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Post by Shu on Jan 9, 2014 0:40:55 GMT -5
The tanuki stumbled through the desert fortress in a dazed stupor, bumping into columns and tripping over his own two feet. As he aimlessly walked his mind struggled to process what transpired. The hardened mud that clung to his body was subconsciously discarded as layers of sand shed from him. Inaudible murmurs came from the tanuki, almost as if he were chanting.
It did not make sense. None whatsoever.
Tripping over a piece of rubble caused him to fall to the sand covered floor, the impact snapping him out of his daze. "She's alive," Shu said with disbelief as he picked himself up. Rinkō was alive. Yes, physically, he had been able to save her body from death, but her mind had been lost to him. Yet something in the last battle roused her to action. It did not last long, however. Just as soon as she had appeared Rinkō fell silent again.
For the next hour he called out to her, his thunderous voice blaring in his own mind. Still she would not answer him. Anger and frustration overtook him as his right arm took on its bestial state and he smashed through a nearby desk. His roar rattled the fortress, causing loose segments to collapse. Fortunately for the sand entombed hideout Shu was able to quell his temper before the entire fortress caved in on itself.
He needed a new plan.
Making his way to Rinkō's favorite location, the library, Shu dropped into a meditative stance. There was a fair bit of anxiety about what was to come next. Mainly because his contingency plan relied solely on Cezerny. After that, he had to hope Sio and Kurama had gotten enough of the tour to eventually find him. With a heavy sigh the tanuki found his resolve once more. If he was going to find Rinkō he would need to delve deep into his mind.
Farther than he ever dared to tread before.
Closing his eyes, Shu formed the ram seal and began to perform a technique not utilized in over six decades: Tanuki Neiri no Jutsu, the Feigning Sleep Technique. It did not take long for it to start affecting him. His body grew lighter and his thoughts just seemed to melt away into the black abyss. It only took a matter of seconds before the tanuki found itself plummeting into his subconscious, into the realm of dreams.
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The whistling of wind seemed to bring Shu back to life. It was only then had he noticed that he was being constantly bombarded by minuscule grains of…sand? His brow knitted as he struggled to open his eyes. His body felt heavy, as if he had been doused with water. He did not like this. Slowly his eyes opened to see nothing but sand whirling around. He was in a sandstorm, but something felt wrong. Unnatural.
The sand did not feel right.
With a wave of his hand he ordered the sand to come to a halt. To his great dismay his gesture did little more than swat a handful of the pesky grains away. His anger flared and he attempted to control the sands, flailing his arms around like some kind of dolt.
"I never thought it would be so amusing to see you so helpless," a familiar voice said followed by a light laugh. Shu froze when he heard the man speak, his face flushed.
"You're dead. I know that for a fact," Shu said with as much certainty as he could. Slowly he turned to face the man and his argument seemed to fall apart at the seams. There he stood, his red hair billowed as he crossed his arms. The same pale green eyes observing Shu stoically. "How? This cannot be real."
"No, it's a dream. Your dream, in fact," Gaara stated simply. In this state, he was as Shu preferred to remember him: in his prime. He was a grown man of average height, simply a more matured version of himself, and known through all the world as a phenomenal kage. "That is an interesting form you have taken," he said pointing out that Shu was still in the form of Shōgō.
"The hell?" the tanuki queried as he attempted to assume his true form, but to no avail.
"No matter. We have to get moving," Gaara said as he walked past Shu. It was then that he saw the strangest thing with this version of the late Kazekage. The symbol over his left eye had been changed. No longer was it the symbol of love, "Ai." No, it was something far more unnerving.
有罪
YŪZAI "Guilt"
"Come, Shukaku. We don't have a lot of time," Gaara said as he glanced back over his shoulder.
…to be continued
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Post by Shu on Jan 9, 2014 1:03:52 GMT -5
Shu followed behind the Dream Gaara as they made their way through the sandstorm, his annoyance with the situation clear as day. For one, he immediately remembered how annoying Gaara tended to be, just the way he acted in general. Always so blunt. What frustrated the tanuki even more was that this Gaara was still capable of controlling sand, repelling the sand around them, but he was still powerless. The Incarnation of Sand. Suna no Shukaku, helpless in a desert. What kind of fuckery was this?
"Relax. It is only natural for you to struggle at something you have no experience with," the Gaara said simply as if he had read Shu's thoughts, which was not above the realm of possibilities. "This is your first time dreaming, after all."
