To Save Lives

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

The grayish black clouds above scorned the earthbound with its wet cold tears, the rain soaking into everything that it touched. Rodents and serpents alike were curled up in their burrows, safe from the chilling waters that ravaged the world outside. The pitter-patter of water could be heard as shoes hit small puddles that began to form on the beaten path along the forested mountain face. A streak of red, white, and mahogany flew by as Tetsuo dashed down the mountain path, steam pouring from his mouth with each breath as the storm chilled the very air around him.

The rain was beating down hard; Tetsuo knew he'd have to find shelter and warm up until the storm passed. He slowed down and eventually came to a halt as he scanned the surrounding area, breathing heavily. The special jounin had been running non-stop for quite some time. After a few seconds of searching, his eyes settled on a small cave hidden behind the tree line. Fortunately for Tetsuo, this section of the trees was more closely knit together, thus granting him relief from the weather's icy sting.

Setting down the pack that he carried on his shoulders, Tetsuo shifted into his animal form, shaking off the water that chilled him to the bone. Reverting to his natural form, he grabbed the large bundle that was strapped to the bottom of his pack and opened it to reveal several large pieces of lumber. He took one and, after placing a ring of stones around it, thrust his fist towards the lumber, an orb of raiton chakra springing forth from it. With a resounding crackle, the orb set the lumber ablaze as Tetsuo stepped outside the cave to scour the underbrush for usable tinder.

He returned a few minutes later with a impressive pile of twigs and fallen leaves to stoke the fire. Grabbing a small clump, Tetsuo lazily flung some of the tinder on the fire; within moments, the fire blazed up, warming up the air in the cave. Flopping down next to his pack, Tetsuo leaned against the cave wall as he closed his eyes. He let the waves of warmth wash over him, a stark contrast to the bitter cold that stormed down outside.

Tetsuo reached into his pack, his hands and feet sore and worn from travel. Rummaging around, he pulled out a scroll marked simply as "Remedies". Tetsuo opened it and began studying his current target: a pale green lotus that grew only on mountain tops. The nectar was rumored to have some amazing medicinal properties, helping repair damage done to internal organs and stimulating frontal lobe activity in comatose patients.

With a sigh, Tetsuo began to roll up the scroll when a slip of paper fell out face down onto his lap. He picked it up to reveal a picture of Tetsuo and Baako from before she left on her two year journey. The Ikimono's gaze suddenly became cloudy as he reminisced on days gone by.

---

The chunin sat, the blade in hand and his head hanging low, staring at the razor sharp weapon. His eyes were red as thoughts of hopelessness and suicide shot through his mind. Every part of him ached for the suffering to end. Every part of him sought to purge the horrid nightmares of the death of his friends that had replayed in his head every night. His very essence wished to finally be free of the guilt he felt... for his own pride having sentenced his teammates to their deaths.

He raised the blade, hands shaking. Some pathetic sliver of hope stayed his hand, begging him to hold on, but the horrors that danced within the crevices of his psyche screamed for an ending. "Let this be the end!" the young man screamed, the blade plunging towards his heart.

His hands stopped the blade's tip just a centimeter away from his chest.

---

Tucking the picture into his jacket, Tetsuo shouldered his pack. The rain had finally stopped and rays of sunshine broke through the clouds as the young lion continued up the mountain path...

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

The song birds, with their sky blue plumes, their red typed pinion and crown feathers and trailing tail feathers that Tetsuo so very much enjoyed had stopped chirping and had instead flocked towards the top of the mountain. The cool moist air blew across his face and through his hair, still laden with the water of the storm past as the crag's peak drew nearer. Despite the cool weather and the pleasant scenery, Tetsuo doggedly trekked up the hill with heavy breaths and an undying conviction to finish his duty. His fatigue was painted all over his face, the hollow look of his eyes driven only by will and the quaking of his entire body as it was ready to collapse.

The mountain that bore the fabled green lotus was one of the tallest in all of Kumogakure, and Tetsuo had nearly scaled three-fourths of it's height all in a non-stop two day burn. Even for someone of his drive, however, his body could only take so much exertion without rest. His hands began to spasm uncontrollably and his steps started becoming pitifully short, Tetsuo finally caved, seeking a small wooded alcove where he could lay his head. Finding a spot that suited his preferences, he let the pack slip from his shoulders before falling against a bed of grass. Within moments, he was caught in sweet slumber's embrace.

