[Graded][Plotboard] Contemplations

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Niro
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[Graded][Plotboard] Contemplations

Post by Niro » Wed Apr 25, 2018 9:53 pm

The family's escape from the Arena had ended in a mad dash sprint across the rooftops of the Akari compound and back into their two story home. Tatsuo's younger sisters were the first in the door with him being the last one past the threshold before the door was slammed shut and locked. Tatsuo turned the door's knob lock in place before sliding the three dead bolts spread out across the door frame into place and securely locking the front door.

Tatsuo waited quietly at the door and pressed his ear against the wood in an attempt to hear anyone or thing which had decided it'd be a good idea to follow them home from the riot. His father, Kakuto, had taken up a position to look outside of the front living room windows so he could also have an idea of anyone following them back. The two Akari males waited with bated breath for several minutes before they decided they were safe and no one had followed them home.

Tatsuo walked into the living room from the front entrance way and looked around just to make sure they hadn't forgotten anyone. Upon confirming that everyone was safe and sound Tatsuo let out a loud sigh. "What a day. I need a shower. You probably need one too Kota...but I called it first." He spoke, aiming a cheeky grin at Kotaru before quickly walking past everyone and heading up the stairs to the second floor.

Tatsuo made a beeline for his room and while in process he began to undo each strap and knot holding his equipment to his body. He tossed each pouch into the near left corner of his room upon entering before grabbing a dark red towel from the chair nestled under his desk. The young man exited the room and walked down the short hall into the bathroom where he locked the door behind him, hung up his towel, and turned the shower head to a decently hot temperature. He began to strip himself of his clothes and afterwards looked himself up and down in the mirror. "Not a damn scratch huh..." He muttered softly to himself as his eyes wandered before settling on his stomach. Within his guts, the shiin he had consumed earlier were being digested and combined into new weapons he'd soon be able to access. The thought brought a smile to his face but it also brought up the recent memories of the fight.

His face was quickly overtaken by a deep frown before he pulled the curtain of the bathtub/shower back and stepped in. Tatsuo pulled the curtain back into place and closed his eyes to allow the hot water to wash over him. He angled the shower head to hit the small seat in the corner before he sat down carefully. Tatsuo inhaled deeply before letting it out as another deep sigh.

He hadn't gotten any blood on him or even a scratch...but he still felt dirty.
#MakeIwaGreatAgain
NameVillageRankTeam
Tatsuo [color=#940839][b]IwaTsuchikageTeam 18 Jousai
Kinomichi [color=limegreen][b]IwaBanninJousai
Kotetsu [color=slategray][b]IwaGeninTeam 7
Ashura [color=coral][b]SunaGenin
Sai [color=#FF14A1][b]Kiri - MND-Rank
Yamato [color=#C71585][b]KiriA-Rank

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Yura
Posts: 4616
Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2008 7:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] Contemplations

Post by Yura » Fri Apr 27, 2018 4:29 pm

Dashing through the door behind the girls and their mother, Mitsuo took up a defensive position near the back of the room as Tatsuo slammed the door shut. Positioning himself in front of the three females, acting as a shield of sorts, Mitsuo's pulse raced in dreaded anticipation while Tatsuo listened through the door and his father peered out the front windows, looking for pursuers. He waited as they watched, ready to attack should anyone decide to break in through the door.

When both of the Akari men had decided that they were safe, Mitsuo left out a sigh of relief that he hadn't know he was holding in. Lifting his hands with the intent of rubbing his eyes, Mitsuo paused as he examined the pale skin of his arms, realizing that he was still maintaining the transformation from earlier. With a soft chuckle, he released the transformationg with a small puff of smoke, reverting back to his dark skinned complextion and boyish good looks.

With the threat of death (his own, his teammates', or Tat's family's) now gone, or at least delayed, Mitsuo started to feel a twinge of fatigue creeping over him. Between worrying about his friends, maintaining the transformation, and then the adrenaline rush that was the brawl, he must have exerted more energy than he had expected. He unintentionally let out a yawn as Tatsuo left the room, mentioning something about taking a shower, something that sounded like a pleasant idea.

"Well I'm glad everyone's okay," Mitsuo said as he started to walk towards the door, "But I suppose I should be heading home. Let you guys rest and all."
CharactersShow
NameRankVillageTeamColor
SadakoGeninIwagakureTeam 13[color=#90D2D8]
Enkouten, MitsuoBanninIwagakureTeam 18|Jousai[color=#ff2200]
Retired CharactersShow
NameRankVillageTeamColor
Nara, ShikariBanninKonohagakureMamorinuku[color=#fb8a00]
Takara, MorikoGeninIwagakure[color=#ffeb66]
Inji, AyakoC-RankWaterfall[color=#8080ff]

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Kao
Posts: 8242
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 8:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] Contemplations

Post by Kao » Fri Apr 27, 2018 10:16 pm

Kotaru was relieved to be in the safety of Tatsuo's home, even though none of them felt safe after enduring the chaos in the arena. His heart was still racing when they had dashed inside, and even when they had decided they hadn't been followed and Tatsuo disappeared upstairs, the boy was still on edge. Makaso put a hesitant hand on his shoulder but he roughly shrugged her away without looking at her. Her comforting touch was unwanted; his mind was all over the place because of what happened, and even though the house looked the same as it always did, in that moment it didn't exude the same warmth and familiarity as it had before. He felt trapped between those walls, as if at any given moment a hoard of Akari could attack and he would have nowhere to run.

