Casuistry (p,Aki)

"You know it is understandable." He would say after she had completely finished speaking. "All of it, I understand. It sounds like you did a good thing, though it could be viewed as selfish to some." He would add. It was true, while the prospect of having a monster sealed within some was bad, to those of a certain caliber, and questionable sanity, it was a shot at greater power than a regular shinobi. Maku's own desires were less than admirable on the matter though he kept those close to the chest for now.

"I wouldn't want to be sealed away...... I don't think I'd be at all a nice house guest, probably wreck the furniture and hide all the left socks for greater annoyance." He would say with a chuckle. Thinking about her problem he would simply add, "your safe to let the mon......the little rascal out here." He would open his arms and gesture at the realm of discord. "Can't really go anywhere, can't really hurt anyone or anything. Not here, not this far away." It was true, here apart from everything she knew there was no risk of anyone she cared about getting hurt, at least that was what he thought.

"If you worried about the restaurant I can take you to another room." He would give her a small wink. "I think I've said something long the lines of not holding things in before......I think this moment is highly relevant." He couldn't lie to himself, he was also intrested to see a bijuu' power. His encounter with Echo had been intresting, and now he had the opportunity to see the same thing again, only from a different entity. It sent a slight tingle down his spine to think about it, or was that just the drink and sparkling conversation......he couldn't be sure.

Standing he would put his hand outstretched towards her. "Come on, don't you trust me?"

Understandable, she supposed that was an accurate enough description of what she'd been going through lately. It didn't minimize the situation nor did it present it in a way that was overly disproportionate. And it was nice that someone understood. Akihana had kept the secret hugged close to her for months now and the sheer relief of telling another human being who wasn't Den or the original host made her feel lightheaded in a way that had nothing to do with the wine.

"You're lucky, you know," she commented, reaching for her glass a final time and, in a leap of courage, drained the remaining contents of it in one go. Making a face as she swallowed, the kunoichi broke out into a small giggle afterwords. "Or at least you would be if you truly do follow your own advice and keep nothing in," she explained once the giggles had subsided. "With me, its different, I was always told to keep things in, and now I do it by default even when I don't have to. Growing up, I was taught that thinking of yourself over someone else is unconscionable, and I guess I took the lesson to heart. But i don't regret it." The truths seem to come easier now that the weight was lifted off her shoulders.

His idea of trying to let Makona loose here had some merit. As Maku pointed out, there was no one she could hurt. "How about you? what if I hurt you though?" Her voice turned fearful for a moment at the thought, the distress clear on her face a the idea of something happening to her companion. Should he respond to her worries with enough conviction, Akihana would agree to be led of to another room. However if he replied in a way that left any doubt in the blonde's mind, she would refuse to let the bijuu take over. Some things were just not worth the risk.

Following in his wake, the kunoichi rose to her feet, albeit more unsteadily than he did, balance was always the first to go on the rare occasions she found herself inebriated and it showed as she stumbled slightly, reaching for his hand to steady herself. "I don't know why you still have to ask," she asked with an amused glint in her hazy golden eyes. "We jumped off the palace roof together once - that has to be the ultimate trust exercise no?"

At her concern on his behalf he let out a laugh that wasn't all the way on purpose. He had no fear of such a creature, no concern with his own safety, and not only his regular disregard. The creature would most likely be strong, formidable, but he doubted it would be at full strength while sealed away in Akihana. He doubted it could truly do anything at all to threaten his safety, or may he was simply growing arrogant. Whatever the case he recovered himself, and said "Akihanna, I think I'll be just fine. There are many things in this world that I'm scared will hurt me, splinters chief among them, but your bijuu well........I think the splinters are still on top.

This was the truth but he had said it for another reason. To antagonize the demon within the girl. He wanted it mad, wanted it to want to hurt him. He thought it would be good sport after all, there were so few games around here. If she consented he would lead her out of the restaurant to a small room. It acted as the entrance to discord, an antechamber. Here they would stand for a moment. A large door infront of them, that marked Maku's way into sanctuary. It resembled the stain glass door he so often used to enter discord, only grander. To their left a stairwell led down, which was to the home of the discord toads, and to their right where he would take her led to a large hallway.

