Ouja KaiKai tread lightly, the snow he stood on was precarious and to slide off would likely mean death. He was heavily cloaked, his pack large and unruly with his two large scrolls hanging beneath. As he took another laborious step he pulled his scarf down from his face and took a long drag from his cigarette.
Climbing a mountain and smoking… I’m a genius. KaiKai thought to himself.
Yet despite the thin air his habit persisted. He shuffled on.
KaiKai had been on this self-assigned mission for the past six years. Abandoning his ANBU and Village duties to hunt the man he feared most in the world: his uncle. The man who had been restricted to his home for all of KaiKai’s life just for being suspect to a crime that had been committed years before his birth. His uncle was never convicted of the crime, the evidence wasn’t strong enough to connect him to it, but being suspect was grounds enough to keep him isolated and under surveillance.
KaiKai had grown up with his uncle constantly hovering over him, watching and guiding him in the ways of puppet jutsu. His uncle never gave either of his sisters much attention, they went off in their own directions, never coming near puppetry. It was true that KaiKai loved puppet jutsu, and had since a young age, but the interest his uncle had taken in him was… unhealthy at best. His parents noticed this and his father made the request that his brother be held elsewhere. The arrangements were made and KaiKai’s uncle disappeared from his life, yelling curses on his father and swearing death upon him.
Two weeks later KaiKai’s father never returned home and was not seen again. His mother fell into a deep depression at the loss of her husband. KaiKai’s sisters returned home from their missions as top tier shinobi to try and care for her. KaiKai still in the academy found solace in his puppets. Calculating and reserved in his room he worked on his puppets while his mother fell further and further away from him and his sisters. Eventually she perished, she had stopped eating and just lay in bed without the will to live.
KaiKai became even more reserved after the loss of his parents. His sisters often screamed at him in frustration when he would ignore them, keeping silent and working all the while. In time they stopped trying and left him in the empty home to work with his puppets. How could he blame them? They had just lost both parents and they might as well have lost their brother for how much good he was doing.
KaiKai tossed away his cigarette somewhere into the endless abyss of white and spotted something in the distance, far above him. It was almost invisible in the constant blizzard that enveloped the spine, but KaiKai could just make out the frame of a door. The door was in disarray, it was so frozen that it might as well have been part of the stone that is was placed into. KaiKai sighed and continued trekking onward and upward.
KaiKai had become the student of Ataeru once he finally became a notable shinobi. Under Ataeru’s tutelage KaiKai became even stronger and well rounded. He went on missions with Kazuhiko a fellow student and friend, and eventually became an ANBU. He had fought in a war, he had killed men openly and discreetly, all the while learning. He even went on a few missions with each of his sisters. He became a more rounded person around them as well, he wasn’t constantly hiding in his quarters working on poisons and puppets. His sisters had a brother again. But even that was short lived. Both of KaiKai’s sisters went on separate missions, both never returned. ANBU sent follow up squads to see what had happened to each of them. They found the missions incomplete and the rest of their squads mutilated in the same way each time. Their organs were all removed with medical precision and replaced with the parts for a puppet.
The poison found in each squad member’s body was one that left the victim paralyzed and unable to feel anything, but conscious. This left them awake for whatever horrors had been performed. Each of the follow up squads returned with the same information. This was identical to what had happened years ago before KaiKai’s birth. The horrible crimes that his uncle was connected to, the mutilation and experimentation on living subjects to create a sentient puppet.
KaiKai remembered running to where they held his uncle, and making his way past all of the guards with the permission of his superiors and finding that the living cell was occupied by the most masterfully crafted puppet KaiKai had ever seen. KaiKai had examined it himself, touching it and working with it until he stopped cold and dropped the now lifeless puppet to the ground. It was his father. The body of his father made into some kind of monstrosity. The resemblance KaiKai’s father had to his uncle was uncanny. KaiKai reported back to his superiors and destroyed the abomination that was once his father, and then left on his mission to find his sisters and the dangerous creature he shared blood with.
