Reliving the Past(private)

[Nanjirou Soku]

She stood near the edge of the forest leaning against a tree. It was a odd place to meet for a simple converstation but for things like these, the Captain preferree to be out of view of the public. Making a seal, a clone phased in next to her."Uchiha Maikeru. Find him. He is to meet me here. Tell him I wish to talk."She had seen that face in the Academy. The change in expression when he had laid eyes on her pupils. Despite Takeshi granting her the right to wield these sharingan, it did not mean everyone would agree with his opinion. She was tired of it. The stories, the rumours, that she had gotten these by force. It was time to put it to rest. She could not function in the village if everyone was going to be wary of her. She had walked diwn that path once, it was not one she wished to go back on. Gesturing to the clone to dismiss it, it nodded and disappeared moving swiftly towards the village to find the Uchiha boy. Her hair was pinned up in a bun today and instead of the normal ANBU attire, she wore a normal flak jacket, green in color. Typically, Soku only used the forest for training purposes or physical means but this was something that demanded a sense of security. If the wrong ears got word of it, who knew how her life could be ruined.

She already had words prepared. Going over it in her head, she sighed out loud."This is going to be interesting."The female mused to herself. If she could ease the unrest that filtered among some of the Uchiha, her life would be a lot easier. After all, they were the largest clan in the village with their head being the Hokage. These were all factors to take into account. Reaching into a pouch, she took out a red fabric mat and spread it on the grass. Upon it she lay two cups and a large cup of tea. Tea was always good for this type of stuff. Pouring it into the cup the female took a swig nodding in appreciation as her taste buds reacted."Even better then anything that Ichiraku could conjure up, I daresay."The girl jested as she sat herself on the grass mulling about awaiting Maikeru's arrival. It would not take long, she hoped. Her duplicates had a knack for finding people when she wanted them found. It came with the job. It could notbe that hard to find him. She began to count on her hands the seconds that passed without his arrival. Tea was never fun without company.
[Summoning Uchiha Maikeru]

 

[Maikeru]

The girl was right. It didn't take long for Maikeru to arrive on the scene. It helped that he had already been on his way home from class when he had been summoned by the clones of the older Santaru woman. He landed on a branch above her, crouching as he looked down at her. It was a moment before he made noise, though she had probably already detected him. Shifting in his crouched position, he moved to seated on a high up branch, causing leaves to whimsically flutter to the ground around the ANBU captain.

"You summoned me, Santaru-sama?" He had changed drastically from the last time Soku had seen him. He was taller, the muscles on the arms protruding from his T-shirt well defined compared to the scrawny kid she had seen before, and the large red tinted great sword that hung on his back. "Did I forget about a training or something? I was sure I had my calendar all worked out.."

He had problems with the girl, he believed her an eye thief and a leech on the Uchiha clan's heritage. To his knowledge, however, he had never voiced this concerns to anyone save Danerisu, and that girl idolized him. She would never tell anyone of the secrets shared between the two of them. Regardless, she was a higher rank than him, even if he didn't know exactly what that rank was. She was ANBU at the very least, which meant that she was at minimum a Genin.

"Am I finally getting invited to family dinner at the main branch home? It makes sense they would send an outcast to invite an outcast." At this point, he let his body fall from the branch, before landing in a three point landing in front of the girl, before dropping to a lotus sitting position. "Whatever it is, I don't imagine tea is something you set out for someone you wish to punish. So, what's up?"

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

She made little reactions as her ears picked up the sign of a approaching figure. Tilting her head upwards, she nodded gkancing at Maikeru. He had certainly changed from the last time she'd seen him at the Academy. She watched as he dropped down with ease facing her. He was agile for sure, out of all the students this year, he seemed to have a level head for the most part. Ignoring the outcast remark, she beckoned to the second cup."Come,drink. I'll explain everything in due time. Also, for the record, it is not poisoned. I assure you."She said adding on the last part in a tired fashion. Everyone seemed to be so concerned these days that someone was out to kill them. They couldn't even enjoy a nice cup of tea without worrying. It was sad in a sense. The era of peace that was supposed to be part of the village life was nowhere to be seen. With Frost's arrival, everything had been thrown into chaos. Conflict was on the rise and so was distrust. The Santaru was worried about the villages integrity to withstand a attack in their current state.

