Into The Nothing

[ShinobiTruth]

"Insolent whelp!"

Ookuri crashed deep into the ground of a long-dead moon, entombed in stone of time immemorial by the weight of the cosmos itself. His head was spinning. Everything hurt. The boy felt a draining sensation pulling at the fringes of his very senses, but he fought hard against it even as the very moon in which he had just been buried was rent asunder by a single swipe of a claw blacker than any dead night sky. The amount of effort it took the great beast, a dragon as grand in scale and power as what seemed like the universe itself, was akin to a child pulling apart a cotton swab. He was one young man against... for lack of a better word, a literal god. How had he come to this place? Why was he fighting this beast? Where had he even come from?

Glowing eyes, cold and alien and, yet, all the same familiar, stared down at him. A brief pause in the everlasting onslaught that proceeded this moment broke the chaos, a moment of stillness in a cascade of exploding stars and celestial decay. Ookuri rose to his feet, wracking his brain for answers. But deep within, he knew.

He was finished. He knew it. The beast knew it, too.

The beast's eyes, an ebony dragon so grand that it swallowed his view whole, somehow glowed even brighter still. "You could have been a god to your pathetic race. An avatar of cosmic power and authority amongst flesh and dirt. Now... you are simply a waste of my time. A failure, just like the others before you."

Opening his fanged maw, blinding cosmic flame of a million dying stars coalesced within. "Face it, child: you'd have been better off if you'd left me to my sleep."

Oblivion rained down upon the young man. He could feel his flesh atomize before the starfire even hit him.

---

Ookuri choked for air as he awoke in his dorm, completely drenched in sweat and gripping his blanket so tightly that he'd somehow managed to punch holes through it. His hands and body trembled so violently that he could barely find the support necessary to lift himself up to sit on the side of his bed. Ever since he'd intensified his training regiment, Ookuri's nightmares had returned, and they had come back with a powerful vengeance. He'd come to learn about the strange spirit that was somehow bound to his soul since meeting Yasu, but every time he tried to enter his own inner world, he simply saw the same obsidian orb as he always did. Unresponsive, seemingly floating within his metaphysical consciousness without purpose. Were these dreams simply dreams? Were they messages from the spirit? Portents of the future? These thoughts tortured the aspiring genin almost as much as the dreams himself. Just when he had reclaimed a path to his future, he once again had uncertainty thrust upon him.

Ookuri clenched his teeth. The anxiety and frustration of it all were enough to make him burst into tears. But he held strong. He wouldn't allow himself to burden Yasu with problems that were so insignificant in comparison to what she had to deal with every day with Konegu. She'd been forced to become the village's weapon without truly understanding what that really meant. He didn't have anything against crying or being emotional... but he wanted to be a support, not a burden. Yasu already knew about the nightmares, as it was. She didn't need to know how bad they'd gotten. Besides, someone shooting to become the Raikage would have to face fears far more real than this. Sometimes, the stereotypical rigidness that men were supposed to have could be useful.

Ookuri knew that he wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon. Getting up, he quickly showered and changed into his training outfit before heading to the training grounds. Many of the arts he was pursuing would require meticulous manipulation of his chakra. He truly could not have too much training. Sitting down cross-legged, he focused on the circulation of chakra in his body and began to meditate.

Unknown to him, Ookuri's dream had sent an echo that the spirits of the world could detect. His desire to maintain Yasu's peace might just go unfulfilled.

[Willoria]

Within her dreams Yasu stood upon that cold beach once more. She could stare up at the mountains or look behind her at the empty village, but regardless of which view she chose, the place had slowly become a place of comfort and solitude for her. The cold air even felt refreshing, even as she realized the water before her was beginning to freeze at the edges. But something nagged at her now, as if there was something else for her to see. Turning she looked first at the Longhouse, knowing that was where the Okigenma often preferred to be when speaking to her, but as she did she instead saw the shape of a man at the doors of one of the other houses. He wasn't overly tall, his hair blonde but shaved on either size and pulled back. His eyes a piercing red as the same color wafted off of him almost like a smoke. Brow furrowed she looked at him in confusion. "Konegu?" The form was familiar, but not the same as others she had seen and it made her wonder what was so important.

