itsjustdust | Kunai the 15th: [Video/Action Violet]

Entry tags:

Kunai the 15th: [Video/Action Violet]

[Getting to Violet had been a bit of an adventure, with a few stops to let the pokemon rest, and to get together things needed in Cherrywood. Thus, it had taken a bit longer than strictly warranted, but they had still gotten back to Violet before the rest of the people they were meeting there.

Obito was honestly surprised this was the case, but had immediately put up the money for all of them to stay somewhere, since he had it, so that when the others arrived they'd had a place set up and ready too.

Now, with everyone finally assembled, more or less at least, it was time to let everyone he'd... sort of failed to actually reassure over the last few weeks know that he was okay. Thus, his goal when he turned on his gear, outside with his Charizard curled around his back as something to lean on, and a young Lapras in his lap.]

Hey, everyone. I know that over the last few weeks you guys haven't been hearing much from me, and I'd like to apologize for that.

There were some... issues with my traveling situation. For those of you I did talk to, I'm fine, and if I worried you, well, as you can see...

I'm good.

[If one ignored the bandage on his cheek, the bruise that was a brilliant color on his forehead that dipped down over his eyebrow, and who knows what else that was out of sight.]

And for those I was in the cave with... Let me know if everything's okay, would you?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He sobers briefly, the words making something ping in his mind that he can't really remember, but the memory is unpleasant, whatever it is, and he quickly shook it off to flash a grin right back at him.]

Hey now, there are way better things to have yourself stuck to forever than caves, alright?

Nothing good comes out of a cave.

I'd rather get stuck with, I dunno, either of my teammates. [He paused, then huffed, shaking his head sharply.] Or I'll just tell fate to take a walk... I mean, fate is one of those things people take into their own hands.

Reality is what you make of it, you know?

So... yeah. [He flashed him a brilliant smile.] Here is a place of second chances and changed lives.

I may not have the chance to get up and be Hokage here, but that doesn't mean I can't be the best leader I can be, and help everyone how I can, you know?

No need to go dragging a heavy weight like fate into it... Or caves. [He pulled a face.]

[And this was another talkative one. A Konoha shinobi as well. One from his future, past, or present though? Clearly neither too far in the past or the future if he knew and used the term Hokage and had what sounds to be a usual team composition.

While 'reality' is less changeable, he can at least agree with this shinobi on the concept of dismissing fate.]

I don't see the point in romanticizing the place. Wherever this place may be, it is nothing more or less than what those who control it or those who live within it make it.

It's not romanticizing. [He quieted a bit at this, shaking his head slowly.]

You have no idea how many people I know here died when or where they're from. [He shook his head slightly.] One of the people I know even compiled accounts from several people here, as well as his own experiences... Did you know no one dies here?

You can maim someone, cause them permanent harm, but they won't die. Any lethal things will just... make you wake up with that all better.

I mean, me? I had half my body completely crushed and I was missing an eye before I got here, and then it was like that morning before I saved my teammate, everything intact.

I don't think it would happen if I got squished under a huge rock again but... you know. They patch you up on arrival and expect you to stay that way.

[...A place where people can't die? Is that even possible? How would that function? It's...if this is true, then that certainly is no help for the idea that this might be some sort of afterlife--a theory he still refuses to adhere to, despite the presence of the recently and not-so recently dead.]

Have you seen this happen? [The dying and coming back thing. It's rather difficult to have a controlled experiment with that, since a failed one would result in a pointless death...but if he had the opportunity to simply see what happened...]

You're not the first I've seen who arrived here after death and in perfect health. [There's himself, for instance.] From what I can see, whatever they use leaves no marks, either, which reaches beyond the limits of medical jutsu. It's possible part of whatever they use our chakra on is powerful life-transfer jutsus. Which is an extreme amount of effort and energy to expend on giving people a 'happy place'.

No, but it's a pretty common understanding in certain circles. I've been in contact with more than one group that's got Intel since coming here and they all seem to agree on it. No one recommends it but...

It's not just that either. Everyone is made into a human when they come here. I'm good friends with someone who didn't even have a real body before he came here.

He was a book smaller than my thumb.

Have these groups collected any other intel? [Because so far most of the 'intel' he's collected are in the form of guides. One of which, while a way to pass time by reading it, was primarily a survival guide, rather than something with world info in it.

He frowns in confusion at the mention of a...book? A living book transformed into a human?]

A book became a human here? [Changing summoning animals or the like into a human form wouldn't be reaching all that far, although the question of 'why' persisted, but...an inanimate object?]

Mmm hmm. He likes to point out that he's just thing a lot. Drives me up the wall when I try to correct him because he is a person. as For intel... yeah here. [Give him a second as he attaches a file.]

One of Sasuke's friends put that together before I got here and it's kind of helpful. He's got a pretty substantial business.

How does it know how to speak...? [After all, even if it possessed some form of intelligence, rather than appearing like a failed shadow clone, how is it able to learn language?

He glances down at the file...and recognizes it to be the same one he is always sent when offered 'intel'. How annoying.] I've already been sent that...intel by Tenten and the Fourth Hokage. Is that all that you have?

[The last comment of the shinobi does give him pause though. It's unlikely to be vital information, but at least it's something new.] What business is that?

