[2] Resurgence

[Jae]

I emerged from my grave to realize that the light that shone before had lost it's luster. Instead I stood in a darkness not too dissimilar from what I'd become accustomed to, my only company being the high moon, full and brilliant. It's presence, while faint, was enough to test my comfort. To resume existence within the confines of flesh was at the very least unsettling. I could only wonder how long had it been since I basked in light of any sort, in life through any form? Ever since I'd experienced this sudden resurgence any type of sensation set upon me had been magnified, to the point that even marginally reproving my dimly lit setting bore a significant tax.

Squinting, I began surveying the area around me to the best of my ability only to find that I knew nothing of my surroundings. What I could detail, however, was all but admirable. The land appeared in ruin, so thoroughly ravaged that it barely retained the semblance of the community it once was. In truth, had the shells of architecture not remained I would have been hard pressed to believe it had been a settlement at all. And so the void from within me continued to churn, desperately attempting to establish a new self from what remained. What was this place, where was it's old population, and what had become of them?

I moved, almost mechanistically, in an attempt to regain sovereignty over my vessel and the feelings that adamantly clung to it. The fog that covered my eyes slowly cleared as I examined the remnants of what was, willfully piecing together what I could from what remained, but for the most part it was complete chaos. What I imagined were once alleyways had been bisected by large pieces disheveled wreckage, and what I soon realized, after a flash realization of their likeness to the archaeologist from before, were bodies; lifeless bodies that seemed to appear by the mound.

I slowly approached, taking note of the dried blood that surrounded the area. Instinct prompted me to further inspect one of the many cadavers littering the pass and so I took a knee by one of their sides, allowing the moonlight to cast itself onto what I could only imagine was a face. From what I could tell, this particular person had been charred beyond recognition; their visage was completely seared, to the point that I could recognize the sinew that once held it's features in place. This person's mouth and eyes had been opened wide when they passed, as if they were panicked, but with barely any lips, nose, or eyelids to attest to this it was hard to say. That was when a noticeable glint beckoned my attention, just above the corpse's eyes.

A piece of metal, scathed and fractured, bore an insignia whose appearance caused my head to spin. It was as if it was trying to tell me something -- or rather, I was trying to tell myself something. My eyes remained fixed on it for sometime, carefully inspecting it's design until it's gourd-like appearance caused my inner voice to speak on it's own.

The Village... Hidden Within...

In that instant I took to observe my surroundings once more, inspecting the bits of debris carried by the night breeze. I allowed my hand to run against the ground, taking into account it's unique coarseness.

And suddnly I was hit with the stunning realization that this place...

this ruin...

it was...


"Sunagakure."

[Jae]

This one epiphany would release the proverbial flood gates as I suddenly found myself cast away in a sea of nameless faceless and baseless events, and though I fought to recall those within the emergent swarm I could not help but feel lost in their presence. Who were these individuals and what clout did they hold with my previous self? Tension built from within as I fought to recognize these souls but the dissonance created from not knowing and wanting to know continually overpowered my effort. I took a deep breath through my nose that was almost immediately assailed by the putrid smell of rotting cadavers; this unpleasant sensation allowed me to reset myself.

Rather than focus on who was who, I sought to recognize whose imprint remained the most prominent. I knew that if they had remained relevant after so long, it unwittingly alluded to some degree of importance. Faces came and faces went, but as they did there remained a select few who seemed to outshine the others; two in particular called out to me the most. Their features were strikingly similar even though one was noticeably older than the other. These two, or more specifically their features, would be my focal point for the time being.

Their hair was a peerless black that almost seemed to meld into the encompassing darkness my cloudy recollection suspended them in. Their eyes were the same endless black and their expressions bore a distinct nonchalance that was also similar but not interchangeable. One carried with it a youthful vigor, the other an unshakable resolve that implicated some type of wisdom. These distinctions also manifested in their appearances, one was noticeably older than the other, but despite their differences there was one irrefutable trait that emanated from them both and that was power.

I could not help but associate myself with this... power, along with the two men in question, but even so there identities remained a mystery. To my advantage, however, the recollection of power enthralled the recollection of deed and I soon found myself reliving endeavors more specific than before. Their individual purposes remained elusive but they all seemed to be geared toward reaching a consolidation of power in which we all would benefit. Things got noticeably cloudy the more these memories progressed and soon I was forcefully set back into reality.

