Respect for the Dead

Approaching the massive storm, Kazuo Kemuri began to slow himself. His chakra was suppressed as he ran across the water, and he slowed to a stop about 100 meters from the base of the storm. He held the body in his arms over the water, wrapped meticulously in his own cloak, a sign of respect from the samurai. His headband was on his forehead, clearly identifying him as a Kirigakure Shinobi. While Kazuo did not care for Shinobi at all, he still had respect for the deceased, and wanted him to be properly buried. 

Kazuo Kemuri activated his display of power, the image of a fully-armored Samurai upon a rotten and decaying horse appearing behind him. He didn't look back, and stood there waiting, his expression stoic. He wanted to be the one to hand this body over to its rightful home.

Xyxer had been traversing the outside of his village himself on this day, having grown bored of the tedium behind the desk. It was only when he was out on the sea that he felt as if he was free from the chains that bound him, the ethereal vines that tethered every mortal to their destiny. Yet, it appeared the vines would still have them in his grasp as his destiny was soon to be enriched with the meeting of another individual that he currently didn't know. A display of power brandished itself through the storm, quite a way away even though it was difficult to pinpoint the location due to the sheer size of the projection. If Xyxer didn't know any better he'd assume it was the horseman of pestilence.. albeit samurai-fied.

If it had been any other day, he'd have invoked his own display of power to show that he accepted the challenge of the opposing party.. a glorious combat that would result in an even more beautiful death. Life was nothing without the remembrance of mortality. As Xyxer made his way through the parted storm towards the source, he'd soon catch sight of a male standing with something in it's arms. Perhaps it was a fool believing he'd found shelter with the village of the bloody mist, or maybe it was worse than a fool.. a man that had somehow captured one of his shinobi? Yazu had returned only recently, and the chances of him being followed were rather high so the predator's senses remained tuned.. ready to strike like a gorilla lunging at a terrified cameraman.

As he continued to close the distance, moving from 75 meters, down to 50, all the way down to 25 before settling on 10 meters away from the male, should he not request that Xyxer stopped sooner. The blue haired leviathan would match the gaze of Kazuo with his icy eyes, the renowned blade of Samehada bandaged and secured to his back. Xyxer stretched his arms out either side of him to feel the leather jacket, with rather red tentacle inlays woven in, cling to his form before he rolled his shoulders forwards and then back, finally speaking should Kazuo remain silent, clearly in awe, "You're a bold one to stand outside my village." Xyxer would simply state, alerting the male almost immediately of whom he stood opposite of.

Kazuo was acutely aware of the blades at his sides, and the difficulty he might have in reaching them due to the corpse in his arms. He was putting himself at risk by doing this, but he did not want to compromise his own dignity in order to keep himself safe. To do so would be just as good as letting himself die. As he waited outside the storm barrier, a figure approached. Blue-haired, and brandishing a massive blade, wrapped in bandages, Kazuo was reminded of the legendary swordsman Kisame. Perhaps this fellow was familiar with the legend as well. Kazuo had seen his fair share of imitators in his time.

As he approached, Kazuo would do or say nothing to impede him. When he reached a distance of about 50 meters, Kazuo’s aura would fade, no longer needed. When he reached a distance of 25, Kazuo would begin to speak.

”My name is Kazuo Kemuri.” He would say, the wind catching his hair and revealing his red eyes. ”I was deceived by Ren Tsubasa. He led us to believe he was a paragon of virtue, yet he hides away the bodies of his fallen comrades.” Kazuo said, disgusted with the man who he had once followed. As Xy came to a stop, Kazuo would continue to speak. ”I found this boy in his office. I don’t know who he is, but his headband marks him as a Kirigakure shinobi. I believe he should be buried in the soil of his homeland.” He explained, his arms outstretching slightly as if to offer the body to Xyxer, still cradling it to ensure it did not fall into the water.

Xyxer's head twisted to the side a little when the male ushered his name, as it was one that sounded familiar to the demon. He could swear upon his family that such a name belonged to a wanted criminal of the village.. yet here he stood, with the corpse of one of it's ninjas. What did he do to attain such a title. Hell, he even saw through the facade of Ren.. that was amusing enough as is. His eyes finally fell down to look upon the boy that was wrapped in a cloak, his face clear to Xyxer. So that's where Hinoki's body had gone.

