Underneath the Sleeping Sun

Tenshi took a moment to settle his heart rate down as he stared into the deep black eyes of the killer, he knew that guard duty had its risks, but had not expected to come across a murder so suddenly. The eyes of the killer seemed to show no remorse, only the fear of being caught, they were the eyes of a true monster. Tenshi felt rage well up inside of him, the victim was simply a villager of the Leaf, one of HIS people, and this piece of trash thought she would be able to get away with snuffing their lights out for good. As this went on, Tenshi felt Himari's presence behind him, the young Hyuuga girl had been extremely quick to catch up with him and Rellgar, but he was not surprised by this after knowing her for as long as he had.

He was confused at first when she began to move around him all of a sudden, but realised it a moment later when he noticed movement in the corner of his eye. Thanks to the Sharingan that he had activated, he would have enough time to get out of the way of the initial kunai being thrown, however, also due to the Sharingan, he could not move while subduing the initial woman. Tenshi had faith in Himari though, and was proven correct as the young girl's incredible reflexes were enough to successfully utilise a thrown weapon of her own, deflecting the kunai strike and keeping him safe for the time being.

Tenshi scowled when he realised that the situation was likely more dire than any of the three genin had realised, they were in deep... very deep. Using the effects of his Sharingan Genjutsu, Tenshi twisted and distorted the vision of the woman he had trapped, he made her begin to hallucinate. Where she had once seen himself, she instead witnessed a deformed monstrosity with two heads and vile green blood oozing out its eyes, ears and mouth. It began to approach her as her eyes widened in fear, but she could not move. She began to experience the feeling of being in a fever dream, with her body frozen solid. Tenshi ensured that she could still feel her surroundings, so that she would truly believe that he had become this deformed being.

The woman would then begin to see the monstrosity advance towards her quicker, it would raise both of its arms with the hands wide open. It almost appeared as if it would embrace her. The monstrosity's legs suddenly melted and instead took on the form of a slug like appearance, dragging along the ground with a squelching sound, leaving a trail of blood and mucus behind it. Its arms would begin to grow wider, teeth began to protrude from its palms, all the way down to where its pectoral muscles used to be. Its abdomen began to open up, revealing a large, circular mouth with what appeared to be thousands of rotating teeth, with a black maw in the center. As it arrived in front of the woman, its toothy arms wrapped themselves around her head.

She would scream, but nobody would hear her as she felt the teeth dig into the top and back of her skull, before slowly being drawn into the open mouth in the monster's abdomen. She continued screaming for what felt like an eternity, before finally passing out in the deep blackness that she felt herself being surrounded by. This all happened in her head though, as anyone looking at her would simply see her falling face first to the floor, rendered unconscious by the effects of the Sharingan. Tenshi looked down on the woman, hatred and disgust in his bright red eyes, he had ensured that she suffered as much as possible before passing out, it was the least that she deserved after what she had done to her victims.

He called over to his dragon friend, "Rell, please grab this one, we are going to take her in for an interrogation. You do not have to be gentle with her..." He could barely stop his voice from shaking with the rage that he felt brewing within him. Tenshi often looked unhappy, or at least disingenuous, but he was usually in a very good mood. This time was different, he felt like a totally different person, with his emotions mirroring his outward expressions.

At that moment, Himari formed a three meter cloud of smoke, summoning what appeared to be a salamander nearby. Matsuba was quick to act on Himari's instructions, supporting his summoner with haste, Tenshi and Rellgar both approved of this. As Himari got the better of the second assailant and yelled out her warning to Tenshi, he felt a mental message come from Aru about six more individuals heading in their direction. He relayed this message to Rellgar before quickly speaking to Matsuba, "Salamander, you need not protect either of us, although we appreciate the concern. You should focus on yourself and Himari, I have another friend who will keep me safe."

With the assistance of his superior ocular capabilities, Tenshi saw movement coming from all around them. Aru's warning was spot on, there were six figures heading towards them, the Genin and their summons were surrounded on all sides. Tenshi showed no fear, as he felt none. Instead he simply placed his palm to floor. SUMMONING JUTSU!. An enormous eight by 13 meter puff of smoke filled the air briefly, before the terrifying sight of August, the monstrous Ancient Red Dragon with a foul mood appeared. He roared out as he arrived, Tenshi heard villagers yell out from below as the either saw or heard his arrival.

