Game of the Year: A Naruto Quest
- Thread starter Vesvius
- Start date
18. Moving On
Vesvius
The Wicked God
You can't dwell on this anymore. The more you think about it, the more you feel like the hurricane of emotions in your chest are going to rip you apart. There's the satisfaction of finally knowing where you came from and why you're where you are. There's the horror that still wakes you up at night when you think about the look of grim resignation on Tokei's face. There's the sheer betrayal you feel whenever you think about how your own father, a man you've met once for twenty seconds before you were old enough to see properly, may have had a role in signing your death warrant.
It's just too much. You… you just can't right now.
You don't make the conscious decision to do so, but every time something related to Iron comes up, you just kind of ignore it. You push all thoughts of your homeland, your father, your former protector to the side. You tuck them away in a little corner of your mind and leave them there like musty books in an attic. One day you'll come back to them, you're sure of that. But not now. You'll do your best to keep your mind off anything Iron related for a very long time.
...except for Tokei's sword. Because you're fucking using that thing.
The sword is a piece of art. The hilt is polished white wood bound in dark leather, the hints of color peeking through the wrapping drawing the eye like a window in a dark room. The crossguard is bronze and shaped like a miniscule sundial. The scabbard- more bright wood, matching the handle. The wood is decorated, burned with elaborate patterns and pictograms that you would guess tell the sword's history. It's a sharp contrast to the blade- pure steel, unmarred save for a small mark near the handle that looks like an infinity symbol laid over a hammer; the maker's mark, you presume.
You study it closely the day you come home from the hospital, and then more the next day and the day after. You never swing it; that feels somehow disrespectful. You don't know how to swing it after all, and this blade deserves more than to be swung around carelessly. Again. Swung around carelessly again, like it was when the police showed up and-
No, no, you're not dealing with that. You're not. You can't right now.
So you can't use it yet. But you will.
Instead of flailing wildly at anything in the name of practice, you focus on taking care of what you can do. A few last minute quests are dealt with, all tiny things that were bugging your quest log. Find this thing here. Return this lost item there. Play this instrument for this long. All minuscule things.
More Taijutsu training is done. You wail on Mr. Straw as productively as you can while Gai-sensei is gone, and then much more productively the next week, when he returns. But it's harder than it used to be; your hit counter is maxed out while he's gone. Strange. You don't remember checking that one off your list yet.
But sure enough, when you check your message backlog, it's there.
YOU HAVE ATTAINED THE ACHIEVEMENT 'MR. STRAW'! CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT!
Another quick glance at your Achievement list shows your reward: something called 'Summoning Technique: Mini Straw'. Of course, the game doesn't tell you how to use it. Maybe that'll come later, when you unlock your chakra?
But that's not the only Achievement that's unlocked since you last checked.
YOU HAVE ATTAINED THE ACHIEVEMENT 'UNSHEATHING THE BLADE! CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT!
You're not entirely sure what to think about that one. So you don't. You don't think about it at all. To the pile of thoughts about Iron with you, achievement!
Forgetting things is easy to do once Mother finally returns home from the hospital. She's still clearly not at one hundred percent, so you stick with her as much as you can. Mother seems happy to have you home and not out exploring like usual; the few times you go, she doesn't say anything, but you can see from the way her knuckles whiten on whatever she's holding that she doesn't like letting you out of her sight. Easier for everyone if you stay in sight.
Not that staying in sight means you're confined to the house. The moment she's sure that her face isn't horribly scarred from the incident, she's back to her stately walks around the village with just you and her parasol. On every walk you see quests and opportunities, but you manage to hold yourself back. Mother needs you right now. You'll be there for her. You'll walk with her. You'll hold her parasol while standing on tip toes while she does things she needs two hands for. You'll pointedly ignore people gossiping about her and you and the incident entirely.
And worst of all, you'll serve as her little dress up doll.
Eugh.
One of the few things that makes Mother seem like her old self is dressing you up in what she considers the most adorable clothes. You're given terrible outfit after terrible outfit to wear from the hands of weary sales attendants as Mother rides herd over them like the queen she holds herself to be. You're dressed like a monk, like a little choir boy, like a shepherd in overalls, and much much more.
Thankfully she doesn't actually buy any of those god awful outfits. If she had, you would have had to put your foot down. But you don't escape without clothes of your own. By the time your Mother seems bored of taking you to every clothing store in Konoha, you're clad in what seems like your new standard outfit: blank pants that end at the calf, a dark red short sleeve shirt, and a grey jacket with sleeves just a little too long. You're told you'll grow into it- which you accept, on the condition she gets you one with a hood. She gripes, saying it will mess up the way she likes to keep your hair, but you won't take no for an answer. Hoods are the best. In the end, you get your hood.