She drained her cup placing it down."Alright, let me be straightforward. Correct me if I am wrong. You may not like what you are about to hear but I am doing this for both our sakes in a sense."She swept away some of her brown hair locks to the side revealing the Sharingan pupils she bore."This. I summoned you here for this. That day we met at the Academy, you were with Nitish, the other Uchiha boy. I could sense almost instantly, you did not feel at ease. Your expression was readable. I am almost certain it has to do with these eyes. I have gone over this again and again but I can see no other reason why you would be loathing me. Correct?"Uchiha were very protective of their visual prowess understanbly so. Yet, because Takeshi gave his approval did not mean the majority of the clan would support it

If she failed here, the female would not even know how to reconcile this loss. They were supposed to work as a whole. That was not possible if those within the village could not even trust each other. Frost was sure to win at this rate."I just want to clear up some things. I am sure you are aware of the enemy upon our doorstep. We have much more bigger things to focus on then fighting among each other.
We have to work together here to endure. So, I am here to fix the harbored feelings some pose. So, tell me, are you willing to open your ears to a story?"She said, the image of that horrible night flashing into her head.

 

[Maikeru]

Maikeru stared at the woman for a moment, before letting out a sigh. She sort of understood the situation, or at least, she completely understood the situation how it use to be. When he had first met her, he was younger, more rash and less rational in his logic. He hated her, with every fiber of his being for what she possessed. But, age tends to mellow one out and that held true for Maikeru as well. So, as she showed him her mangekyo, he did the same. She would see his eyes go from a black charcoal color, to the three tomoe of the Sharingan, before those three melded into a three pronged shuriken shape of his own Mangekyo sharingan.

"I don't.. dislike you, Santaru-san." He said, closing his eyes for a moment as he sighed deeply. "I did. I won't lie about that, I absolutely hated you. To this day, I'm still not your biggest fan. I think you understand completely the pain that is held behind this so called boon of the Uchiha clan. You're friends with many of the clan, and I hear that you have a stable relationship with the Hokage. There are no doubts in my mind that you fully understand the Sharingan."

There was a pause as the boy stared down at the tea in front of him, debating on whether or not to take a cup. With a big of hesitation he grabbed a glass, taking a small sip of the brown liquid. It wasn't bad, as good as could be expected of a cup steeped in the forest of death at least. As he sat the cup back down, he continued.

"However, understanding and being able to relate are two very different things. What I gave up for these eyes, whether it be by my own choice or not, was far too high. If I had the chance, I'd tear these eyes out of my skull with a rusty blade to be able to have her back. Yet, people see the Sharingan as this blessing. Why wouldn't they? Eyes that can see the future, and into the very minds of your enemy, it sounds great. Because of that, my clan is hunted. Men, women, children, it doesn't matter to the monsters who want our eyes. They kill us for no reason other than the power we possess."

"So.. yes, I'll let you explain. Maybe you can relate to my pain. So, Santaru Soku, change my mind about you. Show me that you're not just another power hungry rodent sucking at the teet of the Uchiha clan's power."

