by 
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Two:
The earth shifted under Q's feet as he looked over his shoulder to make sure Yoyo was close behind. A smirk briefly touched the edge of his lips as he saw the young girl struggle up the step mountain side under the weight of her backpack. He put a hand up to block the morning sun that shown over the landscape as he waited for her to catch up. A massive rain forest, was all he could see. It surrounded the mountain on all sides. It was a strange place to him, the mountain rested in the center of the forest almost like its heart.
This was all the mountain country was, just the worlds biggest mountain aside the biggest rain forest happy to coexist with each other.
“It's almost as hot as a desert.” Yoyo commented bent over out of breath.
“Makes you think of home.” Q closed his eyes as a small breeze washed over his face. He inhaled the fresh air and patted his travailing companion on the back signaling it was time to move on. Close enough to home anyway, the perfect place to build a village for him. He thought in the back of his mind.
“Wait- Do you feel that?” Yoyo said pulling Q from his thoughts. A low rumble followed by a soft vibration under their feet sent Yoyo into confusion. Q on other hand was ahead of her, his gaze adverted upward. Yoyo's eyes followed to witness a rock slide overhead crashing down right for them.
Q cleared his throat “I wonder if that happens a lot?” he questioned to the air.
“Yes, it's very fascinating.” came Yoyo's voice, with a hint of panic trying to be hidden.
“I agree! Very exciting!” Q popped his fingers as the rocks came closer and closer, he was very casual about the situation, as if nothing was really happening. Yoyo stared in disbelief, they were about to be crushed and he seemed more interested in how cool it was. “Um..My lord?” she muttered but he only ignored her. He seemed so focused on the rocks that everything was now blocked from him.
“There is no more time for your games!” She yelled grabbing his wrist squeezing hard. Q tilted his head to the side and his eyes met hers locking in place.
“Games?” his eyebrows raised slightly. A few small rocks that had fell faster then the main group banged on every side of them causing Yoyo to jump in her skin. They had been friends for many long years and even though she remained silent he could see the pain and fear in her eyes. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, it was impossible. It was logical after all, they were about to die and he could save them. Did she really think this concept had escaped him?
“You should have more faith.” He said with a blank look. Yoyo opened her mouth to shout at him but their was no longer any time left for that. The approaching danger had reached them, and was just overhead. She let out a scream and shut her eyes tight placing her hands over her ears.
A sudden silence followed. Not sure if she was dead or alive, Yoyo started to pray. As she did every moment she could ever remember flashed before her. Like a movie it played out, it was nothing like what you thought your life flashing before your eyes would be like. It was not some big high speed memory. It was all very slowly done, and it held no order to it, one moment she was laughing at a joke Q told her years after they had met, then she was just meeting him as a young girl. She remembered training countless nights, some alone and some with her friends from the sand village. She remembered Bano leaving to become a Kage and her stepping up to replace him as leader of the Clan and Q's right hand. One memory hit her so hard it she felt as if she was truly reliving the moment. A little Yoyo seat the dark hallway surrounded by metal. The sound of metal on metal rang in her ears. Not that she noticed it at all anymore, after hearing it for so long. Her head was pushed into her knees as she cried. She wore blood stained clothes that were nothing but rags as her stomach growled at her. She was alone in what seemed to be a cold nightmare. Footsteps made Yoyo look up and stop the tears as best she could. A tall man came into vision, he slowed as he saw the young girl. He reached her and bent down, his voice was nothing but cold as he spoke to her, his words on the other hand seemed kind.
“Whats your name?”
Yoyo shook her head as she wiped away the treas annoyed someone had saw her like this.
“Where are your parents?”
She shook her head again.
“I see.” He pulled out a canteen and handed to her. “Drink, It'll make you feel better.” He smiled at her.
The water tasted like rust and metal. It was not the best for her or the best going down, but It was better then nothing. It had been a day since her last drink of anything. She downed it all and handed it back to the man.
