Namakura Yotsuki's Story

Namakura was on his way for some training on the Island Turtle. He was hoping that Kokuo would be a little livelier than usual. The ferry seemed to be gaining on the large turtle, "Why is this taking so long...?" Namakura always hated the rides to the Island Turtle. So he waited and alas, the ferry arrived. "Fi-na-lly!" He hopped off the ferry and ran into the forest, "That ride was too heavy!" Namakura began stretching and getting acclimated to the forestry. "Alright." Namakura was ready to get things started.

"Lightning Release, Shadow Clone!" Namakura summoned six shadow clones all ready to train. "Alright guys! Let's not start off too heavy, one-on-one!" He faced off against one of his clones. "Water Release, Gunshot!" The clone avoided, but tripped on a tree root. "Hah! Ram → Boar → Dog → Bird → Hare, Lightning Release Four Pillar Bind!" Namakura caught his clone, "Snake → Dragon → Rabbit → Tiger, Fire Release Dragon Flame Technique!" With that, Namakura finished off his first clone. "Alright, warm ups are done. Five-on-one, let's go!" Namakura was immediately attacked by two clones, narrowly avoiding them. "Tiger → Snake → Rat → Snake → Tiger, Water Release Water Encampment Wall!" He summoned a water wall for brief defense, "Dog → Boar → Ram → Rat, Lightning Release Wave of Inspiration!" His lightning was guided by his water wall, but missed all of his clones due to their fast reaction. "Damn guys, you're catching on!" Namakura was struck once and dodged a few blows, "Let's see if you can handle this! Ram → Snake → Tiger, Water Release Black Rain Technique!" The oily black rain fell upon his clones and the ground beneath them, "Alright! Snake → Dragon → Rabbit → Tiger, Fire Release Dragon Flame Technique!" The black rain furiously ignited, catching three of his five clones and igniting a nearby tree. "Yes... Aw shit, heavy stuff man, heavy stuff! Water Release, Gunshot!" He aimed the shot towards the small fire extinguishing it. "Phew, let's continue!" His two clones decided to use both Dragon Flame and Gunshot, causing Namakura to suffer some burns to his arm. "Damn, good one, heh. Let's try this again, Ram → Snake → Tiger, Water Release Black Rain Technique!" The black rain returns covering the area in the oily liquid. "Heh, Boar → Ram → Snake → Horse → Dragon, Lightning Release Electromagnetic Murder!" Namakura lunged his hands forward as a large mass of lightning burst from his palms. The lightning used the rain as a guide and struck both shadow clones viciously, the attack didn't last long enough to cause serious damage. "Damn, still too heavy..." The clones attacked again, this time Namakura avoided by hoping in the nearby stream. "Hah! Can't catch me now!" Namakura hopped out of the stream. "Tiger → Snake → Rat → Snake → Tiger, Water Release Water Encampment Wall!" He knew that the shield would only give him one shot for his next move. "Alright, Ox → Monkey → Hare → Rat → Boar → Bird → Ox → Horse → Bird → Rat → Tiger → Dog → Tiger → Snake → Ox → Ram → Snake → Boar → Ram → Rat → Yang Water → Monkey → Bird → Dragon → Bird → Ox → Horse → Ram → Tiger → Snake → Rat → Monkey → Hare → Boar → Dragon → Ram → Rat → Ox → Monkey → Bird → Yang Water → Rat → Boar → Bird, Water Release Water Dragon Bullet Technique!" Suddenly a giant water dragon rose from the stream and struck both clones directly. "Heh, that was some heavy trainin." Namakura sat down, leaning on a tree. "Phew... I'm beat."

Namakura then pulled out his sack full of treats to munch on while training. "Hey, Kokuo, how are you feeling today?" Namakura sat in silence for a solid two minutes before Kokuo responded. "I am fine, thank you." Namakura sat there in slight bewilderment. "Are you not in the mood to train or anything?" Namakura awaited another few minutes before Kokuo even responded again. "You should know this Namakura... Last time we battled together, you lost control. I'm not going to train with you until you can prove to me that you're worth the time and effort." Namakura was rather irritated at Kokuo's statement. "Really? You got to be so heavy on me? Fine, I'll sit here and enjoy my snacks."

