The Starlit Lake was one of the most beautiful places one could go when visiting the Elder Woods. It was still early and there were not many people if any at all in this area. Now was a better time than any to investigate that voice Hiku had heard. Ever since the attack on the village things in Hiku's mind have not been the same. He's been on edge, he'd been more paranoid than usual and to be honest he felt as though he was losing a grip on his reality.
The doctors at the medical posts said this was post traumatic stress. I've had it before it's mostly like just a recurring state. What the hell do they know. I'm out there protecting them while they sit and hide. I can't blame them just wish I didn't feel like I had so much pressure. I'm just lashing out, get it together Hiku you're following strange noises and voices you think you hear. It was crazy to believe that he had heard something telling him to go to the lake. Although the voice felt so surreal so, true and he couldn't help but feel maybe there was something out here.
He let his head hang low as he took a glance at the lake. It was sparkling, beautiful and he could imagine a world where animals thrived. He imagined a worl where the animals could live in peace and harmony. Where nature would thrive and be ...
lush. He cocked his head to the side as he began to explore the sparkling lake's borders, trying to get a feel for something.
Something is so damned familiar about this lake. I feel like I've been here before like maybe I'm just supposed to be here because... I've seen this. It clicked in his head as he made it to the west end of the lake. The formation of the trees, the scenery, the rocks it reminded him of a more lifeless version of his dream. This place was too much of a reminder, too much of a coincidence and Hikuidori didn't know what to think. Did he want to come here secretly?
"It's hardly like this place is a secret?I've been here before and I know a lot of others who have. I don't see why I would think someone would tell me to come here like it was some secret zone. Oh mother Suna I am going crazy. I'm even mentioning something I don't necessarily believe in." He chuckled one more time before he facing the way he came. As he moved one step a voice rang through his head. This time more energetic, but still soothing.
"Hey dummy! You think we led you all the way out here because we wanted you to think you were crazy? If that was the case I'd have thrown you pictures of the Kazekage naked! Turn your butt back around and swim out into the lake. I would like to have a conversation with you and the place you hold beneath my power!" Hiku's eyes widened, he knew that wasn't his mind. It didn't even sound like his narrative voice he used when talking to himself in silence. This was entirely different and he knew it deep within him.
"So the spirit of a loud mouthed young girl is talking down to me.. I'm definitely going insane. My mind must be infected or something... If this truly is coming from some powerful being give me a sign!?"There was nothing but silence for a moment. He believed his mind to end it's trickery and attempted to take another step. However this step would fall victim of the phantom hindrance as well.
A louder more mature voice spoke now. It held wisdom in it's voice as it said,
"Please turn around and gaze on the spirits that have summoned you." Hiku stopped once more and turned around in a rage to see something that would betray his mind.
Three what presumed to look like fairies, stood on top of the water within the middle of the lake. Each one held a rock glowing with a vibrant energy. There was a green, blue and red spirit floating lightly above the lake. Hiku rubbed his eyes believing his mind to truly be poisoned.
"I am goin-" Before he could finish his declaration of himself believing he was going crazy, Hiku was cut off by one of the spirits. The green one to be exact.
"Hey sorry about Red's little burst there but she is fire after all. It's in her nature. I'm Namoko, that's Rioka, the ugly red head. The blue one is Sukumo. We are the Spirits of the Starlit Lake entrusted to us by the First Men and Mother Suna herself. I'll let Suku take over here. The green one, Namoko, would sit on her orb as Sukumo would begin to speak.
"Welcome to the realm of the Ebb Keepers of the Starlit Lake. We are messengers of the flow of the universe. The natural energy that surrounds you all, and as some of you would call it "chakra". We were crafted from a group of your ancestors who had found enlightenment in Mother Earth herself or as you call her Mother Suna. While people have many interpretations of the gods we are the rawest form of their beliefs. We are the elements that surround the energy known as chakra. We are the keepers of this flow. However our link with your forefathers and Mother Suna has become drastically weakened. As you can see this part of the Elder Woods is already becoming withered. I fear we do not have much time. You have a mental link with this land something many others can never hope to attain. We have chosen you Hasu Hikuidori to contain the energy of the Flow and use it to restore glory to this land. You will consume our power and become one with the power of the flow.
Hiku stood there staring at the blue fairy and began to sigh. He wasn't sure if he was still trapped in his mind or if he was really knee deep in this. He would begin to chuckle and then would wipe his face.
"Oh this has got to stop. I don't know who I pissed off but somebody please stop giving me those drugs. This is crazy I can't be..." His face was firmly smacked by the red fairy as her eyes began to well up with what looked like lava.
