Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate's Life For We!

It had been some time since Auron had returned to the Land of Fire from his journey to track down the Fourth Mizukage. During those travels he was successful in his attempt to find his friend, but he had also been too late. For at the point he found him, all that remained was the shark man's lifeless body. It had been a shame. And although Auron had intended on speaking with his comrades to gather this opinion on the matter, his unexpected arrival in the Winter Wonderland thwarted those intentions. He did run into Cid in that strange, snowy land yet there was hardly time for the two to discuss a matter. Therefore after being transported back to the Land of Fire borders, Auron made up his mind to seek the counsel of his homies. 

From the inn he awoke at, the Yamaguchi would make his way to the docks that he originally had set out from. Over the last few months, the band of missing ninja had been working on a momentous project. This project was none other than the Dreadnought, a space time infused ship that was capable of sailing through oceans and rivers alike. It had taken much effort for the group to build this ship; as they had to design the blueprints, find the lumber, erect the boat, and fine tune it with their collective chakra. But the final product was nothing short of marvelous, and the finishing touches on it were supposed to be concluded today. Throughout the entirety of his travel, Auron did an excellent job of monitoring his surroundings and passively assessing the chakra signatures within his immediate location. Should any sign of activity warrant it, the young man would act with the upmost intensity and quickness.

When Auron arrived at the dock, he'd come across the ferryman who usually worked there. 

"Auron, nice to see you. My crew's just about finished tinkering with your ship, and might I say she's a beauty."

"Thank you. What do we owe you?"

"Nothing actually, seems like it's already paid in full. But in any case, it's ready for you all to board. Can't remember if I saw your crew already on it."

"Perfect. I'll check it out now."

With confirmation that the ship was finished, Auron would make his way over to the pier which anchored the Dreadnought and take a moment to soak it all in. This was really their new boat, their vessel, their home. And boy was it perfect. As he walked up the ship's gangway, he'd proceed past the crew of the ferryman who had just finished up their work. They all would exchange short nods of acknowledgement towards Auron, and he would return the pleasantry. Making his way to the top of the gangway, he'd find himself in the ship's quarterdeck. Though unfurnished it seemed perfectly comfortable and adequately sized, being exactly a quarter of the top deck's size. Still though, no sign of his comrades. But now that he stood within it, Auron would take the opportunity to prepare the display he was ready to speak with his teammates on.

Using a series of handseals, Auron would summon the corpse storage scroll that contained the body of Gonk. He'd unravel the scroll and place it firmly on the floor. Crouching down, Auron placed his palm on the center of the seal upon the scroll and funnel chakra from his hand into it. Within an instant, the armored body of the fallen shark would be lying atop of the corpse storage scroll. Auron would take a moment to analyze the lifeless body, recalling the visions of Yamaguchi rituals that would allow him to use it to his full potential. Yet still, the moral battle he faced remained. Perhaps once his allies joined him, they'd be able to advise him on if they thought his plan to be solid. But in the meantime, Auron would remain crouched down looking over the body with his left hand gripping his knee and his right resting at his side.

WC = 676
-15 AP for Summoning Technique
+ 2 Negative Energy Stacks

Cid was stretching his legs, a simple stroll around the town to pass the time. Last he checked, there were a few finishing touches that needed to be finalized with their ship before it was ready to set sail. The ferryman mentioned that it wouldn't take a great deal of time to finish, maybe a few hours at the maximum. The pirate would use this time to the best of his ability. First, he would find himself grabbing a bite to eat along with a nice stiff drink to wash it down with. One couldn't set sail on the maiden voyage of their Dreadnought without a full belly and adequate preparations. Speaking of adequate preparations, the man couldn't set sail without certain provisions. Now any sane person might think that meant foodstuffs and such in order to ensure that they didn't starve out at sea, but anyone that really knew Cid knew that this meant booze. The bandit would direct some men rolling large barrels towards the docks, describing the Dreadnought in all of its beautiful glory. They didn't really need all of that in order to ensure a proper delivery, but Cid was happy as kid on Christmas day and made no efforts to hide his beaming pride. Finally they had their own ship. No more working for others, taking measly pay and shit jobs because that was all that was being offered. No, they were now going to forge their own path and become masters of their own destiny. 

He would look over his list of things to get done before returning to the ship, checking off each of the things in order. The list was hastily scribbled on what appeared to be a napkin that the man had on hand at the tavern last night. 

