The Boy Under a Rock <open>

[Toraono Michino]

The house was…poorly lit, at least by standard means given that the people who dwelled in this cave had a strange sort of electricity. Candles were all that kept the light in the house full of the musky smell of unwashed male and a mechanic’s shop as a lone figure dressed in what one would barely call clothes tinkered with something at a table situated against the furthest right wall. There was a number of things on this table ranging from mechanical to biological and closest to the pale-bloodstained working hands was the stench of death and decay.
A small furry creature of feline descent was stretched out before him in a tattered and beaten form. It was unknown to the scientist if the creature was a natural denizen of the cave his people inhabited or if it was somehow an outside creature that found itself lost in the every winding tunnels. Of course Tama cared little of its nature or origins, he only cared to see if he could bring it back to full life. He had found the poor broken thing on the street after a group of young boys had decided that its non-moving form no longer provided entertainment, and unlike most animals that toyed with their prey they decided not to land the final blow and let it suffer its final waking moments. The unimaginable cruelty of the human race never ceased to amaze the boy who barely shared the same double helix as the monkeys that inhabited this cave. Unlike any other passerby to this cruelty though he felt like he could reverse it and give this creature a second chance at the unfair life that they both had to suffer through; if he was successful perhaps he’d finally have someone with the same point of view.
His hand moved in precise graceful lines as he cut skin away from muscle to augment and repair despite having not eaten since he had found the creature…which had been at least a week in his guess. The hand placed down the scalpel upon a fresh sheet of paper towel that laid next to a dozen bundles of its bloody kin. He raised the fold of furry flesh back a bit more and revealed to him the shatter rib cage and the punctured/crushed lungs. Without even a hint of emotion the teenager blindly reached out towards the new paper towel and picked up a small pair of tweezers to start slowly picking out the bones…

Within the following hours Tama had not only removed all the shattered bones completely from the feline but also finished installing exact replicas made from a flexible alloy that was apparently quite rich in the caverns. The past week had been spent finding, creating blueprints for, then finally having a silversmith who owed him a favor make the small bones. A half of a skull, the entire rib cage, right foreleg completely, the paw of the left, new sections of spine, and a dozen more small bones that needed to be replaced.
Now one would ask themselves; why? If the cat was to somehow make a complete recovery then there would be the obvious problems of the body rejecting the new parts and the strange regrowth of bones around new metal appendages; in theory anyways. However that was made this entire situation interesting, the cat was technically dead. The brain was still alive but only by the ingenuity of placing it in a small jar with the right things hooked up to keep it alive; perhaps no longer sane, but at least alive. Now that the feline body was completely fixed all he had left to do was make the modifications that would allow the beast to live a more…refined life. Grabbing his tools once more he started by making another incision around the throat, around about say where the voice box would be located…

 

[Okibi]

It'd been a while since she' been to this part of the Sietch, and why that was, she wasnt sure. Okibi could fondly remember what had gone down the last time she had though; chemical explosions, concussions, freaky light shows, friendship making... Yep, those were good times! She came to a stop outside the bar that had bore witness to a few of the events that had happened that night. A few people mingled inside, having their drinks and making chit chat. It was a very normal sight. Funny that the place right next door was home to very abnormal things, not the least of the which being her friend Tama; boy genius.

Okibi hadnt seen her friend since the genin exam they both took part in some time ago. At the time, he'd left in some sort of huff, and she could remember smelling the ire from his fleeing form. She didnt know why she hadnt tried to find the white haired boy since... it had never crossed her mind to do so. 'Friendships' were complicated things that she was still getting the hang of, after all.

"So he live's in the wall over here, you said?"

Okibi turned to Seven, who stood behind her in his immense canine form. Some of the patrons of the bar turned in their seats to look at him, shrinking in fear and pointing. It was a reaction they'd come to grow used to. Not every human in the world was going to learn to appreciate the things that made Seven different.

The purple haired girl nodded and turned around, continuing passed the bar. Yup. Over there." She said as she flipped her outrageous hair over her shoulder. It got longer since the genin exam, and in fact, all of her had gotten 'longer' since then. She'd sprouted up a good few inches, and stood at the height of an average human female now. Vaguely, she wondered if Tama would noticed the change.

She came to a stop outside the brick wall, which had been blown out the last time she'd been there, and sniffed at it. Yup, his scent was still there, and if she was smelling things right, it looked like he was home. However, the smell of death also permeated the air, causing Okibi's eyes to widen like saucers. Without hesitation, Okibi started to pound at the wall her a fist, 'knocking' loudly. "Tami!? You is in there!?" She yelled. The frantic quality in her voice couldnt be masked. She smelled Tama, and she smelled death. Those two smells together did not add up well in her mind.

When after a while there was no answer to her call, Okibi was just about ready to lose it. If he wasnt answering... well she could only assume the worst! Leaping away from the wall, Okibi dropped into a battle stance and charged one of her fists with chakra. With a harsh cry, she launched herself at the wall and pummeled into it with a mighty blow, reducing a large portion of it to rubble and dust. Not wasting any time she charged into the hole she created and hurriedly scanned the hovel.

