Rippa had decided to move his camp yet again. The attacks on him seemed to have ceased for now. Either he had made his point and they were no longer sending the weak against him but preparing some one stronger. Or the theory he was more leaning towards was that Enaka wanted him to grow in strength and wipe out his uncle. Likely a hostile take over if his uncle had to much influence when it came to Enaka. Something told him that his uncle was to into the thought he was in charge which was working well enough for people until Itami started demanding foolish things. At which point he had no doubt that Enaka found the man disposable. And what better way to manage it then getting Rippa to take the man down? Not that he wouldn't take Itami down for what he did but he had plans to take on Enaka as well. In order to do so though he had to train. His swordsmanship was getting up there he figured based on the conversation with that boy. He had apparently impressed the lad which had made him reconsider his own progress when it came to weaponry. He had grown in leaps and bounds it seemed. So for now he would simply set his sword play aside.

Instead he had moved about half a mile from the hand of stone deep into a forested region. Deep enough that a camp fire would be hidden from anyone that was more then 50 meters away by sight. He really couldn't do anything about the smell though. Completely avoiding being tracked wasn't possible. Either way his one tent was already set up even though it did appear well used. The mat set in it had formed to Rippa's body and the sleeping bags zipper was obviously broken. Still Rippa and his clothes both seemed relatively clean. He had washed them just recently with some mint leaves and soap. As he had washed himself as well. His red coat was folded up with his scroll placed on top of it. He was wearing black pants and a black tank top with his silver angel wings necklace dangling from his neck. Combat boots were strapped tight to his feet. His fingerless leather gloves still on his hands. His head band of course was stitched into his coat's left sleeve. Though his white hair had grown a little bit. Now it was tied up in a top knot and some five O'clock shadow was peaking around his face.

It was getting dark as he set the last of the timber into a pile surrounded by rocks found in the area. Under the timber was some paper he had found from where festival people had been littering. The last of the sun light was peaking over the cliffs over by the waterfall which was nothing more then a faint roar in the distance. The heat of the day quickly fading with it. So Rippa sat down on a log he had found earlier and crossed his ankles. Taking a deep breath before raising his arms and placing his hands together at the wrists. His fingers opened like a flower and pointed at the paper beneath the wood. He focused on feeling the energy in his body and picturing it as electricity. Feeding his chakra into that energy to give it substance. As he did so red flashes of little bits of electricity crackled around his body. His hair beginning to rise and standing on end. Almost spiked. But he was hardly done. Now he focused on moving that energy. Red flashes of little bolts gradually becoming more focused as they traveled down his arms until it was a constant crackling between his fingers. Lightning surging back and forth but red in color and not burning him. And then it shot from his palms as a ball of red lightning into the paper. Holding there for a moment as the paper smoldered before bursting into flame. Gradually lighting the wood on fire and starting up his bonfire. He sighed as his hair settled back down and watched as the wood began to light up. The warmth of the fire already spreading to him as the sun finished setting.

719

Waking up yet again in a bed as soft as silk itself would never ever get old. The room was still dark yet, an inky blackness shrouding the room from the harsh sunlight that seemed to constantly parade its way around the village they were currently in. Chisaki was wrapped in something warm, and it was not the duvet by any means. Moving as little as possible, she turned her head to get a look behind her. Sou was asleep next to her, a peaceful look painted upon his features. Chisaki watched him for a while. During the day, he usually always had a very serious look to his face, yet when they were alone his features relaxed. In sleep, they relaxed even more. Smiling softly, she planted a kiss upon his forehead. In was physically impossible for them to be any closer right now she thought to herself. Smiling softly again at the thought, Chisaki carefully untangled herself from Sou's sleeping form. He briefly seemed to reach out for her, which made her feel a small twinge of guilt. After a few seconds however, he went back into a deep sleep. Smiling somewhat again, Chisaki quietly slipped into the en suite bathroom. The bedroom was completely sound proofed from the outside, no noise could enter or exit unless the door was open. Sou and Chisaki were grateful for this in different ways. Turning on the shower, Chisaki began to hum somewhat absent-mindedly at herself. Once the shower was sufficiently warm, she slipped into it. Sighing, Chisaki went about thoroughly washing herself. After about fifteen minutes, she turned the shower off. Exiting the shower once more, she wrapped herself up in a fluffy white towel. The bathroom was large and well decorated, naturally. Walking over to the sink, she looked in the giant mirror that hung above it. Looking at herself in the mirror, she began to dry herself and perform the usual morning routine. Hair, minimal make-up, and dressed. Today's outfit could quite simply be described as her shinobi attire. Roughly an hour had passed since she originally entered the bathroom. Opening the bathroom door, she peaked outside again. Still asleep was Sou's sleeping form. When he woke he'd dress and head out for Hokage duties. It was a shame really that he had been largely occupied during their stay here, but she had known it would happen no matter what she did. The duvet had slipped down his chest while she had been in the bathroom. With the silence only a shinobi or perhaps a cat could manage, she crossed over to him. She pulled the covers up around him again, before planting another kiss gently on his lips. Smiling, she left the room.

