The Path

The sun hung low in the sky throwing long shadows across the alpine landscape that marked the bordered the land of snow. For the most part the shadows were static: trees, shrubs and boulders. However, the shadow of Iesada Saito could be seen moving ever eastward. No, one could not say his progress was altogether fast, but nor was it slow. Each step he took was measured and deliberate. Anyone not privy to Iesada's thoughts would think he looked like a man who had a purpose.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

All the man knew for certain was his destination, Kumogakure. What he would be doing in Kumogakure? Well, that was an excellent question. On his departure from his long time home he had assumed he was looking for information regarding the attack on Yukigakure. Though each step he took threw that initial assumption into doubt. On one hand he left to escape the ghosts that haunted his mind, but, moreover, he hoped to put said ghosts to rest. To give his fallen village and family peace; to give them revenge. He would hunt down the Akatsuki and end them if it was the last thing he did.

Unfortunately Iesada found his resolve shift back and forth as time passed and he put distance between him and his cabin. He often ran into this problem where he focused too much on a single train of thought. Before he always had Yui to break him out of it, but with her gone there was now no one to curb his mind from over analyzing and obsessing. Each second that passed made Iesada more and more uneasy. It was not easy living with a mind that sabotaged itself.

Second to minutes to hours and at last the sun began to dip below the horizon. Luckily the remains of a house were just coming into view. Thus, with the last bit of daylight Iesada set up his camp for the night. The house had been entirely looted and something gave it an awful smell, but it would do. Camping outside in the elements was asking for hypothermia even in the spring. Plus there was a workable fireplace, that was all he really needed.

In a matter of twenty minutes Iesada had a roaring fire started and his soon to be dinner; venison on a stick roasted over the fire. No, it was nothing luxurious, but it was nutritious and that was what counted in the end. Oh, and there was water, a lot of water. Taking periodic sips of water the former diplomat cooked his meal without much thought; even less thought was put into eating it.

Despite his full stomach and sore feet Iesada knew it was still far too early to sleep. So, he did what he always did, he turned to literature. Reading was always calming. Plus, it helped that the single book he had brought with him was one he had never read before. The book had been Yuis, something about chakra and illusions. Honestly Iesada was never one to delve too deeply into the world of shinobi beyond the politics side. The shinobi arts were not interesting to him yet he could see they just might be helpful in the future especially considering his current plans.

The book itself was small black and frankly unassuming, but Iesada knew the knowledge within was anything but. Yui had been what was called a jounin, that much he knew. He also knew she was particularly gifted in the art of genjutsu. Hell, Iesada had witnessed her illusions firsthand and they were a sight to behold. Whole landscapes changed and faces muddled all thanks to chakra.

Ah yes, chakra.

Yui had pestered Iesada enough such that he had a rudimentary understanding what it was and how to use it, but the specifics were a bit cloudy here and there. In theory it was all about focus. In the past he had humored Yui by learning all the hand seals needed in the life of the shinobi and he could summon a small bit of chakra, but nothing beyond that. That had to change and it would one page at a time.

Chapter one: Basics

The first chapter was actually quite interesting. It talked about gathering and using chakra. More importantly it provided an exercise to practice chakra gathering. It invloved making the ram hand seal and holding it while cycling chakra throughout the body at an increased rate. It really didn't make much sense to Iesada however after throwing another log on the fire he got to work trying.

Creating a sloppy ram sign he closed his eyes and waited...and waited...and waited. Nothing happened, absolutely nothing. Furrowing his brow Iesada shifted from a passive role to a more active one. Yui had always said chakra was like a pulse within a pulse and that if one listened they could feel it and control it. Soon the crackling of the fire, the howling of the wind and even his own breathing all faded to black and all he could hear was his heartbeat, but there was something else there.

A pulse beneath a pulse.

Slowly the two pulses separated and became two distinct beats. One he was familiar with: his heart. The other, well, not so much. This had to be chakra. With more and more concentration even the heartbeat faded leaving just the chakra. Time slipped by like an hourglass and the pulse of chakra quickened until Iesada opened his eyes and found himself surrounded by a cloak of blue, excess chakra wicked off of him like a flame. Startled by the whole event the man lost all concentration and broke out into a cold sweat.

But none of that mattered; he had accomplished what he set out to do, focus his chakra. Yui had been right, it wasn't too hard. Any idiot could do it or so she would always tell him. Next came the molding. Iesada knew that the giving form to chakra was the hardest part of using jutsu. Many civilians could focus chakra, but very few could shape it. Shaping chakra required the discipline of a shinobi, a military man or woman. Luckily Iesada possess a surplus of discipline that would serve him well.

The rest of the night was devoted to reading. Genjutsu was clearly not the most physical of jutsu and that suited Iesada well as he was not a very physical person. Each chapter he finished added another layer of understanding and over the course of a few hours and a few more logs he began to see why Yui was so dedicated to her craft. The nuance in jutsu was incredible allowing a human to achieve the impossible and smash the barrier of reality.

It was odd. The more he learned the closer he felt to Yui. Certainly he had loved her before, but he was starting to see a new side to her despite her death. Yes, it was truly odd that the living could come to understand the dead through a book, but here he was doing just that.

Closing the book in the early morning hours, Iesada fell into a restful sleep. For the first time his dreams remained benign and cheery. It was a nice change. Knowledge did wonders or perhaps it was purpose. Iesada didn't know nor did he really care at the moment for in the morning it was back on the road to travel the path to Kumogakure.

[WC: 1254, +6 Chakra and claiming Genjutsu spec as my first spec. First spec is free and I did not claim it upon creation, so claiming it now.]