He did not speak, but only smirked and beckoned her forward.

Yasu walked towards him, even as he turned away to one of the other huts she followed him. When he stopped at a doorway she stopped with him, giving him a look of confusion. "What is it?"

"I told you to avoid him, but you just can't anymore can you?" Konegu spoke, voice like gravel as he grinned at her and pushed open the door to this small hut though only darkness seemed to lay beyond it.

Yasu shook her head, having a hard time focusing enough to figure out just who Konegu meant. "What are you going on about?" She stepped closer to the door to look inside and suddenly she felt a hand at her back as she was suddenly pushed forward.

For a moment she saw, as if miles beneath her, a ground of an unfamiliar dirt and upon it was Ookuri, as if some great force had thrown him there. When she opened her mouth to call out to him she felt herself suddenly falling, dragged down as the scream erupted from her chest in a shattering of stars.

---

Yasu awoke to herself screaming, drenched in a layer of sweat it took her several moments to catch her breath. As she came to herself, realizing where she was, she found herself oddly happy that Ieyasu wasn't home. The man had been sent on a mission, and she really wasn't looking forward to explaining what she had just seen to him. She looked around wildly, as always wondering if she would see one of her other guardians but she never did. The others didn't seem fond of showing themselves.

Out of the window she could see the sun barely rising, and so sprang from the bed to quickly get dressed and run a brush through her hair. Hastily grabbing her things she rushed out, knowing exactly where she would find Ookuri. 'If he's awake, he'll be training.' she thought to herself. It would probably be an hour at least before she arrived, pausing as she found herself standing in front of the meditating Ookuri as she struggled to figure out what to say, and how to say it.

"Who is he?" Was what came out.

[ShinobiTruth]

Yasu's voice broke the silence like the tinkling cracks of melting ice. Gentle, refreshing, inviting even, like winter giving way to spring. Still, it was clear by her tone that she was distraught, and her words themselves made it evident that somehow, as he had feared, she had sensed the turmoil in Ookuri's dream. Slowly opening his eyes, exhaling deeply, Ookuri couldn't quite manage to meet Yasu's gaze. The dream tonight, somehow, had been different. Sure, they had been getting progressively worse over time, but this one carried a weight that Ookuri had simply never experienced before. Never before had he heard the beast's voice. It carried the authority and tone of something so impossibly ancient that it was simply beyond the boy's comprehension to understand. Even when meeting Konegu, he hadn't felt such a presence. Konegu still seemed definable. This... this was primal... preordained by existence itself.

And for the first time, his apprehension had turned to fear. He was afraid, just like before.

Ookuri didn't bother trying to hide his fears behind pleasantries and reassurances. He allowed his shoulders to slump, the weight of fatigue and stress finding relief in Yasu's pointed question. Shaking his head softly, he finally answered, but simply "...I don't know, Yasu-san."

Curling his knees up toward his chest, the hospital scene would play out once again for the pair, only in reverse. Resting his forehead against his legs, Ookuri's arms loosely wrapped around his ankles, the young man in a sense literally retreating into himself in his plea for help. "I... I just don't know," he said even more quietly this time, his voice just barely above a whisper.

[Willoria]

'Child... this boy is dangerous. What is inside him... it is untamed. It has no civility in it, not like I and my kin. It may not even be properly sealed. It is no danger to me, but to you... to you it is.'

Yasu didn't entirely ignore Konegu's words and warnings, but she didn't reply to them. They made sense to her, they even made her put a few pieces together and realize something, but it wasn't something she could immediately tell Ookuri. She watched him curl up into himself and knew how scared he was, she knew it better than anyone if she had to guess. She stepped closer to him and knelt beside him, reaching out to wrap her arms around him. "I can help you, you know." she said quietly. "I can protect you." she added, not knowing the influence of the genma in her own words as she shifted her head to try and catch Ookuri's gaze.

"How much as it shown you?"

