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    Post by Chigetsu Mon Feb 17, 2020 5:32 pm

    It was early in the morning. The sun was out, the birds were chirping. For the Village Hidden in the Mist, it was a nice day. Only a light, subtle layer of the fog that normally plagued the village was present, and visibility wasn’t significantly obstructed by it. Despite the level of natural serenity that was present in the early morning hours, the village was experiencing more activity right now than it had in a long time. The Chunin Exams brought foreigners from all over into Kirigakure’s ports, and flooded the village with their presence. Not just foreign shinobi, but also family members, spectators, merchants, scouts, and all sorts who were attracted by the spectacle of the event in some way or another. That wasn’t even taking into account the political circus that was going on, and which the fallout of would surely have to be dealt with. It resulted in more activity than could otherwise be justifiable at this hour.

    It was something that could be seen in the depths of the city’s Hozuki District. Crowds of people would be out and about, scurrying around and filling the air with a white noise of their chatter. One of these many scurrying ants was a young adult who stood out and away from the crowd, enough so that they could be identified from up and above without a doubt. Dressed with an offensive amount of the color pink, up to having their entire hair dyed in the color, they appeared to almost be a mockery of what were social norms. The thick braid of dyed pink hair stood out as something else among the universal white that was genetic to the Hozuki Clan, but what was most offensive was the way this person was dressed. While not immediately obvious through just appearance alone, Chigetsu had a reputation that proceeded them in the Hozuki District. He was the cross dresser, the strange pink-haired one, and even if they did a convincing job in how he presented himself the illusion that he hid under would never take here. The looks and whispers that his presence drew with each step down the street was something common now for him while here, back at home.

    And home was where he unfortunately had to go. Perhaps the reluctance could be observed from his body language. It was obviously no pleasure for him to be the spectacle of the neighborhood. His destination would eventually be reached all the same, and Chigetsu entered onto the property of a familiar villa. While cold in the back of his mind, the same steps would be retraced up the stone passageway, leading to the property’s front door. With only a few moments of hesitation preceding it, he would give three knocks of his knuckles against the front door.


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    Post by Bones! Mon Feb 17, 2020 5:42 pm

    Akeruseirei Hozuki
    Kirigakure's Exporter
    It was said that death was just a concept, and nothing else. She believed it to an extent. But as such, it beckoned the questioning of life itself, and what it meant to live. Living, well, that was to each person's interpretation of existing. But it was hard to say, for her at least. It was a state between life and death. It was simply being.

    An early morning before many of the village awoke, that was how her day started. Paperwork upon paperwork. Sending various men and women to deliver what they must, and others to give tasks to others. It was a mindless job, some were nothing more than postmen, while others were given tasks to take a sword countries away. But here, the chunin exams were beginning, and as such, it was more the business of importing to feed the masses, than to sell to the outer layer of the world. Yes, today was like any other, for her at least. A kiss goodbye, and a long day ahead of her.

    Her job was done for now, and with a heavy hand, she delegated her power so she would take a rest. If they needed her truly, they would send for her.

    "Don't, send for me."

    Was all she had left to say before going back home. At least, that's what she called it, even if it felt like any other building. It was where her love of her life slept, counting the days to his last. And with each step, the whispers grew. It seemed time would allow a small indulgence with her own blood, her next of line. The failure.

    She watched him, standing there, hesitating each move. Simply knocking. Perhaps he had learned a few things of courtesy. Perhaps there was still home. But watching him stand there, she slowly made her way behind him, her steps soft with the soft dirt and the fogged mist.

    "You could at least have the dignity to take that shit off before coming in." She would speak harshly to him, just as she did any other time. She would make her way forward, passing him to open the door for him to enter. Held open, she would await for him to make himself at home.

    Because after all, that's what it was.


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    Post by Chigetsu Mon Feb 17, 2020 10:15 pm

    He froze in place. Like a deer caught in the headlights, Chigetsu would be unable to move as the realization set in on him. It took a good deal of courage to come back here, which had to be carefully cultivated over time. All of it blew down like a house of cards in that instant. Shifting around quickly once the shock of the moment left him, Chigetsu would see who he already knew was there. His mother. What she said squeezed around his neck like a noose. In the moment it took for him to collect his thoughts she already passed him by, and the door would be held open. In the end, he wouldn’t respond with anything other than silence. There was nothing he could say. Resigned to defeat and silence, Chi would enter as she invited him in.

    Inside was like a dream. Something so very familiar, still different and wrong in an unexplainable way. It was uncomfortable, but it was still home. Chigetsu recognized it, and memories would flood back. Everything was the same, even if it felt different now. But he didn’t have long to regard how it felt to be home again, with her still behind him. There was a visible stiffness in his stance, and he would stand straight to the side after having entered, unsure of what to do. Even if it was where he had lived for most of his life, until recently, the feeling that he was trespassing now was powerful.

    “I, uh...” Talking was difficult. His eyes would shift around the interior to instinctually looking for an escape. For a moment he wondered about what had happened to his old room. Those thoughts couldn’t last though. There were a few reasons he had come home. One of them was to talk to her. It needed to be done, or else he came all this way for nothing.

    He took a deep breath. For a second he really did regret dressing like this now. Chigetsu wished he hadn’t, but it was too late for that. Not wanting to linger where he didn’t belong, the difficulty would be struggled through.

    “I signed up for the chunin exams a few days ago.”


