Two Birds
Tousha and Tsubaki
Two Birds
There was nothing. An endless abyss of inky blackness that pooled at the fringes of consciousness. Someone's consciousness. He was a someone, it seemed. But who? There was a muddled attempt to remember but there was also pain in the effort. It was so much easier to slip back into the primordial darkness of a void free from struggle, an absence of discomfort. Here time seemed to pass in and through itself, fermenting into a beautiful cesspool of stagnation that stretched out alongside the nothingness.
"Uh...are you okay?"
Who could say? What did 'okay' even mean, really? What a nebulous word. Oh-Kay. Just like the infinite, bottomless, vacant, unimportant -
Wait. What was that? Was that another someone? Here? How could there be someone here? There wasn't anything here.
"Well, Tousha, " someone's voice said from an indiscernible direction, "There’s a first time for everything."
Tousha. That sounded familiar. A mote of recognition danced and spun in the darkness now. It flitted here and there, disrupting the emptiness around it with each flutter of its... Wings? Another not nothing appeared and joined the first. They seemed happy to be together. He was happy for them.
"Feeling any better?"
He was. He was feeling again, and that definitely felt better. It was worth the effort to feel something, he figured. Suddenly he felt the need to get closer to the motes. The viscous blackness pulled at him as he tried to move, clung to his arms and legs with a patient stubbornness. Unfortunately for that inky nothing, he was much more stubborn. With no small amount of effort he willed himself forward, half swimming through the ocean of void with a determined frown.
""So if you’re actually a good person who is just lost...how am I supposed to let you go off on your own?."
"Then don't. Don't make me go off on my own. I don't want to be alone, I want to be with you. Why can't I be with you?"
His efforts doubled, his pale body frantically pulling away from the rivulets of indefinite sludge that were trying to pull him back to unknowable bliss. The motes of understanding seemed to be flying away from him despite how hard he was trying to catch up. Couldn't they see how hard he was trying? Could anyone see how hard he was trying?
"If you’re feeling up for it, we should probably get going."
"I want to. Please. I'm almost there," Tousha said, straining with desperate urgency against the unyielding nothing. The motes of light fluttered through the surface of the abyss, disappearing from sight. Tousha reached out, his pale fingers trembling with insatiable want.
Slowly those fingers, and then a hand, and then an arm, and then all of him pushed through the edge of the void and sputtered for air. He collapsed on an obsidian sheet of glass surrounded by white haze, coughing like a half drowned man. Thick, black bile spewed from his heaving shape and splattered onto the obsidian, wriggling with its own discomfort as if it wasn't where it was supposed to be. Tousha watched as the dark liquid calmed into a perfect oval and then slipped through the glass-like floor, returning to the eternal sea of nothing that rested just beneath the surface.
With deliberate slowness the man stood up, his legs shaking like a newborn's. He stared left, right, and up, hoping to find any sign of the motes. All he could see was a slowly shifting fog that surrounded him in a perfect circle, as if refusing to get any nearer to him.
"Hello?" His voice echoed briefly off of the obsidian floor, only to be swallowed up by the apathetic fog. Tousha turned, his eyes wide with longing to settle on anything at all. He heard the breath leaving his body, he felt the blood pounding in his ears, but everything else was muted. Muffled, somehow.
Then he heard something. A quiet chirping. The dark haired man looked up, his gaze finding two small birds. They hung on a single, pitch black wire that stretched out of and then back into the circle of mist. He looked at them curiously, one red winged blackbird and the other a vibrant brown sparrow. They looked back down at him as well, regarding him with something beyond his understanding.
He reached up to them with an uncertain hand as the blackness contained under the obsidian floor shifted, amassing into a hulking, monstrous shape. It resembled a vicious bird of prey, with shrewd, empty eyes and a wickedly pointed beak. The blackbird and the sparrow flitted away just as the obsidian floor burst apart, flinging shards of razor sharp glass in every direction. A torrent of screeching black birds knifed through the air, cutting and tearing at Tousha's body. He threw his arms over his head, trying to escape the maelstrom of slashing talons and biting beaks, unable to find any relief.
There was a deafening, hideous shriek, and through the flocking onslaught he saw that same pointed beak close in around him. The last thing he saw was a flicker of red on black, and brown, disappear into the fog.
A pair of thin, dark eyes opened. They stared up at a carved stone ceiling. There was a flickering light nearby. A candle's naked flame twitched and waved from a desk nearby. At that desk sat a man, and that man was reading a book. A manual of some kind. He was whip thin, nearing or just past his fifties, and he had a shock of peppered brown hair. He looked almost bored as he thumbed through the pages, a contemplative hand covering his mouth and chin.
After some time the man noticed that those thin, dark eyes had opened. He closed the book and stood from his weathered, three legged stool.
"How do you feel, my friend?" the man asked, his voice as shrewd as his build. He leaned over Tousha, his sagacious stare drinking in every possible detail they could. Even in the dim light, the Kage could see that his eyes were a piercing gray.
Tousha tried to answer, but found that he couldn't. His entire body felt like it had been carved from stone. Alarmingly, he realized that he couldn't even move his head or neck to look down at the same body that refused to obey. The thin man seemed to understand Tousha's struggle. He nodded in understanding, looking almost apologetic.
Almost.
"I see my medicine is working then. Good."
CharacterShow
Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha
Two Birds
Tsubaki was at peace. For what seemed like the first time in her life, there was nothing. No pain, no sadness, no worry. No joy, no happiness, no delight. There was no hate; there was no love. The sun that she was so drawn to beat down on her and warmed her tanned skin. A breeze ruffled through the trees, spurring the birds into motions. She sighed a contented sound as she watched them fly far overhead. A large oak tree threw its shade behind her, not daring to interfere with the rays of the sun. She sat up slowly, her eyes drifting across the large pond that rippled in front of her. It was familiar to her but she felt nothing as she watched it lap at the shore. The smallest corner of her mind knew that this was not who she was or, not who she always was. She had been a girl who felt too much, incapable of feeling anything with less than her entire being. And it had eaten her alive.
Her arms hugged her knees to her chest, her gaze reflecting the water before her. She never wanted to go back to that. Back to the feelings that threatened to drown her. The desires that held her by the throat. To go back to a place that she had never been able to feel like she fit into. Like her very being rejected the idea of being a human. So instead of belonging she gave, and she gave, and she gave away all of the little pieces of herself. Unable to do anything but hope that eventually, what remained, would be a shape that could fit. A shape that was easy to accept, easy to digest.
She had only ever wanted to be easy to love.
As the shadows grew deeper, the feelings that had been so pleasantly absent slowly returned. They circled around her, sliding across her skin, settling against her bones. They branded themselves onto her, so that she would not dare to forget them again. After all, they said to her, what are you without us? She buried her head further into her knees, pulling them tighter and tighter as it got darker and darker. Fear crept up her spine, settling at the base of her skull. She knew she would leave soon. This place of peace that she had kept so close to her heart. A place where she had spent so much time just existing, where there had never been too much or too little. The shadows became nothingness, stealing the peace as they went. Until all that remained was a girl who felt too much.
A girl who had never been indifferent.
“I’m tired,” she whispered as the last of the nothing slipped from her grasp.
Waking up from the drug was a familiar heady feeling that she instantly recognized. Her mouth tasted of stale iron and her eyes burned behind her closed lids. She had been out for longer this time, she knew, because of the way she sunk through the floor. Tousha. She had saved him, she didn’t doubt that. But saved him for what fate? She urged and coaxed her body into consciousness, needing to see him. To solidify the fact that he had lived. That for now, he was okay. Her heart cried out for him even while her mouth couldn’t.
Slowly, she dragged herself from the bottom of the pit, marking new things as they became apparent to her. She was in motion, being bounced around and jarred every once in a while. She was tired. She was starving. The floor was rough against her face and a sharp pain shot through her skull every time it bumped against it. Tousha. She just wanted to see him. As she clawed herself to consciousness, she just thought of the look of relief he would greet her with. He was always so worried about her, always trying to hold her with kid gloves. She had done her best to keep him at arm’s length but all she wanted to see now was his goofy smile that he gave her when she got frustrated with him. She just wanted to be frustrated with him again. She wanted to eat ramen and dorayaki and go to the park and see the geese. She wanted to tell him about her family. She wanted to ask him for help.
She just needed to know he was okay.
Her eyes tried to blinked away the darkness and tears slowly but the darkness remained, save for a few small slivers of light from the opening in the wagon covering. She was lying on the floor, chained somehow, but that wasn’t what she was looking at. Sitting towards the other end of the wagon was another figure, sitting with his knees up and his hands between them. His head was downturned. Relief flooded through Tsubaki as she took the figure in.
“Tousha.” The relief she felt, she could also taste it on the word.
But as the figure picked his head up and turned to look at her, the light catching his profile, that relief was replaced with dread.
"You’re on your own now, medic."
Her arms hugged her knees to her chest, her gaze reflecting the water before her. She never wanted to go back to that. Back to the feelings that threatened to drown her. The desires that held her by the throat. To go back to a place that she had never been able to feel like she fit into. Like her very being rejected the idea of being a human. So instead of belonging she gave, and she gave, and she gave away all of the little pieces of herself. Unable to do anything but hope that eventually, what remained, would be a shape that could fit. A shape that was easy to accept, easy to digest.
She had only ever wanted to be easy to love.
As the shadows grew deeper, the feelings that had been so pleasantly absent slowly returned. They circled around her, sliding across her skin, settling against her bones. They branded themselves onto her, so that she would not dare to forget them again. After all, they said to her, what are you without us? She buried her head further into her knees, pulling them tighter and tighter as it got darker and darker. Fear crept up her spine, settling at the base of her skull. She knew she would leave soon. This place of peace that she had kept so close to her heart. A place where she had spent so much time just existing, where there had never been too much or too little. The shadows became nothingness, stealing the peace as they went. Until all that remained was a girl who felt too much.
A girl who had never been indifferent.
“I’m tired,” she whispered as the last of the nothing slipped from her grasp.
Waking up from the drug was a familiar heady feeling that she instantly recognized. Her mouth tasted of stale iron and her eyes burned behind her closed lids. She had been out for longer this time, she knew, because of the way she sunk through the floor. Tousha. She had saved him, she didn’t doubt that. But saved him for what fate? She urged and coaxed her body into consciousness, needing to see him. To solidify the fact that he had lived. That for now, he was okay. Her heart cried out for him even while her mouth couldn’t.
Slowly, she dragged herself from the bottom of the pit, marking new things as they became apparent to her. She was in motion, being bounced around and jarred every once in a while. She was tired. She was starving. The floor was rough against her face and a sharp pain shot through her skull every time it bumped against it. Tousha. She just wanted to see him. As she clawed herself to consciousness, she just thought of the look of relief he would greet her with. He was always so worried about her, always trying to hold her with kid gloves. She had done her best to keep him at arm’s length but all she wanted to see now was his goofy smile that he gave her when she got frustrated with him. She just wanted to be frustrated with him again. She wanted to eat ramen and dorayaki and go to the park and see the geese. She wanted to tell him about her family. She wanted to ask him for help.
She just needed to know he was okay.
Her eyes tried to blinked away the darkness and tears slowly but the darkness remained, save for a few small slivers of light from the opening in the wagon covering. She was lying on the floor, chained somehow, but that wasn’t what she was looking at. Sitting towards the other end of the wagon was another figure, sitting with his knees up and his hands between them. His head was downturned. Relief flooded through Tsubaki as she took the figure in.
“Tousha.” The relief she felt, she could also taste it on the word.
But as the figure picked his head up and turned to look at her, the light catching his profile, that relief was replaced with dread.
"You’re on your own now, medic."
My CharactersShow
B-Rank MN • Katō, Tsubaki #A32638
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Two Birds
'Tsubaki. Where is she?'
Tousha was screaming the question in his mind, begging the words to find their way out of his leaden body. He needed to know where his friend was, if Tsubaki was safe, more than he needed air to fill his lungs. Tousha's need was so desperate he could almost feel the dread building deep in his stomach kneading itself into something tangible, something painful beyond bodily harm. The Kage could only lay on the slab of a table at the center of the stone wrought chamber, stripped down to simple traveling trousers, in silent torment as the thin man slowly disappeared from his limited view.
"Nothing to worry about," the thin man said from his desk, "it's a temporary measure. Completely harmless, I can assure you."
Tousha's thin eyes strained as he urged them to settle on the corner of the room where the thin man was standing over a desk, thumbing through the thick manual as he spoke. Every now and then he would lift a beaker or bottle close to his face, each filled with an inscrutable liquid, before extracting a small amount and adding it to a small glass phial. He produced a small pair of wire frame glasses from his shirt's front pocket, cleaned them with a hand cloth, and rested them on his prominent nose before walking back to the table where Tousha was laying.
"Sorry, but you might feel a small pinch," he said, carefully picking up a syringe from a small metal nearby and examining it through his glasses. Countless wrinkles creased around his eyes as the thin man squinted back down at Tousha, his hands trembling slightly as he stuck the needle deep into the Kage's exposed arm.
It did sting, but Tousha's body remained still as if in a deep sleep while the man drew his blood into the syringe.
Once he was done, the thin man nodded to Tousha, smiling. "Very good. Thank you," he said before returning to the desk.
'Tsubaki. I'm so sorry.'
The thin man carefully penetrated the small phial's rubber topper with the needle, injecting Tousha's blood into the strange concoction. Tousha watched in deafening silence as his blood intermingled with the liquid, changing its hue from a sickly green to a much more vibrant pinkish red. He removed the syringe, placed it on the desk, and then shook the phial lazily as he walked back over to the central slab. The stool's legs shrieked in protest as he dragged the seat behind him, then propped it up next to the table.
He sat on the stool and held up the phial of pinkish red liquid in his knobby fingers so that Tousha could see it quite clearly.
"Do you know what this is, my friend?" he asked, his tone expectant. He held it closer to the Kage's face as if distance was the issue. When Tousha remained still and quiet as ever, the thin man pulled the phial away and turned it over and over almost playfully. "I'll tell you, then. This is my life's work. This little thing here. Do you know how many people have given their lives to make this possible? I don't even know the number anymore. That's how many."
'Please. I need to see her. Let me go.'
The thin man watched as tears began forming at the corners of Tousha's eyes. He looked down at the Kage with confusion and pity. "Oh. You're worried about your friend. The Medical Ninja," he said, his tone ripe with false empathy. Tousha's eyes widened, the movement nearly imperceptible. The man nodded solemnly, holding his hands in his lap. "She's being taken to another facility, I'm afraid," the thin man explained to Tousha's horror, "we aren't equipped here for someone of her talents. No, it won't do to simply brainwash that one. Healing Arts take a little more... Nuance, to control."
'Being taken. She's not there yet.'
The thin man placed a hand on Tousha's cheek and turned his head towards himself. He stared down at the Kage and smiled, his glinting gray eyes suddenly filled with disgust. "But we're more than equipped to deal with killers like you," he hissed, gripping the side of Tousha's face painfully. "That's all you Shinobi are. You know that? Murderers. Monsters. Your kind is a blight on the world and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure each and every one of you suffer as much as we have."
He released Tousha's face and propped his head back up so that he was staring back up at the ceiling. The thin man seemed to take a breath or two to compose himself. He ran those knobby fingers through his shock of peppered brown hair and sighed deeply, his shoulders drooping as if under a great weight.
Then he held the phial up again, close to Tousha's face. So close that the Kage's pale skin was washed with a faint pink glow.
"This will turn you into our loyal servant. It'll help you become the weapon you were so carefully crafted to be," the thin man explained, his voice friendly again. "Doesn't that sound wonderful? Isn't that what you've always wanted? Nara Tousha... The Shadow Eater."
A wave of memories bombarded Tousha at the name. He clamped his eyes shut, hoping to hide from the visions that swam in his mind's eye, the screams he heard ringing in his ears. Tears fell from either corner of his eyes, slowly rolling down his paralyzed face.
The thin man nodded in what looked like more understanding.
"Yes. What a fitting end. Shall we get started?"
Tousha was screaming the question in his mind, begging the words to find their way out of his leaden body. He needed to know where his friend was, if Tsubaki was safe, more than he needed air to fill his lungs. Tousha's need was so desperate he could almost feel the dread building deep in his stomach kneading itself into something tangible, something painful beyond bodily harm. The Kage could only lay on the slab of a table at the center of the stone wrought chamber, stripped down to simple traveling trousers, in silent torment as the thin man slowly disappeared from his limited view.
"Nothing to worry about," the thin man said from his desk, "it's a temporary measure. Completely harmless, I can assure you."
Tousha's thin eyes strained as he urged them to settle on the corner of the room where the thin man was standing over a desk, thumbing through the thick manual as he spoke. Every now and then he would lift a beaker or bottle close to his face, each filled with an inscrutable liquid, before extracting a small amount and adding it to a small glass phial. He produced a small pair of wire frame glasses from his shirt's front pocket, cleaned them with a hand cloth, and rested them on his prominent nose before walking back to the table where Tousha was laying.
"Sorry, but you might feel a small pinch," he said, carefully picking up a syringe from a small metal nearby and examining it through his glasses. Countless wrinkles creased around his eyes as the thin man squinted back down at Tousha, his hands trembling slightly as he stuck the needle deep into the Kage's exposed arm.
It did sting, but Tousha's body remained still as if in a deep sleep while the man drew his blood into the syringe.
Once he was done, the thin man nodded to Tousha, smiling. "Very good. Thank you," he said before returning to the desk.
'Tsubaki. I'm so sorry.'
The thin man carefully penetrated the small phial's rubber topper with the needle, injecting Tousha's blood into the strange concoction. Tousha watched in deafening silence as his blood intermingled with the liquid, changing its hue from a sickly green to a much more vibrant pinkish red. He removed the syringe, placed it on the desk, and then shook the phial lazily as he walked back over to the central slab. The stool's legs shrieked in protest as he dragged the seat behind him, then propped it up next to the table.
He sat on the stool and held up the phial of pinkish red liquid in his knobby fingers so that Tousha could see it quite clearly.
"Do you know what this is, my friend?" he asked, his tone expectant. He held it closer to the Kage's face as if distance was the issue. When Tousha remained still and quiet as ever, the thin man pulled the phial away and turned it over and over almost playfully. "I'll tell you, then. This is my life's work. This little thing here. Do you know how many people have given their lives to make this possible? I don't even know the number anymore. That's how many."
'Please. I need to see her. Let me go.'
The thin man watched as tears began forming at the corners of Tousha's eyes. He looked down at the Kage with confusion and pity. "Oh. You're worried about your friend. The Medical Ninja," he said, his tone ripe with false empathy. Tousha's eyes widened, the movement nearly imperceptible. The man nodded solemnly, holding his hands in his lap. "She's being taken to another facility, I'm afraid," the thin man explained to Tousha's horror, "we aren't equipped here for someone of her talents. No, it won't do to simply brainwash that one. Healing Arts take a little more... Nuance, to control."
'Being taken. She's not there yet.'
The thin man placed a hand on Tousha's cheek and turned his head towards himself. He stared down at the Kage and smiled, his glinting gray eyes suddenly filled with disgust. "But we're more than equipped to deal with killers like you," he hissed, gripping the side of Tousha's face painfully. "That's all you Shinobi are. You know that? Murderers. Monsters. Your kind is a blight on the world and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure each and every one of you suffer as much as we have."
He released Tousha's face and propped his head back up so that he was staring back up at the ceiling. The thin man seemed to take a breath or two to compose himself. He ran those knobby fingers through his shock of peppered brown hair and sighed deeply, his shoulders drooping as if under a great weight.
Then he held the phial up again, close to Tousha's face. So close that the Kage's pale skin was washed with a faint pink glow.
"This will turn you into our loyal servant. It'll help you become the weapon you were so carefully crafted to be," the thin man explained, his voice friendly again. "Doesn't that sound wonderful? Isn't that what you've always wanted? Nara Tousha... The Shadow Eater."
A wave of memories bombarded Tousha at the name. He clamped his eyes shut, hoping to hide from the visions that swam in his mind's eye, the screams he heard ringing in his ears. Tears fell from either corner of his eyes, slowly rolling down his paralyzed face.
The thin man nodded in what looked like more understanding.
"Yes. What a fitting end. Shall we get started?"
Last edited by Toshi on Fri Mar 01, 2024 1:59 pm, edited 4 times in total.
CharacterShow
Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha
Two Birds
Tsubaki's chest felt heavier with each breath she forced herself to take. A high pitched whine rang in her ears, the noise slowly giving away to the deafening sound of her own thudding heart. On her own? There was only one thing he could mean by that. Tousha was gone. She didn't know what had gone wrong. She could still smell his blood on her hands, she had worked so hard to save him. There was no way she failed, her medical skills were the only thing she never doubted about herself. She couldn't accept that she had saved Yuji for nothing. But what did that mean then? Had they handed him over while she was still unconscious? She didn’t even get to say goodbye? He was just gone. How was she supposed to accept that he was just gone. He had tried so hard. She had tried so hard. They had tried so hard and she couldn’t accept that he was ju-
The moment Tsubaki threw herself up to her knees Yuji kicked a bucket in her direction. Her shaking fingers grasped frantically for it, barely pulling it to her face before she started retching into it.
”Figured that might happen.” She could barely hear him as she collapsed back against the wall, her legs spreading out in front of her. Shackled together. The bucket she held to her chest, held tight by the chain that ran between her wrists. ”Unpredictable drugs. That knock on your head didn't help I suppose.”
Tsubaki lifted her hand to her head, the chain brushing against her face. She winced and hissed through her teeth when her fingers found the crusted over gash on the side of her skull. The pain helped her to remember. After she had healed Tousha, they had hit her over the head. It was the last thing she remembered, not even a sliver of a memory between then and now. Just an immeasurable amount of blank space. She heaved into the bucket again but what little bile had been in her stomach was already gone. She discarded the bucket to the side, making sure to keep it in reach.