[ShinobiTruth]

Leaning into Yasu's touch was something Ookuri didn't even have to think about at this point; it simply came to him as second nature. She was gentle, inviting in her approach, and so long as her doors were open to him, he would always accept that generosity. Even within the shadows of their hushed conversation, their eyes glowed brightly, Yasu's deep crimson meeting Ookuri's golden amber. Shifting his head slightly to the side, he rested his brow gently upon her, though it took him a bit longer still before he could meet her eyes. The fact that she had to come to his aid stung him with shame despite how readily he was to accept it. He'd promised her that he would become strong enough to protect her and everyone else. If this was the path he had to take to find that strength, so be it... but he was impatient in that day arriving, regardless of how early he was on that journey. He would learn one day that this shame was simply learning humility, but for now, his still immature mind recoiled at the thought.

"...It's only been dreams... so I don't have a way of knowing if it's all in my head or not... but I've seen much," he confessed. "I've been to the beginning of everything... and I've been to its end many, many times. I've watched moons crumble and melt, I've watched dying stars flash with brilliance and power more intense than any sun. I've seen voids in creation that devour even light itself... and I've seen our reality end far more times than I'd ever thought or hoped. The only thing that remains constant is the beast. An ebony dragon so grand in scale that he swallows your view simply by standing before him..."

As he explained, the deeper extent of his fatigue might become more evident now that she was closer to Ookuri. There were evident circles under his eyes. It was clear that sleep was an increasingly fleeting guest in his life at the moment. Even his gaze communicated the toll this ordeal was taking on him.

[Willoria]

There was one part of Ookuri's situation that, while Yasu could empathize, she had never been in it. When Konegu was sealed within her, she knew about it. Though it terrified her, there had been no great mystery. But between what Konegu had been warning her of all along, and what Ookuri was telling her now, he had never been told. To be caught up by such a thing and not even know, it had to be terrifying. She held Ookuri and saw how tired he was, listening to his words and sighing to herself as she knew he probably struggled to tell her. He had helped her so much, she had never seen him give in and let her be the strong one before, and she knew that had to kill him inside. He had never said it, but she knew Ookuri was a very proud person. It was why his rank ate at him as well.

With a quiet sigh she shifted and looked him in the eyes almost sadly. "I know what's happening." she said quietly. "I don't know it's name but... Ookuri, I think you have a spirit in you just as I do." she told him her voice still barely above a whisper. "Konegu has been giving me vague warnings since we met, and they never made sense until now. And the difficulties you've faced as a shinobi... there is something in you. It is sapping at your chakra, your sanity..." she swallowed hard, unsure if what she was saying would come as a welcome relief or only deepen his fear.

"There's a spirit in you, not unlike a genma... you need to commune with it, if you can find it, you can work with it and you'll be stronger than ever."

[ShinobiTruth]

The boy simply contented himself to rest within Yasu's embrace and simply be there with him. Ookuri didn't expect her to try and find some miraculous answer to all of his problems. For him, simply having her friendship, maybe one day even her affection, would be enough. It was strange to him that in this low point such thoughts might come to mind, but he'd frankly been smitten with Yasu for some time now, and he wasn't certain that was really a secret to her. Still, he wasn't the one to push anything. The fact she was here at all was a blessing.

So when Yasu confirmed that she knew what was happening, her voice firm with grim certainty, it took him a bit by surprise. Ookuri's confusion was evident at first, but as Yasu continued to explain, she could see the questioning look in his eyes fade away into startling realization. He'd never even thought to consider exactly why it had been so easy to commune with Konegu in the first place. He had simply believed that it had been because Yasu, and through extension Konegu, had allowed it. An outside factor had never even crossed his mind. Now, however, things seemed to click into place. He sat for a time, searching Yasu's eyes and finding only the truth behind them.

The irony of the situation wasn't lost on him, and he couldn't help letting a small chuckle escape from his lips. "Spirits. They seem to always cause us so much trouble," he softly grinned, sliding his arm out from around his leg to slip around Yasu's back and rest upon her shoulder. "But they also brought us together. So... I guess I should be thankful for these spirits inside us, shouldn't I?"

