The Valley of Dreams [Travel]

Posts : 760

Throughout the entire journey Kyu endeavored, he was hoping that it would be smooth sailings from the time he left Kirigakure to his present location. He could arguably say that, for the most part, the trip had its ups and downs but there was hardly a hitch to his initial plan. He couldn’t locate his protégé anywhere, and he had his doubts that he was staying at the location of the ninth house’s compound. He had left Fire Country altogether and would probably make passage back to Kirigakure no sato. No doubt to escape the mad clutches of his ‘teacher’. Shinjin’s words, not Kyu’s.

He would miss his cousin’s company, but he couldn’t outright complain. Not after finding one of the prospects of his journey, the Yonbi Jinchuuriki, Tanaka, Kyousuu. A young man that looked like a lady, he knew for sure that he would be hearing from his brother after this dinner. He may have a serious streak going on, but he was sure his younger brother still had his old teasing nature.

He was sure the young man would come. He would be hesitant that’s for sure. He had no idea what he was walking himself into or who he was truly dealing with. A stranger asking him to go to a strange place to an unknown clan household was the same as having a kid walk down to the haunted house off the corner of main and Broadway. But what is a good mystery without a little danger? Kyousuu was curious, no doubt, and he would risk a lot to get a chance to speak with a person who spoke and walked with his only living relative. He could skip the opportunity but that would be a silly decision on his part. When would another opportunity like this come? Nothing like this has occurred in his life, Kyousuu would probably never get another chance, and Kyuseishu was not coming back to Konohagakure any time soon. Perhaps later, when his contact list expanded into his country, but until then…

Kyousuu could hardly worry about the place he was running towards. On the contrary, the path to the Ninth House of the Kuro clan was exceptionally exquisite. If he took the right path, he would first find himself jumping from branch to branch in a forest of cherry blossom trees. The pink petals would go on for miles until the forest change drastically off a cliff. He was clever to see the drop. Once he stopped at the edge of the cliff, more likely than not he’ll see the large canyon that covers a large part of the landscape. He would look down and see the drop into this canyon. What would his eyes see? Ah, that’s where reality stop and the dream began.

White water would fall into this valley; the seven, perhaps eight of them if he could see the one on the farthest side of the canyon. Mist would rise from the water colliding with the lake, and if seen at the right time the colors of the rainbow would fill the valley up. If he took the path that Kyuseishu took, not 100 meters away from would be waterfall known as the fall of dreams. It would have a pleasant smell of spring and fall, reminding people of days long past and days that have yet to come.

Such is the Valley of the Weaver, the famous valley forged by the Royal Family of the Ninth House. There wouldn’t be time enough to tell the tale of this valley but it is said that this place was forged by husband and wife. When they saw the goodness of this land, they along with their family settled here and from the look of how the place was set up, it looked as though time had forged this valley itself. Close inspection would show that it was time plus man. That was thing about the Ninth House. They did not focus on the war and tactics like his house. They wanted to stray away from combat and learn to indulge in culture. From art to the sciences, that was their central focus which made them famed among the twelve houses. From the edge, Kyu could see four other large cities that surrounded the dream castle. He knew that each city was a district and each district housed one of the four royal families. He been here before, long ago when he was travelling from Amegakure to Kumogakure and stayed for a time when he needed to recuperate.

Kyuseishu leapt from the edge and fell gracefully downward towards the earth. The smells that filled his nose reminded him of home, of Kirigakure, of Kia and Keiko, of Dany’al and Mashah. It was pleasant, and it was also unnerving. He landed on the branch of the tree before springing forward towards the direction of the gate. This part he felt it wouldn’t be tricky for him, but it would be for Kyousuu. He was recognizable by his look and more so of his attitude.

They were not combat oriented in a political sense. They did not engage in the problems of the world as they distance themselves from any shinobi influence. It was somewhat funny being in a place that was known for their wars. However, their combat was unlike anything Kyuseishu had ever seen. His first encounter with the clan guards reminded him of the bruises his receieved after managing to poke one of them into attacking him. He was filled with regret and pain that day, and he remembered that pain all too well. They were strong, they were fast, they were like the Oinin Butai of Kirigakure. They could gather intelligence just as fast as any spy and could eliminate a man as efficient as any assassin Kyu met in his life. Culture oriented and friendly, but deadly if anyone were to mess with them.

He came to the city gate. Two large guards stood in front, spears in hand. They took one look at Kyuseishu, and the instant he got close, their spears blocked the way.

“Are we doing this now?” Kyu said. He had a feeling they were going to make this difficult.

“What do you think, brother?” One of the guards said. Kyu looked to him. He was large. He was taller than Kyu by at least a foot and had the size to make him even more intimidating. He looked familiar to Kyu. Kyu put a hand on his hip and shook a finger at him

“Hey, weren’t you the guy I punched in the mouth?”

The guard considered then shook his head “You must’ve dealt with my twin brother.”

“There’s another one of you guys? Shit, I thought I was seeing double when he hit me square in the face. Is he still missing his teeth?”

The guard shrugged “He replaced them with gold now. Said he had a riveting ole time fighting a man from the fourth house. He still tells the story, you know. It doesn’t get old to him.”

“Ha, yeah, well, he was no tough cookie to take down. I’ll have to buy him a drink. But for real, can you let me through?"

"Nope." The guard held still for a moment, and then added. "Not unless you show me how good you are in a fight."

That caught Kyu off guard. He tilted his head and squinted his eyes "You want me to fight you?"

"Yes."

"You want me," He points to himself. "To fight you?" He points back at the guard.

"That's what I said. I want you to fight me."

The second guard stepped up "Baha and I made a bet that he couldn't get a good swing at you. You know, seeing that you're from the foruth house, and you're prized for your 'fighting'," He air quoted the word fighting. "and we were wondering if that was simply talk."

Kyu stared at the both them, incredulous to hear this. He knew what this was. It was simply a test to determine the strength of one another. It is common among the household. Even in his own house, with his two younger brothers, there were times where they had to test their strengths to see who is the strongest. This was not that different. He didn't want to waste the time nor the energy for this, but then again, it would whet his appetite.

"All right, why not. I'm game as long as you're game." He smiled, and stepped back to get out of range of the spear. "Tell me, how fast you want me to kick your ass?"

The guard, Kyu knowing it now by Baha, took one step forward and got in position with his spear "You're entertaining little man."

"You didn't answer my question." Kyu got into a simple fighting stance "Do you want to last five seconds, ten seconds, or twenty. The option is up to you, I'm simply asking how fast you want to get taken down."

Baha made a noise with his mouth. Arrogant prick was what those eyes were staring back. He was relishing in the belief that if he could beat a fourth house member, then he'll have something to tell to his brother and possibly his bar buddies.

Let the disappointment begin.

The first thing that Kyu knew was his speed. Baha, with his build of seven feet and four inches tall with about 280 pounds of muscle behind it, moved with surprising elegance and speed. Not many big men had speed along with finesse. Normally, it was a rarity. But to Kuro, it was not as rare. He did a quick lunge with his spear, the point ready to pierce into Kyu.

