[Anarchy! Day 1] Response Team 1

[Toraono Kuro]

Toraono Kuro commissioned every resource he had inside the village and used summoning scrolls to access the emergency reserves he had set aside for the village in case of another war with the ancients. It was the same yet not the same as attacks by a well informed team crippled infrastructure after infrastructure to take Sunagakure down and seal it off from the surface. Kuro was a former ANBU Captain so he knew how to play the game but even moreso he knew when he should play his own game. The prisoners whom had been released from the Obsidian palace were dangerous but even moreso they would be a source of information and a way to revival whether they wanted to help or not. With a wrath slowly being released from within the Demonbeast King took the fight back to the Cabal one by one. As his healing aspect faced one of the Cabal in honorable spar to ensure that all was not lost and a foothold was gained. His Hunter aspect began seeking ring leaders. While the Hunter sought leaders, the eyes and ears probed for any and all information using every bit of power within their arsenal. Masters from the dojo itself and select students captured criminals and looters and placed them in special areas so that when the time came they would all be held accountable.


Kazuo Takumi & Nagoro Gojin were given a mission to track as many criminals as possible and if they found an opportunity or a group they could take down they were to do so as quickly and quietly as possible without killing them as Toraono Kuro had other plans for them. Their first mission was to scout the outskirts of the Obsidian Palace and track the escapee's from their starting point. Those whom had chosen to stay inside their cells or chambers would not be harmed. Any criminals they found wandering about were to be captured and rendered incapable of harming anyone but themselves.

It was quiet and there were quite a few criminals whom just sat outside the prison too stunned to know what to do with their pseudo freedom. On count there were three dozen within sight that seemed to be mentally lost. They sat outside the main entrance simply staring at the ceiling or just laying around sleeping. These men weren't the threats they had been sent to find but they could have information that could help. Perhaps questioning them was safe? It was the alert ones that were obviously a threat. So far Takumi had only spotted eight active prisoners.

 

[Kazuo Takumi]

Re: [Anarchy] Response Team 1

Takumi landed upon the edge of a building overlooking the prison. There were more inmates still around than he had expected. Most of them appeared to be lost or confused. Some of them were even asleep, as if home in bed. He had originally avoided approaching the prison, or any other high profile areas, for fear of provoking an attack by the terrorists. Now, he had finally been given an assignment to systematically breach these kinds of areas. He was already familiar with the process of gathering information. After all, he had done the same kind of work involving a number of small criminal activists and gang recruitments already. As he looked out upon the area, he dug his hand into his back pouch and produced a dense hand-sized notebook. He was more accustomed to carrying out investigations alone, but now he had a partner. He would have to share all of the relevant information with Gojin before proceeding. Takumi opened the notebook to the middle page, unclipped the attached pen, and began to scribble.

"So far I see exactly thirty-six inmates still present in the vicinity of the Obsidian Palace." Takumi's voice wavered as he spoke. He wasn't used to the idea of vocalizing his analyses, but it was important that he did. "We should keep a record of how many prisoners are still within the range of the prison, and subtract them from the total number of inmates that were being held before the release."

As he spoke, he made it a point to avoid eye-contact with Gojin. He had too many questions for his new partner, and it threatened to distract his concentration. His thoughts kept returning to the "Gaia seal" that was marked onto his new companion, and how the genin reacted to its placement. Takumi wasn't very familiar with cursed seals, but he had read a fictional story about one. The story was about a monster that terrorized a small village, and how a mob had driven it away with fire and pitchforks. It was said that the monster was once a villager who had been cursed, and he wore the mark of the beast as proof of it. It was a small and childish fear, but on some level Takumi was worried about his new ally. However, he would avoid voicing his concerns until his worries were given basis. Besides, Takumi was certain that he could trust Kuro. He was excited to use his own new weapon in combat as well.

Takumi looked up from his notebook.

"The prisoners that remained most likely have no place else to go." Takumi sighed. "It's weird but, I'm sure a lot of them must think of this place as home by now. There are others who are confused or insane. We should be careful around everyone, even the ones that are asleep."

The situation was delicate. Takumi and Gojin needed to gather information about many of the missing prisoners, and asking some of the docile inmates that remained behind might prove to be advantageous. However, there was also the possibility that speaking to one of them might provoke them. Also, they could give away their tactical advantage against the inmates who were hostile if they began asking around too soon. Thus, Takumi figured that it would be safer to eliminate the threats before engaging the other inmates with questions. There was only the simple matter of determining which of the inmates were hostile. Takumi saw that eight of the prisoners appeared to be active. He turned to his partner and pointed them out.

"We should approach quietly and take them out first. Once we apprehend them, we can ask a few of the others about the prison break. I suggest avoiding the prisoners who are asleep, since we really don't know how they will react when they wake up. They could still be hostile."

Once Gojin had agreed, Takumi leapt down and approached the area in the shadows. The idea was to maintain stealth as long as possible and remove the threats from the area. Once that was done, they would proceed to question whichever criminals were awake and appeared to be sane.

[Kinjutsu Application Continued]

 

[Nagoro Gojin]

Re: [Anarchy] Response Team 1

[Abomination Kinjutsu app continued from here]</B>​

<i></i>

<B>Sennin Kuro had instructed that they make their way to the prison, where groups of prisoners still remained. Ever since he had set off he had been experiencing a small headache from the sudden explosion of chakra inside of him. In the small amount of time it had taken them to travel to the prison. Kuro's demonic chakra had already been mixing and fusing into Gojin's body. His fingernails were starting to become much longer and sharper and his hair seemed to also have grown a few inches longer. Even his eyes felt different, his vision was sharper and his irises seemed to itch as (unaware to him) they changed into a crimson red hue. His skin was beginning to darken in small patches to a more olive tone, and to top it all off his tongue had even started to get longer. All of these changes were nothing compared to what he felt on the inside.

