Depth of One's Greed [Mission Pt.3]

[Okada Kaji]

Continued from: Center of One's Greed

The power of fear could drive the best of us to do our worst, and bring an innocent person to the verge of committing a terrible act, all in the name of survival. When the healed monk regained her consciousness, she was still in that mental space she occupied when the bandits were dragging her away from the Soaring Thunder Monastery. She was distraught and desperately seeking freedom, so entranced that she failed to notice the relief she felt from her injuries. But now, with words spoken as if they were venom spat from her tongue, and her physique contorting an innocent man, the monk— a woman devout to the ways of enlightenment, found herself on the verge of breaking her vows.

She came to a realization of her actions when she locked eyes onto Yuii, who was brought to a similar state of panic by the sudden instance gone awry. Those were not the eyes of some guilty captor, that much the monk realized as she exchanged a bit of back and forth, threatening Yuii and receiving a due reply. The assertion of her renewed strength was undeniable; which it was adrenaline mostly, she was hardly able to stand before she blacked out, let along put up such a fight. “I… I’m so sorry” she gasped as her grip on Kaji slacked and let him loose from her desperate hold. Rather than overreacting, Kaji merely scooted a few feet away from the stranger and placed a hand around his neck as he admired the strength of her hold. He simply had to admit that “Woah, that was a close one,” and showed a reluctant expression, more relieved than upset. “It’s ok, you are among friends,” he added, “you were in a dangerous spot when we found you; I don’t blame you for reacting like that. ‘Aye yae yae...” With a relieved exhale, Kaji stretched out onto his back, lying flat on the floor and massaged his neck a bit, wishing he had a bit of energy left to help himself.

The monk was clearly embarrassed, looking to her saviors with a red blush and her hands together in her lap, nervously darting her attention between Yuii and Kaji, especially Yuii, who seemed more disturbed by the close-call than Kaji, oddly enough. “I-I’m so sorry… how could I mistake you for being aligned with those monsters? I got a glimpse of you before I faded out on the road…” her attention turned to Yuii specifically, “you said you were from Kumogakure?” There was a faint glimmer of hope in her eyes as she said that word. “The temple has been in distress for weeks now; we have been praying to Raiden for salvation, and the elders… the ones still alive… were saying that if it would come, it would be from Kumogakure! Oh, the thunder rolls in the will of our God, Raiden has answered our call for salvation.” Cleary having gone through a lot recently, the monk was overcome by emotion, and began to snivel and wipe her eyes, only to notice her padded gauntlet. Her garments were still damp from the blood spilled on her previously. “You are the healer of my wounds and heroes to my people… oh my, I owe you my life and I almost took yours. I am SO SORRY!” The apologetic young woman nearly tackled Kaji as she leaned over him, saying her words and caressing his head and neck region. “Oh no no no, it's ok, I’m ok,” Kaji answered nervously, attempting to reassure that she did not need to handle him and that he’d be fine.

The monk attempted to let Kaji rest his head in her lap, trying to prop him up. “Here, just let me—” she insisted, merely trying to return his aid, but Kaji was looking to Yuii. He waved a hand to his touchy monk, sure he wouldn’t need her care with his true love almost within arm’s reach. Kaji awkwardly rolled himself to Yuii. He almost shoved himself face-first into her lap just trying to move to her within the cramped space. “Oh… I see” added the monk as she took the not-so-subtle hint. “I never meant…” she was made even rosy and embarrassed now and stumbled over an apology. Monastery life never prepared her for this kind of exchange— she merely wanted to be helpful. “Umm, can we just back things up and start again? My name is Xia. ‘And on behalf of myself and the temple order, thank you for coming to our aid.”

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[Kagetsu Yuii]

The monk did not know it, but she had almost met a violent end. Her death would not have been from her wounds, healed by Kaji as she was; it would not come from starvation or exposure, as it might have without their shelter. It would not have even come by accident or will of a deity either. No, by willful action and Yuii's hand, Xia would have met her god and maker. All she had needed to do is tighten one wrong muscle or say one wrong word and the mirror created for their light would have shattered and lodged itself deep into the body of its target. It would have been bloody, it would have been quick and ultimately a dissatisfying way to go.

Yuii reclined back and her chakra energy on the mirror relaxed slowly until it all the potential energy stored inside it disappeared. Kaji's release signalled the end of their conflict, and yet Yuii could not find a calm centre again. Every muscle was still primed for reaction despite the girl's apologies. Yuii was shinobi, she was trained for this but the harder she fought to put away the image of her partner and lover at the precipice of danger the more it plagued her. In that desperate moment, she had been prepared to kill. There had been no other plan, no chance of reconciliation, no willingness in her to put Kaji's survival to luck. Had the monk moved in one wrong way, Yuii would have acted without mercy and that was her failure. As a Sennin of Kumogakure, she knew there was always a better way but her own fear and desperation had blinded her to it. She placated herself with the fact that the best possible scenario had played out.

Her gaze sought out Kaji and at a glance accessed his condition. He seemed alright but exhausted, and she fought the reflexive desire to pull him closer. Stretched out in their den as he was, he looked exposed and weakened in a way that fed into her well-veiled distress. He was already injured and healing from his fight with Kaen and now she had allowed him to drain himself into vulnerability healing a liability. What she had done was poor leadership and exactly what she had hoped to avoid though she could not conceive a way she could have convinced Kaji to do anything else.

"Kumogakure, yes," She answered the monk in a distracted voice, snapping her attention to Raiden's own, "On behalf of the people in the small town o..." her voice faded off as it became clear Xia's attention was lost again to praising her saviours, or rather, saviour. Passively Yuii watched as her exhausted partner struggled to escape the affection of the young monk. Her face pinched as if the room had been filled with the scent of Kaji's tonic once again but Yuii didn't move to help. Her inaction wasn't bred from apathy to the far too physical situation, she was definitely annoyed, but uncertainty and inexperience. How did one deal with advances against their lover de nuit from a relationship that had been mourned for its the near end of from its first moment? What rights did she have? The most aggrivating part was that she was giving priority to her own feelings again. There were more important matters, lives on the line and a mission to complete. It shouldn't have mattered if an abused woman tried to take refuge in her mission partners arms. But it did.

Kaji's sudden occupation of her lap space jolted Yuii from her reverie. The corners of her mouth arched upwards in a convincing grin and she kissed him once to affirm the situation. The draw to touch him was magnetic and difficult to resist and so she placated herself fussing over the markings on his neck with feather light caresses. At once she felt better, if my disgusted with herself.

"You're welcome, Xia" Yuii replied sweetly, helping Kaji to arrange himself comfortably, "Though it is premature of you to thank us for saving anyone but you. We had hoped by helping you recover that you could help us in kind. We need to know what has happened to your monastery and its inhabitants." Fishing and night survival would need to wait. The tale of the silent temple decided their next course of action. Xia had already let slip that some of the monk elders were dead- which begged the question, "What happened?"

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[Okada Kaji]

Tensions were finally falling within that cave until the only flames to be found were the smoldering fire that provided them warmth and light. Xia issued an apology and Yuii had accepted it as well as she could. The exchange of affection between Yuii and Kaji earned a bit of admiration from Xia, who blushed slightly, embarrassed by the thought of interfering.

Kaji was observant enough to notice their exchanges of affection making Xia feel comfortable, but he enjoyed the caress and touch of his lady love a bit too much to make her stop. Yuii put the scene back on track, mentioning the dire information they needed from Xia— a pragmatism that insisted that she had regained her focus. Kaji’s attention shifted up to her for a moment, perhaps admiring the angle, but mostly admiring her for being a proper shinobi above the trappings of emotion. “Indeed,” he said, agreeing with the sentiment that their work of making things right at the Monastery had only just begun. “Just take a moment to breathe Xia, and relax… I made a potion to aid your healing, in that flask there,” and then Kaji pointed to the metal container he left beside her. “Start drinking that, it’ll help with some of the residual pain you’ll start feeling once you get moving around again.”