“My name is Jose.” He said placing it back on to his side. “And from the looks of you.” He tugged on the orange rags. “You belong to deserts with Q, come, this is no place for a young child.”
The memory faded and she opened her eyes to see a confused look on Q's face. “You understand you're not dead, right?”
Yoyo looked up to see the sky blacked out by the countless rocks an inch from her head. They seat as if frozen in time. Q waited until the lost moment to stop them but she was happy he had done so. A dark green glow on his right shoulder showed itself through his shirt. Q lifted his arm up and in an outward half circle motion the rocks continued to fall rolling to the side to avoid them before doing so.
“That was very strange.” Q commented as the last one toppled over the side.
“What?” Yoyo said removing her backpack throwing it over the side of the ledge stepping close and watching it fall the many miles to the ground. She locked her hands behind her back and pushed popping it.
“I felt AMP attached to that.” Q muttered as his eyes followed the backpack. “I hope nothing important was lost there.” He seemed more worried about the pack then the possibility that he was just attacked.
“A few maps” Yoyo said trying to pop her back again with no success. “What was that about AMP?”
“Oh! Q said rubbing the back of his head. “I think that was an attack designed to kill us, would have worked too. If I was not so awesome.” Yoyo faced away and rolled her eyes.
“No ones stupid enough to attack-”
“I resent that.”
Both Q and Yoyo turned toward the voice. Blocking the path In front of them was a young girl dressed in very light green from head to toe. The left side of her outfit had been cut and torn. A gold tattoo of a dragon ran from her face all the way down to her foot. The torn clothes did well to show this off and it seemed intentional. The mouth of the dragon was opened, the upper half on her forehead, the lower rested right under her eye. Her red hair pulled back to be kept out of her eyes, A common thing for any fighter. Her blue eyes narrowed at Yoyo. “You're not from around here, who are you? How did you stop my attack?”
“Ah! You see! She has no idea who I am.” Q smiled.
“That does not fix the problem of her attacking a Kage!” Yoyo said frustrated, her hand reaching for the whip at her waist.
“I agree somewhat.” Q shrugged not making a go to stop Yoyo.
“Good.” The whip rushed froward at the girl at lighting speed. The mystery girl held up her arm earth shot up from the ground and covered it just before the whip made contact. It rapped around around her now protected arm. This began a twisted game of Tug Of War between the two.
Yoyo was to distracted to notice the earth just above her as it start to move and take on the from of a dragons head.
“You may want to dodge that” Said Q not caring one way or the other.
“What?” Yoyo said finally seeing the thing. “Frick” She grunted through her teeth letting go of the whip and jumping to the side just before the thing bit her head off. More stone came flying at the make sift dragon and it took on a new look, no longer just a head, but a full fledged dragon. The beast sank into the ground and reappeared behind Yoyo's opponent. Who now held the whip in her hands with a smirk as if holding it over Yoyo's head.
“This is a nice weapon, it's a shame I don't know how to control it well enough to turn it on you.” She shrugged and throw it over the side of the mountain.
“No!” Yoyo yelled. She looked over the side as a giant stone fist came out of the side of the mountain and grabbed the whip. Yoyo shocked looked back to the red haired girl. But was amused when she saw the same shocked look painted on her face. She then looked back at Q with a smile.
“May I have it back now?”
“No.” He returned the smile “You dropped it.” Q pointed ahead of her and Yoyo looked back just in time to dodge the incoming attack.
“Really Yoyo, it's like you're a fresh fighter out of first training session.” She was annoyed by the comment but she knew he was right. Taking her eyes off the other fighter was a stupid mistake. The dragon crashed into the earth and disappeared returning again to it's masters backside.
“Ready to give up yet?” The girls tone and look was smug.
“Why?”
“Just asking.”
