Back in Black! (jk)

And as this lovely conversation went on, Tengakure crumbled in the background. Fire, explosions, toppling buildings, Takeo sure was in a great mood today. The smoke and dust covered the surrounding area, though Takeo had no difficulty navigating his way through it the ruins. Whistling to himself a jolly old tune and juggling a bag of ryo between two hands, life was good. He spotted two figures still within close distance to the village, it was a wonder that they hadn't been caught up in the chaos of it all. One of the figures he recognised, having seen the figure of Xyxer through his Byakugan far too many times for his liking. The other person he had not seen before, perhaps it was another one of those drunken stragglers. Maybe Xyxer was in the process of killing him. It didn't matter all that much. He planted his feet on the ground, going into a crouch. Sending all the power to his legs he sprang forwards, like a spring uncoiling itself. With One Way Road still activated around his body he felt no worries about the things in his path, that being the archway that formed the gates. A grin came across his face, he brought back his right fist in preparation. As soon as he was about to slam into the structure he thrust his fist forward. The archway exploded outwards, unable to withstand the force that came from the One Way Road. As the chunks of whatever material the gates and shit were made out of rained down upon the grass plains he continued to sail. Takeo's landing was spectacular, touching down on the ground with the grace of an airline passenger being flown by a ten year old drunk off of orange juice, which in case you weren't aware is not very graceful. Once more however he was saved from any injury, the impact being cushioned through his spectacular defence as the ground cracked and caved underneath the power, forming a small crater where he had landed. He turned around to face the two, and began to toss the bag up and down again. "Yo, are we going now?"

Hysterio had finished completing his training of the Gale Palm jutsu, the one that used wind to blow away objects, or, depending on the direction, increased their speed. There was another jutsu he wanted to improve in the same manner, which was the Moving Earth Core jutsu. Being able to pull up stepping stones without having to move, or to trip people up in a similar manner, would prove most convenient he thought. Besides, there might be the occasional time when he was truly paralyzed and any delay in attacks coming against him, could be crucial.

Hysterio had been listening to the boss guy and said “Yes, I was not brought up as a ninja so all of this is very new to me. Those things are powerful though not unbeatable I imagine. If I were to encounter such a beast would you like me to let you know? Perhaps you would gain even more respect if you were known to be host to one of those beings. I do not seem to have much aptitude for the sealing arts myself, so if I ever found one I would only be able to become the vessel of the steaming hunk of chakra, with help from another. Maybe if we are lucky, whatever is summoned through the scroll is similarly strong to those tailed beasts and potentially a worthy ally of yours. Say, was your old leader selected because he was the host of such a monster? Or did he have other skills to be spoken much of, and did not rely on the beast to prove his strength instead?”

Hysterio paused, to allow the Tenkage time to speak, and partially because he was half concentrating on moving blocks of dirt without using his hands to manipulate the hand seals. He liked learning jutsu like this over again, each time there was a new intricacy to learn and study, a new complication or problem to unravel. In the end he still gained, as his skills in using a particular jutsu would have increased, significantly, giving himself an edge over any who had not. Of course, anything could happen in combat, but still, there worse things to be doing. He knew one of his old classmates had turned to the three shinobi vices outlined by a Sannin of Konohagakure long ago, a certain Jiraiya. Ironically, said Jiraiya had been prone to those vices, in particular women, and gambling. How he had become so strong Hysterio was not sure, the Sannin of Konohagakure being one of the original three from whom the name originated. Hysterio remembered the title had actually been bestowed upon them by someone else but he could not remember truly.

Something else occurred to him. “Lord Tenkage, if you wish to recreate Kirigakure, will you be hunting down the legendary blades of that group, the 7 Swordsmen of the Mist or such, I believe? If not, I think there are capable swordsmiths and fighters to utilize their services effectively who might otherwise form the backbone should you wish to recreate it. It is just a thought that occurred to me, I was reminded of that group after my thoughts strayed to a warrior from the past I had studied long ago before when I was studying academics, not how to kill the enemy. Speaking of Kirigakure, should I call you the Tenkage still? Or would you prefer the Mizukage title instead, if not something else entirely?”

Hysterio finished speaking, unsure of how the Tenkage might take all this.

It was then that another seemed to be approaching from a distance, the sounds of destruction approaching. Hysterio turned to look, as a person crouched in the distance, a glowing aura of sorts visible around them. The other, third person, leaped into the air, and used his fist to destroy an archway that he was otherwise about to contact with his body. The ground cracked, forming a crater under his body, this new male seeming to enjoy the sensations of the destruction. Hysterio noted that the ground seemed to be cracking, being more repulsed by the aura around the other male, than his weight or strength, as otherwise the ground would have cratered only around the other male’s feet, instead. Interestingly enough, it seemed the aura was solid though transparent, as falling debris never managed to touch the smiling male, who spoke to the Tenkage in a rather relaxed manner.

