Private Boar & More! [Mission - Kazu & Daijamitsu]

[Kaen]

It would appear the trio had a closer unspoken bond that went beyond Sunan shinobi. All with a dark past that clouded their minds and haunted their souls, each respective past fueling their desire for vengeance upon this sort of 'type'. Slavers, to Kaen, were one of the worst possible types to walk this earth. While Kaen did not have high respects towards the common human, or whatever sub-specie one might call themselves, a life was a life. Nobody, even the worst of scum, deserved to be bound n' chained, sold off like cattle, experimented on, tortured for fun, etc. It didn't matter. They would pay, justice system or not. He would see to it himself if need be. But he had a feeling that both Daijamitsu and Kazu wouldn't have too many complaints should push come to shove. Accidents happen, sometimes causalities can't be avoided.

"Good, there's no time to waste. There's no telling what they might be doing with those other children." Shifting his feet towards the direction the boar-pulled wagon he would clench his fists and furrow his brows. "Their tracks are heavy and deep, they are going to lead us straight towards their base of operations." Deeply troubled by the boldness of these slavers, Kaen couldn't help but feel this Unbent epidemic brought more than themselves. With so few patrolling the desert, opting to find sanctuary in Suna's walls, it was no wonder they could get away with this so close to Suna's gates. Fortune favored them this day, today the trafficking business would take a hit. "Move out!" With a commanding shout Kaen would give the order and then followed the tracks with an expedited pace.

-----------

How long had they been running? Ten minutes, thirty? Honestly he wasn't sure. His thoughts had been so fixated on how to correctly go about this situation. He knew what he SHOULD do, what his duty SAID he should do. But his innate feelings about the matter felt stronger than reason and rules. In the end would he show these two what a shinobi should do, apprehend the enemy and let the justice system do their job, or take matters into their own hands? When it was all said and done, the worst that would happen to these traffickers would be getting thrown into the Obsidian Palace, but for how long? These guys were probably nothing more than grunts anyways, the real face behind the operation wouldn't be going out and fetching the 'goods' themselves. No they would be sitting behind some padded security in a fancy chair as they soaked in their ill gotten wealth. He hated those types of people, loathed them even.

Passion and ferocity had already been near his limit of control, the words of Sousuke echoing in his mind. Stay the flames of fury and don't consume those of Sunan origin. Natural instinct was at war with his human logic within, the woes of being a Hybrid were profoundly dark and tragic. More so when you are trying hard to be a good little Ancient and not risk losing your place in society, and the protection garnered for loved ones with sed position. The rising confliction within Kaen's mind only fueled the fires within and the flames of his Court were emerging slowly but surely with every bounding step. His focus waned and thus his subtle control of chakra. His 'sand-striding' became less of a stride and more of blunt force gait. Heat forcefully flowed from the soles of his footwear and the desert sand vitrified under his feet leaving a trail of brittle shards. Should either Kazu or Daijamitsu fall behind, his trail would be easily spotted. Kaen would not be slowing down. Given the situation and how both respective squad members felt about it, they might not care too much about their stamina reserves either.

At last they, or at the very least Kaen, would catch up to the wagon. Catching the coattails of these ilk they would see the sand-enclosed ruins they had gone into. This place gave the appearance of being long forgotten and deserted, and that was if you could have even spotted it among the desert dunes. It was possible they needed to maintain the entrance so as not to be swallowed up by the desert. This could mean there was definitely more than just those two slavers inside. From what he could see there was only two ways in. The large, open archway the wagon had pulled into, and a small window-like opening near the top of the lone tower that mounted the entryway.

[Flashback Episode!!!] (Didn't want to write a ton that would basically be copy paste, read if interested, but not important to do so)

Obviously withdrawn and distrait, Kaen stared forward with intensity and malice. Flames slowly rising and licking outwards attempting to bite anything that may draw too near. It would take an outside force to pull him from his stupor. Though strong, fearless and nigh unbreakable, Kaen's mind was untempered and susceptible when it came to his dreadful past. Upon provoking Kaen from his trance-like state a surge of power would erupt outwards. His wrathful gaze would be directed to whomever had disturbed him, he was clearly not himself in this moment. Immense pressure would emanate from Kaen in a concussive wave. Deadly, ruinous intent would be felt at their core lest they have the ability to withstand such force. It would only last for a moment before Kaen regained his composure, but his innermost thoughts and potential would most definitely be felt.

Immediately Kaen would collect himself and extinguish the flaming aura exuding outwards. Shaking his head clear of troubling and distracting thoughts he would attempt to make light of the experience. Clearing his throat he would reassess the situation and lay out his thoughts on the newfound mission. "Ahem... Excuse me. Alright guys, the time for testing and prompting is over. This isn't the walk in the park type of mission it was meant to be. At the least this has become a B-level mission and should be treated with caution." Hopefully these two were up to the task, he wasn't about to let them die under his watch if he could help it. Sousuke would be greatly disappointed and his position as Lord would be even more so diminished. The thought of splitting up came to mind, but he quickly brushed it aside. It was simply not an option with this squad. He knew nothing about their abilities and higher potential save Kazu. But Unbent were not the same as trained slavers. He had some respect for the kid, but not enough to let him go out on his own, yet.

Eyeing the large entryway at the base of the ruins and then the window near the top he pondered out loud for a moment. "Hmm... Alright, Daijamitsu. I want you to send your serpent friend to scout out the large entryway. They won't suspect a snake, and will pay it no mind. Find out how many are inside." Turning to Kazu he would give him some orders as well. "How good is your aim?" An odd question to be sure, but it served an actual purpose. The follow up would be even stranger. "How complex are you able to construct your bone weapons? Are you able to make hook-like and smoother, not jagged?" Kaen had seen him create a weapon before on the battlefield. There have been others with this particular bloodline like ability, he wondered how efficient the boy was in controlling it. One last request for both of them and he would begin to formulate a plan based on their responses. "Also I need all of the explosive notes that either of you have. If you have something more powerful I can also put it to use." Ruins should stay ruins. It was likely these slavers had perverted this once potentially grand building to suit their malicious ways. He would not stand for it, it was a severe injustice to the innocent young within.

