There Aethir stood, eyeing the stone construction before him, cranes and steel poles sticking from the walls, not yet finished being built. The sky was cloudy as he was meant to meet some people he met earlier here for some training... "Is he here...?" He eyed the construction, soon noticing a black haired man at the top of the construction looking down at him with a smug grin."I see you came! Kind of strange of you to do so, but still!" he shouted loud enough so Aethir could hear. "You see an old friend from your past and immediately trust him...huh? For all you know, I probably made a trap! ...And you just ran right into it..." Aethir was silently watching the man until he saw him leave. "Hey!! Wait!! Why'd you ask me to come here?!" he said as he extended his hand fruitlessly towards the building. He sighed, looking off to the side as he pondered to himself. 'Damn it... What does he want from me...?' Aethir sighed, beginning to walk slowly towards the construction site. Soon, he saw the man walk into sight, still on the top of the building. "You're walking? Oh no, we'll have to change that." he spoke, Aethir eyeing the man before gasping as hundreds of shadow figures leaped or poured from the constructed building, rushing towards him. "I wanna see you RUN here." he laughed loudly, Aethir looking at the sea of clones the man had made, soon running towards it.

The ronin continued to run until the ninja clones formed hand seals, soon firing flame bullets at the ronin. Evading the fire by hopping high into the air, Aethir gasped as the clones did the same, the two different parties about to collide in the air. The boy face vaulted a clone of the man, sending him downwards, then elbowed another one of the man's clones in the mouth. Another clone had grabbed him, restraining his movements, but that didn't stop the ronin from kicking a clone vertically from under his chin, soon smashing his own head against the clone restraining him.

A mixture of smoke, clone limbs and bodies fell as gravity played a part, Aethir landing in the middle of the sea of clones now. "Fire style!" Aethir turned quickly, seeing and hearing 'fire style' repeated among the clones, causing him to panic a bit. As a result, Aethir leaped into the air again, forming a hand seal to create water clones, the seven Aethir dropping down to the now fire filled ground. The clones of Aethir did their best to fight against the man's clones, about one of Aethir's clones able to take out around twelve to fifteen. "The building!" Aethir simply shouted, the clones looking over to it. Almost as if they were linked together mentally, they spotted the prime version of the man, watching the battle from the ground level. "Aim for him!" the ronin shouted as the clones now began to push, shove, punch, and do anything else possible to get to the construction building.

The clones made their way closer to the building, soon noticing the clones of the man vanishing. From afar, the Aethirs could see a bulky tanned man, eyeing them with a huge grin. '...Him? Why is he here? I don't get why he's here...but wait...' Aethir looked up to the black haired man at the top of the building, '...Then that means they know each other...But how...?' Aethir sighed, looking back at the tanned man. "You ready...?" Aethir heard the man speak and simply charged in with his clones. "Terra tower!!" he shouted, first making the hand sign then stomping the ground to force a large pole of stone rise from the ground. Gripping it with one hand, the man obviously had incredible strength as he swing it with ease at the ronins, the clone scattering around while Aethir simply continued his direction while dodging the swings. As the clones got closer, one by one they were hit with the pole of stone earth, dispersing into water puddles, Aethir himself however made it to the man, the man forced to drop the pole and block Aethir's sudden kick with his thick muscular arm.

As the ronin lowered his leg, he backed away before bursting into a fast sprint, leaping, and attempting to punch the man square in the face. However, his fist was caught in the large palm of the man's hand, the man pulling the ronin around him in a three-sixty circle before slamming him into the ground. "You don't have the strength to face me, boy." the deep voiced male laughed as Aethir glared at the man while on the ground.

