power; through hardened stone.

[Nhb]

[ PM for entry ]

Tranquil


The only word that could describe the peaceful presence of the surrounding area, for not naught but the simple hum of a blue bird could be heard throughout the canvas. It always seemed to be nice here; the rays of the sun shone down brightly upon gaia giving food and nutrients needed for the surrounding plants to survive, the air was fresh and clean, and the wind was soothing as ever. The open field, laced with dirt, was the perfect area to train and spar.

Surrounded by broad trees in a circular-like arc, they mixed and matched to fit the portrait perfectly. A small lake was located a short distance away and served as a home to the many denizens of the sea that thrived in its’ depths: fish, frogs, water bugs—perhaps creatures not yet discovered. Birds flew ahead, both those of prey and those of scavengers, constantly involved in the struggle to rule the skies: vultures, eagles, falcons, and any other bird worth mentioning. A peaceful scenery indeed, perfect for the one wishing to hone his skill without interruption.

There were little things here to disturb one if they decided to train; it held more than enough different elements for one to use, making this the ideal training spot.

A legend perhaps; heard of by many, only known by a few.

[/blockquote]

[Nhb]

Like a dog to its’ master, Kamitsuki always found himself returning to this place.

Its’ weather was amazing; serene and calm, cool yet warm, blissful and full of peace. This remained the only true place in Tsuchi untouched by the previous shinobi war, and blinded from the wretched betrayal of the village elders. Their reach was strong, so strong that no one man could truly measure the extent of their power, but their grip... stronger. They’d destroyed the very fabric of life in Iwagakure, seemingly obliterated all who could oppose them, reaped the benefits with no remorse, and all remained hidden from the outside.

They wrapped the country in a web of lies, and innocents found themselves wrapped in a cycle of deceit, pain, and betrayal.. and those shinobi, who were untouched and alive? Mere genin, who knew naught but the basics of being a shinobi. Genin... who the council could twist and manipulate to their views, confuse ideals, and use as tools to fulfill their needs. And when they no longer served a purpose—were killed off so new ones could take their place, wrapped in the cycle of devious cunning and overwhelming greed.

Kamitsuki knew this, and it was this idea, this twisted reality that had him on edge. In such a gentle and soothing place, he found his emotions bubbling over. It was sickening to him, the thought of disregarding the life of those serving you like trash, the thought of killing innocents for nothing but sheer gain. Torrents of rage cascaded through his figure, and he found slicing through the air with his blade. Its’ cold steel sharpened to the T, it had served him good many of times. He gripped himself, gathering everything he was feeling; this wasn’t the way to go about it—no, action needed be taken. His mind quickly shifted from the horrors of the council to the nightmares he’d bring upon them. Visions of death, by his blade, would be all that befell them… that, or being burned to ashes by the hellish flames birthed from the Uchiha’s chakra.

The thought of purging the village of the council was exhilarating to him, and his mind raced with possibilities. He could do it all alone if he wanted, though that would take time, maybe even years. No—he had a way much more potent. Why risk everything he had to go against a power unknown? As of now, the Shinobi Alliance would prove more useful than not. Yes—the alliance could accomplish much more than he could working alone. Coupled with their resources, Kamitsuki knew he could achieve so much more. His skill was great, and he was smart enough to envision himself as the strongest. Until then however—he needed to gain more strength, more skill, more power. This place had been his training spot since he was a boy, so it was fitting he returned here to measure and increase his skills as a shinobi. The first step in a long process, but his will was stronger than ever.

He needed to increase his power.

Chakra bubled within his figure. He could feel the energy pulsating whenever he issued a command. It crackled with excitement, impatient to be released and eat at the area around him. He held it in for a split-second after it reached its’ peak, and once closed eyes snapped open with a Demon’s malice. Now crimson in hue, those once dull onyx orbs were now colored a bloody crimson—

the Sharingan, a single tomoe in each.

[/font]

---

[Nhb]

[ flashback ]
Sharingan: first tomoe

The completion of the shunshin no jutsu would allow me to progress onto the next technique which I planned. Unlike my katon techniques, which were C ranks, the next technique was one of far more difficulty—a B rank. Of course, it was a little early in my development of the katon element to be attempting to perform such a technique, but I was always one to push myself, even when stacked against great odds. It was a trait of my father and just when I was to begin my training… they appeared.

At first, I wasn’t sure of what they were, but there were three things I knew for certain. One, there was two of them. Two, the two beings held an immense amount of speed under their belt, their figures were nothing but a blur as they crossed my visage and three, they were not here on a friendly occasion, seeing as how upon their arrival, both beings flung metal projectiles at me. Considering their distance, I had more than enough time to dodge; utilizing the muscles within my legs, I would push off with my right, propelling myself to the west and effectively dodging the metallic projectiles.

