Gaining Knowledge (P, Kozai)

As Kozai drew out a volume he'd start explaining all the while Akaboshi continued to listen. The way the librarian was picturing the situation made sense and easier to understand what he meant by the objections from the Church. The Uzumaki would follow as the man kept pushing his cart to the end of the row. Akaboshi would look at the books in front of him after Kozai directed his attention towards them, wondering about its contents. From what he was told it seemed the Church only thought one thing about those books and the Archives: blasphemy. Although he respected the importance of their religion, he never truly understood them. 

His curiosity got the better of him when he heard the librarian mention the words "knowledge" and "offer". Akaboshi never hid the fact that he was looking for all sorts of information in order to increase his influence both on Yasaki and the village. Even though the grand plans had yet to follow, his search for knowledge had already begun. The Uzumaki reached inside one of his side pockets for the book he was reading earlier before speaking up. "I'm sure you're familiar with this one, although it might pale in comparison with some of the other books in here." If he would take a look, Kozai would notice it was A Study of Kekkai Genkai and Their Connection to DNA Akaboshi was talking about. "Or is this knowledge you mentioned something else? What exactly does the Archives have to offer that would scare the Church so much?" If it was enough for them to feel threatened by it, surely that meant it had to be something impressive. 

(WC: 278, TWC: 2023)

Kozai gave the kid a skeptical look. No, the Church hadn't castigated him over keeping knowledge of genetics here, not at first. That had come later on. He removed one of the books he had indicated from the shelf, and opened it to a marked section. The text therein was written in a modern font, with standard structures and typeset. There was no sign of age, antiquity or tradition in these pages. Kozai indicated a passage and read it aloud.

"Therefore, we can conclude that the moral standard of mankind was not necessarily given to us from above, but rather, could have arisen from our need for society, or perhaps our instinct as a herd."

He gave Akaboshi a wry smile. "You see? When I say 'heresy', I'm talking about the real deal, here. This isn't just ideas that are objectionable to the Church, they're ideas that were created specifically to contest its dogma." He re-shelved the tome, its weight a pleasant feeling in his hand.

"I see it as an obligation to carry knowledge of all kinds here, even that which my peers in the vaunted Church claim should be forbidden. Especially that kind, you might say." He peered at the book the man had produced. Ah, right. This was the book Denkiteki had written. Old, and slightly outdated now, but still comprehensive and helpful.

"The Church considers books like *these* a threat now, but they didn't always." He chuckled as he remembered the looks on their faces when they'd attended that one lecture. " As it turns out, our genes reveals a lot about us that runs contrary to their teachings."

Kozai's last line stuck with Akaboshi, their genes revealing a lot about them. While he was no expert on the matter even the Uzumaki knew of the secrets a bloodline held. Once again his thoughts returned to the day where Yasaki told him about a man helping him discover the true powers of his clan. Perhaps that man was none other than the librarian standing in front of him, could it really? For now Akaboshi decided to hold back from inquiring about whether or not Kozai was involved, although his own curiosity grew by the minute. If the Kage was able to decipher or learn something more about his bloodline, could the same be applied to every other clan for example? If it did, it came as no surprise the Church saw books like these as a threat.

To remain on the subject Akaboshi would try and find out if it was indeed Kozai who aided Yasaki in learning more about his kekkei genkai after all. Of course it could be anyone with a bit of knowledge on the matter, especially with books like the one he carried in his side pocket, but the Uzumaki didn't believe in coincidences. He didn't think he just ran into that girl from earlier, he didn't think he just followed her and magically ended up in the Archives, he didn't think it was just a coincidence he was now talking with Kozai. No, call him a fool but part of him knew he just HAD to be here. "Surely an intelligent man like yourself is aware of our Hogokage's genes. I hardly need this book to know the power of the Sharingan, but perhaps there is something more that could be revealed." He would keep an eye on Kozai to watch his reaction. He didn't really expect him to confess, not that there was a crime committed but considering the two of them just met it made sense he couldn't just trust anyone.

"Don't worry, I only possess a basic knowledge of how DNA works and how it can be altered to allow a person to develop the bloodlines of other clans, and frankly I don't see anything wrong with that." He never really delved into the subject of these so called transplants, mostly because he didn't see a reason why he should. Whether or not the librarian did know more about this stuff had yet still to be proven, but in case he did, perhaps he could be the one granting Akaboshi the information he was looking for. "I'm sure you have your opinion on these kind of things as well?" The Uzumaki had already made up his mind to use whatever came on his path if it helped him protect the future of Hoshigakure. 

