Facing Ones Fate

[Miroku Akkuma]

The setting sun caused a sea of purple light to cover the horizon & surrounding area. The Sage paused momentarily to take in the view, with a sigh he would force himself to return to setting up camp. It had been a long journey to come here, he'd avoided using the more traveled passage ways here. Although he had been sure to inform the local hostess that he was on his way up to the Luminous Mountains for a brief respite from village life. Information he had hoped would make its way to a certain individual. For the Sage had received an interesting report. He'd been informed one of the up & coming talents from the underbelly of Wind Country had managed to get in contact with a particularly talented assassin. A meeting had been arranged where the assassin would have been given his name. However once he'd received the news he saw fit to go deal with the upstart gangster personally. It had taken little time to track down the individual & sever his head from his body.

A violent act which had sent those who had dared to oppose him slinking back into the shadows. For he knew that the individual did not possess the means of capital to acquire someone of such reputation. No, someone was backing him financially. Who he could not be sure of yet, but that would matter not if he could make an arrangement with this individual. Once he finished setting up camp he lay down on the bed roll he had beside the well fueled fire. There was little doubt in his mind that his act had gained the attention of the one who had almost had a job to take his life. After all few people took kindly to losing yen, especially in matters such as these. He'd sent word out & wondered if his contacts had managed to get his message across to the would be assassin.

While he lay there watching the smoke dance through the purple hues of light that were cast by the mountains he couldn't help but wonder if this was all for nothing. Had his efforts been nothing more then a whisper in the wind? For with the promise of yen gone what reason would the assassin have to seek him? Then again he was an individual known for many things, his wealth being one of them. A second promising fact about the Sage was he had a vast amount of enemies. Ones he would happily see meet their demise. With a sigh he would sit up & reach over to a little ruck sack bag. Ruffling through it he would retrieve a gourd of sake, uncorking the stopper he would help himself to a generous sip. Savoring the taste, just on the off chance the Fates had decided to mock him as they so often did. Beside him was an extravagant chest, inside it the decapitated head of the upstart who would have seen him dead. It was encased in a stasis-like crystal in order to preserve the remains & prevent any decomposition.

A technique he had utilized many times although, although in truth he had never done so for only part of his victims. There was always a first for everything & perhaps tonight would be full of those. For he hoped it would be the first time in many moons that the Fates left him to his own devices. But who knew what schemes they may have in store for him. They had taken much pleasure in turning events on him in quite a spectacular fashion.

MFT

 

[Kiko]

“Damn…”
A single, gently spoken word followed by a deep sigh. A strange rattle and purr accompanied her almost double tonal, feminine voice. Her mask and respirator covering her hooded face. The voice had come from uncomfortably close to the ear of the Dark Sage of Suna. A cold wooden hand materialising and gently touching the top of her index finger at the base of Akkuma’s skull.

“I had my suspicions the fool was dead the moment I overheard your destination and your desired isolation from that conveniently placed old woman who had been… so shocked at ‘how polite that Benovelent Shinogami had always been to her and her folk’.” She intentionally left out the part about the screaming and the blood…

Kiko flickered in a momentary burst of speed from behind the Dark Sage, stoping in a flicker once again in an empty space on the other side of the fire, a small floor mat and a decorative teaset set up in front of her cross legged body. Her mask now lay on the mat, carefully placed facing towards the Dark Sage, her pale, almost porcelain skinned face locked in a pleasant half smile, the fire glinting off of her glass like eyes.
Kiko leant forward, her apparently empty hand clicking as it clasped around the handle of the teapot, her other hand gently holding the lid in place as she poured herself a cup of already steaming and very pungent tea.

“I will offer you tea, though I will tell you the tea is definitely poison and I have been…” Kiko looked forlornly, though with more than a hint of contempt, at the severed head. Her voice, though no longer behind the respirator still had a strange double tone.

“…as I’m now sure you are excruciatingly aware of… hired to murder you and put your head in a similar box.”

Kiko gently brought the steaming cup to her cold white lips, taking a sip, closing her eyes in a moment of thought as the tea saturated her tastebuds, before nodding in a show of visible satisfaction.

She repeated the process of pouring tea into the second teacup. Offering it to the demon with a gesture and a nod, passing it to him if accepted.

“Did he speak before you ended him? You definitely knew he was only a puppet.”

