๏ผ he steps out of the shadow of the statue, and comes to stand beside her at the crackling fire. it is natural for him to feel drawn to such a thing, given that it is his chakra nature — but even if it were not, he expects he would still find comfort in the warmth and heat and light. he holds one hand out, turns it over and folds his fingers in briefly against his palm. his hand casts long shadows on the walls. ๏ผ
I suppose it is difficult in a world where the majority are not accustomed to such things. There is no guidebook to follow.
ใ without thinking about it, she runs her fingers through the gray hairs at itachiโs temple. ใ
You look very dignified. ใ and more severe than usual. age lent him a graver air. she wonders if he took his cues from his own fatherโs appearance. ใ
๏ผ he stills, when she touches him, but he does not move away. her fingers brush at his temples, and where the pads of her fingers make contact feels like a warm song of electricity, at once alight and arcing. ๏ผ
I look older.
๏ผ he shakes his head, and at length reaches up to take her gently by the wrist, and move her hand aside. ๏ผ
ใ she saw his home, though she did not know it at the time. the scarlet and white fans on either side of his chest catch her eye, and she thinks back to the fan she made for him once. it would have disintegrated to nothing while they were in sedorum.
she lifts a shoulder in a delicate shrug. ใ
Odds are this is the closest I'll get to visiting Konoha. ใ her hand closes around her wrist. it feels strangely naked without the familiar weight of her dimensional travel watch. ใ I'll take a tour.
๏ผ konoha is not exactly a tourist destination — all visitors are registered and watched by anbu, and the barrier seal alerts them to anyone trying to sneak in. but, this is a world he controls in its entirety, and it is a simple thing.
the world shifts, and they are suddenly walking through the northern gate into the city. shinobi stand guard at the entrance, and they wave them through. it is... difficult, to make himself seem welcome here. wistful. but gwen does not need to know what preceded his leaving — knowing he was a criminal is enough.
he takes her through the main street of the village, indicating various shops. the whole place is alive and bustling. smells of cooking food waft out of doorways hung with cloth. people pull carts of wares past them in a hurry to set up somewhere with decent foot traffic. there are groups of shinobi, milling about in their flak vests and headbands, waiting for mission assignments.
the hokage monument can be seen from where they stand, four faces built into the rock.
(he never saw it, after senju tsunade was added.)
there is a level of detail here that mirrors the real thing so exactly that it fools the mind. from the smells to the shadows, the people themselves in their fully realized lives.
he explains places, people. of course, for all that he looks older, the village is very much as it was when he left. he points out the arena, where the chลซnin exams are held, and the forty-forth training grounds where it abuts the village proper.
(he does not call it the 'forest of death', despite its moniker. it's a name chosen to scare genin, and he did not find it difficult to traverse.)
the only place he does not take her to is the uchiha clan territory. the police station can be seen over its compound walls, and there are people there as well, but she has seen the space and he has no wish to go there, to persist in this illusion of better days.
instead, stopping in front of the central office of the hokage, he gestures to the building. ๏ผ
Our village was the first one among all the warring states to be officially formed. Our leader at the time was a man named Senju Hashirama — his desire was to create a place where children could be raised safely, go to school, and be protected from the wars.
ใ points for intent. there is a school. execution otherwise is lacking. none of which she verbalizes. itachi plays his cards close to his chest, but it does not take a telepath to surmise being here would weigh on him. he was still a boy when he left, spent the next half of his life among dangerous elements, died. a short, violent life given over to his village.
(without the fullness of the truth, she is both angry and sad on his behalf. with it…it is like to be only anger.) ใ
It's a good desire. I hope it continues coming to fruition. ใ and that, maybe, the ages for graduating and doing ninja shit are increased by at least five.
gwen looks over the squat, red, circular building, then up to the faces carved on the mountainside. ใ
Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Namikaze Minato. The last of them was killed when I was a boy, and the Third took over the position again afterwards.