"I must warn you, don't come up here without me. Discord is home to many pleasures, I wouldn't want you to loose yourself." He would say seriously. It was true, each door led to a place where ones senses where truly ensnared. Various sounds of a variety of sources would fill their ears as they walked through. Any humanly pleasure was represented, each door decorated to represent what was behind. Finally they came to a stop infront of an old oak door with moss growing around the bottom.

"This will do, the love of nature." Pushing it open they would appear in a large field. Bubbling brooks and wheeling willows dotted the landscape along with rolling hills. Mountains could just be seen in the distance as the sun shine down. A light breeze keeping one from ever feeling to warm. "This will do nicely I think, and I think this just might trump roof jumping, but we will find out." He would take several steps away from her, excited. "We'l just...........let go when your ready of course, if it's not scared to come say hello"

He wasn't sure how strong Akihana was compared to the beast, if the prospect of freedom would cause it to try harder to escape, if his goads where working, either way he stood eagerly to see the next chapter of what was to happen.

As she followed him out the restaurant, the kunoichi tried not to focus on the sounds coming out of the doors too much. According to him, they represented pleasures of all kinds, a concept that Akihana was familiar with in the same way a raindrop might be familiar with its own form in the brief moment it existed before exploding unto the first surface it met. Still, she supposed she could live with a place that ensnared those with pleasure rather than pain. If the point truly was incarceration, then it might do well to make the victim never realize they were imprisoned in the first place.

And still she tried her best to not intrude on the sounds that somehow seemed far too personal for her ears. The doors they passed were all closed and yet it seemed to the blonde that they would have been more private had they been thrown wide open. Different kinds of sounds, thoughts and emotions seem to leak out from behind each one and at the moment, she had no idea what to do with any of them, her own worry dominant at the task on hand. When they reached their destination, Akihana stepped cautiously into the room, from under the many stars of Hoshi into warm golden sunshine.

Akihana had never considered herself much of a nature lover. She spent time outdoors when she had to, sometimes for work and sometimes for fun. Her own existence had never been dotted with extremes, with love for material things that would make life harder to live in their absence. People yes, things, not so much. But even she could see why someone would fall in love with this place if they stayed long enough. Already she could feel herself relax, taking in the picturesque environment, wondering what it would be like to go running barefoot through the soft grass, rest under the shade of the trees, go swimming in the happy, bubbling brook nearby.

Maku’s voice jolted her from her reverie slightly, bringing her back to the here and now, concern replacing the brief expression of wonder and peace on her face as her golden eyes narrowed in worry. Maku may have been confident that nothing could hurt him but his confidence did not extend to her. Letting him move as far away as he wished, Akihana would then form the seals required for the shadow clone jutsu. The only one who could understand wanting to keep him out of harm’s way was herself, so the logical thing to do would be to leave a part of herself with him. She could have given a number of excuses, chief among them to be able to observe herself as she allowed the entity in her to take over but in the end, there was no need. As another Akihana formed beside her, the two simply nodded to each other before the clone moved away to stand beside Maku, a few feet between then. The original made her way to the brook, folding her frame neatly down to the ground with her legs crossed and her eyes closed. She had no idea how to do this but she supposed she might as well be seated If there was going to be a wait.

The wait wasn’t long.

Almost as soon as the blonde had settled down, the creature inside her rose, painfully twisting through her insides in its bid for freedom. Had Akihana ever doubted that Makona was aware of what was happening around it, the doubt was removed now as the beast’s memories and emotions surged inside her in a way that made her want to scream, keep screaming and never stop. Her body was frozen for a moment, frozen in all aspects. No breathing, no heartbeat, no thought.

And the moment stretched like an eternity as Makona struggled to get out of her prison, struggled to break the flimsy body holding it hostages and wreak havoc upon the world in revenge. The world would pay for what it had done to her. Everyone would pay, starting with this host.

Outwardly, Akihana’s hair would begin to rise above her, fanning out in a golden halo above her head as her body followed, floating a few inches up off the ground from the sheer force of chakra unleashed inside her. White hot waves of energy surrounded the medic, shooting sparks that turned into fireworks up into the sky, starting while and darkening to black, casting the angriest of storm clouds on the perfect day.

