Knocking on Heaven's Door [Open]

[Uka]

Spoiler

[^Click me]

Sand everywhere. Literally everywhere. Sand in places you didn't even know existed. How one got used to this she didn't know. How she had gotten used to it was an even bigger mystery. Well maybe it had something to do with living in this forsaken side of the world for a decently long while. Truth was she was starting to run out of bandits to practice on. Who would have imagined you can run out of those. The young woman would let out a prolonged sigh, chuckling just mere moments later, her grin never leaving her expression for even a brief moment. Either way she was starting to run out of money and she did have a couple of bounties to turn in. Plus there was that thing she had been meaning to ask for a while at this point.

Natsu slowly made her way accross the desert, the sun having just barely shown itself over the dunes before she stopped in front of her destiation. It was beyond clear that she was being observed at this point. After all it was probably a fairly rare occurence to have a shinobi of another village walk up to the gates, especially one that was no longer part of said village. Her silverish white hair was quite the contrast to her black headband with the symbol of konoha on it and so were here failr bog standard black clothes, consisting of a pair of black trousers, a long-sleeved and body-tight shirt as well as a pair of black combat boots and gloves. All in all she didn't really seem like just a random passerby, especially with the rather large scroll on her back.

"I know someone is there and I know you don't work for Fate, so how about you show yourself so we can conduct business?" She would raise her voice to just barely below shouting, hoping that was loud enough for the silent guardians of these places. There was no way there would be none. After all this was a duty she herself had held back in the day. Though that was old history. Now all that remained was the hunt for Fate and training. However there was something else she did have to check up on whilst trying to get some form of pay.

[Topic Entered]
[Topic Created]

 

[Michi]

Neophyte​

Door duty. The most exciting of all the AiT duties the captains could bestow upon her. Day in and day out she asked the same questions: Name, Genesis, Reason, Duration. Those she did not know she snapshotted and handed them off at the end of the day to a superior; those she knew she relegated to memory and let them be on their way. There was a mundane sense of routine in this, rarely was there a break in or out. It was a foolhardy choice, one of the petchulant and impatient considerng how open their community has historically been to foreign travel as long as one could obviously survive the diamond maelstrom.

The 'gates; of Sunagakure were certainly nothing dramatic like the skeletal remains of a giant sandworm that once gripped the known world in fear. That entryway was destroyed years ago during an attack that would prove to not be the last domestic act of terror Sunagakure experiences. For the time being, the temporary gate was actually a building, the Toraono Dojo. The Dojo was one of the few intact passages from the main city to the surface. There was evidence of a wall being built around the perimeter of a budding surface colony as well but the heart of the village still remained underground. The make-shift 'station' as some of them called it was simply a table and an uncomfortable chair near the front door cluttering the Toraono Dojo's foyer. There were other entrances as well, those not accesdsable to the public that were guarded by ANBU more than capable of holding their own in combat. The trainee got paperwork and front door duty, it was nothing new.

Thankfully the paperwork looked worse than it was. Most of the day she played solitaire, she of course cheated and sadly still rarely won. This was one of those times when she might actually win, the cards seemed to be the ones she needed every time she flipped one over. It was a strangely elating experience. Her victory would of course be delayed, she heard a voice but her ears did not sense a form because the voice belonged to someone on the other side of the door.

"I know someone is there and I know you don't work for Fate, so how about you show yourself so we can conduct business?"<i></i>

She let out a sigh, why did people simply assume that the door was locked or that she was lurking through some peephole. She opened the door with a yank and a wave of hot air entered the climate controlled space as did a gust of dust. "Salutations madam," she stated upon visualization of the lone female. "I am trainee Neophyte, please come in." She turned, granting a gap large enough to give the young woman the breadth necessary to enter without impediment. "Just got some paperwork and then I will let you be in your way." [Activates Snapshot - Mastered] She moved close to the young woman, her eyes scanned the woman slowly and carefully from behind her mask. She was not being a pervert, staring was a necessity. "Who is fate?" She would ask after a protracted moment of silence when and if one was afforded. She reached for a form behind her, turning her back to the young woman. She could still see her thanks to her sonar sense. "I just need to have you answer a few basic questions," Neophyte retrieved a pen from the confines of her robes and offered it to the young woman.

Name:

Home Village and Country:

Are you a Shinobi?

What is your Purpose for Visiting Sunagakure?

How Long do you Plan to Remain in Sunagakure?

[[Allowed entry unless you beat me up -- I am a delicate flower]]​

 

[Uka]

The more she stared the weirder the 'gate' was. Compared to the massive walls and gate that Konoha had this was... interesting. No matter. She wasn't here to think about stuff like this. The young woman would chuckle at her own stupid thoughts. There was no time for such things afte rall. She had to be ready at any time as you never knew when Fate was watching.
Her eyes shot over towards the door as it slowly opened, the cold air overrulling safety instincts for a moment as she slipped in, closing the door behind herself. It was honestly surprising how big the temperature difference was. One would have thought it would be smaller, especially with the negative adverse effects on one's heart. No matter. "Well isn't it quite nice in here." Natsuru would chuckle, glancing over towards Neophyte and her rather the table she was sitting on. "People nowadays have no respect for the old powers." The young woman would grin. "Just the leader of the demons, but that doesn't matter. It's not something many people really need to worry about after all. I'm sure brother dearest is already hot on its trails even without me. Which leads me to a question I need to ask later."</GLOW><i></i> She would nod, glancing over towards the piece of paper extended to her, narrowing her eyes for a brief moment as she scanned the contents. "Do I need to bother with that thing if I just want to cash this in?"<i></i> The kunoichi would roll her eyes as she slowly reached into one of the pouches on her belt, taking out a single wanted poster. It depicted a rugged-looking man with the words 'wanted' written at the bottom page and a decent sum depicted as the reward.

"Why even ask."<i></i> She would suddenly note, knowing full well what the answer would be. With rather clearly depicted annoyance she set about filling in the forms with the supposedly provided writing instrument.

Name: Senju Natsuru
Home Village: Konoha
Are you a shinobi? Technically not really, but yes for all intensive purposes
What is your purpose for visiting Sunagakure? To hand in a bounty
How long do you plan to remain in Sunagakure?twenty minutes

It was rather clear Natsu was really optimistic when it came to the sheer amount of forms and checks she would need to pass in order to actually get her bounty paid out, but so far she had only really bothered with the small settlements. A shinobi village was likely to be really different. "Other than the bounty I'm also looking for someone. About one head taller than me, same hair colour and onyx eyes."<i></i> She would note, slowly unbuttoning the top two buttons of her shirt in order to pull it down just about enough for the AiT to see the tattoo on her upper left breast. <GLOW glow="blue">"Also has a tattoo like this one."

 

[Michi]

Neophyte​

"Well isn't it quite nice in here."

The dust-bunny would enter the Toraono stronghold. The cool air, likely a pleasant respite from the unforgiving sun. The massive foyer was for the most part empty besides them, grand staircases led to spaces above that she had never intruded on. The Toraono family, despite their demon heritage, had been gracious hosts these past few years since the tragic Cabalist incursion. The ground level passageways led to public areas, the famed demon Sennin often sharing a meal or a training session with a foreign of domestic visitor and further on was stairwells ans passageways that descended into the depths of the desert. The long, twisting and winding tunnels would bring a visitor or returning resident to the village of Sunagakure. The 'ceiling' was recently ripped off, or rather collapsed when a thrashing Sandworm cracked the delicate shell that covered the community leaving a massive canyon where there was once a cavernous space. This was still one of the safest and easiest ways to get to the heart of the village. There were others, the Orders as well as the Kazekage tower were both on the fringe of the canyon, overlooking the city from their precipice alongside a growing residential area but that part of the village was not built for intake and strangers were turned away and in some cases met with violence.

"People nowadays have no respect for the old powers."

"Yeah no respect..." she echoed, the irony palatable. It was not like she had seen the dawn of humanity or watched her entire species fade away into obscurity. The hounds at her heels, a Queen was now a lowly neophyte. No respect at all indeed. Who is/was Fate? It was a weird enough of a name to relegate it to memory as she asked that very inquiry.

"Just the leader of the demons, but that doesn't matter. It's not something many people really need to worry about after all. I'm sure brother dearest is already hot on its trails even without me. Which leads me to a question I need to ask later."

She mentioned something about a demon leader, the poor thing was simply ill of mind. "Sounds terrifying." She was not going to make any effort to bring the girl back to reality, the delusional rarely change and if some sense of grandeur can be obtained at least in the mind even of one suffering a mental malady, who was she to callously rip it away? After all, brother Kazuki seemed to liken himself to a Reaper.

"Do I need to bother with that thing if I just want to cash this in?"

The young woman revealed a crumpled wanted poster with some sour-looking ne'er do well pictured on the rough bit of parchment. She did not personally recognize the name or the face but Sunagakure had a number of escaped convicts as well as a number of men and women wanted by the long arm of the law. Before she could answer, the answer would have been yes. She would have thrown a few coins the girl's way and taken credit for whatever the bounty was. She was far from an 'honest' ANBU but she never had a chance to make her offer before the girl assumed the answer.

"Why even ask."