But Kyu was faster. The attack was straightforward and to the point (hehe, get it?). He swung his right arm, pushing the spear away from him. He wanted to get as much distance as he could from the spear. Seeing he was one of their guards, a ninth house guard at that, he was no chump.

"Come on man, get him!" the second guard was cheering. He didn't know whether he was talking to Kyu or Baha, but whoever he was cheering for he seem too excited.

Baha took another swing at Kyu only for him to take a step back. There it was. That speed that surprised Kyu. Baha took another lunge and was coming at him.

Kyu took a step forward this time, maneuvering his body so that he could wrap his arms around the wooden end of the spear and have a part of press up against his back. Kyu constricted his arms around the spear, holding onto it with a good amount of his strength. Baha tried to pull the spear out but it was no such luck. He could see Baha's strain as his arms and bicep became tout, trying to pull with all of his might. Fast but certainly not stronger that Kyu.

He put the spear to rest by breaking it into three, using his back as leverage. He pulled his arms towards his chest and the spear split. Baha was still pulling so when the spear broke, he stumbled backwards, almost falling. Baha could've recovered if he had the space and if he was fighting someone of his household. He, however, chose the wrong person to fight.

Kyu was on him in three quick steps, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him forward onto his rising knee. A straight gut shot He felt the rigidity of his abdomen go soft as Baha let out a air and spiddle. With the wind knocked out of him, and his eyes in a daze, Kyu then pivoted , turning his body to where he had his back and butt to Baha. He grabbed one arm of Baha and proceed to use his weight for him to be lifted up from the ground and thrown back to the earth with a surprising force. The ground underneath Baha cracked and crumbled.

He could hear the second guard shout "Oh shit" far off in the back. Baha was groaning, a bit of blood leaked out of his mouth. He could've done some minor internal damage. He was tough enough to take it, and he didn't hit him anywhere that would need any immediate medical attention. Kyu was brushing his hands of this matter.

"Looks like your friend won the bet." He held his hand out so Baha could be pulled up.

"Nah, I'm good fam..." he said an whisper "It's true about what they say." He coughed "Oh fuck, I'm going to pissing out blood..."

"Nah, you'll be coughing it up. I didn't hit your kidneys."

"Felt like you hit my kidneys..."

He grinned. He stepped over the large guard and made his way towards the gate. He stopped and turned his attention to the standing guard. "You know that I'm coming. Did Nach told you that there would be another guest arriving."

He nodded "The Jinchuuriki? We are aware that he'll be arriving soon."

"He may be arriving a little late." He took his leave and made his way down the path towards the castle of dreams. Why they called it that, he wasn't sure. He'll eventually learn why soon.

Age : 30 Posts : 1637

Kyousuu stared through the cage bars for a while, not really focusing on anything except the bijuu's presence. It wasn't a rare thing for him to do, but the atmosphere was different. He was deep in thought, but his anxiety was reaching its peak. Son Goku shifted his weight as he took a deep breath, smoke leaving his system as he exhaled.

"You're freakin' me out here, kid. Don't you have anything better to do than sit here looking you're going to have a panic attack?" Kyousuu remained silent for a moment longer before looking at the beast in front of him. Though mostly covered in shadow, the red gleam of the ape's fur was enough to alert the brunet of his presence.

"You already know why I'm here, so quit acting like you don't."

"Well, well, getting a little feisty, aren't ya? A little TOO feisty if you ask me. It's not like I'm really all that interested in what goes on in your life, I'm just being forced along for the ride."

The beast turned its back to its host.

"...What do you think I should do? Should I go see that Kyu guy? I'm... not really sure at this point, ki."

"Hmph. If you want to go that badly, then go. What are you so worried about? I'm not about to let some random ninja mess with me, and since we're stuck together, that means I'm not just gonna let him mess with you. It's been boring, but comfortable, so I'd rather stick with you until I find somebody better."

"Thanks, I think?"

Kyousuu turned the knob on the faucet, letting the water drip from the shower head for a bit before stepping out. He still had about an hour left before he had to show up at the Ninth House, or whatever, and he always found comfort under running water. It was a bit ironic, given his elemental affinities, but it was just how things were. As a result, his showers were usually quite long unless he was running short on time, consequently giving him a hell of a water bill every month. Not that it mattered; he was low maintenance and spent so little on himself that he always had some to spare after paying his bills. A little extra spending to make sure he could enjoy a hot shower whenever he wanted was an acceptable price to pay.

While towel-drying his hair, water dripping from his body, the brunet thought about the events of the day so far. He'd met two new people - both on the sketchy side - and was invited to dinner by one of them. He had no idea where Shinjin went, nor did he really care at that point, but if he was to really understand the situation, he'd have to be absolutely certain to analyze every piece of information he had. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

First, there was Shinjin. The way he spoke when they met was casual, as if they were friends. While it didn't mean he could be trusted, the kid did seem genuine when he said he didn't really know what Kyu was up to. Perhaps that much was true, at least. But he must have been a ninja - he used a clone with a detectable chakra source, and Kyousuu didn't think anybody that wasn't a shinobi would be capable of something like that. Then, there was Kyu, the main man. He was large in stature, even a little taller than Kyou, but aside from that Kyousuu didn't know where his strengths might lie. Taijutsu, maybe, but one didn't have to specialize in taijutsu in order to build physical strength. Constructino workers weren't usually shinobi but still had quite a bit of muscle. Kyu also seemed to have some ulterior motives, and he didn't say that Daitarou's request was his only reason for being there. Lastly, there was the lack of a discernable origin or affiliation, for both Shinjin and Kyuseishu. That was reason enough to be wary of associating with them, but Kyousuu was brave...or was he just naive?

It was enough information for him to know that accepting the dinner invitation was a risk, but a lot remained unclear. Perhaps he'd at least be able to get some more information out of the guy at dinner, but he wouldn't count on it. Maybe if he found some way to make him talk about things without actually asking about them, he'd have a better chance of getting the guy to open up.

Regardless, it was about time for him to head out - it was a quarter to seven but he wanted to show up a little late, to show reluctance as well as to avoid seeming like he wanted it over with. Since he was a shinobi, he'd be sure to leave with all of his gear, which wasn't too much. It was what he considered standard for most ninja - a pouch with tools and projectiles, his ninjato, and his brass knuckles. Since he specialized in ninjutsu and taijutsu, he didn't have much need for too many weapons. Aside from that, he packed some extra changes of clothes in a backpack. Even if he didn't leave with Kyu, he'd get a head start on his travel to Tea Country in order to meet up with Yuuto and the others. With everything in its place, he sprinted out of the door and made his way south, using his trip to Tea Country as his ticket out of the village gates.

Kyu had described the location to Kyou, and though it was rather vague, he was sure he'd be able to find it somehow. If he managed to get within 100 meters of it, he'd just have to look for Kyu's signature, assuming the man didn't have the ability to keep it hidden. Then he'd have no trouble finding it. A house full of dark-skinned folk would be rather significant and if he did get lost he'd just have to stop and ask for some directions, if at all possible. Getting there did seem take about as long as Kyuseishu had said, but it was a straightforward trip. Kyousuu was nervous about approaching the building as he saw it appear in the distance, but felt that it was too late to turn back now.

