Rabbit Princess [Gaara] [2]

☾ 44 ☽

Sacrifice – ever since Tsukiko was a young girl, she had learned to sacrifice a lot of herself. It started small and wilful, such as sacrificing her food in order to buy more books. Then came the sacrifice of her own feelings, knowing that she would never feel the love of a family. But when she grew to be a member in Team Seven, there was so much love in her for her teammate that she knew that she would have to sacrifice it – and she did it every time she needed, just to protect them.

It was the way that a Ninja was supposed to live their life – to be ready to sacrifice every inch of their skin, every drop of their blood if it meant that it was needed to protect their cherished ones. It had been the Will of Fire that Tsukiko had read, seen, experienced growing up in Konohagakure, and it had become her Way of Ninja in the depths of Land of Waves.

Even Gaara, one of her most favourite people on Earth, was only still around her because someone had sacrificed their life for him. Tsukiko had been more conscious of the word 'sacrifice' as she was now, and when she was told to sacrifice her eyes, she didn't hold back.

"The Suiten Valley has never seen the darkness associated with Dojutsu," Watatsumi had told her. "The only way you can become a Dragon Sage is to let them go,"

"There are some creatures who don't care for such impurities," said the hardened voice of Sokotsu as he entered the room, his black hair flowing like water. "The Ryuchi Cave, for one, loves to feed off of such energies and would eagerly accept such candidates,"

"You want me to give up my eyes," Tsukiko said as she looked at them.

"I am aware it may be too much to ask from a young teenager such as yourself," Watatsumi spoke cordially. "It is not easy to make sacrificial decisions at such –"

"I'll give them up," Tsukiko interjected. "Please, it's only the Dojutsu, is it not? I'm not sure if you would even call it a sacrifice when they have been spiralling out of my control. It is more like finding a relief away from them for myself than that,"

Watatsumi didn't say anything, simply looking at her with azure eyes.

And thus, Tsukiko found herself seeking Usajii's help – her eyes bandaged shut, the stinging herbal essence spread of her eyes. And without wasting time, the first step of her training began. Toyotama-Hime was assigned to help her with it. Tsukiko was brought to the largest water body in the Suiten Valley, where she was submerged deeply, dressed in a special white kimono.

"I'm sure you wouldn't want to be naked," Toyotama-Hime said to her excited when she had presented her the kimono. "This is spun from dragon here and it would actually help you get more Nature Energy in when you wear it and enter the water!"

"Um, alright," Tsukiko had agreed, taking off her Ninja clothing and pulling on the thin kimono. "But could you, Toyotama-Hime, explain why I have to drown myself?"

"You're so funny!" Toyotama-Hime said, laughing and slapping her shoulder. Tsukiko looked around in confusion. "You won't drown, Tsu-Hime! That water is special!"

"That's a relief," Tsukiko muttered.

"You have to free yourself from all animal instincts, you know?" Toyotama-Hime went on. "You have to be like a tree, the kinds you love to make. You must harmonise with the flow of nature with the flow of water. You will be able to truly sense Nature Energy!"

"So, I have to sit submerged in the water?" Tsukiko asked as she followed Toyotama-Hime out of the temple. "I mean, I would be blind with the bandages so I doubt it would be hard to not sit still..."

"For animals, not moving is the hardest thing to do," Watatsumi spoke, waiting for them by the water body. "It's all about balance. You are used to turning your mental and physical energy into Ninjutsu. It should not be very hard for you to bring Nature Energy into the mix but it will be hard to get the perfect balance. I am aware you can use the Wood Style?"