---

The young lion wandered the streets, wondering why he had not the courage to end his life that night. Each part of his daily routine had become a sluggish reflex; there was no heart, thought, or soul with the things he did day by day. His soul had been sucked out and buried in the massive rock slide that had stolen the lives of his entire team.

Though they tried their best, Tetsuo's family and friends simply added to his torment; every kind word spoken and encouraging embrace given only served to remind the chunin as to what he lost because of his own foolishness. Each good intention stabbed into him far more deeply than any sword of steel or chakra could hope to strike. In a daze, he simply lived; he had neither drive nor passion, for all he had was life... one that he thought he was too cowardly to end.

It was on a day like this that he met his salvation.

He had just reported to the Raikage's office and was headed home. He turned the corner only to be toppled by a blonde haired kunoichi. "Oh god...' he breathed, his head still spinning from the collision. Staggering to his feet, he extended a hand to help her stand back up, an obligatory "I'm sorry" escaping his lips. Once he got a closer look, however, his eyes widened in surprise.

Before him lay Ikimono Baako, a fellow Ikimono clan member.

---

Tetsuo snapped to attention, one of the sky blue song birds that had been resting on his shoulder taking flight after his abrupt awakening. Taking a few deep breaths, Tetsuo stood back up and grabbed his pack before jumping out from the alcove and continuing up the path. The bird that was napping upon him flew up towards the top of the mountain. With a grunt, Tetsuo forced himself onward. With his renewd strength, the going was much easier. High noon had given way to mid-day afternoon the sun still shining brightly against the rock face.

The path became less beaten as he continued higher up. The smooth dirt and soil gave way to rock and gravel; Tetsuo even spotted a long stripped skeleton off on a ledge down below where he was. These mountains were notorious for claiming the lives of those who sought to view the country from their majestic peaks. Many civilians, in an attempt to prove themselves visionary men, scaled these cliffs, never to return. Climbing the rock face would be no problem for a ninja like Tetsuo, mind you. Heck, so long as they were quick on their feet, a genin could do it. With a few deft bounds and leaps, Tetsuo surmounted the few sizable gaps that seperated him from his goal as the sound of the song birds he so adored became noticeably louder.

The mountain summit were filled with many trees bearing the light green lotus-like flowers. The songbirds flew from one tree to the next, picking out the seeds that lined the petals inner sides. As they feasted, some of the seeds would fall to the ground, eventually giving birth to another tree of its kind. With enough time, these trees could cover the mountain side.

Tetsuo allowed himself a grin of satisfaction. His sojourn had not been in vain.

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

Tetsuo woke to a sunny morning with a sky blue songbird on each shoulder and a whole slew of them in a semi circle around him, their heads bobbing and retracting in curiosity as they watched him rouse from his slumber. The Ikimono lazily extended his hand towards the ones that lay before him, offering a new perch. The birds jumped back for a moment, which was followed by squabbling and bickering. Eventually, one of the more curious birds skipped towards Tetsuo's hand and, after a moment of caution, hopped onto his finger. Smiling, he brought his hand up to his chest and started scritching the underside of his hiead and neck. The bird cooed, closing it's eyes contentedly and leading towards the source of the pleasing sensation.

After a time Tetsuo set his hand down allowing the bird to hop off, which it begrudgingly did. The poor thing assaulted by chirps and squeaks the moment it set foot on the ground from its companions, wanting to hear of the experience with the strange creature known as Ikimono Tetsuo. After setting the birds on his shoulders down as well, Tetsuo slowly rose, causing the mass of birds to take flight, each one to his own nest and place of rest. Going through the paces, Tetsuo checked his pack, including the bottom section which, unlike the top two thirds of it, was lined with steel. In the said compartment lay several of the blossoms which were sealed in their own seperate containers, the seeds for the tree, and a few bark samples. He nodded, satisfied; the Iijutsu Corp should be able to amply study and use the plant with what he had before him. If not, they could always use the seed to grow more in an relatively short period of time.

With a final look around, Tetsuo began his return journey home. Retracing his steps, he found his way back to the mountain path. The going was much easier this time; by noon, he was already half way down the mountain and by three o'clock, he was at its base, heading back towards the village with his well-earned prize.

---

There was a spring to his step as Tetsuo got ready. Baako had invited him along with her team to go see a movie, and he had managed to get the night off. Humming a small tune as he slipped on his jacket and walked out the door, Tetsuo jogged his way through the streets on a partly cloudy afternoon.

