Get out of Inferno [Naoki/Ren]

[Takahashi Aki]

It was a curious sight. Above the hottest part of the desert there was a large bird soaring. It was not a natural creature. No, the bird was crackling with lightning as it raged. The sound of thunder could be heard for a split moment. The creature would then descend upon the ground and with it another great clap of thunder was heard as it. It was a show of power in a way, or a collection of it unleashed. Something was devastated. A monstrous cry could be heard in the distance, something inhuman cried and the wind carried that cry. It was echoing for a time, and then that echo broke. A cloud of sand kicked up and was pushed along in a nova.

Something was devastated and defeated in Inferno. It was a portion of the desert were there was a demonic presence. Some of it was wild and at other times it was calculated. Travelers knew well to stay out of Inferno, but evil in some form or another congregated there. It was always a problem, and those problems were at times dispatched, and sometimes not.

Sousuke with a group of people could be seen leaving the Inferno. He stopped at one point and summoned Ken. The giant beetle emerged and collected the slaves he had liberated. It was in Inferno that he broke the Infernal Trade. It was a solo operation he carried out that was an attempt to break the slave trade that Soragakure was at the rotten core of. The Kazekage was engaging in a secret war. It might become a war without end, but it was happening. The slow dismantling of Sorgakure.

Sousuke would gesture for Ken to take flight and head out. He needed to get those people out of there. The giant Hercules Beetle would head out. Sousuke watched as he saw his comrade and friend head out. Sousuke drew both Thunder Talon and Perdition's Arrival. The former of the blades crackled lighting and the later of the two crackles and burned with fire. Sousuke seemed to be on edge. There was good reason for that. It was early morning, the sun had yet to rise, and he had just combated both a demon and a Jashinist while trying to keep twenty other people alive in the process.

 

[Samejima]

Naoki had taken to wearing sunglasses while she wasn't getting ready for bed. The somehow intensely glowing pink pupils tended to unnerve some people, and that included those she worked with back then. She didn't know what she'd been thinking way back when, putting her headband over her eyes as if that made her look cooler, and vaguely wondered why she hadn't been told that it looked odd before. Oh wait. Yes she had.

"Hey Ren-suke, how much further is it? I'm getting boooored." She stretched, readjusting her kokyuu and backpack, both of which were slung somewhat haphazardly across her back. She didn't get why they couldn't just take a carriage or something back to Suna, but she didn't push the issue too much. It wasn't exactly cheap, and she wanted to at least have something to bring back to her family whenever they get back. Having all that cactus juice was doing a number on her stomach too.

She heard a random crackle and some thunder up above, a little further ahead. "OW! What was that? Did you hear that? I thought I heard thunder? Way too hot for a thunderstorm though isn't it?" Another one was heard, then some kind of scream erupted from way over in the distance. "Holy hell, what is going on?!" She couldn't make out much in the sound that was carried over to her, just some figures in a cloud of sand. "Hey, heads up: Someone's coming our way."

 

[Kazumi]

The way back towards the village was clear. To have avoided this location would have added another day onto their travel, and any extra time added variables that Ren did not wish to accommodate for. As the sounds of thunder and inhuman cries rolled across the dunes, he began to consider if it may have been prudent to have avoided this area after all. With the old-style barrel top puppet floating up and to his right, suspended by only faintly visible strings of chakra, Ren paused and took surveillance of the area. "Be on guard. Venturing into this area may have been a miscalculation on my part." He caught sight of a large object take to the skies off in the distance, one that looked vaguely insectoid, and it had taken off right along the path they were taking.

Having no intimate knowledge of what that creature was, he continued to hold until it had all but vanished from sight. "Curious. Perhaps that was the source of the cry. Regardless, we must press on." Without waiting, Ren began to walk forward once more, his feet barely making any impression on the sand as he placed each perfectly measured step one after the other as they headed onward towards the village. Once they rounded the top of a large crest, they could both see small twin glowing objects in the distance. One appeared to be some sort of torch, but the other was less definite. From how they moved, and the shadows they cast, they appeared to be held by a person, but it was too far and dark to deal with specifics. With a gesture, he lowered the prisoner holding puppet lower to the ground and set off at a walk once more. "I am unsure as to why any person would be present at this location at this hour. It is likely that it fought or frightened the creature away. Do not lower your guard and be ready, we must keep the prisoner alive if at all possible."

