Strange Tidings

Fri Sep 27, 2019 7:43 am

Rumors had spread of Mist and Leaf gathering in the Sand. Tales of pale white demon with the visage of a Ragdoll and tentacles dripping with the blood of its enemies spread across the land quickly. Strangers shared stories in taverns and inns about the destruction caused by one being of incredible power. One that could rival the forces of both Mist and Leaf alike, giving even the feared Mizukage a run for his money. All these things caught the Uchiha’s interest, but none more so than the possibility of vengeance. Kai didn’t know who had been sent to deal with this monstrosity in the Sand, but he was sure at least one of his targets would be there. Unfortunately, it turns out he had been woefully unprepared for the journey.

Kai had been raised in Konohagakure, and his missions never took him to the harsh desert terrain that held the Leaf’s former allies of Suna. He had known it was a desert, of course, and thought that he had prepared himself with the necessary equipment, but he had thought wrong. Three days into his travels the former Konoha shinobi ran out of water. He could feel his throat drying out as the uncovered part of his face was pelted with grains of sand carried on a harsh wind. Yea, he definitely hadn’t thought this one through.

Luckily enough, the Uchiha somehow managed to spot what he assumed to be a cave nearby. Hoping it would provide some shelter until the sandstorm passed, that was where he headed.

Sat Sep 28, 2019 1:53 pm

Unknown to the elder male the cave he had entered was already occupied by beings both living and dead, the living being the man most well known simply as The Ragdoll, whilst the dead were an unfortunate group of Kumogakure shinobi that he had toyed with and butchered before his conquest of Suna. This was the very cave in which he had first met the young girl, Ida of the Tau clan, and the cave that to this day remained scorched and melted by the heat of his cleansing flames. The ground of the cave was black and warped, covered in a thick sheen of ash and dust… something that served only to hide the blackened and broken bones of the men and women that were his victims. He recalled that particular hunt well, and to this day it was something he looked back on with fond memories… it was the first time that he had truly enjoyed himself during his time exterminating the vermin of Kumogakure. Not quite as enjoyable as the wholesale slaughter of the peons on the walls of Sunagakure, nor as enjoyable as watching Kutari create his art within the village using Alice as his canvas… but still one of the most enjoyable things he had done within this dead land.

Truth be told Kenshin had felt rather strange ever since the “battle” of Sunagakure, a mixture of freedom, bloodlust and melancholy… he simply couldn’t understand it.The liberation he felt could not be understated now that he was free of the role that he had unknowingly trapped himself in, and the bloodlust was certainly nothing new to him. But the melancholy? He didn’t understand whatsoever, he hadn’t been particularly close to any of those that fell in the battle aside from Valen, who he had returned to the land of the living. He was headed for Hoshigakure to tie up any loose ends that he had left within that accursed village… and after that he would be paying a visit to Akihana to get answers. Could it be that he was still hurt about the woman's supposed death? And that he felt betrayed by the fact that she had actually been alive the entire time? He supposed it was possible, but he was used to the pain of betrayal and this felt… different. This felt much less painful, yet at the same time left him feeling just as sickened and drained… heh, it was obvious, he was indeed still reeling from this latest betrayal, but rather than pain he simply felt numb… hollow. In the end it was preferable to the sting of betrayal… but it was still a feeling that he absolutely despised.

But that was enough of that, the past was the past and there was no point in reminiscing over past hunts and existing melancholy when prey had wandered unknowingly into his den. Whether he lived or died had yet to be decided by The Mad Medic, but at the very least his chakra signature felt somewhat powerful… enough to at least provide a little sport should he decide to actually end the unfortunate soul. Perhaps it would even be enough to take his mind off this familiar feeling… perhaps it would be enough to quell the cold flame of rage that he could feel burning deep within his chest. The sight of The Ragdoll wouldn’t have been obvious to the man as he entered the cave, not until he had reached deep enough into the cave to be standing amongst the bones of his previous victims. The sight was indeed something to behold, the unnaturally pale form of The Reaper seated calmly on what almost appeared to be a warped throne of charred earth, his sole silver eye staring calmly at the stranger that dared to enter the domain of the dead.

WC: 641

Sun Oct 13, 2019 12:34 pm

The cave was a welcome reprieve from the harsh heat and angry howling of sand that had been buffeting the Uchiha for some time now. At least, it was at first. There was something entirely.......wrong with this place. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and his muscles tended. There was a slight smell of death and decay that lingered in the air, and the air was somehow dozens of degrees cooler and much thicker than what was on the outside of the natural rock formation.

His eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness of the interior after being in the light of the sun for hours. After they did, Kai activated Mind’s Eye of the Kagura and found what he was looking for. He was unable to sense the figure naturally, but this technique was one of the highest quality sensory techniques that he knew existed. Steeling himself for what he hoped wouldn’t turn to bloodshed, Kai made his way deeper into the cave. Soon he began to see discarded bones of varying sizes strewn about the floor of the cave. One even looked to be that of a child. Whatever had done this was a true Demon. He began to wonder if he should even continue down this path. Maybe he was better off turning around and finding another haven from the weather. Unfortunately, he had let himself get lost in his thoughts and the opportunity to retreat was gone.

A pale figure that looked to be sewn together and had long white hair stared at him through a single silver eye. The light of the Demon’s gaze pinned the man in place, somehow struck with unfamiliar fear as he began to recognize the visage before him from the reports he had followed. This man, this Demon, was what had caused him to come here in the first place. Now, standing in it’s presence, he somehow knew he would be dead before he even moved if killing him was what it wanted. Luckily for Kai, it seemed intent on curiously examine the prey that had unknowingly found himself in its lair. ”Are you going to kill me?” he asked the Demon, unsure of what was about to become of his own life.

Sun Oct 13, 2019 2:11 pm

Kenshin would simply release a deep chuckle when the man asked his question, the smooth sound of his voice being amplified by the artificial echo-chamber that they found themselves in. The question was indeed one that needed to be answered, but it wasn’t one that The Ragdoll held the answer to at this point… it would all depend on how this little meeting ended up going, and about whether or not this man was stupid enough to do something that would make him murderous.

“For the time being the answer is no… but we will see how long that lasts. Now come, take a seat” The Reaper would state truthfully, waving his hand towards a nearby stone that the man could sit on. Regardless of whether or not the man accepted his invitation to sit Kenshin would stare at him for a few tense seconds, almost as though he were sizing the man up. In the end he was nothing special in either build or chakra, but perhaps there was more to him than what was eyes could see.

“So stranger, what brings you to this dead land? Surely you have heard the tales of The Monster that haunts the corpse of Sunagakure?” The Uzumaki would inquire in an almost friendly manner, something betrayed by both their surroundings and his previous actions. That didn’t matter though, what mattered was the man's answer to his question… after-all, he was currently locked into conversation with The Monster itself. Whether or not he survived this fateful encounter depended entirely on both his answer and how Kenshin felt about it.

WC: 266

Fri Oct 18, 2019 7:42 pm

Kai didn't say anything, but merely sighed, shrugged, and moved to sit on the rock that the Pale-Faced-Demon had gestured toward. From all the stories he had heard, coupled with the strange, dense presence the being seemed to have even without a chakra signature told Kai one thing: he was only still alive because IT had allowed him to live. Sure, he had grown much stronger since leaving the village, but that really only meant he was more attuned to his limits and his level of intellect let him know this was not a situation he could escape from with his own meager power.

The young Uchiha, resigned to his fate, took this time to relax and pull out a waterskin that he drank from unceremoniously to quench his thirst. Normally he would have kept his eyes on the Demon the entire time, but there would be no point here. His sense were still on high alert in case the being decided to test him for some reason, but if it decided to truly kill him there would be nothing he could have done to stop it. Finished with his drink, he offered the skin to the Demon before replacing it. "I had heard rumors that my village and that of the Leviathan's were congregating here to face some threat. I didn't know exactly who was being sent, but I had hoped that at least one of my targets would be here. I was planning on taking them out while they were distracted with whatever battle it was that they were fighting," he replied truthfully. He now realized that the being in front of him was likely the cause for the two village's movements though, and if the Demon were here unscathed and seemingly unconcerned, then perhaps Kai had been too late.

"Since you're here I'm guessing the battles have already concluded and I've missed my chance." His eyes drifted to the floor and he shook his head as he spoke. He didn't even know if any of his targets were here, let alone if they had survived. Was all his training for nothing? Was it just, not enough? He couldn't let these thoughts take over and sweep him into the darkness of despair though. He needed answers, and he needed better training. Would this Demon, this Monster, be willing to take him under his wing? He supposed it wouldn't hurt to ask. Steeling himself, he turned his attention back to the being with the fires of determination in his eyes. "Would you be my Master? Help me to become powerful and teach me how to kill?"

