Re: Minor Alterations (Kenshin)

Thu Oct 22, 2020 1:34 am

Kenshin would watch Zaine carefully throughout both his explanation and the procedure itself, and he could see just from his body language alone that he was extremely conflicted with what he had just learned… although whether it was because of the knowledge of how the eyes themselves evolved, or that he personally possessed such an advanced Sharingan was unknown to him for the time being. Once the procedure was complete Zaine would sit up and quickly put his shirt back on, and with his Transcended Sharingan Kenshin was easily able to see the clenching and unclenching of his fingers. He would return a small nod to Zaine’s bow and thanks… but when the man's tone shifted and he began to question Kenshin would gain a rather deep frown on his face… this was not going to be a pleasant revelation to Zaine, and truth be told… it was not a past that he was proud of either. He didn’t regret it, as it had moulded him into the man that he was today… but that man would not have performed many of the same actions that he had in the past. The Ragdoll would release a small sigh as he closed his eyes and deactivated his Sharingan, before raising his foot a few inches off the ground and stomping, his chakra flowing into the ground and forming a simple table with two chairs on either side.

“Please take a seat, this isn’t the most pleasant of topics and I am going to be completely truthful with all of my answers.” The Reaper would then say, his tone having shifted to something more cold and serious. With a small frown on his face he would move to one of the Cold Chambers on the left side, the one closest to the back, and open it… before pulling a set of chilled glasses and a bottle of Awamori from within, as well as a small tray of ice. He would make his way back to the table and take a seat on his side, placing the glasses, the tray and the bottle down between himself and Zaine. Without a word he would place ice in both glasses, and pour the Awamori, before pulling one to himself and pushing the other towards Zaine. The Ragdoll would waste no time in taking a rather sizable sip of the glass, releasing a small sigh as he placed the glass down on the fine table.

“...Where to start… Well, I suppose I will answer your first question, I have killed one Uchiha… the one whose eye I am currently using… but, there is every chance I have killed far more Uchiha than that without knowing… to say that I have killed many people is an understatement Zaine… There is a reason that one of my many titles is simply The Monster. I have killed… many people in my time… not simply dozens, not hundreds… thousands have fallen to me, perhaps even tens of thousands… truth be told I have long since lost count. Not all of those that have fallen to me were bad people, there were even a few innocents within that list… they may be few and far between, but they are still there… and their blood will forever stain my hands” The half-blood would admit with a deep frown, looking down at his hands for a few moments… they were shaking a little, not enough to be noticed by most, but to any trained shinobi it may as well have been uncontrollable. With a small scoff Kenshin would grab his glass and drain the rest, before quickly refilling it.

“I obtained my first Sharingan when I was but a Chunin in Hoshigakure… the Hogokage at the time, Lord Denkiteki… he died, and he donated his body to the village, and his replacement, Kyousuke Snow… he gifted me with one of the Sharingan of Lord Denkiteki. This was the Sharingan that I used for a very long time, and I only awakened the Ascended Sharingan within the last year… after I transplanted the DNA of an Uchiha into myself. The Uchiha that I killed, Calin Uetsugi, came to Sunagakure as a mercenary before I truly reestablished the village, offering his services for a hefty price… but to say the man was suspicious was an understatement. I decided to take the risk in hiring him, but told myself that he would need to prove he was worth it first, so I launched an attack at him… and he was unable to dodge in time.” The Kazekage would explain, going into detail about how he had obtained both of the Sharingan that he had used in the past. The Reaper would bring his refilled glass back to his lips and take another generous sip.

“I will not lie to you Zaine… I am not a good person, I will always be the first to admit that… but I am not that senseless beast anymore, I have grown beyond it and I wish to atone for my past actions… but I know that I will never truly be able to do that. I have too much blood on my hands to ever be able to truly make up for, and no matter what I do from here those actions will forever be a part of who I am… a part of my legacy. But… that is why I created Suna… the one village that will not judge you for the mistakes you have made in the past, a village that opens its gates for those that want to escape that sort of life… the life of a Missing-Nin, the life of a criminal… it is not a glamorous one… it takes pieces of you that you will never get back.” Kenshin would then look down at his hands once more, before downing what remained of his second glass before placing his elbows on the table and interlocking his fingers in front of his mouth.

“What did I gain from all the death that I had wrought… Truthfully, a majority of them were little more than stress relief… heh, what a monstrous thing to admit. When I was younger… I was tortured… for years, by those that I had trusted most… I will not give you my sob story, but I was never the same after that, I was twisted and wanted to hurt others in the same way that I was hurt… but I still had some semblance of morality. Most of those that have fallen to me were my enemies, be they shinobi from nations hostile to me to bandits that preyed on the weak… Well, in Hoshigakure, I used to frequently leave and hunt down camps of those bandits and kill them. At the time I had convinced myself it was because they were a nuisance, that they preyed on the people outside of the villages walls and they deserved death… but in truth, as I have come to realise, it was for my own sick and twisted sense of pleasure. I gained nothing from most that I killed… truly nothing, and yet, I could not stop… I tried, but I couldn’t… every time I went without I would get irritable and angry, blow up on those few that I cared about… I was sick, and far too prideful to ever admit it.” Heh… looking back it was so easy to see, and yet, at the time, he had been none the wiser. Or… perhaps he had known, but he simply hadn’t cared… that one sounded more likely to be honest.

