Kraken's Fall [Private]

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

Sasuke's descent down the creature's throat would be stopped once he shove his named sword into the muscular wall of the Kraken's esophagus. Although he had stopped his downward motion, he was not exactly in a comfortable position, nor in a safe place. Anywhere on the outside and the inside of Neptulon's lieutenant was a dangerous place to be. Because he considering himself a scholar, the Kazekage would be, quite probably, knowledgeable about the inner workings of human anatomy. His foe was certainly not human, but it still had enough similarities, just like most animals have, with a human's body. So despite being alien, it was still familiar enough to allow some sense of navigation. If the Purple Haired Man were to look around, once he had stopped moving down, he would easily notice that Zzzax was hovering at this side. How was Kazuki's summon doing that? The Lightning Lord was a master of electricity and with it came a minor attunement to electromagnetic forces. And he was used such affinity to allow him a means to hover around, although this skill was definitely finite and he would need a place to drop soon. The Takahashi Highlord would also be able to notice that the summon's frame was constantly emitting minor lightning discharges which were constantly burning down the Kraken's esophagus.

Assessments aside, Sosuke would remark. "This totally is not weird. Fighting you ... watching Kazuki absorb you. No hard feelings right? I mean you did appear to like destroy part of my tower.". Was the Kazekage expecting a response? Probably not. Was even the once pride lord of the Lightning Clan capable of speech in his undeath state? Maybe the Senju Overlord had the answer for that question, but he was there to provide an explanation. He was still outside working as a distraction to the Kraken and trying to not get killed by it. It was all up to Sousuke now. "I wonder if this creature is making hammer blows against the chest or is rubbing its neck yet considering the great pest I am going to be to it. I wonder if Kazuki can see this too. Considering if it clawing at its throat, then I am in its throat, if lower in the chest cavity, then ... all the better for me." the Kazekage would comment to himself. Unfortunately he was not aware that the White Wolf had little time to inspect if the mythical beast that was their foe was under any pain, since he was kept busy dodging an endless barrage of tentacle lashes and multiple water jets. He was facing a small army now but, for now, he was still surviving.

"Listen." Zzzax would order him. This would certainly shock the Purple Haired Man, hearing it speak for the very first time. If the Takahashi Highlord was to obey the instruction he had just received, he would a very faint sound. A moment later he would be able to realize this sound was a heart beating. "Kraken's heart there." the Lightning Lord would note pointing downward. Was the dead Lord's speech impaired because of his condition or was this how they spoke in Ancient Times? Regardless he had just pointed out where they had to go. And not a moment too soon since another sound, one much closer would alert Sousuke to the dangers he was incurring by being stationary for so long. The esophagus walls beneath them were quickly closing. If he was not quick to act, they would be thoroughly crushed and their adventure would be over.​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDdSvpGNtWk][b][u]Hello Beastie![/u][/b][/url]]"]

Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin

[/legend][/col]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

This was an unexpected development. Zzzax was talking. The best part? Sousuke could actually understand him! Part of Sousuke very much wanted to demand an apology for wrecking his workshop but ... that would be childish of him. After turning off such sentiments, Sousuke would indeed listen. It was difficult as he was not a Hashigaki, if he was this would certainly be ... more difficult in some aspects, and easier in some. Blindness would certainly be most problematic, the trade off was elevated hearing and other senses. It did make Sousuke wonder if Hashigaki felt pain worse than others. Zzzax would point the way, and following that came another sound. One he was not quite pleased with, which was a signal that strategy time was coming to a close. Sousuke would pulled his weapons back and allowed himself to drop.

Down down down. Sousuke would go. Into a deeper darkness than before. Upon reaching the approximate point unto which Zzzax was pointing, Sousuke would swing the axe into the side again and hold tightly he was finding his place again. He froze for a moment as he took the time needed to readjust to his new settings. Was he closer? He would be listening for that heartbeat. If he was indeed closer, then hearing it would not be so difficult. Pending on the reception, he would make the necessary changes. Drop further if required, or he would begin to climb up. Sousuke despite being quite brainy was indeed some form of athletic. He had a very wiry body. Years of using these armours left such an effect on him. It was not something he broadcasted usually.

Upon reaching the destination, then Sousuke would need to make a way out. He would begin to cut a way out of the esophagus and then the next part of the body. Sousuke suspected that eventually he would be faced with ... antibodies or something. For all intents and purposes he could be considered a virus. Eventually he would be attacked by the immune system. It was a matter of time. Perhaps Sousuke would be unlucky and would not be under siege by the likes. After making his way in he would conjure a plasma orb to light the way for him. Sousuke would continue to listen for the beating of the heart to get louder and louder. He would indeed need to cut his way there.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

It would seem that hearing Zzzax talk paused Sousuke momentarily. If Kazuki happened to be there, he would have taken the opportunity to clarify that because even if they were dead, they ability to speak was not impaired or removed. Just because he had never heard them speak before, did not mean they could not. Still, they were silent most of the times since the Senju Overlord did most of the speaking in his team. Due to his lightning nature, the former Lightning Lord was more attuned to the body's inner working and, therefore, he had the uncanny ability to hear heartbits. That or his non-human nature simply gave him better senses than the Kazekage had. After being told where to go, the Purple Haired Man would be brought out of focus as another sound, one he could hear and that was much closer made itself heard. The walls of the esophagus of the Kraken were closing down, no doubt an attempt to crush or expel whatever was playing down there. Sheathing all his weapons, Sousuke simply dropped down. If the White Wolf was there, he would have to wonder why Sousuke was going straight into a trap, since the walls were shutting from beneath, not from above. But if thought he could outran them, so be it.

