10th Tomoe || Video, Action at Route 47, 4th Wall Event

[beforethedarkness]

[There was a Crobat flying around a boy frantically and a Luxio nuzzling at him to try and wake him when the pokégear broadcasts to the network. Once it's on, a Blaziken appears on screen and points him out, clearly distressed at the state of his trainer. It's not hard to see why, as Sasuke starts getting up and spares the gear a look. He's covered in burns and his clothes are slightly tattered, but that likely isn't the most jarring thing about him.]



[It doesn't take long for Sasuke to wobble over, his hand gripping tightly at his left shoulder the whole time while he does. He cuts the feed once he makes it to the camera.]

[ACTION!]

[He's breathing hard as he's just trying to keep going, stubbornly pushing his pokémon away from him at every turn. Those pokémon just continued to try and help him, or at least carry him, back to a town. Any town. They didn't know what to do when their trainer was like this, clearly in a lot of pain and weak. Why did he keep pushing them away?

He stops, nearly falling when someone appears in his path. Who, though?]

Comments

[onefate]

"Stop following me!"

To say Neji was unamused was putting it lightly. Not only was he far from the Land of Fire already, Lee and Gai-sensei had charged ahead in one of their foolish contests of 'youthful sprinting.' And, well... he had lost them. The boy with the Byakugan wasn't used to loosing anything, but here he was, without a familiar landmark or person in sight.

Save for this thing that kept following him around, some kind of bipedal creature that had taken an interest in him. Anyone but Neji would know it as a Meinfoo -- Neji saw it as an irritant. His attention more focused on ignoring the weird little thing than on anything before him, it's almost a surprise when he finds a road, and in the middle of it, someone emitting a vile purple-hued Chakra.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

[kuramaless]

The moment he'd arrived he knew a few things. One, that he'd been somewhere else like this before, and two-- that he was somewhere else. He was getting pretty astute these days, if he did say so himself.

The need to work out why he wasn't on the battlefield then was somewhat eased by his past time in Death City, and the urgency to work out just where he was died when he first bumped into those-- creatures. They were distracting enough until on his way along the path he'd happened upon left him standing face to face with none other than his friend, rival, enemy, team mate. Uchiha Sasuke, considerably younger than he recalled. Looking exactly like he had done at the valley of the end, only with less protruding wings and--

"Sasuke!"

[beforethedarkness]

What? He stopped at hearing that voice, blinking a few times as he let it sink in. That voice was... Vaguely familiar. He turned to face him, again trying to shove his Luxio off of him as he met Byakugan with Sharingan.

"Neji."

So he was here... When had he gotten there? He didn't care, he just needed a way to force the mark back. But how.

[beforethedarkness]

What?

"Naruto?" His voice was hoarse when he responded to the blond, blinking at him as he looked over his shoulder to see if he could find the source. Only one person had a voice that loud and annoying, and sure enough it was him. The Blaziken took the opportunity to hook his hands under Sasuke's arms and tried to pick him up, much to the boy's distaste as he protested and shot the pokémon a glare, "Hiruzen, stop. I can walk."

The pokémon just shook his head, giving Sasuke a worried look before he looked up to Naruto. He wanted the other person to understand that his trainer needed help. Hopefully he would get that.

[kuramaless]

"Sasuke." The name was repeated, much quieter this time. Whatever those creatures were, Sasuke had given them names. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Sasuke had been here for at least a few days, although it probably took someone a lot more grown up than Naruto had been before.

Quick to react, he hurried to Sasuke's side, looking up at the-- thing and offering an awkward grin before leaning down, hands pressing just above his knees to look down into Sasuke's face. "-- The curse." He was from before... When, though? "You okay?" So it was a stupid question. Some things didn't change, but he just didn't know what to do for him.

[onefate]

His own eyes weren't activated just then, though as soon as he catches sight of Sharingan, his own intensifying in response. In spite of that Chakra, he didn't... seem overtly hostile, at least, not yet. Neji's eyes flick over his entire body, reading past the strange marks and the evil Chakra, filing away every small twitch and involuntary movement.

