The Abandoned Hitokuijinshu Scroll

Mission:

Deep silence pressed in around the woman as she sat in the early dawn light - legs crossed and mind empty as she breathed in the cool morning air that still held the night's chill. It had been a few days since the dinner at the Uchiha’s home; that night had revealed her lineage to someone whom she barely knew and after what she took.. It was only right he understood fully. Taking him to the Academy and allowing him to read the memoir she had written on this very subject but what she had taken was personal so, to her at least, the same was due in return. A personal retelling and explanation of the Kyuketsuki - in the same manner she had come to know it. While she had begun her research in the outskirts of Hoshigakure, a land that had rocky ties to the now seated Kazekage Kenshin, as well as herself; both deemed deserters by the archaic laws the village still adhered to. 

No, they wouldn’t go back to that lackluster source - but to the heart of information itself - the Kyuketsuki held many tombs of which they held their original sacrificial meetings, and there was one not far off from the village of Sunagakure that held more original texts regarding her namesake. This tomb resided toward the East of the Wind Country, closest to the Hanguri Gulf and along the border of the land of Rivers - there she would be able to show him exactly what she knew and to hopefully implore his understanding that she might not know all the answers.
She would of course accomplish this task by summoning him to join her on a mission, since it was non-lethal she would have even less of a checks and balance on her whereabouts - so she had done just that, his orders having arrived the day prior and simple said; “Missions Summons - a days time from receival of this summons you are to report to the gates of Sunagakure at 7 am sharp. Hold all questions until departure. - Ohta.” The messenger had even returned to her home to inform her himself the summons had been delivered; though she figured it was simply an excuse to be in her presence… the 2 days after feeding left her in a magnetic state, almost glowing with life- not to mention the attributes his blood had given her. A heavier conscious was definitely one of the traits she wasn’t fond of, though she could get used to the boost in self confidence.

Back to the now though - her mind had become blank to the degree that the pass of time was slipping from notice; had the sun not sliced over her closed eyes she might not have been on time. Nevertheless she would be, dressed in her usual attire; boots that come up to her mid thighs, shorts, the belted weapons pouches over her ribs, the banded cloth chest piece, and black half jacket all topped with the wide brimmed straw hat that had a handful of curious black feathers attached to the top. If Zaine hadn’t realized who she was by her last name he sure would recognize the short and imposing stature of the woman who had brought more questions into his life than answers. 

She wouldn’t say anything in greeting other than to meet his eyes, hers now a full bright violet with a thin ring of crimson around her pupils,  and nod in recognition of any pleasantries he would present her with - as per her message she would hold answers until she was out of the gate; best to keep it professional while in the walls, this information was being revealed, just not to everyone with ears. After the greeting she would motion for him to follow her within 5 meters - a two finger point at him, then herself, then flashing 5. It was rudimentary but she would hope he was intuitive enough to figure out what she meant. The 5 meters were for her own benefit - his heartbeat was still audible in that range and with it she would be able to monitor the changes as he asked any and all his questions. 

Thus began their journey for the lost truth.

WC 705

Opening his eyes and taking a moment to look at the surrounding environment would reveal an eerily familiar setting to Zaine who strangely enough was standing in what appeared to be a darkened cavern that swallowed nearly all sources of light within it. From where he stood he could see the exit to the cavern roughly 15 meters away with thin beams of radiance struggling to seep through and illuminate what little it could of this blackened arena. The rest of his surroundings were almost imperceptible, the darkness almost thick enough to absorb all sound from entering or escaping. His heartbeat began to increase in pace as beads of sweat dropped from his brow down his eyelids just as he took a moment to blink. Desperately trying to slow his breathing the young Uchiha inhaled slowly but with much vigor before subsequently exhaling in a calm release. Where was this place? And how could such a familiar setting bring such discomfort to him? He, who could place on one hand how many times he had lost control of a situation. He, who by his very nature spiritually, mentally and physically boasted control and confidence. These questions plagued his mind almost as much as the situation before him but, would be interrupted all too soon by another disturbingly well-acquainted force. Absolute silence would come over the cavern, allowing the sound of a sweat droplet from Zaine's squared jaw to echo as it made contact with the ground beneath his feet. Closing his eyes for what seemed to be no more than a moment, he would open them revealing a silhouette of a humanoid figure standing only 3 meters away from him. Indescribable fear overcame Zaine as he reached for the weapons pouch on his lower back, grabbing whatever he could get his hands on first and throwing it directly at the being; a shuriken that seemed to phase through it completely. Gritting his teeth in frustration the young shinobi was sure of his objective. To exit this hellish stage, he would need to dispatch of this being and take his freedom back by force and with the passing of this conviction he dashed forward. His eyes swiftly changing from a dark brown to scarlet red, the tomoe spiraling wildly around his pupil as he weaved handseals would give Zaine every bit of belief that he could best this foe. His attempt, though valiant, would end the same as it had time after time. The humanoid silhouette would effortlessly shift its weight forwards as it took a step, one moment 2 meters from Zaine and in the next moment directly in front of him. A soft tap from the right hand of this shadowed being would meet the hands of the young Uchiha and his hands would stop moving to create new handseals along with the rest of his body. "No..no...NO." Zaine would think to himself as he cursed the situation, understanding while simultaneously remembering that this is how he would be defeated and had been defeated time after time. The humanoid being would take hold of his head with its left hand and slowly move closer as its very essence slowly but surely enclosed around the entirety of Zaine's body. He would struggle to let out a scream as it all went black.