Tomomi, as usual, was awake and reading. Smiling to her owl companion, she spoke gently "Tomomi, I'm heading out, let Sou know okay?" He nodded to her and hooted quietly, a look of concentration upon his snow white features. Chisaki inclined her head to him, before she exited the penthouse. Directly outside the door to the room, two ANBU agents were posted around the clock to guard them. Smiling sweetly to them both, she walked along down the corridor. Their emotions, names and identities were hidden behind those masks. They might have blushed, they might have glared daggers at her. She'd never know the answer. Entering the elevator, she hit the number for the ground floor. The elevator was bright and well kept, and an old piece of classical music played through some hidden speakers. The ride down this many floors was tiring, but she didn't honestly mind that much. Floor by floor, Chisaki continued to head down. Checking her attire, tightening the straps and straightening any loose fabric, she patiently waited for the elevator to reach the ground floor. With a satisfying ping sound, the elevator's doors slid open silently to admit her into the lobby of the hotel that all the high ranking officials from the Hidden Leaf were staying in. The grandeur of the lobby couldn't honestly be beaten anywhere else. And here she was, dressed in her shinobi gear. Blushing ever so slightly at how inappropriate her dress code was here, she hurriedly crossed the marble floor to exit the hotel down the equally impressive front steps.

The second she was well away from the hotel, she sighed in relief. Out here she could blend in a lot more easily within the crowds and forests that doted the village they were in. In three quick steps, Chisaki was airborne as she slid into the canopy of leaves. Faster than seemed possible, she began to effortlessly and nimbly dash through the village, not wasting a second to look down. She truly pushed her limits of how far she could go. Last night she had decided on her location. She had also planned and memorized the route she would take to get there. The Hand of Stone was supposedly one of the locations of the Chuunin Exams, and it's giant waterfall was supposedly beautiful to behold. So, faster than a bullet Chisaki rapidly moved towards her location. Her surroundings around her blurred, she relied only on her senses to know where the next tree would be. By the time she arrived, the sun had begun to set. It had taken her a significant amount of time to cross nearly an entire country it seemed. The Hand was a ways away from the main town and especially the resort they were staying at. Chisaki stood in a tree, breathing to catch her breath. A short distance away, she saw a camp fire. Normally it would be common logic to avoid someone or a group of people camping. And yet, her curiosity got the better of her. In a few more fluid steps she arrived at the edge of the camp. A man, with white hair, was sat before the fire in question. Very few people had white hair, and she faintly recognized his form. Leaping silently into the air. Chisaki landed on the other side of his fire. "Rippa-san, I didn't know it was you... Hello, what brings you out here?" She smiled sweetly at him, as was a normal thing for her

1064
6231/9000 SS-Rank Med

"Who is your commander?!?" A masked woman asked with an eerily cold voice still sounding calmly, holding a wounded man in a black version of the ANBU attire by his throat against a wall in the cellar of a small house in Takigakure. Behind her, in a cell, several children, women and men were moaning, pleading for mercy, thanking the gods that apparently someone had seemingly come to their aid, saving them from the clutches of the people wearing black masks that had abducted and imprissoned them. "I wont ask again, you Black ANBU miscreant, who is the one telling you what to do, who is the one giving you orders?!?"

The man, feeling her fingers tightening their grip around his throat, simply gave a soft chuckle and spat in her face, or rather on the ANBU mask the young woman was wearing. "I'm not telling, you homicidal bitch. You are going to rue the day you assaulted and insulted Eien no Yami."

"Fine, if that's how it is," The ANBU operative hissed calmly, while a massive weight snake started to shift its weight on her shoulders, slithering accross her arm towards the wounded man, wrapping itself around the man's head. "You know what to do."

A sickening, crunching sound could be heard in the cellar, with a body slumping to the ground when the female ANBU removed her hand from the throat, the massive snake's white scales tainted by a red, dripping liquid. The body on the floor no longer had anything worth calling a head, just a mass of hair, skin and crushed bones.

Holding one arm upwards and one arm down, the young woman seemed to stand still for just a second, ignoring the wailings coming from the cell packed with people. a sudden shock went through the air, quickly followed by a immensely fast and thick vortex of water and dirt, shredding everything within fifteen meters of the ANBU's location to shreds and as the vortex had silenced and vanished, a rain of blood decended within the cellar, tainting the attire and the mask of the woman, who simply started laughing loudly.


After having taken a shower, trying to wash her hair three times over, Risu walked into her living room, wearing only the lavender towel wrapped around herself. For a moment, she stood still at a desk loaded with papers, pictures and maps filled with even more papers and pictures. She gritted her teeth, when grabbing a pen and marking two of the pictures she had, crossing the faces on them as eliminated targets.

"Morning, Uraeus," She suddenly said when hearing the calm hiss near her, turning around to see the white snake sprawl himself on the sofa, not even trying to coil himself up to keep his warmth, since there was no need for it with the heat up in the room. "I think a stroll could do wonders, dont you think?"

