I'm not the only one [Kaza]

[Zethui Kobayashi]

Some days, the world was too much to deal with. He knew in his heart that he was being weak, that love wasn't a word that a shinobi should know. But none the less, Zenichi had left his one and only love dead on Moon Island. A part of him was left on that bedroom floor, mixed with the puddles of blood seeping into the floorboards. On these days, he wanted to find the darkest areas possible to hide his eyes from the world. If anyone would see the pain behind them, Zenichi would die a little more inside. So he found himself here, at a small underground town. An eerie glow came from it's walls, paining everything a luminescent green. While he would wish for something a bit darker, it afforded him a bit of camouflage to hide his wounds behind.

As twinge of pain came close to his heart, almost stopping it for a brief second as he noticed the beauty that an underground village provided. The water reflected the soft light with each ripple. He wanted to show this place to her. For a brief second, he told himself he would bring her here one day before reality crashed into his head once again. He couldn't take another step but was too proud to just fall to his knees, pleading to any god for mercy on his tormented soul. So he keeled beside a half buried statue with on knee up and the other leg laying flat. Crossed arms laid upon his knee for him to cry into once again. He hated these kind of days.

 

[Tsukasa Mikasa]

The trickling of dew drops issuing from the stalagmites above would silently plop onto the surface of the waters waiting below. Spiraling eyes would scan the area around him, the swirls similar to that of a whirlpool with infinite depth and a tragic ending. Unfortunately this was not a mere sight seeing venture for the sounds of a pitiful melody soon reaches him. The violins and cello’s sobbed along with the stranger who he found practically in shambles.

It wasn’t his intention to provide the role of one who to comfort, he rarely did such feeble actions. “Does the sight of the sea cause your eyes to tear so drastically?” he calls out, allowing for his silhouette to become completely visible. A single hand would stream through his raven locks, adjusting the stray pesky strands blocking vision at odd angles.

Carefully the male would approach, for he was one who was not part of the village and any encounter could very well be his last; though he doubted such actions would come to be. “You could have at least unburied the statue you weep upon.” he comments before leaning against an adjacent. Under normal circumstances the male would merely shake his head, locks slicing through the air, and be on his way. However, the taste of sorrow lingered in the air and the familiarity struck an odd nerve he was under the impression he removed.

With a quick snapping of his finger, a coral haired youth would spring forth from the darkness, identical eyes. “Are you alright mister?” she comments. Upon closer inspection one could view her eyes were partially hazed over, blindness. A mere clicking of the tongue would suffice to locate, “Do you want a hug?” she continues before opening her arms. Keiko was a sweet thing, generally.​

 

[Zethui Kobayashi]

In his mind, he was looking into her eyes, listening to an angelic hum in his ear from a lifetime away. She was singing into a strangers ear and even he wouldn't recognize that person now. this trip down nostalgia lane was probably the main reason Zenichi didn't realize that the person inquiring on the reason for crying was directed at Zenichi. It wasn't until he was leaning against an adjacent statue that Zenichi recognized his presence.

Zenichi looked up but felt the strain crying had put on his eyes. A quick hand onto his pockets retrieved a pair of sunglasses that he had worn earlier. Eyes now guarded from the world, he was able to look at the young guy near him. Dark hair and a casual style seemed to be in abundance with this guy. Zenichi really didn't know how to respond to him. Especially considering he couldn't stop staring at his eyes. They were similar to his own but at the same time, completely different. Dark purple with a ripple effect seemed to draw him in somehow. He wanted to ask him about them but couldn't mutter a single syllable before another person intruded his attempt at solitude.

I..I..I'm fine. Sorry to be such a drag here in an underground paradise.

Zenichi would stand up, quickly dusting off his pants, quickly realizing that his butt was slightly damp from the ground he sat upon. He looked at the two standing there an realized they looked similar, as if brother and sister. It wasn't until he realized that her eyes were very similar to his that he made the connection.

 

[Tsukasa Mikasa]

The stuttering of the figure was amusing, though at the instance quite sorrowful. Sho for the meantime would merely silence himself, leaning against the marble statue. In such situations such as these, he refused to converse with his own lips. There was nothing shameful about letting loose a flurry of tears, to cover with such trivial items as sunglasses was an oddity to him. “Are you sure, mister?” Keiko questions once more, taking a step closer.

This particular area had already been mapped out due to her sonar, however the individual was still able to view through the main pair of eyes if allowed. Each path of the Nara was a set of emotions he ripped from himself, to avoid and escape; leaving only a silenced figure while the others would release his emotional states. “You aren’t being a drag, you are just being silly!” she protests, drawing closer still.

