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![The Opposite...His Opposite [Solo, NK] Empty](https://2img.net/i/empty.gif)
The Opposite...His Opposite [Solo, NK]
Sat Jun 21, 2014 1:34 pm
Sweat ran down the side of his head as heavy breaths left his mouth. His sapphire orbs dilated as they darted from one corner of his eye to the next. His chest felt like it was on fire, his legs were ready to collapse at any moment. He was running. The wicked laughter from behind him grew larger with each step he took, forcing him to move even faster. He was scared. The dark area he was in made everything harder. He couldn't see where he was going, he didn't even know where he was. It was like he was in a never-ending trail of darkness. He barely managed to notice it, but once he took another step forward he knew immediately. The boy pulled his foot back and whimpered in fear. He had arrived at a cliff and, if it was possible, the fall seemed to be even darker than where he was now. It was a dead-end. Any further and it would be his demise. The volume of the laughter increased tenfold, signalling that it was near. He didn't want to die. Eventually, he felt something breathing against the back of his neck. The child immediately twirled around, attempting to swat away whatever was behind him. All his fingers did was pass through what seemed to be a humanoid figure. Their red eyes glowed with evil intent as they continued to cackle.
"You're too weak." it growled out, then proceeding to cackle once more. It's voice sounded very much like a mixture between his mother's and his brother's. What a surprise that was. As if they didn't say that to him enough in his younger years.
With a single push to his chest, he was sent off the edge of the cliff, falling at a rapid pace to the bottom. He screamed out in fear and anger as he plunged deeper and deeper into the pit. The figure's laughs merely continued as the boy grew hysterical. It was too late for him, he was going to die. The atmosphere around him grew lighter, making it hard to breathe and his vision became hazy. He didn't want to, though. He wasn't ready to be flushed down the great toilet of the universe. He can't be treated like shit, he can't be thrown away like a piece of trash. The child released another bloodcurdling scream, his throat becoming sore as he did so.
"Not yet!" he shouted, tears beginning to form in his eyes, "Don't throw me out just yet!"
-
Mugen's eyes immediately shot open as he bolted upwards in his bed. He greedily sucked in the fresh air that was in his room, soon returning it to the atmosphere. The snow haired child placed a single hand on his forehead, feeling the sweat emanating from it. He pulled back the limb in slight disgust before placing it onto his cheek. It was wet there too, but something told him that it wasn't from sweat. His hand trailed upwards until it hit the bottom of his eye. Realization slowly appeared onto his features as his mouth formed a small frown. He had been crying in his sleep...again. A sigh erupted from his mouth as he tore his blanket off his body. His feet touched the cool surface of his wooden floor, the limbs directing him to where his closet was located. Mugen roughly opened the door to his closet, picking out his usual choice of clothing: a black turtle neck shirt and black basketball shorts. It wasn't long before he disappeared into the bathroom, taking his sweet time preparing himself for the rest of the day. Minutes flew by until the boy finally exited the bathroom, rid of any sweat or disgusting odors. He immediately left his room with a new destination. He made sure to lock the door just in case his little sister decided she wanted to snoop today.
The boy rushed down the hall, soon arriving at a pale pink door. He sighed before knocking on the door at a rapid pace. His knocks were powerful too, and would surely wake up anybody who could possibly be resting in that room. This, of course, was his intention.
"I'm up, nii-san, I'm up!" a small voice called out from behind the door. A soft smile made it's appearance on Mugen's face at the sound. It was like music to his ears. His knocking came to an abrupt stop, signaling that he had heard her response. Without wasting another moment, the boy made his way towards the stairs. He proceeded to make his way down, leaping up at the 3rd to last step and safely landing on the ground. He was now standing the kitchen, setting his sights onto the holy refrigerator. It was directly next to a window that was slightly cracked open, allowing the sun's ray to enter the room. That only added a more serene look to everything. The light even hit his sapphire eyes, making them seem full of life. The child rushed over the refrigerator, immediately opening it and looking for his breakfast. He was lucky enough to spot his bottle of soda from two days ago and a PB&J sandwich. His hands went out to grab the two items, soon placing the sandwich in between his teeth and holding his soda with both hands. He closed the refrigerator door with his foot and hopped over to the table in the middle of the room.
On said table with a pencil and several pieces of paper due to his habit of leaving a note for Emi whenever he left the house. Mugen hastily wrote the note for today, stating that he was heading to the training grounds. He didn't have to go the academy until tomorrow, so he was going to use this opportunity to train. The boy made his way towards the entrance to his house. In this case it was going to be his exit to the rest of the village. However, before he even took a single step outside, he was tackled from behind by a small force. Luckily, he was able to stay standing considering it wasn't enough to bring him down.
"No more notes, nii-san! I want to say goodbye to you," a familiar sound filled the air, "So bye-bye nii-san! I hope you have fun with training." He could tell that the one speaking was Emi, for no one else could talk in such a sweet and innocent tone. She practically made him melt with her cuteness. Mugen tilted his head to face his sister and gave her a warm smile.
"Yeah, I'll make sure that I do. And when I'm done I'll run home so I can play with Em-chan." he replied, rubbing the top of her head with his free hand. The minute she released his frame, he walked outside, waving to her as he did so. She obviously waved back and shut the door once he was far away enough. After she had done so, Mugen began to nibble on his sandwich, merely walking through the streets of Yukigakure. He also sipped his soda every now and then, but managed to finish the sandwich before his drink. Snow began to fall, blending in with his white hair and landing on his pale nose. Once he finally consumed the remnants of his soda, he threw the bottle into the air, watching as it flew into the direction of where a garbage was located and land inside of it. He whistled at his accomplishment, not knowing that he had such a precise throw. Though, this wasn't the time for him to fool around. He needed begin his training as soon as possible. The boy slapped his cheeks with both hands, creating a large "smack" to resound throughout the area. That definitely made his face sting with pain, but it was all worth it.
Mugen quickly crouched down into a horseback stance. He began to visualize the village, marking where he was going to stop in his mind. It would be after he had ran three laps around the perimeter of Yukigakure, right in front of the training grounds. He was prepared for this. He began the countdown slowly in his mind, starting at the number five. 4...he made sure no one was there to block his path, effectively giving him a clear route. 3...he tensed his muscles, ready to head into a mad dash. 2...his eyes shone with determination passing through them. 1...he was off. The boy dashed forward at full speed, leaving a trail of kicked up snow as he ran. The cool wind was felt upon his pale skin, forcing him to shiver every few seconds. Yet, at the same time it calmed him down and helped rejuvenate him. He didn't feel tired in the slightest so far, and he wasn't known for having great stamina. Compared to other academy students he would say his endurance is shit. Pain tolerance was okay, but definitely not endurance. There were none who crossed his path as he ran. In fact, most of the villagers saw him and warned the others to give him space. That proved other shinobi, or students, happened to do this often.
Mugen suddenly had a strong urge to shut his eyes and enjoy his journey. He gave in to the small desire and let his eyes close for a moment, only a mere moment. However, that was enough time for memories of his nightmare to come flooding back. He was in the dark area again. There were no people, no light, no snow. The laughter came back, except it was much closer than it was before. Mugen's breathing came to an abrupt stop as he forced his eyes open. Nothing seemed to have changed. He was still racing through the village and the cool air was still blowing in his face. He ran a single hand through his snow white hair.
"...Keep running, Mugen," he mumbled to himself, "Don't turn back, just keep moving forward."