His mind felt fuzzy, random pictures coming into his head of dark forests and blood. He felt emotions coursing through his body faster than lightning, from pure rage to a deep longing and they never lasted for more than a few seconds. His thoughts seemed to race through his head at a million miles a minute. As he crouched next to Takumi he barely heard a word the boy had been saying, his head began to twitch as he looked down at the inmates, a deep but soft growl coming from his chest before his expression turned to one of shock. He clutched his hands to his head and his eyes widened as he muttered to himself, "W-What is happening to meeeee." his final word turned into a slight hiss. Pure rage and confusion filled his body, clutching his hands together so tightly that it felt as if his hands were going to bleed. The shield on his back felt heavy and yet he felt stronger than he had ever felt before.

In his head he could see worried faces of his family members, but he did not care there was no more room for family. There was only room for rage, he could see the decapitated heads of the inmates below fallen to his feet. But there was something preventing him from jumping from their vantage point and laying waste to the entire group of prisoners. It wasn't humanity, he could feel the last vestiges of humanity slipping from his fingertips. It was self-control, pure determination and also, loyalty. Unbeknownst to Gojin, with the seal becoming more and more a part of him, his connection with Kuro was becoming deeper and deeper. The man was beginning to have ultimate control over the Genin, he was becoming a beast on a leash, untamed and ferocious. At the drop of a hat ready to destroy and all enemies of the village.

It scared him, why this sudden personality change was affecting him so greatly and so sudden. What was the cause, his hand instantly flew to his chest and rubbed the seal, it stung to the touch but it was a nice kind of sting, enjoyable. He could see his veins popping out, a dark black color all over his body. Was this a normal reaction a cursed seal? Was he dying from the malevolent chakras flowing through his veins? No, he wasn't dying... He couldn't be dying, not when he felt so... GOOD. He started to cackle softly as Takumi told him the plan. He heard it and he acknowledged it with a soft nod. A demonic smile twisting across his face, as he saw Takumi leap down into the shadows. Gojin quickly followed suit.

As he hit the ground however, a voice penetrated his mind...

 

[Toraono Kuro]

Re: [Anarchy] Response Team 1



Two former prisoners high in the palace watched the young genin and stalwart demon touched approach. They noticed that these men weren't ANBU which was good for their sakes it had been so long since they had touched a young man. They had been sealed away for over five years and just when their sentence was about to be completed and their minds restored 'The Cabal' had come in and broken the ancient system of rehabilitation. There wasn't much left for them to do but to have the seals that had been placed on their minds removed so that they could live new lives free of guilt and memories of their treachery. They had betrayed their team mates out of anger at being mistreated as kunoichi and at a crucial moment in their mission abandoned their sexist team mates to the mercy of a sandwyrm rampaging outside of Soon. They would have gotten away with it had one of them not survived long enough to tell the tale and implicate them for their actions. Funiko and Yuriko were not related by blood but through extensive training were together so long that they became identical in all physical features. Funiko loved men with young features, Yuriko loved dark, strong,terrible men. Yuriko even harbored a crush on Mikaboshi, Funiko always laughed at her about that. Their rehabilitation was still incomplete and they were stuck in the vicious mental cycle of reliving their betrayal every time they closed their eyes. These two however could ease their pain, and keep their minds off their curse.

Funiko waved to get their attention.

Claws, rigid bone like armor, heightened senses.. Gojin could literally taste the air and it was the beast that called but he did not know who it was yet. He had not been able to talk with Kuro about his lineage before accepting his seal. His body wasn't supposed to react like this. Perhaps some part of him accepted the devilbeast blood more easily than he cared to admit. He could feel the call of the hunt, hear the beating of weak hearts, smell the fear and rage of the lost. The scent of women longing reached him, it was faint but it was there and suddenly it was remarkably clear. The call within demanded more dark power, it needed more and he would have to find more, perhaps Kuro could help. How could he have known his blood and chakra would create someone whom could become a devil like himself? A beast's face could be seen in his mind's eye and he could feel it's need to challenge the strong and prove itself. He could feel the need to test his might in ways he had never imagined.

​

Nagoro Gojin could hear it speak but what was the devilbeast saying?

 

[Kazuo Takumi]

Re: [Anarchy] Response Team 1

There was a stir in the wind that put Takumi on edge. Something about the situation didn't feel right. Takumi landed atop the slopping rooftop of the Obsidian Palace and looked down upon the area. His gut had been calling to him the entire night. There was something that was left undone. There was some detail that he hadn't analyzed, or that he neglected to consider. As he marked the locations of four of the active prisoners, he couldn't help but to wonder. Was there another prisoner that he hadn't noticed? Was there more danger than he had anticipated? Takumi was very cautious of letting his nerves run away with him, especially on a mission that he was leading. But he couldn't afford ignore his gut either. He looked over the area again. He could see less of it now that he was in position. He stood two dozen meters above the area, hidden beneath an overpass. Was Gojin in position as well? Probably.

Wait, Takumi thought. Again, he was stricken with the sensation that he had overlooked something. Did it happen when he thought about Gojin? Was he nervous about his partner? Takumi thought about it. There was the possibility that he was having anxiety about leading a team for the first time. Though, Takumi recalled being thrilled at the idea of working with Gojin. Also, he was never one to exhibit social anxiety of any sort. There was something else that was bothering him, and it most likely had to do with the mysterious "Gaia seal".

Takumi cast himself from the overhang with a series of flips. He landed behind one of the prisoners and hopped forward to deliver an elbow jab to the side of the head. Before landing, he twisted himself to stop and kneel just before the falling body in an attempt to catch it. The others were nearby, though Takumi had arranged himself to attack while out of view of them. After stashing the body, Takumi ran for the next target. He threw his knee toward the spine of the next man, and made an attempt at a quick duck-and-roll to turn himself around.

