In Strange Aeons [Private]

Something had changed. He couldn't put his finger on what exactly, but he could feel it within himself. Questions were revealing themselves, yet the answers continued to elude him. Ignorance was simultaneously one of the greatest and worst qualities, one that he could no longer afford because of the position he found himself in. An ignorant leader would send his people into the jaws of a bear trap, then cry out in confusion when the rustic fangs clamped over their ill-distributed weight. His recent experience with the other villages highlighted all he needed to know about their customs and beliefs… Hoshigakure would kill their own for survival, Kumogakure believed themselves to be saviours despite their wretched actions as they were little more than hypocrites, and Konohagakure was filled with those who were unaware of the gift that Xyxer had bestowed upon their village.

Mercy.

Such a peculiar word had, for a long time, not been a part of the Mizukages vocabulary. The weak were undeserving of being spared, and the strong should never be in a position that would require such an act. Mercy singed his tongue like coal ash. It was as foreign to him as the languages of old with no descendants to remember the meaning behind the scrawlings. In time perhaps even his own name would be a series of meaningless lines. If he stagnated that would inevitably be the future when he perished… a name that was eroded by the rain and forgotten like so many before it. After everything he’s done he couldn’t allow such an event to occur. He could not be forgotten like the names of the Mizukage before him. Terror, saviour, monstrosity, celestial, evil, good… it didn’t matter what he would be remembered for, only that he was.

Standing at an isolated beach of Kirigakure with a plain white hoodie hiding his upper regions from the cold kiss of the air. The warmth the hoodie afforded him was a blessing, yet what he coveted from it was the anonymity. His clothing was too casual to signify any great position within the village, his features hidden by the white hood that hung over his scalp, facing outwards towards the crashing of waves in the distance. He wore simple white pants with sandals to match, even his esteemed monstrous weapon had been left behind so that he was truly alone at this moment, tenderly cared for by his sisters that loved to tend to the sentient blade, albeit with more caution ever since the younger one needed stitches from patting it too much.

The aftermath of the crashing waves swept up against the beach, lightly splashing the static feet of the Hozuki, yet it didn’t cause him to stir at all. In truth he could not see the ocean before him, nor even the storm wall that held so many outside of the village. He saw nothing. His eyes did not perceive the water, they did not see any lingering darkness, no cleansing light to bathe in. His thoughts stirred, almost vicious while he tried to understand something he’d never been able to before. It was weird to no longer be surrounded, no longer drowning in a sea of noise, sycophants, and criminals. To only have your thoughts. Was this some form of punishment he was inflicting upon himself? Xyxer was unsure, yet the longer he remained segregated the stranger he felt as if he was fundamentally changing in an irreversible way. The feeling was threatening and unwelcome as he did not understand how he was being altered.

There was nobody he could go to in order to find answers to this disturbance within himself that irked him so. When you stand on top of the world, who can you reasonably seek counsel from? Those that stand beneath you would whisper sweet lies into your ear until you lean down just enough for them to plant their 6 inches of sharpened steel in between your ribs. He was alone with this uneasiness that brewed.

“That isn’t exactly true.”

Guttural was the voice, formal was the tone. Xyxer could never truly be alone anymore, and for only a moment there was a feeling of kindred that perforated him. Perhaps there was an irony in the notorious monster being the lone peer of a man that brought a new age. Maybe fate did have a sense of humour after all. He didn’t need to communicate with the Bijuu, it already knew his thoughts and motives and it had remained a silent passenger until now. If he were to disappear… what happened then? Would another reclaim his position, lead Kirigakure into heights that were merely fantasies? Would his name linger on the tongues of the shinobi?

“Your thoughts dwell on this, ‘Lord Mizukage’, yet perhaps they should be elsewhere. Every mortal dies, they nourish the earth for later generations, the same will happen with you. You are worth the same as everyone else in death, even if your actions remain.”

Uncomfortable as the words may be, they held a segment of truth about them. When he died, he would not know what was spoken of him. His actions could shape how he was remembered, yet they could be twisted by others and malformed into acts that were unworthy of remembrance. In the end, what was he worth?

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Hikari rn minus the apple lol:

It was comforting to have the wolf alongside her as she strolled through the streets of Kirigakure, his ruby eyes piercing through anyone who even dared to think about coming close to them. Any other day she wouldn’t have minded interacted with the civitizens and shinobi of new her village, but this particular day she wanted to be alone, soak in the embrace of silence and the serenity of being alone. There was a lot on her mind, events unfolding one after the other without giving her anytime to process what was actually going on. Salzem’s murder was always on her mind, accompanied now by the murder of Kotetsu, but death wasn’t the only thing that plagued her, a man whom she thought had felt indifferent to her seemed anything but recently, being friendly and helpful to her despite not needing to be. He even gave her the opportunity to study under him, at the simple cost of leaving her village and joining his own, something that ultimately worked in her favor and gave her a way to attack someone from Konoha without being branded a traitor or missing-nin.

Her plans to take revenge would have to wait, however, until she met with Xyxer again. A task so simple yet one she was dreading slightly, weary of why he had changed how he interacted with her so suddenly despite her not doing anything to deserve it.