It didn't take long for him to arrive, though Baako had already gotten there before him. In the end, even with the movie, he really came just to see Baako. It was simply impossible for him not to be upbeat around her; she radiated a static aura that was simply contagious. Even in his depressive stupor her warmth and energy had reached him. Every time he was near her he would find a content smile suddenly plastered on his face.

The movie that they had gone to see was a comedy, and while the dialog could have used some work, the outfits that some of the characters were simply ridiculous. For nearly the entire movie, Baako and Tetsuo whispered their own playful jests at their outfits amidst the laughter around them. The mood was soured a bit by her miserly, who attempted to shush the two on several occasions despite how loud the theater was already. Still, it wasn't nearly enough to ruin such a good; the two were simply having too much fun to care.

Tetsuo took another look at Baako laughing at one of the few truly humorous lines in the movie and he sighed in relief, a satisfied grin on his face. Right now, there wasn't any other place he'd rather be.

---

It was early evening and the shadows began to stretch along the rocks. Tetsuo's hairs were standing on end; something was wrong here, he just knew it. His eyes darted between each shadow that he passed and his ears stood up straight, listening for the sound of any assailant that might sneak up to strike him from behind, above, or even below.

From behind, a hand morphed out from the rock face, bearing a kunai. The arm chucked it, attempting to lodge the weapon into Tetsuo's back. Hearing the weapon flying though the air, Tetsuo drew one of his short swords in a frantic parry, tossing the pack to the side with the other arm. Tossing subtlety out the window, the attacker morphed out of the wall with the crackling of rock and stone, his dark-skinned frame sporting neon red and blue hair and wearing a black vest with matching gi, gloves, and boots.
"You saw through my technique. Impressive..." he complimented, his voice grated and broken like a bad record player.

Tetsuo simply stood at the ready, his short swords drawn and held in a dervish stance, realizing his task just got a heck of a lot harder.

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

"Who are you... and what is it you want with me?" Tetsuo asked brisquely. Time wasted here meant time that would be taken away from healing Baako and Soku.

The raspy voiced man simply chuckled. "To think, you don't even remember me... but I've been searching for you for quite some time. No matter; you'll be dead soon enough."

Two sai fell from his sleeves into his hands as he rushed Tetsuo. The man was rather short, but he used his height to his advantage; his sai swiped wide and stabbed low, forcing Tetsuo to dodge and shift his center instead of simply parrying with his own weapons. An overdrawn thrust, however, gave Tetsuo an opportunity; setting one foot on the man's right shoulder, Tetsuo rammed his other foot straight into the man's face, launching him backwards several yards as Tetsuo gathered raiton chakra around his person.

"Regardless of how long you've been searching for me, you sure as hell picked the wrong guy to come after," Tetsuo growled, not giving the man time to rise before he continued his assault as he charged at him while covered in lightning. A few acrobatic slices and kicks sent a slew of raiton orbs flying at the assailant. Rolling up onto his feet, the attacker expertly dodged the attacks with some back flips that put even some ninja to shame. Chucking some shuriken mid-jump, Tetsuo was forced to duck for cover behind a small boulder.

Seeing this, the assailant quietly cackled, literally stepping in to the rock. Tetsuo's back was to the same boulder he had ducked behind, peeking out from behind the rock and looking for the now vanished crook. This wouldn't remain like this for too long. From the side of the boulder, the raspy-voiced man burst into view behind Tetsuo, a sai swiping against the muscle on his back. A roar of pain ripping from his mouth, Tetsuo sidestepped and brought his short sword bearing down on him, but the man was too quick. He had sunken back into the stone before Tetsuo's blade struck the rock face.

Shaking off the pain, Tetsuo kept his focus, realizing how much of an advantage his opponent had on this rocky terrain. Not only was he surrounded by stones of various sizes and shapes, but Testuo had nothing he could use to safeguard his own back; the assailant could literally come from almost anywhere. Tetsuo could hear a cackle echo around him. The bastard knew he had the Ikimono right where he wanted him and he was milking every second of enjoyment he could from it. Leaping from the rock face directly off to the side, the assailant launched a flurry of attacks at Tetsuo's flank. Though the young lion strove to parry the blows, the assailant landed three smaller cuts to the torso and large gash going down his leg. In a desperate attempt to land a strike, Tetsuo dropped his short swords and grabbed hold of the man's shoulders and smashed his knee straight into the guy's stomach. Though the kick had sent him flying, the man simply made a few seals and simply slipped into the rock that would have served as another bed. On it went like this, Tetsuo constantly on guard from the assailant's hit-and-run tactics. It wasn't very long before the terrain was pocketed with tiny burned out craters from the raiton chakra and Tetsuo had amassed an array of cuts all over. Tetsuo was panting, still a bit fatigued with the amount of distance he had traveled and the blood loss that was starting to kick in.

