Family Reunions Suck (P)

Her words were met with a small smile and a slight nod, and the snowy haired Hyuuga knew it was because there wasn’t much left for one to say. Tengakure had been destroyed, and speaking such nonsense about wishing to have seen it did neither of them any good. Hikari would never get to experience it, and the Kirigakure woman would never be able to go back. It was a saddening realization to speak about one’s past home with ease when it might have brought back painful memories for her. She had not meant to rub salt in her wounds, but instead meant to sincerely bring any comfort if it were needed. Hikari had not known what it was like to lose her home, as most of Konohagakure had been left undamaged, yet she knew what it was like to lose the people that made up her home, which, to her, was close enough to the same thing.

It seemed the verdict about Kirigakure was that the village was cold, frozen unlike any other village, as both this woman and the man who stole Salzem’s legs had both said the same thing about their home. She was beginning to understand why they described Kiri as such while the woman explained what went on in their home. Hikari never expected for them to actually kill their own shinobi for being weak, it was an unheard of and surprising detail to have learned about, and suddenly their nickname began to make sense as well. The Bloody Mist. Perhaps the most blood they spilled was their own during what they called the Blood Games. It was sickening to hear her speak so calmly about the murder of Genin that, for all she knew, had no choice but to participate in the games they hosted. What made matters even worse was how the woman told her this information, unfazed by the fact that most if not all of their shinobi currently in Konoha had killed at least one person. They were already murders before they even reached her home, and they felt nothing wrong with it.

They didn’t care about the lives of others, and that was where she differed from them. Despite her wanting to slay two shinobi, she still wanted to save people’s lives and make sure they never had to face the cruelties she went through. The woman in front did not have the same kind of compassion, and she had no doubts that if the time ever came, the woman would end her life if she had to, no qualms given even though they were clanmates. Life just wasn’t as important to them as it was to her, their upbringings having given them completely different outlooks. Hikari couldn’t entirely blame them for how they lived though, it was how they were brought up and raised to be. Their practices of slaughter could not have been new, and might have even existed long before the woman in front of her was even alive. Xyxer was most likely the cause of their traditions, having been the one to destroy Tengakure and not hesitating to order all of their deaths during the war made him an obvious candidate to implement their Blood Games.

The woman added, as an afterthought it seemed, that their civilians felt extremely safe within the confines of the village and that crime was almost nonexistent. She wasn’t sure if she could believe those both facts were legitimate, the idea of defenseless people feeling safe when they know of how brutal their shinobi were was foreign to her. She could, however, believe the fact about their crime rates. One did not want to be on the wrong side of Kirigakure shinobi if they weren’t strong, and she didn’t have faith that the criminals were anything more than ordinary citizens that did wrong.

Then she gestured to herself as she spoke of how progressive their village was, blatantly referring to her legs and how they could not function properly anymore. Hikari wondered if they had many medical nin in their village, for if they did, she wondered why the woman had chosen to stay crippled by her legs instead of getting them treated  or even having someone replicate them in order to create working ones for her. Unless the woman kept them as a reminder, something to always remember or fuel her to continue onward when all seems lost, or maybe they were kept as a reminder by Xyxer as proof to not cross him. She most likely would never find out the actual answer to her unspoken ponderings for it was overly impersonal to ask someone such a thing.

Instead, she decided to go along with the woman, agreeing on the things that she could be sincere about, “The way your village functions is quite differently from my own, as you’ve most likely already seen, and I must say, your shinobi are more skilled than ours, there is no doubt about that. We wouldn’t be speaking right now if it weren’t true” She began softly, not wanting to somehow offend the her, “Oddly enough, I think it was for the best that Kirigakure invaded. None of us knew true hardship, what it was like to feel everything you’ve ever known threatened by powerful people, but now we do. We’ve been frozen by the cold, and we’ll never forget it. This will be what makes us stronger.” Hikari felt a sense of resolve in herself, perhaps even pride in her statement, the truth it held for them. Konoha was always known for its Will of Fire, and maybe it hadn’t extinguished entirely, maybe it was just blown out and needed to be rekindled. She paused for a second or two as her thoughts changed and the topic shifted to Kirigakure, “I admit it is amazing that your civilians feel safe at night and that crime is not an issue, we are not as fortunate to have that here. But the most amazing thing is that you’ve been able to rise above so many people. I honestly would not have expected Kirigakure to be as progressive as you are, but you are a testament to that.” Hikari returned the woman’s small smile with one of her own as she finished speaking, hoping her kind thoughts reached the woman.

