Name: Shin Kazehana
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Village: Sunagakure no Sato
Rank: Kazekage
Title: To be claimed in updates later
Clan: Kazehana
Bloodline: Jiton - Magnet Release
Element(s): Doton & Fuuton
Skill(s):
Stats
Experience Costs Per Rank:
D- 150
C- 450
B- 950
A- 1950
S- 3450
X-rank grants me 12000 Experience to spend. 1050 Starter experience.
-1500 for unlocking Bloodline Abilities
-150 for Strength
-150 for Constitution
-1950 for Stamina
-450 for Speed
-3450 for Coordination
-1950 for Intelligence
-1950 for Perception
1500 Exp Left
Unique Abilities:
One-handed seals- Shin is capable of making one-handed seals. A tier drop to coordination occurs regarding the use of these seals.
Master Puppet Crafter- Shin is capable of creating puppets that receive a boost allowing them to go above the A-rank level in the Constitution stat during usage. On the other hand, these specific puppets only go up to B-rank in Strength. The list of puppets which receive this boost needs to be stated at Shin's character updates.
In the same way, puppets that aren't on the updates list will not benefit from this ability.
Flicker - Shin is able to perform the Body Flicker technique without handseals. His coordination suffers a - drop while flicking if the jutsu is executed this way, however.
-
Appearance:
Despite his title, renown, and legends born from his exploits beyond the walls of Sunagakure, the first thing people notice when they see Shin is height. The first Kazekage is short for his age, standing at a mere 5.4 feet. Another unusual feature of Shin is the color of his hair, which turned white at a very young age and remained that way to this day. His skin is of a dark tone, probably due to the daily doses of heavy sun that shower both him and his kin. He wears normal boots (which become long boots on his short legs), making it an almost comic view to those who pause and wonder why a "kid" would choose to wear them. The reason is simple, comfort. He also wears blue shirts and pants. Around his left arm is usually wrapped a bandage, which he wraps around his hand whenever he uses the forge. The purpose of this bandage is to prevent blisters on his hand. Not the most effective method, but it is certainly better than holding the hammer with his bare hands.
Strapped around his body are several pieces of metal held together by leather strips, covering vital spots mainly. It is a simple armor of his own fashion that protects him a little and yet still allows him to move freely around the forge and when in battle. On his neck the Kage wears a red, oversized scarf that had accompanied him through most of his life. Its purpose is not only to keep the sand from his mouth and hiding his identity to enemies when necessary but also to remind him of home and the reason why he is fighting. Nowadays the Kage duty prevents him from leaving the village as often as he would like to, nevertheless he is still seen wearing the scarf most of the time.
History:
Shin was born in 909 A.S, a time of disorder and instability in the Land of Wind. He was not born as a direct heir to the Kazehana throne, instead being born within a minor branch of the clan, settled in the lands currently occupied by Sunagakure no Sato. Despite the troubling times, Shin had a rather happy childhood. Both his mother and father were well and alive during his first years of life. He was home schooled by his own mother, and at the age of 6 proved to be not only a good student but also adept at several "ninja game", created by the clan to detect and develop their children's aptitude for warfare at a very early age. It sounded like a cruel system, but the games kept the Clan alive and Shin would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy them. He was running around playing hide and seek, conquering "fortresses" of sand, and fighting other children his age all day. The kid would soon learn the consequences of his small size, the hard way. Fighting was not an easy thing to do, but perhaps due to the support of both his parents Shin persisted and learned to adapt. While taller, stronger children used brute strength and intimidation to get what they wanted, Shin had to learn how to use precise strikes and throw people off balance using their own strength against them. He needed to make friends, and lead them. Soon and under his leadership, a group of average and small sized children was ruling the drilling yards and nothing happened there without his permission. The upper branches of the clan did not fail to notice how the hierarchy of the children was turned around and the big boys were suffering at the hands of organized groups. Once they found the one responsible for this strange occurrence, they dragged him (quite literally) towards the inner sanctum of the Kazehana capital. Along with him were dragged his crew and some of the other boys (the most troublesome ones).
"The Conscription" happened every year, where men would search the clan for boys and girls to be trained for their wars and to refill the military ranks emptied by constant warfare. This year, however, things were a bit different. 916 was a year of change in the world. To the North, organized villages were being formed and the Kazehana Clan could not stay behind. Shin' training was the pilot program of Sunagakure no Sato's current Ninja Academy. In 916 however, things were much rougher.
At the age of seven, Shin and his mates were trained daily, taught the art of war and survival in the desert. He couldn't help but notice that there were not only men and boys his age, but also women and girls ranging from seven to maybe 50 years old. Everyone was being given a formal training and ninja education. But it was brutal. Their training camp, the Sand Forge, was within the inner sanctum, but it was still in the desert. They would train outside under the hot sun rays. the training yard was a gigantic square surrounded from all sides by buildings that made their quarters. These buildings looked more like walls than anything else but they served their purpose. Inside, they would sleep 4 in rooms destined for 2 people. The beds were made of stone, very much like the rest of the building. But they held furs which kept whoever was sleeping there warm and shielded from the terribly cold desert nights. The windows had no glass or anything to shield them from the breeze or sandstorms. This was the birth of the "4 Men Cells" in Sunagakure no Sato. Each room crew was made of 3 children and one adult (or an older child once they ran out of adults to distribute). Shin would soon learn that their survival in this situation depended heavily on their squad philosophy. Some adults and older children would oppress their squad mates. Treat them like their dogs or slaves but once the drills became more complicated and they saw the need for teammates, things calmed down. No more than 12 squad leaders were assassinated by their own men and less than 79 squads had men die or getting themselves injured during the drills of the first year. On the second year, the number lowered to no assassinations and 13 squads failing drills and having to re-do the whole year. For a total of 300 squads and roughly 1200 men and women, the experiment had been a success so far, with the death of only roughly 100 people. It was a difficult period of his life, but the daily training made Shin an incredibly effective murder machine and taught him to stand and fight for his clan and home.
Shin "graduated" from this primitive Academy at the age of 9, his body tempered by the Sand Forge and his mind sharpened by the instructors. His squad mates had been well trained as well, and their squad was on the top tiers of this new army. His Clan had high expectations of them all. They graduated and received their weapons and armor in 918. In that year, he and his squad were also sent outside the walls for a mission in foreign territory for the first time.
