Origin of Innovation

Missions:

---

In the camp of Kintsugi, peace reigned in the blissful morning, with birds of all colors chirping and singing, the sweet smell of spring and morning dew lingering into the air, as well as the flowery aroma of the forest. The wind was cool, a refreshing breeze on the tall man's skin, cooling down the most convoluted thoughts in his head. This was one of the most peaceful mornings he knew in the recent events of his life. After he defected from the Land of Marshes, his life wasn't the same ever again, and he was always on edge, looking over his shoulder, afraid to die or get attacked, and in survival mode. With the formation of his family around his most dear goal in life,  a group named Kintsugi, his life took a drastic turn, and he was once again, hopeful and ready to tackle life and its challenges once again. 

He thought about the recruitment of all its members, first Wabi Sabi, the troublesome belle whom he met during his first ever endeavor into the lands of Keys, their meeting flamboyant and destructive, seemingly similar to their mutual feelings, ever growing and burning hot with passion and desire. Then there were the others, Akaime, the powerful and mystical Jashin follower, and Reo, the small kid who was too, like Kakushin himself, an experiment abandoned to die alone, but who was passionned by medical breakthroughs and advances. After that there was Alister, although he did say he wasn't sure he wanted to join, the man tagged along and seemed to grow fond of the little dysfunctional family, even if still not an official member.

 All in due time of course! The mysterious necromancer needed to see proof of the group and the leader's personal conviction. He needed to see actions, not hear words. Finally, there was the whole story of Kenshin, the samurai who didn't join. This broke Kakushin's heart still, a wound that would take time to heal and close up. The man had opened up and confessed his most debased acts in the hope of coming clean, without lies and masquerades to the honorable samurai, in the hope of showing him that he was more than the product of his bad gestures and acts, that he was a good person, who was forced to do horrible things. But as he was entrusted with that knowledge, Kenshin decided to leave nonetheless, making him torn to the side of Kintsugi, and sadly, an end that needed to be tied up and silenced, ensuring their survival and secrecy. But even with this in mind, the situation was still a good one for the Senju man, who was enjoying his morning as one of the first peaceful moments of many. 

The camp was getting lively with the other members of the family waking up, and starting fires around their respective carriages, placed in a circle-like formation, forming a camp around the caravan. As usual, to create more comfort and defenses, Kakushin used his wooden technique of mystical construction, namely the 'Humble Carpenter Livelihood built with love and dedication' technique, to create ramparts made out of wooden spikes, as well as traps and pits all around, forming a little fortification should anyone decide to attack. As he rested in his tree, slouching on a branch, laid down and relaxed, Kakushin felt something, a presence, a large foreign chakra signature afar and up north of the camp. In fact, the signature was a blob of dozens of singular signatures, all belonging to different individuals and persons. 

While they all appeared pretty weak on their own, their nature was something entirely unique, yet the Senju sage wasn't able to discern what was off about them. As he started to entrust his senses instead of his chakra sensory abilities, Kakushin decided to scale the tree, using his surface walking to climb up and get a higher point of view. As he formed hand seals and focused his chakra on the sole of his feet, he could feel the skin underneath his feet become one with his sandals, and the sandals, in turn, made one with the bark of the tree, gripping into it with the enhanced chakra channeled into it. As he scaled the tree, reaching the top and standing vertically on the side of it, he could see with his piercing green eyes a group of about a dozen, if not more, people, all seemingly injured and rugged, as if they got out of a jail after many years, or as if they were survivors of a raging battlefield, barely alive. As Kakushin analyzed the situation, not wanting to instill panic or bad intentions amongst his own people, he looked with more precision into the people below, their numbers, appearances, and general intentions, to determine the correct course of action.

As far as he could see from up the tree he was perched upon, the group was made out of women, men and children even, all looking very slim and malnourished, wearing nothing but rags if nothing at all, and covered in dirt, grime and blood. Their skin seemed pale and desiccated, as if they were trapped underground for years. Their demeanor indicated how weak they were, stumbling about more than walking. One might even compare them to zombies, although they didn't look dead, tho not far from what it appeared. All of it was familiar to Kakushin, but he couldn't remember why. It was one of those things, where your guts tell you a strong signal, like a core memory, but your mind doesn't remember it and cannot comprehend the feeling, even if familiar to a point that it is almost uncanny. 

''They are refugees... We need to help them.'' Said Kakushin to himself, his voice low and calm as he realized the grave situation and dire need of help these people needed. 