After she finished speaking, the learned the woman’s name was Aryll and that she was the head of the Hyuuga household, something she admitted with ease as she stroked Kuro’s head gingerly. Aryll had a gentler side to her after all, even if only for animals or only canines. It was at this time that she asked about the Hyuuga in Kirigakure and what it was like to be the clan head from there. The response she garnered from the woman was different than she had expected, Aryll solemnly mentioning that there was hardly any Hyuuga’s in her village anymore, piquing Hikari’s interest as to why they were no longer there. She bit her tongue on the matter though, remaining silent as mixed emotions dotted Aryll’s face briefly. It seemed whatever had happened to them was not pretty, and brought only pain to the young woman.

Her eyes hardened once more as she masked her feelings away and she shifted the topic to speak of the elders, how they were the only ones to visit her. This was obviously due to the duties she had to fulfill as clan head, but she wasn’t prepared for Aryll to mock the elders for wanting to make her a role model. The elders only cared about her when no one knew she wasn’t able to walk, when they could keep it a secret that the clan head specialized in puppetry. Hikari couldn’t imagine what it was like, being the leader of the clan yet knowing how the elders truly thought of her, it had to be rough on Aryll to go through all of that alone. Aryll didn’t seem to let what they thought of her bother her too much, the annoyed expression on her face swiftly softened as she grinned at her own statement, probably trying to imagine for herself how they reacted when she arrived with the Kirigakure army. Although they had been enemies at the time, Hikari silently hoped that the elders reactions were as priceless as Aryll imagined them to be, hoping she could continue enjoying herself and feeling happiness instead of the sorrow she had felt earlier.

Kirigakure was evolving more and more apparently, as Aryll told her how she hoped to oversee even more clan business now that they were no longer as isolationist. The snowy woman never thought she was learn this much about the inner workings of another village, thus she was grateful for having ran into Aryll on this fine day. She was pleasant to converse with, surprisingly not judgemental even though she reigned from the losing village. “That would be very lovely, Aryll, and I hope you will be able to do it. I can’t speak for the rest of the clan, but I personally wouldn’t mind it.” Hikari grinned lightly at the woman, her sorrowful mood vanished for the moment as she was distracted by the conversation at hand. It might have been due to the friendly and kind tone her companion held, making it easy for her to become immersed in a world of their where she wasn’t grieving over the death of her brother or plotting her revenge against Yensung Aburame. She was purely in the moment, something she had desperately needed without consciously knowing it.

(WC: 4,552)

She knew that Hikari had not meant to open old wounds with her questions. Aryll was beyond shedding a tear for her former home. She had been baptised in the bloodied waters of Kirigakure, the same as the rest of her comrades, and Tengakure was nothing but a dream to her, a fond memory to look back on, and nothing more. It was rotten, and letting it die was the only way to save its inhabitants.

She didn’t think much about the words she was saying as she described her home village. Kirigakure was perfect to her, its Shinobi were the finest in all the world. Crime was nonexistent, and the misty, cobbled streets were beautiful. She didn’t much worry about how her village would be perceived, because she wasn’t sure that Hikari could or would understand. Service was not compulsory, but many had second thoughts about entering. Some fearfully remained Academy Students, refusing to perform the necessary jutsu in order to become a Genin, for Genin could participate in the Blood Games. The sadistic academy teacher often promoted students on a whim, and there were quite a few who were in tears of pain upon promotion.

