Prologue: Chapter 4: The Phoenix Sleeps
'Well shit,' this thought ran through White's mind, ducking the blade of a furious Ikuma. He just ran into this guy on his way back, which wasn't too reassuring for him cause that meant one of two things, which begged the question. . .
After the man vented out some anger, of course. That'd probably be smart.
"Where? Where do you keep coming from," the Uchiha emphasized his anger with more missed strikes, "You're all like rats!" It seemed though that the strikes grew closer as his temper grew.
Not smart, anger bad.
"Well, fuck you too, you raggedy motherfucker," he flipped the man off with his crushed hand. He was facing the Uchiha with his opposing shoulder, so that his other led with his katana. 'This guy isn't some push over, that's for damn sure.' Even without the man trying to glare him to death without an active sharingan. 'I'm not a hundred percent. . not even fifty and he knows that. Probably thinks he doesn't need that Doujutsu of his.'
That was good, because now his chances went from about 'Impossible', to 'Snowball's chance in Hell.'
Optimism. 'Come on Takeru, you gotta believe in yourself!' he tried to psyche himself up, 'You're not going home KIA, fuck that. Fuck this mission, Fuck the Captain, and more importantly. . .,'
In speed the Uchiha wasn't aware of, Takeru was behind him, planning to sever his sword arm. In his haste to dodge, Ikuma never noticed the twitch in the attacker's blade motion.
"Fuck you."
The Uchiha gave the kid a once over. Young, inexperienced in his and that bastard Kiroo's line of work, and in his way, "Pretty fast kid," the compliment caught Takeru flat-footed, "shame I'm going to have to kill you. Had some potential there."
"Why so sure of yourself?" asking couldn't hurt, right? Being on the safe side, his raised his blade in preparation to block or parry, but his eyes widened when Ikuma's voice ghosted into his ear.
"Quicker draw," Takeru didn't think, he just dropped, thinking would've gotten him killed. Turning his sword over Ikuma was going to sheathe his sword into the nice patch of ground. . .conveniently the patch under Takeru. Whirling his body into motion, he fanned out his legs to strike him, trip him up, anything to prevent the downwards thrust.
He wasn't as lucky, Ikuma hopped over the desperate attempt to stall his death, but now in the air still prepped with his opponent right where he left him, he was glad to let gravity do the rest.
Time stopped for Takeru, as if his mind was processing anything and everything at once. The Uchiha's descent was deathly slow, and his body wasn't listening to his commands. What seemed an eternity, was really two seconds, but he thanked every god he could think of when in that lapse of time manipulation he heard a body crash against his assailant before he saw anything.
Yet what he saw was a solid blur throw down the hardest body check he'd ever seen. It was bone jarring just to watch, he couldn't imagine having actually endured it. Sitting up slowly just enough to brace himself on his good elbow, he saw the fight take off without him deeper into the country, though he was glad to see the Uchiha had dropped his sword.
Takeru hadn't forgot about that wire.
A presence was behind him, and Takeru suddenly feared the worst, "Way too rigid boy, what happened to those gonads when you were fighting?"
Looking back to the man in surprise, then to where he swore he saw the Tatsuya and Uchiha go off in, he then deadpanned a look at Kiroo. "You're a bushin aren't you?"
Kiroo without his mask was actually more of a surprise to see, the man looked young, almost his age with the sheepish look he gave, "Yeah, I've got you orders." he said, but was therein cut off before he could begin.
"To hell with you and your fake mission," the Kiroo clone stuttered, trying to think where he'd been found out by the boy. He wasn't supposed to. "You got everyone killed for what!? A damn promotion or something? Are ya trying to lose us this war?" he yelled up at the man.
There it was, that sheepish look again. But it had a different effect this time, giving off an aura of weary wisdom that was far beyond his pay grade, "You were the only one, Kid."
Takeru squinted at the bushin, "Wha-?"
"Everyone on the team knew," he interrupted, "except you." It was true. This had been thoroughly discussed back home, with everyone. Well, everyone but Takeru.
