Mirror Moon [KITTY][INV]

[Naitome]

And just like that, he was falling. Out of the sky, towards a spreading of forestland too wide to truly understand, a green stain smeared in every direction and he, a star headed gracelessly towards his own death. The beast he fought had been summoned back into the world of men before he had, and as his body fluctuated between points, Akuharu descended from the land of summons and into the wide open space of...

...a place he did not know.

As he tumbled through the sky, the beast plummeted as well, and though much larger than the Kirigakure Chuunin, its weight was cumbersome and allowed him to fall slower, Akuharu struggling to reach back and retrieve either of his blades. The pressure of the wind from all angles seemed impossible to overcome, and he curled into a fetal position, making note of the ground that seemed to get closer and closer still. The slick chakra infused taint of the summons was still upon him, and he began to spin, his right hand moving forwards through the air, his body now no longer providing the same resistance against gravity and propelling him on. He felt the chakra gather to his palm, as the massive creature roared in his direction, it's voice startlingly intelligent, cold. Calculating.

And now you die, Uchiha for even if the fall would kill me, I'll simply return home. In this world, we cannot perish.

Perhaps not. But I bet this is going to hurt like hell.

Wha--

A sphere of condensed spiraling chakra was conjured in the young man's outstretched palm, and as he rocketed forward, he would wait until he reached the center of the creature's body, aiming for the heart, only a few meters from the ground.

Rasengan!

_{("Spiraling Chakra Sphere")}

The impact was like a small explosion of light, his dense deep red chakra impacting the beast and forcing its body's monentum off course, driven into the ground with enough power that rising air currents would push severely against the falling shinobi's body, cushioning his fall as it disappeared in an enormous puff of smoke, flattening the nearby tree's and forming a small circular crater in the earth. The grass itself was burnt, as he lay on his back, staring up through a canopy of overlapping leaves at the mid-day sun. Though not seriously injured, it had taken alot out of him, and he no longer had the replenishing waters of The Land of Summons to restore his energy. He lay there, breathing heavily, before speaking quietly, almost to himself.

Ouch.

As the forest settled back into silence around him, he barely heard the sounds of another approaching.

[Kitty]

Enter !

She was a shinobi of Kusagakure now, it seemed. The once ruined village had been fully re-established - a prospering country, in possession of bright shinobi and a powerful economy. It seemed almost pointless for her to stay there any longer, her job was to rebuild the minor nations, and it seemed this one had already been rebuilt without her help. Still, there was something compelling about Kusagakure, something mystical; something that made it unique among all the other nations, and perhaps that something, was reason enough for her continue to place her loyalty in the country. Of course that led to the question, what was it, that had compelled her to stay within the borders of the nation?

Her odd mindset meant that she often found the answers to her questions in solitude, and today, that had meant a quiet forest, remote and away from all forms of civilization. Long sleeves and a yellow coat draped behind her pretty frame, plumed by the cold winds that pushed through the air that day. As always, eyes of violet passively scanned their surroundings; even if she was frail, her unique ability meant she could prevent danger or harm from ever coming her way. The energies of all kinds of little beings scattered themselves throughout the forest, rabbits, owls, deer - this forest was totally ca--

" Wh-What the fuck is that? "

Abnormal energies were felt, emanating from the skies above. Certainly, no normal creature possessed such a grand portion of chakra, nothing short of an actual shinobi held that amount of energy in their system. Whatever it was, it was within 100 meters of her. An element of fear lingered at the base of mind, but curiosity always conquers fear - it was only natural that she took off to examine the animal that had so randomly fallen from the skies. As she got within the 50 meter mark, it appeared a human accompanied the beast - not just that, he possessed an unusual chakra composition. His body performed some kind of jutsu so powerful, the raw energy could be seen within the palm of his hand - blood red, and completely breath-taking in every conceivable way.

The beast was blasted with the highly powerful red chakras, tossed into the earth with an almighty crash, before its own chakras were completely eradicated from existence - it had been destroyed. How peculiar it was, to find such a demonstration of great strength in the middle of nowhere - in the sky of all places. Perhaps that something, that had intruged her to stay in Kusagakure, was its unusual; and yet oddly entertaining, element of surprise

[/i].

As she approached the human who now lay with his back flat on the green of Shi no Mori, her firm voice sounded through the shrubbery.

" You have illuminating energies. I could feel them from quite a distance away. What were you doing, falling from the skies, stranger? "

[/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/font][/justify]

[Naitome]

You have illuminating energies. I could feel them from quite a distance away. What were you doing, falling from the skies, stranger?

Huh?

He sat up suddenly, then twisted his face and coughed once, a number of blades of grass being forced out as he heard a voice make its way through the surrounding wilds. He turned his head, and saw a woman, and then...

...he frowned.

How hard did I hit my head? I've never hallucinated about beautiful women giving me compliments before. That's kind of depressing, actually.

He said to himself, his voice low, shaking his head back and forth vigorously in an attempt to reassert his senses. As he turned back in the direction of the hallucination, he saw that it had not disappeared, and then suddenly his senses came roaring back. He could smell her; he saw that she left a shadow in the grass and heard the sound of her clothes blowing in the wind and then with shocking certainty he realized that she was a real person, and had actually spoken to him, and a blush overcame him, and his mouth hung open just a little.

