Thar Be Monsters In These Waters [Takeo]

What was the measure of the common man? Xyxer wouldn't know, he wasn't common. Since the beginning of his life he'd been separated from others, from the very beginning he was announced special by being brought into the world as a twin. Sometimes he pondered just how much better he would be if he didn't share that womb with Takeo, yet it did not good to dwell on the past, even moreso on things that are inconsequential in the greater scheme of things. Somehow the two of them had been split during their childhood, taken away to allied villages to lead their separate lives and yet by some calling.. they both thrived. Destiny favoured the Tadashi bloodline, and why wouldnt it when they were naturally gifted beings?

In the early hours of this cold morning in Kirigakure, while the dense mist blanketed the village before the people went about their common lives, Xyxer found himself strolling through the once tropical island. So much had changed for this village when he assumed control from his Akatsuki ally, Naoki. Their lives were no longer one of relaxation and luxury, they'd been hardened like steel in a furnace, molded into their ideal forms like a hammer beating upon that tempered metal. Everything had a use, no matter how little value they believed themselves to possess or the great, hollow ego that they may have formed; even an insect could provide a moment of distraction that enabled the blade to tear clean through the rib cage of an opponent.

He'd arranged to meet with his brother for a quiet fishing trip on this day, he was unsure on whether Takeo had ever been fishing before in all honesty. Tengakure perhaps had a simulation of what true fishing could be, but they were all scared of the water if his memory served right, or even worse, just scared of drowning. The one that feared the depths was fated to be submerged in it eventually, that's what the crews all said on their wooden ships when they traversed the ocean far and wide when he was younger. Little had changed. Xyxer remembered the first time he stepped foot on a ship in his youth, feeling the waves buck against the wooden hull that carried the vibration through to his feet on the deck. He fell. He'd been untested back in those days, young, boisterous, and weak.. yet he was determined with a ferocity inside that was unrivaled by his peers. That's why he was streamlined for the ANBU of Kirigakure when he joined the Ninja Academy in that fortunate village. The Jinchuriki had seen potential in Xyxer and his foresight had been rewarded with a monster of a shadow to protect the village and her assets, or.. as he had been used.. to kill any innocent villager that tried to leave during the quarantine. Lesser men would feel tainted by the act of murdering one of their own, yet the blood had not stained Xyxer's hand.. only one of the nameless ANBU. The mask had been a sanctuary for Xyxer, a gift that he'd now bestowed upon his troubled brother.

Finding himself upon the docks of Kirigakure the fishermen were likely the only people awake in the village at this point. They were hard-workers and the backbone of Kirigakure's ideals, which in itself was the backbone of Xyxer's wishes. A hard life for hard men. They still knelt upon him passing their vessels out of respect for the strength the Mizukage had brought to the village, news of the successful conquest in Konoha had erased any tumultuous opposition to Xyxer without any sword having to be raised.. yet some weapons still were as he gained more supporters that wanted the glory of the village to continue growing. Wise men.

Passing by the many ships he finally came to his own flagship, The Silence, a beauty of craftsmanship with beautiful sails and a golden hull in the form of a kraken grappling around the front of the wooden ship, yet not impeding its movement on the ocean. Bathing in the aesthetic of the ship for a few minutes he awaited the arrival of his brother as a smaller boat had been provided at Xyxer's request, a simple, sturdy rowing boat. Fishing tackle was already stocked on the boat and Xyxer would do the rowing himself, after all, he was the stronger of the pair.

It had been a few days since their last true meeting. During the time Takeo had done very little, yet also so much. Forsaking activity in the real world, he had spent much of his time within his own thoughts. Locked away within the Tadashi complex the young man had begun repairing the rift between his split personalities so to speak. On one side was himself, the other the beast that had fond itself locked within him. Two beings vying for control. Similar yet different and brought together be circumstances they had not chosen. It was all very cliche he had thought to himself.

The days had passed and the relationship between the two had turned to a working one. Takeo had loosened the restraints so to speak, now able to converse freely with the being. The beast had in turn granted him use of its power. A common goal had been set for the two of them. To find a method in which to separate with both parties in tact. For now it would have to do.

He had planned on continuing with his meditation up until it was time for him to leave. However he had been summoned by his younger brother. Takeo had expected it eventually of course. He had signed up for this by returning hom- to Kirigakure. For the majority of their lives the two had lived apart. Takeo still knew very little about the inner workings of his brother. Even after they had reunited once more they had spent little time together. Takeo had returned in order to settle back down with the clan, to re-establish bonds and all that.

