An Odd Beginning: Training for the End

I found my clothes scattered around the bank of river and put them on one by one and after I finished I walked across the water to where Skar was and began following him into the tent where my ancestor was standing on the other side of a table with a map on it. On the map there were many kunai sticking out of map and then after Skar vocalized the question my ancestor responded in a way that made me angry, I yelled out to him from behind the kage "You're just going to randomly assault a village that may be weak because of a change in government?! You're....You're.." I saw Skar looking at me to control my anger and my ancestor was looking at me like he was about to explode. I controlled my anger and continued with a poker face on to hide my true feelings "You're a genius, they'll never see it coming." I kept my head down and fists clenched trying to control my anger, the fact that he was just going to randomly attack a village because 'It was weak, and this was opportune.' made me angry to no end, he was just going to attack innocent people? This man can't be related to me.

I began to take a step towards Zenshi as I could sense his anger flaring. After listening to him cover his up his anger with a lie, I was slightly impressed to say the least. He knew what he had to do in order to defuse the situation and do what was necessary, despite what his personal feelings may have been, and he performed to the letter. He was learning. I put my hand on his left shoulder and turned around to walk out of the tent, turning my head over my shoulder to bid the general fairwell, "We need to prepare for battle. I will see you at dusk, my friend." The general nodded and went back to his stratagizing, and we walked back to our tent. The return to the tent was silent. My heart filled with anger, and my body filled with fatigue and grief. The sounds and emotions of battle filled the camp. They were uneasy, and had every right to be. Because even if they won this final battle, many of them would lose their lives in the process. And those who lived, they wouldn't be done yet. They would have to turn their attention to Harikengakure to begin the bloodshed once more. It was a terrible lifestyle, forced upon them by a leader that didn't respect their lives, and only thought of dominance. He was an excellent leader, and appearingly so a charismatic, and worthwhile friend. But he lacked the care necessary to be truly successful. He did not respect peace.

At the tent, I prepared myself for battle. I dropped into push-ups, and asked my student to join me. I had hoped with the sentimentality and seriousness of the situation at hand, he would join me without question. I worked my body for hours, not stopping until I could go no further. My muscles now stretched and in their prime, the light outside began to fade as the sun grew closer to the horizon. A frown stung my face, as I knew the battle was closing in, and the fate of this village would come to terms. I decided to lay down to rest my muscles. After an hour-long nap, I awoke to the beating of drums outside the tent. Each beat echoed through the camp, calling every soldier to prepare for war and meet in the line forming near the northern gate.

I slid my bracer up over my right arm, and tied it securely in place. At the whetstone near the outside of my tent, I sharpened each of my claws, preparing them for battle. I placed tape around each of my fingers, and then around my ribs in order to hold the bones in place and prevent shattering. Overtop of the tape, I laid a layer of steel chainmail I had picked up at the soldier's basic armory. Over that, I laid a thick suit of armor fit for the samurai of old. It was heavy, but my immense strength held it with ease and dignity. Granted, this was only an interactive memory, so these items could not return with me to the outside world. I looked to the other side of the tent, and gave Zenshi a nod. I walked out of the tent to see lines of soldiers walking in unison towards the gate. There were hundreds of them, determination lining their weary faces.

It was time for battle.

Two lands, each with so much in common, yet, on this day, were separated by dangerous and differing ideologies. Their geography so close, yet couldn't be further apart in the grand scale of things. The humid skies that would hover the late night's eve of Harikengakure would be tainted crimson, the smell of death shattering the foundation of a land once dominated by peace.

The scene fades to black, the sound of footsteps could be heard rhythmically pacing their way closer to the forever zero. The dark begins to fade as the footsteps stop, only two feet in view. The dark winds howl as dust peels its way across the terrain just in front of this mystery figure. Silence fills the air. Then finally sound. A sound of the beginning. A body falls to where his feet are, a face of a soldier, pure white as his eyes have rolled into the world beyond the living. His mouth gaping as blood runs from his slit throat, the final one has been slaughtered.