Each military service term consisted of 2 years in the Sand Forge and 3 years of obligatory service. Most of their missions consisted of subduing lesser clans, putting end to rebellions and hunting spies along the desert. There were very little "Genin" jobs, such as walking dogs or pulling weeds. This was a time of warfare, a time when the Kazehana needed to take absolute and total control over the Land of Wind and where warrior children could not afford to be children, only warriors. It made no difference, Shin's childhood died once he stepped foot inside the Forge for the first time. For 3 years he served, waging open war, walking the shadows of assassinations and even hunting assassins. His squad served with him, and their exploits became legendary. The "Echo Squad" they were called, were responsible for single handily subduing more than 60 lesser clans over the course of those three years. To be fair, most of these clans were not subdued through open warfare. Once the first ten or so had been brutally conquered over the course of one and a half year, the squad had gained such a terrifying reputation that their mere presence on the battlefield was enough to persuade the leaders of re-joining the empire. As such, for the fllowing year and a half the Echo Squad did very little combat, instead simply strolling through the Land of Wind as a method of "persuasion". This made quelling rebellions a much faster job, and during the time it had taken them to battle 10 clans into submission they managed to make vassals of 57 clans through diplomacy and intimidation alone. The Echo Squad was the face of the Empire.
And that is why in the year of 921 everyone was shocked when Shin announced he was retiring back to his family, at the age of 12. Despite having been dragged away at such a young age, Shin remembered well both his parents and longed to see them again. Due to the value of his Echo squad, the village would seldom allow him time to visit his family. They were never in the village for more than a few hours before they had to move out again. Truth to be told they had spent the whole 3 years traveling and Shin was weary.
His homecoming was not what he had expected, tho. The apartment where the family had lived was still there, but his family was not. His father had been taken in the war, fighting and holding off against the rebellious clans while the elite units were being Forged. His mother had been taken by disease and perhaps sorrow. Shin lived in the apartments for 3 months before voluntarily rejoining the military. Very few people voluntarily signed up for another 3 years term, but Shin was one of those few people.
The Echo squad however, had been disbanded. 2 of its members had no wish to return to the battlefield and the third had died struck down by an assassin during a solo mission. Not wanting to be re-assigned to a nother squad, Shin used his influence to be allowed on Solo missions. This was when his interest for Kugutsu grew exponentially and he learned and made full use of the potential of this art. He had been running deep undercover missions in the Land of Rock for a whole year when he was called back to the village.
Upon returning, Shin found out that things were harsh for the empire and its people. The name "Kazahana" brought fear to some and disgust to others, and they were losing citizens to foreign nations. As such, the village elder council had decided to take the next step and reform the empire. Their capital was renamed, Sunagakure no Sato was its new name. And Shin had been chosen to lead the military forces as "The First Kazekage", in 922. As such, Shin never did end up serving the remaining 2 years of his second term on the field. At the age thirteen, near fourteen, Shin was nominated Kazekage.
His rule as Kazekage was aided by an elder council and he did not hold true power until the year of 924 when he turned 16. For a very long time Shin could not understand why he had been selected for the position- but the council made it pretty clear the first time he asked. His exploits and deeds had outdone every other living ninja in the village, and the fame of the Echo Squad was well known. Changing the name and the structure of the Empire to a Village/Kingdom was good for keeping the citizens and cleaning their name. But even better was fetching a child prodigy war hero and making him the face and leader of this new village. His task was to lead Sunagakure into a new age, and he set out to do it to the best of his ability.
The following years, from 922 to 930, were years of internal struggle and fighting to stabilize the realm. Under his ruling, however, Sunagakure no Sato was not only stable by the year of 925 but making efforts to improve their technological and military branches. Today the village is stable and holds a more than reasonable grip over the lesser clans of the Land of Wind. Its walls are tall and strong, and it became one of the five major villages in the continent.
During these years Shin has also honed his skills. Those which had once been honed only during battle and travel... now he had the oopportunity to read, to learn, to seek training from ninjas more experienced in areas that he didn't know about. These years of Kageship and intensive training allowed him to raise his power and abilities to the stuff of legends, although very few know his true potential.
Personality:
Shin is, overall, a very restrained individual. He cannot remember how his personality was before the Forge, but after the hellish training, he changed. He abolishes impulsive behavior, both in him and in his ninjas. From a young age he learned (due to his size) to study his opponent and think before acting. Striking "Hit hard, where it matters and when it matters" was his motto during every fight and while he was riding with his squad. Shin has very few hobbies, other than forging puppets and coming up with new creations. His job as Kazekage leaves him time for very little else and before he was Kazekage Shin traveled so often it was hard to focus on any hobby. This developed a curious side to him, however, and he acquired the taste for learning and discovering new cultures. Trying new dishes, dances, learning new languages. Despite being there to enforce the peace of the Kazehana Clan, Shin knew how to have fun, relax and absorb the local culture. And most importantly, he knew how to do all of this without getting himself killed in the process.
Shin believes he has heard every joke in the world about his height while at the Sand Forge, and despite nurturing a pet hatred again anyone who makes those jokes, the young Kage can be amused by a joke he hasn't heard before. As a Kage, Shin is strict. During these troubled times, he believes that discipline is of the utmost importance. He doesn't care what his soldiers do in their free time so long as it doesn't harm the village nor compromises their ability to fight. But when they're on duty, there are no excuses for improper behavior. Being strict doesn't mean he can't be friendly, however. Shin would never have gotten this far if he wasn't able to make friends- either because they're amused by his height or lured by words, people are naturally attracted to Shin and he has a way to make them stay.
Roleplay Sample:
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Village: Sunagakure no Sato
Rank: Kazekage
Title: To be claimed in updates later
Clan: Kazehana
Bloodline: Jiton - Magnet Release
Element(s): Doton & Fuuton
Skill(s):
- Doton
- Fuuton
- Ijutsu
- Kugutsu
- Ninjutsu
- Sensory
- Fuuinjutsu
- Weapon Smithing
- Point to boost Stamina one rank
- Point to boost Intelligence one rank
Stats
- Strength: D-rank
- Constitution: D-rank
- Stamina: B-rank >>> A-rank
- Speed: C-rank
- Coordination: S-rank
- Intelligence: B-rank >>> A-rank
- Perception: A-rank
Experience Costs Per Rank:
D- 150
C- 450
B- 950
A- 1950
S- 3450
X-rank grants me 12000 Experience to spend. 1050 Starter experience.
