| abstract | - It was a night that was only illuminated by the faint moonlight trickling through the dense grey clouds. But all that could be seen on this night was a blanket of sand reaching the ends of the world. Within this endless sand stood a lonesome, almost delicate figure. A female with white hair falling down to her back, red eyes that looked forward and an almost porcelain face walked these sands: the sands of the Land of Wind. Her name was Senhime, an eternally determined figure that searched for a particular boy this night. She had finally reached her destination, the Village in the Sand. The only obstacle in her way were the guardians of the village at its gates. "Hello." The woman tenderly spoke, her gaze softening and a small smile showing on her face. "My name is Senhime. I come from Ishigakure in hopes of the trading of sake tonight. I have traveled long and far with my goods." She had gestured to the baggage she was carrying at her back. "Might I be able to have entrance for the night?" She had asked, hoping that her feminine charms would woo the guard in allowing her entrance. The guard momentarily thought, before contacting one of his superiors through radio. His conversation soon ended, as he gestured for her to move forward. "Feel free, madam. If you would like any assistance in finding accommodation, feel free to ask me." He politely offered. "Thank you for the offer." Senhime responded in kind, walking forward and finally clearing the major obstacle in her path. "Now to search for that child." Senhime thought in her mind as she wandered the sand-paved roads of Sunagakure, "What was his name again...? Ah, yes. Zenjou." She reminded herself, as she continued to walk forward. Peacock feathers littered his families manor. Brustling and mingling with the sand as peafowels danced about. Their cries shrieking through the night. Males danced to court nearby females. Thousands of eyes rustling with one another. Sunagakure's calm winds added to such a beautiful song. One could see why his family adopted such birds. It even became their symbol. All connected to such nobility wore special adornments meant for emperors. But only one had feathers sticking upwards. Pointing to the heavens he wished to rule. This child, who graduated to a higher rank not to long ago, sat on his families roof. Ironic that he continued to call them family. During his exams, Zenjou learned life shattering truths. That must be the land my mother told me about...I felt it. The cries...calls for me to return...But...but that only leaves me with so little answers...Who am I...What am I... For once in his life, Zenjou's extreme arrogance had shaken. How could one label themselves an Emperor without knowing who or even what they were? Zenjou lept from his rooftop and walked off his parent's lawn. It wasn't their realy home, just a piece of property they owned within Sunagakure. His mother and father lived with his uncle on some far off mansion. They simply loaned him this house so he could protect Sunagakure much easier. Although a vacational house, it was fixed with his usual demands. Maidens, wine, even butlers to follow his wish. But every since his revelations, Zenjou found himself requiring night strolls. As he walked off, his many peacocks cleared a path. His own feathered tail dragging behind him. Senhime continued to walk forward, looking through her immediate environment as a means to find clues as-to where Zenjou's location was. However, much to her pleasant surprise, the man came before him, or at least she assumed he did. The young man in front of her was the personification of arrogance itself. Peacock feathers strolled by his side and he continued to walk, disregarding all in his path. But Senhime knew that this man was part of her blood, she could feel it even without sensory measures. As she walked forward, their paths were bound to intersect. In her feigned state of obliviousness, Senhime bumped into the shoulders of the man walking past. In doing so, her chakra transferred from her shoulder to the boy's, sending a surge that would alter the density of his bones, although the effects would come to fruition momentarily. "Apologies!" Senhime said in a surprisingly sincere-sounding tone. "I'm a bit new here so I'm getting lost quite easily...sorry." "New or not watch where you're going,Peasant!" Zenjou spat as he took a step sideways. A word filled with hostile poison. He cared little about being bumped into. It was the sudden shock which angered him. They walked upon an empty street, how could she be so careless. But before he could berate her further, Zenjou felt a strong tingling from within. Almost as if the world caved in upon his shoulders. His knees started to shake under extreme pressure. What is this?! He asked himself. Never has someone brought Zenjou such feelings. Almost as if he had little control over himself. The force deepened as his back bent. Further...Harder...Soon, Zenjou found himself upon one knee. "What's going on?! What have you done to me?! Who are you?!" Fear