| Sangai no Hanpa | |
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| Commission by Takeo | |
| Personal | |
| Birthplace | The Void |
| Birthdate | 09/24/26 B.F. |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 37 |
| Height | 6'2" |
| Weight | 200 |
| Blood Type | Unknown |
| Kekkei Genkai | Unknown |
| Classification | Former Daimyo |
| Areas of Expertise | All |
| Clan | Unknown |
| Affiliation | Hanpa |
| Team | Hanpa |
| Rank | |
| Ninja Rank | S Rank |
| Nature Type | |
| Element (Affinity) |  |
| Element (Secondary) |  |
| Element (Tertiary) |  |
| Family | |
| Mother | Unknown |
| Father | Unknown |
| Sister | Unknown |
| Wife | Unknown |
| Son | Unknown |
| Signature Jutsu | |
| Kuppuku |
"Everything is darkness. Darkness is everything."
Sangai no Hanpa seemed to come from no where at all. The man simply started probing various towns throughout the world as he searched for answers. He has spent much of his time seeking various doctors and even discrete medical shinobi in order to pursue some goal he is obviously intent on seeing through. Perhaps a cure for some chronic illness he or others are currently suffering from. He has made many contacts through this effort over the past year, but one particular rumor has spread as well: None of those who have gone with him have ever been seen again. This has put a particularly dark feeling when dealing with his man as trust is slim at best. However, he does have his ways and continues to do business.
After that year however, suddenly, the request for medically inclined personnel ceased. He moved on, maybe even actually finished what he started and no longer needed the services. Just as he had suddenly arrived, he seemed to just as suddenly disappear from the public eye. At least as far as they were aware.
Hanpa did reemerge, though this time he would mask his identity more thoroughly. He had left his past behind and was now marching towards his future purposes unhindered. Wearing a mask that reflected the world back upon itself, he would venture out in order to build something new and regain his past through his future in order to exist within the present.
A cold and calculating man that does not seem to warm up to anyone easily if at all. Even his comrades do not necessarily know of his true intentions, nor how his inner workings work. He is an enigma both in drive and in ability, as even those he's earned the trust and comradree of on the battle field have never truly seen what he is capable of. The only characteristic shown in battle, if he bothered to involved himself, is absolute ruthlessness.
Beyond this however it is truly unknown what he is capable of or what he is willing to do to achieve his personal goals or the goals of others. He is a private man that seems to prefer actions to words and often times will "show" someone the meaning of something rather than explain.
Still, it can be noted that he is not without a compassionate side. If there is someone suffering before him through hunger or pain or trial, he does not add to it. He may only watch for quite some time, but somewhat invariably he will alleviate the issue before moving on. Once again, his reasons for doing so he largely keeps to himself. He does not seem to have any bias as to whom he helps if he chooses to do so. Criminals, children, women, murderers; It does not seem to matter to Hanpa.
Standing at around 6'2", this man is covered from head to toe in black attire, hooded and hidden from the sight of others. However, he is not merely cloaked. His outfit is functional and even fitted to his form under the ebony cloak which is the strongest indicator of his gender due to his powerful frame. Upon his head is a full face mask that appears to be an entirely reflective surface almost like a mirror reflecting back anything within its field of view. The mask has a deep black cloth that wraps around the lower back side of his head, covering his entire neck, under his jaw, and his ears. His hair however is left loose and strands of it tumble from his hood at times. His hair appears to be almost as black as the hooded cloak that tends to hide it, long and straight, apparently well groomed.
The body suit beneath the cloak is covered with various straps and and buckles and slits where shuriken, kunai, and senbon are stored along the upper and forearms, the thighs and waist and even along the shin area and boot line. He wears long gloves that have metal plates along the back of the hand to the forearm, but do not hinder the wrists movements. His boots are integrated in to a pair of shin guards, but are also segmented for free foot movement. All of the metal buckles and plates and accents to his outfit are of a polished silver, just like his mask. Tucked against his right hip is a compact ninjato that is within a saya that is clipped on to the belt that holds the rest of his ninja tools on his waist. This allows for the scabbard to be adjusted and swiveled for different quick drawing techniques, as well as changed form one hip to the other at will.
| Name | Relationship | Notes |
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Sunagakure Contact | I have not seen the Dragoness for ages. I am sure she does not recall me after such a long time, but I think that with the proper application of… memory jogging, I may be able to call in my remaining favor with the village. |
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Sunagakure Contact | Like the Dragoness, he is one of the council of Sunagakure and bore witness to the previous arrangements. Though ever since my… disciple defeated him, I have not heard much of him. |
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Konohagakure Contact | A survivor of the foolish woman Uchiha Fuyu who tried to follow in the foot steps of the obsessed Uchiha Madara. To his own credit, Hinotori seemed rather… innocent when I met him before. I do not know how the years have treated him however, nor how Fuyu's scheming has twisted him up to this point. |
| Name | Relationship | Notes |
|---|---|---|
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Wanderer | An interesting young girl that shows potential to grow in the ways of ebb and flow… if she can control her temper when provoked. If she ever achieves the level of control that allows even the most chaotic of storms to leave her unflinching, she may become a true master in this world. |
| Name | Relationship | Notes |
|---|---|---|
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Former Member of Hanpa | Hopefully, someone I can still rely on now that I have returned. Though from what little I have heard he seems to have settled down some where in Sunagakure, perhaps even as a shinobi of the village. Odd, considering his relatively unstable personality. Hopefully whom ever he has chosen is capable of seeing the rhythm in his improvisations. |
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Former Leader of Hanpa | The man I left the rest to. He was capable enough if he put his mind to it and I knew this, as long as he was not distracted. It seems however that the title of Raikage has become his own. Given his history, I am quite proud of him, however it does make me wonder just what he did with the responsibilities I left for him. |
For quite some time I was there, just holding him; My baby boy. I could not imagine doing anything else but this… until I recognized the situation. And of course… he was there. "Akuen." was all I had to say to the raven that had followed me most of my life and all of his. And then… he began to apologize. I didn't let him finish the first word. I would not even allow for the thought to be uttered. I silenced him immediately. "Your failure is deafening." I snarled at the familiar bird, whom I knew was perfectly content not speaking for a life time.
He would let me grieve how I wished then, as he should have in the first place. But then it was time to move. Survival dictated that I be some where else should this incident be seen. I do not know how many years it has been… but as my boy is a man now… It must have been long enough. It is hard to move. This body is stiff… new. It has not been worn down nor built up by my trials. Even the mind is foggy… and the chakra feels… non-existent. I feel like a new born, just opening its eyes for the first time. Only the mere basics are possible with a form like this… but I still remember jutsu that could crush villages and secrets that could bring Daimyo to their knees. It is … frustrating. But I will survive… just as I survived oblivion itself. "Akuen" I would say once more, and we would be off to gather that which I need.
