"Do it," I said. I intended to go through whatever it took to advance my eyes to the last level. Weird 'old rituals' aside, it didn't matter. Power was needed to survive in the shinobi world, and I've already wasted enough time.
"Dammit, this is why I thank the paths that Misa cannot carry. Fucking stupid children" It was the first I ever heard that, I did think it was odd I didn't have a cousin.
"Uh-huh, so how are we doing th…" A blow-dart-like weapon landed in my chest before I could even finish my question. I tried speaking as I collapsed face-first in the dirt, again I tried to let out a curse at least but only half my face was moving and it resembled a strangled babble more than a coherent slur.
"Paralytic venom" Koshu answered the question I tried to convey but failed in doing so.
"You won't be able to move for at least eight hours, hopefully, this won't take that long," He said and with a grave sigh picked my head up so were looking each other in the eye. His three tomoe Sharingan spun mockingly as if to emphasize my own eye's weakness.
"Last chance Tometsu. Blink twice if you want to back out of this." I didn't but later I'd wish I had.
"Junshi- Provocation of the Third Eye" As the name left his lips his left eye bled and the tomoe in his eyes began spinning at a speed I couldn't fathom.
Shock, pain, worry, despair.
Four feelings struck me immediately as I realized the jutsu had taken effect.
I was in a blank hallway, everything had a black-and-white cadence that struck me as odd, almost as if I was in some kind of mirror dimension.
After trying to pulse my chakra as I usually would to break a genjutsu and failing I began walking.
I came upon a figure that was a mirror image of myself. The only difference is it had black eyes and snow-white hair.
"You believe you know pain? You're a stupid child. Sadness and death is all you will find here so I advise against continuing this endeavor" What an odd conversation starter, though if this was a reflection of myself I guess the oddity was being on the other end of it. 'Damn. I'm not that emo, am I?'
"I watched my entire team die. I was a talking torso and bled out on the ground in a foreign country" I responded as I restated what we both knew had happened. But I understood the basis of his question, I feared pain. Enough that I would damn myself to an impossible quest just at the chance of survival.
"Irrelevant. Honestly, you would've been better off had you told that devilish scroll to fuck off. The world you find yourself in will only reward your struggle with more pain." My shade said as he waved me off as if he already knew what would happen.
"What is the point of being alive if I just roll over and die? Seems rather pointless to live in the first place if I did that. Would you not agree?" I asked seriously and I observed the shade twitch before it responded in a slightly resigned tone.
"My opinion is irrelevant in the first place child of Indra. You might not even have a chance to test that theory if you decide to continue to remain on this plane." He said as he waved his hand and three doorways appeared behind me, one decrepit, another made of metal, and the third seemed to radiate a malicious energy.
'Child of Indra? What the hell is this guy talking about? I thought he was a shade of myself but I'm starting to think otherwise' I noticed as I regarded the shade with more caution.
"I don't believe I'm able to leave" I answered honestly as the shade sighed once more.
"Yet you willingly came here. You will face a trial for daring to summon the Will of Provocation" The shade said as he took up a different tone and sat on a chair made of darkness that materialized at its movement.
"Choose" He ordered as a weight settled on my shoulders under this 'beings' pupilless gaze.
"Where am I, this isn't a genjutsu. Is it?" I asked in the hope that whoever I was talking to would decide to give me a response.
I knew I screwed up then as the figure's eyes narrowed dangerously. I felt extremely uncomfortable as it felt like the beings eyes saw right through me. My motives, goals, and aspirations flashed in my mind involuntarily.
This was not a genjutsu, whatever was in front of me was something almost otherworldly.
"To seek power. A Foolish endeavor to strive for in your mortal coil." I didn't even have a chance to retort as the shade raised its hand and I was sent flying into the rusted decrepit door.
I expected a lot of things that could happen once I flew through that door. Torture being the first, what I hadn't expected was to be back in the elemental nations in an incorporeal body.
Floating aimlessly in a perpetually gray land, constant rainfall and the scars of war littered the land. I was in Ame or the land of Rain.
Why? Well, that was simple, my floating body was following closely behind two people.
It was when I realized who they were that I realized my initial guess was right, this is torture.
"The explosion corps was sighted near Tankaku Town just over this ridge" A man I'd never seen before said but I could tell he was a Chunin of the Hidden Leaf.
"Our main prerogative is the death of 'Gari of The Explosions', the current leader of the Iwagakure Explosion Corps" A voice I never thought I would hear again responded to the chunin, based on everyone's posture this 'man' was the team leader.
His pitch-black hair and spinning Sharigan eyes caused me to break slightly, my hopes that this was just a 'genjutsu' began fading faster and faster. 'What the hell is going on?'
"Now dear, there's no reason to be so serious. It's just an S-rank shinobi surrounded by an array of B to A-rank Jonin" A voice I could recognize anywhere responded with a playful jab, obviously trying to bring up the mood to the apparent suicidal mission their squad was given. Hell, it was only a four-man squad, who the hell could expect them to complete such a task.
"Yes, Misaki, not to mention their aerial advantage. Trying to kill a platoon of flying enemies that will be dropping bombs on our heads, I'm sure it will be fine." A voice I could almost recognize quipped back as he went through a few hand seals. "Summoning jutsu" The teenager spoke as a waist tall triple headed canine appeared, equipped with the standard Konoha headband as a collar.
"Go on ahead Bushido, return the moment you catch sight of any combatants" Sakumo ordered his ninja hound as it offered a nod in return and disappeared.
Why the hell is Sakumo sensei with my parents?