Post by Matsunaga Ryūnosuke on Mar 26, 2013 11:12:44 GMT -5
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[Flashback]
Matsunaga Compound
Day before Showdown
"Ryunosuke...your father would like to speak to you."
His mother knocked twice and waited a moment before she peaked in from the doorway, afraid of what she might find. The last several times of failing to do so ended terribly. Looking over his shoulder at the woman in the doorway, Ryunosuke wondered what it was that his father wanted. He had been acting strange the past week--everyone had. It was as if they were trying to keep something from him. Something bad.
Ryunosuke finally nodded in response to his mother.
"I'll be right there."
With that said, the young Matsunaga turned and left the room--quickly hurrying toward his father's room. It was the longest trip down the hallway he had ever taken; every step he took increased his paranoia. Had he done something bad? His eyes widened--surely he wasn't a father to be!? If that were the case he wouldn't be one for long after his father got a hold of him...he wouldn't be anything at all!
Stopping in front of the door, he waited a moment or two before knocking. Using that time, he quickly calmed himself and prepared for whatever hell that he was about to be flung into. New Kazekage or not, Fujin's wrath couldn't be more fearsome than what he was about to witness!! You could almost cut the tension with a knife as Haruo slowly turned to face his son.
"Ryunosuke...it's good to see you." Haruo greeted his son briefly before promptly getting down to business. "Do you know why it is that I called for you?" he asked, watching his son's expression curiously. He looked nervous--did he actually know what was going on? He wasn't exactly surprised when the man shook his head, though.
"Ryunosuke...it is time."
Ryunosuke raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean, 'it is time'? You're not telling me that..." the younger Matsunaga's eyes widened upon realizing what was happening. This was not happening--there was no way. The 'time' in which his father was apparently speaking was the time in was a Matsunaga tradition that had been performed for hundreds of years. He recalled his father explaining it to him one day during lessons.
"When a man of the Matsunaga clan nears the end of his days as an effective warrior and has taught his offspring all he knows, the two must meet in combat--loser pays with their life."
Ryunosuke frowned.
"Do we really have to do this father?" he asked, looking regretful. Haruo nodded sternly. "Yes...and you're stupid for even asking. We're Matsunaga, boy. I still have one last thing to teach you...and you're going to learn it." he replied, his eyes glinting with anger. "Even if it kills you." For a split second, Ryunosuke felt a pang of fear...but it disappeared as quickly as it showed.
"If you want to be called Kazekage...you will meet me in the arena tomorrow when the sun is at it's peak. And you will win."
Haruo turned back to face the window.
"See you then."
Just like that that....it was over. There was no discussing--no debating or even hope of changing his mind. He was going to have to fight his father. Thinking about it only for a second, he sighed at the thought of it all. Why was there a need for so much pointless death when there were perfectly good bandits out in the desert to mangle? Ryunosuke bowed his head respectfully and left the room. As he passed the doorway, he turned his head to look back at his father. "May the best man win."
"Indeed."
The day went by quickly after that, Ryunosuke having kept himself busy to try and avoid thinking about having to kill his father. He had been to several of these before, as his father was the clan leader himself. Every one of them ended more or less the same. One thing was always certain. And that was death. It was something that the Matsunaga were to grow accustomed to--welcome even under the right circumstances. It was not to be feared. The man snapped back to reality, laying in bed and staring at the ceiling.
"This could very well be my last night on Earth." he mumbled before chuckling slightly. "And I'm not spending it with a woman. I guess I really can't go and die now..." he thought to himself before drifting off to sleep. His dreams that night were filled with the clashing of steel and will. He dreamt of two fearsome warriors fighting tooth and nail for survival--neither one daring to budge an inch.
Ryunosuke woke up and looked outside to find that it was still slightly dark outside. Knowing he would be unable to fall back asleep, the man sat at the edge of his bed and thought deeply about what was to happen today. It was a normal part of life for them--it wasn't as if he hadn't known this day would come. He just couldn't wrap his head around the concept of it all--just what was there to gain from this? One final lesson that cost a life?
