Seeking Strength [w/ Ryu]

[Kayori]

Flashback
Two weeks after the invasion on Konoha

Unlike the other shinobi of the Leaf village, actively helping to rebuild their ruined fortress of trees as well as homes, Kayori sat in a far off corner of the village. His visage was beaten, his eyes weary and bloodshot. His blonde hair although normally untidy was completely unkempt as if he had put his hands through his hair and scratched his whole scalp. Sitting under a large tree, one of the few that had survived the catastrophy befalling Konoha, Kayori had his head bowed downwards.

Over and over in his mind, he was replaying the scene where he had actually found the dumb courage to send himself after the the legendary Uchiha. He could still remember the cold sweat that had slowly dripped down his face, his right arm shaking as he gripped his large sword tightly. To stand before the monsters of the shinobi world, Kayori's mouth assumed a crooked grin as he thought how little he meant to them.

Without any indication of movement, the Uchiha swiftly brought up his right hand to his forehead and combed upwards with his fingers, shoving his fringe up his head before letting them fall back into place when he removed his hand from his head as he let out a short laugh.

"I'm too freaking weak," was all the shinobi said as he rose from sitting spot and walked towards the center of the village with a purpose. Arms flexed, back straight and with a confident grin on his face, the Uchiha strode amidst the destroyed city and its ongoing construction work, his eyes fixed on the first building to have been completely rebuilt. The Hokage's tower.

With his position as one of the ANBU in the Hokage's command, the Jounin had unrestricted access to the levels of the structure, calmly walking to the Hokage's chamber with a resolve. With a quick rap on the door, never even waiting for permission to enter, he pushed the door open. Five steps in and he was in front of the Hokage's desk, looking the young leader straight in the eye and announced, "You will help me get my Sharingan. Now."

[Trigga]

On contrary to what the Older Uchiha’s mind forced his perception to see, the Hokage’s Tower was far from completely rebuilt. In better shape considering what its own inhabitant committed upon its exterior, the building needed much, and through sheer effort on the construction workers’ behalf, the Residence for the Fire Shadow was closer to completion. Two weeks of endless working, ignoring the hours, and even neglecting prudently earned time with their families after such a devastation, they would surely be compensated for the dedication to a man that could barely hold his own as Commander and chef. Needless to say, all understood his position, and all realized his opponent exceeded him in experience, and was well-prepared upon arrival.

Since the ground meteor met ends with the Hidden Leaf, its influence, though shadowing the entire planet in a blanket of flames and ash, Konohagakure was its prime causality. Lives lost without mercy, and homes, businesses, sights of interest—all destroyed without a care. Kōketsu executed a flawless plan, and left hundreds of thousands to their ends; a fate the crimson-haired wouldn’t even wish upon his worst enemy. Nonetheless, as it was built previously, the Village would surface, blossoming to its prime once more. It would take time, but surely it would get down. Starting with the Hokage’s Residence, and the now comatose leading sleeping soundly in his chambers.

Bed-ridden in attempts to save his home, for the last two weeks, the Uchiha who governed the mighty Hidden Lead rested cataleptic. Diagnosed being in a coma, the boy’s lack of consciousness made the task of overseeing all constructional matters, as well as the replacement and/or reinstating of all laws rather intricate. Needless to say, with a strong administration panel, and the aid of the remaining village council, his moment of endless rest wouldn’t hinder many. Morale still low, coupled with their leaders near death experience, the villagers simply awaited his recurrence to the world. A slumber was just that, and surely his gorgeous purple eyes would peer upon the lush emrald that surrounded him.

“You can’t g-go in there, Kayori-senpai! He’s sti—“ Words of caution falling to deaf ears, the Receptionist was forced aside by the brute of a man as the Anbu member made his way up the lengthy stairwell and into the Hokage’s room. The wooden obstruction which once masked his presence from the world blasting open, the young blonde would soon find himself faced with an sitting Ryūsuke. Seemingly awoke from his two week slumber, something was strangely off about him. His body dilapidated and his clothes slack, rather loosely might one add, this wasn’t the problem. His hair, once an exquisite scarlet was now a newly inaugurated cherry-blonde? The first time anyone outside of the medical staff laying eyes upon the now cognizant Hokage, it would come to them as a shock. Confirmed as a eccentric enigma—most likely occurring in direct correlation with the meteor’s collision, this mutation wouldn’t draw the Hokage from answering the boy’s rather uncouth command.