"Milady, perhaps indeed something less taxing than pushing through all these matters is indeed in order," The snake answered, waiting to continue with his reply until the suddenly vanished Risu had returned with a few clothes, trying to dress herself and listen to what her precious snake had to say. "You should maybe restrain from going any deeper, not without help..."

A ruthless, even mad glare silenced the white snake, who now only waited until Risu, dressed in a completely new outfit consisting out of a gray top, gray shorts, a red fur-lined jacket and knee-high black boots sat down, so he could slither onto her shoulders.

Just when they were about to leave, already having opened the door, the young woman glanced back at the bag which contained her ANBU outfit and which had significant and obvious red stains on it. Placing her left hand against her face, she gave a soft, sinister chuckle, before closing the door and regaining her composure a bit, taking the elevator down when reaching the end of the corridor. She had already decided where she wanted to get some fresh air: the Hand of Stone, where she had trained the basics of her newly acquired Fuuton-release. She still hadn't devised a use for it, but that was for another time, a probably more suitable time back in Konoha.

The travel to her favorit place didn't take as long as she would've wanted, but when she had gone through the vast forest between the Hand of Stone and the village itself, Risu halted atop of a tree near the edge of the forest, seeing smoke of a fire or what should've been a fire, not so far away from her own location. Curious as to why one would be camping there, also because she was careful, since it could be that there were Eien no Yami or Black ANBU members camping or residing there.

Eventually, she reached to the site, standing still atop a treebranch and watching as the woman she knew as Chisaki greeted a rather gritty looking Rippa. He had obviously changed, slightly more muscular and with a bit longer hair. He seemed mentally and physically exhausted. Sitting down, with Uraeus intently looking at the woman, trying to figure out where in the devil's name her owl was, Risu decided simply to remain silent and just watch at what was happening, not in the slightest bit interested for happy and fun stuff.

916

Rippa had begun to focus the energy more around him. He wanted to see if he could control a thin layer of electricity and make a barrier against tiny insects. Something for him to maintain and get a feel for generally gaining control of his new found power. He had seen that man from Iwa use it as a tool for killing. But even then it was a very brutal weapon. But it lacked a refined nature. Sure he could shape it but the fact remained it still felt like a dull weapon. To sharpen the weapon he needed to first sharpen his abilities with it. Much like with a sword. Still he let out a sigh as he took a moment to think it over. He only had his campsite currently and he was in the middle of a forest. As he had demonstrated earlier he could ignite the forest if he wasn't careful enough. That aside he wasn't entirely sure on controlling currents so far. If he focused it wrong then chances were, He could wipe out everything around him in one brilliant flash. He would start fall smaller with his practices then that. Or at least that was what he intended at first.

He only showed a little surprise as he was broken from his thoughts by someone approaching and making no attempt to hide it. But he was still aware of her approach well before she made it to his camp. And so blue eyes looked across the fire as she landed. He knew her from before. Though now she wasn't prepared for battle by the look of her. She was dressed just fine for it but she had a different attitude about her. When they had been slayers she had been a great deal different then she was now. Now she seemed much more pleasant. Still he managed a tired smile before rising to his feet. He was fairly tall but it was kind of expected at his age. Still he bowed his head as his long hair in desperate need of a haircut fell about his face.  His tone was calmer now. Unlike before when he had been focused on murdering those bandits without a second thought. During the mission he had been all business but now he was off the clock for lack of a better term. Still his voice was soft. A practiced bedside manner that some doctors develop. But a little formal.

"Captain Chisaki-sama. I did not expect to see you here. Perhaps in the higher end part of the village but I suppose toughing it out in the woods isn't too unpredictable for your clan in particular."

He sat down after he finished his bow but this time leaving plenty of Room on the long log for two people to sit without being uncomfortably close to each other. Before speaking again. "If you like you can have a seat. I was about to roast some meat and I have fresh water if you are thirsty. As for what I was doing. I have developed some new abilities since last we met and I was practicing them."  He smiled a little before lifting his right hand. His fingers curled in so they all seemed to point at his thumb. For a second nothing happened. Then a little crimson spark before visible red currents of electricity began to converge between his fingers and his thumb. Forming a little red ball of electricity ever so slowly. He demonstrated this to indicate his progress. Though Risu had concealed her approach well enough at least for him not to have taken notice over Chisaki's approach.

1335

The moonlight was bathing the entire landscape in its white light. This far away from any form of civilization, no man-made light could pollute the night sky. So, naturally, ten thousand small white lights were twinkling behind a full moon. Despite the fact the sun had only officially set mere moments before, already the white light of the night had graced them all with its presence. Chisaki took a moment to look up, and smiled somewhat at the nights sky. Night time, in the forests. This is how she had spent a lot of her time training or just for pure enjoyment. No other clan could boast the connection to nature the Senju held. So, many of their members often would be out in the forests of Konoha until late at night. It was why their compound was in the forest itself. Chisaki's thoughts slowly rolled back into the present.

