The memoires of Akashingo pt.1

To be born a member of a family…..what does that really mean? What does it mean to you? To me it has always meant one thing and one thing only. It means the devotion of my entire body, my mind, and my soul. From a young age this simple fact….no this simple truth had been beaten into me. Age 7 was when it became completely apparent what must happen. I was taken by my father and led to a solitary room. It was there…..I suppose it was there that my life truly began. Before that day I studied like any Akari, and I did so with my older brother. He was a good brother, taught me played with me, I would say our relationship was loving. The elders didn’t always approve, but we made it work in the end. However, like a dream I was awakened from that life to the cruel world that truly existed. As I said….I was led to a solitary room by my father. It lies beneath a building where many Akari have come to live. Which you ask? Well I wouldn’t be a very good enforcer if I simply told you that now would I? No, just sit and listen to each story and you will see why I am what I am.

Ch. 1

Fear….”Father…what is this place? What am I doing here?” My voice cracked at the words. The high pitched voice of a young boy attempting to hide fear and failing. My father said nothing; he simply continued to lead me. He was the clan head then, and he had decided to take this duty upon himself. I am not sure why even now. He could have delegated, but he chooses not to. He wanted to do it himself it seemed. It is one of the reasons I respect the man, even if what came next was far beyond what I ever could have imagined. I remember it like it was yesterday, even if it was over five decades ago. The room was dark, dank, only had lighting from a single over head lantern. That lantern…. It is funny what one recalls in moments of trauma, but I remember that lantern. The blackened steel how it was bent and shaped around the glass panes where the fire would stay inside its little house. It reminded me of a house…or a prison. I spent many times looking up at that lantern over the course of my stay there……..sometimes I wish I could see it again.

“Sit Akashingo.” My father commanded. Well you don’t disobey the head of the clan, and your father for that matter. So I did the natural thing and sat. The humidity had caused me to sweat, you would have thought it would have been cool down there….however it was the opposite. After I had sat I was instructed to remove my shirt, and so I did. I was so skinny then, a right little shit if truth be told. No doubt my enemies would laugh if they could have seen where I started. Alas we all must start somewhere, and like so many…I started at the bottom. However, I should be moving on with the story. So I was in that chair, shirtless, my skin wet from the perspiration. The chair was tall, meant for someone of full size rather than my young body. As I sat my father made his way around the chair, and to my confusion he began to strap me in. Large leather straps as thick as my palm is wide were placed over my body. Arms, legs, chest, all were strapped down to the chair. I couldn’t believe I didn’t notice them before. Now however, it was glaringly obvious that this was not to be a bonding experience.

“State your name and rank!” My father shouted. It was a commanding voice, one that left me with fear. My father was a huge man, not one you would have thought was clan head. His belly had grown from politics, but beneath it was iron. His voice made me almost have a tear come to my eye. Well you can imagine the scene; it wasn’t one that I would want to be in even now. I did what I was ordered, and in the way I knew it was to be done. “AKASHI…oomf” I had began to shout my name…and that first blow, I don’t think I will ever forget that pain even if I live another 61 years. His fist connected with my face harder than I could have ever imagined a single person could hit another. His knuckles pressed solidly against my cheek bone. His hand was so big the joints of his finger connected with the jaw bone of my open mouth. The sound of that connection echoed, and I swear….it made that lantern move just a bit.

Well, blood flew from my mouth and out popped my back molar. Haha, you thought I lost this on a mission huh, no it was my dear old dad. The stars were so bright in my eyes after that blow and my face was swelling before the tears could begin to flow. Again he shouted, “I said what is your name and rank!!” The bellow came from his gut, and caused a primal fear in my hindbrain to shudder. Surely that is what a tiny animal hears when it hears the roar of a lion for the first time. I tried to speak, but my jaw was swelling so fast I could barely move it. I gave it my best try however. “AKA….” Well I didn’t even get as far as I did the last time. This time the blow came directly into my solar plexus. There was no air in my lungs and the fact they didn’t collapse still surprises me to this day. There I was strapped to a chair…blood dripping from my face, staining my teeth red, and my dear old dad shouted a third time for my name and rank with even more gusto.

