Team Sonata's Oveture [Private / Training]

The field was truly beautiful. It stretched in opulent swathes of grass, flowers dotted the green in starbursts of color, pulling every eye to the telling signs of spring. The sun filtered through wispy clouds, bathing the world in a golden glow. It was serene, the grass soft reaching just above the ankles, the smell of warm earth thick and comforting.

Harune sat in the meadows, knees brought up to her chest, head lolled a little to one side as her eyes stared vacantly at her slightly outstretched hand. Bees buzzed softly as they landed upon the sun user’s hand, sights set on the dab of honey that was smeared on the back of the worn hand. The bees held no aggression, simply humming softly as they gorged themselves. If it would have been anything else, Harune’s blank face would have been disconcerting, worrying even, but the bees didn’t care. Maybe that is why she was here, to be with things that didn’t mind her apathetic demeanor. 

Harune’s gaze wandered, so did her mind into the cloying fog that filled her head. It was quiet in the valley, the omnipresent hubbub of chatter from people gave way to the sound of languid insects and the occasional breeze. It was nice, the peace of this seemingly unknown land. Harune could feel her skin itch. It felt wrong, sitting without doing anything but feeding the bees. She should be doing something productive, yet she couldn’t move. Something clung to her bones like cold syrup, keeping her immobilized here in the warm cradles of the grass.

A bee buzzed from his hand to bumble up to the motionless face. Harune kept still as its fat little black and yellow body landed upon her nose, curious, exploring the source of its meal. It was only when the bee attempted to crawl from her nose onto one of her eyes that Harune blew it away, setting the insect aflight once more. The bee hovered for a moment the best it could with its sugar-saturated body before flying away. Harune lost track of it almost immediately.

How much time had passed? The sun was still high in the sky but that did not say much, the sun rose at four and went down at eight.  Harune focused on her hand again, a vain attempt to center herself as she felt herself drifting away once more. The bees buzzed, annoyed as she turned over her hand. The palm of her hand was still just forming calluses, tinged pink and raw from training. She turned her head. A half-full jar of honey sat next to her. Ah, that is right, she was filling the jars of honey for her mother’s small shop in the market plaza.

“Harune.” It took a moment to recognize the voice that floated to her over the wind and flowers. Her father smiled at the girl serenely as he picked his way closer to the huddled figure. Harune finally was able to unfreeze, forcing her legs to move. She heard her father's smile now more than saw it as he spoke.

“Hello.” He said as he let himself sit down on the ground next to her, head tilted towards her, a small smile still present as he watched the bees bumble in the air, seemingly drunk off honey.

“The bees in our meadow are always docile when the first flowers come up. Your mother comes here every so often. She adores bees, they symbolize love as well she says. I miss seeing them here when I’m partaking in other matters.” Harune nods along with the words. She was about to answer him when the cry of a hawk sounded from the skies up above. Raising her head, she watched as the bird quickly, yet flawlessly landed upon the ground in front of her. Disrupting the bees from their peace, they started swirling around in the area; however, they were still not acting upon a violent nature and let the landing be.

“Hm? I wonder what it could be,” she questioned as she saw the small compartment that was wrapped around the hawk’s leg before it hopped to her. Untying the ribbon, the compartment fell into her grasp as the lid opened to reveal a small scroll.

She said out loud, "how interesting," as she received instructions from such an absolutely adorable little bird. While she was still quite new to the tasks at hand and couldn't claim to know many other individuals in her ranks directly or those above, she was still obligated to carry her fair share of the burden under the arrangement of her becoming a genin. “It seems the Otokage has requested my audience, I have been selected to be trained under him in the typical three-man cell,” she said as she crumpled up the paper into her hands.

As the bird took note of the message delivered, it sprouted its wings and took off to the skies once again. “That is great Harune, you will make this family proud,” her father, Yuuma said. ‘Will I, father?’ She thought in her head as she rose from her resting place.

“I hope so, but I have to get going. Are you going to accompany me back into the compound?” Harune asked the patriarch of the Shokku Clan.

“Of course, dear, let’s go.” Yuuma said as he stood before his daughter and led her back to the compound.

---

It starts out slowly to the east. Just a shift in the sky, reaching up from far behind the mountains, spreading lines of a deeper blue. If she keeps sitting there, and she will, it will shift further, the blue mingling with an ever-growing haze that wavers into a softer shade of golden-green, like a transparent curtain, before it all goes tipping and spilling over into a harsh, rich crimson, flooding the valley with a blood-red dawn.

