Contract Lesson: Tyger Tiger by the tail

[Toraono Kuro]

ooc: we should be right on schedule especially with your previous character history build up...

Dr. Daibatsu did his best and made his surgical cuts quickly and effortlessly ensuring that Kyuji felt as little pain as necessary even though pain was required to set the actuators in relation to Kyuji's natural nerve proccessors. As a nin his axons and dendrites functioned on an entirely different level than a normal untrained human and they functioned at a molecular transference frequency unique to him alone. It could be matched but only with his blood and tissues. With a surge of chakra and divine energy as Dr. Daibatsu attached the primary bio-metallic connector Kyuji's damaged limb now looked realigned and produced a pulsing aura as the secondary actuator reacted Kyuji's reinforced limb actually began to move in response to Kyuji's will as the secondary actuator began to pulse as well. Thick corded chakra strings began to emerge and make connections between the twin actuators forged upon the soul forge by Dr. Daibatsu and Kyuji's wife. It seemed she wanted his arm actuators to resemble their clan wedding seals. The look of them was very beautiful and ornamented. As celestial energies intermixed with human chakra Kyuji's entire body began to react. Healer Kuro stayed at the ready while summoner Kuro left the chamber in order to make sure his secondary presence did not interfere with the process.

 

[Tomomi]

The descendant of Byakko would sit there as the good doctor would begin to make the surgical cuts and small traces of pain would be felt by it as he bit his lower lip. He knew the process wasn't going to be simple and painless since they were reattaching a limb to him, but thus far it had gone pretty smoothly and only slight pain had been felt. However, he could always anticipate that the true pain that would be felt had not surfaced yet...no, it would soon enough, he could just feel it.

This process that Dr. Daibatsu was doing of reattaching his arm was simply marvelous as he had this whole procedure down to a T from the looks of it. It would not take the doctor long before his once discarded limb was reattached to his body and everything was starting to react to one another. The initial reaction of his body was to send a send a wave of pain to the reattachment region as he would close his eyes and crack a smile as he was feeling immense pain right now, but would never say anything...he didn't have to since his body language gave it off.

The phantom pains were finally gone, but the true pain was setting back in and he would need to learn how to utilize this limb before he could go back into the world around him or he would just have a mechanized limb swaying back and forth. Learning how to utilize the limb would not be an issue at all if he was given some time to readjust to having an arm and hand on the right side since it had been a long time since he last saw it and it was more beautiful than it had been before. The pain itself would only last for approximately fifteen minutes before it subsided and he could reopen his eyes without feeling any pain at all; it appeared the body wasn't rejecting it anymore thankfully. He also felt like his body was growing stronger physically with the mixture of his Byakko blood along with the celestial energies that had been fused into his new and improved limb from his family and the doctor...he wasn't simply one person anymore but had the energy and chakra of many people that were closely related to him. Yes, this was good.

He would look over to Dr. Daibatsu after he came out of his deep thoughts and simply say the following: "Excellent work, Doctor! What is the next step for me?"

[OOC: You are right, my bad!]

 

[Toraono Kuro]

Doctor Daibatsu gave the celestial limb a good physical... he moved it against the muscle, he rotated it knowing that this limb could rotate in ways a normal limb could not. It performed perfectly. It could spin like a drill and at a high rate of speed. That was quite interesting since that was not in the original design. It seemed the emitter arrays did not actually have blood vessels or nerve vessels grow through them like Kuro's limb did. Then again Kuro's replacement limb was permanent and functioned in a normal manner as a regular leg could. This arm was more of a weapon than Summoner Kuro's leg could ever be. The pressurized grip and reinforced bone in the hand and forearm were magnificent. His tests were exceeded at every turn accept one. Akujin had yet to consciously invoke the enhancements to his removable limb. It seemed he would need a different stimulus. So Doctor Daibatsu nodded to Summoner Kuro who invoked his enhanced eyes sight and nodded in return before speaking. "Chakra receptors alpha through delta are indeed receiving and emitting chakra. His conversion rate to celestial energy is off center but that is because he has yet to truly summon a companion under Lord Byakko's grace and faith. He must go assert himself before the altar of Byakko in the Celestial temple where he pledged himself to Lady Yanshi. It is only there that his final sacrifice and pact of pride with Byakko can come to fruition. The limb is complete, once he has paid the blood price and been accepted he will achieve full reaction from his celestial limb."<i></i>

So there it was neither Kuro nor Doctor Daibatsu could help him with his final task but his son Yanjirou could, as a white scion, and blood descendant if they both made blood offerings in the White temple then Byakko would surely grant Akujin his aid.

