tattooed tears of Joy.

[King]

hi no kuni / taki no kuni border, several years ago

When news of the confrontation between Konohagakure and Sunagakure first reached the ears of their neighboring villages, everyone thought that it would be a brief, bloodless battle. The casualties would be limited to the warring factions, and the time it would take for such superior nations to conquer their enemy, respectively, would relatively short.

"It's more of a skirmish," the late Hokage stated in an interview. If only they knew then how wrong they were.

What was supposed to be a short, controlled battle lasting no longer than a handful of weeks quickly turned into a free-for-all slaughter that spanned over nearly a decade. Through a series of secret alliances and a web of hidden agendas, the entire continent and beyond were pulled into the conflict that left the population horrendously scarred, and the land itself forever changed.

It was the deadliest conflict in the history of the world, resulting in fifty to over seventy million fatalities. An entire generation or shinobi were lost, with many more civilian casualties due to disease, starvation, and a myriad of other unfavorable circumstances.

Strangely, this is not the story of two men that were claimed by the Great War. It is the story of how they were saved by it.

Notice: This is a closed training thread, taking place before the current events of the forum. It's in flash back sequence, detailing the history of two characters.

[King]

He could barely breath.

The climb up the slippery mountain side was already perilous, and now an unnatural storm had all but slammed into the snow-capped monolith. The valley below, where a skirmish between Konohagakure and Iwagakure forces had recently erupted, was entirely flooded by the ceaseless rains. Those who had managed to escape took to the mountains, while those less fortunate, whom had succumbed to their wounds, floated lifelessly in the rising waters.

Kouketsu had lost consciousness multiple times on his treacherous ascent. Even to this day, he is unsure how he managed to make his way up the thousands of feet, half-dead, bombarded by stone-like droplets of rain and sharp, and mocked by the icy ledges that dug hungrily into his bare feet and palms.

It may have been his weary state of mind, or the fact that the murky depths of the basin were just rising that fast, but he could've swore he felt the waves lapping at his heels if he paused for but a second. It was a terrifying experience, one that he wasn't sure he would truly escape. That's when he saw it - there was a massive opening in the mountain's face, a cave of some sort where he could take refuge. He'd been climbing for so long-- hours, even --and he could feel his body working on its last bit of energy.

Pulling himself up with all his might, Kouketsu managed to throw himself into the pitch of the entrance before giving into the beast of exhaustion that he been clawing at his body. All but dead, he laid there in the eerie silence, with only the patter of rain and the howling of the merciless wind to comfort him.

"Is. . . this. . . "

[Jae]

He had been tailored since a child to understand that death was a veritable consequence of war; war that would be initiated at the behest of the continent's governing rulers, and it would be an understatement to describe the fledgling Kusagakure shinobi as a national zealot. The thought of pursuing and eliminating those that denounced Kusagakure's values enticed him so thoroughly that even the will to live came second.

Propaganda had been flooding the streets, preparing it's inhabitants for what was officially announced as "an occupation that would not only allow the Village to retain it's sovereignty, but one that would push it's borders deeper into the continent." Anything other than patriotism was considered blasphemous during the stages of preparation and outspoken insurgents were considered enemies of the state and, as such, dealt with mercilessly.

With the youth's support, along with the majority of the citizens' cooperation, there was no going against the regime. It was social and literal suicide.

Henceforth the day of reckoning; one that came as swiftly as a draw of breath and as heavily as a mountain's collapse. One that would usher an inexperienced Uekyuuchi Kikkawa into the voracious maw of warfare, unrelenting in it's pursuit of those too feeble to maintain their will to fight. The days of battle turned into weeks, and those weeks into months, with the accurate length of time becoming as obscure as the borders of his village, which had been torn asunder by Konohagakure and Iwagakure's frequent skirmishes.

The brutality he had once lauded materialized in the forms of his ostensible enemies' severed torsos and charred bodies. Registering the sight of his friends and family's faces, mangled beyond recognition, had unwittingly sunk to a disrespectful banality he knew would haunt him for the rest of his life. He had no choice but to abandon his home to find refuge elsewhere 'less he desired to suffer the same fate as those who stayed behind.

At the time a torrential rain had befallen the Land of Fire that, coupled with the lands humidity, produced a storm like he'd never seen; one he unfortunately found himself trudging through. Fatigue had plagued him for as long as he could remember and his chakra reserves had fallen to an all-time low. Food was scarce and what he did find was only fit for the vultures. And during his ascent up a mountain he could only remind himself that this is what he'd wanted since he was a child.

