The Sword Saint of Konoha had decided that he would brave the storm and the walk to the top of the highest mountain in the village of The Village Hidden in the Clouds. He had been working towards getting back into his fighting shape, and was having a somewhat difficult time with it, so he decided that this intense of a walk would be good for him. He had been quite busy as of late attending to business with the Aoi Bara, and with the sacking of Sanosuke, but now that most things seemed to be winding down for him, he decided it was time for him to go off and learn some new things. As he made his way up the mountain he did so with a fire in his heart and a determination that he hadn't seemed to have in a long time. He had a few things that he had wanted to master for many years, and he was hoping that some time in a different location would make it possible for him to be able to do so. His resolve was unwavering as the air began to thin and the cold attempted to bother him, though Mitsuo wouldn't allow this as his chakra burned hot enough to keep the cold at bay.

He couldn't help but to think about when he had been training with his master, Hiroshi Sasori, in the three mountains in the Iron Country, which seemed like it had been forever ago. His master had taught him the way of the blade, and had even helped him to forge his Sword of the Immortal Blade, which had become one of his most iconic weapons in a short time. He was extremely well known for his mastery of the blade, having been awarded the title of Sword Saint of Konoha by his former sensei, Takeshi Uzumaki, the Fifteenth Hokage. Mitsuo had always felt quite honored to have been able to train under the Hokage, and his training had truly helped Mitsuo excel as a shinobi, becoming one of the most powerful and well known shinobi in the entire world. While many seemed to think that he was some kind of untouchable god of the blade, Mitsuo simply knew that this wasn't the case, and he needed to better himself which was something he hadn't done in a long time. As he made his way up the mountain, he did so knowing that this was a time to start that change.

He could feel another curious chakra presence around him somewhere, curious to see who he would end up coming across on this mountain. He didn't particularly want to fight anyone on this journey, but was prepared to do so if necessary, and knew that it was always a possibility that he could be attacked. This chakra was fascinating, as though a storm was on the horizon but it wasn't that either. It felt like when he had visited the Thunder Temple, the immense static caused by the crashing lightning around him. Mitsuo's hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he walked, his Sword of the Immortal Blaze snapping into his hand just in case. He could hear the sound of the metal on metal sounds as he took the blade from his back, his chain whip Penance being loosened from its resting position around his chest. The Twin Blades Justice and Retribution rested comfortably at his side, and the Chita no Kiba blade was strapped to his right calf as it always was, the entire outfitting of blades and weapons having become so comfortable to him that he barely noticed them anymore, and in fact felt wrong without them.

When he approached the top of the mountain he would kneel at its peak, bowing his head in meditation and releasing his chakra, allowing it to build and flow out of him in massive waves. He was once again trying to summon the Chakra Dragon that Tsuyo had told him that he had seen inside of him. This training was surprisingly difficult and intensive, and he had been warned that it would be a difficult journey for him to learn this ability. He could feel the heat raising around him, the snow from the peak of the mountain quickly melting and the ice beginning to melt as well. As he would continue to release his chakra, the heat would become more and more intense, flames forming on his back and shoulders and, little known to him, his eyes would glow with a red hue. He could hear the hell dragon roaring inside of him, and he was doing all that he could think of to release it, pushing himself past his limits. He could feel the chakra beginning to burn his flesh, the no longer being able to contain the heat as it became unbearable. The ice had fully melted to reveal the terrain below, and Mitsuo could feel the manifestation of power. He couldn't necessarily see it himself, but the chakra dragon had enveloped him and was roaring out to the mountains, the roaring in his head not simply being in his head anymore...

872

Sayuri woke up that day before dawn, as was her routine, so as to avoid getting yelled at once again for sleeping in someone's barn.  She picked bits of straw out of her long white hair and carefully braided it.  She peeked out of the barn to be sure no one was watching and with a quick wink to the sleepy cow she slipped out into the predawn.  Sayuri was met with a blast of cold air and sharp ice against her face, the storm having grown stronger through the night. She sighed knowing that this would make her quest much more difficult. She loved storms, the smell of them, the swirling bits of pure perfection that twinkled and glistened, so beautiful and deadly. She couldn't help but feel that perhaps then, this was a good omen. Today Sayuri was excited, she had overheard last night while pretending to be a pile of hay, a conversation between two of the farm hands.  Her hero, the Sword Saint of Konoha, Mitsuo was nearby.  Sayuri could hardly contain her good mood, practically skipping down the road, muttering to herself her practiced speech that she intended to use when she first met the man she had idolized for so long.  She didn't know where he was, but looking out around the countryside, her eyes fell upon the mountain, it's peak spiking impaling the sky.  The tallest mountain, certainly in this land, but possibly in the whole world.  It was without a doubt the place that she would choose to go if she were a hero.  So up I go then Sayuri thought to herself, and with a determination and hope she had not felt so strongly since she was a small child, she marched towards the mountain.

The walk to the base of the mighty rock was easy enough, she managed to avoid most of the larger snow drifts, but eventually gave up and deliberately jumped in a few of them, giggling at her childishness as she did so. She could hear that she was close before she looked up and saw the mountain, its rocks providing limited shelter from the storms larger gusts. As Sayuri placed her foot down and said I silent prayer, Don't let me fall. She walked and climbed, and stumbled her way for many hours.  Her clothing more torn than it had been when she started.  Once she made the mistake of looking back behind her, only once.  Sayuri had spent the next hour, eyes shut tight, trying to calm down so she could continue climbing.  This truly was the tallest mountain she had ever seen, and only half way up did that realization set in.

After finally convincing herself to keep going, Sayuri stood and looked up the mountain, hoping that she wasn't far now.  Without being willing to look down again, she had a poor idea of how much farther she had to go, so gave up guessing and decided that it was probably better to be ignorant of it anyway.  She trudged up, grabbing at tiny plants and tree branches that had not yet succumbed to the snow to give herself balance.  Sweat poured down her back and face, causing her eyes to sting as beads of sweat rolled into them making it hard for her to see.  After a time the sweat in her eyes mixed with tears, she was exhausted; soaked with sweat and covered in mud, her hands covered in tiny cuts from grasping at plants and rocks, her belly growling incessantly, her limbs turning blue from frost. She wept in frustration, her sobbing lost in the angry howl of the storm.

When she started to notice the air thinning out, she almost jumped for joy, I must be close now she thought.  The relief was short lived as the cold set itself firmly into Sayuri's bones, she had been climbing so long and was so tired, a short nap will help, she thought as she found a comfortable looking pile of snow and curled up into it. Her mind drifted lazily as she tried to keep herself semi conscious, repeating over and over in her mind the speech she had prepared.  

Greetings my most gracious and wonderful lord and master Mitsuo.  I am your humble servant Sayuri, I have traveled nearly my whole life in search of you, please I beg you, teach me to be like you, so that I may help others as you have.

As Sayuri drifted in and out of consciousness she became aware of being very wet, and awoke with a start.  There was water all around her, the snow was melting, and while it had cleaned off some of the dirt and blood, had now left her even colder than before.  Suddenly realizing what she had almost allowed to happen, she jumped up and with renewed energy scrambled the rest of the way up to the peak.

Still confused from waking, Sayuri didn't notice that the sound of roaring was not just her blood rushing in her ears, and as she swung herself up over one last rock she stood still in shock and terror as she saw a mighty head throw itself back and let out a near deafening roar.