As he approached the front, he noticed the guards. They were... unusually large, and their size alone was intimidating. With the spears added onto that, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to beat one of them, much less two at the same time. They noticed him approach and simply watched him carefully. Once the chuunin was within an acceptable range, he spoke.

"Um... hi there, I was invited to dinner by Kyuseishu?"

COMBAT LOG:

Posts : 760

The two guards who were at their post, Baha and Dumisai (who was the second guard next to Baha), saw the young man approach. He was timid at the start, they noticed, but from the information they had on the guest of Kyuseishu, he was quite a danger to them and shouldn't be taken lightly. Baha had just started to feel better after he had a medic come and exam him. He was bruised on the inside from his abdomen, to his stomach and part of his small intestine. Other than that, he could manage and possibly stay on duty until his shift was over.

Both guards look at each other then back at Kyousuu.

"You're the Yonbi Jinchuuriki?" Dumisai said. He was not as tall as Baha, which wasn't saying much seeing that he was seven feet tall and two inches, but he was much leaner than his partner and lighter in skin tone. Again, that wasn't saying much either. The way he said that, however, gave the impression that they were expecting someone...different. It wasn't every day the Ninth House dealt with anything political, much less deal with the weapons that each village possess. So when they heard that a jinchuuriki was coming to their city, and would be partaking in the festival, the guards were both excited and nervous. They didn't know what to expect Kyousuu to look like. Maybe they had the impression that he was a warrior similar to Kyuseishu or someone from the First, Second or Fourth Houses.

Looking at Kyousuu, they both seem disappointed. Dumisai was especially disappointed showing as he took a deep breath and sighed.

"We were told that he did look a bit like...well, it doesn't matter Dumisai. This is him." Baha said in his deep voice "Welcome, young man, to the household of Kuro. Kuro, Kyuseishu should be waiting for you at the main castle." He turned his head to Dumisai. "Brother, please, take him to him."

"M-me?" Dumisai felt his eyes widen. "Why do I have to do it?"

"Because I have seniority over you, and I am in no mood to be walking some guy around after my bout with Alyasha."

"And whose fault is that? You're the idiot for challenging him on your shift. Not my fault."

Baha waved him off. "Get going, Dumisai. I'll see you at the party later on."

Dumisai let out an exasperated sigh. "You owe me a drink then."

"Fine, whatever. Just go and show him to Alyasha-Sama. The quicker you go to him, the faster we can get our drinks."

That was something Dumisai couldn't argue with. Both Dumisai and Baha moved aside, but Dumisai broke formation and started to walk the path towards the Castle of Dreams. "Right this way, sir." he said, sounding more annoyed than formal.

Dumisai led him straight down the cobblestone path towards the castle of dreams. It was a surprisingly long walk from the gate entrance to the large castle in the center of this city. They had to constantly stop as there were large groups of people moving from one end of the street to the other, vendors making their way selling foods on their carts. Children ran by playing a game of tag (or what appeared to be tag), and almost collided with Dumisai. He yelled at them as they moved but they were in the crowd faster than he could get a chance to give him a full scolding. If Kyousuu was feeling left out when he was surrounded by two men of color on his first meeting, he stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the large crowd of color in this entire place.

He was surrounded by men and women of different shades, ranging from the obsidian color the man who came in a monk robe to the skin tone of Kyuseishu and Shinjin. He saw other colors of people, their skin from midnight to coffee, to the color of the earth, to the color of red. Some had an orange tint to them, some a purple tint to their dark skin. Some had almond shaped eyes while other had wide bright eyes. Their skin was unlike anything Kyousuu had seen. Konohagakure was not filled with a lot of people of color descent, the most they get is a foreigner who was still close to the color Kyousuu was familiar with. To be in a place that was the direct contrast to Konohagakure was something of a culture shock.

They were also dressed in color too. Their garb appeared mystical. Some wore the familiar garb of the Kimono while some were wearing regular clothing. But a majority of the people were wearing dashiki's filled with vibrant colors of orange, yellow, red, blue, purple and white. Some wore pure white, making their skin tone even more distinct. The robes that some of the men were wearing were so eccentric that it was hard to take notice. As they got closer to the castle, The smell filled the night air, all of it smelling of barbeque. Dumisai was rubbing his belly.

"Damn, it's smelling so good. I can't wait to go out tonight." He turned his head to Kyousuu. "And you were invited into the castle. Man, you gonna be eating real good tonight."

"Lord Alyasha" Samu'Al's voice breaking into the realm of Kyu's dream. "It is time to wake up"

Kyu's eyes opened. He could feel a stiffness in his neck and a numbness in his leg. He turned his head to the left only for his face to meet the soft cushions of the couch itself. He was on a lush couch by the feel of the pillow he was laying his head on. He must've slept on his neck wrong cause he felt a solid crick in it every time he moved. He felt his leg was over the armrest of the couch itself, and judging from the tingle he was feeling as he shifted his body so he was sitting up on the couch, he had been sleeping more a little more than two hours.

"How long was I out?" He murmured to Samu'Al.

"Almost three hours." Samu'Al replied, smiling warmly like a parent waking up a sleeping child. "I came to inform you that the Yonbi Jinchuuriki is here and dinner is about to be served."

"Woww...that's..." he was caught in mid sentence. He was going to say "That was fast." only to remember that three hours had passed since he arrived. He saw on the table a book that was laying on a page he was reading. It was a fiction book, the title "The Dark Tower". He was certainly into it as he was about 1/4 the way in. Yet, sleep overcame him and it he fell right asleep in the guest room he was in. He rubbed his eyes "Is it all right if I have dinner in here? What I'm about to discuss is rather personal. I rather not have the wandering ears hear the conversation I'm about to have with Kyousuu"

The room was enough to fill about a small family. With four beds, a large fireplace and two bathrooms, it was more than enough space for him. He knew he had a thing for large, over the top rooms (Which meant he couldn't say shit knowing that his two mansions back at Kirigakure was similar in that regard.), but he did know it was a lot for one person. It was more than enough to house another guest.

"Hmmm," Samu'Al tap a finger on his lip. For the moment, Kyu wasn't sure whether he was going allow it or not. After all, he was a guest in their compound and he, by guest rite, wouldn't be allowed to ask for such request. "Normally my father would be insulted if you didn't come to the feast dinner."

"But...?"

"But," Samu'Al smiled. "My father is away for this particular festival. I wouldn't mind if you decided to stay here for tonight. But promise that you'll see my family before you take your leave back home."

A simple proposal. Of course, the simpler it was, the more there were at stake. He couldn't refuse this, however. "Very well."

"Excellent. I shall tell the servants to send the food to your room." He made a quick bow and made his way out the door.

"Mmm..." he grunted. He dragged a hand over his face. The after effects of sleep was still on him. He had to clear his head a bit.

He wouldn't get that time when the door opened to reveal Dumisai and Kyousuu coming into his room.

"Lord Alyasha." Dumisai bowed.

He waved an impatient hand at him. "No. No. No." Each slow 'no' he said, he shook a pointed finger at Dumisai. "Don't do the formalities here, man. We've already met and I ain't finna here to hear all that today. Just...just go man. You did good. Go."