"You think this is funny!? We're going to cease to exist and our mother, our land, may wither and die. You ignorant turd, you can't even begin to understand what we feel. You want to know something else? I know everything about you. Like why you bite your nails, how you're afraid of being weak and getting beaten. You're too afraid to live your own damn life it's pathetic. You're so bent up on power you don't even see that it's in front of you. Power, Knowledge, Experience, Feelings, we have all of it stored inside of this forest. You think that you're something well try being in tune with a myriad of lives and energies at once you imbecile. Oh by the way something else you might want to know. You'll be hitting the floor in a few moments. Have fun.
Hiku's eyes widened again as his heart began beating like crazy. He lost his focus and then his vision began to fade. Eveyrthing blurred and he screamed out in agony because this was the worst pain he'd ever experienced. He heard a murmor in his head, and he realized where he was going, inside of his own mind with a bunch of foreign collectibles gift of Rioka. He was expelled from his mind and floated through a gray space. Different colored spectrum began circling the gray room forming tendrils and tying themselves together. Eventually a collection of what seemed like thousands of tendrils formed and began to slither around his body. They weren't touching him not yet just slithering in the air around him. He felt so many different feelings, like temperatures and the scents of different flowers. Tendrils began digging into Hiku's body and with each one plunged he felt a differnet emotion, a different person, someone faceless, nameless but with their own unique energy. The rush of the tendril was overwhelming but it wasn't painful now, no it was satisfying. Sometimes he felt a good feeling, and sometimes he felt a bad one but he was understanding them from different perspectives and expanding his mind. However the tendrils began to retract forming a small gem which glowed with a rainbow aura. Hiku looked at the gem feeling it's power pressure him and it began to heat up violently breaking and bringing light to his eyes.
The young shinobi awoke from his dream feeling as though he'd been asleep for so long. He looked at the sprites who were now hovering around him. They were staring at him pleased with what they saw now. Rioka spoke up to Hiku in a calmer tone.
"Do you get it now?" Hiku would stare at her for a few seconds and then slowly begin to nod his head. He was starting to get what this place was. It was a vast network of knowledge bound to be unlocked by chakra, but it was more than that, you couldn't just use chakra and hope to activate something no they had to feel you, the gems, the flow of their energy had to feel you like a link. He understood why he was chosen, it was because of his heritage and his ignorance. He was so against it that being faced with it allowed him to change. It showed adaptability to something new, and in a world like this that tool was all but common. He rose from the ground sweating, and still slightly shaken but with a different more interested look.
"I understand a lot more than I did before. It was like a rush of emotions and energy I didn't even know existed. It was like feeling someone else's thoughts with just their emotions. It was wonderful, greater than anything I'd ever felt in my life. I want to understand more, there is a way right?" The spirits nodded and Sukumo spoke up.
"Not everyone is ready to see or experience what you just did. It must be done in progression and that can only happen by planting a seed. You will be our seed Hikuidori. If you wish to continue upon this path we have exposed you to, then please swim to the bottom of the lake and gather glowing gems. Use your mental abilities to feel out the gems and nothing more. When you find the ones that call out to you, consume them while in a form of energy. You have the skills to compelte this task Hikuidori, and we know you have the resilience to as well. That is why you were chosen, to endure this endless task. We will use all our power to help you, our seed for Human Evolution. Now go and begin your ascension into enlightenment." Hiku would nod and then proceed to step to the boundary of the lake. He would strip down and begin to feel the energy around him. His chakra would begin to form small petals and a crown of thorns and flowers (made of chakra) would form around his head. Hiku's body would become wreathed in some form of spiritual chakra, and he would descend into the lake letting his mind run free.
He began to feel them almost immediately. Each gem calling out to him there were a total of 9 that stood out to him like a sore thumb. Of course he would follow these energies and let them bring him some type of foundation. Each one that he collected warmed his hands, and this lake. It was as if the gathering of energies was bringing some sort of life back to this once vibrant place. As he gathered the crystals he heard the voices of the spirits combined all chanting him his last instructions.
"You have done well for us Hiku. We appreciate all the leaps you've taken in our form of trust. You're someone we can depend on and someone we happily give our energy to form this passing to you. Consume those gems and use our powers to bring back life to this land. Goodbye Hikudori we leave this task in your hands." The voices of the spirits began to fade but their energy began to flow all around Hiku who was still under the lake. The water swirled and moved creating a sphere of emotions around him. He began to consume the gems as instructed each one tasting like an exotic fruit he'd eaten in the dream. Was this the power he was feeling before? Was this the fruit he was given before knowing how to feel properly? Hiku's body began to burn up hotter than he'd ever felt. His eyes began heating up, causing him to wiggle and grab them hoping to cover them. His insides felt like they were being turned inside out and his blood felt like a million prickly needles courisng through his body. As he underwent more pain a cocoon of the energy would begin to form around Hiku. Vines would come from the lake itself anchoring this orb to the bottom of the lake hidden from all.