“What happened?” Her words were weightless. Like she didn’t even care what the answer was. It wouldn’t change anything, anyways. He was gone. Yuji was silent for so long that Tsubaki didn’t think he was going to answer her anyways. But then his voice broke the silence.
”The deal was completed.”
Tsubaki dropped her head into her hands, eyes wide open and filling with tears. She would not cry in front of him. She refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her break. Not after how hard she had fought. Not after she had saved his disgusting, worthless life. Even after the last of her hope burnt to ashes she would not let him have that. So when he spoke again she picked her head up, eyes free of tears and her face a mask of stone.
”You should have let him die.”
The smallest spark of anger flashed inside of her. Her teeth ground together as she stared straight forward. She would let him talk. She wouldn’t give him an excuse to hurt her. For now, she could make things as easy on herself as possible. At least until she had a plan. But she could see him stand, even in the darkness of the wagon, and walk over to squat in front of her, forcing her to choose between looking at him or looking away. She didn’t look away.
”You’re the one who sealed his fate. Death isn’t always the worst option as you’ll soon find out my little medic.”
She had grown so tired of his voice. The same lifeless, emotionless voice that had called her out of her sleep in the middle of the road. An event that seemed like a lifetime ago. There was the slightest difference now, a twinge in his undertone, but she didn’t care to think too hard about the nuances of a psychotic bounty hunter. All she could think about was finding something to stab through his neck again. And this time she would happily watch him bleed out.
”Brainwashing is too simple for something as complicated as controlling a medic. Human or shinobi. Your training will require a finer touch. But him? Your friend? He’s just a weapon. By now he’s probably a much better one.”
An eerie quietness surrounded Tsubaki. She didn’t need to ask what he meant by that, she remembered well the way the archer had been unresponsive to everyone except for Yuji. The way his single command had dropped the archer to the ground. They weren’t going to kill Tousha. They were going to do something much, much worse to him. And it was her fault. Whether he had died in that clearing or not she would be in the same position with the same chances of escaping. But she could have held his hand and let him die peacefully in that clearing. She could have made sure that she was the last thing he saw. She could have given him a smile and told him that everything was going to be okay. But instead, because of her, he would be forced to do monstrous things. Horrible, terrible things. And if he was still conscious in his mind while being made to do those things…
Tsubaki held her hands tightly over her mouth. What had she done? What had she done? The more times she thought those words the tighter she held her hands over her mouth. She was so focused on keeping her cries inside that she didn’t notice when Yuji stood and jumped out of the wagon, leaving her alone in the darkness.
What have I done?
The moment Tsubaki threw herself up to her knees Yuji kicked a bucket in her direction. Her shaking fingers grasped frantically for it, barely pulling it to her face before she started retching into it.
”Figured that might happen.” She could barely hear him as she collapsed back against the wall, her legs spreading out in front of her. Shackled together. The bucket she held to her chest, held tight by the chain that ran between her wrists. ”Unpredictable drugs. That knock on your head didn't help I suppose.”
Tsubaki lifted her hand to her head, the chain brushing against her face. She winced and hissed through her teeth when her fingers found the crusted over gash on the side of her skull. The pain helped her to remember. After she had healed Tousha, they had hit her over the head. It was the last thing she remembered, not even a sliver of a memory between then and now. Just an immeasurable amount of blank space. She heaved into the bucket again but what little bile had been in her stomach was already gone. She discarded the bucket to the side, making sure to keep it in reach.
“What happened?” Her words were weightless. Like she didn’t even care what the answer was. It wouldn’t change anything, anyways. He was gone. Yuji was silent for so long that Tsubaki didn’t think he was going to answer her anyways. But then his voice broke the silence.
”The deal was completed.”
Tsubaki dropped her head into her hands, eyes wide open and filling with tears. She would not cry in front of him. She refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her break. Not after how hard she had fought. Not after she had saved his disgusting, worthless life. Even after the last of her hope burnt to ashes she would not let him have that. So when he spoke again she picked her head up, eyes free of tears and her face a mask of stone.
”You should have let him die.”
The smallest spark of anger flashed inside of her. Her teeth ground together as she stared straight forward. She would let him talk. She wouldn’t give him an excuse to hurt her. For now, she could make things as easy on herself as possible. At least until she had a plan. But she could see him stand, even in the darkness of the wagon, and walk over to squat in front of her, forcing her to choose between looking at him or looking away. She didn’t look away.
”You’re the one who sealed his fate. Death isn’t always the worst option as you’ll soon find out my little medic.”
She had grown so tired of his voice. The same lifeless, emotionless voice that had called her out of her sleep in the middle of the road. An event that seemed like a lifetime ago. There was the slightest difference now, a twinge in his undertone, but she didn’t care to think too hard about the nuances of a psychotic bounty hunter. All she could think about was finding something to stab through his neck again. And this time she would happily watch him bleed out.
”Brainwashing is too simple for something as complicated as controlling a medic. Human or shinobi. Your training will require a finer touch. But him? Your friend? He’s just a weapon. By now he’s probably a much better one.”
An eerie quietness surrounded Tsubaki. She didn’t need to ask what he meant by that, she remembered well the way the archer had been unresponsive to everyone except for Yuji. The way his single command had dropped the archer to the ground. They weren’t going to kill Tousha. They were going to do something much, much worse to him. And it was her fault. Whether he had died in that clearing or not she would be in the same position with the same chances of escaping. But she could have held his hand and let him die peacefully in that clearing. She could have made sure that she was the last thing he saw. She could have given him a smile and told him that everything was going to be okay. But instead, because of her, he would be forced to do monstrous things. Horrible, terrible things. And if he was still conscious in his mind while being made to do those things…
Tsubaki held her hands tightly over her mouth. What had she done? What had she done? The more times she thought those words the tighter she held her hands over her mouth. She was so focused on keeping her cries inside that she didn’t notice when Yuji stood and jumped out of the wagon, leaving her alone in the darkness.
What have I done?
My CharactersShow
B-Rank MN • Katō, Tsubaki #A32638
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Two Birds
Liquid fire scorched a white hot path through Tousha's mind. He begged his body to scream but the most he could manage was widening his eyes, tensing his jaw, and shifting the distant ends of his extremities under the thick leather bands that bound him to the stone slab table. The Kage had never felt more helpless in his life, and the pain was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. He could feel his psyche reeling from it, unable to process something so abstract and relentless.
The thin man's face hovered above him, a thin veil of professional curiosity doing little to hide the pride he felt seeing his precious life's work taking full effect.
"This is why we need you to be awake and aware," the man explained, twisting the empty phial he'd injected mere minutes ago into Tousha's neck. "First the mind needs to be broken. It needs to fight and struggle for a very, very long time. It's the only way to be sure there are only fragments left. Fragments I can shape into something more pliable."
Tousha could barely understand what the man was saying. His paralyzed body twitched and tensed as the pain continued creeping further and further into his consciousness, flaring outwards and expanding in every direction with each passing moment. An eternity might have passed and he wouldn't have known. There was only the pain, and it threatened to shatter him with each stunted breath he took.
He wondered for a quiet, torturous moment if this was the pain Tsubaki experienced from the manacle seal. Then the thought flitted away, replaced again by searing agony.
The thin man had returned to his desk, dragging his shoddy stool behind him once more. He left the Kage to suffer on the table, thumbing through a few more pages of the manual before preparing another concoction.
"The more you struggle the better the result," the man said absentmindedly, as if he were speaking to himself. "Brilliant, yes? I think so too. The more powerful the mind the more soundly it tears itself apart. Very efficient."
'Make it stop. Make it stop, please,' Tousha begged to nothing and no one. 'Help. Help me. Please, someone help me.'
The pain had become so encompassing that he could hear himself groaning despite the paralytic coursing through his body. It was a quiet, piteous sound that made the thin man turn away from his work. He looked genuinely surprised and impressed that his subject could make any sounds at all.
Alongside that surprise was a sprinkling of fear. He slowly put down the second phial he was adding more strange liquids to and grabbed another syringe, the one he'd used to paralyze Tousha's body before he could regain consciousness. Time seemed to move in slow motion as he watched the man approach, syringe in hand, ready to administer more of the 'medicine.'
And then everything slowed to a crawl. The pain stopped. Tousha thought for a moment that he'd been killed by that pain, this this was an eternity of nothing. But he could still see the thin man inching ever closer at a painfully slow speed, he could still see the candle resting on the desk and flickering, and he could still see the carved stone room around him. But it felt unnatural, skewed. It was as if he was looking at everything through the eyes of someone else.
Of something else.
Nara Tousha heard the pounding of massive wings. He felt the rush of wind. Finally, he heard the shrieking of a monster that the pain lancing through his mind had freed from the cage of his self control. Part of Tousha's mind had cracked, and this small gap was enough for the thing he tried so desperately to keep hidden from the world to claw through with a savagery that scared him to his core.
The Blackbird took flight, and Tousha could only watch from within himself as it streaked out of him and into the world.
The shadows cast by the flickering candle light darkened and shifted. The sudden movement stopped the thin man in his tracks. He looked around the room nervously, holding his breath without realizing it. Without a word he produced a small, curved knife and held it in front of himself. His glinting gray eyes checked each corner of the room, but each time he turned his head the shadows he'd just been looking at leaped away and slithered towards the slab at the chamber's center.
"Who is there?" he asked, his voice echoing quietly in the suddenly still chamber. "Come out or I'l-"
The thin man wasn't able to finish his sentence before a deep bellowing howl ripped its way out of Tousha. It startled him so badly that he dropped the knife and fell backwards into his desk, sending phials, beakers, and bottles tumbling to the ground. Glass shattered, the knife bounced with a resounding clang off of the stone floor, and the thin man watched in wide eyed horror as the Kage, now completely enveloped in stark black shadows, strained with inhuman strength against the slab's leather bindings.
"I... Impossible," the thin man stammered, unable to take his shaking gaze off of the shadowy monster. He watched as the thing that used to be Nara Tousha snap one wrist restraint clean off of its metal supports, and then another. A shock of sense and desperate instinct washed over the thin man and he bolted for the door. As he did, one of the leg restraints was torn to pieces.
The thin man slammed the door behind him, bellowing down a torchlit stone hallway.
"He's free!" the man shrieked, as the door he'd shut only moments before blew off of its hinges and shattered against the stone opposite to it. "Guards! Guards!"
Darkness flooded into the hallway after the thin man as he ran, his frail body pumping and clomping as fast as it possibly could. A river-like torrent of shadows rushed forward at alarming speed, howling with inhuman rage as it drew closer, and closer, and closer.
The thin man's face hovered above him, a thin veil of professional curiosity doing little to hide the pride he felt seeing his precious life's work taking full effect.
"This is why we need you to be awake and aware," the man explained, twisting the empty phial he'd injected mere minutes ago into Tousha's neck. "First the mind needs to be broken. It needs to fight and struggle for a very, very long time. It's the only way to be sure there are only fragments left. Fragments I can shape into something more pliable."
Tousha could barely understand what the man was saying. His paralyzed body twitched and tensed as the pain continued creeping further and further into his consciousness, flaring outwards and expanding in every direction with each passing moment. An eternity might have passed and he wouldn't have known. There was only the pain, and it threatened to shatter him with each stunted breath he took.
He wondered for a quiet, torturous moment if this was the pain Tsubaki experienced from the manacle seal. Then the thought flitted away, replaced again by searing agony.
The thin man had returned to his desk, dragging his shoddy stool behind him once more. He left the Kage to suffer on the table, thumbing through a few more pages of the manual before preparing another concoction.
"The more you struggle the better the result," the man said absentmindedly, as if he were speaking to himself. "Brilliant, yes? I think so too. The more powerful the mind the more soundly it tears itself apart. Very efficient."
'Make it stop. Make it stop, please,' Tousha begged to nothing and no one. 'Help. Help me. Please, someone help me.'
The pain had become so encompassing that he could hear himself groaning despite the paralytic coursing through his body. It was a quiet, piteous sound that made the thin man turn away from his work. He looked genuinely surprised and impressed that his subject could make any sounds at all.
Alongside that surprise was a sprinkling of fear. He slowly put down the second phial he was adding more strange liquids to and grabbed another syringe, the one he'd used to paralyze Tousha's body before he could regain consciousness. Time seemed to move in slow motion as he watched the man approach, syringe in hand, ready to administer more of the 'medicine.'
And then everything slowed to a crawl. The pain stopped. Tousha thought for a moment that he'd been killed by that pain, this this was an eternity of nothing. But he could still see the thin man inching ever closer at a painfully slow speed, he could still see the candle resting on the desk and flickering, and he could still see the carved stone room around him. But it felt unnatural, skewed. It was as if he was looking at everything through the eyes of someone else.
Of something else.
Nara Tousha heard the pounding of massive wings. He felt the rush of wind. Finally, he heard the shrieking of a monster that the pain lancing through his mind had freed from the cage of his self control. Part of Tousha's mind had cracked, and this small gap was enough for the thing he tried so desperately to keep hidden from the world to claw through with a savagery that scared him to his core.
The Blackbird took flight, and Tousha could only watch from within himself as it streaked out of him and into the world.
The shadows cast by the flickering candle light darkened and shifted. The sudden movement stopped the thin man in his tracks. He looked around the room nervously, holding his breath without realizing it. Without a word he produced a small, curved knife and held it in front of himself. His glinting gray eyes checked each corner of the room, but each time he turned his head the shadows he'd just been looking at leaped away and slithered towards the slab at the chamber's center.
"Who is there?" he asked, his voice echoing quietly in the suddenly still chamber. "Come out or I'l-"
The thin man wasn't able to finish his sentence before a deep bellowing howl ripped its way out of Tousha. It startled him so badly that he dropped the knife and fell backwards into his desk, sending phials, beakers, and bottles tumbling to the ground. Glass shattered, the knife bounced with a resounding clang off of the stone floor, and the thin man watched in wide eyed horror as the Kage, now completely enveloped in stark black shadows, strained with inhuman strength against the slab's leather bindings.
"I... Impossible," the thin man stammered, unable to take his shaking gaze off of the shadowy monster. He watched as the thing that used to be Nara Tousha snap one wrist restraint clean off of its metal supports, and then another. A shock of sense and desperate instinct washed over the thin man and he bolted for the door. As he did, one of the leg restraints was torn to pieces.
The thin man slammed the door behind him, bellowing down a torchlit stone hallway.
"He's free!" the man shrieked, as the door he'd shut only moments before blew off of its hinges and shattered against the stone opposite to it. "Guards! Guards!"
Darkness flooded into the hallway after the thin man as he ran, his frail body pumping and clomping as fast as it possibly could. A river-like torrent of shadows rushed forward at alarming speed, howling with inhuman rage as it drew closer, and closer, and closer.
Jutsu usedShow
Shadow Being
A-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will gather any shadows within his Control range to himself, shaping these shadows into the towering form of a shadowy person at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control around his own body. This shadow being's appearance can be determined by the user at will, can reach a height of up to 30m, moves at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control, and will retain these qualities as long as the user remains within its shape. This technique can be maintained for up to 6 posts before additional chakra is required.
A-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will gather any shadows within his Control range to himself, shaping these shadows into the towering form of a shadowy person at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control around his own body. This shadow being's appearance can be determined by the user at will, can reach a height of up to 30m, moves at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control, and will retain these qualities as long as the user remains within its shape. This technique can be maintained for up to 6 posts before additional chakra is required.
Last edited by Toshi on Sun Feb 25, 2024 12:51 pm, edited 7 times in total.
CharacterShow
Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha
Two Birds
Sleep had refused to take her worn down mind. For hour after hour she had stared into darkness with nothing to occupy her except her own imagination. She had to believe that what had actually happened to Tousha couldn’t be worse than the things she invented to torture herself because otherwise, she didn’t think she could stomach it. Not as image after image of Tousha bloodied and mutilated flashed before her eyes. His screams echoing through whatever torture room they had him strapped up in as they took away everything that made him him. The kind hearted smiles and his soft eyes. His begging voice drifted through her mind with the images. She wondered who he begged for, what he begged for. He had told her that he had a daughter he had been separated from. And now he was never going to see her again, maybe not even be able to remember her. Underneath it all ran the same phrase on repeat.
You should have let him die.
Her eyes finally slid away from her own personal horror show when the thud of a bowl and water skin came from her side. The wagon had stopped moving at some point, the slit in the wagon covering showing a mostly cloud covered sky. She kept her head still against the wall behind her back, only her eyes tracking Yuji as he moved around. He lifted a lantern from one of the small boxes that littered the floor and lit it before hanging it from the center of the ceiling. The sound of wood scraping against wood filled the wagon as he dragged another box over across from Tsubaki, on the other side of where her wrists were latched to the floor. Far enough away, she guessed, that she wouldn’t be able to reach him if she tried. Just like she knew he had set down the bowl and water just out of her reach.
”What were you doing traveling with Nara Tousha?”
Tsubaki shook her head and closed her eyes. For someone with zero personality he sure liked to talk more and more as time passed. He had done the same thing to Tousha. Sat down with him and enticed him into a conversation that left Tousha with two broken fingers. It certainly seemed like he wasn’t quite as uninterested in his captives as his tone usually suggested.
”I understand why he lied to you,” Yuji continued when Tsubaki refused to answer him. ”A sweet thing like you would never have traveled with a known murderer.”
She knew he was just trying to rile her up but she didn’t know why. As long as they had stayed quiet and behaved before he had been more than happy to let them be.
”I’m sure you’ve heard the stories about him, though. There are few who haven’t. You know why he’s a former Hokage at his age, right?”
Against her better judgment, Tsubaki opened her eyes and glared across at Yuji. That spark of anger in her gut was back, trying to push through the grief and despair that had settled over her. Trying desperately to bring some life back to her eyes.
”There was an attack while he held the position. It wasn’t even an army. Just two men. And he was too weak to stop them.” Yuji held her gaze. ”He was considered to be an embarrassment to the nation so they forced him to resign.” Yuji pulled an object from his pocket, flipping it around in his hands as he spoke.
”The shame was too much for him and he didn’t even stay to clean up his own mess. Abandoned his village, his country. Even his little girl. Pretty sure she’s about your age.”
The spark of anger flickered brighter, a steady light now. “Don’t talk about him like you know him.”
Tsubaki didn’t know what it was that flashed in Yuji’s eyes when she finally spoke but she knew that she didn’t like it. ”And you do? What really happened then?”
“Why would I tell you? Your stupid lies won’t work on me, whatever it is you’re trying to do. You don’t deserve to know anything about him.”
”They’re not lies. I thought it might help you feel better about what’s happened to him, if you knew who he really was. This is the least of his sins.”
Tsubaki scoffed, pushing off of the wall and bracing her elbows on her knees. She coaxed the flame of anger brighter and brighter. Her day of wallowing had to be over. She couldn’t give up. Not yet. She couldn’t disappoint Tousha like that.
“You’re wasting your breath.”
”You’re the one defending a murderer. How do you think he’s supported himself during his travels? You’ve seen what he could do even in a weakened state. Fulfilling contracts would be easy for someone like him.” The smallest of smiles appeared on Yuji’s face, his hands incessantly flipping the round, flat object around and around.
“Shut up.” Tsubaki’s voice was a low growl. There was no way Tousha would kill people for money. It was ridiculous to even think and insulting to say.
”Since you don’t know why you were traveling with him, let me inform you.” Yuji leaned forward. ”He was kind enough to talk about it in his unconscious stupor. A man like him, I’m sure it’s not a surprise that he’s studied the bingo book front and back. Tousha is a man who likes to know things.”
Tsubaki shook her head. She didn’t want to hear what he was saying. The anger inside of her was raging now, lighting up her eyes. “I said shut up. You don’t fucking know anything.”
”You were weak when you left your village. Worthless, essentially. But now? You might not be worth as much as Nara Tousha but you sure have quite a bit of value now.”
Her teeth ground against each other as she was forced to listen to such pitiful, disgusting lies. She didn’t believe him. Whatever he was saying, she didn’t believe him. She may not know facts about Tousha but she knew him. Nothing this man said could change her mind about that.
”Did you even pay attention to what direction you were traveling in or did you just blindly trust him? Nara Tousha was doing you the favor of returning you home for a nice chunk of ryo.”
Time froze. For just a moment, Tsubaki was sure that even her heart stopped beating. And then, it began again. She grabbed the bucket at her side and threw it at Yuji with all of her strength. It clipped him in the shoulder, knocking him off of the box and onto the ground. Tsubaki was on her feet in the next instant, lunging for him, determined that she would rip the chain from the floor so that she could use it to choke the life out of him. She made it a single step before she collapsed to the ground.
A scream tearing from her mouth as a familiar pain ripped through her.
You should have let him die.
Her eyes finally slid away from her own personal horror show when the thud of a bowl and water skin came from her side. The wagon had stopped moving at some point, the slit in the wagon covering showing a mostly cloud covered sky. She kept her head still against the wall behind her back, only her eyes tracking Yuji as he moved around. He lifted a lantern from one of the small boxes that littered the floor and lit it before hanging it from the center of the ceiling. The sound of wood scraping against wood filled the wagon as he dragged another box over across from Tsubaki, on the other side of where her wrists were latched to the floor. Far enough away, she guessed, that she wouldn’t be able to reach him if she tried. Just like she knew he had set down the bowl and water just out of her reach.
”What were you doing traveling with Nara Tousha?”
Tsubaki shook her head and closed her eyes. For someone with zero personality he sure liked to talk more and more as time passed. He had done the same thing to Tousha. Sat down with him and enticed him into a conversation that left Tousha with two broken fingers. It certainly seemed like he wasn’t quite as uninterested in his captives as his tone usually suggested.
”I understand why he lied to you,” Yuji continued when Tsubaki refused to answer him. ”A sweet thing like you would never have traveled with a known murderer.”
