Where The Wild Things Are

Niko was not having it today. After having woken up Niko suited up in the now nearly traditional butler suit. Why the warden needed him to wear this nobody knows. Maybe it was some kind of trend. It sure would be once Niko was done with it. Then Niko went to his new home away from home. That being the prison. Expecting to go and hang with his new visitor, he was saddened by the distinct lack of 319. Maybe he was out in the yard or maybe meeting with the kage. No matter what Niko could not find the little brat. What a shame. So going along with his daily duties that being making the coffee for the warden, socializing with the more docile inmates, and picking up some idle chores Niko would then head home. 

He was finally getting the hang of this new adrenaline rush that he was taming. This was weird for Niko to have to tame his own body like this but this surge of chakra was simply such a great boon. I mean at first, he was upset with the wild and insane Senju for just tossing an organ inside of him like it was no big deal, but now Niko understood this was quite simply a boon one that could be harnessed just like any other. That reminded him he needed to thank the young Senju when the time came.

Taking the time to sit down on a park bench on his way to the training area he would sit there and ponder on the insane friends he had acquired in kirigakure.

(TWC 269)
(post completed 12/11/2021 for the advent calendar)

'taking the time to sit down on a park bench on his way to the training area, he would sit there and ponder on the insane friends he had aquired in kirikagure'-- NIko Kazan

If the young puppeteer only knew the mistake he'd made. There was a call that ressonated deep within the heart of the village hidden in the mist. Past the shopping district, down long coridors and alleyways, and deep underground to rouse a beast of insatiable hunger. Uh. Saya. We're talking about saya waking up. There isn't a literal beast. That would not be safely kept within the walls of the village, and we ignore the rabid dogs kept by the first mizukage who does not exist. There was only Aloide and then Murata. ANYWAY! The boy's decision to sit in what he wanted to be quiet was like a gong to the Tiny Terror, drawing her from her home and down the empty streets of Kiri, directly to where she would find one of her first students. Ai, Freyja, and the coach puppet followed quickly, surprised that she'd rushed from the house so swiftly. She hadn't even gotten mappo tofu yet. She was barelly dressed! Well. In true Saya fashion she was wearing an intricate outfit, but in her rush to see what strange sensation drew her to the training facility she'd failed to do her hair, which was pulled back in a messy bun with the various runestones and animal bones shifting lightly as she ran, and any thought of accessories left her mind as she left the safety of her home.

"OYE! Niko!!!! Quite a long time no see!!!!" She'd made good time.... Somehow. WIth the strength of her chakra threads she found any obstacle too easily dodged. Our dear protagonist had spent the last eight months or so practicing her free runing techniques. Even without thinking about it she found use for various tricks. A cart parked precariously in front of an alley she knew separated her form the training facility found a small senju bullet shooting through the opening. WIth a great ripping of the fabric covering the back she was through and gone before the merchant even realized what happened. Down the Alleyway she too easily kicked off the wall of one building, catching the lip of a window sill to push off and cat pass easily over the top of the large wall ending the alleyway.

Feet touching down she rolled and found the way clear, this flashback coming to the present where she'd called out to her old friend, taking a moment to look him over and see if there was any outward suggestion of his own growth.

The difference between the girl Niko origionally met and who now stood before him was night and day. Even disheveled as she was there was a strength in her stance. Her body flowed with the power of her ninjutsu, and the blue threads that pulled her puppets behind her form had shifted from a tool to deal with loneliness to a truely terrifying power to wield against her enemies.

(TWC 518)

Hearin a gust of fresh burst past his eardrums Niko would sigh. For some reason, he already knew who was standing near him before he could even hear her voice reach him. Man, he just wanted to enjoy the market of Kiri before heading off to train but of course, he jinxed himself. The cosplay queen herself appears out of thin air just to taunt him. God truly had mysterious ways.

"Of course I couldn't go too long without running into you ello Saya" Taking a look towards her he would see a nearly stark change in her atmosphere. The way she carried herself was awkward she had this air of strength that while she radiated when she first met him, has since increased severalfold. Just when he had thought he may have gotten close to that monster's skill, he is passed. Maybe he was destined to be a nobody. Or maybe this Saya was playing him for a fool all along. He still remembers when she broke his hand. The flash of fear overtook him. 'Was this the power of a mere genin' he remembered thinking? Or truly she was a monster.

"It has been quite a while and I was just heading to the training center for some quick training, care to join? We can catch up on stuff." Deciding that he would have one hell of a time trying to escape the rabid Senju he would head to the training grounds his original destination. He may as well make the most out of his predicament.

