The Beginning of something Grand

[Shinryu]

You could say it was a day like any other in my mind-numbingly stagnant life. I was bored, as was usual, since I'd not yet been appointed a jounin sensei, and though I had things to do that day, I did not feel as though they would make any significant difference. I pulled off the covers and rolled out of bed, yawning and stretching as my feet hit the cold wooden floor. I'd sat awake in bed for an hour or so, pondering what I would do for the day to keep myself occupied, as the sunrise began to peek through my window. But it was well past time to get off my ass and get cleaned up. I suspected that my parents would want my aid downstairs soon, and as I put on a pair of familiar black jeans, the shrill shout of "Shinryu!" was enough to confirm as much.

I made a quick detour to drain the lizard, before walking downstairs in my dishevelled state, feeling altogether quite frumpy and unclean, but not much caring, as I wasn't awake enough yet to bother with grooming. My mother sneered with displeasure as she saw me, but that was nothing new. Nor was my father's gruff greeting. "Your mother is going out to the market, and I'll be out back, crafting. Keep an eye on your brother and sister, and make sure they don't get into any trouble."

Always it seemed to be this way. Mother had somewhere to go, father had work, and I was left to watch over their wretched spawn. Let me assure you, I hold no love for my family. I do not hate them, but I have never felt any connection to them, personally. They were to me nothing more than providers, and as I grew, I felt myself needing them less and less. I felt likewise concerning my siblings, only without ever considering them useful. I did not need them, and I did not want anything to do with them. I rolled my eyes at my fathers' assignment, and poured myself a small cup of tea. I'd do what they asked for as long as I needed to call this place home, but the moment I was strong enough, I would take my leave of this wretched hovel. I had dreams to fulfill.

There was something I never bothered to discuss with my parents. It was something I never openly vocalised to anyone else. I wished to become powerful. Not just powerful, but capable, and able to handle myself in whatever situation should arise. Why didn't I speak of it? Because once you let people know what you want, they either seem convinced to tell you that you'll never attain the goals you seek, or try to help you in some misguided way to achieve what they think you want. They did not know what I wished for, and they could not help me save for in the most minor of ways.

"Fine, I'll watch the brats. You'd better be willing to teach me something for it, though." I replied to my father, more than a hint of aggravation in my voice. I was seventeen, and a ninja of Mizugakure no Sato. My parents had not approved of this life, all but disowning me as soon as I donned the headband. I didn't care. It was no fault or worry of mine if my father preferred to use his powers to make "pretty things" out of ice. I, however, would not be so distracted by an easy life. I would make use of the trait inherent in my blood to my benefit, and, for now, the benefit of the village.

The look on Father's face was grim. He was never fond of teaching me the family jutsu, knowing what I'd use them for. He had always tried to teach me useless applications for the things, in the hope that I would not discover their true use. It was foolish, as I could always figure out their intended purpose given enough time and thought, something that my half-wit father evidently never seemed to understand. He stared at me dourly and accepted my price with a non-commital jerk of his head to the side, the same gesture he always makes when he gives in.

"Right. Make sure they don't get into any trouble, and I'll teach you something new. What you do with it... that's up to you." He said bitterly, knowing what it would likely be put to use for. I smiled, more of a smirk really, and shrugged my shoulders. I didn't care, I was getting what I wanted, and to hell with what father thought about it, or really anyone else for that matter. They were just stepping stones, anyway. They say it's lonely at the top, but I've never much liked the company of others, anyway.

_________________________

I spent the day taking care of the terrors, or rather, ignoring them, for the most part. I had techniques to study and practice, and they were just in the way. Mostly, I was interested in how quickly I could freeze different amounts of water. The droplets I withdrew from my gourd would suspend in the air, before my eyes, before I flash froze them, individually. Of course, there was little difference amongst the smaller amounts, but as I drew more water from the gourd, freezing fist-sized hunks of ice, I began to notice a delay in the freezing process. Curious as to how this worked, and in what way the ice froze, I began marking down the times on some spare paper, watching the hunks of ice as they fell and trying to see if there was any measurable way to ascertain the manner in which the water froze.

