for reference:

OOC:

Hillside bliss was the best way to describe Issei's circumstances there, sprawled out in the center of a field of narcissus flowers, which were his favorite. The slanted terrain made for a comfortable spot to look up at the sky, take in the scenery, think about life. It just occurred to him, then, that he hadn't even thought about Gekai in nearly a month, which was insane considering his life as a shinobi was originally dedicated to hunting down and killing the missing ninja. Similarly, Gekai had clearly not been prioritizing Issei; otherwise, they would have had some kind of confrontation by then, but it was a sort of radio silence on both ends. Issei prayed that this was on the off-chance that Gekai had given up on hunting Issei, or even better, had died of natural causes after failing to artificially prolong his life any further. And what of Issei, and his own obsession with immortality? That plan had been...put on hold, not indefinitely, but not for a short time, either. He was still in his early thirties, and at the rate that he was becoming stronger, he wasn't going to die any time soon. At least, that's what he convinced himself to ease his anxieties, and it certainly worked. He could feel himself changing. He was more relaxed, less stressed. The ordeal with trying to master the curse mark and learn fuuinjutsu, while it was traumatic in itself, had reminded him of what mental willpower he had and how capable he was of protecting himself and those he loved. He really was growing into his parents' footsteps, becoming a powerful shinobi that they could be proud of, a walking combination of their two lives, and a living paragon of the Kaguya clan.

Beyond this, Issei wanted to make a name for himself, and he wanted to do something to make his life seem...fulfilling, which was the purpose of Ninshiki. Having put together a group that he felt confident in, he had nothing but positive thoughts and hopes concerning the organization's future, and plenty of plans, for a hideout in the Endless Dunes in Suna, perhaps an office in Konoha, maybe a recruitment trip to Kumo, if he could get away with it in time! Though Yukigakure was originally his priority, he had learned that Yuna really was from the village, and he figured his best source of information concerning its current state and the tragedy that destroyed it in the first place would be her, so he wanted to finish recruitment and hold a meeting between every member of the group and her before making a plan concerning it. In the meantime, he set his sights on a much more attainable goal, and that was Hoshigakure no Sato, an extremely small village on the outskirts of Hi no Kuni. Now, in his most recent research, he had discovered that Hoshigakure was destroyed years ago by a clan known as the Iki, which from what he could understand were simply prisoners within Hoshigakure that overthrew the village and escaped, resulting in its untimely end. Issei had no intentions of rebuilding Hoshigakure or taking up the mantle as its leader, but rather, he sought the thing that managed to put Hoshigakure on the map at all; sacred meteorites, which fell from the stars down to the earth, that had only ever been found near that small village for some reason. They supposedly had immense energy, similar to that of chakra, and an extremely rare jutsu was developed using this energy. That was what caught Issei's attention, and he intended to find a meteorite of his own before he left Hi no Kuni, perhaps with the help of a new recruit for Ninshiki, if he could find one.

There were other changes, too. More obvious ones, emotionally and physically. Issei hadn't had nightmares in weeks. He was finding it much easier to talk to strangers or speak in front of crowds. He was developing a silver tongue, persuasive to the point of being borderline manipulative, but was that such a bad thing? His trust issues were less severe, as of late, and he hardly thought of his ex-wife anymore. His hair was growing out and he didn't feel an instinctive need to cut it. He was bulkier than ever, his muscles much more visible to the naked eye even through multiple layers of clothing. The negative effects of his kekkei genkai were now a rare occurence; he didn't feel pain at all when he used it unless he was in an intense battle and using it for a consistent, sustained period of time. His eyes no longer turned black and red when he used the Shikotsumyaku. He no longer lost control of his skeleton when he was under too much pressure or stress. A particularly feminine side of him was starting to show, where he wasn't afraid to express his emotions to people he was close to, he was openly appreciative of any kind of beauty he saw, and he didn't feel insecure when he wasn't maintaining a decidedly masculine, stoic appearance. Now, this wasn't to say that he was always talkative and emotionally available and expressive, but he had his moments, and it was a new thing to him that he was adjusting to.