My sight is gone. My true sight any how. The sight that could change the world and predict the future events well before hand. The gift I was born in to and earned in blood. It is gone… but I am not helpless. Diminished, just as the rest of me, but far from helpless. If I learned anything from my gentle wife, it is that one can overcome anything with enough will; Even disability. I paid close attention to her, and how she perceived the world. I mingled with her chakra in order to better understand… and I shared my vision with her mind so that she could see and feel how I see the world in vibrant chakra as well. I will not let those lessons go to waste, even without my true eyes. I shall live within this world blind as I am, until my true sight returns. The world is not worth looking at while mostly blind any how.
It has taken quite some time to get used to this again, especially with my chakra as poor as it currently is. It is sort of like being a toddler, barely able to run around and explore the area around you and only seeing a small portion of the whole picture. Only able to focus on what is straight ahead instead of the peripheral. At the same time… I have never been one to be narrow minded nor sighted, thus I think… I may be over simplifying. For sensing the world through chakra alone… it is impossible to only see one thing at a time. You are constantly bombarded from all angles and focusing one one thing becomes the real issue. But I am learning, and mastering this form of reality, even if it is futile in the end as merely a passing moment towards the future.
I have searched far and wide for the best in medical jutsu over the past year. I have done my own research, studying constantly and remembering my time with Honto and Mushi in order to come up with a solution… but I do not know how to save him. The professionals I have secreted away to the That Place… even upon pain of death… and literally as they die, there seemed to be no answers. They think he is dead and thus do not push hard enough! He… his body is not dead. Perhaps… the rest of him is. But does that mean there is nothing that can be done? Am I left with a constant, mocking reminder of my failure to save him after sacrificing myself to save everyone else as well? Intolerable. Absolutely unacceptable.
MY weakness… this body… my jutsu having been ripped from me… my history being warped and stolen… my future needing to be rebuilt from the foundation; I am helpless in every way to fix this. I will never give up on him… not for a single moment. But I understand reality. I know what is and what is not. So I will take him to his mother… and until I am able to pursue it further and have the tools I need to make him whole again, I will let them both rest together in the darkness. I suppose it is ironic… that she gave of her flesh… and he gave of her spirit… and they both exist entirely without the other, opposite sides of themselves.
The world awaits, as well as any answers that may be within it. I have gathered what I needed from That Place, and am ready to venture out and start anew. The Marked Ones… there seem to be so few left, but I will find them regardless. The web must be respun for the spider to have its advantage and that is what I must do now. My favors… I will have to be careful about utilizing them. They are now old, likely forgotten, and attached to a life that should have ended over a decade ago. But maybe I can still use those fragments of what remains to push forward. I suppose this is what the weak have always referred to as hope. I can see how it is so easily clung to… perhaps even addictive. It is… sickening. I shall not remain here long. The strong cannot thrive on hope as it depends on desperation for better or more. I will be strong again.
Upon moving about the lands, I happened to see quite the unique person roaming about the outskirts of the Land of Fire. A female kunoichi, rather young but certainly talented. However, it seems I offended her by questioning her control over that which she wished to emulate; The Sea. Ironically, she used earth jutsu on me after that, which was once again surprising. She has obviously been trained in Kirigakure, or at least the Land of Water, and thus was suspicious of me. I assume she also has a team or group with her some where given that fact.
Luckily, even in my current state I was not exposed. Her capabilities with genjutsu on top of her taijutsu and ninjutsu have provided me with much information about this… prospect. I must learn most about her situation and see what can be done about bringing her towards my goals. As I told her when she was defeated by my will, the last person to swear to kill me became my most trusted and capable blade. It is far too early to tell if she will follow a similar path… but that is an encouraging circumstance as far as I am concerned.
Note: Find out who she is with and come to an arrangement with them before she becomes unattainable.
A crater, nothing more. The void has taken away even my place of rest after attempting to beguile me with dreams of what I had lost prior. My land, my country, my village… swallowed up in to the gaping maw of nothingness. And yet still, where nothing exists, where nothing grows… In this blank slate that I once lay my head to sleep and ruled over the people of this country, I am home.
As I allowed my connection to the others to reestablish… sending out what weak signal I could for days, waiting for one to arrive… any to arrive… I found that in the end I was greeted by Ryoji. Well, it seems he calls himself Ayumu now. It was quite surprising actually. Not that he came. No… that was not at all surprising… but that he was the only one who could hear me. He may even be the only one alive or able to move about freely. What happened to my people? Did they not achieve their dreams? Have their lives already been taken? I was not gone that long… was I?
I showed Ayumu who he was dealing with. His caution was warranted, and I would have questioned him had he not been at least a bit wary. He is still loyal, even after such time. I cannot say how firmly… but I can thank him for having faith at all. He has seen the desolation of what we built first hand, in his own unique ways, and yet he is still willing to stand with me. That is enough for me to move forward. Let "That Which Remains" be born anew.
Ogosokamaru seems to have made quite the impression in Kumogakure. In fact, a whole new generation speaks well of him. Even as the new Raikage just starts to warm his former seat, he talks of Odo as a mentor and teacher. I am quite proud of him for that. Given the fact that he was betrayed by his own clan and sent to die… he was able to move past all of that and not only return to his homeland, but take charge of it.
More impressive to me however… is that he has not said a word about where he came from or what he was in the time between. Even his own nephew is entirely oblivious to his other life. I can do little else but respect that he kept his word even when he may have gained a strong political advantage for doing other wise. So, because of this, I will gift his people discretely as the Master of their Master. For every notable one of his "line" that I find, I will instruct them in one potent jutsu I have witnessed or knew myself, regardless of my ability to perform it any longer. I shall be… a grandfather spoiling his grandchildren. Yes… perhaps in some small way… No. No! They will never be able to replace my boy. Not even for a moment. But I will still do this for Odo out of respect.
How utterly amusing. An ancient evil has resurfaced and terrorized the shinobi villages as well as the rest of the world, sort of… and now the great villages wish to unite heroically in order to vanquish it. Of course, this ancient evil is quite specifically calling out the villages for their acts of violence, cruelty, and disregard for consequences. Yes, they use it as a tool and manipulation to see that their own goals are done, but they still have a point. Hashiramako… if only you were still the Hokage. I would love to hear your petty, pathetic reasons for your grand dream now. I would give much just to try to see you talk your way out of taking responsibility for this mess you've caused.
Still… this "Silence" is far too loud and much too destructive. It must be stopped and this alliance may be the best way to have that happen. Of course, there are the other benefits of this… such as the weakening of the world powers and the tensions between relationships. Unfortunately this is also a time where leaders bond and find ways of seeing the bright side of their plight, especially if they win. The quicker the better… the less impactful this will be to the long term.
I spoke with Odo, and got him to grant me an audience with the Third Raikage, Yotsuki Hiei during the time he was to meet with my old Sunagakure Ambassadorial friends of the Council. Of course, they have no idea who I am… so I had to keep them on point. They need Kirigakure, and Sunagakure botched that with their proclamation of sacrificing the many for the few. Of course, they see it the other way around… they see preserving their villages and battle strength as saving the many in the long run. Hashiramako! This…. this is exactly what I warned you would happen. And just like with her, they would not listen to my advice either. They will dive straight in to the abyss, swords held high, before they will attack the brain of this whole thing. Subtlety is a lost art of war… it seems.
