[UCHIHA ISSEI]

To say that this was going to leave not only a negative scar on his life, but his career as well was an understatement. He still had no word of what was happening with the love of his life, and somehow he and Tetsumi managed to make it out alive on the backs of someone they never even expected to be coming. Arashi's presence there was nothing less than a miracle, but one that couldn't come soon enough. Of course that was no fault of her own, but regardless the consequences were reaping.

He hoped that Ayukawa was going to be okay, and while apart of him was thinking about whether or not she would forgive him he knew better than to be selfish about all of this. Based on the scolding he got from her cousin he needed to be the last of her worries and he agreed. He was a failure, to weak mentally to protect the girl he'd grown to love so much. All of that trust, all of that power he acquired and yet it still wasn't enough to overcome the weakness that still lurked from him within.

It made since why there were still people that questioned his ability as a Shinobi despite his late bloom into recognition. Issei was still lacking something. The ache in his heart knew exactly what it was and as he headedly slowly toward the gate he knew he was going to need to do something about it. His head had been throbbing non-stop since the moment Ayukawa had gotten hurt, and since their arrival to Sunagakure he hadn't gotten an ounce of sleep.

A balance of failure, weakness, a regret clouded him as he couldn't get over his own mistakes. His mind was a constant reminder of it at every moment, and to make matters worst it seemed as though the person he'd come there with didn't even care. All the Uchiha wanted to do was yell and burn everything down, but that wouldn't compensate for the actions that had already transpired. Nevertheless, at the gates he expected to be met with the presence of someone from his clan, but he was not.

The figure there instead waiting for him was a white haired individual whom he knew all too well. Toshizo Hatake, one of the council members of the village and somehow the father of one of the members of his own clan Tokaku. He wondered if his presence here was going to lead to another scolding, if so he'd try to get to the point where he'd get his punishment and move on because anything else was going to make him snap.

"I'm ready whenever you are..."

Issei stated softly while walking past the Hatake. He wasn't trying to be rude, but honestly he'd been through enough and his emotions were spiraling out of control. He didn't want to cry any tears because he felt like he didn't deserve to, but he was so hurt. Apart of him just wanted to give up altogether, all he wished to know was if she was going to make it out alive but he couldn't get that before he was sent away. In spite of coming out of that situation with his life it still seemed as though Kuni got what she wanted.

Pain...

[Hatake Toshizō]

"threading into the shadows". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." RED EYES What a mess this was. When the Hatake caught word of what happened between Issei, Tetsumi, the girl from the Hidden Sand, and that monster girl from the Waterfall, he was quick to make way to their allied nation. Someone of his high profile was the best way to reassure their allied village that they were taking this matter as seriously as they could, for his position was only lower than that of the Hokage. He had to talk to the village officials, and make sure the situation would be handled, even though they were not necessarily at fault, for the girl - from the reports he had read - was not even supposed to be there, and if she wasn't, it was his belief that the outcome of the fight would be completely different. Once his business with the Hidden Sand was concluded, all that was left was to wait for the young leader of the Uchiha clan at the gates of the village. As Issei approached he could see the distress in his dark eyes. Toshizou stared into them with his vermillion orbs, a colour quite similar to that of their doujutsu when activated, but without their trademark tomoes. It was almost ironic that with that colour also came an incredible sight, coincidence, of course, but still a rather amusing trait. Toshizou's expression was quite serene, he didn't seem to be angry, upset, or even disappointed. Even his body posture while waiting didn't indicate anything to alert Issei of a possible scolding; he was leaning against the rocky wall of the gate, arms folded, legs crossed. When the young man came closer, he would unfold his arms and take a step towards him. "Uchiha Issei." he said in a rather calm tone. "I came to escort you back to the Hidden Leaf. Don't worry about the Senju boy, we have someone else taking care of that." he explained. Issei seemed ready to go, and walked past him saying he was ready, but before he could proceed, Toshizou approached him and softly rested his right hand on the young man's left shoulder. "We will talk about this on the road, when it's just us." he stated with the same tone, and then let go of the Uchiha's shoulder, not saying another word. With that being said, Toshizou started heading towards the Hidden Leaf village, walking through the sand dunes of the Land of Wind. Silent, stoic, focused on the road. Even if Issei talked to him, he would keep his answers short, and with that, a couple hours would pass, and once that happened, he looked back to the route they took for a second, as if he was confirming something and then he looked back to Issei and nodded. "Alright, we can talk now." Toshizou was a famed sensor ninja, master of the Kagura Mind's Eye, so he was absolutely certain they were by themselves right now. "Want to tell me your side of the story, or should I just believe whatever was in the reports?" he asked the boy, his tone still serene, no signs of accusation or scolding. "You can train a dog with food. You can buy a person with money. But there isn't a man alive that can put down the Will of Fire. Some things will never change. The Will of Fire will never be extinguished" Trip to the Leaf Land of Wind [UCHIHA ISSEI] [528 words]

