A Traitor's Penance, A Traitor's Pain

Coming to stand in front of the storm wall Ren formed the hand sign to open the path home... only to find that the sign had no effect on the wall. 'Hmm odd yazu didn't say anything about a change in the seal to access the village, how does he expect me to meet him at the village gates if I can't get through the storm wall?' Ren wondered, frowning to himself a little. 'Well I guess there's only one thing for it' Ren thought, dropping to sit upon the waves Ren flared up his chakra in a display of power, the brilliant two-tailed white kitsune standing behind him as his massive chakra made his presence known, not quite hostile, but clearly noticeable to anyone who was guarding the village. Hopefully, this would be enough to draw someone to investigate at the very least.

Xyxer had been made aware of the boy's imminent arrival by his shinobi scouts that roamed outside of the village, which gave ample time for two ANBU operatives to wait behind the storm in the direction he was headed. They wore the generic ANBU gear with patterned facemasks: One with yellow fangs dropping from his abyssal eyes, the other with a two-colour vertical split down the middle from a white to a blue. Yet of course, their appearance mattered very little in the grand scheme.

When the boy's chakra started to near, they paused to secure their gear to themselves while cracking their necks. It wasn't until he flared his feral display.. perhaps it was quite fortunate that they could not actually see the beast due to being so close to the storm wall, but they could feel the raw power.. yet there was a choice to be made. To either fail the Mizukage and receive the punishment of death.. or head into the maw of the beast and retrieve what he desired.. and in the end, there was never really a choice to begin with.

Forming the appropriate handseals, the storm barrier from where Ren stood would start to open and they'd stand there silently, assuming that he was intelligent enough to know they were there exclusively for him. Granted that he came in without any hostility, the storm would close behind him as they'd walk either side of him, approximately 5 meters away from the boy each, back towards the village. If the boy asked any questions, he'd hear only silence in response.. except for the pattern of rain that had only just begun.

They'd pass through the village gates once they crossed the sea, and continue right through the cobbles of the village. Civilians would stop their actions as they turn to look at the ANBU escort on the boy, and a small crowd would start to form as they followed the pariah, all the while the ANBU remained equal distances apart as they walked through the rather large streets.

That was until they came to the front of the academy, where the familiar blue haired demon stood. His monstrous, bandaged sword rest on his shoulder as he gestured before himself, five meters ahead roughly. The crowd that had followed continued to grow around the academy, forming a wall from escape for Ren if he suddenly lost his nerve.. this was not to be a private meeting, that much was for sure. The crowd themselves were roughly 30 meters away from both of them, with the ANBU operatives moving to stand at the sides of the two statues of Xyxer that adorned the academy.

"Kneel before the Mizukage, and then explain your act of betrayal to the people."

Ren could feel the chakra's of the two Anbu heading towards him as a small path opened up through the storm wall, standing and dusting off his coat Ren waited for the escort with a casual almost nonchalant air about him, hands sitting in his coat pockets whilst the great fox behind him seemed to curl up and begin cleaning itself. "Gentlemen" Ren would say, nodding and striding towards the two men. "The Mizukage has requested my presence, so let's get this over with shall we?" Ren would say, ignoring the twisting feeling in his gut as he walked past the two men, at a reasonable pace, of course, allowing them to form up just behind him Ren would stride right up to the village gates where he would allow the two Anbu to take the lead.

Walking through the streets of his old home Ren felt a curious sense of nostalgia, the constant patter of rain falling on his skin, that cold, tingling sensation as each individual drop collided with his skin, Ren allowed himself a simple smile at the memories this brought back as he walked through the streets. People turned to look at them as he passed and Ren had even gathered something of a following. 'Odd' Ren thought, watching as more and more people gathered. He was well known in the village, yes, but Ren didn't think he was well known enough that his return would gather such a crowd, and then the hairs on Ren's neck began to stand on end as he realised where the Anbu were leading him, Ren climbed the hill to the gates of the Academy, where he saw the man, who was responsible for so much of his pain, standing there waiting for him. Ren clenched his teeth and forced a gentle smile as he looked up at the man. 'How very you, to position yourself above me, albeit only slightly, for this meeting' Ren thought as he came to stand a few meter's away from the man, the two Anbu moving to flank their leader and lord.

"Kneel before the Mizukage, and then explain your act of betrayal to the people."