Springing his torso forward in a violent fashion Zaine would take hold of his face with his right hand while his left grasped the side of his neck. Sweat poured down the sides of his face as he drew breath with speed almost equal to the pace his heart was beating. His sharingan was active and slowly he came to realize what had taken place and why his body was reacting in a state of panic. It was the same nightmare he had been falling into for three nights now, ever since the events from his dinner party. He would begin to control his breathing which in turn slowed his heart rate and finally he would close his eyes and open them gently revealing his baseline dark and rich brown eyes. He couldnt help but blame these newfound night terrors on his own brazen and cocky nature but at the same time he felt he did the right thing. He looked over at his clock and was struck with a feeling of relief that he wasn't late to meet at the village gate. The day prior, summons had arrived via messenger instructing him to meet a shinobi by the name of "Ohta" at the village gates at 0700. At the time of reading the message he didnt know who this person was by name but after careful thought he was able to deduce that it was likely one of the guests who had attended his dinner party nights earlier. Wasting no more time, Zaine would get up and get himself ready throwing on a dark orange long sleeve shirt with the Uchiha crest prominently placed on the back, straight legged black pants and brown shinobi sandals. He would take his headband and tightly secure it to his left arm before exiting his home and heading for the village gates by rooftop.

Upon reaching the gates of the village Zaine would see a familiar figure that would immediately prove his suspicions to be correct and bring his steadied heartbeat to a more rapid pace. It was none other than Mizuki, the very guest from the dinner party that Zaine had gone out of his way to..assist. Leaping down from the rooftop closest to the village gates Zaine would approach Mizuki and stop exactly 8 meters from her before stopping to greet her. "I couldnt be too sure it was you, but something told me it was." Zaine would say as he attempted to give as sincere a smile as possible "Good morning, Ms. Ohta." Looking on at her he would await a response to no avail, instead he would be met with a still gaze which Zaine would return as he focused in on her expression. Her eyes were quite different from the other night and her demeanor in general seemed much more calm. It was during this meeting of eyes that he couldnt help but wonder how this was the same woman that had caused such turmoil within his psyche. His thoughts would be interrupted by the formation of hand signals on her part, a two that pointed at him and then herself followed by a five. This was simple enough to decipher and with this Zaine closed the 3 meter gap that stood between him and her instructions and began to follow in her lead. As he was now closer his heartbeat would increase in pace, his nerves starting to get to him the slightest bit as he spoke to her once more "I'll just go ahead and assume that if were going to get anywhere on the subject of what's going on, I had better let you take the reins on this conversation." Zaine would smirk "If you could even call it that at this point." He hoped that a bit of jest would ease the tension between them but more importantly and unbeknownst to Zaine, within himself. He would continue to follow Mizuki as they started their path towards that which he knew nothing about, for the time being. 


[WC= 1,223]

The moment he stepped in range her shoulders relaxed from the tensed position she hadn’t realized she held them at, the fast paced thrumming of his heart filling her like a bass line from a song she had long forgotten about. He was being so amiable towards her that she was regretting the demeanor she held but… she was within the village walls now and that came with a certain rule of restraint on her part- though she wanted to laugh at his jab about her lack of conversational skills. Though the gates still loomed in front of her she held her tongue for the time being and simply cut off their eye contact and walked at a fast pace through the gates - giving Han a three finger farewell as they passed through the temperature barrier and out into the desert landscape. Each step out of the village gates felt more freeing than the last, even while the sun beat down on the sand around them scorching all that it touched, the weight of a watchful gaze was gone. 

In the bright light the faint scarring would be visible on the exposed parts of her skin, anything from the chest down that was exposed would harbor inch wide sporadically placed circle scars that were slightly darker than her porcelain skintone. The hat she wore also helped keep the sun off her face and shoulders, casting the bit of her body in shadow as they continued along their now unmarked path; once outside of the gates she had picked up the pace and began running at a speed that she figured he could keep up with- reluctant to allow the heartbeat out of range for even a moment. Though she was reluctant to allow his out of her 5 meter range she was also reluctant to allow him to see her face; which was more expressive than it had been in days, a wide grin that showed her fangs and a general ease that she held behind her mask at all times while inside the village walls. Not now, not out here with the warm wind sweeping over her, not with the expanse of the world at her fingertips - no the only thing that might bring back the old enclosed demeanor was the ruin that now breached the horizon line in front of them. 

