Aftermath (Ayumu, Junko, and PM)

[Kiri]

Cold, wet, hurt, angry, tired.

He coughed at a sudden disturbance along his throat. It was cold against his skin. As he jerked, there was a certain restraint and so he slowly opened his eyes. Kiri found himself slightly leaning forward, though for a moment he couldn’t understand how that was possible, until he coughed once more and the chains made a clanging sound. The cold steel was piercing for a moment as one was wrapped around his neck and two more along his wrists– of which held him in place.

His body ached but managed to move and he ended up falling backwards, hitting his back against the hard stone wall. At least, leaning against it this way, it felt less restrictive on his throat. He wasn’t standing or held over the ground, which was fortunate. Still, even as he was left sitting, chained against the wall like that was rather uncomfortable. And more importantly, it made everything feel all the more painful.

Wounds would heal. Bruises would fade. But the pang of guilt would continue to erode his heart and he was already at the point of no return. He was at the breaking point. And he was alone, not even his beast was talking to him. Was he under another seal? He couldn’t tell. And in that dimly lit prison, where bars stood to cage him in, seven feet away from his current position, he could only imagine if he was on the precipice of fate’s end.

 

[Tsuyoshi Junko]

Standing with his arms crossed and eyes closed, Junko would be found leaning his back against the cold bars that encased Kiri. A cig burned from the sennins lips as the sound of jingling chains pounced off the walls. A sudden cough from the boy caused Junko to put the cig out as he waited on Ayumu.

Giving a final exhale from his nose, Junko began to play back the scene of Kiri's rampage. He definitely would receive more than a slight pop on the hand. Maybe serve some time, community service, or worse. One thing was for sure, Kiri would be seen as a high potential threat to cloud. Especially after putting Hoshi in the infirmary. If Junko wouldn't have arrived, things would've gotten even worse. Kiri and Hoshi would've been in body bags.

The ANBU would've put Kiri down in an instant and probably still had thoughts of killing the lad to protect the village. Being without leadership for so long was making some quite rambunctious. Ayumu was only one man and was truly being stretched thin.

"Is he okay?" Junko asked slowly opening his eyes.

"Yes. Hoshi will make it." A masked figure said slightly emerging from the shadows of the corner of the room.

"Good. Watch over him for me and did you point him in the direction of shu?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Continue to watch over him."

"Of course. and what of kiri?"

Pausing, Junko listened as the chains jingle once more. "I shall take care of him as well." Junko said as the figure eased back into the shadows before seemingly disappearing. looking to the steel door, a set of keys were heard. Apparently, the Raikage had arrived.

[Topic Entered]
MFT
WC: 284

 

[Osuteno]

Hopefully Junko wouldn't be disappointed that it was Osu being let in rather than the Raikage. "How is Kiri? Is the other child alright? What happened exactly?" He had received... an incredibly base summary of what happened over the ANBU airwaves. He wasn't able to express his familiarity with his student over the coms so he had to "learn" in a more roundabout way. He also had to leave the twins in his wife's care despite it being his shift to watch them and let her sleep. He wasn't even sure he could legitimately... wait, this was Junko, the one person who knew he was a Sentou Henkan.

Osu leaned forward, pulled his hood up on his cloak and started mouthing silently towards Junko fully aware that there were probably ANBU in the room, "It took a while to get here since I had to receive the news over civilian channels, the other child involved, it sounded a lot like Hoshi from the summary I got from the ANBU report. Are they both alright? What will happen to Kiri?"

It wasn't like Osu didn't know how this could end but he wanted to avoid the worst case scenarios if at all possible. He continued to mouth, "Did Kiri... register his Jinchuu? I suspected... but I simply told him to go to you about what he felt inside him." Please Raiden, let Kiri be registered at least.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

This was certainly not something that Ayumu liked waking up to hear. He had been far enough away from the incident that the commotion itself hadn't garnered his attention. However, shortly after it had begun the report had made it to ANBU and he was rudely awoken and informed as the current head of ANBU and Raikage both. Fortunately, Junko had made it to the scene rather quickly, avoiding the necessity of Ayumu rushing there himself. ANBU had also arrived and the report stated that Junko had pacified the threat and was bringing him to jail, but asking for Ayumu to come as well.

Ayumu's more pressing concern was for the Genin from the report who had been sent to the hospital after engaging the threat until Junko had arrived. The boy had defended his village even if he hadn't come out ahead and that was worthy of commendation, but that didn't mean a whole lot if he died. His first stop of the night was at the hospital to check on the boy, Hoshi, who was the very same he had just met at the return of the Cloud escort team and the Leaf shinobi's arrival. From the medical shinobi's report, the boy was still unconscious, but stabilized. His injuries were heavy, but not life threatening. Ayumu had looked in on the boy for a moment before he departed. He would have to make a point to find him once he was conscious.