When her eyes opened next, they were no longer warm and golden, no longer hazy with alcohol and amusement and certainly no longer kind and understanding. The warn topaz was replaced with cold silver, and the small smirk that touched her lips was cruel.

“Time to play…”

(V2 cloak form, charging Bijuu bomb)

Maku watched as she made the shadow clone. A slight smirk gracing his lips as it walked to stand next to him as the real Akihana moved towards the brook. Inwardly, and outwardly he rolled his eyes. He knew Akihana well enough to think this was once again one of her attempts to keep him safe. Even as the clone came to stand a couple feet between them Maku delved his chakra into the pit of Discord. Wrapping it in his fingers, stretching it, manipulating it into what he needed and wanted it to be.

In this way he created an overlay. His powers prevented him from actually do anything to anyone, but the environment the very nature of the place was his. He had several hypothesis as to why this was, mostly involving the nature of the latent chakra aura around a person all the way to flux capacitor theories. In the end it didn't matter, means where averages but results made the money. The overlay transposed itself on the nature area, however it only actually absorbed the clone. Though no difference but a cold breeze would be felt to the clone, it would no longer be able to interact with the world around it. In its own dimensional space, it would merely be able to observe never interact. Should it try it would merely pass through the object. Looking toward her he would smile as the halo of hair began to form around the real Akihana. "Sorry love, but I said I wanted to play, and I don't play all that well with others. He would say with a wink.

Turning to give what he really wanted his full attention he could see the anguish on her face as the monster rose. She could say what she wanted but giving different names to things didn't change what they were. A monster was a monster, these creatures where monsters, he was a monster, and she wasn't. Simple as that. He felt his neck twist to the right, a familiar popping sound as it did. His own habits hard to break as he prepared to have some fun. His smile wider and wider as the monster clawed its way to fruition. He couldn't help it, this was his kind of game. Building sand castles at the tide line, just to see how long he could go before being swept away.

The silver eyes that opened had their own kind of beauty. Untamed, uncut, like a precious ore taken from the earth prior to cleaning. The ferocity of it, the naturalness of it.......it really was pretty. The smirk that came next just as nice. Time to play aye, well that would be fun. He was always up for a game, and he already figured he would be having more fun during this one. Walking a couple steps forward he would feel his left hand move up and press his hair up and out of his eyes underneath the Discordian headband.

"Time to play aye? Well let's see whatcha got, not impressed with the theatrics so far but I give an A for effort but a D on the execution. I think this is how it's done." As he pronounced the last word anything that had held his own chakra back came to the forefront. An aura of gold and red flashed around him, music, wails it all sounded the same and came from nowhere. The familiar razor toothed mermaid image flashes above his head for only a second the harbinger of things to come as he let loose his own strength even if but for the briefest of moments, hell he was enjoying it.

"Come on then, come give me a kiss." Despite the weight of his chakra surrounding him his words had taken on the sing song quality once again he even allowed himself another wink at the creature. Poke the wild beast.....check now it was time to see if it worked.

The clone's eyes widened in panic as the space around around isolated her from whatever was going on, her golden gaze overcome with fear as it took in first Maku and then Akihana... No, not Akihana. Whatever that being was, it wasn't her. The clone watched helplessly as this creature took over Akihana, twisting her features until pure malice showed in every one of them.

The creature... No, she was Makona. At long last she was Makona, was finally tasting freedom. She had merely glimpsed it when her last host had shattered, been so close only to be stopped by this one. When would humanity understand that it was not meant to imprison the likes of her? As the other human spoke, Makona could feel the rage building inside her, the rage that continued to suppress Akihana's psyche locked safely inside. Though Makona would have liked to see her jinchuriki witness this, memories were just as good, and better in some aspects. This being lived in fear of hurting those she loved, so what better way to break her down than to let all her fears come to pass.

A gash opened on her palm, the blood a dark red contrast marring the silvery searing aura that surrounded the bijuu in human form. Her palm slapped the unnecessarily large puddle, performing a seal that appeared to have no use, not to those who didn't knew the host's fighting still intently of course. The three wriggling slugs appeared transfixed, frozen in terror and unable to break away from doing what was their job. Cookie, Cream, Fondant, names were just names as the creatures crawled unto her, gathering nature energy.