Unfortunately and despite the massive metallic armor that conveyed him a greater weight than his body had, the Takahashi Highlord failed to be fast enough. Luckily, only the bottom half of his body became trapped and his upper part was still free as a bird. Although the walls above him remained stationary, Sousuke would not be able to be certain if he was not going to be crushed totally. He would not feel any pain as the armor would protect him so far, but he could feel the pressure increasing. He had few choices. He could either attempt to muscle his way out and continuing on. Or he could request Zzzax's assistance, shortening the time the summon would remain at his side. One thing was certain, he could stay as he was.​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDdSvpGNtWk][b][u]Hello Beastie![/u][/b][/url]]"]

Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin

[/legend][/col]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke had projected his drop to be far more rapid, and throw in more so given his armour. It seemed that his movement wasn't fast enough. Now he was trapped. Luckily his shell was not compromised, but he would need to get out of this. Muscling out of this had a 42% chance of success. Not exactly the best chances. Sousuke would raise his hands and make fists, lightning crackled and became very much appearent. He would conjuring the lightning to him. It was not a trick. While the plasma chargers had a while to go before becoming truly operational, he could use one of the two elements that made up plasma. Fire would have no effect as this was a creature of the watery deep. The other option? Lightning. Sousuke would crash his fists down upon the beast and unleash the crackling concentrated lightning bursts he had conjured in his fists. The lightning blasts would each pulse three times, each pulse was going in strength, and by the time the third pulse was released the lightning would have reached its apex. All the time Sousuke was paying attention. If the lightning attacks were proving damaging on the surface then ... surely the inside was going to suffer just as much.

If Sousuke could not free himself by pulling himself up he would ask for help from Zzax. "Form a lightning cylinder, vertically and blast it down further. Attempt to slice down as far as you can. We will need to see if this regenerates accordingly."<i></i> He would instruct the Elemental Lord. One of two things would happen he might fall further, and should that occur he would hurl his weight towards the walls surrounding them and grasp on. Should the plan prove successful and Sousuke free himself either way, he would take out Skullsplitter. He would grip the weapon with both hands and begin slicing through. The weapon would become coated in a diamond-like surface. The edges of the weapon would sharpen. He again listen for the heart beating. He must have been closer now.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

Sousuke’s first choice of liberating himself was to use his own skills and own mettle to force his way out of his current predicament. Being trapped as he was, was not an easy feeling. Furthermore, he was inside the throat of a mythical creature none had imagined to actually exist. And yet, not only it was real, but they had to destroy it. Lightning was conjured into the Kazekage’s gauntlets and the Purple Haired Man would simply crash his fists down on the Kraken’s muscular esophagus. The Takahashi could actually pack a punch, but the greatest effect would not come from his physical strength, but by the usage of the lightning element. The beast had proven it was weak to that particular elemental nature. Something both had witnessed on the outside, even if the damage was seemingly regenerated. And once again, lightning would prove instrumental in releasing Sousuke from this deathly grip he was on. After the strike, the walls of the esophagus received three lightning pulses, each of increased potency. With each pulse, the electrical impulses that commanded the walls to crush the intruders, were countered by the ones conjured by the Kazekage. At the third, the muscles simply parted, freeing the Lord of Sunagakure. Damage was not visible, but at least it had worked. As secondary means of freeing himself, the Takahashi Highlord had instructed Zzzax to use his own cutting power to slash his way out and ensure freedom for his current master, but fortunately, expending the summon’s energy had been averted for now.

Free at last, the Purple Haired Man unsheathed his Skullsplitter and, in midair, halted his freefall descent by slashing the walls of the esophagus. Slash after mighty slash, Sousuke carved his way out of the Kraken’s throat and into the bloodstream. The Kazekage had just entered a mighty artery or vein, since it was a very big tube. He would initially feel a very strong current flowing through him. The more he entered, the greater said sensation until he would loose his footing. Zzzax was, apparently, holding still by using some unknown means and was extending its hand toward his current master.

You need to find a way to secure yourself or you will run adrift. In the distance, you can also spot a large mass, composed of many obscure objects coming your way.

OC:
Anatomies be damned lol
Are you enjoying this?
Or we should we end as soon as possible?​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDdSvpGNtWk][b][u]Hello Beastie![/u][/b][/url]]"]

Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin

[/legend][/col]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Out of the frying pan and into the fire? Out of the frying pan and into the sewer? Out of the Inferno and into Frigidis? Sousuke was never sure how the line went. It was a strange concept, and went past his head. Either way progress was made on this journey of discovery. How many people got to say that they were devoured by a large entity and the endgame was to kill the target from the inside out? Sousuke would suspect he was one of the few. Either way best foot forward, but this was really not possible. Sousuke was taken in by the current. The blood. Well this was charming. Sousuke would have to get a hold of something and figure this out. He couldn't go on and on forever. That would be most problematic. He would drift on and on and would get pushed back to the point he was trying to get into, being the heart. Sousuke would look as Zzzax was holding his hand out. Sousuke waved it off, and did something else to try and get himself in a stationary position for the moment. Sousuke's armour would send out metal spikes to go and stick themselves into the wall. He would send the metal spikes from his upper shoulder area into the walls of the vein with great force. While he was concentrating to do this, he would make the next inquiry to Kazuki's summoned creature. "Heartbeat. We are moving further away from it or closer?"<i></i> He would ask the creature. He did not know the anatomy of the beast, and therefore had to rely upon the lightning summon to give him a more definite location.

