Starring:
Date: January 10, 2011
Summary:
Training and discussion between student and teacher reveals a bit more about Fuyu as a person.
"Life Is Suffering"
Gaza Plains - Land of Grass
The day is slowly coming to a close, as the sun sets the sky shows it's colors switching from day to night. Light blue, orange and navy blue can be seen as the sun begins to descend down towards the horizon, a cool breeze can be felt, as one would sit out in the grass they would see the wind blow along the ground and the grass seem to sway. One would see this and as he looks out over the horizon in the healthy grassy area, his eyes would look a bit down cast, but relaxed. There weren't any matches today and well honestly his head had been hurting him just a little bit, but it was something one would get used to with using the Sharingan as much as the Uchiha do.
Moving back a bit, he begins to lay on his back, his hands resting behind his head. He closes his eyes as the wind blows over him, he doesn't seem to mind the wind, Hinotori just lays there taking his mind off things, he went around checking on his team mates, but now for a change he takes some time to himself.
Fuyu is out in the fields as well. Not for relaxation, though. She has an upcoming match against a Taijutsuist. She managed to take down the Hyuuga that defeated her in her first match, so it is not really a concern. But she does not think she should have to spend as much time or energy out-thinking and out-maneuverising a melee fighter this time. No Byakugan to see through her Genjutsu, for instance. So she has been practicing her Genjutsu on anything that she comes across.
A rather large wild boar — giant really — is snorting and pawing at the earth with one forehoof as it snorts and squeals at Fuyu. She only stands about fifty feet away from it, but she seems perfectly calm. The boar is at least three times taller than she is. Her Sharingan is already active. The boar comes charging towards her suddenly, without warning, and as it makes eye-contact with Fuyu, its eyes shift to mirror the tomoe of her Sharingan in the pupils. The next thing the boar knows, it is falling through the sky at several miles up. Plummeting, rolling end-over-end, the boar screams at the top of its porcine lungs, over and over, flailing its limbs, completely terrified and completely uncomprehending of what is going on. It is a simple beast, and this is totally beyond its experience.
Eventually, the hypnotised boar is too tired to keep fighting. It just lies on its side in th grass a few feet away from Fuyu, and she stares at it for a few more moments… Then she turns away. "Hmph," she lets out and walks off, leaving the utterly exhausted animal to whatever may be its fate. It will probably recover if some predator or scavenger does not come across it before then. She allows the Sharingan to fade from her features. Ever since unlocking the three-tomoe stage, she seems to be growing in power far faster than ever before. To think that there is a level even higher than this… She wavers for a moment in mid-step, thinking about it, and the one who possessed it.
Then she follows through and keeps walking. "I don't need that. Even if I knew how to get it," she says to no one.
Eyes opening as he hears the sound of a animal screaming, the stomping of hooves has already alerted Hinotori, but as the scream reaches him. The Uchiha Chuunin is on his feet, doing so with a kickup. Looking around for the source of the animal, though once he finds it and sees Fuyu facing it. Whatever was going on is over now, shaking his head a little, then begins to approach her. "Take it he stole your wallet." he chuckles a little.
"Well how are you doing?" he asks as he looks to her, falling into step along side her. Glancing over to the woman, "I would like to see you smile from time to time, I think that would be a boost to morale with the others." he grins at her. Hinotori seeming to back into his normal self, granted the last time they saw one another was when he greeted her after her match with Kukiko. Even though he was eleminated from the tournament, Hinotori has been in a way better mood.
Fuyu glances over briefly as Hinotori approaches and makes his joke. She was already headed away when he showed up. "No. I'm just practicing," she answers simply and perhaps a bit coldly. She didn't want to let herself get eaten up by her own power. She didn't want to lose what she values and who she IS to arrogance, overconfidence, or the easy sense of superiority that comes from the three-tomoe Sharingan.
"Don't you have some training of your own to do?" she asks acidly in response to his mention of wanting to see her smile more. She then continues walking away.
It seems she lost the battle to retain her true self after all.
Noticing the unfriendly tone in her voice when speaking with him a fellow clansman and student of hers. "Whoa, whats with the hostility?" he asks as he moves to stop in front of her. Turning to look at her, he may not have the power of the three tomoe sharingan, but still even he is a dangerous opponent if he takes things seriously. "I don't know whats going on but why are you being so mean?" he asks. His voice is still calm, but a bit of concern is etched in it. He didn't know what has gotten into her, but he needed to know. Is this what happens when one trains under the founder of their clan? If so he didn't like it, normally when they talk it wasn't like this.
"As to your question, I train in my own time. Besides I try not to train where I can be monitored, especially in a foriegn village." he tells her. "Whats wrong?" he asks again, this time already knowing there may be a unfriendly remark made to him.
Fuyu stops when Hinotori moves in front of her. Her eyebrows angle downwards a bit but she doesn't seem to give him any more attention than she would a biting insect she is about to squish. Hinotori's dangerousness or lack thereof is so far beyond something she cares about that it never even occurs to her. Then she sighs and closes her eyes for a moment. When she raises her head again and opens her eyes, they remain normal. No Sharingan.
