Chapter 1: The Invasion
His heavy fist pounded down on the desk, and scrolls rolled out of the way from the force. His cup of water fell, spilling to the floor, before the cup itself hit the floor. Daifu was clenching his teeth, trying his hardest to not burst out and scream. Holding it in, however, was forcing his body to shake visibly, and a few council members exchanged concerned glances. Daifu's breath came out quick from his nostrils as he tried to calm himself down. Finally he started shaking his head, raising his glance back up to the council.
"I can't let you do that, Council. You've done well for this village up until this point, but what you are demanding of me now is beyond the power you've been given." Daifu spoke with a shaking voice, as if he wanted to tear the throats of everyone in the room at this moment.
"It is beyond our control as it is," spoke one of the council members from behind his long white beard, "the command has been sent out and is in motion as we speak." He gave a nod to no one, more for himself to assure himself that this was the right decision.
"And we get no say? None whatsoever? After all I've done for this village, you just go and make this assumption for yourselves? This decision will return to haunt you! If I have to devote every minute…." Before he could finish speaking, the sound of glass broke, and a scream rang out from the room beyond the closed doors of the council chamber. Guards who were guarding the door from the outside burst indoors, yelling words of an enemy invasion.
"Why? Who would dare attack our council in the middle of the day?" Spoke the same council member who had given the nod to himself earlier. He stood up, and waved a hand to order the guards to the attack. The council members looked concerned, turning their glances back to Daifu, standing in the middle of the circular council room.
"Daifu, it is time for you to end this foolishness and return to your post as this village's guardian." Spoke Tu-fai, the youngest council member of the group. Daifu shot him a wicked look after he spoke that caused him to scoot down in his seat more.
"I refuse. You send out an order as you did, and expect me to just suddenly resume my post as if nothing ever happened?" He shook his head, trying to decide to himself whether to betray his post, or actually fight for the village that had given him so much, including a home. But before any decision could be reached, a young girl's shriek rang out, piercing the chaotic vibe that entered the chambers while the meeting was in progress.
"DADDY! HELP!" came from the open chamber doors. Daifu's eyes immediately shot to the door, widening with both concern and fear.
"Kru'stin? Kru'stin!" Daifu screamed back, before bolting out of the door, using his legs to propel him up the stacked desks of the meeting room and out the door. As soon as he exited the chambers, he was met by an enemy ninja, mask covering his lower facial features, and with dark black goggles covering his eyes. A kunai in his hand, the enemy raised his arm to drive the kunai into the head of Daifu.
Daifu, however, had become the village's guardian for a reason. His hand quickly shot to his opponent's wrists, stopping the dropping kunai from going any further. His pinky and his ring finger of his ring hand curled up, leaving only his middle and pointer fingers pointing straight up. He placed those fingers parallel to his lips, and whispered a small, quick chant, before his eyes shot open and he yelled.
"Hidama no Jutsu!" and his hand shot down to his hip. The energy had formed in his mouth, and he took a deep breath before releasing all the energy stored in his mouth in the form of a giant fireball, which caught the enemy in his wide-open chest, which blasted him against the hallway wall, engulfing him in the flames. Daifu let go of the man's hand, and he slumped against the wall. Daifu turned and ran towards where he had heard the young woman scream.
As he turned the corner, he saws his daughters outstretched hand, trying to grab onto the window frame as a pair of hands pulled her through. She caught sight of her father, and tears immediately came streaming down her face. She dropped the basket she was holding and held both arms out towards her father.
"Daddy! Save me!" She yelled, before disappearing outside. Daifu didn't waste any time, and he ran down the hall towards the window, diving out it and landing in a roll, he stood up quickly. His right hand dropped to the back of his belt, where he pulled a kunai of his own out, and started looking left and right for his daughter. As he started forward, his foot was snagged. He looked down, to see tree roots reaching up to grab around his ankles. He tried to jump away, but another root shot up, and clutched his arm, holding him down. Before long, the roots had him completely ensnared, and he couldn't move any part of his body.
"Ha ha ha….so this is what has become of the village's guardian?" said a voice whose laughter seemed insincere and, yet, vaguely familiar. Daifu strained hard, trying to find the source of this voice, and then found it. His eyes narrowed into small slits as he stared down the man behind the mischief, standing tall on the room just across from him, his arms crossed defiantly over his chest.
"Ich'eal…."
Chapter 2: Discovery
"Jist'in...Jist'in, wake up, would you? It's almost noon!" A hand reached out, shaking the young boy awake. He tried to let out a voice of disagreement, but all that came out was a low groan. He turned his head, smashing his face into the pillow. His mother strode across the room, pulling the curtains aside, and pushing open the window. A cool breeze drifted into the room, and brushed over Jist'in's exposed feet. He shivered before raising his head from the pillow.
"Mom, would you get out of here? I was out all night, and I really...wait, did you say it was almost noon?" His eyes darted over to the window, where he tried to catch a glimpse of the passing sun. It was nowhere to be seen, and he was almost sure it was overhead.
"Mom, why didn't you wake me up earlier?" His hand thrust the light blue blanket off of him, and he reached for his shirt. His mother shook her head and gave him a smile as he scurried around. She didn't mind his morning antics, because he was such a good kid the rest of the day. She gave a small sigh and wondered where 18 years went. It feels like just a week ago he was born, and then started walking around. It felt like yesterday when she first dropped him off at the village Ninja academy. Where did the time go? She wondered, before picking up his dirty laundry and proceeding down to the river.
