Sage

Ch.5

A lone figure, illuminated into shadow by the setting sun behind him strode over the crest of an enormous sand dune, a trail of slowly disappearing footsteps in his wake. A long brown cloak billowed in the warm breeze behind him, protecting his body from the harsh desert winds and sandstorms that were common for the area. He wasn't very tall or imposing, barely standing at a somewhat respectable height of four feet and seven inches for his age. However there was something about him that if somebody saw him pass by it would catch their attention.

Perhaps it was the single magatama bead dangling from his ear that glinted as it caught the fading light of the sun. Maybe it was the occasional hits of bright blonde hair that would appear from underneath his hood when the wind would blow it back. It might have even been the tall Shakujou that jingled with each of his steps, the staff actually reaching higher than he himself was tall. More than likely though it was the fact that as soon as any sand on the wind came within a meter of his form it would bounce back, as if repelled by some invisible force or barrier.

The figure came to a stop, resting slightly on the staff that surprisingly didn't sink into the sand at all, despite supporting his weight. He gazed around for a moment, the shadows his hood provided hiding the direction his eyes were looking. Finally he tugged it back, releasing a shock of bright golden hair, tied up at the back into the beginning of a short, spiky ponytail. He enjoyed the view around him of vast dunes of golden sand stretching off into the distance as far as the eye could see; warm but steely violet eyes narrowed into slits.

His protective cloak continued to billow as he simply stood there, enjoying the moment as the scorching day began to descend into freezing night, leaving a brief twilight hour where everything was still and peaceful. Stars began to peek out of the sky, emboldened by the slow descent of the sun retreating behind the horizon. A fond smile found its way across his whiskered cheeks as he thought back to the events that led him here, the good and the bad.

"Good morning Naruto, you look much better now that you've had time to settle and eat. How are you finding the temple so far?" A young blonde looked up with a smile that held both excitement and unending gratitude toward the much older monk.

"It's great! The monks are really nice and even though Sora can be really annoying sometimes he is friendly and helps me with stuff when Chiriku is busy!" Chukaku smiled contentedly as he ruffled Naruto's hair; the blonde was so happy about his new life that he didn't even care.

"I'm glad, just make sure that if there's anything you need or if you ever have any questions or concerns you come right to me. Okay?" The small whiskered child nodded excitedly making Chukaku's heart warm to see such innocence return to the boy's features.

"Um master Chukaku, there is something Chiriku-sempai wanted me to talk to you about." The wizened monk hummed for the boy to continue with a small nod. "He said that I should be able to turn off my Rinnegan, but I can't pull the chakra out of my eyes." Chukaku raised an eyebrow at that, looking closely at Naruto's eyes and felt around for his chakra. Sure enough there was a small build up behind his eyes, obviously what was keeping the Rinnegan active.

"Hmm, I don't believe there is anything to worry about Naruto. It is true that Sharingan and Byakugan wielders alike have the ability to deactivate their Doujutsu but the Rinnegan is far more mysterious than theirs. For all we know it cannot be deactivated by the will of the user." He smiled fondly as he ushered the blonde closer, planting a warm hand on the boy's shoulder. "Then again maybe you simply lack the control to do so, don't forget you have only recently begun to train in the use and control of your Chakra." The boy scowled at that but still seemed to accept the older man's words.