Training Day... [Open]

[Ryujin Akira]

[col]

|Yes, it was another training day however this was not routine. It would seem that the Kunochi's days of being perused by Leaf's anbu second squadron and her own personal pursuit to insure Iwagakure's survival had all but come to a indefinite conclusion. The treaty and partnership between Leaf and Stone actually checked out as far as she could tell and though she went missing, Leaf saw fit to allow her to aid the village seeing as hunting her down wasn't going anywhere for the both of them. With such worries aside, one could actually kick back their feet and take it easy for a bit... Amaya found herself on top the hokage mountain in the early evening. The sun was almost at it's peek, shinning bright and covering the whole village. The view was something to behold. The people were like little worker ants from so high above. Going this way and that, they moved the city. It was nice. Amaya would blink slowly at the view before turning away as she only allowed herself seconds to take it all in. Unfortunately she had not come for the sight seeing. It would seem Leaf was entrusting her along with four others to represent this country's strength and the upcoming world tournament. An honor to say the least. Amaya had proven herself time and time again in battle but now she was given the opportunity to prove her strength to the world. A feint smile swept across her face. Due to the high altitude, the sun wasn't a bother. The cool breeze flowed quite rapidly keeping humidity levels low along with the temperature. This was the perfect place to train. It gave her clarity and solitude. Amaya was in her typical attire housed in all black. Combat gloves and boots both had light armor padding. She wore a light black tactical vest adorned with a single black shoulder armor and shoulder black cloak. Taking a deep breath Amaya would begin her training. Her task...[/col]

[Mft]

 

[Yozora Akihito]

Akihito was wandering around aimlessly, hoping to shed some of the stress of the previous days. Presenting himself to the rest of the Uchiha clan had been stressful and he hoped he would not have to do anything like it anytime soon. Intimidating, but very much worth it. One has to at least show they have some backbone, even if not always.
Lost in his mindless perusal of last week's events, Akihito soon found himself in front of the path to the top of the mountain. Been a while since I've been up there... Not since...
ugh poisons. With nary another thought, the boy decided to go up, hoping to find some peace and quite to laze around. He had a book he had been wanting to read for a while.

The climb was always annoying but as his training progressed the effort became more and more bearable. No longer was it the exhausting trek his little child self did but a light exercise that was always welcome for a shinobi in training. The view that got better and better the higher he went was also pretty great. With a step, Akihito stopped to admire the view from the top. It was always breathtaking, the village in all it's glory. He hoped to one day be able to defend them, defend everybody, from any who wished them harm.
So caught up was he in the view that he only noticed someone else was there when he heard them move.
Quickly turning to see who it was, Akihito became mesmerized. Despite his momentary worries about an enemy, what he found was a woman who clearly belonged to the village. A kunoichi from the looks of her attire and equipment. And, well, the obvious training exercises. The woman in black seemed strong, amazingly strong. Her movement fluid and deadly, her eyes determined. He felt a pang of jealousy and wistfulness. Akihito too wished to be that strong, despite still being just a boy. The kunoichi's training showed a prowess that he wished he could rival. With the amazement clouding his mind, Akihito stood paralyzed for a minute before catching himself. I did not expect anyone to be up here. I thought I had found a conspicuous spot... Oh well. I don't want to disturb her so I'll just go down and search for another place to relax.

With that Akihito half turned away, in preparation to go down the mountain...

 

[Uchiha Izura]

An Unexpected Reunion​

With only the faintest sound of wind rushing past the young academy student, a figure bearing the crest of the Uchiha ascended the mountain. He stopped at the top, the enigmatic figure presenting himself before her as if he had been expecting this moment for a long time, except that it came under an entirely different set of circumstances. This was no longer a game of cat and mouse, no longer a game of hunter and the hunted. Amaya was no longer a Stone Anbu Sennin, and Izura was no longer the criminal of a crime that happened long ago. Now they were both Leaf ninja.

Izura still remembered what Amaya did to his sister. How he watched as Amaya fought his imouto, beating her into the ground...and Izura did nothing but watch, out of respect for the pride of his younger sibling.

She was safe, for now. Hidden away in Sunagakure with an entirely different set of friends and people who cared about her. A life detached completely from that of Izura’s path. Her shinobi path was finished, but his was still one of duty. No longer to just himself, but to the Hidden Leaf. He had returned to what he had once been decades ago. The prodigal son of the Yasha himself, Uchiha Izura. A past of many hats. Twice a missing ninja, once a leader of a village, and now once again a Leaf Ninja.

It was said that when shinobi reached a certain caliber, that they had the ability to understand one another with a single clash. Words no longer became necessary. Only the steel cold determination and clarity of focus that battle brought. The sharingan appeared in Izura’s eyes. No words were said to Amaya, but it was clear what Izura’s intention was. He was not here to kill her. But he was here to fight. He was done running from her, and if her intentions of joining the Leaf were to pursue him, then this fight would tell him all he needed.