Thus, the kunoichi wanted to get away from everyone to think and clear her head, let the swaying of the waves calm her nerves as her mind ran free. The only place she knew of that could grant her that, and the one thing she had missed about the dreary island village, was a deserted beach far from the bustling crowds of people enjoying themselves. It also gave her a chance to show Kuro what he had unfortunately missed out on while living his entire life in Konoha. She knew he would enjoy the sea, playing in the water and running without care down the sandy shores, for afterall he was still a canine and running was something they all loved to do.

Of course fate seemed to crush her plans as always, not giving her the luxury of having the beach fully to herself as she noticed a person in all white was sitting near the edge of the water. Hikari wasn’t using her chakra sensory skill, otherwise she would have noticed that the unfamiliar figure happened to be far more familiar than she would’ve desired in that moment. Yet a las she didn’t, and walked further away from them while remaining on the same beach, hoping the distance would be enough for both of them to continue being in their own isolated bubbles.

When they were far away enough the duo both used the surface walking technique to walk across the gentle waves, the sea breeze dancing through her hair as it cascaded freely from its usual updo. A light purple, off the shoulder top replaced her usual purple ombre dress, and she chose black pants to go with her casual attire, although she kept her amol selseila attached to her wrists in case she was attacked while enveloped in her thoughts and her silencing boots were transformed into light purple, open-toed wedges to match her shirt. She looked rather normal for once, the only thing off about her was the small purple diamond on her forehead, a sign of her mastery over the Creation Rebirth jutsu.

The ocean was peaceful and quiet as they ventured farther away from the shore, the wolf large in comparison to the woman beside him, standing at four foot tall and six foot and five inches long against her four foot and nine inch frame. Neither of them minded how they looked together, finding it rather nice to be so close in size, plus since she was so small it gave her the opportunity to ride on his back whenever, even if just for fun. Not many others can say they have the chance to do the same, thus setting them apart from everyone else.

“This was always relaxing when I was here last, cheering me up a little whenever I missed you or Salzem.” Her quiet voice interrupted the quietness, her hand softly running through his fur as her eyes looked out to what was beyond them. He nodded his head at her comment, acknowledging her words and thanking her for showing him something that had been helpful to her when he wasn’t around. “So much has changed in a year, it’s hard to believe it’s all real, and sometimes I wish it were all just a terrible dream…” He nuzzled her softly, his way of consoling her and trying to make her happy. Kuro hated how she acted ever since the war, something she had barred him from being by her side at, and sometimes he blamed himself for what happened, thinking that if only he had been there, maybe things would have been different and maybe Salzem wouldn’t have died.

(WC: 858)

Isolation was a strange comfort. Too much of it and it becomes an addiction, yet too little and you eventually feel overwhelmed. He chewed the inside of his cheek while he bathed in the silence that shrouded him. His own thoughts acted as a shroud over his vision, obscuring the lone figure and her furry companion from his cold gaze while dreams vividly danced across his vision. Kirigakure was merely a vessel for his glory. A vehicle to propel him forward in the history books, to draw out a single page into hundreds; to entwine his own name with the history of great villages that refused to be forgotten. So long as mist breathed in the world, so too would the tale of Xyxer Gyojin... or would he be known as Xyxer Tadashi in the scrolls? To choose between the name of your birth family, or your adopted one, was a strangely difficult choice. Loyalty drove at him to maintain the name of Gyojin, to bring honour to the clan that worshipped Leviathans... yet he was a Tadashi by blood. He had a living brother in this world. Living sisters, and a mother... yet they had not raised him into the man he was now.

At this part, most would feel a twang in their heart. A dull ache. The conqueror wished he could share this experience as many of his subjects did. To know what the throb was like, rather than merely hearing about it, sometimes even sensing the violent palpitation from vicinity alone. His heart was not like the others. It was made of stone. As domineering as the jagged rocks that ships crashed into, ending the prospects of many promising lives. He was uncertain on whether this was how he had always been, or whether his heart had changed after his death. Perhaps it was the price of rebirth. He was no longer a mere mortal for he had cheated death, yet that fact set him aside from the others. How could he care for those that were no longer like him? A ghost ran through him, some semblance of emotion that he believed he should be feeling... yet it was impossible to describe. Funny how words escaped him during these moments of quiet.

Yet during conflict... the heat of battle and the glint of war. He felt his heart of stone beating. Once more pumping fresh, warm blood through his veins. Did he have to take life in order to feel it? To feel the gushing of blood over his clenched fingers? The spray of vitality scalding his face from an opened wound? There was a beauty to the way he fought, more intricate than others, yet some dismissed it as merely brute force without any sense behind it. No, he opened his victims with intent. A game they both shared in before a conclusion was decided. If there was no flourish before death, the coup de grâce was entirely meaningless. There had to be a picture painted through the body of the enemy, an unwilling canvas. This was where his heart of stone showed its perfection. To not care for the mannequin that screamed with every marking of the pointed brush. To ignore the pathetic pleas for mercy. That had never changed though... he'd never cared for those appeals.