Smiling kindly at Rippa, she spoke in return. "My clan often spends a lot of time in nature yes, so I thought I'd explore the forests that this village had to offer. As for the seating offer..." Chisaki walked a little bit closer to Rippa, before she knelt down to place a hand on the dirt. After a couple of seconds, the earth stirred beneath her touch. From the ground, three roots slowly crawled their way forth from the dirt. They then coiled around each other, to form a chair made purely from the roots(CHAIR HERE). Though imperfect, it was a chair nevertheless. Smiling somewhat again at Rippa, Chisaki sat down in the graceful manner she always conducted herself in.

Curiously, Chisaki began to watch as Rippa began to display for her his new talents. The crimson spark that erupted from his fingers. With a small clap, she spoke again "Fascinating, and crimson to match your other proficiency?" Chisaki had seen first hand what Rippa's clan was capable of performing. The Chi clan were famous utilizing blood as a form of element. From witnessing it, it seemed a lot like her own Suiton release, but the use of blood made it all the more eerie. Yet, of course, Chisaki was not one who could call the kettle black when it came to things that were eerie. Her demonic powers and control over the underworld were certainly no field of daisy's either. With a small sigh, Chisaki relaxed her usual graceful composure of sitting to one a little more comfortable, albeit more unlady-like. Yet, right now she was with a comrade who she had fought with before, therefore they held a friendship that transcended any usual bonds. The bond of being a comrade with someone was truly one to marvel at. Such a bond held power behind it, and allowed someone to do great feats of strength because of the bond. Very few people could be counted as one of Chisaki's comrades, among them were Rippa and Risu.

Speaking of Risu, Chisaki felt her presence. Her power and control over Senjutsu was progressively growing these days, and in a place surrounded by nature and at her full strength, it was easy to feel out the pockets of nature chakra opposed to a person's chakra. Chisaki could feel two signatures just beyond the ring of firelight. Risu's impressively large chakra pool and that of what Chisaki could only assume was her snake companion. Chisaki counted herself lucky that Tomomi wasn't around. The owls in the forest and other small rodents could be found in bucketfuls on a night like this, however. Owls were what Chisaki had trained her Senjutsu perception on, so she could feel the dozens of them out there, and they could feel her just as easily. With a small smile, Chiskai closed her eyes and spoke out into the night "Risu, won't you join us by the fire?" She let the question hang in the air as she continued to sit in her hand-made chair.

694
6925/9000 SS-Rank Med

Making sparks of crimson lightning was something Risu didn't really think she would care about, but her eyes did become larger when she noticed those crackling things in the air. She had not seen things like that before, especially not coming from Rippa, who she had only seen using his rather eerie and sinister blood element, which despite its eerie feeling had all the basic properties of her own suiton element. However, when she noticed that Chisaki made a chair with her wood release, Risu mumbled the word 'showoff' for a moment, Uraeus lifting his head to see a soft grin on her face. It was obvious that despite her work, all the darkness eating away at her soul did not yet remove all of her emotions and thoughts.

When she was suddenly called out by Chisaki, the young Orochi woman made no more effort to hide herself, cloaking her presence, since apparently her friend from the Senju clan had a way to detect even her and that without even looking into her general direction. Maybe that woman really was something special, a pity in a way that she wasn't an ANBU, but prefered to be a medic pur sang.

"Well, I guess that was as far as I could go hiding myself," Risu spoke calmly, commending Chisaki's newfound sensory abilities, though in a way a bit dissapointed in herself while jumping out of the tree and landing with a soft 'thud' on the ground as her red, furlined jacket fluttered a bit due to the wind displacement. "And…my apologies for…last time, Rippa."

Not even going through the trouble to hold her head high, Risu sat down next to Chisaki, though on the ground unlike the Senju woman, staring into the fire with a rather empty look in her eyes.

"I like it here," She whispered, with Uraeus snuggling and coiling a bit tighter around her shoulders, uncaring for the people that were around his mistress. "Who knew that being an ANBU would be so taxing on one's mind and body."

347/1263

Rippa nodded slightly at the crimson observation from Chisaki. She was fairly correct though he had not done so by choice. His affinity to blood had somehow effected his raiton abilities. Dying them in some way so that they marked all his chakra red. Perhaps it was just an offset effect of having blood as an element. He didn't know any other shinobi in his clan yet alone anyone who had bothered to learn a second chakra nature. So he wasn't certain if it was normal or if he was supposed to be capable of controlling it or if somehow he was letting his power get away from him. If it was on the verge of taking control of all his abilities. The horrors resting within him were only a part of what he feared after all. Still the heat of the growing fire felt nice. If anything it was one of the small comforts he still clung to. Being able to enjoy a thing or two here and there. Fighting through his depression and fear. He felt his return to Konoha wouldn't suit him much better. If anything it would be worse there as most of his issues stemmed from there to begin with.