She accepted the writing utensil as well as the form. It was a rather short form considering the fact that she was being granted entry into a militarized city. It was perhaps foolish to maintain such an open-door policy but it had done the village well in the past gaining alliances with unlikely friends. As for those that wished them harm, not a single one of them did the paperwork anyways. Problematic visitors and impatient travelers were the only ones that rushed through here, unwilling to forfeit five minutes of their life. As sad as it was, the symbolic gesture alone tended to be a powerful assessment tool. When the girl was done, Neophyte accepted the form and committed the image to her ongoing snapshot. Senju Natsuru. Perhaps this would be the exception. She did not say anything but the expression behind her mask dropped and her blood ran cold. His clan was dead, at least that was the Deep Court hybrid's claim. He either lied or the girl here was a liar. The edges of the form creased as she tightened her grip. Kohona, his home village. The rest rather mundane.

What was she? A hunter seeking the silver-tongued hybrid?

A Ranger seeking to exterminate what they felt was the terminal point of their bloodline?

She visibly shook her head, her mind filled with terrible thoughts.

"Other than the bounty I'm also looking for someone. About one head taller than me, same hair colour and onyx eyes."

Her jaw clenched as she revealed the symbol on her chest.

She let out a huff of air, it felt hot and steamy beneath the mask. She recognized the features and the symbol, after all she was one of the few to ever touch that 'man's' icy cold heart. Of course this was literal and not in the romantic sense, only Mikaboshi does as one person might have said 'the horizontal no pants dance' with humans. She did not understand the mark but she recognized it. "You cannot have him," Neophyte announced a possessive statement regarding the Sennin. Kazuki was her brother, she was not going to let Fire Country steal him away. A strange sound would emanate from behind that featureless mask, it was a single long protracted note. It was merely A Flat, a sound so many have heard before but never with her enthralling voice as a tree broke through the ground or at least it would appear to be such to the 'Senju' visitor. She was proficient in genjutsu, more than she was credited for. Using her sensory knowledge move Deja-Vu she attempted to bind the stranger [Mastered Tree Binding]. She would repeat this until she was successful using focus the next time.

 

[Uka]

As sad as it was even Natsuru realised that many people thought she was completely insane, including her own brother but she didn't really let that bother her. In the end she would be the one laughing at the end when she fixed everything for everyone. This having been said it really wasn't a surprise that a majority of the time the ANBU clearly ignored her she was preoccupied with staring at the wall behind her. It was quite the nice wall."Cannot wha...?"<i></i> She would manage just before she noticed the tree, instinctively causing the kunoichi to jump back a couple of steps, just narrowly managing to avoid the tree that was sprouting from the floor. Without even realising she had done so Natsu had focused chakra into her eyes, activating her [Byakuygan - Rank 3] allowing her a nearly [360 Degree Vision- Rank 3]. It was a habit she had developed during her numerous encounters with either rogue ninja or bandits, after all taking the initiative was always a good thing. At least she no longer used a bladed weapon, her trusty black leather gloves with metal knuckles had long since been adorning her hands. Considering how much she had been using these over the last few years it was rather surprising to see how good their condition actually was.

"I guess this is it as far as hospitality."<i></i> Natsuru would slow down her speech as she reached the middle of the final word. Her grin would widen as she lowered her centre of gravity, sliding her left foot back as she raised her right hand up in front of her body, her palm facing her opponent [Jyuuken Stance and Defensive stance]. To any trained opponent it would be fairly obvious the stance came naturally to her and she was rather clearly braced to dodge an attack rather than being able to take the offensive, her body in such a position that would make it more difficult to do so. "So what are the charges officer? Being too beautiful for my own good?"<i></i> The young woman would laugh out loud, a hint of madness being rather easy to spot. "And did we skip the stage where I get my rights read before I get attacked for asking for payment for my work?"<i></i> Natsuru would roll her eyes, her focus appearing to wane but never actually leaving her opponent as she took in any small mannerisms, muscle twitches and brief movements. Oh how she wished she had been able to use these eyes before. It was so much easier to prepare when you could simultaneously try and find an exit as well as building a mental map of the room, whilst looking for any objects you can use to your advantage and last but not least being able to pay attention to your opponent. This really was a cheat when coming up with a new strategy.

The Senju stood her ground as her entire body tensed in preparation of any incoming attacks, her surprisingly still functional sense of self-preservation still functional and telling her to actually avoid attacking a Sand ninja at the gates of sand. Why? Because there would be more shinobi going after her in the next could of minutes than flies around a garbage can during summer. Frankly that was the best analogy her brain could come up with. A horrible one, but more than descriptive enough for a very real outcome of this situation. "By your reaction I am guessing you either know nii-sama or he is wanted. Which one it is I guess I am going to find out soon enough."<i></i> Natsuru would note, her body language being a huge contrast to her massive grin.


[Summary:
- Byakugan (+3 Accuracy +3 dodge)
- Jyuuken stance (damage multiplied by 0.9, +2 Accuracy, +1 Critical)
- Defensive stance (-2 Accuracy +4 dodge +20% damage reduction) [Steady; Defensive Technique; Vanguard]
- Weapon (-1 Accuracy +10% damage) [Weapon Attunement]
- 360 vision (10% auto dodge)
- Duelist (+2 Accuracy; +10% damage; 10% auto dodge)
- Class (+2 Accuracy; +15% damage)

Totals:
Accuracy - +6
Dodge - +7 (+9 with swift)
Auto dodge - 20%
Damage reduction - 20%
Damage - (Damage x1.35)x0.9
Critical - +1]

 

[Michi]

Neophyte​

"So what are the charges officer? Being too beautiful for my own good?"

Neophyte's hand reached up to her hood and she depressed the power button on her headset and a wave of static filled her auditory canal as she rolled the transceiver to the Occult Sennin's frequency. "This is Neophyte, a Kohonan bearing the surname of Occult Sennin Senju Kazuki has breached our gate. I will be apprehending her and taking her to the Obsidian." She did not wait for a reply, there was no time for that but the communication remained open. She recalled her meeting with Kazuki in the desert some time ago, the day he learned about the depths of his heritage. Her attention back on the young assassin, she repeated with a guttural growl that came from deep in her throat "he's mine... you cannot have him." She knew that all Kazuki had left was a cousin and she met him, his parents were both dead and his sister was an amnesic. The sudden recollection of her name with the random happenstance that she would arrive at THIS gate was unlikely indeed.

"You asked about living family. Well, my father is dead, killed by my hand. My mother died of grief not long after. My sister, due to some unknown circumstances, gained total and incurable amnesia, and I don't where she is. My uncle and my nephew are missing as well. You have seen my cousin. I am certain there are more relatives, but they are either in Sunagakure, or dead, or missing. We were never a big family though." he replied, enumerating a list of people he could remember on the fly. "I can't exactly say me and my parents had a proper parent-son relationship. First they completely hide my lineage, then they did exactly the opposite with my sister. I do not know, maybe I was not truly their son. They are dead, I cannot ask them now. Maybe that explains the mistreatment I have received at their hands, or maybe I was treated so because they knew I was not entirely human." Reaper shared with her. Not many people knew about his infancy years. In fact, only two people had any knowledge about it. Senju Tadao and now Suna. "Is there a way to figure out, at one's birth, if they have other dna than human? More precisely Ancient? Do you think I was born in a cocoon of shadows? I mean, this mastery over shadows and death, this hunger for souls was not born with me. I gained it once I reached adulthood. We Senju have a ritual, perhaps this ritual merely unlocked my latent Ancient genes. Genes I was born with? It is confusing I must confess."</B><i></i> he admitted. There so many variables in this equation and so little known facts. Perhaps he would never figure out the truth, even with such formidable guide. "You are an Earth Court Ancient, you bleed sand. I suppose Mikaboshi bleeds shadows. You have also admitted that I have shown traits of three different courts so far. Earth, Deep and Wild Hunt. As far as I am aware, I still bleed blood, but assuming I had any tracings of all three, what should I be bleeding?"

Ultimately they discovered that Kazuki shared Mikaboshi's bloodline heritage, his kinship with the darkness and shadows and of course deception were simply a part of his nature. While he might be of another court, they were the space species only different races so she considered him a brother. This 'Senju' whatever she was be it a long lost lover-whore, sister, aunt, or child had no place here even if they shared an uncle or two. Whatever Senju Kazuki cared to know would have made it to Sunagakure over these past few years so whatever she was, as far as Shiori was concerned, was a fraud. If not a fraud, an opportunist seeking to siphon from the Sennin what they could. She could not have him.

"And did we skip the stage where I get my rights read before I get attacked for asking for payment for my work?"

"Not when your efforts work against my kin," she retorted. "Kazuki is MINE!" She shouted as she slid her foot back and pivoted on the heel of her forefoot. Her bandaged feet soundlessly made the transition as her hands rushed through an array of handseals. If Natsuru was at any point an ANBU she would recognize the series as Black Blockade. An arena-type barrier used by some ANBU to ensure their enemy does not rush off. It would seal away the light, plunging the two girls in darkness. Not that the Ancient minded, nor the Hyuuga 'kin.' If it failed to catch her, she would simply drop the walls as quickly as they first emerged.

"My... what white eyes you have."<i></i>

"Never seen Kazuki's eyes look like yours."</B><i></i>

<B>"By your reaction I am guessing you either know nii-sama or he is wanted. Which one it is I guess I am going to find out soon enough."

