The Desert Wastes (Private)

The dry dusty wind blew across the arid landscape of the desert. Taro trudged through the sand. He was not made for this environment. His face was a bright red due to the relentless sun. While underneath his fine clothes he was sweating. Generally he was uncomfortable. Ever since leaving his campsite Taro had been regretting the choice to leave, but he had left out necessity; he needed to resupply. The food and water he had been able to scrounge around on the borders was not enough so now he was bound to the village hidden in the sand or at least Taro hoped he was. As it was right now he was completely and utterly lost. All the sand dunes looked the same and they seemed to shift when he was not looking.

With a resigned sigh he made his way over to a small cave that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Once inside he decided to stay there for a bit to stay out of the sun. He also needed some time to let his head cool down as he was getting a bit frustrated. Getting lost in this sandy waste was not very high on his priorities, but he had to live with it and face the facts: he was lost. Little did he know that the village of Sunagakure was not too far away, but had been obscured from view by the fickle desert. To pass the time Taro made a miniature sized tree rise from the ground before him. It was a small quaint tree, but from it sprouted very beautiful white flowers. These flowers looked like a light in the darkness of the cave and a purity in an impure world-they reminded Taro of his deceased mother who had been a florist. He planned to stay in the cave for a bit longer as his frustration had not yet disappeared.

Azaiyo would wander around the village known as Sunagakure no Sato. Ever since Viper and Azaiyo had their meeting, Azaiyo never felt the same. This time, there would be no other morals to his travels other than those of a hero. Ensuring his life would not be on the line while on duty he would still keep the seal before the Kazekage's door, keeping him almost impenetrable in battle as he can merely vanish. However, Azaiyo learned that a new threat had come. Azaiyo would have to leave his discussions to the shinobi of Sunagakure and the Hokage only for now. He could remember being hit rather suddenly back in Iwagakure, but who knew what it was for. Azaiyo would begin thinking of getting medical treatment only to be interrupted by a strange, black-suited man dwelling in the caves of the desert. With acts of precaution, Azaiyo would approach this man. Somehow noticing now that he had secret guidance from a great leader, Azaiyo would smile. He would get rather close to the man, about mid-range as he wanted to see first what kind of a man this person. "A man like you should not be resting in a large, public area like this. You should know that the shinobi world is an imbalanced place. You can never tell if somebody is secretly searching to kill you right now. Just look at how easy it was for me to get here. Otherwise, to you, I will just call myself the Tenseissun. May I ask your purpose here? I can tell by your face you seem to be having some issues. However, if those issues involve ruining the lives of others, I will tell you now that I already have your soul in my grasp if you attempt to cause chaos. With this, Azaiyo would stand there for a moment, his Heaven's Sorrow aiming for the boy's heart to ensure peace, seeing if the man was indeed innocent. Azaiyo would hope for a reply, as silence from this point on could only be declined, only to be accepted as a penalty to those who come to Sunagakure's landscape to commit crimes. "I suggest you speak up, for these times have become very fragile, so I need to know who the mockingbirds are to build a new home of salvation

Taro had been caught unawares. While lost in thought a man had entered the cave Taro was in and leveled a sword on him. He was really losing his touch. Taro heard the man speak of the imbalance of the shinobi world and then go onto imply that Taro was here to cause ruin on the Sand village, which was something that Taro would never do. Once the man had finished speaking Taro allowed a brief silence and then replied: “I wish to cause no ruin to anyone or anything unless it be deserving. I know first hand what sorrow ruin brings and I could not bear to inflict that pain upon others.” Taro paused for a second and considered his next words carefully and then continued: “ My name is Taro. To be honest I am out here searching for the village hidden in the sand, but I got a bit lost so now I am here. I had planned to resupply in the Sand village as my supplies I have been able to get around the country borders have dwindled. Would you mind lowering your sword now? I have a slight aversion to sharp objects being leveled at my heart.” While this speech was going on the small tree that had grown in the cave slowly wilted until finally all the white flowers lay on the ground. Taro had forsaken the tree and it quickly died in the harsh and unnatural environment it had grown in.
(Sorry it's a bit short)