He continued with his mad dash, soon passing by buildings that he just so happened to recognize. That meant he succeeded in making one whole lap around the village. He was breathing a bit more heavily than before, but wasn't exactly close to the point of gasping for air. He was lucky that his village was a small one, otherwise he would have most likely collapsed by now. Snow began to come down a bit harder than before, adding onto the already large amount that was on the ground. It was a single inch away from being ankle deep, which gave Mugen even more trouble than he needed. The little snow flakes feel upon his frame, most of it being evident on his torso. Perhaps wearing black wasn't the best choice for today. However, everyone knew that dark colors absorbed heat and light colors did the exact opposite. To keep warm black was definitely a good bet. He roughly shook his head as he ran, hoping that most of the snow would get rid of itself and fall towards the surface. Despite that occurring, some of the flakes stuck to the sides of his face and refused to leave him be. So, he just gave up on it and hoped they would leave his body once he arrived at the training grounds.
He could feel his chest beginning to pain him as he made his second lap around the village. His legs were becoming weak as well along with his arms. This was bad, he still needed to make it to the training grounds. The boy could feel his legs ready to give out on him, but he kept running. He felt his chest exploding in pain, forcing him to think there was a fire inside his body. A sense of nostalgia overwhelmed him, forcing his hands to shake in slight fear. It was all too similar to his dream. His breathing went from even breaths to short and quick ones. Mugen stopped running for a moment and clutched his head, dropping onto his knees in the snow. He groaned as flashes of his nightmare ran through his head. He didn't understand what it meant, he didn't want to know what it meant.
"You're too weak." he heard the voice echo in his mind. His body began to shake with fear, as he slowly turned his head to face behind him. There was nothing, nothing was there. It was a possibility he was just tired, that he was just imagining thing. That had to be the case for his dream couldn't be real, there was just no way. The youth let out a light laugh, making him seem quite insane to the civilians around him.
"If I'm weak..." he mumbled, now rising to his feet, "Then that just means I need to get stronger, doesn't it...?" He grabbed a fistful of his hair and tugged at it, hoping it would help calm him down. Luckily, the pain caused from the action did take his attention away from his situation. He released his white strands as a sigh erupted from his mouth. It was time he made his way to the training grounds. Mugen sucked in a large amount of air before returning it to the atmosphere, watching as his breathe created what seemed to be smoke. He knew this wasn't the case, but was still slightly intrigued by the appearance his breathe made. The boy then clenched his fists and began to jog in place, preparing his dash once more. The second he reached an appropriate rhythm, he spurted forward, this time moving at his full speed. Everything around him appeared to be a blur as he ran, the wind now stinging his face rather than calming him. Too weak...you'll never amount to anything... The voice seemed to be restless in annoying him. This had never happened to him before, so why was it occurring today? Just what does it all mean?
Mugen almost tripped on his own feet due to being so engrossed in his thoughts. Luckily, he managed to catch himself and kept on running, now moving at his original pace. The training grounds could be spotted in the distance yet not a single soul was in sight. It was perfect, he could train to his heart's content without worrying about the other individuals around him. He put more energy into his legs, consequently giving him a boost in speed. He soon arrived in front of the grounds, running past the entrance before he came skidding to a stop. It truly felt like the tundra here. The reason for that was most likely for shinobi to experience the harsh weather that was outside the village. The snow on the ground went past one's ankles, but wasn't exactly close enough to reach the calf. Mugen slightly shivered as he felt the snow brush against his legs. Despite this, he walked further into the training grounds, having to march just to move forward. The boy eventually stopped once he made it in front of a large dead tree. There were no leaves making the poor thing bare, and the bark looked dark and heavily scratched. Others must have practiced their accuracy upon it using ninja weapons. Unfortunately, he didn't have the money to buy weapons just yet. Though, he would once he became a genin.
Become a genin? You're far too feeble to ever hope of becoming a shinobi! Hahahaha! Mugen clenched his teeth as the voice laughed inside of his head. It laughed, and it laughed, and it laughed. He hoped that it would choke laughing, but he wasn't sure that whatever's speaking to him is even alive. Out of the blue, he struck the tree in front of him, his strike making it slightly shake. He struck it again, this time putting more power behind the punch. It shook even more than it previously did. The boy released an inhuman growl and sent a barrage of punches and kicks at the poor tree. Each one of his attacks had more strength than the last due to his exasperation and anger. He was actually letting the voice get to him. He didn't understand why he was letting it get to him, but he wanted it to stop. Last time, creating pain solved the situation, so he was going to try it again. Sweat began to form on his forehead with every punch, every kick he launched at the tree. He could feel his movements become sluggish from exhaustion. His run already took a lot of energy out of him, meaning that this was similar to that of suicide. He refused to give in, though, he refused to be weak.
The boy could feel his knuckles beginning to sting, but he still couldn't get rid of his thoughts about the voice. Why were they still there? Tears threatened to well up in his eyes due to the frustration, but he held them back. He was a baby no longer so crying wasn't an option. Yes, tear yourself apart. Lose the battle within yourself. Succumb to me and prove that you are a failure... A COWA- Mugen slammed his head onto the tree's bark, a large "CRACK" being a cause of the action. He could feel a sticky and warm liquid trail down from his temple and onto his nose. It then dripped into the snow, coloring it red. Blood red. His shoulders began to shake uncontrollably as he gritted his white teeth. He didn't understand why the voice chose to haunt him now, when everything was going his way. He had escaped from his mother several months ago, and was now rebuilding his life within the walls of Yukigakure. He even became friends with another student, he even met a chuunin who could possibly become his sensei. Naka, who was at first his enemy, grew to become the one who assisted him in activating his bloodline. Hell, he was currently the strongest student in the ninja academy.
It just wasn't fair. His mother, his brother...they insisted on haunting him when he managed to reach the light. He just prayed that Emi was alright and wasn't turning into a wreck like he was. Mugen began to chuckle at the thought. Suck a terrible brother he was, constantly leaving his sibling alone in their home just to run away and be an emo-boy. It seemed that his brother was right about that, him being an "emo-boy." In almost slow motion, the boy fell backwards, landing in the soft snow underneath him. His knuckles started to die the snow even further, signaling it was also bleeding from the abuse he gave it. A humorless laugh left his lips and he slowly, but surely began to close his eyes. The cold finally relaxed him once more, so much that his let his exhaustion take over. A faint snore could be distinguished from his frame as he drifted off into sleep.
-
"I don't want to be afraid...
I don't want to run away...
I don't want to be here fading...
It's more than I can take!"
The area around him was dark, just like it was before. Except he wasn't running. He was standing tall and strong with his chin up. He was ready for what was to come this time. It was time for him to face his fear. As he waited, something began to form behind him in the darkness, growing larger with each passing second. As if he sensed its malicious nature, the child immediately held his breath and turned around, expecting the worse to come. Rather than the dark figure he hoped of seeing, someone new had appeared in is vision. It was...him. The only difference was his supposedly snow white hair being black and his sapphire orbs being a ruby red. He could feel his legs beginning to quiver with fear as his eyes grew massive. A mischievous smile formed on the figure's face as his red orbs seemed to gleam in delight. Was this...his opposite...?
"Someone give him a gold medal," the figure spoke in a sarcastic tone, "He figured it out!" The voice was different this time around. It was more like his own, yet held a lighter and softer tone to it. However, it was evil all the same. "Since you must be dieing to know...my name is Kyokai~ I was formed when your torture began at the age of five, but stayed locked in the back of your mind. As you can see, that isn't the case anymore!"
Kyokai...boundary. The perfect contrast to his name own name, which meant infinite. Kyokai suddenly started to chuckle, soon throwing his head back and releasing a full blown laugh. It forced shivers to be sent down Mugen's spine as the boy's legs continued to shake. He released the breath he forgot he had been holding and grabbed several strands of his hair once more. Kyokai gazed curiously at his actions for a moment before more laughter escaped his mouth. The child aimed a heated glare at his opposite, now starting to tug at his hair.
