Loser Waves [p,nk,Yazu]

Having returned from the dark space of Mukou only a few hours ago, Kozata was refreshed and ready to go, his hand now having completely healed. He wasn't quite sure at the moment what his duties as jonin were... maybe help out the less experienced ninja? Then again, it wasn't like he was all that experienced either... Kozata's dull brain felt like it had been thrust into a whole knew world, the rules of which were unknown to him. Of course, as always, Dio had the answers for him. He had initially wanted to become more independent of the yuumei, but as time went on, he realized that his entire success thus far had hinged solely on Dio's mental prowess. Well, it was a good thing he existed, then. He didn't feel the slightest bit guilty about it... Dio was kind of like a bully-friend-thing that was always there for him.
It was time for him to look for someone to talk to. Another Kiri ninja, of course. Maybe he'd find a student (not that he had much to teach), or perhaps a partner (in crime?) to train with. Now that he had access to more of the village's resources, he was sure to think of something good.
He stalked into a training grounds, looking as naive and shitty as ever. With his bright, wide smile and eyes, he looked around the empty (at least, so it seemed) grounds, hoping to find someone there. He would also focus his chakra senses for anything interesting.
[WC 254
Let's go for a long training session :\]

Yazu sat 20 meters up in the canopy of a tall tree within the training area, his yellow eyes darting about, as of recently his handlers could do nothing about maintaining his capture.  As he no longer felt bound by bars and simple cages and it was nigh impossible to hold him in, not that barring him in was as much of a necessity as it used to be, as of lately it had become much more in control of his hunger.  That hunger within him that drove him to kill. Typically Yazu's sociopathic behavior was spurred on by his drive for power,and of lately he seemed rather contented when it came to power, he knew that he would grow naturally thanks to his genius level prowess, he simply needed a muse.  Someone to coax and guide.  Someone who not only complimented his own strengths but spurred his drive and covered his weaknesses.  His research of the genin and chuunin in kirigakure led him to only one man.  Kozata Shinkou, of the Shinkou clan.  

He sat from his high perch reading the already censored Dossier he had stolen from the ANBU office.
Kozata
5'10" Chuunin of Kirigakure
Element Unknown
He was a simple boy not very sharp of wit though with understanding and intelligence that belied a brilliant mind.  He seemed to be dedicated to the Mist, though if prodded can be quite sinister.

Hmmm, Yazu's thought in his mind, he was chewing on a pencil he held in his right hand with the manilla folder resting on his lap while Yazu continued scanning the black streak covered pages.  Yazu at that point heard a noise not too far below him of somone walking, and he could not miss an opportunity to surprise him.  Whoever the guest was who had managed to slink their way in without alerting the small trap he left at the opening of the training grounds was about to be in for a surprise.  Yazu placed the folder in his rope belt and pulled the kimono off of his arms and torso letting it dangle around his waist.  Yazu would fall from the tree grabbing a branch with his right hand and let the threads extend him down until he came out from the tree right in front of the intruder.

Oh, well what a unique surprise.  Yazu was beside himself, as the intruder before him was none other than Kozata.  Yazu could barely contain his excitement as he had been quite bored for the last several weeks with Kozata away on a mission. Yazu had done the analysis entirely and he knew that with the three minds between them there was absolutely no obstacle that posed a problem for them.  

Yazu would still be dangling from the top part of the tree seemingly floating in front of Kozata his yellow eyes betraying his excitement. The threads from his Earth grudge fear writhed mildly on his body.  

"Kozata...It has been a while has it not?"  Yazu asked the boy curious as to whether Kozata still deemed him as a threat or not.
  518

