aftermath.[P}

"what the hell did I think I was doing?!" She asked herself as she entered the area where she usual trained the young ones. Less then a day ago she had stood outside the gate, battling her dear friend. Less then a day ago she had attacked an unarmed man. Less then a day ago she had almost killed him. She was a wreck. The shadows rose at her whim to form two tendrils which swayed left and right about her, "Why...This never happens to me!" As she spoke one of the tendrils stuck out at a target dummy that was set up, and split it in half right down the center. 

     "Why would I ever....Youka. Was it youka's fault? Why am i still afraid. still weak...I need to find....something." The other tendril lashed out, taking out the dummy directly beside the first, though a little differently. The sharp point on the end of this spike blunted out as sit struck, hitting the wooden circular target with the force of a truck. It shattere with a loud crash, breaking into a mass of splitners that flew everywhere. 

    "Kira....Stop this. " The tendrils lashed out at the place where she thought she heard the voice, however as it was in her head nothing happened. "Kira come on. This is too much. You will get stronger. You will train to become powerful enough. Look how far you've gotten. " Her voice was calm and soothing, though it did little to sate the girl.

    "How far I've gotten?! I've gotten myself put into the hospital by a friend, and then I got myself into putting another friend in. A friend who happens to be the Kage of a village, and the village I'm staying at. " Three more dummies shattered to her rage and she began walking around more for lack of things to break then need to blow off steam. 


     "No." THis voice was different form the other. This voice almost sounded like her own. She turned, raising the shadows up defensively and as she did she noticed the girl. She was similar in height, though her hair was a bright blonde, which was opposite the young konoichi. "Hello Kira. You must stop this....It's not right. " The shadows lashed out at her as she finished speaking, not allowing her a moment to breath before they skewered her, a strike that would have left two fist slzed holes in the girl's chest however as she did the tendrils simply passed right through. "Kira stop. There is no use for this. The path you are on leads to horible consequences. I had to give up everything to come back....and I dont know if we can again. " 

     "It doesnt matter. As long as I can become powerful enough to survive I'll be alright. "she continued to stab at the strange woman before her, though it clearly did no good. The failed attempt to attack did little to nothing to help her temperment. On the contrary it actually made things incredibly worse. she struck out at the girl and anything in her way with a renewed vigor, slashing through random dummies, trees and the side of a man's house, who was incredibly upset at the girl's rudeness in both interupting him in the middle of a shower and because he had paid a lot of money for the house that she destoryed in less then a second. 

    "I can assist. My name is amber......I am the reason you're here. The power flowing inside of you is immense. All you need to do is rely on the power of your abilities and you will prevail. " Amber knew too well the strength Kira had because it was hers. THis girl as a creation of the goddes to allow her access to this world. Her strength in shadow was incredible but not enough. "You see. You are trying to do too many things. You choose to study the healing arts to ease your pain, the great ninjutsu arts in order to do power abilities, and a slew of other less important things. None of this will give you the strength you need. " She nodded, taking time to consider everything that she had just been told. It was a strange thing to think about, that This girl would show up just to assist her but she was unclear exactly where she came from. Amber however knew everything. She had been within the girl's mind all along,feeding of her positive energy and allowing herself to recuperate from the incident that had happen shortly before. "Ninjutsu child. Ninjutsu is the nara specialty. Forget the healing of outers. Study the art of ninjutsu and all will be good. If you master your shadow and mix it in with water release you will be unstopable. 

     "Alright. I can only assume that i've gone crazy. there is no way a strange woman is standing there talking to me as if she were a friend whom I have no recognization for. It just doesnt happen...Does it?"

(TWC 847)

Her rages flowed through her chara, sharpening the points of the shadow as they continued to pass through the woman calling herself amber. "Enough. ENOUGH" the world around her changes at the dark goddess' will. Kira's perception of reality was lost as the world turned black before her eyes. amber drew her deep into her own mind and as she did her body entered a trance like state allowing her subconscious to roam the world of her imagination freely. The scene before then was an enormous woodlands. Her eyes took in the sight so foreign to yuki with a sense of being lost."be easy child. This is the Forrest of dreams. Here you can train without the normal limiters. You have experienced it before when you met Selene but my reality is slightly different. This is the portal between worlds. I could explain but.... It's just better to trust me." As she spoke she walked behind the girl who turned to keep track of what was going on, noticing what was one hidden from her sight.

