Cant spell Punishment without Pun (P,IO)

The basement of the abandoned house outside of Kirigakure was dark and mildewed with the walls of the buildings foundation holding moisture.  There were shelves lining it holding a variety of medical supplies and jars containing an odd green liquid. Within the jars were organs collected from many of the villagers and a few shinobi that he had drug down to this place. It was truly a scene from a horror movie.  One that Yazu had hoped to keep secret.  So as he typically did when off of assignment in the left of the room as almost a shrine he kept his heart masks. Typically they would hang there but on this day he kept them on him knowing that trouble could be greeting him. He wanted to save them and leave them here but the only thing predictable about the company in Kirigakure, was their unpredictability

Yazu was actually at the surface of the small one bedroom one bathroom building, in the main room sweeping the area having already renovated the area to appear more shop like for his upcoming business venture.  The recipes for the food pills already done and only several thousand ryo shy, if only he could find some startup capital for the business it would begin booming.  As Yazu stood in his kimono in the center of the nearly defunct building dreaming he would hear a rapping upon the door, and because he knew there were no ravens anywhere in the vicinity, he knew this would be a very unpleasant visit.

He looked to the shelf with a small bell rested atop it where an opened parcel summoning him the Blood games sat.  Incriminating evidence to be certain,  Yazu had failed to make an appearance and thus embarrassing the Mizukage, his punishment was likely to be swift.  He felt dread knowing that whoever would be at the door would not be who he wanted.  The tentacles within him quivered.  The white haired boy would drop the broom where he stood and would slowly pace over to the door, where the knocking would come a second time, much louder than before, causing him to flinch.  He would then, concentrate and focus himself, becoming the stone faced psychopath that he truly was.  Grasping the metal door handle in his right hand he would jar it open from its stuck hinges, causing the bell atop it to jingle, peering out he saw four men all around the front lawn, scattered about, three of them several meters away from the door and the one who knocked, with one man standing directly in the doorway his face shoved into it eerily close, so that when Yazu opened the door he would be face to face with the equally creepy individual.  Jester's thin smile was beyond unnerving, his reputation being not so tame, the sight of him was quite disturbing, Jester the Molester was his name.  They now stood with their noses only inches apart, the boy Yazu would swallow out of nervousness, which seemed to only excite the man more.  Jester would be slightly hunched over to be face to face with the young man, right hand dangling from his right pocket and left hand rising up to begin touching Yazu. 

"Yazu of the Mist?" Jester would ask excitedly as his hand was now inches from the boy's pale white skin.  His eyes squinted and thin lips parted as he spoke.  Yazu knew that any attempt to stop the touch would be seen as aggression against village superiors, and in a military state that offense was punishable by death, so he would allow the awkward touch.  The hand beginning to caress his cheek, though the calm boy would show no emotion or fear, his massive grin still rested upon his face.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Yazu would respond making no sign of discomfort, only serving to irritate the deranged sexual predator even more.  Jester's hand would clench in response to lack of fear the boy showed, raising it back and preparing to swing forward and knock the boy backwards, possibly knocking him unconscious or even killing him.  The hand shot back with ridiculous speed and just as it started its forward movement, a cough would erupt from one of the three men in the back, a dark skinned man, who would be staring intently at Jester.  Causing Jester to stop mid punch.

"You're right Wraith, we will just let Lord Mizukage deal with the rat, then I can take what I want."  He would say in response to Wraith despite the black individual having said nothing.  He would then burst out on a roar of maniacal laughter, using the left hand that was prepared for the punch, to instead forcefully grab Yazu by the Kimono and lift him up turning slightly and shoving the boy forward toward the other men. "That is if he leaves you alive you impudent brat."

The group would surround Yazu at that point with Jester taking the point, and Wraith in the back.  The other two ANBU on either side of him preventing any idea of an escape.  Wraith would watch Yazu closely never underestimating any opponent, Wraith would not allow this kid to make any actions. All the while Jester would stroll ahead of Yazu singing improvised songs about what he wished to do to Yazu's rectum, "Hello Yazuuuuuu, I'm gonna love youuuuuuuu" and the like, though he could not sing in key it didn't make the songs any less uncomfortable.

The boy walked with his arms in his long flowing white sleeves, hiding them from sight with his head held normally looking forward, the smile still remained on his face.  The journey would take the 5 of them through the woods to a deserted beach with a small cliff face on the right side of it, the white sand taking up a majority of the area.  Just as they exited the woods Jester would cease his annoying singing as they approached the Mizukage.