Regardless, my task it to get Kirigakure to agree to work with the alliance. Unfortunately… I have to bet on many circumstances to allow for this to work out. But I have certainly faced greater challenges than a diplomatic conversation. Meruin as Mizukage…. that young spider boy standing amongst the "Gods" of the shinobi world. Times certainly do change. And now I understand the core issue as well. He is a logical one…a calculating one… but he was also trained by the finest savages to ever exist. He will not like being in a position of weakness or reliance of others strength. The only way I can see to convince him in the end… is to lean on old arrangements… and to show him just how valuable Kirigakure is in this battle to come. But more importantly… I need to offer him a weapon he can capitalize on. Hopefully, unlike the current alliance members, he will listen.
Before departing the Land of Lightning for Kirigakure, Odo told me about a man that may be of interest to me. I had not heard of much of him personally, but the name wasn't entirely foreign to me. The Yotsuki were actually nick named as the "Rumbling Mountains" in the past. This was because they tended to train hard and destructively in the seclusion of their home lands mountains. While i didn't fight many campaigns in these lands, from what I understand they basically felt that no mortal man could endure their training and raw power, so the mountains were the only foe they could truly train upon. And given what the Yotsuki have become, I cannot deny this. Raw speed and power combined in to one is a very dangerous mix. It is certainly up there with the Kaguya in sheer straight forward brutality.
Of course Odo would have me find one of these men. But this man was from the wars… and displaced I would find. A warrior's spirit burned within him, but he was unable to fulfill it now. He had fought and survived to the point of peace… finding that he was now without the purpose he had lived his entire life for. It is the bitter sweet irony of a true warrior. Many are able to stop and have families and live their lives tending to them… but not every man is capable of quelling that fire. Yotsuki Zetto appeared to be one of these men, just as Tessen was. Luckily for him… purpose is my product.
We chatted shortly… he was aggressive and quite insistent on my identity… which I imagine many will be. For the sake of this conversation not ending in someone being broken upon the ground, I allowed him to see that I was one who knew of the times of clan wars, and what the world was because of them. Yes it was grime, yes there was much to lose. But what you gained from that struggle… and what life you did appreciate became like nectar. Human beings cannot find true happiness without some form of struggle, and we shinobi are born and bred to struggle through blood shed. The only difference is.. we used to primarily struggle with each other… not with entire nations… and not with mass amounts of civilians being trampled under foot in most cases.
Zetto, in the end, decided that I was legitimate and that he would follow me. It was quite sudden… I expected to have to convince him, but perhaps he had convinced himself long before and was simply waiting for a proper opportunity. I am providing that opportunity, and thus I have gained a new ally. Simple enough… and without a shattered mountain or two to show for it.
Well, that went far more smoothly than I had anticipated. Though Meruin was far more demanding than the rest at the meeting in Kumogakure when it came to knowing of my identity, at the end of it all, he was the only one to truly remember who I am and to pay a modicum of respect to an old name and an old face. It was refreshing really. I was not sure how the young Mizukage would take a contract that was three Kage prior to his rise to power but the contract is renewed and we are about to move forward with this relationship.
Even more interesting than this however, is the fact that he allowed for us to have a safe haven as support if need be. It was a small gamble that paid off quite well should we need it. Hopefully we will not however. Things are clipping along…. now I just need to handle Sunagakure and things will be up to date as they are going to be for those ancient contracts of mine.
Chakra is a wonderous gift that I think even I don't truly comprehend. It has transcended physical being, time, and space to reach me before… allows will itself to be manifested in to creation… and connects people in a way that must be what the very heart of spirituality is about. And through this… I was able to find yet another dead man: Kureno. Though Kaede is what he changed his name to some time ago, Kureno is what I will always remember that impetuous boy's name to be. I swear I should get a collar for him some day before he destroys the wrong thing… yet again.
Kureno seeking me out seems to have triggered a change in him. Something that allowed for his dormant state of being without his memory for some time to reawaken in to not even who he was, but a wiser young man than before. It is truly interesting what the call of my chakra returning… more or less… in to this plane of existence has done for him. I will have to do a deeper study in to the nature of chakra in all of its forms… though that will come naturally any how as I suffer through life once again in this pathetic body.
I went to Sunagakure hoping for one of two results, but expecting a few alternative results. What I hoped for, which I don't normally do at all, was that Sunagakure would either extend our contract with them, or would drop it without issue. The latter did happen, though in all honesty that was quite strange to me. Aside from Konoha, Sunagakure is the only village that has any harm stem from any of my members. I was fully expecting to have to apologize for past actions that I was not there for but no… Perhaps they were too distracted to remember or care. What ever the case, it didn't come up and I wasn't about to remind them of it.
Of course this is Sunagakure, it could easily be a ploy to make me feel at ease in order to get more information… but I have better things to do than be slyly interrogated even if that is the case. Ayumu and his protege's presence there has me concerned a bit however. I do not want to interfere with Ayumu's new life. While he was part of my organization before… he has moved on as time does. Even has a wife and child by some strange happenstance of reality. And Arika… she is very young and on top of that she is an asset to Sunagakure. Luckily, I have no intention of misusing them or putting them in undo harms way. If I can, i simply want to teach Arika of the possibilities that lie before her. Maybe she'll become an interesting Jinchuuriki in the end unlike most I have witnessed. It is sort of cute how she follows Ayumu around incessantly… and it is very good practice for her as a Kunoichi of the Sand. I look forward to seeing her develop.
How often does one come along carriage being ransacked of its goods by desperate thugs as a true Lady stands by the way side only concerned for her children's safety? Even in such a cruel world as the one we live in… usually such incidents do not happen to those with wealth. Primarily due to guards…. one side or the other is generally killed rather early in the exchange. But this instance was different. It was truly a situation where a woman was in need of someone to come along at just the right time like some romantic tale.
If only I were a younger man and driven by such considerations. I did stop to observe… as in this situation I did not see either party particularly right or wrong. One side desired to steal and drink their miserable lives away as they had nothing else in them, the other wanted to see their children and shipment safe but other wise was not being harmed. But when violence arose… fear became a weapon that cut deeper than a sword. Fear can be remembered for a life time, but death can only be recalled for an instant after all.
Inoue Haruna… i have met her once before. I know of her family and their broad range of Sake products produced under the Inoue and Co moniker. I have had dealings with her, apparently, father and law. She is the heiress to the estate now apparently and her children are adorable… but strangely she has definitely trained and chakra usage and just decided not to use it to combat the two buffoons. I traveled with her after on my way to my Kirigakure as she had business in the Land of Water.. a carriage.. and a ship. I was not about to say no to that. And it was a fruitful conversation to say the least. I do believe Lady Inoue and I have a future together and out of respect for her father and law and the past, cultivating that relationship in to the future is perfectly acceptable with me.
