"But I thought that Shirigami was the Lord of death!?" Aiko said
"He's more like the Lord of the dying but in the end even he must answer to Yomi." Katashi explained
"How am I to remember him? I've never even met him, I think I would remember someone like that!" Aiko said
"It was part of the curse." Katashi said looking to the side
"What curse?" Kakashi asked methodically still with an irritated look in his eyes
"It would be easier if I just told you all from the beginning what happened and how my folly… caused the death of millions." Katashi said clenching his fists, "It began soon after the Tailed beasts went crazy. I say soon but it was more like a couple hundred years and our nations held festivals where we could show our strength by fighting the beasts in combat…"
(Flashback to Katashi in a small room behind a desk with narrow windows and the fading beams of sunset just making its way in.)
The door at the end of the office swung open, "Lord Katashi!" A small man with a pudgy face entered and stood at attention.
"At ease!" Katashi said not taking the time to even look up
"Lord Katashi the other nations are starting to arrive, Ishida and the Fire have come from the desert and are already awaiting entrance at the edges of the city. News has come of the other nations Aiko and the Wind are about a day away and Yagami and the Water are about half a day."
Katashi didn't look up from what he was doing and continued to work much to the dismay of the attendant who just stood there nervously waiting a response to the news.
"Uh… Sir!?" The attendant finally said
"Any news of which beast the water has brought this year?" Katashi said not looking up
"It's the three tails sir!"
"Ah Isobu!" Katashi said looking up finally towards the ceiling as the golden rays of twilight danced across his face, "You know I made Isobu's shell of a hard diamond-like material they'll find it difficult to take him down. Tell me, how are our endeavors to capture the eight tales for next year's festival?"
The attendant got a slight look of shock then shook his head and answered, "We almost had it but Kurama came and destroyed the encampment. Many were lucky enough to escape with only minor injuries but a small group were killed in action."
Katashi slammed down on his desk with his fist, "That animal! Always interfering with everything, he will need to be taken care of as was the ten-tails. All well but that will be for a different time, go and let my brothers enter!"
The nation of Earth's Capital was located within the side of a mountain where the people had built their homes into the huge columns of stone that extended from the ceiling to the floor. It was dark all the time and the people enjoyed the artificial light that kept the city bright 24 hours a day. The outside of the city opening was protected with three walls that surrounded the mountain with a gate in the front and a hidden gate in the back. Furthermore the opening of the cave was located near the summit of the mountain and the nation of Earth had been built in several tiers which were built into the various layers of mountain rock. The bottommost layer was an arena which was large enough to sit the population of 2 nations from wall to wall comfortably and was used to hold this annual spectacle.
The attendant quickly left and soon the city was alive with elementals of different nations. Through the endeavors of Katashi, Ishida, Yagami and Aiko there was no longer any war to cause hate between the nations. Everyone was singing and dancing and the merchants were all selling their wares as each nation entered and added to the noise and festivities of the area.
The roads were packed and Katashi found it hard to go anywhere without hearing the banter of the oncoming contest. Everyone seemed to have a take even the children were betting on which nation would win the prize and go home with a king's ransom to help build their nation for the upcoming year.
It had been a long time since the Earth Nation had won the contest and many were saying that it was cursed from ever winning again but Katashi had made a special exception in the rules for this year and decided to enter himself as the main combatant. He was sure he was going to win against any of the other nations finest warriors since he was one of only four who knew how to use elemental powers since the treaty was signed. Now everyone used chakra and followed the way of the Shinobi, however each of them still favored their elementalism over the other nations. Earth would use earth style attacks and Fire would use fire and so on. Katashi knew this and was prepared to win at any cost.
As the Water came close to the gates Katashi could hear the dreadful cry of the three tails in the distance. He jumped to the far outer wall to take a look down the mountain and see the giant cage that the three tails was kept in. It had become larger since Katashi had last seen it and it seemed like its shell was even harder than he remembered as it had taken a strong earth-like appearance and no longer gleamed with the lucid diamond type shell that Katashi had imbued it with.
As it entered the gate the crowd cheered so loudly that it shook the streets as children huddled close to their parents and the people in general began to throw rocks at the giant beast.
"Where am I to put the offering this year brother!" Came the level voice of Yagami from in front of the group and everyone grouped in around them.
"Bring it immediately to the arena we will keep it there until the time for the contest!" Katashi yelled
As the Water brought it into the arena Katashi met with his brothers and invited them to his home for supper. His house was built overlooking the arena and were quite darkened compared to his command post where he spent most of his time but as soon as he entered the lights flared on to an elegant living situation with a great hall for dining and a large bedroom at the top of spiral stairs. This was where Katashi called home.
"Now my Brother's we feast and on the morrow we'll start the trials." Katashi said and immediately a group of servants exited the kitchen with platter upon platter of food for the group. Each sat down with their respective attendants and started to eat.
"What of that Uchiha and Senju dispute that is going on what do you make of it brothers?" Katashi asked
"It is turning bitter brother," Yagami said, "I am afraid that war will soon break out amongst the two and some of the outlying clans may be pulled into it as well."
"That will not be good for us brothers." Aiko said looking around the table.
"Don't you worry yourself brother's we'll talk of such things after the contest on the morrow." Ishida said
"So tell me," Katashi said biting into a leg of pork, "Who do you expect to fight for your nations in the contest?"