KaiKai began investigating the sights at which his sisters were likely captured or killed, examining the bodies of the shinobi who had been changed into puppets while they still lived. KaiKai shuddered at the thought each time he looked at one of their blank expressions, he could feel their fear and helplessness. Soon KaiKai identified how the poison was made that allowed for his uncle to paralyze and mutilate his victims. The poisons main ingredient was an extract distilled from a rare plant that grew only at extreme altitudes and temperature: Eisblut, iced blood. The plant could not survive anywhere else but the spine, and it only lasted a few hours once it was harvested before it became useless, so there had to be a workshop amongst the mountains. KaiKai had been searching for it for years now. Constant expeditions into the mountain range, first checking the mapped locations of the plant, but after finding no trace of his Uncle, KaiKai began exploring outside of the known areas.
By luck KaiKai came upon quickly fading footprints in the snow, after years of trying to locate his uncle, luck had finally decided to be on his side. KaiKai had followed them as fast as he could, knowing that the unforgiving storm would wipe them away as quickly as they were made. Soon thought KaiKai realized that his uncle must have noticed him climbing after him, otherwise KaiKai would have caught him up by now.
Now, KaiKai had finally reached the doors, his heavy breaths exaggerated by the cold thin air. He already felt relief, despite the fact that he had yet to see if it even WAS his uncle, he knew that at least this would come to an end in some way. KaiKai could have peace of mind, he could return to the village and return to his life amongst his friends and hopefully his sisters. KaiKai removed a scroll from his back and lay it down upon the heavy snow. KaiKai summoned three puppets, two were Priest models, both equipped identically, with dangerous hidden blades and several other death dealing traps. The third was a Miko model, made to support his priests by holding down victims while the priests sliced them to pieces.
KaiKai approached the frozen door, and using one of his extra limbs attached some of his golden chakra webbing to its base. KaiKai grabbed the length of golden webbing with his two center arms and yanked the door off its hinges throwing it off the edge of the ridge, clanging all the way down. KaiKai grit his teeth with each loud bang. He sent one of his priests in first with Miko following after then himself with his second priest just behind him to cover his rear. The door led into a small antechamber with another door, it was lit with torches but still cold. KaiKai approached the next door still cautious. KaiKai was convinced that his uncle knew he was coming, every step had to be carefully calculated.
KaiKai opened the next door and was greeted with a long narrow staircase, leading down into the mountain. This was also lit with torches, but was nice a warm once KaiKai closed the door behind himself. KaiKai slowly and quietly removed his heavy coat and pack and set them down at the top of the steps. He reattached his scrolls to his belt and began his dissent into what was most assuredly a trap.
Surprisingly however, KaiKai met no resistance as he made his way down, further and further the stairs went. KaiKai didn’t let his guard down but he did relax a little and picked up his pace, a quick but silent trot down the steps until he saw light coming from something besides the torches up ahead. He resumed his cautious demeanor. Reaching the bottom of the step KaiKai peered his head around the corner to see the next room. It was a grand room, the ceiling low but reaching far back. The room was filled with equipment: Puppets, Distillers, cages with animals, tons of cabinets, work tables. It was a wonderland for people like KaiKai, and his uncle. Things were running, machinery, the distillers were bubbling and the animals were now making a ruckus after noticing KaiKai.
“I was curious when you would finally track me down.” Came a deep flat voice.
KaiKai whirled to his right all three of his puppets poised and ready to strike. A man in his early 60’s sat at a desk with a set of medical tools that he was polishing. Without looking back at him the man kept working.
“How long did it take you now? Six years? I was beginning to fear you were never going to make it. But my faith in you has been rewarded.” With that he spun around slowly in his chair and rose. It was KaiKai’s uncle, and it tugged at his heart to see the man who so resembled his father stand before him with such a cold expression when his fathers had been so warm. KaiKai stood still ready to strike in silence. His uncle cocked his head.
“You have nothing to say? No questions for me? Nothing about where I have been? My workshop here? Not even about your sister’s ? “ He sneered.
“Where are they?” KaiKai said calmly, trying to keep his anger from showing. He needed to keep calm, he was all too aware of how dangerous this man was.
“That’s better. You know I have kept my eye on you despite not being around for most of your shinobi career. You have not disappointed me, I was right to have set my sights upon you, your puppet skills are of the highest potential I’ve ever seen besides my own. But I know you will surpass even me… I will make certain of tha-“
“SHUT UP” KaiKai shouted. “You will answer the questions I have and you will say nothing else or I will put you down right now. God knows it should have been done years ago.” KaiKai swore at himself, he was getting too excited, his hands were shaking from the adrenaline coursing through him.
