Ghosts Actually Exist?! (P)

A petite, snowy haired girl was wandering around in her clan’s district, exploring places she had never thought to venture into before. The halls were quiet, not a person in sight, as the girl and her wolf companion went from room to room, going through dojos and shrines. Until she came to a quaint room in the back of the house, whose walls were lined with books upon books and scrolls upon scrolls. A layer of dust covered every visible surface in the room, causing the Hyuuga to cough as some dust flew her way when she pulled the door open.

“What is this place?” She spoke aloud, asking no one in particular. Hikari had gotten into the habit of talking to herself since she was a child, and old habits seem to die hard as she has kept that habit into her twenties. “An old library? I wonder what these books are about…”

She trailed off, her eyes scanning the sides of the covers as she walked deeper into the dimly lit room, the only source of light creeping out the corners of the heavily draped window. She covered her mouth with her sleeve, trying to keep as much dust away from her as possible. The books, ranging from large volumes to tiny diaries, were vast and expansive.

As she was walking she failed to notice a fallen scroll in her path, as her lilac tinted eyes were searching high upon the shelves not low on the ground. With a loud shriek, she fell to her hands and knees, barely catching herself from planting her face into the dirty ground. She turned around to figure out what the culprit had been.

It was an eggshell white colored scroll, it's edges frayed and worn.

She unrolled the scroll, her curiosity getting the best of her. The contents of the scrolls were faded, but she was just barely able to make out the black words on the paper.

“This is...the Hyuuga Curse Seal jutsu...I think I remember hearing about this seal from mom or dad, it was something that was previously used to protect the clan’s dojutsu in the event that a Hyuuga were to die, locking away their Byakugan from the outside world. It was to keep our secrets hidden, but I think only the branch family members had to get this seal placed on their foreheads by main branch members.” Hikari spouted out both her own knowledge, and the words written on the page. “I'm thankful they don't still use this jutsu, it put a division between the clan. Branch members were lesser, and their only duties were to protect the main branch. It is so sad to think about how outcasted they must have felt, wearing this symbol on their foreheads all of their lives…”

The Hyuuga did not believe is succumbing to one’s destiny, rather she felt everyone had the chance to become something greater than those before them, or even greater than what they thought of themselves. So the idea of a branch of the family being more important than the other, and the less important people having to just give their lives for the important people infuriated her to no end. Just the thought of the trials and tribulations the past members of the clan had to partake in caused her to crumple her fists in fury, her teeth gritting together as a fire burned within her pupilless eyes.

“You are wrong, my dear.” A soft, male voice disturbed her angry ranting, and the suddenness of the sound spooked her, Hikari jumping to the side and glancing behind her at the end of the room. A man stood in a doorway she had not seen the first time she entered the room. He was dressed in an elegant white kimono and his long black hair cascaded down his back, making his pale skin look ghostly white. What struck her the most, however, was the pale green marks on his forehead, a symbol he had been given the curse seal. “Those who take on this seal want to protect our family, and keep Konohagakure safe against those willing to massacre everyone to get the Byakugan. Our eyes are rare and special, so we must protect them till death.”

He motioned for her to follow him, and she silently trailed her way across the room to the doorway he stepped into, cautiously looking into what appeared to be a small garden, sunlight poking through cracks in the wooden ceiling.

She remained by the door frame, leaning against it in skepticism. Who was this strange man, and where had he appeared from? Why was he so passionate about the curse seal?

“My name is Hayate Hyuuga, and I knew both your parents, Yuki and Hitoru, when they were alive, Hikari.” His voice was calm, soothing. “They were wonderful people, and even better shinobi. I bet you didn't know, but your mother was the one who placed this seal on me, after I begged and pleaded with her a thousand times.”

Before she could ask her questions, a million racing through her head all at once, Hayate continued his speech, “I chose to have this seal on my own accord, because I felt it was my duty as a Hyuuga to protect our sacred dojutsu. Many of my brethren felt the same way, taking the curse seal so the Byakugan wouldn't fall into the wrong hands.” He paused, tending to a fallen flower and giving it water before he continued, “Of course, many were against us using such a jutsu anymore, due to the terrible memories it brings back. You were right about how it used to be, causing divides in the clan, but that past is what lead us to where we are now. If we didn't understand the consequences of having two branches of the clan tear us apart, we would not be able to freely choose our own path now.”

His speech left the young Hyuuga speechless, unable to form a comprehensible sentence. But luckily for her, Hayate seemed to have more to say as he looked over at her, making eye contact, “This seal can be used to preserve other dojutsu as well, not just the Byakugan. Hikari, will you allow me to pass this technique onto you, to continue the new traditions of the Hyuuga clan? I trust in your judgement to only use this seal as a last case resort, or if someone desperately asks for it to be placed on them, such as my case.”

She wasn't sure how she felt, learning a jutsu that for so long pushed people apart when all she has ever wanted to do was bring people together. Kuro sensed her doubt, and nudged her left palm with his muzzle. His gesture reassured her, and she could tell he felt it was a good idea to trust this man’s words. Hikari trusted her canine companion’s instincts, knowing he could easily tell if someone was lying or not trustworthy.

“Alright, I'll learn this technique...for the clan, and for Konohagakure. You never know when it may come in handy.” She didn't say it allowed, but she knew that even if she did learn this technique, she didn't have to actually use it on anyone. It could just be a useless thing she stored, gathering dust in a secluded corner of her mind.

Hayate beamed as she accepted his offer to learn the Hyuuga Curse Mark technique, quickly getting to a standing position and walking over to Hikari, “Thank you, young one. We, the clan, greatly appreciate you.” He spoke strangely, as if this was a dire situation that she had just saved them from, “This technique will be quite simple for you to learn. I can tell you have mastered utsu harder than this, you have a strong chakra signature.”

Then he motioned for her to follow his lead, holding out his right hand and focusing chakra to it. Hikari held out her own right hand and concentrated a small amount of chakra to it, awaiting his next orders, “Picture the image you saw on the scrolls in your hand. Imagine visually seeing it imprinted on your palm, do not worry as it will not mark your palm.” Hikari did as she was told and pictured the green X symbol with lines on either side of it, depicting the image on her palm, staring so hard at her hand it felt as if her veins would pop out of her eyes. Eventually an image took shape from her thoughts, the same green symbol she had seen on the old scroll.

“The next part of the this technique requires you to touch the forehead of the one you are sealing. That is all you have to do to perform this technique.” His voice slowly grew quieter until it was barely above a whisper, as if it floated on the wind. Hikari moved her eyes from her palm, dispelling the concentrated chakra and ending the jutsu.

“Wha-where did he go?!” Her tone was high, panic taking over as the man, Hayate, vanished without a trace. No doors had been opened, nor had she been staring at her palm that long. How could he have escaped so easily without her detection?

“Kuro...d-do ghosts e-exist?” She asked timidly, turning to face her companion who was looking up into the air at something she could not see, his muzzle made into a smile, or as much of one as a wolf can create. Hikari’s eyes became saucers at the scene in front of her as she hurriedly dashed out of the room, her heart pounding inside her chest. Her mind was hazy from the fact she had both spoken to a ghost and learned a Hyuuga technique from one.

Who would have ever thought a ghost could teach someone a jutsu?

(WC: 1651)
(Claiming 16 AP and the Hyuuga Curse Mark jutsu learned ^^)

Approved

Thank you, Sakana <3