tattooed tears of Joy.

[King]

Perhaps if Ue had possessed some sight beyond sight, he might've caught a glimpse at the demon that had taken hold of Kouketsu's very soul in those fleeting moments. It was a monster unlike any other, whose eyes burned with the very flames of hell; his fangs dripped with the fangs of a thousand victims; and his growl was deeper than the bass of any man or instrument. The invisible, and all but unreal, waves of force would've swept whatever spiritual guardian that dared hover nearby.

A single step from the Uchiha brought with it the weight of a boulder several times his size, the weight of his spirit weighing down on the reality that barely managed to maintain defining him. And then--

Shake.

The ravenous winds outside their location snapped Kouketsu back to reality, his eyes growing wide as the cave itself began to shake furiously. He stumbled, and would've fell were it not for his quick reflexes; he managed to place a hand along the rough walls, bracing himself against the wouldbe earthquake. Clearly, continuing to fight wouldn't be in their best interest.

"Look," he wheezed. Despite this new found power, his body was still broken. "We can't--"

Shake!

"We can't fight here. We'll bring this place down, and then we'll both be dead." He had no faith that his leach-of-an-aggressor would come to his senses and realize that what he was speaking was the truth. So, it'd be a lie to say that he'd let his guard down for even a moment; the fact that his new fully evolved Sharingan were still active was all the proof anyone would need. "Truce? At least until the storm settles and we get out of here."

[Jae]

[atrb=cellpadding,10,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width, 400, true][atrb=rules,none][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: #bcbcbc; -moz-border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px; border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px][atrb=style,padding-top:15px;][atrb=align,left] His opponent's face appeared to morph, not in a way that defined banal expressions, but one that seemed to peer deep within his soul. It began as a feral glare, teased by the appeal of conquest, that transmogrified into a gaze of solidarity that far surpassed the hostility of a warmonger's leer. It was a genuine look that professed the warrior's code. Strength applauded strength and the outcomes of skirmishes were born through the trials of fruition. But when that savage countenance switched to one of genuine concern, Ue felt some relief from it's incessant pull. And then the cave began to rumble— as if Kouketsu had willed it with his expression alone. This disturbance was enough to force him to a standing, an uncomfortable one at that. The cave was beginning to display it's fragility. It's ceiling sporadically began shedding stalactite which instantly reminded Ue of his time in the rain. "Alright, just mind your distance." He'd yet to free his mind of the Sharingan's image.

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[King]

With but a mere adjustment of thought, the crimson in his eyes vanished. It wasn't that he trusted the man, but he respected him enough to trust his reasoning. Clearly, the foreign ninja valued his life just as much as Kouketsu did his own; they wouldn't have fought in the first place, if that wasn't the case. And with the foreboding shake of the mountain's cavernous innards, a humbling experience to any and all ninja, it was clear they'd eventually need to rely on each other to get out of this mess.

He'd try to hold off on that, though.

"The same applies to you." His response carried with it the tone of his unspoken emotions, while he made haste to the opposite side of the cavern. A great deal of distance separated the pair, though they'd be able to see each other clearly, as well as hear should they wish to speak. Plucking the previously tossed kunai from a wedge in the wall, Kouketsu fell into a deep slouch. His breathing was calm and paced, but his body was exhausted.

The boom of thunder was a lullaby that lulled him into a somewhat dazed state, his eyes no more than halved now. Still, he kept a keen eye on the foreigner -- the last thing he needed was to be killed off in his sleep.

[Jae]

[atrb=cellpadding,10,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width, 400, true][atrb=rules,none][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: #bcbcbc; -moz-border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px; border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px][atrb=style,padding-top:15px;][atrb=align,left] The Uchiha's response set the knot in Uekyuuchi's stomach at ease. The tension in his closed fist subsided and a huff of relief escaped his nostrils. What he'd witnessed was inexplicable in simple words and any attempt to do so would unwittingly be faulty. To diminish the power those eyes contained was an insult not only to the strength that they harbored, but also to the judge's intelligence. They were unworldly, as if they had been stripped from the Devil himself. As an avid researcher, his interest was piqued. Only within the reductive texts of medical journals had he ever been exposed to such phenomena, and even then he couldn't fathom it's severity. And yet it's framework consisted of bones and flesh as fragile as his own. It's wielder stood before him as a broken mess, propping on his last leg in order to survive. How comedic; as a sick joke, the power of the world was contained, protected, and fortified by the shell of an egg. Ue had been fathoming this all while stumbling back toward the aperture behind him, where he found relief in leaning against the jagged cusps of the cave's wall. He could barely uphold his consciousness, still he kept his eyes open for any advance from the opposing side of the cave. [ooc: sorry so short, gotta go to work.]

