An appropriate response, to say the least. Daichi's reaction time was appropriate for that of a Genin, the canine passing through unharmed as the arrows collided with the earthen defense that had been erected for him. Lifelessly, they pierced the earth and buried themselves deep within the terra. The canine, its speed consistent, seemed unaware - fearless - as it continued its pace. "No. Stay the course," Anotsu replied as he vanished into thin air. Yet again, he appeared close to Daichi with an almost effortless burst of kinetic energy that propelled him forward. [break][break] Minutes passed as they continued to track their target. Through the foliage they continued, a watchful eye placed on both the pup and the Genin that followed it. Without warning, however, their current trajectory was altered as the four-legged animal stopped on a dime. "There." The singular word was followed by a landing, Anotsu's feet firmly planted atop a branch meters behind the tracker. Silence prevailed as eyebrows furrowed, listening intently. Wordlessly, Anotsu cast a glance backward to his Platoon member. Quiet, the glance signaled. [break][break] "Ha. This is great. Who needed 'em, anyway?" a voice shouted just meters ahead. What looked to be a young Genin bit into a leg of chicken, sitting indian style and hidden beneath the canopy of the trees and their coverage. The puppy sat on its hind legs, still quiet as its tongue rolled out in usual fashion. The Jounin lofted a hand to rub his chin, shaking his head at the sight before him. A side glance at Daichi. [break][break] "This is our target. The elder's grandson is a Genin with less than...a responsible spirit." A dip of his chin south, a furrow of his eyebrows to signify that he was targeting the young boy below them. "You're to approach the target however you see fit and convince him to get back to the village." [break][break] Daichi would be given no more instructions, Anotsu completely still as he continued to watch - spectate - from his perch. [break][break] [8:44AM]
An apology was the last thing that had crossed the Uchiha's mind. As the last vestiges of Koma's audible roar quieted down, a torrential downpour of thoughts had cascaded the Jounin's mind. But in that instant, the only thing that he could have been was grateful. "For what?" Anotsu asked. Eyebrows loft just slightly, shoulders rising before falling. Just like that, what the young Genin may have surmised as out of character perished in the Jounin's mind. There was a lack of reaction, expression even, as Anotsu took to the chopsticks that had been placed nearby. He plucked the small, wooden sticks from their place and began to poke and stir at the beautiful ramen dish before him. "Koma," Anotsu began. "Don't ever apologize for being human." [break][break] As was their usual dance, Anotsu left his words out and into open air with a mental dismissal. Not even the change in color of the boy's epidermis was given any attention. And if any of the patrons thought it relevant or appropriate to look back, there was a frigid, piercing stare provided to them until they'd turn their eyes elsewhere. Strange how Anotsu had already developed a protective shield around Koma. It was more than duty, more than responsibility. It was....patriarchal. [break][break] Expert handling of his chopsticks allowed Anotsu to stir and poke at his ramen, the waitress returning with two glasses of water. Condensation gathered about them, a visual delight to the Uchiha. A simple nod of his head in acknowledgement, he forced any outside source to relinquish their relevance, their presence in the pair's makeshift bubble. They would return to the real world, the downpour, society...but only when they felt like it. "Have you met the other Genin in our Platoon? The Chuunin, Aiko?" Anotsu asked. The question had only arrived after he'd had a chance to consume two chopsticks full of ramen and the hearty ingredients besides. [break][break] To have ignored Koma's stomach's plea and offer up more questions would have been rude. Koma would, Anotsu thought to himself, answer when he deemed it appropriate. [break][break] [8:26AM]
