Everybody Needs a Friend (P)

Shiro's left hand rests against the surface of the cliff face in front of him and his right hand is pulled back. His body stands straight. The weight of the pads wrapped around his wrists, 40 pounds each, barely has an effect on his posture. Their lack of effectiveness is further shown when Shiro swings is right fist straight forward without effort and his knuckles crash into the rock, crumbling the portion where his hand had impacted. His left arm felt the vibrations run through the rock and he does his best to concentrate only on those vibrations.

"I'm getting used to it." Shiro tells himself after the vibrations die down and he releases his right hand from the cliff face. He opens and closes his hand pulling it back once more. "When I perform the Daytime Tiger, I will be transferring force through my left hand and out through the air as violent and powerful vibrations. The key is to make sure that I don't actually punch my hand. Even with my enhanced bones, I won't be able to keep my hand from shattering like this rock. All I want to do is use the palm of my hand as an amplifier for the vibrations. The more I get used to the powerful shaking, the more stable I will be able to keep my left hand. Also, the more stable I can keep my left hand and arm, the more compact and shaped the resulting vibrations will be. The entire technique would be nothing if the vibrations were not concentrated enough to do any damage."

The crashing water to his left provides a closed region of sound where he can only hear himself. Around him, he cannot hear anything but the sound of his fist crushing the rock in front of him. So that he is not susceptible to ambush, though, Shiro has dug his feet into the ground using the Hiding Like a Mole Technique. This way, he can feel vibrations through the ground in the case that a person or animal were to be walking towards him. If a ninja were to attack from a tree using a distance weapon, the disturbance through the air would alert Shiro to the presence.

He is at the waterfall and river which had been his first and final stop through his journey that he had taken not too long ago. Through those five days, he had grown so much and learned so many techniques. Now, here he is, learning yet another jutsu at this location.

The fist charges through the air once again and makes powerful contact with the rock wall in front of Shiro. The cliff face shakes under his left hand and he uses his bones to better sense the vibrations. On a deeper level, he feels the oscillations within his arm and memorizes the feeling.

"It isn't pleasant but, after enough practice, I will be able to experience it without thought. After that finally happens, I will be one step closer to being able to perform this jutsu successfully." Shiro removes his left hand from the cliff face and places his right onto the rock. It crumbles partially under his gloved palm but stabilizes by the time that his left hand is pulled back.

With the same amount of force as his right hand had exerted, Shiro punches into the cliff face. This region had not been touched by any forceful impacts so the feeling of Shiro's fist breaking into the crisp and hitherto undisturbed cliff face was quite enjoyable.

"To think that I would enjoy the feeling of destruction by my own hand after finally becoming one with myself and drawing closer to the universe." He thinks chuckling. The left hand is removed from the rock. "Of course, I haven't become one with the nature of existence just yet so it is to be expected. Though, I wonder if destruction is as much a part of the universe as is creation or harmony. During cellular respiration in animal cells, glucose is broken down into its atoms. That is destruction. I guess, seeing as how such a process has a place in the body, destruction is also a part of harmony and existence."

Taking both of his hands away from the cliff face, Shiro looks down at them as he closes them into fists and opens them into palms.

"Here I am thinking about the nature of the universe again. I thought that I had enough of that when I returned from my journey. But my soul continues to sway with the wind as it did that day. I can feel myself moving now, actually." He whispers, dropping his hands so that they are in his pockets. Beginning to walk towards his home, Shiro's eyes now have a straight view of the grass below. "But... the grass isn't swaying with me. And the wind isn't blowing. What blows against me?"

Suddenly, a presence that he had not noticed earlier is felt. Shiro stops himself and pauses to listen to any rustling. Passively, Shiro's feet sink into the ground and he feels for any vibrations through the rock. Light impacts are felt one after another as if something were walking.

"One... two... three... four." Shiro counts off the steps in his head. "A four-legged mammal. And the paws are heavier than the average dog or cat, wider too."

Taking a deep breath, Shiro turns to face the creature, not knowing what he will see across the river. But, knowing that he is not in any danger due to the wide waters separating the body of the animal from him, he is as calm as can be. The swaying of his soul, though, ... it still troubles him.

(958/958)
(958 towards Daytime Tiger)
(958/2,000 towards summoning contract with Nakama)

The 3 meter long bengal tiger slowly moves out from behind the bush that is across the river, his distance from the bank being a safe six meters. The tail is straight out behind it and the tip points up at a 45 degree angle. From the tiger's paws to his shoulders, he is 1 meter tall. His build is muscular and fit, probably capable of jumping straight over the river and onto Shiro's side. The feline continues to move slowly, Shiro's eyes tracking his every movement. As a paw rises, he registers it. When the whispers bounce, it is noted.

As part of his head is monitoring the potential threat, ready to act in the case that an attempted attakc is made, another part is asking questions. "What is a tiger doing in Haven country? This tiger is... male it seems but it's almost mating season so where is the female? Just in case, are there any others around here?" None but the final question can be answered with his current knowledge. For a little while longer, Shiro keeps his feet under ground to feel for any vibrations other than the tiger in his line of sight. He searches for vibrations coming from a farther distance and are similar to the paws of the feline. "He's the only one."

