COMPENDIUM [FLASHBACK] [MISSION]

[Deleted]

Find the Shiomitsu-tama!
Rank: C
Description: The Kazekage is well-aware of Tooru’s fetish for relics and dangerous endeavors, but it keeps him happy. Some time ago, he had heard of the legend of the Shiomitsu-tama and that it was once used by Watatsumi to control the tides of the world and conquer and crush his enemies. Whether this was true or not has yet to be seen, but it was definitely something he knew Tooru would be interested in discovering and finding out for himself. The Kazekage has heard that the jewel was located near the northern regions of Mizu no Kuni, but felt certain that his shinobi acquired the skills in Sunagakure Shinobi Academy to be able to return from such a quest.
Restrictions: Non-repeatable.
Rewards: 50 EXP & 1,000 Ryo

Shiomitsu-tama (Tide Jewels)
Rank: D
Type: Supplementary
Special: -
Description: The Shiomitsu-tama were said to have once been used by the Sea God, Watatsumi, to control the tides of the oceans around the world. Watatsumi used the jewels to conquer the lands of Mizu no Kuni back in the old days, defeating whomever dared to trifle with the god or the seas that he had protected. It is unknown if the jewels actually gives anyone such power, and because it is a mere legend, not many have thought of finding and hoping to utilize it’s power to conquer the seas of the world. There are two jewels, the kanju (ebb jewel) and manju (flow jewel), and it is said that these jewels remain somewhere within Mizu no Kuni till this day and could be located near the northern regions of the country, where it strangely enough, produces the most sea storms.

Note: This is simply for an artifact for Tooru to find, it doesn't have any actual features as described in the description.

Cost: -

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Note: This thread is a flashback and it is taking place a few months prior to the events that have taken place within Mizu no Kuni.

It had been a few dances since I had last seen another person, though I suppose not many people had traveled the route I had. It was a direct shot from Kaze no Kuni to Mizu no Kuni, though I had been more than prepared for my lonely journey. In my supplies, I made sure that I had carried along some puzzles with me to pass the time, but sooner than later, the puzzles had become undoable. Perhaps it was just a sign to show me that I had been getting closer to Mizu no Kuni. The mist that would seem to shroud the land had also covered a large body of the water around the country, and to imagine that this had probably been the same for all sides of the country. It was sort of spooky, I couldn’t have known what would pop out of the mist - when or where, but I never truly let my guard down, but I did need to relax.

Before I had sat off on the boat I traveled upon, I had left my headband and anything else that could identify me as a Suna-nin behind with the person who had loaned me the boat. For I wasn’t entirely sure how hostile the Kiri-nin could be, especially to foreign shinobi. If I looked hard enough, I could peer through the mist, and see that land had been not too far from me - in about a minute I would land on Mizu no Kuni and begin my search for the Shiomitsu-tama. I had reached into my satchel that hung from my shoulder, withdrawing a book from within it, and pulling it out.

It was a book I used to record the artifacts that I would find, and any and all information that I had upon them. Perhaps one day I could fill it up and pass it on someone else so they could continue finding all sort of rare and ancient artifacts throughout our world. I wanted to just quickly review what I wrote most recently as I landed upon the shore, and the book reminded me that I needed to head toward the northern regions of the country. With all of my gear upon me, I was ready to go, I pulled out a compose from my satchel and used it to lead me north, luckily for me I didn’t have much land to cover. Shiomitsu-tama, you will be mine soon.