Harune checks her footing, pulling herself up that last bit of the way so she can lean against the branches, turning her face towards the rising sun. Here, in the heart of the woods, where the trees stand almost bark to bark, boughs curling together so tightly that she could walk across the canopy like a carpet, nary a light reaching down beneath the leaves, giving the forest floor an air of perpetual gloom. She likes it that way, much prefers not to see what lies beyond, the vastness of a world that has almost lost its meaning. Almost. Dawn is the only time she allows herself to do so, to climb to the top of the highest tree and watch the night turn into day. To ascertain, in the manner of someone who has been asleep for too long, that everything is still in place, the Earth is still turning, and it will be another quiet day below.

In the moments she retained from another time, dawn was a relief, an end to the grip of primal fear that took a hold of men when they were lying in a pitch-black hole, clutching at what may well have been twigs for all the good they were going to do, listening to the staccato of their own breaths in the darkness and praying that they would remain the only ones. Dawn was something to be greeted, celebrated even, a joyous kind of collective relief sweeping through the ditch at something that should have been a matter of course, but wasn't. She remembers different dawns, long ones, gray ones, brilliantly piercing ones, and she remembers thinking them beautiful in the way an amnesiac knows that a portrait of a person used to mean something, but now...

Now they are all the same. Ever since they all died.

Shaking her head out of her stupor, she looked down at the scroll unraveled in front of her. That contents that lie within tells her the information that the Kage has told her. Meet at the training facility for evaluation and introduction into Team Sonata.

Remnants of a written request. Footprints and ink spillage. Mere remains and vestiges. Harune followed one fragment after another, trying to grasp at those illusory shadows that were brought on by the broken beams that fell upon the land from the sunlight. For a time, she felt like she was chasing ghosts. The cool breeze whisked upon her cheeks, giving a subtle reminder of the attractions of the early morning of summer. A rejuvenation. Just like the sun shining through the storm. If only humanity could reach that state.

Continuing her path forward, the trees disbanded their unified front into a large opening. The sun rays directly hitting her could also be felt in her veins, as if she was one with the celestial body. Perhaps, she could be. Gazing around the area, she took note of the landscape. Most notable, a lake sat in its midst. Pristine waters so clear that the only source could be that of a spring. Songbirds could be heard in the distance singing their hymn songs awakening the world around them. If heaven was a place, this would be a close second to that recognition.

But what caught her eye the most was the individual standing near the divine lake, the Otokage. Approaching him, she took note of all his features, blemishes, and insecurities. He stood quite tall, like her brother and father. A scar running horizontally across the bridge of his nose and several piercings aligned at the bottom of his ears. Nothing else could be talked about thus far.

“Greetings, Lord Otokage.” She said standing before him as she saluted him with respect. “It is an honor to be selected to be a part of your unit.” She finished before raising her head.

TWC: 1,624

Just after finishing his last C Ranked Mission, Hanzo was on his way back home as the sky darkened. After a long, tiring walk, he was right in front of his house. As he was about to reach the door knob with his right hand, he could hear a sharp noise that sounded like a bird. He turned his body and looked up at the sky and just as he thought it was a Hawk soaring through the sky majestically while flying towards him. The young Uchiha wasn't sure why the hawk zoomed in on the Genin. Hanzo squinted his eyes to focus on the bird and could see a small scroll tied around his left leg. He instantly knew that it was a messenger hawk and not a wild species. He walked towards the flying hawk and raised his right hand horizontally to his chest level. The hawk gracefully landed on his hand. The young Uchiha then proceeded to untie the scroll attached to its left leg and raised his right hand upwards for the hawk to fly off. "Who could have sent me a message?" he asked himself as he was opening the scroll. Hanzo began to scan through the scroll and was delighted that the Otokage requested the young Uchiha to be a part of his three man team. The young red haired Uchiha tried to suppress his excitement as this was a route to be the Otokage's bodyguard, if he performed well.

His excitement fell down the gutter as a flash of haunting memories of his mother passing away in his arms came to his mind. Hanzo didn't lose his hatred towards his father. The young Uchiha wanted to avenge his mother, the only one who truly loved him. He needed to get stronger if he ever wanted to kill his father, by the same black flame technique he used on his mother and their house. Hanzo acknowledged that by being a part of the Otokage's team, he will get significantly stronger thus helping him to achieve his goals. He turned around and walked towards his house, opened the door and took a good warm shower. While showering, he wondered “Since it was a three man team, who are the two other shinobi’s that the Otokage might have chosen?”. He quickly cleaned himself and dried up. He lay down on his bed and covered himself with the blanket while staring blankly at the ceiling. He was excited yet anxious about his teammates. He fell asleep while being in deep thoughts.