After a quick moment of thought, he wondered about Gojin again. Why was he feeling such anxiety about Gojin? It was probably because of his earlier subconscious decision to avoid eye-contact. Takumi had never been trusted with this much responsibility, so he was usually free to analyze whatever came upon his attention. However this time, he was forced to pick and choose. He couldn't waste all of his time thinking about things that just weren't very important. After all, he still trusted Kuro, even if he did only just meet the man. Everything that Takumi had noticed about the Sennin screamed that he was a man of honor and trust. But did he expect Gojin to react so quickly to the seal? Was Gojin really as fine as he let on? If so, then why was Takumi so on edge? Maybe it was something that he noticed earlier...

Takumi was half-way to his last target when the answer struck him. In fact, Takumi had noticed something earlier. He was attempting to avoid Gojin before, but by crouching beside his partner, Takumi's peripheral vision remained in effect. He had noticed slight twitching and sweating. On their own, those symptons would be indicative of nearly nothing. However, when he first met the genin, he was strong, resolute, and unyielding. This was particularly apparent when he ignored his own thirst with barely a whimper back at the academy. But now, here he was publicly suffering with the sweat and emotion that contradicted the profile that Takumi had devised for him. Rather than just changing physically, Gojin was in fact showing signs of a change in character!

He landed with a kick to the fourth inmate's head and toppled across the pavement with cold "huff". The situation was becoming clear. He had to make sure that Gojin could handle his emotions. It was possible that the seal was changing the very essence of his being... Takumi turned around when he saw them. Two women, standing proudly near the Obsidian Palace, watching them. Were they a threat? Takumi had to assume so. More importantly, Takumi had to get back to Gojin and make sure that he was okay. There was no telling how he was reacting to the seal. And there was no telling what he might do to the prisoners...

"Gojin," Takumi blindly called. "We have company."

[MFT]

 

[Sand Council]

Re: [Anarchy] Response Team 1

Takumi was one of extraordinary preparation and observation, but even the most studious of shinobi understood that a plan was only as good as the person enacting it and their ability to adapt as the circumstances called for it. Prisoners fell to the stealth tactics of the genin, but the occasional whispers would ask of the whereabouts of someone now missing. Nothing quite enough to raise an alarm, but enough for people to become curious. The end of his escapades would leave him in the sight's of the identical kunoichi, and it was in that moment he knew that his situation was incredibly fragile. While not typically a team player, Takumi had adjusted in order to lead this mission. Now, in his moment of need, when relying on his partner, he would call out and find nothing.

Gojin was not there to aid him.

The uncharacteristically open statement had drawn more than just the attention of the would-be twins and prisoners began to herd towards the lone ninja, but as they did, there was an obvious correlation between how close they got and how close Funiko and Yuriko got. The closer the two females got, the more distance they left between them. It was as if they were paying their respects and not wishing to step across an invisible line set down by the superior muscle in the yard.

"You do have company."

"Why, yes, yes you do."

"And to what do we owe the pleasure of having such a dashing young lad visit us?"

A majority of the number Takumi had originally counted out was now bearing down on him. Killers and shinobi criminals alike in the bunch. Funiko and Yuriko neared, but were all smiles, rounded curves, and swaying hips. The predatory look in their eyes was one fueled by lust and betrayed what would happen to the young man if he did not hold his ground and think of something fast. Although reformed, some cravings of the flesh could overpower even the deepest of indoctrination. What would our young hero do? Take to the shadows or grind his heels in and try to pry anything useful from them?

 

[Kazuo Takumi]

Re: [Anarchy] Response Team 1

The situation was already well out of hand. Takumi had set himself upon maintaining a covert position amongst the confused and mis-trodden inmates. However, with his cover blown, it was obvious that he would need to adjust his strategy. Realizing that the girls were getting closer, Takumi moved his foot back a step--but he quickly replaced it. He didn't want to appear to be too intimidated before deciding upon what kind of traits he should reveal about his personality. He was more in favor of developing a psychological façade, but it would have to be believable. Most likely the girls knew that he already took out a few of the inmates, so he couldn't play his token "innocent kid" routine. He had to decide based upon their appearance and personality...

But how many seconds had passed? Two? Three? Takumi would have to think even faster in order to prevent losing further control of the situation. It didn't help that his partner Gojin had gone MIA... It was possible that Gojin was maintaining his position, and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Though, it was also possible that his seal had caused him to lose control of himself and run off. Either way, Takumi was alone for now, and all of the inmates that he had assigned to Gojin were conscious and moving in on him as well. His eyes moved across the small crowd with slow and steady acuity.

"And to what do we owe the pleasure of having such a dashing young lad visit us?"

Takumi's face visibly lightened when he heard the compliment. He averted his eyes and failed to keep back a bashful smile.

"You flatter me," he said in a somewhat edgy and flirtatious tone.

The time for thinking had passed, but Takumi had what he needed. He had to play to whatever strengths the girls would give him. It was possible that they could see him as cute, given their words and behavior. Therefore, it was reasonable to assume that he could continue to exploit their predisposition. Again, however, he couldn't play the innocent kid. Rather, he saw another way into their world, based upon what was likely prevalent in their psychological make-up: the girls were sadistic. He arrived to his conclusion based both upon their behavior and their previous incarceration in the Obsidian Palace.

More importantly, and despite his youth, Takumi was quick to note that the girls appeared to enjoy exploring their own sexual nature. He had to make himself open to that, regardless of how uncomfortable it made him. He had to take up a façade that was both flirtatious and slightly sadistic on its own. He had recycle his own personality for what could be accurately described as his polar opposite. But, Takumi warned himself, it was important to balance the act. If he came off as too flirtatious, it could instigate the girls even further. It was important to keep them at a distance.