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke continued his trek. He wore his heavy set armour and still had his blades at the ready. He could not put his guard down. He was still on edge. As he made his way towards Ren and Naoki he would pause. The two of them could see the armoured man stop moving as he was indeed fast approaching them. He had covered about half of the distance he was had between them from moments before. He had stopped moving. There was a whisper in the air or something. Something was still present, and ultimately he did not see it yet.

Rensuke and Naoki would feel an overwhelming sense of dread encroaching them. It was an unbearable sense of descending heat. Within a few more moments, Sousuke would be upon them. His armour was damaged in various areas. Parts of the shoulder pauldrons were broken off. Curiously the antlers in his helmet remained in tack. During his battle, they did bend, but they did not break. Sousuke had his weapons lowered but they were still active. "What is your sit rep Rensuke? I thought I had declared a five kilometer no entry zone active for another eight hours from the south easterly quarter for Inferno."<i></i> Usually when word came from the commander of Sungakure, usually that word stood firm. The orders were given not to provide difficulty to those in the area who had live operations, no his orders were to protect others from stumbling into one of the more dangerous area in the desert.

Regardless of the answer, Sousuke would motion for them to push forward. It wasn't like he was going to leave them here in Inferno. "Stay close. Something is haunting the landscape. I had dispatched a chaos demon but I suspect it is capable of reconstitution."<i></i> Sousuke was not going to mince his words. There was a real threat here, such was why he sent Ken to go on ahead. His gaze shifted from the puppet-child to the other. His shoulders drooped. Sousuke had found himself more and more used to Rensuke now. "Tell the psychiatrist I'm still not going to see her."<i></i> He would add. Rensuke was pestered by her, Sousuke was pestered by her. The woman was not a good with taking the answer no. The antler helmeted individual would turn his gaze now unto Naoki. Although his eyes were not easily seen, he was staring at her intently. "I know you."<i></i> He began. The effects were different. The darker coloured skin, and the eye glasses were throwing him off. Some people changed far too much in a little amount of time, on the flip side Sousuke underneath all his armour was still very much the same violet haired man, except ... with more metal now.

The wind was picking up, and there was a howling whisper of sorts in it. Whispers of hunger and strife. Doom and peril ahead.

 

[Kazumi]

As the metal man approached, understanding came to the artificial boy. He did not salute, bow or give other deference towards the man, but did give him a nod of greeting as the Kage intercepted them. "I am on my return trip to the village. The mission to eliminate the arena took longer than anticipated, and I have not received word from the village since my departure." He looked to his side towards Naoki and up to his floating puppet barrel, but Sousuke spoke and motioned before he could continue. "Understood. Make note that I have a live prisoner contained and subdued within the confines of this puppet." Word of the psychiatrist gave Ren a moment of pause, as if conflicted on how to respond. Somehow he had gotten himself tied up in their game of, what he presumed to be, courtship. "I will relay that message to her upon my arrival, however I do not believe her response will differ from the last time. If you wish, I could formulate her likely response for you now?"

Ren momentarily considered taking another of his crude puppets out, but instead commented, "If you were able to dispatch such a creature, I doubt it would return to exact a sort of vengeance, given that it was once bested along with your multiplication in numbers. However... if it should, I would be most interested in bringing it with us to Sunagakure for study." Such creatures, while not uncommon to the world, were unnaturally elusive when it came to their capture. With an individual whose capabilities lead him to be that of a Kage, then perhaps accomplishing such a task would not be unheard of. A small smile of interest lined the corner of his lips, a fleeting display of his subdued humanity made manifest. "If what you say is true, of course."

 

[Samejima]

Giving a passive "mmhm" at Ren's earlier suggestion to keep her guard up, Naoki's somewhat hostile expression brightened up upon hearing the metalman's voice. Once the other two stopped speaking, she chimed in, "Sousuke-sama! Haven't heard you in a while, but why did you set a demon loose out here?" As Naoki understood it, 'dispatched' meant 'sent out' and not 'kill'. "And is it possible to avoid whatever this demon is if you've just let it go? I mean, I dunno about puppetboy over there, but I'm pretty effin' beat. We've been walking for awhile now and I just can't see the end of it..." She paused a little, for comedic effect. "It's funny because it's true even for those with actual vision."