Still, service was not compulsory. Those that signed up to become a Shinobi understood the risks they were taking. More than half of the genin in Kirigakure never survived to reach the rank of Chunin, but that was as things should be. Kirigakure was brutal, but still honorable. Snakes and parasites were weeded out and killed, but the labors of determined, honest Shinobi were rewarded. Konohagakure likely saw their conquerors as brutal and merciless, and while that might be true in most instances, it is important to remember that Kirigakure first came offering them the chance for a peaceful surrender. From the way Aryll had been treated in this village thus far, it was as if they had came for blood and nothing else.

Aryll’s case was a strange one. Her views, warped and distorted to fit the ends of the Mizukage, were nearly textbook of Kirigakure. More than once, she had killed for her village. She would do so again. She would kill those who fight for the same cause as herself, all in the name of culling the weak. If the time came, and Aryll was proven too weak for her position, she would fight to the end, as any proud Shinobi of Kirigakure would. There was, however, one exception. She would never harm a hair on the head of those who shared her blood. She would fight to the death on their behalf, if she had to. So many Hyuuga had died around her, she could not bear to see more of her Kin’s blood spilled. Though Hikari felt, rightly so, that Aryll would kill her without a second thought, this would be proven false, if it ever came to it. Her family was everything to her, just like her brother, just like her mother, and just like her grandfather. Even from as far away as she had lived, her heart was with her family always. It would prove as the ultimate test of her conviction, but Hikari, and perhaps all the Hyuuga, had a powerful ally in Aryll.

The girl who shared her blood began to speak of Kirigakure, and of her admiration for the ninja of her village. Aryll’s smile faltered for a moment. She had spent enough time around the elders to recognize groveling.
”Is that what you really think of us?” Aryll inquired. ”I’m curious. What did you think of the army who came to the gates of your home?” She knew, of course, that the girl no doubt harbored some resentment, the same as the rest of them. Maybe not for her. Maybe not for Kirigakure. But there was something. ”I wonder, what was it that possessed Xyxer to allow you to stand beside him at the end of the battle? You and that other boy, the one he fought himself.” Aryll asked, the change of subject rather sudden. The urge to ask the question had been burning inside her throughout the conversation, and in this swift tonal shift, she simply lost hold of her resolve, giving up merely steering the conversation towards it. ”As I recall, you did not engage in combat during the battle. Not once did you raise a weapon against us.” Aryll continued, tapping her forehead knowingly. A redundant gesture, one that she often used to remind her comrades of her dojutsu. In Kirigakure, it was often necessary to do so. In Konohagakure, where the Hyuuga were more prominent, less so. ”I’m intrigued by you, Hikari. All that bloodshed, and you chose not to fight, but to help your own. You forsook the glory and the chance to defend your home, to display that legendary Will of Fire, and yet you did not.” Remarked the Heiress. She was leaning with her left and on the arm of her chair now, resting her head on her hand contemplatively, staring straight ahead once more.

”I took great care not to shed the blood of my family in that battle. I spent it defending my allies, but also doing my damnedest to prevent the loss of any Hyuuga blood. I understand the desire to protect your own... better than most, I think.” Said Aryll to her acquaintance, her voice rising in intensity as she continued to speak. ”So what I simply must know is why you chose not to fight. If Xyxer himself, the one who came to conquer your home, placed a a kunai in your hand and pressed it before his heart, would you take his life as he took the lives of your comrades? Or would you spare him?” She challenged. ”You need not fear repercussions for your answer.”

The twitch of her lips was small, almost undetectable, but her lilac tinted eyes caught sight for the briefest of seconds as she began speaking, and the reason why Aryll’s smile shifted even the tiniest of ways was revealed when her voice rang out through the small area. She doubted Hikari’s sincerity, and the young woman would have been slightly taken aback if Aryll had not revealed she was the head of their clan, as that insight alone gave her a small idea of the things the Hyuuga in front of her heard on a daily basis. Thus, Hikari deduced that Aryll thought she was only trying to appease her, similar to perhaps how the elders spoke to her whenever they visited, even though everything she had said was truthful. She didn’t have ill feelings towards the people of Kirigakure, or at least all of them save for the Kiri man she loathed with a passion.

