Hyuga Compound

[Izanagi]

=As she went about her daily routine, her shadow followed as close as one would expect of a shadow...and twice as silent. Outlining Hinome's path from on high he continued to move patiently and meticulously as he watched the chaos further out that was going on around the village from a'top of the roofs. She had the Byakugan - this was true. But to someone who had not been made aware of something be off as it were who would think to bother gazing out so far at the village around them? To her it was a normal day, to The Zombie - he knew different. Henceforth he had elevation from upon the rooftops and he could see what was going on. This of course...was not the Takewa that everyone here knew and as such did not have the empathetic reaction typical of someone that volunteered to do medical work for the community on their free time. His was much more...cold, what one would expect of someone looking at the world and what was happening to it on a petri dish or on the other side of a two way mirror. He was learning...thinking, trying to figure out the discrepancies here from what he knew - sort these jumbled memories. He looked at the Hokage head monument - and there were faces that he did not even recognize...and some that he had never seen there before and made utterly no sense why he would. The Zombie set his hand to the rim of his helmet's visor - this was beyond any physical infirmity of a normal nature, his anatomy was pristine as was his attention to it. There was something more going on here, these memories...fought for supremacy upon the battleground of his mind. The man was shadowed by forces that could not be seen, somehow - the Takewa native to this instance of the world had broken from the reality of his mirror image, and now survey'd them through astral projection from the heliopause. Unable to be linked back into his body - into his gateway. Yet with this one...there was something missing...life force - fractioned in a manner that somehow he could feel that this glass was majority empty rather than full like the version dealing with Mowa, traveling with Sayu. He could influence certain things, hear his thoughts - for all intents and purposes share in his experiences, the only thing that he could not do - was writhe back control. As the armored man shadowed Hinome, so too did Takewa shadow him. Studying him as much as possible as well as his current situation to try and figure out what he could do - if anything to cease this. Then, suddenly a young man stumbled his way into the compound. For a moment, the armored man's eyes darted towards him with the idea that he may be another one of the insurrectionists here to cause trouble - someone that he would have to take care of post haste. Then, more became clear under the observation of his Naibugan. Not only had the boy had Uchiha genes as well as Hyuga, but he had been exposed to the Neuro-Cartafixia. In that moment The Zombie leaned downwards into a squat watching, thinking about how in his opinion this was a bad situation. Hinome had opted not to take his immunization pill, and now the very reason that he had given it to her in the first place had come to fruition - someone that had been directly exposed was now here in the compound, and mass spread of the chemical agent was imminent. To the Zombie, his only concern was Hinome and the Hyuga clan - whom to his criteria had done nothing to be deserving of such a fate. However, on the opposite spectrum - Takewa mirrored him almost to the letter. It all started to line up, and he became more and more consciously aware of what had happened in his body, his - existence as a variable in this reality. All those lives, the Uchiha lord, The Uchiha clan - they had built back from so much. And now...was this the sole survivor? There was shock, though in an astral projected observation stand point there were not the physical facilities to cause him to undergo an accurate depiction of the reaction he would have had at such a thing - his mind went straight to saving the boy even if he knew not of his hand in it. The precipice of a genocide was here upon them right now and it may have been that only they were the ones to know of it. The Zombie - used his Naibugan and medical prowess to pause the traveling of the spores into the olfactory bulb. He knew that if it managed to get that far - then it would be beyond his control for him to protect others from its spread. However there on the verge over his shoulder was Takewa, vehemently protesting his actions and intention with all he had:

"A Sozo in name and genetics only. A hollow shell! Void of any empathy or compassion for anything but himelf. You think this is what Lord Heiwa would have wanted!? A cold - fruitless bastardization of his vision for peace! What good is a peace built upon the ashes of the innocent!? What good is peace if there still has to be so much killing!?"

