Private From Where I Stand: Sharing my Strength [Req. Kiriyomi and Ōtakemaru]

[Chikamatsu Shin]

The days were getting longer and longer, or so it felt for the young Yamanaka. He was worried about his future and the future of his peers, so he decided to do something about it. Uchiha Takeshi, the 4th and acting Hokage, told Shusuke about an up coming Exam for Genin and Chūnin ranks. He had sent a letter to both his psuedo-pupil, Aburame Kiriyomi, and his apparent teammate under the Hokage, Ōtakemaru. The letter would ask them to meet him outside of the village gates for a special training to help get them ready for the upcoming exams, and that Shusuke had found something that they may find useful.

Once night finally fell Shusuke would set up the location for the Jutsu he was preparing. Unraveling two large scrolls he would make a handseal to infuse his chakra into two large bowls of black ink. He was almost ready. Four torches standing at the cardinal directions around him caused the young boy to be illuminated at the feet of long lost shinobi. Here, Shusuke waited.

 

[Ōtakemaru]

Flickering leaves upon hitting his soles on the branches made the night creepier than it had to be. But Take wasn’t one to ignore the summoning from a teammate, or that would paint him badly in the eyes of his parents and those around him. He didn’t want to disappoint anyone…

And as such, his ill thoughts about himself kept him going, as detrimental to his well-being as those thoughts were. A driving force that he’d tried to shed off, only to be branded with hot iron by forces of judgement and negligence. Why did his mother ever give him this accursed blade strapped to his hip? The Torch Dragon… as inseparable from his bloodied fate as if glued to his palms for all of time.

And yet, in the fall of night, Take made it to the meeting area at the Valley of the End, with torches set around the blonde shinobi and flinging his shadow across the place. Take’s landing was serene, but it was packed with restraint – as if disturbing the waters would lead to his demise on the spot.

He saw… two large scrolls, and two large containers with what looked like tar at first. Yet, given their spar prior to this night, Take genuinely felt like he could trust him – Shusuke had a strong sense of camaraderie, given by the swordsman’s observations. Therefore, in due respect, he’d bow, revealing that he still carried around three blades sheathed away on his person – two on his left hip, and an ōdachi on his back.

“Ōtakemaru. Present. I appreciate your help deeply, Shusuke…”

 

[Kiriyomi]

Kiriyomi stares down at the letter sitting on his desk, arriving not long ago from Shusuke. The details were sparse, but his presence was requested and he trusted his senpai implicitly. So without saying a word to his mother, Kiri opens the window to his room and sneaks out into the shadows of the night. He of course knows of the Valley of the End, but had never visited the area himself. What was waiting for him, he had no idea, but a nervous and excited energy bubbled up inside of him as he eagerly made his way to the meeting spot that was detailed in the letter.

As he quietly approaches the torch lit area where Shusuke was waiting, his eyes fell upon a figure he had yet to see before. Immediately, Kiriyomi assessed this new person as he would any threat that he may come across. They were bowing to Shu, and from his vantage point behind them, Kiri notices only the weapon strapped to their back. I'm not sure what is going on here, but if it's another fight, I'm going to do my best so that I don't let Shusuke-sama down again. Best to be prepared just in case. With just a thought, Kiri's missing arm is quickly reformed with his Kikai, flexing the limb and testing its stability. He had grown more accustomed to using it since he had last seen Shu, and was ready to show that it was no longer a hindrance to him. Stepping wide around the figure before him, Kiri steps into the flickering light and smiles. "Shusuke-sama. I received your letter. May I ask what this is about?"

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

"I am glad you could both make it. Kiriyomi-kun, this is Ōtakemaru-san, a member of my Squad along with Shishiwakamaru-kun. I am not sure if you had been told this or not, but there will be an Exam happening for all Students and Genin alike. This exam will grant not only the rank of Genin to the Students, but anyone who participates could be granted the rank of Chūnin." As Shusuke turned to face the two of them, they would see the bandage wrapping that covered Shusuke's right eye underneath his hair. "If you want to become a Chūnin there is a lot of work we need to get done." He looked over to Take. "Additionally, I need you, Take, to make sure you are confident in your abilities. If this exam is going to be based on Squads, I cannot have you weigh me and Shishiwakamaru down, and I know you don't want that either. I know you have the strength and power in you but I want to make it known to you."

Stepping towards the large scrolls Shusuke would weave a couple of handseals and the ink would begin to raise up like two cobras made of jet-black ichor. The serpents would crawl onto the scrolls and using their tails they would begin to write on the X shaped layout that the two scrolls created. "I have been studying for some time and I believe I have found a forbidden art that could unlock a lot of your potential, but it comes at a cost. The Cursed Seal Jutsu. While it will strengthen you immensely, it will quickly drain your chakra reserves and if used foolishly could even lead to your death." He paused for a moment in case either of them had any questions so that he could answer them.