-1500 for unlocking Bloodline Abilities
-150 for Strength
-150 for Constitution
-1950 for Stamina
-450 for Speed
-3450 for Coordination
-1950 for Intelligence
-1950 for Perception
1500 Exp Left
Unique Abilities:
One-handed seals- Shin is capable of making one-handed seals. A tier drop to coordination occurs regarding the use of these seals.
Master Puppet Crafter- Shin is capable of creating puppets that receive a boost allowing them to go above the A-rank level in the Constitution stat during usage. On the other hand, these specific puppets only go up to B-rank in Strength. The list of puppets which receive this boost needs to be stated at Shin's character updates.
In the same way, puppets that aren't on the updates list will not benefit from this ability.
Flicker - Shin is able to perform the Body Flicker technique without handseals. His coordination suffers a - drop while flicking if the jutsu is executed this way, however.
-
Appearance:
Despite his title, renown, and legends born from his exploits beyond the walls of Sunagakure, the first thing people notice when they see Shin is height. The first Kazekage is short for his age, standing at a mere 5.4 feet. Another unusual feature of Shin is the color of his hair, which turned white at a very young age and remained that way to this day. His skin is of a dark tone, probably due to the daily doses of heavy sun that shower both him and his kin. He wears normal boots (which become long boots on his short legs), making it an almost comic view to those who pause and wonder why a "kid" would choose to wear them. The reason is simple, comfort. He also wears blue shirts and pants. Around his left arm is usually wrapped a bandage, which he wraps around his hand whenever he uses the forge. The purpose of this bandage is to prevent blisters on his hand. Not the most effective method, but it is certainly better than holding the hammer with his bare hands.
Strapped around his body are several pieces of metal held together by leather strips, covering vital spots mainly. It is a simple armor of his own fashion that protects him a little and yet still allows him to move freely around the forge and when in battle. On his neck the Kage wears a red, oversized scarf that had accompanied him through most of his life. Its purpose is not only to keep the sand from his mouth and hiding his identity to enemies when necessary but also to remind him of home and the reason why he is fighting. Nowadays the Kage duty prevents him from leaving the village as often as he would like to, nevertheless he is still seen wearing the scarf most of the time.
History:
Shin was born in 909 A.S, a time of disorder and instability in the Land of Wind. He was not born as a direct heir to the Kazehana throne, instead being born within a minor branch of the clan, settled in the lands currently occupied by Sunagakure no Sato. Despite the troubling times, Shin had a rather happy childhood. Both his mother and father were well and alive during his first years of life. He was home schooled by his own mother, and at the age of 6 proved to be not only a good student but also adept at several "ninja game", created by the clan to detect and develop their children's aptitude for warfare at a very early age. It sounded like a cruel system, but the games kept the Clan alive and Shin would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy them. He was running around playing hide and seek, conquering "fortresses" of sand, and fighting other children his age all day. The kid would soon learn the consequences of his small size, the hard way. Fighting was not an easy thing to do, but perhaps due to the support of both his parents Shin persisted and learned to adapt. While taller, stronger children used brute strength and intimidation to get what they wanted, Shin had to learn how to use precise strikes and throw people off balance using their own strength against them. He needed to make friends, and lead them. Soon and under his leadership, a group of average and small sized children was ruling the drilling yards and nothing happened there without his permission. The upper branches of the clan did not fail to notice how the hierarchy of the children was turned around and the big boys were suffering at the hands of organized groups. Once they found the one responsible for this strange occurrence, they dragged him (quite literally) towards the inner sanctum of the Kazehana capital. Along with him were dragged his crew and some of the other boys (the most troublesome ones).
"The Conscription" happened every year, where men would search the clan for boys and girls to be trained for their wars and to refill the military ranks emptied by constant warfare. This year, however, things were a bit different. 916 was a year of change in the world. To the North, organized villages were being formed and the Kazehana Clan could not stay behind. Shin' training was the pilot program of Sunagakure no Sato's current Ninja Academy. In 916 however, things were much rougher.
At the age of seven, Shin and his mates were trained daily, taught the art of war and survival in the desert. He couldn't help but notice that there were not only men and boys his age, but also women and girls ranging from seven to maybe 50 years old. Everyone was being given a formal training and ninja education. But it was brutal. Their training camp, the Sand Forge, was within the inner sanctum, but it was still in the desert. They would train outside under the hot sun rays. the training yard was a gigantic square surrounded from all sides by buildings that made their quarters. These buildings looked more like walls than anything else but they served their purpose. Inside, they would sleep 4 in rooms destined for 2 people. The beds were made of stone, very much like the rest of the building. But they held furs which kept whoever was sleeping there warm and shielded from the terribly cold desert nights. The windows had no glass or anything to shield them from the breeze or sandstorms. This was the birth of the "4 Men Cells" in Sunagakure no Sato. Each room crew was made of 3 children and one adult (or an older child once they ran out of adults to distribute). Shin would soon learn that their survival in this situation depended heavily on their squad philosophy. Some adults and older children would oppress their squad mates. Treat them like their dogs or slaves but once the drills became more complicated and they saw the need for teammates, things calmed down. No more than 12 squad leaders were assassinated by their own men and less than 79 squads had men die or getting themselves injured during the drills of the first year. On the second year, the number lowered to no assassinations and 13 squads failing drills and having to re-do the whole year. For a total of 300 squads and roughly 1200 men and women, the experiment had been a success so far, with the death of only roughly 100 people. It was a difficult period of his life, but the daily training made Shin an incredibly effective murder machine and taught him to stand and fight for his clan and home.
Shin "graduated" from this primitive Academy at the age of 9, his body tempered by the Sand Forge and his mind sharpened by the instructors. His squad mates had been well trained as well, and their squad was on the top tiers of this new army. His Clan had high expectations of them all. They graduated and received their weapons and armor in 918. In that year, he and his squad were also sent outside the walls for a mission in foreign territory for the first time.
