Name: Akira Saito
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Quick Character Description:
Akira is a hugely built man, standing at 6’9” tall he towers over most, though he was still shorter than his master. He has changed in the years which have passed since he was last seen in Kumogakure. When he left he was in his mid twenties, still as bulky and strong as he is now, yet he had a different look in his eyes. The look is one who has faced the horrors which this world has to offer, faced them and come through alive. He now wears a massive sword on his back, one eye has been opened up, a scar running down it though he keeps it permanently closed. His hair has been maintained as its short spikey self, though as he has aged and as stress has leaned on his broad shoulders it is now flecked with grey. The young strong man who left Kumogakure with a wave and a smile has returned, grim, determined, powerful. His sense of humour seemingly lost. A new man under familiar robes, returns to Kumogakure.
Personality: Akira has undergone hardships which no man should ever need to undergo, despite his training with Shinbatsu teaching him not to fear death but to simply accept it, he found that there were indeed worse things than death. His wits are still about him, but he is darker than he once was, haunted by the memories he has, and knowing that his pet Mojo will never fight again by his side. Instead Akira is hardened by many battles, most won, some lost, yet he still only wants the best for those of the next generation. He wants to have a disciple, a shinobi to train under him much like he had with Shinbatsu, someone to look up to him for eternity and view him as he did his master. He is humourless and rough, but loving and kind, he cares greatly for his family and his village, but he has no time for people who do nothing but whine about their problems and feel sorry for themselves.
Character History:
Akira grew up in Kumogakure, he had a blessed life, his family loved him, his father proud of his achievements as he grew, good friends growing up with him. He was taken on by the ANBU Captain Shinbatsu as an apprentice, and through his testing gained absolute trust by the man. As years passed and as he grew stronger his masters abilities became more and more renown through Kumogakure, he was beginning to be hailed as a god amongst some small groups, and Akira was quick to join that sect. Yet instead of simply remaining as Shinbatsu’s student, Shinbatsu acknowledged Akira, and they sliced open their palms and joined in a ceremony where they were bonded, declared brothers in spirit, and in arms and would continue on as such. Then the demon wars struck, Akira fought hard and well, his master joined the main fight telling Akira to stick with other ANBU, Akira was still only a trainee, not a full fledged ANBU at this time, yet he fought with them, and managed to prove his strength in battle times uncounted. As the dust settled the numbers of dead were counted, and all who were born in Kumogakure knew loss as one. Akira was not immune to this feeling, he lost family as well.
He was granted the title of ANBU, he had proven his worth and was celebrated by his comrades in arms. Shinbatsu took him drinking for the first time in his young life and proclaimed that they would smite their foes, together. This held firm in his mind, they would always be together, and yet fate had decided this to not be the case. Indeed, as time would tell, they would nearly never be together again.
The first of tragedies struck the man shortly after this time. A man known as Nara Ryuujin, a Sennin of the main branch had always been hated by Akira. He had stolen one of his friends, taken her from the academy, and when Akira had next seen her she was a mess. Mentally disturbed she wasn’t the same girl he had once known, and Akira was haunted by the fact that he had been unable to do anything to prevent it. He himself had only been an academy student when it had happened. Now though he was a full fledged ANBU, the only ANBU to have ever been trained by Shinbatsu, and he was already beginning to forge a name for himself. He began investigations into Ryuujin, finding files on the man, he found information on murders he committed on members of Cloud, and was preparing to oust him as a traitor and a danger to Kumogakure. He knew he would have the backing of Shinbatsu, and with his backing he didn’t feel he needed anything more. He was also aware that Ryuuto, the ANBU Sennin was Ryuujin’s brother and knew that it would be a fierce battle. A battle which was never to occur, instead it seemed that Ryuujin had been doing some research of his own, and Akira was called to meet with him and Ryuuto. He was hesitant at first but knew he could not disobey the order. He arrived at the scene and listened to the accusations, Shinbatsu arrived as did Karubin, but Akira knew this was not the time for them to fight. Shinbatsu was in a rage, he was ready to battle for his bond brother knowing the farce which was taking place. Akira knew there would be a better time, a better place for the fight to take place, not here, not now, not in these circumstances. In the end Akira was right, yet he was destined to not take part in the fall of Ryuuto and Ryuujin directly. Indeed they both attacked Akira, two Sennin versus an ANBU still coming into his prime, Akira fought bravely, Ryuujin receiving as much damage as was dealt to the young ANBU. It was a fight where he could only take a moral victory, it was always going to be the case.