Still he watched with slightly wider blue eyes as Chisaki seemed to manipulate chakra with ease and form what he could only describe as a wooden throne. It was an odd fashion but certainly sturdier and longer lasting then anything Rippa could do. It also didn't seem as dark as the last time he had seen the woman. No real demonic aspect to it. If nothing else it was certainly a potent ability to be able to shape ones element so efficiently. Most of Rippa's abilities were just brute force. He couldn't really doubt the womans position as captain of the medical division anymore. Not since she had surpassed him in both ability and maturity. He had heard she had taken on students while he.....he still doubted his own self control and had refused to do so. After all if he let go and lost it....his students would have a very low chance of survival. The depression of those thoughts mirrored in his eyes. At the very least he could not bring students into danger while his own uncle wanted him dead for his own greed. Grabbing green little genin and dragging them into that battlefield was against Rippa's principles.

Still when she called out to Risu Rippa blinked and reached to his side. Quickly he grabbed one of the thinner pieces of timber in a grip that Sousetsu had taught him. One handed to be fast and tight to still have some power behind it and a decent enough grip to not simple lose your weapon on contact. Still his blue eyes looked into the night searching. Their last encounter hadn't ended too well for him. Still as Risu landed she apologized to him. She looked a lot different. And based on how he hadn't been able to detect her and Chisaki had been capable of it he had fallen behind while he was stressing over his uncle. He had trained the sword and the Raiton element without focusing his other skills. Still as Risu spoke and sat down Rippa casually used the stick to poke the fire and stir up some hot coals to bring out more heat as if he had been intending to use the stick for that all along. He smiled softly and spoke as he stared into the fire. His words as soft as when Risu and him had still been green.

"It's fine Risu. Nothing I couldn't heal in a second. Really it was just a minor discomfort. As for ANBU being taxing...I wouldn't know. But I think as we have grown into our lives, Our minds see more truth then our hearts wish to know. But it is within our hearts that we will find the strength to endure. At least that is what I believe."

2019

When it seemed Chisaki wasn't going to but in, probably preferring the silent comfort of her wooden chair near the fire--something Risu actually thought to be relatively dangerous--, Risu's eyes turned towards the Head of the Chi clan, listening to his words with a rather stern expression on her face. Despite their difference in age, the difference couldn't have been less apparent, as the Orochi lady's features had fully matured now, with the added effect of her job's mental and physical pressures weighing on her, making her look older than she really was.

"What a joke," The female ANBU operative laughed sourly. "Strength, endurance...there's no such thing when dealing with the dark and putrid underbelly of this horrid world."

The change couldn't have been more apparent. Sure, Risu could've been haughty or even arrogant, but being cynical was something newer, something which she had obviously grown to be as an ANBU. Her constant search for the truth that has brought her life into that chaos she had to endure, the obsession which haunted her for so long, the Black ANBU, the Eien no Yami...it all made her into who she was now, someone who thought to know the bitter truth of the world and the fact that all promises of the past were still nothing more than that: promises.

"Long ago they thought to have succeeded in bringing peace to everyone, look at us now," The young woman laughed rather dry again, seeing the despair and the pain of the truth in her own words. "You might be able to heal physical wounds, but those of the mind remain forever. No matter how much one tries to change the mind of others, their souls and their desires will eventually return to their original state. The world is torn apart again, the peace we have now is fragile and as long as I have not found those behind the deaths of many in this age, I cannot afford any time to rest."

342/1605

Rippa watched and listened to Risu with those blue eyes that had watched her before. The same warmth that had always been in them. When they fought and he healed her, when they celebrated and he carried her home. When he forgave her for stabbing him in her surprise at being approached from behind. Those eyes never seemed to waver. Not even when he refused to use blood jutsu at her request but still fought along side her. Not when they had taken down that woman together and he had played at being the distraction so she would be able to accomplish her job while being in less danger. Still those eyes seemed sad now. He listened to her as she spoke and Chisaki remained silently seated. He wasn't sure what to think of Chisaki yet, they had only met once before and at the time Rippa had been fairly stressed out and depressed and hadn't been very polite. If anything their entire experience together was brief, effective but very brief. Thinking back on it, he hadn't really been there for anyone in konoha since he ran to train to survive for his own problems. Perhaps that was why things had turned out this way.

As Risu finished talking Rippa let his head drop. A deep sigh could be heard from him as if a tired old man was were Rippa sat now. Perhaps his clans short lives was already beginning to show when combined with the stress he had been experiencing? For a moment Rippa was quiet as he stared into the fire. Still after a moment Rippa gritted his teeth audibly before standing up suddenly. His hair fell from his face as his blue eyes seemed to reflect the heat of the fire. He spoke clearly with a no nonsense tone. His fists clenched at his sides. His eyes staring at Risu like he hadn't done since that time they fought. A statement in his blue eyes that refused to back down.

"I will not accept that! And you are a fool to fall into despair so easily. You go ahead and let yourself be consumed by this darkness but I won't even if a dear friend like you abandons my side! It is the weak who let their greed and pride drag others down, the strong are the ones willing to sacrifice for peace and happiness. The world can stand against my beliefs but I will die before I accept that all that there is in the world is despair. If I have to stand alone and fight our uncles then so be it. Enaka himself found me and flaunted the poison he used on my father in my face. Such evil I will not forgive and I will fight with all my might. If you are willing to give in then you aren't the friend I fought for and with and even split bread with. She was stronger then this horse shit."