Sousuke would take a moment to gather himself but no. He would not be given a moment really as there were oncoming large masses. Sousuke would look at them before figuring out that ... it could be possible that these were red blood cells? Well, it was entirely possible but oh ... what does it matter. These were things that were coming his way. Sousuke would hold out his hand and fire another series of spikes to try and impale these objects to hold them at bay for the moment.

Upon receiving notification from Zzzax Sousuke would then have to figure out the next course. He would have to plot his course. He could end up in the heart if he followed the stream line, but ... considering that the heart pumps blood ... it might be difficult to push forward and into it.

(Using Alloy Spiralto root myself for a moment )

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

Heavy armor and all, Sousuke still was unable to hold his footing and he was dragged away by the strong current found in that artery or vein. Zzzax, or its reanimated corpse, was holding still. Perhaps, as an elemental lord, or former one, he was not subject to the same laws as the rest of the beings. Or perhaps it was due to undead status. A scientists at his core, as the Kazekage was, he would certainly feel pushed toward discovering truth, but he had no means of replicating this situation in the future. He did not possess the same gifts as Kazuki, nor did he had the necessarily availability of gargantuan monsters in his yard, for him to enter their cardiovascular system. The Purple Haired Man would find himself adrift and after refusing the help from the former Lightning Lord, he would continue to do so until hope was lost. Fortunately, the Takahashi Lord was a man with many resources and an apt and quick mind, and thus, using his very metallic armor as the primary resource, the Lord of Sunagakure anchored himself via several metallic spikes that pierced the walls of the artery.

”Heartbeat. We are moving further away from it or closer?” Sousuke would inquire. Zzzax would remain silent as it attuned itself with the Kraken’s nervous system. ”Upstream we must go, if the heart we want to reach.” Reaper’s summon would instruct. To further emphasize his message, he had turned around and his right hand was pointing toward the incoming shadowy mass. Sousuke did not fail to notice the incoming invasion. Harmless or not, the Kazekage preemptive stroke them and momentarily halted their advance. Unfortunately, that mass was only composed of, almost harmless blood cells. Striking them was sure way of alerting the body’s inner defensive system. White cells, whose production had certainly started as soon as he had entered the blood stream, would now being flock, on mass, toward where the Takahashi Lord stood. He would be swarmed and killed, unless he was quick to act. The time to act had come. Lingering on would mean defeat, and the world would be doomed as Kazuki alone would not be able to prevent the assault from the Phoenix Force.

[MFT - 373]

OC
Pulling a Yoda there.
You can allow yourself to go with the stream, but that would make you farther from your goal
To reach the heart you have to find a way to course against the stream.
Your decision to attack the blood cells has attracted a swarm of white cells.
They are weak individual, but will slay you if you fail to, either defeat them, or evade their attack (death of a thousand cuts).​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDdSvpGNtWk][b][u]Hello Beastie![/u][/b][/url]]"]

Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin

[/legend][/col]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Upstream. Apparently there was a fish that apparently would swim upstream . Was it salmon? Who knew. Seafood for Sousuke was something he never got to try really. That didn't matter. The problem was. Upstream. He had to work his way upstream through a blood steam which was now engaging him as a hostility because he was indeed and in fact a hostility. There was a way to work up stream, but unfortunately the pathway that would be created did have a chance of becoming randomized. That was the problem. He wouldn't be fighting the oncoming cells that was heading towards him, but the pathway generted just might not go the way he wanted it to go. That was a problem. He would not get to the heart this way.

Well to make matters worse now he had more incoming. White blood cells. Excellent. Sousuke would slam the blood cells he had wounded and damaged into the new oncoming threat. He would send down a electrical change through his elongated finger tips. That would hopefully be enough, but now was the oncoming threat. He would have to power forward. Sousuke would make his consideration and come to his final decision. He would conjure a more offensive armour. Unlike his primary designs, this one did not actually make physical contact with him. It was wind based, and would deflect oncoming cells. Secondly, if he did his math right ... which he was certain he did. This would block the oncoming forward and push it to the sides outside of the wind vortex that was going to form. Sousuke would disengage from the wall, and wind would force itself out of his armour and push forward to the sides. He would at this point consider Zzzax's position and would alter the design slightly. He formed it outside of clipping range and would give Zzzax room to ... float about? Move about? He would push himself forward then and hoped that would be enough to add progress to his advance rather than deter it. The wind vortex armour he conjured should deflect some of the oncoming cells that would be coming his way.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

Death approached Sousuke and only Sousuke. Zzzax was no longer a living being and it was not in danger of perishing again. In fact, if its body were to deteriorate to such a state that repairing it would no heal itself, the summon would simply vanish and return to the void-like space that it inhabited now. Therefore, the only one in danger was the Kazekage. It meant he could use Kazuki's dead summon as shield whenever necessary, even if it meant shortening its assistance. Realizing up was the only way to go, the Takahashi Highlord switched armor sets. Leaving the more bulky and defensive plate for another time, he activated a second one, much more sleek and streamlined. If the Senju Overlord was there, he would immediately assumed this one was used for high speed maneuvers, something he would have guessed correctly as soon as the Purple Haired Man activated a wind jutsu that began propelling him forward. Zzzax remained at the tail of Sousuke and followed him. As means of distraction, the Kazekage threw a bunch of dead blood cells and followed it with an electrical discharge that also slain a few white cells. This paused the incoming tide momentarily, but in the grand scope of things, did nothing to deter it. Unencumbered for a time, the Takahashi Highlord and Zzzax moved a good distance upstream before the white cells reached them.