Aryll’s beginning two questions were rather easy for the Hyuuga to answer, her heart having already asked itself similar questions a dozen times over, “I really do feel that way about your people. I don’t think the shinobi of Kirigakure are monsters, no matter what anyone may say, for you didn’t come to our gates looking to kill all of us instantly. For all I know, you came offering a peaceful negotiation, but my people were the ones that started the bloodshed by refusing to kneel.” A few moments passed, giving Aryll ample time to respond if she so desired, before she continued her barrage of inquiries, seeming to have an abundance of questions for Hikari. The subject was changed from her thoughts of Kirigakure, to the Mizukage. Hikari wasn’t sure of the relationship between the Hyuuga in front of her and Xyxer, but for some reason she was the only one to question why she had been on the Kirigakure side at the end of the war with Kotsuzui. Aryll continued, tapping her forehead in reference to their clan’s Byakugan, as she mentioned not having witnessed Hikari fight back against any Kirigakure shinobi the entire war.

Her voice was gentle and soft, Aryll’s questions bringing her back to that wretched day, the memories flooding through her mind once more, drowning every other thought, “I do not think there was anything special about me that the Mizukage saw. I believe he only had me stand on the Kirigakure side of the war because I was holding his sword, Samehada as he called it. I still had some chakra remaining after the Mizukage’s fight with Kotsuzui, the Konohagakure shinobi that had been beside me, so I think he wanted to make sure I couldn’t heal anyone else but at the same time he most likely wanted to keep his sword close and protected. That is the only reason why I believe he kept me beside him.” Her voice cut off, letting Aryll process her words as she wasn’t sure if the Hyuuga would believe that was the only reason and may have something to say about it. She might know the Mizukage better and the reason presented might not fit who he was.

She had not been prepared for Aryll to be intrigued with her, a lowly medic who couldn’t even save the life of the person she cared about most in the world. Of course the Hyuuga heiress would have no clue that Salzem meant so much to Hikari, only Kotsuzui, the kiri bastard, and Xyxer knew, but she might have been informed by the Mizukage or the kiri man, as Hikari recalled seeing both Aryll and the cursed man together during the war when Aryll held Salzem in her extended hand, the metal having clutched his tightened body away from the dangerous grasp of the other shinobi. Her tone was even as she tried to push the sickening thoughts from her mind, she could not allow Aryll to know of the pain Salzem’s death brought her or the revenge she sought, “I am a medical-nin, it is my duty to save lives not shed more blood, and I was needed more as a medic than a fighter during the war, I knew it the moment the battling broke out, for we were outmatched and out-skilled. It wasn’t hard to deduce that we would have numerous casualties if someone wasn’t there to heal the fallen.” Her left hand stroked the fur of Kuro calmly while her right hand remained limp in her lap, as her eyes glanced over the more casual manner in which Aryll sat, her head propped up by her left hand as her elbow rested on the arm of her chair.

Her left hand stopped moving and her eyes widened every so slightly, the words dribbling out of the heiress mouth seemed almost surreal to Hikari. They had been enemies, and Aryll reigned from a village where family connections should have been absurd, at least that’s what Hikari thought they would be, yet here she was, claiming to have put her all into protecting any Hyuuga’s on the battlefield. A desire to protect one’s own, the same desire Hikari felt for those dear to her. How could someone from another village, one where bloodshed and killing the weak was a normal daily occurrence, have the same desire as her?

An idea slowly crept it’s way into her thoughts, one that might have connected the two women together even more than they thought possible. Aryll wanted to protect Hyuuga blood, even if they were enemies, for what reason? Sure it might have been because she was the clan head and it was her duty to protect the members underneath her, but what if the reason was deeper than that? What if it tied back to the reason why there were so few Hyuuga in Kirigakure, and the thoughts Hikari had about something tragic having happened to them? Could Aryll have been too weak to protect her clanmates sometime ago, and had vowed to become stronger so it could ever happen again and that was why her resolve to protect them felt so powerful? If this far fetched idea she came up with was true, the two of them shared the same reason for wanting to protect those in their lives, the only difference being that Aryll wanted to only protect Hyuuga’s and Hikari wanted to protect all of her comrades, friends, students, anyone in her life that she held even remotely dear to her. Salzem’s death had brought about two desires in her; revenge and strength, as having strength would have prevented his murder and would be able to prevent the same thing from happening ever again.

