Contract Search Chained to the Depths [Dual Contract Search]

[Chikamatsu Shin]

((OoC: okay, so we each need to eventually hit 1500 words, We do not have to do that in a single post so feel free to just write what you want and we will get there when we get there!))

Roaming through the desert stood the man who stretched five feet and eight inches from the sandy dunes below his feet. His sapphire eyes shined brightly in the twilight sky. His gilded hair contrasted with the black suit he was wearing. Skin tight silk gloves were worn over his hands as he had felt too much blood over the past year and was trying to ground himself back into sanity.

Returning back to the Toraono Dojo after the full detoxification of the mind controlling drugs he was forced by Wei's army, would allow Shin to find the names of students and recently graduated Genin he had not had a chance to meet with. While he wasn't officially the head of the academy, he was still a part of the Educational Unit of the Main Branch Forces for Sunagakure. He was granted the list and it was now his goal to meet with all of the aspiring shinobi within Sunagakure. Tonight he was to meet with a newly graduated Genin.

Walking through the darkness of the dunes Shin would look towards the child. "So, Kusari..." He would begin as they would crest over a dune. Shin would raise his hands. Wind release would begin to form around his right hand and his left would become coated with lightning. Making a single handseal a scattering of fireflies would form around them and scatter out to thirty meters. Photon Relase, a combination of Wind Major and Lightning Minor elements would illuminate the sandy surroundings. Shin would continue, "...tell me about yourself."

260/1500

 

[Kusari]

Kusari couldn't help but grin at the man's entrance, their eyes taking in the light show with delight. One of the fastest ways to win points with the young adult was theatrics, and Shin was revelling in just that. They reached up to brush their hair back before bending into a low bow. They rose, idly noting that the two were close in height, even despite the age gap. Curse their lanky build. Despite their distraction, they smiled and spoke. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Shin." They greeted simply, wanting to remain respectful with someone both superior and senior to themselves.

They shuffled their travelling poncho, mulling over the older man's question for a moment. "I don't know what to say. I'd say I'm a fairly average Genin graduate, with a not insignificant love of metalwork thanks to my mother's work." They seemed a little wistful, thinking of their family and how proud they'd be that they had stepped straight out of the academy into a meeting with one of the legends of their homeland. "I'm passionate about my work and training as a ninja, and I'm a big fan of books, plays, and poetry in my free time. I like to sit and think about art and what it means and all that if that makes any sense." They sounded a little unsure, their smile dying and their voice trailing off. Then, their eyes lit up with passion as their lips spread into a confident grin.

"I suppose, I chose this life to prove myself. To prove that the only difference between a citizen and a Shinobi is their willingness to grasp a piece of steel and push themselves for the sake of others." While they spoke with a lot of heat, projecting their voice strongly, they were nervous and inexperienced. Kusari was wise enough to know that they were still just a child, but they had the desire to learn. Hopefully, that would be enough to make a good impression.

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

Shin grinned at the child and returned one in kind.
"Oh, a fan of metal work you say? My father was a Journeyman, one of the three ancient orders that existed alongside Primus to defend humanity against the Elemental threats known as the Ancients. He specialized in the designing and crafting puppets for the shinobi forces. Is your mother a member of the Journeymen? "

He would take a few steps with a grin, he could tell they liked the Photon Release. Placing his hands on the ground he surged a pulse of chakra through the granules of quartz. Ninja Art: Floret Fields. Nearly instantly a field of green buds would begin to cover the mound. Tiny wild flowers and cacti would begin to bloom in the desert. The scent of pollen and moisture would fill the air. He let out a grin from behind his lips.

"If you've got the talents of metalwork yourself, then perhaps a visit to the Orders' Tower may be something you should check out yourself. I prefer to spend my time in the Arboretum myself. Surrounding myself with plant life helps keep my mind and hand steady. "

Shin would watch as the scattering of flower petals and dancing fireflies would make the twilight expanse spectacular. It had been over a year since he had a moment to breathe and relax. His mind was blank with the occasional flash and horror of murdering innocent men, women, children, and other citizens of the Land of Wind.

"Do you find your willingness strong enough to take a life Kusari? Do you think the way you are now is enough to kill someone for the sake of someone else? "

543/1500

 

[Kusari]

Kusari listened as he spoke, nodding at his first question. Mother had been attending meetings with the Journeymen their entire life, once a week, and only missed it for occasions like holidays, family gatherings, and birthdays. "She is, sir. I've seen the Tower of Hammers a fair few times, walking mother to meetings, and attending a few parties when they hold them. It's a beautiful place, and their work is simply astounding." They explained, watching as the man crouched down. They expected some sort of earthen spire to rise, a show of the man's experience with Douton but was simply blown away as plant life sprung from the barren dune.

