This might hurt a bit.....(P/IO)

"You know what you must do now, don't you?"


"Yes, I do."


"The chance of your survival is rather low I hope you know."


Yes, I know."


"Everything you have will be given to decay. The God of atrophy will judge your readiness not I."


"Let him come, I haven't faltered yet."


"I don't think you understand, the poisons and experiments I have done on your body will be mere child's play in the grand scheme of things."


"I will not be swayed."


"You're more fool than you are brave, however, both our lives are now entwined I will attempt to help you as much as possible during this ordeal."


"Then our preparations are nearly finished?"


"They are, tonight will be the night."


"Finally."


"Wake up....."


Mortarion found himself still sitting in the chair he had fallen asleep in he assumed. The desk in front of him still pristine save for the head of a child long forgotten still placed atop it, pen still sticking from the neck. The body had long since been disposed of, thrown in the muck of the villages defensive field to be eaten and melded with the earth. Stretching while letting out a well needed sigh he rose from his chair turning his gaze towards the buildings window in time to see lightning arcing the pitch black sky, the patter of rain evident as it hit the glass. Tonight would be rather interesting and the more the kage thought on it the more he couldn't resist the urge to hurry his pace in getting ready.

The night was late, more than likely heading into the early morning around one a.m if he was correct on his timing. In the corner of the room he could see Akuoy standing ever vigilant, his all black armor only serving to hide his body more. As Mortarion moved, so did the clone without words being passed between them. Though he did have his own free will the clone had chosen to be in the exact likeness of it's creator. The only difference being his body was that of the old Youka, still pristine and in shape, no blemish, scars, or decaying body parts. Turning slightly as he opened the door leading out of the office with Akuoy following closley behind, Mortarion held up a hand stopping the clones progress. He spoke low as to ensure if anyone else was around their words would not be heard.

"I'll be fine friend, get some actual rest, it's rare that you are not by Akihana's side in the shadows. So please use this time to recharge yourself. I'll be back in due time."

The Kage paused for a moment as if thinking of all the things that could happen to him. His face clearly showed worry for the briefest of moments before washing it away once more. He'd come to far to have worry and doubts now.

"If..if I don't come back, I want you to continue on as me. Do not let Kumogakure know that they have lost power. Follow through with the marriage and ensure the village thrives as best you can. Burn my body, do not bury it, harvest what you can, though I do not think much will be left."

Patting Akuoy on the shoulder one last time, Mortarion closed the door behind him. Walking through the halls and down the stairs his flowing black habit trailed behind him, the hood down as per usual. As he exited the building the rain increased in volume bringing with it the deafening sound of thunder after the streaks of lightning arced the sky. Walking  through the village and eventually outside it's protective walls he had completely neglected to put his hood on. The amount of rain coming down was beyond what a hood would repel and only further serve to retain more water.

His mind wandered as he wen't on autopilot for the most part of the journey to the ravine where he had painstakingly done most of his experiments on not only himself but the inhabitants as well. taking civilians from their homes for the human aspect of most of the experiments, he had also focused on using the dragons that once covered this vast area as a special catalyst of sorts. Their enzymes and natural body carrying on it diseases that they could resist but would be deadly to humans with prolonged exposure. There was one toy that had come to be something of a hobby of his as it had survived more tests than the others even still remaining it's own consciousness refusing to revert to a more primal state.

As he traveled deeper into the ravine, deeper than anyone would even dare to venture even if they decided to circumvent the current law of the area being off limits without his express permission which he gave to no one. The taint and decay of the area was profound and vast with life growing but in a twisted shell of its former self. There were trees and plantation but they all held a leathery almost flesh like sheen and feel if you were to touch them. The ground moved with his steps pulsing back as if it had a heart beat, which to be honest could have been the case. The chakra of the senju cells mixing with his own decaying form of jutsu caused a twisted life of sorts to be born in this forest of rot.

making his way to the furthest point of the ravine where it walled itself off with rock in a vast opening is where his experiments waited for their masters return. With each step of his foot hitting the ground he could hear the rustling of things in the distance attempting to hide and the whimpers of other that had conceded themselves to the fate they were dealt. A devilish grin crept across his face thinking about who and what it was that attempted to hide themselves. Stepping into the clearing himself the Kage surveyed his surroundings, The seventy humans he had remaining were grouped on each other practically climbing on one another for warmth and a way to escape the rain.