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[King]

Power is the ability to define phenomena and make it act in a desired manner. . .

Five long, slow hours had passed since the pair's explosive introduction. Try as he might, Kouketsu could not fight off the embrace of sleep for too long. His steely gaze had faltered to a blur a mere moment after he'd locked eyes with Ue, and from there darkness took hold of him. Could he have killed him in his sleep? Yes, but he was willing to take the risk.

To the casual observer, Kouketsu might've looked dead. His arms lurched over the peak of his knees, his head hanging limply in the gap formed by the parted legs. His hair, matted with blood, sweat and mud, formed a makeshift veil over his face, hatchet-lighting his features in the already dim ambient light. A light, barely audible sigh was the only tell-tale hint that death hadn't claimed hit yet; his breathing was incredibly gentle, far more so than anyone might've thought a shinobi could've produced.

Then, without warning, he spoke. "Are you still alive?"

[Jae]

[atrb=cellpadding,10,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width, 400, true][atrb=rules,none][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: #bcbcbc; -moz-border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px; border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px][atrb=style,padding-top:15px;][atrb=align,left] Time; it's relativity to the percipient could have never been more pronounced than during those moments where the malaise stricken refugee found himself floating weightlessly through a gulf of perturbed consciousness. As he'd discovered before, grief was a very good indicator that life still existed somewhere beneath the innumerable layers of torment. But when those layers had been plucked clean and all that was left was, that rubric and all it's criterion meant absolutely nothing. In the place where pain refused to go the chasm between life and death seemed meager, as if a single step could easily carry him across that threshold. He wasn't sure who he was, what he was, or even if he was. Nothing aside from the ubiquitous sense of I am indicated otherwise. But when the ache of life let itself be felt once again not a groan, nor a flinch would tell of it's presence. Ue welcomed it closed eyes and opened arms. He attempted to pry his lids apart but even the faintest light was off-putting, so he sat contently in the dark.. until a familiar tone pierced it's confines. It was the Uchiha, probably aiming to see if his interest was safe to scavenge. Every piece of his physical self implored stiffness, silence, but he could not abide. A dusty cough, encompassed by faint laughter, pressed past his lips as he spoke. "No thanks to you," he cut. Kouketsu may or may not have realized that buried underneath his sardonic emphasis was a great truth— had it not been for Kouketsu's chakra, he more than likely would have died.

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[King]

[atrb=cellpadding,10,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width, 400, true][atrb=rules,none][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: #708090; -moz-border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px; border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px][atrb=style,padding-top:15px;][atrb=align,left] Yet by that same token, Kouketsu owed his unexpected friend the same gratitude. Were it not for Ue's leach-like ability, Kouketsu wouldn't have been backed into the corner that he had been - it was only there that he managed to unlock the untapped resources of his Sharingan, amassing enough chakra to sustain himself and his reluctant companion. Indeed, it hadn't escaped his notice; however, he wasn't the type to bring something like that up. Still, it didn't change the fact that debt was owed. "T'ch." There was no cough or laugh that followed, no; however, there was a grunt and a groan, and then a curse as the Uchiha pulled himself up from his deeply formed sitting position. The callous hide of the cave's walls bit into his back and palms and he anchored himself against the unforgiving stone. It definitely wasn't the best choice for gettin up, but he really didn't have any other options. It took him several long moments, but eventually he made it. And it wasn't until then that Kouketsu noticed something peculiar about their surroundings. Perhaps Ue had taken note of it as well, but the deafening sound of thunder and chorus of rain was almost non existent. Instead, it had been replaced by the bone-chilling howl of a rampaging wind, which often sent spurts of bitter gusts barreling through the cave. If it hadn't been clear before, it would be then: this was no ordinary storm. Kouketsu moved with a slow and steady pace, one that was unhindered by the poor condition of his body. He passed Ue, and offered him only a glance. "I'm going to do some looking around. Maybe there are others." He knew there weren't. "It sounds like the rain has stopped. . . we might be able to get out of here, if that is the case." He didn't think he needed to mention what that meant if the storm had actually come to a calm. So, he just kept walking.