After stopping by the hospital, Ayumu made his way to the jail as requested even though he wanted more than anything to just go back to bed. He needed to see the boy who had caused so much damage for himself. Arriving, the ANBU present directed him to where Kiri was being held. A short jaunt through the halls of the prison later, Ayumu found himself before Kiri's cell. Junko was still there, awaiting Ayumu's arrival, and from appearances Osu had just arrived. Ayumu wasn't aware of Osu's connection to Kiri, so his presence was unexpected. Furthermore, it didn't sound like any conversation was taking place. Had Osu also been on the scene? Ayumu hadn't heard that in any reports.

"Sorry for my delay in getting here, I stopped by the hospital to check on the Genin. They said his injuries are serious, but not life threatening at this point. He was still unconscious but they expected he'd come out of it soon enough," Ayumu said, uncertain how detailed and up to date the information the two of them had received thus far had been. He assumed that they were also concerned for Hoshi, hence why it was the first thing out of his mouth upon entering. If they were in the middle of a silent conversation, he had no idea he was interrupting anything. Ayumu made a motion with his hand to dismiss the ANBU present so that only Junko, Osu, and obviously Kiri remained with him.

Ayumu shifted his gaze from the two medical shinobi to Kiri, who was chained up like a beast behind the bars of the cell. Ayumu's eyes narrowed into a glare as the image of Hoshi beaten and bruised in a hospital bed as the Med-nins worked on him came to mind. The boy had almost died at Kiri's hands. From reports, Kiri was out of control and symptoms were reminiscent of demonic possession. It wasn't the first time Ayumu had encountered someone like Kiri, and it wouldn't be the last.

"He's a Jinchuuriki, then?" Ayumu asked of the two medical shinobi, not directly speaking to Kiri, his voice free of the casual glibness it usually carried. Children being beaten half to death didn't fall under the list of scenarios he made light of. He assumed one of them knew. If not because it was registered, then because of what they had seen that night or experienced prior to the incident. Kiri was also a medical shinobi, after all, and now that Ayumu thought of it that could explain why Osu had showed up. Ayumu turned to look at Osuteno. "You know him, I take it? Was he always this unstable?" Ayumu asked before looking back to Kiri.

 

[Tsuyoshi Junko]

Coming in as the ANBU had left, it was Osu to Junko's surprise. Immediately, he began asking questions like the concerned sensei he was suppose to be.

"How is Kiri? Is the other child alright? What happened exactly?"

Junko's face remained as cold as the ice of kumogakure. His eyes held a flame of passion and all he could do was look at Osu for a moment. "They're both going to make it." Junko said calmly.

Osu needed to hear and feel a more calm approach. Junko could nearly feel the boy's many hearts thumping out his chest. As Osu continued in whispers, Junko closed his eyes and gave a single nod. "We didn't get the chance to talk, but I placed a seal on the kid during a training session to stop this from happening." Junko said with a pause before leaning his head back to look at the ceiling. "Ugh.." Junko grumbled right before the door was heard opening again. Looking to the door, the Raikage had arrived and immediately began.

"Sorry for my delay in getting here, I stopped by the hospital to check on the Genin. They said his injuries are serious, but not life threatening at this point. He was still unconscious but they expected he'd come out of it soon enough,"

"I received the same information. He will make it." Junko said to reassure Osu and Kiri if he was even conscious.

"He's a Jinchuuriki, then?"

"Correct. Registered him myself after placing a seal on the boy to suppress the demonic power. I knew something like this could happen, so I placed the lock on him." Junko said tilting his head back again. Placing his head against the bars, Junko inhaled deeply. Followed by, a lengthy exhale.

 

[Osuteno]

Relief wasn't quite the emotion Osu felt when he had a bit more information to work with... but it would have to do. Close enough at least. "Yes Ayumu-Sama, I know him... He is my student. I had a fairly solid notion that Kiri had demonic heritage at the very least, it is why I put the arcane focus in his forehead, to help him connect more to the world around him. I suspected that he was a Jinchuriki so I directed him to Junko-Sama... As for control... He has similar issues with control that I had when I was but a student, Junko-Sama would probably be a good witness to say I had less control. Bred battle lust, as a few lineages have worked hard on creating or have a purely genetic tendency towards. However, before this night I had no reason to doubt Kiri's control or awareness, I let him treat patients and watch my daughters without hesitation... Rather... that focus in his skull should have assisted him in maintaining control, being more aware at least... Considering he was also sealed... I have no idea without further investigation what possibly could have happened to make him lose himself like this."

