Team Stein Mourns (Flashback, Private, Itami, Stein)

Shin felt helpless as he watched the barbaric seal slowly spread across Lumina's pale skin, her bloodcurdling scream echoing around the arena where horrified people watched, but the difference between himself and them was two pronged, the first was that he knew her personally, she was a member of his Genin team along with Itami, the three of them had been through so much together that Shin had began to see them as a family. And the second thing that separated Shin from everyone else that was watching the gruesome event unfold was that he knew exactly what the seal was doing to her, there was a reason that this seal was only supposed to be used against traitors of the highest degree, the ones who had gone rogue by killing countless fellow shinobi or committing a similar amount of crimes against the village. The seal quite literally turned the victims own chakra against them, it used it to boil the victims blood within their veins while at the same time infusing the victims major organs and nerves with chakra, the major organs so that they didn't simply melt and kill the victim in seconds, instead making the process last for close to five minutes, and the nerves to amplify the amount of pain that the victim was going to feel tenfold, making the process even more excruciating.

Shin could only watch in pure horror as her skin slowly began to bubble and blister as it turned red from the heat within her body, boiling blood began to pour out of her every orifice, burning her body even more as it did so. Shin felt a hand grab onto his shoulder but in his distressed state he barely registered it, he couldn't even register just who it belonged to as he continued to watch the scene unfold in sheer horror, he was completely hopeless to do anything to help her the one time that she needed him, she had helped him with countless things in their time as a team without asking for anything in return, and now that she needed help there was nothing he could do. He watched this scene for what felt like an eternity, but in reality was only a few minutes, in this short time her body had bulged and swollen as it was literally cooked from the inside out, her eyes had exploded in an extremely gruesome display, leaving two empty and bloodied eye sockets as she continued to wail, even her vocal chords were not spared from the strain that was being placed on her, her wails being nothing more than muffled chokes at this point, and yet Shin could still hear them as well as he could hear the laughter coming from the Genin from the Hidden Canyon village

At this point Shin's vision blurred and he lost track of everything going on around him, and when he finally regained his senses he found himself face to face with the very person that he wanted to kill more than he had ever wanted anything in his life, the Hidden Canyon Genin that had placed the seal on Lumina, and thus had been responsible for her torturous death. His vision blurred again and he found himself standing in front of the crushed and bloodied form that belonged to his opponent, every part of his body was mangled beyond hope of recovery, in fact the injuries that had been inflicted upon him were so bad that there was no hope for him to ever recover from the injuries enough to perform even the most basic of tasks without aid, even the most skilled medical ninja in the word would've been powerless to do anything to help him, so in other words Shin had completely destroyed this guys chances of ever becoming a shinobi again as well as crippled him for life. Shin walked out of the arena without a single emotion on his face, but as soon as he was out of sight of the crowd and everyone else the emotionless look completely dropped from his face and was instead replaced by a look of sheer anguish, he gave a small shout of rage and sadness and dropped to his knees and began punching the concrete floor with all of his might, the ground cracking from the force of the impact while at the same time cracking quite a few bones in his hand, but the pain he was feeling in his hand was nothing compared to the sheer anguish he was feeling in his heart at the loss of Lumina

He was no longer able to keep his emotions bottled up and completely broke down in the stairwell, tears were streaming out of his eyes and continued to punch the floor over and over again, the skin upon his knuckles tearing and small sharp shards of concrete getting embedded in his torn skin and his bones cracking even further, he continued to punch the ground as his vision once more turned to black. Shin's eyes flew open as he gasped, he was no longer in the stairwell of the Chunin exams arena and was instead in his bed at the Uzumaki clan compound, it was all nothing more than a nightmare, no, not a nightmare, it was a recollection of what had happened last month, sure it had ended with him getting Chunin rank but the rank just wasn't worth Lumina's life. Every night since that day he'd been having the same nightmare, and after it happened there was no way for him to get back to sleep, so his current state was not good at all, he was getting an average of one hours sleep a night and it had been that way for close to a month now. He knew that there was no point in him trying to get back to sleep as every time he closed his eyes he would see Lumina's face, so instead he got dressed in his new Chunin attire and decided to take a moonlit walk.

As Shin looked up at the position of the moon he came to realize that it was actually close to 2am, meaning that he would have to wait for quite awhile before he could take on some more of his new Chunin duties to get his mind off his nightmare. In the end Shin did not mind the silence and solitude of the moonlit village, after close to a month of the same thing happening every singe night he had just gotten used to it, he knew that it wasn't healthy and that he should probably talk to someone about it, maybe even book a session with a psychiatrist to see if he had developed PTSD, which he was almost certain he had, but in the end he just couldn't bring himself to actually do it, there was just no way he could possibly put into words how much he had been scarred by what he had seen that day, no way he could describe how helpless he had felt as he watched Lumina screamed, and how empty he had felt after he had taken his revenge on the person responsible for it. He had felt satisfaction for a moment, but in the end it didn't bring Lumina back and he only felt even more empty inside. The only people that Shin felt he could talk to the event about were Stein and Itami, but he hadn't seen either of them since he achieved Chunin rank, he really wanted to see them again so that he could talk to them about what he had been experiencing, and also to see how the two of them were dealing with the event, but with him now being a Chunin that event was unlikely to happen for quite some time

WC: 1308

Itami stared outside of his room's open window, his elbows hanging on the ledge where the windows were once positioned, with the lunar light shining brightly through it. It was almost blinding, heavenly in fact, to gaze upon and be enveloped in. He looked up to this source of light, finding the moon to be the point at which his curiosity was surfacing. It seemed so big, so close from where Itami was positioned, like it was the only thing that could be spotted in the darkened sky, the stars and constellations having no value to this big ego in front of him. Itami wondered, why is it that he could gaze upon this current gigantic, innocent star that's done nothing to him, rather then the star that watched Lumina cease to exist in this world. Why must the Sun, it being praised all throughout the world as being the light that keeps this world together, not be questioned and gazed upon as the sole source that has broken Itami's world. It was just unfair, he never had the chance to say goodbye to Lumina, or even see her lasting moments. Nonetheless, he knew damn well it was unfair to take such a kind, loving member of his squad away so early, in such a tormenting fashion.

