Duplicitous Intentions

After countless months imprisoned within the walls of the Yugure compound - at the behest of her own guilt that had gripped her by the throat - the pacing creature in her mind had had enough. She had paid for the ‘crimes’ of her past if one could even call them that, internally scoffing at the whole situation as she moved through the main manor. Crimes… if leaving a country to not bring down personal vendettas upon the innocent made her a criminal then the system was far more flawed than she thought. The only crime she held herself accountable for now was not acting fast enough - when did her decisive mind crumble? Was it when she returned to Suna and was advised to leave Souji’s rescue to others? Was it when she had not shown far more empathy for a nation that would just as soon as hunt her down for techniques she had made herself than welcome her home?

Passing through one of the glassed-in halls overlooking the inner courtyard her reflection caught her gaze and her steps slowed - a darkened translucent version of herself gazing back at her. The sneer that spread on her face was earned - pathetic, cowardly and down right hollowed out. Ripping her gaze away she continued on her path with renewed intention - she had been working through the idea of leaving for the past weeks and had woken with the resolve to finally go. Damned be the consequences of her reappearance into the world; if they even recalled her at all. She had become a ghost and if there was anything her isolation had done for her was give her the time to reconcile with the idea of her own death. Entering into kitchen she swept her gaze around the untouched space, not bothering to pause as she swept through it into the hall and roughly shoving the door to her room open at the end of the adjacent hall.

Not bothering to close it behind her as she always had, she began gathering items she would need - ninja tools, medical supplies, blood rations and drugs of all kinds to amplify her in the encounters to come. As she sifted through the menagerie of items - discarding those that held no meaning or use to her. With a bag packed and sitting open on the bed she shed the long flowing house cloaks she had lived in these past months and entered into the closet - reaching into the recesses and pulling out a familiar set of clothes. Walking out of the closet moments later she adjusted bits of her clothing as she examined herself in the mirror -tight fitting black shorts, a bound chest in white cotton, thigh length boots with further wrappings under the buckles to resist chafing. The asymmetrical shoulder covering with one side stopping at her elbow and the other blending into a fingerless glove adorned at the bicep with a blood red scrap of fabric below the Kyuketsuki clan symbol of diamonds.

The image of a past version of herself staring back at her was jarring, the last time she wore these clothes she had been the Kazekage… or was it before? Meeting her own gaze in the mirror, eyes sharpening at the pale white of the Byakugan, she let out a sharp sigh and reached for the final piece; a weathered straw hat, tipped with metal horns and topped with owl feathers from Pakuun - tying it around her throat she allowed it to fall and lay at her back, grabbing her bag from the bed and turning from the room for what she hoped was the last time for a long time.

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Raiden had recently returned from doing a quick jaunt out into the town nearby. Raiden had also visited a closeby location that did a quick training and tapped into a darker potential within himself. Raiden had become Ostrizised. Villages he had visited turned him away and tried to attack him simply because he decided to be open and honest about who he was. This was the final straw for Raiden. The Swordsmen would be sitting in his room and take his new set of armor he had picked up, and altered the look of, he used his tanto to cut his hair, and he donned it all. With the knowledge of what he could call upon within his Re-Quip. The new powers he recently learned, only thing left he could think of was to do the one thing he originally came to do, Raiden would than step out of his room and just down the hall he saw Arantima, that man had the answers, he had sought, he would go and ask the specifics this time around. When Raiden Approached Arantima from behind, the door that was encroached upon opened and there stood Lady Mizuki in a garb that he did not immediately recognize as hers. However when Tima dropped to a knee, Raiden felt overwelmed to do the same.

