children of the forest [flashback]

[Kitty]

Don't lose who you are, in the blur of the stars

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[/style][style=color:FFEFD5; text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px #444444; font-family: georgia; margin-bottom: -8px; text-transform: lowercase]seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing

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[FLASHBACK] - [9 YEARS EARLIER]

Daytime. The sun rose from the waves of the tall and towering hills, reaching over all of what mother nature had to offer. Euphoric rays darted through the canopy's of the lush greenery and beneath the leaves which had once hidden the bark below. There she was, curled up within a deep slumber with a look of distress on her face - as if hibernating from her troubles. Plants had been piled up below her thin body, a mattress of natural surroundings keeping her above the sludge and slime of the forests grimy earth; huge leaves overhead, a shield from the erratic weather thrown down from the heavens. The girl had used her resources well and had surely; for the first in a long while, managed to get a good nights sleep, but as the beams of light reached her figure, she awoke.

Arms stretched outwards, her muscles coming back to life and eyes of vivacious violet opening to observe the unfamiliar surroundings of the woodland of Kusa no Kuni. She was unaware of where she was, and had no one else but herself to protect her, but a young Tsuki had not allowed that to stop her from making the best use of whatever defences and skills that she had. After all, it had been a short while since Hoshigakure, widely known as The Village Hidden in the Stars had been blown up and decimated by the enemy forces. Her powers granted her the virtue of seeing the enemy vastly approaching prior, her villagers were warned, but who would listen to a newly turned 13 year old girl? She had fled, observing the flames of war enveloping her home, the unique purple aura of her village had slowly faded away under the influence of the enemy. Hoshi had been lost.

This was just days before she had awoken in the dense forest, her clothing still stank of fumes, ash and flame, but it now fermented the smell of grass and dirt. Her skin - palms and face, were brown with muck, hair was ragged and unkempt, she appeared a small savage of the land. Her robes which usually fell so elegantly behind had been torn and ripped with branches and jagged rock, her blue, puffed, frilly shorts underneath were stained with blood from an unfortunate fall, her shoes were in tatters. The daughter of the Land of Iron and the Land of Stars most wealthy family had fallen so far, of course - it had no longer existed, for all she knew were erased from present day. She got to her feet, looking around, unsure of where she was, today was another day, she had to find a path to safety, but learning it at such an age..could she deem it possible?

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[Banjin]

The young child was but thirteen years old, but he was at a scurry through the lands, legs aching and breath heavy. War had struck, unleashing her very fury upon the earth’s. Within that chaos lied an affirmation carried only by the mighty imposing their will; the desire to change. Be it out of some distorted sense of righteousness or a lingering, incomprehensible complex none other than the assailants knew. What truly mattered were the lives lost, the homes destroyed, and wills crushed, for that stain shall forever remain a reality. To disregard the terror that came was foolish.

Akutou was a fool. With a grim disregard for the massacre that spat upon the world he made his way through Kusa no Kuni, the lush jungles indifferent to this ephemeral period of history. The Shikigami had been underway for almost an entire day, simply walking without true aim. His body had grown weak, but fortunately humans were quite capable when it came to endurance, as evident by his continued push. Sluggishly the foolish child walked, a combination of fear, anger, and frustration registering in his mind. He did not want to face any more dangers. Explosions had rung around him several days ago, and stricken with fear, he simply fled from Bakudon Gai.

The world had become a cesspool. Filth built upon filth as the rapscallions of a new age rolled in their own piss. Comradery had faded into nothingness as one’s own life was of greatest importance, the human selfishness most evident in times of troubles as these. The Shikigami feared for his own safety even after the escape, should bandits be on the loose, the dirt-stained fingers of such scoundrels quick to strike. What would become of this world? A child as young as he knew nothing of that, was at a complete loss, an utter subjugation of the sense of self. Never before had he been so confused.

A flicker of hope? A figure lingered in the distance, a young girl not much older than he. Still the child was wary as with deliberate steps he closed the distance, using the trees for cover as his impartial, narrowed gaze drew in her features. Was this a mere trap, or did Akutou suffer from excessive paranoia? The latter merely served in favor of self-interest. With a grunt he took the greatest risk of all, twenty meters away from the girl, and shouted loudly, voice ringing through the jungles. ”Best be gone from here. The world is raging. Fighting everywhere.”

