Upon hearing that Furui gave a small chuckle, before nodding his head slightly. "Yes, Victor does seem like a very talkative lad. Why don't I start with telling you about those in our little group, I'm sure you are curious?"
"That would be good, thank you."
...
Naruto watched as Furui gave him another smile, before setting himself down more comfortably against the tree he was leaning on and taking a moment to think before starting.
"Let's start with Shapu shall we? I am sure you have noticed that she is not what many would call…normal. Shapu is a member of the Katame Clan, who specialise in the use of their bows and long range combat. As you have no doubt noticed they are born with only one eye, but with that one eye they are able to see for miles ahead so long as nothing is obstructing there view. However because of this the members of the Katame Clan are very long sighted, which means they have trouble seeing things close up. That is why Shapu wears her goggles; they help her see nearby things around her. When the Hidden Villages were first created the Clan was well known for their phenomenal skill with bow and as scouts, but because of the issues with their sight they were also seen as 'defective' and were therefore not invited to join any of the growing Shinobi Villages."
Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing, for a whole Clan of skilled ninja to be written off because of a small weakness that was easily fixed by glasses. He had seen Shapu's skill with his own eyes, and could only imagine what those skills would do to an enemy. Every technique had a weakness, even if some were kept a better secret then others, why should Shapu's Clan have to suffer just because their weakness is slightly more obvious than other ones, weaknesses could be easily overcome, Shapu's goggles were an example of that.
Before Naruto could say anything in response to the old man's words, Furui continued.
"Next in our little group is Kyojin a member of the Okorimashita Clan…or as they are better known the Berserker Clan. The Okorimashita Clan were once one of the most feared Clans around, or at least they were before the Hidden Villages were founded, and many that still remember them continue to fear them to this day. They draw power from their anger and pain, using it to make themselves stronger in battle. Back during the Clan Wars a single member of the Okorimashita Clan could be seen fighting upwards of twenty enemies at once and utterly destroying them. However it is almost impossible for a member of the Clan to control themselves in battle, and they were unable sometimes unable to tell friend from enemy on the battlefield. This meant that whilst in their battle fuelled rage they would attack everyone and everything they could and so were seen as mindless beasts and were again not welcome when the Hidden Villages were formed."
Naruto couldn't help but look over to Kyojin at this point, watching as he tore into the rabbit he had been cooking over the fire. While the man was large and intimidating, Naruto still found it hard to picture a single man capable of fighting so many Shinobi at once. However at the same time, he could actually understand why his Clan might not have been welcome in the Hidden Villages even if he didn't like it. What use is a solider that can't tell the difference between friend and foe in battle after all?
"Victor and his clan you already have an idea about, so I guess that just leaves me. I am a member of the Buraindo Clan, and as I am sure you noticed already we are born without eyes. I have never seen, and neither has anyone else in my clan. However it was because of this that we learned ways to see without our eyes, enhancing and honing our other four senses to phenomenal levels. I can actually smell the forests of the Land of Fire clinging to your skin, more so then Victor after the two of you crossed it getting here. But our sense of hearing has always been the strongest, allowing those experienced enough to actually be able to see the world around us just by using sound waves bouncing off of objects like sonar. However one of the unforeseen side effects was the ability to be able to tell when someone is lying…"
Naruto felt himself stiffen slightly, suddenly very nervous and afraid of the man sat next to him as he continued talking.
"I can hear when the heart rate picks up which is a big indicator, but there are other tells that most do not or are incapable of perceiving. Like the slight increase of body heat that comes with nerves, the spike in certain pheromones to subtle for even those using chakra to sense normally, I can sense. All these things come together to tell us when someone is lying…like you were when you said you had unlocked a bloodline…"
Naruto was ready to bolt, just run off into the mist and hope he could lose the group. But before he could Furui grabbed him by the shoulder in an iron grip and held him in place, showing a surprising amount of strength for someone of his age.
"You don't need to run boy, I will not say anything. While you lied about the bloodline, you were also telling the truth about the Souls that much I know."
Naruto felt himself relax ever so slightly when he heard that, but that did not mean he fully let his guard down, he was still tensed and ready to run the moment Furui let go of his shoulder if he had to.
"I can't let people know about me…not yet. I need to be stronger before people know the truth." Naruto said his voice resolute as he turned to look at where Furui's eyes would have been, if he actually had any.
In response to his words Furui gave a small nod of acknowledgment, the hand on his shoulder turning more comforting and loosening slightly. It was still firmly held, but Naruto was sure he would be able to break it with a little effort now. Plus he also had his hatchet held at his belt, he had seen what he was capable of with a weapon when he was surprised and unprepared, he knew that if necessary he could do a lot of damage with his weapon, especially if he used his unique grayish chakra. After all if just touching it rotted away Victor's finger what would getting hit by a sharp weapon covered in the stuff do?
"I understand child, you have your reasons. It is your secret and you do not mean harm to us by keeping it, but I had to be sure. If you ever do feeling the need to talk about it though, know I will always be around to listen. I should also warn you there will be others in the camp able to tell the truth, both parts and even a few that may know exactly what you are. They will mean you no more harm than me, as long as you mean the rest of us no harm. As for the Rebels…so long as you prove yourself useful they will have no reason to cause trouble. Some of them are decent enough and can somewhat emphasis with our struggle; a few though are still mired in hate and hypocrisy."
With that Furui gave one more squeeze to Naruto's shoulder before using it to help himself to get back up to his feet, grabbing his staff as he did so. He calmly turned on his heel before making his way back over to the fire and leaving Naruto alone to his thoughts.
...
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