The Visit

Amikiri was sitting at his desk under the gates, waiting for time to pass. As the winter months started to settle in, traffic started to die down. The usual stream of farmers from the countryside was thinning down, as most of their excess crops were already sold or stored away. Many people also found it too hard to take the journey as the cold started to settle in. While the cold of winter was biting away like a mouse, the Hyuuga was safely sheltered inside the guard shack. It was early morning, easily the worst part of the day for the cold. A nice fire burned inside the guard shack and combined with a lantern hanging from the ceiling, the room was well illuminated. One of Amikiri’s least favorite parts of this time of year was how it just always seemed to be dark. The sun rose later and set earlier. It was past seven in the morning and he couldn’t yet see the light coming over the eastern forests of Haven Country. He would take out a basic scroll, as well as an item from his pocket. It was a vial containing a strange black liquid. He was yet to figure out what the contents inside contained, and he didn't want to take a chance with it breaking open in his pocket. He would seal the vial within the empty basic scroll and put the scroll in the pocket of his dark green fleece jacket.

Much to Amikiri’s delight, he had received a letter from his family telling him that all had gone well with the harvest and they had more than sufficient food and wood supplies to make it through the winter. He had sent a letter in response wishing them well for the winter and telling them he might be able to make it back for the winter holidays.

However, a more important letter sat heavy on Amikiri’s mind. A little over a week ago, Amikiri had spent the day studying under the watchful eye of Enishi Kurosawa. As he had left, the Nova Corps member gave Amikiri a note of warning about Amikiri’s curiosity to Juinjutsu, but then had readily provided Amikiri a letter giving him an address and a time to meet to continue the young Hyuuga’s growth, as well as a few instructions. The time was simple, a little over a week past their first training session, on the first Sunday of the next month. The instructions were rather mundane as well, as Enishi told him to be well rested and for his chakra reserves and control to be at their best. What gave the letter such weight was the address. The Hoshizora Medical Center. Based on Enishi’s prior comments, he seemed to lack skill in medical techniques and so did Amikiri. Clearly this wasn’t a training session for iryojutsu. Enishi’s hints about Juinjutsu being a darker path of focus must be quite truthful with the context that built up to today’s encounter.

Amikiri had gained permission to head home an hour early from shift. He would nervously walk home and try to rest. He had laid off training the past few days and he wanted one last quick nap to make sure he was fully up to snuff for whatever was to happen. While he laid in bed, he had trouble falling asleep. His mind was wracked with thoughts of his family and what could possibly happen to them if he was injured or worse. He had accrued quite the savings as a shinobi, especially in the form of financial assets. Amikiri wanted to make sure they would be well taken care of. He got up from his bed and walked over to a small desk within his room. He took a pen and started writing something he had never hoped he would have to write, a will:

If I am to die, I would like my possessions to be divided up in the following ways:
-All items in my possession will be liquidated and sold. This includes items such as my Ninja ID, Ninja Headband, and Kavacha.
-All ryo procured from the above liquidation and all priorly procured ryo will be given directly to my family, and nowhere or no one else.

My body is to remain intact after death. I will be donating no parts of myself to any cause. I am to be buried at my family’s farm wrapped in a simple white cloth in a simple wooden casket, under the large oak tree with my family in attendance. They are not to know of my true cause of death and will simply be told I died on a mission.

Any shinobi interested in attendance will be permitted, but this is not to be a government, shinobi, or religious organization run funeral. My family will have all say in the matters of it not already outlined in this will. Additionally, any shinobi attending will maintain a respectful distance and are not to make contact with the family of the deceased.

One person will be assigned in the matters of executing this will and making sure all of the events properly happen in the requested way. As of now, that person, the primary will executor, is Enishi Kurosawa, member of the Nova Corps. The primary will executor is the only person allowed to make contact with the family of the deceased.

If the primary will executor is unable to perform their duties for any reason, the secondary will executor is to become the primary will executor. The secondary will executor will assume all responsibilities and roles of the primary will executor and the primary will executor will be dismissed of their position. If the secondary will executor becomes the primary will executor, they will be responsible for 100% of the will. The tasks of this will not be divided between the primary or the secondary. As of now, the secondary will executor is Joro, a Hoshigakure Genin.

Amikiri folded the paper into thirds and wrote one additional note on a separate piece of paper, saying:

I have no grievances for any actions performed by Enishi Kurosawa and request for him not to be punished in any way. All choices leading to any injuries or worse were of my own choice.

While one might’ve thought that placing his will in the hands of the man who introduced him to the dark arts of Juinjutsu might’ve been strange, Amikiri wanted someone of rank and importance to enforce his will, as he didn’t want any aspect of it getting caught up in silly rules or bureaucracy.

The Hyuuga would then take the two pieces of paper, fold them each into thirds, and place them inside an envelope, sealing it. On the outside of the envelope, he would simply write “The Will of Amikiri Hyuuga Guhin”. Amikiri always found it strange writing his full legal name. Most Hyuuga had the clan name as their surname. However, Amikiri’s family had always raised him with a strong emphasis on family and as such, he chose to put a higher importance on the family that raised him, rather than for what most of his life had been a clan that gave him improved eyesight.

The dark haired man, satisfied with the fact that his family would be safe and well taken care of, returned to his bed. He would take a quick, three hour nap to restore himself to full energy, before preparing for his visit to the hospital. He left all of his possessions at home, excluding the clothes on his back and his Shinobi ID. Amikiri wore a simple pair of black pants, a green shirt, brown leather boots, and a dark green fleece jacket. As he reached the door of his house, he realized he forgot something. He turned and grabbed the envelope containing his will and the note, as well as the letter from Enishi detailing the circumstances of their meeting. However, Amikiri did forgot something. He had forgotten to take the scroll containing that vial of black material out of his jacket pocket from earlier, which was in fact the same jacket that he was wearing now.

As Amikiri arrived at the Hoshizora Medical Center, he let out a nervous breath. It was about thirty minutes prior to noon. He opened the front doors and walked through the sterile waiting room to the front desk. Addressing a nurse at the front desk, he would say, “Excuse me, I’m here for an appointment with Enishi Kurosawa.”

The nurse’s face would take a darker look and would say, “Could you please provide me with a form of ID?” The Hyuuga nodded and handed her his Shinobi ID. She compared it to some information on a clipboard, before retreating to a back room. The nurse returned to the desk and brought with her a file. She compared the details of the Shinobi ID to those in the file, before handing it back, “Thank you. Please take a seat and I’ll bring you to your room shortly.”

The Hyuuga sat down in the waiting room, sitting in silence. He looked around the room and saw every type of person one could imagine. An elderly man being cared for by his wife, while on the side of the room sat a tired looking mother with two young children. About ten minutes later the nurse would take him to his room and say, “You’re quite early, so you’ll have to wait a bit.”

Amikiri gave a nod and sat down in a chair as she left the room. He took the two letters out from his pocket, putting them on the table next to him. Now all that was left to do was wait for the moment where Enishi would arrive and discuss this dark subject that seemed to bring down everyone that came close to it.

WC: 1648