Finding comfort from the heat of the stone was a common practice for Kurai. Pain pushed him away but pleasure pulled him in. This was indicative of how life was. Pain was thrill, pain was livng. To go without pain was to go without bread or water. His stomach growled and his mouth grew dry. There was one person that he trusted to never cheat him of the necessity of pain. It was not in his nature to deprive others, but it was in his nature to help others and to save them. The experienced Chuunin didn't need saving but he could use a friend. His friend Nanashi, the medical ninja.

Time trotted forward as Kurai sat stale under the sun. His white flimsy top shimmered as the sun beams richocheted off. In front of Kurai was an alley that led into a castle where he was to meet the stone goblin. Once a year, the Goblin Castle elected a few shinobi to participate in an obstacle course that was sure to push a shinobi's pain tolerance to the limit. The winner received unlimited food from the Goblin Hibachi for a year. Kurai had wondered where all his pain had gone, he was hoping he would find it here.

It was another hot, scorching day in the Tsuchi no Kuni, and Raishi laid flat on the ground his home, half aware of his surroundings. He had just fallen off his intoxicating soft bed and landed face first on the floor due to his violent stirrings as he slept. This was the third time it had happened to him over the past few months, but he was indifferent due to the fact that he found it utterly harmless. Falling off my bed doesn't mean the end of the world.. he thought jokingly to himself, getting up slowly and stretching his aching muscles.

Over the past few months, Raishi had done absolutely nothing as a shinobi. Nothing as a person even. No missions, no training, no socialising! He had just been stuck in his limbo of slumber due to his pure reluctance to work. There was no particular reason why or how this social degradation was happening to him, but he just felt like not doing anything. Nothing was wrong with him, he just...didn't see the point. He had lost his ambition, his will to live any set life, or follow a certain path. Another day, more slumber he said to himself, dressing up in his casual attire before getting some breakfast.

He opened his fridge, hoping to find some food to eat; nothing specific, just anything edible really. Much to his dismay , there was nothing to eat at all, his fridge totally empty instead greeting him with a rotten smell due to the left over ramen from 3 weeks ago. Oh no, I have to go get some food...great, just great he said to himself, dreading the long walk to the nearest supermarket.

He then slowly headed out of the house, not bothering to lock the doors, or even close the door as a matter of fact. He just literally, opened the door and left, dragging his feet so badly that a long trail followed behind him as he walked. Walking through the village and looking around, Raishi noticed that so many things had changed in the village. The changes weren't necessarily physical in terms of buildings and whatnot, but the atmosphere was just different as a whole. Everyone just seemed so...busy and happy. Good for them.. he thought to himself sarcastiaclly, a straight face stamped on his visage. I wonder what adventure awaits me on the way to the supermarket

---

TWC : 409

Crack! Fukai stretched out his joints from the early morning mission. He had just had the pleasure of chasing a goat up and down the mountain side. Ooph. It had made him all sweaty although the sweat did feel rather pleasant in the midst of the searing day. What an aggrivating little task. When were the higher ups going to start taking him seriously and give him a real challenge? Ahh that damned goat just didn't want to behave itself. The beast had shown more stealth than the average anbu operative, eluding him at every interval. The purple eyed man was quite impressed, really. Oh well. Another day, another step in the right direction.

At the moment that direction was towards the marketplace. Fukai had worked himself up an appetite and decided that he deserved a sneaky treat. Usually one to restrict himself on luxury due to discipline, he was overly thrilled at the prospect. His prevalence of joy was partially masked by the heat. The heat of the midday sun that layered on an aura of lethargy. This was a mild day for the genin indeed. Fukai wrapped his blood red scarf around his sliver head, wishing for a little refuge from an overbearing sun. He stepped into the marketplace. Now what do I feel like? He had the rest of the day off and had nothing in particular in mind to fill it with. Over the past month the young man had stepped up his work load and tried to reach for his ambition and so far (fingers crossed) he was making progress. The large male walked down the market street and inspected the goods on his way. Sniffing at the fried treats got his mouth watering. The stall owner noticed the large male and grinned at him. Fukai smiled back and then went on his way. Maybe he would pick himself up some ingredients from the supermarket and make something healthy at home after all.