The flowers and cacti filled the air with aromas of petrichor and redolence, and Kusari breathed deeply, welcoming the respite from the dry air of the desert night. They'd stepped foot in the Arboretum a few times too, always finding the place to be a wonderland of productivity and viridescence, but not quite as welcoming as the tower. Something about the glass and steel reminded Kusari of their mother's embrace, warm like the forge and tough as iron.

"Your work is amazing, sir... I've never seen anything like it." They admitted, watching the man's face flash through what could only be described as complex emotions before asking a question that caused Kusari to tense slightly. Could they kill a fellow human? Father had always said that the path of the ninja always ended with blood. Whether it was your own or another's was down to the individual. Who did Kusari think they were?

A moment passed, feeling their heartbeat like it was in their throat. They knew what they were and what they'd become. Shinobi were killers. They didn't hesitate.

"If it came down to it, in a heartbeat." They said, their voice holding steady.

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

'If it came down to it, in a heartbeat' the genin would say. A soft yet distant grin came across Shin's face. His mind wondered back to when he too was their age. He was already a Chuunin Sensei at the academy and worked as a fully fledged Medical Shinobi for the Omni Prime Medical Facility, and yet his answer would have been no. He couldn't imagine taking the life of someone else, most of his jutsu weren't fatal as he was a Genjutsu user and illusions couldn't kill someone by themself.

"It's a strange thing, taking someone's life. I don't think i experienced it until recently, at least not through my own lense of reality and life. "

His words masking the fact that his body had taken lives as early as twelve years old, but to him that wasn't his fault nor his to claim. His sister, Kohana, was the one piloting their, no his, body. She had always been the one to land fatal blows. She was the sword to his shield. He spent his life mastering ways to save lives and even create more through the creation of his homunculi, but she was expertly trained to take them. He hadn't seen her since he sent her away, and he was afraid of what she might say or do.

"You know, before I was Kazekage or even the Sennin I was the Medical Chief of Research and Development, hell by the time I was your age I was a Mednin researching how to save lives. To even think about taking a life intentionally..., well I don't know I would have responded.

Lord Senju Kazuki taught me how to counter those of Uchiha and Hyuuga blood by ripping the very source of their power from their eye sockets. Lady Byakko Akujin taught me not only the Medical Arts, but how to become a master swordsman as she went to win the world's martial arts tournament. I know I was trained to be a weapon and an assassin, but I wonder. "

He looked towards the Genin.

"If Genin like you exist, who also come from a place of creation through strength, then perhaps we could strive to find our place in this world without the need for bloodshed. Without the need to hide in the tunnels carved by monsters. "

His eyes went distant again as he looked towards the now falling horizon of dusk.

950/1500

 

[Kusari]

Kusari listened intently, impressed by the mans storytelling ability and his willingness to open up. They suspected there was a moral, buried somewhere in the words, but they couldn't shake their mother's own advice from their mind. You don't forge a blade expecting it to stay bloodless.

"Don't get me wrong, sir, I'd like to avoid it where I can, but between an enemy and I, I know who I'd rather walked away from a battle." The elaboration was more for their own sake. The older man seemed to be one of the best of them, someone who would rather preserve than destroy, which Kusari respected.

"If I could be so bold to ask, do you regret walking this path? To be able to heal and hurt in equal measure must give you a level of insight into mortality that I can only pretend to understand." The youth's own understanding of life and death came in brush strokes rather than sword strokes, and they always tried to find understanding in the words of others.

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

"To be honest, I don't know. Up until a year ago, no."

Shin wasnt aware of how publicly it was know that he was one of the shinobi under the influence of Wei's forces. That he was the one that slaughtered most of the Medical Shinobi of Sunagakure. His hands took the lives of countless civilians, and his genjutsu that had spread like a virus through the air causing those who were unlucky enough to catch it to slaughter their loved ones. He wasn't sure where his Karmic balance stood. Has he saved enough lives through the production of homunculus nurses and other medical advancements to outweigh the sheer amount of lives he took this past year.

"I will say though, life became significantly more complicated once I became the Kazekage. A part of me misses the throne, yet another part understands why Lord Michino did away with the seat."

He hesitated for a minute. He longed for that position again. His time was cut short and he didn't feel as though he accomplished as much as he could have. The changes he did implement made their impact, but who knows. Maybe in four years time he would be selected as Sennin again, though he was also curious if the secrets of this past year would be slipped into the public ear. If the general population discovered what he had done, and what he would have continued to do if it weren't for the Mednin under Akkuma's tutelage, would they be able to and willing to forgive and accept him again...

"Regardless of my past, what goals do you find yourself holding onto at the moment? Do you desire an easy life or one filled with adventure and hardship?"