“I can tell you about my past if you would like to hear it… so that you at least have an idea of how I turned out the way that I did… but truthfully, that doesn’t matter. Regardless of my past… I have committed some truly abominable acts… I have done some truly unforgivable things, and I have taken far too many lives.” The Reaper would then state as he closed his eyes, and rested his forehead against his interlocked fingers.

“I… am not that person anymore… I am not The Monster anymore… I am Kenshin Uzumaki, Kazekage of Sunagakure. I am ruthless towards my enemies and generous to my allies… I am not a Monster… not anymore.” He would then start to mutter, loud enough for Zaine to hear… but whether it was being recited to himself or to Zaine was anyones guess.

WC: 1410

Thu Oct 22, 2020 6:30 am

The setting for their conversation changed ever so slightly as Kenshin stomped on the floor and caused a table along with two chairs to appear for them to sit down and converse further- Zaine would look down at the seat in front of him before sitting and directing his focus back to the man before him, the man that he had heard so much about, so many rumors to the point that he had been unsure what was real and what was false. He now had the rare opportunity to hear it all from the man himself and he would finally see if the kage who recreated and nurtured the village he now called home was who he had always thought. He began by putting matters simply, he had killed an Uchiha but, his first eye was from his previous kage- this fact surprised him in that he had no clue that the Kazekage was not originally from the Wind Country. He allowed him to continue the story of how he attained the sharingan and the way he was able to advance it through the stages- and he was able to stomach and even come to terms with the fact that one of his own had died and his clans sacred doujutsu was in the possession of his village leader. What would follow however was an entirely different matter- the monster revealed himself as he went on in numerical detail of the scope of his murders and the number was one that Zaine couldnt bring himself to believe. He averted his eyes the moment Kenshin said that he had killed perhaps even tens of thousands "How could he say such a thing with little to no difficulty.. thousands and innocents at that." These newly presented facts were nearly enough to turn his stomach and what followed wouldnt help the situation too much- the Uchiha whos life he ended died during a 'test' of sorts. The idea that a member of his clan was murdered after presenting his services for hire in no more than a test seemed to be a grossly extreme measure to have been taken- he would not interrupt as he wanted to see just how far this man had gone.

The strangest part of the conversation was Kenshin's ability to respond to what Zaine was thinking without a prompt- his admitting of not being a good person served as a slight reprieve from his newly formed opinion of his Kazekage but did not change how he felt completely. He had only ever taken life twice and only done so reluctantly when there was no other option, he had always seen himself as a beacon of light to help those who needed it, even his enemies. "To become Kage.. that is every shinobis dream. Noone in their right mind would consider it an easy task, in fact some would say that those who become kage are chosen far before they take up the mantle. I always thought that one who became Kage was a person of undoubtable character and resolve, one who stands above everyone else in every way, including morals and ethics. Guess i've been a fool this whole time." He looked down at the table as he continued to listen to Kenshin, ashamed that he was unable to maintain eye contact with someone who had just done him such a kindness and no less had done so much more than he even knew.

There would be a slight change in pace as it appeared that Kenshin was somewhat remorseful of what he had done? Could someone who had taken so much life truly be changed in such a fashion? The question bounced around in his head as he thought about the first time he met him, at his dinner party and how the Kage conducted himself- he was to be frank, the perfect party guest and a pleasure to be around. He thought next about the meeting in his office and the way that he handled the Grove situation, that showed an affinity for kindness, forgiveness and understanding. Maybe it was possible. Maybe the area was gray and it was Zaine who needed to broaden his view- not to the point where he felt murder was okay or just, but enough to where he could understand a fellow shinobi, a man who was born just as he but didnt have the pleasures of a conventional upbringing. The procedure that just occurred would begin to serve as a catalyst for this change in thought, after all how could he sit on a high horse any longer having partaken in DNA altering augmentation- returning his eyes to Kenshins he would remain looking at him as he listened on. Hearing now the vision he had for Sunagakure and the fact that he was a just a missing ninja at one point as most of their honored shinobi were- he hung onto the words of the Ragdoll as he stated that the village was home for people to make new beginnings and move on from their past and as he said this Zaine couldnt help but think of his friends and trusted comrades one by one in a slideshow fashion depicting his fondest moments with them- first Mizuki's warm expression with her fist lightly planted at his jaw as he had held benihime behind her, then Souji pointing at him and scolding him for being late which was the first time the boy showed any sort of affection (be in in his own way) to Zaine, then Raleth his arm around Zaines shoulder as they drank at his dinner party. All were originally shinobi from another village and all of them were people he would protect with his life, shinobi with complicated pasts that found redemption in the village of Sunagakure. He couldnt forget that he too came from a neighboring village and committed the crime of desertion and if others were irredeemable then how was he any different?

