Ugokasenai Keito, Iwa Genin
Keito stood with his back to his friends, torn apart by their support and his need to be alone. Somehow, Mori had managed to surprise more with his words than with his fight. Although the longer Mori went on, the more Keito felt a black hole tear open inside his stomach. Of all things though, he wondered how much his friends spoke of was perceived truth, and how much was instinct — the need to hold on to that which is already there in hand. No matter how he felt about Tomiko and Mori, Keito would think about going home, and suddenly he felt the anxiety bubble over again. His body let out a grumbling sigh almost subconsciously — he'd hardly realized he had sighed for a moment, until coming out of a trance.
He turned around, twisting his body much like he'd twisted his mind, scratching at his chin with a nervous forefinger.
"This is all relative, you know," he said, his voice still quiet as he spun back around to face the door. "Where am I gonna go? 13 years old and I can't fight for shit. The Stone is where I'll be for the foreseeable future. For now, I need to step away. Without fanfare. I was thinking about heading back to Iwa early...but you know I won't miss your fight, eh, Tsuch? Yeah, I'll be around."
Resting his palm against the hilt of his sakabatou, Keito walked off into the hall on his own two feet, even as pain started to flare up in his stomach. Maybe, he thought to himself, he'd find a fountain like the one that had caught his eye. Keito could envision himself, sitting down at its edge in a quiet peace.