His uncle only smiled knowingly and nodded.
“Ok… Did you kill my father?” KaiKai knew the answer already.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Easily.”
“You sack of filth, tell me how.”
“With my extract when he came to visit me in my cell. I did my work with his body and left disguised as him.”
KaiKai nodded, he had figured as much.
“Ok… Did you have a hand in my mother’s death?”
“No, she died because she gave up, you know that.”
“Alright. Did you commit that crimes all those years ago that they restrained you to my home for.”
“Of course I did, did you think anyone else would be capable of that? I’m just as surprised as you are that I was left with even that much freedom.”
“Where are my sisters?”
“They’re here.”
KaiKai sucked in his breath
“Are they…”
“Alive? You could say that.” The old man smiled, his eyes like a birds watching its prey.
“Don’t you fuck with me, are they alive?”
“I could show you.” He gestured to further into the workshop.
KaiKai thought for a moment, and then nudged his head in the direction his uncle had suggested. Following his movements carefully KaiKai followed his uncle closely, both of this priests at his uncles back, blades bared. They reached what looked like a large collection of puppets hanging from a long assembly rack. KaiKai looked at his uncle with a confused look, the look he returned was pure madness.
“Say hello to your sisters KaiKai.” He nearly cackled, barely able to hold in his excitement of his big reveal.
His hands went up and two puppets amongst the grouping came to life and came down between KaiKai’s puppets and his uncle. Startled KaiKai leapt back and brought his puppets to a defensive position.
“I warned you old ma-“ KaiKai’s words caught in his throat.
Ke-Ki and KanKou stood in front of him, smiling as if they had just stopped by to see him. They still looked the same age as when they had gone missing, KaiKai now looked older and more haggard by comparison. Unwanted tears rolled freely down KaiKai’s face. He was prepared for them to be dead, but this was his worst nightmare.
“You see, I thought I would try my work out on your sisters first to see if they would be nearly as receptive as you. Unfortunately they did just could not survive the transfer, they had no will to. I had broken them, which was my mistake, I did not foresee that force of will would be a factor. A messy factor for that matter, impossible to predict, but I have done my best in my later projects. Or rather I will.”
“How… Why would you do this? What are you?”
“Well the how is rather complicated, but you’ll know in time. The why? Because this is the next stage in puppetry KaiKai. I love this jutsu more than your mother loved her children, you are given one life to do with as you please and I have chosen to create immortality. I have chosen to make a world of perfect unmarred marionettes. No desire to rule their puny minds, no greed or fear. No more weak bodies that are so easily compromised by disease, poison, hunger or petty emotion. This is my gift to the world, this is my purpose KaiKai. You will soon know yours.”
“You’re insane.”
“No, I’m inspired.”
“I am ending this here.” KaiKai said with conviction in his voice. It was remarkably steady for how angry he was.
“You just don’t understand KaiKai, it will NEVER end. But you will learn.”
With a sudden lurching snap both of KaiKai’s sisters snapped to life, their chests opening up to reveal what looked like a spike ball in each of the cavities. KaiKai pulled in his puppets to cover himself as the claymore of needles and shrapnel exploded over them. KaiKai felt a sharp pain in his calf and bit his lip to avoid crying out.
One of his priests fell to the ground completely shredded. KaiKai shouting out wheeled his second priest around into KanKou, it wrapped it arms around her and released a cloud of frozen exhaust onto her. His miko puppet slammed into her and she shattered into thousands of pieces. KaiKai felt a twinge of hatred for himself. It felt like he was killing his sister, it was hard to look past them as puppets, they just looked as though they still lived. Their horrible loving smiles still staring into him.
Ke-Ki appeared onto both of KaiKai’s remaining puppets and grabbed them both, her hands covered in a strong earthen covering. KaiKai looked on in part horror but part admiration. They still retained their jutsu? KaiKai released his chakra threads on his two puppets knowing that they were doomed. As he summoned Shenlong from his scroll he heard them crunch together and fall to the ground in a heap.