Before the dragon had time to complain about his unwanted summon, Tenshi was already speaking. "August we have a bit of a situation here! Six opponents heading in our direction from all around!" He took a moment to think about what it was that he wanted from the dragon. Did he want August to simply take down their opponents, was that all that they deserved for their actions? No. They deserved worse for what they had done. "End them. However you need to..."

For a second, August appeared to be shocked by Tenshi's request, the large dragon had often criticised the young Uchiha for being far too soft for a Shinobi, so this seemed to be out of nowhere for him. But that was soon replaced by a loud roar of approval, followed by an even louder roar. Taking off into the air, the large dragon's appearance caught all of their assailants off guard, causing them all to halt in their tracks. Rellgar was no kind sight for anybody, but August was the personification of terror for his opponents. Two of the attacks quickly tried to turn tail and run, three others were frozen in place, the last fool was the one closest to Tenshi and decided that they were going to continue advancing.

August began forming flames inside his now wide opened jaw as he was mid flight. Flying up and then turning back around to face downwards, condensing the flame further before he then exhaled three spheres of 30 inches in diameter towards the three enemies closest to Himari. One of them was frozen in place and the other two were the ones attempting to flee. Once each sphere had passed a meter in range the flames bursts into a five meter diameter flame like bullet. The enemies were still over 15 meters away from Himari and Matsuba, which allowed August to attack without fear of the two of them being caught in the crossfire.

The enemies that were attempting to flee did not see the fiery bullets flying their way before they were instantly scorched and incinerated by them. They each cried out in pain for a second before their bodies had already become burnt to a crisp and searing ash scattered into the wind. The third target was not so lucky. The voice of a man screamed out in terror as he watched his doom approaching from above. Feet still glued to the floor in fear, he could do nothing but look up without hope as the last moments of his life were surrounded in a horrifying inferno. His screams were cut short the moment the fire hit him, scorching him as they had done to his allies.

At the same time, the one brave (or potentially stupid) individual still advancing towards Tenshi leapt into the air with a kunai raised up high in both hands. His arms were stretched as high as they could possibly go, until they weren't. In a flash Rellgar had flown across and snapped his large jaws shut on the attack's arms, ripping them off just above the elbow. The man dropped to the floor right in front of Tenshi, rolling around and screaming in pain, tears were streaming down his face as he called out to his friends for help.

The final two attackers stood in stunned silence, still unable to move, especially now after witnessing what had just occurred. Tenshi stepped over their ally's body as August landed in front of him, his eyes fixed hungrily on his last two pieces of prey. Tenshi mounted the enormous dragon and called over to Rellgar, "Stay here and assist Himari with whatever she needs, I am going to go and find Aru, he may need our assistance." He would then look back to his team mate, "I am not sure where Aru went, but I have a feeling he may need some help, Rellgar will help you with whatever you need. You are also welcome to join me, the choice is yours!"

If Himari decided to stay, Tenshi would leave on August's back, taking off into the air and scouting around for Arutemisu. If Himari joined them, Rellgar would offer he a place on his back to ride, flying alongside August and Tenshi. Either way, August would cast Searing Migraine at the final two attackers, incinerating them both in a massive inferno to complete his set of kills. Rellgar would also still hold onto the unconscious killer on the ground from earlier, holding her roughly in his claws.

They would follow the trail of battle to reach his location, arriving at the scene only to see the young Aru frozen in place with a headless corpse grasping onto him. Gasping, Tenshi yelled out, "Aru! Are you alright? What the hell is going on here?"

---

WC: 1,758
TWC: 4,257

While Katsuki continues to channel her chakra-induced anesthesia, one of her upper tentacles where her eye's located shifts toward Arutemisu's visage as he explains to her his next course of action.

"Of course. You may leave the rest to me, Sir. Be well." She answers nonchalantly. And with their exchanges of farewells in order, Katsuki's opposing upper tentacle glances at the wound where the civilian woman had been impaled earlier. The wound itself was immaculately repaired with only the residual blood from not too long ago being apparent. Both tentacles straighten and her form becomes motionless. Below her, she feels a plethora of vibrations, accompanied by the pandaemonium of shinobi and citizens alike running in the streets, it'd appear the situation had become far more dire than an attempted double homicide. Although diminutive in form, she dons a defensive stance—whichever form that manifests for a slug from the Shikkotsu—beside the woman until the guards from the village arrive at the scene to whisk her away to safety from the mayhem.