"My partner and I were just here collecting information..." He said, reaching into his back pouch. He kept one arm up to signal that he wasn't reaching for a weapon. However, as he pulled out his booklet from his back pouch, he slipped a folded proximity explosion tag between the pages. With a quick slight of hand, the tag was tucked away and hidden as he innocently revealed the book brimming with notes and calculations.

"I mean, I kinda took out a few of your guys maybe~," he smiled as he spoke, as if reminiscing over the past, "-but that was just for fun. We were only supposed to count the number of inmates. I recorded it all in here. See?"

Takumi tossed the book into the space between he and the twins, taking a few steps back. He kept his hands up above his chin with a sarcastic grin.

"Maybe you could help me... Do you know where any of the other inmates might have gone? I kind of have a big job ahead of me."

 

[Sand Council]

Re: [Anarchy] Response Team 1

Both Funiko and Yuriko laughed at the young lad. The truth of his situation was both a good cover and an even better smokescreen. The twins stared at him with more interest and as the book was tossed forward, they didn't budge. They had been asked a question. It would be polite to respond in turn.

"Have you been writing notes under a rock?"

"They're everywhere! Running about like animals with a new lease on life."

Their enthusiastic response would be interrupted as one of the inmate's curiosity had gotten the best of him and he meandered towards the notebook. As he picked it up and flipped a single page, it detonated and engulfed him in fire. When the smoke cleared there would be nothing left of the man. The surrounding prisoners would instantly go on edge, brandishing whatever weapon they had in hand. The twins laughed again, simultaneously this time. A high-pitched chortle that would make nails on a chalkboard sound like birds singing.

"You have some balls, handsome."

"I wonder what you thought that would accomplish. Here I thought we were starting a beautiful relationship."

"I don't think he likes us, sister. It's such a shame too. We hadn't seen any striking males for some time. What will you do now, stranger-kun?"

The twins didn't seem angry at the action. If anything they seemed disappointed, missing a chance to welcome new flesh into their circle. Prisoners often sought out indulgences, and throwing out a wild card like an explosive note so early may have cost Takumi any chance at earning their trust and gaining information out of them.

 

[Kazuo Takumi]

Re: [Anarchy] Response Team 1

Takumi threw the book forward and let it land a few feet ahead of him. The book was meant as a peace offering to show the girls that he had nothing to hide. However, just before throwing it, he also folded away a primed explosion tag between the mess of its pages. The tactic was somewhat rudimentary, but he could use it to establish several details about his situation. His highest priority was to establish a profile for each of the two twins. He wanted to determine how they would react to his offering, while maintaining a proximity from his would-be enemies that could be defined by the explosion tag. Takumi was fully prepared for the possibility that they wouldn't approach the book--in fact he had bet upon it. Also, had they decided to attack head-on, they might have overlooked their proximity to the book and triggered the explosion. At least he was able to establish more control over the situation.

"Have you been writing notes under a rock?" One sister said.

"They're everywhere! Running about like animals with a new lease on life." The other added.

Takumi offered a genuine smile. The twins almost came off as excited to have the discussion. With every spoken word they seemed less likely to make an attack out of nowhere. Though, considering their history with the Obsidian palace and their possibly unstable personalities, he had to stay prepared. He was about to ask another question when he noticed one of the inmates approach from the crowd. The genin was immediately bewildered... The thought had crossed his mind that one of the inmates might take it upon themselves to investigate the book, though given the authority implied by the twins over their current encounter, and the relative distance that the inmates maintained between them and the sisters upon their arrival, Takumi saw that it was unlikely that an inmate would break away from the group and approach without being called upon. Nevertheless, a lot of the inmates were highly unstable, so he hadn't completely neglected the possibility. Though, it was a worst-case scenario...

As Takumi watched the inmate inch closer to the book, a smile grew on his face. Just as the explosion was triggered, Takumi blurted out his youngest and most mischievous laugh. He doubled over and pointed at the explosion as if mocking its victim, repeating "I can't believe--I can't believe he fell for that!"

Though he sounded pleased on the outside, Takumi was writhing from within. The explosion had blown the man away to smithereens, but the man was only curious. He could have been innocent beside his incarceration in the Obsidian Palace. Takumi never wanted to kill any of them... Not if they weren't going to attack him first! Takumi knew immediately that the murder of that prisoner would haunt him. But he couldn't think about that now. He had to keep up his façade. He had to pretend that this was funny...

"You have some balls, handsome."

Takumi deceptively struggled to hold back a smile, as if he were the benefactor of some silly prank. He appeared to be pleased about the explosion, looking back at the smoldering mark that it left in the dirt again and again. Though, his smile fell when the sisters began to change their tone.

Takumi kept his eyes nailed to them. There was no telling how they would react to the sudden explosion. Would they take that as a sign to attack? Would they turn and run away? What about the other inmates? From behind his mask of immaturity, he maintained strict caution. The explosion could have blown away any chance he had at talking to them. There was no way to hide the attack for what it was, but he might be able to salvage his intentions given the personality he chose to embody. Takumi openly breathed in a sigh and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I wonder what you thought that would accomplish. Here I thought we were starting a beautiful relationship."

"What, you don't like blowing things up?!" He laughed. Takumi looked over at the other sister, who said

"I don't think he likes us, sister. It's such a shame too. We hadn't seen any striking males for some time. What will you do now, stranger-kun?"

"On the contrary," Takumi said, still chuckling. He kicked a piece of charred paper and playfully jumped onto another, "you two are pretty fun! There was no way that two smart ladies like you would fall for a stupid little prank like that." After a moment, Takumi paused and looked up into the sky.

"...I was just taking advantage of my short freedom... At home, I don't have it very often." He put his wrists together, as if they were handcuffed. His smile faded into obscurity. "I'm pretty much just a prisoner myself." With a sigh, Takumi slowly met eyes with the twins.

"I guess it might be hard to understand."