Itami began to recall his earlier night, filled with misfortune and agony. It was when he entered the world filled with dreams, the imagination of the unconscious mind that has no limitations. It went back to an event that happened a month or so ago, but can be seen has happening just yesterday. That sinister, wretched Sun stood tall above the zone where evil and mischief would take place. Itami was at the time in bliss, walking around the outside of the arena ordering food for himself. Though he was happy, he needed to get back to the arena soon, he knew he would most likely be missing Lumina's battle. She was such a sweet person, always keeping the team out of trouble and the charisma high to the skies. Itami felt somewhat guilty having to miss a second of her battle, but he would be sure to get back in time! He was hoping for a good fight between the two forces, and couldn't wait to see it all go down. After getting some snacks for the fight, he rushed back to the arena in haste, hearing a lot of commotion going on at the time. The birds seemed to guide him towards the path he needed to take, soaring through the blue sky filled with many clouds. Upon reaching the arena and it's viewpoint of the battle area, Itami wasn't prepared for the horror that was to come.

He heard a lot of noise and drama before arriving, and hoped it to be just an injury of some sort. He was getting a little more frustrated and frightened the closer he got and the more he heard, fearing the worst of things. Reaching the viewpoint, he was shocked to see the battle that was taking place. No....Not a battle. More so the torture methods that could be conjured only from the deepest parts of Hell. He had no idea how this could of happened, he only stepped out for a moment, and upon entering once again he heard screams made up of true despair and pain from a very memorable voice. Lumina. It seemed like she had been going through this pain for quite the while, though no one began to move, but only survey the actions taking place. His vision began to move in slow motion, his mind so confused and questioning every space and time of this place, it decided to play this effect on him to watch the truth unfold of this time. He trembled as every minute and second was prolonged to seem like an eternity, looking around to witness how no one had done a single thing to help this poor girl or stop this man from causing harm to her. Itami finally caught the sight of Shin and his father, Stein, though it seemed they were in this similar trance the whole arena was taking, only watching from aware, having tear jerking faces to follow. Itami wanted to rush out and help Lumina, to stop this from happening and keep this animated light breathing and functioning correctly in any way possible, but to no avail. He could only turn his head, watching his arms unlock and the snacks he had just purchased fall to the ground, matching the same exact time skin and fiery tears touched the ground coming from Lumina.

The scene began to darken, cutting out all that was around Itami. He was beginning to feel mind controlled, like something was fixing his head to look directly before him, at the volcanic festival that was happening before him. It happened in stages, first his peripheral vision began to darken, soon the corners of his focus followed suite, and began to worsen. Everything seemed pitch black, other then Lumina, she was the only one in sight, still undergoing the terror at hand. She was being showered by a light however, one that matched the sun's color and vibrations. However, this malicious mind controlling spirit soon had enough of Itami's agony and pain from such a sight, making him feel as if he was the one going through such pain, and finally having Lumina dispersed. All that was left was this light of the sun, and darkness that followed suite. The torment Itami went through was ongoing, he only able to rerun the events that just took place in front of him, and nothing else. A minute or two later, he was presented with a slideshow of himself after said events. It was made in a black and white old movie production style, with black lines being present throughout the screen. First it showed Shin and Stein, and then Shin walking away from the arena, with the battle outcome still visible on the screen. After, came Itami, in a corridor like setting, holding onto the walls and walking somewhat slowly, before finally falling to his knees. The slideshow zoomed in on his face, trembling and confused, with constant tears streaming down his face, a stream that seemed to never end. He began to soon grab his head and squirm around as if he was losing his mind, unable to fully grasp this new reality that just surfaced. One without Lumina, a person he truly cared for...That he began to feel some sort of affection too. The next slideshow showed how he punched the corridor wall with all his might, eyes clouded with darkness and an expressionless face. He then looked up, and began to walk away in a very slow, wobbly way towards the exit, signaling his name having to be called.

The scene finally began to darken again, with only a white outline of Lumina and her kind smile surfacing in the distance. It was a big outline, as big as the sky even. After a while of it's welcome being present, the outline began to evaporate slowly but effectively. It continued to evaporate, at the same time Lumina's expression began to change into a more agony and twisted face, with a stream of tears to follow. This continued, for what felt like hours, until finally the outline fully evaporated, and Itami gained his vision back to a ceiling. His room, at late night most likely. He stared at the ceiling for what felt like 30 minutes, only recapping at the dream he just had, with the feeling of a fluid of sorts creeping down his face. After this recap of all that happened up till his presence at the window frame, he wondered why must all those events have taken place, just for the rank of Chuunin. Was a rank really worth causing such pain for, it only being a title towards a crowd of people? Whoever could do such a thing was sick, and Itami was glad to see that a month ago Shin layed waste to that evil person for causing such pain to their family. Though it was apparent to Itami that this person being tormented helped in no way his mental recovery or happiness. Their was a huge void obviously visible in Itami's heart, his now day by day attitude seeming empty and non caring, more so sinister now. Itami had no clue how his feelings were now, he had been through what seems like a lifetime of pain, just for the title of Chuunin. It seemed despicable and stupid, if he had the choice to take away his title in place for Lumina's life once again, and potentially his happiness following suite, then he would make this deal with no hesitation. This month long agony made Itami wonder a lot, what all did he feel towards Lumina, and why did he care so much? Was it actually more than some sort of friendship...love even? Or maybe just the feeling of losing a comrade, he may never be able to find out. All he knew was that he now missed a big part of his soul, it now cut away along with Lumina's attachment to this world,and only a part of him stayed. Maybe a part he would have to live with for the rest of his life, and build atop of.

