| abstract | - Kenji ran ahead of his allies, eagerness to see Harumi safe and well showing clearly in his expression and through the stubborn set of his shoulders. "Harumi..." Flashback... Six years earlier. The rain poured down in sheets, blinding the Genin-team under Shin Nagakura. There mission, although successful, had taken them to the Land of Tea near the Land of Fire. Now, they were busy crossing an unsteady rope bridge spanning the length of a large canyon, with the river below bursting its banks through the continual rain. The currents were swift and treacherous; something Kenji took note of as he crossed. He watched somewhat anxiously as Gray - his childhood friend and the first of the children in Konoha to accept him as a Jinchūriki and as a friend - walked along that rickety bridge. The winds were picking up, changing the rains direction so it feel directly into their eyes as they walked forward. The rain also left the wooden bridges surface slick and slippery; with even Shin almost falling once going over. Gray and Shin reached the other side, and called for Harumi next. Shin thought the rain left the bridge to dangerous to cross with more than one person at a time, and Kenji found himself agreeing when he put a testing foot on the first horizontal plank. "Watch your footing," He reminded Harumi, the angelic smile she directed back at him bringing a quickening to his heart. "She's beautiful..." He thought, cheeks flushing. She brushed her hand across his cheek before beginning the crossing. The heavens opened more - if at all possible and the winds buffeted the bridge as though purposefully trying to knock her over the side. Gray watched the sky anxiously, muttering below his breathe which Shin only nodded agreement to. "Quickly, but carefully!" The Jōnin called over the howling wind. "Don't slip-" A single scream, quickly stifled with a soft groan reached Kenji's ears, and his legs moved of their own accord before his brain could even form the command. "Harumi!" He leapt forward and grasped her hand, slick with rain water and blood from where the wrist had snapped. Her right hand was trapped between two planks; his grip the only thing keeping her from tumbling into the raging tides below. He couldn't mistake the redness in her eyes as anything else than tears; and the sight only tightened his grip. Gray was being held back, Shin watching the scene with his body blocking off the bridge. "Don't be an idiot! That bridge on a dry day wouldn't hold three people, so what makes you think it will hold three now!? If you go now, you'll only be dooming yourself and your team-mates." The Sensei was torn, though. Gray was his nephew, so naturally he wanted to protect his flesh and blood. But as a Sensei he wanted to protect the children he was in charge of. "What can I do!?" The two watchers breathe caught in their throats, as two words floated from Harumi's lips... "Let go," They cast one another a look, and Shin summoned a water clone to keep Gray from moving and began edging his way across the wooden bridge; the wind billowing beside him and threatening to spill him over the side into the torrent below. Kenji's eyes were focused, but his shoulders shook with frustration. "Don't let me go...! Kenji!" Her voice, usually so musical, was immersed in fear; her sapphire eyes burning red with tears as her hand slipped from his grasp. "No! Harumi! Harumi!" And she was gone, her last words being an ear-piercing cry that began "Ken-" before being silenced by the rolling waves... Only Shin stopped Kenji leaping in after her, a hand so firm and strong that he couldn't break free of that hold even if he had of tapped the Two-tails for additional strength. With Kenji's painful roar, the heavens flashed; yellow lightning illuminating the heavens... She was gone. Gone. Dead. Back in the present... Kenji was snapped back to reality by Gray pulling him to the ground. Hitting his head, vision going shaky, Gray was over him. He spun, wind knocking aside projectiles as the red-haired Tokubetsu Jōnin as he spun in three quick circles. "Sensei! Go!" Shin moved towards the hulking Shinobi with a level of speed few managed to reach using the Body Flicker Technique. The hulking mass of muscle, surprisingly, moved well for one so big and side-stepped Shin's intended katana-strike, kicking him in the ribs as he passed by. Drool dropped down past his chin, and a lifelessness filled his bloodshot eyes. "Grrr." Was all the sound that escaped the mountain-like mans mouth. Kenji was on his feet, though, with Gray eying him sideways; a look of concern on his face. "I'm fine," Kenji said, keeping his gaze on the mountain of flesh and muscle standing a few feet from them. "You ready? I'll wrap him up, and you do the usual." As Kenji ran forward, engaging the man in Taijutsu, he soon found that his skill in that particular field was well beyond his own. But in a way, that played right into Kenji's hands. The fellow, obviously fighting through sheer instinct, capitalized on every opening presented without regard for a trap; allowing Kenji to utilize his secret weapon - dispensers of metal wire concealed beneath his black cape. Twining the wires around the fellows arm, and then neck and torso, Kenji took a quick yank and pulled the slim - but durable - wire taught. "Gray, your clear!" His voice was strained with the attempt to hold the man in place! Lacking a Sharingan to eliminate the tunnel