Becoming the Bull

Altar once again found himself at the community bulletin board. The last time he was here, he had taken a mission overseeing an island full of horrid creatures. The mission had been a success, and Altar had been handsomely rewarded. He wanted to feel the same thrill again, but perhaps of a different… flavor.

Looking through the various flyers and ads on the board, one stuck out. Altar pulled it off to examine it further. All that was labeled was an address, a date, a name and a number. Very sketchy, but hey, what was there to lose? He had just genocided an entire island. It wasn’t like he could do much worse.

After finding his way through the dingy back alleys of Kirigakure, Altar found himself in front of a small, rundown apartment building. Entering, Altar had an easy time finding the apartment number listed on the ad. Knocking, Altar hardly had time to wait as he heard locks clicking open. A fairly large man opened the door, cigar balled tight in one fist, a wad of ryo in the other. He wore his uniform disgracefully, and it looked two sizes too small. Clearly stolen. VERY clearly. The man guffawed when he saw Altar standing at the door, and asked in a very gruff voice

“What’chu doin here il’ man?”

“I’m here about the ad. Found it on the communal board. Seemed out of place. Thought it’d be an interesting mystery to solve. Ya gonna let me in?”

“Yeah sure, but uh… we got an entry tax ‘round here. 2,500 ryo. You wan’ pay that here, or shoul’n I beat the intrest outta ya?”

Altar was about to reply that the man should have a little more respect when he heard a familiar voice echo in his head. And this time he was almost glad to hear it.

“Just knock the fucker out already! Kill him, I don’t care! Teach him to treat us with respect, Altar!”

With that in mind, Altar took the door and politely swung it back around with enough force to keep it going off it’s hinges, into the apartment. The man was knocked flat on his ass, with an odd mixture of rage and fear on his face. Altar moved so fast it seemed as though he simply appeared next to the man, delivering him a knee to the throat, before grabbing an arm and throwing him against the nearest wall. The man landed face down, and Altar quickly grabbed his arm and pulled it back, before slamming his hand into the man’s twisted elbow. A rather nasty snap could be heard, and Altar’s sick smile only grew. Before departing, Altar raised the man’s head enough so he could hear the boy say his final remarks.

“I am a Jounin of the Bloody Mist. Treat me with the respect I deserve. Don’t forget it. Or next time i’ll snap more than just your arm.” Altar said, before slamming the man’s head back down with enough force to breach the floor. He wasn’t dead, just… very, very unconscious. But not dead. With that, Altar took the ryo from the man’s hand and walked over to the only man not standing next to a wall. Slamming his ryo filled hand down on the table, Altar would give a genial smile and speak.

“Here. Repair the door, the floor and buy yourself something nice. Your suit’s a little...tarnished.”

It was about now that Altar noticed the almost deafening silence. Someone dropped a pin, and it could be heard in the next room. Altar could tell because it echoed out from the hole in the floor. The man in front of him simply smiled, brushed some ash from his suit, and offered Altar a chair at the table.

“So… you barge into my apartment, nearly kill my biggest brute, and insult my suit. Do you know who I am, boy?”

Altar shrugged, his face taking on a sarcastic ass look. “None. I barged into your apartment, nearly killed your biggest brute, and had the audacity to insult your suit. Do you know who I am?” Altar said, opening his fit to reveal the now crumpled piece of paper. “4320”

“Ah… I see. You’ve come for the job. Good, good. You clearly have ability and fire. Let me fill you in…”

The next hour or so was filled with a few rounds of cards, set over a conversation between the man and Altar. As it turned out, he was a crime boss who had recently gotten into a dispute with another of his kind. They had decided to handle it like gentlemen and hire others to kill each other. The winner of the fight would get paid well, and the employer would get the defeated land. Altar took the man up with glee. This sounded like a good time to let loose and let off some steam. And he had his own plan to follow up on anyways. He wouldn’t tolerate crime in this city. It wasn’t gonna be like Tengakure. There would be no seedy parts when he was through. Of course, the man issued him one day to due with as he pleased, to rest and recuperate or to train. So, being Altar, he slept. And he dreamt.

Altar grasped the back of his head, almost feeling it throb with pain. What had he done last night that caused this? It felt like dear heaven above was cursing him, wishing him to be in agony. Ah well, he thought, raising himself up out of bed, thinking of his father's old saying. "The worse the headache, the better the night was!" he'd say, laughing to himself as his mother would characteristically roll her eyes at him. Altar smiled, his eyes growing foggy as he remembered his parents. They were solemn, and miserable, but they had their moments of fun. Altar pulled on his clothes, preparing for the day ahead. He sat back down on the bed, wiping his eyes clear, putting on a serious face. It had always seemed that when he was alone was the only time he could actually feel and display his emotions, but that didn't make it a good thing. He needed to be taken seriously, he wanted to be dangerous, he wanted to be a threat, and he certainly wouldn't be with a smile on his face and tears in his eyes. Besides, he didn't like thinking about his parents, Not after what had happened. Altar sighed, looking out his window to see the rain coming down outside. Good, he thought, he loved the rain. He got up, went out the door, and started off towards the training towers.

Altar grasped the door to the room, entering it and immediately noticing the round room he found himself in, two switches on the far left, presumably lights, a few knobs and a button next to them. On a rack to his right were what looked like earpieces, a board above them labeling rules. He walked to the board reading it. It read...

-Welcome to the holographics training simulator. The earpieces below are used for voice control. Phrases such as "Pause" and "Start" will be recognized to the program. The control panel to the far left may also be used. Happy training!

