Recollections astray [P]

[Apple]

[/i] was one that I hadn’t taken kindly, and I was glad to know that he’d caught that message, even if I’d perhaps drawn the meaning of his words incorrectly in my mind- But it was good reason. I was sure that he’d have responded in the same way if he had brothers or sisters. There was little that I did know about him bar from the things that he’d done and the impressions he’d cast on me years ago, so how was I to know that what he’d tell me now was indeed true and not malicious lies created in order to draw me in to some false feeling of trust? It wasn’t as if I was paranoid, no, just wary of who was in my company at the moment. His words regarding Ue- My Ue lead me to think and wonder exactly what had he done to get himself affiliated with people like Kouketsu and even Soratsu himself- It wasn’t like him. Shifting my position slightly, moving one leg over the other as I’d sit on the decking of the porch, the bitter chill was resounded somewhat by the cold surface, it came to my attention that it wasn’t all that warm during the nights in Sunagakure, although, it only made sense as the heat relentlessly burned the village during the day. Breathing in the cool Sunagakure air, I couldn’t say that I’d been here before- But it wasn’t exactly one of my favourite terrains.

Nothing but silence came from my form as allowed the grey eyed male to speak his words, almost urging me to view the situation in not my own eyes, but his. Of course, it was understandable since all kinds of people had different reasons for doing things, and a man as unpredictable as he, I figured that perhaps it might have been more complex than I’d anticipated, but with barely nothing revealed at the moment, I’d leave it for him to explain to me in full before I began to make any speculations- I’d received testament that my brother had been there, so at least I was aware that that wasn’t a rumour. But the rest? Still hidden away within the confines of the Uchiha’s mind, and from the dialogue which he’d spoken up to now, it seemed that he was ready to explain to me the whole story, but the more that he spoke and the more that I listened, it seemed as if he was more keen on explaining to me his life story before going on to the bloody tale of the war that I needed to learn – As long as I got what I wanted in the end, I didn’t care, although from the next words that escaped his mouth, I couldn’t have really imagined that he’d divulge something like that to me as I beautifully pushed back strands of blonde from my face.

"I guess you can say... I haven't been the same since MY brother was murdered."

”……”

It wasn’t my lack of empathy, no. It was just the fact that I was unsure of how to react to what he’d said. It was almost as if he was insinuating something, but too wrapped up in the current situation and with so much information having been fed to me, I wasn’t exactly sure of what to say, so I mustered up the words; ”..My condolences.” they weren’t half-assed as far as saying them went, if anything I’d spoken them with some degree of genuine sympathy for whatever had happened to him, but I found it hard to say much else. With him very much in the limelight at the moment with his speaking, there wasn’t all that much for me to say, and ending on that note, it simply pushed my words further out of my mouth, surprisingly. Having been through tough situations myself, despite the fact that I was happy enough being distanced, speaking about things like that wasn’t something that I’d freely start a conversation about- In that sense, I was much more reserved, and much more reserved than Soratsu before me who had began to explain to me exactly how he was how he was- Or was it all a lie? Unsure, I’d continue to listen. Of course, I was aware that this was probably the most silent he’d ever heard me, but I was clinging on every movement he executed and word he spoke, just hearing his voice sound through the area.

"..I'm sure that it must have effected your judgement on things."

Perhaps the two things he'd spoken had been linked somehow? I was only guessing at this point.

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[marvolous.]

Her 'condolences' meant very little to me. I was appreciative of them, don't get me wrong; however, they did nothing to alleviate the burden left on my shoulders with my brother's death. Shinobi die everyday, it was just a casualty of the betterment of the shinobi world - I knew that. I preached that. Shiro's death, for the most part, had occurred during my darkest times; as much as I'd like to deny it, it played an integral role in shaping my personality to where it was at now.

That being said, I did not bring his death up to seek sympathy. "I can not lie and said it did not." I spoke, almost absentmindedly - it was almost like the pain of recalling all these memories were having an affect on my psyche. Still, my countenance remained stoic; the byproduct of many years as a shinobi. "Don't misunderstand, I'm not looking for pity, nor do I seek to use excuses as a means of justifying my actions. There's a reason why Shiro's death impacting me more than anything, and that's not entirely because I felt pain with his loss."

