maybe, I could have a chance to see where I'm from.' Something warm filled his heart as he smiled at the horizon. Then, he glanced up. - The sun is culminating. Time to go home.

He didn't even step into their house when Jolánta started hopping around him.

- Kese! Kese! You got a letter, you got a letter!

The blonde's heart stopped for a moment. – What? - he just watched as his sister hopped back to their mother and helped her set the table. – How? – he was dumbfounded. - It's Sunday, there is no... wait, how?

- My brother's just returned from the sea. He's looking for you with Tas, to give it right into your hands, as the blacksmith of Siplak asked.

- And where-

- Kese! – Csík's lively deep voice filled their little house, and in the same time the blonde's back got hit so hard, he felt he would see his lungs in a moment, served on the kitchen table.

- Csík, it hu-

- Uncle Csík! – he corrected and grinned at him. – How many times do I have to remind you, blondie? – he chuckled and ruffled his hair. In response, Kese put together "uncle" in Magor and "Csík", creating a funny word, which teased the fisherman successfully. After he calmed down, Csík took out a piece of paper from his bag. – Look what I got you!

Before his uncle could play with him again, Kese snatched the letter out of his hand. He read the address, and when he was certain it was from the blacksmith of Siplak and really sent to him, he opened it carefully. He had learnt from his father that there was no need to fluster in any case; but there were times when he seemed to forget that.

The writing was a mess, he could barely read it, but he understood what mattered. His family was waiting in deep silence, and got tensed even more when they saw his eyes widening.

- So? – Tas asked him.

Kese looked at them: his mother, his father, and his sisters. The letter he was holding in his hand was the first step in getting far away from his family, his home. But he knew he had to make this step for he needed and desired it. - Ushimaru... He... – the blonde breathed, still not believing what he had just read and what consequences it had. - He accepted my application.

Csík yelled loudly in happiness and congratulated him. Jolánta started hopping again. Rozi was glad too, she chuckled but cried at the same time. And Tas was proudly and sadly smiling at him. At his apprentice - at his son.

On that night, Kese was sitting at his table, writing in his booklet. He couldn't get back to sleep, and not because of the recent news, nor his sister, Jolánta, who decided to conquer his bed, but because of a dream that made him so excited.

He was under an enormous gate; he was following a tall man walking in front of him. The man had long, spiky white hair, tied in a ponytail, he wore green clothes with a red haori*, and he had a large scroll on his back. The man turned to him with a genuine smile, and the blonde saw red lines ran down from his eyes, and a forehead protector with the kanji of oil. He didn't know why, but he felt much respect and gratitude towards that man. Kese followed his glance, and suddenly turned back. He saw a lively village, but what attracted his eyes was the mountain overlooking it, with four giant, carved stone faces. He grinned at them, then turned back and ran after the white haired man.

This scene looked like a simple goodbye from a village; there was nothing extraordinary about it. But it was so special for the blonde. He felt this dream was more important to him than any other; and he knew he wasn't wrong about it.

Because it wasn't someone else's memory. It was his own.

*Ráró [ ɾaːɾoː ] Baranta is basically mounted combat and archery. I mentioned it at the end of Chapter 5 of Sequence 1.

Haori: Additional to the Japanese traditional garment, kimono; haori is a hip- or thigh-length kimono-like jacket, which adds formality to an outfit. (source: Wikipedia)

Thanks for reading! :) If you have any question, don't be afraid to ask. ;)