"If you both consent, I would be willing to perform this jutsu on each of you to help get you prepared for this Exam. We all eventually have to make sacrifices if we desire to be strong." He paused for a second, thinking of what he had given up in order to gain the new power he new held. He could not force this on the other children, but he was willing to do what it took to grant it to them.

 

[Ōtakemaru]

Who was this next one? Shusuke referred to him as Kiriyomi, so maybe he was another Genin… no, not by what the former spoke about later. An Academy Student… and the exam… Take had heard little about it, but he was aware that such an event was being plotted.

Apologetic, that was one of Take’s great strengths. Yet, Shusuke hit him on the nail regarding his greatest weakness – his lack of confidence. He nodded in agreement – he didn’t want that, either. He wanted to be confident… to be someone who could impress people. But as of right now, he couldn’t see that strength inside of him… but Shusuke insinuated something. That he could bring that strength out, somehow…

The two cobras that emerged from the containers revealed to be made of ink with how they were able to write on the scrolls with their tails. Things began to take a turn for the obscure when Shusuke revealed to have found a Forbidden Art that could bring out their potential… at a cost. Take’s chest felt heavy upon hearing that, and he was understandably sweating a little. His potential? What potential? That which he talked about earlier? What if… what if Shusuke was wrong? Wouldn’t this be a waste of time, the-

… Wasn’t… everything a waste when put onto him? Shusuke must’ve worked his ass off to get this Forbidden Art, and Take was in a haze thick enough to ignore the outright illegality of this entire scenario. If this couldn’t make him stronger, then… nothing would. Death be damned.

“I understand.”

Take’s words were sharp, precise, uninterrupted by stuttering, loud and almost uncharacteristic of him. Listen, if this didn’t work, then… remember what Shusuke said? This would likely kill him, and that didn’t even terrify him – connect the dots.

“I want to get stronger… even if it costs me my arms,” he continued – for a swordsman, sacrificing his arms really drilled in just how dead-set he was on this idea. Take was beyond the point of no return… he’d decided.

 

[Kiriyomi]

Kiriyomi glances over at Ōtakemaru, realizing that he must be a Genin if he was a part of Shusuke's squad. And, given how strong Shu was, this newcomer probably had some skills that Kiri would not be able to overcome just yet. So thankfully, he wasn't expected to fight. At the mention of the exam, that nervous energy inside his chest begins to bubble more violently. He had signed up, of course, as he wanted to be able to promote and defend the village as his father had done before him. For once, the thought of his father didn't bring about anger or despair; rather, it brought forth a determination, to do anything necessary to protect those he cared for.

As the ink in the two bowls behind Shusuke rise up into the forms of serpents and begin to draw on the scrolls, Kiri listens intently as Shu explains the Forbidden Technique that he had discovered. As with anything, it came with a cost: potentially his death if he were not careful. Kiri stops and considers this for a moment, thinking of how his mother would react if he were killed by something such as this. At the same time, faces flash before his eyes: Akio, Shusuke, Shishiwakamaru, and Keniwa. His friends that had helped him through his dark times, fought alongside him, and supported him in their own ways. If he had the chance to become stronger so that he could defend them and guarantee their survival, what was his life in comparison? Staring Shusuke in the eye, ignoring the bandage over his right eye, Kiri would allow his resolve to shine through. "I trust you, Senpai. If you think that I would benefit from this, then please. Help me to better defend those important to me, and I will do my best not to waste this gift and lose my life by acting carelessly."

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

As the two before him agreed Shusuke would begin to draw on his chakra slowly gaining the power needed to perform such a jutsu. "I need each of you to lay down on your backs on one of these scrolls opposite of each other. Raise your hands and lay it where the scroll you are on overlaps the other, once you do that I can begin performing this jutsu." Shusuke would wait for his allies to get in the position he had asked.

Stepping back the young Yamanaka would sit down on the other scrolls and make a few handseals before closing his eyes. The serpents would respond by inscribing seals all over the two boys' bodies. "Forbidden Ninja Art: Cursed Sealing Jutsu!" As he spoke th serpents would rear back with their fangs and puncture the hands of the two willing boys. The ink that made up the serpents would begin to instantly pour in through the teeth and course through their veins. Every centimeter it traveled the two would feel as though molten metal was being pouring into their open wound. The pain would be immense, but it was necessary for this jutsu.