The words rang out, reaching Ren and the crowd that had gathered around them in a half moon circle... Ren felt rage bubbling up inside of him, this man... this monster, dared to try and frame him as a traitior. "Is this really what you asked me here for Xyxer? To play some political theater with your subjects!" Ren said, his voice carrying over the sound of rain colliding with the cobblestones. "I came here because despite you wiping my memories, and casting me out from the village I still care for these people! I'm here because I am loyal to them even if their Kage has betrayed me! I am here because you asked for my presence, and I was willing to swallow my anger at you for their sake, but I won't stand here and play the villain so that you can pretend to be in the right here." Ren said coldly, crossing his arms "You ask me to kneel before you and explain my betrayal?" Ren scoffed "How about you explain your betrayal to me first?" Ren would ask, his anger calming down now that he'd let out a little bit of his frustration at the man.

The fact that Ren had not stood on the same platform as him spoke volumes as to the mentality of the boy.. there was an invisible collar around his throat that kept him tethered beneath the Mizukage, an invisible force that forced doubts into his mind when it came to directly challenging the male.. physically, that is. Samehada's weight was growing more evident by the second, and so Xyxer's grip on the weapon would keep changing on the hilt so that he didn't find himself in too much discomfort.

Raindrops continued to fall from the sorrowful heavens, exploding on the people around the academy with the violence of water bombs. It had been said that when the rain fell heavy, the rage of the Mizukage was near.. an omen that forewarned impending doom. When the boy elected to speak.. he only continued to serve to further the omen. He seemed to believe in his misguided mind that this was a conversation.. a civil discussion in which he deserved answers..

This was the opposite of that.

From what the Bloody Mizukage could gather, Ren had given up on trying to find a way out of the situation.. to appeal to the Mizukage in order to stay alive. Words flew from the pretty boy's mouth without a care in the world, no understanding of the creature that stood before him.. and that was a poor display. To not understand your enemy was foolish, even moreso when you stride into their domicile without any hope of defense. Xyxer's right hand lifted towards his cheek to scratch it a little, feeling his nails soothing the minor itch. He even spared a glance sideways towards the crowd before he took a single step towards the male, leaning a little towards him as he spoke, "You can choose to stand before me and find your kneecaps broken, or drop to your knees of your own accord. I'm more than certain you're used to doing the latter from the stories I hear." To drill the point home, Xyxer's right hand now also took it's hold on the hilt of Samehada

Given that the boy didn't say anything that would cause the man to ask with immediate violence, he'd continue on, "Succumb to the will of the Mizukage, or find not only your own life in whatever abyss awaits.. but your co-conspirator's as well." He paused after that line, looking around the academy without pivoting his body or neck, "Strange.. I'd have imagined he'd want to be here for your return." He'd finish off by refocusing his dead gaze onto the boy, who was hopefully kneeling by this point.

"The only hope of reprieve you can hope for is if you do as I command. Your life is no longer yours, your words no longer affect just yourself. What you say will hurt your friend." Xyxer suggested to the boy, nodding his head to the side a little, "You hid your own memories from me for that very own reason I assume. You wanted to keep your friend safe.. or are you a coward that only thinks for themselves? Did you hope to gain a pardon by coming here.. perhaps a plea? Those hopes.. you can forget them. They cease to exist while I'm here. Your memories, as of this moment, are they tampered with?" Xyxer said, starting off in a thoughtful tone before transitioning into more of a snarl towards the end of it. The boy's impudence when it came to what he should expect from the Mizukage was certainly a cause for unrest.

Ren was no fool, he certainly noticed as the Demon of the Mist shifted his grip on that enormous blade of his, all the same, Ren stood strong, even if he felt fear backing down so easily here would only serve to show the shark that there was blood in the water, as the man took a step closer to him Ren made a point to look him in the eye, although not the one that had been used to manipulate him in the past, even as he spoke Ren had intended to remain standing, an albeit perhaps foolish move though it may be, however, the man's next words revealed to Ren the true nature of this summons. Ren's blood ran ice cold as he activated the invisible network of telepathy seals on his body, trying to contact anyone that had been inducted into Altar's resistance, there was no response from them, Dol, Hanabi, Even Altar himself, there was no reply from any of them...

"So that's what this is about..." Ren said quietly enough that those gathered around them could not make out his words over the clamor of raindrops, like the thrums an army marching in the distance. The pieces all fell into place as he saw what game the man before him was playing. With a subtle nod at the man before him, Ren would bend the knee to the man that he had once served. 