She knew he was just trying to rile her up but she didn’t know why. As long as they had stayed quiet and behaved before he had been more than happy to let them be.
”I’m sure you’ve heard the stories about him, though. There are few who haven’t. You know why he’s a former Hokage at his age, right?”
Against her better judgment, Tsubaki opened her eyes and glared across at Yuji. That spark of anger in her gut was back, trying to push through the grief and despair that had settled over her. Trying desperately to bring some life back to her eyes.
”There was an attack while he held the position. It wasn’t even an army. Just two men. And he was too weak to stop them.” Yuji held her gaze. ”He was considered to be an embarrassment to the nation so they forced him to resign.” Yuji pulled an object from his pocket, flipping it around in his hands as he spoke.
”The shame was too much for him and he didn’t even stay to clean up his own mess. Abandoned his village, his country. Even his little girl. Pretty sure she’s about your age.”
The spark of anger flickered brighter, a steady light now. “Don’t talk about him like you know him.”
Tsubaki didn’t know what it was that flashed in Yuji’s eyes when she finally spoke but she knew that she didn’t like it. ”And you do? What really happened then?”
“Why would I tell you? Your stupid lies won’t work on me, whatever it is you’re trying to do. You don’t deserve to know anything about him.”
”They’re not lies. I thought it might help you feel better about what’s happened to him, if you knew who he really was. This is the least of his sins.”
Tsubaki scoffed, pushing off of the wall and bracing her elbows on her knees. She coaxed the flame of anger brighter and brighter. Her day of wallowing had to be over. She couldn’t give up. Not yet. She couldn’t disappoint Tousha like that.
“You’re wasting your breath.”
”You’re the one defending a murderer. How do you think he’s supported himself during his travels? You’ve seen what he could do even in a weakened state. Fulfilling contracts would be easy for someone like him.” The smallest of smiles appeared on Yuji’s face, his hands incessantly flipping the round, flat object around and around.
“Shut up.” Tsubaki’s voice was a low growl. There was no way Tousha would kill people for money. It was ridiculous to even think and insulting to say.
”Since you don’t know why you were traveling with him, let me inform you.” Yuji leaned forward. ”He was kind enough to talk about it in his unconscious stupor. A man like him, I’m sure it’s not a surprise that he’s studied the bingo book front and back. Tousha is a man who likes to know things.”
Tsubaki shook her head. She didn’t want to hear what he was saying. The anger inside of her was raging now, lighting up her eyes. “I said shut up. You don’t fucking know anything.”
”You were weak when you left your village. Worthless, essentially. But now? You might not be worth as much as Nara Tousha but you sure have quite a bit of value now.”
Her teeth ground against each other as she was forced to listen to such pitiful, disgusting lies. She didn’t believe him. Whatever he was saying, she didn’t believe him. She may not know facts about Tousha but she knew him. Nothing this man said could change her mind about that.
”Did you even pay attention to what direction you were traveling in or did you just blindly trust him? Nara Tousha was doing you the favor of returning you home for a nice chunk of ryo.”
Time froze. For just a moment, Tsubaki was sure that even her heart stopped beating. And then, it began again. She grabbed the bucket at her side and threw it at Yuji with all of her strength. It clipped him in the shoulder, knocking him off of the box and onto the ground. Tsubaki was on her feet in the next instant, lunging for him, determined that she would rip the chain from the floor so that she could use it to choke the life out of him. She made it a single step before she collapsed to the ground.
A scream tearing from her mouth as a familiar pain ripped through her.
My CharactersShow
B-Rank MN • Katō, Tsubaki #A32638
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Two Birds
Two Shinobi bolted down the torchlit hallway, running headlong towards the thin man and the roiling deluge of grasping shadows that followed closely behind. One of the Guard Shinobi produced a kunai with mechanical, unthinking ease and threw it just past the thin man's ear as he continued frantically sprinting down the passage. The knife struck the mass of shadows and disappeared into it its stark depths like a coin being tossed into a fathomless fountain.
"Stop him!" the thin man screamed, his words burdened from running yet shrill. "I command you to stop him!"
The other Guard Shinobi rounded off a string of hand seals and inhaled deeply before releasing a stream of searing hot flames at the encroaching shadows. The thin man barely made it past the brainwashed guards before the Katon technique engulfed the entire hallway, heavily slamming into the Shinobi who had thrown the kunai in his panicked retreat.
"Out of my way, you fool!" he yelled, pushing off of the stoic guard and barely staying on his feet as he continued running away from the thing that used to be Nara Tousha.
The orange-red flames collided with the wall of shadows and fanned out in fragments of fire, pushed aside by the enraged darkness that refused to halt its advance for even a moment. The fire spewing Guard Shinobi continued his efforts, pouring more chakra into the Katon technique while the other guard rounded off a string of hand seals before slamming his open palms to the ground. Massive spikes of earth and stone emerged from the hallway's floor, walls, and ceiling, creating a briar patch of sharpened spines. These stone spikes allowed the still billowing flames to pass through the gaps in an otherwise formidable barricade.
As the tidal wave of shadows approached these Doton infused spikes they rapidly shrunk in on themselves at alarming speed, converging at the center. The shadowed silhouette of a man launched itself through the gaps in the earthen spikes, battering away the fire in its path with a wild rage hotter than it could ever hope to match. With blinding speed the silhouette made it through the Doton spikes, whipping an arm forward and sending five tendrils of shadow darting through the flame kissed air like striking serpents.
Before the Katon wielding guard could even react, one of those tendrils wound itself around his leg and lifted him off his feet. Without so much as a sound of protest, the guard's body was flung with vicious force to the opposite side of the hallway and smashed into the wall with a sickening squelch. Two more tendrils lanced at the guard who had spawned the Doton spikes, wrapping around either of his wrists. With rage induced strength the silhouette yanked the guard towards it, dislocating both shoulders and sending the guard sprawling forward.
The brainwashed Shinobi wouldn't even hit the ground before the shadowy silhouette collided with him mid air like a battering ram. Skin ripped and muscle tore as the shadowy figure slammed a kunai, the weapon the first guard had flung at him, with lethal force into the center of his chest. The guard's sternum shattered under the kunai's iron, razor sharp point as it punched into heart and lungs. The Doton wielding guard's body was flung to the side by the tendrils wrapped around its wrists, discarded and broken.
"RrrraaAAAAAAAGGHHH!!!"
The shadow silhouetted figure bellowed with feral bloodlust as it pounded down the hallway after the thin man, the cobbled stone under its feet shattering with each stride. The figure's body would lean forward like a crazed animal, its arms held at a predatory angle to grasp its fleeing prey at a moment's notice.
Said prey managed to reach what appeared to be a reinforced steel door. The thin man flung open the door with a twist of a handle, stumbled through the opening, and then slammed the door closed again. Just as the shadowy figure reached the door, crashing into it with all of its might and momentum, the thin man slid home a massive steel bar that barred any entry.
The thin man stumbled backwards, eyes wide in fear and chest heaving with ragged breaths, and watched as the steel door held. There was a deafening slam from the other side of the door, a howl, and then another slam. Then there was silence and for a moment relief swept across the sweating man's face. He turned to continue down the hallway and to the surface, away from the underground laboratory.
He'd make it a few steps before a bitter hissing filled the air. The thin man looked back at the door, all color draining from his face as he watched the near impenetrable barrier disappearing before his eyes. A rust colored, annihilating chakra ate through the door with a horrifying hunger. Before he could shout for help, a massive hole had emerged at the door's center and a pair of empty eyes peered through. They narrowed in something resembling satisfaction.
Shadows poured through the hole in the door like water through shattered glass. The thin man turned to run but was swept up in a tide of darkness, pulled off of his feet and screaming in terror as it closed in around him. The shadows that enveloped him formed into the shape of a massive hand that held the thin man aloft like a child's plaything.
The face of a man, the face of Nara Tousha, emerged from the shadows that filled the dimly lit hallway and glared with inhuman ire.
"Where is she?"
"Stop him!" the thin man screamed, his words burdened from running yet shrill. "I command you to stop him!"
The other Guard Shinobi rounded off a string of hand seals and inhaled deeply before releasing a stream of searing hot flames at the encroaching shadows. The thin man barely made it past the brainwashed guards before the Katon technique engulfed the entire hallway, heavily slamming into the Shinobi who had thrown the kunai in his panicked retreat.
"Out of my way, you fool!" he yelled, pushing off of the stoic guard and barely staying on his feet as he continued running away from the thing that used to be Nara Tousha.
The orange-red flames collided with the wall of shadows and fanned out in fragments of fire, pushed aside by the enraged darkness that refused to halt its advance for even a moment. The fire spewing Guard Shinobi continued his efforts, pouring more chakra into the Katon technique while the other guard rounded off a string of hand seals before slamming his open palms to the ground. Massive spikes of earth and stone emerged from the hallway's floor, walls, and ceiling, creating a briar patch of sharpened spines. These stone spikes allowed the still billowing flames to pass through the gaps in an otherwise formidable barricade.
As the tidal wave of shadows approached these Doton infused spikes they rapidly shrunk in on themselves at alarming speed, converging at the center. The shadowed silhouette of a man launched itself through the gaps in the earthen spikes, battering away the fire in its path with a wild rage hotter than it could ever hope to match. With blinding speed the silhouette made it through the Doton spikes, whipping an arm forward and sending five tendrils of shadow darting through the flame kissed air like striking serpents.
Before the Katon wielding guard could even react, one of those tendrils wound itself around his leg and lifted him off his feet. Without so much as a sound of protest, the guard's body was flung with vicious force to the opposite side of the hallway and smashed into the wall with a sickening squelch. Two more tendrils lanced at the guard who had spawned the Doton spikes, wrapping around either of his wrists. With rage induced strength the silhouette yanked the guard towards it, dislocating both shoulders and sending the guard sprawling forward.
The brainwashed Shinobi wouldn't even hit the ground before the shadowy silhouette collided with him mid air like a battering ram. Skin ripped and muscle tore as the shadowy figure slammed a kunai, the weapon the first guard had flung at him, with lethal force into the center of his chest. The guard's sternum shattered under the kunai's iron, razor sharp point as it punched into heart and lungs. The Doton wielding guard's body was flung to the side by the tendrils wrapped around its wrists, discarded and broken.
"RrrraaAAAAAAAGGHHH!!!"
The shadow silhouetted figure bellowed with feral bloodlust as it pounded down the hallway after the thin man, the cobbled stone under its feet shattering with each stride. The figure's body would lean forward like a crazed animal, its arms held at a predatory angle to grasp its fleeing prey at a moment's notice.
Said prey managed to reach what appeared to be a reinforced steel door. The thin man flung open the door with a twist of a handle, stumbled through the opening, and then slammed the door closed again. Just as the shadowy figure reached the door, crashing into it with all of its might and momentum, the thin man slid home a massive steel bar that barred any entry.
The thin man stumbled backwards, eyes wide in fear and chest heaving with ragged breaths, and watched as the steel door held. There was a deafening slam from the other side of the door, a howl, and then another slam. Then there was silence and for a moment relief swept across the sweating man's face. He turned to continue down the hallway and to the surface, away from the underground laboratory.
He'd make it a few steps before a bitter hissing filled the air. The thin man looked back at the door, all color draining from his face as he watched the near impenetrable barrier disappearing before his eyes. A rust colored, annihilating chakra ate through the door with a horrifying hunger. Before he could shout for help, a massive hole had emerged at the door's center and a pair of empty eyes peered through. They narrowed in something resembling satisfaction.
Shadows poured through the hole in the door like water through shattered glass. The thin man turned to run but was swept up in a tide of darkness, pulled off of his feet and screaming in terror as it closed in around him. The shadows that enveloped him formed into the shape of a massive hand that held the thin man aloft like a child's plaything.
The face of a man, the face of Nara Tousha, emerged from the shadows that filled the dimly lit hallway and glared with inhuman ire.
"Where is she?"
Jutsu usedShow
Shadow Sewing
C-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will infuse his own or a shadow within his Control radius with chakra, causing it to form into 5 long tendrils at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control. These tendrils can be manipulated at will by the user at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control as long as it remains within the user's Control radius. The practical uses of this technique range from attempting to impale a target to acting as a tertiary appendage to manipulate nearby objects and anything in between if the user is inventive enough. This technique will remain apparent for up to 6 posts before additional chakra is required.
Sankaton • Erasure Torch
D-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will focus a concentrated dose of annihilation chakra at the tip of his finger, creating a small flame-like torch no larger than a quarter inch in length. The overall volume of Sankaton chakra created is equivalent to a .5x.5x.5m diameter orb, allowing the user to flood additional Sankaton chakra into the technique to "refill" any of the torch's chakra. Due to its limited size the user of this technique can utilize this Sankaton torch with great finesse, removing unwanted matter with enough precision to leave other matter he doesn't wish to harm intact. Any inorganic matter that comes into contact with this torch is immediately eaten away by the Sankaton chakra while organic material is eaten through at half the rate. The amount of material that is destroyed is exactly relative to the technique's volume.
C-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will infuse his own or a shadow within his Control radius with chakra, causing it to form into 5 long tendrils at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control. These tendrils can be manipulated at will by the user at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control as long as it remains within the user's Control radius. The practical uses of this technique range from attempting to impale a target to acting as a tertiary appendage to manipulate nearby objects and anything in between if the user is inventive enough. This technique will remain apparent for up to 6 posts before additional chakra is required.
Sankaton • Erasure Torch
D-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will focus a concentrated dose of annihilation chakra at the tip of his finger, creating a small flame-like torch no larger than a quarter inch in length. The overall volume of Sankaton chakra created is equivalent to a .5x.5x.5m diameter orb, allowing the user to flood additional Sankaton chakra into the technique to "refill" any of the torch's chakra. Due to its limited size the user of this technique can utilize this Sankaton torch with great finesse, removing unwanted matter with enough precision to leave other matter he doesn't wish to harm intact. Any inorganic matter that comes into contact with this torch is immediately eaten away by the Sankaton chakra while organic material is eaten through at half the rate. The amount of material that is destroyed is exactly relative to the technique's volume.
Last edited by Toshi on Sat Mar 16, 2024 1:25 pm, edited 7 times in total.
CharacterShow
Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha
Two Birds
Nearly as soon as the pain lanced through her, it was gone, leaving her panting and panicked, nothing but the phantom pain left behind. But still, Tsubaki did not move from where she had collapsed onto her knees and elbows. Her eyes were locked on the ground between her hands as she waited for it to start again, having no idea what triggered it in the first place. As she finally began to catch her breath she lifted one hand, pressing her trembling palm against the ground. As soon as she did though, she was knocked back down by another wave of pain, her forehead slamming against the floor with some force. Her fingernails scraped pale trails along the planks, a choked half scream, half sob tearing from her throat. And again, it was gone before she knew it, confusion replacing the pain.
“I’ve never felt the need to use this particular set before.”
Tsubaki focused only on breathing. Tousha wasn’t there, so it couldn’t be the same type of seal as before. And it hadn’t caused her any pain since she had woken up, so there was clearly some trick to them. But she had no idea what and every time it went off was going to make it harder to focus on figuring it out.
“Always seemed a waste of time to have to pay so much attention to my captives. But not for you, medic.”
When it seemed like nothing was going to happen again she slowly started pushing herself off of the floor. In front of her, Yuji righted the box he had tumbled off of when she hit him with the bucket. Each movement she made was minute, fear keeping her tense, each breath a small huff even as she tried to breathe slowly. But it didn't matter that she moved at a snail’s pace, as soon as her palms were on the floor the pain hit her again. Her jaw clenched so hard she was afraid it would shatter, but even that wasn't enough to hold back the scream, merely muffling it until the pain disappeared again.
She didn't try to get up again, only bracing herself on her elbows, picking her head up enough to move Yuji into her gaze. Enough to see that he still toyed with whatever item he had pulled from his pocket. For what seemed like minutes that dragged into hours he only stared down at her, his passive eyes roaming across her shadowed face. Tsubaki kept her eyes pinned to his face, animosity flaring in her eyes. Whatever was going on, she got the feeling he was about to explain it to her.
“The people I work with are very smart. They’ve developed all sorts of seals to aid us in transporting our…stock.” He almost smirked at her, the upward movement of his mouth miniscule but there all the same. As though he knew how that word would settle deep inside of her, mocking her. “This one is similar to what you experienced before with one big difference.” He held up the object he had been fiddling with, allowing Tsubaki to see that it was actually a small device with several carvings in it. She could feel her heart racing faster and faster as her mind struggled to understand what he wasn’t telling her.
Yuji placed one of his elbows on his knee, leaning forward slightly towards Tsubaki. The grin may have barely caused his mouth to twitch but this close, she could see the malice he was trying to hide in his eyes. “I expect where you’re going you’ll have to get used to bowing like that. It suits you.”
Tsubaki couldn’t stop the snarl that ran across her face as she placed both her hands underneath her in the blink of an eye. She had assumed it was simply an unfortunate accident, the position she had found herself trapped in, but clearly it was not. Her arms extended fully right before the pain started again but this time, face to face with him, it was impossible to miss the way Yuji pressed against the device right as the pain started. She grimaced, her arms shaking, but she was determined to not fall again. Her body trembled as she pulled one leg underneath her but just as she readied herself to push up through the pain, it intensified.
Knocking her right back down to the ground.
“It’s surprisingly versatile. It’s instantaneous, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. And the level can be adjusted however one pleases.” He turned it off again, never moving as Tsubaki gasped against the ground.
Somehow, Tsubaki thought through the fog of pain that was clouding her mind, this was worse than before. Before, it had been something that she and Tousha were suffering through together. Now…there were no words to describe the fear and anger that threatened to boil over.
“Sit back against the wall.”
Swallowing heavily, Tsubaki considered what he may do if she didn’t listen. The part of her that didn’t care anymore, that just wanted everything to be over, whispered to her to try it. To find out just how far he would take it. To see if he would go so far as to end it. But there was still another part, another part that wanted to survive. And it told her that now was not the time for that, that it was not the time to push. So slowly, Tsubaki crawled backwards, until her feet pressed against the wall and she could push herself upwards to settle back against it.
“It’s even more effective than I expected.”
She hated him. More than she had ever known was possible, she hated him. It was no longer a feeling or emotion that she felt when she looked at him but a real living thing that hovered under her hands and constricted her chest. For whatever it was worth, she promised herself in that moment as she watched him stand lazily from the box and walk easily towards her. Even if it took her out too, she was going to kill him.
The bowl and water jug scraped against the floor as he nudged them within arms reach of her. ”We have a long journey and you need to be in decent health at least. Eat it or I’ll feed you myself.”
She expected him to stand there and watch her but as soon as she had the bowl in her hands he turned and walked out. It was no longer hunger that fueled her to eat, it was hatred. The knowledge that if she was going to kill Yuji before they turned her over wherever they were taking her she was going to need energy. So she ate and she drank and when she was done she settled back against the wall to think. The first thing she did was hold the cuffs around her wrists to her face, examining them until she found the seals. That did her no good. The whole reason she was even there was because of how little she knew about fuuin.
The second thing she did was pull on the cuffs. She expected they were reinforced but if they were normal metal she thought she could break them apart from each other at least. But she had barely exerted a single tug when an arrow flew through the slit in the wagon covering, landing well out of reach of her but lined up directly with her head. It seemed their good friend hadn’t been left behind after all. She had one more thing to try but she hesitated, wondering if the archer would fire the next shot through her heart or not. But she had to know.
As discreetly as possible, Tsubaki laid her hands together in a seal, finding out two things at exactly the same time. The first thing was that while not easy, she could complete hand seals even in the cuffs. The second, was that the archer clearly had some sort of signal with Yuji . No sooner had her hands closed together than a small amount of pain from the seal began rolling through her, disrupting the small amount of chakra she had been testing. She groaned lightly, wrapping her hands around her calves, waiting for it to turn off.
Hours later, the moon shining through that small slit in the wagon, she continued to wait, sweat gleaming on her pale skin.
“I’ve never felt the need to use this particular set before.”
Tsubaki focused only on breathing. Tousha wasn’t there, so it couldn’t be the same type of seal as before. And it hadn’t caused her any pain since she had woken up, so there was clearly some trick to them. But she had no idea what and every time it went off was going to make it harder to focus on figuring it out.
“Always seemed a waste of time to have to pay so much attention to my captives. But not for you, medic.”
When it seemed like nothing was going to happen again she slowly started pushing herself off of the floor. In front of her, Yuji righted the box he had tumbled off of when she hit him with the bucket. Each movement she made was minute, fear keeping her tense, each breath a small huff even as she tried to breathe slowly. But it didn't matter that she moved at a snail’s pace, as soon as her palms were on the floor the pain hit her again. Her jaw clenched so hard she was afraid it would shatter, but even that wasn't enough to hold back the scream, merely muffling it until the pain disappeared again.
She didn't try to get up again, only bracing herself on her elbows, picking her head up enough to move Yuji into her gaze. Enough to see that he still toyed with whatever item he had pulled from his pocket. For what seemed like minutes that dragged into hours he only stared down at her, his passive eyes roaming across her shadowed face. Tsubaki kept her eyes pinned to his face, animosity flaring in her eyes. Whatever was going on, she got the feeling he was about to explain it to her.
“The people I work with are very smart. They’ve developed all sorts of seals to aid us in transporting our…stock.” He almost smirked at her, the upward movement of his mouth miniscule but there all the same. As though he knew how that word would settle deep inside of her, mocking her. “This one is similar to what you experienced before with one big difference.” He held up the object he had been fiddling with, allowing Tsubaki to see that it was actually a small device with several carvings in it. She could feel her heart racing faster and faster as her mind struggled to understand what he wasn’t telling her.