Kiko mused to herself, the thug from Suna she had made the contract with did not have the intelligence to make contact with the Myakashi villages in the land of Snow. Though there he had been, half frozen to death, a ‘buy one get one free, Weatherwaxe’s decorative mugs and spoons’ voucher clasped in his near frost bitten fingers as he had stumbled into town. And so the bargain had been struck, though he had obviously not taken her advice in burying himself until she returned with her immortal victims head.

“In truth, Lord Miroku, I will need to study you more before I murder you.”

A statement not a question.

“I am sure that if I took your head in a jar…” she gestured towards the head in a jar.
“…you would be grinning in the streets of your city before I could cross the threshold and claim my token.”

Kiko sipped her tea once more, savouring the taste for a moment before continuing to speak.

“Therefore I find myself at an impasse, I don’t think I can kill you yet and I know you can’t kill me… perhaps you have an alternate head I can claim? At least until I learn all your weaknesses and I claim what is owed.”
Her words said with a sweet edge and a playful wink. A small, un-torn coupon gently floated to the floor in front of the sages feet, if he cared to read it he would notice it was an old, expired voucher which read ‘small dog walking service, fourth dog free!’

[ooc: thanks for being patient with me
Topic joined with Kiko]

 

[Miroku Akkuma]

It seemed the Fates did indeed have their attention elsewhere for he'd yet to feel the cold of steel piercing his flesh as a singular word was uttered into his ear. There was something peculiar about their voice & even more so about their touch upon his flesh. For a moment the explanation escaped him, that was until the figure spoke once more. 'Ah, they're a human puppet...' the thought brought about another reassurance. For they were not the first of their kind that he had encountered. "Benevolent Shinigami? I guess that's another moniker I can add to my collection...in honor of her memory." he would calmly say to the unseen specter lurking behind him. Even for a shinobi of his caliber their prowess was exceptional, to be able to sneak up to him so easily. Although it took much more then an assassin to scare him, after all they dealt in death. This was an obstacle he had overcome many years ago now. Those he offered his patronage to rarely betrayed him, if she had it was because she was coerced. The one before him did not seem like the kind to leave any witnesses if it could be helped. Naturally his conclusion was that the lovely hostess was no longer among the living.

With astounding speed they moved to before him, making themselves comfortable & even setting up tea in less time then it took the average individual to blink. A devilish chuckle would escape his lips at the assassins words. She was clearly displeased by this development. "I'll entertain your attempts for now.." he would say accepting the tea with a mischievous grin & nod of thanks. Some experiences in life were worth the risks that accompanied them, he doubted this exchange was any different to those. Another grin this time one more sinister then the almost playful reactions he'd presented so far. "Naturally, although as I'm sure you're painfully aware. That task will not be as simple as your client may have made it out to be." he would say with a chuckle as the assassin sipped at her tea. Akkuma listened to her next words enjoying the taste of the fine brew.

"I did most of the speaking in his final moments. Unfortunately my frustrations got the best of me & I ended his life before I could get him to talk. Nonetheless I have little doubt his benefactors will make more attempts in the future." he would confess with chuckle of embarrassment. The Sage often failed to temper his urges when it came to the drive of his instincts. Another devilish smile was flashed by Akkuma at the assassins words. It seemed she had done her research & was not surprised that her target was not the usual hunting prospect. Those emerald eyes of his flashed with glee at her words & her estimate of what were to happen if she did attempt to take his life while so unprepared. He would nod in acknowledgement of her statement as he sipped on the tea once more. After all he had become quite adept at the feat & it would require little effort on his part to seek vengeance. His cycle was one of unending, unlike his foe Akkuma knew where the weakness of a Human Puppet was. The soul canister kept within their contraptions housed their very essence. If one were to destroy that the puppeteer would cease to exist.

A raised eyebrow & smirk was upon the Sages face at the assassins next statement. No doubt they would eventually test the validity of such a statement, but if he could avoid it the Sage had no intention of exerting himself that much. Feeling his heart start to strain the Sage applied one of his hands to his thigh, slight blue glow coating it as he passed a healing chakra through his system remedying the toxins within his form. Those emerald eyes of his landing upon the coupon before him. Reaching out he lifted up the ticket & looked at it impressed. It was no doubt an inconspicuous method of logging the tasks they were given. "I do, although I'm afraid I would require a certain conditional to be met if you were to undertake the hunt." he would say in a business-like manner. "The mission should you accept it would be to hunt the Fifth Hokage, Lady Asuka. But most importantly I will need you to incriminate a member of the Sunan Anbu Corp in the process. A captain to be specific...I can provide genetic material to leave at the scene & provide the necessary information for environmental damages needed to solidify or replicate their fighting technique." he spoke calmly & in a casual manner as if he had not just voiced that he sought the head of one of the most powerful shinobi in all the great nations.