Osu stared at Kiri's forehead where a bead of Osu's eldritch blood acted as an eye through which Kiri's mind should have more easily connected with the world around him. He really wanted to question Kiri, to run tests on his student. Find out how this happened and work to prevent it... But would he get the chance to?

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

So he was a registered Jinchuuriki. Ayumu was surprised by this. Usually that meant that some measures were taken in order to maintain his control. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been allowed to continue in the service of Kumogakure- he would have been to much of a risk. It was as he thought, Junko had tried to take some countermeasures to prevent something like this from happening. Even so, the risk was never truly gone when it came to demons, only mitigated. The reason for Osu's presence quickly became clear as he revealed that he was Kiri's mentor.

As with Junko, Osu had taken some precautions to try to help Kiri avoid an incident like tonight. Unfortunately, their combined efforts had not stopped Kiri from losing control and attacking a Genin. From the sounds of it, Osu had been so confident in Kiri that he had gone so far as to let him watch his daughters. As a parent, Ayumu understood the level of trust that required in that. That meant that there had truly been no warning signs before now that Kiri might go berserk, at least as far as the his own mentor had witnessed.

"I see," Ayumu said, resting his forehead against the bars as he looked upon Kiri. He was young, but appeared on the cusp of adulthood. Older than Hoshi by several years. Possibly even older than his mentor, if Ayumu was judging correctly. Realizing the limitations he was under with the chains binding him, Kiri had been coming to since before Ayumu had arrived, by now it seemed that he was aware of his surroundings. He had likely been unconscious since the incident. Ayumu wrapped his fingers around two of the bars as he prepared to speak to Kiri.

"Kiri, right? Do you know who I am?" Ayumu asked, giving the boy a moment to process that he was being spoken to. If Kiri didn't recognize Ayumu from the papers or seeing him speak before, he might notice the signet ring on Ayumu's index finger which was engraved with the symbol for Raikage. This was meant to convey the weight of the situation, if the chains and bars had failed.

"Do you remember what happened?" Ayumu asked. It wasn't out of the question by any means that Kiri at this point had no idea what he was in chains. Demon infestations came in a variety of flavors. Sometimes the host worked consciously with the demon. Sometimes the demon took over while the host took a back seat to watch, whether voluntary or otherwise. Sometimes the demon took control so completely the host never even realized they had lost it. If the others had questions of their own to ask, Ayumu would not stop them.

 

[Kiri]

His throat was dry. His voice barely audible, and every small gesture of coughing made him wince. He could tell that there were people just beyond the bars that caged him in, but the cold chains that wrapped around his arms and neck were numbing. Picking up on the voices, his mind was slow in processing what was being spoken. As he kept his head hung low, he could only try to muster enough strength to focus on the words. Just then, he quickly perked up as he heard a familiar voice. It was…Osu.

Eyes wide open, Kiri focused his vision as he slowly saw three figures standing behind the bars. He could easily tell Osu and at that moment, a pang of guilt struck him. He lowered his head as if to try to and hide. If anything, he wanted to disappear from their sight… from his sight. How could he ever face the one person who had been helping him all this time? And after all this, how could he trust himself to protect others?

At that point, his name was called and the voice was rather different. He hadn’t heard this one yet but from the authority of his voice, he could tell that it belonged to someone important. And the weight of the atmosphere in the room suddenly grew heavy. With every breath he took that they awaited for his answer, he could almost feel the end creeping up to him.

But for such a question, even he would want to ask himself. Just what made him do so. Was it because he doubted himself? Was it because he got tired of the lies? Or was it because he….

“I… can’t die…” he uttered, voice coarse and dry. That’s right. The memories of the past flashed in his mind. No matter what happens, he cannot die. He should not die. Not even if his own family would try. And this situation– being chained, caged in like a monster, seemingly waiting for his execution– was everything that he could remember of that night his father tried to kill him with the rest of the clan. And that was enough to make him completely forget about the present. He could almost hear the raindrops, the footsteps, and the unlocking of doors. Soon enough, that man would stand in front of him with a sword in hand, surrounded by the others who were prepared with chanting seals and prayer beads, off to kill the abomination of their cursed clan. Incense wafted into the air.

At that, he could feel an anger swell up from inside him, so strong that it hurt with each passing breath, and though weak, there was a spark in his chakra level– an unusual fluctuation. He clenched his hands and pulled on the chains though it was obviously futile until his ragged breath became loud enough as he struggled. “I won’t let you… kill me again…” he said with gritted teeth. But it wasn’t purely anger this time, as tears began to roll down his cheeks. His body was in pain and yet he could not dare to simply give up. “I won’t… I’ve got…people to protect… to apologise…” he was on the verge of crying but he ended up letting out a roar as he pulled harder on the chains and somehow managed to summon enough strength make the chains rustle agains the wall.