[UCHIHA ISSEI]

It was hard to get a feel for the Hatake as he walked past him. He didn't seemed phased at all, and while Issei hadn't gotten into trouble many times in his career—especially to this magnitude—for some reason this just didn't feel like one of those times. Not more than a few seconds after the man spoke of them talking about things once got on the road. In truth? Issei didn't want to talk about it at all. His mind had already played out the situation one to many times and honestly he was over it.

Nevertheless, as they left the village of Sunagakure to head home their was no talk between either of them. After about an hour he begin to worry as it wasn't common for a man of his level to not live up to their own words. Maybe he was going to be in more trouble than he thought. If only I had just killed her the first time. The Uchiha continued to relieve the moment at the exams when he spared the girls life, and as much as he looked back on it and regretted it now he knew he did the right thing at the time.

For him it was about principle and who he wanted to become as a Shinobi. In his eyes death wasn't always necessary, and for some reason he just felt like that was the case for her, but still. Those words of hers continued to linger over his mind in the midst of remembering all the chaos that transpired between the two of them

You created me, you don't get a right to complain.

In truth he did, but he never expected anyone else to get in the way of all this. It was supposed to just be his problem and his alone, but instead she came for something else. His heart. Now he was going to have to give the village some stupid ass speech about all of this knowing that they wouldn't care for any of the things that went down. Only political.

He might have only been on the war council for sometime, but in that span he got to learn a lot about how some of the higher ups of the village felt, and right now he had to assume the Hatake was one of them. Most of the travel was a blur, but there did come a point where the man sudden looked back at him and nodded. Almost as if they were safe from something, but what?

"Wait... We've been walking for hours and NOW you wanna talk? What are you buttering me up for?"

After the man gave him sort of an ultimatum, either he was to take the report as it was given to him, or he would be given the chance to provide additional details pertaining to what lead to all of this. "Fine.." Issei scoffed before kicking at the ground and looking up into the sky.

"I guess technically speaking it all started with some letter I got sometime after my Chuunin exams a few years ago.. The message was anonymous and at the time I couldn't think of anyone with a reason to hurt me because I had not done anything. At least not to the scale of getting hate mail."

"Well over a year passed before I was approached my Tetsumi.. The guy came to my place looking like he got his ass kicked, and he did.. The person he got into a tussle with left him a message to give to me. It was similar to the one I got the first time which threatened to hurt all of those I held dear until they ultimately killed me themselves."

"Then afterward he revealed their name. Mikatakujira, Kuno something.. I don't really care to get that part right.. Regardless, I was able to put two and two together and when I got my letter the messaged seemed similar. The two of us then agreed to confront her together to minimize the risk as her abilities are... Out of this world.. Literally."

"I burnt her to a cripse a number of times in the exams and she was still somehow able to regenerate. I could tell that toward the end she was fading, but I opted out against killing her... I was weak, and I took her weakness for kindness and now I'm paying THE DAMN PRICE FOR IT!"

Issei smacked himself hard in the head with both hands before taking in a deep breath and falling to one knee. "When we got there, I heard another voice in the distant. One I recognized too well because it was the voice of my girlfriend, Saeko Ayukawa, who was also a participant in the exams that year.. She must've gotten wind of us hanging out toward the end and reached out to her."

