Akki woke up earlier than usual on this cool morning in the fall. His hands were under his pillow as his eyes slowly opened behind his head band. He looked up into the sky as the moon was just now coming over the horizon. Even though Akki rarely slept, when he did he slept longer than he did now. Yet he still felt fully rejuvenated. Well I hope you would, child… it was the darkness talking. That dark half of Akki’s mind that escaped into his consciousness every now and then. Akki shook his head, pushing the insanity back into the depths of his mind. Akki decided to go for a brisk walk in the crisp night air. Getting up out of his bed Akki stretched and yawned, his larger than normal canines gleaming by the light of the moon. Akki knew of the demon that was sealed partially into the moon. The Juubi it was called. The scrolls Akki’s grandmother left him explained a bit about how the Juubi was sealed and how some of his clan’s power comes straight from the moon. Akki slipped on his clothes, retightened his head band, and slid on his main weapon, a custom katana, just in case. Akki opened his door and closed it silently behind him. Not because of people sleeping in the house, no. He lived alone so he doesn’t worry about waking up others. He did it out of habit, because the quieter he was the louder others seemed. Akki walked along the grass, being very quiet. He closed his eyes and kept walking. He didn’t know where he was going all he knew was he was going to know when he got there. Akki used his senses to guide him around and walk around any obstacle that crossed his path. Walking around, he left the village out of the south gate. Not really paying attention to the exact specifics Akki just kept on walking. Animals that thrived in the night watched him go by. Some scowled, some growled, some howled. A few bats screeched and flew overhead as Akki walked beneath their resting place in a tree. Akki kept walking and the grass under his feet went from a plush luscious green to a dry cracking dead brown. Still he kept on walking with his eyes closed. He neither slowed down nor changed his path. The dead grass turned into dirt. Akki walked a bit farther and stopped. Something was wrong. Akki opened his eyes and couldn’t believe what he saw. Akki was standing in the middle of a large area of rock and dirt. But it wasn’t open. Not far off the area was closed off. Something was definitely wrong. The ground started shaking and a man made of dirt rose up from the earth. The man didn’t have any features. Only a mouth. He opened it and spoke. “Welcome my friend!” The man seemed to smile and a worm fell from its mouth. Akki didn’t flinch but he felt an odd pull in his stomach. “You are our lucky contestant, how does that make you feel?” Akki didn’t move. His face stayed straight and his breathing stayed even. Cut off his head… Akki smirked at the comment left by the other part of himself. “Well then my good sir let me tell you. If, and only if, you survive this you will be let go. If not, well you get the picture.” The man grabbed his head and pulled it off and held it by his waist. Never mind… Akki resumed his blank state of expression. “Well then if that will be all…” the head spoke from its positions next the waist of its body. “LET THE GAMES BEGIN!” The man sunk back into the soil while putting the head back on his shoulders. When he disappeared the ground rumbled slightly again. Akki looked around as pillars started randomly shooting up around him. Akki back flipped and as he did so a pillar came up from beneath him, scraping against his feet. He focused his chakra into his feet and locked onto the wall of the pillar. As the pillar rose so did Akki. When the pillar stopped rising Akki unfocused his chakra and jumped into the air. He flipped over and landed on top of the pillar on one hand. He spun his legs around and under him, coming to a sitting position with one leg hanging over the edge and the other bent. He leaned his elbow on his knee and leaned his chin in his palm. Akki watched as pillars rose of all shapes and sizes. When they all stopped everything was silent. The area was an obstacle course of rock, dirt, and dust. Akki sighed and stood up, slowly rising to his feet. He heard a noise behind him, a sound that sounded like a plastic shovel scraping against a sidewalk. It was dulled and dimmed but continuously growing louder. There was a creaking sound added in now, like cracking fingers. Akki felt the earth beneath him tremble and he looked down. The ground was slowing lifting up then back down. After three rises and falls it rose again, but at a faster rate. Akki jumped off of the pillar he was on just as an arm shot through the dirt and up into the air. Akki landed on another pillar as another arm shot into the air. These arms looked human, but the color was off. A head poked through and Akki knew what was wrong. This…this person…wasn’t alive and with free will. The skin was a pale blue, and the eyes were glossed over white from cataracts. It was some sort of resurrection jutsu, but Akki could not tell what it was. More of these resurrected people started coming from the earth. Some looked like innocent civilians while others looked like experienced shinobi. Akki formed a hand sign and said “Demon Hand Jutsu.” He flexed his arms and demonic shaped hands formed above his own, made of a black matter. One of the people came out of nowhere, appearing behind Akki and acting as if to bite him. Akki swung his hand back and the large hand did the same. The hand ran into the person and the person dissipated into dust. Akki