And he finally looks up to face the unknown man on the other side of the bars, eyes defiant and dangerous, but seemingly looking past. “Just you try. I won’t show mercy if you dare touch my brother’s soul.” he said with more control in his voice, but he was obviously seemingly stuck in a place between the past and the present, and to him, these figures before him were the spiteful executioners of that night.

 

[Osuteno]

Osu looked into the cell, towards the voice that was coming from Kiri. "And who exactly is speaking with us?" The voice Osu spoke with remained gentle and sad. "Is this my young, foolish and distraught student. Is this my Kiri who speaks with such fear and pain?" Osu began to reach his hand through the bar but stopped right before he touched the metal. "Kiri if this is you speaking to me I need you to tell us what you can. I need to know how I can help you. I need you to answer our Raikage's questions in full honesty..."

Osu reached up to his eyes for a moment as he continued to speak in that same sad gentle tone, "But if this is the other, I need you to do the same. If YOU can at the very least hear me in there, I need you to help our Kiri by offering your full cooperation. I need you to know that the recklessness endangers Kiri." Osu removed his hands from over his eyes to show he had removed his colored contacts to reveal the blood filled orbs that were his eyes, and continued to speak in that sad gentle voice. "Because while I have no personal grudge against your kind, if you continue to endanger my student your very existence is at stake. Even if it causes Kiri to hate me, if you continue to endanger him I will break you. I have seen evil far worse than your kind, I can understand it, and thus I am capable of it. I have seen and experienced the truest of hells and thus I can drag you into them. I will turn you into a shell of an existence in a fate far worse than death, if that is what is necessary to save my student. Even if it will cause Kiri to swear vengeance against me, for I can accept his hate far easier than the fate that awaits him upon this path we currently stand. Instead, I offer you the chance to save the three of us. Cooperate. The both of you... Please." If an empath were in the room, that would be able to say with frightful certainty that every word Osu spoke, he said with love, kindness, and a frightfully cold sadness.

"Your forgiveness Ayumu-Sama for my interruption."

 

[Kiri]

Gritting his teeth, pulling back on the chains, he was ready to launch on anyone. But at the voice that he heard, he paused. Eyes locked on the figure whose voice it was that responded to him, Kiri was still for a moment. He could tell, in his heart, despite the floating images of the clansmen and his father ready to cleave the sword at his neck, that this person was far more real. Such a sad and gentle voice that he had heard before, struck a cord in his heart and he felt an undeniable guilt within him. It was almost as if pity and guilt wanted to resurface once more even when he was fighting back because otherwise, they would harm him, this body, this vessel that held both his and his brother’s souls together. For a while, he seemed as if he was attentive, his breathing evening out. Was it respect? It was more than that. Even, he, who may not have closely been there to know this person, could tell the familiarity he was feeling was true.

But then, he frowned and his eyes turned cold as he looked away. “What do you mean ‘our Kiri’? If you cannot tell who you are facing, do you even have the right to say such?” he was clearly annoyed by this and tried to pull on the chains again before he gave an disappointed grunt and leaned back to the wall and rest for a moment. Despite being stirred, he could somehow feel a bit of control coming back to him. Closing his eyes, he would will himself to forget about the vision before him. He would try not to listen to the voice of his father or the clansmen who were chanting curses to purify his demonic soul. But the other’s voice was more piercing. It spoke to his soul.

“‘My kind’? If you really want to help me, you should know better than to say those words. But I suppose… you are all the same,” he added with a gasp. There was plummet of his chakra. The clear fluctuation of his demonic aura was sort of bothering, but it did not make any other changes. He was simply taking in ragged breaths once more as he opened his eyes. “If there is evil in this world… it is not those born… it is those who chose… perhaps my fault lies in running away.”

A long pause came after before he finally opened his eyes that stared back at Osu and the visions of the past that still seemed to linger around him. “There is far more than what you think you know that resides in me. I am Kiri. You need to accept that, just as I have. They always… no, everyone does… see a monster, so there had to be a reason, and it felt… overwhelming but…” Then he lowered his eyes as he muttered, almost like a whisper. “I did not mean it… not to my brother… not to Hoshi… not to myself.”

He closed his eyes shut, furrowed his brows and faced away. “I won’t ask forgiveness. That would only deny myself. I will not deny myself, so you shouldn’t either. It makes no difference if the one who holds the sword is my father or you.”

 

[Tsuyoshi Junko]

Leaning with his back still against the cold bars, Junko had his arms folded with his head tilting slightly down. Listening, Junko simply closed his eyes.

“I… can’t die…”

“I won’t let you… kill me again…”

"I won’t… I’ve got…people to protect… to apologise…”

"Just you try. I won’t show mercy if you dare touch my brother’s soul.”