Speaking so that all those gathered could hear him Ren would respond to the ruler before him "As you say, the last time we spoke my memories were not my own, though they are now. When we last spoke I believed that I was doing what was best for the village, we all did, now, however... well I am not so sure..." Ren spoke earnestly, he'd scarcely been outside of the country and times of peace like the world had experienced during his years of service and it had seemed to him like Xyxer's actions were needlessly cruel, sadistic and pointless, now, however, Ren was beginning to see that the man's harshness may have had a greater purpose behind it, it certainly wasn't how Ren would run a village, but Ren certainly had to admit, that his actions prepared this village for the war that this world was now inevitably spiraling towards. 

Ren still had his doubts about this man before him, but that seed of doubt in the back of his mind was enough to decide the path that he was about to take. "Suffice to say Xyxer, that I have always had this village's best interests behind my actions, both before and after you cast me out..." Ren said, a hint of genuine confusion tinting his voice, the man's actions on that part still troubling him although he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and continued "...and yet having now seen the outside world for what it is I realize that my actions, should they have come to fruition may have doomed this village." Looking the man in the eye again Ren would pause, lowering his voice once again so that only the three before him could hear him, this was a risky move as it is, but to voice, this next part loud enough for those gathered would be the height of folly. "You are not a ruler who brings peace through freedom, many people see you as a despot, a tyrant, and a dictator..." Ren paused accepting the truth of his next words, even if he didn't like them, "but you are also one of the few things that stand between this village, and total destruction. I will not see my people suffer the same fate that they befell once before" Ren said, staring at the man unblinking. 

Raising his voice that those gathered could hear him "War is coming, the time of peace is over, Kumogakure has declared war on numerous countries, Tatsumakigakure, Yukigakure, Sunagakure, all of them have been destroyed, their leaders dead, their people enslaved and pressed into service in their armies, As I speak their armies march on Hoshigakure and after that they will no doubt turn their eye on Kirigakure. As I said before, I have the people of this village's best interests at heart and to that end, even after you cast me out I've done what I can to weaken the forces of kumogakure to protect this village. As Yazu has no doubt informed you I've gathered a force to fight against Kumo; Once this war is over, once Kumogakure's forces have been destroyed and the people of this village are safe, I will willingly submit to whatever punishment you choose, but until that time I beseech you, allow me and my people to do what I can to protect this village from suffering the same fate that our last home did," Ren said, loud enough for the people around them to hear his words. this was the only move Ren could see left available to him... who knows perhaps this was what the man had wanted all along, perhaps it was the reason he'd cast him out from the village, all Ren knew was that he'd just sworn to the people of the village to submit to the man's judgment come the end of the war... Ren was dancing on a knife's edge here, but he needed to keep pushing if this was going to work. "I speak not just for myself here but for all those who conspired against you, if any of them should remain alive send them with me to fight on the front lines and once the battle is done we shall all submit ourselves to your judgment, if even one of them shirks that oath I shall take on their punishment ten-fold" Ren finally finished his speech, Given the circumstances this was the best he could do, but internally he was cursing Altar for his failure, and at such a crucial time too.

There was a brief moment of clarity that enlightened the soft features of Ren after Xyxer said his piece. Perhaps he was beginning to truly understand the depths he swam in.. to know the creatures that shared the abyssal darkness. From what he said, it appeared that he truly was beginning to understand the situation he found himself in. This was only exemplified when he finally dropped to his knee before him. This brought about a smirk from the demon as the crowd continued to watch on in stunned silence. 

Proceeding in his speech, Ren started to explain how he believed the death of Xyxer was, in his mind, the only way forward from that point on. It was tragic that his house of cards had started to collapse with him inside when he believed he was truly doing what was best for the village.. but if that was the case.. why would he need stay outside of the village instead of returning to continue the plot? He continued to listen to what the male was saying, to see if he'd expand on that point at all.

Continuing to listen, the next point that was raised was that he had always maintained the interests of the village as his own. Right off the bat, that appeared to be a lie to Xyxer as he'd made no attempt to inform him of anything in Konohagakure, the only mission he'd received directly from the Mizukage to aid the village. He'd been out in the borders and seen the changing climate of the world, the fortified barricades that now jut up around every village and the wariness of travelers heading from one village to the other. Ren would have known the importance of scoping that village out and it's usefulness for Kirigakure.. yet he had failed to do so for his own personal gain.. some mistaken plight. Yet, at the very least, he was smart enough to see that the death of Xyxer would have brought about the destruction of New Kirigakure.