Coiling around their arms the two ink serpents would begin to tighten their grips, like a constrictor attempting to kill their prey, the bodies of the snakes would begin to grow tighter and tighter as the quantity of ink that formed their bodies was depleting. They were getting tighter as they were losing volume. What may feel like a lifetime was only a matter of seconds as the cobras would become so thin and so tight that they essentually forced their ways into the arms of Kiriyomi and Ōtakemaru.

As the two would feel the burning sensations in their body it was now a waiting game. Shusuke would at first see a small diamond like pattern forming in the palms' of their hands where the snakes originally bit, but it was a matter of time before he would see the effects grow. The simple diamond would begin to grow and create petals and branches in their most simple of forms. dark lines would begin to stretch across the arms of each of the boys before Shusuke, but he had to keep going. Pulsing blue energy took both of their forms as the Cursed Sealing Jutsu was almost complete. Nearly consuming their entire arms and onto their chests and faces, Shusuke began to question whether or not these seals would fully take over their bodies and consume them.

Spoiler: appearance

The jutsu was almost complete when Shusuke began to realize something was wrong. The soft glowng blue sensation of Shusuke's Chakra that he was infusing into the Kiriyomi and Ōtakemaru would begin to shift and burn a bright reddish orange on Ōtakemaru alone. The Cursed Sealing Jutsu seemed to have completed it's grasp on Kiriyomi without complications, but something was happening with Ōtakemaru. The once clean lines of strength would begin to burn away and warp into abstract shapes, wisps of flames would take the boy. Something about Ōtakemaru and this Cursed Sealing Jutsu woud synergize to the point where it appeared that Ōtakemaru was demanding more Chakra than Shusuke had to offer. It was starting to pull the very life from Shusuke's body as his cursed seal demanded more and more.

"Ōtakemaru! You have to stop this! I don't know what is happening but this is too much!"

 

[Ōtakemaru]

Kiriyomi, too, wanted strength in order to be of help. To better defend those important to him… those words almost made Take tear up. It was one thing to loathe himself, but to admire someone else to this level was such an overwhelming emotion. Even for someone who saw themselves as capable… to be driven to gain more… took something special.

Take had problems, and this Cursed Seal might not fix all of them. Yet, somehow, he felt deep inside that this Forbidden Art might’ve been the key that he was looking for all along. His parents… would they approve of such a method?

…

…

Why did he care about them?

He simply did as Shusuke told. Obediently, his back lied against one of the scrolls opposite to Kiriyomi, and he rested his right hand where the scrolls ‘crossed’ each other. He was scared, honestly, but his heart betrayed the look on his face…

Shusuke had sat down and initiated the Cursed Sealing Jutsu. The serpents summoned from the ink before would begin writing seals all over their bodies, gliding their tails across his and Kiriyomi’s forms in eerie manners. Without warning, however, the burning pain assaulted his hand and caused Take’s muscles to toughen up! Before he even had the chance to grunt or shriek in pain, the world began fading into deep, deep dark…

Spoiler: Take's psyche

It felt as if he was standing on a black pool of ink now. The burning pain from his hand kept his eyes widened up as he saw a giant avatar of… himself. Glaring down at him, with a size that made its lower body root down into the ink pool, and yet it still loomed far above Take himself. This avatar quickly latched its hands around him, almost crushing his ribs with its grip. He couldn’t scream, only grunt from the back of his throat at the force from a being that looked exactly like him… but…

The most terrifying detail of the giant avatar of his was the view of… 3, 4, 5… 6 eyes in total. Three pairs, a pair of eyes above the normal area, and a pair of eyes below the normal area. Blacker than night, with yellow irises and what looked like flickering flames for pupils. Take stopped grunting in pure fear, not being able to breathe at the sight of it. He gave up… if this was going to kill him, then so be it. He gave up.

All of his self-hatred assaulted him. Yes, that must’ve been it – the giant must’ve been a manifestation of his self-hatred. That was why it was crushing him down at the immediate sight of him, it made sense… realizing this, Take managed to utter voices from his mouth again, even as the giant him was crushing him down. He… cried. Sulked, even. Tears overflowed and ran down his face, exchanging the terror with pure guilt over how useless he’d been. How nothing in his life ever went his way… and how no one expected anything from him. He couldn’t take it anymore… please, giant Take, just end it alrea-

“I love you.”​

… H-Huh? Take’s sulking began to subside, but only in pure confusion. Did it… talk to him? Even while holding him still like this, wait- its grip loosened. The giant… it was crying too. Only now, but tears ran from all 6 eyes of his.