Junko could feel some of the demonic energy fluctuate at the sound of the chains being pulled on. Most importantly, Junko could still feel the sadness through every word that rolled of the lads tongue.

Suddenly though, Osu began to speak with a sadness of his own. His words filled with sorrow, compassion, and even maliciousness to destroy what was inside Kiri to save Kiri. The only thing was, this was the true Kiri before them. Destroying one part would be destroying half of Kiri himself. Just as he said...... accept it, but certain things couldn't be tolerated and wouldn't be tolerated.

Placing a hand on Osu's shoulder for him to relax. Junko could tell this was getting him stirred up. Junko knew what Osu could do and would do if things persisted. Opening his eyes, Junko turned to face Kiri. "Be you. You are who you are. No one is holding a sword against you. I didn't even draw mine." Junko said with a pause allowing Kiri to look back at their clash a few hours ago. "You drew on me......Kiri. You're holding the sword. Not a single man has drawn against me with an urge to kill or harm me and lived to tell the the story." Junko said staring directly at the boy. "You can't die. Not now, right? You have people to protect. Isn't that what you said? Well, we all do. We all have that same desire to live because we have this entire village to protect and it includes our people. Our people...includes you ...Kiri." Junko said shaking his head slightly.

"You want to protect. Yet Hoshi is in the hospital. The school grounds are torn apart. That's not protecting. That's destruction. And destruction within the village... we all protect. Harming people in the village.... we all protect. Is a death wish. You're begging for swords to be risen against you." Junko said giving another pause. "So .. choose. Gain control and live to truly protect. Or die as the threat to the things needed to be protected."

 

[Kiri]

He suddenly shot an eye on Junko’s direction this time. This man, as he could remember, was rather endearing to him as well. But he had always been straightforward and sometimes that was enough to get the point straight into him. In his soul, he could feel the a certain bond that he must have formed with him along the way. Though it was yet to be as strong as the latter, otherwise he would have retorted without a moment’s hesitation, it was still bothersome. Why?

“Why you would say that? I wasn’t born in Kumogakure… I hardly lived in the same land as you or half the time,” he said with a mixture of a curiosity and disbelief. No, it felt far more. It was a mixture of many odd feelings– things he was also scared of, for after all, his own family, his own clan were of the mind to kill him off because of his difference and threat. He suddenly paused as his mind finally recalled. He was indeed a threat, even back then, which was why it prompted to that night when he would be cut down. And now, he would once again become a threat, and this man’s words echoed a familiar route that brought as much pain as there was nostalgia into them.

“That’s right. My existence has always been that way…” he took a long sigh as he lowered his gaze again, but not out of self-pity or resignation, but of contemplation. Sometimes, there were things that truly remain a mystery to him, such as why he was born that way. But despite all the righteous preaching of others, he had already made a decision regarding that part of himself. “It sounds like… you’re asking me to forget myself… to change to fit in… but I can’t… I can never…”

It was a difficult situation to be in as he remained there, against the cold wall, the cold steel cuffs and chains, while the three were on the other side of the bars that caged him in. But it was a far more difficult situation to be in when he somehow understood from Junko’s straightforwardness that his own fate was left with him, and yet he could never make a choice. After all… “Control? If it were that easy– no. If it were possible… but this is who I am. I cannot imagine anything more because if I do…” he lifted his head in thought, eyes seemingly searching around the cell before they fell back to the ground, “Ha ha… it’s nothing more than a whimsical dream. I am nothing but a beast of ruin. My entire being is destruction. Even if I so desire to protect… but what is to protect when everyone else is against me?”

He then looked up once more and fixed his gaze at Junko with deep set eyes, “I’m no hero. I don’t deserve anything.” Then he fixed them upon the figure of Ayumu and continued, “And to that effect… no one deserves me. I suppose. But don’t think I’ll let you kill me as helplessly as before. My eyes will not stray and my soul will not quiver. Neither demon nor boy shall bend. Not any more; not ever” A pull on the chains, a grin and a single tear, “This is who I am. Can’t you understand my one wish? I thought you would… I… because I lost it long ago.”