Jist'in grabbed his notebook and his pen from the small table set off to the side of the window. His room was littered with small drawings from his notebook. Animals, mostly, but the occasional village sketch, or sunset was strewn about on his walls. He loved drawing. It was his life. It was what kept him sane during all the boring Village History lessons. Most importantly, however, was it kept him safe.
He scurried out to the kitchen, where as usual, a small bowl of oatmeal awaited him. He dropped his sketchbook and pen to the floor and kneeled before the table. The smell of maple and brown sugar emanated from the small clay bowl.
"Itadakimasu!" said Jist'in before pushing his fork into the mushy warm oats before him. He took a bite, but left the spoon in his mouth when his attention suddenly drifted.
"Ha', Mo, wurr's crust in?" he said, mouth full of a wooden spoon.
"Jist'in, take the spoon out of your mouth before you speak. You look like an idiot," she said not even bothering to turn around, since this was something that happened most days. His attention would suddenly drift when a distraction came around.
"Gomennasai. I meant to say, where's Kru'stin?"
"She baked lunch for your father and went to deliver it to your father at the Council building. Honestly, Jist'in. If you would wake up at a decent time, you would know these things. Although, she's been gone for a while, and I told her to be back about 20 minutes ago...where could she be?" Her thought process was broken, however, but a rapping at the door. The door slid to the side, and a messenger from the Council was kneeling at the door, head lowered in greeting. When Jist'in's mother acknowledged him, he sat back up, and slid a message to her, before pushing off the ground and vanishing into the air with a jump that was taught at the ninja academy. Jist'in's mother read the scroll, dropped it, and backed up into the kitchen. She dropped the scroll and covered her mouth with a gasp.
"Oi...mother...what is it?" Jist'in asked, almost knocking his bowl over as he jolted to a standing position.
"Your father is in the hospital...and your sister has been kidnapped!"
Chapter 3: The Visitor
Jist'in went racing to the hospital. He forced himself to move quicker, faster. He mind couldn't accept that his father had been beaten. It was his father who had trained him all these years, everyday, while bragging to other people that one day, Jist'in would be his successor. Everyone always laughed and brushed it off, telling him they believed Daifu would never die, and then everyone would laugh and smile. Not today, however. This is the first time his father had been put in the hospital by someone else. His intense training occasionally landed him in ER with torn muscles or broken bones. But who could have beaten him?
He pushed aside the door and raced past the young nurse sitting at the reception desk. He raced up to his father's normal room, ready for him to be looking at the door, smiling, telling Jist'in he'd be fine, and that training would resume as normal tomorrow. When he got to the door, though, there was no such smile. There were no thoughts of training anymore. His father lay unconscious, wires and IV's going in and out of his skin, over and under the light sheet that covered his torso and lower body. He didn't move, didn't speak, he didn't even look his way.
Jist'in kneeled down next to the bed and placed his forehead on his fathers resting hand. He forced back tears and tried his hardest not to cry. His father was beaten, and badly, and no one knew why, or how. Jist'in screamed at the nurse who entered the room to tell him now was not the time to visit him, and that he should come back later.
"I'm not leaving until I find out who did this. When one of you can tell me that, I'll leave..." His hand reached out to the notebook that was placed on the table. The nurse understood what Jist'in was getting at and gasped a little bit before hurriedly rushing out the door. A doctor was about to enter the room, only to be stopped by the fleeing nurse.
"Dad...who did this to you...? Please don't die...please..." His voice cracked and the tears couldn't be held back now. His mother entered the room, and put her arm around her son. It killed her to watch her son cry like this, almost as much as it did to see her husband like that. She whispered reassuring comments to her little boy as he sobbed, and eventually, helped him stand up.
"Come on, Jist'in, let your father sleep. We'll come back later, I promise. Let's just go home and think this through. The medical staff here is..."
"Incompetent!" He shouted. He pulled himself away from his mothers hold, and sat on the chair next to his father's bed. He buried his head in his hands, his fingers idly toying with his long, dark hair. He would get whoever did this to his father.
"Mother, whoever did this will pay. I'll make them. I'll get back Kru'stin, and I'll destroy whoever hurt father. I promise."
His mother was taken aback. She couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her son's mouth. Never before had she heard him speak so ruthlessly about another person. It frightened her. She didn't speak another word, simply turned on heel and walked out the door, tears streaming down her face.
Jist'in sat there for hours, face buried in his hands, as he contemplated the day. Why had something like this happened? How did ANYONE beat his father? His jutsu's were more powerful than anybody else's. And yet, this battle ended in his opponents favor. Someone out there was strong. Very strong. Beating Daifu was something many assassins have tried, yet all failed. While these thoughts were mulling through Jist'in's head, his ears missed the approaching footsteps, and didn't notice anyone else was in the room until he heard a mans voice.
"Ahh...shame, shame..." came a voice from out of nowhere. His eyes moved from his hands as he looked at the new presence in the room. Standing before him was a ninja from a different village, one that had left many years before, and Jist'in had only seen him a few times. The man looked down at Jist'in and placed his hand on his head, then looked back at Daifu.
Jist'in looked at the man, shocked, before finally getting up the courage to speak.