Meanwhile, across a ways away in the midst of the skirmish…

While Himari holds down one of the assailants with a firm grasp sealed around both his wrists, she hears an ethereal yet familiar voice chime in her mind to alert her, and possibly Tenshi, also, to expect further company. Normally, this would shock her by the strange nature of hearing a voice not of her own doing, to communicate with her besides herself, but she's quick enough to deduce the owner of said voice. She looks to her sides amidst the torrential rainfall and within moments, numerous shadowy figures emerge from a variety of establishments that did well to cloak their visage. While she's confident in her ability to combat an opponent from what amalgamation of experiences prior, a group this large composed of eight members total—and who knows how many more lie in waiting—of immeasurable prowess for two Genin's would be beyond manageable.

She whips her head back to see the crimson red dragon, Rellgar, clutch one of the now subdued members off somewhere she can only guess would be toward any available authorities on-site. Then she gazes toward Tenshi, who briefly shares an exchange of words—although the contents of the conversation are drowned by the cascading downpour— with Matsuba who then sluggishly slaps the side of his maw with his elongated tongue and scurries lazily along the walls of the infrastructure the duo stands upon toward the adjacent building where Himari resides upon.

All the while this transpires and before the maelstrom of scorching fire rains down, the man below her fidgets to break free from the young kunoichi's grasp as he pivots and shuffles to no avail. By the moment her attention is drawn elsewhere and just shortly after Tenshi finishes his dialogue with her summon, the man takes a slow and deep breath before he swiftly curls his upper body backward and his lower body forward to catch Himari's neck between his legs. Before she has time to react as her grip loosens in an attempt to untangle herself, he then forcefully jerks them backward and sends the kunoichi flat on her back with an audible thud. Groaning, the man quickly heaves himself up and grabs Himari by the shin of her leg, then pivots on his opposing foot, pirouettes, and throws her at random toward one of the sides of the building she'd jumped from to apprehend the criminal.

Luckily, she didn't hit any walls, but also to her dismay, she resultantly crashes through one of the closed windows of the same building she's thrown to and stumbles across the flooring and stops short only by the rear-end of her head as it collides with a bed that was once stationary then continues the tumble in her place and clamors against one of the walls in the room. Bursts of tearing pain pulses through her head. It feels heavy and she feels the dizziness starting to kick in. It took her a moment to gather her scattered thoughts, or at least gather enough of them to think a little clearer.

While gathering herself up to her feet, the man from prior vaults into the jagged window opening and delivers an uppercut with his right-hand. Still slightly dazed from the impact and shrouded in the darkness of the unlit room, Himari—in the split second she could afford before receiving another dreadful blow—shifts her body toward the opposing strike and delivers an open-palm strike at his side. The man groans, a stinging pain rushes through his body as he gasps for air and stumbles on their feet. Seeing an opportunity for a follow-up strike, Himari takes a measured step forward and strikes with her other hand.

He makes out the shape and form of his opponent outlined by the faint light from the window that's blocked by his larger frame but the movement of her limb makes her next action apparent. He quickly regains his footing and tightens his core before bending the side of his body to hook her arm and lock it in place securely against his torso. In the same motion, he slides his dominant foot forward behind her non-dominant foot before he reels it backward and slams her against the ground. His free hand lunges at her neck and tightens around her windpipe while he rests his weight against her legs.

"Don't make this anymore difficult than it's gotta be, kid." He drones and tightens his grip on her neck, squeezing out suffocating croaks from the young Genin. Her hand grabs on to his wrist and squeezes in an attempt to shirk his grip on her, yet he doesn't relent. His strength seemed to match her own, if not, greater than what she'd originally anticipated.

"Hang on a sec," He pauses. "You look familiar."

Himari, baring her teeth, attempts to lunge and bite his arm but feels a force pin her head down upon the initial movement.

"Be still." He shifts to let the light from the window glean on her face, revealing her short, black hair that reaches down to her nape with left-side parted fringes, a pair of featureless white eyes, a soft facial expression accompanied by a fair complexion with a small mole at the bottom corner of her left eye.

"Would you look at that, heh." He clicks his tongue beneath his mask. "The spitting image of her, alright."

Wait, what? What does he mean by that? Who is he?

"She must be proud of herself, hm? Her little spawn became a fully-fledged shinobi. A shame, really." His grip suddenly tightens as he shifts and lifts her off the ground. "It's a real damn shame that you met today. I can finally take the chance to make things right between us." His arm that seized Himari's arm releases it and wraps around her neck.

