Beggars Can't Be Choosers

So it seemed after winning his battle in the so called tournament... come to think of it, that was not much of a tournament at all. Usually in a tournament, after winning your fight you would move on to face another contestant who had won their fight. Regardless, Kisuke couldn't care less whether it was called a tournament or not. He wanted the rank up he deserved a long time ago and apparently he would have to meet face to face with the foreign ruler to get his reward. The young Uchiha was not afraid to meet with the brutal usurper. In a sick, twisted way he was grateful for the events that occurred due to the Hozuki Kage's arrival. He opened Kisuke's eyes and showed him the true nature of the world which they lived in as shinboi. A world where relying on others and relying on meaningless ties such as friendship would only get you killed, a world where only the strongest survived, a world where power was everything. And thats where Kisuke's request came in. Having won his fight, Kisuke was awarded a request from the Mizukage, and he knew exactly what he was going to request. 

Walking out of the Uchiha district where he resided, Kisuke sported his usual white t-shit with a black, unzipped jacket over it. His Konoha head guards tightly tied around the waist of his black paints which he was reaching into the pockets of to grab his cigarette box and lighter. With his now longer hair tied back into a neat little pony tail and out of his face, Kisuke light the end of the little white stick and slipped the cigarette into his lips. With the little death stick dangling from his lips, he casually and slowly made his way towards the Kage tower, where the usurper would most certainly be spending his time.

The Kage's tower was busy as a bee hive, with both foreign and local shinobi working around the building doing whatever it was they had to do. Of course, having put out his cigarette before entering the building, he nonchalantly popped a mint into his mouth and made his way towards the Kage's office. Cool as a cucumber, the statue like Uchiha stoically approached the secretary or whoever would greet him and said "Here to see the big boss man." Directing him to take a seat, Kisuke would do as instructed, kicking back and leaning on the two hind legs while he awaited audience with Xyxer.

Ever since the Hozuki had felt the rhythmic swaying of a ship beneath his feet something had been awoken with him. The feeling of being stranded at sea on a wooden vessel surrounded by men loyal to you, and you alone.. Unsure on where they're heading and the civilizations they may encounter, yet eager. Brutality exposed in all of its gleaming glory. If Xyxer remained still for too long, he could even swear he was hearing the ocean waves lapping against the building he was in, feeling the gentle rocking of the ship as it stood sturdy in the face of its adversity. He needed to experience it again.. Xyxer needed to continue his reaving so that he could establish his kingdom of savagery.

Not too long after Kisuke made his presence known to the secretary a member of Konohagakure's ANBU Corps begrudgingly made their way up to his office in order to inform the Mizukage. "Kisuke Uchiha is here, Lord Mizukage, he won the tournament. He has an affinity for curses." The androgynous figure revealed before departing once Xyxer gave the gentle nod of his head. Funny, as Xyxer was unaware of anyone that used curse seals in Konohagakure.

The secretary would call out Kisuke's name before giving him permission to go directly up to the Hokage Chambers, hopefully without needing an escort as this was his own village and Xyxer had little to worry about when it came to a genin. Once he knocked on the door, Xyxer would speak to allow him entry, yet he'd be somewhat confused as to why Too Cool for School by the Fountains of Wayne was not referenced at any point in his post.

After only a few minutes of waiting the young Uchiha herd the secretary call out his name, clearly indicating that the Kage was ready to see him. Slamming the two front legs of his chair down and pushing off, Kisuke would casually make his wait to the Kage's office. He knew where it was so it was fine that there was no escort, but it was odd that a foreign ruler would not have an escort walk along with a shinobi local to the village he had just taken over. Come to think of it, he had asserted his dominance and superior strength during the war that took place just outside the village gates. There was no one in this village remotely strong enough to challenge him, what did he have to fear from some Genin?

Reaching the office's door, Kisuke would knock on the wood with the knuckles of his right index and middle finger, announcing his presence. Opening the door and walking in once instructed to do so, Kisuke would close the door behind him as he came face to face with Xyxer for the first time. He had seen him during the battle, once it had ended and they all knelt however with the adrenaline coursing through his body and the chaos around them with the storm and all he had not got a good look at the man. Cool and calm, the first thing Kisuke noted was the man exuded power. It emanated from him, in the way he carried himself to the build of his frame. This was the man that had opened Kisuke's eyes to the reality of this world, hopefully he would be the man to set Kisuke down the path to obtain that very same power.