1. Eat something. Can't sail on an empty stomach. Check
2. Get booze for the ship. LOTS OF IT! Check
3. Visit Vicky for a going away present. Check
4. Get a post workout snack. Check
5. Probably should get some food for the ship too. Check

The pirate would stroll over to the docks, seeing the stunning beauty that was The Dreadnought. He stood there, taking it all in for a moment. The salty sea breeze would blow, ruffling the curly red locks of the man. Yup, this was the first day of the rest of their lives! With a pep in his step and nothing but good vibes the man would walk up to the ferryman. Cid would give the man a questioning look, eyebrow raised with a head nudge toward the ship. The man would answer with his own nod, letting the pirate know that the last of the work had indeed been finished. A big, goofy looking smile would make its way across his face, and the man would stroll up the pier that the ship had been docked at. Seeing it in all of its majesty up close, Cid would take a deep breath in through his nose, his chest filled with pride as he walked up the gangway to the quarterdeck. 

It was there that he realized that Auron had already been on board. "Well damn man, looks like you beat me to the ship. Have you seen this beautiful thing? She's gorgeous!" Cid would raise his arms out, leveling them with his shoulders as he turns a bit to emphasize that this, ALL OF THIS, was theirs. A bit caught up in the moment, Cid realized that Auron had been crouched down over what appeared to be a person... no, it was lifeless... a corpse. 

"Yo Auron, what have you got there, man?" Cid would inquire, unsure exactly where this body came from. No fresh blood all over the place, so probably not a battle here. "Is that what you had to go deal with?" 


wc:640

Dreams do come true after all, was what Grey would be thinking. "It's a pirate's life for me" the young swordsman started to hum on his way to meet up with the rest of the crew, pockets filled with money and his hands on something else that could be considered valuable in its own way. Safe to say, their trip to Fire Country was more than worth it. Their stay in Konohagakure lasted longer than expected but in the end it all paid out. "One step closer". Every day there were new things to be learned, information to be gained. In his case, something that would defy the balance between life and death.

Once he arrived at the docks Grey would lay his eyes on The Dreadnought, a beauty of a ship that would become the crew's new home. "Crazy now that it's finally here, after how long we talked about this". For months, even years, did they plan to get their own boat, saving up money for when the day finally came. And now that the time had arrived, the swordsman could hardly believe it. "Cid must be ecstatic, assuming he didn't already fall in the water with his drunk ass". That being said he wasted no time to board the ship and check everything out up close. 

Doing so, Grey noticed to be the last one to arrive, both Auron and the red haired pirate having found their way on The Dreadnought. "I didn't know we were having shark for dinner" the swordsman spoke, referring to the corpse laying atop of a storage scroll he was all too familiar with. He would thank the ferryman for his hard work before joining the rest of his crew, the sea breeze hitting him even harder with the realization that their dream had finally come true. "I see you brought some dead weight". At least he no longer had to feel bad about bringing a dead body on board. 

(WC: 328)

"How long have I been walking." He had asked himself as he stumbled a bit, pulling the ragged scarf up against his mouth and nose. Dull blue eyes peered from the unkempt air as he stopped for a moment and pulled from the inner pockets of the tattered jacket a small bottle. Putting to his lips he would drink the last dregs of it as he threw it to the ground and sighed defeatedly pushing onward. He originally traveled to search for his brother-in-arms, Shin, but it felt as if he had fell off the face of the planet. With no other direction he traveled. Slept with the finest of men and women, pilfered and looted to his hearts content but now he had nothing. The Shadow Hunter had fallen into a stupor without a cause, a meaning for being. Maybe he should have stayed with the group and traveled with them instead of doing his own thing yet he could not cry over the past. He needed to find something now. He travels lead him to the docks of the border where through the long, unkempt hair a faint glowing of his left eye gave him a view of the world around him. He looked for chakra signatures he could exploit, take advantage of to bring himself on top. He could see many, some small and some large. He scanned the area with pure scrutiny until he had come across a ship. The ship did not concern him, no it was the chakra of two people he had met albeit briefly. He couldn't tell one hundred percent on if it was them or not, but he had been confident enough in his analytical skills to take a gamble on it. So onward he shambled until he had found his way on board and looked around seeing a scattering of different chakra onboard. Hmm.