"Uncle Ich'eal...why are you here?"
Chapter 4: The Truth
"Ah, it's no surprise. I heard my brother was hospitalized, so naturally I came to his side. The question is; why are you being so vengeful?" He spoke the whole time with a smile on his face, still not moving his hand from his nephews head. He gave it a rub, which messed up his hair, then bent over to examine the wounds that covered Daifu's face and neck.
"Someone injured my father. I can't just let something like that go. I've trained my entire life to one day take over the reigns of protecting this village. I didn't plan for it to be so soon, but my father clearly can't fight like this...wait a minute!" he pointed a finger at his uncle. "You're a ninja too! Mom told me! Help me! Help me track down the people who did this to my father!"
Ich'eal didn't say anything. It almost appeared as if he wasn't even listening to the boy. He was leaning down over the fallen body of his brother. He studied the wounds that HE knew he had inflicted. The only thing in his mind was 'how?' No matter, thought Ich'eal. He had him where he wanted him now, and no one could stop his plan from succeeding. He raised his hand up to his brother's head, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He stopped and smiled at Jist'in.
"Jist'in. Let me tell you a story. Out there in the world, there are people with abilities. But not just normal abilities, abilities that they haven't even mastered, that make anything you can do, or I can do, pale in comparison. And some of those people are evil. Some of them don't care if you're a small boy, with aspirations of protecting this village. They will kill you, and kill everyone you associate with. Is that the type of responsibility you wish to have on your hands? Knowing that with every death, the blood that piles up is on your hands?"
"What? I don't...understand..."
"You're too young to understand, young Jist'in. One day, though, you will. You'll want to renounce any responsibility you have. Because some people..." He placed his hand on his brother's forehead, putting more pressure than Jist'in could see. "...have nothing to live for."
"Uncle Ich'eal, the person who did this to my father will pay. They'll have no choice. My father and I went up to the Buddha shrine last summer, and one of the monks told me that I was a..."
Before he could finish his sentence, however, yells emanated from the hallway. His eyes diverted from his uncle, and Jist'in looked at the hallway. He could hear the footsteps getting closer, and was about to walk over and shut the door. Before he could, however, a foot stuck itself just inside the door frame, stopping him from shutting the door. He couldn't shut the door, and wasn't expecting a doctor to lower his shoulder into the door, followed by the village's police force. Jist'in fell backwards, landing on his tailbone, and let out a cry of pain."
"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch! Hey, would you guys calm down! My father's trying to sleep!"
One of the ninja police force thrust his arm underneath the arm of Jist'in and pulled him out from in front of the group, away from his father.
"Where is he? Where did he go?" They were all looking into the room, kunai drawn and waiting.
"Who? Who are you talking about, there's no one in here but myself, my father and my uncle..."
They opened the closet doors and searched underneath the bed. Pulling the couch away from the wall, still, there was no sign of Ich'eal...he had vanished. One of the doctors pulled Jist'in to the side, and took a deep breath, before peering at him from under his bushy white eyebrows.
"Son, let me tell you something about your uncle Ich'eal. A long time ago, he was a ninja in this village, but..."
"No! Don't tell him...let me..."
A gasp filled the air, as everyone's eyes looked over at their guardian. He had awoken from his unconscious state, and was peering over at the group of doctors and police force. His eyes, however, were stuck firmly on his son. His hand waved weakly, beckoning his son to come over. Jist'in wrestled his arm from the grip of the doctor. He pulled the chair over to face his father's bed, and took his hand in his.
"Father...what happened? Who did this to you?"
Daifu took a deep breath, and then clenched his hand around that of his sons.
"It was your Uncle Ich'eal..."
Chapter 5: The Flashback
"Class! Class, be settled! It's time to begin. Daifu! Ich'eal! Put that student down! He is not a toy with which you can tamper! Ugh, I swear, if you two weren't at the top of the class, I would personally kick both of you out!" The teacher adjusted her classes, taking note that none of her threats were being recognized by any of the students. She clapped her hands together, and her fingers went to work, motioning a few of the seals needed to unlock her technique's potential. After the combination of Hebi, Ryu, Osagi, and Hebi, she clasped her fingers together and opened her mouth.
Her scream resonated. The shockwaves from her yelling took to the eardrums of the students, who all clasped their hands around their ears, and fell to the floor. The teacher, once order was restored, released her hands from their positions, and the yelling slowly died down.
"Finally! You students are almost 18 years old! You think you would have learned a little bit of discipline. I don't remember our CURRENT Guardian ever being this loud in class, and I was in his class for 6 years!"
"Ho-boy, here comes more of her stupid "The-Guardian-Is-So-Great,-Did-I-Mention-I-Was-In-His-Class" stories." Ich'eal whispered over to his brother as they both stumbled to retake their seats. Daifu couldn't help but snicker, which received a nasty snarl from the teacher in the middle of her story. Fortunately for the two, the story was cut short by a knocking at the door. The teacher glared at the door, before her eyes opened wide and she suddenly became flustered.
"I daresay! I forgot to tell you why we're even meeting today!"
"Because it's class-time, and we need to learn?" Yelled Ich'ael from his spot in the back of the room, causing once more Daifu to snicker and cover his mouth.
The reason we're here today is not to study, for you are approaching your final examination next week! Rather, the Guardian has announced to the council he is ready to take an apprentice."