I stored my observations away inside my room, and waited for mother to return. It wasn't too long after I finished that she came back, laden with groceries. We ate little. Not for lack of money, you understand, but for lack of gluttony. I endured her comments about my hair growing too long to be respectable, and her gripes about my scruffy appearance. I wasn't going anywhere, so why would I bother cleaning myself up? For her sake? There was no point. I couldn't please the naggy old hag anyway. Nothing I did was ever good enough for her, so I was so much the better to be comfortable and turn a deaf ear to her.

I helped her prepare dinner as father came home, a menial chore, but I didn't care. I would be getting what I wanted soon, and that made the task worthy of my attention, even if Sasaki was better suited to be learning this. We set out the meal, and as everyone sat down, I eyed my father cooly, before mumling the chant for thanks, and began eating. I wasn't particularly hungry, but I was ravenous for the knowledge that my father kept hidden from me, so I finished my meal quickly, said a quick thank-you, and nodded to my father, before standing, and making an exit.

The sun was still in the misty skies above, painting a dull gold glow across the sky as my feet made contact with the cool grass. I stood underneath the cloudless sky, crossing my arms and mentally reviewing my notes as I waited. I didn't like wasting my time. As soon as father appeared, we would begin, and I would learn everything I could from him, squeezing him dry of every ounce of Yukina knowledge that he would yield and absorbing it all into my arsenal. I would bring proper respect to our clan again. I would revive the lost arts, and bring us honor.

[Shinryu]

I waited maybe ten minutes, before the old man finally showed his face, daring to pull back the rice-paper door, and step outside. He looked a little fatigued, probably from a long day building Ice sculptures. I wouldn't question him about it. He looked at me and sighed, rubbing his hands together, and walking a ways forward.

"So, you want me to teach you somethng, eh?" he said, with that same gruff voice. He looked almost cold in the evening air. That was odd. Yukina weren't supposed to feel the chill of the elements. Indeed, one of the old rumors before the war was that ice supposedly pumped through our veins. I rolled my eyes and scoffed.

"Well yes, that was the idea. And don't teach me something useless this time. I want to learn a technique that will do me some good in defending myself." I snapped, perhaps a little too bitterly. I sensed the menace, but didn't see him form the handseals, didn't expect retaliation from the man who I'd known as such a gruff and unassuming man.

The whip stung my face, and sent me flying, the taste of copper in my mouth evident as I hit the dirt with a loud thump. I got back to my feet in time to see my father turn on me, his face contorted into a glare.

"Useless? USELESS!"

His water whip came angling towards me again, but I rolled off to the side, avoiding the strike. I was in shock, and I'm sure it showed in my face. My father had never struck me before. He'd never so much as given me a harsh look. To have him openly attack me? And what over? He made more handseals and the whip he summoned turned into a shark, arching towards me, to strike me. I backflipped away and faced my old man, swallowing the knot in my throat and staring him down as a combatant now.

"I thought I raised you to respect the clan! You show nothing but apathy and arrogance towards the blood in your veins, you vainglorious fool!"

And with that, he made another string of handseals, and let forth a wave from his mouth, that came rushing towards me. Too qucik, it barreled into me, and bowled me over. Who was this man, and what did he do with the meek, humble old fool I'd lived with for seventeen years? There was fire in his eyes, a pride I'd never seen before. I struggled to my feet, banting hard as waves of pain shot through me.

"I do respect the clan! What I don't care for is your cowardice!" I shouted, flipping my hands through a set of seals. The water surrounding me rose into the air, taking the form of twenty white swallows, which sped off towards my father. He made his own seals, and sent a great wave of wind out, repelling the birds away.

"Cowardice? You think I do this out of fear for myself?!" He shouted at me, waving wildly at the house. "Do you not know what the world thinks of us? Do you not remember the rumors? The anger? The cullings? They massacred Yukina ninja everywhere! I took up my job solely to keep you all safe once the war ended!"

