1 The Cold Before The Blaze [Izumi/Invite/Flashback/NK] Wed Jan 17, 2018 6:10 pm
Zu
D-rank
Zu was beginning to question how people survived here in this harsh environment especially on this scorching day. The sun was unforgivingly hot as Zu made his way through the crowds of people in Sunagakure. Many of them were working hard while others were just shopping. The worst ones though to Zu were the ones that were trying to sell him something. Zu never kept much money on him, just enough to get something to eat. One of the merchants even got aggressive enough to grab Zu's arm to get his attention, however, the merchant was met with a quick jerk away and a calm low tone telling the man to just leave me be. The merchant was nonchalant about it and went on to the next person not giving Zu much thought after that. To him, Zu was just a numbers game, but to Zu, that unwarranted grab made his skin crawl. Shrugging it off the best he could, he moved along with his hands in his pockets wearing a cut off sleeved thin hoodie with the hood up to cover his face from the looks of others and the sun. He was just trying to make it to a small diner that was usually quiet which was a blessing to Zu. Something about being around large crowds made him uncomfortable. His breathing was heavy as his heart hammered. There were just too many people for him to stay calm. With his size he often would accidentally run into some causing them to fall over, but Zu always apologized and kept his pace towards the diner. He did not want to have another run in like before and have someone grab him. It was not particularly his style to converse with others. Zu tried his best with his sensei, but he was unsure how much social interaction from him he picked up on. Zu was still just as awkward and nervous around people just as he was when he took refuge in Sunagakure. To him, The more normal he could make others believe he was, maybe he would not feel like a monster. Though anytime he thought or felt normal it seems images of bloody violence swarmed his head as if reminding him of what he could do... or has done.
Just as the small quiet diner was in sight, Zu felt two people behind him before each one grabbed an arm and quickly dragged him deep into a dark ally surrounded by tall buildings. Zu tried to twist and get free, but his efforts were all for naught as their grip was not letting go. Further into the dark alleys they finally let him go as two people jumped from the top closing off the way he was dragged in. Zu got up and looked around to see he was surrounded. Five men in total, three in the front and two on the other side with walls blocking off any escape route. Zu was cornered but kept quiet until he heard one of the three in front of him speak, "Is he the one that did it?" The man speaking pointed right at Zu as another came from behind him, pulling the hood from his head rather violently before he shook his head up and down. Zu turned a little to see if he could remember anyone. The one that took off his hoodie was a stout fellow, only a few inches shorter, but still just as large. The man's face looked like it was recently beat up as half his lip was busted and the man's eye was so swollen he could not open it. For the life of Zu, he could not remember him or why they would have a problem. Regardless, he took deep breaths and tried to calm his nerves before he did something he would regret.
In but a moment, the two of the men grabbed him, while one man relentlessly beat on his face. Blow after blow though, Zu made no effort to resist the hit nor break free. The man who was doing the punishment rubbed his knuckles after hitting Zu more times than he could count. The man who spoke before walked up, grabbed a handful of his hair before talking in a high and mighty tone, "This was the man that beat you senseless little bro? Look at him, you've taken down guys twice the man he is.
The other man replied quickly, stammering a little, "B-but brother he was not like this. He was an animal I...." his sentence stopped when he looked back into Zu's eyes. The man was slightly afraid of Zu, and Zu remembered why now. A few days before, Zu had encountered this man harassing a ramen shop waitress to sit on his lap. When the kind waitress, or at least she was to Zu, denied the man's proposal, he became infuriated and threw a large stack of money on the table saying that for this much she should be happy to sit on his lap. The young woman refused again saying she is not a whore who can be bought and she was happily married before storming off. The man advanced grabbing her from behind and pulled her close causing Zu to intervene. Zu remembered turning his fists solid so that he could do more damage to the man. In fact the tough attitude was an act. Zu remembered making the man beg for her forgiveness which he did numerous times. The question deep on Zu's mind was how could he forget so easily. Were these encounters meaningless to him or was his mind trying to block out the bad. For now Zu cannot know that answer.