Haru

[Haru]

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Waves rose and fell in a hypnotic movement. Mist that was omnipresent sat above them, patient and unmoving. The heavy splashing sounds played like a lullaby in my ears, and the touch of the mist lulled me ever more into a stupor. This is inevitably what happened when you’d been out at sea, alone, for as long as I had. There was nothing. Nothing but the ceaseless dancing of heavy water for as far as the eye could see, in any direction you chanced. In different circumstances, it may not have been an unpleasant setting; though, given the duty I was assigned, the seduction of the sea’s siren song was nothing more than a hindrance. Its effects were only augmented by my lack of expectation, as, in all of the instances I’d been assigned to patrol a given region within Mizu no Kuni, I’d not once actually witnessed another human that wasn’t a Kirigakure shinobi traversing the land. It was an intimidating land, I imagined, with your surroundings covered in mist, and your movements impeded by the dawdling hold of the ocean. To my sudden surprise, however—

—a different sound began to echo in the vicinity. My ears had become attuned by now, it was certainly a different sound. A new sound. An ominous sound?

It sounded before sight could see it. I remained vigilant, however. Adrenaline had eradicated whatever spell had crept its claws into me before. An energy of excitement now crept its way through my being; my calm eyes were afire. A slight parting in the waves would signal its coming. I stood at the edge of my quaint patrol craft, suspicious sclera piercing the mist before me. It would show before long, a petite-sized sailing ship, housing a single person, it seemed. Who had the gall to enter into Mizu alone? He was either dim, careless, or a shinobi. No need for guessing, however. I would find out. I steered my lighter, swifter vessel in the direction the boat was headed, toward one of the larger islands dotting the north. By now I had become acquainted with the art of sailing, and thus would arrive at the shore well before his own ship. I’d walk into the distance, concealed, awaiting the arrival of this mysterious intruder. What could he want with this trifling, insignificant island? A lethal curiosity had been piqued by the time he landed.

Setting foot on the island was a younger-looking male. White hair, eyes the shade of blood. Dignified mien. He looked familiar. I would appear before him, before he could take a second step. I stared into his eyes, a blank stare, dispassion and unemotion lining my demeanor.

“Why are you here?”

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[Deleted]

Naive. It would seem as if I had been as naive as ever, of course my mission would come across some sort of difficulty, and it reared it’s head sooner than later. A young boy had emerged from the depths of the mist, cutting me off before I could even take five steps upon Mizu no Kuni’s soil. It hadn’t bothered me until this very moment, or perhaps my excitement nullified or delayed its effect - but it was very cold here.

And of course I wouldn’t exactly be dressed for the weather here, I was new to this, and noobish mistakes like this were bound to happen, like running into this kid right after arriving. He didn’t seem too much younger than myself, and his eyes… There were quite creepy, to say the least. At this point I was agitated, nothing was going as simple as I wanted it to, but I couldn’t allow that to show or affect the way I conversed with people - especially those from different lands. “...I am looking for something, I don’t mean to cause any trouble..err…”

I would glance over the boys attire, from head to toe, and upon his person would be his shinobi headband, wrapped proudly around his forehead. “Kiri-nin…” I would conclude what I was saying, I kept my posture open, attempting to show with my body language that I meant no harm to the boy or anyone of this country.

[Haru]

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The sound of waves continued, incessant in the distance. I wondered whether or not, in time, some unfortunate sailor would find his lifeless body awash among them. I wondered, and I hoped. Admittedly, his body language didn’t seem threatening, though looks could be deceptive. I should know, my calmness itself was a deception. I was actually a viper. I longed to sink my teeth in. I wanted his neck to match his eyes. My gaze searched his figure coldly, monitoring every movement—the short, steady motions signaling breath, the blinking of his eyes, the occasional twitch of his fingers. He seemed oddly accustomed to the sand, his gait unfettered by its soft pliancy. His form was nothing before the vastness of the sea behind him. Its presence was crushing. As crushing as the tension hovering between us. I noticed then, as I looked upon his relative frailty, his youth. A youth, alone at sea, just as I had been. I, however, was a shinobi. What was he? My stare was slightly more suspicious now, and impatient.

His reply came none too soon, though it did nothing to convince me. His mentioning of Kirigakure did nothing to soothe my hostility, either. I knew, now. I knew who he was. With the vigilance and dexterity of a snake I inched forward.

“Liar,” I hissed, “there is nothing for you here.”