"TAMI!?"

 

[Toraono Michino]

A swift hand reached up and grabbed a sheet the minute he heard the banging on the “door” to his lab to cover the project. He then placed his tools gently down upon the white sheet, staining it with blood that was already seeping into it from the feline’s body as he pulled down a glass cover that fit into a special rubber groove; this kept air from getting in and increasing the rot. However by the time Tama had finished this short movement the impatience of an old friend came bursting through the wall sending broken rocks flying into the lab that wasn’t anywhere near as clean as it had been the first time around. A golden light flashed from the scientist as he raised a hand against the flying rubble and turned it into dust before turning his eyes to look at what he knew was there.
Of course he had to take a double take.
Had it really been so long since he was last seen in public? His bi-colored eyes looked Okibi up and down, measured her growth and tried to track it in time it would take to get that size as he began to walk closer without saying anything. The oddness between the duo would take shape as Tama’s form showed to be slightly taller than Okibi but it was only due to the insane aging process his powers was forcing his body to undergo; had they truly grown side-by-side she would have been much taller.

The light poured into the otherwise dreary darkness of the large room revealing the pale haggard look of a young man who didn’t sleep often or really ate at all. The bags under his eyes made him look even older than his body actually was and there was an elastic look to his skin that was brought about by dehydration, yet still the dour youth put on a smile for his friend and the situation.

“Still destroying everything that comes around you it seems, glad to know you haven’t changed Okibi,” Tama said with a weary, scratchy voice, “Now, what do I owe the pleasure of Seven and company?”

[My posts may be a little small for awhile so I don't stress myself out too much, kay? ]

 

[Okibi]

(Aint no thang but a chicken wang! 'Sall good!)

The first thing Okibi noticed when she burst through the ruined wall of Tama's home was that the place was in much more disarray than it was on her last visit (pre-explosion, anyway). When was the last time he'd tidied up? This only solidified the fear that was growing in her mind, the fear that her friend had somehow met his end. She whirled around, searching the hovel for the source of the death scent.

However, her fears were laid to a very relieved rest when she heard Tama's voice come from the back of the lab. Her relief was so instantaneously great that she didnt even realize that he sounded different, lower. She whirled back around with a teary smile, about to launch herself into a tirade about how she thought he was dead and that he worried her half to death herself and that he should never ever do that to her again... but she stopped short when the 'boy' came into the light. When the hell did he grow so much?

The girl blinked owlishly as she looked Tama up and down, very much the same way he had done to her moments prior. Had it really been so long since she last saw him...? It didnt feel like it. Her relieved smile gave way to a confused frown as she approached him warily, circling him as she studied his now-taller-than-her form. She took a sniff; yeah, that was definitely Tama, although he smelled a little worse for wear. This brought her to realize that her friend was an absolute wreck. When was the last time he'd eaten!? His skin was practically sinking into his bones!

As curious as she was about how he'd come to grow so much in such a short amount of time, her worry for his health gave precedence. She came to a stop in front of him once more and crossed her arms angrily, completely ignoring what he said and asked. She opened her mouth to let him have it, but stopped short again as another thought occurred to her. She should work on getting him something to eat and drink before giving him a tongue lashing. She pointed her finger into Tama's face, telling him that "This is not finished." before spinning around on her heel to return to the hole in the wall. Seven stood outside it, apparently not very pleased with the idea of entering the place while it was in such a state.

Okibi wasted no time as she smacked him on the shoulder to turn him into his human form. She shoved some bills at him. "You go find us food yes? Be quick." She demanded, pushing the enormous human-dog on his way. Seven blinked his red eyes in confusion, but did as he was told.

Once he was gone Okibi re-entered the lab and ushered Tama back to his work bench. He looked so hollow and worn that she feared he was going to collapse if he stood for any longer. "Now, you tell Okibi why you look like corpse of freshly dead Desert Coyote. When last time Tami eat?" Her tone of voice was very no-nonsense.

 

[Toraono Michino]

For a moment the confusion was a bit much for Tama as he had forgotten how fast people moved. Being locked up in the dark for weeks on end working on one project after another at his own paranoidly slow pace had thrown the youth into a kind of altered state of mind where he insanely believed that the rest of the world was working at his pace along with time. When Okibi made him sit down on the bench he practically fell as the natural energy that was sustaining him just enough to continue working drained itself completely; just from standing and using his voice in the first time in Kami knew how long. He ran a shaky hand through his long greasy hair with a lost look in his eyes as he tried to recall the answer to his friend’s question.

“…three weeks maybe? I really don’t remember much lately since I don’t actually sleep these days…the science is all that matters anymore…” his eyes looked wearily back over at the glass covered table, ”I really don’t know how to explain it to you, but I’m sick. With…magic I suppose. It’s an illness that’s caused by my ability to make those bright lights and it causes me to age rapidly. At first it was just a few days lost here and there but…after I took down that rebel base down in Low Town I started aging by years as fast as a day goes by. I imagine right now I’m…of sixteen years going on seventeen? Yeah that sounds about right…
“So, I’ve been looking for a cure. Just like I was when I was trying to find a way to control the powers when you met me…only this time it’s been a lot less fruitful.”