His unconscious body was dragged through Cloud to the gates, when he woke his papers were torn and thrown to the wind and a sinking feeling in his stomach. The gates closed, the back of Ryuujin being the last thing he could see of the village. Sitting there, his wounds still fresh he began to cry, everything he had worked for, everything he had always wanted, everything was taken from him. Yet not all was lost, his friends amongst the ANBU at the gate had sent a message through to his family. The gates opened, his father tall and strong stood beside a mighty horse. He walked towards Akira and smiled, explained he couldn’t be there for long, but that the horse was a parting gift. Mojo was already atop it, and Akira accepted the gift, the last embrace of father and son emotional and extended. When he left he was assured that Shinbatsu would be informed, Akira wondered if he didn’t already know. He took the horse and left Cloud, his new horse underneath, his pet monkey and eternal companion Mojo beside him.
Travelling across the continent for the first time in his young life he headed to the land of Fire. Leaf was a location which had had heated relations with Cloud for many years. Akira took up residence in the country and was welcomed by a small group of people, he kept his identity a secret though while he was there and saw something in a young man that was helping him. Raijin and Ryuuji were the pair who helped him out with a place to live, some food and made him feel welcome. The two were a pair, Raijin filled with confidence and the desire to fight, all power and Akira could see that he was well trained. The one who caught Akira’s interest though was Ryuuji. Ryuuji was a young man who was not so confident, he was a medical shinobi who was all about defense, he could create massive barriers and protect anyone, he could attack and simultaneously defend. Akira admired his natural talent, though Ryuuji was unaware of it. Through Akira’s training though he learned how to utilize his abilities, and with Raijin they created a method of attack, creating vision outside of a huge barrier, Raijin pouring out massive damage while both would be well protected by Ryuuji’s abilities.
After a few short years he received word of the happenings of Cloud, he always kept an ear out for news of his homeland. The news was exciting for him, Ryuuto and Ryuujin apparently deposed in a rebellion led by Shinbatsu, the new Raikage. Hope and pride filled him though different things happened in his life lead to his ability to return home. Akira took Ryuuji with him when he left to go home, the boy eager to see Akira's land.
Arriving at the gates of Cloud Akira waited outside, letting Ryuuji enter first, technically he was still barred and he wasn’t sure if the news he’d received had been accurate or not. Yet when Masao, an old friend of Akira’s in the ANBU greeted him in open arms he knew that things had changed for the better. He re-entered the village, the ANBU Sennin, Rin, gave him back his title of ANBU, though apologized that it could not be a higher honor. Akira did not care, he was home, he was a shinobi of Cloud once more and his bond brother was the Raikage. It seemed Akeshi Shin had been causing issues in Cloud as well, Shinbatsu was out hunting the man, as were most ANBU, finally Ryuuji found him on the outskirts of the village by the forest. Akira rushed towards the scene but was too late to save the youth, it seemed as though the earth itself had turned its back on him as for the first time he fought with rage and hatred. Instead of granting him its power it sapped it away, leaving him an easy kill for the powerful shinobi. Akira did not give chase, instead burying the boy in Saito soil, he’d had no family back in Leaf save for a young girl who bore his son. He decided that it would be more appropriate for him to be buried in Cloud as though the boy were his own son.
After this things grew quiet, different members of the ANBU heading out on important missions, Rin and Masao retiring their positions leaving Akira as the Sennin. Akira had noticed a change in his old friend Akuhei, an ANBU Captain, he was reverting back to his old self again, the woman who had been by his side for years had disappeared on a mission. He had searched for her, and Akira had attempted to ease the mans burden yet it didn’t seem to help, he was getting more and more aggressive and angry. Apparently he had taken the mantle of the head priest of Bishamon. A young ANBU known as Koumyou was Akuhei's student.