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[Kitty]

Don't lose who you are, in the blur of the stars

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[/style][style=color:FFEFD5; text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px #444444; font-family: georgia; margin-bottom: -8px; text-transform: lowercase]seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing

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Trees swayed in the brisk winds, leaves dancing with a distinct delicacy. Light had made direct contact with her skin now, the once cold forest had been filled with a heat source, the day was looking pleasant. About 100 metres behind her, lay a trio of bandits who had aided in the destruction of Hoshi, following her into the forest days before. Their bodies lay under a huge a log, a trap she had set up with metal wire as a trip rope and support for the log, with branches of trees as supported weight for the huge instrument to rest on. Indeed, as she cut the wire with a blade the huge wooden structure had decimated their bodies, those more experienced ninja had the embarrassment of being killed by a little girl. None the less, it taught her that enemy ninja were not far behind, even if she was a great distance from home. Her unusual powers were activated moments after she had awoken, a passive skill which had unintentionally carried her to safety so many times before. Her eyes omitted a vivid purple glow, the technique had taken its effect. More enemies could be lurking, daytime was an easy time for the enemy to land surprise attacks, and who knew what lay ahead of her, its not as though the dense forests had clear paths ahead.

Sight of birds, frogs - even the odd the bear came into her vision, their auras shone a bold blue, life around her was very natural and there were no signs of powerful auras or energies waving off in the surroundings, not at first anyway. The young boy had walked closer and closer, and as he got within her 50 metre range she had began to detect his very being, though she could not spot his visuals through the foliage, his chakras were crystal clear. His voice shot out, through the bamboo, the bark, the bushes and the plants of many kinds - " Be gone " he shouted, stating the mere obvious. Tsuki was aware of the dangers that faced her, even as a child, barely even a teenager, she knew violence and danger roamed all around her. Still, she was not very inclined to allow him to get any closer, after her town had blown up, there were few who could be trusted, a high pitched, frail voice spoke out. " Who are you? Don't try and attack me! Because I'll know! " A kunai was drawn to her palms, held with the blades point adjacent to her wrist, the young child was prepared to defend herself, although surely in the most basic of methods.

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[Banjin]

The sweet dance of the leaves and tender caress of the winds was but a damned taunt, a saccharine contrast to the true terrors of the world. Had the souls of men been blessed with such a delicate duty, wives and children would weep no more. But the fate of the soul was sealed when the first weapon was swung, dooming men to a perpetual struggle, one in which Akutou was but a mere victim. Thirteen he was, but already he had grown uncaring, utterly indifferent, as evident by the impassionate gaze laid upon the corpses of the bandits in the distance. Death was a cruel mistress, to any and all, except to the living –of course- and with such a grim acceptance the Shikigami began to go through the world, blessed with his every breath, subsistence itself.

At this point he simply did not give a damn, retorting to the girls kunai with a simple shrug as he dropped onto his buttocks. Akutou simply did not want to go on anymore. To walk without a purpose, what had he hoped to accomplish with that? Did he, even remotely, believe that a guideless journey could lead him to anything of success, of wonder and serenity? Foolish of him. ”I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

[/i] he replied to Tsuki with a loud shout before falling onto his back. The Shikigami had lost his will to continue. Exhaustion, misery, frustration, all of the negative emotions suddenly collapsed, rammed into his senses as Akutou began to understand the reality of the situation. He had nothing anymore.

Unbeknownst to him, a bandit followed him for nearly an hour before he encountered the girl. Behind a tree, twenty meters to Akutou’s right the curmudgeon stood, stepping forth to reveal a grizzled figure. A scar ran along the right cheek, a thick, aged blade wound, the skin around infected. Blond hairs reached past his shoulders, gleaming under the mornings light, surprisingly well kept in comparison to his clothing. A filthy, torn, white tunic covered his upper body, several blood stains on the left sleeve. Short trousers scarcely reached past his knees, carrying so much grime that the white appeared almost brown and green. Snickering, the thug stepped forth, a curved dagger in his hand.

In a burst of shock, Akutou pushed himself up, eyes shifting towards the bandit. Fear drowned his senses. He had learned how to fight, but actually engaged in battle with a seemingly murderous man, how was he to react or even survive? Commonly he just fled when matters grew threatening. Petrified, he stood motionless, a nervous gaze shifting towards Tsuki. Perhaps she was of greater help, should the Shikigami remain numbed by the state of terror.