 

[Osuteno]

That was enough. Osu wordlessly shrugged off Junko's grip and walked to the bars, then through them. He kinda just unformed and moved through the bars and came back to one piece on the other side. Osu then knelt down to Kiri's eye level and commanded his student's attention with a stare. He then backhanded Kiri across the face harder than he had ever hit Kiri before, even when sparring. He then took Kiri's face in his hands, kissed the top of his student's head, and hugged him to his chest. Hiding his face in Kiri's hair Osu simply said, "Please," while Kiri felt a wet sensation in his hair.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

The boy's response to Ayumu's initial questions made very little sense. He insisted that he would not allow himself to be killed again. Of course, Ayumu had no idea what that meant. The way he spoke, it was as if he was talking to someone else. Someone who wasn't there. And what was this about his brother's soul? Whatever had possessed the boy seemed to still be in control. The way he strained against the chains and spouted threats showed that he was the same person who had relentlessly thrashed Hoshi. Osu stepped forward to speak with his student, pleading with either him or the demon who seemed to be speaking to cooperate so that he could help them. Attached to this pleading was a threat to the demon, that he would erase his existence in order to save Kiri, even if it meant being hated. Osu quickly apologized for jumping into the conversation without prompting, but Ayumu shook his head.

"No, go ahead. He knows you," Ayumu said, simply content to watch for now. He didn't want to think that Kiri was beyond saving, that the destructive part of him had taken hold and his soul couldn't be recovered. Though he looked moved for a moment, Kiri returned quickly to the indignation he had been expressing thus far. He spat back at Osu, seemingly refusing to accept responsibility for what he had done. He claimed that the one speaking was Kiri, that Osu didn't understand. He looked down, and spoke in a near whisper as he claimed that he didn't "mean it". 'Mean what? To hurt him?' Ayumu wondered, still not understanding. It was clear that he didn't want to be seen as a monster. If this was the demon himself speaking, was it possible he felt regret?

Junko took his turn now, telling Kiri that his fate was in his own hands. This was true. Ayumu had no desire to kill Kiri or his demon for what they were. Their actions were what was important. If they chose to continue down the path of hurting others, Ayumu would be left with no choice of his own. As Junko was saying, the choice was Kiri's. Junko's words seemed to wear Kiri down further. Despite the Sennin's words, he seemed resigned to his own destructive nature. He didn't believe he could change. Osu wasn't having it. Through some weird body morphing, he fit himself through the bars and approached Kiri as Ayumu cocked an eyebrow at the strange spectacle. He backhanded Kiri and then embraced him as tears began to fall, pleading with his student once more.

"Kiri. You may not have been born here, but that doesn't matter. You're one of us... can't you see that? Junko and Osu care for you deeply. Even I bare you no ill will. You're a member of this village. The village I have a duty to protect, to keep safe... I have no desire to kill you. I'll keep you in here if I must, to keep people like Hoshi safe, but I don't want to kill you," Ayumu said, staring at the boy past both the bars and Osu.

"Beast of ruin? I don't care what you are. You are who you choose to be. You choose. Everyone has a choice, regardless of the circumstances of how they were born. Do you want to protect those who care about you, or hurt them?" Ayumu asked. Maybe it was a foolish question to ask a self-proclaimed beast of ruin, but his words thus far despite being belligerent and indignant came across to Ayumu as regretful all the same. He didn't believe that Kiri really wanted to just accept that his lot in life was to hurt the ones he loved.

 

[Tsuyoshi Junko]

As the boy replied, Junko closed his eyes. He was foolish indeed. Moving from Junko's grasp, Junko knew Osu wasn't having it. The feeling of watching your student allow darkness to consume their soul wasn't an easy pill to swallow. The pain in Osu's hearts was likely killing him and in a split second.............SMACK!

Listening to Ayumu, Junko slowly shook his head. The emotion in the room was immense. Suffocating almost. Enough to irk Junko slightly. Giving a slow exhale before opening his eyes, Junko grabbed an herbal cig out of his jacket pocket. They always helped calm the sennin, increased his focus, and fought against sickness.

"Personally, I can say that because I was raised in the village, but not born here as well. Started with nothing. Lived on the freezing streets of kumogakure. Through hard work, I've become who I am and changed from who I was. Growing up is what most people call it kid." Junko said placing the cig between his lips and another between the bars of the cell.

"Now, Instead of trying.... you deem it impossible? Sounds like something someone weak would say if you ask me." Junko said before lighting his cig. Giving it a pull before blowing out smoke, Junko began a few slow hand signs. Summoning his katana in his hand, Junko pulled the weapon from the smoke.</COLOR>

Spoiler

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"The Suskino District was in shambles one fatal night. Similar to how the school grounds are. The blood demon king named Mazoku was released. After me and my sensei fought the demon head on, I was sacrificed to have the demon sealed into me. Some called me a hero. Some saw me as the demon itself back then." Junko said shaking his head. "I thought gaining control would be difficult, but never impossible. Evan as that darkness was consuming the little light i did have inside me. To make a long story short, I beat the impossible." Junko said unsheathing the blade. In an instant, blue flames were released as Junko entered a heightened state. The flames would not burn anything, but a light entity would fill the room, covering everyone. Almost as if..... Junko was holding everyone. As if......protecting them.

