No Rest For The Wicked: Volume One

Sweating. Tired. Hungry...and now in shackles and chains.

Each step taken dug heavy imprints from torn-and-worn sandals; the laces themselves slugging thru the ground below. Chain-bound from head to toe, Wan has seen better days, or at least the days before his last few weeks of travel. Having left the deserts surrounding Sunakagure the Senju believed himself to be a Vagabond. Although he did not permanently take up residency in the Village he did spend quite some time residing there, forging bonds with the leaders that controlled every aspect of Wind Country. To him, any title he currently held was forfeited, not only because he could not return to Suna but because he could not return to Konoha. The last he heard of The Leaf was not good: Kamari, who he has since lost all contact with, informed him of impending danger at the gates. In his current state both physically and mentally, he could not return to deal with whatever threats challenged his previous home, let alone effectively deal with it once there.

His only viable option: is Kirigakure.

It had been a couple of years since the summit addressed his status of Hokage and the state of Konohagakure. In his mind the world had drastically changed, the small glimpse of what remained of Suna serving as a testament to this. "Who even knows me?" would be a thought that crossed his mind often. While being ushered in the back of a locked caravan he would stare down at the wooded floor, metal bars caging him in all corners as he sat amongst what he believed to be other 'convicts'. Wan was the last to join the fleet of soon-to-be prisoners after being found within the marches of the island trying to salvage food. He could remember all that was said when he was approached by the Kiri Ninjas that same morning:



"You're not from here, are you?" a voice would ring out from the near distance. A Startled Wan would look over his shoulder, his mouth dripping juices from an edible fruit he managed to find seconds earlier. This would be the very first thing he has eaten in 3 days. In his direct vision, 4 men, all dressed in uniform, would be directly behind him, standing in a way that showed that they were confident in their previous statement. "It was as easy as tracking a boar, just look down and follow the prey back to its den." The Wayfarer would take note of their words, looking down at where he stood he could see his footprints leaving indentations on the earth. "They tracked my movement by where I was walking." he'd think. "A classic surveying technique, but everyone who isn't using a technique to mask it would do so." He shifts his gaze at the now smirking men, looking down to their feet to come to a realization. "No tracks at all, not from any of them." Raising his view back to eye level Wan would bite the fruit once again, its fluid seeping between the cracks of his hand which he then would wipe off onto his scarf, gently staining it in various spots. Placing both hands in the air he would perform a universal sign for forfeiting, or at least when it came to law officials it meant so. The head of the squad would step forth, chuckling as he continued to approach the young man. "No bark or bite, huh? You're making it easy. What's your name?"

Wan would remain silent.

"Oh, that's how you want to play?" the man would bark, now within arm's reach of Wan. He would grab Wan by the scarf and proceed to jack it, pulling the Senju closer to it while maintaining a tight and authoritative grip on him. "How about this? I don't have to know your name. All I have to know is what you did, yeah?" This would still produce no response verbally from Wan, the Senju still dawning a face that lacked any emotion or care. Visually Wan could tell this act of silence was beginning to bother the man, noticing the smirk he once had slowly turning into a look of disgust. The grip around Wan would tighten, the man moving his hands from around the scarf to now grasp Wan by the chest region of his garments. He pulled Wan in closer, now touching bodies as he got right in the face of the Senju. Wan took note of his scarf falling off him during the tug, the piece of clothing now lying on the ground next to him. "Not a single imprint on my scarf. Even the spots that are soaked with fruit juice show no signs of being touched. Those areas would look slightly drier when they've made contact with something. They must be using some sort of technique that masks certain interactions that are used for tracking. No wonder they found me so easily, I must be the oddball here leaving evidence throughout the dirt." His thoughts were cut short by the hot breath leaving the windpipe of the angered Kiri-Nin.