892

The wind buffeted him but he held strong, his resolve absolute. He could feel the power surging through him, his every iota pulsing out heat and chakra. He could feel the manifestation of his chakra, it boiled over and he could see the scorching of the earth beneath him. His power would be extremely great to behold, terrifying for sure to anyone who didn't already know his potential, but he didn't expect anyone to notice him up here. He had come to this place because he knew that it would be a private area where he could train in peace and certainly unlock his potential. That, of course, wasn't the case and Mitsuo could feel the presence of someone approaching him on the mountain. They were weak, much too weak to be attempting to climb to such heights against the storm, and that meant that they must have either been extremely determined or extremely stupid. He was curious to see which. As the presence approached him, he didn't stop, expecting to maybe hear a noise or a voice or something, but the person didn't speak when they got to the peak.

He would allow the chakra dragon to fade, satisfied with his ability to manifest it, though his chakra would still exude heat, something that was impossible to stop completely, and also something that was keeping the top of this mountain warm enough to survive up here. The only issue with such a thing, however, was the fact that it was simultaniously thinning the air that was around him. As the chakra faded, he stood up and turned around, curious to see the person who had dared to approach him on the top of this desolate place. He was quite shocked when he saw the half dead girl who looked like she was about to fall over. He studied her for a second, noting that she probably had suffered some kind of frostbite on her journey. She wore rags, looking as though she lived on the streets, and was dirty and beaten up, which he hoped was from the mountain but suspected might be a part of her life due to the rags. He frowned slightly, a hand moving to one of his weapons, coming to rest no the pommel of Retribution, one of his twinblades.

"You should be dead." His voice was serious, and there was no warmth or comfort in it. His expression was unimpressed, brows furrowed as he examined her once more. There was something to be said about anyone who was able to climb this mountain, as it was certainly no easy feat. He would be impressed by anyone who made the trip, but he was particularly concerned for this individual. She should not have made it up here, which showed a strong will and character, but he couldn't say that it made him happy, it more made him concerned for her mental health that she had thought it a good idea. "Why are you here? This is extremely dangerous and foolish. You should go home."

1390

Sayuri stood still not daring to even breathe, not that she had much choice in the matter as it was.  Her limbs were frozen from the cold and strain of her journey, and fear had now done the rest.  As for the breathing, the air seemed to have abandoned her completely, perhaps the mountain was too tall for her after all. No, she thought, I'm here to learn, to train.
 
She watched in awe as the intense red light of the magnificent dragon faded slowly away, leaving it's mark indelibly on her vision and memory. As her eyes adjusted to the softer light of the nearly bare mountain top she gasped as she realized what she was looking at.  Mitsuo.  In the flesh.  She had taken a chance, that just maybe this time her intuition was correct, and correct it was.

The fear she had felt a moment ago was quickly replaced by a euphoria that caused her head to swim, and the ground to lurch beneath her.  She took an unsteady step forward, barely processing the words he spoke to her.  He spoke to me, to me! Sayuri had imagined this moment for so long it didn't seem real.  She studied him, he was much taller than she'd imagined, his stern yet heroic face seemed to be one that she could imagine being a hero of the people.  Someone she could trust.

She quickly shook herself as if to clear the mist from her eyes, mist that was quickly beginning to pour down her cheeks.  What's wrong with you? Sayuri chided herself silently, Why are you always screwing everything up? She knew what she wanted to say, what she'd practiced for so long, but now that the moment was upon her all words escaped her.

"I'm, uh, you're Mitsuo!" Dammit, that was not it, why can't I think? It took a moment for Sayuri to realize that she couldn't breathe, the heat from the man in front of her eating up all the precious oxygen. Her vision was darkening around the edges, tiny sparks of light causing painful explosions inside her head.  She lost her footing and crumpled to the ground, skinning the palms of both her hands trying to stop herself.  She looked up at the leather clad warrior once more, "Please, help me", and with that she let herself fall into the black void of unconsciousness.

1301

The girl standing in front of him certainly seemed to be out of place here, and it showed as tears began to streak down her face. Mitsuo wasn't one hundred percent sure, but he had seen hero worshipers in the past and he assumed that was what he was face to face with today. He looked her up and down once more, waiting to hear her speak. When she did his suspicions were confirmed when she went to introduce herself and instead told him who he was. "I know I'm Mitsuo, girl, who are you?" He watched the colour quickly bleed from her face and he knew what was coming instantly. He was moving towards her as she spoke, asking him for help. She was unconscious before he was able to catch her, but he did catch her before she fell which was fortunate for her as that would have been a nasty fall. He sighed and shook his head, moving some of the hair away from her eyes and pulling off his cloak to wrap her in it.

"You know, kid, this is what hero worship does to you; it makes you do stupid shit that could get you killed. I'm impressed that you made it up here alive...but..." his voice was low and trailed off, thinking of how many people who he cared about had perished, and how many more might have done so searching for him. He had come to accept the fact that death was simply a part of life, and it was something that he had become intimately familliar with. He looked around, checking to make sure that there would be a good area for him to be able to get to easily enough. He held the girl gently in his arms, ensuring that she wouldn't fall and topple down the mountain, before activating the Body Flicker technique, bringing him to the base of the mountain in an instant. He would look for a good spot to make a fire, using his fuuton element to chop up a tree and set the foundation for a fire, and grabbing some stones to surround a pit. He would use some of his fire chakra to get it roaring and hold the girl close to the fire so she would warm up.

"You're not allowed to die in my arms here, girl. I won't let that happen. If I've learned anything through my years as a shinobi, it is that a hero never dies in such a way. We are destined to be destroyed in battle, brought low by a greater opponent. I may not be a hero, more akin to a villain perhaps, but if you could make it to the top of that mountain, you might have the spark it takes to be a hero in you. You have to nurture that, embrace the will of fire and make sure that you can follow the path that you want to fire. All of that starts with not dying here today, with waking up and taking on the world. I will not allow your flame to be extinguished..."

1921

Chakra 410/420:

Sayuri felt warm and safe, for the first time since she was a child.  She smiled up at Hiraku while he gently rocked her and whispered encouragements to her. She snuggled into his strong broad frame "I missed you Sofu." Sayuri breathed in deeply, a satisfied sigh, and waited expectantly for the comforting smell of her beloved grandfather; rice and leather and smoke.  How she had missed him, she knew that one day he would find her and take her away. But something was wrong, off.  All the same pieces were there, but they didn't make up Hiraku.

A chill ran down her spine as Sayuri tried to place together where she was and who she was with.  She could not remember what was happening,  her hands hurt, she was sore and exhausted and confused. And someone was touching her. She kept her eyes closed, hoping that whoever it was didn't realize she was awake, and slowly shifted her weight as though she was contendedly slumbering.  Her hand grasped at her worn tanto tucked into her pants along her hip.  The cloth on the handle almost as ragged as the fibers she used as clothing, she had tried so hard to keep it in good repair.  Her most treasured possession, a physical memorial of the last happy moment she felt.

Sayuri tugged her tanto, Hiraku, from it's sheath an agonized sob catching in her throat as she did so.  Fear and rage and sorrow flowing through her for the briefest moment, and she brought the sharp blade down into the closest target she could see, his partially exposed upper arm.  "Don't touch me!" she screamed at the unknown person, praying they wouldn't know how scared she was. She felt the blade pierce and leapt away, leaving the tanto where it was in favour of distance.

Sayuri turned to assess her current situation and felt herself automatically drop to the ground in a bow of absolute submission; it was Mitsuo who had held her. Still screwing everything up how had she not noticed? Her mind raced trying to find the proper words, actions, anything to undo what she had just done.