He screamed it with all that he was - the man wanted him to hear it, feel it somehow. Across the cosmos, across universes - he wanted him to know that his will to maintain peace, the true vision of Heiwa-Sensei was stronger then the phenomena that had caused everyone to split into twisted shells of themselves and cause all of this chaos. As he did such, something began to happen. His astral form took grasp of the man's neck - and with all his might he wanted to pull him up from his squatted position and jerk him up to face him eye to eye so that he could address his heinous actions. But as he did such, the man stood - and in doing so the silhouette of Takewa over this Flesh clone of the shifted version began to align. As such occurred there was no longer a split - but a true anomaly in the fabric of reality in their world. Now there was two instances of the same sharing a universal instance, and Takewa was back in his flesh...quite literally. He froze...his hands open wide over his own chest as if to question that he was controlling his own body or just downgraded to observing through the eyes of himself like a doll again. But it was indeed him. His head snapped back to the scene down below, squatting again much like the previous before him - and as he did he focused his Naibugan and with surgical precision, highly likely beyond the knowledge of all those below he destroyed the spores that were awaiting coagulation at the olfactory bulb - thus preventing any further infection and purging him of the agent. But something was different, Takewa felt...different. He clenched his fist and sat up on the edge of the rooftop - still in his Neutrino Veil so he would be otherwise undetectable unless someone directly looked up at him - he started to contemplate everything that had gone by, pushing to the back of his mind the most horrible bits of the occurrence so that he could focus and not overwhelm himself with the details. He felt energized...rejuvenated and powerful to proportions he could not quite yet understand but something in his body was making change. The life force of the mirror's fleshclone - overlapped and filled with his already complete life force...had they overlapped and overcharged. He folded his arms as he looked out at the distance towards where certainly Sayu, his shifted self, and Mowa along with his pupils would be. This situation was complex...and he was not quite certain how he would need navigate it.​

 

[Hana]

“Dreams? I’ve never thought about that, I suppose I like this path..” Hinome Hyuga

Was it merely paranoia that took over her and made her react the way she did? Truthfully her paranoia made her feel as if she was slowly losing her sanity, things that seemed normal certainly did not feel normal. Everything had felt as if it was controlled by something… or rather someone but she had no idea where this came from or what was going on, to her it felt as if she was in a dream and was close to becoming lucid. That’s why she couldn’t it hold back anymore and desperately made her part her lips and allowed her to escape the words she had currently uttered. The silence was followed by that… was she wrong after all? It didn’t satisfy her or put her mind to ease that there was a silence of her own comfort, while she hoped it would because it would have proven no one was with her at the moment. But she wasn’t alone! The feeling of a cold breeze hit her back and she felt the chills creep up to her as goosebumps appeared and she felt the need to search for warmth somewhere, of course, this cold wasn’t comparable to the freezing chills of the Frost King that abandoned his position, but it was still chilly nonetheless.

It was then she finally realized her paranoia was in the right place. A sound of hurried footsteps coming in at a rather high speed towards her, with an act of a reflex she snapped her head towards the direction of the sound and inched backward to create more distance between the origin of the footstep noises and herself. That is when she saw him, a young child who ran with all their might. As she studied their hurried state she noticed the panic as they were unaware of where they were going, so much so that the child shortly stumbled on his own rope that caused him to roll in her direction. The indigo-haired woman remained silent but alert of their every move as she observed how they gathered themself quickly and removed the rope as they stood back up, the child’s current state was so bad that he was unaware of Hinome’s presence… whatever he saw or went through was traumatizing enough to remove himself from reality. That is when she noticed the boy’s face, aggressive veins all too familiar to her from the eye downwards the jaw, and the pterion. This boy possessed the Byakugan and as well, by a look from their appearance was a member of the Uchiha Clan. Yes… she knew very well that this boy was the boy that was half Uchiha and half Hyuga, his father was a part of the Hyuga Clan. Even though she never met this boy she knew of his existence through Sayu and the Hyuga council. What made him walk all the way here? And again another pair of footsteps had made their way towards their direction, this time from their side as the person also didn’t acknowledge the woman’s presence but only the boy. She wasn’t about to let them approach him just yet, this child as troubled and in fear, as they might are could be up to anything because he was a stranger despite being half Hyuga. Hinome had averted her gaze sideways as she moved her hand at a fast pace towards her with open hands to signify that she should halt Yuhara’s movements. She mouthed to her ‘Keep your distance, I’ll handle this.’

And thus she allowed her own veins to form from her jaw and pterion up to her eyes and activated her own Byakugan, as she started her slow pace towards the boy claiming up his attention by speaking up to him. Of course, she wasn’t planning on anything malicious but she needed to be on alert for the unexpected from this child.

“Hey… You must be Daichi, correct? I notice your fearful state, what brought you here? Or should I say what happened to you to go through all these emotions a young child shouldn’t be going through on a day like this?”

She kept her tone cautious but firm, she made it clear she was to be heard but that she wasn’t a threat and simply needed to understand what was going on and what he needed. Did he need help from us? Or from any authorities? Did he seek comfort? She needed to know what happened, but whatever that was something tells her it wasn’t going to be pleasant.

 

[Reigetsu]

"We are time's subjects, and time bids be gone."
- William Shakespeare​

Yuhara nods silently and stands down but kept her Byakugan active in case trouble were to erupt like it is now outside their home where anarchy appears to be spiraling out of control with people taking each other's life, killing their loved ones, their pets, teachers, and sensei alike. Concentrating her sensory range to detect anyone aside from her kin that is inside and on the roof, the lives outside the compound appeared to be vanishing and dissipating into thin air, what the hell?! what is happening? why is their chakra signature disappearing, wouldn't this bring the attention of Konoha Barrier Team but if it is happening all over the village perhaps it's happening across the land of fire. Focusing on Hinome-senpai and this boy who appears to be frightened about something, something must've happened to cause this boy to run here, maybe father could answer these questions as soon he returns.

