Odaya could hardly see through the mists as he trudged onwards despite the mire and muck that clung to his feet beckoning him to stay for a moment. In his pocket glowed a single stone, its bright light signified a hope for a better tomorrow, it was a guiding light to travelers and merchants. This stone shown forth with an unearthly glow as the chakra energies inside of it swirled endlessly, to Odaya it was beautiful, like nothing he had ever seen before. He had been assigned to safeguard the stone and place it at a predetermined destination along the border of Kiri to ensure all who wandered into the Mists wouldn’t cease breathing because of it, after all the mists of Kirigakure held un-foretold and unforgiving dangers.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” Odaya whispered to his brother.

“It’s a fucking rock not a diamond.” Zanko retorted coldly. “Let’s just get to the marker point and set this damned thing up.” He said, the voice echoing throughout their shared mind.

Zanko had been unusually cold since their encounter at the mines, while Odaya was used to his cutting remarks and snarky tone of superiority something had changed within his brother. Odaya had felt traces of shame, guilt, and pain radiating from Zanko in the days after their experience and part of him understood why. While the two brothers never TRULY got along, they took care of one another, Zanko protected them and Odaya mended the after effects, they worked flawlessly as a team. However, Odaya couldn’t help but wonder if Zanko was ashamed that he had fled, that he felt terror and instead of standing to fight the threat he dashed away to safety, he knew this was outside Zanko’s nature.

“Zanko?” Odaya asked, addressing his “older sibling”.

“What do you want now?” Came the aspirated echo as a reply.

“Are you alright? You have been acting strange lately.” Odaya asked.

“What are you? Our mother?” Zanko snapped back with a voice filled with venom.

“No, I am just worried about you. I know those…things in the mine terrified you as much as they did me.” Odaya continued.

“I have no idea what you are talking about; I wasn’t scared, only trying to preserve us. I actually had half a mind to turn and crush all of them.” Zanko spat coldly.

“Brother, you cannot lie to me, I know what I felt, you were terrified of them and that’s okay. I just wanted to thank you for being the strong one.” Odaya whispered.

There was nothing in response; Zanko fell silent at the sound of his brother’s kind words. It was strange for Odaya to not hear some bitter remark or cutting statement from him, instead the pair dredged onward towards their destination in complete silence. Seconds passed to minutes and those minutes turned to hours before Zanko said another word, gave a command really.

“Stop.” Was all he said.

“But why? We haven’t arrived at our objective yet have we?” Odaya questioned.

“No, but we are being stalked, I can hear them.” Zanko replied.

“A-are you sure?” Odaya asked nervously as he futilely glanced around in an attempt to cut through the mists and see whatever was peering at him.

The sound of small pebbles being shifted on the ground as if kicked by some large force was heard from their left side. Instantly, Odaya drew the Chakra stone from his pocket and raised it in the air to illuminate the surrounding area and give him a clearer line of sight. The light from the Chakra Stone caught the shadow of a young man moving through mists and reflected this for Odaya to see. Soon what was a shifting of stone turned into the rushing of wind as whatever was following the brothers began closing in.

The watery laughter of an all too familiar voice echoed from the mists. The laugh was followed shortly by a pair of short snickers as two other hostile forces revealed themselves. Odaya leaned forward slightly to attempt to get a clearer vision on what he was facing. That was when the face of a Hoshigaki exploded from the mists and stared him down with his wild eyes. Odaya stumbled backwards in surprise and felt his back hit the thickened chest of yet another humanoid. Odaya arched his head backwards to see who stood behind him, his eyes met that of another wide eyed Hoshigaki. This second intruder shoved Odaya forward and to the left where his chest met the full impact of a sharp kick. Odaya laid on the ground coughing and sputtering for a moment as he attempted to catch his breath.

“Lookie here boys, if it isn’t our favorite punching bag!” The leader of this small gang said to his two comrades.

“You remember us nut job?” The second one asked with a cruel and twisted voice.

“If not, maybe we should remind you!” The third and final one shouted with a sharp laugh.

Odaya’s eyes glanced from member to member of the violent trio; this was not what he had in mind for his day when he pulled himself from bed. “Great, it’s the gill-necks.” Zanko sighed in a dry voice.