The world of today is … interesting even if it is also a bit ridiculous. All of these Kage and their villages fighting over who is right to protect their own interests and their own claims while dismissing the others as if they don't have exactly the same thoughts. Even when it comes to facing off against something that wishes to mutually destroy them all, they still have to have meetings and agreements and arrangements simply to allow themselves to work together for a few moments. It is quite tiresome. In any other situation… people that were being slaughtered would either flee or fight and that would be the end of it.
Still… when they do finally make a decision… they do seem to be able to come up with some rather unique solutions. That separated unity of the village system has a purpose… but it gets in the way of the reality of things… without artificial borders and colros and symbols to hail from… they could have been cooperating all along.
I was not there at the final battles that embroiled the world. However… I did find out a few things about it. Kirigakure did come through and assist the alliance in twarting the Silence. They decided to use the habit of the beasts that absorbed everything in their path and utilized that strange meteorite that had been worshipped by that backwards clan as a source of power. They never seemed to realize power always comes at a price most aren't willing to pay. I hear many pieces of the story, how the battle was great and epic and tales will be sung for ages, all of that. But what I find most interesting… well… what I find to be particularly amusing… is that the world was at its most cooperative and peaceful during a time in which one of its greatest conflicts occurred. This… Hashiramako… is exactly what I tried to tell you and you still deny. What happened right after this great, song inducing battle? Lines were drawn, territories retreated to… and the world keeps rolling around in pseudo order once more. That which you created to unite… is being used to simply separate in larger numbers.
Relearning Tobiramako's pet project, that Shadow Clone Jutsu.. has been quite tedious with this new body. The danger of the jutsu of course, is the division of ones own power. Given my current state…. that is not much to work with. However… I have other means to obtain power… and with various amounts of other skills, I was able to produce something close enough to not only prepare my body for the jutsu, but work out some other kinks while utilizing it, such as the scaling of jutsu and various other things that come with Shadow Clone usage. Zetto was of great help in having me test the Faux Shadow, though of course it was no match in particular with him. Still… it was able to land a strike, even if it was a fluke, which for Zetto was enough to call it a worth while endevour.
My plans for this technique however are far beyond the typical… but honestly the primary reason for this is my own benefit. I have to quite literally defeat my current weakness to grow in strength. I cannot think of a better way to do this than to not only defeat myself, but to defeat different aspects of myself. This is a power unique to the Shadow Clone jutsu… extroverted introspection.
Training each of my skill sets, amplified by the Master Seal, has been quite… humbling. I now have a much firmer grasp on where I truly am… it is as if I have merely been trained by one of these "Academies" in the shinobi villages. Or perhaps… something a bit above that. A genin.. a Chuunin, some arbitrary title for minimal competency in a hand full of areas. It is almost depressing. But it has also got me doing something I have not done in some time… experimenting… forging new paths. I have taken my down time from this self induced training to work on deciphering the Master Seal… as well as pursuing some insights i've gained in my time as nothingness itself. It seems quite promising… even if I can barely utilize these theories for now. It is… inspiring… what being reborn can allow if I just allow it. I have decided not to reconstruct what I was… but instead… forge something new from what I am now. I have the rare opportunity to live twice… and I would be a fool not to use it.
There was a time when I was closest to my son. Not before I was damned to my own personal hell, but some how during that experience. He found some bread crumbs I left for him in the world as he toddled about, exploring reality with his young mind and immature experiences… each growing in kind with the effort. In this he absorbed some of my chakra, enough to get him in to Shukun Sumitsuki so that he could discover some of the answers that he sought. With him was a young woman, a girl at the time I suppose. She had apparently grown up with him and they were very close. During some trauma, I cannot know what tormented him, I leaked through to the surface and met her face to face, so to speak. She was quite … interesting. I pushed her and a provoked her, I tested her while I was able. In her own way, she was able to endure. That is all I could ask in the end…
Years later I sought her out, attempted to find her because she deserved to know of his fate. She deserved to know what happened to him and why he disappeared from her life. She deserved to know that he was… no more. I may have misled her, given that she was not aware of my existence. She would have believed me to be my son likely, but it was of no matter, she would know better upon our meeting. She had grown, gained scars, gained family, become a wife and had children. For me, this happened all in the blink of an eye compared to the last time I saw her tending to Fudo's battered form during my brief possession. She was wary, cautious…. but I was honest. Anything less would not only have been disrespectful, but likely pointless.
Eventually, she would decide to take a chance to see if I was truly the father of her long lost childhood friend. She would follow me to my little place of secrets… I suppose also… my family tomb now. She would see for herself the lifeless form of my son, almost proudly displayed within the central structure. With his mother… one corporeal and one ethereal. It was as if I was being mocked in this way too by that damned ancestor… they could not even be together in death and I could not be with either of them for long in life. I gifted her Fudo's blade as a keep sake. It was certainly useful and well made… but I have never relied on the quality of anything but my own experiences and talents as well as my allies. And in this way, she would have something close as I have his body itself. On this day however, we did both gain something besides tokens of the past. I had gained a daughter, and she had gained a father.
Time passed, a year or more… I stopped counting after time became meaningless to me. Life, as they say, continued on and my little gathering of misfits grew and shrunk and grew as it always does. It is the nature of such a thing… a village-less existence without generations of propaganda keeping them loyal… but instead their own hard fought and earned decision to remain. IT is preferable… it is real…. it is not faked or forced and I will always cherish it.
While in Kirigakure, she would seek me out and find my tents. I would allow for her to see me in my vulnerable state, my vision impaired so drastically… my Sharingan still maturing. Like before, she would take great interest in what it means to be an Uchiha. I have my suspicions… but her eye color …. well it matters not. I will be able to tell soon enough. Our chakra is different than any other beings alive once Sharingan has been achieved. It is unmistakable to a mature eye. Perhaps she simply wants to remain close to Fudo in this way… I cannot yet tell.
Unfortunately, she has a shard of darkness within her left behind what has been called the Crawler. The same beast that possessed or was used or what have you by Yuuma during the war with the Silence. But I am very familiar with such monstrosities and the ways of the creeping darkness. It underestimated me, and it underestimated her. Its strength requires weakness… and I gave none to leech on to. The crack in her mental state, her momentary doubt, I would help to seal, but ultimately leave it to her own ability to survive and her own strength. She brought her adopted daughter, Kit, with her. She was quite adorable, though mute. Her presence there likely also helped Akane to focus on what was truly important and what she could fearlessly protect, if not herself. In the end… the darkness was suppressed for now. IT is my duty as a father I suppose… to purge it entirely… when I regain the strength to do so.
It is amazing… the depth and flexibility that chakra truly has. It is almost as if everything was formed from chakra… and yet some how not everything is born with it. A true mystery… how it can fabricate reality itself, yet it is a rare commodity that a small portion of the world's individuals actually possess to any magnitude.. and that everything else is without. It is almost as if something happened in the distant past to strip the essence of existence from existence itself.