Yoyo laughed at the girl. “You can't fool me, you know. You're kinda young to be pulling off all the tricks you have. Whats wrong? A bit low on energy? Something tells me you have yet to master AMP yet. You have been letting a lot flow out of you. More then needed, I can feel it.” Yoyo was the smug one now as she caught the girl off guard, they both knew she was right. It had become a waiting game, a game that would soon end.
The dragon lunged at Yoyo again, on the other side the girl took off in the other direction.
“As if!” Yoyo said dodging the dragon making a run past it and for the girl. Behind her the stone beast fall apart clearly unable to hold itself together. Yoyo jumped on the girl dragging her to the ground hard. The girl fell face first, Yoyo on her back laughing to herself. She rolled the girl over and raised her fist ready to punch.
“Thats enough.”
Yoyo closed her eyes rather annoyed wishing she did not hear the words that came from Q.
“That was entertaining! Now, lets not waste any more time. One hundred gold coins for a tour of your lovely village.”
“Looks like she could use it, thin little thing.” Yoyo commented not letting the girl up just yet. “Let me make this clear, by the way. You're going to be taking us, one way or the other. So take the gold.”
“Fine.”
- - -
The streets were lined with busy people carrying out their day to day lives, most were busy trading for food, clothes and other little things that would get them through the day and let them rest easy at night.
“So this is the mountain village? Seems almost like a city.” Q commented.
“Very village is like that.” Yoyo eyed him as if he had ignored every other village until now.
The buildings were so close there was no room between them. It was a very large and compact village. And everywhere they went, they got looks from all the people.
The red haired girl pushed past the crowd of people into a small building singling for them to follow her.
They entered a small tea dusty tea shop, it was hot and stuffy. But both Q and Yoyo agreed in the back of their minds it was much better then fighting past all the people.
“Grab a table, I'll be right back.” The girl said making her way into the back room that looked like a kitchen. Yoyo and Q took up the first table that was open, Yoyo sliding into her chair as Q stood there eying the others.
“What?” She asked him not really wanting to hear It.
“Well, there are three of us, and four chairs.”
“So?”
But he ignored her and picked up the last one and moved it over to the table next to them. “There.” He smiled sliding into his own. The two waiting for the young girl to return, she carried three cups of hot tea.
“It's the best around.” She said handing them a cup each.
“And what gives you the right to just go get them yourself?” Yoyo questioned looking at her cup.
“I know the owner. It's not poisoned.”
“Oh I can tell, I'm an expert at poison.” Yoyo chugged the cup downing it in only a few seconds.
“Thats...not how you drink tea.” Said the girl.
“And the way you attacked us before was not the how you kill someone.” Yoyo made fun of the girl for the tenth time.
“I hear mountain has some of the best tea in the world.” Q said slowly sipping his.
“Is there a point to this?” Yoyo asked “We are on a mission, last time I checked? We need to talk to Bano.” Before anyone could answer her a gust of wind came from the door as it opened and a man came strolling in. His blond hair was cut short into a buzz. His green eyes scanned the room before they fall upon Q's table. The man looked like he had seen a ghost from his past.
“Darkflame!” Called one of the waiters. “Got a table open for you.” he said patting the table on the far end of the room. Darkflame raised his hand and nodded at the man. “I'll be there in a moment.” He said then making his way over to the table with Q.
“Hello, Flame.” Said Q sipping his tea again. The man did not even seem to care about Q. He went right for the young girl and grabbed her by the chain. He pulled her put out of her chair.
“How many times have I told you. Wearing that silly paint on your face does not make you an Ishi.” His free hand came up and rubbed against the yellow dragon and it smeared to show that it was truly only paint. “A true tattoo is the honor and pride of an Ishi, and you wear it as if it were nothing. We go through a lot of pain to have it placed on our body.”
Yoyo could not believe her eyes. Darkflame had gone to far. She was even more shocked by what happened next. Instead of Q or her standing up to defend the young girl, another girl rushed up to there side and smacked Darkflame's hand away.