They were numbered in the thousands and their assault was relentless. Sousuke's armor and wind jutsu served to protect him, since some of the cells were deflected before any contact could be made. But their numbers were too great for even the wind armor to work in full. More and more of them kept pilling up on Sousuke, using their own momentum, weight and sheer numbers to slowly decrease the Kazekage's speed until he was almost stopped in his tracks. Zzzax seemed to be fare a little better. It would seem the corpse had a static field around its body, which kept preventing any actual physical contact and those white cells that did reach it, were immediately rendered dead. Those that became inoperative were drifted away by the bloodstream. Although the armor and wind armor were holding on, eventually the white cells would begin to dissolve the armor. Although the wind technique was holding him in place, eventually he would be dragged away by the sheer mass of cells that had latched into him. Because he had moved enough upstream, Sousuke could now hear the characteristic sound of valves opening and closing down in a rhythmic sequence. The goal was at his reach but he had to find a way to solve his current predicament before any attempt of passing through the valve could be made.

OC
You're essentially stopped now.
If you can't shake them off, you will be dragged away and your armor will begin to dissolve and you will die.
Zzzax seems to be doing fine, using him as a shield could be something to consider.
He can also emit an electrical discharge big enough to slaughter this wave but this would shorten his time with you.
The entrance to the heart is near.​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDdSvpGNtWk][b][u]Hello Beastie![/u][/b][/url]]"]

Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin

[/legend][/col]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Compromised. Again. Well, Sousuke knew that all progress had to come to an end. One would need to then invent a new way to go about this. Luckily they had, his boon companion being Zzzax, arrived at the heart. They were at the valve, but the problem now was that he had been swarmed by cells, they were going to eat at him and remove him like the infection he was. His armour was being eaten at, which really came as no surprise. In the face of something undocumented, anything was possible and that was the case. He had used quite a bit of plasma and was in a recharge mode of sorts. That was quite some time ago. He needed that to deliver the end blow to this, not to mention he would have to force his armour into a hard overdrive and drive the armour to dangerous levels. It was something he had not done in quite a long time. He had solved the overheating issue back ... oh maybe it was two years after he had become Kazekage? Shiori helped him figure that out. Shiori of course was now the enemy. That was a very unsettling thing. Zzzax for a moment would see a twitch come about Sousuke as he thought about the old days when Shiori was ... simpler? It was not meant to be an offensive concept. He wanted that Shiori back, the girl who was ... older than him but acted like a child. Sousuke's hand would tighten into a fist. He could not get those moments back, and he never would. "Zzzax release a full discharge. Do not destroy your being in this release."<i></i> He would finally call out. They were going to be destroyed here and they needed to prevent that at all costs.

Armour integrity at 72.94%. There was a rapid descent here. Perhaps it would have been slower had he not went and decided to try and power through this in its entirety Sousuke would hold his palm out. He pointed it at Zzax. Zzzax was a lightning creature. Him being hit by a lightning attack would only be abosrbed and release a stronger effect later. The sounds of an electrical charge could be heard. "Absorb then release in an area. Assumption is based on this attack piercing. It might now, but it will be found out in ... five... four... three... two... one..."<i></i> With that Sousuke began to open fire. He was not opening fire using plasma, no he was opening fire with gigavolts. He would then turn to his own settings and release an amp field Hopefully the area would be covered between him and Zzax to give him a moment to recuperate and then release his own lightning techniques to free them of this annoyance.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

Sousuke had stopped. Regardless of bearing a sleek armor, made for high speed maneuvering, the sheer mass of white cells that were latching on him were more than enough to halt his progress entirely. Acidic secretions were slowly, but surely, corroding the armor set. Doing nothing was suicide on the Kazekage’s part. Action was needed and badly. Desperation was peaking and the Takahashi Highlord finally reached a decision. ”Zzzax release a full discharge. Do not destroy your being in this release.” the Protector of Sunagakure would command. The former prideful Lightning Lord moved forward repelling any and all white cells that dared come close to him. In doing so, as he passed by Sousuke, he repelled some that had latched upon the Kazekage. With a free arm, the Purple Haired Man would raise his fist toward Kazuki’s summoned creature and he would muster lightning chakra. ”Absorb then release in an area. Assumption is based on this attack piercing. It might now, but it will be found out in… five… four… three… two… one…” he would instruct again. Static electricity would be gathered around Zzzax, so much that the hair in Sousuke’s neck would raise itself and his own armor would screech as if in pain. The summon’s body would begin to glow and pulse, as more and more electricity would be gathered. Joining his own energy, would be the Kazekage’s own electrical ninjutsu, that was fueling Zzzax even more. Tension, palpable tension could be felt. The feeling was unbearable for living beings, but the former Lightning Lord could not feel it.