Azaiyo would chuckle as he would listen to this man known as Taro and his comments. "Haha, sorry" Azaiyo would laugh, putting his sword back in his weapon pouch, still keeping an eye on this man. "You can see now how fragile the world has become. I must ensure that my village is always safe by scanning through it on a daily basis. This is something that people from my village would not do a few months ago. However, the darkness has grown stronger, people have matured in different ways. Even those with the greatest hearts have suddenly hypnotized themselves into becoming evil. We must keep all areas safe if we wish to conquer the darkness. If darkness has to takeover in some parts of the world, make them small." Azaiyo would pause here. Maybe his words were not the greatest, but he was also talking for himself at this point. He would think thoroughly of what to say next, then come to a quick conclusion as this boy would speak of joining Sunagakure no Sato. "As you may know, Sunagakure no Sato is the most peaceful village out there. We are currently off-limits to any danger as shinobi from other villages are supporting us, even if they have nothing to do with it. I figured out that this village may have the highest connectivity with the remaining Four Great Nations. This means that if Sunagakure no Sato were to be taken over, it could cause mayhem to all other villages, and the world would end. With this said, if you truly wish to join Sunagakure no Sato, I ask that you keep all of the pain inside of you and do not even pull the smallest crimes, for if you do, I will be forced to kill you. I recommend speaking to the elders as you wander through there, and of course the Kazekage. We want people shining brightly like the hot sun that sails over our village." With this, he would allow this man to have the final say on his thoughts.

Taro sighed a bit after the man stopped speaking. He took a second to process what he had just said and then responded with a well worded reply: “To tell you the truth I have been fairly removed from the Shinobi world and as such I am not really up to speed on all that has happened, but from what you have said it seems the situation is dire. Therefore it seems the right thing to do would to assist you, and in turn your village. Though that may just be a vague hope of mine, because if you have not guessed by now I am a missing ninja.” As proof Taro held out his Kumogakure headband with a jagged slash through the symbol of the clouds. “I doubt your Kage would allow me into your village for lack of trust, in fact if I were in you Kage’s place I would not accept me into your village. I know myself and know I would not turn on a village without just cause, but how could anyone else know that?…Before, when I left Kumogakure, I had nothing left there. My family was dead and I had no real connection to the village so at the time it felt like the right thing, but there are times that I regret my actions. Maybe it is time that I come back into the village system.” Taro paused again and thought for second. “Also, if it is not too much trouble, could you possibly guide me to the Sunagakure? I will probably need an escort or overseer to get into the village let alone speak with the Kazekage, considering my standing. This may be a lot to ask considering we just met…but would you be willing to be that overseer?” Taro hoped that this man would escort him to the village at the very least. Otherwise there would be little hope of him ever entering the village. If this did not work out maybe he would pay his old home, the village hidden in the leaves, a visit.

Azaiyo would listen to the man once again, this time reflecting on his feelings as he could only see pain, suffering, madness, and misery inside of this man. However, he could also see a small ounce of light inside this man, constantly growing while the darkness was fading. This was one of Azaiyo's natural gifts. It had seemed this man was full of regrets. Azaiyo would examine the headband from the Hidden Cloud as it was indeed slashed. It had seemed that this man was two-sided, but like Azaiyo thought, he could see the man becoming pure. He had become really desperate to find a home, becoming very eager to being accepted into one of the Five Great Nations. Specifically the village of Sunagakure of Sato, Azaiyo did not know. Many it was because the peaceful community of the Hidden Sand was already discovered by Taro. Azaiyo would come to an interesting thought as the man wished to be escorted to the village to speak to the Kage, informing Azaiyo however that he was a missing ninja. "Too many missing ninja have come into the village for one to be accepted alone, even with me. No matter what your propositions may be, you will need to show who you really are, all your feelings, all of your intentions, your thoughts of life, your thoughts on other people, your thoughts on life and chaos. You are an interesting pupil, and this is why I am going to reveal to you that I am the Deputy Kazekage. Again, I do not speak my name until the time is right because there is too much danger lurking around these areas now-a-days. I can help you though. Like I mentioned seconds ago, you need to reveal the shinobi within you. It is true I cannot take you to the village at the moment since you are a missing ninja, for it would only result in your death and possibly mine. This is why you are going to talk to me as if I am the Kazekage right now. Speak of absolutely everything you are. I have as much knowledge of other people as the Kazekage does, so if you prove to me that you do not deserve to be a missing ninja, but rather a villager, I have a scroll prepared to be written on and sent to the real Kazekage, granting you an exception into becoming one of the Hidden Sand shinobi. I will need to be your guardian if you accomplish this goal, and will need to be your Sensei. However, I treat the people of pure heart and soul to the best of my ability, so prove to me with the best of your ability that you are one of those people. Do not leave out a single detail." This would be the ultimate test for Taro. It was time he proved that he was a man of pure light and peace. Azaiyo would make his face blank as he was more than prepared to hear what this man would have to say. His life was on the line here, for if he were to leave out a single detail, he would prove he is too problematic to be accepted into not just Sunagakure, but any village. Azaiyo knew Taro could understand everything that Azaiyo said, but could he thoroughly reply to it in a Hidden Sand worthy manner? This was yet to be revealed.

