Barren Wasteland [O]

[Apple]

ENTER!

Her feet soon came to grips with the different terrain that she had soon set herself upon. It was much, much different and many a woman bearing such heels as Blanche would probably have feared breaking the heel upon them but frankly she didn't care. The pair she had were durable, and no terrain could ever break them down. If their owner was almost like a rock herself as far as toughness was concerned, they were probably too. But- It was quite a different place. The path seemed to go upwards for a little bit before returning to a flat- It was sure to say that the land was very mountainous, something which she from Kusa no Kun rarely saw due to the flat nature of the land. Of course, she had once been in Tsuchi years ago but, even this land seemed ravaged with war. Where there were once trees which had somehow managed to survive the rough weather there, there now lay broken trunks, cut down by some human weapon. The land was in ruin.

..But not as bad as Kusa had been.

But otherwise, still quite bad. Althogh Tsuchi to start off with wasn't exactly the best looking of countries, it was clear where there had been fights, as it had easily effected the area, for instance, a few holes where no doubt punches had been flung were to the west, and plants lay dead on the floor. Dents were about the place, but, the land was still probably populated, as she had heard news that Iwagakure was still at least, in some kind of one piece- It hadn't been destroyed as so many of the minor villages had been victim to- as so many of the shinobi had been victim to. Thesedays, it was hard to see a shinobi of Kusa who hadn't deflected to other villages.

..And any shinobi, really.

[Yoshiro Akirako]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=style,border: 1px dotted #3b607f; border-top: 3px solid #3b607f; border-bottom: 3px solid #3b607f; padding: 20px; text-align: center;][bg=c9c7be] I WILL burnmydread I ONCE RAN AWAY FROM THE GOD OF FEAR AND HE CHAINED ME TO DESPAIR A SIMPLE REST, was that too much to ask? Of course it was in this place. Never any rest, never any sleep. The forest was always awake and alive, yet death happened all around. Just this morning he'd killed that squirrel with that kunai. Stupid squirrel shouldn't have looked at him that way and messed up his lunch. He thought back to his old village... Kusa no Kuni. Such an unsightly place. So... inconsistent and clustered. It hurt his eyes just to think of the architecture of the place. Of course, it would trouble him no more. But... he couldn't help feel drawn back to his old stone hut outside of the walls. The one that was supposed to be under survelance. Of course it never was because of that stupid old Kusakage, always concerned with money rather than keeping his village safe. He'd have sold it in a heartbeat for a couple of copper. A loud sound was coming from the distance. Someone was approaching. As the light footsteps drew nearer, he waited in the shadows, prepared to ambush whoever came near. Until he saw her... Wait a minute... she's from Kusa... I've seen her before, when I came back from that mission with the rib poking out of my side.

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He pushed the bush he was hiding behind, aside, as if it were nothing, the rich green leaves once bathed in darkness were now forcefully taken into the light. And he stood as she moved directly towards him.

"Hey... over here!"

He raised his hand slightly in a wave-like gesture, further indicating that he was here and that she was to speak with him. Didn't really matter if she stopped, he'd still follow her. He needed a conversation. I mean, he'd lived alone for most of his life but even he needed a talk at times and this girl was rather nice looking, not to mention she was from Kusa, like him.

He fiddled with his eyepatch as he waited...

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TAGGED here THEME music
CODED BY ☂RAINBOWRAMA FROM OTE!

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[Apple]

"Hey... over here!"

A sudden call would cause the blonde to cease in her tracks- It might be an ambush-- Her hand securely place near her weapons holster where her dagger was located, she would await and look, should any dangerous looking men step out from the side to attack such.. a defenceless woman. With her blue eyes analyzing the area in front of her, near where exactly the call seemed to come from. Nothing would seem to appear for a few moments, giving Blanche the idea that perhaps she had just imagined it but then- Out came a relatively tall male, black hair, and with quite a unique guise. With a slight squint of her eye she would look at him further- Had she seen him before?-- Yes, she was sure she had, but where? She would stand her ground for a few moments, attempting to remember who he was, the memory soon pulling through, the eye patch being quite notable to his appearance- He had worn it in the past- In Kusa. Surely it was him?