Still, he had been expecting an actual job given to him. Not a request to go fishing.

Whatever, Takeo had long since given up questioning Xyxer. Which was why he found himself walking through the mist during the early hours of the morning. Despite his short time in the village Takeo had learned the general layout of the islands well enough. The docks were one of the major hubs of the village. Filled with a vast array of ships it was hard to not spot from a distance. Even harder to miss was Xyxer's flagship, which is what Takeo used as a reference when it came to navigating.

He wondered if that would be what they were using today. Xyxer's idea of fishing could range from anything to goldfish in a pond to leviathans from the depths. That was the interesting thing about his twin, you could never quite know what to expect.

Which is why he was somewhat disappointed when he took note of the small rowing boat his brother stood by. "I had to admit, I did not expect fishing to be something you would be interested in brother." He would comment when within hearing distance. "And why did it have to be so early in the morning for this? Waking up early and missing out on my beauty sleep isn't in my contract." This was followed by a yawn. Normally asleep at this hour, Takeo had forgone the time he normally spent in the morning get himself ready. Messy hair had been swept back, hidden under a black cap he had borrowed from one of his siblings.

Hearing the familiar voice of his brother Xyxer was swept from his thoughts by a gentle tidal wave, peering over his shoulder with neutral features before he offered a nod towards the white haired ANBU. Although on this day his locks were being held down by the ostentatious black cap, with the emblazoned Tadashi logo on the forefront of it. An apt selection for the Tadashi son. His words brought about a small smile on the face of Xyxer, it truly was amusing how little the two bonded by birth knew of each other. Most twins would know the ins and outs of their other half, yet this pair barely knew the hobbies of the other.

Making his way towards the boat he'd move down the steps towards the lowered part of the docks, crossing the stone before he solidly stepped inside the wooden boat, testing it for a second before shifting his weight fully in, speaking as he did so, "It's not the fishing I enjoy, but it develops a trait that's beneficial for any shinobi. Patience." Xyxer explained, moving some of the tackle so that it wouldn't obstruct either of them before he moved to sit down in the center, nobly assuming that his brother could step in the boat without aid.

He'd continue on from his previous sentence, his hands now firmly grasping the oars so that he could start the brothers adventure into the daring seas once Takeo was set down inside the vessel. "The early bird gets the worm, just as mother used to say. All of that travelling must have robbed you of your fond childhood memories." Xyxer rotated the oars inside the water while moving them out further from the docks, a gentle pace for now so that the two could discuss topics without the fear of being heard by the common men.

For a moment while they say there, Xyxer queried whether his brother could truly lead the way for his ANBU, yet the notion was silly given that Takeo had been rather bloodthirsty back in Tengakure if memory served right. The man of many delimbings. With that thought Xyxer's own limbs felt numb yet he shook the feeling off and continued to row, opting to speak aloud rather than dwell inside his own head, "How did you find the freedom of travelling as free as a bird? It seems more fitting for you rather than being chained to one village by oath." The boat was slowly making ground away from the docks, yet their final destination here would be the halfway line between the tempestuous storm wall and the harbour. The perfect spot within the village to catch fish, or perhaps even something a little more.

Takeo followed. He had been on boats before out on the ocean, however he had never grown accustomed to it. The young man listened to the response as he followed into the boat. Taking a moment to make sure he was truly balanced the man sat down onto one of the seats at either end of the boat. "Patience is a luxury few people can afford to have these days." Takeo replied offhandedly. "Sitting back and waiting for things to happen never ends up going well." The irony of the statement being that Takeo did exactly that. He had not woken up early this morning to row. No let that be done by the more brutish of two.

His brother made a remark in regards to his travelling. Takeo shrugged it off. For a moment his eyes began to wander. Though Xyxer's question brought his attention back toward the other boat occupant. "It's not all it's cut out to be." Takeo replied. For a moment he debated on whether or not to leave it at that. However he felt the need to continue, so he did. "Travelling was fun for the first while. However with time it felt more and more difficult to stay anywhere. Everyone else you know has settled and their lives are moving forward, yet I was just drifting around with no sense of purpose."

Takeo paused for a moment. His mind had begun to wander back to his travels. A memory flashed through his mind for a moment and his expression brightened. "Then I met someone and settled in a village for a little." He finished with a shrug. There was nothing else he wanted to go over with that, at least not during this conversation. "You should try it sometime, though not for as long as I did, it's nice to get away from everyone for a little while at least."