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[Kitty]

Don't lose who you are, in the blur of the stars

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[/style][style=color:FFEFD5; text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px #444444; font-family: georgia; margin-bottom: -8px; text-transform: lowercase]seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing

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The male before her was apparently around the same age, or perhaps even younger. He spoke out as though tired, exhausted, even. His body collapsed to the earth, gone was the energy to keep moving, so it was apparent he had travelled some distance already, where had he came from? " What are you talking about fool!? Get up off the ground, where did you come fr- " her attention drew to the presence of one other shinobi who sat not too far in the distance, he approached swiftly. " There's someone else near us. A man..I think. " As the bandit came out from hiding, his visuals were quickly seen, blood stained, ragged, and a curved blade in hand, his trusted companion ready to kill. Her eyes grew wide with shock, she had been so safe before this boy had showed up, but now she was in danger again just like before.

She had no idea who this boy was, and did not really care much what happened to him, but she was not prepared to have the only person who could help her fend off this enemy ninja die. A kunai was tossed towards the bandit, in hopes of stopping him in his tracks, though a skillful swish of his torso allowed him to avoid the projectile. The boy seemed helpless, and look to Tsuki for help, but alas, she was no better than he in combat. " OFF THE GROUND, IDIOT. " The girl began to run towards the bandit, another blade gripped firmly in her hand, hair and robes dancing behind, she was prepared for battle.

SPOILER: Click to show

KAGURA SHINGAN (KAGURA MIND'S EYE)
RANK: D, C, B, A, S
TYPE: SUPPLEMENTARY / SENSORY NINJUTSU
RANGE: 0 - 50 METERS
SPECIAL: WHEN FIRST LEARNED, THE SENSOR CAN EXTEND THEIR MIND'S EYE UP TO 10 METERS IN ANY DIRECTION. EACH NEW RANK EXTENDS THE RANGE BY 10 MORE METERS, FOR A MAXIMUM OF 50 METERS. UPON LEARING THE 'S' RANKED VERSION, THE USER WILL NO LONGER HAVE TO CLOSE THEIR EYES NOR FORM HANDSEALS TO ACTIVATE.
DESCRIPTION: KAGURA SHINGAN IS AN ADVANCED SENSORY NINJUTSU TECHNIQUE USED BY ALL SENSORS, AND SERVES AS THE ROOT TO THE ENTIRE SENSORY TREE. AFTER A SERIES OF HANDSEALS, THE SENSOR CLOSES THEIR EYES AND USES THEIR INATE ABILITY TO DETECT CHAKRA IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE LOCATION OF THEIR OPPONENT BY THE FAINTEST OF CHAKRA TRAILS, AS WELL AS DISCERNING THE SIZE OF AN APPROACHING UNSEEN FORCE, AND EVEN THEIR CHAKRA CAPACITY.
DOMAIN: SENSORS

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[Banjin]

Fear is deadly. It inhibits. It constrains. At times it prevents death, but should the Shikigami not act soon, the sweet embrace of life’s end would soon too clench him tightly. Heavily Akutou shook, body trembling in entirety. When a man faces challenges as these, he must act, but his refusal to do so was a sign of his own foolishness, of his own youth; the young are often seen as the forgers of a new generation, but that ideal was asinine, for they are no different than children of the past. Young whippersnappers in a war torn world.

The girl’s shouting brought him into reality once again, that slight flicker of awareness ramming the senses with the truth of the situation. Feebly the Shikigami stood, legs still at a wild dance and hands scarcely functioning as he pulled forth a kunai, trembling hands quickly losing grip as the metal fell to the grounds. Kneeling, Akutou gripped it yet again, fists furiously pressing against the hilt, knuckles whitening. Taking a deep breath the child attempted to regain his focus, to little avail.

Quickly the bandit came rushing in towards the Shikigami, but he did not move despite the curmudgeon moving in quickly. Only ten meters away the thug was, a sneer across his features. What was he to do in a time like this, where action is vital, but where the mind cannot think of a single possibility, a single proper reaction for this situation.

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[Kitty]

Don't lose who you are, in the blur of the stars

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[/style][style=color:FFEFD5; text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px #444444; font-family: georgia; margin-bottom: -8px; text-transform: lowercase]seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing

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Rapidly she approached, arms falling behind and joining the terribly long blonde strands which were forced backwards so powerfully. In close quarters the girl came, her blade clashing with his, every strike she threw was blocked and countered by the foes longer, sharper dagger. The curve of his blade hooked around the point of her knife, pushing it upwards and away, her arm which gripped the dagger had also been pushed upwards, disarming the girl and leaving her almost completely defenseless. As his blade was thrown to her chest her one remaining arm reached out to grab his arm, an attempt to stop his attack which would certainly end her life. The girl called out to the boy once more, for she had really never been in more danger. " H-elp me " It was not often she asked for help, but being naive in a situation like this was stupid even for her.