At that moment, he sensed something... a chakra signature. He most likely wouldn't have noticed said signature had he not started to focus his senses. It was good that he had been practicing this, to the point where he could tell the difference between a strong one like that man in Hoshi, and someone like this guy. He wondered how his own chakra faced up to the stronger ninja... he hadn't felt its power growing very much lately, and as such, was a little worried. If he couldn't get stronger, then what kind of a ninja was he? More importantly, he wouldn't be able to be a good friend to Dio, who was really only around to watch him get stronger, or so he said.
He looked up and saw the source of the signature. It was a boy... hey, he was familiar!
"Hey, it's the murderer kid!" Kozata spoke in a much more cheerful tone than one would expect for such a quip. He watched the boy as he descended from the tree, landing on the ground in front of Kozata. Those threads... interesting. He wasn't sure exactly what they were or what they could do, but there were a lot of things he didn't know about.
Regardless, the brown haired fuzzy brained kid regarded the new arrival with cheerfulness tainted with a bit of caution. He had seen what this guy was capable of... but what really did it matter? Dio's confidence resounded throughout Kozata's internal workings. This one posed no threat to him, right?
He kept his face happy, with no sign of doubt, just as Dio had told him to do. The yuumei was much better at "people skills" than he was... most of the time, when he tried to get close to someone on his own, they usually just found him to be annoying or boring, and cast him aside like a piece of trash. It was like Dio was the smarter side of him, coming in to aid him only when he pleased. Well, it was better than being a full dumbass, he supposed.
"So, you really are a Kiri ninja after all... why else would you still be here?" This was more of a rhetorical question, naturally.
At any rate, wasn't this exactly what he had been looking for? Someone else from Kiri to talk to? And most of all... uh... what was this guy's name?
Yazu, you idiot!
Dio reprimanded him for being so forgetful, having remembered such a name from what seemed like quite a while ago. Well, honestly! Could he really expect a human to do something like that...? ...
No doubt, there were some who could. Perhaps Dio wanted Kozata to meet up to his own expectations. It would certainly explain a lot of things.
Kozata rubbed the back of his head with his right hand.
"Hehehe.... uh, sorry about last time. I kind of.... uh... wasn't fully aware of ..... uh... things! Yeah, that's right. Things."
He realized how pathetic he sounded, and quickly changed gears.
"So.... what're you up to?"
Trying to ease the tension, he attempted to act casual with little success. Cue a mental from Dio.
[TWC 784]

Yazu was taken somewhat a back by Kozata's friendly actions and appearance, for some reason in his mind he had expected the other Kozata to greet him and Yazu would have to be ready to defend himself.  However that didn't appear to be the case, which put Yazu's mind at ease. He did not like fighting, and was especially not excited about fighting Kozata, with his inexperience he preferred to just stay out of danger. 

He would let go of the tree letting the threads attaching his hand to his shoulder reconnect.  It could be potentially gruesome looking except given they were in Kiri YAzu would assume Kozata would think very little of his technique, or at least hoped.  He landed on the ground in a kneeling position offering Kozata a small bow while down. Afterwards he would stand and recover his torso with the kimono hanging over his ropen belt. 

"Apology accepted," Yazu would say, he was smiling but those words would have a very small snarl in it, as the last time they met did not go over positively for Yazu. Yazu would then go back to his grin, which looked genuine, but given his general appearance had a sinister gleam to it.  "Kozata, what brings you to the training grounds today?  And how was your experience in Hoshigakure? Pleasant and rewarding I hope..."  Yazu let the last phrase linger, he figured that Kozata would wonder how he knew about the mission, but Yazu was a listener and the rumor around was that an envoy of Kiri was in Hoshi, and being that Yazu had been wanting to talk to Kozata for a while and was unable to track him down, he assumed Kozata was the envoy.  Yazu would ask the question just to show his keen abilities and to also  make the conversation less awkward.

Yazu would maintain a 3 meter distance between himself and Kozata at all times knowing that Kozata's power lied in his ability to touch him, so he watched any movement Kozata would make toward him and maintain the gap. He also knew from their last meeting Kozata had a tendency to be impulsive and moody, so it was best to be prepared.  Though Yazu knew his speed was no match for the chuunin he would not hesitate to try to stay ahead of the game.  Yazu held himself in a non threatening way and in no way would come off threateningly to Kozata.  Why would he want that they had a lot to discuss and it was potentially beneficial to both of them.

