素の縁 Ayame's Ascent Part I [Tutor]

[Uchiha Izura]

The sun was bright out, casting it’s unrelenting heat on the sands below and causing visible heat waves to form from the sea of sand dunes. Izura now knew that Ayame was training to be a shinobi, and he intended to give her the best chance at protecting herself. Sunagakure was already in a dangerous land known for it’s fearsome creatures and harsh terrain- a land where water could be scarce in the endless sea of sand. Izura hailed from a distant land that was quite the opposite, where it rained nearly every single day, threatening to drown the landscape in endless floods and river flows that eroded away even the sturdiest of natural structures.

Naturally, Izura was also a master of water ninjutsu, so he figured that she might just have the same affinity as he did. He brought chakra paper with him for that very purpose.

“Normally you’d learn this at the academy, but I think it’d be better for me to teach you personally.” he said in a friendly tone. After all, she was his beloved imouto, and he cared about her with all his heart.

As an outsider, their little meeting where he intended to teach Ayame was technically unsanctioned, and it might even be dubbed suspicious activity. So just to be safe, he had summoned his bird Soraka, a large raven, who silently watched for any danger from the skies as the training commenced.

He went to Ayame, then knelt down and pulled out a piece of chakra paper from his pocket.

“This is chakra paper. If you focus your chakra into it, it’ll react based on what your natural elemental affinity is. From there, we’ll be able to tell what element you’ll be naturally good at, and then I can teach you some techniques~ How does that idea sound to you?”

He smiled in a friendly manner again. If she had a fire affinity, the paper would ignite. If she had a wind affinity, the paper would be split in half. If it was lightning, it’d wrinkle. Earth would cause the paper to turn into dirt and crumble away, while a water affinity would cause the paper to get soggy and wet.

WC 368

[As an S-Rank Missing Ninja with 3600 PL, I am making Ayame a pupil in this thread with my character as the tutor!]

 

[Ayame]

Ayame was close when she saw her brother summoning the bird Soraka. Тhat was the stupidest support in League of Legends, but whatever.
Sowwy

Ayame couldn’t wait for her training to start. Normally she wouldn’t care that much, but today the situation was different.
Her brother was her teacher. She wasn’t feeling comfortable, that’s for sure. They didn’t had the chance to talk much, but it seemed that he was in a hurry. Questions filled the little girl’s head like “Why is he in such a hurry? Is something bad going to happen?”
Not like she didn’t want to train. She wanted to become stronger, but never imagined that Izura would be helping and teaching her.
All her life she wanted to get strong so she could show her family that she’s doing just fine without them. And revenge them for leaving her all alone. But now she felt different.
She saw her brother’s pain. She saw him walking to her with all his injuries, when he was so weak he could barely even stand. Something about that changed the girl’s mind. But she couldn’t trust him. Not yet. It was hard for her to trust people, especially people who she despised for such a long time. But she wanted to.

“Normally you’d learn this at the academy, but I think it’d be better for me to teach you personally.” he said.
She closed her eyes and smiled.
“Of course it’d be better… nii-san…” she tought.
Then she saw him summoning his big raven. Her eyes opened widely in disbelief and the only thing that came out of her mouth was:
- Woaaaaaah…
Izura then knelt down. At that moment the girl realized how big her brother was compared to her. He explained about the paper he was holding and the girl looked at him like he was crazy.
- A magic paper? This is stupid. When are we gonna fight? – came out of her mouth.
Yeah, the girl was too impatient, short tempered and with bad manners. A real lady. But she decided to give it a shot.
Ayame took the piece of paper from his hand gently, cause she didn’t want to show him how a bear acts and looked at it confused.
„Okay… how does this shit works?” – she thought.
Then tried to concentrate on the piece of paper. For about 2 minutes she watched it as if it was the most important thing on the planet.
Nothing happened.
She felt stupid.
But she tried once again. Fully focused.
After a couple of minutes the paper started burning in her hand.
- FUCK! – Ayame's voice echoed through the dessert.
The girl dropped the burning paper on the ground, ready to step on it.