'Psychiatrist' was a word Naoki hadn't heard in some time. The last time one was mentioned was when her old buddy the jestbutt extraordinaire was still around to poke fun at her, and he would always come back with stories of boredom and disappointment. Why would the Steward need to see a psychiatrist? He seems fine to me. A lot's changed since I got washed ashore out there... Going to need a quick catch-up session whenever I get home, bleh. I hope Oriza-san still has those little hard candies I like, been missing those things~

As she stood quietly for most of their conversation, Naoki would still have had her guard up, increasing the sensitivity of her hearing for signs of distress out in the sands or something of that nature.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke's face was not present, as it was under armour. He shook his head, indicating a sort of mild annoyance. "I told communications to put out a village wide alert about Inferno. Underestimate Inferno and you will not live to tell the tale. I would have to imagine that during the time of the Diamond Maelstrom this place was far worse than it currently is."<i></i> It was here in this hellish landscape that Sousuke had lost his original abilities to hide metallic plates and to shift from them from underneath his flesh. It was here were he lost his ability to detect spirits. Sousuke's eyes looked over to the barrel that was floating. Prisoner. "Good work."<i></i> He commented. One could get more information out of an alive person than a dead person. Kazuki was able to do things differently with a dead body, but a dead body never did give out quite as many answers.

Sousuke would shake his head, the psychiatrist would be a topic of discussion for a moment. She was someone who ... very much would not take no for an answer. "Formulate her response now, so I can merely deal with it now rather than deal with it later. "<i></i> Sousuke unlike most, was not willing to share in his problems, he was very much trying to keep everything stable. Religion was perhaps one of the more major issues of concern. It was one of the darker secrets he could never quite let pass, lest Sungakure should completely fall off the map, spiritually. "It's a chaos demon. Their logic is not something that can be easily understood. You cannot guess their actions."<i></i> Sousuke would comment in context to Rensuke's thought that because once struck down, vengeance would not come again so quickly. "Multiplication in numbers?"<i></i> Sousuke would inquire as he was not certain what Rensuke was getting at.

As the team made their movements, whispers would continue. The whispers were acting like a sort of song. The whispers had a chorus, and various high points. Sousuke would stop to survey the area and he would notice something dark hovering above them in the sky. It was like a swarm of sorts, but it had yet to descend upon them. Naoki had seemingly misunderstood him. "Dispatch also means to put to death, although death here is perhaps not so permanent."<i></i> Sousuke would explain in a better context. The common language was ... a very difficult one to master. Words had many more meanings than ever. "I suppose sound can convey a landscape. You don't hear the wind hitting things such as walls or the like."<i></i> Sousuke considered bringing up the matter of her being absent for some time. "You've been away for quite some time. Do you want to talk about that? Unfortunately I have been ... pulled and constrained in many directions. Rather something unavoidable to do when you're the Kazekage."<i></i>

 

[Kazumi]

"My apologies," he commented, sounding as if he was repeating a written response rather than remorse, "my absence was predicted to last longer than original estimates had anticipated. I powered down my communication device in order to conserve power, should an emergency that required the village's attention should arrive." It was a sound enough reason, regardless of the potentially unfortunate predicament that it now landed them in. Carrying a helpless captive around while attempting to defend one's self was less than an ideal scenario.

Suddenly, the voice of the woman that Sousuke had been referring to could be heard. The mimicry was so indistinguishable, that one might have assumed it was simply a recording. "I understand that your current workload is high and that you continue to show your stubbornness for these sessions, but I will continue to stubbornly continue to remind you that it is for the best of both the village and yourself that you came by for as long or as short of a session as you are able." As the construct finished, a crack of thunder and an inhuman shriek of dread sounded off in the distance, it was clear to any person of common sense that this should not be done here, but yet here they were.

His voice shifted back to his normal muted speaking style and voice, "By multiplication, I simply meant that you were once a single shinobi, but now your numbers have increased by a factor of two or three, depending on if you wish to count the missing-nin as a shinobi or not. I would be inclined to do so, but that is up for your own discretion to decide upon." For a few seconds, the chorus of whisper and even the very wind seemed to die down to a near silence. "What is the current intended plan? Are we to evacuate the area, or is there an objective that you are required to complete before the evacuation?"