Unsurprisingly, the two figures standing before me were both males, both of them branding the appearance of common bandits, yet their skill speed spoke volumes, and I quickly tossed the ‘common bandit’ thought into the abyss. They moved with the speed of a well trained shinobi; even my eyes couldn’t effectively keep up with their movements and I was trained as a shinobi since the age of six. They grinned at me in a taunting way, as if daring me to engage them in battle. I grinned back at the two before launching myself forward, releasing a 2 kunai from my pouch and launching it at the two. It was basic, but only served as a test to confirm my hypothesis.

Without so much of a hassle, the two would dodge my strike, retreating into the wild plain nearby like I would simply stand there and allow them to escape. Following them, I mirrored their movements, trying my best to stay on their trail. Their figures pushed forward violently, their movements becoming nothing but a blur as they dashed through the terrain. The opening of the area made it all too easy for me to follow them, despite following the patterns they ran. A trap? Of course, but I was too young and naïve to realize.

A foolish chase it was - but they initiated the challenge and I accepted, intent on coming out the victor. Over pebbles and boulder alike I ran, dodging and moving whatever hindered my path out of my way as I ran with all the speed I could muster. With each step taken, the muscles within my legs would release a powerful burst of energy, crushing the earth under their incredible might. More worried about my eyes and face than my body, I would cross my two arms over my façade, blocking the only passageway for dust and debris to hinder my vision.

In the distance, I could see the two figures closing the distance between one another, signaling they were almost near their destination—soon, I was almost upon them.

In a quick blur of movement, both figures would turn around simultaneously, launching a dozen or so shurikens my way. I had to squint to see the metallic projectiles heading toward me, and my eyes widened when I realized. I had little time to think, and I would be damned if I ran straight through them. Judging their altitude and the velocity they would lose while heading toward me, I would make one great leap of hope when they were close enough, launching myself well over their figures—a result of my taijutsu training.
Lurching out with both my arms to increase the distance of my jump, I used the momentum to propel me even faster than I had been running before. The boost served me well.

It was strange - the more I followed the two, the sharper my vision became. It became easier for me to dodge the debris and shurikens that served to throw me off course, as well as notice the pattern the two bandits were following. Slowly I began to gain on the two and was able to see a clearing in the distance; with every second that passed my vision became more acute to the bandits movements, becoming much keener than when the chase first began. In the distance, a small clearing rested, which was the two bandit’s destination. Leaping from where I stood, I managed to enter the clearing just as they had stopped—I had them.

[Nhb]

Or so I thought.

They were caught; yes, but that same devilish grin lay perched on their façade. It was like a constant nightmare, always coming back to haunt you whenever you tried to close your eyes.

A surprise to me, two figures would enter the clearing from both my sides, each bearing a blade strapped to their side. What a fool I was! I followed them here and fell into their trap; with me now being outnumbered four to one, I knew I needed to escape or find some way to defeat the four, but if all four moved like the two in front of me, this battle would be more than little difficult.

I waited a split second before I launched myself forward, initiating the battle. Unfortunately, my foot would never even get to touch the ground before a massive foot could be felt against the side of my face, sending me soaring to the left, where I would be met with yet another blow, sending me in the opposite direction. The blows came quick and fierce, leaving me little time to react. I knew something needed to be done or I would continue to be pummeled relentlessly until I was dead. It was then the chakra would begin to be filtered into my eyes (unknown to me) and the beginning of my blood limit would begin to develop. I had no clue, but my vision enhanced further, allowing me to see the four’s movements much easier than before.

Thanks to the added effect, I would be able to recognize the last blow before it connected, allowing me time to prepare myself before impact. My body would strike hard against the ground, but even then would I stand, my vision enhanced, watching the four’s movements intently (all four being in front of me). With the unknown cord of chakra filtering into my eyes, I began to predict the bandits movement, although slightly - their figures becoming something of a book as I scanned over their countenance. My eyes flickered to the left, bringing my western hand up in anticipation of a fearsome blow-- it was blocked and with my free hand would a closed fist be slammed into the bandits face with all the power I could muster.

Spinning upon the ball of my heel, bringing my right leg upward in a diagonal motion, slamming it into one of the bandits gut, winding him and causing him to double over. A blow to the left side of my face would connect, but not before the pre-birthed kekkei genkai revealed its existence to me. I had no time to dodge, but I expected the blow; Placing my hands upon the ground as I glided backward, I would flip, bringing myself back upon my feet. Retrieving a kunai from my side, I watched as the four bandits regrouped themselves, two of them bleeding from the devastating blows I managed to connect. It was them that would be taken out first-- one was hindered by constant pain to the nose and the second… his face showed he still hadn’t gained his wind back.