 

[Kyaro]

After Daichi managed to get out a small sentence, he took a moment to run his right arms over his eyes as his dark blue hair moved with the motion of his arm, during this process he heard a unique female voice that seemed to be around his age asking him a question, but before answering her, Daichi wanted to clear his teas so he couldn't properly speak with her. However, once the young boy cleared his eyes of their tears and put his arm back down to his side, he first noticed a woman who seemed to be older and looking down at him. At first his mind was blank since her arm was in front of the girl who he assumed was the one that spoke to him. Did they think he was there with ill intent? Was this how other clans viewed hybrids, or was it just his Uchiha side? Also taking a moment to see the girl already having her Byakugan activated and giving him a look as if she wanted to fight him. that caused his eyes to squint a bit in frustration. Why did everyone look at him that way? Though, upon further observation of her his look of frustration turned into curiosity, but before he could could even express anything; He noticed the bigger woman activating her Byakugan as well and began walking towards him. He knew nothing about about them and he wasn't in a position to try fighting, he didn't even think he'd make it out the compound if he tried to run. As far as he knew, Daichi was an enemy judging by their looks towards him, but instead of engaging; He instead started to slowly back away as his eyes widened in a frightened like manner.

Within moments, he heard her speak out towards him which somewhat allowed him to calm down a little, and soon he heard a little patter of footsteps getting closer to him by the second before feeling a nudge against his leg which just turned out to be his pet wolf Sandāmaru finally catching up to him. After that, he finally responded to her properly like he was about to before little Sandā interrupted his train of thought. "Oh uh, yea. I'm Daichi Uchiha... I came from shopping and everybody was gone. my teacher.. My mom, all the Uchiha. Do you think.. Maybe they didn't want me? Not even my mom?" The look on his face had suddenly filled with a kind of sadness that forced more tears to slowly fall down his face once more, he didn't know what to do or what else to say but he just wanted to feel accepted and like he belonged somewhere. Being so young, and having hate towards him his entire life, Daichi began to think all of the niceness towards him was all lies no matter how much he wanted to believe something else so he needed confirmation that they didn't abandon him.

Meanwhile, the young wolf pup was able to smell a similar scent to that of Daichi's near them. "Hey Sandā what're you doing, don't go-" Sandā then slowly walking forward to both sniff both Yuhara and Hinome since he didn't know any better with being a puppy and all. If they were to allow the pup to sniff them, he'd walk back to Daichi and sit right under him before mentioning the scent. "Hey hooman, your scent is similar to that of Daichi's. Not only that but. but the two of you look like the same person, just different genders and you're lighter than he is."

 

[Izanagi]

He sat there in silence for a moment. It was a grounding behavior, helping his mind simulate a feeling of stability sitting there on the edge of the roof watching things go by - his eyes were upon them but really, he was looking into his own thoughts, contemplating everything that was going on. There was chaos everywhere at this point, people dying and buildings burning and on top of that - the Uchiha clan was just extinguished - he couldnt believe it...he had to though, he did it. He set his hand over his mouth and tried to process what had happened. His hand snatched his helmet from his head - taking in a deep and silent breath. In the midst of crucial times - he fell back upon the most basic of instincts that he had, his medical knowledge. His slow, silent, and very deliberate breathing pattern was to help him stay calm and process better while not going into a panic, he was trying to stay as grounded as possible by taking slow breathing patterns and staying aware of his mental and emotional state so he can rationalize what he was feeling...but some things were simply beyond rationalization. He thought that maybe the best way to keep out of his head was to focus on something aside from everything as he could. His focus went to what was going on below him on the ground - and the moment that they began to converse - mainly Daichi he started to become more tense. He exhibited a tendency of bruxism - his jaw tightening and teeth clenching together firmly as he tried to pacify his emotional state when Daichi spoke of the clan and his family...then he asked if they had all left him; Takewa's hand covered his mouth as he asked this - knowing not that not only had this child suffered great losses but he would have to tell him. *My god he's just a boy..* he thought to himself, more so thinking over the fact that he would even ask this kind of thing. Someone in an adult frame of mind would draw their conclusions and move otherwise but him? He just wanted to know where his family was...if they'd loved him or was it all just a lie. He had to tell him - so that he didnt go on with this on his shoulders.

"Do you think he would mourn them? Heiwa I mean. How do you think he would feel? Would he mourn them?"