In a swift motion, the man scaled down the tree carefully to not injure himself, and walked along the bark vertically once more, reaching in the end the bottom of the tree in the middle of the camp. To get the attention of everyone, he whistled loudly, and roused the ears of every member of kintsugi present in the vicinity, scaling a crate a the same time to get a higher ground and explain what he just saw.


''I need the attention of you all, my dear and beloved people. I was on the top of the most tall tree in our camp, and saw a thing of grave proportion. Not far from here, up north of our camp, are a group of a dozens of refugees heading our way. I want you all to lend a helping hand to those poor folks in need, in the same benevolent and selfless way I helped you all when you most needed it. I still ask that you take care of yourselves first, and keep the security and survival of our family as the utmost primary objective. Help them, but not at the price of your own safety. If any of you feel something is off, or abnormal, signal it immediately, and I will take care of it.'' said Kakushin in a large speech of philanthropic proportion and intentions. All seemed on edge with the grave news that the Senju leader approached them with, a situation less than ideal for a group of missing ninjas and criminals wanted throughout the whole world in various villages and by numerous authorities. Nonetheless, their values at the core were helping the downtrodden survive, and this was a situation to show their resolve and determination in withholding their words.

Without having much more time to prepare, the first sound of someone knocking on the palisade could be heard throughout the camp, a loud thump and knock on the hard wooden surface. A few seconds later, the knocking started again, followed by two more similar rhythms, and soon the voices of refugees moaning and crying for help and mercy. Obliged to answer them, Kakushin had prepared himself by changing his attire, appearing as the tall and handsome man that he was, but wearing his large and ample white kimono, a robe of light and hope which in these moments would play a large role in the perception those people would have of the Senju man and his acolytes. As he opened the door to the encampment, the refugees poured in like water inside a dam, a large wave of people crashing into the peaceful and open space of the caravan resting in the glade. 

''please sir we are dying! Help us!'' 
''the children! think of the children!''
''We need to eat and drink, we beg you''

The cries were numerous and terribly sad to hear, and Kakushin soon felt submerged. Wanting to manage the situation and not feel overwhelmed, he asked the other members of kintsugi, notably the strongest ones, to handle and keep out the flow of people, helping themselves with the usage of shadow clones. Himself, the Senju brown haired leader summoned forth 2 shadow clones of himself, forming the necessary hand seals for it and bringing them forth in a large cloud of white smoke. 

''Listen to people... L-listen... here!... h-h-here!'' tried and said Kakushin, totally drowned in the large group of rabbit refugees. Not wanting to lose face and authority in front of his family, the Senju man's face grew dire and intense, and he repeated with a much more commanding voice.

''EVERYONE LISTEN! STOP MOVING AND LISTEN.'' yelled the leader, in a firm and authoritarian voice, keeping his composure but speaking loudly to overthrow the confusion and loud ruckus. Everyone stopped talking and crying for help, and calmed their movement, the voice of the mystic man commanding respect, and in all truth, fear a bit into the hearts and minds of the refugees. Aside from a few children still crying in a muffled way, the only sound that could be heard was the wind ruffling the leaves of the nearby trees into the deep and thick forest surrounding the camp, as well as the sounds of birds chirping and the local wildlife. As he raised his hand to start speaking again, everyone looked toward him, their eyes focused on the man. 

''Now that I have everyone's attention, allow me to present myself. My name is Kakushin, and here is my family and our camp. I understand you are all in trouble and in need of help. We will provide shelter, food and water to you all for the night, and tomorrow, help you find a safe way to regain and rejoin civilization, and to reach a village or hamlet. Please, all I ask in return is that you answer whatever question we may have regarding your situation, and to keep the peace and calm. You are now safe, no one will hurt you.'' 

His speech was compelling, calming and reassuring, and the refugees stopped their crying and calling for help and mercy, with some even cheering on Kakushin for his generous and selfless demeanor. Most tho, simply prayed and thanked the gods for the generous group they found, grateful for the help they received. In true fashion of his previous actions and values, Kakushin weaved hand signs once again, sprouting from the ground large roots that formed into planks and large beams of wood, which in turn transformed into a large wooden structure, taking the rough shape of a longhouse, a dormitory and living quarters, albeit temporary, for the group of astray people. As they all got fed and offered water and warm blankets and food to them, taking care of them and mending their wounds, Kakushin approached the ones who seemed like they were the leaders of the group of refugees, wanting to understand their situation and origins.

''It is very generous of you to help us all. I am forever grateful to you my lord.'' said one of the elders as the Senju approached.


''I am not a lord my dear. But please, I didn't come here to exchange compliments. I would like to ask, if your memory is good enough after such trials, where do you come from and what happened to you.'' asked away the leader of Kintsugi.