“I’m sorry Ki.” KaiKai muttered before his strongest puppet exploded into a torrent of unquenchable flame and enveloped his sister. She kept moving toward him, every joint creaking, it made KaiKai want to vomit. He felt dizzy as she burned, she fell to the ground, her legs no longer able to support her and she smiled at him one last time before she was consumed by the flames. KaiKai felt himself going numb, his control over Shenlong faded away and he fell into himself no longer in control of his body.
“I’m sure you know full well that every weapon attached to your sisters was coated in my signature poison KaiKai. This was a fight I did not need to win. You have beaten yourself with your weakness for your sisters. You would have avoided this fate if you had only let yourself move past the fact that those were not them. But now I get to continue my work.”
KaiKai’s uncle gathered him up into his arms and brought him over to the table he had been sitting at previously. He turned on the light which was nearly blinding to KaiKai. KaiKai could hear his uncle rustling about with some instruments and getting ready to begin his heinous torture. KaiKai let his mind relax, at least it would be painless and over soon. He would be with the rest of his family. He would be free of this obligation. Almost as if he could read his thoughts KaiKai’s uncle spoke up.
“I’m assuming you have figured out by now that you will NOT be sharing the same fate as the rest of your family? At least I hope you have figured that much out.” His uncle approached and looked him in the eyes.
“You… You didn’t think I was just going to kill you and make you a puppet did you?” His uncle laughed uproariously.
“KaiKai.” He leaned in close and whispered. “You’re meant for much MUCH more nephew.”
Reaching for his scalpel his uncle smiled at KaiKai’s burning hatred in his eyes.
“That’s good.” He said as he made his first incision into KaiKai. “You’ll need that will to survive this. Savor this feeling KaiKai for you will not feel it often if ever again.” KaiKai could feel a dull thudding in his chest as his uncle cracked his rib cage open.
“Ah, such a strong body. It really is a shame. No matter.”
KaiKai could feel his life falling away from him as his uncle removed several of his vitals and dumped them into a bin next to the table. His uncle was right however, his hatred was still burning brightly inside of him, and despite his life force falling away his hate would not. It remained even when his lungs did not, when his liver did not, when his mucus sack did not, even when his heart was removed from his body.
"You know that these techniques aren't illegal in Kumo?" His uncle mused. "Only my methods. They didn't approve of my... Selection process. Even in a place as progressive as Kumogakure there are still limits. I'm not such a fan of limits." He smiled.
“I have perfected this jutsu to keep your soul and consciousness remaining intact KaiKai.” His uncle said almost solemnly now, all of the excitement had drained from him leaving him looking remarkably old and vulnerable.
“nearly finished.” He said his eyes bright with wonder as he pulled KaiKai from his body. KaiKai could feel his consciousness move from his body into something that had been set down beside the table.
KaiKai stared up from new eyes. His uncle’s filled with wonder.
“You’re perfect…” He said nearly speechless.
KaiKais uncle began moving about the workshop collecting several things into a large pack. He pulled on a jacket and some more winter gear before finally stopping in front of something out of KaiKai’s sight.
KaiKai could hear his uncle let out a tired sigh. “I’ve given you this gift KaiKai and I’ve left you one more. You will be able to find me again one day I hope. I can’t have you just destroying yourself out of sheer defiance. I will live on KaiKai and I will still elude you. I’m giving you the opportunity to find me again.” His uncle laughed.
“Until I see you again KaiKai... I hope you realize what a glorious breakthrough you are. You’re the future of this world.” His uncle walked to the foot of the stares, KaiKai turned his new head limply to watch him leave.
“You will gain full control in a day or so. I’m leaving you this workshop KaiKai, and all the treasures that lay within. Learn from what I have left you and become worthy of what I’ve made you. You will need it in order to stop me. Good bye nephew, and you’re welcome. I’ve set you free.”
With that his Uncle departed up the long staircase.
KaiKai just lay in the brightness of the workshop, listening to the bubbling of the machines and the ruckus of the animals through his new “ears.” Strangely enough KaiKai could feel his emotions still intact with his soul, only suppressed deep down. All except for one.
His Rage. He would let it fester within his new body, he would let it burn inside of him until he could call upon it and consume his uncle in it.
KaiKai felt his control coming back over his body. He began moving each appendage lightly until over the course of the day he was sitting up. He opened his chest cavity and looked within to see something he didn’t understand. No organs only a large pulsing core. KaiKai was now missing his extra arms. Only two remained, but he could sense his own potential.