vision experienced when using the Chidori, Gray required his foe to be held and restrained so he could hit them without them moving; thus eliminating the foes chance of easily avoiding it and leaving him wide open as a result. The lightning awoke upon his right hand, a sound reminiscent of chirping birds filling the air, as he set forth at a blistering pace to plunge the mass of electricity straight towards the fellows heart! Through sheer physical force, the fellow managed to move ever so slightly, the Chidori aimed for his vitals instead taking him in the left arm and drawing a tremendous amount of blood when Gray withdrew his palm from the point of entry. He moved away quickly, the fellow beginning to roar and growl; sounds very close to that of a beast. With the length of wire still tangled around the fellow, Kenji tied it off to the bottom of a Kunai and stabbed it into the ground. "Be seeing you," He seemed to literally vanish as flames consumed him, reappearing beside Gray as the wire caught fire and slowly spread, finally resulting in a large explosion as the combustible material that reacted to his Chakra alone took effect; casting a large smoke cloud to rise into the heavens. Shin moved closer to them, eyes focused on the blackened smoke cloud. He radiated readiness like a flame radiated heat, and his eyes turned yellow in coloration, with a black iris shaped like that of a Triskelion. That was his Kekkei Genkai, unique to those of the Kazuki Clan both Shin and Gray were part of. "Back up boys," Shin's tone was calm, but forceful. "This fellows a famous Missing-nin from Iwagakure; known by the name Yaban'na." A level of disdain entered his tone. "He fled his country after an argument with the Tsuchikage after killing one of his fellow Shinobi." Kenji and Gray did as they were told, watching as an angry expression fell across Shin's usually calm and collected face. "I'm not going to bother bringing you in," The older Shinobi stated, eyes revealing dark intentions. "Those who attack their own allies for the sheer pleasure of it are the lowest form of trash imaginable. You've got two choices, Yaban'na. Choose to chance the rapids, or dare to dance the tides." Kenji watched as Shin performed hand seals - Ox, Monkey, Hare, Rat, Boar, Bird, Ox, Horse, Bird, Rat, Tiger, Dog, Tiger, Snake, Ox, Ram, Snake, Boar, Ram, Rat, Yang Water, Monkey, Bird, Dragon, Bird, Ox, Horse, Ram, Tiger, Snake, Rat, Monkey, Hare, Boar, Dragon, Ram, Rat, Ox, Monkey, Bird, Yang Water, Rat, Boar and Bird - with a feeling of awe at the speed his Sensei performed them, the intensity of his eyes and how he never once left the figure stuck in front of him. "Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!" A dragon-shaped blast of water - smaller than its usual size, because of the lack of available water - flowed toward Yaban'na's position within the smoke cloud, crashing into with a great level of force that sent a lot of water flowing through the nearby trees. Dropping to one knee, Shin created a small electrical current and charged it through the water, executing the Discharge Lightning Calamity Technique; resulting in a sizable explosion that dwarfed the one created with Kenji's explosive wires. The two ran toward their Sensei, all smiles and congratulations, but Shins expression only darkened when he placed his finger upon the ground and rose. "Your are a tough one... Just like the rumors say." Yaban'na staggered forward, body completely covered in hard rock; a truly mocking smile spread across his face. "Kill... kill!" Even now, drool ran down his face. With a heavy sigh which shouted his dislike of what he was about to do, Shin formed a large amount of lightning elemental Chakra to his palm in a similar manner to that performed previously by Gray, only Shin's was much more concentrated. He blasted forward, but like Gray he suffered from the tunnel vision and Yaban'na's right handed back-hander caught him in the jaw and sent him tumbling; but as soon as he hit the ground, Shin's body returned to a liquid state. Kenji and Gray's eyebrows shot up when a lightning-covered hand came out through Yaban'na chest, with Shin positioned at his back. "You've lost your mind... and attacked with base instinct without a thought for the bigger picture. Why did I attack you from the front, knowing the limitations of that particular Jutsu? Because that was the diversion that hid the true attack." Shin lectured, withdrawing his blood-soaked hand and stepping back with a truly heartless expression. "Besides. Everyone knows earth is weakest to lightning, so your entire body just became a painted target sign for me." Yaban'na dropped with a heavy thud, muttering a final guttural growl; giving his last second over to the bestial nature that had made his feared for years. Removing a small data-book, Shin found the fellows alias and put a score through the name; before leading his students and team-mates away. "Damn," Gray managed to say, awe tinging his words. "He still looks like a stone to me, but when did you substitute yourself with the water clone?" Shin's face remained expressionless for a time, before he finally spoke. "When he kicked me in the ribs at the beginning." Surprised gasps rose among them. Neither could tell the difference, even though the real Shin had remained hidden for so long. Next Story > The Journey Seeking the Past Continues
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