That seem to break Dumisai's formal presentation surprisingly fast. "Shit, cool. I'm glad I'm done. Hey, if you still here tomorrow night, you wanna get a drink with a few of the guys?"

"Sure. As long as I don't have to fight any of your brethren. I rather not go home and hear from my brother that I went on a rampage kicking my cousin's asses."

"Can't make any promises but I'll make sure that you don't get in too many fights." He laughed and closed the door on the both of them.

They were alone now. The Jinchuuriki of the Four Tails and Alyasha son of Yachazy'al, also known as Kuro, Kyuseishu. He got up from the couch and stood. He let out a long, almost ongoing yawn that went on forever and ever "Damn, I'm tired. I'm really tired." He gestured towards the table where there were three chairs "Sit if you like, or stand. I don't care what you do. As long as you comfortable."

He sat back down on the couch. "I'm actually surprised you came to this place. I thought you would get lost. But seeing how you want to know more about your brother, it shows me how determine you are. Commendable."

"Please, ask away. What do you want to know?"

Age : 30 Posts : 1637

Kyousuu fought the urge to yell as the guards examined him. Even though he was used to being looked at with fear, disgust, or hatred, the fact that they were sizing him up and seemed both unimpressed and disappointed was more than a little bit frustrating. His eyebrows twitched as he forced himself to calm down. With a smile, he simply nodded, pretending not to notice the intent behind the more rhetorical question. He knew better than to let something like that get to him - he'd been faced with worse things.

The guards, Dumisai and... whatever the other one's name was, spoke to each other rather casually as if Kyousuu wasn't even standing there listening to their banter. As a matter of fact, everything about them was casual aside from their appearances and they way they'd been standing with their attention on anything that moved or made a sound. It reminded the chuunin of how ninja interacted with each other. One moment they were serious, discussing important matters, the next they were joking and laughing as if they weren't discussing something morbid a few seconds earlier. It was amusing, but didn't help to ease the jinchuuriki's nerves. As innocent as these two seemed, there was no telling what the host of the dinner - even if that wasn't Kyu - would have to say about the whole thing. He didn't even know the first thing about this place or the people that resided within these walls.

Once they'd stopped trying to figure out who would be the one to take Kyousuu to his destination inside the castle, the chuunin gave a curt bow at the one that stayed by the gate to avoid being left behind. As quick as he was when running, the sheer height difference alone meant he'd have to move his legs at a quicker pace to keep up with Dumisai. Now that he had a chance to get a good look at the man's stature, he felt rather small, which was unusual. Most people in Konoha were shorter than him, even if that was only by a few inches. It was a new experience, and one he felt he could have probably done without.

One thing that the jinchuuriki noticed as they approached the bustling crowd on the path to the castle itself was that all the people had naturally darker complexions. Some were a dark as night, others only slightly darker than Kyousuu, but with clearly more reddish undertones. The variety was what was most amazing, as he'd never seen so many different types of skin before. It was strange, and different, but somehow he truly enjoyed seeing it. He was sure his parents would-

...

Fuck my parents, he silently growled, cutting off his previous train of thought. It didn't matter what they thought. Not anymore.

The fact that the duo struggled to get through the crowd didn't bother him so much. It was a bit of a sensory overload, that much was certain, but his eyes darted about with a hint of delight in their shine, like a child being told to choose whatever they want in the sweets shop. The colors and styles of clothing were so foreign to him, and it was such a nice change of pace. No matter what happened while he was inside the castle, this experience alone made it worth the trip. He was certain that not many in Konoha were lucky enough to see something as spectacular as this. Kyou was almost tempted to break way from his escort in order to explore the compound and get to know all he could about these people, but he knew that he had other things to take care of.

"It smells better than the barbecue back at home, ki," he remarked when Dumisai mentioned the food. It was true, and despite knowing the possible danger, the thought of having a proper meal that wasn't accompanied by either yelling or by complete silence was rather compelling. If he made it out without conflict, he'd have to thank them.

'I'm getting ahead of myself.'

After making their way through a section of the castle, which had too much for Kyousuu to process - especially visually - he and Dumisai stopped in front of an equally impressive door. The large man nodded as if to indicate that they had arrived, and opened the door, walking in first. It sounded like he had addressed Kyu in some strange tongue, though the brunet wasn't surprised given what he'd witnessed on his way there.

The intentional drop of formalities occurred here as well, and it made him wonder if it was because he was here, or if this was an earnest trait of Kyu's. Opting to remain silent as the two dark-skinned men spoke, Kyousuu looked around the room. He wasn't sure what he expected, but this wasn't it. Several beds indicated that this was more of a suite than a room, with two doors leading to what the chuunin assumed were likely bathrooms, or some other space with some form of utility for whoever stayed here.

Dumisai left the room, closing the door behind him. This was it.

"Damn, I'm tired. I'm really tired."

Those weren't the first words he imagined Kyu to say to him after arriving, even if they weren't specifically directed at him.

Kyousuu wasn't really sure if he wanted to sit or stand - he was much too anxious for either. He was slowly beginning to process the fact that he was here, and that he would be trying to learn about his brother - from a man he barely knew, no less. Regardless, he figured that standing would make him appear stiff or show just how nervous he was, so he walked over to the table and sat down, subtly crossing one foot over the other under his chair.

"Well, I wasn't really sure if coming here would be a good idea, to be honest," he began, scratching his chin with his index finger, "But I'm tired of staying cooped up in that village all the time, ki. I figure a little adventure might be worth the potential danger. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?" The smile on his face was only there for a few seconds before the light in his eyes dimmed. It was clear that his mind was on his brother now rather than the circumstances of this visit.

"I've had a lot of time to think about what answers I really want," he muttered, his brow furrowed ever so slightly, "but now that I have the chance to ask the questions, I'm not sure where to start, ki." The truth was that he feared what the answers might be. How and why did Daitarou get involved with Kyu? What was the extent of their relationship? Despite the fear, there was only one question he would logically start with.

"I was told that Daitarou is still alive, and at first I was skeptical. But then I met you. You talk about him like he's still around, so it must be true, ki. But I do want to know... how you know each other. I mean, even if it's just a little bit, I don't know anything about what happened after he left. The last person I talked to about him only said that he was alive and that he was hanging around Water Country, but that was really it, ki." In truth, the conversation between Kyousuu and Yuuto had more to it, but not all of it relating to the chuunin's older brother.

"I guess another question to go along with that would be when you met, rather than just how... I mean, it's been over 10 years since I last saw him, and a lot can happen in that time. I just... I guess I'm trying to get a better sense of what it was like for him, ki."

Daitarou would never tell him everything that happened in his life after he left, and Kyousuu knew that. His only chances of finding out would be through these other people that might have been around to witness some of it. There was no guarantee that Kyu knew a lot about Daitarou's life, but it couldn't hurt to ask him. The worst that would happen is the dark-skinned man would simply tell him that he didn't have an answer. It would be disappointing, but hardly a serious consequence.

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Posts : 760

"Hmmm." Kyu took it all in with stride. He set one of his legs on his knee. "Where to begin, where to begin?"

