The Passion of the Antichrist

When the foe was confirmed to be vanquished, and the detrimental area of effect the Jashinist spawned dissipated, Sakaiza would cancel his own techniques and raise one hand to his chin. With his hand he'd softly grip his chin, and in a controlled fashion push it up and to the left before pulling it up and to the right. In the process, he'd crack the joints in his neck and give himself a temporary feeling of elation. Though the conflict at hand had been resolved quickly, there were large effects of decimation and arson that had impacted the village. He himself was responsible for neither, but the Shinkou couldn't help but feel a bit stressed at the outcome. Cracking his neck gave him a brief period of relief. And when he finished this, he'd observe that the Jashinist near the building had been doing the same. Perhaps the two weren't all that different.

"Here he comes," Momo would telepathically inform the Shinkou, with his large beady eyes never diverting from the figure.

Sakaiza, rather calm at this point, would spectate the Jashinist's walk. He carried himself with purpose, and obviously was a devout follower of religion. If it wasn't evident by his infuriation at the fallen perpetrator, then the words that he used to address Sakaiza would make it abundantly clear. The pattern of his speech, specifically the pauses and intonation of his tone reminded the Shinkou of a prominent figure he had met along his travels; a pastor, who spoke with a very similar style. This observation combined with the compliments of his own spirit, were surprisingly comforting to the swordsman. He'd fold his arms across his chest, with an earnest expression upon his face as the man reached a distance of 7 meters from him. With the longer pause in his dialogue, Sakaiza opened his mouth to respond before hearing the booming voice of the Jashinist pick back up. Though his diction was relatively cryptic and old fashioned, Sakaiza nevertheless appreciated the well wishes on his travel and walk of life. Following this came a sequences of touches to various parts of his upper body, and another dialogue which the Shinkou didn't even attempt to understand. Though out of respect for the Jashinist, he'd wait until he was concluded before interrupting. 

When his opportunity came to speak, Sakaiza would let out an immediate "Thank you, your kind words and prayers are certainly appreciated by my lemur and I. Though give yourself more credit, you prevented a wild threat from continuing acts of sacrilege against this holy place. It is you, that the citizens and followers of Jashin have to thank." The beginning of his response was more so to acknowledge the Jashinist's religion, while simultaneously commending him for his efforts against the fire focused perpetrator. 

The wind would blow, following Sakaiza pausing in speech, gently rustling his and the Jashinist's loose clothing. With a peculiar look upon his face, he'd inquire a bit further on the pious man's purpose here. "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly brought you to this place? We sort of stumbled upon it after our departure from a frozen land up North. And so I wonder if this is your home that you defended so admirably."

Truthfully, he was gauging the man; trying to understand if he even had a "home" of his own, or if this place was the closest to it. For if he didn't, then perhaps his services could be of value to the land that Sakaiza hailed from. Though if uninterested, he wouldn't press the issue at all.

WC = 600. TWC = 1863

"My home is death, and it needs no protection." Jupiter replied with conviction, his right hand placed on his heart, "My body is but a vessel for the will of the one who brings death to us all when our time to descend befalls us. The citizens of this town and the followers of Lord Jashin need only look into their hearts to find the one to thank for the timely demise of the unholy arsonist. To answer your question.." The cloud of dust kicked up by the rubble behind them had settled to reveal a large gaping scar on the surface of the earth, with tumbling houses in the wake of the path of the late troublemaker. Jupiter gestured behind him as he continued,  "Just as the fate of the heretic was written into the fabric of time many moons before it came to pass, mine was decided for me in a realm that the human mind cannot come to grasp while in its living form. The winds of time summoned me here from sandy dunes, and lush forests long before the sand. To me, I am a monk on a pilgrimage. To a fortunate sinner, I am death."

Jupiter reflected on the faint and distant memories that remained of his time as an infant in a village surrounded by lush forests. Then there was the void, a long and torturous time much of which he had spent in Yugakure no Sato although he would not have attained that information. He was held in the very temple that he sought in his pilgrimage, and his mind often felt as though it was still held hostage. The voices in his head guided him towards the site of the temple from a village marked by sand dunes where the streets of the domed capital often smelled like the rotting flesh of extracted organs. It was no surprise that he was unaware of the name of Yugakure, as he had not spoken his first words until he was well into his late teens serving in the ranks of the Third Kazekage as a Genin. He was not much into politics, and little changed for him when the village elected a fourth Kazekage to whom he vowed allegiance. It was by chance that he had an even stronger allegiance melded into his very bones, his allegiance to the cause of death - attaining it, bestowing it, and propagating for its cause. This was what he decided to think, but there would be more complex motives under the surface if he wavered from his living meditation for even just a second. However, he was practiced in the art of being mindful and present, and he had no need or use for a wandering mind.