thought that the jutsu must be earth, which he wasn’t so great in at the time. He didn’t stay on the thought to long because mass amounts of these resurrected dead started to surround him. Akki knew he couldn’t stay in the same spot or he would become over run. Jumping from the pillar he was standing on Akki aimed himself down and slapped his hands together in a dive. The larger hands did the same motion, forming a point. As Akki fell he started to spin, making a drill like motion. Drilling through a group of the people they all burst into dust. Before landing Akki opened his hands outwards. The Larger hands did the same and stopped Akki from landing. The hands crushed three of the people and they turned to dust as well. The people started moving at Akki, all being drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Akki thought they were acting like something…something that he had read about before. What were they? It was a type of undead…the living dead. Akki almost lost his train of thought when one of the people came close to him, groaning and aiming to bite his wrist but bit the large hand instead, not doing any damage. ZOMBIES! Akki remembered reading about undead coming back and have a hunger for living flesh. These people were acting like zombies. Grinning Akki got an idea. “Let’s upgrade these creatures shall we?” The darkness spoke up. Ah, I know what you are thinking, boy. And it actually might work… Akki smiled and bit his thumbs, drawing a small amount of blood. He placed each hand on a zombie and said “Demon Synthesis.” The two zombies fell back and screamed, grabbing their heads. The rest of the mass continued to move towards Akki and he fended them off. The moon shown high in the sky and it seemed to strengthen him. He continued to fight off the zombies when there were two loud screeches that emanated from off in the mass moving animated corpses. The zombies stopped moving and looked in the direction of the shriek. Six zombies flew into the air then turned to dust. Two beings jumped into the air. They had large nails, long teeth, darker skin, and purple eyes. One of the creatures came down and bit the neck of a zombie and it turned to dust. The creature shrieked with rage. The other came down and sliced two zombies in half, them turning to dust as well. Akki Continued to fend off the zombies also, using the dark area around him to his advantage. He reached out and flexed his hand. The dark area a few yard away formed a large sword. It swung out and sliced the group radius around it in half, turning them to dust. The demon synthesis jutsu ran out as the two creatures cut through a small group and they themselves turned to dust with those they dispelled. Akki drew his sword and the demon hands continued to turn the zombies into dust, staying close to Akki. Akki himself started cutting down zombies, slashing up, left, right, and diagonal, all over the place. Akki continued his onslaught until no more resurrected corpses were left standing. His jutsu dissipated and he fell to his knees, slowly rocking, and then falling on his butt. The pillars all retreated back into the earth at once, slowly descending. When the earth was flat again a small dirt hut formed. Akki walked over to it and there was a massage carved into the wall.
*CONGRATULATIONS! You have passed the first part of the test. Inside you will find all of the supplies you need to be fully rested for the next morning. Be sure to look all around because who knows what you may find. I will be seeing you later my friend.*
Akki finished reading the message and laughed. It looks like we have a fan, my dear boy. Or some crazed lunatic stalker out to get our head to place on the shrine he has of us… “Or her, who knows.” Akki said. Both he and the darkness laughed. Akki walked into the hut and looked around. It was pitch black. This, though, was no problem for him. Pulling his head band down Akki closed his eyes and focused. “Umbraragan.” He opened his eyes and they were pitch black, even the whites. Multiple images filled his head with the interior of the small hut. In the corner were food and chakra pills, a small bed, and a small window. Around the room were a few shelves, and the rest was open space. Akki focused particularly on the shelf and he noticed a small letter. Walking over to the shelf Akki stayed alert. He reached up and saw his hand reaching for the letter. Lightly grasping it and pulling he watched to make sure there weren’t any traps. Akki Pulled the letter down and blinked, deactivating the Umbraragan. Akki unfolded it and read it.
*Wow seriously? You actually listened? Most people are jack asses and stay outside. I can be a nice guy you know? Well it’s good to know that some people have enough common decency to listen to what I have to say. Well now that you have there is good news for you. I will grant you a gift if you can complete this test. This gift will take you places trust me. Now get some rest, cuz tomorrow is going to be a hell of a day.*
Akki looked at the letter, raising one eyebrow in mock disdain. Well it seems that we have a logical psychopath who is statistically insane and OCD. Akki shook his head and slowly raised his palm so it rested on his forehead. Akki walked over to the earthen bed and sat down. It was actually quite soft, seeming to be made of a very fine and clean top soil. He laid down and rested his head on the dirt pillow. The earth didn’t rub off and dirty his skin or his hair or his clothes. Rolling over he closed his eyes beneath his head band. Slowly but surely, Akki Tenma drifted off to sleep.
