Blood Echoes and Nightmares [Tutor]

[Uchiha Izura]

Four shinobi knocked unconscious at the beach on a dark night, haunted by a bloodstained, white robed Uchiha known as Uchiha Izura. Rumors afloat of the Ghost Uchiha were boundless like the sea. The aftermath of the event was like the ocean tide, ebbing and flowing like fate itself as actors contended with one another, trying to find or hide the truth behind the man, Uchiha Izura. The rumor mill produced tales of the supernatural, perhaps an old ancestor of the Uchiha which had so quickly become the talk of the town amongst Stone Shinobi. The man who appeared on the verge of death at the village gates, only for someone looking like a deathly apparition in strikingly similar appearance to him to appear that same night.

Was Sabaku superstitious? Or perhaps he was sent here to patrol the area, given what had happened? In any case, it was here, on the beach, at the strike of 3am, that an apparition appeared at the lake. A bandaged Izura, covered in bloodstains and a stark white hospital robe, standing in the water of the beachhead. The apparition was faint, as if it almost failed to exist as it blended in partially amongst it's own backdrop. It's eyes faced out to sea, as it looked longingly out, reaching for something, even perhaps waiting. Was it real? Was it fake? Who was this Izura?

It turned to face Sabaku before he even got the chance to sneak up on it, and within a moment, Sabaku's headset was gone, crushed into the ground. There would be no witnesses to this ghost's time of contemplation. The apparition's eyes shifted patterns, trapping the 16 year old anbu shinobi into the realm of the nightmare.

"You shouldn't have come here, stone ninja."

Ravens coalesced around the apparition.

WC: 300

 

[Kaen]

"Go patrol the beach front." They said, "It will be fun." they said... I Swear, if I ever become captain....

These were the thoughts that crossed his mind as he scoured the pitch black oasis that was the beaches of Iwa. There was nothing here from what he could gather. Just shells, sand, water and more sand and water. The smell however was pleasant, it reminded him of home. It should... He IS home... The sounds of the waves crashing against the shore echoed across the surface of the ocean, gently, but forcefully reminding you that at first glance something may remain harmless, in time it could topple the world. Givin enough time, this ocean will swallow up the lands of his home, but that is ages away. Sabaku glanced at his watch, 2:58 AM. He had already been out patrolling for hours now... Might as well head back. He started his journey back just about the same time as the presence was felt... A ghostly form appeared seemingly out of nowhere, ghastly in form, draped in a white. blood stained gown that flowed gently in the breeze. The figure's voice pierced the very essence that was his soul, leaving an icy chill in its path.

"You shouldn't have come here, stone ninja."

The silhouette of the figure grew ever darker and mysterious. It's eyes took new shape and the world around him collapsed, taking Sabaku along with it. The world around him was seemingly empty, except Sabaku and this unknown entity. Sabaku turned back towards the being who's body was coalesced with a swarm of ravens. Sabaku had no inkling as to what this thing had just done to him, or taken him. He left him little to no options, backing him into a hypothetical corner.

What are you and what is this place?

Sabaku would at least try and communicate with this individual before making any rash decisions. None the less, he prepared himself for a possible attack, what other reason could this person have to transport Sabaku far away from his home land. This is without even taking into consideration the vast amount of power this fiend would need to posses to be capable of such a feat. Sabaku would await a response from the Raven whisperer.


[OOC 381 WC]

 

[Uchiha Izura]

“Someone out of their time. Someone who lost everything he had left…in an instant.”

He wasn’t going to identify himself again- that would hardly work in his favor. Instead, he came back specifically so he could find out just what these stone ninja were made of- what drove them to fight for their country. Everyone had their own individual reasons, sure….but the world had changed, and goals shifted with the times. For a man with little perceived purpose left, what else could he do, other than purview the hopes of others? 

The ghost-like figure separated into a flock of ravens again, and this time, the scenery changed. The beach was back again, but this time, the sky was crimson, and the surroundings in shades of black and white. He reappeared in midair, forming out of the ravens, with the sharingan-imprinted moon as a backdrop.

“This is the dream…or the nightmare…what you call it is irrelevant. I brought you here because I wanted to talk. If I had not, then I would have attempted the same to you.”

He looked to the right, as if to get Sabaku to look there as well. It was a brief glimpse of a flashback scene, with Izura standing over the unconscious bodies of Kurokawa and Shikai. The apparition in the sky looked back at Sabaku.