Sheathing the blade and allowing the energy to fade. Junko continued. "Now, my light consumes the darkness and the darkness is inside this blade. I'm the only person to keep it in check. Just like you're the only one that can keep yours in check." Junko said allowing the summoning to end. Turning and making his way to the door, Junko grabbed the knob. "I'll be leaving the village tomorrow. If you have your life tomorrow and choose to live instead of the weak way out. I'm willing to train you outside the village just as I was trained. I can take you in, make you family. Just as I did with Hoshi." Junko said before opening the door and making his way out.

One thing Junko couldn't tolerate, was weakness. Weakness caused his senseis death and it would've had Junko killed a long time ago as he lived off the streets. Kiri was better off dead with the mindset he had. The ninja world would chew him whole and he would be spat out with ease like sun flower seeds.

Everything was Kiris choice.....but what would he choose?

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Mft
WC: 560

 

[Kiri]

It felt more like he was simply observing again. It sounded more like he was just listening. But he knew perfectly well that everything was of his own accord– his actions, his voice, his decision. And yet, it hurt. What’s more… he could barely hear the voice of his brother’s soul in his heart. Was this the lowest one could get?

Looking up, he watched as the overlapping images of the hallowed past began to move and visions of his father walking towards him. He wouldn’t deny that at that moment his heart raced. Even if they were his brother’s memories at some point, the feeling of that cold steel upon his flesh would always linger.

However, much to his surprise, Osu passed through the bars, and in effect, through the vision of his tormentor. His body was small yet it was full and solid that everything else seemed like an illusion. And his eyes held many words, much more than one could utter. It was quick– kneeling down, and the action that followed. Kiri jolting to the side from the impact on his face, shocked at the strength and also seemingly waking him up from an unwanted dream. All at once, the pain washed over him, physically and mentally. But before he could utter, he was pulled back. A kiss to the head and an embrace he had never thought he could ever feel again.

“D-don’t… cry,” were his first words as he felt the other’s tears, but in a way, he was also perhaps telling himself that. Brought into an embrace out of nowhere, a silent motion that made him feel so secure after all these years of being on his own, seemed to hurt more than anything, much more than the resonating sting on his cheek. A clanging of the chains, a weak pulse, a pair of trembling hands that resonated with his being as he couldn’t help but nuzzle against the warmth he was engulfed in. “Stop… why can’t I stop?” He couldn’t stop the tears escaping from his own eyes and the hoarse cry that left his mouth. Hearing just that one word made him remember of the last time he heard his brother’s voice resonate in his soul, and he knew he had gotten it all wrong.

“Sorry.” Sometimes words hurt more than actual wounds. But the ones that really hurt were words of kindness, and there was nothing short of them coming from these around him. He finally understood. Even Ayumu’s words, his voice filled with authority, echoed with much intention that he could barely bring up an argument. Because what was there to argue about? What was there to deny? “Of course, I want to protect everyone… but how could I?” He stopped shortly before buried his face deeper against Osu’s chest, “I don’t… want to die… but it’s better that… No… I don’t wan’t– I don’t want… to hurt anyone.” Each word was said amidst rasping breaths, his body trembling, his heart shaken. It hurt so much that he just wanted to stop everything.

Then a strange light filled the room. He could see bits of it’s light bluish tint in brief glances from where he was embraced. And though the words that were said felt rather cold, straightforward as always, it seemed just apt. He shouldn’t need more, not when they were giving him this much. He shouldn’t look away when all this time what he sought for was just right in front of him. That he was never alone.

“Stupid brother. You were never alone,” said a voice in his soul and it felt like the world finally let up from suppressing him. He never knew how hearing those words felt so much to him. It was brief but it was enough to make him realise he was still who he was no matter the circumstances. His brother’s soul was never harmed. “Don’t run away. I’ll be watching over you.”

Nodding lightly, his trembling stopped as he leaned against Osu. Closing his eyes, he would make a decision that would mark his departure from the past. At a point of no return, it was always better to accept the guiding arms. And as if surrendering himself, he would say, “Teach me… to protect my family. Please.”

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

After Ayumu had finished his piece, Junko transitioned into the story of his own struggle with overcoming his demons. With this said, he invited Kiri to join him on his trip the following day if Ayumu did not decide to have him executed or imprisoned indefinitely. In the end, it was up to Ayumu to make that decision, but it depended on what Kiri did more than anything. Ayumu had been watching him closely as he and the others had tried to convince him. The walls were coming down. There it was, at last. They were crumbling as the part of Kiri that was good shone through. If he was willing to try, and Junko was willing to watch him, then perhaps that was enough for now. Ayumu lifted himself away from the bars and rested his back against the concrete beside them, heaving a sigh of relief. He was truly glad that Kiri had not killed anybody, else this chance may not have been permittable.