The older brother, the one with Zu's hair in his hand prompted his younger brother to hit him. Despite being a little afraid, he obeyed his brother's command. With one hard hit that landed square on Zu's lip causing it to bust out a rather lot of blood. That one hit caused the younger brother felt empowered as if defeating a monster deep in his mind and swung away like the last man did without remorse. Zu tried to close his eyes for most of it, he did not want to remember their faces for he did not want to hold resentment towards them. Zu would have felt the same way if someone beat up his brother... if he had one. Zu took the hits knowing what he could do to them if he wanted to. He could change his arms into blades and spikes on his face so they just hurt themselves. He could do far more damage to them than they could do to him. These hits were nothing compared to the past beatings he has undergone. Zu kept his heart rate low, tried to ease his mind as the beatings continued. He kept telling himself he could not kill them, he will not because he did not want his sensei to hear his student killed people in his village. So, he just took the beating as best he could. Even taunting them when they get tired asking if that's all they got? Each hit made it harder and harder to keep calm. Zu was not one to protect himself, but if someone else was being beat like this, Zu would be a totally different person. All he could think about now to keep his mind off the pain was the food that was just out of reach. The food was so close to him and yet so very far away from him.
WC:1281
Just as the small quiet diner was in sight, Zu felt two people behind him before each one grabbed an arm and quickly dragged him deep into a dark ally surrounded by tall buildings. Zu tried to twist and get free, but his efforts were all for naught as their grip was not letting go. Further into the dark alleys they finally let him go as two people jumped from the top closing off the way he was dragged in. Zu got up and looked around to see he was surrounded. Five men in total, three in the front and two on the other side with walls blocking off any escape route. Zu was cornered but kept quiet until he heard one of the three in front of him speak, "Is he the one that did it?" The man speaking pointed right at Zu as another came from behind him, pulling the hood from his head rather violently before he shook his head up and down. Zu turned a little to see if he could remember anyone. The one that took off his hoodie was a stout fellow, only a few inches shorter, but still just as large. The man's face looked like it was recently beat up as half his lip was busted and the man's eye was so swollen he could not open it. For the life of Zu, he could not remember him or why they would have a problem. Regardless, he took deep breaths and tried to calm his nerves before he did something he would regret.
In but a moment, the two of the men grabbed him, while one man relentlessly beat on his face. Blow after blow though, Zu made no effort to resist the hit nor break free. The man who was doing the punishment rubbed his knuckles after hitting Zu more times than he could count. The man who spoke before walked up, grabbed a handful of his hair before talking in a high and mighty tone, "This was the man that beat you senseless little bro? Look at him, you've taken down guys twice the man he is.
The other man replied quickly, stammering a little, "B-but brother he was not like this. He was an animal I...." his sentence stopped when he looked back into Zu's eyes. The man was slightly afraid of Zu, and Zu remembered why now. A few days before, Zu had encountered this man harassing a ramen shop waitress to sit on his lap. When the kind waitress, or at least she was to Zu, denied the man's proposal, he became infuriated and threw a large stack of money on the table saying that for this much she should be happy to sit on his lap. The young woman refused again saying she is not a whore who can be bought and she was happily married before storming off. The man advanced grabbing her from behind and pulled her close causing Zu to intervene. Zu remembered turning his fists solid so that he could do more damage to the man. In fact the tough attitude was an act. Zu remembered making the man beg for her forgiveness which he did numerous times. The question deep on Zu's mind was how could he forget so easily. Were these encounters meaningless to him or was his mind trying to block out the bad. For now Zu cannot know that answer.
The older brother, the one with Zu's hair in his hand prompted his younger brother to hit him. Despite being a little afraid, he obeyed his brother's command. With one hard hit that landed square on Zu's lip causing it to bust out a rather lot of blood. That one hit caused the younger brother felt empowered as if defeating a monster deep in his mind and swung away like the last man did without remorse. Zu tried to close his eyes for most of it, he did not want to remember their faces for he did not want to hold resentment towards them. Zu would have felt the same way if someone beat up his brother... if he had one. Zu took the hits knowing what he could do to them if he wanted to. He could change his arms into blades and spikes on his face so they just hurt themselves. He could do far more damage to them than they could do to him. These hits were nothing compared to the past beatings he has undergone. Zu kept his heart rate low, tried to ease his mind as the beatings continued. He kept telling himself he could not kill them, he will not because he did not want his sensei to hear his student killed people in his village. So, he just took the beating as best he could. Even taunting them when they get tired asking if that's all they got? Each hit made it harder and harder to keep calm. Zu was not one to protect himself, but if someone else was being beat like this, Zu would be a totally different person. All he could think about now to keep his mind off the pain was the food that was just out of reach. The food was so close to him and yet so very far away from him.
WC:1281