"Look here, I don't even need a damn reason. What I know for a fact is that you aren't from here, I can tell by how you look, how you smell, and how you've left tracks everywhere you went. This area of Kirigakure is heavily monitored and close-knit. As far as I'm concerned, nobody is to be on this island without Authorization, whether that be an outsider or a villager themselves. You better start talking if you want the smallest glimpse of freedom." Still, Wan would say nothing, even after being threatened with being falsely accused and imprisoned. So far he could tell that the guards were oblivious to who he was. He had been masking his chakra since he crossed over into borders, a technique that would normally prove reliable in helping hide the true density of chakra, although it seemed to be rather useless since he was tracked down by other conventional means. His appearance was shaggy, and with his, Rinnegan turned off his eyes would not give any indication that he held unknown potential to be a foreign Shinobi, let alone an Ex-Hokage. During his reign over Konohagakure, he did not gain much notoriety anyway, having done less for the Hidden Leaf than he did for both Kenshin and Mizuki back in Sunagakure. The only people who would know who he was would be those leaders who attended the Summit those years ago, alongside anyone to which they relayed information about Wan back. But even so, why would his name be brought up among peers? He did not peek at the top when it came to both power and fame, although by no means did he not have the willpower to do so. As of now not being instantly known was a blessing, so he would prefer not to speak as any words he might've said could incriminate him.

"Fine, don't speak, but also don't move." The last words of the guard would ring clearly and with action, the violent grunt slinging Wan down face first into the ground. "Shackle his hands and feet and get ready to tether him to the caravan. We're taking him back with the rest of 'em." Having given the command to arrest the 'criminal' they found the rest of the Kiri Squad would step forth and put the play into action. Although his foot now stood on the back of Wan to make sure he would not flee, Wan himself had no will to try and run. They would shackle both his legs by the ankles to a tether chain, followed by shackling his wrists to a similarly built chain. Grabbing him under the arms and picking him up, they would escort Wan through the marshes back to a small caravan, placing him in the back of it as they begin to travel to one of the top prisons in the world:

Kirigakure no Sato's Maximum Penitentiary and Intelligence Agency.


It took about an hour for the group to finally reach its destination. It appeared to be a heavily fortified and guarded institution, one of which Wan had never heard or seen the likes of. One could only assume that this place was meant to host the worst of the worst, with the capabilities of keeping who they wanted in, and who they wanted out out. If he had to guess, if the current guards were to be made aware of who he truly was, then this would be the place he would be sent either way. Back in the day of Kizmaru's rule of Kirigakure, Wan was placed on the nation's Wanted list for his war crimes; those charges being Murdering the appointed vassal Hokage to Kirigakure at the time, as well as being branded as a Missing Ninja following his initial departure of the Land of WaterM. With the current 'crimes' the prison guards were throwing against him one would assume he would've just been sent off the island, or at least placed in a more local jail rather than a Max Pen. One could also argue that Wan's resistance to speaking played a major factor in the current treatment he was receiving, having noticed earlier how deep under the skin he made one of the Kiri-Nin. When the group reached the entrance of the prison the 4 guards unloaded each of them one by one, Wan being the first to get out since he was the last put in. Lined up in a row beside the carriage he had arrived in he stood shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the convicts, each of them looking as if they had no tied to the Land of Water at all. The majority of the guards had a pale-ish hue to their skin tone, probably a cause of the environment in which they inhabit daily. As they walked through the entrance Wan would instinctively look around his entire surroundings. Making notes of what people were wearing and various locations of the prison he would make mental notes to keep, the Senju having already begun to think of how he would escape. It seemed to him that the guards were at least of chunin rank, with some of them and the higher-ups being Jounin or higher. They all wore uniforms, and each of them always had 2 sets of chains on them, assumably to capture and re-capture escapees or soon-to-be inmates.  He and the others were escorted to what appeared to be some sort of holding room, each of them told to place their backs against the wall and to sit. A voice could be heard from above in a loud and assertive tone:

"Recently arrived: You are now within the confinements of Neo-Kirigakure's Maximum Penitentiary. You will all be processed once The Warden has been made aware of your crimes and gives a verdict."