This went on for some time. Every time he shouted I attempted to give voice to the request….and every time I was silenced by a crushing blow. Time, what is time when one is enduring such an event. All I know is at one point while my head was swimming attempting to stay above water and stay conscious he left. The pain of it was terrible, and it only got worse as time went by. My body swelling, doing the natural thing to protect itself only there was no protection, it merely brought more pain. Looking up I kept my eyes locked on that lantern. It seemed tinged red, which much much later I learned was because of the damage that had been done to my eyes by the repeated blows. That though, is not really important. Instead it is important that it was there, I looked into the red light of that lantern and tried to understand what I was doing here. What was this test, and why was I failing it. Well the answer didn’t come that day, or the next….or sadly the two that followed that. I was more of one giant bruise at that point than a boy, and yet the same question was given. My name and my rank.

After a bit, from nerve damage or just plain stubbornness the blows lost a bit of their impact and I began to really contemplate the question. I knew this was a test, something would make it stop. My name and rank…..then I remembered what had been told to me on my fifth birthday. “Akashingo….remember this, you were born second. This means that the office was not meant for you, but you were meant to protect it. The clan head is the light of the Akari, but the light no matter how bright always casts shadows. You will be the one to extinguish them….if you are able.” At the time I had thought it was just some dusty old man giving dusty old advice, but now I knew what was happening. My name….Akashingo Akari would be known by all of our enemies. They all would know who I was and who my family was. To be captured and give that up was to put the family in danger. Coming to this revelation I did what probably would have seemed natural to someone with a less thick skull. When the question was raised again, I said nothing and remained resolutely silent. This was greeted with a pause…….and then a blow that was as hard as the very first one I had received.

Instead of waiting to ask more questions my father bloodied his own knuckles on my face, this was a small victory mind you, but one I relished all the same. After some time, he began to breath heavy before grabbing a fistful of my hair and extending my neck. “Last chance….there will be no more. What is your name and rank.” Well this next moment probably could have been handled better. I had enough strength for one action and with his face so close to mine, I just couldn’t resist. Not even having the strength to head butt him in the nose, I simple exhaled and sprayed his face with the blood I had been collecting in my mouth for this opportunity. Now….its hard to say, but I think I saw a flicker of a smile….right before he pushed my head into the back of the chair and I passed out definitively. Well, after all that I guess I should have seen that one coming.

Ch. 2

When I woke, I found myself outside the village. My wounds were open, I had no supplies, and after I took mental stock of the situation I discovered I was naked. I was deep in the forest, so deep even though I knew the sun was high in the sky darkness still covered what was before me. As I attempted to crawl to a nearby pond I found a simple note. “Akashingo…..Make it back or die the choice is yours, Love your father” Crumbling it up I did my best to toss it with fury. However I barely managed a toss at all. I contented myself with having my face half in the water and trying to drink. The cool water felt good on the numerous injuries, I do remember that. I don’t know how long I stayed there to collect my strength, but I didn’t rush it that was for sure. When I thought I could risk it, I sat up and leaned against a tree, and let me tell you…….that was the most comfortable tree I have ever leaned against.

All in all I spent around twelve days in those woods before I found my way back. The moment I was spotted, I was taken to the infirmary and healed up. I later learned that while I had spent several days in a basement being beaten, and twelve more days struggling to live in the woods that my brother had truly begun his tasks of becoming the head. He was able to study the histories, he learned to speak, all in all he learned what it meant to rule while I learned what it meant to be ruled. Now you mustn’t think me jealous..no that isn’t the point. My place was firmly implanted into my mind from my lesson. It is better to die than give up information and the only thing better than dyeing is making it back without having given up information. I was taken from the main house and went to live with numerous others over the course of the next few years. Each a specialty, each for a reason. Many were different forms of combat training, but I would be remiss if that was all I had learned in that time.