The walls had come crashing down and he was now questioning everything, his fathers stringent teachings, his nature of being judgmental on what he felt was 'right' vs 'wrong', ethics and morals themselves seemed to be hanging in limbo and he couldnt tell if this had anything to do with the invitation of a new essence into his body or if it was purely the situation with Kenshin. Either way he would listen in full until he would finish speaking before speaking himself "I have to say. I have never seen murder as a reasonable solution for a problem unless there was truly no other way. Killing for sport has always been a sign of chaotic and barbaric dispositions. This being said, I cant say I approve of your past but then again... something you said is resonating with me. That this village is for those who have no home to make a new start and move from their past. I questioned your right to the title of Kazekage with your past but I see another perspective only now. That due to your past you can understand the differing struggles of each and every one of us. Each of my loved ones in this village has some story that brought them here, many of us are not native to the land and I feel that which you have tried to push as your will for the village has found its way to the shinobi of Sunagakure. You may never atone for the deaths of your victims... but you have given back life to all of us who had lost our previous homes, loved ones and villages." His words reflected the clashing ethical ideals he now held, he was unsure how he felt definitively but he was sure of one thing, he was different now- he had changed and would continue to change as he learned more about his leader, those of the village and himself subsequently. "Lord Kazekage, please. If you would, I would like to hear your story so I can learn more about how the village came to be. I also think that.. itll help me understand a bit more about how I feel in regards to all of this." He would wait patiently as he kept his focus on Kenshin, hoping that the words he spoke next would provide further clarity to his mind.

[WC=1,396]

Thu Oct 22, 2020 11:44 am

Throughout his explanation Kenshin would, of course, take note of the fact that Zaine was unable to meet his gaze, and truth be told he didn’t blame the man in the least… especially seeing as the man had only started doing so when he had admitted the true scope of his bloodsoaked past. He was glad that the man didn’t try to interrupt him, and glad that he was simply hearing him out until the end, so when Zaine himself began to talk at the end Kenshin would listen to what he had to say. He did not try to hide his true feelings regarding the actions of the man that he now called Kage, but he also expressed his gratitude and even, in a way, expressed his gratitude for the opportunities that Sunagakure had afforded him with, as well as the bonds that had grown with that. It was then that he would ask to hear of his past… something that would get a small sardonic smile from The Ragdoll… he had hoped that the man wouldn’t have taken him up on that offer, but now that he had asked he would fulfill his request… it was the least he could do given how open minded the man sitting before him was throughout all of this… there were many that would have simply condemned him on the spot and left… yet here he was… something that only went to show the strength of his character.

“Very well… I shall explain to you my past, or more specifically, what molded me into The Monster that I used to be… I suppose I should start at the very beginning… I was born within Fire Country, in Konoha itself, to a rather prominent family within the Senju Clan. The identity of my parents is not important, all that is important is that my mother was a natural born Uzumaki, and my father was a natural born Senju. Both of them, I am told, were rather gifted with their bloodlines… but I, on the other hand, was not so lucky… my mother died giving birth to me, and I was born weak… without any bloodline, despite being born to two of the most well known and respected clans in the nations… pitiful really. Now, as I grew I was happy, despite my powerlessness… I was just a child, happy… and I loved my father more than anyone or anything else, and despite being sad that I was never able to meet my mother or experience a mother's love… my father was a good man who cared for me well. But… as I have come to realise throughout my life… all good things must come to an end, and that end came for me on my fifth birthday… or more specifically, when I went downstairs in the morning and found my fathers corpse. He had killed himself… couldn’t stand living without my mother anymore… and, on top of that, he hated the fact that he had to both care for and pretend to love the ‘thing’ that had taken her from him… To this day I still remember every word within the note I found alongside his corpse… and I wish I didn’t.” The Ragdoll would explain, his tone sombre and his face morose as he simply stared down into the empty glass he was still gripping, before slowly spinning it and swirling the slowly melting icecubes in the water that was slowly starting to form.

“I was too young to truly understand that he was dead, so I tried to wake him up… I tried for so long, felt like days but was really only hours… until the neighbours came to check why I was screaming so much… and found me screaming and crying as I desperately shook his long cold corpse. My maternal uncle took me in after that, and it was only with a year of effort from him and my cousins that I began to put myself back together… but one of the things that helped me the most was the tales my uncle used to tell me of Konoha shinobi… or more specifically, my mother… and the Will of Fire. I loved the stories, of the hero that saved the day and defeated the bad guy… much like any child did, but unlike most children, I decided that I wanted to be the hero enough that I enrolled myself into the Konoha Shinobi academy on my seventh birthday. I had to wait a few months for the new year to start… but when I did I thought I was ready for anything… but I have to say, nobody in my class was prepared for our teacher to outright tell us that by signing up we had signed away our lives to the village… that we had become nothing more than leaves on the tree… simple tools to be used and thrown away when the right time came. I, along with a few of the more outspoken students, screamed and yelled at the teacher… in particular, I called him a liar and started talking about the Will of Fire… he laughed in my face and explained that the ‘Will of Fire’ was little more than propaganda designed to both make people join the shinobi forces as we had… and to mask some of the villages darker secrets…” He would then explain, his grip on the glass increasing for a few moments, before he sighed and raised it up to his lips, downing the sweet and somewhat tangy water that rested in the bottom of his glass, before refilling it with Awamori… he would need to buy some more after this was over.