A critical point would be reached and the dead creature would unleash a massive electrical discharge that would vaporize every single white cell in the proximity. The walls of the artery would show severe burnt marks and the valve in proximity would be shown as stopped. If done outside the Kraken, it would have lightened the entire sky with a very bright light. Zzzax itself had a faint glow around his body. It had drained itself in the effort of clearing their immediate danger. He was not gone yet, but he was out of combat for a while. With the threat cleared, at least for the moment, it was time to finally traverse into the heart. The valve had been stopped, but not for long. It was already showing signs of reactivation. Slowly at first, but the speed would increase until the necessary one had been reached once more. If Sousuke were to wait a bit and study its pattern, he would spot an erratic behavior that was not there before. Arrhythmia would be the name for it.

OC:
The threat has been dealt with.
There is a second swarm coming for you.
The valve will reach its optimum speed soon, but it is not yet there.
Once such stage has been reached, it will show erratic behavior.
Find a way to pass through the valve, be as creative as you like.​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDdSvpGNtWk][b][u]Hello Beastie![/u][/b][/url]]"]

Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin

[/legend][/col]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

For a fleeting moment Sousuke drifted there. Every once in a while he would come to a realization. He was a single mortal person fighting against gods, monsters, and more. He was a human with a bloodline, a bloodline that was meant to serve a King. With a deep breath he was able to focus once more and do what was required of him to go forward. Sousuke's eyes would close shut for a moment, as he gathered himself. People counted on him. Soon's had to not be destroyed. If Soon's was destroyed, then Suna was most likely next. Defend The Realm. His father's words called at him. That was his primary designation, he was Guardian Protectorate of the Realm.

They were nearly there. Zzzax was spent. He would not be able to go forward, and if Sousuke had not charged him up, he would have been completely depleted. Now then. Zzzax if destroyed would return but not where he was presently. Sousuke held up his hands and conjured a shield to encase the Elemental. Zzzax would be protected for now. Sousuke needed to simply put this to an end. Here he was. He needed to destroy the heard of this beast. His theory was that there was something in the blood cells that were regenerative. If the heart was vaporized, and reduced to a state of nothing then no regeneration would be able to occur. Sousuke would need to get in there and plant plasma stars deep in the heart. He would then detonate them and destroy it accordingly. First thing was first. Sousuke would change armours, back to the original design. He would hold his hand back and then he would focus. He would create a means to get in, and that was the idea. He would focus and create a large plasma drill. He would swim back a bit and then he would dart forward with the plasma drill running. He would take a deep dive in. Theoretically he could get himself in there, and then the walls of the heart would regenerate. Once he was inside, he would begin to effect the heart. Whereas Kazuki had a cold presence, Sousuke could generate a hot one. He would begin to super heart the area using plasma. He would then summon two plasma stars. He would have to wait until they became fully operational before assigning them to their proper locations.

The plan was to detonate the stars, and then use lightning chakra mixed with this intense heat to tear the heart up from within. The heart once inside would perhaps crush him, but once inside he would fight his way out properly. That was assuming of course the heart was like that of a human heart, which was ... perhaps not even really the case. Time would tell, first he had to get in there.

MFT 300+

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

Sousuke stood there, motionless for a while. Zzzax floated at his side, its inner light dimmed from the exertion it had been put through moments ago. Although it was an Elemental Lord and still quite powerful in its own right, a dead summon always lost a portion of its former prowess. It was a natural thing that all of Kazuki's summons suffered and it could not be prevented. Whatever was going through the Kazekage's mind, no one or thing could know, except for the man itself. Still, the Purple Haired Man eventually steeled his resolve and re-summoned his original armor, the bulky one and made for combat. Apparently worried by the summon's well being, or just for the sheer necessity of having it at his side, the Takahashi Highlord conjured a protective shield around the fallen Lightning Lord. After a moment of indecisiveness, Sousuke conjured a massive plasma drill in his hands. This would be his instrument to enter the heart cavity. Using the bloodstream's natural current, the Guardian Protectorate would gain momentum swimming back, before launching himself forward with all his might, plasma drill first. As soon as the drill made contact with muscle wall, the Kazekage's forward momentum slowly decreased, as he drilled his way through. The Takahashi Highlord met resistance as the damage his drill created was already being healed through, although he was moving forward faster than the Kraken could heal.

He kept going on but eventually his force would be met by an equal resistance and his momentum would reach a halt. Despair would certainly kick in, mainly because another batch of deadly white cells was fast approaching. But hope was a powerful tool and light can shine even in the darkest pits. Sousuke would sense something else pushing him through. When he launched himself forward, Zzzax slowly floated behind him, following his current leader. The time between starting drilling and now, had given the summon enough time to rejoin the Guardian Protectorate. Despite its weakened state, the fallen Lightning Lord still had enough kick to help Sousuke and push him through the muscle's resistance and regeneration. From a full stop to a slow drag, the Kazekage would finally breach the heart's cavity. The hole created big enough to allow him through plus Zzzax. Once inside, the Takahashi Highlord would soon notice the entrance to the heart, the one he had just created was gone, healed completely. That meant, at least, he was safe from the white cells menace.