“-I always will.”​

​

Shusuke’s chakra was suddenly cut off completely from Take’s form. Something had immediately severed the connection, but Take’s transformation continued… and while difficult to trace or detect from many, Shusuke would likely possess the skills to notice that the water around them was rippling towards Take. The wind was blowing towards him. The distant grasses, bushes and trees were waving towards him. Even the shadows began flickering closer to him.

He was… somehow drawing chakra from nature itself, thus allowing the marks to spread the flame marks over him. At one point, so much chakra had amassed that it’d be difficult to breathe – especially once his entire body was covered in orange-red, glowing light. Weighted, heavy concentration of chakra unlike anything he’d shown before… a nigh inhuman amount of cursed chakra was engulfing him.

Then… the glowing light faded away, and Take rose back up slowly. For a solid 5 seconds, he glared into the distance next to them both, and for those seconds, Shusuke and Kiriyomi would be able to see that Take had more eyes than he reasonably should’ve – 6 in total. As if born with this power, he stretched his hand out and caused the transformation to revert, the marks fading away into burning glow that shrank back into his right hand… until a diamond-shaped form was all there was left.

“… Shusuke… are you alright? Did something happen?”

 

[Kiriyomi]

Kiriyomi follows Shusuke's instructions, lying down on the scroll opposite Take and laying his right hand down where the scrolls overlapped. He sneaks a glance over at the other boy, wondering for a moment what his story was and what his motivations were for getting stronger at the risk of his own life. Did he have loved ones that he wanted to protect, selfish reasons for gaining this power, or was it something else? As he was thinking these things, Shusuke was busy preparing for the jutsu. Before the serpent rears back and bites his hand, Kiri thinks to himself, This isn't so bad. I'm sure it will be a quick process, and I will come out the other side stronger and better equipped for whatever the world throws at me.

As the fangs pierce his flesh, Kiri involuntarily screams out in pain. He had never experienced pain like this before, had no way to describe the severity as the ink burned its way through his body. His eyes roll back into his head, and he passes out for just a moment. As he opens his eyes, Kiri finds himself standing in the clearing that he and Akio had found on their day out in the forest together. Standing around the edges of the clearing are all of his family and friends. Over there is Suniwa, standing beside his grandfather, both staring at Kiri in horror. Akio is screaming silently, tears streaming down his face as he reaches out towards Kiriyomi. Keniwa stares blankly at him before turning his back, as if ashamed to be associated with Kiri. Directly across from him stands Shusuke, a grin splitting his face in two.

Kiri watches in horror as the grin widens, further and further, splitting the skin of Shusuke's face. Black blood starts pouring down the front of the Yamanaka's body, slowly at first but quickly becoming a torrent that starts to spread towards Kiri and his loved ones. When it reaches his feet, Kiri lifts his foot to find that the blood is stuck to his shoe. It slowly climbs up his body, as though the clearing is fenced in by an invisible barrier. Looking around in horror, he quickly realizes that the blood is slowly consuming everyone in the clearing. Faster and faster the black liquid fills the space, and the figures surrounding Kiriyomi quickly fall prey to it as they collapse and do not resurface.

Opening his mouth to scream out in terror, Kiri is unable to get out a sound as his lungs are quickly filled with... ink? Choking, he tries to spit it out, only to have the ink flood his mouth again and begin to push itself into his nose, ears, and eyes. Just before the world goes dark once again, he hears a voice call out to him. "Kiriyomi... Don't lose yourself. This power is strong, but you are stronger. Fear not, because I have raised you to be brave and strong. You will not succumb to something such as this. My son, you have surrounded yourself with friends that love you. If you feel yourself slipping away, lean on them. They will help you pull you back from the edge, and prevent you from sliding into darkness. Trust in your bonds and trust in yourself. Now... Wake up."

With a gasp, Kiriyomi sits up and starts coughing, struggling to catch his breath. Staring down at his hand, he sees a small diamond on his palm. Was this the curse seal that Shusuke promised? He didn't feel any stronger... perhaps it was something that he needed to train to master, so that he could properly utilize it. As he is staring down at his hand, a tear slips down his cheek and lands on the diamond. Reaching up and wiping at his face, Kiri realizes that he has been crying since he came to. Wiping his eyes and taking a shuddering breath, he recalls the nightmarish scene that he beheld when he had passed out. That voice at the end... was that his father? He wasn't angry like the last time they had spoke; if anything, he sounded proud of his son. Kiri tucks that memory away to analyze later, and turns to look at Take and Shusuke.

