A chance encounter (Raleth)

“Well, while they will cower at the mere sight of our banners, I still hope that such conflict will not come to pass, and if it does I look forward to ripping out their spines!”

The jest from the Uzumaki we met with a hearty chuckle and a strong palm to the table, one that would rattle the kettles and tea. Clearly, Musu had a fire to him, one that could be just as ferocious to the Sarutobi. Raleth enjoyed the engagement Musu had of his story, and could see the information resonating with the Uzumaki. Truth be told, it was good to reminisce about his times in the leaf, and he appreciated the ear his comrade gave him. Though, as the aged Sarutobi continues speaking, the strangest twang of sadness resonates inside. A red-haired, flowing memory plays behind his eyes, the white-ash-haired shinobi pushes it down and away, trying his best to forget the past and stay in the present with with his friends.

“Thats an incredible story. I didn’t know that the Uzumaki and the Sarutobi had such a connection in the past while in the leaf. It seems as though that this connection continues in the sand.”
Raleth finishes his tea as he finishes his tea with Musu. With the second green tea finishes, Raleth pours Musu a cup of honey green tea, as the Uzumaki mentiones a secret fighting style, or the possibility of jutsu scrolls hidden in Fire Country.

"I've been meaning to take a trip to Fire Country, have some 'people' i'd like to connect with. Old family friends." Raleth would say with a knowing wink. Just then, a familiar presence was felt in the Sarutobi's mind. As he turns to see, he already knows who it is. The dark, messy haired Uchiha, his old student Zaine. Pulling out a chair before the chuunin could come to the table, Raleth gestures to Zaine to sit.

"Zaine, you've changed your training regiment," Raleth would say, eyeing the body language of his old student, noticing a different swagger to his step. Musu would greet his old student like a long time friend, and even offer the rose-honey tea for the three of them. Conducted by the Uzumaki, the Uchiha and Sarutobi both bring their tea cups together.

"To the seeds of the leaf that have sprouted in the sand, may the Wind fan our Flame!"

The three would drink in together, Raleth would notice a wrinkling of Musu's nose: he cleary wasn't a fan. Another laugh escapes the immense jounin, that nature of tea was always intresting.

"Musu, Zaine has been my pupil since he was a small sprout. Oh, you should've seen him then. Broody and cocky, the quintessential Uchiha prodigy. But, his will, tenacity, and cunning is unmatched. Don't let the boy's rank fool you," Raleth says with a soft clap to Zaine's shoulder, "he earns his namesake, he is a true and terrifying Uchiha!"

Raleth leaves what he says hanging in the air, hoping it sparks stories from Zaine. As the Sarutobi listens, he drinks his tea: enjoying the sweet taste.

[[518 / 2101]]

Zaine taking a seat as he was warmly welcomed would be absolutely shocked at the greeting he received from Musu- the man had not only greeted him with respect and kindness but had even added a layer of humor to the mix! This display was a welcome change from what he experienced when first meeting the man in the comfort of his home. "Musu! Good to see you again! I should count myself lucky that I ran into you here and as a matter of fact I do have a slight talent for clairvoyance in a sense, but more on that later!" He would grab his cup of tea and nod to Raleth  signifying that he would address him after the toast that Musu proposed out of respect- raising his cup he would speak once more "To the bonds of the leaf transcending village borders!" Drinking down his tea he would place his cup on the table and direct his attention towards Raleth "Why thank you for noticing. I cant wait to show you the true extent of my new abilities and to be honest I might even have you hitting the training grounds harder than normal. Ive come a long way." He boasted a smirk that would convey just how proud he was of his new developments and soon enough it would be time for his old sensei to see just how much he had changed- however now was a time to kick back and relax with two fellow shinobi.


"Talk of the history of the leaf huh? Well it wouldnt be much of a history lesson without the prominent fan that fuels the will of fire. Or atleast thats what my father would always say about our clan." He would chuckle as he though back to the lengthy lectures his father would give about pride in the power of Uchiha and how everywhere he went his behavior was a reflection of the crest on his back- he hoped that the choices he made up until now would have made both him and his mother proud. "Its so interesting that we all hail from a village that is nearly a ruin.. all of our bloodlines so strong and our heritage of such power and yet..." His expression would descend into a somber one as he continued "Here we sit, in another village as our old home continues to suffer under Kirigakure and their harsh rule." He hoped that Musu would share in this sentiment as he already knew that Raleth did- there was no beating around the bush when it came to this subject and Zaine was unable to fight back his emotions, this subject alone truly revealed how young he still was.