"AHAHAHA-
Rib boy-
Whatever are you doing here?"

As her laugh would be emitted- Quite a cackle to say the very least, she would use the name rib boy coined from the first meeting they had, where she had been one of the medics making sure that the boy was healed correctly- But her question, was simple- Surely it was a thought as to whether she was there too, but, she was always curious of her brethren's intents when they neared areas with Major villages- What was his future to be? Was he to join her in restoring Kusagakure later on? Or was he to deflect over to other villages? Such questions could not be answered that this state in time, but if it was the latter, the majority of respect for him would be lost. "......." In silence would she then walk forwards, her arms once more to her side in a slightly more relaxed state than they had been moments ago. She would remain in this quiet state as she would soon near him, he overtowering her by a good few inches, but, height didn't matter- She wanted to hear about what had happened to him over the past year or so- Had he been travelling, as she had? Or had he been assigned to a different village? Who knows.
But, she would ask, that was for sure.

She'd get it out of him some way or another.

[Gally G6]

It was a day like no other, coming back from a rather eventful night. Expressions of absolute bliss were plastered across the towering man's face. His mind danced gracefully amidst the tumultuous cascade of blurred thoughts. His body ached from the liquids he had consumed before, yet he wanted nothing more than to have another go at the bar. He was very aware, to a the slightest, that somewhere was important. A date perhaps, or maybe a meetings. Words of team work echoed through the dulled senses of his skull, but to no avail. As he watched from afar, a group seemed to have begun gathering. Maybe this was where he was supposed to turn.

Senses clogged with bitterness from the night before, a snap occurred in the crevices of his brain. Beauty with hair touched by the gentle hand of the sun, a gaze so intent she seemed to have lost track of her thoughts in concentration. She was so familiar, he could almost touch her name, a forgotten, dusty book shelved as youth left his body.

"Hey, beauty," he murmured, his words slurring purposely. Trying to ignore the other male present, the Koga's first move was to speak to this woman who he seemed to have a strong pull towards. It was this fatal decision to name the beauty as such that would be a turn table to his memory. Eyes widening one single phrase had escaped his mind as quickly as it has been formed: my friends enemies are my greatest allies. Everything made no sense, but something seemed comfortable about this place, something that made him want to wake up from his slumbering dream.

[Apple]

It was soon after a few moments wait that she would figure that the male was at least thinking of a way to respond to her question, and she would allow this, as long as he didn't take too long. Waiting wasn't one of her favourite pastimes. She had done much of it in the past, and she wasn't too intent on doing it again. Waiting on people, waiting on things, waiting in general was incredibly tedious to her- As it was to anyone else. A deep sigh emitting from her moouth which verbally signalled that she was growing tired despite it being interesting seeing another one of her kin in a place hat she now found herself dragged in to, the barriers of her village having crumbled down with war, finding herself not a citizen of Kusagakure any more, but a citizen of the world. But she still prioritized herself.
And it was of this world that she had to be reminded often that many a kind of person lived there- Including whatever gargantuan figure that was now casting a shadow upon the two Kusagakure nin. With her head flicking to the side so that she was no longer facing her kin but instead her eyes gazing up past the shadow to the figure itself who almost blocked out the sun that she had grown so used to. This was strange.