''We... w-we were held hostage.. or prisoner in a place... a trap of horrors.. oh g-gods.. all the bodies!... All of us. We were a-all of us trapped by a group who made us live hell... but w-we are finally free now. Thanks to a revolt. I doubt anyone here knows much more I'm afraid...'' said the man in answer to the question of Kakushin. 

As the Senju man was left pensive over the lack of details and weird situation, he only kept those doubts and suspicions in his mind, thinking over the details again and again, trying to grasp the situation and understand better the next course of action. But for today, the priority was to tend to those refugees, and to mend their wounds, feed them with warm and nutritious food, and hydrate them with fresh and clean water. Most of them were also in need of cleaning, and clothing, and the family of Kintsugi was happy to show them the direction of the closest stream to wash in, but clothes couldn't be provided, the group themselves having barely the clothes on their backs, without much more to provide or give.

As he and the rest of the group tended to the people, the day passed really fast, and the night arrived even faster. Exhausted by it all, Kakushin slept off his intuition and doubts, thinking the night and a good sleep would give him the missing piece of wisdom and course of action he was looking for.

---

The camp of Kintsugi was nestled deep within the forest, surrounded by towering trees that reached up to the sky. As the sun began to rise over the treetops, the camp was bathed in the warm glow of the morning light, casting long shadows over the wooden carriages that made up the camp. The air was filled with the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers, mingling with the scent of morning dew. The birds of the forest sang their melodious songs, their colorful plumage a plethora of colors in the branches above. The wind was cool, a refreshing breeze that carried with it the promise of a pleasant day to come. The wooden carriages that made up the camp were intricately decorated with vibrant fabrics and trinkets, adding to the lively and welcoming atmosphere. Each carriage was unique, with its own story and history, giving the camp a sense of character and charm. A central fire pit blazed brightly at the heart of the camp, the flames casting flickering shadows over the faces of the family members who were bustling about, starting fires and preparing breakfast. 

The wooden carriages had been arranged in a circle-like formation, forming a defensive perimeter around the caravan. Kakushin used his mystical construction technique to create ramparts made out of wooden spikes, as well as traps and pits all around to ensure the safety of the group. As the morning wore on, the camp grew livelier, with each member of the family waking up and going about their morning business. The atmosphere was one of camaraderie and mutual respect, with everyone working together to ensure the safety and well-being of the group. The morning was a time of peace and tranquility, a respite from the harsh realities of the world outside. As they went about their morning routines, the members of Kintsugi were grateful for the safety and warmth of their little camp, a haven of peace in the midst of the forest. Although this time around the tranquility didn't last. 

As Kakushin woke up later than the rest of the group who were preparing breakfast, a guttural sound could be heard from the refugee dormitory. At first, it sounded like many refugees were being sick to their stomachs, vomiting and regurgitating. To see what was happening, Kakushin quickly dressed himself into his long black kimono and went outside of his personal caravan, witnessing the loud noises with even more intensity, as the sickness continued, stronger and stronger, sounding abnormal as they were fed properly and taken care of by the group. To reveal to the daylight the situation, Kakushin formed a single hand sign, banishing the wooden structure back to the earth where it belonged, retracting itself slowly into beams, and then branches and roots, individually retracting into the soil and disappearing. What was revealed was a horrible sight, concerning to even the strongest person. 

The refugees, or what was hiding as them, transformed slowly, and half of them were only bloodied remains scattered all around, killed by those already fully transformed. The remaining transformed refugees stood there, malformed and crying, their humanity slowly escaping them as they were slowly transforming.


the remaining refugees yelled more and more, under the constant and intense pain of their metamorphosis. Their transformation into abominations were truly horrible to witness. Thankfully for Kakushin, his whole artificial and laboratory made person design was made to be devoid of any weak emotions, so as a functional psychopath, he didn't feel swayed by this transformation, if not menaced as he understood those would be adversaries to the death. Most end results of their transformation looked like unch-back creatures, with sharp teeths and bone spikes sticking out of their skin, and their appearance and shape resembling more a four-legged mix between a dog and a dinosaur, with large maws instead of their faces.

Immediately seeing this, Kakushin and the others started to weave hand signs, unsheate weapons, and pick their fights. Most of the rest of Kintsugi were busy fighting the monsters all around that once were women, men and children, but they were now all indistinguishable from their original form. Kakushin himself faced a horrid colossus, towering over him, all muscle, bone and hate, reaching up to 8 feet in height. Without saying a word, the Senju started to weave signs with both of his hands, sprouting wood all around him, a large tree spurting from the dirt from a small root, growing exponentially until it made a ring of tree behind him, creating a source for his wooden ninjutsu techniques. As the monster started to go toward his direction, Kakushin weaved more hand seals again, creating a large structure out of the the wooden tree ring. 

