As The Ticking Takes You Further Below... (p, Yen)

Salzem was in a darker mood than usual this early morning. The sun hadn't even peaked over the horizon yet and the village was still cloaked in shadow. Salzem had left his pet spider asleep at home, fearful of what he might do to her should she decide to mock him as she normally does. His rage burned behind the stoic face he wore, threatening to incinerate everything inside. it seemed the whole world was against him. Kouse was being unreasonable, that murderer was still yet to be found, and in general, he hated how useless he felt. No missions, not criminals, NOTHING to vent on. All the techniques his teachers had offered to him to control his emotions as a genin all seemed meaningless now faced with this torrent of anger. How pointless it all seemed. How redundant and pointless it all appeared to Salzem. Wake up, train, mission, sleep, Wake up.

There was nothing here. He saw buildings, he saw the occasional shadow in the window and yet, there was nothing here.

"Nothing... there is nothing here.... Nothing, nothing, nothing..." He muttered as he stomped down the empty roads of Konoha. It was almost like everything he had done in his carrier as a ninja was all to serve this endless nothing. In frustration, he smashed his fist into a nearby lamp-post, not breaking, but denting it slightly and roared.

"There is nothing here!" Not long after the words left his lips, were they swallowed up by the unending blackness. No one seemed disturbed in the least, much less hearing what he had said. Muttering these words to himself, he continued his way down the road. It was almost like he was trying to tell himself this rather than tell everyone else.

Yen had been in a complex situation lately as it would be his focus and concentration had been a mix of identifying the mysteries sorroubding chakra and furthering the development of various genin and even the assistance of others. Though many seemed to have made it clear their stand and others waivered in their pathways to needed a correction of their insatiable hunger for power. All in all yen stood a fine middle ground of things while many people would migrate one way or another primarily in their actions yen neither took pride nor fear of an action done but fact that despite the results should the path be done  to their heart it's fine to yen.

Yens eyes scanned the street  as he noted the change in chakra in the air as yen pinpointed it as salzem slumped on by him .Yet oddly enough yen noted something about Sal his mood had changed considerably as he was not in the grandest mood for sure. Complacenty was far off Sal as yen neared him and caught up with him in stride and spoke up. "Dawn has been by for a few hours and yet you are in the dark mood my friend. A mood I have not seen in a long while since you had the mask. What happens Salzem?" yens voice had hit his serious tone as  he asked his question concerned about the chuninn. Awaiting his response as he walked next to salzem. Since their mission yen barely had the chance to catch up with him

As Salzem was stomped about Konoha, he recognized something... A voice among the deafening, maddening silence of the morning. Salzem turned his head and saw a familiar person attempting to meet his stride. What he said caused a frown to fall over his face. His eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. He didn't see anything for a second, but instead gestured to everything around him. The buildings, the ground, the sky.

"Don't you see it?" Salzem growled before pointing off to the Hokage rock in the distance. "All of this. Every. Single. Thing here doesn't matter. Everything you or I've done... it doesn't matter. There is nothing here. We've been living a meaningless existence!" His voice rose as he spoke these words, picking up his pace slightly. As he walked, he dragged his fingers along a long wall of a building, fingers digging into the concrete and wood, creating 4 long jagged lines down the wall. All the while, he muttered the same words over and over, no longer whispering. "Wake up, train, mission, go to sleep." He then turned to Yen, his sanguine eyes burning with fury.

"It all has no purpose! What have we done, Yen? We've done NOTHING! I have all this power," Salzem smashed his fist into a nearby concrete wall, creating a large crater in the wall. "I have all this speed," Salzem dashed a foot behind Yen at speeds of 100, then returned to his side. "And what have I done, What have you done, what have ANY OF US DONE? Nothing... Just sit here... and do nothing!" Salzem hissed these words, fingers clenched, teeth grinding.

"I've sat here... honing my combat skills... I've used those skills to kill in the name of this place. I've made sacrifices for it! And I've done nothing! Nothing's changed. No villain was stopped, no great reward was earned. Not a single thing is changing here! When you look at your friends and family, what do you see? Because when I look at you, when I look at this place, It is blank! I might as well be blind, or living in a void." Salzem's anger seemed to radiate off him like flames. The air seemed to bend around him as he spoke, contorting, changing shape. He continued walking, going nowhere because there was nowhere to go. Where does one go when all they see is endless nothing? How do they know they're going anywhere?