This is what he was bred for!

This was his destiny!

What a crock of shit.

_______________________________________


Whether it was complete nerve shock or mental fortitude that gave him the strength to climb the land mass was negligible at this point. And whether divine intervention was the helping-hand that incidentally coaxed him through an aperture that would protect him from the rain's chilling bite was equally dismissible. The fact that he'd survived this long was simply incredible.

But all good fortunate had for him at that moment was a rocky bed he wasn't entirely sure he would awaken from.

And honestly, he didn't care if he ever did.

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[King]

. . . the End?

It was a thought he found himself occupied with for countless hours as he laid there on the solid bedrock, beaten and broken, all but bleeding to death from the numerous wounds he'd sustained. Even the slightest movements seemed out of his reach, his once muscled physique now nothing more than a ruined husk of its former self. The heir of the Uchiha legacy, one of the most prominent users of the Sharingan since the birth of Itachi and Sasuke, lay in shambles; he was a shattered masterpiece. Yet, the darkness still had not taken him.

Though the struggles Kouketsu faced were are their greatest, he was not allowed to pass from this life. A curse, perhaps? Some say that those who walk a life of murder shall not know the bittersweet taste of death, but shall instead walk the path of the living until their sins had been atoned for. And if that was the case, he certainly had a long road ahead of him.

A groan of discomfort was the first of many sounds that he managed to gurgle out in a mixture of spit, water and blood. However, it was cut relatively short from the sound of something far more interesting. It was radiating from the depths of the cave he was in, from the other side. That's when he realized--

he wasn't alone.

Unfortunately, for the time being, his instincts were far faster than his body. Gritting his teeth, bearing the weight of the unfathomable pain racking every cell that defined him, Kouketsu rolled over and propped himself onto his knees. It was a slow, sluggish process that took several long moments; he could only hope whoever it was on the other side was friendly, or that they were equally as injured as he was. But if they weren't, even with his Sharingan, he'd be floating up shit's creek without a paddle.

"Damn it." It hardly described his true feelings as he reached into his utility pouch, retrieving his last kunai with a limp grasp. From there, he forced himself to his feet, bracing himself against the jagged cave wall for support. His chakra was dangerously low; he'd have to make every move count, and without his dojutsu that would only be harder the longer he took.

Whoever it was on the other side of his little safe haven, they'd have to be deaf not to hear the young soldier dragging his feet as he approached. Kouketsu wasn't trying to hide anything - he didn't have the energy for that.

In the end, it'd be the survival of the fittest.

[Jae]

"GAA-AAAAH!"

A shocking pain that seemed to lace every fiber of his being brought him back from oblivion, his eyes bulging forth in correspondence with life's welcoming bite. Not an inch of flesh was spared from the ache his struggle entailed, which was long overdue. His nails dug into the surface below while his palms, skinned through to the stinging under layer, afforded him the leverage to prop up against the cave wall nearest to him. The pit of his stomach turned with hunger and angst as weariness naturally set in.

He had no idea how long it would take for him to recover, nor could he fathom the end of this war coming any time soon. The rain he'd fought so hard to get out of cascaded with no signs of slowing and the sound of rushing water, too similar to the rivers of Kusa no Kuni, practically flooded the cavern.

That was when a faint sound of life crept forth from within the cave's depths. Instinct caused him to jerk his head in noise's direction but his pain quickly eclipsed his cautious attempt to discern it's origin. It was only him biting down harshly onto his bottom lip that kept him from howling out in agony. His nostrils flared excitedly as he took in deep, steady breaths in order to quell his affliction. The familiar taste of iron tickled his senses and, for a moment, he could even smell it.

"Damn it."

Ue had heard it as clear as day. Someone was there with him and he had no idea who. Unfortunately, at the moment, his body was less than willing to provide him the necessary jump-start his intuition demanded and, the moment he moved to jump to his feet, he dropped to a knee. But even from his crouched position he pressed forward, although his pace openly displayed his lethargic state of body and mind.

His kakkou sonorously chimed during it's protrusion but, truthfully, he was only as lethal as a wounded dog bearing it's fangs. As a Kikkawa, proud and defiant, had no intention of going down without a fight— but he couldn't help but hope it was all just a figment of his imagination.