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    Post by Bones! Tue Feb 18, 2020 1:23 pm

    Akeruseirei Hozuki
    Kirigakure's Exporter
    Reality. It was unreal at moments. It was like chasing a fleeting dream. Imperfect moments lined up after each other perfectly. A handcrafted story that left you always unsure of what to happen even if you spend days upon weeks upon months of planning. It only took one single moment to throw it all away. It was impossible to plan for everything. Everyone was just a character in the massive storybook of life. Every day a new chapter, and just one cliffhanger away from the best, or possibly worst day of your life. But that was how stories went. You needed excitement. You needed moments. You needed parts in the story that didn't go as you expected. Not everything had a climatic ending or went how the hero expected. And in this story, was anyone really a hero.

    She had no time, nor the energy to change the house. The same seats, the same vases, the same plants, though replaced with newer ones. It was the same as it was, with some areas covered with the dust of time and decay. Sure, there was a few maids to keep with the place, but the building they called home was still the same old soul, and still the books remained untouched, save for, of course, his mother's favorite tales.

    She nudged him, or at least, that's what she felt like she was doing. But in reality, after shutting the door, allowing the lock to click, she shoved her offspring a few steps down the hall. Not towards his room, but to the common area, or more importantly, her study.

    "Did you?" She would say, her words lined with a thin coat of venom. She expected more, especially at his age. But there was more to it, surely. He came all this way to say just that? She nodded to herself, her touch drifting among the various stands and tables, opening a small box and swiftly grabbing a cigar as she made her way down the hallway, having him lead himself to where she wanted to go. Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed one of her lighters and with sharp inhale and a flick, lit her cigar.

    She didn't always smoke, it wasn't until fairly recently with her husband's ailments that she had taken the time for the social gatherings in his place. Rather than fall to the same vice of drink, she found comfort in the smoke within the village mist. Tucking the lighter away, she lifted her touch to remove it from betwixt her lips to speak again, smoke spilling from the dragon's mouth.

    "Are you going to wear that shit to your exams too?" she would ask, her voice almost scolding him, but she was curious. She was genuinely curious.


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    Post by Chigetsu Tue Feb 18, 2020 2:06 pm

    It would have been easier if things were different. That dream-like quality grew stronger as she pushed him in. Space can change your perception so easily. Memories were fixed here, littering the halls and suffocating the inhabitants. The shared inhabited space had an intimacy to it that had soaked into the walls and floors, and these emotions had become a part of the space itself.
    The image of a meat and potato pie, for example, being lifted from the oven, or the touch of bark at the top of the apple tree, or the click of a latch, or striations of sunlight on a carpet…each went back to a space of intimacy fixed together with memories. These spaces tell us far more about our inner selves and our relationships with home than anything else.

    For a moment Chigetsu was a child again. White hair, cut short after the struggle of a recent hair cut, messily spread across a head that barely came up to the countertops. The scents of grass stains and sweat that came with a child that young were pungent in his mind, standing as shadows against the murk of old dust. This had happened before. He went along, stuck in his mind as she shoved him, until he was cast deeper into the depths of the building.

    The smell of smoke, while unpleasant, was preferable to dust. It was something that could be recognized as a sign of humanity, even if offensive to the nose and lungs. He couldn’t complain about it. Instead the glowing embers at the edge of the tobacco would be stared at, using the light there as a substitute for eyes.

    The truth was, he hadn’t thought about this. Wearing it even here was hard. Putting this outfit on and being free was easy outside the walls of the Hozuki District, where nobody knew who Chigetsu was. Nobody there asked any questions, or any looks. Here, so many knew who he was, it was like a ball and chain. Alone it would have been so easy, but with the crowds?

    “I don’t know.” It was the truth now. She had instilled a bit of doubt in him with only those few words, as he otherwise would have done it without a second thought. Now something that should have been natural felt like it wasn’t again. “I didn’t think about that. I don’t think it should…” He didn’t think it should matter, but it was hard to believe in yourself.



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    Post by Bones! Tue Feb 18, 2020 2:30 pm

    Akeruseirei Hozuki
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    If things were different. If things were different. In another world, another life, in another time, she would have more to offer. In that world, she would have her maiden name replaced, rather than stripped from her. She would be just a bit more skilled, she would have been enough. Maybe that would change her outlook on life. Maybe she would have raised him different. Maybe she would have ended up different. Or perhaps, she was doomed to begin with. Maybe this was the path she was destined to walk, regardless of life pushing her along the way. There was no way to tell, and to dwell on the past, having it linger in the back of your mind only held you back. It was wrong to live in the past, when others were still looking at their future. She needed to look ahead, it was her job now. She owed them that much, both as her duties as a mother, and as a wife.

    The barren house, even with the few tables and rugs, was heavily decorated. Not with lavish furnishings that money could buy, no. It was filled to the ceiling with memories, stories, and sentiment. Those were things they could never buy, nor give to others. They existed, and for that, they would always remain. Nothing ever disturbed their reality or their need to cling to the past in these small ways. Everything was to remain the same, even if the people were completely different now.

    The aroma of mother's cooking coupled with laughter of a once warm home. It was simpler then when nothing was asked of anyone. It was peaceful to just live. But once the signs began to show, there was no more time for social gatherings, it was time to train. Perhaps to uphold his father's name, or the honor that was within his mother's blood. It didn't matter which side beckoned the activities, what mattered was neither side opposed the idea to turn from their child, hoping to make a prodigy. Maybe that was when it started, or perhaps, it all happened for a reason. But she knew better. Nothing happens for a reason. It's all complete and utter chaos.

    The lingering smoke clouded not just the air, but the visions before them. They weren't looking down a hallway, but a life that could be, and might never be. All that mattered now was a dance of words, a display of art and love to solidify a future that could be, or might never be. Here, was a battle that was more fatal than the mortal end. It wasn't about living or dying. Here, those things didn't matter. Here, was where stories of the dead lived on, and the living were forgotten, and that... would be when they died.