Now assuming that Daijamitsu's snake was capable of performing the task asked of its master, it would have much to see past the threshold of sunlight gleaming into the shadowy interior of the large entryway. Once inside it would see the wagon they had been tailing, on it the remaining children lay bound. The two slavers would be off to the side tending to the boars that were pulling the wagon. They would unhitch them and lead them into a large pen filled with even more dustboars. The noise and smell would be nigh unbearable. Their squeals were shrill and their scent even more potent. The children could be seen crying as the over-stimulation of smell, sounds and situation became too much for them to bear. It appeared this was more of a docking area, and by the looks of it there were more than just these two that went out and collected children. This seemed to almost be a hub of some sort as other empty wagons were seen tied up on the sides, lining the wall. A few spots were vacant with visible trails leading to and away, whoever had taken them out was most likely collecting just as these two had. Quite the business they had here, one could only wonder who was behind it all. There was nobody else in sight for now, and no apparent camera system in place. At least not one plainly visible. Both of the slavers would remain silent as they worked, they knew their process and did their diligent work. They would eventually start loading the children onto large carts with metal rings welded onto the cart where they could latch the bound children onto to keep them from falling off during transport, or running away. They would approach a large door and enter a code into a keypad and a previously red light would switch to green and the doors would unlock to allow entry. Once fully inside the doors would shut behind them and the light would return to red, sealing the doors once again.


[OOC MFT]

 

[Daijamitsu]

The flight across the dunes was smooth, the determination pushing Daijamitsu on with increased willpower. The Genin thought back to what he had felt watching the slavers, the intense menacing aura, and whether such a dark presence within himself had always been there or had developed. It wouldn't be too big a stretch to see how twisted the boy could be following his past, and the unnerving interest he had in the dead, leading to the darkness within exuding outward in a palpable manifestation. It could also be a result of the mysterious ancestry the boy had, a secret contained deep within his bloodline that spoke of power unknown to him, and a connection to serpents which affected his growth and development so strongly. Perhaps it was a matter of both instances combined, which resulted in an unnatural state for Daijamitsu, inside and out. Whatever the case, Daijamitsu had found a target for his underlying presence, and it demanded satisfaction with blood...

Keeping pace with the incredibly swift team leader was difficult, with Daijamitsu even losing sight of Kaen several times on their trek, before regaining visual over or around dunes. It also seemed the older shinobi harnessed internal rage and secrets of his own, as there was a literal pressure of radiating heat from him; enough so that Kaen left behind heated shards of sand, cracked and in pieces, in his wake. There was a clear resentment and internal anger within the shinobi, which gave its own presence in the area around him... and Daijamitsu didn't fancy being in the way of that fire, should Kaen unleash it on the unsuspecting slavers.

It didn't seem long before the trio arrived where the slaver trail ended. Hidden amid the dunes were ruins, almost consumed by the sands around it, and it appeared to be in a basic state of care. The main entry was clear, maintained against the continually shifting desert, which spoke of more inside. The surrounding sands were in constant motion, and if the slavers had been out seeking children for any length of time, it was highly likely the sand buildup would be considerably higher against the opening. That meant more enemies, but also more opportunity to deliver swift retribution on any other slavers in the structure... so Daijamitsu was content with there being extra.

There are two entrances visible, Daijamitsu thought to himself, as he stopped not far from Kaen. He kept low in the sand, to avoid being seen by potential lookouts. The window at the to--

Daijamitsu frowned as he looked to his right, his yellow eyes fixating on Kaen. There were very visible and heated flames coming from the older shinobi, as well as an intense murderous pressure of hatred and malice. Within Daijamitsu, deep down, the Genin's own dark aura pressed outward, seeking the sensation and adding fuel to the proverbial - and literal - fire of the other. In fact, it almost seemed that the dark aura exhibited by Daijamitsu encouraged Kaen's state, further seeking to influence action. Daijamitsu had his own internal anger, yes, but he was also a being of logic; and following the dash across the desert, the Genin had had time to calm and prepare for the battle ahead.

Or so he hoped.

The trio's combination of anger and hatred was intoxicating, threatening to bring about a catalyst to spark things off. Were nothing done, the likelihood of the shinobi just storming the ruins in a blood rage was unreasonably high, and would put them all in danger. So Daijamitsu fought against his own want, pushing the darkness he felt bubbling inside down, in an attempt to recenter and refocus. He was a shinobi, trained to deal with a number of situations and effects, and losing his control now in this moment wouldn't help anyone. And if Kaen were to lose control, too, then Daijamitsu doubted his chances of surviving against the older man if he turned on his companions.

"Kaen-sensei," Daijamitsu said lowly, as he looked at the team leader. "How do we proceed?"

That's when the pressure and intensity of Kaen's rage was turned on Daijamitsu, causing the Genin to physically recoil from the glare the other gave. It lasted for a moment, but it was enough to fill the boy with a sense of dread and hopelessness, as even his strong will was forced to give under the strain. The dark aura within the pale boy lashed out, nowhere near as strong as Kaen's own presence, in an attempt to stave off whatever threatened Daijamitsu... and then it was over, with Kaen resuming the mission command, his self-control reestablished and in place once more. The licking flames disappeared, receding back into the older shinobi, and the manifested pressure was gone.

Thankfully that is over, Daijamitsu thought as he recovered, righting himself in the sand from where he had rolled away. What an incredibly dark intent...