"How long will you be afraid?" he questioned the youth, forcing his sapphire orbs to dilate just like the first time, "Are you afraid...? Oh, how painfully obvious you are! It makes me wonder...what will you do when I burn it all down? The walls you built, the haven you created behind those walls. The one you're trying to protect? Will you walk away like you did when you burned down our first 'home'? Kehehehehehe!" By now, Mugen had already fallen onto his bottom, slowly backing away from Kyokai as the wicked laughter grew louder. It was like a repeat of his nightmare earlier, except even more horrid. He clasped his hands over his ears and continued to scoot away from the person...no...the thing in front of him. He didn't want to hear it anymore, he didn't want to be here anymore! The boy released a pathetic whimper, forcing a sly smirk to form on Kyokai's face. He lifted up his hand and aimed it in Mugen's direction, forcing the poor child to raise a single eyebrow. The second his opposite had done so, the darkness began to conjure something once more. Several clumps of the darkness were thrown on top of each other until it started to bubble like boiled water.
He began to perspire at the sight, his muscles immediately becoming tense. It created what appeared to be a mini whirlpool. Where it led to was unknown, but he definitely didn't want to find out. Suddenly, a giant hand erupted from the depths of the whirlpool, forcing Mugen's whole body to involuntarily shake. It turned, as if it sensed his presence, and shot towards him. Out of instinct, the youth quickly pushed himself off the ground and landed a meter away from his previous position. He watched at the dark hand crashed into the surface, causing the area to shake from the force. To think that thing was about to hit him caused his hairs to stand on end. Kyokai directed the hand towards him once more, forcing the boy to leap into the air as means to escape. However, at that moment the unexpected had unfortunately occurred. Another hand came from the one he jumped over, this one successfully grabbing him and pulling him downwards. He let out desperate a cry for help before getting slammed into the ground, causing stars to cloud his vision. His eyes diluted as his vision grew slightly hazy, just like before when he was falling to his doom. The hand began to squeeze him, consequently making it hard for him to breathe. Just like when he was falling. Kyokai then commanded the hand to drag him into the whirlpool, and follow his command it did. However, it moved painfully slow.
As he was dragged closer and closer to the whirlpool, Mugen could only manage to take in less and less air. The hand's grip was tightening and at a frightening rate. If he wasn't pulled into the whirlpool first, this hand would surely suffocate him and he would die anyway. He could hear Kyokai's laughter in the background, evil and wicked, just like when he was running. The youth barely even had the energy to cry out anymore due to the lack of oxygen. It wasn't long until he felt the darkness crawl up his leg as he was pulled deeper into it. He could feel the darkness. Even though he knew it was hopeless, he cried out once more as his lower body was enveloped by the whirlpool. Now, his whole vision was a mere blur, he could distinguish absolutely nothing.
"Frustrating isn't it?" he heard Kyokai mumble, "To be put in such a hopeless situation, waiting for the end to come. Hehehuehuehue...KAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" His opposite adopted a crazed look in his eyes as he flashed his white canine-like teeth. By then Mugen already had his entire body in the whirlpool, all except hid head couldn't be seen. The youth continued to scream out for help and even dared to struggle against the darkness. Though, that made him sink even faster, forcing him to become hysterical once more...just like he did before.
"I'm never going to be the same...
I threw it all away...
I don't want to be here fading...
Just let go..."
His head was soon covered by the darkness, slowly suffocating him even further. Black spots invaded his vision as his eyes began to close. Kyokai's laughs soon grew into what sounded like whimpers...the same ones he created once he first arrived in this dark place. He could feel his life slipping away as he was pulled deeper and deeper into the whirlpool...
"Just let go...
I don't want to be afraid...
Let go.
I don't want to run away...
Just let go!"
-
Mugen reopened his eyes letting light from the sun flood into them. He felt as if the air had been sucked out of his body. His breathing was in quick gasps rather than a usual smooth inhale and exhale. This was possibly the after effects of his "dream", but it felt too real to be called such a thing. His sapphire orbs were dull and bags were now evident under his eyes. The boy rolled onto his stomach, pushing himself upwards so that he could be on his knees. The blood on his knuckles had caked over what was left of his skin, the same thing went for his forehead. However, the trail stopped at the start of his nose. Small snow flakes introduced themselves to his frame as they fell from the sky, acting as if they just met. He could then feel his shoulders starting to shake. Not from fear, far from it actually. He was angry, livid. Despite no one seeing what had transpired, he was humiliated by himself of all people. No one, not even his own family managed to get such a reaction out of him. He grit his teeth together in anger as he let himself go onto all-fours. The snow fell harder than it did when he fell asleep, for more was now building up in his current position. He placed his forehead into the white fluff, mumbling incoherent sentences.
If one listened closely enough, they could distinguish it as "I truly am weak" or "Such a piece of trash I am." They were mumbled relentlessly as he seemingly banged his head against the snow. Suddenly, he pushed himself off the ground and stood on his two feet. His eyes were no longer dull as they were now filled with a sudden vigor. Both of his hands were clenched and released, the process being repeated multiple times.
"No more..." he mumbled through his teeth, "No more of this. I...I'm going to get stronger. I won't be afraid of Kyokai...I'll beat him one day! I vow that I will defeat him and win this war!" There was only a single problem to his promise, he couldn't do anything in his current state. Kyokai frightened him to the point where he couldn't even stand adjacent to him. For now he would have to strengthen himself. Not only would he improve physically but mentally as well. Then, when the time came, he would be ready. He will be ready. He wasn't one to say something he couldn't back up after all. Mugen quickly returned to the surface, this time putting himself into a push-up position. Not letting another second pass by, he immediately began his count. One... he thought as he made the first push-up. Two...Three...Four...Five...Six... His muscles were still slightly sore, from the run he did earlier and from his recent "dream." Eight...Nine...Ten...Eleven The boy was unsure on when he planned on stopping. The sun was getting awfully close to the horizon, meaning it was somewhere in the late afternoon. If he wanted to get home early for Emi, he would need to speed up his training. Hopefully he would know when it was time to stop for now.
Fourteen...Fifteen...Sixteen...Seventeen...Eighteen... Once he was finished with his training, it would be helpful to head to the village library. He hadn't been able to go there for a while due to attending the academy so often. However, he could use days off like this for such things. Perhaps he could pick up a lightning style jutsu and practice with it. That way, once he was a genin, he would most likely have it already down pat. The idea excited him greatly and encouraged the boy to perform his pushups even faster. Twenty-six....Twenty-seven...Twenty-eight...Twenty-nine...Thirty! A faint smirk made an appearance on his face as he completed a decent quota of push-ups. Now, it was about time for the rest of his exercise. Mugen quickly pushed off and ground and went onto his feet, only to settle into a handstand afterwards. Though, this wasn't any normal "handstand." Rather than having his palms on the ground, he was using his pointer fingers for support. It pained him greatly, but he knew it was all for a good cause. He allowed himself to stay in that position for a minute or two, waiting until the pain decided to take its leave. The only way he would be able to do what he had planned was if he got use to being in such a state.
It would be a difficult task, especially with how high the snow was today. His fingers were completely covered with the white "fluff", so much that he could see them no longer. With a grunt, the boy lifted up his hand and placed in front of him. He then proceeded to do the same with the other limb, this one requiring more effort than the last. Mugen kept repeating this pattern, the snow unfortunately making it harder for him as he moved forward. However he didn't falter, he didn't complain, he didn't quite. His refused to do such a thing. His legs dangled as he continued to push onward, acting as a significant hindrance for him. The sun was closer to the horizon than it previously was, signaling that he had to hastily finish before the library closed. Mugen looked behind him to see the progress he made. A smile was seen on his features as a result. He was at least 3 meters away from his previous position and he did in such little time. Inserting more energy into his limbs, he moved at a faster pace but struggled to keep upright. He only had 5 meters left to go, but the time he had was unfortunately limited somewhat. The boy sucked in a large amount of air, an action that grown to become a habit, and in a burst of speed and strength progressed ahead.