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[King]

Even at their slow paces, respectively, it didn't take the pair all that long to stumbled upon one another. The cave, while spacious enough for them to move about comfortably, wasn't that entirely big. What's more, despite the fact they were both moving away from the entrances from which they came, the light still managed to reach into the depths of the earthen sanctuary and illuminate it suitably.

At first, all Kouketsu could see was a brittle silhouette. The details of who he was looking at-- whether it was a male or female, friend or enemy --were skewered either by his fatigue, or simply from the dimly lit setting itself. It'd take several more seconds, which felt like an entire lifetime, before he could gather that information. Fortunately, it was safe to say that the mysterious intruder was in a similar situation; he wouldn't know who was approaching him, hopefully, and thus the element of surprise remained equally distributed.

Needless to say, they probably noticed the specifics right away. It was a foreign man, one not claimed by Konohagakure for he bore no head band. Still leaning against the jagged rocks of the wall, Kouketsu bore his kunai like a lion would his fangs.

"Identify yourself!" His voice boasted of a strength he no longer had, but it sure did sound nice. He could barely keep his hand steady; it was shaking furiously, barely able to maintain his already limp grip around the blade's handle. I-I said identify yourself, now!""

The last reserves of his chakra were held at the ready, waiting to flood into his eyes and activate his kekkei genkai. If things turned hostile, he'd have to end it fast.

[Jae]

"Identify yourself!"

Son of a bitch was the first thought that crossed his mind when the unknown called out for him. Ue knew full and well he was not in any condition to fight, or flee for that matter, but his will to survive coaxed him up and into a broken stance. His body attempted to commit it's posture to vaguely resemble his natural bearing but could only substantiate a second-rate distortion of what normally exuded strength and poise.

His breaths were deep and heavy, as if to signify nothing should be wasted, and his movement seemed cautious and considerate of war's spontaneity. The inquisitor's features became easier to discern the closer he approached, with each step tearing away some of the darkness enveloping him. Not long after would the two become completely visible to one another, where the totality of their conditions could be accurately examined.

Surprisingly enough, the man in question didn't appear to be much older than he was.

"I-I said identify yourself, now!"

The demand made him simper derisively. "What's the point," he muttered while lazily dropping his arms to his sides. The unfamiliar bore all the tell-tale signs of a shinobi, from the weapon he brandished to the garments he wore. He was also noticeably fatigue stricken, an assessment that somewhat comforted Ue, though he knew the same could be said of him.

"Isn't it obvious," he chuckled. "I'm Seiryuu, Dragon of the East here to usher in the season's harvest."

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[King]

T'ch. Kouketsu didn't have the slightest clue to what that lunatic was saying, but he definitely wasn't a fan of the tone he had used. The situation couldn't have been more serious, but here this boy was talking about dragons and harvest. He even chuckled, which some could've said was the straw that broke the camel's back. In a fit of rage, the Uchiha replied.

But it was not in the means of words that his response traveled. No, it was in kunai that sped across the short expanse separating the two men, like a bullet from a gun. In fact, one might've been surprised an injured creature of Kouketsu's level could produce such a powerful through.

Yet he was far from done, and in the time it would've taken Ue to respond to the assault, Kouketsu had awakened his eyes in preparation of the battle to come.

Unlike his hasty projectile, however, Kouketsu's approach was far slower. A somewhat brisk pace carried him closer to his intended victim, his body working off of pure adrenaline; it's not like he had the chakra.

[Jae]

Evidently comedy wasn't his strong suit. Even bad comedians had the luxury of dodging tomatoes. Ue, on the other hand, stood on the opposite end of cusped steel, careening toward him at a breakneck speed. The fact that an image so unwittingly profound could be conditioned to fit within the margin of some seconds spoke volumes to the Kusagakure citizen turned refugee. And when his arm raised instinctively to defend, a grunt of displeasure highlighted the movement.

The projectile had been deflected upward toward the rocky overhead and an annoyed Uekyuuchi would let his frustration be heard.

"God damnit!

His assailant's approach beckoned a response he impulsively obliged by assuming a defensive stance.

"Even without a war to justify your killing, you tools of the state still meander in search of victims!

An air of ire blanketed him entirely, pervading through his tone of voice and new found poise. He wanted to continue but the disagreement had already escalated beyond words. This was the world he lived in.

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[King]

He made it sound as if Kouketsu enjoyed the thrill of war, as if he had thrown the countries of the world into this cauldron of murder, hatred and resentment for his own amusement. He, like the many who had loss their lives, was merely another victim. The boy had been sucked into the confrontation, like many others, through loyalty to an unworthy figure-head.