 

[Sand Council]

Re: [Anarchy] Response Team 1

Takumi played it cool despite his current predicament. Something many people didn't have the ability to do when nearly backed into a corner. An intelligence agent had to be collected under pressure, especially if they hadn't extracted what they needed from their targets. To leave before doing so is failure and means a complete loss of intelligence that can't be retrieved from that avenue again. Once a bridge is burned, it is forever gone due to the suspicion and cautionary actions of the wronged. The twins watched and took in the young genin's performance, but his farce wasn't being completely believed anymore. He had made a fatal mistake in using an explosive device to gauge the twins' capabilities. More importantly, he hadn't thought that they'd suspect a trap and allowed the prisoners to thoughtlessly meander over and set off the note.

Sometimes two heads were better than one.

"Hard to understand...being a prisoner?"

"Either your brain has suddenly turned to mush or you missed the fact we're at our village's place for the worst of the worst."

The two exchanged glances for a brief moment, sharing that nearly telepathic exchange of acknowledgements that people got after spending a lot of time together.

"To insist that having a home is the same prison we have is almost a joke in itself. If you can non-chalantly slip an explosive note into a scratch book and then invite us to read it--"

"--then you can just as happily do so to anyone who is shackling you. But you're probably too much of a coward to do anything about your own despair and instead will just go on wallowing." Funiko grinned, half laughing. "If you came here wanting pity, you came to the wrong place. Go back to strangling helpless lowlifes, they don't have much else to live for."

The twins turned their back and headed towards a corner of the open courtyard where a fire burned and some makeshift benches had been set up.

"That's why they're still here. Their conditioning has made them brain-dead, without want or need. Unlike the blood-thirsty animals out there killing people. Silly boys and their silly priorities." They did not seem so amused anymore. Had they wanted to indulge in chaos, they would have left like all the others to cause havoc. The handful of prisoners to stayed considered The Obsidian Palace home, as they had none other to return to. Sunagakure's psychological reconditioning also did a lot to dull any of the urges that had previously driven them to be criminals. They lived to try to feel life once more. The slight untruth they had sensed from Takumi was enough to close them off. What little trust had existed was now only a thin thread that would need mending if he ever hoped to pull anything out of them.

Not completely without their own concerns, the remainder of the prisoners went back to their own areas, where several pieces of broken furniture had been dragged to. While they couldn't leave the Obsidian Palace, they did not wish to be inside. Whether that was because they had spent so much time in there or if something else was driving them out.

A question that would better serve Takumi answered...but how would he go about it now?

 

[Kazuo Takumi]

Re: [Anarchy] Response Team 1

The inside of Takumi's head was still buzzing. As he struggled to maintain his persona, he was forced to keep his thoughts straight and his methods clear. It was rare for him to be faced with a situation where he had no time to think. He was always able to plan everything out ahead of time, and handle the smaller details with quick-witted intuition. However, with the disappearance of Gojin, all of his plans had been derailed on the spot. Also, it was becoming less and less likely that his partner would suddenly emerge from the shadows to help. The genin had to assume that he was alone. Though, with his polished skills at acting like a child, he was mostly able to stabilize the composure of his façade. But would they still buy it? Even if they did, it was unlikely that they would still trust him. But once again, Takumi had bet upon that.

"Hard to understand...being a prisoner?" The first twin said. As always, the second sister seemed to pick up the end of the sentence.

"Either your brain has suddenly turned to mush or you missed the fact we're at our village's place for the worst of the worst."

The consensus was clear. The sisters felt strongly about their incarceration in the Obsidian Palace. Moreover, they appeared to value their sudden freedom. Most importantly, they were still willing to talk rather than fight.

With the weight of caution lifted slightly, Takumi took a moment to compose himself. He needed to bring harmony to his mind in order to make his methods clear. It had occurred to him that the girls were willing to buy his performance, at least at first. But given the explosion, the chances that they would trust him with any kind of information became extremely small. "Stupid, stupid!" Takumi thought to himself. With enough space to think, it easily occurred to him that the explosive tag was a mistake. It was a decent strategy that he had used in the past, but only for maintaining proximity between expressly defined targets. But given his predicament--having been dropped into a dangerous situation and discovering that he was suddenly alone--he let his youth and inexperience cause him to implement a decent strategy at an inappropriate time. Like any other child his age, he panicked, and it cost a man his life.

Though he hadn't finished chastising himself for his hastiness, it was more important for him to figure out his next move. The explosion was Takumi's cue to switch strategies. Rather than attempt to befriend them like before, he needed to repel them. Of course, he didn't want to repel them so far that they would attack or shut down. Instead, he needed to implement one of his most timeless strategies... He needed them to contradict him with the information that he was looking for.

"My brain is just fine!" He folded his arms. "You think that being prisoners at the Obsidian Palace is so bad? At least you have each other! No one even cares about me at home." He said, more violently kicking another piece of charred rubble.

"To insist that having a home is the same prison we have is almost a joke in itself. If you can non-chalantly slip an explosive note into a scratch book and then invite us to read it--" One sister said,

"--then you can just as happily do so to anyone who is shackling you. But you're probably too much of a coward to do anything about your own despair and instead will just go on wallowing."

The girls were on a roll.

"If you came here wanting pity, you came to the wrong place. Go back to strangling helpless lowlifes, they don't have much else to live for."

The situation was delicate. Takumi was encouraged by the fact that they were still talking to him, but they were visibly losing patience. He didn't want to lose their attention, nor did he want to gain their aggression. Though there were two of them, their feelings and emotions seemed to flow as one. Thus, there was twice as much to read on their faces and in their body language. Takumi made sure to monitor his tone based upon the subtle responses of their physiology.

"How am I the coward?" He said carefully. "You're the ones still here. If you hate being prisoners so much, then why do you still hang around the prison?" He paused and looked at the rest of the former inmates slowly making their way back to their homely positions.

"Why are they still here? If being here is so bad, then why haven't you run away with the rest of them?" Takumi lowered his voice before continuing.