"She made it seem as though I was the one threatening her, and soon enough Kuni nearly.. Nearly.." A brief pause took place as he reflected on whether or not to speak any negativity into the air. As of right now he still did not know if she was okay. "She.. She.. She got hurt okay! And.. And I was too weak in the mind to figure out how to get her out of there."

"I didn't prepare myself for the possibility she might have actually got in touch with someone I cared about. I thought of no escape plan because I was certain. CERTAIN that I was still better than her. I had to be. I hadn't slipped in my training." Issei added while clinching his fist in anger.

"And to be honest.. I lost my nerve.. I became so emotionally wound up in my failure I made no effort to save anyone.. I was weak, and only through sheer luck did Tetsumi and I survive.."

[Hatake Toshizō]

"treading into the shadows". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." HARSH TRUTH Toshizou didn't bother answering his question, and instead presented him with the facts: he could either give him his side of the story, or he could just believe the reports, and the reports didn't paint him in the best of lights, but the Hatake knew there was way more to it, he knew Issei's strenghts, he had been observing him for quite a while now, and he even had the aid of the Senju brat, who wasn't much of anything, but was help nonetheless. Things just didn't add up, he should've slaughtered that monster girl, and rid the world from one other abomination that had no place in it. When the young man finally started speaking, he listened carefully, without interrupting. He kept heading towards the Hidden Leaf as they talked, and he was absorbing every single word he said, but his expression remained neutral, stoic, without a single ounce of emotion ever crossing those intimidating vermillion eyes of his. One he was reaching the end of the story, he got more emotional when the subject shifted to his girlfriend's current state and injury, and he did mention she got injured and Toshizou nodded. "I'm aware of her injury." he simply added, to let Issei know that the loss of her arm was no secret to the Hatake. Once he was finally done, he glanced to the boy with the corner of his eyes. "You should've anticipated that. You need to better read your enemies. It was obvious it was going to happen, you were naive, and your girlfriend lost her arm and potentially her shinobi career because you were to blind to see what was just in front of you." his tone was calm, but his words were sharp like a knife. "She attacked the Senju boy, cut his tendons and let him to crawl back to you with a message. Later on, she fought the Hyuuga boy, and I'm surprised that idiot didn't just die. Apparently he did better than the Senju, so maybe I should give him some credit. Nonetheless, she attacked two members of your village as a way to attack you, to send you a message. How come you never considered she would come after the one you love the most?" he said, turning his face a bit more towards the Uchiha. "That girl is a menace, and she is clever. But your overconfidence blinded your to that fact. You went unprepared, and you made your third mistake." and he paused. "Should I remind you what the first two were?" the question, rhetorical, required no answer from Issei, for he continued shortly after that. "You had the opportunity to kill an enemy shinobi during you exams, you gave her mercy. That's imbecile. Don't ever let an enemy live if you can claim their life. This was your first mistake. Your second one? To not anticipate her strategy. As shinobi, we need to thing ten steps ahead, consider all scenarios, there's nothing certain out there, and the fine line between life and death often lies on how well we were able to prepare. And you last mistake? You failed to kill her again this time, you failed to take revenge... Even though you had the numbers. Don't make that mistake again, kid. Life has been too forgiving with you." and he paused, stopping on his tracks and turning to face Issei completely. "And don't even dare say otherwise! Your girlfriend was maimed, but she is alive, you two stupid friends are alive, you are alive. If anything, that monster girl is more of an idiot than you are, and for that you should be grateful. If I was her, I would've killed all your friends and sent you back their heads. If you don't slay evil immediately, it will foster and come back to bite you in the ass. It's about time you stop believing in the stupidity that Kage of ours shove into your heads and open your eyes to what the shinobi world is truly like." he said, pointing his index to Issei's face, his voice gaining a bit more passion, a bit of anger. "You can train a dog with food. You can buy a person with money. But there isn't a man alive that can put down the Will of Fire. Some things will never change. The Will of Fire will never be extinguished" Trip to the Leaf Land of Wind [UCHIHA ISSEI] [700 words]

[UCHIHA ISSEI]

Listening to the councilmen was frustrating. Just hearing him talk irritated him down to his core, but all of that had to do with him being right. He couldn't deny any of what he was saying because a lot of it was already haunting his mind. In some ways he refused to accept the reality of the situation such as letting her live, but deep down he knew now that he had probably done the wrong thing. It would be easier for him to just yell back, and scream about how he wasn't some oracle capable of knowing how things would turn out, but again, the writing was on the wall.