Through the bandit’s eyes, it would seem that I simply disappeared from my position, seeing as how they lacked my doujutsu, via the use of the shunshin no jutsu. The kunai was firmly gripped within my hand, allowing me to implant its metallic tip into the back of the bandit’s neck, ending his life almost as quickly as the I’d dissapeared. A gasp would be let from another as he watched his comrade drop dead next to his feet. I slaughtered the bandit in a way that would cause his blood to spurt out sporadically, tainting the remaining four of us in a bit of the crimson liquid that flowed through his body.

It was then (when the blood had stained my face) that my onyx orbs would be completely taken over by a color related to the fiery flames of hell. I could have been compared to a demon, for my occuli were now a demonic crimson color; despite the color change, my Sharingan still wasn’t completely birthed -- it still lacked the tomoe that marked its evolution. At the time, I was unknown of what was happening, but I welcomed the additions with open hands, for surely my life would have ended if I wasn’t gifted as an Uchiha. No matter, with or without these eyes I would have found a way to overcome this challenge - that, or I would be a deity in the afterlife.

The gasp would be the bandit’s last breath before I cut him down too, slicing his throat with the tip of my kunai. I didn’t realize it then, but these bandits weren’t the last I’d kill.

[Nhb]

I now stood a small ten paces from the remaining two bandits, my chakra enforced eyes aiding me in reading their movements. They seemed awed at the death of their two comrades, and the expressions on their faces made me think they would probably attempt to flee and end the fight. Unfortunately, my luck had been pushed enough for the day and the two would show no signs of retreating instead stepping forward. The way their feet clamped against the ground made me flinch, momentarily closing my eyes. That split-second (where I decided to blink) would be when the two decided to strike, propelling themselves forward almost without a hint.

My eyes were too powerful though and were the only reason for me being able to attempt to dodge, though I would be hit anyway. Two legs slammed into my midsection as I braced myself for the impact. Air seemed to speed from within me as I doubled over in an attempt to regain my breath, only to be met by a devastating knee directly to my nose, breaking the appendage on contact. The pain shot through me in a manner similar to how I felt when my father struck me. The impact caused me to close my eyes once more, but I opened them almost as quickly, using the enhanced eyes (still unknown to me at the time) to recognize the attackers patterns and effectively dodge. The pain in my nose hindered my movement, but still I was able to get out of harms way.

Their strikes came fast, but my eyes read their movements even faster, allowing my body to react almost as quickly as they struck. Simple skins and grazes were all that met my countenance as they continued their relentless attack, my form easy sliding past their assaults. It was amazing what these eyes could do; they had become my only trump card within this battle. Through the midst of dodging the attacks, my crimson orbs had brought forth the twisted existence of the first ebony tomoe in my ascension to gaining the Sharingan. Now with the two tomoe (one in each eye), the bandit’s attacks seemed that much slower, my body reacting in a way that would allow no attacks to hit me. I could only grin as the two continued their assault, only for each attempt to be thwarted and countered.

Each blow they missed, I connected with twice the force. Before long, the signs of weariness steadily showed themselves upon the two bandit’s faces, as well as frustration. A blow to both of their noses would surely disorient them, and that’s when I would strike. Using the my newly gained Sharingan, I would read their movements until I found an opening, where I would throw a hardened fist toward it, cracking both in a single blow. It was amazing how this battle had turned around by the simple use of my bloodlimit. I imagined the many battles I would be able to win by having these loyal servants by my side, but one question lingered in my mind through the entire bout; if the eyes were truly this great, how was my father slain that unforgettable night?

Spinning upon my lefttern heel, I would deliver a lethal slash to one of the bandits, causing his upper torso area to let out the crimson substance within. His figure dropped to the ground, lifeless as the blood sunk into the soil. A simple punch would be thrown forth by the remaining bandit -- easily dodging, I would impale the bandit through his wrist, kicking him in his chest in hopes of sending him back. With the Sharingan fueling my desires, a sequence of hand seals would be made, unleashing katon chakra before a grand ball would be ignited from my mouth, devouring the bandit’s body whole, as well as the recently killed comrade of his.

I stood there, slouched over, chakra diminished, and barely any oxygen. My body suddenly felt heavier, and my vision blurred. I had won the battle for now, but my chakra was severly hindered. I barely had enough to remain standing and would topple over from exhaustion.

[ flashback ]
end