"Hey, beauty"

Well that was sweet. Sort of. In a drunken, eerie way.
But it wasn't as if she wasn't already accustom to compliments wherever she went. Dull optics would look upon him with her cold stare, keeping hold of that before, if one would look carefully, the right corner of her mouth would curl in to a very silent smirk, but, it didn't mean all that much. The man, her blue eyes looking at him carefully, was quite handsome in the face although the rest of he seemed to resemble what she could but call a gorilla, his arms strong and muscle bound and his gut- Well, that was a different story. However, her thoughts weren't voiced just yet as she would give this man a single chance- Although she loved the attention her angelic looks brought her, she wasn't fond of being perved on- Whether this man had been doing so or not wasn't important to her at the moment as more pressing matters ensued:
His headband- It was marked as missing-

"Amegakure, huh..?
But less about that.."
She'd tell him, her eyes moving from the metallic plate on his arm to his red, fiery eyes. "..What has you buisness here?"

The question was posed, and Blanche was waiting for an answer- Had he simply stumbled along? If he had done so, why had he approached the two? His status as a missing ninja, although interesting, could go on the side for the moment. Amegakure too had been ravaged by war, so she couldn't exactly blame nor go against those who chose to leave it- She however, stayed true to her country, the band carefully placed around her neck.

[Gally G6]

He had received her utmost attention. While the woman seemed to have been given a carriage which many would be jealous of, it was her sharp, cold eyes that he starred at. Many may not have noticed her questioning looks. However, Koga saw something unkind in her face. He was very aware of her starring at his frame, and he could not help suppress a small smile. He may not have been the most beautiful monster in this world, but he carried all parts of his being with a fierce pride.

Many dared not to look directly into the eyes of those being spoken to. Eyes like molten rock, Koga bored into the woman in front of him. He couldn't tell what she was thinking of him at this very moment, but he had every intention of showing this woman his ferocity. You know more than you think you do. Koga's eyes portrayed not happiness or even loyalty, but raw anger and cruelty like that of his blood nature.

"For a while, Amegakure was a place of piece. Under the reign of the Beautiful Lady that lead us, we were happy. But then things started to change. The skies turned black, the rain fell harder. People died." Koga never let his eyes drop from the woman's gaze. He bore no smile or indication that his foreshadowing was a mere jest of his home.

"We never had a true leader in our village, after a long dispute caused long ago. We never saw the Lady, but her presence was always known by the mysterious acts she performed: healing the sick, driving off dangerous enemies, bringing us all together as a family. It was when her death was reported by one of the Gashira that we began to worry. No longer was a home a safe haven for all ninja seeking comfort. When we looked up, blood fell upon our faces, fresh and cold like a new kill.

"Many fled the Country Where the Sky Bleeds, but many like myself stayed. For a while we stayed loyal, believing, hoping that the heavens where trying to mourn for the Lady in its bizarre way. It wasn't until the killing began that I was enlightened of how our village was deteriorating. Whoever had orchestrated the Lady's death, for it was not natural in the slightest, decreed that all who would not fight for their country would die.

Woman, men, daughters, sons...so many of them were killed, just because they could not serve. Many wished to stay with their families, while others were hindered by age or lack of knowledge to be Shinobi. So they were killed. I was contacted because of my inheritance to become a soldier for a great army that was to be." It was then that Koga put together a few quick seals. He first looked at his hand, then at the woman, then moved his hand to his eyes as if to say I want to show you why they wanted me.

His hand began to glow a luminous, blue color. "A man came to me, eyes of a rat, tongue of a liar, venom of a killer. He was enthralled by my knowledge in the arts of medicine, and for my inheritance that lay hidden, and wished for my compliance." Koga looked at the woman with an expression that was hard to read. Sadness. Regret, perhaps. "I declined his offer. Immediately he began to yell...I killed him with this blue chakra. To this day, I have not been able to touch a dying soul without feeling the regret of slaughter. Saving people just hasn't really been my thing since that...accident." The chakra faded, and again Koga looked to the woman.