"What? The Guardian is going to retire?" Shouted one of the students in the front. All eyes in the classroom quickly turned, falling on the rambunctious duo in the back. Everyone knew that they were the best in the class, and if the Guardian was going to pick any of them, it was going to be one of them. Daifu waved a hand, shrugging off the possibility.
"Psh, I don't want it. You can have it Ich'eal." Daifu stifled a yawn before lowering his head down to his desk. Ich'eal, however, stared straight forward, his breathing became rapid, and he forced down a huge gulp. This was the moment he had been waiting for his whole life. His mouth was dry, and he didn't even bother trying to wet it. His eyes were stuck to the teachers hand, as it reached down to open the door. He gasped slightly as the Village Guardian, Unigake Kibba stepped into the room.
"Good morning, class!" Bellowed the large framed man, one large, calloused hand waving towards the class. The constant use of fire-techniques had melted the pores on his hand and fused them together, making his hands tight, and leathery like a mitt. However, his smile was contagious, and Ich'eal could do nothing but smile back.
"Well, I'm sure you all want to get back to your lessons, so I'll be short and sweet. The Council and I have decided that it was time one of YOUR classmates became my apprentice, for the day I should retire. They, as well as your teachers and I, agree that there is not much more we can teach this student. So, everyone, please show respect for the future village guardian…Manade Daifu!"
Hands clapped together, and a few close friends of Daifu gave a few well rounded whoops and hollers. No one, however, noticed Ich'eal biting down on an already bleeding tongue.
Chapter 6: The Discovery
Six months have passed from the day Daifu was named Village Apprentice. Daifu has quickly become the talk of the town, with people constantly asking him for favors and asking him to take their missions. Daifu was kind enough to take these missions on top of his studies and training, which soon made the people of the village love him. Ich'ael, however, wasn't so convinced. They had grown apart in the last six months, with a terrible case of jealousy blanketing their previous friendship.
Ich'ael sat alone in his own personal hideout, in a large wooden chair which resembled a throne. His fingers tangled with each other, and he rested his nose on his fingers. His eyes stared blankly at the door, never blinking. Finally, a turn of the door handle, and in walked a very shy, very shaken person. Ich'eal's eyes pierced the older man, and he motioned a hand for him to stand before him. The man lowered his eyes to the ground and stood their, before falling to his knees and kneeling before Ich'eal.
"Please, just return my family safely! I don't care what you do to me, take me instead of them." The man's tears mixed with the dirt on the uncovered ground. His eyes were clenched shut tightly.
"I can't do that. Your family has offered to serve me in exchange for their lives. They stay of their own free will, however. They sought power, and I have given it to them." He stood up from his chair, and slowly began walking over to the man. Hearing his movement, the man pushed up off the ground, and pulled open his jacket, revealing a bomb strapped to his chest.
"LET THEM GO, ICH'EAL, OR I WILL KILL US BOTH!" He shouted. His eyes changed to that of a man with purpose, wide open and furious. His hand shot to his pocket, and he pulled out the remote detonator, and placed his thumb on the button. He waved it in front of Ich'eal, challenging him to take another step. "DON'T THINK I WON'T! I'LL KILL MYSELF BEFORE MY FAMILY SERVES YOU!"
Ich'eal shrugged his shoulders and gave the man a shrewd smile. He turned his back to the man and opened a door located behind his throne. Out of the shadows in this dimly lit room stepped three people. One was a woman, roughly the same age as the man with the bomb. Beside her were her two twin children in their teens. When Ich'eal stepped away from the door, the two children matched him step by step, followed by their mother, who stepped in front and took her place next to Ich'eal.
"Ask them yourself. They serve me of their own free will, now. I have given them power and ability beyond what you can give them as their father and husband." Ich'eal waved his hand to allow the three to engage the other member of their family. The husband started crying again when his wife's face entered the light, and his fingers dropped the detonator. He opened his arms and began walking to his wife to hug her.
"Stop. Do not come any closer or I'll kill you." She said, holding both arms straight forward. In the middle of her palms were two holes, which ran a tube to her central nervous system. A small electrical current ran over her hands before dissipating on her flesh.
"Sakuraba…what's wrong, it's me, Gobi. Your husband. Why are you acting like this…?" He took another step, and there was a flash behind the woman. The twins had shot forward, on either side of their father, and grasped his arms. Despite being smaller than their elder father, they held him with ease. They forced him to his knees, and one hand clutched his hair, holding his face straight forward, facing his wife.
She took one step towards the bomb, and placed her hand on it. She closed her eyes and gave a low moan.
"I can feel the current running through the bomb, Gobi. It feeds me, and I need it to make myself more powerful." And with those words, the sound of rushing air filled the room. The tubes on his wife's hands used the energy circulating through her central nervous system to act like an electricity magnet, which drew the power circulating around the bomb into her own energy system. She gave a gasp as the power filled her, and the bomb suddenly shut off, having no power source.
Gobi's eyes opened wide, shocked as he watched the power his wife no had, and suddenly began hyperventilating. Her hand moved away from the bomb, and slowly moved up to her husbands face. He tried to get away, but the twins holding him down made it so he couldn't move at all. Ich'eal sat behind all the action, with a smile on his face.