“That was the final straw for me… I refused to be a cog in a corrupt system… or as he had put it, another leaf in the great tree… so I packed everything I had and snuck out of my uncles house in the dead of night, and using my small size I snuck out of the village through one of the sewer grates… truthfully I was probably spotted as I did so, but the guards must have assumed I was simply a child who wanted to play outside the walls or something. I wandered for days before I managed to come across a merchant caravan, and by offering to do some simple chores for them I convinced them to take me with them… and I managed to stick with them for awhile, a few months at the least… just long enough that I had learned a few things from them, including the location of a black market that housed at least a few Missing-Nin with decent reputations… the best of the worst if you will. The black market was far worse than anything I had ever seen in before… to say that rape and murder were simply the norm is probably putting it lightly, the strong did whatever they wanted and the weak were powerless to stop them… and as you may have guessed, those at the top of the food chain were the Missing-Nin that I was looking for. I dug into them, playing the poor little orphan card to garner some pity so that I could learn who to avoid and who may serve me well… and eventually I decided upon a duo of B-rank Missing-Nin, not the strongest who dwelled there but still well respected and generally regarded as decent human beings... their names were Mayuri and Szayel.” The Kazekage would explain, a small smile forming on his face as he spoke of the caravan… to this day their kindness to him was something he appreciated, and it was part of the reason that he detested bandits as much as he did. His smile had completely faded when he spoke of the black market though… and his eyes began to burn with an intense and cold hatred as he spoke the names. He would take a rather large sip of his Awamori.

“I approached the duo and asked for them to train me, offering my services as their subordinate if they did what I asked… a standard practice among Missing-Nin, as I had learned in my time in the market. The two of them were quite interested in the deal, and for the next three years I trained under them… and over that time I had come to open up to them and view them as family. They trained me from a scared child into a deadly fighter with an even more deadly mind… they taught me the importance of having a sharp mind, and while your body might fail you from time to time, your mind and your spirit is eternal and will never do so. They were strange men… but I trusted them with my life… and that came back to bite me in the ass in an extreme manner. After I finished my training with them I returned to my quarters… but upon opening my chambers I was sprayed with a gas… and when I came to, I was strapped to a table and both Mayuri and Szayel were standing over me… they proceeded to explain that my training had finally reached its end… and my body was finally ready for them to be able to start their experiments. You see… as I learned later, they never saw me as a student, simply a future lab rat… they guided my development so that my body would be able to withstand their experiments for longer, they simply used me… and that included using my feelings against me so that I would lower my guard around them. That table, those straps… were my entire world for the next two years… when I wasn’t drugged to the point of delirium I was being sliced open, having poisons injected into me to test both their effects and my immunity to them, having my organs removed and rearranged… being tortured and experimented for their amusement.” With those last words Kenshin would grip his glass much harder than before, shattering it within his hand and clenching his hand into a fist, pushing shards of glass deep into his hand.

“They made one critical mistake though… they underestimated what they had created… they underestimated my willpower… they underestimated ME. The single most painful experience of my life is what made me into the man I am today… as well as The Monster that I used to be… they implanted within me a bloodline that was thought impossible to transplant… it forever altered my body, destroyed me from within and remade me into something new… something different… something BETTER than I was before… and THAT was their downfall.” The Reaper would say with a dark smile on his face, turning his clenched fist around to face the roof and opening it to reveal the large shards of glass impaled within his bloodied palm. The glass would quickly be pushed out of his palm though, and the black threads that made up his body revealed themselves as they exited the wound on his palm, dancing in the air almost like snakes being charmed.

“This is the bloodline of a cursed clan known as the Tau… it is called Earth Grudge Fear… and with it I broke free of my bonds, clawed my way through their halls and into their rooms, are tore their hearts out while they slept. I was unable to walk, or move properly… so I remained within their hideout for another year as I regained my mobility… I trained myself to walk again, I trained myself to run, to fight… to KILL… and when I emerged from that hideout… I was a completely different person. I wasn’t Kenshin Senju, the frightened and scared child anymore… I was Kenshin Uzumaki, The Monster born from the ashes of the boy. Earth Grudge Fear is… a unique bloodline to say the least… I possess very little in the way of flesh, and nothing in the way of bone… instead my body is composed almost entirely of these threads. I cannot learn elements in the traditional way either… instead, I must rely on a far more… brutal method.” Kenshin would then explain, closing his eyes and sighing as he stood up from his seated position and undid the knot holding his robe shut, before opening it and revealing his heavily stitched torso to Zaine. The Ragdoll would open his eyes and meet the eyes of the Uchiha… before he brought his hands to his ‘sternum’ and hooked his fingers into the large stitched cut that sat there, before pulling it open as the threads themselves detached… opening his chest cavity and revealing the five pulsating masses of threads that were within.

“The only way that I can obtain more elements… is by taking the heart of someone that possesses an affinity to that specific element… but, it also provides me with the unique advantage of allowing me to master all five elements. It is truly a cursed power… but it is a very enticing one… and when I was younger, I was of the mentality that if I became the most powerful creature in the world I could do whatever I wanted… that I would be at the top of the food chain… that I would NEVER be put in a position like that ever again.” The Ragdoll would then say, releasing his grip on his skin and allowing his threads to it back into place, before stitching itself shut once more. He would close his robe once more, and tie the ribbon once more, before sitting down again.

“Well… there you have it… that is the tale of how The Monster came to be… and before you sits the man that was formed from the ashes of The Monster. I am still not a good person, I am still ruthless and cold… I am still more than willing to kill anyone that gets in my way… but, I am not a senseless beast either.” The Man would state proudly, meeting the gaze of Zaine with a renewed fire

“I am Kenshin Uzumaki, First Kazekage of the new Sunagakure.”