In all honesty, he didn't know why he was fighting.

The situation at had was somewhat different, though. This was for survival; it wasn't for the sake of Konoha, or the sake of winning the war and putting those who challenged the Leaf's might in their places. No, this was simply to continue breathing; he fought so that he could taste the sweetness of fruit; feel the sun's warm, loving rays on his face; for the hope that, when it was all over, he might be blessed with the gift of seeing her face once more.

"Shut your fucking mouth!" Kouketsu's anger proved to be a an even better supplement than his desperation, and the Uchiha found a rekindled flame burning deep within his chest. Ue blocking the kunai - the smartest decision, as a dodge would've simply put him in an open situation that his opponent would've definitely would've taken advantage of - was the most important big of information Kouketsu had gathered thus far, which made what happened next all the better.

Coming within an arms reach, sprinting assailant brought his momentum down into his legs. Sandaled-feet would slide against the rocky, dusty cavern floor, inter-locking with Ue's to a certain degree. Their shins would undoubtedly slam against one another in a confrontation of defensive and offensive skill sets, making mobility nothing more than a fleeting dream for either of them.

Then, with his dominant right hand, Kouketsu drove a crippling blow toward Ue's stomach. His left hand, poised in a counter style, patiently waited for those eyes to reveal its window of opportunity.

[Jae]

His adversary's outburst, while justified, definitely didn't conceal his plan— though this is assuming he even considered doing so. And in his mind he'd already calculated his method to counter his assailant's brisk approach. Unfortunately his body hardly had the will to carry out whatever process he'd designed, so when the moment to strike arrived— he faltered.

Direct bone to bone contact sent a sharp pain through his right leg and the momentum of the shinobi's attack, with all intention, threw him off balance. But during the brief interval that kept him separated from the abruptly rising fist, an instinctual reaction occurred. The fist would undoubtedly strike him, but before the initial contact was made he contracted his abdominal muscles as tightly as possible, and for more than one reason.

The more obvious of the two was that he wanted to soften the blow as much as possible. But secretly he was stimulating his chakra to trigger a subtle mutation he'd luckily developed.

Knowing he lacked the strength to provide extensive resistance the hit was taken directly, albeit curtailed, which brought Uekyuuchi close enough to tightly grab a hold of his attacker Ebullient chakra henceforth coated him in what outwardly appeared to be blue flames.

There was a thirst he hadn't quenched in some time, and by good fortune alone would a wellspring present itself him.

The leech would get his fill.

SPOILER: Click to show

Chakra Shinkuu no Jutsu (Chakra Vacuum Technique)
Rank: B (100)
Type: Defensive / Ninjutsu / Secret Technique
Range: Hand's reach.
Special: Amount of chakra transfered depends on the user's 'Chakra Kyuuin' rank. Effect lasts one turn, plus one more each time jutsu is relearned.
Description: Once the Akadou is comfortable with their chakra suctioning abilities, they will then learn to focus the power of Chakura Kyuin all around their body, creating a fiery glow that wraps all around their form. Whenever the user is touched on any part of their body, the chakra of their assailants will begin to be drained. Effective when outnumbered, or under the assault of Taijutsu.
Domain: Akadou. Must know 'Chakra Kyuuin B'.

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[King]

Damn it. It became quite just a bit too late that, though his strike was true, it was nothin' more than a trap. With his right hand dealing with the recoil from ineffectively colliding with Ue's abdomens, he had nothing more to defend with than his free left hand. Unfortunately, even that wouldn't be enough to stop the two-pronged assault his opponents had launched in retaliation.

The brilliant blue flames illuminating Ue's digits were a tell-tale hint to his abilities, and in that moment the Uchiha feared for the worst. Working off of pure instinct, Kouketsu's left hand snapped forward only to clutch his aggressor's incoming right appendage at the wrist. The other, however, was allowed to roam free and slam into his body; he could feel the drain almost instantly.

The force from the blow was more than enough to unbalance Kouketsu, and with the weight of Ue bearing down on him, there was little more that he could do than stumble back and try his damned hardest not to fall. This put him at a slight disadvantage, put down to a lower elevation than the man that sought his life - and his chakra. Still, his resolve hadn't dampened. There was too much to live for to die like a dog in some cave.

"Ugh. . ." His grunt was more than a sign of his internal struggle, and slowly but surely he'd force his opponent off of him. That is, assuming Ue didn't have anything to say about it.