He was right, there was so many things he could point out now that could have made this obvious as to how things would have turned out. Instead he was willing to only gamble on himself, but he refused the chance to prepare for anything else that might be out of his control. He was being too small minded, but there was something else the man spoke on that he wasn't quite aware of. He knew of the attack on Tetsumi, but he didn't know that there was an attack from her by someone in the Hyuuga clan.

No, Shigure..

The Uchiha hoped not, but even now he couldn't afford to think much on it. From the looks of it they handled themselves pretty well and seemed to be fine too. Either way this scolding was more about the things he missed than anything else. Most of what was being said for awhile were things he could internalize himself, but the latter part? Those were the words that affected him the most. It reminded him of the reason he became a Shinobi in the first place, he had just forgotten with all the good things that had been coming to him as of late.

A Shinobi was a mans job, the kind you had to go in with the intent of protection the place and people you love, even if it meant needing to take the life of someone. Especially those who could become a threat to you down the line. In essence, this whole thing seemed to prove Kuni's point because by letting her live he created all of this chaos. If he had just taken her down the first time, gotten rid oft his evil then this would have never happened, instead he chose to look at her as a person, but the reality was far from that.

She was no person. She was a savage, barely even human. She only impersonated the looks of one, but he got to see what she was on the inside, and that wasn't anything created from the wound of a woman. Nonetheless, their seemed to be a brief bright spot in all of this when Toshizo noted that Ayukawa wasn't going to die, but he in fact did destroy her lifes work with his stupidity. Issei head immediately dropped upon hearing the news, and now he wondered if she would have been just better off dying rather than suffering this petty fate.

Now what was he going to do? How would he live with it, and just as the questioned entered his mind the answer would come soon after. He spoke of denouncing the ignorant ways of the Kage and to open his eyes to what the world of shinobi was REALLY like. His mother had warned him of this fate many times, but he chose to ignore it and now it was staring him in the face. She was right, he was right. This Shinobi life was no game and he needed to start treating it like that, but how?

"I can't deny any of what you said. I was a fool, a hundred times over and it nearly cost me the one thing I value most in this world, but what can I do now? it's my job to embrace the Kage as everyone else has. As are you, so how the hell do you intend to create a space were we can truly justify doing the work that our Kage has refused to do for generations?" This part in particular was a sore spot for the Uchiha clan as one of their own after years of hard work had been assassinated in their years as Kage.

[Hatake Toshizō]