Each military service term consisted of 2 years in the Sand Forge and 3 years of obligatory service. Most of their missions consisted of subduing lesser clans, putting end to rebellions and hunting spies along the desert. There were very little "Genin" jobs, such as walking dogs or pulling weeds. This was a time of warfare, a time when the Kazehana needed to take absolute and total control over the Land of Wind and where warrior children could not afford to be children, only warriors. It made no difference, Shin's childhood died once he stepped foot inside the Forge for the first time. For 3 years he served, waging open war, walking the shadows of assassinations and even hunting assassins. His squad served with him, and their exploits became legendary. The "Echo Squad" they were called, were responsible for single handily subduing more than 60 lesser clans over the course of those three years. To be fair, most of these clans were not subdued through open warfare. Once the first ten or so had been brutally conquered over the course of one and a half year, the squad had gained such a terrifying reputation that their mere presence on the battlefield was enough to persuade the leaders of re-joining the empire. As such, for the fllowing year and a half the Echo Squad did very little combat, instead simply strolling through the Land of Wind as a method of "persuasion". This made quelling rebellions a much faster job, and during the time it had taken them to battle 10 clans into submission they managed to make vassals of 57 clans through diplomacy and intimidation alone. The Echo Squad was the face of the Empire.
And that is why in the year of 921 everyone was shocked when Shin announced he was retiring back to his family, at the age of 12. Despite having been dragged away at such a young age, Shin remembered well both his parents and longed to see them again. Due to the value of his Echo squad, the village would seldom allow him time to visit his family. They were never in the village for more than a few hours before they had to move out again. Truth to be told they had spent the whole 3 years traveling and Shin was weary.
His homecoming was not what he had expected, tho. The apartment where the family had lived was still there, but his family was not. His father had been taken in the war, fighting and holding off against the rebellious clans while the elite units were being Forged. His mother had been taken by disease and perhaps sorrow. Shin lived in the apartments for 3 months before voluntarily rejoining the military. Very few people voluntarily signed up for another 3 years term, but Shin was one of those few people.
The Echo squad however, had been disbanded. 2 of its members had no wish to return to the battlefield and the third had died struck down by an assassin during a solo mission. Not wanting to be re-assigned to a nother squad, Shin used his influence to be allowed on Solo missions. This was when his interest for Kugutsu grew exponentially and he learned and made full use of the potential of this art. He had been running deep undercover missions in the Land of Rock for a whole year when he was called back to the village.
Upon returning, Shin found out that things were harsh for the empire and its people. The name "Kazahana" brought fear to some and disgust to others, and they were losing citizens to foreign nations. As such, the village elder council had decided to take the next step and reform the empire. Their capital was renamed, Sunagakure no Sato was its new name. And Shin had been chosen to lead the military forces as "The First Kazekage", in 922. As such, Shin never did end up serving the remaining 2 years of his second term on the field. At the age thirteen, near fourteen, Shin was nominated Kazekage.
His rule as Kazekage was aided by an elder council and he did not hold true power until the year of 924 when he turned 16. For a very long time Shin could not understand why he had been selected for the position- but the council made it pretty clear the first time he asked. His exploits and deeds had outdone every other living ninja in the village, and the fame of the Echo Squad was well known. Changing the name and the structure of the Empire to a Village/Kingdom was good for keeping the citizens and cleaning their name. But even better was fetching a child prodigy war hero and making him the face and leader of this new village. His task was to lead Sunagakure into a new age, and he set out to do it to the best of his ability.
The following years, from 922 to 930, were years of internal struggle and fighting to stabilize the realm. Under his ruling, however, Sunagakure no Sato was not only stable by the year of 925 but making efforts to improve their technological and military branches. Today the village is stable and holds a more than reasonable grip over the lesser clans of the Land of Wind. Its walls are tall and strong, and it became one of the five major villages in the continent.
During these years Shin has also honed his skills. Those which had once been honed only during battle and travel... now he had the oopportunity to read, to learn, to seek training from ninjas more experienced in areas that he didn't know about. These years of Kageship and intensive training allowed him to raise his power and abilities to the stuff of legends, although very few know his true potential.
Personality:
Shin is, overall, a very restrained individual. He cannot remember how his personality was before the Forge, but after the hellish training, he changed. He abolishes impulsive behavior, both in him and in his ninjas. From a young age he learned (due to his size) to study his opponent and think before acting. Striking "Hit hard, where it matters and when it matters" was his motto during every fight and while he was riding with his squad. Shin has very few hobbies, other than forging puppets and coming up with new creations. His job as Kazekage leaves him time for very little else and before he was Kazekage Shin traveled so often it was hard to focus on any hobby. This developed a curious side to him, however, and he acquired the taste for learning and discovering new cultures. Trying new dishes, dances, learning new languages. Despite being there to enforce the peace of the Kazehana Clan, Shin knew how to have fun, relax and absorb the local culture. And most importantly, he knew how to do all of this without getting himself killed in the process.
Shin believes he has heard every joke in the world about his height while at the Sand Forge, and despite nurturing a pet hatred again anyone who makes those jokes, the young Kage can be amused by a joke he hasn't heard before. As a Kage, Shin is strict. During these troubled times, he believes that discipline is of the utmost importance. He doesn't care what his soldiers do in their free time so long as it doesn't harm the village nor compromises their ability to fight. But when they're on duty, there are no excuses for improper behavior. Being strict doesn't mean he can't be friendly, however. Shin would never have gotten this far if he wasn't able to make friends- either because they're amused by his height or lured by words, people are naturally attracted to Shin and he has a way to make them stay.
Roleplay Sample:
- Spoiler:
- Lyon wrote:
Kohai listened to Nami's words as the Uchiha made her comfortable by leaning her against a rock. She let her do as she pleased, not resisting in any way or form. As she laid there, listening to the Uchiha's words Kohai couldn't help but smile. She was well aware that these might be the very last words she would ever hear. Nami's voice in the Lunar Plane... it could be the last sound to ever be appreciated by the Luna. The image of the woman's Mangekyou, that beautiful eye...it could be the very last thing she would ever see that was real. But then again... did any of that even matter? The choices she'd made, her way of life, the path she had walked so far...if it ended with Nami being the last person she ever saw or heard, that would be okay. There were far worse ways to go for a kunoichi, and this wasn't the worst. So she smiled, perhaps strangely, at the Uchiha. And she said nothing as the eye began to spin and her mind was affected.