The scene begins to make itself known as the view begins to fade out, the world beginning to see the collateral damage of simple kunai pressed in the map. The once two feet begin to shape into something more, a body taking shape. The breeze tears through as clenching fists appear, one holding a blade dripping in the victory of the lost soul beneath him. His face begins to take form, a crest dawning the symbol of a nation victorious against the first assault. The Hidden Hurricane. His green hair flowing with the wind, his cloak swaying with a nation to his back. His eyes glare with ferocity towards a nation testing his will. If it was a fight they wanted, it was what they would get. This New generation of Kage was a different breed. Aggressive, tough, and built to battle. This was the new Shiokage, anxious to test his might to the world. His intense sky blue eyes shifted to a glow. The glow of yellow. He began walking as he sheathed his blade, strumming handseals along the way. None of his men spoke to him as he drifted out of sight. This attempt at this game of chess would be short lived, for checkmate was over the horizon.

I saw my sensei gesture to me and join him in conditioning our bodies for the upcoming battle. My normally jocking and casual self had turned into a solider, doing nothing but preparation. I had to stop conditioning before my kage because of his greater strength he could go at it much longer than I could and I spent this time experimenting with my chakra type, trying to discover creative ways to use my boil release on the battlefield. After a lot of time and energy I had come up with a pretty good arsenal of boil release jutsu but now I had to rest. After sleeping for about an hour I heard the beating of the drums of battle, signaling the start of troop collection. I got up and went to prepare myself. I saw my kage was going with a more heavy armor approach but I preferred to be lighter on my feet. I had on a t-shirt and over top that I threw on steel chainmail followed by a flak jacket to give more protection without sacrificing speed. I sheathed slicer and dicer and followed my kage to the line up of troops. Time for one hell of a battle.

The waiting was gruesome. I stood in the front of the line alongside the other Dovahkiin soldiers. Being amongst my former family warmed my heart. This was a time before the Dovahkiin were nearly wiped out, and I favored every moment of it. The cold air of night surrounded the hundreds of troops, as the sun hid from the eyes of prying men. The breath of every man formed small, visible puffs from their noses and mouths as the heat escaped their bodies. On some men, there was determination and grit. They were willing to fight to the bitter end for whatever cause they had enlisted for, whether it be family or glory. And then some other men were coated with fear, frozen with the spiteful realization that many of their fates would come to fruition on this bloody night. The minutes drug on into hours as every pair of watchful eyes gazed over the horizon, hanging on the edge of every moment, waiting to see the enemy cross their lines of vision. My eyes were gently closed. I patiently waited, focusing on every breath I took, forcing them to slow and calm. I could smell the fear on the men around me, and I pitied them. To look onto death as an intimidating foe? I could not understand that concept. Death is a strange thing, full of mystery and unknowing. To have the privilege of life is only part of my story, but to have the privilege of what comes after would come to be the second chapter of my life. But that would come at a much later date, for now, I cherished the life I live. I would come to meet Death, but not as an enemy. As an old friend.

A horn sounded in the distance as a blur on the edge of my vision appeared. As it drew closer, I began to be able to pick out pikes, katana, and axes. Men lined with armor and war supplies, and men on horses. Banners raised overhead sported large lightning bolts, the symbol of Arashigakure. They had arrived. The men around me straightened their postures and gripped the hilts of their weapons. Battle was among us now, and we were all ready, whether we wanted to be or not. I began charging chakra into my throat, and I widened my wings, as did the other Dovahkiin around me. Bloodlust flashed in the eyes of the Dovahkiin officers, as they prepared to meet fate in a head-on collision. Must run in the family. Stepping in front of the army was Shogun Kenko, Zenshi's distant ancestor. An immensely talented leader of men, with one fatal flaw. He thrived for war. With a smirk on his face and a wink at the army at his back, he grabbed his huge blade and ran forward with a yell that would melt the fear of his entire force of soldiers away in seconds. "For the forest! For the rebellion!" In a second, the entire mass of soldiers behind him let out blood-curtling screams and sprinted at the enemy themselves. It wouldn't be long until the two armies clashed, the the fate of the forest would be decided.

The coastal shores of the Land of Vines lay quiet to the sounds of human involvement as the echoes of crashing waters folded as waves off the sand. Water stretched its way up the sandy foundations, making its way to a rather quiet and more importantly, abandoned camp site. One would think an almighty power banished souls from the refuge, and it would be true, atleast somewhat anyway. As the waves began to bring themselves in, the company of the deceased would join them. What would start with a single body, seconds later turned to dozens following suit.