"I may be an ass, I admit that. But I don't just kill people because it's fun. After I killed the man, I fled my village as well, no longer seeing it as the home it used to be. I have never been outside my home, so for a while I was lost. I heard this land was prosperous, and while dangerous, seemed to be better off. Upon hearing there was a village in this country, I have began my search for it, in hopes I can start a new life...or perhaps offer a purpose to forget my old life." Koga looked up at the woman, his face no longer happy or sad, simply showing the seriousness of his true nature. "You know my story. I must ask you, and your...eh, friend the same thing, miss." With that he gave a deep bow, his drunken sauve vanished for the time being.

[Apple]

[OOC: I'M SO SORRY. REAL LONG POST. ):]

Blanche soon found that the eyes which she had past been looking in to, those of an interesting colour and expression soon faded- Not in colour, but in life. Something had come across him, and now his eyes blazed a fiery scarlet, his expression now matching that of the livid appearance on his face- He hadn’t gone over the top or anything, but she could tell. However, this hadn’t deterred her from talking to him. Being the stubborn, iron-willed bitch that she was, she wasn’t one to back away when someone pulled a scary face. Her own eyes, as angelic as the colour may seem, gazed back at his own with not anger matching his- She showed no anger at all- Just the usual dull, lifeless look that they sometimes had, as she would watch his lips part as he would begin to speak of something that she hadn’t exactly expected him to say, causing her dull expression to change to that of interest in what he was saying- She was listening.

His tale had been that one of Amegakure’s- She knew full well of her own but other villages she had no clue about as far as how the war destroyed each one differently. She hadn’t known the true back-story to why exactly her own village fell apart as she had heard different sources, and she, having not exactly been that far up in the rankings, wasn’t able to hear the truth. However, he spoke as if he truly knew the details of what happened to his country- -A death of a prosperous leader who had brought the land to blossom had resulted in slow deterioration of the village, which was worsened by the war that then begun between the villages. A military-like seize of operations occurred, and suddenly Amegakure seemed to find itself heavy under the hand of war, and with that, came death, something that even she deep down feared.

Throughout the time that he had been speaking, she had been listening carefully and quietly- She could be disrespectful when she wanted to be but the war was something that she saw as in common with every shinobi that roamed the land these days, and she herself knew the sorrows that it brought in, such sorrows which had formed her to be the cold person that she was now. Back in the day she was still pretty much a bitch, but a nicer one who was more open and kinder to people. And then- He would perform something that interested her somewhat- His hand, it glowed rife with chakra and the word medical had been spoken of- But, although distracted by a moment from those she continued to listen- The war had been harsh on many people, especially medics. She herself had been called out to try and heal those who were on the edge of life, and too many at time had she and her team got there too late.

But- His story soon came to an end, and her eyes, although still bearing the same cold look now held a slight amount of condolence- Although, with a few blinks, it was soon gone. ”My story?” she would ask- The man, she still looking at his ember-like eyes, would request to listen to her own story- But not much could be said, as her own was similar to any other village which had been tore apart by war. ”My own village had too been a victim of the war. However, I do not fully know the true reasons of its decline during the fighting.” she would tell him- She had heard tales which mocked the authority of the Kusakage and others which blamed it on the fighting shinobi themselves but- She couldn’t judge as of yet, as she didn’t know the truth. ”I too am a medic, although my speciality is working within the hospital itself, not on the battlefield, although I hope to change that because as far as I know, I have no hospital to work at now. I’ve seen a lot of the effects that the war has reaped, however, and I sometimes had to bear the part of the person that would break the bad news to families.” she would explain some of her back-story in Kusa after the war had begun. It had all been true- She had been working in the hospital and she had to explain to the families of deaths which had occurred but-

-Other parts she wasn’t keen on sharing- two deaths that had changed her in such a way that although the effects were obvious as her personality and viewpoint changed, she couldn’t speak of without her façade dropping- And she didn't do that. ”I don’t know what’s happened to my family, but, I’m glad that they were there for me before the war broke out, and during the early years of it. ” and with that, there would be a pause as she would then move her hands away from her generous hips as her arms would then cross together over her chest, she still looking at him- Her tone hadn’t exactly been emotionless- She had accentuated a few words with her gentle tongue when needed and perhaps the voice of a true person had broken out a few times but, her firm expression remained so as she would watch the giant. ”..But I’m not looking for a place to go. I will only ever have one home, even when it is in ruins.” she would say- she had numerous things that linked her to that village, and she couldn’t bear staying away from it for ages- She had gone back a few months ago to simply walk along where she would usually before the war, but, she was awaiting the day when she would return to her family and whoever else was left.