For the next several moments, Daijamitsu listened as Kaen explained the situation and the plan. They were now in a harder mission classification, according to the team leader. It also made sense to scout first, just as the trio had intended with the Unbent prior, and it was a logical decision to use Daijamitsu's snake. With a subtle thought, Daijamitsu looked to his left sleeve, and watched with a faint smile as the serpent slithered out along the pale and small hand, before dropping to the sand with a dull thud. The snake coiled around itself, the tongue flicking out to taste the air, before it remained still and waited its owner's wish. Kaen wished to know the number of slavers, which was entirely doable and within the snake's capacity to discover. Daijamitsu lowered his head, his mouth near the snakes own head, as the boy whispered in a low tone; and after a moment, the serpent turned and began writhing its way toward the ruin, sliding across the sands like butter on a hot pan.

"She will return soon, Kaen-sensei," Daijamitsu said simply, with a glance to the other, as the snake disappeared from view. "I also suggested she search for hidden exits as possible."

The snake didn't take long to assess the area it could access of the ruin, the forked tongue flicking and tasting air, determining all the different scents and feeling the sounds through the ground. The position of the dustboar pens was remembered, as well as the position of the children's holding place, and through some quick slithering and positioning the snake was able to watch the key sequence... and even though it didn't understand the concept of numbers, it knew enough to register movement and finger positioning. The space for additional wagons was clear, too, as the snake slithered across ruts caused by the heavy wheels, some older than others and some newer. Wanting to please its owner, the serpent circled the area as it could, trying to locate anything else that might be of use, before it decided there was little else to discover; it had scented predators, it had tasted fear, it had heard chains and seen the human pressing a pad with a finger.

Now it was time to return.

Meanwhile, Daijamitsu had been keeping to himself. He avoided looking at Kaen for the moment, preferring to leave the older shinobi to his musings and planning with Kazu. When the team leader asked for explosive notes, Daijamitsu reached into his pouches and produced several kunai that were seemingly quite normal... until the wrapping around the handles was undone, revealing rolled up explosive notes beneath. Carefully the Genin took each note, before passing them to Kaen without a word. Chances were the entryway to the ruins would be the intended target of those explosives, depending on Kaen's overall plan.

The snake returned, appearing from the sand with a hiss, before it approached Daijamitsu. The boy held out his hand, allowing the creature to coil its way up around the extended limb, before sliding under the large sleeve and disappearing. For a moment Daijamitsu remained still, as some kind of silent exchange took place, though not with words so much as with sensations and feelings. And while not common to sharing information, the connection both felt was strong enough to give a surprisingly detailed explanation of the ruins and the area within the entry...

"There is more than one wagon, some appear to be missing, others are not," Daijamitsu said almost in a daze, as his yellow eyes turned to his companions. "Dustboars are penned, children are chained, and the slavers entered a locked door with a keypad... I do not know the numbers, but I can feel where the finger presses were. If I can get to it, I should be able to input the code indirectly."

Daijamitsu inclined his head, eyes still glazed over somewhat.

"...there is a seeming lack of visible cameras or security. There were many scents on the air, but the dustboars' stink was too strong for accurate numbers. That is all she knows."

The pale Genin blinked several times, his eyes refocused, as the lump of the snake beneath the robes shifted and disappeared from view. Now it would come down to whether Kaen wanted to try a specific approach, or to split up; though Daijamitsu hoped the latter didn't happen, as the threat of danger was very real now, especially with the knowledge that several wagons might return with additional enemies at any point in time...

[ WC: 1,564 ]​

 

[Kazu]

For a moment, as the group muttered their mutual agreement of doing whatever it took to free the children subjugated under individuals who only knew greed and profit, Kazu wondered how far justice could be taken. ’What will I do, when I have one of them within my grasp?’ Emotions, thoughts, and solemn swearing of vengeance were one thing. But when the moment came to act, what would the three of them truly do? What would their actions reflect of them? Kazu pondered over this, and many more thoughts, as the group followed the two slavers’ trail back to their hideout.

Sometimes, Kaen disappeared ahead of Daijamitsu and Kazu. The two were able to follow easily enough, as the flame-wielding man seemed to be so agitated that he left behind a trail of fulgurite — shards of super-heated sand that formed into twisted glass bits. It was not entirely unlike Kazu’s own reaction to intense anger; the boy had been known, when sufficiently pissed off, to exude streams of flame from his feet and the backs of his legs. However, there was something different about Kaen’s fires. Kazu could almost taste a difference; he could sense there was something… more than menacing… regarding the nature of those flames.

It is said that Legatus, the very first of the Ryuzaki, was known as a God Eater. It is said that he had the ability to consume the souls, and the essence, of Ancients slain in battle. It is said this is how he became so powerful, one of Primus’ First Men, and was able to live well beyond the normal mortal span. While Kazu had never heard mention of anyone in modern times possessing the same abilities — or, for that matter, in the centuries since the time of Legatus himself — it is said that those of the Ryuzaki Clan have a very strong affinity towards Ancients. Luckily for Kaen, Kazu would be unable to connect the oddities he could sense to these fabled abilities; though that did not mean exposure to the man’s abilities could not trigger something deeper within him.

For now, Kazu merely focused on the mission, setting aside weird gut feelings for another time.

Eventually, the group reached a half-buried entrance to some ancient ruins. To Kazu, it looked like some sort of temple, a monument, or perhaps some sort of trading outpost long forgotten about. Whatever it used to be, it was now the base of operations to illegal human trafficking. A large archway was the first main entrance the boy could see, and after a moment of scanning he noticed a small window atop a tall tower above the main archway. The grounds were well-kept, much to his dismay. ’How many are in there?’ Only a large group would take to keeping their base clean, no matter whatever sickening things their ‘business’ entailed inside. Kazu wondered how they would decide to enter, before that strange taste he’d noticed earlier came back.

