Sand as far as the eye could see. Waves of ever-shifting dunes shimmered in the harsh sunlight that bore down upon the desert. When you looked out across it, it seemed like it never ended. And on the border of the "safe zone" (a.k.a., not too far from Sunagakure...) was Mako, staring down the infinite sands. This same desert almost cost him his life when he arrived in Wind Country. But then, trying to traverse it without protective clothing, food, or water will do that to a person. Honestly it should've killed him...like many other dangers he'd faced in his life. But the danger he'd be facing on this day wasn't a physical one like the many that came before were. No, today the rose-haired youth would be combating a different kind of beast all together. A challenge that was as scary as it was promising. Growth.
In his quest to take back his home from the "Shadow" that destroyed it, Mako had made alarmingly little progress. How long had it even been? He didn't recall. It seemed like it was forever ago when he and Gun first set sail to find aid for their cause. To say the duo had been unsuccessful was an understatement. Iwagakure was their first stop, and there they found about as much help as they expected. After an arduous -and accidental- boat ride to Wind Country, the two found better luck...but only just barely. Meeting the Shoukyou twins was a big step towards their goal, but it wasn't enough. Not by a longshot. Even Akane and Akihiko with all of their foresight and connections didn't know what Mako knew. They weren't there when that Monster froze Water Country. They didn't see the havoc it wrought. They didn't look it in its eyes like he did.
Reflection wasn't something the kid did too often. He was brash, reckless, naive, ill-mannered, and often times just downright moronic. But when it came to Water Country. To Kirigakure. To his home. He had no choice but to use his head...no matter how much of a migraine it gave him. As he was now, he was not strong enough to take on that Thing. It was enormous, and possessed enough power to freeze an entire nation like it was nothing. Sure he had his bag of tricks, but at the end of the day it simply wasn't enough. If Mako truly wanted any hope of bringing a reckoning down on that creature's head, he needed to be better. Faster. Stronger. He needed to train his "A." abilities to mastery if at all possible. And even more than that, he needed to sharpen his resolve. There were only two people in the world that he knew of who could help him do so. One of them was in Earth Country, but the second happened to reside in the very desert he was staring down now. His grandpa Gō. Mako had already trained with the geezer since he'd gotten here, gaining a modicum of control over the powers his birthright granted him. But it wasn't enough. Not to take back his home. This time around he'd have to train even harder for a longer period of time. It wasn't something he was particularly excited about considering some of the locals actually referred to his gramps as a Devil...but at this point he had no other choice.
For the time being it seemed like his quest would have to wait. "Just a little longer, everyone..." his words caught in the breeze and were lost to the wind. Mako's mind flashed to images of Kirigakure. Two towers looming high above the village, iced over in their entirety. People flash-frozen in the streets...in the Sanatorium...in their beds. Shades encased in ice, all waiting for the day he returned. It had been so long already...what was a little more? It pained him to put his mission on hold, but ultimately it was for the best. After all, he had a promise to keep. "I'll come back for you." His eyes narrowed as he uttered this phrase, the very same vow he made to the "Shadow". Mako never broke his promises. One day...when the time was right...when he was stronger...
...he would return.
[Retired]