A Biting Chill [O]

[Yoichi]

Rising hills like the arching back of a long dragon kissed the belly of the clouds. His skin in blades of dark green, with stones that cobbled the edges of undefined scales. Atop the powerful hides of the mountains sat a single boy, an iridescent glow radiating from the north as the sun was dipping below the horizon. The masked male sat in light meditation, a simple exercise to clear the mind. Often before a difficult task, or even to rid one of stress. At this point it would be impossible to tell. His remote demeanor was like reading a book without words—and it remained as such even as his arms grasped his knees and he rose into stance.

With arms hanging loose at his side, the shinobi tilted his head back, eyes towards the clouds, and brought life into his form with a long rejuvenating breath. "To he who views life without limits, shall your knowledge be endless, and your joys untested." The words held significance, and even with much repetition, he still considered them to hold merit. He had been lucky to stumble upon an old shrine, home to the ancient monks of kumogakure. And in it, he found more than architecture, ambition thrived from the philosophy engraved upon a tablet. Gold exterior—he remembered it clearly—romanian lettering scribed into the metal, later filled with black ink to provide greater contrast. He would have been happy to lay eyes upon it, had he only done that.

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[Yoichi]

The shinobi found himself at the edge of a cobbled path, one that traveled further into the depths of the mountainous terrain. Small lamp posts fell parallel to dirt path, likely it was welcome to travelers in old times, before main roads became available to the public. He pressed on, crunching granite beneath his feet with each step. The world was starting to darken now, though the blue haze that crept over the hills magnified what little light was left available.

Genma stopped, his breath was icy, leaving white clouds forming from his lips. As if triggered by a series of explosions, all the lanterns simultaneously lit, lighting a path that carried far off into the hills. But as he stood now, the shinobi faced another, alternative route. He hesitated not, for he had already decided, much like his life, to take the alternative route. This path was ugly, corroded through time and uncared for. It appeared that none had taken it for many years, for not a breath of "fresh air" beset it. And then he found it's real beauty, a cave in the distance. A light blue glow radiating from it.

Set on a destination, he pursued it eagerly. Eyes hungry for what lay inside, much like a man drowning, struggling for a breath of air. And when he finally got that breath, all felt serene. His heart was pumping, though his body was calm. He stepped forward, fiery eyes followed the cave walls as though in a trance. The shinobi could hear it clearly, the dull hum of the cave, the illuminating crystals that fell from the stone canopy. Was it possible their was more. Only time could tell.

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