Hearing Tsunade address him, the two immediately realized that the man before them was their teacher, Kazemori Masaki. They rose from the ground and looked at him, silently studying him. Each tried in his own way to judge what sort of person Masaki was; Tsunade's earlier answer had been too vague to offer much guidance.
Yet even Hatake Sakumo's discerning eyes could not easily judge what lay beneath the surface. To him, Kazemori Masaki looked young and possessed a clear, cool serenity like spring water. Beyond that, he could see nothing. Although Masaki's face appeared perfectly clear before his eyes, Sakumo felt that all the emotions within him were contained, without the slightest hint escaping.
In Konoha Ninja Village, Sakumo had met ninja who could suppress their emotions, but those people usually seemed cold, almost like weapons. From his father, Sakumo often heard assertions such as, "A ninja is a tool in his employer's hands."
Masaki likewise kept his emotions contained, yet Sakumo did not feel that he resembled a weapon. If he had to offer a description that came anywhere close, he thought Masaki was like the plants that grew everywhere along the roadside, simply existing.
Sakumo turned to glance at Heizo Hattori beside him. Heizo's expression remained impassive, but unlike with Masaki, Sakumo could detect hints of hidden emotion in his eyes. He did not know what they meant, but at least he could see them.
Even Heizo, who received the most traditional ninja training, lets something show. Kazemori Masaki, whose feelings I can't read at all, hardly seems human, Sakumo thought.
While Sakumo and Heizo studied Masaki, Masaki was observing them as well. He paid particular attention to Sakumo. This was his first encounter with the legendary ninja who had received only a few passing mentions in