But Makaso didn't give up so easily. When the boy disappeared into the kitchen to sit and rest his head on the table until he was able to collect himself, she followed. Quietly, she made him a glass of water and with a shuddering breath she sat it beside him. His immediate thought was to tell her he wanted to be alone but he couldn't get the words out. It was his nature to want to deal with his issues without any help, but after meeting Tatsuo and Mitsuo he found a growing part of him needed the companionship. In that moment he didn't acknowledge her negatively or otherwise, and to his relief she stayed.

Meanwhile at the front of the house, Mizami stepped between Mitsuo and the door to keep him from leaving. "Not so fast, Mitsuo." The woman was visibly shaken, but as soon as the Enkouten tried to leave her expression steeled into a disapproving glare. "You still have a lot of explaining to do. Like why you were in the arena. And why on earth you went to the elder's box. Do you have any idea what they would have done to you if they found out? You could have been hurt, or worse, and there is nothing we could have done to stop it!" As she spoke her tone became louder and more stern, and by the time she finished her short statement it was clear that she was barely holding it together. Mizami was quaking from stress; so much could have gone wrong that day, and though she was glad her family was still intact, the fact that her family, including Kotaru and Mitsuo, could have been upended was a lot for the woman to take in.

From the kitchen, Makaso sighed. "Mom's letting Mitsuo have it. We should probably see what's happening." But before she could finish, Kotaru was already making his way to the next room and to Mitsuo's side. Her tone reminded him of the times he had been berated by his own parents. He knew that Mizami was nothing like those assholes and her words certainly had motherly intentions. Not only that but Kotaru also wanted to know what the hell his best friend had been thinking. Still, her increadingly harsh tone made him scowl. The boy had never had anyone on his side when being scolded by an adult, and he wouldn't leave his friend to deal with it on his own. Once at Mitsuo's side, he leveled his own heavy glance toward the Enkouten before looking towards Tastuo's parents and waiting for the older boy's answer.
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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Niro
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Posts: 9844
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[Graded][Plotboard] Contemplations

Post by Niro » Sat Apr 28, 2018 2:06 pm

While his wife, Mizami, was a nervous wreck after the last several hours, Kakuto was the opposite. He was calm and collected having seen no other Akari even attempt to follow them home and was finally able to take a deep breath in what felt like forever. The oldest Akari in the room moved to his wife as she began to scold Mitsuo and placed, what he hoped, a calming hand on her shoulder as she finished. Kakuto locked his eyes onto Mitsuo before a small smile came across his face.

"While she's right in her questions...I for one am glad you happened to be there, Mitsuo. Without you, we might have lost Makaso to some ruffian in the crowd and for that I thank you." He bowed his head to Mitsuo in thanks before looking at his wife with a look that urged her to relax as best she could. They were safe now and could relax. The elders would be taking care of the Arena and taking charge while punishing those they could.

Meanwhile upstairs, Tatsuo sat in the shower seat silently as the scalding water crashed against his skull before washing down over his shoulders and the rest of his body. The images of him literally ripping a man apart flashed through his mind's eye constantly.

'That's...just what I am, right? I'm an Akari...we're brutal. But...that brutal? Was that extreme, even for us?' Tatsuo thought to himself, bringing his right hand up in front of his chest and staring at it. 'Is that what these hands are for? Destruction?...' A deep sigh escaped him as he continued to think to himelf.

'Didn't I say I wanted to change the clan's habits? Why did I feed into it? Give them what they wanted? What kind of hypocrite does that make me...' Tatsuo bent over and brought his hands to the sides of his head, hanging it there while the thoughts racked his mind. 'Maybe...maybe Kotaru was right back then when he said those words. Maybe I can't change the clan...I have to change myself first.' Tatsuo shook his head, his fingers loosely entwined in his hair. 'Even compared to Kota who is usually pretty savage with his kills what I did was...overboard for a lack of a better term. I can't be like and mouth off about wanting to change shit.'

Tatsuo finally stood up from his spot in the shower seat and began to wash his body from the imaginary dirt, grime, and blood he felt covered in. 'And...it wasn't just Kota who saw me. It was Mits, it was dad, mom, Misato, Makaso...how can any of them look at me the same again after seeing what I did to that poor man?' The thoughts continued, his face contorting into one of frustration at his own actions.

