Wandering Clouds

WC:140
TWC:2054

Zarina was wiping her hand across her forehead. The sun overhead was now at its highest peak, but the cool weather made up for it. The trio had been walking for at least an hour now. It was getting more annoying how long they had to look for these animals. But a couple of hours go by and they're still walking, the path leading into the dark forest up ahead... not a single squirrel or chicken. The sun has slowly gone down with about an hour left now and Zarina’s steps are slowing down as she tilted her head curiously. 

"Do you hear that...?"

Zarina sniffs the air and tenses before walking further in the forest, a bit quicker than before. 

"That smell... there's blood!"

Zarina's nose suddenly caught a stench of decay as well. It wasn't very good. Zarina grunted, grabbed her sword's shaft, and prepared for what she was about to see. “In our reports, it was noted that the cemetery near here was being raided. With the smell of decay in the air, we should approach that area and apprehend those individuals." Zarina, with her byakugan activated, moved her sight left and right, looking at the dark trees all around her until she found the cemetery on the edge of the forest, with three suspects digging and removing items/bodies from their resting place. It also seems that the culprits have murdered the night shift guard, which is why the smell of blood could be scented.

“Found them, let's go.”


Zarina grins, teeth coated with dirt and specks of blood. "Yeah, I'll be fine. But" Here she rises back up to her feet, using the tree as support, knowing the shallow cuts running diagonally from her hip and up to her right shoulder are making her vision blurry, she tries her hardest to blink away the dizziness and sharpen her senses. The graverobber is still drawing near. Apparently, these three graverobbers were an elite class of ninja as well. Chasing them through the forest, Zarina got separated from the two and found herself fighting this one.

He was close now. Too close. Finally taking the time to look over her injuries, they are painful, but her speed has allowed the wounds to be shallow at best, and with another steadying breath, she finally circles her hand around her sword's shaft and brings it in front of her. She balances the blade between her palms and shifts on her feet. The only thing she hadn't let herself look at was her ear.

She knew that - shaking her head, she banished that thought to the back of her mind. Some of it was still there; that's all she could focus on right now, so- She could do this. Zarina's legs moved this time, and she is running. Not away from the danger, but towards it. Towards the demon who'd promised her death. Still, no amount of diluted bravery was going to make her confront a psycho head-on, so with a determined glint in her eyes, she crouches down low and pushes off the ground with all her might; hanging in the air for less than a split second, before she ascends onto a treetop, pulling herself behind its shadows to await her hunter. The criminal doesn't disappoint. He showed up just a second after Zarina had disappeared in the leaves.

"I can smell you, Genin," he whistles. "Come out so I can kill you!" Zarina doesn't want to. She's scared. She can't hide that fact from herself. Not when her body is still vibrating with barely contained energy as she breathed and the blood flowed through her body, yet the man is almost directly below her. Failing to act now would be devastating. She doesn't want to, but then Zunair’s warm smile flashes through her head, and it slowly morphs into the mutilated corpse of the man she once knew. Teeth clenching to the point of creaking, the grieving girl drops down from the sky.

Landing on the ground, "prepare yourself, criminal!" Zarina yelled, focusing her blood on the areas of her joints, she launched herself in a chaotic movement around the movement. If she couldn't do a head-on assault, she will confuse him so she can get an opening. Acting like she was going to approach him but dodging. Acting like she was dodging, she was swinging.

TWC: 2,783

In spite of the uncomfortable warmth that creeps from the sun's cadence as it reaches its apex, Himari isn't all too bothered by it. However, this isn't in due part to the cool wind's embrace, rather, her mind still lingers from thoughts from a while ago. She does her best to distract herself through any present ocular or auditorial stimuli, whether it be the whimsical chirps of the black-capped chickadees in the trees, the rustles of the tree leaves from the afternoon breeze, or the rhythmic footfalls of her compatriots.

For what it's worth, it would help slowly but gradually relieve the storm cloud that looms over her head. Over the course of the next hour, the racing thoughts zooming in her mind had slowed to a near-equilibrium state.

Although, the acquisition of this new peace of mind is sundered when Zarina alerts the group; first it was the collective cacophony of activity, then further down the road, the sounds were accompanied by a swift sucker punch of decay straight to Himari's nostrils. She successfully resists the instinct to recoil from the smell, something this pungent can only be the result of an already decomposing corpse. But, the question is to whom does it belong to?

With the aid of Zarina's enhanced vision from her Byakugan, Himari follows suit behind her until they're confronted by the unnerving cloak of three individuals at the cemetery where they're desecrating the graves of those since long past and the brutally murdered night guard responsible for the safekeeping of innumerable families' legacies. The sight alone is enough to vex and coax her into action together thereupon Zarina dives into the fray.