"My Lord." Kisuke greeted, nodding his head at the same time. He was not sure whether Xyxer would rather be called Mizukage or Hokage considering he was now the ruler of both villages, therefore he simply referred to him as my lord, which was both respectful and showed that he did not oppose the foreign rulers presence in the village. It was no rightfully his. "I defeated your Genin, quite easily actually." Crossing his arms across his chest, not trying to take a dominant position or anything but just because it was a comfortable position for him, Kisuke would continued, getting right to the point "I've been a fucking Genin for far too long now. I think I'm deserving of being a Chuunin." Apparently by having won Kisuke would automatically get the rank up but he still wanted to hear it from the leader who would hand it out, before he brought up the important matters.

As the Uchiha entered the chambers it all became abundantly clear - this was the one who seemed to swear throughout every interaction he had no matter how small. How long would it be until he said something uncouth in the presence of Xyxer? A simple greeting was the opening exchange, to which he'd reply in kind with a wave of his hand towards the chair on the other side of the desk, "Please, have a seat. Help yourself to some OJ if you want it." He said, nodding towards the pitcher on the side of the table, clean glasses either side of it.

With that part done, he listened to Kisuke immediately open up by bragging about his fight. Uncouth, and almost demanding a response from Xyxer. What satisfaction would he get from brutalizing a genin? It'd be poor sport, he'd have to bide his time for now and control himself. Coincidentally, Kisuke immediately followed up with the curse which caused Xyxer to pause. To swear in front of pals was one thing, but in front of people with authority? His parents must have never taught him manners.. then again, he was a Uchiha.

Sliding a drawer out from his desk, Xyxer retrieved a small pouch of ryo which he'd pass over the table to Kisuke, dangling it over his hand before releasing it once he made the gesture. His eyes focused on the male, speaking as he transferred the ryo, "If you swear in my presence again, I'll cut your tongue out and make you eat it." Xyxer spoke solemnly, after all, didnt some film say  that 'manners maketh the man'? "Fenrir was equally untested, so don't get too ahead of yourself. If you have such an easy time with a chuunin, then you're welcome to feel accomplished. How can I help you?"

"Don't mind if I do." Replied the young Uchiha, pulling out the chair closest to him. Taking his seat and reaching for the pitcher of juice, an odd choice of beverage for someone who wasnt a child, the young Uchiha started pouring it into one of the clean glasses provided for him. Speaking as he did so, Kisuke slouched back in his chair and was about to take a sip from some delicious OJ before the Mizukage threw a threat his way. With the rim of the glass perched just at the edge of his lips, the young Uchiha frowned in thoughtful silence. He found it odd for someone who was so bloodthirsty on the battlefield to be so formal in person. Pulling the glass half filled, or half empty, away from his lips and placing it untouched on the desk before him, Kisuke nodded in reply. "Won't happen again."

Shrugging his shoulders before crossing his arms in front of his chest, Kisuke recognized that Xyxer did have a point. Fenrir was as untested against skilled Genin as Kisuke was untested against skilled Chuunin. Any skilled Chuunin probably would have clobbered Kisuke, but he was too prideful to admit that in person, therefore he left that remark unanswered. Clearing his throat, Kisuke would start "Firstly, I'm here to receive my rewards for beating Fenrir. So that would be a rank up, some cash prize I think and a request if I remember, right?" Counting on his fingers as he went along, Kisuke would continue knowing full well what his rewards were. Slightly frowning as he got serious, the tone of his voice getting a little deeper. now "I've been thinking about what I was going to ask for my request from you for a while now."

Placing each elbow on their respective arm rest and bringing his hands together before his chest, intertwining his fingers together, the young Uchiha would continue "In a way, I'm greatful for your invasion. Since your conquest of my home, you've opened my eyes. You showed me the reality of this world, the true nature of being a shinobi. You've shown me what really matters, the only thing that matters in fact. And tha'ts power. Power is everything. With power you don't need to rely on any fuahhh." Catching himself in his tracks before he swore again, he would continue, cutting what he had to say short in case he slipped and swore again "on bonds that hold you down like friendship. It all comes down to survival of the fittest and only the powerful survive."

With his stern gaze fixed on Xyxer, never wavering Kisuke would get to his request. "I dont know how much knowledge you have of my clan but Viper Uchiha, the so called leader of the clan and former Hokage had such power. It's no secret that part of that power stemmed directly from our blood, our eyes. He managed to elevate the famed Dojutsu of the Uchiha to another level, a godly level. Since you helped open my eyes figuratively speaking, with my one request from you I want you to open my eyes once more. I want you to help me unlock the next stage of my Kekki Genkai's Dojutsu and help me achieve true power."

It seemed that Xyxer's bountiful offering of orange juice only satisfied Kisuke temporarily, before his threat of violence made him lose his desire for thirst. Perhaps he was a smart man who anticipated an actual fight, and to not drink was an active choice so that he wouldn't throw up mid-combat. Maybe he just realised he didn't actually like juice, who knows? He nodded in response to Kisuke saying he wouldn't do it once more, and it seemed like an understanding was being made between the duo. 