I paused again, one of my butlers appearing from nothing but the shadows. In his hand were two glasses of water, one for myself and one for Blanche, should she accept it. He was ushered away with a simple head nod, the glass he had left soon meeting the brim of my lips. Despite still being in my prime, my body still wasn't used to the wear and tear of using Hiraishin.

"In fact," I started once more. "Had Shiro never died, Kouketsu would have never come to me with the proposition of taking over the work Shiro couldn't complete. You see, Kouketsu and my brother had both fought together in the war decades ago; they were brothers by allegiance, not blood. Though young and from different villages, they were legends in Sunagakure. Shiro went on to become one of my village's first Kage's, whilst Kouketsu became the first Mizukage. For a war veteren, an Etsuko, and a Kazekage, does it make sense that Shiro would have been utterly eviscerated in battle within seconds?"

Another pause. This time, very much like the instance earlier, I allowed Blanche to soak in my words before continuing again.

"I'm sure Kouketsu came to that same conclusion, and knew with my rage and inclination for revenge, that I'd be a prime ally for his goals. Though I very much shared the same principles and goals as him, I had an ulterior motive for everything I did. I wanted to find the person - the man that easily dispatched someone as strong as Shiro within seconds - and I used that as a reason for trying to establish an alliance between you and Kaeor. I had long but eliminated the culprit from hailing from Suna, as I knew every single shinobi within the village. Kouketsu was in the same position with Kirigakure - so them, too, were eliminated. Soon followed Konohagakure, whom as you know, was invaded by my village and Kiri. The Hokage, an Uchiha like myself, was the only one capable of beating Shiro - but he was in the village at the time."

Did she finally understand my motive in befriending her? Could she grasp the very purpose of why I had pushed for war between the nations? If it was not clear at this point, I would illuminate it for her.

"Kaeor is a Kumogakure native, and thus, as suspect to me as anyone else in Kumo. What is a better way to learn about the shinobi in Kumogakure than to befriend one of them, and then use them as a pool of information? If you haven't put two and two together, you, as well, were a suspect to me as well. However, it's been clear to me for years - and by your clear lack of any of this information - that you took no part. By the status of your village back when Shiro was killed, it's also evident that none of you were involved."

I took another sip from my water, continuing to keep my vision locked on Blanche and her emotions; even if she was proficient in hiding her emotions, the lack of such, would also speak volumes to me. I very much doubted Blanche trusted me herself, so she shouldn't take any offense by my words. As she can see by my inclination to inform her of my motives, that I wanted to move passed all of that; aside from Beppin, I trusted no one. That would need to change if we both wanted our respective villages to flourish.

"Since I never got around to 'using' Kaeor due to my illness, that still leaves Kumogakure, as well as Iwagakure. Both villages, in due time, will be the benefactors of my rage. Nukenins, too - I haven't ruled them out. I can sense a rebellion is on the horizon; I figured, as Kusakage, you deserved to know."

I wasn't done speaking, but I'd let her have a chance at talking. Afterall, with all that information, I wasn't even quite sure she understood all of it.

[Apple]

And oh what a tale it was!

My mind thrived from being fed such beautiful tales that I found myself gazing elsewhere as he spoke, taking in each little bit of information that he had to give me. Of course; It obviously allowed me to know much more about him, and because of that it both allowed me to get under his very skin, and it perhaps opened my eyes to another side of Soratsu that I hadn’t known about. He was a fucking bastard when he wanted to be, but a deep one at least. If all he was saying was true then I found myself somewhat relating to him. I understood the love for family like no other and even now after so many years all I wanted to do was rip the very spines from whoever diminished the life of my fiancé and see them drowned in a pool of their own blood to assure that my revenge was done, although I hadn’t the strength back then to go so far as Soratsu had done for his brother. And for that, I respected him despite the fact that even if he had just poured his very past out in front of me, he was still a grey-eyed cunt. Water having been delivered by whatever assistance he had on his property, I choose to take the glass although my hands simply danced about the class, holding it close, although I was too enveloped in the story which he was weaving from his memories to do anything else. A keen tactician as it seemed, being sneaky was everything which I’d figured he was all those years ago, so to learn that he’d done a plan similar to this hadn’t been that surprising- But even after all that time, had he still not become satisfied?