He had enjoyed the last month. Sure, he had some ups and downs but really, going on the adventure and meeting new people was all part of it. And as for the town of Iwa and it's problems, well, they will have to wait. At least until I get stronger. The young man grinned to himself. He passed a strange young man dressed in leather that was sitting still on a rock just off the road. All Fukai could think was: Wouldn't it be hot in that? Fukai stopped for a moment and though about asking if he was alright. Just up ahead was his destination, the supermarket and maybe he wouldn't care to be hassled.

[448]

A sinking feeling began to settle in as Kurai had been lounging of the boulder for a while. It had exceeded his tolerance for discomfort. His palm pressed against the rock. With a twisting thrust of his wrist he was sprung off and facing the direction behind him. The eyes of Kurai were filled with the image of a tall white haired man. "Just because we have the same hair color does not mean you can sneak up on me." It was delivered half-jokingly. Beyond the white hair and tallness, the guy possessed a noteworthy physique. I might want to watch my tone when addressing this guy. Kurai noted to himself. "My name is Kurai, what is yours?" ... Scratching sounds rattled off. The sounds made their way to Kurai and likely the other person as well. The culprit was a scaly repulsive creature. "That is a nice size lizard. It will be perfect for a new jacket." It rumbled down the alley that lead to the castle. The reptile lifted itself onto its hindlegs. "I am the guardian komodo dragon of this castle. You two look like ninja... your headbands say so. Well if you're hungry, there is a buffet awaiting anyone who has the appetite... You'll be faced with a series of fun challenges. We're just looking to reward talented shinobi..." The dragon hissed. "I can't tell if it is the hissing that makes it seem untrustworthy or not. I thought this place was a fancy gym, not a restaurant." Deliberation would be needed if he was to deny this lizard. It stood 7 feet tall with protruding muscles, not to mention its shimmering sharp claws. The green beast grinned at the two of them... waiting for their reply.

Things were looking up. Kurai wanted an adventure and he wanted food, could this be the remedy he was searching for. His narrowed as he went into deeper thought... Is it really wise to accept an offer from a komodo dragon... I guess there is such a thing as a bad day to wear leather. I am one of the strongest shinobi of Iwagakure though, I'm sure I can handle whatever may happen. I have survived clashes with Jounin, tests from Kages, and torture. This is just a dry lizard. Perhaps this other guy will have something to say first...


The pulse of the town was normal. Business was flowing as usual. Unbeknownst to the gleeful citizens the tests of tests were possibly underway. They were all so happy, but their fellow villagers were in the face of sorrow incarnate. If anybody else was to pass by and get involved... it would be hard to tell what was on the menu. What the lizard was offering... or the shinobi themselves...?

As Raishi walked absent-mindedly on the village road, the heat seemingly penetrating into his very being, his mind couldn't help but drift off into his habitual mental home. at first, it was just the usual silence and serenity that he had come to know and love in his sleeps, but now all of a sudden, memories of past friendships and battles seemed to flash through his mind, moving so fast that it felt like he couldn't keep up with this burst of knowledge. But he did. Although every single memory flashed in a fraction of a second, it seemed like he had relived each on as they came.The Sevenbels war in Kirigakure. Journeying to several mystical islands. The reunion of the Kanetsu clan.

Rash could even remember the different Kage that had flooded Iwakagure in such a short amount of time....Dengen, Arashi, Kazu, now Akira only in 5 years! He smiled as he continued walking, his attention mind now focused on where he was going to go. Life as a shinbone had been interesting, but he had lost hope in himself. Despite being of great ability, having being promoted straight to Special Jounin from Genin, every one of his equals had surpassed him. Both Arashi and Kazu became kage, Satoshi and Zenchi got Anbu, and a lot of his other friends. All Raishi did was remain in the same position for years, not getting stronger, just being..there.

He clenches his fists as a wave of frustration violently simmers though his body, a single tear forming in his eye. No, No! I will not remain lackadaisical! I have seen too many people surpass me! he thinks to himself, his thoughts screaming in his mind. "IT IS MY TIME!!" Raishi screams, not realising that he just did so out loud. But it didn't matter, because the buzz of the market place drowned his voice. Rash walked now with a new strength to him. He had gained his reason to live once more.

Ahead of him, he spotted two white haired individuals, which was pretty odd because Raishi had always thought that he was the only one who had white hair. As he walked closer he could see these two more closely, one was shorter than Raishi, looked rather normal compared to the other which towered over him and had purple scars on his face and..purple eyes? This could be interesting.. he thought to himself as he approached them. It was only a few seconds afterwards where he noticed the huge lizard with wide eyes. "What's going on here?" he said to the two individuals who looked like they were talking to the lizard. He could've listened in on their conversation because he had keen senses, but he just couldn't. He had live a mediocre life for too long, so his ninja sills were a bit rusty. I have a lot to do...

