Hello Again, Yen (P, NK)

Salzem felt his foot colide with Yen's face and suddenly felt somewhat satisfied. Not that he inflicted pain on him, but more like he had proved an unsaid point. The lycan did not move from his spot where he sent the aburame flying, instead waiting for an obvious sign as to where he was now located... Through the mist, Yen stated that yes, indeed his kick had hurt as he intended it to and that was why he would be so effective with Genjutsu... Of course, the lycan assumed that if he distracted the opponent with something like this, he'd be able to do something like that to them more often and easier... He assumed that's what Yen had meant....

Detecting the sound of shifting clothes once more, Salzem raised his arms to defend himself, ready to lunge in whatever direction he needed to to end the oncoming threat. However, the aburame said that he was going to be trying something out and asked if he minded... Well... Since this was hardly a spar and more of a lesson, he let out a shrug and opened his eyes, helping his friend use this technique if it was indeed ocular.

"Sure...?" He replied somewhat dubiously. "Go for it...."

Returning back to a mindset was a challenge alone that yen would offer few. Days of writing and learning about his chakra and body alone was a challenge, yet satisfactory honor. It required him to let go of other restrictions. The call to harm for example, taking a more forceful route. Actually talking big and standing behind it. His voice still had its impact as he recalled. Still it was a time since he was completely honest with sal. 

"I miss being able to weild the full force of my chakra sal. Once i used to be able to create the solid clones. Now i struggle to bring my chakra back to that level. Its a mindset i had to drop for a while. But like alot of things you forget for awhile they get rusty. Surely another solid me will do the trick. So i must go and like i did before, create a construct of chakra. The medical finess makes me disire to make it how it should not be... boy this is tricky"

Yen chuckled as he thought back to the meeting in konoha. And it dawnedbon yen that was the first time he actually had sal hit him.

"Funny how even now this is merely the second time you caused some major damage to me... but i question the damage you can do to others with your strength. Much control you have at this. Genjutsu is all about controling yourself to control others. You only get one shot. Thats why i am particular with how and when i use it you see. Sure you can do it again. But the question a genjutsu user should not be "yes it will work" but instead "what is my next move? And why am i doing this?" Stay a step ahead, even if you know only one genjutsu, use it because you are staying ahead  of your enemy. You can run away, go behind the enemy, set up a guard... soo many things that even a precious few seconds can buy sal. You will be amazed. But today i want you to fight through an illusion. Understand how it works and recongnize the simple tell of one. Another easy one i shall show you. Approach me and place your hand on my back."

Yen stated with a smile as even in the mist yen would begin to weave a few more handsigns as he would proceed to formulate a large skyscraper with a door in front of sal. The door would open as there would come out a child with a lady, she held a tiny girl in her hands and then yen would emerge from the door as he would emerge from the door the area would turn an increaadible shade of blue  aand mix it with the yellow from yens eyes. The voice sounding sad as yens voice would resonate through the illusion. Sad but determined.

"I love my family, my worries as one should be. I am not  a strong shinobi as many suspect... riddled with weaknesses and needing to be strong as a leader and my loyalty to be strong. If it wàs easy i would be able to keep everything under grips.  I havnt heard from them in ages... even here. I need you to keep me in check my freind. Make sure i do not loose my head. Ok?"

 (denomic illusion: steaming multi story building)

The illusion would shift into a storm as yen would keep his eye closed and continue preforming the clone handseal. A single false clone. Remembering that he could reproduce a complex chakra network similarly to the water clone. Yet more solid.

Hopefully i got it still.

Salzem frowned somewhat as Yen's voice cut through the veil of mist, questioning the damage he could really do with his strength. The funny thing was that the damage Salzem had done was merely that because he held back. He could do so much more if he really wanted to kill him or take him down for good.... He could, say... cut him with his claws or rip off his head, or do so many things that could take him out faster than his eyes could see and yet here he was commenting how Genjutsu was superior, how it was all about controlling the opponent and giving openings. Martial arts was the same way in combat though it was more tactile than hitting someone with the chakra stick and hoping they get drowsy. Fighting with fists is more of a dance than anything else. It's about reading the opponent, predicting where they're going and move them where they want to go.  He supposed it came down to how brave one was and how intimate they wanted to be in combat. For people like yen, of course he'd think Gen was superior since he knows little else. When it came to Salzem, the opposite was true.