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[Axcel]

Genbu: +115

[DAVID BOWE]

+95 Jae

[Jae]

[atrb=cellpadding,10,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width, 400, true][atrb=rules,none][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: #bcbcbc; -moz-border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px; border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px][atrb=style,padding-top:15px;][atrb=align,left] Outside? He'd not given it much attention since he'd risen but the thought incited him to investigate. His hands, cut and bruised, dug into the wall closest to him where he fought to collect his bearing. Biting winds had been, and were, jutting into the cave, as if to purposefully draw them outside into the open terrain. Not only that, but the Uchiha's proclamation had implicitly called him to venture out. He knew there were no survivors but to argue such seemed trifling, after all he had been very fatigued during his ascent of the mountain. To leave the cavern they'd fought so hard to reach initially seemed unwise but given the erratic weather, a cave in was not completely impossible. A pitiful death inside a cave was not the kind of ending he sought to find after experiencing so much. Following Kouketsu only seemed right, and so he did. Upon exiting, the wind's chill cut fiercely past him, tauntingly scratching at his face. It's origin remained a mystery and truthfully, he didn't care where it was. His only concern at this point was to remain alive.

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[King]

[atrb=cellpadding,10,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width, 400, true][atrb=rules,none][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: #708090; -moz-border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px; border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px][atrb=style,padding-top:15px;][atrb=align,left] The scene just outside the sanctity of their mountainous haven was nothing short of devastating. The entire valley below, scaling more than half way up the mountain itself, was utterly flooded. Debris of all sorts: trees, disheveled earth, and corpses swelled in a tsunami that shook the very foundations they stood upon. The sky above was darker than the deepest of block, illuminated only by the sporadic streaks of lightning that dance across its ebony canvas. This was hell. The water, which showed no sign of slowing down in its ascent, lapped at the cusp of the cavern's entrance. If the torrential downpour didn't cease for even a moment, it was likely that cave would be flooded. Granted, he'd only seen this entrance (the one he'd come from), but he presumed it was a similar situation on the other side (where Ue had entered). The situation was grim, but still Kouketsu's demeanor was adamant. Then, like a king cobra lashing at its prey, Kouketsu's hand snagged onto the vest of a corpse floating by. He pulled the body from the rampaging waves, and into the cave. Immediately, he began rummaging their person for supplies: rations, for the most part. He found none. "We might as well start checking the bodies we can," he said. "They might have food on them."

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[Jae]

[atrb=cellpadding,10,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width, 400, true][atrb=rules,none][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: #bcbcbc; -moz-border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px; border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px][atrb=style,padding-top:15px;][atrb=align,left] It was evident that their situation was taking a turn for the worst. Whatever this thing was had no issues ravaging the terrain, gorging insatiably at all the Land of Fire had to offer. Each clap of thunder filled the air immensely and could be likened to a titan's belch. Gusts of wind seemed to actively seek the duo, as if there was some intent to dissuade them from pushing onward. Nevertheless Ue watched quietly as his new-found acquaintance poised himself at the cavern's edge. He took a mental note that his posture seemed to be improving and his voice no longer shook when he spoke, a sign of good fortune in their fight against fatigue. Then, from seemingly out of nowhere, Kouketsu's arm snapped into the water like a bear hunting salmon. Leave it to an Uchiha, he thought to himself, cracking a grin as Kouketsu hoisted the cadaver into their settlement by his vest alone. And while he rummaged through his belongings, Ue edged closer to inspect the corpse's visage. His face was nearly void of color but hadn't turned entirely blue, which meant he'd probably just been swept up in the storm. Kou then dropped his hands to his side, allowing a sigh of dissatisfaction to usher in his next statement. "We might as well start checking the bodies we can," he said. "They might have food on them." "Watch out," Ue requested before kneeling down at Kou's side to observe the body. Wasting no time, the fledgling Kikkawa placed his hand atop the area where the human heart was typically located. His eyes closed and outwardly he appeared to be praying over the deceased man, but the moment that familiar blue "flame" coated his hand it should have become clear that this was far from a sanctified ceremony.

