Xillia
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In the beginning, there was chaos, nothing more than a climb for power and unity beneath it. That lead to two things, discord, and monarchy established all in the same fell swoop. A woman named Kaguya, one to be worshipped as a goddess and to be feared as a devil. She took her ivory throne and towered upon it with an iron will. But thanks to the heavy burden her sons faced, the great evil that had fallen to the world, was now sealed away and extinguished from history. That is--Until many centuries later. Kaguya, the Violent Queen would one day return, to face a new breed of heroes in a battle that would shake the very foundations of the earth, plunging it into darkness once more. And yet, as mankind stood on the brink of defeat, three brave warriors stood and with all their might, combatted the evil before them.
This lead to the end of the Final Great Ninja War. As Naruto Uzumaki would come to claim the mantle of Hokage, superseding his mentor and previous Hokage, ushering in a dawning age of peace. And yet, just how long would this peace last? There were many who doubted his conviction, to create a world of shinobi in harmony and acceptance of one another--yet many more encouraged him, lending their aid to unite prosperity to all the great villages. It took decades, but in time, his goals and all his efforts came to fruition, resulting in the world now that all shinobi thrived in.
Yet, for every light, no matter how bright, there would be a shadow to match it, those of unspeakable kind. Born from the ashes of the reform, rebellion. A mysterious group of ninja without a name who sought chaos once more, and eternal conflict, and with the decaying Lord Hokage Uzumaki, now great grandfather to a legendary Jonin and father to his likely successor, Boruto, the time was nigh to strike against. It began in the Village Hidden In The Mist, at first, it had only been speculated rumors, then propaganda, then violence. This level of unease created strife in the lands there and shortly started erupting elsewhere.
With the Kages not willing to point fingers at their own, they turned on one another, and the near fifty years of peace that endured from the Hokage's efforts was fading away into nothingness. Gripped by despair, he began the sanctioning and protection of his own, against all odds. Even against the ones he had considered friends, for Naruto no longer possessed the strength to unite the villages with the powers of his will, the new generation now taking hold. At first, a war was silent, unspoken and certainly not appropriate, but after assassination attempts on multitudes of Kage, open combat had reacquired its berth and engulfed all in its flames.
Naruto's son, Boruto took the reigns of the Hidden Leaf, tasking ninja, no matter how young and old to take up their cause and defend their home. An endless cycle of cause and effect, one that was only temporarily halted, had now plunged into the depths of darkness once more...
And as the lands below Mount Kamui erupted into chaos, amidst the snowy peaks, the monks of old did not bat their eyes. "It is the way of history, it is the way of all conflict--It is the way of men, driven by selfless ambition, to take the power they're given and try to climb above a pedestal and stand above all others."
"Like greed?" A young girl sat in earnest, her eyes bright and blue, lengthy hair kissed with golden flecks, small bits of amber lining the tips as though it was fire.
"I see you've actually taken the time to read of the ancients scrolls describing the histories of sin and their magnitude."
"Of course, Master Sengu. There is no other way to learn of the histories of the world if one does not devote their time and energy to studying text, a record from one who'd had the audacity to actually experience such things."
"Good, it's nice to see that Master Tei's teachings have yet to wear off." The old man shifted a little from his chair, candlelight dancing across his face, as the books and scrolls of the study seemed to erupt with secrets, breathing them out in nothing more than hushed whispers. At such a young age, it was surprising the girl had taken notice, a pupil of the snow, delivered on death's wings, now with new life and encouraged with the study of it all.
Master Sengu shifted a little and folded the scroll, laying it sideways on the table, "How has your training been going?"
"Excellently, Master!" The girl seemed to exclaim, her eyes fuelled with a deadly fire of hope at such an age as she pumped her small balled fists in the air a few times, "Master Jiryu is really tough on me, but I can really feel my Taijutsu coming together, oh, and I've begun to dapple in the art of shadow clones as well! I can almost make one... But they come out a little pale."
Sengu laughed and raised a hand up to stroke his beard, "Good, good. Yes, training is hard, but as the guardians of Ninshu, it is our sacred duty to protect that Sage Of Six Paths. You know only one is allowed at the time and Master Ren is getting rather aged."
"I do know. But Master Ren is so kind, and I would wish him long years."
"Young one, when I took you in, as much as I had love in my heart for an innocent babe in the snow, you possess a substantially high chakra threshold..."
The girl laughed and rubbed her head, messing up her long locks a little, but only seemed to reassure him, "I don't really care much about that chalk-rah stuff, but whatever it is, it's supposed to make me strong, right? So I can protect people like you and all the other Masters?"
"Then you know..."
"Yeah, you're training me to become a guardian, that'd be so cool!" She threw a few more shadowed punches in the air with her tiny fists and grinned, "I can get super strong and keep you all safe! You're getting old after all!"
Master Sengu chuckled, moving his hands to his knees and rising slowly, "Yes, you'd make a fine guardian of the mountain one day. But what's more... Young Claire, seven out of ten of the elders in the council would elect you a candidate for the recipient of the Sage's power. To instill peace for another century here upon this mount."
Claire's grin dropped and almost pulled to a frown, "Wait! That doesn't mean I'll have to get all old and smelly like Master Ren, right?"
Sengu laughed once more and lightly tapped her on the head, "Now, now... That's no way to speak of your elders. And no, you wouldn't just acquire age like that, but you'd most definitely be a powerful being, one who is fit to guard this mountain. It'd be leagues above the strength of your average guardian."
Claire's mouth slipped open in awe and her toothed grin return, "Of course! Then yeah, that sounds awesome!"
"But be sure you stay on top of your readings. You can be as strong as you want, but the ability to be wise and kind becomes regretfully more difficult the further along you go."
"Yes, Master. Master Tei puts it like this, 'A battle is only won with one's own harmony.' It's a scary thing I guess, to think your fists can't win a fight because apparently, it's a power I do not yet understand."
