uncagedforjustamoment

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[Hello again, Johto. The unpleasant frowning man with the pale eyes has returned, though this time looking rather worse for wear. Those familiar with the starting BGMS should recognize the music of Cherrygrove. If, indeed, the music translates through the display. Neji wouldn't know, as his past five days have been spent on the road.

Yes.

The route that usually takes only three days at a walking speed took him five. Furthermore, he's rather beaten and weary looking. That one would be on account of his taking it upon himself to fight most of the battles himself. Instead of his meditite. It's very possible said meditite only gained one level the entire week of battles.

Neither of those particularly concern him, however. He's actually turned on the device to inquire toward healing facilities for humans rather than pokemon (the pokemon of the duo can be seen to be quite healthy, although mildly concerned for those capable of reading the pokemon's expression).

This request, however, is sidetracked when he recognizes the song has changed. After five days of the same one, he'd gotten rather good at ignoring it--even used to it--this one, however...is more annoying.

He scowls and glances up into the sky--as if searching for the source of the music.]

Oh must it have gotten worse?

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Oh my gosh, are you feeling alright? You look exhausted! [LET YOUR POKEMON FIGHT, WHY ARE PEOPLE LIKE THIS. Also she's heard the music for so long that it's hardly a thing to her anymore.]

[He sighs and shakes his head.] I'm quite alright. [Well. He will be when he finds a hospital facility of some sort, anyway, but at a glance, the woman seems the sort to be easily upset.

And he let his pokemon fight for a little bit until it stood around and let itself get beaten on. He couldn't in good conscience let it fight on its own. ~~Also stress relief~~ While she's there, he may as well ask pertinent questions.]

...Does this town have an inn?

Yes, Cherrygrove should definitely have room in the Pokecenter. They always help out anyone who comes through, so you can get your own injuries taken care of while your Pokemon rests at just about every center you come across. [Not that it's an excuse to get hurt again or she will nag.]

Are you new to this world? I'd be happy to answer any questions you have about.. well, anything!

At what cost are they? [He believes he may have heard, perhaps in the long and rambling guide Tenten sent a week prior, but the price isn't coming to mind at the moment, and it is convenient to know before being faced with it.

...She doesn't truly intend to hound him from city to city nagging him over his methods, does she?]

Although I appreciate the offer, I have no questions to ask. [Perhaps there are answers he lacks, but he doesn't know the appropriate questions to ask to get those answers at the moment.]

They're free to stay at, at least for a few months, so you should be able to get on your feet before costs really start mattering.

[Maybe.]

If you're sure! My name is Cheria Barnes, may I ask your name?

Well then, that should be more than adequate. [Considering he's not likely to stay in one place unless it's with the other Konoha shinobi, the limit shouldn't pose a problem.

He nods in acknowledgment of her name before he responds.]

Neji...Hyuuga. [The surname is an afterthought: given his eyes, he's never really needed to introduce himself with it except as formality, but if there are those around who don't even know the meaning of the word 'shinobi', he can't expect his clan to be recognized automatically.]

It's good to meet you, Neji. [Really, all she'd say about his eyes are that they're really unique; pretty in a way.]

I wouldn't mind talking more, but I want you and your Pokemon to be able to get plenty of rest. [You still look exhausted, bro.] Please take care, drink plenty of water and have a good hot soak in the tub. They may not be very big, but hot showers after long trips have always been a thing I looked forward to!

[He's never actually been complimented on his eyes, given that it would be quite stupid to compliment him on something everyone in his clan inherited. It would be a bit strange to hear it called pretty.

Still, he nodded. Baths weren't his top priority after action, especially not when he had medical matters to be attended to first, but the knowledge that they were available afterward was not unwelcome.]

Thank you for your concern and information, Cheria.

[She nods and smiles warmly.]

You're welcome, I'm just happy to help. Take care!

[Oh for the love of--

Tenten had told him Neji would be there, but for him to look so...

This is the Hyuuga clan's genius? This is one of the guys he wanted to fight during the Chuunin Exams? Even Naruto wasn't stupid enough to have done what Neji apparently did. Maybe he was just that stubborn and proud. Either way, it just seemed stupid. ~~Not going to mention that he spars with his pokémon regularly, but he's not about to take on the wild ones when he doesn't have any chakra thank you very much.~~

After watching Neji crawling into town he just sighs and turns on the video. True, he had seen Neji in passing on the route and hadn't spoken to him (though mostly due to being with his big brother), but he might as well at least try to make sure Neji isn't going to get himself killed.]