"I need to be better." Tatsuo mumbled to himself under the falling water as he ran the cloth drenched in soap across his neck, arms, chest, and rest of his body.
#MakeIwaGreatAgain
NameVillageRankTeam
Tatsuo [color=#940839][b]IwaTsuchikageTeam 18 Jousai
Kinomichi [color=limegreen][b]IwaBanninJousai
Kotetsu [color=slategray][b]IwaGeninTeam 7
Ashura [color=coral][b]SunaGenin
Sai [color=#FF14A1][b]Kiri - MND-Rank
Yamato [color=#C71585][b]KiriA-Rank

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Yura
Posts: 4616
Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2008 7:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] Contemplations

Post by Yura » Sat Apr 28, 2018 5:40 pm

Mituso halted at Mizami's order, slowly turning to meet the woman's stare. If he were being honest, he had been hoping to avoid this very situation despite the fact that he had promised to explain himself once they were out of danger. It wasn't so much that he didn't want to keep his word, but he would have rather had time to rest and let emotions calm before sitting down and trying to explain his actions to Tatsuo's family. He had observed a lot during his infilitration of the Akari arena and he really hadn't had any time to break it down and really determine how he felt about it. But, he supposed, he had put their family at risk with his actions and they therefore deserved an explanation for his action.

As Kota came to his side amidst the questioning from Tat's mother, Mitsuo recognized the protective expression on the boy's face and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's fine, Kota." He said gently, hoping to ease the boy's tension. As Tatsuo father thanked him for saving Makaso from the man in the stands, Mitsuo simply shook his head as the man bowed. "Don't thank me, really." He replied, "She's just as important to me as any of the rest of you. There's no way I would have let anything happen to her." With a sigh of acceptance, Mitsuo gestured towards the family's living room, intending to move the group in that direction. "I guess we might as well get comfortable for this." He said as he moved towards the living room.

"I'll get some tea!" Makaso shouted from the back of the room as she ran into the kitchen.

"I'll make sure she doesn't burn herself." Misato sighed as she slowly followed her sister out of the room. Casting a glance towards each other, both Mizami and Kakuto followed Mitsuo into the living room and took a seat together on the couch while Mitsuo seated himself in an armchair. A few silent minutes passed as they waited for the girls, their efforts in the kitchen made clear by the slamming cabinets and minor bickering between the two. Soon after the pair emerged with a tray topped by several empty cups and a large kettle.

"Alright, I guess I'll start from the beginning." Mitsuo said as the girls began passing around cups of tea. He considered waiting for Tats, but he had no idea how long the boy would be in the shower and he was sure that the rest of the family wouldn't be willing to wait. "So after I said goodbye to Tats and Kota outside of the arena, I started to walk home but couldn't shake the feeling of how wrong the situation was. I kept thinking that I should be in there, you know? They're my team and even more imporantly they're my friends. My family. I should be there to support them." He began, taking a cup of tea from Makaso, "I knew I wouldn't be allowed in, being an Enkouten and all, so I decided to sneak in. As you guys eventually found out, I scaled the side of the building and found a window to an empty office with an unlocked window. I swear that I didn't know it was one of the elder's offices, it was just a convenient way into the building." He explained, doing his best to emphasize his ignorance to the identity of the room's owner. "So once I made it inside, I realized that I needed to make my way downstairs in order to get a view of the fights. I tried sneaking around covertly, but I kept having to hide in empty rooms whenever I heard someone coming."

"So you decided to disguise yourself." Kakuto said.

"Yeah," Mitsuo said with a sort of chuckle, "It ended up being a really good idea actually. Once I did that, no one seemed to pay me any attention." Of course, that wasn't entirely true. While no one had questioned his identity, he had received quite a few looks from various Akari that he had passed in the hallways who looked like him like a piece of meat. But they didn't need to know that. "So, now disguised, I made my way down to the fourth floor and looked for the first opening I could find that would give me a view of the battleground. Again, I didn't know at the time that it was the Elder's box. When I walked in, an old woman in the stands invited me to come sit with her, though her servant or bodyguard, whatever he was, didn't seem very pleased about it. I think she called him Jurou. I ended up sitting with her and talking while we watched the fights together before all the chaos started."
CharactersShow
NameRankVillageTeamColor
SadakoGeninIwagakureTeam 13[color=#90D2D8]
Enkouten, MitsuoBanninIwagakureTeam 18|Jousai[color=#ff2200]
Retired CharactersShow
NameRankVillageTeamColor
Nara, ShikariBanninKonohagakureMamorinuku[color=#fb8a00]
Takara, MorikoGeninIwagakure[color=#ffeb66]
Inji, AyakoC-RankWaterfall[color=#8080ff]

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Kao
Posts: 8242
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 8:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] Contemplations

Post by Kao » Sun Apr 29, 2018 4:31 pm

Kotaru squirmed under Mitsuo's touch and twisted his shoulder to knock away Mitsuo's hand. He knew his friend was trying to be comforting but the boy still wasn't ready for such physical contact. Every touch, no matter how kind the intentions may be, made him recoil and take a step back. It was normal for him to want to avoid being touched, but in that moment it made him want to lash out. First it was Makaso and now Mistuo; both times the thought 'Don't fucking touch me' clawed at the forefront of his mind and his fingers twitched then clenched as if to hold back the visceral, knee-jerk reaction to cut off the offending hand. Only when everyone relocated to the living room did he snap out of it and he slowly followed Mitsuo and the rest of the family to the next room.