That day probably wasn’t going to come any time soon.
But all she had left was hope.
Without that, there was no point for anything.

[Gally G6]

OOC: Sorry for the gruesomeness

IC:Koga nodded as he listened to her story. It was true that many of the Lesser Villages had been shrouded in a great mystery as to how they were crushed. Many left their homes to wander the world. Others simply didn't care about the ruined state of their homes. Some questioned their own loyalty much like Koga, while others still had hope as the woman who stood before him.

"If there is one thing I could change...I would take back all the time they spent with me preparing for the battlefield as a medic." Koga raised his eyes to level with the blonde, who returned with a clam stare. "I know that sounds cruel, but to understand fully perhaps I should explain."

[Flashback - 10 Years Ago]

"Back then, when I first enrolled to become a medic-nin, I had no idea of what to expect. Even now, I truly am an awful medic. My instructors told me that all I needed to know was how to heal a wound, and to put those too far gone out of their misery. I was naive and young, and so I followed their words blindly. I figured as a healer I would learn more fo the art I had essentially sacrificed my life for.

"There was one incident in particular that I will never forget. I was sent to the field briefed with only the knowledge that a shinobi had been seriously injured. So I went with a partner to protect me, but I what I encountered was not something I had expected. The man had become victim of a giant slab of earth on most of his lower half." Koga shuddered as he remembered the blood splattered like a painter's careless flicking of a brush.

He explained how this man had been situated. From his partner's analysis, the shinobi held the trait of the Kaguya, a rarity even in his village. Even for the man's inheritance could not repair the multitude of obliterated bones within his body. While his partner utilized her gifted knowledge in the medical strength style, he braced himself for the worst. It truly was horrific.

"His body, from the torso down, had been smashed. It looked as if his body has been comprised of wood, for all I could see hanging from his upper body were splintered bone, sinews of flesh...it was horrifying." Koga explained that the shinobi's legs were no longer existent, literally having been crushed to oblivion. "I later realized that the blood splattered around the slab was the remnants of the lower half." So he stepped over to the man, and carefully cut off all the dead and broken pieces of his body. It was then that he stuck his hands on the slimy, dying body that Koga began to cry.

The man had been cleaved in half and Koga had never been taught any means to save him, nor had his partner. "My partner told me he didn't have much time, that we'd been too late. I remember the man grabbing my wrist and crying out, fearful he would kill me for failing him. By whatever force he managed to call out my chakra scalpel, and then without being able to fight his massive hand, shoved it into his jugular. I just stood there, covered in blood, tears and caked in dirt, my hand wrapped around the man's neck."

[End Flashback]

"What kind of world do we live in now that we are no longer taught to heal the injured? To kill the dying, the suffering?" Koga grabbed the bridge of his nose, apologizing for his outburst. "I just can't understand, even now, why they taught us such things. As I look back, my lack in the healing arts killed more people than it saved. Perhaps that's what they wanted..." With that said, Koga looked at the woman as if to say, I don't ask for much, but please, remove this guilt I live with.

[Apple]

[OOC: Noo, I love horrors or gory films, haha!]