๏ผ he focuses on the man's face as well. he had met him only a handful of times, primarily from behind his mother's skirts as she welcomed minato and kushina into their home. he has fond memories, and an impression of the man's warmth and care, but he did not know him. ๏ผ
Our village was attacked by a bijลซ — a tailed beast that was being manipulated by someone outside of our village. The Yondaime Hokage was killed supressing it. He died saving the people of Konoha.
funny how her mind turns to billy, though he has done nothing like this (that she knows.) but it is billy she thinks of as she studies the severe stone face above her. he raised the alarm about the inheritors; he recruited the spiders from their various universes; he led them, a group of stubborn and impetuous, super-powered, mutate humans (and one pig) used to operating alone, to triumph. and afterward, he put a team together to keep an eye on the universes that lost their spider-man or -woman, keep those worlds safe too.
but as her thoughts follow to the tailed beast the fourth fought, she thinks of the new host, whoever that would have been. ใ
They must have had it really rough.
ใ it is one thing to play host to a beast capable of mass destruction. it is another to play host to the beast that also killed a presumably beloved leader. ใ
๏ผ it may have been a secret to the village at large, but his mother was kushina's best friend. she had tried so hard to adopt naruto afterwards, and been rebuffed by hiruzen — he insisted that, for the safety of the village and for naruto himself, that his parentage needed to be concealed. it would have been too obvious (and, likely too dangerous) for a jinchลซriki to be under uchiha control. ๏ผ
He did. He was a lonely child.
๏ผ he wonders if the boy remembers the conversation they had, the one where naruto had instantly taken to calling him brother because he showed him a moment's kindness, all while he wore an anbu mask. ๏ผ
ใ her eyes slide to itachi for a moment before returning to the hokage's monument. ใ
I don't envy him having to make that decision. ใ and her heart goes out to the boy he had to leave.
gwen drifts behind itachi. her hand reaches out to briefly squeeze his shoulder as she does. coming to a stop a few feet away, she points to the stairs cut into the rock. ใ
๏ผ he does not need to give her his own experiences, being capable of shaping others without effort — however, he will not give her the sharingan as a point of both pride and piety. instead, he gives her an awareness of fire — how it warms, how it burns, how it can be coaxed into life with a breath and extinguished with the same. chakra nature is easy — she has always reminded him of fire, with something of wind's freedom and water's easy adaptability, the stability of earth and the meteoric power of lightning.
he gives her techniques. knowledge, skill, ways to mold chakra in her hands and let it manifest as wild elements. the speed of shunshin, the strength of precision.
(what he does not give her is the history of war, of suffering, of pain. only the joy, at learning something new, at excelling at it, at mastering it.)
and, of course, the ability to walk up walls in an altogether different way than the one to which she is accustomed. ๏ผ
ใ like waking up that morning after she was bitten, and realizing something had shifted. then the change was physical: the bite made her stronger and faster, lighter and surer on her feet. this is different—a coursing of energy similar and wholly alien to the symbiote. like wei wuxian's explanation of qi.
gwen molds the chakra into her hands. a pale lilac glow wraps around them. she laughs. ใ
This is sick! ใ her entire face has lit up in response.
with childlike glee, her fingers fold in seals that seconds ago she did not know. she exhales a ball of fire into the air. clapping her hands together, she squeals in delight.
eyes shining, she rounds on itachi. ใ Did you see that? Did you see me? Did you see it?
ใ too excited to be aware of much other than yes, her wicked cool display was indeed perceived, gwen dashes off. she tries her hand at several more jutsu, their difficulty varied from more commonplace techniques to other elemental releases. returning from using the body flicker (by using it again), she grins broadly at itachi. ใ
This is about to become my whole personality while we're here, I'm so sorry. ใ narrator voice: it had already become her whole personality.
her eyes fall on the top of the mountain again, and she wrinkles her nose playfully at him. ใ
๏ผ is he, though? or is he just that fast? hmm. either way, he's sitting above the monument when she arrives, and rather than dignify that with an answer — ๏ผ
You asked me earlier if I had thought of being a monk. No — I wanted to be Hokage, as a boy.
dropping beside him, her annoyance exaggerated, she pokes his shoulder. ใ
Don't think I'll let you off easy just because you're cute. ใ a little pause. ใ That is really cute, though.
