Tales of a Ninja Magician: Of Journeys We Make

A Name To One's Pain

After the last collision with Ion's father had ended, it seemed as if anything Mana did inside of his mind came with a far easier time. Every motion, every intent fulfilled to its fullest with perfect precision. Almost as if there was no opposition. Mana hadn't felt such ease to control one's mind this way ever before. Even when one allowed her to enter a mind and do whatever she pleased, even during mental training, there was still always a level of subconscious resistance, like how an eye closed out of instinct when a needle came closer to its surface.

The surrounding buildings were ancient, though well-maintained. A classical style district with long houses that had the upper sections of their walls lined with veils of silk, as if they would have had nothing to hide from the eye of an outsider. Of course, the fact that the Hyuuga didn't let outsiders anywhere near these parts of their district had a vital part to play in this openness. Mana phased through the wall, entering the building with the clearest image, knowing full-well what she'd find inside.

A young man of shoulder-long black hair was kneeling alongside his father in front of a line of other Hyuuga clansmen. The line must have been the main house of the clan while the kneeling bunch belonged to the branch that served and protected it. The entire life's purpose of these branch house members was centered on servitude to the main branch. They even branded the branch house members with Curse Seals that could inflict excruciating pain or outright kill them on the spot if the main house members preferred it.

It was a primal, brutish tradition but Hyuuga were proud of how conservative they were and Konoha was a village similarly chained by its conservatism and pride in its old and wooden ways which was why it didn't do a good job in advocating change amongst the Hyuuga. It didn't take too long for Mana to identify Ion's father. At this point in time, he was a young man, judging by his age he could have been a few years into his ninja service and out of the Academy, couldn't have been more than a few years added or taken from his mid-teens.

"Lady Hissho will turn three-years-old next week. It's been a most unorthodox time for young Rakugi, being a member of a branch house without a Curse Seal and the main branch heiress to serve. Thankfully, this ataxia is coming at an end," the eldest amongst of the lined-up bunch spoke with a voice choked by the age of its speaker. In the middle of the sentence, a pair of the main branch ninja moved aside to reveal a frightened young girl of curly, dark hair hiding behind the laps of the main branch members.

Ion's future father, now identified as Rakugi, turned his eyes up, casting a grumpy look at the little girl he'd be sworn to serve soon enough. An elder of the branch house grabbed hold of the boy's rising head and bent it down. It was of little use or subtlety as there couldn't have been any doubt that the main branch bunch had noticed it and grumbled a little, clearing their throats as an objection.

"We rarely brand members this old, it's an entirely unorthodox affair, this whole thing. Usually, the branch house members are all branded by the time they graduate from the Academy, though circumstances and tradition have both stuck out their legs to trip us up, I am afraid. Not that lady Hissho's birth was not a miracle in of itself, though... I expect that there will be no issues with this, Kanmeki?" the main house elder glared down with a judging stare at the kneeling branch house members.

"None at all, I assure you that my son will not bring you shame, elder!" the addressed branch house member pressed his forehead to the mat even harder, trying his darndest to sound as his most convincing self.

"Good. With a bit of solidarity and luck, we'll move past this disarray and breach of sacred tradition and a semblance of order shall accompany the Hyuuga again. This is the only matter that we intended to settle today, Kanmeki, you and your son may go," the elder released the two.