“Nothing except death... and his kingdom is ever-welcoming.”

                             My blade was suspended now, pointed towards him.

“How did you learn of this place? Tell me who you really are, or I will divest the answer from you."

He didn't have much time, and neither did I. It was already too late for talking. Death called now, his beckoning whisper was among us. His seductive swansong. Infinite silence awaited.

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[Deleted]

The tension between the Kiri-nin myself had quickly built up and becoming even thicker as each moment passed by. The Kiri-nin had looked at me with such intent that I actually considered just outright combating him, just so the stare that he was giving me would dissipate. Unfortunately, that would have been a foolish idea - I hadn’t told the boy everything, and it wasn’t as if I was lying to him, but I was withholding information. But what if I did tell him I was a Suna-nin and gave him my name? What would he do? Would he flee and call for backup or would he attempt to take me where I stood?

When he responded, I couldn’t help but feel a chill go down my spine, and my skin began to produce goose bumps. This kid was making me feel very uneasy, it led me to wondering if all of Kirigakure’s shinobi acted the same way. And if so, perhaps this country wasn’t the friendliest one to visit on such a nice day. “N-No! I’m not lying to you! You see, I am typically interested in relics and I have a life long dream of finding whatever I can before I die. It’s merely a hobby.”

I tried to explain to the Kiri-nin, but I had felt like that wouldn’t have been enough, I couldn’t help but continue to curse my noobish mistake of not coming here more stealthily, I was going to let my village down. “Also, I am a shinobi from Sunagakure - I am not currently holding my headband on me, though. I wasn’t sure of how Kiri-nin would react to someone from Suna.” Though the two villages or currently didn’t have a specific problem with each other, the Kiri-nin could probably hate every other nation just off of the strength that it wasn’t their own. But what would this Kiri-nin do or day?

[Haru]

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I was on the verge of bounding forward. My mind was already there. It hovered over the form that meant nothing more to me than another form. Soul’s yearning, soul seizing soul. Inescapable and overwhelming. One shape enveloping another. Visceral screaming as the sun watched aflame and flaming. I was already there. And then he spoke soft words. I watched for the silences, the breaks, where words faded. Some bled into others, others locked themselves away. Some were more noticeable than others. Some were roses and others were thorns equally luring. I lost myself in his mouth, its trembling, the motion of his quivering tongue. His fragility and his attempt to cling onto life. It was tragic, yet it smelled a sweet scent. It was still more than words. It was beyond the expressible, the feeling that fled from his pleading air. It was pure and free. He was endearing and adorable, and cute and soft, and I wanted nothing more than to bleed his skull in two. Yet then, sound would end. Fade and fall, a felling song that would breach my soul. The fabric of my universe had been amended. An ending glance. A touching never. I couldn’t. Not yet, atleast.

There was no care felt, no acknowledgment found, in his final words. My allegiance to the Mist’s current religious and fascistic regime was a flippant, fluttering bird. I acted purely out of self-interest. And what was the Sand? What did I care? What else was there than this poor being’s soft breathing? Than my coalescence with this foreign, this novel, this living, this familiar yet new essence? Than minds that could fly and never return, or find in returning a newness never before seen? Or in seeing never seeing twice what before was chanced and for seeing? We stood before one another along the sands of time, our figures an hourglass as air carried the sands. A sea of possibility lay waiting before us, just as angels sang before, new horizons, worlds, outstretching and waited beyond us. Dawn had already waded by, and so too had passed the world’s morning. The sea above and the sky below, in our eyes meeting this world did shift. I would remain honest to what all I knew. But it was grace, enough to make the heart soar, what I did know. And I wondered, time failing between us, whether he would afford some new kind of knowing.

“What is this relic that you speak of?” I gently inquired.