As the pair neared the structure more details would show themselves; it was an intricately carved entrance with 5 artfully designed pillars framing and dwarfing the black open doorway, the whole thing was carved into one of the sand colored mountain faces giving the illusion that it was growing out of the mountain itself. What started as a pin prick grew to be 50 meters tall as she finally slowed their pace and came to a stop a few meters from the entryway, taking a moment to take in the intricately carved symbols that covered the face from top to bottom - nothing she could decipher but all things she held great respect for none-the-less. Finally, she turned once more to face Zaine who still stood within the 5 meter range as she directed, and took a deep breath - allowing his scent to fill her lungs and give her confidence to move forward with the task at hand. “This is the first tomb of the Kyuketsuki clan, … my clan.” The expression on her features showed apprehension and wariness - she was studying his heartbeat and his reaction as she spoke to gauge how he was taking everything. “What happened the other night, requires a lot of explanation on my part, explanations that you are owed and should you trust me enough I will tell you anything you wish to know about me… but first you must know about my clan as we are-”, she would look down, momentarily casting a look of disgust at the ground before raising her eyes back to his, determination residing in the violet pools, “- at odds to say the least. You’ll come to realize that in time Zaine. For now though the answers reside in these depths.” Before turning from him she would give a hesitant smile, her lips remaining firmly shut over her teeth. 

The path down into the tomb came to life as her chakra entered the hallowed ground, had anyone not of the clan entered the tomb it would have remained black and dark - a minor way to hide the secrets within from prying eyes - but with her there fire erupted in torches placed along the walls and even someone not of her clan would feel a distinct ‘heartbeat’ start up from somewhere deep in the cavern like building. Mizuki had only been here once before, only stumbling across this place by accident when she had been searching for the village of Sunagakure; before the village had been rebuilt and more accessible than ever of course. The tomb had called out to her in a way she could not ignore and of course she pursued the feeling without hesitation - oh the things she had learned here, about herself and her past was beyond anything she could have dreamed of… but those dreams quickly became nightmares the more she dug. The walk didn’t take long, in fact she had brought him to the most open part of the tomb - The Archive room - in it there were carved out murals along the walls depicting the fights the original members had held against the Chinoike, there were also lines of tables covered in dust; save one. On this one where an arrangement of scrolls, texts, and tablets all laid out in the exact way Mizuki had left them - a pang of sadness swept through her chest at the sight… seems she truly was the last of her kind. Taking a deep breath she would motion for Zaine to join her as she sat at the table, an open chair waiting for him on the other side - as she settled herself she would gingerly run her fingers over the texts, the nails on her hand being shorter than normal so as not to accidentally cause harm to the fragile writings. 

Selecting one of the stone tablets she would place it in the middle of the table and turn it to face Zaine - “My clan had a painful start, we were not born we were made this way… at the start we were simply a community trying to combat our greatest foes, the Chinoike.” she would pause at this to study his reaction, she knew he knew a Chinoike and he had seen her interact with one so already the dissonance would be apparent. She would continue, her eyes still watchful on his face, “We were being slaughtered by the Chinoike in obscene numbers, until one day 7 of us pinned one of them down and … ate him alive. Lord Jashin was pleased by our heinous act and… ‘graced’ us with the abilities to combat the Chinoike.” there was clear disgust in her voice as she explained, “We were given incredible abilities of sight, smell and hearing-” her eyes would come down to his chest as she mentioned hearing, losing herself for a second in the thrumming before continuing her tale, “- nails that could scrape flesh away as easy as a blade and general agility but it all came with a heavy cost. In honor of our first victory against the Chinoike we were sentenced to continue the need to feed on the living…” Dropping her eyes again to stare at the scrolls around her, a pained expression growing more desperate as her eyes roved the table… roved over the existence she never asked for, “I wasn’t always like this.. I was a normal person until I was 12… then one day it just kicked in and I’m stuck like this for the rest of my life. Stuck… being the monster that children hear tales about.. Except I’m real and I’m… so alone.” Her hand would slowly form into a fist as she swallowed her own words, truly accepting them as she realized her clan would end with her… and perhaps that was for the best.

Tomb:

WC 1362

The remark made towards Mizuki in an attempt to generate some sort of back and forth between the two failed in totality and left the Uchiha instead with the disappointing image of his partner for the day breaking eye contact with him and starting towards the gates of the village. He would do his best not to take it to heart, smirking and shrugging both shoulders as he followed behind her ensuring to keep the 5 meter distance between them while keeping pace with her. She would signal to the man standing at the gate that the two were going to set off on their mission while picking up her pace with each step. Was she in a rush to leave the village gates? If so, why would that be the case? These questions grouped with the sound of his heartbeat bounding in the base of his ears would only add to the anxiety he felt that had been lifted only for a moment during his brief look into the eyes of the woman before him. The sun had finally begun to grace the two shinobi with its radiant rays, revealing to Zaine that which he had not yet taken the time to notice- the uniformly porcelain skin of Ms. Ohta was decorated in faint circular scars on all parts of her exposed person below the chest level. This came as somewhat of a welcome shock to him in that these scars acted as proof that she was in some fashion vulnerable or at least she had been-  this development along with the violet pools she utilized to view the world began to act as a thickened barrier to separate her from the shrouded being that plagued his nightmares. He looked over to his left just as they passed the village gates taking in the vast expanse of the desert that he hailed as home and how the sun scorched the terrain only adding to its intense but beautiful nature. Lost in this thought but keeping distance with his travel partner he would be quickly pulled back to focus on what was ahead as Mizuki busted into a full sprint at a respectable speed that would push him to run a speed that neared his maximum. As he followed behind closely with increased speed the rough desert winds took hold of his unkempt dark brown hair throwing it backwards and uncovering his right eye which normally laid in shroud outside of battle.