"I should've killed you all those years ago and now, I'll rid myself of the thing that's deprived me of the joys I've labored for. Ah, but don't worry. I'll make this as painless as possible. That is, after I've had my fun bleeding the life out of you. The life you stole from me."

Just what is this guy going on about? First he alludes to the mention of being familiar with her mother, Nozomi, but now he's gone on about how she's been a thorn in her side when she's neither met nor known him ever in her entire life. She attempts to wrest his hold of her, to at least speak of what he means, and reconcile with whatever grudge he still holds against her. Even if the chances of that happening are paper-thin, it's at least worth pursuing if it means learning more about her relationship with him. Haplessly, this only goads him to strengthen his grip and soon enough, she begins to see stars and her already disoriented vision turns foggy. She feels her strength wane, her thoughts empty themselves. until a strange appendage wraps itself around his waist.

"Huh?"

Before he's flung over and across the room against the now damaged bed. A sudden rush of air painfully fills her lungs as she hacks and gags. Stumbling to her feet and nearly tripping over herself, her fall is broken by her steadfast reptilian.

"Miss?" He thrums. She only responds with a pat against his mud-brown back. Their assailant, on the other hand, groans and gets up on his feet. Matsuba hums and shifts his summoner to the side of his head before his cheeks slowly inflate and spews a singular, brownish-gray orb toward their assailant. With how dim the outside world and dark the room are , the bullet-sized orb successfully collides with his chest, and knocks the wind out of him.

"Damned lizard—" He mutters before he's interrupted by another bullet-sized shape as it crashes against his lower torso. Before Matsuba lands another, the assailant rolls away from the third bullet and performs a series of hand seals before quickly inhales then exhales at the duo a raging gale. Matsuba—in spite of his grounded stature—makes an effort to throw Himari off before the stark, blurred gust collides against the lizard. This causes him to bump against the window sill and spill out from the window and onto the soaked, stone road below on his back as his legs try to find purchase. Himari barely shields herself against the attack, getting away with only several superficial cuts that decorate her figure.

"Matsu!" Himari shouts and aims to leave through the window to catch up to him before she's stopped by the sounds of rapid footsteps. She pivots and blocks an upcoming strike before she deflects a follow-up and counter attacks after she channels her flow of chakra toward the tenketsu of her heel and jabs it into his dominant leg. This causes him to kneel on one knee as Himari swings her other foot around to collide against his face and sends him flying against one end of the room. A sharp pain travels through his chest from deep within. One hand reached for the stability of a wall while the other clasped his chest in agony accompanied by the pains which gnaw his head.

She still has the chance to escape through the window, but upon seeing his proficiency, presumably, with ninjutsu, she opts to stay inside but maintains the five meter distance that separates them.

"Wait, wait, please," She pants, assuming her traditional fighting stance. "What did I do wrong? Are you with the Vipers?"

"Those second-rate criminals?" The man chortles as he shakily rises to his feet and hunches over, his hand still grasps his chest. "Don't lump me together with those clowns, no. I—or I should say we—are a cut above the rest."

"Then what for? Who are you?"

There's a pregnant pause that looms uncomfortably in the air before he responds.

"Hakumade."

"I'm sorry?"

"Hakumade Tatsuya." He then flicks his wrist to reveal an odd purple-like band before a puff of off-white smoke encompasses him and reveals a tanto which he grabs with his other hand that was once against the wall. Himari shuffles back with her non-dominant foot and lowers herself toward the floor.

"I haven't heard that name before."

"I know. Nozomi would've probably kept it from you to hide from the embarrassment that comes with it."

"You… know my mom?" Himari raises an eyebrow.

"Who?" He lets the answer hang a little longer before he bellows out a laugh and flourishes his weapon and assumes it with a low-guard stance. Himari simply frowns at the display. "Do I know her? Quite frankly, I'd forgotten all about her until now, not that I'd care enough to. But I guess any unknowing child of a single parent would want to know what happened to the other, so I'll humor you with a hint," He flips the blade beneath his cloak and bends his knees. Beneath his mask, although Himari cannot see, closes one of his eyes while the other, with the veins beside it flex and convex, sees her and the room with a renewed clarity.

"That is, if you can figure it out before I cut you to ribbons."