Elemental Manipulation for instance… in theory makes no sense. Yes, the text books and the results will of course explain away holes and gaps in logic, but in the end… simply applying a particular frequency or pattern of chakra should not be able to directly influence something that itself does not have chakra. When the earth is made to become a shield or a dome or spears or … a dragon… it is as if the fundamental laws and state of its existence are altered. It is as if it is born again in to something it could have been or has the potential to be.
Deeply considering these things… I poured over the information within the Master Seal and tried to find out if there was anything that may explain this phenomenon in a less than elementary way. I experimented with hypothesis and mere leaps of thought to see if I could bore down to the core of it all. And then… I remembered two fundamental principles that are often glossed over within the Shinobi world. Everything was linked to Yin or Yang aspects and influences of chakra. And the Hyuga, with their piety and their aristocratic nature, designed a system of combat based around the 8 trigrams. While their techniques do not actually represent what the 8 trigrams represent… it did get me thinking about the flow of chakra and how it is all related to Yin and Yang.
And that is when I figured part of this puzzle out. It is all… Yin and Yang. It is all a balance of these two utterly opposed forces. The twin opposites. The Collective Universe. Perfection Incarnate. But due to this… there was also the question of… what happens when they are separated? What happens when they become the Primordial Universe? Was this even possible? Of course it is… the state of perfection in their unity can only exist because of the boundless nature of their singular existences. And every time we weave jutsu through seals or chakra flow or anything else… all we are doing is trying to express different variations of the perfected state. Different levels of completion of the mixtures of chakra that go into every jutsu. So all that needs to be done… is to stop short of the level of completion that is taught in this age. This is a complex process… and in order for it to occur properly I will likely have to use tags and written seals for the time being in order to … filter out any ingrained tendencies and innate leanings of chakra at the initial levels of jutsu. However… I expect that this will only be a temporary measure. If there is one thing I can take from the Ancient son of the great Sage, it is experience in seeing what the unbound preferences of the universe are capable of.
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Childhood
Born in the war torn era of the shinobi clan wars where power was only measured in ability, strength, and leadership, Uchiha Rainos was ushered in to the world under the most absolute blessing an Uchiha child could have; within the flames of battle. It may have changed him, or even defined him, but in this era, there was no greater thing for an Uchiha to be but the bringer of flames. As he grew up, mostly he had to learn to survive as all of his clan did, roaming, tending to their wounds, hunting, gathering. They were rather uncivilized times, though the culture of the Uchiha was strong. They were not savages, simply survivors of the darkest nature. Things were not all bad, their abilities allowed them steady contracts and thus steady work and money flow. Even if they had to remain nomadic, they were not impoverished. Thus during his formative years, Rain was treated quite well, and the relative safety that money and status could provide allowed him to gain a sister. At first, he was very adverse to the idea, she was after all someone to draw attention from him, and he was about five years old when she was born. Still, she was adorable, quiet, and attentive even as an infant. This eventually captured his heart and he began to become protective instead of spiteful.
When she reached his former age, he had already had to fight several times, though usually in the back lines and simply helping as battle knew no mercy for the weak nor the young. Rainos was noted for having sharp instincts and keen observations, traits that go very well with sharingan should he ever achieve it. The elders and veteran shinobi of the clan, when they could, selected promising children to train and get up to speed. It was elected to choose in this way simply because they did not have the time to waste on "no talent" shinobi. The training was hard for those who did not take things as they were and move on. Some children were sensitive towards the harsh treatment. Some where frail and couldn't take the punishment of the physically demanding aspects. Rainos absorbed it all. Pain was a lesson. Emotional backlash was a lesson. Being called unfit and unworthy, was a lesson. And for those very reasons, he would receive less and less of these lessons as he trained.
By the age of twelve, he was a full fledged ninja by the clan's accord, only two years after his training had begun. The Uchiha standards were high, and most children his age were still considered students even if they fought. It was all because of perspective that he rose above the majority of his class. The blood would flow thickly from this day forward.
Career
Many wounds were gained in Rainos' preteen years and on. He carried many, but he delivered many more; alot of them fatal. His combat experience grew exponentially, because even though he was unable to actually use his sharingan, he used good old fashioned wits, guile, and observation. He could not precisely copy anything, but he took note of and improved upon his own performance with every scar, and with every victory. In the shinobi world, most scars actually did fade away thanks to the abilities of medicines treated with chakra. The Uchiha did not truly pat each other on the back, even if there was a young up and coming star. There was no time for such trivial boosting of egos. He was doing what he was trained to do, what he had to do, like everyone else. All that was special about him was that he was very successful at it. By The time he became around 15 years old, he had a battle one on one, with a very powerful adversary. Two young prodigies clashing in the darkness lit only by the destruction in their wake. A variety of colors, lights, jutsu and chakras were raging across the landscape, but neither seemed to be gaining the advantage.
It came down to the simple tools of warfare; swords, kunai, shuriken and the abilities of the shinobi that wielded them. Missing, evading being blocked, parrying, clanging, cracking; It was almost musical how they fought like dogs of war to kill each other in the name of someone else entirely or simply for the right to continue living. Rainos however was eventually stabbed in the stomach, or so it seemed. He looked down for a moment, but when his eyes rose once again, his face distorted and changed, growing an extra ebon mass as his other eye rolled out in to the blackness eerily before both of them seemed to shine with crimson and stare with an expression one could only call "Check Mate".
The mass was a raven's head beside his own, a bird that would always accompany battle and war, but almost always seemed to prefer to observe instead of participate. Spinning around and rolling behind his opponent, his kunai would plunge in to the back of his neck. Collapsing, his enemy was dead. Rainos' side was cut open, but not so much as the illusion had led the other to believe. Rainos stared forward and looked towards the fallen support beam where a Raven seemed to stare back at him as well.
There was one good thing about warfare, especially for most of your life, with the right perspective any how. Bonds would form very strongly. Rainos and his sister were extremely close, especially after their parents had died, some of the Uchiha fighting with him as he grew had become close as well. But what was strange yet fitting, was that some of his former enemies or simply allies or neutral parties in battle, began to respect or admire him as well. Rainos had many nick names by now, but in all honesty, he never paid attention to them. Peace was just starting to roll around three years prior to the formation of the villages, and Rain was entrusted to lead a very small tactical squad on far away missions in other countries to wrap this whole thing up with the Uchiha being noted as the top amongst all clans even in places they rarely fought in. A hand full of Uchiha could do what an army of any other could fathom; At least that was the idea. It was during this time that Rainos had put his sister and a friend of hers under the care of an Uchiha man that seemed to care for his sister enough to give his life, and Rainos himself went out into the world.
Career (conclusion)
One of the first things his team encountered was a battle in Kumogakure, a losing one. It seemed set up that way, from Rainos' perspective. He had a little girl with him, a very small and sickly child that was taken in by him. She was a Hyuuga, and as she was dying, yet cared for by Rainos, she aided him as his sensor while she lived. He was able to devise decisive victories based on her intelligence gathering and in this case, she saved the lives of the remaining forces of Kumogakure's defense. Meeting with the young leader whom would later be known as Odo or Ogosokomaru to Rain alone some time later, he informed him of the obviously precarious situation they were in from the start, as well as the possible motives for such. Odo took him to the side, where he asked him of his theory as he had a feeling something was wrong. In the end, Rainos convinced him that his people were being used in a political maneuver for the opportunities gained by the loss of his men in a battle or an "accident". Odo being grateful, would join Rainos tentatively while he wandered the fields of battle. He would certainly not be the last to make such a choice.