"Wh- why? You mean they all chose to go rogue? I don't believe you, ya crazy bastard!" His tone was defiant, Kiroo liked defiant. He'd need that in the coming years, it was the reason he was chosen for this mission. The boy naturally questioned his superiours, never taking what they said at face value.
"Truth is boy, I was never planning on making it back alive. Huyu's death was,"
"Konatsu. . ."
It was the Captain's turn to halt his speech, with saddening eyes he asked the obvious question, "So she's,"
"Dead." The way he said it, still defiant, guilt ridden for the loss of the kunoichi, and yet another trait.
Loyalty. 'Perfect,' he thought, 'That's why I picked you for the mission. You learned everything you'll need.'
Takeru was unaware to the monologue, thus his captain played it off, "I see. Another reason why I'm staying."
"So you're a coward? Won't go face your demons?"
"That's not what I said."
"Well, so much for 'The Phoenix of Kiri', some big shot you are. . ," his rant continued, and Takeru finally had enough.
"Shut your mouth!" it wasn't that he was complying with the order from, in his mind, a traitor captain. It was just the sheer volume of power expressed in his tone. And so, Takeru watched with wide eyes, "I'm not going back, because this is were I die."
"Why does everyone have to die!?"
"I'm sorry, this wasn't how it was supposed to go down. I was the only one supposed to die on this Op! You, and Ena and Huyu, the Hozuki girl Konatsu; you were all supposed to live! But this is the ninja world and it doesn't give a rat's ass about our plans, cause they NEVER work. Not for long, not the whole thing. There is only ONE plan that matters."
"Yours, you arrogant son of a bitch?"
The Captain stopped arguing, it was pointless, but there were things he needed to say. "It isn't my plan, and you wouldn't believe me. Hell, I don't know if I believe it, but...but what you need to believe is that I told you, there was a part in this for you."
"So where do I fall into this plan, O' fearless leader," the words were saturated in sarcasm. How could this man expect him to believe a damn word he was spewing?
"To be honest, it'll be a number of years."
"Oh, real helpful." And apparantly he wasn't getting a straight answer and had to take a leap for the man too.
The captain's smiled waned, and his head snapped in a direction that Takeru assumed the fight to be. "I don't have much time left, but trust me. You'll know it when you see it. That's why you came on this mission. So, I could place you in key position." Looking again at the 'fight', the bushin tossed a leather jacket onto Takeru's lap, the real jacket, "Give that to my wife, she'll understand."
Looking to the jacket and then to the bushin, "So you're going to just throw your life away."
"I don't see it that way. Destiny has one plan. This is where my road ends, and yours begins. If you truly want to make something of this mission turned cluster fuck, follow it. Get to the boat, an take Ena and the girl to Kiri." The bushin waited no longer, and with its piece said it disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
'I take back what I said bout the Captain,' sitting the rest of the way, 'Still a crazy bastard though, but," looking to the jacket, he tightened his grip on with conviction, 'I'll play along.'
After an agonizing minute of trying to stand on wobbly legs with only one good arm, Takeru finally stood to his feet to head to the harbor.
And off in this distance, he witnessed what could only be described as a miniature sun bulging, before a shock wave knocked him to his back again.
"Son of a bitch!" he cursed to whatever god cared to listen.
(Meanwhile: Kiroo vs. Ikuma)
Ikuma was thrown in the path of a thick tree, smashing into the bark hard enough to crack the tree nearly in half and fell to the ground against the base. Shaking the stars from his gaze, his eyes widened to the sight of shuriken spinning at him.
Rolling out of the way, he stood back to his feet, his head on a swivel trying to locate Kiroo.
His arm snapped to his left, a kunai flying from his grasp as his target came soaring from the canopy.
Kiroo adjusted himself in mid-air to dodge, and puffed his chest out again. From his gaping maw shot a searing torrent of flames.
Ikuma jumped backwards to avoid the jutsu and lined his legs up with a tree, using it as a spring board to bullet himself after the Tatsuya. Upon landing, the brown haired man prepped his body to throw Ikuma over himself for a slam.
The man's Sharingan brought him up to speed and spun his body mid flight, making it harder for Kiroo to grab ahold.
