Echoes of the Past

In the past, Hiko was truly happy once. When he was younger, growing up was so easy without knowing who he was. There wasn't anything to really care about at all. He always knew, deep down that there was something about himself which set him apart from other people. The boy would hear murmuring along the streets of Kumogakure as he would walk through with his parents; the stares he'd get were beyond dirty, for reasons which at the time were unknown. However, that all changed on that fateful night when his parents were killed. Wanting to find out who he was, the young Shimadan left with the attacker, never to be seen in the village again.

Over the last 6 years, Hiko traveled, and found out about his clan; the reason as to why people looked at him as if they never knew what he was gonna do next. It wasn't the best of conditions, but the missing ninja survived. Going from place to place had its perks, but it also had major disadvantages. But, there was this feeling, which resonated deep down within his bones shaking them to their very core. It was time. Time to make his presence once again known.

Before arriving in this strange place, Hiko Shimada had written out a letter in which he was going to send to his brother to let him know, he was still alive. After all these years. What he wouldn't give to see the look on Hiroki's face when it would arrive to him, the chaos it would cause. Then, and only then, would it teach the lesson as to why he ran. Nonetheless, being seemingly trapped within this dimension, or at least for the time being, the question now arose as to how it would get delivered.

Doing what he did best, the Tau would just wonder around rather aimlessly for now at least. Finding a nice little grotto though within the village where a festival had begun to take place, the 16 year old would rest for but a moment. It had been a rather long and exhausting day after all. It was rather nice taking in the view of the trees for once. There was a certain beauty to nature after all, especially in the eves of spring where flowers had begun to grow. Hiko would only let this last for a moment, but it was still there. Lingering like a bad taste within his mouth.

WC: 408

The large man would find himself with a plate full of funnel cake, the powdered sugar covering his hands suggesting that this probably wasn't his first. Yet still, after finding the thing here he desired most he wasn't going to walk away from this place without having his fill of the delicious fried snack. Duncan sought a peaceful place to have a seat and simply enjoy his snacks, and so he would keep his eyes peeled for a nice spot out of the way of the busier fairground spaces. Finding one such place - a peaceful little grotto - the giant would take a seat on a nearby boulder. He would take an enormous bite of the cake, noting that he wasn't alone like he had originally thought he might be. It would seem as though another sought the peace of such a place and took a moment to themselves. Not wanting to disturb the other fellows peace, Duncan would lift a single hand, the one holding the funnel cake no less. He would make a motion like that of a toast, without saying a word just to let the two acknowledge that the other way there. With that complete, Duncan would focus once more on eating his scrumptious snack. You never find funnel cakes in normal places, only at events like this festival. 

The shinobi headband of Kumogakure normally reserved for ones head was secured on the massive wrist of the giant, clearly denoting that he was in fact a member of the Kumo shinobi forces. It's been a while since he'd seen a real mission, and his body and form were rusty from his years imprisoned. Still, his large and muscular physique was apparent under his festival robes, much like that of some sort of bodybuilder. 

Should the young man approach looking for some conversation, Duncan would greet him relatively politely, though with a mouthful of food. This strange dimension was too cheerful and happy a place to allow for any rudeness between the festival goers. 

wc: 336

With evening beginning to close in over land, the sun which was previously strung in the clouds had finally begun setting off within the distance; washing over the landscape with a light, pinkish orange hue. Each and every single leaf reflected this light, catching the eye due to the natural contrasts against it's green shades. Within each leaf, also inlaid very delicate patterns, much like that of the human brain, forming intricate designs yet still meticulously placed. The waves and divets seemingly moving, blending together like some psychedelic symphony, yet it was all based within reality.

This made Hiko question things, in a sense. Going along with the same pattern of thinking as before, the youngin couldn't help but question why his clansman had always been painted as the villains. The bad guys. Evildoers. Shoved and pigeonholed into the ideals of being a missing nin. It raised the question, of what if. What if the original shunning of the Tau didn't occur? Would it have allowed for the family line to not be oftentimes the subject of taboo? Would Hiko have been able to truly experience what life was like and about? As each of these fleeting thoughts squirmed in one ear then out the next like whispers upon the wind, the scarred teens face contorted to a pained expression. So much so that he almost missed the entrance of another.

