Starring:
Date: April 13, 2013
Summary:
A return visit to where Fudo had grown up in the Land of Rivers provides far more questions than answers.
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"Full Circle - A Trip Down Memory…?"
Southern Coat of the Land of Rivers
Taking the time to say goodbye to everyone who wanted to hear it, or put in a more sociable light, those who took care of him and that were at least acquaintances Fudo would have made his rounds, gathered his gear, and met with those who would be joining him on his journey to find answers about his family. Criminals, killers, bounty hunters, mercenaries, freedom fighters; what ever they were, he was determined to find out and hopefully gain a piece of himself along the way.
After a brief meeting at the gate for authorization purposes and such, the group would travel to the docks that would lead them from the Fire Nation onwards. Fudo took the time to study his journals as he spoke with everyone, trying to guage where to go first. Though as they arrived at the docks, he would simply sigh and say, "While it has nothing directly to do with this… I want to go visit my step mother… and ask her once again what she knows, what she was hiding from me." Fudo would announce to the party.
Taking the time to say goodbye to everyone who wanted to hear it, or put in a more sociable light, those who took care of him and that were at least acquaintences, Fudo would have made his rounds, gathered his gear, and met with those who would be joining him on his journey to find answers about his family. Criminals, killers, bounty hunters, mercenaries, freedom fighters; what ever they were, he was determined to find out and hopefuly gain a piece of himself along the way.
After a brief meeting at the gate for authorization purposes and such, the group would travel to the docks that would lead them from the Fire Nation onwards. Fudo took the time to study his journals as he spoke with everyone, trying to guage where to go first. Though as they arrived at the docks, he would simply sigh and say, "While it has nothing directly to do with this… I want to go visit my foster mother… and ask her once again what she knows, what she was hiding from me." Fudo would announce to the party.
Satomi did the same, having taken significantly longer to say goodbye to Daisuke, along with her father and everyone else she joins Fudo at the gate. "You ready?" She asks while gathering her items. Checking her equipment like she always does, thoroughly and making sure it's all there. "I'm ready." She concludes before smiling and nodding at Yuzuna. "I'm glad you could come. I'm happy Fudo had the courage to accept someone else along." The second sentence she whispered to Yuzuna. Winking at her before they start walking.
Once they reach the dock Satomi shrugs. "It's your show Fudo." She explains, crossing her arms and waiting for him to make a decision. "Just remember a reconsiliation might go further than an interrogation." She leaves her Sempai there and follows him silently. It's important that he gets to make his own decisions.
GAME: Save complete.
It isn't unusual for Yuzuna to be off on missions for long periods at a time, but it still didn't make it any easier to leave Konoha. It was her home after all. The Hyuuga kunoichi exhales a breath and rolls her slender shoulders lightly to adjust to the weight of the pack as the group departs, stepping through the gate of the village itself. She blinks her pale eyes lightly at Satomi as the other girl whispers to her, only to be caught off guard and winked at. "Heh." Yuzuna shakes her head lightly, her raven tail swaying softly back and forth from the motion as she falls into silence. Eventually they do reach the dock and Fudo audibly sighs. "Hm. I suppose it could not hurt. And I agree with the observation of interrogation."
"We shall see. She did blame me for the murder of my foster father, even though I was not any where near the village at the time." Fudo would brood on this as he'd see to the details of getting a boat. It wouldn't take more than a few hours to get there, but his mind was far away already. He was actually a happy little boy, with lots of friends and he played almost all day when he was a child. He was bright and energetic… very different than now after being bartered away, running away to live in the wilderness, coming back to the destructive power of the shinobi world only to be blamed for it occuring simply because he existed. It was his fault.. for being who he was. Who was that? Wasn't he just a happy little orphan until the world and everyone he knew in it turned against him?
Gazing out over the side of the boat as they traveled, Fudo would say, "Do not be alarmed, she lost her arm during the raid. She was pretty scarred as well. As long as she doesn't curse me for returning, it should be… largely uneventful." Fudo would say to prepare them for the realities of his return home. "The village may not have recovered yet from the attack. It was pretty much destroyed when I returned about a year and a half ago."
Satomi sighs and nods at Fudo's words. "Don't worry about us." She says with a smile while bumping Yuzuna with her elbow. "We might not look it, but we're tough girls!" She giggles, looking out at the horizon. "The sea is beautiful" She says while dreaming, thinking of home and Daisuke. And Daisuke… And some more on … well you can probably guess. Stupid sea. Making Satomi think and all.