“No one I care about is left. Leaf is a distant memory. Mist is frozen over. Stone is new in the order of villages to rise to power, and yet nothing truly changes. Now that Stone is a major power, what is your dream for it?”

The beach setting morphed into a view of a Stone village that had taken over the world, becoming the seat of power for a new shinobi-led empire…..only to shift to the view of those who had been conquered. Those who had no choice but to accept the terms of their defeat. With victory, came sorrow. With success, came the resentment of those who had failed.

“What is your ninja creed? What do you train for- what do you seek to accomplish?”

The apparition looked at Sabaku, waiting for his answer.

WC 365

 

[Kaen]

The man's voice was more or less unthreatening and more of one filled with sorrow. Something gained, but everything lost... The man melted into a flock of ravens, only to appear again after Sabaku was transported once more back to the beaches of Iwa. It was the same but different... The skies were read but everything else casted in black and white. What was this man... and then he knew. The wistful figure's ravens reformed instantly in mid air, the moon behind him casting his shadow upon Sabaku. The moon was transformed, taking new shape in the form of the sharingan.

An Uchiha...

It was far and few between when one would be graced with the presence of an Uchiha. Quick, analytical and dangerous. These were the best words he could use to describe a typical encounter with one of them. Even his childhood friend was of the Uchiha clan, a person he had not seen in many many years... But that was neither here nor there, Sabaku had some fraction of an idea as to what was truly going on. It seemed he only wished to talk, but then the visage of two unconscious ninja were revealed to him. This duo was not unknown to him, having givin them a few lessons back in the academy. From what he could tell, they were alive. But then again, this was an uchiha he was dealing with... there was no way to certainly know whether this was real or not. Having just been on the beach itself, he recollected no such discovery. More images were shown to him, Stone, a super power? Unlikely, but not impossible. Still the man attempted a peak into the mind of Sabaku, then he asked the question that all ninja have an obligation to answer...

“What is your ninja creed? What do you train for- what do you seek to accomplish?”

Sabaku knew what he was about, who he was... but what does it mean to know oneself? To know yourself isn't about skimming the surface and deciding on a favorite color or book. To actually know who you are, you need to delve much deeper than that. It's a journey full of unpredictability, engaging you deeply as it brings you to face your deepest fears, self doubts, vulnerabilities and insecurities. Along the way you begin to ask yourself how you are living your life and whether it aligns with your predetermined higher purpose. Knowing yourself is also about discovering your core values, priorities and dreams. Getting to know oneself means respecting your strengths and weaknesses, your passions and fears, your thoughts and feelings, your likes and dislikes. All this isn't so different than what it means to be a guardian. A guardian is chosen not for this reason alone, but for the anticipated future that these things will come to pass and that they might serve a greater purpose having becoming one with themselves and able to focus their attentions on those that need it most. Sabaku would stared into the eyes of this Uchiha where his reflection would meet him. He stared into his own eyes, into his own soul and saw himself... he knew what he was about... he was a guardian. Still staring into the man's eyes, he spoke words not so unfamiliar.

There is Chaos teeming within this world... This is the reason the Old Gods have turned from our people, but it gives light and reason for the Guardians to exist. I am the Guardian of Celerity, I seek to instill hope among the people of this world, by doing so maybe lessen the darkness that is chaos that roams this plane of existence. With light there is darkness. We must know our teachings, even if we follow no path of faith, to allow ourselves our morality. Within our bodies is the flow of life energy, the essence that is in all living things. Guardians protect the lives of those who cannot protect themselves. We look out for every person who has not become corrupt by power, greed, vengeance, and vanity. I am that light, the Guardian who devotes his life to protect those who need it most in this world. I exist to carry that burden of eradication all chaos within this world so that some day... Some day we might all know peace.


[OOC 725 WC, Tutor total: 1106]

 

[Uchiha Izura]

Izura sighed. From his perspective, Sabaku seemed content with the idea of heroes- those who protected the weak and innocent against those who were strong and malevolent……ideals that rarely translated cleanly and clearly into reality.


“You live in an illusion guided by strong moral principles. There is always going to be an area of uncertainty, where those values are cast aside, and you have no choice but to rely on your will to live.”



The scene shifted to another flashback, where Izura showed a portion of his own life.