This was nothing like the previous Genjutsu Nami had cast upon her. This time, Nami«s power wasn't subtly changing things in her environment. It wasn't changing her perspective, it wasn't suggesting things through her senses...no. This time, the power was ruthlessly and simply brutal. It didn't tell her brain to change the way it saw the world...it forced it to do it. It didn't suggest a subtle change in the color of the sky, it took the sight by force and made it see what the Uchiha wanted her to see. And like her sight, her hearing, sense of touch, sense of smell, her memories...everything was taken by force. Kohai was Kohai's no longer, and merely a puppet spinning on the wheel and will of Mangekyou Sharingan's Tsukuyomi. At first, the Luna tried to resist it, instinctively. But then she remembered what she'd told Nami. That she would trust her... and trust she did. Instead of trying to fight back, Kohai let herself go and suddenly everything hurt a lot less. Suddenly, she was tired and wanted to sleep. For a brief moment, she closed her eyes...
And then she opened them. Everything was so peaceful...the sun softly filtering through the window next to her bed. Kohai used to hate that window, which she forced herself to keep open so that she would wake up every morning with the sun on time. But today, she felt differently about it. Something inside her heart had changed, she felt different. She felt... like she had missed that window for a very long time. The white frame and the slightly dirty glass on it, for some reason, looked beautiful today. Kohai felt incredibly weird...maybe this was due to sleeping in. The Lu- the girl, just a girl. She wasn't used to sleeping in like that...it messed up her system. She wondered why her mother hadn't woken her up earlier- she had the strangest dream, and waking up earlier would have certainly saved her a lot of...pain? Can you even feel real pain in a dream? She raised her upper body from the bed, slowly rubbing her eyes and yawning. Here she was, philosophically debating the nature of dreams and reality after just waking up- surely there had to be something wrong with her. She looked around her room, everything was just as she remembered leaving it last night. It was a bit messy, clothes laying on the always present "Chair of Clothes" where one puts the clothes they aren't sure should be washed yet or not. She could see her desk from where she was, near the window. Many books were laid upon it and dozens of sheets of paper, pencils, pens and all sorts of materials were on it. It was a mess to anyone else, but Kohai knew her desk like no one else and it was the perfect place to study whenever she wasn't out with her friends. There was also a white wardrobe, taller than her, near one of the walls. It was closed and on the outside of its door there was a tall mirror on which she could see her own reflection. Her hair was so messy- it was always like this, waking up. She was wearing a white shirt far too big for her own size, which looked more like a dress than a shirt. For a moment, she thought she saw a glimpse of purple in her eyes, but after blinking twice Kohai saw the familiar blue. She inhaled deeply. "When did I start missing home so much?" she wondered.
She stood there for some time, simply enjoying the view that she'd seen so many times before but today seemed so sweet. A small rattle at the door, and as her eyes glaced towards it, Kohai would see something that would outshine the beauty of the window, wardrobe, desk, and ever her own by a thousand suns. The beauty of her own mother's smile. It wasn't something that can be described by words, but it was just perfect, waking up like that. "Mom..." She had inherited much of her mom's looks, but in her eyes and despite the woman's older age, Kohai had inherited none of her beauty. There was a certain grace to the way she walked, to the way she spoke, to the way she moved. It spelled out home and comfort, and a safe place. Unlike her, her mother was warm to people and greeted everyone nicely, being able to talk and listen for endless hours and awakening friendly feelings in others. At a time, Kohai had been so jealous of her mom's personality that she wished she could somehow gain the powers to make others feel what she wanted them to. But that was silly and selfish, she realized. People were just that...people, Kohai and her mom could be different from one another, but she loved her daughter unconditionally. And her daughter loved her back. The older woman slowly approached the bed, as if hesitant or afraid of something. After getting close to the bed, she would approach Kohai who was merely enjoying the luxury of being able to see her mom. For some reason, she had forgotten it was a luxury. And then, her mom hugged her. This was when Kohai realized that even more of a luxury was being able to receive and feel a mother's embrace. The girl hugged back, tightly, embracing her mom and breathing in the familiar perfume of her own kin. "I missed you..." she would whisper, the very first words she said in that morning. Her mom seemed surprised.
"Sweetie I was just here last night... this is..very unlike you. Is everything okay?"
Kohai would release the hug and nod to her mom. "Everything's perfect mom."
The woman would smile, although with a raised eyebrow. "“I’m glad you’re awake. Your friends will be over soon, I’m just finishing up cooking and getting everything prepared. Get ready, will you?”
Kohai would nod once again, bringing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "Yes mom~" there was a certain...tone, to her voice. A tone which she forgot she was able to achieve. She was happy. Her friends..."Right!" she remembered. It was her birthday! Her friends would be over soon! Oh could this day get any more perfect?! The girl got out of bed and opened her wardrobe- there were all sorts of colorful clothes inside, different boots on the lower part of it and many many dresses. Kohai didn't quite like gray or black clothing in this world- it made her feel sad.
*Sniff-sniff* Kohai smelled the air around her, and then her shirt. "Do I smell bad?" she couldn't quite tell. "Yeah I should probably not risk it and take a bath...My hair's all messy too..." she knew Makita was perfectly okay with this but deep down she didn't want Rizumu to think she didn't care about the way she looked- or smelled. She picked up some clothes, and spent quite some time trying to figure out the best outfit. This wasn't very much like Kohai, but today was a special day. She let out a heavy sigh after many tries none of which completely satisfied her. "I wish this was more like my academics..." true, had it been a complicated problem Kohai would have probably been able to solve it much faster than the time she was taking to pick clothes. But her mind just didn't work like that! Usually, she didn't bother, but today... Kohai decided to delay the change of clothes and immediately go for a bath. She didn't have much time, after all.