Himari couldn't remember how much time has passed since the beginning of the engagement. At this moment, she had somehow gotten herself separate from her three-man cell and was locked in a duel with one of the graverobbers. It wouldn't be far-fetched for one to assume that the odds of victory between a seasoned shinobi and a recent Genin graduate would heavily favor the one with far more experience than the other. And to Himari's dismay, no spirit nor gods could turn the tide in her favor.

Within the recesses of the dark woods, a sharp whistle darts towards a shadowy figure. The figure bobs its head to the side, and a thump briefly echo as a senbon strikes the tree beside them. Himari clicks her tongue and leaps back into the shadows, scales up the tree, and hides behind the tree's trunk. It was already embarrassing enough that she couldn't activate her Byakugan earlier in front of her seniors, but it was especially egregious that she was in a potentially life-threatening situation in a void working in tandem with her opposition.

Slowly adjusting to the still darkness in her environment, her eyes could make out outlines, at most, 10 meters in diameter, but nothing more in regard to the finer details. Peeking around the trunk, her eyes dart fervently for her quarry and yet find nothing but the void's gaze in return. Then, there's a rustle of leaves behind her, she pivots around, a darker visage at arm's length appears before her, and she forms a cross with her arms in front of her head.

Thereupon she feels a sharp, stinging on the left side of her waist as she's sent crashing against the ground, tumbling away, she attempts to push her feet off the ground with the momentum of the roll and land perpendicular to the oncoming tree. Her left foot skids against the trunk and grasps at her side, her breath strains and quickens. Whoever she was up against has no problem keeping up with her, and the shade from the foliage slowly dwindle any remaining chances left, at the least, to emerge victorious, even if it may result in being pyrrhic.

Rubbing her side quickly, instead of retreating further into the darkness, she dashes toward the glimmers of sunlight. Before entering a large enough patch spotlight, she performs a series of handseals, and several puffs of off-white smoke erupt beside her. When the smoke disperses, four copies emerge and each intersects at the spotlight before they retreat into the darkness save for one. Assuming the Gentle Fist, she remains still and her eyes forward-facing. If she couldn't detect the criminal with her ocular ability, she could make use of her other sense to route out their location.

Gradually she would tune out sounds she deduces as none threatening; first, the rhythmic thumping from her chest, then the whistling wind, then jostling leaves… ah, so that's where. When the jostling gets louder, she shuffles her back foot forward, her knee levels with her hips, and scoots back one foot to lunge her foot upward at a 180-degree angle.

And… there's no pushback from the motion and a force collides with her front and collapses on her back and falls on her back with a hard thud.

"Good grief," Sounds a grizzled voice. "Is this what's become of the Hidden Leaf? Resorting to sending out newborns to come to do their dirty work?" Stepping into the sunlight, he's adorned in shabby clothing worn underneath by a black hooded cloak. His face was diamond-shaped and his jaw was peppered with brown stubbles. He cocks back his right leg and drives it into the same bruised side, lifting Himari off the ground and away one meter. "Hardly any sport in that, but oh well," He strides over to Himari, kunai in hand as he flips it over so the pointed edge jots out from past the pinky finger. "As for you, I'll make quick work."

Raising the kunai high and before plunging it downward — the clones from prior that lurked in the dark spring forth in the northern, southern, eastern, and western positions, tackling the assailant from all sides and latching each ligament. The criminal growls and attempts to overpower and shake them off. One of the clones latched onto his leg and chomps hard on his leg, soliciting an agonizing yelp from the man.

"Damn, brat!" He snarls.

Taking advantage of the situation, Himari rolls over on her good side and throws two senbon toward his thighs and another toward a couple of centimeters below his clavicles. He recoils from the puncture wounds and — taking advantage of the wounds inflicted — her clones at both legs yoink him down to his knees. However, the assailant continues in his attempt to once more shake off one of the clones. He heaves his right arm up, lifting one of the clones with it, and vehemently swings it sideways, the clone loses its grip and collides with the ground, erupting in a puff of smoke.

With some effort, Himari rises to her feet and dashes toward him. Upon seeing her approach, he clenches his fist and attempts to swing across her head. With the aid of the light, she could anticipate the attack this time, and ducks underneath thereupon she quickly delivers a strike at the bottom of her palm against his chin. His head snaps backward in response and his body slackens, however, she wasn't going to give him any quarter.