A mere pause would be taken, “I have a bear, it could cheer you up!” she declares while glancing over towards the Nara’s general direction, a shaking of the head – signifying a simple statement of no. “You are no fun, Sho-nii!” she complains, crossing her arms. Never the least this mere bump in the road would not waver her attempt. “The water is very beautiful!” she exclaims, scooping up a decent amount, her interwined fingers allowing for the liquid to trickle to the floor below.

Another pause, “This is water right?” she inquires, tilting her head to the side. “Don’t lie to me either, I can tell if you are.” Once her inquiry would receive a response, and only then, would her conversation carry forward. “Now, why are you so sad? Oh! Everything is beautiful here! . . . . . I think.” Difficult to determine from a single point of view. "It is.​

 

[Zethui Kobayashi]

Zencihi looked down at his feet, shuffling them back and forth. The girl was incredible bubbly. A personality trait that most times would be fun to have around was almost poison to a sad soul. That was the biggest problem with a bit of depression. When you are deep into it, one seems to want to cling onto it for as long as possible. Almost as if they deserve to feel so badly as a way of atonement. His will was being tested by her childlike spirit and he finally broke when she asked him not to lie to her, that she could tell did he finally fail at retaining a smile. Even if it was just a small one.

I lost the woman I loved less than a year ago. She died giving birth to to our child that would die shortly afterwards. Some days, I am fine and she never crosses my mind, others are days that I can't stop thinking of her.

With every pronoun he stated of her made him all the closer to crying again. He knew he wouldn't in front of people but he was glad he had glasses on none the less.

 

[Tsukasa Mikasa]

The conversation quickly went south and the mood going from semi-conversational to dead panning. Anything further spoken would either release the inner turmoil of this man or best case scenario, fairly saddening. At this stage the Nara wouldn’t bother to console the male, not that he had taken the liberty to do so thus far, but that wouldn’t stop the opposing force. “We have lost someone important as well!” she comments in a bitter sweet tone; merriment dissipating on such a sour topic.

Casually the male’s frosty gaze would greet the hazy of Keiko’s, the direct link to the emotion altering ever so slightly. “To speak of such gloomy things won’t cheer you up, mister!” she points out before spiraling about, arms flailing around. Due to her sudden spiraling, her personal sonar wouldn’t have enough time to register the usual blimps upon her internal imagery; thus resulting in a collision of the nearest statue. With a thud the youth would end inches above the ground, limbs sprawled awkwardly as if caught.

Upon closer inspection, Sho, would be found in a perfect replica state. A bit of effort and the two would straighten out, shadows withdrawing into his frame. “Thanks Sho-nii!” she calls out, arms crossing behind her back. “Careful.” he merely responds before settling against the statue once more, eyes coming to a close.

“Cheer up or I’m going to beat you up!” she raises a clenching fist, initially aiming towards the wrong direction. “Sock ya right in the kisser!” she continues, tossing a flurry of puny jabs – notably an attempt to accent her words. Within that moment the silence would grow to an ultimatum, the air growing stale. How did either party proceed to lighten up the conversation? As it stood now neither would proceed forward with any real conversing.

[OOC: My apologies on the wait, work has been a true killer.]​

 

[Zethui Kobayashi]

Zenichi was able to see himself through the odd Duo's vantage point. Everyone has lost someone along the way, especially those who chose this life. To brood over the death of one single light in a sky of stars seemed silly. He let out a deep sigh as he said another good bye to his only love and blinked his eyes a few times to force them to focus on the present, not the past.

You're right, now is not the time for doom and gloom.

And just like that, she fell into another of her wild antics. She seemed more childish than her age projected. Almost as if she stopped maturing at a certain age. Such silliness lead to her hitting herself against a statue and nearly falling. Only she didn't. She seemed to hover just inches above the ground, as if time had stopped. Zenichi looked over at Sho to see if he was seeing the same thing only to find him mirrored in the same manner. It was only then that he noticed a shadow that had been connecting the two slowly reascend back towards Sho. Zenichi thought he had mastered the Shadow element but knew this was something different, something that goes beyond mastery. Before he could ponder this discovery further, the girl was fully recovered from her accident and was as spry as ever. She picked a play fight with Zenichi, cute doesn't begin to describe her trying to act tough. Once again, Zenichi ouldn't help but smile and the coldness in his heart seemed to melt away a bit more.