What salzem said made sense and yen held even gaze salzem expressed his emotions bare  Yen was impressed by Salem improvements in terms of power. It was remarkable as yen lost track of sals movements yet his words hit home though as yen glanced at salzem his demeanor was above all unstable. Speaking up  As salzem finished his rampage " your points are valid yes my friend yet you know about it as well as I do. The status of self vs the world. Sometimes it takes a journey to take  grips of the world. Should you run for the demon known as youka instead who single handedly ran kumogure to the ground? Perhaps even attempt to try to change the gears of fate by your own hands? The public explosion is understandable and appreciated yet what do you gain for your actions? There will always be an equal reaction. If you dare to be the one to push for a change I will head the push back. Just as if you were in my shoes. I see both sides and all sides instead of looking one path. But sometimes you must be one to take one path as it's your duty in the spectrum. Yet your heart and soul resists your  intentions for its your life and duty salzem.". 

Yens voice became harsh towards the end of his statement his eyes glowing under his straw hat as he stepped down sharply but not as sharp as his voice nor as menencing as his chakra spiked with his voice as the point being made as yen stopped by salzem and glared at him under his straw hat .  Pointing one of his left index finger at salzem as he spoke yet no chakra went to his finger but to stop him and think."What be your choice in yourself choice in life salzem as you want to give up and quit? I warned you on our last mission that should you decide to leave you can I won't stop you unless you ensure a threat to the village in the esscence and your actions pull you through self destruction of your reputation and our home."


 yens voice dropped to a quiet menencing tone as he spoke his last statement. "If you do  then I'll  break you personally and ensure you know your place in the spectrum. You gained power and speed even experience yet you are struggle trying to break free of bounds beyond ourselves. Just like the kumo boy who left his duty your place is respected among the village but if serious about this should your rage blind reason strike me with full force as I'm the sheild of konoha." 

Yens eyes softens as he offered another suggestion his expression softening and voice becoming softer  Or salzem you want to experience the world's as an ally of the village as the black hand of justice for your means hunt throes that would hurt your soul your home where we will home and house you. You then can release your rage in a more suitable way hunting that which you seek not in a leash but as an aqueitence and ally you can even if permitted take the genin on your team along with you as a coup as the ones who take the criminals with your rules. But I warn you once again if you dare raise your blade against the village you will not leave here the same man. Do not test me!"

Yens last words were less of a whisper in the wind yet his words were still the same as they were the same steel in the esscence as he cared for salzem yet should he lose his cool yen would take all he could to stop salzem. "Speak salzem and let your heart and soul be bare "

"intentions. Duty." Salzem repeated. "You do not understand." Salzem huffed. "Yes, oh yes, I could turn on the village just as easily as you could, Yen. And I could seek out this "demon" and request and alliance. But what does that matter? What would that accomplish? Change? You can't change what doesn't exist! None of this matters. I've gone through my "life" in this place, and what's happened? NOTHING HAPPENED! Every thing done here has been done so many times that it has lost all meaning!"

Salzem had barely noticed the menace in his tone. All he could hear from Yen was gibberish mixed with patriotism.

"You speak as If you know the world." Salzem shook his head and chuckled, though there was no humor in his laugh. "You know nothing. All you see is what once was! What you've been taught! Look at it now! What do you see? You see people doing the same thing every damn day, of every damn month, of every damn year. And they do it mindlessly, unaware of how much they are putting to waste." Salzem looked down at his hand as if it had been drenched in blood.

"I've been friend, I've been an ally to this place. This... what have I been protecting..." Salzem shook his head. He truly didn't know.

"Souls... mine... These creatures have no souls. Those people out there, who knows? You... you want me to speak? To lay my heart bare? Then Look at it, Yen! Look at it and observe because you've been looking at over 10 years of heart stored away in this vessel of 'duty' and 'sacrifice!' Enjoy the view? Because it isn't changing! I hate this place! I hate this unending void of repetition of a world! And you know what...?" Salzem looked Yen dead in the eye and snarled. "I hate you. I hate what you represent. Trying to drag me back into this poor shadow on an existence with talk of 'seeing all choices' and 'duty.' Tell me Yen, would you protect this, if it meant becoming as they are, soulless, unending recordings of people, just because you were spawned among them? What choices do you see for me...? Huh?"