    It wasn't long before they were at the open doorway. The sliding door left open, a strange contrast to the majority of the house. A small handful of rooms that didn't match. Darker wood, paper screens and stranger furniture that was a long way from the Land of Water. It was alien, but to the woman, it was a scent of home. Stepping inside, her palm lightly pushed the boy forward to take a seat on either the chairs or pillows that rested on the ground. She moved over to her desk, covered with papers and closed books and various other scrolls. The desk sitting low as it always did, and the seats unused as it always seemed to be. It was a room that one could expect guests to be entertained by none other than her, but still, none sat in the seats. Even long ago, Chigetsu was forbidden to sit or even touch them, finding the blunt end of a rod or stick for his behavior. Yet, here, today, he was given possibly the only chance he could to sit upon them without repercussion.

    "The job of a shinobi is to be unseen." she would say, her lifeless voice spilling from her mouth as her eyes traced the words before her hands. She didn't look at him anymore, she simply couldn't. "Your job is failed if you are spotted, and soon executed for your appearance." When he took a seat, if he did, would be when she looked up at him.

    Her eyes would follow his face, his gaze. She would be sure her words would not fall of deaf ears.

    "Don't die." she would say.
    [


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    Post by Chigetsu Tue Feb 18, 2020 5:56 pm

    Breaking old taboos, even if they didn’t exist any more, gave him pause. She had pushed him towards the seats, what he could only assume was an indication to sit. Even if given the opportunity to, the taboo had been beaten into him over the course of years. It felt powerfully wrong to break it, even now. Reluctance would spill forth from him, seeping into his mind from his unconscious as another layered agitation to throw onto the pile. Habits, after having been reinforced for so long, were stronger than chains ever could be, and bordered on fetishistic. Even if it was his only chance, Chigetsu wouldn’t take it. The pillows that rested on the ground would be taken instead, and Chigetsu sat in a way that was proper for the way he was dressed.

    The room had a certain amount of weight to it, along with everything else. Sitting, squashed down like this, almost had a way of breaking that spell of gravity. The weight of her words weren’t something that could be so easily avoided though. It was true. He wished it wasn’t, but at the same time that just made it impossible to ignore. The job of a shinobi is to be unseen. That alone made Chigetsu a pretty shitty shinobi, without even saying a word of his skill. Dressing in these purple and pink colors, and then the dyed pink hair he had, might as well have been a bright exclamation point that drew every eye to Chigetsu’s appearance. That was bad enough here, where people would glare, but it was a death sentence for a shinobi. There was no way that someone who dressed in these bright colors could succeed. The only way it could possibly be worse for her was if she dressed in bright orange and dyed her hair electric yellow, or something obnoxious like that.

    It took a few seconds of thought, a few seconds of silence, but Chigetsu could do nothing but resign himself to the truth. Purple hues and pupils would be turned down again to the floor.

    “I won’t. I won’t die.” He didn’t even want to say that, but he understood why he had to. Those last words, ‘Don’t die’, punctuated the sentiment hard. He couldn’t do as he pleased now. It was a situation where either result would now be painful to go through with, but the path of least resistance almost certainly was the one with the least chance of death. “I’ll find something else to wear for the exams.” That, and find a way to bleach his hair back to its natural white, as painful as it would be.



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    Post by Bones! Tue Feb 18, 2020 8:55 pm

    Akeruseirei Hozuki
    Kirigakure's Exporter
    Respect. It was shown in many ways. But her curiosity was getting the best of her. Did he see himself a girl, or was this all a costume? Or god forbid, was this was who he was now? No, it didn't matter, but even just a seat, the direction of his legs, the manner of which he took to placing himself, it was all she needed to see to know, to understand. But how could she expect anything less than for him to take a seat on the pillows he rested upon as a child. It was going against tradition, to their lives if he did otherwise. After all, she never said to sit in a seat, it wasn't an order. She had already instilled the rules for this day long ago. Perhaps the unspoken rules between them was a lengthy list, or perhaps it was just random silent agreements that would be set upon every new day.

    Dusty books littered the shelves along with weird carved statues out of wood and bone. Strange small trinkets and other small objects. Things in here, did not show the wealth of the family, but was simply an aid to her to ease her mind. And yet, the only real color against the pale and dark room, was the boy dressed in pink. Perhaps a meaning hidden in his presence, or perhaps it simply was exactly as it appeared to be. A boy sitting in his mother's office. He wasn't the color in her dark world. Nothing had meaning. Nothing ever really mattered in the end. You were born, you survive, eventually you die. He was making a promise he could not actually keep. The best he could do was postpone his death, changing the cause of it to age rather than murder or some other misfortune.

    Perhaps she could have chosen her words more carefully, but she had the point she wanted to make. He was vibrant, colorful, and much too gaudy for her taking. But was having fun so wrong? No, there was no reason he could not enjoy himself. What if it was the clothing that made him comfortable? Comfort did lead to success. If he was to wear something that restricted his movement, then perhaps an exception would have to be made. After all, it was getting late in her life, they needed an heir, a child to carry the legacy of the Kozuki, and that from where she came herself. A dead son could do nothing but cause pain.

    Her eyes drifted back to her papers, writing small things before quickly scribbling some other papers, and eventually  blank paper. Seconds passed, until nearly a minute of silence was placed between them.

    "You will wear a hat, to cover that hideous pink." White. It held the honor in both what used to be her family, as well as her husband's. It was wrong to hide behind colors. But it wasn't really hurting anyone, right? She folded the paper, and placed it in an envelope, folding it shut, and then sealing it with wax. It was not the Hozuki's symbol, but one that used to belong to the Kaguya. With a cross through it, to show her detachment. Something that did not mark the family, but only herself. She slid it across the table.

    "There is a tailor on the other side of town. You will hand this to him, and wear whatever he gives you." A letter full of a description, as well as the favors owed, surely this small order would set them even, or at least something that leaned more to him making do.