2521

Looking into Rippa's blue, endlessly deep eyes, Risu felt some sort of bitterness wash over her. Despite everything, this man had been a great friend ever since their arranged match about half a year earlier. He had been a partner in missions, a shinobi of equal if not greater value to their village and someone who knew the sadness and sorrow of soltitude in a clan where everyone seemed like a stranger, but in the time she had been part of the ANBU, it seemed their opinions had changed greatly. Where she viewed the world as rotten to its core, this man still dared to believe such naive thoughts, harboring the idea that the world was only as bad as one would make it themselves.

The sound of gritting teeth was heard when the Chi clanmember suddenly lashed out in a slightly more personal way, sullying the name of Risu's uncle, even daring to insinuate that he was responsible for the death of Rippa's father. Sure, she had found some clues regarding her uncle being related to certain unsavorydecisions and cases in Konoha, but she was not going to base her entire conclusion on rumors, because so far, she had not found a single connection in any of the ANBU reports that would truly point out her uncle Orochi Enaka as anything more than a fine former shinobi, a supremely skilled medic and a wise and loveable man above all.

"You...you dare..." The young woman hissed, while clenching her fists tightly, her purple lacquered nails digging deep into the palms of her hands, piercing her skin slightly, causing a few drops of blood to run down to her knuckles. "I dont know your Uncle Chi Itami well enough to be giving you any comment that could or would sully his name, but you dare to openly insult my uncle, the Regent of my clan and the man who has raised me ever since my parents died. How dare you, who do you think you are, Rippa?"

The large white snake hanging around her neck, slithered a bit down towards her left arm, raising its head with a rather intimidating hiss towards the Chi clan member. Feeling the anger welling up inside its mistress, Ureaus retreated himself slightly from her arm raising half of his body in front of her and looking straight into the grayhaired man's eyes with his ruby-red eyes. It was obvious that he would protect his mistress' integrity and would not tolerate any more insults to the adress of her clan and her person. "I suggest you think before you say anything more, you lowly human."

"To sacrifice one's life for the peace of this world is what I am doing every single day, dredging through the darkness of Konoha under the guise of being an ANBU," The young woman hissed deeply, gritting her teeth in the process. "If it werent for the likes of me, Konoha wouldn't even exist, it would be nothing but a hellhole of corruption and decadence. My family, my parents, my uncle, we all have the tradition of joining the ANBU and we carry this burden proudly, putting the safety and sanctity of our village before our own happiness. My uncle, just like me, has protected our beloved village and it's hokages for many years, he has saved many lives as a medic and has performed feats that were once deemed no less than miracles and you dare say that he's an evil that should be fought, you dare say that I have turned into something weak, while in truth I see the world as it is and not through the eyes of a mere child anymore?"

A slight shiver went through the young Orochi lady's body, her breathing becoming slightly heavier while her hands started to tremble a bit. It was actually strange that Chisaki had not jumped between the two yet, but if it continued like this, a friendship and a first love would turn into a bitter hatred and a score to settle in a way probably both parties would regret in the future.

696/2301 (2)

Rippa frowned at her. She was so lost in all of it. He wasn't sure he could convince her. How was it Enaka could openly tell him such things as to admit his own wickedness and with the same lips convince a nation he was a savior? Rippa still recalled the little lady that had been sent out to a match with him to see for each family the powers of the other. He had been stronger then her back then but it had been incredibly close. He had even feinted in the end rather then see her bleed out but using the last of his reserves of chakra to heal the wounds he had dealt her. Granted both of them had grown considerably since then. The snake she had taken on as a companion had grown considerably. From the calm and yet small snake that he had first seen on that mission, when he saw Risu as a team mate and dear friend, and again shortly after she became anbu, Even then she had begun to lose herself and had injured him on instinct. Now they had both grown and both were angry with him. A wiser man would of backed down but he was too head strong. He wanted to scream for her to be so blind. He wanted to bring he back to him and give her reason to come back up for air. His blue gaze looked to Chisaki a moment for help. She was a captain of a division. Surely she had some insight on all this. But she was being quiet and just observing them. He felt lost and like he was running out of options. Enaka was tearing things from him yet again. And his conviction was being tested. But he refused to fail yet again.

With a growl and a firm gaze he watched Risu and her snake for a moment. Not filled with fear for their wrath but anger at loosing them. After a moment he turned and ducked into his tent. There was the sound of a poof like something being unsealed as he opened his medical scroll and summoned his medical box. Opening the box he pulled out the poison Enaka had given him. With it in hand he marched out of his tent and planted himself firmly in front of Risu and her snake looking her in the eye. He was not one to back down. He would go farther then anyone and risk more then everyone. It was the same gaze that he had always shown to her. That determination and pride. Enaka had humbled him and put him down and Itami had driven him from home and forced him to hide from him in fear. But taking away his friend was too much. He would not back down from anyone now. And he would put his life on the line. That fire was what made him who he was and what made others fail when they went for his life. For that moment he was more then just a man. He was what Konoha stood for. That will of fire burning with unyielding light and burning passion. But something else was there. Tears streaked down his cheeks as he looked her in the eyes. Quietly he held out the poison towards her before holding out his left arm veins up. When he spoke his voice nearly cracked through the tears.