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

She noted the form of his Mangekyo Sharingan with interest nodding as he spoke. She took a sip of her tea collecting herself before speaking."I explained this to Lord Takeshi as well and his reaction did indeed surprise me to say the least. Let us see what you think of my explanation, Uchiha."Nodding to herself, she poured herself more of that liquid as the details of that night began to swirl into her head. It really was an unpleasant scene now that she imagined it. The young ANBU strapped down to a surface, her hands held together by restraints as that accursed scientist carried out his vile experiments. The screaming echoed in her head and the Captain stayed silent for a while to let it pass. Truth was, things like those never really left you."My apologies, let me begin. Things like those are sort of hard to find words for sometimes but I think this will benefit us both."Placing the cup down and clasping her hands together, her pupils locked with Maikeru's as she began to speak."At the time, I was a genin under the tutelage of Yukio-sensei, nothing more. I had undertaken a dangerous journey to Crater City to find a most vile man. The person responsible for the massacre of my parents , a crazed scientist by the name of Moro Ibumo."

She produced a kunai in her hands, turning it over and over in her palms. The steel surface seemed to glint indicating it was well-maintained and the symbol of a thunderbolt surrounded by a black circle was emblazoned on the hilt of the weapon."I swore to kill the rascal using this. However, his death came about by my hands in a most peculiar fashion. I had traveled to the city of thieves to collect information from an informant about his whereabouts. That was perhaps the most foolish mistake I would make that day."She said shaking her head. She had been so gullible back then, too trusting, too nice. She was beyond that now. Those eyes were a good enough lesson to what happened to those type of people."The informant was a ruse. Upon meeting him, I was ambushed by a rogue shinobi, quickly overpowering me. It seemed so he had struck a deal with Ibumo to bring me to him for whatever sick purpose."Chigokai Jirosho. She clenched her fist just thinking of the man. Ziren's brother, he was dead now but she would never forget he was a factor in her getting these eyes.

"So, he took me to the scientist. It was here the dark deed was done. I know not to this day what he was hoping to achieve with my body , he had this crazy idea of superhuman shinobi, however that worked. He harvested these eyes from an corspe of an Uchiha and so began the surgical process."This was the tesne moment. Upon learning the fact she bore the eys of an dead Uchiha clansmen, most would be enraged at the fact. Takeshi had been one of the cool,calm collected ones. However, not everyone was the same. Eyeing Maikeru carefully, she continued,."He implanted these into me using sick and twisted methods that involved quite literally gouging out my orginal eyes. When all was said and done, the reaction he would get for me was something he did not expect."She still remebered how she had lost control that day. The rage she had dished out on ibumo and his lab minions. It had been a bloodbath, and it wass one she felt no remorse for. Her face darkened as she spoke."Combat ensued. One single Chidori to the hear finsihed him and it did not stop there. Everyone in that lab was murdered and the facility itsself was left in a horrendous state. I know not if any of it remains."

Grasping her cup of tea, she sipped a bit looking at Maikeru waitng for a fit of rage or some other negaive burst of energy form the boy."So, that is it. You may be right. I may be a leech, wielding these eyes from one of your dead clansmen. I am a monster for those murders I commited that day. That day is something I do not forget but it is what I have done and no amount of repentance will make up for what those evil souls did. This is why I joined the ANBU Divison. The general shinobi population shunned me. I was a stranger to them. "She shrugged, a emotionless expression on her face as she stared blankly at him."He took away my world and I took away his. The leadership had not acted swiftly enough for me so I took action. Sure, I was reprimanded for it but worth it. The ANBU is my home, my family. I woulld not feel whole anywhere else.Putting the kunai down on the mat,, her expression morphed into a questioning look."So, do you loathe me now , Uchiha Maikeru? I do not blame you if you do. I am used to it by now. Speak ill of me if you wish, these eyes serve only one purpose. The security of this village to enjoy a era without conflict no matter the price. That is my tale. What say you?"

 

[Maikeru]

Maikeru let out an internal sigh. Soku had the wrong idea of him, or at least, she still believed he was the same thirteen year old Academy Student he had been when they first met. He didn't despise her, at least not anymore. He had matured in his way of thinking, at least partially. Though, he supposed he would have to show that with his words, which would be a challenge in and of itself. Regardless, he wasn't going to let her continue that line of thinking. He took another sip of his tea before responding, doing mental gymnastics to try and give his logic shape.