ใ resting her weight on her arms, gwen looks out over the colorful buildings, the different sectors, the many shops, the straight roads and winding streets. ใ
Your village is beautiful. ใ maybe more so because she is seeing it through itachi's eyes—and his love for it lives in the backbeat of every moment. ใ
( it is. whatever darkness lives in this place, within the hearts of its people... it is all too often borne of the love they carry for their village. of the hope they have for its future. of the shame they have for its past.
he leans back a little on his hands. )
It is.
( he says that simply. he does not regret his actions in the traditional sense — because at the end of it all, it was to keep this place safe.
a safety that was obliterated not long after his death, if what kakashi said is true. his expression twists, turns faintly wistful. he has mourned his home privately — that burden belongs to no one else. )
Time does not pass in the real world while we are here. You may remain as long as you wish.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
I suppose it is difficult in a world where the majority are not accustomed to such things. There is no guidebook to follow.
no subject
ใ without thinking about it, she runs her fingers through the gray hairs at itachiโs temple. ใ
You look very dignified. ใ and more severe than usual. age lent him a graver air. she wonders if he took his cues from his own fatherโs appearance. ใ
no subject
I look older.
๏ผ he shakes his head, and at length reaches up to take her gently by the wrist, and move her hand aside. ๏ผ
Is there anything else you would like to see?
no subject
ใ she saw his home, though she did not know it at the time. the scarlet and white fans on either side of his chest catch her eye, and she thinks back to the fan she made for him once. it would have disintegrated to nothing while they were in sedorum.
she lifts a shoulder in a delicate shrug. ใ
Odds are this is the closest I'll get to visiting Konoha. ใ her hand closes around her wrist. it feels strangely naked without the familiar weight of her dimensional travel watch. ใ I'll take a tour.
no subject
the world shifts, and they are suddenly walking through the northern gate into the city. shinobi stand guard at the entrance, and they wave them through. it is... difficult, to make himself seem welcome here. wistful. but gwen does not need to know what preceded his leaving — knowing he was a criminal is enough.
he takes her through the main street of the village, indicating various shops. the whole place is alive and bustling. smells of cooking food waft out of doorways hung with cloth. people pull carts of wares past them in a hurry to set up somewhere with decent foot traffic. there are groups of shinobi, milling about in their flak vests and headbands, waiting for mission assignments.
the hokage monument can be seen from where they stand, four faces built into the rock.
(he never saw it, after senju tsunade was added.)
there is a level of detail here that mirrors the real thing so exactly that it fools the mind. from the smells to the shadows, the people themselves in their fully realized lives.
he explains places, people. of course, for all that he looks older, the village is very much as it was when he left. he points out the arena, where the chลซnin exams are held, and the forty-forth training grounds where it abuts the village proper.
(he does not call it the 'forest of death', despite its moniker. it's a name chosen to scare genin, and he did not find it difficult to traverse.)
the only place he does not take her to is the uchiha clan territory. the police station can be seen over its compound walls, and there are people there as well, but she has seen the space and he has no wish to go there, to persist in this illusion of better days.
instead, stopping in front of the central office of the hokage, he gestures to the building. ๏ผ
Our village was the first one among all the warring states to be officially formed. Our leader at the time was a man named Senju Hashirama — his desire was to create a place where children could be raised safely, go to school, and be protected from the wars.
no subject
(without the fullness of the truth, she is both angry and sad on his behalf. with it…it is like to be only anger.) ใ
It's a good desire. I hope it continues coming to fruition. ใ and that, maybe, the ages for graduating and doing ninja shit are increased by at least five.
gwen looks over the squat, red, circular building, then up to the faces carved on the mountainside. ใ
That him on the left?
no subject
๏ผ he gestures at each of the faces in turn. ๏ผ
Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Namikaze Minato. The last of them was killed when I was a boy, and the Third took over the position again afterwards.
no subject
Another war?
no subject
๏ผ he focuses on the man's face as well. he had met him only a handful of times, primarily from behind his mother's skirts as she welcomed minato and kushina into their home. he has fond memories, and an impression of the man's warmth and care, but he did not know him. ๏ผ
Our village was attacked by a bijลซ — a tailed beast that was being manipulated by someone outside of our village. The Yondaime Hokage was killed supressing it. He died saving the people of Konoha.
