>5 am, streets of Japan...
>
>[[Why don't you get some sleep?]]
>
>Akisame shrugged, "not tired".
>
>[[Well then what are you going to do?]]
>
>He thought for a minute as he walked down the street. The street looked like
>so many others, nothing was ever different. He cast his violet eyes downward
>to avoid the direct rays of the rising sun, "I guess I'll go see if Kinpaku
>is around. That old man sleeps less then me. Maybe he has something in the
>store of his that can keep my body temperature down."
>
>[[Maybe]]
>
>He continued to walk down the street, thinking to himself about past events
>when he finally came upon Kinpaku's shop. The old man himself was ancient.
>His white beard came down to his stomach, his face was wrinkled with age. He
>was a light hearted old fellow though, a bit strange, maybe even a bit
>mysterious.
>
>The beads on the door rattled as Akisame walked in, "Good morning
>Kinpaku-san".
>
>"Ahhh Akisame" The old man seemed happy to see him, "How are you doing at
>this hour?" he said from behind his counter.
>
>Akisame started, "oh I've been..."
>
>[[Better think of a good lie.]]
>
>"...fine...how about you?"
>
>[[Wow...now that was good.]] said Nac with infinite sarcasm.
>
>"Splendid. So my boy, what can I do for you? Ah, I've got it!", Kinpaku
>began rummaging around behind the counter, "I just got a new shipment of
>herbs in that's said to increase ones ability with the ladies. Come to buy a
>case or so? I think I'm gonna try it out myself...just to test it's
>effectiveness."
>
>[[My god...]]
>
>Akisame was almost speechless. Yep, this was Kinpaku all right,
>"ehheh...ahh...no thanks. I am wondering though with the tons of stuff you
>got here, do you have anything to keep a person's body temperature down?"
>
>Kinpaku looked a bit worried, "Why my boy? Catch a cold or something?". The
>old man bent forward over the counter and squinted to have a better look at
>Akisame.
>
>"Uh...yeah..." said Akisame.
>
>[[Bravo...]]
>
>"Not to worry my boy, I have just the thing! It's potently is unrivaled", he
>said as he foraged around in his cabinets. "Ahha! Found it!" came his
>triumphant voice as he handed Akisame a bottle.
>
>Akisame looked at it for a moment before wrinkling his brow,
>"Kinpaku-san...this is a bottle of Tylenol...".
>
>"Yes, it is. You said you have a cold, that's the stuff I use. Works great".
>
>He clicked his tongue a few times, "Yeah...ok...what do I owe you for it?".
>
>The old man chuckled, "Nothing, it's on me...besides I've used half of it
>anyway".
>
>Akisame laughed along with him, "Thanks...".
>
>Through their laughter the old mans shop began to shake. The shelves rattled
>and the windows clattered. Soon the old mans many bottles began to slip off
>their respective shelves. Instinctively Akisame bound over the counter and
>began replacing them as quickly as they fell off. Eleven, twelve at a time
>his hands seemed as many as they waved back and forth replacing the bottles.
> Finally the shaking stopped, and Kinpaku seemed a bit shocked.
>
>[[Well it looks like your getting the hang of RAGE...but I think the old man
>has you pinned now.]]
>
>"That was..." the old man began, "Impressive...tell me, have you ever thought
>of training in the martial arts?".
>
>Akisame jumped back over the counter, "well actually I did train a bit...".
>
>"Ohhhh..." the old man seemed rather curious now, "...tell me, what style
>were you taught?"
>
>"Shinsei Kinkou".
>
>Kinpaku flinched with surprise, "Really? Tell me, how much do you know?"
>
>"Well, my sensei said I learned all there is to know, even the parts that he
>himself could not learn".
>
>Kinpaku was stunned with disbelief, "Impossible! You are still but a
>teenager! No one could have learned the Shinsei Kinkou style in that amount
>of time."
>
>"However..." the old man sneered, "if you do know that much of the
>style...then show me the ten knife touch".
>
>Akisame raised an eyebrow, "well do you have ten...".
>
>"Of course" he was quickly cut off by Kinpaku as he pulled 10 gleaming knives
>from under his sleeves.
>
>*The boy is going to get himself killed* Kinpaku thought. "Ok boy...here
>they come!" Quickly he threw all ten knifes into the air above Akisame. In a
>movement like the wind, all ten knives were then balancing on each of his
>fingertips.
>
>Kinpaku was stunned, but even more so impressed, "amazing..." he said almost
>to himself, "To be able to balance the deadly knifes edge so well, that it
>cannot even pierce the skin...truly my boy you have mastered Shinsei Kinkou.
>I am sorry for doubting you".
>
>Akisame smiled proudly as he handed the knives back to Kinpaku, "don't worry
>about it...listen, I gotta be on my way, I'll see you again sometime".
>
>"Until the next time my boy" said Kinpaku, waving to Akisame as he walked
>back out the door.
>
>[[So what now.]]
>
>"I'm getting out of this place.."
>
>[[And where will you go.]]
>
>Akisame looked around before seeing a large painted map of Japan on the wall
>of a building. He walked over to it and stared at it momentarily.
>
>"I'm going to..." he closed his eyes and swung a finger at the map, then
>opened them to see his destination, "Nerima."
(
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