 

[Samejima]

While somewhat confusing, Naoki was now at least able to keep up with the conversation... Though it's not like she had much to add to it. She listened quietly, and in awe at how apparently Ren could mimic different voices (since the voices came from the same person), waiting for something that might indicate some kind of demon. Problem is, she still had not encountered a full-fledged demon before and had absolutely no clue what to look for. The only things she was really trying to hear were signs of a struggle, or the wind picking up in certain places... But it was not picking up the way she was used to. "We can probably talk in a little bit," she responded sheepishly to the Kazekage, as she had just learned he is called now. "Do you guys hear that? The wind sounds... pretty." Naoki almost got lost listening to it. She hadn't heard any proper music in a while, just whatever she managed to churn out with her less-than-prodigious skill on her kokyuu.

Pulling it off her back and sitting down to play, she began to try and match the wind. Not by bowing it, but by plucking the strings and just subtly maneuvering her chakra to bend the sound into something she liked a little more. It was a melancholy, or at least that was how she interpreted it. Nothing could match the beauty, the intensity of what she heard those years prior... But this was coming just a little closer to what she felt for the dulcet tones of her songstress. How she wished to hear it just one more time... How she hoped the object of her affections hadn't moved too far away for her to reach. Emotion stirred in the pit of her stomach. It's actually turning out kinda nice for once...

[OOC: Just up to around the 0:45 mark]
​

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke shook his head. That recording was uncanny. Sousuke was trying to formulate a reply on his head. He would open with a sigh, "What is best for me, is not the best for the village. It is expected of me to merely fight and power through what I must. I must keep calm, and carry on. I have endured enough as it is, and I will do as my father did, and his father before him. It is not your place or anyone's really, not even my spouse's duty, to share in my ... ... my fate? No. Not fate. My trials are my own to vanquish. That we have the ... conflict of interest be it employer to employee or what have you."<i></i> Was there a relationship present? Sousuke himself could not really tell. She might have been a woman who truly wanted to help the Kazekage, or merely she wanted to sleep with him. If she were sleeping with him, then, then it would be a very problematic situation because that is the one thing that is not susposed to happen between patient and doctor for various moral and business reasoning. Relationships with the opposite gender were a very foreign thing to Sousuke - that is to say he was an exemplar of how they should work.

As Rensuke spoke of multiplication he looked over to the barrel, "The plan? Get out of Inferno. How conscious is your captive? Mainly because ... sometime or later we will all be suffering from a state of terror... and it will not be of own doing."<i></i> He explained. Terror was something Sousuke was not accustomed to, but he had dealt with it. Naoki would bring up the wind. Sousuke paused for a moment. He gripped his weapons. As he did so Perdition's Arrival would begin to burn brighter. Sparks of lightning began to scatter from Thunder Talon. "Mmm..."<i></i> He growled, it was a rather frustrating thing. "What I fought in Inferno was not pretty to say the least. It is a chaos demon. I shouldn't be surprised that it is taking a completely different strategy."<i></i> He would pause for a moment. "Are the two of you famaliar with the call of the siren?"<i></i> Sousuke would inquire. It was something from a child's story but it was something ... based in something sinister. "We go forward. My nemesis may take the form of something ... we consider attractive and will try to lure us. Resist it if you can."<i></i> Sousuke would begin to lead them forward.

Every once in a while he would stop to look at something in the distance. His eyes would narrow, but what he would see would ultimately be different from what Naoki and Rensuke would see. "Forward."<i></i> again he would urge.

[I'll reveal what Sousuke sees in a bit, but do feel free to play with what your PCs would see]

 

[Kazumi]

As Ren walked along side the kage, he listened and memorized exactly what the man's reply would be. While he was not a machine, his brain and hear, if he was even a he at all, were still human, but the conditioning they had gone through had made such modifications and 'improvements' that it would have been easy to mistake him for one, a trait that likely increased Sousuke's comfort around the automaton. "Understood, your response has been recorded and will be provided to the Doctor upon my arrival." He glanced up and over towards the floating old-styled puppet, "She is currently unconscious. Sedatives have been administered at regular intervals to keep her struggling to a minimum and to minimize the risk of her suffering from mental or physical trauma during the transportation."

As Naoki's playing began to sync up with the wind, it seemed as if the tune was beginning to take a life of its own. Ren did not give much though to music, although it was more due to lack of serious exposure than any natural distaste towards it. From the corner of his eye he saw a figure upon the horizon, shifting with the wind, indistinct and somewhat fleeting but it was certainly humanoid. Long black hair, feminine, tall; whatever it was, it stood there staring towards the party as they traveled, staring at him. There was something distantly familiar about the figure, something that gave subtle tugs at the back of his mind, but that he could not place. Forgotten memories that were wiped nearly clean from the conditioning, and yet were somehow made manifest on the horizon by whatever supernatural forces were at work here.