The branch created soon launched itself outwardly from the tree, detailing more and more until it took the large shape of a wooden dragon, long of tens of meters, twisting and twirling into the air. As a perfected Senju with pure and undiluted senju blood, Kakushin produced a second identical wooden dragon from the same circle, now both of them twirling and swirling around one another in a spiral pattern in the sky, a veritable spectacle of wood release. The dragons soared toward the transformed abomination, and pierced it trough and trough each, leaving large wounds that would be deadly to anything alive. But this time it was different. The creature still stood as if nothing touched it. Kakushin continued to manipulate the dragons for many more maneuvers, each one hurting and creating injuries to the huge monster in front of him, dancing around to both attack and defend the manipulator of the wooden dragons. 

Weaving more hand seals from his left hand which wasn't busy, the Senju leader of the missing-nin group brought forth another ninjutsu. This time, the wooden dragons opened their maws, letting forth a large cluster of sharp and pointy roots, and as they aligned with the body of the malformed beast, they spewed and shot out the branches as spikes and projectiles, skewering the beast in the head with them. The creature fell onto the ground loudly, defeated and vanquished, while the two wooden dragons went towards their next target. This would be a hard fight, but Kakushin wasn't ready to leave a single member of his group to be injured or maimed, and those creatures whom he extended his trust to betrayed him, and would be sent to oblivion in pieces. As the two dragons continued to rampage across the battlefield, piercing, attacking and roaring troughout the camp, aimed at the remaining monsters, Kakushin weaved hand seals to create a large swamp area out of the earth. The swamp jammed the legs of one of the monsters, and in debating itself, it started to sink into it as if it were quicksand, slowly swalloed and buried alive by the swamp of the underworld technique of the Senju.

After almost an hour of intense and fighting, the camp was barely recognizable, with the palisade destroyed, most caravans damaged and the ground turned up into a veritable battlefield, with dozens of monsters strewn everywhere. Only one of the monsters remained, and Kakushin had all intention to capture it alive and only incapacitate it to be able to find answers and information on the situation. As the group circled the remaining creature standing, Kakushin started to weave hand seals as usual, and this time, a large forest sprouted all around them.

 At first, only the earth began to shake, with the soil creating fissures all over the area. After a few seconds, roots started to peak out of the ground, and grew extremely fast into fully fledge trees, forming a dense forest made of the most solid trunks and trees that Kakushin could produce. As the trees surrounded every part of the camp and every member of the group, including also and thankfully the monster they aimed to capture, Kakushin weaved again more hand seals. This time, he summoned forth something even more magnificent and grandiose, something that would neutralize the creature in a mere instant should it work. As the surface of the trees shivered, the trunk and bark cracked away, letting sprouts of large dark and washed-out red color, budding soon into flowering lotus flowers, and opening up their petals, releasing spores and gas in large clouds of green gas filled air, covering soon the whole area under the forest. As the air filled with the most fragrant flowery smell, the monster soon breathed in the chakra's natural aroma from the budding flowers, and started to sway in its movements, moving left and right, before completely halting its movement, paralyzed from the head down and held in place by the toxins making their way into his system and bloodstream. With yet another series of hand seals, Kakushin bound the now harmless and motionless monster with roots and wooden trunks woven around its large deformed body, preventing any movement. 

The fight had officially died down, and the tall Senju was exhausted. He nonetheless approached the horrible creature who was once a refugee, and with a face of anger and sadness all at once, leaned toward its face, getting close and personal.


''Why... Why? WHY? .... You tried and hurt my people, my family. We extended arms and resources for you all, and this is how you repay us?'' said the handsome man, his beautiful features turning into madness and anger, his green eyes undertaken by the dark red orbs surrounded by an ash-colored sclera, a sign of Kakushin's murderous intent and anger. 

''You will tell me the truth on your origin, or I will extract it from you like sap out of a tree.'' said menacingly the leader of the caravan.

''W-we are resu...results of the House of Innovat-ti-tion! The laborator-ry was destr-tr-troyed and w-we escaped, a-a-about a y-year ago! It-ts North o-of here... p-please let g-gooo...'' said the creature, begging the man to let him live. As soon as it said so, Kakushin clenched his teeths, and attacked, with roots piercing rapidly the monster, ending its life in the instant. The news was hard for him, as the name of the House of Innovation and a laboratory made him remember his own origins not far from here. Although most memories regarding this were blurry and not clear at best, he felt instinctive that both stories were linked, and he knew instantly he would need to go and delve deeper into this, into the origins of such abominations, and to find the truth whether it is linked to him.