He had created finger prints in the snow as he went, literally. There were small holes with the width of his finger that could be seen as he moved. It would make anyone else truly wonder just what had transpired in the grounds. Sweat dripped down from Mugen's forehead and landed on the surface, the sweat being absorbed by the snow below him. With one more lift of his hand and placing it back down, he had finally made it halfway across the ground. Upon discovering his accomplishment he fell towards the ground back first. He merely laid there for a moment, letting oxygen come into his system before releasing the carbon dioxide he had created. The boy felt as if his eyelids were growing heavy as he laid there and almost closed his eyes completely. One blink, two blinks, three blinks until he had finally kept them closed. Boo. is what he heard the second he had done so, and immediately regretted his action. Mugen forced his eyes to open and kept silent, waiting for Kyokai to speak once more. He had held his breath again and didn't even allow himself the privilege of twitching. Seconds passed by as he continued to wait patiently yet didn't hear any form of a response from his opposite.
He could feel himself beginning to shake with anticipation, but immediately forced it down. He refused to do that any more while he was preparing himself. No longer would he be afraid, he didn't want to be afraid! Mugen released the breathe he was holding ran a single hand through his smooth white hair. With a single grunt, he moved into a crouching position before looking in the direction of the village. It seemed that Kyokai wasn't going to speak to him anymore, thankfully. Though, there was still the possibility of the only place he couldn't fight back: his dreams. However, he would find a way to deal with that problem once he returned home. At the moment he needed to make his way to the library and take out a few books. An exasperated sigh escaped his lips as he crouched down lower before taking off in a burst of speed, rushing towards his destination. Everything was different from the first time he ran today for it seemed everybody was flooding streets. He accidentally crashed into multiple civilians, even going as far as to jump over baby carriages. Never before had he ever managed to see how busy Yukigakure could be at night. The bustling streets, all the lights giving the village an enchanted look, the laughter of children and adults alike. If it wasn't so vital to him, the scene would have taken his breath away. Unfortunately, he needed all the air he could get. That way he wouldn't faint during his run.
Mugen mumbled a quick "sorry" once he bumped into yet another individual. With a few more necessary pushes and leaps, he had finally made it to the Yukigakure Library. It stated its name in bright yellow colors, and the glow it gave off made it hard to really see. A small smile could be see on the youth's face as he ran up the multiple steps, pushing pass the giant wooden doors and into the large. What he saw forced him to gape at the sight. Being one to only use the books at the Academy, he never had the chance to actually see what a real one was like. Long story short, he wasn't disappointed in the slightest. It seemed like they had every book on everything, from the basics of Ninjutsu to "How to Make Dango." He moved forward slowly, careful with each step he took. He felt that if he messed up even once, he would disrupt the peace that this place held. In front of him, he could see the desk with a smiling woman behind it. That was most likely the librarian. She gave him a warm smile, one a caring mother would give her chi- he slightly shivered before returning it with a weak smile.
"Can't think of that now..." he whispered, "Just look for some books on Lightning jutsu and head home...Emi might get worried." He then moved on with haste, using the various signs in the building to direct him. He eventually made it to the ninjutsu section...however, all of the high-ranking jutsu were locked off to only shinobi. Mugen clicked his teeth at the discovery, a scowl now placed onto his features. The boy quickly performed the hand seals for the transformation technique. Dog → Boar → Ram. With a small puff of smoke, he immediately turned into the familiar face of Kiru. If the chuunin found out about this stunt then he would certainly apologize and pay the price for it. For now, he really had to get information on lightning jutsu. With a small sigh, the transformed child walked into the blocked off ninjutsu section and quickly grabbed a single book at random, knowing that it would hold the techniques he wanted. In one swift motion, he placed the book under his shirt and jogged into the cooking section of the library. He quickly released the transformation, turning back into his original form. The only part left was walking out of the building without getting caught. Fortunately, there didn't seem to be too much security on anything, so he should've been able to get out without a problem.
As he walked towards the exit, he lowly whistled a soft tune he used to hum to Emi. The librarian seemed too busy reading a book and, thankfully, didn't notice him open the doors and take his leave. While he walked down the steps to return to the rest of the village, he took the book from under his shirt and placed into view. "Raiton" was on the cover, which resulted in Mugen gaining a faint smirk on his face. So far, his mission was accomplished, the only thing left for him to do was rush home and-
"Nii-san! Help me!" a certain voice rang through the air, forcing the boy's blood to run cold. He slowly turned his head towards the source of the desperate cry, his fingers twitching as he did so.
"Nii-san!!" Emi cried out, her hair being pulled by a child almost a whole head above. A twisted smile was on the kid's face and tugged on her hair harder, forcing tears to well up in her eyes. Mugen trembled for a bit, his breathing was ragged for a bit, his nose was scrunched up for a bit, then...there was nothing. His face became completely blank as he walked towards the scene, his book still in a single hand. The kid didn't seem to notice that he was coming, but his younger sister did and practically jumped for joy. The closer the boy got to the duo, the more the silent flame in stomach grew. He finally stopped walking once he was a mere foot away from the two, his shadow suddenly overcoming the kid picking on his poor sibling. Now, this random bully was just snickering at Mugen, a stupid idea now popping up in that small brain of his. With another tug on Emi's hair, he pulled the girl to the ground and watched as she fell on her back. He began to laugh, and laugh, and laugh...just. Like. Kyokai.
That was enough to send Mugen into a blind rage as he used to Raiton book to knock the kid on the head. It was enough to send the bully tumbling towards the ground with a great force, a "thud" being heard upon contact with the ground. The kid stayed there for a moment with flying birds in his vision and prepared himself to get up again. However, he found himself pushed down by a sudden force, by something that awfully felt like a fo-
"Don't..." he heard Mugen growl as he looked up slightly dazed, "Don't you ever touch my sister again. If you do, I swear that I'll beat you to within an inch of your life." The youth's eyes were cold and fierce, seemingly peering into the kid's pitiful soul. The bully shivered with fear and stammered out words to the boy. Though, he would have none of it. With a single kick, he shot the kid into a random ally and watched as he hit his head upon a random trash can. A superior smile was on Mugen's face at the sight, but he was caught off guard with the sudden weight that slammed into his body.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you Nii-san!" Emi said, her voice coming out in mumbles due to shoving her face into his chest. His shirt grew slightly damp as she hugged him forcing a ghost of a smile to come onto his face. With a small grunt, he lifted up the 6 year old and carried her within his arms, still keeping a firm grip on his book. Her head was now placed onto his shoulder and he could feel her gripping onto him tightly. She was definitely scared. Perhaps it was about time she enrolled into the ninja academy...just for self defense reasons. He didn't expect her to become a shinobi like he was. A small sigh escaped Mugen's lips as he walked home with his sister in his arms. The walk made his back hurt and his arms slightly sore. Not only that, but his legs still felt like jelly from all the training he previously did. However, he ignored all it, he ignored everything and only focused on getting his younger sibling home. Minutes had passed by until he finally arrived at their door, happy that it was shut tight. Emi really was learning to take care of herself, but maybe he was making her learn everything a bit too quickly. Using his foot to kick open the door, he walked into their house and shut said door behind him.