Izura noted Akihito's presence. Perhaps he was lucky? Lucky to witness the clash of two veteran ninja with a deep past.

Blue flames formed in his right hand, coalescing into a ball of searing hot power.

Shall we dance?​

 

[Ryujin Akira]

[col]

|Shall we dance?

The sound of a familiar and yet inimical voice was almost enough to break Amaya's concentration. The seasoned Kunochi was holding her hands fixed in the lightning seal. Her eyes shut as if in deep meditation.

"Clearly you've never danced with the devils of Iwagakure..."

She should have expected Izura to just pop up out of the literal blue although she did not think it would be so soon after she joined Leaf. If anything, she didn't expect him to be ready for such a risky move on her part. Perhaps she was lured here by him? This was his original village after all plus it would explain the relentless assaults by the infamous leaf anbu second squadron until now. No... for now it Amaya would stick to the facts. This meeting was of pure coincidence.

"You know, we have to stop meeting like this... You popping out of thin air and all."

Amaya, whose eyes were still shut would breath deeply unable to disguise her surprise. It was still a mystery, Izura's ability to just... appear. Luckily he never pulled such antics while she was bathing, though he seemed the type, the pervy type. She would peek out of one eye in acknowledgment to his presence. Looking past the blue flames being toyed with in his hands, Amaya would notice a young boy observing.

"Oh, and you brought a young friend along... younger brother perhaps? You there, don't be shy introduce yourself."

Amaya would smile faintly as always. If Izura could recall, this was pretty much the only facial expression she ever made. Her hands still fixed in the lightning style even now as she waited for the others to respond. Her emerald green eyes unwavering as she contemplated snatching Izura by the face and trailing him down the face of Hokage mountain. That's how much she had grown to loathe Izura. His cool calm, "yeah whateva" type attitude really gave rise to the flames within her which was only further fanned by his ability to slip away so easily when she would almost have her hands around his throat. No longer was capturing or killing him an option considering how fate had twisted things so that they were of the same village, but now he was free to taunt her about it if he so choose. However he didn't... which somehow pissed her off more. He offered to dance but little did he know that he'd be dancing. There was something devious behind Amaya's emerald green eyes. If Izura or the kid took note, her eyes were actually smiling, much like a spider would be after catching some game in it's web.[/col]

[Mft]

 

[Yozora Akihito]

It happened so quickly Akihito could barely notice it. A man suddenly rushed past him towards the training kunoichi, flames bursting from his hands. The young boy could not understand what was happening. It all seemed so calm and normal but now... What had changed?

The new participant and the woman seemed to be exchanging a few words which he could not really comprehend. What he could do though, was recognize the man. He is... what was his name? Right! Izura, from the clan. Huh, a fellow clan member is fighting with someone else... should I interfere? At first Akihito panicked. Actual fights among members of the village were not something he kew how to deal with so he was hesitant to act. The panic quickly dissipated though. The fight did not seem lethal, it lacked the edge of desperation and survival instinct that came with fights to the death or just fights between enemies. It is not at all like that night. Nothing at all like it. Thank goodness,
I don't know what I would do if one of them was turning traitor.

The kunoichi turned to him. It appeared she had mistaken Akihito a brother of Izura's. The edge on her voice though... it scared him a bit. Stammering, Akihito spoke. "I-I I'm Yozora Akihito ma'am. I am not his little b-brother, but he is family nonetheless, even if not that close to me." Her stare was putting him on edge. If he thought she was mesmerizing before, now he was both amazed and terrified.

As she turned back to Izura, preparing to fight, Akihito wondered if it would be insulting to turn on his Sharingan. He would need it to even hope to keep up with the battle that was about to erupt.

 

[Yaku]

A distance away, another figure was among the faces upon the mountain top this evening. Whether they noticed it or not, he noticed them. The young boy kept his body still, overlooking the majesty that was the Leaf Village. Was this the place for him to call home? It seemed quite safe. But opportunities seemed seldom. He had but one trade, and he had no drive to become a shinobi. Following the orders of an overlord. No, a lackey of the overlord. It didn't work out so well for him last time, and he didn't foresee any reason it should the next. Everyone had their own goals in mind, striving for such. Why should he follow the orders of another he didn't deem necessary? All in the name of the greater good? Whom's good! The villages? The countries? Not likely.

His own goals were much more righteous. At least at this point. Though, the methods he would soon be willing to take not so much. His days of peace were only taking him so far. And that distance was rather short. He wasn't much more informed then he was when he first entered this village. Not enough to find his target. If it wasn't for but a stroke of luck, he wouldn't know about the dealings with ANBU operations, and her growth in rank. That was where he was left, and it was so little. It was a dark dark world he would have to enter, and he wasn't sure if he was ready for such. He had very little left to fall back on, and no protection to be granted if he went down that path. Though, he did miss it so.