Hysterio turned to the Tenkage and said “I would guess this is also one of your operatives if he is so relaxed around you. Perhaps one of your top men? A Sannin perhaps? Those of the Anbu I get the impression tend to take a much different tone.”

Turning back towards the new arrival, Hysterio said “Hello, I am Hysterio, currently a genin of, well, the remains of Tengakure. May I make your acquantaince?"

*****
(total word count: 2013+812=2825
2,000 towards mastering Gale Palm
the rest towards mastering Moving Earth Core)

The thunderous sounds of crashing behind Xyxer seemed to inspire something deep inside of him.. His heart beats became more erratic and his primal drive was slowly being awakened. Of course, it was not difficult for anybody that had even heard of Xyxer to know that he was more in tune with his primal side than anybody currently worthy nothing, after all, he was one of the few people in the world that would torture a person without any true goal in mind. He could barely even recall why he had tortured the poor boy known as Tatsuya Nara, in fact, his torture on him could be seen as quite.. excessive. A mere genin to be castrated just because Xyxer wished to elaborate that he did not take kindly to a missing ninja using his village as a hiding place for the meek or his child sex ring. It was quite queer, really, how Xyxer had became so desensitized to all of the horror in the world.. Perhaps.. he was the greatest source of horror? Who would people fear to hear the name of the most.. The merciful god that will end your suffering, or the empty sadist that will prolong it? Ensnared by his own thoughts on himself, one side of him was conversing with the other as had happened so often before. The good side of Xyxer, Atlas, had slowly became less prominent, the lusting for Xyxer deep down.. the hungering for the infliction of pain was something that could not be controlled. Xyxer had never lied though, he had never professed that he was a good person or that he was doing it in the name of good. He wanted people to experience the same trauma he had felt, he wanted to relish as their normally menial lives took a turn and flung itself directly off from a cliff, either to be dashed by the grizzled rocks beneath or fodder for the sharks that scoured the ocean endlessly for the prey that was foolish enough to not run from them. Perhaps.. it could even be said, that Xyxer gave a reason for them to prolong their own suffering? Maybe they were not put in this world to be their own people, to have their own destiny and legacy.. Mayhaps this world was forged for the Wrath of Tengakure.. the Demon of Kirigakure.

Now trapped inside of his own mind, the eyes of Xyxer opened wearily and he surveyed the area with his cyan eyes.. It was a gloomy place. No matter where you looked, there always seemed to be something moving in the corners of your vision.. baiting your attention so that something else could continue to writhe around in the dark like a wounded animal. Was this the thing he had observed all of those days ago in Tengakure? When the very heavens themselves seemed to have become corrupted with the tendrils of the abyss raging across the very land in an effort to inspire dread along everyone.. But nobody else had even witnessed it, only himself.. Even some of the people appeared to have been monsters that had been belched from the stomach of the underworld, blending in with the usual citizens as if there was nothing wrong.. That was the day that Xyxer had understood what the world truly was. It was a battle between the meek and the strong.. The wolves of the world could blend in with the sheep before they reaped their bloody rewards.. And like fuck was Xyxer going to allow himself to submit to any power that now considered themselves above him. The death of Sameonna Hoshigaki had undone the leash that she had binded his neck with, and now, he was just as much a threat to everyone and anyone as he was to himself. He did not think ahead, he lived in the moment.. These tendrils were really starting to irk him as they continued to swarm around just outside of his vision, leaving him wondering if they were truly even there or whether his mind was playing tricks on him, as he was in his mind. Throwing his body down into the darkness, he landed in a seated position with his back unsupported by anything, alone in the darkness with the creatures around him remaining mysterious, perhaps.. they themselves were afraid of him? Did the visage of this real life monster inspire so much dread that even his own mind could not cope with the horrors that it could inflict? It was not long after that thought that something strange happened.. The back of Xyxer was supported. Something was pressing gently against his back to give him something to rest upon, but it felt.. alive. Wriggling. Moist.. Turning around in his unconscience, his head caught glimpse of writhing appendages just behind him, fighting to please their master in hopes that he would break no further. Intrigued, the body of Xyxer would move to stand up, his hand moving down into the darkness to press against the flesh in order to exert a force to send himself upwards, but as soon as both of his hands had left the floor and his butt was up, he seemed to.. spiral into the abyss. His thoughts flew everywhere much like his body, and soon he was in another situation.. The one was a situation he could recall quite clearly. It was a torture, and he was witnessing himself execute it. The person that it was being performed on was blurry.. as if they were not truly there, a phantom if you will. But the motions that were being performed were cemented in Xyxer's mind and he knew what the intent was, even if he could not see what the results would be.. It was a brutal procedure, but his belly did not turn nor did his eyes avert themselves. This was what the strong would have to do in order to prevail in this world of dirt and shit. Everybody.. was a liar. Shinji Uzumaki had betrayed his trust, he had valued the life of a singular citizen of his village over the life of the greatest Kirigakure shinobi to ever exist.. and for that he had earned the loathing of Xyxer Hozuki. He would definitely have to be placed on his cross.. He would rue the day that he had thought it fit to murder such an inspiring soul. But.. it was then that something weird had occurred.. the person on the cross was more visible now.. they had blonde hair in a ponytail.. they looked an awful lot like Sameonna come to think of it, and the actions of Xyxer still did not falter.. he was butchering her despite her protesting screams and still no feeling was wrenched from the body of the executioner.. this was all that had to be done.. no matter who would need to be tortured, he would get his way.