She noticed the sound of flowing water as she turned. At her back, less then a foot from where she stood was a large basin of water fed by a tall waterfall. "This is...."

"Kira concentrate. We need to work together. I've hid for too long. As one we are unstoppable." As she spoke she slid a hand into the water. As she lifted it back, cupping it to carry some from the still water below something else strange happened. the water, which would normally slide through her fingers to return to the earth sat unmoving in her palm. "Ninjutsu and elemental manipulation... These are our greatest strengths. Find comfort in the water and shadow. Shinobi will fall or turn their backs but these two.... Shall never betray you."

"Water and shadow......" She gazed curiously at the woman in her head. It was such a strange thing to see. She watched the water shift and contrary as amber spoke, raiding up and stretching out at her whim and called two tendrils from the ground beneath her. The tendril rose to stretch out in a similar fashion to the water, bending around itself and manipulating it's shape at Kira's will.

"Your cursed blood seems to be a limit child, but it will be your greatest strength. Your mother.... Our mother. Her gift came at a price. You were given the price without the gift but we are adept and making the best of situations. " once she was finished she hurled the water ball at Kira which morphed in mid air to form into a spear. It's speed was incredible, matching that of which her shadows moved but her eyes followed it easily. The tendril spread to dorm a large shield in front of Kira out of pure instinct, and the water splashes against it to fall to the ground where it soaks into the earth beneath them.

(1340)

"Good, but you will need to be faster then that. "With a wave of her hand a stream of water flowed up from the pool at her feet. It began to slowly rotate around her, spreading and confronting as if it were inside a balloon being stretched and contorted by a child's hands to bursting but never left it's form. Once it created a full circle that surrounded her body around one foot thick she pointed to her opponent and five needles flew from the structure.

Kira leaned back in her stance watching the woman's strange jutsu, or what she assumed to be a jutsu. Her eyes studied every aspect of both the technique and body structure as she formed whatever she was doing, watching both for the tell tale signs of an attack and any point when she could counter the maneuver. As the needles flew towards her she activated her skill to raise two more shadows to her aid. At her mental command large the large demonic mouths at her feet traveled up the shadows to end where the sharp pointed tips once more and smile with a creepy look at amber. They spread their shadowy lips as the needles got close to open and then close the great mouths, swallowing the needles whole, leaving two needles to pass her defences. She had considered simply consuming them all by opening the mouth wider but determined if this woman needed a display of power she would give it. Her hands rose to block the strikes, though their power she knew to be very close to her owns shadows . As they collided her hands flashed a light blue which easily shattered the bits of water. Her newest jutsu, chakra scalpel, was net final form of defence. With her attack finished amber took no time in sending another strike, this time deciding to try something different. The circle of water around her body flowed out towards her in a size similar to her own shadows. It's tip was small and pointed, aimed at her left shoulder to fly quickly and she made sure there was no question thst this was the warm up. Kira valued backwards quickly, her feet flosting easily over her head to flip body once before landing a few feet away. As she moved her feet flared out for balance in a way that looked incredibly similar to someone kicking an opponent. Her shadows reached out towards the incoming attacks and as they got within range the side formed into a sharp sword like edge that slashed at the water.

At ambers and the projectiles split in half, two becoming four in such a way that the shadow tendril passed safely between each and out of her range. Shit. This was becoming an issue, Kira thought to herself. She rose more tendrils, four to be exact which combined immediately into groups of two to create large shields in front of her. The water crashed against the shadow creations, causing a small crack as they disappeared into nothingness which was easily fixed when she formed them up once more.

"Not bad. You must try harder to actuslly attack me however if you wish to win...." Another stream of water flowed from the pool beneath her to lash out at Kira with the same intensity. Once more she used her first line of defence. The water split as it had the first time to make the tendrils useless she considered for a moment using the ghost mark . The question wasn't should she use the power but would it last long enough to do what was needed and to be honest she didn't think it would due to the short time length within the seal. She took off at a run and as she didn't she shadows followed to support her. The shield moved to knock the water attack away as she ran through it hoping to use the confusion and high concentration of things going on to effect ambers pwrception but it didn't work. As she pushed at the water it split once more to reach around the defence. There was no way Kira could have noticed so when she ducked to go under the shields meant to push the attack out of her path the water slipped around to cut into her shoulder and arms , knocking her down to the ground with the force and surprise of the attack. Her hip touched down against the soft earth first and no cushion was to be found. The impact at her speed felt like hitting a brick wall making her yell out In agony followed by another intense burst of pain as her shoulder hit and her body slid several feet kicking up a pile of wet dirt thst stained her clothes.