Hunting, geography, smithing, map making, foreign law each lesson was given to me for one purpose. To hunt and destroy each enemy of the Akari no matter where they might be. Some individuals are lucky and have to learn one trade, and that is all they know. I had to learn twenty three. So I could have numerous covers as an assassin in different villages. I didn’t mind the blacksmithing, but basket weaving…was not my favorite study, though I did get good with knots….so I suppose that is something. At the age of 11 I reached a certain amount of maturity. As many children do in this world I was asked to begin missions. I was kept away from the Konoha academy and instead was solely trained in the shinobi arts by my fellow Akari. Ranking meant nothing to me….or so I was told. Instead my mission was to the family, such personal accomplishments such as attaining a standing in my home village was selfish and discouraged. I would say it as 11 that my next great challenge occurred. Another test of my dedication to the family.

Led to a private training area, I saw one of my friends from when I was even younger. He had been caught stealing from the main family. The sum totaled less than 100 ryo, yet he was to be made an example of. The branch families, the out liars had apparently become too big for their britches as my basket weaving teacher called it. Well, I was told I had to kill him. “Akashingo, before you is a traitor to the family. Someone who has taken his own needs above the head family. He is a friend of your I believe, which makes this all the more fitting. Kill him, restore the balance of honor.” I asked why he had stolen, and I was told it was for his sick mother. As it turned out this was a lie, and he was actually a drug user, but they had wanted to test my resolve. The fight if you could call it thought was over before it had even begun. I had been at this point through 4 years of hard training for the sole purpose of enforcing the clans principals, while he had been doing whatever it was he had been doing.

In the end he lay dead at my feat, and my conscious remained clean. I had done my duty for the family, and I accepted that. However…..It was then that I first began to consider the concepts of hell. I wondered, if the family was ever wrong, and I had killed all its enemies what would happen to me. TH beatings or my own moral code however has prevented me from ever straying from my original path. If there is a hell, and if it does devour the souls of those who murder, then I assure you….I will be there given enough time. It was then I discovered I was not the only individual trained in this way. There were five of us in total. Five trained to enforce the ideals of the clan beyond Konoha. I was only ever partnered with Aioro however, the others performed their own missions.

Ch. 3

So let’s skip ahead some. I was 18 years old when I was married. She was…..well to be honest she was a bitch. Nothing special really though I was told it was an honor. She was my first cousin I believe, though I tried not to look at the family tree to hard. In the end I was told I had to marry, and had to provide children. This had come as a shock, as I thought this was something that wouldn’t happen for me. To be honest, I had been hoping to pass up the whole responsibility entirely. Instead I was chosen a wife, and I married her. She was tall, slender, dark haired of the Akari. Her teeth were perfect…….though I wish I had seen less of them. The constant chatter was almost too much and I couldn’t sign up for the next mission fast enough. The night I consummated the marriage had been a busy one. Though at least there was one use for her mouth that stopped her talking. Sleeping of course, this is how I left her.
That night I assassinated a high profile bandit that had begun to rally troops in the forests. So you could say it was overall successful for one evening. My duties to my home were greater now however and I was told to stay home more frequently. Which did not settle with me, and I began doing something that put me in the gray area of honor. Well, they wanted to start cutting me back for missions and I decided I wouldn’t have it. The upper brass had grown soft where as I saw we needed to remain steel. So I would sneak into the chief of missions office, steal high profile cases and do them myself. I never knew for sure, but I always assumed they knew what I was doing. This way however, the council never needed to know about it.

So for the next several years that’s how it went until they gave up tempering my patience and I gained full access. The chief of missions died of a heart attack, and his job became vacant. I was handed the position despite my protests. It was a desk job, something for fat old man to sit around and handle. I was young and in my prime, and wanted no part. However…..a few stern words and I folded under the pressure of the family. Taking the job however I changed the face of it. The kage have their ANBU, will the Akari have the mission squad. That is essentially how I ran it, except I didn’t prattle on about the nice quite killings and wearing masks like cowards.

