Welcoming Old Friends [P, Tatsuya, Kasai]

Kasai listened to both Tatsuya's reply, and then Jason's response. He had expected something along these lines. He knew that his actions were controversial, but in his mind, he knew he had done right, and ultimately, that was what mattered to him. As for staying at the Chuunin rank, that did not bother him. He had been a Genin from the age of twelve, to the age of an adult, and now had the Chuunin rank for well over a year, maybe two. Rank was a word; the fire was the power. It would tell his enemies how deadly he was, not the next title. 

"I understand," was Kasai's only response, his face remaining emotionless. He did understand, although he may disagree. Anyone who knew about the demon Youka would be cautious, and with good reason. All the more reason to have distrust with someone who, after being captured and damaged by that man, continued to maintain contact. It was strange, Kasai knew, but he had his reasons, and he had spoken them.

He would wait to see if Tatsuya had anything else to say. If not, then he would remain, as Jason requested. He wondered what Jason wanted to talk with him about. A middle man for relations with Kumogakure? Certainly not. If he was retaining Kasai at Chuunin rank, then it would not be to eliminate the Kokuan. He supposed he would have to wait.

When the discussion seemed to be coming to a close Tatsuya speaks. 

"Well I will be making my leave now, I have some things attended to, unless there is anything else." Tatsuya says with a guided smile as he then try to hide an iratated red mark on his right forearm.  

"I will be keeping my eyes and feet open to any unusuall activity as well once you have figured out a plan of action then I am of course fully willing to take part."

Tatsuya bows to both Jason and Kasai,"Thank you."

Tatsuay leaves the chambers in a bit of a hurry as final pieces come into mind. 

[Exit]

Jason would not say anything else concerning Kokuan. In fact Jason would not say anything else at all for a few minutes. Kasai's only words would be "I understand." Jason would nod at Kasai before Tatsuya spoke. Everything that had transpired was swirling in Jason's mind. He was still working on how to handle their situation with the Kokuan. No matter what he decided one thing was certain, he would not allow them to remain in the Hidden Leaf. 

Tatsuya would say that he was taking his leave unless Jason needed anything else from him. Jason would merely nod at Tatsuya to show it was ok for him to go. Before leaving, Tatsuya would tell Jason that he would keep his eyes open for any unusual activity and that when the time came that Jason finally made a decision he would follow it. Jason watched as Tatsuya would leave and Kasai had stayed behind, as Jason had asked him to. 

Now things were a bit more complicated. Kasai's desertion of the village and communications with the Demon put Jason in a difficult situation. The Will of Fire was stronger in Kasai than any other ninja within Konoha as far as Jason could tell. Even though Kasai had left with plans to attack the village, he meant it to make the ninja of the village, no the village as a whole, stronger than it had ever been. He was willing to work with the Demon Priest who had kidnapped and tortured him. He was willing, and even planning, to die for the benefit of the village. Jason knew this, which was why he was coming to the decision he had made. Kasai would make a good leader. A good sword and shield for the village. A good ANBU captain. 

"Kasai. I understand what you have done, even if I don't agree with it. There is a reason for me asking you to stay behind after Tatsuya. The Will of Fire is stronger in you than I have seen in anyone else in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. You were willing to die for the benefit of the village. No. You were actually planning to die for it's benefit. I think you would be able to help the village even more if you remain alive. This is why, despite your......leaving.....the village and talking with the Demon Priest, I have chosen you to undergo training to become an ANBU squad captain."

(Thank you Aki!)

Kasai paused when Jason had spoken, after Tatsuya made his leave. That was not at all what he had been expecting. Some punishment, or a side of thanks, perhaps, but not second in command, and head of the elite force. 

His eyes met Jason's for a moment, before looking away and pausing. Many thoughts came through his mind, but two prevailed. The village would need this. Of course it did. They had not had an effective ANBU captain since... Well, since he had been an academy student in this village. The changes he could make... The things he could do. It would be close to the level of his plan. It would be effective indeed.

