lilith [jun]

[BLKND]

The coil of the clouds over this particular point in the village seemed to be synonymous with heaven. A stairway of a billowing magnificence gave hope to the soul. Against the plan blue sky it would appear that there was a pathway, a corridor of possibility that would allow for the taker to make their way in to something otherwise forbidden. The stark contrast of the deathly black mountain range beneath it gave the viewer a symbolism resembling hell. Jagged edges jutted out into the sky, and threatened to claim the lives of anyone who faltered on their pathway. The blue space in between the clouds and mountains grew smaller by the second. Such was the way things were here- this bleak, and unforgiving landscape. The roars of thunder clashed against the mountains in the depths of the clouds, causing a prominent echo, which would reach any bystander easily. In particular, the ears of a soft faced, green-eyed giant would have the clamor of the heavens ring into his ears. Alone, he pressed his boots against the jagged rock that had turned an even darker charcoal hue in the shade of the oncoming storm clouds. His bare back pressed against the pressure of his altitude as his incredibly toned body pushed upward. The incline was mediocre, nothing that an average Kumogakure resident couldn’t handle, but it was what he held in his hands that would make the journey a bit more difficult. In his left hand he held a rather long, rather ruined wooden stick. The end had been carved to fashion a makeshift spear, while the rest of it left to be wild and curved as branches typically grew in this part of the world. He held the spear lazily, from its center to ensure that it wasn’t hitting the ground. He wanted to use it later. In his right hand, the massive black hoof of a dead and bleeding hog. Its wounds were severe, and it was evident that its life had been taken abruptly. It held no real wounds that were clear to the naked eye. Looking at the spear in his opposite hand, one would soon question what its purpose was, as it had no traces of blood on its tip at all. In fact, if not for the blood that oozed from the beasts gaping maw, it would be unclear as to if the beast were dead or not. Nevertheless, with each step upward, the head of the beast would smack roughly against the side of the mountain, without the slightest movement. It was dead, and he had killed it. Up ahead he could see the indicators of a mountainous clearing. This part of the village was littered with them, and served as an excellent place to train, meditate or meet. This one in particular, however, just so happened to be one of the few with a constantly maintained pit.

Heavy eyes surveyed the land, and as he finally reached his destination, he would heave a sigh of relief. It was unoccupied. The opening to the mountain’s cavern stood on the far side of the clearing. A reflection pool was not too far from the opening, which was where the pit would find itself- slightly to the left of it. It was a nice place to relax, and to think about things. He had just returned to the village from a small outing, assigned to protect a domestic dignitary during her visit to a public gala in the honor of some government official’s new position. He had his fill of modern sophistication, and longed to be in the wild for the time being. His best method of doing so just so happened to be hunting- he fulfilled his desires gleefully, and now retired to this mountaintop in order to finish his deed. After all, he had skipped breakfast, and this would easily be considered a late lunch.

Note: pre-time skip

[Jun]

The sky seemed stranger than normal.

Or was it just that the clouds were swelling more so than usual? Nothing was usual anymore -- ever since I'd wandered back home things had been different. Cloud was prosperous as ever but I felt like there was little need for us shinobi as of recent. Like an era of peace was finally starting to settle around us. I'd heard stories of our dear Raikage extending relationships with foreign places like Kusa and even Iwa, but I guessed all of that was really none of my concern. For at the moment I made casual strides through the grass -- there weren't any paths around here, this was the wild I found myself in. "Maybe just a sip." Was what I told myself in the middle of a meadow, plain scarf breathing in the breeze. That little flask tucked away in my jacket pocket I brought to light. Sure, it'd been a goal of mine to renounce drinking but being around Kou had revived that 'boozer' feeling within me.

And speaking of Kou, he had me all the way out here, searching. I wasn't really lost, or even being a drifter for that matter; my brother claimed in a letter he'd sent me that there was a present waiting for me around here if I was willing to find it. He did give me a clue, however, a landmark in the shape of a giant rock sprouting wings. Winged Rock. That name was one my memory was able to recall, for I remember a little girl in Kumogakure saying that was one of her and her friends favorite spots when playing hide n seek. At any rate, a boom of thunder brought me back to reality, and then. . .

"What. . .is this?"