A 13 year old Leaf genin with his forehead protector bearing the iconic slash mark of the missing ninja, fighting for his life against those he once loved, but also those who were trying to kill him. The sharingan flared up in the young boy’s eyes, as he cast aside the bandages covering them.

It was a young Izura.

He continued, fighting for his life until the seal of the berserker flared and activated on the young boy, driving him to the edge of what was normally possible for such a youth. His opponents, his old teammates: a Kaguya girl named Kirien with silvery white hair, alongside the brown-haired boy, Kobayashi who was known to be a quick learner for his age. The sand of the Toraono dojo, scorched from flames and littered with kunai and shuriken. Without warning, the scene was cut in two as what seemed to be Kurokawa, launched a series of fuuton-shuriken at Sabaku. From behind, Shikai attempted to stab at his back. The girl appeared to be in emotional pain, almost as if she felt betrayed. Shikai’s blade trembled as he held it, even as he continued to swing it at Sabaku.

“Will you not defend yourself?”

Izura’s apparition continued to watch him from above, seeing how he would react now.

WC 308

 

[Kaen]

The man's words held much weight and merit, already Sabaku has had to question his ambitions in the face of danger. Soon he to would risk losing a part of himself in some way shape or form to continue on this "higher" path. Sabaku was now being show images of a young boy fighting for his life, all leaf shinobi from a time forgotten. The scene depicted a horror of friend vs friend, a fight to the death... could this be a younger image of this man, shown to Sabaku in an attempt to persuade him away from his believes? Before the scene could finish, danger was afoot. Kurokawa and Shikai coming out of the shadows to assault the young shinobi.

“Will you not defend yourself?”

Sabaku would need to act fast if he did not wish to become injured. But at the same time he had to ask, was this real, surely Kurokawa and Shikai could not be here with him, let alone attack a former sensei without provocation. There was no sense in attempting to communicate with the pair, as they were surely illusions or under mind control from this man. Illusions would be far better, knowing that the latter would surely brand this floating menace a threat. He would need to test to see whether or not these two were real or not. Just as Shikai's blade would have sunk into his flesh, so to did his body burst into a parade of glowing birds and reformed, leaving behind two images of Sabaku. In the distance, Sabaku reappeared, ready to end this farce.

I see now that you mean to watch as I strike down the ones I vowed to protect, what you do not realize is that I know and care for these two and so to they towards me. They would never willingly cause me harm... unless you had something to do with it... This ends now!

Sabaku quickly formed the seals needed and above the crimson sky, a tear in reality formed, pure black void beyond the realm of normality. Countless dark arms emerged from within the rift. The lengthy arms, composed of pure energy, grasped on and tore through anything within their extensive range. Surely this would effect someone of low rank as the students he once taught. This in itself would determine their legitimacy. If they managed to escape, it would indicate they indeed were not real and he could dispatch them quickly and deal with this.... Uchiha.

[OOC WC 416, tutor total: 1522, Actions: Flock of shadows and Gate of Enma]

 

[Uchiha Izura]

Kurokawa and Shikai were quickly overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught of dark energy arms that grabbed at them, holding them in place and causing them pain. The duo gritted their teeth holding on as much as they could, before their voices finally rang out.



The girl cried out in anguish, “W-why?!”



Shikai’s mask cracked as he spoke. “Y-you betrayed us!"

A kunai burst through Sabaku’s chest as he was stabbed through the back, the perpetrator being none other than Akira Amaya, the Anbu captain.

“I won’t let you lay a finger on my subordinates.”, the woman said.



Izura looked down at the scene with pity. He even questioned his own actions, casting a genjutsu on a man who was so pure and willing to follow what he believed to be right. It was almost as if Izura himself was searching for something, some sort of answer that would defy his expectations.

 Amaya withdrew her kunai before jumping back, leaving a gaping hole in Sabaku’s torso.

“A child whose family was killed by the ninja of the stone in an accident seeks revenge against the village. How do you stop them from hurting those you love, even if their vengeance is well warranted?

"

The scene shifted to that example, a vivid, blood soaked scene where a family was killed in front of a boy’s eyes, barely 8 years old as he saw his parents hacked down. The hesitation of the ninja responsible, and the misery that came with it. 

Izura looked at the scene with melancholy.



“This is the nature of war. Your ideals cannot protect them all.”