“O-ok” Xia hesitated. She then followed his directions to the letter, desperately struggling to force the elixir down. All things considered, it didn’t taste so bad, but the scent was contradicting. Some of the elixer dribbled down her cheek as it escaped her mouth, but she drank most of it without a problem until she was left breathing heavily. With a sigh, she placed down the flask and it made a hollow clang against the stone floor. Xia flexed herself sideways and stretched out along the floor on the improvised bed, feel all sorts of awkward reactions. Her belly was twisting within, and her physique was already experiencing the painful symptoms Kaji prepared her for. Even with the treatment, it was likely that Xia wouldn’t be going anywhere this night.

Kaji, on the other hand, sat up again and sat shoulder to shoulder with Yuii as they observed the recovering patient. “We did it, Blue,” he said, along with a pat on Yui's thigh, proud of their efforts thus far. While he might have handled the healing, Kaji might have never considered the strategy without Yuii there to inspire the caring act. He believed that just being near her aura brought the best out of him. He was certain that together they’d do good things for Soaring Thunder. But, to resume their quest, they needed the intel kept by Xia. The monk seemed rightfully exhausted, and while Kaji knew that Yuii had the means of gaining the information even if Xia didn’t remain coherent, they lacked the time for a ‘Xiaception’. He let out a deep sigh at the mere thought of another one.

“My name is Kaji Okada, and my friend here is Miss Yuii Kagetsu” the introduction was late but he was trying to break the ice by humanizing a bit. “Now, could you tell us what happened, Xia?” Kaji kept calm, but his request was a bit more assertive than the last attempts. “I know it will hurt to think about, but we need to know what they did… ‘Everything— spare no details.”

“I understand” Xia answered. She then propped herself up on an elbow and twiddled her fingers nervously for a moment as she tried to compose her story. “Spare no details.”

---

“Normally, the Soaring Thunder is a peaceful place. It is the shining bastion of the Lord of Lightning, where the lost are found and seek enlightenment. A lot of the devotees of my Monastery spend their lifetimes there, studying and growing. For example— I was delivered to the ‘Soaring’ as a child, and have been in devout practice ever since— but, I am still young and have much to learn in the ways of the Light. In the lives of all the members of our Order, we reach a point when the others acknowledge our growth, and we are considered awakened to the ways of Raiden. This is considered a great honor among our people. In fact, many members of the order do not achieve their awakening well into old age. Once we awaken, the elders force us to choose a path: to ascend into a master role here at the 'Soaring' or leave on a pilgrimage across the land to spread the teachings of the Order.

For many of us, the ‘Soaring’ has been our home for our entire lives, so as you can imagine, the few of us who awaken tend to remain there. The few who choose to leave inevitably return before the end of their days, and seek a peaceful retirement in the house of Raiden. However, on very rare occasions, there are members of our order who choose to leave and lose their way.</I>

We branded him as Kikkawa Suekiyo, the Fallen.​

<I>

'About three weeks ago, we had a former member of repute make a sudden return to the Soaring one evening. I did not know him personally, but the elders recognized him as Suekiyo: rumors traveled through the temple, claiming he was once a prodigal Son of Raiden. He was devout and he was incredibly powerful with our martial studies— I mean he was like a shinobi… Generally, we are taught to harness as much power as needed to defend what we believe, but Suekiyo went far beyond that. Supposedly, Suekiyo achieved his awakening at an early age, though some say it was due to his power and not the enlightenment of his spirit. Rumor has it that Suekiyo might not have awakened at all and was actually banished from the temple, but it's against the tenants of the Soaring Thunder to forsake any child of Raiden. So the elders treated his banishment as if it was some high honor he was granted. Imagine the surprise the elders had when Suekiyo emerged that day… they were shocked, but it is not in the tenants of our temple to turn a brother away. For that, we were so wrong."

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[Kagetsu Yuii]

Brow creased and jaw clenched, Yuii waited patiently as the younger woman found and drank the potion Kaji had constructed for her. Moments ago seemed weeks old as if the small stretch of time when Kaji had been endangered had been a month of time. Still, Yuii could not ground herself enough to think kindly of the girl. Objectively she knew XIa was scared, objectively she knew Xia hadn't wanted to hurt 'Kaji'. Objectively she knew the girl was no longer a danger, and yet, she hoped the potion smell burned her nasal passages and that every gulp was a healing torture. She settled for being satisfied with the pinched displeasure on the girls face as her stomach untangled itself. It so was petty but it was the best she could manage that moment.

Kaji found the strength to sit up again, and the movement knocked Yuii away from her insular thoughts. With a pang of guilt as if her thoughts could be read, Yuii stiffened her posture and nodded, "Yes," she agreed, glancing back at the monk who was focused on finding the most comfortable way to ride out the healing process, "You did." No amount of protest of consoling would convince Yuii otherwise; Kaji could tell as much by the set of her jaw and a challenging glint in her overlarge blue eyes which remained fixed on the monk. Yuii wasn't hostile, but having been primed for a fight minutes before had left Yuii snappy. Not that her words or their sentiment were untrue. It had ultimately been Kaji's strength and skill that allowed their little monk to be alive and well. On her own, Yuii could have at best gotten the information she needed and only made the girl's end comfortable. With Oniyuri's aide, they might have saved her, but not without permanent damage dealt. Xia's continued life was his victory, not hers. "Be proud," she added, eyes flicking to her lover, "You did so well. "

With a sigh, Yuii brushed her finger tips along the interior of his arm in a much more subtle form of affection. Xia's pain was a brief reprieve from her attention, but Kaji seemed equally intent on gaining the knowledge their little charge had. Eventually, the adrenaline that had given her the strength to hold Kaji hostage would wear off, her body would realise all the strain it had been though, and she would need to sleep. If the shinobi pair did not get their intel now, they might be unable to for some hours if not days. A 'ception jutsu didn't even cross Yuii's mind- those were for the direst cases only.

By the fire, Oniyuri stirred, rolled to her small back, and continued her slumber. Yuii knew better than to believe the cat was actually asleep but she did a believable job of it. Like all cats, she was happy to pass her time resting until actually needed.

Xia began by describing her monastery as peaceful, and Yuii bit back the more candid outsider's view of such places. Monasteries were where the fourth and fifth children of nobility were sent as a show of piety to their deity as well as a way to avoid sibling rivalries. If their child showed no strong potential for running part of their household or lacked the skill to learn the shinobi arts, it was easier to send them away to a temple like Xia's. In some cases, the inhabitants were from amongst the more common folk of Kaminari no kuni, but most hailed from houses as rich as the temple itself. Since most of those sent away were children, they never really missed their old lives or homes after a period of adjustment. It really wasn't much different than what Kumogakure did with their initiates.

She continued on to tell them about the temples acknowledgement of 'awakening', the choice and fate of those who stayed or left, then began to describe what Yuii could only assume was the beginning of the trouble at the monastery. "Kikkawa Suekiyo," Yuii breathed once, not recognizing the name but finding it ominous in its sound. She shared a glance with Kaji, but had nothing to offer yet as commentary,

A roll of thunder sounded outside ominously as if the god Raiden himself sought to punctuate the girl's story. Where there was thunder, there was sure to be lightning, and if they were unlucky rain. "Continue, I'm listening," Yuii interjected, crawling from Kaji's side to survey the weather beyond. There was the scent of rain in the air and that heavy, electric irritation that came before the storm. As a precaution, she flew through a short set of seals and called a flat disk of stone to protect their entrance way then dashed back inside to grab a piece of firewood to bar rainwater from pouring in. "I'll have to go out for the fish and wood soon," she warned when there was a pause in the story again. Xia needed food to refuel as her body healed, and the same could be said for Kaji's chakra. None of them wanted to freeze to death either.