The Beginning:
While performing a business deal in a gambling town, Rainos had the good fortune to be pickpocketed by a blind woman. Rainos didn't care about such things, but he did stalk her to a degree to ensure that she made it to her destination unhindered. Rainos asked about the weather as he went along, and just general news of the day. This was of strange interest to the young woman, him being about 20 to her 17. She would stop him before leaving, and lead him up to her room at the inn where they would discuss things. Rather important things. It seemed that this blind woman could see in an entirely different manner than he could. Rainos had a shadow, a Nara named Shie, that acted as his guard and scout on many occasions. Since she was able detect chakra, and use it as a form of Sonar, even the most stealthy and patient shadow had problems masking themselves from her "gaze" as it were. Rainos was given back his ryo, but he tossed his money back, and they spoke of things to come as the low rumbling of distant explosions would begin. It seemed Rainos wanted to know of battle conditions in the area. In the end, the woman wanted only one thing: Purpose. If following Rain would provide purpose, she would do so. He agreed and took her with him on his journey.
The battle was trivial, the members of his small band were more solid than any combative bond he had within the Uchiha clan. Rainos would note all of this and he knew of the possibilities of mass villages being born. Still, he had things to look after. His sister being the primary one, his clan being a distant second as they could take care of themselves. To this end, he would take Odo with him to go check on his sister and her friend only to find his sister was gone, and the one he left her with damn near insane. Her friend was chained up, and there was a spot where his sister likely was at prior. Odo was insulted for Rainos, but Rainos gave the girl who would be known as Yuki (The creator of Chakra Technology) to Odo and closed the door. No one to this day is sure exactly what happened, but by the thudding, shattering, yelping, and screaming for mercy, along with the blood covered Rainos that emerged silently and walked away, it could be assumed that he simply savagely beat the man to death for taking his sister away from him. At this point, from the fires in the depths of Rainos' heart, the Takokujin was officially born.
Betrayal
Rainos had met with the others in the Takokujin and informed them of the changing times. Odo was made leader of it because Rainos could not commit to it, but he also knew that a lot of them had burned their bridges and had no where else to go. He would aid them when he could, but for now, he had to see what the Uchiha's next step was. This was the second blow to Rainos, when the Senju and the Uchiha met, and though Madara's fears were sound, the other Uchiha ignored him and turned their back on reality before quite literally bowing to the Senju who were then called the leaders of this Hidden Leaf Village. Hashiramako, a sworn enemy Rainos had fought countless times was to be the acting "Hokage". Had the Uchiha lost their minds? Why would they agree to be subservient to any clan? Not even a compromise, not even coleadership. Just giving it all away to their most honorable and powerful rivals. Rainos would turn his back on the Uchiha in turn, walking away right after the heels of Madara himself. Meeting with the Takokujin, Rainos would from that point on be called Rain. Not Uchiha Rain, simply Rain. A battle field that has been rained out is far more depressing and devoid of life than one with screaming victims, fire, and carnage.
This world was changing in a direction where some people, a select few in the vast world, would be ignorant to suffering. They would be happy in their little villages, and trample over all others that were not amongst them as simple collateral damage unless they could pay or beg loudly enough to be spared. When you attempt to tame the world, you find that in order to do so you have to keep the image of things being peaceful and everyone prospering, even if the ants underfoot are the people you should be protecting. Those helpless and weak, women, children, and honest working men. Those shinobi that simply do what they were trained to do as they always have. Without suffering for all the only ones made to suffer are those without a choice. Rain accepted this truth, and decided to pursue these personal facts. Not by exterminating suffering, but by embracing it, and wanting /everyone/ to suffer. To live the rigors of real life, to grow, to change, to evolve, and to die on equal ground. No one is above suffering, not in Rain's eyes.
Emergence
From that point on, the Takokujin (Strangers) would gain more recruits and influence throughout the world. One of the first things that was done by the Takokujin, though primarily Rain as their representative, was to go to Sunagakure and persuade them to open up trade with Kirigakure. Generally, land routes were the only what Sunagakure would receive goods and such, but due to the climate and conditions, it also made that trade harder, especially now that the village system was in place. They were a bit isolated and it was the perfect time to approach this subject. They were skeptical at first, but Rain guaranteed that there would be safe passage utilizing the southern sea route and that the raiders and pirates of the Land of Rivers would not be a problem. He promoted the Takokujin's services for that particular job, and stated that if there are any issues, it was their responsibility. All that he asked in return, was for future business to be possible with Sunagakure should he hold up his end of the bargain. They finally agreed to those terms and thus it was solidified.
They did in fact clear the route, rather violently, on their way to Kirigakure. This toll of blood was more than enough to convince the then just barely starting village to accept the proposition of supplies and resources from a more established shinobi village. While the people of Kirigakure were proud and war like, Mitsuo was not stupid, and he understood the value of foreign trade for their independence. He most certainly did not want to rely on the Daimyo as Mitsuo was barely trusted with the village as it was. These trade routes were done in secret, and thus the area that allowed for the most easy access to disrupt them needed to be secured. Once again, the Land of Rivers was the target. Rain predicted this outcome, and had his people pouring over information about the area in case they had to make a more permanent stand there. What was discovered was far more than a foothold however, and thus Rain agreed with the rest of the trade route negotiation: The Land of Rivers would be pacified.
The Master Seal
Thanks to the efforts of his more studious members and his own diligent research, they had discovered that at the mouth of the river and the beginning of the delta it flowed in to the ocean from, there was some sort of ancient secret buried under the roaring waters. It took some doing, but they eventually were able to find it and the under water cavern system that led to it. When it was opened up, what the Takokujin found was something referred to as Shukun Sumitsuki or The Master Seal. It was an ancient seal array the size of a large room, covered from floor to ceiling with various seals. In the center, there was a large table like control panel. Unfortunately, it was unpowered and thus useless at this time. Further study revealed that it required a vast amount of chakra to activate. Far more than even this group was capable of producing given their numbers. However, there was a solution. As part of the rivers flow did move through the walls of the cavern, Rain begin to wonder… if what was called for was a sacrifice, instead of a gigantic following of people sharing large portions of their chakra. After all, this was not a public area, but a tucked away secret. With this concept in mind, it was time to kill far more than two birds with one stone.
The great river that this country was known for would be turned red in short order. All of the bandits, raiders, pirates, and even the leader of the village of Twilight (Akuma) was faced and his guards slaughtered. The Takokujin committed genocide, wiping the land clean of most of its very public and proud criminal element, and finally he would hook up Akuma to the master seal and sacrifice his chakra directly to it. However, even after all of this, it was just not quite enough chakra. They were running out of options, as not acting upon the chakra that was sacrificed to the Master Seal soon would have it all go to waste. The time to act was now… but how?