He wanted to be playful with her but also show Sho that he has a basic understanding of the Shadow element. A few hand seals were thrown and an Ebony Nightmare was cast. A pitch black dragon grew out of thin air. The green luminescence ave him a hint of emerald around the edges. It wasn't overly sized, it barely stood a foot higher than Zenichi. Instead of acing as a menace, it took on the persona of a puppy, waging tail and all.

 

[Tsukasa Mikasa]

To dwell upon the outskirts located nearest the sea didn’t seem quite fitting for a man of his stature; rather it was far too stereotypical to perform such an event. Fortunately the playful threat of the coral hair youth would be enough to light the spirits of the male before her. “Darn, I was rearing up for a sucker punch too!” she exclaims, jabbing at the air several times, “My aim is quite good and I’m sure I can sock ya right in the nose!” she insists before dropping the subject altogether. Her eyesight didn’t exactly detail perfection in terms of accuracy.

On an entirely different note the Nara would examine the technique displayed before him; initially his thoughts lingered if this particular male were in fact of the same heritage or if the shadow element was currently in use. “I see, you also seem quite adept at the shadow arts.” he comments with his signature slate expression. Unfortunately, it would take far a greater surprise to gain any sort of facial expression relating to amusement. “I can’t see, what did he do, Sho-nii?” Keiko would inquiry in a flurry, beginning to expand her sonar outwards in hopes of encompassing an image.

The creature before them was one he had seen only in a series of textbooks littering the libraries of Kirigakure, a serpent with wings.

A pause, “How can you be so sad when you have such a huuuuge dog with you mister?” Keiko would blurt out. For one who has never seen – well, anything for that matter, to envision a dragon was nearly impossible. At this stage, the youth was forced to recall upon experiences of animal encounters; regardless if her conclusions were false. “Tell me, are you a Nara?” Sho finally speaks once more.

“I’m Keiko!” a quick bow, “I’m sorry for not introducing myself sooner!” another pause as the youth would twirl over towards the dragon, attempting to reach out and feel the texture. “He’s Sho-nii, my older brother!”​

 

[Zethui Kobayashi]

Zenichi knew that the woman was odd by her mannerisms and how she seemed to move in a peculiar fashion. He never would have known that she was blind until she played out her blindness before him. Zenichi wasn't sure how she was able to hide such a weakness from a trained eye such as his but none the less, he was stupified. He even went so far as to wave a hand before her face to see how she would react.

It is not a Dog, my Dear. It is nothing really. Just the mental materialization of what I see as a powerful creature. It could be a dog if I put value on the canine animals above those of the creatures of lore. Myths have a way of being more powerful than the creatures could have ever lived up to.

With a few hands seals, the Shadow Dragon disappeared in the air. Almost like a heavily smog was thinned out with clean air. His attention was drawn back on the poker faced associate of the blind girl. He was the puppet master here, gazing upon the surrounding area with his rippled eyes. He felt he knew of another myth concerning such eyes but couldn't quite bring it forward in his mind.

I am not of the Nara clan, I am Zenichi, a brother to the Senju clan. Why do you ask if I am Nara? Also, I see you both have the same eyes, are you siblings? How did she lose her eyesight?

Zenichi felt like he was rambling off one question after another like a silly child. But the truth was, he was glad to be focused on something new that wasn't a memory of his past.

 

[Tsukasa Mikasa]

For a brief moment the Nara would merely tilt his head to the side, it was extremely difficult to differentiate between those of a similar bloodline heritage or one utilizing techniques basing around the prior. Never the least, “I see, difficult to determine these days – your use of the shadows led me to believe otherwise.” a pause, a hand would raise upwards to nonchalantly waver to and fro, “Take it as a compliment.” he insists droopingly.

Furthermore, to claim to be of the wood technique founding clan, was odd considering the shadows; though he had come across far odder scenario’s. As for the inquiry directed towards him, he would merely present the blatant obvious response, “I felt I merely stumbled upon another; that is all.” he explains calmly before gesturing towards his other, “Keiko – she is my sibling.” he nods lightly. In a sense one could label the coral hair youth as such, but in reality they were one in the same.

Before the Nara would speak, his other would take the time to respond, “I was born this way, but it doesn’t mean I can’t find you!” she declares, pointing a digit in the initial wrong direction. Keiko was his innocence, blind to the world as to avoid tainting. To create one blind was the epitome of irony; their world would never falter colors and remain a single consistent.

“I still think you are lying and that is a dog, it’s evening doing something odd.” she remarks before turning about shaking her hips. “Isn’t that what a dog performs?” she inquires before turning about, prodding a finger against her chin.