No I picked some of the biggest, ugliest, and toughest Akari that we had and began to bring them all with me. Enforcing our justice for the family throughout the boarders. Enemies were slain, and money was made by selling their bodies at the black market. Though in the log books of our funds I believe the approved vernacular is “Acquired capital from missions”. TO be fair a lot of it was put in my pocket. You make a lot of money when you find your good at something, and find you don’t have anything to purchase. Running missions all the time….if you live through it is just something that happens. My wife spent most of the funds in her life. Though when she died, I quickly replenished anything she wasted. My child didn’t want for much, but he wasn’t spoiled either.

Ahh my child, I guess it’s time to speak on him a bit. He never had the constitution to go through what I did. That became apparent early on. Instead, he only showed a talent for academics. His practical skills where more than lacking. In time I made sure he was set on a proper path so he could contribute to the family. However…truth be told I would have preferred never to have had a child. Though it isn’t something you get to decide much after they are here. He married, he had children it was fine for most, but not really for me. Though a male who was up to my standards never was born. It is something that still makes me have regrets. I could have taken another wife and attempted again…but I didn’t have it in me.

Instead I continued on with my life as it was before my marriage. Simply performing mission after mission. Aioro soon found himself injured and unable to continue, it was then that I stopped bringing partners with me. The guilt I felt was too much really. I continued to send teams on missions, but the ones I choose for myself I remained alone. This was the darkest time besides the purge. I began taking on greater tasks that I should never have done. Alone, they were suicide missions. It was then that I truly began to get scarred like I am today. I have never been the quickest, the strongest, or the smartest if truth be told. However, a brawler is something I have always been. Getting into the mud and the blood, I hold no qualms of such things. It was on a mission like that I found myself that gave me this scar across my face.

It was not so many years ago now, this is the latest addition to my collection after all. As I have grown older, I have found my disguises are even better. An old man in the ninja world isn’t always seen. Most die young or middle aged, so the fact I am a weakling often goes without question. It was in this situation I found myself in the land of tea. There I had taken it upon myself to uproot a group of Akari rogues. Some Akari believe the main family has it wrong, and they are the greatest threat to us. They know many of our secrets and abilities, to sell out to others is just not possible. I would be lying if I said I didn’t partake in a special amount of relish when I put down an Akari rogue.

In the land of tea I simply made it known I worked at a local tea shop. There are many throughout the area as the name suggests so such a thing was believable. In time I began to see the rogues, their faces families, hair, body type all screamed Akari to those who knew what to look for. I however have lost a lot of these looks. Balding, grey hair, and skin darkened by years of the sun. I hardly look like an Akari anymore so hiding myself from them was not as difficult as one might imagine. The damned fools….had they stayed within the clan and listened a bit better perhaps they would still be alive.

Or so I thought…No one night when I was preparing to go out, I found myself in an unfamiliar situation. I was the one ambushed. I am proud to say it took six of them to subdue me, even after the crashing blow of steel on the back of my skull. When I came to I was tied up, and staring back at the ones I had thought I was hunting. Instead, it was the other way round. They had set all of it up to draw me out, to bring me to them. They knew of my hate for the rogues, and they played me. Something that had almost never happened before, so you can imagine my embarrassment when it happened to me when I was almost sixty years old.

They intended to sell my body on the black market. When one makes a living of turning in bounties, you in turn generally accrue your own. Now it seemed…it was time for someone to collect. They wanted to bring me in alive, but they had no qualms about killing me, or so they said. Personally I believe they were nervous to get that close to me despite their advantage. Otherwise they should have done the deed from the beginning. Instead we walked, we trudged, we marched all the way to the black market area. On the outskirts I made my move. I knew once I found myself within the darker parts of the boarders it would be over. These rogues might be cowards, but others would be willing to act. Throughout our journey of several days I had begun to cut my wrists with the steel that held them bound behind me. The blood had oozed and made my hands slick, and that was what I needed.