Altar grabbed an earpiece, fitting it to his ear as he walked to the control panel. The switches controlled lights and the power to the holograms. The knobs adjusted number, difficulty, and weapons. The button was to adjust the simulation accordingly to the knobs. Altar turned number to "1", difficulty to "Normal" and set weapons to "None". Standing in the middle of the room, Altar readied himself, turned on the earpiece, and said "Start!"

Immediately, a hologram of what seemed a common ninja appeared, running at Altar. It swung a right at Altar, who dodged left, under the arm, spinning around, aiming a kick to the hologram's head. The hologram turned and backstepped, grabbing Altar's leg and tossing him at the wall. Altar flipped, landing on the wall, kicking off, spinning mid air and kicking the hologram in the jaw, landing, and punching the same spot with his left, pivoting his body with his arm. The hologram was knocked to the ground by the punch, as Altar placed his hand on the back of the hologram, flipping over it and running to the wall. The hologram got up, charging Altar. It aimed a punch right to Altar's head as he jumped over it, the hologram punching the wall instead, Altar came down and landed on the hologram's back, pushing off of it, sending it forcefully face first into the wall, and Altar flipping through the air, landing at about the middle of the room again. Altar thought this was getting too easy.

"Pause!" Altar said into the earpiece, as the hologram froze mid action. Altar walked back over to the control panel, notching up the difficulty all the way, and added another hologram, pressing the button. He walked back to the middle of the room. "Start" he said, as another hologram appeared. Altar took a fighting stance as the holograms charged him from both sides. The one on the left went to sweep his legs as Altar jumped over it, the one from the right punched him and grabbed his arm, throwing him towards the wall. Altar flipped, landing on the wall, flipping off as the holograms rushed him, throwing both aimed and wild kicks and punches in every direction. Altar managed around them, kicking one into the other, aiming a right punch, then a sweep kick on the rightmost hologram, then knocking the other off balance, throwing it to the ground and aiming a kick to it's head. The hologram grabbed the kick, pulling Altar down to the ground as the other got up and started kicking him as he lay on the ground. Altar turned and tried to catch a stomp from the hologram, only to have his grip slip and catch it right to the face. Altar could feel the anger boiling inside him, as he looked down, kicking the hologram holding him, it began rolling away, holding it's face. Altar then grabbed the leg of the one above him, pulling him down and rolling away.

He took a moment to survey the situation. Hologram #1 was still rolling on the ground, clutching at it's face. Altar grinned, he hadn't thought these holograms could sustain injuries. Hologram #2 was rolling around, trying to get to it's feet. This was a perfect opportunity. Altar's hands went together, forming a number of hand signs. As lightning started shooting from his hand, and the sound of birds filled the room, the second hologram stood up, wobbling a bit on it's feet. Altar charged at it, running for it as fast as he could. The hologram turned as Altar neared it, jumping out of the way before being struck. "Shit!" Altar shouted as the hologram jumped, the lightning striking the wall instead. THAT hurt a bit more than he would've liked. He turned around, charging the hologram again, this time it dodged around him, dragging him down, placing all it's weight on him to lock him down. Altar struggled around, not being able to get up. He tried rolling out from under the hologram, pushing him off, pulling him off, but nothing worked. Altar was pinned, and there was nothing he could do about it! Altar shouted, trying with all his strength to push him off, but it wouldn't work. Altar's mind raced, trying to think of something. God, this was just like when he was a child. Training with his father, god, what a living hell that had been...

"Come on, you useless child! Get up! Get out from under me! You'll never be a true threat to anyone if you can't even save yourself from a little weight!" His father yelled at him. He was trapped under his father, not moving one inch until Altar could move himself out. Altar could smell the stench of booze and smoke on his father, it was practically leaking off his breath. Altar was sure he was going to suffocate. "Push, you useless little shit! Come on, it's only me! I'm light as a god damn feather boy, and you can't even move under me! Well, you're not eating a fucking crumb until you get out!" Altar reached out to his mother for help, but she was too busy crying in a corner to bother helping him. Fine, he could do this himself. He didn't need his mother to help...he didn't need anyone. Altar looked around the room, searching, searching...there! Altar reached out, his fingertips barely brushing an empty glass bottle. Altar strained to wrap his hand around it, lifting it and bringing it down on his father's head. His father yelled, scrambling to his feet as he clutched at the back of his head. Glass shards stuck out at every angle, blood seeping down his scalp. He ran to the bathroom, frantically pulling out the shards, reaching for the bandaging in the cabinet. Altar walked back to his room, slamming the door shut and locking it tight. "Jackass. Let's see if your best friend still floats at the bottom of a glass after this." Altar muttered under his breath, flopping onto his bed and closing his eyes.

Altar opened his eyes, tears running down his face. "PAUSE!" he yelled in almost a sob, as the hologram on top of him became weightless. He tossed it off, throwing the earpiece away, backing himself up to the wall and tucking in his legs. Thank god no one was with him, he thought. He must look like such a pitiable loser... The emotions in him burst out, as he felt angrier than ever, but also sadder and more depressed than ever as well. He laid his head on his knees, remembering his father at his best and worst moments. Altar could never fight when he was upset, he always fought with his emotions. When he was sad, he could never get into a fight. When he was angry, th threw blind punches as hard as he could. Emotions clouded his thoughts and judgement, and he couldn't fight right with them. He was about to make his way to the exit, and turn off the holograms, when his father's words rang through his head. "You can't let your emotions dictate your fighting, but that doesn't make them without their uses. Instead of getting angry when you get hit and throwing wild punches everywhere, use that anger. Keep a clear mind, but put the anger behind your strikes. Let them empower your punches, not your head. Emotions are powerful things, boy, and the sooner you learn that, the better off you'll be." Altar sniffed at the memory, his father teaching him to fight. He smiled at the memory. Yeah, his father was a drunken asshole, but he was still his father, and he would've been damn proud to see Altar where he was today. Maybe he would've quit drinking for him...Altar laughed at the thought of his drunkard father sobering up for him. Now that was an impossibility. Altar, now in a clearer state of mind, and a happier one at that, walked over to where the earpiece lay, picking it up and rigging it back in his ear. He reset the holograms, and stood back in the middle of the room. "Start!" he said into the earpiece, as the holograms started moving once more.