Each and everyone of them had been personally chosen for a specific sickness or deformity they had accrued. Some were as simplistic as gangrene and the common cold, others were more severe such as AIDS or an incubated version of small pox he had formed on his own and introduced to a host. Their numbers were dwindling, he had started with two hundred and fifty bodies to work with. Most died with a week or so squirming in the mud, hyperventilating and coughing up blood among other things. He had marked the remaining seventy five with a brand that Epidemius had given him the knowledge on how to make. They would be the final part of the ritual when the time came.

Looking over to the complete other side of the ravine where they would normally be separated by water were ten full grown dragons. Well to call them dragons now would be a disservice to actual dragons. He had personally rounded these ten and proceeded to rip off their wings from their backs. It had been an ordeal that he had learned from greatly, they no longer spat fire, the pipes and glands used for it now either missing or realigned to combust on themselves melting their insides out if they tried. Their claws were removed for the germs that lived on them and for one lone dragon all of it's scales had been removed, shaved off in a very slow and methodical fashion. Pieces of its body were gone from where the other animals had begun to eat and pick at it now that it no longer had the covering that sheltered it.

As he looked on both sides of him he wondered on where to start with the ritual, Epidemius whispered into his mind the things he'd need and where to start.

"The dragons tongues, hearts, and livers are what you will need. They carry the most value for us right now. Start with the beasts first, the humans will be easy."


"Very well."

Mortarion slowly began walking towards the lizards that tried to hide themselves behind their tails or other malnourished beasts. As he walked on them a sinister purple glow radiated from him, the bijuu's cloak enveloping his body with three tails flaling behind him. He'd start with them first and take his time, murdering them slowly as this would more than likely be the last time he got to fight beasts of this nature.

"This might hurt a bit........"

Sleep never came easy to Akihana. One of the first things she'd realized upon becoming a mother at the age of seventeen was that from that moment onwords, sleep was forfeit. At first it was Arata, for the longest time he wouldn't sleep through the night and the blonde would be too afraid to even let him try, checking on him every few minutes to ensure he was okay. When he finally did learn to sleep for long stretches o time, the thought of keeping him well fed, keeping him safe and keeping him happy stole her rest. When she had a decent enough job to give Arata all she could, the young mother stayed up wondering what his future would hold and when Kumogakure's destruction came about, sleep meant dreams of the destruction. In Haven, there as so much to do sleep seemed a selfish pursuit and now, as she sat up in her cold, empty bed, a lone figure in the vast expense of bedding, Akihana couldn't sleep if she tried.

A silent pang of sadness pierced through her, asking the blonde wonder what the boys were up to at this very moment. Arashi would have made Jounin by now. She knew it with the same certainty with which she knew the world was round and the sun would rise again on a new day tomorrow. Arata, a fond smile touched her features a the memory of her rambunctious seven year old. Was he still so angry at the world? Annoyed at being left out of all the cool adventures? He was probably off practicing his taijutsu on a dummy somewhere trying to prove he was good enough when in truth, he had always been too good for this ninja life. If Akihana had a say in what her sons could mold their future into, they would not be shinobi. Unfortunately, that decision was not hers to make.

Getting up from the bed, the blonde straighten the covers, habit taking over even in the condition she found herself in these days. There was no need to clean, to cook, to straighten things. She was certain should she ask, the Raikage would even provide servants to tend to her every whim. Instead Akihana preferred the privacy of her large penthouse, keeping her hands and her mind busy. Rain poured in sheets all around her, the dim rumble of thunder made light by the thick walls that surrounded the medic. Making her way to the window, all Akihana could see was darkness. Everyone was asleep. She hadn't checked the time but if asked to guess, she would have assumed it was well past midnight. The only time the village lit up was when lightning struck.