As they neared me, I collapsed. It seemed believable; I am an old man after all. Sorry, can’t help but laugh when I say that. As the first one came close, I began pulling at my hands. SO close I was to slipping out, but not enough yet. As he neared he bent low to lift me up. I made my first move then. As he got close, I simply leaned forward and gave his neck a vampiric bite. The taste of copper filled my mouth as he screamed and fell back. The others didn’t hesitate this time and charged, convinced the dead reward was now worth it over the living. There were three of them. Approaching they made the most obvious of actions. Simple swings of the katana, without any real skill.

Leaning back, the man to my right was the best with the sword. His blade made the first slash across my face. However…..I used this to my advantage. Whipping my face to the left, the life blood sprayed across the far left man’s face, and to my luck his eyes. His yell startled the middle man as he missed wide. Pushing forwad, my chest and his collided causing us to tumble forward. All this time I was pulling ripping the flesh from my wrists trying to get free. When I hit the ground my hands finally came free. Bringing them up my left hand found the mans throat, while my right grabbed the ankle of another. Pulling I was able to knock him on his backside, while the wind pipe of the man beneath me was crushed. Rolling forward I gave myself some distance.

One was dead, well he would be dead as soon as he stopped thrashing about. The other two were now wearier, and played it safer. The resulting scuffle lasted several minutes and when it ended they lay on the ground and my face was left permanently marred. Returning home, I began to review my records and it was then that the idea of the purge was brought up and discussed. I had been hesitant at first, but that mission showed that traitors walked among us. However, that story is for another day I am afraid. The purge is a dark time, yet necessary I wouldn’t insult it by not giving it the proper time to speak of it.

So I suppose you’re asking yourself, why would I tell you all of this? The answer is rather simple. I have begun to grow old, and I have begun to realize my time is not forever. My brother is sickly, unable to even wipe his own ass after a shit. It is an embarrassment what age does to us. I have not begun to decline so far, but the time is surely coming. So, I want my history written in the logs, and known. Without a suitable male heir it is hard to know that my legacy very well is coming to an end. One granddaughter is a conniving bitch, the other missing or dead. My son, yet to prove to me I should be proud. Instead it appears I will have to rely on the family as a whole to pass on my legacy. These are just the beginning stories I will be telling you. The most basics, where I began and several of the places it took me. If you think I am even close to telling you my entire life you are far from correct. I haven’t even discussed the perfect year yet. What was the perfect year? It was a singular year when I was 37. That year I killed one enemy of the Akari every day, for a year straight.

Yes, that does mean what you think. 365 enemies sent to grass in a single year. Those were the glory days when one could operate like that. Now the world has become different. Harder to operate on the laws of a family with the villages wishing to throw out their laws that supersede the clans. The world is becoming a very different place than it once was. I am glad in a way I may not have to endure much more of it, depending on when these old bones finally decide to give up on me. Now, if you have everything written down I suppose you can make your leave. We will continue these stories however tomorrow.

As the scribe left, Akashingo made his way into his bedroom. A small room, with a simple mattress resting on the floor. Removing his robes, he looked at himself in the mirror. Age was beginning to catch up to him, beginning to show itself all over his body in full force. He wondered how much longer he could continue doing the missions for the Akari. He knew it couldn’t be that much longer, however he would keep going until the breath couldn’t be pulled into his lungs. The mentioning of his missing granddaughter had also stirred up some repressed emotions.

He had not given her much thought, all he knew was she was missing. The exact reason was still unclear to him. He had been in and out so much that he had been unable to field his own inquiries. Of course he had heard the rumors, and in his heart he believed them to be true. Akihana physically reminded him of himself, but her personality was very different. He hoped she was safe, but even as he did his hands began to shake. He knew in his heart that her shame deserved punishment. If he made exceptions…..then what about all those who had been killed in the purge, what line had they drawn.

The mind of Akashingo had been troubled lately. Between this, and his return to village life things were very different. He knew he was probably the oldest genin in history, and he now also needed to make a scholar into a shinobi. Yes indeed, the world was a more complicated place than it had once been.


(TWC=5018, so claiming 25 stats. I know it is written a bit unconventionally, but it is due to that fact of his age. Detailing his past and how he got to where he is and his current strength. Since it is odd, i have forgone the right to train jutsu and am only asking for stats. Thanks)