Kaen was fuming. Literally, he was seething flames of anger and malice. Feral, and raw, his emotions were pouring out of him in the form of these flames. Underneath it all, Kazu could feel a second force — this one, however, did not come from Kaen. A darker energy, more like a miasma of the mind, flowed out of Daijamitsu to mix and match with Kaen’s own wrathfully burning anger. Quickly it subsides, however, and Daijamitsu tries to break through to Kaen with a simple question…

...only for Kaen’s burning intensity to be set to its maximum. Like a gas stove set to high, Kaen briefly directed his full attention on the pale-skinned boy in what seemed to Kazu like a momentary lose of control. Until this point, the young Ryuzaki had been trying to control himself — to temper his anger, his frustrations, and his own desire to lash out at the first thing in front of him — and had managed to maintain a relatively focused, if not entirely calm, atmosphere about him; in an instant, the surface level stillness of emotion broke into a defiant challenge against his raging team leader.

”Stop it, Kaen! Get a hold of yourself, damn it! Do you intend to simply rush in there and burn everything to a crisp?!”

Kazu wore a scowl of anger, disapproval, and warning. His eyes were shooting daggers at Kaen, daring him to take this one step further. Kazu was not one to back down when faced with confrontation; he would dig his heels in, brace for impact, and give it everything he had. That intention was clear, but something else was, too: Kaen and Daijamitsu were not the only two exuding a rather potent aura.

From deep within Kazu’s soul, something like a resolute will, or an iron-clad resolve, seemed to exude outwards. An intensity of character, an unwillingness to back down in the face of an insurmountable challenge, and the determination to push through any challenges that may stand between himself, and his goal — this was the closest way of describing what Kaen and Daijamitsu would feel in regards to the very look in Kazu’s eyes, or perhaps in the way in which he held himself. It was deeper than chakra. It was life energy, itself.

”Now come on! Get ahold of yourselves, both of you!” He directed his comments at Daijamitsu, as well, hoping to unify everyone back into one cohesive group. ”We’ve got bigger fish to fry than squabbling amongst ourselves.”

Satisfied when the two backed down from their “almost-confrontation,” Kazu managed to relax a bit as well. Perhaps the slight confrontation had been cathartic? Either way, the group settled in to strategize, discuss options, and plan for their approach. Kaen made sure to mention that things were going to harder than initially planned, which Kazu had already took for granted, and listened intently as the man began to give orders and directions. ’It seems like he’s back to normal now… which is good, but I wonder if that side will come back again?” Somehow, Kazu seemed plenty able to gloss over his own oddities which had also come out.

The first order of business was for Daijamitsu’s snake to scout ahead. Then Kaen inquired about Kazu’s aim, and the complexity with which he was able to use his bone manipulation abilities. Thinking for a moment over Kaen’s request for a smooth hook-like construct, Kazu placed his index finger between his lips and hooked his thumb underneath his chin contemplatively.

”That should be doable. I can probably bend my ribs slightly into a more curved shape to make the hooks. Smooth shouldn’t be a problem, either...” Testing it out, Kazu held up shirt and winced against the pain which came with bone manipulation — although, the more he did it, the more he was getting used to the sensation — as he forced one of his right-side ribs to grow straight out of his chest. One oddity about these bones, however, was that they did not seem to be the normal white color they had been during The Long Night. These bones appeared lightly grey, almost silvery, and seemed to shimmer slightly in the desert sunlight. Upon closer inspection, Kaen and Daijamitsu would be able to tell what was different: Kazu’s bones were becoming metallic. ”A little bit of heat at one end, and...” Gripping the already slightly curved rib bone in both hands, one end of metal bone seemed to heat up and glow red hot where Kazu’s hand was holding it. With a bit of force, Kazu bent the softened material into a more traditional hook shape. Satisfied, Kazu held out the non-heated end of the hook to Kaen with a bit of a victorious smile. ”There. Let me know if that’ll work, and I’ll make a couple more.”

Assuming that there were no problems, Kazu would go about fashioning a few more metal hooks for them all to use. The boy figured they would be used to scale up the cliff side into that window. As he went about his work, he began to approach the topic of his aim. ”Well, the thing about that...” A nervous chuckle escaped the boy’s lips. ”...it’s not the best, to be honest. Although, I hate to admit it, that bastard trafficker did give me a decent idea.” Holding out his hand, with only his index finger and thumb extended, it kind of looked like one of those guns the man Eiji was using earlier. ”I’ve never tried this before, but I suppose I could try to shoot out the small bones in the tips of my fingers with enough force to launch it as a projectile? That wouldn’t really help us throw these hooks anywhere, though… which, I assume, is where you’re going with this thought?” Kazu looked at Kaen questioningly, but allowed the leader to either confirm or correct Kazu’s assessment. ”My skills are more suited to close-range combat.”

When Kaen asked for explosive notes, Kazu pulled out a handful of Chakra Disruption Bombs instead. ”Unfortunately, I didn’t bring any with me; but you can have these, if you think they’ll be useful.” Soon afterwards, Daijamitsu’s snake returned — watching the exchange between serpent and master, Kazu would be lying if he said the exchange wasn’t a tad bit unnerving to watch. The way Daijamitsu’s eyes glazed over, as if he wasn’t in his own body for a moment, was unsettling. ’Still, though, I need to get me a little critter friend, too. That could help out a lot.’ Kazu would wait on Kaen’s orders for what would come next. He had no illusions of running in there on his own to face whatever lay in waiting, and so the only thing he could do was contribute to the plan forming. Kazu was ready, for whatever might come next.