Passing over him, Ikuma blocked his adversary's attempt to get a lock on him, in the meantime using his cut wire to wrap around Kiroo's wrist.
Tatsuya felt the metal tightening around his wrist threatening to cut into his flesh and chose to tumble with the man. The two fell in a heap, Ikuma finding purchase and burying his foot into Kiroo's stomach.
Air was violent forced out of Kiroo, his body curling around the blow. So, Kiroo grabbed Ikuma's ankle with one hand and with the other pushed on the inside of his knee to force the Uchiha of and into a joint lock.
It wasn't the best position and the scarred Jounin kicked Kiroo in the face to free himself. Upon doing so, the two separated and took a moment for a breather.
"We need to stop meeting like this," Kiroo breathed out, stalling for time.
Ikuma wasn't one for small talk at the moment, but a pause for air was worth it, so he growled back, "So hold still and let me kill you!" That young shinobi cut his wire without him noticing. He knew now he wasn't the original target. He was cursing the boy now, he should've just killed him. To win this he'd need every advantage he could draw upon. Not having his sword took away some of his options.
Kiroo started to walk to his right, Ikuma left.
A minute passed, and the two lunged again to meet in the middle. Kiroo threw a punch and Ikuma parried it upwards, using his other hand to strike the Tatsuya's throat.
Instead of having his larnyx crushed, the brunnette leaned back out of reach, simultaneously kicking his leg out to land and knock Ikuma off balance.
Rolling with it, Ikuma back-flipped and tossed two kunai with both hands and backed out of the clearing.
After blocking the projectiles the Tatsuya clansmen rushed after the Doujutsu weilder.
Shortly after re-entering the forest, Kiroo's foot tripped a wire, and kunai came flying in from multiple angles. Quickly drawing two, he blocked what he could, though one managed to get through and cut down his thigh dropping him to one knee.
At this moment, Ikuma burst- scratch that, clones of Ikuma burst from the surrounding shrubbery ready to end life.
Pulling chakra back into his gullet, Kiroo became a virtual flamethrower, tossing napalm around in a circle to keep the clones a bay.
Several pops sounded as the clones were dispelled in the inferno. Closing his eyes, he searched out for Ikuma's chakra, only to feel it blanketing the area. 'So, you're gonna hide, huh,' he thought, opening his eyes. Probably to set more traps.
The man was trying to set the field to his advantage. That couldn't be allowed. His hands rapidly flowed through seals stopping on Tatsu, "Kaiton: Kasai Furengi no Jutsu( Fire Frenzy)."
His ring of flames seemed to rage hotter than previously, and holding his arms out, he sent a wave of chakra. The newly fueled flames quickly spread like wildfire, everything green and alive began to blacken and die, turn to ash, clearing out the possiblity of traps.
Letting the flames do as the wish, Kiroo calmly followed, awaiting for his indirect destruction to reveal the dead man from his past.
Darting away from his left, Kiroo caught sight of a shadowed figure trying to flee the scene.
Taking control of his flames again, as an extension of his will they formed as a singular entity and careened for Ikuma's back.
The man dodged right, left, up into the trees. Spinning, twirling, and ducking every which way to buy time, but these flames were like hounds nipping at his heels.
In his haste, Ikuma stumbled and thought the worst, losing his momentum. 'I cant outrun it, I'm just delaying the inevitable.' The black haired shinobi chose that moment to turn and face his hell face on, 'Let's see who's rage burns hotter...'
Kiroo stopped chasing once he saw the man stop ahead of his jutsu and turn to meet it head on, "What plan is going through you're head?" he grumbled to himself, watching closely to see what played out. Eventually, the man and his flames collided. In the sea of raging red, a speck of black poked through until the entirety of his jutsu was forced to split in two to make way for black flames! From its center Ikuma sprung out like a missile intent on destruction with kunai drawn, "Black flames!?" Kiroo gasped out, having never seen such a thing!
Ikuma barreled into the man, digging a kunai into Kiroo's shoulder and leg. Kiroo reared his head back and bloodied the ninja nose. Ikuma accepted the blow, having delivered the worst of the damage in comparison.