Retracting her arm to her waist and using her index and middle finger together with her other hand, she jabs them directly against his sternum, then with her retracted arm, forms the same finger formation and jabs them against his jejunum. His head then snaps forward, dry heaving from the impact. In spite of the gnawing pain at her waist, she continues this series of strikes toward roughly where each tenketsu until he eventually acquiesces to overwhelming pain and slumps to the ground.

After the clones disperse and the adrenaline dies down, the intensity of the once annoying sting from her side feels as though it magnified tenfold. She winces and fights against the urge to surrender to it, not until she knows Xena and Zarina are at least alive. Upon shaky feet, she conjures up the will to remove the thought of the pain existing and traverses through the darkness in search of clamors and clangors.


WC: 1,360
TWC: 3,628

WC:1000
TWC:3054

The forest was alive tonight. Jutsu’s, battle cries, and the music of swords colliding with flesh broke the silence of the beautiful night. The smell of flesh, blood, and destruction polluted the skies as a fight broke out between a band of 'friends' brought together by mission, bonds beginning in blood and steel, and their sworn enemies, powerful criminals.

"Stop this madness!" the criminal screamed, as he swung at her, but Zarina’s speed and agility were too superior to his as it seemed he swung in the open air. Now was her chance, she had the opening.

"What is this, an illusion!" The criminal shrieked as he swung again and missed. Her body was moving at such speeds and a chaotic movement, it appeared as if she was a mere illusion, perfect. Jumping into the air, she landed her feet on the branch above, she would launch herself downward.

Chaotic for sure, but when she brings down the sharp side of her trusty sword’s blade at the criminal’s chest, all she could see was red. Red blood, red rage, red vengeance. Red. The man screams, and it almost tears Zarina’s ear drops apart. Listen. Zunair had said. Time and time again. Even flicking her harshly on the forehead whenever he caught her slacking off, well, now that needed skill almost burned her ears out permanently. And the black-haired female is quick to swallow down the bile swimming in her throat as she shuts all her senses down and jams the sword further into the man's chest.

“A simple stab wound cannot kill me.” A deep evil laughter brought Zarina senses back as she jumped back. Looking forward, she saw the man was not only from the Kaguya clan as bone began to form into a weapon, but he had the same rhombus marking as Zunair. That symbol exploded and black markings covered his body and healed his wounds.

"I am Nataraja, the destroyer of all, little girl." Zarina's eyes widened as arms began to flail at her. While Zarina tried to run, she was punched to the ground by Nataraja.

"Fuck..." Zarina helplessly muttered as she stared back up at the grinning demon. But as fate would have it, the demon jumped back and took off into the woods. Confusion spread as she stood there, not even knowing what to do.

Zarina came to her senses and chased after Nataraja, running as fast as she could. Another clearing opened up and was soon filled with an aura of foreboding and the sounds of Nataraja's evil cackle. Zarina looked around, trying to find where it came from. The young woman backed up slowly and bumped into someone. She turned around and saw Nataraja standing there. "Nataraja!" said Zarina. She dropped her weapon but threw her fist at Nataraja, hitting him hard enough in the face to bloody his lip. She felt her bones compact in her hand, instantly receiving a fracture. Her other hand automatically reached for the hilt of her katana on the ground, ready to raise the blade.

Nataraja just stood there, a sick smile forming on his face. "I won't die so easily, stupid bitch.”

"Where is everyone? What did you do with my friends?" Zarina demanded, backing away from the spider ninja, and quickly picking up her sword. She finally realized she was no longer within earshot or sight of her comrades fighting and her sense of self-preservation heightened. Something was off…

Nataraja chuckled. "Oh, they're fine. They're all fine."

Zarina heard a noise behind her and spun around to see what it was. When she turned back around, Nataraja was gone. "Where are you, you coward?" she asked. "Show yourself, you bastard! Fight me!"

All was quiet for a few minutes. Zarina would not let her guard down, no matter what. Then she felt something grab her around her throat from behind. Zarina slammed her body into Nataraja's and knocked him away for the time being. He stumbled backward, watching her every move. The female swordsmen rubbed her neck for a split second, then swung her swords towards the large man, slashing across his chest, making him jump back a few feet. He was laughing at her and her futile attempts to kill him.

"Come on, Nataraja," said Zarina, "Quit playing games!" She was going to kill him. Her blood was boiling, he was here—about to be the pinpoint focus of pent-up rage and much needed revenge. She was determined to wipe him from this mortal plane once and for all.