Either way, Itami couldn't stand staying in his room any longer. He needed to stretch his legs or something, get out and maybe find his way out on a night stroll. Itami had no one specifically he wanted to talk too, he had no words for anyone on the subject, not even his father. He just felt the need to be alone, and think by himself, about what it is this world meant to him now. What exactly was his life worth exactly, and what was he even indulging on this ninja path for. Itami put on his white sleeping sweats, a black v neck short sleeve shirt and sandals before walking outside and towards a random direction. He was just gazing up at the moon while he walked, surprised how close it seemed to him. He continued down his stroll, looking around him every now and then, wondering what this all meant to him now, and how it actually affected him. Itami walked for quite some time, reliving the dream he just had at that Chuunin exams, and also feeling even more sorrow and emptiness inside himself the more he tried to keep away from it. It seemed like he really had no place to exist in, his dreams filled with terror and fear, and the reality world seeming to have nothing worth his time or meaning behind it. He truly felt like no one place was befitting for him, and he had no true drive in order to find a place like that, at least not like this. Itami found himself outside a average sized park. It had some swings off to the side, along with a sandbox and playground area for little children. The grass seemed lively and dancing in the slight wind of the night, much to the contrast of Itami's current state. He saw a sitting place with a streetlight above it outside of the park's proximity, where he decided to reside at for awhile and just think on his own. Itami had no thought of being interrupted at any time, it was rather late nonetheless so the chances of this happening was low. He sat, and began to stretch his arms out on the back of the bench, looking up to the sky now visible with the street light. This act reminded him of his dream, a light beaming down below him, and also the window he was positioned at minutes ago. He felt as if he was at rest, in peace even, having silence and no noises around to interrupt his trance. However this bliss would soon be extinguished, with the sounds of footsteps coming from the street way to his left. Looking towards the direction, he was carefree at whatever was heading his way, uninterested at whether it was an enemy or not, having no true will to care. After some moments, he was shocked to see that it was his former partner Shin heading his way, eyes locked towards him. The image of Shin only brought back cold memories of Lumina, and a rampaging pain in his chest followed. However, Itami only gritted his teeth, and looked at Shin for awhile longer. The guy seemed to be interested in talking to him, still looking at Itami. However was Itami interested in the same? He wasn't exactly sure, he didn't mind...Though he was still wrapped up on what all everything meant around him, and why is it he should care. Still, the bench he sat on had plenty of room for Shin to take a seat, so it was up to him whether or not they would get involved with a conversation. Itami had no sort of resentment towards Shin, he actually liked the fellow a bit, sharing some good times with him. Though these good times also featured the loving image of Lumina, and it only hurt Itami even more, like a double-edged sword. Itami would continue to watch Shin for a bit, and if Shin showed signs of evading him, he would just look back up to the sky and think. However, if Shin took a seat, they would take part in most likely a conversation that was necessary for the both of them. All Itami knew, was that at this very moment, his feelings and image of life was distorted, and everything that followed was being questioned in this twisted reality.

WC: 2310

Present Day:

Stein was watching the fights of the Chuunin exams, watching his Students go through their tests, and passing them and making him proud and smile, he Watched his own Son even, take out opponents with ease, this was a proud moment for him as a Father and as a Sensei to them, Next up was Lumina, she made her way after her team wished her luck, and she went to face her opponent, a Hidden Canyon village member, who seemed way to confident in Stein's Opinion, and Stein crossed his arms and bit a finger of his as he watched as the procter told them to begin, then suddenly a scene that would Haunt Stein's Dreams for a long time happened.

A Single hand seal, and next thing that happened was horrific, the screams, the bubbling skin, the blood raising to the surface of her skin and evaporating, Stein's Eyes filled with Rage, he knew this technique, all to well, as a member of the ANBU even though his students did not know it, this was a technique used to execute traitors, and only some of the more powerful Shinobi knew it and could use it, this man had to be a member of the ANBU belonging to the Hidden Canyon village, he place a hand on shin and Itami's shoulders to make sure more so he would stay put more then his ninja, but it benefited them all when he did this.

The Funeral that was held was beautiful, one to rival that of Lumina's Beauty and very fitting for her as well, Stein had whispered a revenge to Lumina's Body at the grave site, and he would go back to his place and wait for the funeral to end, once it was over he would pull the remaining two students to the side and smiled at them both and told them , soon he would take a leave for about a week but they were to keep up on their training while he was gone, after that he took off and got himself ready for War, and off he went.

It Has now been a month since the incident of Lumina at the Chuunin Exams, the Ninja Academy was renamed after her, Luna's School for the Chakra Gifted, Stein was actually standing outside of the Academy reading the sign, a sad face on him as he stared at the sign in front of him, the name a reminder of the nightmare of the night prior to today of the day they lost her, when suddenly something caught his attention, he spotted out of the corner of his eye, his students, they had been evading each other, as a reminder to the other of the team that was lost.

Stein would stand back and watch to see how things would go down between the two boys to see if he needed to intervene at all or maybe offer some sort of support, he too was apart of the team that was broken by the loss of Lumina, and he stared at his other two students longingly , wanting them to be the team they were once more, not to be broken by Lumina's absence but strengthened by it, but he wanted to involve himself as little as possible, but only these two could provide such , he could attempt to force, but would they rebel? Maybe he would see later for now it was in their hands.

TWC- 778

Shin continued to walk through the moonlit streets of Jokigakure with a rather disinterested look on his face, a small breeze blowing through the village as continued to walk down the empty streets, as he continued to walk he became aware of someone sitting on a bench out the front of a rather average looking park, their arms stretched out behind the bench as they stared up into the sky. Shin could swear that the person looked familiar but due to his sleep deprived state he was unable to tell just who it was at this distance, but as he got closer and closer to the person they turned to face him, and only once they locked eyes did Shin realize that it was actually Itami, something that actually shocked him quite a bit, he hadn’t seen the boy since that day when Stein left them a week after Lumina’s death, and yet here he was, sitting on a bench along the very path that he was walking through Joki at 2am. As Shin and Itami looked at each other he was reminded of the good memories that the two of them shared, but those memories also contained the very person who had been haunting his dreams for the past month, Lumina.

As Shin thought about the good times that the three of them had shared a small smile found its way onto his face, in the time that they had been a team he had started to see both Itami and Lumina as members of his family, in fact that was the entire reason that he had been so affected by what that Hidden Canyon Shinobi had done to her, because he truly loved her, but the love he held for her wasn’t the romantic kind of love, it was the same type of love that a brother held for his sister. As he walked towards Itami he could see the tired look in his eyes, something that he knew he would see if he were to look into a mirror, and if he was truly honest with himself he felt more than a little empty inside, and he had no doubt that Itami felt the exact same way that he did, in fact he wouldn’t have been surprised if Itami had been taking Lumina’s death harder than Shin himself. It was no secret to Shin that Itami actually held some rather intense feelings for the girl, Itami himself may not have even noticed it but Shin had, he had always noticed the way that Itami’s eyes would trail over to Lumina when she wasn’t paying all that much attention, he had also noticed the small smile that would make its way onto Itami’s face whenever Lumina was around.