    "Do you understand me?" she asked again, her voice still hallow and lifeless. "I don't want to have to repeat myself."


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    Post by Chigetsu Wed Feb 19, 2020 7:25 pm

    The answer he gave would be initially met with silence. These pauses, where thoughts dripped down around into places they shouldn't be, somehow ended up being the worst part of this. If it was simple as saying that he had to cast aside who he was, as painful as that was, it was something he could say if necessary. It was as simple as readopting the mask and fitting it firmly onto his face. Even if he was a notoriously bad actor, that was still something that even he could do. Instead it was the moments of deliberation and nothingness that came in between, dragging the words out into silence, that hollowed out his insides and crushed his ribs in. The seconds that passed in silence between them would eventually turn into a minute, but it would feel much longer than that.

    He visibly perked when she mentioned the hat. It was a strange thing to get excited about. He didn’t own any, and in any other circumstance he would have had a very different reaction to the idea of wearing one. His hair was something he was proud of, and took excessively good care of in a vain near-obsession. The idea of sullying it by cutting it would have been a scar against his sense of self. Allowing him a small mercy in not demanding it be removed, or even returned to its natural color, was something that he could cling to. At the very least then it would still be Chigetsu taking the Chunin Exams, rather than somebody else who had the same name.

    The completion of the letter, along with it being slid across the table, was something that he could only assume meant that it was prepared for him to take. Still, he hesitated. When the explicit instructions came to take it would be when he did, standing slowly from his sitting position and taking the letter with caution. His eyes would inspect the seal that had been pressed into it, pretending as though it was something of interest to him.

    “Yes. Yes, I’ll give this to him and wear anything that he gives to me.” He repeated the instructions just as a signifier that he understood what she was asking of him. It came quick, without any breath taken between when she had asked the question of whether or not he understood. He knew better than to keep her waiting for an answer.

    The situation at hand had somehow turned tolerable as well, and so there was a itching feeling inside his chest that wanted to cement things down before they reversed course. Having to wear more subdued colors for the exams but being able to keep his hair felt like a compromise, even if it came entirely as an order from his mother’s lips. As painful as he had expected this to be, and as painful as it had been for the first few moments, the idea that this was a temporary and necessary evil became fixed as a beacon of hope inside his mind that he clung to.


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    Post by Bones! Thu Feb 20, 2020 10:25 am

    Akeruseirei Hozuki
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    Nothing was perfect. No one was perfect. Life was a string of random imperfections put together in a random order. The deafening silence could have been a tool to build up a moment to crush his spirit, yet, that was not the intention of it. But if it happened, then it was just one more fleeting moment that happened out of chance. Everything was up to chance. Nothing was set in stone.

    She offered him just that small sliver of salvation, allowing him to keep his hair. If he wanted to go as far to wear a wig in the exams, it would be up to him if he wanted to try and deceive the others. After all, those he would encounter, would eventually be his allies, or his enemies. Not all for for his sake. It would be important what he did here. But to those beside him within the village, then perhaps it was better for him to find his own path.

    "Do not embarrass me." she would command him. It was a simple thing to ask for, at least, in her mind. All he had to do, was give his best. She wasn't asking him to suddenly become the best student in the class. In fact, she asked for anything besides that. All he needed to do, was pass. He didn't need to display all of his skills, for she feared it would only harm him later down the road. But she felt as if he would come up short once more. Perhaps he needed encouragement. Yes, that was what he needed. Maybe now was the best time for her to change her ways. It obviously wasn't working so well. It didn't matter what tutors she bought or paid for, it didn't matter what he was being taught. It mattered who.

    A long inhale, she drew in the smoke from her cigar. With a slow exhale from her nose, the dragon slowly mulled over her options. She looked upon her son, weighing the possible futures and choices that could be made, and which had the highest percentage of success.

    "Let's go then," she would say, waving him out of the room and getting up from her own seat. She had bigger problems to face.


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    Post by Chigetsu Fri Feb 21, 2020 8:44 pm

    ‘Do not embarrass me’ struck through him, piercing like an arrow. It echoed in his mind as something that she had said countless times before. Even more than the number of times he had heard her say it was how often he saw it in her eyes. It meant something else here as well as the normal scornful look and venom in her voice. Was she talking about the Chunin Exams? Or was she talking about at the tailor? Likely both, or just a perpetual statement that was intended for all situations. So consumed in the struggle with his own appearance, he only read from her words what was directly presented before him. The boy would demure, turning down to look for a moment at the pillow had been sitting on. Eyes focusing in on the little tassels that came out from the corners, it would be a way to avoid both eye contact and the thoughts that came with it.

    It was hard to explain how he felt, and why he felt the way that he did. In a way, he was grateful that she didn’t ask. Six months ago and the prospect of doing something like this would have been outrageous to think of for someone as pathetic as Chigetsu. What had pushed him in this direction in the first place had all occured by happenstance, and only had such sway over the boy due to how flimsy and easily blown around he was. He wouldn’t have been able to put it to words had she asked. Maybe that she didn’t was another small mercy she was offering him.

    He was waved out of the room before he could process her next statement. Chigetsu would be out of her office before the words had a chance to tumble into his mind, past the sliding door and back into the hall. Turning over his shoulder, he had to take a peek behind himself to see if she truly was coming with him. The fact that she had gotten up from her own seat seemed to imply that this was the case, which in itself was a bit

    “You’re… You’re coming too?” The words slipped out of him, leaking straight out of his mind without the intimidation catching it and sealing the thought inside his mind. He presumed that she wrote out a set on instructions out so that he could be the courier for this. Was she coming to ensure that he actually did what she said? He faltered for maybe a moment too long. Having there be a separation between it didn’t trigger the same bells in Chigetsu’s mind as having her right there with him. There was something wholly damaging to whatever little ounce of pride that Chigetsu had left in the idea that his mother would be picking out his clothing for him. Both mundane and embarrassing, it was a wholly different experience that caught him off guard.