[WC: 1,636]
[Total WC: 6,352 / 4000]

 

[Kaen]

Kaen was losing his grip. Not only on his psyche, but that of his squad's morale. Without the intent of it, he had seemed to pacify Daijamitsu to a degree, and caused Kazu to fire off towards him. He was not acting like the older, wiser, more mature leader he was meant to be. Thankfully the pair of them helped curb the fires within and allowed him to regain focus, but he couldn't help but feel remiss about letting himself deteriorate to such a degree. But this strong pair of Genin were strong and pushed forward all the same. Daijamitsu performed the scouting duties marvelously and Kazu's bone bending techniques, albeit disgusting, was most appreciated.

After Daijamitsu and Kazu handed Kaen the small handful of Explosive Notes and Chakra Disruption Bombs, along with numerous hooked bones, their leader's plan would now be explained. This needed to be an all hands on type of cooperative effort otherwise they may be in for a bad time. But before he would go on to explain his plan in detail Kaen would require the help of one other being. A lookout of sorts, among a key piece for other things, would be none other than Sprinkles, Kaen's sentient companion of armor.

Placing his hand onto the ground after a string of hand seals a plume of smoke would erupt. A small gust of wind would pick up and blow away the smoke to reveal a mighty, towering glint of silver and steel. "It's been some time, Master Kaen. Oh, hello Young Kazu. I trust you are well?" After any exchange between the looming contract and the young Kazu, Kaen would welcome the being and continue to unfold his plan. "It's good to see you too, Sprinkles. I have ne--." Kaen was quickly cut off as "Sprinkles" raised it's hand in disagreement, as if to say stop. "Please, Master Kaen, I no longer wish to have that juvenile title. After so many years of exploring and learning for your species I've come to appreciate another name." Alright, well, he wasn't planning on having this sort of discussion right in the middle of a mission, but alright then. "My apologies. How would you like to be addressed instead?" Kaen was surprisingly respectful towards this being, a rarity to be sure. "I've come to appreciate the name Tetsugo. I'm not completely sure of it's meaning, but it sounds strong and durable, like myself." Kaen would place his hand on his chest in a thoughtful way and "hmmm'd" followed by a few quick successions of nods. "Very well then, Tetsugo it is! Now then..."

Kaen would then become for the trio to come closer as he knelt down in the sand. Tetsugo would sit instead, he was just too big. He would proceed to draw in the sand with his finger and make a crude replica of the ruins behind them. "Tetsugo, I need you to stay out here, I will also need to use you as an anchor seeing as there is nothing but sand around here. I will radio additional information to Daijamitsu when the time comes. So for now you are just the lookout." Tetsugo would make no note of their part, instead they would just stare and listen intently to the plan. "Daijamitsu, you're going to stay here and accompany Tetsugo. You're going to be my eyes and ears, radio immediately if you see anyone coming." Stealth was of utmost importance, there was no telling what these slavers would do to the children in response to hostility. Now turning to Kazu he would issue him his orders. "Kazu, your part is simple, but important. We will need to make a getaway when this is all over, and if things go right we will have children with us that won't be able to traverse the desert like we can. So I want you to round up as many dustboars as you need and prepare a wagon for us. Drive it to Tetsugo here where he can watch over it. After you have completed that return to me inside, hopefully I'll already have the door opened."

It would appear everyone had their next set of tasks to perform. Setting a plethora of traps to make sure this place stayed a ruin and would no longer serve as a nefarious means of business would be a good idea. He had been given a number of paper bombs from Daijamitsu, another handful of chakra disruption bombs from Kazu, and then there was his own supply of explosive notes. All together he felt that he would be able to bring down a large portion of this structure. Not to the point of collapse, but enough to where it may not be worth digging out the rubble to use it for this sort of purpose again. "Once we're inside we will have to play things by ear. So pay attention and do as I say. Everybody ready?" Kaen himself would need to be ready for anything. It was entirely possible that other slavers arrive before they get inside, or even after. But Tetsugo was more than capable, so there might not be much room to worry. "Aye sir!" The massive compilation of metal and padding filled with the life of some sentient spirit would stand up and give a well timed thumbs up. Kaen himself would stand back up and would wait to be sure that Kazu and Daijamitsu were ready.

Once they affirmed their stance on the mission the trio would head out towards the entrance with Tetsugo standing guard atop the dune. His hand already held up to his forehead, scanning the horizon for any hint of slavers or the like. Thankfully there was only one window and no cameras which made getting inside a piece of cake. The smell would be the first to fill his nose, an overwhelming odor which only could be that of the dustboars in the pen. How disgusting. Kaen would begin his work. Pulling out a length of ninja wire Kean would attach some to the furthest wagon from the keypadded door. "Kazu!" He would call to get Kazu's attention. "You take that one, the rest of these I'm going to trap." He held up the E-notes to show Kazu what he meant. The last, and closest to the pen, wagon would be the one for Kazu to use. Kaen would then string the thin, and nearly invisible, string of ninja wire over to the next wagon where he attached more E-notes to the wire and stuck it onto the wagon. By nature Kaen was not a trap 'person' and would have to make these E-notes go off in tandem another way. He had a plan in mind that should work out just fine. He would continue to work while the others did as well. The new rescue mission had officially started!

Spoiler

"000000"
"00000000"

 

[Kaen]

With all but the one wagon now equipped with E-notes primed and ready to go, Kaen would have made sure to delicately string them along a large spool of ninja wire. As he continued to walk he would let out more of the line creating a trail of ninja wire behind him. He would approach the door with the keypad and begin to examine it. Taking a random guess he would press 1, 2, 3, 4. It buzzed lightly and flashed red giving a signal that the code entered was false. Kaen would then try a dozen more variations before coming to the conclusion he was not going to get in this way. Or at least not with a code. Still he knew he couldn't just blow down the door, it would blow their cover and risk the potential lives of whomever might be inside, children wise that is.