It was understandable.

..But at the same time concerning.

And no- It wasn’t a pained expression that overcame my face, moreso one of not disapproval either, perhaps.. uncertainty? ”Rebellion has been in the air for as long as I can recall.” I’d then pause in my words, my hands continuing to move around the glass, almost as if should one hold it in a certain way, then it would all disappear in to the air and the water itself evaporate beneath some powerful aura. His business with Kumogakure and Iwagakure, however- I had connections to both through people I knew and although at the moment perhaps I drove to believe Sora and the compelling story he brought up, I couldn’t deny the fact that personally, I had no problems with both villages as it stood at the moment, Kumogakure perhaps being more justified than Iwagakure was and ever would be, despite my the link my brother held to it. And because of this; I declined his future prospects, although I knew that as it stood at the moment, I couldn’t do much to persuade him to do much else. He’d been on a mission for countless years now and I was sure that even my words wouldn’t stop him in his tracks. But there would come a day where the mere sound of my voice would bring chills down the spines of thousands- And it was soon coming.

I was unsure.

”..But here it is. The great reveal..



..The death of one loved one generates the death of thousands, and I’m sure that only you could have achieved that, Soratsu.” pause, as I drew a long breath before releasing it, my words spoken with the grace of a drunkard.

”..And for your devotion I respect you.
..But don’t think for one moment that I condole the slaughter.”

Of course, my respect for him was limited, but he ought to count himself honoured as there were little who ever managed to get to that mark. But despite this, I didn’t agree with the extent which he’d gone to in order to seek and destroy the people who he hated most. I desperately found my hands clawing at the past and the idyllic dreams which now revolved around my mind, tearing it to pieces, but as it stood, killing strangers brought me no reconciliation for the losses I’d suffered- as there simply weren’t enough alive on this earth who’s deaths could compensate.

”..However, I’d have surely done something similar had I the power back then.

I'd have loved to tear apart every last muscle in their bodies and rip the fucking ligaments from their flesh.”

And I spoke with a voice warped with lunacy - But I couldn't have cared less, either.

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[marvolous.]

"The death of one loved one generates the death of thousands, and I’m sure that only you could have achieved that, Soratsu...And for your devotion I respect you...But don’t think for one moment that I condole the slaughter.”

Suffice to say, she had hit the nail right on top of it's head. Had Shiro not died, my thoughts would have never been pushed towards revenge; I would have never even fathomed of purifying the world by committing a genocide of the shinobi race; I would have never become the man I was today - a ghost... a legend. Pain brought me to this point, it was only fitting that I shared it with the world.

"But you don't know the pain of loss, Blanche." I casually answered, having waited far longer after her cynical words to speak once more. I was oblivious to my own ignorance, for I did not know her past as well as she now knows mine. "I can assure you of this: It never stops. Killing shinobi to send a message only goes so far; if you really want to make an impact, a far larger impact than even war, you need to change the system."

Even after almost eight years, my goal of destroying the shinobi and daimyo regime was unwavering. I didn't expect her to be on board - much like I didn't back when we first met - but I wanted to give her a fair warning. Kusagakure would need allies when the time arrived, who better to have for protection than myself and my village?

"I know the perils of trying to rebuild a village without allies for protection. With Kusa's location being inbetween both Iwagakure and Konohagakure, it's imperative that you receive such protection. As a sign of trust, I'm offering you Sunagakure's assistance - should you need it. In return, all I ask is you don't interfere with my own endeavors."

Simple, right? I wasn't sure what treaties were established between her nation and the others, but that all would mean moot should she accept my offer.

"You have my word."

