Never Forgotten part 2

Shibai inhaled the last few remnants of his cigarette before flicking his butt out into the roaring fire in the chimney behind him. He could have put it out into the little ashtray that sat on his table along with his drink but this way just felt right. The Yume clan villagers began to huddle around him as he prepared to tell another one of his stories! It was mainly the children of the Yume clan who were huddled up in front of him eager to hear another one of his tall tales. Once all the commotion came to a cease and the last few stragglers made their way in, Shibai cleared his throat of any obstructions and greeted them all with a warm and welcoming tone.

Welcome back my brethren! I appreciate you coming here tonight to embrace the clan and its long history here in the land of snow! I appreciate the time you are taking to learn about your people and where you come from! It’s important that our history is remembered and carried forward even during the toughest of times. Things are changing so fast for our small little clan can hardly keep up and adapt. Things seem tenuous now but they will not always be. Hear my tales and listen to a time that was even more chaotic than now! Improvement is coming and the strength of our clans united front has never had more potential then it does now!

Last time we sat there I told you of how I awakened our clan's legendary doujutsu. Now I will tell you what happened next in our not so distant past. It was ultimately the reason we ended up here in Hyogagakure and why we now train to be Shinobi instead of everyday ice fisherman like generations and generations of Yume blood before us. Listen and listen well to the words I speak! It is up to you to decide just how strong and powerful our clan can be and what that power will accomplish. The power of the Karagan is only limited by your imagination. Impossible is only possible if you believe it!

Shibai paused to light up his customary cigarette and catch his breath. He took a moment to ponder where he wanted to start this story. He took a sip of his drink and it's warm and stiff nature caused his breath to catch in his throat after he drank it. After a brief mental back and forth he decided to pick up where he left off after his last story once the burning in the back of his throat subsided.

With my Karagan activated things changed for the clan overnight. Its power with illusions helped us win many battles we had no business winning when the fighting intensified.
For about five years we held off the other tribes in guerrilla warfare style skirmishes. After me every now and then another Karagan wielder would emerge. With our numbers growing and our understanding of the Karagan improved, we were no longer viewed as a fishing tribe on the brink of extinction, but as a threat that needed to be snuffed out.

I spent most of my time since my father died training to be able to protect my tribe. Despite my youth, my unique abilities garnered the trust of those around me as we fought and survived small battle after battle. With each victory our confidence that we could survive increased. Now at the age of fifteen I was viewed as a man and a leader of warriors in our tribe. Many viewed me in the light of a deity and some still do. I have always vehemently opposed this idea but the rhetoric has since continued. At this point in time Hyogagakure had not fully wanted to intervene in our clans affairs, they were having enough issues with different clans within the land of snow. So without the aid of the ninja our genjutsu was unstoppable!

As a teenager who was on a mighty win streak my hubris was on full display. I thought we were invincible! Our leader at the time greatly opposed battle. The hate that I had buried did not let me see that this was a strength of his. I had assumed he was weak because he would not let us stand up for ourselves. I was naive and others paid the price for it!

Shibai stopped to discard his cigarette into the fire and light another one. He shot a stern eye to some kids who were screwing around and causing a distraction. The noise they were making him caused him to momentarily lose his train of thought. His purple piercing gaze quickly caused them to knock it off and become exemplary figures. When he was sure there would be no more distractions he carried on with his tale.

During our planning it was decided that the ancient village of Islar in the Islar mountains of the frozen tundra would need to be reclaimed so that we could survive the upcoming winter. Its frozen lake sat strategically upstream and trapped a high number of fish. Not only are the fish edible, but many different types of wildlife come to feast off the fish for an easy meal. The hard to reach peaks of the mountain surrounding the village blocked entrance from all sides and provided protection from the relentless elements. Our clan was much smaller then and could be housed in the small village. When we expanded in size we were forced to leave because we needed more space for infrastructure and development.

After the massacre a few years ago and the death toll from recent skirmishes, our numbers were now small enough where we could seek protection from the mountains in our ancestral home. It was not a want but a must! With winter rapidly approaching there was not enough time to get the needed supplies. hard enough when the entire clan's year round focus was preparing for winter! Now that most of their time was spent surviving battles they were vastly underprepared! The easy access to the stored up fish and wildlife was a necessity. It’s hard to reach location provided us with enough deterrence that nobody in their right mind would try to attack with any type of skill until spring when the snow was no longer an issue. This was greatly important because where we currently residing was exposed on all four fronts and left us as sitting ducks.

I volunteered to take a few of our warriors up to Islar village to inspect its condition and verify its viability. So me and three other Yume men made the trek up the unimaginably tall structure that is Islar Mountain. The trek was hard even for those of us who grew up in the cold of the Frozen Tundra. It took twice as long as it should have thanks to the record levels of snowfall that was coming down. It took nearly two weeks to get to the old rundown village when we had only expected it to take a week. We were already behind on our timeline and it was essential we made it back to report to our clan before it was too late for everyone to make the trek up the mountain. If they didn't start their journey within the next week or so the children and elderly would not be able to brave the weather and make the climb.