 

[Tomomi]

The next process apparently was a physical as Doctor Daibatsu would take the limb in his arm and move it against muscle along with rotating the limb. The results of this physical test on it was excellent as one could see it on the good doctor's facial expressions that he displayed. It appeared from the eyeing over the doctor's expressions and pondering that the operation portion was coming to a close. However, the restoration chamber portion had not been done yet but it seemed that his brother thought that it would be ideal to go to the alter of his lord to finish this trial for his lord by giving the blood offering needed. If that was what he needed to do to prove himself to his lord, he would do just that, but it was best to ask if he was allowed to or if there was anything else that he needed to do.

So, once his brother was done speaking, he would look at the good doctor and one of his brother's paths and say the following: "Brother Kuro, if you believe that is the final step in the pact with Lord Byakko, I will head over to his alter and do what he requests of me. However, I thought I was supposed to go into one of those chambers to fully recover Dr. Daibatsu. Will that still be in order or am I cleared to go to my lord's alter?" At the very least he was asking instead of acting on impulse which was saying something since many of the Sunans acted on their gut instinct or emotions instead of logically thinking it over or weighting their options. Still, he wandered if his Lord would believe that he was willing to fully embrace him now or if there was still doubt in the celestial being's mind. Hopefully, he would be able to find out soon enough and not something astronomical would occur like another attack on the village from a sandworm or someone trying to break into the village.

[MFT: 342 Words]

 

[Toraono Kuro]

Doctor Daibatsu pondered the sequence of events before he answered. "My experience is based on Kuro's prosthetic process. We had to literally grow the flesh of a new limb in place over reinforced nerve receptors and a bio-metallic skeletal recreation of his original leg. The chakra pathways were analyzed and reset via the regeneration chambers medical system feedback to be identically inverse to his left leg's chakra pathways. This allowed the prosthetic to function better than his original leg had but in a normal range of rotation and movement capacity. We then slowly grew the flesh into place and reconditioned the newly formed muscle via electrolyzed acupuncture. Your limb isn't like that and it is your original limb simply reinforced and re-attached. Your prosthetic is detachable and has a wider range of motion than a normal human limb. As such I think your best efforts should be spent communing with Byakko-sama and thereby placing yourself at the great tiger's mercy. If you manage to center yourself and realign your internal energies as Kuro suggested your limb will stay alive with natural energy alone instead of requiring immersion in life-water whenever you aren't using it."<i></i>

 

[Tomomi]

The descendant and chosen one of Byakko would listen intently to Dr. Daibatsu as he spoke about what the next step in the entire process should. Thankfully, he was relieved when he heard him mention that it was best to spent his time with Lord Byakko and that would fulfill the life-chamber recovery process for obvious reasons. However, he needed to still prove to Lord Byakko that he was the one and that the celestial being wasn't making a mistake by doing this. A simple nod would be given from the descendant to Dr. Daibatsu as he extended his left arm to shake the good doctor's hand with a smile as he responded: "Very well. Thank you for your time today, Daibatsu. I won't forget this and let's find time to sit down and discuss this procedure in more depth later this year." Once the handshake was accepted or declined, he would rise from where he was seated and stretch his body to get all the kinks out of it for sitting through the medical procedure.

After he stretched his body to avoid cramps or anything else that would be embarrassing in front of Lord Byakko, he would look over at his brother and say the following: "Are you coming with me, Kuro? You after all already have his approval and it would probably be best to have the brothers of the Byakko and Toraono Clan walking into his sanctuary together to prove that we put our past aside and are stronger as a family and as individuals. Either way, I am heading over there immediately where it all began." After he was done talking, he would wait momentarily for a response from his brother and regardless of the response, he would begin to proceed to the designated area.

He could feel success going through his body and renewal but he still had to prove to Byakko that he was ready. He had to wonder what trials and ordeals he would have to overcome before he was officially accepted as his true descendant.

 

[Toraono Kuro]

Dr. Daibatsu took both his hands and gave him a firm Go GET EM!! grip before smiling and nodding to the request to talk over the procedures. These matters were infinitely simple for a man whom was basically a living puppet. So long as he willed it and his organic core did not suffer too much damage he would live as long as any of the natural born Toraono, probably even longer. "Of course we can talk about body modification anytime you like... it is my speciality. Good luck in your trials."