---

TWC: 491+409

Just because we have the same hair colour does not mean you can sneak up on me.
At first Fukai hadn't noticed the leather clad young man had jumped up and faced him. He found it a strange thing to say. Was that an attempt at humour? The speaker looked a little odd himself, the genin unable to put his finger on what it was. My name is Kurai, what is yours? He smiled at Kurai, appreciating the straight forward introduction. My name is Fukai, it is nice to meet you Kurai. What... He was about to ask him a question when he was distracted by a scratching sound. That is a nice size lizard. It will be perfect for a new jacket. What was he talking about now? His purple eyes darted around trying to locate the source of the scratching noise.

I am the guardian komodo dragon of this castle.
The large man shrieked for the first time in his life. A large reptile stood bipedal, right infront of him and continued to talk through Fukai's reaction. He took several steps back and whipped out his staff. What was a creature like this doing in the middle of Iwa? He glanced around, trying to grasp some sort of handle of the situation. What should I do? The thing kept speaking but the young male was not listening anymore. Get everyone to safety as to be the first action, then we can round up a posse to deal with this thing. The beast had finished talking. Fukai yelled to Kurai. Get away! You're in danger! The massive reptile could easily reach out and lash at the kid, he was about to go and get him when Kurai said I can't tell if it is the hissing that makes it seem untrustworthy or not. I thought this place was a fancy gym, not a restaurant. Fukai was completely bewildered by the situation and Kurai's unnatural reaction.

Nothing made sense. Now that he calmed down a bit, Fukai realised that it must be some sort of trick that the leather wearer was in on. What is this? Did you summon it here? The lizard stood more than half a foot taller than him and was four times as wide. It seemed to be staring at him like an intelligent life form. What is going on here? An alarmed call to Fukai's right. Another male had come onto the scene and he no doubt felt the same about this situation. He was quite similar in build to himself and certainly looked like a ninja, maybe he could help contain the beast. Is it some sort of illusion? Where did this thing come from? You there. Fukai was talking to the new arrival. Come give me a hand. I need to figure out what to do with this thing. The purple eyed genin stood his ground, keeping careful watch of the beast. It seemed to have talked before, but to Fukai, it mattered not what it says but what it will do. He felt out of his depth here, hopefully the trio of white haired males could work out what to do.

[535] /983

Fukai was the man's name. He was not planning on stopping after saying his name, but he was interrupted by the arrival of the komodo dragon. Fukai seemed unnerved. I guess it was not as common to interact with large fantastic beasts as he thought. The Chuunin had been on so many adventures and tackled tasks beyond fantastic that this was nothing too far out of the norm. Fukai questioned Kurai, inquiring if the lizard was a summon of his. "Oh no, if my research is correct this building up ahead is a gym. This reptile is probably the pet of the owner. Please do not panic, if this thing wanted us dead I think we wouldn't be able to think." Another sound rang out. Kurai spotted the speaker behind Fukai. 

What is going on here?


You there. Come give me a hand. I need to figure out what to do with this thing.


I thought it would be obvious what we should do at this point... You over there, this polite lizard here has invited us to a fun contest of sorts. The prize is a buffet. If we think rationally and disregard the source of the invitation... We're in the middle of the village, and the contest is taking place inside a reputable establishment. The Goblin Castle Gym has been open for years... business has been slow but it has history. Yall should step out of your comfort zone and ... 

The komodo dragon interrupted Kurai. 

Perhaps I came off  too dubious, let's start over. 

The ground began to rumble and sparks emitted from the dragon's body and engulfed him in flames. Kurai hurled himself over the boulder to take cover on the other side. A dark mass of smoke surrounded the vicinity of the lizard. Once the smoke cleared what was left was a man standing about 6 foot 3 with broad shoulders and incredible muscle mass. The width of his forearms were about the same as the width of Kurai's torso. He wore stone bracelets and a stone necklace. Upon his head was the Iwa headband and he wore dark green sweat pants. Falling down to his waist was a trail of thick white hair. 

Nice hair fellas. I am the Goblin, the man of stone, the man of a thousand scales, the Hissing Hammer, and the owner of Goblin Castle Gym. Like Kurai said... business has been slow so I'm trying new things to get the villagers intrigued. I figured a Guardian Komodo Dragon and essentially an elaborate obstacle course inside would do the trick. 