He gripped his right fist tightly as his gaze focused down at the table to which they sat- his teeth slightly grinding together before he moved his lips to speak again "I feel limited in what I can do to help. But somewhere I feel a sort of debt to that village, almost as much as I do to ours. I know it might sound silly but maybe you two understand what I mean?" He would sit back and patiently await their replies hoping that he had not overstepped any boundaries. 

[WC=545]

As Zaine mentions his father, a thought as warm as the tea their drinking crosses Raleth's mind.

Izuhara would be proud of the Uchiha you've become. 

As his friend speaks of the ruined leaf, a strange twang colors his voice, the Sarutobi can see a memory flit behind the Uchiha's eyes. A somber expression washes over Zaine's face as he mentions the ruin and shell of the village, the subject causes Raleth's expression to become stone: he too still hurt from what transpired years ago. The frustration from that moment, when he was forced to flee Konoha with Zaine, still aches with fury and anguish. And, at the mention of Raleth's sworn enemy, the village hidden in the mist, Kirigakure, he can no longer hide his anger. A flare of rage crosses his eyes, one that Zaine and Musu would be able to see: a familiar and destructive look.

The immense jounin sighs and sips his tea, to calm himself and his nerves. As Zaine poses a question to Musu, Raleth finds that his cup his empty. He waits for Musu and Zaine to finish their cups, before pouring them their last kettle of tea. He angles the kettle to Zaine, inviting him to pour the final cup for the three of them. As Musu reveals his ignorance of the situation in konoha and his want to know, another hefty sigh escapes the white-ash-haired Sarutobi. He puts his cup town.

"Years ago," thrums the basso-voice of Raleth, "A mad despot named Xyxer Gyojin came to the village of Kirigakure, and took over. His first law as Mizukage was reinstituting the 'Blood Games', a form of Chuunin exams. Many thought this was a show of good faith, and decided to send their genin to compete in these games. My father, Kishimoto Sarutobi, and Zaine's father, Izuhara Uchiha, protested to our Hokage, a person whose name I will never speak. They advised the hokage on the nature of Gyojin. Gyojin was a man who wished to restore Kirgakure to its former glory, many thought this to mean a positive thing. But, what Kishimoto and Izuhara knew was that Gyojin wished to revived the "Bloody Mist", a time in Kirigakure's history where barbarsim was common, and they were still terrifying. But, the hokage did not heed the advice from heads of his major clans, and opted to send the Hidden Leaf Genin to the 'Blood Games'. I was a genin at the time..."

The scars, both physically and emotionally, left from those Chuunin Exams ache, yet no longer do they make Raleth Sarutobi wince. 

"It was awful. To call it hell would be kind. But, I survived, and I saw the Mad Mizukage with my own eyes. Xyxer Gyojin was a bloodthirsty monster, and I relayed this to my Hokage. His response was sluggish, uncaring, and lazy. And for five years, there was unsteady peace. Kishimoto and Izuhara would keep tabs on Kirigakure, their findings were worrying. My father had me mentor Zaine during this time, both because of a promise he made to Izuhara Uchiha, and a feeling he couldn't explain."

Raleth looks to Zaine, the memory of that day is most likely fresh in the young man's mind.

"On a cloudless day, my father told me to take Zaine away from Konoha. The hokage had begun to panic, and spoke of recalling all Leaf Shinobi to the village. He gave me a letter sealed by the symbol of the Uchiha, and told me to take Zaine to Sunagakure. I didn't question why, I knew enough to understand. We left right away, soon after Kirigakure sacked Konohanagakure. The mist was ruthless, the leaf was slaughtered. The Village Hidden in the Leaves became a vassal state to the Mist Village, the hokage was forced to pay tithes to the mizukage. And this is how it remains to this day, a shadow of itself. The faces of the hokage who sit in the mountain hang their heads in shame."

Raleth finishes his tea places the empty cup down. 

"One day we will pay our debt to the Land of Fire, and make Kirigakure atone for their crimes."


[[693/2794]]

Zaine would look to Musu as he asked if he would share the information on Konoha's fate and he almost thought it would be better to leave him in the bliss of ignorance as to what had occurred and what was currently transpiring in the land they once called home. He would breath in deeply and sigh before picking up his cup of tea and accepting the refill from Raleth- he would look at Raleth and nod, signifying that he should be the one to recount the details of the past because he alone knew parts of it that Zaine had not been old enough to recall. So it began, the story of Konoha and what would result in the main driving force for the young Uchiha to seek out power- he did so not just for his own security but to ensure the security of those around him no matter what the circumstances.