Yuji placed one of his elbows on his knee, leaning forward slightly towards Tsubaki. The grin may have barely caused his mouth to twitch but this close, she could see the malice he was trying to hide in his eyes. “I expect where you’re going you’ll have to get used to bowing like that. It suits you.”
Tsubaki couldn’t stop the snarl that ran across her face as she placed both her hands underneath her in the blink of an eye. She had assumed it was simply an unfortunate accident, the position she had found herself trapped in, but clearly it was not. Her arms extended fully right before the pain started again but this time, face to face with him, it was impossible to miss the way Yuji pressed against the device right as the pain started. She grimaced, her arms shaking, but she was determined to not fall again. Her body trembled as she pulled one leg underneath her but just as she readied herself to push up through the pain, it intensified.
Knocking her right back down to the ground.
“It’s surprisingly versatile. It’s instantaneous, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. And the level can be adjusted however one pleases.” He turned it off again, never moving as Tsubaki gasped against the ground.
Somehow, Tsubaki thought through the fog of pain that was clouding her mind, this was worse than before. Before, it had been something that she and Tousha were suffering through together. Now…there were no words to describe the fear and anger that threatened to boil over.
“Sit back against the wall.”
Swallowing heavily, Tsubaki considered what he may do if she didn’t listen. The part of her that didn’t care anymore, that just wanted everything to be over, whispered to her to try it. To find out just how far he would take it. To see if he would go so far as to end it. But there was still another part, another part that wanted to survive. And it told her that now was not the time for that, that it was not the time to push. So slowly, Tsubaki crawled backwards, until her feet pressed against the wall and she could push herself upwards to settle back against it.
“It’s even more effective than I expected.”
She hated him. More than she had ever known was possible, she hated him. It was no longer a feeling or emotion that she felt when she looked at him but a real living thing that hovered under her hands and constricted her chest. For whatever it was worth, she promised herself in that moment as she watched him stand lazily from the box and walk easily towards her. Even if it took her out too, she was going to kill him.
The bowl and water jug scraped against the floor as he nudged them within arms reach of her. ”We have a long journey and you need to be in decent health at least. Eat it or I’ll feed you myself.”
She expected him to stand there and watch her but as soon as she had the bowl in her hands he turned and walked out. It was no longer hunger that fueled her to eat, it was hatred. The knowledge that if she was going to kill Yuji before they turned her over wherever they were taking her she was going to need energy. So she ate and she drank and when she was done she settled back against the wall to think. The first thing she did was hold the cuffs around her wrists to her face, examining them until she found the seals. That did her no good. The whole reason she was even there was because of how little she knew about fuuin.
The second thing she did was pull on the cuffs. She expected they were reinforced but if they were normal metal she thought she could break them apart from each other at least. But she had barely exerted a single tug when an arrow flew through the slit in the wagon covering, landing well out of reach of her but lined up directly with her head. It seemed their good friend hadn’t been left behind after all. She had one more thing to try but she hesitated, wondering if the archer would fire the next shot through her heart or not. But she had to know.
As discreetly as possible, Tsubaki laid her hands together in a seal, finding out two things at exactly the same time. The first thing was that while not easy, she could complete hand seals even in the cuffs. The second, was that the archer clearly had some sort of signal with Yuji . No sooner had her hands closed together than a small amount of pain from the seal began rolling through her, disrupting the small amount of chakra she had been testing. She groaned lightly, wrapping her hands around her calves, waiting for it to turn off.
Hours later, the moon shining through that small slit in the wagon, she continued to wait, sweat gleaming on her pale skin.
My CharactersShow
B-Rank MN • Katō, Tsubaki #A32638
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Two Birds
The thin man's eyes widened in terrible realization at the Kage's question. Tousha's thinly shadow veiled face hung in front of the chemist like an abhorrent specter waiting for his answer, its features carved by unrelenting indignation that seeped out of every pore. The mass of shadows that dominated the hallway shifted and lurked around where he hung suspended by the manifestation of Tousha's almost otherworldly Chakra control, stalking the thin man like predators in the night. Through shaking, bespectacled eyes he looked at those shifting shadows, paralyzed by fear.
A once dormant part of Tousha enjoyed that, seeing the man who had wanted so badly to control him powerless and afraid. A cold, wide smile that didn't touch his eyes split the Shadow Eater's face.
"What's wrong?" Tousha asked, his words echoing in the maelstrom of darkness, "Feeling helpless? Feeling alone? Good. Now you know what you've been putting her through. Well... Not quite."
The shadowy hand enveloping the thin man tightened, crushing his body like a massive vice. An agonized scream filled the stale, underground air. Bones snapped, flesh tore, and the pale face's smile only grew. The chemist wriggled and struggled against Tousha's chakra with futile desperation, seeking any kind of escape or relief from the overwhelming force pressing against him from all sides.
He'd find none.
"There," Tousha said over the continued screams, primordially satisfied, "much better."
"Shre-Aaagh!!" the thin man choked out, trying to speak but unable to through the crushing pain.
"What's that?" Tousha asked, his voice nonchalant. He even made a show of turning his face so that his ear was pointed at him. "Speak up."
Tousha eased the tension on the chemist's body a fraction of an inch. Not enough to end his suffering, far from it, but just enough to allow him to speak.
"She's being... Taken east!" the thin man choked out, blood staining his teeth otherwise pristine teeth. "Medical facility! There's a - A road! Please!!"
'East. There's a road. She's being taken by road, so she's not on foot.'
"Please? Please what?"
"I told you -- I told you where she is," the thin man said, spitting blood with each word. "Please... Don't do this to me. Let me go!"
The smile slipped away from Tousha's face. He glared down at the begging man, suddenly not very amused.
"Why would I do something like that?," Tousha whispered, slowly pressing in on the thin man's body with his shadowy grasp. The chemist's eyes widened and bulged unnaturally, his mouth forced open in a high pitched, wet scream as his lungs were crushed and pierced by his own ribcage.
"You said it yourself. I'm a monster."
The thin man's body burst into a splash of blood, bones, and organs.
Above ground, moonlight shined down on a simple stone and timber building. Two Shinobi guards stood in silence at the structure's front entrance. There was a loud thud as a door opened inside. One of the guards turned at the noise, mindlessly understanding that it was a much louder sound than he was used to.
A moment later a massive, smoke particle blackbird burst through the building's roof and streaked high into the air. Both Shinobi guards would watch as a shadowy silhouette of a man rode atop the blackbird, staring down at them through blank eyes. The silhouette raised a single hand, compressing searing hot Katon chakra into a marble sized ball above his first and second fingers. Before the two brainwashed Shinobi could ready themselves or launch an attack of their own, the silhouetted man sent the fiery marble streaking to the ground.
It disappeared through the hole in the building's roof, there was a blinding flash of light, and an explosion ripped the world apart. Underground, the carved stone hallways and chambers collapsed under the force of Tousha's fiery technique. The building hiding the laboratory's entrance shattered into timber and shards, the Shinobi standing guard nearby were overtaken by wrathful fire and disappeared from sight.
Tousha, astride his shadow smoke blackbird, simply stared down at the cataclysm that burned brightly under him. Smoke billowed high in great columns into the sky, blotting out the moonlight itself. Then his attention turned to the east, and his gaze settled on a small road that stretched out into the craggy wilderness. The road that would lead him to his friend.
With unnatural speed, the Blackbird knifed across the sky.
A once dormant part of Tousha enjoyed that, seeing the man who had wanted so badly to control him powerless and afraid. A cold, wide smile that didn't touch his eyes split the Shadow Eater's face.
"What's wrong?" Tousha asked, his words echoing in the maelstrom of darkness, "Feeling helpless? Feeling alone? Good. Now you know what you've been putting her through. Well... Not quite."
The shadowy hand enveloping the thin man tightened, crushing his body like a massive vice. An agonized scream filled the stale, underground air. Bones snapped, flesh tore, and the pale face's smile only grew. The chemist wriggled and struggled against Tousha's chakra with futile desperation, seeking any kind of escape or relief from the overwhelming force pressing against him from all sides.
He'd find none.
"There," Tousha said over the continued screams, primordially satisfied, "much better."
"Shre-Aaagh!!" the thin man choked out, trying to speak but unable to through the crushing pain.
"What's that?" Tousha asked, his voice nonchalant. He even made a show of turning his face so that his ear was pointed at him. "Speak up."
Tousha eased the tension on the chemist's body a fraction of an inch. Not enough to end his suffering, far from it, but just enough to allow him to speak.
"She's being... Taken east!" the thin man choked out, blood staining his teeth otherwise pristine teeth. "Medical facility! There's a - A road! Please!!"
'East. There's a road. She's being taken by road, so she's not on foot.'
"Please? Please what?"
"I told you -- I told you where she is," the thin man said, spitting blood with each word. "Please... Don't do this to me. Let me go!"
The smile slipped away from Tousha's face. He glared down at the begging man, suddenly not very amused.
"Why would I do something like that?," Tousha whispered, slowly pressing in on the thin man's body with his shadowy grasp. The chemist's eyes widened and bulged unnaturally, his mouth forced open in a high pitched, wet scream as his lungs were crushed and pierced by his own ribcage.
"You said it yourself. I'm a monster."
The thin man's body burst into a splash of blood, bones, and organs.
Above ground, moonlight shined down on a simple stone and timber building. Two Shinobi guards stood in silence at the structure's front entrance. There was a loud thud as a door opened inside. One of the guards turned at the noise, mindlessly understanding that it was a much louder sound than he was used to.
A moment later a massive, smoke particle blackbird burst through the building's roof and streaked high into the air. Both Shinobi guards would watch as a shadowy silhouette of a man rode atop the blackbird, staring down at them through blank eyes. The silhouette raised a single hand, compressing searing hot Katon chakra into a marble sized ball above his first and second fingers. Before the two brainwashed Shinobi could ready themselves or launch an attack of their own, the silhouetted man sent the fiery marble streaking to the ground.
It disappeared through the hole in the building's roof, there was a blinding flash of light, and an explosion ripped the world apart. Underground, the carved stone hallways and chambers collapsed under the force of Tousha's fiery technique. The building hiding the laboratory's entrance shattered into timber and shards, the Shinobi standing guard nearby were overtaken by wrathful fire and disappeared from sight.
Tousha, astride his shadow smoke blackbird, simply stared down at the cataclysm that burned brightly under him. Smoke billowed high in great columns into the sky, blotting out the moonlight itself. Then his attention turned to the east, and his gaze settled on a small road that stretched out into the craggy wilderness. The road that would lead him to his friend.
With unnatural speed, the Blackbird knifed across the sky.
Jutsu usedShow
Kōnton • Blackbird Smoke
B-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a sting of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will saturate the air with Shadow and Fuuton chakra, creating a mass of smoke-like particles in the form of a massive blackbird at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control. This shadowy form has a wingspan of 10 m and will remain apparent for up to 8 posts without making contact with the user, in which case it will maintain its form as long as the user supplies it with additional chakra. The Blackbird Smoke is capable of flying at a Speed of up to the user's Control, maintains a cutting Strength up to the user's Control on contact with an enemy and can comfortably carry up several allies on its back and a single passenger in each of its talons.
Katon • Fire Eruption Bead
A-rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisites: 50 Control
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will gather a large dose of Katon chakra above his first and second fingers, forming a small bead of extremely condensed flames at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control. The user will then launch this marble sized bead at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control to any point in space within 200m, where it will remain inert until the user releases his hold on it. After the technique has been released a massive explosion of superheated flames will engulf a 100m diameter area at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control. This fire bead can be held for up to 6 posts before it detonates.
B-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a sting of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will saturate the air with Shadow and Fuuton chakra, creating a mass of smoke-like particles in the form of a massive blackbird at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control. This shadowy form has a wingspan of 10 m and will remain apparent for up to 8 posts without making contact with the user, in which case it will maintain its form as long as the user supplies it with additional chakra. The Blackbird Smoke is capable of flying at a Speed of up to the user's Control, maintains a cutting Strength up to the user's Control on contact with an enemy and can comfortably carry up several allies on its back and a single passenger in each of its talons.
Katon • Fire Eruption Bead
A-rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisites: 50 Control
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will gather a large dose of Katon chakra above his first and second fingers, forming a small bead of extremely condensed flames at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control. The user will then launch this marble sized bead at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control to any point in space within 200m, where it will remain inert until the user releases his hold on it. After the technique has been released a massive explosion of superheated flames will engulf a 100m diameter area at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control. This fire bead can be held for up to 6 posts before it detonates.
Last edited by Toshi on Wed Feb 28, 2024 3:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
CharacterShow
Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha
Two Birds
“Sleep well?”
Tsubaki was the picture of calm as Yuji stepped into the back of the wagon, his clothing damp from the rain that had been falling since well before dawn. She had been begging the universe to make it rain harder since it had started with a small drizzle and she was pleased that it was now steadily pouring. She had only been able to come up with one plan throughout the night. One plan that would make sure, one way or the other, that she would never be delivered to their destination. Not alive, anyway.
When she didn’t reply, Yuji sat on the crate he had left in the middle of the room the day before, eyeing her cautiously. He had no offering of food or water this time, which Tsubaki was grateful for, knowing she would never have been able to stomach it. She was sure to keep her eyes drifting between Yuji and the ground at her feet, letting all the tiredness and pain she felt show on her face. For the first time, she wanted to look weak and pathetic, so he would continue to underestimate her. Just one more time, she needed him to underestimate her.
“We’ll be staying here for the day. The storm is gearing up to be a big one, and these roads are likely to wash out.”
Tsubaki rolled her eyes, finding it the only way to keep the relief from her expression. The universe had, for once, listened to her prayers. Her chest was tight, knowing that only one wrong move could mess everything up.There was no second chance here. If she made one wrong move and showed her hand she would undoubtedly be incapacitated for the rest of the journey. They still thought of her as just a medic. Talented, but just a medic. And she was going to make them pay for that.
“Not in the mood to play today?” She wasn’t, but she knew she had to. He wasn’t even trying to hide the disdain in his eyes any longer. His tone and expression remained as dispassionate as before. But in his eyes, she could see it. He was still pissed that she had stabbed him in the hand, that she had had the nerve to act against him. And she was going to use that to her advantage to get him to do exactly what she wanted so that she could end this once and for all.
“Do they make you do the hunting so they don’t have to listen to you talk all day?”
“They send me because I’m the best.”
Tsubaki laughed, sneering at him. “Is that what they tell you? I think that’s just so your feelings do-don’t get hurt.” She breathed heavily through her nose as he released more of the seal. Which was exactly what she needed him not to do. She needed him pissed enough that he forgot about that and would use his hands.
“He’s the first retired kage to ever be captured. His pet was just a bonus.”
“Oh, right,” Tsubaki said, tossing him a thumbs up as she rolled her eyes again. “So did you tell them that it was the retired kage who stabbed you or did you admit that it was his little pet that did it?”
Yuji stood up so quickly he nearly toppled the crate over. Now that his facade was slipping, it didn’t take a lot to stoke the anger that he held against her. The anger at a young woman who had made a fool out of him. Even if he had won so far, he couldn’t live with the slight and that was what she had been betting on. With the scar that would forever mark his hand. Even if he got rid of it, he would always know. Every time he looked at that hand, he would remember her and Tousha, just as she had promised him he would. Tsubaki knew this was the moment to seal the deal.
“It must be embarrassing,” she whispered, staring into his eyes that bore into her. Forcing his attention to stay on her and not drift to the control in his hand. “What was it you called me? A leash? The only reason we were traveling together was because I saved his life and he owed me. And you were so stupid you never even saw it. Just poor, worthless stupid Yuji who let a little girl get the better of him. Aren't you ashamed of h-”
Tsubaki stopped talking when he grabbed the chain between her ankles and jerked her so hard that her back slammed into the ground. He was on top of her before she could catch her breath, his hand squeezing her jaw so hard she thought it might break. Focus she told herself as panic threatened to take over. Focus.
“It won’t be as much fun without your friend here to beg me to stop but I can still make good on that punishment I promise you. Is that what you’re after, my sweet little medic?”
She jerked her head, hard, trying to wrench out of his grasp but he only held tighter, forcing her to look him in his eyes. Instinctually, she knew what he was doing. Maybe, it was because it had happened before. But she knew that as he gripped tighter, pulling her face towards him, that he was going to kiss her. And there was no better time to enact the next part of her plan in order to prevent that from happening. She used all of her strength to shove her hands out from where they were wedged between their bodies, grabbing the bowl, and smashing it across Yuji’s head. The bowl shattered with barely any force, causing him to shout in surprise more than pain she suspected. She continued the arc of movement until she was practically lying face down on the floor.
“You stupid girl,” he said, pulling her up and backhanding her across the face with one hand while slamming her hands against the wall with the chain that linked them with the other. For a half second, Tsubaki was confused. In the next second, she screamed, unprepared for the arrow that thudded into the wall, through the palm of her left hand. “He was waiting for that shot,” Yuji whispered in her ear. He grabbed the shaft of the arrow, yanking it out of her hand and wall unceremoniously. He stood, rubbing the side of his head, a small trickle of blood running down it. The storm was picking up, lightning lighting up the entirety of the wagon, giving Tsubaki a clear view of the hatred in Yuji’s face and the hole in her own hand.
“You know, I was just supposed to drop you off. That’s all I’m paid for. But now, I think I’ll volunteer to take charge of your training. Just for fun.” Without another word, Yuji stepped back into the rain and disappeared.
And despite the pain in her hand and the pain from the seal, Tsubaki smiled to herself as she pulled her body up against the wall. Now, all she had to do was wait.
—-------------------
It took all of the afternoon for the storm to be directly overhead. The lightning was so bright that it lit the whole area. The thunder was so loud it shook the wagon Tsubaki sat in. It was the perfect storm, literally. Each breath she took was measured and calm. She thought of nothing except the steps she needed to take. She didn't think about Tousha, Shirai, Akio, or her own life. She ran through the steps again and again so that when the perfect moment hit, she was ready. A piece of ceramic bowl was nestled in her hand, coated in her blood. She had one chance. One chance. One chance to do the impossible. One chance to make sure she didn't end up a tool. One chance to make sure no one suffered at Yuji's hand again.
Lightning struck nearby, the thunder cracking through the sky almost instantaneously.
The wagon was on fire. Flames encompassed the entire rear where Tsubaki had been being held before anyone knew what was happening. The entire camp moved as one, yelling at each other to get the buckets of drinking water and put the fire out. But as they poured the water on the wagon, the fire only spread. Yuji reached the wagon before anyone else, jumping in from the driver's side, closest to where Tsubaki was chained. It was only a few breaths later that he was dragging her out by the chain between her wrists. Blood seeped from her forehead and several spots on her legs and abdomen. The back of her shirt was on fire but the rain quickly resolved that problem. He kneeled over her, his ear pressed to her chest. He pulled at her eyes, but there was nothing in them just as there was no heartbeat in her chest. No pulse in her wrist.
Yuji cursed, loud enough to be heard over the rain and the crackling fire that continued to devour the wagon. He stood, a look of fury on his face as he walked back towards his crew, away from a lifeless Tsubaki.
Tsubaki was the picture of calm as Yuji stepped into the back of the wagon, his clothing damp from the rain that had been falling since well before dawn. She had been begging the universe to make it rain harder since it had started with a small drizzle and she was pleased that it was now steadily pouring. She had only been able to come up with one plan throughout the night. One plan that would make sure, one way or the other, that she would never be delivered to their destination. Not alive, anyway.
When she didn’t reply, Yuji sat on the crate he had left in the middle of the room the day before, eyeing her cautiously. He had no offering of food or water this time, which Tsubaki was grateful for, knowing she would never have been able to stomach it. She was sure to keep her eyes drifting between Yuji and the ground at her feet, letting all the tiredness and pain she felt show on her face. For the first time, she wanted to look weak and pathetic, so he would continue to underestimate her. Just one more time, she needed him to underestimate her.
“We’ll be staying here for the day. The storm is gearing up to be a big one, and these roads are likely to wash out.”
Tsubaki rolled her eyes, finding it the only way to keep the relief from her expression. The universe had, for once, listened to her prayers. Her chest was tight, knowing that only one wrong move could mess everything up.There was no second chance here. If she made one wrong move and showed her hand she would undoubtedly be incapacitated for the rest of the journey. They still thought of her as just a medic. Talented, but just a medic. And she was going to make them pay for that.
“Not in the mood to play today?” She wasn’t, but she knew she had to. He wasn’t even trying to hide the disdain in his eyes any longer. His tone and expression remained as dispassionate as before. But in his eyes, she could see it. He was still pissed that she had stabbed him in the hand, that she had had the nerve to act against him. And she was going to use that to her advantage to get him to do exactly what she wanted so that she could end this once and for all.
“Do they make you do the hunting so they don’t have to listen to you talk all day?”
“They send me because I’m the best.”
Tsubaki laughed, sneering at him. “Is that what they tell you? I think that’s just so your feelings do-don’t get hurt.” She breathed heavily through her nose as he released more of the seal. Which was exactly what she needed him not to do. She needed him pissed enough that he forgot about that and would use his hands.
“He’s the first retired kage to ever be captured. His pet was just a bonus.”
“Oh, right,” Tsubaki said, tossing him a thumbs up as she rolled her eyes again. “So did you tell them that it was the retired kage who stabbed you or did you admit that it was his little pet that did it?”
Yuji stood up so quickly he nearly toppled the crate over. Now that his facade was slipping, it didn’t take a lot to stoke the anger that he held against her. The anger at a young woman who had made a fool out of him. Even if he had won so far, he couldn’t live with the slight and that was what she had been betting on. With the scar that would forever mark his hand. Even if he got rid of it, he would always know. Every time he looked at that hand, he would remember her and Tousha, just as she had promised him he would. Tsubaki knew this was the moment to seal the deal.
