Post by Amaterasu Tachibana on Jul 8, 2014 8:50:37 GMT -7
Live.
'Kumogakure.' Her home. The home that she hadn't been back to in over ten years. Amaterasu stood before the gates, Ares standing quietly next to her. He seemed to be gaping up at the sheer size of her home village, his eyes darting around with the excitement of a child. Amaterasu was just standing there with a knot in her stomach, one hand wrapped around Ares's left horn to keep herself steady. He didn't complain. She did this quite often and he was extremely glad to help her. It also appeared to be a comfort thing. Amaterasu clung to Ares for comfort whenever she was nervous or uneasy. However, in this situation, it was probably more excitement than uneasiness. Ares leaned against her to give her a little more of that comfort, not saying a word and just letting her stare.
It wasn't until she felt the familiar hand of Gorou on her back that she looked up. The dark-skinned, wrinkled, extremely tall, but old man looked down at her with his usual kindness. "Everything will be fine, Amaterasu. I'm sure your sister will be surprised but happy to see you," he cooed gently, looking toward the gates of the village. "And I'm ready to relax for the rest of my life. You've run me around ragged for over ten years, I get to sit down now. There's not much more that I can teach you," he said with a sage nod, that goofy smile on those wrinkled cheeks making him look a little comical. "Come and visit often, Amaterasu, I'll be looking for the both of you," he said, stepping past her and walking into the gate, holding his hand up in a backward wave.
Amaterasu just watched him walk away, noting the way that his long, white hair ran all the way down to his butt in silky locks. Gorou certainly had been a vain one. Ama could recall the time when she'd accidentally tripped and spilled grape soda all over him, including his hair. He'd complained about how it'd stained his perfect white hair for weeks until it'd faded. "Ama, you're crying," Ares said, pulling her right out of her thoughts. She jumped slightly, glancing to Ares as she wiped her eyes, "Eh? No I'm not," she lied, putting a smile on her features, "I'm just remembering some of the things we went through with that man... Why does it feel like goodbye, Ares?" Amaterasu asked, her gaze still on the man who was growing even more distanced by the second.
Ares rested his large chin on her shoulder, "Because you know that it is. He's tried to hide it, but he's sick, and he's going home to die. In peace, and knowing that he made a great impact on your life. He'd beat you if he saw you were crying over him, Amaterasu."
The seafoam haired woman sighed, bowing her head slightly, staring at the ground. "Yeah, you're right, Ares. It's just an awful feeling when you're a medical ninja and you can't save the one person who's made the biggest impact on your life. I'd be nothing if it weren't for Gorou. I'd have given up being a shinobi long ago and I'd never had met you. We owe him everything, Ares. Is it really the right thing to let him go die alone?"
"But he's not alone," was the only response that Ares gave her, lifting his head off her shoulder and stepping back slightly. He then nudged her forward, making her let go of his horn and forcing her to move forward. After all, that's what they were both doing now. Moving forward, and though their master wasn't going to be with them anymore, he would still be in their hearts. Ares wouldn't admit it, but he was just as heartbroken as Amaterasu. Bringing Ama home hadn't been just for her, it'd been so their teacher and friend could finally rest in peace.
Amaterasu sighed, "Alright, alright. I'm going. Let's go." She started forward, Ares trotting at her side, giving her a little more strength and confidence the closer that she got to the village gates. Gorou was nowhere to be found, and Amaterasu was glad. She knew that she wouldn't see him again. His invitation to come see him was not to visit him at his home, but at his grave site. As they reached the entrance to the village, she noted the stunned expressions of the three shinobi on guard there. They'd been in her's and her sister's graduating Academy class. They'd all gathered to say goodbye to her when she'd first left the village. It was strange seeing how they had matured. Amaterasu had half expected everyone to have been frozen in time, not having moved from where she'd last seen them. That wasn't the case, though, and she was likely in for quite a few surprises the further she ventured into her home. Passing by her three school friends, she gave a small wave in greeting. Ares paused to stare at them for a moment before trotting quickly behind to catch up with his friend.
The two companions moved slowly toward the center of the village, greeting the people as they went. She recognized many of them, and they all held the same expression of surprise. No one had ever expected her to come home. She'd even stopped writing to her sister shortly after she became the Raikage a few years before. There had been no further contact between the two, and Amaterasu hadn't returned to the village since she'd first left. Mei was in for a surprise because the only warning of Amaterasu being back in the village would be the whispers that seemed to trail ahead of them like wildfire. And spread did they.