He talked about wanting his rewards, which was only fair given that he'd fulfilled his end of the bargain. Only a fool wouldn't desire the benefits he was promised. He opened up one of the drawers as Kisuke spoke about thinking on his favour for a while. Good, he didn't seem to be someone carried by impulses. Retrieving a small pouch of ryo which contained the full sum, he'd toss it over to Kisuke at an arcing angle, making sure to avoid hitting the OJ onto his lap. That'd be a dick move, hilarious, but a dick move none the less. Kisuke spoke about power and how it was the main thing in the world.. and Xyxer didn't entirely disagree with him, yet image was equally important. There was a difference between genuine power, and how your power was perceived, both of which were incredibly important. What was a fuahh? He had no idea. 

Then Kisuke said something which caused Xyxer to immediately hone in, and it shouldn't have been of any shock to him yet it was despite his lack of visible emotions. Viper Uchiha. That name which continued to haunt him. Did he ever talk directly to Viper? Xyxer's curiosity got the better of him as he started to exchange words, his hand gliding over the table in repetitive, circular motions, "Did you ever meet this Viper Uchiha? The next stage of your Dojutsu.. do you know what that is or are you just hoping that I do because of the power I hold?" Xyxer verbally poked, curious as to whether the boy himself knew that he could truly attain more power with his eyes, or if he knew a genuine example of such a thing.

As he spoke, the young Uchiha's eyes followed Xyxer reaching into his desk and pulling out a pre-prepared bag of ryo. Of course he had the cash prize ready, considering how formal he was. Following its path in the air, Kisuke would cup his hands at his gut and let the sack fall right into his palms. Tossing the sack in both hands for a bit, feeling the shifting weight and tumbling coins before slipping it under the left side of his unzipped jacket and continuing with his request/speech. Resting his elbows on the arm rests once more and cupping his hands back together, Kisuke finished his request and waited to see how Xyxer would response. In all honesty, when he had came up with the request long before actually coming here, he had no idea how his new leader would react. 

Watching the Kage's hand periodically rub and rotate atop the surface of his desk, Kisuke would take his gaze away from the mesmerizing action and lock eyes with the Kage as he prepared to answer his question. Looking at the person you were talking to was a sign of respect and Kisuke did not want to disrespect this man. "No, I never met the man. For the supposed leader of my clan he was absent... pretty much all the time. There was a time period where Uchiha were being hunted for their eyes left and right and he was no where to be found, the supposed leader of his clan giving no protection to those he ruled." With a slight tone of disgust, Kisuke would continue "As far as I know he wasn't even allowed in the village and as far as I'm concerned he was never my leader."

The follow up question was something Kisuke had somewhat mentally prepared himself for. Given that he actually knew nothing of the next stage of the Sharingan, he had thought long and hard of what he was going to say when questions inevitably arose. "Unfortunately, no I dont know what it is. I dont know how to achieve it, what powers it grants, I dont even know what it looks like. If I had to guess, a fourth tomoe?" Reaching with his right hand, Kisuke would grab and take a sip of his OJ to satiate his dry mouth before placing it back down and continuing "I figured you were the best person to come too. I have one request and why not shoot for the stars right? But you nailed it, I'm coming to you because you have power and I'm assuming you'll have the ability to give me power. If not, you now possess all the knowledge of the village. All its secrets, scrolls, books, information, all of it is yours. If you know nothing of what I ask than you can help me learn. Help me figure out what it is and how to achieve it." 

Essentially Kisuke was asking Xyxer for one of two things with his request. To either unlock and help him achieve the next stage in the Uchiha bloodline, which unknowing to him is the Mankekyou Sharingan. Or, if he was unable or unwilling to do so, give him access to all the secrets and records of the village and Uchiha clan. Which would it be?

Xyxer's repetitive nature soon broke once Kisuke revealed his lack of knowledge on Viper, even going so far as to denounce the man before the Hozuki. Perhaps he was smarter than he seemed and he'd gained a reading of the Mizukage's feelings on that man in particular, hoping to grace himself with Xyxer's admiration from his denouncement of the Uchiha.. yet it made sense. Nobody seemed to have seen Viper Uchiha in a long time. Many believed he'd fled once Navi took over as the Hokage and hadn't been seen since, so how could his clan continue to care for the ghost? If a father was never there for his family then he became a forgotten, rancid memory, the same simply happened on a wider scale for the once great man.

Kisuke admitted that he was unsure on what the next form of sharingan was and ushered the notion of a fourth tomoe which was a logical conclusion. This desire for power that came with Kisuke was troubling though, as the payment for the next level of sharingan was something most couldn't fathom.. yet this boy had wandered into this office and asked for it without having any idea about what the cost may be. The boy was playing a dangerous game in the hopes of winning a glorious prize and that earned the respect of the bloodthirsty man. 