"The best part, Gobi, is that I can release all the energy I just took back into another subject. In this case, sweetheart…it's you…" Her fingers clutched his face tightly, squeezing his cheeks to the point where his mouth was slightly open. The opening on her palm was placed on his lips, and she let out a sigh. "It'll be over soon."
Suddenly, however, there was a flash behind all the action. Ich'eal's eyes narrowed into slits as he watched the happenings. Three quick blows later, and the twins and the woman dropped to the floor, unconscious. Gobi fell to the floor on all fours, before turning onto his back and looking at his savior. His eyes opened wide when he saw him, and he scurried out of his way.
"Ich'eal. How long has this been going on? Why do you have a hideout like this? Why did you control these people?"
"Daifu, you naïve bastard. I did no such thing. They asked to serve me. They wanted more power." Ich'eal stood from his throne, and pulled out a kunai from his sash.
"Ich'eal. As apprentice of the Guardian of our village, and spokesman for our council, I hereby ban you from our village. You are no longer welcome among us. Your kidnapping people from foreign villages will stop, and you will be executed." Daifu moved forward into the light, and you could see, very clearly, that he was crying. "But before all that happens, Ich'eal…I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS!"
Ich'eal's eyes opened wide in shock, as Daifu suddenly disappeared in front of him. Fast, Ich'eal thought, and jumped forward to the spot where Daifu was. He spun his body, so his back faced the earth, and he slashed his kunai out. Daifu's kunai slashed against it, and his feet pushed off again, and he was gone. Ich'eal flashed his hand backwards, which grasped onto the wrist of Daifu as he appeared behind him. Using his momentum, Ich'eal pulled himself over Daifu's body, and two fingers moved in front of his lips.
"Bed of Roots Technique." He whispered, and from the ground shot up tree roots, which grasped onto Daifu's body. Around his wrist, neck, and torso, roots pulled him down to the earth. Daifu let out a gasp as he struggled with his kunai to release himself from the roots, but to no avail. The ground began splitting, and started to pull his body into the earth.
Ich'eal's body landed in front of the bed of roots, and he knelt down in front of his brother.
"Poor Daifu. With you out of the way, and the village guardian being older, there is no way they will be able to stop my invasion of the village. I've been gathering stray ninja and converting normal humans into experiments and mutants for six months. I will, eventually, dominate the village that shunned me! I should have been the apprentice! Not you! I'm the talented one! You're nothing! Look how easily I defeated you! And next your puny village will fall!"
There was a flash of metal, and a kunai rest on the side of Ich'eal's neck. His eyes widened in surprise, and watched as the Daifu that lay in front of him in his trap, suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke and fire.
"Fire clone…!" Whispered Ich'eal, before lowering his head to acknowledge he was defeated. On his neck, however, he felt a drop of wetness. His hand reached back to wipe it away, and got hit with another. He slowly turned his head, and watched as his brother stood, dominate over him, yet crying profusely. The kunai dug into Ich'eal's skin, before Daifu pulled it away. He knelt over the fallen woman and scooped her up on his back, then grabbed each twin under an arm, then walked to the door. Ich'eal stared at him shocked, before Daifu stopped in front of the door.
"Run away, Ich'eal. Flee to the mountains, or another village, and never come back. Abandon your studies, abandon your ambitions and dreams. You've been defeated today, but I cannot kill my brother. If I ever see your face again, however…" He turned his head to face his brother, still crying, yet with a look of hate and anger. "…I will burn every cell in your body!" And with those words, Daifu opened the door and vanished into the night.
Ich'eal sat, shocked. He looked over his hideout, looked at his throne, and then back to the door. He gave a shake of his head and shrugged his shoulders. Suddenly, he began laughing, uncontrollably, and simply shouted as loud as he could.
"NO!"
Chapter 7: Fate?
Jist'in stepped away from his father's bed. The story took him by surprise. The uncle everyone had always told him had such great potential before he vanished. Apparently, the Council had decided to keep the secret of Ich'eal's illegal research and the eventual mutiny of one of their finest ninja's under close guard. Jist'in reached out, grabbing onto the notepad and pen he always carried with him, and placed the tip against the rough paper.
"Tell me, father, everything you know about my Uncle's techniques. Obviously they are Earth related, but what are the ways he uses them, mostly?"
And with those questions, his father opened up, telling him all the secrets of his uncle's techniques that he knew before the time of his punishment. The motions needed to do most of his techniques, and most of all, how dangerous each of them were. When they were finished talking, Jist'in had nearly filled 3 pages. A look of concern grew over his face, but the feeling of nervousness couldn't overcome the feeling of anger. His uncle had kidnapped his sister and tried to kill his father twice, all in fits of jealousy.
Jist'in stood, moving the chair back to its original spot, and turned his back to his father. He let out a deep breath and began walking towards the door. Before he got to the handle, he father called out once more.
"Jist'in…is there no way to change your mind? Why not let me heal, and then go after him?"
"Father, I can't stand by while you get better. I love you dad, but I'm going to take care of this situation. This is my moment to show everyone they made the right decision choosing you over Ich'eal." The term uncle wouldn't come out of his mouth. His mind no longer registered his father's brother as a relative. He was only categorized as an enemy. His father let out a concerned sigh.