He listened as Raleth truly did start from the beginning and he was shocked to realize that even in his older age, he still had the same twisting physical reaction in his stomach that he had when he first learned of what happened to his former home- the story was one of loss, death and heartache and everyone involved could say that they experienced one if not all of these. Zaine had found himself unlucky enough to have experienced all three- the loss of his home and comfort, the death of his father and the heartache he gained from knowing there was nothing he could do at such a low ability level and age to help his home. He gripped his cup with anger as he listened to this retelling of events, specifically becoming more and more angry every time he heard the name of the mad Mizukage- a man who never had any business being in a seat of power and could be pointed to as the singular reason for the horrid situation Konoha was experiencing.

He lamented at the fact that his former mentor and current closest friend had to take part in such a barbaric event, the blood games- he couldnt believe such a thing had even been allowed and struggled to contemplate the amount of lives that were lost pointlessly because of it. Raleth lost someone very close to him and in a way that was hard to fathom- Zaine knew the story well and for the sake of his friend hoped that he would not stumble into the details of it. 

He now spoke on the scenario that lead to Sunagakure becoming their new home- a bitter sweet tale that ended in the bettering of their situation, but was born out of nothing but strife. He thought back to just how frustrated he was when he first came to the village and was told that he was unable to return home even after being summoned to do so by their past hokage, "If I had been stronger then I could have went back and maybe.. just maybe we could have stopped it all." He kicked himself anytime he thought of this portion of their shared past, using it in situations like training to push himself beyond his limits.  

Upon Raleth's conclusion he would speak "Konoha will be freed one day. One day very soon. We are shinobi of Sunagakure before anything else, but the country of Fire will always be in some way our home." He would nod at Raleth and look to Musu to see how he digested this new information, he hoped that at the very least he would understand their emotions. 

[WC=602]

The sudden outburst from the red-haired Uzumaki rippled the tea in the cups, the harsh tone surprised the white-ash-haired Sarutobi. As Musu faces Zaine, Raleth sees something startling. Behind Musu's eyes, a tear glimmered. Though his expression was vacant and aggressive, his eyes looked as if they were about to cry. 

“And what are you going to do to avenge this insult? Are you doing everything possible to see to it that your family's honor, and in extension your honor is restored?”


Rage bubbled up to his throat, the words of the red-haired Uzumaki angered the immense Sarutobi. As he feels a great flare, Raleth breaths in, and sighs. Had this been another day, the sudden aggression directed at a participant of the Tea Ceremony would cause him to flip the table, and give into the blinding flames of Wrath. But, Raleth knew Musu Uzumaki, even in the midst of battle he would remain steadfast and calm to his comrades, the Uzumaki was the one who calmed the Sarutobi down in the Grove. Scanning Musu again, Raleth sees how he holds his cup. His fingers curl around the ceramic, he grips it like he's protecting it, or himself. His shoulders are high, his gaze is intense, he reminds Raleth of an animal, a hunter, backed into a corner.

Perhaps he feels his kinship toward us, to the land of fire that birthed us.

Though Raleth would wish to answer for his friend, he feels such a thing would disrespect Zaine. He looks to the Uchiha, knowing such a question would ring terribly in his mind. He looks to his old student, a guilt he's held shines through his eyes. His student's protesting, at staying in Suna while Konoha recalled all their shinobi, is something that still aches in his mind. In that moment, he wanted to join Zaine in fighting for his village, and even dying with his clan. But, his dad's last wish was to protect Zaine, a seed of the Uchiha's tree. the memory flashes behind his eyes, he sees his student walking to the gate: Raleth is left with no other choice but to knock him out.

The white-ash-haired Sarutobi grabs the tea kettle, and pours the final cup of green tea with honey: waiting for the Uchiha to respond to the Uzumaki.