It was was at Maku's invitation that the creature flickered once, then disappeared, leaving behind only a mass of silver chakra before that too dissipated, unable to keep up with her speed. The shroud of silver reappeared all around Maku, her burning chakra enveloping his own as the body materialized only a few centimeters behind him, leaning so close, her lips almost touched his ear as she whispered softly. "Boo."

This would immediately be followed why a shockwave of colossal size, attempting to hurl the male as far away from Makona as possible with enough force to break all the bones in his body if not break his neck entirely. The shockwave would be expelled outwards from her and reach as far as it possibly could, creating the distance between her and Makona where he would land.

The silver eyes taking him in would cloud over once as Akihana's psyche within the beast stirred, only to return to their steeliness as a hand reached up with a lightning bolt forming out of think air. Just in case he hadn't been destroyed, Makona would toss the lightning bolt Maku's way, aimed directly at the source of all human trouble - the heart.

New stats:

Health: 50 + 15 = 65
Chakra: 100 + (25) + 35 = 160
Stamina: 45 (1047 AP + 300 = 1347)
Speed: 100 + (20) + 55 = 175 (295 RT)
Strength: 30 + 55 = 85

Jutsu used:

http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t22305-body-flicker - speed 300, or Maku's RT is that's blitzing - 4 AP (mastered, no handseals)
http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t27232-tailed-beast-shockwave?highlight=shockwave - power/speed 135 - 45 AP
http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t25304-raiton-lightning-bolt-strike#189382 - speed/power: 155 (+50 from scaling, +20 from black lightning, +25 from pendant), throwing speed: 170 - 45 AP
Chakra around Akihana/Makona burns at chakra stat (160)

AP Calculation: 1347 - 94 = 1280

Bijuu bomb still charging
3 posts of sage mode saved

The would be harbringer of death, in his mind that is what he decided to call the creature.  Not sure why, but it had a catchy ring to it in his head.  The passion it displayed, the ferocity in its eyes, it was sensual in its own obtuse way, and he couldn't help thinking it.  Maku prided himself on finding the beauty in many things, even the ones you had to look long for.  His eyes but gazed a moment and found what he was looking for here though.

The brutality of its actions had their own elegance, not held back or tamed.  Feral and wild, natural, how fitting it should be done here.  As the gash opened and a spurt of red began to fall, red would swirl into Maku's own eyes prior to the first drop hitting the grass.  As his eyes watched a familiar motion his first action was already decided.  As was the power of the sharingan it was like he could see its intent prior to the motion of the actual action.  Summoning, with flare........really now it was just trying to make him like it.

The only true way to appease such a bestial goddess was to respond in equal measure.  As Maku watched he could tell why was about to happen even if his eyes could not actually follow the speed of it.  As the beast's chakra and musculature prepared for the body flicker Maku's own body burst in golden flames. The Susanoo armor such a reflexive defense protecting him from external harm.  Though it had been just in time for as the word hit the monsters lips he had just been covered.

It was this warning however that allowed him his move.  Two abilities of the Susanoo would activate in that moment the first would absorb the shockwaves, that emanated from the beast. The force absorbed completely as if into a vacumn.  At the same moment a powerful Genjutsu would activate freezing the demon in place filling it's ears with a lions roar.  Spinning on his heel Maku brought both fists up for added momentum as his right leg also rose.

Throwing back both hands he kicked hard into the beasts hopefully paralyzed knee.  He hit with such a force he hoped to limp the animal.  If this went as planed his left hand would dart out at max speed to grab the right elbow of the monster with no fear of the bijuu cloak.  His other fist would come up full swing to crunch into the sternum of the beast, pulling with his left arm at the point of contact.  The result was an attempt to pull the arm out of socket at the shoulder.  

At each point of contact a chakra chain would slide into the beast.  Two chains one attached to its elbow, the other at its sternum where he had hit it.  If his attacks had gone perfectly they would extend into the body and then lift the creature 7 meters into the air away from Maku's golden form.  The chains having a strength of 125 and moving the creature at the same speed.  There he would examine the creature suspended and partially broken.  "Come darling, you can do better, surely you can..." Even as he spoke he let the Genjutsu break.

