3 Jutsu: [Action]

[teachingpeace]

[Action: Incredibly early in the morning.]

[It was still dark outside and Nagato already knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. That dream had been... He'd woken up like this more than once since his memories had been interfered with, it's true, but he hadn't remembered why.

He hadn't remembered the dreams. Now, he was somewhat mortified, very confused, and extremely concerned if this was some kind of revenge from his Sensei from beyond the grave. Given the man's later works and his philosophies where women were concerned he wouldn't exactly be surprised but...

But that still didn't make it any less strange, or embarrassing, or confusing, given that he'd never had dreams like this in his life.

Though, to be fair, he hadn't exactly been healthy enough for that to be the case. Not that he realized that this, more than a determined ghost of Jiraiya, was the cause of his disturbance.

No, instead he just dressed, and went hunting outside for somewhere to train to try to get his mind off of it, and to try to... calm his nerves.]

[Action: Later that morning, before noon.]

[Getting his mind off it hadn't worked. No, instead, if anything, he'd picked at his thoughts mercilessly because he'd given himself time to think about it instead of keeping himself occupied with something intellectual.

Not the wisest plan he'd ever had. In the end though, he didn't know what else to do, but he needed to know if this was... incredibly abnormal, and the medics he'd worked with were still back in Ame so...

Clinic.

He'd just... go in there... and apparently stand incredibly awkwardly just inside the doorway trying to decide if he should ask to see someone about... this.

He had no idea why he thought this was a good one.]

Comments

[teachingpeace]

[He took her hand without any hesitation, perfectly willing to have her lead him. But... she'd noticed him noticing, he was sure of it.

Somehow, he wasn't sure if that made him feel better or worse about the whole thing.]

Gladly. Have you used this training area often?

[origami_ninja]

[There's some comfort in this simple touch. It's something that could be a gesture between people romantically involved or between two people who are simply very close friends. Because regardless of whatever complications there might be at the moment, they're still extremely close.]

Reasonably often. Sometimes I practice in the forest or the mountains instead, but the Battle Dome has the advantage of being able to program in just about any sort of foe and terrain.

[There's one particular foe she programs in with about the same frequency that she programs in the Third Party's cultists, this time factoring in reality warping potential. If he shows up here, she can't afford to fail.]

[teachingpeace]

[He relaxed when she relaxed, putting the thoughts out of his mind to focus on her words.]

Do you have any particular favorites? We both know I've been getting used to training as my own body again.

[origami_ninja]

It's always a good idea to study the movements of the Third Party cultists. They're the ones most likely to kill the people in this enclosure. The Malnosso may treat everyone as experiments, but it's the Third Party who is openly hostile.

[She'd mention the other option, but...that would entail telling him that she'd died. She's not ready to tell anyone yet.]

[teachingpeace]

[He looked sideways at her, thoughtful.] Those were the ones during the altered memory situation?

[origami_ninja]

Yes.

[She nods.]

The ones who attacked people later on.

And then I stared at your icon for two minutes straight. I blame Nagato.

[teachingpeace]

[He looked more serious then, seriously turning over what he'd said in his mind.]

If they're a persistent threat then it's one that I clearly must handle in my training soon.

She has that effect. /nods

[origami_ninja]

I would recommend it. At least they have vulnerable wings as well.

[In spite of Konan once having the alias God's Angel, she's not fond of these wings. It's like having a big target on her back. She tends to protect hers with chakra enhanced paper that functions like armor.]

[teachingpeace]

Has anyone designed any armor for the wings, or has it been purely improvised from person to person?

[Nagato... actually liked them. Then again, it was novel to feel like he had a weakness and he'd always had the oddest tastes. He felt like it kept him from meandering back into recently halted habits.]

[origami_ninja]

It seems to have been improvised person to person. I surround mine with paper.

[In fact, when she'd been far more paranoid earlier, it had been habitual to always have a small flock of paper fluttering around her wings. Just in case. She's become more relaxed about it now.]