[[386/3180]]

The words of the scarlet haired shinobi were sharper than the Zaine carried proudly with him- he was almost unsure how to respond to him but knew that he had feelings of regret for not having done more in the effort of liberating the village up until now. His right fist clenched with such force that his nails threatened to break the skin of his palm and he began to grit his teeth with equal force- he needed to provide some sort of explanation regardless of how it may be interpreted "Im almost not sure what I can do to avenge my family. For a long time I took the emotions and actions of vengeance and I pushed them down as far as I could because to avenge would certainly mean that I would need to take the lives of those who caused all this pain and suffering. But now.. now im not sure ill be able to stand by and allow all of this to continue." He intended to go into detail about his plans but would need to take a moment to gather himself so that his message was less emotion based and more matter of fact, "Understand that as of right now there is no one in particular that I wish to strike down, but I do plan to assist the Kazekage in however they choose to proceed with assisting the village."


He would lift his cup of tea in order to drink from it once more before a thought came to his mind- sure he was beat up about everything that happened but how did Raleth feel? He had been of an older age and although Zaine suffered many losses from the fall of Konoha, he felt that his old master had lost even more than he. He was thrusted into being a guardian figure, ripped from his village and forced to do battle with the woman he loved- so much of their life in Sunagakure was dedicated to making Zaine feel better and adjust because he was younger but so much strain must have been put on his friend. "What about you Ral? How do you plan to aid our old home?" 

[WC=367]

The Sarutobi could see sympathy flash behind the red-haired Jounin's eyes, regret washed over the Uzumaki's face as the Uchiha spoke of the frustration and pain he held inside. Raleth had known Zaine's feeling of vengeance, it was the ember that burned in his soul and fueled his desire to hone his skills and better himself. It was the kindling that enflamed his spirit and the fire that tempered his being, it was what brought out the shinobi that was Zaine Uchiha. It was also something Raleth Sarutobi shared with his friend.

The destruction he witnessed, the home he lost, left scars that ached to this day. This pain from Raleth's experience was something that only Zaine could understand, and was what made the trust between them stronger than anything. When the Uchiha explains his change in motivation, surprise crosses the Sarutobi's eyes. He had always known Zaine to be kind, his feeling on killing was something that he and Raleth could never agree on. As such, he was glad to see his friend's attitude begin to change. While he could agree that vengeance was something all-consuming, its results would be redeeming, and would have the village hidden in the mist pay its many debts.

As Musu comments on his ignorance of the pain Raleth and Zaine went through, the Sarutobi nods: accepting the Uzumaki's words of sympathy and thanking him for his gesture. The red-haired jounin then pours a cup of tea, silence washes over the party of three shinobi. Tea is sipped, company is enjoyed, the Ceremony begins to conclude. The earlier ire, anger, and wrath dissipate like the steam wafting from the porcelain cups, the last bit of tea is ready to be poured.

The immense, ash-haired Sarutobi grabs the kettle and pours the final cup of tea for the Uchiha and the Uzumaki. Zaine speaks as the drinks are poured, he poses a question to Raleth. What did he plan to do about the Leaf's destruction?

Raleth places the kettle down, serenity radiates from him as he loops his finger through the handle of the porcelain cup. Musu proposes a toast, to good friends, and to continue on their path to get stronger, to prevent such destruction from happening again. The Sarutobi shares this sentiment, and brings his cup up to meet the Uchiha's and the Uzumaki's. With the toast complete, Raleth brings the cup to his lips, and takes a long, calming sip. The final taste of honey and green leaf soothes the wrath that burned in his throat, and warmth spreads from his stomach to his limbs. Raleth places the cup down, looking relaxed and at peace. He speaks, answering the question posed to him by Zaine.

His taciturn words would be jarring, the intensity and passion behind his speech would be offset by his assuredness in what he said. There was no anger, hate, wrath, or ire in his voice, there was not even a hint of pain on Raleth's face. He does not just answer the Uchiha's question, he makes a vow in front of Zaine and Musu, in front of the two leaves from the Land of Fire.

"I will annihilate Kirigakure. That is how I will aid Konoha."

Raleth finishes his tea, and thanks the two shinobi for their company. He motions the owner to bring the bill, he offers to pay for everything. He enjoys the conclusion of the Tea Ceremony, and takes his leave when it is appropriate: walking out of the Uncle Dragon's Tea Shop as evening begins to color the late-afternoon sky.

[EXIT]

[[596/3776]


CLAIMS

• 3700 words to untrain 19 points in Chakra, reallocating to 5 points in vigor, 13 speed.
  
• Current Speed: 73
  
• Current Vigor: 75, current AP =  814 (750 + 64 AP from missions)
  
• 1 floating stat point
  
• Current Chakra: 51