Kiroo stumbled backwards, grunting as he pulled the kunai from his body. Blood dripped freely from his wounds, and now he was slowed.
Feeling in control now, Ikuma took this time to laugh at the wounded man, "Not what you expected huh?" he pointed to his eyes, Kiroo noticing for the first time, the weird pattern that resided within them, "How do you like my trump card?"
Straightening himself out, Kiroo looked none to pleased with the turn of events. "So what, you got a new toy."
"A new toy you say," he started, "I just proved once and for all that Uchiha fire outmatches your Tatsuya!" the man laughed again, "I've been waiting to try this on you, ever since my first defeat. Things won't play out the same way." To prove his point, the Uchiha disappeared in a blur of speed, and Kiroo whipped his head around to find him.
A kick connected against his ribs, punting him across the forest floor. Kiroo had time to cough blood up onto the ground, before he was again sent tumble across the ground to hit his back against a tree.
Coughing more, the captain felt a hand grab him by the throat to left him up pinned against bark. The man tried to pry the hand from his airway and got a fist to smack his head in response.
Second attempt, similar result. Kiroo's head hung limply, still hanging off the ground. Ikuma felt it necessary to rub it in, "You and I, Phoenix...are no longer on the same level."
The Ghost cocked back his arm to finally end the man's life, when steam started to rise off the man's skin. Infact, his grasp are the Tatsuya's neck began to burn.
Confusion covered his face, then pain as the burning spiked in intensity, allowing the beaten man to slump to the ground as he released his grip.
His body got a steady glow, that shot outwards to blast Ikuma backwards away from the downed man. Blinding light encompased the area, until it shot up in a beam of magnificent light.
Ikuma's eyes were wide a hand up to make it more bearable to see, as within the light, he could see this. . .man that he knew to be Kiroo stand inside the pillar of light.
Once the light died down, Ikuma could only stare. His Mangekyo Sharingan eyes mesmerized by the display before he scowled.
Sadistic laughter followed, however, enough for him to fold him over, "Let it be know," he said through his laughter, "That you live up to your epithet."
As Ikuma's laughter howl into the sky, Kiroo looked to his hands dumbfounded. This power he felt coursing threw him...it was immense. Grand even.
It was like he was a new person, he didn't understand-
"You Phoenix, have a role that must be perfect. . .", he heard in his head. Remembering the meeting that had started his mad quest. The feminine voice continued, "During this mission you will meet your end with a man from your past. And the joining of your blood shall seal the fate of your clan."
"What? You would have me-," he had asked, before being cut off. The figure's voice powerful and yet delicate to the ear, came again.
"Yes, do this and your clan may live on. Including that of the Uchiha."
"But to save them? They've been our unoffical rivals since-"
"Now is not the time for petty rivalries, my boy," Kiroo felt a little embarrassed hearing himself addressed in such a way. "This tale. . .is unique Phoenix. One cannot live without the other. Their success relies on each other. Even if you succeed, it may be rooted to fail. One pair to destroy, another to protect."
"But, all you've done is leave me with more questions! I need answers."
A lighthearted chuckle came from the woman, "That I cannot provide, but what I can. . .is a strength, to see you through your toughest trial."
And just like that, the mental replay was over. This must've been what she meant, so making a clone, Kiroo took in his new appearance.
There were some patches of scales about his body, and his gun-metal gray eyes were now a golden yellow with black slits for iris'. Trailing down from both of his eyes was a singular black mark that continued to just about his jaw line.
Dispelling his clone, the new Kiroo leveled his golden orbs on the laughing Ikuma, "I'll tell you one thing Ikuma," he recounted, " you were right about this not playing out the same."
The crazy Uchiha finally halted his insane chortling to regard the man, witnessing as Kiroo stuck his finger in the gash in his shoulder, coating the digits in his life essence.
"Is that so?" he blinked, and recoiled back upon finding themselves face to face. Kiroo wiped his hand across the Uchiha face, smearing his blood to mix with that of the man across from him. Quickly there after, both men stumbled back, falling to their knees in pain. It was if they're very blood was on fire. Both men brought to writhing heaps on the ground. "What did you do!? Tatsuya? What the fuck did you do to me!?" he yelled out, his voice strained with blinding pain.