(WC: 462, TWC: 2485)

Kozai turned to look at the last book on the cart, only to find that it wasn't one of his at all, but a binder of encoded reports on containment beneath the Archives. Ah, shit. He put it back on the cart and turned back to the young man. He had more important things to deal with right now. Akaboshi had asked him about Yasaki's bloodline, something that Kozai had plumbed to arguably forbidden depths. Echo had forbidden him from researching the Rinnegan for a reason, and Kozai trusted the intentions of Iwagakure's former kage. Kozai had several theories, the chief among which was that there was something that Echo hadn't wanted Kozai to see at that point in time, possibly the last passage of the Naka Shrine tablet. As a result, Kozai hadn't bothered to take a look at his very real images of the Naka Shrine tablet that he'd taken while in Konoha. He knew full well that those of the Uchiha clan could place traps in that kind of information for the unprepared mind, and he was ALWAYS prepared.

"Hmm? Yes, I know something of it." Technically not a lie. "Anything that manifests in the way that Yasaki's does, however, is too complex to be tinkered with. You make one substitution, and it could cause changes that cascade in ways you didn't expect. What you intend to be an enhancement could end up becoming a tumor in a few months." He gave Akaboshi a wry smile, but it wasn't a joke.

The tone of Kozai's voice implied there was more to it than just a simple swap et voila, you got yourself some new DNA. Of course it was only to be expected not all changes, as the librarian called it, would be successful, but perhaps it was worth the risk. High risk, high reward. "I'm sure you have your own theory as to why people like to flirt with the danger of ending up with those so called tumors?" Did they simply lust for power or were it mere experiments to gain knowledge? And what in the case of the transplant getting the result they were hoping for? Were they going to stop with one, or would they continue their search on the bloodline's limit? Akaboshi had heard about people selling and offering DNA, as if it was simple merchandise. 

The Uzumaki rubbed his chin, multiple thoughts crossing and running through his mind. How far would he go if he had the chance? Would he really stop at nothing to get what he wanted? And most importantly, would he still be the same once he did? Were those changes not going to mess not only with his body, but also his mind? It was all but a secret that Akaboshi had plans for Hoshigakure, hardly a scheme and more of an idea, to work and protect from the shadows. The redhead had his doubts Yasaki would be able to do what needed to be done. Could the Hogokage really pull the trigger when the situation called for it? Or would the man simply be too occupied in his own books and his career as an author? Regardless of the chaos no longer keeping Hoshigakure hostage, it would be foolish to believe there were no longer any dangers lurking around. If anything, peace could eventually lead to their downfall .. 

Akaboshi would look at Kozai, not knowing how their conversation got to the topic they were currently at, but perhaps that as well was a sign. "Tell me, in your honest opinion, is it worth it?" He couldn't help but believe the librarian would be the only one capable of giving him answers.

(WC: 361, TWC: 2846)

So-called? The kid barely knew what he was talking about. Kozai was about to discourage him, but reconsidered. There was no point in letting him go, to use his unskilled hands to injure someone else. Kozai didn't feel any compassion or concern for any potential victims, but he'd rather not have someone else botching up any genetic pools he might stick his own fingers into further down the line. He pondered for a fraction of a second then spoke again.

"Worth it? Only if you're successful." Maybe a bit of an odd or condescending statement, but not from Kozai's point of view. The only measure of value, the greatest metric of good in the world was success. If you won, nobody could tell you that you did wrong. If you lost, then you were always wrong. It was as simple as that. Hell, one only had to look at history. The victorious were practically synonymous with the virtuous, no matter what hidden or unknown acts of skullduggery they had to commit in order to achieve their victories. Looking at it from that point of view, there was really no reason to not give everything for success in any endeavor, even at great cost.

"Otherwise, you'll probably find someone like the author of this book hot on your heals." He regarded the copy of Denkiteki's book with a small measure of amusement. "He was not only an impressive academic, but a powerful shinobi as well. I'd know; I fought him once."

It became apparent that the man standing in front of him wasn't just a simple librarian. The entire time, Akaboshi already had the feeling Kozai wasn't just anyone but now he was sure of it. Whereas he first had his doubts whether the man simply possessed high intelligence, he was now certain that his knowledge far transcended that of your everyday's librarian. His case only proved to be stronger further during their conversation when Kozai mentioned that not only did he know the writer of that specific book, he also used to fight him once. So no, the librarian wasn't just a librarian. 

A smile, caused by the sudden revelation, formed on Akaboshi's face upon hearing those words. "Considering you're still able to have this conversation with me shows you're quite the skillful shinobi yourself." Quite the turn of events, especially when Akaboshi originally planned to have a casual walk through the village, not run into someone of this caliber. Given his grasp on things, showcased earlier during their chat, Kozai should also possess a certain level of expertise when it came to the subject of transplants, DNA and whatnot. "Tell me, a man with your knowledge and particular set of skills surely experimented with those type of things? And seeing you're still breathing proves once more you were successful when you did." The more he found out, the happier he was for running into Kozai in the Archives.