He couldn't think of what to say. It was not love at first sight or anything so contrived, he simply hadn't expected anyone to find him so soon, and so he stared at her for a while without saying anything at all. He cocked his head to one side quizzically while taking in her appearance; it was not a lecherous look, merely one that sought to understand exactly what was happening. He'd been laying there. Then. Someone appeared. A woman. She asked you something. Speak!

Fell.

He said, pointing at the sky, then pointing back to himself.

Ow.

He added, reaching up to hold the back of his head, and struggling slowly to his feet.

I'm Akuharu.

He told her, holding out his hand for her to shake,as his eyes scanned the sky for more signs of the beasts that hunted him. He looked back at her, studying the shape of her face, and smiled uncontrollably, unused to being able to move his mouth freely, then looked down at his feet and frowned, then looked up to speak at her and smiled again against his will, then said in a tense voice

We should go. I mean...you don't have to, but I'd rather that you came with me...I mean...not with me because you don't know me but I mean you could get to know me I guess...I mean, no, I'm just, I'm lost so I don't really know where i'm going, I mean we should probably not stick around this area, cause if more of those things are following me, you're pretty. I mean, you could be pretty. HURT. You could get pretty hurt. Not that you could be pretty, because you're pretty pretty already, not that you need me to tell you that, but I wouldn't want anything to happen to you, not that I would let anything happen to you...I mean, not that you would need me to save you because that's silly, we don't know each other...not that I wouldn't save you though, I mean...I don't know what I mean.

This was his third real conversation with a woman during his adult life.


He did not feel that it was going well.

[Kitty]

With his long black hair trailing behind him, he rose from the soil, coughing up what appeared to be strands of grass. As his features became visible, the boy appeared attractive, though he was probably younger than her by quite a margin. He muttered something under his breathe, but she didn't care much to try and make any of his words out, she was only interested in what his business was here. She had came here to be alone, not to play games with a teenager, so with patience she awaited his response.

" Fell "

And what an undeveloped, pathetic response it was. He hadn't answered her question, and his behavior was unusual - which became the case even more so when he introduced himself so suddenly, without having even been asked his name. She didn't like teenagers, but this one was particularly annoying.

" Sukoshi, Tsuki. "

A hand would elegantly outstretch from the large sleeve that encompassed it, joining with his and partaking in a brief handshake - but in a matter of moments it was over. Her hand pulled away swiftly, and immediately afterwards, it was wiped onto her coat - she wasn't too sure what economic class this boy fitted into, nor if he was even hygienic at all. It was at that point that he started to ramble, he desired her to travel with him, despite having only just met her. His verbal spew included a variety of other things she couldn't care for, he himself couldn't even speak properly. What a socially incompetent stranger.

" Don't be so rash, Akuharu. You've only just met me. . you never know---

A cold aura emanated from her being, her eyes became pronounced by the blue-violet hue of her chakra, and her face was still.

" I could kill you at any moment. "

[/justify]

[Naitome]

Sukoshi, Tsuki

He listened to her name and committed it to memory. Gracefullly, she'd largely ignored most of his rambling speech, though her reply was one that added even more tension to the air

Don't be so rash, Akuharu. You've only just met me. . you never know---

And a change came over her then, as if he'd suddenly walked through a cold mirror, and now spoke to the hollow reflection of gentleness her features seemed to suggest. Her eyes flickered, a hostile blue-violet quake of barely restrained chakra which suggested she meant every word that followed.

I could kill you at any moment.

He too, changed.

Akuharu's pleasant but confused expression seemed to fold in on itself. His smile vanished, the tone of easygoing charm with which he interacted peacefully with others distorted, his voice deepened, almost subconsciously. His eyes, two black voids pitched into the recesses of an unamused intensity seemed to tremble in place, and given how close he'd already been, his six foot three inch frame bent down, so close to her face that his lips might brush her skin if he spoke too quickly.

Could you now?

And his jawline set into a snarl, and he pivoted on his heel and began walking off into the forest before waiting to hear a reply.

Then you can stay here, as you are so powerful. I am sure that when the beast who tore through reality itself to destroy this world returns with his brothers, you will be enough to stop him on your own, Sukoshi Tsuki.

He did not disappear into the forest line as quickly as he could have, as he did not truly wish for her to devoured by whatever things might break through the veil between their worlds, but Akuharu had killed armies for far less than having his life threatened. He'd murdered hundreds on little more than the whim of a man who shared part of his name with the hauntingly distant woman he'd just met. He'd ended wars for The Six Paths of The Moon.

Tsuki...

He repeated under his breath as he walked, not turning back to confirm whether or not she followed. Why am I trying to save this world, these people? What exactly am I trying to preserve?

[Kitty]

Odd. His personality appeared to transform in a matter of moments - more aggressive, more serious, but less whimsical all the same. She was fascinated by his outburst. As he was unleashing his snide sarcasm, she couldn't help but wonder if he was bipolar, she didn't have any bipolar friends - and found the prospect of having one so absolutely thrilling! She spoke her thoughts aloud, gazing deep into his optics as they peered into hers.

" You really are rash, aren't you? "

Her face still as expressionless as before, his aura appeared to be just as intense as her own. This was something that had firmly grasped her interest - the boy was annoying and moody, but there was something within him that just seemed so . . powerful.