(TWC 577)
Posted 12/12/2021 for advent calendar purposes

"I'm surprised it's been so long! I haven't seen you since..." She wracked her brain, trying to think of the last time they'd actually been together. Was it actually the day she'd broken his hand? Surely they'd trained something together after that... She remembered that day vividly. Fresh faced Saya with only Pino and Ai for protection, still unsure of the true power of her blood. So much time had passed.

"Was it really the day that I taught you how to craft a Pinochio puppet?! Did you not get to see Freyja After I finished her?" She took a step to the side, The freyja puppet moving forward. While she did actually walk, it was clear that the motion of her legs was for show as each step floating just above the actual ground. THe craftsmanship was brilliant. Like the AI puppet, Freyja looked completely lifelike, Facial features shifting softly as she smiled down at the boy. Where the various bits an bobs in Saya's hair seemed mussed and unintentional from her rush to get to wherever she was needed, the braids of Freyja's red hair were tight and perfect. THe carved bone runestones were set in her hair with intention, and as she gave a bow of greeting the feathers of her cloak fluttered slightly in emphasis.

"It is a pleasure Student Niko. Sayatria has shared many memories of you in the past. " Her voice differed so greatly with saya's that it seemed impossible that it came from the tiny terror. It DID of course, but her skill in ventrilloquism it would seem had improved also.

"We would love to join you for some training Niko. Aya has been meaning to get a bit more practice in anyway. Theres a few suplimentary techniques she's been wanting to learn, and a bit of refresher on her woodstyle wouldn't hurt either, Right little sister?" Ai wrapped an arm around the girl's neck as she asnwered for her. Even this puppet seemed different form the first time she'd met Niko, a bit more alive, with her wooden endoskeleton humming with a new kind of power.

"We can catch up and see what all we've learned since we were last together! I've been on like. So many missions, oh. Also I have a cool summoning contract now! I'm officially an otter sage! Theres this really cool technique called Sage Mode that Ragnar taught me. It like. Sends your body fully into overdrive and increases you power by almost double! It also makes these really neat tribal tatoos.... Maybe that's just an aspect of the Otter passed onto me though. something about the gift of the old gods flowing through your body. Ragnar is way better at explaining it than I am." The trio would give him a moment to comment before motioning with a 'we're following you' motion emphasized by all three speaking in uninson.

"after you!" Three voices. Three distinct voices, each coming from a different 'person' despite the impossibility of the action.

(TWC 1020)

Oh god just when Niko thought that his day could not get any worse it turns out that the crazy Senju puppeteer had finally created her Freja puppet. The one she had spoken about oh so many months ago. At first, Niko had thought that this extremely life-like puppet was another person (though that was true with all of Sayatria's puppets) once Saya spoke of 'finishing her' Niko's doubts were confirmed. Sighing he would continue his pace to the training area. Bobbing and weaving through the busy crowds that rush hour always brought to the great village Niko would continue to listen to the Senju babbl- I mean speak.

Oh, great Saya had spoken of Niko to her puppet. Just wonderful now more people would know how pitiful he was. It was bad enough that he was getting harassed by a certain prisoner but now objects weapons, what's next that otter that he had met. What had the world come to? Though he did realize that the puppet was calling him a student. That was just wrong he only had one sensei and that was the great and tiny Daiko. There was no other. While Saya was strong was she spicy wing strong. Niko somehow doubted the tofu lover's resilience. Though waiting for her to finish on the power of Sage mode. (something that he would have to pick up at some time.) Niko would take it as his turn to share.

"I myself quit being an official shinobi. I mean I'm still on the roster for missions and I do my occasional one but at the moment my main focus is my assistant job. Hence the outrageous uniform." Niko would then lower his hands down his suit to emphasize the point. 

"Though I did create a puppet or two. I do have to wonder if there is anything else I picked up." Thinking for a moment he would then say. "Oh, a friend of mine taught me wood release. Quite the interesting little tool it is." Niko would then snap back into reality escaping his thought he would look forwards and notice the training facility. 

"Just in time"
(TWC 938 Posted 12/14/2021 for advent purposes)_

The timing was almost comical. Exactly when Niko asked to himself about the otter that he'd met so long ago, Saya formed the seals for the summoning jutsu required to bring her summons to the field. Her palm split, and as she walked she ducked low, her heels sliding across the entrance to the training facility as she drew the summon to herself. In a puff of smoke, none other than Ragnar Otterbrook appeared poised on her shoulder. His summoning wasn't intended to be a method of harrassing Niko. She'd needed to do some Fuinjutsu for a while now, and in the silence of their walk she'd simply remembered. Thankfully Ragnar went to work immeidately drawing nature chakra for his summoner, only pausing to give niko a small wave before focusing on the task ahead.