There was something that didn't sit right for Akira though. He’d not seen Shinbatsu for many years now, not since he first arrived back from his exile.
Looking at the leaders of the village he had his friend, Hayata Shin as the Main Branch Sennin and an ambitious Medical Sennin in Kogan. Things were looking good, he could leave the village happily and leave the village in their hands. Saying his farewells he and Mojo left atop their faithful steed, saddlebags well packed, Akira leaving Cloud again, but this time it was his choice, and he was going toward Shinbatsu, or so he hoped.
The Quest for Shinbatsu
Akira left the village, a smile on his face as he went to his destiny. Yet destiny is an unusual thing, you don’t know what it is until it happens, though he felt it was to find Shinbatsu.
Travelling the world he met many people, fought many battles, he followed rumors through different lands and across all kinds of terrain. Yet something of particular interest was that none of them took him into any of the other shinobi villages. He did however go through all of the different countries except for that of Water, moving through Marsh, Bear then into Fire before wandering through Rain and up towards Rice and Sound his journey was long and for a year he thought he was making progress. Yet after that time the trail began to run cold, he had followed his gut senses and the tales of a giant man with ebony skin, taller even than Akira was, till he began to travel from village to village to hear nothing. He stopped for a short time relaxing in a village, his quest on pause in a way as he and Mojo felt the need to simply rest and they did so for half a year, looking at maps and figuring out the next paths to take. Shinbatsu had several years head start on him, an additional six months wasn’t going to hamper his quest.
After the six months were up Akira took to the roads once more, Mojo had remained in the village, they had a small colony nearby where he had spent most of his days, after the six months he’d had a son and was a part of the small colony of monkeys. Akira was sad to see his companion, his partner, go off on his own, they had spent the better part of twenty two years together fighting, training, traveling, it was just time for the small monkey to move on and have his own family.
As Akira traveled most highwaymen steered clear of him, figuring that there would be easier prey later and why risk a fight with someone as massive and powerful as Akira. Others did not have that foresight and Akira would end up lining their unconscious bodies on the roadside before continuing, he had no need to kill such men after all. Yet he grew complacent and perhaps overly proud of his abilities, taking It for granted that he was stronger than others, this could well have caused his downfall.
Walking towards yet another village hoping to once more pick up the trail of his lost master Akira was confronted by two men. They were lithe and muscular, they held well-made weapons and Akira frowned for a moment as he wondered if they were capable of using them or simply looked the part. ”Hold up there mate. You look like you have a lot of food there, maybe some gold too. How about you hand it all over like a good over sized boy.” Akira placed the sack he carried on the ground, though only to free his hands up for the fight to come. He took a fighting stance and the two men cocked their heads slightly the one who spoke before taking a fighting style of his own and the other squinting and looking at Akira’s eyes, his hand raised and he let out a few short sharp whistle blasts. Realizing they must have backup Akira charged, the two men struggled in the fight against the massive Hyuuga yet Akira was only using simple unarmed techniques, nothing of his clan. The two men were sent flying from the initial barrage, but flipped through the air regaining their composure quickly and landed on their feet. ”So you’re a ninja too eh? Heh, is that why you called to the others for Bilsy?” the one known as Bilsy shook his head ”This one is valuable. He’s a Hyuuga, the boss will want him.” the first talker looked back to Akira and let out a long low pitched whistle, ”Well well well, a Hyuuga ay? The boss is going to like this.” Akira frowned, he knew he needed to fight, but he also wasn’t overly concerned with the situation, perhaps he should have been.