Summoner Kuro with his fully functional prosthetic leg listened to Kyuji's thoughts about them both going to the shrine and thought it over to himself before answering. "I would be honored to escort you to the shrine, but I am all but certain that Byakko sama will want to test you and you alone. As you can imagine Byakko sama has high standards as the Guardian of the Western Wwinds and even though I am a supplicant I can only touch upon his power through pride. YOU have some of his blood within you so your ordeals will be far DIFFERENT than my own. I couldn't even begin to compare. My only advice is to listen to what he has to say and be honest with YOURSELF when you reply if you decide to do so. Do not say or do something because you THINK that is what Lord Byakko wants from you. ALWAYS be true to yourself first, that is the central truth of pride, faith in yourself will allow faith in others to grow."<i></i>

 

[Tomomi]

After his brother and the good doctor said their individual parts to him, he would nod to them both in satisfaction. After a few moments to gather himself, he would bow to them both and proceed to head to the Temple of Byakko. It was apparently time for him to go back to where it all started years ago and meet his lord in the flesh once more. The anticipation was high and his stomach was in knots for good reasoning since he had come so far over the years from the broken shell of a person that he was to a respectable member of the village and overall a good individual even though he got himself into predicaments that he never should have. But, that is what life was all about experience and learning from your mistakes, even a being like Byakko had to know this since nobody was perfect in this world.

As he walked to the Temple, he would reenter the path that had full-grown white tigers and their kin bathing one another or laying around sleeping like cats did all the time. Some of the kittens would run over to him and sniff him before rubbing against his clothes and purring. Their parents would eye Kyuji up as he continued to walk, never once interfering in his path, as he had earned the respect of Lord Byakko before and thus they had no reason to make his journey to the Temple a difficult one. It was however a little more difficult than before to travel to this holy ground considering the descendant of Byakko had gotten older and his joints, limbs and what not were not young anymore. Fortunately, he wasn't out of shape or suffering from any issues with his joints so he could continue to ascend to the Temple.

Upon arrival, the larger than life doors would be opened by two neko-jin that were waiting his arrival and who also took care of the Temple for Lord Byakko. As before, there were candles lit in the room and other Byakko followers had gathered. This was an important time in Kyuji's life but also the Byakko Clan's as well since approval from the celestial being meant he truly was one with Byakko and the rightful heir if Lord Byakko would ever disappear. In the Temple, his wife and his daughter had situated themselves on one side of the Temple after hearing the news because their lord's words and guidance far exceeded any bitterness or turmoil that had occurred previously between them including when Yanjirou had disappeared for two plus years from the village and returned recently.

After walking past many of his family members and honorary members of the Byakko Clan, he would position himself in the middle of the Temple in a meditation pose as before and speak out to Lord Byakko: "My great Lord, I have arrived to the Temple that bears your name once more. I am ready to finish this trial that you set in front of me and to prove to you that I AM the one and only true descendant of you. Let's begin, Lord Byakko, the Guardian of the Western Winds."

 

[Toraono Kuro]

​

SO IT BEGAN ANEW​

The chamber quickly sealed itself as a massive summoning circle emerged from the bottom floor. Pristine white walls took on a measure of wintery blue as the temperature dropped 15 degrees. A great many things emerged at once several other elemental tigers circled the chamber to stand where they may as Byakko sat center floor in one smooth regal motion he lifted his head and all the other elemental tigers gave a soft unanimous growl of approval as they took their place amongst the gathered witnesses and jury members. A soft white glow would envelope Kyuji's body long enough to determine he had indeed completed his blessed prosthesis. Now they could begin the trial. "Byakko Kyuji formerly known as Akujin, you are hereby charged with heresy, failure to pray to your liege, defiance of your ancestor and worst of all failure to control your own pride what say you to these acts and their charges?"<i></i>

Kyuji might be taken aback by the venom spat with each word projected mentally to everyone present but he even though his mind could hear the tenacity of the charges his spirit would not feel burdened by the words at all. He might notice that a challenge had been set before him and he might also notice Byakko's wink to his wife and daughter. Yes it was a trial, but it was moreso a test and a chance for Kyuji to acknowledge and speak about the one thing Byakko and his scions truly wanted to know. Who was Akujin and why was he worthy of their lord's attention?

Eyes focused upon Kyuji awaiting the terrible debate about the worthiness of his person, his soul, his being.