Stepping one after another, Xyxer's pace begun once more as he closed the distance between the two to be less than a meter, a ghastly position to be in for most people around around the one that went by many names. Samehada itself seemed to growl from behind it's bandaging, tasting the chakra of the male that stood before it's owner.. it wanted to lash him and use him to sate itself.. but that wouldn't be a very pleasant way to treat someone that wanted to live by an ethos. A code of honour, one that Xyxer himself still followed himself. "Xyxer Tadashi, I'm sure I need no introduction. Your name rings familiar, however.. what were your crimes?" Xyxer would request, his arms lifting slightly yet he wouldn't take the body until the male had finished telling about his crimes. After all, if they were horrifying enough, Xyxer would be forced to cut him down and take two corpses back home.

As the man approached, he introduced himself as Xyxer Tadashi. Kazuo felt the image click as he recognized the Mizukage for the first time. He was the boogeyman of the black market, though criminals of other nations rarely ever caught sight of him. The black market of Kirigakure was next to nonexistent, and criminals there had to be quite cunning to survive in his village. Kazuo felt a twinge of respect for the man who stood before him, even if he was a shinobi. He asked Kazuo what his crimes were, and Kazuo felt the impulse to reach for his blades, as he often did when questioned. It was a habit he’d learned during his years living among scum, and one he wished he never needed to develop.
”I…” He hesitated. He wasn’t proud of his criminal record, as he had began as an innocent man framed for crimes against his own village. Being framed forced Kazuo into a life of legitimate crime. He looked down for a moment, to the face of the boy in his arms. His honor compelled him to bring this boy home, and it compelled him to tell the truth. He would look back up to the man before him.


”I murdered a Shimagakure chunin. His name was Johan. I was… I was not in control of my actions at the time.” He explained, still holding the body out for Xyxer. Yomi had been the one to deal the killing blow, though Kazuo still felt the shame and guilt for the killing. His own lack of willpower had been what lead to Johan’s death. He didn’t know what else to say to Xyxer. He just stood there, the body in his hands, awaiting the man’s words. Would they be judgement? Accusations? Threats?

Murder was not a foreign topic for the Mizukage. He engaged in acts of it on a daily basis and enabled others to experience it's thrill, as long as they were within an appropriate environment with a needed victim.. such as a missing ninja. Yet Kazuo's actions were being justified by him not being in control of his actions? That was pathetic. Xyxer was not unfamiliar with losing control, the demons within had controlled him time and time again.. but he'd never strayed away from the foul acts he had committed. To blame such an act on delirium was an act of cowardice that sickened the creature, even beginning to stir a deadly intent from within. One half of the arms that were about to welcome the body of Hinoki into their fold wouldn't stop it's ascension as it carried up, moving over his shoulder to rest on the hilt of the monstrous blade, glancing off from the skull pommel.

Was Kazuo willing to drop the body of somebody he didn't know when danger was afoot? To do so in front of the departed's former leader would force a fight against a more developed opponent, whereas not to do so would leave one open to the brutality of a Mizukage execution.. but Kazuo was more fortunate than that on this day, for now at least, "This sword claimed the head of your treacherous leader, Ren Tsubasa. Explain to me why it should not claim yours for simply murdering another Chuunin? You're not above the laws of the land.. not within Kirigakure, at least." Xyxer stated, his hand twisting lightly to gain grip on the sword.

Kazuo watched Xyxer hesitate as he stretched out his hands for the boy, before reaching up towards his blade with one hand. He rested there with his hand on the handle of his blade, and Kazuo recognized this gesture. He knew it well, and often made the very same motion himself. This was a threat. A threat of an action to come, should he speak the wrong words. Kazuo did not change his stance. He did not react. He knew himself to be safe, and should this man attack him while he held the body of his ally, Kazuo would no longer hesitate. He did not believe the man would strike him down if he explained himself.

As he reached for his blade, he explained that it was the very blade that took Ren’s life. Kazou was disgusted at the thought of losing his life to the same blade that killed his former leader. He would hold the gaze of the other man, not backing down again. He was ashamed of his actions, but he was not to blame.