The girl walked out of her room, and down the hallway towards the bathroom. On her way there, she would see the many pictures on the wall- of her with her friends, her mother, her father...she didn't really remember much. All the pictures she had with him were of her as a baby. She missed him too, but it was different, she had never really got to known him well. At a point in life, Kohai remembered being sad about this. But eventually she accepted the small memories of her father as something that enriched her life and soul. The next few pictures were of her with her mom through the years- when she first joined school, when she graduated from primary school, when she lost her first tooth. There were so many! And her gifted memory remembered each of these moments so vividly. Kohai was indeed a very lucky person for having had her mom alongside her for all of these years. She couldn't imagine a life without her. And then came the pictures of someone else she couldn't imagine a life without. Makita and Rizumu. Pictures of their adventures throughout the years. Camping trips, pool parties, birthday parties of when they were younger...the trio was almost always together in the pictures and always seemed happy. Kohai with a controlled but honest smile, Rizumu with a huge grin on his face and looking like a main character, and Makita with that tomboyish smile of hers that always brought joy to Kohai. There was even a picture of when Rizumu broke his leg and the duo of girls had immense fun drawing and writing on the poor boy's cast, making all sorts of drawings and writing the craziest things. Kohai could remember everything as if it had happened yesterday. One of the framed pictures had the three of them on a canoe, from that one time when they all decided it would be a good idea to go down the river on a hunting trip. They fell several times to the water, but in the end Makita proved to be a natural with the bow and the trip wasn't a complete disaster. Kohai on the other hand, was incapable of killing anything with it and felt bad about even shooting animals. "I was depressed for weeks after that..." she thought, remembering how Rizumu had complimented Makita's ability to shoot.
"Kohai are you ready yet?" a voice asked from the kitchen.
"Huh, almost mom!" she lied. Leaving the pictures, she hurried to the bathroom and hurried in taking a bath. Her long hair was always a pain to take care of, but today she didn't mind. The girl took her bath, and after that returned to her room wearing a towel. She ended up being forced to pick clothes by the pressure of running out time and went with the simple yet elegant combination of white and light blue. She hurried to the kitchen after being ready, to be greeted by her two best friends in the whole world.
"Happy Birthday Kohai!"
"Thank you so much you guys!" she would say, as Rizumu blew his noisemaker. It was strange, for Kohai to sound so happy. But there it was, that tone again..that..happiness. It was real. It felt real! Her life was perfect in that moment. She hugged her friends, and the usual no-physical-contact-at-all Kohai would disappear for that day, and she would want to hug them as much as she could. She had missed them so so much...when was the last time they'd been together? In her memory, just yesterday. And yet. She just wanted to be with them. To listen to Rizumu's complaints about being starving, to wonder what Makita's amazing gift would be. She wanted to laugh alongside her mother, to tell stories with her friends... She could be. And that was...it was fantastic. They would all have a picnic by the sea, tell stories, laugh at each other's jokes.. for the entire today Kohai would be able to not only listen to her friends and family, but also to the waves of the ocean crashing against the shore. She would be able to smell the scent of the salty ocean water and inhale the fresh air that came along with the sea breeze. The food was also perfect, and after spending the whole day laughing and talking, the trio were able to enjoy the most beautiful sunset Kohai had ever seen. As she was standing there, staring at the sun and not at the moon like she used to, Kohai noted how beautiful the gleamy path of light was...the one that formed upon the ocean as the sun was setting behind it.
Makita exclaimed it was time for gift, and Kohai smiled at her. Truthfully she'd forgotten all about it, which made her feel a bit bad considering how Makita had been so talkative and proud of the gift she'd brought Kohai. A small object wrapped in brown paper was given to her, and Kohai hurried to open it, slightly afraid her friend would explode from all the excitment and enthusiasm. Her eyes widened at the sight of the small wooden moon. The Tsu-no, her regular eyes jumped from the moon to Makita and from Makita to the moon. "Makita this...this beautiful. I love it, thank you much. I'll keep it in my room and treasure it always, I promise!" the girl would say. She was extremely careful with the object, as she raised it slightly above her head to examine it properly. It really was a mastercrafted piece. In this world, Makita's amazing natural dexterity wasn't put to use to kill or eliminate targets, and instead was used for carving beautiful wooden pieces and other objects. The girl's talent was beyond great, and Kohai felt honored to be given such a moon, an object into which Makita had certainly put not only hours of her life, but a piece of her soul into.
Rizumu spoke about his own gift being way better, and Kohai's glance went from the moon to the boy. She loved Makita's gift and would always treasure it, but she was incredibly curious in regards to Rizumu's gift. It was the one she wanted to know about the most, and the one that made her heart race faster out of curiosity. Even in this world Kohai was a very controlled individual- she let herself go in front of her friends most of the time, but tried really hard to keep her emotions in check and not do anything that would cause her to embarrass herself in front of her friends. And yet, as Rizumu pressed down the hat on her head, the girl blushed. This world would be shown a picture that the real world would have never seen: The blush in the cheeks of Kohai. "Th-thank you Rizumu. It's perf-"She immediately pressed down the hat even more in order to try to sort of hide her face as best she could, but she knew it would be a poor effort. Luckily, Makita came to the rescue and interrupted her with the beginning of a wrestling session. "AAh!" She would exclaim, in an effort to put her gifts to safety. She ended up placing them on the sand next to the sheet and then joining her two friends. Kohai had always enjoyed these moments, despite knowing fully well she didn't pose much of a challenge to either of her friends. Their friendly wrestling competitions would almost always end up in a contest between Rizumu and Makita, because Kohai wasn't very strong. Even so, Kohai would always laugh as either of her friends pinned her down before the other came to the rescue, taking the opportunity to strike the strongest foe from behind. Either of them would make splendid warriors, the girl thought. But she was glad they weren't, for the way things were now gave her the opportunity to walk a path similar to theirs.
The wrestling session ended up with the three of them laying on their backs, Kohai somehow wearing the hat Rizumu gave her. She would never, ever part with it. Even if she had to change her whole wardrobe to make the outfits match, that hat and moon were now her treasures. Kohai lookd upon the skies. The moon was starting to show, and with it came the night and the stars. The day was ending. She felt a grip tighten around her hand. It was Makita. She spoke, and her words were....just like the rest of the day. They were perfect. They were flawless, they represented everything that Kohai had ever felt about her two friends. She didn't reply to Makita's words before Rizumu, but squeezed her hand tightly as well. For a moment, as Makita sat up and stuck her tongue out to Rizumu, she thought there would be another wrestling session. But they were already too tired for that, and it was a different kind of moment. Kohai was about to speak after they laid their backs on the sand again, but Rizumu sat up and spoke his own words, which made Kohai even happier. "You two...Makita, Rizumu. You're my best friends. There is nothing in the world I wouldn't do for you. Should you need it, I would move heaven and earth, dry up this ocean if I had to. I would find a way. Because...nothing matters if we're appart. The world becomes gray, sadder. The scent of the sea breeze wouldn't be the same. The stars upon the sky would be a million bitter pieces of light... and the moon would make me sad, to watch without you."