Taro listen carefully to the man's speech. Deep down he knew his initial
bid for entrance would be impeded and challenged. Luckily the man
claimed to be the deputy Kazekage, which was something he would
remember. Leaning up against the cold cave wall Taro prepared to begin
his tale. He figured he would start with a mildly condensed version of
his life. What better way to get to know someone? Taro was reluctant to
start, but now he had no real choice as the Man before would probably
kill him if he refused to. Sighing a bit Taro Started out with a slight
disclaimer: "Well I am going to start with my life story, please bear
with me as I tell it as I still need to get many of the events and my
emotions regarding them clear in my head. I was born in the village
hidden in the leaves. My mother, the source of my Senju blood, raised me
there." As proof of his heritage Taro proudly made a small root rise
deep from the ground and then descended back into the rocky cave's floor.
"My father left before I was born so I do not really know much about
him. My Mother and I lived a fairly normal life. I guess one could say I
was like all the other kids. I did ok in the academy and graduated as a
genin when I was nine. Then came a particularity trying time in life.
The team I was placed on had some teamwork issues, Some would be
expected, but our failure at teamwork brought it to a whole new level.
Luckily our sensei was able to pull us together with a especially taxing
combat simulation, which involved him "dying". After that my team was a
top performing team. We easily aced the chuunin exams and I became a
chuunin at the age of about thirteen. I lived in the Leaf for a year
more happily fulfilling my missions and my duties to the Hokage. Near
the end of my first year of becoming a chuunin my mother and I left the
leaf village as refugees. The leaf had been attacked and destroyed too
many times for our liking. We moved to Kumogakure where we believed we
would be safe, but we were woefully wrong. My mother had opened a small
flower shop and I just started the Jounin exams. After the first written
exam I returned home to see a band of hooligans running from the flower
shop. I rushed into the shop and found my mother as she breathed her
last breath. It was here that it seems that my whole life changed. The
next week consisted of me completing the Jounin exam and mourning. I
dont know if you have ever lost someone important to you, but it is
worse than dying. My mind was, and at times still is, occupied with guilty thoughts of how it
was my fault. It was then that it dawned on me: I had no
real connection or any other reason to be in the Cloud village as I no
longer had anyone to protect. So on the eve of my sixteenth birthday I
stole away from the village; leaving in the night like a coward too
scared to face the eyes of my peers once again. I have been out living
on the country borders since then doing odd jobs to keep the ryo flowing
and in turn the food. It has been a lonely existence, but I have had
much time to reflect on my life."

At this point Taro took a short break
picked up a pinch of dirt letting it slip through his fingers much like
his life had. He then turned his mind to the deputy Kazekage's other
questions about life and choas " Now that you have heard my story maybe
you will better understand my answers to your questions. My view on
life, my own and other people's, is simple: live and let live, which is
why when I defected from the Kumogakure I did not leave with a rash of
violence like many missing ninja do, in fact I even allowed the ones who
killed my mother to escape, luckily they were caught by authorities
hours after her killing or I would have surely hunted them with a
bloodlusty abandon. That brings up another thing: in my time of solitude
I have come to believe something of the nature of the missing ninja of
the world: that perhaps instead of being missing they are in fact lost. I
feel I lost my way when I left the village community, but recently I
have been looking to get back in. It gets rather lonely out by yourself,
which led to my search for other Senju's like myself. My clan has been
scattered all over the five great nations and I wish to unite a group of
us. But I am getting off track sorry. Basically I believe that my time
as a missing ninja has allowed me time to get my priority straight and
they start with making amends and joining a village. I would have gone
to the Leaf or the Cloud village's, but they conjure up too many bitter
sweet memories. If you have any more questions about me and my
ideologies please only ask. Now if I may what is this darkness in the
Shinobi world you have been talking about?" Taro finally stopped
speaking and allowed the cloaked man to respond. Taro felt content all
his words had been truthful. As a whole saying all these things out loud
had allowed him to get his mind straight, which if anything was a
positive even if the man did not approve of him. He allowed the small
tree he had grown earlier to come back into being with fresh white
flowers as white as the moon at midnight. With a smile he picked a flower and let it fall to the cave floor.