I had never seen my father so exacerbated. His face was red with rage, veins pulsing almost visibly. I had never known my father had sacrificed so much. I wasn't touched, by any means, it was still cowardly of him, and the fact that he felt such an attachment to us only proved that he was weak. Still, in that sense, I could see why he might have done what he did.

I dropped my arms to the side, knelt and bowed deeply, pressing my forehead to the ground.

"Forgive me father. I did not know. How could I know? You never told me this. You never taught me anything as it was intended to be used. You always spoke of me becoming your apprentice, living in safety and shelter... that's not the life I want."

I heard him scoff, but did not take my eyes from the ground. If I did not make up for this grievance, I might lose what I now knew to be a far more powerful tutor than I could comprehend.

"Your mother always wanted you to live a safe life, you know." He said, his voice returning to a rough gravel. "I thought being a ninja was a fine choice, but she would never let me tell you. Now look at you. You're a grown man, and still a Gennin, all because of her hopes to hold you back." I looked up at him, and knelt there, on the cold ground, eager to hear more. "Then again... the father in me wanted you to be safe, too, I won't lie..." He shook his head, and grimaced, as he raised his voice. "But the Yukina in me also wanted you to pursue the path to your own honor, and that was far more important to me than safety!"

I nodded and smiled, acutely aware of my own happiness. Not for my father's approval, which I had no honest care for; but because I finally knew the truth, and that I finally had a source from which I could learn freely, without the agonizing, tedious self-studying. I had someone who could explain things to me. Finally...

"I apologize, father..." I said, humbly, and bowed again. "I meant no offense to the clan. If I had known, I would have said nothing of the sort." He shrugged his shoulders and looked at me almost contemptuously.

"You still want to learn something 'useful' eh?" He dared to challenge me. I nodded, narrowing my eyes.

"Watch my hands closely then, and get ready to be dealt the worst beating in your life."

I smirked. How bad could it be? If I'd known then what he had in store, I'd have taken my father more seriously.

[Shinryu]

When I woke up the next day, my head was pounding like taiko drum at a town festival, and everything seemed to ache. Father had certainly run me through the ringer, as it were... I held my head in my hands as the sunlight crept into my window. I swung my legs gingerly over the side of my bed and staggered to my feet, wincing as they hit the floor. I hobbled to the bathroom to look myself over, and noticed the bruises. Most of them were centered around my chest, but there were several on my arms and legs, and even a blue tinge over the cheek where father struck me with his whip. There were several small abrasions and lacerations seemingly everywhere, and as I shed my clothing and stepped into a warm shower, I shuddered and winced as I felt some of the larger ones re-open slightly, the water tinted pink with both dried blood and fresh. I rinsed as it were, too covered in wounds to consider soaping myself up in anywhre but the most necessary places, before painfully stepping out of the shower, and wrapping a towel around myself. I dried myself off, and applied some antiseptic to the wounds that had re-opened, before bandaging them. Now that I was up and moving, the pain seemed less bothersome.

I returned to my room, drying my hair and putting on clean clothes. I made my way downstairs to find my father already gone, and my mother giving me a fraught look. "He almost killed you." She announced, looking both worried and angry.

"He did no such thing." I said haugtilly, feeling insulted that my mother had thought me so weak that I would be done in by my father's antics. While he certainly came at me with ferocity, we'd both come to the decision that we should end our session, both of us still conscious and functioning properly, aside from minor wounds. To hear her claim was nothing short of an attempted character assassination; an excuse to keep me here at home while she went off and enjoyed herself in town.

"I'm going on a mission." I announced. It was the first time I'd stood up and said it, and proudly, as a Yukina. There had been times where I'd been called on before, for the sake of the village, to help, but I had never taken any of my own missions, due to my mother's supposed constant need to have me at the home, watching my siblings.

"Oh? And I suppose you expect me to watch your siblings while you go out and get yourself killed?!" She was downright contemptuous now, holding her hands at her hips, and glaring at me. I rolled my eyes and stared her down.