The longer their conversation lasted, the more he wanted to know. Akaboshi took a couple of steps, walked around touching the shelves letting his hand run over them. "Now, exactly who have you shared all of this with? And more importantly, what else can you show me?" Perhaps Kozai would think Akaboshi had gone mad, or would view the Uzumaki as a fool for asking, but in the slightest chance he would gain whatever it was the librarian was able to show him, it would indeed be worth it.

(WC: 328, TWC: 3174)

Kozai laughed. It wasn't often that he met someone who was genuinely funny. For a second, Kozai thought Akaboshi was genuinely performing some kind of character, but no, the kid was serious. To be fair, he was absolutely correct, but the fact that he had simply leapt to that conclusion meant that he was simply inexperienced. Well, that was alright.

"Shinobi? I guess if you've spent most of your time here in Hoshi, that would be a reasonable assumption. This village and the country surrounding it is just a fraction of the world out there. It doesn't take a shinobi to necessarily fight another shinobi." Kozai would eye the sword he kept as a decoration on the wall, now. In years past, it had served him well, draining the fluids from enemy bodies. Now, though, it really was most useful hanging on the wall to adorn the Archives' interior.

While the kid was, again, spot on in his observation, this did tell Kozai some important facts. First of all, even the more trusted among Yasaki's shinobi were inexperienced, and hadn't taken too many missions to the outer world. They hadn't yet encountered the samurai who plagued the land, or the cultists who rampaged without any self-preservation instinct. Such threats were unknown to the people of this village, and that was.... concerning, but *useful*. He silently thanked the kid for letting this information slip.

"Either way, if you want to start tinkering with genes, it's a good idea to get some source material. No doubt, in your years of expertise, you've accumulated some cadavers?"

It was true that Akaboshi had spent most of his time inside the village walls and had yet to see more of the outside world, not counting the couple of missions he'd take part in of course. While the Uzumaki had to admit his mindset might have been a little narrow he was aware it would be important to look at the bigger picture. Shinobi didn't rule the world, perhaps it was out of fear that someday they would, that those loyal to the Queen tried to stop them back then. Just that was already proof of what Kozai mentioned, it didn't take a shinobi to fight one of his own kind. Perhaps the librarian tried to imply he fought someone else, something else, but for now Akaboshi decided not to dig any deeper into that matter. 

The man then started to explain the best way to experiment when it came to genes, was to gather some source material. "Cadavers? Oh, well if you want to call it like that." Quite the interesting way to talk about the human body, but perhaps his endless study on the anatomy made him end up with the habit of referring to it like that. "No, I'm afraid not. I never took the bodies home with me after I killed them." Part of it was said in a jokingly manner, but on the other hand Akaboshi wondered how many actually took the bodies of those they slayed. "I have a feeling you're about to tell me you've acquired quite some corpses over the years?" The Uzumaki wouldn't judge Kozai if that was the case. After all, he was the one who brought up the subject. 

In all honesty it wouldn't surprise him it the librarian were to tell him about his secret collection of cadavers, as he so liked to call them. It also made him wonder just how much Yasaki knew about what Kozai was doing here. If he were in the Hogokage's shoes, not that he would ever hope that to be the case, he would want to know everything that was going on in the village. Regardless of Kozai's answer, Akaboshi decided it would be for the best if it stayed between the two of them. 

(WC: 375, TWC: 3549)

Call it like what? Well, whatever. As Kozai listened to the man speak, he'd have Gakidou return silently to the hidden chamber below, built away from the access tunnels. She would go to her spot, and he would relinquish control of her for the time being, returning the body of the strange shinobi that he'd encountered in the Konoha borders to an inert state.

The man had asked him if he'd acquired bodies of his own over the years. Kozai pulled out a box of pamphlets from the cart, chuckling as he did so.

"Mostly by accident, as it turns out. I try my best to avoid confrontation when I can." All true. Out of the ones he currently possessed, only the corpse of the lad he was using as his Animal Path was one of his own kills. All the others had either been picked up by sheer coincidence, or uh.... "crowdsourced", as it were.

"I'm sure you'll find the same, unless you enjoy that kind of thing." Kozai remembered Echo fondly, though he had a distinct distaste for his former kage's approach to battle. Echo preferred to take things head-on, while Kozai himself would always run unless he had already prepared extensively. Rig the ground and environment, sabotage the enemy, bring allies while ensuring the opponent was isolated and deprived of resources. In Kozai's mind, it was truly the only way to fight at all.

He took a stack of pamphlets and placed them on a nearby table. They were information about a series of academic panels in a few months.