The young boy looked over to the group just a few Khan's below the one he stood upon. Their interaction appearing less then peaceful. He unleashed the power of his eye, and took a closer look. "A woman, a very good looking one at that. Eh, why not." He started his jaunt towards her. It was starting to get late and he was a little bored this evening. He wanted something to take his mind off of his woes. As he got closer, two others joined her. The situation was becoming murky, though..He activated his ever watchful right eye, reading the situation carefully. The girl at some point entering what appeared to be a meditative stance during his jaunt and appearing at peace? 'No, something is off. Their stances are as if they weren't that of cordiality. The boy in the back, his chakra system's not that developed. He seems unsure, perhaps not wanting to be their? Was it the situation? Something odd is happening? And, oh. Is, is that? The bird guy? Huh, guess he came back? I thought he was running away from the village last time I saw him. Guess..maybe he is, an ANBU dude?' "His posture doesn't look that peaceful. Huh, is he after the girl?" A smile crept onto his face. Then it quickly vanished. 'No, wait. He doesn't have a mask on. Most certainly he isn't. Still. He has the look of one rearing to go into a fluid and interesting situation And the girl. Surprised and ...un-wanting? Why? I mean the dude rides a bird. How can she not want to be his friend?' He slowed his pace towards them, watching carefully with his right eye ever so vigilantly. 'I so do want to see that guys birds. Wonder if he will let me ride it? He shouldn't recognize me since I am not in my spy gear this time. Though, the girl.. She is..I wouldn't mind having her as my friend a little more.'

Kishin deactivated his eye and continued on into full view of those ahead and called out loudly, his voice slightly echoing, "Hiya. How's it goin?" He played the situation dimly. He had his hands in his blue pants pockets, and kicked a stone to the edge of the stone face with his worn shoes, though it failed to reach. "Oh, is that a jutsu you channeled into your hands? You all practicing here?" The blue of his undershirt was slightly faded, though the white of his shirt pristine.

 

[Uchiha Izura]

Izura’s sharingan glanced over at Yaku as soon as he had made his appearance, and then he looked back at Amaya. The blue flame died, disappearing from his hand.

“I was just on my way out.”

Part of him wanted to settle this once and for all- a battle that tested the former Stone ninja’s resolve. Every movement could be scrutinized for intent, every action a display of her will to enforce her beliefs. And through fighting he would understand why she had been so intent on finding him for so long, and then let him leave peacefully with his sister Ayame when they had met in Sunagakure all that time ago. But that wasn’t going to happen now. Not with these prying eyes everywhere. Izura didn’t trust Yaku’s presence. Yaku was a forged weapon used by criminals that outgrew his restraints, as far as Izura was concerned. And as much as the veteran Uchiha sympathized with his fate, he couldn’t deny that at the end of it all, it just meant that Yaku was a dangerous wildcard to Izura. Secrecy was Izura’s weapon. Giving that up now wasn’t going to happen. As far as the clan was concerned, he was just that jounin living on the outskirts of the complex. Apart from his name and apparently being a part of the family, Akihito had no clue of who Izura really was.

And with that, the Uchiha seemed to slowly become transparent, fading away until the image of his presence became little more than a wisp of smoke scattered away by the wind. His final glance was at Amaya.

Maybe next time, Amaya…

[Italic text is thoughts. Quotation text is actual dialogue]

[Topic Left]

 

[Ryujin Akira]

[col]

|As Izura began to fade from existence so too did any traces of his chakra. Amaya knew not to even bother trying to track him from past experiences as her energy was better not spent on fruitless ventures.

"He flew away again... no matter, I'll get him next time."

The Kunochi's emerald gaze instead descended upon the faces of the two remaining much like how every western sun did so upon the faces of Hokage mountain. She'd offer a feint smile as she always did in any situation in order to conceal whatever intentions laid behind those heavenly green eyes. Though only a mask, it was really the only facial expression she ever made. A smile denotes pleasure, sociability, happiness, joy or amusement but in a world of deception, what better sheep's clothing...

"Yozora Akihito, means a vibrant night sky. Such a beautiful name. My name is..."

Amaya would pause for a moment before letting out a sigh. She had hesitated to answer the boy in light of his kinsmanship to Izura. She would give him the proper respect as her inherited enemy and give him her warrior name bestowed upon her. It was only proper as they would one day be locked in mortal combat. Such is the way of the world each of them were born into.

"Fang, you can call me Fang... and please... drop the ma'am, I work for a living."

Amaya would then address the boy with his hands in his pockets. He was clearly not like Akihito here as this one, like Amaya, also wore a theoretical mask. She'd size him up for a moment before responding to him as she took his approach with his hands in his pockets as threatening.

"Hello... and who might you be? Are you too, kin to Izura or a friend of his perhaps?"

She purposely avoided his question about why she had her hands locked in the lightning seal as they were likely to find out why shortly.[/col]

[Mft]

 

[Ryujin Akira]

[Topic Left due to inactivity]

 

[Yaku]

Left to inactivity