Akihana was wary of the implication.

In two months, noticeable change had fallen over the village. Like a quiet mist, peace had begun seeping through the horrific walls, laughter could be heard on some occasions, the fields that held prisoners were mostly empty and... The wedding preparations were in full swing. Akihana hadn't met the Raikage again after their picnic, her decision made. Nor had she taken him up on his invitation to sit in on meetings planning the huge event that would encompass all of the village. instead she had focused on short, tangible things that she could still control. She had been to the Tekiatsu compound and retrieved their scrolls and artifacts, she had managed to get Hikashi and Ashur out in time and she had been to the Ravine, only to be defeated by the evil that resonated from the place she had once loved so much.

And all this while she had been watching the skies for the rarest of all celestial bodies, The Morning Star.

Her chakra sensory alerted her to the fact that her overseer was not present tonight. Nor was one of her own personal guards, sent away by choice in this case. And despite the fact that she rarely interacted with the Queensguard, the kunoichi felt more alone than she had ever felt before. Not one for making snap decisions, the blonde nonetheless felt the need to escape this apartment in that moment. She couldn't leave the village, she couldn't leave the life she had agreed to live but she could leave this, this comfortable, extravagant pent house apartment. She didn't deserve it. She deserved to be out in the rain, pelted with water droplets over and over and over again until her body reflected as much pain as she felt inside it. Not giving herself time to think, the golden eyed kunoichi made her way to the front door, pausing only to grab her white cloak to cover her soft pink night dress.

As she stepped out from the shelter of the building, the rain hit her hard, soaking her through in seconds. Golden hair plastered to her skin the kunoichi continued on her way, her feet not mapping out a particular path as much as squelching through the puddles of water, determined to simply keep walking - sometimes wading - through the rain. Flashes of lightning lit her way, making no particular sense until she realized she was making her way to the ravine. The realization came bitterly. Even when she wanted to, she couldn't give up. Akihana had tried to restore the place. She had gone there despite Youka's warning and tried, tried and failed and given up. And yet here she was, making her way there once more because her very essence was made up of belief, sheer belief that one day the ravine would flourish again.

A flash of lightning lit up the path ahead, alerting Akihana to another figure making his way to where she was headed. Reaching up to ensure that her cloaking device was on - an unnecessary measure, it was always on - the blonde nonetheless found herself turning sideways, making herself a smaller target should the fugue somehow sense her presence as clearly as she could sense his. How apt that after avoiding him for nearly two months, she would run into him like this. But Youka didn't appear to be interested in his surroundings, he didn't even appear to notice he was being followed as the kunoichi tiptoed behind him, her golden gaze helping her navigate perfectly through the dark and rain. As he entered the ravine, so did she, hidden safely in the shadows it provided. The rain had only penetrated part of the area and as her pursuit made his way further in, Akihana found herself on dry ground once more. They were further inside the ravine than she had ever ventured before and when he came to a stop, so did Akihana, safely twenty five meters away with her slender frame tucked behind a hollow made by the trees. She had intended to watch queerly, trying to convince herself it wasn't spying when she saw something that almost made her retch.

There were people here... people and... she blinked several times, trying to keep the bile rising up her throat in check. Those things were.. dragons...

A silent tear coursed down her cheek as she watched the helpless beasts confronted by the dictator she had agreed to marry. He had done this. He had done this to the people and the dragons. He had done this to her friends. The kunoichi watched in silent horror as the bijuu cloak came to life around him, knowing the power from her own Makona. The cloak extended only half a meter around the kage but it was enough to make him a glowing beacon of plague and malice amidst the tortured souls of the beasts and humans that occupied the ravine. It was all she could do to remain silent.

And watch.

Time had stood still for the plague prince as the deep malice filed chakra coated his body. There was nothing at first but as darkness and decay covered his entirety he could only describe the feeling as pure pressure, not pain or joy, just an unbridled mass pushing everything forward. His mannerisms switched from human to something of a much more primal, sadistic nature causing his back to lurch and spine to some how portray itself to elongate, yet all it was were the threads he was made of reacting to the presence, tensing and spreading inside his body.