"That is correct, but with time, I am sure you will make an exceptional guardian. Now..." He paused a low grumble spacing across the quiet study, "Haha, it would seem someone's hungry. Let's return home and I'll make you some onigiri."
Claire's grin broadened once more, "YOU MEAN IT?" The excitement practically beaming from cheek to cheek as the small child bellowed with glee.
"Yes of course." Master Sengu hand came to rest upon the top of her head, "But you're going to help make them, the recipes of a great chef such as myself deserve a worthy disciple." Claire's grin never faded, and hand in hand, though they had once been strangers, the two walked home, as father and daughter.
Years and years on end would come to pass, as the blonde child, a stranger once in the arms of a monk grew to her family, grew to the acceptance of the Order Of The Six Path, becoming a disciplined warrior and even more astute scholar. But where there was peace on the mount, there was sadness. Master Ren came to pass, and the scroll of the Six Paths was passed down to the council. Claire had never devoted herself to the silly little debates she'd grown up to hearing, with her only goal in focus to become the fantastic guardian they needed her to be. And yet, without her presence being there, she was unanimously selected for the position to become the Sage Of The Mountain.
Waken from her sleep in the middle of the night on her nineteenth birthday, she was taken down to the depths of the mountain and locked away in the Chambers Of Rite where she spent days upon weeks learning the art of the Sage until the power accepted her and she, it.
Now, three years later, she was the esteemed Sage and Guardian, who spent her days locked away in meditation and study.
She sat atop a pool of water, that was rumored to be infinite if one was to fall in, though the blazing golden and blue chakra that surrounded her body kept her afloat. Her legs crossed in a similar fashion to how the Sage's were required and fingers gingerly folded in her lap, her head bowed, she waited in silence. There was discord in her mind. Her father, Master Sengu had been stricken with illness and had been bedridden for weeks. When she'd offered to use the power she'd acquired to heal him, he merely outstretched his hand and grinned.
She could even still hear his words in her mind, striking at her very heart like needles of ice, "My dearest daughter. You became so much more than I expected you to be. I got to watch you grow from a frightened child to one who devoted herself to the way of the Sage. As a Master, I could not be more proud, but as a father, I have no words, no words to describe my love for you and appreciation for everything you've done. How I only wish..." His eyes fluttered as she clung to his hand and his coughs grew substantially worse, "I could see you smile again... You never do anymore. Your face... It seems to distorted with pain and duty that you cannot bear the grin you once did... Leave me now, I fear I must rest once more. But... Come to me when I wake? We'll make those onigiri balls you like so much."
Claire had been so choked up at the time she could hardly tell him how she felt, but to ease his worry, she managed to squeeze out, "It's a promise." Tears welling in her eyes.
"Oh now... Don't cry for me, I have lived a good life... And I don't--quite think... It's over yet." His eyes then shut and his hand became limp, his breathing raspy but steady. He was sleeping once more. The Sage stood, turning on her heel and making way, locking herself in the Chambers of Rite ever since. Sadness hung over her heart, like a heavy burden. He had died days prior, she had felt his chakra disperse, but she harbored no tears, no wails of pain, instead, she lay in contemplation. Her thumb often lingering over her chest. Her final challenge.
The power of the Sage had entirely enhanced her Ninjutsu capabilities and had left her with a nearly infinite supply of chakra to retain the form, but the one thing she had yet to master, was a skill that had fascinated her since ages long before. Master Sengu had prided her in Taijutsu to use her fists to defend others, and the two had come to the conclusion to release an all new level of power that only a woman could receive in order to push her to the next stage. There was once a man who activated the Crimson Beast and survived from the Gate of Death thanks to the Chakra of the Sage. And within her, she possessed the Ninth Gate, the unspoken one that resided just below the center of her abdomen, in her womb. The Gate Of Life that would stem the power sent to kill her and allow for the Crimson Dragon to awaken, with all the power driven in that of the Sage's chakra.
A power she could so easily acquire, but one she did not desire, not since she'd lost her will. It was her unspoken momento. In truth, she'd known happiness, Sengu had given it to her. Even though he'd led her in life to believe that she was his own daughter, she simply knew it wasn't the case, and yet, he sacrificed his image in order to save a stranger, and showed her love she'd never experienced before. He loved her, not because she was the Sage of The Mount, but because she was Claire, the girl who'd burnt her first rice ball and had nursed him back to health multiple times.
Her long hair flowed out to her hip, spreading and flowing with the ease of the winds of her chakra, simmering just above the water, two sprouts from the center of her hairline cascading long strands of curled blue out to the side, one above and one below that curved together to almost form a sideways heart. Her body, slender and womanly had developed nicely, especially under the training regiment she'd so strictly followed. The world, it was erupting, it was in chaos, and no matter her title, no matter her role, she felt her fight was somewhere else. The long white coat that enveloped her body simmered through the water, hanging lifelessly as her mind brought back the memories of Sengu, of the joy she'd held. And yet, it all came to vanish just as quickly as it came.
From the depths of her despair, she heard a knocking, not a physical one, but that of chakra outside the doors that were sealed shut. She let the rage of her energy simmer to a quiet whisper and stood, her bare feet silently slapping the water as she made her way for the exit. Eyelids peeling back to deliver her bright blue eyes to light once more. As she stepped out of the water, she slipped on her tabi, adjusting the belt holding the embedded hamaka up. She adjusted her layered robe as well, slightly undone just above her chest to add for the breathability that was so hard to come by in the dense chamber. And with a wave of her hands, the large stone doors that held her in solitude opened. Standing before her, a young boy, clad in servant's robes who bowed his head either humbly or out of fear.