"Oh? Well that's a shame. We coulda gone on puppet missions and stuff together if you hadn't retired. What kind of assistant are you? Who do you assist!" She glanced at his outfit, trying to gather context on what he seemed to think was obvious. For the tiny terror, it wasn't obvious at all. She'd never seen this uniform in her life. That's fine though. Surely he'd tell her about it.

"I would love to see your new puppets. I've still just got the three, but I upgraded them recently. I've been planning another puppet I've seen in dreams, but the parts I need have been on back order so I haven't started yet. Mostly been working on my Fuinjutsu and wood style. Oh. And helping Ai with the tournament! Did you know there was a tourney going on? Ai finished her match so easily! You should have joined. The experience would have done you well, even if you lost in the first round." Amazingly, with all the focus she'd put on the tournament for her sister, She'd not even noticed that a. Niko was in fact also in the tourney and b. He'd won his match also. There was potential for the two to fight one another assuming he beat whoever he fought and Ai beat Dana.

"Wood release is fantastic. Wait. Friend? Was it Dana? I think she and I are the only wood release users in the village...." While she knew that Daiko had learned it recently, she wasn't sure exactly how open he was about this new tool, and so she wouldn't speak on it immeidately. Motioning for her friend, she would rush through the doors of the training facility the moment they were close enough to get within them. With her summoning happening at the start of the trail leading towards it, the entrance to the campus where the facility was, She wanted to get into a safe place to cast as soon as she could. She would be activating her sage mode soon, and whenever she ended up using that jutsu, something inevitably got broken.

"Oh. Also I met the Mizukage. She said I was almost definitely strong enough to be a jounin! Then she promoted me to chuunin and told me I could get another promotion when I stopped destroying stuff and causing trouble. "

(TWC 1546)

This was just great now wasn't as if the puppeteer was reading his mind yet again she went through the summoning jutsu and summoned that damned otter. Though the otter just waved at him, the invasion of what seemed to be Niko's own mind was causing the retired Ninja to go insane. Though when it came for the Senju to speak Niko wondered if she had truly listened to him priorly.

"I mean I am still on the roster for missions. But formally I'm not a genin so I'm allowed to play a little looser than before. Helps out when your Mizukage actually remembers that you are not an active shinobi and forces you to scrub a damned statue." Though he would murmur that last part. Then after taking some time Niko would let the puppeteer continue to speak noting the obvious confusion Niko would then continue.

"Oh, I am the assistant to the warden at the moment. Maybe you could help me with my career path. I was thinking I can either try to work my way up the prison chain and become assistant warden, or I could try and worm my way into the kage tower, Mizukages assistant sounds pretty cool, right? Also, this is a butler's outfit." Niko would gesture towards his suit. Walking into the training facility Niko would briefly glance at the different rooms before entering room #13 his usual.

"Yes, it was Dana. She taught me wood release and stole my kidney.  By the way, I was in that tournament... " Niko would briefly take out the part where he assimilated the element from her blood and replace it with teaching. It just sounded better, and maybe he could convince her that he was a senju.

"I also met the Mizukage. She is ... special you could say. Though she has my support I like her character."
(TWC 1240 posted 12/15/2021 for advent purposes)

Saya could pinpoint the moment when her power shifted. When the nature chakra drawn from her summon passed between them, invigorating her body with an unusual kind of strength. The moment the power found its home within her heart chakra it was gone however, the stack being consumed as a great strength surged through her body. Dark lines formed across the visible parts of her body as she entered true sage mode, The space around her eyes blackening as tatoo like symbols appeared on her skin. 

"Right Right. Sounds like an interesting life. I've been so busy with missions and training I haven't even gotten the chance to have any fun." She would find pause for a moment at the suggestion that he was an assistant warden, mostly because she didn't know what that meant. Thankfully it wouldn't take him long to explain exactly what it was he did, or at least enough that she recognized the building he was now working in. 

"Wait. So you work at the prison? Are there even people in the prison?! I didn't know we had like. Enough people to equire an assistant warden in there. Anyone really cool or especially evil?!" While she knew for a fact there were people in there, given that she'd sent a handful herself, the fact had slipped her mind. In her ideal version of the world there was no need for the prison, and so when she passed the building on the way to this or that she blocked it completely out of her memory. To Saya the prison was simply an outdated building that could be useful if needed, but was mostly taking up space. 