"treading into the shadows". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." LEAVES AND ROOTS Issei just listened to his words and that was a good sign, a sign he was looking for and evaluating as he talked to the Uchiha young man. When he was finally over, he could see the fiery emotions dancing inside of the young man through his eyes, the mirror of the soul, and that was even more true when you are a member of the Uchiha clan and their 'Curse of Hatred'. The Issei now - even if he didn't know it yet - was a stronger one. Toshizou was certain he had increased the power of his doujutsu, for he learned much about it during his time with Tokaku's mother. He had the potential to be great, if only he was able to let go of his hesitation, of his mercy, and Toshizou could feel it was close. "It is our job to embrace the Kage? Are you certain of that? Then you are more naive than I thought, boy." he said, chuckling lightly and shaking his head. "Let me tell you something as someone who saw many Kages rise and fall... Our duty is not to our Kage, our duty is to the Village. The Kage is just the person who represents that, who embodies the Will of Fire for the sake of the village. Now... With our current state of affairs, would you say the village is at the best hands? Do you believe the Hidden Leaf will truly thrive under such a weak rule?" he asked, shaking his head again and gazing away to the horizon. Toshizou pointed his index finger towards the north, and then moved it to the right, slowly. "Look at the horizon and tell me what you see, because what I see is enemies. The Hidden Rock, the Waterfall, the Rain... Our allies are thinning while our enemies are growing, and yet, what are we doing to foster these alliances? Nothing." he stated with a cold and cruel tone in his voice. The same hand he used to point at their enemies, he turned into a clenched fist, bringing it closer to himself. "It's no secret I covet the seat of the Kage, but I don't do so for power, I do it for the village. I dedicated my life to the Hidden Leaf, and I will be dead before I see it burn. Now, Issei." he paused, taking a few steps towards the Uchiha. "Your grief here was of your own doing, but there's a silver lining, and that is power. You may have not realised it yet, but you are stronger than ever now. But can your mind truly do your body and your eyes justice? That's the one thing holding you back, that's the one thing prompting you to fail." and as he said that, he sighed. "How many more people will have to lose their arms, or their lives, until you realise what you must do?" he asked, leaving the question in the air for a second before continuing. "No forest survives on the leaves of the trees alone. No, it needs to have foundation. So, Issei, you can either continue down this miserable path you chose, like a leaf bathing in the sun, relaxed, soft, careless... Or you can actually become a foundation to the Village, to make the Leaf what it should be. What I'm saying is... Become the roots that grow in the dark, so the soft leaves can bathe in the sun." he announced, cracking a smirk with the corner of his mouth. "I won't lie to you... Your hands will forever be stained with blood. But in this world, you can either kill or be killed. But be mindful of the later, for it comes with company... For when you die, those you couldn't protect will soon follow. Your friends, your family, your loved ones." and with that, he rested his words, waiting to see how the young man would react. "You can train a dog with food. You can buy a person with money. But there isn't a man alive that can put down the Will of Fire. Some things will never change. The Will of Fire will never be extinguished" Trip to the Leaf Land of Wind [UCHIHA ISSEI] [666 words]

[UCHIHA ISSEI]

The Uchiha didn't take too kindly to be laughed at, even if he felt there was a reasonable follow up coming. He believed that he was embracing the role of the many that came before him despite whatever growing doubts he had about the village. Nevertheless, Issei chose to remain respectful and to hear the man out. If he was looking to avoid just one problem this man seemed to be the only one with the power capable to do so.

Issei blinked at the start of his lecture as he noted the many Kage that rose and fell. The only one to come to mind for Issei was the great Eiji. The first and only Uchiha Hokage of the village, and one of the few who was assassinated above all else. Nonetheless, Issei knew where this was headed as he stated that their loyalty was to the village first and foremost, and not the Kage themselves. Of course he wasn't blind to believe otherwise, but he always thought the Kage was a reflection of that.

The latter was a perfect transition into the part that many people in the village were starting to question between the years of Niko's reign and now Keisuke's, and that was if they were capable of building on the success of their predecessors. "No we wont..." The answer was a simple one, its why he never considered for a moment trying to bring the village into this affair as he felt nothing would come of it just as it didn't for other situations that transpired in his lifetime.

Regardless, his perspective of the man begin to shift almost immediately as it seemed as though he wasn't as thickheaded as the other members on the council who continued to buy into this notion that things were fine as they were. It was clear to most that he wished to have been selected as Kage, but he never expected that his ideals would be so different from everyone else's. Which for him likely included prospects like Kazuto.

Issei had a great deal of respect for the man there was no denying that, but even he seemed to embody a lot of the ideals of the villages current state and he often wondered if that was the reason Kazui severed her bond with him as well. A brief sigh escaped from him as the man held him accountable again for what he'd done, but he noted that there was a silver lining, a light at the end of the tunnel, but what?

His words were sharped and his eyes looked through his soul reminding him of his days of being lecture by the Great Yuuta. The Hatake begin manifesting thoughts and feelings that had been lingering for some time now, but even more so currently after everything that transpired. There was a choice waiting for him on the other side, but he was still too fearful to confront it. Too fearful of becoming the people in his clan that the village feared so much, but was he really above it all?