"You'll get to that point, kid. Being willing to try is the first step," Ayumu said before stifling a yawn. It was way too late for this. "Junko is your Sennin, so if he is willing to take you under his wing and train you to have the control you need, I'm willing to entrust you to him. I'll find out what time he is leaving tomorrow so you can meet him at the gates," Ayumu said, knowing it meant one last thing he had to do before he could go to bed. He had an extremely important meeting in the morning that he was going to be less than well rested for. 'Oh well... not like this could have waited,' he thought, rubbing his eyes. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, he was pretty tired. He turned to look through the bars again.

"Don't waste the opportunity. Learn from Junko. Make them both proud," Ayumu added. The question now was, what was he going to do with Kiri until the morning? He couldn't just let the kid go back out into the streets hours after he had put someone in the hospital. Perhaps a night in the cell would leave him with incentive to take the training with Junko seriously? He already seemed to be taking it seriously, but Ayumu wasn't sure what else he could do with the boy in the meantime.

 

[Osuteno]

Relief? This was probably relief he was feeling, Osu thought as the tendrils that had been aimed at Kiri's heart reentered his body. If Ayumu had given Kiri a death sentence Osu would have ended his student's life before he even had a chance to think about his fate. Hugging Kiri a bit tighter for a moment Osu let go of his student and started drying Kiri's face with his sleeve. Osu then sat down next to Kiri and slowly started to tranquilize him. "It is for the best that you rest now Kiri, best not to dwell on the thoughts of this day until tomorrow. I will sit with you here for a time."

Osu then gave a respectful nod to Ayumu. "I think we all could use some rest, it is late and the rest of us have work in the morning." His hand disappeared into his sleeve and brought out a triangular paper packet and tossed it to Ayumu. "Three milligrams of Heaven's Touch cut with some inactive ingredients. Good for getting someone to sleep but nothing really to keep you that way. If you use it nightly though it can be addictive so don't expect to get a prescription. Also do not take it with alcohol, full glass of water to help prevent dehydration."

Osu would wait for Kiri to slowly pass out over the next few minutes and sit beside him for a time, petting his student's head. After a long while he would head home to try and nap for an hour himself... Or perhaps he would call in sick to the hospital. This had put quite a bit of strain on one of his hearts.

 

[Kiri]

With all the swirling emotions inside, frankly it was hard to be still and focused. But within Osu’s embrace, everything felt like it was okay to just let go. He may not have known that his mentor was willing to cold-heartedly kill him on the spot should Ayumu had ordered it, but Kiri would not have argued on it. This was the sole person who tried to console him, who made him feel so much like he was a child back then that it didn’t matter at all. Perhaps, he thought, if this person was the one who gave the sentence back then, maybe he wouldn’t have that much anger.

As the words came out from Ayumu’s lips, Kiri could only process the meaning in his head while he couldn’t really react to it. So much emotions were still messing up with him, but he could feel that his beast was somehow relieved. Perhaps it meant a good thing. And then, Osu would would finally pull away and start drying his face from tears. He, too, was a bit embarrassed at his crying self so he tried hard to stop. His mentor, then, would apply some tranquillisers on him, helping him calm down a bit more before sitting by his side.

“Thank you… Osu-senpai. Somehow… it doesn’t feel lonely anymore,” he would utter with a few more sobs before closing his eyes. He was tired as all that explosion of energy and emotions were slowly leaving him. With his heartbeat coming to a peaceful rhythm, Kiri would soon nod off, head tilting to the side. And the last that he would feel was the patting on his head.

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[Kogami Ayumu]

Some might call Ayumu soft, but he was not leaping at every opportunity to kill someone and the fact that he didn't have to see Kiri dead tonight was a tremendous relief. Junko would take the boy under his wing and maybe with time he would teach him to control his inner demon, whatever it was exactly. He watched as Osu tried to lull his student to sleep and then caught the small packet of the sleeping drug Osu had offered him. Normally he wouldn't take anything to try to encourage sleep, but given that he had an important meeting in the morning and needed as much sleep as possible... he'd consider it.

"Thanks," Ayumu said, slipping the item into his pocket before going to seek out a guard. He returned a moment later with a key and after a few adjustments the chains remained but were given more slack so that the boy was not held up in a terribly uncomfortable manner. Leaving the cell, Ayumu quietly closed it and returned the key to the guard who had come at his request.

"The boy stays for the night... let Osu out when he is ready. Keep him under close surveillance, just in case," Ayumu instructed before looking back to Osu. "You served your student well tonight," he said as a final note before turning to leave. He would make arrangements with the warden to have someone escort Kiri to the gates in the morning to meet Junko. Now, he was going to bed.

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