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    Post by Bones! Sat Feb 22, 2020 10:49 am

    Akeruseirei Hozuki
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    With the wrinkles of age, she was far past who she used to be. A dull blade once used for war, reduced to a bread cutting tool. She knew what her own potential was, and even now she was prepared to surpass it. The heavy smoke that lingered around her lips, dancing against her flesh as her nostrils expended more of the dense gray fog. No, she was fully prepared. Now was the time to make a change,

    The dull colored room and the brightly colored boy was just one of many contrasts. The dust covered books and the gray and maroon pillows decorated with copper threads. The tanned leather seats and the faded blue rug that sat under it all. The aroma of a life that was quiet before, but now filled with a deafening sound of responsibility. The taste of childhood lined with a layer of mixed emotions from nostalgia to pain and blood. She held onto the memories of that metal flavored liquid that once poured from her own lips at her father's hand. She could never forget the taste of blood, and how drunk she was on it.

    Feelings were vibes and binds that held down the soul and mind. She was free, at least until he came along. Her mind clouded with her own paranoia of what she cold not lose. She once had nothing to her name, and now it felt like she had everything to lose. Her most prized treasure...

    "Of course I am." She would say, as if he didn't get the point at all. Had he already forgotten? She followed suit, into the hall, and with another push, she would nudge him, not to the front door, but towards the yard in the middle of their estate.

    "We're going to make sure you come back alive." She would say to him. She had already given her orders to take care of the matter of his appearance. But she was fixed on two words alone. 'Don't die.' He was going to return alive. She wasn't going to have faith in him. She wanted facts to know for sure, she would still be a mother by the end of it.

    They would soon make it to their yard, a large open clearing in the middle of their house. The outside air, and a single tree in the midst of it. The sand that held the patterns and calm nature behind the woman. The grain that no matter how much fog, never turned to mud. This was his classroom for the day.

    Today, he would face his own mother. He would prove his worth to not just himself, but her.


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    Post by Chigetsu Sun Feb 23, 2020 11:38 am

    He would be pushed along the moment that he turned around, being shoved out of the house just as he had been shoved into it. Not the same way that he had come either, as he had expected it would be. The direction was different, and once the pathways turned Chigetsu would begin to understand. Once again everything had become twisted away from his intentions, and swept away somewhere far in the distance. Even still, he didn’t exactly understand why. He had thought all that training business was something that had ended years ago, and that she had given up on him. Given the suddenness of his signing for the exams, it perhaps only would make sense that she would begin again though.

    “What?” He would stammered, now flustered even as he was willingly allowing himself to be pushed where she wanted. “You don’t mean…?” Sent into the yard, he could only turn around and face her again in full once they had reached their destination. Flabbergasted and slightly exacerbated, it would be the sharpest emotion that he had displayed other than intimidation since arriving here.

    Immediately his hands calm up, palms out. It was a show of submission, as one would display they were unarmed, but more unconscious. He would take a few steps back, until his back was only a small breadth away from the tree. Reflexively, Chigetsu would attempt to avoid getting beaten. “No! It’s okay, I…” His eyes would shift again, looking from side to side in another attempt to search for some sort of escape. “Please don’t. You don’t need to, I think I’m going to be fine.” It was quick and hasty as it was ejected from his mouth, reeking of desperation.


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    Post by Bones! Sun Feb 23, 2020 11:49 am

    Akeruseirei Hozuki
    Kirigakure's Exporter
    Her mind was stuck in the ways of old. There was no turning back. She was born into a savage life with harsh lessons and brutal beatings. She was the product of a mindset of war and to raise soldiers, not children. Echoes of her parent's choices vibrated through her, and to her own child. Perhaps she wasn't as distasteful as they were. But still, she was just as guilty of her actions as her parents were of theirs. There was no denying it. But moments like these, they felt so foreign, yet exactly as she desired.

    She meant exactly what she didn't say. Her explanations hidden behind few words and gazes. She wasn't one for small talk, but rather quick conversation. But with her son, her husband and those around her, sometimes even just a single word could speak volumes.

    Silence fell upon her as he slowly mulled over the actions that unfolded. He didn't want to, she knew that. Life was full of tough choices. As he stepped in, backing against the tree, she took steps closer, careful to keep distance, and not to crowd him. Not this time at least. She was not going to let him go.

    "You think." She would say. "You need to know." She took the cigar from her lips, and with a slick of her fingers, tossed it at her child. The cigar would begin to spin, only for the lit end to eventually land near his neck, or perhaps his face if he continued to look away.

    "Fight me." She would say. "But do not disturb the sand." And with those words, her fingers began to fold, signs ready and prepared. But what move would he make?
    Strength: C || Constitution: D || Stamina: C || Speed: B ||
    Coordination: C || Intelligence: D || Perception: B


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    Post by Chigetsu Sun Feb 23, 2020 3:14 pm

    What was he supposed to do? That was what he couldn’t help but think, desperation leaking out of his thoughts and into his actions with every passing moment. It was true that Chigetsu lacked the killer instinct that shinobi required, but it went deeper than that at the core. All throughout his training he had showed a lack of interest in even the fundamentals, but at the time that had come from just himself being difficult, a byproduct of teenage years and the struggles that Chigetsu’s mind found itself in. Even with all that ignored, there was not a single desire in the male to hurt another. Beyond even that, the idea of even attempting to defend himself against his mother in anything more than flinching might have been sacrilege.