However, the training. Jason had seemed to have made a point to mention it, and Kasai had, of course, heard rumors of what that would entail. If it were true... Half of him would decline, and the other half would accept with regret. Looking back to Jason momentarily, he knew that to understand, Kasai would have to voice his concerns. 

"I must admit, this was most... unexpected, and it is with honor that I hear this news," Kasai said, ensuring to never say that he accepted. He sighed deeply, flicking his eyes to the ground, thinking of a proper response, before looking back up to Jason. "However... Before I begin to consider this, there is something that you must consider by asking this of me. 

"I have heard... rumors," Kasai said, his voice low and serious, his vision unwavering. "Of the training you mention. The goal to break one, and then rebuild them; to craft the perfect soldier. One unwavering in their resolve, and the ultimate weapon for a Kage. Stronger than any other Shinobi in the land," Kasai said, looking at Jason, the fire in his eyes seeming to intensify. "Without emotion," he said, with emphasis on these two words.

"I understand the benefits of having one who would listen and obey, executing orders with extreme efficiency, and without a doubt. However, if there are no feelings behind the body; they will never truly succeed. They will kill, and hunt, eliminating an opponent without difficulty, but without an understanding of what they have done, or why, the task will never be completed," Kasai paused. He knew that he was not explaining in the way he could be. There was a very valuable point he was trying to get across. Echo had been the previous Hokage. From what Kasai understood, he had been the one to change the ANBU. However, Kasai disagreed with these methods on many levels.

"If there was a fire that burned without any discernible fuel -wavering, and sparking, growing and falling- yet it stayed light forever; the fuel would be within it. Something so deep that none would be able to understand, except for the fire alone. It would fascinate others, it would inspire them, and for some, it would burn them; as fire always done when one comes too close. 


"Yet, there would be those who sought to understand the fire, by nature. It is curiosities way. Perhaps they sought to make another. If, to do this, they tried to separate the fire, and break it into pieces, the outcome would be most disappointing. 


"You see," Kasai said, thinking through what he was saying. It was not meant to be childish at all, but in a way, a warning. He knew that the ANBU training was meant to break one; but in reality, Kasai was already broken. One should never push those who were recovering from insanity too far, or fear that the voices come back. "There is only one way to break down a fire; that is to put it out.


"Yet, with a fire that has no external fuel, when a bucket of water is poured on it, what will happen? Will it become extinguished forever, never to be re-light? Will it remain completely unaffected, and continue to burn forever? Will the water act in reverse, and cause the fire to grow exponentially, and consume all there is?" Kasai paused again there. He looked at the ground once more, and then to Jason. 

"I ask you," he said, his voice once again calm, and relaxed. "Because I do not know the answer."


"I understand that the ANBU training is designed to destroy what a person is, and then rebuild them," Kasai said, looking Jason in the eyes once more. "But if you seek to do this to me; I warn you: I do not know the outcome, for I have already been destroyed beyond what most can imagine.


"At the age of fifteen, I was forced to look my companion, and best friend -another Genin of the Leaf village- in the eyes, and then kill him. I watched my friends be tortured beyond imagination, and then endure the same. I watched parts of the body which were never meant to be touched, removed violently as the man laughed, and then healed it in place, only to do it again. 


"I was forced to kill near one hundred innocent civilians, and then be killed myself," Kasai said, still emotionless. "And I can confirm; I did die underneath the rubble of Iwagakure. What stands before you now is the essence of fire that escaped that tainted body which was crushed to death. My very name means "a soldier of a dangerous fire" -Kasai Senshi-.


"It was the flame that brought forth a life force within me, and it is that flame which drives me on. I am only just now beginning to understand it," Kasai said, and then paused once more. "I know now that the flame which I speak of is the second half of what our village was founded off of; The Will of Fire. And it is that fire which causes me to breath.

"But even I do not know what will happen if that flame is broken."