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It appeared that within that moment, Yazu had been so delirious that he had imagined varying incorrect aspects of the gentlemen that had come to gently escort him to his final resting place. Perhaps he was delirious from the fumes the liquids he preserved his organs in, after all, he did seem to consistently be in that room to admire his life's work, but who are we to judge the anaemiac? As he opened the door to reveal the masked crew that had come to be his charon, ferrying the delinquent towards the watery grave the Mizukage had instructed them to do. It smelled questionable just from outside the door, but that didn't sway them from knocking. After all, they'd be a rubbish bunch if they returned to the Mizukage empty handed, and quite likely to face the punishment that Yazu was about to if that was to be so. Their enhanced senses seemed to be picking up on some form of chemical within the house, and not just the ordinary shampoo and conditioner, but something more.. exotic. A few smells tangled with the disinfectant and preserving agent down stairs, which would buy the male time from the ANBU's inquisitive nature. The smell of the raw organs covered up by the medicinal aroma emitting from downstairs, alongside the chemical smell of food from above. Before they could dwell on the idea some more, Yazu threw open the door not too long after the second round of knocking.

From behind his realistic, smirking mask, Jester watched as Yazu's eyes seemed to do a double take on his features. Was he.. was he inebriated? He was unsure, and that question was irrelevant for the deed he needed to carry out. However, softening up someone who seemed to be under the influence would surely earn the favour of the Mizukage, making him more susceptible to the punishment that was to be dealt, so he'd play the part of the molester to his full extent, even stroking the flesh of the male that almost made his skin crawl. Even from behind his gloves he could feel the coldness of his skin, like a fresh corpse with the appearance to match. It was thankful he'd be dead soon, the ANBU thought before pulling him out from the house so that they could go for a little walk towards where the Mizukage wished for them to be. His head turned momentarily to look towards his main partner Wraith, who he had been with for the entirety of his ANBU career. He continued to wear his compressed black clothing, tight around his flesh and muscles as if they were a second skin, filling up the contours his flesh happened to have. Wraith's mask was simple in nature for this event, bearing only two black ovals over his eyes to give the impression of shock consistently. Xyxer had told them that facing a faceless opponent with simple expressions on their masks would have the best outcome due to the misinterpretation that could occur when people rely on looking at the face of their enemies to predict their attacks.. they had just nodded along, because it had not been a wise idea to go against the Mizukage. Something the boy was about to witness first hand.

While Xyxer stood on the sturdy cliff face, roughly two meters from the very edge of it that would see him descending into the sea itself, he contemplated on the actions that were to come. There was no doubt to anyone that met him that something had changed within him not too long ago, a new conflict having arisen in the male who was born from it. Conflict had been all Xyxer knew the entirety of his life, from Kirigakure to Shimagakure, it was what he was required to settle. He settled conflicts with his own brand of violence, the excessive brutality that caused fathers to witness the execution of his family before himself, to truly understand the concept of fear. People were less likely to perform actions against the power if they knew that the reaction would be wild, unproportionate to the deed that had been performed. If a thief was punished with the loss of his life, then how would a murderer fare? Yet now, Xyxer had started to doubt his own actions. They had kept his villages safe and untampered with, that much could be said for his cruelty. It was entirely cruel, and entirely despicable by people who didn't understand how many lives he was saving by making an example of one.. yet it was cruelty with purpose. He was not a mindless beast, he had evolved from his days of Old Kirigakure, with each new Kage showing him a new repertoire of abilities to pull into himself, to develop.. to evolve. He was becoming an Apex, yet he didn't feel content with it anymore. The beast within showed him that he was more of a threat to his villagers than any outside force was, and.. was that how it was supposed to be? Had he forsaken his role as a leader, to become a tyrant as they all said? Did they not understand what he had sacrificed to keep them all alive? The beast forced him to consider all of these thoughts an innumerable amount of times, it wanted to rile him up.. to make him break and assault everyone as punishment for their heinous misunderstanding of his actions. Yet, that would prove them entirely right.. a tyrant that butchered his own people for not believing he was doing the right thing.

