Dawn Of The Second Generation

Mar was so close to success that he could taste the sweet ichor of victory on the tip of his pen. 'I'm a genius, no one in the world could overcome this part, I'll be invincible' He casually and very optimistically remarked in his own head. He had been designing everything for a suit of chakra infused armor that blended perfectly into his chakra network, and was drilled into his very skeliton. It was like upgrading his own body with science and steel. A premise that he simply loved. He could go on and on for a hundred hours on the prospect. Engineering wise the project was done, hell in his workshop he had 90% of the thing ready and disassembled even. There were just a few more questions on how to integrate it to his spine.

His medical studies were minor at best, but even he knew that that part of the human body was one of the most sensitive. And easy to damage in any case of surgery. He'd even heard some offhanded story's of Taijutsu experts alone having major spinal problems due to the extreme stress they put on their body. That was the cost of the ultimate jutsu he supposed. Chakra only took fuel, but the martial arts put wear and tear on that most precious instrument of all. The human body. He had no intention of wasting his own body, and had enormous respect for medical jutsu as a practice.

He looked up, suprised. His night time walk had devolved into more sketching as he just could not help but to finish the joint designs around the face mask. "How late is it?" He remarked, checking a watch and widening his eyes. 1 AM. And to think he liked to call himself an early bird. Yawning, he quietly put the journal back away with the storage displacement technique before wandering the streets back. Getting slightly turned around, he did not usually go to most places besides his temporary home, the construction sight of Anbu Aeronautics, and of course the Chortleing Chunin.

Making one wrong turn he wound up at his favorite reseraunt rather than home. Chuckleing. "This whole street feels like it's designed to trap me here." He remarked. Looking up calmly at the sky. There were more stars out than ever today it felt like. With the town asleep. He cought a glance of one of his favorite constellations or two before electing to get a better look. Jumping up onto the other side of the roof without expecting another insomniac ninja to be there as well. He did not catch her, instead lieing up on his back to see out to the stars. Decompress, part of him worried momentarily about Seiichi but he was quick to let go. Taking soft breaths he began meditating, one of the most efficient ways he found to organize his thoughts.

Mar soon found himself wishing that he had a telescope, but even still he could make out his favorite planets. There was Murcury, Venus, Mars... All tinkleing just slightly different to the rest by the naked eye. Unlike the visably acute Akihana, he had to spot them by reminding himself of his skill. Arithmetic was rare enough, but astrology was almost unheard of. In the past he'd spent many lonly nights planning out a course as if he'd already made his flying ship. Planning on how long it could realistically take to go on a tour of the whole solar system.

The engineers own chakra sensing was, while perhaps situationally more useful. Also very taxing on his own chakra and required effort to begin and maintain. He had no idea of her humble aura making it's own beautiful, unique presence known in the small town. Far from any hidden village. Their own chakra signatures were much like planets twinkleing in the night sky. Inspiration came from the funniest places, and Mar's head was just in the right place after his last breakthrough. He wanted something to expend the rest of the energy on. But felt as though he might vomit if he looked down at the page any longer.

"Haaa ahh ha." He hummed. "Aaaah ha ah." His melody wound down the streets of the Fang village. Quiet, though very much heard. Though a number of late night residents could make out his words. Few could see the origin. And even if they could. The Shinobi did not care. Completing his meditation, he cleared his mind. And like he had only so few days ago. Let all of his worldly attachments fade. He reminded himself, that just because he had the strength to let go. Did not mean that he gave up his love for his comrades, or even the world. No his cause for living was a truth that could never be released from his heart. But he took another angle. Sometimes the truth came from a place of piece. And it was still a big decision as to what he'd do with his body.

"When I was a young Byrd, I had to leave home.
The nest wasn't safe, had to go on my own.
Life just aint easy, for a ninja's son.
I didn't ask to be here, but I'm the only one.
I'm the only one...

Only I can lift my wings, Only I can set sail.
Drift around Saturns Rings, But go no one to tell.
Always learning and shifting, am I doing it right?
Four thousand days alone, fighting the same fight.

A heart made of iron as I fly too close to the sun.
I've got to do this on my own, why does it feel like I'm the only one?

I believe, you and I can flock together.
Across the open sea, fulfill our own needs.
Independent together, regardless of wheather.

Bones will break and wings will bleed.
I'm the only one who see's what I need.
A skin of steel, and the power to lead.