He turned on his heel and began to walk away, but not before snapping at her, just as he did before.

" I am sure that when the beast who tore through reality itself to destroy this world returns with his brothers, you will be enough to stop him on your own, Sukoshi Tsuki. "

[/center]

She really had snapped a nerve. It only took a few moments of thought to realize what he was talking about. What he had fought before possessed considerable amounts of chakra, and was rather large. If there were others like it, it would only make sense this is who he was referring to. What she had said before was hypothetical, something to put a bit of sense into the poor boy who took one look at a young lady and assumed she was as nice as her looks suggested. However, he had taken it in a way she hadn't quite expected, and now that he had lashed out at her and explained his situation, it became more clear of the danger they were in.

Deeming it pointless to involve herself in this boys little tantrum, she decided to take a more adult approach to things. As he walked away, she followed - no longer out of interest, but out of worry. Worry of what exactly it was that would launch themselves from the sky, and create chaos in the forests of Kusagakure. She was a guardian of these minor nations, she may not have been be able to rebuild it, but protecting it and shielding it from harm in advance was, definitely doable at the moment.

" Tell me, Akuharu, what exactly are these beasts doing here? And as you didn't quite answer my question from before; which coincidentally, is more important now than it was when I initially asked it - I would appreciate it if you could respond accordingly-- "

She paused.

" What are you, doing here? "

[/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify][/font]

[Naitome]

You really are rash, aren't you?

The voice, and the woman who used it, had followed him. He moved slower now, carefully removing branches and trees from their path...wherever it was they were headed, and as she neared closer, would hold them aside as if done on her behalf. Through brush discolored by dew that sparked as it touched the grass, and soil previously undisturbed by the steps of others, the two would soon seem to be walking side by side. He ignored her observation, and listened as she questioned him about exactly what had happened.

Tell me, Akuharu, what exactly are these beasts doing here? And as you didn't quite answer my question from before; which coincidentally, is more important now than it was when I initially asked it - I would appreciate it if you could respond accordingly--

What are you, doing here?

He sighed heavily, choosing how he would answer with a bit more reserve than was probably necessary. There is something about her... but the thought was quickly extinguished. She was infuriating. That's what it was. The way she casually discarded her haughty condescending arrogance whenever it suited her. The way she demanded answers for the crime of existing in a place he had every right to wander for no reason other than his own amusement. Her lips....her eyes....No. She simply angered him far more than he'd normally have allowed, that was all, of course.

During the first war, shinobi were not seen as 'enough' to end the near constant fighting. They were a quickly dying resource, and once the Bijuu were allowed to fight on behalf of the countries that controlled them, no lone ninja, nor an army of his comrades, was enough to combat their might.

To stem the tide of assault, Summons were contracted rapidly, but without respect for the power they represented. They were seen only as more weapons, and many of the Shinobi who sought them out were dishonest and cruel; they wanted to capitalize on the great beasts power and didn't care what cost it would impose, so long as their methods were effective.

They developed a corrupting seal, one they thought would give them the advantage in combat. Normally, once a Summons has exhausted their chakra, or been defeated in battle, they merely return to their own realm. Their contract in the Land of Men is temporary, not a burden, but a boon. This corrupting seal overrode that safeguard, forced the Summons to remain in the Land of Men, even to the point of their death, as the shinobi who'd contracted them harvested power even from their dying forms to create something new.

They created the Kaijuu.

Like summons, they were beasts of incredible power, but they were not whole. They were monstrous, wild; no contract could hold them and regardless of the corrupting seal's influence they would not die. They absorbed the personalities and power of they're own defeated brethren, consumed them, and turned on their creators almost immediately after being birthed into the world.

He paused, holding out his hand impatiently to assist her over a large tree whose base had been broken in half before them. His eyes scanned the area, and he noticed that this particular outcropping of forest had been recently destroyed; more tree's like the first, leaves burnt or blown against unnatural formations of stone, crystal shards growing over beds of dead flowers and fires that burned without a source. Something terrible had been here. Recently.

The Kaijuu could not return to the true realm of The Summons, as they had been birthed in our world, and instead, they created a new realm for their own kind, a layer of hell pressed into the shadow beneath the surface of Mount Myoboku. I traveled there, and my presence disturbed their leader.

That was him.

He allowed her to move first through a hanging grotto of human-sized grass rising like green blades through fauna and flora that had no names. As she walked ahead, he caught himself staring at her pass, but remained silent for a few seconds more, before

I'm not quite sure where I am now, but if I keep heading towards the setting sun, I should reach a coast soon.

What I was doing there, was searching for my brother.



Why are you here?

[Kitty]

She caught up with him, and as he brushed branches out of his way he appeared to be creating an opening in the foliage for her to traverse through. It wasn't long before they were walking in sync, side by side. Odd, the boy was so temperamental and snide and yet, he had the manners to help her. She began to wonder what kind of upbringing he had had, if his parents were just as capricious as he was, then it would only make sense that his behavior was so utterly unpredictable.