The scene my ocean eyes were met with was quite primitive, to say the least -- a tribe of wild game slain and their bodies left to blemish the earth. Instantly, I shot glances all around me. There couldn't have been but maybe one or two other people as high up in the mountains as I was. I was a sensor type after all, though the only thing felt was the presence of so many charcoal colored mountains in the distance. I couldn't even see the sun but I knew that it had to have been getting late. So, readjusting my tanto I continued moving in hopes that it would be a hallowed out tree I'd stumble upon before a society of ruffians. It was crazy really, as I made a glance back at the lacerated remains of beasts, anything could be found in the alps of Kaminari -- anything at all. Seeing as the cuts were relatively fresh I likely wasn't too far from the culprit, then again. . .


Was I really so antsy that I wanted to meet them?

[BLKND]

Although famished wouldn’t be the word, Moroku had an insatiable hunger- or at least that’s what it felt like. His fingers longed to wrap themselves around the succulent spectacle of meat that he planned to serve to himself. First thing was first, however. He had killed the beast with an easy enough method. It was a monstrous animal that stood at least five feet over him while on all four legs. Its muscles were immaculate, and its strength could easily overpower the average man. Its method of killing was simple, and a custom to all boars. It would lower his head, thrust his weight forward, gaining momentum and use its mass and tusks to impale and crush its enemy. This was the method used against Moroku, and this was what led to the animal’s demise. It had to be timed perfectly, or the mistake could be fatal. Spreading his legs, cocking his fist backwards, and thrusting it forward in a linear, but snapped manner- Moroku’s fist would crack the skull of the boar, it’s temple falling into its brain to kill it instantly. The feeling of destroyed matter at the ends of his knuckles was refreshing. It was the sound of the hemorrhaging that made him a bit uncomfortable. The pig fell to its knees, and began to flail in a number of directions, Moroku’s eyes fluttering as he moved out of the beast’s path. The lamentation was horrible to hear. Cries, and gasps of air filled the beasts lungs as blood began to overflow, and it fell into a small seizure. It died moments afterwards. As Moroku stood at the foot of the reflection pool, he looked down into the foggy trove of water, and saw his own reflection. He had aged significantly since Aisuru’s alleged death. His luminescent eyes shone brightly against the pale state of his surroundings. His image was clear, and his somber face showed nothing more than sadness. It was depressing to even think about. The image of her ardency was that of a flame. They were one in the same that way. The overcast made it evident that a storm was coming. He wouldn’t be able to do much with his game if there was no fire to cook it. Lifting his makeshift spear over his shoulder, he would slowly sludge his way towards the cavern’s entrance. He had been here a few times before- he remembered the fire pit in the cavern’s entrance as well. He would have to construct his own pit, however. The weight of the beast was significant, and a massive path had been formed against the compressed dirt of the mountaintop as well as the blood that followed from the boar’s mouth. Vacant eyes stared into oblivion, and Moroku made sure not to focus on them. He hated seeing things suffer.

Thrusting the beast into the shadow of the cavern, he set his spear beside it, and moved to the mouth of the cave. His arms crossed, and his shoulder supported him against the wooden banister that formed the cavern’s threshold. It was almost as if he was looking for something, staring out at what he could from these heights. There was a decent view of the forest from his mountain, and the lush greenery of the land was not few and far between. It was so similar to what he knew as a boy, training on the outskirts of the nation with his uncle. His pectorals expanded and contracted as he took in three deep breaths.

Whatever can be done can be undone.

He thought to himself, the images of his wife’s long, dark hair flashing into his frontal lobe. It draped across her naked back, and tossed back and forth with her sporadic movement. She was such a good dancer. His eyes lowered, as did his spirits. He turned back towards his prey, their eyes met; he couldn’t turn away.

[Jun]

Or maybe it would be better if I just let them enjoy their lunch?

I didn't dwell on the bodies for long, I put my sake away for a better time and graced past them, noting only the subtle shift of my soles through soft waves of grass. Then I kept on walking for a while, my intuition leading my body through a place nearly soaked in shadows. Soon I arrived at an incline and a spot on the earth where grass wasn't so sure to grow. There were patches of it I passed by, along with a great fallen tree in the way of where I was trying to get. It must have had met lightning, as I heard again just a minute before, or some odd storm telling from the way it'd been severed from its roots -- and even they were visible. I observed a few hallowed out portions of the tree and made a quick connection. Searching high and low through its rotted trenches I almost felt like a blonde when I remembered the hint and that there were no rocks sprouting wings around here. Brushing myself off, I moved along with haste, leaping over the old tree and coming to an equally old bridge where the ropes were cut and only a few planks sat on the outskirts. Here I met no dilemma; seeing as I was a brilliant kunoichi, applying medic sensitive chakra to my feet and bounding past the gap proved to be a simple task. 

