A Remedy, In Retrospect.

[Estilo]

Theme: “Magic Arrow” Performed by Timber Timbre.

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Prologue

Setting:

On a late spring day, three years prior to the calamity we now know as the 'Great Disaster', a Jonin from Kumogakure no Sato is sent to a foreign village to negotiate diplomatic relations. This village is known as Konohagakure no Sato, and its boardwalks brim with bright flora and neatly paved streets, as the community revels off the bounty of a victory against rival villages. But their festivities won't last long, and the Jonin knows this. With the threat of devastating war-- that of which the world has never seen-- looming over their heads, no one is safe. But will he prove to be anything else in Konohagakure no Sato, than just the 'bearer of bad news'?

Atlas: Age 21. "Mask-less".
Annotations: Invite only.

As surprised as he was to even think it, the warm weather in Hi no Kuni was a nice change of pace. Kumogakure no Sato was still dealing with a cold snap that had followed them through the winter and, though the red-maned man often preferred cold weather, the constant raining and hail storms had grown rather tedious throughout the months that had passed. Hi no Kuni-- specifically, Konohagakure no Sato-- was a bright and welcomed change of scenery. Unfortunately, that was the only good factor of his visit.

He'd come here as an envoy, alone. Though he did not doubt his abilities in combat or negotiation in the least bit, he knew that breaking the news to the elders and Hokage of the village was not going to be easy. They were not going to take it well. And he could only hope that they didn't mark him as a target during his stay. Despite the danger, however, he made a point of it to remain calm and focus on the task at hand. There was no room for error.

Apparently, his meeting with the officials of Konohagakure no Sato was postponed due to a festival. A festival! During times such as these! The red-maned agent knew they had won a couple of pivotal battles... but to have a festival! The hubris of it all astonished the twenty-one year old gentleman. Back in Kumogakure no Sato, no one dreamed of having a festival. No one old enough to orchestrate one, at least. It was all about the war. Preparation.

So, with nothing else to do today-- except take a gander at that ludicrous festival of theirs later-- the Jonin decided to go sight-seeing. It wouldn't take long for him to get lost within one of its many neighborhoods, strolling down concrete-paved streets and eyeing the elaborate houses that he passed. Intermittently, he'd pass small parks and fenced-off training areas. And as he did, he wondered whether anyone was actively training within them.

Or would they be at that silly festival, too? Hft.

[Yoshi]

Festivals - the bane of the pale and secluded orphan's existence. The occasions for them were always random. Yet, they all had one singular feel to them, despair. This despair was currently forcing his escape from the leaf village and towards the central training center.

This was routine, a secret tradition that he would train his body to its limits. His need for strength was fueled by his pain inside which seemed to never fade from his body and mind. The void deep within his chest that would throb with a fierce want to just "belong"." Guh. . . Uhhh If. . "sniff" If only I was . . "sniff" a ninja then they would "sniff" stop making fun of me. " His hands, ran over eyes filled to the brim with tears.

His hands, were set at his sides with the sleeves moist with most of his sadness. They ( His hands ) were only at rest for a few moments before being brought to his hip. There was a pack he carried over his shoulder with old relics from the elder brother he lost. His mind raced with old memories on how he should use the small tools within his feeble finger tips. These were throwing ninja stars properly named shuriken in what seemed there evil tenure in weapon creation.

He positioned, his small child boy into a stance imitating his brother's performance when tossing shuriken. Trying his best to move just as fast he flung them with all his might. Sending most if not all of them not even close to the target. The scene was nothing but skuriken all over the area with not a single one even in range of the target on the totem. "N-No. . . n-not again! . . . ."

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[Estilo]

Prologue, A Remedy In Retrospect [3]

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The tranquil ambiance of Konohagakure no Sato was broken by one of the only sounds that could matter enough to catch the foreign agent's attention. A child, crying-- but why? From what he had witnessed since his arrival, the residents of this leaf-covered village seemed to be the epitome of happiness and joy. After all, their military reveled in their temporary victory over their rivals. And they seemed to want everyone to share in the cheer-- hence, the festival. But, in all the jamboree, was it possible for someone to be sad?

The Jonin didn't hesitate to discover the truth behind such a question. Despite the battle-scars and war-grown grit, he was soft at heart after all. And simply passing by a child as they cried was not in his nature. So he trailed the sound, silently making his way onto a dirt path that branched off from the stone-paved streets. He'd stop, and peek his head around a corner, when he reached a fenced-off training area. The training ground was twenty by twenty meters in size, blanketed with a grassy tapestry, and bordered by an amalgamation of thin trees, blooming flowers, and lush green bushes.

But what quirked the red-maned man's eyebrow was the sight of a young boy-- practically sobbing as he attempted to strike a straw dummy with a set of shuriken. So far, however, he was having no such luck. He frowned slightly at the sight, imagining his son for a brief moment, but most of all-- wondering what had the young child from Konohagakure no Sato so glum.