This would be not only for the purpose of the jutsu that was being crafted, this would also allow him the chance to show his true side once more away from the eyes of the world who now thought him to be subdued. The anger he had to hide from the world at the thought of him having to marry to control the incoming flood. He despised the woman that he had forced into this game, yet at the same time had to use her just as he was sure she would use him for their own means. The wrath that had festered, and stewed had finally boiled over and given room and substance to release itself on.

Each step from the kage shook the ravine slightly as the condensed chakra around him struggled to not burst from him completely. He still had to be as careful as possible of what might happen if he were to truly let loose and allow Epidemius to take full control. He knew the sight of a bijuu inside the village would create chaos, maybe he should let it happen. The village had become over the course of a few months much of what he had changed it from. Those thoughts would have to wait however as he had much more pressing matters ahead of him.

As he neared the downed beasts they all attempted some form of movement, some hid their heads behind their tails while he saw others attempt to ignite a fire only to have it scorch their underbellys and quickly putter out of their mouth in a black smoke. They were pitiful creatures and he smiled at the thought of finally being able to rid himself of them as their usefulness had reached an end. There was however the one that had been picked of all its scales, it still showed strength as it stood slowly as tall as a building, raising it's proud head and looking down on Mortarion as it attempted to feign power.

The beasts tail uncoiled and whipped towards the kage at a speed that still while slow showed that even the most broken things could still fight if backed into a corner. He took the hit from the whip like tail in full contact against his right side, the chakra cloak dampening the blow but not fully absorbing all the damage as evidenced by the slight trickle of blood rolling down Mortarions mouth as he figured a rib punctured his lung more than likely also rupturing his intestine. The dark halo of orbs around his head slowly stopped spinning as one entered his body to begin the healing process, restoring all things new once more. Smiling through bloody and gritted teeth his left arm raised spewing forth tendril upon dark, black,sticky tendril towards the beasts body where they punctured and drilled hole after hole into the dragon. They retracted from the flesh each time only to be pushed forward once more, some threads went to task of disemboweling from the underside, ripping the rib cage of the still breathing beast open and forward in a show of blood and guts as they poured downwards in a heap. The other animals took note and seemed to concede themselves to the same fate as their cries grew louder as their brethren were also torn in the same fashion, some got the same treatment with the tendrils and those were the lucky ones. The last few of the dragons however were ripped apart limb by limb with the bijuu cloaks arms as the kage got much more close and personal with them using his own bare hands to reach into their mouth and pull the semi giant tongue out in one heave.

The task had taken considerable time as each dragon had to be dissected just right to ensure no damage to the parts he needed. his habit had been torn on one of the beasts scales and eh now stood clad in a purple aura with an exposed chest drenched in blood and pieces of flesh, his black pants also tattered but still functional enough for the job they held. In one pile lay the hearts of the beasts which were easily the size of a normal human and in two other sat their livers and tongues stacked atop each other. The ground again reacted to the feast, somehow as if absorbing the dead bodies and organs into itself with a slight whisper in the wind of foul unrecognizable words and a putrid smell of overpowering defilement pierced the air and traveled outwards.

The night had started with ten orbs hovering him, he had lost six of them to the dragons, they had reentered his body to undo the broken bones and life ending injuries that would have killed him otherwise. His body arced at an almost unnatural position as his glazed eyes turned their way towards the humans who had just watched this all take place. The ground covered in his tendrils slowly sliding back into his body in a snake like fashion as they reforged and stitched his skin back together to hide their housing.

"You'll need the specific parts of the infected where the disease originated. I hope you haven't forgotten."


"No, they've all been marked with the tattoo for where their ailments are."


"Very well, after you do this, I'm not sure what will happen next."


"Perfection....in decay..."

Finishing his conversation, his strides no matter how broken and contorted now made their way to where the slaves stood, waiting for this chance to be brought to the slaughter. Some prayed, some cried, others ended their own lives in order to prevent themselves from experiencing what came next.....