Moving as quickly as he could, Mugen rushed up the stairs and entered his sister's room, placing her gently down onto her bed. She was asleep by now for her eyes were closed and a faint snore could be heard originating from her frame. The youth grinned at the sight and planted a quick kiss upon her forehead, now rushing out of the room and shutting her door on the way out. It was finally time for him to get his rest. He eagerly raced to his room, surprising himself with how much energy he still had in his system. Upon entering his bedroom, the boy tossed his book onto the floor and leaped into his, sighing in content as his face made contact with his fluffy pillow. Slowly, but surely, he began to drift off into a beautiful sleep.
...Or did he...? Kehehuehehuehe!
[Exit/Topic Closed.]
WC: 7164
Gains:
+ 35 Stats
"You're too weak." it growled out, then proceeding to cackle once more. It's voice sounded very much like a mixture between his mother's and his brother's. What a surprise that was. As if they didn't say that to him enough in his younger years.
With a single push to his chest, he was sent off the edge of the cliff, falling at a rapid pace to the bottom. He screamed out in fear and anger as he plunged deeper and deeper into the pit. The figure's laughs merely continued as the boy grew hysterical. It was too late for him, he was going to die. The atmosphere around him grew lighter, making it hard to breathe and his vision became hazy. He didn't want to, though. He wasn't ready to be flushed down the great toilet of the universe. He can't be treated like shit, he can't be thrown away like a piece of trash. The child released another bloodcurdling scream, his throat becoming sore as he did so.
"Not yet!" he shouted, tears beginning to form in his eyes, "Don't throw me out just yet!"
-
Mugen's eyes immediately shot open as he bolted upwards in his bed. He greedily sucked in the fresh air that was in his room, soon returning it to the atmosphere. The snow haired child placed a single hand on his forehead, feeling the sweat emanating from it. He pulled back the limb in slight disgust before placing it onto his cheek. It was wet there too, but something told him that it wasn't from sweat. His hand trailed upwards until it hit the bottom of his eye. Realization slowly appeared onto his features as his mouth formed a small frown. He had been crying in his sleep...again. A sigh erupted from his mouth as he tore his blanket off his body. His feet touched the cool surface of his wooden floor, the limbs directing him to where his closet was located. Mugen roughly opened the door to his closet, picking out his usual choice of clothing: a black turtle neck shirt and black basketball shorts. It wasn't long before he disappeared into the bathroom, taking his sweet time preparing himself for the rest of the day. Minutes flew by until the boy finally exited the bathroom, rid of any sweat or disgusting odors. He immediately left his room with a new destination. He made sure to lock the door just in case his little sister decided she wanted to snoop today.
The boy rushed down the hall, soon arriving at a pale pink door. He sighed before knocking on the door at a rapid pace. His knocks were powerful too, and would surely wake up anybody who could possibly be resting in that room. This, of course, was his intention.
"I'm up, nii-san, I'm up!" a small voice called out from behind the door. A soft smile made it's appearance on Mugen's face at the sound. It was like music to his ears. His knocking came to an abrupt stop, signaling that he had heard her response. Without wasting another moment, the boy made his way towards the stairs. He proceeded to make his way down, leaping up at the 3rd to last step and safely landing on the ground. He was now standing the kitchen, setting his sights onto the holy refrigerator. It was directly next to a window that was slightly cracked open, allowing the sun's ray to enter the room. That only added a more serene look to everything. The light even hit his sapphire eyes, making them seem full of life. The child rushed over the refrigerator, immediately opening it and looking for his breakfast. He was lucky enough to spot his bottle of soda from two days ago and a PB&J sandwich. His hands went out to grab the two items, soon placing the sandwich in between his teeth and holding his soda with both hands. He closed the refrigerator door with his foot and hopped over to the table in the middle of the room.
On said table with a pencil and several pieces of paper due to his habit of leaving a note for Emi whenever he left the house. Mugen hastily wrote the note for today, stating that he was heading to the training grounds. He didn't have to go the academy until tomorrow, so he was going to use this opportunity to train. The boy made his way towards the entrance to his house. In this case it was going to be his exit to the rest of the village. However, before he even took a single step outside, he was tackled from behind by a small force. Luckily, he was able to stay standing considering it wasn't enough to bring him down.
"No more notes, nii-san! I want to say goodbye to you," a familiar sound filled the air, "So bye-bye nii-san! I hope you have fun with training." He could tell that the one speaking was Emi, for no one else could talk in such a sweet and innocent tone. She practically made him melt with her cuteness. Mugen tilted his head to face his sister and gave her a warm smile.
"Yeah, I'll make sure that I do. And when I'm done I'll run home so I can play with Em-chan." he replied, rubbing the top of her head with his free hand. The minute she released his frame, he walked outside, waving to her as he did so. She obviously waved back and shut the door once he was far away enough. After she had done so, Mugen began to nibble on his sandwich, merely walking through the streets of Yukigakure. He also sipped his soda every now and then, but managed to finish the sandwich before his drink. Snow began to fall, blending in with his white hair and landing on his pale nose. Once he finally consumed the remnants of his soda, he threw the bottle into the air, watching as it flew into the direction of where a garbage was located and land inside of it. He whistled at his accomplishment, not knowing that he had such a precise throw. Though, this wasn't the time for him to fool around. He needed begin his training as soon as possible. The boy slapped his cheeks with both hands, creating a large "smack" to resound throughout the area. That definitely made his face sting with pain, but it was all worth it.
Mugen quickly crouched down into a horseback stance. He began to visualize the village, marking where he was going to stop in his mind. It would be after he had ran three laps around the perimeter of Yukigakure, right in front of the training grounds. He was prepared for this. He began the countdown slowly in his mind, starting at the number five. 4...he made sure no one was there to block his path, effectively giving him a clear route. 3...he tensed his muscles, ready to head into a mad dash. 2...his eyes shone with determination passing through them. 1...he was off. The boy dashed forward at full speed, leaving a trail of kicked up snow as he ran. The cool wind was felt upon his pale skin, forcing him to shiver every few seconds. Yet, at the same time it calmed him down and helped rejuvenate him. He didn't feel tired in the slightest so far, and he wasn't known for having great stamina. Compared to other academy students he would say his endurance is shit. Pain tolerance was okay, but definitely not endurance. There were none who crossed his path as he ran. In fact, most of the villagers saw him and warned the others to give him space. That proved other shinobi, or students, happened to do this often.
Mugen suddenly had a strong urge to shut his eyes and enjoy his journey. He gave in to the small desire and let his eyes close for a moment, only a mere moment. However, that was enough time for memories of his nightmare to come flooding back. He was in the dark area again. There were no people, no light, no snow. The laughter came back, except it was much closer than it was before. Mugen's breathing came to an abrupt stop as he forced his eyes open. Nothing seemed to have changed. He was still racing through the village and the cool air was still blowing in his face. He ran a single hand through his snow white hair.
"...Keep running, Mugen," he mumbled to himself, "Don't turn back, just keep moving forward."
He continued with his mad dash, soon passing by buildings that he just so happened to recognize. That meant he succeeded in making one whole lap around the village. He was breathing a bit more heavily than before, but wasn't exactly close to the point of gasping for air. He was lucky that his village was a small one, otherwise he would have most likely collapsed by now. Snow began to come down a bit harder than before, adding onto the already large amount that was on the ground. It was a single inch away from being ankle deep, which gave Mugen even more trouble than he needed. The little snow flakes feel upon his frame, most of it being evident on his torso. Perhaps wearing black wasn't the best choice for today. However, everyone knew that dark colors absorbed heat and light colors did the exact opposite. To keep warm black was definitely a good bet. He roughly shook his head as he ran, hoping that most of the snow would get rid of itself and fall towards the surface. Despite that occurring, some of the flakes stuck to the sides of his face and refused to leave him be. So, he just gave up on it and hoped they would leave his body once he arrived at the training grounds.