A sigh escaped Tama’s lips as he placed his narrow arms on his knees and leaned forward trying to recollect everything he had studied, experimented with, and failed. So much of his precious little time had been wasted on just trying to find a way to at least slow it down, but so far nothing was working. Even the ring he wore on his right hand was only keeping the holy energy from just outright devouring him. He was starting to believe that there wasn’t a cure as non of the extensive materials he had on old craft, ninjutsu, or even high level genjutsu showed any signs of an age slowing process or even being able to extend it. Science had become his last resort and even it was starting to fail him…the dead cat on the table was very much his last hope before he turned to a drastic measure and begin asking for assistance.
However there was only one person he could even fathom that could help him, and that was the Kazekage. Seeing Okibi here actually made his absent mind focus on that idea but the counter consequence would be revealing what he really was…and what him and his master had been up to. Tama wasn’t even sure if their leader had even been debriefed on that whole situation…

 

[Okibi]

Three... three weeks? He didnt eat anything in a whole three weeks? Okibi's eyes bugged and she nearly fell from her perch on the table. He had more to say, as usual, but she barely heard anything more than something about being sick with magic and aging rapidly. Her head was still trying to wrap around the concept of Tama being alive after going so long without sustenance.

"You... Tami not eat for three weeks? How you not dead!?" She exclaimed as she left the table to crouch in front of her weary friend. "That not healthy." She said as she frowned up into his face and fisted her hands on her knees. She wanted to smack the boy, but feared she might break him if she did.

"So Tami is sick..." She murmured thoughtfully as she gingerly rose a hand and rested it on his forehead. "Not feel sick, just look like it." She removed her hand and looked him over a second time, once more taking in his aged and withered features. "Is because 'magic'?" She asked, putting emphasis on the word magic. By nature, she was not the type to believe in things she couldnt touch or see, and magic belonged to that group. "Is why Tami look older than Okibi now, then." She was only reiterating everything Tama had already said to her, but she had to put the pieces together herself since she hadnt been paying a whole lot of attention to his explanation. Once more she reached out to touch a piece of him, specifically, his white hair. She pinched a tendril of the snowy mess and grimaced at the greasy sensation.

(Im going to assume he hasnt kept himself clean if he couldnt even bother to feed himself!)

Growling quietly, Okibi drew her hand back and tried to wipe the oil from Tama's hair off on her barely there tank top. "When last time Tama clean himself?" She couldnt help asking. A part of her felt bad for giving her friend the third degree, but who could blame her really? She hadnt seen her friend in a few months and he deteriorated into a sack of skin and bones with the hygiene of a barn yard animal... of course she was going to question him!

 

[Toraono Michino]

“I honestly have no idea,” replied the boy as he slowly dipped his head into his hands, a soft sob escaping his lips before his “rational” mind snapped his emotions back into place; there was company after all.

Tama placed a weak hand on the edge of his seat and pushed himself up with a weary grunt. With a shuffle of irrational reasoning he moved towards one of the far walls of his small lab/apartment and batted at a string with a loop attached to the end for a moment before finally grasping it and drawing the string towards him. This action brought down a large thick cloth screen that had writing all over it from the very to right-hand corner to the bottom left. Algorithms, unknown forms of calculus, the dna of creatures broken down into a math problem, all added themselves into this giant piece of work the teenager drew down to show.
“I discovered how to create life, you know? It’s all right there Okibi…the meaning of our existence broken down into a simple mathematical equation. Sleepless night after sleepless night I commanded the rule over numbers…all to find a cure.
“Though I question that now,” the scientist said as his voice grew wearier, “I wonder if it’s just the drive of the dark hunger that torments by soul every day and haunts my dreams at night…am I really looking for a cure or am I simply trying to become one with this hunger in order to stop the inevitable madness; the price for peering into the pit….”

A boney hand reached up and gently stroked the masterpiece as if it was some sentimental gift from a lost lover. His bi-colored eyes shifted slowly from his one work of art to the next, staring at the sealed table anxiously. Did he really have time for all of this? His work was critical at this moment yet…what remained human inside of Tama yearned for the social interaction. His body and mind grew in literal leaps and bounds due to the curse his powers gave to his body…years passed in mere nights and so he thought himself a pariah of his generation.
Yet despite that this crazy girl still managed to find him and honestly query of his status of well being, even to the point to send her wolf to get him actual mortal sustenance! If that wasn’t a friend, what was?
So with a sudden flip in personality that clearly pointed to borderline bi-polar disorder Tama snatched the string at the bottom of the giant math problem and caused it to roll back into the bar close to the ceiling.
“I doubt you really understand what I’m talking about though,” he said with a smirk as his eyes peeled themselves away from the table and gazed wearily back at his friend, “Where is my manners though! How have you been? I haven’t seen you since the…Genin exam I think it was. Have you done any official work yet?”

A quick bite to eat, catch up with a friend, and you can get right back to work. It was what the teenager kept telling himself as the genius in his blood continued to pick maddeningly at his mind in what ways he could improve his current project having just glanced at that large sheet again.

[Who-pah!]