The Shark in The Abyss
Chapter 1
Running along the dunes that surround me with an endless expanse of white sand. As fast as my legs carry me as I look all around me in the distance hoping to spot my pursuers. Even with nothing to truly block my view across this massive expanse I still only get brief glimpses of them, but not enough to see what they look like. But I can still hear them in the distance.
Howling for me. For blood. My blood. Not taking any chances I keep running along the sand dune as I keep looking around with my eyes, while I use my new sense to look all around me from attempting to see my pursuers and all the transparent blue vapor in the surroundings from the air to the small grains of sand as it's drawn into me. As soon as it touches my skin it gets sucked in as the energy within me grows slightly more vivid.
It's trippy being able to see the new me in the third person with this, but it has proven itself useful in keeping me alive so far. Seeing a large white boulder sticking out of the sand I ran to it for cover. With my back against it I shuffle along it to the darker side of it so I can be in the shadows, hoping they won't see me letting the memories of using the shadows help guide me.
Might be for nothing, but maybe not since despite the white contrast of the sand the dark elongated shadows are that much darker as I seamlessly blend in with it even with my long silver white hair I see in my peripheral vision. I watch in the distance with both my eyes and the other sense as I attempt to at least get a glimpse of my pursuers.
I see nothing with my eyes, but an endless expanse of desert with dunes and the occasional rock or what looks like a white tree with no leaves in the distance with a seemingly eternal night with the moon present through it all. As Mr. Gibbs said it best, truly a god forsaken land. If I ever thought I had landed in hell, I would think this place would fit it rather well. Unfortunately, I know this isn't it.
As forsaken as this place may be it is a far cry from what hell will be like here. Looking out even further than my eyes can see I look around me all at once, which I could never before picture what that would look like until now. Despite how my eyes can see further than they could before and make out far finer details on things, this new sight has it beat by far.
I keep looking as I hope I can at least get a glimpse of one of them. I don't know how many are pursuing me, but with all the howls I think at least around four dozen. I expand my vision even further to have it halt at a black curtain before me as if everything from the desert to the sky itself just ceases to be only a black abyss remains. It would be ominous if not for me having a faint idea of what it is.
Waiting there for a few seconds as more of the blue vapor all around in the air, sand, and even the boulder as negligible as the energy in the sand and rock is, it gets absorbed into me all the same. The black abyss is pushed back as I see more of the land before my eyes as I see something finally. A long leg with a hoof at the end comes into my sight. Followed by two more appendages of different kinds coming into view as something else shoots forward ahead of the other three.
It is the head of a snake as I see the rest of its body. It has a skull with jagged uneven teeth coming from it that have a faint green hue to them. Another mask comes forth as a grinning visage with hundreds of eye sockets with small lights within them with two pincers jutting out of the cheeks as its body is in the form of a beetle the size of a motorcycle moving through the air with wings rapidly flapping.
The last being another hoof though shaggier with more hair on it and not as long while being much thicker. As the rest of its body steps past the abyss I now see it as the most intimidating looking of the group. It looks like a bear mixed with a porcupine and a moose as I see long thin spikes across its body along with a rather impressive rack of antlers on its head. It lumbers forward in a run huffing all the while at each step it makes.
The beetle flying slowly in the sky turns its head from left to right as it scans the area, while the first long slender leg I saw is connected by what I can only describe as a mix between a ram and a giraffe.
Though its face looks like a creepy attempt at copying the face of a chain chomp from Mario plastered onto a skull visage. Though its eye sockets remain empty like most of the others save for a yellow glow to emanate from it as it peers around as its overly long neck twists and turns unnaturally in ways a giraffe's neck never should as it bends and weaves in unnatural angles as it looks all around. I notice many small holes along the length of its neck which look odd, but then again, all these things do.
The snake is slithering across the sand at a breakneck pace as it flicks its overly long tongue out every now and again. I even see barbs along the tongue as it drips fluid off of it and as it touches the sand, I see smoke come from its contact with the sand as it sizzles. It sidewinds further and further from the group before slowing down as it seems to wait for the others. Are they a pack?