The bright sun of Otogakure shone brightly through the window on the face of the young Uchiha who was sleeping. Hanzo woke up with sleep in his eyes. In that moment, his eyes widened and his eyebrows raised. It was the day for the three man team to be assembled before the Otokage. It was a huge honor for the Otokage to choose them personally. Hanzo immediately washed up and left his house. As usual, he wore his daily attire that consisted of his black sleeveless armor looking clothing that was complemented by his purple belt. He wore his sentimental purple scarf around his neck that swayed in the wind, that was given to him by his mother before she passed away.

Appearance:

Hanzo continued his path towards the training grounds of his village. The luscious green scenery was beautiful as always. The sun rays shining his way through the thick forest. As he was reaching his destination, he could see two figures about 300 meters away. One was tall and the other was short. Hanzo figured the tall figure was the Otokage himself as the sun's ray shined upon his red hair and he saw a shorter figure that was a kunoichi who's hair was the color of the sun. He walked quickly in order not to be late and was nearly 50 meters away. Just as then, Hanzo's complexity disorder surfaced again.

Inferiority Complex:
"What if the Kunoichi chosen by the Otokage himself was way stronger than him?"
"What if the Otokage chose her over himself for the position of the bodyguard ?"

Superiority Complex:
"Maybe I should just kill her with my Chidori and get this over with!"
"Killing her would make the Otokage acknowledge my strength!"

He couldn't control his disorder as he was still young. He hated the feeling of having two strong emotions that took over him without his permission. The young Uchiha immediately dispersed these thoughts. He didn't want either of them to know about his mental state which was caused by his traumatic history.

Since the Otokage was standing near the lake talking to his future teammate, Hanzo siphoned his chakra into his feet and activated his Surface Walking Technique to walk across the lake to decrease the distance between them. Eventually he would stand right in front of the Otokage "Good Morning Otokage sama!" he said while bowing respectfully. "It's an honor to be a part of the team you are leading" while raising his head. He turned his head to the kunoichi with the eyes of yellow shades. "My name is Hanzo Uchiha. Let's get along" he said as he gave a hint of a smile to cover his urge of using his technique on her due to his superiority complex.

WC: 900

Techniques Used:

---

"STUPID BOY! I TOLD YOU TO BLOCK FASTER YOU ABSOLUTE BUFFOON!"


The next blow from his father came at full force across his left cheek. A young Raikur fell to the ground, yelping out in pain. The shadow looming above him did not relent, screaming out in rage as he swung his foot into Raikur's abdomen.



"And you actually believe that you deserve the right to hold the Shokku name? YOU!? A mere little pup that can barely keep his arms up after an hour of sparring! You make me sick! Hurry up and die already!"


One last boot to the jaw knocked the lights out of a very young Raikur.

---

Raikur shot awake, panting heavily as sweat trickled down his body. His breath was rugged as his chest raised and lowered in quick succession. He had been experiencing the same dream for weeks now, his sleep being perpetually interrupted by these visions of anguish and suffering. No... dreams and visions were not the correct description for what these were. They were memories, memories of an abusive past and trauma that had moulded Raikur into the dark and sullen person he was today. He felt an ache in both of his palms, and it was only then when the young Shokku noticed that he had been clenching his fists as tightly as he could, to the point where blood began to seep out of them and his knuckles had whitened. Taking a deep breath, he unclenched his fists and surveyed the damage. Thankfully, it was nothing major, he would simply disinfect the shallow wounds and cover them, something he was used to doing very often in the past.

As Raikur rose from his bed, he slowly made his way to his ensuite, turning on the light and looking himself in the large mirror. He had slept shirtless, so the first thing he noticed were the countless scars that wrapped themselves around his torso. He did not look at them in shame, they were important to him. They were a reminder of what he had endured to get to this point in his life, and what he would never again have to endure from those he had once believed to be "family" in the past. Shaking his head quickly, he made his way to the cabinet and pulled out some bandages and disinfectant cream. Washing, disinfecting and then wrapping his bloody hands, the young man got walked back into his modest room and got dressed. Raikur wore matching black pants and a tight fitting jumper, which he placed over a slim undershirt. Leaving his bandaged hands bare, he put on a pair of black and purple boots, before making his way out of his small home.

Raikur lived in the outskirts of the Shokku clan compound in Otogakure. Less than a year ago, he had made the intimidating decision of leaving his terrible parents behind and buying himself a small cottage to live in alone. He managed this by working many hours from a very young age, and even then he had to haggle his way into getting an achievable deal. It had been worth it in the end though, his mornings and nights were no longer filled with yelling and violence. He no longer had to hide the scars and bruises from his twin sister, Harune. He no longer had to live in fear, he was finally free. Or at least as free as he could be while living in the same clan compound, but it was a start and he was happy with it.