She couldn't keep the horror and shame from her voice as she begged for forgiveness. "My lord Mitsuo, I didn't know! I apologize a thousand times, I shouldn't have... I'm so sorry... please forgive me! I'll do anything!"

1709

It appeared that the girl in Mitsuo's arms was having a good dream, she seemed to be sleeping fairly peacefully, pulling a little closer to him. It was nice to see, kind of reminding him of holding Kaia in his arms when she was little, though he was fairly sure this girl was older than Kaia. He hoped that his daughter was doing well in Konoha. He hadn't seen her in a little while, but he trusted most of the people in his old village, and was sure that they would take good care of her. He wondered if she had a home, it didn't really look like she did judging by how small she looked and the state of her attire and such. He had a look of concern on his face, wondering if he should see about taking her to the village to see if anyone would know her. He didn't like seeing kids like this hurting in such a way, it was one of the few things that still upset him to this day. That upset feeling didn't last long however.

He watched as the young girl began making signs of being awake. All of her motions essentially played out in slow motion to Mitsuo. She yelled at him and swung the tanto off of her hip, something that he easily could have stopped. He noticed that it looked a lot like his first weapon, simple and old, likely a family heirloom passed down like the one his father had given him. It likely wouldn't be sharp enough to do any serious damage, and as he watched it come towards him he considered simply taking it out of the girl's hand. He didn't imagine it would be difficult, she didn't look like she could possibly have the strength to hold on or the speed to avoid his reaction. He, however, allowed the weapon to strike its mark, the blade stinging as it went into the meat of his arm. It had been a long time since he had been stabbed, though he imagined it was the day that his eye was destroyed by a stray kunai all those years ago. He remembered the first time he had met Strafe, getting him to implant his Stunning Eye and sparking something very serious between the two of them.

He looked towards the blade as the young girl recoiled, realising what she had done and clearly being extremely upset. Her voice was breaking as she apologized to him, telling him she would do anything to make it up to him. He just stared at the blade for a second before casually pulling it out, using his old forehead protector to tie it off and cover the wound. The protector bore the Konoha symbol with a strike through it, showing him as a Missing Ninja of the village hidden in the leaves, and it wasn't something that he pulled out often. He almost laughed at the futility of the attack, but thought better of it and simply examined the blade again before looking towards the girl and handing it back to her, holding the blade in his hand and handing her the handle.

"If you ever swing a weapon at me again, you had better be prepared to kill me, for I will show no mercy." His voice was stern and his looked showed that he was absolutely serious. He wasn't one known for going back on his word and he wouldn't do so in this case. After a moment of sitting there his face became a bit softer as he looked her in the eye. "Where do you come from? I'm going to take you home. You need to rest and get better."

2557

When Sayuri didn't feel the pain of a blow she paused in her rambling and looked up.  He looked so calm as he removed the offending piece of metal from his arm, without so much as a hint of discomfort. It was a fairly surreal experience for her; most times when she made such a grievous error she was swiftly and cruelly dealt with.  Not that she'd ever managed to actually stab anyone before, however to some, stabbing and sleeping in a strangers barn were much the same crime and warranted the same merciless punishment.

Sayuri watched attentively as Mitsuo pulled out a head protector with a strange scratched mark on it and tied it gently.  How is he not angry with me? she thought as she cautiously rose to her feet making a feeble attempt to clean and straighten her clothing.  She looked longingly at her tanto as he worked, sincerely regretting her choice to leave it in his arm.  It was all she had left of her home, please give it back, it felt so wrong to not have it near her skin.

She looked at his face, his smooth skin carefully disguising the age held in his eyes, one green and one... not quite the same green.  Sayuri's stomach fluttered again with hope, maybe he understands what it's like to be different. As she stared, lost in her mildly delusional thoughts of common ground with the Sword Saint of Konoha, his beautiful green eyes snapped up and took on a coldness she had not been prepared for.

She nodded understanding as he warned her to be prepared to kill him next time.  While she truly didn't believe that a time such as that would ever arrive, she tried her best to take in his message, he certainly seemed very sincere about it, and if this was the only interaction she would ever have with her childhood hero she was going to take his instruction to heart. She tentatively coiled her fingers around the handle of her tanto, and only when she was certain it was meant for her to take did she place the rusty and chipped blade back into its well worn sheath.

If Sayuri had not been prepared for his stern warning, she was less so for his kind manner. "Where do I come from?" She wasn't merely repeating the question, so much as she was asking herself.  It was not something she had thought about it a very long time. Oh of course she had the occasional dream of when she was a child, daydreams and fantasies, but none of that was real and she was comfortable with the idea that it was not something she had to rest her mind on.  It hurt too much. She remembered her tiny village, and all her family and friends, her grandfather.  Tears slid down her face, burning hot as she felt the overwhelming emptiness of being alone carve its way through her being.

She shook her head slowly You don't have to think about it yet she told herself, you have time. She swiped away the tears and raised her chin, she could feel herself trembling but she knew it didn't matter.  Sofu had always told her that she didn't have to not be scared to be brave. So with her shoulders squared and head held high she told him the truth.

"My name is Sayuri, and I have no home. My village and family were destroyed when I was a small child.  I've been searching for you, I need..." Her voice trailed off and her cheeks burned red with shame, she knew what came next.  The laughter and sneering, or anger at her request.  It was always the same look in their eyes, how dare she ask for anything, and they were right.  What have I ever done to deserve the things I ask for?

Sayuri pulled at the loose threads at the hem of her shirt, wishing more than anything that the world would open beneath her feet and swallow her and her shame whole. But she knew it wouldn't, that was a silly childish thought, she was an adult and should act like one. She had spent so many years imagining this moment, she would never forgive herself if she didn't say everything she meant to. So she took a deep breath and bowed respectfully.

"Greetings my most gracious and wonderful lord and master Mitsuo.  I am your humble servant Sayuri, I have traveled nearly my whole life in search of you, please I beg you, teach me to be like you, so that I may help others as you have."

Sayuri glanced up at Mitsuo shyly through her white hair and grinned mischievously.

"And I'm sorry for stabbing you.  I didn't know it was you."

2526

You know Nii-san, I've never been that good with reading people

Mitsuo watched as the girl's eyes began to well up, her face becoming wet as she told him about her village and her family. He pulled the package of cigarettes out from one of the pouches on his coat, his zippo lighter in his other hand. As he took a smoke from the pack he held it to his lips, using one hand to shield the flame from the wind as he struck the lighter with the thumb of the other hand, inhaling deeply and keeping the smoke in his lungs for a few seconds before exhaling the smoke out of his nose. Ah how he loved the light headed feeling he gained off of that first deep drag and keeping the smoke trapped. Longer gave better results and it gave Mitsuo just the release he needed to take the edge off of his stressful life if only for the five minutes it would take him to finish his cigarette. He knew it was a bad habit but with medical jutsu as advanced as they were he would never have to suffer the ill effects of smoking and was free to enjoy each cigarette as much as he wanted too. He took another drag and smiled softly, holding the smoke a little bit longer as he flicked the ash onto the ground of the forest below him before exhaling the smoke through his nose once more.

He felt himself relaxing now, his eyes returning to the young girl. She was still upset, but it was clear she was trying not to be. He didn't know what to do about this. He had a daughter, and he was a horrible father. He was also kind of a crappy person for people like her to idolize and wish to have as a teacher. He took another drag from the cigarette, shaking his head and sighing out the smoke. "You know, kid, I'm not really the taking students type anyomore. I've had bad experiences with them in the past...I'm leaving for Konoha in a couple of days. I can drop you off there where you'll be able to learn from maybe Sousetsu, Owydelu or maybe Lamya." Mitsuo, of course, had no way of knowing none of these people were around the village anymore, as they were the ones whom he had left in positions of power when he had left the last time, several years ago. He looked towards the forest around him, enjoying the small amount of time he was able to spend enjoying the country of lightning before he had to leave.