WC: 2368

Fri Oct 30, 2020 10:45 pm

He sat up straight and gave his Kazekage his undivided attention as he listened to the tale of how he came to be Kenshin Uzumaki- he began where most stories did, at the beginning with his birth and explained that his mother passed away giving birth to him and that he was born without a Kekkei Genkai. This was an interesting development seeing as how he would soon reveal that he held one of the most interesting bloodlines Zaine had ever seen- he continued on to explain that he found his father deceased.

"The things he must have endured in between all of the heart ache.. im not sure I could have dealt with such strife." He would think to himself as he continued to listen to the heart wrenching tale- he noted that at a point Kenshin too shared the ideals that Zaine had always held dear and close to heart, in his belief of the will of fire. It was almost ironic that the two of them shared the same origin of hailing from the Fire country, yet their reasons for leaving were so different. "It sounds as though that teacher was the catalyst for him exiting the village, to think that some of his struggle could have been avoided if that one person had treated him differently."

The story progressed to a point of Kenshin arriving in the heart of the black market and immersing himself in the lifestyle it presented along with the colorful members that kept it running- the young Uchiha had some knoelwdge of the affairs that transpired within the black market but had always steered clear of it unless told to do otherwise by an official mission summons. Kenshin had been trained and taken under by two members of this market and they oversaw his training "Seems like those two might have even been father figures of some sort to him, whether he wants to realize it or not. I wonder where the two of them are today?" He was curious as to whether or not he still held any of his connections to the black market and if that was the reason that he was so "in tune" with an environment such as the one they were sitting in.

He listened on as the story took a rather dark turn, resulting in Kenshin utterly shattering his glass in his hand as he recounted that he had been taken advantage of by his thought to be comrades and used for experiments that changed his body forever. He dispatched of the two and after that day he was a different man, the killing ensued and he murdered for little reason moving forward- it was truly a wonder that a man who had killed so much would ever even choose to hold a title such as kage. He watched as the man lifted his hand into the air and pushed shards of glass that had been lodged into his hand, revealing black threads that moved around in rhythmic fashion before Zaine's eyes, "Now thats a power ive never seen before.. I wonder what hes capable of, truly."

Kenshin would finish by explaining the power and curse of the clan he was thrust into against his will and it became clear that he was a powerhouse- though one thing was still strange.. How was the DNA of this clan transplanted if it was said to be impossible to do so? How was he able to sustain himself. He would hold these questions to himself as Kenshin concluded his story. Zaine would nod to him before speaking to him about what he had just learned "So you have a pretty interesting ability there. Although the means by which you gain power is just as barbaric as.. I guess my clan is. Maybe theres no avoiding death in some way to gain power." He would say as he looked away just slightly from him- his words came from a true place but he didnt want to believe them anymore than he wanted to say them. He was torn about every aspect of what had occurred today in the morgue but he was grateful to have learned more about his Kage and about himself.

"Youve given me more today than I could thank you for Lord Kaze-.. Kenshin. Because of you, I feel ill be able to attain this next level of power and when I have reached the level of an ascended sharingan, ill come find you so that you can show me more about it." He would pause for a moment before continuing to speak "Thank you for telling me your story and understand that I respect you as my Kazekage. Though we may be different and our views might not be the same either, I am one of the people you made a new start for in this village and ill continue to protect it and its inhabitants with my life." He would bow to Kenshin in respect, hoping his words would hit home and that he would truly understand how he felt towards the village, his comrades, and him as the Kazekage.

[WC=857]

Mon Nov 02, 2020 10:26 pm

Kenshin would listen to what Zaine had to say patiently, he wished to add something to what the man had said at first but he held off for the time being, waiting for him to say everything that he wished to say. The Ragdoll would give a light incline of his head to Zaine as The Uchiha thanked him for telling him his story, and as the man explained his current mindset Kenshin would give a light smile

“Of course, I am just glad that you stuck around to actually hear about it rather than simply cursing me as a monster and leaving… there have been a few that have done exactly that, and even more that didn’t bother to give me the chance to actually explain. I am actually glad that our points of view are so different, we have both been moulded by our pasts and our own experiences, and as such we view the same things in different ways… it is something I do appreciate. The last thing I need is to be stuck in an echochamber with people who share the same views as me… how could I ever grow as a person if I was stuck in a position like that.” The Kazekage would explain with the same patient smile on his face, his eyes locked with Zaines without any fear. Most that he had met would hesitate to meet the eyes of an Uchiha, but in his opinion most were simply being rude with that fear… it was outright disrespectful and only went to show just how much they distrusted the Uchiha.

“Now… I do understand where you are coming from when you talk about your bloodline, but while the bloodline does possess some costs… I would not say the Uchiha is a cursed clan, not compared to some clans that exist within the nations anyway. The highest level of power that exists to your bloodline is unlocked by taking the eyes of another yes… but who says they have to be taken by force? Why not find someone who shares your eyes, and the same predicament that you find yourself in… and make a deal with them. Explain to them what I have told you today, explain the benefits that would come to both of you by doing this, and simply swap eyes… no need for bloodshed. The Tau, on the other hand… MY bloodline, can only be increased in power with the death of others… there is no avoiding that simple truth unfortunately. I am effectively immortal as long as I continue to swap out my organs as they begin to fail, and furthermore the only way for me to gain additional elements is by taking the hearts of others for myself… and unfortunately there isn’t a way to avoid killing when you take someone's heart for yourself. At best I could buy the organs, or steal them from corpses, but I am still directly gaining strength from their death.”