You're better off letting your pokémon do the fighting. You can spar with it if you need to as it gets stronger, but it won't get any stronger if it doesn't fight others like it. They're like animal summons.

[It was refreshing. Anyone who'd just died, lost their Byakugan and genius chakra control, suddenly found themselves no longer bound to the family they'd spent their lives serving, woken up in a world or time completely foreign to their own, encountered a too-young teammate, and then found that teammate drifted unnaturally away would have done the same. The difference between himself and others who might have ended up doing the same is that he's made it through in one piece.

One battered piece, but still. Besides, the pokemon that insisted on following him took far too long to attack. Is he really expected to stand there and watch the creature get itself beaten on as it waits to knead chakra? It needs to learn to do it more quickly! ~~That's because he's not as good at it as Neji is.~~

One thing that Neji most certainly does not want to see upon reaching Cherrygrove is the face of the young Uchiha traitor. If he were a lesser man, he might actually roll his eyes at the sight of the youth.

Instead, his eyes simply tighten a bit in irritation.] When it is capable of fending for itself, it's free to.

You have to help teach it to fight. That's how this world works.

Think of it as being a student if you have to.

[Sigh, he's heard all the traitor stuff already and yes it bothers him but coming from Neji it's likely to just annoy him. In fact he actually rolls his eyes at Neji. What's Neji gonna do about that?]

Edited 2013-06-23 16:21 (UTC)

[How mature Sasuke. He can see why his teammate trusts you so implicitly more than him. Your maturity and growth from the Sasuke Uchiha who abandoned the village is positively staggering.

He clicks his tongue dismissively.] I have no interest in participating in something simply because I am here. There are better ways to spend my time with. [Like fighting and getting beaten up by wild pokemon.]

Your only other option is to stay in the same town and work at a job there. There isn't a way out from this place -- or if there is, none of us have found it and come back to talk about it yet.

[Yes, he's absolutely going to take the advice of a crazed thirteen year old whom he disdains.]

Had there been no way out, each of you who arrived here would simply have vanished without a sign when you were taken. As you clearly return this is not a permanent residency. [Obviously.]

[Hey he's trying to help from the goodness of his heart Neji, you could at least listen. =/ HE DOESN'T HAVE TO GIVE YOU ADVICE IF HE DOESN'T WANT TO.]

But I don't know how long we stay here before we get returned. I've been here for almost a year, and someone I know has been here for over three. Others get returned after only a few weeks.

[Wow, forgive him if he doesn't believe a word of that. And he didn't ask for advice from a young traitor-to-be anyway.]

It's unlikely you'll remain here much longer. However long you stayed here, your change in age was unnoticeable when you returned. [Even through the use of transformation jutsu, he would doubt more than a year or two's difference.] With such uncertainty, time put into training these creatures is ultimately wasted.

[His loss.]

Suit yourself.

[Obviously Neji's not in a listening mood, which causes Sasuke to sigh. For an instant his gaze is downcast - almost bothered - before the feed abruptly cuts off, leaving a blank screen and no sound.

It doesn't matter to him. He has to move on with his own life.]

[Excuse him a moment, Neji, he can't help but snicker a little bit at his misfortune. He remembers what it was like to be new in this place, though he mostly managed to ignore the music.

Though he's resting calmly against a tree, his two Buneary sleeping with their heads on each side of his lap.]

It gets worse from here, if you are getting annoyed at the music of all things. [A light, chipper tone, very much playful.]

[It isn't remotely amusing! He frowns at the figure on the screen: either a female with a few masculine markers or a remarkably feminine male...he didn't actually care. Light-hearted and relaxed seemed to be the common demeanor of the people in this land.]

And what should I dread ahead of me instead?

[For the best that he doesn't contemplate on it too long, though he has reasons to be as light-hearted and relaxed as he is.]

The evil of this land in the form of other people or a shinobi that may pick you off if you aren't careful. Who is to say in a world so relaxed as this one is? Or, worse yet, you could be dead.

[Well, doesn't everyone when they are?

He smiles as the youth lists off the reasons, though his own smile is far more faint than relaxed.]

If those are all there is to fear, then the infernal music remains my chief concern.

[He pauses for a moment at the statement, tilting his head at the screen for just a moment.]