    He took another step back as she approached, but the tree was behind him now and there was nowhere to go. The cigar, flown in a twirl, would be caught in his eyes and instinctively the boy would flinch-dodge out of its path. It would collide into the bark of the tree and bounce off, down to the ground. Seeing that it was still lit, Chigetsu would with some amount of haste allow his hydrification to activate, splashing a bit of liquid onto it with a small movement from his leg to ensure there would be no unfortunate fires set ablaze in their little yard.

    Beyond that he would just look at her, paralyzed. It was an impossible request. She wanted him to fight her? The comment on disturbing the sand was an entirely different matter, and almost seemed like some sort of bad joke in this context. He couldn’t help but just watch her fingers fold into seals. It would be a question of if he actually defended himself or not, rather than if he engaged in any aggressive maneuvers against her.


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    Post by Bones! Sun Feb 23, 2020 3:28 pm

    Akeruseirei Hozuki
    Kirigakure's Exporter
    The life of a shinobi was full of hard choices. But would it ever come to harming each other for the sake of a mission? Would he ever really have to fight one of his own? It was less than likely, but to Akeruseirei it was the reality. She was raised in that mindset. It was better to kill your ally than to allow them to become prisoner. There was tons of jutsu that would be used to extract information, and it was better to face death yourself, than to be the reason others died. But still here, it was not life or death. There wasn't even the risk. It was a spar, to show how far he's come. If he fell short here, he would fail for sure.

    "My son will not fail." She would say. "You will succeed."

    Her left folded and remained still while her right pulled back, only to launch forward. She was every bit serious, and she would be sure to get her message across. Her fingers curled back as her palm thrust forward, moving to strike the tree behind him. If he was to remain still, she would surely land a blow upon his face. But it was a matter of what he would do next. She wanted to see what he was capable of.

    He was going to succeed. He would return alive. After all, he was her son.
    Strength: C || Constitution: D || Stamina: C || Speed: B ||
    Coordination: C || Intelligence: D || Perception: B
    110(-5)/110 Chakra


    Name: Shatter Palm
    Rank: C
    Activation Cost: 5
    Range: Self
    Speed: -
    Element: N/A
    Skill: Taijutsu
    Classification: Open
    Requirements: N/A
    Parent Technique: Arhat Fist
    Hand Seals: -
    Description: The user thrusts their palm towards their opponent in an attempt to damage them or break through their guard.

    Boosts Strength for the thrust by +1 tier.

    Weaknesses: N/A


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    Post by Chigetsu Sun Feb 23, 2020 3:40 pm

    He wouldn’t move. Instead he would just watch her. All her movements seemed telegraphed, and so the anxiety would only build with each passing moment inside of him. Her folded hand would press forward, fingers curling backwards from their position until they came into an open palm. It would grow in size, coming closer and closer, until her palm collided into his face. It wasn’t that he couldn’t move out of the way, as in he wasn’t capable of it physically, but that he was incapable mentally.

    The force of the impact would immediately liquify where she had struck him. She would feel nothing but water against her palm, with the point of impact feeling as a water balloon had been struck, only to pop open in a splatter of water that would flurry back against the bark of the tree. The liquid would splatter flat, but it would rebound with a mind of its own after this. It was a reflex for the body of the Hozuki to recollect, and so recollect it did. In a stream it would squirt off the tree, squirming into the open neck and place where Chigetsu’s head had been. The liquid would collect in a floating blob, flowing as if it were contained in some sort of invisible membrane.

    In the process of this happening, the temporarily blinded and deafened Chigetsu would continued to retreat. Without his eyes or ears, he was left only with touch to take him back. Rather than running around the tree, he would have to go up. His palms, just previously held open in submission, would collide back against the tree, and with a grip of his chakra to the bark he would pull himself up. Eyes and ears and other features would form out of the thickening liquid, which had transferred from clear water into a thick white-mucusy substance for only a moment before returning to Chigetsu’s face, as he scurried up the tree like some sort of squirrel. Only once he had backed up all the way to its height, or at least the height of the tallest branch that would still support him, did he stop.

    His hands and feet were pressed tight to the bark, applying a subtle amount of chakra in order to stick tight to it as if he were using some sort of magnets. In this position he would look down at her, pupils dilated. It was clear he was afraid, even if not at all in pain.

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    Post by Bones! Sun Feb 23, 2020 3:50 pm

    Akeruseirei Hozuki
    Kirigakure's Exporter
    He had one single skill she was aware of. She knew of it all too well. It was instinctive, and it would force him to fight if he wanted to or not. It saved his body from wounds and other injury. And it would save him now. She didn't try to break her tree, only to shake it. Leaves would lightly dance as they slowly cascaded to the ground. It was his first lesson. But it would not be his last.

    She knew water, and she knew his. All of those moments of trying to slip away as a child. She wanted him to refine his skill, his art. That was why she paid for all of the teachings. The words were already said to him, but it was his choice what to do with the teachings given to him. Her hand released the sign as he made his way into the tree. That was no fun. There was no lesson in the sky. There was nowhere to hide.

    A copy of herself would manifest in the tree with no other intention than to shove him back down. She herself would take a step back, her footing stepping on the few stones of her garden. She was prepared to teach him something that no other teacher could. but this time, would he learn?