1239/1500
((If you have 1500 words next post please let me know and I'll do our contract search post, and we can continue the RP))

 

[Kusari]

The incident that seemed to play on Shin's mind was something Kusari was only aware of in the broadest of strokes. They didn't know who was involved, just that 'a high-ranking ninja' had been influenced into committing a massacre. They hadn't the clearance to know much more than that. The youth's heart went out to the family and friends of those lost, and they worried for the health and soul of the one who had been forced to perpetrate such an atrocity. They had read a book once, about a warrior who was forced to kill their own family and spent most of the book trying to make amends, only to conclude that letting go and moving on, to find new meaning, was the best way to make their loved ones proud. The incident reminded them of that novel.

But Kusari didn't know enough to connect that story to Shin, so they nodded.

"I think the leadership structure change is a good move. I feel like I'm under less pressure, knowing that the expectations on my peers and I are... less concentrated if that makes sense." They replied, hesitating again. They were prone to that, when it came to self-expression, never quite knowing how to articulate their thoughts. A lot of people had singled them out for being weird, whether it was the androgyny or their scatterbrained nature. That was part of what drove them.

"I suppose the best way to word my goals is that I want to prove myself. Not in the eyes of others, but to myself?" They sounded unsure, but a deep breath helped them centre their mind. "I want a feeling of self-assuredness, in my body, in my mind, in my ability to defend myself, in my craft; all of it. I want to be able to live my life with the confidence that, whatever may come, I will stay standing." They finished, the fire back in their eyes. The look seemed to come and go, flickering like a candle in the breeze. It never quite went away, but it would dwindle to near nothing before roaring back to life when pushed. Fitting, for someone who was always seeking confidence.

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

"I fear the division of leadership may, one day, cause factions to form amongst those within our walls. A struggle for control and allegiances forged in secret will eventually become tainted with the darkness that calls these tunnels their home. Many great and wonderful minds have been sunken into the filth and torment that is their own ego and desire for power. "

He took a beat and let his words linger. Anxiety of anarchy and more bloodshed filling the streets worried him.

After a few lulls of silence the echoes of the nighty howls of the various dune crawlers and bands of nocturnal creatures would faintly be heard in the distance. Shin would turn around and extend his hand.

"أن تعيش حياتك بثقة يعني أن تعيش حياتك بسلام."

I placed my hand on their shoulder with a soft pat.

"I hope you find the confidence in yourself to accomplish all of your dreams, but also do not let your eyes become so clouded in your direction that you fail to look to the horizon for other opportunities. "

He smiled softly at the young genin. Pulling his other hand out from behind his back he extended a scroll that housed the Chikamatsu division of the Medical Branch seal.

The symbol would be that of the Inner Ring's iconography but instead of the symbol of Sunagakure, it would be the six petal flower of the Chikamatsu Clan.

"When you are in a place of darkness and fear, place your hand upon this seal and call upon me, I will answer your plea. "

and with that a gust of smoke took to where the man had once stood, vanishing from view.

Spoiler: Runic Terran Translation

To live your life with confidence is to live your life with peace.

[Word Count: 1500+]

 

[Kusari]

Kusari considered the politics of their home for a moment. The man certainly had a point. Leave it open to partisan nonsense and people will divide themselves. Historically, the desert kept them united, but with the advancements of the past ages, they'd been able to push back against the environment. But they had a new environmental threat. They hid underground, alongside most of the other desert denizens. The worms, the scorpions, the ticks, the lizards; a constant deluge of creatures dodging the sun alongside their people.

"I think the desert will keep us united. Even away from the sun, the beasts will force us to work together." They said, holding their chin in their hands. While the people had spent generations adapting, the wildlife had spent millennia upon millennia; probably longer, breeding themselves to wander the caves, dunes, oases, plains, and mountains unperturbed. The Sunan nation was only taking its baby steps by comparison. It made Kusari think of a poem they'd read, 'Sands, Unrelenting.' It spoke of the land's ability to wear things down, the constant heating and quenching and heating and quenching of the day and night, the extremes of temperature and light. It forged anything that could endure to be strong and melted down the rest into slag.

Snapping out of their musings, they listened to the man speaking the ancient language, not understanding the words but feeling the sentiment. Support, approval, belief. The warmth of his hand was felt through their poncho, jacket, and the mesh shirt below. They suppressed a shiver, their skin rippling with goosebumps.

"Thank you, sir. I'll keep that in mind. I'm always looking for new opportunities." They admitted, their grin returning as the man showed them the scroll. It was a beautiful thing, the edges of the paper were patterned, and the wrappings were a rich burgundy. The symbol itself was clearly a family sigil atop that of the Medical Corps. They took it in their hands gently, and with as much grace as they could manage, slipping it into the inside pocket of their cropped coat.

A gust picked up for a moment as the man gave his cryptic instructions and bid his farewell, fluttering the youths clothes as he vanished, leaving them alone with their thoughts.

"I'll make sure I go as far as I can" They vowed to the night air.

 

[Ninpocho Admin]

You've found Insect! Do you accept?​

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

Yes!

 

[Kusari]

Yes!