A Bitter Sweet Symphony: Nazo and Anry in harmony

[Azure Wrath]

All that one seeks in life is a sense of security, a sense of safety, instead having to fight wars,
not only with oneself, but with everyone. No one wants to feel pain, wants to feel that
revolting sensation of being tormented. “Feeling at home” is what people long for.
Yearning for that safe haven – even if that means embracing pain, hurt and regret – is what a shinobi wants. Saying adieu,
not entirely out of free will, to all those feelings is exactly what a shinobi must do, abandoning
all of that which makes him a human being, for the greater good of the mission and the village. All a shinobi has left, is but one thing:
Zealously try to sooth that burning desire to feel once more, while being able to tell
oneself at the end of the road: I have done my village proud but now, I can be human again. This has been my biggest struggle…

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5.40 PM

Cloud after cloud slowly passed overhead as Nazo pointed his newly-acquired sword at them. Even though they appeared to be cut by the tip of the blade, they casually went along, trudging along behind another cloud, forming one big flock. Nazo looked at them questioningly. With a hidden admiration for how they were unperturbed by the most menacing and otherwise fatal blade, Nazo averted his eyes. This is not what he should be thinking about. He didn’t want to have second thoughts.

Luckily for him, he didn’t have time to think as his stomach protested. He hadn’t taken a break ever since he left the gates of Konoha, not giving his body a chance to notify him of his dropping energy levels. But now that he had taken a rest, the warning resounded firmly within his gut. Nazo had neglected to pick up easy food supplies when he passed over green fields and through orchards; he was that determined to get away from it all.

(…better get some food fast)
He sat up, placed his sword on the ground and looked around from atop the small hill in the countryside. He didn’t even think of the possibility of going back, since he wanted to increase the distance, not diminish it – not even for the sake of finding food. He scanned the horizon and noticed a forest to the north. (That ought to supply me with some food)

He grabbed his sword and held it firmly in front of him. Its diamond blade was suddenly greeted by a hint of yellow, betraying the sun’s presence. Its shimmer was blinding, forcing Nazo to squint his eyes. He raised his right hand and went over the blade’s edge. It felt razor-sharp and completely immaculate. It didn’t appear to allow anything to outperform it, prepared to cut and pierce everything to demonstrate its might.

“Time to put you to the test,” Nazo smiled and he darted off, ready to give his sword its first taste of its future lifestyle.

7.15 PM

The dark blue sky collided with the green carpet of leaves to make the forest a theatre of shadows already. This was the moment he had been waiting for, the perfect cover. He had been lucky. He never could’ve hoped for such chance to befall him. Behind his tree lay a burrow from an animal he knew very well from back in the day, when he still lived with his parents. He grabbed his sword and calmly awaited the coming struggle.

9.34 PM

Nazo was becoming increasingly exhausted. Not only did his sense of hunger increase drastically, he could also feel his chakra levels dropping dangerously low. This would completely mess up the elaborate scheme he had thought up to get food. Still hiding behind his tree, the sword-holding youngster tried to keep his focus while glancing sideways past the tree to see any sort of movement that would initiate his plan. He kept a clear path between himself and the boulder a bit further off, so that the animal could come straight past him, as he ran from the burrow.

Slowly peeking out the hole, a nose could be discerned, even under this veil of blackness. Nazo tightened the grip on the hilt while aching all over from the chakra loss he was feeling. He tried suppressing the pain as he saw his prize loom up.
The nose was quickly but cautiously followed by the tusks and subsequently, the entire head popped out. Retracting it a fraction of a second when a gust of wind rattled a nearby bush, the boar stepped out of its burrow, ready to forage under the close cover of darkness. Nazo grinned the strain away (bye-bye hunger, welcome big boar).

The moment the boar felt somewhat secure and pressed its nose down to start sniffing out its surroundings, is when Nazo initiated his attack. From the creature’s left flank, Nazo shot forward over a small bush he had been hiding behind. Startled from this sudden appearance, the boar bolted to his right, trying to increase the distance between his attacker and himself. Another Nazo impeded his escape. Attempting to flank him once again, this second Nazo came from behind the burrow. The now frightened animal tried to outrun both Nazo’s, kicking up dirt as it changed direction. It ran towards the gap between the tree and the boulder, into the safety of the undergrowth.
As the two Nazo’s drove the target towards its end, the real Nazo couldn’t help but grin at the fate awaiting the animal. The second the animal passed the tree, Nazo dropped his sword down, penetrating the animal’s spine, ending its life instantly. Nazo released his two bunshins and slowly removed his sword, alive with the first blood under its new owner. He stuck the tip of the blade into the red-soaked soil and looked down at the carcass.

He knew how it had felt the seconds before its death. It would have been feeling the same thing Nazo felt when arriving at the hospital under siege: confused, dazed and anxious. However, the shinobi didn’t feel any sympathy for the creature. It had gotten the easy way out. No doubt and no pain afterwards. Instant relief is what it had received. Its entire existence erased in a single flash, all of its memories gone. Nazo could only hope for that to happen: no more memories seemed just perfect to him now.

[badash]

Regs - "Here it is... kumogakure, KUMOGAKURE!!!"