The second death of the Mist.

While it was true that Xyxer held utmost power within the village and exercised it as he wished, there had been very few occasions where he had willingly abused that power to the detriment of the people. After varying encounters with others and exchanging of words, Xyxer had started to see the value in the working man.. the common person who looked up to him for inspiration and protection. Their lives carried about the future of the Mist, perhaps even moreso than the shinobi he trained, and thus it was important they lived their lives fully. Crime was at an all time low, the wealth of the village continued to increase to the benefit of the economy, and he received very few complaints if any at all about how the village was ran.. by the citizens at least. Perhaps he'd have to do more looking into this situation if they were considering him a tyrant.. or perhaps this was just the view of the resistance trying to plague his thoughts.

Ren started to pronounce the impending war, even going about mentioning the ruins of Sunagakure, an event that Xyxer had been informed of by his brother. He knew the very man that had raided that barren village, and he knew of the village that was to be the cause of the war.. at least, if his brother was to be trusted. Nobly, or perhaps just out of desperation, the boy proposed a solution to their problems.. to let him fight in the front lines of the battle.. to take the brunt of the damage alongside his companions. Watching the male who was still kneeling for a few seconds, he'd speak once more, "Name the people that have joined your group, and I will grant them your body to bury as they please. That's my promise to you.." Xyxer barked as he started to address everyone, "The time for peace will soon be over, and we'll leave the sancticty of the storm.. the mist will pour over the land and swallow everything in it's path. However.. we can't do that if we don't have rules and order.. if we were to let traitors and turncoats live and serve us.. we'd be no better than the scum that pollute the outside world."

Of course, Ren probably knew what was about to happen, and Xyxer had made no demonstration that it would have ended any other way. He'd said his piece, and he may have given false information to dispose of his body.. but the boy would be dying for a cause he believed in at least, and that was something the demon could respect. Realigning his hands on the hilt of the blade, he wondered momentarily whether the boy would accept his fate.. to understand the mistake he had made. "I don't want to kill you, Ren.. but how would people be able to follow a man who didn't punish traitors." He said in a lowered tone so that only the ANBU in the immediate vicinity and Ren could hear it.

Regardless of whether the boy had moved or not, the hulking weapon would now swing in an overarching move from his shoulder down towards the scalp of Ren. He was aiming to make it quick and clean if the boy remained on his knees, an attempt to kill him in the first strike so that it wasn't too painful for him due to the faint respect he harboured for a man that would die for his ideals. Although if he moved, he'd want to draw the execution out further while simply swinging for the nearest limb of the boy that was closest to him. Granted, if the boy had spoken any final words prior to the swing, they wouldn't fall upon deaf ears.

Ren nodded at Xyxer's words, he understood, he didn't just need to convince the man in front of him of his loyalty, he also needed to convince those around him, that was why this meeting was in full view of the public, that was why he had placed the meeting not only in public but specifically in the place of Ren's greatest contribution to the village.

"Do not mistake a mistake for that of a betrayal to the village." Ren spoke loud and strong"You, yourself once handed over leadership of the village to the second Mizuage, granted it didn't end well, but even you yourself once believed that another was suited to usher this village into a new era. You gave up your hat for the betterment of the village, you did what had to be done and even if it later became clear to you that handing the throne to another was a mistake. My actions are just that, a mistake made by someone who's loyalty to the village comes before their loyalty to any one person." Ren said pausing for a moment as he collected himself. 

"You call me a traitor" Ren said pausing as if considering the man's words for a moment "I am not a traitor." There was no anger in his voice, only a grim determination as he spoke with the conviction of one who believed, nay knew that he was speaking the truth.

"Both before and after being cast out from the village I have been nothing but loyal. Behind you stands the greatest bastion of knowledge and training in the world, through painstaking effort and many sleepless nights I orchestrated the construction of that building behind you. I spared no effort in collecting the greatest collection of texts to improve the skill of the village's military, I made it my mission to improve this village."

"I believed you summoned me because my services were required for the betterment of the village, I was willing to put aside that you cast me out of the village, wiping my memories with no explanation or orders, something that has tormented me for months, and returned here at the drop of a hat. Would a traitor do that?"