In the moment that the voice spoke out from behind him Takewa would spring up to his feet and spin around. As he did such he would find that there he was...the split - shattered...wrong version of him. There had been a slight area around his body that visible light would not pass through and just seemed to be vantablack. He was rising up - his hand having been upon the ground as he seemed to have been inscribing something there on the rooftop before addressing Takewa. He stood there a moment teeth tight against one another before finally he shot up and struck a hellacious blow upon the wartorn criminal's face - knocking him to the ground where he would grab him by the collar and begin striking him over and over in the face. In the world there was a line for everything. A line that can be crossed where something becomes...less than civilized then what it once was. There was a line for good and evil, there was a line between cruelty in the line of duty and heinous pleasure, and there was a line in the midst of rage that could cause one to go from fighting as a shinobi, to just plain brutal, raw rage. This was that very thing. Takewa was not striking with any technique - there was an absence of that, he was simply striking to let out all the swell of feelings he repressed in the moment he came back out on this grotesque reflection of himself. He hit the man a few more times until finally he paused at the words he had to say, asking with a plain blank and unmoved expression: "Do you hate me? Did what I do - make you hate me? We've always hated ourselves. But I suppose this is a bit different isn't it? . . . No - no its not different at all. I'm you . . . different, but under another circumstance, with the fight things in place, and the right deaths on your conscious - yeah. . .you're me and I'am you. You've just yet to truly be touched by loss. Not the way I have. You saw it. He killed everyone...everyone...it could have been stopped had we all been together but - . . . some just wouldnt have it that way. There has to be a remedy. There's always a remedy if you look for it." Takewa looked at the man behooved that he would even ask him such a question. Of course he hated him - how could he not for what he did? Not only what he did, but how he did it, what he had turned his Sensei's gift into, in fact something like this was the very reason that he had procured it himself in the first place. It should have never been used to harm so many people in this kind of way. But then he made a point that Takewa could not refute even if he tried - no matter how much he did not want to accept or acknowledge it for pure sake of argument. He was him, quite literally. This was not just arrogant words or delusional banter. What he spoke was an absolute fact - and he before him right now was the biggest and most accurate proof of that, that anyone could be faced with. The very fact that he exist, was proof that he was right. Under different circumstance, hurt, touched, and witnessing a different set of issues...he would be him, this version already was. He started to stand again, though Takewa's hand still held his collar tight as he shut his eyes and tried to block out the logic his mind was processing. That...he had witnessed things that turned him into this. That in his world...they really had lost everything to Madoguchi. That...it was very real and imminent that they would face the very same thing if they did not get it together. His eyes snapped open painfully and defiantly focusing on the man

"But the entire clan? The men, the women, and the children too? What about them? Did they all have to die? All of them? No...no that I will not abide. They didn't have to die."

The wartorn doctor looked at the man with the same expression, however bit by bit there seemed to be a bit of shock there on his face...he forgot that at at time he cared this much. He blinked a few times - his mind obviously processing this a bit and even causing himself to think a moment...was there part of him that cared still? Or was he just feeling this Takewa's through him? It was one thing already that their minds and memories were shared on such a deep level due to the shattering, but in this iteration as well he had used a flesh clone to push through the veil of the shattering and come back into his own instance - so their minds were even further linked...he wondered if this was his feelings or if he was just feeling the same and thinking the same in real time due to the connection. He slowly removed Takewa's hand from his collar, grabbing his wrist and curling it from him. "Maybe they didn't. . . maybe they did. You forget, we'd not come there with intention to obliterate, at least speaking for myself - Sayu as you know, is of a different temperament then us. Regardless the Uchiha lord lead with intention to attack. We could have talked. But, regardless. There are bigger things to worry about then a clan that's been dead before." He looked back at the fuinjutsu inscription that he had placed on the roof, and in Takewa's hand he would keep hold of his wrist and place in it a jade sphere, about the size of a golfball, maybe a bit bigger. As he did such Takewa's eyes would widen in shock as his own would only narrow and the typical of his apathetic countenance was then contrasted by a wide smile upon his lips as he looked at him and seemed to speak in a nurturing tone:

"Some trees grow tall and flourish, while others wither and die. Some cattle grow strong and healthy, others are taken by the wolf and eaten. Some men are born rich enough to live dumb and enjoy life. Nothing in this world is fair, and only death is absolute. Things can change here - you all still stand a chance but you aren't going to do it divided. Just remember when you think of my graven image - your graven image. I survived. . . I survived because the fire inside me...was brighter, and hotter then the fire that burned around me."