Feeling tense with my arms and legs slightly shaking. I could hold one off long enough so I could run but I doubt I can do all of them unless I had something to even the odds in my favor. All these hollows together I can't fight, maybe run but that is not a guarantee if they can surround me or outrun me.
Once the other hollows gained more ground and got closer to the snake, it started moving again albeit slower as I slowly moved along the boulder while hanging onto it like it's a lifeline as I lowered myself closer to the ground.
The others all follow behind it as I hear more cries of these things in the distance, which the bear and giraffe howl out in turn, making my body shiver at the ominous sound emanating from them as I move further along the boulder so they are on the other side of it and can't see me. That is creepy to hear, especially up close.
Memories flash before my eyes of hiding and waiting at ambush points for enemy shinobi or high value political targets. Focusing that killer instinct and learning to be calm and patient to settle any nerves. The rising fear of any of them spotting me fades away before it gets to a boiling point. These memories help calm me down before an eerie calmness overtakes me as if I have been in far worse situations than this personally as I settle down and the shaking fades away only being replaced by a firm resolve that smothers my fear.
As they all move past the boulder and never give any sign they see me as I continue to move myself around the edge of the boulder so I am always on the other side of it. Gripping the boulder with a vice-like grip as the bear comes the closest to me as it sniffs and grunts occasionally as it is right next to the boulder.
It looks at the boulder for a moment before stopping. As the tension mounts and I start to try and figure out the best way to drain this thing without getting stabbed or impaled on its spikes so I don't have to deal with it when I fight the others. It continues to sniff at the boulder for what felt like an agonizing eternity as I grit my teeth.
Eventually it looks away, breaking the tension and I release a silent sigh as it follows all the others as they are nearing the black abyss denoting the end of my sight at a large dune. I sag and sink against the boulder as a wave of relief comes over me.
However, I am stopped from my premature celebration at evading them. One seems to have stayed as I focus on it. The giraffe is still in the area, circling around looking everywhere and anywhere as its head moves around twisting like an owl while its neck bends and twists like a silly straw.
It does this for a few seconds more before stomping its front left hoof into the sand and huffs out a breath of air from its mouth as it seems not pleased at its inability to find me. It starts to quickly move after its companions and it's nearing the top of the dune as I get back up using the boulder to help me get up.
That's when it happened. The thing that made my heart sink. The part of the boulder I was holding onto broke off as I tried to catch it and instead of that I put my open palm against it and shove it against the boulder as it scraped along it while I cringed at what I just did. Audible but not overly loud.
However, it may as well have been a referee whistle going off in a monk's sanctuary. Not necessarily because of it being too loud, but because of how quiet it is in this place it makes most sounds stand out that much more. The giraffe stops as it is about to go over the dune. My eyes widen as I immediately leap away from the boulder seeing something hurling straight at me.
As I am still airborne, I see behind me as the boulder doesn't just break apart but more like it explodes as its fragments fly and scatter across the sand as the long neck of the giraffe is extended out. As I stare with wide eyes at it using its head to shatter that boulder like it was nothing.
My attention is pulled from the shattered boulder to see the neck start moving as it retracts back to the main body. As it does this I land and get into a ready position to move quickly if I need to. Looking at the giraffe as it trots closer to me but keeping its distance as it watches me just as I do it.
Makes sense that it's keeping its distance if its only form of attack is seemingly its head with the neck giving it reach. But unfortunately for it I just need to touch the side of its neck to win. With that thought I focus on the giraffe and hope I can do this without getting hit. No, I can't think like that. I can do this, just put my hand on it's neck and its over I think to myself to pep myself up.
A second goes by. A few more seconds. As time drags on I stand there looking at it as it eyes me as well making no move from what I can see. After some time I decided to see if I can't get it to make a move.
"What's the matter? I'm right here. Your hungry aren't you?" I say to it trying to see if I goad it into attacking me so I can drain it. Instead, it just tilts its head while staring me down as it lets out a snort from its nostrils.
You gotta be kidding me. Of course, the more intelligent hollow is the one that finds me. And not because it's more intelligent but because of bad luck. I flinch for a moment as it finally starts to move. Slowly walking as it circles around while I do the same as my muscles tense up, ready to move at any moment.