Placing his right hand atop the keypad Kaen would focus chakra and concentrate it into his palm. The keys would begin to glow and then finally melted from the heat he was exuding from his hand. The keys had now melted off and the wiring began to fry under the heat. Sparks would fly, but little noise was made. A moment later and the door's hydraulic system would hiss and the door was released from its bolts that kept it locked. With a satisfied nod Kaen would cease melting the keypad and pulled apart the doors that led inside. A chilling wave of air washed over him as the door opened, it was much cooler in here than it was outside. A long, empty corridor stretched out before him, the outside made it appear much smaller than what it actually was. Here Kaen would wait for Kazu to finish his task before the pair would venture any further.

[OOC MFT]

 

[Kazu]

Their rescue plan was coming together. Daijamitsu had gotten some incredible intel by scouting ahead. Kazu had helped to create some tools on-the-fly that would make their entrance possible. Kaen was gathering up all the supplies and preparing to explain their plan of attack; however, it appeared that this plan required another party member. Flashing through a few quick handseals, Kaen would summon forth a living suit of armor — Sprinkles Tetsugo — whom Kazu had the pleasure of meeting once before. Smiling to the suit of armor, Kazu would return the warm greeting in kind.

"Oh, hello Young Kazu. I trust you are well?"

”Thanks to you, I am! It’s great to see you again, though we really should schedule a time to meet when we’re not on the battlefield, per say.”

The last time Kazu had met Tetsugo was the first time he had met Kaen: out in the Desert Expanse, fighting off Unbent hordes, and nearly exploding in a fireball of super-powered fury. ‘Save the reminiscing for later!’ It was time for them to save some lives. The four of them huddled in close together while Kaen laid out his plans for each of them. When it came time for Kazu’s role, his muscles tensed with anticipation but his breathing remained steady. ‘Master yourself, Kazukura,’ he thought, soothingly, to himself.

“Kazu, your part is simple, but important. We will need to make a getaway when this is all over, and if things go right we will have children with us that won't be able to traverse the desert like we can. So I want you to round up as many dustboars as you need and prepare a wagon for us. Drive it to Tetsugo here where he can watch over it. After you have completed that return to me inside, hopefully I'll already have the door opened.”

”Roger, Kaen-sensei. Leave it to me.” There was no hesitation in his voice. Kazu had a task to perform and he would make sure to do it properly. Standing up, after Kaen would check to make sure everyone was ready, Kazu would give a confident nod before carefully making his way down the dune with the flame-haired commander.

Kazu’s head was on a swivel, his eyes darting left and right so as to spot any potential problems before they could complicate matters, and every single one of his senses were primed. He heard nothing alarming, though the smell of the dustboars did a good job of masking anything else. ‘That’s just as good for us as it is for them, I suppose,’ thought Kazu, trying to find the silver lining in the pungent odor which filled his nostrils. So far, it seemed their presence had gone unnoticed. Good thing for them. As they got closer, Kaen called to Kazu in hushed tones to take the wagon closest to the pens while displaying the Explosive Notes that he would use to carry out his end of the plan — Kazu nodded, and gave a quick thumbs-up in acknowledgement, before carrying on with his task.

By the dustboar pens there was everything that could be needed to wrangle up a few hogs. Ropes, bits, and harnesses were all left unattended; it made sense, if the traffickers inside weren’t expecting anyone and planned to come and go often. The thought of their business being a regular occurrence sickened Kazu, but he pushed that aside and continued with the mission. The pen held quite a few dustboars; at least enough to outfit three or four wagonloads with two hogs at a time. Kazu made a quick calculation, and figured that if they were expecting to take more children out than they were taking in, then they ought to double-up on the amount of hog-power they’d be using. ‘Five will do,’ Kazu though, and began the process of settling the harnesses on them.

The boy faced little resistance. These dustboars seemed afraid of him, rather than defiant and wild, as he would expect, which made Kazu suspect the children weren’t the only ones mistreated around here. They accepted their bits meekly, allowing Kazu to guide them without as much as a tug of defiance, and stood perfectly still as he secured and roped their harnesses to the nearby wagon. It broke Kazu’s heart to seem their wild spirits in this state, but he was eternally grateful for their cooperation when time was not their friend. There would be no dustboar steaks tonight.

Securing the last dustboar to the wagon, Kazu was about to lead the single-wagon caravan out to Tetsugo like they had planned, when a thought occurred to him. If they needed to make a fast getaway, it would be best to ensure that no pursuers could match them. Quickly, the boy opened the gate and motioned for the other dustboars to follow him — having seen the way he’d treated their kin, the remaining beasts were all too happy to (quietly) oblige. Following along behind him in something resembling an orderly fashion, Kazu lead the group of dustboars out the front of the entryway to Tetsugo. Once there, he shooed the un-harnessed dustboars away so they could return to the desert, and their homes, as free as they once had been.

There was no time to reflect at all. There was work, still, to finish. More, still, needed that same freedom.

Quickly making his way back into the courtyard, crossing over the lines of booby-trapped wagons, Kazu met up with Kaen at the entrance to the ruins. The boy noticed the melted keypad, and made a mental note to remember that trick — it could come very much in handy, some day. Silently, Kazu nodded to his commander; he gave another thumbs-up, and looked quickly with his eyes towards the door that hung ajar for them. Kazu made his breath steady, but he could feel the adrenaline already starting to course through him. ‘We’re going to have to fight our way through some of them… I can feel it…’

Something inside Kazu was bursting to be unleashed. All that it required was the right trigger; it was only a matter of time before the right one was pulled.

[WC: 1,031]
[Total WC: 7,383 / 4,000]

 

[Kazu]

What happened next felt like a dream to Kazu.