---

Kakushin woke up this morning with a purpose. He knew after such a day and night of fighting those horrible creatures he would need to investigate and find their origins, and perhaps his own origins too. The more he thought about it, the more he saw that the signs were clear as day. The refugees told the group of Kintsugi that they escaped a few months ago, almost a year ago, and this corresponded with the time period of the escape of the Senju man himself, from the laboratories that created him from stem cells of the Senju of old. As he woke up, now motivated fully to go find the truth in this debased place of horrors, Kakushin dressed as usual. Over his muscular, lean and tall body, covered with paper tags of ritualistic meaning and usefulness, with runes of warding and seals applied on him, he wore his long and ample black pants, usual pants he would wear almost all the time, leaving him with a simplistic style but also practical, ample enough to let him move plenty inside.

 For his feet, the Senju man wore the classic wooden traditional sandals he wore, called Geta. Those were old and used, but still, their simple design showed how Kakushin wasn't a man of extravagance, but a man of simplicity, truth and directness. For his top, the tall brown haired leader wore something he almost never got out: a fancy kimono shirt that he never showed before. The kimono was of a royal and natural woad blue hue, a traditional pigment used to dye things of the same color of the sky, but darker. It had no sleeves, but had delicate embroideries of delicate waves, clouds and also ricefields, a magnificent pattern atop the cloth, all made in off-white traditional silk too, with touches of darker blue for the waves and water element of the embroidery. The work of art was a memory from the first time he found civilization and realized how people dressed importantly, and had the shirt made in the exact replica of the one the local lord wore in the Land of Marshes.

 As he got out of the caravan he slept in, the whole group of Kintsugi was waiting on him to see what was the next course of action for them and the situation. Taken aback by the gathering, Kakushin decided to give a little speech to explain his views and position regarding the situation. As he climbed on top of his caravan and started to raise his arms in a way to get the attention of all, he was calm and quiet, but at the same time worried about the way the group would receive his message. Indeed, he had decided to go alone to the North to find the laboratory, a quest that would be his own personal moment, concerning him only. In truth, he wanted to find his origins, and this delve into his past was something he wanted to keep for himself, as well as maintain his mysticism, and his origins having light shed on them would remove a part of the myth of the senju leader.

''Listen here good people of my family. I thank you all for your concerns regarding the situation. As many of you will know by now, I felt a thing and a link between those refugees and my origins. I don't want to say more, as I will reveal all in due time, but the situation right now is mine and mine alone to confront and sort out. This, here and now, is my destiny. To solve this puzzle is a thing, therefore, that I must tackle alone only. Now do not be worried, my children, brothers, and sisters. I will come back, as I always will, alive and strengthened, and my resolve stronger than before, forged by the new elements of my life that define me, and by the same occasion, define you all.'' Said the man loudly, and with his tone full of conviction, his voice deep and charming, but authoritarian at the same time.

Of course, the group had tons of questions, asking why he didn't want any help, why he was risking away his life, and on the same occasion, the life of the group and family, why he didn't want to talk it over. As the man tried and answer most of the concerns, he knew nothing would make him change his mind, and settled to tell them the truth afterward. As he left the camp, a bag over his shoulders, containing enough food and provisions to travel for a long time, Kakushin walked into the thick forest, disappearing from the view of all. The travel would be long and arduous, but the man knew he wouldn't stop at nothing. As he continued to trek through thick forests, jumping from tree to tree, from branch to branch, he tried to keep the north as much as possible. In fact, what guided him wasn't the north or the stars, nor was it a compass.

 As he channeled his abilities to recognize chakra presence and signatures, he focused and closed his eyes, concentrating on the chakra signature of the creature that was once a refugee, thinking about its particularities, its mutation, and unnatural origins. As he kept on concentrating, the chakra presence tied to the same creature and all the others who were like him at the camp of Kintsugi could be found in the same direction he was heading, albeit weak and spread out. As he followed it like a trail of blood across the lands, each droplet of chakra left by their passage seable and detectable to his sensory abilities, Kakushin followed his instinct and senses, crossing the forest, and then swamps of fetid consistency, with liquid mud. The swamp turned to hills, with seas of grass flowing under the wind, each hill bigger than the next, hiding the horizon as if the landscape and panorama were endless. As the hills transformed into mountains, Kakushin climbed them without looking back, scaling their rocky cliffs sides and edged walls, using his hands and feet to climb up the formation of rocks, jagged and harduous. Finally, the mountains turned into a rocky canyon, overgrown and covered in rainforest, thick and covered in vegetation over it. At the utmost bottom of the canyon spanned a river, swirling like a snake with the same pattern as the canyon itself. It is there that the chakra presence felt the strongest, as Kakushin could see in his vision the chakra of unnatural and uncanny nature stem from a crevice inside the left flank of the canyon. Kakushin scaled down the surface, getting down in a fashion of an explorator of ruins, sliding down a vine like it was a rope, reaching the crevice where the chakra emanated from. As he arrived at the cave-like entrance, the Senju man knew he had arrived, and had a flashback, a moment of deja vu.