It eventually stops as I do as we stare one another down. Closing and unclosing my hands as I feel the tension mounting as I try to make up my mind on whether fighting this thing now is really such a good idea. Maybe I should run now while I have the chance to do so? I think this as I start doubting myself on if I can really win this fight.
As I am deciding on running or fighting the giraffe decides for me. Not giving off a sign of it attacking as its long neck standing straight up launches into the air as it curves back down where I am standing as I narrowly dodge it. Impacting the sand it sends a powerful gust of wind out interspersed with sand as I am blasted back a couple of steps as the scattered sand is into my eyes causing me to bring up a hand instinctively as I feel it irritate my eyes trying to get it out.
I stop what I am doing as I realize the giraffe hasn't retracted its neck yet. Not wasting such an opportunity regardless of having my eyes or not when I can end this fight here and now. I run over as fast as I can as I try to ignore the pain and irritation emanating from my eyes to try and grab onto the neck as it is still there with the head in the sand.
A smile forms on my face thinking I have won this. Then a funny feeling forms in the back of my mind and goes down my spine. A tingling feeling, that feels ominous and foreboding, bringing with it a flash of memories of shinobi thinking they are going to get the killing blow only for it to end with them dying instead. Numerous memories like this flit across my mind as I gain a foreboding idea of what it all means.
Just as I am about to touch it and end this I come to an abrupt stop and immediately back away trusting this feeling and the memories. As I continue to back away the holes I noticed before along the hollows neck show why they are there.
The small black holes in it have several bone white spikes pop out of them with a low sounding *schoonk* covering a large amount of the neck of the giraffe with them as it stays there for a moment. Taking advantage of it not moving any further I immediately turn around and sprint away. As I run faster than I was before wanting to marvel at how noticeably faster I am I instead use my other sense to focus on the hollow.
For a few seconds the giraffe doesn't retract its neck at all and remains motionless as my gaze looks over its body and sees its still standing in the same position with the neck forming an arcing curve. Before I can think further on what it's doing I come to a stop and immediately turn around ready for an attack as I hear something. That something turn out was the spikes getting retracted back in with a *thuum* sound as the neck now starts to move like segmented plates sliding over one another.
Except its head isn't coming back up… That feeling flares up again as I feel and see the sand shifting ever so slightly as parts of it rise as I look at it with my new sight. I don't even question what I should do as I have a good idea of what it's doing and running was a bad idea. Correcting my mistake I turn around and sprint with all I have for the main body of the giraffe as the neck segments moving over one another has sped up.
Hearing the plates of its neck scraping along each other I keep running as I see the sand rise behind me. Just as I am halfway to the hollow I stop myself as the rising sand is about to reach me and sidestep just as it makes it to where I would have been. The head of the hollow bursts forth from the sand with its jaws wide open as it continues to go up into the air.
It tried to pull a Jaws on me as its wide-open maw shoots up into the air as I rush past it heading right for its body. But as I start to near it the body trots further back faster than I expected it to. Before I can further pursue it, I stop running and immediately drop. Just as I duck a loud snapping can be heard just above me as a gust of wind follows shortly after.
Just above me is the head of the giraffe with its jaw clenched shut in a failed attempt to get me from behind. What sounds like a growl comes from it, as it without any sign makes another attack on me. It's head once looking straight at its body is now coming straight down with it's horns angled right at me.
Not wasting any time as I get ready to dodge I am beset with more memories of watching peoples chakra flow through their limbs to give them extra strength and power as they move at lightning fast speeds. Leaning back in my crouched position as I watch the flow of energy in my body being slightly different but close enough to try and make it work like the memories. Focusing on my legs I direct more of the energy in me to them which without any hesitation or delay a great surge of energy goes there.
With my legs feeling far more powerful than they should be I push out with my legs with newfound strength they should not have like a coiled spring releasing all its tension as I am launched backwards at an absurd velocity while I rocket past the head and its long neck back towards the remains of the shattered boulder.