Then that thing nudged his arm, disrupting his focus as he tilted to the side, then snapped a glare to it. "Stop that!" he snarls, returning his attention to the Uchiha boy, brow furrowed as he gives the marks on the other's skin a pointed look.

"What is that?"

[beforethedarkness]

Days nothing, Sasuke had been there for months. The Luxio at his feet pawed up at Naruto, mewing softly and sadly while the Crobat tried to nuzzle into the back of Sasuke's head. Sasuke, again, tried to shake them off as he was breathing hard. On top of the mark, his regular chakra had been drained and he was covered in burns and cuts.

"It's nothing," He insisted, shaking his head and frowning at Naruto. Wait a minute... "What... How? You're older..."

[kuramaless]

He spared a quick glance at the thing down by his feet, and then up at the one behind Sasuke's neck and-- it was no wonder Sasuke was trying to shake them off. He was quick to curl his arm around the Uchiha's back, waving at the flying thing. "Just-- leave him alone a second, yeah!?"

He shook his head right back, opening his mouth to complain when Sasuke said that. "... Yeah. This is one of them places right? Where you just end up, yeah? I've been to one before, not like this with the weird-- animal things. Er, a lot of stuff's happened."

[beforethedarkness]

"... Pokémon. They're like ninja animals," He murmured, eventually losing his footing entirely. The tall bird-like creature behind him caught Sasuke, crooning softly and looking up to Neji with his own plead. It looked like this person knew what was going on. He had to help his trainer, somehow!

The Luxio at Sasuke's feet ran over to Neji and pawed at him, mewing and distressed with the same sort of request. Her trainer was weak, and he looked sick. And it looked like this guy knew him! Maybe he could help?

[beforethedarkness]

The 'flying thing' did fly back a little to give him some space, crowing and flying to the front as she tried to show them the way to go. This was a path! One of the ways would lead to a town, and Sasuke could get help there!

Blaziken just looked to Naruto, nodding as he crouched down and helped Sasuke from the other side.

At that point Sasuke was squirming a little, but he was really in no shape to get away from either of them. But, as Naruto continued to speak, he glanced up at the blond and blinked, feeling the curse mark still burning in his system as he spoke, "Tell me later... Hiruzen, Ino and Naru won't leave you alone until I'm in town, probably..."

Even if he had no idea just where the nearest town was.

[onefate]

"Pokémon?" They didn't look like any animals Neji had ever seen, but fine, if that's what they were, then there was no helping it. He gave the one at his feet a glare and sidestepped to get out of its way.

"That's not important," he says finally, stepping around the cat-like thing and approaching, the Meinfoo following behind him. The last time he'd seen that kind of Chakra, the Uchiha had shattered the arms of a Sound ninja that had been able to take on Lee. He wasn't taking any chances, in case the other's seeming weakness was a ploy. "Those marks. What are those?"

[kuramaless]

He tipped his head up to look at it-- frowning and looking along the path it was flying. Right. That way? He shifted his weight under Sasuke to try and hold him up better, surprised to have some help.

Despite Sasuke's shifting he showed determination enough to keep hold of him. "You'll just fall over or something." He mumbled, aware that Sasuke was drained, about as much as he had looked after the fight with Gaara. In fact, he looked a lot like he had done then, too. "... Who's... Hiruzen, Ino and-- Did you say Naru?" Like, Naruto?

[beforethedarkness]

He shuddered, trying to not pass out in front of Neji, and took a few moments to gather himself before he answered, "Curse mark..."

Eventually he ended up falling against Hiruzen, who caught him and tried to help him stand. Sasuke squirmed in the grip, not really liking that he felt too weak to stand on his own or that his blood was on fire. That mark was really wreaking havoc on him, combined with the damage from that fight... A fight that he lost against a foe he couldn't touch. How had he done that...?

[beforethedarkness]

There was a very slight flush before he indicated with his head.

"Hiruzen."

The Blaziken crooned again, nodding in greeting to Naruto.

"Ino."

This time it was the bat-like creature, using one of her wings to brush against Naruto's head before she flew back ahead to lead the way.

