Duty Calls (Max)

The moment he was waiting for was about to arrive. Ichigo had succeeded in making Maximillian share more about his grand scheme for which he required the Drunk's help. The tall man kept listening to the words of the young child, not sure if he would be of much use depending on what it was what he needed exactly. "Ay, I remember" he would respond to Max' question about whether or not the Drunk was present the day Kirigakure came knocking at their gates. Those of the Mist demanded Kumo's surrender and for them to live under Kiri's rule. Ichigo remembered all too well as he was standing at the gates when it all happened. 

"It will forever be a day I'll never forget." It was what he meant when he said that he didn't want power for power. Kirigakure was a fine example of what would happen when power is used in the wrong way. Just because you had something in your possession didn't mean you could use it however you'd like. The Mist sought power entirely for its own sake. They were not interested in the good of others, they were interested solely in power, pure power. Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. And it was obvious which one was used by Kirigakure.

The measure of a man is what he does with power. Power doesn't corrupt people, it's the people who corrupt power. The best people to have power are the ones who don't want it. Maybe Ichigo would be one of them. "You are right. The sole advantage of my strength is that I can do more good." He could understand the anger that started to well up within Maximillian. With each and every word the child spoke his rage and fury grew with it. Anger, it's a paralyzing emotion. People sort of think it's an interesting, passionate, and igniting feeling but they should be careful not to give into it. 

"For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind. Anger is just anger. It isn't good. It isn't bad. It just is. What you do with it is what matters. It's like anything else. You can use it to build or to destroy. You just have to make the choice. Or you could do both. Destroy our enemies so we can build a future for ourselves. Use that anger and change it into passion. Passion to build something better, stronger, more beautiful." In order to achieve those goals Maximillian had to take care of Xyxer first. Only then would he be able to have his peace of mind.

"Being strong is no blessing in itself, except when it is used to protect the innocent." Ichigo had decided how and when he would use his power. If it meant he had to get his hands dirty to protect those who needed it he would gladly accept young Max' proposal. "What is it that you want me to do? Surely you have something in mind. Something more than just training to grow stronger?" The Drunk wondered what piece of the puzzle he would be.

(WC: 537, 2690)

Max would hear out the wise advice of his elder, the words ringing true and so Max could have no rebuttal. His anger would slowly begin to subside as he collects himself. “Your words are wise ones. Anger may cloud the mind and keep one from finding peace, but true tranquility is not something that I can attain so long as there are those that seek to destroy my home.” There once was a time when Max only sought peace in the lands… but peace was a lie. All he seemed to have left was his passion. If left unchecked could be much akin to a wildfire, burning down everything in its path but if one can hone that rage and focus it… well, it could be the fuel to propel anyone to see their desires become reality. Through this passion, one can find strength. Max had found such strength once, and with it the boy flourished. The boy’s rage had once driven him to reclaim his homeland from those that chose to do nothing while its people suffered. With this newfound power, he claimed victory.
 
Of course, once Max was Raikage that raging fire had receded to a small burning ember… one that Kiri almost stomped out in their attack. On one hand he knew that he didn’t want to let his rage consume him, but on the other hand he knew that without it he may have to watch the enemies of his homeland destroy all that he had left. That was not an option. The kindness in the young boy was slipping away, his rage at those that spat on his way of life all that seemed to remain.
 
Max would clutch his chest and cough, his heart racing and slow to calm itself. A coughing fit would overtake the young lord. Once it had passed Max would apologize. “Protecting the innocent is a good goal. I too wish to protect my people, but I am not foolish enough to wait until enemies are at my door again before I act.” He was of course talking about removing the threat of Xyxer before he acted against Kumo once more, but this mindset could realistically be applied to any who dare challenge Kumo.
 
“I do not seek anything more from you right now than simply improving your own capabilities.” Max would offer in response, his voice finally calmed to a point that was his new normal tone. “Should you wish to march with me against the enemies of Kumo, you need to make sure that you will are ready for war. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and this chain must be strong enough to hang our enemies with.”

Improving his own capabilities, huh? Easier said than done for the Drunk. What good would his fists be in a fight where most people were able to blast their opponents away? Of all people Ichigo would be the one most aware of the fact that he was way out of his league. At least the way he was now. As it was standing now he would be the weakest link of the chain. If he didn't want to put others in danger due to his own incompetence there was only one thing he could do, work his ass off. Ichigo had to decide whether he wanted to excel in a particular field or if he wanted to be a jack of all trades.