Unlike Tima however, Raiden was not looking up, he looked down, ashamed as he spoke " Lady Mizuki, I left the safety of Yugure without your permission, I sought a rumor on my family, upon which I found a village that was newer, and so I tried to seek entrance, upon which I learned several hard learned lessons. The first of which is that honesty seems is not the best policy, I told them of my past, and they did not care on if my name was cleared, change or if I was reformed or innocent of what was claimed of me, I was attacked on the spot.Secondly with that attack I came to terms with something I have heard echoed in these walls and did not wish to believe but now know emphaticly to be true without a doubt and seek your mercy over, the village system , the Kageship and how villages are ran, is broken, and that must change if people are to be given a chance to prove they are innocent. I Raiden Ametsuchi , Upon this day have decided to pledge to you my Loyalty, rather you return it or not. They have decided to see me as a Monster, so for that, I have decided to become the monster they see me as, so that those are prosicuted after me , innocents accused , may have a chance to prove as such, and not be deemed immediately guilty. If you will have me Lady Mizuki, as for my returning and dropping my head for you to do as you please to me blindly, that should prove to you that such a thing will never happen again, specially after pledging such a pledge to yourself" Raiden would finish and keep his head bowed to the Lady Mizuki as he waited to hear or feel an answer from her.

If allowed to live, and accepted Raiden would wait till any words are spoken and he would ask "Before anything happens, I originally came here because of rumors of a possible second chance at life because of Jashin, if you could help clearify such a thing, the truth and if it is true, how to do it, and allow me to do so before any other steps, I would be greatly thankful of such information Lady Mizuki". If Allowed to Live but dismissed, he would than leave, However if she decided that this was where his story would end than so be it, he did afterall leave her house without so much as a warning, he did leave a letter in case she looked around for him, but not somewhere she could find easily just on a normal day to day as if the letter was specifically for her to inform her of his leaving , it was more so to cover himself in case she sought him. He understood all possible scnearios and accepted all consequences there of at this time.

Door held in her hand she was met with a sight not unwholly welcome - kneeling before her was Arantima; the last of her blood still lingering these halls. He too seemed to have gotten the same call to action that thrummed in her own veins as he was dressed in armor she hadn’t seen in months. Before words were able to pass her lips the beat of a heart entered her range and Raiden came into view - following suit and taking a knee in front of her. Gripping the frame tighter in her hand, her back straightened, ramrod straight; eyes sharpening on their two forms.

Having not the chance to utter a word Raiden launched into words, spoken to the floor as his eyes had not raised to meet hers. He admitted to much, spilling his guts to her as though preaching to a god of sins - though he did not see it her expression twisted in disgust. When will people learn that she does not speak to hear herself, for the simple pleasure of her voice; instead opting to learn the hard way as she did and groveling for forgiveness she had no business bestowing. He sought forgiveness for the crime of going through hardship she tried to convince him to avoid. Finally, as he thrust his loyalty at her feet to do with what she willed, she moved - first to Arantima with a simple touch to his shoulder beckoning him to rise silently before stepping toward Raiden. So close that even with downcast eyes her booted toes would be seen, before reaching down and gripping the collar of his shirt and hauling it back to force his gaze to hers; slightly bent to be at eye level.

In a soft voice that promised death, “You finally see what I tried to spare you from…” releasing his collar she straightened and beckoned him to rise as well, speaking less to him as she gazed over his clothes - assessing. “I will promise you one thing, concern over your death will be the furthest thing from your mind if you bring that level of disappointment to my feet again. As it stands you both came at an opportune time.” Eyes softened as she turned to look at Arantima, “It is good to see you again, not whatever husk has been skulking these halls in your skin.” Raiden spoke again, at his words her shoulders tightened and she turned her face to gaze at him with the violet eye - the red glinting at its core.

