A Meeting of Friends (P, IO)

It was dawn, the light peering lazily over the mountains around Kumo. Max was up, but it was not because he had gotten up early. He wasn’t able to sleep, his mind stuck in his research and how he was going to explain what had happened to the others. Senshi meant so much to Max, and most of the village had at least a few good memories of working with the man in some fashion. This loss wasn’t something that he expected to come easy on everyone, but they deserved to know. Everyone coming today were the people closest to Senshi, and Max’s closest friends. They should be the first to know…
 
Max would pace around his home while reading, the place still in much disarray. His notes were still sitting all over his table, textbooks and manuals beside them. The floor was still broken where Max let loose his pent up fury. It was a reminder, a reminder of what he was slowly fading into. His actions and mood swings would almost make him have difficulty recognizing himself at times. His eyes were puffy, a combination of lack of sleep and tears. Tears from frustration in his lack of results more than anything.
 
Max had started reading a medical account, speaking of the ability to use one’s own life force as the catalyst to create new life. The book spoke of risks, and that there were a few ways to go about doing it. The text referred to them as “Living Clones” since they were effectively pieces of yourself, much like clones, that took on a life of their own. If he could find a way to recreate life this way, perhaps he would be able to bring life back to his brother. Or maybe he could create another person to double his efforts in searching for an answer to this. This would be what Max was reading when the others arrived, his eye never leaving from the book until folks had arrived any were ready to hear the news.
 

They would find the door unlocked, and should they knock Max would call out to them, beckoning them to come in though they likely wouldn’t see it through the door. “Come in, please. You are going to want to take a seat.”

It was that time when the Sun was chasing the Moon across the skies, coming to that moment when they were both so close to being with each other but missed their chance once more until the tables turned where the night would trail after the day. Saya heaved an unexpectedly deep sigh. Normally, the genin would not mind being up so early in the day but something - a kind of seventh sense - was prodding at her.

She knew that it would be foolish of her to ignore it, but for whatever reason she had brushed aside the feeling. Saya kept a brisk pace, however, as she walked down the streets of Kumogakure towards a place she had yet to visit. A jolting guilt flew by. It had always been her intention to have dropped by and spend some time with her blonde friend, Max, but with everything that had happened she missed her chance several times.

The girl tried to console herself by saying that she was going to drop in now, but it still didn’t alleviate the pain throbbing beneath her chest. Moreso when she had received an invitation from him. She clicked her tongue at the foreign sensations that ached and numbed her body. At the very least, her eyes darted to the large basket she carried, Saya had prepared a delightful meal for him. An apology of sorts.

In no time at all did Saya find herself staring at the door, slightly ajar from what she suspected another visitor. To which she was right as Komori’s familiar voice reached her ears, only catching the last sentence. Though she didn’t quite want to admit it the girl was relieved that Komori was also present if only to act as a buffer from her and her awkward social-ness.

Her hand was already on the doorknob, pushing it a bit further in before she had her other fist rap against the door to announce her presence. Once Saya felt like they were aware of her she poked her head in to see Max with a book in hand and Komori just standing there. Her brow raised at the concaved flooring before entering the house entirely and shutting the door behind her. The basket of food was placed just to the side of the door, leaving it alone for the time being.

”Komori. Max. Morning.”

That was her greeting as she skirted over to the jounin like a mouse. Again, her purple-blue eyes wandered over the stack of books and papers, which piqued her curiosity. She recognized some of the titles embroidered on their spins. Curiouser and curiouser. What was the blonde little boy up to? Saya wanted to question him more on his activities but upon a closer look upon his visage had her lips tilting into a hard frown. Bloodshot and red rimmed eyes. Puffy. And dark bags settling just below them. It also looked like he hadn’t had a proper meal in days. Maybe weeks.

WORD COUNT: 501

Could a house in and of itself be depressing? It certainly felt that way as Komon entered Max's apartment only a few seconds after saya. Everything about the atmosphere screamed that something was wrong. Holes in the floor, the house unkept, notes and books and manuals scattered in disarray. Something was wrong in max's world, and Komon felt it was about to become a part of his as well.