Afterward my acute figure came up to a flat offering a view of the horizon that gave one a sense of longing. It was to my advantage too that the sky still gave light. Grateful for that I continued moving at an acceptable pace. There was a stone wall to my left that cast shadows out beyond my body to the other side off the edge. My waltz continued until I spotted more blood -- a thick trail of it slid along the ground for me to follow so easily. Not to mention that it was fresh; so much of it was spread along before my eyes that I could almost smell the fresh kill. It wasn't so strange however to see such things -- lower ranked missions in the Lightning estate often called for their shinobi to go out and hunt beasts to aid high scale restaurants and such (Though I was beyond that nowadays). Therefore I wasn't so alarmed, but still curious nonetheless. It was even simpler to follow a red path, all the way up to an dimly lit hole in the wall. A cavern. I could see thin traces of smoke slithering from its only entrance and knew instantly that it was being occupied by some vagrant soul. Cooked meat was probably what I would smell next if I just stood around, but rather I didn't -- my small body kept to the wall and crept up on that cave with the stealth of a kunoichi. When I made it to the point where I was just outside I reached behind me for my tanto, twisted its rounded handle in the gentlest fashion, and withdrew it from its sheath. This of course, was just in case. Shinobi always had to take extreme pre-caution, after all. In the end I entered abruptly, though still highly aware, if only to throw off whoever was waiting inside. 

I kept my weapon held out in front of me the entire time as I prepared to meet anyone but my maker. Then I spoke, catching on to the single, male figure beyond the fire in the cave. His chakra capacity was on par with my own from what I could tell.

"I'm not here to fight anyone, I'm just looking to ask for directions."

This wasn't the first time I'd occupied a cave in Kaminari with some guy. Not that it meant anything.

[BLKND]

He could see the difference between life and death. What came through his nostrils, and left the same way kept air in his lungs. The boar did no such thing anymore. They both had the ability to stare, however. Their contest was more a battle of time than of will. Eventually Moroku would be the same as this beast, and he could accept that. Death was a necessary function. However, it wasn’t going to happen until he could die with her. She haunted him. Her eyes, her smile, her smell- it all lingered in his mind. However, it was her hair that lingered the most. He recalled the first night of their betrothal. He remembered her lips pursed, and her eyes flicker in the light of the flames above them. He remembered the uproar of their families, and the warmth of her hands gripping his. He mostly remembered her hair. It was straight, fine, and dark. It was the opposite of his. His bar palm rose to the back of his head as he combed through his shorter hair with a longing search. He half expected to feel her hair. He hadn’t grown senile just yet. His staring contest against the beast had led to a clear victor as he blinked ferociously as he felt a sting in his nasal passages. He still wasn’t over his loss. His index finger and thumb curled over to pinch the bridge of his nose as his face curled into a frustrated expression. He turned around, only to hear the footsteps of another person. His eyes opened wide, and his hand dropped to the level of his chest. His eyes met with those of a newcomer, someone he had never seen before. She had infiltrated his space, and he hadn’t noticed until it was too late. If she was hostile- he wasn’t sure if he would have been able to react in time. Needless to say, she bore no symbol of a village; Kumogakure or otherwise. He stood before her as a mass of defined muscle. His tattoos moved with each breath he took, and the race of adrenaline began to overtake him. Her words calmed him. She stated to not be seeking a fight- but still held her knife to him. He decided to give her the benefit of the doubt, his chakra beginning to secrete to his skin- and while it was not visible, he wanted to make sure that if the time came- he could protect himself.

“Lower your weapon…” He would answer bluntly, his hands slowly contorting into odd, open gestures as his arms moved to cover his torso.