Altar jumped left, dashing around the holograms and sweeping their feet out from under them. One fell for it, the other jumped, throwing a punch at Altar, which he caught, grabbing it's arm, turning and tossing it away. The hologram that was on the ground got back up, hitting Altar in the stomach, then taking a hold of his neck and pinning him against the wall. The hologram lifted him off the ground, the second one walking up behind it and pulling his arm back for a punch. Altar felt the rage growing that he was being manhandled, but remembered to keep a clear head, and let the anger out through means of the fight. As the hologram prepared to punch Altar, he wrapped his right leg around it's arm, snaking it around it's neck and pulling it, head first, into the wall. Altar then swung his legs, placing them against the wall beneath him and pushing them off, kicking the hologram that held him in the ribs. He fell to the ground, legs out from under him from the force of the kick, but didn't let go of Altar, whose head scraped against the wall on the way down. "Damn it! Ah, that hurt!" Altar shouted, clutching the back of his head. Altar felt more anger, but let it slide once again, but along with it came sadness, as Altar was feeling like this was starting to get futile. He let the sadness go, but instead of using it to strengthen his hits, he simply remembered it. He remembered that feeling of sadness, and the feelings of anger. He kept them bottled inside until they could be used. Altar stood back up, rolling past the grounded hologram, to the one he had slammed into the wall, who was now standing again, charging at him. The hologram swung a right at his head, which Altar swatted to the side and countered with his own punch to the gut of the hologram. The hologram seemingly took the punch and just kept hitting, and kicking at Altar, who took some full on and managed to dodge and move away from others.

The hologram kept swinging away, which lead them over until Altar had his back against a wall. On an incoming punch from the hologram, Altar stepped to the side, grabbing the hologram's arm , placing another hand on the back of it's neck, Altar swung the hologram around, slamming it into the wall with as much force as he could put into it. The hologram turned around and slumped, half sitting and half standing against the wall. Altar took the groggy opportunity, forming the hand signs once more, lightning streaked from his hand as he pinned the hologram against the wall with one hand, and sending the chidori straight through it's chest with the other hand.

The hologram slumped to the ground as Altar released it, seemingly dead, or as close as a hologram could get. He turned to the other hologram, more emotions rising, this time including happiness that he had been able to dispatch one of the holograms. The second was just rising, grabbing at its midsection. Altar wondered if it had suffered a few broken ribs from the kick earlier...oh well, it just made it an easier target. Altar charged the hologram preparing for a fight, but it simply jumped away. Altar tried again, this time catching the hologram with a few light hits, but again it jumped away. Altar turned to face it, and caught it slowly backing away from him. Altar figured that the hologram had lost the ability to fight, what with the ribs, and trauma of seeing his ally die. After all, if they could suffer physical wounds, why not mental as well? Altar put his hands together, forming the chidori for the third time today, hoping to dispatch the hologram, but as he neared it it leapt away. Altar tried twisting his body to move, but couldn't, just like always, and Altar missed. This stirred anger again, which he bottled, again. Taking another try, he made the hand signs again, but missed. Okay, this was getting tiring. Altar thought for a second, and decided it was futile, but worth a try. He put his hands together, the signs coming naturally now, the chidori forming in hand as he charged for the hologram. This time, as the hologram leapt left, Altar let out all the emotions. He thought of all the anger, all the sadness, the happiness, he let it all out, and with it he torqued his body, trying with all his power to make his body turn.

And it did. He had closed his eyes, and let the emotions run rampant, each one chasing after the hologram, just as he was, and as he torqued his body, he felt himself change directions, and as he opened his eyes, he saw the hologram land, not 5 feet directly in front of him. He kept moving, and felt his hand sink through the hologram, straight through the chest. Altar stopped himself after this, and turned to see the body fall to the ground, crumpling as it did. He sat down in a mix of joy and disbelief. Had he really just done that? Was that possible? His head resting back against the wall, he looked to the sky.

"Mom, Dad, I finally did it. I beat my own mind. I used my emotions. I hope you're proud of me up there." Altar said, breathing a sigh of relief. He got up, turned the lights off, put the earpiece back, and walked out of the room. On the way back home, he heard the rain, and the wind. And later, thinking about it, he could've swore he had heard the voices of his parents.

Altar sighed, kicking gently at the ground at his feet.

"Well, if you say so. But if that's the case, then you're teaching me how to do rotations once this thing kicks in." Altar would say, waving a hand in front of his newly acquired eye. He really did need new techniques, and not just ones that were lightning, and used by others. He needed a different element. Something that would suit his fighting style, and work with his chidori, and other jutsu once he mastered them. Something like...

"Hey, by the way, I might have you teach me water jutsu, along with the element. I need something other than, y'know, mighty Zeus powers, and water would go along well with them." Altar would say, hoping Haru would oblige.