[859]

 

[Okada Kaji]

Xia paused for a long moment, taking reprieve to recollect her thoughts for the next stint of her story. All the meanwhile Kaji listened intently, and Yuii was as well, albeit a bit more energetically as she went to peer outside through a gap in the entrance. Sensing the bit of tension left in Yuii like the last sip at the bottom of a soft drink, Kaji spied her activity when she went on the move. The energy was telling, from her tone to her actions, as Kaji knew when something wasn’t right with her. He watched on with concern. Xia might have been rolling on with the story and had two listeners, but seemed as if Yuii wasn’t entirely focused on it. Kaji wanted to ask her what plagued her or at least try to console her physically with his touch, but Xia’s story time kept him pinned and attentive.

“So, when the temple took in Suekiyo that evening, he was haggard and wearing battered saffron robes, much like my own. For days, Suekiyo was unwell. The brothers of the temple gave him a room to himself, and they he was cared for, even given new robes. Because of his ill condition, Suekiyo managed to avoid a lot of questions we would have normally asked. We have since come to understand that is was all a ruse… While in our care, Suekiyo was somehow communicating with some vile allies he made in the outside world and colluding to overtake the temple.

Those thugs you found me with were raiders who have been plaguing the region for years. The local magistrate hasn’t been able to stop them, or even drive them off. I honestly don't think they've really even tried. However, the Raiders have never bothered with Soaring Thunder— not until Suekiyo came back. I suppose Suekiyo gave them the information they needed to make a move on the Monastery. After a few days of his stay, the monastery was attacked in the dead of night. We were overtaken by those Raiders. And I knew it, we all knew it was Suekiyo the moment it began. The Raiders managed to silently take down all of the guards who kept a watch over the temple at night, and Suekiyo revealed himself to all Elders who are mostly still awake even at night studying tomes and seeking the guidance of Raiden.

It seemed as if his power wasn't even dampened by his banishment from the temple, in fact, he seemed only stronger than before. The fight was short but incredibly violent, and by the following morning, he and his Raiders had those of the order still alive mopping up the blood around the monastery’s campus.

He called us fools for worshiping a god that does not exist, and claim that by the time he was finished with the soaring Thunder every monk still alive would be reassigned to a life fitting our chosen lot in life. When you too found me I was being taken to wherever the Raiders have been taking us, presumably to become slaves or something unimaginably worse.”

Xia was visibly trying to hold back tears at the end of her story, struggling not to unfold before her company. But now she knew that she was merely one of the lucky ones, found by new saviors before her captors could truly have their way with her. They physically abused her— many of the Raiders were violent with her and the other captives, but in truth she did not receive the worst of what was happening to the monks at The Soaring Thunder monastery. Her dignity was still intact, or so she felt, and so she still felt pure, and the grace of Raiden was not gone from her. Now that she was in the company of the saviors, she could only imagine what was still going on at the monastery where her remaining loved ones remained in the hands of vile captors. “Please, we must head to the monastery as soon as possible, we don't have any time to wait,” Xia pleaded. But Kaji hesitantly shook his head, and let a rational course of action come to mind. “I understand how you feel, but we've been given a great advantage with the knowledge you've given us. ‘It would be a great mistake to rush in now. ‘The ranks will be most bolstered there now, and the Raiders guarding your kin will either be awake or on their laurels.” using his own kind of wisdom, Kaji unveiled a empty scroll from his tool pouch and a pen kept in his flak jacket pocket. He handed both materials to Xia and said, “if you won’t rest, use this opportunity to provide us with more information. Draw us a map of the monastery with an ideal point of entry least likely to be guarded strongly. Tonight, Yuii and I will make an advance on to the monastery once the hour is late and I am back up to the task... I'm sorry, but you are in no position to come along with us, and will remain here where you’ll be safe.” Xia clearly wasn’t having it, but Kaji shook his head again and took a slightly authoritative tone, “worst case scenario, you may have to play an important role in the future of joy monastery. ‘We will not know what to expect of Suekiyo once we arrive or just what he might resort to once his back is against the wall. ‘For the sake of your order, we cannot take a chance with your safety. ‘I don't think your elders would have it any other way.” Kaji then looked to Yuii, wondering what she might say to that plan.

Distracting Xia with map making seemed like a perfect plan to keep her occupied for the time being, and Kaji began some small talk with her here and there, trying to understand more about her monastery and their ways. This would give Yuii ample time to slip out of their hideout and gather their meal. “Do be careful out there, Blue,” Kaji said with a nervous blush from cheek to cheek, equally concerned for Yuii's safety as he was awkward about displays of affection around others.

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[Kagetsu Yuii]

The tale laid out to them was a sad one, and made Yuii ever more apprehensive to be on the road. The thought of what could be happening to the other monks, ones who had not threatened her lover's life, made her want to set out immediately. Unfortunately, Kaji was in need of a long repose before they could continue what had become a rescue mission. Sennin or not, Yuii could not handle liberating the Soaring Thunder from so many men on her own without the risk of capture or death. As important as it was to carry out the mission, it was just as important to pick their battles wisely. Kumogakure did not like the loss of its shinobi to hopeless causes.

Kaji continued a gentle dialogue with the girl and began coaxing her to map out her home for their entry. He had all the charisma and tact that she lacked at that moment, and she couldn't have been more thankful he was there. Yet, even while she admired him for it, she couldn't help feel the sting of shame over her own volatile state. She was losing her professional edge over emotions most learned to handle in their hormone filled teenage years. The loss of sanity was infuriating.

Yuii needed to clear her head, and the earlier desire to find them a meal became paramount. "I'm going to secure the area and see about those fish," Her debts could be paid and their bellies could be filled, a winning combo in her mind. Oniyuri, whom had resumed her nap by the small fire, did not move. Yuii took that as a lack of interest in her fishing expedition and decided not to force her. "Yuri, look after them until I get back, please," The feline's eye cracked open a sliver and her eye rolled into focus but she offered no answer. It wasn't as if she was going to say no, Yuii reasoned as she shuffled towards the exit, she just wanted the satisfaction of not saying yes. Yuri was like that when she was sulky.

The blue woman paused before departure and gave Kaji a diffident smile. Yuii was just as awkward as he with overt shows of affection. Now that the tense moment had worn away, she felt constrained to their usual stiff interactions when another was around. Xia wouldn't know about the troubles surrounding their relationship but it was difficult to shed her over cautious nature. "Of course!" she answered far too cheerily with a half wave, "Rest well-" her eyes flicked towards Xia and her jaw clenched, "stay safe."

The rain had turned it a fine, albeit annoying mist that soaked Yuii in a thin sheet of moisture the moment she regained her footing. Oh the be a Pyro with their warmth or a water adept with their mastery of liquid she lamented while adjusting her scarf to stop the trickle of moisture on her neck. Yuii was normally chilled easily and even with the warm layers she had wrapped herself in for this mission there was no escaping the cold.

Breathing warmth into her fingers, Yuii climbed the creek side and surveyed the area around them. The first order of business was making sure the area around their shelter was clear and safe from the elements and detection. From where she stood, the smoke from their fire was barely visible and the scent was masked by the rain. Once they had the cover of darkness there would be no danger of it being detected. Just to be safe she adjusted stones, sticks, and moss around the 'chimney' to better hide the glow from below. She then circled back to check the only other weakness. Their doorway. The shelter Yuii had carved out was high enough that the stream was would not reach it even if the rain persisted, she decided. The water bed was cut deep, which was common in the soft soiled lands of Kumogakure's south, which had created the short cliff and hollowed out root system they resided under. Decades of melting snow had created the alcove beneath the tree, not a sudden flood, that was certain and the lack of silt, when she smoothed it out, meant they would be safe. Armed with that knowledge, Yuii moved a pair of melon sized rocks to mask the true size of the opening and once again rearranged the nature around it until it looked like an abandoned fox den.

Satisfied with her work and the relative safety of her resting partner, Yuii trekked up stream to fulfill her actual goal, fishing. More specifically, gathering both the ingredients and utensils to make them all a fulfilling meal. They could not all survive on sugary treats like Yuii appeared to, after all, and an empty stomach was a danger in stealth missions like they were about to undertake. And so Yuii trekked her way up stream and well away from the others to begin.