[Apple]

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[/u] I wished for nothing but death upon myself and despite the pain, I soon relished in the fact that my eyesight and thoughts were slowly slipping out of touch. It wouldn’t be long now. [/i][/ul]

And I’d waited- Waited long enough in silence for the word vomit that was released from his mouth, and naturally, I retorted sternly to the fact that he had even dared to speak like that to me. I could even remember it now- the heavy smell of blood slathered across my hands coupled with sheer terror, and the reminder wasn’t going to leave me any time soon. I was aware that my own secrets lay delved deeper than his own, but at the same time, I was glad because of that. ”..We’ve all lost people we loved, Soratsu.” I’d say, my words louder than a whisper, but at the same time, utilized quietly and yet so furiously austere. Perhaps it was simply him singling himself out, but we’d all suffered in one way or another, and that was a fact. How dare he even say that to you. I agreed, of course, but I wasn’t the kind to automatically reveal my own trials and tribulations like spit from my mouth- I wasn’t that person. It would only bring shame to them. To myself.

But despite all this and despite the fact that he’d taken his own insensitive turn on the situation which had enraged me so, I’d found his tale not heart-warming, but moreso interesting that he had such a story behind him, and perhaps he wasn’t driven all by the senseless need for violence. Of course, if I was to charge him for that then I was a hypocrite, as I’d done several things in my past which I now reflected on- But I was sure that he understood better than others how enticing it was, and sometimes, it managed to get the better of me- But as of late I’d been relatively calm compared to in my youth, and it wasn’t as if I yearned for those days, but I was just glad that I’d managed to stay consistent. From what I’d seen, it looked as if he’d grown calmer over the years as well, especially after the second great shinobi war, but then again- Piecing his dialogue together , perhaps his madness had never left him. ”……..” and then the conversation turned once more- to that of Kusgakure and Sunagakure, both of our villages included in the topic which I hoped to bring up myself.

Not to interfere with his own endeavours? Of course- His own business was frankly, his own- But I simply hoped that Iwa and Kumo were strong enough to fend him off when the time would come. Turning my blue eyes towards him, I’d blink once, almost contemplating his words, before opening them again and directing them not towards him, but the sky which had subtley began to break open for the sun when the time came. After that I’d soon look back at him, and the village that surrounded us. ”I accept. On the terms that if you do choose to include my village in your plans, don’t fuck things up.” of course- I was sure that this wasn’t the end. Placing the glass down for a moment, I'd wait for a reply- My terms wer fair. If he barged in to the village with the demeanour of a madman on the hunt, then I'd have no other option but to subdue him.[/blockquote][/justify][/size][/font][/ul]

[marvolous.]

I watched her as she soaked in my words, gauging her reactions to each and every little bit of information her mind processed. Though it was only an assumption, I was quite sure my earlier words had hit a nerve - when she spoke again it only confirmed my assumption. Still, there were more pressing matters that needed to be taken care of. If she really was sure about accepting the treaty, then we were done here.

"If I do you will be the first person to kn--" My words were cut off slightly, the sheer expression of shock that rushed to my demeanor was too much to hide from Blanche. My eyes had widened and my mouth had dropped slightly; it was almost as if I had just heard news too much to bare. "I'm sorry, but I have to be somewhere." I stood up, having recollected myself and re-pushed all the emotion out of my face again.

"I would have personally taking you back to your village, but there's no time." With a slight nod another one of my servants appeared out from the shadows, my hand gesturing him to Blanche's side. "He will see you safely out of the village, Blanche. I hope to hear from you soon."

And with that - I vanished.

[Apple]

[/i] during the last few years that we’d been apart, or- At least he seemed to make it that way. His words soon ringing in my ears, I’d nod as a response, and perhaps I would have bothered to speak if it hadn’t been for the fact that an almost perplexed expression laced his face. His leave wasn’t exactly expected at this point, and neither was it unexpected, really- But we’d discussed what was needed and we’d managed to drag things on to some form of neutral ground. His leaving words then broke in to my ears, and he’d leave, allowing me to be lead out by one of his servants as he called them. Of course- I was willing to be led out of the home but I wanted to explore a little..

..I hadn’t been here before, after all.

-EXIT!

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[Not Masakuni]

Apple +105
Naga +98