Even if she would never find out if their reasons were similar, she held onto her thoughts as if they were true, her heart softening towards the woman in front of her as they, potentially, shared a common history. Her mind was brought back to reality as her companions voice rose, the peak of her questions being brought to the light. Aryll wanted to know why she had not chosen to fight, and if Xyxer had given her the opportunity, would she take his life. She reassured her that no matter how she answered, she would not be harmed. It was comforting to know she would not be executed for treason if she decided to answer the hypothetical with the death of Xyxer, or attempted murder of him as he probably wouldn’t go down so easily. Anyone else might have said they would press the kunai against the man’s heart, ending his life if they could, but she was different and Aryll might end up finding a satisfying answer as to why Xyxer kept Hikari beside him when she replied.

“I would spare him without hesitation.” She began, her lilac tinted, hardened orbs looking towards the woman before her, their eyes meeting if Aryll’s were looking in her direction, “The Mizukage was not the one who killed my comrades, it would be better to say that we killed them. He may have ordered for war, but it was our refusal to kneel that brought about the bloodshed to begin with.” Hikari was prepared for any react Aryll might have, as it might be obvious at this point that she blamed her village far more than she blamed Kirigakure for what happened on that day. “Since you seem to really want to know, I chose not to fight in order to save as many lives as I could for a dead medic cannot save anyone. I would not have been able to defeat any of your shinobi on my own, thus I would have most likely perished. By not fighting, I was able to avoid conflict and aid my allies.” She decided to omit the part about her being left vulnerable, having been ordered to sever her own hamstrings by one of Aryll’s own comrades. The Hyuuga heiress would have most likely mocked her for being so weak and disgracing the Hyuuga name.

In all honesty, if Xyxyer had ordered for the upcoming tournament to be to the death, Hikari felt she still wasn’t strong enough to survive against them. Sure she was able to create a poisonous mist that could instantly kill if inhaled without medical treatment and she could burn her enemies to a crisp up to seventy meters away, she wasn’t sure what the full capabilities of Kirigakure were. Xyxer was already a force to be reckoned with, Aryll had massive mechanic puppets with their own weapons and most likely hidden tricks, and even the kiri man had a barrier like ability he could keep active for what seemed to be an infinite amount of time, and she wasn’t even sure what the ability could do. Those were only three of the entire army, not even including the person who burnt down their village or her opponent for the tournament.

(WC: 6,210)

”We came to conquer. We came to kill. Somebody was going to die that day, Xyxer said so himself. Not all kneeled, but most did. Do you resent those that doomed your people, then?” She would ask. Hikari was humble. It seemed that she didn’t believe the Mizukage had any interest in her at all. This just caused the smile to grow. ”Samehada is a legendary blade. It’s original wielder was a shinobi of legendary ability, and I do not think that Xyxer would even allow you to hold it lightly.” She said. To her knowledge, only a few others had even touched the blade, much less wielded it. Her brother was one of the very few to actually set his hand upon the blade besides Xyxer, though Aryll did not know that.

She explained that her reason for staying was that she could save more lives if she did not fight. Aryll simply nodded. ”That is admirable. I do not necessarily agree with you, but I admire your convictions.” Was all she said. She set aside the food she was eating as the girl answered her last query. ”I wonder if your convictions will hold when strain is applied. You’re an interesting woman, Hikari. It’s rare to find a true healer in this world of ours. I hope it does not change you.” She said, beginning to push her chair forward.

”This has been fun, Hikari. I’ll see you again, I should think. It was… Refreshing… To speak to one of my own kin face to face.” She told the girl. Without another word, Aryll made her leave, heading on her way to a meeting with the Mizukage.