431

Well, it didn't seem like Yazu had reacted much to his goofiness. Kozata inwardly expressed his relief to Dio, who merely gave him a cold, sort of disdainful feeling. Ugh, why? Sure, he had goofed up right off the bat, but it hadn't come to any harm, right? Everything was just fine...
You idiot! The yuumei barked at him. You think this is some kind of game? The more you mess up in speaking to someone, the worse they'll tend to think of you!
Kozata was now a little concerned, but attempted to ignore Dio. Reprimands like that weren't really welcome in an ideal world.
This time around, though, Yazu looked to be a little more polite.
...
How unusual. It was like he, too, was repentant for something... Nah, probably just Kozata's overactive imagination. He honestly didn't care whether the guy was a killer or not. Unlike many others, Kozata believed that there was inherent good in everyone. Even the worst scoundrel on the planet had to have some kernel of beauty in him, right?
WRONG. Dio was now mentally stepping on his head. Humans were rotten inside. Even Kozata, who tried to be the best person he could, had his irresistible urges for power.
...
This was a point that he had to yield. He'd wanted to get stronger before... but he hadn't seen it as inherently bad. Thinking about it now, it was rather selfish of him, wasn't it? Still, was it not his duty as a ninja to get stronger.... for his village, right? It wasn't like he had a family to do this kind of thing for. No parents to bring honor to, so on and so forth. Really, he wasn't bound to anything BUT his village; as even his clan wasn't something that he was concerned with (having met no other members of it in his life).
It seemed that this creepy Yazu guy was at least trying to be friendly, which was nice. Kozata had had enough of the people in Hoshi looking down on him like some weird messenger guy... oh, wait. Wasn't that exactly what he had been? How embarrassing.

At any rate, it looked like this guy knew about Kozata's mission to aformentioned village. Kozata himself didn't have any problem with it, as it wasn't like the mission was secret or anything. Now, if this guy knew how he had gotten to and from Hoshi so quickly, then they might have problems. He was trying his best to follow Dio's advice and keep Mukou a secret from mostly everyone. It was his personal realm, after all, and he still didn't know how it worked completely yet.

"It was actually pretty refreshing... no place like home, though."
He would respond to Yazu cheerily.

"I was actually out here to look for someone to talk with. Uh... I'm kinda looking for some company, ya know?" He grinned a little sheepishly.
Inwardly, Dio groaned. How could this boy be so awkward? Well, children were children, he supposed. There wasn't much he could do to change that.
"I'm also looking for someone to teach me how to use chakra better... hey, maybe you could help me. Are you good with that kind of thing?"
[TWC 1342]

Yazu continued to watch the boy in front of him considering everything.  Yes, Yazu was not happy with the embarrassment he received in their last meeting, such a thing was not the kind of thing someone of his intellect should ever allow to happen.  He tried to hold back his arrogance though as accidents happen, but Yazu knew that he needed to prevent it from happening again, from anyone.  He had been considering an alliance with the strange boy for quite some time,  ever since he woke up in the hospital room after their first venture.  In fact it was at that point Yazu found he was able to control his inner urges. 


Yazu would eye the boy and his very strange tendencies, he did not act this way the last time they met, and he held back his want to try and manipulate the boy.  In the presence of someone who lacked the intelligence to keep up with him he couldn't help it.  Though Yazu knew nothing about the spirit that lurked within the boy he had been tipped off in their last encounter that this goofy young lad had more intellect than would be apparent from first impressions.  Though Yazu's suspicion was that if he wanted to meet the true Kozata all he would need to do is ask, and by ask he meant threaten the boy.

Yazu was not put off though in fact he enjoyed being treated semi normally, he rarely found an ally who could look into his yellow irises and see anything but pure malice and because of this Yazu felt that a kinship could be formed.  Friendship is for the weak, but alliances are for the ambitious, and Yazu's ambition was great.

When Kozata stated that he had found Hoshi refreshing Yazu would reply with a chuckle.  Accepting the joke for what it was, the acknowledgement of the difficulty in Kiri.  It was not easy to be a Kirigakure ninja, not for anyone. Along those same lines Kozata would say "no place like home".  This as well Yazu could not relate to, though he had never been out of the village so how would he know whether he would like it anywhere else?   Nonetheless, Yazu felt comforted that this conversation was heading in the kind of direction he had hoped for. 