Their stride was now in sync as the two hastened through the Wind country with their destination slowly shifting from a state of thought to construct right before them. As the structure grew in size with their approach it became clear to him that the "answers" she spoke of would lie within the heart of this mountainside temple. The two would come to a full stop once they reached a few meters from the entryway giving him a moment to look around in awe at the architectural gem that towered above them- the symbols carved on its surface breathing life into a forgotten history that filled him with wonder and intimidation simultaneously. He hadnt known what to expect from this excursion but he never thought he would have the privilege to enter a construct of this magnitude- his thoughts raced uncontrollably before being compressed and almost erased as Mizuki turned to him, looking him in the eyes for only the second time since they had begun their mission. He would return her gaze, unsure why they had come to an extended halt when she spoke to him- her voice soft and also reserved as she explained that the tomb in front of them belonged to the Kyuketsuki clan, the clan she called her own. His heart beat remained at a steady a quickened pace as she spoke, the only thing keeping the rhythm regular being the now vulnerable expression she shared. Only moments would pass before she would speak again explaining that she intended to provide answers to the questions that cluttered his mind should he give her his trust- this by some irony was something Zaine could agree to simply because of the opposing essence she held to the being in his nightmares. At this point he felt his own words would do little more than lessen the weight of the situation before them and that was the last thing he wished to do so he opted instead to give a reassuring smile and nod to Mizuki, signifying that he would follow her in hopes to learn more of her story and illuminate the darkness that blocked him from healing his psyche. He would note her smile just before she turned around to head through the entrance of the tomb, this small gesture slowing his heartbeat just slightly and giving him the confidence to face whatever she might reveal to him in the depths that await.

Upon entering the darkened tomb he would strain the slightest bit to keep focus on the silhouette of Mizuki- his focused brow would return to a relaxed position as torches positioned along the walls erupted with fire illuminating their path and shocking the young Uchiha once again. The two walked a rather short distance before happening upon an open room littered with more carvings in the walls- these a bit more straightforward in depicting battles between two combatants. The room held in it rows of tables, one of which had scrolls that seemed to have been left behind by someone who had taken the time to uncover them but left them out of place after reading. Zaine would take a seat at the table across from her as he readied himself to hear in full her story and the explanation he hoped would assist him in his mental battle. He would place his hands on the table one on top of the other in plain sight as he looked directly at her, making sure to hold his focus completely on her out of respect. She would begin to teach about the tainted past of her clan, first explaining that they were not brought into the world as they were and rather they were created. This information coupled with the following would take the pace of his heart far beyond what it had been previously even at the village gates- hearing of the cannibalistic and barbaric act that took place was far too reminiscent of his nightmare. Sweat began to drop down the side of his face as he struggled to maintain his calm composure which at this point he deduced was futile due to the gaze of his companion shifting directly to where his heart sat. Her words would continue to fill him with discomfort as she explained the physical augmentations of her clan members and the curse that was as much a part of her being as her porcelain skin. Zaine had always been so opposed to killing and even now he thought of the subject in a negative light although he understood it was necessary in select situations- he couldnt help but avert his eyes out of reflex as sweat droplets became more numerous. It was clear the type of being she was and what the history of her clan meant and he was torn in how he felt towards her- torn until she spoke once more to him. Her words unsuspectingly brought his gaze back to her as his expression changed from one of pure discomfort to sadness for his fellow shinobi. In a single sentence she had shown who she was as a person and it became painfully clear to him that she was more trapped than he was and ever would be- there was no bloodlust behind her and he knew now that her violet eyes were true. 

He would shake his head slowly while making sure to maintain eye contact with her before speaking "No, Mizuki. You are not alone. You have an entire village that has come to know you and if theyre anything like me they consider you a comrade. Your clan doesnt decide who you are. Thats something you have the liberty of doing." He would hope his words would help in some way to ease her pain, understanding that they were for the most part still the words of a stranger. Closing his eyes for a brief moment and letting out a deep sigh of relief would allow him to feel his heartbeat now slowing to a normal rate- he was no longer intimidated by the woman sitting before him and wished only that he had understood this before the incident at his dinner party. He would speak again this time smiling as he opened his eyes and returned his view to her "I appreciate you bringing me here and trusting me with this information. I obviously had my questions.. but I had resigned to never having them answered. That being said, you can trust that theres no bad "blood" between us." He would say as he chuckled just a bit at the pun. "I just want to know why this isnt information all of your comrades should know. We should be able to help you when youre feeling weakened. You shouldnt be stuck dealing with this by yourself when you have all of us." Now comfortable speaking freely with her, he hoped the conversation would transition to a place of organic and open speech between them so that she could come to understand who he was, just as he had been given the privilege of understanding her. 