I had been swinging dangerously from branch to branch when I spotted Namakura. The guy was lazy as hell, or so I thought. I didn't in particularly like lazy. Maybe he was laid back. I scolded myself for being unsure. People in my village tended to know me better than I knew myself, basically because I could be an impatient and ignorant person with not enough time to doubt over others. If I remembered clearly, the two of us were around the same age.

I mean, I had nothing against lazy people, I just didn't like the feeling of lazy. I sat upon one of the branches watching him. He was practicing against several of his own shadow clones. I grew bored for a moment, and distractedly turned my attention to a huge, disgusting, annoying beetle. When I looked back, he had finished training. Deciding to be friendly I waved and called,

"Eh, Namakura! Up here." I called from the tree.

'Fufu, enjoy your treats, Namakura...' Namakura noticed Kokuo's unusual lack of caring and his slight humor. "Kokuo, are you going to be like the other Biju... you know, attempt to take my body over, make me go crazy, and all that jazz?" He figured asking such a question would either offend Kokuo or anger him. 'Well... we'll just have to see in the future, no?' Kokuo answered in his usual riddle fashion, always trying to make Namakura use his brain. "Alright, alright. Don't get too heavy on me." Namakura was obviously joking but also being serious. He enjoyed having the companion that would actually talk to him and work with him. Namakura just hoped Kokuo wasn't truly like the rumors of the other Biju, always struggling with their Jinchuriki.

It wasn't long before Namakura realized someone was nearby and trying to talk to him. "Huh?" Namakura stopped indulging in his treats and looked up into a nearby tree to see a girl. "Oh, hello!" He sent a brief wave and smile towards the girl. 'Namakura, she has two tails with her...' Kokuo immediately could pick up the traces of the girl's Biju. 'Thanks Kokuo, I don't have to worry.' Namakura enjoyed Kokuo's assistance and his company, but damn, he hated when Kokuo was overly defensive. "I'm sorry, I know I've seen you before... but I seem to have forgotten your name." He knew it was bad to say that to the girl, especially since she was a girl. He figured that she'd blow up and he'd end up getting a punch to the face. So, he tried to lighten the situation with a little laugh, but nothing could hide his look of absolute retardation. "Oh, if you don't mind me asking. Why are you out here? I figured I was alone..." Namakura was slightly interested in seeing the girl's response, trying to notice any sign of Two Tails for himself.

Impatient as usual I made a "are-you-serious" face at Namakura, before relaxing myself. Perhaps the Two-tails had influenced me more than I cared to realize. The occasional mood swings, the short attention spans, the independence, the affinity for warm places....

"I'm Neko Kiba." I said, pronouncing my name clearly though I doubted he would mess it up. For a moment, my mind was a mess of images from Matabi and what she was thinking. This surprised me. Often times, it would be I who called upon the giant demon cat for help or advice rather than the other way around. And besides, she didn't seem to appreciate me as much as she had appreciated her previous host.

What?! I shouted in my mind, trying to calm her down. At hard task when you had two bi-polar forces such as ourselves in one head. For a moment, the pain of the images continued in my mind, and I wished I had full control of her. Sure, I could morph, but when you only had two tails that was an easy things to accomplish. What I lacked was control, and what both me and Matabi lacked was a mutual understanding of one another. She still had not accepted me fully and it had been sixteen years since her last host.

My mind eventually began to calm and I realized only a few seconds had passed. The pain had just made it seem like minutes. What. Is. It? I asked again, now calmer than before.

Her voice was wild when it came, and it came with the startling roar of a wild cat. He has a tailed beast too!

She seemed so excited, I could almost imagine her doing kitty-cat somersaults in my head.

Really? I asked bewildered

Kokuo. My emotions were bewildered and in an almost grudging voice she explained, The five-tailed horse.

Ohhh, I said though really I had no idea what the creature looked like. Besides Matabi I had little idea of what the other Tailed Beasts looked like and cared very little to find out. But in a spur of shameless curiosity I questioned,

"Not to sound rude, but are you a jinchūriki?"