He could feel his chest beginning to pain him as he made his second lap around the village. His legs were becoming weak as well along with his arms. This was bad, he still needed to make it to the training grounds. The boy could feel his legs ready to give out on him, but he kept running. He felt his chest exploding in pain, forcing him to think there was a fire inside his body. A sense of nostalgia overwhelmed him, forcing his hands to shake in slight fear. It was all too similar to his dream. His breathing went from even breaths to short and quick ones. Mugen stopped running for a moment and clutched his head, dropping onto his knees in the snow. He groaned as flashes of his nightmare ran through his head. He didn't understand what it meant, he didn't want to know what it meant.
"You're too weak." he heard the voice echo in his mind. His body began to shake with fear, as he slowly turned his head to face behind him. There was nothing, nothing was there. It was a possibility he was just tired, that he was just imagining thing. That had to be the case for his dream couldn't be real, there was just no way. The youth let out a light laugh, making him seem quite insane to the civilians around him.
"If I'm weak..." he mumbled, now rising to his feet, "Then that just means I need to get stronger, doesn't it...?" He grabbed a fistful of his hair and tugged at it, hoping it would help calm him down. Luckily, the pain caused from the action did take his attention away from his situation. He released his white strands as a sigh erupted from his mouth. It was time he made his way to the training grounds. Mugen sucked in a large amount of air before returning it to the atmosphere, watching as his breathe created what seemed to be smoke. He knew this wasn't the case, but was still slightly intrigued by the appearance his breathe made. The boy then clenched his fists and began to jog in place, preparing his dash once more. The second he reached an appropriate rhythm, he spurted forward, this time moving at his full speed. Everything around him appeared to be a blur as he ran, the wind now stinging his face rather than calming him. Too weak...you'll never amount to anything... The voice seemed to be restless in annoying him. This had never happened to him before, so why was it occurring today? Just what does it all mean?
Mugen almost tripped on his own feet due to being so engrossed in his thoughts. Luckily, he managed to catch himself and kept on running, now moving at his original pace. The training grounds could be spotted in the distance yet not a single soul was in sight. It was perfect, he could train to his heart's content without worrying about the other individuals around him. He put more energy into his legs, consequently giving him a boost in speed. He soon arrived in front of the grounds, running past the entrance before he came skidding to a stop. It truly felt like the tundra here. The reason for that was most likely for shinobi to experience the harsh weather that was outside the village. The snow on the ground went past one's ankles, but wasn't exactly close enough to reach the calf. Mugen slightly shivered as he felt the snow brush against his legs. Despite this, he walked further into the training grounds, having to march just to move forward. The boy eventually stopped once he made it in front of a large dead tree. There were no leaves making the poor thing bare, and the bark looked dark and heavily scratched. Others must have practiced their accuracy upon it using ninja weapons. Unfortunately, he didn't have the money to buy weapons just yet. Though, he would once he became a genin.
Become a genin? You're far too feeble to ever hope of becoming a shinobi! Hahahaha! Mugen clenched his teeth as the voice laughed inside of his head. It laughed, and it laughed, and it laughed. He hoped that it would choke laughing, but he wasn't sure that whatever's speaking to him is even alive. Out of the blue, he struck the tree in front of him, his strike making it slightly shake. He struck it again, this time putting more power behind the punch. It shook even more than it previously did. The boy released an inhuman growl and sent a barrage of punches and kicks at the poor tree. Each one of his attacks had more strength than the last due to his exasperation and anger. He was actually letting the voice get to him. He didn't understand why he was letting it get to him, but he wanted it to stop. Last time, creating pain solved the situation, so he was going to try it again. Sweat began to form on his forehead with every punch, every kick he launched at the tree. He could feel his movements become sluggish from exhaustion. His run already took a lot of energy out of him, meaning that this was similar to that of suicide. He refused to give in, though, he refused to be weak.
The boy could feel his knuckles beginning to sting, but he still couldn't get rid of his thoughts about the voice. Why were they still there? Tears threatened to well up in his eyes due to the frustration, but he held them back. He was a baby no longer so crying wasn't an option. Yes, tear yourself apart. Lose the battle within yourself. Succumb to me and prove that you are a failure... A COWA- Mugen slammed his head onto the tree's bark, a large "CRACK" being a cause of the action. He could feel a sticky and warm liquid trail down from his temple and onto his nose. It then dripped into the snow, coloring it red. Blood red. His shoulders began to shake uncontrollably as he gritted his white teeth. He didn't understand why the voice chose to haunt him now, when everything was going his way. He had escaped from his mother several months ago, and was now rebuilding his life within the walls of Yukigakure. He even became friends with another student, he even met a chuunin who could possibly become his sensei. Naka, who was at first his enemy, grew to become the one who assisted him in activating his bloodline. Hell, he was currently the strongest student in the ninja academy.
It just wasn't fair. His mother, his brother...they insisted on haunting him when he managed to reach the light. He just prayed that Emi was alright and wasn't turning into a wreck like he was. Mugen began to chuckle at the thought. Suck a terrible brother he was, constantly leaving his sibling alone in their home just to run away and be an emo-boy. It seemed that his brother was right about that, him being an "emo-boy." In almost slow motion, the boy fell backwards, landing in the soft snow underneath him. His knuckles started to die the snow even further, signaling it was also bleeding from the abuse he gave it. A humorless laugh left his lips and he slowly, but surely began to close his eyes. The cold finally relaxed him once more, so much that his let his exhaustion take over. A faint snore could be distinguished from his frame as he drifted off into sleep.
-
"I don't want to be afraid...
I don't want to run away...
I don't want to be here fading...
It's more than I can take!"
The area around him was dark, just like it was before. Except he wasn't running. He was standing tall and strong with his chin up. He was ready for what was to come this time. It was time for him to face his fear. As he waited, something began to form behind him in the darkness, growing larger with each passing second. As if he sensed its malicious nature, the child immediately held his breath and turned around, expecting the worse to come. Rather than the dark figure he hoped of seeing, someone new had appeared in is vision. It was...him. The only difference was his supposedly snow white hair being black and his sapphire orbs being a ruby red. He could feel his legs beginning to quiver with fear as his eyes grew massive. A mischievous smile formed on the figure's face as his red orbs seemed to gleam in delight. Was this...his opposite...?
"Someone give him a gold medal," the figure spoke in a sarcastic tone, "He figured it out!" The voice was different this time around. It was more like his own, yet held a lighter and softer tone to it. However, it was evil all the same. "Since you must be dieing to know...my name is Kyokai~ I was formed when your torture began at the age of five, but stayed locked in the back of your mind. As you can see, that isn't the case anymore!"
Kyokai...boundary. The perfect contrast to his name own name, which meant infinite. Kyokai suddenly started to chuckle, soon throwing his head back and releasing a full blown laugh. It forced shivers to be sent down Mugen's spine as the boy's legs continued to shake. He released the breath he forgot he had been holding and grabbed several strands of his hair once more. Kyokai gazed curiously at his actions for a moment before more laughter escaped his mouth. The child aimed a heated glare at his opposite, now starting to tug at his hair.
"How long will you be afraid?" he questioned the youth, forcing his sapphire orbs to dilate just like the first time, "Are you afraid...? Oh, how painfully obvious you are! It makes me wonder...what will you do when I burn it all down? The walls you built, the haven you created behind those walls. The one you're trying to protect? Will you walk away like you did when you burned down our first 'home'? Kehehehehehe!" By now, Mugen had already fallen onto his bottom, slowly backing away from Kyokai as the wicked laughter grew louder. It was like a repeat of his nightmare earlier, except even more horrid. He clasped his hands over his ears and continued to scoot away from the person...no...the thing in front of him. He didn't want to hear it anymore, he didn't want to be here anymore! The boy released a pathetic whimper, forcing a sly smirk to form on Kyokai's face. He lifted up his hand and aimed it in Mugen's direction, forcing the poor child to raise a single eyebrow. The second his opposite had done so, the darkness began to conjure something once more. Several clumps of the darkness were thrown on top of each other until it started to bubble like boiled water.