Shin would give Itami a lazy two fingered salute as he continued to his rather slow paced walk towards the other boy, the moonlight revealing the thick black bags under his eyes, the result of him getting only an hours’ worth of sleep every night for an entire month. As Shin reached the bench he took a seat next to Itami, giving a small sigh before turning to face the boy, the smallest hint of an upwards curve at the edge of his mouth as he did so "Hey Itami, long time no see" he would say in a tired and weary tone, the tone of his voice perfectly portraying just how tired and empty he felt right now, the tiny curve in his lip being more from seeing Itami than anything else, he had not seen hide nor hair of either him or Stein since that day of Lumina's funeral, when Stein left for a week, he still didn't know just why the man had to leave nor why he had to do so right after Lumina's funeral but he didn't blame the man for anything, as a matter of fact he believed that Stein had gone to grieve in his own way "Hey Itami, it’s been awhile hasn’t it?" he would say with a mirthless chuckle "How have you been coping with…….what happened?" he would say after a small pause, his voice hitching for barely a moment as he said the words what happened

WC: 706

As Shin walked towards the streetlight covered bench that fostered Itami, he began to reconsider more and more the actions he had taken that cool night. At first he had no issue with Shin's sudden appearance, nor care for the matter. With his stubborn ways, he told himself he would be able to look Shin straight into his eyes and talk about anything with him, with no care or issue in the world. However, this just wasn't the case. They both knew what it is the main topic would be about, the squad had basically shared every day with each other, never missing a beat in the musical called life. This all changed when one of the squad members had gone missing, vanishing from the surface of the earth, and only leaving two behind. Himself, and Shin. This sudden change caused all sorts of turmoil in little under a week, the feeling of missing a certain aspect of ones life, the joy and adventure of having close friends around, even the disagreements and feuds they all shared. Itami knew it to be true with himself, and also Shin. Not only were they scarred mentally and emotionally from what had happened the day of the Chuunin Exams, but it utterly destroyed a once blossoming wave of relationships, even including his father.

Though Itami felt unsure about facing Shin now, he was never the bluntly rude type for no set reason. He couldn't just walk away from his comrade, his teammate when he needed him the most. The time of loss, to cling onto others in order to find some form of equilibrium with oneself. This was the stage in their friendship, and Itami had to embark on it as well, as much as he wished not too. As Shin began to come closer to the moment of truth, Itami began to pump himself up while looking at Shin, telling himself how Shin most likely felt the same way, and felt as if he wasn't ready for the truth. This could prove to buy Itami some confidence for this upcoming conversation, it being too hard to handle alone. Though all this confidence crumbled instantly when Itami observed the most bizarre thing he has seen Shin do yet. Smile. The comrade, which shared the horrendous and constant sleepless nights as himself, who mourned over the lost of a close ally, who looked at Itami with most likely the image of Lumina, just smiled at him. This act, without a doubt, infuriated Itami. It was with pain and confusion that Itami reacted, gritting his teeth intensely. He wondered, how could one do such a thing after what has happened. How could Shin be so nonchalant about all this with the death of their ally? Maybe, just maybe, Shin felt nothing towards Lumina, not even a friend, and just saw her as another life in the Shinobi world and nothing more. The streetlight began to flicker immensely at this time, signaling the need of a new light source before it kicked out. Itami hanged his head down, trying hard to keep his feelings capped, and try to resolve this most likely misunderstanding. He didn't know Shin perfectly, but he knew that they both had to share the same feelings, maybe Shin was just trying to be the light of the conversation. That could be it.

As Itami hanged his head low, the constant flickering of the streetlight began to irritate Itami more during his inner crisis. Therefore in order to correct this, he reached for the same streetlight, that was directly behind the bench, and grabbed it firmly. Soon after, he used some of his loving lightning chakra to give the light a bit more juice, in order to keep it alive. The flickering stopped instantly, and it even became brighter, blinding even. Itami assumed they should get the most amount of time to not be interrupted, therefore the light getting back to full power was good to have. After this, Itami brought both of his hands together, and began to lean over his stationed legs, looking as if he was pondering something. He continued to wait a little more for Shin to take a seat, also applying more room for Shin to sit down, and they could do what needed to be done. It was utter silence at this point from the look of things, aside from Shin's slow footsteps to the meeting area. The previous condition of the lightbulb left a flickering sound throughout the area, however that was soon corrected. Now, Itami felt more calm and at peace, more so listening in to the distant crickets and owls that lurked throughout the night. He pictured them in his head as he closed his eyes, probably an owl of sorts on top of a nearby tree, or maybe even a building. While crickets stayed hidden from Shin and Itami's loud vibrations, however were able to give out loud vibrations alone, which ironically soothed Itami's eardrums. Itami felt a bit jumpy at this point, with the topic of Lumina at this time, but felt oddly calm. Maybe due to his inner essence needing this talk with Shin, craving it for quite a while, the pure ecstasy that comes from speaking with a long lost friend.


The moment of truth had come, Shin was finally in the movements of taking a seat with Itami, with this all feeling as if it was an eternity to come, much like his dreams even. At this point he questioned whether this was a dream or not, having that slow feeling to it. Or maybe, it was something he had to hear very slowly, in order to fully accept it. Itami was prepared for a mature, structured talk with Shin. He met eyes with him, seeing the tired face that he now wore. It didn't look as tired and beat up as Itami's, much to his surprise. Maybe this showed that Shin did care, deeply for Lumina. After a pause of meeting eyes, and evaluating the time they had been without each other, Shin spoke. And as he spoke, Itami felt empty and cold. He couldn't do this, the feeling of being truly wrapped up in silence was less painful and easy to handle rather this. Each syllable Shin mouthed, only hurt Itami more. It did so due to the fact that Itami had always pictured that voice with Lumina's kind face, one that he had always looked forward to daily. It brightened the path he looked towards, always having some form of her in it. However, this setting now, with the same voice that was tied with Lumina, had everything wrong. Around them was dark...cold. Feelings were washed away, emptiness settled and already set up shop in the both of their hearts. No way was this a kind setting, and the worst part of all was that this was the new reality which they lived in. Surrounded by darkness, to carry darkness, and to of course create it. Even so, with this new realization, Itami tried hard to keep good with Shin, and to not lose the vision of one of his final friends in this very early stage of his life.