With a frustrated cry, Aethir charged in quickly, forming more clones from the puddles earlier. Five clones and Aethir started to attack this guy, his muscles preventing him from movies as fast as the ronin could. He received hits, but appeared to be able to take them with ease. However, the fruitless appearing punches soon added up as the man began to  grow even slowly, looking around tiredly for Aethir, only to look up and receive a kneecap to his face. Then, after a cry from the bulky man, Aethir delivered a roundhouse kick to the man's back, forcing him to stagger away. With a growl, the man turned, eyeing the boy. "Playtime's over, boy..." he commented before hopping up into the air and crashing into the ground. "Rock man armor!!" he spoke as the earth around his feet crawled up his leg and encased his body in stone. "Now..." Aethir stared before receiving a direct hit with what might as well been a steel beam, attempting to block it. He rested on the ground, eyeing the man who slowly moved towards him. He weakly looked over to the laughing stone giant as he looked down at the boy. "You sure you want this one, Shiki? The poor puppy just took a hit and looks like he's ready to cry!!" Aethir glared at the man as he began to laugh. "Oh I wouldn't underestimate him..." the black haired man, Shiki, spoke audibly. "Huh? And why the hell not? Look, I have him right under my foot-" As the stone giant looked around himself for the boy, he looked up, curious if was attempting to kneecap him to the face again. He then noticed the puddle of water, gasping. "A water clone!! Then that means-"  "TAKE THIS!!" Aethir shouted, the man turning his armored head, only to have said armor break from the ronin's fist. Aethir had to admit, it stung a LOT, hell his fist was now bleeding... But at least one thing happened... Aethir had now taken out the tanned man, one of three people he was told to meet up with. The man groaned, falling to his knees as his stone armor began to break and crumble, the man now resting on all fours. "Damn...that smarts..." Aethir panted, glancing at his damaged fist, skin breaking on the poor knuckles. "Kid...Kid you're a strange one... I had your dumb ass beat, but...you..." the man sighed before collapsing onto the ground, unable to finish his sentence as Aethir was eyeing the man before feeling a raindrop on his nose.

Aethir inhaled and exhale, regaining his regular breathing pattern before looking up at the rain clouds slowly form. He then eyed the man, Shiki, looking back down to him with his black eyes, Aethir's blue eyes showing determination. "My oh my..." Shiki turned, hearing a voice speak to him, "He took out what's his face... I'm impressed." Aethir narrowed his eyes as he saw a second man up there with Shiki, Gerared. He had met him earlier when he was learning fuuinjutsu, the same with this bulky man on the ground. "I'll win though. My genjutsu is absolute. There is no escape." he laughed before heading over to a staircase and descending down them.

Shiki slowly turned to Aethir with a smile. "I suggest you come up here so we can chat!!" Aethir stared then sighed, lowering his head to the entrance of the construction building. To be perfectly honest, Aethir really had no obligation to follow what these people were telling him to do... But he's trying to figure out how someone from his past just suddenly shows up out of no where. And more so how they regained their sight when they were blind. With no other choice, and being lead by his damned curiosity, Aethir ran into the construction building, spotting stairs and making his way up floor by floor. If anything, one thing was for sure. Aethir wanted some answers.

Word Count: 1477
Endurance D -> C: 1477/1700

Aethir rose and rose through the building levels until he was stopped by the sound of foots steps. He then began walking slowly, passing an odd piece of paper with marking on it as he continued up the building. He paused, hearing the sounds of footsteps, passing an odd piece of paper on with markings on it...He then continued up the building, only to hear footsteps. He stopped a result, walking slowly up, past a piece of paper with strange marks on it. As he proceeded higher into the building, he stopped, hearing footsteps... He cautiously rose higher and higher up the steps, seeing no one on the floor, eventually climbing the next set of steps. He gasped as he heard foot steps, cautiously climbing up the steps as he passed a peculiar piece of paper on the wall. As he made his way over to the stair case, he began to climb it, only to stop at the sound of footsteps. "What...is this...feeling...?" Aethir put a hand on his head, feeling strange as he climbed past the strange piece of paper on the wall. He slowly made his way to the stair case before stopping. "...There should be this many floors in this construction building..." Aethir blinked, climbing the stairs slowly as he heard the sound of foot steps. They stopped as he paused to listen for them, the ronin shuffling his feet, the footsteps from earlier doing the same. "...No...So those steps were mine? But..." Aethir looked back down the steps, climbing back down as he gasped, looking at the entrane to the building on the first floor. "But I was on floor...something! I know I've been going up!!" Aethir groaned, climbing up the steps.