And so your days pass. A little bit of questing. A lot of training. A good amount of helping Mother regain her footing. Until finally, a month after the incident and two weeks after your sixth birthday, it's time.
It's time for your first day at the Academy.
Mother walks you there, letting you lead the way for once. As you walk she talks in a low voice, pitched only for your own ears to hear. "It isn't too late to change your mind, dearest. It will only take a word from you and we will turn around and head home."
You shake your head as you walk. "No," you mutter back in similar fashion. "I want this Mother. I need to be able to do… this." You wave your hands at the world around you, sleeves flapping in the March breeze. You're not sure exactly what you're gesturing at, but Mother seems to understand. She nods once and the topic isn't brought up again.
The Academy courtyard is full of students and their families. All around you are tearful goodbyes, some genuine, some comedically overwrought by shinobi parents who've been here themselves. On your left is a dark haired girl you don't recognize sharing a moment with her father. You hear him muttering his pride, bringing a pleased flush to her cheeks. On the other is a boy in a furry jacket that can only be Kiba proudly boasting of how great he's going to be to the amused chuckles of his frankly terrifying mother.
You turn back to your own Mother. You don't expect tears or jubilation from her; that's not your way. Instead she reaches down and strokes your cheek fondly. "This is your choice," she says fondly. "And I'm proud of you for making it. Never forget that my little gleam."
She reaches into a nearly invisible pocket in her dress. "And please. Take this." She produces a small item and passes it to you. You stare at it blankly. You know what this is- it's one of her fans. The one you call her 'gesturing' fan, because she uses it to point at people imperiously when she wants them to do something.
"My Father gave that to me on my first day of education," she says, answering your unspoken question. Her eyes go far away to a distant place as she speaks. "This isn't exactly the same, but it will do. May it treat you as well as it has treated me."
The memories vanish from her face and Mother gives you a small smirk. "Just don't hit anyone too hard with it. It could crack." The two of you share a small laugh before you embrace her knees once again.
A voice calls to the courtyard moments into your hug. "Excuse me!" it calls. "Could all new students please come over here! All first year students! Over here please!"
You look up at Mother. "Well, that's for me," you say. "See you at home, Mother!"
She doesn't say another word. She strokes your cheek one more time, smiles proudly again, and turns and strolls away, leaving you to follow a slightly younger looking Umino Iruka into the Academy proper, and then into the third floor classroom that's been set aside for your group.
You breathe out slowly. Alright. The Academy. This should be fun.
At least, the physical and mental parts of it. You're pretty sure you've got the former down, and learning the later is why you're here. The social part… well, you're not going to be in unfamiliar territory at least. Ino and Shikamaru are both in this class, as well as the rest of the people you remember from the show, and two dozen others besides.
But still. Getting through the social part of this whole thing is going to take some doing. And probably a plan.
How do you act while you're in the Academy? (In other words: pick Daisuke's personality!)
[] Cool and refined. You're going to play this whole thing cool.
[] Classy and imperious, just like Mother would do!
[] Boisterous and eager. Gai-sensei would be proud!
[] Gruff and hostile. You're not here to make friends, you're here to be a ninja.
[] Laid-back and loud mouthed. You're going to have a lot of fun here!
[] Studious and Brainy. You're going to learn all the things!
[] Clever and Sarcastic, You will play it smart but that doesn't mean you wont call out stupidity.
[] Serious and Hard Working. The sight of the Academy fills you with D E T E R M I N A T I O N
[] Gregarious and Friendly. You don't really have any friends, no better time to fix that!
[] Studious yet friendly, there's no need to be alone to be smart.
[] Bizzare and Focused. You constantly forget that other kids don't experience life as a video game, which makes your intense (and mildly obsessive) tendencies even more apparent.
[] Industrius and Mysterious (Rumormonger). Work hard, and ensure any truth about you is lost among all the lies.
[] Write-In (Please respect the established format)
It's just too much. You… you just can't right now.
You don't make the conscious decision to do so, but every time something related to Iron comes up, you just kind of ignore it. You push all thoughts of your homeland, your father, your former protector to the side. You tuck them away in a little corner of your mind and leave them there like musty books in an attic. One day you'll come back to them, you're sure of that. But not now. You'll do your best to keep your mind off anything Iron related for a very long time.
...except for Tokei's sword. Because you're fucking using that thing.
