[center][h3][i][color=396047]Kotetsu[/color] & [color=7e9ddd]Karu[/color][/i][/h3][/center]

[right][sup]Collab w/ [@Fiber][/sup]
[sup]Mentions: [@Roach] (Mori at the end, but read the whole thing Holly I know you’re reading this[/sup][/right][hr][indent][indent]Kotetsu looked up from the paper for a moment to see Hikaru. He’d seen him in class before, but they didn’t talk a lot. Kotetsu had heard a lot about the kid’s family, but the only thing he could say about Hikaru himself was that the guy had a real enthusiasm for the ninja life. Kotetsu said [color=#396047]“You can use the notes I’m not using, if you want.”, [/color]pointing to a stack of papers he had dropped on the floor[color=#396047] “I figured you’d already know this stuff, I mean your whole family is knee deep in it. I’m sure you’ve gotten to learn a lot being around them.”[/color]

[color=#7e9ddd]“Yeah, you’d think that, but… I’m not actually as good as the rest of my family,” [/color]Karu admitted with a frown, bending down to pick up the paperwork. He was definitely a lightweight, for his family. Karu was the least talented of his clan, and it was [i]especially[/i] true when it came to things like [i]book work[/i], which Karu did [i]not[/i] excel at. While casually flipping through the papers he’d picked up, Karu added.  [color=#7e9ddd]“Honestly? I don’t know about you, but I was up all night studying, and I’m not even sure I’m gonna be able to pass the written exam! If I fail there though, Katsumi-sensei will never let me hear the end of it. Hey, you’ve got some good stuff here. You’re a good note taker. I am not. I just draw in the book…”[/color]

Kotetsu was surprised by the compliment. Obviously Karu had found a section that wasn’t labeled SEE TETSU’S NOTES. Squad 1 relied on each other a lot, but didn’t interact with the others much. [color=#396047]“I’m sure you’ll be fine at being a ninja one day, it’s what you guys do. I mean, it must’ve  taken the rest of your family time to get good, but look at where they are now. I’ve been working on the farm for a long time but I’m not even close to knowing as much as my parents do, but all I can do is just keep at it. Y’know, even though I took these, I  don’t study my notes much, my sensei is big on physical training, and that’s stuff that’ll help me in the fields, too.” [/color]For a second, he looked around the room, it looked like Satoru was getting mixed up in something over on the other side, but the distance meant Kotetsu couldn’t make out much.

[color=#7e9ddd]“Yeah, I hope so! I wanna be like my parents were! They’re pretty cool, and it’s gonna be a lot of work to get there… ‘course, my brother is pretty cool too, but only when he like… does stuff. He spends a lot of time sleeping. What about your family? They’re like, farmers, right?”[/color] Karu asked, before following Kotetsu’s gaze toward the commotion. From where he was standing, it looked like Iza was maybe starting a little bit of a bigger fight than he’d anticipated. [color=#7e9ddd]“Awww, crap! Iza’s overdoin’ it! Crap, they’re gonna be fightin’ soon. Hey, that’s your guy over there, right? Do ya think we should go get in on the scrap?”[/color]

Whatever was happening over there didn’t bother Kotetsu at the moment. [color=#396047]“If Satoru started it, it’s his to see it through. Sensei said to let people settle their own scores. If it gets real bad, I’ll back him up, now it’s not much of anything. For their sake, I hope it ends quick, if they leave something unresolved, there’s plenty of time to make them regret it during the rest of the exams.” [/color]Now Kotetsu shuffled through his papers a little, trying to find one on handseals. He sucked at handseals, and he never could use them anyway, but they were still on the test. [color=#396047]“Yeah, my family is farmers. That’s what we’ve always been, and if you look into the past, throughout all the generations, you won’t find a single notable thing they’ve done. I sorta like it that way, makes it simple.”[/color]

[color=#7e9ddd]“Oh, you don’t wanna fight?” [/color]Karu seemed a little deflated at that, but eh supposed he could understand the sentiment. It made sense; great shinobi [i]should[/i] handle fights on their own, and everyone that made it this far was definitely an elite shinobi! At least the best in their class… which was, the lowest class, but hey. Who was counting? [color=#7e9ddd]“It’s pretty cool your family is like that. I’m almost jealous, ‘cuz I gotta lot pressure on me, ya know? Maybe not from my family, they’re pretty relaxed. But everyone else? Sheesh, man, it’s like I’m just a name at times. Hey, on this paper about seals? Your Dog seal is just a lil off.” [/color]Karu said, offering the piece of paper to the other ninja. [color=#7e9ddd]“At least I think it is.”[/color]

[color=#396047]“I’ll take you word for it. I spend more time practicing grips than hand seals. You think they’d ever put those on the test? Choosing something like S grip over a Gable grip can make a difference when you’re fighting up close. This test will probably be the last time I’ll ever need to know seals; they don’t do me much good. Heck, with luck I won’t even have to make a career out of being a ninja.” [/color]Kotetsu looked through the bag for more paper, trying to see if there were any more with hand seals on them. Might as well get free corrections while he could.