"Heh, thanks, sorry that I forgot." Namakura was relieved that Neko didn't flip out, he wasn't really in the combat mood anymore. 'I can see her communicating with her Biju, Namakura...' Kokuo was starting to sound like a broken record. 'Alright Kokuo, I get it, I can tell to... I don't think they get along like we do... that sucks' Namakura was informed on many occasions that he's fortunate to have such a civil Biju. They didn't necessarily agree on everything, but the duo had a mutual understanding and could communicate with ease, they're only issue was control. 'Namakura, watch her...' Kokuo was getting a little weary of the newly acquainted Neko Kiba. 'It'll be fine, her Biju isn't as keen as you are...' Just as Namakura mentioned this, Neko busted out with the question. "Not to sound rude, but are you a jinchūriki?" Namakura was thrown off abit by the sudden question. 'Kokuo, wh-' 'Just tell her.' Kokuo had interrupted Namakura mid sentence knowing what he was going to ask. "Jeez, why to be heavy." He then shrugged and scratched the back of his head. "Yes, Neko Kiba, I am a Jinchuriki... I would ask the same to you, but I already know you hold Two Tails Matabi." Namakura lost his happy-go-lucky expression and inherited a more serious look. "I'm assuming Matabi figured I have Five Tails Kokuo with me?" He felt so snobbish with that comment, feeling as though he had a holier than thou connotation. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so snobbish." Namakura didn't let up his serious expression but lightened up abit. 'Fufu, good save Namakura... Matabi is known for anger problems...' 'Really? That's a little too heavy for me...' Namakura sighed heavily awaiting a response from Neko.

"Snobbish?" I murmured, eyebrows knitting.

"I don't really know what tails you have, and I don't really care. Tails don't count, training, skill, and the rest that go along with it, does." There is was again. I probably sounded more rude than Namakura thought he did, but didn't immediately register my tone. I was repeating what Matabi had lectured to me over and over again in one of our many attempts to learn more about one another. Kurama, the Nine-tails, is one of the only one of ours that speaks so highly of himself for his tails. Don't believe that crap. She'd been very passionate about her speeches.

When I thought about it, our individual vicious habits made it seem like we didn't get a long at all, but we were making progress. Which is what counted. I only had two tails before I exploded into Matabi, and so the dependency of my life, and the lives around me, counted on how well I could get along with Matabi, which would hopefully be well soon.

Looking back at Namakura, and all of a sudden in the mood for a catnap I said, "I'm going to head by to the village." It wasn't my nature to invited others to come along with me, so if he came it was of his own will. Turning around, I made a dash for the trees, climbing up one of the tall trunks.

"Alright, seeya later." Namakura was almost glad to wave Neko off, her attitude was a little too heavy. 'Kokuo, I see what you mean... heavy stuff' Namakura sat back down and went back to his munching. 'Namakura... you should head back to Kumogakure, maybe visit your Raikage...' Namakura was a little surprised at Kokuo's mention of the Raikage, or even that he's showing any sort of consideration for him. 'Oh, alright... I guess you're right. I haven't talked to him since last night...'

Namakura hopped up and headed to the ferry that would take him back to Kumogakure. It set off and the trip seemed to be shorter going back, maybe since the mainland didn't move. "Alright, let's go." Namakura hopped off the docked ferry and ran strait to the Raikage's Mansion. Namakura was wondering what Mai was up to today, probably just the usual Kage work. 'Kokuo, you're feeling ok, right?' He was genuinely worried about Kokuo, becoming too soft and light-hearted. 'I'm fine Namakura. You may hide it, but you've gone out of your way to impress me and prove yourself, to everyone. It's simply that I'm beginning to like you as a host.' Namakura stopped, 'Really Kokuo?' He was astonished, for Kokuo to admit that. 'Thanks.' Namakura appreciated Kokuo's honesty. Kokuo gave Namakura a smile and the duo proceeded to the Raikage's Mansion.

"Mai!" Namakura yelled as loudly as he could, trying to catch Mai's attention so he didn't have to be questioned by those protective guards of hers.