He was greeted by the cold morning breeze as he exited his home in silence. The sun had barely yet risen, so he found himself with plenty of time before he began his training. He decided to go on a walk towards the centre of Oto, to his favourite coffee shop that opened nice and early each morning. The walk was roughly 15 minutes at a leisurely pace, which he was more than happy to do partake in. He enjoyed hearing the birds whistling at this hour, it gave a beautiful symphony for him to watch the morning clouds move to. Hmm... Maybe I should do some cloud watching along with my coffee today...

He had almost arrived at the coffee shop when the sudden sound of a bird's screeching rang out above him. Looking up, he spotted a majestic hawk diving down towards him, its sleek white wings effortlessly moving through the breeze. At first he was alarmed, until he noticed it slowing its pace and sticking both of its talons out for a place to land. He raised his left arm, allowing it to do so there and flinching slightly as it wrapped said talons around his arm. On the hawk was a small scroll, apparently for his eyes. Raikur was shocked to see that it bore the stamp of the Otokage himself. What could his kage want from him, a mere Genin who had only just graduated from the academy? Breaking the stamp and unfurling the scroll, Raikur raised an eyebrow when he read its contents. It looked like he was going to be joining a new team, and the Otokage of all people would be leading it, this was quite unbelievable news.

Rolling the scroll back up and putting it into his pack, Raikur gave the hawk a soft pet before it launched into the air and flew off. Sighing at having to miss his morning coffee, the young Shokku began to quickly move towards the village's advanced training facility, bounding past people who were groggily starting their days. Team Sonata huh... It has a nice ring to it... He arrived in a matter of minutes, slowing down to a more appropriate walking pace before he turned a corner and into clearing with a beautiful lake. He was surprised to see that he was the last person to arrive, as there were already three figures up ahead. One of them, a boy with a black uniform and an unusual hair tone appeared to have just arrived. Raikur walked up to the group.

"Good morning, my apologies if I am late. My name is Raikur, of the Shokku clan..." He spoke calmly, maintaining a straight face as he turned to the Otokage and bowing slightly. "It is a pleasure to meet you Lord Otokage, I look forward to growing as your pupil." He then turned and gave a warm nod to his twin sister. "Good morning Harune."

Finally he turned and faced the other male in the group. "Good morning, it appears that we will be team mates moving forward." Maintaining his calm composure, Raikur made sure not to bring attention to his bandages hands. He turned and looked at his kage, awaiting any instructions that may follow.

---

WC: 1,139

“Thank you,” she responded to the welcoming of her sensei.

The remaining members of Team Sonata came forth; Hanzo and then following him was her own brother, Raikur. Hanzo seemed to be overly ecstatic to be a part of this newly formed team, as he cheerfully approached the Otokage, but still offering a few kind words to the blonde as well. He was tall just like Kaito-sensei and an Uchiha. Are they first cousins? Or somewhere far off on opposite ends of a family tree? Whatever is the case, Harune took note of his hair color, a color that contrasted the rest of his person. Starting at the base it was red and then carefully blended into a purple. Very interesting.

Meeting his gaze, she spoke, “don’t act like a moron and I’m sure we can get along. Or else…well, let me just say I wouldn’t want to hurt somebody as cute as you.” Offering a wink, and a tender smile, she turned her focus away from him and to her brother that has joined their ranks. Just like the rest of the members of Team Sonata, he stood towering above her. Ever since she could remember, Raikur was always massively taller than her as if he hit a growth spurt when they finally separated in the womb. Crossing her arms, she felt a little annoyance grew in her chest as she felt like she was a child standing beside all of them.

“Yeah, yeah, nice to see you too. I would’ve been nicer if you actually showed up to family dinner last night. I know how you feel about dad, but mom and I are still there, and we would like to see you every now and then.” She said not caring about Hanzo and Kaito hearing about the family drama that is going on behind the scenes. She glares daggers into his head for a couple moments before dropping the emotion and replacing it with a gentle smile. Taking a step towards him, she wrapped her arms around his chest. “But I guess this will do.”

Taking a step back away from him, she listens intuitively as Kaito begins to talk. He went out of his way to get them all a protein bar and an energy drink. How thoughtful of him. “Thank you,” she said as she received her gifts from the Otokage. Taking a seat at the fallen tree, she continued to listen to her sensei. He is also not a native to this area just like Raikur and her, but he comes from a place on the eastern continent. ‘I wonder what stories he has that he could share!’ Harune thought, wanting to know what that place, Sunagakure, is like. He is also a master in many forms of arts, as he should be, given his title as Lord Otokage.