Beyond the rest of the tall trees stood a village of what seemed vast in scope to a young man who has always lived a small life. Thousands of homes covered the area it resided in and not one patch of land behind the great walls seemed too unoccupied. Regs felt a tremendous surge of pride... he had made it.


Regs - "The Trees, the walls, the houses, the mountains, the... faces?"


Furthest away but now standing out more then anything huge faces carved from the very mountainside stood as if watching the world under them. The young mans expression changed as suddenly he realized...


Regs - "This is... Konoha, Son of a BITCH!!!"


Days of walking which had offered no true comforts due to the rain and harsh winds he had faced for nearly a week had finally led him to the wrong village. The Gennin Reached for his backpack and with an almost supernatural scream of anger launched it towards the nearest tree... which upon impact destroyed not only his cooking gear and tent poles but scattered his provisions all abouts the floor.


Regs - "Oh sh*t what the hell did I do that for?"


Regs attempted to pick up the now going off and green bread which he had been living off of for about 3 days but was intercepted by a large black bird which swooped down and stole the large slice.


Regs - "You greedy bastard!"


Eyeing up the next piece was almost the trigger for deja vu as no sooner did his hand reach for the white-going-green square then another giant winged pain in the ass swoop down to gain its second prize. Regs felt feathers brush past his outstretched fingers and that was all.


Regs - "Oh COME-ON, Don't they feed you at Konoha or something?"


Standing to his original height the now put-out ninja looked around to spot only three more pieces of bread left. his proximity would mean that he would need to dash if these damned birds were in fact eyeing the same prize. With no time to lose he ran and leaped towards the whitest of the three pieces... no joy. The slice of hope was carried away on wings that the very demons of hell would take to the sky on. Regs sat cross-legged and with his arms tight crossed too. he watched as the blackened creatures took all the crumbs and one more slice away.

Just then a rather strange noise called out behind him, Regs turned his hear, quickly followed by his entire being. One piece still sat upon the soft grass. it was beautiful, as white as the snow and as large as a castle... Regs would HAVE to have it. As he arose to a kneeling position the ninja suddenly froze. A group of black and white birds dropped down very close to it. They walked around seeming almost transfixed on the floor, however ONE was now on a collision course with the last slice of bread. It moved closer, all the time shifting its head left and right and not every taking both eyes from the food.


Regs - Please, you don't want that bread. You don't want to eat anything. You... um... Want to leave me alone with this square of wheat and be happy you got to see a ninja beg you to spare him right?"


And as if the gods were listening to the plite of such a Genin the birds - all of them - took to the skies, almost shimmering against the moonlight. Regs jumped forwards and grabbed the bread as if life itself depended upon it. Stuffing it in his mouth Regs closed his eyes and smiled a slobbering smile... He had won.

Or had he, Somehow the sight of the birds that flew away played over and over until, and after quite a lot of repeats, Regs noticed why these beast left his food. He opened his eyes and there beside him sat his torn wallet, his coins had flew out everywhere and that - THAT - was their target. Suddenly the bread didn't taste so good.


Regs - "Aww maaaaan... I should just die now"


Walking away in a blind daze Regs walked for almost an hour in a fog of disarray and unhappiness, he suddenly awoke to the smell of... blood?
Regs knew something was up... or someone was eating. The ninja walked a little faster and in ever-growing circles until he ran right into a small clearing. He noticed two things. a moonlit gleaming sword... and a huge dead chunk of beast. He didn't care if he had to get past the wielder of that beautiful weapon. he was HUNGRY!!!

[papfles]

His hunger had subsided, thanks to the generous contribution the boar had made to his stomach. But even though his stomach had stopped protesting, his mind did not.
After his senses had dulled a bit, getting ready to rest, his mind kept looping the events of the past day, trying to make sense of it all, so that those emotions and memories could be filed in the right storage rooms inside his brain.
However, that which Nazo craved so much - sleeping and forgetting, albeit temporarily - did not seem to be on his mind's mind. Trying to trick it by closing his eyes and yawning incessantly did not yield the result he hoped for. Even though he had blocked off all thoughts and emotions while he was wide awake, his mind caught up with him now. This realization agitated him, since it proved that it wouldn't be so easy to just start over.

The carefree life where he would be able to protect himself and the people around him, the life he so fought for during his academy stay, he had it within his grasp for only a few moments. Tairaki took it away again. He had learned only one thing so far. So-called friends merely dig in deep and rip out what you never wanted to give away in the first place. (Ack! Stop it, Nazo. Stop thinking about this!)
The wary young shinobi sighed. (Emotions, good for noth-)

Branches breaking, a rushed run without any sound of slowing down, immediately brought Nazo back to focus. (Can't be another boar, they would be more careful about it. And so would another shinobi...)
He opened his eyes, sat up straight and gazed into the direction of the sounds only to see her burst through the shrubs, hands first, apparently going straight for his diamond katana.
(WHAT THE -)
The insane move by his opponent made Nazo shoot up, grab his katana, and dig his feet into the soil. He wasn't planning on giving back his sword. He deserved it. It was a minor compensation for the hurt he had suffered, and it would become his visible proof of how he was betrayed, his constant reminder of the scars on his soul.