 

[Tomomi]

Unsurprisingly to the descendant of Byakko, the chamber would seal itself shut and a summoning circle would emerge from the floor. The walls of the room would take on a wintry blue as the temperature would drop and many of the people in the sealed chamber would begin to shiver from the abrupt change in the environment. However, one of those who did not shake was Byakko Kyuji who was used to the abrupt changes and the feeling of ice on his skin due to his wife, Lady Yanshi, who also was present but had taken a position in the crowd. The sight that unfolded in front of them however was astonishing as Lord Byakko would reveal himself and other elemental tigers that also appeared would give a growl in approval as they took their own positions.

After they situated themselves, a white glow would illuminate his body probably to ensure that he had done everything up to this point properly without trying to cut corners. Then, the Lord of all the Felines and his clan would speak to him and a chuckle would surface on his face at the interrogation that he was being given as his direct descendant. It was hilarious in the mind of Kyuji as it had to be a joke, but when he looked right into the eyes of the celestial being, he knew it was not a joke and that Lord Byakko was dead serious. Still, he couldn't help but smirk and chuckle a little as he gave himself a few moments to think about a proper response to Lord Byakko.

Once he was ready, the following would escape from his lips and everyone in the room could hear it. It was stern, it had feeling behind it, and one could tell that he wasn't just shit-talking to get what he wanted...he meant every single word: "Pride is a strong trait to have in one's self, but it has been the downfall of many men for ages from the beginning of time and still today. There have been many rulers and leaders who let their pride get in the way of helping their people and for that they have gone down in history as terrible people. Others have used their pride to confidently guide their people to a new paradise where they flourished and many of these people have or still are prayed to like some deity. There is only one true deity and lord of this world to me, that is Lord Byakko. I may not have been a perfect vessel in your eyes or my own, but I, Byakko Kyuji, plea not guilty to any of your allegations. I have always learned from my mistakes and you have always guided me and while I am your descendant, I still bleed the same color as a normal human being and still feel the same pain that others feel...I am still a human but I am also part god. These mere shinobi in this village will continue to see my facade as I go about my day for they don't know or care to learn about you, Lord Byakko."

He would then begin to walk towards the celestial being as he continued to speak, this was a side of Kyuji that many in the village had never seen including many of his family members before: "I have committed my fair share of sins in this world, but nobody is perfect. Not Kuro, not the Kazekage, not Dr. Daibatsu, not any member of the Byakko Clan and certainly not me. We aspire to be a perfect vessel for you, but none of us can be 100% ideal and perfect. Accusing me of heresy, failing to pray to you, and defiance is an insult to the Byakko Clan, yourself and me. Tell me, Lord Byakko, why would you accuse me of these 'crimes' especially in front of all these members of the Byakko Clan? What do you want me to prove to you that I am worthy?!"

After he finished, he and Lord Byakko was standing mere inches away from one another as he folded his arms and simply asked: "What do you say, Lord Byakko?"

 

[Toraono Kuro]

The giant feline would chuff in laughter as he sat judge and purveyor over this divine feline court. Three of the 12 elemental tigers would look about aghast that Kyuji had actually ordained himself a descendant of Byakko and even challenged Lord Byakko's accusations... PRIDEFUL indeed. He then lowered his massive head and looked Akujin directly in his powerful eyes. He had attained the gift and he might very well know how to use his celestial power but Lord Byakko also knew he would have to force Akujin to acknowledge himself fully and make it so all the members of Byakko's court could see Akujin for his potential and not just his audacity. "I would say a great deal but you are the one on trial here not me, as such you will answer for your crimes whether you care to or not...
FIRST... YOU WILL TELL THIS COURT HOW YOU CAME TO BELIEVE YOU ARE ONE OF MY DESCENDANTS since you want to remind me of my dalliances with maidens all over the world over a few human centuries do tell the court of your lineage and then we shall determine if that claim will stand.
SECOND... YOU WILL EXPLAIN TO THIS COURT AND YOUR BELOVED WIFE AND DAUGHTER WHEN YOU FIRST dared to pray to me
THIRD... YOU WILL DEMONSTRATE TO THIS COURT THAT YOU DO POSSESS THE POWER CELESTIAL AND HOW ON THESE VERY BLOOD SPLATTERED - SAND COVERED PLAINS that you are capable of anything besides audacity and self righteousness!!
TELL US YOUR STORY IN DETAIL KYUJI... We are literally waiting on baited breath."<i></i>

 

[Tomomi]

There he stood waiting for a response from his lord and the celestial being known as Byakko as he pondered if he had been a little to brash in what he said directly to him especially around the tiger elementals and his family. It was unfortunately too late to retract any part of his answer to the questioning as Byakko would simply chuff in laughter and as an awkward moment of silence would fill the room before the beast would lower his head to look directly into his follower's eyes which would look right back into his own. At the very least, Kyuji was confident and full of pride on being a follower of Byakko, but it seemed that these other tigers were going to be a jury of sorts that would ultimately decide his fate and the future. While he liked the challenge, he didn't need another instance where he would be maimed or practically murdered and need Lord Byakko to come in and save his sorry ass; he didn't think he would be but one could never know.