Sighing he would remove the tattered scarf from his mouth and clear his throat," Looking for a bloke named Auron. He on here?," the voice would stretch and then fall silent as he observantly watched his surroundings.

351 WC

As Auron made his way to the ship, he didn't detect any approaching chakra signatures within his immediate vicinity however some quick glances at his surroundings would allow him to see the stragglers approaching the ship off in the distance. Still though with the lead he had, he was able to board the ship and lay out the body before any of the group had made it to the quarterdeck. The first to arrive would be Cid, who Auron had recently been working with where the two had stumbled upon a massive fortune. Thankfully, they were able to do so with little to no risk or detriment to the team. And because of that, the group was able to better fund the construction of the Dreadnought along with their own personal expenses. Seeing Cid brought a smile to Auron's face, as he stood from his crouched position and met the man in height. Clearly his comrade was very excited about their new home and Auron would be lying if he said he wasn't. 

He'd let out a little chuckle in response to Cid's exclaim, and nod while offering Cid a closed fist bump. "It's unbelievable to think that this is ours. We haven't even done the full tour yet either bro."

Just saying those words aloud was enough to stir excitement in the young man, who would just as quickly be brought back to the situation at hand once Cid noted the body in front of them. In that same moment, Grey would grace the room immediately lightening it with a joke about the shark man before them. "I wouldn't say for dinner...but the corpse maybe help us eat more in the future. Glad you made it here in one piece bro." Auron would direct to Grey while unsheathing Masamune. It'd ring off a metallic whisper from grinding against the leather sheath it resided in, and the lightning of the room would elegantly glisten off the blade of the sword. "You know, Cid. I was looking for a friend of mine, who went by the name of Mako. To make a long story short, he was later revealed to be a man named Gonk Hoshigaki, the Fourth Mizukage. And I found him on that short journey I took, which was supposed to take me to Kirigakure. Instead I didn't make it that far, and wound up on an island not to far off from that village. But since finding his corpse, I have been having strange dreams. Dreams that compelled me to perform a ritual on myself, and ones that have instructed me to perform one on Gonk too. But I..."

Auron would pause hesitantly, upon hearing the sound of approaching footsteps. Though the frame that matched them belonged to a familiar figure, who Auron hadn't seen in some time: Hoori. Though their encounter was brief, Auron could never forget someone who assisted him in labor. For that, he had a good first impression on the man. Therefore he wasn't startled by his arrival, but pleasantly surprised...especially when Hoori had stated he was specifically looking for Auron. 

"Hmm?" Auron responded, his voice matching the volume of his previous dialogue. "You're looking for me, you got me. Hoori right?" Auron responded while bearing the hilt of Masamune in hand, with the tip of the blade pointed directly at the corpse before the group. The subject of the conversation would shift for the moment, but when it would return to what Auron had been alluding to he'd conclude his previous unfinished thought.

"Those uh...rituals, I was talking about...They seem to have something to do with my lineage. But they also seem dark. I know how I felt after undergoing the first one, and I'm unsure of what will happen to me once I perform this next one. But from what I gathered, it seems to deal with sealing the Fourth Mizukage within my blade, Masamune. And I just wonder...does that seem cruel to do to a friend?"

A peculiar expression would fall about Auron's face as his gaze shifted from the group before him back down to the corpse lying on the floor. He hoped the wisdom of his friends would give him the resolve he hoped for to perform the ritual, though at the same time his own morality was what had been holding him back. 

WC = 725. TWC = 1401
+2 Negative Energy Stacks; 4 Total

Cid would of course offer a return to the fist bump as he couldn't leave Auron hanging. The bandit would nod, in complete agreement with his companion. This ship was immense, and he figured they could spend almost half of a whole day just exploring the various floors and rooms. 

It wasn't long at all before the whole crew found themselves together, Grey having found his way to the ship. The red headed rogue would offer a nod and a grin to his old friend, a knowing look shared between the men. Their plans were all finally coming together. Despite the excitement of the ship, it would seem as though the corpse that Auron had behind him was the center of their focus for the time being.  Neither Cid nor Grey really seemed to be able to avoid questioning just what it meant, though the idea of shark fin soup hadn't gone through Cid's head until Grey brought it up to which he would offer a silent chuckle. 