"If you believe in your uncle so much then I will risk this to hold onto you. My dearest and oldest friend. I offer you the poison your uncle handed me himself. When he laughed in my face and broke my will. When he told me I could not touch him. If he is the man you claim he is then this will not be a poison designed to wipe out members of my clan. I will not give up on anyone, And more then anyone I will not give up on you. I care for you more then any other being in the world and so I offer you this. Prove me wrong. Prove your uncle to be a man of virtue. Plunge that liquid into my veins. I will die if I must to keep you from being his. To save you I will offer up my own life. Do it now and see if I have ever lied to you before or now. Even on my death bed I will still care for you regardless of your choice."

3277

Twelve years prior to the events

Spoiler:

Outside Konoha, a large crowd was waiting at the banks of the broad river, all dressed in black and all carrying a paper lantern. A procession with a single boat shaped in the form of a dragon walked slowly through the crowd, with at the front of that procession a well known man of Konoha, a man who was surprisingly not chosen as Hokage, Orochi Enaka, who was appointed to become the regent of the Ouroboros clan the earlier day, a appointment clouded by the veiled mysteries that surrounded it.

In the boat, dressed in their uniform, cleansed and covered with a silk blanket, two shinobi laid silently for their final travel, their eyes closed and a hand tied to the hand of the other. The former head of the Ouroboros clan had died, with her and her unit found defeated and killed at the Hi no Kuni border without any clue to who was responsible.

As the procession reached the river, the boat was placed on the water, with a fire lighting the boat as it drifted off. At that point, all men and women that had gathered from the Ouoroboros clan, with representatives from all other clans released the lanterns, which were meant to guide the boat on its path, to show it the trail for it's final destiny.

The silence of that breathtaking moment was disturbed by the agonizing cries of a little child, a young girl with white skin and jet black hair cut in a bobby. The child cried for her parents, almost screaming until the regent of the Ouroboros clan took her in his arms and craddled her gently. "Mama...papa...I want to see them, Uncle...mama, papa...why aren't they here?"

Shhht, still my child," The man said with a calm, warm voice. The child seemed to calm down, looking into his eyes with her own teary, golden orbs. A warm smile appeared on his face, before he hugged her tightly, whispering gently in her ears."One day, you will see them again. But first, you'll have to become strong like them and change the world to a better place, like I'm doing. Become a true shinobi like them, a worthy asset to our beloved village and one day, you will meet them again."

Present:

Flashes of her past started to overwhelm her: the loving embrace, the warm smiles, it all started to wash away in a maelstrom of murky gray inside her mind. A single look at Rippa however brought other memories as well: a gentle kiss on his lips while he was out cold, the fun they had during her promotion, their teamwork on that particular mission. She remembered everything, only to feel her heart break, freeze and fall down all at the same time when she noticed the syringe he showed her. It was without a doubt a syringe only used by people from her clan, which prefered smaller doses than those of the Konoha Hospital.

"How...no, that's impossible..." Risu's words were broken, her voice croaking, while tears welled up in her eyes. "I can't, I can't believe this...my uncle's a good man, annoying sometimes for sure, but he would never kill a man in his care...he would...never, would he?"

Almost at a loss for words, her instinct quickly reacted, grasping the syringe out of Rippa's hand and throwing it onto the grass. With her teary eyes she looked straight at Rippa's blue pools, with her breathing becoming shallow and unregular. It was her heart, a condition she had suffered from ever since she had lost her first genin squad to the so-called darkness of Konoha. She couldn't bear anymore pain, anymore suffering like that and above all, she didn't want to lose anymore of her family.

Before she ran off, passing Rippa and vanishing into the woods, with her tears carried by the wind like crystal dewdrops, she spoke a few words, which did not seem to be directed straight at Rippa, but more in general:

"Why do I have to lose you to?"

701/3002 (3)(exit thread)

using all WC of this thread for Fuuton rank up training in this thread

Throughout the course of the argument, or the philosophical debate, or both, Chisaki remained silent. Issues were being discussed that had little or nothing to do with her in the slightest, so as a result she remained silent. She entertained herself by channelling her chakra throughout the area, and then back through her like the river they were situated so close to. The chakra looped and weaved its way around the area. The trees and vegetation in the nearby area got noticeably more healthy as she did so. Her Mokuton style chakra always had a positive effect on nature if she allowed it to idly wander throughout the area. Chisaki's position was becoming progressively more lax as she toned herself out from the philosophical debates the two were having. Chisaki was vaguely aware there was a history between these two, that included casual stabbings and pseudo romance. Another reason she had not yet intervened.