"I'm just tired. Mostly mentally. I am tired of Kusagakure and this country as well. After the tournament is over, I am done spending long periods of time in other lands." She then moves to walk around Hinotori, but raises a hand to clap him on the shoulder in a tired but at least companionable manner. "You use your Sharingan too much and not enough, all at once. You need to gain better control, or you'll give yourself a migraine. Turning it on to watch a fight and off to go to sleep is not how our Kekkei Genkai works," she explains as she keeps on walking.
"Our eyes are not 'light-switches', though our ability to See — with a capital S — has sometimes been referred to as 'the light'. If you want to make yourself stronger, you have to challenge yourself. Staring is not going to make you stronger."
Watching her closely, Hinotori didn't know if he would get a reprimand or just flat out knocked out, but then again he's seen her taijutsu and so that much he wasn't worried about, but her control of the sharingan is one that he's never seen and that alone makes Fuyu very dangerous. Startled a bit as she looks up at him, her eyes are normal and with that a bit of relief comes to him. There is much about Fuyu that Hinotori want to know about, though some would say that he would be interested in her, but to him it was someone who keeps others at a distance. He wants to change that, at least let her know the feeling of a true friend.
As she speaks he nods his head, "I know what you mean, I'm ready to head back home myself. Granted I do want to travel more, but home I miss it." he smiles. But as she walks around him, he turns and follows into step beside her. Feeling her hand clap down on his shoulder, only makes him smile a bit, as she explains about his use of the sharingan how he uses too much and not enough he looks a little confused at her words, he thought this is how he is supposed to use it. But as she explains more he thinks he gets her meaning, "Well then, how about you train me in better using it Fuyu-sama?" he asks. "Look, I know you've been dealing with quite a bit with this tournament and the scare of that dumb Abel. But…." he pauses for a moment. "Remember our talk some time ago about the both of us training together?" he asks. "It was some time ago, but you know what, I come out here almost every other day. I don't like staying in the village anymore. I have an area where I train at if you want to train." he tells her.
Easily able to keep pace with Fuyu, Hinotori is silent for a moment before speaking again, "Well it's decided." he says as she finishes, "We will train toghter until your next match. I will help you with whatever you need help in, and you train me personally with my sharingan." he grins at her. Yeah, Hinotori isn't like any other Uchiha, one who is always positive even though even he has his bad days, the raven haired male seems to bounce a little as he walks with her, "Also give you someone that maybe you can talk to outside of training and such. I see you alone, even when your around others it's like…I don't know your tiring yourself out protecting people and not letting others help you."
Fuyu nods. "I will train you. I should have begun doing so already. Too much focus has been put into my own skills of late. There are those depending on me… But I need people I can depend on too. That means have strong allies," she says as they walk. Not all of what she is saying is directed at Hinotori, but that might not be evident. The tone is the same as though she were talking to him.
She looks towards Hinotori and blinks, looking perplexed for a moment as he says it is 'decided'. She had scarcely agreed with him before he 'confirmed' it. Shrugging she looks forwards again. "Alright. And I suppose that is an accurate assessment. Relying on others leads to pain and disappointment. My teacher… Madara-sensei trusted and loved the Clan. The Clan was everything to him. He trusted ALL of us to back him up when he put himself out in the open and defied the would-be tyrants within the Senju's leadership. And you know how the Clan repayed a lifetime of loyalty and sacrifice?"
She shakes her head and breathes out a single word laced with hatred. "Betrayal." Fuyu stops walking. They are still a great distance from Kusagakure, but she doesn't really want to go back there. So why keep heading in that direction? Go where she doesn't want to be. Story of her life. 'Maybe it's time to write a new ending,' she thinks for a moment. Then she says, "Our Clan owes him. Uchiha Madara was not just our leader, he was our savior. We could have been wiped out without him. Right now, here in the present, we could be nothing but a handfull of refugees — beaten and weak because the Senju had a better leader than we did. We would not be part of Konohagakure. We would simply be outcasts. And do you know what my Sharingan sees for the future?" She turns her eyes on Hinotori.
NOW they have Sharingan active in them. "I see us defeated and weak… Outcasts. Because as much as Hashiramako may want peace, she will not live forever. And there are OTHERS who do not value the Uchiha as allies. There are OTHERS who want us to vanish from this world, and be forgotten. And they WILL replace her eventually. This is a problem that will face our Clan in the future. And I have to be strong enough to handle it the way that my sensei did… Or perhaps better."
She looks towards the sky with her crimson eyes, and says, "Maybe not today, maybe not tommorow, but someday in the future we will all be tested. And if I am not ready when that time comes, I will regret it for the rest of my life. Just like Madara-sensei probably does."
Shaking his head, "No you've been doing fine. Honestly I would be dissappointed in you if you weren't working on yourself." he says simply. "How can one make another stronger if they themselves don't train or take their own words into account?" he asks. Stretching out a bit, Hinotori listens and well he thinks she is talking to him which was always a nice thing. "Well not all allies need to be strong, as long as they are knowledgeable in their fields thats also good." he smiles..