Mon Oct 21, 2019 5:44 am

The pale form of The Reaper simply smirked upon as he sat upon his twisted throne, watching as the poor fool that had unwittingly wandered into his lair took a seat upon the offered stone. He wouldn’t make even the slightest of movements as the man moved to withdraw his waterskin, not because he knew what the man was reaching for, but because the half-blood Uzumaki knew full well that he could completely annihilate the stranger with but a thought if he did anything foolish. It seemed the man understood that simple truth as well, if his slightly sagged shoulders and resigned facial expression as he greedily downed the contents of his waterskin were anything to go by. Once he finished downing his own share the unknown would offer it to Kenshin, and despite the fact that The Ragdoll no longer needed to eat, drink or even breathe to sustain himself he would accept. The Demon would drink deeply from the offered skin, no doubt draining just as much as the man it belonged to had, before simply offering it back to him. At the very least he was polite, and if nothing else that earned the stranger a few points… although to be perfectly honest the likelihood of him actually butchering him was low, unless of course he did something truly foolish.

As the man spoke it became rather apparent that he was a shinobi of his former village… or was that former former now that he had also defected from Hoshigakure? No matter, it was clear that the man formerly held some loyalty to Konohagakure, but based on his words he may have defected upon Kirigakure’s conquest. He found himself wondering exactly who these targets were, but upon finding out exactly what his motives were it became clear that he would be allowing the man to leave with his life… and perhaps even more if he proved that he could be useful. At the very least the man appeared to have no qualms about stabbing his enemies in the back rather than meeting them on the field of battle… unlike many of the so called shinobi that he had met in the past, both within the walls of his former villages and outside. It seemed that he also realized that the being that sat across from him was the same one that his former village and their overlords had come here to end, if his statement about missing his chance was anything to go by… but the words themselves did little more than cause cold fury to ignite within his chest.

Apparently the man was unaware of the cowardice that his former comrades had shown when they launched the attack on HIS village and then proceeded to flee before he could butcher the lot of them. Truth be told The Ragdoll actually admired The Leviathan for a such an equally bold and cunning plan, but he wouldn’t hide the fact that he felt slighted out of a truly legendary battle with the supposed strongest shinobi of the era. He had completely abandoned the main entrance of the village when the Mizukage and his forces had arrived, but by the time he reached their entrance they had fled… as had the forces that were assaulting the main entrance. Perhaps things would have been different if he had actually possessed forces that could’ve rebuked the attack on one side whilst he focussed on the other… but unfortunately that simply wasn’t the case, and due to that he had been left feeling nothing aside from cold anger and crushing disappointment. These thoughts were cut off when he heard the rather… odd question posed by the man… Become his master? Help him become powerful and teach him to kill? A small smirk would form on The Monsters scarred face as a silver brow rose in question.

“Well you’re certainly bold, but allow me to pose a question… why would I choose to teach you and grant you power when I do not even know your name or your goals? How can I be sure that you will not simply use my own teachings against me in the future?” The Immortal believed the question to be a fair one, and his own actions from this point would end up being dependant on what the man said. If the answer was one that he ended up approving of then he may have gained a potentially powerful pawn for any future plans he deigned to undertake… but if the answer was not one that he liked then the man may find his already short tale coming to an abrupt and early end.

Hoshigakure’s most infamous rogue would simply watch the man and await his answer, silently wondering whether this cave would end up being the tomb of yet another unfortunate fool.

WC: 806

Mon Oct 21, 2019 11:40 am

His face slowly drew into a scowl at the Demon’s words. Not that there was anything wrong with the question, logically, but the Uchiha’s very nature abhorred the questioning of his honor. Ironic, that questioning his honor and motives would make Kai recoil in disgust when he himself had defected from the village he had sworn his allegiance to. Still, from the other being’s perspective it would only be natural to inquire as he had.

”I have no quarrel with you. You’ve done nothing to me. I only seek power and knowledge so that I can avenge my family and reclaim my village from the Leviathan. I’m sure that to you it might seem I have no honor, defecting from my village and wanting to assassinate specific people, but in truth it’s the opposite. Sure, I want to avenge my family’s death, but what I’m doing I also do for the sake of the Leaf. The real Leaf. Not this farce of a village it’s become.” There was a clear determination in his eyes as he spoke. It was a fire of intense purpose. Kai’s eyes seemed to shift focus for a moment and then the man found himself looking upon the Demon again, reawakened from his musings. ”Of course, if you decide I’m not worth teaching then I’ll just continue to grow my power on my own until I either fulfill my goals or die trying. I only ask that you allow me to remain sheltered here until the storm outside passes and then I’ll be on my way.”