Taking a deep breath, he more fully relaxed. His fear wasn't completely gone, but he at least had an idea of what he was dealing with now. And it had been that very fear that had given Ookuri the courage to be there for Yasu during her difficulties with Konegu after they'd first met. He wasn't above giving gratitude to the creature hijacking his body for that at least. "Thank you, Yasu," he sighed, his tired eyes glowing just a bit more brightly than before.

[Willoria]

Yasu was more than a little relieved that the new knowledge didn't upset him, and in fact seemed to bring him a great deal of relief. He had been her literal rock for so long, to know she could relieve him of his fears even a little bit was a huge boon to the girl. She couldn't help smiling as he thanked her and she leaned forward, resting her forehead against his as she sighed quietly, albeit happily. "Anything for you." she said quietly, looking at him a moment before doing something that would have had her blushing furiously if she had actually thought about it before acting. She tipped her head and closed the distance between them, kissing him on the lips gently.

'Foolish, reckless girl.'

She ignored Konegu entirely, for the moment not caring what the old spirit objected to. She now understood not only what plagued Ookuri, but why he had always been so good at understanding her. She smiled as she broke the kiss, looking at him almost hesitantly as she awaited his response, silently hoping she hadn't overstepped and the blush finally began to fill out her cheeks.

[ShinobiTruth]

Ookuri's eyes caught something yet unseen in Yasu's gaze as he gave her thanks. He didn't fully register it at first, but then those three simple words flew from her lips:

"Anything for you."

In that split second, as Yasu leaned in, he finally understood. And then her lips touched his, and his worries and fears melted away.

In a world where dragons flew in hidden skies and spirits abound, it was difficult to find something that could truly be called "magic." But this moment, where hearts and lips connected, was just so. No other words could properly describe the experience to the boy's rejuvenated mind. His eyes opening once more when their lips parted, Ookuri could see the intense look in Yasu's eyes still, even as she retreated back to herself. Just as it had required courage for him to open up to Yasu about his fears, Yasu was also a reserved person. To do something so bold when she had no way of knowing how Ookuri felt... she had been brave to do so. He could tell she was still wondering.

She wouldn't have to for any longer.

Smiling a bit more widely and dropping one of his knees, Ookuri brought his hand down to Yasu's waist and gently pulled her closer even as his own cheeks were flushed upon his dark skin. "I guess we should thank them for this, too," he whispered, leaning down and meeting Yasu's lips in an equally gentle, if not deeper, kiss as his free hand delicately cradled Yasu's cheek.

It would go on only for as long as Yasu was comfortable with, but Ookuri would reach for Yasu's hand and intertwine his fingers with her own when they had finally had enough. "You know... I woke up thinking today was going to be a bad day... Funny how expectations can often be so easily destroyed," he chuckled deeply as the pair sat together.

[Willoria]

Yet again Yasu felt relief wash over her as she shifted closer to him and he returned her kiss with one of his own. She didn't mind when the kiss deepened, even smiling against his lips when they finally broke the kiss and their fingers intertwined. She had a darkening blush across her own cheeks as she smiled at him, chuckling as he spoke. "I think when it comes to spirits, this is just how it is. Bad to better, back and forth at a constant..." she said quietly, looking at him for a moment. "Now I know why you've always understood though, why you seem to know what I'm going through with Konegu."

She lifted her head and looked at Ookuri a moment as a thought occurred to her. "Whatever it is, Konegu isn't happy about it... but maybe I can still use him to help you find it. If we can get you two talking... who knows what could happen?" she sighed and looked at him, knew he'd been a genin longer than most and it was something that ate at him, but now knowing what she knew... "If you can tap into this, you may be more than the strongest shinobi in our class, you'll finally be able to excel."

[ShinobiTruth]

The budding of young love had driven the worries and preoccupations from Ookuri's mind. The clear mental space allowed Ookuri's more reasonable side to return. "A fickle partnership... that does seem to be how they operate. I can't really explain why, but even though I don't seem to be on its good list, I'd like to change that paradigm. Still, even though Konegu and I aren't on the greatest of terms, I won't treat the genma or you unfairly. He should have a say. Just like I'm in this with this unknown spirit within me, you two, justly or otherwise, are in this together as well."