Just moments before the water filled graveyard, only a few piercing sounds could be heard. Metal clashing, and the terror of roars; mythical beasts said to be feeding their ancient thirst for battle. The familiar set of steps, that had previously left the grace of home, had made their way into enemy territory. Standing around his second victory of the night, from the coast, the new Shiokage stared into the distance. The smell of war was ripe, and whether they wanted him to or not, the man known as Dominic Edrick was going to enter it. There was nothing but mere revenge on his mind...

Well shit, here goes nothing. Right at the blast of the horn I drew slicer and dicer and dove into the fray of battle while charging futton chakra into my throat. Eventually I hit a mob of the enemy soldiers along with a few of my comrades. The one I was confronting had nothing but a katana and with his heavy armor he was pretty easily dispatched. He would swing down at me with his blade with all his might, which I dodged by side stepping and then planting the heel of my right foot on the blade keeping it down and then shoving slicer into the tiny opening in his heavily armored helmet and with an audible crack and pop I bursted his eyes and the bridge of his nose. He fell to the ground screaming in agony and I went and stood above his head, reached down and pulled off his helmet revealing his neck and head. I ended his life by slowly and brutally dragging slicer deeply through his throat sending blood spurting everywhere. I looked around the chaotic battlefield, now coated in my enemies blood, searching for my next target in the ancient battle of my people.

As the katon chakra in my throat reached its peak, the onslaught would begin. The Dovahkiin forces collided with the enemy in a wild blur of blood and screaming. Claws ripped at throats, fangs gnashed out, and wings blotted out the sun, scoring a dark shadow to accompany the grey clouds of war. I felt my hand rip through the stomach of one of my enemies, feeling the cold air touch my fingertips as my arm bore out through the other side of his body. My golden dragon eyes flashed through the visual field of countless adversaries, being the last things they would ever see before meeting a gruesome demise.

"Yol Toor Shul!" Rang from my throat and echoed into the air around me, stopping several soldiers in their tracks from fright. A large fireball flew from my mouth, swirling in a deadly plume of flames. On its path, it engulfed several enemies, burning them to the bone. They screamed and writhed as my fire did its work. My heart began to beat faster as the rage of bloodlust filled my soul. I became enraged, yet I was weary. I was frightened. I had not known why at the time, but for the first time in years, I was actually scared. The end of this village was about to come to fruition, and I was going to be caught it in no matter how gruesome. This spell was not able to end until all those involved died, meaning Zenshi and I would have no choice but to succumb to a similar fate. The clouds grew darker, and rain began to pour. The wind picked up and whipped my hair around which sent a chill down my spine. I began to perform handseals for my next move. There was a storm coming.

280/320

The night grew strained with death and stained with blood, the war between two mass armies in the forefront. The forest trees were singing their final song as the battlefield was about to get complicated. The man now entering was neither concerned for the side of either army, for he was his own army. As soldiers of the Land of Snakes began taking to the tree tops, a group of Oaku ninja began to race towards the Arashi, about to meet in an airborne forest bout. Or so they thought anyway....

As the dozens of men jumped from their final limbs and branches to meet with cold steel and blazing jutsu, a flash of green light erupted at their clash. The sound metal indeed clashed, but there was no solid sound of landing made by any of the unfortunate few. Instead, the rain of falling corpses would tear and break the foundations of the Oak, crimson stains and shattering bones of dismay interrupting the what would be final verse of this wretched battlefield. However, upon the landing of the bodies, the victor was not present among the area, having moved on to the next chosen to slaughter. Chaotic screams of ally and enemy alike would ensue in the distance, the Eagle had hovered its prey for long enough. It was attacking, and the malicious nature was far too gruesome for even the most experienced soldier to fathom....

I would get struck in the back by a blade, not deep, but enough to send pain down my body. I would turn back to see a man lightly armored like myself, this would be his downfall. I would expel from my mouth a cone of boiling water straight into the mans eyes causing him to yell out in pain. I would then stab both slicer and dicer into his stomach and lift him into the air before yanking out with them, successfully cutting him in half and raining myself with blood. I would then get hit in the back by a shuriken causing me to yell out in pain. I looked back and swung slicer at the man cutting his throat. I was being surrounded and this was going to hell fast, if only I was stronger I could assist more in the battle.