“Another example of a cursed clan would be the Jugo… they have a myriad of benefits, including the ability to passively absorb an extremely powerful energy known as Natural Chakra… but they lack the ability to control that Natural Chakra, and it will frequently force them into an uncontrollable berserker rage. They will attack and try to kill everyone around them… no matter who that person is or how close they are to that person. Great power often comes at a great price… and these cursed clans only go to show the truth of that. The Uchiha, by comparison, are quite tame… there is no true need for death or even bloodshed, and they always remain in control of themselves.” The Mad Medic would explain, trying to show Zaine that while the Uchiha did have a bit of a bad hand for the power they gain… they were nowhere near as bad off as some other clans.

“Finally, the bloodline that I gave you. The Bloodline is that of a clan known as the Hiyu, a clan that is unknown to most due to their penchant for secrecy… as well as the lengths that they often go to in order to keep the details of their bloodline unknown. Thankfully, I came into possession of the corpse of one of their clan members… and what I discovered was quite astonishing. They are able to control their anatomy to a truly startling degree… shapeshifting in the most literal sense, but still so much more… for they can alter the very cells of their body to the point that they could shift their body into entirely different substances, as an example, turning their entire body into solid steel. I have never encountered a bloodline that offers anywhere near as much control, the most is the Natural Berserker of the Jugo Clan, who are able to freely shape their bodies however they please, but they are unable to shift what their cells are composed of. I believe you will find that this bloodline offers you a lot in the way of versatility.” The Reaper would then explain to the man, a small smile on his face as he explained exactly what the Hiyu clan was capable of doing.

WC: 872

Sat Nov 14, 2020 8:59 am

His face bore a slightly confused expression when met by the relief of the Kazekage- he couldnt understand why someone would refuse to hear the story of someone of their own village but perhaps a difference in opinion could be so great that this could occur. Still, he fixed his expression before replying to him "I owed you that atleast. How foolish would I be if I wrote you off without hearing what brought you here today and how you are able to do things such as the procedure you just performed on me?" He would smile as he allowed Kenshin to continue speaking about how he actually appreciated their difference in opinion, something that he could agree with even though it served as a point of anxiety earlier- the new found understanding for his past was refreshing and helped to further cement that there was gray area throughout the village he called home, even at its highest ranks.

Zaine was slightly apprehensive at first upon hearing the denial of his clans link to bloodshed but as he continued to speak an interesting proposition emerged and he couldnt help but think about the logistics behind it- rather than having to kill a fellow clan member Kenshin proposed that he find another clan member who shares the same fate of eventual blindness and assist each other to escape that fate. This would in turn change the destiny of a death match into a situation that would result in a positive outcome for both parties,"Thats a great idea! All of the difficulty for this situation can be mitigated.. or rather diverted to finding someone in the same situation as me. The issue is.. other than you, and a man that engaged in battle with Raleth a few days ago, I don't know of any other Uchiha with that level of doujutsu. Or at all for that matter. Plus, theres the added issue that I wouldnt know who to have do the surgery or what it would even require." He spoke these words hoping that his Kage's wisdom would provide the answers to his questions- for if Kenshin did, he could very well be on the cusp of a way to cement his mastery of the sharingan.

As he continued to go down the list of clans that are more/equally troubled in their power and heritage, they came across the Jugo bloodline which interested him greatly- he had heard vaguely of nature energy once before and knew only that it could grant an individual the power to accomplish great feats. "Is nature energy something that can be controlled and learned by other individuals as well or is it specific to those of the clan you just mentioned?" A technique that utilizes and harnesses nature energy could prove to be useful and he was curious to know whether or not this was an ability that Kenshin himself had access to.

Finally, came the big question that he had been fixated on since before entering the morgue- what was the bloodline that would be bestowed upon him? Kenshin would waste no time in explaining the name of the clan followed by what they were capable of on a broad scale with accompanying examples and he was speechless to say the least. He would raise his left hand in front of his face as turned it towards himself and then towards Kenshin, focusing on its appearance "I look exactly the same.. but yet he says I have the ability to alter my cellular structure at will now. How do I utilize the ability.. and is that why I feel so.. different?" He would think to himself before speaking to him "So I hold the ability to change my cellular structure at will? Thats almost too amazing to believe.. How do I utilize such an ability and does this power come at a cost?" He would wait patiently for his reply as lowered his hand back to his side and brought his focus back to the man standing before him.