Emotions quickly begin to overwhelm him as Toshizo reflected on how more people would need to be hurt until he realized this. He thought about the moment that awakened his Sharingan the first time after putting Kazui at risked on a mission, then of course his inability to help her, and now almost losing the love of his life on top of creating a new rift between his rival clan amongst many other political issues.

All of which could have been avoided if he had just listened to Yuuta sooner, but it was hard. He wanted to be different than the rest of them, and he worked so hard to create that separation, but now? It was all slipping away from him because he was hanging on to the feelings that arguable had made him weak. Perhaps that was the reason why the clan gravitated so strongly to Kazui despite the slight separation in talent between the two.

When they looked at her they saw strength, but in him? They saw a face that could help them rise politically, but not necessarily from a place of strength and leadership. So here he was looking at two paths as his focus took him away from the view of the Hatake. Tears begin to fall from his eyelids as he thought of how much fun he was having with life prior to Tetsumi's arrival at his front door.

How he had found love in a hopeless place and how that helped him grow so much as a person. How he'd begin getting more followers in his clan and even was a point of hope for his rival clans leader, but that was noting more than a dream. A Genjutsu even, because in one swift moment it seemed as though he could lose it all. Issei's fist clinched tightly as he shakenly reflected on what he'd have to truly give up to bring about the peace he wanted in his home for not only his clan, but for all of Konoha.

The power was already inside of him, he just had to accept the reality of the responsibility that came with it. Issei listened carefully to the Hatake as he spoke of how much blood would be on his hands and how the consequences that followed could be the end of all the lives he wished to protect. Was he truly ready for this? "Fine.." The Uchiha spoke softly before turning back around to face the Hatake. His eye lids slowly opened to reveal a one Tomoe Sharingan constricting, and then bringing forth another in the form of a second Tomoe.

"I'm all in.."

[Hatake Toshizō]

"treading into the shadows". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." RED-EYED BLACK DRAGON The smile of satisfaction was from ear to ear, Toshizou rejoice at the sight of the two tomoe emerging on Issei's sharingan as the Uchiha activated his doujutsu. The power of the Uchiha clan was nothing short of spectacular, and now that he had suffered a painful loss, his hatred and grief allowed that power to evolve, develop. He was close to reaching the full potential of his doujutsu, and being a part of the Root would certainly push towards that final step, even if Toshizou had to go out of his way to make that happen. With the second tomoe, also came the confirmation that he was committed to what Toshizou was proposing and the elite jounin rested his hand on the young man's shoulder, squeezing it firmly and nodding to him. "Wise choice. From here on, the Hatake clan fully supports your claim for the leadership of the Uchiha clan." he started, and although the Hatake were not known for having a Kekkei Genkai or Hijutsu, they did come from the line of the First Hokage, and held political influence in the village, especially since their leader - Toshizou - was a member of the village council, a position dwarfed only by the Kage itself. But regarding that fact, Root was emerging as an alternative, one that would prompt the winds of change to finally reach the Hidden Leaf Village. "Henceforth, you are forgiven of any implications of the invasion of Bonchi no Kuni. No punishment shall befall one of my Captains." he added, revealing the rank Issei would be holding, which was arguably the highest rank within the organisation, save for the Commander and Vice Commander themselves. "We will take care of your initiation once we arrive at the village, and I will personally train you. I will help you achieve your full potential, Issei. And that is achieved, nobody will be able to ever take anything from you again." he added, with plenty of conviction in his tone. The Demon of the Fleeting Blossoms didn't take many under his wing, but when he did so, he was a dedicated mentor, and that was what he proposed to the future head of the Uchiha clan. "The one rule you must always follow, however, is that no one outside the organisation can know you are in there, and you can't mention anything about it to anyone who's not part of the Root. While working for Root, you shall have a new name, and a mask fitting the Red-Eyed Black Dragon of the leaf." and with that said, Toshizou grabbed a small scroll, unsealing the object inside of it. From the scroll, a black coloured, dragon mask similar to the ones used by the ANBU emerged. "A fitting mask, wouldn't you agree?" he asked. "You can train a dog with food. You can buy a person with money. But there isn't a man alive that can put down the Will of Fire. Some things will never change. The Will of Fire will never be extinguished" Trip to the Leaf Land of Wind [UCHIHA ISSEI] [472 words]