"LIAR!" She snapped with an acerbic tone. "Stop playing coy!" Her voice rattled at the octave in which she shouted. Her bandaged hand balled into a shivering fist as she stared at this woman. Stop moving. Just stop it! She was angry, disproportionately so because Kazuki would not be the first taken from her and she feared he would not be the last. Anger, often has a basis in pride and fear, both insulted and assaulted. Did she have a sense of ownership over him, yes in a way. She considered the Sennin hers, not Kohona's. She had heard that Kohonagakure had recently been revitalized. That through the combined efforts of Iwagakure and the remaining Kohonan patriots that the samurai forces were driven back and once they reasserted themselves as the dominant power in Fire Country that they would one day come looking for their former Sennin or that Iwa would be seeking their former delegate. Well, they could not have him.

• If the Body Bind Worked:
  The girl would be frozen in place, the bind would of course not work for long. The girl's will would override the power of her ninjutsu after a few seconds and Shiori knew it. She would draw a small, blue tinted vial from the confines of her robe and pour a small mount of sparkling dust into her hand and approach the girl with a hidden smile behind her featureless mask. <B>"I will enjoy getting to know every inch of you, Natsuru." She would lift the mask to reveal a bandage-covered face beneath. The small slivers of flesh that peered between the gaps would reveal a tan woman with a naturally fair complexion beneath but revealed nothing else as she blew with naked lips the small hill of twinkling dust into the Senju's face. If it worked, if she did not overpower the lullabye powder she would crumble onto the floor and Neophyte would kneel alongside her. Her hands would run along the girls' back and sides, searching for hidden weapons and anything that could identify her as the fiend she knew she was. Someone intent on causing brother Kazuki harm. She would rip away a length of bandage from her arm and retrieve several spools of wire from her person and if there was any on the girl she would take that as well. Neophyte would climb on top of the unconscious girl, straddling her in the process. She would start with her wrists, binding them tightly behind her back. If she woke after this, she did not care as she would use her weight to keep the girl pinned. She was not a tiny woman, standing at a bit over six feet she is capable of carrying a fair amount of mass with grace. The legs, they might be a tricky matter if they were kicking or she was bucking beneath her but her position would be advantageous on top. The only place to be obviously and she would wrestle with her legs for as long as necessary until they too were bound.
  
  She would not gag her, she did not care if she complained or screamed. After-all, she wanted to get a little girl-talk out of the way before she reached the Obsidian and handed the girl over to one of the Captains. She did not know that Kazuki was also Reaper nor did she know that the man who initiated her into the ANBU was the hybrid monster as well as the other Sennin. If she knew either of these things she probably would have killed the girl on the spot and left her body on Kazuki's porch as a gift. Friends give each other gifts and for know with what she knew being as limited as it was she intended to interrogate the girl and then allow Kazuki to render 'punishment.' She knew that punishment likely meant consumption although he seemed to have some inane concept that he was a Reaper, a strange mental occult malady his 'sister' seemed to share. in fact they looked pretty similar too, except for the weird vasculature about the eyes and the lack of an iris.
  
  Could they be related genetically? Maybe.
  
  She wondered if --- No that is terribly unlikely.
  
  But what if? -- He would be pretty mad.
  
  But she is not... Right? Well, crap. Too late now, potentially screaming and biting Shiori would heave the girl over her shoulder, all she would get is a mouthful of robe or bandage if she tried. The black blockade would recede if it was not already gone. Hopefully this is not that one sister he mentioned that one time. Hopefully. If it is, then she would have to duke it out with Kazuki. He was not always the most reasonable of men, sister or not the chances of stumbling onto this place not already knowing was slim. Hopefully whoever she is does not manipulate him into trusting her. Maybe that silver tongue was genetic. [Attempts to Drag Her Off to a Thread with Kazuki]
  
  If the Body Bind Fails: Well, she was a limber little thing. "Just stay still and let me catch you!" She was irked by the bothersome teen, young adult, whatever she was. Why do humans look all alike after they finish the tiny stage and before they enter the wrinkly stage. She would part her lips and start to sing a gentle lullabye with her enthralling voice. It had a mournful sound, but she felt anything but forlorn. The words would decrescendo to a gentle hum as she tried to becalm the hit-woman. Her song was her greatest asset, not her hands and now her manipulative power as her words would attempt to worm into the young woman's mind.
  
  If the song captured her awareness, hopefully she would dream of terrible things. Neophyte would break her fall if only to prevent her from awakening before she knelt alongside her slumbering form. Her hands would run along the girls' back and sides, searching for hidden weapons and anything that could identify her as the fiend she knew she was. Someone intent on causing brother Kazuki harm. She would rip away a length of bandage from her arm and retrieve several spools of wire from her person and if there was any on the girl she would take that as well. Neophyte would climb on top of the unconscious girl, straddling her in the process. She would start with her wrists, binding them tightly behind her back. If she woke after this, she did not care as she would use her weight to keep the girl pinned. She was not a tiny woman, standing at a bit over six feet she is capable of carrying a fair amount of mass with grace. The legs, they might be a tricky matter if they were kicking or she was bucking beneath her but her position would be advantageous on top. The only place to be obviously and she would wrestle with her legs for as long as necessary until they too were bound.
  
  She would not gag her, she did not care if she complained or screamed. After-all, she wanted to get a little girl-talk out of the way before she reached the Obsidian and handed the girl over to one of the Captains. She did not know that Kazuki was also Reaper nor did she know that the man who initiated her into the ANBU was the hybrid monster as well as the other Sennin. If she knew either of these things she probably would have killed the girl on the spot and left her body on Kazuki's porch as a gift. Friends give each other gifts and for know with what she knew being as limited as it was she intended to interrogate the girl and then allow Kazuki to render 'punishment.' She knew that punishment likely meant consumption although he seemed to have some inane concept that he was a Reaper, a strange mental occult malady his 'sister' seemed to share. in fact they looked pretty similar too, except for the weird vasculature about the eyes and the lack of an iris.
  
  Could they be related genetically? Maybe.
  
  She wondered if --- No that is terribly unlikely.
  
  But what if? -- He would be pretty mad.
  
  But she is not... Right? Well, crap. Too late now, potentially screaming and biting Shiori would heave the girl over her shoulder, all she would get is a mouthful of robe or bandage if she tried. The black blockade would recede if it was not already gone. Hopefully this is not that one sister he mentioned that one time. Hopefully. If it is, then she would have to duke it out with Kazuki. He was not always the most reasonable of men, sister or not the chances of stumbling onto this place not already knowing was slim. Hopefully whoever she is does not manipulate him into trusting her. Maybe that silver tongue was genetic. [Attempts to Drag Her Off to a Thread with Kazuki]
  
  If Nothing Worked: After the third... no fourth attempt to bind the girl with both ninjutsu and genjutsu she would feel her frustrations culminating she would need to change her tactics if she was able to avoid her attacks of the mind and the body so consistently. She did not want to have to do this but she would do what she must. With an annoyed sigh she would conclude that the only way to keep her down was to knock her out. Accuracy of course was a concern, she was wily and wiggly and all around wicked. She would crack her knuckles and let out an annoyed laugh. "Vexatious degenerate..."

What Did Neophyte Do?

• Yelled at Natsuru.
  Called Kazuki on her headset. She left a message and did not wait for a reply, however the mic is still on so he can listen in or use this as an excuse to enter.
  Black Blockade [Mastered] with AE Special Move Control.
  Body Bind [Mastered] with AE Special Moves Focus and Feint (due to Ability Elementalist).
  • If successful:
    • Blows Lullabye Powder in Natsuru's Face then ties her up with her own bandages and some ninja wire before she carries Natsuru to Kazuki (Attempting a Topic Left then).
    If Unsuccessful:
    • Casts Temple of Nirvana [Mastered] using her enthralling voice to cast the jutsu and Sensory Knowledge Special Move Mental Focus on Natsuru.

 

[Uka]

Would let out a prolonged sigh, a hint of annoyance gracing her expression for a brief moment before it was once more completely eclipsed by a manic grin. Her situation was... well bad to say the least and her little comparison might quickly turn into flies around a pile of manure. Yes. That was probably the best description right now. She had managed to find herself in a pile of manure, but it seemed like she had also managed to find a diamond in the middle. Her eyes would widen briefly at the mention of the one special name, her grin growing to unnatural levels. "Well hello there. Though Konohan really isn't the right word for it."<i></i> Natsuru would chuckle, keeping her position for the time being, keeping watch for anything suddenly changing in her environment, such as another twenty people flooding into the room. That would make her situation worse. Or maybe better. Heck who knew at this point. Though there was one thing that was annoying her quite a lot. Oh yes the other kunoichi had managed to press quite a few buttons with one single word. Kazuki-nii being hers? Well this had to be investigated.

Her original plan to just leave through the door had completely left her mind at this point. After all there was little chance for her to really manage to escape at this point. Natsuru knew full well how quickly the anbu acted and this little liar in front of her had put her even deeper into the pile of manure. Here she had just wanted to get some money to get herself a meal and look for her brother, but at this rate she was about to end up in a rather nasty spot.