The place Yuii chose was a clearing she would have cautiously called a good camping place in less dangerous times. There was just enough shelter from the trees to keep the wind away and the ground was flat enough to make camping easy. There was even patchy grass that would have made good bedding but it was likely too late to worry about comfort. Both ought to be resting by now and any addition would only disturb them. What she could do, Yuii decided, was create a camp out of the work space she would need. It could act as a decoy if anyone found the men they had carelessly left in the roadway and came looking for their lost monk. Another layer of protection could not hurt. But first, the fish.

Giving into to an uncharacteristically morose sigh, she knelt and fumbled with the lace of her boots so that to could be set aside dry. Faced with quiet and her own thoughts, Yuii finally had time to reflect on Soaring Thunder, Xia, and her own feelings. Sukeiyo sounded like a monster in sheep's clothing, and the monastery was in deeper trouble than either of them could imagine. At her age, Yuii was not new to the world, the dark corners that could exist or its religious organizations. As devout as Xia was, there was corruption everywhere. It was as likely the sheltered people had failed the man not attacking them as any explanation for allowing criminals to take over his once home. Even so, and as irrationally angry as Yuii still was with Xia, even she knew the innocent monk had not deserved this turn in her life. Most of the Soaring Thunder would be the same and she was honor bound as well as contractually to save them.

In truth, she decided, it wasn't that she was really mad at Xia. The girl hadn't known what she was doing, Yuii knew that logically, it was the moment she had done it in. Yuii had gone from mourning to elation and finally horror in such a short space that she felt raw from the experience. She didn't know how to handle any of it, nor did she want to face the lengths she was willing to go for Kaji. Kaen and his sister came to mind. Kaji would never forgive her for making a choice like that. She was being hard on Xia because she was hard on herself and Yuii had a bad habit of reacting like her cat friends when irritated.

The water barely reached her knees and was the type of frigid cold that could take a toe off a normal man. Yuii had no desire to splash around in such cold, and so she created a small spear for herself and perched in wait until one of the silvery fish she had spotted before made itself known.

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[Okada Kaji]

Once Yuii concealed the exit to the shelter behind her, Xia kept silent long enough to be sure that the terrifying woman didn’t make a sudden return. It was all just small talk beforehand; a little conversation to ease the mood within the cave. But there was some suspiciousness to Xia as she watched the entrance keenly, and listened to the best of her abilities. Kaji made an attempt to pretend he was going to take a quick nap, but between the cold, hard floor, and their need to continue the mission so urgent, there was no way he could lull himself to sleep— especially with his precious Blue out wandering in the night. Xia worked on the map Kaji requested, and attempted more conversation despite Kaji’s silence; “again, I am sorry for my transgressions earlier, Mister Okada. ‘Had I known, I would have—” she paused when Kaji turned to face her in his lazy, lying pose.
He countered, “it’s fine Xia. ‘We’re all adults here… if anything, I overreacted and she synergized with me. I really like ‘Yuii; she knows I wouldn’t spurn her for the affection of another. Never that.”
“Aww, well I’m glad,” said Xia with a relieved smile. “Couples in love are a rare sight around the Soaring Thunder… and a big taboo.”
Kaji began to blush slightly; there was that word again. That problematic word. He looked back at Xia, and then to the sleeping tiger, sure that it really wasn’t and would probably extort him for fish later as well, threatening to tell on him. “Ah well, I’m new to the region and she’s been showing me around. We have just kind of connected, I suppose.”
That answer should have done the job, but years of circulating secretly exchanged romantic novels around the monastery left Xia incapable of leaving his reply at that. “Connections are good… but, what about something a bit deeper?” With a cheshire grin, she pressed him like a hot chicken and cheese panini. Kaji glanced at the sleeping tiger once more; lying to save face would have been worse than being embarrassed over the truth.
“I guess, yeah” he admitted crassly. Perhaps it was just from the fire pit, but the warmth he felt after his admittance felt incredible. He’d thought it a thousand times but never uttered the truth aloud. “I do love her. She makes me feel something... Feel... Like I’m more than some weapon to be deployed.”

“That sounds nice” her reply was genuine, maybe even envious as she viewed Kaji in his most honest moment. “I have heard that our societies are similar, you know? It is the practice of our devotees at the monastery to stave off cravings of the flesh. Some of the masters give us disciplinary lashes or extra cleaning duties just for looking at each other the wrong way.” Xia’s eyes trailed towards the fire, hiding something behind them as she questioned whether to share her truth or bury it deep. “I’m sorry—” she began to retreat from the conversation, but a sympathetic look from Kaji urged her to continue. “There was someone I can say I had those kinds of feelings about, once— a few years senior to me but a few younger than you, I guess. His name was Kanetomo; we couldn’t afford to get caught showing affection around the temple, but he always used to pick the prettiest flower he could find for me every time he took the trail down the mountain. He was so kind to me.” In truth, she thought Kaji looked a lot like Kanetomo; this man was a bit older and rougher, but they both had similar complexions, builds, and facial features.
“Where is Kanetomo now?” Kaji was wondering, but in the back of his mind, he already knew the truth based on the hopeless past tense in Xia’s recollection. “Did he survive Suekiyo’s undertaking of the Monastery?”
“No” Xia admitted woefully. “He did not make it. And to be honest, I think he would have preferred it this way… to die in battle rather than being taken and divvied out like slaves and livestock.”
“You’re wrong about that” Kaji answered gruffly, “I’m sure he would have never wanted you to go through what you have alone, or for the banners of your monastery to fall despite his sacrifice. Of that much I’m sure.”

“Most of the temple males— Kanetomo included— were rounded up after the undertaking was complete” Xia recalled. She remembered it all vividly. “Suekiyo didn’t accomplish it all by himself after all; the men who came with him seemed just as capable and I think they had their own agendas… Control. For the first few days, they continued to cut some of us down every few hours— sometimes few apart, and at times several. All to strike fear into us, and ensure us that the light of Raiden was gone from the Soaring Thunder.”

---

Along the mountainside, the sun was making its dip, colliding over the horizon in a slow crawl, nestling behind a blanket of overcast and a view of Momento Deo, still noticeable from over one hundred miles away. Yuii Kagetsu’s spirit was bolder than the chilling dusk which awaited her, and the flurries of fresh snow dropping from above. She had ventured out here alone, and even though the mountain on which the Soaring Thunder rested was days of foot-traveling away from her home in the Hidden Cloud, she understood the ways of the land as well as her own mirror image. A lifetime in the mountain climate meant knowledge of how to forage and hunt the local game. Practical skill with ninjutsu— like the creativity she showed while forming the camp meant that she’d probably make quick work of a shallow stream running through the valley.

There was an unsettling calm in the forested area that surrounded the mountain’s basin. The steam she found was bubbling and splashing with an abundance of fish red-bellied fish. The creatures were steadily swimming up it, and on occasion, pop out of the water and reveal themselves briefly. They shimmered in the coming moonlight with spotted green backs. Blindly, they were passing a hunter more threatening than the usual bear or spotted leopard who might wander by and be happy with one or two of them. No, this fisherman had come with a debt to pay. Catching them would be as easy as staying still long enough for one to swim through her legs. Most shinobi had quick enough reflexes to pluck them out of the water, but would Yuii have the nerve to return to her allies smelling like the river from all the rough handling? Though, this would soon be the very least of her concerns.

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[Kagetsu Yuii]

Set on finishing her task, Yuii put her inconsequential feelings aside.

The first fish was caught with a satisfying thunk as Yuii's spear pierced its silver and pink scaled flesh. Ribbons of blood trailed through the water as she hauled the surprisingly heavy, thrashing fish back to the round pebbled shore. One well-placed strike to its head just above the eye ended its fight and suffering, leaving it to rest in the gray, fading daylight. Its spirit wriggled only a minute longer then faded away to whatever afterlife awaited a fish.

In the distance, she could feel something off about the air.