Before the lycan could say anything in retort, a massive skyscraper suddenly shot out at Salzem's feet, towering through the mist and causing the werewolf to make a large jump back. What the hell...? There's no way he summoned a building... His chakra wasn't enough for that... Yen wasn't THAT powerful, was he? Salzem stared as the door before him began to open, confused by what walked out. He expected it to be himself or... an evil clone or something symbolic but instead, it was merely a woman and child... Yen began to speak of how Salzem needed to keep him in check, how he hadn't heard from his family in ages... A cold chill ran down the lycan's spine. How could Yen say that so calmly...?

Just as he thought that, the illusion shifted to a massive storm equivalent to that of a hurricane, tearing at the lycan's clothes brutally, relentlessly.

"YEN!" He roared over the wind, no doubt looking idiotic from an outside view. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, KEEP YOU IN CHECK? WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN'T HEARD FROM YOUR FAMILY?"

Yen heard sal shouting in response. He couldve been honest yet he had to hold his pride above the  line. Plus his freind was as confused as can be. What would one do if their family never contacted him. His heart sank from the truth as he was only honest to himself. 

Illusions are only the shadows of reality. A tiny truth may lay inside but to the extent.


Yen thought as he further manipulated the illusion to a higher degree. The door would widen and expand till all sal would see is darkness. Then there would be a grey glow as he would see an image folding in front of him. Yens study would be seen normal as it should but there would be a torn straw hat on the ground. The world would shift into that of the village as yen would be seen alone.

"The world would be that more lonlier sal. A broken man with no purpose is a broken soul in a pile of flesh. They either fall down a dark path or do a major mistake. Its the fate of thoes who accept the ultimate price. Love and honor bleed hand in hand, you do not have true love without honor. I would do everything in my power for my village, but i would do more for my family and freinds. The illusion shows  truth, yet lies in the end, but to the average eye you only see it as one or the other, you do not see why its spoken this way. Imagine the very terror of the world when flesh is pulled from the bone, and the man that screams for mercy of his family."

The illusion would change to a man being devoured alive by insects as his childrens blood flowed down the stakes of earth. The mother sobbing and gawing her eyes out as the dark blue cloak of yen would be seen walking off into the distance. 

"Every man has a darkness salzem, every darkness has a light. I would break my restraints and openly embrace my darkness. Without remorse. My purpose would be from father, to the one that stuffs the will of my village... no matter how dark i would lay waste to our enemies. This is why i would need you to keep me in check.. should my twilight have died, or my wife had perished...  you know only of freinds lost, but if your children are gone. The part of your soul would vanish  replaced with excuses."

The scene would fade away into a storm as yen would appear and face away from salzem as yens voice echoed across the storm.

"Will you stand by me my freind? And prevent me from going down that path i fear the most? Some days a frightful sight lies in the illusion, but i reflect my emotions off them.. my mind too busy to go and hit a point across. I would never forgive myself if i lost my family and exist soley to destroy others lives, even for the village... i wish for my freinds to hold me up at my weakest."

The scene shifted to a torn village with people being devoured by countless insects. The sky would be pitch black as the heavens itself hummed like insects.. the innocents stared up at the sky out of terror as the blue cloaked induvidual flicked a finger. And the sky of endless insects assualted the innocents as yens voice cold and buisnesslike spoke through the humming as children were merely food to the insects. Their screams and the cries of the mothers sorrounding salzem as even with pleas of mercy and questions of "why"  the yen in the image responded with a simple reply in a matter of fact term.

"We leave no mission imcomplete, so ill wipe you all from existance. Understand that it is merely my job so its just buisness. I shall put any survivors out of their misery when i come back... just close your eyes and rest... breath in and out. The pain will be over soon enough."

The storm would subside as yen would end the illusion and the mist would fade away. His single yellow eye gleaming in the dark as if sal looked deep enough he would see theres a truth in what yen showed him.

"The world is vast. I may be your ally, and an ally to my home, but if i lost my light i will become a tyrant. Thats why... i ask you to help me. I need my family more than anything. Just like you need freinds. I will live and be me no matter what you will not lose me... but i need you to despite the ugly, the darkness, and even if i walked into oblivion to stand by me as a comrad... do you understand salzem?"

"Yen... I..." Salzem hesitated, hearing everything the aburame had to say... What he had said... the illusions he was shown... The self awareness of Yensung was both terrifying and refreshing but after the warning he had given... the lycan wished he hadn't heard... Somehow, he knew that if something happened to his kids, to the people he loved most, then the Yen he knew would die.... The compassionate, caring, strong philosopher would devolve into something like a tyrant, striking down those who couldn't even hold a knife because his pain was too strong not to inflict it on someone else. He watched as Yen's insects cut people down like locusts through a corn-field, feasting off their chakra and only leaving husks behind. The lycan watched in disbelief at the things this version of his friend had said, treating this as nonchalantly as catching some kind of art thief. Perhaps on some level, Salzem believed his friend was capable of this, that Yen could, indeed, wipe out a village and hardly bat an eye. Perhaps on some level he knew that himself was capable of doing the same thing (or at least try). Right now, however, he was in a stage of denial... He refused that someone like Yen could do something like this and.... so soon... Yen had said that he needed him to stop Yen, to keep him in check should this happen...