With Taro's speech came very few words as a response. Azaiyo would grin, settling his eyelids as he would speak. "Taro Senju...I can already picture your entire life before my eyes. You are an imbalanced person. This does not signify that you are indeed a sinister, but because you are allowing darkness to consume you, thereby causing you to not think for yourself and others excluding your family...up until this very point. When you left Konohagakure as a refugee, did you ever think of going back? No matter what orders are given, if you are a Shinobi of peace, you will always put your life before others. You failed to do so however by watching your village crumble into pieces, only to be rebuilt and destroyed once more. Everyone is scared of death. However, it is the way you die that is always asked. If you put your life before others, and die doing so, you can say your life ended by making a difference in society. Your support only strengthens all, including yourself, so stand up, for that is the way of a Shinobi. Do not cower or let authority pull you over, for if you truly are a Shinobi of peace, you will one day grow as a Savior. Fight to the death and never give up. If you do not like the way things are going, show your feelings and make a change. Never think you are at fault of one's death unless you walked away from it. If death isn't confirmed, expect the best. The reason you are here now is because you failed to see the points I gave, nor have you unleashed your inner feelings, you just let things slip by you. Your path to mastery is yet to be discovered, and that is why I am going to help reveal it to you. The final judgment is about to be decided, but through a spar. You do not have to win, you just have to impress me. If you impress me, this scroll gets sent to Lady Kazekage with my consent. If not, there is no reason for me to help you, and you will have to live out the rest of your days forever alone. Rules are simple. Do not fall. To conclude his final words before the spar, he would pull two Heaven's Sorrow Ninjato from his weapon pouch. This battle would truly decide the fate of Taro Senju. [NO KILLING FROM THIS POINT ON IF APPROVED BY TARO SENJU]

Taro’s face grew slightly grim as he listened to the man’s words. He had never really thought of going back to the leaf village. He had only cared about staying safe himself and protecting his mother. The part about his mother’s death also struck him as profound. He had spent his last couple years hating and second guessing himself about his mother’s death. Maybe it would be best to not forget her, but let her be at peace and in turn allow himself to be at peace after all were she alive today what would she think of his current state? The cloaked man’s final words rested heavily on Taro: it had been a long time since he had spared and he was pretty sure the man was much stronger than him. Then again: what did he have to lose by a small spar. Getting up off the ground of the cave a devilish grin was plastered across Taro’s shadow darkened face. He stuck out his right hand and a small root came out of the ground and quickly fashioned itself into a pole. The pole itself was about six feet long and an inch and a half in diameter. The wood that the pole was made out of was ash: a both resilient and strong wood. Granted it would not be able to take a full force blow from a sword, but it would be able to deflect and redirect the blade if used properly. With a jerk of his right arm the pole is broken off the root itself and was held in both hands by Taro. “Then let us spar. I wish you luck, but I warn you I am a bit rusty at this as I have not had someone else to fight with in a long time.” With those short words over Taro made a swift and fluid movement with his staff leading his charge. The staff would precede Taro's front right hand by about four feet giving him enough space to maneuver if the attack he had planned failed. The hit was aimed right at the cloaked man’s right sword hand in hopes that he might drop it. If the attack landed the man would probably at the worst undergo slight bruising and possibly drop his sword. Taro knew his attack was a bit reckless, but the fact of the matter was that he had little other alternatives as it took a lot more chakra to make wood appear in a place where there was no natural source, such as a desert.

Spoiler:

Azaiyo would begin marking the results of this man through his mind. "I can see your vegeance reflecting in your technique. However, you let yourself loose by attacking with small thought. Allow me to demonstrate the consequences." Watching the man attempt to strike him with his wooden spear, Azaiyo would use the Substitution Technique to poof. Reappearing behind the man, he would knock him to his knees by giving him a hard punch to the back. "I could have ended the spar this quickly! Express your feelings to the fullest extent! I want to see YOUR life flash before my very eyes, along with your future through battle. With Taro Senju on his knees, Azaiyo would throw an exploding tag next to him, only to detonate in a matter of two seconds. If this were to get through to Taro, the spar would end against Taro's favor, for the only performance Azaiyo could image right now was his thoughtless striking attempt.