[WC=1,597]

Her eyes, near pure violet, bore into the understanding dark brown pair with a look of reluctance - was this too easy? Was he being too accepting because he wasn’t fully grasping the scope of masacre her clan had brought unto the world? The slowing of his heartbeat was so telling to his true feelings; relief, ease and comfortability in her presence … even in this space of black history. A twinge of a smile pulled at her lips at his bad joke, plus his smile had an infectious quality to it - like the breaking sun through the rainy clouds, the rays peeking through and shedding much needed positivity into the saturated landscape of sorrow that was her mind. His only outright question made her eyebrows knit together again as she pondered it, her fist unclenching on the table and smoothing out over a closed leather bound book. “That's a fair question… and in reality it all boils down to the fact that in the wrong hands someone could use this information nefariously.” ,rubbing her lips together thoughtfully she would bite the tip of her tongue in thought before launching into a fast explanation of a hypothetical she had considered many times over. “Think of it this way Zaine, the other night I was still very much in control, I had every intention of leaving the party and seeking out relief... until you pushed me just over the edge by drawing close again - I wasn’t me anymore… I wasn’t in control and I could have really hurt you. What if someone did that on purpose? Captured me and kept me until I was so deranged, using blood just out of my range to unhinge me… then set me loose?” closing her eyes she would try to shut the imagery from her mind, “I don’t think I would regain control and the only way to stop me would be to kill me. So, for that alone, I keep this… ailment, under wraps as best as I can. I just hold too great an ability to undo me completely - and that is information that only a select few should have.” With a sigh she reopened her eyes, a glassy far away exhausted look filling them as she stared down at the desk.

The book she had been resting her hand on focused in her vision and she stared at it for a second longer before an idea dawned in her head - The 7 originals were buried and entombed here in the catacombs… fierce as they were even they were killed in time - and two in a similar fashion to her hypothetical situation. “I want to show you something else while we are here.. I want… no I need you to fully understand what it is you are accepting and I promise, it will back up my reasoning for keeping this information so guarded. Come on.” As she stood she picked up the book she had been staring at - ‘The Storm and The Owl’ - it was an odd title at first glance but the story inside would make sense soon enough. She led Zaine through more of the tunnels, each lighting as the pair approached while falling dark a distance back at the edges of her chakra range - the tunnels were hard to follow but there was a definite downward slope until they reached a plain looking door with no handle or point of entry. Except for the needle-like protrusion in the middle of the door - without a second's hesitation she would prick her index finger enough to allow blood to flow down and hit the wood, causing an audible ‘unlocking’ sound. With her palm held on the door she turned back to look at Zaine one last time, holding the memory of his understanding at the forefront of her mind before pushing the door open and revealing a cavernous room lined floor to ceiling with skulls. Arranged in a half circle throughout were stone effigies of the the 7 original members of the clan, and at each foot laid a stone casket surely housing the bodies of each in question.


“Welcome to the catacombs… the full scope of horror my clan was known for and capable of, and Hiromasa was at it’s helm.” As she spoke she had walked into the room, leading his attention to the stone figure that stood center of the space - Sharp sardonic features, long hair that reached down to his waist, broad shoulders and regal attire; it was obvious he was the leader even if he hadn’t been placed in the center of the space. The figure commanded so much attention it would almost go unnoticed that clutched in the hands of the statue was the hilt of the sword he used to wield; now left shattered in some distant battleground with only the hilt as proof it ever existed. As she turned to check on his reaction her ashen black hair would swing back from her shoulder revealing her face more clearly in the flickering light… causing a shocking resemblance to be cast between the statue and the girl staring back at him with an eerily identical sardonic expression. “Most of my clan were very open about what they were, in fact Hiromasa was the most open and loud about our heritage and abilities, believing himself to be untouchable in most cases…. most... -” she turned her attention back to the stone as she continued the tale, “You see Zaine, we aren’t untouchable, and our greatest strength is also our greatest weakness, Hiromasa was so vocal about his abilities and so tyrannical toward the end that he had forgotten what it was like to be on the other side. He was captured, much like the Chinoike he had helped capture, and held prisoner long enough to drive him mad with blood lust… then he was knocked out and brought back to the clan to be released, and havoc was wrecked. Unable to determine friend from foe he attacked everyone who came rushing out to greet him with open arms, made it through half the clan before she ended the scene.” 