As he ran exhausted, reaching the outside entrance of the laboratory, Kakushin saw for the first time the light of the day, a blinding ray of sunshine reaching into his pale green eyes, blinding him immediately by the sheer power and brightness of the daylight. After a few minutes of gathering himself and his vision back, accompanied by the surrounding sound of screams of terror, destruction and raging fires, the tall man turned around seeing the door destroyed and forcefully opened with roots all over it, twirling around and still bending the metal doors, covered with the blood of the guards who were assigned to the entrance. There it was, freedom. He was finally outside. With his sight now adjusted to the outside world, the newborn Senju could see that the laboratory was hidden in an abandoned and remote valley, a stony canyon in the middle of a jungle-like forest, with vines and vegetation overgrown everywhere, hiding the entrance, and remote enough for people to not witness anything should someone evade.... just like it was happening right now. 



With this memory now fresh in his mind he remembered. This is the place he escaped from, the laboratory where he was created, birthed and made from stem cells of Senju of old, created in a in vitro experiment, artificial and born of the vat instead of the flesh and love of a tender mother and father, of a loving family. With a pause and a thoughtful moment, Kakushin reflected on the choices that brought him here, and the destiny he had. He was chosen by fate for something, and he would understand in this very day his own origins, and shed light on his distant past, forgotten and into oblivion, and bring it back.

As he took back control over his mind, he started walking toward the doors, entering the forgotten and forsaken place, now ransacked and abandoned, leaving a ruin for those who were brave or foolish enough to explore. As he entered through the rusty metal crushed doors, he could see roots tearing into the walls of concrete, destroyed and rotten, but still clutched around tightly to the metal doors. Those were his doing, when he escaped, twisting the metal on his mental command to let him escape. As he walked deeper and deeper into the medical-like concrete corridor, mixing the vibe of a bunker and an abandoned hospital, Kakushin could remember the voices of the people echoing in there, and at the same moment, had another flashback, a memory from the past assaulting his very mind, triggered by the intensity of emotions he would feel for the first time for setting his foot back into this accursed place.

Kakushin remembered his first ever moment of life, a floating conscience in a large vat, or should we say a large tube of glass, containing his newly born and artificially created body, made to perfection on the standards of humanity, and from the cells and DNA of the first Senju, master of natural elements. As he remember floating around in his pod of glass, his first thoughts rushed to his newly formed mind, grasping the concept of life, even if he was asleep. 


''I am existing... yet I am not yet awake. Where am I? What am I... What is my purpose?'' Asked himself the young man, created and already presented an anomaly, as he was supposed to be a mindless drone of power controlled by the scientists. Speaking of scientists, the one present was the leader of the project, dressed in a white large robe of medical purpose, with pale blue rubber gloves to stay sterile in his research.


''Ah the subject seems to be alive and well! This is grand news! Our commanditor will be thrilled to see that the stem cells succeeded and produced a perfect replica of the original beneficiary. Let's test now the reactivity and livelihood of the subject.'' said the scientist, Kakushin hearing him but not able to interact or react, being in a sort of stasis in the meantime, an artificial sleep to prevent him from being overwhelmed with stimuli. As they injected a long and thick syringe into his arm through a special entry point of the glass pod, the man woke up, his eyes opening but not yet able to see, as he was only birthed just moments ago, at least his conscience and mind were. 

these flashes of memories assaulted the mind of the man, making him fall to his knees each time. But as he heard a large screech into the depth of the lab, he soon raised back to his standing stature, ready to defend himself should the need arise. He walked deeper and deeper, reaching a form of the main hall, filled with destroyed documents cabinets, rusty and crushed, as well as a form of balcony half-collapsed with broken glass all over the floor. The inside of the complex wasn't overgrown with plants, and on the contrary, was sterile, cold and with industrial only architectures and objects, all made up of grey cracked and destroyed concrete, bent and rusty steel, and broken or stained glass, old and opaque now from all the dust and grime the place was filled with. The only other thing noticeable was a large amount of dried-up blood, spread and spewed everywhere with tons of skeletons, victims of the devastation that was spread before as the laboratory was destroyed. 