By this time, Salzem and Yen had reached the training grounds. Salzem, for the first time tonight, looked about this area, observing every detail. He then looked back at Yen, eyes no longer glaring and hateful, but rather wistful.

"This is where it all begins..." Salzem whispered, walking up to a wooden dummy and rubbing his hand over it's flat top. He looked at Yen with an unreadable expression. "Do you see this? What is it? What do you see?"

Yen glanced at the dummy salzem placing the hand on to yet his words sing true duty to self over the duty to village it never mattered as much except home to throes who seek it and yen spoke just as evenly as before. "Salzem it's a inanimated object for practicing otherwise known as a dummy. Now I want you to look at this. And you know as well as I do I know what I'm talking about." Yen called out 10 insects from within his body. As they neatly stood in line. As yen gazed into salzems eyes as he spoke his pride hurt slightly but now was not the time to lock wounds. As yen continued Speaking

 " yet you speak the sours of life as life goes and comes. There is life and death not only of my cells but my family here. I feel as each one dies and lives and yet you dare call Me soulless? My insects can turn on me at any time as I house two conflicting bugs fighting for control. And yet  I you dare to toss a blow at my duty to the village and myself?  my duty is home and why I choose this is because its my blood that runs deeper then your eyes can see or can ever see. I am an aburame and proud. I might not be as strong but I know my place." Yen shook his head as he stated at salzem circling the dummy and salzem.

 "People flock here each day seeking refuge and sanctuary from the outside world as there are throes who won't care what you do or say they will strike you down without remorse. So you want to roll over and die in a ditch forgotten and lost like the unsung warriors who fought not in honor or duty? You lost your mind?  Look at yourself blinding the eyes to the shadows of the world. Everywhere there will be murder violence and conflict that's true. Yet you will be no better then the others in your state of mind and more importantly what is your goal? You want to change the world on you own ? I'll break you before you think of walking out the village gates taking the burden of the world on your shoulders and changing it when in the end you are but a flea in the winds of eternity. If you are going to do something then don't do it alone and accept the light in the world. Turn it in your favor if so"


Yen stopped next to salzem as he gazed at he . " Your will sings to escape I would ask you to not stay but make a difference. But not alone but as a team with others.  I understand more then anyone to the blindness of the world. Throes that seek war and violence as an awnser but you will not be like the others who tried in vain to change gears they could not move on their own. So once again I say what is your choice? No target dummy will be enough to test your mettle and you have a choice now salzem. Let your wrath take over as you leave and March into oblivion I will not allow that as a friend and comrad I saved you before and I'll do it again .  Or gain counsel of yourself and turn the clock by your rules with clarity. Konoha is not going to turn the clock for you so do so with a clear conscious and help. Choose your choice but I am staying as my role for now  is not out there yet that much I can tell you." 

Yen glanced at salzem as he took a breath awaiting salzems response.

Salzem listened to Yen's words and smiled. One of hope.

"Perhaps you aren't as hopeless as the rest of these fools." Then Salzem's expression fell back to it's scalding frown.

"And for all the spiritual gibberish you speak, you don't understand." Salzem shook his head, taking careful note of where Yen was moving. "You speak of Honor, and clarity. Who are you to speak of these words? You are a hypocrite, worth no more than the words that flow from your mouth. I don't just want to leave, Yen, I want to forget I've ever existed here! There is no 'honor' in assassination, there is no 'honor' in slaughtering children. And Yen, there is no 'honor' in being subject to a village of the damned." Salzem turned in time with Yen walking around him so that his eyes were always locked on him.

"What good will it do destroy this place? Obviously the soulless here would simply rebuild it as they had done many decades before our time. Save me...? From what? Saving myself? Finally opening my eyes to the truth?" Salzem's voice was steady, but his fury rose. "Are you so content in your blindness you are willing to drag the awakened back down with you?"