The moment that Takewa heard the wartorn doctor say this his expression was at first stern, listening to him for it seemed that his words came from a heartfelt place of contemplation and reflection. And that if a man that had been upon the very brink of oblivion said that they still had a chance, then he was very much inclined to believe him. However when he finished, the man let go of Takewa's hand and set his grasping hand upon his chest, pushing him back further away. The moment that the man pushed him his eyes widened as he realized that he was now holding a handseal with his opposite hand and focusing chakra through all his body. He pushed him back and jumped back himself making his way to the center of the fuinjutsu inscription. The moment that he got there he planted his foot on the center of the foundation seal and as he did the writings started to glow until a burst of deep green chakra spiraled from it like a twister, leaving nothing but a silhouette of his body inside of it very obviously being eroded away and taken in the course of the twister. Takewa stood outside the twister in shock and horror - he had memories of this from the shifted version of himself in his world that he had seen, all he could remember was an image of several people all sitting inside of this very same Fuinjutsu seal and the same happened to him. Then, his eyes cast down to the orb that he had given him - and when he linked it together with the memories jumbled around in his mind...his hand started to shake at the implications. Soon, the bright twister that could no doubt be seen as an almost beacon a'top the roof subsided, and there in the center of the seal was another nearly identical but slightly different orb of the same size - yet this one glow very bright almost like a star in itself. Takewa came forward leaning down to pick it up and stood holding there as he stared at it...was he holding...himself, in some condensed form. Was this fuinjutsu alone...or a forbidden jutsu entirely? And in the other orb...were these lives...he shutter to think...but that seemed to be the pattern when it came to his wartorn shadow. Darkness had truly touched him in a way that was self-evident in his techniques and mannerisms. He stumbled back over to the edge of the rooftop, his mind was lost in taking all of this in...truth be told - the War Doctor had nothing else to live for...all of his loved ones, and everyone else save for a few survivors were all gone in his world...but still, this? Why? Did this have the power to help him save those he cared about? Not make the same mistakes as him? It would take time...meditation...and research. For now he tried to simply focus on what were. A mass explosion erupting out in Konoha away from the compound but big enough to distract him. He would stand there at the edge of the roof looking out now, able to do nothing in awe of what had all transpired except for shake his head and chuckle, a single tear evacuating his eye and falling down to the ground below him where everyone else stood as he remained in silence. The Neutrino Veil dissipated from him, now allowing him to be openly sensed without contest.​

 

[Reigetsu]

Yuhara watched with caution as her elder kin talk to the boy like he's a child who was separated from his parents and somehow found his way into another neighbor home, the way she's talking to him seems to work as a big sister would to her little siblings or children, she has yet to learn the ways to coax someone over, something she's not very good at it nor grasp the concept. As she watch Hinome and this boy look at each other than his gaze turn to me which I returned with a small smile seeing the boy then see's his wolf come up and sit beside him, such a cute puppy this boy has as a companion "how cute~" she says out loud forgetting there are two people in front of her, kneels down letting the little pup to sniff both their hands and return to the boy then address the similarity between his master and her own scent and appearance "what? how is that possible unless............" looks at the dark skin boy, this time she approaches him slowly till they were face to face taking in his looks only to see a strong resemblance of her father "no...explain yourself" her byakugan pulsating, even more, her emotions channeling through her eyes feeling a mixture of confusion and anger boiling to the point not even caring that an explosion erupted far off the distance but the sound and rumble slightly bothered her but didn't care.

 

[Hana]

“Dreams? I’ve never thought about that, I suppose I like this path..” Hinome Hyuga

A day like this;

To Hinome it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary but she still felt suspicious of the peace, perhaps she didn’t feel deserving of it because of the world’s state. She allowed no rest to herself and so she realized she was right all along when she found the Daichi who lived as a citizen in the Uchiha Clan all panicked and on the point of breaking down. To him this wasn’t a peaceful day, it was one like no other perhaps he would even describe it as a nightmare. The feeling of guilt was slowly building up inside, she allowed herself to isolate herself so much she wasn’t aware of the village’s safety. That made her remember her last encounter with her partners and colleagues of the Patrol Unit, they said she deserved a break from everything. She had been so restless and on alert ever since the village was the victim of the red tongue’s bombing attacks. She allowed herself to rest too much she was completely out of it and had no eye on the village. This was bad…

When she had inched closer she felt the emotions of the little child becoming more overwhelming and saw him slowly backing away in fear as his eyes grew larger and appeared to be pleading to show innocence, she hadn’t considered how threatening this would be for him. But she couldn’t take any risks with the things Land of Fire already went through, these were protocols whether the indigo woman agreed with them or not. Always approach with caution, alertness, and in a calm manner. Despite the menacing glare the Byakugan held naturally she was sure to remain a polite facial expression, one that wouldn’t match the fierce veins at all but it was already another step to possibly have calmed the little boy down aside from the gentle voice tone. Now when she had questioned the boy’s whereabouts, of course, she didn’t expect any positive of the sorts but his words held Hinome in a great shock. The polite and calm expression disappeared as her eyebrows raised and her lips slightly parted as if she wanted to gasp. To think this little kid came home to no one waiting for him wasn’t terrifying but also really unusual, it quite frankly broke her heart as she felt overwhelmed by his sadness. But she couldn’t give in to emotions just yet, she needed clarity.