Auron didn't seem to wish to keep the pair in the dark much longer, and so would begin to explain how his plans were to visit and old friend in Kiri, only to have the trip end short. Finding a corpse instead of a friend wasn't an easy thing, and Cid couldn't help but let out a quiet, "Well damn, man..." It was mostly under his breath, not to interrupt his comrades explanation. It was then that he would pause as another found there way on to the ship. Cid was a bit puzzled, not really sure who this was but when they asked for Auron and the man seemed to know this newcomer by name, the bandit figured they must have been old acquaintances. Hopefully they were old friends and not old enemies, for Cid really didn't want a fight to break out on the ship before they even got a chance to sail the damn thing. Either way, Cid would listen to the interaction between the newcomer Hoori and Auron, ready to have his companion's back if it came to it, though there wasn't a feeling of tension hanging in the air between them. 

"A friend of Auron's is no enemy of mine. I'm Cid. Nice to meet you Hoori." The pirate would offer in introduction to the newcomer. Not much, but he didn't want to derail Auron's story time. 

Auron would then finish up his story and break a heavy question to them. Cid really wasn't sure how to answer it. "When you say 'sealing inside your sword' do you mean just like... that corpse?" He knew that with space time shenanigans and fuinjutsu scribbles one could take all sorts of physical objects and place them in scrolls or pocket dimensions, and a corpse WAS just an object at that point. Something about the look Auron was giving them made the pirate think that there might have been more to it than that, though.

"If you are sealing his spirit within your sword, that's a bit like immortalizing him, right? Hell, it sounds like you found a way to bring him back from the grave!" The details were a little sketchy, but Cid was more than a bit impressed. He'd look over at Grey and point his thumb over towards Auron, "You hear this? Man has mastery over death itself." Cid would shake his head, "Looks like we are gonna have to catch up, eh Grey?" To which he'd give a proper look over of his companion. Something about his Hyuuga companion seemed a bit... different. He couldn't quite place it, though. 

wc: 603

With the crew reunited and finally able to call The Dreadnought their home the three of them had a lot to discuss, the corpse in the middle of the deck being the first of many. Grey would stand there and listen as Auron explained the situation to both Cid and himself. It appeared the body belonged to none other than the Fourth Mizukage, a revelation the Hyuuga didn't see coming or expected to hear. "Turbulent times in the Land of Water" the pale swordsman thought out loud, wondering about the current state of Kirigakure and the death of its leader.

Before their conversation could continue they suddenly heard the sound of approaching footsteps. "Were we expecting someone else?". When he turned around to see who boarded their ship, Grey recognized the face of a man he had a previous encounter with. Hoori, as he remembered his name, seemed to be looking for Auron, to which the latter called out in response. Although the visit was unexpected, the pale Hyuuga didn't mind. After all, he was more interested to hear the rest of the story and strange dreams his companion mentioned earlier. "A ritual? Sounds rather dark indeed" the swordsman spoke.

As the topic progressed, Auron began to question the morality of it all, wondering if was the right thing to do. "I would ask sharkboy over here but it's not as if he has anything to say about it". Grey could understand those doubts, it wasn't that long ago since he was able to get his hands on something similar as well, thinking he would defy the existence of life and death through it. Before he could respond or share his thoughts, the swordsman heard another voice calling out to one of them, confused how they kept popping up out of nowhere. "Another one of your friends?" the Hyuuga questioned the identity of the stranger, one of his hands firmly on his blade.

(WC: 323, TWC: 651)

Oddly enough there was either no response, or a delayed one from Hoori. Perhaps he was taking some time to gather his thoughts. But regardless, Auron would continue on to describe his ritual in mind to Grey and Cid specifically. Although he was unsure of how the two would reaction, Cid seemed quite receptive of the ritual whereas Grey made light of the situation with a cleverly placed joke regarding the corpse. Cid earned a half smile out of the typical stoic Auron, which turned into a slight chuckle at Grey's response. Once again, affirmation that the vibes from these two were always on point. And the follow up from Cid was even more comforting. To imply that Auron had mastery over death was far from the truth, but quite the compliment. So far the Yamaguchi had experienced many elements of the subject but still hadn't experienced its embrace. The closest thing he had undergone was what he learned to call the Black Heart Ritual, which effectively made him feel closer to death. 

