Sorry

Renjiro and The Monkey walk through the trees.

Renjiro: Are you going to ever teach me something useful in battle? I thought you would be a good teacher because you know senjutsu, but you don't seem like you want to teach me.

The Monkey: I will teach you something. We are going to the monkey's trees right now.

Renjiro: Really?

The Monkey: Of course. You're my pupil, young student.

The Monkey moves to a branch out of the way so they can see where the monkeys live.

—————————————————————————————————————————

Ezume: Why do you want to know the specific details of my past memories leading up to the creation of the team we now know as the seven swordsmen of the mist.

Ito: I just wanted to know how you joined the team. You don't love killing like Katashi and Tomo. I didn't know why you would join.

Ezume: I have my own reasons for taking the actions that I take to come to a preferred outcome of results.

Ito: Why do you talk like that?

Ezume: Why do you talk like an idiot? In what particular manner do you speak of?

Ito shakes her head.

Ito: Nevermind. Let's just keep passing out the fliers.

They both walk outside.

Ito: Ezume when the tournament starts, can you stay close to me?

Ezume: Why, are you afraid of the possibility that you may not have the required strength to complete the task?

Ito: No, I just don't want you to get hurt.

Ezume: I have far more power than what is required, I'll be fine!

Ito: Yeah…

—————————————————————————————————————————

Katashi is jumping from tree to tree. He is in a blind rage. As he pushes off the tree branches, the branches are blown off the tree. He lands in the town Renjiro and The Monkey were just at. The older woman stands, waiting for him. Katashi lands on the ground. The dirt flies up from under his feet.

Katashi: Where is he?! I'm going to tear the Uchiha's eyes from his skull!

???: You know you can't, but you will be able to. Knock him out and bring him back to the base. Then, after we are finished with him, you may kill him.

Katashi: How did he kill my brother?! What happened?!

???: You'll have to ask him yourself. I just know your brother is dead.

Katashi: Where is he?

???: The great trees.

Katashi: Those trees will be lucky if they aren't cut down.

???: I'm sure.

Katashi runs off. The woman is smiling.

—————————————————————————————————————————

Gorou runs out of fliers.

Gorou: I've told the whole mist village about the leaf village tournament. I'll just have to tell the other swordsmen not to kill the shinobi from the mist village.

Gorou starts walking back to the base. He sees the house he lived in as a child. He grips onto his sword's handle tight. Then he walks inside. He hears a chair rocking back and forth.

Gorou: You're still alive?

Gorou sees his dad in the rocking chair. He looks drained of life.

Gorou: The way you look, maybe it would be better if you had both feet in the grave.

Gorou's father: Is that what you wish?

Gorou: Doesn't matter to me. We haven't talked in years, we hate each other, and you're already on your deathbed.

Gorou's father: Everyone would hate me if they saw the skeletons I have in my closet.

Gorou: I know. I'm the only one who knows all of them.

Gorou's father: You don't know all of them. You just know one of the worst.

Gorou: You sound like every old member of the mist village. All of you old bastards tried to make life Hell.

Gorou's father: I've tried repenting for my sins, but the more I repent the more I remember all that I did. I don't have enough time left to even start trying to do good.

Gorou: That's what happens when you spend your whole life ruining others lives. So, if you're not trying to make up for your sins, what do you do?

Gorou's father: I just sit in this chair. Rocking back and forth between my memories. I think about everything I did wrong. I made my son kill his brother in cold blood to be better than the other. Then I had you two switch identities. You have lived most of your life with the name of the brother you killed, Hayato. How do I even start to make up for that?

Gorou: You could have tried to speak about the issues in the mist village. You're one of the elders. Maybe you would be able to sway the others to change the way they do things around here.

Gorou's father: It's too late for that. Before I can even do that I'll be dead.

Gorou: Then wallow here forever.

Gorou gets up and starts to walk out. He stops when his father says something.

Gorou's father: Hayato.

Gorou: Yes.

Gorou's father: Try to make the world better. Try to make sure that no kid will ever have to grow up the way you did. I need to have done something good in this world. Just one thing. It doesn't need to outweigh the bad. I just need one thing.

Gorou: I'll try.

Gorou walks off.

Gorou's father: Thank you.

—————————————————————————————————————————

Renjiro and The Monkey look at the Great Trees. There isn't a monkey in sight. The monkey walks forward and drops to his knees.

Renjiro: What happened.

The Monkey takes a deep breath.

The Monkey: I'm sorry. I can't teach you sage mode.

Renjiro: Are you not going to explain anything?!

The Monkey: I learned sage mode from the last of the Great Monkeys. He was old and at the end of his life. He taught me how to be strong. I was weak. He taught me how to have fun and swing from the vines. I learned how to use sage mode, but the last monkey died shortly after.

Renjiro: Is that why you wanted me to have fun?

The Monkey: I wanted you to be taught the same way that my master would have taught you. He was the greatest being I ever had the pleasure to meet. All I have ever done in my life was fight and get stronger. I wasted my whole life doing it. I never got to say goodbye to my parents because I was busy training with the Great Monkey. I have no friends. No one knows my real name. I don't even remember the damn thing anymore.

Renjiro:...

The Monkey: If you want to learn how to use senjutsu, then you need to go to the lions den. There, you will find a woman who can help you.

They are silent for a moment.

Renjiro: C'mon, let's get outta here.

The Monkey: You… still want to hang out with me.

Renjiro: I don't care if you can't teach me senjutsu. Let's just go back to the village.

???: Ahhh!

Katashi jumps out from the trees. He swings his sword down at Renjiro. Renjiro jumps back, but still gets his stomach cut. Katashi points at Renjiro.

Katashi: You killed my brother Dekishi. Now, I'm going to tear you to pieces. You'll have cuts all over your body until you're about to die just from the pain.

The Monkey: Get out of here. I know who he is.

Renjiro: What? I'm not leaving.

The Monkey: His abilities work best in the trees. If we both stay here then we'll both die. This is my domain. I can buy you some time.

Renjiro:... fine.

Renjiro jumps into the trees. Katashi tries to run after him. The Monkey's eyes become yellow. He gets yellow markings around his eyes and he grows a tail. He punches Katashi back, stopping Katashi in his tracks.

The Monkey: Can the swordsmen kill the monkey sage?

Katashi: I'll cut your head right off!

Katashi runs at the Monkey. The Monkey starts karate chopping Katashi over and over. Katashi can't react because of how quick The Monkey is. Then he starts chopping directly on his chest like he is cutting. Finally he punches Katashi in the head. Katashi falls onto the ground.

The Monkey: You're lucky you aren't dead. You must have some incredible defense.

The Monkey runs to the trees. Katashi stands up and can hear The Monkey swinging around.

Katashi: You think you can kill me because you have these trees here. Why don'tI get rid of them?

Katashi spins around with his balde out. All the trees around him are cut and fall to the ground. A tree falls on The monkey. The tree is so gigantic that The Monkey can't get it off of him. The only thing that sticks out of the tree is The Monkey's head.

The Monkey: You didn't even use your real power.

Katashi: I didn't need to, to fulfil my promise.

Katashi slices down. He cuts The Monkey's head off.

Katashi: I will see you during the tournament Renjiro.

—————————————————————————————————————————

Renjiro is back in town. He sees someone throw a flier in the trash. Renjiro grabs the flyer out of the trash.

Renjiro: I could become a leaf village shinobi again.

Renjiro thinks of Kichi, Ray, Nanami, and finally what Kichi was trying to teach him. Renjiro puts the flyer in his pocket and runs off.