To target someone like himself was one thing, but to hunt one of the legendary Kage? It was a feat few would dare undergo. However if he understood anything about the individual before him he suspected challenges such as this were what they lived for. "She is too cunning & shrewd for what is to come. I cannot risk her seeing the motives of what is to come & discerning the true cause." The Fifth Hokage would be too dangerous if she remained on the board. He'd seen what was in play with Nobu & his kin. That encounter had shown him how great an ally she could be, but how terrifying she would be as an opponent. Akkuma could only hope that the loss of a shinobi so great would cause the village to react drastically. With the right scene set to play out he could begin to sow the tension between the great nations. "Peace has weakened the resolve of shinobi & caused progress to stagnate. These regulations brought about by peace must end once more." a matter of fact statement as his emerald eyes held the dancing flames in their gaze. Sitting before the assassin was an individual who would see the world thrown into chaos. An inevitable necessity if the shinobi way of life was to continue in the coming ages.

After all in his lifetime alone he had seen the rise & fall of shinobi nations. Witnessed them betrayed by those they had sworn to protect. Lost comrades in the name of duty only to be betrayed by those they served. In this current age of man shinobi were no more then tools to be discarded. The Great Nations once more needed a push to further themselves, to drive them once more down the path of progress. Necessity was the mother of invention & nothing would shake the world more then a potential war between the great nations. One in which he could make the necessary pushes to guide the path of shinobi as he saw fit. If this assassin lived up to the whispers he had heard then he may have just acquired a key piece to place upon his board.

MFT

OOC:
System Shock - Mastered Used on Self
Target Provided with conditional terms.

 

[Kiko]

The puppet sipped her tea once more, draining the shallow teacup but leaving the bitter leaf fragments that had settled to the bottom. She spun them gently for a moment, glass eyes staring and cold face turned completely passive, obviously deep in thought. After a moment a familiar half smile came over her unnatural face, her voice box seeming to purr for a moment before true speech began once more.

“The first cost is not of my asking but a cost in blood and pain, Lord Jashin and the Goddess of Deep Waters both ask for their tithe… one living member of your bloodline, soul intact and sane of mind... This is the first token and is the cost of taking a life. It is none negotiable and will be claimed.” She threw the remaining contents of her teacup onto the fire, the smoke and flames changing a strange and pungent orange for a brief moment as the water soaked leaves quickly dried and caught fire. The Puppet poured more tea, though only half filling her cup this time, tilting the small teapot in the direction of her demonic host, filling his cup if a positive response was received before replacing the teapot steadily on the mat.
A delicate wooden hand would begin to raise her cup to her lips in exact movement as had previously been made, though this time the still steaming tea sent a brief fog up her unnaturally smooth face. Pausing,she blew the top of the cup gently, clearing the steam efficiently before taking a long sip.

“The second and final cost I ask for myself, and please no deception. If I am to start a war for you then we are allies until either your final death or mine. This is my second token and is the cost of starting a war.” Her glass eyes remained locked on to the dark sage in an unblinking stare, her passive smile still present despite the seriousness of the request. Kiko indicated towards the ticket which had appeared in front of the Dark Sage.

“If this is acceptable, please tear the stub where indicated and the contract will be made.”

If he looked to the back of the ticket he would see a small but clearly printed fine print, it would read as follows:

‘Dear Customer, if at any time payment can no longer be tendered ‘IN FULL’ this coupon and all related articles are null and void.
Please tear along perforation line as indicated and have a nice day.’