Soft, hollow droplets of rain started to trickle down from the stormy sky above, impacting the ground within the village with light thuds, cleaning the pavements while also turning the earth more vivid in colour, moist and alive. However, Xyxer did not get to experience that kind of change.. all he saw was the rock beneath him start to become more glossed with the water, his own skin feeling rejuvenated as the rain impacted his own lone body in the open. Perhaps that was what he needed to be. A tyrant. Was it a worthy trade off for his reputation to decline, if his people were to survive throughout the years? It had worked so far, that much was certain, yet it's sustainability of a regime was debatable..

The chakra signatures of his ANBU, and of Yazu, started to soon become more prominent for the Mizukage. They were drawing close now, just within the forest that separated them from the openness of the world. He didn't bother to turn around yet, as he enjoyed the view from the top of the cliff. The vast expanse of ocean always seemed to soothe him, with the crashing waves that overlapping one another, the strongest of the waves being the victor to see which caused the most splash. That was a comforting thought, yet it did not feel to be entirely true. It wasn't always the strongest that wrote history, many strong people within this world had died forgotten.. and it worried Xyxer that either he was not strong enough to be remembered, or that he would indeed merely die forgotten. Perhaps, an excessive event was required to keep him in the history books.

Unfortunately, the singing of Jester had stopped at this point, and that was enough indication for Xyxer that they were ready for the audience he was about to be given. The four ANBU stood at a V-like position around Yazu to ensure he had no way to escape but directly ahead towards the Mizukage himself; a more dangerous prospect. Xyxer turned around at this point, letting his eyes fall onto his masked ANBU Operatives, and then onto Yazu who was between them. Whether he walked towards him or not was irrelevant, what mattered was whether Yazu was about to fall down onto his knee to show him the respect he demanded of his villagers, and even moreso from his shinobi. You don't snub the hand that feeds, and yet Yazu had done exactly that. He refused to make an appearance at the Blood Games, and that had cost Xyxer some of the fear that people afforded him. He wouldn't yet go into a monologue, as he believed Yazu knew exactly where he was there, and if at any point he felt that he was being lied to he'd simply begin the dissection of an Earth Grudge Fear user.. after all, it hadn't been the first time he'd tortured one.

He remained standing there, his hands beside himself with the clothed blade of Samehada on his back. The Abysswalker started to speak, his voice remaining quiet within the wind so that it almost felt as if the words were so light that they were being carried around them.

"Explain yourself."

An interesting conundrum the boy seemed to be in, one from which there was no escape.  The ANBU behind him, who had just now led him into the clearing would likely halt any hope of escape that Yazu could formulate, short of killing everyone here, and that route had a .00001 % success rate no matter how he had played it out within his own mind.  He knew why he was here, it didn't need to be said, though Yazu had not intentionally missed the event just out of arrogance or fear.  He had simply gotten busy doing what he does, and for an individual who could live indefinitely time passed very differently for him than it seemed for those around him.  The boy would never rush, never got impatient, there was always another opportunity to accomplish his goals.  So he would often watch as the mortals of the village would rush into every action and decision as though their time was short ignoring many of the consequences to said actions.  Yazu had simply lost track of the time, in a village without a sun or moon how does one adequately track such a thing, especially when they have no inclination to do so?  From his isolation he was not even aware The Games were occurring, had he known, it was a guarantee he would've been there, the boy suspected that even Xyxer in all his rage would understand how much Yazu liked the opportunity to kill.  Maybe if Yazu had marked his calendar, or even bothered keeping a calendar, this would not be happening him today.  The thoughts of regret were not important though, and Yazu would dismiss them immediately knowing that remaining here in this moment was his only chance of coming out of this alive.  

His thoughts would quickly switch back to the current issue at hand; What would he say?  Was there any reasonable excuse? Or was the punishment all that mattered?  Yazu pondered for a brief moment, deciding it was most likely the third scenario.  A lesson had to be taught, and Xyxer did not hire substitutes to teach these lessons for him.  Yazu felt a brief hint of rage when the idea of the man destroying his precious hearts came to him, a slight that to the boy would be nigh unforgivable, one that he may never recover from, but if he did not do exactly as asked death was certain, and in that case none of this would matter.  The fact that he was being punished would also pose an interesting question, Was Xyxer so insecure about his own leadership that this became necessary?  The man became enraged by being publically humiliated or any perceived form of humiliation, treating it as though Yazu had accused him of having small hands, and now felt the need to send him pictures of his hands.  If that was the case it would definitely explain why he was so self conscious of it.  Interesting piece of irony proposed here, that the only stain upon his ability to lead was his fear of not being able to lead.