Not wanting to shoot past my target I reorient myself midair with my face and front part of my body being parallel to the ground as I place all four of my limbs into the sand to bleed off my momentum as I simultaneously grab one massive rock in my open hands while I leave a sizeable trench in the sand with me being up to my knees in the sand as I come to a stop. My enemy is not being idle during this as its head is rocketing straight at me as its body is still being kept away from me.
Without any hesitation as I pick up the sizeable rock, I wait as the head gets closer and closer to me. Not even having the time to be nervous with my life on the line I do as the memories have shown me as I sidestep the head at the last possible second as it rams straight into the sand with me barely avoiding it with the added weight.
Taking several steps forward acting like I am going for its neck with the rock raised up with me ready to spear the neck with it, but I stop and back off from the neck as it extends its protective spikes out from it. Not wasting this opportunity I break out into a energy charged sprint practically flying straight at the body of the giraffe as it's stuck in its position and can't retract the head with the spikes jamming up the segments that make up its neck.
Seeing the spikes starting to get withdrawn as I take the massive rock in my arms as I direct energy to them now instead as I spin once, twice, and on the third I throw it with a magnificent toss I don't think I could ever do before with such strength behind it that it becomes a white blur to me.
It sails through the air at high speeds going straight for the front legs of the giraffe as it makes contact. One moment the giraffe's legs were there, and the next anything below it's knees was just turned into a fine blue mist. It didn't just sever the legs, it chunked them. Forget it being like a knife through butter, I may as well have taken a sledgehammer to a watermelon instead. The back legs fared no better as the hollow's body collapses all in a span of about three seconds as it scatters a cloud of sand when it collapses. The rock a blur off in the distance goes sailing past the edges of my sight.
The head was finally able to move as the last of the spikes retracted back in no longer keeping it stuck in the sand covering its head. Pulling back just enough while I run for the body as it lets out a loud muffled noise before it emerges from the sands. The noise turns into a pained howl that sends shivers down my spine. But a thought forms, one that sends chills down my spine. It may have given away our location to the others.
I need to end this now before I get swarmed as I run straight for the hollows downed body spasming in pain as I throw myself forward sending the struggling body that was upright with its stumps wobbling onto its side as I keep my body across its own.
I feel a surge of strength and energy fill me as I see what I would describe as a rushing stream coming from the hollow to the parts of my body making contact with it. It looks like a barely contained reservoir of water in comparison to the gaseous wisps that are in the atmosphere. And it's one hell of a rush as I feel like I just got a glass of water after a long arduous day working in a desert.
The black curtain recedes by a sizable distance as it is pushed back as I absorb the last of the energy. Despite hearing far more howls in the distance now I still don't see anything coming just yet. Looking back with my actual eyes this time once the sand had finally been removed and oddly enough no pain in my eyes remains. I would think it should still sting even after it got removed. Shrugging it off and taking what little good I could I zero in on my enemy.
Looking upon the downed form of the giraffe that caused me all this grief. Watching as it takes in massive gulps of air as it breathes like a shaggy dog in the middle of a hot humid summer with its mouth open with drool leaking all over the sand. Bleach really didn't do the basic hollows much justice on how terrifying these things are.
This thing before I got my power and got sent here would have haunted my dreams if it wasn't for all the horrors my memories show me of the many many battles Sharkskin took part in and atrocities it witnessed. Enough bodies to fill an ocean with blood doesn't do it justice with how much death it has witnessed in its long life.
Standing up I walk over to another shard of the boulder as I go to pick it up. I paused as I was reaching for it. More howls can be heard in the distance, several of which sound far closer than I would like. Coming to an unfortunate realization that I don't have time to waste on killing this thing, especially since I don't know how many are close to me.
Looking over to its downed head as it looks back at me, never once taking its gaze off me. "You're lucky your friends are coming. Otherwise, you would be dead right now." I say to it in a neutral tone of voice.
Not caring if it understood me or not I start running at a much greater speed than I had before when I channel more of that energy into my legs. Enough that I am caught off guard at first as I start to stumble and fall off the edge of a dip in the sand with how quick and sudden the boost was.
My new memories kick in as I reorient myself from falling down the slope with my back and make my feet land first at an angle so I maintain my momentum as I blast down the dune with speed far faster than any human could ever hope to have.
