Our mind channel blocked out the world as I laid in bed listening to Shei's rendition of the events of my village.
"It was probably a decade before you were born that I was sealed away by the scientists and guardians. The seal wasn't perfect however..." I didn't want to say anything, I wanted him to say what he had to say and then I would ask my questions.
"Several times it broke, much like how the seal for tailed beasts weakens when the jinchurki goes into childbirth, like Naruto's mother Kushina. It took several years before they were able to perfect the seal and make it permanent to a fault. Several of the scientists that created me were killed when I broke free, though I still didn't have complete control over my newfound power like I do now. Eventually, I was locked away in that cave and the villagers were warned to never come near it, for fear that the seal may come undone once again. When you were born however, I sensed your power even from the depths of that cavern, the Osore's power is something that all Tailed Beasts can sense, much as you are able to feel the change in someone's chakra." His red eyes bored into my yellow ones as if to question whether telling me was the right choice still.
"Your power alone was able to weaken the seal inside the cavern without you meaning to. Which is why the guardians were outside the village, they may have befriended you but they also saw you as a threat if you were to get too close to the cavern. They kept you at a distance so you wouldn't accidentally release me. But they were so worried about me being released they weren't aware of the real danger that threatened the village, until it was too late to do anything about it. Orochimaru came before the other Sannin as Lady Tsunade explained, but he came with the intent of stealing you away. He realized you were too young to be able to withstand the effects of the curse mark so he killed the guardians and released the seal. When we were fused together, your Osore became complete. You possessed the greatest control over it than anyone else in your bloodline, you became the center of the Akatsuki's attention and Orochimaru's focus." I couldn't stop myself now.
"How did the Osore become complete? I don't understand." I muttered.
"The Osore comes from within, it may be a visual jutsu but it is an extent of yourself. Even as a child you had amazing control over your ability. Most who possessed the Osore in the past were taken over by the darkness of its power, used it without meaning to, but you...once you learned you wielded it you found control over it. The darkness may have been there still but you didn't allow it to control you like the rest of the Hosaka have in the past."
"What do you mean the darkness of its power? Do you mean the abilities to control the fears and resentment of others? When I use the Osore I do at times feel the dark energies of those that I see the fears of. Does that mean my ancestors were unable to distinguish between the darkness from the Osore and their own darkness? Or was it something much deeper than that?" I pondered more to myself then to Shei.
"To understand it would take much more time than we have at the moment, just know that your basic assumption is pretty close to the truth. Darkness resides in everyone, though some display it more readily than others. It can also change how much darkness flows throughout a person, like how Gaara has changed. The emotions you see during the Osore are the darkest ones that a person has suppressed or attempts to, therefore what you experience at that moment is the darkness being transferred from their fears into your mind. Its enough to drive someone to the point of insanity, hence why others have been consumed by that." I frowned.
"I think I understand what you mean...I never really used the Osore up until recently that is. But I think the difference between my Osore and the Osore of my ancestors is that I can use it for good energy too. I was able to use my Osore to show Gaara my feelings, I think there is a way to use it to see both the good and bad energies of a person." I stated.
"Yes. That is the difference, but your purity of heart has allowed for this to happen."
"When I left the village back when you first accepted me, something strange happened with our powers. Is that the Osore's true power or is that an effect of the curse mark that Orochimaru placed on me?"
"The markings that were etched into your skin were from the curse mark, but the power the two of us wield has allowed for the Osore to stretch beyond its intended limits. It will be something we have to train more to understand, but you have a very special Osore that no one else in your bloodline has had before." Our mind channel was interrupted as I heard someone knocking loudly on the door. I zoned back into reality and looked towards the door.
"Come in!" I called out. Shikamaru's shadow appeared in the doorway.
"You alright? You've been in here for like an hour and I haven't heard anything." I chuckled softly.
"I'm sorry. I was having a conversation with Shei, its very difficult to break through that. Is there something you needed me for?"
"Uh well I was wondering if you wanted to go for a walk? I'm sure its been a while since you were able to stretch your legs and not have to worry about someone watching you." I sighed.
"You aren't wrong. I thought I was being put on house arrest until my dad came back?"
"It's more we want to make sure you're safe. If you're with me I don't see why there would be a problem." I chuckled.
"Well when you put it that way." I followed him outside, the moon was high in the sky and I felt at peace once more.
"So you said you were having a conversation with Shei?" Shikamaru asked.
"Yes, though I haven't figured out everything I need to yet."
"Is it a plan or something?" I shook my head.
"Not quite it was more of Shei telling me his side of all the information I have been learning the past few days."
"I see..." I knew he wanted to know more.
"You want me to tell you don't you?" I smirked.
"Sorry, I really am just curious."