Lifting his feet up from under the ground, Shiro takes two steps forward towards the bank of the river. In response, the animal's eyes widen.

"I'm still swaying. And after taking only two steps towards him, I've begun to sway... less. However small, it is a noticeable change." The tiger continues towards the bank of the river. As he moves forward, Shiro's defensive mechanisms relax and he feels more so at peace than under attack. "The swaying keeps falling as he moves closer to me as well. And, looking at his tail, it isn't bristled and straight. Every cat I've seen has taken on that tail position when they become angry or fierce. His current position looks similar to cats that I've seen walking around the village. By reasoning, this tiger may see me as neither a challenge nor prey. So, what am I to him?"

Their eyes meet for the first time and Shiro's very inner-self feels a harmony like none other he had felt before. His breathing as well as the feline's breathing come into sync with each other and slow to a steady pace. Without realizing it, Shiro is at the edge of the river bank and so is the Tiger before him. They look straight into each other's eyes and their gaze remains this way for several seconds before Shiro senses a disturbance within himself again.

(450/1,408)
(1,408/2,000 towards summoning contract with Nakama)

Shiro's attention is broken and he sees, out of the corner of his eye, a second tiger appears from behind the same bush that the first had. This second does not walk too far out from the forest, standing and watching both Shiro and the first tiger.

Seeing that Shiro's eyes had been taken from looking into his own, the tiger turns to look at the one behind him.

"I'm sorry for intruding..." The newer tiger, now with two pairs of eyes watching him, apologizes. He is older than the tiger before Shiro and seems to be slightly larger as well. In his eyes, Shiro notices a look of concentration and measure. "This is the being whose presence you told me that you had felt? I told you that they would be a human, didn't I?"

Yes, the older tiger is speaking. English. With a voice.

"Come with me, we're returning to the village. The rest will want to see your new companion. Even I have been wondering when you will finally find a shinobi to call a friend."

"A village of tigers?" Shiro asks, his protective feeling dying down as the two animals begin to seem less threatening. "I thought that your species liked to travel individually rather than in a pack." It escapes his mind, the thought that it is abnormal for this animal to be talking. Somehow, the feeling of his presence is one of instant understanding.

"Others maybe. This clan is more spiritual. Allow me to explain further at our temple. You can have refreshments there." The older tiger turns and walks forward into the trees. The first one also turns and follows. His spirit beginning to waver again, Shiro comes along, body flickering over the river.

(At the village of tigers)

Shiro sits before the blanketed seat of the high master tiger, the older one who he had met before. To Shiro's right lies the first tiger from the river. The temple around him is tall as seen when he looks up into the every growing and thinning spiral. Ahead of him, the elder tiger lies at his soft seat between two just as aged tigers.

For the past few seconds, the oldest tiger, the head of the village, has been looking into Shiro's eyes and switching his focus from him to the tiger next to him.

"I can see that the two of you are in synch already. You may not realize it but your breathing has matched up." The elder tiger notes, nodding. "You two seem to be a good match, a perfect match."

The two tigers beside the head tiger nod in agreement.

"Now, I told you that I would explain. I will begin with our history." He clears his throat before continuing and Shiro straightens his back and prepares to listen intently. "We are one branch of a multitude other tiger clans. Many years ago, our clan broke off from the others during a large scale war that threatened to destroy our population. So as to preserve ourselves, we spread across the land to search for a safe haven of protection. Our branch came across this spiritually rich land and became transformed through learning of the nearby village's teachings. After settling in and finalizing our territory, we used space-time jutsu so as to hide our village from the outside world. This is why we have not contacted the rest of our species. You see, it takes a certain spiritual strength for a human to be sensed by one of our species. Only these ones are considered worthy of our assistance in battle."

The elder tiger pauses to allow the clan's history to set itself into Shiro. Noticing this, Shiro nods in understanding, allowing the chief to continue.

"The two of you have been called together by your inner beings. Nakama noticed your presence and sought you out. Because of this, I am going to declare the two of you companions. Might I ask your name, young one?" He concludes.

"Shiro Kaguya." Shiro responds, standing.

"You two, come forth and receive your mental tether. This will bind your consciousnesses within any fifty meter radius and allow you to communicate through mental speech. I am the only speaking member of this clan. My spiritual studies have helped me to understand the language of humans as well as many other languages spoken by other creatures. However, Nakama cannot communicate through such speech. Others such as roars and purrs are the tiger's natural means of communication."

Shiro steps forward, Nakama next to him, and looks into the eyes of the chief tiger. They glow with an orange light and, in an instant, Shiro's spirit is put at ease. Along with Nakama, he has found peace and serenity. Taking a deep breath, he turns to look down at his new companion.

"Grow together." The last words of the chief tiger before Shiro finds himself transported back to the river bank. Around him, the setting has returned to what it was.

Shiro raises his hand to look at it. He sees no physical difference on his skin there or anywhere else on his body. Inside, he feels the same as well. He begins to make his way back to the cliff face.

"Nakama..." He thinks. "I'll need to get to know him."

(885/2,293)
(2,000/2,000 towards summoning contract with Nakama)

[Exit]

[Claims: Summoning contract with Nakama, 293 towards bonding with Nakama, 11 stats]

Ah, my mistake. Made the edits.

Fixed

Claimed