As he climbed, he finally stopped to notice the paper on the wall. "This...I know what this is..." he nodded, remembering what the man, gerared, had told him. 'My genjutsu has a seal that keeps people from escaping...' Aethir nodded, slowly reaching for the paper, tearing it off. 'If the seal is broken...' Aethir felt a bit light headed as he slowly began to tear the seal in half, a sudden rush of sounds appearing around him.

Rain roared heavily, being poured furiously from outside, Aethir gasping as it was now night time. "How long was I-"  "Welcome back to reality."Aethir turned to see the pale man from before, Gerared. He eyed him for a moment before slowly backing away as the man came closer. "Tell me..." Aethir gulped after hearing the man speak, "What brings you here? Hm? Was it because your old pal Shiki said 'Hey~! Let's come hang out~!' ...Hm? That's funny if you did..." Aethir stared, soon shaking his head. "I came because I want some answers. Like how he pops up oh so suddenly, the thing I saw in the mansion, and..." the boy trailed off as the man slowly began to raise his hand. "Answers are what everyone wants. Even me you see." The ronin stared, attempting to ask what he meant, only to be left staring at the man's extended hand. "Your hand is hurt." Aethir glanced as blood trickling down his hand, "Let me help you. This isn't a trick, so don't worry." the ronin stared before cautiously extending his damaged hand.

As the man took hold of the hand, an odd feeling began to fill his hand, a mixture of stinging pain, as if someone were to put antibacterial spray on the wound while digging needles into his flesh, wedging it around... And a mixture of pleasurable numbness, odd warmth like putting cold hands in a pool of hot water. The feeling just before the hands start to burn, that pleasurable cold-hot feeling... Aethir's eyes widened as he saw the skin of his hand slowly recover, new cells being formed. "Medical ninjutsu... I love it..."  "Medical..." Aethir looked up from his hand to the man, expecting some sort of explanation.

"Medical ninjutsu, the use of healing technique basically." Aethir nodded to the explanation as he withdrew his hand, "From recovering small bruises and scratches, to recovering a whole limb... You're nearly immortal if your head isn't cut off..." Aethir stared at his hand, slowly sighing. "I think we're all meant to die some time." the ronin spoke, the man laughing, soon walking away as he gestured Aethir over. The two of them were sitting in the center of the second floor of the construction building, Aethir relaxed as the man began to heal the rest of his body from exhaustion. "You aren't testing my trusting abilities are you...?"  "Huh...?" Aethir turned his head to the man to explain what he meant. "I mean...your friend down there practically tested my will to keep fighting...What are you testing?"  "Ah, you've already passed... The test was the tag on the wall." Aethir slowly  turned forward, thinking. "That genjutsu blocks out what would be common knowledge for us. You didn't think to peel the odd looking tag on the wall, or the realize that this building only goes up to three floors and not twenty."  "Ah...Common knowledge..." Aethir sighed, scratching his head as the man chuckled, adjusting himself as he worked on another part of the ronin's body.

