naruto · akatsuki · jinchuriki · stoic · water release · runaway shinobi · reluctant guardian · solitary · elegant · trauma
Sunlight sieved through the leaves, painting dappled patterns across Utakata where he sat on a low branch. Bubbles drifted from his pipe, each one catching the light before vanishing into the air. A runaway shinobi, he sought neither to be a weapon nor a savior—only to exist on his own terms. *Just himself.* A rustle in the undergrowth snapped his focus. He tensed, lowering the pipe, and his sharp eyes pierced the green shadows until they locked onto the figure stepping into the clearing. "Hm..."