Haru grinned.
”Only if you ask nicely.” He responded to the boy’s request, glancing over at the pond he had drawn his water from to create the water dragon and the shark bullet. ”Follow me.” He instructed, placing his hands in his pockets and walking over to the pond. As he walked, he decided to give a short explanation on how to control suiton.

”Now, lightning is volatile and powerful by nature. This gives it the capability for incredible power, but makes it difficult to mold into forms or use for much of anything besides smashing it into someone. Water is more adaptable. It can change form, and state, and is easily manipulated. The hardest part about using suiton is finding a readily available source of water to use with your jutsu. Sometimes, you have to create water.” He explained to the boy as they arrived at the pond.


”Now you already know how to mold chakra into elements, but water has a very different feel to it then lightning. You have to move… fluidly. Lightning techniques tend to be very stiff and rigid. Put your hand in the water, try to control it. Send your chakra through it.” He explained, sitting down cross-legged at the edge of the pool.

Altar followed after Haru, enjoying that they could take a break from fighting and actually talk for once. He noted that this was the first time they had done anything friendly that wasn't formal. He listened to Haru's explanation on the water element, paying close attention to how he said that water was more loose and fluid, as opposed to lightning being rigid and stiff. Altar already knew that lightning was normally used for power and raw force, and he expected water to be the opposite.

Altar would kneel by the pool Haru had lead them to, putting his hand in the water, as instructed. He began to tighten his body, stiffening his muscles. He found himself a bit shocked when he, out of instinct, almost started up another chidori. Letting go of the chakra concentration, Altar would pull his hand out, close his eyes, and breath deeply. He needed to relax, and there was always one place to go when he needed to relax.

Altar felt himself falling. Sooner rather than later, he found himself standing on the familiar platform, the familiar girl across from him again. He smirked when she ran to him, grabbing him into a hug. After a short while, she let go of him. After a small talk, explanations and catching up, Altar felt more relaxed than ever. Nekoda had always had that effect on him, but he never knew why. He'd have to ask that next time. After a mall goodbye, Altar felt, as well as saw, everything go black.

Altar would awake, not having been out long, in the same position. He would look around him, noting that he couldn't have been out for more than a few minutes, if that. Sighing, he would put his hand in the water, relaxing his entire body. He would push his chakra through his hand, keeping himself in a very fluid and loose position and state of mind. He would then smile as he saw the water ripple around his hand, forming small waves. Concentrating more, he would find that he could make various designs and patterns using his chakra to manipulate the water, It wasn't much, but it was a start.

"Well? Long way from weaponizing it, but it sure is fun to draw shapes in the water." Altar would say, pulling his hand from the pool and awaiting Haru's next instructions.

Haru watched Altar tense up as he tried to control the water.
”No, no, no, you aren’t trying to strangle the water in a vice grip. You’re directing the flow of it. If you get rigid like that, it won’t obey you.” He explained, shaking his head. ”Let your body relax, almost go limp.” He instructed, before becoming silent again. He watched the boy relax finally, before, oddly, dozing off. He had relaxed a little too much. Haru would not disturb him, hoping that would help him stay calm once he awoke.

When he did wake up, he was finally relaxed, and he was actually controlling the water at a basic level.
  
”Good. Don’t worry about using it as a weapon, that will come later. Suiton is not aggressive by nature, it’s far more passive. For every technique that is used for attacking with Suiton, there’s two that are used for defense. “ He told him. ”Try to mold larger shapes, pull it out of the pool and keep it suspended. That’s one of the hardest parts of learning the element, after that, you’re golden. It only gets easier.” He explained, waiting to see how he handled the next task.

Altar listened intently to Haru's instructions and guidance, wondering idly what all he'd be able to learn using water. So, it was defensive rather than offensive, but could be used for offense and attack. Either way, it seemed useful, so long as a readily available source of water existed. Plus, lightning and water seemed to be a good combination. Water for defense, lightning for offense. And water was conductive, so it could be used as a base for more long range attacks, both alone and combined.

Haru instructed him to try and pick the water from it's source. Thinking on it, Altar decided that it couldn't hurt to try. So, Altar would stick his hand back into the water, gently and fluidly moving it around, before slowly pulling his hand out, trying to pull water with it. Like expected, he failed. After a few more attempts, Altar finally got it, and had managed to pull out a decent amount of water, forming it into an orb and keeping it suspended in the air.

Using his will, Altar tried forming the orb into various shapes. The shapes came out slightly distorted and rough, but visible and distinguishable nonetheless. Keeping the orb in the air, Altar would look to Haru.

"Hey, sorry about...dozing off earlier. I have a place I always go when I need to be relaxed. It's kind of a long story." Altar would say

Haru watched the boy lift the water from the pool, forming an orb of water and manipulating it into various shapes.
”Good, just like that. It’s incredibly difficult to get water to form a perfect shape like an orb or a square, because, by its own nature, it wants to be sloppy, it wants to be imperfect. It’s hard to explain. It… rebels, almost. It’s kind of weird personifying suiton like that, but it fits, I suppose.” He said, lying back in the grass. ”Keep trying to control it, get the hang of multitasking with it.” He told him.

The “Happy place” or whatever that Altar mentioned interested him. Was it a mental barrier, or more just a state of mind? He vaguely remembered Yozora doing something similar while he was under her command as an ANBU trainee. ”Well, we have time. Would you mind explaining this to me? Your clan is a bit of an oddity, I’ve seen another Shinkou doing this same kind of meditating that you were doing. What does it do? What’s the point of it?” He asked Altar. Something he had noticed while the boy was unconscious earlier was that the eye he had extracted, the Meigan, had lost the special chakra inside of it, and now was just an ordinary eye.