"Kwanger really did a number on you..."  "Who?" Aethir turned to look at the man as he looked back at the ronin. "The man you were fighting. He's really exhausted you. Plus the stairs...Plus the clones..." Aethir raised his head in a slow single nod motion before looking back at his healed hand. "I couldn't get through his armor any other way... So I just..." Aethir trailed off before groaning. "What's this all about?!" Aethir shouted, the rain outside pouring just a bit louder than his voice. "Why am I fighting being tested? Why can't we do whatever it is we need to do at a dumpling shop?!" Aethir went silent as Gerared sighed. "Let me tell you a story about how me and Kwanger found Vadon." he said, Aethir gasping to turn to him with a shocked look on his face. Vadon, the old man who tested the ronin's strength back in the forest of Konoha, only to find that he was extremely weak... "What's his story...?" Aethir nodded, the nod gesturing for Gerared to start his explanation.


It was a rainy day like this one, ironically enough... "Maybe we should stay in for the night..." Gerared spoke to Kwanger as they sat on the outside porch of their home. "Maybe..." the deep voiced man spoke, "But if we don't go out, we don't eat dinner." the smaller man sighed before patting Kwanger's back. "Alright...but my hair is going to be mad at me when I comb it..." Kwanger laughed loudly before jumping forward, running down the street with Gerared, both of them heading to a steak restaurant.

"The meat is always so damn thick..." Gerared sighed before popping more meat into his mouth, chewing slowly. Kwanger however was tugging, pulling, and chewing like a mad beast, the meat juices flying everywhere but not on Gerared oddly enough. "Care to eat slower...?" Gerared spoke sarcastically. "HUH?! ...WHATPH?!" the man spoke with his mouth full, Gerared nearly closing his eyes at the sight. "Try swallowing your food first..." Gerared sighed, patting the beast of a man's mouth dry with a napkin. And ironically, as we were eating, you were there, Aethir. You...and you alone, eating at that table by yourself.

Gerared sighed, sitting back into his seat, slowly looking off randomly to the side. His eyes widened as he saw the ronin, Aethir, sat in the same steak shop, slowly cutting into his meat. He took a mite, a huge smile on his face beaming, brightening up the shop almost. "Delicious..." he sighed before reaching down into his pocket to pull out strawberries. "Well I've never had dessert and dinner at the same time, so~!" Aethir smiled, chowing down on his favorite fruit slowly, the ronin then then chowing down on steak once again. "Oh! A strawberry cow!! ...what am I thinking? That's impossible..." Aethir sighed, smiling away at his piece of meat on the plate. "Gerared. Hey!" Aethir turned, hearing a loud man speak, smiling and waving to the staring Gerared. The man gasped, looking away, soon sheepishly waving back to the ronin. Aethir turned to Kwanger with a blush, the man grinning. "Are you gonna eat your steak?"  "...Huh? Oh no... I'm more of a vegetable person anyways..." Almost cutting off Gerared, Kwanger stuffed his mouth with the man's steak, Gerared slowly laughing and looked back at the chowing down Aethir. 'My god...he's...' Aethir felt eyes on him again, slowly looking over to Gerared with a curious look. He waved again, the man returning the wave with a smiling nod.
"Is that your new boyfriend or somethin'?" Gerared turned to Kwanger with a confused look before gasping and screaming loudly. "W-WHAT?! NO!! H-HE'S ..." the man sighed, slowly turning the now standing ronin who was paying for his meal before leaving the restaurant. Gerared sighed as he watched the man leave, wondering if he'll see him again...

As Aethir left, in came an old man with a red robe, checking around himself. He spotted Gerared's eyes on him, the man staring for a moment before turning away. "Huh? Whosh tat?" the gorging Kwanger spoke as Gerared sighed. "Don't know...but he's coming over here. He's not here to eat I guess..." Kwanger gulped strongly and loudly. "An enemy?"  "I don't know..." The two continued to mind their business until the man stopped by them, staring down at them. "I choose you two...as my student teachers..." he simply said, Gerared and Kwanger looking up to the man with a curious look.

"Sorry, but we take orders from no one. Got it?" Kwangers spoke, glaring at the now chuckling man, Gerared eyeing the man suspiciously. "Oh you'll do what I say...Trust me..."  "HEY!" the owner of the restaurant came over, the old man looking over. "Take it outside..."  "Will do." the old man smiled, not having to coax the big guy, Kwanger, into leaving his table, entering the rain. Gerared soon followed, cautiously eyeing the man for any sudden movements.