As he explored and remembered the place too well, Kakushin heard again a large screech, a monstrous sound coming from the upmost corridor on the left, reachable only after climbing on the balcony half collapsed and after that jumping onto the ledge of the corridor entrance, where once a metal passage and walkway was held, but now collapsed and crashed in a pile of scrap metal underneath. As the man climbed and reached the balcony first, he took a sprint to give himself momentum, and finally jumped into the corridor to reach it. As soon as he landed in the corridor, lying down on the floor full of dust and concrete powder, the monster screeched again, but this time the Senju man saw a shadow, a silhouette of the horrible creature walking down the same corridor he was in. Discreetly following and advancing while sneaking up, Kakushin slided his back against the wall until he reached the corner of the wall where the corridor turned, and peaked his head at the creature. 

What he was was horrible beyond recognition. A large hunchback thing was there, crawling on all four legs, covered in thick and greassy black-brown fur, with muscle so large and bulging the creature looked like it was about to explode. It had 4 arms and 4 legs, all walking on the floor, with feet and fists alike, in the manner of an 8 armed gorilla. On its back, a large spine of the sharp spiked bones portrusion was seen, and on his left arm, a large portion of the arm was covered in a bark-like substance, with branch protrusions sticking out, with leaves growing on it. It was as if a man was mixed with dozens of animals, genetically modified, and imbued with Senju DNA that got wrong, growing trees and wood from the very flesh and insides of the creature. As sneaky as he could be, Kakushin approached the monster and weaved hand seals himself, swiftly creating spikes of wooden roots from the wood part of the monster itself, exploiting its weakness to create weaponized wooden structures and injured it from withing its own arm and flawed design, rendering it against it and ending its life in the process. The creature fell heavily and loudly on the floor in pain, howling in the most horrible sound possible, yelling in a both human and hyena way, but also akin to a horse, a wolf, and a bear being hurt, all screaming in unison at the top of their lungs. While the creature owls and cries tonned down slowly all the way up to an almost total silence, Kakushin knew it was its end, and made the choice to end the suffering and to give it a clean death by piercing its head with a wooden root.

Kakushin made his way down the corridor, and arrived into a large room. Instantly, he was met with a familiar sense, as he saw what composed the room. On the walls, were rows after rows of files, and books, libraries of enormous proportions, with the logs and notes of all the experiments they made for decades. At the left side of the large room, was a desk, made out of heavy dark steel, with tons of rotten paper documents on top of it, and vials of chemicals, with colors of clear, dark yellows and greens, and some pots containing reddish goo, and others dark blue powders. But the masterpiece at the center of the room, was a large broken glass vat, a pod which once contained a stasis and stabilizing liquid in which the project, the subject 0, was encased in, alive yet not truly. As his gaze fixed upon the broken glass, Kakushin was assaulted again in his head by the memories of the past, and his mind slipped again.


The scientists had been testing for days his aptitudes, vitality and all, mainly his strength with the ninjutsu unique to the senju clan, from which he stemmed, the Wood release, Mokuton. They talked and talked, saying that he was perfect, ready for the client and to be 'harvested'. For a few times, they made him get out of the pod, talk and ask questions, walk around the facility, and try and see his functionality and ways of being. Of course, being a person of higher intelligence and being beyond morals and all, Kakushin had already processed that he was an experiment, and his meta mentality was already planning to escape, as he felt trapped, a creature and byproduct of horrible science, but in his mind a being wishing freedom of action and of life, and wanting to be out of those abominable and suffering projects and experiments. He was observing for a few years, remembering each sentence from the scientists, memorizing each detail about his walks outside of his pod, the span of the facility, each corridor, room and doors, and its plan visualized in his mind, engraved. As he calculated the ways and possibilities, he designed the ultimate plan to escape. Of course, the tests they would put him through were torture and painful, not caring at all about his senses as he was supposed to be a mindless drone, even if he wasnt. This fact was soon assimilated by him, who put on a mask, and faked himself being exactly that, a mindless drone, hidding his heightened sentience to the scientist. Each needle, each scalpel, each prod, made him angrier, craving freedom more and more, but he maintained the mascarade of a person without any feelings, nor physical reaction to pain and suffering. After years of waiting tho, his plan was finally reaching its end.

