Wolf's Teeth ~P, NK~

Altar would look the man up and down, turning his words over in his head. What he had said was true. He had never experienced old Kirigakure, but he had heard it was a land of bloodthirsty killers who would sooner murder and eat one of their own than show any form of mercy whatsoever. They were pseudo-savages, but they were the most efficient killers in the land, feared by almost everyone. But they were still savages, incredibly and most of the time an unneeded amount of cruel. They didn't kill. They tortured.

"You don't hide from them, but you justify them in ways I can't understand, Xyxer. I've never been in the shoes of a kage, and may never be, so I can't say I will understand outright, but you make little to no effort to explain. You lead in the ways of Old Kirigakure, yes. And they are effective, yes. But to what effect? What means to an end are acceptable to you?" The boy would say, taking his eyes from the kage for a few seconds, picking his words carefully. He wanted to get his point across to the man the same way he got it across to himself, as difficult as that may be.

"I believe we see two similar, yet different people when we look at you. You look to yourself and see a leader who makes necessary sacrifices to keep his village in a place of power and safety. I look at you and see a man who may be efficient in his leadership, but laughs at the cost of the safety and enjoyment of his people. It seems to me a case of the loved yet ineffective leader, versus the hated but effective one." Altar would say, looking the man in the eyes again.

"To hell with the rest of the villages. The outside world could burn to ashes and I wouldn't shed a tear, save for the home that is already gone anyways. If upsetting their balance and their deaths bring us safety and power then so be it. That's fine and dandy. But it is the balance HERE, our own people that worry me. You've changed, Xyxer. You were a man on the ledge and I thought I could pull you back. Maybe I still can, if there's a shred of humanity left. But it's that other side of you that concerns me, that evil and demonic side that I wouldn't trust with leadership. I fear for the day it takes over and you throw all of us to the wolves to secure your power, to further yourself."

Xyxer was beginning to believe this was the longest, tense conversation he's had with somebody in this world for a very long time. Leading people who's best friend had promoted them ahead of their time out of a sense of companionship was growing to become rather tedious. He would not be able to form the same bond that Haru had done with him, it was nigh impossible for him to form actual bonds with anyone, as it had always been. The predator devours the prey, as it has always been, and as it will always be. Yet the boy's insecurity persisted unfalteringly despite the efforts of Xyxer. Perhaps if he had a grasp on empathy, something to help him understand the position of Altar, this could have been resolved a long time ago without the usage of violence or psychological (and physical) torture. It appeared there had been a seed planted in the boy a long time ago, perhaps upon one of their first encounters, about the intentions of Xyxer. Had he been alive during his crusades as the ANBU Captain of Tengakure? Perhaps he had heard of his deeds in that location, although Haru seemed to have been unaware of them. Maybe it was the innate terror you experience when you encounter a monster that caused Altar to fear for his people, and after all, they were his people more than Xyxer's. Xyxer never professed that he saw the villagers truly as his own, his own people had died a long time ago and only the embrace of death would allow them to welcome him home. He paused for a moment on that thought to dwell, realising that perhaps he wouldn't be as welcomed as he himself believed.

"How have I endangered the safety or enjoyment of Kirigakure? I keep everybody in line, and crime is at a new low. I encourage everyone to become the best shinobi they could possibly aspire to be, I don't hide them behind some illusion of the outside world with false promises of peace. They must understand that betrayal is a loathsome, but natural occurrence in this world. They'll have to fight their friends sometimes. The Blood Games are the furthest I've gone to do what you suggest, and even then, that's not exactly a fair judgement is it Altar?" Xyxer's own eyes had been unfaltering throughout this ordeal as he continued to try pick the emotions from the visage of his ANBU, although the bruising was making that somewhat difficult.

The brief mention of a demonic side genuinely amused Atlas, even earning a brief moment of silence before he decided to respond to that segment, "You put far too much importance on your role within this world. I'm not teetering on any ledge, I've encountered my own 'demons' and I've grown to accept who I am. Perhaps you hold a point when it comes to our people. I value my shinobi above my citizens, and I would willingly sacrifice the latter to keep my military able and keen. I can't win wars with just bakers, Altar. What would you suggest I change? You seem to fancy yourself to be wiser on the role of a Kage ever since Haru received the position and handed it back a short while later."