Then Kozata spoke awkwardly about looking for company, someone to talk to. Well, Kozata, I can be great company, he thought to himself.  A twisted smile inadvertently forming on his face.  He didnt even realize that it happened.  Then noticed his cheeks tensed and released back to a casual smile, he had hoped he didn't frighten the boy,  his strange "condition" led to that reaction all too often.  Yazu would remain silent though perceiving Kozata had not yet finish speaking

His next question....the question of questions.  Did Yazu know much about chakra.  Yazu laughed internally, in fact he found question so amusing he likely would have let slip a small chuckle.  Not in any rude manner though it could've been perceived that way.  This made him think of the Doton scroll he carried on him dotted with potential jutsu formulae that he had been working on, he enjoyed tinkering with jutsu and chakra in all of its methods.  He wanted to know how to cast every jutsu he came across, and his hunger could not be sated, and now that his hunger had shifted to knowledge as opposed to organs he had made large strides.

"Kozata, my friend, if it is jutsu and knowledge you seek you have most assuredly come to the right place.  My unique "situation" allows me a viewpoint and understanding of chakra few in this realm can understand.  Though Specifically what do you seek?  General knowledge, a particular jutsu.....or a target?"  He would seem excited through most of his response as he truly was but as he finished the sentence his eyes would narrow suspiciously eyeing the boy.

 All this talk of jutsu and chakra made his hands and body ache for the jutsu he had been working on for too long.  Swamp of the Underworld a powerful jutsu capable of rendering victims helpless.  He had yet to try it but found his own variation of how to cast it the led to perfectly precise chakra emanations and an almost flawless execution.

726

To be perfectly honest, Kozata had been doing a lot of work for the kage lately. Doing missions to take out domestic threats, going abroad to silently kill foreign ninja, or even just be a messenger to some crazy powerful guy in a remote village, who was probably really inaccessible when he was needed! ... Forget that last thought. Kozata's brain really did drift too far sometimes. It took the willpower of a being such as Dio to keep him together most of the time. It was like a cloud in a bottle. Without the restrictions of the container, the vapor would scatter, with no direction or purpose. This time, ironically enough, Kozata was the container for Dio... but that didn't change the nature of their relationship.

Now, exactly how much did he really know about this Yazu kid, anyways? ... Not much. He now realized that he was a leaf ninja, but outside of that, Kozata only knew that he liked to kill. After all, had he not witnessed this guy with those corpses that one night? And had he not heard him confess to his urge..... no, his need to kill people? Kozata couldn't possibly imagine what that felt like.

Hey, boy... Dio began to whisper, his resonating voice cutting through the haze around Kozata's mind. We can use this, right...? If he loves to kill people so much, then perhaps we might-
No! People aren't for manipulating! Even if he is a murderer or something, doing something like that to him is wrong! We have to try something different. Maybe... hey, maybe I could try being his friend!
At this point, Dio was practically seething with frustration. Couldn't the boy see? This guy CLEARLY had some agenda. Then again, didn't all human beings? They were all impure; inherently rotten to the core.

In addition, the two hadn't exactly gotten off on a good foot. Sure, it had been partially Dio's fault, but at the same time, what was any good ninja of Kiri supposed to do with a situation like that... Kozata should have been thankful that he had managed to wrap up the situation so quickly and cleanly. There were probably not many other ninja of that rank who could have done the same. Then again, to Dio's chagrin, Kozata hadn't exactly gone out and actively tried to make friends either. What, was he stilled scared of his academy reputation? Only the older Shima academy students remembered that; and it wasn't like they were around much anymore.

"Hehehe..... uh, well... I've been... kind of bad at using ninjutsu ever since I was in the academy. The technique I used on you that one night? It was actually a combination of fuuinjutsu and medical techniques to steal chakra. I can't actually form and cast chakra very well; only fireballs and things like that. I also have a lightning nature, but I don't really know what to do with it. I was wondering if you could help me out with those...."

Immediately, Dio gave him a nice, healthy mental slap.
Fool! Not only did you give away your method of feeding me, you also told him crucial information... ABOUT YOU! You think that he isn't thinking through all that you've told him in that noggin of his, trying to figure out a way to control you? Or worse, kill you? Stop fucking around! You can't trust this person. I cannot allow this to continue. Make another mistake, and I'll take over your bod-
Shut up, yo! I'm trying to make friends here! Buddies have to be honest and true to each other, right?

Kozata thought his reasoning was pretty sound. Ha! Dio was just trying to control his life and stop him from being happy. There was absolutely no reason why he should listen to the yuumei, so he ignored Dio, as he often did. when the entity was getting too upset. But, with what little intelligence he had, Kozata knew that he had one piece of important information that he wouldn't even tell close friends... Dio knew this, and hoped to use it as their one element of surprise against Yazu should push come to shove. Though, since Kozata was relatively stupid, it might all come to naught after all. This was going pretty poorly, Dio thought. I may have to take over soon...

