the shadow of your heart.

[BLKND]

CHAPTER the shadow of your heart.
POST one
OOC flashback

A crowded sky would continue to stare down at a single, vacant eye that had found a conscious peace in his submissiveness. Tightly sealed lips would hold firm as they would cup the smooth, cool temperature of the rainfall. The narrow hazel ocular would flicker with every rain drop that would crash any where near it, however the view was too compelling to turn away. Olive skin would caress the water that stuck closely to him. His palms would soon follow the pattern of his face. Opening his hands, he would attempt to hold the rain, almost as if asking for the graces of whomever was causing this thick, yet feeble rain fall. Streaming down his cheeks, the rain would give him the appearance of weeping, however it was his unwavering grin that would quickly cancel the possibility of that assumption. This grin had followed him for quite some time, for as long as he could possibly recall, and perhaps a bit earlier. The same came with his loosely bandaged left eye. The thin, tattered white cloth would wrap heavily around the side of his face, and across his forehead, showing a clear visibility of a recent wound. While blood did not stain the cloth, it was clear that the scarring was taking time, and would be best left alone. However, with the constant exposure to the elements, it was beginning to become worn and more tattered. His hair was following suit. Drenched from the lack of protection, it would stick tightly to his face, covering the majority of his face, while the rest would hug his neck tightly. He was a boy of no more than thirteen years of age. Yet as he stood there, he appeared to be a man wallowed in regret and depression; hidden behind the complacent white grin that would cling so delicately to his mouth.

His feet were bare, and dirty. Perhaps he was too poor to afford a proper pair. His skin was rough, and obviously paler than it would be if he was given a proper meal. The bags under his eyes were heavy, and dark, giving him the appearance of the dead. However, all the while, his smile would show just how unhappy he was. A smile to hide all of the horror, and sadness that had crept up on him and taken what little joy he had left. This smile was obviously the last thing he could say he possessed. The loose clothing, obviously given to him in some rare form of charity, would stick to him given their moisture. His shorts revealing his knobby and tattered knees. His clothing appeared to be composed of an abandoned hoodie, perhaps designed for an adolescent woman. His tall, lanky figure out fit perfect within it, and considering it's added warmth, it was no doubt his most valuable possession. The shorts which would rest just above his knees would reveal his incredible long, thin legs as well as the feet which had begun to gather rough, black streaks covering the bottoms and sides of them. The sidewalks were dirty in this town, so it was nice to escape to a place such as this every once in a while. It was his way to 'get away' from it all. His toes would cling tightly to the cold which surrounded the massive stone statue on which he stood. The structure appeared to be a tribal representation of a bird, overlooking the massive white beaches of Kaminari no Kuni, found on the outskirts of the village. This had been his perch for the passed few years.

"Gomen'nasai..." [I'm sorry...] He would utter tightly; drops of water flooding his mouth as he did so.

He would lower his palms slowly, as if completing his simplistic prayer before also lowering his head, allowing the weight of his hair to cover the top of his back, and for the water covering it to run down his back, soothing him ever so slightly. The hood of the jacket had been torn off before being given to him, but it served the majority of its purpose. Beggars couldn't be choosers, at least not yet. He had just joined the academy within the passed year, and he was determined to make his way through it as the most powerful of his class. Having been remarked a 'genius' by his teachers, he had yet to discover the origins of his abilities, not that it really mattered. For now, the only focus on his mind would be the ebb and flow of the waves which would hide behind the crashing haze of this lightweight rainfall.

[¤ Tenkai ¤]

♪ Sometimes it lasts
in love, but sometimes
it hurts instead. ♫

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (♡) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

❥ scratching the surface; Hayline

Joyful laughter and giggling could be heard throughout the streets of Kumogakure, as several obnoxious children began racing down the roads. ”Hey, watch it,” Yelled an older man who was accidently bumped by one of the children while he was browsing a souvenir store. He was shaking his fist in the air angrily, as if he was creating a curse towards their parents for allowing them to “run wild.” It was true though. Children around their age should not be roaming the streets alone, especially in gloomy weather such as this one. The rain would continue to downpour over the village, however, it was not enough to stop these rascals on their daring mission. Unlike most people, they loved to think outside of the box and do whatever mischievous deeds they can do while they still could. It had been a year ago since they had just enrolled into the Academy; so naturally, it was time for them to have a celebration.

Roy, being the alpha male of the pack, was thirteen years old. He was the eldest child in his family, and most importantly he was also of the Hyuuga clan main branch. He wore standard blue shorts, shinobi sandals, and an off-white jacket. There was nothing more that he loved than to show off his skills in front of his peers, giving that he was from quite a royal family that was rare in Kumogakure. Roy’s attitude was very dominant, he enjoys being in charge and dislikes listening to anyone else’s suggestions. Quite frankly, he was a stubborn brat. Maito, a genjutsu user was twelve years old. He wore tan pants with a large gray jacket and typical blue shinobi sandals. He was Roy’s right hand man, and a pretty quiet kid overall. Though he never quite understand why Roy chose him as his best friend, he felt obliged to always look after Roy’s best interest, even if it meant at the expense of someone else. Maito did not have many friends.

Roy, the most popular boy in school decided to make Maito his right hand man, it was pretty obvious how poorly guided these children were. Roy was only using Maito because he knew Maito would never betray him, it was the definition of manipulation at its best. And then there was the brassy blond of the group, Hayline, age twelve. She wore a green dress that split at the legs and continued to draw in the front and back all of the way to her knees. Like Roy, she too wore white bandages wrapped around her legs as a form of “leggings.” She had also wore blue shinobi sandals. Hayline was an outspoken child, much like Roy; however, she was never interest in becoming a leader of any sort, so she often ignored Roy whenever he was going on his usual tirade. Even so, she greatly loved his company simply because of how bold and interesting he made everything seem. On boring days, he would always make them lively by telling his clique to do some sort of “daring” feat. For their anniversary after being enrolled in the academy, he told them all to go running over the aggressive waves at the local beach.