There was a knock on the door. The food was here. "Come in!" he yelled. The door opened. In came two men and two women holding two trays of food in each hand. From the smell that filled the room, the majority of the food was barbeque meats. "I'm kind of a meat eater, rarely do I eat fruits like you."

One by one, they set their tray on the table. They pulled the covers off the tray, and true to Kyu's word, the majority of the food was meats. There was roasted chicken, surrounded by potatoes, color red, yellow, and green peppers. The next platter was barbeque lamb with mint sauce bowl set in between the rib, there was venison, brown and tender, with some of the meat falling off the bone. There was a platter of roast beef, a platter of roasted duck, a platter of roasted vegetables ranging from asparagus to squash.

"Of course, I didn't forget that you may want this." One of the women laid in front of Kyousuu a platter. She opened up the top and revealed fruits of the both common origin and exotic ones. There were bananas in the middle, watermelon, kiwi, apples, oranges, and two other fruits of unknown origin. There were two fruits that could only be seen and found in the compounds due to the seed found around the area. One was purple and the other was blue. There were two of each standing out among the bright colors of red, yellows, and oranges.

"If I'm going to give you the honest truth about this, I'll have be honest with one thing about me." He remained sitting on the couch, wanting Kyousuu to get relatively comfortable. "It's best that you start to eat and get yourself relatively full when I begin this story of mine. It's a rather...intriguing tale."

The journey of mine where I met and was introduced to Hanketsu started after my mission was completed in Kumogakure no Sato. I can't tell you what my job truly entails. You wouldn't have the clearance to know about that and even if you did, it would take a very long time to explain. But, to keep it relatively simple, I will say that my job is similar to a maintenance man. I make sure all the cogs and pipes run smooth and operational so nothing breaks and cause long term problems. I was setting myself up shop for my next mission which would be in Water Country. The country itself was going through the usual destabilization that Water Country was infamous for. But this situation was different. The Country itself was going through a political war of two sides. One wanted to unify the country under one banner, to create a country that would essentially bring forth peace. Another side wanted to create peace, but rather keep the country as separate as they were in the past.

Both sides had their arguments, their points, their faults. But each one of them were unaware of the man of conquest. Perhaps they did see him, but were too blind to find him a potential threat. We, the organization that I work for today, found that he was more than just a threat. He was a game changer.

This brings into question the man that had, temporarily, unify the entire country, but for a price. The man that changed the country, which ultimately shifted the balance in the world. Sandaime Mizukage, Yamanaka, Inoshi, the first and last emperor of the Shinobi Country.

From what I gathered from every village, he kept himself very sheltered so that no one could know the inner workings of the Yamanaka. Not only did he do this to himself, but he did this to the village and part of the country as well. The best offense, he believed, was a good defense. It is true that the international community could do little to a country that kept their information traffic to a minimum, so it was rather hard for anyone to interfere with the man's goal: True Unification.

To unify the country under one banner, one country, one man. Who else could lead this change? After all, he build the supporters, he defeated their enemies, he had a sizeable military that could destroy anyone that got in his way. Regardless of the two political sides, only the irrational could not see that this man was bringing the change they wanted. He was their man, their leader, their god.

This all sounds good to the outside viewer. Why wouldn't it? Balance to the country, balance to the world right? To my organization, this brought for a treasure trove of problems. For one, it was the speed in gaining power. Of course, power gaining isn't an issue. Not entirely. It was strange to see him gather so much strength in such a few short years. In a matter of months, he was incorporating many of his supporters into the higher clans and houses, and throughout the days where there was public uproar, we find in just a year that same public loving this new change. Kirigakure and its country is generally made of men and women of war, how could such a man bring general peace so quickly. We see this kind of issue when men are establishing themselves as dictators rather than the leaders they were set out to be.

Unification. But at what price? The economy began to destabilize, war broke out, bloodier than any war in the past, and the corruption throughout the village became prominent that despite how the public cheered on the outside, their hearts knew that something was amidst. Not only did it affect the Water Country as a whole, it affected the international community as well. If Water Country began to destabilize then so would the surrounding countries. Eventually, the major villages would have no choice but to intervene. The problem with that was that Kirigakure was very strong, perhaps stronger than what we anticipated. If they were to go to war with the surrounding countries, including the major shinobi ones, the war would've been so one sided that the scales would essentially tip. Or in this case, break.

This was six years ago, so that would make me twenty-seven at the time. Travelling to Water Country, I was given the task in bringing back that order the Country desperately needed and to make sure the world would not enter a world war. This was a delicate task that a few people within Kirigakure, a few organization members, and a third party could deal with such a task. The Hanketsu was among the 'third party' category.

I took it upon myself to gather and meet them even though I had no connections in Kirigakure or Water Country as of then. The first year in Water Country was probably my most brutal year as I was trying to establish a large, functioning business that would survive the oncoming economic crash, incorporate myself among the supporters of men who was against this potential regime change, and gain control of Water Country's Black Market trade. This was a relatively difficult only because I had to work hard in the shadows. I had connections to the black ops of the village, but even then, the personal guard force of the Mizukage were a handful to deal with. After the first year, I had put a good chunk of myself into the black market which would allow me contact with Hanketsu.

When I first met Hanketsu, it was at my new house at one of the farther islands in Water. I invited over the older and stronger individuals in the group as a means to scope out the potential men and women I would be working with. I knew the group had some type of ties to Kirigakure, and the only thing I could get from my sources was the fact that they were against the change of this Mizukage. I met Yuuto, Takeshi, Kohaku, and Daitarou all at the same time. The leader, the crazed man, the muscle and the glue that united them together.

Although I generally talked to Yuuto the first time around, I knew that it would be Daitarou that would ultimately help me get what I want. The man had a vibe about him that was different from Yuuto. Yuuto was a leader, hands down. He had a presence similar to myself that could inspire or invoke fear into men without raising his voice. Of course, as a leader, he thought about the well-being of his organization. They left the village because of regime of the Mizukage himself, why would they involve themselves back into their politics?

It was a reasonable concern. I didn't have a good answer at the time. They could not benefit from this. Besides the whole moral "The world needs to be in balance" shtick, it doesn't exactly convince a lot of people. It wouldn't convince any ragtag mercenary group, and it definitely didn't convince Yuuto.

They stayed at my estate for a week. They were first to decline the offer, but I gave them reason to stay for that week. During that week, I began to converse with each and every one of them. I wanted to know them. I wanted to know the man of questionable mental stability, the androgynous young women that was enigmatic to me (That is, until I later found out about her particular 'origin'), and the man who would eventually be the person who got me Hanketsu as an organization.

He was the person I talked to the most, and the person I would talk to during my tenure with the group. As I said, Daitarou had an air about him similar to Yuuto, only he used that energy to bring together that balance within the group. The synergy he had with the three other people was so good that you would've thought he had telekinesis. They were stronger than him, there was no doubt in that. They could've easily shown their strength through their power alone. Yet, somehow, he could calm Takeshi down with just his voice and show how human Kohaku can be. It was ultimately him that convinced Yuuto to help with the balance of Water Country, under the pretense that I would somehow retrieve you from Konohagakure and guide you towards a better life. Your brother held you in high regards, having faith that you would somehow change the world in some way, shape, or form. I didn't think of how to get you out the village until I travelled with my cousin, Shinjin, and the Ninth House Spy Network keeping tabs on you.