When thinking back on that day, Kazu could recall slipping into the hidden base under the protection of shadows and silence. He could remember the slinking down corridors, the cautious peering around corners, and the urgent sense of quickly and quietly taking down a stray guard here and there that blocked their path. He remembered the hand signals Kaen-sensei gave him and the laser-like focus he felt when executing those commands — the clarity of a high stakes mission was at both times exhilarating and utterly frightening. Kazu knew it was because of the adrenaline, and that this was not a good situation to be in, but he would be lying to himself if he didn't admit to feeling so incredibly alive during that mission. 'If I'm not careful,' Kazu remembered thinking at one point, 'I could grow to enjoy this.'

But there was no time to linger, or pontificate, on the deeper implications of that thought: the mission required all of his focus.

The last thing that Kazu was certain he could remember — clearly — was the two of them rounding a corner deep within the bowels of the hideout. They had descended a number of stairs, into areas where the sandstone walls and floor gave way to metal and tile. This section of the hideout had been dug out for a specific purpose. 'Considering their track record so far, I can only think of a few reasons to make a more permanent facility here.' Kazu let that thought go. 'Best not to dwell too strongly on that now.'

As it was, the boy was barely keeping his anger in check. He had shoved that boiling feeling deep within himself, to a section of his mind which he let escape his conscious thoughts. There, it would fester and grow; but, for the moment, the young boy could pretend it did not exist. Every so often, Kazu would find himself frowning a little too intensely; or, he would find his fists balled more tightly than he'd realized. He didn't understand it, but the anger he'd locked away was not going away — in fact, the longer he ignored it, the more intense it became. It was practically beating against the flimsy cage which Kazu had constructed for it, oozing out from cracks in his psyche, just waiting for the final straw to break down the boy's meager attempts to bottle up the pain.

That moment finally came. Kazu and Kaen rounded one more corner. There, they learned what the true purpose of this facility was.

[ Kazu's OST: Kōkotsu's Cry ]

Experimentation, of the human kind. Children in various states of abuse and neglect, being subjected to tests and mistreatment by dozens of men in scientific equipment, lined the room in numbers that were hard for Kazu to judge all at once. The boy thought he heard shouting as the scientists called out in alarm at the intruders, and the sound of boots marching down the hallway towards them, but soon the only thing the boy could hear was a faint buzzing sound in his ears. Something hot was streaming down his face, but Kazu couldn't move his arms to check what it was. His chest felt tight. A terrible clenching in the back of his throat made it hard to breathe. Then, everything began to fade.

Kazu felt like he was in a dream. 'No,' he remembered thinking. 'This is a nightmare.'

He saw glass shatter before him into a thousand sparkling shards as his fist pulled back into place. He felt his throat, raw from shouting, tremble with each labored breathe he took. He heard cries of anguish, fear, and sorrow from both children and scientists alike. He tasted blood streaming down into his mouth from his left side — he knew it was his own. He smelled fire, and gas, and the singeing of flesh and hair. Most of all, he felt the pure and unbridled anger of destruction, mayhem, and suffering. He felt the pain of so many trapped and tortured, subjected to horrifying things which could have been prevented, as well as the pain of knowing he could have done more. He felt the shame of responsibility mismanaged. He felt raw. He felt... alive.

Kazu's memory was filled with holes from there on out. He vaguely remembered ascending stairs, then more fighting, then the night sky above him. He remembered a terrible aching throughout his whole body, as if originating from the cores of his bones. He remembered the swaying of a cart, and the feeble sounds of crying. He remembered...

"No," said Kazu, lying in a hospital bed in Sunagakure. "I can't remember anything else." Kazu could barely keep his eyes open long enough to speak with the doctor who was attending him. She seemed concerned, as if there was something she had been hoping to hear but had not, although she did not explain why. Kazu wasn't sure he'd have been able to properly understand her, at the moment, even if she had explained it to him. He felt like death itself.

He'd been laying in a hospital bed, barely conscious for even half an hour at a time, for almost a week now. This was the fourth time he'd had to explain what he remembered of the mission, and still no one would tell him what had happened afterwards. 'What happened to the children?' Kazu wasn't sure. He wished someone would just tell him they were okay.

Even thinking was too much for the boy right now. The pain still lingered in his body, emanating from deep within. Kazu felt himself slip into unconsciousness once more — maybe the next time he woke up, he would be able to get some answers.

[WC: 959]
[Total WC: 8,342 / 4,000]

[ooc: One more post, and I'm done here.]

 

[Kazu]

A pair of voices drifted through the ether of darkness Kazu found himself floating in. They sounded far away, distorted just enough so that he couldn't make out the words. Groggily, Kazu pushed his mind to focus on the voices. 'What are they saying?' The ether seemed to fade as a pinprick of light expanded into a tunnel. 'I can almost hear them!' The voices were coming from the other side of the light. 'Just a little more...'

Kazu's eyes fluttered open. He saw sterile white walls, soft linen curtains, and fluorescent artificial light. He smelled soap, disinfectant, and a certain lingering odor of something which made his nose wrinkle. Vaguely, he became aware of two voices coming from the other side of the curtain.

"Isn't there anything more to be done, doctor? He's been out cold for more than two weeks now!"

"He seems to be stabilizing, but the damage to his body is extensive. It's not going to be an easy recovery for him, but given some time and perserverance on the boy's part he should be able to make a full recovery."

"I mean, that's certainly a relief, but... are you any closer to understanding what could have caused this much harm to him in the first place?" There was an uncomfortable pause, for a moment, before the doctor replied.

"This kind of damage wasn't inflicted by an outside force. The boy's bones were broken in many different places, but miraculously it seems he's mostly been able to recover from that on his own. All of his lacerations and contusions healed within the first few days. His natural regenerative abilities... frankly, they're extraordinary. I've never seen anything quite like it. That's not the real problem, however." There was the sound of shuffling papers, like a file being opened, before the doctor would continue. "Are you familiar with how the body's chakra network operates? On this chart you can see how it flows in and out, and also how it's regulated..."

