Taking care of buisiness..... Again?(assault)

"N...no." She knew this. The demon of chance knew this intimately. The helplessness, the resolve. If not stopped this would end the ninja world and each of them with it. Amber struggled furiously against her bindings, the pain dulled significantly by her need to solve this. The memory rushed back of nights standing beside her associate, no... Her friend. The demon of shadows always listened but never advised, drawing her to these same conclusions.

"But mak... No. You're right. It took my death to even be worthy of standing before you and Youka. Even today I've found my resolve lacking where you two stand strong. I've not earned the right to call them out plans. "

Ambers eyes snapped wide at Kira's comment, her lips parting to scream no as she was suddenly ripped in half. She knew it wasn't real, that this was simply an illusion but the pain was like to so many times before on deaths door. It brough her back to that place, lying half dead on the floor of a small apartment, certain her murderer would find her again, certain either way she would die there against cold wood alone. With her final bit of strength she'd passed the one thing she needed, their last hope to save themselves, but more importantly the last hope to save Maku from the same fate Amber had fallen prey to.

The memory seeped in slowly, days of the past, of murder betrayal and hate. She didn't quite know where they came from until the face of the demon of chance flashed across her thoughts.

"Maku. I'm sorry I was weak. If you truely wish to end my existence do so. "The weapon disappeared from her hands. Calm fingers slid up to lower the zipper on her savar suit, stripping herself down to nothing and laying her items in a pile beside her. She looked up at him, not pleading, no longer afraid. She knew what had to be done.

"But.... If your hatred of me can be sated allow me to serve. This path is dangerous and dark my friend. I fear it's one you can't come back from.... If you want to destroy this world, everything and everyone let me stand at your side and assist in doing your will. If you think otherwise let me help... If you have a second thought don't give in to the darkness. It's a cold lonely path that ends in death and I don't want to lose you.... That day in yuki, you wanted me to kill you... Arms open but I couldnt. Not because I was weak but because I care about you. You were the o it thing keeping me sane and alive. I owe you my life and so here I give it. If you wish it now it's yours but otherwise allow me the pleasure to follow you till the end. Let me serve Until the ninja world burns down and your plans are complete and there in the firelight's glow take my life and if you wish I'll take yours so you can be free of this pain. I lay down my life to your bidding not in fear but out of love."

The youth did not move as she spoke.  He made no motions, no since of emotion flitted across his face.  Instead he allowed her to perform all her actions and words, get it all out.  Their time together had been so brief here, yet with each word she spoke, he realized it was already winding down.  She still didn't seem to understand.  Her pleads, this appeal was to the boy he had left behind.  Had he been there, had he been the one sitting on this make believe throne, perhaps she would have survived.  That was no longer the option.  Raising his hand palm up another hand made of solidified snow rose under Kira.  Picking her up it matched Maku's own movements.  Squeezing his hand together it gripped her tightly, obscuring her body.  Bringing his fist in closer to his chest the snow hand brought Kira to be just in front of him.  Her face was close enough he could reach out and touch it.  Leaning in, he spoke, in almost a whisper.  "You were never worthy to stand beside me.  Nor was Youka.  Even now his position is due to calculation, not to strength.  To stand tall, you would kneel before me?  That alone shows the difference between us."  His last word was spoken so quite that it almost could not be heard.  

Pushing the hand back, he continued louder this time.  "In Yuki, you should have killed me.  The shackles of not knowing who I was weighed to heavily back then.  I have been lost, for to long I have been lost.  This road you speak of, of loneliness and darkness. You speak of it as if I do not understand the depth of my actions.  I choose this road.  It is exactly were I want to be.  As for death, do you think for an instant I don't know how this will end?  Have I said I seek immortality for my physical body?  I think not.  This is not a journey of life, but a journey of death.  I will be an immortal, but not in the way others seek such position.  It is my name that will ring through centuries, once my body is dust in the ground.  If the whole world burned, who would tell the stories of what I will do?"  With each word the hand began to squeeze harder and harder.  Until at last it let up just slightly, enough for her to breath.

