Dousing Fire with Kerosene ~P, NK, IO~

Altar was sitting at the erected monument of the 'Mizukage' one Xyxer Gyojin. Sitting here, Altar was gazing at the monument and wondering just how the man was holding up. The last he had heard from him was when the fight had happened. And that was begging for trouble. It had, in retrespect, been a stupid idea. Xyxer could've easily killed them both. But the man had asked him to perform a task Altar saw as impossible. he couldn't hurt someone he loved. Not intentionally. Not again.

Looking to his hands, Altar would briefly wonder if the feeling of blood ever went or washed away. He had had no luck thus far.

Looking back to the monument, shrouded in the mist, Altar would think more profoundly on the man he called his leader, his Kage. He was supposed to blindly follow the man, like a puppet on a single string. But that felt much too...binary for Altar. He would serve Xyxer, yes. But he wanted his input valued. He didn't wish to march on a suicide mission. He didn't wish to lead a simple charge against those the man declared as enemies. Instead, Altar sought tactics and strategy. Altar wanted to aid the bloodthirsty man in endeavors such as that. He wanted to be of use, not simply be used.

But he knew this purpose was lost on Xyxer. He was a man of war, of blood and guts, torture and suffering. He sought only those with no free will. Or those he figured had wills he could break. And perhaps, under his recent duress, that was Altar. Could a simple moment of stress and weakness break him? Perhaps.

Sitting there contemplating this, Altar would keep shifting his gaze between his hands, and the statue.

And so it was that the former Wrath of Tengakure wandered through a village he had conquered alone, no blood shed. It astounded the demon that he had been able to suppress his urges.. inclinations to inflict grievous harm onto another living, breathing creature. If all was as it should have been, Xyxer would have gutted every other villager in Shimagakure before he had decided to conquer it.. so what had loosened the fist that clenched the heart of Shima.. What had caused him to instead nurture it's essence? Surely, it couldn't be purely for Kirigakure.. Although it was a lot like his native village, it was not the same, and it never would be the same. Shifting his eyes from the ground to look up, he saw a familiar figure standing before the monument of himself.. There was a brief pause as he looked at the monument himself, pondering on his own ego.. Did the other Kage deserve a tribute too? Did the one that caused all of this to happen.. that mad spiral of events that Xyxer had found himself unable to leap from. A small smile came upon his features at the idea of that.. A tribute to the dead. He could always honour her memory.. A statue placed by.. a demon. A frown sullied his expression as he knew the implications.. She'd be seen as equally terrifying and monstrous.. Nobody would see her as the beacon of hope he had been for the psychotic ANBU in Kirigakure No Sato.. Only a monster could worship something equally as hallowing, after all..

Looking back towards the boy that was standing before the statue, he knew why he looked familiar.. that was him. The old him. His white hair drifting deliriously about in the air of Kirigakure, a calm, collected expression.. One that, if it was truly Xyxer, was plotting something behind the scenes. In his hand he held the beautiful visage of Sameonna, who quickly transitioned into Youta before a reversion happened to allow Xyxer's mentality to release some stress. They smiled at each other, a look that signaled everything would be alright. He knew that he'd die for her, after all, he had refused Xyxer's orders.. and that was when it happened, Xyxer's mentality allowed him to see that this was all simply an illusion. The image of Altar holding the hand of Youta faded out in the measure of heartbeats as Xyxer began smashing the face of Sameonna into the obsidian monument, staining the sleek black material with the glossy red that was her blood, and it continued until Xyxer could see.. grey matter.

Snapping from the daydream, or daymare.. he was unsure on what to classify it, he looked back at the true image. Altar standing before the monument of himself. The boy he had once tried to force to maim his girlfriend, but had refused. The boy who had jumped off of a building for him on his command. Walking over to him slowly, the psychotic break quickly evaporated from the conscious memory of Xyxer as words flew from his mouth like a dove on cocaine, "How are you finding the new village, Altar? And of course, let's not forget the marvelous statue."

Altar was well aware of the presence. The man gave off such a foreboding energy it was nearly damn impossible to miss him.  Then again, Altar had been enshrined in that very energy in his early years, then subjected to it when he grew to be pseudo friends with Xyxer. Of course, what surprised Altar was that it seemed to calm and dissipate, almost as if the man was only half there. Perhaps his mind had gone to another place. 

Altar would turn to greet Xyxer as he spoke, questioning him about the village. And, of course, the grand monument that stood before the two of them.