Ookuri could only imagine what Konegu had been like before being captured and subordinated to the village. Humans were, as a collective, selfish, and they only looked after their own interests. It's entirely possible that humans unjustly subjugated them and bound them to suit their own purposes. If that was a correct assumption, a free being like Konegu was being perpetually enslaved when they were originally meant for a greater purpose, just like how Yasu's freedom was taken away through the deception of the genma sealing. Ookuri knew that Yasu was a victim, yes... but he had finally realized that maybe Konegu was a victim, too. That might explain his constant skepticism and what felt like an inherent dislike for humans. Ookuri didn't know if he'd ever succeed in winning Konegu's trust, even begrudgingly... but he would try.

[Willoria]

As Konegu ranted and raved in her head, Yasu couldn't help a bit of a giggle at Ookuri's desire to get Konegu's permission. "That is going to take a little time." she admitted, shaking her head. "You see, he's weirdly protective of me. It's kinda weird considering I was forced on him as much as he was on me but... all he ever talks about is keeping me safe. He probably means it as keeping him safe, but still. He hates Ieyasu because he thinks he'll kill me one day, and he hates you for whatever is in you. He won't tell me what it is, only that it is dangerous to me somehow." she shrugged almost sadly as she looked at Ookuri. "I may have to take some time to convince him before I can get him on board."

In truth the thing that excited Yasu the most about this was what it might mean for Ookuri as a shinobi. Some part of her feared that once he began to get good, he'd leave her in the dust. He might have been stuck as a Genin for some time now but he had so much experience and knowledge because of it, she was certain that once his talents began to show he'd outpace her in an instant. But she buried that worry, knowing that he had worked so hard and if his career took off that was exactly what he deserved, he had done so much work, he deserved to be recognized for it. She hoped the discovery of this spirit might mean discovering what inhibited his use of chakra, that perhaps he could finally overcome it.

"Maybe.... we should talk to Roku-Sensei? He is my handler and knows quite a bit about spirits. He might be able to help too." She was hesitant to bring it up, silently worrying that on the other side of all this there was a possibility the village didn't know about the spirit in Ookuri and could react badly.

[ShinobiTruth]

Ookuri shook his head. ”There’s no need to worry. I won’t force him to do anything against his will. I imagine that, even if it’s for selfish reasons, he has your best interests in mind. And he needs time to see that I’m not going to force him into anything he doesn’t want to do. He’s spent years, maybe even centuries or millennia, being forced into servitude by humans. Hopefully, with time, he’ll understand I’m different. As for the spirit inside me, you won’t have to put yourself in harm’s way to help me. Even something as simple as coaching will help.” Ookuri was fairly confident that even Konegu, stubborn as he might be, would change his tune once he saw a consistent pattern of behavior.

The mention of Roku-sensei, in contrast, gave Ookuri pause. Spirits, while capable of deception themselves, didn’t seem as predisposed to dishonesty as humans. Though the dominant species, humans in all their forms had a greater propensity for selfishness. Breaking the yoke over Yasu would be more difficult if he himself was chained in like manner. Still, he was no fool. ”Not yet. After all, these visions may simply be dreams... and I’ll admit that trust in the village is a bit shaken now that I’ve seen what you’ve gone through. But at the first sign of trouble, yes, we should report it. It will make things difficult if we have to... but I can’t let myself be a danger to those around me if it comes to that.”

Kissing Yasu on the brow, Ookuri took her hands in his. ”Now, since we’re already awake, and since there aren’t classes today... did you wanna help me with a bit of training?” he asked, his eyes much brighter and free of worry. For how terrible this day had started, his prospects for what awaited them had significantly improved.

[Willoria]

'You would really throw your lover to your would-be murderer? How callous of you.' Konegu mocked Yasu, and it was the first time in awhile that one of his cracks about Ieyasu caught her off guard, though it wasn't the part about Ieyasu that got to her.

'Lover?! What?!' The girl was suddenly wide-eyed and blushing as the genma laughed in the back of her mind and she looked at Ookuri as he kissed her on the forehead. It took her a moment for her mind to catch up and realize what he said as she tried to calm her blush. "Yeah, I'm sorry, Ieyasu is a bad idea." she said, shaking her head and swallowing hard. "We could train." she added, looking at Ookuri a moment as she blushed again, reaching up a hand to run a hand through her hair.