Thankfully, he answered her question this time. His explanation was long but, for someone as up to date on history as her, she was surprised at how little of this information he fed her with she had known prior. Regardless, what he told her was highly interesting, she had never seen or even heard of these demonic beasts, but thinking back, it made sense now as to why their chakras were so tremendous. She had heard tales of great summoning families, but this ' Corruption seal ' was too, something she had never heard of. She knew shinobi had done dark, terrible things during the war but, putting a bind on summons was totally foreign to her. Of course, that led to the question as to what and how this seal had been created, the prospect of this powerful fuiinjutsu perturbed her, but yet the thought of its strength and danger was enticing.

The Kaijuu . . huh.

They paused, a hand out-stretched to aid her in hurdling over the bark of a fallen tree. She gratefully grappled a hold of his palm and made her leap, moving over the obstacle, before elegantly dropping onto the earth again. Her eyes were startled to see the state of the surroundings, though. She didn't need her mystical chakras to witness the scorched blades of grass and the scalded fields of flora, set alite by flame and smothered with ash. Many of the flower-heads were weighed down into their stems, while others heads were nowhere to be seen. The destruction was horrific, but worse than that - the fires had brought back bad memories, memories she tried to keep hidden within herself. They weren't something she often liked to think about. The fires of war were as real as any other, but they had been and gone. These fires however . . they still lingered. She couldn't help but think there was a relation between these Kaijuu, and this destruction. Of course, maybe she was just jumping to conclusions . .

Or was she?

This boy was impressive. Able to face against the leader of these beasts, and send him back to his realm with one, single attack. She had no reason to poke into his business, as to why he had been anywhere near their realm in the first place, but he must have done something worthy of note to upset these creatures, to the point that they would chase him into Kusagakure and launch attacks.

As per before, he helped her through a burdening obstacle. Long grass that she had trudged through, until she was just ahead. Apparently, he was here in search for his brother, which was fine . . as long as he wasn't up to any trouble. Despite her difficulty in knowing where to place her loyalties, she would defend Kusagakure, particularly from shinobi who came from the other nations.

It was at that point, he asked her something she wasn't quite expecting to be asked. She had no intention of talking to this boy for long but, he made her think for a while - what was she doing here? This boy had been quite open with her, he had revealed his intentions and that he meant no harm. He had been polite enough to help her through this forest. She decided it was only fair he understood her, a bit more. Her eyes looked to her feet, the chakra in her eyes faded and her expression was more pronounced than before, she was almost . . saddened. Almost. Her voice was slow paced, and spoke out with a certain sense of eeriness to it.

" I'm a child of war. ."

[/color][/center]


Her thoughts traced back to her days as a young girl. Her village left in ruin. Smoke and soot filling her lungs, chakras around her dropping like flies, and disappearing soon after. People were dying everywhere. Cries and panting sounded all around her, small children - begging for their lives. Mass genocide, Hoshigakure was gone.

It was her eyes that had saved her. A young girl, running out from the fumes, eyes that glowed a foggy violet hue, detectable even through the black haze. There were no survivors, except her. Yet, sometimes . . she almost wished that she could have screamed with her village. Sometimes, she wished her chakra too, had been eradicated. Sometimes, she wished her eyes hadn't saved her.


" I can still hear them. All of them. Screaming and pleading for their insignificant lives. In solitude I can think more clearly, I don't have their voices, lingering and echoing at the base of my skull. "[/size]


But where did she go from here? She had no reason to follow this boy anymore. She had came out here to clear her thoughts, but she had been quickly reminded of what she had precisely wished to forget. The trip had been wasted, it seemed.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify][/font]

[Naitome]

I'm a child of war...

She seemed to...soften, somehow. Some small bit of aggression leaked away and her tone took on a more practical and detached somber quality that...bothered him, though he didn't really know why. Her head lowered just a bit, and he could only imagine what flickering images of death might flow through her thoughts, as she answered him, distant still, but closer just the same.

I can still hear them. All of them. Screaming and pleading for their insignificant lives. In solitude I can think more clearly, I don't have their voices, lingering and echoing at the base of my skull.

He felt terrible, suddenly. It was his presence, his careless questions that brought about this change. Had he not bothered her, she would not have recalled whatever memories had etched such a callous nature onto her heart, the coldness he'd experienced was his fault. Ashamed, he turned to her, and placed her hand in his briefly, not a romantic gesture, but one genuinely apologetic for seeing now that he'd caused another person pain.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean...I've disturbed you greatly, and now I've kept you in my company long enough to remember something painful. That was not my intention. If solitude will help you to feel better, I'll take my leave.

He went to release her hand, an absent-minded movement of his finger brushing over hers as their arms would drop, and then his face contorted into rage and he moved forwards in a blur that crashed his body into hers, hard, sending them both sprawling five meters away, into the grass. Not even a second afterwards, an enormous spiked hand, wider even than the tree's that surrounded them, moved razor sharp claws through the space they'd just been standing, and the sound of laughter filled the area like poison in a vial.

Tricksy tricksy little demon-eyed-boy, I came to plaayyyyy......kukukukuku....and who is this?! I haven't eaten lady meat in sooooooo long...you brought me a snack...yum!

A beast stepped into view, impossible to describe, flesh overlapping like armor and seething with wrongness, its chakra aura a visible font flaring garishly and throwing the forest into hazardous sick light.

Akuharu lay on top of Tsuki, his hands in the dirt beneath her, his body pressed against her own, looking into her eyes. As he spoke, they would change, a flickering of chakra called up to twirl the endless black into blood red, a single tomoe dotting the surface.