When Issei was living in Iwagakure, married and settled down proper, he used to always buy his wife flowers to show her that he loved her. But, looking back at it, did he love her? Was their marriage all that special, or did the nostalgia make it seem better than it was? Because there were dozens of negative qualities he could list about her off the top of his head, which tied into reasons why they were incompatible, which tied into why neither of them were happy and why they got divorced. When they were younger and he bought them for her, she would be ecstatic, and she would feel like the most important woman in the world. He would spout a few poetic lines about how the flowers paled in comparison to her beauty, and she'd melt between his arms. As the years went by, she cared less and less when he brought her flowers, to the point where just before their marriage truly fell apart, she would groan at the sight of flowers, disappointed by the same, unoriginal gift, yearning for something more, something better, than what Issei had to offer. And on that hill, surrounded by flowers, Issei understood, and the evidence came together in his mind like a jigsaw puzzle that had just recovered its missing pieces. She never liked flowers, she liked the attention. It was never her, it was Issei. He was the one who liked flowers, and that's why he bought them for her, and he would come home every night after work and find them sitting there in a vase on a table and think, "Wow. Those are so gorgeous."

And then, Issei would go into the bedroom and find his wife sleeping, but for some reason, he would never think the same thing about her. He would just crawl into bed with her and go to sleep, ready to mindlessly work through the next day, ready to let everything pass him by while he coasted by on daydreams and imagined worlds and fantasies and fiction, always after a good book, a good story, anything to pull him out of the repetitive hell that he called a "life". That Issei there in his Iwagakure home was different than the Issei there on the rolling hills outside of Konohagakure. Issei of the hills was a man living the way he wanted to, not living a lie. He was taken by the trees and the breeze and the bees. He was unabashedly creating a new path for himself that he would have never imagined he'd be on, before. He was a ninja, he was travelling the world, he was reading history and rewriting history and becoming a part of history, all at once. He was in the meadow of flowers, letting them hold him, instead of trying to restrict their wondrous magic to the confines of a glass vase as a peace offering for a failing relationship. He was a man born from the flowers, covered in petals and in full bloom.

花から生まれた人だけが成長する方法を知っています。

He vowed from that point on to be whoever he wanted to be, and to change with the seasons. He wondered if he'd ever really fall in love, or have a family. Those used to be his priorities, but they seemed unreasonable, considering everything he had gotten into since. Not that being alone was so bad. It was rather freeing, in fact, but it still worried him that a man of his age was still single. Perhaps he could adopt, and have a different kind of family after his days as a shinobi were long finished and he retired into comfortable satisfaction. He figured that he would be a good father, always attentive and careful and affectionate. He thought of a great idea, in the meantime; a pet, a companion that could keep him company in Kirigakure inbetween missions and work. He'd always liked the idea of getting a dog or something mundane and domesticated like that, as he was a man of simple pleasures. He tossed the idea around in his head some more, though he still wasn't sure how long it would be before he returned to Kiri, anyways. He figured that his own father missed him, and what of Rogue and Teru? He'd been meaning to meet with the Mizukage concerning Ninshiki, as well. And there they were, responsibilities coming back to haunt him. Not so fast! He stopped himself, switched his mental track. No overthinking, not while he was on this dream vacation. A soft sigh passed through his lips.

The wind stopped blowing and so the trees stopped rustling, the grass stopped whistling, and there was the sound of scratching and leaves crunching in between the birds chirping. Something was nearby, but Issei couldn't quite tell what it was through sound alone. He sat up and turned around, but only saw the forest. No one was approaching, nor were there any large animals visible. He blinked, rubbed his eyes a little, but nothing changed when he looked again. "Is anybody there?" No response. A curious soul like Issei wasn't going to leave it be, so he got up and climbed the hill to get a better look. Soon enough, he found himself surrounded by trees, the sun hardly visible as it was obscured by the great canopies overhead. The chirping was louder, then, as the birds were there in their nests and flitting about, but Issei could still hear it, that elusive creature whose movements were harder to mask than it anticipated. He followed it, activating his body heat perception so that he could feel the temperatures throughout the area. The trees were cold, and the birds had low heat, and every so often, he noticed a squirrel or other rodent running by. The biggest signature that his jutsu picked up was further, clearly aware of Issei and trying to avoid him, so Issei picked up his pace, advancing his walk into a jog, and his jog into a run. The closer he got, the more he could get an estimate of the creature's size and shape. It was bulky, taller than Issei was, but far too large to be human, though it was walking on two feet. There was no doubt it was a mammal, as its body heat was high and seemed to be self-maintained. Issei's mind was rushing through all the possibilities, until finally, he caught up and had cornered the creature at a fallen tree. Before him stood a brown, furry bear, with dark, marble eyes that were fearful and cautious. Issei approached it carefully, with his hands raised to show that he meant no harm. "I'm not going to hurt you, friend." And, much to Issei's surprise, the bear replied.