After they trained him more and more with his unique ability of using the wooden release to create powerful ninjutsu with wood, Kakushin had slipped in between his toes a seed when he walked inside the center, as one of the scientists had a plant on his desk. Keeping it there for days, he finally was put back in the stasis liquid, and released the seed to the bottom of the vat, unnoticed by the scientist. In the following days, he focused on the seed with his chakra, making it finally sprout enough to create the finest and smallest root, but strong enough to pierce the concrete of the floor underneath the pod, reaching outside the great network of world roots of the tropical forest surrounding the complex. Almost instantaneously, the roots violently sprouted from underneath him and his pod, bursting away the glass, sending it flying into the scientists around, killing them instantly, with the stasis liquid cascading all around. As he escaped, Kakushin used his wood release to kill or render unconscious everyone in his way, guards, scientists and patients alike, roots and branches reaching every corner and place in the complex, veritable acting tentacles of murder stabbing people at the will of the man, enraged and free at last.

As Kakushin realized the actual destruction of it all, which in the end resulted in creatures being made and hundreds of people dying, he felt disgusted by his own origins and creation, a product of an unwilling experiment turned bad, and done in the mindset of forced innovation. As he discovered a file with his name, he understood it all. His very own name meant Innovation. As the rage of old started to come back to the mind of the man, realizing it all and the suffering it caused, his eyes turned a vivid and glowing red, with the white sclera turning to an ash charcoal dark grey. This is when Kakushin lost it all. He threw everywhere stuff all around the room, raging and yelling, channeling in very own chakra into the earth, his elemental affinity, making an earthquake and shaking the whole valley out of rage.  As he ran out of the office where he was born, seeing the files and office covered in the dirt his earthquake techniques would cause, he escaped slowly and steadily, conitnuing to do handseals and to channel his anger into chakra to make earthquakes behind him, collapsing the whole complex one room after the other, leveling the place and making it collapse on itself. As he was out of the front doors, dust and ash spewing out of the front corridor, the complex rumbled and collapsed entirely, buried under rubble and sealed away forever. Kakushin knew this was a turning point in his, life, and it reinforced his goal of helping others. He wanted too, to create innovation and to further humanity, but he would do it with the people who are willing to do so, to transcend their humanity and their very body into something greater, perfected, but not done with experiments on unwilling patients. His innovation would be one of pure will, and motivation by his people whom he would drive to transcend and go beyond the morals and laws of humanity, reaching a state of perfection. His walk toward the camp would be a walk of atonement, a pilgrimage toward his end goal. 

[EXIT]

TWC:7637, Using A-grade firework to add 2500WC, new WC total= 10137wc

claims:

• 2x C ranked mission accomplished
  
• 1x B ranked mission accomplished
  
• +19500 ryo
  
• +83 AP bonus (new total of AP bonus=213)
  
• 4100wc from the 10143 going toward stats(3 going toward vigor, new vigor=150. 23 going toward chakra, new chakra=120. 15 going toward speed, new speed=25) reaching max stats
  
• with 4100wc of stats, learning at 100% the following:
  

1. 2417wc going toward Tobirama Fury started here, acquiring it.
   
2. 1500wc going toward Shadow Clone
   
3. 183wc remaining going toward Sensory deprivation (183/250)
   

• 6043 remaining WC to spend as max stat discount, so 75% of value, acquiring the following:
  

1. 1125wc going toward Ninjutsu Amplifier
   
2. 1125wc going toward Chakra Displacement
   
3. 1312wc going toward Wood Armor
   
4. 1125wc going toward Soft Physique Body Modification
   
5. 1356 remaining WC going toward Wood Dragon Technique (1356/2062)
   

Kakushin Senju wrote:

Missions:

---

[EXIT]

TWC:7637, Using A-grade firework to add 2500WC, new WC total= 10137wc

claims:

• 2x C ranked mission accomplished
  
• 1x B ranked mission accomplished
  
• +19500 ryo
  
• +83 AP bonus (new total of AP bonus=213)
  
• 7400wc from the 10143 going toward stats(19 going toward vigor, new vigor=150. 40 going toward chakra, new chakra=120. 15 going toward speed, new speed=25) reaching max stats
  
• with 7400wc of stats, learning at 100% the following:
  

1. 2417wc going toward Tobirama Fury started here, acquiring it.
   
2. 1500wc going toward Shadow Clone
   
3. 1500wc going toward Chakra Displacement
   
4. 1750wc going toward Wood Armor
   
5. 233wc remaining going toward Sensory deprivation
   

• 2743 remaining WC to spend as max stat discount, so 75% of value, acquiring the following:
  

1. 1125wc going toward Ninjutsu Amplifier
   
2. 1612 remaining WC going toward Wood Dragon Technique (1612/2062)
   

Approved