She would wrap her right arm around Makita's left arm. "Makita. Your kindness, your heart... If not for you, where would I be? Who would show me the beauty of the world through the eyes of someone...someone like you? Who would show me the true meaning of kindness? You're my guiding light, and I'll follow you wherever you'll go for the rest of my life." Kohai was starting to realize it. She would then wrap her left arm around Rizumu's right one. "Rizumu. You're the fire within me. You and you alone awaken the righteous sense of justice hidden deep within me. You're my joy, my spirit, and my hero. And I would be your sidekick any day, anytime, for the rest of my life."
The day was ending.
Kohai was starting to feel it. "I know...I know it has to end..but...but..." tears began flowing from her eyes, running down her cheeks. "I don't want it to." She really didn't. By this time, an image of her mother would come to her. A *real* one, just as she remembered.... Kohai and the two friends would raise to see her mother standing in front of her.
"Now now my dear, there is no need to cry. To each dawn, it's dusk. To each life, it's death. To each joy, it's sadness. To each greeting, it's farewell. You know this, sweetie. There is no need to to be sad.. but cry all the same. And when your sorrow is comforted, for time heals all wounds, then you will be glad to have met them. And me. Then you will laugh at the moon, and no longer be sad by its side. You, and you alone, will know the true meaning of the bond you share...whether on this world or on the real one. You know this bond to be real, to be powerful, for it has the power to make you cry. And when you look at the Moon, you will know. You will remember them. You will feel just as happy as you felt today, even if for the briefest of moments."
“I love you, Kohai. Let’s always be friends.” Rizumu, also fading, would give a solid nod. “Always,” he chimed in.
"No, no, no! Stay, don't go! Don't leave me. I need you. I...I can't do this without you two, I don't want to be ever sad! Le-lets go down the river again. I'll do better with the bow this time, I promise! Don't go!" she would tighten the grip on her friend's arms, but it wouldn't do any good. To this dawn, its dusk. They were fading in the wind, and the tears now heavily flowing would do nothing to change that. This world...it had run its course. It was ending. And Kohai had no power to stop it. She cried, and cried. Desperate to cling to it. Desperate to share just another hour, another minute, another second with her best friends in this peaceful world. But...it had ended. The stars became blurry, and Kohai was so tired from crying...that she fell asleep, hugging the ashes from what had been her friends, and holding the remains of Rizumu's hat and Makita's moon close to her heart.
And then there she was. With her eyes closed, back at the Lunar Plane. She could feel its emptiness, its cold, its...unhappiness. She could also feel the life running out of her body. Could a person die from sadness? Probably. She was about to find out. Even in this state, she could feel the tears flowing through her eyes and down her face. She must have created an entire pool in the Lunar Plane by now. But it didn't matter. So she couldn't survive the Mangekyou Sharingan... That was okay. She was just a girl, and in the end, she got to know true happiness. Even if just for a day, even if just for a lifetime of memories. She had succeeded in academics, she had made friends, she had gone on adventures, she had fallen in love, she had had a caring family. Nami had given all of that to her, so there was no reason why she couldn't die now. She smiled. Blood began dripping from her lips and nose. Could these be the effects of the incredibly strong pressure on her mind? Kohai didn't mind. Dying wasn't as painful as she'd imagined it. She was glad for what Nami had given her. The Luna regretted not being able to give her the gift she had planned to, but the Uchiha would have to make due without it. At least her knowledge in the powerful arts of Genjutsu had been passed on...Kohai was sure Nami would put them to good use. She exhaled what she planned to be her last, dying breathe.
And then she heard a voice."So, you're just going to abandon them?"
Kohai suddenly woke and became alert despite her eyes remaining shut. Had she imagined this? Could the Mangekyou Illusion still be lurking in her mind around somewhere? The Mangekyou surely was a power we-"Don't ignore me lass, I'm talking to you." Oh boy, when her mom spoke like that she knew she was in trouble. But it was imp-"ossible? Is that so? What happened to the whole "nothing is real thus nothing is impossible" of just a bit ago? Or did I teach you it was okay to abandon what I taught you based on your situation?"
"No mom I-"
"Shh dear. Your mind isn't in a sort of condition in which you can properly have a discussion right now."
"But you died. This isn'r real, I...am I dead already?"
"Dead? Listen my child, you're good. Really good. But I'll have you know I am the greatest illusionist to have ever lived upon this earth. Tricking the ripper for a few moments is child's play. And the guards that guard the heavens ar-Well, I don't really have time for this. I'll ask again, are you really going to abandon them?"
"Abandon who?"
"Your friends of course. They're still around the world, somewhere. Don't yu think they'll need you? I really like that Makita girl...and while I can't say Rizumu would be my first choice I can certainly see wh-"
"What, no mom it's not like th-"
"Oh, Kyojin then? Isn't he too tall for you now? Maybe Taishu? Oh but he seemed to gloomy all the ti-"
"MOM!" she would mentally yell. This really wasn't the proper time or place, and Kohai was crying like a little baby. Her mother smiled.
"Yes my dear?"
"I've missed you. I've missed you so much..."
"I know sweetheart, I know." It was all happening inside her head. But she could feel her mother's embrace, and this time it would not turn to ash.
"I want to go back to them b-but I-I can't. I thought I was strong. I thought I could handle it. The Mangekyou...Mom I was wrong. I can't...I'm not strong enough."
"Ah yes...underestimating those eyes seems to be a sin we all, as Lunas, end up committing. There's no reason to be sad about it, my dear."
"I'm sorry mom...I'm sorry I couldn't do it." she tightened her arms around her mother's torso and kept crying on her chest.
"Don't be. It's okay. You'll have a lot of time to make up for it."
"Wha-" her mom interrupted her.
"And I'm glad a Luna was finally able to make an Uchiha friend. It only took us fifteen generations too! Although that woman seems to be so sad all the time... truly dear, you ought to mend her heart."
"Mom I can't do that...I can't even fix my own. I'm so lost..."
"Nobody can mend their own heart dear. That's what friends, and time, are for. You're not lost..you're on an adventure!"