Altar grinned, glad that Haru was showing interest in the Shinkou, and at least a small bit, in him. Of course, this was also the man that was teaching him to use water as an element and fighting style, and helping him activate the byakugan eye that he had given to him earlier. Well, if they had time, then he'd gladly explain. But, for the mean time, he still wanted to practice keeping the water he had suspended in mid-air in shape, seeing as Haru said that would be the difficult part.

"I understand what you mean, water by it's nature wants to be fluid and flowing, it doesn't want to be shaped and forced, let alone molded int something. I can see where it's gonna take a lot of practice, trying to perfect this. It's taking quite a bit of focus just to keep this bit of water in the air and molded into an orb shape." Altar would say, slowly lowering the orb back into the water, letting it back to it's normal pool and natural shape.

"Now, if you wanna know about the Shinkou," Altar would say, turning to Haru. "We have a special element, bound to our chakra systems. It's like the purity and essence of darkness. It's called Yuumei. It lives in us, sort of like it uses us as a host. It's different from our natural chakra, and can deplete by different measures, but since it's bound, that means it gets stronger as our chakra does. Yuumei, by itself, is a very... Altar would trail off here, trying to find the right words to help him explain this final part. "Yuumei is special in the fact that it's sentient, and can talk to it's host. By concentrating hard enough, we can enter our minds and talk directly to our Yuumei, and it can take a physical form. That's what you saw me do earlier. Also, everyone's Yuumei is different, and manifests in varying physical forms for each person, and gathers seperate personalities. For example, my Yuumei manifested as as a girl named Nekoda. She's very shy, but caring. Altar would say, taking a small breath now that his long winded explanation was over.

Haru nodded, satisfied that Altar understood his explanation of suiton’s characteristics. It would be easier to understand the element if you could envision it’s

”Wait… so you have a girl made of chakra living inside of you? That’s kind of odd when you think about it, don’t you think?” He asked, scratching his chin. ”Can she always see you? Like when you’re on the toilet or something?” He would ask teasingly. ”So your byakugan should be recovered now, but you’ll need to put some time into it to be able to activate it. I can teach you that another time, but for now, I think you should focus on the task at hand. Keep trying to move the water like you’ve been doing. I think I have an idea.” He said, making a set of two hand signs, first the tiger seal, then the snake seal.

From the ground erupted large roots, which formed into circular shapes, making ten loops out of the wood at varying heights.

”What I want you to do is to navigate the water through the loops. You’re going to have to throw it into the air and catch it to get it through the higher ones. Just try to keep the blob of water together without it spilling out.” He explained, releasing the hand sign. He was really tired after that, he probably shouldn’t have used such a high level jutsu without resting more, but he needed a way to test him, and this was the only way to do it.

Altar's face would shade slightly red at Haru's comment, his eyes widening a bit as well. He wondered why Haru would jump to a conclusion like that as fast as he had. Well, at least he knew that Nekoda couldn't do as he had suggested...THAT would be awkward. However, he jumped from the topic almost as soon as he had gotten onto it, and soon was back to thoughts of training. Altar's face returned to normal, as Haru made ten rings of formed earth jump from the ground. He then asked Altar to try to navigate the water through the rings. He also informed him that his newly acquired Byakugan would be healed by now, but that time would be needed, along with training, to activate it properly. Well, that was somewhat a downer, but at least he would be able to see out of his left eye now. Knowing that, Altar would slowly remove the bandage that had been wrapped on his eye, and relished having normal vision again.

Altar would bring water from the pool again, forming it slowly into an orb, before idly trying to navigate the orb through the rings. While he attempted this, Altar would turn to speak to Haru.

"Well, Nekoda isn't made of chakra, per say, as she is more the concentration and personification of my Yuumei. She can't see me at all times, as she is trapped within my own mind, as that's where she can manifest. She can, however, tap into and see my memories, and she can see through my eyes when she wishes too. It can be annoying at some times, but I've grown used to it. As for my Byakugan, that's good. Glad I can see out of both eyes now."

Altar would then turn his full attention towards the small maze set before him. He had failed a few times while talking, the ball of water narrowly missing the ring, not going through correctly, and sometimes he had not been able to catch the water off it's descent. Now that he had his full attention turned towards the maze, he was able to control the ball of water a small bit more fluidly. Not that it was easy, because it wasn't. Trying to control the small ball, as well as keep it in it's shape and try to run it through the small hoops, was hell on earth. The orb had a tendency to want to mis-shape, and would often flow back into a loose strand of water. Or, it would keep together too well, and either bounce off the hoops, not wanting to go through, or it would cut corners and go around the rings. Altar failed, multiple and numerous times, as he tried to control the ball and guide it through the makeshift maze. each time, he got further than the last, until he hit a wall. Once he had reached the high hoops, he couldn't find the concentration to throw the water up, and catch it again. It seemed that once it was released, it was too difficult to stop it's movement and reform it before it hit the ground. Needless to say, the grass around the high rings would end up very damp before Altar finally got it right. He managed to navigate the first few rings with minor difficulty, and reformed the ball, compressing it further, making it into a smaller ball, in order to go through the smaller hoops and rings. Then came the true test. The first few high rings were easy. However, they ascended further, making it more difficult to throw the water as high as they were, and harder still to catch it as it fell. Through many close calls, and one miraculous catch, as the ball was about to touch the ground, Altar managed to get through the high rings and had a semi-easy time with the rest of the course. However, he was not satiated. Rather, he was the opposite, and was angry that he could not control the ball as best as possible. However, he reminded himself that he needed to remain calm, and the water would be easier to control. And so it seemed, at least.