I didn't know it then...but I had been sparred my life that night... Kwanger to this day still says he could take Vadon...but... You didn't see what I saw...

Gerared collapsed to the ground as Kwanger knelt down next to him, the rain pouring on the three of them outside the steak house. "How the hell...?" Kwanger panted as the an chuckled, adjusting his glasses. "Come to Konoha's forest..." he spoke as he turned and walked away. Gerared groaned, passing out in the rain as Kwanger lazily looked over to the man, carrying him back home...

It was here that I thought for sure either you or I would remember each other... I didn't realize it was you who I was staring at when I attacked you in the forest...

Gerared groaned as he opened his eyes, spotting Kwanger and that ronin back at the steak house laughing together. "Who...?"  "Look who's awake!" Aethir turned as Kwanger pointed out that the man was awake. "Hi there. How do you feel?" Aethir smiled, the man gasping and looking away, eyes darting around the room. 'He's...in my home...' Aethir walked over slowly, smiling down to the man lying on the bed. "You passed out in the rain...so this guy tried to carry you." the ronin pointed at the big guy who laughed, "And well...he passed out, so I carried you both here. The address is on his underwear." the man eyed the ronin as he smiled back.

"But...why?" Aethir blinked at Gerared's question, shrugging. "Well you were giving me those weird stares at the steak house. I thought you...were ...hinting at me to carry you guys home?" Aethir laughed, Kwanger's booming voice laughing louder than he did. "Saying that out loud actually makes no sense... I'm sorry." Aethir bowed before heading off to the door. "Hey..." Aethir turned to Kwanger, hearing him speak. "You're good people, guy..." Aethir stared then nodded to both of them, slowly opening the door, creeping out the now closing door. "W-Wait! What's your name?!" Gerared almost screamed at the now shut door, silence falling in the room. "...That guy..." he sighed, lying back down on the bed.

"Hey..." Aethir slowly turned to Gerared as he looked back curiously. "Are you...telling me...you had a thing for some guy you never even knew...?" Gerared suddenly laughed, trying his best to whistle...but failed miserably. "I- ...Well..."  "Right..." Aethir shrugged, shaking his head. He had to admit, he was a bit flattered that someone found him attractive... But he still played it off like it was a pathetic thing for the man to react that way. "It's been a year though... So I didn't expect you to remember us. But then again the same could be said about us too. We didn't know who you were and tried to kill you." With a single 'hmph' Aethir smiled.

"But what about the suns of Vadon? That jutsu he used."  "Ah...I'll tell you that story when we meet for the final time." Aethir stared for a moment. "The final...time...?" Gerared smiled, lowering his head as he stood. "Yes... The next time you see me and Kwanger..." Aethir eyed the man as he made his way to the descending stair case, slowly descending down the stairs. He paused to turn to Aethir. "We will aim to kill you, Aethir Lamdem. You'll know where to find us." Aethir gulped, looking as Gerared has continued down the stairs. Aethir stayed where he was a moment, sadness and fear filling his heart as he soon stood up, feeling energy brimming inside of his body. As he quickly did some stretches and basic combat movements, he felt as if he had just woken up, refreshed and renewed! "...But why? ...Why kill me...?" Aethir sighed, shaking his head. "And that thing again... I'll know where to find them... How? How will I know...?" Aethir sighed, lifting his head to look up the last flight of stairs before him. "Shiki is waiting..." he simple told himself before walking up the steps cautiously and prepared.