Nataraja got up and without any warning charged at the woman, forming a sword out of his bone. "Figured, I can fight on the same playing field as you." Zarina acted in response to this, swinging up her own sword, and held it up just in time. For a while, Zarina and Nataraja stood in the middle of the clearing, swords interlocked, staring into one another's eyes with pure hatred. Until finally, Nataraja grew tired of this apparent stalemate and swung his foot into Zarina’s shin, causing her to lose her ground and fall.

The Hyūga dropped her weapon and looked up at Nataraja's bloodstained form. Nataraja stared back. Zarina stood up once more, and charged him, jumping up in the air and planning a high kick in the face. Her execution failed as Nataraja grabbed her by her ankle and threw her to the ground. Zarina landed on her stomach, and the wind was knocked out of her lungs for a moment.

"You can't defeat me. Not even 'Jounin’s' could defeat me. So, in other words, you have no chance, you insignificant little wench," said Nataraja. He gave her a kick in the stomach, causing her to roll over on her back. Then Nataraja struck her left shoulder with his sword, piercing her flesh, blood soaking her clothes and the surrounding ground.

Zarina let out an ear-piercing scream as the blade cut through her shoulder and came out the other side. She grabbed the blade with her right hand and managed to slowly move the blade out of her shoulder, then she stood up, grasping the wound. Rage is a hell of an anesthetic.

Nataraja shook his head and examined his weapon. He was honestly surprised at her determination. Clearly, she would begin bleeding out soon if she didn't get her wound treated. "Stupid, foolish child. When will you learn when to give up?"

Zarina let out an angry battle cry as she ran as fast as she could at Nataraja. Nataraja charged back at her and crouched slightly as she came close, extending his arm to clothesline the slayer as they made contact. She could not stop in time and fell to the ground, putting her hand to her throat from the dull pain from running forcefully into his arm. Almost as soon as she went down, Nataraja proceeded to kick her until she swung her sword, dismembering him at that ankle. The demon landed right next to Zarina, who tried to swing again at his neck but ultimately missed. She tried to crawl away, but Nataraja yanked her backwards by her foot, so that she was positioned under him. Zarina kicked him off her and then slowly stood up. Nataraja returned to his feet.

This was proving to become quite the battle. The two sworn enemies stood a few meters apart, both covered in blood, ready to fight to the death.

"Well, Nataraja," Zarina said in a weak voice, "one of us goes, one of us stays. If I die in battle, I'm dragging you to hell with me." The Hyūga spit out some blood, then smiled at her opponent, absolute hatred apparent in the fire in her eyes.

"You're right about that one," replied Nataraja, as he threw his sword at her as if it were a spear, striking her in the side, ripping through her flesh with a sickening noise. Zarina yelped in pain and began to stumble backwards. Nataraja caught her roughly by the arm and she made one final attempt at taking him out. She flipped her sword and swung it at him. Nataraja grabbed the blade and threw it, lodging it into the ground, blood seeping down his arm. Nataraja let out a scream and threw Zarina to the ground.

She tried with every little ounce of anything she had to get back up and fight. She was exhausted and wounded, but she managed to stand once again. "You have a lot of fight in you, I like that. Fitting for a company like me. Don't you think so? Hehe. I've decided that I'm not going to kill you but take you with us. You'll thank me later," with one quick motion, the bottom two arms of Nataraja snatched Zarina's wrists and positioned her, hanging helplessly in the air.

She needed to get free, but she didn't know how. Maybe she did? In a last-ditch effort, she swung her lower half back and then forward, connecting her foot to the bottom of the bone manipulator’s shin. Unexpectedly, the demon stumbled back and loosened his hold on her wrists. Twisting her body in the air, she used Nataraja's face as a footing and launched herself towards the ground, ripping herself free from his grasp.

Somersaulting into the ground, she quickly grabbed her sword and turned around. "Gentle Blade: Spiral Cloud Passage!" Zarina blitzed around the demon, dismembering his arms as her attack's flowed within each one as the final slash, finally dismembered the demon's head. "What? HOW! Fucking cunt," the man screamed as his head bounced around on the ground. Kneeling down, her head began to feel faint. Soon everything went black. Zarina finally stopped fighting, and she lay motionless on the ground, bloodied, and bruised from a hard battle. A won battle.

TWC: 4,418

Himari wonders how many hours have passed since she started searching. With each passing minute, the throbbing pain prior decides that misery is always better when in good, or in this case, bad company; what would've been a centralized thorn in her side slowly unearths many more sore spots and bruises she otherwise wouldn't have noticed. On one note, most of the pain was localized in her chest, arms, and legs. On another note, however, most of the pain was localized at her chest, arms, and legs, and it makes the trek all the more grueling to trudge through. Whoever that grave robber she fought previously was easily the fastest she's known and it makes her think how much more dangerous those who traverse outside the village walls are like.