Shibai stopped to catch his breath after being so long winded. He was used to public speaking thanks to his fifteen years as serving as clan leader, but this role of village story teller and historian was new to him! He was rather enjoying himself! As a kid he despised history and so it was fitting that he was stressing its importance to everybody else lately. Many things could be learned from the past that can help lead those in the future and he was hoping that if he did a good enough job the next generation of his clan would be able to see that. Eventually he would no longer be here and one of these kids in front of him will most likely succeed him as the next clan leader. He wanted to make sure they understood the importance of the roll and the responsibility to their people that came with it.

It was night time when we arrived in Islar. Upon approaching it was clear that people had been there recently. Fresh debris and smoke still rested in the fire pits and basic upkeep had been done to make the centuries old wooden houses livable again. All the fishing nets had been cast into the frozen lake and a large amount of lumber had been caught and piled up. All in all most of the work they were sent here to accomplish was done. That was the good news, the bad news was that we had no idea who had been nesting in our ancestral home. The main keep was sealed shut with whoever was in our home.

We stood watch over the village for the next three days. In that time we were able to observe a handful of people enter and exit the keep. From what intel we could gather we soon learned that it was members of the Yugara tribe. They had been the tribe we had been fighting with the most. We had learned after the previous attack on our village that they were the ones to have the other tribes band together in an attempt to exterminate us.

My thirst for revenge for the death of my father was still insanely high at this point. The warriors I was with recommended we return to the village and relay what we discovered. We could return with a stronger fighting force or come up with an alternative plan. I knew that if we left there would not be enough time to return and retake the village before winter prevented the rest of his clan from making the journey. If we left it would probably spell the end of our people. There just wasn't enough time to make a backup plan. The outfit that had taken refuge in their ancient village seemed too small to be an entire clan. We had counted roughly ten people come in and out of the main keep and their was no sign of a larger force hiding inside. We assumed that it was more than likely a small branch sent here to claim the land for its resources and to prevent us from migrating here.

I would love to say that why we stayed was for the most noble reasons, but the truth is my blood lust just wanted to take revenge on those I thought were responsible for killing my father and my clansmen. I was illusioned to believe my newfound power with the Karagan would be enough to deal with the invaders single handedly. To avoid losing rare Karagan wielders I was the only one sent on this mission. The three others with me were great warriors but they lacked the fighting skill that i or even the weakest shinobi possess.

This proved to be the fatal flaw in the plan I concocted. We waited until the sun was fully down and we attacked under the light of the full moon. I took down the guards of the keep using genjutsu and opened the entrance to the keep. My men and I snuck in and began going to work. We split up to cause more damage. I went one way and they went the other. The hallways of the keep slowly transitioned from ancient wood to the cold stone walls of the mountainside. The keep had various tunnels and chambers that led directly into the mountain through various cave entrances. I was unfamiliar with the layout but eventually found myself in one of many barracks after taking out a handful of guards on patrol. The unit in there was sleeping and clearly not on duty. There I did many things I am not proud of but ultimately disposed of those taking refuge in our clan's sacred land. It was not easy work, all the men in this keep were trained fighters! They stood no chance against my stealthy sneak attack and the illusional prowess of my eyes. Without the knowhow to release genjutsu they were sitting ducks.

Shibai paused while the memories of that night came flooding back to him. The screams of the people dying echoed in his head and he couldn’t shake the final looks on their faces as he either slit their throats or impaled them. He tried to shake the memory out of his mind but it clung to him like a receipt of the evil deeds he had committed in the name of his people and their survival. More than the memory, it was the remembrance of how much joy and pleasure he took in dispatching his enemies that truly bothered him all the way down to his core. It was evidence that no matter how holy or just he acted, there was a part of him that just craved anarchy and chaos!

I had already taken out twelve people since entering that barracks and four more guards on the way. That was already six more people in just that one location then we thought was in the keep total. This really bothered me to my core. If there were this many people here then I knew that many more must be deeper in. I realized then that it wasn’t just a scout unit out for resources or to annoy us, the whole Yugara clan had to be in here. My heart drummed with fear as I realized the magnitude of my mistake. The men who went their own direction were heading directly into the heart of the enemy. Death was going to be guaranteed for them!

I tried to make it back to them as quickly as possible but the tunnels of the keep were confusing and ran over and under each other in numerous different directions. I ran into many smaller groups on the way through trying to navigate myself to the center. I prayed my warriors would turn around once they realized how many people were there! I knew they wouldn’t though! The curse of our clan is that we have always been overly proud people. I gave them an order and they would complete it no matter what, plus most of our warriors were like me and wanted revenge for the devastation they caused to our people five years prior.

I found myself in a small passage that ran directly over the main chamber. A small circular opening allowed me to see into the room below and the roughly twenty remaining villagers that still occupied the keep. A loud bang followed by a string of profanity drew my attention to the two double oak doors that led inside. A man entered the chamber dragging a man by his bright purple hair that identified him as Yume. Blood was flowing from his forehead and his screams echoed through the stone and amplified its volume. They were screams of fear but insults being flung at his captors. Even when faced against certain death he never lost his Yume pride!