"I can't blame you really. To be perfectly honest I want to pick your brain with some of the things Ive learned. You're very intelligent, if Temari were here I would be asking her the same thing." I muttered, stopping to stare at the full moon. "Shei told me that my Osore is special, something that hasn't been seen in my bloodline before. I guess I'm still trying to figure out what that means..." I whispered as I felt the wind blow my hair lightly.
"Something that hasn't been seen before, huh...that really makes you wonder what makes yours so special in comparison to previous users."
"Tsunade had been researching the Osore while I was gone, correct?"
"Yeah or at least that's what Naruto told me."
"If she still has the book, I would like to read through it a little. It might help me answer some of the questions I have without having to bother my father or Shei. I mean in reality I'm the only one who can have the answers to those questions for sure. The only way to know is to read about those who had it before me."
"She should still be in her office if you want to head over there?"
"Yeah, I think the sooner the better."
~
We made our way to the Hokage's office, Tsunade was at her desk looking at the mountains of paperwork with an annoyed expression on her face.
"Seems you enjoy the paperwork as much as Gaara." I chuckled.
"Mia? Shikamaru? What are you two doing out so late?"
"We decided to go for a midnight stroll, but that's beside the point. The book you have on previous Osore users, could I borrow it?" She seemed surprised.
"Why would you need it?"
"Shei was telling me about the Osore a little more and how mine is different than the previous users. I guess I just want to understand what that means a little more by reading about my bloodline."
"I see...Mia, there are some things you don't want to know about the power you possess."
"Shei already explained to me the dark energies that consumed the previous users. I know that there are dangers when it comes to using my power, but I have learned to separate the darkness of others from my own. I'll be able to handle it just fine." She seemed a little hesitant still, but reached over to her bookshelf and grabbed a very old looking book.
"I don't know what you hope to find, but I hope it is something good." She stated, getting up to hand me the book.
"How far back does this go?"
"Three decades, after that all records of the Hosaka bloodline are lost. Maybe the Sand Village might have some of those records since its the home of the Hosaka." I gave her a small nod and then frowned a little.
"Why would the Leaf Village have records on the Osore anyways?"
"That I don't know, but I think it might have something to do with one of the previous users. There were records that the Osore was used in some of the wars."
"Oh I'm sure it was..." I muttered. "Thank you, I'll have this back to you before I leave." With that Shikamaru and I headed home for the rest of the night. Despite being exhausted I turned on a desk lamp and opened the old book:
Ero Hosaka, the deceased son of the third Kazekage, he was said to possess the Osore when he was merely four years old. He used the Osore during the Second Great Ninja War. but perished during the year following the war.
"My mom had a brother? I didn't even know she had one...must have been something she didn't want to talk about, especially if he possessed the Osore as well." I continued reading:
Following Ero's passing his sister Sayaka Hosaka was born, though she didn't show signs of possessing the Osore she did have natural talent when it came to healing and wind style abilities.
"So they didn't believe she possessed it at the time, but I always knew my mother was a natural healer. It was like she was born to do it. But this doesn't explain about the darkness of the Osore. I'll have to go back further if I want to get any information that is helpful to me now." I muttered as I flipped to the next user.
Aki Hosaka, a sickly girl in her youth, who became the destroyer of her village when she turned thirteen. She had been consumed by a dark energy she had transferred from the Osore, the dark matter possessed her body and destroyed any sanity she had left. She perished a year later due to her illness.
"Dark matter...possessed her body, so when she lost control of herself, the darkness was able to use her powers to wreck havoc. Almost like a Tailed Beast...wait! That's it! Because I have Shei inside of me, despite being a man-made tailed beast, he was able to stabilize the dark matter that comes with the Osore. Just as Naruto can lose control of his Tailed Beast's chakra so too can the Osore. None of the previous users were jinchurki, they didn't know how to stabilize the chakra network to neutralize the effects of the Osore's power. But since Shei was sealed inside of me at such a young age my body stabilized my chakra with his so the Osore's power didn't lose control." I had some of the answers I wanted but I wanted to see the last user, to see if any more puzzle pieces would fit together.
Fuka Hosaka, the step-brother to the first Kazekage, he developed the Osore at a tremendous rate, surpassing his brother in mere months after they graduated from the academy. He used the Osore to control others, allowing him to ascend to Chunin and Jonin in a few months after graduating. Eventually, when his brother became Kazekage he turned his powers on the village and unleashed Shukaku on the world.
"Controlling others with the Osore, for his own personal gain. But what does it mean that he unleashed Shukaku on the world? Did he create Shukaku or release it from some sealed prison like with Shei?" I felt the tiredness getting to me as my eyes drooped. "They'll be time to look into that more when I get home..." I yawned, shutting the book. I shut the lamp off, climbing into bed to get some rest.