"You said that having a home is not the same as being a prisoner. Yet you stick around as if this is your home, and these people are your family. Maybe the Obsidian Palace is your home. But even if it is, I'm still less of a coward. Because at least I'm not afraid to step foot in my own home. I wake up there in the morning and go to sleep there at night. But here you are hovering outside of it, lost somewhere between freedom and family. Either way, I'm not the only coward here."

 

[Sand Council]

Re: [Anarchy] Response Team 1

"Kekekekekekekekeke. Morning and night are adorable concepts for a child who has never actually lived in sunlight." The twins laughed.

"That artificial sky must have fried your brain worse than we thought."

"His ears too. He doesn't seem to listen well either."

"Yeah, you're right. Let us make it perfectly clear. Your people, your leaders chemically treat and condition many of the prisoners inside the Palace."

"It gets inside your head, changes how you think, how you act, how you choose to live. We can't do anything else."

"If we had the choice, we would have already been upon you and your sweet young flesh."

Evidently, not all of the prisoners were so unfortunate to remain treated as the ones lumbering about the outside of the prisoner. There was even the off chance that the people responsible for their freedom had figured out a way to reverse the chemical influences and choose to leave specific people out. A controlled strike with more predictable outcomes if the less stable prisoners were left under their awakened sedation. Idly, the pair tended to their flame, keeping themselves warm and almost completely tuning out the immature Genin.

"Besides, we're out here because they're in there." Funiko admitted.

There wouldn't be any emotional outbursts or sudden flooding of information. Takumi hadn't offered any sort of stimulus to coax anything more from them other than that last tidbit of information. Maybe that was enough? Maybe they knew more and he was losing his grip on the situation? A variety of questions, and many vital answers. Would Takumi find any of them?

 

[Toraono Kuro]

Re: [Anarchy] Response Team 1

The bow reacted to the proximity of the obsidian palace and the true power held deep within. Waves of serene power manifested and began to release the seals held on the twins in response to the seal's power source. Using dark arts from the Toraono Clan and seals from the Ancients the crimes these girls had committed had been pushed to the forefront of their minds and in doing so they had been forced to relive their crimes through both their own and their victims eyes. It was the most effective non physical punishment ever devised by the wardens of the obsidian palace. The Cabal had shattered the cell blocks and released all the prisoners before their seals could be removed so many were dangerously unstable. The twins had actually been set for release in a few days and the irony of freedom without their seals removed was quite evident. The Yotaka Senshu a special living bow that can transform itself to aid Takumi in combat of its own free will did so now as it armored his body and produced a healing aura that removed the seals of retribution that had held the twins in their reduced state. All memories of their crimes were sealed away, and only the good things they had accomplished for Sunagakure remained. Their chakras and abilities were fully restored as the image of a giant white hawk filled their minds as it literally devoured the dark energies of their seals and took that energy for itself. The dark heart at the deepest levels of the citadel beat once releasing a deep resounding pulse in response to its fellow ancient hunter now living as an Immortal weapon. Ever at odds with one another the Lord of the Wild hunt's heart still recognized its rival the Nighthawk. The Dark Citadel rumbled briefly before becoming quiet and disturbingly serene yet again. The bow had revealed some of its true nature but what would Takumi do now that twins were free and their true powers restored. They were clear of their crimes now and could choose to leave or return to their darker habits even with no memory of them the body craves what the body craves and muscle memory alone in many situations can cause a tidal wave of reactions.

 

[Kazuo Takumi]

"Yeah, you're right. Let us make it perfectly clear. Your people, your leaders chemically treat and condition many of the prisoners inside the Palace."

"It gets inside your head, changes how you think, how you act, how you choose to live. We can't do anything else."

"If we had the choice, we would have already been upon you and your sweet young flesh."

The rumors about the obsidian palace were always at the forefront of Takumi's prying mind. Though many of the rumors were probably true to some extent, it was impossible to determine whether or not the information was legitimate. He was a newcomer to this village, so the reliable contacts and informants that he had once relied upon had become a rare commodity. At least now he could verify some of the rumors for himself.

"They alter your minds chemically?" Takumi repeat, almost to himself. "But then why have most of the criminals escaped? Why are they causing such mayhem?"

Takumi had a new idea. There must have been more to the prison break than just blowing a hole through the side of the building. It was possible that the Cabal must have re-engineered the prisoners somehow, or negated the effects of the original conditioning. Though, he still didn't have enough information about the conditioning to assume that every prisoner received the same treatment.

"Besides, we're out here because they're in there." Fumiko said.

Takumi looked at the palace. Who were "they"? Were there more prisoners still inside? Actually, Takumi thought, they probably weren't prisoners, considering that if they were dangerous enough to make the sisters fear them, then they probably would have been conditioned either as much or even more so than the sisters--making them harmless. On the other hand, any village warden or military official worth avoiding would have left to help with the outbreak. The only conclusion was that one of the prison breakers must still be inside. The Cabal were possibly still inside the obsidian palace.

The news was too big for him to stick around. His orders were to apprehend any prisoners that were still wandering about, but the prisoners who remained behind in their cells were to be left alone. However, Yuriko and Fumiko would still be in their cells had it not been for the mysterious strangers still lurking within the prison's confounds. Takumi had his answers. He was ready to turn and leave when the bow and his back had begun to come alive.

"What the-" he stopped, having turned his back to the sisters.

He could hear the twins behind him beginning to stir. He turned around and watched them carefully. Had their conditioning worn off? Were they going to attack? Takumi felt his bow, and immediately determined that his bow was reacting as well. Based upon what he could see, the resonance of his bow matched the disturbing aura suddenly surrounding the twins. The cause and effect was impossible to determine. Either his bow was primed to react to some sort of seal upon proximity, or the sisters were somehow reacting to his bow. Takumi removed the bow from his back and tried to throw it. He couldn't let go. The bow hung from his hand like it had been permanently seared to his skin. The texture of the bow began to creep up his arm in a swirling motion. He panicked, suddenly confused and distrusting of the man who had gifted the thing to him.