"I request that we hurry." He said, an unusual sense of emotional urgency laced within his otherwise flat tone. He tried to keep his eyes steadied ahead, but even he could not stop from trying to make passing glances towards the far off figure. Perhaps if he broke off for a minute and went to investigate, he could see the figure more clearly, try to fill in the cavernous depths that remained of his past life. This could be his only chance to do so, and as if there were strings of their own extended across the desert from him to the figure, he could almost feel his core being pulled away from his predetermined path by the same invisible strings that controlled his puppet. "Chaos demons, as you call them, are a very interesting entity. I now most certainly wish to study one if possible..." Forcing himself forward, the thing trace of urgency melded into a soft anger for whatever it was that was attempting to manipulate him.

 

[Samejima]

"Great, I guess I'm not worrying about very much about that huh?" So chaos demons are genjutsu-based? Don't know much about em, but I should be careful about what I tune myself into... I'm not exactly great at dispelling that stuff. Here's hoping it only does things to your sight. Naoki walked along, still plucking the kokyuu as if they needed an even creepier atmosphere to be walking through Inferno... Whatever that was. "Say, Sousuke-sama. What is this place anyway? Is it dangerous? I know an inferno is like a whole lotta fire or something but it doesn't feel too much hotter than most other places in Wind Country. Is it just the name for this area or did... something happen here?"

As they walked, Naoki noticed something. The sounds of the wind were picking up, and she was having very little trouble plucking along to it. It was easier than it had been before, and she was starting to get lost in it. Her walking slowed, and she noticed a presence. She couldn't be sure what it was--it wasn't a solid figure of anything. It had a different "density" to it, wasn't like much else she'd encountered in her experience with the various opponents she faced in the arena. What... what is that? Strangely, it beckoned to her. Something in her gut told her it was the right idea to walk towards it. I wanna know what that is... But Sousuke-sama's going that way. Should I go? What do I even... What even is that? She couldn't make out a clear silhouette, but it seemed like... "Tsubaki...san...?"

[MFT]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Naoki has inquired about Inferno. Sousuke had to mentally stop and think about it. He answered her. "There are places in the desert that ... have their own geographical histories and or extremities. Those that live in that area sometimes adapt, and become something else entirely different. If we were travelling in the opposite direction, which is where I came from the heat would be that much more intense. There are spots where the sand is burnt black. It is a tormented wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust, the very air you breathe is a poisonous fume ... well that last part was proven not to be true. It was used more of a warning to keep people out of the area in old times. Several fiery ... beings lurk out there. Some say men of moral insanity took up residence out there and became something else. Some say the wildlife out there evolved, and with it a temperament for cruelty. Nothing good was ever ... created in Inferno."<i></i> He paused for a moment. What he was saying was ... based in that damnable thing called mysticism. Oh how he hated it so very much. He continued "I've done two operations in there. It's not a place where I like to be. People lose things in Inferno. Powers. Lives. Limbs. Those who live in Inferno may have followings, they have ... numbers ... and with those numbers they have a particular intellect to command them. There's another place in the desert called Deadline. It is where the Kirishii live. It is ... far less dangerous, but my technology or rather any modern technology out there seems to fail. Compasses are thrown off as the pin will just keep spinning and spinning."<i></i> He explained. It was certainly more pleasant to be in Deadline rather than Inferno.

Rensuke had spoken up about hurrying. There was a reason why he said that. Sousuke would have to assume Rensuke had indeed seen something, something that bothered him. "You're seeing it aren't you. Eyes to the ground. I'll lead us. If I pause ... go poke me or something."<i></i> He suggested to the two of them. As Sousuke would continue to walk he would indeed pause as he was looking forward. He would turn to the side. He would hear Naoki call out, and it was a name that he had heard too. He held his hand out as if to stop them from going forward out. His eye then caught something out of the corner of it - and that he was not sure who it was. Sousuke knew Tsubaki, but this individual must be someone close to Ren's.