The ‘her’ in question was now being looked at with admiration by the last Kyuketsuki, the expression softening her features, one might even call the expression ‘love’. Standing to the right of Hiromasa was a stone figure of a woman - Shoulder length curly hair that framed delicate wise looking eyes and a small upturned nose, she stood proud even with a lithe frame and in her hands was clasped a scroll wrapped in an interesting chain that had two clawed hands gripping the scroll closed. Drawing closer she wrenched the scroll and chain from the hands and held them in her own pale hands, finally feeling ready for them to be in her possession. “Kagami saved our clan from extinction that day… she gave up everything for our people… she loved him and the story claims she was never the same after that day, making contracts with a race of owls to help her identify and find those responsible for Hiromasa’s capture… some say she found them all… but who’s to know.” In that sentence she reached over to the statue of Hiromasa and wrenched the hilt from his hands, some of the stone crumbling away at her force - staring down at the hilt she knew what she was about to do.

Sighing she turned back to face him, the expression a mixture of pain and analyzing “I guess my question to you would be… would you be able kill me if that were to happen? Would you be able to save, not me, but others from me? If so… then you have earned this.” With that she would extend the hilt out to him while gripping the scroll closer to her chest with her other hand.

WC 1308

The reaction he received upon speaking words of understanding and kindness seemed to reveal that she was at the very least open to his feelings on the situation- there was something wrong though and he couldnt quite place what. Was she shocked by his open nature? This would make some sense due to her having attacked him and the result manifesting itself both physically and mentally. Whatever the reason, his pondering of it was cut short as she answered his question which revealed that she was in les control of her own ability than he had previously thought. She explained clearly that others could use knowledge of her abilities to seek out the destruction of others and this was a risk she couldnt take, given her position. The scenario presented to him was complicated on moral and ethical grounds and he couldnt exactly pinpoint a solution that he found to be satisfactory- on one hand, Mizuki would remain alone in many ways but the secrets of her clan would be safe and along with it, her friends and comrades- on the other hand if she did disclose it, there would be much more support for her to lean on but it could lead to danger that she would surely blame herself for. He would breath in and out before replying to her dilemma, "When you put it that way I guess the fact of the matter cant be ignored. Youre hold a dangerous and powerful ability and thinking about it now.. im saying that without even fully witnessing its potential. But this doesnt change the fact that this might be too much for you to handle on your own, no matter how strong you are Mizuki." He would speak to her objectively, his expression holding little emotion as he wanted to convey he was taking her inner quarrel seriously- her reply would be accompanied by her picking up a book that laid amongst the scrolls on the table, inviting him to follow her to learn the true extent of what her clan has done and who they were. He would nod, standing up from his chair and following her through pathways that lit themselves up just as the previous ones had at the signal of her chakra until they reached a downward slope- at the end of it was a plain door that Mizuki opened by bleeding her finger only slightly. What would lie beyond this door would test Zaine in ways he never expected he would be. 


Walking slowly in behind her the young Uchiha was filled with emotions of despair, discomfort and most of all disappointment- he had imagined that her clan was filled with bloodshed and battle, but to eternalize, romanticize and glorify such barbarism truly made him understand her lineage. He struggled to look in her direction as she spoke to welcoming him to the catacombs of her clan- the image he had of her in his head at battle in with the new image he developed of her clan which resonated with the energy he was picking up from the skulls that stared back at him. His heart would begin to beat faster as he focused his vision on the seven statues that stood in the center of the room. He looked straight down the center of the room at the statue of a man with long straight hair oddly reminiscent of the woman who accompanied him, holding the hilt of a blade. Zaine couldnt explain why but he was drawn to the statue and almost didnt notice the others- the hilt of the blade seemed to be almost oozing energy in a rhythmic fashion, much like a heart beat. Strangely, the heart of the Uchiha began to slow just enough to where it would match the rhythm of the hilt and with it he found himself in a calm enough state to hear the story and origin of this statue. He gathered that Hiromasa was the leader of the clan and boasted confidence much like himself... or rather how he had before that night. The events that followed depicted exactly what Mizuki had proposed as a scenario which brought more clarity but for some reason extreme anger to him and as she began to speak about the solution to the rampage of Hiromasa Zaine was filled with a deep sadness, his anger gone almost as though it was never there. She completed the tale about Kagami and Hiromasa explaining that Kagami made a contract with owls for the sake of justice for their clan- reaching over as she spoke her last sentence and grabbing the hilt that Zaine had now come to feel an unexplainable attraction to. As Mizuki placed her hands around the hilt of Hiromasa's blade, he would be overcome with emotions that flowed throughout him with the same intensity as his previous sadness and anger but this time they would be emotions of acceptance, warmth and fondness. The energy from the blade subsided as she extended her hand but the pace of his heart maintained at the same rhythm as he listened to the impossible question that she asked of him.

