Honey, I'm home! [Naoki pls]

The semi-naked man walked across the vast expanse of ocean, of which there was only more ocean that blessed his vision upon every accomplished mile. It was around this time that Xyxer wished he had developed some sort of jutsu that would create barricades in his head, a mental barricade if you will, to block the mundane task of walking out from his head. Of course, it wasn't all bad.. there was a gigantic, powerful beast following behind him like some sort of slave. It was curious.. a beast so powerful yet had been controlled merely by the power of the red eye he had taken from Youka. The trade of that male's life had suited them both it seemed, he heard he had even became the Raikage. Raikage for a Bijuu, huh? They'd have to have a rematch some time soon. He'd enjoy the thrill of that fight possibly even more than the one with this creature. Hachibi had been a great combatant, there was no doubt about it, but he was unsure on what to do with such a creature.. it had not died even when his jutsu had appeared at it's most strongest.. it seemed impervious to the embrace of death, which explains his aeons of survival in this cruel world. Standing outside of the whirring barrier, he activated the storm barrier so that it lifted momentarily to grant vision of the giant creature behind him. It was to be noted, Xyxer was a leader, and not a slave driver. He did not travel atop the genjutsu'd beast, for even he thought that was cruel, but instead he lead it to this village.. his village.. soon to be their village. Once the beast was noted by the ANBU that had been expecting his arrival, they warily approached the Mizukage, although they soon hid any sign of fear that they had exhibited prior.

"Find me Naoki. I have an interesting predicament he may be able to help me with." He stated simply, waiting for the arrival of the Uchiha. It was important to note that somewhere on the way over the ocean, he had somehow came into possession, conveniently of a leather article of clothing that could be considered a jacket, as it was in fact a jacket. Even more conveniently, that jacket had the logo of his family name on the back of it along with a skull. Metal studs adorning the arms and hem of this radical jacket, it was obviously a serious piece of kit. Probably Xyxer's.

Naoki was found by the Anbu in one of the many shops in the market district. He was conversing with an old acquaintance of his, a man who had provided him with rare materials required to craft the seal clones previously and who the Uchiha was hoping to get help from with the same issue again. However, apparently there were certain problems here that impeded the results Naoki hoped for. Let's leave the interesting stuff for later and get on with the show though. When the former leader of Shimagakure heard from the Anbu about the situation he obviously had no choice but to comply. Well, he did for an instant evaluate the current state of things, if Xyxer could be overthrown, if the village could be liberated, all that good stuff. But the conclusion was that even if Naoki did not help, there was no easy way to keep the Mizukage out of the picture and even if that somehow happened, the village was no longer his Shimagakure, it was the Mist, fused from his home and Tengakure, molded to Xyxer's beliefs. Any attempt to take it over at this time would result in many deaths that the Uchiha had no desire for. That and he wanted to see a Bijuu up close..

So, skip a minute or two and he was on the other side of the storm barrier. The tunnel would close and the Anbu stayed behind. Clearly impressed by the sizable beast Naoki would inquire "I hear you called for me?"

While waiting for the imminent arrival of the best sealer he knew within the area, Xyxer started dwelling on the thoughts that rushed through his head. The gentle prods at his conscience, of course, done subconsciously. Had he caused unjustified harm to this creature.. could it even feel the pain he had exacted on it? It walked now, zombified.. yet it seemed to show no apparent damage, and Xyxer was unsure on whether the sharingan could reanimate the dead.. he'd never attempted that before. The Bijuu itself had been largely passive when he arrived, and had the opportunity to strike him far cheaper than it had, yet it did not.. it just did not want to be sealed, and yet here he was, about to have it's power.

Once Naoki arrived, Xyxer barely bothered with any formalities as it seemed Naoki did not care for them either. "I want the power of Hachibi. I've brought you your clay to make the vase, Naoki, so it shouldn't take you too long." Of course, Xyxer was implying that the Bijuu was the clay, in case the male was unable to catch onto the analogy in what was about to happen.

Hearing the man out Naoki was slightly confused, just as the Mizukage had expected actually. You see, his mind was still partially on his own problem - the creation of the second exemplar. So when Xyxer mentioned bringing him the clay, the Uchiha would think he meant the special chakra infused clay found at the Senkosui lakes in the Grass Country which he was hoping to acquire in the market just then. However, it made little sense for Xyxer do get him some, nor did he see any so in a moment the meaning of clay finally reached him and Naoki's smile dimmed slightly. "You wish to become a Jinchuuriki? As I understand it is not the most comfortable existence and if done it cannot be undone; you would remain bonded to the beast..." the former leader of Shimagakure gestured at the eight tailed octopus-bull in front of him "... for life. Are you absolutely certain?" Naoki was not exactly sure himself how comfortable he was with giving Xyxer even more power or how having a foreign entity interact with his mind could affect him. This was quite the crossroad, but really... the choice was never his.