    A smile found its way on her face, and in some twisted way, she enjoyed it. Not the fact it was her son, but the act itself. It was a while since she had some fun.
    Strength: C || Constitution: D || Stamina: C || Speed: B ||
    Coordination: C || Intelligence: D || Perception: B
    105/110 Chakra

    Name: Water Clone Technique
    Rank: C
    Cost: -
    Range: 25 m.
    Speed: -
    Element: Water
    Skill: Ninjutsu
    Classification: N/A
    Requirement: N/A
    Parent Technique: N/A
    Handseals: Tiger
    Description: By using water as a medium, the user can create one or more clones of themselves. While the clones can perform techniques, they only possess one-tenth of the user's chakra and cannot go too far from the original. The clones can also be used as medium to perform other Water Release techniques, as demonstrated by Kisame when he reverted their arms into water to perform the Water Prison Technique. When these clones are struck with a sufficient amount of force they will revert to their water form. The clones can be created anywhere within a 25 m. range of the user, unlike the Shadow Clone technique which requires clones to be created next to the user (such ranged spawning would require the clone to be spawned from a pre-existing source of water)
    Drawbacks: When casting this technique the user's stamina must be above 30% in order to maintain control over his/her clones. In addition, the user must maintain general concentration to maintain their clone's presence. If at any time the user is inflicted with heavy damage in contrast with their Constitution all clones will be dispersed. The user must be within 25 m. of their clone.


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    Post by Chigetsu Sun Feb 23, 2020 4:12 pm

    Using the excess liquid he had released from the palm thrust in order to form a clone to his back was something that he would have never expected, even if he had been analyzing this as a true combat scenario and not just him running away from his mother. Unable to react in time to the shove, and not having the sort of strength to maintain any sort of grip on the tree, Chigetsu would be thrown down to the ground in short order, arriving at the base of the tree with a splatter.

    It would be a rather smooth and quick motion to standing though, liquifying into a blob that would reposition and raise faster than it would take for him to peel himself off the ground with just his hands and knees. He was effectively surrounded now, with his mom’s clone up in the tree and her true form a few steps back in the garden. It was not an enviable position to be in. Stuck between a rock and a hard place. It would only be a matter of time before she would attack him again, potentially from both directions. Even if he did want to fight in this situation, it wasn’t as if he had many options in the first place. It was a wholly depressing experience.

    One arm would be raised in each direction, with Chigetsu’s attention split between the two. His palm would be out in both faces, and he would look back and forth in order to try to encapsulate both in his vision.

    “Please…?” He would whimper out, trying again to see if this could be defused.


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    Post by Bones! Sun Feb 23, 2020 5:55 pm

    Akeruseirei Hozuki
    Kirigakure's Exporter
    Everything needed to work instantly, fluid like water. There was no time to think, only to react. It was a constant stream of linked thoughts and ideas that your body needed to preform without your mind getting in the way. Everyone's body was a blade and with each battle your senses were sharpened and refined. Rei had seen battle. She was stained and nicked, and perhaps grew a bit dull over the last few years, but her weight was still carried. She knew where to land her blows. A simple push from something made of the same material he was removed him from the tree, and as he fell, she would make her next plan.

    He would find his way back to stand, and she would lunch at him without a word. Her clone remained still, hanging over the thick branches of the tree, observing the two of them. Rei would again strike, her arm pulled back shooting a fist forward at his chest, and a knee to follow up. She was not going to waste any more time. He needed to be metaphorically as fluid as he was physically. She wanted to be sure he would do more than survive.

    She did not approve of her son coming home in that outfit, but she would be much more disapproving to have her son come home in a box instead.
    Strength: C || Constitution: D || Stamina: C || Speed: B ||
    Coordination: C || Intelligence: D || Perception: B
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    Post by Chigetsu Mon Feb 24, 2020 9:50 pm

    Not wanting to fight was a two way street. As much as it was that Chigetsu didn’t want to attack, he also equally did not want to be attacked. Especially by his mother. It added an additional layer to all of this that just made it impossible. At the same time it seemed that simply running away continuously would be impossible. With that option exhausted, and aggression simply not being in his nature, Chigetsu would resort to defending himself. It would be instinctual and decided in a panic, rather than something he thought. He was afraid, despite the fact that nothing she had done so far had been of any threat to him with his Hydrification.

    His palm would flow outwards, liquifying and being manipulated into a blob of thick liquid that shot out to meet the fist that was sent towards him. The blob that had been his arm, now with a mucus-like consistency, would absorb the force of the blow with a wet thudding sound. Her fist would sink into it from the momentum, and should Akeruseirei attempt to pull his fist out she would find her strength inadequate. The mucus blob was incredibly sticky and it seemed to aggressively fight against any attempt to release her fist. With this hold Chigetsu would do his best to stop her aggression, holding pausing it and keeping her at a distance away from him.

    “I really don’t want to…!” He would struggle for words now, sounding a combination of frustrated and flustered, although all of it still laced with a healthy dose of desperate fear. More than anything he felt like a cornered animal, but that was a feeling he couldn’t help but feel most of the time when around her. It was just right now that things progressed further than he ever would have expected before, and retreating into his mind stopped being an effective tool.

    Chi’s Stuff:


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    Post by Bones! Tue Feb 25, 2020 12:10 pm

    Bones! wrote:
    Akeruseirei Hozuki
    Kirigakure's Exporter
    Perhaps she was in over her head. She might not have known the gap in their power, but she was well aware of their difference in skill. He needed to be strong enough to fend for himself. All it would take is a single genjutsu to take over one of his allies in the field. He would have to decide if he could save him, or if it was better to kill his own friend. Sure it was extremities, but once you have prepared for the worst, things like this seem small and insignificant. She was not going to allow him to run away. She was going to get him to attack her, be it his own offense, or of self defense. It wasn't like she was trying to actually kill her son. If she was, well, he'd already be dead.

    But as he caught her fist in his own sort of blob trap, her knee continued to fly forward, lunging at her son's head. She would bend her arm to twist to her side to get the distance closed in just enough to land her hit. "But you must!" She would say as she would land her mark.

