Board Thread:World Map/@comment-24479578-20170121222506/@comment-24479578-20170121222527

The sky had been overcast. But then again, there was really no sun that showed through the clouds in the Land of Demons. The sky always seemed to have this reddish haze to it and the land always seemed so dead and barren. Perhaps it was the lack of sunlight that kept everything pretty close to the name of the land. It looked like it could very well be a place that housed demons. But that wasn’t something that really bothered Nali as she sat on the steps leading up to the Priestess’s home with her face buried in yet another scroll.

It was hard for Nali not to soak up as much information as she could. The last that she had been here was when she had been only a young girl of Five years and then she had no name to work under or even begin to create a reputation with. At that time, she couldn’t read or write. All that was available to her was the stories that were told by the Elders of the Clan and she was never allowed to go to speak with the Priestess claiming that she had far too much to worry about rather than being distracted by a little girl. But now it was different. She was able to walk into her home land and search out it’s history. She could read for herself the documents that had been preserved since the first priestess had taken up residency in this barren land. It was like a treasure trove for her.

Her silver hues read over each word with curiosity and excitement as scroll after scroll, she picked up and read. Absorbing the words into the very core of her being and causing her heart to swell with pride. This was the land that she came from. These were the people that she called ‘Clansmen.’ Bringing in her bottom lip, she bit down on it slightly as she unrolled more and continued to read it over almost wishing that she could make a copy of the scrolls and bring them home to show O. It was the things like this that she would treasure for the rest of her life. Not everyone could say that they have had the ability to live in more than one place. Especially with how protective the Shinobi villages were over their numbers.

Another scroll was finished and she rolled it up, placing it next to her and taking up another. Drawing the cord that kept it rolled together, she let the paper drape over her lap while she continued to take in the history of her homeland. Then she heard the footsteps rather than seeing the person that was walking up to her. Something that shinobi were better at than most. “Well… Well. Isn’t it the prodigal child, returning from her travels to foreign lands.” The male voice said with a sneer to it’s tone. She didn’t have to look up to notice them coming. The movement alone was enough for her to see them through her bangs. “Mommy and Daddy stay at home this time? Aww. The poor girl must be so scared to be here all alone. Who knows what things could jump out and get her.” The male continued to tease while she continued to look a the scroll. Not even worrying about being upset over the words he said.

Casually, she simply brought up her hand and brushed back her white strands and tucked them behind her ear while she continued to keep the appearance of her attention being on the scroll while in truth, she was taking a look to see just how many there were that came with the male voice. ‘Three. And by the looks of it, the mouthpiece was the one that confronted me when I first arrived. Heh. Figures.’ She thought to herself as she raised a hand to cover over her mock yawn then stretched with her arms to either side of her head with a slight squeal before she exhaled and looked back down at the scroll. She could hear the frustration from the mouthpiece and overheard the two that were with him goading him on. ‘So. This one can’t stand up on his own. It seems that courage only comes out when he feels he has something to prove. Oh well. Not my pride that’s going to be hurt.’

It was only a few moments more when she overheard a different voice start whispering to the mouthpiece. “Shinku, this… thing... just walks back into our lands and the old man opens his arms up to her like nothing ever happened! That’s all he’s been talking about is this spawn of a demon’s whore.” It was at that point that she couldn’t hold back from saying anything. Not because she was offended. On the contrary. Insults did little to affect her when she had always been the outcast. Not lifting her head, she instead lifted her hand up with an extended pointer finger. “Correction. That’s Miss Spawn of a Demon’s Whore to you. K? Thanks.” Her head remained down at the scroll as she tried so hard to keep from laughing. She knew that if she had looked up, it would have been all over with.

It was Shinku, the mouthpiece, that spoke once more. That was after he had stopped himself from mouthing things as if he were stuttering over his worlds. “Well… you’re not welcome here!” She heard the reprise of ‘yeah’’s from his two friends as they walked up beside him. Nali raised her hand up and placed her elbow on her knee as her hand then supported her chin as she looked to them with a slight smirk on her lips. “So ya need hype men huh? What’s the matter, Shinku? Feeling threatened by a visitor just because you’re not the one being talked about?” She chuckled to herself with a bit of a wink to him and his friends.