Activating his byakugan he charged back at the pair, they couldn’t hope to halt the onslaught of Akira’s blows as he shut down their chakra systems. Akira could see the others getting closer, they didn’t seem like anything more than what these two were, and he sent them flying once more, though they didn’t have the ability to recover this time. The sound of their breath being forced from their bodies as they slammed into tree’s followed by the hollow sound of their heads cracking against them afterwards enough to have Akira move to the center of the road and wait. He wasn’t afraid of the oncoming men, though he should have been. Their leader wielded a massive blade and he could tell that man was the leader, it was obvious by how he walked how the men around him both feared and respected him. In another life Akira thought the two of them might have made good friends simply by looking at him, but today that wasn’t to be.
They had him surrounded, a good fifty men and Akira could tell that they all looked reasonably well trained, shinobi probably missing ninja from a variety of villages. The leader was the first to break the treeline though, his massive blade resting over his shoulder, his eyes coolly regarded Akira and the pair of men who lay unconscious at the base of a couple of trees before returning to Akira ”So then, I see why they called me. You’re a shinobi aren’t you? What village do you come from?” Akira decided that a conversation couldn’t do him any harm here, though he also knew he needed to be careful ”I come from Cloud, I was simply traveling trying to find my brother who has long been lost. Have you seen or heard anything of a giant, ebony skinned man with two swords wandering these lands?” the other man frowned for a moment as if in thought ”I believe we happened across a man similar to that description a year or so ago, or at least that’s what we thought he looked like before he vanished. He had said something to us as well, I forget the exact words but it sounded like a threat.” Akira’s hopes had risen, they had seen Shinbatsu, or someone matching his description, perhaps he had found the trail again, the man seemed in contemplation when someone else broke the treeline and whispered in his ear ”Oh yes, thank you for that. He said this ‘A man not as tall as I will come searching for me, your decision on how to treat him will decide how long you live’ before he ran away. Now you see I’m in a bit of a bind, I don’t want to die, and yet you have such valuable items on your person.” Akira frowned, he didn’t think he had any such item on him, yet he was suddenly aware of the man looking directly into his eyes, realization coming to him, only softening his face a little ”Ah yes, you understand now, we want your eyes, much like we wanted your brothers eyes, those red Uchiha’s. They fetch a high price on the black market, so, he never said that the road to my survival meant that I had to let you go, therefore…” he made a signal with his hand, the air suddenly deafening as men poured out from the forest surrounding him crying out at him. Akira fought with everything he had, spinning in the Kaiten technique and sending people flying outwards, but not enough of them and not quickly enough. Eventually someone managed to grab his hand and Akira kicked that man away while three others suddenly grabbed only his back, around his throat and one kicked his other leg out from under him. He fell to his knee but steadied himself moving his upper body forward he threw the two atop of him off. Charging his chakra he let off a dual explosion a trick he had enjoyed as a kid, the bassline and then an epicentre ripped outwards from him confusing his enemies and causing them significant harm. Akira moved to stand once more his hand raising to block an incoming attack which he then grabbed and tossed the man aside. Punches and kicks landed on his muscular form and he weathered the blows to continue fighting, but exhaustion was against him. Slowly he became dizzy, tired, finally he fell the men around him bruised, some with broken limbs, others dying. Darkness overcame him .
Vision returned to him, it was dark and he was forcibly standing, his body slouched forward in his unconsciousness, he was being held up by chains on his wrists and ankles. A hot poker stabbed into his side suddenly and Akira barely muffled a cry of pain as it did so, gritting his teeth and staring death at the man who had done it. The man was one of the first two on the road, and simply smiled back at Akira ”Now now, no need to look like that, otherwise I might have the boss position you facing the other way, I think some of the other boys might enjoy that.” he laughed finding himself amusing as Akira looked about him. It was a holding cell, but there were instruments in here for surgery as well. Other men were chained up or caged around the room. He looked at them, they were all missing limbs or eyes. This was a shinobi chop shop, and now he was there for parts. Suddenly a ferociously his muscles tightened, chakra pouring through his body as he activated all the strengthening taijutsu techniques he knew, his arms moved back and forth pulling as hard as he could against the chains and the rocks they were attached too. The man laughed but then Akira released a higher level jutsu, one not intended to strengthen himself, but would intimidate that man, the man fell silent, his face going white as Akira’s arms pulling against the rock created a kind of rhythmic beat as he attempted to pull free. The other prisoners watched, yet hope was not in their eyes, they had tried and failed, why would the giant Hyuuga be any different. And they were correct, it was no different. He tried for hours and hours, days passed as he would attempt to break free till he passed out from exhaustion, only to wake once more and try again. Weeks passed like this and he had borne witness to horrifying acts, people who had payed enough to the group could have one of the shinobi world’s most powerful clan’s abilities. Akira turned away as he watched merchants have their bones removed from their arms and replaced with the bones of a Kaguya who wouldn’t have his arms removed as apparently they would regrow. Akira watched the man as he screamed in pain as they stole from him his clans strength.