The world went blank after the whisper, blank in a way that both frightened Makona and left her at peace. Neither emotions lasted, emotions never did in her experience. What did seem to last forever was the howl of pain that escaped her as she found herself up in the air, the flimsy body incarcerating her screaming in agony at whatever the human had done. Her knee was shattered and the bones of her arm stuck out at angles that would have made any normal human pass out from the sheer pain of it all. The chains around her were almost secondary to the physical pain this human had managed to inflict but Makona's howl was not simply one of pain. It was also of rage, rage that she was still in a body that couldn't stand attacks by another one of it's kind.

At his taunt, Makona curled her lips sightly upwards, more of a grimace than a smile as her own chakra rushed to heal her wounds. The chains coming out of her body were interesting. But so was she. In the same instant as she had gained consciousness again, Mokana would activate the power her host never did out of some pathetic sense of sentiment. The Norito crest was supposed to cover the user in black streaks but it manifested as more molten silver on her already blazing form, covering the beast with markings.  Reaching at maximum speed for the chains embedded inside her, the beast would grasp her fists around both, bringing them up and twisting them like a lasso, hopefully stringing the human along with her as he would be attached to the other hand. If successful, the beast would break the chains and toss them as far as fast as she could throw them, hopefully bringing Maku with them.

Should her actions go through, she would activate her wings, a soft and fragile gold in usual form but on Makona, huge solid white-hot masses of chakra that enabled her speed up in the air. Should Maku have been tossed away with the chains, she would attempt to strike him down further with more lightnings bots that appeared at her disposal without a single a single handseal. Three lightnings bolts would be launched in quick succession towards the male at maximum speed, aimed directly for his head, chest and stomach.

Jutsu used:

Golden Eye Activation - 5 AP (forgot to mention in previous post)
http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t22331-norito-crest - 50 AP

New stats:

Health: 50 + 15 = 65
Chakra: 100 + (25) + 35 + 71 = 231
Stamina: 45 (1047 AP + 300 = 1347)
Speed: 100 + (20) + 55 = 175 (345 RT - capped at 300)
Strength: 30 + 55 + 71 = 156

Throwing speed of Maku and chains: 205.5 so 206?
http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t26504-hikariton-faerie-wings - 45 AP
http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t25304-raiton-lightning-bolt-strike#189382 - speed/power: 165  (60 from scaling, 20 from black lightning, 25 from pendant) Throwing speed: 206 - 45 AP
Golden Eye maintained: - 1 AP
Chakra around Akihana/Makona burns at chakra stat (231)

AP Calculation: 1298 - 5 - 50 - 45 - 45 - 1 = 1, 152

Bijuu bomb still charging
3 more posts of sage mode saved

As the beast outside fought, Akihana floated.

Complete oblivion was difficult to comprehend at first, and the state of misunderstanding a rare and blissful occasion in which the blonde left both her body and her mind behind, giving in to the power that lay dormant within her for the first time. For the first time Akihana felt completely at peace, or she would have had she been capable of any feeling. In the dark yet light void of nothingness, she merely existed, no strings attached.

And it was a highly addictive state.

Lingering beyond the realm of the subconscious, Akihana allowed herself to float, pushing all thoughts and feelings away. There was no use for them in the here and now. The outside world demanded attention, demanded to be felt but in here, nothing was needed from her. Even the beast currently responsible for her state of being didn't want her out.

"Her name is Makona."

The edges of thought, sharp and jagged threatened her state, a small thought as dangerous as any dagger meant for her heart.

"I tried M'lady..."

There was a dagger meant for her heart, but it hadn't gone through. Why hadn't it? Would death have been like this? If so, why hadn't she died sooner? With great effort, the kunoichi tried to focus, only to find it too much effort. Thinking was effort, being was effort. Perhaps she was better off not making any effort.

"Hey Echo," the lone thought, had it been able to, would have carried a small smile with it. A small, contented smile. "Is that why you stayed. Because it was so nice?" No response came, she hadn't expected one. A reply from the beyond would have disturbed this peaceful state of being. "Do you miss us..? We sure miss you..." Had she been able to, Akihana would have ended that on a wistful note.

"I'm sorry I never got to say goodbye.. But some people just don't..."