"I told you you would need to do better child. " amber allowed her to stand, and watched as she took a seemingly ammount of time in doing so. Kira pushed her hand into the dirt to push herself back up digging her left foot in for leverage. The impact had weakened her severely and so the srm holding her weight buckled. She hit the ground once more with a groan.

(2211)

"I'm going to kill you. " once more she pushed off of the ground, though this time she braced her body with the muscles of her abdominal which allowed her to rise slowly to a weak stance. Rage filled her eyes as she rose the shadows once more. She activated her cloak of shadow jutsu, causing a black shadow to flow across her body from head to toe and when it was done she used her final trick. "Sorrow. Come forth from nothingness and bring this women from whence you came" with a horrifying hood curdling screech the weapon came into existence but not in the way she expected. The weapon appeared a distance away and as it did amber stretched her hands outward to recieve the scythe with a wicked grin. "All shall fail us Kira. All shall fail but the shadow and water...."

She was off again at a run. This woman screwed with her head and took her weapon, and thst meant war. Eight shadow tendrils rose from the ground to follow behind her as another lifted her up to throw her forward increasing her speed by more then double. The water lashed out once more at ambers command and Kira made no move to stop it. Her tendrils shot out as they neared to stab at the strange woman's chest and side as she struck causing her to shift backwards, putting her weight on her back leg. The large spear of water struck to pierce into her shoulder and as it did the cloak of shadow around her body formed a tendril that knocked the attack harmlessly out of her way. The shadows met the circle of water which formed blades to strike at her and though most hit their mark, repeating the effect of water in shadow in reverse two split down the center just as the water had and exactly as the tendril on Kira's body retraced back to the cloak. These tendrils, which there were now four of struck into her opponent, knocking her to the ground and lining her with incredible force. One slid into the spot if open flesh on either side of ambers collar bones, one but into the flesh of her thigh and the third flattened out to slam into her solar plexus all at the same time. She spat a mouth ful of blood out onto the ground before looking up at Kira with a smile.

" very good. Rely on the power of your ninjutsu, the elements and shadows will protect you through anything. Now go. I will be with you , guiding you to become the person we need to be but remember, strength is not being able to kill those who challenge you, it's the ability protect those you care about. There will come a day once more when you wish to lash out against those you trust. Never forget that without them you would not have been here to meet me. "The water ring hung low around her body and as she spoke it drifted from around her to break into a long line. It floated towards Kira, who now stood over amber, bending down to reach out hand and help her up as the shadows dislodged from her body. They smiled at each other. As amber rose the water flowed into Kira's body, filling her with powerful chakra. Her mothers curse would be her gift from this day forward, she thought to herself, and finally she would not need to live in fear.

They stood together, the shadow and water finally as one. "Ninjutsu.... From this day forward will be my greatest ally. I revoke my teachings in the way of medical ninjutsu and shall devote myself to my clan art and the power of my element. The power of my mothers gift, I shall build it up to become as strong as yours one day amber and use it to defend the weak and teach them to be strong for that is my ninja way." The spoke the final portion, ' that is my ninja way' In unison. Finally they shook hands as comrades and as their skin touched the illusion creating the world around her melted away into nothingness and she opened her eyes. She was lying on the ground, propped up with two tendrils of shadow.

"Welcome back Kira" selene's voice slipped into her head and And she smiled. She stood with the help of her mastery of shadows tendrils and looked across her previous psth of destruction deciding at some point she would need to repair these for yuki but first she would train her ninjutsu to stand against those who would keep her down, with an air of confidence she left to head back home and prepare for the long road ahead both in training and in her trip to konoha.

(Twc 3020 dropping med spec and requesting wc to chsnge to ninjutsu and 750 ryo)

approved