The sword is a piece of art. The hilt is polished white wood bound in dark leather, the hints of color peeking through the wrapping drawing the eye like a window in a dark room. The crossguard is bronze and shaped like a miniscule sundial. The scabbard- more bright wood, matching the handle. The wood is decorated, burned with elaborate patterns and pictograms that you would guess tell the sword's history. It's a sharp contrast to the blade- pure steel, unmarred save for a small mark near the handle that looks like an infinity symbol laid over a hammer; the maker's mark, you presume.
You study it closely the day you come home from the hospital, and then more the next day and the day after. You never swing it; that feels somehow disrespectful. You don't know how to swing it after all, and this blade deserves more than to be swung around carelessly. Again. Swung around carelessly again, like it was when the police showed up and-
No, no, you're not dealing with that. You're not. You can't right now.
So you can't use it yet. But you will.
Instead of flailing wildly at anything in the name of practice, you focus on taking care of what you can do. A few last minute quests are dealt with, all tiny things that were bugging your quest log. Find this thing here. Return this lost item there. Play this instrument for this long. All minuscule things.
More Taijutsu training is done. You wail on Mr. Straw as productively as you can while Gai-sensei is gone, and then much more productively the next week, when he returns. But it's harder than it used to be; your hit counter is maxed out while he's gone. Strange. You don't remember checking that one off your list yet.
But sure enough, when you check your message backlog, it's there.
YOU HAVE ATTAINED THE ACHIEVEMENT 'MR. STRAW'! CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT!
Another quick glance at your Achievement list shows your reward: something called 'Summoning Technique: Mini Straw'. Of course, the game doesn't tell you how to use it. Maybe that'll come later, when you unlock your chakra?
But that's not the only Achievement that's unlocked since you last checked.
YOU HAVE ATTAINED THE ACHIEVEMENT 'UNSHEATHING THE BLADE! CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT!
You're not entirely sure what to think about that one. So you don't. You don't think about it at all. To the pile of thoughts about Iron with you, achievement!
Forgetting things is easy to do once Mother finally returns home from the hospital. She's still clearly not at one hundred percent, so you stick with her as much as you can. Mother seems happy to have you home and not out exploring like usual; the few times you go, she doesn't say anything, but you can see from the way her knuckles whiten on whatever she's holding that she doesn't like letting you out of her sight. Easier for everyone if you stay in sight.
Not that staying in sight means you're confined to the house. The moment she's sure that her face isn't horribly scarred from the incident, she's back to her stately walks around the village with just you and her parasol. On every walk you see quests and opportunities, but you manage to hold yourself back. Mother needs you right now. You'll be there for her. You'll walk with her. You'll hold her parasol while standing on tip toes while she does things she needs two hands for. You'll pointedly ignore people gossiping about her and you and the incident entirely.
And worst of all, you'll serve as her little dress up doll.
Eugh.
One of the few things that makes Mother seem like her old self is dressing you up in what she considers the most adorable clothes. You're given terrible outfit after terrible outfit to wear from the hands of weary sales attendants as Mother rides herd over them like the queen she holds herself to be. You're dressed like a monk, like a little choir boy, like a shepherd in overalls, and much much more.
Thankfully she doesn't actually buy any of those god awful outfits. If she had, you would have had to put your foot down. But you don't escape without clothes of your own. By the time your Mother seems bored of taking you to every clothing store in Konoha, you're clad in what seems like your new standard outfit: blank pants that end at the calf, a dark red short sleeve shirt, and a grey jacket with sleeves just a little too long. You're told you'll grow into it- which you accept, on the condition she gets you one with a hood. She gripes, saying it will mess up the way she likes to keep your hair, but you won't take no for an answer. Hoods are the best. In the end, you get your hood.
And so your days pass. A little bit of questing. A lot of training. A good amount of helping Mother regain her footing. Until finally, a month after the incident and two weeks after your sixth birthday, it's time.
It's time for your first day at the Academy.
Mother walks you there, letting you lead the way for once. As you walk she talks in a low voice, pitched only for your own ears to hear. "It isn't too late to change your mind, dearest. It will only take a word from you and we will turn around and head home."
You shake your head as you walk. "No," you mutter back in similar fashion. "I want this Mother. I need to be able to do… this." You wave your hands at the world around you, sleeves flapping in the March breeze. You're not sure exactly what you're gesturing at, but Mother seems to understand. She nods once and the topic isn't brought up again.