Every part of life required some sort of dazzle. A flourish that went beyond the average man so that your memory lingered. He could not allow himself to be merely nothing in the minds of others, his tale must be remembered by all. Perhaps the best way to achieve this goal would be to crucify an entire village. That would even give inspiration for a rather unique painting... The image danced across his gaze, high walls that were crumbling with buildings releasing plumes of black smoke while they were reduced to cinder. So many screams, a symphony in its own right while everyone assumed their position upon the restrictive wooden columns. The air thick with iron. So many options, yet time found itself lacking in accomplishing such a task... perhaps a simple inferno would accomplish it.

The crashing waves underneath their feet did little to calm her racing mind, the memories stuck in her head replaying over and over again like a movie after she uttered those few silly words. I wish it were all just a terrible dream...

Scenes so vivid and clear danced across her vision, as if they were happening again right in front of her. She saw Salzem die countless times, the blood draining from his already pale face and the life fading from his crimson eyes, and each time was worse than the last, slower and more gruesome. As if to torture her for not doing anything when he was attacked the first time.

The feelings of helplessness gnawed at her as tears formed in the corners of her eyes, falling down her cheeks in a violent rush of water. Her lilac tinted orbs barely blinked as she cried, not present enough in the current moment to register what she was doing. All of her senses were overcome with the grief and pain that her memories were dredging up from the past, clouding her rationale.

It felt like hours had flown by trapped inside herself when a warm presence made itself known to her, bringing Hikari back to reality. Her eyes and cheeks were deeply reddened from the experience, her mind hazy and unaware of her surroundings as her head spun left and right several times.

“I-it was all in my head…” Her shaky voice breathed out, barely above a whisper. She leaned against her companion with all her weight, her legs finding it difficult to hold her up any longer, and she ran her left hand through her snowy tresses, her breath slow and jagged. The two remained in silence as she tried to compose herself on Kuro’s back, the wolf nuzzling her hand while she took deep breaths with closed eyes. Her body was still shivering when she tried to speak again, the words tight in her throat, “I..don’t think I can escape this… Not as the way I am right now…” Her hands gripped his fur tightly as she turned her face away from him.

She couldn’t continue with her sentence, her lips parting but nothing leaving them, afraid of his reaction to the thoughts she was having. Afraid he would think she was a monster for wanting to become one. If she could truly become numb to the heartache and be emotionless she could protect herself from herself, from the memories taking control of her again, from ever getting attached to someone just to lose them again.

But it would cost her everything she had left in order to do so. Most importantly her humanity. Yet what use did she have for such a feeble thing once she transformed into a creature that didn’t care what happened to others? And why should she care about such a thing when Konoha hadn’t for her brother? If others could get by perfectly fine without being human, why couldn’t she?

Crimson eyes bore into her as she stopped speaking, suspicions written across them as clear as day. He didn’t trust what she was thinking and knew whatever she kept to herself was done so because it wasn’t the right thing for her to do. She knew it too, deep down, but wouldn’t want to admit it. His best friend was suffering and there was little he could do, especially when he couldn’t talk. He was just as useless now as he was during the war, unable to do a damn thing to help her. All he could do was be the shoulder for her to lean on in times like this, the warm embrace to welcome her home whenever she needed it. Yet Kuro wanted to be more than just someone to greet her, he wanted to protect her and care for her the same way she had when he was an injured pup and she took him in. It was his turn to repay her for her kindness, somehow, someway. If that meant stopping her from doing something stupid, then so be it, he would do that a hundred times over if it would help save her.

(WC: 1,559)

Enough reflection had happened on this day. Turning his back without ever meeting the figure in the distance alongside its canine, Xyxer made his way back towards the village that demanded his attention.

[Exit]
http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t40932p10-always-sunny-in-kirigakure-kots#328414
1616 WC
2000/2000 Bijuu Energy Well
400/8000 Mastered Cloak since I confirmed I basically have a mastered V2 cloak which hasn't been updated
16 AP

Too caught up in her own little world, the snowy haired woman was completely oblivious to the man parting from the shore. Hikari’s mind was focused on everything but her surroundings, yet Kuro did take notice of the man’s movements and kept a close eye on them. He could never be too cautious, especially when his beloved friend is in such a state as she. Hardly responsive, lost in her thoughts, and unaware of the world continuing to move on around her. She was in a fragile mindset at the moment, he could feel those emotions coursing through her and, thus, through him as he began to lead her away from the ocean as well, deciding it was best if they called it a day and went home, to a place far safer than the open. She remained silent as he carried her, not giving any protests while the crashing waves grew smaller and smaller in her eyes as they got further away from their secluded beach.

(Exit)
(TWC: 1,726)
(Will make claims tomorrow)

Ok

(What a long time tomorrow took, huh? ^^'

Claims using max stat discount:
Putting 1,300 words towards finishing Cell Enhancement, previous wc from ~here~,
the remaining 426 words towards mastering Creation Rebirth putting it at 426/3000,
and 8 stats for Kuro <3)

I'll Approve this tomorrow ;P
Approved