overwashed his body. Soon all arrogance had been replaced by thoughts of death. Has someone come to for the Lords head? "I will not let you!" A riser emerged from his palm which then grew two long yet slightly curved limbs. Almost instantly, a recurve bow had formed. A bow as white as night itself. It seemed as if Zenjou carved it from the moon itself. He attempted to raise his other hand to pull back an arrow but found it nigh impossible. Instead, Zenjou pulled out three Kuna. He tossed each towards her. Hoping to break this curse she placed on him. Why is her hair similar to mine... "Ah? What happened, sir?" Senhime sarcastically continued with her pretense as she non-chalantly swatted away the kunai with a single hand. As they dropped on the floor, Senhime went down on her knee and touched the same shoulder she bumped into. "I apologize! Do you need medical attention?" Senhime echoed with her voice, as her hands had an almost therapeutic effect on the young man's ability to stand. "Someone, please help this person!" She exclaimed, before turning away, "I'm sorry, I have urgent business to attend to!" Senhime began to run at a remarkably quick pace, all the while underneath her façade she smirked to herself at the weakness of this little child. Lord Kaguya immediately jumped to his feet and with an unhuman thrust, dashed after her. His speed left a massive cloud of sand behind. But as with any Kaguya, his steps were elegant. Zenjou lifted his bow upwards. He pulled back which created an already arrow from his forearm. A white blade which shined in Sunagakure's moonlight. As he almost pulled back, Zenjou's finger nearly touched his mouth. Leading to him quickly releasing it. The arrow whistled silently as it sliced through Sunagakure's calm night. He aimed it carefully at Senhime's spine. Right after his first shot, Zenjou released three more arrows almost instantly. He was filled with anger, and lacked focus. Causing his shots to fall off target by a couple centimeter. Zenjou growled. His Peacock tail whispering peacefully behind him. How dare she...How dare she...I will have her head! No..no...I'm going to rip her apart! "What a talentless boy..." Senhime thought to herself as she calmly turned around and gripped onto the first arrow with her hand, snapping the projectile into two before throwing them back at an even greater force than he shot them with, causing his subsequent two shots to be thrown aback by the force of Senhime's makeshift darts, all the while the third shot narrowly avoided Senhime, something which she predicted due to her years of experience. "Kid..." Senhime began to speak, her tone being remarkably serious as she continued to run in a backwards fashion. "You're remarkably weak, you realize?" Senhime condescendingly spoke in an attempt to completely shatter the boy's ego. "Weak?! I'll show you weak you bastardly bitch!" Zenjou dipped lower before launching himself high above Senhime. He grabbed onto his bow tightly before pulling back. Revealing the sizable arrow Zenjou pulled from his inner arm. Chakra streamed from Prince Kaguya's body, into his bow before finally reaching his arrow. It raged insanely around Zenjou's arrow. Causing a massive aura to develope around his body. "I am the light which guides this world into salvation. The Emperor who protects his people from evil. And for the crimes committed tonight, you will pay!" When his fingers released Yumi no Kokka's string, Zenjou could feel the force which his arrow flew. It curved greatly, almost appearing sentinent. The raging aura became a porcelain sword which matchead Sunagakure's moonlight. It flew with extreme tenacity and piercing power towards Senhime. He slowly floated downwards, awaiting to see Senhime's corpse. "What an interesting technique..." Senhime commented, as the chakra engulfed the entirety of the arrow that Zenjou created. "However..." Prior to Zenjou being able to release the said arrow, Senhime had taken out one of her spinal chords with her right arm and, using her prowess in chakra control, had chakra surge through the bone, thinning it out to a whip-like structure that, due to its particular density and sharpness, managed to cleanly slice through the arrow despite the overwhelming quantity of chakra surging through it. "Heh, you better watch out." Senhime chuckled, as the two halves of the arrow went by the sides of her body without any hindrances. Flicking her wrist downward, the whip followed suit as it quickly attempted to spiral around Zenjou's body and bind him in place, exchanging its cutting power for great density. Zenjou found himself bounded by a whip unlike any other. He felt her spinal chord heavily constricting his movements. Blood slowly dripped from Zenjou's arms and atop his forehead. This pain. No one has been able to bring Prince Kaguya to such an embarressing position. He struggled against her grasp but found it nearly impossible to break free. Zenjou bit his lip. Why am I so weak...How can I... Zenjou thought deeply. Suddenly ceasing to struggle