He'd been watching her arrival from his perch, an edifice of metal home to the Jounin's crouch as almond-shaped orbs remained on the simpletons who had left the young woman to her devices moments ago. A shake of his head, the mental note to have an appropriately passionate conversation about the lack of respect. He may as well have been a part of the tower's decor - statuesque, observative, silent. The darkness of the village was accentuated by the seemingly perpetual blanket of rain that fell over it, the occasional strike of lightning illuminating the Uchiha and revealing the pristine white of his attire. Though somehow, it was not as soaked as one may have surmised. Rain-resistant and snug to an athletic form, his coat whipped about against the gale. [break][break] Finally, Anotsu stood to full height. The young Akimichi was lost, but he would entertain her struggle for as long as she would endure. Some time passed as the youthful Uchiha took to the rooftops, sandals stepping with such grace and finesse that he appeared a ghost to the uninitiated. The village continued to buzz and hum with life even after she had been resolved to the fate she'd decided upon. Anotsu lofted a hand to push back soaked locks, a parting of full, soft lips yielding a sigh of mental defeat. "This one is going to need some help," Anotsu muttered. He'd made it his business to canvas Amegakure for its potential patrons. With their advancements in technology, there was little wonder that some desired their deepest secrets. [break][break] But that was a matter for another time. A slight bend of the legs and a vault after, Anotsu's form vanished from whence it stood. The Jounin's speed afforded him the ability to traverse Ame's buildings with ease, his destination at least a few meters off from where the young kunoichi now reside. Almost silently and in a crouch, Uchiha Anotsu arrived before the young Genin and stood up before offering her a half-smile. "Ichigo Busujima, I take it?" the Jounin asked. The hitai ate that hung attached to a long black scarf was, hopefully, the only identification she needed. Anotsu's eyes, luminescent purple, were a stark contrast to the darkness that veiled the afternoon. His voice was deep, akin to the gentle roll of thunder through plains. [break][break] Of course, the studious Uchiha had read upon the Dossier of every accessible member that had been added to the roster. Every building behind him jutted forth from the distance like serrated edges, a testament to the intricacies of Amegakure and what existed beneath her surface. Despite the imposing look, Anotsu could only hope that his arrival was a welcome addition to that which she'd already discovered. "...You were.." the Uchiha began with a sheepish rub of the back of his head. "...Already at the Kage's Tower from the start." [break][break] A soft chuckle. An anime sweat drop, if that sort of thing could have physically existed outside of anime. "I can guide you back from here." [break][break] [3:15PM]
Daichi was asking the right questions, a clear sign that he was at least able to follow directions despite questions. It was trait that Anotsu made mental note of, though his countenance was no indication that he'd made an inward checklist. And so he replied to Daichi's question. "Lean on me to focus on the objective. Your sole role is to ensure that we don't lose sight of the tracker and fail to protect it as a result." The words were followed by the distant sound of whistling. As if on a dime, the Uchiha landed upon a tree branch in a crouch with expert poise. If Daichi were aware of his surroundings, he would hear the same audible, distant but closing in with swift proportion. [break][break] Two arrows sped toward their tracker's position, the flora tearing and scattering as they made approached their intended target. The Jounin watched on, well aware of all that was transpiring. In preparation did he place a hand beneath him at the branch, a moment's notice all it would take for him to rescue their companion. "Careful. East and west arrows." Calmly he spoke, though loud enough and with enough urgency to alert Daichi to the task at hand. [break][break] This was no mission. This was a single instance in which Anotsu would test the Genin's improvisation and reaction skills. Ambition would only get Daichi so far. There had to be substance, an effect that responded to the cause with no less than complete submission to duty and purpose. [break][break] Could the Genin handle it? [break][break] [2:03PM]
"No," Anotsu stated with a shake of his head and the close closing of his eyes. They were, after all, going to be meeting for the first time. Far be it from Anotsu to offer them an advantage when life would certainly not provide them the same. "I want you all to be....pleasantly surprised," he finished with a smirk. It was all too obvious that what the Uchiha had in store wouldn't be expanded upon at this interval. He found little satisfaction in leaving Aiko without much knowledge to share. But Anotsu was unyielding in his methods, prepared to make his Platoon as prepared as he had been when he was but a Genin. Anotsu's lips parted to speak, but the sudden knock on his office's door stayed his syllables. [break][break] "They're ready to brief you, sir." A kunoichi's head appeared through the small threshold she'd created for herself, offering the pair a glance