Eventually, the great tiger lord would speak once more and give three parts for his descendant to answer before becoming silent as the floor was his then to take. One thing was for sure, Lord Byakko was making this a little bit challenging, but it was time to prove himself to everyone including himself. He would take a simple step back from Lord Byakko and turn to the audience that had formed behind them as it would probably be the easiest if he addressed everyone. His hands would place his hands together and a smile would form on his face as his eyes shifted from their golden color to the purple beauties that had been gifted to him from Lord Byakko himself and he would let all of them see them in their glory.

He would mere moments later begin to talk to them all with confident in his voice and a smile on full display on his face: "Very well, Lord Byakko. As everyone can see by my eyes, they radiate a beautiful purple hue now as I look at all of you, but at one time they did not have the capacity to do so. You see I had to perform acupuncture with the assistance of some of Lord Byakko's nekojin followers after I lost my arm against Kuro ages ago in a fight over something so minimum now. As I performed the acupuncture, my eyes started to show me my flaws in the past relying on physical force and power to simply fight and protect myself. These eyes which were blessed to me, like my ears and nails, by Lord Byakko were fully at my disposal but it would take fate for me to truly see what I was capable as a follower of Lord Byakko and his descendant. This new arm that Dr. Daibatsu and Toraono Kuro created with the remains of my real arm were blessed by Lord Byakko himself and it is fully functional aside aside from the last crystal that will be activated soon enough."

He would pause momentarily as he was making things quite long-winded, but once he had gathered his thoughts and gotten a breath he would continue. "As for when I first prayed to Lord Byakko...I would say that it was within a few days of being accepted into the Byakko Estate as Byakko Kyuji and leaving my past as Kanemoto Akujin behind. Faith was hard at first since I had just rejected a former idol god before meeting Kuro, Yanshi, and Lord Byakko but I was adamant in turning a new leaf on my life and starting over in Sand so I tried my damnest to pray to Lord Byakko every day multiple times to try to prove that he didn't make a mistake in accepting me as a follower of his and a member of the Byakko Clan who worship him. I don't know what else you want me to say, Lord Byakko, but I have prayed to you for as long as I can remember with assistance at first with the elders in the Clan and then by myself."

The last of the three questions was on-deck and would be the following as soon as he finished taking another a break after spewing out a long-winded dialogue: "There is then the question of why I think I am the descendant of Lord Byakko. Aside from Lord Byakko directly saying that I am his descendant, there have been many incidents up to this point where I have proven myself as his descendant and trying to ascend closer to his true form. I first have physical attributes like my ears, eyes, and nails that closely resemble Lord Byakko's exactly which were blessed to me by him during a blood ritual if I remember correctly years ago. There is then the incident as I alluded to earlier where I unlocked my true potential in my eyes' second form with Lord Byakko guiding me in the process along with some experimentation on my part. Let's not forget that I also had my arm reattached to my body and blessed by Lord Byakko earlier today as I am his descendant. If I am not the descendant of Lord Byakko, why would the great celestial beast take all this time and effort to make me more and more ideal?"

What would happen next? One could only ponder and hope for the best!

 

[Toraono Kuro]

An elemental tiger of heat, flame, and lava would step forth darkening the entire area upon which he stood he would look at Kyuji's eyes and smell the scent of Lord Byakko's power in his reforged limb. N'taku would then chuff angrily before seating himself in the cold wintery presence of his Uncle where he would give a knowing look to his elder lord before looking back upon Kyuji.