The silver-coloured headband drew Nazo's attention as it harboured a symbol he had never seen in real life before. (Hmm, Kumogakure shinobi, huh? Finally showing your true colours, it would seem.)
In the meantime, the opponent kept storming forward.

"Don't underestimate me....Tairaki!"

Nazo crouched slightly through his legs, gathering some chakra in his legs, and pulled his katana a bit to the side. He held onto it with both hands on the hilt, and dropped the blade back, revealing the back of the hilt to his former friend.

[DonEmu]

Seven days had passed since the incident in the woods. Kadaj had been told by both the ANBU and the Inspector to keep his mouth shut about the whole foul affair. He didn’t need to be told twice, or even once. He had no intention of reminiscing about such dreadful things. Everything he touched seemed to crumble, his mind was finding it hard to grasp onto reality. Aramaki also seems to have started to avoid him. The genin didn’t really remember all that happened that night, but he knew for sure he had taken a life. The feeling of death still lingered in his heart.

He was walking out of Konoha . Even his attire was different; a black sleeveless shirt, black trousers, kunai holster strapped to his right leg and a new addition to his weaponry was strapped to his belt at his left hip. A blade he inherited along with his lost Kotegiri, Muramasa Tenro, a kodachi. On his back was the strangest addition…two shovels strapped diagonally and a scroll vertically positioned.

Gate Guard : Where are you off to?

Kadaj : Training outside the village…

Gate Guard : Huh?

Kadaj : I know the laws of the village, I will remain within the perimeter that is Konoha . I don’t plan on going MIA.

The genin kept walking until he disappeared in the forests around…

***

He had been wandering for hours through the forest. He wasn’t really sure what he was looking for, he was merely moving until he heard the grumbling and grunting sounds…


Genzou


His pupils had changed but his eyes were still the same. He felt less strained though, more free as though a weight had been removed from his shoulder; if only the old weight hadn’t been replaced by a far more evil one. He walked out into one of the many movement paths towards and away from Konoha . He spotted the stranger on the ground instantly. Wriggling around like a fish out of water. Kadaj wasn’t going to walk up to a stranger. He had enough of people. He bent down and picked up three small, circular rocks. He aimed carefully at the head, the target was about ten meters away, and winding his arm back he tossed the stone…

***

[papfles]

In his highly emotional outburst, Nazo forgot one of the most basic things a shinobi has to be able to control. His emotions had gotten the better of him and they propelled him towards his victim. "Victim". The word had a nice ring to it, but held no truth for Nazo. "Defeat" seemed more appropriate. As easily as Tairaki had disposed of him earlier on, just as easy did she manage to sidestep Nazo and launch a counter-attack. Due to the burst of chakra within his legs, Nazo failed to slow down, seriously decreasing his chances for a successful block. The tears of frustration didn’t console him either. Even though he forced out all his anger and rage into those tears, they now blurred his vision, handicapping him even further.
“Tch… This isn’t how I’ve taught you to fight,” Tairaki sighed as she jumped up slightly and thrust her elbow down.

“Ack!” Nazo shot up, grabbing the side of his head.
It wasn’t as painful as he imagined but it did hit, that much was certain. Nazo immediately wiped his eyes with his other hand, removing his broken vision. Inspecting his immediate surroundings, he found himself more or less in the same location as where he went to sleep. His sword still stuck into the ground some three feet away, but it had more dirt covering its point of earth entry, proof of his rather disturbing night’s rest. Tairaki wasn’t here. She had played with him once again, only this time she wasn’t to blame for her actions.

He shook his head and felt the area around his left temple still throb a little from the impact. Something had woken him up. The pain was proof of that. He looked at the soil, to see what could’ve been the cause of his injury. (Hmm, no branches since I’m in the middle of a clearing.) The only object close enough with the potential of causing this sensation was a rather small pebble. He reached for it, inspected it a bit more as he flipped and turned it around, in a foolish attempt to get more clues from the dark side of the pebble. Consequently, he focused his attention to the direction from which he estimated the pebble must’ve come.

Peering into the distance, he faintly noticed a boy standing there, tossing another pebble into the air repeatedly. If it hadn’t been for that little pebble flying up and down, Nazo probably wouldn’t have noticed the boy, as his outfit suited the forest quite well.

Slowly rising to his feet, Nazo carelessly took his eyes off the other one in the forest. “What do you want? I’m not in the mood for childish games. Go play hide-and-seek with your mom or something.”
Nazo turned his back to this silent figure in the woods, picked up his sword and wiped it clean against the side of his pants.
(Stupid kid…)

[DonEmu]

It was about midday by now. The sun was almost at its peak. In the middle of the clearing without the canopy blocking the heat the sun bared down upon them. The sky was not devoid of cloud but it was far from showing signs of another rain storm blowing through. Their only reprieve from the sun’s glare came at point in which a cloud blew across its path. The mood should have been one of peace…

Nazo : What do you want? I’m not in the mood for childish games. Go play hide-and-seek with your mom or something.

Kadaj merely watched as the stranger turned his back to him and picked up his weapon, wiping it on his leg.

Kadaj (thoughts) : Is this moron serious? Turning your back to someone you don’t know. What if I had thrown a kunai instead of a rock?