[WC=675]

Sat Nov 14, 2020 8:42 pm

The Ragdoll would give a sardonic smirk when Zaine questioned how foolish he would have been to simply write him off as so many others had, something that may end up confusing the young man a little. Kenshin, unlike Zaine, could understand exactly why people were so quick to write him off so readily… sometimes a tragic backstory didn’t make up for the past crimes that one committed, and he was a perfect example of that. Yes, he was a monster that was created rather than a monster that was born, but at the end of the day he was still the very same monster that had killed so many without blinking an eye

“You would be no more foolish than the majority of people, and truth be told I don’t blame those people for their lack of understanding for my reasons, or even the lack of desire to learn about those reasons. In the end, regardless of how I became the monster that I used to be, I was still that monster… and I still performed those monstrous actions. Regardless of how much I have changed I will always bear the weight of my past crimes, the weight of all the lives I have taken and the lives I have ruined. I have still killed far more people than I should have had any right to, I have still tortured and murdered others for my own amusement… and no matter what I do from here on out I will always bear that weight. All actions have consequences, and this is simply the consequence of mine.” The Reaper would attempt to explain, unsure on whether he did a good job of it or not. In the end, each and every life that he had taken could have drastically altered someone else's. He had killed countless friends, spouses, parents, and many many others… each and every person whose tale he had ended surely had people that would have missed them, and he had been the sole person responsible for that. It was interesting really… despite feeling ashamed of his past actions… he did not regret them, and truthfully he wouldn’t change anything, because if he did he would not be the same man that he was today. Sunagakure likely wouldn’t exist, HE wouldn’t exist… and what he had now… was something that he truly was willing to die to protect.

When The Raggedy Man suggested a less violent way of progressing the bloodline of the Uchiha it became quite obvious that Zaine had not given much thought to a solution that would benefit both parties, but truthfully he could understand why. The world that they lived in… did not do a very good job of fostering true camaraderie, something that he used to appreciate when he was younger… but something that he had come to hate as of late. Even The Uchiha that sat before him had immediately looked towards violence as the easiest way… and truthfully, it was the easiest way… but sometimes a less violent solution, despite being harder, was the better way to approach it.

“...I know of someone within Sunagakure that possesses the Sharingan, and there is a very good chance that they have awakened the Ascended Sharingan already. This person is someone that I trust a great deal, and if you are willing I could arrange for the two of you to meet with me in a couple of days to perform the operation for you?” The Kazekage would offer, a small smile on his face. He was keeping the identity of the person in question secret for now, mainly due to the fact that he was unaware whether the person in question was comfortable with people knowing that they possessed the Sharingan. He had no proof that they had actually unlocked the Ascended Sharingan, but as he said, there was a very good chance that they had.

When Zaine began inquiring about Natural Energy a small smirk would again split the pale lips of Kenshin.

“Natural Energy is something that can indeed be controlled and utilised by anyone, including those with the Natural Berserker Bloodline, but until they actually gain that level of control it is extremely dangerous to both them and to others. Most are unaware that Natural Energy even exists, and those that have learned to control it are known as Sages… the most well known of them including the likes of Jiraiya the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku, a very well known and famous figure from ancient times. Natural Energy is something that I am personally quite proficient with, but I only learned how to properly control it after giving myself a Natural Berserker transplant. It is not necessary for one to utilise Sage Mode or Natural Energy… but it does provide a great boon, as usually it is impossible to gain Natural Energy passively or while moving, instead requiring you to enter a trace-like meditative state.”

Finally, Zaine would bring up the bloodline that he had just received, questioning whether such a power came with a drawback, and how to properly utilise it.

“As far as I am aware, and I have done quite a bit of study on all the bloodlines that I have in my collection, there is no drawback to the Hiyu’s abilities. As for how you would utilise it you would need to practice flooding your body with chakra, infusing that chakra with your own body much in the same way you would infuse chakra with a kunai or a weapon. That is how you activate the ability, and from there the transformations are your own to make and figure out, since I don’t have much in the way of knowledge on clan jutsu. You will not be able to do this immediately though, you will need to wait for your body to properly acclimate to the transplant, and that can take a few days to properly happen.” The Reaper would explain, meeting Zaine’s eyes through all of this.

WC: 1002

Mon Nov 16, 2020 12:09 am

The offer by Kenshin seemed almost too good to be true, to think that he had just learned of the cursed nature of his power and a solution was already within arms reach- he would nod to his Kage as he couldnt help but let a smile come over his face "Is this shinobi you speak of an Uchiha as well?" He would wait patiently for the response as he was elated at the possibility of getting to meet someone from his clan in the same situation as he. It was becoming more and more clear that Kenshin was a wealth of knowledge and that he being Kazekage was no accident- now only one real question remained, would he be able to help him to grow further and how could he utilize his new found abilities to assist the village?

He went on to explain the logistics of nature energy and the path laid before those who choose to take on mastering it as well as those who are born with the destiny of doing so- he never knew that the technique could be refined to such a level and it came as no surprise that Kenshin had this technique under his belt as well. He was ashamed to say so but the thought crossed his mind of whether it was a good idea to seek out a way to infuse more of the essence of other clans into his being so that he could too gain access to the benefits of nature energy but having just gotten done with a transplant, maybe it was better for him to wait. "You said that you placed the natural berserker DNA within yourself? Is that something that can be done for anyone? You see, utilization of nature energy seems to be very useful and although the road to mastering it is probably difficult it does seem like it would be well worth it. This is all of course hypothetically speaking." He would ask with a slight smirk on his face

Next would come the subject of the transplant that had been bestowed upon him just recently and the powers that it held- he was unsure whether or not to be scared or excited at the many possibilities that seemed to await him once his body adapted to the new changes of this Hiyu DNA. He knew that he wanted to experiment so that he could gain mastery over it sooner than later, he wanted it to be an asset rather than a wild card but for this to happen he would need to take a bit of time. "So it seems you did me a huge favor, bigger than I could have hoped by giving me this bloodline. I think itll work perfectly especially in tandem with my Sharingan and analysis based fighting style. Thank you Kenshin, again for everything. I will put this power to good use for the sake of the village." He would say before bowing to the man once again, for words could not fully describe how grateful he was for what he had been given.