Spoiler:

150/160

As I was connected to my student's mind in this visionary training, I felt his pain as he was struck in the back. Worry filled my heart, and I my plan to aid him went into effect immediately. Taking the scroll from my back and laying it across the ground, I would prick a hole in my finger with one of my claws and slap the middle of the scroll. Arising from a cloud of smoke came my largest summon into existence, Sentouki. Immediately after the summoning, I would be distracted by a large number of enemies pressing an assault on me. Angered, I unfurled my wings and flew at them. With a single punch, I shattered the ribcage of one of my adversaries, my strength being unmatched throughout these lands. I then would spin to rip a man's throat out with my claws, spewing blood all over my arm. During this, I would also begin charging chakra into my bracer, preparing the jutsu gifted to me by the current Hebikage. After dispatching of a few more enemies, I would turn to my huge fox. "Go! Find Zenshi, and help in any way you can. Now!"

The man known as Zenshi on this day would meet his fate, courtesy of Harikengakure. It would happen so fast, that not even the gods could counter and the dreams of a soul so young, would meet the fate of generations past. Just as he thought the throat cut of his adversary was the end to his worry, the sound of feet pressing the grass would be front and center before him, the emitting of a bright blue light in his peripheral vision. By the time Zenshi would turn his head back towards the illumination, his memory of this world would come to an end.

A flash of green would blast towards Zenshi, mixing with the bright sapphire, a hue of mixture that he would never see blend. The blast would slam into his face, and everything he would know came to an abrupt end. Call it fate, or destiny, all that was determined was just how fragile life could be. The blast would tear through the man's former identity, leaving nothing more than his chest, and shoulders down. A lifeless corpse to be buried, nothing more than a mere tragedy of war. The man responsible had a blade in the opposing hand, charging for his grand finale. As he dismantled the body of Zenshi, he would once again disappear in a flash. He was set to join his companion in the sky.

I came from the realm in which I stayed in an instant, listened to my summoner, and obeyed without hesitation. Normally, I would let him know how inferior to me he is as a joke of course, but it was not the time for that. I was summoned into a war situation. I was bred for times like this, and began to fight immediately. I charged to Skar's companion Zenshi as fast as I could, crushing the skulls of many soldiers with each thunderous paw on the way there.

But.. I was too late.

I got there as fast as I could, but as I arrived, there was a flash of green.. and Zenshi was no more. The lower half of his body was all that remained, as the top half melted away. Terror struck my face, and I ran back to Skar to help in any way I could. I began charging chakra. I needed to fight for Skar now, it was too late for Zenshi. Too late to save him.

I was fighting with all I had, killing many soliders with my blades leaving many widows and bastard children back at their homeland. I wasn't thinking of any of this though, nothing but the thrill of the fight. I could feel the adrenaline in my body, the rush of power I felt after each kill as well as the fear I felt everytime another agressor would charge at me. I loved it, the rush I was experiencing made me feel invincible.

This would be proven far wrong.

I would see a green flash before me and before I could even comprehend the situation I would feel a burning sensation that would probably be equivalent to the sun crashing into the Earth. In reality this feeling only lasted for less than a second but it felt like minutes, hours even. I then realized what had just happened, I had been killed.

Shortly after my death I would come back to my real body, still feeling the burning from the attack in the simulation. I would pull my head out of the basin of water and fall backwards onto the ground. I would then struggle to get on my hands and knees, the pain causing me to dry heave. I began to yell and a few tears streamed from my face not of pain, but of fear, fear that my life had just been ended before I could do anything important. I would stay on my hands and knees screaming and coughing, completely forgetting about all those around me. I was too intensely focused on the fear and pain that I was experiencing.

I stopped in my tracks as Sentouki began charging back to me. A pain shot through my upper body, an immense burning sensation. I had sent Sentouki to help Zenshi.. he was on his way back to me, and now this pain.. I knew what had happened. Zenshi had been killed. Just as I made this revelation, I was snapped back to my original body.

---

Zenshi flew back out of the pool of water, and my hand went with him. Because I had been connected to these visions via his mind, I had experienced the pain of his death as well. I had to go back in though.. I had to figure out what happened to my village. Immediately I would dunk my face into the water, entering the exact moment in time where I had left.