The spike of worry that shot up within the blonde was chased immediately by several spikes of fear. As she watched the Kage's frame bend and contort, his limbs sticking out at impossible angles one moment and shrinking to nothing the next as the very organs within him moved internally, attempting to break free but held back somehow. For the first time in her life, the blonde wished she couldn't see as well as her bloodline afforded her. Perfect vision was not worth having if this was the sight it brought with it. In that moment, the blonde would have given anything to make it stop, but that - like everything else - was beyond her control. As she watched him, the medic suddenly realized why Youka's body could contort as it did. unbidden, the picture of a young ninja came to mind, his face full of scars and his words full of hope as she examined him at the Hoshigakure hospital.

Of course, Youka possessed the same ability as Kenshin did, and Kyofu before him. Akihana may not have recognized it the first time but the third time, she was fairly certain. This only proved how ironic the universe was. For a man so heartless, Youka Tau possessed more than his fare share of hearts - literally. The feeling sat inside her like her own corrosive mist, eating at her from the inside as she watched what he did next.

Something painful twisted inside her as she watched him get hurt, and had she known herself lesser, Akihana would have almost believed it was pleasure. Pleasure at watching the man who had caused her own pain to suffer some in his stead. As it was, the kunoichi never lied, not to other people and certainly not to herself. She had pretended once and it had resulted in the loss of something far greater than she could put into words but it had taught her the value of honesty, and honestly, the painful twisting feeling indie her was the urge to go help. Her hands had already begun glowing green with chakra of their own accord when the first orb appeared, diving directly into an open gash on the kage's body and leaving her stunned.

Akihana dropped her hands to her side defeated as more orbs appeared, healing the man ahead. Of course he had protective measures in place, of course he wasn't going to take such a risk without back up plans.

Of course he didn't need her help. He had made it very clear that he only needed her to play a role, not for anything else.

Was the ordeal finally over, she wondered as she continued to peer ahead in the dark. If this was his business in the ravine, it was concluded. But the feeling of dread solidifying indies her told her there was more to come. There were dragons here, and though the chakra signature was weak... there were people... As he moved towards one of the poor creatures, Akihana felt a powerful, painful tug inside her. Time to go, Makona insisted, attempting to pull Akihana's gaze away from the scene. Had she not mastered the creature that now lived semi harmoniously with her, the blonde would have followed the instructions immediately. As it was, her golden eyes were fixed in horror at the scene unfolding in front of them.

We have to go, Makona tried again only to be silenced by Akihana's willpower. Giving up, the five tailed clone buried herself in the medic's psyche once more, giving up on her host of the night. Even a creature of pure power could only do so much in the face of a host who had a death wish. On Akihana's part, the only thing she did in accordance with Makona's wishes was to reach out her hands in time to stifle the scream that would have escaped her otherwise. As she watched Youka rip the poor dragon apart, more tears coursed down her cheek, her grief silenced by her own forceful hand covering her mouth, keeping her voice in and her location hidden.

Anguish shredded the young woman from the inside, making her sink to the ground as the horrendous scene continued in front of her. She should have ran, she should have intervened... She should have never came here. Thoughts jumbled inside her head, running over one another as her entire body went numb from the feeling of helplessness. She wished he was hurting her this way and not the last of the dragons. She would have made the same choice any day, but that was the point, she had no choice.

She never had one to begin with.

Her heart numbed with anguish and her slender frame shaking with quiet sobs, Akihana sank further down into the sludge, bringing up her knees close to her and burying her face against the material of her cloak, rocking back and forth as her tears continued to flow. Subconsciously, a chakra shield began to form around the young woman, keeping her safe from whatever it was that turned the ground of the ravine into quicksand. Soundlessly, the blonde activated her norito crest more for comport than anything else, helping the shield around her solidify as if should the shield be strong enough, it could somehow separate her from the world she currently existed in.

With great effort, her eyes finally closed, her head resting against her knees. But if she had thought that looking away might have helped, she was very wrong.

The sounds made it all the more horrific as Youka continued, completely unaware of her presence.

