1 A Tale of Fire and Ice (Private/Ayakashi) Tue Aug 07, 2018 9:24 pm
Mitsuo
S-rank
“Lord Sarutobi...this path becomes more and more dangerous. The fact that you haven’t died already is truly amazing...I don’t want to have to be there when you...when you finally aren’t so lucky...” The concerned voice moved through Mitsuo, not entirely registering what had been said to him at first. His body had been healed from the wounds that he had suffered while attempting to stop that...monster from the mist. He didn’t know who it was, but it was clearly someone who had the ear of the Mizukage, as he held the sword of the Captain of the Seven Swordsmen, a sword that had once been offered to Mitsuo. The Monkey King Eizo continued to speak in Mitsuo’s ear as he lay in the healing pool of the Monkey Kingdom where Eizo had brought him to recover, his home for at least a week, if not longer this time. He had lost track of the time that had passed, but he was certainly feeling more relaxed while resting in the healing waters. His wounds were gone, as was the migraine that he had experienced after activating his Stunning Eye in the middle of an intense battle.
Being in the waters reminded him of one of the earliest times that he and Ayakashi had met...the two of them sailing out from the docks of Kirigakure to take the fight to the general of the Seven Bells army, Mizuru. Mitsuo had defeated her once before with the help of Yuudai Aisu, one of the relatives of the Mizukage, who at the time had been believed dead, but Mizuru had just been able to somehow slip away from the fatal attacks of fire and ice. The forces sailed out to meet the demon as Mitsuo had ran across the water himself, using his tremendous speed to carry him along. The forces of Konohagakure, Kirigakure and Kumogakure went to meet their foe, and among them was the Ice Queen resurgent, back from the dead and looking more impressive than ever. They would be joined by the Hokage, Mitsuhide, and would take on their foe, as well as a surprise attack from the village of Kumogakure, or so it had seemed. It had been one of the greatest honours of Mitsuo’s shinobi career to be able to fight alongside two of the greatest shinobi the world had seen of his generation, and to be counted equal among them...
“Mitsuo? Are you listening to me?”
Hers was the only chakra that he had ever come across that measured up to his, and it was truly awe inspiring and terrifying to behold a being of such raw power. There was a passive chill around her, the water glazing over as she stepped and the rain freezing to hail as it passed near her. They were exact opposites in their chakra, and it reflected in their demeanour. She seemed so cool and collected, as though nothing could ever effect her, and he was aflame with passion, always boiling over the surface. There was no way that two beings such as them should have been able to work together, let alone become friends after, but there it was. That battle had sealed the Mizukage’s slot as one of the very few people in the world that Mitsuo respected, and one of fewer whom he considered a friend. It was she who had allowed her cousin, Strafe, to leave the village to be with Mitsuo due to her love for the two of them and knowing their love for one another. She had welcomed him back with opened arms after vanishing from the shinobi world to travel for so long, and whether or not he wanted to admit it, she had saved his life when he was put on trial for his part in the destruction of Sunagakure.
“Mitsuo! Answer me!”
The Monkey King’s raised voice rang through Mitsuo’s ears and snapped him back to reality. Gone was the temple in Kumogakure where the kage had met to decide his fate, and come once again was the beautiful scene that he had been blessed to be able to stay. The cherry blossoms fell from the trees around him in the stone courtyard of the healing temple, gold, red and black decor tastefully highlighting the beautiful natural location of the place. The Monkey Kingdom was deep inside of a lush green forest, and it was well hidden from the prying eyes of any who might wish to do them harm. Mitsuo had spent almost as much time here as he had in Konoha during his adult life, and it wasn’t something that he was upset about at all. This place felt like home to him, or as close to home as anything could that didn’t have his family. Unfortunately, by that logic, the only place that would truly feel like home to him again was the afterlife...
“I’m sorry Eizo...I have been lost in thought...seeing that demon, fighting it, vexed me. His evil was so intense, the corruption running so deep within him. And to think that Ayakashi had made him the captain of the Seven Swordsmen makes me sick...” A servant dressed in a beautiful red and gold saree brought Mitsuo a glass of wine as another poured water over his head and shoulders, rinsing his hair. He often wondered if he would simply be able to stay here forever, forsake the life of the shinobi and live out his days in peace and luxury. He, of course, knew that this was impossible, as the world needed him, but he had still wanted to live out that fantasy.
“Perhaps you should seek her out, Lord Sarutobi. She may be the most powerful shinobi in the world, but sometimes even the most powerful people need a friend to talk too. It has been too long since the two of you met, and clearly you have things that you want to ask her...You should go to her and find the answers you seek.”
Mitsuo sighed, running his fingers through his wet black hair and shaking his head. He knew Eizo was right, and he knew that there was no way he wouldn’t be able to go to her. “Very well Eizo...I will write to her and ask her to meet me...Have someone deliver the letter and I will meet her one week from this day...I will finally speak to my friend once again...”
Lady Mizukage,
Too long has it been since we have spoken, and yet I believe there is much to be said. These lands are in a state of constant turmoil, and the shinobi world is dying. I wish to talk to you to discuss what must be done to help it.
Meet me at the site of your greatest triumph, the day you eradicated the corruption from your village, and the monument to your zero tolerance of crime. On the evening of the new moon, we will se one another again.
Your friend,
Sarutobi, Mitsuo
Too long has it been since we have spoken, and yet I believe there is much to be said. These lands are in a state of constant turmoil, and the shinobi world is dying. I wish to talk to you to discuss what must be done to help it.
Meet me at the site of your greatest triumph, the day you eradicated the corruption from your village, and the monument to your zero tolerance of crime. On the evening of the new moon, we will se one another again.
Your friend,
Sarutobi, Mitsuo
One Week Later
The sun was setting over the Bloody Mist Village, though from behind the clouds it was impossible to see. The rain poured down from the heavens with a vengeance, as though trying to punish the Sword Saint who sat defiantly in the open, manipulating the weather to his will. Despite standing in the downpour for the past half an hour, he managed to remain perfectly dry, not a single drop of water on the toned down clothing that he wore. He wore his ANBU armour overtop of a mesh shirt, none of the pomp and pageantry he tended to dress with as of late. He had turned in the robes for a more familiar dress that he had been known for during the days of the Seven Bells war. While he wore not the cloak of the Aoi Bara, his Shroud of Shadows sat upon his shoulders, the feathers and chakra infused material it was made of currently visible and clasped in place with the Sigil of Kirigakure that had been gifted to him by Ayakashi herself. He wore no weapons, though as always had them but a simple seal away, and sat beside a fire that he was keeping lit through sheer force of will.
The rain around the Sword Saint seemed to simply stop existing, repelled by the immense heat that he was giving off in an attempt to stay dry. His impressive chakra signature would be visible from far away, but he wasn’t worried about that. He wanted Ayakashi to know where he was, and what better way for a man known for mastery of fire than to have a fire in the middle of a downpour? He sat by the fire, face illuminated, as the scene through the rains would show a light where there shouldn’t be one. He sighed softly and activated a small seal, pulling a cigarette from the void and placing it to his lips. He held his thumb and two forefingers below the cigarette and produced a flame at the tips, drawing the smoke deeply into his lungs before passing it back out of his nose.
She would be here soon...he could feel it...
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