"Your honesty is refreshing descendant. You seem to have summarized things quite nicely even though you don't mention your heritage in full. Who was your father? Who was your father's father? How many generations removed from our Lord Byakko are you truly? Celestial power or not you must be ready to dignify yourself before this court. I am N'taku, I am an adopted Ancient of the flame court. I had and still have a strong need, a thirst for violence. I had the hubris however to match that bloodthirst and as such left behind my humanoid form and became the magnificent feline you see before you. I owe much to Lord Byakko as do you. It seems in rebuilding yourself you have learned a small amount of humility. That is all well and good but you must understand despite Lord Byakko's acceptance of you and Toraono Kuro vouching for you your link to Byakko will never quite be as strong as Kuro's until you seek the wrath of the feline pact on your own. We will accept that you are touched by our lord and his descendant. We will also accept your son's lessons and power but YOU will need to do far more to earn even the smallest of places within our ire. With Lord Byakko's permission I will give you a task that will likely get you killed but I see no better test for one such as you than a simple HUNT."<i></i>

Lord Byakko would grin evilly, and nod to N'taku in agreement, as N'taku looked up to his lord for approval and upon receiving it would hand down an age old Hunt..."With Lord Byakko's permission Celestial Descendant Kyuji is hereby charged with hunting a Thunder Lizard and bringing a male Carnasaur's meat and bones to this temple in a sacrificial offering to this Feline Court. Descendant Kyuji will hunt with nothing but his own physical prowess, and martial talents. No weapon that is not currently on his person or a part of or inside his body may be used to assist on this hunt. His actions will be recorded for posterity and the sacrifice will be shared as a meal with the entire Byakko Family, Clan, Kindred, and all. Should Kyuji fail he will never request the aid or liken himself to Lord Byakko again and his clan name shall be struck from the history books and his very likeness upon any photo be erased or destroyed. What say you Descendant?"<i></i>

 

[Tomomi]

It would appear that the trial of Byakko Kyuji was not yet over as a tiger created with heat, flames and lava would appear in front of him darkening the area around him and be able to smell the scent of the descendant from where he stood which had him react with merely an angry chuff before situating himself beside Lord Byakko and beginning to speak to the former Stone shinobi and current Medical Chief of Sand. It appeared that he was accepting him as a descendant but there was a trial of sorts before he would truly accept him as part of the feline and Byakko pact entirely; he would have to first hunt a Thunder Lizard and bring back a male Carnasaur's meat and bones to the temple in an offer to the Feline Court. The catch however was that he had to do these tasks with no assistance from weapons, jutsu, or any other possible tricks that a human could conjure up to help themselves and give them a slight advantage in combat; his only weapon was his physical body which easily meant that he would have to break the seal on his neck to even be able to put up a fight against these creatures. As the elemental fire tiger finished, he would ask for the descendant's answer and he would not have to wait long at all for a response.

"I accept your challenge and all conditions that you have set forth, N'taku. If I do not come back alive, then I was never worthy of relating myself to Lord Byakko in the first place. If I do come back and fail, I will never associate myself as the descendant of Lord Byakko nor as a member of this family anymore as I will not be worthy of the title and what comes with it. However, I am not overly concerned as I fought a legendary sandworm by the name of Barynx before so I think I can handle a carnasaur and a thunder lizard. Though, it will be difficult by myself. This will be a fun and rewarding to say the least and if you do not mind, I would like to head out as soon as possible to not keep anyone waiting in this room for longer than they have to."

That was a simple response to a long-winded introduction and proposition given to the descendant. His pride had been on full display this entire time and it seemed that he was going to merely have to prove himself once again to Lord Byakko to get his final blessing. This challenge was going to be nothing less of a challenge considering a Sunan carnasaur had a threat level of S-rank at the bare minimum and the thunder lizard wasn't something to simply count out as they had tricks up their sleeves as well though weren't as high on the threat level. Remember, a normal sandworm in Suna was a S-rank threat but Barynx had to be at least classified as SS or even SSS-rank due to the sheer size and strength! In either case, this journey would be hard, enduring, but well-rewarding if he could manage to pull it off. In a show of class, he would merely disconnect his blessed limb by Lord Byakko and place it on the floor in front of him since N'taku stated no weapons and it could be considered an aid to him if he had it attached.