“It must be embarrassing,” she whispered, staring into his eyes that bore into her. Forcing his attention to stay on her and not drift to the control in his hand. “What was it you called me? A leash? The only reason we were traveling together was because I saved his life and he owed me. And you were so stupid you never even saw it. Just poor, worthless stupid Yuji who let a little girl get the better of him. Aren't you ashamed of h-”
Tsubaki stopped talking when he grabbed the chain between her ankles and jerked her so hard that her back slammed into the ground. He was on top of her before she could catch her breath, his hand squeezing her jaw so hard she thought it might break. Focus she told herself as panic threatened to take over. Focus.
“It won’t be as much fun without your friend here to beg me to stop but I can still make good on that punishment I promise you. Is that what you’re after, my sweet little medic?”
She jerked her head, hard, trying to wrench out of his grasp but he only held tighter, forcing her to look him in his eyes. Instinctually, she knew what he was doing. Maybe, it was because it had happened before. But she knew that as he gripped tighter, pulling her face towards him, that he was going to kiss her. And there was no better time to enact the next part of her plan in order to prevent that from happening. She used all of her strength to shove her hands out from where they were wedged between their bodies, grabbing the bowl, and smashing it across Yuji’s head. The bowl shattered with barely any force, causing him to shout in surprise more than pain she suspected. She continued the arc of movement until she was practically lying face down on the floor.
“You stupid girl,” he said, pulling her up and backhanding her across the face with one hand while slamming her hands against the wall with the chain that linked them with the other. For a half second, Tsubaki was confused. In the next second, she screamed, unprepared for the arrow that thudded into the wall, through the palm of her left hand. “He was waiting for that shot,” Yuji whispered in her ear. He grabbed the shaft of the arrow, yanking it out of her hand and wall unceremoniously. He stood, rubbing the side of his head, a small trickle of blood running down it. The storm was picking up, lightning lighting up the entirety of the wagon, giving Tsubaki a clear view of the hatred in Yuji’s face and the hole in her own hand.
“You know, I was just supposed to drop you off. That’s all I’m paid for. But now, I think I’ll volunteer to take charge of your training. Just for fun.” Without another word, Yuji stepped back into the rain and disappeared.
And despite the pain in her hand and the pain from the seal, Tsubaki smiled to herself as she pulled her body up against the wall. Now, all she had to do was wait.
—-------------------
It took all of the afternoon for the storm to be directly overhead. The lightning was so bright that it lit the whole area. The thunder was so loud it shook the wagon Tsubaki sat in. It was the perfect storm, literally. Each breath she took was measured and calm. She thought of nothing except the steps she needed to take. She didn't think about Tousha, Shirai, Akio, or her own life. She ran through the steps again and again so that when the perfect moment hit, she was ready. A piece of ceramic bowl was nestled in her hand, coated in her blood. She had one chance. One chance. One chance to do the impossible. One chance to make sure she didn't end up a tool. One chance to make sure no one suffered at Yuji's hand again.
Lightning struck nearby, the thunder cracking through the sky almost instantaneously.
The wagon was on fire. Flames encompassed the entire rear where Tsubaki had been being held before anyone knew what was happening. The entire camp moved as one, yelling at each other to get the buckets of drinking water and put the fire out. But as they poured the water on the wagon, the fire only spread. Yuji reached the wagon before anyone else, jumping in from the driver's side, closest to where Tsubaki was chained. It was only a few breaths later that he was dragging her out by the chain between her wrists. Blood seeped from her forehead and several spots on her legs and abdomen. The back of her shirt was on fire but the rain quickly resolved that problem. He kneeled over her, his ear pressed to her chest. He pulled at her eyes, but there was nothing in them just as there was no heartbeat in her chest. No pulse in her wrist.
Yuji cursed, loud enough to be heard over the rain and the crackling fire that continued to devour the wagon. He stood, a look of fury on his face as he walked back towards his crew, away from a lifeless Tsubaki.
Jutsu UsedShow
*[Iijutsu • False Death]
B-Ranked Ninjutsu
The user relies on their knowledge of medicine and anatomy to hide their vital signs. By focusing chakra throughout the body, they will slow their heart beat, lower their temperature, and decrease the amount of oxygen needed while stationary. The user can hold this for [Chakra Pool]/2 and to the untrained eye, they will appear dead.
B-Ranked Ninjutsu
The user relies on their knowledge of medicine and anatomy to hide their vital signs. By focusing chakra throughout the body, they will slow their heart beat, lower their temperature, and decrease the amount of oxygen needed while stationary. The user can hold this for [Chakra Pool]/2 and to the untrained eye, they will appear dead.
My CharactersShow
B-Rank MN • Katō, Tsubaki #A32638
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Two Birds
Silently, with reckless speed, Nara Tousha tore through the storm like a bullet. The wind, rain, and lightning seemed to shy away from the enraged Kage as he flew eastward astride the smoke particle blackbird. He was still silhouetted in shifting darkness that clung to him like a second skin, his slowly recovering body hidden within the shadows. The paralytic he'd been injected with back at the underground facility was weakening but moving any part of his body was arduous and clumsy. It reminded him of being in a deep sleep, dreaming of running but his body refusing to work the way it was supposed to.
'Where is she?' a voice called out, burdened by worry. 'She has to be close. She has to be.'
Tousha's drug-addled mind refused to focus inwardly for very long. Whatever the chemist had used to try to break him, to turn him into a mindless instrument of death, hadn't left the Kage unscathed. His thoughts felt fragmented, disjointed. Not entirely his own. There was a deep fear in him threatening to bubble to the surface, to push aside the rage he was allowing himself to be fueled by. What if whatever the thin man had forced on him was causing permanent damage? What if he wasn't able to put the pieces back together again?
All of his hard won self control, all of the effort he'd put into containing this horrible part of himself, all of it hinged on honing his mind and patience into a razor sharp edge. If that focus was shattered now, if whatever was in that phial had taken it all away from him, Tousha knew he couldn't be the same person anymore. It wouldn't be possible. The thought filled him with a dread that he couldn't hope to grapple with.
The Kage also knew he couldn't let Tsubaki near him again. Being who he was had already tormented her enough and she didn't deserve a second of it.
'You don't deserve to be her friend.'
Another voice, this one sharper than broken glass and cutting to the core of him. With what focus he could manage, Tousha forced the fear and doubts to go back into hiding. None of it was going to help him find Tsubaki, so it was worthless to him for the moment. Nothing mattered more than finding the people who had taken his friend from him and making sure they couldn't do it to anyone else ever again. He needed her to be safe. She had to be okay. It couldn't be too late.
Tousha had flown through the night, into the morning, and well into the afternoon. Each time he'd spotted more than a handful of travelers on the road he'd swooped down from overhead, desperately searching for any sign of Tsubaki or the bounty hunters who were transporting her. Most of the time these travelers wouldn't notice his approach and carried on without a worry in the world. Others would look up, eyes wide with terror as a massive blackbird dropped down on them, circled once or twice, and then streaked away and out of sight.
It wouldn't be until nearly evening when Tousha spotted the fire. It burned with an angry orange-red light against the muted grays and browns and greens of the stormy landscape, a swirling plume of smoke rising up defiantly through the sheets of rain. Icy dread lanced through his veins as Tousha willed the blackbird to move closer, hanging above the group of men who were trying to put out the fire that was threatening to consume their wagon. The two horses at the front of the cart shrieked and stomped, their eyes wide with fear as the flames licked ever closer.
Below, two sharp, hawk-like eyes settled on the circling blackbird. Deft fingers knocked an arrow.
The Kage watched from his bird's eye view as Yuji pulled a lifeless form from the alight wagon. Time seemed to slow when he realized it was Tsubaki, her clothes on fire and tanned skin smeared with blood. The rain handled the fire, but Yuji's efforts to coax any life out of her were only met with stillness.
He was too late. Another friend was dead because he'd been too late.
'This is what you are.'
The arrow leapt from the bow, swimming through the downpour like a darting fish. Without a word the Kage reached out a hand and caught the arrow before it found its mark, his cold, blank eyes still staring down at his friend. The bowman moved to knock another arrow but Yuji's voice broke through the storm.
"Shita!" he barked, raising a halting hand to the archer as he stared up at the blackbird. Without a word the Shinobi lowered his bow, his sharp eyes still settled intently on Tousha.
The other bounty hunters, Goro and Dai, stopped their efforts to put out the wagon and stared up at the dark shape looming over them. Three other forms, Guard Shinobi, simply stood and stared with blissful ignorance. Yuji motioned for his men to back away from Tsubaki's lifeless shape lying discarded in the mud and took several slow, calculated steps backwards.
Tousha leaped from the blackbird's back and landed softly next to Tsubaki's body. He settled on his knees and pulled her off the wet ground, cradling her in his arms so that he could look at her face. Calmly, the Kage wiped away a dredge of mud from her cheek, his eyes unfocused and still. He was staring past Tsubaki's face more than at it, his expression impassable.
"It was the storm. Started a fire. She was in the wagon," Yuji explained, still retreating slowly.
Realization bore itself into Goro and Dai, their mouths parting in quiet alarm as they recognized the silhouetted man kneeling on the ground. Their skin blanched. Goro froze in place. Dai let out a constricted groan and turned sharply, fell in the mud, scrambled back onto his feet, and bolted into the rain and trees. Yuji didn't take his eyes off of the shadow cloaked Kage to watch as Dai's frantic sounds of fleeing disappeared into the storm.
Ignoring the bounty hunters and Guard Shinobi, Tousha's eyes wandered to the manacles strapped tightly to Tsubaki's wrists and ankles. His gaze lingered on the restraints for a moment before his hand reached out and grasped them. Chakra poured into the manacles, rusting away the metal so rapidly that the iron groaned in what sounded like pain. With deliberate movements the Kage's fingers broke the tarnished metal away like dry twigs. The ruined fragments dropped away from Tsubaki and plopped into the mud.
The men standing around the Kage seemed puzzled by his calmness. If they could only see the storm brewing in him beneath that stillness, that grief woven self understanding, none of them would be standing their ground. Inside, Tousha felt his consciousness receding. As the former Hokage stood to his full height, cradling Tsubaki's body in his arms with fatherly affection, his mangled mind settled on a singular truth.
There was a deep, black nothingness. Something patiently waiting in its depths grinned, and Nara Tousha let it. Looking down at the corpse of his friend, Tousha accepted with brutal honesty who he was. He was a killer. He was a maker of death. It found anyone who ventured too closely to him, and only by removing himself from this world would the terror that followed in his wake be put to rest.
Yuji, still backing away, motioned to the four brainwashed Shinobi at his disposal. It was a nearly imperceptive twitch of the fingers, but suddenly the quartet of Shinobi Guards fell into line in front of him, shielding him from Nara Tousha.
"It's done," the bounty hunter said, his voice droning without remorse or pity. "The girl's dead. You got away. Let that be the end of it. We have no more business with you."
Tousha closed his eyes. He breathed in understanding. The shadows swathing his body poured out and away from him, spilling onto the waterlogged earth. Pure, empty blackness began to pool at his feet and then stretched out in every direction. It looked as if the abyss itself was spilling from Tousha's silhouetted body, invading this world of light and life and joy from a place that didn't know what those words meant. Goro recoiled at the sight of the inky blackness moving towards him, the line of Guard Shinobi held firm, and Yuji could only watch from behind that line of brainwashed men as Nara Tousha looked up from Tsubaki's lifeless body and leveled a stare through him.
In the Hokage's calm, dark eyes he found a depthless inhumanity and fell into it.
"There is no escape," Tousha said quietly. "For any of us."
Yuji turned to run. Goro stumbled over a root. The Guard Shinobi moved in to attack. Then, without a sound, the world was painted black.
"Shingetsu"
Dai's scream was abruptly silenced as the shadows overtook him, consuming his form and pulling them in like the tide. Goro couldn't even manage to make a sound as his feet sunk into the shadows, slowly followed by the rest of his body, which tipped over and splashed lifelessly into their depths. The bounty hunters' bodies were annihilated into nothingness by the Sankaton chakra hiding in Tousha's technique, still lurking hungrily like piranhas waiting just beneath the water's surface.
The bowman knocked three arrows between his fingers, drew them towards his bow, and stared at Tousha blankly as a whip of shadows struck out with blurred speed. The archer didn't even blink as he fell to the ground in pieces, cut diagonally across his torso and outstretched limbs. The encroaching darkness pooled over what remained of the brainwashed Shinobi, flesh, clothing, and a ruined bow sinking into the shadows as more annihilation chakra consumed everything it touched.
'Where is she?' a voice called out, burdened by worry. 'She has to be close. She has to be.'
Tousha's drug-addled mind refused to focus inwardly for very long. Whatever the chemist had used to try to break him, to turn him into a mindless instrument of death, hadn't left the Kage unscathed. His thoughts felt fragmented, disjointed. Not entirely his own. There was a deep fear in him threatening to bubble to the surface, to push aside the rage he was allowing himself to be fueled by. What if whatever the thin man had forced on him was causing permanent damage? What if he wasn't able to put the pieces back together again?
All of his hard won self control, all of the effort he'd put into containing this horrible part of himself, all of it hinged on honing his mind and patience into a razor sharp edge. If that focus was shattered now, if whatever was in that phial had taken it all away from him, Tousha knew he couldn't be the same person anymore. It wouldn't be possible. The thought filled him with a dread that he couldn't hope to grapple with.
The Kage also knew he couldn't let Tsubaki near him again. Being who he was had already tormented her enough and she didn't deserve a second of it.
'You don't deserve to be her friend.'
Another voice, this one sharper than broken glass and cutting to the core of him. With what focus he could manage, Tousha forced the fear and doubts to go back into hiding. None of it was going to help him find Tsubaki, so it was worthless to him for the moment. Nothing mattered more than finding the people who had taken his friend from him and making sure they couldn't do it to anyone else ever again. He needed her to be safe. She had to be okay. It couldn't be too late.
Tousha had flown through the night, into the morning, and well into the afternoon. Each time he'd spotted more than a handful of travelers on the road he'd swooped down from overhead, desperately searching for any sign of Tsubaki or the bounty hunters who were transporting her. Most of the time these travelers wouldn't notice his approach and carried on without a worry in the world. Others would look up, eyes wide with terror as a massive blackbird dropped down on them, circled once or twice, and then streaked away and out of sight.
It wouldn't be until nearly evening when Tousha spotted the fire. It burned with an angry orange-red light against the muted grays and browns and greens of the stormy landscape, a swirling plume of smoke rising up defiantly through the sheets of rain. Icy dread lanced through his veins as Tousha willed the blackbird to move closer, hanging above the group of men who were trying to put out the fire that was threatening to consume their wagon. The two horses at the front of the cart shrieked and stomped, their eyes wide with fear as the flames licked ever closer.
Below, two sharp, hawk-like eyes settled on the circling blackbird. Deft fingers knocked an arrow.
The Kage watched from his bird's eye view as Yuji pulled a lifeless form from the alight wagon. Time seemed to slow when he realized it was Tsubaki, her clothes on fire and tanned skin smeared with blood. The rain handled the fire, but Yuji's efforts to coax any life out of her were only met with stillness.
He was too late. Another friend was dead because he'd been too late.
'This is what you are.'
The arrow leapt from the bow, swimming through the downpour like a darting fish. Without a word the Kage reached out a hand and caught the arrow before it found its mark, his cold, blank eyes still staring down at his friend. The bowman moved to knock another arrow but Yuji's voice broke through the storm.
"Shita!" he barked, raising a halting hand to the archer as he stared up at the blackbird. Without a word the Shinobi lowered his bow, his sharp eyes still settled intently on Tousha.
The other bounty hunters, Goro and Dai, stopped their efforts to put out the wagon and stared up at the dark shape looming over them. Three other forms, Guard Shinobi, simply stood and stared with blissful ignorance. Yuji motioned for his men to back away from Tsubaki's lifeless shape lying discarded in the mud and took several slow, calculated steps backwards.
Tousha leaped from the blackbird's back and landed softly next to Tsubaki's body. He settled on his knees and pulled her off the wet ground, cradling her in his arms so that he could look at her face. Calmly, the Kage wiped away a dredge of mud from her cheek, his eyes unfocused and still. He was staring past Tsubaki's face more than at it, his expression impassable.
"It was the storm. Started a fire. She was in the wagon," Yuji explained, still retreating slowly.
Realization bore itself into Goro and Dai, their mouths parting in quiet alarm as they recognized the silhouetted man kneeling on the ground. Their skin blanched. Goro froze in place. Dai let out a constricted groan and turned sharply, fell in the mud, scrambled back onto his feet, and bolted into the rain and trees. Yuji didn't take his eyes off of the shadow cloaked Kage to watch as Dai's frantic sounds of fleeing disappeared into the storm.
Ignoring the bounty hunters and Guard Shinobi, Tousha's eyes wandered to the manacles strapped tightly to Tsubaki's wrists and ankles. His gaze lingered on the restraints for a moment before his hand reached out and grasped them. Chakra poured into the manacles, rusting away the metal so rapidly that the iron groaned in what sounded like pain. With deliberate movements the Kage's fingers broke the tarnished metal away like dry twigs. The ruined fragments dropped away from Tsubaki and plopped into the mud.
The men standing around the Kage seemed puzzled by his calmness. If they could only see the storm brewing in him beneath that stillness, that grief woven self understanding, none of them would be standing their ground. Inside, Tousha felt his consciousness receding. As the former Hokage stood to his full height, cradling Tsubaki's body in his arms with fatherly affection, his mangled mind settled on a singular truth.
There was a deep, black nothingness. Something patiently waiting in its depths grinned, and Nara Tousha let it. Looking down at the corpse of his friend, Tousha accepted with brutal honesty who he was. He was a killer. He was a maker of death. It found anyone who ventured too closely to him, and only by removing himself from this world would the terror that followed in his wake be put to rest.
Yuji, still backing away, motioned to the four brainwashed Shinobi at his disposal. It was a nearly imperceptive twitch of the fingers, but suddenly the quartet of Shinobi Guards fell into line in front of him, shielding him from Nara Tousha.
"It's done," the bounty hunter said, his voice droning without remorse or pity. "The girl's dead. You got away. Let that be the end of it. We have no more business with you."
Tousha closed his eyes. He breathed in understanding. The shadows swathing his body poured out and away from him, spilling onto the waterlogged earth. Pure, empty blackness began to pool at his feet and then stretched out in every direction. It looked as if the abyss itself was spilling from Tousha's silhouetted body, invading this world of light and life and joy from a place that didn't know what those words meant. Goro recoiled at the sight of the inky blackness moving towards him, the line of Guard Shinobi held firm, and Yuji could only watch from behind that line of brainwashed men as Nara Tousha looked up from Tsubaki's lifeless body and leveled a stare through him.
In the Hokage's calm, dark eyes he found a depthless inhumanity and fell into it.
"There is no escape," Tousha said quietly. "For any of us."
Yuji turned to run. Goro stumbled over a root. The Guard Shinobi moved in to attack. Then, without a sound, the world was painted black.
"Shingetsu"
Dai's scream was abruptly silenced as the shadows overtook him, consuming his form and pulling them in like the tide. Goro couldn't even manage to make a sound as his feet sunk into the shadows, slowly followed by the rest of his body, which tipped over and splashed lifelessly into their depths. The bounty hunters' bodies were annihilated into nothingness by the Sankaton chakra hiding in Tousha's technique, still lurking hungrily like piranhas waiting just beneath the water's surface.
The bowman knocked three arrows between his fingers, drew them towards his bow, and stared at Tousha blankly as a whip of shadows struck out with blurred speed. The archer didn't even blink as he fell to the ground in pieces, cut diagonally across his torso and outstretched limbs. The encroaching darkness pooled over what remained of the brainwashed Shinobi, flesh, clothing, and a ruined bow sinking into the shadows as more annihilation chakra consumed everything it touched.
Jutsu usedShow
Sankaton • Metal Eater
D-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will touch any piece of metal, transferring a dose of Corrosive Sankaton chakra into it. This chakra will spread through the entirety of the object at a Speed up to the user's Control, reducing its integrity by a Strength up to the user's Control per post as it rusts away.
Mujuushin • Absence of Spirit
C-ranked Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: 25 Willpower
A practiced mental state of Mujuushin Kenjutsu practitioners, the user of this discipline will allow himself to enter a state of heightened spiritual awareness by looking inward with transparency and openness. This will allow the user a heightened sense of spiritual power beyond his perceived limits (+5 Control) at the expense of ignoring a portion of his physical existence (-5 Endurance). The user will remain in this state of mind until he chooses to leave it.
Shingetsu
S-ranked Ninjutsu
Prerequisites: 55 Control, Advanced Shadow Imitation, Shadow Zone, Shadow Tendril
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will expand his shadow in all directions across any surface in the form of thousands of shadowy threads that intertwine and weave into a single disk-shaped entity at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control. If disk comes into contact with the shadows of any opponents within this range they will become linked together in movement with the user so that everything the user does is mimicked by the targets. If multiple opponents are caught within the technique's radius their stats are not added together to combat the Strength required to break free, instead they must attempt to overpower the shadows independently. A Strength equal to or greater than the user's Control is required to break the hold between this technique and their own shadow, though if they remain within the technique's radius their movement is still hindered drastically (-10). The user may maintain this field of effect for up to 6 posts, even while moving, before additional chakra is required.
Kōnton • Annihilation Shadow Trap
C-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a string of hand seals the user will imbue any shadow within his Control range with Annihilation chakra which will remain apparent for up to 5 posts. Anyone who steps on this targeted shadow will activate the dormant Annihilation chakra hidden inside, causing the shadow’s surface to become a “pool” of Annihilation particles with the same volume as a 2x2x2m sphere. These particles will then splash in every direction at a Speed up to the user's Control, eating away any inorganic matter within a 5m diameter along with any organic matter at half the rate.