Her words, appealed to emotion, to reason.  These were the things he discarded in Tengakure.  To see what he wanted, to truly achieve his goals, he allowed himself to be stripped of emotions, to see the world unclouded.  Such things no longer swayed his decisions.  If they did, he would never be capable of achieving what he so desired.  "I hope now you see the gravity of the situation Kiranomo.  You should know, I take no pride in what is happening to you.  I take no joy in it.  You should also know, I will have no grief, or time of mourning.  This is just another moment in my life, that will lead to the fulfillment of my destiny.  It is poetic that we could share it together."  He smiled briefly

"Just a couple more moments and all this will be over, but I do have a couple last questions for you.  If I kill you, will you come back?  Also, is there anything you would like me to share to Youka about your death, I shall report it to him word for word no matter the implications."

(TWC=  4292)

"I understand but grant me one thing. If I'm to die allow it to be as a warrior, in battle not in this cowards world created to hide from a real fight. If you want to be remembered as an immortal don't start the story of the great Maku with "and then he used genjutsu like a coward to kill his friends" her words no longer held kindness. This wasn't maku. This was some other entity and she hated it. She wanted to kill it, crush it under her thumb and watch it's last breath pour from shattered lungs. It was time.

If the tsukoyomi allowed her the shadows would raise to her call, six pointed tendrils lashing out to strike through the hand of snow ripping her out before cradling her slowly back to the ground. Either way she would answer simply, "and no. If you kill me here the kind girl who would follow you to the ends of the earth will in fact be gone forever, and I take joy in that. If this is your new world I wish to live in it no longer if I cannot stop you."

(Cool thread guys. Have fun.)

While the incredibly interesting, so interesting the author of this post slowly read through the entire thread, events that occurred in Maku's Tsukuyomi took place, Mugen was by the village gates, on his way to leave Takigakure. Kyokai had demanded he was to leave and travel someplace else. The boy was even threatened by his alter ego, which didn't sit too well with him. However, this whole ordeal strangely felt like one giant "déjà vu." Perhaps it was a dream of some sort. Or maybe it was meant to foreshadow something that was to happen in the future. However, it was probably in his best interest to not think too much about it. At least, not at the moment. For now he was to focus on leaving the village and possibly check up on his baby sister.

With a sigh, Mugen took off, moving forward as quickly as possible. While he ran, he immediately formed the hand seal: "Ram." Suddenly, the boy's speed was picked up as he used chakra to enhance his speed with the Body Flicker technique. Within seconds, he would have passed the village gates, if his actions were not interrupted.

[Attempted Exit...again.]

"THERE IT IS, THE FEROCITY, THE TENACITY!"  His words were louder excited as he stood from his throne.  "Why couldn't you have been like that from the beginning.  Then you could have been used."  Pacing slightly, Maku began to laugh. Finally in her last moments she was showing some force of will, it was to late, but it was something.  "Since you didn't answer me appropriately, then my assumptions are correct, this power you have to come back form the dead will take effect.  Shame really, it'd be kinder for you to have died.  I do not intend to let things end with this.  You cannot be used for my plans in your current state, but don't worry, I will fix that.  You will do what I need, given a little tinkering."  His mind racing, he had anticipated that from the moment he had laid eyes on her.  He knew that that risk was always on the table.  Once she revived, no doubt she would announce this new Maku to Echo and Youka.  Or perhaps just Youka, her pride was something to be hold, it may keep her from speaking with Echo.  There was no way to know until it happened however.  All avenues would have to be closed.

His illusion at the moment was held lax in regards to its hold on her illusion body.  She was able to escaped the hand and rest on the floor.  Her barbs at his power brought another smile to his face.  Desperation, or just furiosity at her position, her words were obvious.  He had, when this started had considered to fight her on the outside.  Now however, after everything he learned about her, he was less convinced.  "Cowardly you say?  I ask you this, if we fight will you discard your shadows, discard your weapons, seal away those two inner voices of yours?  Why not take off your armor, leave it behind.  You feel cheated perhaps for how you ended up here?  I don't see it that way, you found yourself here because you let it happen.  Take responsibility for your actions."  That smile was still on.  This was not his old smile, its coldness, its resolve was something dangerous.  "Kiranomo, do you remember this scene yet?"  As the world around them changed, it was obvious that they were in the Konoha training grounds.  In front of him was a little girl on the ground.  Next to Kira was a red eyed, boy with a gaggle of kids behind him.  "What now little hyuga girl? Where is your byakugan. That's right you don't have one. Weak little orphans don't deserve the power of a doujutsu, not that it would matter."  Were the words he spoke, just as Selene had shown Maku all that time ago in the Yuki leader office.  