As the man approached it was certain to Yazu how he should handle this situation to best result in survival.  He would accept the lashings and punishment in any way Xyxer saw fit, then harbor any grudge created and carry it with him, in his still breathing chest. The EGF user wondered about what level of understanding Xyxer might have of how his body worked, at their last meeting Xyxer implied having some degree of knowledge on the bloodline, but did he have a complete understanding of the heart containers he carried within the masks or was it all just assumptions based on reports.  So much contemplation in this moment, one in which he felt a great deal of dread and some small twinges of anger.

The moment the ANBU surrounded him forming a V at the boy's back Yazu would allow his knees to buckle placing himself on the ground kneeling, both knees flat on the ground before him with his butt on the calves.  Both hands flat upon his thighs palm down and his head bowed eyes facing the ground.  He would have done this well before Xyxer had begun walking over to the white haired demon of the mist.  There would be no sign of chakra manipulations, no resistance, the head humbly bowed and Yazu would relinquish himself entirely, not even gazing upon Xyxer, close enough to Yazu so that he could see the man's legs in the upper part of his peripheral vision but nothing else, staring at the dirt.

The voice would sound firm, much more firm than he had ever heard it, causing a slight shiver to flow down Yazu's spine. "Explain Yourself", the man would bark.

Yazu's voice calm and apologetic, would state only the phrase, "There is no excuse, my Lord."
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It was a peculiar case that perhaps demonstrated their natures far more than any encounter they may have had prior. They both knew the implications of what was about to happen,the violent tendencies of Xyxer and his iron hand when it came to punishments, and yet they were both calm. Was it acceptance, or defiance? The beast had started to make him think, pushing around inside of his dome to assault his insecurities like the unnaturally born predator it was. The aura of danger that continued to exude from his person was remarkable as it was intertwined with the bijuu's own natural hatred for mankind, despite how little of a man the male kneeling before him truly was. Could a member of his clan truly be considered human at all? Xyxer was not even sure himself whether he himself classified as a human after all of the atrocious deeds he had committed, perhaps, in a sense, he was less of a human than the creature before him that used hearts to form new bodies. The howling wind continued to fill the void of words between them, dancing around their bodies ritualistically while manipulating the water to strike them in new areas. It spoke volumes between the two as they both remained silent for the time being, judging one another on what they want to happen, on what would send the best message towards the opposite party on how their village will be run. The subservience of his subordinates was required, and how would he be able to attain that goal if they ONLY feared him? With no degree of respect, the chances of a betrayal became far greater, and that was how the greatest went down; betrayed by their closest. Perhaps now was the time for the path of Xyxer to change. Not remarkably, but slightly.

Cascading from the sky in a gentle spread across the area, the wind whipped the water directly against the left side of Xyxer, and of course, the right side of Yazu due to their positioning. The untamed wind forced their clothes to billow with it, their hair, despite whatever great ninja products that were being used, wavering to the side. Yet still, throughout all of this, it could be heard. A faint sound that came from Xyxer as he sucked air in through his closed mouth, creating a light suction noise as he plotted on what the outcome of the male before him was to be. He had demonstrated the willingness to accept the punishment, and his inability to form an excuse for what had happened, so perhaps some degree of leniency was allowed. New age; new rules.

A minute or two had passed by now where the silence had remained, breeding the tension between everyone in the party. The actions that were to follow would only continue to escalate the tension as he lifted one hand up from his side, curling it over his shoulder so that it could latch onto the hilt  of Samehada, feeling the weight of the blade as it entered his palm and let off a faint, yet delighted slobber. Retracting his arm, the blade became free of the sash that held it against his back, retrieving it from over his shoulder so that it extended out before him. The bandages remained tight around it's body, binding the thicc scales around it's form into the condensed area, at least, that was until there was a notable shifting at the head of the blade. There appeared to be some movement there before the bandaging revealed a tear, and it soon became obvious the blade had started to eat the bandaging due to the unspoken will of it's owner. It had been a technique that they had practiced not too long ago, having been aided by Xyxer, for some unknown reason, actually feeding Samehada. Eating through the bandaging at the top of the blade, Samehada revealed it's sharp pearly whites, before opening it's mouth to let it's tongue hang out like an excited dog, which only further showed the rows of ferocious teeth that were used to destroy anything that entered it's mouth. It's tongue tasted the chakra signatures of each individual in the area and grew even more excited.. was it time to be fed again?! 