His eyes were still that of a reptile. 

Wow, this is beyond desperate, even by my standards. Well, I am always up for a good challenge and the prize is great.

Kurai was peeking up from behind the boulder at this point. He turned back to face the other two guys to see what they had to say of all this.

Walking closer to the pair and the komodo dragon after addressing the men, Raishi noticed the sudden alarm that sprang up on the face of one of the two apparent shinbone before him, but he found it strange that the other reacted in no way because he was actually conversing with the reptilian creature. He noticed the sharp look of alarm, saw the body of the man tense up and couldn't help but let out a little chuckle to himself as he watched the overreaction of this ninja to the harmless, but surprisingly menacing looking reptile.

"You there. Fukai was talking to the new arrival. Come give me a hand. I need to figure out what to do with this thing."

Raihsi was actually shocked that he was being addressed in this straight forward, almost oddly rude tone. Of course it had nothing to do with age because the person addressing him could have easily been around the same age as he was, and of course, he didn't exactly look quite respectable because of his lack of self-care, so that definitely was not the problem. It was something else, something totally different. For the past few months he had totally isolated himself from civilisation as much as he could, with his dreams for companions. Due to this, being addressed in such a manner sort of took Raishi by aback, but only for a few unnoticeable seconds of course.

He didn't look reply to the man that had yelled urgently at him, instead a gave him a little smile, as if trying to point out that he was reacting over nothing. That one really should pay more attention to his surroundings... Raishi thought to himself, concluding that this ninja in front of him that had over reacted was probably over a lower rank than he was. In the ninja world, ones training is so intricately stitched into their being and way of life, that your level of training can be deduced just by observing the every day life and actions of that said person. Raishi had learnt this a long time ago from his sensei at the academy, Dengen, and it proved to be very true. Age is not always a testament of skill.. he reminded himself, looking at the purple eyed man who was now being told by the other man not to be alarmed by the presence of the lizard.

"I thought it would be obvious what we should do at this point... You over there, this polite lizard here has invited us to a fun contest of sorts. The prize is a buffet. If we think rationally and disregard the source of the invitation... We're in the middle of the village, and the contest is taking place inside a reputable establishment. The Goblin Castle Gym has been open for years... business has been slow but it has history. Yall should step out of your comfort zone and ... "

Once again, the dress to Raishi was a slight shock to his ears, but he listened carefully nonetheless to the explanation of the other man who had been talking to the lizard originally. In all his years of service and even his childhood days, Raishi had never ever heard of a Goblin Castle Gym. Perhaps it's a new thing? he asked himself, realising just how different Iwagakure was. It turned out that this was exactly the kind of thing that Raishi was looking for. A test of survival. The perfect thing he needed to jump start his ninja skills, which he had gradually lost use of over the past slumber-filled months.

"Perhaps I came off  too dubious, let's start over."

Upon saying that, the earth itself seemed to start rumbling as the lizard got engulfed in flames for some apart reason. The man that had been talking to the dragon has already bolted, hiding behind a boulder for cover, and Raishi was honestly about to do the same thing, but he looked in carefully at the lizard. If it was indeed burning as it looked like, then there would have been screams, signs of pain of some kind. No..this is something else... Riashi thought to himself, walking closer to the previous position of the komodo dragon, now obscured by a cloud of smoke. Eventually, the smoke cleared to reveal a man that was actually close in height with Raishi. [/i]Great, so it's just a dramatic transformation technique? Wow[/i] he thought to himself, slightly disappointed.

"Nice hair fellas. I am the Goblin, the man of stone, the man of a thousand scales, the Hissing Hammer, and the owner of Goblin Castle Gym. Like Kurai said... business has been slow so I'm trying new things to get the villagers intrigued. I figured a Guardian Komodo Dragon and essentially an elaborate obstacle course inside would do the trick. "

As the man spoke, Raishi looked at him in all his bulk. A hefty man, towering about 6 foot 3 and enough white hair to cure baldness. Although, he noticed that the one thing that remained in fact reptilian about the man was definitely his eyes. Those dark eyes.

"Of course, I accept this fitness challenge!"

Raishi tried to sound as enthusiastic as he could, but he only came out as slightly sarcastic. But he did talk with a smile on his face, so he hoped that this would negate the somewhat awkward ambiance he was generating.

"I am Raishi by the way, who are you both?"


TWC: 1824

I thought it would be obvious what we should do at this point...
Ok, something is fishy here. Was Kurai crazy or were they just in no danger at all? What was happening here? Fukai decided to just watch what was going on for a while, not releasing is stance and remaining on the balls of his feet. The young man talked about the lizards invitation as if it was his grandmother inviting him over for tea and a biscuit. Still dubious on the quantity of the leather wearers marbles, he turned back to the beast. Perhaps I came off  too dubious, let's start over. The ground started shaking. The lizard started sizzling as bright sparks flew from his body. Fukai backed up a little more. What the hell is happening now? Fire shot out from the lizard, stretching it's tendrils up to Fukai. He was prepared, holding his staff up, he spun it around in a circular shape while emitting futon chakra from it. The jutsu blocked the flames and then the smoke from reaching him, it was instead blown away. After the smoke settled, a heavily muscled man stood there in place of the lizard.

Nice hair fellas. I am the Goblin, the man of stone...
Fukai's brow furrowed and he slowly lowered his weapon. Bewilderment was replaced by confusion. It turned out that the man had just used some sort of transformation technique. Oh... ok. He is probably just some retired ninja trying to pull some publicity stunt. Still quite a dangerous thing to do in the middle of a ninja village, someone could have easily attacked him. Fukai knew that he sure was about to. He wasn't too sure about this.. But he remembered the talk of the banquet prize just as his stomach growled. Both of the other young men beside him seemed to be up for the 'Goblin Castle Gym'. Fukai thought about what he had on for the rest of the day. Chores and training. I don't know about this... But I guess I have nothing else better to do. I may as well see where this gets me. Hopefully not killed.

My name is Fukai, this here is Kurai, we've only just met as well. So Where is this 'Gym' exactly. I have lived here for most of my life and yet never heard of such a thing. Probably one of the reasons it has been doing badly. That and the fact that the level headed people of Iwa probably wouldn't get into this guy's erraticity. But, if it turns out well, I will have to visit again. I need a new training spot. He had been getting bored of his solo training, maybe this thing, whatever it was, would prove for some excitement.

[470] /1453

A bit soon after Raishi himself had accepted the fitness challenge, then the other shinobi began to talk as well, starting with the strange purple eyed one. Even as he spoke, Raishi still couldn't help but look into those strange eyes, as they glinted in the sunlight. The sight of such an awkward colour of eyes made Raishi uncomfortable, as this would have often hinted to some sort of clan donuts or something. Perhaps time will tell what this man has in them.. he said to himself thoughtfully, inaudible to the others. If this fitness challenge was really worth what the trainer was saying, then all powerful techniques would inevitably be revealed.

"My name is Fukai, this here is Kurai, we've only just met as well. So Where is this 'Gym' exactly. I have lived here for most of my life and yet never heard of such a thing. "

The man spoke with a confident air about him, which was always a good thing for people to have. Although, Raishi still could not quite figure out how this reflected his personality. Rash is usually the very careful type, always analysing and thinking over people's movements, speech and overall character. He always like to figure people out, without being explicitly told and this is just what made him. When meeting new people, he would always have a little psychoanalysis, no matter how comprehensive, in order to ascertain if that person could be trusted or not. Of course, over the years, negligence to go out and isolation have ultimately decreased this skill of analysis, but the tendency still remained in his system. He smiled at the man as he spoke to him, introducing himself as Fukai. Fukai.. Raishi never forgot a name. At least now, he would be able to do some extended research on the boy and those his eyes.

Regarding what Fukai had said about not having ever heard of the gym, Raishi couldn't help but drift off a bit into the inner workings of his mind. He realised that he had actually never heard of the place either, despite being a Jounin in the village for a long period of time. Granted, he had gone through a long period of isolation from the others in the village, but at least there would have been whispers in the underground grapevine, but there were none. Rash found this strange, and in fact it made him a bit skeptical about accepting the challenge in the first place. Nonetheless, he shrugged of any negativity, and became more aware of the huge white haired man who had been the lizard.What are we getting ourselves into..

"Hello Raishi, I'm Kurai. It's nice to meet you. I'm glad to hear you're accepting this challenge... "

Moments after Fukai had spoken, the other man then introduced himself as Kurai. He looked normal, like the average shinobi would with no strange features such as purple eyes, but still Raishi left room for any special abilities this man may have. He took into consideration that not all powerful quake gunk's were obvious by looking at the user's body features such as Raishi's Lava Release. The man named Kurai then shot a glance at Fukai, saying something quick and inaudible to Raishi before then turning back to the lizard man.