"The favor was ultimately for me to get you." He got up from the couch and went over to the table where he grabbed a piece of lamb and bit into it. He chewed and swallowed before he continued. "It was hard for him, ya know. I spent an entire year with the group, working with them to help Water Country. But after that year, we separated and we haven't really spoken in person since. He would send me scrolls asking about how I was, and whether I did the favor or not. I would usually tell him to be patient. I never go back on my word, and this is true, but I couldn't just waltz up in there and take you. It would take time, a lot of time and patience to get what he wanted. But, the letters were always the same." He smiled. "Ah, the man was impatient and patient. A contradiction in of itself. He was calm under every mission we went on. He never really rose his voice and he never really seem to be get angry."

"Your brother kept living. Despite his history, he kept moving forward. I admire a man who, after all the shit he been through, kept living. He kept leading, he kept the children of Hanketsu in check, making sure they ate, did their small missions, managed the team. and he kept the older men in line. Your brother is a great man, Kyousuu." Kyu took another bite of his lamb. "And don't let anyone else tell you otherwise."

He sat down at the table. "So the next time you see him, you can tell him to stop sending me scrolls because I held my end of the bargain. A Kuro always pays his debts."

Age : 30 Posts : 1637

Shortly after Kyu's initial response, there was a knock on the door. The four that came into the room with trays made Kyou blush a bit - he was so focused on figuring out what to say and what to ask that he'd completely forgotten about dinner, even though that was what the invitation was for. As the various aromas drifted through the area, the chuunin felt his stomach rumble violently, and was almost certain that Kyu could have heard it had he been paying attention. He hadn't eaten anything except for those two bananas all day, so it was to be expected.

One thing was certain, the man certainly didn't disappoint in the dinner department. Kyousuu's favorite food happened to be bananas, but he certainly enjoyed just about anything that was put in front of him, including barbecued meats. Doing his best not to drool over the spread, which took a considerable amount of effort, the brunet began to pile the food onto his plate. The thought did cross his mind that the food might be poisoned, but that would be quite an elaborate set-up, given the circumstances. Although, he walked past the gate guards saying he was heading to Tea Country early to make the most of his time there, so if anything did happen, they wouldn't even know where to look, and news wouldn't reach them until the jinchuuriki hadn't shown up on the peninsula for a while.

Topping off the unbelievably large amount of food stacked in front of him with a few bananas, he began to dig in as Kyu started his story, giving a courteous nod to the people leaving the room.

Despite his initial sense of urgency to get to the matter at hand, Kyousuu found that the man had a way with words. Everything he said had a purpose, and he was drawn into the story, finding something interesting in even the minor details. The brunet had been fairly sheltered for most of his life, so he didn't know much about the workings of anything outside of the village, or even the inner workings of Konoha, for that matter.

Somehow, the fact that Kyu didn't truly explain his purpose or say who he worked for didn't really matter. If this was all true, then he was quite interested in how things would play out in this little story. Kyousuu wasn't an avid reader, but the select few novels he picked up all had some sort of realistic conflict that made things interesting, and that included political conflicts. He'd more or less set himself up to care very little about the village itself, but having met two Hokages, he'd found out that avoiding it altogether wasn't the best idea. These works of fiction seemed to make up for that, and he slowly became interested in those types of things.

Kyu's story felt kind of like those books.

Yamanaka, Inoshi, was the character that was introduced at the beginning, the one that typically ended up as a villain despite being introduced the same way a protagonist would. He was surrounded by mystery at first, but the narrator clarified just enough key points to paint the picture in a way that would make sense, even to somebody that wasn't involved. So Inoshi became the type of villain that sugar-coated things and had unclear motives, and the audience would know that something was off about him. But the emperor was not the main character, and would likely not get any more attention than he had been given to set the context for the main plot.

Enter Hanketsu. Though there were two names that Kyousuu didn't recognize, he knew Yuuto, and of course knew Daitarou. His heart fluttered at the thought of his older brother, the one person aside from his late sister that he missed so much that it caused him physical pain. There was still the question of how Daitarou got involved with Hanketsu to begin with, but he'd have to ask the man himself if he managed to meet him face to face.

The upper "ring" of Hanketsu, though small, seemed like quite a formidable force from the way Kyu talked about them. He knew that Yuuto alone was a force to be reckoned with, and the thought that there were others was, quite simply, frightening. It seemed that, at the very least, his older brother was in good hands.

When the taller male began to describe Daitarou, Kyousuu clung to his memories of his brother, matching them up with the descriptions. They matched up so well that he could hardly believe it - his brother seemed unchanged from when they were younger, and it gave him hope, made him believe that perhaps things could almost go back to the way they were once they were back together again. Even if they'd be missing their sister, with their parents out of the picture, things could get better, couldn't they? That was the ideal that he had clung to for so many years that it would likely seem foolish for a man his age to be dreaming about such things, but it was what he lived for. He lived to see his brother again, and to understand the reasons he disappeared and hadn't gotten back in contact with him.

Just hearing somebody else talk about Daitarou and hold him in such high regard was enough to make the chuunin emotional. He could feel start to well up, but he did his best to suppress them. What grown man would willingly let himself cry like that in front of somebody he barely knew? Not to mention he was a shinobi and should be in control. Even so, a single tear managed to slip through and roll down his right cheek. He wiped it away quickly, muttering a muffled a apology with a mouth full of roast beef. It was a tear of hope and joy rather than sadness, but he was still embarrassed and, with eyes downcast, silently chewed his food while trying to come up with something to say.

"So... if I stick with you, I can probably see him again? I mean, I talked to Yuuto about meeting up with him in Tea Country first, but if I'm going with you to... wherever, is there some way we could at least send him a message, ki? That way he doesn't wait up for me and can help me and you, assuming you wanted to, get in touch with Taro." It had been a long time since he'd referred to his brother as Taro, but he was so eager to see him again that he couldn't hold himself back for much longer. He needed this, and didn't care what the village did. Not anymore.

COMBAT LOG:

Posts : 760

Kyu grabbed the cloth napkin and wiped the juice from the venison off his lip. “It’s hard to say.” He said, as he set the napkin down and reached over for his fork. “I’m sure once the message is over to Yuuto, it wouldn’t be long before they arrive in Water Country. Hell, I’m sure I have a letter waiting for me at my desk now waiting for a response. The moment I send a message saying “Yeah, I got yo bro”, they’ll be here faster than a horny teenage boy coming.” He speared a piece of venison and bit down on it, chewing it a few times, and then swallowed. “Excuse the lewdness. This venison got me jumping for joy.” He took another bite. “Got damn man, got damn.” In that moment, the man that was telling the story was gone. He probably wasn’t going to go back to it anytime soon now that his stomach was being filled with delicious wild game. He took another bite, and then another. He nodded his head in satisfaction.