"You should know full well my power over dreams! My influence over them is unmatched," Shu barked. There was a reason that all of his hosts had developed insomnia. It was not because of any special force that came from Shukaku. It was simply fear. He tore into their minds, preying on their fears and insecurities, driving them to madness. Gaara proved to be the most fun, though. Even after the child had given up on sleep Shu still preyed on him. He pretended to be his mother. Coaxing him to embrace his anger and hatred for humanity, praising him whenever another life was taken, the crueler the better. With enough time, Gaara would have been the perfect puppet. Then that Uzumaki brat had to interfere. "Be grateful that I allowed you the privilege of sleep."
"I was not slighting you, Shukaku," Gaara stated as he stopped and turned to the tanuki. "You have experience invading and manipulating the dreams of others, but not your own. I have known you for over seven decades. Not once have you truly slept." Shu was going to retort but Gaara shot him a look that made him question his argument. "You have feigned sleep several times, but you always remained alert. I imagine the same can be said for your siblings." Siblings. Family. Gaara was the one to instill such a mindset in him. He felt it was more respectful than referring to them as bijū. "That is why you cannot control the sand. Because you do not have control over this dream."
"Then I will take control!" Shu snapped.
"Perhaps, in time," Gaara said simply. "Until then you will remain stuck in the prison crafted from your own guilt," he pointed at Shu, referencing his Bijūtsukai form. "But that is why I am here. Your subconscious created me to serve as your guide in this dream, just as I did while I was alive." He turned back to face the surrounding storm and with a wave of his hand it parted, creating a pathway for them. "I will lead you to Rin, but it will be up to you to bring her back."
With that Gaara resumed walking with Shu following shortly after. He still did not like the situation, being powerless, but his mission was clear. It was unlikely that an opportunity like this would present itself again. Rinkō's mind was active enough to come to his aide in a time of stress, but there was no telling if that would ever happen again.
Failure was not an option. Not again.______________
Shu lost track of how long they had been walking. The storm had died down severely, more of a consistent gust of sand than the shit show that was happening before. However, the desert simply traded one type of harsh weather for another. The sun beat down on them with a ferocity Shu never knew possible. To make matters worse, it appeared that he had truly taken human form as he continued to perspire. It almost made him feel sorry for the flesh bags. Almost being the key word.
Nevertheless, he would persevere.
"I must admit it is nice seeing you so…," Shu started to say before pausing to find an appropriate adjective. "Not decrepit or dead."
"I see you're sense of tact remains as unpolished as ever," Gaara said with an amused huff. "But this form does bring back fond memories." With a wave of his hand the desert seemed to shift and the heat started to rise. To his left he could see ripples in the air as a mirage formed. It was Gaara and the Uzumaki brat, both in their thirties. The Kazekage had just finished explaining the rules of their "spar" which simply equated to not going full beast. The mirage seemed to shift into a montage, showing highlights of the numerous battles the two kage had together. More importantly it was memories of when Shu and Gaara worked together as partners. Neither was subservient to the other. They were brothers in arms. Friends. To the right another mirage formed showing scenes of Kurokawa, a general in the Kaze no Kuni army. When the Daimyō declared his heir to be his daughter he lead a revolt against the empire, taking a portion of the army in his defection. Kaze no Kuni was close to erupting into civil war because of his rebellion, and when Sunagakure was called to defuse the situation only one shinobi came, Gaara. Per usual, he attempted to resort things peacefully by talking to Kurokawa, but the general would hear nothing of it. Saddened by the man's arrogance and those that followed him Gaara and Shu proceeded to exterminate the army with ruthless efficiency. "We were a good team. But it could not last forever. Nor did I have any desire that it should continue."
"What?" Shu questioned at the last statement. By this point he was sweating buckets, the heat now at levels that he could no longer put on a strong front.
Gaara turned and looked at him, directly into his eyes as if he were reviewing his soul. "We were too alike," he stated. "Looking at you was like viewing my own reflection. So full of loathing towards humanity, and rightly so. The lust for death and bloodshed was something that I never truly overcame, even in my old age. Like the desert, we are ruthless and harsh," Gaara said mimicing the words he once spoke to the tanuki, back when he became his host once more. "I understood how you thought. I understood why. I understood you. I had hoped to become an oasis for you, a refuge to help heal your pain," he walked closer to Shu, still observing his eyes. "But that was not my role to fill."
With a wave of his hand the sand behind him began to shift, rising and folding in on itself until it formed into a multi-storied sand building. At its entrance a large black door made of iron with the kanji for "oasis" written above it.