Akki sat up on the earthen bed he fell asleep on. But something was different, he wasn’t in a little hut anymore. It was dark, a type of dark that he wasn’t comfortable in. Looking around he tried to get a sense of his surroundings, but it was impossible. Not even his Umbraragan would allow him to see. Akki got off the bed, but a hand reached up from the ground and wrapped around his ankle. Akki looked and tried to pull away, but it was like all strength had left his body. Looking back up he saw a dark figure appear from a dead type of dark. The figure came closer and closer, but Akki couldn’t recognize any features. The figure came closer and spoke.
“Once more, we have met, to deal with the past, and settle a bet. You took two lives, and lived with a hag, now your whole clan, is in a body bag. Yet you push on, going every hour, seeking stability, and greater power. So I will grant you this wish, but you will be left sore, because you didn’t watch out, for what you wished for. Complete your quest, and you will see, awesome power, isn’t free. Now take a bow, your final stand, as I give you, an encoring hand. I will see you in the morning Akki. Oh! And I would check that ankle if I was you…”
The figure disappeared into the dark. Akki looked down at his ankle and a frown came across his face, a genuine frown. One that has never surfaced over many years of hiding in pain, sadness, and agony. A head had surfaced from the earth. One that Akki knew and was one of the few he has ever grown to love. It was the face of his late grandmother.
A hand like shape of earth removed itself from Akki’s head. It slid down his scalp and flattened into the earth. Akki snapped open his eyes and inhaled sharply. He sat up and backed into the corner, an ethereal growl coming from low in his throat as Akki pulled back his lips in a twisted sneer. When he realized it was a dream, just a twisted and sick dream, he relaxed. Slowly he dropped his feet to the floor and rubbed his temples. Lifting up his head band for a second he rubbed his dreary eyes. Putting the head band back in place Akki yawned, showing his sharp canines, and stood up. Looking around he remembered the night before and wondered what would be happening today. Walking outside he walked to the back of the hut and saw the earthen man standing a few yards away. Akki sighed and slowly walked up to him. He stepped in a soft patch of dirt and his foot lightly sunk. He looked down and quickly lifted up his foot, expecting to see the gruesomely resurrected face of his grandmother. Nothing was there except a small foot print. Akki shook his head, sighing, and set it down. He then looked up and continued walking to the man. Once Akki got there he stood still and waited for some response from the man. The man was facing the opposite direction, the direction of a setting sun. “ah…I love the feeling of the warmth of a low sun’s heat beating against the horizon.” The man turned around. “Well good morning mister early bird. Have a nice sleep?” The man laughed and rubbed the back of his head. Akki remained straight faced and silent. The man sighed and looked at Akki. “Well you sure are quite the talkative one…” The man looked at Akki, seeing he would get no reply he went on. “Well your next challenge is starting…now!” There was a rumble in the earth and the man sunk into the earth to disappear once more. The rumble continued and there was a loud crumbling sound like an explosion. Akki turned around and a large creature had erupted from the earth. It roared and stomped on its front feet. Huge tusks stuck out from the side of its mouth. It looked down at Akki and squinted its eyes. It snorted and Akki knew what was going to happen next. The creature itself was twice the height of Akki and at least twenty feet long. Akki made a hand sign then flexed his hands. “Demon hands.” Two large demonic looking forearms appeared. The creature charged at him, lowering its head, thrusting upper horns at him. Akki pushed his hands out, thrusting the demonic ones forward. The hands grabbed onto the horns of the beast, but it didn’t seemed phased. Akki was pushed back a few yards and his feet slammed into an earthen wall. Akki didn’t care that this wall appeared from nowhere or how it cornered him. Akki used it to advantage. A strain was put on his arms as the beast was forced to slow down. Akki pushed off of the wall, flipping himself over and onto the back of the beast. It started to rampage and the demonic hands latched onto the beast to hold him down. Three figures rose up from the beast’s back. They turned to look at Akki with glowing red eyes and brown colored skin that had roots and bugs crawling around in them. Akki drew his sword and readied himself for the attack. The three beings attacked in unison with tanto like blades. Akki parried the first, dodged the second, and clashed with the third. Blades were stuck into the back of the beast, but it didn’t cause any damage. Once the blades were removed nothing was there. No hole, no scratch, no mark at all. Akki slashed at one of the beings and cut off its arm. Roots lashed out to reconnect the two broken pieces. Akki raged. He bit his fingers and drew blood. He placed his hands on the back of the beast and thought ‘demon synthesis.’ The blood soaked into the back of the beast, making the path way for the jutsu to take hold. The creature turned a deep purple, so purple it was almost black. It started at where Akki placed his hands and went all the way to engulf the entire beast. When it was fully engulfed Akki sat down a bit tired from the size of the creature he used the jutsu on. But it held. The creature stopped rampaging and relaxed. The beings looked around then up into the sky and screeched. Six more beings appeared from the beast’s back, but they were different from the original three. The six closed in and delivered the blow that made all of the creatures dissipate. The beast leaned forward and Akki slid off its back. It licked his face in a gesture of endearment. Akki looked up at the beast. The jutsu would end soon, and it would turn back into the hulking figure that wanted to see his intestines stretched to their full length. Akki looked at the beast’s chest and sensed its heart. Still in control. Akki snapped his fingers and all of the darkness let go of the beast and swarmed on its heart. The beast looked at Akki and raised up on its hind legs. Its eyes opened why and exhaled a long winded breath. The heart stopped beating and the darkness dissipated. The creature fell over sideways and layed in the dirt, its eyes glazed over with death. Akki walked over to the beast and rested a hand on its head. Its body seemed to shiver as it turned into a very loose dirt, and it smoothed out, laying there with no form at all. Akki sat on the pile of dirt, relaxing, gaining his energy back. Akki seemed to gain his energy back faster, the moon high in the sky looking like a silver sliver in the sky. Akki noticed someone and looked to his left, seeing the dirt figure sitting next to him. “Quicker than I expected…but not the fastest I ever had.” The figure touched the dirt with his index finger, causing it to slowly sink into the earth, leaving a spot for him and Akki to sit. Akki looked over at the man. “How many CONTESTANTS have you had, if I may ask?” The man smiled and licked what lips he had, his tongue looking like a large centipede. Akki was slightly intrigued. He didn’t know if this man was a jutsu, or an actual being whether born or created. “That is for me to know and the…CONTESTANTS to not find out. Any who your next and final test will begin shortly.” The man placed his hand on Akki’s neck and Akki felt fully rejuvenated. “I like you kid, and I hope you pass.” Pedophile… “And if you don’t you will make a nice addition to my collection.” Psychopathic crazed pedophile… “But I would rather see you pass. It’s been boring watching people lose over and over. So win, please.” A sad, crazed, insane, lonely, psychopathic, just plain lost, pedophile… The man got up and tipped his fingers off his forehead. “Good luck my boy.” The man sunk into the earth one last time. Akki waited for what was going to happen next. Nothing occurred. The world seemed to stand still as the brisk air kissed Akki’s skin with a cold touch. Akki got up and looked around. Nothing, absolutely nothing. Then there was something, a low rumble. The rumble got louder and Akki thought it might be some other creature he was going to have to fight. Then the rumble stopped. All of a sudden a spike appeared form the earth and shot directly at Akki. He turned to the side, the spike barely missing him. Akki stepped one foot back and set his body into a stance. There was another rumble, louder this time. It stopped and Akki readied himself. He waited, and…nothing. Akki stood up and scratched his head, looking around. Is that it? Seriously? At that moment spikes started to thrust up from the ground. Akki twisted right and dodged left. Spikes erupted from the ground in large numbers and didn’t stop. Akki slapped his hands together and caught a spike in his hands, it pushing him back and into the air. As he started to fall many spikes popped up where he would land. Now that just won’t do… Akki nodded and formed a hand sign. His body seemed to become translucent and emanate a black mist. He hit the ground but didn’t stop, going through the spikes and the dirt. There was a small pool of the black mist as it sunk into the ground. Akki phased through the ground, moving away from the spikes. Akki reappeared and released his jutsu. Immediately the spikes sprouted up around him, casting shadows across the ground in many different directions. Akki formed a few hand signs and thrust his hand up into the air. A pillar of darkness sprouted up under his feet, lifting him into the air. The spikes angled up at him and tried to catch him, but they missed because they weren’t quick enough. When he reached a certain point Akki stopped the pillar and had it move like a serpent. Akki jumped onto the back of what would be the head and held on. The darkness moved up, down, left, and right, dodging to keep Akki away from the spikes. The darkness twisted like a screw, bypassing a mass of spikes that would have ripped Akki to shreds. Akki jumped off of the figure and it dissipated. A large spike appeared with a flat tip and ran into Akki’s chest. It knocked him back and