He quickly approaches and the two exchange a long, strenuous series of blows. It doesn't take long for the fight to demonstrate who held the advantage over the other. While Himari certainly held her ground against the metallic onslaught, the precision and unorthodox movements of his blade made it difficult for her to properly read and memorize any attack pattern she'd seen prior. The man—Tatsuya—on the other hand, offers her no quarter and presses the attack with an inconsistent rhythm and extreme precision. Each strike he deals isn't made with the intent to maim but wear down her combat ability. Every jab, cut, and slash she believes to have evaded is followed by a delayed ripple of pain throughout her body. Soon her body's shallow cuts host a party of light to moderate gashes and lacerations would join her cuts prior. When a few minutes transpire and the pain becomes too much for her to bear, he swiftly delivers a firm kick to the side and sends her across the floor, her momentums broken by the collision of the corner she finds herself in.

"Hmm." He hums to himself. "Only two minutes. That's how long you're able to last? Well, you're a Genin, afterall." He angles his blade and jerks it to the side, flicking away the remaining fresh blood that coated it. He slowly approaches the kunoichi, whose breath has gone unsteady and ragged. "You tried, I guess. Just stay still for me like that and I'll be quick."

And before he could deliver the coup de grâce, a thunderous crack rips through the uncoordinated cacophony as the sounds of multiple voices shout and numerous footsteps reverberate throughout the establishment. Tatsuya clicks his tongue.

"Perhaps we'll continue under 'better' circumstances. Until then," Another puff of smoke encompasses and disperses, revealing a ball wrapped in bandages in one hand. "Don't die before I get the chance."

He slams it against the ground with a crash and smoke billows from the impact area and rapidly fills through the room. Without the ability to activate her Byakugan, her vision's easily obscured as she fans the smoke away from her. Soon, a three-man cell of guards show up into the room.

"Stop right there!" One of them cries, before noticing the cornered Genin absent from any company.

"Damn it, they got away."

"Secure the area, inside and out', he couldn't have gone far!"

Two of the guards leave the scene as one of them turns to face Himari.

"Hey," Says the remaining guard, clad in the usual navy blue attire with a green flak jacket, silverish-gray spiky hair, greenish-brown eyes. "Are you okay?"

Her vision remains glued to where Tatsuya last stood.

"Oi." He rushes over and kneels beside her. "Are you still awake? Can you hear me?"

She slowly looks to the guard.

"Sorry I couldn't buy you enough time." She croaks somberly.

He waves a hand dismissively. "Forget about it, right now I need to get you out of here." He hoists the Genin on his back as he leaves through the front entrance where he came, his feet reunite with the wet, stone road, and beelines toward one of the evacuation points in the village away from the chaos. "Are you by yourself or with a squad?"

"Squad."

"Did you get separated?"

"Somewhat."

"Somewhat? What do you mean by that? Well anyway, let me get you to safety, first. We'll help you regroup with your squadmates when the dust finally settles. The rest of us will take it from here."

As they go by, she briefly surveys the area and finds Matsuba to be nowhere in sight, likely having exfiltrated from the combat zone. Although, whether or not it was by faith of her ability to stand for herself or simply having done what he could was anyone's guess. When her eyes catch something, her face dons an awestruck expression from the sight of a handful of smoky, charred corpses lying along the roadway. This was likely Tenshi's doing, but it seemed so… uncharacteristic of him to wantonly slaughter these people without hesitation. She shakes her head.

When they arrive, she's soon taken into an minor encampment with a handful of medical-nin in tow, who free the kunoichi of her clothing save for her undergarments and immediately set to treat her wounds. While this goes on, her thoughts preoccupy themselves with the many unanswered questions in regards to Hakumade Tatsuya. Although her thoughts are muddled and frenzied, intermittently broken between pains and grimaces and formed again when they become dull, so far, she's aware he shares a history with her, however brief that was, and has known her mother enough to be familiar with her on a first-name basis. She isn't aware of any distant relatives or friends of which she nor her mother would know, grudge or no, to warrant a plausible notion.

Just who exactly was he to her mother? To her?


WC: 2,867
TWC: 5,868


Passively accumulating 2 Heavenly Body Stacks (8/10)

As everything began to settle down, the village around them quietened once more. Those who caused the mayhem had either been scattered, arrested or killed. This had been a far more intense patrol than Tenshi had initially anticipated, but it was thankfully over. To ensure that this was truly the case, Tenshi decided to hop on Rellgar's back once more and fly around the allocated patrol locations again. He had his Sharingan activated throughout the course of the survey to ensure he did not miss a thing. They flew around for a considerable amount of time, but there was nothing of note. Even the minor troublemakers were nowhere to be seen, clearly the prior chaos had scared everyone back into their homes. It was either that or the terrifying red dragon that was flying overheard. Either way, Konoha finally found peace that night. The question that Tenshi could not shake though, was how long that peace would last?