“You seek to offer your soul at the feet of Jashin for a second breath on this earth? That’s an easy enough task, but I do not believe you understand the true cost of that.” Hauling her bag higher on her shoulder she turned fully and brushed past him, “Come, the both of you.” As they moved down the hall and entered into the entry room, dumping her bag on the floor next to the front door she rounded on the men - arms crossing as she explained. “The doing is the easy part, you enter the temple of Jashin, not the antechamber but really enter the temple. With full intent to offer your life, your soul to the Lord and do not fight the voice that calls to you. You may face horrors from your past, fears of your future… whatever you do you go through them til you are the only one standing in whatever way that looks like for you.” , as she explained she didn’t look at either directly - her gaze was instead glazed over as though she re-lived her own experience right there.

“Once you do, the agreement is struck and he has your soul.. He has you for eternity.” Starting slightly she drew her gaze up to Arantima first, the dregs of regret still lingering in her eyes as the memory of that day washed over her and was locked back in that box deep in her mind. Sliding the now steely gaze to Raiden, rising to her full height, chin rising in challenge. “If you have the ability to pledge loyalty to me and the desire to withstand Jashin you must know that the chance of survival will be hard fought. Do you have that left in you to give?”

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Raiden had kept his head bent, and his gaze dropped still. Even when Raiden's ears picked up the sound of her boots against the stone encroaching to his location to the point that his gaze could see them, suddenly a hand at his collar force his gaze upon hers. Something about the Majesty of the strength within her gaze had encapsulated Raiden at that very moment. He had this entire time he had known her since they had met , avoided even the slightest glance at her eyes, but now here he was staring straight into them. Raiden knew several facts in that very instant, both about Mizuki, and about himself. Firstly, something within this woman, some sort of determination she once had was rekindled somehow, and she was acting upon it, and it would seem that her determination was the kind that even death itself would not deter her. Something of the idea of death in his mind seemed to make him think that if she did strike a deal with Jashin as he was looking to do, would only make her come back stronger and more ravenous than before.

Secondly, Raiden would never bring disappointment to her again. He did not know that following rumors of his family would be something possibly disappointing anyways, but the interacting with the village after the warning, and his own experience that she had sympathized with previously , he could see where the disappointment would come in from on that front. Raiden and Arantima were beckoned to rise by Lady Mizuki, to which Raiden would do so, however his eyes never left the vacinity of her eyes, there was something new there. not new for her, it seemed like she put on a long lost but comfortable pair of shoes. No this was something new to see on her from Raiden's Perspective, however, it would seem, this was the Mizuki that Arantima had known. This was the woman that had garnered his loyalty to a fault.

When Raiden Had spoken about bounding his soul to Jashin for another attempt at the world, Lady Mizuki had a reaction that was not negative, but was not pleasent either, it was like she had to face something she would rather leave in the past. Than She would lift her bag and led the way, to which he would follow, within the new room , they were at the front door now, they were about to exit. Lady Mizuki went on about the experience one goes through as her mind started to drift. One could tell exactly what it was, a moment of post traumatic stress as she relived her own experience within the temple. Thankfully she shook herself free of the event before it became an event. She looked to Arantima. That man was her Anchor.

Once she had collected herself fully and gazed upon Raiden, She called out that he recognized Survival is hard fought. And even inquired if he still had that left in him. Raiden did not even need to wait and think, he responded right away " Lady Mizuki, Since I was chased out of Konoha, it would seem even when I thought I could get away in another village, their chokehold eventually closed in around me. I can only run for so long, I need every advantage I can get, if Lord Jashin grants me just one more advantage over them, that if in my efforts I can at first weaken them, and than in a second attempt finish the job, it would be well worth it to unleash the collar that they seem to have around my neck rather I wish it or not. So if I have to choose to keep running and be on my own, or to take a stand and put my faith in one last person, someone who shares my view on a subject and has shared similar pains seems like the type of person I should be able to give my loyalty too. It is not a matter of knowing I am going to die, cause honestly, thats inevitable in this world Lady Mizuki. It is a matter of this, they have painted me a monster, and what kind of monster is so easily beaten, a truely horrifying monster is one that can reaccore even after death has happened for that being. If I am painted as a Monster, than that is what I will become. Since I get treated as the villain even by those I just meet, may as well embrace it. What Respectable villain has ever let death properly conqour them , even if its a one time trick, that one time is enough to put fear and make a name, they will never forget the man that had met death and returned. If there was a way to do it again after, I would do so, at least until one simple goal was accomplished. Kageship's abolished. Villages , families they are all great things, a solitary leader with all that power, dictating a simple act that was an accident before any investigation could happen, condemning a young adult to a lifetime of being on the run and fearng for his life...the only thing I do not have left in me is to run anymore, I would fight every life needed to end this broken system and see a new and working system put into place." Raiden may have ran on a bit but he really needed to get out how he felt entirely about this situation. After all this was a life or death situation.