"Madam Sage... I... I bring you two gifts..." He extended his hands, "I-I Master Sengu... He wanted you to have these..." In each hand was a different item. A scroll in one, and a plate of onigiri in the other. It took her a long second, perhaps to bite back the desire to smack the gifts out of the boy's hands, but she accepted them, more concerned for the wide-eyed boy who watched her when he arose from his bow. "I--Do hope they're pleasing to you? I did not wish to disturb you."
Claire's face remained void of emotion, but there was a tickle of kindness in it as she spoke. "You need not fear me, or who I am. I was once your age you know, wearing similar garbs, tending to a Master. Do not bow to me as if I am a queen. What is your name?"
"Okorichi." He mumbled out, clearly still nervous.
"Okorichi." She repeated as she made her way out into the sudden blasted chill of the hallway. "Come with me." She began walking off to a sky bridge that connected one of the many mountains. Hesitantly, yet obediently, the boy followed, not bothering to speak, though he was in more of a jog to match her strides. Noticing this, Claire slowed down some. Was she really in that much of a hurry that she wouldn't bear concern for the wellbeing of others? Had long had it been since she smiled. The wind rippled behind and all around them, hitting them with the cold, Okorochi stumbling a little as he did his best to keep with her.
As they reached the end of the bridge, the warmth of fire greeted them and pulled them into a spiraling tower of bedchambers for all the masters. Claire's room was located at the very peak, and by the end of it, Okorochi was most definitely winded as he extended a hand to the wall for support. "Does the walk really wear you out that much?"
"I... No Madam Sage!" He puffed, trying to straighten up, though keeled over with another rough cough that almost made the emotions on her face change entirely. "Rest. We're here." She extended her hands and slid open the sliding door to a very simple room with necessities in it."
"Madam Sage?"
"Come, you must be tired. Sit for a while." She went over to one of the pillows, sliding out of her tabi and making her way to the center of the room. Though she addressed one of the pillows in front of her, a table dividing them.
Okorochi, though still worn from the climb, hesitantly took a seat. And yet, as he opened his mouth, it was Claire who first spoke, "You serve no master. You lied to me before, why?"
"Wh-Why would you come to that conclusion... I... I..."
"I know all of the Master's servants, it is apart of my duty as Sage. You're a masterless servant..."
"I..." Okorochi hung his head a little, the boy mumbling softly, "I must apologize. I did not intend to deceive you Madam Sage, but Master Sengu requested for me to come and give you those gifts."
"An orphan then?"
"Yes... Like many, I was abandoned and left alone. But I never quite fit in in the orphanage of monks, so I decided to spend my time sneaking into the library when I could to read, I wanted to become a scholar one day and..." He trailed off.
"And what more do you want to be." Claire's poise was straight, regal and strong, but her voice was calming. She definitely wasn't questioning him either, she was requiring him to make a statement.
"I want to become a great guardian one day... As... As you did." Claire's expression loosened a little and she moved her hands to the table, pouring some tea.
She then placed the tray of onigiri on the table. "Eat... Drink. The orphanage does not always have enough food to feed everyone... You must be starved."
"I... It would be unfitting for a servant to accept a gift from Madam Sage."
"Unfit nothing. In here, we're only people, we're nothing more than beating hearts and thinking minds." Hesitantly once more, Okorochi reached out, accepting the cup and a single onigiri, taking to them slowly. "Why has no Master chosen to take you on?"
The boy's eyes lowered again and his tone seemed to drop, "My chakra is weak. What's more, I can hardly control it... I can't be strong enough to care for any of them. It's... I've given up I guess. My dream to become a guardian, it's just a dream, a stupid dream. I am sorry for having bothered you with such things."
Claire's brows loosened. And she felt the words of her mentor come through her, "A servant must care for his or her master, but so too, must the master care for the servant. It is a familial bond you enter, not entirely one of servitude." She then fidgeted with the scroll in her hand, setting it aside for the moment. "If you are afraid, then that's okay, people are naturally scared."
"Well not people like you," He shot back, "At your graduation to becoming a guardian, you singlehandedly defeated twenty capable warriors. You were totally awesome."
"It was not a choice. I was set at that point to inherit this power you see now, to become this great presence that I did not desire to have." The boy simply stared at her with eyes just as wide as before, but no longer in fear. "I was once like you, an orphaned child, but I knew no struggles. The man who sent you here, I know he has passed, you've been fidgeting because you don't want to deliver me such news. I already know. There is no point in being afraid." She leaned back a little and let out a puff of air, "Master Sengu was a great man, who delivered me from the snow into his graceful care. Who took care of me until the day when I was grown and when I was a strong enough woman to conquer the challenge of becoming a Sage. It was frightening, absolutely terrifying, and yet, he made things tangible, he made them easy to undergo."
"He certainly sounds like a great man." Okorochi eyeballed the plate in front of him, not daring to move towards it, but his stomach betrayed him and let out a low growl. Claire almost chuckled with a scoff and slid the tray towards him, "Eat as much as you like. This is the first time I've spoken in weeks."
"But, Madam Sage! You need to eat." He shook his head, "Do not worry about me..."
The woman looked at him dryly and spoke softly. "I am worried about you. You're so frail, how old are you, boy?"
"12, come this winter."
"Twelve years old..." She trailed off, inspecting him. He practically looked like a skeleton beneath his robes and it was apparent that he scarcely ate. "Why are you so thin then?"
He kept quiet and bit his lip, but spoke after some time, knowing it would be disrespectful not to respawn. "There's this girl in the orphanage. Ophelia. She's always really sick so I gave her a majority of my helpings in order to ease her pain."
Claire's chest almost clamped in on itself, an honorable kid. One who understood the needs of self-sacrifice and devoted himself to others. "What happened to her?"
"She passed away from fever this last Summer. She was so filled with life... Half my age and always smiling... I couldn't find a reason not to help her, and now... I just have no hope. Like I said, my dreams are just dreams and I've given up on them. I am sorry I have wasted your time. I know a pathetic frail kid like me can never become a guardian, but I can do what I can with the body I have now to help others. I just hope the two gifts I've delivered to you were sufficient."