Mon Oct 21, 2019 1:44 pm

The Ragdoll would resist the almost overwhelming urge to chuckle as the mans face twisted into a deep scowl, it seemed that he may have been wrong earlier, to assume that the man was without honour or integrity… but that was one of the things that had earned him some points with the self proclaimed monster. As the still unnamed stranger explained his future goals Kenshin would force down yet another chuckle, so he was motivated by revenge and a desire to reclaim his home from those that he saw as sullying it. Kenshin found himself wondering whether this stranger had ever truly paid attention to the truth of the village that he was apparently still loyal to, because if he had then he would know that it had changed very little under the rule of The Leviathan. Their vaunted ‘Will of Fire’ was little more than a dogma of stupidity created by the higher ups in the past in an effort to prevent their tools from becoming demoralised after losing a comrades. “They embodied the Will of Fire to the end” “Our enemies will regret angering us, we will show them our Will of Fire” “The Will of Fire burns bright within you young one”. These were all statements that he had heard from Konoha shinobi in the past, both when he lived within the walls of Konoha and when he had defected… and truly he could not understand why so many people fell for such an obvious lie.

“You seem to be viewing your home through rose coloured lenses my friend… do you not recall that in the past, under the rule of Viper Uchiha, Konoha almost succeeded in conquering the nations by destroying everything and everyone that stood in their path? Do you not recall that in the past Konoha has marched on and captured both the original Kirigakure and other villages in a much more brutal manner than anything the new Kirigakure has done? Have you never questioned whether The Leviathan only exists BECAUSE of your village… like so many other “villains” of ages past? The village that you hold so precious stands above all others in the number of atrocities that have been committed in its name, but the people that live within are far too blind to see it… after-all, who within would dare question Konoha’s vaunted ‘Will of Fire’. An ingenious way of blinding the shinobi that live within to the atrocities that they are willing to commit in its name, of hiding the fact that they have been brainwashed from birth to believe that they are nothing more than a single leaf of the great tree. Do not let yourself remain blinded to the truth my friend… your village was not made into the farce that it is by Kirigakure, your village has simply become too weak to hide the truth any longer.” The Reaper remained calm and neutral faced as he brought the metaphorical hammer down on the mans rose tinted glasses.

“Tell me… are you even aware of what happened during the assault on Sunagakure? Have you heard any news of what the outcome of the attack was? Heard any tales of the ‘heroics’ of the people of Kirigakure and Konohagakure as they attempted to “free” Sunagakure of it’s conqueror?” He wouldn’t expect the man had, the two villages had been painfully silent about the matter ever since it had occurred, likely in an effort to protect their own public image. The Immortal wouldn’t give the man time to answer before he continued.

“Well allow me to inform you. They failed, rather miserably at that. The army of Konohagakure appeared at the villages main entrance, led by a former Sunagakure shinobi named Kinzoku Nazar… a man that defected from his own home after it was conquered by Kumogakure. He’s not someone I know or recognise personally, nor did I even see his face truth be told, but I saw both his mechanical left arm and the crossbow Peacemaker, both of which were noted within his file in Sunagakure itself. I had been delaying their advance at the main entrance with Shadow Clones when The Leviathan and Kirigakure showed themselves at the villages secondary entrance. Before I could make my way to face off with the true threat an assassin appeared within my office and tried to tend me… they were weak and they learnt their place, but before I could even end her miserable life I was interrupted by a hail of crossbow bolts. It was obviously the Shuriken Shadow Clone technique being applied to one of the Kinzoku’s crossbow bolts… one with an explosive tag attached. I’m not sure how much you know about Sunagakure’s layout… but the tower is in the heart of the village, surrounded on all sides by apartment complexes and civilian housing… Kinzoku, as a former shinobi of Suna, would have known exactly what those buildings were… but he still chose to use such an unnecessarily destructive technique.” The so called Demon would explain with a grim look upon his face. He had been able to recognise the bolt itself as Kinzoku’s consider the man had shot at the young woman at the gates, all within view of his clones Byakugan.

“It should be obvious by this point that I was the ‘evil’ that haunted the corpse of Sunagakure, but I was attempting to rebuild the village into something that both I and the people within could be proud of. Yes, I butchered both its defenders and its conquerors in order to take it for myself… but neither I nor those that I was allied with sunk so low as to butcher the civilians of the village in the manner that the forces of your former village did. Not even The Leviathans forces were so senseless, they took a few merchants that had made deals with me and flayed them… but the LEADER of your village… HUNDREDS of people slaughtered by his hand without thought nor remorse. Those that died were the lucky ones, they didn’t have to deal with the aftermath… they were not left crippled and alone, their friends and families stolen from them… men, women, children… none were spared… and has Konoha had anything to say about this atrocity? Has your village even so much as acknowledged the true horror of what their leader has done… no… and they never will, because in the end this is the perfect representation of what your “Will of Fire” truly is. People call me a Demon… people call me a Monster… and I do not try to say otherwise or even hide what I am. I have done unspeakable things in the past, butchered thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands at this point… and I have no intention of stopping… but at least I am willing to admit what I am… at least I am not the one trying to hide my atrocities behind false pretenses and notions of honour”