[Jae]

Ue wouldn't let his pray escape, not without a fight at least, and his clutch was stifling and adamant. When Kouketsu fleeted closer toward him, the Kikawa's game-plan became as simple as stepping over pre-laid footprints. It was the method that had helped him survive for as long as he had.

The technique had not occurred simply on an appendage, but his entire body, making Kouketsu's wrist grab as effective as touching an electrified piece of iron. It only served to further the absorption process. Being naturally tall gave him an advantage that made bearing over his assailant no problem. Of course acting so recklessly had it's consequences but, at the time, he'd been well off. Kouketsu's strike had been directed toward his center, by a dominant hand, meaning that it's neutral position would be compromised for aim's sake. This provided Ue the perfect foundation to constrict his opponent with an outside grip.

The distance between them, according to his assailant's efforts, would be diminished severely. Kouketsu's striking arm would be trapped between their torsos while his left hand flexed a taut grip on Uekyuuchi's wrist. This was the Kikkwa's time to move. Ue's free, lanky, right arm would wrap around Kouketsu's back to "hug" and contain him, incidentally leaving his attacking arm trapped between their torsos. The hugging arm's hand would latch onto Kouketsu's left bicep to further affirm Ue's grip.

Being caught inside of this draining web was undoubtedly stressful and Ue had no intention of releasing his grip. Every ounce of life would be drained from his victim until Ue could sustain himself and continue forward.

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[King]

Between his lack of physical strength and the entangled web of limbs he’d got himself caught in, there was very little Kouketsu could do but completely fall onto his back. The sudden jerk might’ve disheveled his opponent to a slight degree, but he highly doubted it. If anything, he’d brought himself a very brief window; it was closing at an alarming rate, yet there wasn’t any method to pry it open.

The steady drain on his chakra probably hastened process, but the darkness made itself rather comfortable in the boy’s vision. Creeping in from the edges like a flesh-eating disease, the endless pitch slowly but surely began to replace the vivid colors that defined the world he lived in.

Finally, everything was black.

They say that death is to transcend the mortal means of time and space, so it’s quite unclear how long he stayed in this realm of endless twilight, bewitched by the mind-numbing light bathing his entire body in its radiance. It was so warm and welcoming, like a hug from a mother or the tender touch of a long-lost lover. I called out to him in a dialect neither common nor foreign, yet he understood it all the same. If there were any doubts in his mind whether it was his time to leave this world, they were washed away on the tides of this other worldly bliss.

Thump!!!

No, not yet. Merely a fraction of a second had gone by since his last heart beat, and already he felt as if he’d been born again. Untapped reserves of chakra, those hidden away from even the deepest recesses of his conscious mind, flooded through his veins, igniting his will of fire with something far more potent than raw determination or strength. No, he’d come too far to die in some cave like a dog.

Thump!!!

With a final deep breath, the Uchiha’s eyes snapped open. In that instant, their final transformation occurred—two tomoe, in a single whirl of motion, became three! Ue would certainly notice this, probably the instant it happened, and considering their close proximity he would’ve also had a front row seat to what happened next:

Mustering all of the might his new found strength had to offer, Kouketsu sought to thrust his forehead up without warning. His head band would slam into Ue’s chin, giving him all of the leverage he needed to slacken the grip and throw the leach off of his figure and into the wall directly behind them with the aid of his knees to Ue’s gut.

Using that same momentum, he’d throw himself up and over, landing on his feet and swiftly turning to greet his opponent with this new found power.

“I will not die!”

[Jae]

The strike against his chin was firm and definite, powerful enough to send him careening backward off of his opponent's limp frame. This undoubtedly put him at a disadvantage but he couldn't help but wonder why and where. Why had this happened and where had this power come from? The first time he'd noticed through the entire duration of the bout seemed to be the most appropriate and detrimental simultaneously.

The crimson sheen of those illustrious eyes were captivating enough to keep him from drawing a breath, although he did. Still, he couldn't help but marvel at their design. Portions that originally were fixed moved readily, as if this were a normal occurrence.

"W-whaa..?", he stammered from a vulnerable position, sitting on his butt with his hands placed on the ground. He had become overconfident, a willing participant in the "game" of war— which chose no favorites. His abilities, while marvelous, were not the end-all be-all resort to every problem he had and Kouketsu's actions were securing this notion.

He could only look up in terror while his heels dug into the ground in an attempt to scoot him away the Uchiha.

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