"You've been holding me back for four years, keeping me stuck here, watching your spawn while you go and enjoy yourself! It's not my responsibility to watch them, and it never was! Besides, Sasaki is old enough to take care of herself and Juchiro by now. I'm going to live my life, and you can't stop me!"

And with that, I turned on my heel, opened the door, and walked out, slamming it behind me. To hell with her, she was nothing more than an impedement to my progress. I was going to take a real mission today, for the village. I was finally starting down the path to honor...

______________________________

[&&_- Exit.]

[Messatsu!]

+30

[Shinryu]

I returned home, sore, but exhilarated. The feeling of having completed my first mission was amazing. If I’d known what was waiting for me out there, I’d have stood up to my mother much sooner. I was still mentally reliving the image of my katars piercing through my fleeing foes, their blood chilling on the very ground I approached, leaking from their maimed forms. It was glorious, ecstatic even, to remember the screams of pain, the burning, and the suffering of those who had done wrong. I bit my lip in attempts to suppress my mirth at the thought of their bodies laying dead on the cold earth, little more now than food for the carrion birds.

Shaking my head and clearing my thoughts of my bloodlust, I walked down the path to the house, opening the door to find my mother and father still kneeling at the table. My mother was upset, still. Hurt, even, that I’d left her all alone in the morning, walking out on her as I took off to embrace my fate and regain the honor and status of our clan. However, in my father’s eyes, I saw a pride I had never seen before. He was positively aglow as he saw the splatters of blood on my robes. He chided me. “I hope you spilled more of theirs, than they yours.” I pulled off my shirt to show father my lack of wounds. “It was flawless, father. They ran like meek little cats from a growling hound. There was not one left alive. I showed them what a real demon of the mist was.” I said, reminiscing again, and flashing a smile.

“Good, good. I’m glad to hear it, Shinryu. I imagine that the Kage will be happy to hear that you’ve finally begun fully active duty, provided of course, he’s well enough. Rumor has it, he’s been ill as of late. I guess those who tried to kill him might’ve had some lasting effect on him? Who knows? Anyway, the important part is that you’re here, and home, and safe, although I never had any doubts for you. Your mother, on the other hand...” I turned to regard mother, whose face had gone pale as I stared at her porcelain features. “Were you worried, mother? Scared I wouldn’t come back?” I chided, almost glaring at her. “I’m stronger than that. And I’m not going to let you stop me from doing this. This is the life I’ve chosen for myself, and now that I’ve found a purpose, I will become a grand ninja, one who persecutes those who break the law. Father, I have full plans to join the hunter-nin corps, once I reach chuunin. I trust you approve of this?” His smile was all I needed to see.

“Good. That’s settled, then. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve had a long day, and I think it’s time I got some sleep. I have a new training regiment to start, and I hope you’re willing to help, father. “

He grinned again. I could tell this would be worth my while.

[Shinryu]

I ate quickly; mother had left out leftovers from the meal she had prepared for me, and I was glad she had, although I wonder what she thought might happen if I hadn’t returned that night? She would probably have thought me dead. She would be mortified once I took higher rank missions that would have me away for days at a time. I thought nothing of it, though. It was something she was just going to have to get used to. I smiled, and made my way upstairs, to my room. I was quick to shed my shirt and pants, and hop into my bed, laying there and staring at the ceiling as the scene replayed once more in my head…

And again, I was chasing down the man, his lumbering steps somehow slowed down within my mind, as I cocked my arm back, and let fly my hand dagger, soaring through the air in a slight arc before piercing through his back. There was far more blood in my mental recreation, it oozed from the wound, coating the ground in a thick puddle. I smiled to myself as I remembered catching the second out of the corner of my eye, in the tall grass, running perpendicular to the enemy I’d just downed. I closed one eye and lined up the shot, hurling the weapon through the air some fifteen meters, before it ripped through his neck and throat. I still remembered the delicious gargling sound he made as he fell, the tips of the blades of grass painted crimson.