When I get up, Run. I'll lead it away from here. It's only really after me.

A step from the 10 meter tall beast would shake the ground, and at the sound of it impacting with the forest floor, Akuharu was already in motion. His hand retrieved Nameless from the bit of chain at his back, and as his feet hit the ground, he would launch himself towards it, his focus now turned completely towards his ene---

Let her get away.

The thought was intrusive. Odd. His eyes surveyed the scene around him as he slashed out.

Abomination.

Akuharu sneered through grit teeth.

Lost little boy....a shadow of a dream....i wonder...

...will your cooked skin be as crispy as the other demon-eyed child we found?

The beast replied, laughing still.

If Tsuki had paid attention to the young Uchiha rise, she would no doubt notice the four large claw marks which had raked his back, drawing blood, as he'd covered her body with his own. The torn cloth of his lightweight attire, the black taint glowing over the edges of the wounds, spreading...

[Kitty]

And just like that, his tone changed. She could hear him approaching, and soon thereafter a hand would grab her own, though it felt more like his palm had merely brushed against hers, rather than a grab - he was gentle, and with the words that followed his action, it appeared he was being rather apologetic too. A polite, gentle, kind young boy, perhaps she was wrong about him - maybe he wasn't as violent as she had thought.

She snapped out of her trance, her flashbacks came to an end, and quickly she came to her senses.

" Tch. Who am I kidding. You're just a silly little boy, I shouldn't have to be so personal with someone I don't ev--KYAH!! "

She found herself being flung onto the ground with great force, her slim body sled through the long grass, dirt staining her expensive clothing, and . Ahukaru lay on top of her, he was far too close for comfort.

" . . .What is the meaning of this Akuharu!? "

His eyes stared deep into hers, and almost suddenly, they turned a deep red, like that of his chakras. His pupils were surrounded by intriguing little patterns - power practically emanated from his optics; and then he turned, and began to rise to his feet. She heard a voice speak out, it was loud and, even rather sinister sounding - everything was happening so fast, she didn't quite know what was going on. It was then that she saw it. It occured to her straight away that what was in front of her was what Akaharu had been talking about. One of the Kaijuu, right before her very own eyes.

The boy launched himself towards the beast in an attempt to attack, but once again, the beast lashed out, but its attack wasn't meant for him, it was apparently aimed at . .

" GUH "

Her arms shielded herself, as she was fully unprepared to try and dodge such a huge attack. The sound of a sort of harsh, tearing sort of noise was heard, her vision suddenly darkening as the figure of someone stood before her. Her eyes opened, and her arms were lowered, the boy had stopped the attack from harming her but, it appeared he had taken visible injury as a result, four slashes had been imprinted in his back, and he was bleeding quite heavily. As it was, he had done more than enough, he needn't push himself so hard against this beast - he wasn't alone. She rose to her feet, brushing the earth off of her sun-yellow coat. Her eyes regained their form, a violet hue beaming off of them just as before.

" It is my responsibility to fight this creature. This is my fault for ending my Kagura technique. Had I not of been so careless, we could have better prepared ourselves. "

The beasts energies were just as huge as they were before, of course she didn't feel remotely threatened, the girl was practically fearless. She scanned the area, recognizing the level of damage that had been dealt with just a few swipes of his huge claws - it was evident that they needed to be careful against the beast. Despite being very large, it appeared quite swift with his blows, one wrong move in this fight and she could easily end up losing her life. Of course, she wasn't sure what she could do in this situation, her techniques weren't really catered for team battles.

" The only way I could inflict damage is if you run far away, quickly. My jutsu will harm you as well as the beast. Unless you have something else in mind? "

[Naitome]

It is my responsibility to fight this creature. This is my fault for ending my Kagura technique. Had I not of been so careless, we could have better prepared ourselves.

Akuharu barely heard her, Nameless dragging a path through the creatures flesh that healed over the wounds near instantly after, ducking beneath lurching physical assaults that would most likely kill him if they'd connected. His movements were erratic, but forceful, the fighting style of The Six Paths of The Moon, as his eyes allowed him to predict the creatures baser movements, and cut away at tendons and arteries, rendering its massive limbs inert long enough to counter, fist and blade moving as one.

The only way I could inflict damage is if you run far away, quickly. My jutsu will harm you as well as the beast. Unless you have something else in mind?

The beast thrust a clawed hand towards his gut, split Akuharu in half, his pupils taking on a second tomoe dragged from the blackness itself, his blood spilling, then reversing direction, dragged back into his body, the claw removing itself as the prediction became knowledge, and the beast truly moved in real time. Akuharu shifted his body to the left, crouching, a fast curve of his Nodachi slicing clean through one of the beasts legs, setting it off balance, and before it could heal back, Akuharu drove his palm into its center, pushing it away, and rising to slash it in half a second after. Each rolling clump of mass was thrown back a few meters, as Akuharu backed up to where Tsuki stood in a fluttering of steps it would be difficult for anyone to trace.

He looked at her incredulously, registered what she'd said, and replied, as he stared at the entirety of her body, watching the chakra flow present within.

No. I can see you have....Suiton...and Katon chakra...and....something else, some advanced transformation I've never seen before, but that won't be enough. Even cutting it in half is only temporary, it will just heal back, and no elemental chakra is enough to stop it. Only raw chakra can send it back.