For Rensuke and Naoki they would see a girl a fraction shorter than Sousuke with turquoise hair. She carried a very pleasant expression on her face. She had modest features about her, truly a proportionate individual. Perhaps average in all things. Her gaze was set upon Sousuke, but perhaps the most striking thing was what she was wearing - a silvery and platinum wedding dress. Naoki and Ren could see that Sousuke was actively trying not to look at her, but he was shifting gazing back and forth. "It's visual. It'll probably go audible soon... and then kinetic."<i></i> He warned them. Seemingly these illusions were becoming more and more real? Curiously he referred to the illusion as an it really. "I don't think studying them at this time is a priority. The Chaos Demon that is. "<i></i>

 

[Kazumi]

It was a scientific marvel that his artificial eyes were able to perceive these illusions, able to mimic ocular functionality to even his own detriment. A sense of unease was taking hold in his core, and if they were not planning on capturing the specimen for study, he would make sure they booked a rapid retreat out of this... Inferno. Reaching to his back, he pulled a scroll from its holders, and with a quick flick he unraveled it into the air in front of them. With a small pulse of chakra, he unsealed the scroll and a large quadrupedal turtle like construct exploded into existence as a plume of smoke came into existence around it. "If we are not to be trusted with our own will or two feet, then we will take that out of the equation." Affixing nearly invisible strings of chakra to key points on the newly created puppet, Ren began manipulating the old-styled wooden construction.

"Samejima, take hold of the prisoner. The toxins should keep her placated until we are outside of the restricted zone, and this will require use of the both Beta and Gamma." The barrel top lowered towards the ground and the metal locks popped open on its front. The wooden case opened and inside was the unconscious body of the woman that Naoki would be rather familiar with. It tilted forward and let the unconscious body fall into Naoki's arms before it was suddenly whisked through the air towards the shifting turtle. The entire procedure took ten seconds of creaking, grinding and warping wood and metal as the two puppets shifted and merged into one. By the time it was concluded, the larger turtle had transformed into a wooden cabin that had locked into the wide floating base that the barrel top puppet had shifted into. "It will be slightly cramped with four riders, but this should allow us to proceed forward at a more rapid pace, without the need to rely on individual trust to move forward." With a quick flick, the large cabin raised up on a hinge at the back. allowing everyone to hop atop the hovering platform before the cabin would lower down atop of them.

"Should the entity decide to take a more direct approach, I can attempt to evade its pursuit or attack, but the cabin will not provide a sustained level of defensive fortifications for a continued assault. Inside you will find latches that can be used to raise individual segments of the shell to look out from. I will need to rely on the both of you to use those, should the situation arise, however, do not prematurely open the segments without cause." He took a few measured steps towards the floating vehicle and hopped aboard the wide hovering base, taking a seat at the front, just inside where the shell would close.

(Just a little combination of Puppet Craft and Puppet Tent.)

 

[Samejima]

Deliberately trying to avoid making noise while the captive was in her arms, Naoki carried the woman up into the cabin wordlessly. She was just barely tolerating the body as she clambered in, lowering it carefully into a seat to make sure she didn't wake up before getting into her own seat and facing the wall. She knew it was an illusion... But it might be her! What if she was in trouble? Even as she tried to reason with herself about whether or not she should go and investigate what she knew would be an illusion and was very dangerous, Ren was seated and just about ready to go. Since they had to cut off the conversation, as soon as the Kazekage came in, she would try and continue it to take her mind off Tsubaki.

She's safe, somewhere... "S-so, um, geez I never knew Wind Country had such dangerous pockets of l-like, poison and stuff. Lucky I didn't stumble across them on my way to Suna the first time I tried to make the trip huh? Ren, did you know about these areas of land?" She didn't even seem lost, that couldn't have been her... "I mean, I sure as heck wouldn't stick around to try and study this, even if I knew how to take notes and... uh, and stuff..." She's off with her family, takin' jobs and makin' names or something like that... "I... Sousuke-sama, you wouldn't by any chance know what happened to Tsubaki would you? I'm..." One might be able to hear Naoki choking up a little, if they listened carefully. "Th-that's not her is it? Outside? That wasn't..." Her muscles were tensed, ready to bolt out of the cabin if the answer she was given was a negatory, even though she knew that it wouldn't be. It couldn't be. Why would she even be all the way out here? Stay calm, you can do it Naoki, that's not her, it's not, it can't be, there's no reason she'd be here, too dangerous, too dangerous...