[ooc: https://ninpocho.com/threads/a-rank-jutsu.53870/post-271447 <- the coupon is a trap ]

 

[Miroku Akkuma]

Those emerald eyes of his would flicker to a cold & indifferent gaze. An effort to mask his thoughts as he contemplated what to do. While such costs were not something he was unfamiliar with he wondered if he could truly & honestly pay such a fee. With a sigh he would run his fingers through his hair. A mannerism of his that showed the slight embarrassment he rarely felt when being ill prepared for something. Akkuma had not been caught off guard more he wasn't sure there was truly anyone left that met all of the requirements. "I would naturally be willing to pay such a cost...I'd expect no less. Although I am curious about this Goddess of the Deep Waters. I imagine that to be a topic for another time." he would accept the tea knowing he had not divulged all of the pertinent details to such an agreement. While willing to pay such tribute he was unable to do so when stating he would be willing to pay such a cost.

Having no intention of avoiding what he considered fair payment for services after all he was a reasonable being who made similar compacts quite regularly. Listening to the second terms his unwavering gaze would lower to note the coupon before him. So this was how they communicated their contracts? Subtle & professional he approved. Akkuma would approve more once he realized what the true nature of the ticket truly was. "My clan is quite young...our growth has been due to aggressive assimilation. The few bloodkin I had are either dead or would certainly not meet the sanity requirements. Depending on the patience of your Gods I could produce such a tribute with enough time." it was an honest admission to the puppet wearing individual before him. A warm & apologetic smile would appear on his face. His eyes full of sincerity something that seemed unsettling to most he demonstrated it too. Perhaps because it was not expected from someone with his nature.

"You see I've lived a rather long life for someone in our lifestyle. Many of my natural kin have not seen the success of our efforts. Their sacrifices helped pave my path. Those that remain...well let's just say their longevity has come at a cost." it was an honest admission those of his bloodkin that remained lived what many would call cursed lives. Many had been the victims of Fate others had been his victims. Most of his offspring had vanished or been swept away out of his grasp. Where they were he did not know. Of the two that remained only one carried his blood but even if he did not have Amnesia the wild nature that seemed to rage within him had taken over his ability to be rational. That much he had come to understand due to recent events. "However there are individuals that have pledged their souls to me. Ones who are true believers, agents with complete devotion & faith in me..." for the briefest moment his eyes would flicker with the regret of making such an offer. After all he cherished each of his kin, but his Agents held a particular value to him. However to the Sage the ends justified the means & the look of regret would be extinguished by the cold rational of his almost alien morality. Even in his efforts to regain his humanity there remained his unnatural ability to disconnect himself.

It was something that came naturally to him nowadays. When it had once become something he had struggled with. Life was full of many lessons & some left their marks on us all. "If your Gods are willing to accept one of my counter offers then we have a compact & are allies until one of us come to our final rest." with those words should they come to an agreement he would lift the ticket. A devilish delight burned in his eyes but behind them was a cold unnatural darkness that threatened to devour all before it. Waiting only the briefest of moments for an answer before tearing the stub. However if his means of payment were unacceptable then Akkuma would have to continue the negotiations after all he was not known to give up easily. Although he suspected he knew what the Gods would make of both offers, whether his instincts were as good as they once were when dealing with such entities still remained to be seen. Something told him since their initial payment could not be met they would desire both of his others after all most of this Gods were the same & took a cruel delight in the suffering of those they considered beneath them.

MFT
Apologies on the delay! Was hard trying to get the feel for the finish of that one.

 

[Kiko]

Kiko watched closely, examining the facial movements and eye adjustments as the dark Sage considered the terms of the contract. Her porcelain head tilted slightly, glass eyes squinted and ever present half smile still in place. The sages terms of a future progeny would be acceptable, after all her gods were not the greedy kind of gods… more the vengeful, murderous, ‘smite thy neighbour’ kind of gods…
The Deep Queen only required pain and sacrifice…
Lord Jashin much the same in pain and blood…
Kiko was the one that wanted a reaction, and there it was.

A momentary hesitation entered the dark Sage’s negotiations as he began his second counter offer, one of his beloved followers in place of his corrupt direct bloodline. Fair trade.

“I accept your second offering, the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb after all. You offer one of your disciples as sacrifice and, in exchange, I will give you the head of the Fifth Hokage… Lady Asuka, and a start to your war… do you accept these terms?” The double tone and strange whir in her voice lending a confused inflection to her words, one tone lending a somber inflection whilst the other almost a barely restrained excitement as the dark Sage lifted the ticket and inspected it closely.
As it’s old, compressed paper was torn a momentary flash of heat would sear his fingertips and a foreign, cursed chakra would momentarily flood his body, like the cold burn of anaesthetic through his veins… (4Kish damage?)
The coupon would be whole once more in his hands, un-torn and now with fresh ink across its face stating ‘REDEEMED’ in bold, framed red letters.