WC: 433, without the bullshit at the beginning.

 

[Uchiha Izura]

When one is away from their family for a long time and is anxious to see them again, the mind wanders to an idealistic impression of the person in thought. Everything, down to mannerisms, appearance, and general demeanor are romanticized to the point that expectations can often become unrealistic. And in this moment, as soon as she started swearing, that romanticized illusion of how he thought she’d be like was completely shattered.

Izura was not used to having a younger sister quite yet, and his vision for her was one of innocence and youthfulness, not a harsh personality like the one she displayed now. Still, he cursed himself for not expecting this earlier- after all, he had a glimpse into her past and was able to see just what she had gone through, living without any real guidance, especially on moral matters.

He sighed, giving her a worried frown. He wasn’t sure if it was right for him to scold her for her language. She had already gone through so much, so trying to change now would be on her to start, and chastising her might not work. For now he decided to try out a different approach. He smiled at her apologetically, putting his hand on her shoulder and patting her on the head.

What would okaa san do in this situation? he wondered, thinking to himself. On a side note, Ayame really did remind Izura of their mother. The similarities were unmistakeable.

“You have a fire affinity, Ayame-chan~ I’m sure you already started learning some fire jutsu at the academy, right? What can you do now? We can continue based off of how far you’ve gotten.”

Soraka continued to soar overhead, monitoring the desert for any strange activity.


WC 291

 

[Ayame]

Even that Izura and Ayame were family, they were completely different and he started seeing this. Yeah, they had the same eyes and visual features, but on the inside they were different. Like fire and water.
Ayame was a survivor. She learned that good manners won't get you anywhere, maybe because her surroundings were not something you can be proud of. She buried deep down inside her innocence, because it was something that could only stand in her way. It was weakness. And the moment you show your weakness, your good behavior and morals, you were half defeated. The world was tough and you had to be tougher to survive, that's all she knew.
But she was only a child. Her innocence might be buried, waiting to get out, but her naivety showed up often.
If he was here to stay she'd show him that actually she was frightened little girl, longing for a caring hand, that acted though, because it was the only way.
If he was going to run away she'd get sure to remember her as a monster and regret meeting her.

She watched her brother, testing him, studying him. Every move, his look, his words. She didn't believe he was doing this out of a good will. Everything was too good, she wasn't use to that kind of stuff.

He smiled at her and patted her on the head. She didn't know what to do, so she just watched him with disbelief, but there, in her eyes you could see... hope.

Now she had to show him what she could do. She made a few steps back, smiled at him and said.
- I didn't learn that in the academy... Izura. - She wanted to call him brother, but it didn't felt quite right yet.
Ayame made a seal.
The firs one she used was Infernal Ember. She launched the small flame at a rock and it quickly bursted into a shower of small sparks.
The next one was her favorite.
She used Thermal Maw, exhaling small burst of fire.
After she did these things the kid in her woke up and she turned too see her brother, smiling like a fool. He was a powerful shinobi after all, so impressing him would be hard, but she waited for his response wide-eyed with a dumb childish smile.

WC: 392

 

[Uchiha Izura]

It was ironic that their personalities matched the qualities typically associated with their natural elemental affinities. Izura, despite being an Uchiha, was born with a water affinity. His personality could be as calm as a still lake, or as raging as a storm at sea. Meanwhile, Ayame’s personality was on the harsher side of the spectrum due to her rough upbringing- as intense as a burning flame.

Under normal circumstances, it was difficult to teach another ninja elemental jutsu when elemental affinities didn’t match, but luckily enough, Izura was experienced enough to where he was able to use a plethora of elements. Teaching Ayame the next level of fire jutsu wouldn’t be too difficult.

“Good job! You’re making good progress since joining the academy~” He patted her head again in a congratulatory manner after standing up from his crouched position. Part of him felt a little hurt at her not addressing him as her brother, but he figured he’d give it a bit of time.

