The place he called home would always be home, stifling, but still home. In the time that had passed from the events of the last attack upon Kirigakure no Sato to now, Yuudai had been restless, impatient, and overall, unhappy with his current life. Everything he had was slowly beginning to crumble away. The events just slowly began to build upon each other until everything just came tumbling down, leaving the swordsman lost in a world he was so familiar with. Everywhere he looked, it was the same yet it lost all meaning to him in the last few months. From the first event to the last, everything he had has essentially taken from him, lost to him for no apparent reason other than his inaction.

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Following the events of the Seven Bells attack upon Kirigakure no Sato, everything slowly began to rebuild for the village, and yet for the Sannin, everything began to fade. Upon the days following the attack, Yuudai had ultimately decided to spend time with his family. His mother, whom had been healthy through the majority of her life, began to become sick the weeks following the attack. The cause, while still unknown, hadn’t mattered much to Yuudai. Yet, when that one moment came, he lost the most important person throughout his life, his only direct blood relation he has been in constant contact with throughout his lifetime.
 
The weeks that followed had been depressing. Yuudai had ultimately pushed away anyother close relationships he had in favour of keeping to himself. Keeping his emotions in check, not wanting them to notice how affected he was by the loss. Most of his time had been spent away from the village, spending time in the wilderness of Mizu no Kuni, or whenever he was in the village, his time would be divided between visiting the grave of his mother or within the confines of his own home. His self-seclusion had ultimately stripped him of the title of the current clan head. For Yuudai, the events that occurred with the clan elders and the decision to strip him had worn him out mentally that he hadn’t but up an argument against the decision.
 
Following that, the events began to blur. He hadn’t seen the only other person who would look at him without any pity, only acceptance, yet Yuudai cut that connection through his own means. Suichi was forgotten, just like everything else. He lost the first woman he fell in love with, and the child they were going to have, yet he knew not how to get them back. It wasn’t ultimately his decision, but the mental fortitude Yuudai had built up over the years was slowly beginning to diminish. Perhaps it was all the little aspects of life building upon one another to drive Yuudai to where he was now, perhaps it was of his own choosing, but the one thing he knew for sure, there was no way to reverse any of the damage. He lost another status as well, the absence of the legendary sword, Serpent’s Tongue, remained present, yet Yuudai still felt a comfort from his own blade still being in his possession. The only thing he currently retained was his Sannin status, yet that was flimsy at best, as he had neglected a lot of aspects of his life in the past few months. The abuse he had as a kid in the academy, the loss of his mother, the feeling of being cut out from his clan, the absence of the important things in his life.
 
In the end, Yuudai felt lost, isolated, and abandoned; all similar things, yet having different meanings within his mind. Yet, he knew what he needed to do, what he wanted to do. To find himself again, to find something he could stand behind. One thing he knew for sure, he wouldn’t find it in Kiri, at least not for now, perhaps never.

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Here he stood, on the border of the place he called home and the world outside of it. This was a decision he had to make, for himself. Leaving behind his home, in order to find himself. Find something to calm his inner nerves, to just find a way to get head out of the downward spiral it was currently facing. He knew, if he stayed here, everything would come straight down, hit him in one fell swoop. Yuudai didn’t know how that would affect him, but he knew for certain that it wouldn’t be the best solution to his mental anguish. No, he needed time away. To let him absorb it all, and take it in gradually, and hope for the best. Perhaps something as simple as therapy could help him, but his mind was set upon leaving Kirigakure no Sato for the time being, though he hadn’t told a soul, as the only one’s whom mattered were lost to him. The air here felt stifling. Perchance, a change of wind was necessary for him to find himself; maybe in the Land of Wind, where the name spoke for itself.

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Word Count 858