Chapter 12.3- One Thousand Hands

It felt like he walked for miles but had made no progress all the same. The distance between where he wanted to go and where he was coming from seemed to remain the same for hours and hours of walking. At least, he felt like he’d spent hours. For all he knew, it could have been days or even only a few minutes. Hours more, or maybe days, passed, and he finally crested the hill to the other side. It was only a few hours ago that he had noticed that his journey was actually across a hill. At the top of the hill, he took a look downwards.

The greenery stretched for a few more miles but then transitioned to a sandy beach front. At the end of it was water more beaitiful than he’d ever seen in either off his lives. It stretched across the horizon. Deep blue and calm. The water was beautiful. He was saying it again because of how true it was. It was almost like it was calling out to him. He heeded it and ran. Ran like the winds were pushing him forward. At his top speed and beyond. It felt like he as flying. The cool ocean breeze blew across his body as he ran. He laughed. Nothing was funny But everything was just so perfect and joyful. Had he ever been happier in his life? Never. Everything was perfect. Was this what inner peace felt like.

He ran to the water, and it was when he got there that he snapped out of the trance-like sensation that running towards the water had woken up in him. There was someone there. He couldn’t see anything of them beyond their back profile. They were squating ate the Bach and writing something with a stick. They weren’t dressed for the beach, however. They had on a long flowing robe. The robes and the white hair that travelled down to their waist rose up a feeling of familiarity within him.

“Hey” he shouted. No response. He called out again, deciding that they must have been so lost in thought that they zoned out their senses. Still no response. He walked even closer. There was no chance of being unheard now, and he still chose to shout to be sure. And yet, there was no response. The person was not reacting at all. If he had a hold of his better senses, he might have ignored them and moved on. But now, he was thoroughly overpowered by his curiousity. He walked right up to this person and took a hold of their shoulder before forcefully turning them around to face him.

“Beautiful.” he said the word without even intending to. That was how beautiful she was. The woman in front of him. She had aristocratic features that put the entire hyuga clan to shame. And the comparison became even more apt when he noted the byakugan in her eyes. The activated byakugan. So she had seen him coming then. She was still silent, just looking at him. No, it felt like she was looking through him.

“Who are you?” He felt pushed to ask. He wanted to know, and his senses told him the answer to that question would be the most important thing ever learned.

“Who are you?” She replied almost immediately. Her voice was perfect. It tingled as it crossed his ears.

“I asked first. So answer me. Who are you?” I asked her again.

“Who are you?” She replied in the same tone she’d used before. Like this was some sort of grand joke. So be it. I knew when someone had me at the disadvantage.

“I am Shorirama Senju, firstborn son of Itama Senju and Hinori Hyuga. Heir to the Senju Clan. Now, I ask you again- who are you?”

“Who are you?” The smile on her face was wide now.

“Are you trying to tell me something will all this?” I asked. She nodded.

Okay. She wasn’t being entirely unhelpful then. I just had to figure out the hidden question she was asking. Or the answer she wanted me to give. This was important. I could feel it.

“I am a Genin of Konohagakure. Who are you?”

“Who are you?”

“What is your name?” I tried a different tactic.

“What is your name?” She asked right back.

“Will you just repeat everything I ask” I probbed.

She shook her head.

“Who are you?”

“Who are you?”

“Are you a Hyuga?”

“Who are you?” She didn’t repeat my question, I noted.

“Are you an Otsutsuki?” I asked the real question that had been on my mind.

“Who are you?” She asked again. But this time, her smile was a tad wider. I was on to something.

“Are you Kaguya Otsutsuki?”

“Who are you?” She was frowning now.

“Are you my ancestor?”

“Who are you?” Her frown lightened a bit, but it was clear that she had not been happy with the Kaguya question.

“Are you an Uzumaki?” I took a wild shot

“Who are you?”

“I am Shorirama Senju of the Senju, Hyuga, and Uzumaki Clans. Who are you?”

“Who are you?”

“Are you me?”

She smiled widely at that now.

“Yes.”

And then I was dragged to wakefulness.

A/N; Mysteries, mysteries.