The other children whom normally hang with Roy, his entourage, declined his invitation because they were going to spend quality time with their “family,” or some other absurd excuse. In truth, they were afraid of the high tides so they did not want to go with him. So, for today’s adventure, only two classmates were courageous enough to join Roy on his dangerous stunt, Maito and Hayline. Maito would do whatever Roy would tell him, and Hayline would rather, “do something than spend another boring day at home.” So, the trio sped to the beach looking forward to a rather exciting time to celebrate. Once they had arrived, the immediately began to dash straight for the sea. There was no point in getting undressed to run across the ocean because the rain had kindly gotten the trio soaked. Hayline’s long straight hair was now shortened and curly. She did not care, however, they were out to have fun!

”Haha, Rooooy, I bet you I can go out further than you!” Hayline jeered towards her friend as she leapt onto the surface of the ocean, and immediately propelled a surge of chakra to the soles of her feet. She would stand proudly on top of the sea’s ocean, and begin to run further away from the beach. ”Pfft, you are so on, Hayline!” Being the alpha male, Roy could never back down from a challenge – and he too would race away from the beach. ”Wait for me, you guys!” And in last place, was Maito following right behind Roy. It was pretty dangerous of them to be running outward into deeper water, but they were children, and that’s what they liked to do for fun. Unfortunately, things were about to change abruptly for them.

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[BLKND]

CHAPTER the shadow of your heart.
POST two
OOC flashback

Visible thoughts would course through the mind of the lanky young man. Images of the sunlight traversing his subconscious as he would be forced to remember the first time that he had come across this area. The sun was shining, and the waves were weak. It was an uncanny happening for this country, which was why the memory would continue to permeate behind his eyes. However, it wasn't the sun which was the only thing that kept him remembering that day. It was also the first day that he had entered the academy, and the first day that he had truly interacted with anyone around his age. Sure, there were the occasional run-ins with the common miscreant who had nothing better to do than to mock the homely. Their faces remained blurs, too trivial to be worth remembering. Instead, it was their actions which would be immortalized within Ibara's head. As his head would absorb the rain, it would also project the thought of their attempts to attack him. Throwing insult upon insult at the poor boy, they were relentless in their assault. It was as if they had somehow been instigated against by Ibara's silence. His lack of words, or action almost a mockery to their ability to own the attention of their peers. They were young, and inexperienced when it came to socialization, but so was their victim. He would take their quips. The words to describe his mother were vile, and the words to describe his father were vicious. His pride had been crushed a long time ago, so these words fell short to make him lose his composure, however it was his rich love for battle which would make things a bit different. He had become a savage since the loss of his parents. Abandoning all forms of civility, he had taken to the streets, and the streets had taken itself with him. His rigid hands, and scarred body was proof of such. His length, thin legs would stand tall atop the statue in a testament to his ability to survive. His hair covered his face, and the injuries that had been sustained to his body had healed. He had taught himself how to take care of his body. He had learned that not everything was worth a fight, but many things were. He was no battlemonger, but would never hesitate to fight. It was for that reason that as the tide would bombard the shore, he would only be reminded of his abilities, and his lust to advance them.

Taking a single step forward, the bottom of his feet scathing the cool, unfeeling stone, he would quickly come to realize that he was no longer alone. The screams of children would soon punch through the dull droning of the rain falling to earth. It was a weak sound, but it was clear that their voices were communicating to each other. While they taunted and prodded at each other, Ibara's curiosity would take control of him, almost forcing him to pay more attention. His hands had fallen to his sides, and his single, visible eye would stare vigilantly at three miniature forms making their way across the beach. Headed towards the water, he could tell that they were not the average child, and instead were products of his fellow academy. Being too far to take much notice to their facial features, he could tell that they were around his age, and being capable of running on rough, moving water proved their ability. They were well trained, and considering that they had to been in the academy for such a short period of time, it was evident that they had natural born ability. That was something that appealed to Ibara. His smile, which had faded slightly during his slow march towards the beak of the bird, would quickly return as he would begin to imagine the confrontation between himself and the three before him. As if a gargoyle, his grin would turn to stone; his face unwavering from both the weather and the situation. Either way, they had made the choice to venture into his territory. Perhaps they would recognize him, or perhaps they would consider him a stranger; he didn't really find much point in caring. He was going to approach them, and he was going to see what they were capable of. He had no need for friends, but he did find a need in practice. He was going to approach them with the intention to instigate a scuffle. If they were to fall for his trap was completely up to them. All he could do was cross his fingers and hope that things would turn out the way that he had planned them to be.

Leaping from the beak of the stone bird, he would land roughly against the sopping wet sand below it, near the back of the beach. It would cascade outward, clumping together as it would fly through the air for a short period before crumbling into the rest of the sand pathetically. However, after his landing, he would begin a brisk walk towards their location, their figures having increased in size a decent amount after his jump. With his legs exposed, and his feet bare, they would tear through the sand at a pace which only seemed to assist him. Also, considering the rain, the trek would be given an increased foot speed. It wouldn't appear as though he was running, but instead, if they were capable of catching his move towards them, they wouldn't help but notice that he was on a mission to reach them. His goal was the boy that was closest to him. He appeared to be the weakest of the three, or at least the slowest, and considering their age, the most inexperienced. Ibara would find a brisk excitement in the occurrence that would soon occur, his fist clenching tightly at his sides as he marched. The cold of the rain had faded, and his blood was pumping. He was ready for a new challenge, and new faces. This was the perfect opportunity...