The kunoichi's left hand would quickly shoot back to her belt pouch, drawing a single [Smoke Bomb] and dropping it on the floor just as soon as the cage of shadow closed around the two. In essence this was a good thing for her even if her opponent didn't quite realise that by the looks of it. "I never did manage to get that Sanryoukyougan to work."<i></i> Natsu would note as the smoke quickly began filling the enclosed space making it much more difficult to see, well at least for people who didn't have a special technique to get around it like herself. The main issue was that she really didn't know what she was up against.

As the Sunagakuran shinobi began throwing her tantrum the former konohan medic knew it was her time to act, attempting to blend into the shadows with Shadow Dance in order to provide herself an advantage as she went on the offensive and attempted to get behind her opponent in order to Grapple her into Submission. It was a bold plan for sure, but one that just might be stupid enough to actually work.

If it works and she is bound before Temple of Nirvana finishes:
"It seems like nii-san is known around here. Question is how. Oh and I know you won't tell me anything at all there is no point in denying everything. You would be a shame to the anbu if you did talk."<i></i> The kunoichi would note, tightening her submission hold as she patiently waited, trying to keep her guest in place and not causing trouble. "Oh and I know I have no chance to get out. That went away the second that lying little mouth of yours decided to get me jailed, but at least I can enjoy keeping you like this until somebody else gets here. I would love to show you what happens when you treat nii-san like your possession, but Fate is against me on this one. Damned demon."<i></i> She would hiss out the final sentence, clearly not directed at the sunan captive. Her plan was quite simple really - keep her opponent in place until the other anbu got there, which is when she would just go with them. Whilst it was a stupid idea chances here there might be others who weren't as, well obsessed as this one here.

If unable to grapple/put into submission, but manages to avoid nirvana:
Natsuru would click her tongue as her opponent managed to avoid her little tactic, clearly not amused as she attempted to hide herself in the smoke and away from prying eyes. Her tactic was relatively simple - to try and avoid detection for as long as possible until more arrived. There was no chance of her getting away right now, but there was the possibility of actually getting somebody that was not about as messed up in the head as she was, though the possibility of mob mentality was very real. No matter. There were very few choices available to her right now. Especially since this pesky little liar had decided to cause trouble for her. Far too much trouble. Ah well. Maybe wearing that forehead protector had been a fairly bad idea. A bad idea that she would continue to abide in, especially since it was her roots.

If unable to grapple/put into submission and doesn't avoid nirvana:
The kunoichi would let out a sigh of annoyance as she felt the effects of the genjutsu slowly but surely managing to take away her conscience. Oh how she hated these annoying things. It couldn't have been her smoke bomb and she didn't smell or taste anything in the air at all. "Coward. Fate pales before you."<i></i> She would manage before dropping to one knee, her eyelids heavy. No matter who was looking they would realise that sheer willpower was the only reason she had managed to remain awake for this long, however at the end of the day it was futile as she finally fell to the ground on her left side, chest towards the ground and her hands underneath it in a feeble attempt to prop herself upright.

The Sunan kunoichi would be able to find a few explosive notes, a few kunai, some smoke bombs and finally a single faded photograph in her back pocket. If she was to look at the final item she would notice four people depicted in the image, a young girl, probably aged five or six with an older boy and what looked to be their parents. The Boy had whiteish hair and onyx eyes, whereas the girl had blue eyes and slightly more silverish hair. If the kunoichi was to look further and not rip up the picture she would then notice that the background was that of a forest and a single house, clearly of Konohan design if she knew what that looked like. On the back of the item there would be multiple bloody fingerprints, which would match Natsuru's if somebody was to ever check that.

[Assumptions for round - Able to dodge the Body Bind due to dodge + auto dodge]

[Actions:
Using Shadow Dance special action for +2 dodge on the body bind as a reactionary
Dropping Defensive Stance
Using Grapple with the effects of Shadow Dance
Transitioning into Submission
If unsuccessful: Attempting to enter stealth]

 

[Michi]

Order of Operations
0.00 Seconds | Natsuru dropped Defensive Stance.
1.00 Seconds | Shiori retrieves headset and calls Kazuki.
4.00 Seconds | Shiori casts Black Blockade
7.00 Seconds | Shiori casts Body Bind

• 7.00 Seconds | Natsuru uses Shadow Dance (reactionary) to avoid the attack.

8.75 Seconds | Natsuru attempts to Grapple Shiori
10.0 Seconds | Shiori casts Temple of Nirvana ((But would you mind if I moved TON back to AFTER the Submission Hold??? Be funnier.))
11.0 Seconds | Natsuru progresses to a Submission Hold
11.1 Seconds | TON takes effect???
=========================================================

Neophyte​

In a blink of an eye she was gone, the Kohonan had escaped her gaze so she would not see it coming. (Assuming a rear take-down.) While the robes made her look larger than she actually was, Natsuru would find that her arms could easily encircle Neophyte's waist. Shiori would look down in time to see the mercenary's fingers weave together in an interlocked position. She would start to twist her torso, realizing the grave error of leaving her back to her enemy but as she did so she would feel a painful pressure in the middle of the small of her back. "Gah!" As Natsuru shifted behind her Shiori attempted to take a step back to widen her stance and swing the girl off but her foot would be blocked by her instep and a weight would be felt pulling her backwards. She would try to lean forward but her legs would press against Natsuru's and she would be knocked off-balance. She would start to crash to the floor, one of her arms outstretched to break her fall instinctively but instincts were often wrong.

She would fall to the ground with the speed and power of some sneaky scrawny bitch attempting to take her down from behind. She would try to twist during her descent, try to take control of the situation but the girl was part spider-monkey for certain. Her big manly hands relinquished their grip on her waist and as quickly as they gave her that bear-hug her arms had slithered around and between Shiori's, her arms pulled tightly behind her as the foreign lunatic mounted her. Her chest to the floor, her back was uncomfortably arched and there was an intense strain on her rotator cuff as the the assassin progressed to a submission hold. "Fughk!" She snapped before she took a rapid series of breaths to distract herself from the discomfort.

"It seems like nii-san is known around here. Question is how. Oh and I know you won't tell me anything at all there is no point in denying everything. You would be a shame to the anbu if you did talk."

Shiori shifted and tried to knock Natsuru off. "Guess you'll never know," she grunted.

"Oh and I know I have no chance to get out. That went away the second that lying little mouth of yours decided to get me jailed, but at least I can enjoy keeping you like this until somebody else gets here. I would love to show you what happens when you treat nii-san like your possession, but Fate is against me on this one. Damned demon."

There was that 'Fate' dribble again. The girl was definitely a head-case. "Liar? You're the liar!" Yes, what a witty retort, whatever would Natsuru reply with. "You can stop with the nii-san bullshit, his family tree is no secret in these parts. Nobody is going to believe your forgery!" Surely she was not the only one that knew about his lack of family. Well, actually that was likely somewhat exclusive knowledge but she did not know that. She let out another pained grunt, "And I will enjoy watching him rip the soul from your body."

Enough of this bullshit...

Neophyte started to sing, right there below the lying bitch with her gaze fixed on the floor. That was her primary skill -- her word because words had power even if nobody else believed it so. She has the uncanny ability to cast genjutsu through her enthralling voice, even bound as she was she could still utter the words of a magic lullabye. Even muffled behind an ANBU mask, her face to the floor her song was quite lovely. She would lull the woman to sleep, but even a victory now would prove bittersweet as the kunoichi would be slumbering on her back if her song took hold. She could knock her off, but that would likely wake her. She could cast yet another musical assault to sap her of her senses or her will but she risked the girl getting wise to her tactics in doing so.

So no... if Natsuru fell asleep and did not stir she would continue her bitter because and let the criminal slumber on her back as she maintained this inglorious and uncomfortable pose. She would rest while she waited for the madwoman to stir and regain her chakra and health losses. Soon enough she would move again, she knew nobody was coming because she never called for help and they grand foyer was far from grand central station in Sunagakure. Visitors were rare, they were a true hidden village in many regards. while their l;ocation was somewhat well-known the journey was not only arduous but also dangerous to make. Merchants were few, tourists even fewer, leaving only residents and mercenaries for the most part.

Conditionals:

• If Natsuru Wakes Or Never Falls Asleep -- Shiori will start a new song and they will continue to wrestle for another post but I demand that one of us summons either a mud-pit or a pool of JELLO to make Kazuki's eventual entry even more awkward unless you want either of us to drag the other to Kazuki. Nod-nod, nothing will go wrong I am certain.
  
  If Natsuru Falls Asleep and Kazuki enters the thread Shiori will grunt a single phrase to the Sennin: "Ow-- get this crazy woman off of me... ow..."

 

[Uka]

Surprisingly the rather stupid idea had worked out far more than she would have expected. Apparently her opponent really wasn't much of a close quarters combat type consider, how frail her body seemed compared to the the fairly lean young Senju was somewhat comical when one thought about it. The second she managed to put Neophyte in a suppression hold our protagonist tightened her grip, locking her arms in a way that would keep the hold going for as long as possible, applying light pressure to her opponents neck in an attempt to hinder her breathing lightly in order to try and reduce any possible struggling.