He took a bow and turn on his heel, but Claire caught him. "No, I'm afraid two gifts aren't sufficient." She rose from her pillow and made her way around the table. The boy was frozen in fear and it was clear he was shaking. "My Master is many things to others, a fool, a wise man, a warrior, a saint. But to me, he was a father. And his judge of character was paramount to anything. He did not send me two gifts today. He sent me three."
Okorochi turned, a little confused. "Young man, from this day forward, your name will be Oko, and you will not be a servant to me. You will not be locked into some relentless contract until the day either of us pass. From this day forward, you will call me Claire."
The boy began shaking as he stared at her, his face growing red and tears brimming at the corners of his eyes. "M-Madam Sage?"
Claire shook her head. "That is not the name I told you to call me. You will make a fine guardian someday." She walked towards him and laid a hand upon his head. "A guardian of the Sage and of the Mount is not measured by the ferocity of his fists, but by the will of his heart. You are one fitting to enter my service. Now go. There is a bath located just beyond those doors. Go and change and I will have a fresh set of clothes sent for you to change into when you are done."
Tears began falling immediately as he desperately tried to gaze up at her, but he couldn't. His body was quivering and his sobs were uncontrolled. And at that moment, after years of despair and dormancy, a strange feeling bubbled over her. The corners of her mouth began to twitch, revealing pearly white teeth beneath. A smile, was she smiling? Happiness, that's what it was, this must've been how Sengu had felt on the day he had taken her in. Truthfully, there was a stinging behind her own eyes as she ruffled his hair, much as her master had done years before. "Go... And do not cry. Today, and from all days forward, I will give you the power to change the world."
He nodded his head and moved into the side room. Leaving Claire alone once more in her chambers. She turned towards the scroll that lay there. It wasn't very large, but she opened it anyway, laying it out before her.
"You've already accepted him into your care, I knew you would. You're not the type to read first then assess the situation." She bit her thumb to keep the tears from falling as she continued. "There are many things more I wished to say to you before my time, and I know that as a Sage, your duties should come above all else. But this young man, he's been an aspiring admirer of yours, one who takes after your own heart in the safety and wellbeing of others. One filled with dreams and ambitions. They may seem difficult to reach, but I know you can be the one to help him achieve them. I have lived many long years here, most spent in solitude and loneliness. I swore even never to take on a servant of my own. But that day I found you in the snow, that day that you gazed up at me, I felt something different. I felt a certain joy and necessity to protect you right until the very end. I knew that you were frail, but I sensed great power from within. You were only a baby then, and I could've walked away and kept true to that vow that I'd taken, but I did not. I decided to keep you. You were a right hassle at first, nothing but trouble when all you did was cry and complain. But over the years, something clicked in you and you took after me, and every lesson, every conversation, every dish you helped me cook, I could only feel us both growing stronger. And after time, you flowered and matured into a strong young woman, fit to take on the world. You may not have wanted the power of the Sage, but it is an important one nonetheless. And now, your greatest battle begins within. My mind wanders often now, but with your help, I found peace in this aged existence. I found happiness. You taught me something that I thought I could never feel, a familial love that was unlike any other. You have a long road yet to walk, but one that I am sure you can accomplish as long as you believe in yourself, and that of your pupil." Teardrops fell onto the parchment and Claire hung over the message, breathing in every word of the writing. "There is a great danger below, an explosion of chakra that surfaced a few years ago, one you may find may put your own life and the lives of the ones you love in jeopardy. It is not going to be easy, but I ask you to leave this place, to leave the mountain. Teach the boy everything you know, and take him with you. Go and find the truth of yourself and grow and nurture yourself along the way. He may become a hindrance, but in time, you might find more reliance in him than you do in yourself, it has happened to me. Now, that I stand here at the end of my long journey, know that I have no regrets. That taking you in that day made me the happiest man alive. I never said it when I could, but I hope this will have to do now. I love you, Claire. Thank you for teaching an old man that a heart still resides in his shriveled out chest. You are indeed, my hero."
Nothing but resounding and silent sobs flowed from the Sage's eyes as she sat there, holding onto the paper for dear life as if it was the only connection she had left to her mentor. And after some time, she let go, drying her eyes on her sleeve and folded the scroll up. She laid it down on the nightstand next to her bed and regained her poise. Her fists clenched and unclenched. Eventually falling to a still, her mind now ringing with thoughts, one of which being, I am to leave this place... My home. To search for who I truly am. Sometimes, Master, I can never quite figure you out. But I do promise you this, that I will go, and I will honor your wishes, I will defy my role as Sage and as the Guardian Of The Mount and find the answers I seek. It will be my final mission for you.
. . .
Many leagues away, in a land where fall had set and the crimson sky, cast its neverending glow upon the gate of the Village Hidden In The Leaves, a man took a long drag from his cigarette. Similarly, to the aforementioned heroine, his hair was blonde and eyes were blue. Monuto Uzumaki. He adjusted his gi and vest, flipping a kunai in his hands as his legs dangled off the edge of a ruined building. The night was fast approaching and with it, the promise of an invasion. The intel was sound, The Village Hidden In The Mist would be attacking when the moon was high. Himself, along with staggering other numbers of Jonin and Chunin all awaited the oncoming battle, hidden out of sight but in view of one another. His voice was raspy and nowhere near as energetic as his forefathers, Monuto spoke. "Diz, this isn't going to be an easy fight. About fifty recorded combatants, there could be hundreds more looming behind them. They're after the Hokage... You know we've got to use lethal force in order to stop them." He gripped his kunai firmly and gritted his teeth, "You gonna be okay? Some of them may be people you know. Friends, lost cousins..." He squinted a little into the setting sun then turned his gaze to the aforementioned shinobi. One who'd switched sides not too long ago. But with that, a certain level of distrust from most shinobi. Monuto was not one of them. He'd fought alongside Dizzy multiple times and had more faith in him than anyone. Perhaps that was why Boruto had placed them together, but there was definitely more than that. With Monuto's ability to manipulate the winds of rasengan, and Dizzy's poison, they were a dangerous foe to be recokoned with.