He points his fork at Kyou. “You know, you remind me of my little brother. Not in the looks department. He’s as tall as you, broader in the shoulders, a bit on the crafty side…you know, loves architecture and all that kind of jazz. The man could build you a tower before you can even blink.” he added, “Oh, and blacker. Definitely got you beat in that department. Well, I mean if you didn’t notice, you probably the palest thing since snow in this place. ”

He lowered his head and began to chuckle. “Oh man, all right. So there was this one time, he and I went on prank my middle brother. Well, it was mostly me that wanted to prank him. I’m twenty-one and he’s like nine so it’s easy to convince him to build me a small contraption similar to a jack-in-a-box.”

His eyes slightly look up. “Now that I think about it, it probably was a jack-in-a-box.” He shrugged, continuing with his story. “Anyway, not the point, I decided to fill the box up with whipped cream, ice cream, and chopped nuts and I put the box inside the refrigerator. Now, I knew he had a habit of checking the refrigerator whenever he got home only because he didn’t like that our little brother would sneak food when he wasn’t supposed to. I got a bunch of wire and set it up so the moment he opened the refrigerator, the mechanism would just give him a taste of his least favorite thing-“

He paused. He didn’t know what this story had anything to do with his brother. His grinning his face didn't totally diminished. It went to a gentle smile. He waved a dismissive hand at Kyou, “Never mind, never mind. Let’s just say he was pissed when he came home and found himself covered in an ice cream sundae. That’s tamed compared to what I use to do to him. Anyway, the point I’m trying to make is that you got the same look as my brother. Those eyes of yearning that seem to go on forever searching for something that has been out of reach for so long and now-“ he turns and gestures to the window, “That opportunity is here.”

The smile faded then. He blinked and there was a physical change surrounding him. The aura, it was different. Was it the change in his voice? Was it the darkening of the eyes? It was unclear as to what it but what he said made it clear that things just got real. “But the question now is whether you are willing to see how far this rabbit hole goes. You answered the question of whether you wanted to come or not by coming here, you made your resolution of taking this path when your eyes harden, but how far are you willing to go? We find ourselves wanting to find someone or something so much that we sometimes can’t see ourselves being led into darkness.”

He points to the scar on his eye. It was a short slash that went from the top of his eyebrow all the way the way down to his upper cheek. When he blinked, the scar was made complete. “I made the decision of seeing how far the rabbit hole went and I almost lost an eye for it. I was lucky to just get a slash across the eye and not lose it. My little brother?” He slides a finger all the way down his arm. “He almost lost an arm for his endeavors. Almost got it ripped off by an ancient door of an old temple.”

He spears another piece of the venison and ripped it off the bone, the muscle seemingly coming off like a piece of tape. His voice lowered, soft, almost to a dark whisper. “You, my friend, will go through a pain far greater than what I or my brother experienced. Your decision will change the outcome of balance in the word, your actions will bring forth the darkness out of man, and there is no way to turn back now. With that, you will seek the knowledge and gain understanding. But at what cost?"

"And he that follows wisdom will receive nothing more than sorrow…" a voice in Kyu's head answered. So distant that voice, familiar and sounding like his grandfather. It was a response that wasn't truly an answer, and hearing him say that for the first time made little sense to Kyu as a young boy. Now, it seem very relevant.

What filled the room was not silence. Even from the distance they were from the main festival, the sounds still came in. They could hear the soft melody from trumpets, their music rising and falling to the rhythm. The music began to fade in the distance, but the silence did not consume the room. Kyu looked at the piece of venison before he took a bite out of it and chewed.

He finished his food on his plate and grabbed a second helping the moment he finished the bit of meat off the bone of a buffalo. He looks at Kyou "We will be in the compound for a few days. Two days perhaps, three at the most. During the festival, I'll send the message immediately to Hanketsu and hopefully by the time we arrive in Water Country, we should have a response back. On the third day, we'll set off. There, we will reach to my estate and you may stay will accommodated until you meet your brother."

"In the meantime," He pushed the chair back and grabbed the plate of food. The darken demeanor was gone, again, and he appeared to look relatively cheerful. "Let us celebrate my people's festival. It's simply known as The Days of Feasts. It's quite a great set apart day. It's one of my favorite times of the year because-." And as if on cue, he began to tell the story of the time he spent with his family, telling him the stories of his brothers, his father, his mother, his entire lineage. He told the story until the late hours.

Three days later.

The days went past without too much excitement. The Days of Feasts went on from Sundown on the first day to sunrise on the third day. When Kyu woke up that morning, he knew it was time to leave after he could hear the pitter patter of people moving all about the hallways. Kyu opened the door and saw servants, and guards, moving to and from rooms. There were other guests, from nations far from the shinobi continents, in the rooms as well coming out to see what was going on. Some of the guests were already moving from their rooms out of the castle of dreams. Kyu knew it was time to leave. It was time for them to depart and make their way to their destination. He wanted to say goodbye to Samu'Al, he really did. When he looked at the time, it was already eleven o' clock. He wouldn't make it to the docks to find a decent ship for them to travel back on.

The entire city compound was cleaning up and returning back to their lives. Kyu was carrying his travel bag in hand, moving past the men and women who were moving tables and decorations off the shops and buildings. He noticed a trend where all the places he traversed to were having a festival of some kind. In Lightning Country, it was a festival for…something. He wasn't entirely what that one was all about. Probably just the summer festivals and now here he was feasting with his brothers and sisters. He thought that kind of odd knowing he travel at the right time. Kyu stepped one a pile of streamer which got caught in his foot.

"Aiyiya." He said. His swiped his foot on the ground and the streamers came off. "My people sure know how to effing party."

"You got that right." A familiar voice said from behind.

Kyu turned around and saw his Baha, his guard friend from the first day here in his uniform and spear in hand. He patted Kyu's shoulder "You're one hell of a fighter. Never seen a man beat three men with one of the guy's he's beating own shoe."

"It's funny because I don't fight that much during one of the feasts days. I guess a little bit of alcohol can do that to a man." he smiled. "You're healing up pretty well."

They both began to walk together towards the entrance of the gate. "Yeah," he rubbed the bruise on his forehead. "The medicine does a good job of making it look tolerable. You know, like I bump my head. It still hurts like a mutha."

"I feel you, fam." He said.

"You leaving today?" Baha asked.

Kyu pats the bag over his shoulder. "Mhm, I need to set out to Kirigakure. I know my assistant got the majority of the paperwork done but the Mizukage probably got me doing some dirt work. I need to go back before that shit piles up."

"What about the kid? He coming with you?"

"He's not a kid…" He paused. Baha gave him a knowing look. "Ok, to the people in his society, he isn't a kid. But he’s not a kid to me” Hell, to many of the older men here, he was still a kid to them. It was frustrating having very old family members who look at the twenty to forty year olds as ‘young people’.

“Yes, to answer your question. He is coming with me for the time being.”

Baha went silent then. Trepidation filled his face then, though for what reason Kyu did not know.

“You’re worried.” Kyu said. He made it clear that he knew what was already going through his hand. “Are you always so open as a book?