However there was one small problem with everything, namely that she was slowly but surely falling asleep. The Nirvana had finally manged to catch up with her. Her eyelids were quickly growing heavy with every passing moment, her grip loosening ever so slightly, whilst remaining locked around her opponent. The unlucky part for the sunan kunoichi is that she ended up being underneath the former konohan demon hunter. Due to their position it would be fairly tricky for the nirvana to keep it's hold on the trained former ninja. The second unlucky part was that she ended up sleeping through the entirety of the moaning and complaints aimed at her direction, a blessing in a way yet a curse in another.

[Frankly It would be a fairly bad idea to describe her dreams on a pegi 13 website]
[Keeping the submission hold and her weight pressing down on the flimsier female. Affected by TON until sufficient movement is felt. Hold is weaker, but still in space due to her locking her arms and her weight on them.]

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

Today was reunion day. Brother and Sister at long last, reunited once again. The last time they had met each other, she was suffering a very potent form of amnesia. With a broken heart, the brother had let her go. Practically alone, even though a good portion of his clan was still alive and with him, he had joined Sand and had found a new home in Sunagakure. And new friends, and even sort of family. It was an irony that the Earth Queen, so alone and desiring family so badly, would be the one that allowed such reunion to take place. It seemed that the Hybrid's relationship with Mother Suna was filled with twists and ironies.

Kazuki was minding his own business when his headset began broadcasting a message. Whoever it was had selected his own private frequency. A commodity shared with the rest of the Sennin cast and the Kazekage, each with their own frequencies. "This is Neophyte, a Kohonan bearing the surname of Occult Sennin Senju Kazuki has breached our gate. I will be apprehending her and taking her to the Obsidian." The Senju Overlord said nothing back, but he immediately diverted his current route and head toward the gates. Along the way he would hear an interesting choice of words from Neophyte to whoever she was talking. "he's mine... you cannot have him." she would oddly claim. He and her had only met once, throughout the incident with Akkuma and his failed assassination attempt. Why was she claiming Reaper belonged to her? The AiT was clearly mad. But this was not the most interest part, what would come later would prove to be much better. "Not when your efforts work against my kin," she would state before emphasizing her side. "Kazuki is MINE!" What the hell was going on was the only thing the White Wolf could think off. Why was the AiT being so assertive about her dominance over him? Why did she feel the need to do so to this supposed Senju? And why was she claiming ownership of him? The oddest part was the choice of the words my kin. He was a foreigner, unlike her. They were not kin, or were they?

The silvery haired man was now much closer to them, but their altercation continued and he caught up the most interesting part of their conversation yet. "You can stop with the nii-san bullshit, his family tree is no secret in these parts. Nobody is going to believe your forgery! And I will enjoy watching him rip the soul from your body." The Occult Sennin would stop momentarily. Did she just say that? His ability to reap souls was not exactly widely known, so how did she know that? But more importantly, at least for now, was the mention of the words nii-san. Natsuru? Was it possible that an amnesiac young Senju woman had reached Sunagakure? And somehow, had regained her memories? The possibility seemed slim, but the sheer coincidence of it all was tremendous. Urgency would overcome his steps and he would rush toward the gates.

As usual, his presence would be heralded by the unnatural drop of temperature. Kazuki had learned on how to shield most of its effects, hence why it was barely felt whenever he donned his ANBU garb, but in all the other circumstances, he made no effort to deny his death aura from reaching and affecting everyone capable of such. Therefore, both women would have all the opportunities to sense his approach, before either could hear or see him. Upon reaching their location, the Senju Overlord would stop dead on his tracks upon grasping the entire situation. Discerning who was the captor was a very hard task for anyone. Neophyte was apparently piggy riding the foreigner, whilst the the woman apparently slept peacefully. It was a very comical situation, but the White Wolf was not a man of humor. "Ow-- get this crazy woman off of me... ow..." the AiT would request to him. It was irrelevant if she had seen him or sensed his presence, what was important was that she was aware he was there.

Silently acquiescing, the silvery haired man would walk toward the pair. But the closer he got, the more slowly his steps became. The foreigner was a very pale individual. Such extreme paleness was not a very common occurrence in the world, although pale individuals littered the world. As far as Reaper knew, such extremeness could occur naturally on birth, given his did not. His skin color had been the result of experiences done on his body. He still remembered, and hated himself for it, how Natsuru had acquired the same completion after undertaking the same treatments her older brother had. And just like the Occult Sennin was not a sickly individual, this sleeping woman did not seem to be as well. The closer he got, the more this woman seemed to resemble Senju Natsuru. Eventually he would stop entirely and he would mutter "No... Natsuru?" His eyes were widened and his pupils were but the tiniest of dots. Was it really her? Or was he seeing things? Could this really be happening? Or was this a just a disguised woman to extort something from him as Neophyte seemed to think.

Kazuki would finally breach the distance that separated him from them. His hands trembled slightly as he picked the unconscious woman from Neophyte's back and gently placed her down on the floor. He know fully understood the range of emotions Suna must had experience when she learned she was not so alone as she had thought. He was there when she saw a dozen of slumbering Earth Court Ancients. At the time he did not think much of what she was going through, but now he could entirely relate. "Undo what you did and stand back." he would order the AiT. Distancing himself a few steps from his supposed sister. He had a slight idea of how she would react once awoken and he did not want to defend himself from a raging Senju such as her. Whenever his sister were to open up her eyes, she would easily spot someone familiar, assuming all memories had come back, staring at her. Extreme paleness, silvery hair and onyx eyes. His choice of clothing was still the same as before. A black and gray robe with silvery trimmings and an open colar, along with a large, red, flowing toga drapped around his body and across his chest. Black pants and combat boots of the same color. On his chest, partially visible, the crimson tattoo that symbolized his membership in the Senju Clan. Unfortunately, that was where most of the similarities ended. Reaper was a vastly different man since their last encounter.

He was no longer just human. Thanks to the assistance of Mother Suna, Kazuki had figured out he was part Ancient. That somewhere along the way, Mikaboshi, or someone from his court, had mingled with someone from the Senju clan. The Senju Overlord was the result of such union, and perhaps the first to awaken their strange heritage. Since Konohagakure's downfall, he had become fully entrenched in Sunagakure. He was a close friend of Takahashi Sousuke, the Kazekage. He had been elected as one of their Sennin. He had created both SHIELD and the Death Court. And he was also the leader of one of their Orders, the Rangers. The Senju clan had been integrated in Sand, and was in equal standing with the Toraono clan. One of Sunagakure's older families. He had fought terrible enemies and had forged powerful friendships. He was a changed man, but deep down inside, he was still a Senju looking for his lost family. In a way, he was just like Mother Suna at his side. And if it were not for the fact that a deeply desired was in the making, the Sennin would have already made the necessary connections to conclude Neophyte was Suna in disguise. After all, an Ancient longing for family and friendly would be extremely possessive, just like the AiT had shown to be. She had called him kin, and the only kinship he had with someone in Suna was of the Ancient kind. And there was no love between him and Mikaboshi. She was aware of his family count, something only two individuals would be, Suna and Sousuke. And Neophyte was aware that he reaped souls, something not widely known and few had seen before. In fact, as far as Kazuki could recall, only Suna and Sousuke had witnessed him doing it. Given a bit of time, he would reach who the AiT really was, but he was more concerned about the identity of the other woman first.

"Explain." he would calmly request. His voice seemed calm and steady, but in fact, he was in complete turmoil. This order was directed to both women. They had much explain and he wanted to hear both versions.

OC:
Resorted to only listening what Neophyte was saying, even though there could be a chance of listening to Natsuru's words.
Also went and picked up you. Please PM if you don't wish to happen that way and I'll edit.​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qMBans8jyM][b][u]Kazuki's Approach[/u][/b][/url]]"]

Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin

[/legend][/col]

 

[Michi]

Neophyte​

Ow. She was not supposed to bend that way. Prone, with her back arched and an arm barring her neck from turning there was a twinge of discomfort as she laid there pondering her next course of action. She could feel the girl's grip relax, it still remained firm, her hands locked together. At last she was asleep. She could feel something warm and moist on her back. Was that drool? Oh god. Oh god. Ewww... She contemplated rolling over, knocking the sleeping girl off before she could regain her senses but then they would be back to where they were a few seconds ago. She let out an annoyed sigh as she tried to carefully and slowly ease her weight to either side to see if she could earn any leeway one way or another. She was not getting anywhere without a sudden, powerful motion and there was no guarantee that it would be effective but she was certain it would be enough to arouse the assassin.

I am just going to do it and hope to stab her in the eye before her monkey hands get a hold of me again she concluded as she readied herself to attempt to throw the girl off and hurry to her feet before she got her bearings when the room's temperature dropped dramatically. A puff of frosty air escaped her mouth and she could not help but let out a shiver. She knew the sensation, the shadows seem to take a life of their own and her body took on a deathly chill as it would grow pallid as the Deep Court hybrid made his approach. She would not know for certain if it was Kazuki, he might have been the one she called but Mikaboshi maintained a similar power-set, in fact that was how she identified him as a half-breed whose ancestor was likely sired in Mikaboshi's distant 'youth.' Still she did not need eyes to see, when he rounded the corner, tromped up the stairs and opened the pair of heavy ornate dojo doors her sonar would take in his form.