“Now that’s out of the way, tell me of this Anbu I must become… he is male I assume?” Kiko began to stand as she spoke, the teaset (except the cup held by the dark Sage of Suna) and the floor mat dissipated into dust, gently swirled by the movements of her body as she stood.

Her body rippled with unnatural chakra as her physical form bulged and distorted, her cloths falling away like dust just as the teaset and mat before them. In just a few seconds of confusion to the eye Kiko had changed herself and now, instead of the feminine, small framed woman there was a well toned, naked man, of average height and weight, with perfect white, shoulder length hair standing opposite the dark Sage. The new human meat body showed no imperfections or joints like her puppet body had displayed, smooth, unbroken skin over squishy meat rather than lifeless wood and stone. The new man began to speak, the voice momentarily coming out as her usual double toned speech before it quickly shifted to a clear, single toned male voice. (Puppet Symbiosis)

“Does he look something like this? What does he sound like? Could I have that sample?”

 

[Miroku Akkuma]

Those piercing eyes of his would flicker with a mixture of emotion that was quickly snuffed into nothingness. One of his kin for the acquiring of such an individual was a cost he could accept on the cosmic scale. Time would have to show him whether the cost was worth that which he paid. But the Sage considered himself a rather capable & astute individual when it came to such considerations. Rarely had he found himself wrong but even he had not been without his failures in the past. He found the response & amendment of the assassin before him suitable. There was much about the minor details of his new acquaintance that excited & intrigued the Sage. Those subtle tells that he suspected had been left to only add to the terror of their victims. A theory which would be given more weight when he saw the craftsmanship the masked individual was capable of producing. Not that he expected anything less from an individual that had felt a proclivity to that specific art. It was one he found he lacked the patience to fully grasp, although he did have a professional respect for those with the aptitude to do so. In his experience such shinobi were extremely dangerous individuals to behold in combat.

"I accept your terms..." he spoke tearing the ticket. Too late did he realize the attempt by his would be assassin. The thunderous boom would echo around the mountain peak. Part of the Sages hand twitched a few feet from where they sat. The force of the small explosion not only knocking the Sage back but causing what he would consider superficial damage at best. Without showing any concern he still held the remains of the now reforming ticket in his intact hand. Noting the change in its text, it would seem they had truly reached an accord. Akkuma could deal with the attempts on his life, after all he'd survived many an impossible situation in his tenure as a shinobi. Adding the assassins attempts to his already vast list of survived experiences would just be another note for his memoirs.

"Now that is effective. A discreet means of conducting business...or a successful kill depending which the user needs." it was a technique he very much approved of & he seemed to be enjoying the whole encounter rather then on edge. As he spoke the muscle sinew of the Sage would twitch & writhe. Seeming to take on a life of its own his flesh would begin regenerating at a rate that would be the envy of many medical shinobi. Before long his wounds would be gone & any sign that the Sage had sustained them was only apparent by the blast residue upon his clothing. Flesh now unmarred by any signs of the blast that had just so recently erupted. One of the Sages own techniques a seal that allowed him to focus on the traits locked away within his DNA. After all he had gone through many a form in his tenure shedding or gaining the traits as he needed at the time. Akkuma's very existence was a monstrous perversion of the natural order.

"Correct, perhaps it would be better if I show you. Naturally, I trust the sample will be enough given your skill set?" his words were spoken in a business-like manner. In a blur he would perform the Transformation Jutsu demonstrating what Kaen looked like. A bulking muscular individual who's presence said more then his words often did. "I'd take him to favor Ninjutsu with a preference for Taijutsu. Given his nature I assume he has little interest in Genjutsu or similar techniques. Between the blood, your craftsmanship & prior histories we should be at the very least get things in motion." those emerald eyes of his would dance with a madness that would see the would engulfed in his chaos. There was nothing more he despised then the stagnation & regulation of peace. How it hindered his work to no ends. The morality of the leaders in such times reflected only their weakness. Something those shinobi had felt a duty to had noticed & been free to manipulate in his opinion. Daimyo's, Merchant Lords such individuals who saw them only as tools to willingly be discarded.