"No, my role was to serve as an example for you. To show you of the kind of change you were capable of. I am living proof that monsters do not have to remain as monsters." Shu's gaze fell to the ground, the memory of the night the Bijūtsukai attacked coming to mind. He had not changed one bit. "Do not doubt yourself," Gaara said as if reading his thoughts. "You have changed, old friend. Your feelings of guilt speak that loud and clear. That alone fills me with pride. But you have a long road ahead of you. Now that you are being given a second chance to make good on the promise you made to me. Protect her. Prove that I was right about you."
At those words, Shu's eyes shifted from those of the Bijūtsukai to those of his true form. The heat no longer seemed to bother him as he looked from Gaara to the building before him. "You always did enjoy the sound of your own voice," Shu said as a smirk formed. "Don't worry. I fucked up once. I will not allow it to happen a second time."
With that said the tanuki marched forward and placed a hand on the metal door. It resisted him at first but Shu would not let something so trivial stop him. With a hefty push the door pushed open and he stumbled into a world of darkness, Gaara following right behind him.
…to be continued
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Post by Shu on Jan 9, 2014 1:14:32 GMT -5
Shu had grown accustomed to darkness. The realm that served as both his prison and his home while bound to his jinchūriki was always dark. Even before he was sealed into the first host there was the kettle, which was even darker than the seals. However, nothing could compare to this. There was zero visibility. He could not even see his own hand in front of his face. It was as if this place was rejecting him, weighting him down and compelling him to leave. If this was in fact Rinkō's mind then he understood. He had to be the last person she would want on and in her mind at this point. He had betrayed her trust. However, he could not let her waste away like this.
He would save her. Anything from there would be her choice.
"Gaara," Shu spoke out as he continued to press forward. While neither of them had spoken for a while Shu knew that he was still around. The ground was still made of sand so he could feel that he was following behind him at least. "Why did you choose her?"
"You mean, 'why did I not choose any of my children?'" Gaara surmised as they continued to trek through the darkness. There was a silence that Gaara took as affirmation that he was correct. It was not an uncommon question, one that sparked quite a controversy within his inner circle and the village. "I did not want to burden them with the weight of my footsteps. It was my desire that they grow into their own. Not to mimic mine."
"Do not bullshit me, Gaara," Shu's voice was stern and unamused. "Your family might have bought that story, but I know you just as well as you know me." He stopped and turned around to face the late Kazekage, and to his mild surprise he could see him through the darkness. "You wanted to spare your ilk the burden. Instead passing me on to your brother's brood."
"Do you think so little of me?" Gaara questioned, an anger from within him began to grow. "Do you think so little of yourself? I would not allow anyone access to you if I did not deem them worthy." He extended his hand to the left and the sand began to churn. Two figures arose from the sand, illuminated enough that they were clearly visible in the darkness. One of them was Gaara, a little older than the appearance he donned now, roughly in his mid-forties. The other figure was Rinkō, small, a mere child.
"Tell me a story, Ōojisama1," Rinkō said with an eager smile.
"Do you wish to hear about the war again?" the older Gaara asked as he started walking yet moved nowhere. "You do love to hear about them," he said with a light laugh.
"Hm," she stopped following him, pondering her options. She did love those stories. Especially the ones involving the Jūbi. "Nah. Can you tell me about him?" Gaara stopped and looked at the child questioningly. "Him," she pointed directly at Gaara, her eyes staring directly into his. "Shukaku-san."
Gaara remained silent for a moment as he looked at the child. Studying her motives. "He is my closest friend and my greatest enemy," he said simply after finding what he wanted to know. She just wanted to know about the tanuki. There was not a care in the world about the power he wielded. She simply wanted to know about the being living within her grand-uncle. The pure fascination in her eyes just from that sentence alone was enough to reassure him. The only other people he knew that did not view the Bijū as monsters were Naruto and a handful of other jinchūriki.
"I saw the potential in her that day," the dream Gaara said as the figures faded into sand. "Unlike my children, Rin did not feel entitled to you. At the end of the day she simply wanted to know you," he said as he raised his right hand. The sand churned once more depicting the scene of when Gaara first brought her into the mental plane to meet him. A fresh genin at the time, there was not an ounce of fear in her when she laid eyes on the tanuki. Instead she was ecstatic, nervous, and almost overly polite. The memory caused Shu to smile a little. "So I took her under my wing. Guided her." More scenes from their past began to display with the wave of his hands. Random talks between Gaara and her, more visits to the realm of the seal, training sessions where she was learning to control her kekkei genkai, and many more scenes of Rinkō's life as she grew up. "I still remember what you told me about that priest. How he believed someone would guide you to the light. I am that guide and she is your light."