Snapping back to the here and now, the Tau would peer over at the newcomer, emerald eyes making contact with the burly man's own two orbs which rested easily in their head; nodding in response to the cheers which was offered. Being rather observant, the lack of the headband, at least around the forehead, drew Hiko in, seeing the flash of metal wrapped around the guy's one wrist. Eyes now thoroughly examining it, he would notice that it was said missing headband. Also from the looks of things, the winds of fate had clearly brought luck upon himself, for they were from Kumogakure.

Grateful for this moment and opportunity, he would quickly button the top notch of cloak together to hide the scar which ran a ring around his neck, but he kept his hood drawn down. He didn't want this encounter to be accompanied by any suspicions at a subconscious level, for that's unfortunately what typically happened with people who tended to hide their face; even though Hiko thought that was the most egregious line of thinking anyone could ever take. Yes, while he was a criminal, a hood that was up shouldn't be an indicator of that, yet here he was, still not putting it up out of reasonable fears.

After the clasp had been snapped together, he would then proceed to get up and make his way over to the muscular fellow, the green patchwork flowing softly, but with a certain precision and rigidness with each step; causing it to look like moving fractals that one would see when looking down a kaleidoscope. Putting on his best smile, although still somewhat forced, the auburn haired teen would stop two meters away from them. Upon reaching that point, he'd initiate into a conversation by saying "Hello, I couldn't help but notice that you are from Kumogakure."

The voice which came out didn't seem like it should be one which belonged to a young looking 16 year old such as himself. It was gritty, and the tone of someone who has experienced many dangers and hardships. This would also match up with the scar which had run down the side of his left cheek, ending right before the eye.

WC: 596
TWC: 1004

The youth approached Duncan, the man taking another large bite of his funnel cake. This darned cake is practically the main motivating force behind his desire to be here and he had no intentions of letting this delicious snack get cold. The young man would mention that it was clear the giant man was from Kumogakure. Swallowing down a well chewed bite, Duncan would nod. "Yeah that's right." He would offer, glancing over at the man, or rather... teen? There was a youthful look to him, though the words spoken weren't those of a completely fresh faced youth, the horrors of the world still unknown to him. Couple that with the wicked scar running across their face, and it was clear this person has seen combat. No headband to identify him, but again, this was a peaceful place so he didn't wish to pry. At least the young man wasn't a member of Kirigakure. That might have been enough for the giant to abandon not only his intentions of peace but also the scrumptious and sugar coated fried cake.

"Ah, a fellow warrior. I hope you don't mind, I intend to eat this while its hot." He would offer, motioning with his other hand that Hiko was welcome to sit down and relax. "So," Duncan would say, taking another bite before continuing, "Why does my village affiliation spark such discussion?" There were a few possibilities that the giant could figure would bring about such conversation, though he hoped that conflict wasn't about to occur. "Admittedly I'm not as well versed in our shinobi roster as I once was. Are you a fellow Kumo shinobi by chance?"

wc: 276
twc: 612

While this other fellow, as buff as he was, seemed to be an almost happy-go-lucky type. Proving that looks could be deceiving. Hiko would watch for a mere fraction of a second as the man was happily devouring a funnel cake, one of the many festive foods that was being sold at this even more festive festival.  Comparatively, the two almost acted like different halves of the same coin. While one was celebrating the weird turn of events which had lead them to this place, the other, Hiko Shimada, was quite the opposite. While it didn’t show on the lad’s face, the missing nin was rather dreading to leave. After all, it almost served as a dreaded reminder that others could indulge in a pure form of bliss without any care in the world really. Whereas the Tau, didn’t really get to partake in that same luxury often. Whether by choice, or because of the consistent feeling of needing to keep his guard up, it was all the same in the end.