"Valiant Samurai, and his little winter bat, for what purpose have you departed from your home in the frozen lands in the North? And on your journey here, did you happen upon a fairly large temple, about yee big and yee wide?"

---

WC: 501
TWC: 1729

Immediately upon hearing a few key phrases from the Jashinist's mouth, specifically "winds of time" and "sandy dune", Sakaiza came to the realization that he and the man before him were much more alike than he assumed. Among the Shinkou's years of travels throughout the shinobi world, he had only even came across one place that fit that exact description to a tee: Sunagakure. However he was rather startled at this revelation. He had seen the destruction of Sunagakure first hand, many years ago. And during his time as a shinobi of the Sand, he had never come across a memorable figure such as the Jashinist before him. Momentarily, he thought more on what this might meant before coming to a conclusion. Perhaps the village had been rebuilt and restored? Figuring he would be doing himself a disservice by not asking, he'd sternly look upon the man before him.

"Perhaps their is some comfort in not being tied to a physical place as your home, " Sakaiza began with a somber tone. "But the place you describe, the place of sand, sounds as if it is the same from which I was raised and served as a genin under its flag: Sunagakure. Though...that place had been destroyed long ago. Reduced to rubble..." his voice began to trail off. "Perhaps this is an appropriate time to properly introduce myself. I am Sakaiza," he'd say, while extending his armored right hand out to the Jashinist to shake. To the Shinkou, he felt an uncanny bond with the man. Maybe it was the bond of battle, as both seemed to instinctively look to face off against the same target. Or if his inference was correct, then the bond could even be attributed to them both formerly serving the same village. "Tell me, just how long ago was it that you set out on you pilgrimage from that place? What was the state of it?"

He'd hope to hear more about the Jashinist's experience in Sunagakure. A part of him hoped that it was was re-erected and still standing; as it was potentially a place for him to visit, just so that he could reminisce on his previous life. However should the Jashinist disprove Sakaiza' hypothesis or refuse to divulge more information, the Shinkou would understandably accept this. He did not want to pry into the man's background, though his curiosity had certainly been piqued.

When the conversation would eventually shift towards the subject of his own departure from Hyogagakure, Sakaiza's spirit would visually lift, evident by a refined tone of pride. "The village I serve under now, Hyogagakure, prides itself on the strength of its shinobi. And so, excursions from the village to various places in the world are encouraged. It is a way for us to independently refine our skills, foster our appreciation of the world, and to experience new learning opportunities. In exchange, when I return, these experiences can be shared with the villagers, to sort of teach them about my findings. It creates a sense of mutual strength." He'd pause momentarily to collect his thoughts on the question of a temple. "The temple you mention, I believe my lemur and I flew over top of it before landing it. If I had to guess, it's about...5 kilometers Northwest of here. Is that where your pilgrimage should take you?"

Throughout the interaction, Momo remained calmly perched on Sakaiza's shoulder, listening attentively to the conversation at hand.

WC = 574. TWC = 2437

Recognizing that it was time to take his leave, Sakaiza would politely excuse himself. 

"I appreciate your devotion, information, and camaraderie here today. I hope we cross paths again soon."

- Exit - 

WC = 2467

25% Max Stat Discount
- 2467 WC towards learning Wind as an element (2467/6000)
- Memorizing Jupiter's Chakra Signature

Claiming Mission Rewards:
- 4000 Ryo
- Converting 20 AP to 1000 Ryo
- 2000 Ryo from Chunin Mission Completion
- D Rank Hunter Completion

Approved Exit for Sakaizu

Exit;

Claiming Mission Rewards with Beloved Presence:
- 4000 * 2 Ryo = 8000 Ryo 
- 20*2 = 40 AP 
- D Rank Hunter Completion

***Disputing Sakaiza's memorization of Jupiter's signature, because the skill Jashin's Curse prevents it. 


WC claims with 25% max stats discount:
750 words towards Eight Inner Gates Jutsu (Gate of Death)

843 words towards Locking Jaws (C)

Rest burned

Jupiter wrote:Exit;

Claiming Mission Rewards with Beloved Presence:
- 4000 * 2 Ryo = 8000 Ryo 
- 20*2 = 40 AP 
- D Rank Hunter Completion

***Disputing Sakaiza's memorization of Jupiter's signature, because the skill Jashin's Curse prevents it. 


WC claims with 25% max stats discount:
750 words towards Eight Inner Gates Jutsu (Gate of Death)

843 words towards Locking Jaws (C)

Rest burned

Approved