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[Deleted]

This Kiri-nin had definitely been a creep, if the eyes which peered out into the world to form it’s own perception of the world were indeed the windows into someone’s soul, then I could tell that this boy was demented. Now that I think about it, his detail-less eyes were perfect for him, perhaps it showed the emptiness in his soul or there was a darkness within him that diluted his vision. Or he could have simply been born with them, but it was definitely fitting of him so far. He decided to meet my words with a gentle response, and I couldn’t happen but be a bit shaken by it.

His former words were a bit more… hostile? Now he spoke as if he were as gentle as a blue jay - though the tension didn’t lighten up in the least bit. Surely he wanted to attack me, but instead he inquired more about what I was after. “Have you ever heard of the Shiomitsu-tama? It is supposed to consist of two jewels, and legend has it that these two jewels had given Watatsumi the ability to control the tidal waves of the sea.” My hands rose as I shrugged with a light sigh. “Though, that probably isn’t the case, since such an item would probably be already obtained by Kirigakure.” Regardless, if it held great power or not, I wanted it, the legendary Shiomitsu-tama!

[Haru]

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The sea’s scent wafted through, entangling itself in our midst. My hair fluttered light like a fledgling bird. There was still wind, soothing wind, and wind that swam in the space between us. Critters creeped around rocks, and beneath, and above mountains that slid and fell, through the legs of one another in a never-ending whirl. I could hear the lapping of waves as they merged with the welcoming shore, sliding even more upon their melding, reaching as far as they could before being pulled back into their never-ending. The tip of my blade left the air to feel soft, giving sand. All was moving, constant moving, moving toward moving, moving, moving, moving, then moving toward death. My eyes, however, remained still. Why couldn’t the world do the same? It was all futile, in the end. Death was the ultimate fate, and everyone knew it. Though, what to do with the time that I had? To spend it seeking and seeking, moving never-ending as the waves and the creatures did?

That was the conclusion that I suspected this one had come to, to spend his life on some never-ending journey. Only to fall, in the end unfinished, when bones were beaten and brittle, before an expanse ahead, expanding ahead for as far as the eye could see. It was truly never-ending.

   “Jewels that could grant control of the sea..."

          "If Kirigakure possessed those, there would be no need for guessing.”

                    “Fortunately... they don’t...”

                                                                                                My expression darkened.

                “They don’t.. exist. You know that, right? Surely you know..”

                                                                                                “It’s a dream. A fantasy.”

                                                           “You’re lost.”

What else could it be? Those words were foreign to my ears. Watatsumi? Shiomitsu-tama? Controlling the tides of the sea? It was all wishful thinking. Fantasy, plain and simple. He would spend his life, his entire, wretched life, seeking these nonexistent jewels. Sailing from island to island, back and forth and there and there, rummaging and peering, surveying and observing, tail wagging from clue to clue, until finally realizing, once it was too late, that there had never been any Watatsumi, no Shiomitsu-tama, and no controlling the tides of the sea. That it had all been a game, a way to pass the time, a way to avoid the sound that could only be heard in silence, in the undoing—the hushed invitations of death himself. There was nothing more, nothing less. Death! The all-consuming, the drowning-out, the gate at the edge of the world. Death! Where no more could mean more than nothing, and nothing no more. Death! The final string of fate plucked, then torn, the land and all of its inhabitants sucked into the infinite abyss. Death. Death. Death.

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[Deleted]

It wouldn’t take long for the boy to respond this time, and it was the most he has said about anything so far. His response was irrelevant to me though, I could care less for what he had thought - as long as I could go and do the exploration myself. I didn’t care much for what people in this world thought, you had to go and see things for yourself, so that you could know if it is true or not. With his words, my left eyebrow arched slightly, I wasn’t going to stand here and allow him to continue to throw salt on what I believed.

I didn’t care if he threatened my life or had the ability to kill me, I fight for what I believe in. “You can think that all you want, but I will still choose to see things different. Whether it exists or not is yet to be discovered by me, and I will go and search for it.” With that said, I carried a more stern expression upon my face, my body now taking a more aggressive stance as my fist began to ball into a fist and my chakra flourished within me, but it wouldn’t exit my being just yet.