His possibilities were endless.
Climbing a mountain and smoking… I’m a genius. KaiKai thought to himself.
Yet despite the thin air his habit persisted. He shuffled on.
KaiKai had been on this self-assigned mission for the past six years. Abandoning his ANBU and Village duties to hunt the man he feared most in the world: his uncle. The man who had been restricted to his home for all of KaiKai’s life just for being suspect to a crime that had been committed years before his birth. His uncle was never convicted of the crime, the evidence wasn’t strong enough to connect him to it, but being suspect was grounds enough to keep him isolated and under surveillance.
KaiKai had grown up with his uncle constantly hovering over him, watching and guiding him in the ways of puppet jutsu. His uncle never gave either of his sisters much attention, they went off in their own directions, never coming near puppetry. It was true that KaiKai loved puppet jutsu, and had since a young age, but the interest his uncle had taken in him was… unhealthy at best. His parents noticed this and his father made the request that his brother be held elsewhere. The arrangements were made and KaiKai’s uncle disappeared from his life, yelling curses on his father and swearing death upon him.
Two weeks later KaiKai’s father never returned home and was not seen again. His mother fell into a deep depression at the loss of her husband. KaiKai’s sisters returned home from their missions as top tier shinobi to try and care for her. KaiKai still in the academy found solace in his puppets. Calculating and reserved in his room he worked on his puppets while his mother fell further and further away from him and his sisters. Eventually she perished, she had stopped eating and just lay in bed without the will to live.
KaiKai became even more reserved after the loss of his parents. His sisters often screamed at him in frustration when he would ignore them, keeping silent and working all the while. In time they stopped trying and left him in the empty home to work with his puppets. How could he blame them? They had just lost both parents and they might as well have lost their brother for how much good he was doing.
KaiKai tossed away his cigarette somewhere into the endless abyss of white and spotted something in the distance, far above him. It was almost invisible in the constant blizzard that enveloped the spine, but KaiKai could just make out the frame of a door. The door was in disarray, it was so frozen that it might as well have been part of the stone that is was placed into. KaiKai sighed and continued trekking onward and upward.
KaiKai had become the student of Ataeru once he finally became a notable shinobi. Under Ataeru’s tutelage KaiKai became even stronger and well rounded. He went on missions with Kazuhiko a fellow student and friend, and eventually became an ANBU. He had fought in a war, he had killed men openly and discreetly, all the while learning. He even went on a few missions with each of his sisters. He became a more rounded person around them as well, he wasn’t constantly hiding in his quarters working on poisons and puppets. His sisters had a brother again. But even that was short lived. Both of KaiKai’s sisters went on separate missions, both never returned. ANBU sent follow up squads to see what had happened to each of them. They found the missions incomplete and the rest of their squads mutilated in the same way each time. Their organs were all removed with medical precision and replaced with the parts for a puppet.
The poison found in each squad member’s body was one that left the victim paralyzed and unable to feel anything, but conscious. This left them awake for whatever horrors had been performed. Each of the follow up squads returned with the same information. This was identical to what had happened years ago before KaiKai’s birth. The horrible crimes that his uncle was connected to, the mutilation and experimentation on living subjects to create a sentient puppet.
KaiKai remembered running to where they held his uncle, and making his way past all of the guards with the permission of his superiors and finding that the living cell was occupied by the most masterfully crafted puppet KaiKai had ever seen. KaiKai had examined it himself, touching it and working with it until he stopped cold and dropped the now lifeless puppet to the ground. It was his father. The body of his father made into some kind of monstrosity. The resemblance KaiKai’s father had to his uncle was uncanny. KaiKai reported back to his superiors and destroyed the abomination that was once his father, and then left on his mission to find his sisters and the dangerous creature he shared blood with.
KaiKai began investigating the sights at which his sisters were likely captured or killed, examining the bodies of the shinobi who had been changed into puppets while they still lived. KaiKai shuddered at the thought each time he looked at one of their blank expressions, he could feel their fear and helplessness. Soon KaiKai identified how the poison was made that allowed for his uncle to paralyze and mutilate his victims. The poisons main ingredient was an extract distilled from a rare plant that grew only at extreme altitudes and temperature: Eisblut, iced blood. The plant could not survive anywhere else but the spine, and it only lasted a few hours once it was harvested before it became useless, so there had to be a workshop amongst the mountains. KaiKai had been searching for it for years now. Constant expeditions into the mountain range, first checking the mapped locations of the plant, but after finding no trace of his Uncle, KaiKai began exploring outside of the known areas.