His second suggestion served as a form of irritant to Xyxer as he seemed to have a misconception about the man before him. One who didn't care for the secrets and privacy of another clan. Someone who lacked so much honour that they simply ransacked anything and everything they could get their hands on. His head shook faintly, his blue spikes bouncing as he spoke, "I will not give you scrolls and secrets that I have no right to divulge to someone of such a low rank. That is down to your clan head and I won't disgrace neither your clan nor mine by going where I do not belong. The price of the next stage incurs a heavy cost, Kisuke Uchiha, and I'd suggest you pick a different favour before you get exactly what you wish for. Things will change for you, and not necessarily for the better." Xyxer revealed a knowledge of the next stage of sharingan yet didn't intend to reveal the price that would be paid. If a fool wanted to ask for things he didn't fully understand, then it was only sensible that a foolish consequence was suffered.

The response Kisuke had received came as quite a shock. Honestly, he came in here with the expectation to receive exactly what he had asked for. However it appeared that was not the case. He watched intently as the usurper sitting before him gently shook his head and declined the offer. Squinting his eyes in confusion while Xyxer offered his explanation, it was one that Kisuke should have probably expected after having seen how formal this man was. He would not even entertain the idea of both bringing dishonor to his clan and that of the Uchiha by meddling in affairs that did not concern him to obtain information that did not belong to him. Kisuke was under the notion that everything in Konoha now belonged to him, but it appeared Xyxer would not play the tyrant. He would be the same as any other leader, one that respected the law of the land. Kisuke did not recognize this man from the one on the battlefield.

"What leader?" Kisuke responded. "Viper is nothing more than a story. As far as I know we dont have a leader, unless you plan on appointing one. But I dont get the feeling you enjoy meddling in the affairs of other clans." If there was actually an Uchiha leader to go to, Kisuke would have already done it, but apparently Viper was their leader and he was a ghost. Then what Xyxer said last caught Kisuke's attention, mentioning that there was a price he would have to pay in order to achieve the next level of his clan dojutsu. That told Kisuke one thing, that the man sitting before him knew what it took to achieve the next stage, that he had either some knowledge or experience in dealing with it. Without even thinking about what his next request would be, Kisuke jumped on the idea of acquiring some information about the Mangekyou.

Sitting up strait in his seat, unintentionally showing that his interest had been peaked, Kisuke would say "A heavy price to pay you say. If you know that, that means you know about the next stage of the Sharingan, dont you?" Clearing his throat before continuing, "If your not going to help me attain it can you at least tell me what you know about it? I dont have a clue what it is but you've just confirmed that there's something there." Kisuke did not necessarily want Xyxer to explain how to achieve it or what the price to pay was however maybe he could tell the young Uchiha what power it unlocked, the consequences of using it, or even that it had a different name. Anything to give Kisuke concrete proof that there was something for him to strive for.

The boy spoke about his clan lacking a leader which made a sardonic grin creep onto his features, his eyebrows furrowing momentarily as if he was in a state of momentary confusion. He got close to the cookie with what he said, but Kisuke seemed to be entirely foreign to how the world truly worked. It seemed as if he'd been fed from a silver spoon in the safety of this village and he was unaware of the natural birthright of the strong. Clenching his left hand instinctively, his shoulders lifted to imitate a shrug as he spoke, "I'm sure you have some form of rite you can channel to become the clan head if you so desire it. If not, just.. stake your claim and hope it doesn't get refuted. Power grants you many things in life and if a role is unfulfilled.. that's a way to fill it." The Hozuki spoke, having claimed the role of clan head in a similar fashion; nobody yet had dared speak out against his authority over his peers, yet that was only normal given his penchant for extreme actions.

Getting over the temporary confusion he listened as Kisuke spoke about the price that he'd have to pay for what he wanted which caused Xyxer's mocking grin to remain. Trust a Uchiha to completely ignore a warning and wander down the darkest path imaginable, it seemed to truly be in their blood to unlock the traumatic eye. "I know that those that possess such a thing become targets if they're unable to defend themselves. It'll grant the possessor a great deal of power, yet.. it's almost not worth it. To achieve such a state you'll no longer be the person you once were, but you must transcend yourself through a horrific ordeal.. usually involuntarily; Powers beyond the imagination of most, yet a shell of the person they once was." Xyxer stated, giving a slight hint on how to unlock the sharingan.. yet now Kisuke had registered some form of interest in the eyes of the bloodthirsty man before him. Perhaps he was someone to look out for.. and maybe shove down the road of despair.