"I think you need to prepare as well, You're underestimating this encounter." She sighs while walking up to Fudo, grabbing his shoulders and squeezing his shoulder muscles, giving him a brief shoulder rub, especially if he's tense. "Make sure you're relaxed and think of the positive things… even when we're there. Even when you feel like you're stuck in the darkest tunnel." She chuckles. "Just remember that Satomi brought torches!" She chuckles while letting go of Fudo's shoulders, messing up his hair before returning to the side of the ship.
"So Yuzuna, you heard about Hinotori?" She asks while gazing at her. Smiling. "He finally has a girlfriend." She then gazes out over the sea. Idle-girl-gossip mode engaged. "It's .. good." She lies.. she hates it. "Good he could finally move on. He always cried on about his past and baggage and how - someone - hurt him so much he can't get close to people. I'm happy that he could finally move on from that ya' know?" She smiles while looking out at sea. That wasn't a lie, she's happy her Sensei has lost at least one burden. Having no clue part of that burden was Yuzuna.
There isn't much to say with the picture that Fudo painted. What words could there be to make up for being blamed for the murder of your foster father after all? Though it did leave Yuzuna to wonder the likelihood of his foster mother actually opening up to him with the truth, if she knew anything at all that is. It was a very bleak start. Her opal eyes blink slowly as she listens to the exchange of words, only for Satomi to nudge her side with an elbow. Yuzuna gives her a brief, flat glance, before the other girl stands to move towards Fudo. Rubbing at his shoulders even.
Exhaling a small breath, she leans against the side as Yuzuna looks over her shoulder at the water, silent. "No, I have not. Because his business is his own and his right whether or not he shares it." The Hyuuga kunoichi murmurs curtly.
Fudo would listen, but not too heavily to what Satomi was trying to get across to him. Positivity and light, always supported by those around him who care, that sort of thing he'd come to expect of her, as well as the fondling and physical encouragement. However, Fudo was in no mood for it. He wasn't a very touchy person to begin with, but given the tone of what was going on, he would glare at Satomi with a side glance, "Why do you feel it is appropriate to grope me at every opportunity? Is it because you see me as weak and infirm? Unknowledgable of what lies ahead or what life is like due to my age? Due to my lack of experience in "your" world? Am I a pet to you? Some sort of stray kitten that needed a home and wandered in to your life simply to be adorable?"
Fudo would gaze back out in to the sea, glowering deeply. "You speak of understanding and having been there… but I do not believe you have. Seeing as I've met your father, seeing as you have a name to honor that you are part of, seeing as you are not simply riding the waves of fate laid out well before your birth by others to this day. I don't even believe in destiny… and even I can see how thick it is around me… smothering me no matter how much I deny it exists."
His rather limited chakra would course through him as he gripped the railing tightly. "I am not a child. I am not a fool. And just because I understand a world that you deny exists, does not mean that it does not. You only need a torch when you are surrounded by darkness." Setting his jaw, he would move from the side railing towards the front of the ship, they would be landing soon enough.
Satomi looked at him and let him chime his outburst. She wanted to respond, but decided not to. Sometimes silence is gold Satomi, is what her father used to tell her. And here she chooses silence. "Maybe it's because I feel you need to know you have a friend.." She sighs to herself while he's out of hearing range. Though Yuzuna probably could pick up on it. She's bent over the railing while giving Yuzuna a look over.
"Sheez, you're not fun either. What are we girls suddenly forbidden to gossip?" She chuckles, glancing at Yuzuna while turning around on the railing. Not all too worried about Fudo for now. Doing that would only escalate things. "I heard it's with a wanderer girl!" She chuckles at Yuzuna, smiling. "Can you believe it? Hinotori dating a girl that just wandered in! Crazy!"
The entire boat could sense the smoldering heat of the Uchiha for several long moments, his hand gripping the railing of the boat until his knuckles turned white. Yuzuna could feel her chest tighten with pain for a moment longer before she pulls away from the wall she leans again, coming behind him to quietly set her hand on his shoulder. A simple gesture of reassurance, of acceptance, knowing that the anguish he feels comes from so many sources and he's just verbally lashing out at Satomi. Giving his shoulder a small squeeze, her delicate fingers slip away as Yuzuna presses her soft lips together. For now, the comment about gossiping is ignored, though the Hyuuga girl doubts that Satomi would understand her reasoning. It didn't matter anyways.