Her words echoed through his mind long after they left her and at this point she knew nothing of his aversion to killing- to kill an ally, a comrade of his village and someone who he felt he knew now on such a deeper level would be too difficult. He looked around the room in totality once more before looking back at her and doing his best to keep the image of the skulls fresh in his mind, sighing and and looking her directly in the eyes and placing his left hand out and grabbing he hilt before speaking again "I understand what you're asking of me but I need you to know that I only kill as a last resort and the notion of killing a comrade is something I would never consider as necessary. That being said, I understand your situation and what youre entrusting me with and I can promise that if it ever comes to it, ill find a way to stop you and protect our comrades." He would take the hilt from her hands and smile, signifying that he would restore it and use it in the future- only he would use its power to protect and practice restraint so that no more skulls would decorate the reputation of her clan. 

[WC=1,076]

Zaine took the hilt with contradictory words to her request - she closed her eyes as she knew in her heart he was not really up for the task of murdering a loved one… it seemed only those in her clan had the unfortunate acclimation to the skill. Her face revealed none of this to him and only a second had passed before a gentle encouraging smile was spreading over her lips, all the while she held the summoning contract close to her chest, tighter as if it were a life vest in the ever growing sea of responsibility she found herself in. As well meaning as his words were, and she knew he meant every word of them, he was as reluctant to do the one thing that could stop her… ending her. That was a fight for another day, maybe never really… but for now she internalized this new realization of his character and nodded in her satisfaction. Casting her violet eyes around the room once more, lingering for a half second longer on the face of Kagami she would reach out absentmindedly and grab his arm with a gentle reassuring pressure as she guided his form toward the door again. “Let us leave the dead to rest…”, her eyes grew sad as she stared at the walls and rows of skulls, “... all of the dead.” Releasing her grip only when they were both out of the room and the door was shut firmly in its unopen able status. 

It was time for the two to leave this place… leave it to rot in their memories as well as to the test of time, she had gotten everything of worth and to her, this place was now a burial ground and should be treated as such. “Time to go home Zaine… we have a long journey ahead of us.” The cold mask was beginning to solidify over her porcelain face and she was becoming more and more the formal version of herself as she gathered her emotions up - ready to wrangle them back into control. Leading the way it took no time to leave the twisting halls and make their way back to the now setting sky of the desert - taking only one moment to stare up at the sky, drinking in the colors only the sky could create - before she redid the same handsigns as she had this morning; holding 5 fingers up, then 2 pointed at him and then herself before taking off toward the gates of Suna.

Time passed much faster as they made their way home - be it from the release of weight from her shoulders or simply the exhaustion giving way to the welcome of her warm bed waiting for her - but the gates loomed on the horizon in no time and as she slowed she went to the guard tower; checked the two of them back into the village and came back over to her new companion. With a hint of her actual self coming out she gently tapped his shoulder with her fist, a sign of playfulness that she was unsure how he would take, “Keep that between us will you? I’m sure you understand why.. And yes, that means your hulking mentor Raleth… I’m not ready for him to know the truth to that level and I hope you respect my desire to keep it that way til I am ready - IF - I’m ready.” The more strict version of herself edged out in her voice as she made clear Raleth need not know what he saw today. 

“Be on the look out for another summons coming soon, I have an idea for training and by the way Guren talks about you, you may be the perfect candidate. Anyways, thank you Zaine… for everything but mostly your open mind and sincerity… do take care of yourself.” With a wave of her hand she turned from him and sauntered off in the direction of the village that housed the least amount of people… in fact only her house existed in that direction, built into the mountain face … much like a tomb.]

EXIT

WC 688
Will Make Claims Later

He looked on at her as she gave him a smile that would fill him with a sense of understanding- he had hoped his words gave her a complete understanding of his stance on the subject and that she could both respect and accept his true intentions to assist in the protection of her clan's secrets as well as her own well being. He would grip the hilt of the sword that once belonged to the formidable Hiromasa- now having an odd attachment to it, he planned on refashioning the blade to its former glory or even to a much stronger state that it had ever been. The blade would serve as a means to deliver on his promise to her and to himself to protect those of the village that neither of them hailed from but both came to know as home. His gaze would shift to the left at a statue that was second to last on the left of the catacombs and he would focus just long enough to note that the statue was carved in the shape of a rather young woman who shockingly enough resembled Mizuki. He was surprised that she hadnt mentioned this person in her tale but seeing as how she gave him the major history of her clan it made sense that she wouldnt go over everyone of note. Still, the blade she held in her hands that was carved from the same material as her had such a unique design that Zaine felt he had to commit it to memory for later- a long knife that had a chain of considerable length wrapped around the body of the young woman. The power and techniques she was able to pull off with such a small weapon must have been nothing short of monstrous to have earned her a spot next to the titans of Mizuki's clan- but now wasnt the time to ponder such things, it was time for them to depart and with her words signifying such, they departed from the catacombs. "Yes, I believe im at my limit for one day. Ive never missed the plain old desert sands more in my life to be honest." He would chuckle as he followed her out the same way they entered.