She did not expect Kazuki to come to the gates or to respond with such haste. She assumed that he would make his way to the Obsidian within the next few days, potentially after Reaper and Tenken did an 'assessment' of their own on the foreigner. Still, she was relived. This nut-job was heavy and it was hard to breathe. Also, not that it mattered to anyone but her, but this position was squishing the hell of of her boobs. So she made a request: "Ow-- get this crazy woman off of me... ow..."</B><i></i>

He would wordlessly comply and the slumbering human would be pulled off of her. Liberated finally she would stretch her arms, they were sore as was her back from remaining prone. Her bandaged hand would clap the floor and she would pull herself upright. She would see the look on his face, she knew the look. Did he know the girl? It was an impossibility and hopefully he knew that. He had been in Sunagakure for YEARS and if somebody came looking for him at this point it would not be for the 'right' reasons. She could feel this welling sentiment of annoyance as he gently laid her on the ground. WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU IDIOT! Her mind screamed at him. Stab her in the head! She did not say a word, she was busy singing her lullaby.

"No... Natsuru?"

He knew her. That was the girl's name, at least according to the sheet of paper. It was cold and her voice was quavering, bandages and robes did little against Kazuki's arctic presence but she sang more forcefully after she heard the name. It was some sort of trick. She was a liar. A LIAR!

"Undo what you did and stand back."

She shook her head 'no.' She was not going to let that assassinating bitch loose so she could stab Kazuki in the heart. Nope, that was not going to happen. The girl would likely wake up on her own after a few moments and Shiori had no intention of letting her run a muck. Her hands started to run through an array of handseals, she would simply replace one bind with another [I doubt it will hit and if it does I doubt kazuki would let it go through but if it does Desert Coffin - Mastered I guess]. She would not be prepared for Kazuki to attempt to stop her so if he intervened she would cease both her song as well as her handseal array.

If the bind went through or if it did not she would respond the same way regardless.

<B>"She is dangerous!" Neophyte would protest, her arm and pointer finger extended in the direction of Kazuki's long lost sister.

"Explain."

Wasn't what she said enough of an explanation. She is dangerous. Just kill her and get it over with or drag her to one of the deeper, darker pits and find out why. Better yet, kill her THEN do that. "She came looking for you." You see, dangerous. "Said her name was Senju Natsu-something," she added and has your chest mark thing on her chest." Very technical sounding, yes. It was hard to say much more, she was a bit winded and the cold made the air exceptionally thin. She really could not explain the fact that she was aware that his family was limited, what little that remained of his clan had already migrated to Sunagakure and that the only one in question was some amnesic sister. This was no soap opera, siblings do not suddenly come back from a global amnesia and stumble upon their family. Even if she was the real-deal, the bitch was up to something. She crossed her arms over her chest, it was dam cold.

 

[Uka]

Ah what a lovely dream she was having. True bliss, herself and nii-san had managed to catch the biggest rainbow trout she had ever seen and were preparing to go back home and cook it. The only thing that was ruining the entire moment was that she had ended up ripping one of her leather gloves on a stone as she leaned in towards the river in order to pull their catch up onto the shore.

How long had it been since fish had last been on their menu? Far too long really. Delicacies such as that were a rarity, or rather were whilst their parents were still alive. Well at least they had been for her. Kazuki had had access to all good food he had wanted, whilst she was lucky to get anything at all on the bad days. It trully was bliss for this to be over. The kunoichi thought as the entire scene faded to black as she felt a tug on her body for a few brief moments before her eyes slowly began to open. Her grorry expression was more than enough to show that Natsu was still fairly out of it, the remaining saliva on her left cheek indicating she had in fact ended up drooling in her sleep. The former shinobi reached up, rubbing it off with the back of her left hand as she looked around still half-asleep. Her eyes fell on Kazuki, glancing at his tatoo and then up to his face, a gentle smile gracing her expression as it visibly softened. "Morning, Nii. I had the weirdest dream. We caught the biggest rainbow trout and there was this weird woman."<i></i> She would blurt out with a yawn before her mind finally snapped to attention as she noticed Neophyte out of the corner of her eye.

Natsuru would then suddenly jump back to her feet and away from the sunan kunoichi the second she noticed the handseals, her right hand forming the seal to activate her Byakugan and her left dropping back to her belt pouches, drawing a single kunai and throwing it over towards Neophyte in a poor attempt to distract her enough to pull away. Due to the sudden burst of movement, her still unbuttoned shift would wave around in the air, allowing more than enough time and room for both of them to be able to get yet another look at the sap tattoo on her upper left breast. "I swear if you aren't a follower of Fate you are a horrible person to make acquaintances with you possessive broad."<i></i> The former mednin would blurt out as she continued widening the distance between them, allowing ample room for her to jump away from anything that might suddenly be thrown at her in retaliation.

[Waking up
Reactivating Byakugan
Throwing Kunai at Neophyte]

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

Kazuki would lift the woman from Neophyte’s back. Relief would certainly be felt by the AiT as an heavy load would be gone. The trainee was occupied by singing a lullaby so his lost sister would be sleeping. The Senju Overlord did notice that her song would intensify as he named the sleeping woman. Was it an attempt to deny what he had just said? But why? Why was she so adamant on preventing this reunion from happening? In fact, after being ordered to stop casting the genjutsu and stand back, Neophyte would shake her head, denying Natsuru of her freedom. Fortunately, she did stop the lullaby. With it gone and free, the pale female would wake up. ”Morning, Nii. I had the weirdest dream. We caught the biggest rainbow trout and there was this weird woman.” would be the first words Natsuru would speak upon spotting her older brother. Now, wasn’t that interesting? The last time they met, she was amnesiac, but today was, apparently, the opposite. She was acting as if the that encounter had never happened. It did not matter if he was overjoyed of seeing his sister alive and well, after so many years. Such words would immediately make him wary of what was happening. Upon noticing that the AiT was going through an array of handseals, the young Senju would quickly get up and create some distance between them. Throwing a kunai at the same time. ”She is dangerous.” Neophyte would declare. She did not need to dodge the kunai because it passed at least one meter wide. Her assessment was, nonetheless, very correct. ”She is.” Reaper would agree with the disguised Mother Suna. ”But so are you. And the same is true if you are speaking about me.” ”I swear if you aren’t a follower of fate, you are a horrible person to make acquaintances with, you possessive broad.” Natsuru would remark toward the AiT. ”I am not going to say this again. Cease any and all hostilities…” the silvery haired man would command, a silent threat left the in the air.

”She came looking for you. Said her name was Senju Natsu-something, and has your chest mark thing on her chest.” the AiT would explain her part. Of course she had left out a ton of information. Was she aware he had listened to everything she had said before his timely arrival? Maybe, maybe not. ”Is that all Neophyte? Is this your entire explanation for what happened?” the White Wolf would inquire. Regardless if she were to comply or begin talking, he would declare. ”After this is done. You and I are going to have a talk. Stay put You are not dismissed.” It was time to deal with his supposed sister. ”You! That look like my sister, sound like my sister and even use certain expression she used to use. It has been years since I last met Natsuru. Tell me what has happened to you between that time and now. Convince me that you are her. Show me irrevocable proof that you are her. If in the end, I am not convinced you are, who you say you are, I will execute you.” the Occult Sennin would state. His tone of voice was crystal clear. He would really execute her. There will be shadow of a doubt about that. And if she really was Natsuru, she knew what had happened with their father. ”Start speaking. The clock is ticking.”​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qMBans8jyM][b][u]Kazuki's Approach[/u][/b][/url]]"]

Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin

[/legend][/col]

 

[Michi]

Neophyte​

She was nowhere near ready to calm down. As the kunai whizzed past her, she felt that should have made the point. Neophyte pulled back the long, dark sleeves of her robe to reveal narrow forearms covered in clean bandages that continued indefinably beneath. Her fingers cracked as she prepared to initiate a fresh handseal array.

”I am not going to say this again. Cease any and all hostilities…”

"B-but... She..." Neophyte stammered. But she s a psychopath sent here to kill you! Yes, it sounded paranoid because it was. You did not survive unless you readied yourself for the worst. A long lost family member showing up at their doorstep was suspicious on its own. She would reiterate what happened from her point of view. it was simple enough -- a random woman comes to the village seeking payment for a bounty and while she was there she was also looking for a man from a recently rebuilt community that he used to be a member of. He would be considered theirs and a defector f he failed to return. She was not going to give him back, Sand was his home. She crossed her arms over her chest and let out a huff after she was done.

”Is that all Neophyte? Is this your entire explanation for what happened?”

That was the story, or at least the gist of it from her perspective. "Then take it," she announced in a dire tone as she approached the Sennin. "My memory of the incident," she clarified as she pulled back her hood and unclipped her utilitarian mask revealing only bandages beneath. All that could be seen were slivers of tan flesh and pale blue eyes. She brought a bandaged hand to her forehead and it would be as if her fingers entered her own cranium without displacing a single bit of cloth. She would retrieve a single memory, one of this incident as her snapshot ceased. It was from her perspective, not a third party. If nothing else the Sennin would know what it was like to land on your boobs. Unpleasant. Beyond that, he would learn that everything happened the way she said it did, at least from per vantage point. She would offer the shining memory no larger than a marble to the Sennin without another word.

”After this is done. You and I are going to have a talk. Stay put You are not dismissed.”

That sounded oddly familiar. Where had she heard that order before?