While contemplating, her ears perk to the sounds of chirping in the distance, and judging from how many there are…

Wait, She thinks. It isn't migration season yet, so what's making all that noise?

Then the thought dawned on her: it could very well be one of her teammates or they're in serious trouble. Himari clenches her fists and runs toward the location of the odd conglomeration of tweeting while still being careful to avoid the sunlight's spotlights. Barely a minute transpires before the sound dies down and despite being with no convenient means to approximate the desired position, Himari storms ahead in what she could only assume to be the right way before—

"Oof!" She stumbles forward, though quick enough to save from going face first as her hands connect with the ground with a splash and tumbles on her side a good foot away from whatever caught her leg. "Geez," She murmurs and turns to face in the direction of the culprit for her fall, only to avert her gaze and hold her hand over her mouth. Just when she thought today could offer no greater opponent, her next adversary is now to combat the reflex to hurl. Getting up on one knee and realizing too late, an odd dampness on her face that wasn't there before. She blinks and looks down in bewilderment: a rippling pool of red and the stains that drip from her hands.

The grave robber was murdered.

Her body from the neck down refuses to move, she could only manage to shake in trepidation as a response. Even while the urge to howl and run flashes through her mind, the sight holds her form hostage. That was until a familiar series of chirps revive themselves.

The others!

That jumpstarts her adrenaline and renews her focus. Adjusting her position on the next heel that connects with the ground as she backpedals, she pivots and sprints toward where she hears the clamor until it disperses. Now being closer than a few minutes prior, she's confident this time to commit to her new path.


A familiar thumps ring in her ears and the chills threaten to rob her strength for what felt like an eternity wading through the unending vegetation. Just before she could lose faith in herself, she spies a figure in the distance and two others that lay on the ground beside it.

Could it be…?

"Xena!" She cries out.

As Himari gets closer until she stands parallel to her, she finds her companion in an arguably worse state than herself: caked in dust and blood, especially toward the ends of her extremities. Himari could guess what became of the two that lay away from them, but first things first.

"Are you OK?" She zips beside her, holds and inspects her right arm and hand, then her left arm and hand, then her right and left legs, in that order, and fortunately, everything appears to be in order, too. "Are you hurt anywhere? I may not be the best at treating injuries, but I can certainly try. Wait," She gasps. "Have you seen Zarina? Do you know where she took off to? Is she OK? Maybe, maybe — Can you walk? You look exhausted, though — Aah, we can't stay here forever like this, she's counting on us! — Oh! I got it! I may be small, but,"

Without giving Xena a moment to process the sheer bombardment of dread in the young Hyūga's voice and wondering how she says all this in the same breath before she catches another, Himari twists and attempts to hook her arms around and underneath Xena's legs in such a fashion that they're in front of Himari's shoulders and behind her arms. Her hands clasp onto the Uchiha's shins and, in the same move, harrumphs and hoists her comrade's feet off the ground, and leans forward. What pain she felt before then now feels so insignificant in light of current events.

"I'll carry ya on my back and hightail to her, and you can be on the lookout and help find her! I trust ya!"  And with a start, she aimlessly charges forward back into the glowering forest.


WC: 833
TWC: 4,461

In this world, where the weak grappled at the straws to survive, Zarina had been among the many who wished desperately to be one of the strong. But the reality proved a cruel mistress, and aside from embracing death, she was left with no other choice. She had to accept the truth. Looking down at the leaking wound, she realized this was it. While the wound was insignificant, it was that her body was unable to move. From one injury was all it took.

This was the extent of her body's potential, and Genin was the highest rank she would attain in this lifetime. She would not advance.  Strangely, she made peace with her circumstance as she laid upon the ground. Zarina’s memories flashed before her eyes as she realized after becoming a genin, she had become paradoxically stronger and more confident than she'd ever been. This surety of her limits has allowed her to survive skirmishes where shinobi of the same rank would have been felled by. Zarina’s skill to judge whether a battle should be pursued to the bitter end or abandoned has handily saved her life more than a few times. However, this time was different.

But still, she has no reason to be ashamed.

Zarina's chest swells with emotion. The missions she toiled over, her suffering at the hands of sadistic missing-nin, lonely nights spent reading by the firelight. Soothing words from those who she has cared about instantly uplifts her. It is strange how easily simple, sweet memories make the blood and sweat she has spilled feel wholly worth it. A smile cracked through her lips. All she knew was that she tried.