Feeling the wind blast past me as my hair trails behind me with the sheer force of the wind. And the wind doesn't even bother me oddly enough. You would think I would be cold with no clothes, but it barely even registers to me. Just a slight breeze despite the strength behind the wind.
Small miracles I suppose. With that done I focused my newly enhanced sight behind me at the top of the sand dune where I left the giraffe as its friends from before coming back and proving my worries were not unfounded. What I see should make me pause in my steps, but I don't and in fact I'm not bothered by it much to my own surprise. The bear with spikes is the first back seeing the downed form of its friend. Or so I thought they were.
Instead of pursuing the chase for me it runs straight for the downed giraffe as it pounces for its head. It bites down on the side of its head just below the jaw as it sounds out a muffled scream in pain as the bear mauls it. Then the beetle and snake burst onto the scene as they joined in the feeding frenzy.
Good, buys me time to get some more distance. Morbid and messed up? Sure, but it tried to eat me. If you cross me like it did then I will get even one way or another. Regardless of how petty or wrong it is. I don't like being like that, but after everything I went through in my old life I refuse to just sit there and let every wrong that was done to me go.
And that thing deserved it as far as I am concerned. Bringing my attention off the still struggling and futilely fighting form of the giraffe flailing its nubs as its once packmates turn on it and rip into it I focus on the surrounding area all around me as I continue to blitz through this sand filled wasteland, ignoring the loud pain filled cries of the hollow that echoes out across the sands.
I fully understand why Anakin hates sand as much as he did. I had understood it a little better when I would go to the beach. As soon as I got done swimming all the sand would stick to my feet, and I would have to deal with it as I drove back home since I couldn't get it all off. One of the more annoying things in life to deal with.
And now I really understand his dislike for it. I have sand all over me as I fume in annoyance. I look down with my own eyes using my other sense to watch my body as I run to make sure I don't fall or run into something as I deftly move left and right to avoid the occasional stone sticking out of the sand. Seeing the new heavily tanned body I have covered in dust that now makes it rather pale like I'm covered in flour.
Sighing in annoyance at things going horribly for me as soon as I was brought to this place to then have something that annoys me to get added on like a cherry on top. As annoying as this is, I need to focus on survival, and get things prioritized on what I do need and don't. Along with figuring out what changes my body has gone through. Or at the very least what I can find is different about me now that I can see or feel without something currently trying to kill me.
And currently getting this dust and sand off me is not a priority. As I keep my senses sharp as I look and observe all around me not seeing any more hollows get into range of my vision. I take stock of what I feel now and notice that despite me running nonstop since I got here and that fight I was just in, I am not breathing as hard as I should be and my heart rate after placing my fingers around my throat its steady but not rapid.
As I ponder on that, I see something that I don't have time to run around if I don't want the hollows to see me if they haven't already. Especially not with the hollows still hounding me. And most certainly not because I want to try out my new powers. Seeing a large sand dune ahead of me that is equally as wide across the landscape. Running up it like I am running on solid ground than I am on sand without my feet sinking into it with how fast I am running as I get to the crest of it, I jump as my heart roars in excitement.
Sailing through the air as I use my improved acrobatics and proprioception to flip over and over in the air with excitement coursing through my veins before I hit the sand at the base of the dune as I pour more energy into my legs and arms. Landing in a three-point superhero pose and not a second later kicking up a storm of sand as I resume running without any sign of the landing hurting me. Nothing.
With the height I had jumped from I would be lucky to just have a broken leg. Yet I have no injury from it. I'm not even sore from that jump. And if my suspicions about the sand in my eyes not having any issues now are right, I would have been fine if I did get injured from it.
Risky? Sure. Fun as hell and something I wanted to do since I first saw a cliff diver in action when I was five years old with my mom? You're damn right it was fun. If I don't get killed by something in this place, I am going to do that more often I think with a big smile on my face.
For a brief moment I lapse back into better memories spent with mom. Going to Arizona together to visit some close family friends of hers I had never met. Going fishing with her for the first time when I caught my first fish. Especially going to the beach to swim every spring and summer.