"Are we... are we dating?"

[ShinobiTruth]

Ookuri didn't know exactly what realization Yasu had come to as he kissed her brow, but it was clear that something had clicked or sparked in her mind. He wouldn't force anything from her, regardless of how eagerly he wanted to know of her thoughts. When Yasu was ready to speak, she would speak. Ookuri's responsibility was to be ready to listen. Ookuri was ready to get to the training, but when Yasu looked up at him, he made himself wait. He suspected that her time to speak would be coming sooner than he had originally expected.

Ookuri opened his mouth to answer almost immediately after the question came, but no words came out. He needed to stop and think about more than just what he wanted. Yasu clearly seemed nervous, for obvious reasons. A relationship with anyone with another being sealed inside of them would pose risks and complications, let alone one that was to be used in service of the village as a weapon. Privacy would be a challenge on even the most basic level. And there was no telling what kinds of risks came with their unique situation. And yet... even with all of that... Ookuri had to be honest with himself and with Yasu. He cared very deeply for this young woman, and he was ready and willing to face whatever difficulties there would be if it meant they could stand side by side.

Yasu would see that he was searching for the answer within himself, but she wouldn't have to wait long. The moment that he came to his decision would be clear in his gaze. Taking a deep breath, Ookuri spoke. It was clear that he himself was nervous about speaking, much like Yasu. "...Only if you want to," he said softly. "But even in light of everything we would have to deal with, and even though I'm scared that my own feelings might scare you or push you away... I want to be with you, Yasu. Standing here with you, hand in hand... It feels right. It feels like it's where I belong."

[Willoria]

For a brief moment, a smile came across Yasu's lips, but just as quickly it vanished as she remembered a conversation she'd had some time ago and suddenly she felt tears in her eyes as she looked down. "It feels right... but I..." she started, clearing her throat to say more. "You know, my mom used to tell me that dating was to find out if you could have a family with someone and I... can't." she said quietly, looking around briefly before looking down at her hands. "I met a new friend recently and his mother was a host before me. When he was born he said that Konegu tried to use him to escape. He has some unique abilities as a result, its like a curse to him, and his mother died violently in the process."

She swallowed again, still not looking up as the words just kept flowing. "I've wanted to one day have a family all my life and now, after I agreed to this, I find out I can't..."

'Please... an exaggeration...'

[ShinobiTruth]

Ookuri's eyes looked down as a litany of emotions flashed across Yasu's face. As she managed to get the words out, Yasu's worries, her plight simply endeared her to the Arashiyama more, and her pain became his own. These were not simple things that she had to deal with. He wouldn't make promises he couldn't keep. While the notion of having a family hadn't crossed Ookuri's mind up until this point, he certainly would be thrilled if he shared that family with someone as wonderful as Yasu. For a time, silence hung between them. Ookuri did his best to choose his next words carefully. Delicately taking both her hands in his own, Ookuri slowly lowered himself to one knee, seeking his darling's warm, chocolate eyes. It seemed that, just as with his own issue with the spirit within him, Konegu was the crux in all of this. To Ookuri, it didn't matter what kind of family he had with Yasu, as long as she was part of it. But to her... simply saying "we could adopt" or "family is what you make it" would seem uncaring, cold. So, Ookuri did the only thing he could think of.

He sought out the source.

"...Yasu... If it's not dangerous for you, can you take into your inner world? Where Konegu is?" he asked softly, his eyes firm in their resolve.

[Willoria]

In spite of Konegu, for a change, encouraging what Ookuri was suggestion, Yasu shook her head almost violently. "No, that's a bad idea." she said almost immediately. She suddenly stood and took a few steps away from Ookuri, beginning to pace as she ran both hands through her hair, intertwining her fingers behind her neck as she took a few deep breaths. "He lies, Ookuri. These spirits are only interested in themselves, in escaping, and they will do anything to convince anyone otherwise in the hopes that they will one day succeed. If they can create a weakness, they can succeed. The woman I mentioned... Konegu used her baby to try and get out." She took a deep and shuddering breath as she fought tears and turned to look at Ookuri a moment.