The illusions faded away as did the mist, leaving Salzem alone with his Aburame, the same one that admitted that he may soon turn to the dark side. Silently, Salzem came to his own decision... He would protect his comrade.... He would fight for him, kill for him... he would protect him... Even if that meant losing him too... Without answering (out loud), Salzem would close the distance between them once more and wrap his arms around the aburame, praying to whatever deity watched over them that Yen's family wasn't dead and that this was some kind of irrational fear the poor worried soul contemplated. He would hug Yen close, a brutal anticipation clawing away his stomach. Suddenly, going home didn't seem like such a good idea...

After a few moments, Salzem would pull away, his eyes wet, his expression fearful, yet determined.

"Yes... Yes I understand..." The words were most difficult to speak, almost as if they had a mind of their own and were resisting. "I'm your friend, Yen... I will protect you no matter what. I can't lose you too."

(Sorry sal been busy last week. Had scatteted replies)

Yen smiled as sal embraced him once more. Although yen sucked at overall conveying his full emotions it was clear sal understood him.


"Its all i want my freind"

Yen spoke although his voice still steady, it was mixed with a weird sense of relif and sorrow.

"And it's what you'll get... I promise..." Salzem responded, patting Yen's shoulders before letting him go... No one would be taken from Salzem again... no one... Not Yen, not Ryou... not anyone ever again. The lycan smiled softly at the aburame, a lot more open with his feelings than he apparently, Yen's eyes hard, his voice steady, but there was indeed emotions in those windows-to-the-soul... ones of both sorrow and relief...

"Hey..." The sanguine-eyed ninja gently knocked his friend's shoulder with his fist playfully. "It's getting late and I'm tired now... But hey, lets get together for lunch tomorrow, huh?" If Yen agreed, Salzem would smile again before making his way back in the direction of the hotel in which he stayed, yawning and scratching his head softly.

"Heh..." He laughed softly under his breath as he drew out of Yen's hearing range. "I'm never there when they need me anyway..." He snickered a little more, a rueful chuckle of so much spite, it was somehow funny... Almost as funny as the tears running down his cheeks right then.

(EXIT)
Claim nothing

Exit approved (unless stopped)

Yen nodded to sal and agreed.

"Go rest up, and don't let your fears drive you away."

Yen stated as he watched sal walk back towards the hotel. Yen then turned back towards the center of the village as he took a walk back around the outside of the hotel. His mind at peace somewhat. His emotions stated made him feel better after all of the stress and fear.

Still yen felt that his goal was to return at least back to his original mindset. The shadow clone technique was still in memory despite the time away he had form it. Still yen resumed practicing the technique. Hour after hour as he disired none the more then to take his way back to the art.  Still in his practice, also came the will to go to the nessary lengths for victory.

A victory was seldom for yen. He kept to himself often  in utilizing  his tactics  and needed time. The boy ryu placed his skills to a test. However, yen knew that in time his knowledge would come back. The art of using the higher arts of ninjutsu  was more than simple chakra use. But purpose and utilizing a certain command. As yen recalled shadow clones were the higher tier of regular clones. Solid constructs made to act and be like the user.

Two yens shall always be better than one. And with a second me it should most defintley make a diffrence.

Yen thought as with a clone sign and a splitting of his reserves to suppliment the clone. The second clone appeared same single eye, same dark blue cloak. All for the better. 

The clone looked at yen and nodded as with a simple display of work it utilized one of yens genjutsu. Which with little effort yen broke free from and nodded.  The clone then clapped its hands and placed a hand on the ground. the earth rose under yens feet, and rose a meter or two before stopping.

Good good

Yen thought as he called out a single insect to circle the clone. Hence the clone then communicated to the insect to circle yen. Yen was pleasently pleased with the results  dispersing itself as it returned to naught and yen  nodded. For the simple fact that it was once more in yens posession to use the higher teir ninjutsu.

At least one thing is good.


Yen was  satisfied as he felt the relife of being ableto return to the art once more. Offensive capeabilities were back in his hands. 

Time to return back to the basics.


(Exit)


Wc:430

Twc:5,013


Claiming 2,751 for ninjutsu spec

2,250 for shadow clone. (-25% of 3k due to max stats)

Approved Yen