Stepping into the living room from behind the bend Komon would rest his shoulder on the wall, making eye contact with max, and giving no introduction. Only a silent look, that showed his understanding. This was not a happy occasion.

WC: 109

Zombie walking up to the door, Renji’s head was still pounding from drinking the night before. Taking a deep breath, Renji would turn the knob on the door and walks into Max’s house. This was the first time that Renji had been to Max’s house, he knew that Max was a very private person, so for him to invite Renji over, made Renji a bit uneasy. “yo, Max, is everything…” Renji would pause for a second as he sees that almost all of his friends were here “..ok..you left kind of early last night” he would finish off his statement as he looks around at all the serious looks on everyones faces. “This cant be good”, Renji would think to himself as he walks through the house, Greeting everyone with a collective “morning yall.”. Eyeing the kitchen on his way by, Renji would grab a glass of water before taking a seat not to far from the bathroom

WC
158.

It seemed as if Sakana’s secret training mission was going to be postponed forever. He was supposed to go tomorrow, but today he was supposed to go, and the day before that, and the day before that. It would happen eventually but it seemed due to some power higher than him it wasn’t meant to happen right now. Instead here he was walking into Max’s house, he had never been there before but it wasn’t really what he expected. He didn’t know what he expected but the scattered books, broken floor, and utter disorganization of the place was troubling. The Mejin walked inside and sat down on the only clean space he could find. He could already tell he wasn’t going to like whatever he was going to hear next.
 
WC:130

Having returned to Kumo a day prior, Reizo was around just in time to receive Max's invitation. This was exciting; Reizo had changed significantly since they had last convened. Reizo was now 17 years old and had grown several inches, topping out at 5'9". He still looked mostly the same; he had the same haircut, and the same blonde hair. Even his attire was relatively unchanged. He could feel the presences of all his friends as he approached Max's address, and one unfamiliar chakra signature among them. He did notice one person missing, Senshi, but Reizo had assumed since his return that his teammate was out on a long important mission. He hadn't even so much as sensed Senshi's chakra within all of Lightning Country using his Mind's Eye.

He had missed all of his friends, and was glad he could be reunited with them all. He couldn't recall if he had ever visited Max's hovel. It was a rather gloomy establishment; Reizo could sense the atmosphere of the room even before walking through the door. He knew everyone was inside already, and so he slowly creaked open the already ajar door, and slipped into the room.

The Jounin noted the serious countenance on everyone and followed suit, blending in with the tone of the room. Reizo braced himself for whatever was coming; he had his suspicions but held on to what fleeting spirit he had. "Hey... guys. Max," Reizo gave a small wave in Max's direction as he shut the door behind him, moving to stand against the wall just beside the entryway. He wanted to ask where his comrade was, but something stopped him. He could just tell from reading the room that this issue was for Max to address. So he said the only other thing he could think of: "Thanks for having me."

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307 words

Welcoming each of the others in with a look and a nod of his head, the boy wouldn't speak a word until everyone was present. It was going to be difficult enough to speak of the matter, and he had no intention of having to talk about it a second time. He wasn't sure if he would have the capability of saying it all a second time.

Finally, everyone had arrived. "Thank you all for coming. Most of you guys know one another, but we all have something in common. We all had been close to Senshi in some fashion." Max would look over to Reizo first, "Senshi was a comrade and teammate," Then he would look over to Saya and Renji, "A team leader and sensei," and finally he would shift over to the twins and Sakana, "And one of our dearest friends. He was also like a brother to me..." 

Those that were paying attention would note the past tense in those statements, and it was easy enough for someone to understand what this meant. Max would begin to tear up, moisture forming in the corners of his eyes. "And that bond is why this is so hard... Senshi... has left the world of the living." Max, upon speaking these last words begins to cry, the tears he was trying to hold back in front of the others now streaming down his cheeks. His head would hang low, allowing the news to settle in. 