“You’re saying… they’re all gone? The children and elderly as well? What of yourself? Are you hurt at all? What of the other citizens outside the clan?”

The sudden disappearance of a whole Clan was beyond shocking, it was suspicious. What caused this to happen, was the enemy among them? Had they hid amongst the crowd and pretended to go? Were the Uchiha gone by choice or force? Were they alive or deceased? What of the rest of the village? The other citizens? Were they aware of this situation or also a part of it? The questions were stuck in her head to the point it was starting to give her a headache, but she knew she had to act. RIGHT NOW! At the same moment, she had noticed the arrival of another person. Someone she knew all too well. While the wolf who she already had sensed and deemed harmless sniffed her and the girl Hyuga Yuhara and the wolf started to interact Hinome turned her head towards the person who was now on the same grounds as them. ‘...Takewa… Had he been here all this time or had he just returned? Where’s Sayu? I thought they were together too.’ She stared at him in silence before switching back to Daichi awaiting his response. She had signaled for Takewa to come out of his hiding spot, now of course she would need to wait if he was gonna wait until they were gone or not. But she had a ton of questions for him. Especially on the traumatized look, he wore on his face… In a way, she couldn’t help but think he knew a lot more than she would.

 

[Kyaro]

Daichi at this point once again lost all control of his emotions, he had never felt this way before so he had no idea how to calm himself down and he was no longer thinking about trying to relax, he was thinking that maybe he just wasn't good enough and the hatred he already had for himself only grew more. He looked up into the eyes of the woman he was speaking with, noticing her expression changing once more but since he still had no idea what kind of person she truly was, Daichi didn't want to fully let his guard down. Shortly after answering the woman, he gazed towards the smaller girl who had began getting closer to him. Within seconds she was right in his face, looking him over as if it was something she was looking for from him. During this time, he had forgotten what Sandā said since he was too focused on the taller woman at the time; So when she asked him to explain himself the young boy was a bit confused and that showed in his already nervous and sad expression. Explain myself? What is she talking about? What's there to explain, I just said everything. Though after a few moments, he had a realization and remembered Sandā mentioning their scent and looks being the same, and assuming that was what she was asking all he could do was say all he knew. "I don't know what you want me to explain... outside of me being a Hybrid. My dad was from this clan but I haven't heard from him sense I turned 11, for all I know he could be dead.. I barely saw him anyway, i only got letters from him once every 2 months. His name was Ryoto; Ryoto Hyūga."

After answering the girl, he'd give an even more depressing expression before turning his gaze back to the woman; As he began to answer her, the wolf pup pawed at his leg which caused him to kneel down to pick him up. Holding Sandāmaru like a baby as he was cradled in Daichi's arms. "Everyone was gone, the only things left there was toys on the playgrounds and personal items that were left at everyone's homes. I'm not hurt physically, but--" The young boy paused for a moment and closed his eyes as he felt pain in his heart which was clear he was hurting inside. "I have lots of pain here in chest that doesn't seem to go away. But it's been hurting more since I went back home from the store.." Finally opening his eyes and looking towards the direction he had come from only moments before now. "Everyone else outside of the Uchiha are fine, it was only my clan and family who aren't there anymore."

 

[Izanagi]

He could see them all down below, but for the most part his eyes were set upon Hinome. She had been kind to him for such a long time and a confidant in some of the issues that he had not seen fit to tell anyone else; and often times when he saw the more ugly side of the village be it from his voluunteer service, financial manipulation of the facilities within, or dealing in the Black Market - she was someone he confided in that helped him see that there was still a bright side to some people. She had been understanding with him and open in his time with the clan...but perhaps it was that very fact that made this even more painful for him to deal with. Even now - she signaled for him to come out, and most in the Hyuga clan, the adults at least - knew that he had demons he was dealing with. But she did not know, how could she know? The look that Takewa bore down at her from the edge of the rooftop was one of extreme trauma but mainly there was the pain of contradiction within him that held him and made his reflexive mind fight against his conscious guilt, pushing to come out and lay it all on the table, but thinking of how she would look at him - when she found out the dark truth of what it was he had to say. He grit his teeth, the expression on his face and way that his features twisted and pushed back giving all the non-verbal signs of “No, I can’t.” anyone could have asked for without hearing the words themselves. However, i t was not until he heard the words of the boy that he would start to change more on his stance in the matter.