Exhaling slowly and peering out from their chartered ship, Fudo would take in the coast line with familiarity. The small bit of trees, the sandy beaches that receded towards the rocks at certain points, and the patches of grass and flowers that would indicate the working of the land around and inside of the village. Yuzuna's presence and light squeeze of his shoulder would cause him to close his eyes briefly. He had already let out his frustrations and didn't want to continue. Besides, the sights were calming in and of themselves now. Blinking lightly, Fudo would see all of these things he rememberd… but no trace of the village. No trace of the fires that burned it down or the broken earth from the explosions. No trace of the wharf where the fisherman would come and go with their huals and the traders would come by every so often to buy and sell with them. Nothing… but the scenery. Fudo furrowed his brow and would leap from the boat, landing on the water's surface easily and sprinting full tilt towards the land which was only about 100 yards out now. This didn't make any sense to him…
Satomi sighs as Yuzuna too leaves her flank. "Great… just great." She says to herself. Fudo did hurt her then. But she wasn't going to let it get to her. She knew he didn't mean it directly at her. And hence managed to reason it away. She knew the way he thought, and unlike Yuzuna didn't dodge it. Instead she confronted it. Like she did in the village. As a small candle in the shadows, you could never quite eliminate them, but once every so often, you might find a torch… And the light is able to expand. Or so she thought… So much for that mental image. When suddenly splash. "We got a runner." She sighs to herself, jumping off the boat and following Fudo. She could easily match up to his speed, but didn't. Instead she was trailing twenty yards behind, giving him some space.
Watching as Fudo leapt from the boat, Yuzuna couldn't help but frown softly as well for a moment while he runs towards the land on the surface of the water, followed by Satomi a moment after. "Hm." Two runners now. Was the shore going somewhere? The small frown deepens subtly on her delicate brow as she looks towards the land itself. Just wildland from the looks of things, with no village sight. And from the abrupt departure of Fudo she can only assume something wrong had taken place.
While they run towards the shore, Yuzuna merely watches from the boat. Her pale opal eyes alert as they constantly scan for any trace of people that could have been here recently. Or any indication of life period. When the boat begins to slow and gets a few feet from the shore, the Hyuuga kunoichi slips from the boat and calmly walks in their direction.
Leaping from his position up in to the air in a high arch, Fudo would skip the last several yards of water and land with a skid in to the entirely open area with some local grasses and flora about. It looked like most shore side territory, and was entirely unmodified or developed in any way. It had never been touched by human hands as far as anyone could tell. Fudo's brow furrowed much more as he would kneel down and place his hand upon the dirt. Not even /his/ own foot prints were here. No one had ever been here… what the circumference was going on? His body began to shake as he remained knelt down, his eyes widening as he would say sharply, "A trap!" as he was unable to stand back up. His hand was forced to the ground, hand splayed open as he'd feel a strange chakra course through him. "Yuzuna! I cannot see it! Satomi! I cannot move!." he would inform them both, unable to do much else but rely on their talents to assist him.
For the first time in his life… Fudo would scream his head off. He was on fire. Dark, purple flames engulfed him as he howled in to the crystal clear mid day sky. His eyes were glowing brightly the same color as he grasped his forearm and tried to force himself from the location to no avail. His perceptions would fade away slowly, all of them until there was nothingness and he was starkly aware of that void. Entirely alone in it, a floating conciousness as his body remained there, still screaming out in pain. The flames however didn't appear to be harming him physically as of yet.
Satomi stops at the water-shore, looking at Fudo, and then back at Yuzuna… "Circumscribeit." She hisses. "Yuzuna, eyes!" She hisses as loud as she can towards the boat. She needed to know where that threat came from… purple flames.. not normal, never seen before. Genjutsu. She brings her hands together… it's not perfect, but she can do it. "KAI!" She says, while focusing, chakra bursting outwards, opening her eyes to see if anything changed.
If anything significantly changed she'd walk up towards Fudo. Carefully….. reaching for his body before placing her hand on his head. "I have no clue how this works… But here goes nothing." She says before: "KAI!" She tries rushing her chakra through her hand, but it's her first time doing it on someone else. It's highly unlikely that she gets any result at all. If not, she would wait for Yuzuna while opening diverting her eyes from the forest.
If it does NOT work she panics. Quickly reaching into pouches on both sides, sliding out five shuriken, throwing them in a broad arc through the forest to hit a potential assailant. All while still standing on the water, about fifteen yards away from Fudo.
