I Only Wear Black

Tousha assesses Zakuro

User avatar
Toshi
Posts: 4120
Joined: Sun Nov 23, 2008 7:00 pm

I Only Wear Black

Post by Toshi » Fri May 24, 2019 10:57 am

Nestled deep beneath Konoha's Ninja Academy was a room. This room's floor was blanketed in fine, compact dirt, its opposite facing sides lined with simple stone bleachers separated by a short concrete wall and wooden hand rails. The chamber was large; stretching 40 meters in length and 35 meters in width, its vaulted ceiling reaching a height of nearly 20 meters. Large, red columns lined the sandstone walls and a massive sculpture dominated the northern end of the room. It depicted two massive disembodied stone arms, its hands firmly grasped together into a Tiger seal.

Despite the chamber's capacity to fit over a hundred people, a single man sat in the bleachers. He idly flipped through a beige folder, rubbing at his bearded jaw absent mindedly. His long, black hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, though several renegade strands had escaped and were hanging over a particularly stern looking brow. He was dressed simply, sporting dark trousers, dark ninja sandals and a loose, comfortable shirt with an elongated left sleeve.

Tousha abruptly shut the folder and tossed it to the side with a slow sigh. He'd read enough. Takeo needed him to assess the strength of an ex-missing ninja, something about reevaluating his potential to determine what kind of missions he'd be qualified for. The petty side of the Nara couldn't help but feel this was some subtle form of punishment for ditching the village himself, despite the legality of the journey.

Of course that probably wasn't the case. The current Hokage seemed more honorable than that. Something something self projecting, whatever. A job needed doing and he'd see it through.

And so the man waited in this room nestled beneath the Academy, his thoughts wandering where they would.
Last edited by Toshi on Sun Jun 02, 2019 1:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
CharacterShow
Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha

User avatar
Rain21199
Posts: 1075
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:00 pm

I Only Wear Black

Post by Rain21199 » Mon May 27, 2019 9:47 pm

As Zakuro enter the large, open room, he could hear every step echo. It was damn near empty. He found it weird that such a place existed and how he had no idea it was here. It was just some random fighting arena beneath the Hokage's tower. Looking over, he could see a dark haired man who looked quite bored. Zakuro began his slow approach in the guy's general direction. "This place is sketchy as fuck. I know why I'm here, but I feel like you're going to take me to some evil lair and do experiments on me." Zakuro gave a light hearted laugh. "You were Hokage when I became a Shinobi. It was right when the village was attacked actually. Yaku flung my weak ass into a wall so I don't remember much, but I know you lost to them." Zakuro tried to keep his tone lighthearted, but for a moment he got serious. "I guess I can see if I'm even close to their strength today."

Zakuro stopped at the foot of the stairs and stared up at the former Kage. Frankly, he didn't look like much, but looks were quite often deceiving. Zakuro hadn't the slightest clue what he was up against, but neither would he. As far as Zakuro knew, he was the only person that lived with his unique talents.

Mamoru Gerudo
Konohagakure - D-Rank

Resu
Owl Country - D-Rank

" A 7 for Zangy for example, is different from a 7 from Envy who is not quite a nuanced writer as Zangy is (sorry Envy), which is different from a 7 for Rain, who has English as his second language." - Onu 2016

User avatar
Toshi
Posts: 4120
Joined: Sun Nov 23, 2008 7:00 pm

I Only Wear Black

Post by Toshi » Mon May 27, 2019 10:56 pm

The former Kage remained seated and silent as Zakuro entered the room and began speaking, the Shinobi's voice echoing subtly as it carried through the nearly empty chamber. Tousha's dark, thin eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly at the mention of Yaku's invasion of the Hidden Leaf. It had been years since the attack. He'd packed away most of the stray feelings that had wracked him all this time, but some wounds cut deep enough to touch the crux of a person.

Damage that buried never really went away. People just learned how to live around it, or they didn't. Years of making peace with that pain saved Zakuro from starting off on the wrong foot.

The boy looked vaguely familiar but Tousha couldn't say he'd ever spoken with him. Zakuro claimed to have just reached the title of Genin around the same time Konoha was attacked, but despite his best efforts the former Kage hadn't had the time to meet and get to know every student of the Leaf's Academy. A pang of guilt flitted through the Nara as he tried to get the measure of the Chuunin, wondering if interacting with him could have changed the trajectory of his life's path. It was a useless practice in Tousha's inherent tendency to be too hard on himself, but that wouldn't stop the man from slipping into the habit.

Zakuro was well built and towered nearly a head over the Nara. Despite the exhaustion that touched the area around his eyes, the boy's stare was sharp and searching. The contrast might have been intimidating to a man with less nerve, or experience. He also seemed to be a very dedicated fan of the color black. Not that he could judge the Chuunin in that respect, but it was still an easy observation to make.

"Yaku and I were... Interrupted," Tousha said after a long moment of silence. The man stood to his full height and made his way down the carved stone steps that separated the bleachers. Each step lightly echoed through the room between the words he spoke. "But yeah, they got the better of me that day."

The Bannin stopped no more than a few paces from Zakuro. Tousha stood a foot and a half over the youth with the help of the concrete slab beneath his sandaled feet. "Takeo let me borrow your file," Tousha continued, an easy smile touching his lips. "Most of it's impressive. Real quality stuff. Then it takes a left turn near the end, doesn't it?"

He let the words hang in the air for a moment before asking, "How did it feel to blind him?" The words didn't carry any amusement or curiosity. They weren't even judgmental. The man's tone was even and transparent, like the surface of still water.
CharacterShow
Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha

User avatar
Rain21199
Posts: 1075
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:00 pm

I Only Wear Black

Post by Rain21199 » Tue May 28, 2019 11:26 am

For a moment, at the mention of the end of his file, Zakuro glanced down towards the ground, but his eyes quickly met the eyes of Toshua again. "It does take a turn for the worse, but here I am, trying to get back on the right path." Zakuro made the mistake. There was nothing to do now but own it and be better. He understood fully that there was a bit of anger associated with his name now. Maybe a touch of disdain. When he left the village, it made quite a noise from what he heard. He was the center of attention for a moment, and they were going to send out hunting parties until Fanho pleaded that he be sparred. A faithful friend until the end even after...

"How did it feel to blind him?" The question caught Zakuro off guard. He barely knew himself what he was feeling. That night was a whirlwind of emotions. "At first, nothing. My body was just doing what I had trained it to do. I threw those senbon without a second thought. Watching him laying there in the mud, crying out in pain however... That tore me apart to watch. I wanted to take him back. Maybe try and get some help. The two men that showed up shortly after reminded me that I had to run. I wouldn't get a second chance, so I fled and didn't look back." Zakuro's eyes looked away from Toshua. "What I did was fueled by emotions, but it was at that moment I saw clearly the mistakes I had made. Sending Fanho to bring me back was the best choice Konoha could've made. I wasn't going to hurt him again."

Mamoru Gerudo
Konohagakure - D-Rank

Resu
Owl Country - D-Rank

" A 7 for Zangy for example, is different from a 7 from Envy who is not quite a nuanced writer as Zangy is (sorry Envy), which is different from a 7 for Rain, who has English as his second language." - Onu 2016

User avatar
Toshi
Posts: 4120
Joined: Sun Nov 23, 2008 7:00 pm

I Only Wear Black

Post by Toshi » Tue May 28, 2019 2:40 pm

The former Kage's expression remained impregnable as Zakuro spoke. The Chuunin was a living, breathing embodiment of the duality of Shinobi. The contradictions, the expectations. All of it. The art of killing was drilled into the minds and bodies of children, and eventually those children became men and women with ideals of their own. So those men and women, now weapons in the eyes of many, would be at constant ends with what humanity was left inside.

Some let it die. Others embraced it, even found peace. Listening to Zakuro, Tousha wondered which path he would choose.

After the youth had finished explaining himself Tousha descended the steps and stood beside the man he was to evaluate. A Shinobi whose name already carried a tarnished weight at the age of sixteen, barely more than a child. The burden must've been immense to carry alone. The Nara knew a similar pain himself all too well. It was a different flavor, but still more bitter than he'd prefer.

Tousha rested a hand on Zakuro's shoulder, the man's thin, dark eyes staring at the opposite end of the chamber. "Always be open with yourself, Zakuro," he said, squeezing his hand with what he hoped was assurance. "Honesty is how we grow past ourselves."

He patted the boy on the shoulder and walked towards the statue on the northern side of the room, its massive hands perpetually frozen in the shape of a Tiger seal. He turned and faced the Chuunin before completing a single hand seal. Two perfect replicas of the Bannin appeared beside him, Kage Bunshin. He would point to separate spots on opposite sides of the bleachers and without a word the clones obediently complied.

"This is an evaluation of your skills as a Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf," he stated simply as the Kage Bunshin found their seats. "My assessment will help determine where you fit in our ranks and what can be expected of you to handle in the field." The former Kage's body became relaxed with a practiced ease, his eyes sharpening ever so slightly.

With a feint smile he added, "We can take this as far as you'd like."


Jutsu usedShow
*[Ninjutsu • Advanced Shadow Clone Technique]
A-rank Ninjutsu
After performing the correct hand seals the user proceeds to create a number of clones of themselves (maximum is equal to 1/3rd the user's stamina). Unlike the Clone Technique, these clones are actual copies of the user in both appearance and substance. The user's chakra is evenly distributed among every clone, giving each clone an equal fraction of the user's overall power. The clones are capable of performing jutsu on their own and can even bleed, but they will usually disperse after one or two solid blows. The clones will be created in roughly the same condition as the original and any experience the clones gain during their existence is transferred to the user once they are dispersed. Given that the clones are an exact replica of the user, they share the same stats except for stamina, which is determined by the number of clones presently in effect. The advantage of this form of the technique is that once dispersed, the chakra distributed to the clones returns to the user, allowing any unused chakra to be regained, slowing the draining usage of this technique. The chakra returns to the user at a different rate depending on the user's control.
1-15 Control: 1/5
16-25: 2/5
26-35: 3/5
36+: 4/5
CharacterShow
Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha

User avatar
Rain21199
Posts: 1075
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:00 pm

I Only Wear Black

Post by Rain21199 » Wed May 29, 2019 10:01 am

The kind words and firm grip of the former Hokage were definitely reassuring. It would've been a beautiful moment if they weren't about to beat the snot out of each other. Without turning to look at Tousha Zakuro gave a simple, monotone "Thanks." with a slight nod of his head.

Zakuro would've thought a bit more on the subject, but frankly he had more pressing issues on his mind. He had fought Takeo before. He knew fully well that where he was now with his skill and strength he still wouldn't come close to winning against the current Hokage. Zakuro assumed that they had to be at least somewhere close in power, so, if he wasn't going to win, how could he at least put on a good fight for his opponent? He definitely wouldn't pull any punches.

At Tousha's next words, Zakuro gave a silent nod of acknowledgment. Any sign of the Zakuro's jolly nature vanished from his face. His expression went blank besides the furrowing of his brow. For a moment, Zakuro considered using his new power. He could feel the untamed energy flow inside him even now, but he remembered the destruction that followed the last time he used it. If he used it, he'd lose what little humanity he had left. He didn't know if there would be a point that he couldn't go back. This darkness that was inside him would have to stay locked away for now.

Zakuro wanted to deploy his usual tactics, but this was not a usual opponent, plus he didn't have his arsenal of weaponry with him anymore. It was just Zakuro and his fists. No choice other than to close the distance.

Zakuro knew fully well that Nara, Tousha likely had a decent arsenal of ninjutsu, as did most other shinobi. Their ranged techniques always made closing distances a pain, but those who had ninjutsu typically lacked in the taijutsu department. Takeo, was an outlier. Let's see if Tousha was the same. Planting his right foot firmly into the ground, Zakuro sprung off, reaching his max speed almost instantly. He watched Tousha for his counter. It was coming, Zakuro just had to be ready to dodge.

Mamoru Gerudo
Konohagakure - D-Rank

Resu
Owl Country - D-Rank

" A 7 for Zangy for example, is different from a 7 from Envy who is not quite a nuanced writer as Zangy is (sorry Envy), which is different from a 7 for Rain, who has English as his second language." - Onu 2016

User avatar
Toshi
Posts: 4120
Joined: Sun Nov 23, 2008 7:00 pm

I Only Wear Black

Post by Toshi » Wed May 29, 2019 2:17 pm

Though he'd been given access to Zakuro's file, Tousha hadn't read everything in detail. He knew the Chuunin largely preferred close range combat and that his unique ability rendered him incapable of molding chakra into even basic techniques. Tousha could sympathize with the feeling, having been nearly incapable of performing jutsu as a child himself. Despite that empathy the former Kage couldn't help but feel uncertain about where Zakuro would fit in the world of Ninja without the ability to perform basic combat arts.

The Nara knew precious few Shinobi who excelled in this line of work with those limitations. Even fewer were still around to prove they could.

Tousha eyed the young Shinobi as his expression grew more serious, the boy's body shifting with an intent the Bannin was all too familiar with. The Kage remained still and calm, his thin, dark eyes staunchly firm in their gaze. With a sudden burst of speed Zakuro charged, quickly closing the gap of compacted dirt resting between them. It took a great deal of strength to reach that kind of speed in such a short distance, even for much more seasoned Ninja.

But as the Nara made this observation he noticed something else. Or rather, a lack of said something else.

"Hold on," Tousha said, raising a hand casually. Zakuro would be no more than a step away when he added, "Where's your stuff?"
CharacterShow
Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha

User avatar
Rain21199
Posts: 1075
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:00 pm

I Only Wear Black

Post by Rain21199 » Sun Oct 13, 2019 6:20 pm

Upon seeing the hand raised, Zakuro skid to a halt. A bit confused, he listened closely to the Bannin.

"Where's your stuff"

Zakuro scratched the back of his head and let out a nervous smile. He had lost his ninja tools one by one as he traveled out of Fire Country. The last of it was probably sitting in the ruins of the dojo he spent the majority of his time in.

"I haven't really gotten around to getting my stuff replaced. When I got out, I spent some time visiting people. I'm on probation from doing missions for the meantime, so it didn't cross my mind that I should restock." The Chuunin gave out a nervous chuckle. "I'm still gonna give it my all though. Don't worry!" Zakuro winked at Tousha.

Mamoru Gerudo
Konohagakure - D-Rank

Resu
Owl Country - D-Rank

" A 7 for Zangy for example, is different from a 7 from Envy who is not quite a nuanced writer as Zangy is (sorry Envy), which is different from a 7 for Rain, who has English as his second language." - Onu 2016

User avatar
Toshi
Posts: 4120
Joined: Sun Nov 23, 2008 7:00 pm

I Only Wear Black

Post by Toshi » Mon Oct 14, 2019 2:54 pm

"Oh I'll worry as much as I like," the Bannin shot back, already unfastening the kunai holster secured to his thigh. Tousha held the holster out to the Chuunin and leveled his gaze at the boy as he added, "Young man, I'm trying to put on a serious face for this assessment because it's a personal favor to the Hokage. How in the world do you expect me to take this, or you, seriously if you intend to punch your way through it?"

He shoved the kunai holster into Zakuro's arms before undoing a ninja pouch resting at his waist. It contained several shuriken, smoke bombs and a flash bomb for good measure. The Kage dropped the pouch into the Chuunin's arms as well, clearly not taking no for an answer.

Putting on his Hokage voice the Nara said, "Now gear up. So help me if you come my way again with the intentions for fisticuffs, I'll ring your bell so hard they'll hear it in the Hidden Sand."
CharacterShow
Former Hokage • Konoha • Nara Tousha

User avatar
Rain21199
Posts: 1075
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:00 pm

I Only Wear Black

Post by Rain21199 » Tue Oct 22, 2019 12:52 am

The Chuunin was certainly not expecting for the Bannin before him to just hand over his equipment like that. Obviously Zakuro came ill prepared for the fight, but seeing as how he focused on unarmed combat anyways, he barely considered it a handicap. Maintaining a good arsenal of weaponry was beneficial in making up for the shinobi’s lack of ninjutsu, and he would have to expand on its use even further now that he’s…. Changed….

Zakuro still hadn’t come to terms with what had happened within him. He finally found a place that would accept him and help him grow, a dojo in the middle of nowhere filled with philosophical monks. They took Zakuro in. Fed him. Healed his wounds. They helped him grow physically and mentally. All of that kindness and acceptance, it was just a lie. It turned out that they only wanted to nourish him and help him grow so that they could harvest his chakra for that damned sword they worshipped. When they tied him up, dragged him into their shrine and impaled him, Zakuro thought he had died. Somehow he survived, but he was different. When he awoke, he lost control of his body. It was like he was seeing the events unfold through his eyes, but he didn’t have a hold of the controls anymore. He watched as his arms yanked the sword from his body. He watched himself get engulfed with darkness. He watched as he mercilessly slaughtered everyone that he had been living with. He watched as the place he had called home for months became engulfed with blood and flames, leaving nothing but a pile of ash and bodies in its place, but it was all a lie. Zakuro had control, and he knew it. He didn’t want to stop. He wanted them all to suffer, and that’s what scared Zakuro the most. He told himself he couldn’t control it. He told himself he wasn’t a monster, but this thing inside him was. And then he started to believe it.

This fight was likely to try and bring out Zakuro’s new powers, but the Chuunin was afraid. He was afraid to use them. He was afraid of the bloodshed he was capable of, so everytime he was asked to show them exactly what he could do, he refused. This fight would be no different.

Zakuro didn’t need this power to fight before, and he surely wouldn’t need it now. He had a strong set of skills that he’s built up over a 6 year career as a shinobi. He could hold his own. Sure receiving the projectiles was going to benefit Zakuro, especially since he was proficient in that form of combat, but telling the Chuunin not to come at him with the intentions of hand to hand combat was like telling a fish not to swim. Fighting hand to hand was Zakuro's main style of fighting. He was going to do that regardless. Sunagakure was going to hear some bell ringing tonight.

Despite this, and knowing this fight had only one possible ending, Zakuro still put another smile on his face. "You're a nice guy Tousha. Thanks." Zakuro strapped the items to his person right where Tousha would wear them himself. He took a few steps back, widened his feet, grabbed a shuriken in his right hand and awaited for this fight to truly start. Zakuro’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. “I’m ready when you are.”

Mamoru Gerudo
Konohagakure - D-Rank

Resu
Owl Country - D-Rank

" A 7 for Zangy for example, is different from a 7 from Envy who is not quite a nuanced writer as Zangy is (sorry Envy), which is different from a 7 for Rain, who has English as his second language." - Onu 2016

REPLY

Return to “Konohagakure no Sato”

×