[UCHIHA ISSEI]

It seemed that despite his desire to keep things under wraps Toshizo was already on top of his attempt to take over the clan from Satoru. Nevertheless, he was glad that he would have the support from his clan which would only help his ascension to the position when the time came. All of this was emotionally overwhelming, but at the same time he felt as though he was finally going to get the chance to live out his initial purpose. He hoped that this would be the key to protecting all of those he cared so much for.

From here Issei had no idea where things would be headed, but it seemed as though the Hatake had pretty much covered the entire bases for this conversation. Even Issei was curious as to what might have happened should he have turned down his request. The immediate forgiveness of any implications was definitely a huge surprise, but one that he could certainly appreciate as that weighed heavily in the back of his mind in the midst of all of this.

However, he did catch on to what briefly followed. "Captain?" The Uchiha softly muttered before he begin talking of his initiation upon his arrival back to the village. It was hard to believe all of this was truly happening right now. Was he no longer the teenage wonder with potential? Because it felt like he was finally starting to live up to all the hype created by his former teacher. Out of curiosity Issei briefly thought of whether this was something Kazui went through before she decided to leave the village.

So much responsibility was being bestowed upon him, but it was nothing short of what he wanted once he became a Chuunin. It seemed the Hatake would personally be taking it upon himself to train him to which Issei would nod in acceptance. Anything for the man that was willing to put his own name on the line just so he could maximize his full potential. Issei might have been a little stubborn, but he was definitely raised by his parents to never bite the hand that was feeding you.

Toshizo was clearly in the business of protecting Konoha with everything he had, plus, he was kind of an extension of his own clan given that his daughter and her mother were apart of his clan. A simple head nod was given as the Hatake explained that once he was done with him that no one would ever be able to take anything from him again. A deep breath was taken before he'd look down at his left hand that was still slightly shaking.

Issei's attention would once again be called upon as he was lecture about the secrecy that came with this position. A lot of which reminded him of what little he was able to find out about ANBU during the wishful period in which he hoped to be recruited by them. How ironic was it that now he was now being recruited by another group within the village. Root. It had a nice meaningful ring to it, and with it he would be bestowed another identity on top of the one he built for himself.

When Toshizo pulled out the scroll Issei did not know what to expect, but there was a glimpse of surprise in his eyes upon seeing the mask. It appeared as though Toshizo had done more than just a little bit of research before coming to save his ass. "More than fitting." Issei softly replied before grabbing the mask with his left hand. "T-Thank you..." Issei softly let out while looking into the sky in an attempt to hide his emotions.

It meant a lot to him that in such a tough moment that there was still someone in the village that actually believed in him. Well, at least someone of their magnitude. The way Arashi scolded him made it seem as though he'd never get the chance to redeem himself. Nevertheless, once he got out of this mess he'd definitely need to find his former teacher. He wouldn't be able to tell him about all this, but it was about time the two of them finally caught up to one another.

"It feels good knowing that I'll be able to make positive changes within the village."

[Hatake Toshizō]