But, the boy didn’t get too much caught up within this pattern of thinking. Instead, he choose to be present within the moment for once as it would seem that some of his plans could finally start to come to fruition after 10, extremely long and tedious, years of consistent traveling from place to place. In response to the other gesturing to take a seat, the auburn haired teen would raise his right hand, gesturing a polite refuse of the offer. ”Thank you for the offer though.” He would echo a verbal response as well to further this notion; while it might not have particularly seemed it to most, the miscreant knew that there was a time and place when kindness was the better option. This was one of those said moments. Before getting into the details of the former question, he would respond to the latter first, with ”Alas, I once was a part of Kumo, but fate had other plans for me as it would seem. I’ve been off exploring the rest of the world now, for quite some time actually.” The Tau would then briefly pause his speech to let said information sink in, after which he’d continue to say ”But, I digress, the reason for me asking was quite simple. A letter.” From within the confines of his cloak, the teen’s left hand would produce an envelope containing said letter.

It was a rather simple envelope at that, at least at first glance. The more one would gaze upon it, the more the intricacies which had been inlaid into it could be seen. A gold lining wrapped around the exterior of it, creating a box formation which looked like a braid of thorns. At the top, two of these prickly vines would then spiral downward towards the center, wrapping around where there was a carefully placed black splotch of wax to seal it shut. On the seal, there was also yet another design; two wolf heads facing inwards towards each other, with a scorpion’s stinger acting as a barrier between the two. This was a play on young Hikos family’s crest. The scorpion tail was his own little addition, signaling to anyone who was close with the family, that he meant this divide. Hopefully, it mean nothing to the Kumogakuren though, as the auburn haired traveler didn’t want any trouble with this interaction. ”If you could see to it that my brother, Hiroki Shimada receives this, that would be absolutely amazing.” Once this was said, the same hand would reach out to give it to the other lad sitting there, a warm smile also be offered as well. Should the need arise, there could also have been some money thrown the shinobi’s way, just in case he would need some consolidation for this task.

WC: 640
TWC: 1644

Duncan would think nothing of the youth's refusal to sit. The giant was here at this moment to relax, and if this fellow chose not to do such that was on him. The scarred youth would answer, his words sparking interest in Duncan, the behemoth of a man glancing up to ensure he met their gaze. "You speak of former loyalties to Kumogakure, but not current ones." He would crack a grin, though he would furrow his brow, puzzled at what one so young could have done at such a young age to find themselves removed from the village. "Well, for what it's worth you ain't my enemy, kid. Kumo's past has been riddled with unpleasantries." Of course, Duncan was referring to the reign of one Youka Tau, the Tyrant Raikage whose methods were... quite unsavory. He couldn't blame any for leaving during that hellish time. 

The young man would state his reasons, presenting a sealed letter that was quite ornate. "A simple letter to be delivered to your brother, a Kumo citizen? I've no issue delivering it to them, though typically the person who's getting the delivery knows the person it's sent from." Duncan would finish his snack and wipe his hands with a napkin, making sure to remove any food debris or powdered sugar before handling the letter. Duncan would take it, the dainty packaging tiny in his enormous hands. "I'll get it to Hiroki, though I hope for your sake that this is no ploy." His tone held no malice, but it could be easily determined that he was serious about this. 

If offered coin, the giant would kindly refuse. "It is no trouble at all. Though I must ask," He would stand up stretching a bit. "Is there any chance that you would be interesting in rejoining the village? The horrors of the past are long gone now, and Kumo can always use more seasoned warriors." It was an honest offer, in hopes that perhaps whatever cruelties he had been forced to endure in his earliest years of life would not be his only memories and thoughts of the great village of Kumogakure. 

wc:357

Ah yes, the question as old as time itself. The only difference for this instance though was that it had been spun into a statement rather than an inquiry. One of the things in which spoke to Hiko was the facial expressions of Mr. Mammoth Man. While the grin upon the lad’s face would suggest a light heartedness with the comment, the furrowed brow suggested a paradoxical look; one of confusion and pondering over what had been said. Then this man spoke on the grim past of Kumo without delving into a deeper explanation of which, allowing one to infer a myriad of things from this. Something which came across the missing nin’s mind was possibly that of one of his ancestors, the great Youka Tau. But, he didn’t want to speak on this as it would be mere speculation, for it was, simply put, the first thing which crossed his mind even though it could have meant other events.

