Starting Over

It was great to be back in civilization! Finally somewhere where he could eat and remove the grime off of him from the world. His first stop would be to a bath house. They would have all of the facilities he would need. First he would go to the changing area and removed his clothes. His body was covered with scars, reminders of previous battles and training. The many small successes and failures that built upon one another, leading him down the path he was on currently. His now naked figure would head towards the bath waters and he would relax into the hot bath waters, letting their soothing heat strip away at some of the aches and stresses of his muscles and body. Despite his many years of wandering without purpose, his body was still one of a trained warrior shinobi, albeit one worn down from lack of training and nourishment. He knew that it wouldn’t be long before his body was back in fighting shape. The soothing waters would pierce not only his aching muscles but also the grime that had built up over his most recent travels, washing away the dirt along with his worldly concerns for the moment. It was a fairly pleasant and relaxing time. Nearly an hour had to have passed before he finally decided to get out of the waters. His hands and feet were like prunes, but that didn’t bother him a great deal. He would dry himself off, the towel becoming more and more damp as he dried away. Finally, he would make his way into the bathrooms with his clothing and other possessions. He would take out a Kunai, starting to place it up towards his neck to shave. His hand still shook, making shaving a task far too dangerous for the former shinobi to undertake just yet. Instead he would simply put on his clothing and don his blue cloak, keeping the hood down. He had no reason to raise suspicions around the village of his activity. He was not here for nefarious purposes.
 
Stepping back out into the village, the scents of the food stalls would fill the air. It must have become lunch time while he was washing off. He would allow his hungry stomach to take the lead, quickly growling and pulling him to the nearest food stand. They would be selling some sort of grilled meat and vegetables on a skewer. Steak kebobs. He would happily take two and pay for them, one now in each hand as he made his way down the markets looking for more delectable foods to stuff himself with. There were ramen stands, and barbeque stands, a small curry stand with fragrances that called to Nobu. He would rapidly scarf down the kebobs, nearly choking in the process. He would then discard the sticks at the bin for such waste. He didn’t want to be caught littering in the place that was being so hospitable to the man. He would then take a seat at the curry stand. “One bowl of your curry, please.” He would request as the vendor looked him over and nods. The shop owner would set down a bowl, filled with white rice and a delicious looking curry that was a medley of vegetables and meat of some sort. Nobu would lift the spoon to his mouth, making certain to get both rice and the fragrant curry in the scoop. The flavor was wonderful, and it wasn’t overly spicy either. A great blend of herbs, meat and vegetables, enhanced by the mild sting of the spice. He would swallow the first bite before moving on to the next, and then the next again. He found his bowl rapidly depleting. The curry vendor was pleased to see someone eating their food with such enthusiasm. “Would you like another bowl?” They would ask, which of course Nobu would quickly nod his head in acceptance. He was happy to be out of the desert and surviving on practically nothing but the occasional lizard. Even his time spent working at that inn didn’t have food anywhere near this good, their menu mostly consisting of foods like chunked potatoes fried in oils. While he had nothing against the fired potato, its flavor couldn’t compare to this curry right here. Nobu would scarf down the second bowl with haste, hoping that eating this quickly wouldn’t give him a stomach ache or anything of the sort. He would then pay the kind vendor and rise from his seat. He would offer them a bow, his hands pressed together in front of him as he does so. “Thank you so much for the meal.”
 
The man would then continue down the markets, looking at the stalls and the things they were selling. Trinkets from all over the world could be found here, it would seem. The man was not looking for anything in particular, merely perusing each shop as he walked passed. Most of the day had quickly slipped by. A few of the salesmen tried their pitch to buy this or that, but Nobu kindly refused. He had limited funds and only wished to spend them on things he needed, like food and shelter. Speaking of shelter, he needed to find some for the night. He had no intention of sleeping on the ground when a perfectly good bed was calling out to the man. “NOBU! COME REST YOUR WEARY HEAD ON US NOBU!” the beds would seemingly yell to him from the open windows of a nearby inn. This particular in was mostly utilized by travelling merchants, but the company didn’t much bother him. He was just happy to be sleeping on something that wasn’t as uncomfortable as the solid earth he was standing on. It was a joyous occasion and he would happily pay the innkeeper and make his way to his room. It was fairly small, but more than accommodating for his needs. He just needed a soft place to lay down and get some sleep, which came to him at a rather alarming pace as soon as he placed his head to the pillow.
 
Dreams flooded the mind of the man, his body tossing and turning. Using the term ‘dreams’ was a bit of dishonesty, as they were far closer to nightmares. Nobu found himself standing atop a sandstone building, the village of Sunagakure sprawling around him. Enemies surrounded the village, their numbers waiting outside the village walls as their vanguard forces demanded surrender. Two men, though the details of whom were lost to the man, held the village at the end of their metaphorical swords. Just when all looked lost, Koroshi Uchiha would appear to save the day. His heroic figure looming in the distance as he readied himself to defend his village and people from the likes of the invaders. Just then the sky would grow black, a sudden storm appearing from nowhere and covering everywhere. Reality itself would seemingly tear, the abyss from above opening and swallowing whole the Kazekage in an instant. It felt as though it was a targeted event, since neither buildings nor other Sand shinobi were lost in the process. Just as soon as the storm appeared, the black clouds would disperse and the desert sun would pierce the veil and scorch the land of Suna once more. Nobu would look up, helplessly.
 