The sand figures all faded away leaving only the two of them once more. Shu's eyes turned to Gaara once more and to his complete surprise the kanji on his forehead had changed.
"What is the meaning of this?" Shu demanded, unamused by the change, but Gaara simply smiled and shook his head.
"Even in death I can still guide you when you need me most," he said as he crossed his arms and his body began to slowly dissipate. "I have done what I can to lead her mind back to this place. Now is your only chance to fix this," Gaara said before fading away completely and allowing complete darkness to take over this place once again.
There was a shift in the darkness. It did not feel as oppressive as it did before, no longer seeming to push him away. No, instead he simply felt watched.
"Why have you come here?" Rinkō asked, her voice coming from a distance. Shu turned to face her, catching only a glimpse before she melted into the darkness.
"I'm here to bring you back. I came for you," Shu answered as he looked around, seeing nothing but black. The only response he received was a laugh that reverberated in the dark.
"Why do you care?" she queried from behind Shu, the distance closing a little. "You never liked me. In all the time we spent together. So why would you want to save me?" she continued to walk the perimeter around the tanuki. "Why now?"
Shu remained silent for a moment.
"When the attack happened I saw a shot at freedom. I thought about taking it," he answered honestly. "Freedom had been on my mind since Gaara died, and there was my chance."
"So you took it," she surmised before slipping into the darkness.
"No. I remembered my promise to Gaara. To protect you. But in my hesitation the seal had been undone. I acted too late," Shu explained. He felt miserable as he recalled her pained face as she called out to him for help. Yet, he found it so amusing at the time. The great and powerful Rinkō asking him for help. "
"I remember that night vividly. It was my last memory, one that has haunted me all this time. Had Ōojisama not appeared," her voice faded into the black, a pain evident in her words.
"I am sorry," Shu spoke earnestly.
There was a long silence after that.
"The funny thing is," Rinkō said as she appeared to the right of him. "As my mind wandered in this limbo, I could never bring myself to hate you for what happened." She walked around him, looking him up and down as if she could see perfectly clear. Shu remained silent but he observed her. "I was more upset at my own weakness," she laughed to herself. "Were I stronger you would never have been put in a situation like that in the first place." Rinkō stopped in front of him, eying him curiously. For whatever reason, she looked smaller now. "Ōojisama made me promise the same thing. To protect you. So from my perspective we're both failures."
Shu laughed, his voice shifting to that of his real voice.
"So it seems, but he appears to be giving us a second chance," Shu said as he realized that he was now in his true form rather than that of the Bijūtsukai.
"Yes, but from now on we need to work together. I thought I knew what it meant to be your oasis before. I thought it meant that I had to protect you from the world. Keeping you locked away. Safe," she admitted. "That is why I never called upon your power. But I was wrong. I see that now."
Shu remained silent as he observed the woman.
"I needed to be your partner, a friend. Not your sentinel," Rinkō stated as she looked at the tanuki. "I would like to change that."
"A clean slate then?" Shu said as he shifted forms to the Bijūtsukai, a smirk on his face and a hand extended, the gesture alone catching the woman off guard.
"A clean slate," she said as she hugged him instead. ______________
Almost immediately Shu's eyes shot open as his consciousness returned. His golden eyes shifted from side to side, scanning the area for any abnormalities. He was awake now. "Did it work?" he seemingly asked to nobody as he rose to his feet. "Wake up. You've been sleeping for half a year. That's more than enough time for your beauty sleep."
He was met with more silence.
A chilling thought ran through his mind. It didn't work. He felt weak. Even more so than when he was in the dream. All of that.
For nothing.
And then he felt a strange sensation in his torso. At that moment the sand in the room seemed to come to life swirling into a small whirlwind in front of him. Just as quickly as it formed it dissipated, leaving a cloaked woman in its wake. Upon laying eyes on her Shu was at a loss for words, his shocked expression telling that clearly.
"Sorry," Rinkō said as she looked over her form. "It's going to take me a little bit to get a hang of using sand. Very different than using Jiton," she said before looking at the dumbfounded Shu. "What? Is something wrong?"
1Ōojisama = Great uncle
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