A few minutes passed and Wan and the others were informed of a bathroom break that would happen shortly. The loud voice from earlier would echo again, "Bathroom breaks are to be performed only under the supervision of a guard. Those in holding will be allowed a break in pairs of two, and are allowed only 10 seconds to perform their business to avoid any contraband destruction, so make it quick. NO DEFECATION ALLOWED UNTIL PROCESSED." It fell silent for a few seconds after that until the man who Wan pissed off came back from an undisclosed area. "I don't care what they say, you're going to be on my time until The Warden. I'll take you all to piss when I get back from what I'm doing." One of the guys next to Wan moaned loudly, beginning to beat the back of his head against the wall in frustration. "Aww come on! I have drunk nothing but salty water for the last 12 hours! The bathroom is right in front of us! Can you please let me pee right now?" His outburst was met with verbal retaliation from the guard. "Nobody told you to drink water all day, let alone murder those Genin on their way back from a mission. As far as I'm concerned, Raguga, you can piss on yourself." With that being said the man would tap the shoulder of another guard walking by, whispering loud enough for Wan to hear a couple words. "I've got to run this head-count sheet to The Warden to let him know how many are here. Can you go grab some processing forms from one of the offices?" The guard would not acknowledge this request, both of them walking opposite ways as they went to handle their matters.

Raguga, the disturbed one who bashed his head into the wall, would continue to moan and grow. "I'll never see the light of day again! And for what? Murdering a couple of kids? This is ridiculous! Those kids failed their assignment, why should they be allowed another chance to prove their worth?!" He would continue to bang his head against the wall as it now began to swell and bleed, Wan looking at him with a face of shock. If his charges were true, which by the sounds of things they were, then of course this man would be executed at the convenience of the upper management. It was clear to Wan that this man would rather kill himself than succumb to whatever punishment he'd face before his death sentence. Raguga would stop momentarily, breathing heavily as he looked around him in a panic. He would look at Wan, who instantly looked away once he realized that Raguga noticed him staring. "You...you! I know you!" he would say, a slight glimmer of happiness shining across the man's face as a stream of blood poured down beside his eye. Wan looked back at Raguga with confusion, not knowing if this was a true statement or just some brain injury caused by his recent head-bashing. "No." Wan would say, as he focused his gaze back in front of him. Raguga shifted his body closer to Wan, the chains rattling as he scooted right up under the Ex-Lord. "You're that guy! I know you're that guy!"

"No, I'm not that guy." Wan would say.

"No, you are that guy! Uh...uh... Ban! No. Khan! No...uhh....".

With how close of a call these names were to his, Wan was sure that this man knew who he was. To prevent himself from being exposed, Wan would cut him off mid-sentence. "Okay, okay. I'm that guy. You had it right the second time, it is Khan." Raguga would be excited "Yes!" as he did a little happy jiggle with his body. "I knew it was you! Man, what happened to you?! When the world needed you most, you vanished! What the hell are you doing in here?! I know what happened to Suna, but a prisoner in Kirigakure now? You don't seem like you belong here." He was right, Wan did not deserve incarceration, but it was his fault for allowing himself to be falsely accused. "You're right, I'm not supposed to be here. I didn't know where else to go, so I ended up here. That's my story." With Wan ending the topic so early Raguga would stare with confusion, hoping Wan would elaborate more on his whereabouts over the years, however, the Senju would go back to looking at the wall in silence. Raguga moved away from Wan and rested his head against the wall slowly, closing his eyes as he tilted his head back. "You know, I'm going to die in here, Khan. What I did was not right, but you shouldn't be here." Wan would listen as Raguga continued to speak. "I don't know what you're plans are if you have any, but you can't stay here. You've got to get out of here before someone else knows who you are."

And he was right. It dawned on Wan the severity of what would come if they found out he was indeed Wan Senju. Although he did not know the current laws of the land and who the Mizukage was, he could assume that much did not change in terms of Ex-Leaders who were held in contempt of other nations. This did happen many years ago, and even though Wan's actions were talked about and justified among the other Kage at the time, he was unsure of how things operated currently, regardless of Kirigakure being his home country. At that very moment, an idea sparked in Wan's mind as he looked at the entrance of the bathroom in front of him. "Then help me. Help me escape." he would say, looking back at Raguga as they both shared a glance. "Help you escape? How?" the disturbed man would ask. Wan would stand up lightly, to not raddle his chains to make noise, as he approached the bathroom. "Come with me, hurry, and be quiet!"

It only took them a few seconds to get into the bathroom. The two of them went into the back and a stall together. "Rip your shirt, Raguga." Wan would say, hoping that little talking would be needed as much action was required in a short amount of time. Raguga stared blankly at first, unsure as to what was occurring.

"Come on, hurry! We don't have much time at all!". Raguga would rip his sleeve and hold it in his hands.