He spoke of the pain that he had in his chest, and at such a young age - the matter of how it hurt more when he went to return home. The boy thought that they left him, that he simply wasn’t good enough - and that he had not been chosen and was discarded like a defective work piece...and given the adversity that he had already faced in the manner of being a hybrid showing signs as he was, he could only imagine just how much his own insecurities reinforced that very same thought process as it were. The boy was suffering now an entirely different way - and the worse thing about it was that the culprit and focus of his hate and negative feelings...were himself. He blamed himself the whole time and would go through life with that burden on his shoulders thinking that the reason he was left in the dark about them leaving would always be because he was not worthy of understanding where it was he was meant to lay his head. It was enough to convince him, not through simply moving him or appealing to a sense of humanity in the man but the fact that if there were anyone that he should focus his feelings upon - it would be better of the boy that it was done towards another individual and not himself. The least he could do for him to make up from what his darkly shifted alternate had done, was relieve him of that burden. Equivalent in no way however, it was a start in the right direction. Takewa breathed deep, pacifying the ongoing nerves and uncertainty with a slow exhale as he clenched the collar of the armor he wore and set his fingers on a correspondence seal on the inside, causing the armor to disperse from his being leaving him in his usual attire unlike his wartorn counterpart that had not dressed much at all - Takewa was a very flamboyant and showy dresser. Suddenly the light of the sun bounced off bright pink finely tailored threads - his suit exposed to the open as he stood there contemplating what it was he was about to do. His suit was pristine, contrasted by the bright baby blue tie and undershirt giving him a cotton candy aesthetic as he huffed and pushed back his bright carrot colored locks. He felt...different. Horrible in one regard but in another he felt powerful. Did a part of him enjoy it? Was there some of the war doctor lingering in the back of his mind? No - there was no way...his eyes averted to the stone that had come to past as a result of the forbidden ninjutsu the wardoctor used to incite his dismissal. Was it?...perhaps. Jumping down from the rooftop while he looked at it, his eyes never left the gem. He wasnt just holding a stone of sorts...he was holding the very life force of the wardoctor - whom arguably had taken his ability and powers to a new height above his own due to his lack of hesitance to take things to the very brink to save those he had failed. This was...a life in his possession, this was for all intents and purposes a condensed focused isolation of the living source that was within him...and judging by how few were left in his timeline he would say that with him being the sole proprietor...it was immensely powerful. Here he was, faced with much similar a choice as he was when he first took the genetic resources of his sensei, his father into himself all that time ago...what would he do….his eyes panned upwards - having already landed upon the ground with nearly not even a soft *pat* as his gaze was now set upon Daichi...what would he do? His jaws tightened, teeth clenched as the gaze he wore upon Daichi at first waivered and he looked aside...there was obviously no fear in telling the boy - however what there was...was intense pain in being the one to deliver this to him. You could nearly see it in his face and body language, it was like watching someone slowly pull a cork opener from the base of his heart as he looked to nearly wretch out the words as he spoke to Daichi; in a way - if not but subconsciously, his body leaned towards Hinome. A grounding behavior - his subconscious mind and limbic system trying to facilitate a better foundation to speak such heavy words on his heart by grounding him on or towards a solid structure. Sometimes that structure was a wall - leaning upon it, or the ground, laying in hysterics, or even as it were in this case - a familiar and comfortable association, and he was comfortable with Hinome. Though that being said, he had cared about this clan very much and built a very solid reputation as a healer, someone who saves people to them. He had even birthed children within these very walls for heaven sake...speaking the words and only being able to imagine not only the damage it would do to Daichi, but the damage it would do to Hinome’s and the clan’s image of him - twisted him at his heart. His gaze was not direct entirely, his body waivered - however his feet, were pointed both straight at Daichi, showing that he was his primary interest as he coughed a breath from behind grit teeth and confessed:

“Something...something is gravely wrong with Konoha...perhaps the world, I’m not sure yet. Young man...you’re cl- (no...that was too impersonal, and he would not run from responsibility) you’re...family. They did not leave you. I wager they loved you very much. They...they’re dead. All of them, every last one. People are...going crazy, no - thats not the case. They’re being replaced entirely, with different versions, different forms of themselves - similar, but all together entirely different...I regret to inform you that I was victim to this as well, and during the time that I was swapped with my doppelganger…(he thought not to incriminate Sayu...the reputation and public outlook of the Hyuga lord...it should remain untarnished) he...I….we, killed the Uchiha clan. There was an extremely lethal neuro toxin unleashed in their compound, the real deal - nothing composed of chakra. It infected individuals at the core of the compound and then infiltrated the Network of trees due to accidental spreading by the Uchiha lord. The toxin blanketed the entire compound...even you Daichi...were infected, but I was able to save you by taking control and forcing myself back through his clone at the last moment and neutralizing the agent before it went active inside you. Hinome...I need the pill he gave you. It was to immunize against the toxin, it has my genetic material inside of it...young man I’m...so very sorry. I couldnt control him and if I could I would go back and stop it.”