Upon receiving the team's feedback, another voice had made itself known. This one was familiar, belonging to a woman whose voice was one Auron and Cid heard not very long ago. Auron would exchange a quick glance at each of the men aboard the ship. Interestingly enough, as the woman vocalized a giddy reaction to hearing Cid's voice, Auron let out a single laugh. Seemed like Cid had made a mark on the lass, whose frame matched that of Kira's, the woman that the pair had worked with in a foreign location.

"Seems like Kira was looking for you, Cid. Must have made quite an impression in the snowy place. Grey, we worked with this woman recently. As for Hoori, I believe you and I worked with him not long ago here in Fire Country. I don't know either particularly well, but I can say that they both carried their weight in the missions at hand. The decision on if they're kicked off or not is up to you and Cid."

Auron called out to Grey, as he could tell his friend was rather tense about the newcomers. And rightfully so. This ship was their prized possession, and it should be protected. And so if Cid and Grey decided to let Hoori and Kira remain on the ship, Auron would follow suit. If they did so, Auron would offer a subtle wave to Kira with his off hand.

Should that situation play out where all parties are allowed to be present on the ship, Auron would respond to Grey and Cid's reflection on the previous, pressing matter. 

"Grey, Cid, I appreciate the support from the both of you on this subject. It burdened me, but hearing your confirmation of the matter is comforting. I think I'll carry through with it then."

In a flash, Auron's body would become engulfed in a violent sea of flames. The man standing before the group would be no more, and as the flames subsided there would just be a crowned skeleton before them endowed in an illustrious lavender cloak. But before the flames would subside, Auron while still under its guise, would perform two sets of hand seals with his free hand. The first would belong to his Samurai Saber technique, while the second was for his Blade Art Necrokinesis technique. These handseals would have been hidden from sight due to the purple flames from Negative Energy Mode activating. Regardless though, Auron's Masamune would start to glow and emit a purple aura similar to the one that had previously shrouded him. With a quick plunge of the blade into the corpse's abdomen, the corpse would find itself being sucked into the Masamune. The speed at which this happened was so fast that if anyone had looked away or blinked for an instant, the body would appear to have vanished mystically. But in actuality now the corpse and spirit of the Mizukage had been bound to the Masamune. 

With this ritual completed, Auron would cancel all of his techniques. Visually, he'd again become cloaked in purple flames for a moment before reverting back to his typical self. The process was all so quick and efficient, particularly because he had lived the experience out in his dreams. He already understood what was required, and so the rest was easy. But now as the room had witnessed the display from Auron, he was sure that his team may have questions. The corpse storage scroll in front of the group was now unbound and corpse-less, and the blade Auron bore in hand was no longer the same. With a quick sheath of his blade, Auron would lift his arms and fold them across his body.

"Well...I think it's done."

WC = 793. TWC = 2194
+2 Negative Energy Stacks; 6 Total

Spoiler:

Turbulent times indeed, Cid would think to himself. He had no love for the Hidden Mist village, and if the Mist was doing poorly it could almost bring a smile to the bandits face. Instead though the pirate would keep his cool and all that adorned his face was just his normal, easygoing smile. 

It wasn't long before yet another would pop up on the ship, an annoyed look forming on his face for an instant but quickly having been replaced yet again by his normal smile. Grey was a bit tense, the person an unknown to him. Honestly they were barely a known to the other two, but he can't say that he didn't know them at all. Auron would speak up regarding that the red headed rogue must have left quite an impression, to which the pirate would turn to the man and reply with an uncharacteristically serious look on his face, "I am aware of the effect I have on women." Cid would then quickly break off and glance over to Kira, "I can't say that I am surprised, hun. Despite what my pal here might think from our previous outings, I AM quite handsome. But you are lookin' for love in all the wrong places." He'd look her up and down, before scratching his chin, almost reconsidering his current stance. 

"Can't say that I particularly enjoy the thought of these folks just hitching a ride on my baby here..." He'd look over to Hoori, and then finally back over to Kira, "I think we can work out an arrangement, though." He'd look around, noticing that despite having their own large, beautiful ship they lacked a proper crew to man it. Cid figured he would just end up hiring some sailors around town, but these two were very clearly a cut above just a normal pair of hands that couldn't help much if shit hit the fan. 

"Auron vouches for you both, and the lad seems a known entity to both of my companions here." The bandit would rub his chin, "How about they work on the ship? Could cover their room and board. Sound good to you two? He'd first ask the newcomers, then change his focus over to his brothers in arms, "Any objections to the idea?" 

wc:382