Others were the eyes of an Uchiha boy, he wasn’t very powerful, Akira could see that, but his eyes were highly sought after, even more so than his own eyes, something which he found himself guilty for being thankful for. Months passed before it was his turn, the wall he was attached to moved down, he was never set free simply someone with the ability to manipulate stone moving him into a more useful position for the surgery. Akira struggled till the stone wrapped itself around his neck and head stopping him from being able to do anything. His muscles strained as he felt completely hopelessness overwhelm him suddenly. The surgeon leaning over him as he finally gave up. Yet it was in this moment when he finally felt something else, another presence, his looked above him and saw an image of Shinbatsu in the same chains, everything happening as if a mirror were above him and he were watching his master undergo the same treatment. His masters voice rang true in his ears, a voice which melted away all his fears, in that moment despite everything else, Akira was happy ”My brother, do not despair, any hardship you endure so will I. We are bound together through a blood oath, help will come, this is but a test. You will grow and strengthen from it. Remember who you are.” the words only seemed to take an instant but they were enough. The image vanished as pain ripped through his body from his eyes as his chakra receptors were severed. For the first time in his memory his voice cried out in pain, he heard himself screaming as the agony took hold, yet in his mind, through the screams he told himself I am Akira Saito, of the Saito clan, a proud Hyuuga, ANBU Sennin of Cloud, bond brother to Shinbatsu, the Avatar of Raiden, Raikage of Cloud. I am Akira Saito… they repeated in his mind, focusing him, taking him away from what was going on, his muscles strained against their bonds, his wrists bled as he reopened wounds caused by his struggles, and then suddenly he watched as his eye was taken from him, he watched as the surgeon took it and placed it into a glass jar with some kind of liquid in it. He was lifted back into place and watched the door open to the room on the other side, where he could see the man who was going to be receiving his eye.
Months passed, Akira’s mind playing tricks on him as he thought that Shinbatsu was with him, he was sure he could feel the man’s touch on his shoulder, reassuring words as he attempted to strengthen Akira’s resolve. He was told he would be freed and that when that happened he needed to be ready and willing to fight, or he would lose more than just his own life. Akira tried to listen, but the thought that he was simply going mad entered his mind as well. Yet he opened his eye one morning to the sinking feeling of his body being moved, the voice of the surgeon speaking ”After today we will have no more need of you. You will finally be able to be killed and then you can be set free.” he knew the words were meant to be cruel, but they were also reassuring, he had just been mad. His mind playing tricks on him to give him hope, he smiled to the surgeon and he closed his eye. This was how it was going to be then? What a pathetic way to die.