The genin stopped tossing the second stone up and down. He let it rest in the middle of his palm, not taking his eyes of the stranger with the sword. He wasn’t in a good mood and this person seemed to tick him off even more. He let the rock roll in his hand until it fell in place in between his middle and fore fingers. He wound his arm backwards again and launched another assault at the back of the man’s head.

’flicker’

There was a sudden gust of wind as he raced forwards and around the individual. The moment the rock made contact, he would face the person eye to eye. He flickered only a few feet in the line of sight of the formerly asleep and violently dreaming man.

Kadaj : What were you saying about hide and seek?

His tone was defiant…

**

[papfles]

Nazo wasn’t too sure how this person would react to his taunting behaviour nor did he care for his reaction. He had been sleeping for far too long, because he intended to get up and leave at the break of dawn. The fact that he barely left a shadow on the ground meant he had overstayed his welcome in these woods and that pebble-tossing boy merely added to his agitation.

Just as he had wiped the entire blade clean, another pebble struck him cleanly on the back of the head, tossing his head slightly forward. “Tch…”
The troubled young genin wanted to turn around to scold the other boy, but that would’ve been a waste of energy as the dark-clad boy had appeared in front of him.

Kadaj : What were you saying about hide and seek?

Nazo merely grinned at the boy’s question. He checked him out from head to toe, ostensibly showing his contempt by raising only one eyebrow.

“I said that you should go and play it with your mom. You apparently have no clue of the basics of hide and seek, as you’ve just lost by showing yourself. I’m sure your mommy will teach you….boy.”

Nazo had enough of this ridiculous boy showing off his throwing and movement. He casually threw his sword onto his shoulder, while reaching out his hand to pat this boy on the shoulder as he intended to walk past him into the woods. “Go home to mommy, boy.”

[DonEmu]

The man’s hand started moving up towards Kadaj’s shoulder. Words begun to escape his mouth as he moved…

Nazo : Go home to momm…

Kadaj didn’t like to get touched, especially by people he didn’t know. Unlike his guest he was weary of everything around him. He slipped both his hands into the side pockets of his trousers. He didn’t bother to listen to what was being said to him. He had enough of this little exchange, what happened next was no longer his issue…

Tenro : So you are just going to let him go forward…

Kadaj (thoughts) : Why not? This isn’t my problem…

Kadaj looked up to make eye contact. The whites of his pupil gave out an underwater, sea-blue like glow which hugged the numerous rings and seals deep within the doujutsu.

The hand was inches from making contact. He didn’t bother to play around anymore. He flickered again, this time a good ten feet behind the man. He took both hands out of his pockets and reached back with both of them grabbing the two shovels. Pulling them loose from their bindings he pierced both into the earth, four feet apart and then crossed the diagonally so they formed a seat like junction at the point they intersected. The only thing now strapped to his back was the strange scroll he had been given by that ‘ANBU’ .He turned and sat in between, he came here for a purpose but this could be fun. It would have been a bother if he had to take care of it himself but this guy would do it for him. The man was headed directly towards the very thing he had woken him up to protect him from. He could see the silhouette of the creatures clearly; hiding within the woods waiting to pounce.

Kadaj : You shouldn’t take the woods of Konoha lightly.

He crossed his hands and watched as the individual walk directly towards a pack of hiding rapid wolves…

***

[papfles]

Before Nazo could lay his hand on the boy's shoulder, he vanished again. (Heh...seems like you'd be better at tag)
It was probably for the best. The capped genin had been acting quite un-shinobi-like the past few moments, leaving him open to quite a few possible dangers, but the opponent hadn't taken advantage of it at all, aside from throwing an occasional pebble. This lucky streak wouldn't last forever.
All along the edge of the clearing lay the wooden victims, cut into easily usable sizes, waiting to be transported back to Konoha no doubt for heating purposes. Stepping over these dead logs, Nazo entered the forest again and kept heading forward.

Kadaj : You shouldn’t take the woods of Konoha lightly.

He waved his hand above his head to dismiss the apparent advice he was given as his double headband glistened in the sun.
"It's not because I'm a Sunagakure/Takigakure shinobi that I wouldn't know anything about these woods. I've trained here before, I'm quite aware of these woods," Nazo snapped back at this belittling comment.
This was another remarkably lousy character trait, one he shared with his father. Stubbornness belonged to the male section of his family, and continued to prevail despite all the hardships and troubles it had brought upon them. Nazo was no exception.

He had just coolly rejected the advice when he heard growling all around him.
Before he could even fathom the extent of the problems he had run into, a slobbering mouth full of razor sharp teeth jumped out of the bushes, poised on a first strike.
(Shit!)

Not knowing which direction he could take without running into more trouble, Nazo immediately, in a blind move of desperation, swung his sword towards the incoming threat. The foul beast was struck and let out a shriek of pain, although the blade hadn't tasted blood, as it remained clean. (Must've hit it with the flat side of the blade) Nevertheless, the shout set off a chain reaction, spurring on several other wolves to come running towards their prey. (Do something Nazo, do..... that's it! )

Putting his hands together while clinging onto his sword, Nazo dug into his measly repertoire of shinobi tricks, and brought forth the skill he had harnessed the most.