He realised some point around now that he had not truly revealed the cause for his actions, and so he'd speak once more, "Have you heard about Suzaku Shina, the last Mizukage of Old Kirigakure? My first Kage."

The boy would give a slight grimace at the kage's words, his mind rapidly processing his history with Xyxer. It was filled with hate, torture and cruelty. But...was he like that with others? He had to be, right? He had never seen it firsthand, but if he was this cruel to his ANBU, then surely he was worse to others. Right?

"Or maybe that's a leap in logic to justify your own hatred for him, and your self-righteousness..." the seething voice in his head spoke words that burned...but were they the truth?

"Don't mistake my, Xyxer. If I thought I could lead the village myself I would've killed you. I don't believe myself strong enough to lead the village myself, nor do I have a mind for militaristics. I simply want the village to be safe and happy. If that is achieved through conquest, so be it. If it is achieved through peace, so be it. As I said before, you're a good leader, Xyxer. But I believe to be a good leader, you've forsaken being a good man." the boy would say, his face turning firm.

"You're not the only one who's accepted his demons, Xyxer. I live with them constantly at war in my head. But there's a vast difference between accepting your demons, and letting them dictate your actions." the boy would say. He was being bold, something Xyxer could very well see as reason to execute. But he figured there was no other way to see himself coming closer to, or understanding the man.

"No, Xyxer. I know very little of Old Kirigakure."

Atlas rubbed his index finger roughly across the bottom of his jawline as the words continued to be exchanged. Strangely for the male, this appeared to be one of the most formal situations he'd been in so far. Having to reassure your ANBU about your intentions, and that they are following the correct male. After sucking on his teeth for a few seconds he'd issue his initial reply,


"I'm being criticized by the male who readily admits he hears voices in his head? My, what sort of fucked up shit have I been getting up to?" A chuckle erupted from his throat as he continued, "I'm not a good man, I'm not a bad man. I'm a great man, Altar. I lead by example, and I have not asked for any of my people to do anything that I believe is out of their capability, or that I have not personally done myself. I'm not a Daimyo who hides behind others, I'm at the head of my armies myself. I don't cower behind my people and hope their bodies will dampen the shuriken coming towards me, I smack that petty shit right out of the air and embed my thumbs in their eyes. I'm a bastion to my people, a scourge to my foes, and a mentor for you if you will it."

Atlas paused for a second, huffing his chest out as he deliberated on his coming words, "You hear voices in your head and you believe that makes you superior to the one who can control his own. Every action I undertake is thought out. I don't act out of hatred. I don't act out of remorse. Not anymore. As the Apex of this world, the predators at the top of the chain.. We must maintain ourselves in the hierarchy. Crying because your leader is attempting to turn you into a competent ANBU isn't going to strenghten the village, merely weaken our defense if we can't trust one another."

Moving his arms from their folded position, he shifted them either side of himself and moved them into his pockets to convey some sense of casualness about the event that was anything but that. "He was a young shinobi, new to the ways of the world. He was granted a great deal of power by the Tenkage, Zachariah." Xyxer took a pause after saying his name, feeling a slight sensation upon recollection of how he avenged his own village, "Suzaku wandered around as the Mizukage of Kirigakure without anyone he could truly trust. He happened upon me during one of my plethora of missions, and he took a liking to my attitude. My gratuitous usage of violence, my fluid movements.. my tendencies. He offered me a place in his ANBU Corps with the mere condition of beating him. A Jounin against a Kage, with the latter harboring one of the tailed demons that are so revered and captivating.. Yet it was hardly a spar, there was no challenge to that fight, no feeling of accomplishment. Perhaps Suzaku threw the fight so that he could have some modicum of companionship and had acted on his emotions?" 