"After her son Senji sought me out... I talked to Ieyasu. He showed me the full reports. Unredacted. I can't let Konegu lie to me on this one, and I can't give him the opportunity to lie to you either." Yasu could hear the genma railing in her head, causing he to bring a hand up to touch the side of her head as a headache began. But she tried to hold fast to what she was saying, pushing herself to not give in.

[ShinobiTruth]

Yasu’s reaction itself wasn’t surprising; rather, it was how immediate it was. Ookuri stayed silent and listened, knowing she needed to be heard. It was difficult seeing her clearly fight within herself against Konegu when he wanted nothing more than to help. But he had to respect Yasu’s wishes. And just not because being naive would give Konegu some sort of advantage, but simply because she deserved it. How many people had exploited this young woman for their own gain? Ookuri refused to be one of those people. He made an oath to himself, right then and there, that he would never treat Yasu so callously.

Ookuri nodded, but he stayed kneeling where he was. ”I understand, Yasu,” he confirmed. ”I will do everything in my power to make your dreams a reality, but I won’t do it at your expense like others have. I know that I don’t have the answers, and I know that I can’t stop all of the pain... but I promise to never stop looking for them. I promise to never stop fighting for you. And I promise to always be there to help you endure. I don’t care what form our family takes so long as we’re together in it.”

He wouldn’t make a promise he couldn’t keep, so he made one that he could. Ookuri had to admit that he still wanted to talk to Konegu. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the way Konegu has been treated, much like how Yasu had been treated, had a role to play in why they so viciously deceived and lied to humans. But this was Yasu’s choice. He would not disrespect it.

[Willoria]

Some part of Yasu knew she was too young still to be worrying about having a family and such things so long in the future. She knew that just because her and Ookuri were admitting having feelings for one another didn't mean they would one day have children. But in spite of being a future problem, Yasu's concerns about children were still a recent discovery that plagued her dreams with nightmares. To hear Ookuri say that he understood that, that he would help her, was a great relief. Though he was kneeling the girl suddenly and practically tackled him, wrapping her arms around his neck in her joy.

She sighed heavily, breathing against his neck as she made her relief known. "Thank you." she said quietly.

'I still say the boy is a mistake.'

[ShinobiTruth]

The Arashiyama was fortunate to have been kneeling. Had the girl glomped him in like manner while standing, he likely would have been toppled. Still, it was... nice. There were probably other fancier words that could describe the feeling that warmed Ookuri's chest, but none were so perfect in their simplicity. Embracing the sudden warmth, he returned the embrace, gently squeezing Yasu while he, likewise, set his cheek in the crook between her neck and shoulder. "Thank you, too, Yasu... Thank you for being here, for being you," he responded in kind.

Ookuri let the hug continue for as long as Yasu was comfortable with it before exhaling deeply, his eyes alight with optimism and hope. "Now, back to our original plan. If you're willing, I'd like your help with some training. Take my hands? I learned a chakra control exercise that might help me improve," he requested, crossing his legs as he sat on the ground.

An orb black as the void sat cold, unfeeling in an astral void. Deep within the Arashiyama's inner world, this sphere had remained so, no amount of experimental probing or thought-provoking questions seeming to awaken the object from its stasis. Today was shaping up to be just another day with this cursed companion.

Until it wasn't.

Within that shapeless night, the first spark of thought, of consciousness, erupted from the nothing. A pair of eyes, pale yellow and made of starfire, broke the obsidian domain with its piercing gaze. Ookuri felt and sensed nothing. It watched the boy, awaiting his companion's response to his inquiry.

"Closer..."

[Willoria]

Yasu nodded as Ookuri asked her to train with him and she sat with him. Her knees practically touched his as he crossed his legs and she mimicked the way he was sitting. She reached out her hands to take his and took a deep breath, closing her eyes with him. "What's the exercise?" she asked, not expecting what was about to come. She wasn't expecting to close her eyes and find herself opening them as if in another world. For a moment she simply stood still and stared at what was before her. "What is-?" Her words were cut off however as suddenly she saw a pair of eyes.