Xyxer's eyes had remained on Yazu throughout the entire movement to see if he had lifted his eyes up from the ground before he started to speak once more, his voice still quiet and carried by the wind, "I'm sure you are well aware of my blade, Samehada. I scared you with it the last time we spoke." His words seemed to slice through the air as it cultivated the air of tension that was building. His arm lowered downwards slowly so that Samehada itself descended down towards the ground, it's large, floppy tongue soon touched a relatively large rock that had been resting there, soaked by the rain. Stretching across it, the tongue soon pulled the mini boulder into it's mouth like a gecko with a fly before it. The chunk of earth now rest inside the mouth of the blade, clear to everyone that was watching with Samehada's first row of teeth holding it in place for now. After a few seconds of allowing people to witness the placement, and of course, it's message, Samehada bit down harshly into the rock while shuffling it further down it's throat whilst chewing through the rock, destroying it almost completely within a mere few seconds, yet that wasn't the key part. There'd be a light fizzling that was likely noticed by the people surrounding, and if not, it'd help them that the digestive liquid that had caused such fizzling dripping through the outer teeth of the blade to fall onto the ground before it, roughly a meter in front of Yazu, eating through the earth itself for a good few feet.

Now that Yazu knew the capabilities of what his weapon could do, and what his intent was going to be, he spoke out towards Yazu once more, addressing him more firmly, "Hand me one of your masks, Yazu. I know the value of these items to your clan." He did not intend to take it forcefully as that defeated the purpose of the message he was sending, but it was clear. The hostile air around them continued to dance around with the howling sounding almost as if the wind itself was laughing maniacally.

To willingly accept an unknown punishment was a very difficult pill to swallow for the Earth Grudge Fear user.  The boy spent more time trying to protect all of his possessions than he did acquiring them, and meeting Xyxer here on this day was no easy task.  Had his mind wandered to fleeing the village and deactivating the storm barrier travelling the world with freedom? Of course it had, and truthfully the concept did not seem unappealing, so what  had stopped him?  Why did he remain here knowing what was on the line?  Perhaps Yazu had more loyalty than he had ever given himself credit for, or perhaps he was a coward who feared the outside world and only slept easy because of the great man before him.  Yazu settled on the fact that it was likely a small degree of both, as the man before him also reached great heights by creating oceans of corpses and it was by martial skill alone the Mizukage wore the hat, and kept enemies at bay by a mere mention of his name.  This was not a being who any wise man would disobey, nor a being that was to be trifled with.  

Yazu had a suspicion of his own value within the village, he was the only true dedicated combat medic, and had a very powerful kekkei genkai capable of area of effect damage making him not entirely a waste of space, but he was not a swordsman like others in the village, nor did he strive to be.  That made his abilities somewhat undervalued within Kirigakure.  He ranked relatively low, with a high ceiling of potential, but he was certain his exploits forced Xyxer to question his worth occasionally.  It would be then that the Mizukage would remove the prized blade from upon his back slowly and efficiently hoping to inspire fear within his victim, which was quite effective.  Yazu did instantly become afraid for his life and what might happen.  Yazu would watch the blade but would continue to avoid eye contact with Xyxer.  The boy understood that cowardice was a crime punishable by death and all Kirigakure should remain defiant even upon the gallows, however his plan was working well so far. and that was to avoid staring a feral dog in the eyes, as that only enticed them more.  Yazu's eyes wandered to the blade as it chomp chomped a rock pulverizing it, which was certainly Xyxer intimidating even further in an attempt to make yazu even more uncomfortable and possibly making a fatal mistake which could ultimately result his death today.  He had to remain calm and levelled, at least until the torture began.

Yazu could see that the rock was roughly about the size of his mask, this thought was infinitely more frightening to the boy.  So that when Xyxer demanded for Yazu to hand over the mask, the already pale face of the boy would drop one additional shade of white, appearing almost supernaturally pale.  His eyes widening and his lips pursing and teeth clenching, as what felt like a ball of burning white hot lead would build within his chest.  He was obviously put off, and the shaking of his hands beneath the sleeves of his kimono would be quite apparent as they turned to clench his knees out of fear and anger.  If this was Xyxers goal he would have accomplished it.  Though the emotions were not present within, the very real fear of loss was there.


