Contract Search Face one's self (dual contract search)

[Kureji]

As Kureji walked out into the great plains of Greater Fire Country, he tried to think through his own head. There is a latent power that resides in him that changes his own powers. At times, he can control it, but at other times, it nearly changes who he is at a random basis. He doesn't really mind it one bit. In fact, he's learned to just go with the flow of things, even when he should question it. But living such a life full of uncertainty isn't like him, so he just ignores it and mainly just improvises as he goes.

He decided to stay out of Leaf for a small bit, considering how he figured word would get around fast. Even though he did help, in his own way, he more or less put a crater in Crater City. Heh, crater in Crater City. He chuckled at the thought but remembered that some people might be on the sour mood for him destroying the black market, making it harder for those who do illegal dealings work in peace. So here he was, out in the wilds, just chilling it out till the heat would settle. He even found an abandoned cottage where he kicked up his feet for a little bit as his body and powers fully changed into something else.

The next morning, he would yawn and get out of the bed and walk outside. But for some reason, the whole area was foggy. He wasn't aware of any rain happening the night before. In fact, it hasn't rained at all in the past week. He raised an eyebrow, but he thought that this must be some work of some random ninja, village or otherwise. So he did the most sensible thing anyone would do. Walk aimlessly into the fog. Within seconds, he would get lost in the fog as he wandered around with no sense of direction.

 

[Senju Akio]

Akio slipped quietly through the mist-shrouded plains, still nursing the bandaged hand he had injured in the Crater City debacle. He really ought to have been resting after all that chaos. Nao had made that much clear. Yet something about this hazy countryside felt off, and he wanted to ensure no survivors or runaways were left behind. Ever since Crater City, there were countless rumors of wanderers who might still be in trouble.

He crouched near a crooked fence post, placing his palm gently to a cluster of shrubs. A brief surge of chakra spread through the roots, revealing nothing but foggy surroundings, with visibility only a few feet ahead. “Weird,” he muttered. His Root Network Jutsu usually gave him a better sense of direction than any compass, but in this fog, it was nearly useless.

Then he heard a familiar voice echo: a muffled laugh, the faint sound of footsteps. Akio stood, heart thudding. He recognized that edgy, playful tone immediately. "Kota?" Picking his way forward, he soon spotted the rocker’s silhouette parting the swirling fog.

“Hey!” Akio raised his arm, cautious relief coloring his voice. “Kota, right? You, uh, took off after everything in Crater City. I wasn’t sure if we’d meet again.” He offered a tentative smile, though he kept his guard up just in case. “I’m Akio, remember? He tapped his bandaged wrist, still a bit sore. He glanced around at the eerie stillness, lips pressed in a thoughtful line. “Not the safest place to be wandering aimlessly,” he said, stepping in closer so he would not lose Kureji’s outline in the haze. “Mind if I tag along? I’ve seen enough destruction to last me for a while, and... well, I’d rather not let anyone get lost in here.”

Despite the lingering tension of their last meeting, Akio’s eyes held an open warmth. For all his swagger, Kureji had stepped up in Crater City to protect people. Even if the man’s sense of caution ran thinner than his electric guitar strings, it felt right to make sure he did not vanish alone into the fog.

[WC | 349 .:. Total | 349]

 

[Kureji]

The fog was so thick that he- "Ack!" Practically bumped into a random kid and Kureji fell over. He grumbled as he got up and listened to the kid speak. Something about Akio and danger and tag. "I don't think playing a game of tag ain't gonna help us outta here Sandy Hair. Also... Why are you here?"

But before he can get an answer out of Akio, the fog had lessened, not by much, but enough to have better visibility. "Am I going crazy? Wait, scratch that, I'm already am. But are you going crazy Sandy Hair? Cuz I think I see..." Suddenly there was a roar of a crowd going wild. Both Kureji and Akio would find themselves in what appears to be in a backstage. But when looking at the 'workers' their faces are darkened to the point that they can't see anything. Fog hung thickly in the air but the denizens don't even seemed fazed by it, perhaps not even noticing it at all.

"Normally, I'm down to party and cause some noise. But this right here is one hundred percent sus." A spotlight then shined upon Kureji, coming from seemingly nowhere, along with an equally ominous voice.

"Welcome Kota. We haven't had much talks. Only agreements in passing. I think it's time we actually meet. Face to face." The 'workers' with possibly no faces stepped towards Kureji and Akio. "Though you'll have to deal with those that stand before you first. Don't worry though." A television would turn on and show both Kureji and Akio facing down a group of these... things. "We are broadcasting live! Covering every inch of... Where are we again? Wind Country? Lightning Country? Wait! It's Fire Country!"

He brought out his guitar. "Something about all this feels off. Probably not even real. But for now we should go wild on these nobodies!"

(319, from prev post+312=631 total wc)

 

[Senju Akio]

Akio blinked at the sudden change in scenery. One moment they were stumbling through dense fog in the Fire Country plains. The next, they stood in some kind of backstage area flooded with bizarre lights and half-seen faces. He noticed Kureji bringing out his guitar and talking about how strange everything felt. Akio had to agree. "Yeah... No way this is normal." The workers without faces gave him chills, moving like puppets without strings. Yet the sound of the crowd’s roar in the distance suggested they were somehow the main act.

Rather than question it further, Akio let out a short laugh. “Alright, guess we’re stuck in someone’s warped show. Maybe we should give them a real performance!? That seems to be your style, after all.” He could feel his pulse quickening. The reality of their situation hovered on the edge of surreal, but if they had an audience, it might as well see them rock. He met Kureji’s gaze and felt a spark of excitement. This was the perfect chance to back up the rocker’s performance with some serious stage effects of his own.

Planting his feet, Akio quickly formed the signs for his Contract Summoning. Thick smoke burst by his side. Kazan, his fiery turtle ally, emerged with a deep rumble, luminous embers glimmering around his shell. “Sorry for the short notice, old friend,” Akio said, feeling a rush of warmth as he entered Turtle Sage Mode. The red lines on his face shifted, glowing faintly with sea-green highlights. The frenetic lights of the backstage caught Kazan’s eyes as the turtle growled in approval, then let out an earth-shaking roar. With a second series of seals, Akio created a swarm of Wood Clones that scampered off to harass the crowd of faceless workers gathering on the fringes.

Akio - Turtle Sage Mode

“C'mon guys. Let’s see if we can keep the beat for our guitarist.” He grinned, shaping blocks of sturdy wood around his forearms. In an instant, each clone summoned its own Wood Hammer, large mallets aimed to strike. The nearest worker lunged, only to be crunched by the sunny Senju's hammer blow, the sound ringing out like a furious drumbeat. A second one dodged the first swing, but the jutsu sprouted a fresh head of lumber, slamming home with a resonant crack. It was like a synchronized dance: clones spun, hammers crashed, and faceless forms crumpled in bursts of sawdust and shadowy fragments, all setting a beat for the guitarist to play to.

Meanwhile, Kazan opened his maw, drawing in cosmic energy that shimmered like a star field. He released the Stardust Nova, ten blazing spheres launching from the seeming void of space within his shell. They streaked through the fog, illuminating the strange backstage with comets of multicolored light. Each explosion painted the faces of the clones and workers in a kaleidoscopic glow, leaving the perfect backdrop for Kureji’s grand entrance. Akio glanced at the rocker, and although the situation was more serious than he knew, Akio fed off Kureji's confident energy and couldn’t help but grin. “Your stage, Kota! Give 'em something to remember!”

[WC | 523 .:. Total | 872]