“You’re walking with precious cargo, Lord Alyasha.” Baha voice was filled with concern. “I know the Kuro clan does not deal with the shinobi but this-“He lowered his voice. “This is on whole new level that hasn’t been dealt with.”

“It has been dealt with before.” Kyu corrected. “It just wasn’t with our generation.”

“Yeah, a generation before the shinobi had only the slightest idea for what chakra was. A generation where the clans were still trying fighting figuring out who had the biggest dick while we were already dealing with the politics of world events.” Baha held his hands up in defense. He was thinking of how not to get on Kyu’s bad side. If he had paid attention at all, he would’ve seen Kyu’s eyes filled with the same concern as Baha. He would never know, Kyu knew. He was a sharp guard, but he wasn’t the type the guard to read everything. “All I’m saying is to be careful. I know you do your own thing but the things are getting crazy. I heard Kirigakure is still a troublesome village.”

“Ain’t that the truth…” he murmured.

“And you know how the Shinobi are. They are quick to point allegiances. If they find out you’re a part of Kirigakure-“

“Ah.” He confirmed, “ I’ll have to disappear out of the public for what, a decade? Two or three decades tops? I knew the risk when I was asked the favor. It seems I have more to lose than I could gain.”

“My question is why?” Baha took a few quick steps to where he was in front of Kyu blocking the path. Kyu lolled his head and rolled his eyes. “I need to know why you would do an action that’ll cause a shift in balance.”

Kyu set a hand on Baha’s chest and extended his arm pushing him back. Despite his size, Baha couldn’t hold himself to Kyu’s immense strength. Kyu was going in to push him again after Baha recovered but Baha smacked Kyu’s hand off his chest before Kyu could get another push in and kept himself solid. Kyu made his point and looked Baha dead in eye. “Look,” Kyu said, “I get it. From your point of view, I’m doing something surprisingly stupid on a political scale. I know I should leave well enough alone and let none of this happen.”

“But?”

“There is no ‘but’ in this. For one, I gave my word to make sure this young man made the choice of staying here stagnant or to find his own path. This was Kyousuu’s decision, not mine. He could’ve gone home and forgot about this whole damn thing talking to some eccentric who offers him a chance to meet his brother.”

He raised two fingers. “The second thing is the fact that even if I did have intentions of ‘kidnapping him, and take him to the village like some shinobi robot, it would not of mattered. The scales have already tipped and broke. No matter what I do at this point, the scale was broken the moment I introduced. It broke way before Yondaime Mizukage’s inauguration and before Sandaime Mizukage became emperor.”

He got close to Baha who was still keeping his guard up. He shoved past him continuing towards the gate. “A war is upon us , Brother Baha. You won’t experience the onslaught but I will.” He turned his head one last time catching Baha staring at him incredulously. “And like all Fourth House members, we’re always prepared for war.”

[exit]

Age : 30 Posts : 1637

Blood rushed to Kyou's cheeks in response to Kyu's vulgar comparison - despite his age, he had very little experience, but it was enough for him to relate. Though he had to admit, the food was definitely more impressive in taste than in appearance and smell, which was already top notch.

Kyu not-so-silently enjoyed his food, putting a hold on the conversation. That was fine and all since the brunet had his own food to enjoy, but it didn't make it any less awkward for him, even with such a large variety of flavors there to distract him. It reminded him of the times he ate dinner with Kanako at the Hot Springs. Most evenings were filled with chattering and gossip, so when they had nothing to say it made him rather uncomfortable. It was likely that silent meals felt like his time living with his parents, who either had nothing to say or put him down for whatever he wasn't doing right enough for their tastes. Luckily, that was behind him now. He'd left them behind and found another place to live, and since then, not so much as a letter had been exchanged, but he was sure that they'd eventually make a move.

As Kyou was shaken out of his memories by Kyu's new story, he couldn't help but feel that, while this had the potential to bring him harm, it felt normal. Having dinner and listening to somebody tell personal stories... had to be the most normal thing he knew. Barring the shinobi side of things, his social life was either non-existent or centered around one other person, and that wasn't his idea of normal, even if it was better than the way he had previously isolated himself completely, shutting out everyone and everything that he didn't explicitly seek out himself.

While the story was amusing, it didn't really seem relevant to... anything at all, really. That was when the older male finally explained the similarities he saw between Kyousuu and his brother. His assessment was more or less on the mark, and the fact that the story didn't have any connection to that observation didn't matter. This quickly went from a light-hearted conversation to a serious piece of advice that came from experience.

Everything Kyu said was heavy.

Kyousuu already knew from the moment he made the decision to eventually look for his brother that he'd have a difficult life to lead, not only because Daitarou was considered a rogue, but also because he would have to do so as a jinchuuriki of the Leaf village. It was already difficult relating to others or letting them in, but he'd made progress in that department, and suddenly the opportunity to reach out to his brother was presented to him. His brother meant more to him than notions of loyalty to the village, and he had a hunch that it was the village that forced the man to leave when he did. But that would be revealed when he finally had the chance to sit down with him and have a heart-to-heart, fully honest talk about it all.

The chuunin had expected them to leave sooner than in a couple of days, but it would give him more time to really think things through, even if there was no guarantee he'd be able to see Daitarou soon after arriving in the Water Country. He figured that Kyu had his own work to take care of and would have to find some time in-between to organize the meeting. That was fine. He'd treat it like a vacation. But at the same time, he'd be eager to see even Yuuto, even though he knew what the man's priorities were.

On the bright side, he'd be able to enjoy something different. The festival that Kyu spoke of could be fun.

On the morning of the third day, Kyousuu awoke rather early - at least, compared to Kyu. He was full of nervous energy that kept him from getting a full, relaxed night's sleep. The combination of his anticipation as well as the thought that they'd be traveling by ship was a bit much for him to handle. He'd seen the ocean plenty of times while in Tea Country, but he'd never actually traveled by water. This would be his first time, and that was going to be an interesting experience in and of itself.
Would he suffer from seasickness? What if somebody picked a fight? He was at a disadvantage, element-wise - he couldn't use most doton techniques, and using fire or lava on a wooden vessel wouldn't be the most intelligent of decisions. At least he had his taijutsu ability to fall back on.

The jinchuuriki stayed in bed for a little while before hopping out and getting himself dressed and making sure everything he brought was still properly stored. By then, his escort had gotten out of bed as well and went a little ahead of him. Kyousuu wanted to look out at the Fire Country again before heading to the docks. He didn't really think of it as a permanent farewell, but there was no telling what would happen. Despite not feeling as connected to the village as most, it was where he was born and where he grew up. It was where he and his siblings learned to respect, understand, love, and accept each other. That was what painted the country itself as a pleasant place for him.

But there would always be times he'd have to leave it behind, such as missions, or in this case, his personal agenda. It would be interesting to explain, but he'd come up with something.

Looking out the window, the brunet spotted Kyu, who was speaking with one of the guards from the other day. Their course towards the front gate was all the signal he needed, and he grabbed his bags. Luckily Kyu was just walking along, giving him plenty of time to catch up. They'd be at the docks before he knew it, and then on a boat to Water Country. It would be quite an adventure... but what would come of it?

[EXIT / TOPIC END]

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