This lead to the end of the Final Great Ninja War. As Naruto Uzumaki would come to claim the mantle of Hokage, superseding his mentor and previous Hokage, ushering in a dawning age of peace. And yet, just how long would this peace last? There were many who doubted his conviction, to create a world of shinobi in harmony and acceptance of one another--yet many more encouraged him, lending their aid to unite prosperity to all the great villages. It took decades, but in time, his goals and all his efforts came to fruition, resulting in the world now that all shinobi thrived in.
Yet, for every light, no matter how bright, there would be a shadow to match it, those of unspeakable kind. Born from the ashes of the reform, rebellion. A mysterious group of ninja without a name who sought chaos once more, and eternal conflict, and with the decaying Lord Hokage Uzumaki, now great grandfather to a legendary Jonin and father to his likely successor, Boruto, the time was nigh to strike against. It began in the Village Hidden In The Mist, at first, it had only been speculated rumors, then propaganda, then violence. This level of unease created strife in the lands there and shortly started erupting elsewhere.
With the Kages not willing to point fingers at their own, they turned on one another, and the near fifty years of peace that endured from the Hokage's efforts was fading away into nothingness. Gripped by despair, he began the sanctioning and protection of his own, against all odds. Even against the ones he had considered friends, for Naruto no longer possessed the strength to unite the villages with the powers of his will, the new generation now taking hold. At first, a war was silent, unspoken and certainly not appropriate, but after assassination attempts on multitudes of Kage, open combat had reacquired its berth and engulfed all in its flames.
Naruto's son, Boruto took the reigns of the Hidden Leaf, tasking ninja, no matter how young and old to take up their cause and defend their home. An endless cycle of cause and effect, one that was only temporarily halted, had now plunged into the depths of darkness once more...
And as the lands below Mount Kamui erupted into chaos, amidst the snowy peaks, the monks of old did not bat their eyes. "It is the way of history, it is the way of all conflict--It is the way of men, driven by selfless ambition, to take the power they're given and try to climb above a pedestal and stand above all others."
"Like greed?" A young girl sat in earnest, her eyes bright and blue, lengthy hair kissed with golden flecks, small bits of amber lining the tips as though it was fire.
"I see you've actually taken the time to read of the ancients scrolls describing the histories of sin and their magnitude."
"Of course, Master Sengu. There is no other way to learn of the histories of the world if one does not devote their time and energy to studying text, a record from one who'd had the audacity to actually experience such things."
"Good, it's nice to see that Master Tei's teachings have yet to wear off." The old man shifted a little from his chair, candlelight dancing across his face, as the books and scrolls of the study seemed to erupt with secrets, breathing them out in nothing more than hushed whispers. At such a young age, it was surprising the girl had taken notice, a pupil of the snow, delivered on death's wings, now with new life and encouraged with the study of it all.
Master Sengu shifted a little and folded the scroll, laying it sideways on the table, "How has your training been going?"
"Excellently, Master!" The girl seemed to exclaim, her eyes fuelled with a deadly fire of hope at such an age as she pumped her small balled fists in the air a few times, "Master Jiryu is really tough on me, but I can really feel my Taijutsu coming together, oh, and I've begun to dapple in the art of shadow clones as well! I can almost make one... But they come out a little pale."
Sengu laughed and raised a hand up to stroke his beard, "Good, good. Yes, training is hard, but as the guardians of Ninshu, it is our sacred duty to protect that Sage Of Six Paths. You know only one is allowed at the time and Master Ren is getting rather aged."
"I do know. But Master Ren is so kind, and I would wish him long years."
"Young one, when I took you in, as much as I had love in my heart for an innocent babe in the snow, you possess a substantially high chakra threshold..."
The girl laughed and rubbed her head, messing up her long locks a little, but only seemed to reassure him, "I don't really care much about that chalk-rah stuff, but whatever it is, it's supposed to make me strong, right? So I can protect people like you and all the other Masters?"
"Then you know..."
"Yeah, you're training me to become a guardian, that'd be so cool!" She threw a few more shadowed punches in the air with her tiny fists and grinned, "I can get super strong and keep you all safe! You're getting old after all!"
Master Sengu chuckled, moving his hands to his knees and rising slowly, "Yes, you'd make a fine guardian of the mountain one day. But what's more... Young Claire, seven out of ten of the elders in the council would elect you a candidate for the recipient of the Sage's power. To instill peace for another century here upon this mount."
Claire's grin dropped and almost pulled to a frown, "Wait! That doesn't mean I'll have to get all old and smelly like Master Ren, right?"
Sengu laughed once more and lightly tapped her on the head, "Now, now... That's no way to speak of your elders. And no, you wouldn't just acquire age like that, but you'd most definitely be a powerful being, one who is fit to guard this mountain. It'd be leagues above the strength of your average guardian."
Claire's mouth slipped open in awe and her toothed grin return, "Of course! Then yeah, that sounds awesome!"
"But be sure you stay on top of your readings. You can be as strong as you want, but the ability to be wise and kind becomes regretfully more difficult the further along you go."
"Yes, Master. Master Tei puts it like this, 'A battle is only won with one's own harmony.' It's a scary thing I guess, to think your fists can't win a fight because apparently, it's a power I do not yet understand."
"That is correct, but with time, I am sure you will make an exceptional guardian. Now..." He paused a low grumble spacing across the quiet study, "Haha, it would seem someone's hungry. Let's return home and I'll make you some onigiri."
Claire's grin broadened once more, "YOU MEAN IT?" The excitement practically beaming from cheek to cheek as the small child bellowed with glee.