The sound however was not what he expected, the gurgling sound of a throat being slit, the hands grabbing at whatever it could to try and remain standing as life gushed from the wound. Akira’s eye opened and he could see a single blade sticking out of the mans neck, a tail wrapped around it just under the chin, the small shape with hands for feet grabbing the surgeons cloak, then the screech which he knew all too well. Mojo looked around to Akira, his small plain white ANBU Mask on his face, the large eyes on the small head regarding his master, his companion, his friend in a way only a pet could. The love behind the look, the sorrow of an intelligent creature looking at one that he would die protecting in them. Mojo looked back towards the two guards which were running at him, they had no idea what they were dealing with, Akira’s smile grew into a grin, was this all a joke, just his mind playing tricks on him again. Perhaps a dream where he was saved? He didn’t care, he watched as the two guards swung their swords at the small monkey who parried them, his tail encircling one of their wrists as he swung himself down and opened up his bowls which came spilling out. Mojo then clambering up the man as he fell, the other unwilling to swing at Mojo as he didn’t want to hurt his already dying companion, and it was this weakness which Mojo had no time for. The small monkey leapt and slammed his blade into the mans skull, killing his instantly. Akira lay there, tears running from his eye as he could hear the rustling for the keys. Then Mojo was there once more, his worried eyes looking through his ANBU Mask at Akira as he unlocked his bonds. His arms moved upwards as they were freed as Mojo moved to free his legs. Akira looked at his hands for the first time in a length of time unknown.
He was free.
He stood and stumbled, unused to having to hold his own weight, Mojo scampered ahead not understanding what was wrong, what Akira was having trouble with. He ran back and tugged on Akira, Akira smiled and stood once more slowly moving forward. Voices from the other prisoners cried out to him, asking to be freed as well. Akira looked at them and then to Mojo ”Mojo, please, free them while I gather myself.” he slumped against the wall as he felt cramp through his legs and tried to stretch it out. He was a mess and not in any shape to escape. His muscles unused to doing anything were no longer their massive fierce size, he was smaller, and he knew that he needed whatever was left to be working properly. He used medical jutsu to heal himself in parts while more and more prisoners got free and found themselves having similar issues. The Kaguya grew blade after blade after blade, a smile on his face as he did so his last words to the others ”Be free.” and then he died, a free men, unbound, no longer having to go through the torment and torture that he had sustained for however long. He had armed them but they did not know how much time they had to ready themselves. It took a while for everyone to get healed up to a point where they could move on their own, they were a rabble, and hadn’t fought or even walked in months most of them. Mojo led them down a side entrance he’d found and they walked through the hallways. Eventually an alarm went off, they had been found out yet they were going as quickly as they could as a group. A guard called out from behind them, and a couple of the prisoners stayed back to try and slow down their pursuers, knowing that many of them were going to die anyway. The sound of swordplay and an explosion carried down the hall. This happened several times, small skirmishes with a couple of guards, the sound alerting more to their position, but the longer it went for the stronger Akira was getting. Mojo was perhaps their most dangerous weapon, most of the guards didn’t even see the small monkey before he was amongst them, slicing their hamstrings and wrecking bloody havoc through them. Yet for every five or so guards that died a couple of the prisoners died as well, and their numbers were dwindling. Akira figured they needed to rest, and broke into a side room, something about it seemed like he needed to do so.
In this room he looked around him, there were three prisoners, Mojo and himself left, that was all. The worried faces on the prisoners were clear even in the light, Mojo for the first time since their reunion embraced Akira and the two hugged, finally having a breather from the intense fighting which had been going on. Afterwards though Akira took some time to look around the room, they were in some kind of armory, weapons which he had never seen the like of in racks around the room. He recognized several swords nearby, their lumpy sharkskin like shape making them obviously Samehada’s and Akira nodded, this was a collection of particularly special weapons. It didn’t concern him much though, he needed to focus on his jutsu and his unarmed, those were his strengths, those were what he used to fight as his master taught him. Time was running out though and a group of guards burst into the room, the commotion was enough to alert everyone else nearby and Akira knew that their rest could well turn into a death trap. The three prisoners, himself included, formed a small semicircle around the door, Mojo moved beside it and they waited. He didn’t think that there could be that many left, only fifty had attacked him at the road, they had killed half that number already. Yet still, that meant more than enough to fight their number. Sure enough battle ensued and Akira could see their leader, pissed off and walking closer, his massive blade not with him, though in the small space it would have been a problem anyway. The battle was fierce, Mojo tore through a half dozen men disabling them before finishing them off, the two other prisoners cut down one or two each before getting into a fight which they couldn’t win. Akira too broke the necks of a couple before being forced back, barely fighting to survive, his skill as a Hyuuga leaving him as his weakened body failed regularly to perform the fluid movement required to make it lethal, he realized that he needed a weapon and soon. Mojo seemed to sense Akira in trouble, and instead of continuing his assault came to Akira’s rescue, slicing down two more of the men, yet in his attempt to save Akira from death a club swung, Akira’s reactions too slow to stop it and it slammed into his pet sending the small creature into a nearby wall, bones broken, life still there but only just.