As he continued to talk, he breathed and his eyes came to life. The kekkei genkai of the Uchiha clan, she read about it in her book that details the sharingan and all other unique family traits. She couldn’t remember what it was called, but there were different stages of the bloodline limit. She wondered what stages this is? But nonetheless, the eyes were spectacular and beautiful. Finishing out his introduction, he ended with an apology and the deactivation of the eye. While Harune has trust issues with people sweet talking her, she believes him. If it wasn’t enough evidence through his tone, the activation of his eyes through the emotion was the deal sealer for her. Standing up, and taking Kaito’s place, she began her introduction.

“I am Shokku, Harune and I am also not a native to this area. I, we, came from a village in the Honey Country named Furano. We moved here when everyone in the village, our sister as well, was slaughtered by our priest and his followers. Unbeknownst up until the massacre, they were a group of vampires. Kyuketsuki. Fled here and started a new life in the confines of the great Sound Village. I became a ninja because I wanted to give back and protect the place…the people that took us in when we had nowhere to go. And I so graciously thank you for that, Lord Otokage. I want to serve Otogakure well and make my parents proud and that is my goal, but my personal goal is to find Azrael and his followers and bring an end to their reign of terror. They must be stopped.” She said as she finally allowed herself to breathe. Popping open the can, she took a drink of the energized liquid before continuing on.

“While may strengths aren't in the form desires, I believe my strengths are that I am a solutions-oriented person in strategy formulation, and I am adaptable. At my old village, I was their medic assistant, right under my mother. I learned to perform well under pressure and save lives with as few resources as possible, be it in an operating room or on the fly.

I’ve also come up with strategies that helped save my village mates numerous times until I wasn’t there and the unthinkable happened. But I was able to get my family and a few others out, leading them to safety. Because in those circumstances, I was able to formulate a plan and adapt to the situation quickly without losing my head. Since those events, I do extensive research for every mission, so I can be extra prepared now and reduce the risk of being surprised again.

For weakness, which I’m sure we can all take account of, is that I can be quite critical of myself, which can lead me to negative self-talk, self-doubt, and eventual burnout. I do work on it though, but some days are harder than others.” Harune said, finishing her introduction into the group and taking a seat on the tree once again.

TWC: 2,604

The Elder Uchiha giving a fist bump to Hanzo made him smile and he felt a sense of belonging. Since he had no family, the Otokage doing said gesture was a great feeling for him. Hanzo's superiority complex dispersed the moment Harune said he was cute. At the sight of Harune's wink at him, the young Uchiha blushed. Just as the three were having the interaction, a shinobi looking the same age with short jet black hair and purple eyes joined their rank. He introduced himself as Raikur and greeted them.

Hanzo then understood that Raikur and Harune are siblings once the blonde haired girl started talking to him in a casual manner about their family issue. As the conversation came to an end, the Otokage took out some treats for everyone, which Hanzo took with a respectful bow and kept in his pocket. The Otokage began his conversation with wanting an introduction from each team member of Sonata and started off introducing himself. The young Uchiha was mesmerized by the skills of the Elder Uchiha who had three different specialties, while he only had two. Just as he finished off his sentence he revealed what Hanzo thought was the Mangekyo Sharingan as it was obviously different from a Sharingan. Hanzo could feel a strong presence the moment the Dojutsu was activated, it was like the atmosphere stopped for a second at how serious he was. The young Uchiha was curious about the Otokage's Mangekyo Sharingan design as it was different from Hanzo’s design. He wanted to inquire about it when it was his turn to introduce himself.

The Otokage then informed Harune to introduce herself. Hanzo was moved by her tragic story. She had a tough life and came to Otogakure to start a new life. She wanted to find someone called Azrael and his group and to end their reign of terror. Hanzo in his mind wanted to help his fellow shinobi and team member achieve her goal. After drinking from her can, she continued with her introduction that she's good at strategy formulation and able to work under pressure but may be critical towards herself. This reminded the young Uchiha of his complexity disorder. Once she concluded, she sat down. As Hanzo was the second to arrive, it was his turn. He woke up from his position and stood at the location where Harune introduced herself.