knocked the wind out of him. As he flew past he barely missed a spike that popped up and would have done some damage. Akki landed on his back and gasped. He wouldn’t give up. He wouldn’t be beaten this easily. Akki stood up and pulled down his head band. He snapped open his eyes and activated his Umbraragan. His eyes became pitch black and a rush of images filled his head. He saw from many angles and directions. Akki started forming hand signs as he dodged left and right. When he finished he out stretched his hands and said “Oragakumi…” Darkness lifted up and started to pool under his hands. A spike thrust up from the ground and went straight for Akki. He threw his arm forward and the darkness moved out like a black flame and it surround the spike, disintegrating it. Akki started to spin and move his arms around and bend his hands. His face lit up with a wicked glee as he started to laugh a crazed ethereal laugh. Spikes came up and reached for Akki, wishing t deal him harm, but almost as soon as they sprouted from the earth they were over come by the darkness, being turned back into the earth from whence they came. Akki laughed again and again, almost a continuous laugh as he spun, jumped, ran, and flipped. When the sun came up Akki was exhausted. There was a large amount of dust covering the ground, and his jutsu had dissipated. He sat there, breathing heavily, his hands hanging limp on the ground. A figured appeared and walked up to Akki, but it wasn’t the dirt figure. This figure walked up to Akki and sat next to him. It was a woman. She had dirt brown colored hair, a darker colored skin, like a dark caramel, and her eyes were a golden brown. Akki looked at her in awe at her beauty. He wanted to reach out and touch her skin because it seemed so soft. She wore a bikini like attire made of what looked like hardened soil. Imagine what she would look like without those garments eh my boy? Imagine the taste of her soft skin against your tongue. Oh boy I would taste it too! Maybe a small taste of her blood would do us good to. The sweet luscious taste of such an elegant specimen’s blood would… Akki tuned out the annoying part of his mind with great effort. He shook his head and looked at the woman again. She stared at him, and seemed to know what he was thinking. She giggled as he raised one eye brow in confusion. She brushed the side of his cheek with her hand. Akki lightly leaned into the hand, and it was soft. Softer than he imagined. It felt like warm soil freshly dug up and tilled in a garden in the morning softened by the fresh morning dew. Akki looked at the woman and she had her eyes half closed and a certain glow to her face. Akki looked at her funny but she couldn’t tell because he had his head band over eyes. She moved her hand down and caressed his chin. She slowly leaned forward and lightly kissed his lips. When she pulled back the tiniest bit and a light brown string of energy could be seen moving from her mouth to his. She looked at him and pulled off his head band. She let it fall to the earth an dit didn’t make any sound when it hit. She leaned forward with more aggression this time, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him again, tugging on his clothes. Dirt started to rise up as the woman started succeeding at removing Akki’s clothes. The earth formed a dome that fully covered them, but left a hole at the top that allowed them to breathe (although she probably didn’t need to). The sun fell and noises could still be heard through out the night. When the moon was all the way in sky and its light shown straight down the hole a loud scream escaped the dome. When the sun came back up the earth dome dissipated into sand. Akki was fully clothed and the sand slid off his body. Even his head band was back in its place, and it wasn’t loose like it usually is when he woke up from sleeping with it on. Akki sat up and brushed off the sand that was still on his shoulders. Akki stood up and looked around. He felt like he had a new found ability. Images filled his head, and he knew what they were. They were memories of those who could do something special, something that he could now do. Something that he would not have to write five thousand fricken words in order to do it! Akki was over joyed because he really didn’t have to do anything from here on out accept go back home. Or so you think my boy. Remember that what may happen because of what you have gained through this out come. You will become an enemy to many… But also a friend to many more. I know what I am supposed to do and I know what I am not supposed to do. Akki smiled a genuine smile, a smile that rarely surfaces to form on his lips. Akki looked at the sun and let its warmth permeate his skin, a golden shine quickly going over his body. Akki turned back towards his home, and started walking. As he walked into the distance the earthen man appeared far behind him, smiling. “I knew you would make it my dear child, and again I am so glad you have…” The earth fell from the body and it was a man with that had quite a few features that were similar to Akki’s. The man dissipated into dust as a small gust of wind blew through the air.
Sat Jul 23, 2011 1:51 pm by 