"Yes of course." Master Sengu hand came to rest upon the top of her head, "But you're going to help make them, the recipes of a great chef such as myself deserve a worthy disciple." Claire's grin never faded, and hand in hand, though they had once been strangers, the two walked home, as father and daughter.
Years and years on end would come to pass, as the blonde child, a stranger once in the arms of a monk grew to her family, grew to the acceptance of the Order Of The Six Path, becoming a disciplined warrior and even more astute scholar. But where there was peace on the mount, there was sadness. Master Ren came to pass, and the scroll of the Six Paths was passed down to the council. Claire had never devoted herself to the silly little debates she'd grown up to hearing, with her only goal in focus to become the fantastic guardian they needed her to be. And yet, without her presence being there, she was unanimously selected for the position to become the Sage Of The Mountain.
Waken from her sleep in the middle of the night on her nineteenth birthday, she was taken down to the depths of the mountain and locked away in the Chambers Of Rite where she spent days upon weeks learning the art of the Sage until the power accepted her and she, it.
Now, three years later, she was the esteemed Sage and Guardian, who spent her days locked away in meditation and study.
She sat atop a pool of water, that was rumored to be infinite if one was to fall in, though the blazing golden and blue chakra that surrounded her body kept her afloat. Her legs crossed in a similar fashion to how the Sage's were required and fingers gingerly folded in her lap, her head bowed, she waited in silence. There was discord in her mind. Her father, Master Sengu had been stricken with illness and had been bedridden for weeks. When she'd offered to use the power she'd acquired to heal him, he merely outstretched his hand and grinned.
She could even still hear his words in her mind, striking at her very heart like needles of ice, "My dearest daughter. You became so much more than I expected you to be. I got to watch you grow from a frightened child to one who devoted herself to the way of the Sage. As a Master, I could not be more proud, but as a father, I have no words, no words to describe my love for you and appreciation for everything you've done. How I only wish..." His eyes fluttered as she clung to his hand and his coughs grew substantially worse, "I could see you smile again... You never do anymore. Your face... It seems to distorted with pain and duty that you cannot bear the grin you once did... Leave me now, I fear I must rest once more. But... Come to me when I wake? We'll make those onigiri balls you like so much."
Claire had been so choked up at the time she could hardly tell him how she felt, but to ease his worry, she managed to squeeze out, "It's a promise." Tears welling in her eyes.
"Oh now... Don't cry for me, I have lived a good life... And I don't--quite think... It's over yet." His eyes then shut and his hand became limp, his breathing raspy but steady. He was sleeping once more. The Sage stood, turning on her heel and making way, locking herself in the Chambers of Rite ever since. Sadness hung over her heart, like a heavy burden. He had died days prior, she had felt his chakra disperse, but she harbored no tears, no wails of pain, instead, she lay in contemplation. Her thumb often lingering over her chest. Her final challenge.
The power of the Sage had entirely enhanced her Ninjutsu capabilities and had left her with a nearly infinite supply of chakra to retain the form, but the one thing she had yet to master, was a skill that had fascinated her since ages long before. Master Sengu had prided her in Taijutsu to use her fists to defend others, and the two had come to the conclusion to release an all new level of power that only a woman could receive in order to push her to the next stage. There was once a man who activated the Crimson Beast and survived from the Gate of Death thanks to the Chakra of the Sage. And within her, she possessed the Ninth Gate, the unspoken one that resided just below the center of her abdomen, in her womb. The Gate Of Life that would stem the power sent to kill her and allow for the Crimson Dragon to awaken, with all the power driven in that of the Sage's chakra.
A power she could so easily acquire, but one she did not desire, not since she'd lost her will. It was her unspoken momento. In truth, she'd known happiness, Sengu had given it to her. Even though he'd led her in life to believe that she was his own daughter, she simply knew it wasn't the case, and yet, he sacrificed his image in order to save a stranger, and showed her love she'd never experienced before. He loved her, not because she was the Sage of The Mount, but because she was Claire, the girl who'd burnt her first rice ball and had nursed him back to health multiple times.
Her long hair flowed out to her hip, spreading and flowing with the ease of the winds of her chakra, simmering just above the water, two sprouts from the center of her hairline cascading long strands of curled blue out to the side, one above and one below that curved together to almost form a sideways heart. Her body, slender and womanly had developed nicely, especially under the training regiment she'd so strictly followed. The world, it was erupting, it was in chaos, and no matter her title, no matter her role, she felt her fight was somewhere else. The long white coat that enveloped her body simmered through the water, hanging lifelessly as her mind brought back the memories of Sengu, of the joy she'd held. And yet, it all came to vanish just as quickly as it came.
From the depths of her despair, she heard a knocking, not a physical one, but that of chakra outside the doors that were sealed shut. She let the rage of her energy simmer to a quiet whisper and stood, her bare feet silently slapping the water as she made her way for the exit. Eyelids peeling back to deliver her bright blue eyes to light once more. As she stepped out of the water, she slipped on her tabi, adjusting the belt holding the embedded hamaka up. She adjusted her layered robe as well, slightly undone just above her chest to add for the breathability that was so hard to come by in the dense chamber. And with a wave of her hands, the large stone doors that held her in solitude opened. Standing before her, a young boy, clad in servant's robes who bowed his head either humbly or out of fear.
"Madam Sage... I... I bring you two gifts..." He extended his hands, "I-I Master Sengu... He wanted you to have these..." In each hand was a different item. A scroll in one, and a plate of onigiri in the other. It took her a long second, perhaps to bite back the desire to smack the gifts out of the boy's hands, but she accepted them, more concerned for the wide-eyed boy who watched her when he arose from his bow. "I--Do hope they're pleasing to you? I did not wish to disturb you."
