Nobu was surprised that the small harbor the ship pulled into looked not much different than the one in the Land of the Wind, other than the different environment and the way people dressed. He had expected something more... exotic from an island so far from his home. Instead what he found could've fooled him as another Sunagakure town if it hadn't been for the grey stone and green trees around him.
Despite Nobu's excitement to continue on deeper into the Land of the Moon, he needed a day to recuperate. Other than his seasickness, food among the ship had lacked variety, and he frankly needed time to orient himself within this new country. Staying in the harbor town for a day turned out to be a wise decision. A market had provided him with clothes in the local style, and he felt his strength return with every one of his three square meals. The next morning, Nobu felt as good as new.
Wearing a pale violet kimono of simple cut and cloth, Nobu looked like any other son of a well-off farmer or merchant. Rather than the pile of leather rags he had been wearing before as a coat, Nobu was now wearing a dark, plainly-colored oilcloth cloak around his shoulders to protect him against the elements. As it turned out, buying it was a good choice. The rumors of the Land of the Moon's violent storms were not exaggerated. At first, Nobu simply wandered the wilds, walking for the sake of walking, exploring for the sake of exploring.
Nobu's awe turned to respect as he wandered. Nature was harsh and unforgiving in the Land of Wind, and its signs were rare in the barren wasteland, in part thanks to the Diamond Maelstrom. Here in the Land of the Moon, however, Nobu felt almost at home. He felt as one with the trees, home among the boughs. As a sensory-type ninja, Nobu couldn't help but feel the connection almost ran too deep. There was something there, like something moving at the edge of his vision, or a sound at the edge of his hearing. Just out of his reach, but there. Definitely there.
As he traveled, the boy started reading more into the scroll left behind by Domen Tsubasa, the sage whose story had brought him to Moon Country in the first place. For reasons the scroll did not mention, Domen Tsubasa had left Sunagakure in her 20s, only for a Domen family member to find her in the Land of the Moon. As a sage, she had spiritual duties as well as physical ones. For unknown reasons, a sanctuary had been built in the Land of the Moon. It was important enough that a group of sages from several different countries had agreed it required someone to take care of the structure and the location. Tsubasa had decided to take the duty when the latest keeper retired, an act which required her to abandon all ties of blood in Sunagakure.
The sanctuary was in the northwest of the Land of the Moon, but Nobu was in no hurry to get there. He could have made it there in a day, flat. Instead he spent a week wandering the forest at the center of the island. Survival was easy, compared to Sunagakure. There was commonly-available natural water here, easily boiled using fire ninjutsu in the pots and pans Nobu had brought with him. There was a plethora of plant- and wildlife, much of it edible. Nobu had received no training about surviving in the Land of the Moon, but it was as if he could feel what would and would not be safe to eat.
The more he read, the more it started to make sense. Tsubasa's writing mentioned something called natural energy. Chakra consisted of physical and spiritual energy, but natural energy could be introduced to the mix by a select few people. Sages like Tsubasa knew the rudimentary skill of using natural energy, but there were those who internalized natural energy almost like a second pool of energy. These people were either highly experienced Sages, or those with a particular Bloodline ability. In Tsubasa's writing, she revealed that she was one of these people. A Senju, as it was called. The Bloodline stemmed from an ancient Land of the Forest clan. Nobu wasn't surprised that his ancestry included people from beyond the borders of the Land of Wind; surely the ancestors of the First Men spread further than just Sunagakure.
Slowly but surely the pieces were falling into place. Natural energy. The power of the world around him. The blood of a Senju. Like the gentle hands of his ancestors, urging him towards where he needed to be. Not pushing, not nagging, but still ever-present. Part of Nobu felt like he was simply putting off the inevitable. That sanctuary was waiting for him. Part of him considered chickening out, but he had come so far. If he returned to the Land of Wind now, he would be facing a lifetime of sleepless nights, wondering what could have been.
Nobu's apparently-aimless wandering continued, taking him across rocky hills and river valleys, through open fields and thick underbrush. But every day, he knew he was getting closer to that sanctuary. Soon, the landscape gave way to dunes and beaches, but as Nobu followed the shoreline further up, the dunes eventually turned into cliffs. The southwestern edge of the Insanity Cliffs, the northeastern edge of the island's beautiful beaches, all surrounded by the island's rich forests. It was no surprise that Nobu soon found himself before the vine-grown gate of the sanctuary. Looking over his shoulder, he saw an open area in a small valley somewhat south of the cliff. He'd missed it by a few hundred meters, but at the time, Nobu had no desire to re-enter civilization. It had to be the village where his ancestors had lived.