Word Count: 2459
Total: 3936
Endurance: D -> C: 1700/1700
Perception C-1 -> B: 2000/2000
Reaction Time: C-2 -> B: 236/1400

Aethir climbed up, the rain greeting him as he was now at the roof of the building. A quick flash of lightning flickered in the sky, neither of the two men caring for it. Shiki remained where he was, rain pouring all over him as his once hung head slowly rose, as if detecting Aethir's presence. "You're finally here, hmm?" Aethir stared at the man as he spoke, not even facing him. Eventually he did, smiling to the boy with his black eyes and drenched black hair. The two were silent before Aethir shrugged. "What's all this about?" he plainly said, not even cracking a smile to seem nice about the question. Aethir lowered his raised hands as he saw the man smile, revealing a sword hilt. "Don't you know?" he spoke, Aethir eyeing the blade, "It's about you and being the vessel."  "What vessel?!" Aethir shouted, showing signs that he's frustrated with the lack of answers. "What's this vessel everyone talking about? What the hell is fuuinjutsu? And why..." the ronin pointed at Shiki while shaking head. "Why is the person who died in the house fire years ago...standing right in front of me? A ghost...is standing right in front of me..." Shiki laughed at Aethir, shaking his own head disapprovingly.

"I can answer that." a third voice spoke, Aethir slowly turning to see the old man from before with a cane. Vadon... The ronin was silent as the old man walked over to Shiki, handing him a black scroll with some kind of mark on it... No...Aethir had seen this mark before, on his own body, the lower back side of his body... That black and red mark... "You know what this mark is, don't you?" Vadon spoke as he walked away from Shiki who now held the scroll. "It's your clan's mark, Aethir Lamdem." Aethir eyed the old man, soon staring at the scroll in Shiki's hand. "Or should I say...Damien Kagem?" Aethir suddenly turned to Vadon with a surprised and confused look on his face. "What...?"  "This..." Shiki smiled, waving the scroll before slipping it into his shirt, "This is the final message left by your father."  "What? ...No, that's....Lamdem's dead...?" Shiki laughed as the old man sighed. "No you dolt, Lamdem wasn't ever your father. He named you from finding you, sure, but you are not his child."  "He ran an orphanage...remember? I'm one of his kids. His true blooded kids. You...were adopted." The ronin was silent as Shiki continued. "I sure as hell didn't know until uncle here told me."  "Uncle...?" Aethir eyed Vadon as he glared at him with a grin. "...Then that means you're-"  "Vadon Lamdem. Brother to your second father. That's right. And you know what else...?" Aethir eyed the old man as the rain continued to poor, lightning flashing. "Your mother...was my sister. Our sister. Oh but don't go looking for her... She's six feet in the ground, somewhere in Iwagakure..." Aethir's eyes were hollow for a moment before he tried to process this information. 'Six feet... Six....She's dead then...Somewhere in Iwagakure...And my only clue is going to be that scroll with that...clan mark on it.' Aethir eyed the chest of Shiki, 'The Kagem seal...' Aethir stared at Shiki as he smiled, drawing his katana. The thunder boomed as the old man took a seat on the wet ground, eyeing the two. Aethir took his usual combat stance, staring at the man with the scroll. "Winner gets the scroll. If you win, you get it. If I win...I get it...and burn it." Aethir stared, no reaction from his face from the statement.

Rain continued to poor, eventually the two men starting to inch closer to each other. Finally, Shiki made the first move, slashing at Aethir as the ronin easily leaned out of the way of the slash. Slash...slash...slash, dodge...dodge...dodge, finally, Aethir caught Shiki off guard with a sudden rocketing elbow to his nose, the man backing away. As he did this, the ronin followed up with other staggering moves. A swift kick to the kneecap, an uppercut to the man's chin, and a double fist punch on the back of the man's head, forcing the man closer to the edge. Lightning flashed as the man formed a single handed hand sign, his blade glowing red. 'What's-' The man swing the blade MUCH quicker, Aethir having trouble keeping up as the blade 'hummed' past his ears, crackling and sizzling as rain touched the blade. Finally, his chest was grazed... The ronin felt a STRONG shock of electricity course through his body, forced to back away and slowly rise to the ground, eyeing the man with a cautious look.

