1 Hell or Glory [Solo | Training] Thu Jan 09, 2014 9:54 pm
Daraku
D-rank
Daraku woke to another bright morning in Kirigakure, content with himself. He'd been growing much stronger since his arrival in the village. Between the high risk, high reward missions to resist the Seven Bells' forces and the rigorous training he'd put himself through, everything was beginning to change. He found himself running that much faster, reacting in the blink of an eye, and using the many newly-learned jutsu to fight opponents at a skill level much higher than those he'd encountered in the past. Meditating on the idea of becoming as powerful as he was, he grew nostalgic. Memories flooded into his consciousness, of how innocently it all started and how quickly it all changed. He thought back to his fondest times, those back in the Ninja Academy of Sunagakure.
He remembered his days in the ninja academy, having difficulty using even the simplest techniques like the Substitution Jutsu and the Genjutsu Kai. He remembered his intense sword mastery training with his father early in the mornings, and he remembered his mother's daily Medical Ninjutsu lessons at night. He remembered his mother's death by his father's hands during the Massacre, shortly after he became a Genin. He remembered being promoted to Chuunin and feeling the truth of what it was to be a ninja, such a simple thing in retrospect but in reality a burden of only those with wills strong enough to accept the truths of life, death, love and hate. He remembered the hatred that all those denizens of Sunagakure projected onto him, just because of his clan's reputation. The bullies who physically attacked him were no problem, he could defend himself. It was the stinging words and glances of everyday people, both adults and children, that saw him as no more than Ishido scum, a vile thief, a merciless murderer, a greedy bastard. It was those that got to him, that left him thinking at night while he cried himself to sleep.
Low and behold, Daraku came to fit those roles more and more with every year. First the kleptomania, then the general hatred of all people around him, the persistent and bitter attitude, and eventually the satisfaction accompanied by each kill. It was clear that he had fallen to everyone's assumptions of him, but did that make him a bad person? Not that it even mattered, he didn't care anymore. He could only accept who he'd become, the manipulative and selfish person who killed and stole and seduced...it was Daraku.
The Ishido's mind continued to race, now at the next stage of his life. He thought of the missions he did as a Chuunin, the monotonous work, year after year. He'd helped many, sure, but come night time, his true self emerged as he took to the Suna Slums. Anything for the sake of pleasure would work for him and he fit the mold of a hedonist well enough. Sex, murder, lies. Always the same the next day, more ninja work, saving people, yada yada yada. And just when he felt condemned to this restricting, repetitive life, he found his way out. He was a special jounin, and he left on a whim. If any time to hunt the woman he blamed for his problems was opportune, it was then; he defected, leaving no trace. He was assumed dead by his clan, and still hated by the rest of the village.
But since that day when Daraku finally left, he never felt more alive, more free...and from then on, he'd begun his own journey of finding himself and understanding the world around him for what it was, and it changed him in a sense. He still generally hated everyone, was greedy and ambitious, and his bloodlust was as strong as ever, but there was a small part of him that had concern for things outside of his own interests, and some sort of newfound morality along with it. He had a sense of hope in his life, although he wasn't quite sure whether this was a direct result of his new status as Ishido's "Hokkyokusei", or just an awakening as a result of his experiences since leaving Sunagakure in the first place. Regardless, it was a good thing for him. He'd gained the respect and love of others that he'd always craved so desperately, those true emotions he'd kept in the dark. No one knew how much their words had affected him in his vulnerable, younger days, but now their impact wasn't so heavy. But there was still one last burden, his father's final wish: the legacy of the Moth Sage. He hadn't bothered to undergo the trials of a sage at all since his father's death, but was it the path he wanted to take just because his father wished it? That seemed wrong. He killed the man because of all the evil he did that ruined Daraku's life and the lives of the other Ishido. Why should he be so eager to follow the man's ever present goals for him when he couldn't do it himself? He came to a conclusion...it was better to follow his own path.
Daraku finally sat up in bed, pushing the hair out of his eyes. He made his way over to the bathroom and looked at the faded black, already beginning to revert to its natural blonde color after only two weeks. Luckily, he still had some hair dye left, but he'd need to buy some more permanent stuff later on. For now, he felt like working with what little he had left to dye the sides and leave the top of his head its natural color, see how he could pull off the two colors. I'm sure I'll look hot either way, but why not try something new? he thought to himself as he headed off into the shower to take one before he got to work, and once he was done with that, there was a long day of training ahead.