He would give them time to process it all, and then he would try to answer any questions as best he could. In all honesty he probably had as many unanswered questions as they did.

Oh, boy.

Komori first peaked his head up at the sound of footsteps outside, gauging the familiar chakra signature, before turning his head at the sound of the door opening, noticing the newly familiar face of Saya, who had stopped by with a copious amount of food. A welcome distraction from the silence which Max did not seem to want to break. “Mornin’, Saya.” He smiled at her, hoping to help ease the tension she shared with him as she skirted over to stand next to him. His own tension was still present, but if he could help relieve someone else of that shared burden, it would be a job well done.

It was not long after that his twin brother had arrived. He looked at Komon expectantly, waiting for a greeting but none came. He pursed his lips, honoring the Hyuuga’s desire for a lack of conversation. Perhaps a greeting like he had given Saya could be seen as fake. As something to take away from the weight of the atmosphere around them. He stayed leaning against a desk of some sort, looking at his brother from across the room.

Shortly afterwards, a hungover Hyuuga appeared. Renji if the Hozuki was remembering correctly. His voice broke the silence before realizing what a somber situation he had just found himself in. Komori looked back at Max, who still refused to say anything. Analyzing the boy’s appearance, he knew something was wrong. There was no sense to the day yet. Were others coming still? Instead of letting Renji feel alone, Komori gave a half smile and replied with, “Morning. Take it you had a rough night?” The question was meant to be a rhetorical one that could easily be satisfied with a nod or a stifled chuckle.

Sakana, the jinchuuriki of the three tailed beast, was the next to walk in. Perhaps he had been spending too much time around Komon, because he too was silent. If he looked towards the Hozuki, Komori would give a casual nod at the Meijin as the door once again opened. Reizo, who had only arrived back yesterday, walked in, rather out of place. This did not seem like an occasion for merriment.

At the mere mention of Senshi’s name, Komori’s heart dropped, his chest caving in on itself. There was no other explanation for a meeting like this. He couldn’t… The man barely had time to speak before Max confirmed his suspicions, dropping to the ground in a mess of tears. For once, the talkative Hozuki was speechless. He gritted his teeth and tilted his head downwards, so that his hair fell over his face and helped to hide his eyes. An immense pressure built up, giving him a massive headache as he struggled to hold himself together.

“Good morning, Genin-sempai. I apologize for accidentally attacking you, I was not aware enough of my surroundings.”

Those had been the first words Senshi had ever said to him. Their first meeting started with Komori nearly being attacked by wind arrows from the built boy, who was an ox even as a fellow genin. That felt like ages ago.

“You’re fine, I should have been more careful of my surroundings as well. Thank you, by the way, for saving my life.” Even though you almost ended it, he had thought to himself. Komori nearly left after that as well before he made up his mind to turn around and ask the boy for help. Senshi had always had a knack for knowing nearly every technique there was, so in Komori’s younger days, he had always found himself going to Senshi for a variety of teachings. And tips on how to be a man. After all, Senshi had made chuunin first among their group, and grown a thick beard in the process. Luckily the man had kept detailed logs in regards to all missions, such as the one Komori was remembering: Senshi’s eyebrow nearly jumped off his face from how violently it twitched when Komori decided to use the thousand years of death technique on the unconscious robbers. Was he retarded. Didn’t he realize an attack like that could have woken them up and then brought another fight onto their hands.

Simpler days. Like the third path to chuunin exam, when the boy had been forced to fight Senshi in hand-to-hand combat. “I enjoy you and your brothers presence Komori, please do not use any techniques other than taijutsu and force me to kill you. I would regret such an action, and I have no desire to do so.” Such sweet words. After Komori had punched Senshi square in the face and then proceeded to do nothing besides get absolutely destroyed by the bearded man, he had said to him, “That was a decent fight, if you had been able to use your Ninjutsu I think we would have been evenly matched. I look forwards to sparring with you again, if it were up to me I’d give you a passing grade. If you don’t mind I’ll wait with you to hear your results?” It meant more than Komori had thought. That was the moment that Senshi had truly began to see Komori as a friend more than just a soldier. And that was when Komori developed a phobia of walls and giant, majestically bearded men in small spaces. Or when Senshi had hand-picked prisoners for Komori to fight against in order to advance to chuunin. On the bright side, Senshi allowed for Komori to keep the dog, which he would eventually rename to Komorgi.