"I could have done many things cast out from the village, I could have joined any of the many other clashing armies, I could have made a fortune selling my skills and knowledge of the village and its techniques, but nay, I did not even consider it an option. Instead cast out from my home with no guidance or instruction I identified a threat to the village and on my own initiative spared no effort to weaken and neutralize the threat, Would a traitor do that?"

"When confronted by a hostile prior comrade in arms who declared that you requested my presence despite my 'abandoning the village' I answered the call at the drop of the hat. Would a traitor do that?"

"And now I return to the village, to the man who cast me out, Rather than ignoring your summons I come here not to beg for forgiveness, not to ask you to allow me back into the village, nay I come offering you a small army to sacrifice in the place of my people, I offer you a veritable army of spy's and informants who are currently tracking the movements of Kumo's armies and are slowly inserting themselves into villages throughout the rest of the world. A traitor would most certainly not do that."

"You call me a traitor, you ask how could you expect the people to follow you if you did not punish a traitor, well that is simple... I Am Not A Traitor!" Ren finished, looking the man in the eye with a fire that burned with a passion.

Just as Xyxer was readying the coup dé grace that would serve as the final sensation that Ren would experience, he was interrupted by none other than Ren himself. His soft voice had changed now, almost as if he was addressing an unruly class at this very academy. That thought brought a faint smile to the lips of Xyxer who spared a glance for a but a second at the academy that stood by them, conveniently as he talked about his hand in it's construction. How many of his pupils would be watching this event? His co-workers? The gaze of the beast moved back onto the male who continued to speak from his kneeling position in an attempt to defend his actions.

Xyxer wasn't rude though, he wasn't going to donk him with Samehada while he spoke.. not yet at least. Words spoken moments before a man died were incredibly precious as they revealed so much about the individual. In what could very well be the boy's last few minutes on this world, he spoke about his perceived accomplishments. Sure, he'd had a hand in the academy.. but mostly in the running of it and the teaching of the children.. and then he realised that they were both playing the game. He'd embellished the truth in order to make himself appear more useful to the people of Kirigakure.. to appeal to them. He was playing the game.

A familiar, grunting voice came from inside his mind.. Hachibi always seemed to be there to irritate him "He's making a mockery of you.. he didn't even want to kneel until you ordered him to. He doesn't respect you.. and how could he when he knows he can get away with his actions?". He pushed the voice away to begin with, although the words had already been heard.. perhaps he could forget them and this could end in a peaceful outcome. 

He knew that when he had placed the boy under the genjutsu, the impulses would have been remembered.. how he felt during that time and his desire to go to Konohagakure. In fact, it'd even been discovered by the Hunter that he had employed that he had not even stepped foot in such a place.. the only reasoning for him to leave the village. The reasons that the provided as an attempt to reclaim his life only sought to irritate Xyxer, as he was presenting the Mizukage as the tyrant he disavowed earlier. The boy had been nowhere near the fallen village of Tengakure, the place he was told to wait at.. he was spinning a web of lies and he hoped the Mizukage would eat it up and give credit to his fables.

In exchange for his life he offered the lives of many others.. a nest of spies that ranged across the entire world, or so he spoke. He wished to buy his life with those that were already loyal to him. Xyxer had to go over that once more in his head.. he wanted to give spies over to him, who were renowned for double crossing.. when he himself had turned on Xyxer. He didn't seem to see the irony in that as it seemed like a legitimate proposal.. but Xyxer sure did.

The boy had had his say, and now it was time for the disgruntled Xyxer to speak once more, shifting the weight of Samehada on his shoulder as the blade became restless, knowing it was so close to it's next meal yet tantalizingly far away. "To stick your head in the maw of a shark is dumb, Ren.. but to do so to a shark that you've been prodding is the mark of a fool. You should know a lot about marks, you studied them after all." Xyxer said, raising his voice with his words towards the end becoming mildly bestial, "Your alleged desires for the village and it's people.. the accomplishments you claim.. they'll serve as your legacy, but nothing more. I can not grant you your life when you want to make an attempt on mine. Simply because you saw the outside world for what it truly was does not grant you a pardon for that wish.. In truth, you're fortunate that I'm granting the others a pardon from the act by making an example of you instead of your friends.. or would you rather it's your friends that get a face full of Samehada?" Xyxer replied sardonically, shifting the weight of the blade once more to highlight his point. 