“Nice seeing you to, Kayori-san?” A weak statement followed by a grand smile, it seemed that same flare which brightened the days of many hadn’t faded with his grasp to existence for that short period of time. Though the mentioning of helping the man with his Sharingan did alarm the Hokage. Having just woken up moments before his abrupt ingress, he was needless to say, not in perfect shape. Though with some preparation, he would be back to his feet in no time. A Kage couldn’t afford to rest forever now, things had to be done, and with this offer to train his older kinsman, Ryūsuke wouldn’t rebuff.

[Kayori]

Kayori regretted his foolish actions the moment he laid his eyes upon the Hokage before him. He had known of the Hokage¡¯s condition after the destruction of their village, but he had never seen it first hand and there he was now. This was the first time he had seen the man since rooftop fight on the Hokage¡¯s tower. Fight was an overstatement, seeing as how one-sided the battle had been. It was a complete defeat with the ruin of Konoha following immediately. Upon sight, the most significant change in the Fire Shadow was his hair. No longer the scarlet shade that would highlight him among a crowd, it was now a mix of blonde and light red. In a sense, the transition from the bright burning color to the slightly washed out shade reflected Ryusuke¡¯s deterioration in his health.

¡°Nice seeing you too, Kayori-san?¡± the Hokage said weakly albeit with the smile etched on his face, a smile that carried warmth and hope one wouldn¡¯t have expected out of a person that looked so sick. Kayori¡¯s face flashed with an expression of remorse before being replaced again by determination. Pulling one of the two chairs that was tucked into the front side of the Hokage¡¯s large table, the older Uchiha took a seat and then looked at the leader before him quizzically.

¡°What happened to you, Ryu?¡± Kayori found himself asking after five minutes of staring at the Hokage, contemplating how the turn of events had affected Ryusuke. ¡°Both of us were the closest to the meteor, but why are you the only one with the¡­ side effects? Was it from saving me?¡±

[Trigga]

“Don’t look so down.” He exclaimed, showcasing the same pearly whites that had retained their strength and empowering effect despite what his body exhibited. It had been some time since anyone other than the therapeutic staff had seen the weakened Uchiha, nonetheless upon recognition it appeared that Kayori somewhat regretted his advance into the Hokage’s chambers. It wasn’t unanticipated, but it was dispiriting, considering morale placed into strengthening himself was seemingly weakened just because of how the younger Uchiha appeared. Needless to say, his visage didn’t reflect how he felt—it was quite the opposite.

As he moved in closer, the door promptly sealing behind him as he took a seat at one of the two chairs that circumvented his desk, the cherry-blonde smiled, turning in his provisional bed—which resided just along the left wall, and faced his friend. His words came after several moments of contemplation, but that had caught the man off guard. An answer was expected, but it wasn’t something he had in stock at the moment. Scratching his head, running his lightly-tanned fingers through his alternated locks, the Hokage smiled once more, though a mystified expression leveling across his features.

“Well, to be honest, I don’t know. The medics haven’t been able to give me a concrete answer, and have fell on the speculation of a freak mutation brought with the nuclear trail of the meteor—though I’m not bothered, really. I think it’s kinda cool.” His jovial nature hadn’t faded, and with his body progressively regaining its power after two weeks of rejuvenation, standing up, after a moment of gathering his breath, Ryūsuke would moved towards the window behind his desk, peering out into the day of Konohagakure’s colonized streets. It had been some time since he saw such a sight, and it was a relief accepting that he could see it once more.

[Kayori]

Surprised and caught off guard by the question Kayori had posed, the older Uchiha could see that Ryusuke was struggling to find an answer that would satisfy Kayori¡¯s curiosity. Putting his lean fingers through his hair, the once scarlet-haired Uchiha could only give his blonde subordinate the answer that the Med-nins had concluded. And as unsatisfactory as the answer had been, the Hokage seemed to have accept it and treat it as nothing more than an irritation to just shrug away.

Originally sitting with his back straight and leaning forward, his fingers intertwined as he stared at Ryusuke, the older of the two began to ease his tensed muscles and allowed himself to lean back into the chair, his back greeted by the softness of the foam beneath the chair¡¯s fabric. His hands left the table as well as he relaxed, but still joined by the fingers as he moved them to his waist. Watching the back of the sick Hokage, as he stood up and looked out of the window at the view below, Kayori absorbed the answer he had been furnished with.

One big question mark hovered still in his mind. If the meteor was capable of causing mutations to those within close vicinity of it as Ryu had been, then surely Kayori would have gone through the same thing. Nothing strange had reared its head when the Uchiha had been rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, and he was definitely sure that he had no such physical mutations on his body when he left the hospital.

¡°Who were the Med-nins that had diagnosed you? If possible, I would like to consult them about the absence of the mutation in me¡­¡±