"You know, it's funny how things work sometimes," his voice echoed as he stalked his prey. "It intertwines people into each other's lives without thought, without regard to feeling, just like you and I with that escort mission."

Tetsuo froze as those words hit his ears. His hands began to clench as he heard the assailant mentioned that dark incident in Tetsuo's past. "It was you?!" he growled, his rage welling up within him.

From his hiding place, he nodded. "Me and a team of black op trainees. Your escort mission was the qualifying assignment. Everything was going smoothly; the informant was where the mission dossier indicated he would be, and any shinobi who tried to interfere with our plan. Problem is, that day, you escaped. And because of that one mess-up, the informant got away and we failed the mission. Heck, I'm the only one who even came back alive. I begged the Tsuchikage to let me find the ninja that got away. He said no and I left. There was just something about knowing you were still alive that urked me... especially since I didn't get to tell you what their faces look liked when they got crushed by the boulders that we sent at them. Ah well. Better late than never!"

Tetsuo's face had contorted into a ferocious grimace of hatred, his body quaking in lust for blood as the man's laughter echoed throughout the field. Making the needed seals, Tetsuo's grand transformation began: His fur spread all over his body, his ears fanned out, his hair grew longer, his feet became more feline, and a long tail sprouted from his lower back. From behind, the assailant leapt from the rock, diving at Tetsuo, hoping to make the killing blow.

Instead, he was met with a painful awakening as Tetsuo spun and smashed a furred fist into his face. Still reeling from the punch, the assailant had little time to realize that Tetsuo was already on top of him. Tossing him up by his vest, the young lion follwed up the toss with a fierce uppercut to the diaphragm, severing it in two. Gasping for air, the neon-haired missing nin fell to the ground, obviously defeated.

Still didn't mean Testuo was finished, though.

Rummaging through the MN's own pack, Tetsuo pinned the man to the ground with his own kunai before laying a single exploding tag over his eyes. The man, hyperventilating out of panic, managed to rasp out one word:

"M-Mercy..."

Patting the man on the cheek, Tetsuo called back as he started walking away. "Afraid I can't do that. You see, my teammates are gonna need some company in the afterlife, and though I would've rather sent your entire team..."

Tetsuo flashed the seal as the tag's explosive force squished the assailant's skull. "...you'll have to do," he growled , walking away from the mass of flesh that lay behind him as he retrieved his short swords and returned them to his sheaths. The vultures would take care of the rest.

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

By the time Tetsuo had gotten to the hospital, he had already done a little patchwork on his wounds. When the nurses tried to halt him so they could suture the large gash on his leg and back, he simply ignored them at first. "I've got a job to finish first," he muttered as he headed towards the research wing of the hospital.

When he finally arrived, without so much as a sound, Tetsuo slipped the pack off of his back and dropped it on the desk, the pack making a dull heavy thud as steel met wood. Zipping open the bottom container, Tetsuo displayed his prize: the flowers, seeds, and bark had been left completely untouched. "Here's a new specimen for study," Tetsuo sternly told the secretary. "The flower's nectar supposedly can be used to heal damage to internal organs and to restore mental homeostasis. Tell your boss Tetsuo dropped these off; he'll know who I am and what to do with the medicine derived from this plant."

Tetsuo turned to find a whole slew of medical staff with worried or irritated expressions on their faces as they lay eyes on his battered form. The Ikimono let loose a long sigh; whether it had been because of his focus on trying to help Baako and Soku or because of anger still ruminating from encountering one of the men who had been part in the destruction of his team, he had been completely oblivious to the small crowd that had been following him ever since he walked past the front desk. "Okay, okay," he breathed, putting his hands up in surrender. "Now you can work on me."

Not a moment after the words had escaped his lips was he dragged off to a spare room, several of the more attractive nurses fawning over Tetsuo's modest physique as they attended to the cuts that scoured his musculature. Tetsuo couldn't help but blushing a bit; having so many females putting their hands on him at once wasn't something that Tetsuo was used to. And for the entire time, the nurses pelted him with questions, all the while giggling at every little response.