What the boy had said was all well and good, attempting to portray it all as a great mistake, yet he'd also avoided telling about his friends as Xyxer had requested.. He could respect that, he likely didn't trust the word of the bloody Mizukage and he had no reason to, very few knew that Xyxer was a man of his word. For Ren, his greatest mistake would be returning to the village he had once called home, "These are your final moments, Ren. Take it in, feel the atmosphere, admire your academy.. hell, say your last words. I'll give you that much." Xyxer finished off with as he prepared Samehada once more, and of course, he intended to simply interrupt the boy with a simply overarching slash to his skull if he decided to simply spout insults. It wouldn't be very becoming of him.

Ren shook his head at the man's words, It had been unlikely that the man would spare him, but it had certainly been worth a shot. Taking a deep breath Ren spoke again. "No you misunderstand me Xyxer, I've seen what sort of man you are, I don't like you, I don't like how you do things, but I respect you and understand that for the time being you are the only sort of man who can protect this village. I'm not pleading with you for my life, I'm asking to be remembered not as a traitor but as a loyalist to the village, even if I was a misguided one." Pausing for a moment Ren would make a final request. "May I have leave to speak to the crowd before we finish this?" Ren said, deferentially as he bowed his head to the man. Ren certainly wasn't happy that things had turned out this way, that altar had managed to get himself caught and implicate Ren in the process, that was infuriating, but there was nothing that could be done about it. It would seem that he had paid the ultimate price at the very least, given that he no longer responded to Ren's mental communications. For the time being Ren had to accept the price for his mistakes, but he could at the very least do two things before that time came, the first was to make sure that he was at least remembered as a misguided loyalist, perhaps he could even give the village the stability it needed to survive the coming turmoil, the second... well there were a lot of secrets that he had kept during his time, and some of those could come in handy for the village to know...

Assuming that permission was given Ren would stand slowly and turn to the people that had gathered there around them. "People of Kirigakure, You all know me, some of you personally, others merely by passing me by in the streets, but regardless of whether you once respected me or not I ask this of you. Do not hold my actions against me, for they are done with the best intentions for you all at heart, nor must you hold our lords actions against him, though our views and paths may differ he does what he does for your sake, though it may seem harsh to some of you, though you may suffer on occasion, all of this is done for the greater good of our village, it is done so as to protect you all from the terrors of the outside world. I have seen what is coming, you've all heard my testimony and every word of it is true, so until the world is under the heel of our lord, do not fight against him, but fight with him" Ren would say as he slowly strode down to stand a few meters away from the front of the crowd. Ren detected a few familiar chakra signatures there, ones that had been touched by his own chakra before. Slowly Raising a hand Ren would make a simple gesture for them to come forward. The first to step out was a young woman, the secretary of the village's primary architect.  "Though it was unwilling I thank you for your service" Ren would say, raising a hand to her forehead and releasing the personality altering seal there, removing any lingering loyalty she felt towards Ren other than that which she had already possessed. 

Next came a young street urchin, the girl Ren had met on the street whilst the Academy was still being constructed. "Your help was never needed young one, but all the same I thank you too for your time," Ren said, kneeling and ruffling the girl's hair as the seal there was released as well. After that came a small trickle of people, just over twenty 'unwilling' conspirators came to Ren, and one after the other Ren released them from his power.

His business with the people that had congregated there done Ren turned back to Xyxer, "Now we really should get this over and done with, yet there are many things that I've kept from you, within my old office in the academy you will find that the two book cases on either wall each hide rooms filled with detailed maps of the village as well as its foundations and ideal locations to stage ambushes against yourself and your Anbu. It is not my place to tell you what to do with that information." Ren said, just before revealing the complex formula that was used to determine which book in the book case would open the hidden doors on any particular day. "Now with my secrets laid bare may I make a final request?" Ren said, looking the man in the eye as he waited for a response. Once again, assuming he received an affirmative Ren would take a deep breath. "It hardly seems pertinant to waste my death given the danger that is coming, so I would ask that you let me be of service to the village even if it is in death..." Ren would say, pausing and waiting to see what the man had to say of his request.