and a smile before closing his door and leaving them to their devices once again. A soft sigh. An apologetic bow of his head. "I apologize, Aiko. It looks as though my time has come. I'll send correspondence once I've secured the training grounds. Sorry for cutting the meeting short. But I do appreciate the intel and your insight. Good work." The Uchiha stood slowly, rounding the table with casual step before leaning against its edge near the Hyuuga. He leaned forward, placing a hand flat atop her head and ruffling her locks just slightly. "Don't let your mind become a prison, hmm? There are some things in life that just have to accept who you are, what you can do, what you can't do. Whatever those things are, let it be what it will be." [break][break] His tone was hopefully reassuring, the luminescent purple of his eyes flickering with a hopeful reassurance. Allowing his hand to drop down to his side - provided she made no gesture to stop his gesture - Anotsu grinned and placed his grip at the edge of the desk once more. "Dismissed." [break][break] [1:38PM]
It had become clear to Anotsu that Chinetsu had seen far more in his lifetime than the younger Uchiha. He listened intently to Chinetsu's words, easily discerning that the Medic was an important asset to Otogakure's efforts. This was war. Blood was spilled and bodies were broken in the name of purpose. Regardless of what transpired in that moment, the older gentleman held a candle that burned far brighter than his own. [break][break] He was a sentry. Chinetsu was a pillar. [break][break] "You know what they say," Anotsu began. The Jounin glanced about for moments before crouching down, nimble digits plucking a rather large rock from the blanket of grass he stood upon. "Modern problems require modern solutions." With that, the Uchiha employed his shurikenjutsu's prowess and thrust the makeshift projectile forward and into the distance. "Wait for it.." he muttered. Seconds passed before a distant clang filtered through with a whisper's volume from meters away. He had struck one of Otogakure's patrons on the side, though the sizeable formation had bounced hard off a kunai fashioned into its pouch. "You could always -make- reasons to heal." Anotsu chuckled softly, that childlike antic one that was rare for the Jounin. But beyond the surface of his ministrations, it was all he could do to maintain the constant reminder that life was short and that this war was not. [break][break] "Kumogakure.." Anotsu trailed off. "I've heard stories of your village's prowess, overcoming and holding fast the push from Kirigakure's forces. Amegakure has seen rain for much of its lifecycle. But it's clear that your kin have dominion over waters of their own." The Jounin nodded in subconscious admiration. He was in no position to speak on matters beyond what he knew, and thus the topic would perish there unless Chinetsu had a reply. [break][break] "You're probably right, though, all things considered." Anotsu's arms lifted to fold one over the other, though it was more relaxation than what one might have thought was withdrawal. "I've not encountered enemy forces anywhere along the perimeter. But if we're to do what we came here to do, we should canvas other areas and at least ensure that we've done our due diligence." The mischief had suddenly been replaced by a visage of seriousness, the Uchiha's eyes rising until he could take in the skyline in its entirety from their perch. "Your presence here suggests that you've not found any Platoons that require aid yet. But Otogakure is filled with traps and underground passageways. We're bound to stumble upon our quarry ere long. What do you think?" the Jounin asked the Medic. [break][break] [6:37 PM]
It was a curious thing, to say the least. They had dispatched the Uchiha to this portion of the land, and yet he had heard not even a whisper of interference as he trekked edifice and plain. Uchiha Anotsu carried the gait of a pensive shade, a long scarf swaying gently as he traversed the field of rock and emerald blade before him. Piercing eyes, attentive and kept upon an occasional swivel, observed his surroundings with focused curiosity. This land was a creature of enigmatic proportion to him, its hideouts and beautiful ranges a stark contrast to what one might have originally surmised. The evidence of battle was strewn here and there, the struggle betwixt empire and shinobi jutting forth in abandoned weapons and dilapidated encampments. Amegakure was host to the most technological advances. As such, this was but a vacation spot in the Jounin's eyes. Still, he remained alert. There was a certain electricity in the air - tension, no doubt. [break][break] The sound of rushing river in the distance somewhat veiled his approach, the