---

I stood up off of the ground, gripping my knees. I was on my own now, no longer linked to my student. His training was complete. I would then have to question him as to what he had learned in this training to figure out if he was ready to continue or not. But, that would have to wait. I had unfinished business. I hopped onto Sentouki's back, leading him crashing through leagues of soldiers, crushing them under the legs of the massive beast. I would then hop off after several kills, and begin my own fight. Countless helpless soldiers fell to my hands, as my claws ripped and gnashed at the throats of my victims. They were severely under-ranked compared to their Dovahkiin opponent. I then took a breath and stood up from killing a particular soldier. I looked around, the world had frozen in place. A let out a deep breath.. there were hundreds of them. The dead stained the ground with their blood, and the air smelled of rotting flesh. Death was everywhere. I grew anxious for what was to come. What would cause the ruin of the predecessor to my village? When would it come?

As if on queue, something from the sky caught my eyes. A... dragon? What was a dragon doing here? A green flash appeared, and in the blink of an eye, there was a man on the back of the dragon. I recognized him instantly. The Shiokage. I had heard of him through my intelligence, the dragon sage of the Hurricane. The Green Flash. I knew that Shogun had randomly decided to attack the land of the Tides, and no doubt it had angered the Kage. What I hadn't put together, however, was who would have been in power in the Hurricane. Dominic Edrick.. would be the cause of the Oak's ruin. I felt my stomach drop as I realized that I was correct. He couldn't had been here for any other purpose. I began to prepare my body for the pain that was to come. I would also withdraw Sentouki, for he did not need to go through this pain, even if he was an illusion in this world.

"And so it ends.."

The view point of the wise. The first born son of the Dragon Summons looked down upon the earth. He seemed to own the sky as his mass wing span cut the winds at a mild but powerful pace. He had taken part in the devastation prior and had finally rendezvoused with his master. As he would soar above, his friend had made it to him, both angrily staring down the battlefield, The Village Hidden in the Oak. It was a pitiful decision to taunt with the unknown, and Oakugakure had poked a tiger one time. One time was all it needed to strike back. The final strike would close an ancient chapter, and what once was, would only exist now in text books and scrolls.

His blade gripped tight, the man was summoning all of his strength within, channeling its anger into the sword. The sound of freight train gusts began to swirl around him, the illumination of bright lightning blinding his whole being to any left watching him. What was at work here was he taking the souls of the remaining and allowing them their early invitation to hell. The ripping of his flesh being set on hold by the power of a Legendary Blade left behind to him by his father. This allowed him to escape his own death to emerge victorious on this day. The sizzle of lightning continued to shred at his core, and the roaring winds deafening the battlefield.

Finally after the unrivaled power around him was done, the area seemed unstable. Gale Force dominated and the hand of Zeus seemed to he cast down upon them. The eyes of the Edrick looked one final time, his eyes connecting with a victim below. So high in the sky, nothing of him could be made out, but one thing was clear. This man would no longer exist after the final blow was delivered. Then it came to be.

Kaiser with all his glory, cast a rollover in mid flight, and the Edrick was turned around. As he was completely upside down, the mighty slash was unleashed. The full on pressure of the winds crashed upon the ground, crescent moon of lashing winds over one million in number expanded out and up, their shredding power challenged by no existing material. Tearing everything away, it was as if any and all were being sliced to grains of salt, as the forest trees began to crumble along with all village foundations. Alas, the damage would not stop there.

As the wind expanded, in nothing short of lightning itself, a bolt shattered the ground instantly, and the foundation of the earth itself would quake mightily. A rising energy would explode, a dome of immense lightning energy opening itself over the already crumbling terrain. The lightning would disintegrate everything as the dome would rise miles in the sky. Spreading for miles, all the the wind cut, the lightning dissolved to complete zero. Beyond this, many would feel the effects of an earthquake, only to feel it go away as now, an incredible dust cloud hover overhead. The deed was done. After taking over an hour for the dust to settle, what was once Oakugakure was nothing more than a massive crater in the ground. Silence filled the area, not even a chirping bird to sing a sorrowful song was to be. It was simply an afterthought.....