He was moving into a fighting position, that he wasn’t sure he wanted to be in. The cave offered him a slanted disadvantage. She held the key to the only exit, and she had positioned herself to ensure that he was not going to be able to retreat easily. He had no reason to combat her- and even if she was a bandit, as long as she did not give him any sort of opposition- he was fine. He had come here to be alone, and it would only be an odd twist of fate that here, at the top of a mountain he would find someone. Or rather, they would find him.

“Once you relinquish your weapon, we can talk.” He said coldly, his eyes fixating on her frame.

She was small, and her knife was too. He could easily overpower her, even without his chakra, and given their size difference, he could reach her fairly easily as well. At a towering six feet and five inches, his athletic body was that of a gladiator, and while he bore no weapon, it was evident from his rough and steady hands, that he was no artisan. His tattooed hands appeared to be non-existent in the shadow of the flame. The cave only growing brighter as the sky grew darker. Meanwhile, his eyes- his eyes would begin to glow as though a beast of the wild.

[Jun]

Behind the fire a towering killer would lie in wait. He issued out a sharp warning -- of course I was going to do what he requested anyways if he'd have just waited. Honestly, I wasn't treading along with intentions to maim or sabotage anyone. If I'd come looking to wage a battle I would have already formed the seals for my Raiton Ninjutsu at the entrance. He was much larger than me nonetheless; I could confess that he had that advantage, but at the same time the flare of chakra I was getting from him was nothing special. If it were to come down to it, it would be a close fight. But that was incidental, for all I knew he might have been a Cloud ninja just as I was -- and even if that were so he seemed to be cut from a different cloth. I saw a lone wolf huddled over his meal -- a slaughtered giant boar. Yet, there appeared to be a trained disposition about him. Like he was calculating or knew he'd be able to anticipate my attack before I dealt it, if it were to happen. Blood puddled on the floor and trailed in slim, lines beneath his feet. However, his eyes were on my short blade, and he watched it as if it were just a fork. I put it away before he got too sore, then took two or three extra steps into the cave, slowly. On the other hand the cavern was quite comfortable, being able to fit at least eight or nine people comfortably. A combination of smoke, stuffy air, and the crackle of the fire engaged my senses. Then, memories of sharing sake with Kota-san so long ago began to entice me.

"If you've ever heard of Winged Rock and can tell me where it is I'll be out of your hair in no time." I reassured, standing steady in the way of the cave exit, having good posture and all. I certainly wasn't going to give up my weapon, no matter how much I wanted him to give me directions, he didn't need to be that guarded about my being there. It was back in its casing and I hoped that was fine enough -- and I hoped he wasn't stubborn. Seeing that he was in a fighting stance, my words should have been able to calm him. Though I was on edge too, such was the product of running into a cold-blooded stranger. "But you need to take it easy, otherwise. . ." Besides my short blade I remembered the knife going unseen inside of the sleeves of my jacket. Such a versatile edge I tapped in slightest manner with the tips of my fingers -- it was cold to the touch."Well,, I don't want to be rude. was I interrupting something? Or do you always come up here and terrorize the wild boar?" I asked, lips forming a tight smile. It was more to ease the tension -- I knew trying to play friends with someone like him wouldn't get anywhere. Flickering a quick glimpse behind me I noted my distance from the cave being five meters; after that there was an additional seven or so before one reached the end of a cliff. A smaller cliff among a greater amount that lay scattered across the mountain we were on. Once again I laid eyes upon the beast of a man in front of me; I knew of a particular Raiton jutsu that would work exceptionally well if he tried to do anything up front. But for the time being the caw of ravens perched up high resonated in the air and made clear that the day was coming to a close.

And at the days end all I wanted was a warm bath.

[BLKND]