---

At some point, she's left alone and given a simple yukata to wear and Himari's sense of time wanes and ebbs as the medics work their magic and mend her injuries. She's vaguely conscious of her surroundings and the occasional conversation the medics share amongst themselves.

"How's her vitals, Akane-san?"

"Stable, for now. Her pulse is weak, but nothing life-threatening. As for her chakra, it's been fluctuating."

"Fluctuating? Is it a result of her wounds?"

"No, her chakra is flowing normally. There's no sign of internal or external bleeding. However, the direction of where her chakra flows isn't consistent. It's going through her tenketsu and then redirecting itself back. I can't say why, though."

"What are you talking about? Isn't chakra supposed to flow through a person's tenketsu and not back?"

"That's how a normal chakra flow is supposed to be, yes. But, her's is abnormal. It's almost as if her chakra is trying to revert itself to its natural state. And yet, her chakra is clearly circulating. I'm not sure what's causing it."

"Is it a possible side effect of something else? Does she have a condition?"

"I'm not sure. I've never heard of a case such as hers. I'm afraid we'll have to wait until she wakes up. For now, keep her stable and monitor her vitals. We'll have to have her transferred to the hospital for further observation."

"Understood."

"In the meantime, I'll see if the others have found anything."

"Alright."

"If she comes to, give her some water and have her drink a mouthful of a healing solution. Just a single dose, mind you. It's not a substitute for proper treatment, but it will help ease the pain."

"Got it."

The medic's footsteps fade and the door closes, leaving her alone with the second. Himari  feels her body's weight shift and the sensation of her back pressing against the cot's mattress. Her eyes slowly flutter open and her vision is greeted with the sight of the tent's ceiling. She groans and turns her head to the side.

"You're awake."

Himari's gaze focuses and sees the medic-nin sitting at the edge of her cot, smiling.

"I'm glad. You had us worried for a moment."

"Wh-Where am I?"

"In the field medics' tent. You took quite a beating."

"O-Oh..."

"Here, have some water. You must be thirsty." The medic-nin hands her a cup and Himari takes a small sip.

"Thank you."

"We'll have you transported to the hospital shortly. Your condition isn't critical, but it's best that we have you treated and monitored there. Don't worry, the worst is behind you. Everything will be fine."

"Right..."

"There's also another matter I'd like to discuss. Do you remember what happened to you?"

"Well, we were attacked—"

"Before that, I meant. Do you recall anything unusual happening to you during the battle?"

"Unusual? Like what?"

"Anything. Something out of the ordinary, even a mild feeling. Did you feel anything different?"

"Um... not really."

"Nothing? Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Because, earlier, our fellow medic-nin noticed an anomaly with your chakra. After a brief examination, he found no signs of injury or disease. However, it was discovered that the flow of chakra through your body was irregular."

"It was?"

"Yes. The pathways were abnormally twisted and knotted. That's why I asked you if you felt anything strange."

"Oh, yeah. I think my doctor told me, when I last my medical examination, that it was like a rare type of chakra disorder that a few people have. He said it's not too serious and that my pathways will eventually be... not all twisted, and knotted, and all that kind of stuff. It's no biggie though, I've gotten used to it and found a workaround until I get bigger!"

"I'm glad to hear that. I was worried that you were hurt somewhere. We're going to have a team transfer you to the Konoha Hospital, just to make sure. We'll take care of you, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. Now, rest. You've had a long day."

"Okay. Thank you...?"

"Murakami. Murakami Akane."

"Thank you, Murakami-san."

"You're welcome."

The medic-nin, Akane, smiles and rises from her seat. She walks away and exits the tent. Himari sighs and looks around the room. She spots a table and chair, a wooden cabinet, and a couple of lanterns. Aside from the cot she's lying on, the room is empty. She wonders what's taking the others so long. In the meanwhile, she painstakingly reaches for her satchel and rifles through her belongings until she unveils a scroll from its contents. Slowly unfurling the long-sheeted papyrus until a seal appears, she performs the following handseals, Dog → Snake → Ram → Ox, and taps her palm against the back as a small puff of off-white smoke envelopes her ligament. When it disperses, a delectable treat manifests itself in the form of a strawberry cake. A slice of it, in fact. In her dazed state, she briefly wonders where she'd acquired this but the thought soon passes as it comes and indulges in the sweetness of the confectionary. The taste is indescribably delicious, and she savors every bite.