"If I were to leave, would you hunt me down? Would you fight me? Would you even kill me? Why? Because I've chosen to free myself? Because I'm no longer part of this mindless repetition? What makes you think I'll return here to wreck havoc on this place? There are even deeper levels of blindness than you've demonstrated. You can't even think for yourself. All your saying, all your trying to prove, is all what they planted in your head! Wake up and smell the roses Yen, because they are right there under your nose. This world you've participated in, has no meaning! And before you spout off about honor and owing it to them, Allow me to say it again: Where is the honor in a pointless, endless, fruitless task? Because you owe it to them? What you owe to yourself is more important. You might as well be chopping wood for all eternity!" Salzem's fists clenched as he registered the options Yen has given him. "I choose door number three." Salzem declared, body relaxing. His muscles loosened, his jaw unclenched, his body seemed to indicate he had calmed down. His voice also seemed to have lowered, become more smooth. All except his eyes. They seemed to have frozen over with cold fury.

"I'll make my own way in the world, no longer bound in one empty spot for eternity. I'll walk the land and explore it as myself, not the ninja this place had transformed me into." Salzem locked eyes with Yen. "And if you try to stop me, you'll pay for it each time."

Yen shook his head building up chakra and relaxing it as yen heard salzem speak. he's been thinking this for awhile I see yen thought to himself as he considered merely putting Sal under a genjutsu to fix the situation yet this was philosophy as it would be he wasn't one to deny that and more so the fact remained as he finished hearing salzem speak he thought about it. Would they send him after Sal? Odds are yes as retrieval of missing ninja. Yes it was a fact the cycle continues and more so salzem made his intentions clear to find another way as yen inwardly smiled. well a push to take a step further never went wrong as his mind is made up it'll be better to see what we may see from his actions outside. 


Yen made up his mind as he spoke accepting salzems awnser as he closed his eyes building up chakra within his whole body resonating through him yen spoke slowly and even more slowly and casually yen would prepare a long string of handsigns, his voice soft as he thought to express his words. Yen took a breath as he decided to go with his idea as to further test salzem. "Your points sing true my friend as you make a point about their actions and such. They would most likely send someone after you odds are me and it's understandable your retaliating as it would be against your wishes. Yet you as well sing true of the fact that you have a choice with everything  and door three is your choice? Ok Sal you have that as well. So now comes the part where you get a bit of information you see.Yet I have my own method of handling such information as it will handle your stress but now is not the time for that my friend. For now though if I were you I would look to the forces behind chakra as it's a fascinating subject to mix the light and darkness not only in the world but well everything. For example this technique here I'll show you will be most interesting as it was my first dive within the art of yin yang release. A tool of many uses yet all of its secret lie within the user and creator myself. It is here we would not be disturbed otherwise interrupted as I am the deciding factor of what occurs in my world. Yet I would prefer the talk here as you see the handsigns are long and complex but I hope my friend you will gain some insight per say"

 As yen formed the last bird handsign yen decided it was best to go with it and not continue the constant argument as even if he was to continue telling Sal and convince him Sal would eventually snap out of his will being suppressed the most he could do was ask a request.  should  salzem had been looking about yen then a flash of light would engulf both yen and himself as he would float down to a platform amid darkness where yen would be awaiting him. Gestering to him yen would nodded at salzem speaking.

 "Welcome to pandemonium now we can go crazy without restraint however the thing is that it's no training dummy it's me it'll last as long as I have chakra here we can talk and determine what it is you will need for your leave. Look I know that your frustrated but here information is classified. I need a partner my darkness to my light and more so one who can take the leave as it is I suspect that there is a silver lining. this village requires lots of leaders Yet it's more then that I need your help. More then that perhaps there may be a way for us to be frank here. I don't want to fight you and you don't want casualties so as a deal here salzem I want you to hear me out. Find throes people that were at the gate that one day those powerful people especially that girl. Well as a request of a freind as it's no mission. Perhaps it's just me but whatever happend in kumogure I do not want that happening here. Convince them to get rid of that man whatever he is but that man there he gives me the chills at thought of it. Form your own group even if that's the case and rid of him we can't have a calamity and trust the power of such a being. What good does that do as our world may be of material and waste yet I'll rather live in a living world then one where we fall. You may cut all ties with village but as a request salzem of a villager I don't want you to fall you need strength and will. And hopefully you will find your awnser out there in the world. 


To bend the light and darkness of another yen would set upon a daring task as it was subtle yet required work as yens disire was to push Sal from the village  and on a path which he can forge as he desired where if so he could make him a hero that should he have the strength and wisdom be able to forge a new age of ninja thus in case Sal were to falter his inclusion were to be known as petty and wistful perhaps viewed self destructive within the depths of his being yen questioned the  double standard of himself and shook it off as merely the fact of Sal needing to express free will not of his own agenda as it was a different story. Sometimes there needed to be a target other times a target was to be painted themselves all in all yen was for both Sal and his village as Sal was starving as he noticed. As yen awaited sal and his request yen considered the fact as it is. Perhaps he could've detained salzem yet to the sake of public and safety the wisest path was let him do as he desires.