As he said such he would look over at Hinome with eyes that begged not only of her understanding, but her forgiveness - even in the case that she processed what had happened and understood that he could not control what he did or even who he was in the moment, there was something about it that he just knew would change the way that people looked at him. They had not known he would be capable of such a horrible feat - in fact he did not even know himself till witnessing the alternate version of him go to work. In a way it was not so much as just asking for forgiveness of the deed, as much as it was pleading that he still remain the same person in their eyes. He did not want them to look at him any different. On top of this - he looked at her with a focus glance of concern, she knew that he left with Sayu, and she knew that when they left it was together. Needless to say with what had just been told to her it would raise some questions, and he knew that Sayu had left before him and through quicker means then him as well. He would be here soon, and it was in that moment and in that fact that he couldnt help but wonder how she would take it. What questions would she have for him, and how this would all play out. Could they really stay in Konoha after this? Was Mowa correct? Could they reshape it after this? And build a united Republic. He thought about everything that had transpired - Mowa’s words, The War-Doctor’s words, and most of all his Sensei’s words and teaching. What would they do from here? What could they do from here?​

 

[Jag]

Sayū’s arrival was mere moments after Takewa had finished speaking. The topic of the conversation was unknown to him, but from a glance at the parties present, as well as the look on Takewa’s face, he could only assume what they were speaking of. The giveaway was the half-Uchiha boy who was in pieces, more than likely worried about the disappearance of his clan. Sayū’s cold gaze narrowed onto the child as in that exact moment he weighed the options. Should he—should he kill the boy here and now? Heiwa had entrusted part of his legacy to Yozu and she had the Uchiha to further expand upon the legacy. But that isn’t what happened. Were they to blame as well? Casualties merely by extension and association. Had Hinome not been present, the Hyūga Lord would’ve surely eliminated everyone present in the moment. In his current state of pure focus almost everything was merely a nuisance and the easiest way to deal with such was by deletion.

In comparison to moments before in the Mito Forest, Sayū’s cold gaze and sharp tone had subsided when talking to his lover. Unfortunately for her though, it was not the same softness she was accustomed to from him, but it was an improvement nonetheless. She wouldn’t feel the coldness exuding from him however she would feel the abyss within him. He was there yet not there at the same time. It was as if he had been displaced. It was apparent by his mannerism that he did not care about the conversation at hand or whatever the children were dealing with. Sayū immediately walked to Hinome and without breaking eye contact spoke to her, “Hinome. Let's go. We have business to conduct elsewhere. This—” he paused to glance at the half-blood(s) with disgust before reverting his eyes back onto his fiancé, “Whatever it is, can wait.” Had the child not believed the words that Takewa had told him, or had an assumption, it would not be apparent. That would only be the case if the boy was intelligent enough to read between the lines.

There was no sympathy in his spacious white optics. Hinome was well-aware of his uncertainty toward half-bloods, specifically Daichi. Only because their loyalties remained undefined. Something else that was noteworthy was that his speech was hurried. However, it should not be mistaken by one plagued with anxiety or unease. Sayū had gotten important information moments before and he did not know how long that information would remain accurate so they had to move quickly to capitalize on such. By the time he had finished speaking, the Hyūga Lord had wrapped his arm around Hinome’s waist, hand placed on the hip. Before departing he glanced at Takewa and asked a simple question, “Are you joining us?” Had the man given verbal or visual confirmation, Sayū would extend free hand and place it on his closest shoulder. Just as that occurred, the parties would have been transported to the intended location.

A lot had occurred in mere moments. Change in personalities, change in perspective, and change in actions. Slaughter was occurring left and right toward the Land of Fire and unknowingly to most of them throughout the entire world. Shifted and fragmented memories overrode and muddied the lines between what was their reality versus someone else. Or rather another version of themselves. Sayū could feel the unease of the situation, at times snapping back into his senses when he was near Hinome. However, his sheer willpower to carry out his sole mission to rid that plague(s) that dirtied the Supreme Surgeon’s name was too powerful. Adjudication and correction, he could taste it on his lips. Sayū was never judge or jury, mainly remained free from the bounds of politics and kept to himself. However, in mere seconds, Sayū had not only become judge and jury, but executioner as well. The only question remaining: What was next?