As he calmed and steadied himself, the ball of water became more fluid and easy to control and move about. When he was tense and angered, the ball had responded in kind and moved more rigidly, becoming harder to control. Once done with the course, Altar brought the water back to the beginning and ran through a few more times, until he had it perfected and felt completely in control of the small ball of water.

Haru gave a sly grin.
”Well, if she an access your memories, she’ll know what we’re saying right now. Think about that next time you think you have privacy.” He teased. It would be obvious he didn’t mean that, and his Yuumei probably wouldn’t do the kind of thing he joked about, but it was a funny thought, all the same. He watched the boy navigate the loops, noting that his control over the water had improved dramatically.

”Good job, kid. I think you’ve got the hang of it.” He said, nodding in approval. He gave a heavy sigh. That previous fight had taken a lot out of him, and he couldn’t teach that effectively when he could hardly stand like this. He decided to postpone any further lessons for now.

”Alright, I think that’s enough for tonight. I need some rest. We’ll call it a night, and I’ll get in touch with you tomorrow to continue your training. I’ll teach you how to use the byakugan tomorrow, and maybe teach you some water jutsu, now that you’ve learned the element.” He told the boy, standing up and putting his hands in his pockets. ”See ya. He said as a final fairwell, walking back towards the city. Normally, he would body flicker, but he was much too tired to use any jutsu.

Altar's eyes once again widened at Haru's comment. Well, while that was true, he didn't think that Nekoda would ever truly do anything like that. She wasn't a pryer. It honestly worried him sometimes, how she never seemed to care about what he was doing or how he was, until he came to see and talk to her. Why was it then that she decided to care about him, that she wanted to know how he had been, and if he was okay. She never checked up on him on her own. Maybe after Haru left, he'd return to his mindscape and ask her about that...

When Altar was done with the course, he returned to his thoughts, and was about to go confront Nekoda when Haru's voice brought him back to reality, and out of his thoughts. He had told him that he thought Altar had the hang of controlling water. Well, that was good news. It was seemingly easy to pick up, and it occupied his mind. He was easily distracted by things like that, and knew that now he could spend hours on end toying with water, making various shapes out of it and guiding it through makeshift obstacle courses, as he had just done, which he found much more fun now that he had mastered controlling the water.

Then, Haru gave a sigh, once more snapping his mind from it's thoughts and dragging him back to reality. He was getting lost in his thoughts more often now that normal. Perhaps it was because of the time of night it was. Haru now told him that the lessons were over, as he needed sleep. That was understandable, it was pretty late. He said that they would continue training tomorrow, as  he would help him activate his Byakugan, and perhaps teach him some water jutsu, now that he had the hang of the element, and had adapted to the way it worked. It was then that Haru took his leave, standing and putting his hands into his pockets, and strolling off back towards the city. Altar found it strange that Haru didn't run, or find another, faster way back. He chocked it up to the exhaustion, and need for thorough rest.

As Altar watched Haru leave, he found himself laying back on the grass, damp with dew and the remains of his failed attempts at the maze. As he laid back, Altar found himself lost in his thoughts again, and started absentmindedly playing with the water. He brought out an orb and started making numerous shapes and figures with it again. He continued this for a while, before actually realizing that he had been doing it sub-consciously. As he sat up, Altar took notice of the form the water had taken, and stayed in. A dragon, the same one that was etched into his skin. Altar's body tensed, looking at the complex design. He wondered how he had been able to do that, as he wasn't even paying attention to the water he had been molding and shaping. As he saw his reflection in the water, his face grew to one of disdain. He heard echoes of voices from his past. His sister, calling him a monster. Casting his eyes to the side, Altar threw the water back into the pool, only looking back when he heard the splash and the steady lapping of water at the edges of the pool. His body shaking, he slowly calmed himself and decided that now would be as good a time as any to go see Nekoda. He wanted the conversation they were due to have out of the way anyways.

Altar closed his eyes, opening them again to find himself in his small mindscape, Nekoda sitting close by. When he looked to her, he noticed her eyes pinned on him. When their eyes met, she leapt at him, enveloping him in a close hug. Altar felt uncomfortable, as his face grew a grimace. He wasn't use to affection. He wasn't use to people caring. Besides, what had happened that would cause this big of a reaction. As he looked down at her, she looked back up at him, not letting go and keeping a surprisingly strong hold on him.

"Altar, you know that I can hear you talk. I hear your thoughts. You can't hide things from me. But you also know i'm locked here. I can't contact you outside of here. So there's your answer." Nekoda said to him. He was stunned. He never expected this from Nekoda, and he had never thought of it that way. Looking back to her, he apologized. "I'm...sorry, Nekoda. I'm really, really sorry."

After hearing that, Nekoda let him go, allowing him to breath. WIth that out of the way, the two talked for a short while, and Altar left her, happy that they had gotten that out of the way, and happy that there was finally someone who understood exactly how he felt.

After leaving his mindscape and snapping back to reality, Altar got up to his feet, and started on the walk home, idly noticing that the rain had now stopped falling.

Staying as still as possible, and not needing hand signs, nor near as much effort as before, Altar would form the chidori and pierce Haru's stomach before he could move off of him to catch his breath. Altar would then be all badass

"And here's a tip for you. Don't taunt your prey" Altar would say, pushing Haru off of him and pulling his hand out and away, scooting slightly back to take another break, as he guessed Haru would need to after his flurry. It was now that he took notice of the light drizzle coming down, and Altar guessed it was from the explosion of the dragon and shark water jutsu.