And the lie all around her shattered into reality.


For the first few moments, there was nothing but blinding, searing, senseless pain as the beast's body tried to fight instead of relinquishing control of the vessel, theorizing that if it hurt the body enough, it would break the soul within. The blonde's skin caught fire from the cloak of burning chakra, razing and regenerating at extreme speeds and with enough pain to make the kunoichi howl in pure agony. There was no distraction from what the creature was attempting to do. It had tasted freedom and it was not about to give that up. The charred and cracked ground around the two being sealed in one body bore testimony to struggle between Akihana and Makona, the former letting the beast rage and take out all it's anger and vehemence on her. Perhaps it would make Makona feel better about being locked away again if she managed to at least cripple her host. Bleeding, broken and on the edge of consciousness, Akihana relented, letting Makona claw, burn, tear, pierce and punch its way inside her from every angle, the kunoichi solely focused on remaining tethered to the small thread of consciousness. She could give Makona everything except the ability to hurt those she loved.

And that was what the beast desired most.

The struggle seemed infinite but it came to an end. Everything did, the kunoichi supposed as her remains lay where she'd fallen, the lst of Makona's chakra leaking back inside her own psyche. The silver drained from her hair, leaving a pool of blood and honey gold, her the sleeve of her shirt almost completely torn from shoulder along with several chunks of charred skin. They too would heal, she knew. These wounds usually did.

As soon as she was able to, Akihana stumbled to her feet, the residual healing sparks all over her body warning her against the wisdom of moving but this time, she didn't listen. After exhausting the ability to hurt her physically, Makona had instead taken the psychological route, showing her what it had done to Maku while Akihana floated away on a blissful dream. For as long as she'd laid there, she had been tormented with images of what she'd done.

And now she knew how dangerous a lie they had been tip toe-ing around. He'd said this was a tiny one but the truth was, there was no such thing as tiny when it came to the blonde. When she helped someone, she helped them in every way possible, when she baked, she made sure to put in all her effort in the sole task of baking. When she healed, she was ready to give her own life in exchange for those who needed their lives.

And when she loved, she did so with her entire heart and soul.

Akihana found him some meters away but the distance was really one of a lifetime. It had taken Akihana her entire life to understand what this meant, and to understand what must come now. Every journey she'd ever taken, from the small ones with her grandfather to the big ones like running from Konoha to Kumo, from the mundane ones like Sunday groceries to her flight to Haven. Each journey had prepared the blonde for this moment as she crumpled to the ground beside Maku, tears pouring down her face even as her hands glowed with healing chakra.

The kunoichi wept as she healed him, fixing fractures and cuts, burns and scars, not daring to stop even as she reached old wounds because if she stopped, she would never continue. The only way to ensure he was healed was to keep continuously hurting herself. And these were the wounds that wouldn't heal.

After another infinity, the blonde stopped, reaching to touch the unctuous man's shoulder slightly to activate the ring. In the blink of an eye, they were in the pocket dimension Den had made her, the small truth to the huge lie Maku's restaurant had been. In the small, comfortably yet sparsely furnished apartment, everything was a lot more clear. As she settled Maku on the living room couch, wiping away the last of her own tears, the kunoichi tried not to think of what had almost happened.

Making sure that he was just sleeping off his healing, the blonde finally stood up, first reaching into her pocket for the blue rose that had survived everything against all odds. Carefully, she placed it on the coffee table beside the couch. Next the kunoichi slid the Alexandrite ring from her finger, working to relieve it of the small gem that allowed her passage to this safe haven. Keeping the charm, she carefully placed the ring next to the rose. It, like the rose, had never been meant for her. Though she would never trade away the few beautiful moments in which she thought it had.

"Goodbye," she whispered to an unconscious Maku, knowing that he would never say it.

And that one of them had to.

(Exit for both of us, claims coming later)

TWC: 8156

Claiming 1, 900 wc towards reroll for Senju, requesting a roll please
Claiming 534 wc for final V2 Tail
Claiming 2, 250 wc for Shadow Clone
Claiming 466 wc for Ocular Combination (did med stuff including treating Uchiha eyes)
Claiming 2, 250 wc towards water prison
Claiming 7 AP for 700 wc
Donating 56 words to charity <3