The ever prying eyes of Xyxer caught onto the absence of energy in the male's facial expressions, his features had become somewhat gloomy at the idea of Xyxer capturing this beast.. no.. it wasn't the idea of Xyxer having beat this creature, that would have come as no surprise to those who knew the will of the Mizukage.. he was angry that he did not get to have this bijuu. As Naoki started to speak his poison, it started to make more sense to him that Naoki perhaps was not the comrade he had once mistaken him to be, but instead a male who lived in this world solely to take what he could get. He did not congratulate Xyxer on the subduing of the beast alone.. he did not even bother to acknowledge the fortitude he was exhibiting to protect his people.. Naoki only saw the power aspect of the creature, and it was perhaps then that the Abysswalker started to understand the ways of people. A slight shutter of his eyelids hinted at the impulsive nature of Xyxer, and his favour towards violence became somewhat of an overshadowing threat throughout this exchange as he started to believe he was no longer in the company of someone he could call a friend.

It did not cross his mind that a friend would not want to see another in a position he could kill himself in, for Xyxer was incapable of understanding an attachment to that degree. He longed for his friends to die glorious deaths rather than bruising up with age much like an unwanted banana. Perhaps Naoki did not want Xyxer to risk death at all.. and that idea sickened him to his watery core. "I do not live for a comfortable existence; I am not the one who wanted to live on a tropical island. I do what I do for those who follow me. If that means I must forego myself and truly become the monster they claim me to be, then so be it. I'll serve until my last breath, just as every Shinobi should, and if Hachibi will aid me in this endeavor, then it is a just cause. That is my decree, and it is final." Xyxer declared instinctively, the absence of joy on Naoki's face and his questioning of actions clearly starting to aggravate the male who had expected nothing but congratulations and eager acceptance. The literal overshadowing figure, still under the genjutsu of Xyxer, started to mimic the challenged feelings of his captor, snorting heavily while scraping it's titanic knuckles against the water surface almost as if it was preparing to charge, yet made no movement with it's torso nor head.. it's eyes remaining transfixed on the barrier so that he did not find the target the Tadashi wished to avoid.

Naoki frowned, it seems his intentions have been misunderstood as Xyxer suddenly took on a rather hostile tone. It actually reminded the former leader of what happened the last time he did this, what became of Youka after he sealed a tailed beast into him. But as the Uchiha already knew before he asked his questions, the choice here was never his. More or less, he had to do this and just hope it turns out for the best. All in all, should Xyxer truly become a monster and break the pact between them, it would be a different story, but so far their relationship remained the same.

With his sharingan swirling to life behind the veiled appearance of Naoki's black eyes, the sealing expert of Shimagakure would glance at the beast. It did not take him long to notice the patterns on the Eight Tails' eyes and realize that he was being manipulated by genjutsu; not just any genjutsu though, this was done with the use of sharingan. Which raised an interesting question - did Xyxer himself possess the doujutsu and hid that fact from his Uchiha servant or if he had somebody else with that ocular power helping him. This did not seem like the right time to ask more questions, for now the fact that sharingan genjutsu was used was enough.

Looking back at the Mizukage Naoki would respond. "Very well. Understand that this is not something to be done lightly, so I had to make sure you were certain that is what you want. If you are indeed adamant on this decision then let us proceed." He would then explain that Xyxer had to command his enslaved beast to not resist, otherwise this wouldn't work. Once they were both ready Naoki formed the handseal and extended his hand towards the Bijuu. Should the man controlling it have done as asked, the beast's form would begin shining and in a moment turn into pure mass of chakra. With a swing like gesture the Uchiha would guide the energy towards the Mizukage, locking his hand onto him until every last drop of Hachibi's chakra was absorbed. At that point Naoki shouted out in concentration and the Eight Symbols closed out, forming the seal on Xyxer's chest. The technique was complete and Naoki was breathing heavily as his arms slowly fell by his sides. He felt less exhausted than the last time, but as before the procedure took a lot out of him. He was certain it was a success though.