He began to perspire at the sight, his muscles immediately becoming tense. It created what appeared to be a mini whirlpool. Where it led to was unknown, but he definitely didn't want to find out. Suddenly, a giant hand erupted from the depths of the whirlpool, forcing Mugen's whole body to involuntarily shake. It turned, as if it sensed his presence, and shot towards him. Out of instinct, the youth quickly pushed himself off the ground and landed a meter away from his previous position. He watched at the dark hand crashed into the surface, causing the area to shake from the force. To think that thing was about to hit him caused his hairs to stand on end. Kyokai directed the hand towards him once more, forcing the boy to leap into the air as means to escape. However, at that moment the unexpected had unfortunately occurred. Another hand came from the one he jumped over, this one successfully grabbing him and pulling him downwards. He let out desperate a cry for help before getting slammed into the ground, causing stars to cloud his vision. His eyes diluted as his vision grew slightly hazy, just like before when he was falling to his doom. The hand began to squeeze him, consequently making it hard for him to breathe. Just like when he was falling. Kyokai then commanded the hand to drag him into the whirlpool, and follow his command it did. However, it moved painfully slow.
As he was dragged closer and closer to the whirlpool, Mugen could only manage to take in less and less air. The hand's grip was tightening and at a frightening rate. If he wasn't pulled into the whirlpool first, this hand would surely suffocate him and he would die anyway. He could hear Kyokai's laughter in the background, evil and wicked, just like when he was running. The youth barely even had the energy to cry out anymore due to the lack of oxygen. It wasn't long until he felt the darkness crawl up his leg as he was pulled deeper into it. He could feel the darkness. Even though he knew it was hopeless, he cried out once more as his lower body was enveloped by the whirlpool. Now, his whole vision was a mere blur, he could distinguish absolutely nothing.
"Frustrating isn't it?" he heard Kyokai mumble, "To be put in such a hopeless situation, waiting for the end to come. Hehehuehuehue...KAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" His opposite adopted a crazed look in his eyes as he flashed his white canine-like teeth. By then Mugen already had his entire body in the whirlpool, all except hid head couldn't be seen. The youth continued to scream out for help and even dared to struggle against the darkness. Though, that made him sink even faster, forcing him to become hysterical once more...just like he did before.
"I'm never going to be the same...
I threw it all away...
I don't want to be here fading...
Just let go..."
His head was soon covered by the darkness, slowly suffocating him even further. Black spots invaded his vision as his eyes began to close. Kyokai's laughs soon grew into what sounded like whimpers...the same ones he created once he first arrived in this dark place. He could feel his life slipping away as he was pulled deeper and deeper into the whirlpool...
"Just let go...
I don't want to be afraid...
Let go.
I don't want to run away...
Just let go!"
-
Mugen reopened his eyes letting light from the sun flood into them. He felt as if the air had been sucked out of his body. His breathing was in quick gasps rather than a usual smooth inhale and exhale. This was possibly the after effects of his "dream", but it felt too real to be called such a thing. His sapphire orbs were dull and bags were now evident under his eyes. The boy rolled onto his stomach, pushing himself upwards so that he could be on his knees. The blood on his knuckles had caked over what was left of his skin, the same thing went for his forehead. However, the trail stopped at the start of his nose. Small snow flakes introduced themselves to his frame as they fell from the sky, acting as if they just met. He could then feel his shoulders starting to shake. Not from fear, far from it actually. He was angry, livid. Despite no one seeing what had transpired, he was humiliated by himself of all people. No one, not even his own family managed to get such a reaction out of him. He grit his teeth together in anger as he let himself go onto all-fours. The snow fell harder than it did when he fell asleep, for more was now building up in his current position. He placed his forehead into the white fluff, mumbling incoherent sentences.
If one listened closely enough, they could distinguish it as "I truly am weak" or "Such a piece of trash I am." They were mumbled relentlessly as he seemingly banged his head against the snow. Suddenly, he pushed himself off the ground and stood on his two feet. His eyes were no longer dull as they were now filled with a sudden vigor. Both of his hands were clenched and released, the process being repeated multiple times.
"No more..." he mumbled through his teeth, "No more of this. I...I'm going to get stronger. I won't be afraid of Kyokai...I'll beat him one day! I vow that I will defeat him and win this war!" There was only a single problem to his promise, he couldn't do anything in his current state. Kyokai frightened him to the point where he couldn't even stand adjacent to him. For now he would have to strengthen himself. Not only would he improve physically but mentally as well. Then, when the time came, he would be ready. He will be ready. He wasn't one to say something he couldn't back up after all. Mugen quickly returned to the surface, this time putting himself into a push-up position. Not letting another second pass by, he immediately began his count. One... he thought as he made the first push-up. Two...Three...Four...Five...Six... His muscles were still slightly sore, from the run he did earlier and from his recent "dream." Eight...Nine...Ten...Eleven The boy was unsure on when he planned on stopping. The sun was getting awfully close to the horizon, meaning it was somewhere in the late afternoon. If he wanted to get home early for Emi, he would need to speed up his training. Hopefully he would know when it was time to stop for now.
Fourteen...Fifteen...Sixteen...Seventeen...Eighteen... Once he was finished with his training, it would be helpful to head to the village library. He hadn't been able to go there for a while due to attending the academy so often. However, he could use days off like this for such things. Perhaps he could pick up a lightning style jutsu and practice with it. That way, once he was a genin, he would most likely have it already down pat. The idea excited him greatly and encouraged the boy to perform his pushups even faster. Twenty-six....Twenty-seven...Twenty-eight...Twenty-nine...Thirty! A faint smirk made an appearance on his face as he completed a decent quota of push-ups. Now, it was about time for the rest of his exercise. Mugen quickly pushed off and ground and went onto his feet, only to settle into a handstand afterwards. Though, this wasn't any normal "handstand." Rather than having his palms on the ground, he was using his pointer fingers for support. It pained him greatly, but he knew it was all for a good cause. He allowed himself to stay in that position for a minute or two, waiting until the pain decided to take its leave. The only way he would be able to do what he had planned was if he got use to being in such a state.
It would be a difficult task, especially with how high the snow was today. His fingers were completely covered with the white "fluff", so much that he could see them no longer. With a grunt, the boy lifted up his hand and placed in front of him. He then proceeded to do the same with the other limb, this one requiring more effort than the last. Mugen kept repeating this pattern, the snow unfortunately making it harder for him as he moved forward. However he didn't falter, he didn't complain, he didn't quite. His refused to do such a thing. His legs dangled as he continued to push onward, acting as a significant hindrance for him. The sun was closer to the horizon than it previously was, signaling that he had to hastily finish before the library closed. Mugen looked behind him to see the progress he made. A smile was seen on his features as a result. He was at least 3 meters away from his previous position and he did in such little time. Inserting more energy into his limbs, he moved at a faster pace but struggled to keep upright. He only had 5 meters left to go, but the time he had was unfortunately limited somewhat. The boy sucked in a large amount of air, an action that grown to become a habit, and in a burst of speed and strength progressed ahead.