Her silhouette flickered in the dim glow of the cave. Her shadow danced against his own to form something much more dark; much more sinister. He could tell she was bad news. Her words, her actions, her mannerisms, and most importantly her entrance all led to one thing. She was a trickster. He didn’t mind it, however. Most ninja were tricksters, he included. He lowered his hands, and his muscles relaxed as he stood up straight, increasing the difference in their height. His hand flung to his hair as he ran his massive, tattooed hands through it. His eyes remained as cold as ice, and the frigid temperament that he had adapted these days seemed to cool the air. She carried the guise of a wandering traveler, but the story didn’t add up to him. She appeared to be of a decent age- not too much younger than Moroku. She had an air of confidence that was explosively prevalent. He could see it in her eyes that she thought she had control of the situation. For all he knew, she did, but it was in her eyes that she knew. He could pick that up from her. While he could read tips from her personality, what made him the most curious about her was that she was asking for directions in a place that would otherwise be unknown to ‘wandering travelers.’ If one were to search for one of the six villages, they’d have to actually search. There was no haphazard way to stumble upon a village hidden in clouds. However, if by some dubious miracle she had happened to find the village by chance- would she ask directions from a stranger? He doubted it. Moreover, if she knew the location of the village, and had simply come to find said rock, and then she would not have presented herself in such an aggressive manner. There’s nothing that upsets a bear more than coming into his home, claws bare. Nevertheless, he would play with her rouse. He could care less where she wanted to go, as long as he got his answers.

“I’ve heard of it,” He would say stoically, turning back towards his boar. “If you wanted me to be calm, then you shouldn’t have come here with a knife drawn,” He made his way closer to the carcass, and pressed his hand against the thigh of the beast’s hind leg. “This boar is a symbol of the Akofena. It represents courage, and valor. It is a symbol of my village, and a sacred animal. I am preparing it for treatment,” His head swiveled over to her. “Who wants to know?”

He inquired with a stale glance. His eyes flickered with the flames before him, his hair once more falling in front of his face as he knelt down to begin feeling the muscles of the beast. He had placed his gear close behind him in a slump formed around his flak jacket. If the girl looked at it, she would notice three different metals flickering in the light of the embers. A sliver of metal exposed from a sheathed bowie knife that he kept on his chest; the pin of a chaff grenade, of which he had several; and the curved etchings of Kumogakure carved onto the front of the man’s hitai-ate. He did not typically wear it on his forehead, and opted to tie it around his arm, but given that he was in the wilderness, he found no purpose for it.

The smell of the boar was strong. It smelled like the earth. He had yet to start the decaying process, which Moroku always hated. The boar was larger than her, even laying on its side, and its thick, rough fur stretched out to an amount not seen by other species of boar. The darkness had begun to crowd behind her, as the sound of rain could be heard in the distance. The warmth of the cave was evident. The clustered aroma of wood, ash, earth and stone all seemed so unique; so real. He liked moments like these- as did his wife. Despite being of a more diplomatic house, she enjoyed their mountain excursions together. He taught her much about the land, and there was a genuine interest. He couldn’t detect the same interest in this woman- not yet. Then again, there was much to be discovered in her case.

[Jun]

Staring at the man whose shadow bounced excitedly behind him, I'd watch the way he brushed tattooed fingers through a mane whiter than snow. Somehow I admired the ink in his skin and couldn't help but to want to read him in a way. To me it was all art work -- admittedly, I'd run into someone who, had they not been so stern, would have been regarded as fascinating. Rather, he kept his guard dog-like eyes trained on me while I continuously glanced from the dead boar, to him, then back to the boar. Alas, his icy glare was something not even the fire in front of his face could warm. They were like caverns of their own; caverns that had seen light and life in the past but not in quite some time now. I couldn't really see him in detail beyond that; and neither of us spoke up until I went to tilt my head to get a better view of him, then the drifter grunted, 

“I’ve heard of it,”

Then he went on to hound me for entering his space with my weapon drawn. He was entitled to that much, I supposed. "My apologies. I saw the blood from outside and maybe I over-reacted." I chimed, trying to add a bit of a friendlier tone this time around. The entire time he'd been pacing closer and closer toward his kill -- I observed his actions with a youthful sort of curiosity. "Are you. . .a hunter?" I asked. I went to raise a finger in question, but before I could go on the loner cut in, spilling out things I could barely understand. Akofena? Symbol? Sacred animal? If that was his explanation to my inquiry about his chasing wild boar then I was sorry I asked. What the hell sort of tribesman was he? The way he placed his hand on the hind leg of the beast made me think he was about to give thanks to some Boar God or something, "And no one, I was just asking, is all." was my reply to his final, salty question, I'd try my hardest to ignore how lackluster he was but it was difficult trying to talk to an irritated grizzly bear. Relaxing my shoulders, I sighed and thought to try a different approach. Maybe I'd offended him and one of his tribe customs but storming in the way I did - I didn't know. However, I'd try, with a voice like honey to set a better impression. "Your Clan. . .I've never heard of it, but. . ." My eyes flickered specifically to his jacket when he moved. I swore there was a cloud emblem among his belongings -- there was no doubt about it. "But wait, aren't you a shinobi? From Cloud? " Not that it was done on the usual but I retrieved the black cloth from my rear pouch and showed him the metallic forehead protector as a way of telling him I hailed from Cloud. "You can worship wild boar all you want but I do hope your normal living conditions are better than this." I emphasized while he seemed to be fully entertained with what he was doing. I too once lived off the land, it was arduous and often lonesome, but oftentimes it presented beautiful moments. 