"Yes sir. But please step away from the woman before she hurts you," she seemed to be plead as she relinquished the bauble. "I will not be allowing her to take you back to Kohonagakure." Yes, that was what she was worried about in the end, that she was going to take him away. There was an implied threat in her words of course because he might be willing to leave and if that was the case it was a fight she would not win but it would be a fight she would not stand down from. I am not giving you back.

 

[Uka]

Mood


The young kunoichi would keep her eyes focused on Neophyte even though she was rather easily able to see Kazuki at the same time with her doujitsu. A rather handy thing this was as it allowed her to carefully study his appearance. He really had changed a lot since she had last seen him, then again so had she, clearly a couple of years older and her now white eyes due to her technique. Oh if only her parents could have seen her now, but that was never going to happen with them being dead and all. It really did put a stop in your plans. As much as she wanted to go and hug him in a bear hug she wasn't stupid, insane yes, but not stupid. "Born in Konoha and abused by my parents once they decided to follow the family traditions. I never did develop the Sanryokyougan unlike you. Not long after you killed father and mother died from gried we got taken in by uncle Tadao. I became a medical ninja under Mana and used to visit the bath house often with her and Reika. Around the time Shida was attempting to court me rather unsuccessfully."<i></i>

Natsuru would pause to take a couple of breaths as she had just blurted this out as quickly as she possibly could. She would then slowly raise her right hand up to shoulder height as she rolled up her black sleeve in order to reveal a set of four twelve inch long scars running along the side of her forearm, fully expecting Kazuki to flinch at the sight as per usual. Natsu would then channel a very brief burst of chakra into the activation mechanism of the long since abandoned weapon, a pair of four blades shooting out of her flesh, blood running freely for a few moments before the stream almost completely stopped. The kunoichi would then retract the blades, slowly going through the handseals for [Mystical Force], placing her glowing in green left hand over her right forearm in order to seal the wound she had just inflicted upon herself. "After Konoha fell I remember leaving in search of you, however I ended up a fight with a pair of rogue ninja, who I believe conspired with Fate. I was able to kill both of them, however I believe I suffered a severe concussion in the process. For a few years I only remember patches, smells, taste, but other than that I only really came to about two years ago. I assume my memory had slowly rebuilt itself to the point where I knew I was searching for you, nii-san. Obviously I didn't know where to search so I went around hunting bandits and rogue ninja, asking whether anyone had seen someone about one head taller than me with the same hair colour and onyx eyes. Oh and the sap curse on his chest. Safe to say I was getting nowhere until Mrs Broad went ballistic shouting about how you were hers and attacked me out of nowhere when I asked for the bounty reward and my usual question. Good enough, Nii?"<i></i> Her typical smile never having really left her expression widened ever so slightly as her stance relaxed. As funny as it might sound she really didn't fear anything right about now. If something was to happen that was alright with her. She didn't really have any goals right now. "Oh will you shut it with the Konoha this Konoha that. If either myself of nii went there we would both be imprisoned on sight. That is what you end up with after your home is destroyed then rebuilt and you don't go back like a good little curse victim. Heck I don't even want to think what the sap will do if I ever even get near the fire country."<i></i> She would roll her eyes, a clear hint of annoyance in her voice. "That stupid questionnaire of yours asks where I am from not whether I am still affiliated with them. Hence I said I am technically not a shinobi. Sheesh."<i></i>

[Question is how much I remember XD]

 

[Senju Kazuki]

"B-but... She..." Neophyte would complain after hearing Kazuki's demand for a cessation of all hostilities between their parties. Her ability to question each and every order never seemed to run dry. "Then take it. My memory of the incident," the AiT would announce as she approached the Senju Overlord. She would offer him a shiny marble containing her memories of the incident so far. The White Wolf would silently accept such offering and he would mimic the process she had just done, although he was doing it with the reverse effect. He would stay silent for a while as he saw everything that had happened before his arrival. At least from the disguised Mother Suna's point of view. It all matched out with what he had heard, but it still did not explain why she reacted the way she did. And even less those words she had spoken. She seemed to have knowledge she should not have. Something he would explore later on. "Yes sir. But please step away from the woman before she hurts you. I will not be allowing her to take you back to Kohonagakure." Neophyte would insist one more time. "And why do you think I am going back to Konohagakure so readily? Your memories are all fine and dandy, but they still not explain your behavior. But as I said, we will square this soon." the silvery haired man would retort. It was time to listen to Natsuru's explanation. "Born in Konoha and abused by my parents once they decided to follow the family traditions. I never did develop the Sanryokyougan unlike you. Not long after you killed father and mother died from gried we got taken in by uncle Tadao. I became a medical ninja under Mana and used to visit the bath house often with her and Reika. Around the time Shida was attempting to court me rather unsuccessfully." she would being. Everything checked so far. The Sanryokyougan was something he had in his youth, but lost when Leaf fell. Only those of Konoha would be aware of his previous abilities. Shida seemed obsessed into dating her and she had learned under Hasegawa Mana's care. The Medical Sennin of Leaf. She was also aware that their father had been slain by Reaper and they had lived with Tadao, their uncle. The Occult Sennin was about to request more proof, when Natsuru showed him something he would never forget. And perhaps never forgive himself for. She would show them four blades, two for each arm, coming from her forearm. Blades that Kazuki had implanted himself. He would slightly widen his eyes a bit and he would also momentarily lower them. But that would be the extent of his reaction. Perhaps Natsuru was expecting more, but he no longer reacted the same as in his past. Much had happened and he was not exactly the same man she remembered and had grown with. "After Konoha fell I remember leaving in search of you, however I ended up a fight with a pair of rogue ninja, who I believe conspired with Fate. I was able to kill both of them, however I believe I suffered a severe concussion in the process. For a few years I only remember patches, smells, taste, but other than that I only really came to about two years ago. I assume my memory had slowly rebuilt itself to the point where I knew I was searching for you, nii-san. Obviously I didn't know where to search so I went around hunting bandits and rogue ninja, asking whether anyone had seen someone about one head taller than me with the same hair colour and onyx eyes. Oh and the sap curse on his chest. Safe to say I was getting nowhere until Mrs Broad went ballistic shouting about how you were hers and attacked me out of nowhere when I asked for the bounty reward and my usual question. Good enough, Nii?" she would continue. Explaining why she seemed to lost her memory and how she miraculously gained it back. The Death Court Lord had no way verify that, so he would to take their word for it. His general appearance was not a secret, considering he had been everywhere before settling in Sunagakure. And the fact he looked so alien, only worked against him. He was only partially convinced at this time,but she was doing a fine job of proving she was who she claimed to be. "Not yet." he would calmly note. Fed up with Neophyte's constant meddling, Natsuru would bark out. "Oh will you shut it with the Konoha this Konoha that. If either myself of nii went there we would both be imprisoned on sight. That is what you end up with after your home is destroyed then rebuilt and you don't go back like a good little curse victim. Heck I don't even want to think what the sap will do if I ever even get near the fire country. That stupid questionnaire of yours asks where I am from not whether I am still affiliated with them. Hence I said I am technically not a shinobi. Sheesh." "Enough. I said stop and I mean it. You are making a good case, but I am still not fully convinced. I have four questions for you. Information only Natsuru would have. Who placed those blades on yours? Why am I this pale? Why did I killed our father and what kind of afflicting did Tadao have?" Kazuki would state. He was getting tired of their constant bickering and it had to stop. Furthermore, if the woman knew the answers to those questions, then she really was Natsuru. Would he readily open his arms to her? No, but she was going to be escorted to the Senju's wing of the Toraono Dojo where she could rest and mingle with her clansmen again. OC: Considering Natsuru knows those answers, if you don't remember, just ask me via PM.​

[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qMBans8jyM][b][u]Kazuki's Approach[/u][/b][/url]]"] [lb][/lb] Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin[lb][/lb] [/legend]

[tbody]

[/tbody]

 

[Michi]

OC: I did not realize it was my turn which is why I kept on asking. Sorry =/

IC:

Neophyte​

"And why do you think I am going back to Konohagakure so readily? Your memories are all fine and dandy, but they still not explain your behavior. But as I said, we will square this soon."

She let out an annoyed huff of air as he left an implied threat lingering in the air. Out of the corner of her eye she watched the scrappy foreigner that claimed to be Kazuki's kin. They were nothing alike, perhaps they shared some genetic similarities in terms of skin color, hair color and build but they did not act like they were from the same family. Yes, the environment does not alone make a man or a woman who they end up becoming as an adult but it plays an important factor in their growth and development. Her insistence to the contrary was not getting her anywhere. She would start to stomp away and take out her frustration on an unfortunate chair that was in her way. It did not break, rather it fell to its side with a clattering noise.

Fine, have a conversation with some hunter.

Fine, get yourself killed.

See if I care!​

Problem was, she cared very much so. If she did not she would not have stopped her in the first place. She would not have put up a fight when Kazuki wanted to give the young woman the benefit of the doubt. She sat herself down at the table, turned make-shift desk that was littered with papers. She studied the form she received from the young woman. The writing was casual. Kazuki was not a casual man, he had a stick that was lodged so far up his ass it was amazing he was not spitting out splinters. She glowered at the handwriting, at the writer and at the door that let her in. Why did she open the door? She could have thrown the girl the meager compensation she was seeking and let her be on her way if she believed that the girl truly did stumble onto the new home of her alleged brother.