[TWC 2067]

Yazu now stood before the boy Kozata, so far having maintained general control of all of his killing urges, and his attachment to hearts. Through the functioning of the hearts though Yazu found that much of one's chakra alignment came from them as a source.  Yazu had acquired a Water heart in his first experience out of the cage that he normally called his home.  WHich helped him maintain control of his mind, and the ever planning Yazu knew that if he failed to get a heart soon he would begin to degrade back to the darkness and be nothing more than a psychopathic vagabond like he was when the two first met.  Those days were over for the moment though and it was now time for him to reveal the true scope of his schemes and agenda to the boy Kozata.

Yazu was nervous though, for he always maintained that knowing more than your opponent was always an edge and if your opponent discovered more about you, they would ultimately be more powerful.  Yazu couldn't find any information on this boy, everything he had stolen or gleaned out of random strangers seemed to be just simple blank statements about a nice young lad.  This frustrated Yazu to no end,  he wanted to know why the boy acted so different that one time on the beach.  What were the source of Kozata's interesting chakra draining abilities, and why does he seem like he is such a skilled manipulator?  Yazu's puzzlement did not phase him too much though as you must always do a little work to achieve any prize in life.

Yazu had met two other individuals from Kirigakure between the time of his last meeting with Kozata and now, the first being a young genin by the name of Chelsea who held an interesting attitude though ultimately failed to support his cockiness and received a hefty dosage of bruising from Yazu's strength enhancing ninjutsu,  Yazu additionally had a moment in that fight and placed a Mark Seal on the poor boy so that he could always keep an eye on him and he would watch him closely.  Yazu wanted to craft the Rentai into his protege but he needed someone with more intelligence and a greater lust for power that rivaled his own.  That boy simply did not have it.  Then the second, well second and third were the demonic twins.... he despised those twins, and if things went with Kozata as he planned he would be assimilating their hearts in short order.  How dare they try to leash him.  He would destroy them and he would feel no remorse for them.  Though with Kozata he could not help but feel a strange kinship, even while the boy acted so awkward as though he had little social capability, it was something and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Yazu would be listining with directly straight posture with the arms of his Kimono hanging down concealing his thread sewn arms though the threading in his chest that lined his clavicles and then connected to go straight down his chest at the center would be exposed, but by their nature would not look so unnatural as to warrant suspicion.  His thick ropen belt tied around his waist with several scrolls tucked within it.  Yazu would smile a casual smile though given his yellow eyes with black where the whites should be and pale white complexion it would always appear sinister.

Kozata would then reply to his previous question and with a rather surprising answer one that would make Yazu quite excited.  The vault of secrets was just opened and revealed crucial information about himself.  Fuuinjutsu and medical jutsu, eh?  WHat an interesting combination?  That sounds like a very valuable tactic for someone to use and take advantage of.   Yazu was confused how Kozata was incapable of controlling and commanding chakra as the was the very basis of medical abilities, Yazu found it strange but he still decided he would help the boy regardless of whether he was lying to him about the actual need for help.

Yazu would begin by pulling out a scroll from his belt with etchings and theorems describing how chakra worked and how he theorized it and managed to make shortcuts when casting a jutsu.  He broke down that particular jutsu to each hand sign with each combination, and how to focus on every step.  This method had helped master many jutsu with very minimal struggle.  He didn't know whether Kozata could understand his scribbles but if he did he would be capable of seeing chakra and ninjutsu in general in a new light, but if he couldnt it would look like scribbles on a paper and would depress Yazu.  It took a unique view and understanding of chakra to see it in the same way Yazu did.

Yazu would then remove the top part of his robe to show his very strange and unique body to the boy, his birthright, granted to him at a young age which essentially weaponized him for use by the village. Earth Grudge Fear.  The  threads on his body moved slightly and writhed a bit from their stitching but not actively.