The Greatest Sacrifice
With no time to make a new plan and no other option, Natsumi whom had become Rain's wife and secretly bore his child, would volunteer herself as the final sacrifice to the Master Seal. Rain absolutely refused it, until he was silenced by her kiss and told in a whisper to take care of their son. She would say aloud, that she joined the Takokujin to find her purpose, and in this she finally would see that goal through to the end. She would not allow for Rain's dream to die without doing everything she could, even if it killed her. She placed herself against the upright altar and would say her farewells before she gave all of her chakra to the Master Seal, finally activating it. Since that moment, Rain has venerated the Master Seal, and often times would visit it alone to spend time with the life energies of his wife that allowed for him to keep pursuing what he desired. Fudo, their son, was kept largely a secret from all but Shie. It was a precaution to ensure he was safe until he wasn't helpless at the very least. Rain was making enemies, as was the Takokujin, and even his new position as the Lord of the Land of Rivers was not going to keep them all at bay.
The Master Seal turned out to be a great library, full of age old information, but it was also a database of chakra. It allowed for the current "master" of the seal to register others under their command in order to be able to keep track of them, their vital signs, and even assist them from afar or communicate with them. This room was designed for some ancient army to have a command and control center that unified its forces to a single individual and each other in kind. This also meant however, that the vast majority of what it was capable of was never going to be useful to them as their numbers were too small. Still, knowledge was power, and Yuki began to advance her chakra technology greatly with this knowledge. Their new medical expert, Honto, was also able to gain much from this. Tessen, Ryoji, Odo, and Kaede however were more about settling conflict with conflict instead of information… well Ryoji was sort of in between. They spent little time in the Master Seal room, or even in the new Twilight Village that was set as a neutral village where anyone could live as they wished as long as they did not disrupt others pursuing the same. Even Mushi had considered setting roots there with a clinic of her own in a place that was not governed by a shinobi village.
Nightmare
Even the most cautious of people will find themselves outwitted from time to time. In this case, due to having his child kept so secret, his own people could not protect him while he was gone. The fact that his existence was discovered was never truly figured out by Rain, but when a strange, shadow like monster of a man sought to consume his child, Rain bartered with him for something far better: An entire village full of developed chakra users. Rain had decided to sacrifice Konoha in order to save his child. However, he had no claim to Konoha… so he would have to take it first. The shadow agreed, as he had the child regardless and even more chakra was tempting. If Rain failed, he would simply consume him and his child any how.
The Takokujin was mobilized. It was just a couple of them, with Rain at the lead. They attacked head on, literally fighting off the Chuunin and Jounin at the front gates and blowing it up regardless of how thick and reinforced it was. However, this was all a distraction. The shadow being, a twisted person who lived only to consume chakra, was escorted by a few other Takokujin in to the village interior while all the showy explosions at the front gate kept them distracted. Rain chose a time when Hashiramako was abroad specifically to take advantage of their lack of leadership familiar with his strategies… and it succeeded. By the time reinforcements had arrived at the gate, the Shadow being had taken root, quite literally, within the Hokage's office, holding captive the majority of the leadership that were convened there as a war room for the defense of Konoha. Rain and his entourage would enter through the front gates and claim Konoha as his
For several days things remained this way. The roots ran deeper, going all the way to some of the populace at large as Rain would hold public speeches, trying to convince those who were free to move about of the error of their ways. All the while, he took the time to go over personnel files and secrets he could get a hold of in order to make his next move, and he finally found what he was looking for. Hyuga Yuzuna of the ANBU. He knew how powerful the Hyuga were first hand and she was exactly what he needed to save his son. Unfortunately, a meeting with Uchiha Fuyu would cause him to be incarcerated for a very short time, enraging him as he waited patiently for the Takokujin to give him an opportunity, which he took. Up until that point, he had not killed anyone in Konoha, but now… every guard in that facility was slaughtered on his way
He then sought and found Yuzuna as he originally planned, fighting off anyone in his way. He convinced her to join him on gathering intelligence on the beast that held her village hostage, and she would do so as at the very least, she would get some information she may be able to use from what ever game he was playing. He had her show him the secret route in to the ceiling of the Hokage's office from the outside. He told her he knew where it was generally, but that this was not the time to fumble around in the dark. When they both got inside, he instructed her precisely what to look for: another emission of chakra held somewhere within the shadowy being. She would find it, and discover that it was a young boy clutched beneath the rib cage and abdominal cavity of the emaciated, shrouded man. She could also see the chakra connections to all of the hostages as well as the child, and she wondered what they could do. Rain however, was already moving to act. He would ambush the monster, taking it by surprise and stunning the horrible man before swiping his child. The disruption of the crazed man would allow for the chakra links to be severed, and Rain would have dove out of the window,appearing to be burning away with his son in to the night sky as they both seemed to become nothing but ash in the wind, entirely gone. Konoha forces immediately reacted as the shadow cursed Rain's name as it was defeated by their combined efforts, but he was long gone by then.
A United World
Many things occurred after this point. Twilight village was starting to become more recognized, so much so that rumor had it that it was to become the next hidden village. Of course this was not true, but all of that influence in one place headed by a shinobi couldn't help but create that assumption. The first world tournament was held, which the Takokujin attended as spectators and competitors, and new organizations were forming for various causes as well. But there was also some great evil that began to stir. An area known as the Ankoku caverns was tainted with pure death and darkness… and Rain would investigate along with those of Konoha due to the proximity to their lands. Within it, they would find a mere essence that was so foul, everything near it would begin to wither and die, or see delusions and hear whispers of their desires. It beckoned everyone and everything to aimless walk in to its vast nothingness contained only by this cavern. Rain would learn that it was not simply just aimless taint however, but that it was one of the sons of the Sage of the Six Paths. What it wanted was not clear, but everyone with the Sharingan seemed to hold particular interest to it. Rain would mark the cavern to pursue later when the rest were not around, connecting his Mark from the Master Seal to the location.
In the end, he would investigate it further, and make a deal with it. It tried to cajole him with his lost wife and to seduce him with power, and Rain would lead it to believe he had fallen for it. Prior to his return to the cavern, he had warned away all of the people of his village, and set the Takokujin on evacuating the area. He entrusted Tessen with the safety of his son knowing that Shie would also ensure that escape occurred. Thus when he would transport himself and the living darkness that was the ancestor there, it would be entirely empty. The darkness knew immediately that it was some sort of trap, but it was now exposed and weakened by not having tainted this area for who knows how long and saturated itself with everything around it. Rain took advantage of this, knowing what it meant. From what he had seen, the world was changing and perhaps the sentiments of destruction he once held for it all was not necessary. Perhaps suffering was not the only answer if the world could unite every once in awhile. Perhaps he could leave this world to his son and have no regrets. Thus, he would utilize his mature and powerful sharingan to compel the weakened ancestor to consume itself as it was incorporeal to begin with. He realized well before, that nothing anywhere near by would be unscathed, but at least this sort of evil would be gotten rid of for good and not able to be unleashed upon the world ever again.