Chuckling as he agreed for her about her training him, the young Uchiha who is actually a year holder now, just rubs the back of his head. But as she begins speaking about Madara her sensei he listens to her carefully. Madara did put himself out there for them, but like all things some Uchiha were tired of fighting and others weren't. He was one of the ones who was tired of all the fighting. Hearing her compassion as she spoke though did tell him that she truly belived in Madaras way and honestly part of him did belive in Madara, he just wishes things went a bit better then they had. Granted he was pretty young at the time, but still.
Wincing when she states that those who didn't back up Madara betrayed him, he frowns, he stops when she does. "Fuyu-sama, I don't know all the particulars of what happend that day, but don't think our people betrayed him, maybe there was something else going on that we weren't aware of?" he suggests, "I know I was surprised when he wasn't choosen to become Hokage, but…I don't know."' he sighs. As she continues, Hinotori just looks to her, the conviction and utmost respect and trust she had for her sensei was astounding, and honestly that made him happy. "Well without his leadership you are right or maybe someone else would've stpped up to the plate to lead us. Leadership is something that not everyone is born with, and so far I feel ever since you taking on Head of our Clan you have been doing pretty well. But I don't know about the Lady Hokage wanting us to be hated. Maybe it's my naivety speaking, but regardless of anything I'm Uchiha first and Konohagakure. This is our home and I will protect it." he tells her. But when asked what her sharingan sees, Hinotori faces her fully, meeting her gaze as she looks upon him with her sharingan.
"What does it see?" he asks and on que she tells him. Stepping forward, "She will not live forever, but we must show that we aren't weak, but strong. We show her through your leadership and our action, theres a reason why the Uchiha are so proud. Maybe one of our own, possibly you can take on the mantle of Lady Hokage." he says, and as he says that, his eyes show his Sharingain. Reaching over and placing a hand onto yoru shoulder if allowed. "We can't think of the past, we have to forge a new future, one where the Uchiha aren't defeated but a clan that has proven everyone wrong. Let our actions show for themself that we aren't traitorous, villians or anything negative." he tells her. "I get looked at strangely alot due to my actions and how I see things. So what, who give a damn about what others say or see. Because they only see what they wanna see." he shrugs. "But I know we can be better and will be better, with you leading us." he smiles. "But you have to belive in that as well Fuyu-sama. I know you will be strong to see things through and I will make sure you do."
Fuyu listens to Hinotori, hears the emotion and confidence in his voice, and smirks a bit as she allows her own Sharingan to fade. "Me as Hokage? That would require a lot of work indeed. I suppose it is possible, however." She thinks inwardly she would be against such a 'promotion'. No one is fit to lead but her teacher… Because only Madara would accept the position of LEADER without wanting to be a RULER. Anyone else would be too tempted by the power. "Well, with people like you on our side, I am sure that we have a chance at least. But while Hokage-sama may not want to fight, and may want us all to get along, it is not she that is the ROOT of the problem. Just as a blighted tree's branches can be cut off, but the rot can remain deep in its core, a Village that is being fed by poisoned roots is doomed to fall. We may have to burn it all in order to rebuild… To let new life spring from the ashes. Do you understand?"
The coal-black eyes of the Uchiha Clan Head — who was just another kunoichi, and just a human being before being elected to her position — seek out understanding in Hinotori's expression. Then she lets out a brief, amused, 'Hmph'. "I meant 'burn it' metaphorically of course," she reassures her younger 'cousin'. After all, burning down Konohagakure LITERALLY would be a horrible thing to do, right?
As Fuyu's Sharingan fade so does his, and as she smirks, "Awe man so close!" he laughs as he looks at her smirk, "Though I have to say that smirk does make you look a lot cuter." he says honestly. He does nod his head, "Why not, I think you would make a good Hokage." he tells her. He could see that even if she didn't, though he sees that she still clings to Madara which he feels is holding her back from something greater she could become. Hearing the compliment he shakes his head, "Nah, I just enjoy having fun and making sure the people I care about are safe from harm, and before you ask, you are one of the people I care about a lot." he tells her. His hand runs down her shoulder then to her arm before he removes it. As she continues with her analogy about the rot and burning of it, he understands what she means.
The almond brown eyes of the Uchiha Chuunin just looks to her. As he looks to her he sees more then a Clan Head or Kunoichi, though a blush does rise up on his cheeks as he looks to Fuyu. "I know what you meant." he chuckles. "Well lets head back shall we?" he asks. He does a formal bow then offers his arm to her, curious to see if she would take it and enjoy the walk back or just trudge on past him.
Fuyu's smirk goes away, turning into a frown and she swats Hinotori on the chest with the back of her hand as she walks past him. "Don't get too friendly. I've killed for such an offense." Seems there's still a ways to go yet before she truly opens up, and if she does it will likely not result in walking arm-in-arm. Oh, well… At least they're making progress!
Laughter ensues from Hinotori as he is swatted, turning to watch Fuyu walk away he just smiles. Lesigh, Hinotori walks to catch up to her. "Oh the scary Fuyu-sama kills when making a friend." he snickers. "Yeah, yeah, I think you liked it." he grins. But he leaves it alone, it will take a bit more time for her to open up and well hopefully he will be the one she gets closer to. But for now he will just settle.