It's name is Hogroth, it's their advanced guard. If they sent him, more won't bother coming. I can see your chakra, you won't be able to kill it.

I thought I told you to run. He thought angrily, but he did not see fear in her eyes, and it was strangely comforting that she was willing to take responsibility for the beasts presence. As each half of the beast, 30 meters from their current position, crawled towards its severed half and a sick crunch of bone and wet flesh melded slowly back together, Akuharu looked into Tsuki's eyes, then growled with pain, falling to one knee.

You'll have to...engage it directly, alone, but only for a while. Find some way to get it to come within 10 meters of my body, but buy me enough time to gather the necessary chakra to kill it. I can't really move while I do this, or I'd be able to help. Once it's within 10 meters of me, you can't be, or you'll die once the technique is complete.

It felt like his chakra network was on fire, the black liquid seeping from his wounds dripped onto the ground, pooling with his blood, and forcing another growl of pain from his lips.

Don't let the claws touch you. They're poisoned. They make it impossible for a normal shinobi to use chakra at all. It's almost healed. Hold it off for as long as you can, then bring it towards me. Go. Now.

He stood, shakily, the pain almost unbearable, then steeled his resolve and clapped his hands together, tuning out the rest of the world. The chakra within his body burned, but gathered anyway, flooding throughout his skin.

It would take a few precious moments for him to gather the energy he needed. Hopefully, Tsuki could contend with the beast for that time.

[Kitty]

Shockingly, he fought through his wounds. Skillfully evading and countering the creatures blows as they came. Bit by bit, he appeared to tear through the creatures body with swishes of his blade. He was certainly skilled in taijutsu, with his movement prediction and timing of his attacks unparalleled by anyone she'd ever fought before. In all her years of fighting thugs and rogue ninja, she'd never seen someone who fought with such finesse. It was nothing short of incredible.

Of course, even a boy as talented as him could not evade forever, with yet another well aimed slash of the beasts claws Akuharu found himself sustaining yet more damage. Although she had looked past his injuries before, the same could not be done this time, the boy definitely could not keep fighting as he had done, and his condition even worried her slightly. Although he was able to continue to land a few more blows, he retreated back to her position - evidently he was in pain.

Looking into her body with something that must have been similar to her own, Kagura Shingan, he recognised her Suiton and Katon chakras almost immediately, deducing that elemental chakras wouldn't work, it seemed that in this rare instance, even her kekkei touta would be of little use in slaying the beast.

So then . . he has eyes like mine.

Unfortunately, no jutsu in her arsenal were comprised of raw chakra, although she was hesitant to rely on the boy, it appeared she had no choice in the matter. At the very least, she was happy to know this beast would be the only one they would have to face, for undoubtedly if they were to be pitted against another, hope would be lost. His final advice to her : A warning of the poison that soaked the creatures claws - suddenly, the creatures strikes became even more lethal than she had initially presumed.

" My my . .how dangerous. "

No matter, she knew it was her duty to step up and do something, even if all she could do here was lure the creature within his range, it was the most effective method . . no, it was the only method. Her efforts were absolutely crucial here, and knowing that, she felt a sudden sense of self-superiority - more so than usual. Her small figure made its way forwards, facing the humongous creature as its various tissues and fluids melded back together - its chakras were becoming whole once more. It was time to strike.

Swiftly, her body sped onward, nearing the beast who had almost fully reformed by this stage. Her hands began to form seals in preparation for what was to come, and as she began to run around the beast, it appeared as though he had returned to reality once more. Seeing that the girl had confronted him so violently, he naturally launched his attack as he did before. A huge clawed palm attempting to both slash and crush her under its weight, and while she was by no means skilled enough to evade, parrying his blow was by all means acheivable.

" Don't think I can't match your strength, demon. "

As her palm clenched into a fist, her arm was tossed towards the beast - with a much larger arm being created, as if out of nowhere. A huge fist of what appeared to be steam clashed with the beasts hand, scalding him and forcing his hand backwards. His palm was, if only very temporarily, out of order. More importantly, his balance had been upset, with his arm being thrown in the opposite direction, the rest of his body struggled not to follow it.

As the beast was briefly stunned by her brutal attack, she used the opening created to her advantage. A single jump would carry her into the air, and with more handseals being flashed, her arm was once again enveloped by her Mushi Yashi. A follow-up strike would be thrown towards the creatures jaw just as soon as he had recovered from the set-back of her first blow, although the creature had been quick enough to block the fist with his remaining arm, it wasn't enough to stop him from being thrown into Akuharu's direction.

The beast slid backwards along the ground, his back, naturally, facing Akuharu's front. The girl's punch was both large enough and physically strong enough to cast the creature 5 meters backwards, putting him within 10 meters of the boy, while Tsuki was just barely outside of his range. As she gracefully plopped back onto the ground, her body retreated backwards, ensuring that it stayed well out of the boys way.