Once there's naught but iced crumbs, she rolls the scroll and places it back into her bag. And at that same time, she's met by the same guard who rescued her earlier who peaks through the tent's flaps and notices the now healing Genin in her futon.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Better," She says, looking down at her arms. "Thank you."

"Good, because we're going to need a statement from you."

"A statement?"

"Yeah, a written account of what happened. You can give it to me, or, if you're more comfortable, a member of the Konoha Military Police Force. They're the ones investigating the incident. Doesn't have to be right away since you're still recovering, though afterward, when you think you're well-rested enough, you can either come to the police station or a representative will come and get you."

"Yeah. Sure... by the way, you are...?"

"Oh, sorry. Where are my manners? I'm a Chūnin of the Konoha Military Police Force, Kenjiro Mitarashi. I'll be assisting the investigation."

"Nice to meet you, Mitarashi-san."

"Likewise. Anyway, I'll see you later."

"Right."

He bows and leaves the tent, the flap closing after him. Himari's attention shifts and her focus is drawn toward an open slit of the tent she's in. Through it, she's able to catch a glimpse of the outside world, the village, and the damage done to it. Buildings are damaged, and debris is scattered across the streets. The smell of burning wood and ash fills the air. A dreadful sight to see, indeed, and one she hopes will be remedied sooner than later. She leans back and rests her head against the pillow.

"Maybe she... maybe mom can tell me more about him..."


WC: 1,140
TWC: 7,008 (x 2 [via Strawberry Cake item]) → 8,000 + 3,008 Remainder = 11,008




Requesting approval for the following claims:

Claiming the following mission reward(s):

► Total Ryo Earned: +32,000 Ryo
► Total AP Earned: +161 AP

Investing 11,008 TWC into the following Skill(s):

► Training Divine Breathing (1,500/1,500) [9,508 TWC Left]

Investing the remaining 9,508 TWC into the following Jutsu:

► Mastering Eight Trigrams: Heavenly Palm Rotation @ A-Rank for Unique Mastery Slot [951/2,137] → (2,137/2,137) [8,322 TWC Left]
► Training Iron Leg Dragon @ B-Rank (1,312/1,312) [7,010 TWC Left]
► Training Leaf Rising Wind @ B-Rank (1,125/1,125) [5,885 TWC Left]
► Training Chakra Scalpel (73/1,875) [5,812 TWC Left]
► Mastering Perfect Body @ A-Rank for [M - Power] (2,062/2,062) [3,750 TWC Left]
► Mastering Gentle Fist Art: Body Blow for [M - Power] (3,750/3,750) [0 TWC Left]
*25% Discount option via max stats

One man caused this much devastation and not a single person could stop him, could Zarina even? Well, she was about to try but first, she needed to do something about the giant ball of fiery death aimed directly at her. However, hand signs flew together in a moments haste from Arathel: Hare > Ox > Tiger >  Snake > Dog > Tiger > Boar. Outreaching her hand, violent wind released from her palm, looking like a tornado, it obliterated the fireball and continued towards the target. It would've hit him dead on but like a normal ninja, he dodged it to the right. Now, this Uchiha was heading towards Arathel at full speed, ignoring the Hyuga. The Anbura adjusted her stance as the man came closer to her. Throwing hand signs together once again:  Ox > Rat > Dragon > Tiger > Horse > Rat > Dog > Bird, she finished with a clap.

"Dust Release: Atomic Dismantling."

Those words left her mouth as chakra begin forming between her hands turning into a geometrical shape. The look of anger turned into fear as the man must have known about this jutsu. Giving off a sadistic smirk, she fired the white beam at the man as he was mere meters away from the Anbura. Hitting the man dead on, he was instantly vaporized as the powerful beam went through him leaving nothing behind. Arathel felt no remorse or regret for killing this man. The prison would be too good for him and now nothing was left of him. Good riddance.