“And how many times have I told you not to touch royalty?” She said angry.
No one saw it, but Q's eyes lit with curiosity and Yoyo's with an amused grin. This was to messed up to be anything but funny to her. As Toshii and Darkflame fought the eyes from all over the shop turned to them.
“Areana, just go home.” Toshii said without looking at her still yelling at Darkflame.
“Aha! We have a name!” Yelled Q, all eyes focused on him. He just kept sipping his tea as if nothing happened. The only two that did not stop what they were doing was the two fighting Ishi clan members.
“I don't have time for this.” Toshii growled at him. “Go drink your tea and you will be back to harassing little kids in no time.” Toshii grabbed Areana by the collar of her neck and pushed her out the door. Darkflame went sulking over to his own table without another word.
“Alright.” She said rubbing her forehead. “Just who are you two?” She looked them over. “You look like your from sand.”
- - -
“I apologize for everything.” Toshii stressed over her cup of tea. “She can be a handful at times, she has a huge distrust of outsides. That must have led her to attacking you. Her real mother and father were killed by rouges not long after we made this village. Bano took her in as his own and thats the story.”
“It's fine. She does what she thinks is best.” Q said setting his tea down. “It's been a fun trip. I just thought I would come here, get the Yamakage to look over a few papers for me and be on my way. But It's been way more.”
“Well, I can take you right to the Yamakage, if that is what you wish.”
“Yes please.” Yoyo nodded.
- - -
“The chambers beyond this door are holy, only a Kage and their blood may enter.” Toshii looked at Yoyo. “I'll show you to a room?” She offered. The two left Q on his own as he looked at the door. Every village had it's own rights and ways of doing things. This also led to some things becoming as Toshii had put it 'holy' to them. He had heard about such things many times but he had never seen once past his own, and that was just a room where he could be alone when he wanted to be. Without any thought Q pushed the doors open and was greeted with stone stair case leading down into darkness. As he descended a sudden chill came over him.
- - -
It took a good ten minutes of climbing to reach the end of the stairs, Q bent down and took a seat on the last step. He felt a very shallow pool of water come up around his feet. He looked down to see the cave floor was covered in it. Not a dry part anywhere to be found. He took off his shoes and rolled up his pant legs until he was sure they would not get any wetter. It was actually due to the water that he could see. It gave off a low blue glow that Q found very strange. As he got to his feet he prayed that the tunnel in front of him was a one way path. He started to walk slowly to make sure not to cut his feet on any sharp rocks on the floor. Q knew almost right away something was wrong with himself.
This was masked by memories that he long ago forgot, they seemed to all replay in his mind. As far back as two years old. He had no real idea how he remembered them but like the water washing up against his feet, they did the same to his mind. He could not make any sense out of it at all. It was all very strange to him but it did not really bother him until a vision passed before him that was not his own. He saw a younger version of Areana about ten years old sitting on the ground in front of two graves. Q shook it off and kept walking, soon losing count of out many steps he had took and how many memories had passed. He became lost in them. It was not until he heard the voice of Bano that he pulled himself back. Bano stood there, his back to Q looking at an open chamber where the water got deeper.
“I asked if you were enjoying yourself?”
“I think I know why this place is holy.” Q said taking a stand by Bano's side.
“You always did work faster then me. It took me a few times in here to understand.”
“How does it work?” Q asked.
“The water and stone are very rare, but, there are a few stories about them. A type of stone and water mixed into one has the power to pull out our memories and lets us relive them, but. They become trapped forever in the stone. Anyone can see them.” Q thought back to the graves he saw and nodded.
“I got your hawk, I knew you would be coming.”
“Yeah-”
“Next time I'll tell others, right?” They shared a small laugh. Being Kage had its moments, nothing got by you and Q knew Bano had found out about the attack on him.
“This would be a good teaching method for the Kages to come.” Q said slowly.
