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[ura_no_ura]

[ Well, it seems he's got the basics down.

This isn't the afterlife, even if Kakashi's not entirely sure if he's actually still alive. And the wings don't do anything other than serve a mostly ornamental purpose. Which, in his book, means that they're completely useless and have about as much function as a second belly-button or a third nipple. Either way, they're itchy and uncomfortable and he had to cut holes in his flak vest so they weren't crushed against his body. A flak vest that was kindly delivered to him by his sensei, along with the rest of his gear. (He's only too relieved that it wasn't Naruto or Sakura or someone else who came across him when he was still in that relative state of undress -- what, without the mask and all.)

So here he is, fully dressed, with his journal-cum-communication device in his hand, flipped on. He supposes he should say hello this way since it would be easier to do this than to hunt down every shinobi of Konoha individually. It probably would also be useful for him to introduce himself to the rest of the network as well.

He's sitting on a tree stump while Minato goes off to do something IDEK ok and has his signature I Am Bored expression on his face. Or rather, lack of expression.

The edges of his wings, silver and tipped in black, flutter slightly. ]

Ah, is this thing on?

[ He brings the camera a little closer then, to make sure it's properly capturing him. Once he's sure, he raises a hand in something of a wave.

This is starting to feel like some sort of speed dating thing, minus the actual person sitting in front of him. Not that he's ever actually done speed dating, but he assumes that's how it'd work. ]

Yo. My name is Hatake Kakashi. I'm a shinobi by trade.

[ What does one say in introductions? Likes, dislikes, dreams, and hobbies? Ah, he supposes he can do that. ]

I'm not the kind of guy who talks about his likes and dislikes... My dreams are...hmm.... [ a beat ] none of your business. And I have many hobbies. None of which I want to tell you.

[ Another beat. ]

Any questions?

Comments

WAIT HOW CAN BARNABY BE TALKING ABOUT HIMSELF

[ura_no_ura]

Ah, thanks for the tip.

[ Though really, Kakashi doesn't need an elevator when he can just walk right up the side of a building at a leisurely pace and let himself in through the window. ]

Is that where you're living?

THERE IS ANOTHER WHO IS 9000X WORSE

[tsunderebunny]

[The elevator was important to Barnaby, if only because it marked the building as one of the most advanced in town, even though he suspected that it was because of a Shift. It was too obnoxiously green.]

That right. I'm on the top level.

...actually, it has a very nice view.

SOB, I DUNNO WHO THAT COULD BE.... MY KNOWLEDGE IS LIMITED T_T

[ura_no_ura]

A nice view, hmm? I guess that makes up for being stuck here.

:3c

[tsunderebunny]

To a degree. Worthwhile conversation is unfortunately lacking, the management here is terrible, and it sounds like we're periodically asked to help with someone else's dirty business. But, I suppose the lack of expenses, career stress, and major responsibilities make up for it.

ehehe

[ura_no_ura]

Do you enjoy it here?

[tsunderebunny]

It gives a person time to think.

There are worse fates.

[ura_no_ura]

Are there?

[ Worse fates, he means. He's giving Barnaby room to elaborate. ]

[tsunderebunny]

I'm sure you can imagine a few.

[aka, that's personal.]

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi can more than imagine. He's lived it. But he nods, humming low in the back of his throat. ]

Well, at least it seems peaceful here, for the most part...

[tsunderebunny]

It is. There isn't much of a night life, but there are a few places to get drinks if you're the sort. There's also enough Japanese people around that you might find a few familiar dishes in the restaurants.

[ura_no_ura]

Japanese?

[ Isn't Japanese.

Doesn't look it either.

Also doesn't know what that is. ]

[tsunderebunny]

Linguistics. There's lots of people that have names that follow a similar noun-consonant pattern as yours. In those worlds, they say they're from a country called Japan.

It was a guess, especially since you're a shinobi. My apologies.

[ura_no_ura]

I see. I'm not from the country of Japan...I haven't heard of it before, either. I'm from Konohagakure, a village in Fire Country.

Where are you from?

[tsunderebunny]

The city of Sternbild, on the North American continent. Many people here come from a world that's similar to mine, so you might run into more making that mistake.

What do Shinobi do in your world?

[ura_no_ura]

[ Sternbild. North American continent. These are all new places for Kakashi, and he quietly commits them to memory. ]

Essentially, we're soldiers. We fight for our villages, carry out important missions, and more.

[ He's being a bit vague intentionally. ]

[tsunderebunny]

[Barnaby held a deep appreciation for intentional vagueness. It saved him so much frustration over the last couple of months.]

I see. That's not very different than what the history books say. [It gave him a better picture of the world Kakashi was from too, if shinobi were that common.]

My career, before I retired, was similar. I worked in public service; my coworkers and I helped to protect the peace in Sternbild.

[He was more than a bit vague, but he wanted to make the idea of it clear. While he was a capable fighter, he didn't want to go back into the field any time soon.]

[ura_no_ura]

You look pretty young to have retired.

[ The idea of retirement isn't even an option for Kakashi. Shinobi retire one way, and one way only: death. ]

[tsunderebunny]

The job was too stressful for my taste.

[Among other things. He was glad to have the opportunity, and a chance to find the answers to a few very important questions in his life. While Luceti bothered him in many ways, he was almost glad to have the relative peace of the tiny town.]

[ura_no_ura]

Maa, I guess in a way, we're all retired now...

[ After all, none of them can perform their duties when they're here... ]

[tsunderebunny]

Only if you want to be. There are people who run patrols around the perimeter, people who train others in self defense, a few teachers...

[He knew all of this because he watched the journals and watched the town. An uneven sleep pattern did have a few benefits, and honing his communication skills with the local fire elemental kept his eyes open to more than just a single objective.]

You can do whatever you want, and alot of people want to do something.

[ura_no_ura]

[ The truth: Kakashi can never truly be retired as long as he has consciousness and as long as he has people he loves who he wants to protect. A Hokage to serve.

He sighs after a moment. ]

Mm, my Hokage-- ah, that's the title we give to the village leader-- is here in this world. So I will defer to him as to how he'd like for me to proceed.

[ Though, retirement does sound very, very nice... ]

It's possible he'd want us to continue operating in our previous capacity, especially as there are so many of us here.

[tsunderebunny]

Is that so...? [He huffed, bitterly amused.] You might not have to change careers like some have around here, if that's what you're thinking.

[ura_no_ura]

Saa... I don't have much of a choice in the matter...

[tsunderebunny]

'It's possible' means that there's a chance you won't have to return to duty. Since you seem to enjoy you're work, it's good that you might be able to continue. A career change can't be very easy for those who have done it. You won't have to deal with that stress.

[ura_no_ura]

I wouldn't quite call it a career... Or work, for that matter.

[ A career is something you can walk away from. Work is something you get paid for. Something that you do. It's a choice. Kakashi never had a choice. He's been a shinobi since the age of five, fighting in wars and killing men three times his size. It's the only way of living he really knows. ]