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[King]

[atrb=cellpadding,10,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width, 400, true][atrb=rules,none][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: #708090; -moz-border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px; border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px][atrb=style,padding-top:15px;][atrb=align,left] It was fairly obvious what Ue planned on doing prior to that familiar blue flame engulfing his hand. Kouketsu's faith in the good-willed was scarce, almost non-existent. He hadn't forgotten what his acquaintance was capable of, and it only made sense that he'd salvage his stamina wherever he could. He was a leech, existing solely to scavenge what he could from weak and hopeless. But then, was Kouketsu so very different? Perhaps he was just jealous that the vulture had found a bone to pick meat from while he was still empty handed. Whatever the case, he didn't sit around to watch. While Ue tended to his catch, Kouketsu made his way back to the edge of the cave. Skillfully, he sifted through the swirling waves for yet another corpse to grab. And just like before, his hands dove into the freezing waters and tugged a body out by their vest. He lugged the burly man into the darkened gave like a trap door spider, quickly but calmly patting him down. By the grace of luck, he'd managed to find several rations secured in their packages. One was tossed to Ue, along with the body it'd come from. "I'm sure not even you can survive solely on chakra." Kouketsu liked to think of this as a investment for the future, or a sign of good faith. Whether or not he found more rations was of little consequence. He'd keep fishing for bodies so that Ue would be stable enough to make it through the upcoming days. The storm above promised they would be a difficult.

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[Jae]

[atrb=cellpadding,10,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width, 400, true][atrb=rules,none][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: #bcbcbc; -moz-border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px; border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px][atrb=style,padding-top:15px;][atrb=align,left] Starting from his fingertips a feeling of warmth began to course through his figure as he pulled life energy from his waning source. It was comforting, especially given the biting cold that billowed about the vicinity. He noticed Kouketsu's movement through his peripherals but didn't speak a word, opting instead to place his free hand on the dead man's forehead. And in similar fashion to before, an azure flame boasted it's presence around his hand. The additional vacuum would assure that not a remnant remained, but just as quickly as he began would the end present itself. His source's stores had gone completely dry, which was disappointing but not unexpected. What did come as a surprise was how quickly Kouketsu had acquired another body. While he didn't speak it openly, Ue could not deny being impressed with his companion's efficiency and fortitude. A lesser man would have died long ago but the Uchiha showed no signs of weakness, even when the odds seemed insurmountably stacked against him. A ration along with a newly acquired body had been presented to him just as quickly as the first had, and while he couldn't help but feel there was some ulterior motive behind Kouketsu's generosity, it would've been foolish to decline at a time like this. "I'm sure not even you can survive solely on chakra." "You'd be surprised," was his immediate response. His thoughts wandered to the days of early Kusgakure survival training, where he and his peers were deliberately underfed by their elders in an effort to make them more resourceful. This is what led Ue to discover his "gift". "T--thanks, he muttered while lifting his eyes to observe Kou, who had already began tearing into his rations. Ue's hand found comfort nestled over the throat of the unknown and, like before, the extraction process would begin. That was until... Ue's eyes widened in disbelief as the body he'd been handed suddenly sprung to life!

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[King]

[atrb=cellpadding,10,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width, 400, true][atrb=rules,none][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: #708090; -moz-border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px; border-radius: 20px 0px 20px 0px][atrb=style,padding-top:15px;][atrb=align,left] Kouketsu finished his first ration almost instantly, barely able to enjoy the bitter taste. It did little to fill his stomach; the hunger that was manifesting inside of him was far beyond being relieved by even a hundred rations. He needed an actual meal to satisfy this; however, he knew very well he wouldn't be getting one of those for quite some time. This is where his extreme levels of self-discipline came into play. You wouldn't see a hint of his famished state of mind upon his face. Instead, you would be greeted by a stoic expression and the sharp, keen eyes of a hunter. Another corpse was merely seconds away from being scooped up when the sudden shift from the seemingly lifeless body isnide startled the Uchiha, almost causing him to fall face-first into the freezing waters below. Regaining his balance, Kouketsu snapped around with his hand already resting on the hilt of the single kunai he possessed. Fully evolved Sharingan moved first from Ue and then to the man he'd begun to siphon, deactivating the draining eyes when he realized what was happening. He was surprised that someone could survive being submerged in these temperatures for however long he was; the fact he'd even managed to raise to these levels in such a swell was even more impressive. Unfortunately, this only made their situation worse. Hunting for food was already difficult with two mouths to feed, and another body meant another person they'd need to look after. It wasn't anything personal, but this was about survival. Besides, three was a crowd. "Calm down," Kouketsu's voice was relaxing and inviting. "We were looking for survivors. You're lucky that you came to when you did; we were about to toss you back into the water." Slowly, he made his way from the entrance of the cave toward the man. Extending his right hand toward the man to help him from his feet, Kouketsu smiled. "My name is Kouketsu, and this is Ue. You're among friends." Here, allegiances to villages didn't matter. They were all refugees.

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