 

[Toraono Kuro]

N'taku would make a double take of Kyuji's actions and paw his face before replying . "Descendant Kyuji... Are all humans as daft and blatantly unable to listen to instructions as you? NO weapon that is not currently on YOUR person or a part of or inside YOUR body may be used... I see that arm was a part of you when you entered. You may have pride and audacity but you seem to be lacking between the ears. Wait, I recall Lord Byakko himself did not listen when warned against letting a demonbeast among his ranks too. Maybe inability to listen to instructions is both blood linked and a mark of truly IGNORANT pride. We are not asking you to go out and die. We are tasking you to prove your worth. SINCE YOU ARE HARD AT HEARING... HEAR THIS... YOU HAVE ONE WEEK FROM TODAY TO RETURN HERE WITH A CARNASAUR CARCASS OR ELSE I WILL GO RETRIEVE ONE MYSELF AND SHOW THIS COURT YOUR TRUE WORTH. I WAS INFORMED YOU WERE AT LEAST AS PHYSICALLY CAPABLE AS ME AND THIS WAS MY ORIGINAL TASK TO JOIN LORD BYAKKO's KINDRED. What say you Descendant?"<i></i>

The fiery one was obviously angry but Byakko simply sat with his eyes closed wearing a simple grin. The gauntlet had been thrown and now a time limit had been imposed. Things kept getting better.

 

[Tomomi]

Listening to the fiery N'taku, the descendant of Byakko would smirk at the kitty's remarks towards him as he decided that insulting and then throwing out a deadline for this mission was the wisest thing to do towards him. The time limit was a fine and respectable length so he had no issues with that at all, but speaking of his relative and himself along with their lord in a bad light didn't sit too well. Unfortunately, he couldn't lash out at the fire elemental tiger or he would be judged possibly unfit to be in the pact of the felines so he let the insult slide past him and kept his composure. After all, this all was probably a test to see if he was able to handle himself as Lord Byakko would see fit.

In any case after N'taku had given his opinion on the subject, Kyuji would simply give a nod and look around the room at all the felines and his family members. Soon, he would fully be accepted as the true descendant of Lord Byakko and finally be able to summon his Lord himself and underlings of Lord Byakko. It would be a grand day when he could, but he would need to prepare himself physically and mentally for that since it seemed summoning Lord Byakko was taxing to say the least or at least Kuro made it seem that way. But he could think more about this later on after he was able to sign a contract in his blood like his fellow shinobi had already done with their pacts to their creatures. For now, it was time to respond and he would simply respond with the following: "I understand and accept your time frame, N'taku. It will not take me that long, but it is good to set it anyways. Shall I begin? I should let you know though that I sealed my physical strength away when I awoken my eyes gifted to me by Lord Byakko. Am I allowed to release the seal to use my physical strength or will you penalize me for that?"

He would then pick his arm back up and insert it back into place. So his blessed limb was not being considered as cheating in this hunt, but would his seal? If he didn't use the seal, he was going to have to rely on his Ninjutsu and that would probably automatically fail him unfortunately.

[OOC: 408 Words for training]

 

[Toraono Kuro]

As soon as Kyuji picked up the arm and reattached it N'taku's entire persona changed and his flames began to glow blue as he literally backed away and his heat became far less stifling. "Why it would be an honor to witness you using your full strength but know this Carnasaurs ALWAYS respond to strength with equal or greater strength. Hence the reason they hunt and devour sandwyrms. They will eat anything strong enough to fight back... that is what makes them an honorable challenge despite their natural endeavours. Also... be even more wary of the intelligent elder ones. Like sandwyrms there are rare ancient carnasaurs that have all the power of their race and the intelligence of a warrior. They can use tactics, they can wait out and ambush, they can learn as they fight."<i></i><i></i>

 

[Tomomi]

This elemental tiger was a strange one to say the very least from how he acted. One minute he was blazing and angry at the descendant of Byakko and the next moment, he shimmered down and his flames turned to a blueish color. It was almost like Kyuji was looking at himself when he was younger and filled with anger and frustration about his failure to save his parents and all those patients in Stone. He could see traces of himself inside of this animal and he couldn't help, but give a small smile since eventually, he might actually have to sit down and get to know N'taku better.

As for now however, he would listen to the tiger speak to him allowing him to use his sealed strength and giving some insight into the carnasaurs and the threat of them. Fortunately, the information provided to him from N'taku was the same information that he had read about them before in the library of Suna. But, he knew that it wouldn't be an easy opponent to fight and he would probably have to deal with other variables as well including Sunan dustboars and even a possible Sandworm, god help him if he did.

After a brief moment, he would simply nod again as he spoke: "Very well, N'taku. You will see my physical strength when I am out and about as I need to conserve it until the right time. If I let the seal go too long, it will put heavy strain on my body and eventually I will be unable to move due to the excessive strength entering my body in a short period of time. I think you and Lord Byakko can be understanding of that as it is a trump card of sorts so I am always prepared if push comes to shove. I have another seal on the other side of my body as well that heightens my precision with Ninjutsu and seems to make my Genjutsu stronger than ever before. As for the carnasaurs, I understand where you are coming from, N'taku, as I read in numerous books and articles in a disclosed location in the Library about these creatures. It will not be an easy fight to get a carcass of one of them, but it will be rewarding when I do and drop the carcass at your and Lord Byakko's feet for approval of my mission."

