Chapter 4

-Destination

7 Years later…

"Shibaru today is the day." I tell my mentor.

"Well Ikari…It's been a long seven years. You're finally old enough and I hate to see you go but I know it's your destiny."

"Yes. Thank you for teaching me everything. Now I must carve out my own path and kill those two monsters…"

"You've never been the emotional type hm?" Shibaru asks while scratching his blonde beard.

"Not after that day seven years ago. My emotions were sanded down to nothing." I say while closing my eyes.

i" Ikari, I know this is scary but you need to be strong right now. We're going to get you out of this I promise you."/i Kikoro…

i""You'll have to go through us first!"/i I miss them so much…

i"I-Ikari…p-please! Ru-!"/i Blood everywhere…

i" Remember…Kekkei Dota…/i Death…

I clench my fist and stare at it before going back to packing my things. I pull out my map and look over it once more before throwing it in with my other supplies. After preparing my things, I'm ready to go. This day marks the beginning of a long awaited journey.

"Come back and visit sometime eh Ikari?" Shibaru says to me while patting my back. "You've matured into a fine young man. I still can't believe it's been seven years since I took you in. I found you alone in the forest…and felt so bad for you. Ahh but I digress…Good luck on your journey Ikari."

I give him a quick nod before opening the door and stepping out into the fresh sunlight. The picture of the map flashes in my mind and I pull out a compass to head southeast. My first destination is cloud territory. I've still yet to figure out what Kekkei Dota is. Those were the last words my brother told me to remember. I haven't exactly ventured outside this little shack and everyone I've asked has no idea what I'm talking about. I know that Kekkei Touta is the ability to possess three chakra natures so maybe it could be related to that. Who knows, it could be anything.

As I continue venturing through the forest, I turn around to notice Shibaru's shack disappears from my sight. These forests are all too familiar to me but after a few hours of walking, the landscape begins to change from forestland to mountainous. I check my compass and notice it's going haywire. I have to be near the cloud village that means. I see a donkey caravan and head towards the man leading the cart.

"Sir. Do you know where the Cloud Village is?" I ask.

"Who wants to know?" He replies harshly.

"I don't have time for your bullshit. Now I'll ask again, where is it?"

"Why should I tell you? You're an asshole."

I instantly turn around while shaking my head and head back the way I was going. The compass is still going crazy so I decide to pull out my map and look at it. My thinking is stopped when I run into something and bounce back landing on my rear.

"Watch where you're going." The figure and I say at the same time.

"Hn." I grunt while picking up my map and standing back up. "Could you possibly tell me where the cloud village is?" I say, irritated that I haven't found the place already.

As I ask this, the person turns around and faces me. It's a girl with long flowing brunette hair that reaches her legs, white pale eyes, a very suggestive outfit and a headband with symbols resembling clouds around her waist.

"Who wants to know?" She says with attitude.

Ok if someone says that one more time I swear I'll…nevermind.

"If you're not going to tell me then I'll find it myself." I dully say.

"You don't have a headband. Why is that?" She asks curiously.

"What's it to you?"

She scoffs, "Don't give me that attitude."

"Oh you mean the same one you gave to me. Sorry I was just returning the favor."

"You got a lot of nerve!" She says getting up in my face, so close I feel her warm breath on my cheeks.

I give her a neutral look and keep my ground, "Look, either help me or not. It's your choice otherwise I'll find the damn place on my own."

"What's wrong with you?! That's not how you treat a lady." She begins to lean in so close that she falls forward and lands on top of me. Instantly I feel my face get warm and my eyes shoot to the left, avoiding her stare.

She scrambles to her feet, "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry…I uh…Hey you're blushing!"

"Look I'll just go now…" I say as I begin to walk around her.

"Now wait a minute. I can help you if you tell me what it's for."

I close my eyes and let out a sigh, "I'd rather not."

"Well then I guess I can't allow you in my village."

"Look I possess a blood trait called Kekkei Dota. I don't know what it is but I need to find out information about it. Please."

"Hmm…It sounds promising but I don't know."

I sigh again, "Look I lost two people close to me over my blood trait. I need to figure out why."

"You don't seem like a menace to the village. So I suppose, but I'll have to keep a close eye on you."

"Deal."

After going up a mountain slope and walking across a plateau for a while we come to what I assume is the village. It sits upon multiple mountaintops with clouds surrounding the entire place. A basin holds the water in like a big bowl accompanied by natural rock formations of columns and arches. The place would be breathtaking if I cared but all I care about is finding out what I need to find out.

"Come on I'll take you to the Raikage." She says, still holding my hand as she leads me.

"You know it would be nice if I knew your name…" I solemnly say.

"Oh my I'm sorry, how could I forget to introduce myself? The name is Rayne Sayomi. What's yours?"

"Ikari Fukazi."