There was no point in holding anything back, for any reason, She needed to know every small detail at this point, he needed her to know this, as to know his determination and resolve, and where he stood. He wanted to bring down the system that failed him and outcasted him, and abandoned him. Only as a final solution if the village as a whole would not submit would he agree to razing it to the ground and salting the earth around. He did have hopes for brighter outcomes, however he was ready for the darker and bloodier outcomes now more than ever before.

She held the steely gaze to the man in front of her, his words washing against her demeanor with little to no reaction given. Slender fingers laced behind her back as she let the excuses come, the reasoning unfold from his consciousness in a stream that she was all too familiar with. How often had Kenshin spoken in such long unbroken streams - appeasing an unreachable reach in his mind. Or Arantima when the emotions he struggled with bubbled up to the surface before spilling out and putting out whatever fire they had simmered under for so long. Those around her always seemed to fall into the same well of comfort in her presence, the ease of loosened tongues. He spoke of monsters and this is when a tightening of her brow would show a hint of distaste - you are what you make yourself, not the words or beliefs of the masses. She noted that to address at a later point, filing it away with a simple blink and smoothing of expression. Though he said something that would be addressed now, before they took any further steps together.

“Allow me to correct something for you here and now. I am no villain, those who walk beside me are no villains nor are they objectively monsters. The villages and the way they operate are held hostage by megalomaniacs drunk on power. Using lives they do not hold as valuable past their own means. If you need a label you can think of yourself as a liberator, though they will not view you as such - and could they?” Closing the distance between the two she pressed within a foot of him, staring up at him with unnervingly focused eyes. “I do not ask if you have the fight for your own life left in you, but if you have the fight necessary to free the unwilling from chains they cannot see.”

Taking a sharp step back she turned to Arantima, “Are you?”

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Seems Mizuki mistook what he meant, In no way did he state that she or any in her crew was villains, however the simple fact was this. He had been sought after like a dog, than he had been lured in and almost killed. Raiden for one was one whom was tired of running. He was not saying that anyone else in the group was, but in fact however that he would indeed be the needed monster within the group. However something else was also mentioned. Maybe what she meant was he would not be welcomed if that was his thought process? his self question quickly answered by lady mizuki when she went on talking about how the villages were being oppressed, and needed to be freed. Upon which she asked if Raiden could free those against their wills,  Raiden reflected upon his words for a moment, his last words had pretty much already answered this question. Raiden would than once more answer to her " Lady Mizuki, I have expressed what my goal is, to what ends I would see it come forward, and what things I no longer have it in me to do . I do not care what those who seem content to live in a broken system want, however I will not show them mercy if they intend to stop me either. If that is an issue just remember the old proverb that one cannot make an omlette without first cracking a few eggs. Now I am going to leave, and I am going to finish exactly what I said I  plan to do, I appreciate the information you gave me Lady Mizuki, but you seem to either misunderstood something I had said, cause I never called anyone here a Monster or Villain other than myself, it is a Roll I am going to be more than willing to accept at this point. Rather it be my choice or not, I would rather become what they see me to be, and go out in a glorious blaze at this point, than to live in the shadows in fear like I have been. Destiny is mine and in my hands. I will be heading to the Temple first than to Konoha...That is where my past haunts me most from, that is where I will settle things once and for all." And with those words Raiden would wait a moment and add at the last minute " You may either tag along with at this point my Lady, or stay within these shadows and continue to be a relic of a bygone era" Raiden would give time for Mizuki to decide.