Gouge out my eyes and fit them with glass.
Pump my blood into oil, and do it with class.
Break my every bone, this body is on loan.

Thrust open the gates, but I can't do it all alone.
No I can't do it on my own...."

Presently, the kunoichi became aware that the other occupant of the rooftop wasn't asleep, if his humming was anything to go by. Whether it was by chance or intent, their small group housed musical souls, taking after Maku's own affinity for all things musical. Eliwood played his sitar, Mar sang and Maku, well, it was best not think about him at this point. Akihana herself had never been very musically inclined, only receiving the rudimentary knowledge of dance made mandatory to all young ladies of the Akari clan. Regardless, that had never stopped her from enjoying the skill of those who could mold sound in such a pleasant manner.

She waited for the engineer to finish his verse, he was obviously lost to the world in that moment, before stepping lightly into view and treading a soft path to where he lay. When she reached him, instead of a greeting or announcing herself in any way, she slowly sank down on the ground beside his lying form, coming to sit a few feet away from the ninja in her usual stance, legs carefully tucked underneath her with her simple, cream colored dress covering her frame adequately. Her hair which had once been in a neat ponytail for the day now boasted small golden wisps that had escaped the band and wavered gently in the night time breeze.

Unwittingly, her eyes would travel over the engineer's face, noticing a bruise here and there. Perhaps he had been in a fight? Perhaps he had been in an accident. The borders were not kind to strangers but they weren't kind to anyone really. Should he notice her, Akihana would simply raise a golden eyebrow his way.

"I can help with those" she offered slowly, examining the bruises. They didn't look too complicated. She doubted she could heal anything that was too complicated. While she had no shortage of doubt in her own ability right now seeing someone in pain was never an option. And those bruises did not look good no matter how much they actually hurt the man. "We can't have you meeting the village people like this, they might think you've been rambunctious in a tavern." The allegation was made in jest, she doubted the engineer was the type to make trouble at bars.

No, that description was more suited to someone else in their group.

Mar stuck his tongue out, calling her silly notions of the townsfolk thinking him a ruffian on the spot. "Ehh maby~ But anyone who's ever heard me open my mouth would probably guess otherwise. Doesn't look like I woke you up. Kinda nice, I was hoping to chat with you some more after our time with the others." He returned with a smile. His appearance certainly had changed since they met before his trip. For one thing his arms and torso were more bulky, toned with obvious muscle. But still the same amount of fat, an ultimately healthy combination built on performance. Impossible though it seemed, he'd also grown two inches or so through this extreme workout. In less than a month he'd gone from zero to hero. With all the growing pains that resulted from such.

He instinctively raised a hand to his face. "Oh wow nothing get's by you, yeah I had a little makeup on at dinner to cover these shiners up." The engineer had of course since then bathed. Even as she mentioned it he remembered where the bruises had come from. Being decked by a Jonin ninja who was in the seventh gate was not an experience he wanted to repeat. Though it had not been nearly as bad as the first time they had brawled. Where a nearly defenseless Mar had been beaten within an inch of his life. He had a lot to share with her, if her ears were open. Only able to confide in Nectar and Seiichi. Who then had gone onto a berzerker rampage that he had to handle. Things were complicated between him and his summoning mentor to be certain. 

"But yeah, if you did want to help me with these. It'd be appreciated." Most of the damage that had been dealt to him was internal. Fitting given that the emotional pain of losing his father for what felt like a second and third time had caused him more harm than even the thunderous smite from a taijutsu demigod. He sighed lightly, his breath being visible in the cold night air. 'I'm not the type to have some grand, fowl background. I'm just supposed to be the drifter who pulled himself up by his bootstraps to do great things. Guess I can't run away from reality though.' He thought. Deciding to lead in with some lighter topics before bringing in Seiichi and his own family.

"Last night was fun~ I'd kill to have everyone under one roof more regularly. Feels like we operate better with as many heads going as once. Oh and I did have somthing I wanted to show you." He offered, retrieving his large journal with a puff of smoke from his storage displacement. "It's the first flying machine I know will work. Though it's technically more of a gliding machine I guess." He pointed out. "At the bottom, you have either a train, or a super fast and strong ninja. Like myself. He holds a cord, which goes up to this somewhat kite shaped glider in the air." He pointed along the graph to what looked like a little plane. "And the pilot can steer, dive, and glide to their hearts content. With enough speed from the tower. You could reach even a mile into the air with this method. With updrafts, at the right time of day you could sail from one end of the fang country to another. Never touching the ground or sea. Even after being let go."