completely. Yumi no Kokkai laid next to him. "Who are you? Why are you doing this to me.." Zenjou's voice showed a broken emperor. "No one has ever stopped my gift...Heh...I don't even know what this gift is. Last year, I thought I was the only person who had it. Just like I thought this land to be my true home...God...Why does everyone lie to me...WHY?!" "Don't worry, kid." Senhime said, before she suddenly jolted and instinctively raised her hand in front of her mouth. She began to cough roughly, loosening her grip over the whip that she held. The moment Zenjou would have attempted to escape, however, she tightened it once again, retaining the composure that she possessed earlier. "Tch, you fucking lucky brat." Her language, suddenly turning vulgar, showed her true colors. "You possess this bloody power and a body that doesn't try to murder you every minute of your life? And you fucking don't even know who you are!" Senhime roared, "You are a Kaguya! A clan of barbarians who, in their quest for power, sacrificed children who had this power to fulfill their purposes! You, a talentless brat possesses this power and can't use it!? I can't believe it!" Senhime continued to shout, tears of anger strolling down her face. "You're not even worth my time, you bloody weakling!" Senhime turned around, about to leave his presence without even unwinding the bindings she placed upon him. Senhime's word stung fiercly. Each one destroyed his massive egotistical wall further. After a while, Zenjou lost all sense of self. It was a lot of information to gather. Kaguya...Barbarians...Sacrificed Chilren... But beyond that, Zenjou felt how his existence hurt hers. Every breath he took, was one she lost. Joyful days came from painful weeks. It was an emotional overload. Zenjou simply obeyed and allowed Senhime to drag him as she walked off. He remained silent...Not to think of a method to escape. No. He simply pondered all that was revealed. He noticed that Senhime's body reacted differently to his. Zenjou, throughout his life, rarely suffered from sickness. And although medical ninjutsu did nothing for him, by the time Zenjou really needed it, his ailments disappeared. Is it not like this for everyone? The broken Kaguya simply stared at Senhime. "Hey...where are we going?" Zenjou's voice was empty. Not a care in the world. For she could kill him and Zenjou would accept it. Heaven's Mandate? Will of the Universe? It all meant nothing to him... "Finally talking like the brat you are, are you?" Senhime grunted, letting him go as they reached a large space of sand outside of Sunagakure. "I have a proposition, kid. You wanna hear me out?" Senhime asked, although she immediately used her humerus to create a relatively thick, straight sword. "Although you won't have much of a choice in the matter..." Senhime began to state as she swung her sword vertically, "Given that you possess the same physiological traits that I do, I command you to begin searching for a cure for my ailment. I shall assist you in starting with research through my own in the matter." Senhime paused, before pointing the sword towards Zenjou's face, "In exchange, I teach you how to perfect your employment of the Shikotsumyaku. Deal?" "Hey, enough with the brat already..." Zenjou mumbled. Yet, he jumped when she aimed her sword before him. Zenjou decided to hear out her proposition without any sort of back talk. A rough one indeed. I'm not a scientist...How does she expect me to do that? But still...The chance to learn more about who I really am. An opportunity to strengthen this bles-Kekkei Genkai.. Zenjou took a deep step before lifting his head halfway. His hair fully covered an eye, while the other met Senhime's. He took a deep breath, sighing without a choice. "Fine. I will do what I can....Sensei." "Sensei...sounds idiotic. Don't call me that." Senhime groaned, before smirking. "Fine, then. I'll call you Zen." Senhime turned around, "Your training starts tomorrow at exactly 4:30 am. As it is, it's nearly midnight. You should hurry off and get some sleep, little boy who loves his beauty sleep." Senhime taunted, walking off without a qualm. "The first step to a new life...or so I hope." Senhime thought, "You'll find me at this place again. Don't go and get scared now." Senhime laughed at the young boy, taking a single jump with great force as she ran across the roofs without any noticeable discomfort, leaving the boy to his lonesome. Zenjou watched her disappear. He had remained silent, actually afraid of the wrath she could incur. It was a different feeling...Now someone actually truly looked out for him. Not because of his connection to the Daimyou. Nor because of his fame. Someone generally wanted to train him in a way like none other. Zenjou felt...happy for once. A weird kind of happy. Like watching one's house burn and realizing their cheating spouse was within. It's a bitter sweet feeling. So Zenjou, tattered and damaged walked off. Making sure to remember the location.
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