The cloak dissipated from the prince of decay as if it had been filled with too much air and simply popped. His body wavered slightly at the sudden loss of extra energy, he quickly found his legs buckling and his frame collapsing to the grime and decay that the earth beneath him had become. With his fall the ground reacted as if it had its own conscious and leathery intestine like vines rose to restrain his body one limb at a time. The immediate area around him began to glow a dark purple and hum with energy as false whispers once again filled the air. His four remaining orbs faded in and out like flickering lights before one failed entirely. The plane around him had come to a corpse like life due to the corruption he had input into it and now it was draining his chakra as he had drained the life from the ravine before.

Old wounds that had long since closed and healed were now resurfacing atop his skin. Some not so serious nicks and bruises reformed, other more serious injuries like gashes and cuts oozed a black ichor mixed with his blood. His body had somehow begun to reject itself as the five heart containers pumped excessively while the threads were driven into overdrive to heal and patch up the most serious wounds. Or so that was supposed to happen, what greeted Mortarion was not respite but more pain in the form of his lung collapsing once more while his very own threads poked from his neck wrapping around, constricting air flow. Two of the three orbs left finally reacted to their masters failing life force and slowly dropped into his body once more providing him with the sweet nourishment of instant healing and strength once more.

With a heave of force that he knew he only had enough strength for one he pulled himself free of the earths trap as the vines snapped and the ground beneath him responded in kind glowing once more. He had previously commissioned fuin users to draw seals into the earth itself before the corruption had taken place. Now they were coming to life as it took on a swirling motion in each raising the blood and mashed organs of everything that had died here. Six seals all together around the ravine formed, four of which were filled. One held the organs of dragons that now had rotted in their time seeped in decay, they now housed their diseases on the outside which were clearly visible as a black purple mist hovering above them. The second seal held what could only be measured as a small body of water except it was a mass of a dark red substance that now boiled and popped, a taste of harsh copper filled the air. The third seal carried nothing but was different than the others as it had more etchings that spiraled in on each other with words of the common tongue written in them yet if you tried to look upon them they shifted and altered themselves to gibberish. Seal number four was special, it emanated the same deep purple however it was filled with itself only a dark purple hole was visible. What made it special is that it spoke and began citing a ritual almost chanting it in a voice that carried multiple voices alongside it. The other two seals remained empty for now.

Mortarions steps once more found footing and strength to move as he noted his body was moving towards the humans once more without him giving the command. His breathing was labored and his motions almost robotic as the rain still poured atop his broken body somehow not washing off the blood and grime but mixing with it creating an art of sorts. He'd start with the dead bodies first, the ones that had killed themselves to avoid him doing the act himself. Kneeling to one of the bodies laid on its belly he effortlessly flipped it over searching for the brand that labeled the infected organ. It was branded on the males stomach which meant stomach cancer, with a quick motion his had pushed on the stomach pressing everything inwards before it finally broke flesh. He tossed the intestines to the side and pulled out his prize ripping it from any and all other organs attached to it. Seal number five and six were next to each other as well as close to the humans piled together. Seal five got the tainted organ, as soon as the organ made contact it turned black and the purple cloud once more began to form just as it was now hovering over the other organs. Seal six would be home to the bodies as he tossed it haphazardly into the middle. The body jerked and spasmed multiple times before dropping to just a heap of flesh, the bones and useless insides erased and eroded away without damaging the skin that carried multiple germs in of itself.

This process carried on for hours and the screams from the on lookers grew quieter as their numbers dwindled and the gore they were being forced to witness of having their bodies ripped into by bare hands while still alive had slowly numbed their emotions. One by one he'd look into the eyes of the next victim, find their brand and tare out the affected piece with a dead smile. the rain had stopped at this point and all that saturated the ground was gallons of blood and the seals that continued to collect his work. Each child that he murdered made the next one easier as they would look back into his eyes wondering what had possibly brought them to this point. Sadly they had been picked for their ailments, yet he knew telling them their death would serve a better future would be lost on deaf ears. It was true however, each person that died here had already been recorded for their sickness and he had personally took to task of finding cures in his spare time as he had begun to find usefulness in protecting the villagers that he did have albeit the healthy ones, it was a work in progress.

Making it to the final male and human alive he did the usual of looking the males body over for the mark. The male was holding his head and simply shaking it in a no fashion. Slowly Mortarion took his right hand and gently removed the males hands from his head finding the mark in clear sight on his forehead, the brain. he pleaded and begged for mercy, dropping to his knees looking up at his kage. The kage's eyes did follow him and stayed locked on his as well however his hands motioned to his surroundings giving the notion of "why would you think this would end any differently for you". He placed his left hand atop the males head rubbing the mans crown gently while the male cried beneath his grasp. Slowly by slowly his grip intensified and with time cracks could be heard as the skull fractured and broke. The males screams outshined the popping of his skull as the top part was ripped from his head leaving the brain exposed and with a pull the male died slumping over and the brain was thrown into the pile wile the body was kicked into the other to be readied.

What happened next could only be described as grotesque.....

The sounds made everything worse.

As the chakra shield solidified around her, keeping Akihana only marginally safe in the face of such mass destruction, the sounds continued, if possible, amplified all the more from her lack of vision. As she sat curled up in the hollow currently sheltering her from the rest of the going ons at the ravine, the blonde could hear everything. From the subtle sounds of bone fracture to the slapping of flesh against flesh to the spattering of blood on the trees and the ground. For one horrifying moment, the kunoichi was sure that something warm and sticky was seeping her way, the blood and pus coming for her, causing her to hold herself tighter, making herself a smaller target for the oncoming flood.

But the only warmth in her hiding place were the tears on her own face, tears that refuse to slow down. Tears and the overwhelming urge to vomit at the sounds and smells that accosted her senses no matter how much she tried to keep herself isolated from her surroundings. The nausea came in full force when the scent of blood mingled came with decaying flesh, human and animal waste and something far worse than she had ever witnessed before. Never in all her years as a medic had she sensed death as profoundly as she could right now.

Hours must have passed by but to Akihana, no measure of time would be enough to describe the feeling of being trapped where she was. The only indication of passing time was the shield around her, solidifying more and more as Makona finally appeared. Without noticing, the kunoichi had somehow made herself float a few inches off the ground, protecting her from the semi sentient ravine that sought to destroy and decay just like the man whose image it had been remade into. Finally, what made her emerge from her bubble was the silence.

Tear washed golden eyes took in her surrounding once more as her frame slowly, unwillingly uncurled herself, the golden bubble of chakra glowing softly around her and throwing her fatigued and grieved features into stark relief. The tears she had shed had left damp paths down her face and her blonde hair were streaked with dirt and grime. Her once white cloak showed its own color only in random spots here and there, the rest dyed a dirty brown from sources she couldn't stand to identified. Her slender arms still wrapped tightly around her tall frame, as though she was cold. in truth Akihana doubted she would be able to stand without the support of her own arms holding her upright. Her legs could barely carry her weight as she attempted to use them, stumbling on one foot first then the other.

She could have stayed hidden, stayed hidden forever until he left and then pretended this had never happened. But that was another thing she couldn't do. Akihana couldn't lie and she certainly couldn't not face the truth.

Trembling from head to foot, her chakra shield glowing around her as the only source of light in this forsaken place, Akihana finally stepped into sight, facing the man responsible for the pile of bodies already being digested into the ground of the ravine. Parting her lips, the medic attempted to speak, only for no sound to merge. Having stifled her voice for so long, the medic doubted she could call it forth upon demand now.

instead her grief stricken eyes only asked the same question. Why?

As everything finished its course and each task had been done as it needed to be the echoes of the seals voices grew louder. Each one grew bolder in a dark pink hue while the words became more readily heard and recognizable yet still slurred and meshed if you attempted to recollect them. A dark sky already seemed to grow even more dark as the malice and hate of the environment began to envelop and dome the surrounding area preventing anything and one from seeing what was going on inside.