A smile forms on my face at these memories, but that smile vanishes only to replaced with a frown. That joyful content feeling fading quickly turned bitter at her absence later in life after what happened. However it gets worse when I realize something. I can't remember her name. What? That can't be right. Racking my mind to find her name only to realize I can't remember anyone's names. Not even my own.
Feeling the anxiety in me start to build up making my heart sink as I keep trying to find out what everyone's names were along with my own. I can remember my mom's face with her beautiful long black hair and amber brown eyes, riding in the car with her laughing about anything and everything together before the bad news came.
I-I-... I need to stop, I think to myself with finality. This gives me some relief from the emotions welling up in me as I try to accept that I can't and that I may never remember her name or my own ever again.
As twisted and messed up as that is, I have bigger life threatening problems to deal with than missing memories. And if I do somehow get out of this place and to the world of the living I doubt anyone is going to be capable of giving me those memories back.
A wave of sadness and many other emotions form at that thought before I harden my heart to it all, something I have had experience with even before all of this. I'm no stranger to loss. It's the truth I have to accept as I have for many things, regardless of how much I hate it.
With that last thought I try to keep myself distracted to keep my mind off of that depressing bit of news. One such distraction is me pondering about why skydivers and cliff divers do what they do now. It's definitely an adrenaline rush feeling the wind rushing past you. I can say that much. Between that and feeling like a complete badass along with the accomplishment from being able to do it. This puts a small smile on my face at being able to do it regardless of the circumstances or reasons.
Deciding to continue to look for more dunes or things to do tricks off not only to keep myself from going back to that dark revelation and letting my emotions get the better of me, but why not? I have powers now, to not use them like this especially when I don't know if I am going to live for the next hour or so may as well be a crime in and of itself. I might as well get some happiness and enjoyment out of them before I die.
Even if my newly gained memories and experiences tell me it's a bad idea and very dangerous, I don't see anything in my sight as a threat so what's the big deal? Plus those memories are with ninjas and last I checked there are no ninjas here.
Well… I mean there technically is with I think it was Squad Two which were ninjas. But I'm not in Soul Society so it's nothing to worry about, despite parts of me screaming out in protest. That particular thought of the warnings going off in my head. It brings with it the memories of just before me getting here, my mouth pulling back into a snarl. That ends up being the last straw for me after all of the things that were done to me.
Feeling a seething smoldering inferno roar to life in my chest that floods my veins with molten fury at what happened to me and my memories being tampered with. I unconsciously clench my hands hearing the popping of my knuckles as they whiten or the grinding of my teeth of living through that memory again of having that sword fused to my soul while held aloft in the air without being able to do a thing. The feeling of helplessness and the unfairness of being forcefully taken from my home and subjected to all of that.
I don't even notice in my emotional state that my energy is no longer inside of me but leaking outside of my body in a gaseous state. The sand and rocks around me are either getting pressed further down into the ground with what little force the gas-like energy can exert on them or getting barely blown away as I keep running forward.
As the anger takes hold of my rational thoughts and all I can see is red by this point it is brought to a halt as I am thrown into a memory not my own.
I'm on my wielder's back as he watches from an upper balcony a group of genin train to keep their bloodlust and killer instinct in check by controlling it in a courtyard around an old japanese looking styled building with gray clouds covering the sky. I watch one genin occasionally tossing a pebble at the back of another's head when he didn't think anyone noticed. The genin getting hit with the fifth pebble having had enough is about to get up but the instructor brings that to a stop.
"Mushiro, what is the meaning of this?" The instructor barks out to the genin as he halts in his attempt to get up and attack the instigator while all the other genin are now watching with interest. The instigator struggles to fight off laughing at his victim as he is wagging a finger that he thinks only Mushiro sees.
"Sensei Hokutane is-" Before he can even explain to the old instructor, he stands up from his cushioned chair as a strong killer intent imminates from the old man as many of the genin outright collapse with a few being only brought to their knees. Of those individuals on their knees are Mushiro and Hokutane.
"Mushiro, I know what Hokutane was doing. I didn't make it to old age by being an idiot. Unless you think I am?" He says while flicking at his long white beard with more killing intent being pressed down on Mushiro.