"My name is Hanzo Uchiha" he uttered while activating his Sharingan. His Sharingan illuminating bright red as the sun's ray fell upon them. "I don't have a family. My mother passed away in my arms" Hanzo said as he held onto the purple scarf that was adorned around his neck. "This is the only thing I have in my possession that is valuable to me as it was given to me by my mother as she died". "My father was obsessed with power and a drunkard. He killed my mother with some black flame technique that I am not familiar with. I will find him!" he said as he closed his eyes. "And I will kill him with the same black flames he used upon my mother!" he declared, by opening his eyes and activating his Mangekyo Sharingan. The aura surrounding the young Uchiha was raging with anger. As he felt a slight pain in his right eye, a small tear of blood came out which then he immediately deactivated his Mangekyo Sharingan and held up his right hand to cover his right eye. It felt like something was about to burst out of his eyes. He wiped the blood trickle out of his left eye and continued. "I'm sorry about that. I got caught up in my past" Hanzo said as he apologized and bowed to the group which he felt like he ruined their mood.


"My goal is to become a part of the Sound Ninja Five, and hopefully the Otokage's bodyguard" he said while looking at the Otokage. "I can consider myself somewhat stronger than the average shinobi in our village" he boasted due to his Uchiha heritage. "As for weakness, I don't I have one" he said smiling, hiding the fact about his complexity disorder. He then proceeded to walk towards Harune and took a seat beside her. He turned his head towards the Otokage, "Otokage sama, you seem to have a different design then what I have, what is that about ?" he curiously enquired. Whether he explained or not is up to him, but after that Hanzo looked at Raikur "Hey, looks like you're next buddy".

WC: 760
TWC: 1660

Techniques Used:

Raikur maintained a straight face as the Otokage Kaito spoke to him, the older Uchiha seemed very intent on making a good first impression for his new students, but Raikur assumed this leniency would not last for too long. The young Shokku made a mental note to avoid any further tardiness in the future, not wanting to earn a reputation with the Otokage or any other Shinobi that may catch wind of his antics. He slowly nodded at Kaito's response. He sighed when it was his sister's turn to speak, Harune was the one family member that he truly held any love for, but it may be because of this fact that she was extremely efficient at pushing his buttons.

His sister clearly meant well with her initial comment, he knew that she enjoyed his presence (no matter how quiet he was) at their family gatherings. Harune's comment about his hatred toward Yuuma, their father, did not both Raikur. The man disgusted him and he had no issue with other people being aware of how despicable Yuuma was, he no longer even referred to him as 'father' due to their broken relationship. If you can even call it a relationship, that sack of shit has never treated me like an actual son. One day I will spit on his grave, hopefully one that I put him in myself... Raikur made sure to keep those thoughts internalised, speaking about his desire to end the life of his and Harune's father would like not bode very well with the kage of their village after all.

His calmness was not maintained when she brought up their mother. Harune was very well aware of how their father had treated him in the past, and would likely have continued to treat him in the present had he not left the family home. However, Harune had no idea that their mother, Tsubaki, was almost as bad as their father. Although she never lay a hand on Raikur, her abuse was always of the emotional kind. Raikur had never told his sister about how she would verbally abuse him when his twin was not in their presence, screaming at him over the slightest inconvenience. Tsubaki seemed to share the same grudge against Raikur as her husband, yet the boy had never been able to put his finger on where it had all stemmed from.

Rage welled up inside the young Shokku boy, normally he would not get so wound up by comments like these from Harune, but thinking about both parents brought up emotions that he preferred to repress. He felt his body temperature rise slightly, his anger reaching a boiling point, but he never showed it on his face. It was then that he realised both of his palms felt damp. Without looking down, Raikur ascertained that he had reinjured his hand, clenching his fists so tightly that blood had been drawn from the wounds he gained earlier this morning. His anger was instantly subsided the moment his sister pulled him in for a hug. Although she had a habit of pissing him off, she was also exceptionally talented at calming her brother back down. He welcomed the embrace, but ensured that he did not do the same, so as to avoid getting any of his blood on Harune's clothing. She would very promptly end his life if he did so.

His interaction with the Uchiha boy, Hanzo was very brief, the two did not exchange any more words and it seemed time for their new sensei speak once more. Raikur looked back to Kaito has the Otokage pulled out the energy drinks and protein bars. The snacks would likely not be as enjoyable as his intended coffee for the morning, but Raikur appreciated the gesture shown here. He nodded respectfully as Kaito gave him his portion of the protein bar and energy drink. Raikur had been shocked to find out that his team leader and sensei would be the Otokage of the village himself, by extension he had assumed they would have a butler of some kind supplying chef made food for them. But he was grateful for the effort put into this by Kaito, the gesture alone was a comforting one and he already had a good feeling about the man being responsible for Raikur.