Takeo's words were too true, reminding Xyxer of the letter that he had received from the man. The unchangeable set of events that had occurred because of that simple letter.. the deaths of so many in Konoha. Graves had been dug in that once proud village because of a simple letter between two brothers, a reminder to not be forgotten in the sands of time had resulted in so much gratuitous violence.. No, that was the wrong way to think about it. That invasion had taught Xyxer that he did not need to be the monster he was back in Old Kirigakure, he no longer needed to be the feral, faceless creature hidden behind the mask. There was mercy within his breast that could be exercised if he deemed it worthy, despite how rare those situations were.

"That's the thing, isnt it." Xyxer responded to Takeo, glancing towards the rippling water beside them as his strokes beat through the water, "Even the villages are now sitting back and hoping for their time in the warmth of the sun will return without them having to lift a finger. They believe their leaders will show them the path to glory and success, yet none of the others know what it means to fight in a war. The only thing that matters." He spoke without a second thought, his feelings on the other villages and his own value on combat rising before any other matter, "They've all grown content with their current position enough to not push their boundaries.. They're better off dead or in ruins." He'd never enjoyed being idle for too long, but he'd been forced to remain within his village as a member of ANBU for most of his shinobi career. The village needed to be protected more than targets had to be assassinated, despite how his talents were more befitting of such a deed.. yet things would be different for the lighter haired of the duo.

Takeo's thoughts on travelling were rather interesting to Xyxer, like the stories a child aspiring to be a soldier would read in the books. He'd always wanted to roam across the world without any burdens, yet he was tied down to villages through the petty notion of loyalty. A trait that was foreign to most shinobi in this world, yet he couldn't blame them, they were raised by second-rate teachers in a childish, domesticated village. Villages that were more fit to teach the proper maneuver to raise a white flag so that their inadequacy did not lead to the death of their poorly trained shinobi. Perhaps he'd suggest that at the Summit.

Xyxer dwelled on the words of his brother before responding, "You found a partner long enough to have a child, at least. You couldn't have been moving too much if she still allows you to take him on trips. It's a shame you couldn't bring her with you." He continued to circulate the oars as they started to come upon their destination, the ships now quite far in the distance and the howling of the storm faintly in the background, yet almost indistinguishable. "You never seemed like the type to settle, mother even asked me for updates on you several times which I were unable to provide." Xyxer revealed, having not known the location of Takeo throughout most of his wandering, yet that was the point of it all. To escape your restrictions, which Xyxer could respect. He wished that he could exit the life of a village shinobi like he had done before Haru took over, yet he worried about the legacy of Kirigakure in his absence.. he'd have to make it the most stable powerhouse in the known world before he could vacate its misty streets.

In his heart he wanted to know the primal freedom his ancestors must have felt before establishing their covens and brotherhoods. Their packs and their tribes. To be free of any law.. some could say he is at this point in time, but it's no longer freedom when you are the one controlling the rules of the land. It's simply nothing more than tyranny, a footnote in history that reflects on the dynasty he intended to establish. He nodded his head a little as the boat came to a stop, "I intend to travel a bit more, although unfortunately it'll likely be with an army at the back of me with the world in the state that it is." Yet it was clear from his tone that Xyxer did not find the proposal unfortunate at all, as in truth he longed to find a worthy combatant in these foreign villages. A shinobi that could scar him, or perhaps even cause the Abysswalker to return to the darkness.

Xyxer now went about preparing his half of the fishing tackle, impaling the bait upon his fishhook and casting it out from the boat before resting idly, maintaining a light grasp on the fishing rod so that he could his phenomenal strength to reel in any catch, but he'd be careful to not tear the jaw off a shark, not again. "What do you think of the villages from what you've seen of them? I know very little of Kumogakure and Hoshigakure, yet they've remained prominent enough to warrant my attention." He inquired, turning his head to peer at his brother and whether he'd managed to cast his line out yet.

Unfortunately time would not be with them today, as Xyxer soon found himself turning the boat right back around and proving his muscular worth by rowing the boat back towards the island. It'd probably spook the heck out of Takeo, wondering why his brother would be so bipolar, but you just never knew what he'd do.

[Exit]

2153 WC

1125/1125 Split Second A-rank

1000 left

750/750 Bull Rush D-Rank

250/750 Bull Rush C-Rank
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Approved

Well, that was certainly an odd turn of events. Takeo wasn't quite sure what to make of it all. His companion found it quite amusing however so that was a plus. "Oh well, better prepare for the summit then I guess."

[Topic Closed]

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