Mar's body was actually quite lacking in dead skin, having recently had all of it touched off in a peculear ritual just early this week. Though there was of course trace amounts along his back and the soles of his feat. He sighed with relief, his cheeks taking on a healthy. Natural color. Akihara innocently remarked about not killing people. Which brought up some bitter thoughts in his own mind. 'Until we have to, until our way of life is at stake. Then killing people is no more different than fixing up these bruises isen't it?' He thought to himself, having no one to confide in the burden of violence except for himself. Shaking his head and being happy to respond to her inquery. Usually he was an extra open person, but his fathers recent death did make it come out with a little more pain. It was getting better every day of course. But the weight would never completely leave his shoulders.

"My father was a ninja, and a pretty amazing craftsman at that. When he was young, he let all kinds of stories slip to my mom. Every little experience he'd ever had on the field. And she was happy to recite them to me. Part of those great stories were all the ways he used chakra to sail through the air like a super hero on one of his many ninja tools." He paused, getting to the difficult part. "We lived in a really, really rough town. Me and my mamma always wanted to leave. But he had to stay there because he was a fugitive and he'd be found out anywhere else. I always told mom I'd build whatever it took to fly her out of that vally and even into the heavens above. Well, I never got to keep that promise. But I'd really like to try." He replied, feeling better for having shared this.

Her near touch left him feeling strangely sad, though before his tough training and meditation into enlightenment he'd have struggled to place it. Now he knew exactly what it was. He'd not felt the pleasant touch of his mother, or indeed any other human being. In eleven years. All that he'd known since then was being pushed around and beaten up. How it'd stick to his flesh like a stench for weeks until he walked it off. The feeling of the chakra welled up some emotion inside. But he released it with a sigh. "Thanks for asking, so did you love your little pack of wolves? I bet if they spent much time in your company, they left for the world as proper gentlemen. Probably became service animals for the blind.

"Well you could use one train per glider, but you really don't need that much power. I think you could get dozens of gliders in the air on the back of one locomotive if you were determined enough. Or even one more than twice the size of the chortleing chunin." He remarked, having a question himself to ask about many hints he'd gotten along the way through her mannerisms. "How do you feel about medical Jutsu Aki? From what I can tell, it's beautiful and amazing. But I get the sense somthing difficult may have happened." He inquired, wanting to be honest but direct.

"Actually, I think I'll name it the Maria in honor of my little sister. After I rescue the two of them from that place." He said with a certainty. "That's a good idea though, I appreciate it. Heheh, now I just need a sophisticated idea on how to land it instead of crashing in the ocean.... I'll set them up with a home in town, not far from my workshop. Maby Denkeki would like having another doctor in town. But yeah, there's a Jonin hired to keep the town in line and his powers ridiculous. He can open the seventh gate, while I'm on five... Not to mention he was tought by my father too. So he's got all of my moves. That's why I was turning to science to find a good way to remove him as an obstical." 

But he listened closely when it came to Akihana's story. It lit a fire in his belly when she mentioned being forced to practice ninjutu and double that when she was forced to practiced it in weaponized form. The way her family treated her, did all of the villages really only see their children as pawns? Did no one have any shame for how disgusting the practice was? Then, to have a child as a single mother. Well that's what she assumed since Aki never mentioned a father. Could that have been the Maku he'd heard mentioned a couple times before? Doubtful, due to the context of it all.

He thought back with guilt to the genin he'd roasted and beaten down during his trip home, hoping to god that they were ok. What if either of them had been like Aki? Especially the boy who deserted from his team before his very eyes. Mar never had gotten to track him down. Or even get his name. He was admittedly confused when she mentioned knowing the Kage of the lightning country. He'd always pictured them as the corrupted kings that let the entire system happen. He was extra confused that this came from Aki. A girl who lost her home and her family due to a ridiculous sense of ninja honor. Did she really not notice or care that he was the one allowing the system to continue in this new place as well? Was she going to force her own child to follow in her footsteps? Did she have any self respect? There were traces of these doubts on Mar's face, though they were not serious. And he very well kept his lips shut until she finished.