The boy half sat, half leaned against the arm of Mitsuo's chair and trained his eyes to the floor as his friend explained himself. It made perfect sense to the young Akari, and he was sure that had their roles been switched he'd have done the same thing. When Mitsuo mentioned the old lady and her bodyguard he looked up, though he admittedly didn't understand the gravity of what his friend revealed.

The family, however, paled at the mention of Jurou's name. "Ju...Jurou? Are you sure that was his name?" While the women gawked, Kakuto threw his head back and laughed. Kotaru glanced at Mitsuo, completely lost and confused why they all seemed so taken aback because of some old lady and her guard. 'Man, I have a lot to learn about our stupid clan, don't I?' Kotaru truly knew nothing, and it was all thanks to his parents and their years of neglect. He silently cursed them and finally broke his gaze with Mitsuo to look up at Kakuto who was nearly doubled over in laughter.

"You kids really have no idea...if it was an old woman and someone named Jurou...that was one of the clan elders. Legendary, that woman. I've heard stories about her that liken her to a demon." The eldest Akari paused to give a sort of snorting chuckle of disbelief and reverence. "If she wanted to, she could have taken out a third of the arena in one go, with her eyes closed. Back in her younger days, anyway."

"I've never even been in the same room with her, yet you sat down and talked with her," Mizami added, shaking her head in disbelief. "And Jurou is no pushover, either." Misato and Makaso nodded, clearly familiar with the woman and the stories that surrounded her. One look at the family's awed expressions made Kotaru suck his teeth in agitation.

"So you're saying there was someone - multiple people, even - who could have stepped in and stopped everything from going south, but they saved their own asses instead. Hell, I bet some of them even participated in that riot, or wanted to. Typical." Kakuto tried to interrupt, but the boy ignored him. "Any of us could have been slaughtered, but the higher ups did nothing. Anything goes in the arena, right? Who cares as long as everyone is entertained!" All eyes were on Kotaru as he angrily stood to his feet, coldly glaring at Tatsuo's parents.

The two sisters looked down, unable to come up with a soothing response. Unlike Kotaru, they had grown up in the midst of the clan's traditions. They had been able to come to terms with their clan's customs and had learned healthy ways to cope and had their family to lean on when things got difficult. But until this year, Kotaru had only known anger and isolation, had chosen to distance himself from the rest of the clan after his only experience as a spectator in the arena. The arena and the clan's mentality toward it was far worse than he remembered, and after the events of that day every negative emotion he felt threatened to boil over.

Kakuto sighed. He had thought the young special jounin had been making progress in his resentment towards the clan. The man knew of his relationship with his parents and how his upbringing and fear had affected him, but perhaps it was worse than he thought. Even when he first met the boy, in Kotaru's eyes he saw not only anger, but hatred, and it seemed to be even more potent than before. It was worrying, but Kakuto hoped that if he could provide a safe, familial environment for the boy then that hatred would wane. He just needed to get through to him somehow. "Kotaru -"

"Don't bother," the boy snapped as he headed out of the room and towards the stairs. "Someone should go check on Tatsuo."
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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Niro
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Posts: 9844
Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 7:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] Contemplations

Post by Niro » Tue May 01, 2018 9:47 am

Tatsuo continued to slowly run the soapy cloth rag over his battle worn and fatigued body while his mind began to space out and think of nothing besides the motions required to clean. The process of thinking of nothing and getting lost in the motions was a welcome, and much needed, change from the previous torturous thoughts running rampant through his exhausted mind. Finally, he came to his senses and snapped free of his absent mindedness. He shook his head like a dog which sent beads of water flying everywhere before placing down the cloth and then proceeded to grab the shower head and run the instrument over his aching body to remove the soap suds and any remaining dirt and grime.

No matter how hard he had tried to clean himself, he still felt like he was covered in the blood of the older Akari shinobi he had so viciously torn apart in the Arena earlier during the day. It was only his death that plagued Tatsuo’s mind, the rest of the Akari clansmen he had injured or killed during the riot were asking for it and none deserved any sort of second thought in his mind. They had made it their choice to attack other Akari within the Arena even when the fights were over and the event was over and deserved no mercy for their despicable actions.

‘…I wonder how that ended. The riot. We were able to escape before it concluded and no one chased us home meaning it had to be taken care of somehow. I’ll ask around once everything settles a bit.’ Tatsuo thought to himself while turning off the shower. The young shinobi stood still as possible within the shower as the excess water dripped off of his body and down the drain. He pulled the curtain back and grabbed one of many towels hanging from the wall before taking it to himself. Tatsuo quickly dried his hair and then his body before wrapping the towel around his waist and stepping onto the mat on the floor. He took one quick look at himself in the mirror past the steam swirling around the bathroom and frowned. He looked clean but still felt dirty inside.

Tatsuo breathed in deep and released a heavy sigh before moving to the bathroom door and opening it. Upon opening it, he came face to face with Kotaru whose sudden appearance startled him enough to make him jump in response. Calming down quickly, Tatsuo looked up and down the hall before focusing again on his adopted little brother. “You scared me there, appearing out of nowhere and ambushing me before I could even get clothes on.” Tatsuo spoke, a small yet empty smile spreading across his face.