"G-get off," he tried to keep his voice down.

It continued until it covered his entire body. He was fitted in a sort of armor. The aura that it released was soothing and relieving, though the sisters didn't seem to think so. He watched them carefully as the armor continued to reform. Suddenly, a pulse of energy resounded through his body, crippling him to one knee without causing any pain. His vision blurred and multiplied. He could barely see a foot ahead of himself. Were the twins still there? Would they attack soon?

"Okay," Takumi called, fearing the sudden dark intent that he could sense in the environment. "I have to ask you all to return to your cells inside the prison!" He stood slowly, his vision still spinning. Given the reaction of his bow and the sudden change in the twins, Takumi had lost his grip on the situation. He had to reestablish control before making his next move... He needed things to make sense again.


"Return to your cells, or explain to me why you are unable!"

 

[Toraono Kuro]

Prisoners deep under the effects of the dark hearts and minds seal instantly responded to the soothing energies of the bow. Funiko and Yuriko were freed of their seal and the curse removed from their bodies as all but the faintest memories of their crimes was removed. They had never killed anyone, but they had traumatized enough men to cause most men to fear dating or marriage for the next three years. They looked upon Takumi anew, slight smiles graced their faces as they walked passed him to sit outside the main gate and enjoy true freedom.
"We don’t know how to thank you." The twins laughed. "When The Cabal showed up we knew things had gone wrong, we were supposed to be released yesterday. The guards never made it to our floor. " They breathed in the cool dark air like it was the sweetest tasting gas in the world. "How did you remove the seals, you aren’t a Sennin or an ANBU Captain, you must have powerful friends to be able to release criminals, even b rank criminals like us."
"Yeah, she's right. The power to remove these cursed seals is way above your pay grade. Your people, our leaders chemically condition the mid dangerous prisoners inside the Obsidian Palace to repatriate us to the population still skilled, still cognizant but not dangerous to the society proper." "Now that we are free we can hunt THE CABAL and make them pay for ruining our scheduled release from this dark hello hole. We can't do anything else."

 

[Kazuo Takumi]

The ringing in Takumi's head had begun to die away. He removed his hand from clutching a clump of his hair, and regained balance as he stood on his own feet. The twins had walked passed him, but he felt no cause for alarm. They seemed to have no intentions of attacking him. Thus, the situation was not as uncontrollable as he had feared. Though, he still had no idea what was happening. Had his weapon caused them to somehow become cooperative? What would they do now?

"We don’t know how to thank you."

Suddenly the twins were happy. Takumi rubbed the rest of the fuzziness out of his eyes and listened.

"When The Cabal showed up we knew things had gone wrong, we were supposed to be released yesterday. The guards never made it to our floor."

Somehow, Takumi could tell that they weren't lying. The two sisters shared emotions between them, so it was much easier to read deceit from them rather than from an individual. Besides that however, there was something about them that felt more free and open. The armor that suddenly surrounded him made him more sensitive to their emotions, which flowed more freely than it had before. It felt as if a caged animal had been released from its prison, both in their words and in their actions. Takumi was no longer tense about keeping them around.

"How did you remove the seals, you aren’t a Sennin or an ANBU Captain, you must have powerful friends to be able to release criminals, even b rank criminals like us." One of the sisters said. Takumi looked down for a moment. It seemed no longer necessary to keep up his previous façade. Though, he genuinely didn't know the answer to that himself. After a moment of thought, he answered,

"My bow is infused with a special technique. It must have reacted with the conditioning treatment that you received in the obsidian palace."

Takumi wasn't sure of his answer himself, but that was his only hint as to what happened. Besides that, he didn't want to come off as uninformed about his own weaponry, be his audience hostile or not. Apparently their seals had been removed rather than intensified, so the energy of the bow was enough to break an otherwise powerful seal designed for top-notch prisoners. Takumi was intrigued.

"This bow was given to me by a powerful friend..."

The sisters seemed happy for the first time. Their hostility had been wiped to make way for cooperation. They would make a valuable asset if their loyalties were truly set.

"Now that we are free we can hunt THE CABAL and make them pay for ruining our scheduled release from this dark hello hole. We can't do anything else."

"Great," Takumi said happily, "then maybe we can work together. You mentioned before that someone was keeping you from going back inside of the obsidian palace... Is it the Cabal? Are they still in there? Do you have any idea where they could be, or where any of the missing prisoners are?"

 

[Toraono Kuro]

Funiko stood up and placed her sheathed blade comfortably against her right hip as she reveled in her returned freedom. "There is a monster inside the palace a monster named Shukusatsu, he has this power The Cabal helped him gain from the true power of the Obsidian Palace that allows him to force the lower ranked prisoners to be his slaves or worse. All the S rank prisoners were freed and forced into service via special life threatening means. If they don't have Shukusatsu then they can't control all the lower ranked prisoners."</B><i></i>

Yuriko readied her armor,<B>"He's too strong for the two of us though and since becoming a facet of the Obsidian Palace he has changed into some kind of monster that can transform his body into different weapons."

Seemed they had a target in mind and were making sure to prepare for him.

 

[Kazuo Takumi]

"There is a monster inside the palace a monster named Shukusatsu, he has this power The Cabal helped him gain from the true power of the Obsidian Palace that allows him to force the lower ranked prisoners to be his slaves or worse. All the S rank prisoners were freed and forced into service via special life threatening means. If they don't have Shukusatsu then they can't control all the lower ranked prisoners." Funiko said.

The sister continued, "He's too strong for the two of us though and since becoming a facet of the Obsidian Palace he has changed into some kind of monster that can transform his body into different weapons."