Raikur raised an eyebrow briefly at Kaito's comments about an impending training session, it appeared that it would be quite the entertaining morning after all, or at least an eventful one. Raikur instantly began thinking up strategies and exercises that he could utilise over their remaining time together, but his thoughts were cut off by what Kaito said next. Ahh, introductions... Great.. My favourite... Why do I have a feeling this is going to be a bit of a drag... Once again, he kept these thoughts internalised. Harune would not care, but Raikur thought it would be best if his new sensei and team mate did not hate him right after they had just met him. He listened as the kage spoke on, beginning to think about his own answers. Raikur was not necessarily comfortable with revealing any weaknesses, his distrustful nature holding his thoughts back as Kaito continued to talk.

At the Otokage's behest, Raikur moved to the fallen tree as his sister did, but instead chose to stand beside her instead of sitting. If they were to start training soon, he did not want his limbs getting stiff from sitting for too long. Raikur cracked open his drink and sipped quietly as Kaito introduced himself properly. He was not surprised when Kaito told them of his origin, it was well known in the village by now that their founders were from another village prior. Kaito seemed like a fairly ordinary Shinobi when he spoke of his motivations and greatest strength, it was the usual patriotic spiel to Raikur. The young Shokku had never aligned himself with the notion of being valued by society, his mistrust of others would never allow him to seek their approval or respect. That being said, he held no judgement to those who felt that way. What did intrigue him was the Otokage's weakness. What had he done that was so nefarious to achieve this power of his? Raikur would be very interested in finding this out eventually.

What came next was a shock to the young Genin. His sensei opened his eyes to reveal something that Raikur had never witnessed or even heard about before. Every Shinobi knew what a Sharingan was, it was vital information considering how deadly those eyes were and he had been taught about the Dojutsu in the academy. Kaito's eyes seemed to be some form of mutated form of the Sharingan, and they glared with a dangerous intensity that made Raikur tense up. These were dangerous eyes, he knew that much for sure. Raikur did not even hear the Otokage talk about how he would ensure the safety of his students, being so caught up trying to figure out what the eyes meant.

Raikur stood in silence as his sister stood up and began her own introduction. She explained their family history, even mentioning the death of their sister. This was not a surprise to him, he was all too well aware of her thoughts and feelings on the dark family history that they shared, and the rage she felt towards Azrael. He nodded slightly as she spoke of her strengths and weaknesses, witnessing them all first hand as they grew up, learned and trained together. He had attempted to assist his sister with her self doubting tendencies, but Harune was nothing if not headstrong. As she sat, down, their other team mate began his introduction.

The boy was quick to try and show off by activating his own Sharingan, apparently eager to impress his fellow Uchiha team leader. It appeared that Hanzo also shared a tragic backstory, as the two Shokku siblings had, their fathers seemed similar at least. Raikur suppressed a chuckle when Hanzo spoke about his desire to kill his father, not because he found his history funny, but because they both shared the same ambition. Raikur's eyes narrowed when Hanzo's eyes followed Kaito's by mutating into a pattern he had never witness before. Just what were these Uchiha capable of? Raikur was on the cusp of activating his clan's own ocular abilities, but it appeared he was nowhere near the level of these two yet. It seemed that Hanzo had a long way to go still with his eyes, as one of them began to bleed as he reverted them. These eyes must have a drawback to them then. This Hanzo also mentioned something about black flames earlier, could the two be connected somehow? I should investigate this when I get the chance...

The boy, who seemed to be of a similar age to he and his sister, continued speaking, although it seemed more like boastful rambling to Raikur from here on out. Making hot shot claims about joining the Sound Ninja Five and becoming Kaito's bodyguard. His arrogance was made more apparent when he had the nerve to claim that he held no weaknesses. It was a dangerous way to think, to truly believe that you are flawless would often result in a quick and early death. His bastard father had taught him that early on, it was one of the lessons that Raikur was actually grateful for receiving. Finally, the boy was finished with his speech and palmed it over to Raikur, who was already standing.

He took a moment before speaking, ensuring that nobody else had anything to say. "My name is Raikur. I am of the Shokku clan, if you can even call it a clan anymore. My sister already gave you the brunt of our oh so tragic history. Yes we all have sad pasts, but my only concern as of now is that of the present and future. I will soon attain my clan's powers, the likes of which have never been witnessed in Otogakure, or any of the major villages before. Like many Shinobi, I seek power, but unlike them, I have will not allow that power to alter the course of my future. I am going to take over the remnants of my clan and shave away the filth and weakness that it contains. My clan is one of hatred and revenge, you may notice that my sister has revenge on her mind as well."