Akira stood there stunned, the leader of the group had arrived, and he had made his presence felt with that one move. The two other prisoners were taken down, they weren’t killed, they were instead pinned down and being dragged away, Akira couldn’t hear them, his mind focused on small body unsteadily taking its breaths slumped against the wall. The ANBU Mask slightly cracked, Mojo was broken, and beaten, and now there stood a dozen men and the leader of the group before him. ”So you see now that it is hopeless, we are going to take you back now, then we’re going to take your eye, then you will die.” yet Akira was not listening, a rage building inside of him, Shinbatsu’s voice spoke calmly into his ear ”Reach behind you, take the blade you find there and show these men what it means to fight us. Show them our rage, show them our power.” Akira reached back, his hand found the handle of a weapon, the man stepped back, a smirk on his face, a smirk which quickly vanished as Akira felt the power of the blade fill him. There was something there, a connection, yet he couldn’t look to see what was happening, they worked together, Akira poured chakra into the blade and he felt its strengths double, then suddenly he watched as his oppressors stopped in their advance. Akira let out a cry of rage and they stepped backwards, the smirk was gone, the man mouthing something which looked like “what is this?” he turned and fled, yet his guards didn’t seem to have that capability. Akira suddenly realized that he wasn’t holding anything anymore, he brought his hand up to his face and found his body had been covered in a sharp looking metallic armour. He looked to the guards, one of which moved and swept his blade at Akira, who blocked it with what had been his bare arm. The blade bouncing off of his carapace. Akira stepped forward and found himself able to move just as well as he had been able to before, he struck out and blood fountained from them, he killed them all like they were nothing and Akira stood there wonder struck by his new power. He stopped the chakra flow and suddenly found the blade back in his hand, a sheath having wrapped around him and onto his back as though the weapon had chosen him to be its wielder. He put it into the sheath and moved to Mojo, healing what he could of the damage he picked the small form up and fled, renewed strength in his bones.
Months passed from that incident, Mojo was still recovering if he ever would fully recover. It seemed as though it didn’t matter to the monkey though, as Akira returned to the place where he had his family, Mojo spoke with them but would not let Akira leave alone. Leaving his small ANBU Mask for his offspring, Mojo left the colony to travel with Akira, yet Akira felt as though he had learned the truth to the matter. Shinbatsu would not simply be found, he would appear when he felt he needed to, when he wanted to return he would, and Akira would be waiting. The journey which had taken years was at an end, and Akira began his journey home, his blade in its sheath, he had lost an eye, and yet with that loss he had gained wisdom. He would return to Kumogakure, return to his family, no longer the eager youth who had left in search of his brother, but a man who had seen and lived the worst that this world had to offer and survived it, indeed it had simply made him stronger. Mojo however perhaps would never fight again, the monkey was old, nearing the end of his natural life, the grey in his fur and the scars a testament to him. The bond between the two had never been shaken, their bond was that of brothers, much like his bond to his master Shinbatsu. Indeed many of Mojo's injuries simply didn't heal and the travel was nearly the end of the small monkey.
Return to Kumogakure
Akira returned to Cloud, Mojo barely alive in his arms, a strength within the small creature the only thing keeping him alive. It was a bleak day, snow fell on Akira and his cloak billowed out in the freezing wind. His muscles quivered to keep him warm, his one good eye hard and serious. The member of the guard who didn't know who he was went to intercept him, stop him from entering. Those who knew who he was stopped them. Akira was not a man to be stopped, he had a look about him that sent most into a tremble.
Walking through the streets towards the medical branch where he handed over the small bundle in his arms. Someone said "we're not a v..." Akira didn't need to hear the rest, and the man had no chance to finish it. Already he was pressed against a wall, lifted from his feet, his own hands gripping Akira's. Akira's hand gripping the mans throat. Tightening. His expression was intense with anger, hatred, but a tear formed in the stone-like expression.
His hand released the mednin who collapsed on the floor gasping for air, his hand rubbing his throat.
His voice croaked.
"Please."
His head turned to the small motionless bundle on the table as he looked at the mednin who still stood over there. They gave him a small nod and took Mojo.
Hayata Shin arrived at the hospital shortly after, Akira was pacing in the lobby. The two embraced as brothers, and they spoke for a time. Troubles had been going on in Cloud and Akira's arrival was opportunistic. Things had been slowly degenerating in the ANBU branch and Shin, the Main Branch Sennin, wanted Akira to once more take on the mantle of Sennin. It was also the request of the Raikage at the time.
Akira accepted the proposal, though only once Mojo had recovered did he make his presence felt once more in the ANBU.
The place was a shambles, no longer the glorious establishment it had once been. The place where legends had been born. The place that had almost been his home away from home. He set about once more organizing the squads of ANBU, setting up training and trainers in tracking and annihilating shinobi. The gates once more became a place of safety, though despite everything he managed there were so many things which still required attention.
Then a war broke out between two neighboring countries, only shortly after a civil war had broken out in Lightning Country. Akira had met with the Hoshigakurean's before and they were requesting aid. Akira did as requested and led a force of hundreds of Cloud Shinobi to battle. A force of the like had never been seen by Cloud before, and Akira led the force with authority that only he had. The battle raged and Cloud turned the tide against the invading Bear Country shinobi.
Returning to Cloud the issues continued and Akira realized that there were few things that he could do which wouldn't cause more issues elsewhere. Kiyo suffered from an attempted assassination, recovering she was retired from the Raikage seat, her mental fitness for the position destroyed by the incident. Akira vouched for Hayata Shin during the voting for the replacement, refusing the position as he could not commit himself to a role like that fully.
With Hayata Shin now in power as the Raikage, Akira got back to his job at the ANBU. The war had caused several significant casualties and there were many trainee's which needed to be tested. Akira set about a tournament to test them, he judged which succeeded and which failed, and not all by the result of the combat. Yet it allowed him insight as to what skills were available amongst the youth of Kumogakure's skilled genin.
The rebuilding process was slow and took its toll on Akira. He worked days in the ANBU HQ, training and working with recruits. At nights he led teams across the village, hunting down murderers and thieves, or the gates where he would stop missing attempts and allow people in and out of the village. During all of this he had little sleep, very few moments where he could regather himself, and next to no time where he could catch up with his family.
It was after a couple years of this when he bumped into Takaki Masao. Upon seeing his old friend taking up arms as a shinobi once more Akira spoke with him in private. After talking for some time Akira suggested that Masao take over the branch, giving Akira the opportunity to retire and rest. Something he had never had. Masao told Akira to request Rin, and so it was that the ANBU Branch, not yet fully sorted was handed over to Masao and Rin.
Akira spend some months with his family before leaving the village for a small town in Lightning Country. A place away from the fighting that was going on. Taking the wealth he had accumulated through his spartan existence he bought land and set up life as a blacksmith. This would allow him to maintain his physical strength while the simply hitting of a hammer would allow him to relax.
Time passed on and Mojo disappeared from this realm leaving Akira alone. The people of the village tell stories of Akira, whispers, and Akira is aware of their fear of the 6'9" giant. He understands it, though over time he has gained respect for his skill with working metal. Two young boys work with him as his apprentices now. They are unaware though that his unusual trainings for them is slowly awakening their ability to use chakra.
Akira receives occasional visits from Kumogakure shinobi, searching for his council on matters, or perhaps training. Every now and then he receives request for specialized weapons from them as well, and as he always has done he welcomes those of Cloud like family.