"Why are you following me?"

Issei's face, originally possessing a soft expression intended to ease the creature's fear, turned to confusion, and then to apprehension. "Uh...I could hear you, and I just wanted to see what you were, and then you started running..."

"Well, you can't exactly blame me. Humans have demonized me, run me out of Konohagakure. They call me 'Onikuma' there." He seemed genuinely hurt, his brows furrowed and his thin lips turned into a frown. It was strange, for Issei, looking up at a bipedal, talking bear, and feeling sympathy for it. "I'm sorry about that. What is your real name?" Issei relaxed his stance and leaned against the fallen tree, patting its surface to invite the bear to sit with him and get comfortable. The bear obliged, sitting down and letting his short legs hang there. "I don't remember what my name is. I don't even know how or why I turned into this thing. I remember who did this to me; it was a vengeful man who wanted to grant me a fate worse than death, but that's all I can recall. I've been wandering, scavenging for food, and hiding from civilization for months now. I feel like an outcast and an abomination." He put his head down, looking at his paws in disgust. Issei rubbed his furry back, bringing his voice to a low whisper. "Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. You're still you, on the inside, and that's all that matters. Not what other people think of you, not what you look like."

"Thank you. It's good to know that not everyone is afraid of me."

"Don't mention it. And hey, if you're looking for a place to stay, you can come back to Kirigakure with me. I'm staying in Konoha for a bit because I'm trying to recruit for my organization, but I have my own place in Kirigakure, and I think you'd make a valuable ally. I'd love to try and study you and figure out a way to undo the jutsu that turned you this way, if you'll accept my help." Onikuma turned to him, quietly considering the offer.

After a moment, the bear rubbed its small eyes and leaned in close to Issei, examining him carefully. Issei blinked twice, but didn't move his head or avoid eye contact, so they sat there staring at one another for quite a while. Finally, Onikuma spoke up, his voice as quiet as Issei's had been earlier. "How do I know I can trust you?" The answer was simple enough. "Don't you think I would have attacked you by now, if that was my goal?" Onikuma nodded, figuring that was true enough. He got up from the wooden seat and stretched, letting out a loud yawn. Issei paid close attention to how he moved; he was light on his feet and poised despite his size, which made sense, if he really did use to be a human. The problem was, Issei wasn't sure of any jutsu that was capable of such a permanent transformation. Perhaps a forbidden jutsu, or the result of some kind of Senjutsu chakra. Onikuma turned back towards Issei. "Alright, what's the plan now, boss?" Issei couldn't help but laugh when he was referred to as "boss".

"We can head back towards the village. Out of curiosity, have you had any combat experience or jutsu training? You could be a great help if you tagged along on some of my missions." Onikuma looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Uhh, no. Never been in a fight, not even once. I was kind of a weakling when I was human." Issei started walking back the way they'd come from, and he spoke as he went. "Oh, that won't do. We'll work on that, I can train you." This wasn't a welcome proposition, apprently, as Onikuma immediately started backtracking. "But, but I'm a bear now! And I've got claws and stuff. I don't need to train!" Issei rolled his eyes. "And yet you ran away from me as soon as I started following you instead of standing up to me. If you're a bear, act like it! Be fearless! Besides, I'm sure you have chakra, especially since you used to be human, so I might as well teach you some nifty jutsu, right?"

"Fiiine. But do we have to start right away? Can we at least wait until we get back to Kirigakure?"

"Sounds good to me!"

By the time they reached an exit to the dense forestry and were again at the top of the hills looking out over the wilderness, the afternoon heat had subsided and a cool breeze reached their faces. Onikuma dropped to all-fours, which seemed to be a more comfortable position for him, as he continued forward, heading down the hill. Issei watched him for a second before following, getting close enough to ask him another question. "Is there any chance that I could ride on your back?" Onikuma shook his head in rejection. "Not a chance in hell. It's hard enough being a huge, furry beast, but I don't need anything more dehumanizing on top of that. I'm not a mount to be ridden. I'm your acquaintance who needs help." Issei felt guilty for asking. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I was just curious...I've never ridden on a bear befo--never mind, forget I said anything. I'm only making it worse." The awkward silence that followed persisted long enough to carry into their walk until they had reached the spot that Issei had been earlier in the day, next to the bed of narcissus flowers. Onikuma commented on how beautiful they looked. "Yes, those are my favorite. I was here when I first heard you walking. You mind if we stop and sit here for a while? I'm sure you're in no rush to go into Konoha, and I'd like to watch the sunset."