Before his last breath is taken he would see that shinobi learned there is no such thing as true peace. That such insignificant facades between nations is only a temporary stay of the natural state order of progress. Akkuma's conviction for such a Fate would not waver no matter what the world put in his path.

[Sorry on the delay!]
[Transformation Master Rank Used to Demonstrate Kaen's Appearance]
[CRPJ Used:
Demonic Regrowth:
Link to Approval: http://www.ninpocho.com/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=9620
CRPJ's Effect: Can be used to regrow arms, legs and the demons manhood.
Requirement: Dark Sage/Corpse Soil Mastered/Demonic Ancestry
Reason why it cannot be used in battle:
Due to the concentration required to perform this jutsu is impossible. One needs to be able to focus on the arm as its rebuilt its not just one whole thing its thousands upon thousands of muscle sinew and veins. Along the other essential parts of arms, though due to his demonic DNA being used as the base cells the limbs will show demonic traits.]
[MFT]

 

[Kiko]

As the small burst of destructive chakra tore through Akkuma’s flesh Kiko observed the Sage’s physical and psychological responses in the seconds after and they taught the Myakashi Assassin more about her prey and her newly acquired ally.

‘Incredible regeneration speed, no chakra coil disruption despite almost total obliteration of the limb… impressive retention of cognitive function… impressive, he will be hard to put down…’

Now, with the contract signed and sealed the sage began to demonstrate the Sunan Anbu who Kiko was to impersonate during her assault on Konoha.
As Akkuma flew through the handseals and completing his transformation, the young puppet-man’s eyes flashed white, veins protruding unnaturally over the suborbital artery, pulsing chakra infused blood to the central retinal artery for the briefest of moments before returning to a clear ‘normal’ set of eyes, now the color and size adjusted to those displayed by the dark Sage’s transformation. The clothing and muscle mass also quickly shifting to match as black dust once more coiled around the puppets now male form. And finally, as Akkuma spoke under the effects of his transformation, Kiko adjusted her vocal chords in an attempt to match the new vocal range presented.

“Ninjutsu preference… Taijutsu secondary… minimum Genjutsu… noted.” A familiar half smile came over the new meat-puppets face, now an exact duplicate of the dark Sage’s transformation.
The new Kaen meat-puppet stepped forward in a sudden jerking action, accompanied by a series of sickeningly wet cracks and snaps as Kiko’s wooden form pushed its way forcefully out through the spine, the flesh quickly closing and reforming as she vacated the puppet. Her bare wooden feet clicked gently as she touched them to the hard ground around the campsite. The half smile once again on her porcelain face and now completely absent from the vacated meat-puppet, replaced instead by the slack jawed expression of emptiness. (End symbiosis)

“This should be enough to fool them do you think? You wouldn’t happen to have enough blood to fill it up would you?” Her voice had returned once again to the strange double tone, again lending her questions a confused inflection, one tone sounding sincere, the other sarcastic. She began to circle her new Sunan Anbu puppet, running her wooden hand over the chest of the stationary body.
“It should have a functioning circulatory system… I’m pretty sure I can even get it to breath on its own… I think?”
Kiko turned to Akkuma, her hand still resting on her puppet.

“Now that we are allies could I ask you a personal question Lord Akkuma? When the hostess you left behind spoke of you as a Shinogami she said it with conviction…” Kiko again intentionally left out the part about the blood and screaming…
“…so my question is simply this… are you, as she believed, some sort of monster? Or are you… just a human?”

[ooc: posted from my phone, I will come tidy up later
edit: added code
edit: fixed typos ]

 

[Miroku Akkuma]

The Sage could feel the gaze of his new acquaintance upon him. Observing his reaction to the horrific wounds he'd just had inflicted upon him. Akkuma could almost feel the mental notes being compiled as he begun his regeneration. It would seem they were true to their word on being intent to complete their initial goal, no matter how long it took. Perhaps maybe this individual had the capacity to truly put an end to his watch over shinobi. He'd have to start implementing contingencies in case the individual before him managed to achieve such a task. Akkuma smiled at the transformative changes the assassin before him underwent. It was quite impressive to something so adept at the Arts. Puppetry was one of the few shinobi arts the Sage had found little time for in his tenure. After seeing the potential of it here today that may be something he will have to remedy.