She realized quickly it wasn't unlike when she was in her own mindscape with Konegu. Tilting her head in curiosity she took a couple of steps towards the eyes before suddenly a hand was on her shoulder. Looking back it was the man she had seen in her own mindscape in the past. The sides of his head was shaved, hair down the center was long and pulled back with piercing red eyes and red smoke that seemed to trail off of him. He took a hold of her shoulder so securely it was as if she was suddenly rooted to the spot.

"Easy." he said in a quiet but determined tone, clicking his tongue at her. "Let's wait and see what's next, shall we?" Konegu added, keeping Yasu back.

[ShinobiTruth]

The eyes hovered between the two intruders into his astral sanctum. He seemed neither preoccupied nor concerned. His attention was focused elsewhere, looking down at the space between them. To Yasu and Konegu, it would be nothing but pitch black. But whatever he saw, it clearly meant something. "Curious..." the voice, the baritone grumbling softly throughout the expanse. "In the generations that these have been graced with my gift, this is the first that has resonated with another. This one took to it more slowly than those before. A pity that I can't feed it more power. Perhaps if it became a stronger vessel..."

It raised its eyes, but it did not focus on Yasu. Instead, its eyes fixed on Konegu. "Hmm. Even more curious. Why, I think I saw your very inception, little spirit," he chuckled haughtily, much like how an amused adult might speak to a child. "Then again, I've seen the inception of creation itself. Even an eternal memory can be fickle at times."

His eyes then settled on Yasu. "And this must be your host, I take it? Curious creatures, humans. For their vain and fleeting nature, they are one most intriguing form of life. Even a superior being isn't beyond gratitude. And I owe you both a word of thanks."

Rising slowly from the inky void, Ookuri appeared, bound by chains of nether. He was unconscious and clearly in pain, a misty black aura surrounding him. "If it survives, the human will gain a power not seen fulfilled since humanity's inception. And should you be brave enough to press on... you might indeed earn the privilege of knowing who I am."

The orb began to shake violently, cracks quickly forming on the surface as blinding light radiated out from within, unable to be contained any longer. "I do suggest you be quick. Even the infinitesimal fragment of power it holds is truly astounding for your kind... and humans are such frail creatures," he jeered, challenging the pair.

The moment he finished speaking, the orb exploded into white starfire. Should Yasu and Konegu hold onto the connection, it would eventually fade into a winding path of cobblestone asteroids, comets, and stars. Ookuri and the orb where nowhere to be seen. Around them were the brilliant stars of the cosmos itself. It was clear there was a choice.

Leave? Or forge onward? It was evident that Ookuri's life depending on that decision.

[Willoria]

Konegu's rage grew as the red glow around him pulsed and yet he seemed to keep it in check, a fact that shocked Yasu, perhaps because she did not yet fully understand the motivations of the spirit within her. "We are leaving." he told Yasu, turning to grab her by the arm and pull her away.

And yet Yasu threw his hand off her with a hiss, ignoring the red mark on her arm where he had touched her. "Like hell!" she told him, turning towards Ookuri and where he was chained and in pain. Tears already streaming down her face she took steps towards him. "He hasn't left me yet, I'm not leaving him!" She was defiant, and yet scared, not even seeing the danger as the orb nearby cracked and she didn't even speak to the spirit addressing her. Her eyes had yet to leave Ookuri.

Konegu remained in the form he had been in from the start, snarling as he saw the orb cracking and reaching out to grab Yasu. As always he was protective and he threw her down, throwing himself over her as the explosion rocked them. As it cleared into a path he lifted his head and stared at it with a snarl. "Child. This is a boy. You can think this is love all you want, but what use are you if you die? How will you protect your village then? You must first protect yourself!"

"I have to help him." she said quietly, standing as the spirit beside her sighed heavily and seemed to turn into a whisp of red smoke, impacting into her back and causing her to stagger briefly. When she opened her eyes again the spikes on her had grown, her eyes glowed red as she made her way down the path. "I will help him."