Watching as an orange light fades away, Kiri's brow furrows. Take sits up and stares off into the distance, and he comes to a startling realization. Take had six eyes! Blinking quickly and looking more closely, Kiri watches as black flames all over Take's body fade into a soft glow that recedes back into his hand. “… Shusuke… are you alright? Did something happen?” As Take asks this, Kiri turns his gaze to Shu, seeing that he is looking a little paler. He starts to move closer to Shusuke to make sure that he is unharmed, but moves a little too quickly and falls back on the scroll as his body gives out. There is little to no strength left in his body; it feels as though everything within him was used up to ensure that he survived the process of receiving the cursed seal.

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

Shusuke laid in shock as he felt his life nearly leave himself. Looking up towards Ōtakemaru, who appeared to have go beyond what Shusuke had intended. The Yamanaka had read stories of this forbidden technique evolving into something more, something stronger, but he never expected for him to see it the first time he performed the technique. He looked over to Kiriyomi who had reawakened after the jutsu’s completion before looking back to Take

”I am fine, Ōtakemaru-san, how are you? For a moment there…” His voice trailed off slightly as the boy coughed hard into his hand. Mere moments later the two large scrolls would begin to burn, one orange and one blue. The faintest shift from paper to ash took to them slowly, no exposed flames were visible nor was there any heat, but the scrolls had served their purpose.

”It appears the Jutsu was completed successfully. You may not feel it now, but when you find yourself in a position of dire need you will feel the burning sensation return to you, but instead of a force to cripple you, it will strengthen you. Though you will feel your inner reserves diminish and it may take you some time to recover from it fully. Take some time before these exams and try and push yourself beyond your limits to trigger your Cursed Seal, as each of them are as unique as you are and only time will tell how this power will manifest.”

Shusuke would rise to his feet, weakly. Letting out a sigh he staggered a little bit, drained of all of his chakra and then some. ”I need to get some rest, I’ll be camping out here for the night. You’re more than welcome to stay, I am sure you two are also tired.”

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[Ōtakemaru]

“Kiriyomi!” Take called out to the falling student, resting a hand on Kiriyomi’s shoulder to check if he was alright. He looked so exhausted… maybe the Forbidden Art had taken too much of a toll on him, but did it work?

Even Shusuke was drained from using the technique, while Take felt… fine. Did something happen to him? He saw the marks on his arm, so instinctively, he took another glance at his palm and noticed the diamond-shaped, black symbol etched right in the center. Thus, in accordance with Shusuke’s next words, the Jutsu was successful.

The Cursed Seal. In dire need, they could summon such incredible strength in exchange for huge supplies of chakra. And apparently, each Cursed Seal was unique and likely held a unique ability for Kiriyomi and Take respectively. Therefore, they’d need time to practice using it…

Take quickly supported Shusuke upon fearing that the lad would drop to his knees again. Upon doing that, Take revealed just how rejuvenated he already was, as if the entire Forbidden Art hadn’t drained him of any strength. They all needed to rest, in some way, so there was no point in returning back home just yet. His parents could worry all they want… but they likely wouldn’t. Who cared? Their worries would only stunt his growth, at this rate.

“I’ll stay. You look weary, and I’m worried for your health,” Take replied with a voice of serenity, “You even look like you’ve lost a little weight. I can help prepare food. It’s the least I can do to thank you… I’m sure this Cursed Seal will come in handy. I can just… feel it. Kiriyomi, you too should stay.”

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[Kiriyomi]

Kiriyomi gives Take a weak smile, wondering for a moment how he had so much energy left after the process they had just gone through. "I'm okay, thank you for the concern. I think I just need a moment to gather myself. I'm more worried about Shusuke though, he looks like he could collapse at any moment." He watches as Take goes over to support Shusuke, marveling again at the energy that he seems to have. Kiri feels like he was thrown against a tree, repeatedly. His muscles quivering as he manages to stand, despite his best effort to still them. As he steps off the scroll, he turns to watch as it slowly begins to burn away and turn to ash. No evidence of what transpired here, other than the marks on his and Take's hands.

Listening to Shusuke explain the marks, he stares down at the diamond on his hand. Should he tell his mother what had happened, or should he find some way to keep it a secret? She definitely wouldn't want to know that he had risked his life to get stronger, and that if misused, he could die from this new power. Shrugging, he decided that was something to consider later. Right now, he needed to get home before she discovered that he was missing. She would likely have the entire neighborhood out looking for him, and then he would have no choice but to reveal that he had snuck out. Taking a step back towards the village, he hears Take offer to prepare some food, and his stomach growls in agreement. "I think some food would be a great idea, help me get my strength back before I head back home. Thank you very much, both of you. I promise I will keep this between the three of us."

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