As the beam of pure destruction descended to meet its unworthy opponent called the earth, I knelt to the ground, bowed my head, and closed my eyes. I would open them to be awake in the same room as before we entered the memory. The pool in front of me was so peaceful.. It was oddly peaceful. Because from inside that water, I witnessed the violent deaths of hundreds and the roaring cries of war, only to awake on the outside to see a normal, calm collection of shining water. I looked closely at it, and saw my reflection. I looked completely normal. No signs of battle, no scars, no singed flesh nor sweat on my brow, not anything at all. One moment I was clad in heavy armor, stealing the lives of countless, and the next, I was wearing a sleek black suit with my wings folded and my scroll tied to my back. Interesting.

I turned to my pupil, Zenshi Kenko, who was laying in the corner of the room panting. He had suffered a painful death inside the memory. I know this, because I felt it too. My death, however, had been painless. I knew he would have questions about the destroyer of the Oak, his murderer, but they would have to wait. I had to test him while his knowledge was fresh. "Zenshi," I began as I helped him to his feet, "Time for your test. You will answer this next question. If you are correct and prove to me that you have discovered faults and strengths that you have through heritage in this last session, we will continue to the next step in your training. If not, then we begin a new training session. One that will strain your body much worse than the previous one in order to make sure it stays in your mind. Zenshi, tell me, what is a strength you possess that could prove useful? And what is the weakness that would prove its downfall unless kept in check?"

I took my senseis hand and he lifted me off the ground, my mind becoming slightly more clear from the pain I had just been experiencing. He then asked me to tell him what strength I possess from my ancestors that could be a weakness if left unchecked. I thought through the events I had just witnessed for about 5 minutes mulling it over, he was a military commander with a big ass sword and major battle experience. That couldn't be it, that would be too shallow of an answer. There was more to it than that. I then thought harder, back to when we were in the tent discussing the battle how my ancestor had a hint of bloodlust in my voice, with a look of slight insanity in his eyes. I figured it out. I looked up to Skar and began to speak in a low voice "In my bloodline there is obviously a thirst for battle and a competitive drive, as shown by my now vaporized ancestor, that could help me fight by taking away the stress of battle and allowing my head to be clear. Shogun however let this battle drive consume him and caused him to order the attack on Harikengakure, a battle he obviously couldn't win and it obviously lead to his death. Moral of the story, its in my family to like battling but I have to make sure to pick my battles wisely and to not battle anyone just for the sake of fighting." After finishing what I believed the purpose of the training was I looked at Skar waiting to see if I had guessed correctly.

I folded my arms across my chest as Zenshi talked. A stern expression masked over my face would let him know just how serious this was. His future as my shinobi depended upon his new knowledge. I nodded as he finished. I stared him in the eyes for about a minute, holding my stern expression. I was waiting to see if he had anything else to say, and also, it never hurts to make some dramatic suspense.

After a long pause, I uttered, "You pass." I would then walk over to the shadowy corner of the room behind the pool, pick a large object up, and walk back over to Zenshi. It was completely taped up, and you could barely tell it was a sword. I began to unwrap the end of it, revealing what it was. "You are driven in battle, able to assess and fight with strategies in mere seconds. You can react on a dime, change your focus completely when new problems arise, and can prioritize accordingly without a problem. As I've seen in our training and through the great Shogun Kenko, you are born to fight, and never forget that you are also born to lead. You're a leader, Zenshi, it's in your blood. Also never forget to keep your drive for bloodshed in check. Never give into the temptation of more power merely for the sake of fighting. When you are challenge, you need to keep a level head. To not accept challenges you cannot win just for the sake of glory. Do this, and I promise you, you will be great."

After saying this, I would hand him a huge blade. It was the Buster Sword of Shogun, the general of the Oak. "He had one of his most trusted advisers start running out of the battle field to hide it as soon as he saw the green flashes, several minutes before the Shiokage destroyed the place. The adviser was able to bury the sword several miles away in an area which would eventually be our own Sacred Grove. I discovered it on one of my meditational hikes, and knew exactly what it was the minute I laid eyes on it. I pass the power of your ancestors onto you, and promote you among my ranks as a Chuunin of Morigakure. Congratulations, Zenshi. Now, let us begin the next chapter." As I said this, I would gesture towards the door and put my arm around his shoulder. "You better rest up, the next one's going to be about twice as bad. But that will have to wait, we leave for Morigaure immediately. Go get Ai, she should be back from the Exams by now." We walked out of the bar, and on our way to the next part of training.

[Exit]