The Academy courtyard is full of students and their families. All around you are tearful goodbyes, some genuine, some comedically overwrought by shinobi parents who've been here themselves. On your left is a dark haired girl you don't recognize sharing a moment with her father. You hear him muttering his pride, bringing a pleased flush to her cheeks. On the other is a boy in a furry jacket that can only be Kiba proudly boasting of how great he's going to be to the amused chuckles of his frankly terrifying mother.
You turn back to your own Mother. You don't expect tears or jubilation from her; that's not your way. Instead she reaches down and strokes your cheek fondly. "This is your choice," she says fondly. "And I'm proud of you for making it. Never forget that my little gleam."
She reaches into a nearly invisible pocket in her dress. "And please. Take this." She produces a small item and passes it to you. You stare at it blankly. You know what this is- it's one of her fans. The one you call her 'gesturing' fan, because she uses it to point at people imperiously when she wants them to do something.
"My Father gave that to me on my first day of education," she says, answering your unspoken question. Her eyes go far away to a distant place as she speaks. "This isn't exactly the same, but it will do. May it treat you as well as it has treated me."
The memories vanish from her face and Mother gives you a small smirk. "Just don't hit anyone too hard with it. It could crack." The two of you share a small laugh before you embrace her knees once again.
A voice calls to the courtyard moments into your hug. "Excuse me!" it calls. "Could all new students please come over here! All first year students! Over here please!"
You look up at Mother. "Well, that's for me," you say. "See you at home, Mother!"
She doesn't say another word. She strokes your cheek one more time, smiles proudly again, and turns and strolls away, leaving you to follow a slightly younger looking Umino Iruka into the Academy proper, and then into the third floor classroom that's been set aside for your group.
You breathe out slowly. Alright. The Academy. This should be fun.
At least, the physical and mental parts of it. You're pretty sure you've got the former down, and learning the later is why you're here. The social part… well, you're not going to be in unfamiliar territory at least. Ino and Shikamaru are both in this class, as well as the rest of the people you remember from the show, and two dozen others besides.
But still. Getting through the social part of this whole thing is going to take some doing. And probably a plan.
How do you act while you're in the Academy? (In other words: pick Daisuke's personality!)
[] Cool and refined. You're going to play this whole thing cool.
[] Classy and imperious, just like Mother would do!
[] Boisterous and eager. Gai-sensei would be proud!
[] Gruff and hostile. You're not here to make friends, you're here to be a ninja.
[] Laid-back and loud mouthed. You're going to have a lot of fun here!
[] Studious and Brainy. You're going to learn all the things!
[] Clever and Sarcastic, You will play it smart but that doesn't mean you wont call out stupidity.
[] Serious and Hard Working. The sight of the Academy fills you with D E T E R M I N A T I O N
[] Gregarious and Friendly. You don't really have any friends, no better time to fix that!
[] Studious yet friendly, there's no need to be alone to be smart.
[] Bizzare and Focused. You constantly forget that other kids don't experience life as a video game, which makes your intense (and mildly obsessive) tendencies even more apparent.
[] Industrius and Mysterious (Rumormonger). Work hard, and ensure any truth about you is lost among all the lies.
[] Write-In (Please respect the established format)
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- Location
- North America
[X] Cool and refined. You're going to play this whole thing cool.
I don't trust those other children. I would rather we look cool than dumb.
I don't trust those other children. I would rather we look cool than dumb.
- Location
- United States
[X] Cool and refined. You're going to play this whole thing cool.
- Location
- The Geth Collective
[X] Classy and imperious, just like Mother would do!
will408914
(slouching towards bethlehem)
- Location
- California
[x] Classy and imperious, just like Mother would do!
Ridiculously Average Guy
I'm you, but stronger
- Location
-
To be clear, I mean "does he hear background music" not "does he spontaneously manifest sound about himself". (your response could have been read either way).
Anyway, I figure the Naruto soundtrack will work, with the odd song throw in for personal themes for OCs and the like (including Dai himself).
lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
[X] Clever and Sarcastic, You will play it smart but that doesn't mean you wont call out stupidity.
I like the idea of us being sarcastic.
"Really? Another transformation lesson? Oh well, time to do this for the, what, 97th time?"
I like the idea of us being sarcastic.
"Really? Another transformation lesson? Oh well, time to do this for the, what, 97th time?"
A Nation's Virtue
南國山河南帝居
[X] Classy and imperious, just like Mother would do!
We should strive to be the best, Mom is the best, ergo we should emulate the best.
- Location
- Denmark
Ehm. This is absolutely going to be a major decision. It literally says "pick Daisuke's personality".
As such, I've got a write-in suggestion.
I hope it's not too long? If so, I can cut it down a bit.
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