As her gaze shifted towards the treetops, she saw the world in slow motion. Better yet, she saw the monster that will take her life come towards her. However, he seemed to evaporate into thin air. Has she started hallucinating now? Maybe, but it doesn't matter. Zarina hoped those she considered family will be proud of the person that she has become. Looking up, she saw the red moon fade to white. "Interesting," was all she could mumble before pain exploded over her body and everything went black.


Bright light flashes and Zarina finds herself in a new area. Listening to the noise that surrounded her, she always found the sound of rustling leaves. A sentimental gentle swishing conjured emotions of happier times during the changing seasons when her village would hold festivals and she would compete with comrades for small favors. A warm breeze wafted lazily through the trees, stirring the intoxicating scents through the air while Zarina strolled along the edge of a secluded pond. The water sparkled with incandescent reflections from a deep sunset that painted the horizon with pastel swirls of light pinks and burnt oranges.

Casting an appreciative glance about the beautiful landscape, Zarina had the familiar sense that she had been there before but could not recall an exact time when she could have afforded such a pleasure. The mossy banks provided a cool, soft place to settle in addition to being just as aesthetically pleasing while the forest behind her gave her a feeling of comfortable solitude. She was alone, though she did not feel alone.

A feeling as if she were waiting for someone kept absently pulling Rinoa's attention in different directions. Her eyes searched the forest that surrounded the lake for any sign of her friends/comrades, but it wasn't their presence she felt.

"Zarina."

She jerked to the sound of someone's voice. A strange voice. A voice she didn't entirely recognize for it sounded like more than one.

"Zarina."

She turned the other way in absolute confusion. It sounded as if the two voices melded into one. For a moment, she thought she might have recognized at least one of the voices, but the small sound of a child deterred her presumptions. It was the urgency in the child's voice that compelled Zarina to stand and search her surroundings more diligently. She began walking briskly along the embankment in a vain attempt at finding whoever was calling for her.

"Zarina."

Zarina halted dead in her tracks. This voice was different. She turned suddenly to determine its location as it echoed from the forest and bounced off the water to confuse her. The voice wasn't so much a cry as there was need that strained in the strange combination. Regardless, someone needed her help, and she was desperately trying to figure out where they were.

"Where are you?" Zarina called in alarm towards the wilderness. Hearing the voice as if it came from the water, Zarina felt compelled to bend over the embankment. Surely, it was no water god attempting to play a trick on her as she peered hard at her own reflection.

Suddenly, a tall shadow appeared next to her reflection.

Now all she could hear were quick, ragged exhalations and marveled at the realization that it was her chest that was heaving. Placing her hand upon her forehead and feeling the cold beads of sweat that had formed, Zarina wondered at her sudden trepidation. Something or someone was calling for her, but she could not imagine who or what. The reflection in the water had been dark and indistinct. When she turned to see who was behind her, the figure vanished, and the identity of this individual remained a mystery.

"Zarina," was the last time she heard that voice as she jerked and fell into the water. The last voice was still a combination, but as she heard her name called, the Hyuuga was certain she caught the deep timbered voice of a man.

Now in the water, Zarinna began sinking into the dark abyss that consumed the depths below. Struggling, her arms moved frantically as she tried to swim up, but it felt as if something was dragging her down. Was she getting dragged to hell? Was it because she didn't believe in some imaginary deity who has let people suffer for eternity? So be it. Closing her eyes, she let her body be taken by the current that was pulling her under.

Zarina was drowning, sinking deeper with every struggle and the light from the sun was dimming – blackness was swallowing her. Black and blues obscuring the lilac eyes as she felt like her lungs would burst from being so full of water, her heart halting and starting in agonizing pulls. This had not been how she thought she would die – this had always been one of her greatest fears...where was that man...hadn't he fallen in too? Zarina couldn't swim, she was seemingly paralyzed in the water...had her body already sunk to the bottom? Into the sticky blackness that had consumed Zarina like some foul disease – it was rather hot down here and it hurt...wasn't drowning supposed to be peaceful?

Safety and Peace

Safety and peace...

A faint light appears to her, seemingly coming from nothing. Growing in size, the white light rapidly descended upon her, obliterating all her senses and blinding her. Shutting her eyes, she felt numb but something was different. She could breath for the first time she started her pivot towards the bottom of this lake.