“Maybe they will listen to reason?” Odaya asked in a hopeful tone.

“When has reasons ever worked with these…assholes?” Zanko asked in rebuttal.

“Good point, plan?” Odaya asked.

“Let me end them.” Zanko replied quickly.

"Not unless we don't have another option..." Odaya mumbled

“That’s a nice rock you got their punching bag, hope you don’t mind if we take it off your hands.” The leader stated as he pointed to the Chakra Stone.

Odaya instinctively tightened his grip on the chakra stone, he knew better then to allow them to pry it from his possession. “This is meant to aid the village Kirigakure…” Odaya stated. “…I c-cannot and w-will not allow you to take it from my person.” Odaya said in a nervous, yet defiant voice.

“And who is going to stop me? You and who else, because I don’t see anybody around.” The Hoshigaki continued.

Unbeknownst to the Hoshigaki, Odaya formed a quick hand sign and began the transfer of control over his body. His eyes glazed over for a moment as the Yin personality retreated back into the recesses of his mind and Zanko took over. He blinked a few times to adjust to his surroundings; a muffled voice was heard before Zanko felt a massive fist connect with his nose, breaking it almost instantly.

“I was talking to you practice dummy! I said who is gonna save you now?”

“I wouldn’t be worried about me if I was you.” Zanko said in a cruel tone.

The sound of his Odachi being drawn from its sheathe was heard as Zanko stood to his feet. “It would be you who I was worried about.” Zanko continued.

The air was alive with a sudden influx of Raiton energy as Ranko prepared to begin his assault. The snap and crackle of electricity was replaced with the crack of almost thunder as the massive Odachi was brought smashing into the ground. Waves of unforgiving Raiton energy shot forward and leapt into the cool mists, its power caught the Hoshigaki off guard as the Stunning effects of the technique caused them to fall onto the ground and convulse.

A small smile appeared on Zanko’s face, it was followed by a few more words. “After all, out here there are NO witnesses.”

Zanko’s eyes filled with a bloodthirsty greed as he approached one of the helpless Hoshigaki. Zanko’s eyes were filled with burning malice as he gazed down at his brother’s tormentor, the filthy blue skinned, gill-necked, bottom feeder. Zanko raised his Odachi high above his head to perform a downward thrust and end its miserable existence when a voice stopped him.

“Zanko STOP!” Odaya called out from the recesses of their mind.

“Why? They torture us endlessly, this is justice, this is what they deserve!” Zanko growled in return.

“They deserve justice, I agree, but this isn’t it. To kill them here, in the wilderness, with no witnesses as you said, it isn’t justice, its murder.” Odaya pleaded with his brother.

“I think I could live with ending these three, murder or not.” Zanko spat back.

“Fine, but we don’t have time to deal with this…they will be back, I can guarantee that much…but we need to get this Chakra Stone placed for the helpless… Kirigakure, the Mizukage, and those people are relying on us. Please Zanko, let it go this time, for them and for me.” Odaya pleaded once more.

Slowly, Zanko relaxed his grip on the Odachi as if weighing the options that were laid before him. Two routes with equal satisfaction in his eyes, one road settled a personal vendetta; the other gave life to the village. Zanko weighed the options between the choices for a bit longer before his eyes snapped back open with the same harsh look they previously held and he tightened his grip around his Odachi once more. His answer was given through the sound of the blade cutting downward through the Hoshigaki’s diaphragm and a single word.

“No”

Hours later

Slowly Zanko walked back into Kirigakure, in his hand were three blood stained hand bands, each with the Kirigakure’s mark stricken out and his pocket with a lack of the Chakra Stone’s ominous glow. Zanko had taken both choices, vengeance and completing his goal, after all vengeance was a dish best served cold.

Somewhere in the mists outside Kirigakure

The bright glow of the Chakra Stone guided a mysterious being through the mists, the Chakra Stone’s blue glow had been replaced with crimson. A bloated hand reached forward and touched the wet, sticky blood that coated the Stone. Slowly the hand brought the blood back to rotten lips, where a discolored tongue tasted the irony liquid; a smile appeared on its hideous face.

“We…are…close”

Chakra 130/150:

Word Count: 1703/1000