Claire's face remained void of emotion, but there was a tickle of kindness in it as she spoke. "You need not fear me, or who I am. I was once your age you know, wearing similar garbs, tending to a Master. Do not bow to me as if I am a queen. What is your name?"
"Okorichi." He mumbled out, clearly still nervous.
"Okorichi." She repeated as she made her way out into the sudden blasted chill of the hallway. "Come with me." She began walking off to a sky bridge that connected one of the many mountains. Hesitantly, yet obediently, the boy followed, not bothering to speak, though he was in more of a jog to match her strides. Noticing this, Claire slowed down some. Was she really in that much of a hurry that she wouldn't bear concern for the wellbeing of others? Had long had it been since she smiled. The wind rippled behind and all around them, hitting them with the cold, Okorochi stumbling a little as he did his best to keep with her.
As they reached the end of the bridge, the warmth of fire greeted them and pulled them into a spiraling tower of bedchambers for all the masters. Claire's room was located at the very peak, and by the end of it, Okorochi was most definitely winded as he extended a hand to the wall for support. "Does the walk really wear you out that much?"
"I... No Madam Sage!" He puffed, trying to straighten up, though keeled over with another rough cough that almost made the emotions on her face change entirely. "Rest. We're here." She extended her hands and slid open the sliding door to a very simple room with necessities in it."
"Madam Sage?"
"Come, you must be tired. Sit for a while." She went over to one of the pillows, sliding out of her tabi and making her way to the center of the room. Though she addressed one of the pillows in front of her, a table dividing them.
Okorochi, though still worn from the climb, hesitantly took a seat. And yet, as he opened his mouth, it was Claire who first spoke, "You serve no master. You lied to me before, why?"
"Wh-Why would you come to that conclusion... I... I..."
"I know all of the Master's servants, it is apart of my duty as Sage. You're a masterless servant..."
"I..." Okorochi hung his head a little, the boy mumbling softly, "I must apologize. I did not intend to deceive you Madam Sage, but Master Sengu requested for me to come and give you those gifts."
"An orphan then?"
"Yes... Like many, I was abandoned and left alone. But I never quite fit in in the orphanage of monks, so I decided to spend my time sneaking into the library when I could to read, I wanted to become a scholar one day and..." He trailed off.
"And what more do you want to be." Claire's poise was straight, regal and strong, but her voice was calming. She definitely wasn't questioning him either, she was requiring him to make a statement.
"I want to become a great guardian one day... As... As you did." Claire's expression loosened a little and she moved her hands to the table, pouring some tea.
She then placed the tray of onigiri on the table. "Eat... Drink. The orphanage does not always have enough food to feed everyone... You must be starved."
"I... It would be unfitting for a servant to accept a gift from Madam Sage."
"Unfit nothing. In here, we're only people, we're nothing more than beating hearts and thinking minds." Hesitantly once more, Okorochi reached out, accepting the cup and a single onigiri, taking to them slowly. "Why has no Master chosen to take you on?"
The boy's eyes lowered again and his tone seemed to drop, "My chakra is weak. What's more, I can hardly control it... I can't be strong enough to care for any of them. It's... I've given up I guess. My dream to become a guardian, it's just a dream, a stupid dream. I am sorry for having bothered you with such things."
Claire's brows loosened. And she felt the words of her mentor come through her, "A servant must care for his or her master, but so too, must the master care for the servant. It is a familial bond you enter, not entirely one of servitude." She then fidgeted with the scroll in her hand, setting it aside for the moment. "If you are afraid, then that's okay, people are naturally scared."
"Well not people like you," He shot back, "At your graduation to becoming a guardian, you singlehandedly defeated twenty capable warriors. You were totally awesome."
"It was not a choice. I was set at that point to inherit this power you see now, to become this great presence that I did not desire to have." The boy simply stared at her with eyes just as wide as before, but no longer in fear. "I was once like you, an orphaned child, but I knew no struggles. The man who sent you here, I know he has passed, you've been fidgeting because you don't want to deliver me such news. I already know. There is no point in being afraid." She leaned back a little and let out a puff of air, "Master Sengu was a great man, who delivered me from the snow into his graceful care. Who took care of me until the day when I was grown and when I was a strong enough woman to conquer the challenge of becoming a Sage. It was frightening, absolutely terrifying, and yet, he made things tangible, he made them easy to undergo."
"He certainly sounds like a great man." Okorochi eyeballed the plate in front of him, not daring to move towards it, but his stomach betrayed him and let out a low growl. Claire almost chuckled with a scoff and slid the tray towards him, "Eat as much as you like. This is the first time I've spoken in weeks."
"But, Madam Sage! You need to eat." He shook his head, "Do not worry about me..."
The woman looked at him dryly and spoke softly. "I am worried about you. You're so frail, how old are you, boy?"
"12, come this winter."
"Twelve years old..." She trailed off, inspecting him. He practically looked like a skeleton beneath his robes and it was apparent that he scarcely ate. "Why are you so thin then?"
He kept quiet and bit his lip, but spoke after some time, knowing it would be disrespectful not to respawn. "There's this girl in the orphanage. Ophelia. She's always really sick so I gave her a majority of my helpings in order to ease her pain."
Claire's chest almost clamped in on itself, an honorable kid. One who understood the needs of self-sacrifice and devoted himself to others. "What happened to her?"
"She passed away from fever this last Summer. She was so filled with life... Half my age and always smiling... I couldn't find a reason not to help her, and now... I just have no hope. Like I said, my dreams are just dreams and I've given up on them. I am sorry I have wasted your time. I know a pathetic frail kid like me can never become a guardian, but I can do what I can with the body I have now to help others. I just hope the two gifts I've delivered to you were sufficient."
He took a bow and turn on his heel, but Claire caught him. "No, I'm afraid two gifts aren't sufficient." She rose from her pillow and made her way around the table. The boy was frozen in fear and it was clear he was shaking. "My Master is many things to others, a fool, a wise man, a warrior, a saint. But to me, he was a father. And his judge of character was paramount to anything. He did not send me two gifts today. He sent me three."