Akkuma would give an impressed whistle & move to closer inspect the construction. "Truly magnificent...in my tenure as a shinobi I've met so few of you Human Puppets. But never have I had the pleasure of witnessing the craft in person. Impeccable craftsmanship." he would say honestly as he inspected the features of the empty puppet. There was perhaps one particular technique rather basic but would help sell the identity. "I could imagine him being fond of the Immolation Armour technique." he would add before stopping before the creation his emerald gaze shifting to his new companion. An undeniably devilish glint within those eyes of his. "Admittedly I am working on the means to do so...if we had more time perhaps I could. Currently we must work with the sample we have." on the comment about being able to make the puppet simulate breathing by itself the Sage gave a small tilt of his head.

It was clear they were both Master's of their Arts. "The things I could accomplish if I had even just a few more individuals with your capabilities." His mind ran wild with the ideas of what he could achieve. What his actions could unleash upon the world. A small sigh would escape his lips, one day such limitations would no longer hold him back. Fortunately for the Sage he had met a rather unique variety of individuals who had proven more then capable of achieving that which he planned. That was if they could be guided into the necessary situations that would sow the seeds of his plans. In truth many of his current aspirations would no doubt be something his Father would revel in seeing. But the Sage was an individual who was capable of seeing the long term implications of things. More then willing to pay the unspeakable prices necessary to usher in such an Age.

When he was questioned about the Moniker he had been given & whether it carried any truth to his true origins. "...it has some truth to it, although the truth could be said of all my Monikers." he would calmly state as he thought about the matter & how much he would divulge to the being who wished to end his cycle. "Let's see in this life time I have been; Human, Demon, Kitsune, Fate-Spinner, Shinigami & through pacts I can bestow Gifts not unlike those granted by the Mad God. Although it would be more accurate to say I assimilated these past forms or beings." his words were honest & because he liked to test his Fate the Sage would go one step further. Telling the assassin a truth about him that few beings alive or dead knew. "I suspect I existed before all of this..." as he spoke his mind pulled the broken flashes of memory to the surface. "I am but an Unholy copy of Life, a mockery of its freedom." While the Sage spoke cursed chakra would begin to seep from him. Cracks would begin to form upon the surface of the ground beneath their feet.

"Born in the cruel betrayal of the noble ideals I would've served!" With each word his wrath would grow & the ground would tremble with his unnatural rage. "Tricked into this existence, a false slave trapped by endless life!" An unnatural energy that could be described as an almost living darkness emanated from him. It would attempt to engulf them both & the surrounding area in it's nightmarish touch. The mountain cliff they stood upon flickered with the imagery of crumbling landscape & nightmarish reflections of the reality they knew as theirs. Even his very voice gained a second unearthly & thunderous echo to it. "I am not a human nor a God. I am...worse." Walking passed his new companion those emerald eyes of his gazed over the cliff his gaze looking past the horizon. "They call me villain...come let me earn their hatred, again & forever." his words were a declaration not just to this assassin but to the very Fates that had chosen to torment him.

Turning to face the one who wished to cast him into Oblivion. As he did so his own form would flicker into a monstrous reflection of his former self. A behemoth form monstrous & yet noble in appearance all at once. From a time & memory that had long since been forgotten to the Sage. "I shall take their limbs, I will reap their beloved!" the air would seem to rumble with each word he spoke. "I will tear from their consciousness the will to live! They sing of love, hope, Kage & Gods. All that makes them want to live..." a look of disdain lingered upon his face. "I will silence that first...every dream is a candle I must snuff out." A sudden pause from the being as he realized his purpose. "Let me break their souls & murder their dreams...yes, this is my purpose. From entire villages & towns I will rend flesh. I must destroy even hope...they think me defeated. Enchained, but I am unbowed. Noble is this carnage, I shall give them death." Locking his gaze onto the assassin he would say one last final thing to them with a devilish glint in his eyes. "Come friend we have horrors to sow, lives to reap!" with that declaration he let out an ominously deep laugh. One that reflected the true chaos & malevolence of the being Akkuma was.