Eternity
Nothingness… was an interesting experience. Even to this day, Rain believes that the only reason that he had consciousness at all and was not utterly consumed in the void of literal nothingness, was the tethers to humanity he has created with the Master Seal. He thought about many things, having no body to speak of and only the ramblings of the quickly fading ancestor to keep him company for the first few months. While he left the world to his son, he did realize that… he still believed in suffering. Even with his semi selfless act to save the world, he still didn't truly expect for real peace to happen. But Hashiramako did… and she was always somehow able to get her way most of the time. All that Rain could do, was allow for it to have a chance to happen without him there.
Eventually, Odo, Tessen, and another he did not recognize beckoned him from the void to try to save him. Of course they could not. Nothing could… he had sacrificed his present to save everyone else from the past and thus forfeited his future. Tessen was never emotional… not that Rain has ever seen, until this moment. It seemed he saw Rain as a god, and at the very least, his one and true master. Odo felt much the same, and they asked what to do. Rain gave his final bits of advice, and told Tessen to make sure to only release Fudo to the world when it was ready to accept him. He predicted a son of his… would be hard to understand. With his final business wrapped up, and their chakra almost used up just sustaining him for as long as they did, he said his farewells and returned to the void. There, he heard them speak of the fact that the Takokujin was no more, and that instead they would now be called Hanpa, in respect for the fact that they were mere pieces or remnants without Rain himself. They agreed, and Rain would finally be able to rest.
To Truly Suffer
Unending silence. Unmoving existence. If it were even possible to waste away, it would almost have been preferable. Instead… there was nothing. Even after awhile, there wasn't any thought. No concern of the mortal world. No worry over a son he had not seen for a decade. Immortality of this nature was most certainly a form of hell. At least that is what Rain thought of this existence before his son would finally find him.
Rain was proud at first. Fudo had finally found the bread crumbs he left behind in order to figure out what happened to him, perhaps even his mother. Yes… he would have had to have found the Master Seal in order to get this far. But Fudo didn't look happy, nor did he look sad or stoic. He looked.. pained. He looked pathetic… barely clinging to his own self. He also looked like he wasn't going to stop approaching oblivion. Rain could do nothing… nothing to stop him, nothing to warn him, nothing at all. He wasn't even able to see him, he could merely feel his own chakra and that of his sons approaching, that link making it possible. He tried to beg and plead, to swear, to curse, to scream. Anything… everything… to tear nothingness asunder and reach out to his boy. But he could not. All he could do was feel when his son, completely lost in life, threw it all away… and joined his father in oblivion.
Just like a moth to a flame… he had gotten to close… and would never fly again. Rain's essence cradled his sons form, entirely drained of chakra and life. Just still, cold flesh and nothing more. Unbridled rage would fill the mere spirit of Rain as he would swear to all creation that he would not stand for this travesty. What remained of his essence, of his identity as an Uchiha, would begin to manifest the Mangekyou as he would hear one last sadistic whisper from the long dead ancestor. "You have such great vision, Uchiha Rainos. For the people you care for, even for the entire world. And yet… you could never see… that your destiny has always been…. TO SUFFER!"
Rain's Mangekyou manifesting while in his complete and utter sorrowful rage, would collapse the black hole of nothingness, leaving little more than a crater where once a dream and a village was, Rain himself, and the reminder of his utter helplessness and everything in his world being taken from him before its time: His son's body. The distraught roar of agony could have likely been heard for miles as he fell to his knees, curled over his sons form and helplessly shivering and crying for him. It was like this for hours… before Rain found that he didn't even have the power to stand. His form was weak… his sharingan entirely gone… his seals ineffective and his chakra system undeveloped. It was almost as if he were given a new body, but not his own. And this was the case indeed. His former form was destroyed by the void, and while this new form was identical in every way visually, it was barely able to function at 100, let alone the developed body of a career ninja. Even the loss of his son was not enough… he had to suffer even more. But… as always, he accepted this. He had absolutely no intention of giving up. Quite the contrary. All that he accepted, was that it was his fate to suffer. "So be it!" was his enraged reply to the gods themselves.
Shepherd of Fire
Wobbling to his feet, he would carry his son all the way to the Master Seal. Even without his Sharingan, his eyes blazed with the desire for vengence and to set things "right" in the world. Peace was a lie. It must be consumed in the flames of war. Suffering was the only truth… and this pipe dream that Hashiramako was spewing must be annihilated. All must burn in the fires of hell in order to appreciate what they have… or what they had. They can never forget… they can never forgive. They will not hide from fate. They will not be allowed to cower from consequence. They will all know what true suffering was… and maybe then… when they learn the lessons from despair, would anything resembling peace be truly possible. The peace of a world that accepts that life will always be hard and torturous! Rain was no more, not until he regained himself fully. And because of him being a shattered, pathetic sliver of what he once was… he would now become Hanpa after Tessen's own words. Tessen… whom must be dead already to have allowed his son to go so far without his guidance to stop him. Maybe they all were…
For an entire year, Hanpa would move about the world as low key as possible. He would feverishly study the new findings in medical jutsu and attempt to perform what he could on his son. He even found ways to manipulate doctors in to trying, though they tried to tell him that they couldn't simply resurrect the dead. But his body was in perfect condition.. it didn't rot.. it merely… stopped and was lifeless. When they failed… he killed them. They were secreted away to the Master Seal after all, no one knew where they were. But in the end… he could not save his son no matter how hard he tried, no matter who he was able to pull in to try. So, he would destroy the entrance to the Master Seal with simple explosive tags at the mouth of the cavern, burying his wife and son and holding every ounce of rage and sorrow in his heart as he did so. Before he did this however, he would take a mask forged out of chakra reactive metal and don it, deciding that it was time to move about the world as Hanpa… and set it all on fire.
The mask had only one purpose since it was not integrated in to anything else. It would obscure his face from techniques like the Byakugan by reflecting the chakra flowing through his head and face back at him, blocking a clear view of his face due to the layer of chakra constantly moving back and forth from mask to face. Unfortunately, this also meant that he could not see out of it, as any part of his face being uncovered would nullify the effect. So Hanpa began to train in the techniques of his wife who was a very powerful blind sensor kunoichi. This would be the only way that he could ever actually use the mask properly and not hinder himself completely. He was equipped with only this, and his former life time worth of experience in this new world… and no power to use it. He had started with far less… and he was not afraid to suffer further. So now, he observes the world without seeing it, and focuses his every waking moment on recovering so that one day he can bring the self righteous villages to their knees, and allow those who live on their knees a moment to stand so that maybe, eventually, they will all stand within the same world instead of being separated by ideals of inferior and superior. By power and weakness. By wealth and poverty. None of those matter in the end. They are meaningless. All that will ever matter… is how each individual emerges from the flames of suffering. Some will become ash, while others will be strengthened and reforged stronger than ever.
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