Kiroo didn't know, he couldn't comprehend what was going on! Along with the aggression burning through his blood, his head was pounding! It was deafening...
And soon, there was a small piece of clarity. Small at first, but growing stronger. And with each passing moment, more clearness was granted.
And images as well, a sequence of hand signs. Playing again and again and again in the same order.
It was almost beyond his will, but he tried to pick himself up. Instead, he settled for just making it to his knees, all while ignoring the screaming Uchiha calling for his death. Claiming he was a dead man walking. Vulgar slurs and ranting.
'Sorry Ikuma, but I guess you can't fight destiny.' Finally stable, Kiroo made the first hand seal, Tiger. He countinued to do so, following the series. With each one, the pain ebbed away and the Uchiha cries for his death louder.
He formed the final seal, Dragon. The ground shook something awful and Ikuma was reaching out to him.
The Uchiha watched as Kiroo's hands released the seal opening up to reveal a sphere as glorious as the sun itself. Its expansion was evident, until it consumed them both.
(Meanwhile: Ena 'Red')
Just ahead of her was a small harbor town. So, her own personal hell would soon be over. The people were out, it was just about two in the afternoon, running their daily errands without a care in the world. They hadn't even noticed her approach yet, as she walked down the middle of the dirt path leading into the tiny port town. A slight drag in her step.
Looking at the baby in her arms, she couldn't help but sigh behind her blood stained mask. Only a few Uchiha managed to keep chase with her, and she was nearly spent. They both made it out safely though, she acknowledged grateful, cooing to the small child. She didn't know how Green did it, fight and protect the child at the same time with such fluid movements. She was exhausted.
She'd ask her when she came back.
The sound of toppling trees sounded clearly from behind her near the valley she had passed in her excursion from the capital. Looking back to the village, she noticed none of them had been alerted to it yet. 'Good,' she could relax a bit. If they hadn't heard it, then the battle was far further out than she felt safe enough to expose the baby girl.
Not that she'd engage in any needless confrontation now, with her chakra stores so low. This week had been Hell, despite the Heaven it had once started out to be.
But that miracle, like all others, vanished quick in the shadows, swallowed whole and regurgitated back out to mock those left to witness its defilement.
The kunoichi tossed her bloodied mask off to the side of the road, were it most likely wouldn't be found till later. She didn't want to look like a killer to anyone potentially willing to rent out their boat. That was the last hurdle of the mission, the home stretch when they made it out to sea.
She could smell the coast miles after leaving town. It was what kind of spurred her on, in her small moments of doubt. After her battles with the Uchiha in the valley.
A fisherman hefting a crate over his shoulder smiled and bid her fair day, some of the local children ran around her, laughing and giggling, and a woman fawned over the sweet child in her arms, claiming she'd grow up to be 'quite the eye catcher.'
Despite her scarred appearance, no one seemed to care. 'I guess they chalked me up as a refugee,' she smiled at that. Maybe that'd help her in securing a ride back into Mist. She didn't feel like leaving though, this place that had been untouched to war and death. Everyone had smiles on their faces and care in their hearts. 'Maybe I'll come back here. . .retire."
Finally standing on the docks, her one green eye caught that of the harbor-master's shack, a dainty little construct of wood with a window for the man to lean through. He was bulk, muscular, receding hairline, and a youthful tan despite the many wrinkles. No doubt he worked the harbor his whole life.
Stepping up to the man, she immediately got to business, "I need a boat to take me to Mizu no Kuni."
The man regarded her with experienced eyes, and before he could speak, a crack of thunder rose again from the valley.
And the way the woman didn't flinch, the way everyone one else had, this man knew and she could see it in his eyes.
"One boat to the homeland," he mumbled to himself exiting the shack. He motioned for her to follow, and was about to when a glint of light caught her eye from within the shake. How, she didn't know, but she turned and that when she saw it. On the wall, was a Kiri headband, the cloth and rusted plate as old as the harbormaster seemed to be. Her distraction though, brought the elder's ire, "There's nothing to see of an old man's relic of glory and trifles," he pointed out towards the valley, and the rest of the towns folk were till looking out there in bewilderment, "And whoever's ass is out there buying you time Missy, ain't goin to preciate it much if ya still hanging round her with out your get away."