3010

Sayuri held Mitsuo's gaze while she allowed her mind to wander. She watched the bluish smoke leave his mouth and curl around his head, drifting slowly away into the surrounding trees. Her heart was breaking, and she felt her shoulders slump and became increasingly aware of how awkward it was to maintain eye contact with someone who was presently taking her dreams, tossing them casually to the ground and grinding them away with their heel. "I understand..." she started to say and then stopped. She looked him up and down, his relaxed stance, so comfortable despite being in the woods, in a storm, with someone he didn't know. His clothing and armor, well worn and well cared for, she imagined if she looked close enough she might see the history of long ago battles etched out in his garments. And last she looked at his weapons, so many of them. So dangerous looking, the light from the dying fire glinting of his chain as he turned his body.

And suddenly Sayuri was angry. "No!" she shouted at the rather large man, "I don't understand! You had a bad experience, and now you don't want to help people? What kind of person says that?" She saw the white hot tinges of anger dotting across her vision as she screamed at him. It was unfair, she had truly believed that this was the answer to her prayers, prayers uttered in the dead of winter, belly empty and recently beaten, waiting in a ditch to die. But she hadn't died, she'd fought to stay warm, to eat, to live. And she'd be damned if she wasn't going to do that now. She tensed her muscles trying to tamp down the rising fury, bitter and hateful thoughts floating through her mind, tempting her into action.  She dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands as she clenched them into fists and tried to have the annoyance take the fuel out of her anger, but it was to no avail, in a way it only caused the anger to further cloud her judgement. Sweat poured down her spine causing an involuntary shiver as she took a step forward and continued her acidic tirade, "You are a hero! It doesn't make any sense!" Tears of frustration were mingling with the sweat that had started to collect on her face and she swept at them impatiently, accidentally tangling her hand in her braid as she did so. Yanking her hand from her hair with a scream of rage, it flew of its own volition to her tanto at her hip, fingers closing comfortably around the tattered hilt.

And in that moment Sayuri had an epiphany. Mitsuo had very explicitly told her that the next time she came at him with a blade she had better be trying to kill him. Maybe that's what he wants? The idea that perhaps this was some sort of test planted itself firmly in her exhaustion addled mind. "This will work", she said quietly to herself and Sayuri looked across at her hero and considered, briefly, her options.

She still had the element of surprise, or so she supposed, so it was entirely possible that a simple blind charge at him may allow her to at least land a blow with her tanto. In his leg would be best Sayuri thought, he's not going to be able to chase me very well if I have to run away if his leg is stabbed. But of course that wouldn't kill him, and she needed to try to kill him.

She looked for more vulnerable spots, there certainly weren't many. The soft meat of his neck was likely to be the fastest, but he was very tall compared to her and reaching it would be a problem. She could try jumping and catching herself with her blade as she fell, and hoping for luck to carry her grandfather's tanto to the mark. Though she fully expected it would take a heap of luck to pull that off. She discarded the notion, Only if I have no other choice, she thought and quickly racked her brain for a better approach.

She could always try to distract him, her stature in that case would be a benefit and not a hindrance. Most people she came across were not afraid of her, she was far too small and innocent looking to ever be perceived as a threat. She just had to get close enough and then she could most like take her time choosing the perfect spot to sink the steel in her hand into his neck. So she began talking and advancing, still furious, but now with a purpose.

"I searched for you for eleven years, and this is what I am met with. Do you know what I had to go through just to find you? Of course you don't. You barely know a thing about me, or where I came from, who I've loved and lost. The people I have met on my journey, that tell tales of you and the wondrous things you've accomplished, they all had different stories but they all said the same thing. Mitsuo is a hero and he will help you. You've only given me one teaching since I found you on the top of that mountain;

If you ever swing a weapon at me again, you had better be prepared to kill me, for I will show no mercy.

And I will show you that I can be taught."

3466

What kind of person says that?

Mitsuo took a quick glance around the surrounding area as he heard these words. This forest wasn't exactly the same as being back at home, not quite like the night that his worst ever experience as a sensei had occured, but it was close enough. Having this girl here, reminding him of that day, was a painful experience for the Sword Saint of Konoha. He had spent much of his adult life trying to forget about that moment, but at the same time he knew that it wasn't something he would ever be able to easily remove from his memories. When he thought back on that painful day, he did so in order to remind him of what he was capable of, and what power he truly wielded. He had taken a child away from his family, a boy from his friends and a bright and promising future from someone who could have learned so much. Mitsuo would never be able to forget, try as he might, and it still drove him crazy to this day...


He remembered standing in the clearing calmly smoking a cigarette and looking around at the trees. It was a beautifuly sunny spring day, not a could in sight and birds chirping in the air and the trees as he waited for his students to show up for their first meeting. His sensei, Takeshi, had just been made the fifteenth Hokage, and he had been promoted to Special Jounin as well and assigned the squad right before this, so he was a mixture of nervous and excited. He had briefly gone over the notes that he had been given on each of them, though back then he wasn't nearly as thurough as he was now. He watched each of them walk into the clearing one by one until they were all standing in front of him, three bright eyed fresh genin whom he was going to be in charge of looking over and grooming into men. He still remembered looking over Matsu Hashikawa, Aiza Itohane, and Zoki Kimura as clearly as the day it had happened. None of them knew what to expect, and he didn't imagine any of them would have expected the outcome that ended up coming from their encounter.

He had met two of them before, Zoki being the only one he hadn't met, so he had a little bit of familiarity coming into the encounter. Each of them said hello, and he greeted them in turn, before showing them what his task for them would be. He had a pack of cigarettes sitting on a nearby log and they were expected to take them from the log, which seemed simple enough, until they realised they would have to fight him while doing so. He had done this originally with his own sensei when he was but a boy, and he had liked the idea so he decided to roll with it. He checked if any of them had any questions, and then they were off. He had done what his sensei had done, putting a shadow clone in the trees to attack them, as well as having his cheetah companion Chisoku stalking through the trees. He missed Chisoku, thinking back on when he had left the shinobi world and let him go free in the forest.

He remembered observing all of his students as they began putting together whatever plan they had worked out. Aizu and Ziki seemed to run together, looking like they might help one another, and Matsu standing and fumbling with his hands. Mitsuo ended up making a shadow clone, that clone rushing off to deal with the young Uzumaki, as he himself stood watch over the log. The Uzumaki would allow him to attack him with wind bullets, slamming them into his chest before activating the Substitution jutsu. His substitution, however, was extremely dangerous, and Mitsuo would end up smashing him in the head with the pommel of his weapon, causing the boy to collapse. The other two boys fought him, which in itself was somewhat foolish, but he was proud of them for trying to work towards their goal. If it hadn't been for Matsu's foolish mistake, the training might have been much more successful. After the "fight" Mitsuo went to take Matsu to the hospital to have his head looked at, but he wouldn't make it there alive. It was something Mitsuo had to live with for the rest of his life, and something that haunted him still to this day...


Her anger was so apparent that it was impossible for Mitsuo to not notice it. Sweat and tears mixed to run down her face as she approached him. She told him he was a hero, which was only a partial truth. Mitsuo wasn't a hero, he was more akin to a villain in any good novel or play. He was not the person who would be there to save the day, no matter what the people of Kiri had to say. He had been in the right place at the right time with their village, and had managed to not only save two of their Sannin, but he had also helped repel the attack of the Seven Bells army, something that had earned him admiration there. He was a wanted man pretty well everywhere else in the shinobi world however, including back in his home for running away when he had to face his demons.

He could see that she was advancing towards him, clearly intent on attackimg him. He smirked, his hand gently brushing the pommel of the blade Justice that was strapped to his hip. It was such a simple motion to strike down an opponent, especially one as inexperienced as this girl likely was. It had taken him only one strike to take down the scourge of the Uchiha clan, and his best friend, Ukiyo Senju. Ukiyo had been considered one of the two most dangerous missing ninja in the world after Mitsuo had killed Hao Uchiha, and she was only behind Tame, the man who had killed both the Hokage and the Raikage. Now Mitsuo was the most powerful missing ninja in the world, right alongside Gin, Tsuyo and Tame, and he had gotten there due to his mastery of the quick draw. He was positive that no matter how she came at him, Mitsuo could take this girl out with no effort, but where was the fun in that?

He could see that spark inside of her; she had the hunger that he looked for in the people who he trained. The Will of Fire burned brightly in her, though she might not know it by that name. While she might have been blinded by hero worshiping him, she was also not wrong to seek out the greatest swordsman in the world to learn the blade...it had been what he had done when he was a kid after all...


Mitsuo smiled as his father led him into the courtyard of the Sarutobi Compound. He didn’t have a whole lot to smile about these days but one thing he really enjoyed was his training. His father wouldn’t let him use a real sword yet but he was alright using the wooden one that he had been given by his father a few years prior when he had given his brother his staff. He had come out to the courtyard every day since then and had trained as hard as he could, learning what little he had with little to no help from outside sources. He knew that the style he was using wasn’t really how someone would wield a Katana but he had come to feel quite comfortable with it, point towards his elbow, blunt side resting against his forearm and blade pointing out. He felt comfortable with the reverse grip and had learned to do it fairly effectively against the training dummy and while sparring with his brother. He knew this wouldn’t be enough though and that one day he would need to properly learn how to wield a Katana. He didn’t realise that he would be learning how to do it sooner than he had ever thought.

He knew that his father had said he heard a knock at the door and he would be back shortly so naturally Mitsuo was curious as to who it was. He had his blade in its normal reversed grip and ran towards the training dummy, flicking his wrist out and quickly connecting with the side of its head before spinning the blade and bringing it back again to wrap it where its hamstrings would be. As he went along he continued to think of the things his father had taught him. He thought about his father being disappointed when he had realised that Mitsuo wasn’t naturally a Katon wielder and that his natural affinity was towards Fuuton. He had done all he could to teach his son to use the Katon element but when he eventually realised that it was unlikely that Mitsuo would pick it up at this stage he had decided to teach him swordplay instead, as fuuton and swordplay seemed to go hand in hand. Mitsuo had taken to using the blade quickly, enjoying the feel of it in his hands. When his father came back through the doors Mitsuo found it difficult to believe what he was seeing.

Standing in front of the young Sarutobi was a man who was at least six feet tall. He was dressed in the most beautiful armour Mitsuo had ever seen. He could tell instantly that this man was one of the legendary Samurai that he had heard tails of. They were the ones his father had referred to when he had told Mitsuo that Fuuton and Kenjutsu complimented one another so perfectly. He looked to the man’s hip and noticed he carried not just one Katana, but two and on the other side a small tanto was visible on his belt. He also had a massive claymore strapped to his back, which Mitsuo thought was curious but decided he wouldn’t ask. This man was clearly a sword master and Mitsuo was just a child, not wanting to insult the man on their first meeting. His father smiled when he introduced Mitsuo to the man in front of him, with the long black ponytail and the scar across his face. He had a beard on his chin, one that Mitsuo found most attractive and had decided that one day he would try to grow.

This was the man who would become his master, and Mitsuo would beg him to take him as a student. Sasori told Mitsuo that he would not teach him, as he wasn't ready for him, and Mitsuo refused to take that as an answer. He worked as hard as he could for five years until he had learned everything that he possibly could without him, and when he came back to the village, he told Mitsuo that it was time for him to train him. He took the young Sarutobi boy off to the Iron Country, the home of the legendary Samurai, and it was there that Mitsuo would learn the art of the blade...


She continued to speak, much more clear and concise now as anger fueled her, but she embraced it and allowed it to give way to determination. Since coming to this village he had met a few people who wanted to learn from the Sword Saint of Konoha, one of whom worshiped her like this girl, and who was also far more powerful, but even he didn't have what he could see inside of her heart. He had told everyone he had ever taught that they were to come at him with the intent of killing him, and that was exactly what she was doing. He could see the killer intent in her expression, in her every movement even. It was a beautiful thing to behold. He allowed his hand to relax off of the weapon, instead reaching for the whip around his chest and holding it in his hand as he looked her up and down. She claimed that she would show him that she could be taught, which so far he believed. She was no longer the timid girl he had been speaking too moments earlier, she was now determined and venomous and prepared to strike at him, and that was exactly what he had hoped for. He had waited a long time to see someone react to him in such a way, and when he destroyed her it would be so much more satisfying...

(5156)

Sayuri felt the cold wave of hatred flow as a sheen of sweat across her skin as she watched him smirk at her approach. How she hated that look, that look told her all she needed to know; he thought she was weak and pathetic, barely worth his time, like a child. She moved her hand away from her weapon jerkily and felt her fingers tingle as they twitched, the Raiton itching to be released. She kept her eyes locked on Mitsuo's, trying to will him to pay attention only to her words and gaze and not her steadily approaching feet. She fully intended to remove that patronizing smirk from his face, it was one thing for everyone to respectfully acknowledge her inexperience, it was another thing entirely to mock it.

"And what do we have here?" the lilting menace in the large and dirty mans voice grated on her nerves and made her skin crawl along her arm where he was touching her. "No... nobody Sama, j... just a humble passerby..." Sayuri managed to stutter, trying to twist her arm from the farm hands grasp while she did so. She had woken up late and been discovered lying next to Daisy, or so she had named her, the farms one cow. Her breathing was far too rapid to provide her with enough air and she was beginning to become light headed, this was not the first time she had been discovered somewhere she shouldn't be and she did not like the prospects for her foreseeable future. She looked around the small barn, there was the pile of hay she and Daisy had laid in, the feeding trough, some bags of feed and a work table with some tools. None of it was particularly helpful at the moment and she looked down at Daisy hoping that perhaps the cow was really a mighty dragon in disguise, but alas the cow merely looked mournfully up at her with its liquid cow eyes. The dirty man shook her and Sayuri regretfully tore her eyes away from her friend and looked up at her captor. "J... j... just a passerby? I think we should check." And then he smirked and started dragging her by her arm over to the work table. That was the first time she had used her lightning, and it had been enough to get rid of his smirk, and everyone else that had come after.

Sayuri saw Mitsuo remove his chain whip and almost laughed aloud. A whip she could handle a thousand times over, everyone thought they could teach her with a whip. Admittedly a chain whip was new, but it would likely just hurt more and not behave in unusual way. She focused on the anger pulsing through her, using it to override the wrongness of this situation. "You saved me from the mountain! Make up your mind and commit!  You're a hero or a villain!" She pressed the ball of her right foot hard into the ground and leapt towards him moving her left arm up to catch the inevitable whip snap that would hopefully come where she had placed her arm and not in some more clever location. As she reached the apex of her jump she released the lightning from her right hand and whispered a silent prayer to her grandfather.

4026

Chakra 140/150:

You saved me from the mountain! Make up your mind and commit! You're a hero or a villain

It was funny to hear someone say those words, as though the world was so simple. If only it was possible to be either a hero or a villain, if the world was simply black and white. It truly was unfortunate that the majority of the world, including Mitsuo, lived in the shades of gray. When he was a child he wanted nothing more to be a hero, he would do absolutely anything to make people happy and to make them smile, and he wanted nothing more but to protect people. He was absolutely sure of his path, and it was that assuredness that led him to feel loss on such a grand stage so many times...

He could still vividly remember being at the gate of the village hiding, waiting for his mother’s return. He was fairly close to everything when it happened and remembered witnessing the entire thing, the painful memory forever being burned into the back of his mind. The first thing he always remembered was the excitement of seeing his mother rushing towards the village, the childish hope that it managed to instil in him and the feeling of happiness from the idea of embracing her once more. That was the first thing, the second was a horror that would creep over him as he watched the scene in front of him unfold over and over in his mind. He watched as a group of no less than ten ninja descended from the trees above and attacked the four ninja, the two jounin and two Special Jounin fighting their hardest to stay alive .Mitsuo remembered the flash of blades and watching his mother push the Hyuga woman behind her, making sure that she was safe as she knew that she was the most likely target. The Uzumaki woman held her bow in her hand and release a bolt into the chest of one of the nearby ninja, making a handsign and causing the arrow to explode in a burst of fire.

He watched the Uchiha catch the eyes of two of the men and bring them to their knees without touching them, their minds broken before he engulfed them in a massive fireball, their minds and bodies both being destroyed in the blaze. He watched as the Senju shot massive splints of wood through the chest of one of his enemy and used his mokuton abilities to create a protective ball around the Hyuga woman. It was really quite impressive to see, and Mitsuo soaked up the entire fight, right up until the climax, which was the part that would haunt him always. He watched as the person who seemed to be the leader of the group came out of the shadows and drew his swords, his entire body twisting as he cut through the Senju’s Mokuton with a burst of flame and then dug his blades across his chest before turning on Mitsuo’s mother. He watched in horror as the Jounin Senju fell to the ground, his upper torso completely separated from the bottom of his body. The blades turned onto the mistress of the bow, her arrows being swatted away by his superior speed and ability before the blades turned on her, cutting her from her left shoulder to the right side of her hip. Mitsuo nearly screamed and gave away his position as she fell, the man dropping something beside her. That’s when the ANBU came and the ninja ran away.

Mitsuo remembered that the man who had killed her mother was wearing something that looked an awful lot like a Konoha Flak Jacket, it had bothered him even after he was told that it was Iwa shinobi who had killed his mother, even though they became the target of his hatred for a very long time. Mitsuo ran out to hold his mother, tears staining his face as he held her in his arms. She smiled at him and stroked his cheek before he watched as the light left her eyes, all that was left was the symbol beside her head; a symbol he would see a few more times at least in his life...

That was the first time he had ever questioned his path as a hero, the first time he was shown failure. He learned a terrible lesson that night; you can't save everyone. It was unfortunate that the first person he had ever learned that lesson with was his mother. His family had always been so close, so supportive, and her death caused Mitsuo's father to slide into a dark place for a long time, though Mitsuo and his brother eventually got him out of that place. Of course, just when it seemed as though things were looking up for their family, Mitsuo would feel the sting of loss for a second time, and another instance where he simply couldn't be the hero...

When they made it to the docks the contact that their employer, Mr. Yamamoto, was supposed to meet was nowhere to be seen. This, of course, made Mr. Yamamoto nervous as he had remarked that the man they were supposed to meet was never late. Mitsuo and Kimaru were watching intently making sure they wouldn’t miss him if he showed up and they would quickly realise what had happened. Mr. Yamamoto stared in shocked silence directly towards the water and Mitsuo’s eyes snapped there right away, seeing the man standing on the river and realising what was happening. The entire area suddenly became covered in a thick fog and Mitsuo felt something hit the ground behind him, turning around and realising it was Mr. Yamamoto, who had fallen dead, a hole between his eyes. Mitsuo and Kimaru both made their way towards where their Sensei was standing to try to engage the shinobi who was the source of the fog. Neither of them could have seen what happened next coming.

Mitsuo heard a scream in anguish cut the air and he quickly realized it was the voice of his twin brother. He rushed back to meet him, Kimaru coming with him as Mitsuo rushed forward to where his brother was. He could see the man who was running away with a polearm weapon on his back, one that now looking back Mitsuo realised was oddly familiar, intricate design carved into the haft that featured the symbol of whatever it was Mitsuo was seeking. He watched as he dropped a wooden trinket on the ground, the calling card of the group. Mitsuo knew that it was no coincidence that these were dropped at the murder of each of his family members but he was no longer able to concentrate on that part. This was the worst part of the memory and Mitsuo would have to relive it one more time.

He rushed forward, his brother with a massive hole carved in his chest as Mitsuo scooped him into his arms. He looked down into his brother’s eyes, blue as the ocean on a clear day, and ran his fingers through his brother’s hair, stroking his cheek and trying not to cry onto his face. “Mitsuo…” Matsu’s voice was weak and cracking, Mitsuo knowing that it was taking him everything to hold on and say these words. Mitsuo’s tears were flowing, Kimaru standing back and hiding his own tears at the situation as Matsu continued. “You…you need to live on…Make father…proud…” He coughed up blood and looked back towards him. “Ne…Never forget…me…or mother…And make su…make sure you protect…the village…Protect…Kimaru…protect…” Mitsuo watched as the light slipped from his brother’s eyes, completely glossing over and turning grey. He touched his cold cheek once more and began to feel the rain falling on them.

“Nii-san?” His voice cracked and he already knew what he was trying to confirm. The tears flowed freely from Mitsuo’s eyes, falling to the ground and onto his dead brother as he looked towards the sky and let out a piercing scream. Akako sensei made his way over to meet them, returning his weapon to its place and putting his hand on Kimaru’s shoulder as they watched the horror scene unfold in front of them. There was nothing any of them could have done. This was an ambush and they didn’t come into it prepared. Mitsuo would blame himself for the death of his brother every day for the rest of his life…

That instance had shattered Mitsuo's mind into another piece, and something inside of him would never allow him to let go of his brother. Whenever he would hear a voice inside of his head, it was always his brother's voice. He was his best friend, the person whom he was the closest with, and the one who helped him get through the passing of his mother. The two of them had kept one another strong, and after his death, Mitsuo was never truly the same. Kimaru Hyuga would help Mitsuo out through a lot of the pain, having someone who you loved by your side easing the pain little by little over time, but Mitsuo was not allowed to ever be happy, as his path had been predetermined.

He was never to be a hero, it simply wasn't for him. The third major loss in his life, he wasn't even there to do anything, and the man who had commited it was someone whom he had trusted...

He had returned to the town in wake of the destruction at the hands of the now deceased Hokage, Tatsumaru. He looked around in horror as he saw fallen buildings and fire set ablaze to the entire village of Konohagakure no Kato. His sensei, Takeshi Uzumaki, had summoned him back to the village from his time in Suna due to the destruction that had happened while he had been away. He looked on the scene, absolutely shocked by the carnage that a member of their own village had created and all of the pain and death that surrounded him. He heard people screaming in pain and others crying over the loss of loved ones, a cry that Mitsuo had become all too familiar with. He noticed that one of the guards was approaching the newly promoted Chuunin with a sad look on his face.

“I’m glad you’re back Mitsuo, you can still speak with him before he’s gone…” The man’s voice trailed off and Mitsuo felt his heart drop into the pit of his stomach, the words instantly confirming one of Mitsuo’s greatest fears. One of the people that he cared about had been injured in this attack. He made his way through the rubble, following the guard and terrified to ask the question that he knew he had to.

“Wh...who is it?” Mitsuo’s voice was breaking already, tears beginning to form and misting his glasses as he went with the man.

“It was your father...He was helping evacuate the village during the attack, but Tatsumaru,” the guard spat as he said the Hokage’s name, “he blew up the building that your dad was inside of. He managed to get everyone out before it went down, and was making sure there was nobody else when the explosion happened. It collapsed the building on top of him. We managed to find him and he’s still conscious, but…” he trailed off once more and Mitsuo knew what the words were that he wasn’t saying. His father was going to die, of that there was no doubt. Mitsuo had experienced it already twice in his life. His last remaining family member was going to pass on, and he was once again powerless to stop it. As they got to the rubble, Mitsuo saw his father, half crushed laying under a large rock, blood covering his face and seeping from his mouth and nose.

“L...little Mitsu...I’m...I’m sorry Mitsu…” His voice was faint and Mitsuo felt the hot tears streaking down his cheek. His father lifted his hand towards Mitsuo’s face and began to wipe the tears away, the dust and dirt caked onto his hand blending with the tears before Mitsuo felt his father’s hand go limp and fall away from him. Mitsuo watched as his father’s eyes glazed over, his life leaving his eyes. He screamed out in anguish and held his father close to him, getting the blood of a family member all over himself once more. He had lost so much already, but now his entire family was gone, leaving only Mitsuo behind…

His entire family had been taken from him, the only person who he had left was Kimaru. Kimaru whom had been there for him every step of the way through his pain and turmoil in his life, and Kimaru who was snatched from him by the same people who had taken his family from him. Mitsuo decided that the only way to save the village was to leave it, to try to save it from the shadows. He was still trying to pursue the path of the hero, but even when he thought there was nobody left to be taken from him, he would simply be proven wrong time and time again. The next loss he would suffer, however, would be by his own hand, and it was the one that to this day caused him to awaken in the middle of the night with tears streaking down his face...

He had been with the Aoi Bara for a small amount of time at this point. Tsuyo Hyuga, Kimaru's brother, was the leader of the group, and his agenda fell in line with Mitsuo's quite well. The two of them had been working together for about a year before they had decided that they would go to Kirigakure to intervene in the War of Seven Bells. This action would lead to one of the very few times in Mitsuo's life where he would actually consider himself to be a hero, when he had helped the village drive of the Seven Bells army, and he was recognized by the Mizukage. While they were in the village, however, they had been out looking for one of their new recruits, and something would happen that would change the course of his life once more.

He was walking through the forest when he came across the man who he was looking for. He was being harassed by a girl who it was impossible for Mitsuo to not recognize. He had known her since the two of them were in the academy together, and she was one of his two best friends. He had heard rumours that she had been harassing Uchiha members and stealing their eyes, which was something that bothered Mitsuo, but he hadn't planned on acting on such a thing. He was still going to let the entire situation slide, until Tsuyo Hyuga rushed in and tried to stop her, not heeding Mitsuo's warning and walking right into one of her attacks, which was a spore that could paralyze a target for a small amount of time. After she had taken one of Syekren's eyes, she turned on Tsuyo, trying to take his Byakugan, which was something that Mitsuo simply could not allow.

There was nothing harder than having to make the decision to draw a blade with the intent to kill someone who you love, and have cared for since you were a young boy. Tsuyo had become like a brother to Mitsuo, the two of them having shared in the loss of losing Kimaru and become close over it, and Mitsuo wasn't willing to allow this person to be harmed. The blade drew quickly, activating the Sky Cutter ability of The Messiah blade, one of the relics of The Village Hidden in the Leaves, and came down on the young girl. That moment would forever be etched in the mind of Mitsuo Hiruzen Sarutobi, always playing back in painfully slow motion as it went. He could see the blade splitting through her skull, the vacuum effect of the blade quickly destroying her body, as well as Tsuyo's arm, leg and eyes. Mitsuo hadn't meant for that to happen, but it was better than the alternative.

There were many medics in the world who could heal what had happened to Tsuyo, but Mitsuo would have to live with the death of his best friend for the rest of his life. He moved up to her, holding the pieces of her destroyed body in his arms and crying, feeling her warm blood splattered all over him as it mixed with the tears running down his face. There was no worse feeling...or so he thought...

It could be argued that the act of killing Ukiyo Senju was one of heroism, with the entire Uchiha clan agreeing with that statement, but Mitsuo never really bought into that sentiment. He had never felt like a hero, even though he had saved the lives of his group mates, as well as the eyes of Uchiha all over the world. There was no possible way to feel heroic when the act of "heroism" came in exchange for the life of someone whom you loved and cared about. Ukiyo would not be the last case of someone whom he loved who had been hurt by him either, and the last was with his own death, hurting the two people whom he loved most in the entire world...

He had become so content with his life, everything having fallen into place so well. He had been the Hokage, and stepped down to pass the torch to his best friend, Soutetsu Senju, and he was enjoying the simple life of an Ex-Kage, relaxing and not having to go out on dangerous missions as often, though occasionally he would go out just to enjoy himself. He was living a fairly low profile life in his home village, and though he hadn't gotten to the bottom of what had happened to his family, he had finally been able to move on from that past. He had fallen in love with a man named Strafe Aisu, one of the former Sannin of the Village Hidden in the Mists, and the two of them had adopted a young girl named Kaia-Mai, who was such a wonderful child, something that Mitsuo could actually be proud of. He loved them both so very much, and they meant literally everything to him, nothing else in the world able to match the feelings that he had felt towards them. His life had become perfect, and in that perfection, he knew that it was time for something terrible to happen. Of course he was absolutely right to worry, even though he was trying not too.

He would receive a letter across his desk, one that would once again cause him great pain and turmoil. It seemed that the group the Aoi Bara had been discovered, and each of them had a warrant out for their arrests so that they could be executed publicly for their crimes. Someone whom had been associated with the group, even though they had never actually been a part of them, had murdered the Raikage, and the entire group was being held responsible for the crime. Mitsuo had been friends with the Raikage, Reika Misora, and this news broke his heart when he heard it. He couldn't believe that they were being framed for this murder, but since the missing ninja was from The Village Hidden in the Stone, the place where the Aoi Bara had been hiding out, they had been thrown under the bus as well. He remembered feeling tears well up in the corners of his eyes as he knew that he only had two choices, and both of them involved him hurting the people he loved. He wasn't willing to be executed at the time, though that would change in his self inflicted exile, and so he took the one that would destroy him, and his family, instead.

Mitsuo packed his things, kissing Strafe and Kaia-Mai on their foreheads as they slept, and making his way towards the door. He had wanted it to be quick, they would think he had gone on a mission and had been killed in action. Their pain would be bad for a little while, but eventually the two of them would forget him and move on with their lives, or at least that was his thought at the time, and what he would use to get him through his rough time. It wouldn't actually help to dull his pain, as he wouldn't be allowed to simply sneak off in the night. Kaia would approach him as he prepared to walk out the door, and with tears running down his face he would have to lie to his beautiful little girl and tell her that Daddy was going on a mission, and that everything was going to be fine. It broke his heart. The five years he spent travelling the world he would never forget that, and he spent every single second of every day wishing that he had allowed those men to execute him instead.

During Mitsuo's travels he had seen a great many things, and met many people. Each and every day was a new adventure for the aging shinobi who's whole life had been about war and pain. Anyone else who was put into such a situation probably would have enjoyed their time away, thought of it as a second chance, the chance to start anew and get their life on whatever path they wanted to take. Mitsuo had always wished that he could think of it that way, but he spent every second of every single day that he was away thinking of his beautiful daughter Kaia-Mai, her sweet laugh, the way she smiled, how it felt to hold her in his arms, and of his amazing lover Strafe Aisu, the surprising warmth from the master of ice, the way his lips felt when Mitsuo would kiss them, there was nothing that he yearned for more than to hold the two people he loved most in the entire world one more time. As he wandered for five years there wasn't one night he didn't dream of them, one day he didn't think of them, and one morning he didn't wake up in tears because he had been torn away from being with them once again. Everything in his life was constantly trying to kick Mitsuo while he was down, or tear him down from any possible high point he could ever find. He was done with it, and he was ready to die for his crimes.

Mitsuo, in that moment, had chosen to be a coward instead of facing his demons and going out a hero. When he met up with Strafe and Kaia again, they had both been through so much and Mitsuo had wished that Strafe had simply killed him on the spot. Instead he did the one thing that Mitsuo knew he had no right doing; he forgave him and held him close. Mitsuo had broken down and cried in that moment, and he could feel tears welling up in his eyes once more as he thought on this situation. He sighed and closed his eyes, allowing wind chakra to flow through him, the girl still moving towards him as that wind chakra would pulse outwords, giving him a pair of wings through the wind. This was his famous Wings of the Saint ability, which allowed him to feel the changes in the air around him, so that he didn't have to see what was going on to see what was happening. As he held the handle of his weapon, and she came towards him, he gritted his teeth and spoke in a low melancholic voice.

"Silly girl...the world is not so simple. There is no such thing as Black and White, only shades of gray." He felt her get close enough to him, her feet leaving the ground in a truly foolish move on her part. Mitsuo gritted his teeth as he would swing his whip, not using it in a way most conventional users would do so in order to attack, but instead wrapping it around her back foot and using his considerable strength to pull her foot out from beneath her. The combination of his speed and strength, which he would use all out, would be more than she would be able to deal with, and it would work out to bring her down to the ground. As her raiton jutsu entered the pulse of his much more powerful wind technique, the lightning would dissipate, and while she would be able to touch him, it wouldn't have the desired effect. He would channel chakra down the length of Penance, causing third degree burns around the area of the leg that the blade was wrapped around. When she would fall to the ground, assuming she did, he would stand over her and begin to speak.

"Don't get up foolish child, and listen to my words well. I don't know what you think you know about me, but I am certainly no hero. If you believe life is so simple, than label me as a villain and be done with it. I am simply a man trying to atone for his sins and go through life in search of a worthy opponent to bring me a good death. There is no such thing as good or evil people, only people who commit both good and evil deeds. I have done more of the second than the first, and I accept that fact, but I am not an evil person. I do not want to train you, because I have killed genin who trained with me in the past due to them not being able to handle my training. My master taught me by nearly killing me, and it is the way I have come to train others. I do not like people who do not listen to me, and I am extremely picky about who I take as disciples..." He would stop for a second, frowning once more and gently stroking his beard with his right hand, his left strapping the chain whip back around his chest.

"Now then, allow me to point out a few things, and take this to heart. You should never EVER jump in combat when you don't know what your opponent is going to do. It is an extremely dangerous and potentially lethal move that will lead to a premature death. It is what happened to my first student, and there is a very good reason why I dislike seeing people do it. There is no way to change direction, and I can draw a sword and cut a man in half in less than a quarter of the time it takes your feet to leave the ground, to when you get to me. Secondly, you need to learn footing, as well as how to properly weild that blade. I am also assuming you don't know how jutsus work, as wind has an elemental superiority over lightning. I'm not entirely sure if you would have known I was a wind user, but if you worship me the way you seem too, you would likely have known that one of my signature abilities is a high level wind move.

"Now, I am going to Konoha. After that I'm not sure what will happen. I cannot force you to stay put, as I'm not going to be able to tell you anything and have you listen apparently, but I can strongly advise you do stay there. I am now going to pick you up, as you will not be able to walk on that leg, and walk you towards my comrade, who is an accomplished medical ninja. He will take care of your injuries, and then we will leave this terrible place, and hopefully I will never have to return." With those words being spoken, he would lift her up into her arms, unless she would greatly protest, at which point he would allow her to use him as a crutch to stabalize her as she walked herself out of the forest and off towards Tsuyo so that he could heal her up. He hadn't expected to be bringing a tagalong to Konoha, but it seemed like it couldn't be helped at this point...

{Exit Thread}

Chakra 400/420:

10010 words

Fuuinjutsu C-A 9000 words

1000 carried towards Fuuinjutsu A-S Rank

Sayuri felt the metal wrap around her left leg and it immediately exploded with searing pain. She was jerked roughly to the ground and dully in the back of her mind she felt her body hit the forest floor with a thud. Her breath was gone, she tried to suck in air to scream but there was none to be had, the pain was simply too much. She tried to rise to her feet and distantly heard above her Mitsuo chastise her "Don't get up foolish child..." At the word 'child' her breath returned and she gasped greedily to maintain consciousness as she was desperate to maintain some semblance of dignity. She writhed and wailed and screamed, trying her best to stifle the noise and pay attention to the words being spoken to her. How did I think that was a good idea? Sayuri clutched at the ground, her head, the air, anything to stop the terrible white hot burning that she was quite afraid to look at as she was terrified that her whole leg might be missing.

She felt the all too familiar heaving in her stomach and turned her head as she wretched clear bile on to the leaves and twigs beside her face, she thought bitterly as the acid passed over her tongue that at least she wasn't wasting any food as she hadn't eaten in a few days. It was so much, too much, of course it hadn't worked, but she hadn't expected 'no mercy' to mean this kind of agony. One of many lessons that should she survive, which she was not entirely sure that she would, would bear much thought and consideration in the future. Don't jump, don't attack Mitsuo, don't be foolish, don't use lightning against wind, learn footing, don't view things in black and white... the list went on and on. Sayuri tensed as Mitsuo informed her of his intention to pick her up, it was some small comfort to be warned but all the same it made her uneasy.  She spared a glance down to her injured leg to assess whether the contact was necessary and was horrified at the broken and misshapen flesh, deep cuts wrapping around the limb with blood and pus oozing down from the burned and gaping wounds. It was both fascinating and appalling and she decided that assistance was in fact required and allowed herself to be lifted by the larger man. She gingerly attempted to place weight on her damaged leg and was rewarded by blinding pain causing her to instantly regret, and cease, her course of action. She clung to Mitsuo, grateful for his willingness to help her, as by all rights she knew he should leave her. He had offered to take her to a teacher, and she'd attacked him. Tears burned down her cheeks as her throat swelled up with shame, "Thank you..." she managed to choke the words out before she could speak no more. Consumed by shame and failure and pain she limped slowly out of the forest using Mitsuo for balance and trying her best not to look at the chain whip wrapped once again around his chest.

{Exit Thread}

4567 words

SPD E-0 > D-1: 1075/1075
END E-0 > D-0: 750/750
PER E-0 > D-0: 750/750
REA E-0 > D-1: 1075/1075
STR E-0 > D-0: 750/750
Extra: 167
Ryo: 50