Salzem watched as Yen slowly preformed a long string of hand signs. Seeing that they were woven at a slow pace purposefully, He didn't interrupt his sequence. Then, before his eyes, an incredibly bright light appeared from behind Yen, blinding Salzem. He held up an arm over his eyes to shield them from the flash, surprised at what he saw when he lowered his arm. What he saw was that their surroundings have disappeared and in it's place, an unending blackness. Even stranger, Salzem was falling towards the ground. No... he wasn't falling. Rather, he was being lowered slowly... Once Sal's feet met solid ground, He looked around, taking in this new environment, or lack there of. Finally, he saw Yen, a few meters away from him and Salzem approached, wary, but no longer hostile. Salzem was still looking around the strange area as Yen began to speak.

"Pandemonium you say...?" Salzem whispered. If anything, this was a representation of what he was talking about. Endless, maddening nothing. Yen began speaking of a man... a Kumo ninja. And of a girl they met that day at the gates. Why...? Why would Yen care about this? A better question, Why would he ask Salzem to take care of this when Yen was just as, if not more capable of doing it himself? Yen proposed this task as a personal request, rather than one on behalf of the village and Salzem's eyes widened. If Yen was correct, stopping this man would save many lives... Perhaps the whole world. However, Salzem existed on the level of the individual, never concerning himself with things of politics, or wide-spread decisions. He usually only concerned himself with himself.
 
Is there no end to Yen's nobility? Salzem thought. His anger had long since diminished, leaving him with a thoughtful head. He looked at Yen for a good long moment, weighing his options.

"If I encounter that girl at the gates on my travels, I'll see what I can do." Salzem said finally. "Perhaps you are correct in this matter. Perhaps you are dead wrong. Who am I to say?" Salzem let out a long breath. "But, I'll do as you ask."

Yen nodded and smiled at Sal. Yet Sal was willing to leave he did not want him to die nor get killed alone that is not fall and be manipulated unless by his own hands that is. Yen threw the thought out as he was a gentleman and a Nan of honor as he spoke up. "Your words hurt as if I were in your shoes perhaps would things have turned differently? Yes. Yet it has come to this and I'm glad one can make a difference not alone but together and with other groups even your own if you choose so Sal to make one I'm here." Yen walked up to salzem and placed his hand on his shoulder looking into his eyes as he spoke "I don't want my ally alone though as iv saved you once before don't let your life waste away. I made this genjutsu as a cage of the void when one dives within madness not embracing their role in the spectrum and taking an excuse for their doings. This is my work and it's not perfect sure I won't use chakra efficiently for a bit to my max degree but this is more then a cage. You can train, let lose your rage on an illusion and that's what it is. In the end you lay bare your self and give your all should life or soul to get out. But that's only enemies. You are my freind and I shall free you as it is but It is here we will speak free from disturbances  and the outside world when we cross paths again not as enemies but friends just know I'll want to speak with you on time to time and such Sal in private." Yen placed his hand off sals shoulder and stepped back a foot as he spoke. "should you need counsel or confide what's needed to not be over heard you saw the handsigns and I won't ever lift a blade to my ally. You understand salzem?"

With that yen weaved the long handsigns in reverse as the light flashed again bringing them back to the training ground as yen felt his chakra fluxerate and stabilize as he felt not much of a drain in his reserves but a lack in control and power. "Yep that's the cost of such a technique I nearly blacked out over 20 times making it but I love it. As it's my tool for ensuring that which I care about stays safe. But Sal at least leave in standing with a smile knowing you will see a brighter dawn. I don't need an apology as I'm the shield wear and tear may go by but I'll endure as long as I must that is the duty I stand for I would do it for my enemy should they yield even if they tried to kill me so long as they don't hurt her. Don't leave in tears nor sadness, don't die in vain, and don't fight alone.  Now go ready up and let me know when your seeking a ear or aid. Just let kage know as respect all right Sal?" 

Yen spoke as he patted the dummy and offered hand to Sal smiling and looking in his eyes. "Deal friend?"