Haru watched Altar soar through the air, and suddenly had the urge to strike him with a plane. Whatever a plane was. As the boy was juggled through the air, Haru thought to himself.
That was the greatest thing I’ve ever seen in my life… He thought to himself.

As his own chidori faded away, Haru saw the boy’s hand forming another chidori… shit, since when did he not need hand signs to do that? No matter, he could avoid this, it just wouldn’t be as clean as he might have hoped…

He would begin by leaning to his side, away from the chidori. At the same time, he would bring up his knee and bring down his elbow. Once again, he would preform the intersection method. Because of the changed angle that he would be granted due to leaning to his side. This would prevent him from simply cutting his arm and leg on the lightning blade. The attack would clamp down around the boy’s forearm, where the chidori’s chakra was not present.

”Here’s another tip. Don’t fall for the same trick twice.” He would mutter, gritting his teeth. He didn’t intend to stay like this for long. He would roll to his side, maintaining a firm grip on Altar’s arm, before letting go, which would send him flying a few feet into the air. Now on his back, Haru would snap his foot upwards quickly, kicking Altar and sending him flying a few meters away from himself. Haru would then thrust his elbows back, pushing himself upwards, before catching himself on his right hand, twisting as he pushed off the ground with his hand, getting him back on his feet quickly.


God, he was starting to regret that barrage of attacks… His chakra pool was dangerously low, and although he knew he could keep fighting without using jutsu, it still made him feel rather foolish for wasting so much of it. He would stand there for now, waiting for Altar’s next attack.

Altar would sigh as his chidori was caught by an intersection, again. It seemed strange that Haru could move so swiftly considering the situation, which should've left him physically exhausted. But, still, he found the energy to fling Altar to the side. It appeared he was gonna try to push Altar away, maybe hoping to gain some breathing room. Well, that couldn't happen. If Altar was going to win, he needed to exhaust Haru.

As such, when Haru went to swing Altar to the side, Altar would force down his arm, locking his hand on Haru's arm. It hurt like a sunuvabitch, but at least he'd stay close to Haru. He really couldn't afford to give him breathing room. After locking his hand, Altar would attempt to ground himself and push his upper body off the ground, bringing Haru with him. After this, Altar would swing around Haru, just after getting fully off the ground, and wrap his arms around his waist. Tightening his grip, Altar would lift Haru off the ground, bring him up and over him, bending his back to keep steady, and german suplex Haru like a cool guy. After that was done, Altar would release Haru, moving swiftly to grab his arm and swing him around, throwing him blindly and hopefully into something other than air. After the throw, Altar would start charging at Haru, planning his next attack.

Haru felt Altar grip his arm to keep himself from being thrown… Was this kid trying to wrestle him? Fuck no, that’s just gay. It was frustrating that he couldn’t get a break, but he had one last trump card to get out of this situation. As Altar attempted to pull Haru into the air, Haru would begin to spiral his arms and legs, since Altar’s arms were now around his waist. The result would be a dome of chakra, which would blast Altar away from Haru a few meters. Haru would drop to the ground after finishing the rotation, panting.

”Didn’t I… Just tell you… Not to fall for the same trick… Twice?” He would ask in between breaths. He supposed it was time to start playing evasively, let himself recover a bit before exerting himself again. ”And don’t ever try to use a wrestling move on me. That shit is gay.” Haru would add after catching his breath, reassuming his fighting stance.


It interested Haru to know how Altar would have been able to preform a German suplex, now that he thought about it. Partially because Germany did not exist in this universe, and partially because the boy lacked the strength to lift Haru into the air. Perhaps he had some sort of strength boosting bracelet? He’d have to buy a pair of socks to help him keep up with such an item… Eh, he didn’t have the money for stuff like that. Some Gucci socks will do.

Altar cursed Haru and every Hyuuga for inventing that stupid rotation...it was just annoying, there was no offense against it. Still...it was interesting. It made him wonder of other forms of chakra could be applied to the same use. If so, he could create some form of dome of lightning, or perhaps a circular area attack with the chidori, or Raikiri, if he could ever get it, that is. Damn thing seemed unattainable at this point. But whatever.

Altar was flying backwards, tumbling through the air, when he heard Haru call wrestling gay. OH FUCK N-okay yeah, it's pretty gay. Coming to this realization, Altar twirled in the air, landing on his feet, low to the ground. Altar would stand up, brushing himself off and speaking too Haru

"Yeah, you're right it's pretty fucking gay. And I can't necessarily do anything against that dumb twirly bullshit, now can I? Speaking of...can that be mimicked, or is it exclusive to the Hyuuga lineage? Cause I kinda need something offensive that doesn't completely drain me. Altar would say, hoping to get a small rest. It seemed Haru needed to recover, and so did he, to be truthful.

Haru, recovering his breath, looked up at Altar.
”You could not give me freedom of movement, eh? I couldn’t have done anything until you let my arms and legs go free.” He retorted to Altar, before hearing the rest of what he said. He wanted to learn how to preform the rotation? Or, something similar, at least.
”Umm… Well, I don’t know if you can control your Tenketsu as well as required to preform a rotation.” He would say, glancing at altar. ”You have to be able to control all of your Tenketsu, which, without a byakugan, is pretty fucking hard. I can try to teach you, but it’s probably going to take time for you to acquire that level of control.” He would tell Altar, taking in a deep breath. God, he was tired.