This man- Although his figure and first words to her had signalled that he was a mindless drunk out to get some, this side that showed now, proved otherwise. Although as with everyone else she didn’t fully trust those who she had just met, it was pleasant to have a conversation with him in a civil manner, even though the conversation itself wasn’t about pleasant things. Such things spoke of now were the harshness that he had faced as a medic, and how blindly his so-called leaders had led him in to that profession. Her own medical background had been different, she had both been taught by older medics in the hospital, and a member of her family had helped teach her a few things. So, she could but imagine the horror that he must go through- Illustrating horror on her face of course she didn’t do, but she did feel for the guy- What he had gone through sounded.. harsh.

With angelic features would the woman look at the hulk of a man in front of her, her eyes both examining his face as he spoke, whilst also she would listen to the words that he would speak, taking them in- She wasn’t quite sure why exactly he was telling her of all people, but perhaps he just needed to get it out of his system? But- She listened to his story, her arms still crossed, as she would look up- Something that she wasn’t all that used to. ”……..” His story had soon finished and she was somewhat annoyed at whomever had taught him such things. ”With no offense meant towards you, but your overseer seems like a fucking berk.” she’d tell him with her tone bearing the venom of a snake- Things like this made her glad that she had been accepted in to the world of medics gently and was taught not in war-like conditions, he, however, seemed to it very different to her, and from the experience that he had just recalled and explained to her, it simply boosted that. She had seen very bad injuries in her time, but not one as bad as the one that he had described- And she hoped, for the sake of the patient, that she wouldn’t find someone in that condition, ever. ”It is not your fault. They had taught you those things, and you didn’t know otherwise.” she would tell him- from his tale it seemed like he had been used as a tool.

”Although your experience of being a medic has sounded like it had been an awful one-
Don’t let it sour you. Bastards do exist and you evidently have been played as a tool by one- However, use what you do know to change things- Even with the weakest of medical techniques you can do some good to people. Forget the rules and regulations they had told you and make your own.

Trust me.
With the situation of the world now, we need all the medics we can.”

”I’m sorry- I just cannot imagine what kind of things you must have seen under that lead.” she’d tell him truthfully, wondering if there had been other cases- She hadn’t been able to partake in the majority of the war itself since she was of complicated health at the time, however once it had passed, she had done her best on the battlefield, but she hadn’t experienced much. Nowadays, she was simply a travelling healer. ”It is a cruel act that you had been taught so and sent on to the field without much aid- However, if you would like..” a pause would occur, as she would begin to word what she was going to say. Being kind had never been one of her talents, although, her slightly more motherly side had reemerged over the past few moments, her eyes having noticeably taken over a slightly more compassionate look- She simply felt a slight tinge of bad for what he had gone through- Teaching him a technique or so in the medical arts could perhaps help boost his confidence as a medic, perhaps? ”..I’d be happy to teach you a few medical techniques that might be of use.” and they were said- She would say them in a slightly awkward manner but she hadn’t meant it to be so- He had probably guessed by now that she wasn’t exactly the warmest of people, and doing such an act took a bit out of her to actually go and do.

She having spoken in her usual blank tone, yet she seemed still a bit pissed off from learning what they had taught him exactly and what they had put him through- She had no patience for such people, and if he was here right now, someone would get castrated. Her blue eyes looking back to his, she would perhaps be seen as humane for but a few minutes, before her hardened guise would form itself atop of her once more. But- she would now await his response to her offer of training, her womanly figure standing near him, arms crossed and blonde hair billowing slightly in the breeze. A demon with the diguise of an angel, even she could be soft at times.

[Apple]

[OOC: Sorry, have to exit since I've got threads going on in Konoha! We'll RP when you're back though, for sure!]

Gazing at the man once more she would feel if but a slight bit of regret as her time within Earth country was now over- With no more things to do other than walk around and a certain calling for her to travel once more, she would look at him, before speaking the words: "I do apologise- I have to leave- Whenever I see you next however, be sure that I will teach you." her words spoken she would then seem to show him a bit of respect, a very small bow given to him from her, before she'd then speed off in to the mountains, off to who knows.

EXIT!

[marvolous.]

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