"I can already tell that nothing I say will change your mind. But Jist'in, if the situation gets out of control, and you can no longer handle it, promise me you will run. Whatever you do, Manade Jist'in, you must NOT use that technique. Do you understand me?"
Jist'in gave a small grunt in response, then opened the door and walked out. Outside, his mother stood waiting for him. She wrapped him up in her arms, her kimono covering him completely. She gave him a hugged that spoke volumes. She loved him, she would miss him, and good luck. They spoke no words. The hug broke, and he walked past his mother as she fled into the hospital to visit her father.
Jist'in stood in the middle of the village, looking at the small shops and the villagers. Today he would defend them, he would fight to save their lives, and they would be completely unaware. They only knew of the attack that had occurred. The Council had made sure no more details were leaked. The village was in shock that their Guardian had lost, and a murmur of fear and discontent filled their hearts.
"Be easy, my friends. Tonight, I shall calm the threat." Jist'in spoke only to himself. He closed his eyes and moved his hands in familiar ways. Hebi, Jyuu, Tao, Ubai, Tae-long, Shikon. When he had finished, his right hand began glowing a light blue color. That very hand gripped the pen he always carried, and began to draw, quickly. In no time at all, a large bird adorned the paper in the notebook. With his now glowing hand, he reached into the paper, and pulled it out. He threw the ink bird to the ground, and it vanished in a puff of smoke. In its place stood the very bird he drew, only much larger. It almost resembled a cross between an ostrich and a falcon, and at almost the size of a small vehicle, it towered over Jist'in. The bird lowered its head, and allowed Jist'in to climb on.
With a flap of it's now very feathery wings, the bird took off into the air. A few villagers looked on in amazement, having never seen the young man in action. Jist'in's eyes glazed over the country side as the bird soared out of the village's borders, and towards the cavernous mountains where his father had told him Ich'eal would most likely be. His mind began racing with thoughts and what-ifs, but his hand gripped the pen tightly, and nodded his head in assurance to himself.
"Kru'stin…I'm coming…"
At the hospital, Daifu's bed stood surrounded by the Council members. The elder of the council stood in front of the group, clutching his gnarled staff which allowed the old man to keep his balance. He banged the staff down to quiet down the group. Daifu sat against his pillow, eyes closed, and didn't acknowledge their presence. Finally, the elder spoke up.
"You've sent him off, haven't you, Daifu? We thank you for continuing your duty to this village. The decision to send your son to battle Ich'eal…no, sending your son to his death…must have been a difficult decision. But it MUST be done for the good of our Village. Your son is simply too dangerous to allow to live!"
Daifu opened his eyes, and gave the group of elders a smile. Shaking his head, he gave a little sarcastic laugh as he addressed them.
"You don't get it, do you? I didn't send him off to his death."
The elder's eyes opened wide as murmur's moved through the group.
"What do you mean? You sent him after Ich'eal, didn't you? That was the plan. Ich'eal was to come and draw him away from the village and kill him. In return, we would give him a reprieve for his past sins, and be off our "Hunted List."'
Daifu's face expressed shock, and his mouth dropped open. He pointed a finger at the group, and then curled his finger into the fist he made.
"You…HIRED Ich'eal to kill my son?"
"We had too, Daifu. If you decided to go against our wishes, we needed someone who can battle you efficiently. He's the only one roughly near your strength."
"But he KIDNAPPED my daughter!"
"Yes, most unfortunate. However, we had words on that, and decided that your daughter has your blood as well. We can take no chances. If she doesn't return, that, too, will be for the betterment of our village."
Daifu sat on his bed, shaking with fury and hatred. He processed all this new information in his head, before leaning back on his pillow and giving a laugh.
"Nah. No need to worry. He'll return."
The elder tilted his head to the side and looked inquisitively at Daifu.
"What, exactly, do you mean?" Suddenly, his thoughts came together and he realized the only situation. "You….already taught him that technique? His body accepted it?"
"Not only did his body accept it, elder, but he can do it quickly and efficiently, and survive."
"That was very reckless of you, Daifu! He could destroy our village with the technique!"
Daifu shook his head, then closed his eyes and pulled the blanket back up his body.
"No. Jist'in is Jist'in. He's not a weapon of war like you made both me and my predecessor. Jist'in will win." He waved his hand, dismissing the council.
Chapter 8: The Fight
"Kai." Whispered Jist'in as his bird disappeared in a puff of smoke. He stood alone on a cliff on the mountainside, staring downward at the patrol and guards that he had bypassed by flying over them. None of them questioned a bird flying high, although a few did perform a few long ranged techniques to try and shoot it down for fun. Jist'in would simply command the bird to soar higher, and they would miss, or fall terribly short.
He turned to the mountain face, and stared into the large opening on the cliff face. There was no question about it anymore. He could feel his target's evil aura pulsing from deep in the cavernous mountain. He held his notebook and pen at the ready, and proceeded to make his way into the darkness of the cave. However, he didn't get more than a few steps before a voice stopped him.
"Manade Jist'in, I presume?" said the voice of a young girl. Jist'in turned on heel quickly, with his pen already on the paper. The young girl wasn't facing him, however, she was looking over the ledge, down to the earth below. She was young, younger than Jist'in. She had shoulder length blond hair that dipped in front of her face as she peered down the cliff-side. The most interesting feature, however, was a lace-lined red dress which she wore, complete with white gloves, and a parasol.