“I just want to go look for myself? Why do you care if I waste my time or not? I didn’t know the shinobi of this country were such hard-asses.”

[Haru]

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The wind turned, the tides turned, a general turning filled the atmosphere. As if attuned to the workings of the universe itself, so too would the expression on the wanderer’s face. What had changed, in the passing moments? Did he think himself more than a toy, now? That his feelings mattered? Of course he wasn’t—and, they didn’t. Nothing ever mattered. Though, was I any more than him? Of course I wasn't. Wasn’t I merely a mouthpiece for the ideologue’s housing Kirigakure’s head? Of course. At least he was acting autonomously. In my current state, I was less. Far less. Weren't we all? And so my thoughts would turn, too. For the better, or for the worse? Whatever. As he, so I. I met his eyes once more with my own, looking deeply, searching curiously. I couldn’t shake the conviction that he was simply a foolhardy fool. But perhaps a fool was better than the nothingness that power tended to rend us into. Without autonomy, what was there? Protection? Safety? What cared I for safety? And if such declarations required a certain amount of foolhardiness, then one fool had become two fools. Two fools, intertwined by fate.

“Careful, now.” I warned, sword still in hand as I observed his balled fist.

I didn't want to kill him anymore. Instead, I moved from in front of him, ambling to his side, though still facing the direction of the sea. A new kind of knowing, illumination as our hearts beat side by side, and we breathed together. I looked out at the moving waters in front of me, the innumerable waves like countless unnamed soldiers, fighting and falling. The shinobi of the world. One blue mass of uniformity and unquestioning assent. They moved to the rhythm of their masters, danced for them, sang for them, gave their lives for them. And for what? Who decided to be born unto this world? Which one of us had any say in anything of final significance? We were bred as sheep, to be slaughtered in the service of our benevolent shepherds, all of us. We gave our souls in the service of our masters. Our childhood credulity, in all of its purity and innocence, led us to the adornment of life-binding shackles, and the carving out of our hearts for them. All for them. We existed for them. Starved for them, ate for them. Slept for them, woke for them. Just as sheep, we waited patiently and quietly to be slaughtered. But, maybe this didn't have to be.

The world was open before us. Who could name the future but us? It was we who would purify the world! And was I a fool for my longing? Were we two fools? Probably. Fools intertwined by fate.

“I will go with you.”

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[Deleted]

The jewels of my soul continued to carefully watch the boy before myself, at this point I didn’t care how he viewed me with his empty eyes or what he even thought. There was a reason I had come here today and I wasn’t going to leave, alive or dead, without even attempting to do what I came here for. I didn’t care for him being armed with a weapon, I wouldn’t care even if he had the jump on me with all his techniques at the ready, I would simply fight through for what I want.

He had told me to be careful, as if he was my boss. The very moment I was see his body give the slightest, violent motion, I would begin my own attack. I wasn’t tense or on edge, I was relaxed and flexible, but not too relaxed. The jewels dances about as he would advance toward my side, but still facing the opposite direction of me, and gave his declaration. “You’re going to come along? Hah, what changed your mind?”

It was like a one-eighty with this guy, he was just so intense and stern, now he is soft and gentle - or so it seemed. Just what was his deal and could he really be trusted? I highly doubt it, but my hands had long since un-balled by now, but my guard hadn’t completely dropped.