By the fifth fish, catching them was no longer gratifying, but the motions were keeping her sufficiently distracted. Every motion quickly became the chore it was meant to be though, and Yuii had to battle her own laziness. At her speed and skill level, the slow moving pike had no hope of avoiding her superior speed, making it as easy as the boulder punching she sometimes submitted students to teach them patience. Yuii ignored the whining voice in the back of her consciousness, as she did during all boring, repetitious tasks like paper work and teaching that plagued her days, and continued to add to the growing line up of seafood.

It might have been her imagination, as the wildlife was still comfortable making its evening sounds, but it felt as if she wasn't alone. A quick check confirmed Oniyuri had not crept out to watch Yuii's struggle.

By the tenth fish, her mind was wandering as badly as it ever did during said paperwork. There was no exciting endgame to this chore. It was punching boulders, but with the added horror of smelling like fish. She would not be rewarded with a new jutsu, or collapse to the satisfying exhaustion of hard training. There would be only more fish, until she finally reached the damning number she had quoted to Yuri, then work beyond it. The lesson was the same as she taught her young students, but it was a bitter pill to swallow by herself. Never again would Yuii so carelessly offer these scaled time wasters as a currency to her feline friends; not unless she could drag a net and nap until her task was done.

There was definitely something off, though it did not feel like an invasion of man or predator.

With nothing else to entertain or console herself with, she let her mind wander to more important things, like how she would cook the fish she picked for human consumption. If there were useable root vegetables in the forest, Yuii could try to make a pot out of the clay that lined the river bed. Though her pottery skills were hardly a miracle to behold, making and cooking an earthware dish for singular use was no outside her skill set. If there was nothing more worthy than the fish, however, she could just coat and cook them in the clay instead. Either way would get them fed, though she still yearned to show off a little for her lover. There would be ample opportunity to reveal her many combat skills once they reached the temple, but something as simple as making a meal from nothing felt special somehow.

In the forest, she caught flashed of something, like a quick moving fog, and the anxiety she had been feeling melted to a dull sense of caution. She had been right, there was someone out there, it just wasn't human.

By the sixteenth fish, Yuii was starting to feel motivated again, if only because her hands were getting frightfully cold and speed would bring her back to their little fire sooner. She was almost finished, and every duty from then on would feel short in comparison. Also, she would not need to gut more than two for human consumption. A victory in her books. The seventeen fish, then the eighteenth were caught in quick succession; putting an end to her misery.

"It isn't polite to stare at people," she called out softly, letting the fishing spear disappear into the void. Her guest materialized slowly through a dense set of bushes he had chosen to hide in out of habit. His hands even motioned to push away the branches that slipped through his mass-less form without agitation. A ghost then; that explained why the forest was not upset.

Yuii blinked owlishly at the young man, dressed in the male equivalent of Xia's robes, who looked enough like Kaji to startle her. At a glance, they had the same dark hair, height and slanted eyes that could make Yuii melt with a glance. Only with a closer look did she start to distinguish them. His eye color wasn't right, his physique was too stocky, her mouth was all wrong and tragically the spirit was much younger.

The ghost's mouth began to move, and Yuii held her hand up to stop its fruitless effort, "Yes, I can see you, but your voice is still inaudible. Just give your spirit time- it's always like that with the newly dead." He looked stricken then agitated at her answer, though that was usual for young ghosts. Death was a bitter pill to swallow, especially when one could not remember the particulars. The greatest kindness the universe afforded them was the inability to remember how and why they had died after the fact.

Yuii formed a new, smaller blade and dragged the freshest of the fish to the stream to prepare, "You're from the temple?" she offered then, in a graver voice, "friend of Xia?" The spirit started nodding enthusiastically and motioned to ask where she was. It didn't flinch as made the first cut, just waited.

"My... partner is looking after her," the spirit scowled, and Yuii realized how that might sound "Cloud sent us and she's safe. I'll show you where when I'm done." It was then she noticed the silence in the forest that had been missing during the spirit's approach. Something was coming and she had missed it during the brief distraction.

On the next breath, she slipped into the veil between life and death and used her brief time incorporeal to find cover.

----
Talk of her contract holder seemed to rouse the tigress just enough that they were sure she was paying attention. The monstrous cat in small form rolled her second eyelids away and stared through slitted eyes at the dirt ceiling above. Kaji's discomfort did not escape her, though if she was going to blackmail him for silence was yet to be seen.

Once the two humans had finished their puzzling comparison of mating situations, and the conversation was finished on a sad note, Oniyuri decided to say her piece. "Humans are stupid," the tiger yawned around her words, rolling from her back to her side to survey the two. Her yellow eyes regarded them with the judgment only a cat could manage, "senseless violence and senseless personal restrictions as usual, especially with your mates. You bore me to death." Then, as if realizing she had not once spoken since Xia had awoken, the feline grinned.

[wc: 1192]

 

[Okada Kaji]

Have you ever wandered through your home in the dark of night? There is a sense of familiarity to it; knowing where everything should be as you cross these familiar paths. Despite the dark, you know this place is yours, but you feel betrayed the moment you stumble across something new. Some say death begins with a fade to black— an unending blackness where you are left to walk a dark corridor. It's a tale we’re all told; the story of heading towards the light at the end of the tunnel. But what happens when someone refuses that light or simply doesn’t see it as they search so desperately for a way back. Is it as simple as feeling along the walls in the dark, hoping for a crevice big enough to slip through, or a lever that reveals another option? I suppose you have to experience it to know, but even then, many who make this journey have little recollection of how it occurred. Those who manage to recover their memory always recall it differently. While there is no standard for how or why they return, there is a name for those souls who manage to wander in the darkness until they somehow return to this realm of the living where we reside: the earthbound spirit.

These earthbound spirits are everywhere: it might be easier than you’d expect to deny yourself passage into the afterlife. There are many levels of the persistence and greed which leads the lost souls astray. For Kanetomo, it seemed as if he had spent an eternity in this darkness until he began to recognize the touch of every surface he bumped into. Time did not exist in the space between spaces where he remained until he emerged, in the very place where he took his last breath. been wandering out there for forever and a day until someone finally came along and noticed him. Kanetomo did not know how long he had been this way, in fact, he struggled to remember anything before this purgatory of ethereal wandering. He spent long weeks drifting through the forest at the summit of the Soaring Thunder, gliding above a field of white flowers whenever the moon shined overhead. He didn’t recognize his own corpse as he often coalesced into being above it, returning to the spot where weeds began to grow over his remains. His murderers did an exceptional job of dumping him where they found him, in that very garden where he often picked flowers for his beloved Xia.

As the sun fell and the spirit of Kanetomo arose for another night of wandering, he heard someone stirring in the usually quiet meadow. Visitors never came here while he was awake and wandering, so the sight of a blue-haired woman meddling with the nearby stream piqued his curiosity. Normally, many of the wild animals who happened to encounter the spirit of Kanetomo failed to sense his presence. He was not properly stitched into the fabric of this reality, and as a spirit he lingered, separate yet present as an invisible specter. He did not expect her to notice him either and stalked her curiously, only to hear the first words spoken since his demise. A certain element of his humanity was restored in that moment when the woman uttered words in the common tongue, and to him nonetheless. With this being his first attempt at communication and a new spark of identity restored in him, Kanetomo couldn’t refine himself enough to speak, despite understanding the woman’s words. He resembled a plume of steam attempting to coalesce into a humanoid shape, and echoes of a human void without discernible words were all Yuii could make out of the noise. This basic level of penetration into the realm of the living was all Kanetomo could manage, but oh how he longed to have words with a living, breathing person. And this creature, this beautiful creature seemed to understand him despite not knowing him at all. He wanted to tell her his story and though it fell on deaf ears, she knew of his plight, she knew Xia and claimed to be an ally to their cause.

Yuii was an intuitive being, so much that she could feel the other presence looming in the forest, moving through the darkness in their direction. Using the same abilities which allowed her to perceive the ghost of Kanetomo, she flung herself through the ethereal divider which kept Kanetomo hidden from the realm’s living creatures. Taking on an ethereal form, Yuii became similar to Kanetomo in her spectral appearance but more complete than the true ghost, whose spirit was too frayed by his journey and loss to form his ethereal body so fully. Sharing a state with her did not alleviate the symptoms of Kanetomo’s communicative flaw. Yuii could hear him now, though it came in the form of jabberwocky delivered in an airy, echoed tone, and sounded as if he might have even been saying something in reverse. The spectral man was like a lost lamb finally finding the shepherd and floated around Yuii as she followed her instincts in the moment.

