A Tale Of True Demons - Book 1: Innocence Begone (Indra Otsutsuki)

Chapter 33: What Is Wrong With This Monk?

"Let's just say you know who has thrown a bit of a tantrum!" Replied the blond monk in the boy's stead from out of however, carrying a small pile of wooden planks within his arms.

"Again?!" Groaned the adult monk as he slapped a hand over his face. Dropping it back to his side, he then looked back at the boy then added "We are deeply sorry about him, it's just that he-"

"No, it's fine!" Indra cut him of with both his hands raised. "Like I said, I bumped into him, so I completely understand him for being angry!"

"And like I said..."

The brunette then felt a hand on his head. It was soon revealed to just be the blond monk himself, his free began ruffling his hair while the other still carried the planks.

"Just because the fault is yours, doesen't mean he has the right to abuse you like that!"

"What are you standing around there for? Get back to work, you fool!"

"Sorry, Master!" Was all the blond said before once again, running off.

"Hurry up, will ya! The sooner we finish up, the sooner we leave this village!"

Now this caught the boy's attention.

"Wait, you guys are leaving?"

Dropping his head to meet eyes with the boy, the bald man then responded "Of course! We are monks after all, we travel all over the land and either cleanse or bring good fortune to the villages we visit. And we monks aren't as ordinary as you think, because we are highly trained in the arts of purification and theatre."

"In other words, your purification rituals are in the form of music or dances, right?" Curiously asked Indra. "Like the Kabuki Theatre last night!"

Shockingly, this made the older monk let out a laugh and ruffle the boy's hair.

"I'm impressed, I have expected youths such as yourself to forget learning our ways, guess I was wrong!" Pulling his hand away, he continued "Well, as I have mentioned, I too must go back to work." Turning away, he began walking away whilst adding without looking back at the brunette "Now run along home, young lad!"

As Indra watched the adult's form disappear from behind a corner, he then finally remembered the very reason why he went to the village in the first place.

Slapping a hand over his mouth, he gasped "I can't believe I forgot, I still need to find Shiro!"

Hopping off the stool, he was about to push his heels into a sprint. That's until there appeared the bad timing for his childish curiosity to kick in when his attention was caught by the very wagon filled with those small bamboos. His mind was screaming at him to immediately go and find the dog, but as always, his curiosity was sadly louder.

So he approached the vehicle and carefully took one of the stalks that sat atop the pile, making sure that none of the bamboos would turn into an avalanche and end up burying him in the process. Not only because he didn't want to end up getting scolded for the fault, but he too do not wish to cause trouble for these monks, even if one of them was a hot-headed jerk. Closely inspecting it, he then began slowly and continously lifting the thing up and down.

"It's heavy!"

Shaking it a bit, he knew all too well that the shoots are always taken out whenever the bamboo was prepared like this, so he could only assume that they filled the container to the brim with a powdery substance. Being the curious child he was, he then lifted the bamboo high above his head and...

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!"

The sudden voice startled Indra, making him nearly drop the object in his hands. Spinning himself to see, his dark eyes were soon met with steel blue ones.