Mushiro is now drenched in sweat while pushed further down from his knees to being on his hand and knees struggling to stay up. While Hokutane's face has become chalk white at realizing he wasn't as subtle as he thought he was. Not liking the silence, the instructor continues "Well Mushiro? Do I look like an idiot!" He says, raising his voice.
Mushiro, flinching at the instructor raising his voice, finds the will to speak, "N-n-no sensei! I d-d-don't think that a-at all!" He says back struggling to even speak by this point. As soon as those words leave his mouth the killing intent leaves as all the genin let out a collective gasp as they can breathe again.
The instructor moves faster than the genin can see. Appearing before the two boys looking down on them as his gaze causes Hokutane to look down causing a frown to appear on his face and when it passes over to Mushiro he hesitantly meets his gaze. In a rare act of respect he nods to the young genin before turning around and slowly walking away. But not before giving this group of genin some advice. Said advice also would stay with me and shape my life for a long time to come.
"Violence and bloodlust are a reaction to something that brings these things to life within you Mushiro. That bloodlust and anger will become your undoing unless you take control of it. Not removing it, merely subdue it and use it when you need it. But it is controlled instead of it controlling you." He pauses at this as the boy and many of the genin hang off of every word he says.
"Instead of picturing your anger and bloodlust like a roaring fire like those pathetic leaf ninja, a better way to help each of you is to think of it as something like a serpent or a shark in the depths." That last description makes me wiggle slightly in my bandages in glee at having been used as a description. My wielder is struggling to fight off a laugh as I unintentionally tickle him in the process on the upper balcony we are watching this unfold from.
Not paying me and my wielder any mind he continues, "These creatures are known for being cold and calculating, patient and always knowing when and where to strike. Never letting their personal feelings or emotions control them but using them instead. Forever hounding their target whether up close or at a distance, waiting for the moment they can get to them with patience." At the part about the target he turns around and his gaze is solely upon Hokutane as Mushiro also looks at him with something in his gaze. Something that promises retribution in the future as Hokutane gazes back with a look of fear.
Before fully turning away the old man leaves Mushiro with some parting words, "Do not misunderstand Mushiro, these emotions you have are not bad or should be discarded. Use them to give you motivation and to help you focus on whatever your goal is. Whether that be becoming the strongest, or just simple bloody revenge." He says as a sadistic smirk forms at the mention of revenge.
Brought back from that memory where I am in the here and now with what I can tell not even a second having passed as I relived that memory, the energy without me noticing having already vanished along with its crushing weight being placed upon the surroundings. All of which I only realize now that it's too late. Then again, not like the hollows already didn't have a clue of where I am at currently.
With me having a chance to get a grip on my volatile emotions, I take the words from that old man into consideration and the lessons he gave. I breathe in and out, settling that inferno in me down and making a mental note to work on not viewing it as a fire but as something cold and calculating as he described it. With me settling myself down and trying to shake off that feeling I got from watching that memory play out I put my attention on more important things.
The most pressing thing is I will need a shelter of some kind if I am stuck here in this horrid place for the foreseeable future. It will give me a place to rest while feeling somewhat safe and not have to sleep with one eye open for the rest of my life.
With that goal in mind, I might as well try to come up with something for the really big question while I am at it. What am I going to do to escape this place? As it is right now, I would very much like to leave now. But I can't and I doubt I will find a hollow willing to open those weird portal things for me.
If anything, it would try to eat me like all the others. So that's not an option. And besides that I have no way to get back to my original world. So as things stand, I am stranded here for the time being until I can figure out a method to open those portals myself which I doubt I will ever be able to do, nevermind finding against all odds a hollow like Nel or Harribel who the latter might be willing to help.
So with that plan of action dead in the water I move on to my next issue. I have no idea where or what I should look for as a place to use as a home. I guess I can only keep running for now and hope I stumble upon something.
Not the greatest plan, and I don't much like it but it's all I have to work with by this point. At least my other sense will help me spot something in the distance that I could use. After that I fall into a trance of just running while keeping my eyes peeled for anything that I might use as a base or anything else of use while also maintaining awareness of any hollows while practicing to keep my emotions in check.