The screams snap her attention on high alert as she runs, the Byakugan instantly activating with a rush of chakra through her limbs and surging with power through her opalescent eyes. Veins suddenly bulging pronouncedly as they spiderweb from the corners of her eyes over her temples. And in that instant she saw everything. Indeed, it was a trap. The large seal on the ground that was otherwise invisible blazed brightly in her vision, the archaic-looking seal made of chakra itself as the purple chakra blazing over him is being drained at a substantial rate.
"Enkei…" Yuzuna swears under her breath, snapping her hands together with a blur of seals. Between Satomi and Fudo, there might not be enough time to keep the seal from sapping both of their chakra dry. With a sharp breath, she focus her chakra and feels her will through the water, the ocean mere feet away. Two long tendril pull and shape from the waves and stretch out towards Fudo and Satomi, wrapping around their waists to pull the both of them from the seal with force. And if it goes as planned, they'll both be free from the trap and the ocean will put out the chakra flames. If they were indeed still ablaze after.
There was no genjutsu to be forced out of, at least for Satomi and Yuzuna. Thus, the genjutsu kai would have no effect. There was also no assailant to flush out of the meager brush of the area. Fudo was lost in nothingness for a time, before things would start to fade in to view again.
Blurry images began to meld together, and even sounds would be heard, sensations of the wind against his skin and he would see from his position two men. Both of them had Sharingan. One had a deep blood red eyes, three tomoe. This man had a trimmed beard and mustache and scars, short black hair worn a bit wildly, and rather fine clothing though obviously built like a warrior. The other man had dark purple eyes, also with three tomoe. He was knelt to the ground much like Fudo was right now and he had long black hair and a very fair face, close to androgynous until he made an expression which some how sharpened his features in to masculinity. The long haired Uchiha would look up to the short haired one and say, "You know what to do, Tessen." as a seal would blaze forth across the area in the same dark purple color as the eyes of the man casting it. His eyes would then shift shape and transform once more in to a double vajra as the other Uchiha, identified as Tessen, would nod before forming seals and place both hands upon the seal on the ground. The long haired Uchiha would then say, "…Tsukoyomi…" with a calm breath as Tessen's eyes would suddenly bleed heavily and he grit his teeth and growled through the pain as his eyes seemed to be forced to mirror the other Uchiha's.
Fudo would suddenly be flung from the area, surprisingly easy to lift off of the ground when someone elses force was used upon him. He landed along the shore, half way in the water in a heap as his senses would slowly return to reality. The smell of salt water, coughing up some that got in to his mouth. The strange fire about his body would have dissipated as soon as he was ripped free from the area itself, and the seal seemed to grow dormant again now. Fudo stared up at the sky after rolling on to his back, his throat hoarse. Everything was blurry… he just couldn't focus his eyes for more than a moment. "Why… is the village gone…?" he would ask exhaustedly.
Satomi blinks as she finds out it's not a genjutsu. Turning to face Yuzuna who seemed to have already spotted it. "A barrier? A seal? An assailant?" She asks while Fudo gets lifted up and she has to struggle to maintain her balance. Once she gets it back however she speeds off towards Fudo, still not knowing what caused the flames. "I wouldn't know.." She whispers as an answer to his question about the village. While towering above him, her shadow blocking the sun from his gaze so he can look up.
"Up up, on your feet, big boys don't cry." She says while reaching out with her right hand, weary of possibly attackers. Though assuming that if there's one Yuzuna would take care of it. If Fudo takes her hand she pulls him back up on his feet, gazing at Yuzuna for answers on what the radius just happened. If he doesn't she reaches around his stubborn neck and pulls him in. "Listen… You're here with a team. So you either start acting as a team member, or I'm hogtieing you and we're going back to Konoha, got it?" Him running off like that did turn on her squad leader senses. And negligence of accepting her hand would push her over the edge of calm.
Her feet quickens her steps as Yuzuna hurries to the others, the Byakugan still intense and alert on their surroundings while she also looks over Satomi and Fudo's condition. The flames dissipated, thankfully. "A chakra seal." she murmurs quietly in reply, "Invisible to the naked eye. And a powerful one. It was sapping the chakra from Fudo and if you got any closer, I suspect it may have done the same thing to you as well." Yuzuna dips her chin. "I apologize if I was too rough." The water tendrils already released, she narrows her eyes on Fudo as the other girl tries to help him to his feet. "The purple flames were chakra coming from him."