“Guess you couldn’t wait anymore for the shower, huh?” Tatsuo joked and let out a little laugh although his eyes didn’t reflect the forced humor in his words. “…How are you feeling, after all of that? After your fight?” Tatsuo asked, his eyes looking at Kotaru with a mixture of worry and happiness that everyone had escaped unscathed.
#MakeIwaGreatAgain
NameVillageRankTeam
Tatsuo [color=#940839][b]IwaTsuchikageTeam 18 Jousai
Kinomichi [color=limegreen][b]IwaBanninJousai
Kotetsu [color=slategray][b]IwaGeninTeam 7
Ashura [color=coral][b]SunaGenin
Sai [color=#FF14A1][b]Kiri - MND-Rank
Yamato [color=#C71585][b]KiriA-Rank

User avatar
Yura
Posts: 4616
Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2008 7:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] Contemplations

Post by Yura » Wed May 02, 2018 6:03 pm

Kakuto's sudden hysterical laughter was....unexpected. Not really knowing what was going on, Mitsuo cast several curious glances at Kota hoing the boy would be able to provide some insight, but he seemed equally confused. When Kakuto finally revealed the reason for his laughter, however, Mitsuo felt his jaw physically drop open for several seconds in disbelief. Old lady Akari? A demon? How could a little old woman like her possibly have a reputation like that? And then it dawned on him: Kakuto had said that she was an elder. As in, she's one of the ones that was in charge of the Akari clan. And yet, she had let him sit next to her and talk about the clan and it's traditions.

As Mitsuo was having his internal realizations, he nearly missed Kota's outburst and subsequent departure from the room. Knowing how Kota was when he got upset, Mitsuo put a hand up as a sort of signal to Kakuto when the older Akari had risen from his seat, apparently with the intent of going after Kota. "He'll be fine." Mitsuo said, "He just needs some time to process everything that happened today."

Though hesitating for a moment, Kakuto eventually sat backdown next to his wife with a sigh. "I suppose you're right." He mummbled. As a man who seemed to see Kota as just another one of his children, he seemed upset by the fact that Kota had stormed off, but understood that there was no benefit to following him. "I suppose we should make dinner." He said, turning to his wife.

"Yes, I suppose so." She sighed in reply, "Girls, would you like to help? It will get done a lot fast that way." She asked, turning to her daughters. The pair simply looked at each other before turning back and nodding to their mother. "Alright, well, let's go. Mitsuo, you're staying for dinner. My way of thanking you for saving Makaso."

Mitsuo started to object, not wanting to impose, but the mention of food suddenly made his stomach start to growl, dampening the effectiveness of any objection that he could raise. The remaining members of the Akari family began to file out of the living room, moving towards the kitchen while Mitsuo leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Kota's not he only one that needs to process what happened today, huh?"

Opening his eyes, Mitsuo found Misato seated on the arm of the couch across from him, arms folded. Apparently, she hadn't followed the rest of the family into the kitchen. "I don't know what you-"

"I can see it in your eyes." Misato interrupted, "You saw something that's only meant for the eyes of the Akari. There's a reason for that. And now that you've seen it, you can't unsee it, can you?" She asked, though she continued without giving him a chance to answer, "You saw first hand how brutal our clan could be, so tell me: Was it worth it? Was it worth risking your safety just so you could watch Kota and my brother tear their opponent's apart?"

"I...i-" Mitsuo found that he wasn't sure how to answer her questions. As she had said, he hadn't had time to process everything that he had experienced that day. He had watched his best friends, Tatsuo especially, tear apart their opponents while he apparently spoke candidly with an elder of the clan all before the entire place errupted into chaos and violence. It was a lot to process, but there was one thing that he knew. "I saved Makaso. So that makes it worth it."

Seemingly surprised by his answer, Misato suddenly sat up from her spot and crossed the room to where he say, leaning down and pulling him in to a sort of hug. Stunned by the reaction, Mitsuo returned the hug before Misato pulled away and stood up moments later. "Don't get used to that." She said, patting his shoulder as she walked away. Unsure of how to respond, Mitsuo just shook his head and smiled as he put his head back on the chair again.
CharactersShow
NameRankVillageTeamColor
SadakoGeninIwagakureTeam 13[color=#90D2D8]
Enkouten, MitsuoBanninIwagakureTeam 18|Jousai[color=#ff2200]
Retired CharactersShow
NameRankVillageTeamColor
Nara, ShikariBanninKonohagakureMamorinuku[color=#fb8a00]
Takara, MorikoGeninIwagakure[color=#ffeb66]
Inji, AyakoC-RankWaterfall[color=#8080ff]

User avatar
Kao
Posts: 8242
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 8:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] Contemplations

Post by Kao » Wed May 02, 2018 7:29 pm

When Tatsuo jumped back in surprise, Kotaru didn't flinch. Even when the older Akari seemed to check their surroundings, possibly to make sure no one was listening in, the boy barely moved and simply stared at Tatsuo. The older shinobi tried his hand at a half hearted joke that even Kotaru could see through and the attempt made the boy's eyes roll. Kotaru was covered in bruises, scratches, dirt, and dried blood, but even though the boy looked as filthy as Tatsuo felt, a shower was the last thing on his mind. He walked into Tatsuo's bedroom and sat crossed legged on the floor and took a moment to think over the question. After a moment of pensive contemplation he looked up, frowning.