Takumi nodded his head. He figured that someone powerful must have been in the prison, considering that the twins and the rest of the conditioned prisoners were forced to wonder about along its outskirts. There was someone inside who didn't want the prisoners to return, not even those who would do so willingly. The enemy would have to be extracted before any meaningful progress could be made.

With the interest of reporting his news, Takumi drew the special arrows that Kuro had given him in the case of an emergency. His orders were to use it to mark the location of a large number of prisoners, but he felt justified in using it to report the location of an even larger and more important threat. With a quick draw of his newly transformed bow, Takumi launched the arrow into the air and watched it resonate the sound that only the sennin could hear. He turned back to the twins with an assuring smile.


"It seems like you're different now compared to before. I believe you when you tell me that you two were scheduled to be freed, especially since you remained here at the prison under your conditioned states. The arrow that I just shot was a special signal for some serious back-up. We should proceed cautiously from here on, since we don't know what this 'monster' is capable of..."

 

[Toraono Kuro]

It didn't take long for three members of the Toraono clan to arrive, one distinctly resembled Toraono Kuro except he was extremely large and well armored. Kyojin Kuro stood at seven feet and weighed in at four hundred and fifty pounds. He wore a sand camouflage pattern heavy armor made of Takahashi fire-forged steel with matte-black transformation seals allowing it to switch from desert colors to pitch black dependent on Kuro’s vocal command or four tap sonic patterned code along his right thigh plate. Kyojin Kuro wore a matching belt and sheath around his waist where he had sheathed a pair of blade attachments for his battle gauntlets. Kyojin Kuro wore his battle pouch atop the belt it was a simple lizard leather pouch but easily camouflaged by rubbing it with sand or crushed stone if ever necessary just above his right hip. Kyojin Kuro wore his leg sheath on the interior of his left armored thigh just atop his silk gi shorts. A convenient slot in the multi-folded steel of his left thigh armor allowed Kyojin Kuro full access to his items without showing exactly where it was till he motioned to grab it. Securing his Takahashi forged battle guards and lower leggings were Kyojin Kuro’s enhanced runic terran sealed leather wraps for his hands, forearms, shins and feet. Kyojin Kuro had wrapped his armored tail around his belt making it appear that Kuro wore a belt of armor resembling hand-sized reinforced double blades. Kyojin Kuro wore his mane of silver hair in tight war braids in ancient ceremonial fashion making his oxen horns much more pronounced but also making him look like a serious battle veteran, massive chakra gems implanted into his flesh and endoskeletal structure stood out on the back of his hands as well as one in the center of his forehead at the crest of his skull. The chakra gem in his left hand was emerald green with a spiral of a star in its center, if you looked at it closely and long enough one could see where it interfaced with the flesh and bone with tiny bio crystal circuits. The chakra gem in his right hand was ruby red with a six point star in its center, this one also interfaced with his flesh and bone with tiny bio crystal circuits. In the center of his forehead was a massive sunstone. This is an extremely rare chakra gem that is occasionally found in the deep deserts after being unearthed by the giant sandwyrms. Only the strongest of people could lift them due to their density and this body had one implanted in its skull and interfacing with his brain. It was a unique feeling to say the least but the interface with the sunstone allowed Kuro to dramatically pulse chakra throughout this body which was one of the keys to his transformational capabilities. It also allowed him to control his metabolic rate at a degree he had never believed was possible. His dark flesh was runed with runic terran seals and tattoos. His horns looked as if they were part of his armor along with his gems but the discerning eye would know that they were part of this giant's body. He directed the other two clansmen to take up defensive positions. Kyojin Kuro then approached Takumi and kneeled next to him "You have done well Takumi, although I believe Gojin is having difficulties adjusting to his seal. The bow has obviously found you worthy of it and you seem well adapted. I shall tell you a secret, when that bow is faced by great evil, in the right hands the Wild Ancient Yukata is reborn to lend his power to defeat evil. He helped track and defeat a great evil centuries ago the Ancient Lord known as the Tarasque whom was once his friend. You signaled for a capture team and we are here what new source of discontent have you found?"<i></i>

 

[Kazuo Takumi]

Takumi shot the arrow, but at once he was unsure if anyone would notice. He wasn't fully aware of how the beacon worked, or if there would be any kind of response to it. After all, he was relatively new to the village and its unique customs. Though, his trepidation was short-lived when an entire response team appeared at his call. He turned to one of them, thinking he was Kuro... Though, his memory suggested otherwise. Several very distinct details varied between the Sennin and this man, including height. Already facing him, Takumi bowed to seven-foot shinobi.

"Thanks for coming,"he smiled.

"You have done well Takumi," the man began, "although I believe Gojin is having difficulties adjusting to his seal."

Takumi remembered that Gojin had disappeared. He suspected that it was due to the stress of the seal placed on him, but he wasn't sure until now. Takumi nodded in agreement.

"The bow has obviously found you worthy of it and you seem well adapted." The man continued.

Takumi looked down at the gift that he had received from the sennin. Was this the same kind of gift that Gojin had received?

"I shall tell you a secret, when that bow is faced by great evil, in the right hands the Wild Ancient Yukata is reborn to lend his power to defeat evil."

"But," Takumi started, "what made Sennin Kuro choose me? Why am I so worthy of it? I'm still just a kid..."

Remembering the situation at-hand, Takumi turned to the two sisters. He still had a job to do. Addressing the entire response team now, he pointed up at the obsidian palace.

"I'll try to be quick. The obsidian palace is being occupied by an unknown enemy of presumably great power. His name is Shukusatsu, and he works for the Cabal." Takumi paused.

"These two were scheduled to be released before the prison-break. Somehow, the conditioning of the obsidian palace reacted with the power of this bow and released their minds. I think that we can trust them now. All of my information concerning Shukusatsu comes from these two. They might be able to lead us to him once we're inside."