“Yeah, but it's Mountain only.” Bano laughed more.
“Darn. Anyway, as I said in my note-”
“About that.” Bano stopped him. “It did not really say much, why do you want the clans to go to war with each other? That would just open a village to an attack.”
“I disagree. In the spirit of healthy competition people will forget about that. I'm hoping this will bring the seven villages closer together.”
“Thats bull.”
“It is, I have my reasons. Beat me in a fight and I'll tell you.”
“Easy said, but alright.”
- - -
“You're sure about this?” Said Q removing his shirt.
“Yeah.” Bano answered following Q's move by taking off his own shirt. The two were in a stone round arena. Bano popped his fingers ready to go, no real hope of winning in his mind.
“You wont mind if I use fire, will you?” Q smiled as a red-ish glow lit up his backside. His left arm slowly turned to fire and a twisted smile replaced his normal friendly one. Q and Bano both rushed in at the same time, meeting in the dead center of the arena. They started trading blows with each other, punch for punch, kick for kick.
A strong kick from to the gut from Q did its damage well as it threw Bano off his balance. Q kept up the attack by bringing his left arm around shooting out a stream of fire at Bano. A last second wall of earth came up to defend off the attack. The flames pounded on the wall hard and harder trying to push past. Bano took this time to pull the earth up around himself as a sort of self made armor, he pushed it over his arms and legs before the fire died away. Not letting Q get another attack in he punched the wall in front of him and it was sent flying ah him.
He could not see what really happened but he did see the wall split in half and fall away into dust. Q rushed in again trying to do another trade off, but Bano was not as willing this time around and evaded as best he good. He tried to counter a few attacks, only to have Q block or dodge himself. A few swings later Q backed off no longer seeing any point in it.
“You wont win in a contest of AMP. I can tell you that.” Q brought up his left arm and fire spiked everywhere off of it. A vortex of fire began to from with both Q and Bano in the center of it. Within seconds it was a fully alive and it caused them to come closer together.
Q had made it so they had to come in for close combat, not much room to dodge the two could only do their best. Bano could only hope the earth around his arms would make his hits to much for Q to take. That would have been the case, if Q did not block everything sent at him with his own hands. He grabbed Bano's arms each time he went in. Someone Bano could not do, as much as he wanted, Q was just to fast.
“You also can't win at all.” Q said with a smirk as he backed off again. Bano was the first to attack this time. With a spinning leg sweep, that Q quickly evaded by taking two steps back. Bano came in again coming out of his leg sweep with a fast punch only to have Q come in grabbing him by the fist stopping his attack. With his free hand Q came in with a jab into Bano's throat sending him to the ground.
“The fights over-” Q started to say but was cut off by another round of attacks that were clumsy from a panicked Bano. Q made it almost look easy as he evaded every one of them, He returned the attacks hitting every purser point he knew in the human body. Causing great pain. It made Bano black out as he hit the ground. As Bano slipped into blackness he remembered being told Q was one of the strongest fighters in all the world, after feeling every attack he had and the power behind them. He agreed.
- - -
A few hours Bano awoke sore and stiff.
“My lord.” Came a voice he knew all to well.
“Darkflame.” Bano said weakly as he sat up slowly.
“Don't strain yourself.” Darkflame said helping him up and handed him a glass of water. “I hate to rush this my lord.” he said. “But, the Kazekage leaves at sunup and he wishes for you to sign this document.” Bano took the paper a bit annoyed that he had lost so easy to Q and signed. Darkflame took it and nodded with a low bow. “I'll take it to his room at once. You should rest.”
Bano fell back on the bed and closed his eyes. He had a bad feeling about Q and his Clan wars, but the pain he now felt overcame his worry. “Could have been a bit more gentle.” He muttered. “One down, five left. Good luck man.”
Last edited by Banouin on Thu Jul 15 2010, 20:34; edited 4 times in total
Toshiro~ ^_^ x3