"... Naru."

The cat like creature meowed and nuzzled against Naruto's leg before running ahead with Ino. Sasuke wasn't looking at Naruto at all then, and in fact he was looking at anything that wasn't his suddenly taller blond teammate.

[onefate]

It wasn't a ploy. The other's Chakra system looked fairly ravaged from damage, and if his body language was anything to judge by (it always was, before Neji's eyes), he was about to collapse.

"Curse mark..."

That seal from that time. His eyes focus, veins widening from the added Chakra forced to them as he studies his shoulder, lips furrowing into a deep frown. Though he turns his eyes to the other's face, his focus is still on his shoulder. "I can try to shut it down."

[kuramaless]

He looked at each one individually, but quite naturally got stuck staring at that cat like creature that Sasuke-- hadn't quite named after him. He did try and look at Sasuke, even if the Uchiha was doing his best not to return the look. This was-- different.

"Oh." He was about to ask about what they were, but the understanding that Sasuke wasn't well enough to walk on his own led him to believe he wouldn't be up to talking, never mind to explain things to him. Sasuke found that difficult at the best of times. "... You know, I could probably carry you, it'd be a whole bunch easier. Reckon I can still use jutsu and stuff here. Which is kinda different." Rambling, as usual.

[beforethedarkness]

"I don't need help," He stubbornly insisted, shaking his head and once more trying to push away from the pokémon. That effort proved useless and he was stuck, glaring at the ground for his own weakness. He couldn't just give up... He was supposed to be the strong one.

[beforethedarkness]

"I don't need to be carried," Sasuke practically hissed out, prompting what seemed to be a sigh from Hiruzen as they continued forward.

[onefate]

"Fair enough." Neji didn't stop walking forward, eyeing the bird-thing to see if it was going to attack. Whatever the mark was, it was damaging his body, and on top of that... if he remembered correctly, the other had been passed out before fully awakening that dark Chakra. At the time, he had assumed it to be due to wounds sustained in the Forest itself, but now?

A beat as he studies the other's tenketsu, finding the ones connecting directly to that mark. Chakra was pulsing from it rather than from the center as it should. If he shut that down... well, who could say whether it would make it worse or better?

His eyes flick to the bird-thing. "If you really are a ninja animal, hold him still," is all he says as warning, then his right hand snaps out, index and middle finger extended and braced by his thumb as he forces his own Chakra into one of the primary tenketsu affected by the mark, overloading the amount passing through it and forcing it to shut down to prevent further damage.

[kuramaless]

The sharp response was familiar, and despite how much he should have been repelled by it, he couldn't help but smile. "Heh-- Yeah yeah. Just don't pass out, okay?"

[beforethedarkness]

He shook his head, determined to take his own steps forward even as he felt both Naruto and Hiruzen supporting him, "I wasn't planning on it."

[beforethedarkness]

The bird seemed to understand and nodded, watching carefully and holding onto Sasuke tightly. Sasuke, blinking, had tried to get out before it happened, and he cried out in surprise and pain from the sudden assault. It seemed to work, however; the mark began to recede and crawl back to its source across his skin, leaving him shaking and feeling both cool and light-headed.

What had he...?

[onefate]

As he'd thought. Now that he was reasonably certain the bird wouldn't attack, he focused his attention entirely on the other's Chakra points. It had seemed to work, at least temporarily, as he pays less attention to the marks and more to the recession of that Chakra.

He just snorts through his nose and crosses his arms, only allowing the Byakugan to recede when it seems clear that Chakra isn't going to try to force its way through another path in his Chakra network. "I sealed one of your tenketsu before that mark could consume your own Chakra. You shou-- Get off!"

The potential threat averted, the Meinfoo had bumped up against his hip, looking up at him with almost soulful eyes.

video;

[heartdive]

Hey! Where are you!

[ planning to fetch, yes ]

[beforethedarkness]

Something about tenketsu? Sasuke was trying to listen, but he was just too worn out to really let it get through. When he saw what Neji was yelling about, he couldn't help but smirk just a little as he shook his head at the other.

"At least it can't sit on your head."