"So, Tetsuo-san, what have you been doing going out into the Lightning Country so often?"

"Like I said to the secretary, I've been looking for lesser known remedies and cures."

"Really? To cure what, specifically?"

"Mostly things to assist in the healing of damage to the vital internal organs and to break patients from a comatose state."

"You mean like Baako-san and Soku-kun?"

Tetsuo let loose a sigh before answering. "Yes."

"Why do you push yourself so hard, Tetsuo-san? It's not healthy."

"Baako is one of my best friends... and Soku is my comrade in arms. Need I any other reason?"

"You're so kind, Tetsuo-san. You could certainly teach my boyfriend a few things. Do you have a girlfriend? She must love you."

Tetsuo chuckled at that quip. "Send him my way. I'll set up some lessons. And sadly, no, I don't; I haven't found the right one yet."

"Then maybe you'd be willing to give one of us a chance? We can promise to make it worth your while..."

"Uh..." Tetsuo blushed, his face turning a cherry red.

"Oh, Tetsuo-san! You're so cute when you get embarrassed."

Eventually, the nurses finished their work and left, still eying him hungrily as they walked off. After a short time, another nurse came in. This one, however, Tetsuo was familiar with: Mokumoku Koigokoro. The young woman stood a little bit shorter than Tetsuo with fire red locks, steel blue eyes, a slightly darker complexion, and a petite yet curvaceous form. She had attended to Tetsuo on several occasions before and, despite her quiet and timid personality, the two had become pretty good friends. What Tetsuo didn't know was that the poor girl had fallen for him.

"Hey, Moku-chan," he greeted, a grin painting itself on his face as he slipped his t-shirt back on. He certainly didn't want her to worry about the encounter. Hopefully, she wouldn't dig too deep into it.

"Hello, Tetsuo-kun. I heard that you had been admitted. I was worried, so I figured I'd check on you."

Tetsuo chuckled. "Thanks. I'm okay, really," he reassured her. "You have some rather... inquisitive workmates."

She giggled at Tetsuo's analysis. "Oh, come now, Tetsuo-kun. You and I both know they're not just inquisitive. To be honest, they're super horny. Many of them haven't had a date in ages just because of work."

"Ah. That kinda makes sense, then," he realized as he stretched. One of the sutures snapped, causing him to wince and recoil in pain as a small stream of blood drippled from his side.

"Tetsuo-kun!" she gasped. Quickly reaching into the drawer along the wall, she pulled out some more suture thread and began attending to the cut. "Please, be more careful from now on. You know I worry about you."

"I know, Moku-chan. I'll try," he promised as she finished stitching him up.

Moku sighed as she tapped him on his back. "I need you to take off your shirt, Tetsuo-kun. I'm going to check the other sutures to make sure they were done properly." He simply shrugged and complied, slipping the t-shirt off to expose his toned back. He could feel her fingers softly dance across the skin on his back. His ears twitched in delight. "That tickles, Moku-chan," he told her, a silly grin on his face.

What Tetsuo neither saw nor realized was that Moku was blushing like crazy as her fingers ran across Tetsuo's back.'Tetsuo-kun,' she whispered inwardly. Her hand slowly slid from the cuts on his lower back to the large gash that crossed its middle and then to his broad shoulders. Her hands started to quiver as her heart began pounding in her chest. Knowing she'd lose herself if she continued any further, she withdrew her hands. "You're all set, Tetsuo-kun," she told him as cheerily as possible, her face returning to a more normal hue as she donned a smile.

"Thanks, Moku-chan. I appreciate it," he told her, slipping his shirt back on before doing likewise with his jacket. "I'll see you around," Tetsuo called back as he left the room, leaving Moku to secretly fawn over him.

All in all, it had been a good couple of days. Even with the exhaustion, even with the length of the journey, and even with the assailant at the end, things had seemed to work out pretty well. Tetsuo was even humming a tune as he signed his discharge papers.

This good mood wouldn't last. From over in one of the branching wings of the hospital, Tetsuo heard a commotion... and he recognized the voice. 'That's Baako's father...' he realized as he jogged towards the source of the noise. From within the room, Baako's father was screaming bloody murder whilst Nana, Baako's sister, sought to defend whoever was the target of his ire. Eventually, he found out who it was: Soku quietly slunk from the room heading the opposite way down the hall. Tetsuo finally realized what was happening... and he started to shake in anger, his jaw clenched beneath his lips and his hands balled tightly into fists. Baako's father's final words resonated through the halls:

"And if I ever see you near my daughter again I'll kill you!"