A slight shiver forced itself down the body of Xyxer as he realised truly the extent of his helplessness.. He truly was going to become a monster that would leave a scar on the face of the world if left unhindered. The face of the girl soon distorted itself once more along with her shape, becoming larger, the hair became white and shorter.. This was where the  boy now had difficulty understanding whom it was.. you see, it was an awful lot like looking in a mirror, watching himself torture.. himself. But, it was not just limited to him.. there was another person in his village, perhaps the closest person he had ever had to himself, they were even told often they looked like identical twins, something the two had cherished and made light of every situation they could.. And yet Xyxer was torturing this person.. whether it was himself or Kenchi he could not discern himself, but he watched in a morbid fascination as the same movements were repeated. Was this a sign that Xyxer was self destructive and would ultimately harm anybody close to himself when he finally exploded? Was it a sign that he was not to be trusted and that he was only in this world to exploit the pain of others.. friendships and allies all meaningless to him? An apex predator? Turning his face away from the torturing eventually, he found himself falling through the ages once more until he ended up back in his mind, sitting once more with his knees pulled into his chest and his arms wrapped loosely around them much like a bored child, the tentacles had remained at his back and were keeping him propped up.. emitting a sort of.. energy. Xyxer knew himself that this was quite powerful.. Anything in his mind was powerful, that was just proven by how he had just tortured the people he had considered dearest inside of it.. Maybe.. he truly was broken beyond redemption.

"Perhaps.. Xyxer.. The answers to your existance lie elsewhere? The road you have placed yourself upon is still going to produce a cross road, child, and then you will be able to choose a new option in your life.. Will you remain a terror upon all in the world.. The monster that mothers warn their darling babies about .. The creature that kids fear waiting under their bed, ready for their mother to abandon them in the darkness so that you can snatch them up.. Or will you become a beacon of hope? Do you wish to be seen as a hero that will protect people.. Your future is not yet determined, Xyxer. You can do a lot of things to alter what will become of it and what, in turn, will become of you. Will you be the boogeyman or will you be known as the saviour. Death comes for us all, ultimately, Xyxer. You would do well to remember that." A strange voice had erupted from the darkness, it seemed to be all around him.. What it had said was true, however.. death did come for us all in the end.. did he truly wish to waste his life on becoming something.. good? Why would he indulge others pleasures instead of his own?.. Intrigued by the new voice, he spoke out himself, "You speak well and in good format.. Who are you, or would it be more accurate to ask.. what?" He looked around his person once more, now accustomed to the writhing of the appendages that supported his back, sure, they were queer, but they were quite nice as they had not abandoned his back.. support was always nice. There was an absence of an answer for what seemed like an eternity before the voice rumbled once more, erupting from every wall in the room at once, "You know fully well who I am, or what I could be.. That contract you picked up, Xyxer.. you know it holds great power, and we both felt an energy.. a synergy when you dabbed your blood onto it. Unlock it's power, and use the creatures within to further your own goals.. They live to serve you, and you must utilise them. It is what a good leader would do.. utilise your pawns until their life finally develops a meaning for somebody." He continued to listen to the worlds of the creature, the scroll now nestled in his palm and he turned it over idly.. There was a sudden flash in the world he was in and a memory flashed thunderously through his mind. He was seven years old, and a great anger had overtaken him.. He punched a wall. Not just once, mind you, he was doing it over and over, as if he was a boxer that had just lost his rage.. Blood was soon dripping from his greatly damaged knuckles. He was not screaming, however.. this was a silent rage. And, just as soon as the event had happened, it was over.. Once again Xyxer was sitting in the empty darkness, holding the summoning contract that had already been signed.. It was time, it appeared.. Closing his eyes, he beckoned the darkness to cloak himself once more and he was back in the real world, unsure of what the two had said but he noticed that Takeo was now here.. Standingw ith the contract scroll firmly in his hand, he nodded a little and he looked between the two, speaking briefly, "Takeo, if you will escort Hysterio with you onto the sea.. I'll find you guys there, I have to.. find something. It will not take long, I assure you." And with that Xyxer would depart from the area, somewhat confused himself about what was happening and what he was going to achieve, but he was going to do something dammit.