[WC=518]

Wed Nov 18, 2020 12:10 pm

When Zaine questioned whether the shinobi he was referring to was an Uchiha as well Kenshin would take a few moments to think over how he wanted to answer this question. He could, of course, tell the truth and inform him that the shinobi in question did not hail from the Uchiha clan, or he could lie to him and say that the person in question was a natural born Uchiha… there were benefits and drawbacks to both options really. The benefit to telling Zaine the truth was that… well, he wasn’t lying to the Uchiha, and it would build his trust a little… but the drawback was that he could decide he didn’t want to swap his eyes with eyes that didn’t even belong to them in the first place. The benefits and drawback to lying was basically the opposite of telling the truth, as it would likely make him wish to swap eyes, but if discovered it would likely cause Zaine to lose trust in him. In the end the choice was a rather simple one for him to make, but it had still been worth mentally weighing the pros and cons to both options.

“The person in question is not a natural born Uchiha, the eyes they possess originally belonged to an Uchiha whose corpse I came into possession of some time ago. They’re a loyal shinobi of Sunagakure, and have proved time and time again that they were worthy of both the eyes and the trust that I have placed within them. I’m being careful to keep their identity secret for the time being, because I do not know how secretive they have been about their eyes, and if you decide you don’t want to exchange eyes then it should still be up to them whether they want you to know about it.” The Ragdoll would explain respectfully, trying to make sure Zaine understood that it wasn’t a lack of trust in him that made Kenshin refrain from telling him the identity of the shinobi in question, but rather was respect for them.

When The Uchiha began inquiring about Natural Berserker DNA, and whether anyone could gain access to the DNA in a purely hypothetical scenario The Reaper would give a small amused smirk.

“It would indeed be possible, at the end of the day it is simply another bloodline, and unlike certain specific bloodlines… this is indeed one that can be safely transplanted. Now, hypothetically, if you were interested in that bloodline I do have access to a corpse, and I am more than willing to perform a transplant for the right price.” The Reaper would then say, his amused smirk only growing a little wider as he spoke.

When The Uchiha Scion began to thank him for his gift, and began to say how much it would help him, The Ragdoll would simply give a light nod.

“I will always do what is best for my people, and while I may charge for the services I provide I do offer quite the discount for those who are within my forces, and I offer greater discounts for those that I believe have both the drive and the potential to truly grow… much like you do. Thank YOU for your service to Sunagakure, Zaine Uchiha.” The Kazekage would say, flashing the young man a true smile of his own, something rarely seen nowadays, but still not quite as rare as it used to be… it was almost as if he had been getting more reasons to smile as of late.

No… how silly of an idea that would be.

“Well, I won’t take up anymore of your time Zaine. Thank you again for hearing me out and actually listening. I hope to see you again in the future, and who knows, if you turn that hypothetical situation into a reality… well, come meet me in the future.”

WC: 651

[Exit]

TWC: 8410

6341 words towards skipping 1 month of Rinnegan wait time, 1 word remaining (1228 words trained here, 2230 words trained here

1874 words towards Black Recievers, 1 word remaining (25% max stat discount)

Discarding all remaining words

Tue Nov 24, 2020 9:46 pm

He had anticipated that the person in question was another Uchiha but it would come to his surprise that the person Kenshin speak of was not an uchiha and the eyes that they had were taken from the corpse of yet another Uchiha that Kenshin had "come into" the possession of. This news troubled him but at the end of the day, the progression of the sharingan was inevitable and he had to come to terms with the fact that this was possibly the path of least bloodshed- he would sigh as he looked towards Kenshin and began to speak. "Well I guess it cant be helped then. Ill need to do something about this curse thatll eventually blind me.. I think if itll save two people from the losing their light then it cant be wrong. I agree to meet this person and if they agree to have the procedure done then I will as well. Thank you for allowing me a way to subvert this unpleasant future. Again lord Kazekage you have done me a a great kindness." He would bow to him as he listened to the explanation of the jugo clan and the fact that he was willing to transplant yet another bloodline within him- he felt that he would need to take a little time in order to atleast adjust to the current one he just got but would keep the offer in mind for the near future.

With that their time together would come to an end, Kenshin would dismiss him in a way but not before thanking him for seemingly doing his job as a shinobi of Sunagakure and telling him to continue to do just that. Zaine would smile and bow as he spoke to the man "I will continue to do my best to serve the village the best I can and I hope that our meeting will take place sooner than later, Lord First." A slight smirk would come over his face as he called the man this and took his exit from the morgue, a different man than when he entered.

EXIT

TWC AFTER MID CLAIM: 3,798

Utilizing Max Stat Discount for 25% jutsu WC

Claims

Rock Clone V7 [1,875/1,875]
Multiple Earth Style Wall V7 [1,875/1,875]