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke watched Rensuke pull on his chakra strings. To the uninitiated it looked like he was just waving his hands but to Sousuke he knew what was going on. While Sousuke could not get the chakra strings to work, he knew what it took to have it work for someone who had the talent to do it. If one were to ask Sousuke to manifest chakra strings, it would look more like he was conjuring chakra ribbons. This was in truth was perhaps the most frustrating thing ever for Sousuke, which was one of the most distinguishing features which Sousuke did not have in common with his father. "Good work with hiding your strings - took me four whole seconds to truly see them."<i></i> He would speak. In that there was a sort of hidden envy. Rensuke had the makings of a great puppeteer, but it would take him still quite a while to get caught up to his father's prime.

Sousuke did as instruct and would get on the floating platform. At least now they didn't have to worry about the visual interference that their nemesis seemed to be wishing to plaguing with them. Sousuke would listen further to Rensuke as detailed the situation, or rather what was going to occur next. Sousuke would take off his helmet for a moment. He would hold his helmet in his hands. "Should our nemesis take a more direct approach, then ... well ... know this. It is bigger than this puppet as it is now."<i></i> Sousuke revealed. It was perhaps for the best they knew the true form of the foe they faced. "It is quite large, and is indeed quite capable of grabbing a human and eating them. It is not exactly a comforting scene to watch another human being digested, but then find a way out of tearing out of the stomach with a bladed weapon. That being said ... I think it may take a moment to realize what or how we have now become immune to the effects from before ... because attention is sometimes what empowers a creature."<i></i> Yes. Sometimes it was very hard not to pay attention to a rather large demon that just happens to crawl on all four legs, and then start growling and speaking in riddles and or a ghoulish tongue.

Naoki would ask if indeed that was Tsubaki from earlier. Sousuke would rotate the helmet in his hands. "As much as that was my girlfriend in a wedding dress? No. Absolutely not."<i></i> Sousuke would answer firmly. He shook his head, "Right. So. Tsubaki. Her family, along with herself moved away. Their contract ended - which I should have renewed. They're still in Wind Country conducting the ... what was the word ... beautification process?"<i></i> It was a concept that he could appreciate. At the very least she was able to make the Kazekage tower gardens feel quite alive. "Perhaps we're slightly fortunate it decided to take the image of our loved ones rather than what we fear the most."<i></i> Sousuke's fears were numerous and revolving.

 

[Kazumi]

"It was not my intention to keep them hidden. This construct combination takes a larger amount of power to control, and so making the strings any thinner would result in a significant loss of control or the potential for the strings to snap from the strain." His flat tone made it difficult to be sure, but did he somehow misunderstand the compliment or possibly take it as a slight? Once everyone was sitting in position the shell of the turtle would lower down atop them, plunging the area into darkness, aside from small traces of light from the edge where the two connected, it was enough for Sousuke to see the outline of his hand, but it also helped to see the faint line where the two foot wide sections on either side might open from the inside. "This construct is currently the largest that I have available to me. It's travel speed should be sufficient to outpace most land based creatures who would be slowed down by the presence of the loose desert sand. If this nemesis is capable of such speeds then there is little else we can do to outrun it, aside from perhaps splitting up. If you were able to best it once before, however, then the combined efforts of yourself and Samejima should be sufficient to do so once again. Hold on."

A few seconds with no further explanation passed before the construct jerked into motion forward, the initial acceleration was sudden, but it smoothed out as it accelerated. As it traveled up and down the dunes, any who had weak stomachs to riding on ships might have difficulty pushing the seasick feelings aside as it smoothly bobbed and waves across the sandy ocean. At its full speed, with the current load of passengers, it topped out at roughly forty-five kilometers per hour, though the exact speed would be difficult to discern for the occupants, if they did not open their side panels to see the outside. "If there is anything specific regarding the entity that you wish to disclose to us, now would be the opportunity to do so." A sudden jolt shook the craft as it crashed into a sharp incline, coming out smoothly over the other side. "Apologies, maneuvering with limited sensory information is difficult in uneven terrain."

 

[Samejima]

Most of what was said registered in Naoki's mind, if only to try and distract her from the inevitability of some kind of response from the Kazekage. Yes, no, maybe, don't know... And only one of those responses would calm her down from her current state of mind. The possibility that someone she would consider her best friend up to this point might be out here almost physically hurt her to think about, feeling like she had to get out there and help, or talk to, or at least confirm was out there. Considering how large the apparent demon was, how was she expected to just sit still while Tsubaki might still be out there? She wanted to be patient enough to wait for Sousuke's response before jumping to conclusions, but it was proving to be tougher and tougher to do given that she is now accepting another drastic life change: She was going home.