"Ah. Yea I taught Dana a bunch of stuff a while back. She's on the team that I go with on missions most of the time. We've destroyed so many things in the past months.... But Sig--" She was cut off immediately as both Freyja and AI cleared their throats, knowing that she was about to use the Mizukage's first name. Once. Just once the pair wished she would remember that there are times when she must act in a formal capacity. Imagine how far she could have gone if she just listened. "I mean. Lady Mizukage said I could be a much higher rank if I stop destroying large sections of the village or training hall, and stop making huge forrests in residential areas. " 

"She's so cool. She let me redo her office with my wood style, and we got her all new furniture and like. I added a second floor to her loft and bookshelves and windows and stuff. It was such an awesome day. Then she invited me to this super cool room where she showed me a scroll for a secret technique that wierdly I can use to cause alot of chaos..... Not allowed to teach it to people without permission though." SHe looked back on her call to the kage office fondly. Truely everything about the day was simply splendid. 

(TWC 2050)

Niko would notice the visual and strength-wise change within the Senju. Her transformation must have been the one she had just described to him priorly. Was this some kind of flex? Taunting him with a power that he could not possibly obtain. The thought was hideous where all people in Kiri were mean and cruel individuals. Maybe he had chosen the wrong village to join. His parents would have been disappointed at the state of the village as it is.

"You. Not finding a chance to have fun. Preposterous there must have been some innocent genin with a perfectly healthy arm for you to shatter. Or maybe an evil missing ninja to hang out with. A prisoner to transfer. Nothing? That seems quite unlikely." Niko would speak his mind regarding this. The crazed Senju was too light-hearted for her not to have found some way to entertain herself.

"Well, that is what I meant by me being the assistant warden. But yes we do have some evil people there. Though my favorite brat has to be 319. He is a bit of an ass. But he did liven up the place with his arrival." Niko thought back to the prisoner with his place of work. The kid was something else. But a part of Niko liked the kid. When he leaves those walls the place will become a lot duller.

"You taught Dana. Ahh, I finally see where she got it from." Niko would deadpan keeping that line of thought short to help himself forget the unwilling transplant he had received from that brat. Why were all the people around him trying to hurt him in so many different ways?

"She let you redo her office? A secret scroll you say. Interesting. I'll have to advance further to learn more from the village." Niko would take the thought of him not even knowing about this scroll as an attestation to his loyalty. He needed to progress further.

"well anyways shall we begin"
(TWC 1572 posted 12/19/2021 for advent purposes)

"Yea its been wierd. Theres a new girl who seems pretty cool but she's just starting to learn. I see Dana here and there but like. Daiko is barelly around most of the time so it's been very quiet. Kinda locked myself in my mansion to work on wood style stuff since...Lady Murata says i need to stop causing mass destruction in the village. Oh. I probably already said that. " As she spoke, she formed seals without even thinking. Across her left wrist she drew the senju clan symbol, Black marks flashing even through the tribal tatoo design. She could feel the power of the seal take hold, Amplified by her fuinjutsu amplifier and sage mode to set the seal. With a flash of power, it finished its work, solidifying for later use. 

"What's a 319? Do yall not use names in the prison?! That feels like it's a bit dehumanizing doesn't it? Were I there I'd make it a point to know everyone by name and use it often. Did you know that studies show that rehabilitation has a significantly lower chance of being effective when the targets are treated like objects instead of people? I've read up on the prison industrial complex a bit over the years and how it's just a tool for opression instead of a place to actually help rehabilitate and reintroduce people back into society. It creates a vicious cycle that ends up with prison being the only place where the prisoners can really exist even after they've been released. What are you doing to help fix the broken system and encourage healing?" That was a bit of a word bomb. Of course the girl whose goal was to stop all war would be well versed in the negative effects of the prison system, though it probably wasn't fair to put the full weight of the failure on her friend. He was almost definitely new to the system. 

"Yea it was a pretty fun day. Like. At one point a bunch of anbu showed up, probably because I just randomly created a wood style construct that climbed the entire length of the Kage building so I could use it as material to make stuff... And also I kind of removed large sections of walls for a while. Thankfully it wasn't too much of a problem and I put everything back in it's proper place for the most part. I forgot until after the fact that I could have just formed the Mokuton from my own body. There were so many chairs and book shelves and stuff that I needed to make in order to finish the job. Did you want to learn anything in particular involving wood style? I've been focusing on Fuinjutsu lately but I do have quite a few jutsus that I know if any of them are needed. It's so wierd that so many people can use mokuton now..." She felt the effects of sage mode release, A great weakness pouring form her body as the energy dissipated. WIth a nod she'd await exactly what he'd planned for their begining. 

(TWC 2569)