"Well thankfully, wolves do pretty well for themselves in the wild. They aren't dogs anyways, domesticated I mean. It's probably where they belong, even if the tophats were a nice dream." She went on to finally describe the destruction of the village. The engineer was so conflicted he was speechless. On the one hand, there were obviously innocent victims like Akihana and her child... Who was unseen now, and probably in a better place. On the other hand he relished the destruction of the lightning country, only wishing that it could have been fully raised to the ground. He'd had to excuse himself from the crowd when they heard it on the radio to go and dance away his excitement. But he was extremely certain of himself. 'I'm not wrong, they got to go. But the price is still awful.' 

On top of that, he imagined all the things Aki had no doubt heard from everyone else. A great well of pitty was part of the reason why he was somewhat reclusive about the news with his own father. In the end, he gave her a response that he believed was the most respectful and honest given the situation. "I see, you have every reason to detest what's happened to you. I couldn't imagine being a part of that system, an entire family throwing you away for honor? They're worthless. I tell practically everyone I talk too about you Akihana. About the most kind, human being I've met."

The information of his mother and sister still being alive but trapped in that town, Akihana carefully stored away for later perusal. Perhaps, if he didn't mind it, she would suggest ideas on how to retrieve them without any harm coming to the two women or Mar? Usually so reclutant to sue ehr ninja abilities, this time Akihana would have no such reservations. not when the family of someone in their group was on the line. The two waiting for him should not have to wait on the invention of a flying device, not wen Mar had friends he could count on right by his side.

"I see, you have every reason to detest what's happened to you. I couldn't imagine being a part of that system, an entire family throwing you away for honor? They're worthless. I tell practically everyone I talk too about you Akihana. About the most kind, human being I've met."

"You know, everyone said that," she explained, her slender frame shuddering in the night's breeze. Her silken hair which until then had been laid quietly glistening on her narrow shoulders moved with the wind, scattering a little as if dancing of their own accord. Reaching up, the kunocihi coaxed the strands into place once more. "So many things I was supposed to "detest", so many people." The feeling of inadequacy that had plagued her after Echo's death, the inability to hate Maku who had been the culprit, the inability to think ill of Youka who had destroyed the village that had given her a new life. In the end, she had failed at it all, she had failed to hate even monsters, her heart refusing to believe that there were any.

"But I just.. couldn't do it. I guess there was just something broken in me. they said I was supposed to hate people... But no one deserves to be loathed. Everyone at their core wants to do what's good... they just sometimes lose their way." Maku was an example, as was Youka. both men had done terrible, inexcusable things had they had risen to the occasion to do good when circumstances had necessitated. People weren't black and white, they were radiant, their inner light just waiting to be discovered.

"After I left Kumogakure, we journeyed south. To a land that wasn't even on the map. It was Denkiteki's wisdom that guided us to Haven Country and the people's hospitality that made us stay." Akihana would not spend any time speaking of her role as the defacto Queen of the country after its true ruler's death. nor would she speak of Denkiteki's position as Kage of Hoshigakure. Titles weren't important, people were. "The City Blessed by the Stars, you would have liked it." Her gaze returned to the sky once more, a fond smile now ghosting on her lips. "At night, the skies shimmered with stars as far as the eye could see. It was a real center of education and religion, learned scholars and priests alike traveled from all over the world to study in its famous archives. It was a wealth of knowledge unlike any other in the world."

She wondered if Hoshi was now the same as she remembered it. Probably not, everything had changed too much in the past few years. "But wherever we ninja go, trouble is never too far behind. Unrest came to Haven country as well, and now... now we're here." It was a brief version of the story but all the important elements were covered. "Declared Missing, trying to make a home and run a business. And trying to do good in the world because..." Because she needed to atone for what she did. Akihana had never meant to hurt anyone but she had been the cause of pain to many, and that was unforgivable.

"I just... don't want to hurt anyone anymore, that is the only thing I want to accomplish now with my ninja abilities." As she spoke, a small tear crept into her eye, clinging briefly to her long eyelashes before disappearing down her face and into the unknown. Embarrassed, the young women shook her head, dislodging a few more tears before wiping them away. "Sorry, I didn't mean to... do that,' she managed, turning back to the engineer, her bright golden eyes awash with unshod tears. "But now you know everything, certainly more than any other member of our group. We've all just... lived too long and tried too hard. And it's a curse to not feel exhausted when your spirit is so weary."