By luck KaiKai came upon quickly fading footprints in the snow, after years of trying to locate his uncle, luck had finally decided to be on his side. KaiKai had followed them as fast as he could, knowing that the unforgiving storm would wipe them away as quickly as they were made. Soon thought KaiKai realized that his uncle must have noticed him climbing after him, otherwise KaiKai would have caught him up by now.
Now, KaiKai had finally reached the doors, his heavy breaths exaggerated by the cold thin air. He already felt relief, despite the fact that he had yet to see if it even WAS his uncle, he knew that at least this would come to an end in some way. KaiKai could have peace of mind, he could return to the village and return to his life amongst his friends and hopefully his sisters. KaiKai removed a scroll from his back and lay it down upon the heavy snow. KaiKai summoned three puppets, two were Priest models, both equipped identically, with dangerous hidden blades and several other death dealing traps. The third was a Miko model, made to support his priests by holding down victims while the priests sliced them to pieces.
KaiKai approached the frozen door, and using one of his extra limbs attached some of his golden chakra webbing to its base. KaiKai grabbed the length of golden webbing with his two center arms and yanked the door off its hinges throwing it off the edge of the ridge, clanging all the way down. KaiKai grit his teeth with each loud bang. He sent one of his priests in first with Miko following after then himself with his second priest just behind him to cover his rear. The door led into a small antechamber with another door, it was lit with torches but still cold. KaiKai approached the next door still cautious. KaiKai was convinced that his uncle knew he was coming, every step had to be carefully calculated.
KaiKai opened the next door and was greeted with a long narrow staircase, leading down into the mountain. This was also lit with torches, but was nice a warm once KaiKai closed the door behind himself. KaiKai slowly and quietly removed his heavy coat and pack and set them down at the top of the steps. He reattached his scrolls to his belt and began his dissent into what was most assuredly a trap.
Surprisingly however, KaiKai met no resistance as he made his way down, further and further the stairs went. KaiKai didn’t let his guard down but he did relax a little and picked up his pace, a quick but silent trot down the steps until he saw light coming from something besides the torches up ahead. He resumed his cautious demeanor. Reaching the bottom of the step KaiKai peered his head around the corner to see the next room. It was a grand room, the ceiling low but reaching far back. The room was filled with equipment: Puppets, Distillers, cages with animals, tons of cabinets, work tables. It was a wonderland for people like KaiKai, and his uncle. Things were running, machinery, the distillers were bubbling and the animals were now making a ruckus after noticing KaiKai.
“I was curious when you would finally track me down.” Came a deep flat voice.
KaiKai whirled to his right all three of his puppets poised and ready to strike. A man in his early 60’s sat at a desk with a set of medical tools that he was polishing. Without looking back at him the man kept working.
“How long did it take you now? Six years? I was beginning to fear you were never going to make it. But my faith in you has been rewarded.” With that he spun around slowly in his chair and rose. It was KaiKai’s uncle, and it tugged at his heart to see the man who so resembled his father stand before him with such a cold expression when his fathers had been so warm. KaiKai stood still ready to strike in silence. His uncle cocked his head.
“You have nothing to say? No questions for me? Nothing about where I have been? My workshop here? Not even about your sister’s ? “ He sneered.
“Where are they?” KaiKai said calmly, trying to keep his anger from showing. He needed to keep calm, he was all too aware of how dangerous this man was.
“That’s better. You know I have kept my eye on you despite not being around for most of your shinobi career. You have not disappointed me, I was right to have set my sights upon you, your puppet skills are of the highest potential I’ve ever seen besides my own. But I know you will surpass even me… I will make certain of tha-“
“SHUT UP” KaiKai shouted. “You will answer the questions I have and you will say nothing else or I will put you down right now. God knows it should have been done years ago.” KaiKai swore at himself, he was getting too excited, his hands were shaking from the adrenaline coursing through him.