"Ah shit. Whatever happened to reading a scroll?" he asked himself, running a hand through his hair.
He wasn't afraid to fight--that wasn't it at all. Fighting was the one thing that Ryunosuke was quite sure he could do better than most anyone. What bothered him was his opponent, his own father. The thought of his own possible death didn't do much to impede the process. Most Matsunaga feared death as much as the common desert lizard and Ryunosuke was no exception.
Ryunosuke's head jerked toward the door with a start as a knock on his door echoed through his room. "Yeah?" he mumbled. "Do you want breakfast?" his mother called out through the door. Quickly getting out of his bed, he made his way to the door. Opening it, he met his mothers eyes for a second or two. "No thanks, mother...I'm not hungry." he replied, shaking his head. "Where's father?" he asked, glancing around the room.
"Already gone..."
"Guess I should head out soon, then."
It took him a matter of minutes to get ready for his midday death match. He slipped into his clothes and headed out the front door--pausing for a moment as he passed through. Turning to look back at his mother for a moment, he had trouble reading her. "...sorr-" he started but was interrupted. "Don't say it. It's not going to do a bit of good--just go and do what you must, Ryunosuke." he responded, a small fragile smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. There were tears in her eyes, try as she might to fight them back. "I'll make peace with whatever the outcome may be." she added.
Nodding, Ryunosuke closed the door behind him, setting out to learn the last thing his father had to teach him. He walked through the Matsunaga compound, his mind barely able to contain all the thoughts in his head. The trip hadn't taken very long, only about fifteen minutes. He could see the large building in which their battle would take place.
Stopping at it's door, Ryunosuke bowed his head for a moment, collecting his thoughts.
"Here we go!"
Throwing the door open, Ryunosuke walked in. Immediately he caught sight of his father, sitting down at the very end of the arena, obviously waiting for his son to show up. The area in which they were fighting was a circle that was 25 yards in diameter with seats all around so the masses could view this momentous occasion.
Ryunosuke walked to the opposite edge, his eyes never leaving his father. He watched him for a few moments, unsure of what to say...or if there was even anything that could be said in this kind of moment. The two were about to meet in the middle of this arena with the intent to kill eachother. A gong would sound, causing the two men to jerk their heads over to the source.
Seated on the east side of the building, the council was watching with morbidly curious looks on their faces. They stared down at them, everyone holding their breath as the two men slowly looked back down at each other. The Kazekage's face didn't show a single hint of regret shown for what was about to happen.
This was it--everything he had been taught in life had led to this very moment. A showdown between father and son that should have never been. An important lesson that Matsunaga Ryunosuke was about to learn the hard way, even if he didn't want to learn it. He looked into his father's eyes--they were very different. Wild and angry...like an animal.
He had seen those eyes only twice before--each time he had...someone died. Ryunosuke seemed to be stuck, his father staring at him with murder in his eyes--his killing intent evident. The younger Matsunaga swallowed a lump in his throat, unsure of what he was about to do. "Where's the honor in this?" he asked almost out of nowhere.
His father, not taking his eyes off the man, shook his head. "You stupid boy-" he started. Ryunosuke's eyes flashed with anger, tired of being referred to as 'boy'. His father had done that for years...but there was something different about it now--no underlying emotion. The only thing he could feel now was anger. Still, it pissed him off more than anything. "I'm not a child!" he cried out.
Without missing a beat, Haruo shouted a retort.
"You are as long as I'm still alive, boy."
"Where's the honor in this, you ask?" Haruo nearly scoffed. "For me this has nothing to do with honor!" he shouted. Narrowing his eyes, Ryunosuke clenched his fists. "Then what exactly are you fighting for!?" he cried out, frustrated.
No answer was given.
"WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR!?"
GONG~!
The Kazekage charged forward.
"Victory or death~!"
[Battle Music]
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