๏ผ barely older than itachi is now. ๏ผ
no subject
funny how her mind turns to billy, though he has done nothing like this (that she knows.) but it is billy she thinks of as she studies the severe stone face above her. he raised the alarm about the inheritors; he recruited the spiders from their various universes; he led them, a group of stubborn and impetuous, super-powered, mutate humans (and one pig) used to operating alone, to triumph. and afterward, he put a team together to keep an eye on the universes that lost their spider-man or -woman, keep those worlds safe too.
but as her thoughts follow to the tailed beast the fourth fought, she thinks of the new host, whoever that would have been. ใ
They must have had it really rough.
ใ it is one thing to play host to a beast capable of mass destruction. it is another to play host to the beast that also killed a presumably beloved leader. ใ
no subject
๏ผ it may have been a secret to the village at large, but his mother was kushina's best friend. she had tried so hard to adopt naruto afterwards, and been rebuffed by hiruzen — he insisted that, for the safety of the village and for naruto himself, that his parentage needed to be concealed. it would have been too obvious (and, likely too dangerous) for a jinchลซriki to be under uchiha control. ๏ผ
He did. He was a lonely child.
๏ผ he wonders if the boy remembers the conversation they had, the one where naruto had instantly taken to calling him brother because he showed him a moment's kindness, all while he wore an anbu mask. ๏ผ
no subject
I don't envy him having to make that decision. ใ and her heart goes out to the boy he had to leave.
gwen drifts behind itachi. her hand reaches out to briefly squeeze his shoulder as she does. coming to a stop a few feet away, she points to the stairs cut into the rock. ใ
Can we climb to the top?
no subject
You want to use the stairs? Or would you like to know what it feels like to be a shinobi?
( he can have a sense of fun now and then. as a treat. )
no subject
What you talkin' 'bout, Willis?
no subject
As I said — perception. I can give you the knowledge and experience of possessing chakra, as well as the skill required to use it.
no subject
she looks at the mountain. looks at him. ใ
Yes, please. ใ and cool element powers, thank you. ใ
no subject
he gives her techniques. knowledge, skill, ways to mold chakra in her hands and let it manifest as wild elements. the speed of shunshin, the strength of precision.
(what he does not give her is the history of war, of suffering, of pain. only the joy, at learning something new, at excelling at it, at mastering it.)
and, of course, the ability to walk up walls in an altogether different way than the one to which she is accustomed. ๏ผ
no subject
gwen molds the chakra into her hands. a pale lilac glow wraps around them. she laughs. ใ
This is sick! ใ her entire face has lit up in response.
with childlike glee, her fingers fold in seals that seconds ago she did not know. she exhales a ball of fire into the air. clapping her hands together, she squeals in delight.
eyes shining, she rounds on itachi. ใ Did you see that? Did you see me? Did you see it?
no subject
Yes. It's one of the techniques of my clan.
๏ผ of all the ones he gave her, that one... curious. ๏ผ
no subject
This is about to become my whole personality while we're here, I'm so sorry. ใ narrator voice: it had already become her whole personality.
her eyes fall on the top of the mountain again, and she wrinkles her nose playfully at him. ใ
Come on. Race you to the top!
no subject
have fun catching up, gwen. ๏ผ
no subject
no subject
You asked me earlier if I had thought of being a monk. No — I wanted to be Hokage, as a boy.
no subject
dropping beside him, her annoyance exaggerated, she pokes his shoulder. ใ
Don't think I'll let you off easy just because you're cute. ใ a little pause. ใ That is really cute, though.
ใ resting her weight on her arms, gwen looks out over the colorful buildings, the different sectors, the many shops, the straight roads and winding streets. ใ
Your village is beautiful. ใ maybe more so because she is seeing it through itachi's eyes—and his love for it lives in the backbeat of every moment. ใ
no subject
he leans back a little on his hands. )
It is.
( he says that simply. he does not regret his actions in the traditional sense — because at the end of it all, it was to keep this place safe.
a safety that was obliterated not long after his death, if what kakashi said is true. his expression twists, turns faintly wistful. he has mourned his home privately — that burden belongs to no one else. )
Time does not pass in the real world while we are here. You may remain as long as you wish.
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