"Well, if you can read that scroll, you can learn what I have to teach.  This ability i have is  Earth Grudge Fear an earth based kinjutsu that allows me some unique abilities....first being that i do not have affinities for elements in the same way as you do....and unfortunately have not acquired lightning." He said this while exposing the strange threading covering his body.  The tree that he had just fallen from still nearby he would channel his Earth Spear into his right hand and attack the trunk extending his right hand out of his arms with the threads,  When his hand connected with the trunk at a strength of 43 shattering it and causing a whole section to blow out of it and fall away from the two boys standing in these woods.  His had would reconnected and the black would go away and he would once again speak.

" I can show you the amazing power of Ninjutsu, but knowledge is power so what might you have to offer me my friend?"  Yazu's demonstration was merely an attempt to shock and awe and not a threat with the smile on his face this would be quite apparent.  He was simply showing Kozata the strength of ninjutsu though it was unlikely Kozata would be all to impressed.
1092

Dio ground his metaphorical teeth. Kozata, a jonin, taking aid from this whelp... what kind of situation was this? It hurt him to see what was happening to his human host, but he thought that maybe it could work out in his favor, somehow. They had lost much of the element of surprise, what with Kozata revealing his chakra natures right off the bat like that. But, as the boy himself had said, he didn't know much in the manner of lightning, so not much loss there. The worst possible case was if Kozata released knowledge about his clan's unique abilities, and most of all, about him.

He wished to conceal his existence from mankind. If he was going to bring about any great change, it would be through Kozata, not on his own. It wasn't like he could do much without the boy either, being that he was a yuumei with no physical form of his own. He could only channel his power through this idiot boy... he wondered how the other yuumei were doing. Was he the only one of them stuck in such an inadequate host? Then again, the boy had turned another pocket of space and time into his own world... perhaps he wasn't giving him as much credit as he deserved. Regardless, it wasn't like he couldn't be salty about the boy's obvious stupidity.

Still, he was ready to do whatever it took to bring Kozata through this without losing too much. Yazu was up to something, and he was determined to find out at all costs. He, Dio, knew that he would be on top. Yazu was only a mere human, after all, despite the alien nature of his threads. He couldn't possibly match wits with he, who was a being that transcended the mud that was mankind.

Ignoring Dio's toxicity, Kozata forged on. The train had left the station, and nothing could stop the hotshot engine from going where the tracks led it. He was probably on his way to making his first real friend in Kiri, not a plastic one like Vigil, who had run away and gone who knows where. When Kozata had returned from Tengakure, there had been no one waiting for him,despite the fact that Vigil had taken out of his own time to teach Kozata the basic academy jutsu. What a shame  that someone so important to him had to disappear...

In that moment, Kozata had a resolution: he wouldn't let anyone close to him vanish again. Whether it might be threats from outside the village, the looming menace of his yuumei, or even his own friends' desires to escape Kiri, he wouldn't let them go easily. If worst came to worst, he'd even go with them. It would probably be a tough decision to make if it ever came around to that, so it should be something to avoid, but in his heart, whether he wanted to or not, Kozata craved a rather weird kind of recognition from others.

He wanted so badly to not be alone anymore, to have someone tell him that he could be a good person too. A good person, even though he bore a being of obvious evil within him. Naturally, this didn't appeal to Dio. So, the boy thought he could stand up to him, huh? Well, that was fine. Eventually, Kozata would realize that he needed Dio. The portion of Kozata's brain that did most of his calculations belonged to the yuumei. Sure, he'd still cause Kozata's survival, but that didn't mean that he had to be happy about it. And... he could use this brainpower here to do something of his own.

Not just brainpower... determination.

However, Kozata was now paying more attention to Yazu. Did the boy always carry around random scrolls like that? Was that supposed to be a norm for Kiri ninja? Kozata himself certainly didn't do it, and no one that he had heard of carried around random knowledge scrawled onto paper. He knew he definitely didn't want to start doing that, but if that was Yazu's idiosyncrasy (a word he had learned from Dio), then it was fine by him. After all, this was going well for him, right?

To Kozata, Yazu's threads were creepy as heck. He had no idea what kind of capabilities they had, but if they could move, then he could grab them, right? Most likely, they were part of him, so..... uh..... his mind blanked for a moment, then he started thinking again. He could drain chakra through them, right? Well maybe. There was really only one way to find out, and to do that right now would probably be super rude. Not the best idea if he wanted to make a friend quickly. Instead, he'd "keep his hands to himself", so to speak.