"How do you think?" His voice was low, but ripples of the angry outburst he had directed toward Kakuto still shook his tone. "Nearly everything I've been trying to avoid for the past two years happened today. All my efforts to stay unnoticed, uninteresting. Ruined. But I guess I should have expected that." He looked down at his hands, at the dirt and blood caked under his fingernails. It was Shiro's blood, the boy who had forced Kotaru to reveal every single one of his shiin that he had guarded and kept secret. That boy had ruined his plans to continue to stay under the radar, and had he not already killed Shiro he would subject him to the worst of his genjutsu as punishment. "It's my own fault, really. I should have come up with a way to kill him without using my shiin but it was almost like...I had to. I knew I had to or else I'd die." He let out a bitter snort then added, "I'd kill that guy again if I could, just for putting me through all this trouble."

"Not only that," the younger added as his eyes narrowed darkly, "but every thought and feeling I had about this clan was proven true. A bunch of insane, bloodthirsty, selfish assholes who'll turn on each other as soon as it's convenient. I hope I killed some of them on our way out."

As he spoke, he watched Tatsuo, taking note of not only his body language but also the look in his eyes. The older boy looked distant, like he wasn't really there with Kotaru. There was understandably a lot on the other boy's mind after what they had all been through that day. "But none of that should be surprising." With that he tilted his head and his eyebrows raised quizzically. "What is surprising, Tats, is you. Your fight was actually quite terrifying." Kotaru stopped to think about Tatsuo's display in the arena, how it had been thrilling to watch his friend engage in such violence but how it had also immediately sent the boy into a panic about his own fate. "I didn't expect that from you. But maybe I should have, hm?"
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

User avatar
Niro
Tsuchikage
Tsuchikage
Posts: 9844
Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 7:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] Contemplations

Post by Niro » Wed May 02, 2018 8:33 pm

Tatsuo followed Kotaru into his room and immediately moved to his dresser. He leaned against it to listen to Kotaru but as the younger Akari finished talking, Tatsuo turned around and went through his drawers while replaying each word spoke he spoke at him. He pulled out a set of underpants, some grey sweatpants, and a basic white shirt before placing them on the top of his dresser and standing still while pondering Kotaru's words.

"Just think, we have to go through this hellish nightmare again at some point later down the road. Hopefully without the riot occurring afterwards but against harder opponents, more dangerous opponents who already have scouted us out and know our strengths based on this fight. Our only choice is to continue to get stronger so we don't turn into...our opponents." Tatsuo started, dropping his towel while facing towards his dresser and putting on the underpants and sweatpants. He really didn't care if Kotaru saw him naked, it wasn't like Kotaru didn't have his own equipment he saw day in and day out.

"Normally the Arena isn't crowded like that. There's a couple bystanders, similar to the chuunin exams but with a couple more in attendance... but I guess it was advertised as an astrashiin AND dergoshiin wielder fighting during the same event. I'm willing to bet the entire thing was orchestrated by the elders or someone similarly higher up. Get the clan all together in one spot, get 'em riled up, and let them go loose on each other to cull the numbers a bit. There's a lot of Akari families and well...something like that stops the clan from taking up too much room in the village. If I'm right...that was dirty as hell and quite fucked up." Tatsuo theorized. "I bet after we left and the fighting began to wean, an elder or two stepped in and stopped whatever else was going on. It seems exactly like somethin' they'd do." He went on, a deep frown on his face as the thoughts ran through his mind.

A small, sad smile grew across his face as he thought of Kotaru's words about his own fight. "I...honestly don't even know where that aggression came from. The entire fight felt...different. Different than hunting down a rogue with a numbers advantage or fighting back some weak bandits who can't do anything, different from fighting giant spiders and rats. I could feel the danger, feel just how intense the moment was. If I didn't fight back and fight back to kill...I'd of died with a single mistake. But...how I ended it wasn't me. I have no idea where that brutal...monster emerged from. I guess that's me though. A monster, heh?" Tatsuo spoke, his last several words a rhetorical question before a laugh escaped him. Unlike his usual laugh, this one was mirthless, hollow, devoid of any pleasant emotions. Even those who didn't know him like Mitsuo and Kotaru would be able to tell the laugh was something born of dark thoughts.

"That's in the past now, though. I can't change what I've done, I just have to...keep pushing forward." Tatsuo commented after his laugh as he pulled the shirt over his head. "I'm a fuckin' hypocrite. I want to change this clan but I gave into everything they want and expect at such a critical time. What a fucking failure." He finished, a heavy sigh escaping his lungs before he turned to face Kotaru.