In front of him stood the heart. A massively sized muscle, easily twice as large as Sousuke. The same could be said about the height. Funnily enough, it was composed of a single ventricle that was steadily pumping blood throughout the Kraken's gigantic body. There seemed to be no inner defenses, but appearances could be deceiving.

OC:
You are inside the heart.

[MFT - 470]​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDdSvpGNtWk][b][u]Hello Beastie![/u][/b][/url]]"]

Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin

[/legend][/col][/quote]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

With the area super heated due to the use of a plasma jutsu, Sousuke would begin to conjure the plasma stars. He would shift about and move them into place. He took a deep breath. Okay. Time to keep going forward. He would place the first plasma star at the top, and then second one at the bottom. He needed to detonate both of them at the same time to seperate the heart and its tubes from the rest of the body. He would then be given previous seconds to go full on out. He would conjure the Silver Edge and Skull Splitter. He inhaled. He began to conjure lightning chakra coating both weapons in them. He would focus here. Martial prowess. It was something he was taught as a child by Kuro's mother. How to use a blade, and the discipline required.

Plasma star denotation in ... five ... four ... three ... two ... one. Detonate! Now it was time to annihilate! Sousuke brought both weapons imbued with lightning chakra down upon the heart with full force. Even after the first strike, there was still a time period where the electircal effect would linger. He continued his assault. Time slowed down for Sousuke as he attacked. Each second, there were multiple attacks going off. Sousuke was pushing himself, and pushing himself hard. He was capable of doing this, but it would tire himself out. Truth be told? This was a one way trip, and he knew it. What would happen next? He didn't plan on that. In the span of five seconds, no less than fifty slashes occurred. In one second five occurred, and in five seconds twenty five occurred, and because there were two weapons that was doubled. Any signs of regeneration that showed the capacity of happening was quickly answered. He needed to beat the enemy into a state where no regeneration was capable. His theory would come to pass whether or not it was the blood that allowed this creature to continue regenerating.

Upon execution of his actions, Sousuke would not sheath his weapons. He kept them at the ready. He would be exhausted, but ultimately he expected something else to come.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

The ambient inside the heart's cavity kept rising as Sousuke's Plasma mastery heat it up. The Kazekage would conjure two plasma stars that he would place on both extremities of the Kraken's heart. His plan? Separation of said organ and then unleashing a berserk like assault upon the muscle. With both weapons unsheathed, the Purple Haired Man emitted a constant electrical charge that coated each blade. Primed for maximum damage, it was time to start the end of times for the Mythical Beast that was their enemy. After making an inner countdown, both stars detonated and the heart became separated from the body. The heart entered a slowed decay orbit as it fell to the bottom of the cavity. As soon as the muscle hit it, the Guardian Protectorate sprang into action. Slash after slash after slash. All done incredibly fast. Extremely damaging but very, very taxing as well. The Kazekage was no Wolverine or Hulk. He would tire out eventually. Had the man turned into a death seeker? Due to the recent string of events, most likely. But today did not mark his death. Strike after strike, the heart kept being punished and, miraculously, it was not regenerating any damage received. A red mucus gashed out, creating a large pool that would cover the entire ground in the area. Fortunately it seemed to be mostly harmless.

A large shrieking sound would fill Sousuke's hears as the Kraken felt the attack and began dying. He was still trapped inside and after a few massive shooks, caused by a dying nervous system, the valves that kept the White Cells from reaching the Guardian Protectorate opened up, entirely. A swarm of defensive cells rushed forward, all aiming to dissolve the intruder as a last minute revenge act, but they all began to dissolve before any could reach the Kazekage. In fact, the entire frame of the mythical beast seemed to be dissolving into ash. Although most of the damage, and the actual killing blow had been done by the Takahashi Highlord, on the outside Kazuki had not been idle at all. After successfully dodging most attacks done at him, the Senju Overlord also kept distracting the Kraken with harmless assaults. As Sousuke destroyed the Kraken's heart, Reaper finally managed to make physical contract with it. As the body kept dissolving, a hole in the creature's chest was created and sunlight reached Sousuke. He would see his ally bearing, not his human form, but the one had shown when a former Sennin, three current ones and the Kazekage convened in the same room. The Kazekage would also realize that the Silvery Haired Man was touching the Kraken and he was the reason for such transformation into ash. The White Wolf was absorbing the Kraken. The faded Lightning Lord would suddenly disappear as he was reabsorbed into the Occult Sennin's body. A winged being, radiating white light, would approach the entrance into the Kraken's heart. Its right hand was extended toward the Kazekage, offering him a way to salvation. Otherwise, as Kazuki kept absorbing the mythical beast, the Takahashi Highlord would fall from a tremendous height and, given his current status, could die from such a fall. If accepted, Angel would slowly descend and it would safely drop Sousuke on the ocean below, right on top of his silver board. Once the absorption process was over, Kazuki would join up with his friend.

OC:
The Kraken has died.
Achievement Unlock: Kraken Slayer
Topic is not over yet, but I'm going to request a S Rank Mission reward for you, to our council.​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDdSvpGNtWk][b][u]Hello Beastie![/u][/b][/url]]"]

Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin

[/legend][/col]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Soul Poetry​

Exhaustion took Sousuke. For a moment, he wondered if he was going to fade into nothingness. The area around him was rapidly decaying. While Sousuke knew he had a broken and damaged soul that somewhere in all of it was Tsume in some regard, he had a sinking feeling that he was going to be absorbed in this moment of weakness. Absorbed by an Ancient, as the human soul was their food. In that moment he faced fear. Sousuke very much wanted to believe there was an afterlife, or something. Mother Suna did not confirm as such.