"Well…" Aiko started to say
"We were thinking of entering ourselves!" Yagami finished looking at Katashi from across folded hands
Katashi nearly choked on his food as he used his chalice to wash down what was left, "But I thought…"
"Come come now Katashi!" Ishida interjected with a sinister smile, "You didn't think that we would allow you to enter yourself and not put ourselves up for consideration did you?"
"Well I…" Katashi started
"Of course if you don't approve our consideration then I guess we don't have to…" Aiko said
"Well it's not that it's just…" Katashi began to say again
"Of course it has been a long time since last we measured our strengths against each other in battle and it might be good to remind our people why we fight so hard to maintain peace." Yagami said
Katashi sat there for a moment thinking on the possibilities, "Why not!" He said with a smile though on the inside he was furious.
"Excellent it will be good to test our metal again brothers!" Ishida said taking a sip from his chalice
That night Katashi couldn't sleep. He knew that the three tails was nearly indestructible from the outside unless one was strong enough to break through its shell which none of his brothers had that kind of physical strength and most of their elemental prowess was for dealing damage across a large plain and not individuals. These gave him the advantage but he was still unsure, he wanted to prove at any cost that the Earth Nation was not cursed and more than anything he wanted to prove its power.
He walked his quiet halls and noticed the attendants of his brothers vigilantly standing guard at the entrances to their quarters as he walked through. None of them turned or even acknowledged him as was expected as he slowly walked to his study.
Ah my study the one place where the cares of the world seem to melt as I engage in my books! Katashi said to himself as he looked on the picture of the Alchemist whom he'd succeeded, Riku of Earth, thank you for this wonderful study filled with the knowledge of our nations through the ages. It wasn't hard to build the city around such a well structured library my mentor!
Katashi sat in his chair and looked at the picture, "What do you want me to do?" He asked his old mentor's painting, "Is it you that has placed this curse upon me? I didn't want to kill you but I most certainly didn't want to die myself!" Katashi said angrily to it, "Don't judge me Riku, I'm sure you would've done the same had I been in your shoes!"
The painting didn't budge as it most certainly shouldn't have and stared down at the desk of Katashi as though in silent mocking of his current dilemma.
"I SAID DON'T JUDGE ME!" Katashi yelled and picked up his desk and threw it at the painting. The painting and the wall behind it crumbled to the ground as Katashi looked around the corner to see who might've heard the noise but no one stirred at all.
Katashi started to pick up the stones and found the torn eye of his mentor among the rubble. He picked it up and to his surprise it had form. He pulled it out and found that it was actually made from a painted rock that had a hairline seam in it and a seal that made it impossible for anyone but the leader of the Earth nation to open it.
"To imagine this painting remaining here for hundreds of years and no one ever being the wiser to the secrets it held!" Katashi opened the small sphere and found just a small bit of fluid inside.
He swirled the fluid around a little and it seemed like syrup more than anything. He started to walk over to his desk and tripped on one of the stones on the floor causing the small container to fall headlong on a piece of paper that was on his desk.
"Crimanitlay that hurt!" he said holding his foot and suddenly he heard a noise coming from his desk and he slowly rose and looked at where he'd spilt the substance.
The substance had thinned out and had started to write in the Earth's own hidden dialect and Katashi watched as the message unfolded one of the last of his old mentor Riku.
"Journal,
This war drags on and I fear that even Katashi my beloved student is beginning to feel the weight of death on his shoulders. It is much for anyone to bear let alone one such as he who fears death itself. I feel that I should relate something from my youth something that I have tried so many years to forget but has left such a lasting impression on me that it is impossible.
It happened as I was travelling through the valley at the end of the Ir mountains. I happened upon a small tunnel that led deep underground I followed this tunnel until I came upon a door with obscure markings and I took to copying these markings into a page of my journal that I will place with this page, but I found I could not destroy it. As I was thus writing fate would have it that I pricked my finger on the tip of my writing implement and a small drop of blood found its way onto the very symbol that I had just drawn.
Smoke began to issue forth from the page and soon before me stood a tall dark man with light hair who's name he told me was Yomi! Yomi is an earth demon bound to it since the creation from the Almighty. His power was frightening and he caused the mountain itself to be ripped up from the ground upon which it stood so that the sun shone on myself, Yomi and the seal on the wall which I had taken to marking down.
Yomi told me that for freeing him from the seal that kept him bound in the earth he would grant me one wish. I told him that my one desire was to see that my beloved student Katashi would not have to suffer death as it feared him so. Yomi then nodded his head and disappeared and told me that I should watch myself from that moment on. Though I understand not what his intention was as of yet Katashi has not changed in his fear and I pray every day for the demon to keep his word.
I have decided to seal up this entry and leave it for any future leaders of my great nation to ponder and beware. The Demon's power is great above that of every nation combined even beyond that of the wretched ten-tails but it is a treacherous creature, no one should make a deal with a demon…"
The next page that the ink slithered on to became a seal with a circle and flames along the outer rim and intricate markings within the center.
"A demon sealed to the earth?" Katashi said holding tight the page in his hands, "Alas a trump card to use. To show every nation that the Earth is not to be trifled with!" Katashi said out loud and put the paper into his coat. And a surefire way of winning that contest tomorrow! He smirked and went back to his room and fell asleep.
Thanks for reading I know this wasn't an action packed chapter but the next one should be better. I would've posted it sooner but we have so many thunder storms lately that it is hard to keep the computer plugged in long enough to do so. Ultima S. next, Winning the Contest but Losing the War!