Once she decided to either come along with or not Raiden would Trigger his Instantanous Teleport, Teleporting first to the Temple of Jashin, the very place that he had been collected from to come to this little hideout. Tima being within ear shot had all Oppertunity to either follow or grab Raiden and Tag along if he so Desired.

Within Raiden's Mind all he could think about was the things he discovered while he was out and about. Missing ninja avoided him, Freshly founded villages and settelements turned him away, all because a whisper of a name followed him. It was not a figment of the past of his own that haunted him, he stumbled upon a bingo book with his last jaunt out into town. Raiden was not wanted anymore, Nor the name Adam, for the Murder of Isshin Uchiha... No the name that Haunted and Hunted him now was linked to being a name of power, not just for the title he currently held, but within darker circles that refused to say anything more the moment the name was uttered. Aokidanza, Raiden remembered that name from when he returned from his Hiatus and found Suna under Konoha's thumb, he was there when Musu was Slaughtered and a crater was left outside the gates of Suna . This man was overall the reason why everyone left.

They could have at least left Raiden a letter or something tho, Instead he was left with the options of dying in the village of sands alone, or living on the run. Raiden decided he needed to take his life into his own hands with this situation. Raiden wondered several options, Would the Hokage give him a chance at life if he apologized and spoke that he did not realize how the lord would take his leaving the village considering the rank he held within the village previously gave him free range to leave. Would fighting be the only option? If so could he win, would the man fight alone or would he bring an army. The mind of the swordsman raced as the silence grew both before and after the teleportation away.

Raiden knew either way, he was not going to take the chance, he was going to play this game with an ace up his sleeve, the temple would be a last chance revival, and either be his chance to launch a last minute attack on the shadow man while he was weakned from their previous fight, or if he was so soundly beat, maybe take it as a chance to be dead to the man's eyes, and try to live a life outside of the man's influence and gaze.  The question came to Raiden's mind about telling Mizu about the findings that Raiden had. Would she have an idea on what to do? would she fear the man the moment his name was spoken and Raiden be chased away yet again? The Platinum haired Shinobi let out a sigh behind his mask as these thoughts only drove him to be more anxious and pelt his mind with a plethora more of questions.

If Raiden talked to Mizu about this, would she even think about taking him, or would she see him as a liability now? was he just sheer weakness now? a link just meant to be gotten rid of? Maybe he should not even worry about the temple and handle the situation himself? he was now starting to doubt everything and wondered if it was even worth attempting such a mission. Would his freedom be truely free no matter what he did? Or was the only path to true freedom be the sweet release of death? Without some ability to change how he looked and even his chakra signiture permanetly, eventually he could be found out about if he faked his death.

Maybe he needed an outside perspective on the situation, find others with like ideas as him maybe? or those who were clueless on who the fiend within the shadows of the leaves was and would allow him to be around long enough to just have a civil conversation and not try to leave or kill him. That may truely be the answer.

As Raiden's Thoughts came to a conclusive idea on how to push forward, he would finally Teleport away from the Room and out into the Temple of Jashin, It was time to start enacting certain parts of the plans that they each which to start enacting, each with their own motive it would seem.

TWC 2942 (POSSIBLE EXIT, With or Without Mizuki, To Temple of Jashin)

Kaminari No Zeus 2062/2062 Previous Training

Imitation Supernova 2062/2062

Raiden Ametsuchi wrote:

TWC 2942 (POSSIBLE EXIT, With or Without Mizuki, To Temple of Jashin)

Kaminari No Zeus 2062/2062 Previous Training

Imitation Supernova 2062/2062

Approved!