Doshun

–21 years ago-

The door caught on Doshun's foot as he tried to open it causing him to smack his head into it as he tried to pass through.

Councillor Chiyome sighed. "Sorry about that door. Sometimes it gets a little bloodthirsty."

"But how can a door be…" Doshun asked as the lanky man with glasses stumbled in.

"Nevermind the door. How are the experiments going?"

"Oh! Actually, we completed stage one of development. That's what I wanted to talk to you for."

"And what are the results? Will we be able to create jinchuuriki-like shinobi?" Ever since the practice of sealing bijuu had been outlawed, there had been an unease and cloud had tried many methods in attempt to develop a new superweapon.

"Preliminary results have been a huge success."

A wide grin spread across Chiyome's face. "So, you're ready for human experimentation, then? I actually have a perfect test subject in mind."

"Oh?"

"A troublemaker. She's a street brat and an orphan. Someone no one will miss if things go wrong."

"Then we'd better grab her now. The storm is coming."

Doshun ventured out into the relentless downpour, his footsteps echoing in the deserted open-sky tower. He trudged through the water flowing down the stone spiral staircase. It spiraled tighter at the bottom and widened as you circled around so that you were exposed to the sky the whole time.

High within the hidden chambers of the tower, in one of the side rooms which actually were sheltered from the rain, he found her—a frail, street-smart orphan named Arashinari. She stood in a dimly lit cell, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and defiance, her clothes dirty and slightly damp. There were more than a few scrapes and bruises on her as well. The storm outside mirrored the turmoil within her.

"Come with me," Doshun said gently, trying to hide the guilt that gnawed at him. He couldn't afford to let her see his hesitation.

Arashinari followed him, her footsteps splashing loudly in protest.

As they reached the top of the tower where the ritual would take place, Doshun's heart grew heavier. He knew the risks, the potential consequences of what they were about to do. But for the sake of the village and its power-hungry leaders, he had no choice.

Chiyome was waiting, a circle of fuuinjutsu symbols etched along the stone rim of the tower. Five hooded shinobi stood behind her. The roof was illuminated momentarily by a flash of lightning that cast heavy shadows over their faces.

Arashinari's eyes widened as she took in the scene. It seemed that she could sense the gravity of the situation, the foreboding energy that hung in the air.

Chiyome motioned for her to step towards the inner rim. "This is your destiny, child," she said, her voice carrying a weight the child likely couldn't comprehend. "You will become a force of nature, the pride of our village."

Doshun watched with a heavy heart as Arashinari hesitated for a moment, her gaze darting between himself and Chiyome. The girl had no say in her fate; she was merely a pawn in their game of power and ambition.

With a resigned nod, Arashinari stepped forward, and the ritual began. The storm outside intensified, as if the very heavens were responding to the momentous event taking place within the chamber.

Doshun couldn't help but wonder if they were tampering with forces beyond their control. He'd run the calculations and done the experiments… still, this was the first true test.

Chiyome pushed Arashinari over the edge. lightning arced through the tower, directed through several rods, converging on Arashinari. The young girl's screams echoed up from hollow tower as the storm's power coursed through her, changing her forever.

Arashinari was drawn to the center of the tower where the storm wind rushing upwards slowed her, then held her in place. The clouds swirled threatening to blow them all away as they touched down on Arashinari's body.

Doshun, Chiyome, and the five others held the seal and gripped the rooftop with their foot-chakra.

And then the sky was clear. The storm was sealed.

Arashinari was reeled by wires used by one of Chiyome's pawns Doshun had now long forgotten.

Doshun looked down at Arashinari's charred body. He doubled over, trying not to vomit. And he saw that Arashinari's chest was moving. He kneeled down and began treating her injuries.

Now, 21 years later, that pipsqueak had become the Raikage. And here he was, leaning over her mess, patching up a foreign shinobi's wounds. Apparently this guy had wanted to speak to the Raikage about something, but he'd never really got his chance. And if it was urgent enough to force his way in… well, Doshun was concerned.

The sand ninja slowly opened his eyes. He immediately thrashed at Doshun, but then seemed to realize he was bound by chains at the wrists and ankles. The shinobi inhaled deeply.

"Good. Your awake. I'm Doshun, a scientist of Kumogakure. Are you ready to tell me what this is all about?"

"The name's Kini. And it's a sensitive matter. I will only speak with the Raikage."

"The Raikage is still unconscious from your battle."

Kini grinned at hearing that. Well, anyone who could fight the raikage to a draw had reason to feel pride. Though, Doshun had heard she only collapsed from her own technique.

"I am also councillor here" said Doshun. "You can speak to me. Whether you choose to speak or not, we are going to probe your mind, so you might as well tell me now."

"Yer gonna what?" Kini's chains suddenly snapped and he sat up, leaning in to Doshun's face. Doshun had been told he had magnetic abilities. They'd been preparing a cell that would actually be able to hold him, but it wasn't ready.