"What's going on downstairs? Smells like someone is making food."
#MakeIwaGreatAgain
NameVillageRankTeam
Tatsuo [color=#940839][b]IwaTsuchikageTeam 18 Jousai
Kinomichi [color=limegreen][b]IwaBanninJousai
Kotetsu [color=slategray][b]IwaGeninTeam 7
Ashura [color=coral][b]SunaGenin
Sai [color=#FF14A1][b]Kiri - MND-Rank
Yamato [color=#C71585][b]KiriA-Rank

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Yura
Posts: 4616
Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2008 7:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] Contemplations

Post by Yura » Thu May 03, 2018 1:44 pm

Now that he had a moment alone, Mitsuo finally had the chance to let everything he had experienced that day sink in. To say that he had learned a lot about the Akari clan and its interworkings would be an understatement. Thanks to his minor disguise, he got to somewhat experience life as an Akari complete with the benefit of getting stared at like a piece of meat. His mind flashed back to the group of men that he had passed in the hallway as he entered the arena. The looks that they had given him, he knew that even for the briefest of moments, they had considered attacking him. He had always known that the Akari feared being attacked by each other, moreso some than others, but now he actually got to experience that fear and he didn't like it. It made him think about all of the Akari that he knew, all of the ones currently in this house. Tats and Kota were strong, they had just proven so, but what about the others? Kakuto and Mizami may be able to hold their own, but Misato and Makaso worried him. He already had to save Makaso once, and Misato...well, he didn't want anything bad to happen to her.

Speaking of Akari that he knew, his mind suddenly shifted towards Granny Akari, a woman that he had no better name for since he never cared to ask. To find out that the woman was in fact one of the elders of the clan had come as a shock to him. In contrast to what the clan was like, the woman had seemed nice even if her outlook on the clan was rather bleak and depressing (in his opinion). She had let him sit with her when he had no business being in that section, she had discussed clan philosophies with him, and in the end she had even tried to keep him from getting hurt by entering the fray. And yet, she was not only an elder, but she had a reputation as a demon. A demon with the strength to wipe out a third of the clan with ease if she had wanted to. A demon that knew his name. As that last part started to sink in, he began to worry. How could he have been so stupid? Sure, he had been in disguise and he had thought she was just some random old woman, but he should have come up with a fake name for his fake persona. What if his actions, if what he said, if his lack of existence within the clan, came back to hurt Tatsuo and his family? He wondered if they should know. If he should tell them just in case.

A sudden hand on his shoulder made Mistuo jump in his seat. Opening his eyes and looking up, he found Misato staring down at him with an amused look on her face. "I didn't know you were so jumpy." She said, a hint of laughter in her voice.

"I, uh, you just sorta caught me off guard." He replied, stumbling through his words. Staring up at her, he realized that he couldn't bring himself to say anything in regards to the elder. She looked so happy, or at least less stressed, given the days event. The family seemed to be relaxing, letting their built up tension go. He couldn't ruin that by introducing a new worry, not right now. Perhaps he could simply tell Tats in a few days.

"Uh huh." Misato replied, "Well dinner is ready. Would you mind going and getting the boys?" She asked, "I'm not particularly a fan of just barging into teenage boys' rooms when I'm related to them."

"Yeah I can go grab them." Mitsuo replied as he stood up from the chair, "Hopefully they'll come out though."

"Just tell them that mom made both of their favorites." She shruged.

"Did she really? Or...?" Mitsuo asked, sensing a bit of trickery afoot.

"They'll just have to come down and find out." She replied with a grin before walking back towards the kitchen. Mitsuo found himself returning the grin before shaking his head and walking towards the stairs.

"Hey guys!" He shouted as he began to climb the stairs, "Your mom made dinner and apparently she made both of your favorites! Come eat!" If they didn't come out, he was going to have drag them out, but hopefully the mention of food would bring them running.
CharactersShow
NameRankVillageTeamColor
SadakoGeninIwagakureTeam 13[color=#90D2D8]
Enkouten, MitsuoBanninIwagakureTeam 18|Jousai[color=#ff2200]
Retired CharactersShow
NameRankVillageTeamColor
Nara, ShikariBanninKonohagakureMamorinuku[color=#fb8a00]
Takara, MorikoGeninIwagakure[color=#ffeb66]
Inji, AyakoC-RankWaterfall[color=#8080ff]

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Kao
Posts: 8242
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 8:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] Contemplations

Post by Kao » Thu May 03, 2018 3:24 pm

The last thing Kotaru wanted to do at that moment was think about the fact that one day, perhaps soon, they would both have to enter the arena again. He wasn't eager to go back to that place, especially seeing that the two of them - or maybe it was just Kotaru? - had incited a riot by simply emerging from their fights victorious. It didn't matter that the rules were followed; all the rioters saw was a child who pulled off an upset, a child who they thought they had figured out and was vulnerable. He had run away, same as he had always done, but he was starting to wonder how much longer he could keep that up, or if he should.