Shin spoke with what felt like an empty light. He had never heard or seen something like it before. Shin was definitely suffering, which proved his innocence on Itami's previous prediction. This left Itami to whisper an instant sorry in his head, always assuming the worst of a situation. It was difficult to hear how hard Shin spoke now, it all felt so odd and dense to him. Everything had changed in an instant between them, the same world they shared, changed in seconds even. Itami continued to listen in on the slow words Shin was saying to him. However, Itami had never realized how blunt Shin was, until he felt like he had just been stabbed through the chest with a rusty dagger. He obviously wished not to beat around the bush, and was straight up with Itami, asking him how he was coping. Itami respected Shin for acting that way, and it also upset him somewhat. How was he supposed to answer to such an emotion filled question? They both have been cleaned of emotion, filled with emptiness, and then thrown into darkness, and now Itami is being asked a question that needs emotion to answer? It felt so odd, and dumb even. The words he had just said only dropped many graphic images through Itami's head, and angered him at the sight of seeing Lumina's pained face surface, which was once filled with happiness and promise. He couldn't stand sitting down any longer, after staring at Shin with a perplexed look in his eyes, Itami instantly stood up and took a step back, before facing Shin. He did this in order to calm down, he knew words were rather hurtful, and it wasn't time to speak on hurtful words but rather to recuperate, however Itami couldn't look past asking such a question without doing something. It left a burning sensation in Itami's chest, wanting to scream about. He left it in, and allowed it to burn immensely, before it would pass with time. Now he looked at Shin, with a blank look on his face, pondering on what to say or even do. He could rather easily put on a facade and act kind and happy, ending the trials they are having. However, Itami had the feeling that he shouldn't begin to build their new friendship in this new world on lies, but rather the truth. Therefore, he took a deep breath and answered as such. He also decided to match Shin's blunt feelings, seeing as he truly was ready to talk about this and nothing more.

"I haven't been doing well, as you can see. What happened to Lumina was horrible, and now everything has changed. I'm sure you can relate. I feel like a different person, like my whole world has been rocked and altered into something new. This isn't something that could be overlooked easily, no. However, this pain feels like it will hurt for an eternity, even though we're at this age. I can't say much for my improvement on the matter, though I know full and well she would at least want us to continue on our paths, and get stronger for her....I just can't get out of the mud right now Shin. I was content with our lives, how they were. Picturing us all as Jounin, fighting for our village with proud smiles on our faces, it all felt possible and like we could really do it. But now a piece of that dream is missing, taken by the cold clutches of life, and will never give it back. So now...I'm not sure Shin. Just funny how one day, one handseal, just for one stupid title could change the look of the world as it is."

After Itami's rant, he breathed another sigh and let go of his blunt act. He felt as if he should be crying now, or shed some sort of tear, but his eyes only felt dry as he let out all that he felt, holding some sort of mental block that disallowed this action. Potentially from the many nights of tears that came after the Chuunin Exams. He folded his arms and looked straight at Shin, who was still sitting and staring up at him. "So i'll as the same. How are you feeling about all this? And what do you plan to do now. It may take awhile to feel comfortable again, but we can't continue to sit on our butts and mourn over this. At least, Sensei most likely would kill us for it..." He let out a rather weak laugh after this comment, knowing that it is in fact true. "So, what's your verdict on all this? And our future as Shinobi." Itami reverted back to his serious and emotionless expression, not really in the mood to let too much out. It was all on Shin to see what exactly he planned to do with this new sickening reality. If Itami had a partner in crime, or not. Itami wasn't expecting anything in particular, though he knew that Shin had a spark that Itami never understood, so was leaning towards working together. Still, he stood there, arms crossed, waiting in the cool night. With the Owls and crickets to soothe Itami until his question was answered. It was time to see where each others guts lied.

WC: 2106

Stein had stayed back, standing in the crowd a little ways away, staring at his two students, his ears trained in on them and listening to them as they would speak to each other, most of it seemed to be long silences back and forth, a flickering light was fixed, Itami did it, Stein could tell even from the distance he had on them and the interference with random people, and when Shin sat down next to Itami , Stein made his move, making his way through the crowd of people to approach the two sitting ninja from behind and placed a comforting hand upon each of their shoulders, having heard every word now by this point Stein would crouch down to their level of sitting and stared at his two students for a moment and then nodded to them both just before speaking to them " You Two have handled this situation rather well considering, and You are right she would not want you to just sit around and do nothing, as I would not want that either, however mind you there is a fourth member of this team at also has been mourning right along side of you both, and has been here the whole time, watching you both grow, I have been there for all of you from the start, since you were out of the Academy till now, and I will continue to be there for you both, as will Lumina, So Make her Proud, Make Her Smile, show her just how deep the feelings grew, With Actions in her cause, and overall I wish you both to know that she has been avenged" Stein would give them both a soft warming smile, yet the saddness of lose flickering in his eyes.

Shin tentatively awaited Itami's answer, based on the perplexed look that came to Itami's face he had most certainly not been expecting Shin to be blunt about the situation that they were in, but at this point Shin was far too tired both physically and emotionally to bother beating around the bush, especially with this particular topic. He watched in anticipation as Itami stood up and took a step back, before once more turning so that he was looking Shin in the eye, based on the small moment of silence Shin only assumed that he was thinking of the best way to word this so that he didn't end up hurting Shin further with his response, something that Shin could most definitely respect, obviously Itami did not want to try and push away the friends that he had left after this incident, and Shin felt the same way. Shin had to admit he was a little surprised when Itami's face lost all of its emotions as he continued to stare as Shin "I haven't been doing well, as you can see" he would say in a tone that sounded almost as empty as Shin felt inside, and as he said the words Shin began to take a closer look at Itami, and based on the large dark bags that he was able to see beneath his eyes he was willing to bet that Itami was suffering from nightmares just as he was.

"What happened to Lumina was horrible, and now everything has changed. I'm sure you can relate. I feel like a different person, like my whole world has been rocked and altered into something new" Itami would continue to say, his words hitting Shin harder than even the hardest Earth Jutsu that Stein had used against them while they were still Genin "This isn't something that could be overlooked easily, no. However, this pain feels like it will hurt for an eternity, even though we're at this age" he would continue, causing Shin to think about how right he was with that statements, as well as how sickening the thought actually, here they were, himself being only seven years old while Itami was only eight, and ye here they were, the two of them suffering from PTSD after watching their final teammate have her blood boiled within her veins, and she was only eleven years old when that happened to her. "I can't say much for my improvement on the matter, though I know full and well she would at least want us to continue on our paths, and get stronger for her....I just can't get out of the mud right now Shin" Itami would continue to say with an almost palpable aura of depression emanating from him, revealing that just like Shin he was unable to get over what had happened with Lumina, and in a way Shin actually felt glad that Itami had been affected in the same way that he had been, it proved to him that Itami actually did care for Lumina in the same way that he had

"I was content with our lives, how they were. Picturing us all as Jounin, fighting for our village with proud smiles on our faces, it all felt possible and like we could really do it. But now a piece of that dream is missing, taken by the cold clutches of life, and will never give it back" Itami would say in the same as he had been speaking in this whole, time, one that spoke volumes of emptiness, and from the words he had just spoken Shin knew exactly why. He had pictured almost the very same thing as Itami from the  moment that they had passed Stein’s test together, the three of them all grown up and smiling together as they passed the Jounin exams, a proud Stein watching from the sides with a smile on his face, but that  vision could never come to pass now, not with Lumina gone, she was one of the crucial pieces in Shin’s life and now that she was gone he like Itami was unsure of how to proceed, in the end it just felt like his whole world was crumbling down around him. So now...I'm not sure Shin. Just funny how one day, one handseal, just for one stupid title could change the look of the world as it is." He would say before releasing a rather large sigh, this obviously being due to his rather long speech being finished, just as Shin expected Itami was not crying or even letting a single tear slip free from his eyes, Shin was the same even after such an emotional speech, but his reason wasn’t because he didn’t want to cry, it was because he had long since shed the last of his tears, his tear ducts had run themselves dry over the course of the month, and in a way he was actually glad about that, he didn’t want to start breaking down in front of Itami, he would save for when he found his way home

Shin would continue to look at Itami as he folded his arms in front of him, waiting patiently for him to continue speaking, as he was not sure whether or not Itami had said everything that he wanted to say   "So I'll as the same. How are you feeling about all this? And what do you plan to do now. It may take a while to feel comfortable again, but we can't continue to sit on our butts and mourn over this. At least, Sensei most likely would kill us for it..." said Itami, this time letting out a small weak laugh as he did so, Shin was able to tell the action was forced but didn’t say anything about it, one reason being because he didn’t want to make Itami feel worse, and the other reason being because he could actually see Stein doing so if he found out that the two of them had spent an entire month moping around when they could’ve been training. Although he had a feeling that their sensei would be very understanding about this, as he had seen the amount of pain that he held within his eyes after Lumina’s funeral and knew that just like them their sensei was suffering, and had probably left the village for a while to mourn Lumina in his own way, away from any prying eyes. "So, what's your verdict on all this? And our future as Shinobi." asked Itami with his arms crossed out in front of him, an emotionless look on his face as continued to look at Shin

Shin stood up from his position on the bench in front of Itami and looked up into his eyes, the small amount of height difference between the two of them making Shin a head smaller than Itami, but that didn’t make the look on his face look any less heart wrenching "I...I.......I honestly don't know Itami....I'm just....I'm just tired at this point, I don't know what I'm supposed to do, there's no way I could possibly just forget about her......about Lumina, and even if there was a way for me to forget about her I would rather suffer for the rest of my life than forget for even a second. I can't just cherish her memory and move on either, I wish I could, believe me I have tried but it's just impossible, every time I close my eyes I see her, but the worst thing is I don't see the beautiful Lumina that I want to see, the Lumina that had always been there for me from the moment we became Genin, the Lumina that I loved and cherished more than I have ever loved anybody else in my whole life, I can only see what that.........that bastard.......that fucking bastard did to her, and it's eating me alive Itami, I can feel it inside me...I...I just feel so empty. So....trust me Itami, I'm the last person you want to be taking any advice from at this point, I....I think I'm starting to go crazy.......and it terrifies me, I swear I've seen her around the village so many times since the exams, like she's running past me with a big smile...but most of the time whenever I turn to call her name there's nobody there, sometimes there is.....but when I do catch up to them it's just someone who looked like her……..I….I just don’t know what I’m meant to do" Shin would say in the most empty and tired tone of voice possible, the sheer amount of physical and emotional exhaustion truly beginning to catch up with him

Shin gave Itami a truly sad and empty smile as he reached into his weapons pouch, digging through it for a while before pulling out what he had been aiming to get, he held the object in such a way that Itami could easily see it, the object in question was a book, the cover of it having a bloodied kunai and headband amidst a raining battlefield, but without a doubt the most eye catching thing about the cover of the book was its title "How A Shinobi Should Die……It’s a pretty good book, I’ve been reading it for around a week now…..this book…is basically the only thing that I can focus on…without seeing Lumina everywhere" he would say, once more flashing Itami a hollow smile "All I can really do at this point……is bury myself in my new duties and missions as a Chunin……but every time I put on this vest I remember just what it cost for me to get it….I’d give it all up in a heartbeat if it would bring Lumina back…my new rank…my old rank….my place in my clan……….my life……anything, I know that she wouldn’t like it, she might even hate me for it, but I would shoulder all her hate……just to see her smile one more time" he would say, his tone completely hollow and lifeless, the voice of somebody who would welcome death as an old friend. Right as Shin was about to bid his farewell to Itami he felt a familiar hand pace itself upon his shoulder, and just as he had expected when he turned to face the person it belonged to he found that it was their sensei, Stein

"You two have handled this situation rather well considering, and You are right she would not want you to just sit around and do nothing, as I would not want that either, however mind you there is a fourth member of this team at also has been mourning right alongside of you both, and has been here the whole time, watching you both grow, I have been there for all of you from the start, since you were out of the Academy till now, and I will continue to be there for you both, as will Lumina, So Make her Proud, Make Her Smile, show her just how deep the feelings grew, With Actions in her cause, and overall I wish you both to know that she has been avenged" Stein would say, giving the two of them warm smiles, yet the pain form the loss of Lumina was clear in his eyes. As Shin took in Steins words he could feel a small amount of warmth within his heart, but it was soon swallowed up by the emptiness within him as he heard the part about Lumina being avenged. "Sensei……I wish that knowing I avenged Lumina was enough to bring me some comfort…..but I felt no joy from taking my revenge on him….don’t get me wrong I took satisfaction in doing what I did….but that feeling only lasted for a couple of seconds…..and in the end it only left me feeling emptier inside…..It didn’t bring her back, it didn’t undo what he had done……but I do not regret what I did to him……I will never regret what I did to him……Never" he would say in a soft yet hollow tone, his speech getting lighter and lighter until he reached the final word, which came out as a mere whisper, but it would still be clear enough for Itami and Stein to know exactly what he had said

After he had said his piece Shin would lightly push Stein’s hand off his shoulder and take a few steps away from the, unknown to him at this point, father and son, before sending the both of them an obviously fake smile over his shoulder "I’m glad I got the chance to speak to the both of you again……I hope we can meet up sometime in the future…..but I have to go now, I do need some sleep before my missions tomorrow" he would say to them, not even bothering to come up with a decent excuse as to why he was leaving, as he had mentioned to Itami earlier that there was no way he was going to be going back to sleep tonight and based on the fact that Stein had appeared in the end he guessed that he may have overheard the whole conversation. It would most likely be obvious to the two of them why he was leaving, as he had only been getting more and more depressed and empty as the conversation went on, and based on everything he had said the two of them would probably realise that he just wanted to be left alone for a while. He continued to walk through the moonlit streets of Joki with a dead to the world expression on his face, looking like little more than a zombie as he made his way back to the Uzumaki clan compound, it wouldn’t be too much longer before the new day started and he could go on some more missions, who knows, maybe a bandit would be able to get in a lucky shot or something

[exit]

WC: 2324
Total  Topic WC: 4339
Claiming 32,400 exp (10,800 x 3 due to triple exp)

Approved.

With the setting still showing a quiet, lonesome night, Itami waited patiently for Shin's answer. He understood full and well the time and place of this, being a very delicate and sensitive one. Itami himself had begun to cast off some of his feelings, and was left with a rather cold and emotionless viewpoint towards those around him. His whole physique showed off this mood of his. The squinted eyes, crossed arms, seemingly uninterested face. However he himself wasn't uninterested, it was more so an expression featuring the feeling of nothingness. Itami felt Shin deserved all the time in the world, of course anyone should after seeing what the two of them saw. It was bad enough to have to had witnessed such a horrible sight. The arena viewers that day were already scarred, never having to witness such wicked jutsu. However to have known the victim themselves...Words simply can't describe that. With such a thought coming across Itami, he remembered he should probably go check on Lumina's family soon. He who thought selfishly and mourn over the feelings he had over another, couldn't imagine the pain which a parent had to go through hearing that. For a moment he wondered how his father must of been feeling about this, thinking about how it could of easily been his own son. That thought span circles around his head, before he heard Shin's soft yet weak voice. It caught him off guard hearing Shin's voice so soon, thinking he would need some more time to gather his thoughts. Itami felt like he did lay into Shin rather hard and quickly, just speaking from the pure thoughts coming from his head, needing Shin to recuperate, but supposedly not. However, he wasn't prepared for what Shin had to say now.

This whole time, he was under the impression that he was the one who wasn't prepard for this conversation with Shin, but oh how he was wrong. It turned out to be quite the opposite. As Itami heard every word that came from Shin's voice, he could only fully delve into the meaning of confusion and wonder of how this could be. He thought that Shin would be the light in this conversation, while Itami only weighed them down. But Itami's thoughts throughout the speech of Shin's was that his friend was broken. Just broken. He couldn't finish many sentences without slowing done and taking a long pause, the sheer agony and pain that came from Shin, Itami thought he could feel with his words. Every word and pause sinking Itami lower and lower. It was odd, as Itami assumed that maybe his heart had begun to harden and act colder. The way he has been acting up until now has proven as much, cutting people out of his thoughts and wishing to be alone. Having a blunt and uncaring expression, and having no emotion. However Shin just couldn't hold it in, Itami felt as if he truly needed to shed a tear, but just couldn't. Like his tears have been dried up, but somehow converted into words, each word that he spoken being a stream of tears. Shin was opening up to Itami, and seeming to just begin to crumble down in front of him. And Itami wasn't expecting none of it. Shin was the one who would most likely follow the heartwarming light, or at least seem too. He opened up to people and had true feelings and love for others, and chose to take a path which expressed that. However Itami felt as if he was taking a path to be the polar opposite of Shin's. Not expressing as much emotion, having a cold heart and harsher feelings. This was what the Shinobi world turned them into. Both tampered with and confused, empty and broken. But still, somehow holding different paths from the same experiences. Itami wondered how this game they called life would turn out then, where the two of them would head...How it would all end. It peaked his interest, and made him truly wonder about life and it's mysteries, and even people for that matter. Able to bury such feelings and emotions into their words, but take it out of themselves. It intrigued Itami tenfold. But oh Shin, he was in devastating pain while Itami found an odd, even sickening discovery of himself and others. He thought to hold on to this thought for later, and continued to listen to his peer, his friend.

Itami listened, truly rewinding every word his friend said in order to understand what he was saying. He was somewhat glad, this was the first time they both opened up to each other and shared their inner feelings. The two could be seen as rivals, sure. But at a time, it is fine to settle differences and just talk things out, like now for example. He understood Shin's pain, but also found it difficult to do so. The guy obviously had deep feelings for Lumina as well, maybe not to an extreme level like romance, but still a fair amount. He was suffering, it was rather obvious from his facial expressions alone, let alone his speech. Itami knew not of what to do, it was a very difficult situation for them both. Still, the pain of losing her ached both their hearts, something that was promising to be shared. Though still Itami felt as if Shin struggled more, to the point of having mental hallucinations, believing someone to be Lumina right before his very eyes. It saddened Itami to see his friend in such a state. Even he wasn't this bad. Yes, scarred and in immense pain, but nothing like that. However, he wasn't ready to see what Shin did next.

The boy pulled out a book, and showed it to Itami. It was out of the blue, and something he for sure wasn't thinking of happening in the slightest. Shin informed him of the name being How A Shinobi Should Die. It truly hurt Itami hearing of how Shin couldn't be content with himself without the presence of that one book. Learning of how a ninja is supposed to die, it being unfitting for Lumina. It made Itami upset to really see his friend in this way, clouded and unable to see the world around him without every turn and look the reminder of one of his fallen friends at such a young age. It was taking a toll on him mentally and physically, having sleepless nights, unable to fully function underneath his new line of duty, and so on. Itami only grit his teeth out of anger, upset with the universe at a whole. What force would allow one to be broken down to such remains, only being 7 and 8 years of age? Who or what would do such a thing. He was in much pain, and Itami being one of the only friends he had sticking around, he couldn't do anything other then watch the pain continue on and on, like an endless waterfall. His tears turning to dust due to the amount of times he has cried in such a small window of time, his face looking as if it was an overworked middle aged man. This was their reality, the two children who haven't even reach the age of 10. This was the world, one filled with pain and misery. This also including joy and happiness, however which could be taken in an instant, much like their case. Itami had no other words to say, he knew nothing to do or how to react at all of this. He was only upset. Upset at how everything has turned out for them, just mad at the world. He had no idea how to change this for the better, or make things work out. He truly felt as if this would be their eternal struggle, for the rest of their days.

But with a swift wind, the unknowing happened. His father, Stein, surfaced behind Shin, placing a hand on his shoulder. It caught Itami off guard, not expecting such a thing to happen. He wasn't even aware his father was back home after taking off on a journey unknowing to the both of them. Right off the bat, with his appearance, Stein spoke true words. Words that had pain and suffering behind them, but also resolve and gratefulness. It surprised Itami more than anything, how his father was able to show up and make him feel something, hopefully Shin as well, out of thin air. He talked about Lumina, and how they should fight on and not just sulk and wait. He was entirely right, Itami knew his father carried high wisdom with him, and it was useful to have now. Itami wasn't worried about himself however, he was more worried about Shin. He knew that Shin was in more pain then anyone here, the words he had just spoken before Stein's arrival proved as much. But now, maybe it had opened Shin's eyes a bit, and caused him to have a shift of sorts. Or at least he hoped this to be true. However, this light was fading rapidly. He did the exact opposite of what Itami had hoped for, and spoke about how he felt no happiness from the revenge, and only pain. It really had Shin bugged, and he just couldn't shake it off of him for the life of things.

Now, even with Stein's appearance, things just weren't going as hoped. Then Shin did the unexpected, he cut his losses and began to make his exit. The boy was battered, beaten down by life, and this was the outcome of things. Never has Itami had to see such a thing before, or know it was even possible. However, it was obvious this was the reality of things. He began to trail off after thanking the two of them, and Itami decided it was best to leave him alone. Overall, it seemed that Shin was the one who couldn't handle this conversation. And just like Itami, he would much rather be alone and think things through himself. This was understandable however, not all could walk away from memories like this so easily. However, Itami felt different. His heart began to become hardened and unscathed by certain things, or at least he tried his best to prepare his mindset for it. If they were only 7 and 8 years of age, then things much worse would happen in the future, and Itami would need to get stronger both physically and mentally in order to combat all. He had planned to get more powerful, stronger and just overall a better Shinobi in the future, and though he still had an emptied soul, he carried a mask within him in order to continue to fight on. Only his father and him now stood around. Stein was still behind the bench, while Itami watched Shin's figure fade off into the distance, his arms still crossed. Then after it was completely gone, he looked towards his father, whilst unlatching his arms and putting them in his pockets. It was rather dumb now he thought of it to wear a short sleeve, it was getting somewhat chilly.


"Hmm. Well then, that was quite the turn of events. I'm worried about him, however I understand that some things need to be worked out alone." Their was a rather short pause, in order to allow Itami to let out a sigh. His heart was calmed, however before the turning events made it rather jumpy.

"It's good to see you back, Dad. All of this has been rather difficult to hold down and swallow..However, I realize now this is only the beginning. We should of expected things like this to happen entering such a cruel world, but now we are prepared early, and have a jump on the more inexperienced Shinobi in this world. I plan to get stronger, strong enough to protect my comrades, and even this village. Able to co-exist with the darkness that harbors this world, and take on any enemy...That's what I wish to live up too. This pain from the lost of such a loved one is tough, and I'm unsure if it'll ever go away. Though due realize, unlike Shin, I am prepared to continue fighting, and carry Lumina's light. And treat any Shinobi that dare crosses me or the village's path with sheer power and enforce pain."

Itami looked high into the sky, up to the moon. He stared at it for quite a bit, still curious as to why he was able to face this star, unlike it's counterpart. Maybe due to the fact none of his comrades have fallen yet underneath this star, rather then the Sun. Lumina lived with the Sun now, hopefully underneath it's care and protection. So now, the moon stayed, protecting no one and keeping to it. Maybe he would allow the moon into his life, allow it to protect and care for him in a leaving since. He felt as if he was already going down a dark road with his recent promise, following one that leads you into more and more shadows. The moon was surrounded by darkness, however had one central light that governed all and gave others the ability to still see. Maybe Itami would act like the moon now, the opposite of Lumina's warm and caring nature, yet the other half of her, like the other side of a coin. The oppposite half. That could be what Itami inspired himself by. Until then though, he must gain more power and skill before he could do as such. He looked back at his father rather briefly.

"Alright. It's a promise then. I will do what I must in order to protect this village, my family, and my friends. Looking over this place like the moon, guiding it hopefully. But til then, I am too young to speak of such feats. I must train until then, and strive to be the most powerful. So, let's head home Dad. I have a lot of work to do being a new Chuunin. Whether Shin continues down his road or not, I will fight with the power of all."

And with that, Itami turned his back to his father, walking home. It would be a rather odd walk, time was a funny thing. He would be walking back down the same road he just took to this destination, coming back a new man. A new resolve, a new purpose. Time worked the same now as it did before. Walking into the arena with happiness and joy for the future, and coming out with regret and wishing it all to be a dream. Maybe Itami will go see Lumina's parents tomorrow, he could do that much for his now fallen loved one. As he walked home, and finally arrived in his room, he began to look out his window. He looked towards that same window, with the same moon. Only a hour ago did he do the same and was the person he had been up until now, one hour later he is changed with a new resolve. A different man. He stared at this window for what felt like several minutes, he had lost track of time. Or maybe time lost track of him, it had such an odd way of doing things. Something could take years to achieve, or maybe even seconds, it was known as a unknowing variable to humans. Itami just couldn't wrap his head around it, though he was also glad. He had finally realized his calling, what he had to do in this life, and what it all had meant. To grow strong for his friends and village, to not allow such a thing to happen again to anyone, seeing such a sight. But also to be willing to indulge in any activity, no matter how wicked or evil, for the better good of his beliefs. It all wouldn't matter anymore to him.

[Exit]

WC:2548
Total:7102
Claiming 40,800 exp(13600 x 3)

Approved of 40,800 exp Itami

Stein would frown as Shin had spoken it was rather sad to see him like that, But his face changed to a smile as Itami had spoken to him, and he would nod as he followed Itami Home, Deciding Silence was best now at this point, and walking shortly behind Itami they would head home together, Stein even though he had a smile on his face though, Still suffered from the loss of Lumina, she was a key point in the team, the glue to hold them together, and he was fairly certain they lost Shin to the darkness of Emotion, But Itami he could help , they had a stronger bond, Student and Teacher, Son and Father.

TWC- 1189 = 1100 EXP + 3000 Flashback + 500 x3 for Inner turmoil + 1000 x2 Meeting with an Old Friend = 7600 EXP x 3 = 22,800

+ Kenshin Uzumaki's Heart Giving Wind Element and Uzumaki DNA

Apprvoed