Looking to the steps a moment, she noticed the movement of a centipede and smirked. “What are you talking about? I’m the old man’s favorite! He’s teaching me the Sepulchre Path!” Shinku said with a thumb being pointed to his chest as he leaned towards Nali with a sneer on his face. His eyes watched Nali’s fingers as she moved along the step just above the centipede before grabbing it with her thumb and fore finger. Letting the little creature run along her fingers a moment before she brought it up to her lips and placed it just between her lips. Making sure to look Shinku right in the eye as she swept the rest of the body into her mouth with a satisfying crunch as she began chewing it up. She heard and grinned at the ‘Ugh! Gross!’ exclaimed by the one to his left and saw the full body shiver of the one on his right. Shinku looked to Nali with a disgusted look on his face. “You’re fucking weird!” This made Nali only chuckle to herself as she stood up and brushed off her rear. “Nah, my guy. See. That’s where you’re wrong. I ain’t weird.” She then looked to him from the side of her eyes with a cheshire cat grin. “I’m a Limited Edition.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">She then walked down the steps, one by one. Her white and black strands moving over her back as she bumped down the steps. “So! You’re the chosen one to learn the Sepulchre Path, huh? You know… there’s only one of those chosen every generation. So you must be super excited.” She said as she reached into her pouch and pulled a kunai from it. Shinku watched her as she neared and swallowed hard. Stepping back a bit, he watched her with his mouth open a bit like he was about to say something. Finally finding his words, he clenched his fist as he looked to her spinning her kunai around her finger by the end. “Yeah. I am. You should be honored to be standing in my presence!” Nali chuckled as she gripped the end of the kunai in her left hand and held the kunai up to her lips. Sliding her tongue across the blade, she smirked and in a low and almost sarcastic tone, she responded with “Oh well I should practice my curtsy then.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Slashing her right palm, she created the seals that were chosen when she had signed her pact as a child. Then with her eyes upon the three that were before her, she placed her palm out as the blood welled up and dropped onto the ground before her. She heard the gasps from the two that were on either side of Shinku while her eyes met Shinku’s directly. She could see first the look of fear that held within his crimson hues. “No…. this can’t be…” He looked to her and clenched both his fists now as he began to shake with anger. “It was promised to me!” One. Two. Three. The blood hit the soil before her and no sooner did the blood soak into the ground did the ground begin to move between her and them. “Seems you’re not the chosen one after all…” She grinned with a bit of a chuckle. Bringing her bleeding palm to her lips, she licked the wound and held her tongue out just a moment more so that they could see her own blood on her tongue.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Shinku glared at her with his jaw clenched. “You… You’re an outcast! A monster! You have no rights to this honor!” Nali only grinned more as the first hand shot up from the ground. Then the second. Finally the third. The wraiths pulled themselves from the ground and groaned as they came to the surface. Taking her blood on the ends of her fingers, she wiped it along each of their lips finishing the summoning. As soon as the blood touched the decaying flesh, each of the creatures took on a silver hue to their orbs as they looked to the three that were in front of her.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Shinku looked to the creatures as he took a step back. His fury showing on his face as he reached behind him and took the scythe from his back. With the handle being held in both his hands, he lunged forward with the scythe to the side of him. He cried out in anger as he brought the scythe forward, digging the blade deeply into the side of the first of the three wraiths. “I’LL HAVE YOUR HEAD AS A TROPHY!” He screamed. The two that were with him backed away as Nali just looked to him with a smirk on her lips. “You want to remember me that much? How sweet of you.” Leaping backwards, she quickly wove through the hand seals of Snake → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger. Kneading the chakra within her belly, she placed her first two fingers on either side of her lips and blew the fire rich chakra from her in the form of a great fireball. When the fireball came at him from between the two wraiths that had still been standing, She could hear him cry out in pain as his long robe caught on fire. When she had finished, she watched as the fire diminished and left him there with the ashes of the other wraiths around his feet. His clothing had been burnt as well as his hands and face.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The flash had been enough to signal others and it was not long before the Elder of the Clan had shown up. “Nalini! Shinku! What is the meaning of this?!” Nali didn’t stay still as she calmly walked over to the burnt Shinku and knelt beside him. Placing her hands together while she concentrated on her healing chakra, she took on the likeness of an angel as she then would try and place her hands over Shinku. He only looked to her and growled as he tried to back away from her. “Get away from me, you monster! Freak! OUTCAS…” “SHINKU! THAT IS ENOUGH!” The Elder said as he looked between the two of them. Shinku simply turned his face away from them all. It was all that Nali needed for her to place her hands over the male and start healing the burns that he had sustained. “Nalini. What happened here?” As Nali kept her eyes on her work, she spoke calm and evenly. “Shinku and his little friends over there decided that they were going to try and prove a point. They were shown wrong. All that truly happened was Shinku ended up with wounded pride and got burned for assuming things were as he saw them and not how they actually were.” Shinku growled more and shouted at Nali. “You don’t deserve the honor of the Sepulchre Path. I do!”