Naoki did not bother to issue an apology to the Mizukage regarding the incident, yet that was a quality that allowed the Abysswalker to consider him an equal. He did not bend and break his back in his gestures, but rather in his actions he had proved his worth and loyalty. The ryo of Kumogakure had been a sign of that itself, and even moreso was his return to the misty isles he had departed from a long while ago. His eyes ran over the features of the male before him as if he was hoping to pick out a flaw, yet his mind was already running wild with the possibilities that were to come. Was this male about to kill him in order to secure the power of this fabled creature? He had been there when the other Bijuu was in Kumogakure.. he was sure of it. No way he would have received such a large portion of ryo if he had not had a direct hand in that situation. Was this a part of his plan? Did he understand that the strength of Xyxer was going to lure such a titanic creature towards them?

Before Xyxer could act any further on the impulses that were channeling through his body like violent bursts of electricity, the male spoke some sense. The event was about to proceed, and Xyxer would soon discover whether Naoki did indeed plot to kill him or not. One hand, his left, remained twitching lightly by his side as if it was getting ready to swing upwards towards the male before him should this be a trick. Yet, as per the male's request, he disabled the resistance of the beast so that the sealing could go on as he said it would.

A bright draining of chakra soon caught the attention of Xyxer as he saw his creature being turned into something else.. a more purer version of what it had once been. All of that mass had suddenly been condensed into something much smaller, yet carried just as hefty a punch. This.. this was the strength they talked about in the books he had read as a child. The fabled bijuu sealed into the renowned jinchurikis.. this was the stepping stone in his life into becoming even more renowned than he was now, and little did he know how much of a pinnacle of change this motion would set forth in his murderous life. He and Hachibi would become one, the lives of two demons mergi-

As soon as Xyxer had started to grasp the grand scale of what was about to unfold, he felt as if he had just been struck by someone who didn't have guns as puny as his companions.. he felt as if he had just been punched by the beast's mammoth fists in his abdomen. Instinctively his muscles tightened and his stomach recoiled from the hit, yet he was sure Naoki would follow through on that movement with his fingers dug into Xyxer's torso to ensure the sealing did not fail and the eight tails broke lose on them. He gasped for a second from the pain he had just felt.. something he had not experienced in such a long time despite his overexertions in his training regime. He had been exhausted in them, and on the verge of being unable to use those muscles.. but he had never felt something as painful as this.. hell, even his death had been quicker.

Xyxer bit down onto his teeth in a grimace while the sealing took place and he felt the flurry of punches, the hatred of the bijuu infecting him while it scored so many free shots on his once impervious body. He'd even started to sweat from the exertion of not collapsing during the sealing, yet he felt himself growing weaker with every moment ahd e was soon unsure on whether he would even be capable of standing to endure the sealing, yet his determination to his village.. to himself.. yet, although he would never admit it, to his ego, would not allow him to buckle so easily. He had defeated the beast.. and he would not be defeated by having the seal placed on him. That would not be the final line in the story of the Mizukage.

The sealing was now over, and the two of them stood there panting for what seemed like an eternity after that interaction. Xyxer's muscles twitched violently in reaction to the sealing of the beast within him.. it was almost as if it was already trying to escape from him. That would explain the splitting migraine he was starting to experience, and he didn't even have the energy to feign otherwise to his companion at this point in time. With his eyes half closed from the sunlight hurting his head, and the thunderous noise the beast was causing inside of him, he lifted his hands up weakly and activated the relevant hand seal for the storm gates to open as he started to plot through, a new voice making it's noise heard inside of him, "You foolish mortal! Do you not know how many people I've killed from overpowering my hosts? You should leave your village if you don't want to be the reason it's destroyed." The beast roared from inside his dome, as if it was thunder. A thunder dome if you will.


He shook his head from the new voice inside of his head.. it was no longer Xyxer, he was not sure where that voice had gone. This was more guttural, with an echo that pounded across all fronts of his mind. This was Gyuki, the beast he had forced into his service. He muttered a few words while he walked through the barrier, waving one hand towards Naoki while closing the storm barrier should he not follow through, "Thank you." and with that, he'd issue a few orders to the ANBU on hand before making his way to his chambers. It had been an interesting day.

[Exit]

Jinchuriki of the 8 tails
No WC to mental barricades out of fear of Akihana's gentle wrath

Guess who got approved...

Spoiler:

He was not the only one who this technique stressed, it seems. As the Mizukage was catching his breath as well, Naoki thought to himself what all of this could have meant. He wondered if the shift of power would ever ease up, if things would stabilize or if his fate was to play catch up and chase of things he was not sure he was even seeking. After Xyxer regained his posture and opened the barrier again, thanking the Uchiha, Naoki would follow him to the village. At the moment he was too exhausted to bring it up, but maybe at a more opportune moment he should probably talk to the leader of the village about it. To open up that trade route; he really needed that clay, you see.

1002 w.
[Exit,
1002 towards crafting Exemplar]