Tetsuo could only stand quivering with rage as his love was torn from the one she held most dear. Without another word, Tetsuo dropped the discharge papers huffily on the desk and grabbed his pack, storming out of the hospital.

People in the streets parted ways, giving him frightened and worried looks as his anger fermented. While his mind had been cloudy before, now, only one thought ran through it:

'How dare that man... call himself Baako's father!'

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

With a loud smack, Tetsuo roughly opened the door to his apartment open with his shoulder, the knob smacking into the wall adjacent to it before he slammed it shut with his foot while tossing his pack on the viridian suede couch not five feet from the door. Slipping off his coat, Tetsuo hung it on the coat rack right next to the couch.

Heavy footsteps could be heard proceeding down the hall which was followed by profuse yelling and cursing. "Hey! What brain-dead dickless bastard thinks they can just wal-oh. It's you Tetsuo." The man that stood before Tetsuo was Ikimono Renji, a jounin who stood a good six inches taller than Tetsuo with tan skin that took a reddish hue, pale blue eyes, and black hair and tufts of fur that grew on his forearms, thighs and lower torso. He stood there in the hallway wearing nothing but a pair of pants over his muscled body. Unlike most of Kumogakure's citizenry, Renji was on the paranoid side. He also happened to be Tetsuo's brother and roommate.

"Hey, Renji. How are you, bro?" Tetsuo asked as he rummaged through his pack, eventually pulling out the remedies scroll, a notepad, and a pencil before flopping down on the couch.

"I've been ok, Tetsuo. Just got back from a mission. Pretty low key, especially for a studdly beast like me," Renji chirped, his sharp feline canine teeth bared in a fierce grin that even Tom Cruise couldn't hope to top. He headed over to the fridge and grabbed a glass bottle filled with soda before closing the door. Prying his opposing thumb's claw under the cap, Renji popped the top open before taking a swig. "So," he asked, "How'd the search go?"

Tetsuo continued jotting down some notes on a moss that could be used to make salve to help eliminate scarring. "Fine, Renji," he responded nonchalantly. "I got to the peak to find a whole drove of trees and flower samples waiting there for me. There were these really cool songbirds up there, too. Really amiable creatures."

"Nice," Renji commented, shuffling through the mail on the small coffee table right in front of the couch. "Did anything interesting happen on the way back?"

A short sigh. "Nope..." he muttered.

Renji's ear twitched as he narrowed his eyes at Tetsuo in suspicion. "Wait a sec..." he realized. "I know that tone of voice, Tetsuo. Come on, spill it: what happened?"

"Nothing of consequence, Renji! Lay off, will you?" he replied, still a bit agitated from the entire hospital scene earlier that morning.

Renji set down his bottle none too softly on the table. "Cut the crap, Tetsuo!" he barked fiercely. "Tell me now, or I'll force it from you!"

A sigh of irritation escaping his lips, Tetsuo set the pad down on the table and stood up, removing his shirt and revealing the stitch work that spotted his musculature. Renji simply shook his head and sighed, walking up to Tetsuo and giving hims a full look over, becoming especially quiet when his eyes set upon the long scar that arched from Tetsuo's right shoulder across to the bottom of his left ribcage.

Eventually, Renji broke his silence, a stone cold grimace. "When did this happen, Tetsuo? And why didn't you tell the Raikage about this?"

Tetsuo slipped his shirt back on. "He attacked me just about ten miles before the home stretch to the village, out of the range of the scouts," he answered, turning to face his back towards Renji. "And I didn't alert the Raikage about the attack mostly because that he'd find out from the hospital report and because Iwagakure won't mourn over losing one of it's own defectors."

"That's no excuse, and you know it, Tetsuo," Renji barked, shaking his head in irritation and spreading his palms pleadingly while Tetsuo's fists clenched in frustration and rage as Renji continued prodding. "You're constantly putting yourself in harms way without regard to your own safety! Do you realize how much your family worries for you? We want you to be safe, Tetsuo! We want you to be happy! We don't want you coming home so ragged and worn in both body and mind! Why do you keep doing this?!"