It was quite a damaging concept. To know that what one believed in was a farce. Sousuke believed in Katuso, but he was no longer present. Katuso was Mikaboshi, and Katuso was very much dead. There was a reason why Sousuke had asked Katuso to be incorruptible. It was a childish desire, born out the concept that Sousuke had such an unbreakable faith in the Sunahoshi. Katsuo, even if not a Sunahoshi, was an individual who would become something.

Mother Suna. If that is indeed you. Then damn you. I wish you live in misery for the rest of your existence. May all your undertakings be unfilled and may you in time ultimately fade into the darkness of nothing. Suffice it to say, the Kazekage was perhaps slightly delirious as he watched a winged figure approach him. His armour was on the fritz. Sparks flew from it, as he indeed overtaxed the use of plasma and lightning techniques. Sousuke would black out and would not response to Archangel. Sousuke plummeted as he fell blindly. The descent was hard and fast, and as Sousuke descended, there were clearly signs that his battles inside of the Kraken had taken their effects as metallic pieces in his armour began to erode.

As Sousuke descended his mind drifted to thoughts of Yume. In that thought there was regret. Much regret. Perhaps he should have not brought an end to that relationship. He broke it in part because he knew that she would become a target, and in that she would always be in danger. He did not wish that upon her and did not desire for her to face violence or death at the hands of Mikaboshi, Mother Suna, or most of all Shouki. There was much regret as he would ultimately black out entirely as he fell.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

Kazuki had sent one of his summons to rescue Sousuke from within the vanishing carcass of the Kraken. A winged humanoid that was once part of something bigger but had, since then, fallen prey to the Senju Overlord. The White Wolf was counting on the Kazekage grabbing the extended hand from Angel, so he was caught entirely by surprise, when the Takahashi Highlord simply plummeted toward the watery floor. Sparks covered the purple haired man’s armor, while pieces of it eroded. The Guardian Protectorate was losing any and all protection he could have, and to top it off, he was free falling towards death. Judging from the lack of immediate response from such events, the silvery haired man concluded Sousuke was unconscious. It was up to Reaper to save his friend, or the Kazekage would perish. Angel tucked his wings and hastily followed the man he was supposed to carry to safety. From a transportation mission to a rescue one. ”NO.”the Occult Sennin shouted as he began sliding down the Kraken’s body as he continued his absorption and extended his shadows in an attempt to slowdown the Takahashi’s Highlord perilous descent.

Ultimately, stopping the Guardian Protectorate’s death could not be done alone by either agent. Angel alone would not enough, just like Kazuki’s efforts would be futile. Only a combination of their attempts would be sufficient to stave off death. When the Sousuke was just two meters shy of hitting the water, the former X-Men grabbed the Kazekage’s left ankle. At the same time, the Senju Overlord’s shadow also made contact with his friend, and seeing that Reaper was already slowing down his own fall, Sousuke’s own was also considerably decreased. Angel would softly drop the Guardian Protectorate on the water, but damage had still been done to the purple haired man’s body. Both from the battle they had been in and from the attempts to prevent his fall. The sudden deceleration would also harm him, albeit not as much as the actual unimpeded fall. By now, the White Wolf had finished absorbing the Kraken and he dropped near Sousuke, creating a tiny tidal wave. The silvery haired man easily shrugged off any effects he could experience from such forceful fall due to a combination of two key traits. The serum running through his body that had elevated himself to peak human status. And the fact that he was not entirely human, being, at least, half-ancient.

The Occult Sennin would approach the Kazekage and he would kneel near the man. He was still unconscious and Kazuki was not a medic. He could only administer basic treatment, but it would have to suffice. Angel would begin to emit a healing aura of sorts from his body while the Senju Overlord’s hands began to glow with the medical technique’s natural green color.

OC:
Caught you.
Trying to revive.​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDdSvpGNtWk][b][u]Hello Beastie![/u][/b][/url]]"]

Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin

[/legend][/col]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke sat in a darkness. He had been here before. Usually this happened when he was pushed to his limits, or was on the verge of death. As usual he was cold, and he was trying to get warm. To his surprise a fire did indeed actually appear. Sitting across from the fire was his father. Judori sat cross legged and looked to his son. "Last time you were here, Shade was here." Sousuke stared at his father quizzically. "Oh. I know many things. That is a father's duty." Sousuke would rub his hands together and found himself to getting warmer. Judori simply say there not harmed at all by the cold, or unaffected by the heat. Here merely smiled at his boy. His only son. His greatest creation. "Things will just continue to get harder and harder. You of all people know that. What we the Takahashi do best is ... keep calm and carry on. We are King's Men." Sousuke said nothing as he kneeled and continued to rub his hands, and then his chest.

The fire crackled as time passed. "It's all a farce Father. Mother Suna proclaimed no king, only weakened the Sunahoshi line."<i></i> There was a look of despair in his expression.

Judori would raise his hands, "Watch a King come from nothing." He spoke these words with a sort of strength that boomed and bounced off of the seeming walls.