He was ready to get this mission started and prove his worth. Time was ticking away and he was losing precious time simply standing here and making small talk. Soon, he would leave though, he knew this, but he had to be polite first.

 

[Toraono Kuro]

The council of tigers nodded as one as Byakko himself slept uncaring of the circumstances. His pride in all of his choices and children did not allow him to worry about such matters. All of his progeny distant or otherwise were strong and he knew this. He slumbered peacefully while N'taku stayed away from Kyuji's Byakko enhanced arm. Little did Kyuji know that through Byakko and his wife's actions and blessings that his detachable limb was now celestially empowered with ice jutsu that he would one day have to unlock and master. N'taku could literally see it due to his elemental nature and that kind of cold was detrimental to him, not to mention what ice and wind could do to a carnasaur. Byakko used to hunt them like mice and play with them as one might a toy.

As Kyuji left the dojo the vast desert seemed to respond to his presence. His blessed limb kept him cool, just as if he were in the presence of his wife. A steady dustless breeze came to him whenever he walked in a certain direction (west obviously) the seal in the palm of his enhanced limb seemed to glow in response to his directional awareness of the caverns marked on an old Toraono map that displayed where a nest of Carnasaurs frequently appeared every twenty years or so. He had begun his quest to prove his worth now he need only find a healthy meaty monster to feed his waiting council of elders.

 

[Tomomi]

With the nodding of the council, the thirty-something year old descendant would bow in respect to them and head towards the desert. Little did he know that the prosthetic limb that he was gifted by his family and Lord was blessed with a special ability to utilize ice-based jutsu that could come in handy down the road when he was fighting one of these carnasaurs or in general. In all honesty, he was still getting adjusted to this reattached limb on his body and putting himself out on a mission was practically career suicide or it seemed like it was at least. He knew the rumors and speculation about this legendary creature in the desert and how it was capable of killing and devouring sandworms like it was absolutely nothing; truthfully, he was absolutely terrified to face one of these creatures on his own as it was going to be an uphill battle from the get-go unless he could get an upper-hand and surprise a male one. But for now, he would just have to trend carefully in the desert and hopefully get some intel before the true battle began.

He was being quite cautious to say the least as he was trying to conceal his presence as he walked through this hellhole known as the desert by using a technique known as Concealed Steps Mastered. While it might be bending the rules slightly for N'taku, the descendant of Byakko wasn't a moron and wasn't going to risk his life without giving it his all even if he had to utilize techniques that were forbidden by the mission assignor or the village. This was a hunt and a true hunter would utilize all techniques and tricks that one had up their sleeves; he knew this as well as any feline that was on that council back in Byakko's sanctuary. However, he would play by the rules as long as he could, but his life was the most important thing considering he had a family who loved him and would be devastated if he was brutally murdered.

Thus far, he was walking in the right direction, it appeared according to an old Toraono map from times long passed. The atmosphere still appeared to be brutal however as his gifted eyes from his Lord began to show themselves as he continued to trend forward, yet he was cool and collected overall like he had a special gift keeping him safe from the elements. Still, the mysteries of his limb and this legendary creature that he was hunting were on his mind the most. From the information in the library that was available to him, a carnasaur was capable of using a spark in its maw or something along the lines that could paralyze someone if it hit which would make them easy prey for the creature and would explain how it could've taken down a sandworm if sandworms were vulnerable to lightning-based attacks, but they seemed resistant to them. But, all the data on carnasaurs was also hearsay from first hand accounts that could be easily exaggerated so maybe one of the individuals who reported about them had seen something that wasn't exactly true!

For now, he would continue to head west as it seemed that was the right path for now. When he found a carnasaur, he wouldn't just be going for the carcass by the by; he had other plans like getting the feathersteel glass and finding a smith to create him some armor or a weapon like his brother had done with Barynx to create a throne for himself. Yes, this would be a good opportunity to not only prove himself to the feline pact but also place himself in the history books if he survived and reap the rewards!

[OOC: Using Concealed Step Mastered and Sharingan Rank 3(unless you will permit Mangekou since it is just RPing)]