Waiting a moment, the scene would replay all the way through.  Over and over again, but every time the boy looked slightly different.  By the 7th time through that boy offering such spite to the younger Kiranomo was unmistakeably Echo Uchiha.  As the scene continued to run through, Maku used the powers of his genjutsu to alter the memories of Kiranomo.  This was not his simple trick of blocking out that could be overcome.  This was completely changing what she believed to be the truth. The genjutsu seeped into her mind, finding every instance of her life were an Uchiha had done her wrong, and transformed their face to be Echo.  Maku worked hard to inter lay this new memory and make it perfect.  Her time working for Echo, he weaved in the hatred she would feel for him.  Making her believe she had been working for him to gain his trust so that one day she would be able to kill him.  36 times total she was forced to watch the scene.

Knowing very well about those pesky entities, Maku continued his work.  The scene melded to total darkness as he began to enter into her mind in earnest.  His chakra invading her mind, forcing its will in deeper.  He wasn't sure if he could ever do anything to actually destroy those other entities, but he also didn't want them spilling secrets to soon.  Therefore a different tactic was taken.  Not wanting to totally destroy their relationship, Maku began to sew a seed of distrust.  Whenever Kira had talked to the other entities, he forced there to always be doubt inside her mind to their honesty.  In this way, every moment in Kira's life were she interacted with them, he implanted a memory of doubt and fear towards these entities.  It was a subtle thing, yet the subtle knife often cuts the deepest.  The next portion was probably the cruelest thing that Maku could do.  He took no joy in it, but he did it with a cold resolve of tying a ribbon around his work.

Her eyes would open and in front of her would appear the vision of the two entities inside of her mind.  For 24 straight hrs, she would be tortured in the most horrific ways by the two beings that sought to protect her.  He used her own mind for this.  Whatever she thought the most cruel and horrible were the ways they tortured her.  As the hours ticked by, he watched her pain unseen.  The hours ticked by so slowly, but finally they concluded.  As they did, Maku took this memory, and sealed it deep inside her subconscious.  Allowing it to appear as deja vue at times, like a fleeting dream.  Again, he sharpened the subtle knife for its cuts.  Once finished, there was only one last memory alteration he needed to perform.  What was happening to her in Takigakure.  

The scene finally opened up again.  Maku was looking down on them, invisible.  Kiranomo would be were she had been when he had originally walked through the door.  Only this time, he made the vision different.  As Maku began to speak, a shinobi would appear from behind him, slicing his throat before a word could be said.  It was an odd thing watching your own death, especially one as boring as he was giving himself.  The man would be revealed as a taki nin.  As Maku's body hit the ground he would rush at Kira.  Though still in the Tsukyomi she would be unable to fight back.  As the Taki nin closed in, his katana would thrust forward dipping under any guard that she could perform.  The blade piercing right through her armor, right into her heart.  As it did, the Taki nin would twist the blade, causing a dozen more blades to extend out of the flat ends of his katana, running Kiranomo through countless times, piercing every vital organ in her body.  Focusing all his strength on this one moment, Maku made this feel 100 times more painful than any sword ever could in life.  Overloading her brain with pain, overloading her body with adrenaline, her heart in the real world, would not be able to withstand it.  

That was how Kiranomo would die this day.  Killed by a Taki ninja has she had prepared to destroy the village.  Killed after her joy at seeing Maku, then forced to watch him die.  This moment would be the hardest that he forced into her mind.  Ingrained in her like breathing.  Maku was dead, and she had failed at destroying Taki.

Should all of these things be able to come to pass, the Tsukyomi would break.  As it did Maku would still be looking at where Kiranomo had been standing, just in time to see the amythesist dust, that showed the truth of it.