“I think its time I teach you a move that’s tradition in the Uchiha Clan to learn. Now watch carefully.”

He performed a series of hand seals. Snake - Ram - Monkey - Boar - Horse - Tiger, in that order, but slowly so that Ayame could see clearly which hand seals were formed. Then he took in a deep breath, gathering his chakra.

“Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!”

Izura spewed forth a giant fireball which impacted the sands, superheating them and causing a crater of scorched sands, glass, and embers in it’s wake, about 25 meters from where they stood.

“I believe you can do it, Ayame! Just give it a try, and I’ll help you along~” He said, walking behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders. If she had any trouble with the jutsu, he’d hold her hands and help form the seals required. If she couldn’t control her chakra flow to properly execute the technique, he’d help her by helping redirect the flow. With that in mind, it was nearly impossible for Ayame to fail her first attempt. Izura was simply trying to boost her confidence first, before getting in the number of repetitions required for her to do it on her own.

WC 367

 

[Ayame]

Just a couple of words were able to bring even bigger smile on Ayame's face. Now she looked like a satisfied kid that got a popsicle as a reward. Good job. She felt good that someone recognized her. But this one wasn't just a random guy. It was her brother that happened to be powerful shinobi and she saw him fighting a bunch of guys, using crazy stuff.
Yeah, she felt good. Untill..
“I think its time I teach you a move that’s tradition in the Uchiha Clan to learn. Now watch carefully.”
“Uchiha tradition…” – she thought.
The girl concentrated on the things her brother showed her, but one question remained in her mind and didn’t want to leave.
She watched carefully the seals he was doing with his hands. And then…
“Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!”
His voice almost scared the girl. She didn’t expected it. A giant fireball hit the ground, showing it’s enormous power.
Ayame remained speechless.
Izura went behind her, telling her that he’ll help her and placed his hands at her shoulders. The girl turned her head, looked up to see his face. At that moment she realized that she actually enjoyed to be around him.
“Nii-san…” she thought, but never said it out loud.
He managed to boost her confidence, without her realizing it.

Ayame then performed the seals quick. And got it wrong. She sure was impatient. She tried again, she wanted it to be quick, cause she knew that in a fight no one would wait for her. The third time was a successes.
- Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu! – said loud and determined.
She felt power. The same big fireball came out of her mouth, damaging the ground. She really liked the view of the damage she did.
She then turned to Izura and said with an unsure tone and a little bit of pain in her eyes.
- Who… taught you this..?

WC: 320

 

[Uchiha Izura]

When she was able to perform the technique, a genuine smile of pride in his sister, coupled with a sense of nostalgia washed over him. He could remember his youth as if it were a distant memory of a time when the world was much different. Much simpler in a lot of ways. Although back then, Izura had quite the different personality- he was shy and unsure of himself. A real, bona fide “Hinata” type character.

He could sense her pain when she asked him who taught him the fire technique, because she was probably thinking it was family. Someone that she wished she had the chance to know. To share life’s ups and downs with. The shinobi world was harsh and cruel, taking the opportunity from her. Izura hadn’t really considered himself a lucky person, but at least he had the chance to say goodbye to their mom before she passed away. To have been raised until he was around 8 years old by her….an entire 8 years that he often took for granted because at the time he was more concerned about staying alive.

He smiled weakly at her- she’d be able to tell that he felt sad about it too. Then he knelt down again, turning her to face him. Then he gave her a hug.

“When I was 6 years old, okaa san taught me that technique. My shinobi training started when I was very young…I….”

He hesitated, a look of melancholy playing across his face. The amount of sorrow he held for the past was great in scope. But now that she was here, things were different. He once again had a reason to fight with all his strength. To continue with a powerful will to endure and survive.

“…I’m sorry we weren’t there, Ayame…okaa san told me you died in a fire…I…I didn’t know you were still out there…”

He hugged her more tightly this time.