The trees along the bank of the river had grown healthier in colour and tone, a few of them had even grew blossoms of fruit. This would no doubt throw out the balance of nature when some of the trees defied the cycle of nature but Chisaki could always restore the balance later. Looking up, Chisaki watched Rippa and Risu argue for a moment. The fire's light danced across Chisaki's deep blue eyes, as she watched the other fire dance before her. With a small sigh, Chisaki slid onto the ground entirely, crossing her legs, and placing both hands on the floor. The chair behind her, silently and instantly, slid back into the earth at her command, leaving without a trace. Chisaki once more collected her chakra into her body again, the blossoming nature halting it's progress as she did so. Looking at the two, you could see the sparks fly from their embers. Rippa, a shining example of a shinobi from the Hidden Leaf Village, and Risu likewise the same. Yet both had different ideology's that were drastically different.

Chisaki stirred herself from her reverie as she watched Rippa head into his tent. She kept her eyes trained on the tent, curious to see what the shinobi had gone to get. Risu had remained outside with Chisaki, yet neither one of the shinobi had said anything. He came out carrying a vial of some sorts. Interested, Chisaki stretched out her legs in front of her, her hands remaining on the ground. Emotions escalated quickly after that, as Risu vanished into the woods, the glimmer of her tears being reflected by the moonlight. Curiously, Chisaki pulsed her chakra into the ground. The roots of the nearby trees responded. Like the coiling snake, a root sprang forth from the dirt, in the general area the syringe was in. After a bit of searching and flailing, the root curled around the syringe and buried underground again. It then resurfaced next to Chisaki. Taking the syringe, Chisaki studied it curiously, the root disappearing once more "So much pain, stored in such a small container, why did you have this with you, Rippa?" Chisaki was turning the syringe over in her hands, in a way only a medical shinobi could; with practiced ease.

543
7468/9000 SS-Rank Med

Rippa watched with pain in his heart at how Risu reacted. He had prepared himself to face his own mortality but he didn't expect her reaction to it. He listened to her words and her pain felt worse then death to him. His chest felt tight and his stomach knotted. He was a cruel man for bringing this up like that. He was aware how she was struggling. Aware of the pain she felt and yet he had piled his own problems onto it. How selfish a man was he to do that to someone he cared so much about? Was he really trying to save her or did he just refuse to let Enaka have her? Was he doing this because he cared for her more then anything or because his lust for vengeance had turned into something so ugly he would trouble her heart and soul and make her conviction tremble to such depths as if hell itself had touched her core. He was a bastard and he could not even begin to pretend otherwise. Why had he kept the poison to begin with? Did he intend to use it on his uncle for his sins? Or had he intended to hurt her with it from the beginning?

He flinched as she took the syringe and tossed it away from him. He didn't hear it break so it was likely still in one piece. Still he could hardly think at the moment. His eyes widened in a stunned shock. He had never seen Risu so vulnerable. He had never been the reason directly for watching another in so much pain due to his actions or words. He was frozen and wasn't sure what to do. When she looked him in the eyes he felt his breath catch as his heart broke. He couldn't breath as she looked at him in so much pain. He had thought they were so similar, their parents died and the closest family they had left was their uncles. But unlike her Rippa had always known his uncle was not a good man. He hadn't seen any kindness from him ever. But she was different. She had a deeper connection to her family. If anything this revelation might be too much for her. As she brushed passed him in tears he stared off in the direction of the poison. His thoughts keeping him from seeing the subtle tendril of wood out searching for it.

Rippa turned to pursue Lamya and to try and apologize. Even to comfort her if he could. He felt monstrous in nature and hated himself for it. But most of all he could not let Risu confront anyone alone. Not even herself. He needed to be there for her and even if she was angry with him he would accept it and try to protect her. He had to make amends somehow. But how? Even as he took his first two steps though Chisaki finally spoke which made him freeze at her words. He had forgotten she was there in the heat of the moment. he turned his head and looked across the fire at her. She was sitting on the ground now with her legs crossed and holding the syringe. When had she moved? How had she managed to get it without him even noticing her? His suspicions about the medical division not being one of the more potent divisions was steadily being shattered each time he met this woman. Still her words seemed almost like an accusation which stung him as she examined the syringe closely. Slowly Rippa turned to her. At the moment he couldn't just leave things unexplained with someone who looked to him like she expected a very direct answer. Especially not one who was holding a death sentence in her hands to anyone in his clan. He bit his lip for a moment as he fought the urge to chase Lamya and hold her close until her tears stopped. For now he had to answer her.

"That little bit of hate you hold was given to me by a man. Part of a conspiracy which claimed my fathers life. He gave it to me because he felt I could do nothing about it. He laughed in my face and gave me proof and even then I knew I could do nothing about it. What is the word of some nobody against someone so powerful that I could not move when he flexed his chakra?"

4033

2477+2023 from other thread =4500/4500 Bukijutsu A - S with 50% training reduction from EP
Reaction time
B -> B-1 700/700
B-1 -> B-2 800/800
56 remaining

Thread closed