Shibai paused again but this time for a moment of silence for his fallen brethren. A smirk rested across his face instead of a frown as he remembered the impressive line of swear words his companion had directed at his captors! It was an event that should be commended to say the least. That single act seemed to sum up the very essence of the Yume clan and their refusal to take shit from anyone for any reason! That sense of pride and fearlessness was something you can't teach and was something that couldn’t afford to be forgotten about as the clan transitioned to this new life as Hyogagakure ninja.

I watched helplessly as the person dragging my friend took him all the way to their leader. He explained to his leader that they encountered these people during one of their patrols. They had eliminated a separate barracks then the one I cleared but couldn’t compete with their superior numbers. The man he dragged back was the only one of my party to survive. Without a word their leader drew his index finger across his throat and his lackey mimicked the gesture with his knife on my friend's throat. The last word i heard him say through his own blood choked words was “Fuck You”!

The rage at seeing him die reminded me of that time before when my father died. Only this time it was almost worse since it was directly my fault. I was the one ordered they continue on this suicide mission when their council urged we return back to our clan. My hubris and overconfidence led to their demise. The rage this produced caused a new power to awaken within me. My eyes changed to the next stage of the Karagan and my mind and senses were overcome with rage and pure hatred. I was about to lash out directly when it became apparent to me through their dialogue that my presence was not known about. They assumed the three they caught was the extent of the invading force. This oversight would be what spelled out their doom!

I made it my mission to eliminate each and every one of them. I snuck up on them and killed them one at a time from the shadows. I worked my way through the women and even the children. Nobody in that keep was safe from my wrath. I cleansed all hatred I had for those who had wronged me in my life that day.I'm not proud of this but the history must not be forgotten! I removed that clan from existence that day! I did it both for revenge and the survival of my clan! I'm not proud of it but I would do it again in a heartbeat. Times were a lot tougher then, the hatred we face in the village today is nothing compared to the hatred and violence that ran rampant before our arrival here in Hyogagakure. You guys should appreciate this lull of peace we have now and don't take it for granted, it won't last forever!

After the massacre of the Yagara tribe, I made my way by myself down the mountain and towards our home. I was exhausted and half crazed from what I just experienced. I told our people what had transpired that day and I was praised as a hero instead of the omen death I felt like! The clan sang songs and wrote stories of my feats, but not enough attention was given to those who gave everything. The loss of our people stung in a way we were becoming all too familiar with and the story now became one about my endurance under impossible odds instead of the tragedy that it really was!

We made our way back to the Islar mountain and reclaimed our ancestral home. It took us days with the entire clan working to haul all the dead bodies out of our keep and make it livable again. We made a monument to honor ALL the fallen who died that day, whether they had Yume blood or not!

The journey moving the clan through the blizzards that circled the mountain was treacherous and time consuming. The leader of our village at that time became ill shortly after arriving in Islar from the weather and old age. I partly believe it was because of a broken heart but we will never know. His grandson was one of the men who accompanied me on my mission that never returned! When our leader left to be with his grandson almost everybody unanimously selected me to be his replacement.

At first I vehemently rejected the proposal. I was only fifteen years old and half mad from my experiences. I was and still do carry enormous guilt for how everything played out on that mountain. I led those who trusted me to their death and now everybody wanted me to be in charge of our clan's future. I pushed back against it as hard as I could but the overwhelming support eventually softened me to the idea. When I ascended to clan leader it was to protect our people and lead them out of the dark times we found ourselves in. If I had not, I'm certain who they had in mind as runner up would have brought destruction upon us! Their viewpoints aligned with snatching power and land and not diplomacy. This warmonger approach would have doomed our tiny population of people. Taking care of the entire Yume clan felt like the only way I could repent for the lives that died in my care. By leading I could use my power for more than death and use it for all of the Yume to prosper! I’m convinced that's why it was given to me in the first place. So at just fifteen years old I took on the mantle!

Shibai flicked his most recent cigarette into the fire and downed another drink of his throat burning beverage. He was relieved that he made it through the story. It was a hard one for him to tell. It didn't shed him a good light and exposed some of the flaws in his character. Hopefully the kids wouldn't condemn him for it and try to understand the times he was living in. They always looked at him in such high regards that he prayed this story didn't tarnish that too badly!

Tomorrow we will discuss the treaty that brought us to Hyogagkure and the transition to becoming shinobi. Most know this story but for those who don't, it's an important turning point in our history and one that will have long lasting effects on the world for years to come. Your generation will be the first generation of Yume to be ninja instead of ice fisherman. You should understand the signifigance of that, how we got to this point, and why it's important we quell the hate that the villagers have for us! This is all of our home now and we need to be able to share it if we want to prosper! Now go enjoy the night and we will pick it up again tomorrow!

[exit]

WC 3765 +50% peace time bonus= 5647 WC
Claiming Karagan Stage 2 3813/4,000 previous 187 done Here
remaining 1,834 putting towards stage 3
+56 chakra