Enough was enough for Tetsuo; he unleashed his wrath on Renji. "Don't even think of asking me that question, Renji! If you claim to be my brother, if you claim to understand me and care for me, then you sure as fuck know why I do what I do! You know damn well I won't lay my head to rest until I have rid myself of the shame I carry! You know that I can't until I do..."

Tetsuo simply shook his head. "Forget it. I gotta go," he sighed, grabbing his satchel before heading out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

"Tetsuo... you're important too, you know," Renji muttered consolingly, knowing very well Tetsuo couldn't hear.

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

Everything was a blur.

Tetsuo had gotten the call to arms, just like every other shinobi in Kumo. The emergency message had been brief, but by the short synopsis alone, the threat they faced was possibly the greatest danger that Kumo had faced since the establishment of the village. Simply reading such things sent terrified shivers up the Ikimono's spine, but still he reported to his station. The Raikage gave his orders as the quaking beneath their feet became stronger. And then the beast stepped into view, its pinkish body a horrific visage of power and the perversion of nature itself. Its size alone merited retreat; the colossal beast towered over Kumo's gates.

Yet, Tetsuo fought. With every fiber of his being, with every ounce of strength that he had and more, he fought. He drove himself to his limits and beyond, shrugging off the debris that pelted him as he and his comrades were pelted with as the beast thrashed. The Ikimono watched as he narrowly avoided a death that so many of his fellow shinobi were not fortunate enough to escape, screaming bloody murder with each punch and kick and every bolt of lightning shot from his body.

And then came the black orb.

Tetsuo wasn't entirely sure how he avoided the massive wave of chakra that Raum took head on. Perhaps it was instinct, perhaps it was a fellow ninja... or perhaps it was fate. Nevertheless, the wave of destruction that struck down one of Kumogakure's mightiest sent the Ikimono flying, momentarily blacking out from the pain of his body slamming with such force into the rock face. Only his own willpower and the adrenaline that ran through his veins kept him awake. The sight he awoke to wasn't pretty; many of his comrades had been impaled by earthy spikes or gruesomely crushed by boulders that had become dislodged from the cliff face. His heart screamed out in rage, yet he somehow managed to reign in control; Kumo was still in danger. Saving the mourning of the dead for another time, he rushed back into battle.

Tetsuo never made it back to the monster. Another massive explosion erupted from where the beast was, shooting Tetsuo back yet again. This time, he wasn't so lucky; his body pinballed against several smaller boulders as the force of the chakra wave flung him along the terrain, breaking ribs and cracking arms and legs. His head was cloudy; he could feel his conciousness slipping away as he lay helpless to save his home, part of which was burning. The beast was getting slower, it's strikes more labored and clearly missing their targets. Then Tetsuo caught sight of Soku laying wounded on the ground before the massive beast. A small fire sparked within the Ikimono as he watched his comrade lay helpless in the clutches of the monster. His body screaming in protest in large intense waves of pain, Tetsuo began crawling his way to the beleaguered Soku in a futile effort to save him.

As he shuffled towards his fallen friend, Lacus approached Soku, whispering something in his ear before doing the bravest thing Tetsuo had seen anyone do: charge straight at the monster that was trying to destroy their home. For a moment, she disappeared among the tentacles and purple flesh. Then, in a brilliant flash of light, the beast was gone... and Soku was standing, the very ground around him erupting with energy and power. For a time this continued, the deadly aura lashing out at everything around it. Eventually, the aura died down and his fellow special jounin fainted.

Tetsuo surveyed the battlefield with his consciousness slowly fading away into nothingness. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was a team of medical ninja rushing towards him with part of Kumogakure burning behind them.

He wouldn't find out until after he awoke that he was now one of the last of his clan.

The blast had directly hit the Ikimono clan district. The elders and the vast majority of the shinobi hadn't been able to escape in time before the massive wave of black chakra reduced them all to dust. Everything was gone: their homes, their history, their lives. Tetsuo's own brother now lay on the bed in front of him in a coma, having barely escaped the blasts only to be impaled on a metal spike, almost ending his life. There the broken Ikimono sat, his arm in a sling and bandages around his torso, limbs, and head as the hospital buzzed with the aftermath, clinging to the few fragile shards of sanity that had managed to survive this nightmare: Baako and Nana were still safe, and by what he had heard, Soku was still alive as well. He sat on the chair, his eyes murky and lifeless.