Eyes springing to life, Zarina has awakened. Her optics shifting around, she noticed that she was in the exact spot where she fell. Had she simply fallen asleep here? Trying to move, she soon found out that was impossible. It feels like she has been tied with heavy chains, restricting any sort of movement. However, she knew her internal organs still have to be functioning because she is breathing, and all the while she is paralyzed, she could hear her faint heartbeat in her ears.

Scenarios flooded her mind, did she fall and break her neck, paralyzing herself. Oh god. A feat worse than death in her mind. She would be no more than lamb to the slaughter. What's worse is that she had no fighting chance if one of those missing ninjas decided to sprung up on her. Zarina was as good as dead.

Her eyes shifted towards the bright moon that hung in the sky, allowing its glow to blanket the grounds on the planet. She hated the moon in all its glory. While beautiful, to her it was a sign of evil. It allowed the torment of the human race for centuries and still sat in the sky as if it should be praised. The creatures: the Kyuketsuki, Jashinists, and others that lurked in the night, the horrendous acts plague these lands. Not only did it bring those things, but it also brought fear and dread to everyone. It just sat there mocking us as we tried to survive. How could she ever believe in higher power if this is what they allowed to happen.

Rolling her eyes, she noticed the sky was starting to become a more dark blue color, this indicated that the sun must be rising, or getting ready too. Maybe she would make it out alive, but what if she is paralyzed for the rest of her life? She'd rather be dead. That is a life not worth living. If that is God's plan for her, they were more ruthless than those monsters that walked the land of living.

While lying there her thoughts drifted towards the comrades she made along the way and wondering if they were safe and made it out of this predicament alive. Thinking about them, she realized she wasn't really close with anyone that she has met. She just fought beside them and never really got the chance to know them. Well, she got to know Xena, and that was probably her only friend. Anyone else would be just mere fragments to her. Well, except for Zunair. If she loved anyone in that sense, it would've been him. Of all things, she hoped he would find happiness in life. Even though he is dumb, he deserves it. They all do.

If she just laid here and died, she wouldn't be missed. Maybe if she would've taken more time and built relationships, maybe she would've had a lasting impact on someone. But she has been trying, hasn't she? She did, Zunair helped her open up in a way that she doesn't think she possibly could with anyone else. Zarina hopes he gets the family he always wanted. Maybe if she wasn't going to die on this mountain, she could befriend all the other shinobi that she fought with, but those are all just assumptions and probabilities.

Closing her eyes, she became at peace with the thought of dying

But, death never greeted her…or did it? She must've been close too as that was the bridge between this world and the next one. She kissed death and returned to the land of the living. It would've been simpler if she died but yet, here she is.

Her eyes opened up to the sound of rushing water in the distance. Sore and battered with blood, she rose up, having regained feeling in her body, she looked around herself in the familiar area. Next to her lay the man that tried to kill her. It seemed he didn't fare too well. Thinking of it? Where were the others? Xena and Himari? Making it to her feet, she grabbed her blade that she killed the man with and took off into the forest to find the other girls.

TWC: 6,332

Please be OK, Please be OK, Please be OK— Is but one of many catastrophic thoughts racing through her mind.

Even in Xena's company as she straddles the Genin's back and steers her movements between the vastness of treelines, the amount of time they'd need will likely far exceed what a worst-case scenario would allow. Every breath she takes, every step she makes, every glance she sees, the weight of her body feels as though it progressively gets heavier and heavier. Not due to her carrying her comrade across her back, she knows she's more than capable of carrying perhaps four more if hubris calls for it. But in such a short time, she'd fought against a superior and barely managed to endure, take off at break-neck speeds to locate Xena, and is now repeating the same motion prior to finding Zarina.

Her body at this point in time screams for her to stop running, to give up her pursuit of finding their last compatriot, its desire to retire to a numbing slumber to recuperate and gather her strength. The temptation pulsates with each step she takes, with every impression her feet create, a vehement throb travels through and up to her brain, signaling their demands for her to finally quit. The temptation reverberates through her arms, with each jostle her body makes, an agitated pulse drums through and up to her cranium, pleading for her to lull them free from their responsibility. The temptation palpitates with each breath she takes, with every inhalation and exhalation, a burning ache hammers through and up to her head, crying for her to cease from the fatigue that overworks them.

And yet, she presses on.

For most of Himari's life up until this point, she's trained her body religiously to compensate for her shortcomings in controlling the ebb and flow of chakra circulating her body. She's honed her arms to tolerate unbearable levels of burden to their maximum capacity, her back to carry weights and sizes that exceed even triple that of her own, her legs to withstand the strain of lifting would feel like the weight of the world above her shoulders, and her stamina to endure the longevity of every moment, of every minute, and of every hour to its absolute limit for when duty calls for a trial by fire. Everything she's worked for during her Academy days has finally led up to this exact moment.