Atlas' shoulders lifted in a faint shrug as he continued on, "I soon became the ANBU Captain and performed a multitude of violent tasks; it wasn't an issue what the mission was, who we were paying a visit to.. the importance laid solely on the message that was received by all who wished to venture down that path. A forewarning to any others, laid in the brutality we placed upon these individuals.We were commended for these acts, although I believe I was the only one who saw them through the way our glorious leader wanted. You see, Altar, I was given uncontrolled, rampant growth when it came to power around that time. I was encouraged to be the beast that the Mist harbored, and this escalated into Tengakure as you likely know. Suzaku Shina was a kind Kage, but incredibly naive." Atlas fidgeted about for a few seconds, turning his gaze towards the door to the room for a few moments before he redirected his vision towards Altar once more. "He allowed his people to go about their business without any warnings or limitations, at least until the Quarantine, but it was too late by then. His absence of enforcement on the regular shinobi resulted in a domino effect if you will, that caused the destruction of the village. I'm not going to hinder, and potentially endanger my own village because you want me to reflect the kindness this man offered to others. It earned him a grave surrounded only by the meek. I've seen a great deal of Kage, and I lead better than them all, it's true. I know it, you know it, everyone knows it. Suzaku. Shinji. Denkiteki. Takeo. Haru. All of them have failed when it came to their village and leading, yet here we stand.. prominent, blossoming into something more than any of our prior villages have been. A new age, if only you'd accept it instead of extending your insecurities onto us all, perhaps you'd find yourself a new, welcoming home."

Altar's face would grow long at the man's words. Xyxer spoke the truth, though it seemed veiled. Or...perhaps Kalamity was right, and the boy was now simply desperately searching for a reason to still hate the man. He had tortured him, beat him, forced him into near-death scenarios. And yet, what he said was the truth. The man had stood as kage longer than any he had known of before, his own friend and father figure failing to hold the position fora worthwhile amount of time. But that was because he had been handed the reins to a horse beaten, starved and trained to hate it's rider. Right?

Or wrong?

As the man spoke of his upbringing in Old Kirigakure and the collapse of the village afterwards, the boy would let his mind wander over everything said. It sounded like Suzaku was a kinder, soft-spoken variant of Xyxer. But it did explain perfectly why he lead like he did.

"...i'd like to be the kind of ANBU you were, Xyxer. Missions, bloodshed and glory sound like a pretty good trio. But I need to be able to trust the person i'm serving. And i'm not sure you'd understand, hell I don't think you have a shred of empathy in your body, but after everything you've put me through, it's hard for me to place trust in you." the boy would trail off, his eyes filling with determination as he spoke

"But i'm willing to trust you. After all the torture, all the demeaning bullshit, I suppose you've never led me astray. So teach me to be the ANBU needed." Altar would say, extending his hand towards the man. He was ready to make peace with the monster. Sure, he was far from a kind leader to him.

But kindness was unnecessary.
Success was mandatory.

Perhaps Xyxer had advertised himself as something larger than life with the way he acted. He was unsure, but the notion of Altar striving to become an ANBU in the same breed of himself amused him far more than he could say. Maybe what he had been saying hadn't truly rubbed off on the male, or perhaps he expected respect from following that path. A new understanding for his leader.

A few memories swept back through his mind of his time in the ANBU corps and the atrocities he had tucked into his belt. The needless, yet sensual violence he exuded over others simply because he could. Sneering, Atlas shook his head, speaking somewhat fainter, "You don't want that." and with that, he'd nod his head towards the door of the room, "You can leave if you want, I'll contact you at a later date for some training."

The boy would note his own empty hand, leaving it hanging in the air a few more quiet seconds before lowering it slowly. It seemed the air of animosity would still hang between them, something the seething voice in Altar's head wanted to put to rest. Then again, this was the same voice that craved for the blood and flesh of just about anyone standing in eyesight.

Beware when fighting monsters, and all that.

As Altar's hand lowered, he would hear the words of the kage, the sneer evident in his voice as well as on his face. Quiet and with his head turned low, the boy would walk to the door, opening it and proceeding out, hesitating with one foot out the door. Turning to look back at the kage, the boy would shrug, a mixed look of defeat and disinterest on his face.

"Maybe I don't. After all, what good is a weapon with a conscience?" Altar would say, before closing the door and finding his way to the exit of the hellacious chamber he was trapped in.

~Exit~

[Closed]