The door to the room slid open, the solace momentarily breached by the noise of a hospital in high alert. Moku stepped in before quietly closing the door behind her. Tetsuo weakly acknowledged her presence, a barely noticeable nod of the head the only reaction Moku received. Without a word, she sat down next to Tetsuo, saying nothing, doing nothing, barely even breathing. There the two sat, one attempting to cope with his reality being torn to shreds, and the other unsure of how to support the man she loved in his time of need.

The silence was broken by the sound of a drop of water hitting the floor. This was followed by another... and another... and another.

Tetsuo did his best to hide the waves of emotion that had crashed through the mask he wore, the tears he was unable to hold back splashing on the sterile hospital floor. Moku's arms rose up and embraced the lion, Tetsuo too physically exhausted and emotionally traumatized to object as his head leaned against her shoulder. No matter how hard he tried to stop them, the tears kept coming, his sadness paralyzing him more effectively than any poison.

Eventually, his sadness took its toll, and he fell into slumber...

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

The beep of the heart monitor persisted without end as IVs dripped morphine and a cocktail of painkillers into Renji's body, his chest rising and falling as he rested peacefully while trapped within the confines of his own mind. Despite the amount of time he had been in the hospital, the bannin Ikimono had yet to lose his impressive figure; his toned forearms and abdominals, while a bit softer, were still very easy to recognize, even after the three weeks he had spent in a coma.

Tetsuo sit in the chair beside the hospital bed. He had just finished the day's work... digging graves for his clan and for those who had died repelling the Genma.

The young man's eyes were empty as he sat next to his dormant older brother, the many grotesque images he had seen that day replaying in his head again and again. His hands, clothing, feet, and face were covered in ash and ink from the many burials he had performed earlier. Tetsuo had seen things this day... things that he prayed that no other soul would be cursed to see. Many of the people were missing arms and legs, while others no longer had faces. To put them to rest was hard enough, but the children...

Oh god, the children. They never stood a chance.

Only his training as a shinobi kept Tetsuo from vomiting at the site of the younglings' body parts strewn about ground zero. Many of them had their heads ripped from their shoulders by debris or simply the sheer force of the blast, eyes torn from their skulls, and chests split open, leaving their small and fragile innards to be incinerated by the chakra bomb that had struck. The one image that burned relentlessly into his mind was that of a young girl he had laid to rest. Her body had been shorn down the very middle by a stray steel wire, the other half of her tiny figure reduced to ashes from the attack. Even the very feathers that sprouted from her forehead were torn asunder, their sapphire blue hue only revealed after rubbing away the obsidian soot that masked their color. Her turquoise eye was glazed over, the mask of death having claimed it forever more. Tetsuo remembered that everything he had eaten since that day tasted like corpses.

The journey through the dark corners of his mind were interrupted by a sound the Ikimono wasn't sure he would ever have the chance to hear again. "Ugh..."

Tetsuo's fatigued eyes snapped to attention. "Renji? Are you awake?!"

His older brother coughed as he tried to sit up. "I suppose... that I am..." he answered, his voice dry and raspy. He looked around the room, almost as if expecting to see someone else there. "Tetsuo... what happened?"

A moment of silence. "You've been out for almost a month," he said, ignoring Renji's question completely as he rose to wash his hands and face of the infernal ash and soot that still seemed to burn his very skin. "The doctors weren't sure if you were ever gonna wake up."

Despite his condition, Renji still managed a fierce growl. "Tetsuo... don't change the subject. What happened? Where is everyone?" he repeated, much more firmly this time.

Black droplets of water fell from Tetsuo's face as he washed his skin clean. Another moment of silence followed before he finally answered. "They're gone, brother... me, you, Baako, Nana... we're the last of our clan," he finally answered, his voice barely above a whisper. "That beast... that monster... it destroyed them all... before it was sealed inside Soku."

Renji said nothing after that. The only thing that could be heard in the silence that followed was the back of Renji's head hitting the pillow and the quiet sobs that followed, awash with a massive wave of grief from losing his entire world.

There was a quiet knock on the door. Tetsuo answered it, finding Moku at the door. "Tetsuo-kun... we got word that Renji-san had woken up. We need to check up on him," she said quietly, hearing the sobs coming from the room.

Tetsuo sighed wearily. "Moku-chan... please... come back later," he told her, closing the door, not allowing for a response.

For a moment she stood at the closed door before turning back down the hall to return to her station, dealing with her own feelings of helplessness.