"Eh? Who are you, and when did Church get out?" He spoke in a very condescending tone to her. She whirled around and placed both hands on her hips and made a mean face. She started stomping towards him, shaking her finger and wrinkling her nose.
"How very rude of you! This is my favorite dress! Ugh, you men have no sense of style! Take that back, right now!"
"What? No! Wait, I don't have time for this..." Jist'in turned his back and began walking back into the darkness of the cave. He shook his head with disbelief, raising a hand to wave good-bye to the crazy little girl. Suddenly, something reached out and grabbed a hold of his wrist, stopping him from going any further.
"Sorry, Jist'in. You caused quite a disturbance in the hide-out by getting up to this cliff without alerting any of our guards, or Ich'eal-sama." She held in her hands a whip, complete with very sharp thorns, except for the end of it which held onto Jist'in's wrist. Both hands were holding the whip, which made up for her lack of physical strength. "It appears that I'm gonna be your opponent."
Jist'in had yet to turn around, but he shook his wrist free from the whip. He shook his head, before slowly turning around to face her.
"Look, I don't have time to mess around with...huh?" She was gone. Jist'in's eyes darted left and right, but she was nowhere to be found. Jist'in was just considering shrugging her off, when he felt the kick hit him in the chin, sending him into the air and then down on his back.
"Ground Absorb Technique!" She yelled, landing smoothly on the ground with a back-flip from her upwards jump kick. She dusted off her red dress, and gave the peace sign to Jist'in as he struggled to stand up. "You shouldn't take me lightly, Jist'in. I was raised by your uncle to be a fighter. You're gonna be my first live prey!"
Jist'in wiped the blood from his mouth, and pushed himself off the ground. Twirling his pen around his finger, he began drawing on his notebook paper. It only took a moment, then he twirled his pen and put it back in his pocket.
"Very well. I can't waste too much time, but I'll play with you."
"Yay! You've made me happy!" She jumped up in celebration of the challenge, then began spinning her whip in a small circle. "Feel free to come at me at any time!"
"Done!" Jist'in replied, and his hands went through those familiar motions. Hebi, Jyuu, Tao, Ubai, Tae-long, Shikon. Once again, a blue glow took over his hand. He quickly flipped to the last page, pulling a kunai out from the back page. The young girl watched in amazement and pointed at his notebook.
"So that's how you do it! You draw it, and use your body's energy to make inanimate objects a reality! Brilliant!"
"You're smart for such a little girl!" Jist'in retorted, rushing towards her with his kunai drawn. Her whip shot out to slow him down, which he deflected. He lowered his body to get more momentum, then leaped into the air. As he came down with the Kunai, once again her body moved downward, absorbing into the dirt. Jist'in's kunai landed on the soft ground, causing no effect to the young girl.
"Dance of the Fern!" Came from beneath the earth. Her thorny whip came shooting out, catching Jist'in by surprise. He was able to move out of the way a little bit, but the thorn's still managed to graze him. Blood dripped off his cheek and onto the ground and Jist'in stepped back to regain his footing. A small circle in the ground began to move as if it was made of water, and the young girl slowly rose up from the ground, arms crossed over her chest, as she reeled in the thorny whip.
"I got to do something about you going into the ground constantly..." Jist'in said, out loud, to the girl. His mind was calculating, though, the best possible plan for the situation.
"There's nothing that you CAN do, silly...hee hee..." she said. She began flailing her whip wildly, around in a figure eight pattern, which provided a small amount of defense with her offense. She began running towards Jist'in at full speed, and he was forced to use his kunai to deflect the blows. Finally, on one of her low sweeps with the whip, Jist'in used the opening to leap into the air after deflecting it, and threw his kunai at her.
"Ground Absorb Technique!" The words escaped her mouth quickly, and she slid back into the earth. Jist'in landed where she was once standing with a thud, and dropped his notebook to the earth in front of him. He place both hands on his hips, and simply waited. A minute passed. Then another. Finally, from directly in front of him, in the darkness of the cave, he heard her.
"Bullet Whip!" She cried, and the whip shot towards Jist'in's forehead at full speed. He had been waiting for it, and tilted his head to the side, letting it glide past. His hand, however, reached up, grabbing the whip and it's thorns. He grimaced as the thorns dug into his skin, piercing and tearing at his flesh. He pulled at it, and the young girl slowly walked back into his line of vision.
"Tee hee...see? There's nothing you can do about this technique!"
"You're wrong." Jist'in said. The young girls eyes shot open.
"What do you mean?" She asked, not frantically pulling on her whip. She didn't know what he was trying to do, but wasn't going to wait around to find out. However, Jist'in had a firm grip on the whip, and she couldn't pull it loose.
"You see, girl, to summon an attack animal, I can't simply reach in and pull it out. I have to sacrifice something of myself. I have to draw it fully, then I have to give it a drop of my blood. The more blood of mine, the more powerful it is."
"And what does that have to do with my whip and techniques?" Jist'in smiled at her, then lowered his eyes to face the ground.
"You've given me all the blood I need." The young girl looked at his feet, where his notebook lay. Her eyes widened, and she let out a scream as a large feline-type beast crawled from the opening created on the piece of paper in front of him. She couldn't let go of her whip in time, so she tried to slip her technique in, trying to slide into the ground. However, just as she started to sink, Jist'in grabbed the whip with both hands and tugged hard on it, and she came out of the ground, flying towards both him and the feline creature.