His uncle only smiled knowingly and nodded.
“Ok… Did you kill my father?” KaiKai knew the answer already.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Easily.”
“You sack of filth, tell me how.”
“With my extract when he came to visit me in my cell. I did my work with his body and left disguised as him.”
KaiKai nodded, he had figured as much.
“Ok… Did you have a hand in my mother’s death?”
“No, she died because she gave up, you know that.”
“Alright. Did you commit that crimes all those years ago that they restrained you to my home for.”
“Of course I did, did you think anyone else would be capable of that? I’m just as surprised as you are that I was left with even that much freedom.”
“Where are my sisters?”
“They’re here.”
KaiKai sucked in his breath
“Are they…”
“Alive? You could say that.” The old man smiled, his eyes like a birds watching its prey.
“Don’t you fuck with me, are they alive?”
“I could show you.” He gestured to further into the workshop.
KaiKai thought for a moment, and then nudged his head in the direction his uncle had suggested. Following his movements carefully KaiKai followed his uncle closely, both of this priests at his uncles back, blades bared. They reached what looked like a large collection of puppets hanging from a long assembly rack. KaiKai looked at his uncle with a confused look, the look he returned was pure madness.
“Say hello to your sisters KaiKai.” He nearly cackled, barely able to hold in his excitement of his big reveal.
His hands went up and two puppets amongst the grouping came to life and came down between KaiKai’s puppets and his uncle. Startled KaiKai leapt back and brought his puppets to a defensive position.
“I warned you old ma-“ KaiKai’s words caught in his throat.
Ke-Ki and KanKou stood in front of him, smiling as if they had just stopped by to see him. They still looked the same age as when they had gone missing, KaiKai now looked older and more haggard by comparison. Unwanted tears rolled freely down KaiKai’s face. He was prepared for them to be dead, but this was his worst nightmare.
“You see, I thought I would try my work out on your sisters first to see if they would be nearly as receptive as you. Unfortunately they did just could not survive the transfer, they had no will to. I had broken them, which was my mistake, I did not foresee that force of will would be a factor. A messy factor for that matter, impossible to predict, but I have done my best in my later projects. Or rather I will.”
“How… Why would you do this? What are you?”
“Well the how is rather complicated, but you’ll know in time. The why? Because this is the next stage in puppetry KaiKai. I love this jutsu more than your mother loved her children, you are given one life to do with as you please and I have chosen to create immortality. I have chosen to make a world of perfect unmarred marionettes. No desire to rule their puny minds, no greed or fear. No more weak bodies that are so easily compromised by disease, poison, hunger or petty emotion. This is my gift to the world, this is my purpose KaiKai. You will soon know yours.”
“You’re insane.”
“No, I’m inspired.”
“I am ending this here.” KaiKai said with conviction in his voice. It was remarkably steady for how angry he was.
“You just don’t understand KaiKai, it will NEVER end. But you will learn.”
With a sudden lurching snap both of KaiKai’s sisters snapped to life, their chests opening up to reveal what looked like a spike ball in each of the cavities. KaiKai pulled in his puppets to cover himself as the claymore of needles and shrapnel exploded over them. KaiKai felt a sharp pain in his calf and bit his lip to avoid crying out.
One of his priests fell to the ground completely shredded. KaiKai shouting out wheeled his second priest around into KanKou, it wrapped it arms around her and released a cloud of frozen exhaust onto her. His miko puppet slammed into her and she shattered into thousands of pieces. KaiKai felt a twinge of hatred for himself. It felt like he was killing his sister, it was hard to look past them as puppets, they just looked as though they still lived. Their horrible loving smiles still staring into him.
Ke-Ki appeared onto both of KaiKai’s remaining puppets and grabbed them both, her hands covered in a strong earthen covering. KaiKai looked on in part horror but part admiration. They still retained their jutsu? KaiKai released his chakra threads on his two puppets knowing that they were doomed. As he summoned Shenlong from his scroll he heard them crunch together and fall to the ground in a heap.
“I’m sorry Ki.” KaiKai muttered before his strongest puppet exploded into a torrent of unquenchable flame and enveloped his sister. She kept moving toward him, every joint creaking, it made KaiKai want to vomit. He felt dizzy as she burned, she fell to the ground, her legs no longer able to support her and she smiled at him one last time before she was consumed by the flames. KaiKai felt himself going numb, his control over Shenlong faded away and he fell into himself no longer in control of his body.