After everything, the damn war was all that had consumed their time. With Senshi’s promotion to jounin and the everlasting campaigns that he embarked on as a leader, Komori felt pangs of guilt. He should have fought on the front lines, alongside the man. He should have spent more time with him. Tears filled the boy’s eyes. He was not a man, not now. He was not strong, not now. He was back to his old self. Back when he relied too much on Senshi. He stifled back a cough as the others let the news sink into themselves. Teardrops began to silently flow down his cheeks as he grimaced, trying not to let others see. His breath caught, his body shaking. This isn’t fair. Tears fell from his lowered head and fell onto the wooden floor, leaving behind small stains. Komori tried to stop the shaking, holding his body, flexing his muscles, trying to keep himself still. The strain did nothing to help him. Instead, Komori seemed to stay on the outskirts of the group that had assembled today. This was not just a meeting. This was a funeral.

WC: 1440

Komori’s attempt to lighten the mood with his smile did nothing more but stiffen the air around them. Saya could only stare back in return before returning her gaze at Max, who had given them a brief nod in greeting. Many more faces would enter through the chunin’s abode but the girl would simply nod if she had been addressed. She did not trust her voice. Or rather, even if she did wish to respond her lips were locked in a perpetual frown.

Unconsciously, her hand moved to rub at her sternum. It felt… numb. But it also hurt. A dull ache that wouldn’t go away. It bothered the kunoichi; so much so that Saya wondered if she had fallen ill in the past minute or so. She began to feel lightheaded as well, but she persevered in keeping an eye on her blonde teammate. Everything about him screamed at her. His posture. His dead, dead eyes. The sorrow. The attempt to hold back something within himself.

Was she even sure that’s what she was glimpsing from his small frame? Saya was uncertain and decided to try and pull herself together. She didn’t even know why she was being that way. It was foreign to her and she didn’t know how to deal with it. A problem to which she couldn’t find the solution.

Once everyone had settled, Max deemed it was time to drop the bomb.

The very same bomb that she had been apprehensive of, even if she didn’t know about it. The signs had been there, however. The moment Max’s invitation had fallen across her lap, it had been there. Weighing and dangling over her head until this very moment.

She visibly flinched when his blue eyes turned towards her direction. His words were soft, vulnerable. It cut through her sharper than any bladed weapon ever could. And his last sentence suffocated her slowly. W-What… I-I don’t… I don’t u-understand. Saya licked her lips, wetting the chapped surfaces and finding that her entire mouth had gone dry.

And suddenly, like a hammer to her chest, her breath was nonexistent.

She stumbled backwards, the edge of the desk Komori was leaning on jabbing its pointy end into her side. The pain added to the one expanding beneath her ribcage. And her hand that clutched at her chest tightened as the air refused to enter her lungs. That’s impossible. Was her thought as she shook her head to try and comprehend what Max had just told them.

Flashes of memories speed through under her eyelids when she closed her eyes to try and steady herself. It was Senshi jumping down to greet the newly assembled team. It was Senshi smiling and expecting great things from his genin. Then it was the baby, Reiya (named after her and Reizo), and Senshi together, entering the bar she had walked into. It was Senshi scolding her in his usual military strictness. A father figure for the briefest of moments.

She. Could. Not. Breathe. Literally.

”S-Senshi…” It was a rasp of her voice as her vision blurred. There were no tears yet. No. Saya wouldn’t allow herself to succumb to accepting the news.

WORD COUNT: 534
TOTAL WORD COUNT: 501 + 534 = 1035