The scene shifted yet again to a village in a distant land. One with vast storm clouds and and the endless patter of rain. A younger Izura again, was displayed, this time looking to be around the age of 15. He had grown taller since the events of the flashback at the Toraono dojo, a black, rod-like container on his back.

He was with others- an older girl, in her twenties that appeared to be an experienced jounin level ninja by the name of Myou Chi. They faced off against a cloaked figure with a sinister, almost maniacal grin. The young Izura threw the black rod-container into the air, causing it to burst open and reveal an open parasol that began to rain down needles in the direction of the cloaked figure. But none of them worked, as the cloaked figure responded by sending a series of high level fire techniques towards the blonde haired woman. Izura was paralyzed with fear as he saw the woman, Myou Chi, barely able to hold her own against this powerful, relentless onslaught.

And within moments, he watched her burn. The screams, along with cries for help and indicative of great agony, permeated the air with horrific symphony. The young Izura could do nothing but body switch and hide underground, waiting for the murderer to leave. He was paralyzed with fear, but also hatred for himself. The boy had trained for so long, with so much effort, but he still couldn’t have saved her. And so she was dead. Sabaku was witness to this flashback in it’s full, vivid detail. Every scream, every facial expression, without reserve. The young Izura eventually emerged from the underground, tears dripping from his face at his own helplessness. Myou Chi’s corpse laid there, still smoldering and leaving the sickening smell of charred human flesh. Her skin had fused to her body, burned completely away in some parts, and her hair was all but gone. The woman could do little but barely croak in agony before she passed away on the spot.



“What would you have done?” the apparition of ravens asked, still floating above it all.

WC 629

 

[Kaen]

Sabaku watched in horror as his comrades casted him a traitor. This couldn't have been real... could it? In an instant, his commander, Amaya struck him down piercing her blade straight into his chest... Sabaku fell to his knees in pain, and was met with another vision. This time a young boy watching as his parents were killed in front of him... The next one was longer, a full reflection of a horror that transpired. What he saw brought him great mental pain and sorrow. Sabaku could do nothing but watch the grizzly scene as blood poured from his own wound. The scene ended and the man turned to him.

“What would you have done?”

Sabaku, having just watched what was obviously a vision of this man's past. He couldn't help but pity this man and the pain he surely must have endured during his lifetime... Such a tragedy, such pain, so much loss... Sabaku's eyes gave way to tears flowing just as hard as the blood that seeped from his open chest wound. Choking through the blood that was spurting from his mouth, he attempted to relay his thoughts.

I.. *cough* would have sacrificed myself in her stead... Or have died *cough* trying... I am sorry you have had to endure such *splat* pain... I... Probably would have been just as scared and powerless as you were....

Sabaku was filled with much self doubt, beginning to doubt whether he even had the power to defeat a foe, given he was put in that situation... Sabaku had much to reflect on... that is if he lived. Surely he would pass out at any moment from blood loss... he had to as a question before it was to late...

Why have you done this? Why are you showing me these images?


[OOC, WC 300, TT= 1822]

 

[Uchiha Izura]

“Your answer tells me that you haven’t been dealt these kinds of situations enough to truly understand what it means to be a shinobi. Instead, you’re stuck in the same white knight fantasy that I so desperately wanted to believe. Perhaps if we meet again later, your answer will have changed.”



The apparition of Izura flickered next to him, the ravens slowly separating and unwinding themselves.

“May you find your worth in the waking world.”



And with that, the dream faded away, leaving Sabaku alone on the beach, with only the sounds of the moonlit tides accompanying him. Izura was nowhere in sight.

WC 103

[Topic Left]

[Tutoring Requirements Met. 5 posts per player min and 1500 WC collectively per player min]

 

[Kaen]

While Sabaku might not have believed it himself, he truly was living a fantasy. Everything this man had to say was true in some aspect. Someday, maybe sooner than later, would be faced with choices he would have to make that would change who he was entirely. And just like that, he vanished and so to did the illusion. His wounds reverted and the images of his comrades faded away. All that remained was Sabaku crying, kneeling in the sand. Hopefully some of that man's words sunk in and would better prepare Sabaku for the true horrors of this world...

Deep down Sabaku knew he would meet this man again, he had to... whether it was to learn more from that man, or maybe even he learn from Sabaku in the ways of compassions and hope... Only time would tell. Wiping the tears from his cheek, he stood up and gazed out into the ocean, pondering as to what the hell just happened this night...


[OOC topic left, tutor requirements met]