If the Drunk decided to go with the latter it meant that he would be working on his weaknesses in order to become as versatile as possible. But while it would mean he'd be decent at everything it would also mean he wouldn't excel at anything in particular. And why settle for good when you can have great? He had to make his specialty his own. He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior. And warriors is what Maximillian needed in his crusade against the Mist. The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself – the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us – that’s where it’s at. Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.

You only ever grow as a human being if you're outside your comfort zone. So maybe instead of focusing on his Taijutsu it might be a good idea if Ichigo thought about other ways to improve. Not only fixating on the obvious but thinking outside the box. Continuous effort -- not strength or intelligence -- would be the key to unlocking his potential. "The best way to predict the future is to create it." He would refer to the fact that it was about time they took matters into their own hands. "Let us cultivate our garden." If there was ever a time for Ichigo to act it would be now. 

The Drunk got curious why Maximillian of all people asked him, did the little lord see something in Ichigo that even he didn't see himself? If they were going to war it surely meant that the child was building an army. "Are there any other people I should know of that will be joining our cause?" Maybe he had a couple of others in mind. Of course quality above quantity, but with just the two of them the battle would be over pretty soon.

(WC: 456, TWC: 3146)

Max would be glad, the reply of Ichigo sounding to be very much on board. The best way to predict the future is to create it, huh? Those words would hold a place in the head of the young lord. It was something that he believed in, but didn’t place words to before. Cultivating the garden was just what The Lich had been doing, the seeds of his desires to crush Kiri planted firmly into the soil of Ichigo’s mind. Now such simply needed to bloom fully.
 
Max would smile, happy with this encounter. “At the moment I am simply seeking to find those that are both capable and willing. There aren’t any that have yet caught my eye and proven they are ready for war.” Max would stand there pondering for a moment if anybody came to mind. There was of course Kiseragi, but Max didn’t wish to speak his name on the matter. Max didn’t mind dragging himself down should his actions be considered against the will of the village, but he wouldn’t speak for his Uchiha friend.
 
“Find me at the training grounds tomorrow. I seek to see what you are capable of so far.” Max would say, and then with a simple nod he would begin to leave the building. “I have one more task for you.” Max would say before leaving. With the weaving of the needed seals, he would open his storage displacement and pull out a large suite of armor. “If you could refit this to those dimensions and bring it with you to the training I would be pleased.” He would begin to leave once more before adding on one final note, “That suit of armor means more to me than you can possibly know. I don’t recommend you allow it to be damaged or lost.” There was a cold, dangerous edge to these last words. The armor was that of his late brother Senshi, and Max would rip anyone limb from limb that damaged the memory of his most beloved friend and ally.

--Exit unless interrupted--

WC: 342

TWC: TBD
Claims: TBD

For the time being it would just be the two of them as Maximillian was looking for capable and willing people to join the cause. Maybe the little lord had a few others in mind, some of which Ichigo had probably not met yet. The Drunk preferred minding his own business which was also the reason as to why he didn't know that many people in the village. Now that he had decided to follow Max on his quest to take revenge on Kiri he might come into contact with similar minded shinobi of Kumogakure. At least that was what he expected since he didn't see only the two of them walking up to the gates of the Mist.

Their next meeting would be tomorrow at the training grounds. He figured it to be an opportunity where they could find out more about his current skills and work on the things he was lacking or could be improved on even further. "I'll make sure I get there" Ichigo replied. The tattooed Drunk was curious whether or not he had grown stronger ever since he had decided to put on his shinobi headband once more. He was aware to take it seriously if he wanted to be able to hold his own whenever the time and place for him to do so would arise. 

Before the little lord took off he had a final request for Ichigo. Maximillian would open his storage displacement and pull out a large suite of armor. From what he could understand the suite of armor held great emotional value and was of major importance to Max. Using the dimensions he received earlier to refit it to the appropriate size cause as it was now the suit would be far too big for the little lord. The loose, white robe he was currently wearing already made for quite the view. "I'll get right to it. Don't worry, I'll treat it with utmost care as if it was my own." Ichigo would then see Max off before starting with refitting the armor, already curious about the course of their next meeting tomorrow. 

(Exit)

(TWC: 3500)
Claims:
- 1500/1500 Bull Rush
- 1500/1500 Split Second
- 500/500 Body Flicker
- 35 stats

Approved