(Exit)
(TWC: 1274 after mid thread claim)

1052 words towards One Handed Hand Seals

The other 222 words towards ninjutsu spec

Approved

Aryll casually mentioned how they had came to kill, the words dripping off her tongue with ease, and for her, death and murder did come easy to them, they were trained since they were very young in the art of blood. “Yes, you came to kill a single soul, not an entire village, and that is why I do not harbor such feelings towards you. Truthfully, I do resent one shinobi that doomed us all.” She felt no need to hide her feelings of the Konoha man, especially given that she did not have to give his identity away. Aryll would probably assume she meant the blonde Jounin, the first one to stand and defy Xyxer, yet she would be mistaken. No, it was the man who began to weave hand signs whilst kneeling, the wretched man who took her brother’s life away, that she resented the most. As Hikari explained her reasoning for why the Mizukage had not actually taken an interest in her, her companion’s smile widened as if the snowy kunoichi was naive to the ways of the world.

It seemed Xyxer’s blade had far more significance than she could have ever imagined, the blade being legendary and whose original wielder was of equal legendary ability, although she wondered briefly what happened to the person who owned the sword before Xyxer, and if the blunette had been the one to kill them, was just as legendary as them then or had he not earned such a title yet? “I had no idea his sword was of such a high caliber, it honors me that I was able to hold it for a short while. However, it still leaves the question unanswered as to why I was given the honor to begin with. Kotsuzui deserved the honor, I believe, due to him being brave enough to take on the Mizukage when even the Hokage was no match for him. I, however, had done nothing similar, I never even raised a fist to fight.”

Their conversing continued with Hikari answering why she had not fought in the war and remained only a medic, to which Aryll said was an admirable reason even if she did not agree with it. Hikari was slightly taken aback by Aryll’s kind words, never expecting a shinobi from Kirigakure to have called her admirable or t say they admired her convictions, although Aryll seemed like one of the few kind shinobi Kiri had, or perhaps her she only treated other Hyuuga’s in that manner and she was icily cold to everyone else. “Thank you, I really appreciate your admiration of my actions and reasoning.” After she spoke her mind a little bit the woman across from her set her remaining food down, the air tightening as the gravity of her words increased to a serious comment. As she began to push her chair forward, she wondered aloud an inquiry regarding Hikari’s convictions and if they would hold when strain was applied. She wasn’t sure what kind of strain Aryll was talking about, but nonetheless believed her convictions would remain unfazed through anything thrown her way. She then went on to compliment her, giving her the adjective of ‘interesting’. Hikari had never thought of herself as such, having never really done anything to garner the description Aryll just gave her, but she cracked a soft smile, the word bringing a tad bit of joy to her at the positive connotations ‘interesting held’.

“It has been fun getting to know you as well, Aryll, and I must add that you are a delight to be around, anyone from our clan who runs away from you is truly missing out.” She gave a gentle wave as the woman began her departure, the wheels of her chair gliding across the grassy area swiftly, “I shall see you again sometime as well, and if you ever need another refreshing talk, you can always come find me.” She spoke with complete sincerity, thoroughly enjoying the company of her clanmate and the insights she offered. Aryll had not been cold or arrogant, as many of the other shinobi from Kirigakure had been, and Hikari was surprisingly proud to call Aryll their clan head, the woman deserving of her title within the clan even if the other member’s were too afraid to converse with her.

The sound of her wheel’s turning slowly faded away into the distance, leaving the girl and her wolf to their own devices once more. Neither of the two minded the silence, soon picking up where they left off on their lunch and continuing to enjoy their meal in one another’s company. The day was still bright and early, with birds singing their lovely melodies from the surrounding trees and the faint background noise of people milling about around the village could be heard from the tranquil garden of the Hyuuga District.

(TWC: 7,024)
(Claims, using 25% max stat discount when applicable:
Aryll’s chakra signature memorized,
330 WC for Damage Reduction to finish it because the 2858/3188 WC came from here,
1,182 WC for Sealing Release to finish it because the 505/1687 WC came from here,
1500/1500 Manipulating Attack Blades,
1500/1500 Cloud Style Reverse Beheading,
2512/2625 Fuinjutsu Lock for C rank (with both E & D rank already learned as a part of this))

So much partial WC. I like it. Approved

Haha there was quite a bit, thank you, Komori ^_^