[Haru]

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My nin-sandals shifted in the sand, wading along, and finally my back was turned to the waves. They wouldn’t turn from me, of course. No, their swaying and colliding would continue on forever—until the ends of time. Or, perhaps not. In all likelihood, this wanderers claims were as empty as the will-withering deserts he supposedly ventured from—as empty as the island we currently stood on. But, there was always a chance. Even if it were so slim a chance as to probably not be worth mentioning, let alone imagining, the chance did nonetheless technically exist. And the power to control the tides was quite the monumental wager. What did I have to lose, investigating such a claim? How often did one come across such outlandish and wild, yet readily testable propositions? I never had, I didn't think. I had never seen so much as the slightest human commotion, on this particular route. But, here I was. To simply allow the opportunity to pass would have been too easy. And besides, I could tell from his posture that, for whatever reason, his dignity had risen significantly as time had moved along—one of us would likely have to kill the other if neither soon compromised. Though, as I had already declared before our congregation of flesh and sand and wave: I was willing. I looked to him as we stood side by side, the entirety of the island before us. My expression was one of collected amusement as I addressed his rather raucous question.

             “A turning wind, I suppose.”

                          I gave a shrug, eyeing him for a moment as my gaze turned slightly more serious.

                                          “Do you have any coordinates? Any plan, at all?”

                                                           “The island is vast.”

I looked again. There was dense jungle ahead. It sloped upward, forming a multitude of moderately-sized mountains. I knew that it was a relatively large island, but I hadn't read much else about this region. There wasn't much of a need to—it was an island to the far north-east of the country, out of the sight and reach of any commercial ship. Simply, there was nothing out here. This wasn't an island that one randomly passed; this was an island that had to be sought out. There was something eerie about it, I would notice, as I continued to stare. The leaves on the trees didn’t move, there were no birds flying in the canopies above, and now that I reflected on it, I hadn’t remembered hearing any of the sounds typical of wildlife emanating from the wooded region in all of my time spent standing in the area. Where was I? What was this place that I had somehow fallen into on my ordinarily unassuming patrol post? And for that matter, who was this white-haired foreigner standing next to me? There were mysteries upon mysteries. They were thick here, and one could guess that they would only thicken, becoming more murky and encumbering the further along we traveled. Nevertheless, I was my own being. I could have left at any time. I could have sailed away and never returned. Yet, something lured me. There was something enticing about this land, something that pulled me in by body and mind the more I continued to contemplate and stare.

A wonder awaited. The Shiomitsu-tama, or something far more sinister? Death would tell us, if time didn't.

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[Deleted]

(ENTER: FIND THE SHIOMITSU-TAMA!)
Refulgent hues moved from the boy and out toward the island before them, the boy would then twirl above until he faced the same direction as me, standing by my side as if he was a brother to me. With his responses, I took a dignified step forward - it was time to finally continue on my mission and due to the boy helping me, you could say in a sense, it became an international one. He suggested that his turn of toon had just been a turn of the wind, that in itself was scarier than he made it seem. I didn’t really know this boy, and he could turn one me at any given moment, due to a turn of the wind. Who’s to say when we find the Shiomitsu-tama and witness it’s grand power that he wouldn’t attempt to take me out? No.

That would not happen, I wouldn’t even think of letting my guard down, especially in foreign territory. I would be the first to kill him when and if the moment arose, for I would do anything to sustain my own life. I deserved to live and I will forever live. Somehow, someway. “Coordinates? I don’t have anything specific - but I have heard that it is strongly believed to be somewhere around the northern region of the country. As I was coming in from a distance, I could see that there was something ominous going on, so instead of pushing straight there, I decided to attack it from within the country.”

As we would venture forward through the dense forest of Mizu no Kuni, I’d take notice of the silence of the forest, the eerie feeling it had gave, as if another shinobi of this country could appear at any minute in an attempt to try and stop me once again. It was annoying, at least the thought was, but I had shrugged it off and kept a watchful eye out for everything I could see, and attuned my eyes for everything I couldn’t. If you can’t see it, it more than likely would make a sound at least. “So, the location is narrowed down. Though this may seem naive, but I had planned on this being a walk in the park - in and out.

This is something that I do for fun, I don’t really consider the danger, just the adventure. Let’s just try to get there first, and if a difficult situation presents itself, we adapt immediately. Sound good?” I hadn’t known how acute the boys ears were, so I didn’t exactly know if he could catch some of the undertoned sarcasm that my voice had carried. It was best that I at least kept him a little wound up if I could, if we got too comfortable with each other, that could put me in a pretty bad situation if he ever were to place that sword of his in my back.