He had created finger prints in the snow as he went, literally. There were small holes with the width of his finger that could be seen as he moved. It would make anyone else truly wonder just what had transpired in the grounds. Sweat dripped down from Mugen's forehead and landed on the surface, the sweat being absorbed by the snow below him. With one more lift of his hand and placing it back down, he had finally made it halfway across the ground. Upon discovering his accomplishment he fell towards the ground back first. He merely laid there for a moment, letting oxygen come into his system before releasing the carbon dioxide he had created. The boy felt as if his eyelids were growing heavy as he laid there and almost closed his eyes completely. One blink, two blinks, three blinks until he had finally kept them closed. Boo. is what he heard the second he had done so, and immediately regretted his action. Mugen forced his eyes to open and kept silent, waiting for Kyokai to speak once more. He had held his breath again and didn't even allow himself the privilege of twitching. Seconds passed by as he continued to wait patiently yet didn't hear any form of a response from his opposite.
He could feel himself beginning to shake with anticipation, but immediately forced it down. He refused to do that any more while he was preparing himself. No longer would he be afraid, he didn't want to be afraid! Mugen released the breathe he was holding ran a single hand through his smooth white hair. With a single grunt, he moved into a crouching position before looking in the direction of the village. It seemed that Kyokai wasn't going to speak to him anymore, thankfully. Though, there was still the possibility of the only place he couldn't fight back: his dreams. However, he would find a way to deal with that problem once he returned home. At the moment he needed to make his way to the library and take out a few books. An exasperated sigh escaped his lips as he crouched down lower before taking off in a burst of speed, rushing towards his destination. Everything was different from the first time he ran today for it seemed everybody was flooding streets. He accidentally crashed into multiple civilians, even going as far as to jump over baby carriages. Never before had he ever managed to see how busy Yukigakure could be at night. The bustling streets, all the lights giving the village an enchanted look, the laughter of children and adults alike. If it wasn't so vital to him, the scene would have taken his breath away. Unfortunately, he needed all the air he could get. That way he wouldn't faint during his run.
Mugen mumbled a quick "sorry" once he bumped into yet another individual. With a few more necessary pushes and leaps, he had finally made it to the Yukigakure Library. It stated its name in bright yellow colors, and the glow it gave off made it hard to really see. A small smile could be see on the youth's face as he ran up the multiple steps, pushing pass the giant wooden doors and into the large. What he saw forced him to gape at the sight. Being one to only use the books at the Academy, he never had the chance to actually see what a real one was like. Long story short, he wasn't disappointed in the slightest. It seemed like they had every book on everything, from the basics of Ninjutsu to "How to Make Dango." He moved forward slowly, careful with each step he took. He felt that if he messed up even once, he would disrupt the peace that this place held. In front of him, he could see the desk with a smiling woman behind it. That was most likely the librarian. She gave him a warm smile, one a caring mother would give her chi- he slightly shivered before returning it with a weak smile.
"Can't think of that now..." he whispered, "Just look for some books on Lightning jutsu and head home...Emi might get worried." He then moved on with haste, using the various signs in the building to direct him. He eventually made it to the ninjutsu section...however, all of the high-ranking jutsu were locked off to only shinobi. Mugen clicked his teeth at the discovery, a scowl now placed onto his features. The boy quickly performed the hand seals for the transformation technique. Dog → Boar → Ram. With a small puff of smoke, he immediately turned into the familiar face of Kiru. If the chuunin found out about this stunt then he would certainly apologize and pay the price for it. For now, he really had to get information on lightning jutsu. With a small sigh, the transformed child walked into the blocked off ninjutsu section and quickly grabbed a single book at random, knowing that it would hold the techniques he wanted. In one swift motion, he placed the book under his shirt and jogged into the cooking section of the library. He quickly released the transformation, turning back into his original form. The only part left was walking out of the building without getting caught. Fortunately, there didn't seem to be too much security on anything, so he should've been able to get out without a problem.
As he walked towards the exit, he lowly whistled a soft tune he used to hum to Emi. The librarian seemed too busy reading a book and, thankfully, didn't notice him open the doors and take his leave. While he walked down the steps to return to the rest of the village, he took the book from under his shirt and placed into view. "Raiton" was on the cover, which resulted in Mugen gaining a faint smirk on his face. So far, his mission was accomplished, the only thing left for him to do was rush home and-
"Nii-san! Help me!" a certain voice rang through the air, forcing the boy's blood to run cold. He slowly turned his head towards the source of the desperate cry, his fingers twitching as he did so.
"Nii-san!!" Emi cried out, her hair being pulled by a child almost a whole head above. A twisted smile was on the kid's face and tugged on her hair harder, forcing tears to well up in her eyes. Mugen trembled for a bit, his breathing was ragged for a bit, his nose was scrunched up for a bit, then...there was nothing. His face became completely blank as he walked towards the scene, his book still in a single hand. The kid didn't seem to notice that he was coming, but his younger sister did and practically jumped for joy. The closer the boy got to the duo, the more the silent flame in stomach grew. He finally stopped walking once he was a mere foot away from the two, his shadow suddenly overcoming the kid picking on his poor sibling. Now, this random bully was just snickering at Mugen, a stupid idea now popping up in that small brain of his. With another tug on Emi's hair, he pulled the girl to the ground and watched as she fell on her back. He began to laugh, and laugh, and laugh...just. Like. Kyokai.
That was enough to send Mugen into a blind rage as he used to Raiton book to knock the kid on the head. It was enough to send the bully tumbling towards the ground with a great force, a "thud" being heard upon contact with the ground. The kid stayed there for a moment with flying birds in his vision and prepared himself to get up again. However, he found himself pushed down by a sudden force, by something that awfully felt like a fo-
"Don't..." he heard Mugen growl as he looked up slightly dazed, "Don't you ever touch my sister again. If you do, I swear that I'll beat you to within an inch of your life." The youth's eyes were cold and fierce, seemingly peering into the kid's pitiful soul. The bully shivered with fear and stammered out words to the boy. Though, he would have none of it. With a single kick, he shot the kid into a random ally and watched as he hit his head upon a random trash can. A superior smile was on Mugen's face at the sight, but he was caught off guard with the sudden weight that slammed into his body.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you Nii-san!" Emi said, her voice coming out in mumbles due to shoving her face into his chest. His shirt grew slightly damp as she hugged him forcing a ghost of a smile to come onto his face. With a small grunt, he lifted up the 6 year old and carried her within his arms, still keeping a firm grip on his book. Her head was now placed onto his shoulder and he could feel her gripping onto him tightly. She was definitely scared. Perhaps it was about time she enrolled into the ninja academy...just for self defense reasons. He didn't expect her to become a shinobi like he was. A small sigh escaped Mugen's lips as he walked home with his sister in his arms. The walk made his back hurt and his arms slightly sore. Not only that, but his legs still felt like jelly from all the training he previously did. However, he ignored all it, he ignored everything and only focused on getting his younger sibling home. Minutes had passed by until he finally arrived at their door, happy that it was shut tight. Emi really was learning to take care of herself, but maybe he was making her learn everything a bit too quickly. Using his foot to kick open the door, he walked into their house and shut said door behind him.
Moving as quickly as he could, Mugen rushed up the stairs and entered his sister's room, placing her gently down onto her bed. She was asleep by now for her eyes were closed and a faint snore could be heard originating from her frame. The youth grinned at the sight and planted a quick kiss upon her forehead, now rushing out of the room and shutting her door on the way out. It was finally time for him to get his rest. He eagerly raced to his room, surprising himself with how much energy he still had in his system. Upon entering his bedroom, the boy tossed his book onto the floor and leaped into his, sighing in content as his face made contact with his fluffy pillow. Slowly, but surely, he began to drift off into a beautiful sleep.
...Or did he...? Kehehuehehuehe!
[Exit/Topic Closed.]
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