Flashes In and From the Past (Flashback P.)

(Unless the title didn't make it clear enough, This is taking place before I left Konoha (aka flashback). Doing this for some Sal Character development so please don't cheese me about inconsistencies)

Salzem pulled his clothes on quickly, pulling the hood of his jacket over his head as he headed out into the cold rain that poured over Konoha. It came down hard and fast, creating a small fog a few yards in front, and just below the ankle. Like many times before, Salzem had come to the gates for reassurance, to make him feel like he has a purpose out there in leaving. He walked briskly, feet kicking up the water that coated the ground heavily. Salzem arrived a minute or so later, staring on out the open gates with almost a wistful expression. The darkness that hid behind the clouds above was peaking out more and more, shadows stretching longer and light getting harder to come by.

Draconis wandered through the rain. He should really learn that jutsu that messed with the water, turned it into sharks or something, but nah, he was not gonna because he was not here to train.

"What's the matter, Salzem?"

He spoke to a familiar chakra signature in the pouring rain. "Didn't think you were on guard duty today."

Salzem turned away from the gates, hearing a familiar voice. Drac's voice. He hadn't expected him to be out this late tonight or in this rain. In fact, he hadn't expected anyone to be out and about. Draconis appeared to speak the obvious. He was not here for guard duty. Perhaps he would keep his leaving a secret from him as well and maybe he would have, had his patients to leave not been running so low.

"I'm not. I'm leaving." Salzem said, body tensing in case Draconis tried to stop him.

Draconis was stunned, of course. This was rather unexpected. "Wait, What?"

Then, as Salzem's short af sentence faded into the pouring rain, followed by Draconis' even shorter sentence, Draconis followed with another brief blurb. In fact, this would be the shortest yet. Of course, this was only after the full enormity of what Salzem had said had come crashing down on the young Hyuuga. "Why?"

Salzem turned fully around so that he was facing Draconis, expression unclear. Drac's confusion was justified he supposed, but that didn't stop Salzem from venting his frustration on him. He wasn't thinking clearly, that much was obvious. Perhaps his mind was still clouded over with the lust for vengeance over Isshin's death. Perhaps it was the fact that the hokage let a very real threat escape into the wild to do more murders. It mattered not. At least, not then.

"Because the Hokage lets murderers run free, that's why." Salzem snapped. "I'm going to do the job he can't, or refuses to do. I'll hunt down that murderer and crush his head!" With these words, Salzem would glare at Draconis, almost daring him to stop Salzem with his gaze.

"Murderers? Who? I didn't hear anything of this!"

Draconis was more than a little bewildered now. Surely, the Hokage would have noticed something like a murder right?

"But, wait, why are you leaving? Shouldn't we make this an official mission? Then we can send an entire team out to get the crook."

Was this explanation not enough? Did he have spell it out for him?

"If I wanted to have help, yours or anyone else's, I would've asked." Salzem growled. "I'm leaving because our leader is incompetent! He lets murders get away with murdering his own ninja! My friend..." Salzem trailed off for a moment, eyes seeming to loose their wrath for a moment before flaring up again.

"I won't let him live. I won't let it happen again."

(sorry, Drac is a straightforward guy lol)

Draconis exploded at seeing his idol being dissed. Just because he needed a reason to get mad at Salzem of course.

"How can the Hokage be incompetent?!? HE was chosen out of a large group of candidates by the previous Hokage, he can't be merely incompetent!!!" Draconis' voice rose to a shout, drowning out partially, the rain.

That did explain why Salzem was leaving though. If his friend was murdered.

"What Candidates!?" Salzem fired back. They both knew that there were only two, Kasai and Jason, and one didn't even show up. "He may be powerful, but someone who lets someone die and not seek out their murderer is a FOOL!" Salzem glared at Draconis, venom in his eyes.

"He's incompetent! Plain and simple. He may be more powerful than you or me, but I will not serve under this man! I'll sooner die before I grovel at that man's feet for attention on this matter. And I'll not be shouted at by YOU!"

Salzem's fingers curled into fists, ready to go in swinging. Draconis was grating on his nerves now, more than ever before.

Welp, Salzem was making this hard for Draconis sorta, since on the one hand he wanted to beat up Salzem even if he himself was not a physical taijutsu user, and on the other hand, he didn't want to hurt his friend. That left only one option.

"Get out of my sight."

Draconis growled, scarcely caring at this point, where that meant Salzem ended up.