" Now is your chance, Akuharu! "

[/justify][/font]

[Naitome]

He could not focus on her fight with the creature; though worried, he had no choice but to hope she could deliver the beast close enough for the technique to work. His eyes stared blankly ahead, the tomoe shifting against his will and tracking her process as what appeared to be...steam flowed from her calling and flared with chakra rivaling any suiton technique he'd ever seen before. This must be the strange nature I had trouble reading...some combination of fire and water. But he could not afford for his thoughts to betray him. Spiraling away from the chakra core of his heart, physical and spiritual energy collided; his tenketsu burst open....he could smell the stench of the kaijuu nearing closer.

It had been knocked off course and rocketed backwards, entering within ten meters of the Kirigakure Chuunin as pain, visceral and real and pouring through every inch of his being radiated off of his wounds and throughout his upper body but he persisted. Holding up a single hand, he held the technique in reserve, until the creature turned its massive head, its jaws widening to form into a grin...

Now is your chance, Akuharu!

There you ar---

Naitome,

^{("Nightmare")}

And there was light.

Crimson red flame, visible to anything with eyes, able to be felt as ripples of force screaming their way into the world, an explosion of energy raging outwards in every direction, with Akuharu's body as the focal point. It looked as if he'd detonated completely, and as the flame roared into the creatures body, a wave impacting it in it's entirety, there was a sick-making howl of agony birthed where before there had stood a monster. As the Kaijuu was struck, each layer of its skin was flayed away, disintegrating into a cloud of ash that scattered in every direction and burned through its flesh with harsh light that trembled the forest itself. The very ground shook as if caught in the grip of a god. Where before there was corrupted and off-color flesh seizing up over hardened muscle and bone, there was now only exposed red meat, vibrating with an aftershock that fed off of Akuharu's wild chakra and ignited over and over again. With a single, terror-filled cry, the beast disappeared into a cloud of black smoke, its voice echoing through tree and sky.

The surrounding natural expanse was untouched. Pristine. Each tree and flower and blade of grass was gracefully unharmed...but Hogroth was no more. There was not even the faintest trail of it's foul aroma leaving the earth.

As the chakra died out around him, its purpose served, Akuharu looked in Tsuki's direction and smiled. She's alright. He took a step forward and

the world BROKE--

His Sharingan flared back into the solid black of his natural eyes, and he grunted in too much pain to properly scream. His breath caught in his throat and the black poison dripping from his torn flesh sparked with what looked like gray lightning, jolting throughout his entire body and forcing him to collapse straight forward, impacting the ground with a solid thud. A splattering of blood, deep red but tinted with far darker shades flushed itself away from his skin, and the wounds seemed to dig themselves deeper into his skin under some unknown influence. He opened his mouth to howl...but no sound came out and the odd bio-electric feedback of the chakra poison caused him to writhe as if tortured. He raised a single hand...his vision blurred...still somehow searching for the infuriating woman he'd just met...

...and then his body fell absolutely still.

The remainder of the black poison seemed to collect into a single point, before branching out, forming what appeared to be a small insectile creature which moved mandibles made of...something horrifying...before a scattering of pincered footsteps carried it into the forest.

Akuharu was still breathing, but barely.

[Kitty]

Just as before, she found herself throwing both arms before her face, her eyes squinting and her long flow of hair and the tail of her coat being forced back by the sheer destructive force of the boys jutsu. The creatures skin found itself peeling off layer by layer - and it writhed and flailed its limbs out of the sheer pain it must have been in. Its body was totally engulfed in harsh red flames, burning and crisping the creature into ash.

" What a terrifying jutsu- "

As Akuharu's chakras began to fade, so did the creatures. Its body was damaged beyond repair, and now not even its regeneration could save it from assured destruction. With one single puff of coal-black smoke, it was all over, it had been defeated. The area was practically untouched, flowers and trees still perfectly in tact, everything had remained as it was, all but the monstrosity, who had left several marks in the earth where he had once raked his great claws.

As her eyes took to Akuharu, it seemed he was smiling - though she was unsure why, given that he had taken a catastrophic amount of injury from fighting Hograth. She couldn't help but frown, he had pushed himself more than was required against the beast, and now he suffered the consequences. His body falling forward and plummeting into the soil. His limbs stiffened up, and on closer inspection of his chakras, his entire flow of energy appeared to slow down. It was at that point she remembered - the poison.

" !!! "

Her legs quickly took her to his position, she knelt down, rolling the boy onto his side as to ensure he could breathe properly. It was too late to try and drain the poison from the wounds, and certainly the wounds were too big for her to get all the poison out . . but she could at least try to. His shirt was removed, as a closer look at his wounds was required. With a few handseals, a jet of water escaped her mouth, pooling into her cupped hands. She tipped her fingers, gently allowing the liquid to soak his skin, rinsing some of the black, thick liquid out from around his wounds.

With the poison having been washed out, and the wounds having been cleaned, there was nothing more she could do but attempt to bandage him up. Although hesitant at first, she realized she had no choice but to use her very own coat as bandage, and so she angrily began to tear up the material from her sleeves, leaving her arms bare. The long tail had been torn vertically in long strands, and wrapped around his torso twice over, tied in a knot, supported by the material that came from her sleeves. Her coat was in ribbons by the end of his treatment, with almost nothing left of it, the vast majority of the clothing was found around his body, preventing blood loss and infection.

