Chapter 67 - Ways of the Water

My mind was hung in a stasis of rapidity, memories of past and future surged and clashed. The melding of personalities so different…experiences so stark in contrast wasn't violent, it didn't hurt, no, there was an unexpected synergy as one person completed the other. Wisdom, skill, compassion, fear, love, generousity, everything that made Jason and Yagura came together to become something new, someone new.I feel so…so strong.I floated in the eye of the Three-Tailed Beast, his giant red eye and yellow pupils gazed on our…my being. I was one. Yagura and Jason were no more two entities and as much as they made me I was looking forward to discovering who I was, who I would be. What's my name then? Am I still Yagura or Jason? I shook my head and felt Isobu blink, a wave washed over me as he bats his eyelid. Yagura, Yagson, Jagura…what did it matter? The world would see us…me as Yagura, Jason only existed within me, no one but Yagura and perhaps Isobu knew he existed. And now…does he still?The answer was a resounding yes. I could see him in my memories just as clearly as I saw Yagura. I remembered him watching me…Yagura on a device so odd yet familiar. I see Yagura's failure, the Akatsuki, war, a blonde-haired child of prophecy and thousands dead at the feet of a man responsible for the birth of the Blood Mist. Madara Uchiha…Obito Uchiha…Nagato… They needed to be stopped. That was why Jason was here wasn't it? Or was it? Why did Yagura have to die? Why…why did anyone? My fists clenched beside me, I felt that strength turn meagre at the memories of those terrifying shinobi. How will I stop them?Another wave rippled over me as Isobu blinked. I raised my neck and witnessed the giant turtle, it's single exposed eye beheld me expectantly. I swam to an upright position, merely a toothpick compared to the giant being, it blinked and I felt the wave wash and push against my vertical body."I am Isobu. You may know me as the Three-Tailed Beast, but I am no beast."I gaped, marvelled at Isobu as his words bubbled up to the surface of the ocean yet echoed loudly in my head. I nodded after a moment, "I know you."Isobu didn't look surprised, instead it blinked and said, "You should, I live inside you." I could tell that was meant to be funny by the imperceptible way his eyelid curved, an actual eye smile. The fact that I was witnessing one made me smile more so than his overly obvious statement."Yagura-kun told me you needed our help, that you needed to see the deep. Are you alright now?" Isobu's calm and gentle nature couldn't be drowned out by the terrifying rumble of his voice, Jason always figured that he would be the kindest of the Tailed-Beast and it turned out to be true.I smiled as I nodded, "I am, thank you…for helping me." Isobu's head shifted ever so slightly yet caused a wave larger than his blinks to swirl through the ocean encompassing us. I didn't put too much thought into how I was capable of speaking much less not drown, instead I went on to press the matter I've been wanting to broach with the Tailed-Beast living inside me. "But, if you don't mind, I'll continue to need your help."He blinked, waiting for me to continue and I couldn't, not without first asking what gnawed in both Yagura and Jason's mind about Tailed-Beasts, "Are you angry? I mean, at Kirigakure, at me for keeping you caged up inside a seal…for trapping you."The ocean was silent for a moment and I thought I'd ruined the mood entirely along with my chance to ask for his aid but then his voice echoed, "Humanity has always prefered to control their fears rather than understand them, I am one of those fears, for your village, your people, for humanity. I wish I could be free, undisturbed but unless I destroy every human around my oceans I will not and even then, humans are vengeful and relentless. In time again my peace would be disturbed, staying within you means I get more peace even with less freedom. You will die eventually and I will be set free once more, I need only wait to experience true waters."That was...a very practical way of looking at things to say the least. Yet I couldn't help but apologize, "I'm sorry we are this way. I promise, I'll do everything in my power as the Yondaime Mizukage to make a world where you can be free and unmolested."Again, silence fell over the ocean but Isobu's polite eye smile was there. I couldn't help but frown as it felt the Tailed-Beast thought me naïve and my promise nothing but an empty sentiment with little power to change the true reality of this world.My clenched fist trembled beside me as I thought of the people I'd have to go through to make my promise have some weight, "Perhaps, I am too weak to make those words true, I am no child of prophecy nor am I the Sage Hagoromo, but I promise, with your help I will change this world."The silence this time was born of stark surprise, I smirked at Isobu's wide open two eyes beholding me with an awe. Thanks for the tip Jason. "No one has…my father…it has been so long since I heard his name spoken, I thought he had been forgotten." Isobu sent one of his giant tails under my feet for leverage and drew me even closer to his eyes, "Very well, Yagura Karatachi, Yondaime Mizukage, I will teach you the ways of the water. I will lend you my strength."