Dropping to his knees in exhaustion from the events of the evening he was broken physically. All of his orbs had been used, the dark halo no longer adorning his head. His body seemed to age entirely, the constant healing jutsu and methods he had in place to falsify his appearance had now worn off. The full damage of the years of experiments, battles, and the bijuu taking residence had started to show. His hair once again returned to stringy straggles as the red dimmed to a dull greyish white. The muscle mass on his bones shrunk disappearing, revealing a skeleton like figure, the skin sticking to his bones and losing pigment as the veins seemed to be the only thing on him of color.

Later, much later, when all this was over, Akihana would recall the one sided exchange she'd barely heard. The blonde would try to piece it together as best she could, identifying the conversation as one with Youka's inner being only after eliminating other possibilities. And there would be many possibilities. He was mad? He was veering dangerously of course? He was unaware of his surroundings? She would contemplate and discard each notion before inevitably coming to the truth and realizing what she had heard - in is own way - was proof. But all that would happen in some distant future, when there was time and energy to think, when there was silence enough to think.

In there here and now, the gruesome present, the only thing of significance she heard were the screams from the seals glowing in the distance. Even as she made her way to the shriveled form of the man who had seemed so threatening only two months ago, all she heard were the shrieks, the sounds his victims had made, a cacophony of thousands of voices either begging for mercy of flinging curses at the one responsible for their murders.

"Don't ask questions...that you aren't ready for the answer. You shouldn't have come here, especially tonight. I forbade you from this area to save you from this."

The dullness in her eyes receded for an instant, her golden gaze replaced with a bright glare that even Akihana couldn't explain. Even after all he'd done, he felt he had the upper hand. They both knew he was weak. It didn't take a medical ninja to understand what his body was going through but Akihana was a medical ninja, she knew better than most than in that instant, the Raikage couldn't have stood on his own two feet had he tried. And yet he still... The blonde raised a trembling hand, only to stop halfway when she caught sight of the glowing green chakra dancing on her own fingertips.

Even in this moment, her hands rose only to heal.

The brightness in her eyes dulled once more, leaving her as broken on the inside as Youka appeared on the outside. As he reached for the final seal, Akihana stepped forwards, only to stumble. Her chakra shield was enough to keep her safe but not nearly enough to prevent the sight that accosted her next. the cloud of disease rushing towards her captor's weakened body, enveloping it and pouring in through every available orifice, molding his physical mass in ways she would never be able to unsee. Too horrified to scream and too afraid to move in case the cloud attacked her, the kunoichi remained where she was, fallen to the ground and only separated from the havoc the ravine was facing by her brightly glowing shield. The more the cloud interacted with her protective bubble, the brighter it shown, fending off the forces of malice.

The bubble can protect him too, the thought finally struck as her terror subsided slightly. Unable to stand, unable to run, the blonde found herself only capable of crawling, moving forwards inch by inch in the thick grimy substance that made up the ground. As she finally approached the fallen Kage, the cloud dispersed.

There was no movement from the man now made anew in front of her.

More panic gripped her heart as she stumbled forwards, the bubble around her expanding to envelope Youka into it's fold. The golden barrier around her nearly exploding outwards at having to contain so much impurity. Her chakra cringed at the touch of his and yet, she continued, reaching out to feel a pulse, or hear a stray heartbeat, any sign that he was still alive. Fresh tears coursed down her cheeks as she worked, landing on his bare torso in golden droplets of grief and worry. For the longest time, there was no sign that he was alive save the small dot on his forehead which had receded into itself once his body had been fully reformed. And it was that dot alone that gave her hope. All too familiar with the seal she had finally witnessed.

Finally, unconsciously, the kage drew in a shallow breath.

And Akihana collapsed beside him, the relief more crushing than anything she could imagine. The blonde only had enough energy for one last jutsu. Reaching out, she grasped the unconscious man's hand before both of them dispersed into the air, becoming nothing more than light particles, a distance memory from a nightmare.

(Exit Youka and Akihana - claims coning shortly)

TWC: 3, 579

3, 188 towards DR Shield
391 towards charity

Approved