" 1000 ryō . . wasted "

She swung the boy over her shoulder, somehow managing to drag his weight at least half a mile onwards. She reached a large, open field, presumably belonging to a farmer or some kind of landowner, although the trees of Shi no Mori were very much still in sight, this large opening in the foliage had lfew trees within it. Exhausted, she dropped him on a nearby hay bale which, was found amongst many other hay bales, they would serve as decent beds for the night. Indeed, after risking his life to save her, she had no choice but to ensure he was healthy and safe by morning.

Akuharu lay unconscious to her side, resting. As darkness approached them rapidly, a light source was going to be required. Luckily, this hay would serve that purpose for the time being. She gathered bundles of it, and by utilizing the unique properties of her katon chakra, the grassy-like material would; after some concentration, begin to catch alite. Although wood would have been a lot more satisfactory than hay, she couldn't afford to leave the boy by himself.

A long night lay ahead of her - as a skilled sensor, she would be forced to stay awake, and be constantly on the lookout for danger. The light created from their fire could easily attract attention, and she couldn't risk being caught off-guard.

What a troublesome boy . .

Blackness filled the sky, and after everything that happened, she struggled to keep herself awake. Her eyelids drooped, the flare in her eyes faded,

she dozed off.

[/justify]

[Naitome]

As they slept, bodies curling about each other and seeking warmth ;D in the ignorance of fatigue, something troublesome flared within the young man's chakra. His dreams were not satisfied to remain within his own mind; they branched out, connecting with the only other living mind in their vicinity, and the nightmare images of Akuharu's thoughts were transferred and shared with Tsuki. They dreamed as one, their heartbeats perfectly in sync, each patient rhythm causing them to subconsciously pull the other closer...

Akuharu is a very small boy, barely 10, and his Sharingan is a new curiosity among those who share the great amalgamate ship of The Six Paths of The Moon. There are none aboard who are anywhere close to his age, and as they catch the larger waves leading towards new land, he is watched with contempt and jealousy while their captain looks upon the child with praise. Akuharu has been given several knives, and rotating on a spinning target plastered to the bottom half of the mast, are the severed hands and removed eyes of slaves who did not survive the ships earlier journeys. The young Uchiha has been given a collection of small hunting knives, and as the target spins into a blur, several of the others have tried throwing their own blades across the 30 meter distance separating them from it, but failed miserably. The Six Paths of The Moon has explained that this is a game. If Akuharu can successfully strike an eye or a hand with his own blades, he will be allowed to eat two meals next week, instead of one.

Though the others have all failed miserably, The Six Paths of The Moon has also wagered that only Akuharu can make the targets without error. If Akuharu succeeds, the others will go without eating, and the small boy shudders at the thought of how severely he will be hurt if that happens.

There is a War going on in the mainlands, Akuharu. The captain has told him several times, You are lucky to be here with your crew. Men cause war, men perpetrate them and feed them, you are only a boy, but that cannot last forever. You are very lucky indeed.

Akuharu does not feel lucky. He is tired and hungry, hurt from a blossoming of a hundred scars in places too varied to seem anything other than a single massive wound.

His eyes bloom into blood red, and the tiny black comma spinning within twirls even faster than the target, as he see's its motions slowed down, until he doubts it is still moving at all. He raises his tiny hand, carrying a blade between the knuckles of each finger, and releases them, staring at his Captain and speaking before the blades even reach the target.

Can I eat one of my meals now? SHINK - SHINK - SHINK The blades enter the exact center of three rot covered eyes plastered to the target, driven through so deep that its stopped spinning altogether, and the jerky halted momentum throws the hands tacked lazily to its middle to fall off, landing in a neat pile at the base of the mast. As the detached hands hit the ground, each seems to be pointed at a different crew mate; specifically those who accepted the wager of their own meals.

The Six Paths of The Moon laughs. I think he's ready boys! Little Akuharu has proven that he is no longer just a boy! Did you see? These were the hands and eyes of his former friends, those two little runts he used to run around and chatter with, but no more! I thought he'd refuse to kill them when we gave the order, but he proved his loyalty and has gone even further, mutilating their corpses...he has the instinct of only the most ruthless conqueror! You are a man, Akuharu, of course you can eat now! You'll need your strength!

We're heading to your first War! And Akuharu nods, and takes a scrap of bread from the captain's outstretched hands, and returns to the dark cramped chamber beneath the bow of the ship where he sleeps among rats and bad memories, and he thinks of the friends he has lost, now for the second time, and his chakra flares up like fire without shedding a single tear.



He woke. Felt strength return and the awkward sensation of arms wrapped around his body, his mid-section pressed into Tsuki's body, tightly, her breath slowly sounding against his chest as she slept and his own memory of the dream faded. He untangled their legs, careful not to wake her, and stood looking around them for some sign of what happened.

Their clothes had been torn to shreds, and as he stared at his own bandaged body, he realized that Tsuki had used her own flowing yellow robe to prevent him from bleeding into the night. They were expensive looking, and he felt responsible, though also slightly surprised that a woman of her seeming stature would bother to try helping him at all. The large torn cloak he'd worn the day before was folded, and he used it cover the parts of her body that had been exposed from creating his makeshift bandages, as he started a small fire, and waited for her to wake up.

He would have to pay for new garments, and food, when she came to. That was all. Then he'd no longer have to stay with her, and remind her of the tragedies of her past. Shopping and breakfast. Then departure.

He looked back at her again, then stared into the flame.