A promise kept (spectator thread)

[Kureji]

Many people have seen what the rockstar has been able to do, how flashy his attacks are. And many more know of the renown of Sazuki Nao, how he had repelled attacks from deadly ninjas at the gates. And for some reason, both will meet in the outskirts of Crater City. Due do what has already happened, people already evacuated out of the already ruined area save for a group of ninjas to act as protectors to throw up barrier jutsus if the need arises.

Even as groups of people gather, they are far enough away from the two individuals to need to use binoculars, seeming as that is the only safe distance to be able to watch a potential fight unfold. Silence filled the air as people anticipated what is going to happen. There are whispers among those who are watching, wondering if Nao can really stand up to someone who just leveled Crater City. While others scoff at the comment, saying that Nao can handle this crazed lunatic.

But... Only time will tell, as it would seem for right now they are only engaged in conversation.

 

[Senju Akio]

Akio winced as he flexed his bandaged hand, a reminder enough of why Nao had scolded him so harshly mere hours ago. Even now, dull pulses of pain rippled through each fingertip if he moved too quickly. Sitting beside the beds of three injured teens from Crater City, he gently placed a fresh cooling pad on one boy’s forehead. The child’s breath had steadied since last night, but the trauma remained evident in the furrow of his brow. “Hang in there,” Akio whispered, offering a warm but weary smile before pulling the curtain halfway shut. He cast a quick glance around the hospital room. Row upon row of cots filled with survivors, many still wrapped in bandages from the recent chaos. His duty was here. Nao had made that clear, but the swirl of anxiety in Akio’s chest refused to settle.

He turned toward the planted juniper in the corner, an ordinary decoration meant to soothe patients with a hint of greenery. "Better than nothing," Akio thought. Quietly, he walked over and placed his palm against the plant’s slender trunk. A quick jolt of chakra, careful not to aggravate his own injuries, opened the familiar route. The Root Network. Though it took a moment of intense focus, Akio felt his senses stretch beyond the hospital, threading through hidden underground tangles of ancient roots. Within seconds, he caught a hazy glimpse of Nao standing on the rim of Crater City’s devastation. Even from this distant vantage, the crater’s massive scale and piles of rubble were obvious. Then he spotted another figure: Kureji, still sporting that proud, unhinged aura.

"They’re talking..." He tried to steady his breathing, resisting the urge to delve deeper and lose track of his surroundings. Faint echoes reached him through the pulsing roots, voices overshadowed by the constant memories of Crater City’s destruction. He caught something about a debt, half the city’s reconstruction costs, talk of the black market district being “blown up.” Akio closed his eyes, recalling the raging inferno and those who almost didn’t make it out.

"At least Nao-sensei’s handling it..." A tug of guilt pulled at the Senju youth. If he’d listened to Nao, he might not be nursing this wounded hand, forced to watch events unfold from afar. Yet curiosity made him push the network’s connection a bit further. Through blurred senses, he glimpsed Kureji making the handseals for a genjutsu. He couldn't see what he was showing Nao, but Akio sensed Kureji’s story had weight, something personal.

The children behind him stirred, one coughing softly. For a moment, Akio broke his connection to check on them, making sure they rested comfortably. His palm throbbed in protest, but he managed to keep the cougher hydrated with a small water jutsu, just enough to soothe the dryness of her throat, before drifting back to the juniper. He pressed his hand to the trunk again and could see Nao nodding, listening to the final words of Kureji’s story. Though faint, the frustration and tension between them were unmistakable. "If only I could help more..." But no... He had his own orders to follow. It would serve no one if he aggravated his injuries and ended up comatose again. So, he would wait and watch. Little did he know that soon enough, this would be a spectacle for all these recovering kids to enjoy, and he'd be the one playing commentator.