"No problem, that's fine. I think I'm going to nap a bit. It's been a long day...and a long week...and a long six months, really. It's hard to adjust, I don't sleep often, though I should be hibernating, or something." Issei plopped down into the grass, and Onikuma laid down next to him, closing his eyes and resting his head on his paws. Issei looked at him admiringly, but ultimately resisted the urge to pet the so-called "demon bear". He tried to think of a new name to call him, label him as less of a bear of the evil variety and more of a bear of the teddy variety. The sun sat on the edge of the world, its light darkening to a saturated orange that stained the sky and painted the grass, the flowers, and the trees. The forest in the distance blocked just enough of the sunlight that Issei could stare at it directly without it burning his eyes. He wondered what that same view ooked like from Kirigakure, then.

The sun set and left the forest in complete darkness. The only light was that of the stars overhead, but that wasn't nearly enough to allow Issei to see all that well. He gently shook Onikuma awake. "C'mon. Let's go, Omocha." The grizzly bear kept its eyes closed, letting out an annoyed growl. "What, you don't like the nickname? I thought it was rather clever." Onikuma's eyes opened like black mirrors, as the starlight reflected in them was all Issei could focus on. "Call me whatever you'd like, but that was the first time in a long time I was getting good sleep, and you had to wake me up." Issei stood, brushing himself off, before jokingly kicking Onikuma in the side. "Oh, my mistake. I'll be sure to abandon you next time. So as not to wake you, of course." Onikuma stood as well, towering far over Issei, before bending down and roaring directly in Issei's face. Issei didn't react, merely looking back at the bear unimpressed. "What, is that you trying to scare me? I've been through too much in my lifetime to be scared by a human turned bear in my face. All you've accomplished is practically deafening me and almost getting spittle in my eye."

Onikuma put his hands on his hips. "What have you got, then? You claim to be a big bad shinobi, so let's see it." Issei tapped into his chakra, releasing his kekkei genkai. What caught him off guard was that he didn't feel anything in his head; no pressure or pain, and more specifically, no response in his eyes. He reached up and felt his eyes with both hands, only to discover that he couldn't feel any pulsing veins. "Do my eyes look different?"

"No. Are you an Uchiha, with a Sharingan and everything?"

"Definitely not, though a few of my friends are. I'm a Kaguya, but usually my eyes change whenever I use my kekkei genkai. This is the first time that they haven't." He let his hands drop to his sides again as he focused chakra into his spine. His bone tail formed, extending just long enough to coil around himself loosely twice before solidifying completely and anchoring itself into his lower back. Its pointed tip was just below Onikuma's jugular. "I usually rely on it in fights, and I'm a taijutsu specialist, but I can also use Ninjutsu and more recently, Fuuinjutsu." At the mention of Fuuinjutsu, he remembered that he hadn't practiced it at all since he'd left Kirigakure, and since he wanted to try his hand at using Kuchiyose no Jutsu sometime soon, he figured he may as well practice some more. Okinuma, with a spark of hope, asked Issei another question. "Do you think you could use Fuuinjutsu to seal away this bear form and reveal my human form?"

"I'm not sure it works like that. If anything, I would need to seal away the chakra of the person who did that this to you, but even that isn't a guarantee that you would return to normal because this could be an independent effect that would continue regardless of whether the user is still involved or not." Onikuma was visibly disappointed, and he didn't ask anymore questions. "Alright. I hope you can figure out something."

"It will take time, Omocha. But nothing is impossible, in my mind."

They returned to the village late at night, still talking about Kirigakure and bears and the Kaguya clan and Issei's past and all sorts of things. They were getting along nicely, Issei thought, but it was likely to be an uncomfortable return home, just because traveling with a bear didn't exactly sound like the easiest task around. To be fair, even getting back to the inn was strange, because they could hardly fit Onikuma through the door, and he had to sleep on the floor, of which he took up a very large portion. Regardless, Issei wasn't going to abandon him then, not after befriending him, and so he prepared himself to face lots of challenges concerning his newfound companion. It was that night, when he was in bed staring up at the ceiling, that he decided to go for it. He wanted to summon something within the next few days, and that would be his last goal before leaving the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

[ Exit Thread ]

Bet you thought this was gonna be pet training!: