It almost felt surreal to walk the halls of the guarded home of the Kanetsu clan once more after being away for so long. Shigeki hadn't been here since he had met up with Kazu and Satoshi some four years back, but it was a fascinating feeling being here once more. The heat of the place would bother most people, and would likely kill a member of the Aisu clan, but for those with Lava in their veins, for the famed Kanetsu clan, it was a place of comfort, a place that felt like home. As he walked into the depths of the Volcano home, he gave a soft sigh, wondering what had happened to his uncle that had caused him to leave the village. It was one of the most disappointing days of the young man's life, and one that had left him somewhat jaded towards the village. He hadn't interacted with anyone really since then, besides playing his games at the bars and clubs, but he had decided that it was time to get back to work. He dressed more professionally for this meeting than he had in a while, the black leather overcoat covering down to his knees, a pair of black jeans covering his knee high platform black boots, and a black mesh shirt underneath the coat. There were the regular fingerless gloves, black collar with the Iwagakure symbol, and black studded wrist bands, but that was just part of who he was. His tongue would run automatically over his lip piercings, three along his bottom lip, as he stood looking around.

It had been a fairly nice day outside, though Shigeki wasn't particularly a fan of being among the outside world. He had become a bit of a shut in and wasn't a fan of leaving his apartment during the days for the most part. His roommate was concerned for him, something that Shigeki tried constantly to tell him was unwarranted, but he also knew that Kensai had reason to be concerned. After the atrocities that Shigeki had suffered at the hands of his father when he was a child, it was easy for the boy to slip into depression, and that was what had happened as of late, being in a particularly dark place. Kazu leaving had snapped the last thing that he was clinging onto for a normal life, that last burning drive in his heart. That fire was replaced with darkness, and nothing seeming had been able to pull him out of his funk. He had been becoming more cruel with his little "games" at the bars, and he knew that this was a side effect. He had once enjoyed going there and seeing if he could take someone home just for a night of fun, but these days it was more malicious than that, the night of fun being more targeted at destroying people's relationships and lives than just harmless playing around. He had to try to get back to where he had been, and he would do so by trying to dedicate himself back into the life of a shinobi.

A small amount of sweat ran down along some of the medium length blonde and pink hair upon Shigeki's head towards his nose, which he blew off and chuckled. It was unusual for him to sweat, generally being unable to overheat to a point where his body felt it necessary. Clearly he hadn't been working hard enough, or the yoton affinity that he was naturally gifted with would have never allowed him to get to this point. He rested against a wall, his left shoulder to it and arms crossed across his chest. He had his left leg over his right in a very casual way as he awaited the new head of his clan. Apparently it has switched twice since Kazu had left, something else that Shigeki had somehow missed. It didn't really matter however, as Shigeki and this man would have at least one thing in common, and since he was the head of his clan it warranted some level of respect. There was only one Kanetsu in the world that Shigeki hated, and that was his father, a man who to the outside world seemed like a hero, but to Shigeki was the boogeyman. He twirled the cord of his headphones around his finger and continued to play with the rings in his lip, foot tapping as the restless boy waited...

753

Shigeki watched the guards milling about in their traditional shinobi garb. He cursed them for not seeming to be bothered at all by the heat, the fact that Shigeki was making him extremely uncomfortable in this place. It was supposed to be the home of his people, and yet it felt so very wrong. He had never lived inside of the volcano, electing instead to live in the village itself among the people there. It wasn't necessarily his choice of course, though since he had left his father's house he could have come back here. He liked the life he had with Kensai and didn't particularly want that to change, however, and so for that reason he still lived in the village. He watched as the guards did their routes and watched as a man who was dressed a little bit differently than everyone else approached him. His dress wouldn't have set him out as much as the fact that he was sweating however, since what he was wearing was essentially traditional shinobi garb but without the flak jacket. The young Kanetsu smirked as he watched the man approach him. He looked like he was maybe a couple of years older than him, maybe around Satoshi's age. He was a tad more muscular than Shigeki was, and looked like he could probably handle himself in a fight. He couldn't believe how young this man who was supposed to be the head of the clan was though. It was simply shocking to think that Kazu had stepped down, and now this man was running the Kanetsu.

When he commented on the heat Shigeki had a quizzical look on his face, having trained here a few times in the past and certainly knowing about the heat. He gave a small chuckle and then listened to the man's very polite introduction. He told him that he was Raishi (because Shigeki wasn't going to remember his full name, that was a lot of work) and that he wanted the two of them to get to know one another and talk about the clan. Shigeki had heard of the man, he had been active around the same time that Shigeki was initially, though he hadn't heard much of him since then for what he assumed were possibly similar reasons to why he had stopped being a shinobi for as long as he had. After becoming a Jounin, Shigeki had found it difficult to continue to do his job, as it seemed kind of pointless, and when Kazu had left it had been the final nail in the coffin for him. He sighed softly and smiled once more towards the man, his smile not being necessarily as warm as his, or as inviting, as Shigeki was neither of those things. Unfortunately his past had left him a fairly cold individual who wasn't generally the most pleasant of company, but he would try his best to not let that show.

"Well met Raishi, and nice to meet you. It seems you know a bit more about me than I do about you, which I suppose as the head of the clan is only fair." He nodded and stroked his chin, his tongue absentmindedly running over the rings on his lips. "I seem to remember you when I was still an active shinobi, back when my uncle Kazu was still the Tsuchikage. Though I don't believe we ever ended up working together, I spent most of my time working with him and Satoshi." His thoughts flashed to Satoshi, who he realised he also hadn't seen in many years. "Have you seen Satoshi recently? I miss him. It's been a while since I've spoken to him..." He wasn't overly great at talking to people, certain nervous twitches kicking in. Something about being the predator at the bars was easier, slipping into that persona that he used there a bit of an escape, but here being himself was extremely difficult. He wanted to ask more questions about Raishi himself, but he found it difficult to actually engage in conversation without prompt, and it was a barrier that he was going to have to get over for this whole shinobi thing to work again. He began biting his bottom lip and wringing his hands together and still tapping his toe. He wasn't consciously doing any of these things, and he was sure to anyone else he just looked like a nervous wreck, something that bothered him even more...

1516

Shigeki perked up slightly at hearing about Satoshi, but then got a little bit down again when he was told that he had left for Konoha. It made him a little bit sad to hear that his friend would be leaving the village, who also happened to be the last friend he had with any ties to the shinobi world, besides maybe Nanashi if he was still around. It was interesting to hear that Satoshi had been the clan head for a while, but Shigeki supposed he wasn't actually that surprised. HE listened to him talk about how Satoshi seemed to have picked up an Inuzuka pet, which surprised him a little bit, knowing that the Inuzuka were not traditionally known for just taking in strays, though he had heard that one of the previous Hokage had been known to do this from time to time. He wondered if the famous Kenta Inuzuka had returned to the Wooden Throne?

Raishi chuckled before continuing, mentioning that he was indeed around for a while when Kazu was the Tsuchikage, though he went on hiatus shortly after he was promoted, which was likely why Shigeki didn't really know him. Shigeki himself had been active through all of Kazu being kage, and a little bit before that. He remembered the day that KAzu was instated still, feeling an immense pride at his cousin being named Tsuchikage. He was proud to work under one of the members of his family who actually made him feel like family, unlike his father who was a grade A piece of shit. He had learned to work with others, and had gotten along with a few of the people in the village, before Kazu had disappeared. He left without a word, but Shigeki remembered the dark cloud above the village when several mysterious ninja had started seeking asylum in their village. The group had been ousted at some point, and even though the Bloody Mist village considered them heroes, Shigeki knew their true colours. They were all criminals, every last one of them.

Thinking about the days that the village housed the "Aoi Bara" made Shigeki angry, causing him to bite his bottom lip before releasing it and sighing, going back to playing with the rings once more. Raishi made a gesture as though telling Shigeki to follow him, which he did, moving a little bit deeper into the volcano. He brought the sleeve of his coat up to wipe his forehead, somewhat wondering why he had decided to wear this in the first place. Raishi mentioned Shigeki's inactivity and asked him why he had gone inactive, causing a frown to cross his face. He had assumed that this question might come up, and he wasn't entirely sure what the answer would be. He bit his lip once more and sighed softly, wringing his hands together as he spoke.

"That...is a complicated answer...I left for many reasons. I became a shinobi to become better than my father, who is an abusive piece of shit who I will not mention again. After becoming a shinobi I quickly realised that it was a fairly pointless job, there never really seemed to be any purpose behind all of the killing and the pain. I stayed around as long as I did because Kazu became the Tsuchikage, and he took me under his wing, giving me a father figure for the first time in my life who actually cared about me. It made me feel a lot better, and gave me something a little more noble to aspire to be like..." He paused for a second and looked down at his boots, noticing that the glow in the volcano seemed to cause an interesting shimmer off of them. "When he vanished...it really upset me. My one tie to the shinobi world was gone. I didn't just quit being a shinobi, I quit humanity. I went to a very dark place, playing twisted games...Almost throwing..." He stopped once more. He had never told anyone that he had nearly killed himself, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to do so just yet. His breathing was becoming slightly more difficult, anxiety setting in, but he pushed through it, slowed his breathing and sighed once more.

"My roommate pushed me back into the shinobi world. He said he was worried about me, that being a shinobi seemed to have made me happy when I was, and that I had gotten to a point where I really needed something to focus on. It was the right thing to do, or at least it seems that way right now.." He looked back up towards Raishi, sadness crossing Shigeki's face as he did. He tried to hide it, but sometimes it was simply difficult to do. "What about yourself? Why did you leave?"

2332

"A few months after I left the Academy, I was promoted to Chunin; the first of my entire graduating class to be promoted, and personally picked by the then Tsuchikage, Dengen Sanroku. To me, this was a testament to my skill, and I was certain that I'd continue to speedily climb through the ranks, gain a name for myself etc that sort of thing. But months passed, years passed, and I was still in the same position. And so, I began doubting my abilities as a shinobi, equating stagnancy to mediocrity. Because of that, I didn't see the point in continuing to work if I was just going to stay in the same place. So I wallowed in my own perceived inadequacy for quite some time. This was the first time I left."

Shigeki stroked his chin. He had gone from Genin essentially straight to Jounin in a very short time, so he would never understand what it felt like to be stuck in one place. He tried to think about it for a second, and he imagined it likely would be irritating, but he also thought it might have benifited Shigeki himself to stay in the lower ranks for a little bit longer. He would look back towards Raishi as he stretched, and then he saw the smile on his face before he continued to speak.

"Eventually, I got back to duty and was promoted to Special Jounin sometime before Dengen's unfortunate death from his illness. Of course, his death led to the ascension of my dear friend, Arashi Nekomotze, to the role of Tsuchikage, the youngest age in recorded history. In my head, we were both competing and he had been beating me, but I wasn't one to lose without a fight, so I worked my hardest. Alas, this didn't last long, as he was killed by one of the Schichouza. After his death, I took a leave of absence from duty, as I tried to reflect on this life, the shinobi life I hadn't chosen for myself"

Shigeki had heard of Arashi's death, which had happened around the time he was in the academy. It was a situation that had devestated the village, as it had happened so shortly after the loss of their previous Tsuchikage. He frowned slightly and looked down at his feet as the older Kanetsu continued his story.

"I was bitter for a long time and I questioned it all; the violence, the loss, the pain. It all seemed needless to me. In fact, I never knew Amida, Tomio, and I only came back shortly before Kazu had been announced to be the Kage out of respect as a fellow clan member, and, as I said earlier, I left not too long after he was announced, still questioning the point of it all. Although, I did participate in the Seven Bells War in Kirigakure, but that was more for a change of scenery than anything. And it even added to more speculation about the point of this life we are to live."

It was interesting to hear the parallells in the two's careers that were drawn from this part of his story. While Shigeki had started being a shinobi when Kazu was the kage, and Raishi had been one for a while, they both came to the same conclusions about the job. Raishi left slightly before Shigeki had, of course, but once Kazu was gone, Shigeki left shortly after. He hadn't been around for the reigns of Nanashi (whom he had spent a night with one time, the two of them enjoying one another's company), or Akira, who as it turned out was a missing nin. He had come back hearing that there had fairly recently been a new Kage named, and he was happy to serve under him, as Karumo seemed like a good guy, despite their first meeting not going overly well.

"It was only recently that I'd come to a conclusion, which is the reason I am here right now anyway. Would you like to know what that is?"

Shigeki looked forward quizzically for a second, stroking his chin once again. "It is funny to hear how similar our ideas on the shinobi world are, and though we both took different paths, they also seemed so similar. What is the reason you're here?" He looked around the volcano once more, sighing as he didn't particularly like feeling as though he was somewhat trapped in a place. He generally liked to meet people outside for that reason...

3101

"This may sound somewhat nihilist, but I realised that it didn't matter."

Shigeki smirked at this comment. There really was no point in the shinobi lifestyle. It was a constant battle of kill or be killed and for essentially nothing. You get paid? Big deal. You can get paid doing far less dangerous jobs and make as much if not more money. It really wasn't worth the risk.

"And by that, I mean that there was no point pondering why life was the way it was, questioning the meaning behind it all. A bird does not awaken and question why it sings, neither does the wolf question its romance with the moon. Because to question ones essence or the essence of the reality in which they reside, is to step out of themselves; to effectively stop living in order to fully observe yourself as a third party. And we all know if you're not living, you're doing the other thing..."

Another ponderous look crossed the younger Kanetsu's face. He wasn't entirely sure what Raishi was on about. He wasn't necessarily wrong, obviously if you weren't living you were dead. That just made sense. He was an intelligent man, but he wasn't particularly find of philosophical discussions about the meaning of life. Those were things better left up to philosophers, not shinobi, and Shigeki certainly wasn't a philosopher. He stroked his chin as Raishi continued, curious to see what exactly he was getting too with this line of conversation.

"You see, life is for living, but that isn't to say that it's easy. Yes, there will always be pain, there will always be suffering. But how else will you know you're alive if you weren't to face hardship? This is what I've realised about life in general. Now in relation to the shinobi world, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that you live it, not just for your sake, but also for those around you. When a bird sings, is its sweet music not audible to everyone aorund it? Likewise, a wolves howls are heard by all in the dead of night, both those who fear it, and its comrades. Likewise, the life of a shinobi, the life of any man, is lived for the purpose of those around them whether they realise it or not. Regardless of what side they're on, their cause, background or era."

Finally to the meat and potatoes of the train of thought. Shigeki nodded as he spoke, understanding what he was saying finally. The shinobi life was one that was led fr the sake of the village. The majority of the job was literally protecting your village from harm, or doing missions to protect others. Shigeki had known this and it was a part of the reason he had come back, his roommate having told him that helping other people made him happy before and he should try to get back into it. He realized that Raishi had stopped speaking, giving Shigeki a chance to interject.

"Yes of course, we have always known it is the duty of the shinobi to live and die for others, but I left because I was tired of that cycle. It is unfair that we should give up everything for people who simply don't understand what it is we are doing for them, or worst of all people who do understand and simply don't care. While we occasionally are recognized, it is more often that our work goes without notice or praise. I mean, I don't care about praise honestly, but a thank you every now and again would be nice. I left because I was sick of all of the ingrates who treat us like we are lower than shit. The only issue with that is when you then spiral back down into crippling depression due to your terrible past and no longer having an outlet, it becomes an issue. I'm glad to be back, but I'm not doing it for them. I'm doing this for me, and for my friends who deserve my loyalty and protection. I will never be a puppet again for those who do not appreciate what it is we do for them..."

He was clearly angry, his fists curled up into balls and a fierce intensity in his eye. He calmed down a little bit as the two of them continued to walk, going outside which was a plesant surprised for Shigeki. He was sick of the heat of being in the volcano, and it likely wasn't good for his anger. When he hit the cooler air, it relaxed him considerably. Raishi stopped, and Shigeki followed suit, watching the older shinobi turn to face him.

"Sorry I brought you all the way out here, this is a sensitive topic and I didn't want to risk someone overhearing us. You see, my position as Clan Head hasn't really been greeted with joy all round, as I'm sort of an outsider....but that story will come another time. You and Kazu were very close yes? I've been hearing rumours for quite some time now, rumours that seem to be validated. But I wanted to ask you who had worked closely with him first hand. Did he ever associate himself with or even deal with criminals? "

It didn't take a long time for Shigeki's mood to cloud over once more, a darkness surrounding him as Raishi asked the question that he knew people had been thinking of him recently. He was close to Kazu, of course, one of the closest in the village, and because that everyone wanted to know about Kazu and criminals. Shigeki gritted his teeth at the question; he couldn't stand the allocations against his cousin whom he loved dearly. The thought of the thing was nonsense, and he refused to believe that Kazu had dealt with such people.

He thought back to sitting in his office, the two of them conversing when Kazu would suddenly receive word that would turn his face dark. He would tell Shigeki that he would have to leave as his next meetings would be private, which would always disappoint the young teen. Shigeki would never leave right away, standing outside of the door so he coiuld try to hear what was going on. There was almost always speak of blue roses, which hadn't meant much to Shigeki at the time, though now he knew better. The names that they mentioned were extremely famous people in the shinobi world, names like Mitsuo Sarutobi and Gin Kuroka, both of whom were ex Kage of their villages in Konoha and Suna respectively. There was talk of a mansion, and of the goals of the organization, and what they wanted Kazu to do for them. He never heard the Leader's name, but it had recently been assumed that that was Akira, the previous Tsuchikage.

He remembered hearing about crime syndicates, drug cartels, slavery rings, weapon smugglers, all sorts of horrible things. He did also seem to remember that Kazu and those people were working together to stop them, so there was no way they could be all bad, right? There was only one name of one person who he had known that Kazu was harboring that ever truly bothered Shigeki, and that was the missing ninja from their own village, Tame. Tame had killed a Hokage and the previous Raikage, the peace loving Reika, who had since been replaced by a tyrant. Shigeki had heard his dealings with Kazu and it had sickened him. It was part of the reason he had left the shinobi world in the first place. Filled with conflict, shigeki steeled himself, making sure he had a straight face, and putting his hands behind his back so he could wring them together without it looking like a nervous tick.

"It pains me that people still buy into such rumours. Kazu Kanetsu was a great man, and a great Tsuchikage. He led our vilalge and our clan well for a long time, and the way that people talk about him now is disgusting. While it may be true that there were criminals hiding out on the outskirts of the village, I am sure that Kazu never had any such dealings with them. He knew that to do so would be a crime, and he would never stoop so low. I don't want to hear anyone speak ill of my cousin again." His voice was curt and just the right amount of hurt to be convincing. Acting was something Shigeki was quite good at, and why he was being considered for a roll in the ANBU as it turned out, and he was proud of his acting chops. He refused to give up Kazu to anyone, even his own clan, and it was something that he would always keep to himself, for the dealings of a man long gone were insignificant, but the dealings of a legend would tarnish his name, and Shigeki wouldn't allow that to happen.

4645

"Forgive me for blindsiding you, it was cruel of me to do so for you had just told me how much Kazu meant, still means, to you. But you must understand, I have to ask these things. How much do you know of our history? The history of the Kanetsu?"

He sounded a little bit sadder than he had previously, which meant that Shigeki had struck a chord with him. He didn't know this man very well, but it seemed as though he had some compassion anyway, or was at least sympathetic to what Shigeki had been through in his life, which was something that he appreciated. He personally didn't know much of the Kanetsu clan to be fair, as he didn't speak with his father, and hadn't been able to talk to Kazu in a long time. He had spent the majority of his life essentially trying to get out from the shadow of his name, but it was never to be as it was impossible to escape one's past. Shigeki looked out once more, thinking of what to say, though he knew very little and assumed that simply admitting that would be the easiest way to go.

"I sadly don't know too much about our clan. My father is a knowledgeable person, he was a well respected member of the village at one point and knew the history well, but I do not speak with him, and refuse too. Perhaps it was because of this that I never personally took too much interest in our clans history, but it never seemed like something that was actually important for me to know. All I knew was it was my name, and the Yoton chakra was in my blood. Kazu never talked to me much about the history of the clan, only of the power that we possessed and how to harness it, as well as unlocking my potential in other areas." He trailed off, sighing once more as he thought back to having Kazu in his life. It was a hard thing, losing the person who had been like a father to you, and it still stung him that Kazu was gone.

"I'll admit, I don't know much of our history. I never really bothered to learn about the past really, but it's inevitable that I do learn more, being the clan head and all. It'd be no less embarrassing if I were to be in meetings and I'd have no idea what was being referred to. So yes, I don't know much, but what I do know is that in as much as the Kanetsu clan were one of the core clans that came together to form Iwagakure no Sato -much like the Konohagakure's Uchiha, or Senju- we were not always accepted. You see, during the era of warring clans, we were feared around these lands for the destructive power of our kekkei genkai. In fact, it is sometimes said that the Land of Earth is bare as it is now, in terms of plant life, because of our kekkei genkai terraforming the land after countless battle. We were seen as destructive, maybe even barbarians, and not to be trusted. So this whole ordeal with Kazu being allegedly associated with criminals, it paints all of us in an incredible bad light, as there are those who remember the past, and are attributing his actions to our clan...traits"

As he spoke of the history of the clan, Shigeki gritted his teeth once more. He had heard rumors of how the Kanetsu clan was feared, and he didn't blame people. They had an extremely powerful bloodline, and the ability to harvest and use lava was one that should rightfully be feared. He had heard a little bit differently however, about how their advanced element was stolen and genetically implanted into the members of the clan, how it had originally been used by one of the early Mizukage, who was apparently a force to be reckoned with, knowing both Lava release and Boil release, making her someone who was feared world wide. When he came back to Kazu and his supposed association with criminals, Shigeki would scowl once more. He wasn't happy being in the situation he was currently in, and was ready to take his leave, but he figured he would hear out the last of what Raishi had to say before he left to get on with doing something a little bit less distressing to him.

"It's sort of like what you said earlier. As shinobi, we give up everything for people who simply don't understand or care about what we do for them. And even at the times where we do manage to garner some recognition, one little misstep, and all of that is invalidated.We see this in Kazu's case, where even though he did well for the village, the mere rumour of him dealing with criminals is enough to tarnish his name. We also see this with Kazako, Akira, where even though he was arguably the best Tsuchikage of the past decade, his name is spat on in the streets because he revealed himself ot be a missing-nin."

Akira was not someone who Shigeki had ever had dealings with. He had heard good things about him, however, and he actually had seen him before, though that wasn't the name that he was going by at the time. He was one of the members of the missing ninja group that had nested themselves in the outskirts of the village, and was the one who would frequently speak to Kazu about business, something that Shigeki wouldn't forget. He was impressed that he had managed to become the Tsuchikage for a period of time, as he wasn't someone who was known around the village, and he seemingly rose from nowhere. He had heard of the good things that he had done while in charge, rebuilding the village after its reputation had been dragged through the dirt and making it a better place in general. Was he better than Kazu? That wasn't something that Shigeki really cared to think of, but he his opinion was his own, and nobody could change that.

"I know I'm new to this, and half of the time I'm not even sure if I'm supposed to have this position. But I know that I have to solve this issue. For the sake of both the clan, and for truth. You've said that he didn't do as they say he did, but the word of a fellow Kanetsu would hardly carry much weight in the eyes of the people. I would have to look for someone else to clear Kazu's name, and by extension, the clan's. Perhaps, I could seek out one of the criminals..."

He trailed off and Shigeki believed that he was finished with his speech. "There were no criminals to find sadly, Kazu never dealt with them and even if you did find a criminal, why would they tell you anything? Everybody has an opinion, whether they're right or wrong, and unfortunately there generally isn't anything that can be done to change peoples opinions on situations like this one. I will continue fighting to ensure that Kazu isn't dragged through the mud, and I hope that you will do the same and stop spreading that awful drab about him dealing with missing ninja." He began to walk towards the exit once more, preparing to leave. "I'm sorry that this conversation couldn't be more enlightening to you, but I am not really the most knowledgeable person on most situations. I have to get back to work now, so that I can fight to defend our village as an ANBU agent. Nobody will ever question the loyalty of Shigeki Kanetsu, the cousin and closest relative of Kazu Kanetsu, who was one of the greatest leaders this village has ever seen. It was good to meet you.." He walked away and made his way back towards the administrative building of the village, determined more than ever for the Tsuchikage to accept him into the role that he wanted...

{Exit Thread}

6039

Endurance C-B 2575
Speed C-B 2575
Strength D1-D3 850
39 words discarded