"It doesn't make any sense…" Fudo stated groggily before taking the hand up and blinking a few times. His vision was still blurry and unable to focus properly, but it was manageable. He didn't have all that much chakra left, but he was far from dead. "Chakra coming from me? That…" Looking at the location of his village, or at least, what he thought was his village, he would look between both Satomi and Yuzuna before closing his eyes. "Is my entire life… a figment of my imagination?" he would ask quietly in to the air before starting to head back towards the ship. "There is nothing here… it is time to go."
Satomi grabs his hand and stops him in his tracks. "Hold it.." She says, while pulling him back and turning him around. "Take a good look… If the village was a figment of your imagination. Then there wouldn't be a trap in the sand would there?" She lets go of him the moment he turns around, crossing her arms. "Logic dictates someone erased traces of a village that once was here. And looking at the thoroughness, someone with highly advanced capabilities." She pauses.
"However, they made a mistake leaving a trap like that… Dig in your memory Fudo. For who could that be intended and why?" Only then she walks back to the boat with him. She wanted him to realize he's not going crazy… That would be destructive. And that's putting it lightly. She didn't give him the lecture on teamwork. Simply because he took her hand. That was enough symbolically for her.. for now.
A small frown tugs at her delicate brow as she glances between Fudo and Satomi, pausing a moment before glancing back at the seal with her Byakugan. "She may have a point. No one would place a seal in the middle of nowhere without a reason. Whether or not to cover something up… is to be determined…" Yuzuna says softly. And after another moment she exhales a small breath and looks back to her team. "Are are you feeling, Fudo?"
Fudo would nearly tip over as Satomi stopped his momentum, he was wiped for now, utterly drained, but determined to continue forward. Looking back at her, he'd shake his head lightly. "Tessen was here… I think. He was with someone else… another Uchiha who used Tsukoyomi some how when this seal was created. He used it… on Tessen or… something. I don't know what happened. When I made contact with the seal, that is what I saw. And if the seal was here, in this very spot created by Tessen and… the other, then it was probably meant for me or someone who was trying to find me. There is no othere reason to come here. But why get rid of the village? What is the point in that?" Clenching his eyes shut a moment, he would shake his head again. "It doesn't… matter. I have to keep going and get some actual answers."
Satomi is careful with Fudo, catching him if he falls. Though satisfied that he stands. "I don't know what that is." She says while giving Yuzuna a questioning glance after Fudo mentions Tsukoyomi. Now… normally she'd help Fudo to the boat. Only he wanted to join in with the big boys. And unless he's in danger, she'd let him drain himself. "Lets go then." She remarks while keeping a keen eye on Fudo. Walking off ahead, though ready to catch him if his water walking falters. "We'll learn what happened to the village. Maybe they just moved." She suggests…highly unlikely. But maybe a reassurance.
While Fudo explains what he had seen, the frown deepens in her features as Yuzuna focus her concern gaze on the boy. Was it an illusion or a vision of things that had actually taken place? And with as much chakra having been sapped from him, it was surprising that he was even standing in the first place. "Alright. But you keep within eyesight the entire time, okay?" she looks to Satomi. "Same applies to you. We do not want the same thing to happen, caught off-guard." Yuzuna extends a finger to point at each of them in turn. "Be. Careful."
"It seems there will be a little danger after all." Fudo stated as he'd climb up on the boat that had set anchor not far from the shore. He'd roll over the railing and flop on to his back, almost immediately drifting to sleep as he'd say, "They went to Suna first… I need to find…a red…head…" he'd murmur as his exhaustion caught up with him and he'd be out of it for awhile.
Satomi climbs on board as well. Leaning back on the railing. She wanted to get arced at Yuzuna for that comment. Instead… silence is gold Satomi… She sighs while retreating to a more secluded part of the boat, sitting down with her legs crossed. Steadying her breath, while dozing off into meditation. Blocking out the outside world.
Yuzuna arches a slender brow as Fudo practically flops into the boat, already drifting off to sleep even. And Satomi climbs aboard as well without a word uttered, making the girl wonder to herself if but briefly. With a small sigh, the Byakugan is deactivated and Yuzuna glances over her shoulder, at where she had seen the seal burning so brightly just a moment before. So many questions. Would they ever figure out the complete puzzle? Shaking her head lightly once, Yuzuna steps into the boat and begins their quest towards Sunagakure now.