"Well, the village is well enough. It doesn't hold the grandoise and awe-inspiring things Tengakure had, but it is quaint at heart, and frightful at surface. The mist must remind you of home, and I myself enjoy it quite a bit. It enforces secrecy and instills fear. Just what those of this village should do. As for the monument, it's...there, to be sure. Though i'm not sure whether it's purpose is to inspire awe or enforce fear. Either way, it's surely a nice monument to a demon of a man. And that should be what you want the people to see, right? The demon of the man and not the man of the demon." Altar would say, his words about the monument becoming short and clipped.

"How are YOU enjoying this place, Xyxer? I can imagine there are goods and bads about it. And speaking of goods and bads, what have you been up too since we last met?" he would continue, his speech growing less formal and more friendly as he spoke. He regarded Xyxer as a friend and was sure the man wouldn't truly mind, but he'd need to be wary. He was spontaneous.

He smirked at the response of Altar, looking up at the statue himself, a few conversations with Takeo and his silly quest to find the meaning of all names or some other equally equally pointless adventure. "They'll gaze upon the shrine and they'll see what they want to see. Those who want to see a demon will have no problem envisioning it as a shrine to the underworld, nor will those whom wish to see it as a shrine to a new beginning. Statues only hold true meaning in the eyes of the beholder, much like beauty." He paused for a moment after finishing that short dialogue, listening further to what Altar had to say. It was amusing to say the least, the boy seemed to have put the bad part of their past behind them, simply forgetting it, or at the very least, not bearing a visible grudge.. Although the knife in the back was always a lot deadlier than the sword from the front.

"I'm unsure as to whether you saw, but I decapitated the former Tenkage Denkiteki.. He did not perish from his wounds, he regenerated which is irksome. Shinji will be my next target, no doubt." Was his vindication against Shinji truly the fault of the man he had once considered a friend? Holding an S-Rank shinobi as a prisoner would have been hard, of course.. Shaking those thoughts from his mind once more, he shrugged a little, "I've gone about a few promotions and testing the shinobi to see whether they're worthy of the mantle of being born of mist. I do enjoy the village myself, it is as it should be. The crime rates are low, the imports are much more luxurious than that of old Kirigakure, although that can also be a double-edged sword since it will allow the wills of my men and women to become weak." A small smile came to his features, perhaps subconsciously by Atlas, as he spoke the next few words, "I see hope in the new recruits, typhoons of power that'll not only carry on the will of Kirigakure, but drown it's enemies in it's barrage." The mental image of his army excited him a little, he had to be honest. He had been born and bred for war and inflictions of extraordinary pain.. could he make lesser versions of himself? Perhaps he could shave off the truly bad parts of himself, but pass on his greatest aspects.. but would they consider those aspects to be equally as compelling to have? "How about you, Altar? How have your days been?"

Altar would listen to Xyxer's answers, surprised to hear he was still going after the two previous Tenkage. Perhaps he held some form if old world grudge against them. Or maybe it was simply to prove a point. Of course, Altar had never met either previous kage, so he held no opinion of them and, at the moment, could've cared less if they were to live or die. However, to hear that someone had such regeneration to survive decapitation was surprising and somewhat awe-inspiring. It reminded him of Haru, and the regenerative abilities he possessed. Perhaps when he next saw him, he'd need to inquire further about that.

When Altar heard the words promotion and worthy, he would perk slightly. He had always been adamant about attempting to prove himself. Perhaps Xyxer would set forth a task for him that would allow him to progress on his path. Though he didn't fully believe in living and dying by the blade, he would still fight for Kirigakure until his closest to last breath. That may be something to ask about, he'd need to keep that locked away in his mind for the time being. As Xyxer spoke it, it seemed that the new Kirigakure was prospering as much, if not more, than expected. The business end was succesful, and Xyxer seemed pleased with the military force the village possessed.

"It's good to hear the village is prosperous and strong as it grows. My days so far have been relatively calm. A few spikes in action, a few spars here and there, but nothing truly endangering. Not yet, anyways. Though, I would like to know what you mean by such promise in the new recruits, and how you deem people worthy, how you've been handing down your promotions. I'm always curious and one to prove myself if able, as you probably know. And i'd like to know whether you deem me worthy of adopting said title, and being born of the mist, as you said." Altar would say, turning to the man, a grin on his face. Images of the day he had jumped off the building for this man flashed across his mind.