Nobu would wake up gasping, the name of his sensei nearly being called out in some sort of effort to summon the man. No words escaped his lips, and his breathing would go from frantic and fast paced to slow and steady once more. These dreams came from time to time, haunting him with his past failures. In the past, these visions would cripple him, causing him to doubt his very reason for existence. This time they caused a spark to ignite a burning desire in the heart of the former Sand shinobi. His mind’s eyes were set on the immense task that was before him. He had to find out where Koroshi Uchiha, his master, sensei, and the rightful Kazekage of Sunagakure had disappeared to. He didn’t entirely know where to start, though he had some thoughts and ideas on how best to start this challenging endeavor. The sand village was a dead end, for in his mind there was no chance of Koroshi being there. His mind drifted to thoughts of the Kumogakure Empire. They were of course the invaders that triggered all of this misfortune, so it is very possible that they might have some idea of where he was taken. Of course Nobu was no friend or ally to those invaders, so it was fairly unlikely they would have a peaceful talk over a glass of sake or a bowl of ramen. It would be far more likely to have to be forced out of them with his fists. He didn’t know enough about the current affairs of the world to just jump the gun here though. Tsubaki made it abundantly clear that everything he thought that he knew was seemingly a relic of the past, a generation far gone it would seem. And of course, there is the possibility that Kumo knew nothing of his lords disappearance… which would mean he was back to square one with little to no leads. Perhaps some sort of expert on techniques relating to space and time would be able to assist in shedding light as well. He hadn’t the foggiest clue as to where he would be able to find such an experienced shinobi. This village seemed large and expansive enough to possibly call itself home to at least one such expert, but he was an outsider here and probably not someone that would be trusted with any detailed information regarding techniques or anything of the like.
 
First things first, he would have to find out what he could of current events. He would think that such basic information was not sensitive enough to hide from an outsider, but he would have to find someone in the village that he could sit down with and speak of such things. That Tsubaki jounin seemed like an agreeable enough person, and her position as a jounin in the village would likely mean that she was far more informed of the things going on in the world than a simple genin or even a chuunin would have access to. He didn’t really need any information regarding this land, unless it of course was hiding the secret to where his master was. Nobu found such very unlikely, but if there were hints to such in his mission to find out more he wouldn’t hesitate to follow those leads to wherever they took him.
 
Sitting up and stretching, Nobu would rise out of bed and rapidly begin to dress himself. He felt refreshed, and now both his body and spirit were in line and ready to get back to his former self. He would of course need to retrain his body to be able to endure the stress of the mission he just set out for himself. The man would don his cloak and make his way towards the training grounds. This being a shinobi village made him certain that such a facility must be here somewhere. He would ask around, some of the normal citizen villagers giving the man dirty looks when he mentioned seeking the shinobi training facility. Perhaps the shinobi here were not as beloved as they were in other villages? Well such was not his concern, as that was a task for these villagers to figure out. Eventually, he found himself in the training grounds. He hoped that this would be something that came right back to him like riding a bike.
 
Nobu was a practitioner of the martial arts, or Taijutsu. His body in this current state could barely be pushed to the limits needed to complete the most demanding techniques. He would have to start with the basics, starting with a series of stretches to limber up so as to not pull a muscle. The lost sand shinobi would then start with basic exercises, push-ups and squats. He would glance over, seeing a figment of his lost master. The mental image of Koroshi Uchiha stood there, his mighty physique a reminder of what Nobu was once destined to become. The titan of a man would stand by, watching his former pupil struggle to do even these basic things. Doubt would flash through his mind, reminding him that even when he stood at his peak, he was still powerless to stop Kumo. He was still powerless to stop his master’s disappearance. There was a point in time where he could do hundreds of these exercises as a warm up before moving to full contact sparring. The man would struggle on, pushing through the pain to try his hardest to improve his currently pathetic physique. His sensei’s red eyes were locked on him, the promise that he could push himself to the limit and Koroshi would always be there to heal his wounds, restore his stamina and bring him back from the brink of anything the focus on his mind right now. He was likely only able to develop so quickly due to his sensei’s Sharingan eyes. Training and strengthening your body was far easier when there was little to no recovery time needed. He was at a huge disadvantage this time around it would seem. The titan known as Koroshi Uchiha was only in his mind, the man watching each movement of his former pupil. His gaze was stern, the man’s face showing little to no emotion. Nobu thought that it was silent judgment for his own shortcomings, but since this was all in his head he was creating the exact thing he feared. The bright red Sharingan eyes would stare into the soul of the chuunin, and as he trained his own eyes seemed to reflect the deep crimson of his former master. He had no clue, but his eyes began to sting as the new sensation overtook him. His former master would fade from view, vanishing into nothingness.
 
His first training session in years was finally over, his body aching all over as he wiped the sweat from his brow. His eyes would still show the deep crimson of his master’s doujutsu without his knowing. The man would walk back to the baths, hoping to wash off the training of the day. When he finally got there and stared in the mirror he was taken back by the vision of himself in the mirror. His crimson eyes contrasted greatly with the blue cloak he wore and stuck out like a sore thumb. Whatever was happening here, he had no clue what triggered it or why it happened. His eyes were those of the famous Uchiha clan, the same clan his master belonged to. But he wasn’t a part of the Uchiha clan, at least as far as he knew. Did whatever force that stole away Koroshi also bestow such to him? The red eyes reminding him of his master brought tears to his eyes and his fist would smash into the mirror shattering it to pieces as he slashed his own knuckles in the process. He would then make his way to the bath waters, resting in them to think about just what was going on right now.
 
Why was this happening?

---Exit---

WC: 2577

Claims:
25 Stats
2000/2000 WC towards Sharingan One Tomoe
577/4000 WC towards Two Tomoe

Approved.

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