Have you encountered death once, already?

That's an interesting conclusion to leap to. [He's not denying it.] To reach such a conclusion...have you?

[...yes, that was roughly how Kayneth felt upon reaching Cherrygrove, so he won't comment on the young man's appearance. Instead, he'll comment on that other thing...]

Unfortunately, yes. Be prepared to hear some different awful din every time you visit a new area, because it's never going to stop.

[He appreciates this restraint, as he's already grown tired and then annoyed at the questioning stares of the people in Cherrygrove.

He sighs at the man's words all the same.] Has no one discovered the source of this constant racket? [He is beginning to wonder whether anyone here has discovered anything at all about this world or if they've been too distracted collecting beasts to bother.]

[Hey, you can balance collecting Pokemon and SCIENCE!!, man! They even go together pretty well!]

Unfortunately, no. Admittedly, that hasn't been a priority for me since my primary concern is finding a way to voluntarily return home... but I suspect it's merely a bizarre quirk of this world, of which there are far too many.

[Well apparently no one has! He's only observing what he deems to be the obvious!

Still, annoying as the constant noise is, finding a way to return the people home who should be returned is far more important than simply making it more tolerable for those who remain.] You mean to imply there are other 'quirks' than the music and those listed in the...guide? [It's painfully brief and much of it involves coaching about the pokemon rather than the world itself. Still, it does have some things about the world at large and refers to itself as a 'guide' (or perhaps others simply refer to it as such so often it's been dubbed as such involuntarily...) and so it's easiest simply to refer to it by that term.]

Oh, plenty. I've had some completely absurd things happen to me here before... generally the strangest things aren't permanent, but that doesn't stop them from being completely absurd.

[Things that aren't permanent? What does that mean, exactly?]

What sorts of absurd things happen here that aren't permanent?

Several weeks ago reality decided to completely break down into a pixellated mess for several days before righting itself. This occurred after three days no one has complete memory of where everyone had their original abilities returned to them and a fairly large number of people from other worlds arrive and then suddenly leave after those three days are over.

[He listened to this in silence, with an expression of interest and then surprise.

...Perhaps the concept that this is a genjutsu may not be unfounded.]

What you're describing sounds as if we might be in a projected world of some sort, rather than merely a carefully crafted reality or strange future.

I presumed that myself at first, but... no, it's far more likely to be another world that just operates on very strange rules. It's highly unlikely that there's anything that could maintain an illusion this detailed for this long.

[...About that.

He frowns. Could it even be possible to bring back the dead with genjutsu, no matter how powerful? Or could he even have been fooled by that very genjutsu before his 'death'?

How disturbing to think about.] There are methods which could project a world more detailed than this, if the user wished and had access to it. However, I don't see the reason why our chakra would then be suppressed in the way it has.

There is that, but if this genjutsu is some sort of illusionary magic like I'm assuming, you're failing to account for the fact that this technique of yours would have to be able to draw other people into your world.

Unless, of course, you're assuming that everyone who isn't from your world is some sort of illusion.

[...this is not the face of someone who would appreciate being told he's an illusion.]

[He shakes his head.] It's impossible to tell the scope of the genjutsu from within it, nor how long it's been established. It's still possible that many of us have been dragged great distances across time and separate civilizations to another genjutsu world.

However, it's also difficult to determine the purpose of such a world from within it.

Well, I can't claim to know how those sorts of abilities work in your world... that would be far beyond the scope of anything in mine, but I suppose it's possible. Forgive me for continuing to be skeptical, though-particularly for that reason.

What motive would anyone have for stranding multitudes of people from different worlds in an illusionary world like this one? Perhaps I could understand if it was actively malicious-or, on the other end, a complete paradise, but this world is just somewhat bizarre.

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[Video] Not sure if I should be sorry...

[Video] You should. Shame on your face. Shame on your clan.

[Video] Says the guy who got himself needlessly beaten up.

[Video] sAYS THE ONE WHOSE WHOLE CLAN GOT THEMSELVES NEEDLESSLY KILLED

[Video] AT LEAST THAT'S NOT A PERSONAL FAILING, NEJI

[Video] AT LEAST NEJI DIDN'T ACCIDENTALLY KILL HIS LAST REMAINING RELATIVE.

[Video] Shhh Sasuke doesn't know that part yet

[Video] Sit down and let Neji learn you some stuff

[Video] But then you might break him for real! He's fragile!

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