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The Elder raised a brow and looked to the two of them. Then to the other two that were standing as far back from Nali and Shinku as possible. “Is that what this is all about?” He then let out a chuckle. “Shinku, Nalini was chosen but not by the clan. It was the Priestess that chose her. It was on the day of her birth to be truthful. A vision that she had seen on the last full moon before Nalini’s birth told her that a child with hues of the moon and hair that would be the mix of darkness and light would come into this world. She would be a great healer to the sick and a powerful protector to the land. When Nalini was born and she opened her eyes, we knew it was the foretold prophecy. When she became of age, she had been given the pact to sign in her blood and was taught the ways of the Sepulchre Path.” Nali’s hands glowed as she healed Shinku listening on to what was said by the Elder. She had never heard it before and felt honored in her own way. “We sent her and her family from here. We knew that the only way for Nalini to gain the knowledge of the ways of Medicine was for her to go somewhere else. She was never cast out of here. Her or her family.” The Elder then looked to Nali as she finished the healing and placed her hands on her lap. Her appearance slowly returning to that of her normal self. “Nalini is the great balance. Dark and light. Yin and yang. Her healing ability gives life. While the abilities that come to her from her bloodline deals with the realm of death. It is believed that should Nalini merge her two abilities, she could very well come up with a way to bring the dead back to us as true life once more. A true reincarnation of the dead.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Shinku stood abruptly and began walking over towards the older man. His crimson hues blazing with anger. “You mean to tell me, I have been your little servant and gopher for all this time for nothing?!” Nali looked up and rolled onto the balls of her feet. Her silver hues watching as Shinku tensed up. With the young male’s back to her, she quickly went through the seals Tiger → Horse → Rabbit → Rat → Dog. Her hands began to radiate with chakra as her hues looked to Shinku’s movements and the way he held his body. As he moved to bring his arm back, Nali was already moving. Her target was his shoulder. That would be all that she needed to touch. As Shinku brought his fist forward to slam into the Elder’s chest, Nali just touched upon his shoulder and then again at his elbow. Shinku cried out in pain as his arm went limp beside his body. Immediately, he brought over his other arm to hold his injured arm against his body. His eyes glared at Nali’s back as she turned her head over her shoulder before turning completely and facing him. Her silver hues gleamed like polished platinum as her gaze bore into Shinku’s eyes. There was no smile on her face as she spoke. Her tone even but haunting. “Don’t touch my Grandfather or I swear it will be more than your arm that you lose the use of.” The chakra around her hands dispersed as she walked forward and stepped between him and the Elder. “How much more are you going to embarrass yourself? Disgrace our Clan? Your actions are simply that of a spoiled child that thinks he deserves things handed to him. Let me give you a little hint there, fuck boy, I’ve worked for everything I have. I’ve earned every honor I’ve been given. And the one thing in my life that came free was a blessing in the form of love. Can you say that your heart was given freely and someone has given you their’s in return?” His face only reddened. “I am weird. I am different. But you know what? To my man, O Kaguya, I am his Limited Edition and damn proud to be.” She stood nose to nose with Shinku until he finally turned on his heels and stormed off with his friends behind him.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Nali felt a hand on her shoulder and sighed softly. “I’m sorry, Grampa. I didn’t mean to come back and start trouble for you.” She closed her eyes and heard a chuckle from behind her. Turning, she’d see the old eyes of the man just smiling at her. “You did nothing of the sort. If anything, I’d say you taught Shinku a very valuable lesson in humility today. He’s got a lot to think about if he even thinks that he’s going to be even given the chance at the other two paths.” Nali smiled with a nod.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The older man looked to her and tilted his head a bit. “By the way. I saw the huge ball of fire. Was that you?” Nali looked to him and gasped a bit before placing her hands before her and nodded. “It’s a fire release ability that the Uchiha of my village use as a sort of ‘Coming of Age’ rite.” He nodded his head and then a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Would you mind showing me how you do that?” Nali looked to him and smiled brightly. She was being asked to show someone from her clan something. With a deep breath, she nodded and walked away from him just enough that when she released the flame, no one would be injured.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">As she spoke, she did what was needed. “Like the chakra we use for our summoning, we focus on that. For those of us that have the affinity to fire, this would come a lot easier than it would for those that have an affinity to other elements. You then create the hand seals that are needed for the jutsu. This helps with focusing on the fire chakra.” She then created the hand seals slower but not too slow. Snake → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger. “The fire chakra will churn within your belly, growing hotter. Then you take a deep breath and…” She placed the first two fingers of her left hand near her lips and took a deep breath. As she exhaled, out from her lips came the great ball of fire that she had used earlier on Shinku. Once she had stopped, she took a deep breath and smiled looking back to her grandfather. She could see the pride in his eyes as he looked to her. “You have grown into a beautiful and strong Shinobi, Nalini.” He said as he walked up next to her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, she smiled and looked up to him. “One day I would like to meet this O Kaguya of yours. I have to make sure that he is worthy of the most precious flower I have.” Nali smiled and even blushed a bit. Wrapping her arms around the man, she laid her head against his shoulder. She could hear the gasping of those that were behind him but ignored it. The older man placed his arms around her and smiled gently to her. Placing a soft kiss on the top of her head, he whispered something for her and her alone. “My precious little moon. You have made me so proud.” Nali’s smile couldn't have gotten any bigger but she tried hard to keep it concealed and to herself.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:11pt;margin-bottom:11pt;"><span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#3a3a3a;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">He once more stood straight up and looked to her as she let go and stood back up as well. “Bring your reading back to the house. It’s just about time for dinner. Your grandmother is making us something special to celebrate your visit.” Nali smiled and gave a nod. “Alright. I’ll be there shortly.” The older man nodded and let her go before turning with the group that had come with him and made their way back to the house. Nali watched him walk away and smiled to herself. Looking up to the steps, she walked over and picked up the scrolls. Returning the ones that she had already read, she brought the other ones with her back to the house. It was going to be wonderful to actually sit and listen to the stories that were going to be shared. Old family stories that her mother and father had long since stopped telling. Thinking to herself over a cup of tea that it was the old people that told the best stories.