He [Have some indisputably protective insistence here Neji.] is what he calls a program modeled off the form of one of the people documented in his book.

He's incredibly smart, okay? [He huffed a breath.] He also has feelings, he's just easily confused by how to people sometimes, that's all.

[Right, you asked other things, didn't you?] That's the only thing actually documented for access, yes, though I know a lot more that's not in there. Riku's got a huge training facility over in Kanto, pretty rich, and the place is a veritable fortress.

[...He watches the screen in silent surprise at the youth's sudden angry--rather, protective--response. Insulting him or his friend hadn't actually been his intent. Instead, the child referred to the person as a 'book'. The newer description...didn't make any sense at all, which must have explained how it could be a person.]

I never implied he lacked them. I was merely confused as to how an object could become a person. [He notes the information about Riku, but mostly what he's interested in is the information the other shinobi mentioned.] What is it that you know?

[He gave him a hard stare for a moment,then seemed to calm, letting out a breath and making himself relax. No point getting up in arms, right?]

That depends. I know a lot of the map details, especially since the most recent... things. Elaborations on the basic maps, the can and cannots of how this place works on a physical scale, flight paths that work best from certain cities in Johto, what creatures are affected by in and out of battle.

There's more stuff too, but it's not written.

[The hard stare is returned only with a completely neutral expression of Neji's own. As he said, he's not looking to offend this person, nor fight over someone he's never even met.

Besides, there's information to be had. Most of what he lists off is unimportant and uninteresting to Neji, but the comment about the cans and cannots of how the place works, and the vague 'more' catch his attention.]

Other than the lack of death, I presume you have other oddities you know about the physical laws of this world, then?

This and that, yeah. You can't physically travel through tress. It is impossible from the ground. You can't go back up ledges once you go down, no matter how high they are. The locals are disorienting, and don't let them fool you, the law enforcement and medics in this place are a pair of huge extended families, not clones or something like that.

[He paused to think about it.] Those are the ones that most readily come to mind.

What do you mean impossible? [Impossible is a very strong word. Within the context, it is difficult for Neji to discern just how it could be employed in a practical sense. The comment about clones earns a small frown though. Not only because the war he's just come from was primarily composed of 'clones', but because he's yet to spot a member of law enforcement and only witnessed one nurse.]

Why would I believe they were clones, rather than family?

Because they wear the exact same clothes, share the exact same hairstyle, and talk the same way... On top of having very very very little to distinguish them apart physically, if anything.

[He shook his head at this point.] As for the other thing... I mean if you try to go through dense trees you just plain won't be able to. It's insane.

You can land from flight, but that's about the only way.

...Yet you're certain they're not clones? [Because the Hyuuga clan could be very conformist and even they were not so difficult to tell apart, nor identical in mannerisms, as this shinobi implies of the police and medical forces here.]

And what's to be found inside the trees should you land in them?

They're really adamant that they're just relatives.

And inside the trees is... just what you'd expect to find inside a grove of trees actually. This place is broken.

I see. [That it proves nothing. Obviously.

It's...neither surprising nor disappointing to hear what's apparently in the overgrowth, but it is interesting enough, considering the impossibility of getting there.] 'Broken'? I would have said it sounds almost 'false'.

You mean like a Genjutsu? Maybe.

If it is one though, it's pretty intense and people can get dropped back into it after leaving.

[If that's not what you meant then he has no idea.]

[Oh you mean like Moon's Eye Plan?

Isn't that a pleasant thought, though?

He frowns.]

Perhaps not a genjutsu, not on this scale, but there are other ways to manufacture a reality than to actually generate that reality.

[He has never heard of said plan. Also, what?]

...

......

I don't follow.

[Funny that....

He's a genjutsu specialist, isn't he? Neji's never really been a fan of those--as evidenced by working consistently with team full of people without a drop of genjutsu.

He sighs and shakes his head.] Manipulating an illusionary reality wouldn't be necessary. Anything with the ability to bring back the dead and summon them to a place repeatedly must also be able to manipulate actual reality to some extent or another.

In other words you're saying that this place is just a really elaborate seal set up?

[No, no he's really really not a genjutsu specialist! Just. Family.

You would understand that part most likely.]

Like, one to revive people, one to keep them that way, another for transport ike Sensei's Hiraishin?

But how would they pick their targets? What about those whose bodies were seriously modified?

Sometimes people return to their 'normal' so the change isn't permanent...

Something like that, yes.

[He'd understand that part if he knew the kid's family, yes. But then they wouldn't be getting along as well.]

A prolonged transformation jutsu might explain any physical modifications present, although it would be a drain...there is an exceptional amount of chakra constantly going missing. Including that of a tailed beast. [Because if they weren't doing something with that creature's chakra then Naruto would still be able to access it as he did in the chuunin exams, he would think, no matter how tightly they've apparently managed to seal the creature within him.]

You're not accounting for the people who have no chakra though. Or at least, no usable chakra. You can't exactly ignore them.

[He shook his head and then frowned a little.]

Haven't you ever heard the term 'the simplest solution isn't always a wrong one'?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Kunai the 15th: [Video/Action Violet]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]