    Now it was a question of what else he would preform, or if he would simply drop his hold on her to let her go. But to hold onto her at this momentum would surely send him a step backwards...

    into

    the

    sand.
    Strength: C || Constitution: D || Stamina: C || Speed: B ||
    Coordination: C || Intelligence: D || Perception: B
    105/110 Chakra


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    Post by Chigetsu Tue Feb 25, 2020 9:11 pm

    Chigetsu hadn’t planned ahead, each movement in this chaotic situation being spontaneous. Even if his reflexes were quick enough to move himself out of the way, Chigetsu hadn’t the mental fortitude to utilize them correctly. He was still an easily panicked animal. Her knee would collide up with his chin, and Chigetsu’s face and head would be thrashed again into liquid water. It would spray back from the momentum, and again he would be blinded and deafened. The liquid would rain back down as the momentum of her knee carried it outwards. The rest of his body would be sent stumbling as he lost his balance yet again.

    He would let go of his grip on her as she came forward, releasing his blob arm from her manually in an attempt to direct his stumbles out of the way of what he knew was behind him. It was futile though. He had dug his heel down hard into the dirt at that moment, attempting to pivot his weight to the side instead of falling backwards, but the strain on his ankle would just end up liquifying the joint as well. He would be thrown backwards, landing on his ass in the sand that his mother seemed so intent on protecting.

    Chigetsu landed with a thud, and initially he wouldn’t move. It had taken him a moment to remember the command she had originally made regarding the sand, and only when he was about to fall into it did he realize the issue at hand. Once his vision restored itself Chigetsu would look up from his position, defeated.

    In a sense this was a tactical decision. He preferred losing to having to fight her. Triggering that losing condition so early would spare him of what he was so desperately trying to avoid. Of course, it wouldn’t be without consequences either, but at the moment anything else seemed preferable.

    “I’m sorry. I couldn’t do it.” He would say, his hands instinctively raising up with open palms. “I lost.”


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    Post by Bones! Wed Feb 26, 2020 11:08 am

    Akeruseirei Hozuki
    Kirigakure's Exporter
    The splash of water from the impact of her knee against her sons head. The water that sprayed in various droplets from the impact of a hit reduced to playing with water. The rain would fall back to the earth, only to take a shape before it fell.

    Her right hand folded and released a sign once more.  A clone would appear again, behind him, only to prop herself between the stones that remained in the sand. The copy would shove him to the side, back to an island surrounded by a sea of sand. She knew the orders she gave him, but it was not only him that followed the rules. There was always weakness to be found in your enemy. They all have an agenda. Some even following other orders you may not even know about. In this battle, they both protected a noble, and he was to be brought back alive. But this noble was none other than a woman's sand collection.

    Akeruseirei caught herself as she landed, balancing her feet on the small stone ship that carried her. "Don't you ever give up again." She would say, lifting her fists again to retain her stance, however awkward.

    "Chunin don't give up." She waved at him to come for her, beckoning him to land a hit. She was not going to allow her son to fail.

    Not again.
    Strength: C || Constitution: D || Stamina: C || Speed: B ||
    Coordination: C || Intelligence: D || Perception: B
    105/110 Chakra


    Name: Water Clone Technique
    Rank: C
    Cost: -
    Range: 25 m.
    Speed: -
    Element: Water
    Skill: Ninjutsu
    Classification: N/A
    Requirement: N/A
    Parent Technique: N/A
    Handseals: Tiger
    Description: By using water as a medium, the user can create one or more clones of themselves. While the clones can perform techniques, they only possess one-tenth of the user's chakra and cannot go too far from the original. The clones can also be used as medium to perform other Water Release techniques, as demonstrated by Kisame when he reverted their arms into water to perform the Water Prison Technique. When these clones are struck with a sufficient amount of force they will revert to their water form. The clones can be created anywhere within a 25 m. range of the user, unlike the Shadow Clone technique which requires clones to be created next to the user (such ranged spawning would require the clone to be spawned from a pre-existing source of water)
    Drawbacks: When casting this technique the user's stamina must be above 30% in order to maintain control over his/her clones. In addition, the user must maintain general concentration to maintain their clone's presence. If at any time the user is inflicted with heavy damage in contrast with their Constitution all clones will be dispersed. The user must be within 25 m. of their clone.


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    Post by Chigetsu Wed Feb 26, 2020 3:41 pm

    It seemed as though he wouldn’t be that lucky. She had pulled the same trick on him a second time with turning the liquid that shot off of him into a water clone. The first time he had thought it was clever, but now it legitimately annoyed him a bit. The fact that the water that sprayed off him wasn’t able to return to his body left him with less than he had originally, and after the second time this happened he was already beginning to feel the effects of dehydration. It was something he noticed immediately after he reformed, with his mouth now overly dry. If this continued he was just going to get a headache from it, or something worse if he really lost that much water.

    He thought for a moment. Was this her plan? He knew she was capable of using Raiton, just based on repeated unpleasant past experiences. She was pushing him like this, insisting they fought, but not using anything yet that could actually hurt him. Was she just going to keep on making clones like this to wear him down, until he was in pain from the dehydration it caused? It was a frustrating thought.

    Chigetsu watched her as she took her stance again. Now her clones surrounded him. One to the behind, on the rocks between the sand and the island of ground that they fought on. One still in the tree. Then the real one, balancing now on one of the stones that marked the border between the ground and sands.

    The events of the written exams came back to him for a moment. The four others he had met during that time, and the dramatic moment that came at the end. That he had already passed the written section wasn’t something that he had bothered to mention to her, nor any of the events that took place there. His better judgement prevented him from revealing that he had barely managed to even get through that part, especially when he would soon be going into a much more dangerous situation. Still, the juxtaposition between those thoughts and now was strong.

    Very reluctantly Chigetsu would raise his arm. Sticking out his index finger, he would point at his mother.


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