”There is a demon that lives inside me.” He said. ”It has many names. I know it as Yomi. You might know it as Yuumei. It is a dark energy that comes from The Abyss itself. I was born under the influence of the abyss, and when I became a man, it sent her to me. She gave me the power to purge the place I called home of the wicked who inhabited it, but I did not understand the cost.” He explained.

”Yomi hungers for the chakra of others. She is powerful. Powerful enough to possess my body and control my actions. I watched as if from behind the bars of a cell as she took my friend’s life. I regret my own weakness, but there was nothing I could do to stop her.”

”I have learned to starve her of chakra to weaken her. I cannot survive without her, but I can keep her at bay to prevent the loss of innocent lives. Consider this-” He said, nodding to the body in his hands. ”-A token of my apology. I am no common criminal. I do not kill innocents.” He finished, never breaking his gaze with the demon before him. He awaited the judgement of Xyxer, but did not glance to the blade. He showed no fear, for he had none. Kazuo had always let the cards fall where they may.

The male's explanation of the demon that inhabited him intrigued Xyxer, as it seemed there was a literal manifestation of a demon within the male. Yuumei was a term he was familiar with after encountering many Shinkou within his village.. yet this male did not carry that title. He didn't call himself Kazuo Shinkou.. he tried to hide his true clan. Xyxer was guilty of such an act himself, as he didn't know which clan he truly belonged to. Did he belong to the name that raised him with such fervor as a child? The name that coursed through his veins and affected every fiber of his being? The clan name his brother went by? In all truth, he belonged to none of them. Not in his mind at least. He hadn't belonged since Old Kirigakure.

Satisfied with the answer of Kazuo, Xyxer's hand uncurled his hand from the hilt of the blade, moving it back down to it's original position as he took another short step into the body of Kazuo. Doing so enabled Xyxer to get his arms underneath the corpse and remove it from Kazuo steadily without the head lulling back too much, a surprising amount of care being shown to the deceased for a man that was renowned for his demonic nature.

Finally, Xyxer would speak out towards Kazuo as he took a few steps back with the male in his arms, his eyes focused on him as he started to cross the 10 meters barrier once more, "You have my gratitude for returning Hinoki to our fold. As a token of thanks, I'll grant you a pardon from the forces of Kirigakure No Sato so that you won't have to fear being hunted by one of us like your leader was." Xyxer spoke plainly before continuing on, "It's rare to meet a fellow man of honour in this world, Kazuo. I hope it doesn't change you, because I look forward to killing you in the future should our paths cross once more." The Abysswalker declared, yet somewhere within his words were a tone of sincerity rather than malice. Every true swordsman desired to test their skills against another, and only death could proclaim the true victor in combat. Once the 10 meter barrier was met, and granted Kazuo hadn't done any harmful action, Xyxer would nod his head to Kazuo out of respect before simply turning around and making his way back to the village for the burial.

[Exit]

Claiming the body of Hinoki Hyuuga

There would be no words in reply to Kazuo’s explanation. Not at first, at least. Kazuo expected none. For a moment, it seemed the Abysswalker was considering his answer. Then, deeming it satisfactory, he lowered his hand from the blade and retrieved the body. For a moment, the two men were close enough that Kazuo could have exhaled flames into his face and been rid of him. That was no honorable thing to do, however, and for as confident as Kazuo was that he could avoid an attack made by this man, he was sure Xyxer had tricks of his own.


After handing the body of the boy, whom Xyxer identified as “Hinoki,” he was pleasantly surprised to hear the thanks of the Mizukage. Xyxer informed him that he was pardoned of his crimes and would not be hunted by Kirigakure, however, should their paths cross again… Kazuo smiled at the man’s challenge. This was no threat. This was something greater. Every swordsman wanted to die with a blade in his hand, and a challenge such as this was an opportunity for men such as them. A chance to test one’s skills and resolve against another skilled swordsman.


”You have the right to take my life.” Kazuo replied, nodding in respect to the man in turn. ”But know that I will take yours as well.” His voice rang forebodingly. With that, he would turn, beginning to walk back into the sea, across the surface of the water. Once the mist covered his form, obscuring the Samurai from view, he would vanish in a flash of purple light.




(Exit, teleporting to Amegakure)


Giving Xyxer back the body of Hinoki Hyuuga

Losing Kiri wanted status if for some reason I need to list that

Approved.