What had I done? Who were these men? What was our purpose? And more importantly who was I?

[Jae]

I came to and recaptured the scene I had momentarily left, the unsightly vision of a corpse donning a Sunagakure headband and it became clear that I was reborn in the world I had hoped would no longer exist after my initial departure; the world of shinobi, senseless violence, and aimless destruction. The grim realization that nothing had changed since then wasn't surprising but the fact still remained that I was lost in this world. Why was I here of all places and what purpose did this resurgence serve? As my mind stirred to make connections between what I had just visualized and where I stood presently, an unmistakable feeling of knowing slowly crept forward.

One of the aforementioned two, the youngest, had something to do with this place. As cynical as my withdrawal had made me, my better judgement wouldn't allow even the slightest hint of doubt to dissaude what I thought to be true. So who was he? His image outstood his counterpart's at the mere thought of this ruin and what I imagined it to be in my previous life and so I sought to inspect it more thoroughly than before. Black hair, black eyes, and an assured grin was all I could think of initially but soon parts of him began to alternate into something more fierce, more powerful than what originally surfaced.

His countenance remained yet something about him was different as I envisioned his person against the abysmal backdrop. The air of power that surrounded him was not evil... but it was terrifying. His pompous grin attested to this unsettling strength, it was as if he knew I was watching him from a distance. Did he know I was watching him? The thought alone conjured a sensation I had distanced myself long ago, so long ago that I almost forgot what to call it. That was when his arrogant grin parted to speak... as if he was directly referencing me.

"It's called fear."

!

I found myself within the confines of my own imagination yet again. Wagering against my own sanity, I was positive that I had been drawn there against my own will. Then it became clear that I wasn't watching him; in fact it was the opposite, he was watching me.

"Wha?! Who are you?!"

He sighed despondently, as if he expected me to ask.

"This is the only way you'll learn."

"What the hell are you talking about?! I asked you a question! Who ar-"

A M A T E R A S U

[Jae]

"SORATSU!"

I yelled at the top of my lungs, my heart racing as an unrelenting burn crept across my body. This was the most pain I had felt since resurfacing, enough to force me onto my hands and knees. It was as though every cell in my body had burst into flames, setting forth of a chain of responses that left me out of control for the time being. My thoughts were scattered as a result of the trenchant pain that spread from the trunk of my body toward it's limbs. My jaw clenched down heavily as I fought to breath, bits of saliva broke past the gaps in my mouth and coated the ground below while my hands fought to grip anything that was near. As a result I unwittingly tore into the ground I'd collapsed upon but the caustic sensation that plagued me was becoming too much to bear.

I fought to collect my bearing, aligning my thoughts to remember what had brought me to this place; this comparable hell. I envisioined the dark haired man again, his pompous grin, and the words that he spoke. Before he had mentioned something about learning? What did he mean? Thereafter came the memory of his piercing glare. At one point his eyes resembled endless pools of black but in an instant they changed to harbor a sinister red, one that contrasted with the enshrouding black of the dreamscape. That transformation, I deduced, had to be what caused my current stress. That transformation, what was it?

Taking deep panting breaths I fought to overcome what was happening, my only solace being the feeling of my own nails ripping into the ground below me. In my mind, I gladly retreated toward this lesser pain in lieu of the other. But then I thought of the setting I'd been whisked away to at the sight of the headband, the dreamscape, which had no ground or ceiling. How was it that I collapsed and gripped at that which was not present? In that instant my thoughts began to reorder, a willfull attempt to fight against the sensation beset upon me.

Those eyes, something had been cast from them but I didn't know what. That man who insisted I learn something from him, what were his motives for teaching me, and most importantly who was he? My judgement had been so clouded by the onset pain that I almost forgot my initial cry. It was a name, one that strongly resonated with the connection between Sunagakure and that youth. His eyes burned with the same ferocity that attacked me presently.

That name, this place, and those eyes belonged to Soratsu Etsuko, or as I remembered him...

"Nagato Uchiha."

[Bit]

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