Uchiha spotting an unfamiliar form that stood out in the open. The pristine white of his garb was impressive, offering a first impression that spoke of position, of importance. Anotsu's own attire may have spoken the same, but there was comfort - full range of motion - that he prioritized about all else. Upon his person were twin pouches, hosting a series of weapons and quality of life trinkets and apparatus. To avoid an illusion of imposing stature, they would remain undisturbed as the Jounin approached. [break][break] "Think they'll let us skip the pleasantries to cut down on how long we're bound to Oto's summons?" Anotsu joked. The softest chuckle, more akin to a couple of breaths that rushed out from parted lips. The luminescent purple of his eyes, an oddity for some, peered out and into the same picture that the stranger meters off was familiarizing himself with. A glance of acknowledgement. A dip of his chin in proper respect for another who sought the mission's completion. [break][break] "Anotsu of Amegakure," the Jounin stated. The hitai ate attached to his scarf dangled just slightly at his neck, offering some identity to his newfound acquaintance. Not one to be stuck on tradition, Anotsu would say nothing more and resolve to leave him undisturbed if he so desired. [break][break] [5:22 PM]
Aiko had taken initiative. Anotsu listened intently as she spoke, doing naught to interrupt as the young Hyuuga woman before him gave her full report. Elbows rest atop the table, fingers coming to slide one betwixt the other before they clasped slightly. Anotsu lowered his head to a degree, his eyes sliding to a close. She had his undivided attention, his very figure so still that he seemed completely inanimate. Her own aspirations were seeping through. She was seeking approval, if in no other manner than her ability to gather information and relay it with accuracy and a concise manner. The Uchiha appreciated it. Silently, he imagined that she'd practiced and pondered their meeting. And so effectively, Anotsu had thrown a wrench into her plans. [break][break] "It sounds like you've been spending sufficient time with them," the Uchiha praised her. "I'll take these to heart. Your report comes not a moment too soon." A smirk began to etch itself upon the Jounin's features. "We'll be having a team meeting soon, and I'd like you all to be prepared for a training session." It was hard for Anotsu not to be excited in some shape, form, or fashion. So much so that he playfully rubbed his hands together, relinquishing that serious air in favor of a more amusing ministration. "No pressure," he added with a quick delivery. [break][break] In truth, Anotsu knew the current state of Amegakure. While every day brought them closer to conflict and the constant notion to look behind one's back, there was a spherical influence he held over his Platoon. Their greatest moments would come one day, and it was his responsibility to prepare them for platforms currently far out of their reach. Anotsu had endured much in his youth. These were the days of his prime. If he was worth his salt in leadership, he would ensure that Aiko could take over at a moment's notice and perform more than adequately for the Genin beneath her. "And in regards to your answer," Anotsu began as he sat up and shook his head. "There is no wrong answer. I just wanted to be sure that my intentions and expectations were laid bare. To forego such things to accommodate someone's feelings is to deny them a learning opportunity. You know what I expect now. And I'm sure you'll give the Genin your same when out on missions." [break][break] Anotsu didn't doubt Aiko. Faith, as much as trust, were necessary in this line of duty. If nothing else, Anotsu would drill this into their heads until teamwork was the highest priority. Too many had died in arrogance, in overconfidence. He needed to be sure that they wouldn't repeat those same mistakes. [break][break] [10:46 AM]
"Of course you know how to act. That's exactly why we're here." It was evident that Koma was an amalgamation of parts. Anotsu need not match the Genin's gaze as the words left from betwixt his lips, an almost imperceptible furrowing of his eyebrows his only physical response. "I'll have the same", Anotsu replied to their waitress. A glance upward, a small smile as she nodded and made herself scarce in lieu of the understanding that Anotsu was here on "business". How practiced the boy before him was. To the uninitiated, perhaps Koma was depressed, traumatized. But to the Uchiha, he was just as much a tool to be instructed and used as any of Amegakure's advances. "You may find this hard to believe, Koma," Anotsu began while idly placing his menu aside. [break][break]
"..But I want you to be yourself."
