[Chikamatsu Kiyoshi]

     It'd been altogether too long since he'd been able to get his hands dirty and gather some material for his next book - the topic? The Tsukimiya-style catacombs that littered the desert (almost entirely in the south) and the history of their habitation: by their speculative builders, and by refugees during the wars.

     How this Ōnakayama ruin factored into that? Well, hardly, truth be told. But Kiyoshi had been slightly disappointed that he'd been unable to find the time to accompany Arashi on her search for Sumiye's father - though he'd never have asked, even if he had. Some things must be uncovered by particular people.

     Besides - it was hard to say no to the Kazekage's requests, spurious as they might be. He'd have preferred a segment of the catacombs, but the Clan was protective of its' history - and they had the spine to say no, even after nearly a hundred years of serving the village.

     And so here he was: support staff filing about, setting up the temporary housing a good way down the sandy slope from the ruins of the Tsukimiya-Ōnakayama War of 567 that overlooked the Bay of Roran to the north. When he was sure his guards' attention was split, Kiyoshi snuck away to get a moment uninterrupted in the shadows of the complex.

     The Kazekage set his weathered hand upon the worn sandstone frame of what, nearly half a millennia ago, had been a door to the Tribal Leader's private quarters. The wind whistled into the opening, the bright moonlight illuminating the piles of sand that had accumulated in the corners of the room.

     To light his way, he created a glowing dove of glass that lifted from his palm and floated into the darkness, illuminating it in a dull orange glow and revealing - unbeknownst to him - something he'd left behind, long ago, somewhere far away.

Naoto | 315 words

[Naoto]

LET'S GO IN THE GARDEN

YOU'LL FIND SOMETHING WAITING

Ever since Naoto had turned to a life on the run, it'd always felt like they and the other members of the gang were sleeping under the stars. It was understandable given their circumstances, and in truth, sleeping alongside friends and family in an encampment that you built with your own hands was a special kind of heaven. But, still, Naoto wanted better for them than that.
    Defense. Security. To be able to sleep without any worry that they may be ambushed by soldiers or animals at any moment.
    Perhaps we'll never have that, Naoto thought. But, so far, their boat had been the closest thing to real safety they'd had so far--and that included the many times they'd nearly gone under the waves of a storm. It was an upgrade, but it wasn't perfect. It wasn't where Naoto wanted them to stay forever. I want Jun to have her own room where she can store all the prettiest fabrics in the world and make any kimono she wants. I want somewhere where Fuku can test his traps and inventions without accidentally blowing a hole in the boat. And a big kitchen, where we can store enough food supplies for a week instead of having to hunt every day.
    Their little boat wasn't the final destination. Naoto was sure of it.
    Eventually they would stop running, surely. Even if they could never find somewhere safe with the rest of society--they could make their own. And after much time scouting, Naoto thought they may very well have found exactly the place.
    It was far away from where they had disembarked. Having left the home base to scout further, Naoto had traveled far upstream and headed into the mountainside north of where they had laid anchor. It was here, nestled high in the baren mountainside of the desert, that Naoto had found a metaphorical gold mine.
    Ruins.
    Buildings that had been weathered and aged by sandstorms and time, abandoned by their creators and hollowed out by explorers. Looking over the river that lead into the bay, and nestled up in the mountains--it was practically perfect. They were close enough to the river which had plenty of resources to live off of--fish, especially. The mountains gave them a natural defense, and the open pass leading between the border was easily accessible from this location as well.
    The building structures themselves were old and weathered--many doors and windows were missing entirely--and yet the main structures remained. It could use for some reinforcements, Naoto was sure, but it was as good of a foundation as anything. Just needs some love and work, they thought as they ventured further inside one of the empty building structures. Sand was everywhere--but when they fixed up the windows and made some doors, surely that was a problem that could be fixed.
    This really is perfect, the pre-teen thought to themselves.
    After hours of travelling to the location and investigating all it had to offer, nearly running through the entirety of their rationed resources, Naoto decided to make camp for the night as the sun crested over the hills. The desert, they had learned, grew incredibly cold during the evening. Given their present location, the child couldn't set up a proper camp--they didn't have any wood with them to create a fire, and thankfully the sandstone structure provided enough insolation from the cold. So, they decided to bunker down in the ruins for the evening and head back to the base to share the news with the others come the morning sunrise.
    Naoto laid out their bedroll on the floor, taking off their outer poncho to lay it over their body like a blanket. And, without much struggle, the pre-teen fell into slumber.

---

It would be some time later when the entourage of shinobi arrived to the ruins for their own investigations. While Naoto was usually a light sleeper, and more often than not aware of their surroundings--the open doorway of the ruined building allowed for a near-constant whistle of wind to pass it through. And, so, the child lay unsuspecting in their makeshift bed as the stranger entered the ruins.
    It would not be until a faint light danced throughout the room that Naoto stirred, blinking their dark eye open groggily as they registered a shift.
    And--almost immediately--their senses were overwhelmed.
    A light--a bird--the presence of a man--immediately, danger screamed in their consciousness--
    "Wha--!" Naoto swallowed a scream, instinctively batting away the glass dove with their hand as they scrambled out of their bed. Their heart raced as adrenaline drowned their nervous system--and immediately the child's hand went to grab their blade.
    Run--escape--a window?--were they already seen?--had the samurai come to hunt them? There was no time to think as instinct took over.

phantasm6 | 796 words | more comments here

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