He paused for a moment as he unwrapped his protein bar, before continuing. "Those emotions are inherent, and to fight them would be idiotic for a Shokku. So I intend on embracing them, and using them to fulfil my purpose. I will destroy the people who have brought pain and suffering onto me. Just as I will do the same to those who have harmed my sister." Raikur was clear with his intention, he had made his mind up already. Moving on, he took a moment to think about what his strengths and weaknesses were. It was not an easy question to answer, but he decided that he would be honest.

"I will admit that my biggest strength also happens to be my biggest weakness. I will stop at nothing to fulfil my goals. Whatever it takes, I will achieve what I set out for myself." With that, Raikur fell silent, his eyes locked directly with Kaito's for the entirety of his introduction, they burned with an intensity that he could not fully comprehend.

---

WC: 1,924
TWC: 3,063

Harune's Stats:

Over the course of the next few momentary moments, Harune listened closely to the others as they spoke their introductions. First up was Hanzo, he was motherless, orphaned, and abandoned. Even though Hanzo and Kaito share the last name, it seems they have no blood relation between them. Just a common family name that has trickled down into two different pools. She felt a bit of empathy and understanding for the Uchiha as he spoke about his mother. Revenge is a deadly bargain for gaining power. It can become dark and twisted if not contained properly.

In a rage about his past, Hanzo’s eyes came to life in the true nature of his clan's kekkei genkai. Solid onyx orbs have swirled into a complex design of black and red. Just like her sensei, Kaito, he wields rare prowess. However, unlike Kaito, Hanzo’s eyes began to blood from the lower eyelid. Was it lack of control or was something different for this reason? She’ll need to go back into her book and study about it to gain a more concrete understanding. However, thanks to Kaito’s whispering, she knew the name of the ocular bloodline trait. The Mangekyō Sharingan appears to be forbidden as well. Interesting.

On another thing about Hanzo, Harune took note was that of his emotions. He explicitly stated that he has no weakness, but she could name a few of them by just this small occurrence. He could not contain his emotions, specifically talking about his mother or father. His path to power being hellbent on revenge. The unstable usage of the Mangekyō Sharingan. Harune thought about how those would be his downfall if he cannot get it together as he sat next to her. She gave a reassuring smile to him before turning to listen to Raikur.

He, of course, had the same upbringing as her. However, their revenge is different. Her revenge is to protect people so that they won’t have to go through a terrible tragedy like she did. Raikur’s revenge began as that but turned dark for the lust of power and destruction. A tragic story like the tale ‘Brother and Sister’. No matter how many times she tells Raikur not to chase that ambition for revenge, he does not listen. Consumed by his own volition. Therefore, she can only watch and help him. Hoping one day he’ll heed her words and follow a path that is one that he wants, not the one that he thinks that has chosen him.

After those dramatic introductions came the next step of their meeting. Kaito-sensei began to talk about the history of how he was able to acquire so much power to finally slay those who deceased his adoptive parents. Implanting organs in himself gave him the power of wood release, a kekkei genkai solely based in the Senju Clan. She wondered what other tricks her sensei has as he began to speak about revenge and how detrimental it is. Since she agreed with him, as he spoke, she nodded her head indicating that same emotion.

As he continued on, his speech was redirected to Hanzo instead of the group entirely. Kaito-sensei gave admiration where it was due but the comment of not having any weakness by Hanzo did not sit right with him. Nodding her head continuously like a bobble head, she muttered the word, “right,” in agreement with kaito-sensei.

With that being said, he moved onto the next part. Announcing they are going to have a training exercise and to speak with each other to gain an understanding on what their abilities are. “Alright, I’ll go first. My abilities range from fire and sun release techniques to medical ninjutsu.” That is all she will say for now as she lets the other two talk about their abilities, also watching what Kaito-sensei is doing. It appears that he is making a square-like arena but dragging his foot on the ground. Finishing that, he takes out his earrings and motions for them over to explain what they are about to do. They need to take them from him, and he recommends that they go all out before maneuvering himself to the center.

Without a plan, the trio will need to try and formulate a plan on the fly. “Raikur, you go left. Hanzo, go right. I’ll do a frontal assault on him and when he moves, that’s where you guys come in. Now, go!” Harune said. She was standing on the line that Kaito-sensei made which initially made him 12.5 meters from her as he was standing in the center. Taking off in a sprint, she formed the hand seals: snake → ram → monkey → tiger. Stopping once she got 7 meters in front of him, she exhaled the thin stream of fire that is 6 inches wide that quickly forms into a large ball that is 10 meters in diameter moving at a power and speed of 65.

TWC: 3,428

Combat Stuff:
Used Great Fireball -23AP (25% AP Reduction)

Current AP: 1,070-23=1,047