That and just enjoying myself by going up small mounds of sand and jumping off of them while doing impressive acrobatic feats I never could have done before while airborne. It helped to keep me calm and keep my mind off of the things that set me off in the first place. Honestly I wish I had gotten into parkour or skydiving before all of this, because this is very euphoric and makes me feel a sense of freedom I never truly had before. This is what it must feel like for the birds when they take flight.
I keep up the pace for who knows how long when a thought hits me. I am still not getting tired from this. I had to have been running for at least an hour if not more by this point at a steady and far faster rate than I had before I came to this place. And that's without boosting myself with the energy in me. I am not breathing heavily, and my heart rate has only slightly gone up. Sighing as I now have another thing I am one day going to have to test the limits of and figure out. If I survive that long.
But for now, I am happy that I have insane amounts of stamina and speed. And I seem to be getting steadily faster in small increments as I absorb more of the energy in my surroundings without actively boosting myself. The whole time I have been running it has been steadily drawn to me and absorbed, the energy in the air giving more over all in comparison to the rocks and sand.
So, Sharkskin can make me more powerful the more I absorb. Between that and me having memories and instinctive things going on in my head that are most certainly not my own but that is something I won't complain about. If it will prolong my life a little longer then I have no issues with it. Such as the memory of the badass old Pai Mei wannabe that may very well help me survive. However, I would rather not have any detrimental effects from whatever helps me survive.
Such as having dissociation issues with myself and Sharkskin. Which so far I don't seem to have currently. And I hope it stays that way. Seeing no more massive sand dunes besides the occasional small one or long stretches of waist high sand mounds stretching out in the distance I get an idea forming so I decide to take advantage of my amazing proprioception and newfound balance.
I leap head first towards the sand, then placing both of my hands out in front of me and planting them on the ground as I then swing my legs and waist in the air while pushing off the ground. Flipping back to my hands I continue this process feeling a surge of excitement and joy at being able to do this.
I always wanted to do that ever since I first watched some cheesy kung fu movies as a kid as I moved across the sand. Flipping across it as I move at a decent speed like this. This was even more amazing to watch in third person with the new sense I have. I feel rather impressed with myself even if it's technically not because of myself that I am able to do this.
My face has a smile on it as I am ecstatic at being able to do one of my childhood dreams. Showy and needless? Sure, but it's cool so it doesn't matter. That and it keeps my mind and body busy so I don't focus on other things I rather just fade away and be forgotten.
And so what if it's risky and dangerous to be goofing around still, I handled that hollow before just by touching it. If another shows up I just dodge around it and put my hand on it and drain it. It has friends, then I run. As simple as that. If it's a Gillian or Adjucha then I'm dead. As morbid as that thought is, it's the cold hard truth.
As I continue to flip I decide to add one last thing to it before I stop. Planting my hands on the ground I put more power into my arms as I push, sending myself skyrocketing up into the air as I defy gravity briefly as I reach the peak of my jump.
I go into a spiral feeling the air rushing around me with my hair whipping about on my neck and upper back as my smile turns into a massive grin. This is amazing and despite everything that has happened I could get used to this sense of freedom as I feel the air all around me.
As I lose all momentum and gravity makes itself known again, I feel something isn't right in the back of my mind and this time it doesn't feel like a warning. Before I can put it into words my arms instantly raise up without me thinking and are braced against my chest. Not knowing why I did this even with the feeling of an actual threat in my head going off like a siren warning of danger.
I see something rocket past my field of view and don't have time to react as it impacts my arms as a blast goes off not long after that. My arms do their job protecting my chest, but it doesn't stop me skipping across the sand like a stone across a lake into a small hill sized dune.
Author's note: Hope you all like this rewrite for my first story I had ever done. I fully intended to one day do a rewrite when I felt that I am better as a writer, which I would like to think in many ways I have improved compared to my first time writing this. Overall let me know your thoughts on what you think, and above all else know that I can't please everyone and I am not going to even attempt that. Between that and don't expect perfection with this, and me getting instantly better from some criticism. That will take time but it's appreciated all the same.