(TWC - 5568)

In recap - Kira's memory is altered.  All the bad Uchiha of her life have been replaced with Echo.  Her feeling towards him have become negative as described and the reason she believes she works for him is to kill him.   I instilled a deep sense of mistrust between Kira and the other two entities.  Placed a deja vue like memory and dream like quality to her getting tortured by them, if working as intended this should just appear at random moments to perpetuate the the subtle feeling of distrust.  I hope this will be allowed to play out and not vagued into being a non-issue, but I have little control over that I suppose, I tried to be as detailed as possible.  Finally, I placed an incredibly powerful memory of her seeing Maku killed by a Taki nin.  I mean, I don't know how to word it besides liking it to breathing.  This is meant to be a hardcore thing.  SO she would believe Maku died, and then subsequently she was killed by a Taki nin during her attack on the village.

 (All memory alterations do stay in affect even after being resurrected by SA.  I double checked. Also the memory I used you showed me here)

claiming Kira's death via Tsukyomi, which is possible since we have been inside for 6 posts.

"Wha..... no." His words passed her ears, her analytical mind picking out the important bits, namely his own big headed dillusions that this was anything other then the will of a girl resolved to kill her in cold blood. As he addressed her comment on being a coward she rushed forward, firing off the weapon in her hand quickly, her new knives both aimed at his chest, one for the heart one plotted to bite into the center of his gut. Her shadows flew out with the full intensity of her hatred. This boy.... He could hardly be called a man. This boy who decieved her, drug her along this whole time, made her think he was her friend..... The moment the first strike would hit the weapons simply dissipated. 

"No..... This isn't going to work Maku..... I've gotten over this..." She watched the boy patronize her over and over again, her eyes snapping shut. She locked out her mind to the images as best she could but it kept tugging at her acceptance like a child. Scenes blurred togeher, The boy, No dojutsu. Echo Wild visions of her held down, flayed open, am...amber? She shook back and forth as the images bombarded her, her need to ignore it amplifying the effect nearly ten fold as they hit her in unison. Her eyes snapped open in the real world for barelly a minute as the tsukoyomi broke, letting out a horrific scream behind hollow, unseeing eyes. 

"K..." Selene poofed out of existence as she finally fell, the tsukoyomi evident in the girl who stood for barelly a second before her body gave up. She could feel the warm blood trickle down her hand after it fell from her chest, trying desperately to hold in the sea of crimson that painted the kage building. This was it... This was how she died. Coming back was no sollice to the girl who lost her one friend. Maku was gone, the one of her team mates that she cared about, who she trusted and who truely protected her. As her body went white from blood loss, her hands weakly trying to reach out to her friend she felt the shatter in her ankle and the world went black

(dead, rezzing =^.^= really really awesome topic maku, little worried for a while that u might have fully killed me but holy crap that was fun and oddly enough......exactly plays into where im pushing her story line almost like you knew what i was thinking. good show =3)

A strong breeze blew away any fragments of that stone. He wondered how effective he had been. He had given the genjutsu all of his strength, pushed and prodded as deep into her mind as possible. It was over now, and it was time for the next task. He would have to find a way to hide his chakra signature in the future. He wouldn't want such a plan to fall through from some simple mistake like that. Walking back slowly, he made his way back through the door and through the office he knew so well. As people had heard Kira's announcement people finally began to take notice. Activating his cloak, he ignored all of these peasants. Luckily he had had the presence of mind to lock the leader door, so Ryuu should be safe. Making his way to the vault, he emptied it of its capitol. Nothing else of interest was held here, what a shame. Once finished, he exited the building, and slowly began to make his way to the great tree. It was the symbol of Takigakure's power, its hider, its most treasured land mark. It took him several minutes to arrive, as he was in no great haste.

Once he arrived at its base, his eyes began to scan the behemoth as he once again appeared. Eyes widening, the black flames of the amaterasu covered the base of the tree. Even as he watched they began to rush over the tree. The black flames were slow, but unyielding. They began to creep up the entire tree. Maku knew that once they had started they wouldn't end until they had consumed everything in their path. Turning, he made his way back to the leaders office once again using his cloak to go undetected from the regular people. He had wanted the pleasure of destroying the great tree to himself. His next task wa to rise Ryuu and get the man up to speed. He wondered how the man would take this world that he was waking up to. He didn't want to fight him, but he would if he was forced to. As he walked back, pedestrians and shinobi all rushed towards the great tree to try and put it out. It would be all for naught however. Arriving back in the leaders office, the place was almost empty due to the rush to the great tree. Deactivating the cloak, he kicked open the door. Hopefully it would wake Ryuu so they could have a quick chat.