So he casually approached the boy, gloved hands in the recesses of his pockets, stopping when he came within three meters of distance. "Hey, kiddo... what's the matter?" He'd ask, a sincere concern for the child brimming in his green eyes. He'd glance over once more at the wild mess of shuriken before them both, and the straw dummy that he was almost certain the child wanted to burn now. "Looks like you're not having a lot of luck with those shuriken... I can give you some pointers, if you'd like."

[Yoshi]

The seemingly empty space would enhance the stifled sobs of the young boy. Today would no doubt end in failure, a type of failure he knew all to well. Aota, rose to a standing position, his legs had originally buckled under him after missing his shot. His heart nearly skipped a beat when a voice dispersed the silence. The man seemed to speak in a tone soft enough to catch his ear, and it caused Aota's gaze to go towards this mysterious person.

" what!? why would you help me? No, you're just making fun of me!"

His question was legitimate, since no one has ever shown him a sort of compassion, and someone coming to him directly out of the blue to help, has easily earned his skepticism.

" I don't expect anything from you...okay. "

It was surprising to say the least for Aota. His amount of tolerance for people was particularly low at the moment, but the softness inside this " red " man's eyes, seemed to be enough for him.

" I ... I won't have you make fun of me."

This immediate toughness from his original signs of weakness were shown because of his bullying. If he didn't unconsciously try to act strong, chimamire would have crumbled from bullies already. Yet, even so tears still continued to fall from his eyes. It was painful no matter what facade he pulled up.

[Estilo]

Prologue, A Remedy In Retrospect [5]

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The child's response slightly disheartened the foreigner, and he offered a two-inch frown, gazing upon the boy with saddened eyes. He dropped down to a crouch, reaching eye-level with the young man, before speaking once more. "Of course not." He'd sincerely reply, in response to the accusation of taunting. In between the child's sobbing, he tried to make himself heard, but made a point of it to keep his tone calm and soft.

So... he's being bullied, huh? The Jonin reasoned, staring into the boy's sickly yellow eyes, and the state in which his frail body was in. He didn't like it-- not at all. But he already had a pretty good idea of what the children of Konohagakure no Sato probably taunted him for. Disregarding this for the moment, in lieu of dealing with the situation at hand, the red-maned agent would continue. "What's your name? Mine's Atlas. Atlas Burabiya. I'm a Jonin from the Hidden Cloud." He'd smile lightly.

[Yoshi]

The strange man gave little comfort to the young child as he said his name. A shinobi from the hidden cloud village, here at this type of moment was suspicious in of its own right. Yet, aota wasn't worries about that since he was too young to understand it, all he knew was what the mean grown ups had told him. That one day because of his clan that his eyes will be hunted.

" my name is chimamire ..... aota"

The boy's voice was still raspy thanks to his earlier tears, but there was little choice in the matter. Aota needed help, an that sort of help wasn't gonna come from the village the way it is now.

" s-so you're going to help me with my shuriken jutsu? "

It was honestly cute the way his big eyes looked up at the "red" man. His mouth opened slightly revealing the jagged edges of his shark teeth. Aota was a hybrid, half uchiha and half hozuki. this combination has developed a child with both physicals traits, but only one defining genetic kekkei genkai. The sharingan of the uchiha.

[Estilo]

Prologue, A Remedy In Retrospect [7]

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"Aota?" The Jonin repeated, his smile growing slightly wider as the boy wiped away his tears. "That's a nice name-- 'Aota'. You should be proud of it." At the mention of a surname, however, the red-maned agent managed to catch a slightly cautious look come across the young boy's face. He wondered-- what about a surname would give him suspicion? But he didn't pry any further into the matter. He wasn't here to intrude, but to help.

So, when the boy mentioned learning the trick to throwing shuriken properly, the gentleman would optimistically nod. "Ah, but of course!" He'd beam, rising up from his crouch abruptly. A single gloved hand would reach into the satchel behind him, producing a single shuriken that spun at the tip of his index finger as he retrieved it. Putting on this show for Aota, hopefully impressing the child, he'd speak. "It's all in the fingers and wrists, kiddo. You aim, and lightly tense them, just before the release."

He'd do just so, turning towards the straw dummy nearby, and narrowing his eyes at the target. With a single hand, he'd suddenly throw his shuriken with a flick of his wrist-- watching as the thrown projectile almost immediately struck the dummy's rectangular head. Wisps of straw gently cascaded down to the ground before the target, and the red-maned man would turn and smile to Aota after the deed was done. "Remember," He'd say, retrieving yet another shuriken, and handing it to the boy. "Finger, wrist, timing, and-- release! You'll get it soon enough, Aota."

He'd smile, his countenance practically giving the boy a big thumbs up!

[Yoshi]

There was a tingle in the boy's stomach. It was a feeling long lost and now seeming foreign to his very structure. Happiness - even on the smallest of scales was building up. ebony locks branched down over the boy's eyes for just a moment. The quickest of hand gestures wiped it away but not before showing the man his bright yellow eyes which seemed to be diluted.

A small tinge of crimsion lay underneath but to far for the man's eyes to hopefully see. His small little eyes looked in delight as the "red - man" Atlas was showing him the proper way to use shuriken ninjutsu. Standing at least a meter away from each other he saw the pull - tense - release motion that Rangeki was famous for in war times. It was weird how this man resembled him to a point that another stray thought crossed his mind. " Could this man be Nii - San's other self. . . I heard about reincarbination before. . . but could it be true."