-------------------------------
"Lady Raikage, I'm entering!" a Kumogakure chuunin noted as he knocked on the door to the Raikage's office. He didn't wait for an answer. This was far too important, after all. He stepped right into the room, bowing quickly, "I'm so sorry to interrupt you while you're working, Lady Raikage but... Your sister has returned to the village!"
It wasn't until she felt the familiar hand of Gorou on her back that she looked up. The dark-skinned, wrinkled, extremely tall, but old man looked down at her with his usual kindness. "Everything will be fine, Amaterasu. I'm sure your sister will be surprised but happy to see you," he cooed gently, looking toward the gates of the village. "And I'm ready to relax for the rest of my life. You've run me around ragged for over ten years, I get to sit down now. There's not much more that I can teach you," he said with a sage nod, that goofy smile on those wrinkled cheeks making him look a little comical. "Come and visit often, Amaterasu, I'll be looking for the both of you," he said, stepping past her and walking into the gate, holding his hand up in a backward wave.
Amaterasu just watched him walk away, noting the way that his long, white hair ran all the way down to his butt in silky locks. Gorou certainly had been a vain one. Ama could recall the time when she'd accidentally tripped and spilled grape soda all over him, including his hair. He'd complained about how it'd stained his perfect white hair for weeks until it'd faded. "Ama, you're crying," Ares said, pulling her right out of her thoughts. She jumped slightly, glancing to Ares as she wiped her eyes, "Eh? No I'm not," she lied, putting a smile on her features, "I'm just remembering some of the things we went through with that man... Why does it feel like goodbye, Ares?" Amaterasu asked, her gaze still on the man who was growing even more distanced by the second.
Ares rested his large chin on her shoulder, "Because you know that it is. He's tried to hide it, but he's sick, and he's going home to die. In peace, and knowing that he made a great impact on your life. He'd beat you if he saw you were crying over him, Amaterasu."
The seafoam haired woman sighed, bowing her head slightly, staring at the ground. "Yeah, you're right, Ares. It's just an awful feeling when you're a medical ninja and you can't save the one person who's made the biggest impact on your life. I'd be nothing if it weren't for Gorou. I'd have given up being a shinobi long ago and I'd never had met you. We owe him everything, Ares. Is it really the right thing to let him go die alone?"
"But he's not alone," was the only response that Ares gave her, lifting his head off her shoulder and stepping back slightly. He then nudged her forward, making her let go of his horn and forcing her to move forward. After all, that's what they were both doing now. Moving forward, and though their master wasn't going to be with them anymore, he would still be in their hearts. Ares wouldn't admit it, but he was just as heartbroken as Amaterasu. Bringing Ama home hadn't been just for her, it'd been so their teacher and friend could finally rest in peace.
Amaterasu sighed, "Alright, alright. I'm going. Let's go." She started forward, Ares trotting at her side, giving her a little more strength and confidence the closer that she got to the village gates. Gorou was nowhere to be found, and Amaterasu was glad. She knew that she wouldn't see him again. His invitation to come see him was not to visit him at his home, but at his grave site. As they reached the entrance to the village, she noted the stunned expressions of the three shinobi on guard there. They'd been in her's and her sister's graduating Academy class. They'd all gathered to say goodbye to her when she'd first left the village. It was strange seeing how they had matured. Amaterasu had half expected everyone to have been frozen in time, not having moved from where she'd last seen them. That wasn't the case, though, and she was likely in for quite a few surprises the further she ventured into her home. Passing by her three school friends, she gave a small wave in greeting. Ares paused to stare at them for a moment before trotting quickly behind to catch up with his friend.
The two companions moved slowly toward the center of the village, greeting the people as they went. She recognized many of them, and they all held the same expression of surprise. No one had ever expected her to come home. She'd even stopped writing to her sister shortly after she became the Raikage a few years before. There had been no further contact between the two, and Amaterasu hadn't returned to the village since she'd first left. Mei was in for a surprise because the only warning of Amaterasu being back in the village would be the whispers that seemed to trail ahead of them like wildfire. And spread did they.
-------------------------------
"Lady Raikage, I'm entering!" a Kumogakure chuunin noted as he knocked on the door to the Raikage's office. He didn't wait for an answer. This was far too important, after all. He stepped right into the room, bowing quickly, "I'm so sorry to interrupt you while you're working, Lady Raikage but... Your sister has returned to the village!"