He said this with truth, and no malicious intent. It was sincere, and he meant every word. The torture that Xyxer and Youka had put him through had destroyed him, and all that remained was the element of Fire. It drove him on, called him to where he had to go, and made him live in this village. The flame was strongest here, and he could feel it. It was the foundation of this village, and he was merely a servant of it.

However, if in the training, this flame was sought to be extracted from Kasai... That was the part where Kasai had lied. Because he knew that there was only two outcomes. If this flame was extracted, Kasai would either lose every last inch of sanity, and search left and right for the flame again, killing any and all who sought to stop him. Or he would die, instantly, and on the spot.

"If you understand what I have said," Kasai told Jason. "Then I accept, and will allow myself to become subject to this training," he said, looking into his friend's eyes. "Break my body, break my mind, if it necessary; but I ask you one thing. Do not touch The Fire."

Jason watched as Kasai would pause, most likely taken by surprise, after hearing what Jason had to say. Their eyes met for a moment before Kasai had said that this was unexpected and with honor that he hears this news. Jason noted that he refrained from saying he accepted. He seemed hesitant for some reason. When Kasai spoke next after another brief pause Jason's suspicions were confirmed. Jason listened as Kasai said what he had to say.

It began with Kasai saying he had heard rumors about the training. That the training was meant to break you, reshape you and turn you into the perfect soldier. "Without emotion." were the words that Kasai had used, and emphasized them with his tone to make it abundantly clear he disagreed. Still, Jason listened. He listened as Kasai told Jason that in his opinion a true shinobi without emotion would of course excel at his job, completing any task set to him by the Hokage. But the shinobi would never understand why the job was to be completed, and perhaps even choose the job over his comrades. This point Jason knew well. He had had the same worries before he went through the training that Kasai was about to start.

Kasai was not finished quite yet. Jason would continue to sit there with his solemn look on his face, intently listening to what the Chuunin had to say. Kasai would continue to speak, this time about the fire. Jason knew what that fire was that Kasai was talking about. It could only be the Will of Fire. The one thing that kept Kasai going, the one thing that made Jason consider him for the position of ANBU captain in the first place. Jason smiled. He waited until Kasai would finish what turned out to be a warning before speaking.

"The Will of Fire is in fact strong with you. It is part of the reason I have chosen you for this position. The training is difficult. It will break your mind and break your body. It will reshape them and teach you things required to be an ANBU of Konohagakure. I was worried about these things too, before I went through the same training. I know now that my fear was for naught. Here I am, sitting before you as Hokage of the Hidden Leaf, and I can tell you that it will be hell. I will not lie. It will certainly be hell. Brennar will be training you and he is good at his job. But he will not touch the Fire that you speak of. Kasai I know you can make it through this. If I wasn't confident I would not have chosen you. You have strength that even you still do not see. Tatsuya sees it. Risako surely sees it. And of course I see it too. You are by far the best choice for this position and one of the very few people I have complete faith will complete this training with flying colors. This is why, even with your warning, I am still choosing you for ANBU training."

Jason paused now, looking straight into the swirling flames that were Kasai's eyes. A smile rested gently upon Jason's face as he spoke. He had meant every word of it. He was going to put Kasai through hell, but he knew Kasai would make it through. "You will meet with Brennar in a few days time. He will send for you so you know where to go. I believe in you. Have faith in me and yourself. For now, enjoy your time back in the village before your training begins. You must never tell ANYONE of this training. Not even Tatsuya. No one must know you are ANBU or training to become ANBU. If you understand and there is nothing else, you are free to go."

"I understand," Kasai replied. As Jason said, there was nothing to say. He had already died once; this second life he lived was only for the village. If what was about to happen was necessary for the village, then it was not a choice. His life was now for the village, because he had nothing else. 

Even if all other life he knew were to die, the fire would remain. 

The fire would always remain. 

(Exit. Don't think I can make any claims for this topic, so I won't)

(oh, yay, thank you! In that case, TWC= 3439, requesting 1,700 ryo)