Jist'in used his momentum to turn his back on the scene, and he heard her scream as she flew towards the monster's open mouth. The screaming stopped suddenly, as the sound of gnashing teeth took its place.
"Raion Unari no Jutsu." Whispered Jist'in, as he bent down to pick up his notebook. The feline monster stood still as his summoner walked away, then slowly vanished into thin air.
Chapter 9: The Reunion
Jist'in ran his hand along the wall, guiding himself further into the dark cave. He had encountered very few guards, most of whom were quickly dispatched. Jist'in was in no position to waste time, and every second counted. From the story his father told him, there was a chance that Ich'eal may have already used his mind takeover technique to brainwash Kru'stin. As the thought of Ich'eal even kidnapping a young girl passed through his head, his anger rose. He picked up the pace, moving through the cave a little faster.
Finally, before him, the small path through the cave exploded into a very large cavern. The ground was flat, as if it had been paved, and on the far end was a light. Jist'in squinted his eyes to see what the source of the light was, and gave a small grunt of understanding once he identified it. Across from him, about 200 yards away, stood a small wooden door, with two torches on either side of it. Other than that, the room was completely empty.
"Well, if there is a trap set, now would be as good a time as any to actually use it." Jist'in said out loud, despite speaking to no one. He began twirling his pen around his fingers like he always did when he began to get nervous. Gathering courage, he inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, then proceeded to walk across the large cavern. Each step came down timidly, as if a trap was going to shoot out of the ground, and cause some sort of injury to him.
However, there were no traps, and he before long he stood before the wooden door. He saw light flickering beyond the door from the small gap between the bottom of the door and the floor. He pressed his ear to the door, and heard nothing. He could feel him, though. Ich'eal was behind this door. Jist'in gave himself a quick pep talk in his head, then grabbed the door and pushed it open with a tremendous amount of force. The door smashed into the opposite wall and came off its top hinge.
"ICH'EAL!" Jist'in yelled at the top of his lungs. His eyes scanned the room, and sure enough, directly across from him was what appeared to be a small throne. It was seated on a rising set of 4 steps, which eventually lead up to this wooden chair, surrounded by torches and candles. Jist'in walked over to the steps and scaled them, and stood in front of the chair. Ich'eal was nowhere to be found, it seemed.
"Koudu Ori no Jutsu!" yelled a voice, and Jist'in turned around quickly. But it was too late! Large roots shot up from the ground and encircled him, building themselves around him, forming a cage with very small holes for vision outside of it. Jist'in pulled his kunai from the back of his sash and began slashing at the roots. However, every slash he made in the roots quickly healed back over as if no damage had been done at all. Jist'in realized the futility and quickly stopped slashing to save his energy.
"So, my nephew decided to come after all." came the voice again. Jist'in placed his eye to one of the small holes, and he saw his Uncle using the same technique the girl he had just fought had used. He rose out of the ground as if he was on a lift, on arm was crossed over his stomach, while the other arm bent at the elbow, and covered his smiling mouth, as if amused by the whole situation.
"Ich'eal, where's my sister?" Jist'in demanded. His fingers curled around the small openings, and the blood from his recently cut hands mixed with the dirt from the roots. Ich'eal shrugged his shoulders and laughed.
"Maybe she's safe…maybe she's not? Who knows? My job was only to kill you."
"Eh? Your 'job?' You mean you were hired to do this? By whom?" Jist'in's grip on the cage lessened as he realized someone was plotting against him. His brain went into overdrive trying to figure it out. Did someone have a hidden agenda against him? Or was someone out for revenge, much like Ich'eal and his father, Daifu, quarreled over the Guardian Apprentice spot.
"Oh, poor, poor Jist'in. Alright, I'll tell you." Ich'eal walked closer to the cage and leaned in as close as he could. With an evil smile on his face, he whispered the conspirator's name. "It was your village's council!" And with that Ich'eal exploded into laughter.
Jist'in lowered his head. His fingers slipped off the cage, and dropped limp to his side. He could hear Ich'eal's echo reverberating inside his cage, but that didn't matter. His own village had set him up. But why? What had he done? All he did was study to be as good a ninja as his father, to protect the village intruders and enemies. The most important question, though, was why did his father send him off on this mission? Surely, as the Council spokesman, he would have known about this plot! And yet, his father sent him anyways.
And then it hit him. A smile curled on his lips, and he began laughing. Ich'eal stopped laughing, and looked to the cage with a confused look.
"Is this your idea of a joke, Jist'in?"
"No. I get it now. My father knew of this plot the whole time. To send me out here and to have you kill me, that was the council's agenda. But my father let me go on this mission for another reason."
Ich'eal looked amused, as he sat down on his throne and stared at his earth cage, which housed his nephew.
"Oh? And what reason is that?"
Suddenly, the cage of earth exploded. The roots and bark went flying outwards with no warning, leaving smoke and debris everywhere in the room. Ich'eal raised his hands to protect his face from the explosion, and when he finally got a chance to look, he was shocked.
"What!" shouted Ich'eal. Standing before him, with his pen and notepad ready, was a very energized looking young boy, whose aura of confidence almost made it so Ich'eal could barely recognize him.
"Because I can BEAT you, Uncle!"