“The world is a harsh place for us. It’s always been. But that’s the past now, Ayame. I won’t ever leave you alone again. Ever. If I go somewhere, I’ll always come back eventually. I promise.”

WC 363

 

[Ayame]

Ayame saw the pain in his eyes. Of course... all this time she was thinking only about herself, how she was abandoned, how she didn't had a place to call home or people to count on. She blamed her family for every misfortune in her live, even if it was all her fault. But never thought about their feelings. His feelings.
He had the chance to be close their family. To feel what's like to be loved by a mother. And then... to lose a father, a brother, to know you had a sister that died when she was only a baby, to lose a mother. She died in his hands… Ayame never thought of this.
What was worse? To know you had a family that you’ve never seen or to be able to live with them, to love them and care about them and loose them one by one?
That must be a tough burden to carry on your shoulders. But he managed not to lose himself, to become a great shinobi, to grow as a person. To stay calm and act the best way possible even now when his sister showed up.
Untill now Ayame wanted to make him suffer. And Izura only wanted to take care of her, to protect her… and to feel once again the love of his family.
Only Ayame remained somehow alive. He didn’t had the chance to get to know her, but it seemed that he acted like she was beside him all along. He needed it, and she needed it too.
He hugged her and answered her question. He also apologized to her, hugging her thight and even more tightly. He made a promise she’d never forget.

The first time they met Ayame didn’t returned his hug. This time she tried to convince herself not to do it again. Yeah, she wanted to look tough in his eyes, like.. “big deal, my brother showed up, I’m not a kid anymore, I can handle everything on my own”.
But who was she kidding…
Ayame hugged him back tightly, wrapping her hands around his neck, and buried her face in his hair. A tear dropped from her eye, but she quickly wiped it off with her finger.
She felt safe in his hands. She felt loved, so she stayed that way for a few minutes. Ayame was afraid of letting him go, cause she thought he might disappear. Now when he was here she wanted him to stay.
Then Ayame showed him the sister he imagined - she looked at him weeping, with smile on her face and innocence in her eyes :
- C.. can we ride that bird of yours... nii-san?

WC: 450

 

[Uchiha Izura]

Izura smiled, happy with her response and subsequent question. She had finally opened up her feelings to him, and for that he was extremely grateful. It was almost surreal for Izura, and for the first time in a long time, he felt truly like things were going to be okay. His resolve was renewed because he had someone left that was his own flesh and blood, and there was nothing that could replace that. But then there was the issue with Nataku. How Sojobo’s mind seemed….almost fractured. It was a huge blessing for Izura to have gained his sister back, but it was another thing entirely to make Sojobo remember who he was, and not some demonic alternate personality, once locked away in the recesses of the mind, but now allowed to go rampant and free, overtaking the adoptive father he once loved and cared about. But handling that would take time- for now, he had to prepare Ayame to become strong like him, so that they could face the world’s challenges together.

“Hehe, sure!” He said, and within an instant he teleported with her, reappearing on top of the bird as they soared over the skies of the desert landscape.

WC 202

[Topic Left/Ended as soon as Ayame finishes her next post. 1500 WC min and 5 post min requirement met on my end.]

 

[Ayame]

They teleported at the bird. Izura was behind her, so she was able to see the view. Endless sands and a blue skies covered the horizon. The wind played with her hair, and her brother's warmth kept her calm.
"Mr bother is awesome..." she thought, while they were flying in the sky. The girl wanted to fly higher and higher, she wanted to see the whole world. She laughed loudly and screamed with happiness when the bird made a couple of hairpin curves.
This was the second happy moment she had in her life, but this time... her brother gifted it to her.
- Higher, onii-san! - kept asking the girl.
It was a moment of magic for her. A moment of pure happiness that she'd remember.
Her eyes looked at the village and her happiness on her face disappeared.
"Nataku..." she thought with pain in her heart.

[Topic left; WC 148; 5 posts; WC for all my posts: 1743]​