"treading into the shadows". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." GOD OF DEATH Issei seemed surprised he was being recognized, but Toshizou already knew that side of him, he had done his homework. To the Hatake, he was a wasted gem in the Hidden Leaf, a testament of the failure of the village in fostering the promising future generation. To neglect such a crucial aspect of the shinobi world was part of the reason why the Hidden Leaf was falling behind their enemies, and growing distant from their allies, a mistake Toshizou was not willing to make, even if he had to fix it from the shadows, drenched in blood. The young man noticed how much Toshizou already knew about him when he gave him a fitting mask for the reputation he had already built to himself. He was known as a 'Demon' by many, a merciless, cruel man, but that was just one aspect of his persona. To those he cared about, he showed a different side of his personality. Albeit still stern and a bit stoic, he was more caring and personally invested in their development. For the sake of the village, Toshizou was willing to do anything, no matter difficult, painful or dark it may be. As he used to say, extreme situations required extreme measures. "The first thing we need to kill is whatever self-doubt you still foster in your heart. Exorcise this weakness and break out of your shell, so you can be what you need to be... Shinigami. That's your name in Root." he said. It was quite the powerful name, 'God of Death', and it properly illustrated what his life would be like in the near future. "For you will smite those who even dare to consider raising their hand against the Leaf. Always remember, Issei." he paused, looking deep inside the Uchiha's eyes. "Slay evil immediately, before it can grow to hurt you and your loved ones. This is my nindo, this is my way. And now you know why that is necessary." he added with a firm nod, turning around to face the direction which would lead them to the Hidden Leaf. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask, but once we arrive, not a word. I will look for you in a few days and guide you to the Foundation. All in due time." he added, cracking a smirk in the corner of his mouth before continue their journey towards the Land of Fire. "You can train a dog with food. You can buy a person with money. But there isn't a man alive that can put down the Will of Fire. Some things will never change. The Will of Fire will never be extinguished" Trip to the Leaf Border with the Land of Fire [UCHIHA ISSEI] [415 words]

[UCHIHA ISSEI]

If it wasn't clear already, the man definitely had Issei's undivided attention. For him this was a chance to ensure that what happened to his lover would never happen to anyone else. His second Tomoe was the gift that would solidify his conviction and right now Toshizo was the man that would turn his conviction into reality. Issei couldn't possibly envision himself in another position where he'd ever get the chance to make such an impact at this age and stage of his career. He'd work hard to make the most of it.

Toshizo would note Issei some of the things they would work on, the first being to kill the doubt that he still felt fostered in his heart. He couldn't blame the man for seeing otherwise, but going forward he would never allow himself to be the man he was out on the battlefield that put everyone at risk including himself. Under Toshizo Issei would push himself even harder than ever and would become what it is that he was meant to be. The God of Death, Shinigami.

What was being asked of him was a lot, but this was exactly the kind of responsibility he sought out upon becoming a Shinobi. With Root he'd actually be able to use the power given to Kazuto to work rather than letting the current regime waste it. The Village Hidden in the Leaf was co founded by his clan so he would do whatever it took to protect the home his ancestors lost so many to build. "Understood." Issei added just before he gave room to ask any questions he might have had.

"I think I'll save my any questions I may have leading up to my initiation for later. For right now I feel its important for me to truly reflect on the responsibility being bestowed upon me."

[Hatake Toshizō]

"treading into the shadows". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." HOME Toshi nodded at Issei's words. "Very well, that's fine. I will be sending word for you in a few days after our return to the Leaf. Be ready." and those were his last words during their trip. Toshizou focused on hasting back to their Hidden Village, for much had to be done on his side to finish preparing the organisation to start its important work from the shadows. The winds of change were definitely blowing, and he wanted to guide said winds towards the direction he envisioned for the Hidden Leaf. With the support of strong shinobi such as Kurei, Issei and Yuuta, he was certain they could be successful. They would strengthen their current alliances, foster new ones and eliminate threats to the safety of their land and village. It was going to be a lot of work, and they would fatally leave a trail of blood behind them, but sacrifices such as these were necessary in order to build something beautiful and strong. He had no hesitation in his heart. For years he tried to follow the way of the past Kages, working under their rules, their softness, and this caused catastrophic results. By nightfall, they were already on the Land of Fire, and after pushing for a few more hours, they arrived at the Hidden Leaf Village, where they were allowed in without questions; they knew better than to inquire one of the village's councilors, once there, he would only glance back at Issei one more time, nod, and then head towards the Hatake Mansion. "You can train a dog with food. You can buy a person with money. But there isn't a man alive that can put down the Will of Fire. Some things will never change. The Will of Fire will never be extinguished" Back at the Hidden Leaf Exit post [UCHIHA ISSEI] [265 words]