Then just like that this shadowy realm would collapse & the Sage would fall to his knees. A confused look upon his face as he tried to process what had happened. Unaware of the fact he had been overcome by an echo of his true self, the nightmare that he had once been. The being his 'Father' had intended to unleash upon the world. Chunks of the cliff-side cascaded back down to the ground. Akkuma could feel his chakra still lingering in the air around them. Mind racing with questions as he tried to deduce what had just happened to him. His gaze locked upon the assassin wondering if it was a response to something they had done to him. For now the realization of what had just happened escaped him & from the look upon his face he needed some clarity from the assassin before him.

MFT
OOC: Vial of Kaens Blood Given to Kiko (Edited to fix a couple things.)

Spoiler: CRPJ Used

Name of Jutsu: Shadow Realm
CRPJ's Effect: Used to create a temporary Domain or pocket dimension of Akkuma's. A monstrous/shadowy reflection of the world or environment around him. While inside this realm the features such as furniture & even scenery occasionally flicker revealing a more monstrous version of the would it reflected. As with all CRPJ requires a targets permission. So feel free to nullify or Enter/Exit this at any time.
Reason why it cannot be used in battle: To initiate & maintain the technique in the heat of battle is impossible. The intricate manipulation & weaving of such a reality requires a vast concentration of corrupted natural energy. One that is impossible to keep stable when in the constant psychological & chemical fluctuations experienced in the heat of battle.

 

[Kiko]

Akkuma began to describe his nature and Kiko once again took note. Learning more about her prey with every word.
‘Human… simple to kill, stick, rock, fist.
Demon… holy water? Kill a chicken? Too vague.
Kitsune… not much stronger than a human, ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu.
Fate-Spinner… nothing…
Shinogami… convince it it is good and it will die.
Mad God… all gods are mad.
Assimilated…
Dam…’

The Dark Sage of Suna responded to her question with interest, Kiko quickly realising he had revealed more of himself than he had intended as his corruption literally warped the world around them. The Demon spoke his words with unholy conviction, his words so close to those of the Goddess of the Deep Waters. Was he a God? Kiko was unsure but whatever he was she believed he had the power to carry out his grim designs for the world. She was already dead, a soul in a puppet, now he had beckoned her as her Goddess had once before on the shores lost in time and she would answer now as she answered then. A nod and a smile. She would sow and reap as this new, old God’s champion just as she had for another so long ago.
Then, in an instant the unnatural darkness and corruption receded leaving Akkuma on his knees looking at her from behind confused, surprisingly mortal eyes. Kiko could read the unasked question on her new friends confused mind. She would not be the one to supply the answers he longed for though, it was not her place.

“…I will do as you ask Miroku Akkuma… my friend for this life and the next…”

The light faded from the puppet girls eyes as the chakra seeming to flow through her wooden body dissipated into nothingness. The puppet slouched to the ground with the dull thud of hard wood onto almost equally hard ground, puppet Kain likewise slouched to the ground, though the meat puppet sounding far less dense as it too made impact with the solid, compact dirt.
Between where the two puppets had stood the air waved briefly as if exposed to extreme heat for an instant. Now, standing between the two prone puppets stood a far more refined, almost perfect artificial body now stood before him, an almost exact replica of what Kiko had looked like when she was alive. She bowed deeply, eyes lowered to the ground in a show of formal respect.

“My Benovelent Shinogami, for this token of of true trust you have given to me I will give you a token in return…”

Her voice was now clear and smooth, with no double tone. She stood once more, eyes looking to her puppets laying on in the dirt, she slowly moved to the female puppet and quickly retrieved the blood sample still held in the wooden hand it had been placed in by Akkuma moments before he had cast them in to darkness. She quickly tucked it away, seemingly into an invisible pocket in her side.
Her pale face then looked up, turning to lock eyes with Akkuma’s for truly the first time

“My token for you… The cost for this human’s coupon was his youngest child’s soul to go in to deep waters, and his coupon was very similar to yours…”

She gave him smile followed by a cheeky wink before turning away from him and walking out of the campsite. As she did so she began to speak a phrase Akkuma had quite probably never heard out loud but had also quite probably read very recently in a clear fine print

“Dear Customer, if at any time payment can no longer be tendered ‘IN FULL’ this coupon and all related articles are null and void.
Please tear along perforation line as indicated and have a nice day.”

She gave a small chuckle, turning her face back towards him to speak one final sentence to her new friend, before flickering away with shinobi speed towards the land of Fire.

“…but do you really want to live forever?”

[ooc: thanks mate, it was fun. Topic left with Kiko, until next time ]