Naoki was about to see the rest of her family, her old friends out in the marketplace, the books she used to read, the new ones she would now be able to read... Her mind started to wander, before it violently jolted back to reality with Sousuke's answer. "Sh-she moved?" It might as well have taken the form of what she feared. How would she even figure out where the Koizumis went out in the Wind Country? It's a freakin' huge country! Am I going to have to canvass the entirety of the country... Just to hear her again...? The shock and disappointment in her face was easily readable for anyone who cared to look her way, and a few seconds later it was replaced with a very sullen expression. Thoughts of seeing Tsubaki again was something that sustained her for at least the first few months of her stay at the ring; it wasn't easy to just let go of the possibility of seeing, or in Naoki's case hearing, her again.

"Oh," was the only thing she could manage to say in response. She couldn't process much of anything else. She felt her stomach churn, and curled up into a ball on the seat.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The Kazekage would make a gesture of his hand, "If you're that inclined to see her, I'm certain I can find her easily enough. I like to think myself resourceful in some regards."<i></i> Suffice to say Sousuke had eyes and ears in places. Did he have a spy network? Maybe. He could not confirm or deny that. He knew people. Those people knew people. Those people knew even more people. Perhaps it was a spy network, it just was not thought of as such. "You know ... I always wanted to figure out why she was able to talk. She usually conversed with me through pen and paper, but then there was that time with Susumu and she told everyone to shut up. It was quite rude mind you but ... it was different."<i></i> Sousuke as he was speaking was still continuing to spin his helmet around in his hands.

Rensuke then spoke about his newly formed puppet's design. "Remind me to show you some of my father's designs. May prove inspiring to some--"<i></i> Sousuke was interrupted though. A strange sound came from outside. It sounded like more thunder and lightning, but the sound was inverted. It was perhaps the oddest things to be heard. The Kazekage would put his helmet back on his head. "How's your ranged combat Naoki? May need to go ... go handle our ... nemesis."<i></i> Without a further word, Sousuke would go up to look outside. He opened the flap and looked behind them. It didn't surprise him. It really didn't. They were being tailed now. His enemy, which was a chaos demon, had now changed forms again. This time it took to a four legged form that ran at them with spindley legs and arms. The eyes looked like insects, and it sported horns on the jaw area and the forehead. "Great. If those horns connect and hit the rear, we're going to be in for a stalled journey."<i></i> Sousuke this time would shake his head. "Alright. I'm going to jump on this thing. Naoki you ... blast it. Any new techniques you have I should know of?"<i></i> He would ask, "Wouldn't happen to have a chain would you Ren? I have an idea."<i></i>

 

[Kazumi]

Ren did his best to try and keep the ride straight and as smooth as he could, even as the strange sound echoed around them. It was reminiscent of a storm, but yet very different. According to their Kage, they would not be simply unable to outrun this creature. Beneficial if they would be able to acquire a sample, living or otherwise, less so if they were all killed or permanently damaged by the encounter. "I do not posses anything specifically resembling a chain, however, if you were requiring a strong but tensile wire, I can provide that. It is much stronger than traditional shinobi wires, but I would ask that you return it when you are finished." A few loud clicks from the bottom side of their craft proceeded a line of light opening at the top of the shell. Within moments the roof had split open, each half of the lid spiting apart to turn the craft into a rapidly moving standing platform. Ren proceeded to stand up from his perch and with an audible clicking pop, suddenly removed his left forearm from the rest of his body at the elbow joint.

A small hole opened up in the palm of the disconnected forearm's hand. A small claw, akin to a fancy grappling claw, popped out, attached to by a small wire that continued into the forearm. He reached back and handed his limb to the Kage, the skin being still warm to the touch, although it felt much heavier than a severed limb likely would, especially if the man had experience in handling severed limbs. "Snap the wrist forward to lock the wire in place, once you have enough. There are exactly one-hundred and twenty yards of wire contained inside. Snap it back to cause the wire to rapidly spin, this also will propel the claw forward, should it still be in its initial configuration, as it is now." A few drops of milky white liquid dripped from the two separated joints, the flow of some type of fluid looked to have been cut off when the two were separated, albeit not entirely. "If required, the limb is disposable, however, I will need to requisition a substantial sum of funds to enable reconstruction of the appendage." He peered back past Sousuke and Naoki and off towards the slowly gaining demon. "Should you be able to procure a sample of some sort, it would be an equitable trade, if possible."