KAWARIMI NO JUTSU

In a sudden flash, a log he had stepped over just moments ago, now filled the space he had just left behind. One of the wolves dug its teeth into it, a clear sign that Nazo had just barely managed to escape this second strike.

The genin knew he wasn't in the clear yet and looked for even more safety. In a completely absurd move, he ran back into the forest, towards his assailants. In his run, he put his sword back onto his back and sped up some more as the pack was now only several feet away.

The boy's weight shifted onto the front part of his left leg as he pressed off with all his might, reaching above him with both his hands. His forward momentum made the grab quite troublesome as he dangled from a branch. Using all the strength he could muster within his forearms, he struggled to get on top of the branch, out of the reach of the jumping and growling menaces on the ground.

Feeling his heart race around his body, Nazo gasped for air while looking at his ravaged hands. He clamped them shut, but still felt the sting of the branch that had sensibly ripped his hands apart.

He looked down to see the wolves circling his tree, occasionally trying to jump up in vain.

Gazing back at the clearing, he could discern him, at the same spot where he had spent the night. He hadn't done anything it would seem, or at least nothing that Nazo could notice from this point.

"Tch...still here? I ought to charge you for watching the show."

[DonEmu]

Kadaj : Is that before or after you pay me for waking you up?

The genin was finding this quite funny though his stoic face didn’t give away any emotion. He had watched passively as the other person scaled the tree and was not situated on a branch. Those wolves wouldn’t give up now; it wasn’t every day that they got such fresh meat. Humans were a sort of delicacy to the more ravenous creatures in these forests. Kadaj reached into his kunai holster and came out with one of the single bladed projectiles; it was wrapped with a paper tag.

Tenro : So you are going to help him after all.

Kadaj (thoughts) : Who do you think those things will turn to once they get tired of jumping around. I might as well start thinning their numbers now.

He placed his right forefinger into the loop at the end of the projectile and begun to spin the little weapon. He first looked up at the stranger propped on the branch. Then he searched higher up, for a much larger branch, something he could fell…

Kadaj : You better hug the trunk dude…

The Konoha genin had spotted it. One of the trees parallel to the one the man was standing on had a large enough branch for what he was planning. It also intersected the branch the man was standing on somewhat so it could be slightly dangerous for him. Who cares…?

He jerked his arm back and flung the weapon. It went spinning through the air, this wasn’t the conventional throw but owing to the distance and the fact that his target was moving he had to do it this way. It pierced a large branch, close to the base were it met the trunk. The branch was situated a ways above the individual hiding on the branch.

Kadaj performed one seal… BOOM!

The tag went off and the bough came crashing downwards…

Kadaj (thoughts) : That should smash a couple of em. Hope that guy is good enough to stay unhurt.

He tucked in the front of his black shirt with his left hand. This finally revealed his head-protector which he was now using as a belt, the Konoha leaf gleamed under the sun…

***

[papfles]

Kadaj : Is that before or after you pay me for waking you up?

It seemed this boy had some wit about him that made this kind of answer feel like it was second nature. Luckily, Nazo had honed his sarcastic skills quite decently too.

"Paying you? Judging by the ruckus I made while sleeping, you'd have to pay me for two shows."

The boy, someone he could neither consider a friend nor foe at the moment, didn't seem to pay him much attention as he appeared to be lost in thought.
Nevertheless, his next movements triggered Nazo's internal warning signal.
(What the hell is he looking at me for, while flinging that thing around?)
The kid in black peered around, looking for that one specific thing he needed to launch his attack, and it didn't take him long to find it.

Kadaj : You better hug the trunk dude…

Before Nazo even had the chance to stop this cool cat from bringing even more trouble his way, the attack was heading towards his position.
(Damn kid...)
Not seeing an immediate way out without endangering himself even more, Nazo stuck close to the tree, hoping that the boy knew what he was doing. He didn't particularly want to trust this kid, not after the ordeal he had been through recently, but he had no choice this time. He was stuck between a tree and a pack of wolves. If he had to decide, he preferred to stick with the tree, the lesser of two evils in his book.
(Let's hope he's giving advice instead of placing me in an even bigger bind).

As the tag exploded - with Nazo diligently watching the location where the explosion took place - the branch came tumbling down, falling forward onto the branch he was on, hitting it quite the distance away from the trunk. The blast blew the branch off and away a bit, leaving Nazo clear.

Amidst the combined confusion of the explosion, the cloud of dust and leaves and the falling branches, Nazo made his escape. The two branches clattered to the ground, killing two wolves instantly, while the three others barely got out of harm's way. A third log came tumbling down, as Nazo was nowhere to be found.

Dazed and confused, the three wolves turned their attention to their nearest target, in an attempt to avenge the lives of their comrades.

(Let's hope this works...)

[DonEmu]

In all the chaos Kadaj had lost sight of the stranger momentarily. He could most likely find him again, he couldn’t have run out of sight so easily but then more pressing matters arose. He had only managed to cull two of the beasts. Now three very disoriented but equally enraged creatures seem to turn their attention to him.

Kadaj (thoughts) : Only two went down? And the remaining three want me as their meal…

The wolves crept slowly to the edge of the clearing. Their gaze fixed intently on the sitting and some what relaxed looking genin. He was sure his demeanor for further inciting their anger. He focused hard on the targets as well. He would keep his attention on them alone; there was no evidence to show that the guy he had just helped would return the favor. The only thing the man seemed to be good at returning was wise-cracks.

The wolves seemed to be biding their time and scoping him out. They were pacing left to right but all three still kept their eyes on him. Then one stepped through the middle. It seemed like one of them was going to take the initiative. The creature burst forwards, rushing towards the genin. It mouth was gaping wide showing the rows of sharp teeth stained with the flesh and blood of countless prey. It snarled viscously as it raged forwards. The other two seemed to be watching, leaving the work to this single comrade. They no doubt hadn’t completely lost sent of the other human around though they lost sight. They didn’t want to break away completely from the woods and let that piece of food escape.

Kadaj unsheathed Tenro , an annoying weapon whose bickering only he seemed to hear. He placed the soft white handle which at first glance looked like it was coated with ivory into his mouth and gripped the blade. His vision instantly focused on the oncoming threat alone. He knew what he was about to do was dangerous but his only option was to lose sight of the other two temporarily and concentrate only on this target. Practice made perfect and he had to get as much experience as he could using ‘it’ . The creature was ten feet away and lunged through the air…

Snake Rat Cat Dog

Directly in between himself and the airborne canine he erected his technique. The small vortex sprung from the ground like a hidden geyser gushing out from beneath the earth. The beast had no been to escape too; it was caught within the attack, the blood sprayed across the earth. Its body fell limp to the ground…

Shifting Gale

Kadaj was winded, pun not intended, and his eyes begun to throb.

Kadaj (thoughts) : One down, two to go.

He stood up from his seat with his hands in his pockets and his weapon in his mouth. The breaths he was taking were long and deep. He would need to finish this quickly and rest before he continued on what he really came here to do.

***

[papfles]

His ruse had been last-minute, but effective nonetheless. Fearing that his slobbering, growling opponents were still close by, he remained silent. Pushing out the other sounds of the forest that could possibly disturb his auditive perception, he increased his focus on the sounds these rabid wolves made, ranging from their growl to their movement.
The moment the noise seemed to fade, Nazo released his henge and quickly looked around, making sure his devious deception had reached its goal. Silently grabbing his sword, he sat on one knee while keeping his other foot ready to make a break for it when needed.

His plan had worked. The wolves had turned their attention to the other white meat available. Now that the blue-haired boy's headband had been revealed, Nazo didn't feel too bad for wanting to step away. Every shinobi should be able to handle pretty much every situation himself, he felt. But despite this sentiment, his sense of honour slapped him in the face, refusing to let Nazo step away without returning the favour. It had been quite a dangerous favour, but no matter how he tried to twist it, it wás a favour.
(Tch-)

In the meantime, the wolves had been inspecting their newly-acquired target from the edge of the clearing while one had made his move. The wind was in Nazo's favour as it blew into his face, carrying his scent away from the wolves. This first attack was scrutinizingly followed by the other two, who were poised to strike without any consequences. They inched closer, stepping into the clearing, to take advantage of any blind spot or weakness this kid would show.
However, the Konoha shinobi appeared lost again somehow. This time it was not in thought but pure concentration. (Hmm, weird fellow... He seems to faze out of reality every now and again...)

The Konoha shinobi had his hands full with the incoming attack, leaving Nazo free to think of something to turn the tables on the wolves for the first time since the beginning of this ambush. Both wolves seemed to be focusing on this one opponent, as it was the closest they could currently get to a full meal.

(Heh! The edge of the clearing again. Those creatures haven't really learned from the previous time it would seem.)

He clamped onto his sword, and prepared to repeat his feat from before, which would enable him to strike amidst the confusion.

KAWARIMI NO JUTSU

Quickly covering the ground, he now arrived at the place next to the clearing, leaving a log in the spot where he had imitated being a log himself. He had reappeared directly behind the two wolves, who had been creeping closer to the boy with the sword in his mouth.
The move definitely startled the two wolves as the sound of the log hitting the ground shook their resolve. They jumped up a bit, landing almost sideways, immediately digging their feet into the ground, looking back to check out the source of the noise. This time, their skittish nature would cost them dearly.

Nazo didn't hesitate though, and used this second to swipe his diamond-bladed sword from right to left, cleaving the air and everything that stood in its way. Blood spurted out and tried to catch up to the blade that had given it its freedom, while losing momentum and falling to the ground.
The shrieks of pain meant that his move had caused tremendous pain. Even though only the tip of his blade had penetrated flesh, the result remained somewhat the same: Nazo now held the advantage. Where he had missed to hit his target to the fullest before, he now had managed to strike a double blow as the slash struck the sides of both animals, leaving a bothersome wound.

Nazo immediately jumped back, holding on his sword tightly, pointing the tip back over his right shoulder, ready to strike again if the wolves decided not to run for their lives.

The third one had skillfully been taken care of his threat, even though the shinobi hadn't used his sword yet; at least not in the conventional way, seeing how it was still in his mouth.

Nazo looked over the two remaining wolves, towards the kid, giving him a nod.