"Wait, is this his chart? All of these areas... what happened?"

"Those are his Chakra Gates. The body's natural roadblocks, which limit the flow of chakra to a reasonable level for each individual. They've been... stretched out... damaged. Really, it's more like they were forced open. This kind of strain is abnormal, and seems to be the root cause of the majority of the damage caused to his body. Releasing the body's natural limits can be very dangerous — frankly, he's lucky he wasn't damaged any further than this. It's my diagnosis that, in opening so many of the Chakra Gates, the boy must have injured himself without realizing what he was doing. Has he ever shown signs of this sort of bodily strain before?"

"I... I don't know. He was always perserverant during his training, and seemed willing to take hits no one else would... I suppose..." The voice trailed off, lost in thought. There was the sound of more papers shuffling. Kazu figured it was time to let them know he was awake.

"Enishi? Is... is that you?"

The curtains flew open faster than Kazu would have anticipated. Staring down at him was his older brother's face, but twisted into a mortified frown of terror and shock that Kazu had never quite seen before. 'He's been worried about me,' thought Kazu. 'I shouldn't have done something to worry him like that.'

"Kazu... you're okay! You're okay, right?"

"You know... just a little excrutiating pain... nothing new." Kazu even managed a small smirk. Enishi let out a hollow laugh that didn't seem to reach his eyes. 'Do I really look that worse for wear?'

"Yeah, he's alright, doc. No one but my little brother would joke like that at a time like this." The older boy managed to stifle a snort, just barely, before leaning down to give Kazu a ginger hug. "You worried us all half to death, little brother. What even happened?"

"Well, we were on a mission, you see. There were the three of us — Kaen-sensei, my teammate Daijamitsu, and myself — and we were tracking this really mean dude. So we followed him..." The doctor left the room, quietly, as the two began to converse. They talked for a long while, cherishing this moment of relief amid a storm of uncertainty, until they lost track of time.

LATER THAT NIGHT...
The First 'Ku', Omni Prime Medical Facility​

After a great amount of insistence by the nursing staff that Enishi give Kazu some time to rest, the young boy found himself alone in his hospital bed just trying to put together the pieces of what had happened. His body ached, and the holes in his memory were frustrating, but most of all Kazu couldn't stop thinking about what he'd seen that night. 'All those children... all those tests and experiments...' He shuddered at the memory of it.

A wave of pain, and heat, rose up within his body. With one hand holding on his throbbing head, Kazu used the other one to pull off the blankets and sheets which laid over him. Even if he couldn't get up an get some fresh air, he could still at least cooldown by-

Kazu froze. 'What... what is that?'

His legs had been bandaged up, until just recently, to hold them in place while his broken bones recovered. The bandages had just been removed earlier that night, after Enishi left, before he was told to settle in for the night. 'Why didn't I notice them before?' On each of his legs, just around the ankle, were tattooed a pair of heavy chains. Kazu had never gotten a tattoo before in his life, and he was pretty sure the doctor's wouldn't have done something like this. As he stared at the pair of tattoos, he noticed that they didn't appear to have caused any damage around them in his skin. One would expect something as intricate, and as detailed, as these to have left some sort of mark. But no, his skin was unblemished — save for the tattoos.

The memory of the children in the underground bunker returned to him, of how they had been turned into mere property at the hands of ruthless slavers. The anger, and the sadness, crept back into his heart. And then... the chains began to move. They wound around his ankles, as if being pulled tighter and tighter, flickering and clanking as they did so.

Kazu didn't know what to think. He didn't know what to do. His mind wasn't ready to process something like this. Breathing deeply, all the boy could do was lay back and hope this was all a bad dream. When he awoke to find them still there, he began to grow worried. When he mentioned them to the doctors later that next day, they expressed incredulity at his confusion — the tattoos, they claimed, had been there when he'd come in for treatment. Kazu tried to show them the way the tattoos moved, ever so slightly, but he was unable to reproduce the effect for them.

'"More rest,"' thought Kazu sourly. '"You need more rest" is all they have to say!' Kazu knew he wasn't imagining things, but he had no way to prove it. There was nothing that he could do right now about it, but the questions surrounding their existence worried him. Kazu had a lot of questions right now.

Sometimes, those questions would keep him up at night while he was recovering. Enishi came to visit many more times, but Kazu didn't have the courage to tell him about the mystery tattoos. All he could do was focus on getting better. 'In time,' thought Kazu. 'I'll get my answers in time.'

[WC: 1,285]
[Total WC: 9,627 / 4,000]

[ooc: Topic Left. The chains are manifested through the below CRPJ.]

Spoiler: Ku

[approval]​

Name of Jutsu:
Ku (苦) — Suffering

CRPJ's Effect:
Kazu manifests tattoos on his body in response to an incredibly distressful event, strong emotions of anger or sadness, or other traumatic experiences. This technique is not activated at will; instead, these tattoos appear automatically when the proper degree of ku (suffering) is achieved. Ku is similar in appearance to a Cursed Seal, which grants the individual strength, abilities, or other blessings at a cost; however, ku does not grant any benefits to the user, and is merely a mark to remember past shame, failure, or anguish. Each ku symbolizes the event which triggered it to manifest. Ku are also slightly animated, able to shift and move very faintly in order to remind the wielder that those events still live on within. There are some variants of ku that are temporary, which come in the form of war paint when in battle.

Reason why it cannot be used in battle:
Ku have no ability to affect battle, people, or other objects. Any effects where ku moves is purely aesthetic. In the case of temporary ku that take the form of war paint, it is merely an RP flavor to represent the use of different weapons.