[break][break] There it was. Perhaps his request would linger in the air like an unwelcome stench to Koma. Perhaps it was simply a request, inserted into his being like a slip of paper fixed into a printer. Whatever the case, Anotsu allowed the words to hang for moments before he continued. "Unless you don't know who you are." Another mental bullet. Another blunt strike to the wall of Koma's veil of apathy. How was it possible that a conversation so turbulent could be held in a setting so neutral with such a lack of threat? [break][break] As if on cue, the waitress approached with their food. The exchange of words had gone with eye contact whenever necessary, though the appearance of a meal placed a particularly bright gleam in the Uchiha's pools of luminous glow. "Thank you," Anotsu said as their entrees were placed before them. This intimate game of chess betwixt them was, perhaps, a necessary intrusion on Anotsu's part. Still, he wouldn't relent. How had Amegakure allowed Koma to go through the paces like this for so long? Were they aware, or was their ignorance just this great? Anotsu would have sighed had it not been a possibility that Koma retreated further inward as a result. [break][break] Instead, he took to the task of eating and allowing the sounds of the restaurant's utensils and cooking utilities to fill the gaps of their conversation. [break][break] [9:31 AM]
Far be it from Anotsu to have allowed much to force him to relinquish his undivided attention.
He was, first and foremost, a Jounin. Such a title came with responsibilities, and this would be no exception. Anotsu hadn't merely watched the spectacle before him play out without thought. No, he knew better than to have allowed initiative to escape him. Earth was not silent in its shift and wave. Every ebb and flow of gaia resounded with fury, with power. As such, the Uchiha had taken the liberty of employing Amegakure's technologies to assist in their mission. Each of the shinobi of Amegakure would find a small hearing apparatus pushed into their palms with swift ministration, the rhino's voice a troublesome affair to his ears. Anotsu had moved to kinetic energy the very moment the rhino began its countermeasures against the shinobi. They were here for a reason, each and every one of them. To have not taken measure of the necessity of so many shinobi was to flirt with an end. And so Anotsu took heed, silently remembering the terrain and the civilians unprepared for such ferocity.
The devastation left in the wake of the voluminous wave of flesh and horn was certainly a deterrent to a head on approach. But Anotsu was busy concocting a plan of action that had little to do with capture, with slaughter. Two concussive grenades were tossed beneath, timed to the speed at which he was confident his Platoon would follow suit. They weren't designed to kill the ranks of the stampede. They were meant to stall them, long enough for the hopes that such numbers would prove advantageous and pile over themselves. Even a moment of disorientation was a small victory if it gave them seconds more to carry out their plans of action.
The Jounin was aiming to save.
Anotsu's speed afforded him a certain momentum, seemingly gliding across what terra was yet undisturbed as if a wraith to the untrained eye. Toward the innocents he moved, speaking calmly through his radio. "Focus!" he shouted, loud enough for his Platoon to hear him in the event that they needed a snap back to reality's edifice. There wasn't enough time to relay an entire strategy. And so he spoke few more words, arriving at the side of a bystander and picking them up into his arms with ease. "Evade and combine Jutsu! Use the walls!" The words were simple, an encouragement to combine their talent and chakra. Alone, they were dead. Together, perhaps, they would survive the onslaught of flesh and earth to rid the people of their tormentor.