If she was indeed kin, which was highly doubtful, her intentions were questionable at best and nefarious at worst. Not that she trusted Kazuki, he was a villain in the making, the only question for her was 'who' he would be a villain for. His silver tongue as well as his status as an honored Fire Country house made it possible for him to ascend to power in not one but three countries. It takes a lifelong career for most to do this in just one. Even before he learned of his Ancient hybrid heritage he hungered for and feasted on souls but it is easy to forget the one great taboo no Ancient would willingly commit -- to consume ones kind. He had no world, he was a member of two and rather than remain trapped in limbo he tried to reside in both. The souls of men would drive him mad, just as they had the Wild Hunt eventually and she knew it. In fact, his mental malady was already showing -- he thought himself a Reaper rather than an Ancient or a man. It was something that had troubled her for some time. Family was sparse, for her it was not merely a clan that was wiped out but rather her entire species. When they were referenced it was always in the past tense and for centuries now they were teetering on not only the edge of oblivion but also utter extinction.

"Oh will you shut it with the Konoha this Konoha that. If either myself of nii went there we would both be imprisoned on sight. That is what you end up with after your home is destroyed then rebuilt and you don't go back like a good little curse victim. Heck I don't even want to think what the sap will do if I ever even get near the fire country. That stupid questionnaire of yours asks where I am from not whether I am still affiliated with them. Hence I said I am technically not a shinobi. Sheesh."

"Sure you would..." And let me guess, you also have a bridge for sale. She was prodding her at this point. She would snap again and this time she would be the one to blame.

"Enough. I said stop and I mean it. You are making a good case, but I am still not fully convinced. I have four questions for you. Information only Natsuru would have. Who placed those blades on yours? Why am I this pale? Why did I killed our father and what kind of afflicting did Tadao have?"

He continued to question her and she simply waited impatiently.

[[Skip Me For Speed -- I know you two have some Q&A to do, poke me when I should start arguing again or am being court marshaled for insubordination, imprisoned for assault or scolded for potentially stalking Kazuki]]​

 

[Uka]

Natsu would remain in her spot, allowing the chakra focused in her eyes to dissipate as her byakugan switched itself off and the veins on her face relaxed once more. It was not that she felt at east, no far from it. Perhaps more than most she knew exactly how terrifying Kazuki could actually be. Once upon a time she had had the chance of catching up to him. Well at least whilst he still fell under human standards of strength, speed and endurance. Now it was just plain impossible. Whilst she herself had indeed grown substantially since the last time they had met there was absolutely no doubt in her mind he could kill her in a matter of a few attacks. It would be less if she intended to really act, but the sheer confusion her understanding would cause would be a major factor.

Her attention was no longer focused on the other woman in the room. Frankly she didn't find her interesting anymore. Her reactions were far too expected, uninteresting like those of a stalker, who was obsessed with their victim. There was no fun in that, having both experienced it and actually been it at some points. She did love her brother far more than should be allowed after all. That though didn't matter. It had only been a bother to him so far and it would likely remain such for as long as it continued and she did not want to bother him.

The former mednin would patiently wait until he had asked all his questions before she formulated her answer, not really leaving much of a pause. "These were a gift from you, nii, when I finally found out that I had to hunt Fate down and rebelled against father. You had already become much more powerful than before by that point and your skin had grown colder and paler. I think it had to do with those experiments of yours, which even I took part in a way.<i></i> She would pause, taking a breath, her gaze dropping to the floor before continuing. "Uncle was housing one of the targets, one of Fate's minions and keeping it at bay in a way similar to how you did when you killed father because of me."<i></i> The young female would end her answer, her smile disappearing as her expression became serious, something that was far too rare, especially with her affliction. "Do you know what happened to cousin Yusei, Minoru or Senkaku? Or Mana?"<i></i> She would ask her own question finally. With her little accident much had managed to slip. Family, close friends had all managed to slip through her fingers. Heck she wanted to go hunt them down as well if she possibly could, but for now she was stuck and couldn't really go anywhere. Then there was that pesky pull of the sap, calling to its old home. There was little doubt that she herself would likely return there for at least a while in order to sate this feeling. Konoha was home and at the same time this new place was not the same village at all. How could it be home.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

It would seem that, for the very first time, Neophyte was willing to actually do what asked for. Sure she stomped away and unleashed some frustration on a poor, innocent chair, but at least it was a start. Kazuki watched as she sat in front of a table, littered with papers, and began studying the form she had given Natsuru moments ago. "Sure you would..." the AiT would shot, after being targeted by the Senju woman. It would seem they were about to bicker again, and the Senju Overlord was starting to lose his patience by now. If they were to persist in such direction, he would soon have to take matters into his own hands. And they would stop bickering, one way or another. Luckily, it would seem they had heed his words. Therefore, the Hyuuga would simply answer the White Wolf's questions and actively ignore Neophyte. ""These were a gift from you, nii, when I finally found out that I had to hunt Fate down and rebelled against father. You had already become much more powerful than before by that point and your skin had grown colder and paler. I think it had to do with those experiments of yours, which even I took part in a way." she would answer two of those inquiries her elder brother had posed. Two more to go. "Uncle was housing one of the targets, one of Fate's minions and keeping it at bay in a way similar to how you did when you killed father because of me." And that was it. The silvery haired man noticed how she had lowered her gaze upon answer the last two questions. Were those memories painful perhaps? At least for Reaper they were. Even though he had been forced to end the life of his father, it was still a terrible thing to do, even if parenthood had never been that man's forte. But he really missed Senju Tadao. Perhaps one of the sanest members the Senju clan ever had, even if he had a demon sealed inside. The Occult Sennin would also notice Natsuru's smile being replaced by a serious expression. A very rare occurrence on the woman's life, although something trite in the Death Court Lord's life. He was known for being serious all the time after all. ""Do you know what happened to cousin Yusei, Minoru or Senkaku? Or Mana?"" his sister would ask before he could say anything. Kazuki would shook his head. "No. After Leaf's downfall they all disappeared. Maybe they are dead, or they were captured, or simply moved on with their lives. The only one I had further contact was Minoru, who I traveled to Kumogakure with. But while I went inside Cloud's gates, he stood outside, trying to rally the country folk into our army. When I left the village, he was gone and I have never seen him ever since." the Senju Overlord would answer. Sure it was not much, but it was all he had to give her. She had to understand her old life was gone. Leaf was gone, even though it had been rebuilt. A major portion of their clan was dead, the remnants remained alive in Sand, where they were building a new life under a different and better leadership. While the older generations would always feel a longing for Konohagakure, just like the White Wolf constantly felt, the newer ones would feel the same for Sunagakure. Now, she had answered correctly, every question he had posed. Everything seemed to check out. By all accounts this woman, in front of him, was Natsuru. He was inclined to believe so, but he was not ready to completely trust her just yet. "You look like Natsuru, you smell like Natsuru and you sound like her. You have the same speech pattern, and answered correctly to each inquiry I made to you. By all accounts you should be her, but forgive me if I am still wary. It has been years since we last were together. Much has happened, both to me and the world. Still, I am deeply inclined to believe you are her. Which is why I am going to bring an escort and have you walk for our Compound. The western wing of the Toraono Dojo belongs to our clan. You will find shelter there, along with the survivors. Once there, ask for directions from one of the surviving elders. You will find yourself very surprised." the Sennin would declare. Of course, he was speaking about the Sacred Tree he had planted in Sunagakure's soil. It was only a juvenile tree yet, and it would always be a shadow of the original one. But it represented survival for them all. They had what they needed right here. "This is Sennin Kazuki. I am requesting two Jounins to the gates immediately. They are to escort a guest into the Senju wing of the Toraono Dojo. Once our guest goes inside, they are to stand guard at the entrance until my arrival." he would broadcast. Moments later, the two designated guards would arrive and they would wait to escort Natsuru into her new home. Considering how Neophyte had behaved since the Hyuuga's arrival, Kazuki was certain she would flip out. But they were about have a very interesting conversation. Although this was an exchange for their ears only. OC: Our turn Mother Suna.​

[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qMBans8jyM][b][u]Kazuki's Approach[/u][/b][/url]]"] [lb][/lb] Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin[lb][/lb] [/legend]

[tbody]

[/tbody]

 

[Uka]

Would remain quiet for the time being, studying her brother as she did so, taking in his words. She really had lost far too much time to the void that was her mind for a few years. It was strange how much one could actually regret something like that happening, even though she knew full well there was quite literally nothing she could have done to change anything at all. Either way there was no point in agonising over it. It was just what Fate wanted, anything to throw pursuers off his trail. He had interfered before and it was not surprising at all that he would likely continue to do so from now on. Firstly her parents, then the riots, next the two rogue ninja. It was all Fate's fault. She was going to deal with this. Her light smile would return just as Kazuki had made his decision. One that was fairly bad for her. Sure she did realise how strange everything had been so far, but freedom is what she enjoyed.

Without much hassle she decided to follow the two Jounin once their arrived. There was little she wanted to say right now and frankly she didn't really need to. They weren't the same two young children anymore it would seem. It wasn't only that they had grown in height and power, but it seems the distance had somehow grown between them. However that wasn't a problem. It was fixable for sure. After all it was Ni- san.

[Topic Left - Following the Jounin. For now]