She was going to beg for a little time, just in-case they made it back. His hand stopped her.
"I'll give it twenty minutes. If they ain't back, then they're dead, and whoever killed 'em will be after ya next. We will be gone for then."
Suddenly emerging from the valley was a giant bulging inferno! Off about ten miles into the valley, and sure enough a small dusting passed through the village, the shock wave no doubt.
But she, the Harbormaster, and all the villagers were mesmerized, "Good gods what is that?" some random man yelled from in the port town. Looking down, even the baby was taken with the outstanding visual display. The intense mixing of red, orange and yellow seemed to glow from her eyes, like a being tapped with raw potential exuding from her obsidian globs.
Ena herself had no idea, but whatever it was had to of been immensely powerful, it looked like the surface of the sun for Kami's sake!
"That battle's over, sweetheart," turning to the aged shinobi for clarification, he continued without fail, "I know of that jutsu, and there's only one clan that can pull it off. Whoever cast it, and whoever he was fighting are dead. A draw."
"Just, what kind of technique was that," she asked, baffled. It was beautiful to see, deadly to cast, and outright dangerous to whoever faced it.
"It's an S-ranked Kinjutsu of the Tatsuya Clan. Called Dragon Solar Rebirthing. A suicidal jutsu meant for only one thing. Destruction."
"How do you know this, if it's an S-ranked Kinjutsu from a clan you're not from," she question, almost dying to know. She needed to know, it if truly was the end of Kiroo.
"Because this is the third time it has ever been used, I saw the second one in the Second Shinobi World War, during the assault on Whirlpool. The first, I heard had been used by the first Clan Head of the Tatsuya, in defense of the 'Origin'."
The 'Origin'? Well if that in itself didn't sound mysterious enough, fucking cliff hangers and old people. She didn't take her eyes of him, and it kind of unnerved the retired shinobi.
"That's all I know, the 'Origin' is a legend passed down to only those worthy of it's knowledge," pointing to the ever present mini sun, "and that right there, is one hell of an indicator. I wouldn't doubt it if the man was one of the best in his generation, prolly prime candidate for next Clan Head."
From around the corner and into view of the docks, Takeru stumbled into sight of his fellow kunoichi. With help of the older man, he was set on a cot below the deck of the ship, "We have a lot to talk about." Ena nodded, there indeed was. And she was saddened to see Konatsu wasn't with him.
As the ship finally set sail for home, mission 'complete' for all intents and purposes, it was finally over.
And neither noticed the glow that formed just below the baby girl's naval, forming into a set of seals that reached hip to hip tracing the upper line of her pelvic region. The glow ebbed, and with it the seals too vanished, only to come back once the time was necessary.
So that marks the first arc of my story, just a couple of prologue chapters to set the story up.
Truth of the matter is that the only important OC was Takeru. Everyone else was there for development, and to actually give a face to them instead of being nameless nobodies. . . which reminds me of how irritating it was to do it for the Uchiha goons.
On that topic, I'll probably be flamed for them being too weak. My only response to that is that most of those Uchiha were Chunin at best, besides a few. We all know, that it's been said that some can go without ever awakening their Sharingan. Also pointing out that during this time, there was huge war going on! So the only people they could really send out were left overs, who weren't needed on the front-lines. Face it, if they had any true use in battle, they woulda been out there instead of being slaughtered in these chapters.
Next chapter will showcase my ACTUAL cast of OC character's, though if you tried my first go at this story, you probably already know them. In that case, good job, you have secret insider knowledge!
Here's a cookie.
Review, otherwise I'll make sure to take longer to update. . . Or don't, for those of you that wish this story stomped into the dirt. Un-beta'd so anyone that would like to do that, shoot me a message.
Since I reached this point, I'm going to bed. I'm getting an hour of sleep. My lil sis is getting her wisdom teeth out, and I'm gonna enjoy harassing her. With video for prosperity, ya know, good elderly brother stuff. It's in the contract.
And with that Goodbye!