"I like that name Ikari." She says with a big grin. "Now come on."

She leads me through the busy village. People are walking past us and bump into us while carrying on with their business. Shops are conducting trade left and right. The murmur of conversations fills my ears as people go on with their daily lives. My village was never like this…It was never alive and vibrant.

Finally we come to a massive hulking building that overlooks the whole village. I assume it's the Raikage's office and we head on in past the registrar and right up the stairs to his office door.

She lets go of my hand and says, "Ok he's a bit intimidating at first but he's just a big teddy bear."

"Uh. Ok." I say following her into the office.

"Hello A!" She says taking a seat upon his desk.

"Hello Ray-." He stops and eyeballs me before yelling, "Is this an outsider you've brought into our village!?"

"Oh hush. He needs our help."

"What could he possibly need help with?"

"If you're not going to help me at least let me scan your library…" I say.

"Hmph. Very well. But try anything funny and it'll be your head hanging above my desk!" He roars, trying to intimidate me.

"Come on A you don't have to be harsh on the kid. He's had a rough life." Rayne says, sympathizing with me.

"I just don't want any thing to happen, not right now. In fact since you brought him in, you can follow him around."

"Fine. It's better than listening to your hot head all day." She says while sticking her tongue out.

"Why you!" He screams just as the door closes to his office.

We exit the building and make our way towards the library. Since I'm not really in the talking mood it's a pretty silent trip. The library is fairly large and I immediately go to work on searching for the book I need. The girl…or might I say Rayne follows me around looking very bored as I look for what I need. Unsurprisingly I only find one book on the subject and sit down at a wooden desk as I read.

I look up at Rayne who looks bored to death at this point and say, "You can leave you know." I numbly say.

"I would but A would have my ass if he knew I left you to wander the village."

"Suit yourself…"

I shift my eyes back to my book and continue reading on. "The first ninja to ever possess…ever since the second shinobi war…has been known as a legend…" I continue reading and skip past the unneeded information until I finally come across the definition. "Kekkei Dota is the blood trait caused by a mutation in the DNA that allows the body to possess all five chakra natures." I read aloud before shutting the book closed.

"You just found out what it is and you're not happy? Come on this is what you've been looking for." Rayne says.

I give her a blunt look before setting the book aside, "Now I know what I must do."

"Which is…?"

"Who's the strongest ninja in your village?"

"What? Why?"

I push on the desk, sliding my chair back. Then I make for the exit with Rayne following close behind.

"Hey, I asked you a question." She says grabbing my arm and spinning me around.

"You can be a nuisance some times…" I coldly say.

She gives me an offended look, "You sound like someone I know…"

"Unless he's proficient in using lightning release, I don't care." Turning back around for the door.

"You know…I lost someone close to me too."

For some unknown reason I stop walking and turn around to face her. Something…boils up inside me, something deep, something angry. "Are you trying to sympathize with me?" I say accusingly.

"Well…I just know how you feel."

"You know how I feel? You know exactly how I feel?"

"W-well yeah…"

"No. No. Don't you ever say you know how I feel. You don't know what it's like to lose two people you cared for your entire life. Who nearly taught you everything you knew. Who loved you so much that they would die for you and then have them ripped away in an instant. No, you do not know how I feel at all."

"You know what Ikari? How about you fuck off. You have no right to tell me what I know and what I don't know. You don't know the real me so how about you shut the hell up before you judge me!" She screams back, slamming the door on the way out.

I look around and notice everyone in the library staring at me so I exit the library too. Glancing around outside, I see no trace of Rayne. I shake it off and decide to find my own way around. The Raikage had a huge chakra signature so I guess I'll head back to him. Once again I make it into the Raikage's building and head back into his office. As I arrive his face turns into that of a bull's as he slams his palms on his desk and grits his teeth. The pure force is enough to shake the ground a bit. This guy must be strong.

"I leave you alone for fifteen minutes…and you decide to cause a scene like that in my village?! I could hear her scream from up here! Now you have two choices: A. You get out of my village this instant or B. I drive your head so deep into the ground you come out on the otherside of the world!" He says trying to keep his rage down.

"Sir, if you will please let me explain."

He puts his hand up, "I don't want to hear it. Choose right now because I'm getting pissed."

"Sir. Seven years ago my older brother and sister were murdered right before my eyes."

He puts his hand down, deciding to listen to my story.

"By my own parents…"

He sits down in his desk, putting his hands under his chin.

"Hmph. Go on…"

"All because I possess a blood mutation…The Kekkei Dota."

His eyes go wide and his jaw drops all at the same time, "K-kekkei Dota. That hasn't been heard of in…"

"I know, a long time. All I'm trying to do is perfect each chakra type so I can have the power to kill those two…Now I'm sorry I burst out at your…"

"Daughter."

"D-daughter. I'm not used to anyone trying to empathize me and I don't take it well."