Tatsuo's suggestion that the riot could have been orchestrated by the higher ups set his blood ablaze. The boy was wavering between wanting to continue to hide and wanting to become stronger and more willing to fight, but the thought that the riot might have been allowed to occur sent him closer to resolving to cast aside his habits that were rooted in fear in favor of more decisive actions. 'Since our lives mean so little to them, maybe we should show them the same courtesy.'

Before he could vocalize those thoughts, Tatsuo went on to give his grim opinion of how he handled his own fight. He wasn't sure if Tatsuo would want to hear what he had to say next, but Kotaru didn't take much time to stop and consider his words and how they would come out. "Maybe some part of you liked tearing that guy apart," he suggested, meeting Tatsuo's gaze as the older boy let out a heavy sigh. "Maybe that's why it felt different. Hunting rogues, fighting giant creatures; all those things had some kind of greater purpose. Not the arena though. That was killing for the sake of killing. Have you ever done that before?" It was a rhetorical question, one that Kotaru was certain he knew the answer to. "I'd be lying if I said I enjoyed being in that fucking arena and that I look forward to going back, but I'd also be lying if I said I didn't enjoy finally killing that guy. I hate how it happened, why it happened, but it felt good. Killing always feels good, Tatsuo."

Kotaru turned his head as the smell of food wafted into the room, but not even the aroma of the family's cooking could distract him from the topic at hand. There was one thing Tatsuo said that still echoed through his head. "A monster...hm. You're not wrong. The Akari are a bunch of monsters, and we're part of that whether we like it or not. Maybe it's time to stop fighting it so much. We're monsters, Tats. Realizing that doesn't make anyone a failure, but how we use that is up to us." The boy stretched his arms above his head and although his body was starting to ache in earnest, he ignored the sensation and instead took a deep breath to fully appreciate the smell of the food cooking downstairs. "And on that happy note, let's go see what they're up to downstairs."
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

User avatar
Niro
Tsuchikage
Tsuchikage
Posts: 9844
Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 7:00 pm

[Graded][Plotboard] Contemplations

Post by Niro » Thu May 03, 2018 11:47 pm

Tatsuo was deathly quiet as Kotaru replied to his comments about not knowing why he had been so brutal in his fight against the older Akari with many shiin. The words from the younger boy’s mouth were insensitive and harsh but he knew that was how Kotaru was and there was little to nothing he could do to change that part of him. Through it all, Tatsuo grit his teeth and refused to say a word, refused to try and rebuke what was being said. Instead, he reflected upon it within his mind so that he could try to understand his actions better with perspective of another given to him.

‘Do…I like mindless killing? Just for the sake of killing, not because it’s part of the mission? We’re shinobi…we shouldn’t be killing for the thrill of it. We should be killing because we need to, it’s part of the job description, not because we want to. Or…is that train of thought wrong? We’re humans before anything else and before shinobi we’re Akari. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe we are meant to take part in the thrill of killing others unlike every other shinobi, every other clan. That’s how the Akari grow, that’s how we evolve. Maybe it’s time to stop fighting it then and just embrace the brutish nature of the Akari. Become the worst of time, the strongest of them and rise up and force change.’

“If I liked killing then why do I feel like shit after today? Why do I feel guilty after ripping that man apart? If I liked killing then I’d be happy, elated, on cloud nine but I’m not, I’m feeling the opposite. No, I don’t think I do like killing. It’s a necessary part of our life as shinobi, as Akari but it’s not something I enjoy. It’s not something I take pleasure in.” Tatsuo finally replied, his mouth set in a thin line after the words left his mouth.

‘Monsters? Maybe some people think that and some Akari definitely buy into it, embrace it fully but I don’t. I don’t think any of us are monsters who kill indiscriminately. Misato isn’t a monster, Makaso isn’t a monster, neither is Mother or Father. But us…we seem to fit that description quite well after our actions today.’ Tatsuo thought to himself as Kotaru stretched out his aching, battle worn body. The smell of delicious food was now filling the moderate sized bedroom quite strongly and Tatsuo’s stomach growled out loudly in response.

“Guess I’m pretty hungry after all of the fighting we had to go through today. Took a lot of energy.” Tatsuo muttered with a small blush dusting his cheeks in embarrassment from the noise his gut had just emitted.

"Hey guys!" Mitsuo shouted from the stairs as he climbed them, each footstep ringing through the hall. "Your mom made dinner and apparently she made both of your favorites! Come eat!"

Tatsuo looked to Kotaru and shrugged before walking out of the room, the younger Akari following along behind him. “Let’s go eat.” He proclaimed as he passed the threshold of his room and began to make his way down the hall of the second story house and then the stairs. Tatsuo grinned at Mitsuo as he met him on the stairs and the trio of boys went back down to fill their stomachs after a particularly hellish day for everyone involved.
#MakeIwaGreatAgain
NameVillageRankTeam
Tatsuo [color=#940839][b]IwaTsuchikageTeam 18 Jousai
Kinomichi [color=limegreen][b]IwaBanninJousai
Kotetsu [color=slategray][b]IwaGeninTeam 7
Ashura [color=coral][b]SunaGenin
Sai [color=#FF14A1][b]Kiri - MND-Rank
Yamato [color=#C71585][b]KiriA-Rank

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