"Are you going to tell me or go out there and fight half the village… again?"

Kini growled. "Keh, fine. War. There's a war coming. All of you could die tomorrow or even today and you dumbasses have me locked in this cell."

"Oh dear," Doshun said. "I do agree that they should have heard you out, though things might have gone more smoothly if you hadn't fought your way in. Regardless, give me the details."

"There is a man named Maguro, a missing ninja from the leaf. He started a cult that worships the Corruption and convinced the Kazekage to join him. Now they are planning to attack the other villages on the Corruption's behalf."

Doshun was speechless for a moment. "That's insane."

"Insane is exactly what Gaara is. Welcome to my life."

"And things were so dire that you would betray your village?"

"This is a war of human extinction. Gaara has betrayed humanity." Every word this man said was more concerning than the last.

"If everything you've said is true, I agree. Would you please consent to have your memories delved through? I would like to confirm what you've told me so I can inform the other councilors."

Kini frowned. There was a long moment of silence as he stretched and flexed his fingers. Doshun clenched his fist tightly.

"Fine," Kini said, "but you'd better only check the relevant memories. Ya go off track, I'll snap your neck."

"We also want to know about the child who was with you at the gates," Doshun said.

"Huh?" Kini asked, "You didn't capture her?"

"We were a little preoccupied and by the time anyone thought to do so, she was already gone. Why did you have her tied up?"

"She's a real terror, the kind that will slit your throat in your sleep."

"Really? At that age… what kind of training are they putting them through at Sand nowadays?"

"She isn't from my village. She's from Amegakure. Little nuisance wouldn't stop following me."

After verifying what Kini had said, Kini was released from his cell, messengers were dispatched to the other villages. Then battle preparations began.

The next day, Doshun stood on the walls as he looked towards the distant rumbling. Through Doshun's binoculars the black hoard was more discernible: Corruption Beasts, thousands of them spewed through the mountain pass like a mass of living writhing oil. Each one was its own horror. Doshun spotted one with a human face and another with no face at all, or skin for that matter. All along the wall, shinobi were lining up for the impending battle.

He imagined that if Councillor Chiyome were still here she would be heading to the shelter for village higher-ups and would encourage him to come as well.

But he was so done with her. Once again, they were asking children to fight for them. At least this time, he would stand beside them.

Soon enough the Corruption beasts were near enough to be attacked. Rocks and lightning flew from the shinobi on the walls down into the valley the hoard now occupied, but against those numbers they were barely making a dent.

Doshun heard footsteps coming up the wall. He turned and saw it was Arashinari and Kini. They ignored him and continued with what they had apparently been talking about before.

"You sure?" Kini asked. "I heard what happened to you after our fight. Can you really take them all down before you pass out?"

"This will be different. There is more than one way of using natural lightning."

"Natural Lightening?" Kini asked, "I didn't see any storm."

"I am the storm."

She stepped forward and began making a string of hand-signs. Doshun had seen this before. And he didn't want to be anywhere nearby. He ran across the wall until he heard Arashinari scream then spun around to watch.

In a moment of transcendent power, Arashinari unleashed the storm that had been dormant within her. It was as if the heavens themselves had opened up. Vast currents of wind erupted around her, spiraling into massive tornadoes that tore through the horde with unrelenting fury. The wind didn't just move air; it became a weapon, cutting through the monstrous forms with the precision of a master swordsman.

Amidst the howling gales, chain lightning forked and danced with a life of its own. Each bolt was a streak of brilliant, raw energy that leapt from monster to monster. The air crackled and hummed with the power of the storm, the light from the lightning casting stark, eerie shadows across the battlefield.

Doshun watched, awe-struck, as Arashinari commanded this tempest with a conductor's grace. She did all this without affecting Kini beside her in the least. The Corruption monsters, once overwhelming in number and ferocity, were torn asunder by the unleashed elemental onslaught. The Raikage glowed brightly as lightning forked from her body across the battlefield.

Then she collapsed.

The army of monsters was but a smoldering heap… yet the battle was not done. Here and there he could see a charred sand shinobi corpse. But there were more crawling out of the woodwork, from behind pillars of stone, or just emerging from the ground.

And at the forefront stood two figures in white and golden robes bearing symbols that were unmistakably occult in nature. One of them Doshun recognized immediately: the former councilwoman, Chiyome. She had fled when she was going to be brought in for her illegal human experiments… though, Doshun was guilty of the same. He had escaped punishment because he had been following orders. But he could never escape that gnawing feeling that kept him up at night.

"Of course she'd join them," Kini said. Doshun saw his veins bulge and his fist clench before he shouted "Clementia!" Kini ran towards the figure beside Chiyome.

Doshun, for his part, leapt from the wall and ran down the cliffside towards Chiyome, ready to do what he should have done long ago.