Shadow Tendril
D-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will infuse his own or a shadow within his Control radius with chakra, causing it to form into a long tendril at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control. This tendril can be manipulated at will by the user at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control as long as it remains within the user's Control radius. The practical uses of this technique range from attempting to impale a target to acting as a tertiary appendage to manipulate nearby objects and anything in between if the user is inventive enough. This technique will remain apparent for up to 3 posts before additional chakra is required.
D-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will touch any piece of metal, transferring a dose of Corrosive Sankaton chakra into it. This chakra will spread through the entirety of the object at a Speed up to the user's Control, reducing its integrity by a Strength up to the user's Control per post as it rusts away.
Mujuushin • Absence of Spirit
C-ranked Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: 25 Willpower
A practiced mental state of Mujuushin Kenjutsu practitioners, the user of this discipline will allow himself to enter a state of heightened spiritual awareness by looking inward with transparency and openness. This will allow the user a heightened sense of spiritual power beyond his perceived limits (+5 Control) at the expense of ignoring a portion of his physical existence (-5 Endurance). The user will remain in this state of mind until he chooses to leave it.
Shingetsu
S-ranked Ninjutsu
Prerequisites: 55 Control, Advanced Shadow Imitation, Shadow Zone, Shadow Tendril
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will expand his shadow in all directions across any surface in the form of thousands of shadowy threads that intertwine and weave into a single disk-shaped entity at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control. If disk comes into contact with the shadows of any opponents within this range they will become linked together in movement with the user so that everything the user does is mimicked by the targets. If multiple opponents are caught within the technique's radius their stats are not added together to combat the Strength required to break free, instead they must attempt to overpower the shadows independently. A Strength equal to or greater than the user's Control is required to break the hold between this technique and their own shadow, though if they remain within the technique's radius their movement is still hindered drastically (-10). The user may maintain this field of effect for up to 6 posts, even while moving, before additional chakra is required.
Kōnton • Annihilation Shadow Trap
C-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a string of hand seals the user will imbue any shadow within his Control range with Annihilation chakra which will remain apparent for up to 5 posts. Anyone who steps on this targeted shadow will activate the dormant Annihilation chakra hidden inside, causing the shadow’s surface to become a “pool” of Annihilation particles with the same volume as a 2x2x2m sphere. These particles will then splash in every direction at a Speed up to the user's Control, eating away any inorganic matter within a 5m diameter along with any organic matter at half the rate.
Shadow Tendril
D-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will infuse his own or a shadow within his Control radius with chakra, causing it to form into a long tendril at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control. This tendril can be manipulated at will by the user at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control as long as it remains within the user's Control radius. The practical uses of this technique range from attempting to impale a target to acting as a tertiary appendage to manipulate nearby objects and anything in between if the user is inventive enough. This technique will remain apparent for up to 3 posts before additional chakra is required.
Last edited by Toshi on Sun Mar 10, 2024 9:30 pm, edited 7 times in total.
CharacterShow
Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha
Two Birds
It worked, Tsubaki thought to herself in disbelief as she laid in the mud. The plan had been too simple, creating the illusion that lightning struck the wagon and killed her. All she had to do was use the blinding flash of light as cover to shatter the lantern to encompass the crate in oil and flame. Once she had the cover of that she shattered the crate and the containers of oil inside to spread the fire swiftly. After bloodying herself up a bit and slumping against the wall she used her chakra to play dead. All she had to do then was wait as heavy, black smoke quickly filled the interior of the wagon. Flames licked higher and higher as they consumed everything they touched. Including her. She was seconds away from having to create a new plan as her clothing caught fire, panic building inside of her, when Yuji burst into the wagon. He practically fell over her, the smoke shielding her from his view. When he found her hands, he released the chain that had her linked to the floor and pulled her out of the wagon. The fire was quickly smothered as Yuji turned her body this way and that, trying to find some sign of life in her. But to his untrained eyes, she was already gone.
Yuji was cursing, his voice harsh as he commanded everyone around to try to stop the fire. The question she posed to herself now was whether or not to try to take advantage of how distracted he was. All she needed was enough time to kill Yuji. Then, nothing else mattered. She would try to escape but she doubted she would get far. Maybe, she thought, as the rain beat down on her, when he came to retrieve his chains she could strangle him with them. Even if he had the remote ready, if she got them wrapped around him first it wouldn’t matter. It wouldn’t take any time at all for her to kill him that way, and his body would shield her from any arrows or other attacks. It would take only seconds to crush the small, fragile bones in his neck. She could also just break the chains and use the mud and storm as a cover to get to Yuji. He might turn on the seal but she didn’t care at this point. Not even that could stop her. There were other options too but it was all going to depend on h-
"Shita!"
It took everything in her not to lift her head. Who, or what, was the archer firing at? Was he trying to shoot her to ensure she was dead? That seemed counterproductive since they wanted her to be alive and it was probably why he left the manacles on. A just in case precaution. But if not her, then who? She didn’t have to wonder for very long.
A soft thud sounded beside her, relief flooding through her. It should have been impossible but he had made it back. Even with her eyes closed, she knew that it was Tousha who knelt beside her. Who pulled her up into his arms. Everything was different if he was there, especially if neither of them were being controlled anymore, she thought as the manacles crumbled off of her. Her hand patted against him as he lifted her in his arms, trying to get his attention. To let him know it had all been a trick, that she was alive. But his eyes were plastered forwards, towards the retreating Yuji and the rest of the bounty hunters. “Tousha, it was just a jutsu. I’m okay,” her voice was soft, trying to coax his gaze downwards.
But he didn't look down, not as his own jutsu came alive all around them. She ignored it though, ignored everything except for him as panic blossomed through her. She reached up, placing her hands on either side of his neck. “Tousha, hey, let me down. I’m okay. I can help you,” she begged, but her pleas couldn’t reach him. He still wouldn’t look at her. She moved her hands to his shoulder, pulling herself up in his grasp enough that she could look into his eyes. But he wasn’t there either. He wasn’t even seeing her. She shook his shoulders, her face crumpling slightly, her eyes wide and searching. Searching for any sign of him. “Tousha, please, it’s okay. I’m alive. You’re alive. We’re here. Just….” Not a single sign of recognition crossed his face. She took a deep breath and strained to look around, Tousha still gripping her tightly.
The remaining flames of the wagon that was being consumed by Tousha’s jutsu gave her just enough sight to catch the heels of a fleeing Yuji who had taken advantage of the chaos to start running. What a fucking coward, Tsubaki thought to herself as a terrifyingly calm rage settled in her. This was all his fault. “Don’t go anywhere.” Tsubaki tensed her entire body before kicking out with both feet, not hard enough to severely hurt Tousha but hard enough to loosen his grip enough for her to drop down to the ground. She wasted no time jumping over Tousha’s jutsu, not knowing if it was safe to touch or not. Despite the protests from her body, as soon as she landed she broke into a run. Her hands formed seals, the pain caused by her chakra only fueling her anger further. She easily caught up to Yuji, even in her exhausted state he was no match for her. She threw the shuriken of water in front of him, using kai as soon as it landed, blasting him backwards. He landed on his back, scrambling in the mud to get up but Tsubaki was in no rush as she stalked towards him. Rain poured down her face, her hair and clothes plastered to her frame. Even in the darkness that surrounded them, Tsubaki’s eyes were like two bottomless pits as she stared down at the man responsible for everything that she had been through in the past week. His stoic look was completely gone as the sky lit up, replaced with a look of total fear.
“You were dea-
“I don’t think you should talk anymore.” Tsubaki’s voice wasn’t one she recognized as her hands began glowing green as she began channeling. She reached down wrapping her hands around his ankles, his scream silenced by the booming thunder as she severed the ligaments and tendons in both of his ankles. She wasn’t interested in games, in chasing him around. Things were going to be over now. There was nothing that she could do in the amount of time she would afford the trash that lay in front of her to make him suffer enough. Not enough to make up for what he had done to Tousha. What he had done to her. Even if she had an entire lifetime to make him suffer it wouldn’t be enough. So she would settle for making the last few moments of his sad, pathetic life as painful as possible.
His hands struck at her as she fell to her knees over his body but she ignored him, grabbing one of his hands and slamming it into the ground, her glowing hand severing everything in his shoulder and then doing the same to the other. She could taste her own hatred on her tongue as she stood, looking down at the still screaming Yuji and felt not a single ounce of remorse. The world seemed to still around her. She had always been against killing. She was a healer. A medic. A life saver. Not a life taker. It had always been black and white for her. Life over death. Her recent travels had already had her considering that maybe things weren’t so easy. She had started to think that not everyone deserves to be saved. And now, looking down at Yuji, she knew that she was right to change her way of thinking. She also knew something else.
Not everyone deserved to live.
“It’s neat, isn’t it? The ability to sever whatever I want in your body without ever breaking the skin.” Tsubaki’s hand glowed green once more as she fell to her knees over his waist, leaning up and over his body. “It’s only fitting, isn’t it, to kill you with the talent that you wanted so badly?” Yuji tried to speak but his mouth only opened and closed like a fish gasping for air. “When I sever the artery to your heart it won’t take long for you to die. A few minutes, maybe more. But you’re going to feel every second of it. The pain when I cut it. You’re going to feel dizzy, nauseous.” Tsubaki hovered her hand over his heart, cocking her head to the side as he panted frantically. Her voice was as dead and lifeless as his own had been. “Then you’re going to start to feel cold and you’re going to feel your heart rate increase as it desperately tries to pump blood to the rest of your body. And then you’re going to feel weaker and weaker. And then you’re going to die. And it will be as boring and as insignificant as the rest of your life.”
She had the thought that it was an anticlimactic end as she pressed her hand against his chest, the chakra in her hand draining out immediately. Yuji gasped, but she had already climbed off of him, stumbling towards a nearby tree. She crashed against it, sliding down until she was sitting on the ground. And she watched without feeling or thought as Yuji slowly died in front of her. She needed to go back to Tousha, she thought as her eyes drifted up, rain still pouring from the sky. She needed to help him. But she couldn’t move as the rage slowly started to drain out of her and exhaustion replaced it. The reality that she had willfully, and gladly, taken a life hung over her head. She couldn’t think about that now though. Despite the desire to wallow, she pressed her hands against the ground and stood. She grabbed Yuji by the ankle and began slowly trudging her way through the mud back to Tousha.
Yuji was cursing, his voice harsh as he commanded everyone around to try to stop the fire. The question she posed to herself now was whether or not to try to take advantage of how distracted he was. All she needed was enough time to kill Yuji. Then, nothing else mattered. She would try to escape but she doubted she would get far. Maybe, she thought, as the rain beat down on her, when he came to retrieve his chains she could strangle him with them. Even if he had the remote ready, if she got them wrapped around him first it wouldn’t matter. It wouldn’t take any time at all for her to kill him that way, and his body would shield her from any arrows or other attacks. It would take only seconds to crush the small, fragile bones in his neck. She could also just break the chains and use the mud and storm as a cover to get to Yuji. He might turn on the seal but she didn’t care at this point. Not even that could stop her. There were other options too but it was all going to depend on h-
"Shita!"
It took everything in her not to lift her head. Who, or what, was the archer firing at? Was he trying to shoot her to ensure she was dead? That seemed counterproductive since they wanted her to be alive and it was probably why he left the manacles on. A just in case precaution. But if not her, then who? She didn’t have to wonder for very long.
A soft thud sounded beside her, relief flooding through her. It should have been impossible but he had made it back. Even with her eyes closed, she knew that it was Tousha who knelt beside her. Who pulled her up into his arms. Everything was different if he was there, especially if neither of them were being controlled anymore, she thought as the manacles crumbled off of her. Her hand patted against him as he lifted her in his arms, trying to get his attention. To let him know it had all been a trick, that she was alive. But his eyes were plastered forwards, towards the retreating Yuji and the rest of the bounty hunters. “Tousha, it was just a jutsu. I’m okay,” her voice was soft, trying to coax his gaze downwards.
But he didn't look down, not as his own jutsu came alive all around them. She ignored it though, ignored everything except for him as panic blossomed through her. She reached up, placing her hands on either side of his neck. “Tousha, hey, let me down. I’m okay. I can help you,” she begged, but her pleas couldn’t reach him. He still wouldn’t look at her. She moved her hands to his shoulder, pulling herself up in his grasp enough that she could look into his eyes. But he wasn’t there either. He wasn’t even seeing her. She shook his shoulders, her face crumpling slightly, her eyes wide and searching. Searching for any sign of him. “Tousha, please, it’s okay. I’m alive. You’re alive. We’re here. Just….” Not a single sign of recognition crossed his face. She took a deep breath and strained to look around, Tousha still gripping her tightly.
The remaining flames of the wagon that was being consumed by Tousha’s jutsu gave her just enough sight to catch the heels of a fleeing Yuji who had taken advantage of the chaos to start running. What a fucking coward, Tsubaki thought to herself as a terrifyingly calm rage settled in her. This was all his fault. “Don’t go anywhere.” Tsubaki tensed her entire body before kicking out with both feet, not hard enough to severely hurt Tousha but hard enough to loosen his grip enough for her to drop down to the ground. She wasted no time jumping over Tousha’s jutsu, not knowing if it was safe to touch or not. Despite the protests from her body, as soon as she landed she broke into a run. Her hands formed seals, the pain caused by her chakra only fueling her anger further. She easily caught up to Yuji, even in her exhausted state he was no match for her. She threw the shuriken of water in front of him, using kai as soon as it landed, blasting him backwards. He landed on his back, scrambling in the mud to get up but Tsubaki was in no rush as she stalked towards him. Rain poured down her face, her hair and clothes plastered to her frame. Even in the darkness that surrounded them, Tsubaki’s eyes were like two bottomless pits as she stared down at the man responsible for everything that she had been through in the past week. His stoic look was completely gone as the sky lit up, replaced with a look of total fear.
“You were dea-
“I don’t think you should talk anymore.” Tsubaki’s voice wasn’t one she recognized as her hands began glowing green as she began channeling. She reached down wrapping her hands around his ankles, his scream silenced by the booming thunder as she severed the ligaments and tendons in both of his ankles. She wasn’t interested in games, in chasing him around. Things were going to be over now. There was nothing that she could do in the amount of time she would afford the trash that lay in front of her to make him suffer enough. Not enough to make up for what he had done to Tousha. What he had done to her. Even if she had an entire lifetime to make him suffer it wouldn’t be enough. So she would settle for making the last few moments of his sad, pathetic life as painful as possible.
His hands struck at her as she fell to her knees over his body but she ignored him, grabbing one of his hands and slamming it into the ground, her glowing hand severing everything in his shoulder and then doing the same to the other. She could taste her own hatred on her tongue as she stood, looking down at the still screaming Yuji and felt not a single ounce of remorse. The world seemed to still around her. She had always been against killing. She was a healer. A medic. A life saver. Not a life taker. It had always been black and white for her. Life over death. Her recent travels had already had her considering that maybe things weren’t so easy. She had started to think that not everyone deserves to be saved. And now, looking down at Yuji, she knew that she was right to change her way of thinking. She also knew something else.
Not everyone deserved to live.
“It’s neat, isn’t it? The ability to sever whatever I want in your body without ever breaking the skin.” Tsubaki’s hand glowed green once more as she fell to her knees over his waist, leaning up and over his body. “It’s only fitting, isn’t it, to kill you with the talent that you wanted so badly?” Yuji tried to speak but his mouth only opened and closed like a fish gasping for air. “When I sever the artery to your heart it won’t take long for you to die. A few minutes, maybe more. But you’re going to feel every second of it. The pain when I cut it. You’re going to feel dizzy, nauseous.” Tsubaki hovered her hand over his heart, cocking her head to the side as he panted frantically. Her voice was as dead and lifeless as his own had been. “Then you’re going to start to feel cold and you’re going to feel your heart rate increase as it desperately tries to pump blood to the rest of your body. And then you’re going to feel weaker and weaker. And then you’re going to die. And it will be as boring and as insignificant as the rest of your life.”
She had the thought that it was an anticlimactic end as she pressed her hand against his chest, the chakra in her hand draining out immediately. Yuji gasped, but she had already climbed off of him, stumbling towards a nearby tree. She crashed against it, sliding down until she was sitting on the ground. And she watched without feeling or thought as Yuji slowly died in front of her. She needed to go back to Tousha, she thought as her eyes drifted up, rain still pouring from the sky. She needed to help him. But she couldn’t move as the rage slowly started to drain out of her and exhaustion replaced it. The reality that she had willfully, and gladly, taken a life hung over her head. She couldn’t think about that now though. Despite the desire to wallow, she pressed her hands against the ground and stood. She grabbed Yuji by the ankle and began slowly trudging her way through the mud back to Tousha.
My CharactersShow
B-Rank MN • Katō, Tsubaki #A32638
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Two Birds
Somewhere deep within the shadow silhouetted Shinobi, Tousha's consciousness struggled for control. He could only see what was happening on the outside in distorted fragments, like trying to peer through a window slick with oil. The shock of finding Tsubaki dead at the hands of the bounty hunters and the storm had sent him spiraling out of control. He remembered how scared the Kunoichi been when they were caught in that devastating storm only days ago, how much apparent effort it had taken to put on a brave face and help guide his enraged self back from the brink so they could both escape the elements together.
She must have been so afraid. Surrounded by monsters, terrified, in pain.
The thought made Tousha's pale, fragile form in an abyss of obsidian glass curl up, hugging his knees to his chest. The mind breaking extract was making it incredibly difficult to grapple with the grief he felt burbling up from his stomach, threatening to make him vomit from the sheer guilt and self loathing of it all. It felt like he was experiencing the emotional trauma from three different perspectives, all of them skewed and disjointed. He grappled with remembering who he was, if he had even been that person at all.
'You're a fraud,' one of the voices suggested.
'You tried your best.' That voice was kinder.
'The world won't miss you.'
And why should it? Tousha had failed as a Hokage, he'd failed as a father, and now he'd failed as a friend. Who was he to venture out into the world and try to make things better? Everything he touched turned to ash. Maybe it was better this way, to disappear with the others. Faces emerged in his fractures psyche. Sin, his daughter, with her mischievous grin and lively blue eyes. Meriko, her loveliness concealing a rambunctious wildness that Tousha adored. His parents, still back in Konoha running their little tea shop. The countless faces of Hidden Leaf Shinobi, all looking to him for guidance and safety. His old classmates, their eyes bright with the promise of the future. Most of them were dead now.
'Why aren't you?'
"I don't know," Tousha answered, his voice wrung out of all warmth. "I don't know anymore."
The obsidian that Tousha was sitting on top of faltered. A pool of inky abyss burbled up from below, seeping the glass in liquid midnight. Tousha remained still as he felt himself being pulled back into that nothingness with patient slowness. Inch by inch, his pale form was beginning to disappear under its opaque surface. The Kage rested his forehead on his knees, closing his eyes and feeling relief as nothingness permeated his body to the core. Sweet apathy at last.
“Tousha, it was just a jutsu. I’m okay,”
Tousha raised his head. He looked up and spotted a little brown sparrow, perched on a line of stark black that stretched out of sight into the fog that encompassed them both. It hopped this way and that, fluttering its wings with worry.
“Tousha, hey, let me down. I’m okay. I can help you,”
"Tsubaki?" Tousha asked, his voice echoing flatly. The abyss trying to pull Tousha down into itself shuddered angrily, as if the Kunoichi's words were hurting it in some way. Tousha stood, fighting off the stubborn strands of inky blackness that were desperately trying to latch onto him.
“Don’t go anywhere.”
"Okay," he said, not sure what to believe anymore but clinging to hope that this wasn't a trick. The inky abyss almost hissed as it receded, leaving Tousha's pale form alone.
Time passed, how much he couldn't say, but he saw vague glimpses of Tsubaki running off into the woods shortly before the remaining Guard Shinobi attempted to kill him. Even through the distorted, skewed lens through which he viewed the outside world, Tousha knew it didn't end well for them. He felt the Blackbird eating their bodies just like the rest, slipping into the nothingness that awaited them all.
Then he saw Tsubaki, standing at the edge of the pool of shadows flooding from his silhouetted body. She was dragging something behind her, but he couldn't tell what. Tousha simply stared at her, his eyes unfocused in disbelief, from inside.
Nara Tousha stood at the center of a massive pool of shadows. The cart had been mostly eaten away, sinking into the all consuming darkness and disappearing. The weight of the cart tilting snapped the wooden fixture keeping the horses tethered to it, causing them to scream in terror as they bolted off into the wilderness. All of the bounty hunters and Guard Shinobi were gone, lost to the annihilations chakra still swimming just under the surface of Tousha's technique.
The Blackbird stared out across the pool of shadows, regarding Tsubaki with the barest hint of recognition.
"You're dead," he said plainly. "I was too late."
CharacterShow
Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha
Two Birds
Each step back towards the clearing felt impossible. No part of her body wanted to do what she ordered it to. Tsubaki had to fight for every single movement, fight through the weight that had settled over her body. Her feet felt like they were cased in lead, unable to lift fully off of the ground. Her chest was full of stones, no room for her lungs to expand. No space for her heart to beat. At least, she thought, her head was empty. It kept her from thinking about how badly she wanted to fall to the ground and just let it all stop. How badly she just wanted to stop fighting. She had accomplished her goal, she should have been happy with that. The further she forced herself to walk, the more the adrenaline that was keeping her going drained out of her. But she knew, she knew that she couldn’t stop yet. For a little bit longer, she had to ignore the pleas of her broken, bloody body. Because she had one more thing she had to do.
Help Tousha.
Nothing else would win out over that. Not the trail of blood that dripped at her feet. Not the ache from the hole in her hand or any of the other many aches in her body. Not the emptiness or the darkness that had settled over her. Each rasping breath, each drag of her feet, led her back to Tousha. Tousha, who she had left standing in the middle of that clearing alone. Looking so lost and so fearsome all at the same time. Tousha, who had done the unimaginable and fought past his captors and found her in the middle of a storm, in the middle of a strange land. Time and time again he had saved her and if it was the last thing she did, she swore to herself through clenched teeth, she would save him this time. Whatever they had done to him she would reverse it. If it took an hour or a day or a month or a year. She would fix it. This determination, and nothing else, led her standing back in that clearing, staring at Tousha across a sea of shadows.