Anotsu maintained an angular escape, pools of purple surveying what he could in constant preparation for any diversion necessary to helping the civilians. He could only hope that other capable shinobi would follow suit, opting to clear the quarry of the defenseless before returning their attention back toward the rampage of thick hide and ivory.
Above all else, Anotsu's every thought was the safety of his Platoon and the protection of innocent lives coalesced.
Astonishing. Not only had Daichi been slave to assumption, but now the objective had increased the gap betwixt them considerably. There was little doubt that Anotsu, himself, could have delivered the Genin from the arduous task at hand. But he was a "hands on" teacher, and this was the perfect opportunity to further familiarize himself with Daichi's abilities. Full lips parted to sigh, the exasperated groan thereafter Anotsu's reply to Daichi's words. "A true shinobi should always be prepared to jump into action at a moment's notice," Anotsu finally replied. He shifted his weight to a single foot before kicking off from it. The very speed at which Anotsu dashed forward was almost otherworldly. He'd allowed the young prodigy a head start, matching his travel distance in only a fraction of the time. "We can talk while we work. This isn't an ordinary pup," the Uchiha continued, thrusting a finger upward and toward the trees. [break][break] Vaulting forward, Anotsu's feet left earth and landed upon a tree branch with expert precision. Wordlessly, he'd given Daichi the signal to follow. As the pup vanished further into the forestry, it was the Uchiha's intent to at least ensure that the assignment would come to no harm. Of course, he wasn't going to make Daichi privy to such information. "This is an animal companion in training, and the focus has been his speed and ability to track. It's up to you to catch him. There will come a day when our intended protection detail has hands and not paws." Already, Anotsu had taken Daichi under his wing in the simplest sense. They were veiled by the trees and their shade, Anotsu's eyes carefully watching the pup's movement as it dodged to and fro into bushes and through shrubbery. [break][break] "Always expect the improbable just as much as the probable. We're ninja. Getting caught off guard is the quickest way to a kunai in the back. Always remember that." Anotsu continued tailing the pup, silently monitoring Daichi's ability to maintain an equal focus. [break][break] [9:10 AM]
"You'd think a man held in such high esteem would know how to properly greet his father."
It was the smug look that he always hated. The look that spoke of robbing the Jounin of every ounce of respect despite his past. Anotsu chose to take a deep breath, his fingers slowly reaching into the folds of his garb. A symphony of blades unsheathed resounded through the compound as he did so. His father chuckled heartily, a wrinkled hand waving slightly as if attempting to dismiss the tension. "Come, boy. Did you think that I wouldn't be prepared? We've been over this time and again. I will forever protect the Uchiha name. I will forever protect you. You've already killed two of your own, Anotsu. Step inside and allow me to clean up your mess....as I always do."
Uchiha Mazoku was the only man that could tear through the shields of Anotsu's emotions and rip out his patience as brutally and as violently as a babe being torn from its mother's arms. Unrelenting, ruthless, as calculating as Anotsu. They shared blood and memories. And up until now, that had been enough to stay Anotsu's hand. "You thought that I wouldn't figure it out? Do your own subordinates know? That Uchiha Mazoku is a-".
"Survivor?" Mazoku interrupted.
A shrug of the old man's shoulders. A hand vanishing for moments, reappearing with a pipe and a match with which to light it. The carefree air about him insulted Anotsu. A long drag once lit, Mazoku's eyes glanced out and toward the entrance where the bodies of his slain guards lay. An exhalation of smoke. "Have I not given you everything? Has your life not been filled with power, wisdom, the art of being a true shinobi? You must know that sacrifices had to be made. I've always done so. Even in your mother's case."
A single step forward. Anotsu vanished from sight, Mazoku's infantry immediately taking to the same ministrations. That same song of blade dancing through the air. Anotsu was graceful in his evasion, mercilessly sending kunai and shuriken alike through flesh to rob his aggressors of their souls. He stained the very walls with their essences, the Uchiha like a wraith who knew no pause. There was little contestation to Anotsu's prowess. As the last limb and torso thudded hard against the ground, the Jounin stood slowly and matched his father's gaze.