Emerging at the peak of a tall hill came to a sleek feline form, but Yuii would know instantly that it was not her tigress who followed her scent into the ravine. This figure was as black as a starless sky but had a silhouette that made you rub your eyes in disbelief. Not four but six large paws embraced the hilltop firmly. The beast was panther-like, and not much larger than Oniyuri, but its shape seemed male to the educated eye. More distinct differences with this beast were the inclusion of long, barbed tendrils which weaved and searched upwards from its shoulder blades like cobras posing to strike. The beast was clearly tracking, and pounced from its perch in a wide leap which landed it squarely in the stream. Crystal water splashed, forming falling diamonds under the rising moonlight. It carelessly waded through the icy waters, and came upon the fish set aside for cleaning… The beast was sniffing the soil, not bothering to feast on the fish, which would have been irresistible to any true feline. With a snarl, the hulking panther raised its head from the gutted fish with a pull of thick neck muscles. “Ah, the raven is not alone…" the panther spoke to himself, yet the silence by the stream betrayed his privacy. He scanned the area, even looking so sharply in the direction of Yuii that he might have seemed on to her for a second… but then he fled with a burst of speed into the dark, back from the direction he came from. He suddenly seemed hurried as he ran, chiming “praise be the night” as he vanished into the night.

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[Kagetsu Yuii]

Every muscle in Yuii's body clenched as she reflexively took cover behind a pair of dark pine trees. In her current state, she was able to slip through the tangle of sharp branches without stirring a single needle and curl into the tiny alcove of space between the ground and the first branches. Though she could not currently be seen by normal means, the kunoichi pulled her grey coloured scarf up over the blue of her hair to hide its vivid colour and across her face to obscure all but her eyes in a practised motion. The clothing she had lamented over being dreary and unattractive in Kaji's eyes now became apparent in its utility. It was not camouflage print, but the dark tones matched the shades of the greenery, dark soil and pale grass well enough that only the most skilled hunter could pick her from the land.

Hiding even in ghostly form was an act of habit and caution built on experience. Those capable of turning incorporeal knew that slipping between the realms was not an end-all solution to hiding. Too many in the world had the second sight like hers or sharp senses that could draw them to her whereabouts. She did not know what had spooked the forest, but with a brief explanation of the dangers infesting soaring thunder, Yuii knew to take no chances.

The forest held its breath. It was as if the wind itself had stilled through the branches and the stream had slowed its cheerful burble. The stretch of quiet was long enough she began to question her instincts, but Yuii trusted the animals above and below. Something was out there, it had to be. She remained still, even as her spirit fought to fall deeper into death's abyss and the ghost in similar dress chattered indecipherably in her ear. She risked a hushed 'shhh' between her teeth, which sounded like gunfire to her ears, in hopes he would calm down until whatever had spooked an entire forest had passed.

Then, just as she was beginning to question her sanity on the matter, darkness crept from the hills.What slinked from the trees and leapt to the stream bed was beyond anything Yuii had imagined. A cat, so black in the body it absorbed the light with six powerful legs and a pair of tentacles the rose from its shoulder blades. As a feline contract holder, Yuii knew many powerful cats with power beyond comprehension, but none sent a chill down her back like this one. It was wrong, she couldn't tell why, but it was wrong.

As she looked on, it raised its head to the wind and searched their area with all the awareness of Oniyuri in a hunt. Silently she prayed to Raiden that whatever this perversion of the feline form was that it could not see into the spirit realm. Humans often joked that cats could see ghosts, so while Oniyuri had always avoided confirming her, Yuii had always assumed it to be true. Her furred sister had never had difficulty keeping pace, after all. Her jaw clenched as its midnight eyes fell on her hiding spot as it seemed the worst had come to pass. But as Yuii watched, poised for action it moved on. At her side, the ghost shuddered as if it too was afraid they had been seen.

Her relief turned to horror as it spoke. That thing was no beast, and whatever it was tracking it had linked to her. As Yuii processed that knowledge, the creature moved on but not in the direction she had come from, though that too made no sense. Why would it not trace her?

As if every creature had stopped to stare at the alien creature that descended from the tree tangled hill, the noise resumed at its exit. The scent of pine needles and tree wax assaulted her nose as she slipped from the barrier between life and death. The thick cover of needles bowed beneath her renewed mass, and Yuii took the first real breath she dared to have. Her heart was racing, her feet and hands had gone numb in the cold, and she body refused to move. She wasn't fear that paralyzed her, but the uncertainty of what it was she had just seen. Its allegience, its motives, its powers and its intelligence were all under question and if Yuii made the wrong move now she could jeopardize the whole mission. What if it wasn't affiliated with the monastery? What if it was a darker counterpart of her contract beasts and took offence to her meddling? What if it was too powerful for her to fight alone?

What if it was hunting Xia?

If it had caught her scent and followed it back to Kaji and Xia, no level of cover would hide them from a beast like that. The thought of the black panther descending on her lover in his weakened state spurred her back into motion. "Is that monster a native here?" she asked the spirit in a voice barely above a whisper as she eased herself from cover. Regardless of its answer, her mind was set, "We need to follow it. I don't think it could see us, could you follow it for me? I need to know if it is connected to Soaring Thunder." It may have been the wrong course of action, but inaction was more dangerous.

Free of the pines, she formed a slim blade and worked quickly to cut away the loosely sewn sole of her boot. It revealed the softer leather layer below, which would absorb the impact of her steps through the forest brush. The cat had been primarily tracking through scent, but Yuii knew through time with Oniyuri just how good a larger cats hearing could be. She moved carefully through the trees upstream enough that if it had lingered to watch her fish then Yuii could not be seen. Then, with the cat's powerful nose in mind, she went to the streamside and began to coat herself in the mud until whatever faint scent was on her skin was masked.

All in all, it took only ten minutes, but it was ten minutes that the beast had to get away from her.Yuii stared at the setting sun with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. A creature that dark would be nearly impossible to see once the sun was gone. It was darkness itself in the distorted form of a large cat and moved with the grace and silence of any feline. She had to follow it, had to find out what it was, and could only hope the spirit had had luck in following it. With all her skill in stealth, paltry compared to Oniyuri and Kaji, she trudged back through the treeline to where she hoped to intercept the trail of the monster panther.


[1,155WC]

 

[Okada Kaji]

The sleek feline form embraced the shadows of nightfall. It stroked the earth with the rhythmic footfalls of six large ebony paws. The coming moonlight shined a soft reflection which created the silhouette of the muscular creature, which stalked through the forest in a relaxed gait. Its barbed tendrils were like black cobras rising out of the basket of a flute-playing tamer. They searched aimlessly, to and fro as the beast went its way, separate from the trail back to Xia and Kaji. The big cat made deep breathed sniffs of the air to take in the many scents. It left behind the scent of lilac and gooseberries it smelled near the stream, albeit quite deliberately. But now the panther-like beast let out a low growl as the scent did not do as he expected. No, the scent vanished entirely.

Back at the site where the panther fled and a collection of fish were left by the water's edge, Yuii waited until she was sure that the beast was gone and emerged from the shadows. She appeared through a silvery haze, shifting from her spectral form to a tangible one. It appeared that she knew that type of foe well enough, given she was affiliated with the feline pact. So she quickly masked that soft, pleasant scent with silt and clay from the stream. She packed it on like another layer of armor, turning herself a single dark shade in order to blend with the night. In combination with her other strategies, Yuii stood a fair chance against anything that crept in the dark, not just the strange panther.