"Yes Lord Xyxer, as you wish," his voice trembled as the words barely escaped, he would not frind it prudent to simply slip off the container and hand it to the man instead hoping to win him over with a display of his capabilities. "This is my phoenix," the boy would inform.  As the spot on his back would open surrounding the fire heart, the mass of threads would writhe momentarily before producing the massive phoenix held within his body, the only difference being that the mask is located where a typical beak would be.  The beast would exit very slowly and land in the clearing formed by the ANBU's V formation behind him, The massive beast would move over to Xyxer using its inherent flight, Circling for a moment like a buzzard then landing right in front of him, offering the Mizukage the mask upon it.  Showing no hostility in this environment so as not to be misconstrued with a n attack.  The beast and Yazu now kneeling before Xyxer.

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Xyxer picked up on the faint tremor in the male's vocal chords when he uttered the words of submission, yet.. he was unsure at this point when it came to the one that stood before him. Was it a tremor of genuine fear, or an imitation of it? The question posed an interesting dilemma for the male, because if the male was not genuinely scared of Xyxer and his actions then there would have to be something done to truly showcase to the tau why he should be scared. Why the Abysswalker is one who does not compromise when he wishes to gain something. He had taken Shimagakure when he desired it without even needing to harm anyone, and that alone was testament to his strength when it came to enforcing his will over others.

Flickering over his form while he spoke about a phoenix or something along those lines, he noticed a twisting, malformed appendage start to extend from the back of the male, pushing through the clothing that had been there previously. It ripped through the fabric without too much trouble as it pried away from his body completely, turning instead into a writhing mass of threads that conjugated into one creature, that Xyxer assumed, was supposed to be the phoenix that Yazu was talking about moments prior. It took to the sky for but a moment before it begun it's descent towards the male who remained prepared should the phoenix attempt to harm him in any way whatsoever, with the hand of Xyxer remaining out from his body with Samehada pointed directly towards Yazu, unflinching from when the blade ate the rock. It continued to circle around him as if it was a bird of prey stalking it's carrion, yet it was clear that it was not to be the case. Before the threaded monstrosity would have a chance to even launch an attack at Xyxer, it was most likely that he himself would have closed the gap to Yazu to battle Frankenstein, rather than his monster. Yet as it appeared, the creature that was made to imitate a creature, much like how it's owner pretended to be human, swooped down before him before doing some weird kind of craning of it's neck. Taking this as some kind of messed up bow, he would let the aesthetics slide for now while watching the threads as they pumped around the body to grant the movement that the beast was enabled. It was rather interesting, it had taken a solid form and was capable of acting independently of it's host. Regardless, now was not the time for witnessing things, more so the instillation of fear.

With the threaded mass finally before him, Xyxer would now tense the muscle in his forearm slightly as he shifted the maw of Samehada towards the mask of the beast, allowing it to engulf the mask completely and pull it back into it's mouth slowly via a mixture of tongue wiggles, jaw vibrations, and the saliva probably aided in the endeavor. With the mask of the beast now in it's maw, whether it was dispelled or not did not currently matter as the blade closed it's teeth over the mask, ready to engage the vice-like bite from before so that it could destroy the property of the male, all the while Xyxer watched over Yazu to see how he reacted to this situation. The bodily movements, the expressions.. yet mostly the empty eyes. It would be difficult for him to hide his true emotions from being exposed in his eyes, after all, that was why Xyxer's own were grey; devoid of all the colour in the world. "What other creatures do you possess?" Xyxer spoke up suddenly, the teeth of Samehada prepared to grind.

Yazu had spent much of his life doing as he wished, performing his act well, fooling some of the most astute shinobi within the village into believing his lies. His genuine thoughts never being truly on the table for view by anyone else, he was guarded, and his thoughts hidd4en behind a massive layer of psychopathy.  How then did Xyxer force such a strong reaction from the boy? How even with the loss of something that was easily replaced being dangled in front of him could he entice such a strong physical reaction?  Did Yazu learn something new about himself in this moment?  Did his attachment to the prizes he collected mean that much to him?  It would appear so. 