Soon I felt cool air grace by my skin and when I went to check behind me I realized that the sky was becoming lavender. There was also the slightest trace of stars glittering up yonder so many millions of miles away. Still, I didn't stray from watching the stranger tend to his prey for long. Among the light given off by the fire I noticed how much blood was dyed on his hands. At the same time, he didn't seem to mind at all. "I was once told that wild boar were a symbol of the wealth of a forest. . ." I began, allowing that much to sink in. "And I guess it must all be true, considering how healthy Kaminari's greenery is. I'm. . . thankful to live in such a lovely country. Aren't you?" "That said, I finally caught on to the rhythm of rain not so far off. If the weather was about to take a turn for the worse I wanted to move along soon.  No point in getting caught in a storm. Maybe that was the only downside to living in Kaminari -- another night under warm shelter.

And another rip of thunder.

[BLKND]

His fingertips had been painted with the crimson girth of blood. The miasma of the night had begun to seep over the heavens, and soon the strength of the flame seemed to grow even more powerful; as did the shadows. His face had grown dark by the reality of his condition. He had grown callous with his age, and by now, he was prepared to revert back to his most basic principles in order to achieve any sort of amnesty from his condition. The night was falling much like the rain, and much like the night, every crack and crumble of the sky would split with the illumination of lightning, and the roar of thunder. This was his home, and these chaotic indications had become soothing to him. His stroking of the beast was uncanny, yes, but given his severance from the village’s common eye, he wasn’t expecting much other than being alone with the beast, the occasional wildlife spying on what he was doing in the cave with their king.

“I am. A Jounin from Cloud, yes,” He would say as he began to peruse the entirety of the boar. “You are mistaken, I do not worship boars, and I don’t live in obscure caves in the mountaintops. I am no savage,” He had a tired tone in his voice, as if he had heard the misconception a number of times. “I am a member of the Hainoki House, of the Akimichi Clan. We tend to have a different appreciation for these mountains than most.”

He took immaculate strides with each casual step. His sharp military tights would hold fast against his muscular legs, accentuating the power in his step. He was a mass of muscle, easily capable of overpowering most men and women- but his touch conveyed his gentle touch. His waltz around the boor would reveal how delicate this process was. He searched it for every blemish, and every mark. He read its lifespan with each inquisitive glance. It’s back been massive, and its legs were profound. It had lived a life of prestige amongst his less fortunate counterparts. The layers of genetics, which curled over his immaculacies, were astounding. He was a god among ants in these mountains. The scars that curved around his face showed a history of battle, and the scrapes in his massive tusks showed an ability to win. Moroku’s hands were the same. While they lacked scars, they bled battle, and ability. The darkened, inked skin hid the majority of their detail, but if she looked closely, she would see the steadiness in his hands. He glanced at her once more with his final words, their cautious rapport having obviously degraded with the amount of words they had been exchanging. He took a few steps towards her and seemed immediately closer. The presence of his body all of a sudden would appear much more real. He towered over her, and the light of the flame made him appear much darker- much more enigmatic.

“Akofena are the swords of war. This beast is a symbol of a time of peril, and a time of despair. It embodies the courage to overcome that despair,” He appeared to get lost in his own words for a moment before continuing. “If you are searching for Winged Rock, you still a while to go. I have plenty to eat, so if you would like to wait for the weather to improve, feel free to stay.” He would say, his eyes moving passed her to the exterior of the cave.

The ground had grown darker with the rain, and the trees swayed in the might of the wind. The clouds had begun to gather, and they would soon block out any beauty that the stars might inspire. Instead, they would have to be given entertainment by the light of the bolts that struck their home, which gleamed in the distance. The light of life could be seen, even from here.