Whereas the following comments which the gargantuan man would then go onto to say, Hiko would have no qualms with actually replying back to. Putting on his best innocent smile, the youth would play a bit dumb by elaborating ”Oh yes, silly me. Where are my manners. The name’s Hiko. Hiko Shimada. But my brother is no mere civilian, he’s a shinobi as well. Just let him know that it’s from his brother who misses him ever so dearly.” Mixed with the playfulness denotating the words, and the cadence at which he spoke, it would be hard to detect that the last thing in which he said was a bit of a lie. The brother didn’t actually miss Hiroki, but merely saw this as the time to open up the doors of chaos, letting the flood poor back into the Shimadan’s life. The younger bro knew that he wouldn’t be the sole crack in the wall which would bring the entire dam down, but on the flip side of said coin he knew that it would still assist in it’s collapse. Surely, knowing his own kin, the Tau had a good grasp that Hiroki wouldn’t take too kindly to learning this. As for the ploy part, it wasn’t used as that in the way that this other man was potentially theorizing it to be. The letter was meant to be some kind of death trap for him, but it was being utilized to get a rise out of his older brother Roki. Hopefully, for Hiko’s sake, the 18 year old wouldn’t shoot the messenger. To assure this though, at the mention of it being a possible trap, he would offer a solemn nod and some more words ”I can assure you that it’s not.”

Hiko would then take a breath before continuing on to what was said next. ”Unfortunately, as for joining Kumo, I don’t necessarily think I’d be welcomed back with the open arms that you’d insist would happen.” There was another pause within his speech, this time around though, the boy would start to take his leave from the little pleasant grove. Once 5 meters away and at the edge to the rest of the woods, his head would turn back ever so slightly to further go on ”I’ll be frank in saying this. I’m wanted for the murder of my parents, which I didn’t commit. But still I ran, to find out my true lineage. Rest assured though, the Age of the Tau, is nigh and next we meet probably won’t have the same pleasantries as this.” With that being said, the shinobi would promptly leave the area, letting the now lone man ponder over that statement by himself.

WC: 612
TWC: 2256

Claims:

Misc-
Thread Exit

Techs/Skills-
83 words to Earth Grudge Fear: Black Threads, completing it for A Rank (was previously 917/1000 words from here)
1750 words to Taijutsu Puncture, completing it for B Rank
423 words to Tearing Earth Turning Palm (423/1000 until C Rank)

Stats-
22 total
15 to Vigor
7 to Chakra

*edit was made bc of a mess up in stat allocation before approval

Duncan would listen to the words of the young man, noting that the recipient of this letter was a Kumo shinobi and that the name of this young man is Hiko Shimada. Based on the direction this conversation would end up, that name would have to be one that he kept mental note of. Hiko assured Duncan that this was no ploy, to which he took the lads word for it. He had no reason to doubt him, though there was something behind his voice that Duncan perhaps only imagined that he was picking up subtly behind the words. 

The final words of Hiko caused the massive man to ponder its intent. He wouldn't follow or press the issue, but suggesting that "The Age of Tau" was upon them... that was something that Duncan wouldn't let happen. If not for his own sake and that of the world around him, but for the sake of his late master who did everything in his power to stamp out the legacy of that horrid name and all of the atrocities committed by and in that man's name. 

The giant would just rise from his seated position. The mention of being wanted didn't bother him. Everyone has something from their past that they regret. The Age of Tau? Duncan would glance down at himself, noting that if he was going to be able to do anything to stop such from happening he was going to have to get back into proper fighting shape. 

---Exit---

wc:250
twc: 1219

Claims: 
- 12 stats (all into strength)
- 1219 Seikatsugan phase 2 [bringing it up to 3748/4000 when combined with wc from this thread]