by Pie Mon May 04, 2020 4:31 pm
Everywhere he looked, the swarming creatures jostled one another in the limited space. Whether for food, territory or simply to keep others at bay. The noise was deafening and the myriad of smells nearly as overpowering. This was his bane.
People.
Yagami had been called back to the Academy along with several other Shinobi of the village. He didn't fully understand what the point was, since reassurance wouldn't change the factual danger of their profession. Blood and death were an occupational hazard in the ninja world. Something to do with putting their minds at ease, and so there he stood. He waited near one of the outgrowths of hardy plant-life, well away from the crowd gathering by the gates.
Glancing about, he recognized a few faces in the mass of people. Former classmates, an instructor or two, a groundskeeper with a perpetual scowl on his features even years since his own academy days. The overall atmosphere was cheerful, full of noise and activity. It made Yagami count the seconds until it was over and done with. It wasn't so much that he couldn't see the appeal, simply that humans had a nasty habit of setting him on edge.
When dealing with an animal, the cues were far more pronounced. Body language, posture, a snarl or show of teeth. Whether Wolf or Cow, one would know where they stood after a moment. Humans were far more deceitful by their very nature. They smile right to your face, shake your hand even, all the while their other hand is holding a knife.
Ok, perhaps not so literal.
Yagami still couldn't bring himself to trust most humans he met. There were few even among his own Clan that he would be willing to spend an extended time with. He just wanted this day to be over, then he could grab some food and head out on a long hike. Some of the stress leaked away at the thought. A solitary jaunt into the cliffs, that's just what he needed.
Wind whipping about as though trying to yank him off the mountain. Being able to look down on the Village and see its entirety all at once. Maybe he'd root out a new cave to explore, possibly even come across some colonies of bats. He had a soft spot for the winged chirpers in particular. They were gentle animals, tolerant of his presence for the most part.
He was pulled from his thoughts by a commotion near the far wall. It was a spot off the path, and so it was out of range of passive observation. Yagami followed the wall until the cause of the noise came into sight. It seemed that several children of Academy age were standing over a smaller child, who was on the ground. "No, it's mine!" The boy yelled, glaring up at the other children. The largest of the group laughed and made another grab for the boy's hand.
Yagami couldn't get a clear look at what was happening through the ring of miniature people, but the sounds of a struggle were all-too familiar. He clenched a fist at his side and turned towards the group of youths, intent on putting a stop to this nonsense here and now.
WIP