***​

Sousuke would cough as he sat up. He was being healed by Arch Angel and Kazuki. Sousuke was quite sore, and he was perhaps not in fighting shape. "Left leg is malfunctioning. Might have broke it when my legs got momentarily crushed while inside."<i></i> He spoke. He couldn't feel his leg, which was troubling indeed. He tried to shift it, but it was irresponsive. Sousuke would sit up and his helmet would dissassemble itself for a moment. He looked around. No Kraken. "We succeeded in some regard? The walls were ... falling apart when I went full on out on the inside. That being said I feel like we're not quite finished yet."<i></i> He would inquire. He would for a moment repeat what his father had said. "Watch a King come from nothing."<i></i> He repeated as if it was a new mantra of sorts. His father left no detailed who he meant.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

Fortunately, catching Sousuke had not been easy, but possible nonetheless. The first part of saving the Kazekage’s life was done. Now came the hardest one. The Guardian Protectorate was badly injured. Kazuki has not a medical ninja. Sure, he had basic medical knowledge, quite capable of healing the smallest injuries, but not the extent needed to fully rehabilitate the Takahashi Highlord. ”Open your eyes Sousuke.” Reaper would order. Luckily, superior medical skills were not necessary as the Senju Overlord would see, after a tense while, and as if he was obeying, Sousuke opening up his eyes. ”Good.” the White Wolf would mutter. The Kazekage would attempt to sat up, something that would force him to cough. ”I would avoid any sudden movements for now. Or any kind of movement for that matter. I don’t have the necessary skills to fully patch you up. I need to transport you to Sunagakure’s hospital as soon as possible.” the silvery haired man would warn him. Although in a bad shape, the Takahashi Highlord seemed to be out of death’s reach for now. Only after a true medic’s examination they would be able to learn how extensive the damage actually was. ”Left leg is malfunctioning. Might have broke it when my legs got momentarily crushed while inside.” the Kazekage would note. The Occult Sennin eyed him for a bit. A hint of concern visible on his face. If Sousuke had broken his leg, then he would be in terrible pain, not that it was discernible from the man’s facial expression or tone of voice. ”If you had broken your leg, you would be feeling an excruciating level of pain. But I hardly see any semblance of pain you.” the Deep Court hybrid noted. Maybe the problem was something else, other than having a bone broken. Which was way worse.

”We succeeded in some regard? The walls were… falling apart when I went full on out on the inside. That being said I feel like we’re not quite finished yet.” Sousuke would note after looking around. Apparently he was searching for their downed foe. ”Yes, the Kraken has been vanquished. Our combined efforts have resulted. What you did inside severed his ability to regenerate as it had been doing and I absorbed it. It is gone and never to return.” Kazuki told him. ”You are correct though. We have only defeated the lieutenant. The Water Lord is still out there. I don’t think he will come to us as Zzzax did, or the Kraken did. We will have to go to him. And I can only think of one way to do it.” the Overlord stated. He paused momentarily considering if he should ask this or not. ”Do you remember my cousin, Nagato? Bearer of the Uchiha’s Sharingan? If you help me unlock his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, we can use its ocular powers to open a portal for us. And through that portal we can enter the Lord’s elemental plane. What do you think?” the White Wolf finally asked him. Not that he could not do it alone, but it would be faster if Sousuke were to lend his aid. And time was not something they had in great amount. How do it, however, was something the silvery haired man had no idea at the time. Perhaps together they could devise a way.

[MFT - 558]​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDdSvpGNtWk][b][u]Hello Beastie![/u][/b][/url]]"]

Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin

[/legend][/col]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke knew that his tolerance for pain was rather substantial. Unfortunately for the time that they had, which was little a full damage report was not capable. The Kraken had been defeated, but there was still more work for them ahead. There was one more foe that waited them. The elemental lord of water itself. Unlike the lightning lord, their foe had hid himself within a different setting. Zzzax had come at them and they had battled him in the ruins of the Kazekage tower. This was going to be something different as they, as Kazuki had announced, were going to have to take the fight to him.

"I remember Nagato well."<i></i> Sousuke answered as Kazuki brought him up. He was unsure as to why Kazuki was bringing him up. Nagato was the trump card to be used against the Phoenix Force. He wasn't sure where Kazuki was going with this, but ultimately Kazuki explained to him what the play was going to be. Nagato was going to give them the direct way to get to the Elemental Lord of Water. "Alright. We use the Mangekyo to open a way to get in there. The problem with that is ... usually to unlock that ability one has to go through a very traumatic event in order to get it to go off. You also have to account for an amount of time for him to learn the ability and to keep it going without any interference. Both of those take time, and I'm not exactly sure how much time we have to strike. I'm pretty sure throwing another Kraken at us is something that can readily done immediately. It's not like he has a ... shopping mart to go to go purchase them and throw them at us."<i></i> Sousuke brought up. Kazuki had the right idea, and it was one Sousuke would not have considered easily enough.

Sousuke would have to consider it. "Has he shown any sign of ... the potential unlocking during his training? When you have your companions attack him, does he really consider those duels being life or death matters?"<i></i> Sousuke would ask of Kazuki? Nagato was quite adept at dispatching them. Perhaps it was a matter of having him face off against something, or perhaps he needed something to push him over the edge. Rivalry was usually capable of doing that - but what was it that could push a sort of rivalry present? Was there something that Nagato considered to be his rival?