He remembered his days in the ninja academy, having difficulty using even the simplest techniques like the Substitution Jutsu and the Genjutsu Kai. He remembered his intense sword mastery training with his father early in the mornings, and he remembered his mother's daily Medical Ninjutsu lessons at night. He remembered his mother's death by his father's hands during the Massacre, shortly after he became a Genin. He remembered being promoted to Chuunin and feeling the truth of what it was to be a ninja, such a simple thing in retrospect but in reality a burden of only those with wills strong enough to accept the truths of life, death, love and hate. He remembered the hatred that all those denizens of Sunagakure projected onto him, just because of his clan's reputation. The bullies who physically attacked him were no problem, he could defend himself. It was the stinging words and glances of everyday people, both adults and children, that saw him as no more than Ishido scum, a vile thief, a merciless murderer, a greedy bastard. It was those that got to him, that left him thinking at night while he cried himself to sleep.
Low and behold, Daraku came to fit those roles more and more with every year. First the kleptomania, then the general hatred of all people around him, the persistent and bitter attitude, and eventually the satisfaction accompanied by each kill. It was clear that he had fallen to everyone's assumptions of him, but did that make him a bad person? Not that it even mattered, he didn't care anymore. He could only accept who he'd become, the manipulative and selfish person who killed and stole and seduced...it was Daraku.
The Ishido's mind continued to race, now at the next stage of his life. He thought of the missions he did as a Chuunin, the monotonous work, year after year. He'd helped many, sure, but come night time, his true self emerged as he took to the Suna Slums. Anything for the sake of pleasure would work for him and he fit the mold of a hedonist well enough. Sex, murder, lies. Always the same the next day, more ninja work, saving people, yada yada yada. And just when he felt condemned to this restricting, repetitive life, he found his way out. He was a special jounin, and he left on a whim. If any time to hunt the woman he blamed for his problems was opportune, it was then; he defected, leaving no trace. He was assumed dead by his clan, and still hated by the rest of the village.
But since that day when Daraku finally left, he never felt more alive, more free...and from then on, he'd begun his own journey of finding himself and understanding the world around him for what it was, and it changed him in a sense. He still generally hated everyone, was greedy and ambitious, and his bloodlust was as strong as ever, but there was a small part of him that had concern for things outside of his own interests, and some sort of newfound morality along with it. He had a sense of hope in his life, although he wasn't quite sure whether this was a direct result of his new status as Ishido's "Hokkyokusei", or just an awakening as a result of his experiences since leaving Sunagakure in the first place. Regardless, it was a good thing for him. He'd gained the respect and love of others that he'd always craved so desperately, those true emotions he'd kept in the dark. No one knew how much their words had affected him in his vulnerable, younger days, but now their impact wasn't so heavy. But there was still one last burden, his father's final wish: the legacy of the Moth Sage. He hadn't bothered to undergo the trials of a sage at all since his father's death, but was it the path he wanted to take just because his father wished it? That seemed wrong. He killed the man because of all the evil he did that ruined Daraku's life and the lives of the other Ishido. Why should he be so eager to follow the man's ever present goals for him when he couldn't do it himself? He came to a conclusion...it was better to follow his own path.
Daraku finally sat up in bed, pushing the hair out of his eyes. He made his way over to the bathroom and looked at the faded black, already beginning to revert to its natural blonde color after only two weeks. Luckily, he still had some hair dye left, but he'd need to buy some more permanent stuff later on. For now, he felt like working with what little he had left to dye the sides and leave the top of his head its natural color, see how he could pull off the two colors. I'm sure I'll look hot either way, but why not try something new? he thought to himself as he headed off into the shower to take one before he got to work, and once he was done with that, there was a long day of training ahead.
- Training:
- (+10% jutsu training word count requirement from Ishido KKG)
Learning Water Release: Whirlpool Dragon Jutsu
Word Count: 1,027/1,650
Learning Wind Release: Tornado Rush
Word Count: ---/2,200