[DonEmu]

The wolves’ other prey had emerged from hiding and had engaged the other two while Kadaj dealt with his oncoming problem. With that little mutt out of the way he could now pay attention to the last two. It now seemed there was a reversal of fortune; the predators had now become the prey. Their anxiety could be noticed by their confused movements. The creatures had no idea how to deal with the situation. They were nicely propped between the two people.

The guy gave him a nod…

He returned the gesture…

The Suna shinobi had his back to the forest. Lucky for him Kadaj couldn’t spot anymore trouble emerging. The wolves were between the two, looking back and forth between the two ninja as they paced around, probably assessing the situation they had found themselves in. He walked forwards closing in the gap between himself and the canines. He slid his hand from out of his pockets and slipped out two kunai from his holster. These had no accessories, more specifically tags. He held one in each hand as he moved forwards slowly; he was slouching, stalking his prey.

The creatures seemed to have suffered some damage since there were traces bleeding. The black haired stranger was picking at picked at them from the shadows. Some blood was on the ground around the wolves, blood was on the fur of one of them. Kadaj seemed to remember hearing a faint shriek when he was busy, this might have been the source.

The wolves seemed to favor a division of labor scenario. For a bunch of wild animals they showed a level of team-work and cohesion that Kadaj found rare. There were some amongst even humans who could not work together as effectively. One of them faced Kadaj staring him down. He returned the glare with equal intensity. He never thought he would get into a staring contest with an animal. Excitement began to course through him…

Kadaj (thoughts) : These things are foaming at the mouth. I wouldn’t mind going toe to toe if not for the risk of rabies.

Tenro : There are shots for that…Is that hag Tsunade still around?

Kadaj (thoughts) : Prevention is better than cure…and how the hell do you know Godaime .

There was deafening silence. Nothing seemed to be stirring besides them. Clouds periodically got in the way of the blazing sun, giving them a short reprieve from the scorching heat. Sweat was dripping down his forehead and his palms were becoming wet. He kept his grip on the kunai firm. The beast’s snarls at Kadaj as he got dangerously closer was the only genuine clear sound. Now the gap between himself and the wolves was about the same as that between the wolves and the man. It was a stand-off; both parties were waiting for the other to act. He was keeping his eye on the target closest to himself, his vision zoned in onto the wolf…


***

[papfles]

As both shinobi took care of business, the remaining wolves faced a rather difficult decision. Would they focus their attention on one of their former targets, leaving their backside vulnerable for attack from the other, or would they divide their attention? The former seemed to increase their possibilities to strike one opponent down, but the latter made sure no more backstabbing moves could lower their chances of survival.

Nazo was content to see his fellow shinobi nod back, as if he knew that they had to team up to get rid of these bothersome creatures. The Konoha native had prepared himself with two kunai while seemingly fading out of reality again , focusing completely on the single wolf facing him.
(Hmm, that 'drive' in his eyes again.... He must trust me to take care of the other one.)

He slowly brought his hands back closer together, remaining watchful of what this single wolf would do. The beast, now slowly mixing his outside gray colour with the crimson red colour from within, seemed to really detest Nazo for having dared to injure him. It must've been furious with itself too, knowing that such a cheap trick had backstabbed it. Nazo felt the canine revert to some sort of basic level of instinct: Kill or be killed; use the first opportunity to strike; go for the throat.

Nazo planned on using this instinct to his advantage, and wasn't going to wait for anyone or anything to break this stalemate.

Holding on to his sword, he clamped his hands again, smiled faintly to this other kid.

HENGE NO JUTSU

Once again, the shinobi hailing from Takigakure, used the poof of smoke to create confusion and get his plan working.
As the smoke cleared, a fluffy white little shape could be discerned.

"Bááááá-ááááh"
A cute sheep looked innocently into the eyes of one of its most feared enemies. Overwhelmed by his basic instincts, the wolf wasn't about to let this easy catch go and the canine rushed forward, closing in fast.

(Just a little more.....Perfect)

As the wolf drew close enough, Nazo released his henge, standing ready with his sword to push forward. The wolf, startled back to his senses by this sudden change, tried to slow down and move out of the way but it was too little too late. With a firm thrust of his sword, Nazo ended the wolf's agonizing last minute, resting the blade deep inside the animal's skull.

He pulled it out again, letting the beast drop to the floor for its final, everlasting nap.
The shinobi closed his eyes for a second as he bowed his head, before turning his attention back to the other shinobi. He leaned on his sword, curious of how this kid was handling his own target.

[DonEmu]

The other wolf was being dealt with as Kadaj was dealing with one of his own. This beast didn’t seem as eager to attack as the other and wasn’t as bemused and agitated. He didn’t want to waste anymore chakra either. It seemed the only quick solution was a head on conflict. From the perspective of an observer it looked like the two were taking part in a duel. Their neared each other making sure they never broke eye contact. Then they began to shift around, shadowing each others’ movements. They were now moving around in circles.

The other wolf hadn’t interfered yet, so he knew the other guy was doing his job.