To prove to the doctors that doubted her capabilities.

To prove to the classmates that mocked her inability.

To prove to her mother that nurtured her potential.

To prove to herself that she can drill through and shatter the glass ceiling.

She ignores the signals, the pleas, the cries, and the aches assaulting her senses. She will not yield to their demands, she CANNOT give in to their inclinations. To relinquish what little control she has over her form is to relinquish a life she could have saved. To relinquish a friend she could have made. To relinquish a relationship she could have fostered. To accept defeat is to accept death, and to accept death is to accept the shame of having accomplished so little. An insignificant spark unknowingly snuffed from the world.

She will not yield to their demands.

As her knees bend, she hammers each step, leaving deeper impressions on the earth, and, subsequently, her speed picks up incrementally. Even while occasionally a stray branch or thorny bush rakes, scrapes, and cuts past her, she remains stalwart in her search. She holds steadfast to Xena's shins and anchors her against her closely. She must make use of what little time remains until the dim lights of the setting sun allow her.

She cannot give in to their inclinations.

An unspecified length of time passes, and somewhere within that period, Himari's sudden force clings to her knees and drags her toward the ground. She grits her teeth and groans, a familiar sting assaults her mind and her body briefly shakes and trembles from the impact. Almost just as briefly did her consciousness whisk itself through her breath, her arms loosen, her hands slacken on Xena's shins, her legs ease and go numb, and her head lulls.

Is this it?

Is the extent she can push her body?

Is this what will consume her in to the world of dreams?

Is this all that she has to show?

A light droplet falls to the patch of dirt below her, then another, then another until it became a trickling stream.

That's it?

Is this really all she's capable of?

Is she this feeble?

Ah, but the allure…

The want to cast herself into the knowing darkness. The want to wish and think Zarina is her embrace right now. What a pleasant thought that would be.

Perhaps…

Just for a moment…

It won't take long, she only needs to let her eyes rest for a time…

"Xena!"

Her ears perk up.

"Himari!"

Raising her head, her glassy-eyed vision looks toward the boundless shadows. The voice was faint though feminine enough, was it a straggler from among the batch of grave robbers? She couldn't recall the exact number there were prior to the group's separation and consequently a handful of the robber's ends. But, it has a monotone undertone to it. Which can possibly mean one thing.

She feels her muscles tense up, her arms tighten, her legs flex and her hands renew their grip. Slowly, she stands up, one knee after the other, and staggers before she jogs and then runs toward the direction of the sound.

I have to keep moving, I have to keep moving, I have to keep moving— Is but one of many noncatastrophic thoughts racing through her mind.

And for what feels like an unending passage of time that transpires, at last, she finally she's the beacon of hope she longs for. A diminutive figure clad in shadows and shades of warm and earthen colors, the same raven-colored long hair — although unkempt for reasons she can discern —, and the tsuba and handle of her weapon at her side.

"Zarina?" She murmurs, then bellows with a strain to her voice. "Zarina!"

And after taking another step forward her knees, once again, give out and falls upon them to the earth. But, this is fine. She crossed the finish line well enough to accomplish what she intended and to go any further would harm her. She loosens her hold of Xena and her body lulls and hits the ground with a soft thud. Her breath turns shallow as her limbs and extremities periodically twitch, at random, in an effort to stimulate movement.

"Are," She sighs long-windedly. "OK?"


WC: 1,116
TWC: 5,577

“Himari!” Zarina soon found herself face-to-face with her relative.

In conclusion, they were victorious. The battle was won, and the rogue ninjas were slain, just how it should be. Soon enough, a small smile formed upon her lips as she rushed to Himari. "Are you okay?" She questioned the other byakugan user, eyeing her for any wounds. She was genuinely concerned about the wellbeing of her comrades. Once checking on her, she would find Xena.

"Need help?" Zarina offered a soft smile while offering her hand to either Himari or Xena, if either one accepted her help, she would help them back to the town. Either or, she would head back to the village and give them the good news. Looking back at Himari, Zarina felt her determination and self-sacrifice would make a great addition to the shinobi-force of Konoha. Then, when the morning comes, she would then head to her next destination.

EXIT
TWC: 6,485
Claiming:
+30,000 Ryo
+135AP
1750/1750 to Gentle Blade: Vacuum Cannon
1125/1125 to Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire
1500/1500 to Seal of Abundance
1000/1000 to Flying Swallow
1000/1000 to Sakura: First Step