Chapter 56 - Hohozuki (1/2)
”Hohozuki, this newly arrived one here is Minato, he lost his family to bandits and he stumbled upon our village. Can you guide him to the empty house and renovate it as he wants? I've got to return to the entrance” Requested Daisuke.
”Sure thing Daisuke-san, I've got nothing to do anyway” Seeing the insincere smile and the dead eyes of this guy made Minato feel uncomfortable. It's the face of someone that has lost everything. Only when the word bandit was mentioned did they regained some life. Ameyuki had the same eyes too, making Minato more sure of his earlier guess on them.
'No wonder this guy walks with a clone that shows his true face, he doesn't have any will to live anymore and surely hope to be recognized and killed'
And seeing the same look that he had one time with his heart not frozen anymore shook Minato a bit, more than he knew of.
”Aya, you're always helpful that I feel embarrassed to ask for your help again, but your ability is so useful. Thanks again, Hohozuki” Rubbing the back of his head with his hand, Daisuke 'praised' Hohozuki, but the hidden look of disgust when he looked at his hands caked with mud didn't escape Minato, nor Hozuki's retainer if the eyebrow twitching was an indication.
Daisuke then looked at Minato ”Take care, Minato. I will come to see you in the evening when my guard shift is finished”
”I present myself again, I'm Hohozuki, no last name” Smiled Hohozuki
Tearing his eyes from Daisuke disappearing back, Minato politely replied ”Minato. I'm an orphan too. Nice to meet you”
”Come with me” Saying so, Hohozuki led Minato outside from the commercial area where everyone in this village was in this hour of the day shopping or taking a coffee to the residential area, with Ameyuki following behind but not saying anything from the beginning to the end.
The majority of the buildings in this place were brown, constructed in earth from top to bottom, making Minato speculate their origin. 'Maybe this guy is a Doton user? So his job here is to create houses for newbies and shops for hopeful merchants with ninjutsu. It would explain his dirty hands'
Seeing the pondering look of Minato, Hohozuki explained ”I'm a user of the Mud release, a combination of earth and water chakra...Ah, but I don't think you understand. In summary, I'm a shinobi and can manipulate the mud with an energy called chakra. My job here is to create buildings, and to do that I transform earth in mud and solidify said mud when I obtain the shape I wished”
'For a guy that has no will to live anymore, he sure is sėnsɨtɨvė. And what's up with only the clone being offended for that and not him...'
It was clear to Minato that Hohozuki was someone broken and wishing for death. Maybe his 'Hohozuki' persona was someone that was precious to him but that he killed like Kakashi chidori-ed Rin? So he let his true self, 'Ameyuki', do to the bidding of that persona as redemption to have some small peace of mind, which would explain why Ameyuki took offense of the nasty looks directed to Hohozuki. And recalling the sliver of hatred when Daisuke mentioned bandits before, they may have a cause into this as well.