“Now… tell me friend… knowing what you know now… do you truly think that any of the changes you wish to make will actually be possible? Do you doubt that the brainwashing of your home is as effective as I have made it out to be? Do you truly think that you would be seen as any different from The Leviathan himself if by some miracle you managed to succeed?” And it was with that question that The Immortal would fall silent, his piercing silver eyes seeming to stare through the man and into his very soul.

WC: 1262

Fri Oct 25, 2019 12:19 pm

As the Demon spoke, Kai’s whole world was flipped and his core beliefs were challenged. Viper Uchiha was undoubtedly a blight on the history of Konoha, one that Kai tried very hard to distance himself from. Being an Uchiha of the Leaf did not make that easy. It was also probably true that the Mizukage who had caused the destruction and death only existed because of the abhorrent actions of Viper in the past. Even now, if what the Demon said was true, the Hokage was attacking enemy and innocent alike in order to obtain victory. That was not something Kai could support. There was no honor in pointless slaughter. Just another name to be added to his list then.

What elicited pride in Kai for his village wasn’t the slaughter and decimation it had previously committed. It was the strength and courage they used to have. Thinking about it now, though, he had to admit that what he was proud of didn’t really exist anymore. In fact, it hasn’t in some years and he was just deluding himself at this point. There was no real reason for him to remain loyal to the village any longer. Not when he had lost everything he cared about because of it. Still, he would not attack innocents or cause pointless destruction. And if he was going to add this Hokage to his list of targets, he would need proof that the Demon spoke true.

”What you say is true. It’s.....given me some things to think about. It doesn’t change my desire for vengeance though, and I will have my targets heads. My loyalty for the village on the other hand.......I no longer see a point to it. I might even add this Hokage to my list of targets if what you say about him is true. Regardless, will you accept me as a student? Will you allow me to wait out the storm and leave under my own power? Or have you decided to just kill me and be done with it?”

Fri Oct 25, 2019 2:22 pm

The Reaper would watch with light amusement as a myriad of emotions passed by on the face of the male… he could see the shame, the disappointment, the anger… but burning deeper and brighter than anything else was the pure and unbridled hatred. He had seen hatred before, in the eyes of people that he killed, in the eyes of those that he had stolen everything from, in the eyes of some of his so-called allies… but this hatred was particularly intense. It was then that he would admit the truth that the words of The Immortal held, earning a small nod of acceptance from the man sitting atop the twisted and charred throne. As he admitted that his desire for revenge had not waned in the slightest, and truth be told Kenshin had neither wanted nor expected it to wane, but when he continued on and mentioned that his loyalty for the village had all but vanished the Half-Blood would feel triumph. Most truly did tend to forget the multitude of atrocities committed by Konoha in the past, that The Fire Nation was the direct cause of so many of the villains of the past… that they were the true villains of this never ending tale.

“Good… I had no interest in training one of Konoha’s countless discarded puppets… and make no mistake, that is all you are to them. To Konoha the shinobi within are little more than tools to be used until they break, and once that happens they are simply discarded and replaced. I know that far better than most… for I too was born within the walls of that accursed village.” a dark smirk would adorn the scarred face of the albino as he simply stared at the still unnamed man. That little tidbit of information was known by very few people, and while The Ragdoll didn’t consider it to be anything truly important he knew that it would catch the attention of the hateful individual that sat before him.

“But before anything else I want you to truly understand what you are requesting… to truly know just who you are asking to train you and the path that said training WILL bring you down. I want you to see the price of your revenge, and I want you to ask yourself whether it will be worth it.” Kenshin would then announce, activating his Corrupted Sage Mode and allowing the full force of his foul chakra to slam down on the other occupant of the cave. His already unnatural features had somehow become even more pale, and black veins had seemingly formed over his face and exposed skin. An extremely thick, black almost sap-like substance began to seep from the corners of both the beings eyes and mouth, and the silver of his left eye was replaced by a dull and unfocused gold.

“This is the price of your revenge… this is what my teachings will do you, twist you and corrupt you until you are barely human… something less than others, but also far more. So… tell me, is this what you want? Will you sell your very soul for the revenge you seek?”

WC: 530

Strange Tidings

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