[teachingpeace]

[He looked seriously contemplative then.]

I should probably set up something similar at some point then,

[origami_ninja]

I can help you figure something out.

[She'll be damned if she's going to lose him again. She refuses to let it happen again. Especially to something easily preventable like damage to his wings.]

[teachingpeace]

[He paused, catching something in her tone, and looked at her directly.]

I know. I should have done it already.

[origami_ninja]

[Well, she won’t argue that he should have, even if she hadn’t meant to come across like she was chastising him. If they have a second chance at life, she wants them to live it to their fullest, and not die because of perfectly preventable things. If they die because the enemy was just that much stronger, that can’t be helped. If they die because the Malnosso does something to cause it, there’s nothing they can do about it. But they can shield their wings the way they’d shield any other vital organ.]

You had other concerns, Nagato. You were getting used to this place and then there was that other false reality…

[Although even as she says that, she’s inwardly berating herself for not doing something herself. It’s her responsibility to protect him, to be a pillar that supports him.]

[teachingpeace]

[He shook his head, giving her a wry smile as he huffed a faint laugh.]

That and my trying overly hard to convince myself that... that I'm not like I am.

[origami_ninja]

You're not like you are? What do you mean, Nagato?

[She blinks, not entirely clear whether he's referring to his power or that he technically died, or if it's something else entirely.]

[teachingpeace]

For a little while when I first got here I attempted to convince myself that I could just be... a normal shinobi. Not a leader, not someone who felt the need to be in charge of anything or to really use my abilities for more than personal protection.

But... if nothing else, I've realized that I can't go back to that, if I was ever there to begin with.

[origami_ninja]

I don't think you've been there since we were very small.

[Initially, they'd wanted to learn from Jiraiya so they could protect themselves and each other, but that quickly changed with Yahiko's big dreams. It was easy to get swept up in them. Even Konan couldn't be content with being just a normal shinobi. While she preferred not to lead, she liked to be right in the thick of big things, strategizing and being the close confidante of Yahiko and Nagato.]

[teachingpeace]

[He gave her a lopsided, knowing smile at that.]

I guess I'm just stuck with being more, mm? I just have to figure out what to do with it then, before I harry myself with the maybes.

[origami_ninja]

Teaching is one way to direct that energy and to lead.

[She's certainly focused her attention on select individuals in that way.]

Perhaps after the treaty has been written, we can talk to Namikaze-san about offering our help as jounin-senseis.

[Assuming he'd accept that and the young Konoha shinobi would have them. Both are very big ifs, but it wasn't entirely out of the question, either.]

[teachingpeace]

[He looked very thoughtful at that, his head tilting to the side.]

We have talked about getting me students before. Perhaps I simply need to go out and find students, mm?

[origami_ninja]

Perhaps you do. It is a good way to keep busy.

[Planning out lessons, gathering the materials necessary...it's something to do while stuck in this enclosure. They can't be constantly plotting their escapes, after all.]

And it's rewarding to know that you're helping someone be better at defending themselves.

[teachingpeace]

[He gave her a soft smile, nodding once.]

You're right. That would be very nice.

[origami_ninja]

[She also thinks it might help Nagato stay more like his old self, rather than disconnected from people while still caring about them like he'd been in the more recent past until Naruto's words reached him. Certainly, it's prevented her from shutting off her emotions and being coldly strategic. She still had a strategic mind, but there was a little more balance now.]

Now it's simply a matter of finding people that you want to teach.

[For Konan, she hadn't wanted to offer lessons to just anyone, and instead offered lessons to people she felt some sort of connection to.]

[teachingpeace]

[He nodded slowly, thoughtful.]

Then clearly I must keep my eyes open to such a thing in the future.

[He didn't want to become what he'd been. Being a god had been hard, had left something empty inside, and he didn't want to return to that.... but that meant he needed to find something else, someone else to turn to inside himself instead. This... was definitely a good option for that.]