Years of experience served her well enough, as well as leadership, as the spirit of Kanetomo became a willing aid to her efforts. You could say that the earthbound spirit of the former Soaring Thunder Monk felt compelled to lend her aid, even if he didn’t understand that she was, in fact, coming to rescue his forlorn home. Despite knowing so little about her, Kanetomo saw an abundance of potential answers to his dilemma in Yuii. When she phased into and out of his prison she presented him some glimmer of home. Yuii did make an honest attempt at speaking to the spirit, but he gave a shake of the head, knowing nothing about freakish panthers. He still could not speak, so physical gesturing would have to do for now. So Kanetomo went as the ghost walker instructed— he followed what he hoped to be the trail of that elusive panther in the night.

Paw prints traced mud a long distance, a little too obvious on the path towards a secluded wayshrine about half the way around the mountain. The area was not be confused with the temple grounds, it was simply a place of worship for travelers who could not stand the full trip up the mountain. The structure was old, built from crude stone and reinforced by magical glyphs which held it in place. Shrine pavilion architecture presented the building with a beautiful red roof which curved inward on four sides. Two torch sconces lit themselves with an aura of magic as the large black figure was first to arrive. The monstrous panther had come all the way here and basked in the low light until its body began to warm strangely. The panther’s silhouette reached far across the ground in the candlelight and trailed off into the darkness. The figure became more freakish and unbelievable— those six legs and tendrils continued warping. Shapeshifting into a new surprise set for the spirit of Kanetomo to witness first. Beyond the darkness surrounding the shrine, the lavender-hued, ghostly image of Kanetomo hid behind a tree with a feeling of trepidation.

Kanetomo watched as the monster huddled down against the ground amidst some horrid transfiguration. It did not seem pleasant, all things considered. The long winding tendrils were the first appendages to shrivel up like slugs in salt, and much the beasts muscle and bone morphed rapidly. The process was less magical, and more like a physical power akin to Akimichi rapidly changing size. The coat of black fur receded into his pores until pale skin and a bald head emerged. His total body mass shrank from the massive seven hundred stone's weight to a mere human man, though he was rippled with muscle mass, comparable to his panther-like form. He occasionally let out a muted scream, seeming in control of the process with only the occasional moment of unbearable pain. Once the transformation was complete, he rose to an upright stance, fully clad in just his birthday suit. Hard, angular facial features made a sharp exclamation on his appearance, as he wore a perpetual scowl. His eyebrows were like black arrows which pointed to the bridge of his nose as if to say: hit me here. He was clean shaved, most-likely due to his fresh transformation. With a breeze passing over him, the panther-man was reminded of the night's chill and ended his bask in the moonlight. He broke into the wayshrine and emerged a few moments later in newly acquired elder monk robes. He appeared on the steps of the wayshrine in a silk gi in black and dark indigo hues. He even found a brass, ringed staff which jingled as he carried it. The stranger paced down to the foot of the shrine, and took a seat. He was ready and waiting.

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[Kagetsu Yuii]

The beast was easily tracked and she hypothesised while moving from print to print in cautious darts, that it wanted its presence to be known. If it was intelligent enough to speak, it must also have known she had been fishing only moments prior to its arrival. The way those fish had been killed and the scent she had left behind could be nothing else but human. Ergo, it wanted her to follow, expected her to follow, and would be at the end of the twisted six pawed trail. Yuii could only she was capable of forming a plan and did not stumble into whatever trap it set blindly. There was nothing more canny and terrifying than being hunted by, or hunting a big cat.

Lucky for her, she did not meet a trap on her path and sending the spirit on to watch the midnight panther worked in her favour. It's softly glowing visage, still and hidden from the road she knew not of yet, warned her that the beast had stopped.With quiet breaths and all the hunting skill taught to her by Oniyuri, Yuii eased herself through the brush as silent as the wind until she could see what it was the monk's spirit was fixated on.

She was met with the last of the horrid reformation from cat to humanoid. Stunned, Yuii watched on as it writhed and twisted in uncanny ways. The mixture of human and cat in mid-transformation made a grotesque Cronenberg chimera that made her brain scream in confusion at the sight. Imaginative, innovation Yuii was at a loss for words or thought, as she struggled to understand what was happening. This use of chakra was so like, and yet unlike the shinobi of Kumogakure, who could become like animals with dozens of handseals and the right usage of chakra. This was out of a horror novel, a movie, a tale meant to scare children around campfires. A nightmare made living, an affront to nature; but was it kinjutsu, demonic, or worse?

Hidden against the forest treeline, she dared not move lest the creature in its transformation state with retain its keen senses and be drawn to her. What had it been before, she wondered, as finally, it finished the shift to human, and what was it now? It had appeared feline but Yuii, with her connection to feline creatures, had never once laid eyes on such a being. Now it looked human, but was it really? If only Oniyuri had been at her side to ask while it was still a beast. She knew things about this world far beyond Yuii's grasp and would not have hesitated in explaining

When the naked man stole inside the way shrine, Yuii turned her attention to the spirit ahead. He appeared small, wispy and had stayed hidden this entire time despite its incorporeal state. Carefully she crept through the brush, toe to heel with a mind for every leaf and twig, to the poor ghost's side. She could hardly make sense of what had just happened but for a once-monk that watching such a transformation must look like an affront to Raiden himself. To add insult, the feline-human returned garbed as a monk. "Human after all," she dared to whispered, while keeping her sight firmly locked on the abomination turned man, "that is a relief. I feared it was a contract beast." She hoped it was so. At least, by the look on the monk's incorporeal face, she knew she did not need to ask if he was actually a monk.

"Stay here, keep watch. Yell if he moved from that spot," she commanded gently once the pretend monk found a seat, "I may have a plan."

Much to her chagrin, Yuii still did not know much about the man seated before them. His allegiance was a mystery, as was his tie to the monastery. Was he an opportunist of the situation, one of the goons Xia has spoken of? Perhaps instead he was an entity all his own unluckily cast as an early foe in their adventure with no tie to their actual mission. She needed to know the answer before returning to the den where Kaji and Xia, because regardless of why it had been hunting, that it was hunting was no question.

Heavy of heart, and certain it was awaiting her, Yuii curled back down the mountain through the trees until she found a vantage point to see the road just outside the seated man's range of sight but still hear it speak. Then she sent a mirror clone back up the road disguised as one of the monks of Soaring Thunder. Xia came to mind, but she quickly dismissed the option. If it was part of the trouble beyond, then it could know the pretty young girl's face she reasoned. That left two options, make her own human creation which rarely worked, or copy the spirit's face.

She hoped it didn't mind that she picked the later.

The monk-cat abomination would be met with a detailed, and very much alive Kanetomo garbed as a monk and very much alive appearing minutes later."Hail, friend! Raiden be with you. Is the road clear to Soaring Thunder?"

[WC: 872]
[6143 total]

 

[Okada Kaji]

And so, as Yuii conjured her best attempt at a replication of Kanetomo as he once was, the ethereal inspiration for her scheme had quite an adverse reaction. Being such a tormented soul, Kanetomo’s fragility left him further lamented at the sight of this out of body experience. He let out a howl, which traveled through the ethereal space aligned with the forested mountainscape— loud enough to demand at least a cringe from Yuii, but a mere whisper in the wind to the likes of the cueballed hunter. The ghost began to spiral around Yuii and the clone in his likeness, not aggressive so much as frenzied. The flighty ghost then spread himself thin and vanished in a dissipating haze, most-likely affronted by Yuii's sorcery. This left Yuii alone with the strapping replica, which looked at her about as awkwardly as she must have observed him.

Alas, once the scheming, muddy mastermind put her plan into motion an intriguing course of conversation was destined between the clone and the supposed monk who awaited company. It truly takes a bold kind of deceiver to place one illusion within another, as this imitation of Yuii Kagetsu was posed as an imitation of a man she’d only heard of once in a love story gone awry. She must have wondered who he was first, perhaps imagining Kanetomo as a devout holy man, a brave paramour with his life cut short, or maybe she just filled in the gaps by imitating Kaji since he and Kanetomo shared a slight likeness.