The thought disappeared just as the last one did when he reached out, grabbing the shuriken in the same way. Index finger pointed in the middle where the circular hole was. Keeping a steady grip using the index and thumb to make sure the release was the same. The challenge was small since Naota was five meters away from the straw man. Focusing completely on the head,body, and legs to get a clean hit.

Yet , the focusing unlocked something far more then he could ever imagine. The Kakashi (scarecrow) seemed to have moved a bit closer when he blinked his eyes. It felt as if time was slowing only for a second but that was all that was needed. Woosh - Snikt, the skuriken hit bulls-eye directly next to the one Atlas threw. He had did exactly the same release down to the exactly same movements.

The boy, looked at Atlas, His pupils crimson with power, unknowingly showing him his clan's secret.
" I did it! I did it! Thank you Mr.Atlas!!!!"

[ working on post ]

[Estilo]

Prologue, A Remedy In Retrospect [9]

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The Jounin of Kumogakure no Sato would watch, with great anticipation, as the boy readied his shot. The sunlight beaming down from above provided a brief glint on the glossy surface of the black shuriken his little hands held-- but only for a fraction of a second. For what little preparation the red-maned agent had expected to see within the time-span of a few seconds, actually lasted for a very brief moment. The boy had fired-- and struck the mark!

"Whoa!" The older of the two would express with great enthusiasm, and mild shock. "Nice going, kiddo!" The strike was on par with his own shuriken throwing abilities. It was almost preternatural to see such an advancement in talent, and he was proud to see-- when the boy turned to face him-- a bright smile come across the lad's once crestfallen countenance. Then he noticed them. His smile didn't fade away, his cheeriness didn't depart. But his eyes withheld interest. He recognized those eyes anywhere.

He'd take a single step forward, dropping down to a crouch, reaching eye-level with the Uchiha once more, then gently patting his shoulder with a congratulatory mien. "See," He continued. "I told you that you'd get it!" He'd pause then, reconsidering what he was about to speak, before pointing at his own eyes with two V-shaped fingers. "You could have told me, however... about your eyes." He'd smile, emerald orbs analyzing the pools of crimson red before them. "My wife... she has them like that, too."

[Yoshi]

The small konohagakure no sato youth continued to smile towards Mr.Atlas. The shuriken, had hit its mark harder then expected, but the surprise wasn't that. It was when Mr.Atlas congratulated the boy that the real surprise surfaced. aota hadn't noticed at all, his concentration in trying to hit the target. So when the concentration, leaked over, towards activation of his blood-limit he didn't notice.

" Hmm, wha do you mean Mister Atlas? My eyes? What do you mean? " The vampiric semblance, showed fiercely in the boy with a curious smile. The humming of his ocular tenketsu was new to him causing a draining feeling. The blood crimson iris showed a singular tomoe in each of his eyes. This was his first time having it active even if not noticing it at all.

[Estilo]

Prologue, A Remedy In Retrospect [11]

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The red-maned man raised a single brow in mild confusion. It only took him a moment, however, to understand what was occurring. His smile quivered. This he couldn't believe. The fact that he had been here, to see the boy's Sharingan awaken from its once dormant state. It would surely be a milestone in the boy's life and, if anything, Taisho felt inexplicably happy to share it with him. He'd roll up his sleeves, casually buying some time to figure out a way to break this to Aota. One arm was bare, while the other revealed a hidden piece of machinery that ran across the length of his forearm. He rubbed the back of his neck as he stood up, and chuckled.

"Well, you see-- well, you don't really see what I'm about to tell you about, not yet. But, uh, I'm going to show you. I guess." The slightly nervous ramblings of a man who didn't know how to deal with this sort of situation. His wife was an Uchiha... but nary had she told him stories about how parents of the Sharingan explained the process to their children. And while the two of them had a child, he was definitely not of age yet. So the topic had never arisen. So, like he had done so in many other situations, he'd wing it. He just hoped the kid wouldn't freak out about his... change.

"Here," He began, raising his heavier arm horizontally, and at eye-level with the boy. "Just... take a step back, and I'll show you." Should Aota have done so, he'd grip the hand on his raised arm, activating the mechanism that was strapped around it. Locks seemed to fall into place, the sound of metal clinking and clanking. And then, in a fraction of seconds, a small shield would appear, its surface as shiny as polished silver. Caught within its reflection was little Aota. And then, he would see. The gleaming orbs of red that his eyes had spawned, staring back at him. The Sharingan!

[Yox]

Estilo: 53
Ouji: 40

[Estilo]

NOTIFICATION

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In adherence to the "Double EXP Promotion" created in February 2013, I'm putting the contents of this thread forward, and therefore looking to cash in on the benefits. For the staff member who looks over this, below are two links that will answer any inquiries about the specifications of this promotion:

-- Progress!
-- Promotion Sign-Up.

That being said, I require an additional 53 EXP added to my sidebar, and I am also eligible for the 10,000 RYO bonus (as I RP'ed with another PC). Thanks for the assistance!