As Xyxer placed the masked heart container within the mouth of Samehada the threads would fall away into a clump on the ground and would quickly dissipate into the light breeze coming off the ocean.  As the heart container being exposed in between the teeth of the monster would be on display before the boy, almost immediately in response to the action Yazu would gasp, being unable to remain calm in the face of the horror he now witnessed.  The remaining hearts in his chest would sink as a feeling of pure dread would flood over him causing his hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end, his left arm would raise slightly as if to grasp for the heart in futility knowing that it was gone.  Tears would stream from his eyes despite his demeanor not changing, as though his body was experiencing the pains of emotion while his mind struggled to comprehend what was occurring.  His prized trophy, the fire heart, acquired from one Keito Uchiha would soon be gone, and with it the memories of that kill.  A bloody glorious kill one that he did despite Xyxer having placed the boy upon a quest.  Yazu felt no fear of being caught for this though, as the explanation for the man would be simple if ever asked, "He simply failed his first trial and was not strong enough to succeed."

Now the boy sat, a thin slit upon his face with his mouth closed in the shape of a frown his eyes glaring at the sword that held his heart container, tears flowed forth while his body had slumped seemingly drained of all energy. He refused to accept this, but had no choice.  Would this inspire revenge within him?  Likely not as his loyalty far outweighed the loss of the replaceable fire heart, but it would bother him for many years to come inciting even more rebellion in the already rebellious psychopath.  He could not respond to Xyxer's following questions as he remained paralyzed by the fear of losing his heart, and the concentration it took not to lash out the moment the mask would crunch beneath the bestial swords teeth.
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What happened next was a peculiar thing to witness. Xyxer had never once before seen someone cry without any facial movements that signified their imminent arrival. His own expression didn't betray any ill feeling about this event, but it was pretty jacked none the less. It was almost as if Yazu truly did not understand how to be human and was completely incapable of blending in with the others around him. Perhaps he'd honed this as a way to differentiate himself form others so that he didn't feel scorned when he was upset.. Xyxer would likely never know the true cause however, which was just fine for him. Yet, even more disappointing was that Yazu refused to divulge the information that Xyxer sought. Clearly, he wouldn't get through to him this way.

"Come, Yazu. Put your hand in the maw of the beast and retrieve your property. Then you can show me your others." Xyxer stated simply, pushing Samehada further away from himself to make the job easier for him.

The boy would hear the words and would instantly be relieved, but even more than that he would be confused. Xyxer's mercy would be even less well known than anything else he had ever witnessed from the man, in fact Yazu had never heard of him even showing it.  This was a rare moment and Yazu would not be ungrateful for having been shown it.  The man, Xyxyer never failed in any way to cull Yazu's loyalty, the surprising turn of events of allowing the boy to live.  Knowing no fear  the boy would stand by shifting backward onto his feet and then just simply outstretching his legs bbending at the hip for counterbalance when necessary to noi tumble straight over onto his face and look like a clumsy oaf.  After standing his eyes would still remain fixed upon the heart, he would walk over and  to where Xyxer stood and confidently place his hand within the beast of a sword's mouth. The heart would be far enough in the mouth that he would have to place enough of it in that a substantial amount of his arm could be lost, and Yazu had no reason to believe that it wasn't all just a ploy to take more from the boy than just the heart, but he would faithfully do as asked and take the heart out of the maw.  Once within his hands the threads would once again reappear and reform around it placing itself back within Yazu's body.  He would then summon the other two beasts leaving the fire heart safely in its home glad for it to be back.  The lighting beast would erupt from his still shirtless back pouring of fror a seemingly endless time forming into a winged snake coiling its tail about into a seat much like a cobra with the mas seated upon its forefront of its spread out head two wings protruding there like a coatl.   The water one would launch out being similar to the coatl though stouter in body and having no tail like a snake but still had two large wings and a fish shaped head with a mask on its forehead being based on a water chimera from Chinese legend.  All of his beasts containing the ability to fly.  He was proud of his creations and being able to show them to Xyxer was a sense of accomplishment.

He would think upon the Suidanha scroll stolen from the llibrary in this moment now that he had a mental breather, as is usual, he would always run the formulations on how to cast said jutsu that he would focus on in a separate compartment within his mind so that he could always make strides with his time.  It would not detach him from the experience as it was something he always did.  Being an expert in all ninjutsu.  Yazu wound then go back to a kneel but only on one knee with an arm placed across his chest.