Turning back to the gates, Nobu found himself curious yet somewhat hesitant as he moved to push them open. The place had clearly not been taken care of - part of the roof was collapsed, the windows were dirty and stained from years of coastal winds, and plant life had overtaken the whole place. Yet, Nobu felt this to be somehow even more fitting than if it had been a perfectly proper shrine. The sanctuary was dedicated to nature. In a way, nature had reclaimed it.
Nobu hurried through the shrine courtyard, stepping on stones wherever he could to avoid squashing plants. One of the doors had fallen from the hinges, allowing Nobu to enter the building easily. It opened into what looked like an area of silent meditation or worship, like a temple. There were doors, no doubt leading to the living quarters and the like. Parts of the smashed rooftop were lying on the floor in an old, untouched pile. From the hole, a beam of sunlight shone through the dusty air, outlining a spot near the center of the chamber. Nobu's heart was beating in his throat; he was expecting something, but he didn't know what.
Upon approaching the outlined place, Nobu noticed the stones were worn out. The markings were those of a kneeling person, two indentations for the knees and two for the feet. The boy's body felt like it moved by itself as he knelt there, as so many had done before him. Nobu closed his eyes and bowed his head in silent respect.
An indescribable sensation struck Nobu like a bolt from the blue. Energy - not his own - surrounded the spot. He could feel it, sense it like he could now sense every leaf of grass and every scuttling ant outside of the sanctuary. Now he understood everything. This sanctuary, this shrine, had been built not only out of respect for nature, but for its inhabitants to be closer to it. Like the meeting point of a dozen rivers, natural energy flowed from miles away into this point. The fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the beasts of the forests. Nature itself - Nobu understood.
And as he came to nature, nature came to him. He grasped like a blind man, not physically but mentally, and eventually found something to hold onto. A minute tendril, a small droplet, of natural energy pulled from the flow and into himself. A broad smile crossed across his face as he felt it well up from inside of him. Along with that energy, something else came to him. In one hand, chakra shaped into the energy of water. In the other hand, chakra shaped into the energy of earth. Nobu made hand seals, following only what he remembered of basic elemental training, before putting his hands to the stone floor with a deep breath. From between a nearby set of floor tiles, heavy blocks of stone that had been pushed up over the years by a tree's root, blossomed a sapling.
Nobu stared at the young vegetation, then down to his hands. That sapling had not been there before. Wood release - the sign of a Senju.
But... what else was waiting for Domen Nobu in these hallowed halls?
[WC: 1533, Contract Search, using "Discovery of Contract of Random Choice" card]
Despite Nobu's excitement to continue on deeper into the Land of the Moon, he needed a day to recuperate. Other than his seasickness, food among the ship had lacked variety, and he frankly needed time to orient himself within this new country. Staying in the harbor town for a day turned out to be a wise decision. A market had provided him with clothes in the local style, and he felt his strength return with every one of his three square meals. The next morning, Nobu felt as good as new.
Wearing a pale violet kimono of simple cut and cloth, Nobu looked like any other son of a well-off farmer or merchant. Rather than the pile of leather rags he had been wearing before as a coat, Nobu was now wearing a dark, plainly-colored oilcloth cloak around his shoulders to protect him against the elements. As it turned out, buying it was a good choice. The rumors of the Land of the Moon's violent storms were not exaggerated. At first, Nobu simply wandered the wilds, walking for the sake of walking, exploring for the sake of exploring.
Nobu's awe turned to respect as he wandered. Nature was harsh and unforgiving in the Land of Wind, and its signs were rare in the barren wasteland, in part thanks to the Diamond Maelstrom. Here in the Land of the Moon, however, Nobu felt almost at home. He felt as one with the trees, home among the boughs. As a sensory-type ninja, Nobu couldn't help but feel the connection almost ran too deep. There was something there, like something moving at the edge of his vision, or a sound at the edge of his hearing. Just out of his reach, but there. Definitely there.
As he traveled, the boy started reading more into the scroll left behind by Domen Tsubasa, the sage whose story had brought him to Moon Country in the first place. For reasons the scroll did not mention, Domen Tsubasa had left Sunagakure in her 20s, only for a Domen family member to find her in the Land of the Moon. As a sage, she had spiritual duties as well as physical ones. For unknown reasons, a sanctuary had been built in the Land of the Moon. It was important enough that a group of sages from several different countries had agreed it required someone to take care of the structure and the location. Tsubasa had decided to take the duty when the latest keeper retired, an act which required her to abandon all ties of blood in Sunagakure.
The sanctuary was in the northwest of the Land of the Moon, but Nobu was in no hurry to get there. He could have made it there in a day, flat. Instead he spent a week wandering the forest at the center of the island. Survival was easy, compared to Sunagakure. There was commonly-available natural water here, easily boiled using fire ninjutsu in the pots and pans Nobu had brought with him. There was a plethora of plant- and wildlife, much of it edible. Nobu had received no training about surviving in the Land of the Moon, but it was as if he could feel what would and would not be safe to eat.