Words flew from the mouth of the defeated, yet they didn't sound like the words of the broken.. a mere request to speak to the people that had gathered outside his academy. For a moment Xyxer was confused.. not just because he had requested this, but because he felt the boy was wasting his final words asking for permission when he had been given permission to speak them already. The beast nodded it's head once to allow the action.. but Ren seemed to misinterpret the gesture. To him the permission to address the crowd seemed to evolve into permission to abandon his current position.. to forfeit his position before the Bloody Mizukage that many both revered and feared. That wasn't how it was going to go down, as Ren was about to realize.

As the boy's body started to straighten in an attempt to stand, Xyxer's sword shifted from his shoulder down towards the boy's almost immediately due to his finesse with the bulk mass of scales. The weight of the sword pressed down against the shoulder of Ren, granted that he didn't try to avoid the move, keeping him on his knees as the good lord intended. Although it was light contact, Samehada's clothed lick sapped some of the boy's chakra.. tasting the delicacy that the boy had to offer, yet it offered no vocal response to it. If he decided to stay down, the insatiable blade would be lifted back onto the shoulder of the master.

If Ren was to remain on his knees for his speech, the rest of it would go uninterrupted with the rest of the candidates in the prior post still coming up towards him after nods of permission from the Lord Mizukage. An awful lot of people were entrapped into this farce of a rebellion, both the beast and Xyxer noted.. a problem that seemed to present more danger than otherwise thought. Yet.. it was the words of the boy that offered some form of prickly comfort. These were unwilling, and with his touch they were seemingly released from their chains of captivity. An irony, to be sure.. for the boy had once despised Xyxer for his restrictions on what he could and couldn't do, yet he had employed a much more inhumane effort in order to try accomplish a treacherous act. The masses followed Xyxer from their own free will, even though it was influenced by actions of duress.. yet the option to not follow was always present. Ren had experienced the latter option while employing what Xyxer could only imagine as forcing mind slavery. Exceptionally cruel, and likely more twisted than his own actions.

Next came the revelation of the best ways to ambush himself and his loyal ANBU, so thankfully Altar would have been unharmed in these foul acts. That one had felt the cold kiss of Xyxer's blades more than once yet he kept coming back for more.. little did he know that soon he'd never experience the thrill of survival again. Ren would only experience one of Xyxer's blades, but the sweet lullaby it would sing would usher the Fuinjutsu master into eternal rest. The last request of the male was that he would be of use to the village even in death.. and perhaps he expected Xyxer to inquire as to how.. a form of delay in the inevitable.. but he had no need to.

"You've done your service to the village and the people. Let them remember your legacy how they will." Came the reply of the calm voice of Xyxer, almost soothing in a sense despite the immediate danger that was presented. This was nothing new to the beast that wore the skin of a man.. a simple duty that came with keeping your people alive.

People had to die in order for the majority to live. That was just the way of the world.

His honour had now been sated by allowing the male to speak his final words. His conscience, although it would not have been tarnished in the slightest, remained unfettered by the creature within. Wrapping his fingers around the hilt of the terrifying blade, Samehada itself seemed to anticipate what was coming as a muffled purr seemed to emanate from the cursed weapon. He'd made a promise to make it one clean, simple hit, and that was what he intended to do.. the boy surviving the initial impact was incredibly unlikely, but if he did.. damn, Xyxer would probably feel bad for him.

Stepping slightly inwards towards the kneeling recipient, Xyxer's foot planted firmly as the blade came soaring through the air from his shoulder, parting the rain of the heavens that seemed to patter harder than before. A white afterimage seemed to linger where the blade traveled due to the exuberant speed that was displayed while it arced through the air with a single destination in mind; the cranium of the traitor. If Ren was to continue attempting to stand earlier this action would still occur for the sorry male, but only with the exception of the crowd no longer hearing the last words of the condemned. A delayed whistle seemed to follow after the path of the blade, followed by a thunderous cracking of bone and the sound of a body collapsing down to the ground.

A single shot to the head.. clean. Blood pooled around the feet of the Mizukage and started to trickle down the steps while carrying fragments of bone and clumps of the mastermind's brain. It should have killed him right off the bat while simultaneously snapping his spine, and probably most of the bones in his body due to the Mizukage's natural physical prowess and handiness with weaponry. Looking down upon the body, there'd be a brief pause before the Mizukage looked back up towards the crowd, a thin line of blood having splashed across his cheek from the impact.. he wasn't finished yet, even if the boy had parted from this life.