"My apologies once again my Lord, its will not happen again I assure you, should you ever need me again I will not hesitate,"  Yazu would then say.
527

While Xyxer may possess all the qualities of a rabid, depraved dog, he did also understand loyalty. It meant a lot to him, and it had his entire life despite the various actions he had performed. When the Mizukage had served under others, he had done it to the utmost of his capabilities. Often times, he had been forced to stain his hands red in order to preserve the silky reputation of the Kage he was under, a feat he had no trouble carrying out. Sacrifices had to be made, as that was the nature of life, he had known this since the beginning of his life in Kirigakure. Yet the world was changing and while the new world continued to evolve and adapt to it's new occupants, Xyxer felt himself being left behind by the world. He adapted, and he evolved, there was no doubt about it, but he was warped in that sense. Through his years of servitude as ANBU, he started to see the world differently to others as he got to hear the secrets the Kage could only entrust to a loyal hound. How weak and frail they became with the role as a leader with a village they are supposed to believe in. Yet, perhaps the cornerstone in Xyxer's ideology and traumatic nature stemmed from Shinji Uzumaki, even moreso than his only Mizukage. The first Tenkage he had interacted with, and one of the few people who saw more than a ravenous hound in the cold eyes of the demon. It was rather comforting..

That was, of course, until Shinji committed perhaps the worst form of betrayal Xyxer had experienced, from then until now. He'd murdered his idol and a legend of Kirigakure without even the decency to give her a chance to defend herself under the pretense of her being a missing ninja to Konoha after her destruction of the village..

Momentarily, Xyxer's head snapped to the side when Yazu's hand reached inside the maw of the beast to retrieve the mask, the thoughts running rampant through his head. Perhaps it was this act of mercy that was driving him away from the ideology of a hound, or perhaps it just served to exacerbate how different he was to his former Kage. After all, who out of all of them would have put their shinobi so close to death just to prove a lesson?

Yet the thoughts flooded back once Yazu retrieved his mask and started to show off the rest of his creatures. The thoughts of betrayal struck deeper when he realised it was only around Shinji that he had felt his greatest losses. Kirigakure could be rebuilt despite it's destruction, but the people he lost would not be able to return to him, and he was left as a wraith in a world that was ever changing. Kenchi had disappeared from the face of the world, and Xyxer could only hope that he would see the man once again, outside of a fevered dream at least. They'd started their journey as shinobi together, and yet it did not end together, he had been and always would be Xyxer's greatest friend. Then came Sameonna, a legend of Kirigakure revered for her water techniques who even taught him his mastery in suiton. Cut down like a dog with scabies that deserved no respect by Shinji.. His own death by the hands of Shouten and Sayomi had happened in front of the male, and the only recompense he had received was a three tomoe sharingan.. An artificial gain, from an artificial man.

He could no longer afford to be the hound he had once been, and yet he remained it. The rabid dog that growled at anyone who dared to tread near. He was fleshing out his pack of hunters, as there was no room for a scavenger in this hungry pack. Yet there was a longing for change, to take a step away from what he had been his entire life to truly set Kirigakure apart from the stigma it had received. He'd have to give up his old moniker of the Abysswalker to become something more.. something more fitting to how he felt. Yet.. these were not thoughts to be having now. His hatred for Konoha burned within him like a fiery inferno, as well as his desire to hunt down the traitor Shinji and make him pay for his role in Xyxer's pain. He would find him, and he would exact his judgement.. that was the only way.

Snapping out from the wild train of thoughts, he looked towards the two legendary creatures before him weaved from threads, the very own lifeforce of the male that stood before him. It was interesting to creature such complex creations from your own body, and even though he lacked a true heart, he could understand his affection towards these creatures. If Xyxer had lost either of his swords he'd be inconsolable, and he could only imagine it would work the same for the pale gentleman before him. Yet, he also saw a lot of himself in the male.. perhaps.. he'd need to feel true loss just like the Kage before him.. Yet he spoke, with the ANBU behind him splitting apart to grant him an exit, "Most impressive, Yazu. Consider this your only warning however, as I expect great things from you. A man after my own heart." Xyxer said with a faint smirk at the reference of his clan, "You will prove yourself to me once again soon, Yazu. Prepare yourself as I will be giving you a mission to show us that this was truly just a one off." And with that, Xyxer would sheath the monstrous blade once more, watchign the male intently as he left.

[Exit after Yazu's post]

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