The man chuckled, raising his red katana as sparks traveled up and down the sword. "...Raiton chakra in my blade...Learn it, Vessel." he spoke in a more...cold voice, Aethir staring before looking down at his clotted chest wound. The heat from the blade must have closed up the wound instantly... Standing up, Aethir nodded, weaving hand signs before spawning three lightning javelins around him. "Oh...? The little pup knows some tricks..." Aethir stared before rushing in, the man smiling and raising the katana. With every swing of the man's Katana, Aethir dodged, countering with a successfully landed punch. When things got too hectic, Aethir spaced back while shooting a lightning javelin to Shiki, the man slashing the bolt in half. This continued until Aethir fired his last bolt, the man eyeing the ronin with a smug grin...until he was grabbed. "What the?!" the man turned as Aethir grinned. "Now!!" Aethir shouted as the other Aethir has his palms placed together, firing raiton chakra to the man... wave of inspiration. Of course this cause the clone to disperse into water, but the man felt most of the lightning chakra as he was soaked in the rain. "Did that do it...?" Aethir eyed the now kneeling Shiki, his red sword returning to it's normal hue. "Not bad..." Shiki panted, eyeing the ronin as he eyed him back.

"Aethir...Do you know what a Kekkei Genkai is...?" Aethir blinked, a look of confusion on his face. "Kekkei...Genkai...?" the ronin tilted his head as the man laughed. "Bloodline techniques. Techniques that are only passed down through clans...I suppose you could say they're clan locked." Aethir shook his head, eyeing the man. "So? What's that matter?" he spoke, the man chuckling. "Do you even know what your Kekkei Genkai is...? The 'Turn Aethir's Hair White' technique...?" Aethir's eyes widened as he remembered the hand signs required to unleash his hidden appearance. "And do you know what mine is...?" he grinned, the man's hair becoming a dark tint of green, his eyes becoming dark green as well. His skin slowly followed as he eyed the boy with large green eyes...before his regular appearance returned after hearing his name called. "That's enough. You've lost, Shiki. I'm declaring this."  "WHAT?!" Shiki shouted, soon inhaling and regaining his composure, "But...I-"  "You have to resort to A and S ranked jutsus to defeat him? Someone with only C ranked jutsus...?" Aethir eyed Shiki, then slowly eyed Vadon as he said this. Shiki simply smiled, tossed the scroll over to Aethir, and hopped off the building... Aethir ran over, looking over the edge to see...no one. Shiki had gone...

"So...my lowly vessel has won, hmm...?" Aethir turned to the old man, relaxing as he approached with his cane. "Good. Good. But let me also give you this..." Aethir blinked, slowly taking some odd scroll, along with the Kagem scroll. Aethir suddenly shook his head. "No...No, why? Why me?" Aethir eyed the man as he sighed. "My sisterr, your mother, was a powerful ninjutsu master."Aethir eyed the man as he spoke of his mother. "Your father, as beast like as he was, was a god in taijutsu...How else do you know such taijutsu techniques?" Aethir slowly nodded, not having an answer. "I...am the master of fuuinjutsu." Aethir eyed the man as he looked at him. "You, being the vessel, shall be the blend of all three masters to defend against the oncoming evil..." Aethir tilted his head. "Okay, but what's this 'evil' you keep saying...?" he said, but Vadon simply pointed at the two scrolls in his hand, the ronin looking down to them. He looked up to see a missing Vadon, Aethir searching around him quickly as the rain began to lessen. "...These scrolls..." Aethir stared at them before putting them away, and making his way down the steps, deciding to head back home. 'Where the hell will I be able to find them...?' he sighed, walking back out into the rain, heading back into the populated area of Konoha.

Word Count: 1514
Total: 5450
Reaction Time: C-2 -> B: 1400/1400