"As you know, Altar, I like dedication in all of it's forms. The ability to push one's body through unimaginable anguish to secure a mission, the ability to eliminate emotions from the equation of a battle that could turn the tide of war." He smirked a little before he said the next part, looking towards Altar instead of admiring his statue, "The ability to refuse an order that could almost certainly end in death to protect someone you care for deeply." He then allowed his eyes to trace back up the statue , admiring the craftsmanship once more, they truly captured his lifeless gaze. "To be of the Bloody Mist, you must contain traits the other villages forget with their newfound egos. Their years of war have softened them into morsels for us to devour.. To be of the bloody mist, you must rid yourself of cowardice. If an execution is required, it will be performed.  Bravery will be seen amongst the strongest of our shinobi, beacons of power and role models for the pups of Kirigakure to suckle up to and absorb their ways so they can pass down their own strengths to become ingrained within the village. The desire to make your new village.. your home not just a home.. not just a village.. but a feared sanctuary. To be of the bloody mist.." He paused a little once more, looking back at Altar as a smirk formed upon his lips at what he was about to say, "You must spill blood often. Comrades during spars, foes during war.. The other villages will see our shinobi, and even though they may outnumber us.." He looked back up to the statue, smirking at the sign that was before him, the one of a true Mizukage, "They will tremble, for they will know, a single one of my shinobi will be worth five times their own of the same rank." He smiled at the notion, nodding his head, "You can become one born of the mist, Altar, but you'll have to perform a task I set for you." This was the fun part, making a deal with the devil!

Altar would hear the man before him talk of the things necessary to become one true of Kirigakure. Perhaps Altar did fit in with those Xyxer would deem. Perhaps he'd be one to inspire the new age of the crimson stained mist, and maybe, just maybe, he could become somewhat of a right hand figure to Xyxer. Though, hearing the things the man said instilled a slight restlesness in Altar. He wasn't afraid. Fear was cowardice, cowardice was weakness. And he was anything but weak.

Of course, the restlesness only grew with his excitement and anticipation. Altar was one of sadism, he loved the suffering of his enemies and loathed the suffering of his allies, and if the scars that decorated his body beneath his clothes were any indication, he was a firm believer in suffering.

Altar's grin would only widen as he spoke. "Well, Xyxer, You know of my more wild sadistic side. Executions would be a simple joy for me. Put an enemy in front of me and i'll guarantee you they'll suffer more than they thought was possible. So, what is the task you wish of me?" The boy would say, figuring he had nothing to lose from making a wager with the man. He had already sold his soul to so many he had lost count. What was the harm in one more?

This truly was the fun part, the reactions of people.. His shinobi had to understand they must be pushed to their limits if they truly wished to gain the modicums of power that this village had over others. Turning his gaze from the obsidian once more to finally lay them upon the features of Altar, wondering how he'd take the next bit of news. "When Haru Hyuuga returns to the village, I will require you to assassinate him. You may not speak to him, and you will ignore his words. If you succeed, power that could never belong to one not of the mist will become yours. Do you accept the contract?"

Altar's eyes would open more, his brows raising in disbelief. For a snap second, the thought of simply killing Xyxer while he wasn't expecting it crossed his mind. But what would that really accomplish? Pretty much nothing, so he decided against it. Besides, the man was probably fastet and stronger than even Altar knew. "Ah...Haru? You...you want me to kill Haru? Can I ask why?" Altar would say, running a hand through his hair. Assuming he got an answer, Altar would search the ground at his feet for an answer.

Altar knew there was no possible way he could kill Haru. He didn't believe he was emotionally or even physically prepared for it. He knew the man could regenerate from lethal injuries. And he viewed the man as a close friend and a father figure. Asking him to kill him was almost as bad as asking him to harm Youta. Almost.

Perhaps there was some way to pull the wool over his eyes, make him believe he had killed him. But again, the task seemed impossible. The demon would find a way to see through the facade. [Color=Red] "You can't expect me to kill my best friend, Xyxer. Especially not when he's still of use to the village. Give me a name and i'll kill, by a means, but not those I owe loyalty to. And I owe a lot to that man."

Xyxer's smirk remained plastered upon his lips, his amusement surging throughout his very being at the boy's instant reaction to murdering his friend. See, Xyxer knew of course they they were friends, that was the whole point of the attack. Altar would not murder a loved one for the Mizukage.. now nor would he murder a simple friend? Of what use would a man like that be to the leader of the village if he did not dare push himself even in the slightest? His smirk narrowed itself out until his lips were simply pulled from one end of his face to the other, no emotion carried in his expressions any more. "There are reasons, and you do not need to worry yourself with them. You said you would execute for your village, but your mercy extends to friends? If you will not perform this deed, you are not worthy to be of a higher rank, Altar." He paused for a few seconds before ushering the next line, "I'm sure Haru would want you to become as powerful as you possibly can, even if he himself is a stepping stone in the scheme."