"I'll make a deal with you. You apologize to her and do something nice for her and I will let you train with us."

"Wh-what?"

"What? Have you never done anything nice for anyone?"

"Well I uh…" I sigh, "A deals a deal. I'll do it."

"You seem like a nice kid. Don't disappoint me. Don't worry I won't speak of your situation to anyone else." He finishes, going back to his paperwork.

I walk back outside and try to locate Rayne. At this point she could be anywhere so I decide to begin my journey for the girl. I walk around the village aimlessly, half hoping she just magically shows up and half not caring. After an hour of wandering around the village I find myself at a park and look who just happens to be sitting on a bench alone…so I approach her with my hands in my pockets.

"Hey…" I say.

"What the hell do you want…?" She numbly says.

I stand there awkwardly before scratching my head and saying, "Look I don't know how these things work and I'm not much of a people person. But for what it's worth…I'm sorry and I was wondering if you would like to join me for dinner…"

She pushes her hair out of her face and looks up at me, "I guess I can go to dinner with an ass like you and I accept your apology." She playfully says. "So where are you taking me?"

"I uh…I have no idea. I'm new here, remember?"

"I'm just teasing you. I'll show you. I guess you need a place to stay too huh? You can crash at my place."

"Thanks…"

She gets up energetically as if nothing happened and proceeds to lead me to her place of residence. I walk in to her apartment to find a fairly tidy place. Not much to it besides a couch, T.V., kitchen, bathroom, and a bedroom.

"You can watch something while I get dressed. I figured since it's getting pretty late already we could grab an early dinner." She says as she walks into her room.

"Yeah."

I flip through the channels and find absolutely nothing so I decide to just turn it off and wait for her to get ready. I'm not lying when I say that it took her two hours to get ready. Finally she walks out wearing a black kimono like dress trimmed with red along with some other designs.

"You look…decent." I say, attempting at a compliment.

" Um…Thanks. Lets get going."

I look down at my clothing; I don't see anything wrong with it…but whatever. I just want to get this over with so I can get on with my main objective. We exit her apartment and I let her lead the way to whatever restaurant she's decided. I find myself in front of a small little restaurant with the smell of food wafting out of the front. We enter and quickly grab a booth when the waiter comes with some water and lets us look at the menu. I'm not exactly feeling hungry so I decide on some egg drop soup.

"I'll have the Oyako-Don." She orders, snapping something in my mind.

Mother's Oyako-Don…

"I-is something wrong Ikari?"

"N-no…nothing.

" Um S-so what can you tell me about your village? I never caught where you were from."

"I don't really want to talk about it."

"Oh. I'm sure it was a nice village though."

"Sure…"

"Did you have any siblings."

"Heh. They were the greatest…" I say while pushing my soup around and staring at it. "Always looking out for me…always caring for me…"

She puts two and two together, "Ikari…" She says placing a hand on mine. "They sound like the most amazing siblings ever. I'm sure they were so proud that they had you as a younger brother."

I move my hand away, "Thanks…"

"You don't talk much do you?"

"I don't really notice…"

"You're so quiet and reserved with dark intentions. I want to unlock the real you."

"Kind of weird for someone you just met…"

"I know but I want to help you Ikari."

"I can do it myself."

"Not without me to teach you lightning techniques."

"Hm?"

"I live in this village, what? You don't think I know lightning release?"

"I never really thought about it."

"Well I could show you a thing or two."

"Interesting."

"You haven't touched your food. Are you ok?"

"I'm not that hungry…I see you ate your food."

"Ha! I was starving!"

"Hn."

"It's getting a bit late don't you think? We should head back."

"I suppose."

I pay for the bill which is the right thing to do I think. Shibaru said something about that one time but I wasn't exactly paying attention. The nightlife of the village is definitely a change from the day. The lights hurt my eyes and give me a headache so I throw on the hood to my cloak and make it a goal to get back into the apartment as quick as possible while keeping my head down. Out of the corner of my eye I notice Rayne give me an almost sad and worried look but I ignore it. We make it to the apartment and just as she goes to unlock the door she stops and turns to me.

"I just wanted to thank you for taking me out tonight…it was really sweet for someone like you." She says giving me a kiss on the cheek, "You have great potential, you just need to unlock it."

Once again I feel my face get really hot and I notice Rayne giggle at it. I'm not used to affection like this at all so it's so foreign to me when I have to deal with it. She unlocks the door, goes into the closet and comes out with a handful of blankets and pillows.

"You'll have to sleep on the couch, I hope you don't mind."

I shrug, not caring at all. She sets up the couch for me and smiles before heading into her room for a second and coming back out wearing pajamas. "If you need anything just holler."

I nod and sit on the couch while kicking off my sandals, taking off my shirt and lying down, exhausted from today. "Goodnight Ikari." I hear her say from her room.