The bloodlusted man before her grew impatient, his other arm quickly backhanded her across the gob, thick reds oozing from her soft lips. As her body was stunned, a booted foot would raise and force into her stomach, a low pitched groan would be sounded as her pain took immediate effect. Quickly her body had been shot back several meters, sliding across the wet soil, composed of dirt, mud and probably the remains of deceased creatures. The foe gave a sly smirk, he knew what the situation was here, these two children were completely incompetent when it came to advanced battle, the girl appeared as though already defeated, and the boy could do nothing to even put up a fight. It was not looking good.

Though as the thug appeared to turn his attention to the boy, the young girl used strength; which should have been non-existent, to force herself up. A trembling, weak figure stood to her feet - bruised, dirty and wet blood soaking the sides of her mouth. Yet, she stood, she could battle on, if only barely, and certainly the boys help was absolutely essential now, there was really nothing effective she could do by herself

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[Banjin]

The call for help brought the young Shikigami to his senses again, fully, and the adrenaline began to flow, fear pushed back deeply into the mind as he inserted the kunai into the pouch once more and began to weave his hands, the formations of seals initiated. Were he not to act the girl will lose her life, and Akutou rather not have the death of an innocent on his mind, a loss of life caused by personal futility. Men and women were murdered, brutally slaughtered throughout the world and little did he care, but to see such a macabre crime with his own eyes tore that cloud of indifference from the mind, replacing it with hatred, frustration, and most importantly of all, a desire to act.

Upon completing the seal a rather curious event occurred – paper manifested forth from his hands, crumbled together – the manipulation of that parchment was the defining ability of the shikigami. The bandit changed his objective upon nothing the handseals, moving from the girl to charge towards Akutou, a sardonic smile on the lips. The paper aided little for intimidation as it appeared utterly armless. From the Shikigami’s body it flew forth towards the assaulting bandit, who was not ten meters away. It took only moments for the crumbled paper to fly towards the curmudgeon; soon he would meet his end.

Upon having covered the distance, Akutou, with but a mere mental command allowed the imbued properties to function, sending an explosion roaring loudly, tearing in the thugs skin, flesh, and bones. Blood splattered as the fury tore him apart. He was safe, death so distant. But Akutou wanted to remain no more. Spinning quickly on his legs, he ran, simply fled into the deep meadows of the forest.

[Exit]

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SPOILER: Click to show

Crafting Paper Skill; B
Paper Speed; B
Paper Grenade; C

[Kitty]

Don't lose who you are, in the blur of the stars

[/i][/div]

[/style][style=color:FFEFD5; text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px #444444; font-family: georgia; margin-bottom: -8px; text-transform: lowercase]seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing

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The boy seemed to gain confidence just in time, for as it appeared as though a young Tsuki had met her end, he suddenly lashed out into handseals, he had taken to fighting off the enemy. The girl witnessed sheets of; what appeared to be paper, forming in his hands, soon making swift trajectories towards the enemy, who had tuned his attention to the boy. The paper appeared as though harmless, though surely this boy wasn't foolish enough throw attacks with a maximum potential of forcing a few paper cuts? The bandit clearly had this in mind, for he did not move out of harms way, the paper neared him and he did nothing to stop it, that would be his untimely death.

Tsuki looked to the previously useless boy in confusion, not quite sure as to what his intentions were, of course, a great explosion immediately had her eyes fixed on, well, not one specific location, for the bandits remains had gone in all directions. Spluttering blood and gore was a truely gruesome sight, particularly for a girl as young as her. However, it was clear that the violence was over, the enemy was dead and the pair were free to do as they pleased. However, before there was any sort of chance for formalities the boy turned and ran, as though completely freaked out by the whole ordeal. " Wait! What is your name? " it was too late though, he had already covered some distance, and she was far too weak to pursue his travel.

She found herself falling to her knees, there was no need to push herself any longer, she could detect that there was no one within 50 meters of her range, it was over - for the mean time she was safe. Her eyes looked to the sky, the day was still young, and she needed to start moving, for there was only so much time before more bandits and enemy shinobi showed up. Still, she couldn't help but think of the boy she had just encountered, without a doubt he had saved her life, and he would be of some use in protecting her while she rested. It was unfortunate that she no longer had the luxury of a companion, once again she was all by herself, not that it bothered her, but in her condition self-defense would be extraordinarily difficult. " I suppose I should start moving.. " the girl rose once more, slowly she stumbled through the forest, wounded and likely to faint, yet she pushed on, help had to only be a few miles ahead.

[END FLASHBACK]

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[Apple]

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BITCH-HOE: +64
BANJIN: +56[/ul]