[color=#7e9ddd]“You don’t wanna… make a career out of this?” [/color]Truth be told, Karu sounded horrified. He couldn’t help it! There was a lost soul standing in front of him; someone who didn’t understand his duty to his village, to his people. To [i]himself. [/i]It was important that all the able people in the village dedicate themselves to the craft. A strong shinobi force meant a strong village, and a strong village was good for all people! [color=#7e9ddd]“Are you frickin’ serious? Being a ninja is it, man. For me, and my family, anyway, that’s just… that’s just it. You have to be a ninja. To protect people, ya know? To be the best you, you can be! Geeze, I’ve never met someone that doesn’t want to make a career out of being a ninja… and to come this far and feel that way! You’re a weird one.”[/color]

Kotetsu’s voice was low, like he was telling a story he’d told many times before. [color=#396047]”The ninja life hasn’t done a lot of good for my family. A big war comes around and all the stories I hear are about ninja doing this and that, but I look around and I see what it cost people like my family. I still don’t know what the point of it all is.” [/color]He sighed [color=#396047]”Ask me, ask my parents, we wish that war never happened, we had all we wanted before then. See, the only reason I’m training is because I know I got to do something to try and get some saved up, just get enough stability that my folks will have some land to pass down. Being a ninja ain’t the easiest thing, but I don’t give up easily, and if there’s one job that I know will always get respect and a decent living around here, it’s being a ninja.”[/color]

[color=#7e9ddd]“I guess that makes sense…” [/color]Karu listened to Kotetsu’s words, and he took them to heart. For him, he’d heard of nothing but his parents feats in the war, and he’d certainly never considered how it affected other people in the world. To him, the war was the Leaf Shinobi vs their enemies. It had hardly ever crossed his mind that there were people who had been affected… negatively by the war. Given his goals, it was something he needed time to thing about — but right now wasn’t going to be that time, Karu had to focus. Even if he needed to consider his future, he had to think about the here and now. [color=#7e9ddd]“Yeah, I mean, you’ll definitely make plenty of money, that can’t be denied. Maybe you’ll come to find you like it.”[/color]

[color=#396047]”Eh, maybe. I’ll see how it is.” [/color]Kotetsu said. He was about to ask Karu for one of the sheets of paper back when he heard a loud bang from the other side of the room. The doors had fallen off their hinges, and as soon as he saw the roots around it he knew who to blame. It was Kai, the arrogant SOB, one of the few students Kotetsu had actual animosity towards. He kept it quiet, but he never liked the Ashikaga’s; they lived a life far removed from the commonfoll, and the only thing their family ever had to sacrifice was money. [color=#396047]”Oh great, it’s him. I guess he can pay for new doors if he needs to.” [/color]Kotetsu went back to his papers, not noticing that Mai was with Kai.

[color=#7e9ddd]“Whoa… he can do that on his own?! Man, I’m really itching for a fight... “ [/color]Karu was a little jealous that Iza was getting to fight already, while he was stuck studying. Maybe Karu had made the wrong decision, trying to study instead of getting involved in the mayhem. Shrugging his shoulders, he looked at Kotetsu. [color=#7e9ddd]“Hey, you don’t like him do ya? Maybe you can fight him, in the exams. Take some of that energy, and channel it into your fights, ya know? You gotta be the best you can.”[/color]

Karu looked seriously at Kotetsu, holding out a hand to shake. [color=#7e9ddd]“You have to promise me, that if you and me fight, you give it your all! I don’t care if you wanna be a ninja or not, I don’t wanna beat anyone who’s not gonna give it everything they’ve got!”[/color]

Kotetsu was puzzled for a moment, but reached out and returned Karu’s handshake. [color=#396047]”Don’t worry, I’m not someone who takes the easy way out. I know that whatever’s in front of me, I’ll go out and meet it with my full strength. It’s who I am and who I will be, whether I’m a ninja or not. I don’t particularly like fighting, but sometimes there’s no substitute for just beating the tar outta somebody. I hope whoever I end up fighting is ready for a real ugly brawl.”[/color]

[color=#7e9ddd]“Good! Keep that mindset.” [/color]Karu’s handshake was firm, and the genuine smile on his face was unwavering. He was excited! How could he be anything but? The whole room was filled with nothing but challenging opponents. He dropped the handshake, and nodded his head. [color=#7e9ddd]“You’ll make a good opponent. Don’t worry about the Ashikaga guy! I’m sure you and him will have your chance to duke it out, too!” [/color]Karu grinned, and like that, he was off, bounding back over to his teammate.

[color=#7e9ddd]“Hey! Mori! How did it go?!” [/color]While Karu had given Mori a stealth mission, it didn’t seem like he had been stealthy in the slightest.[/indent][/indent]