"Well, I'd say that was rather eventful. I guess we better go tell the Kage about our mission and then head home. Right?"She said with a smile when not even ten minutes ago, she decimated an individual with ease. Turning away from Zarina, she started walking towards the Kage Tower. Thinking back to the slums on fire, she noticed it was rather beautiful. Arathel loved fire. She loves the way it dances. It swirls and sways and she lose herself just watching it. Her father does not approve of the way that she sits there just to watch it. She never sees anything in the flames, but she likes to watch them regardless. Arathel falters with the fire and rises with it. The times in which she can sneak away and allow herself to be lost in the fire are her favorites.

Her times with her brother used to be at the top of that list but he is gone now. Arathel's brothers fire has gone out, his candle is finished. But Arathel's brother will always burn. Fire never stops burning until it has nothing left to burn with. That's one of the reasons she loves it. Fire will falter, it will dim but it never goes out.

Arathel wishes she could just spend all her time with the fire. It captivates her, has her enchanted in a way nothing else does. Fire is hre biggest love. It is also why her father hated her. Well - he hates her for other reasons too, but he hates Arathel for this the most. Because Arathel is not fiery enough for her father. He cannot see the captivating spark in her. He cannot understand that is her heart more than anything else that burns, that flickers and dances. Perhaps he thought the fire would have consumed it by now, burnt it out. But the fire never leaves hr eheart. Her heart is made of fire.

It is not enough for her father. Arathel is never enough for his father. She does not know why she used to try to make him proud. It will never be enough for her father and Arathel knows it. It makes her cry - eyes letting out water. The Anbura's father thinks it's because she is weak. Arathel knows it's not. She cries because the flames are so strong, her body tries to extinguish them with water. Sometimes it works. Only for a little while though - Arathel's flame is not ready to go out any time soon.

And therein lies the problem. Arathel cared for her father. She burns for him, but he doesn't burn for Arathel. He did once and she cannot forget that. Fire does not forget. She loved him and Arathel loved him. But he doesn't love him anymore and Arathel didn't know how to put the fire out. Sometimes, she would wish she didn't burn, wished she could be his perfect daughter. But she's not and Arathel is too timid to put her own flames out, so she lets herself burn. How could she stop the fire?

Arathel is not the wisest, but she is wise. She knows there is no point in trying to fight them. People often believe what they want to believe. What can she do? Until they chose to open their eyes, nothing. Arathel might be the flame of a candle. But people run away from the forest fire and keep the candle close to them. Idiots get burnt not by the forest fire but by the candle flame. Arathel knows a great many idiots.

Arathel is the gentle, unassuming candle flame. The candle flame you protect because it helps you. It is a transaction, a mutually beneficial agreement. Arathel's flame is not one people wish to extinguish. Even her misguided father only wishes for it to grow larger. But people are afraid of large fire and Arathel does not wish to be the most powerful or to be feared. Arathel wishes to be kind. But she was feared. Especially when she killed that man. All she saw was fear and Arathel still ended his life. Just like her father when he died.

As Arathel walked, she stopped for a second. It was time to take extra precaution in this new realm she wandered in. Enhancing her chakra prowess through the usage of the Uzumaki Whirlpool Jutsu (+80/+80 to Vigor/Chakra) and then began to perform a plethora of hand seals to begin placing seals upon her body with Fuinjutsu Amplifiers. First was the Barrier Seal (Power: 200) which took the form of swirling arrays that resemble a shield woven into the seal upon her upper abdomen, just below her breasts. Second was the Mental Barrier Seal (Power: 200) which took the form of three rings with the kanji for mind in the center of them down the spine of her back. The third was the Seal of Protection (Power: 205) that took the form of a small teal colored diamond that was placed in the center of her chest, right above her breast. With that done, she proceeds with her destination once again.

EXIT
TWC: 6,441
Arathel's Claims & Rewards:
+32,000 Ryo
+161 AP (Ryo Conversion Due to Bonus Maxed AP: 161 x 50 = 8,050)
2750/2750 to Stat Increase Mastery Blast Wave (+20 to Power)
2750/2750 to Stat Increase Mastery Armament: Hellish Breath (+20 to Power)
250/250 to Hand Seals Mastery Genjutsu Release (No Hand Seals)
375/375 to Basic Sealing Technique (25% off Due to Max Stat)
188/188 to Hearthfire (25% off Due to Max Stat)

6,441 - 6,313 = 128 Left to go into the Abyss

Zarina's Claims & Rewards:
+32,000 Ryo
+161 AP (Ryo Conversion Due to Bonus Maxed AP: 161 x 50 = 8,050)
+48 to Chakra
+13 to Strength
+3 to Vigor

Approved