Okorochi turned, a little confused. "Young man, from this day forward, your name will be Oko, and you will not be a servant to me. You will not be locked into some relentless contract until the day either of us pass. From this day forward, you will call me Claire."
The boy began shaking as he stared at her, his face growing red and tears brimming at the corners of his eyes. "M-Madam Sage?"
Claire shook her head. "That is not the name I told you to call me. You will make a fine guardian someday." She walked towards him and laid a hand upon his head. "A guardian of the Sage and of the Mount is not measured by the ferocity of his fists, but by the will of his heart. You are one fitting to enter my service. Now go. There is a bath located just beyond those doors. Go and change and I will have a fresh set of clothes sent for you to change into when you are done."
Tears began falling immediately as he desperately tried to gaze up at her, but he couldn't. His body was quivering and his sobs were uncontrolled. And at that moment, after years of despair and dormancy, a strange feeling bubbled over her. The corners of her mouth began to twitch, revealing pearly white teeth beneath. A smile, was she smiling? Happiness, that's what it was, this must've been how Sengu had felt on the day he had taken her in. Truthfully, there was a stinging behind her own eyes as she ruffled his hair, much as her master had done years before. "Go... And do not cry. Today, and from all days forward, I will give you the power to change the world."
He nodded his head and moved into the side room. Leaving Claire alone once more in her chambers. She turned towards the scroll that lay there. It wasn't very large, but she opened it anyway, laying it out before her.
"You've already accepted him into your care, I knew you would. You're not the type to read first then assess the situation." She bit her thumb to keep the tears from falling as she continued. "There are many things more I wished to say to you before my time, and I know that as a Sage, your duties should come above all else. But this young man, he's been an aspiring admirer of yours, one who takes after your own heart in the safety and wellbeing of others. One filled with dreams and ambitions. They may seem difficult to reach, but I know you can be the one to help him achieve them. I have lived many long years here, most spent in solitude and loneliness. I swore even never to take on a servant of my own. But that day I found you in the snow, that day that you gazed up at me, I felt something different. I felt a certain joy and necessity to protect you right until the very end. I knew that you were frail, but I sensed great power from within. You were only a baby then, and I could've walked away and kept true to that vow that I'd taken, but I did not. I decided to keep you. You were a right hassle at first, nothing but trouble when all you did was cry and complain. But over the years, something clicked in you and you took after me, and every lesson, every conversation, every dish you helped me cook, I could only feel us both growing stronger. And after time, you flowered and matured into a strong young woman, fit to take on the world. You may not have wanted the power of the Sage, but it is an important one nonetheless. And now, your greatest battle begins within. My mind wanders often now, but with your help, I found peace in this aged existence. I found happiness. You taught me something that I thought I could never feel, a familial love that was unlike any other. You have a long road yet to walk, but one that I am sure you can accomplish as long as you believe in yourself, and that of your pupil." Teardrops fell onto the parchment and Claire hung over the message, breathing in every word of the writing. "There is a great danger below, an explosion of chakra that surfaced a few years ago, one you may find may put your own life and the lives of the ones you love in jeopardy. It is not going to be easy, but I ask you to leave this place, to leave the mountain. Teach the boy everything you know, and take him with you. Go and find the truth of yourself and grow and nurture yourself along the way. He may become a hindrance, but in time, you might find more reliance in him than you do in yourself, it has happened to me. Now, that I stand here at the end of my long journey, know that I have no regrets. That taking you in that day made me the happiest man alive. I never said it when I could, but I hope this will have to do now. I love you, Claire. Thank you for teaching an old man that a heart still resides in his shriveled out chest. You are indeed, my hero."
Nothing but resounding and silent sobs flowed from the Sage's eyes as she sat there, holding onto the paper for dear life as if it was the only connection she had left to her mentor. And after some time, she let go, drying her eyes on her sleeve and folded the scroll up. She laid it down on the nightstand next to her bed and regained her poise. Her fists clenched and unclenched. Eventually falling to a still, her mind now ringing with thoughts, one of which being, I am to leave this place... My home. To search for who I truly am. Sometimes, Master, I can never quite figure you out. But I do promise you this, that I will go, and I will honor your wishes, I will defy my role as Sage and as the Guardian Of The Mount and find the answers I seek. It will be my final mission for you.
. . .
Many leagues away, in a land where fall had set and the crimson sky, cast its neverending glow upon the gate of the Village Hidden In The Leaves, a man took a long drag from his cigarette. Similarly, to the aforementioned heroine, his hair was blonde and eyes were blue. Monuto Uzumaki. He adjusted his gi and vest, flipping a kunai in his hands as his legs dangled off the edge of a ruined building. The night was fast approaching and with it, the promise of an invasion. The intel was sound, The Village Hidden In The Mist would be attacking when the moon was high. Himself, along with staggering other numbers of Jonin and Chunin all awaited the oncoming battle, hidden out of sight but in view of one another. His voice was raspy and nowhere near as energetic as his forefathers, Monuto spoke. "Diz, this isn't going to be an easy fight. About fifty recorded combatants, there could be hundreds more looming behind them. They're after the Hokage... You know we've got to use lethal force in order to stop them." He gripped his kunai firmly and gritted his teeth, "You gonna be okay? Some of them may be people you know. Friends, lost cousins..." He squinted a little into the setting sun then turned his gaze to the aforementioned shinobi. One who'd switched sides not too long ago. But with that, a certain level of distrust from most shinobi. Monuto was not one of them. He'd fought alongside Dizzy multiple times and had more faith in him than anyone. Perhaps that was why Boruto had placed them together, but there was definitely more than that. With Monuto's ability to manipulate the winds of rasengan, and Dizzy's poison, they were a dangerous foe to be recokoned with.