"You have the wrong idea, Soku. I never loathed you. I don't even know you, really, not as a person. What I ever loathed was the way you wielded eyes that don't belong to you, and have no place in your repertoire. I loathed how you took the abilities of my clan as your own, when they were never meant for you. That was what I loathed, not Santaru Soku the shinobi, but the way in which she so disrespected my clan, and the way everyone seems so okay with it."

He placed his tea on the ground before speaking again, letting the words sink in for a moment.

"But, that was Maikeru the child. Maikeru the wide eyed academy student who thought he knew the world better than anyone. I've grown, as I'm sure you can tell physically at least from just a glance. My views of the world have changed, as have my views for the Uchiha clan itself." He tilted his head back, looking at all the falling leaves around him. He wondered to himself, was their only purpose to fall, and why did he feel so much like them? "Your story is a sad one, I'll give you that. I wouldn't wish that upon you if I had the choice, and it's certainly more heart wrenching than some of the actual Uchiha's stories of Sharingan unlocking. But, that doesn't change anything in my eyes."

He gave her a soft smile, before leaning forward closer to her. He dropped his voice a bit, after all, you never knew who was listening.

"I'm leaving the Uchiha clan, Soku. I've already talked to Kenshin-sama about it. They're still my blood, and I'll keep my name, but, I'm cutting my ties with them. So, keep your eyes, wave them around as you please. You won't hear a word from me about it. I elected out of having those same eyes, the eternal mangekyo Sharingan, for a power that was my own. So, to answer you, no, I don't loathe you Soku. I think if you we're a bit of a warmer person, we might even be able to be friends. But, for now, I can settle on you being my superior officer."

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

She tilted her head looking at him, her eyes full of curosity. He was an interesting individual. Finally, she nodded chucking to herself more than anything."You know in a sense, you remind me of Asuka. She has no regard for the clan traditions or anything to do with it , you on the other hand are leaving it to improve and better yourself the way I see it, you both are similar in some way, I don't know how but I can see it."She said looking around at the forested area, the trees swaying in the gentle wind. It was a scene of serenity, one of peace. It was almost like they didnt have anything to worry about."You know, Maikeru, you really are a curious person and I am most interested to see where you will go during your journey as a shinobi. You are making progress, and it seems to be working out for you. "She said reflecting back on her Academy encounter with him. Life really was a puppeteer, pulling the strings of fate. Had it really been that long ago, yet here was that same Academy runt in front of her speaking the words of someone far matured than one would expect of someone his age, Uchiha Maikeru of the Hidden Leaf. She would keep note of him, that was for sure.
Soku stood up brushing off the grass on her garb glancing down at the boy as the wind breeze began to kick in.

"What can I say? I am part of the ANBU Corps, warmth and love is something that I do not hand out easily. There are people who I have bonds to but after working some time in the unit, you'll come to learn the true nature of evil and it changes you....forever. I've been exposed to the dark forces over and over, it leaves a internal scar. Maybe we won't be friends or that close even, but we hold one thing in common, Maikeru and that is the Will of Fire that overlooks our life."She gave him a smile, a sad one as she prepared to exit."Thank you again, for the time. I wish you luck in your future endeavors"Flicking her fingers, there was a flash of lightning that struck down and instantly, the Captain was gone and the wind breeze settled back down. The Santaru arrived back at the clan estate pondering over the day's events. It had been an interesting day indeed.
[Topic left unless stopped]

 

[Maikeru]

Maikeru watched the older girl leave, before sighing. Always so flashy with their exits, really went against the whole anbu stealth thing. What ever happened to the simplicity of going out with a puff of smoke, or the blowing of leaves? Rising to his feet, he brushed his pants off, looking down at the abandoned tea set. Did he take it with him? Did he leave it? Shrugging, he began to walk back towards the entrance to the forest, hands in his pockets. She was right though, he certainly was interesting, very different from other Uchiha, or even other shinobi his own age. It was time to see how he would develop.

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