”Or did you mean a version of this? It’s not a kekkei genkai, but you can’t preform it without a byakugan.” He would explain to Altar. ”You’re not thinking of copying my signature move, are you? He would ask the boy.
Altar would sigh, somewhat disappointing by Haru's response. That sucked. Did you really have to have control of all your tenketsu? That seemed...over doing it a bit, but whatever. Shaking his head, Altar would pace around a bit, trying to sort through things in his head. For the first part, it appeared, then, that he wouldn't be able to perform the move he was after. Secondly, however, he did have a byakugan, so an alternate of it was possible? He was guessing that was what Haru had meant, after all. At least, that's the way he heard it.

"Well, here's the thing. I was hoping it would be possible to use a rotation, but expel a different form of concentrated chakra nature, such as for me, lightning. Or, if combined with another attack, say chidori, then could I use rotation and chidori to add more lethality to the original rotation, seeing as I have a byakugan now?" Altar would say, putting his idea to completion in his head. In all reality, it seemed like a pretty smart idea, at least to him. Altar also noticed that the small drizzle had turned into a more heavy rain. He really hoped no one obsessed with origami and orchids would come and murder him…

Haru shrugged.

”Well, if you want to preform the rotation with a different form of chakra nature, you probably will need to learn to preform the actual rotation first. It’s much easier to preform a jutsu using raw chakra, rather then elemental chakra.” He explained to the boy. ”As for combining it with chidori… Well, it seems like the chidori is too offensive to have very good synergy with a defensive technique like the rotation. I can work on creating a technique like that, since ration is my primary chakra nature, but you need to work on basic chakra control first. The chidori is far too basic when compared to the chakra control required for gentle fist techniques. I would explore some more complex techniques, develop your skills, then worry about making crazy hidden jutsu.” He told Altar informatively.

Altar awoke with a sudden jolt. Shit, what time was it. Fifteen to noon. Shit, he was gonna be late for his fight! Throwing on some loose clothes and his overcoat, Altar would run his way to the arena. By the time he got there, the chanting had already started. Cracking his neck, Altar would enter through his side of the arena.

The first thing he noticed was the thick mist covering almost all of the arena. It was so heavy it had gathered into a puddle in the middle. The arena itself was Roman style, circular with solid concrete flooring, quite large in all aspects. Plenty of room for jutsu. As he entered, the crowd hushed, everyone tensed, and somewhere, Altar was pretty sure someone signalled something.

And then it all went hazy.

The man was quick. A simple sweep to the legs, a dodge above and a half hearted punch. When it was dodged, was when it got interesting. Altar let himself slip backwards, leaning to reach one arm under the man’s own. When he had locked it, Altar shifted his weight and pulled, pulling the man over his head and throwing him to the ground. As the man rolled away, he drew his sword, and Altar drew his own.

The clanging of metal filled the arena, the cool, heavy mist combining with the hot sweat on Altar’s body to create an odd sensation. It was nice, though. As he fought, Altar smiled. A hardy, genuine smile. This was the most fun he had had in a long time. The Wendigos had been fun sport but they had been dull to fight. This was exhilarating. Either party could die at any moment. One slip up was all it took.

As the men parted, Altar took time to survey the situation. The sun was now over the arena. They had been at it for a couple hours. More than enough time to satisfy the crowd and the… judges. It was time to put an end to this. Sheathing his sword, Altar would applaud the man he had been fighting. It had been good, really good, but it was over now. It had been over from the start.

The man took the sheathing of the sword to be a signal of forfeit. He charged Altar ruthlessly. Altar simply took off his overcoat and tossed it above his head, clearing the air around him for a second. The second was all he needed. His hand igniting in lightning, Altar waved his hand in front of him, the lighting tracing all across the misty arena, and most importantly impacting the man. As the man was shuddering from the sudden electricity, Altar charged him down, and slid his hand through the man’s chest cleanly. And that was that. In the blink of an eye, the fight had ended the way it could’ve from the start. Retrieving his hand, Altar raised it to the sky and took his leave.

Outside, the man who gave him the job stood with someone else. Altar received his payment and was about to leave when he heard the man speak.

“We never did business. We don’t know each other and have never seen each other. This whole thing was a giant coincidence. Capiche?” The man said. Altar froze in his spot, turning his head slightly.

“Do you have any family? Either of you?”

Both men replied no in unison.

“Good. Then no one will miss you.”

To their credit, the men tried to react. But Altar, still on his high from the fight, was simply faster. It was an easy task to spear one hand through both chests, piercing the hearts of both men. He had gotten his payment. And now he was gathering interest. The man that had hired him had enough life left for one sentence before giving a dying breath.

“We have more men than you can imagine, and now they’re all gunning for you.”

“Render the snake headless, and the body withers. Or you could say that I just killed two birds with one stone. It’s a shame, too. If you had been doves, maybe you could’ve been saved. But you chose to be pigeons. Filthy rats with no greater purpose than to ruin other people’s days.” Altar said, retrieving his hands from the cavities in both men’s chests. They fell over, now resting in peace. Or probably burning in hell. As Altar looked to the man that had hired him, He noticed a bulging pocket in the man’s suit coat. Looting the pocket, Altar found a now singed bundle of ryo, and an untouched wallet. Opening it, Altar let out a heavy sigh. He threw it back down, the pictures of the man’s children now soaked in his blood.

“You were probably a shitty father anyways. Shame you never got yourself that new suit, though.” Altar said, walking away, hoping to rinse the blood of the day from his hands.

~TWC: 10,074~
~S-Rank Mission Complete - Black Games in the Mist~

~+5,000 Ryo~