The more he read, the more it started to make sense. Tsubasa's writing mentioned something called natural energy. Chakra consisted of physical and spiritual energy, but natural energy could be introduced to the mix by a select few people. Sages like Tsubasa knew the rudimentary skill of using natural energy, but there were those who internalized natural energy almost like a second pool of energy. These people were either highly experienced Sages, or those with a particular Bloodline ability. In Tsubasa's writing, she revealed that she was one of these people. A Senju, as it was called. The Bloodline stemmed from an ancient Land of the Forest clan. Nobu wasn't surprised that his ancestry included people from beyond the borders of the Land of Wind; surely the ancestors of the First Men spread further than just Sunagakure.
Slowly but surely the pieces were falling into place. Natural energy. The power of the world around him. The blood of a Senju. Like the gentle hands of his ancestors, urging him towards where he needed to be. Not pushing, not nagging, but still ever-present. Part of Nobu felt like he was simply putting off the inevitable. That sanctuary was waiting for him. Part of him considered chickening out, but he had come so far. If he returned to the Land of Wind now, he would be facing a lifetime of sleepless nights, wondering what could have been.
Nobu's apparently-aimless wandering continued, taking him across rocky hills and river valleys, through open fields and thick underbrush. But every day, he knew he was getting closer to that sanctuary. Soon, the landscape gave way to dunes and beaches, but as Nobu followed the shoreline further up, the dunes eventually turned into cliffs. The southwestern edge of the Insanity Cliffs, the northeastern edge of the island's beautiful beaches, all surrounded by the island's rich forests. It was no surprise that Nobu soon found himself before the vine-grown gate of the sanctuary. Looking over his shoulder, he saw an open area in a small valley somewhat south of the cliff. He'd missed it by a few hundred meters, but at the time, Nobu had no desire to re-enter civilization. It had to be the village where his ancestors had lived.
Turning back to the gates, Nobu found himself curious yet somewhat hesitant as he moved to push them open. The place had clearly not been taken care of - part of the roof was collapsed, the windows were dirty and stained from years of coastal winds, and plant life had overtaken the whole place. Yet, Nobu felt this to be somehow even more fitting than if it had been a perfectly proper shrine. The sanctuary was dedicated to nature. In a way, nature had reclaimed it.
Nobu hurried through the shrine courtyard, stepping on stones wherever he could to avoid squashing plants. One of the doors had fallen from the hinges, allowing Nobu to enter the building easily. It opened into what looked like an area of silent meditation or worship, like a temple. There were doors, no doubt leading to the living quarters and the like. Parts of the smashed rooftop were lying on the floor in an old, untouched pile. From the hole, a beam of sunlight shone through the dusty air, outlining a spot near the center of the chamber. Nobu's heart was beating in his throat; he was expecting something, but he didn't know what.
Upon approaching the outlined place, Nobu noticed the stones were worn out. The markings were those of a kneeling person, two indentations for the knees and two for the feet. The boy's body felt like it moved by itself as he knelt there, as so many had done before him. Nobu closed his eyes and bowed his head in silent respect.
An indescribable sensation struck Nobu like a bolt from the blue. Energy - not his own - surrounded the spot. He could feel it, sense it like he could now sense every leaf of grass and every scuttling ant outside of the sanctuary. Now he understood everything. This sanctuary, this shrine, had been built not only out of respect for nature, but for its inhabitants to be closer to it. Like the meeting point of a dozen rivers, natural energy flowed from miles away into this point. The fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the beasts of the forests. Nature itself - Nobu understood.
And as he came to nature, nature came to him. He grasped like a blind man, not physically but mentally, and eventually found something to hold onto. A minute tendril, a small droplet, of natural energy pulled from the flow and into himself. A broad smile crossed across his face as he felt it well up from inside of him. Along with that energy, something else came to him. In one hand, chakra shaped into the energy of water. In the other hand, chakra shaped into the energy of earth. Nobu made hand seals, following only what he remembered of basic elemental training, before putting his hands to the stone floor with a deep breath. From between a nearby set of floor tiles, heavy blocks of stone that had been pushed up over the years by a tree's root, blossomed a sapling.
Nobu stared at the young vegetation, then down to his hands. That sapling had not been there before. Wood release - the sign of a Senju.
But... what else was waiting for Domen Nobu in these hallowed halls?
[WC: 1533, Contract Search, using "Discovery of Contract of Random Choice" card]
The ground would shake one final time, as the very ground Nobu was standing on started to rise.