[Haru]

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Our figures cut through the sand, leaving a trail of footsteps behind that would stretch with confidence from the sea before to the land of mystery beyond. I was infinitely curious, and perhaps slightly anxious, but there was no real fear in me. Like most other shinobi, my fear of death had been thoroughly extirpated from my being long ago. I only had the faintest memories of those days, now, hidden deep within the rocky valleys of Kaminari, though the aftermath of that hell would forever be situated at the core of who I was. It had been my becoming. An innocent, green little creature transformed into a faithful servant of death himself. There were no regrets. Not that such things had been a matter of choice—but nonetheless, a life of fire and ice and uncertainty was the only life I could ever deem worthy of the title. To waste away along the countryside was to not exist at all. Or so I believed. Yet, it was this belief that would guide me forward. Forward like a feather that sped, whose edges could slice and whose sight could signal doom. I was calm eyes and death vehemence. I would become as uncertainty—as night, as looming MYSTERY.

It was like entering into a new world as our surroundings suddenly covered themselves in dim light, and the once-giving ground, while still giving, hardened. The verdant scent of nature pervaded the air. It smelled of wood and bark, and shrubs, and dripping water, and damp dirt, and obstruction and liveliness. The soil could hardly be seen, as tiny, moss-like plant-life covered all that we walked on. Merely running my sandals coarsely along the expansive green would lift it from the ground, though, as if it longed to be set free from the hold of the earth. The trees, however, were unwavering. They dug themselves deep into the earth, and an obdurate unwillingness to let go was obvious among them. The earth fed them for their fidelity. They jutted up high in shades of grey and green and a variety of browns. Leaves of a thousand different sizes hung from branches equally varied. They were irregularly spread across my field of vision, and were several of me in thickness. They would only grow thicker as we continued, I knew, as the web of plant-life and green and brown would entangle itself further, until the sun was all but blind to their processions.

The jungle had always been an intriguing land, yet still, I found this one even more intriguing. It was different here. Water could be heard dripping in the distance, but apart from that, the place was utterly silent. The noise from the sea was blocked by the fortress of wood lining the inner edge of the sands. There was only us, and whatever lie waiting deep within. Nevertheless, the jungle still felt alive. It wasn’t at all lifeless. There was no visible decay. Contrarily, it was probably as verdant as a jungle could possibly be, as if touched by the gods of nature themselves. Nothing was clear. As we trekked forward, enveloping ourselves in a dense humidity and wavering light, a general feeling of hostility became the air and the atmosphere. I wouldn’t have been surprised if we were suddenly confronted by a grouping of leaves forming a 'YOU ARE NOT WELCOME' sign. But, we continued. I was resolute and unwavering; I reflected the trees and the rest of the organic structures—the mood they struck. I was with them. And I was with him. Relic-hunter. There must have been a deep power within my companion, for such a frivolous tone to be inflected before this enclosing and obscuring; it certainly couldn’t have escaped one lacking in confidence.

To think finding a pair of jewels that could grant one mastery of the sea would be ‘a walk in the park’, however, seemed daft. Whoever had hidden them was likely far more powerful than either of us combined—perhaps more powerful than a village-worth of shinobi combined, if I was forced to guess. And why had they hidden them? Questions, questions. At least we had a vague idea of where, though even that remained to be seen. Our eyes met once more as he finished speaking, his voice echoing throughout the woods.

          “Yes, understood.”

          “Though, I don’t think your tone is reflecting the gravity of what may be at hand.”

And then my gaze shifted. There were no trails and no worn paths as we squeezed and jumped and glided through the interconnected green. And there was no telling when this particular expanse would give way to something new. Whatever happened, I was certain that our search had only just begun.

          "What was your name, by the way?"

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[Ohta]

69 EXP Haru
60 EXP @circa