Through the darkness and cold went this fabricated man as he gained the attention of the awaiting creature-turned-man. Seated and waiting beneath the torchlight, the wretch had a curious yet entertained smirk upon his face as the false Kanetomo approached. There was such a confidence in him, a brazen attitude and a lack of guilt as he wore his ruse and faced another one, perhaps even knowing it. There was something about his eyes— this panther man— protruding eyes with yellow, constricted pupils that seemed to see into your soul. His look alone suggested he was too smart to fall for the clone trick. “Well met young brother” he answered with a bass-heavy tone. He planted his staff firmly and used it as a support to rise as if age had worn him down. He drew uncomfortably close with not a care for the impersonator’s personal space, and as he places a hand on Kanetomo’s shoulder he said: “you walk with the lightning lord’s blessing tonight, my son.” The touch of this enigmatic figure issued a rush of electricity, numbing the impersonator with the force of his presence. The hand was firm like steel, and a mere tap almost made the clone’s knees buckle. Holding up the facade, the lying monk said “Surely your road home must have been a long one, it is a blessing to see your return. ‘And yes, as always the path to Soaring Thunder remains passable, though I figured there was more on your agenda here than a mere pass through.” Suddenly, the defiling monk drifted his hand from Kanetomo’s shoulder to a firm grip on the lad’s throat! It was fast and felt like a vice grip once attached. And there it was, the terrifying look of the panther in those beastly eyes, staring intently into the faux Kanetomo’s green orbs. And he whispered, almost intimately; “is that how you want to treat the man that killed you?”

---

“Don’t laugh at my art” whined Xia as she contemplated crumpling up her crudely drawn map and tossing it into the fire.
“I’m kidding, it’s not that bad” Kaji countered, beaming as he fought Xia’s effort to snatch the scroll away. “I’m sorry— this is really coming in handy and I appreciate the effort, I do. It's just… is that an outhouse or a water well? Is the well that important? The perspective is all off and—” it seemed as if Kaji and Xia were getting along well enough in the time that Yuii was away. Together they were chummy, seated side by side across from the warm fire and observing Xia’s attempt at a map of Soaring Thunder. Obviously, the map left much to be desired, with Kaji trying to give the young monk a pat on the back for her effort.
“Well, I spent my childhood copying scriptures from the books of Raiden, not drawing stupid maps,” said Xia, who turned her nose up at the insults flung at her work. “All I know is this mountain Mister Okada, I have no need for maps here. Besides, it's not that complex of a journey: halfway up the winding road is the wayshrine and its a straight hike from there. Short trip.” She then rolled up the map into a tight scroll and handed it to Kaji, albeit confident he wouldn’t depend on it later. “Speaking of short trips, shouldn’t Miss Kagetsu be back from the stream by now? Perhaps we should check up on her.”
With a solemn nod Kaji concurred and said “Aye, I was just thinking the same. ‘Then again, she could spend the whole night out there trying to even her debt if the fish aren’t biting.”

Set on venturing out to check on Yuii, perhaps even continuing their mission, Kaji considered himself rested up enough for the time being. He went through the motions of putting his jacket back on, and the many things he set aside within their temporary hostel. While he trusted Yuii's ability to handle herself, Kaji Okada could feel something out of place— just call it intuition. He turned to Xia once more, saying “I’m going, and we might not return tonight if we decide to proceed. Promise me that you won’t follow.” He took on a stern demeanor, managing a caring look despite his demanding approach. “Wait here until daylight, and then make a break for the town if we still haven’t returned.”

Xia had the look of wanting to fight his decision but she knew better; instead, she nodded in defeat. Kaji started towards the exit of their hole, but stopped short and made an appeal for Oniyuri to accompany him. “Hey Yuri,” he said with a soft purr, “want to help me find our girl? I bet she’s still out there trying to satisfy your outrageous quota— maybe you ought to come along and show her how it's done.” Slyly, Kaji slid out of the entrance and opened it wider for Oniyuri to follow him along. While he gave the tigress a moment to sort out Yuii's trail, Kaji doubled down on his efforts to conceal their hideout well. From there, the odd pair took off in search of their one and only common interest.

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To be continued.

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

He minded, he minded a lot.

A cry escaped the spirit unlike anything Yuii had ever experienced from the dead, and she knew in her bones that her decision had been the wrong one. Failure to give the still weakened spirit warning of her intentions had caused him to become imbalanced with the physical world. The sight of himself, as he remembered himself to be, while still coming to terms with his own death had set him into a furore that mirrored an agitated animal. Making it face the physical presence it had loss had been a careless act on her part, an amateur crime against the spirit that had helped her until them, and she could only pray that the gods would not punish her for it. Otherwise, Yuii felt heartless and horrible, but she would have to live with that.

Mournful, the mud covered kunoichi sat still, save her shaking hands. With her face masked with self-loathing and horror, she watched as the spirit whirled and spiralled around her kneeling form then the clone. The hairs on her body stood on end beneath the layer of mud, as its ethereal form brushed her flesh and she thought she could feel its frustration. The experience was made so much worse by how closely the dead monk resembled Kaji. The similarities she had drawn between them on first meeting now made her cringe internally as if by failing someone who even looked similar to him she had failed her lover. She wanted to slip back into her ethereal form and try to calm the upset ghost, but drawing her attention from the scene on the road would make her transgression all for nought. All she could offer was an apologetic bow of her head, and a small, almost reflexive exertion of will to try and calm it. It appeared to do nothing though, as he was either too weakened or disgusted with her to that her vanished even to Yuii's eye.

Nitpicking her mistakes would have to be done later. All attention returned to her endeavour on the road.

The swaggering step and gentle tone of voice she had given the clone was an approximation of Kaji's, though she had also borrowed her beloved friend Sunuke's cocky grin and Ayumu's open, good-natured posture for extra life. He held a walking stick aloft like she remembered her childhood sensei had on their journeys and had even equipped him with a backpack, not unlike the one she remembered pilfering sweets from. In her ghostly form, she had been able to see the ghost monk clearly enough to get his skin, hair and eye colouring correct but she imposed some details to his clothing she had noted on Xia's costume and even on the panther monk abomination. As a clone, it was given its own sense of personality as well; not the exact one of her forlorn spirit friend but another blend of what she felt was correct. Afterall, even a mirror clone jutsu could not reflect the true composition of a person; it was just a flat replica.

From her hiding spot behind a fallen tree, the genjutsu master watched on anxiously to see if her creation would work. All appeared well at first, as the Monk-cat exchanged words of greeting with the homunculus monk. Though she held a pact with the tigress, Yuii did not possess Oniyuri's keen hearing, so she was left watching the body language from her vantage point and hoping the directives she had given the spirit were okay. It seemed so until her clone's neck was grabbed, leaving it to wobble around helplessly because she hadn't been able to give it anyway to fight back. With rough treatment like that, it was sure to burst into mirror shards.

That was it then, the panther was dangerous unless the clone had somehow offended it. It was the natural outcome, and she probably should have just attacked it, to begin with, but she had wanted to be sure. If it was going around choke holding monks it probably wasn't worth leaving alone.

All in all, this wasn't how Yuii saw her fishing foray ending, Not only that, but it would probably figure out she was out here pretty quick.

A plan would probably be good right then, but nothing came to mind.

————

"Fine" Oniyuri answered when bidden to find out what was taking Yuii so long. It was probably a good idea, as her contract holder generally couldn't care for herself. She didn't want to leave the den; it was warm and dry unlike everything else outside and if the pair of humans could just stop chattering long enough for her to sleep it would be perfect. It would have been better if she had followed Yuii, to begin with, then she could have babysat the useless woman and been full of fish by now.

Displeased with evens, Oniyuri squeeze free of the shelter and reformed to her natural size. With a derisive sniff and angry leer at the dark cloudy weather, she followed the scent of her contract holder upstream to the pile of abandoned fish. There, Yuii's smell trail vanished and another, odd one replaced it. Something she couldn't remember smelling before. Luckily it had left tracks and short ways down the trail was the faint stink of Yuii. She relayed as much back to Kaji.

[903]