His words were clear even through the storm, the fading light from the fire offering just enough light for her to see the look in his eyes. The emptiness that she felt in her soul reflected back at her through his eyes. She had seen what the shadows could do. Had watched them devour everything in their path as they still devoured the cart. It was why she had dragged the body back with her. With a grunt of effort, her jaw clenched against the pain, Tsubaki threw Yuji’s body into the pit and watched as he too vanished into nothing. Exactly what he deserved. No ritual, no burial, no one to remember him. His body wouldn't even be allowed to poison the earth as he decomposed. Erased from existence, as he deserved.
Slowly, Tsubaki dragged her eyes from the spot where his body had disappeared and looked back across at Tousha. She steeled herself, forcing a weak smile on her face as she shrugged her shoulders as high as she could without wincing. “I told you, it was a jutsu. But you were too busy with this, Tsubaki gestured at swirling darkness on the ground. “To listen to me.” She wasn’t going to be able to help him unless she was close enough to examine him. It was likely that they had put him under the effects of some jutsu or poison. Or, fuck, Tsubaki thought to herself. If they had put a fuuin on Tousha she was going to cry. Or maybe laugh. Or both, right before she finally gave up and let it all end. Her head shook almost imperceptibly as she cleared those useless worries out. If that was the case she would know soon enough.
Inhaling as deeply as her lungs allowed, Tsubaki walked closer to the shadows. So close that she would swear she could feel them brushing up against her toes. “We’ve been through a lot,” she said gently. “But we made it back to each other. We fought really hard, but I need you to keep fighting. Just for a little bit longer.” She felt sick, her throat nearly closing with the effort to keep from gagging at the idea of what she was about to do. If she was wrong, well, it was what it was at this point. “It’s just us here now, Tousha. Just you and me. Tsubaki. And after I help you we can go get more ramen. You just stay there. I’m going to come to you.”
Without giving herself time to chicken out, Tsubaki took a single step forward, directly into the shadows.
Help Tousha.
Nothing else would win out over that. Not the trail of blood that dripped at her feet. Not the ache from the hole in her hand or any of the other many aches in her body. Not the emptiness or the darkness that had settled over her. Each rasping breath, each drag of her feet, led her back to Tousha. Tousha, who she had left standing in the middle of that clearing alone. Looking so lost and so fearsome all at the same time. Tousha, who had done the unimaginable and fought past his captors and found her in the middle of a storm, in the middle of a strange land. Time and time again he had saved her and if it was the last thing she did, she swore to herself through clenched teeth, she would save him this time. Whatever they had done to him she would reverse it. If it took an hour or a day or a month or a year. She would fix it. This determination, and nothing else, led her standing back in that clearing, staring at Tousha across a sea of shadows.
His words were clear even through the storm, the fading light from the fire offering just enough light for her to see the look in his eyes. The emptiness that she felt in her soul reflected back at her through his eyes. She had seen what the shadows could do. Had watched them devour everything in their path as they still devoured the cart. It was why she had dragged the body back with her. With a grunt of effort, her jaw clenched against the pain, Tsubaki threw Yuji’s body into the pit and watched as he too vanished into nothing. Exactly what he deserved. No ritual, no burial, no one to remember him. His body wouldn't even be allowed to poison the earth as he decomposed. Erased from existence, as he deserved.
Slowly, Tsubaki dragged her eyes from the spot where his body had disappeared and looked back across at Tousha. She steeled herself, forcing a weak smile on her face as she shrugged her shoulders as high as she could without wincing. “I told you, it was a jutsu. But you were too busy with this, Tsubaki gestured at swirling darkness on the ground. “To listen to me.” She wasn’t going to be able to help him unless she was close enough to examine him. It was likely that they had put him under the effects of some jutsu or poison. Or, fuck, Tsubaki thought to herself. If they had put a fuuin on Tousha she was going to cry. Or maybe laugh. Or both, right before she finally gave up and let it all end. Her head shook almost imperceptibly as she cleared those useless worries out. If that was the case she would know soon enough.
Inhaling as deeply as her lungs allowed, Tsubaki walked closer to the shadows. So close that she would swear she could feel them brushing up against her toes. “We’ve been through a lot,” she said gently. “But we made it back to each other. We fought really hard, but I need you to keep fighting. Just for a little bit longer.” She felt sick, her throat nearly closing with the effort to keep from gagging at the idea of what she was about to do. If she was wrong, well, it was what it was at this point. “It’s just us here now, Tousha. Just you and me. Tsubaki. And after I help you we can go get more ramen. You just stay there. I’m going to come to you.”
Without giving herself time to chicken out, Tsubaki took a single step forward, directly into the shadows.
My CharactersShow
B-Rank MN • Katō, Tsubaki #A32638
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Two Birds
The thing that wasn't Tousha barely regarded Yuji's corpse as it sank into the shadows, consumed voraciously by the annihilation chakra that skulked within them. Fabric, flesh, bone, metal, it all hissed and disappeared the same. It fueled the apathy radiating from Tousha's technique like kindling tossed into an open flame. After the bounty hunter had vanished entirely, the silhouetted man's full attention settled on the Kunoichi with the oppression of a moonless night.
The storm seemed to almost politely diminish as the two Shinobi stared across the shadows at one another. The rain fell less stubbornly, the wind quietened to a whisper. Even the rumbling of thunder seemed more distant and waned against the deafening silence between Tousha and Tsubaki.
Then that silence was broken. Tsubaki spoke to him as if nothing had changed between them, as if he wasn't to blame for the days of agony she'd been forced to endure.
When Tsubaki mentioned the jutsu, that he hadn't listened to her, the shadow silhouetted man simply stared at her. She might as well have been speaking to a stump. But, as she moved closer, the thing that wasn't Tousha shifted uncomfortably. The shadows crawling at Tsubaki's feet seemed suddenly indecisive. One moment it looked like that darkness would lash out at her, happy to feed. The next, they shied away with unbecoming meekness. As the Kunoichi continued speaking the pool of shadows dominating the craggy woodland ground grew more erratic, less stable. Even the shadows swathing Tousha's body seemed to struggle to maintain their shapes.
And then, impossibly, Tsubaki took a step into the annihilation shadows. And then another.
The shifting darkness parted with each step she took, pulling away from the advancing Kunoichi like nocturnal predators warded off by a radiant fire. The thing that wasn't Tousha groaned in effort as it tried to maintain control, to push the Kage's stubborn consciousness down into the depths of ignorant bliss. But with each step forward the shadows slipped away, stretching towards where the Nara stood. The shadows surrounding his body peeled away like great swaths of fabric, revealing the real Tousha with each passing moment.
Finally, as Tsubaki would reach her friend, the last of the darkness receded with an eerie stretching sound into the shape of his own harmless shadow.
Tousha groaned in effort as he remained standing, but just barely. His legs shook with the effort to keep his still partially paralyzed body upright, and his brow was knitted in pain as a fresh wave of agony washed over his mind. The Blackbird had been caged once more, deep within him, but now his own consciousness bore the full weight of the thin man's mind breaking creation.
"Tsubaki... I'm s-s-sorry," he struggled to say, as if he was in the throes of a terrible dream. "I d-don't... I can't think."
The Kage nearly fell over, his head hanging limply. "S-some k-kind of... Drug. In my h-head."
The storm seemed to almost politely diminish as the two Shinobi stared across the shadows at one another. The rain fell less stubbornly, the wind quietened to a whisper. Even the rumbling of thunder seemed more distant and waned against the deafening silence between Tousha and Tsubaki.
Then that silence was broken. Tsubaki spoke to him as if nothing had changed between them, as if he wasn't to blame for the days of agony she'd been forced to endure.
When Tsubaki mentioned the jutsu, that he hadn't listened to her, the shadow silhouetted man simply stared at her. She might as well have been speaking to a stump. But, as she moved closer, the thing that wasn't Tousha shifted uncomfortably. The shadows crawling at Tsubaki's feet seemed suddenly indecisive. One moment it looked like that darkness would lash out at her, happy to feed. The next, they shied away with unbecoming meekness. As the Kunoichi continued speaking the pool of shadows dominating the craggy woodland ground grew more erratic, less stable. Even the shadows swathing Tousha's body seemed to struggle to maintain their shapes.
And then, impossibly, Tsubaki took a step into the annihilation shadows. And then another.
The shifting darkness parted with each step she took, pulling away from the advancing Kunoichi like nocturnal predators warded off by a radiant fire. The thing that wasn't Tousha groaned in effort as it tried to maintain control, to push the Kage's stubborn consciousness down into the depths of ignorant bliss. But with each step forward the shadows slipped away, stretching towards where the Nara stood. The shadows surrounding his body peeled away like great swaths of fabric, revealing the real Tousha with each passing moment.
Finally, as Tsubaki would reach her friend, the last of the darkness receded with an eerie stretching sound into the shape of his own harmless shadow.
Tousha groaned in effort as he remained standing, but just barely. His legs shook with the effort to keep his still partially paralyzed body upright, and his brow was knitted in pain as a fresh wave of agony washed over his mind. The Blackbird had been caged once more, deep within him, but now his own consciousness bore the full weight of the thin man's mind breaking creation.
"Tsubaki... I'm s-s-sorry," he struggled to say, as if he was in the throes of a terrible dream. "I d-don't... I can't think."
The Kage nearly fell over, his head hanging limply. "S-some k-kind of... Drug. In my h-head."
Last edited by Toshi on Tue Mar 19, 2024 3:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
CharacterShow
Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha
Two Birds
Tsubaki didn’t look down a single time as she made her way to Tousha, through the shadows. The only thing that she focused on was keeping her face relaxed and non-threatening while she kept her eyes locked on his. She watched how the shadows around him slowly ebbed away and she could only assume that the same was happening around her feet as she slowly placed one foot in front of the other. It had been a massive gamble to step into his jutsu but she hadn’t known what other choice she had. She had no idea what they had done to him, how much longer he had, or how long it would take to heal him. But it wasn’t any of that that had been the final push towards him, the final push into taking such a huge leap of faith. It had been his voice. The empty, sullen voice that had reached out to her over that chasm. There wasn't a cell in her body that could ignore the call of such a hollow voice that was so clearly in need. So she didn’t look down.
Her hands braced gently against his sides, helping prop him up as he swayed on his legs, the smile on her face never faltering. “You don’t have to apologize for anything. Let’s get you down on the ground before you fall over.” She helped him to the slick, muddy earth beneath their feet, resting his head in her lap. Her trembling fingers gently brushed his hair off of his forehead as she dove deep down into herself, pulling together every bit of chakra that remained in her body. Other than training, she couldn’t think of a single time she had been running this low, an unpleasant feeling creeping along her bones because of it. “You can just rest for right now. I have some work to do and I need you to hold still.” She glanced around for any sharp object but the shadows had swallowed everything within reach. She channeled a small amount of chakra into her fingertips, cleansing both them and a small spot on Tousha’s forehead, right at his hairline. “Don’t worry, I’ve done this before,” she said with a slight grin as she swiped one of her nails across his skin, creating a small cut. The words that came out of her own mouth sounded so familiar that she paused. It was just for a second before a small huff of laughter blew from her nose. It wasn’t the first time she had said that to him.
Her chakra slowly worked its way into Tousha’s bloodstream, focusing it in his head where he said it was. She could feel it almost instantly, it wasn’t a drug designed to hide. It was one designed to settle in so deeply it couldn’t be extracted. “You know,” she said, trying to hide the strain in her voice. “Back at the ramen shop I told you that you could stay with me for as long as you’d like.” Tsubaki’s eyes were focused on nothing as they stared straight ahead because all of her focus was wrapped up in her chakra, in Tousha’s blood. Gently easing away the remnants of the drug from his body and compiling each one together, a small bundle beginning to form. “So you don’t have to keep getting poisoned to keep me around. Who else is going to protect you from the colonies of killer rabbits.” She had to talk because it was the only thing that was keeping her upright and focused. Plus, she needed Tousha to stay conscious. Two birds, one stone or so the saying went.
They had been through so much in such a short amount of time, creating a bond between them that could usually only be formed by time. But it was this bond, this need to make it out on the other side with him that kept her chakra searching for more of the drug, collecting as much as she could find. Until, finally, she withdrew a small orb of her green chakra, now tinged with a new reddish hue from the drug captured inside of it. She took in a deep, shaky breath, ignoring her body’s pleas for rest. Her hand with the orb of chakra rested on her knee as she began working to change it into an antidote. Absent-mindedly, her other hand stroked Tousha’s head in short, calming motions. She wasn't sure which one of them it was supposed to benefit.
“How are you holding up? It’ll just be a bit longer now.”
Her hands braced gently against his sides, helping prop him up as he swayed on his legs, the smile on her face never faltering. “You don’t have to apologize for anything. Let’s get you down on the ground before you fall over.” She helped him to the slick, muddy earth beneath their feet, resting his head in her lap. Her trembling fingers gently brushed his hair off of his forehead as she dove deep down into herself, pulling together every bit of chakra that remained in her body. Other than training, she couldn’t think of a single time she had been running this low, an unpleasant feeling creeping along her bones because of it. “You can just rest for right now. I have some work to do and I need you to hold still.” She glanced around for any sharp object but the shadows had swallowed everything within reach. She channeled a small amount of chakra into her fingertips, cleansing both them and a small spot on Tousha’s forehead, right at his hairline. “Don’t worry, I’ve done this before,” she said with a slight grin as she swiped one of her nails across his skin, creating a small cut. The words that came out of her own mouth sounded so familiar that she paused. It was just for a second before a small huff of laughter blew from her nose. It wasn’t the first time she had said that to him.
Her chakra slowly worked its way into Tousha’s bloodstream, focusing it in his head where he said it was. She could feel it almost instantly, it wasn’t a drug designed to hide. It was one designed to settle in so deeply it couldn’t be extracted. “You know,” she said, trying to hide the strain in her voice. “Back at the ramen shop I told you that you could stay with me for as long as you’d like.” Tsubaki’s eyes were focused on nothing as they stared straight ahead because all of her focus was wrapped up in her chakra, in Tousha’s blood. Gently easing away the remnants of the drug from his body and compiling each one together, a small bundle beginning to form. “So you don’t have to keep getting poisoned to keep me around. Who else is going to protect you from the colonies of killer rabbits.” She had to talk because it was the only thing that was keeping her upright and focused. Plus, she needed Tousha to stay conscious. Two birds, one stone or so the saying went.
They had been through so much in such a short amount of time, creating a bond between them that could usually only be formed by time. But it was this bond, this need to make it out on the other side with him that kept her chakra searching for more of the drug, collecting as much as she could find. Until, finally, she withdrew a small orb of her green chakra, now tinged with a new reddish hue from the drug captured inside of it. She took in a deep, shaky breath, ignoring her body’s pleas for rest. Her hand with the orb of chakra rested on her knee as she began working to change it into an antidote. Absent-mindedly, her other hand stroked Tousha’s head in short, calming motions. She wasn't sure which one of them it was supposed to benefit.
“How are you holding up? It’ll just be a bit longer now.”
JutsuShow
*[Iijutsu • Sterilization Technique]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
The user will channel the needed chakra throughout their upper body (torso, arms, hands, face) at [Control] Speed. This chakra will chew away at harmful bacteria and other foreign bodies on the skin, cleansing it until it is thoroughly sterile, and can be spread to objects, most commonly surgical tools. Users of this technique can also choose to sterilize certain parts of their upper body or the wounds of another person instead. Once they are sanitized, they remain this way until coming in contact with more bacteria.
*[Iijutsu • Antidote Technique]
A-Rank Ninjutsu
The user will channel their chakra and then make a small incision on the patient before placing their hands over the new wound. As this chakra is channeled into the body, the poison is extracted and contained in a green orb of chakra in the user's palm at [Control] Speed. Once extracted, the poison will be suspended in the containment orb. Their chakra then mutates the poison at [Control] speed and rearranges it into an antidote. This technique must be cast with a [Control] equal to or above the [Control], [Strength], or rank bracket (D=1, C=10, B=20, A=25, S=35, S(40)=40, etc.) of a poison (as appropriate) to be effective. A poison which is destroyed is done so immediately. Antidotes created from this technique slow the effects of a poison after administration by 2 posts and fully rid the subject of the poison after three posts.
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
The user will channel the needed chakra throughout their upper body (torso, arms, hands, face) at [Control] Speed. This chakra will chew away at harmful bacteria and other foreign bodies on the skin, cleansing it until it is thoroughly sterile, and can be spread to objects, most commonly surgical tools. Users of this technique can also choose to sterilize certain parts of their upper body or the wounds of another person instead. Once they are sanitized, they remain this way until coming in contact with more bacteria.
*[Iijutsu • Antidote Technique]
A-Rank Ninjutsu
The user will channel their chakra and then make a small incision on the patient before placing their hands over the new wound. As this chakra is channeled into the body, the poison is extracted and contained in a green orb of chakra in the user's palm at [Control] Speed. Once extracted, the poison will be suspended in the containment orb. Their chakra then mutates the poison at [Control] speed and rearranges it into an antidote. This technique must be cast with a [Control] equal to or above the [Control], [Strength], or rank bracket (D=1, C=10, B=20, A=25, S=35, S(40)=40, etc.) of a poison (as appropriate) to be effective. A poison which is destroyed is done so immediately. Antidotes created from this technique slow the effects of a poison after administration by 2 posts and fully rid the subject of the poison after three posts.
My CharactersShow
B-Rank MN • Katō, Tsubaki #A32638
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Two Birds
Tousha draped an arm over Tsubaki's shoulder as the Kunoichi helped him to the ground, his entire body shaking even with her assistance. He let out a weak groan as he laid flat on the muddy forest floor. A mercifully numbing chill shot through the Kage, the earth's cold embrace seeping into him and spreading in a slow, aching wave. It helped distract him from the searing hot spike of pain that had been hammered through his skull.
A small sigh escaped his throat as he felt Tsubaki's gentle hands guide his head onto her lap. He stared at the bleak, storm-ridden sky hanging over them both, his half paralyzed body twitching and straining sporadically of its own accord. He managed to angle a small glance up into Tsubaki's eyes. There was a calmness to them that helped his shattered, frantic mind settle into something resembling equanimity. Something in those eyes, in the young woman's expression, finally helped him realize that they were going to be okay.
They were both going to be okay.
Tousha's breathing slowed, his muscles relaxed. He needed to be strong for Tsubaki so she could be strong for him. It wouldn't do to fall apart now that they were in the clear, Tsubaki wouldn't let him hear the end of it.
"O-okay," Tousha muttered quietly, his dark eyes focused on the water-laden clouds drifting by as Tsubaki told him he could rest while she worked. His brow twitched reflexively when her nail cut through the pale skin of his forehead, leaving a small cut for her chakra to seep into his bloodstream. He remained silent when he heard Tsubaki laugh at something, but a feint smile touched his parted lips at the simple sound of it. In that moment he felt joy cutting through the pain and trauma of the past horror-ridden few days.
'She's alive. She can still laugh,' Tousha thought to himself, nearly overcome with emotion.
That warm feeling in his chest only grew when Tsubaki mentioned the ramen shop, and that she'd agreed to let him stay with her. A small, quiet sob sprinkled with laughter forced its way out of him when she brought up the colonies of killer rabbits. Tousha smiled his crooked smile as tears slowly started rolling down his cheeks, remembering all too fondly the evening before the storm when Tsubaki had cooked them both rabbit stew.
"My H-hero," he said softly, his voice still shaking.
Some time passed before he felt Tsubaki's chakra streaming out of him. The pain had already lessened, and his body was feeling more responsive. The Kage flexed the fingers of his left hand, relieved to find they were noticeably less stubborn. His body stilled again, however, as he felt Tsubaki's hand stroking at his head. Tousha closed his eyes, his brow unknitting ever so slightly.
"Already f-feeling better," Tousha answered, his voice less strained. He slowly raised a hand and held Tsubaki's in it, giving it a weak but hopefully comforting squeeze. Tousha looked up at Tsubaki, his friend, and smiled.
"I didn't think I was going to see you again, Tsubaki," he said, tears still flowing freely. "S-should have told you everything. From the start... It's all my fault."
A small sigh escaped his throat as he felt Tsubaki's gentle hands guide his head onto her lap. He stared at the bleak, storm-ridden sky hanging over them both, his half paralyzed body twitching and straining sporadically of its own accord. He managed to angle a small glance up into Tsubaki's eyes. There was a calmness to them that helped his shattered, frantic mind settle into something resembling equanimity. Something in those eyes, in the young woman's expression, finally helped him realize that they were going to be okay.
They were both going to be okay.
Tousha's breathing slowed, his muscles relaxed. He needed to be strong for Tsubaki so she could be strong for him. It wouldn't do to fall apart now that they were in the clear, Tsubaki wouldn't let him hear the end of it.
"O-okay," Tousha muttered quietly, his dark eyes focused on the water-laden clouds drifting by as Tsubaki told him he could rest while she worked. His brow twitched reflexively when her nail cut through the pale skin of his forehead, leaving a small cut for her chakra to seep into his bloodstream. He remained silent when he heard Tsubaki laugh at something, but a feint smile touched his parted lips at the simple sound of it. In that moment he felt joy cutting through the pain and trauma of the past horror-ridden few days.
'She's alive. She can still laugh,' Tousha thought to himself, nearly overcome with emotion.
That warm feeling in his chest only grew when Tsubaki mentioned the ramen shop, and that she'd agreed to let him stay with her. A small, quiet sob sprinkled with laughter forced its way out of him when she brought up the colonies of killer rabbits. Tousha smiled his crooked smile as tears slowly started rolling down his cheeks, remembering all too fondly the evening before the storm when Tsubaki had cooked them both rabbit stew.