(TWC = 5984)

Kuro sighed as he walked away from the village. He couldn't find Miki or Laz or Mugen or Echo. The first one was probably busy, but the others must have headed back to the village or he would have noticed one of them. Probably. So Kuro turned into a puddle and left the village, Vixie following right behind.

(Escape without getting murdered please)

It was just one of those mornings, everything hurt. Ryuu's very head felt as if were splitting. Clearly he had drank too much. Lying on the hard ground with his eyes closed he could vaguely hear noises, but nothing too exact. Mumbling maybe? Maybe it was just the ringing of his ears. What did he do last night? Making a mental list he tried to recall what happened:

-Met an extremely hot dude named Maku from......Yukigakure? Was he a village leader?
-Had a few drinks
-Had a few more
-Aw, more drinks
-Emptied the bar
-More drinks
-Something with toilet paper and Shimagakure
-Met some chicks
-Got to know some chicks
-Got to really really know some chicks 
-Blank...
-Blank....

For the life of him Ryuu could remember nothing more, had he passed out? Honestly he had no idea whatsoever. Luckily he did not have to ponder on his marked lack of memory for very long as the loudest noise in existence, or at least so Ryuu thought, roused him from his introspection. The noise was in fact the door being kicked in. He needed to get back on the beach ASAP.

Slowly opening his eyes the man winced, it was far too bright. Someone needed to turn down the sun. What kind of cruel god would make such a bright object anyhow? Struggling to his feet the rogues back would be turned to Maku. However, his position allowed Ryuu to glance out the large windows that overlooked the village. Instead of the tranquil seaside village of Shimagakure, Ryuu was greeted by a large tree burning with a hellish black fire that had crept up each and every branch making quite the spectacle.

Slowly, as all his senses came back to him, the former jounin felt a chakra presence behind him. Turning in a clumsy fashion, Ryuu noted that it was Maku, the off teleporting man. Speaking slowly, as if he wasn't sure what he would say next, the rogue spoke, "Uh....What the hell happened last night? And why am I here?...Where is here anyway?....You know there is a tree burning down outside, right?" Yes, many questions, Ryuu was still a bit out of it-he had, after all, drunk a lot more than Maku. Were it a competition, it was clear who won. Ryuu's prize? Memory gaps. Always a good prize.

A slight smile hit Maku's lips as the man began to ask his questions.  It was clear the alcohol had left its mark on him.  Maku had been lucky, he clearly had awesome tolerance.  Or was it just in his new attitude, not allowing himself to be over powered by a beverage.  What ever the case he was glad the shinobi was awake.  It was time to really begin.  To determine what this man's interests where, his loyalties and what he wanted from the world.

"Good morning sunshine.  Glad to see your finally awake."  Walking to the window he threw it open.  Letting more sunlight in, and the yells and cries of the people at the burning tree became more evident.  Turning he walked to the desk, looked like Taiga still had candies there just like his last visit.  Taking a few he ate them, only to find them stale.  Spitting them on the floor, he had a seat on the desk.

"Well Ryuu Koga, we are currently in Takigakure.  I just set the great tree on fire you see.  I can't say I have been totally honest with you...."  Staring at the ninja he hoped he'd have moved off the ground by now, but if not he would continue to look him in the eye to judge his reactions to what Maku would reveal.  "I desire to be a lot more than a simple village leader.  I desire to be something greater than any political office.  The group I am in, the kind of man I am, drives me ever onward to find greater ambition.  My associate is probably even more ambitious than myself.  The world is a stage, and I wish to be the star."  Taking a breath, he considered his next words carefully.

"Ryuu Koga, what do you want most in this world?  Is it a simple life, a family?  Do you want to live with honor, and the respect of your peers?  If it is any of these things, then I am afraid I cannot help you to much.  If you desire for the world to hear your name, to have it echoed throughout history.......then my friend, we have something to work together for."  As he concluded, Maku held his hand out.  Still gazing, to see the mans reaction.  he had not given the man a lot to go on.  He had left a lot out, however a man of great ambition was capable of anything.  If Ryuu was the kind of man who knew his own heart, knew what he wanted the answer would come simply.  If he was indecisive in his desires, then Maku would simply have to add another notch to his blade, keeping ends tied up.

(WC = 6439)