[Exit]
[2132]
[3320/5000 Kraken]
Squids contract signed nd sht

5320/200 = 27 AP gained

His arrival was noted by at least one of the people there. Xyxer seemed somewhat off, perhaps he was not feeling well. Takeo didn't put much thought into the reasons, he didn't care enough to. Apparently the stranger was called Hysterio? The name brought a frown to Takeo's face, it was quite a strange one. Boy was likely a foreigner. The words of the boy did nothing to increase his view of him, questioning if he was an operative of Xyxer. How easy would it be for him to shift his foot slightly into a pebble beside him. It was a very tempting thing to do. The rock propelling itself at vast speeds sent by the power of One Way Road. Shooting through the air so fast that it would be untraceable by the boy who seemed to like asking questions. Slamming through his teeth as he was in the midst of asking who he was. The imagery was fairly amusing, though not enough to make him laugh. Alas he was in too bad of a mood right now. He was not a babysitter after all. The boy's voice annoyed him anyway, it reminded him much of someone running their nails against a chalkboard. So it wouldn't even be fun for Takeo to slowly cut off the boy's limbs, he would only have the put up with the torture of hearing the cries of pain.

Maybe he would cut out his tongue first then? He was sure that at least that way it would stop him from talking. Sewing his mouth shut was also an option, though Takeo quickly dismissed it after remembering he didn't carry anything that he could sew with. He'd have to remember it for next time. He turned away from the ruins and began to walk, having been out of the village a few times he knew the general direction of the ocean. He had no idea why he was going there though. "I'm the Tenkage, if I hear your voice at any point after this I'll cut out your tongue." He called back towards the boy with the annoying voice, what was his name again? Mysterio? Close enough.

[Exit]

724 towards The Fear

+3 AP

Hysterio listened as the other two, the man he knew to be the Tenkage, and the new arrival, each spoke. Xyxer needed to leave for something and said to meet him by the sea, it seemed, and Hysterio would comply. It seemed Xyxer, the Tenkage, was heavily distracted by something, as he appeared to not have heard anything Hysterio said. Not that he minded, the boss might have had a stance similar to that of the other, who introduced himself as the Tenkage. Perhaps he was a former leader, since as far as Hysterio knew, Xyxer was the Tenkage, or maybe they were coleaders. At any rate, it seemed this other fellow did not take kindly to Hysterio’s chatter and wanted him to shut up. Hysterio had nothing else to say anyway, certainly to not a man who preferred silence. He could see the other older boy’s face showing his intense dislike of Hysterio, hopefully they did not start fighting soon, that would be annoying to say the least. The other mentioned himself as Tenkage and offered to cut out Hysterio’s tongue for him if he spoke around him, Hysterio decided that perhaps learning the medical arts would not be such a bad idea at all, as then it would hardly matter. He thought over what he had previously said and decided to just not speak to people in general unless it was necessary, this including being polite, unless it was a purely social point.

There appeared to be much he needed to learn still about the ninja world, such as that ninjas tended to have shorter tempers, and it would actually matter, to the people around him. Most of his teachers from before, he was far stronger than now, but he could hardly say the same for those in the upper ranks above him. If anything, those guys obliterated villages for fun, yeah, the self-proclaimed Tenkage seemed to be easily destroying the village around him without being harmed at all. It looked like the aura or whatever extended up to 2 feet from his body, judging from when the ground had cracked beneath his feet when he landed. Hysterio wondered how he would do if he were to try fighting the man, unlike most genin he knew multiple methods of movement at high speeds, perhaps he would be lucky and be able to take him down later, if necessary. He would ask the man he knew to be Tenkage about the other ninja’s status, as he did not refute the other, self proclaimed Tenkage’s claim, and if anything trusted him fairly wholly it seemed. Maybe he would be good for a sparring match later as well, but for now Hysterio would avoid a direct conflict, seeing as he had no strong means of offensive presence besides the Genjutsu: Yuumei Shibari technique. While that was strong, it would likely not help him much with whatever that aura was that the self proclaimed Tenkage had, that kept debris from hitting him at all, launching that which he connected his body to how ever temporarily. Perhaps he would be able to learn that technique later.

For now the most pressing issue was to become stronger and surpass his masters, then he would be able to control his destiny much better, and perhaps he could tutor some of the other ninjas formerly of Tengakure, in manners. He relished the thought, as he began walking towards the sea, taking a slightly different route from the other ninja, that was more direct, he still remembered where the sea was relative to the village from his geography classes not so long ago….

(exit to the Tenga borders I guess)
*****
(total word count: 2825+606=3431
claiming:
2,000 towards mastering Gale Palm
1000 towards mastering Moving Earth Core
+17 stats

Approved.