"Now tie it around my mouth and gag me, but not to where I cannot scream." Raguga would hastily follow through with what was asked of him, taking the ripped fabric and wrapping it loosely around the Senju's mouth and behind his neck. Wan would take the toilet seat break it, and place it beside his feet as he began to lay down on the ground. "Now choke me. Act as if you are fighting me, and I need you to play the role vocally when I start yelling." Raguga at this point was fully invested in whatever the Senju needed of him, knowing that at least one of them had the chance to make it out of this place alive. He shifted his body over Wan and squatted over it, taking both his hands and wrapping them around the neck of the Senju with little force.

"Good. Now play along." With those last words, Wan would take his hands and perform the easiest of hand seals: Dog. A cloud of smoke would shroud him momentarily, revealing Wan transformed into the same uniformed guard who spoke to him earlier once it dissipated. At the top of his lungs, Wan would cry out in a fake-muffled voice:

"HELP! HELP! CONVICT IN BATHROOM TRYING TO ESCAPE!"

At first, Raguga was both confused and startled, however, he began to laugh maniacally after realizing just what The Wayfarer had planned.

"AHAHAHAHA! THINK YOU'RE TOUGH!? I'VE SLAUGHTERED 3 KIDS WITH NO EFFORT! YOU GUYS CAN'T KEEP ME HERE."

They both winked at each other, continuing the facade until seconds later a single guard entered the bathroom. Kicking the stall door open, what lay before him appeared to be a prisoner assaulting a guard with a toilet seat and trying to suffocate him. "ARE YOU OUT YOUR MIND? GET OFF HIM!". The guard would take Raguga by the shoulders and sling him off of Wan and out of the stall, Raguga lying on the floor as he continues to 'fake' insanity. "YOU WANT SOME TOO, PRETTY BOY? COME ON!" The guard and Raguga would engage in a fistfight, Wan standing up and making his way to the entrance door of the bathroom. As he was leaving, another guard with a panicked look was entering in. Wan stopped in his tracks, looking at the man before he continued forward. "Can you grab my keys and unlock these? I was taking them for a bathroom break when he got loose and grabbed the toilet seat. He bound me in my chains and continued to beat me." The flustered guard wasted no time at all, disregarding even going into Wan's pockets and instead used his own set of keys to unbound the fake-abused actor. Wan made sure to maintain a look of shock so that his story aligned, looking back at Raguga and the guard who had now subdued him fully. "Hey, help him finish getting him under control. I have to take the headcount to The Warden so that they can be processed. Can you also take the rest of them to the bathroom after you get this resolved?" The man quickly nodded 'Yes' as he pushed past Wan and into the bathroom, assisting with the containment of Raguga. As Wan exited the bathroom, Wan looked back at Raguga, the both of them smiling and nodding to each other at a mutual farewell.

Now disguised as the man who had brought him here, Wan would casually make his way back towards the entrance. Before he left the building he remembered that his footprints were trackable, unlike the guards who ran this place. Taking this into account, Wan would discretely weave the signs for a Shadow Clone, ready to invoke the second part of his escape plan. Having known already what it was created to do, the Shadow Clone would stand in front of Wan with its hands behind its back. Wan would grab the clone by the wrists and have it walk in front of him, giving the appearance of a guard escorting an inmate. However, the intent of this was to follow behind in the footprints of the clone, to give the illusion that Wan can mask his tracks like the Kiri Ninja. "Come on, you idiot. you've said you know where you hid the scrolls so we're going back and grabbing them. That's the only way The Warden MIGHT let you off with a warning." The spurs of nonsense were enough to have any listening guards believe that a convict was being taken to retrieve what they had stolen and hid, to be brought back later to face the verdict of the Warden. Wan and the clone would make their way to the entrance and out into the marshes. Once far enough, and safe enough, Wan would disperse both his Clone and the Transformation jutsu on himself. Making sure his chakra was still masked, and there were no nearby signs of more Kiri Ninja, Wan began to flee more into the marshes and jungles of the island, running through a semi-foreign territory and into the unknown.

---

[WC: 3,767]

The Following Music Video Depicts The Following Aftermath of Wan's Escape. Censored Lyrics:

[EXIT, will be starting new thread to help with event]

Claims::

Wan Senju wrote:[EXIT, will be starting new thread to help with event]

Claims::

Approved!