"My H-hero," he said softly, his voice still shaking.
Some time passed before he felt Tsubaki's chakra streaming out of him. The pain had already lessened, and his body was feeling more responsive. The Kage flexed the fingers of his left hand, relieved to find they were noticeably less stubborn. His body stilled again, however, as he felt Tsubaki's hand stroking at his head. Tousha closed his eyes, his brow unknitting ever so slightly.
"Already f-feeling better," Tousha answered, his voice less strained. He slowly raised a hand and held Tsubaki's in it, giving it a weak but hopefully comforting squeeze. Tousha looked up at Tsubaki, his friend, and smiled.
"I didn't think I was going to see you again, Tsubaki," he said, tears still flowing freely. "S-should have told you everything. From the start... It's all my fault."
Last edited by Toshi on Thu Mar 21, 2024 10:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
CharacterShow
Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha
Two Birds
Letting her chakra continue to work on mutating the drug into an antidote, Tsubaki glanced down at Tousha. Her free hand flipped, grasping his hand firmly in her own, thumb moving in small circles. She knew what he was apologizing for. If she was being honest, she hadn’t thought about it at all since that initial moment of finding out. It seemed like a lifetime ago that she woke up in the middle of the street, Yuji’s words echoing through her ears. She had been shocked at the time. Confused. She had felt betrayed without knowing why. She understood now, though. She was used to being the one who was closed off, the one who kept secrets. But everyone always told her everything. So even though she was keeping a whole slew of secrets from Tousha, she had felt hurt that he would keep such a big thing from her. It seemed so silly now.
Tsubaki blinked slowly, repeatedly, realizing she hadn’t responded and had just been lost in thought. “I was worried too. But we made it. And I don’t care about that.” She glanced over at the ball of chakra, noting that the jutsu was almost completed. But she had more things to do first. “Whatever titles you have, whoever you used to be, whoever you want to be now, you’re just Tousha to me. The same as you were when I found you dying of mushroom poison.” Tsubaki chuckled again but the sound was weak and fleeting. As though she couldn’t hold onto the sound.
She channeled even more chakra into the orb resting in her palm, the initial antidote complete. This would ensure that no matter what, if anyone tried to hunt him down again as revenge, their drug wouldn’t work on him again.
“I ran away from Kumo when I was fifteen. For a lot of reasons. Some good, some selfish.” Tsubaki sighed. There was so much more to say but the thoughts were so fleeting. Her eyes had drifted back over to the orb of green chakra in her palm. “What I’m trying to say is, it’s not your fault. Even if I had known, what would that have changed?” Her brow drew together, nose wrinkling as an errant raindrop slid down it. She had forgotten it was raining. “Do you think I would have abandoned you if I had known? I guess I would have been surprised. Maybe more suspicious but I was already pretty suspicious.” She wondered briefly if what she was saying made any sense.
Tsubaki slid their clasped hands out of the way as she brought the orb of chakra back to the cut on Tousha’s head. Slowly, she let the chakra seep back into him, removing the remaining traces of the drug and providing him with immunity at the same time. “As long as you don’t expect me to call you Lord Tousha now, I don’t think anything needs to change.”
The remainder of her chakra entered Tousha’s system. She lifted his hand up, her fingers on her other hand pressing against his wrist, checking his pulse.
“How do you feel now? If I got everything right, shouldn’t take long to feel an improvement.” She really hoped she had gotten it right the first time. Tsubaki was pretty sure she didn’t have the chakra left to do it again.
Tsubaki blinked slowly, repeatedly, realizing she hadn’t responded and had just been lost in thought. “I was worried too. But we made it. And I don’t care about that.” She glanced over at the ball of chakra, noting that the jutsu was almost completed. But she had more things to do first. “Whatever titles you have, whoever you used to be, whoever you want to be now, you’re just Tousha to me. The same as you were when I found you dying of mushroom poison.” Tsubaki chuckled again but the sound was weak and fleeting. As though she couldn’t hold onto the sound.
She channeled even more chakra into the orb resting in her palm, the initial antidote complete. This would ensure that no matter what, if anyone tried to hunt him down again as revenge, their drug wouldn’t work on him again.
“I ran away from Kumo when I was fifteen. For a lot of reasons. Some good, some selfish.” Tsubaki sighed. There was so much more to say but the thoughts were so fleeting. Her eyes had drifted back over to the orb of green chakra in her palm. “What I’m trying to say is, it’s not your fault. Even if I had known, what would that have changed?” Her brow drew together, nose wrinkling as an errant raindrop slid down it. She had forgotten it was raining. “Do you think I would have abandoned you if I had known? I guess I would have been surprised. Maybe more suspicious but I was already pretty suspicious.” She wondered briefly if what she was saying made any sense.
Tsubaki slid their clasped hands out of the way as she brought the orb of chakra back to the cut on Tousha’s head. Slowly, she let the chakra seep back into him, removing the remaining traces of the drug and providing him with immunity at the same time. “As long as you don’t expect me to call you Lord Tousha now, I don’t think anything needs to change.”
The remainder of her chakra entered Tousha’s system. She lifted his hand up, her fingers on her other hand pressing against his wrist, checking his pulse.
“How do you feel now? If I got everything right, shouldn’t take long to feel an improvement.” She really hoped she had gotten it right the first time. Tsubaki was pretty sure she didn’t have the chakra left to do it again.
JutsuShow
*[Iijutsu • Immunitas]
A-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: *[Iijutsu • Antidote Technique]
This advanced technique can be used immediately following successful application of the *[Iijutsu • Antidote Technique]. Once an antidote has been concocted, the user applies additional chakra to make it especially potent. The increased potency not only quickens the curing process by one post, but on the third post after administration induces a permanent immunity in the target to the poison in question. This immunity can only be overcome by increasing the potency of the original poison to beyond the potency of the associated *[Iijutsu • Antidote Technique] used to create the antidote.
A-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: *[Iijutsu • Antidote Technique]
This advanced technique can be used immediately following successful application of the *[Iijutsu • Antidote Technique]. Once an antidote has been concocted, the user applies additional chakra to make it especially potent. The increased potency not only quickens the curing process by one post, but on the third post after administration induces a permanent immunity in the target to the poison in question. This immunity can only be overcome by increasing the potency of the original poison to beyond the potency of the associated *[Iijutsu • Antidote Technique] used to create the antidote.
My CharactersShow
B-Rank MN • Katō, Tsubaki #A32638
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Two Birds
The Hokage's eyes closed slowly as Tsubaki spoke, her thumb moving in slow, calming circles against his skin. His mouth grew taught and trembled slightly as she said that she didn't care about who he used to be and what titles he held, that he was just Tousha to her. Tousha didn't want to be anything else to anyone more than just himself. Not a Kage, not a killer, not a kooky vagabond who kept finding new and creative ways to misplace his shoes.
'Just Tousha.'
It sounded so perfect, the way Tsubaki said it. It was all he ever really wanted and Tousha's soul sang with the feeling of being seen and understood so completely.
Tousha's tearful eyes opened once more, searching for the Kunoichi's when she mentioned running away from home. From Kumogakure. It had to have been so difficult for the Kunoichi, to remember something so clearly painful. Tousha appreciated her trust in him to speak into reality any of this at all and wanted to tell Tsubaki she didn't need to, but he let his friend speak. He wouldn't dare interrupt until she had said what she needed to say to make them both feel like they hadn't just walked through hell and back.
He did, however, crack a small smile at the idea of Tsubki calling him 'Lord Tousha.' Aside from Yuji showing his punchable mug again, Tousha couldn't think of anything he'd like less than Tsubaki putting him on a pedestal.
When Tsubaki's technique had run its course Tousha gently raised himself off the waterlogged forest floor. He tested each limb and appendage carefully, flexing and straightening his muscles. The difference was night and day. Where before Tousha's body fought him for every inch of movement and his mind felt like it was flying apart from itself in a dozen directions, he felt whole. The Kage felt tired, of course, but he felt like himself.
Tousha's mind was still. His thoughts were his own. Relief flooded through him in a way he couldn't begin to explain.
As the last syllable left Tsubaki's lips, Tousha lunged forward. Still on his knees, Tousha wrapped his arms around the Kunoichi and pulled her into a crushing hug. His pale, numb hands and fingers interlocked behind the woman's back as his face settled into the crook of her neck, burrowing into it with an exigence he couldn't contain anymore.
"Thank you," he said, his voice muffled in their embrace. "Thank you, Tsubaki. I'm so glad you're with me. I won't let anyone hurt you like that again. I'm so sorry."
Nara Tousha's body shook against Tsubaki's, and it wasn't the cold.
'Just Tousha.'
It sounded so perfect, the way Tsubaki said it. It was all he ever really wanted and Tousha's soul sang with the feeling of being seen and understood so completely.
Tousha's tearful eyes opened once more, searching for the Kunoichi's when she mentioned running away from home. From Kumogakure. It had to have been so difficult for the Kunoichi, to remember something so clearly painful. Tousha appreciated her trust in him to speak into reality any of this at all and wanted to tell Tsubaki she didn't need to, but he let his friend speak. He wouldn't dare interrupt until she had said what she needed to say to make them both feel like they hadn't just walked through hell and back.
He did, however, crack a small smile at the idea of Tsubki calling him 'Lord Tousha.' Aside from Yuji showing his punchable mug again, Tousha couldn't think of anything he'd like less than Tsubaki putting him on a pedestal.
When Tsubaki's technique had run its course Tousha gently raised himself off the waterlogged forest floor. He tested each limb and appendage carefully, flexing and straightening his muscles. The difference was night and day. Where before Tousha's body fought him for every inch of movement and his mind felt like it was flying apart from itself in a dozen directions, he felt whole. The Kage felt tired, of course, but he felt like himself.
Tousha's mind was still. His thoughts were his own. Relief flooded through him in a way he couldn't begin to explain.
As the last syllable left Tsubaki's lips, Tousha lunged forward. Still on his knees, Tousha wrapped his arms around the Kunoichi and pulled her into a crushing hug. His pale, numb hands and fingers interlocked behind the woman's back as his face settled into the crook of her neck, burrowing into it with an exigence he couldn't contain anymore.
"Thank you," he said, his voice muffled in their embrace. "Thank you, Tsubaki. I'm so glad you're with me. I won't let anyone hurt you like that again. I'm so sorry."
Nara Tousha's body shook against Tsubaki's, and it wasn't the cold.
Last edited by Toshi on Mon Mar 25, 2024 11:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.
CharacterShow
Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha
Two Birds
Tsubaki stared wide eyed past Tousha’s shoulder as he pulled her into a tight embrace. Her hands splayed open away from his body, her breath catching in her throat. But it wasn’t because she was reluctant to accept his embrace as she would have been before, rather, she was surprised by the sudden show of affection. Her arms slowly folded around him, her palms pressing gently but firmly against his back. She was glad that the pain in her hand had finally stopped. In fact, most of her pains had disappeared, causing a soft sigh to fall from her lips as she held onto Tousha as tightly as she could manage.
“You don’t owe me any thanks, Tousha,” she said, her fingers pressing even firmer into his back. So that he couldn’t possibly doubt that she was really there. That they had really made it. “Even less than a thanks, you don’t owe me any apologies.”
She didn’t even bother trying to extract herself from Tousha’s grasp, despite the hug persisting. Instead, she leaned her head against his, her hands rubbing up and down his back as he trembled against her. She made hushed calming noises as she did, a small smile playing on her face. He was so silly, she thought to herself. Everything was okay now, didn’t he realize it? Sure, things had gotten bad there for a while. They had been through some really terrible things. But they were there together, now. Safe. It was all over.
“I’m sorry that you’ve been carrying such a heavy burden for so long. I’m so glad we met. Thank you so much for coming back for me.” Her thoughts were scattered as several tears slid down her own cheeks. She had the creeping sense that if she wanted to say anything else, it would have to be now. The storm seemed to only be worsening, despite the fact that the rain was little more than a drizzle now. It was the only explanation for why it was growing darker, rather than lighter. “I’ll remember our time together, always. No matter where our paths take us.”
Tsubaki’s words were like petals on a gentle breeze. Fleeting and whispering through the air. Each one was so hard to catch and hold onto. With great effort she brought her hands to Tousha’s shoulders and pushed him just far enough away that she could see his face. His tired, worn, extremely dirty face that now had streaks running down it from his tears. She pulled her right hand in front of her, the smallest amount of green chakra wrapped around her first two fingers. She pressed them gently against the cut she had made on Tousha. “Can’t have you getting infected now.”
She tilted her head to the side, a smile drifting across her face. How long had it been now, she wondered, her eyes drifting over Tousha’s face. Days. Weeks maybe? It had been so long before that even, that she had rested well. She had been running for so long. From everything, from the world, but mostly from herself. But finally, she felt like she could stop running. At least for now, at least for a little while, she felt safe enough to stop. “I’m tired, Tousha,” she whispered, right before her vision went fully black, her body collapsing.
“You don’t owe me any thanks, Tousha,” she said, her fingers pressing even firmer into his back. So that he couldn’t possibly doubt that she was really there. That they had really made it. “Even less than a thanks, you don’t owe me any apologies.”
She didn’t even bother trying to extract herself from Tousha’s grasp, despite the hug persisting. Instead, she leaned her head against his, her hands rubbing up and down his back as he trembled against her. She made hushed calming noises as she did, a small smile playing on her face. He was so silly, she thought to herself. Everything was okay now, didn’t he realize it? Sure, things had gotten bad there for a while. They had been through some really terrible things. But they were there together, now. Safe. It was all over.
“I’m sorry that you’ve been carrying such a heavy burden for so long. I’m so glad we met. Thank you so much for coming back for me.” Her thoughts were scattered as several tears slid down her own cheeks. She had the creeping sense that if she wanted to say anything else, it would have to be now. The storm seemed to only be worsening, despite the fact that the rain was little more than a drizzle now. It was the only explanation for why it was growing darker, rather than lighter. “I’ll remember our time together, always. No matter where our paths take us.”
Tsubaki’s words were like petals on a gentle breeze. Fleeting and whispering through the air. Each one was so hard to catch and hold onto. With great effort she brought her hands to Tousha’s shoulders and pushed him just far enough away that she could see his face. His tired, worn, extremely dirty face that now had streaks running down it from his tears. She pulled her right hand in front of her, the smallest amount of green chakra wrapped around her first two fingers. She pressed them gently against the cut she had made on Tousha. “Can’t have you getting infected now.”
She tilted her head to the side, a smile drifting across her face. How long had it been now, she wondered, her eyes drifting over Tousha’s face. Days. Weeks maybe? It had been so long before that even, that she had rested well. She had been running for so long. From everything, from the world, but mostly from herself. But finally, she felt like she could stop running. At least for now, at least for a little while, she felt safe enough to stop. “I’m tired, Tousha,” she whispered, right before her vision went fully black, her body collapsing.
My CharactersShow
B-Rank MN • Katō, Tsubaki #A32638
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Two Birds
Tousha clung to Tsubaki as if his life depended on it, his body still shaking with each sobbing breath. As the Kunoichi spoke he could hear her voice becoming shallower with each passing word. He didn't even know how to answer her words of affirmation, it was too much to take in. He wanted to tell Tsubaki that he was so glad they'd met too, and that no matter what happened next he had been made all the better as a person because of her. Tousha wanted to tell Tsubaki that he would have found her again even if there had been an army of Shinobi standing in his way. Anything to make sure she was okay.
Instead, Tousha just held his friend tighter so the world wouldn't take her away from him again.
Eventually Tousha felt the Kunoichi push him away from her, but only far enough so that she could see his face. There was a faint smile on her lips as her tired eyes wavered this way and that, finally settling on his forehead. Toucha couldn't help but smile back at the Kunoichi as healing chakra emerged from her fingertips and found its way into the cut she'd made earlier to save him from the thin man's concoction.
It was the most Tsubaki thing he'd ever seen, worrying about a little scratch after everything they'd been through. Despite looking half asleep herself already. Tousha felt immensely honored to call someone with such a caring heart his friend.
"Thank you," Tousha choked out, smiling like an idiot at the Kunoichi. "You're the best."
With that, and one more exhausted utterance, Tousha watched as the light faded from Tsubaki's eyes. She closed them as her body went slack. Without thinking Tousha's hands caught the Kunoichi as gently as they could before pulling her close once more. Nara Tousha stood to his full height, holding Tsubaki's limp, sleeping form in his arms the way he used to hold his daughter, Sin, when he'd take her to bed. Tousha started down at Tsubaki's peaceful face where it rested against his shoulder and felt the rest of the world melting away.
For a few quiet, tranquil moments, there was no memory of the bounty hunters. There was no dread for the damage that had been done to both of them. There was only the affection he felt for the Kunoichi and the joy of knowing that she was safe. She was with him. Nothing else seemed to matter in that moment of blissfull stillness.
Then the world returned, slowly but surely. It was cold, wet, windy, and within a handful of hours the night would find them. Tousha looked up into the sky, the rain falling on his dirty, tear stained face. He watched the waterlogged clouds passing slowly overhead and sighed.
"I'm so tired of this fucking rain," he said quietly, as if to not disturb Tsubaki's dozing. "Enough already."
With that the former Hokage's shadow stretched out in all directions, slowly rising from the ground in the form of a massive, shadowy blackbird. Tousha's technique would form directly under his feet, lifting both himself and Tsubaki high up into the air. Tousha bent at the knees and crouched, allowing his body to absorb almost all of the sudden momentum of the blackbird lifting off the ground with a single flap of its shadowy wings. Soon the craggy, forest floor was pulling further and further away beneath them, an arrow of pure darkness knifing across the sky ever upward.
In what felt like no time at all the blackbird broke through the low hanging storm clouds, a stark black silhouette against the brilliant blue sky. Radiant sunlight washed over his cold, rain soaked body and Tousha quietly hoped that Tsubaki felt warmed by it as well. Nara Tousha looked back down at his friend, her head still resting contently on his shoulder, and smiled.
"I've got you."
With another flap of its wings, the blackbird soared.
Instead, Tousha just held his friend tighter so the world wouldn't take her away from him again.
Eventually Tousha felt the Kunoichi push him away from her, but only far enough so that she could see his face. There was a faint smile on her lips as her tired eyes wavered this way and that, finally settling on his forehead. Toucha couldn't help but smile back at the Kunoichi as healing chakra emerged from her fingertips and found its way into the cut she'd made earlier to save him from the thin man's concoction.
It was the most Tsubaki thing he'd ever seen, worrying about a little scratch after everything they'd been through. Despite looking half asleep herself already. Tousha felt immensely honored to call someone with such a caring heart his friend.
"Thank you," Tousha choked out, smiling like an idiot at the Kunoichi. "You're the best."
With that, and one more exhausted utterance, Tousha watched as the light faded from Tsubaki's eyes. She closed them as her body went slack. Without thinking Tousha's hands caught the Kunoichi as gently as they could before pulling her close once more. Nara Tousha stood to his full height, holding Tsubaki's limp, sleeping form in his arms the way he used to hold his daughter, Sin, when he'd take her to bed. Tousha started down at Tsubaki's peaceful face where it rested against his shoulder and felt the rest of the world melting away.
For a few quiet, tranquil moments, there was no memory of the bounty hunters. There was no dread for the damage that had been done to both of them. There was only the affection he felt for the Kunoichi and the joy of knowing that she was safe. She was with him. Nothing else seemed to matter in that moment of blissfull stillness.
Then the world returned, slowly but surely. It was cold, wet, windy, and within a handful of hours the night would find them. Tousha looked up into the sky, the rain falling on his dirty, tear stained face. He watched the waterlogged clouds passing slowly overhead and sighed.
"I'm so tired of this fucking rain," he said quietly, as if to not disturb Tsubaki's dozing. "Enough already."
With that the former Hokage's shadow stretched out in all directions, slowly rising from the ground in the form of a massive, shadowy blackbird. Tousha's technique would form directly under his feet, lifting both himself and Tsubaki high up into the air. Tousha bent at the knees and crouched, allowing his body to absorb almost all of the sudden momentum of the blackbird lifting off the ground with a single flap of its shadowy wings. Soon the craggy, forest floor was pulling further and further away beneath them, an arrow of pure darkness knifing across the sky ever upward.
In what felt like no time at all the blackbird broke through the low hanging storm clouds, a stark black silhouette against the brilliant blue sky. Radiant sunlight washed over his cold, rain soaked body and Tousha quietly hoped that Tsubaki felt warmed by it as well. Nara Tousha looked back down at his friend, her head still resting contently on his shoulder, and smiled.
"I've got you."
With another flap of its wings, the blackbird soared.
Jutsu usedShow
Kōnton • Blackbird Smoke
B-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a sting of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will saturate the air with Shadow and Fuuton chakra, creating a mass of smoke-like particles in the form of a massive blackbird at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control. This shadowy form has a wingspan of 10 m and will remain apparent for up to 8 posts without making contact with the user, in which case it will maintain its form as long as the user supplies it with additional chakra. The Blackbird Smoke is capable of flying at a Speed of up to the user's Control, maintains a cutting Strength up to the user's Control on contact with an enemy and can comfortably carry up several allies on its back and a single passenger in each of its talons.
B-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a sting of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will saturate the air with Shadow and Fuuton chakra, creating a mass of smoke-like particles in the form of a massive blackbird at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control. This shadowy form has a wingspan of 10 m and will remain apparent for up to 8 posts without making contact with the user, in which case it will maintain its form as long as the user supplies it with additional chakra. The Blackbird Smoke is capable of flying at a Speed of up to the user's Control, maintains a cutting Strength up to the user's Control on contact with an enemy and can comfortably carry up several allies on its back and a single passenger in each of its talons.
CharacterShow
Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha