Meditations, or Hyuuga Elysium

[Drak]

Akito slid open the door of his quarters just as a huge peal of thunder broke out across the sky. He had intended on doing his normal training today, going through the forms of the Gentle Fist, but as the wind blew cold rain through his door and onto his clothes he reconsidered. He could always stay in and read, or maybe venture out and find a go partner, but with war looming both of those options felt frivolous. Akito shut the door.

“Chakra training is always an option,” Akito mumbled to himself. “That is a side of training I probably shouldn’t neglect.”

Akito began to arrange his living space. He folded up his futon, tidied his desk a little, and moved a few things from the center of the room to make room for the cushion he was going to sit on. The method of training he was going for could be considered a form of meditation. Akito was going to sit in place and send a powerful burst of chakra out of each of his tenketsu. The idea was to use up a lot of chakra quickly, then rest for a moment and try to do it again. It was not a technique Akito especially enjoyed. It usually left too much room for his overactive mind, but he could not argue that it was an important thing to do.

Akito sat down cross legged on the cushion, the backs of his hands resting against his knees. He took a long, deep breath in through his nose and held it for a moment. When he exhaled, he started to push chakra out of all 361 points on his body. Another deep breath in, and another deep breath out. As long as he kept that up, his mind could wander.

ENDURANCE: Well done. You can do this. Just keep exuding chakra like that and you’ll be able to do it all day in no time flat.

PAIN THRESHOLD: And if you run into an issue, I will let you know, quickly.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT: Damn this rain. Better you should train your body rather than your chakra. What did your chakra ever do for you?

ENCYCLOPEDIA: Chakra can be expended to utilize ninjutsu, genjutsu, and even for certain taijutsu.

HAND-EYE COORDINATION: Not to mention the Nin-Tai Jutsu which we pride ourselves on. Not to pat myself on the back too much.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT: Hmph.

HAND-EYE COORDINATION: Don’t pout. We train you every other day. Besides, look at him, he’s not exactly lacking in the musculature department.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT: This is true.

LOGIC: Yes, the ratio of chakra training to physical training is rather low. If anything, this will bring us back into equilibrium.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY: With all this rain, maybe we should up the booze to training ratio. This meditation thing seems boring.

VOLITION: No.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY: No? Just no?

VOLITION: Yes, just no.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY: You never let him have any fun. We should go grab a drink, and maybe after that-

VOLITION: Stop.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY: - we could go call upon -

VOLITION: Stop.

PAIN THRESHOLD: STOP!

Akito could feel that he was nearing the end of his chakra. He stopped what he was doing, and began to count down from 100.

LOGIC: 100, 99, 98, 97…

ELECTROCHEMISTRY: Where were we?

VOLITION: You wanted to go drink sake. I said no. Now he has to count down from 100 so we don’t die.

LOGIC: 94, 93, 92…

ENDURANCE: Yes, we need to get more chakras.

HALF LIGHT: The more chakras we have. The more we can throw at the bastards in front of us.

ENCYCLOPEDIA: Chakra is a non-countable noun. It is not a discrete unit of power. If you mean tenketsu, then the number of those is fixed for all people at 361. If you mean the Eight Gates, those are eight specific tenketsu with specific limiting responsibilities. Those, too, are fixed.

INLAND EMPIRE: And if we can build up enough of a chakra reserve, the Hyuuga will finally accept us with open arms.

ENCYCLOPEDIA: Historically speaking-

VOLITION: Stop.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY: Wow! Not often you tell him to stop like that. And here I thought we had something special.

SAVOIR FAIRE: No, maybe he has a point.

HAND EYE COORDINATION: Agreed. We’ve borne the brunt of that burden for too long and look what it has gotten us.

LOGIC: 50, 49, 48, 47…

COMPOSURE: I too have done much for that cause. The head family are sticklers for manners.

ENCYCLOPEDIA: The “court” protocol of the Hyuuga family dates back to the time of the founding of Konoha.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY: This is why he doesn’t get girls.

ESPIRIT DE CORPS: Maybe why he does not get any low-quality harlots. That is not what he needs. The clan will soon provide him with his graceful Hyuuga hime.

INLAND EMPIRE: Yes, it’s right around the corner.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY: Well I need the harlots.

ESPIRIT DE CORPS: You only think you need the harlots. All they will do in the long run is divide us from the clan.

PERCEPTION: Have you seen the looks they already give us? We are already divided from the clan.

EMPATHY: Can you stop calling them harlots?

ESPIRIT DE CORPS: Why? That’s what they are. Harlots.
EMPATHY: Was mother a harlot?

ESPIRIT DE CORPS: Well…

AUTHORITY: Answer the question.

ESPIRIT DE CORPS: If not for her, we wouldn’t be inside of a half-breed.

LOGIC: 23, 22 - If not for her, our genetic makeup would be different enough to render us a different person entirely - 19, 18…

CONCEPTUALIZATION: A different person entirely. What a thought. An entirely new canvas on which to paint ourselves. Just as we’ve painted this personality onto ourselves.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY: And what a boring coat of paint it is. Come on, let’s cut loose. Screw these Hyuuga rules. Forget the Hyuuga hime, who by the way is never going to-

VOLITION: Stop.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY: Come on, you know as well as any of us that the clan will never let a half-breed into the main bloodline.

ENCYCLOPEDIA: Historically speaking, this is accurate.

INLAND EMPIRE: But what if it did ha-

LOGIC: 1, ZERO!

ENDURANCE: Time to start again.

SpoilerShow

WC: 1,023

[Drak]

A peal of thunder shook Akito awake.

I must have dozed off while resting between bursts. What a strange dream I had. Like the voices of my psyche were all arguing at once.

Akito was exhausted in a way that was familiar to all shinobi; the way only the extensive use of chakra could make someone. Still, he decided to go for one more round. He took deep breaths, and worked to push out even more chakra with each exhale. While he tried to keep his mind on the task at hand, between the dream and the rain, his mind wandered.

My first ever mission was on a day like this. I had just received my headband, and before I went off to meet my team…

Twelve years prior

Akito woke up. Not that he had slept much the previous night. Today was to be his first day as a full-fledged genin. Despite the storm clouds gathering outside, he could tell that it was finally light out through his window. Akito pushed off his sheet and hastily folded up his futon before dressing himself. The summer storm that was blowing in was making the already hot, sticky morning feel that much hotter and sticker. Akito picked out a pair of green pants that came just above his ankles and a black t-shirt for his first mission. He tied his shoulder-length black hair into a ponytail, and put his pristine forehead protector on.

Akito could smell his mother’s cooking from outside. He could also hear two men speaking.

Father and… uncle?

“I am here to impart a lesson upon your son that our father apparently never did enough of a job imparting to you, Shigure,” Akito could make out his uncle’s voice. “Between you and the damn Hokage, we have enough half-breeds running around. The last thing we need are any of the horny little brats running around inflicting quarter-breeds upon us.”

Akito froze in the hallway. His uncle, Shinji, was one of the few people in the clan who tolerated him. “Let the father’s sin not stain the son,” he always said during their Jyuuken lessons. For all the abuse his uncle piled on his brother, Akito’s father, he had never said that sort of thing about Akito.

“Brother-” Akito’s father started.

“Do not call me that,” Shinji interrupted.

“Shinji,” Shigure continued. “He’s just a child. Children will have childish crushes. It needn’t mean anything.”

“Look what that attitude got you!”

Akito crept closer, but it wasn’t enough to evade his uncle’s honed senses.

“Enough of this. The boy is coming out. I will tell him my piece and leave.”

When Akito walked out, he saw his father and uncle sitting around the low table in the middle of the dining room. His father was dressed in the green yukata which he usually wore around the house. His uncle, by contrast, was dressed more formally: in a white tunic, black hakama, and a matching black haori.

“Good morning Akito,” his father said cheerfully. “Big day!”

“Good morning,” his uncle said in a contrasting flat tone.

Akito's father was only two years younger than his uncle. Besides being so close in age, the two men were virtually identical looking, with his uncle being slightly taller with a more angled jaw and larger eyes.

Akito bowed low.

“Good morning father. Good morning sensei.”

Shinji was Akito’s assigned Jyuuken master, so he was more in the habit of calling him “sensei” than “uncle”.

“Sit down,” his uncle said, gesturing to a seat.

Akito obeyed.

“Listen Akito, you are now a genin, and well on your way to being a man. Because of that you need to know how to carry yourself. Whenever you go out into the world as a genin, you are representing the Hyuuga clan and you need to act as such. This is most important when it comes to women. You will be spending time with many women as a genin. You may take a liking to some of them. Some of them may take a liking to you. However, those harlots are not worthy of you. You are a Hyuuga, and as such, the clan elders will find a match for you. Heed my words, or end up like your father here.”

With that, Shinji stood up and left, announcing that he had important business to take care of at the village headquarters. Akito’s father bit his tongue through the whole lecture. When his uncle left, Akito’s mother came out with breakfast: miso soup, rice, grilled fish, pickled vegetables, and a pot of green tea. Once he finished breakfast, Akito jumped up and started for the door.

“Wait,” his mother, Michiru, called out as she walked over to the door.

Akito stopped. “What is it mother? I want to go get my first mission!”

Michiru reached her hands around her son’s head and undid his headband.

“What are you doing?” Akito whined as his mother leaned in and kissed him on the forehead.

“Do your best today,” she said lovingly. “Show them what you can do.”

Akito grinned. “I will!”

Word CountShow

1023 + 851 = 1874

[Drak]

When Akito presented to the village headquarters for the first time, his entire graduating academy class was gathered there.

“Hi Akito-kun,” a girl's voice called out from behind him. It took Akito a moment to recognize her when he turned around to see who had called his name. Kagura usually looked different. Her light brown hair was usually loose, not gathered into a braid.

And maybe it used to be longer too? She could have cut it to make mission work easier. That would make sense.

She had clearly also gotten a set of new clothes for missions. She was wearing a tank top tucked into a pair of well-fitted cargo pants which terminated just below the knees. She had tied a dark gray jacket around her waist and had her forehead protector around her neck.

“Oh, hi Kagura,” he responded.

Akito wasn't quite sure why, but he liked how she looked in her mission garb. He must have stared a bit too long because he saw her cheeks go red as she looked away. Akito quickly glanced away.

“I- I hope we're on the same team,” Kagura mumbled.

“Why?” Akito asked matter of factly, his uncle's words still ringing in his ears.

“Why?” The girl mimicked his one word response back to him. “Whaddya mean why? You're like, the strongest guy in our class.”

Akito wasn't sure whether to grin proudly or turn away. He wasn't really sure what to do in this situation at all. She had talked to him previously, but somehow this felt different. After what his uncle had said, this felt wrong, somehow.

“And I'd just feel really safe if we were on a team together,” she continued, turning slightly redder.

Is this what Uncle meant? Is Kagura one of the harlots beneath the Hyuuga clan?

Akito wasn't really sure what that meant, but he knew it was a bad thing. It's what his uncle called his classmates, and what Akito's cousins called his mother to his face, and what the clan elders called her when they thought he wasn't listening. Even if the clan hated his mother and thought she was a harlot, whatever that was, he loved his mother and didn't think she was any bad thing. And if his mother wasn't a harlot, maybe Kagura wasn't one either. She was standing so near him. Suddenly, Akito was very aware of how quickly his heart was beating.

“Helooooooo? Earth to Akito?” Kagura was waving her hand in front of his face.

Akito didn’t realize that he had been thinking long enough for it to be noticeable.

I’ll have to work on that. It would be bad if I were thinning through a combat situation and-

“Are you okay?” Kagura asked, this time starting to look worried.

“Of course!” Akito snapped. “I was just distracted, that was all.”

An announcement went out that the teams were about to be announced, and as if to punctuate it, the storm which had been threatening all morning began to pour down. Akito and Kagura were on the same team.

“I’m so glad we’re on the same team! We can keep each other safe!” Kagura called out to him, grabbing Akito and pulling him into a hug.

Akito pushed her away.

“Yeah…”

She smells nice.

Their first mission, received directly from the hands of the Hokage himself: cleaning debris out of storm drains to help the village weather the storm. As a team, they set out with bags and rakes. It was a long, unpleasant day of work. To top things off, Kagura kept trying to talk to him about things that his uncle always said were beneath him. He did try to talk to her about go, but she didn’t really follow what he told her. Still, as annoying as he found (or maybe wanted to find) what she was talking to him about, he couldn’t bring himself to tell her to stop. Despite this being his first mission, Akito found himself getting distracted. Every time Kagura turned around, Akito couldn’t help but peek at her. He could still picture the way her braid curled around the nape of her neck as she worked.

Back in the Hyuuga estate, Akito was slick with sweat and was starting to feel sick. He was lost in thought, and had lost track of how much chakra he was putting out.

I think I overdid things and used way too much chakra. I need to watch that I don’t injure myself before the invasion. Time to shower off, and then maybe lay down for a while.

Akito stumbled to his feet and to the shower in his dwelling. He took his hair down, quickly shed the gi he had been meditating in, and poured himself into the shower without bothering to wait for it to warm up.

Kami, I haven’t thought about Kagura in many years. I liked it better that way.

Once he had rinsed off, Akito turned off the shower. He quickly pulled his futon back down and curled up on it, not bothering to put anything on. Soon after he closed his eyes, Akito was out: dead to the world.

ESPIRIT DE CORPS: That was the name of that un-Hyuuga harlot in our squad, Kagura.

EMPATHY: What is wrong with you?

ELECTROCHEMISTRY: Kagura, what a girl. Did he ever grow out of that shitty shy phase and get with her?

SUGGESTION: They were never any sort of official, but one would know there was something going on. Some sort of relation.

LOGIC: A risky endeavor.

EPSIRIT DE CORPS: A disgusting one.

PAIN THRESHOLD: He would have taken quite the beating had they been found out.


REACTION SPEED: Luckily, they weren’t. Quick movement and quick thinking kept us out of trouble again.

DRAMA: Not to mention some well planned lies.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY: I remember now! What a gal. Whatever happened to her?

ENCYCLOPEDIA: Searching…
VOLITION: Nothing good can come of this.

INLAND EMPIRE: Something good can always come from this. Even if it hurts, we can transform it into something good.

HALF LIGHT: That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.

CONCEPTUALIZATION: No, let him cook.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY: Anyway…

VOLITION: Stop.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY: You don’t even know what I was going to say.

VOLITION: It is never anything worthwhile.

ESPIRIT DE CORPS: Truth.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY: Anyway, about this girl, Kagura. If we fucked that up too badly, I know someone else he might be able to get a little-

VOLITION: No.

LOGIC: No.

PAIN THRESHOLD: …no.

ESPIRIT DE CORPS: That would betray the clan in more than one way.

ENCYCLOPEDIA: Found.

REACTION SPEED: No st-

PAIN THRESHOLD: Bracing

ENCYCLOPEDIA: Kagura Ito died seven years ago, aged 17. Cause of death: blood loss resulting from a kunai wound sustained on a mission to apprehend a low-ranking missing nin. This occurred several days after Akito Hyuuga told her “This will not work between us. The clan would never approve of you. Please leave me alone.”

Total Word Count: 3032/750 => Chakra +4