After exchanging a few words with Kurai, the lizard man then summoned a lamp and explained it's purpose to the gym.Real exclusive, huhn? Raishi said to himself, with a noticeable smile on his face. He stepped forward towards the lamp, his mind alert for any sudden surprises as he touched the lamp. He had no idea what horrors awaited him, but he knew that he would soon find out.


TWC 2473

Fukai was not sure in the slightest what to make of this little get together, the four new acquaintances stood in a little group talking about going on some adventure whilst remaining in the village, some great experience that he hadn't been privy to in the past. If his mind was not as crisp in the late morning air, he would have concluded that he was about to be brought into some little 'drug appreciation' circle.

The genin would suspect that at least Kurai had some type of substance in his stream, as he turned to greet Raishi and then made a sideways snark comment at Fukai for not immediately diving into such a ceedy invitation. The large man was certainly something of the theatrical type, the way that he marketed his service with a literal bang. He told his new customers that they would not regret it.. The other guy, Raishi seemed to have no qualms and was ready to go. the purple eyed young man was not too sure, his hand reached for his red scarf as always when he felt uneasy. The peer pressure was getting to him.

Mr 'Goblin' would then summon a strange lamp, no doubt a magical genie would soon pop out and turn them all into pink pixies. This summoning was done to increase the majesty of the specticle but it was a little wasted on Fukai.
It is the gym. Those who touch this will activate the seal and be transported to its interior... Who will be first?
Alarm bells were ringing for himself, Mr Goblin was talking about a space time jutsu that could easily be used to seal people inside. The coercion and tempting offering had a likeness to that of a suburban predatory attack. Was this some sort of ploy? If so, Kurai's actions would suggest that he was in on it.

Fukai watched as the second man walked towards the lamp garnishing a smile. He seemed confident in his movements and had a calmness that contrasted against the genin. Am I just being paranoid? Has my long isolation bred distrust of others? He looked to Raishi for an example of how he should be reacting. The young man reached out and touched the lamp without hesitation. As soon as he made contact, he would be sucked inside the lamp. This was more or less what Fukai had expected from the large man's explanation. Then the thought came that he must be inside that little thing. He was claustrophobic and shivered at the thought of being trapped inside. He was considering just going for it but his caution held him back. He would then turn to Kurai and speak, suspicion quite obvious in his tone. You first. He would then step back and wait to see what Kurai would do. If his new acquaintance would not object and enter the lamp, Fukai would follow suit. If he did object, the genin would get too suspicious of the occurrence and leave. He was not overly fond of tricks, and would have likely legged it already if it weren't for Raishi's involvement.

[524] /1977

OOC: As you didn't tell us what would happen to us if we touched the lamp, I said that we would get sucked inside as that is where it looked like it was leading. If you want me to change, just pm. Also I'll exit the thread if Kurai objects to going into it first, this is just to keep in line with character (I don't mind if this happens). Thanks guys <3

The games would begin soon. This little detail of a lamp being needed for transport was new to Kurai. I thought it was up the road... why use space time ninjutsu??? This challenge was no longer being held in the same location he was familiar with, and the Goblin was unlike the stories he had heard about him. Kurai had the impression he was a recluse not some showman... This is getting weird. His mind was broken out of its maze by Fukai's request for him to go before him. Raishi had went already. A nervous chuckle escaped his lips.

"Not a problem... I heard there has been some renovations."

Walking slowly, but surely, Kurai imagined what was awaiting him. The perpetual adventurer... he ran and trained beside Kages, he went up against kid napping rings, he endured torture... was this but another chapter to his epic tale or was it the introduction to its end.

Before he touched the lamp, he spoke

"Obstacle course right??"

He tried to mask his uncertainty by saying it with a slightly joking tone.

He pressed his palm into the seal and every fiber of his being was warped into a void.

Kurai was looking up at the sky. The Chuunin was struggling to breathe. This must be the effects of space travel. This feeling kind of reminds me of when I was hiking.


He looked around, the walls were gleaming gold. The sparkle hurt his eyes. It took Kurai a little while to notice the ceiling was see through. Where are the floors....