Mazoku did little more than sigh.
"You've no idea how much money it takes to contract - outsource - a personal guard these days. Good men, all of them. Wives. Children. Brothers. Sisters. And you took that from them." Anotsu thrust an arm to the side, a spray of scarlet staining the ground. "You've taken much more from me. It came to this because you refused to let me live."
"I refused to let you take control of that which you weren't prepared for, boy. Nothing more. Nothing less."
Mud squished and parted beneath his feet as Anotsu ambled toward his true, intended target. Before he could finish his trek, however, it was a crushing weight that began to surround and blanket him.
Labored breathing. The feeling of his chest being crushed from every direction at once. Blurred vision, descending into what looked to be perpetual darkness as luminescent pools of purple darted in every direction.
Genjutsu.
Mazoku's chuckle erupted through his ears as if he were standing next to him. "Illusion has always been our most valuable asset. Fuck the fire. It is the unfathomable pain and complete lack of comprehension that true ninja savor about their prey. You've not learned your place, Anotsu," Mazoku began. His power was almost tangible even through Genjutsu, Anotsu gritting his teeth as he fell to a knee.
"I will do as I've always done for you, Anotsu. Consider this a gesture of good faith. When you awake, you will be given the chance to force my conviction. But know this, my son: I have done nothing more than what is in our nature to do."
The Uchiha stood at the gate to the compound, his every ounce of focus dedicated to the guards who barred his way. The heavy downpour of rain only served to accompany the thunderous roar of his heart, narrowed eyes piercing the distance betwixt himself and they who would stand in the gap of his resolve. Anotsu's Shinobi Garb veiled him in the night, though his presence was more than tangible. As darkened clouds above billowed slowly above the manor, it was clear that naught would deter his path forward.
Puddles were disturbed as heavy footfall intruded upon still waters. The clang of blade against blade. The cries of battle, drowned and snuffed only when Anotsu was the only entity that stood among the bodies. Lowering a lone kunai, blood dripped from its edge onto the drenched terra below. "Yes. I do.." the Uchiha replied to the lifeless. He once more turned toward the gate, ambling forward as lightning struck continuously in the distance. Lips parted beneath his scarf, its end whipping about as he met the fortified wood of the entrance. A single palm strike, however, and the gate would fold like paper beneath the weight of his blow. Wood exploded in bits, pieces, large chunks as Anotsu stood to full height. The dust clearing, he continued his trek forward onto the massive grounds.
Every edifice towered over him, seemingly scrutinizing his every step forward. Candles swung to and fro, sitting in small, metal arrangements that knew no rest. Large statues, no doubt dedicated to the Uchiha of the past, were erected at either side of the main entrance. And for all its grandeur, its beauty, there were none there to greet him. Anotsu slid his kunai back into its holster, lips parting to take a deep breath.
"You KNOW why I'm here!!"
His voice was a lion's roar, the impatience and guttural growl coalescing to create a thunderous exclamation the likes of which the atmosphere couldn't have hoped to attain. Seconds passed, Anotsu's eyes darting east and west in an attempt to gain some sense of his next direction. He didn't have to wait long, however, as silhouettes began to manifest from the darkness that surrounded him. Multiple shinobi knelt, their heads bowed as if in reverence to the Jounin. But he knew better. He merely allowed his arms to rest at his sides, nimble digits using the pads of their fingertips to ensure that he could reach his instruments of destruction at a moment's notice.
Seconds trickled like grains of sand within the hourglass. It was when he felt the last vestiges of patience that a lone figure emerged from behind the blanket of his personnel.
Pristine white robes adorned the elder Uchiha's figure, a cane tapping softly against hardwood floor as he made himself known. A grimace upon his features, the figure stood like a monument and spoke with no less than disgust.