The creature hopped forwards occasionally snapping it jaws harshly at the shinobi, almost baiting him to make the first approach. The shinobi responded almost identically, also slipping forwards and slashing out with the kunai. The Konoha Nin kept his calm and bid his time. It was the wolf that was in the most hurry. His plan though relied on timing. When impatience finally set in, he knew exactly what would happen…

It began to give out low guttural sounds. Kadaj could feel the leg muscles of the adversary begin to tense up. The wolf lashed out; heaving itself towards his torso. Sadly for it, its actions had been read.

Kadaj (thoughts) : Guess the tension got to you…

He swept his left leg across. He was aiming the face of his foot for the base of the wolf’s head. There was a loud thud and yelp from the creature as the kick made contact and sent it flying. The large body hit and skidded on the ground, doing a couple of rolls on the turf. The beast would not accept defeat…it forced itself to stand up despite the obvious pain it was in. The look in its eyes was that of anger but there was also sadness…a realization.

Kadaj (thoughts) : It probably realizes that killing me with one hit is its only option.

The genin bent low to the ground all the while placing both kunai back in the holster. Now he was crouching on the ground with his right hand touching the ground and his left at his side to maintain good balance. The wolf lunged at him again, for what would be the last time. He merely shifted his weight to his right; this got the majority of his body to be under the animal that was off the ground. It was going for his throat. He released the kodachi from his mouth and allowed it to drop towards the earth slowly. When it was about waist level he grabbed it quickly with his right hand and shifted himself downwards even more then stabbed upwards with the weapon.

It pierced under the throat of the wolf, it screams were muffled by the gurgling sound of it choking on its own blood. Kadaj forcefully flipped his body around, turning to his left side. He was now sitting atop the creature. Then he shifted his blade upward and then shifted it to the left thus cutting the esophagus…

He stood up off the creature and slashed his blade violently to his left; letting the blood fly off. Then he sheathed his weapon.

Sleep

He vision phased back to normal, reality momentarily rippled like splashes in a pond then returned to normal. Kadaj looked up to the other man…


***

[papfles]

(Ooc: approval to the previous post please, this is a new section)

The other two danced around each other a bit longer than it took Nazo and his dancing partner to finish their waltz. The other kid was about to end his dance with the wolf though.

The ending was brutal and vicious, making Nazo glad he wasn't facing this kid as an enemy, but as an ally, albeit temporarily. The time it took them to even initiate their attacks, seemed like an eternity compared to how fast they had ended it. Nothing else appeared to matter to this kid. He had a goal, he had the means, and there was never going to be another outcome than this one.

Keeping his eyes firmly on the kodachi-wearing shinobi, he took a deep look into his eyes as the victor showed his face. Nazo felt a tad uneasy, wondering how this kid could radiate such a different air now, as opposed to when they first met. (Seems like he just came back to his senses. Wonder if he was even aware of the things I did while he was ..."gone")

Silence seemed to wait to be scared off by whoever decided it was time for the lack of words to disappear.

"So...welcome back, I guess."

Fearing that this would just create another awkward moment, he decided to keep chatting for just a few seconds longer, hoping the other boy would come into his own a bit.

"Well, seeing how you helped lower the numbers against me and I helped lower the numbers against you, I'd say we're even. That just leaves the payment for those two shows I gave you before all this ruckus started," Nazo said with a playful grin on his face.

He stepped over to the wolf this boy had just ruthlessly maimed, ducked down to check its pulse and closed his eyes for another second, giving it its last respects. He got up again, turning his attention to the boy.

"What brings you to this part of the woods anyway?"

[Dream Catcher]

Alrighty... some grammar mistakes from Don and some from Pap.

What got me confused is that you said you threw a small pebble 10 meters at a precise spot, but the next post you Flicker 10 feet -_-

so did you flicker 10 meters of 10 feet? Either way, that's a pretty long flicker IMO and should have drained quite a bit of chakra.. considering you did it twice.

Also, since we are going by SP now, you threw a projectile in a perfect location quite a way from you and you don't have any SP in Projectiles.


Pap, you have no SP in anything yet so releasing a henge and already having a sword stuck out is... impossible. You release it and THEN stick it out.

Also, a wolf would not charge a sheep with no scent... at least I don't think it would.

ANYWAYS...

Uhh... 4 XP (everything added in) each for nice writing (although it was kinda boring reading each RPrs perspective over and over... specially since they were almost the same... oh and your char's attitudes are not very believable. And pap , you kinda trusted some random person too easily after having ur char go through a mental breakdown or w/e)

[DonEmu]

Kadaj : Well I was here to train. I suppose you could consider what happened now a little warm-up.

The genin’s expression changed slightly to that of worry. He had just noticed how much time he had wasted with this little endeavor. He looked around himself inspecting the shadows and then up at the sky in the general direction of the sun. Time had flown by; he would be able to complete everything he had set out to do today at this rate. The shovels he had brought along had been rendered useless. He was now swept with a sense of urgency. His mind had completely veered off the presence of the Suna

Kadaj : I would love to stay and chat but I got things to take care-off.

Kadaj turned away and began to walk back to the center of the clearing. He hadn’t bothered to formerly introduce himself, not even realizing they didn’t know each other’s names.

***

OoC: I'm basically breaking away. Peace...We can have formal introductions next time we meet.