It wouldn’t take a wild goose chase to determine the following, “Being of the Senju clan, it is safe to assume you aren’t from this village, correct?” he inquires.​

 

[Zethui Kobayashi]

Zenichi beamed with a bit of pride. Taking cues from the quiet one, Zenichi determined that he was of a clan who had learned to master the very shadows themselves. Zenichi wondered how much more skilled one would need to be so proficient in an element that is literally the abstract construct of everything tangible. It was the opposite of light, of mass, of warmth and of perspective. To become a master of such an element would take more than just being a natural like Zenichi. It would take a pact with the devil himself. He was immediately intrigued.

Can she control the Shadows as you can? I would think that without sight, an abstract concept like shadows wouldn't be able to be comprehended. Mastering it would be almost impossible. Even if she had a natural ability for elemental manipulation like I do, it would be difficult to mold chakra without being able to interact with it's properties.

Almost on cue, the blind girl would start asking about the Dragon wagging it's tale. Zenichi wondered if her naivety was a front of if she was truly a child in a young woman's body. He found himself almost jealous of her child-like mentality. It was a luxury that he never was able to bare and seeing her as an eternal youth made him amiss of a life he could never have.

I am from Konohagakure, I was the last person to leave the village before it crumbled before greed and turmoil. I have been living off the lamb since then, building my fortune and unlocking more secrets than I could ever imagine. You're talks of a clan that has Mastered the Shadows has peaked my interest. I am most curious as to how your mastery over this element differs from mine. Would you care to spar or meerly stand at opposite end and try to one up each other's Jutsu?

 

[Tsukasa Mikasa]

The male would shake his head, this in accordance to the initial inquiry directed towards him. It was a far more difficult challenge to allow for the youth to produce shadows; however it was certainly doable – he merely chose not to. Unfortunately, the emotional state of Keiko was far more innocent and with innocence came more childish properties, “I can interact with a lot of things!” she insists before doing a series of hand seals.

A dramatic grunt would be given, before the clasped hands would part, a hand wiping across her brow. “Are you impressed with my shadows?” she inquires before gesturing outwards, “They are so great that they blind all – including me!” she begins to laugh, clearly a jest.

Before the teen would be able to continue with her display, the conversation would take a far more serious tone, one in which the male could relate. “Konohagakure, I see.” his tundra gaze narrowing, “We are from Kirigakure, so I understand your suffering.” he merely replies, though he much rather not go into details unless directly engaged to do so such a thing. “Our home is only iced over though, we can go back any time!” Keiko would insist, not quite a jab, but more or less an obvious statement that in which didn’t need to be spoken.

In the form of an apology, the Nara would give a brief, very brief, apologetic smile on his others behalf. Concerning the offer, he would have to decline as signified by a mere shake of his head. To spar within this area would be nothing short of disastrous. “I’ll have to decline the spar.” he comments dully. It wouldn’t benefit either one of them to do such a thing, not to mention it was a hassle without a purpose.

Sho wasn’t here to give the other a purpose.

[OOC: My apologies on the wait, tax reports.]​

 

[Zethui Kobayashi]

Zenichi couldn't believe his ears. Feats of strength and bravado were the norm within the shinobi world. In his entire life, an open invitation to spar with someone rarely went unanswered. Even more so, Genin were forced on a daily basis to fight almost anyone available in hopes of learning a new defensive move or to unlock a hidden power. Zenichi felt he was being fair in offering a jutsu competition instead of an all-out fight. While the setting could be better for such a match, the urge to do so seemed lost on Kaza.
The first thought that came to mind is that Kaza was either overly confident or that he was incredibly weak. If it was the first, Zenichi was almost insulted that someone would look down on him as if he was just another paper soldier. Zenichi had mastered many elements and felt he had barely grazed the surface of his potential.
If it was the second, then Zenichi wondered if the man was wasting his natural talents. Zenichi could absorb his DNA and take his powers to another level. There was no way Zenichi could know which was the truth and which was conjecture. He was honestly curious now and needed to know. A small smile skimmed his face as he smacked together his hands.
A small light escaped them as he opened to reveal a miniature crystal elephant. Sparkled of red glimmered off of its shell as it reflected the ambient light within the cavern.

I must know what lies within your heart. But I concede that this is not the ideal place. I offer you a gift of friendship, to show how grateful I am that you came to me when I was at my lowest. This gift comes at a price though. One day, when I am not in Stone, I will find you and test your might. Know that I am not out for blood, only to see what you are made of. I will not give you warning nor allow you the first punch. If you are strong, may I be able to become strong enough to beat you. If you are weak, take this time to find the strength of a 1000 men.

Until we meet again my friend.

[Topic Left unless stopped]