Kurai was sitting on a pillar about a kilometer high. 20 meters in front of him on another pillar was Raishi. A small stream of smoke came from the wall and began to form a sentence.



"I NEED THREE... I NEED ONE MORE BEFORE I CAN BEGIN!"


Kurai smiled and yelled over to Raishi...

"This place sure has changed a lot since I've last been..."

As he was being sucked into oblivion, Raishi couldn't help but feel a strange sickness that rumbled his stomach. He felt like his entire being was being stretched out, and dragged to a different existence, almost as if his own soul was being forcefully separated from his physical body. He had never felt such a way before and he realised that it was probably the effects of the space-time ninjutsu he had walked into. Yes, teleportation and whatnot. Although the prospect of such abilities sounded cool in theory, the possibilities limitless in combat he could imagine, he felt that this terrible feeling of displacement, this sickness in his gut was too much of a price to pay. Especially in heated battle, where the shinobi has to say alert at all times, or lose his life. I'm sure those who specialise in this type of stuff get used to it though.. he thought top himself as he kept travelling through the stream of reality. moments afterwards, he felt himself stop and could feel his bodily and spiritual sell merging into one once more. He had arrived at his destination. He opened his eyes, as he had closed them upon first touching the lam, and he was almost blinded by what he saw. There right in from of him, were wall of gleaming gold; gold so pure, it looked almost celestial in nature. He looked up, but it wasn't covered in the same radiant gold but it was open. It was only when Raishi looked downwards, that he noticed he as actually standing on top of a pillar that seemed to be about a kilometre high but he couldn't really tell because it seemed to erupt from darkness.Strange.. he thought to himself. Just what was he up against? It was then that a booming voice came from the walls, which alarmed Raishi, stating that one more person was needed as it needed three. But I'm the only one here so far....

"This place sure has changed a lot since I've last been..."

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Raishi spun round quickly to see Kurai behind him but about 20 meters away. Raishi didn't realise that he Kurai and arrived. He had a smile on his face and like Raishi, he was also standing on a pillar which was strange. Curious as to what exactly they were going to be dealing with, Raishi yelled back to Kurai, a smile on his face.

"You've been here before ay? How was it like? And what sort of thing should we be expecting?"

He looked at Kurai expectantly, hoping he had a positive answer for him. Now, only Fukai left he said to himself silently, remembering the boy's strange purple eyes.


TWC: 2941

He watched as Kurai approached the lamp, hand hovering above it. The young man had laughed nervously. Fukai felt like he was sincere in his discomfort, just a little different from himself. He had consented to his brash order to touch the lamp before him.

"Obstacle course right?"
The slightly shorter white haired male asked the strange older man uncertainly. Fukai decided to trust him, he was either not trying to trap him or a great actor. The so called Goblin was something else though. The man was heavily muscled but based on his analysis of his heavy footed stance, Fukai was confident he could deal with him if necessary especially if the other two helped out. His new acquaintances, the pair of young men he could tell that they were much more skilled then they looked. Their builds and stances didn't look much like the weapon duelists he was used to fighting but they held the all too familiar lithe step of an experienced shinobi. This was apparently an obstacle course coming up, the genin became curious about the skills that the others may have to show to get through it. Kurai touched the lamp and was sucked inside, his body being warped and contorted in a split second.

Fukai gulped as he watched on. It was his turn now, the large man peered at him and smiled like a sneaky kid would eye the last biscuit in a packet. He didn't want to go in but he had given his word now that he would follow. Before the genin realised what he was doing, he stepped forwards towards the lamp and prodded it with his index finger. The young man felt a strange sensation flood his body and then with a flash of white light he was suddenly somewhere.. else. He peered around his surroundings, having been startled by his journey. He panted as a little adrenaline had been triggered inside of him. He was on top of a huge column a long way from the bottom. What the hell.. Fukai crept to the edge of the pillar and peered down. He heard a voice to his left, peering over, he would notice the other two on their own pillar. Ahh.. shit. He stood up and backed away from the edge, not realising that the foot hold on the pillar behind him was crumbling. Fukai stepped back, putting weight on the weak stone. It broke beneath him and the young man would tumble down into the abyss.

Before he reached the bottom, Fukai was sucked out of the lanturn, his body distorting back out into the village. He shook himself and went on his way. The purple eyed male would not sleep well tonight. This world certainly is a strange one, Fukai didn't know how he'd survive.

[477] /2454
~Exit~
OOC: Sry guys, exams were just announced.

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