"I wish I'd known that sooner...an adventure? Ah, Rizumu would love that. He's always on and on about going on adventures..."
"Ah so it *is* Rizumu! Good good, I was betting on him. Your father now owes me a celesti-"
"MOM!" Kohai would tighten her grip, to the point of almost choking the woman.
"Arghargh I get it I get it, loosen up!" She did.
"You've grown so much. And you're so strong now."
"I don't feel strong.."
"Good. That's good. Always remember that we're all just people. Even when you're fighting...The enemy on the other side, they're just...people. We all have hearts that can and *will* be broken. But we don't always have friends to repair them for us."
"I...I think I do."
"You do my dear. You do. I'm so glad for you... I'll admit I was worried there for a second. Your dad said you'd be fine but he doesn't know you like I do! You can be quite the load of work sometimes! And completely oblivious too! Obviously, you got that from him. "
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do after you guys were gone, I just...shut down."
"I know, I know... I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. But you're also kind, and talented, and the brightest heir of the Luna Clan."
"I'm the only heir to the Clan mom...and the last too. I had myself tested...my genes are recessive, they won't pass on."
"So what girl? You think your eyes are what make you special? What makes this Clan special? Think again love. What you told Nami...the reason for the existence of Mangekyou. To protect those she cares about. Those eyes, they're no different. They're just a tool, really. I gave you those so you could protect those you love...not so you'd let them define you. So don't."
The girl nodded. "I won't. I promise."
Her mom smiled and passed a hand through her hair. It looked so much like hers. She might have inherited her father's oblivious nature, but at least her looks came from the right place.
"Good girl. Now go, find your friends. Love, laugh, tell stories with them, and let nothing stop you from doing it. Put that power of yours to good use, and go find Makita and Rizumu. They need you, not I. I'm already dead my dear... and need to soon return. So loosen the hug, and go."
"Must I? Can't I just go with you?" The option was quite tempting, and leaving her mom's embrace wasn't something Kohai wanted to do at all.
"Well normally in these situations, you have a choice. BUT. I'm your mother, so I'm not giving you one. You are not to come with me, understood? You will go back, and you will live the life I gave you, and you will live it fully, short or long! Did I make myself clear?" They both released the hug, and her mom made sure to stare right into her eyes when she said that. Kohai nodded.
"Yes mom." she automatically said. The woman's authority was absolute. Her mom winked at her.
"Besides, don't you want to?"
"I-I do!" Kohai stated, sure of her answer.
"Be good, I'll be watching."
And with a kiss on her forehead, her mom disappeared.
And suddenly she could once again feel the cold earth beneath her legs, and the cold air of the permanent night in the Lunar Plane. She inhaled deeply, and exhaled. Her last breath would not be the one she had planned. Slowly, Kohai opened her eyes. Her mouth tasted bloody, and she could feel something running down her nose. Looking up, she would find Nami standing in front of her, her Mangekyou still spinning. "Oh heeey...Looks like I made it...Oh, you look like crap. I'm sorry." she would speak, noticing the tears of blood that naturally came with the use of this powerful form of the Sharingan eye.
I promised you a gift didn't I? Well it seems I won't be able to get over there so... Kohai gestured with her hands. "Come here, Uchiha Nami, get closer." she would keep gesturing until the woman got on her knees in front of her, in such a position that Kohai would be able to touch the woman's face with both hands. Holding Nami's head between her hands, slightly below her ears, Kohai would speak.
"It seems you have been in pain for too long. My folks, upstairs...they don't really like that. I can't really make the pain ever go away but...I can teach you how to feel things other than sadness and sorrow. I've learned it myself...well, with a little help. " Suddenly, like a surge of power, Nami's heart would be filled. The Moon Aura Projection Technique was an incredibly powerful one, especially when used at this range. Just like the Mangekyou had taken control of Kohai's mind, Kohai's soul would take control of the Uchiha's heart and soul. She would listen to them complaining, grumbling, very much like the Uchiha herself. She would listen to it all...but she wouldn't do their will. Not this time, this time Kohai *knew* what the best path was. The path of loneliness, rage and destruction upon the world that her soul and heart wanted to follow..they would not be allowed to do so, by Kohai's will. In a flash and surge of power Nami's heart would, for the very first time in a loooooooong time, feel hope. Feel happiness. But *true* happiness. This was not an illusion induced by Kohai upon the Uchiha, she was not planting happiness on the woman...she was awakening her heart's ability to feel happy and pulling the feeling from deep within her. From a place Nami probably had forgotten even existed in her heart and soul- the well of happiness. It didn't matter where, why or when. She would just feel it. The world would not be gray nor sad anymore, and Nami would realize (or be reminded) that it could be so much more. The surge of power lasted for about thirty seconds, thirty seconds of pure bliss and joy. But then Kohai's chakra would start to fail her, and the technique would gradually weaken until it finally stopped.
"There you go. I can't give you a full day of illusionary happiness...it's beyond my power. But I *can* remind your heart of what it is like to be happy. See? It's great isn't it?! I was overjoyed when I found about this as well!" Kohai remembered the first time Rizumu helped her after the disaster of Kiri. Perhaps that had been her awakening. Now was Nami's. "Being happy is great..." she would mutter, almost too tired to speak. "And if you can't find anything to be happy for..well.."
She would pull Nami towards her and hug the woman as hard as her weakened body allowed her to. "We're friends now. So...if nothing else... be happy for that."
Kohai couldn't tell for how long they would remain like that. A second, a minute, an hour....but at some point, her body gave in and her embrace weakened. Her arms would leave the woman's body and her hands would hit the ground. "Oh my... I'm sorry, my body isn't really used to all this hugging. Must be a side effect of some sort..." she would sort of chuckle, to the best of her body's ability.
The Lunar Plane around them would slowly vanish, as Kohai lost the ability to maintain it. Soon the two of them would be sitting right back at the Drunken Shark, right where they began this story. "There is...someone, I'd like to see." Kohai would begin saying, her body balancing on the stool. Soon she would realize there was nowhere to lean against on that stool, and she would beging falling from it to the ground, in Nami's direction. "I hope my face doesn't get all messed up from the fall" she would think. It would be a problem to see her friend in such a condition.
Last edited by Shin Kazehana on Mon Sep 18, 2017 5:46 pm; edited 8 times in total