The two made their way back at a much to the village in what felt like a much quicker pace than they had previously which was bitter sweet to the young Uchiha for reasons he was still adjusting to. While the weight of what he had seen and learned weighed on him greatly- somehow there a great deal of enjoyment that resulted from their excursion and he truly felt like he had gained a friend and ally that he could trust. This melancholy feeling was enhanced by the realization that his travel partner was slowly receding back into the state that he had previously been more familiar with- she spoke less, there were no smiles and she truly seemed more inhibited the closer they got to the village. This phenomenon perplexed him as he couldnt very well relate to her- not the way he was able to just hours beforehand and he couldnt help but wonder which Mizuki he would come to interact with on a day to day basis back in Sunagakure. He wouldn't have to wait very long to find out as they reached the village gates and she made her way back through in order to check them in before walking back over to Zaine, speaking for what felt like the first time in a day. Tapping him on the shoulder playfully would bring an immediate smile to his face that covered his face faster than he could realize it was there- her words would express a trust in him that would add to that which she had already given him but would be mixed with a strict but playful warning. "I promise on this hilt! If anyone hears about ya it wont be from me. Just know that when were alone its free game. But maybe ill go easy so I dont get..well you know again." Laughing playfully he would listen as she spoke of training that she had planned for the two of them based off of Guren's analysis of his skills- this made him proud at the fact two higher level and profile shinobi put him on their radar. He would give her a smirk and a nod as he waved her good bye and tucked the hilt of the blade he was to refashion on the right side of his waist and made his way home for the night.


Riding off of the high of a successful and emotion filled mission Zaine would open his eyes, a smile on his face as he looked around surrounded by nothing but darkness- he had become familiar with this shrouded cave and normally without fail he would be sent into pure panic at the lack of light, deafening sound of water droplets and eerie presence that was never too far, but not this time. His heartbeat would begin to pick up in pace but for the first time while in this deep cave he was able to faintly hear the heartbeat of another.. Person? Or was it maybe him hearing his own. Either way he knew what was to come and there was no avoiding it- so he began walking deeper into the cave, opposite from the exit almost instinctively and as he did his heart rate increased. Step by step it was almost as though the cave had a gravitational pull on him and now there was no denying that there was a completely separate heart beat from his own, bounding and calling him towards it. "It couldnt be that thing... theres no way that its human. So who or what is it? Have I never truly been alone in here?" The answer to his question would soon be answered as he reached the end of the cave and now in almost total darkness he could here quiet footsteps approaching from behind- it was that thing. He knew he had to turn around and he knew he had to face it, even with no hope for victory it was a battle he could not run from and so as he motioned to turn around one last booming heart beat would resonate from in front of him- he would focus his gaze forward once more and there it was lodged in the cave floor radiating energy, "Benihime." He said as he reached out to grab the hilt of this sword, pulling it from the ground with little to no force- the blade split down the middle with a jet black metal that complimented the traditional silver that occupied the other half. Its hilt a bright gold with a scarlet red tassel that swayed back and forth still holding onto the kinetic force after being wrested from the ground- at the peak of the hilt right above another scarlet threading that wrapped the shaft in the center was the Uchiha crest in the center of a silhouetted cross. Zaine smirked as he gripped the blade tightly, understanding that this was the answer he had been seeking and ironically he had found it in the den of the clan that had breathed life into his nightmare. He would turn around and point the blade directly at the shrouded being that stood before him, eyes red and menacing just as they always were staring back at him un-phased by his new sword. Moments would pass by in this stand off before he took Benihime into his other hand as well and dashed forward plunging the blade into the chest of the silhouette- finally an attack of his landed! He was filled with excitement and feelings of triumph until he looked up to see the eyes looking back at him, their color now a vibrant violet. He removed the blade almost as quickly as he had driven it in, as the figure slowly disappeared- his demon had been conquered but was it ever actually a demon? If so, why did he feel as though he had just slain a loved one. Zaine would wake and the contents of his dream would become clear to him as he smiled softly, looking over at his dresser where the blade he had recently restored sat before closing his eyes once again to rest. 

[WC= 1,409/5,305]
[Total WC= 5,305]

Exit


Claims


Applying 25% WC discount to claims

• Claiming all mission rewards
  
• Putting 1,875 WC to Ninjutsu Amplifier V7 [2,500/2,500]
  
• Putting 750 WC to  Flying Swallow V7 [1,000/1,000]
  
• Putting 1,125 WC to Verdant Mountain Gale V7 [1,500/1,500]
  
• Putting 1,125 WC to Yin Yang Release: Recurve Bow V7 [1,500/1,500]
  
• Putting 375 WC to Fire Piercing Darts V7 [500/500]
  

Approved

Claims:  3.5k Ryo
TWC 4063 Max AP So using 25% discount 
134 words to Basic Medical Ninjutsu 750/750
2063 words to Swamp of the Underworld v7 2063/2063
1125 words to V7 Hidden Mist Technique 1125/1125
1 word to Water Release: Five Feeding Sharks V7 1500/1500
740 words to A rank V7 Wood Dragon 740/2063