“I’m sure you know full well that every weapon attached to your sisters was coated in my signature poison KaiKai. This was a fight I did not need to win. You have beaten yourself with your weakness for your sisters. You would have avoided this fate if you had only let yourself move past the fact that those were not them. But now I get to continue my work.”
KaiKai’s uncle gathered him up into his arms and brought him over to the table he had been sitting at previously. He turned on the light which was nearly blinding to KaiKai. KaiKai could hear his uncle rustling about with some instruments and getting ready to begin his heinous torture. KaiKai let his mind relax, at least it would be painless and over soon. He would be with the rest of his family. He would be free of this obligation. Almost as if he could read his thoughts KaiKai’s uncle spoke up.
“I’m assuming you have figured out by now that you will NOT be sharing the same fate as the rest of your family? At least I hope you have figured that much out.” His uncle approached and looked him in the eyes.
“You… You didn’t think I was just going to kill you and make you a puppet did you?” His uncle laughed uproariously.
“KaiKai.” He leaned in close and whispered. “You’re meant for much MUCH more nephew.”
Reaching for his scalpel his uncle smiled at KaiKai’s burning hatred in his eyes.
“That’s good.” He said as he made his first incision into KaiKai. “You’ll need that will to survive this. Savor this feeling KaiKai for you will not feel it often if ever again.” KaiKai could feel a dull thudding in his chest as his uncle cracked his rib cage open.
“Ah, such a strong body. It really is a shame. No matter.”
KaiKai could feel his life falling away from him as his uncle removed several of his vitals and dumped them into a bin next to the table. His uncle was right however, his hatred was still burning brightly inside of him, and despite his life force falling away his hate would not. It remained even when his lungs did not, when his liver did not, when his mucus sack did not, even when his heart was removed from his body.
"You know that these techniques aren't illegal in Kumo?" His uncle mused. "Only my methods. They didn't approve of my... Selection process. Even in a place as progressive as Kumogakure there are still limits. I'm not such a fan of limits." He smiled.
“I have perfected this jutsu to keep your soul and consciousness remaining intact KaiKai.” His uncle said almost solemnly now, all of the excitement had drained from him leaving him looking remarkably old and vulnerable.
“nearly finished.” He said his eyes bright with wonder as he pulled KaiKai from his body. KaiKai could feel his consciousness move from his body into something that had been set down beside the table.
KaiKai stared up from new eyes. His uncle’s filled with wonder.
“You’re perfect…” He said nearly speechless.
KaiKais uncle began moving about the workshop collecting several things into a large pack. He pulled on a jacket and some more winter gear before finally stopping in front of something out of KaiKai’s sight.
KaiKai could hear his uncle let out a tired sigh. “I’ve given you this gift KaiKai and I’ve left you one more. You will be able to find me again one day I hope. I can’t have you just destroying yourself out of sheer defiance. I will live on KaiKai and I will still elude you. I’m giving you the opportunity to find me again.” His uncle laughed.
“Until I see you again KaiKai... I hope you realize what a glorious breakthrough you are. You’re the future of this world.” His uncle walked to the foot of the stares, KaiKai turned his new head limply to watch him leave.
“You will gain full control in a day or so. I’m leaving you this workshop KaiKai, and all the treasures that lay within. Learn from what I have left you and become worthy of what I’ve made you. You will need it in order to stop me. Good bye nephew, and you’re welcome. I’ve set you free.”
With that his Uncle departed up the long staircase.
KaiKai just lay in the brightness of the workshop, listening to the bubbling of the machines and the ruckus of the animals through his new “ears.” Strangely enough KaiKai could feel his emotions still intact with his soul, only suppressed deep down. All except for one.
His Rage. He would let it fester within his new body, he would let it burn inside of him until he could call upon it and consume his uncle in it.
KaiKai felt his control coming back over his body. He began moving each appendage lightly until over the course of the day he was sitting up. He opened his chest cavity and looked within to see something he didn’t understand. No organs only a large pulsing core. KaiKai was now missing his extra arms. Only two remained, but he could sense his own potential.
His possibilities were endless.