I turned to find the last straggler headed towards the woods. He wouldn’t be getting away… No. That filthy scum would face my wrath for accosting the innocent. I dashed after him, and made a stepping stone mid- air, from which to leap, my hands weaving together eloquently, sending a swarm of swallows to explode into his form, decimating him as the shrapnel eviscerated his back and entrails, leaving him to spill his life essence…

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts, as I still felt my heart racing from the adrenaline rush. However, my adrenaline wasn’t the only problem I sat faced with. It appeared my lust for blood had consumed that part of me as well. I rolled my eyes and smirked. Hopefully this didn’t turn into a fetish. I quite liked the idea of having a successor, and one couldn’t exactly impregnate the corpses of dead criminal women, nor would I want the mother of my child to be such a nefarious character. I sighed. It was like me to wind up having such a twisted primal connection between sex and killing.

I heard a rap at my door and quickly covered myself, before hearing a gruff voice. “Are you decent? Can I come in?”

[Shinryu]

Father stood outside my door, asking for permission to enter. I didn’t think he’d normally ask, he’d usually just barge in, regardless of the situation. I quickly hid my ‘problem’ in the waistband of my shorts, and pulled up the covers, hoping to the kami that father wouldn’t notice, or if he did, that he wouldn’t say anything. I didn’t want to give him the wrong impression; after all, I was tired. But something about killing just… worked me up, and made my blood boil. It was like an adrenaline rush that simply wouldn’t ebb. I shouted a soft “Yes, come in.” Before father opened the door and stared at me.
“Don’t bother trying to hide it.” He said dismissively and came to sit at the chair by my desk. “It happens to all Yukina men when we get our first taste of the blood lust. I would advise you try not to think too much about your kills, or else you’re going to be the awkward guy in public, especially at your age, when it goes off like a hair trigger. I remember those days…” I stared, mortified at my father, as he continued on, my ears unhearing as I was still trying to digest what he said. Dad was sitting there, in my chair talking to me about…

“EUGH, Oh for the love of kami, father, must we really discuss this?” I said, looking taken aback and wrinkling my nose at the idea. I didn’t want to hear stories of my fathers’ “youthful phase.” Nor did I much feel like explaining my current predicament, although he seemed to know enough about it already…

“Anyway… my point is, I’m proud of you, son. But you’ve unleashed a new, real demon. Part of you is always going to thirst to see blood spilled. You may be strong enough to control it, and to choose which targets you make pay for your pleasure… but be careful. Half the reason we were almost exterminated was because of our bloodlust. It runs strong through our veins, and can be controlling beyond belief some days. You may feel like you want to rip someone’s face off, just to watch them bleed. You have to be ready for it.”

Father lectured me on the new feelings I was dealing with, this sudden wanton urge to spill blood… I nodded and thanked him, and as he left he said jokingly “At least the ladies find it useful.” Before closing the door and walking off. I groaned and felt my palm collide with my forehead as he walked down the hallway. I never EVER wanted to talk to him about anything like that again. Hearing that he had been the same way as I, and that my mother had rather enjoyed things at that age, was not something to tell your son… but at least that particular problem no longer bothered me. I guess all his talk of my mother, and picturing them both in little to no clothing killed it, which was probably for the best, anyway. I rolled over and buried my face in the pillow, determined to get some sleep.

That hadn’t been what I’d meant when I asked for help…

[Icarus]

+27

[Shinryu]

Sleep came fitfully that night, but thankfully, my lust for blood left me as I found comfort in my dreams. Of course, they were of the same thing I'd pictured, spilling the blood of those who would defile the law, and the sick grin on my face as I did it, so it was no wonder that I woke up with that same particular problem in the morning. A quick cold shower took care of it, though, and once I was sufficiently washed and clothed, I nipped downstairs. Mother looked puffy eyed, as though she hadn't slept, unhappy with my choice. I had to grow up sometime though, and so I did not regret what I'd told her. I held no care for her distraught state, for it was exactly her own fault she felt the way that she did in the first place.

I grabbed a quick bite to eat for breakfast, then headed out, smiling. A new day, and a new mission to embark upon. As I gazed into a pale blue sky, I couldn't help but feel like things were looking up for me.

[&&_-exit]