Opening the scroll, he attempted to absorb the information inside. With his rather small thinking capacity, he found it hard to. His critical reading skills were pretty abysmal, and he couldn't do this alone without missing something important or interesting. To get the full value out of this new information, he'd have to... ask Dio.

...

But no one responded. The yuumei was silent. Well then, he'd just have to trudge forward on his own. It took him a full seven seconds longer than even the most average of boys to figure out the complete contents of the scroll.

Throughout this time, however, the concentration it took make him zone out completely. When he looked back up, he saw Yazu and heard him talk about his ability... "earth grudge fear"? If it was earth-related, then wouldn't that mean that lightning would be strong against it...? Er... maybe he shouldn't be thinking about how to beat this just yet, even though he did possess a lightning nature.

"Well, if you want, I can teach you at least part of how I take people's chakra... but, uh, before we get into that, if you don't gain elements normally, then how DO you do it?" Sure, it was an awkward and out-of-place question, but his youthful idiocy was bursting with curiosity.
[TWC 3090]

Yazu would then draw back the threads in his arms and reconnect his forearm with his elbow.  The action was somewhat crude and he did not enjoy having to do it, but he had hoped that his few displays of the power of ninjutsu would prove to Kozata that it was an absolute and mighty power.  Yazu would then sit and regain the lost strength as he as of yet was incapable of much in extended bursts and he had just revealed the limitations.  This was his ultimate kill strike action and was reserved for when he needed to end a fight quickly. He knew that he needed to learn a better technique to counteract the toll his style of fighting took on his body.  Originally, he only cared to learn techniques that gave him advantages at a long range, and although he somewhat liked that way of fighting, there was something about being up close and personal with your opponent Yazu could not deny that it held a certain appeal.  The thought processes changing on the fly, the act of prediction and preparation.  The back and forth, but mostly it was the look, the look of fear and dread in an opponents face as he realizes he has been bested.  Such a look could not be enjoyed from far away.

He sat against the tree regaining his strength and ushered Kozata to sit with him, though he didn't expect the boy to actually join him.  Yazu was lost, he had become too attached, they were not very different in actual age and though Kozata didn't seem to be very similar to him in deviousness, they both had great deals of loneliness within them and it would seem they grasped at straws to remove that shroud of sadness that came with being lonely, especially Yazu.  He thought back to that time....when he was first allowed to be a genin within the Hidden Mist.  He trained with a boy not too much older than him, and in the heat of combat, Yazu's dark side managed to slip through and rear its ugly head, and the next thing he remembered was being covered in the boy's blood holding his heart in his hand and dropping it as he was dragged off to the holding chambers that he would know as his home for the next 8 years.

Which was why he did not want to tell Kozata of his kinjutsu that he carried within him that seemed to have a mind of its own, he craved for the hearts of his enemies.  Of course Kozata would think him a monster, who wouldn't, it wasn't a matter of opinion, it was fact.  He was a monster.  He had come to grips with this though and accepted the gifts of his monstrous body and all that it entailed.  It meant he could learn all five chakra natures and use them against those who wished to control him and use him.  All Yazu ever wanted was to be asked, which is why, now for the first time he is being asked to help, instead of demanded.  Yazu liked Kozata now, despite their first meeting.  Kozata had witnessed the darker side to Yazu in that meeting, and Yazu could not blame him for his reaction.  He was going to reveal the truth of his condition, and would accept the consequences.  MAybe this would warrant Kozata revealing his own secret and why he sometimes would have a drastic change in personalities, despite being so friendly.

"Kozata.....I want to tell you how I acquire elemental affinities, but it is strange and I do not want you to think me a monster...."  He left a pause and would look at the ground running his hand through his stark white hair.  He thought to himself about how he would even say such a thing, the removal of people's hearts was not a great topic of conversation.

 "I....I....have to get my elements from other people, so to speak....In fact when you found me in the forest the first time we met, It was because I could no longer control my urge to get elements and broke free..... "  He refused to go into detail unless goaded further about it, but if Kozata stayed and didn't panic he would reveal the full detail about it.  Yazu also had to save some information to use in trade for a little bit from Kozata, Yazu couldn't give everything away without learning Kozata's deep dark secrets.

Yazu would wait to see how Kozata would react to the information he was given and prepare to go from there.

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