Masked Intentions [Open/Kanmuri]

[Kazu]

Oda Yatamaru walked the halls of the library, hidden in plain sight.

She would be looking for him. That woman...he just knew she would be hunting him down. She had tracked down his apartment before and it was likely that she would attempt to try to find him again. That’s why he’d ran. Took all his most important possessions, burned the rest, and disappeared into the night. Now he was on the run. Hiding from someone he knew next to nothing about. She could be anywhere. That’s why his face was no longer safe.

Being a master puppeteer had its benefits. Having an inhuman body had even more. Changing his appearance was relatively simple. He merely slipped out of one body and into another — much like changing outfits. This form would do. Black hair. Red eyes. About five inches shorter than he was previously. And, absolutely no alcohol. The cigarettes could stay, but he'd need to be careful. No more than two a day. It absolutely sucked being sober, but it was a necessary sacrifice. Yatamaru knew as well as any ANBU that habits made the man (or woman). He couldn’t risk giving himself away for such a petty vice.

This led him to another problem, however: it wasn’t just his appearance or habits being tracked, it was also likely that his motives were being anticipated. She knew what information he knew. She knew he’d likely want to cross-check that information. She knew he’d turn up here, at the only real source of information in the village, with very specific questions regarding Ancients, Hybrids, and other such rare subjects. He wouldn’t have been surprised if she was waiting for anyone to start requesting such books, assuming that it would be him in disguise. Was he being paranoid? Yes. Was it warranted? Probably.

Yet that raised another question: how could he gain the knowledge he needed without appearing like he wanted that information? He’d need to stumble upon it, by accident, or otherwise make it look like the information had found him. But how?!

This was the question plaguing the disguised Yatamaru as he absently pursued the shelves of the library. He was currently in the Political History section, walking towards Geography and Social Sciences, and trying not to look like he was avoiding any one section or another. Avoidance of the sections where the information he needed was located might be just as telling as if he’d walked straight there, undisguised, assuming she was watching.

It was a necessary assumption. He couldn’t afford to be caught again. Not yet, anyways.

 

[Kanmuri]

Dread. Confidence. Pity. Fear. Uncertainty. Excitement. There was something going on with the young demon. Something was growing--blossoming. Something was festering--decaying. This half-breed demon was not only going through puberty, but certain, unknown changes were going on inside of the boy. He was a demon, but did he know it? Of course Kanmuri did. It was that revelation that filled him with dread. He wasn’t normal--he wasn’t human--or so he thought. But wasn’t that up to debate? If he wasn’t fully demon, didn’t that mean that there was hope for his humanity? Didn’t that mean there was a chance for him to accepted into society? No, that didn’t mean anything. It didn’t mean a damn thing. In this society, nothing mattered but power, at least that was how the boy viewed the world.

There had been too many events in his life that challenged not only his world view, but who he was as a person. He had betrayed himself and his father didn’t he? He kneeled. No, that’s not true. He did something even worse. He prostrated to someone besides….his father. Miroku Akkuma, the man he once viewed as his father, protector, guardian, king, ASPIRATIONS, DREAMS, HOPE. Words cannot describe how Kanmuri once viewed that man. He had been busy occupying himself to take his mind off of everything. The trainings, the attending of remedial classes, the missions, the searching for a purpose, it was all the ten year old boy deluding himself. He was broken, and his biology was making him suffer. Something had to give. His humanity or his demonic nature. There was a war going on inside the boy. He deeply loved Akkuma. He cared for him, but he had a mission--a goal--that his pride compelled him to complete. What happened was a necessary sacrifice, but why did it hurt so bad. Why did a part of the boy just want to crawl into a ball and cry and another part refused to notion two. Why was there an internal war going on. Why couldn’t he just be...normal. Why did he have to suffer just for existing.

On this day, the ten year old was doing something else to free himself from his internal conflict, or rather take care of a cause of his dilemma. Kanmuri found himself in a grand library with shelves of books seeming to stretch forever. There was a specific book he was looking for, but he had topics he wanted to cover. There were aspects of the world that he needed to know both for his mission and for himself. Of those aspects, the few that he wanted to cover today dealt with his mission. Tenken had informed him of the details of the mission and how its importance tied together to a grander scheme. Sunagakure was at war with Wind Country. Specifically, the opponents included super-powered human soldiers. All of this was common news, but the classified information the ten year old knew was that kids were being crafted into these “monsters.” His mission was to go to Soon’s Haven, be kidnapped, and document the route to the Academy. There was no telling how long the mission would take, but if he was going to another country, then Kanmuri needed to be informed on both the country as a whole and his destination, Soon’s Haven.

The boy would almost aimlessly wander around the large library. He needed to find books on other countries, but had no idea where to go or who to ask. After a certain amount, it seemed like the boy was just haunting the halls like a ghost. Walking automatically and looking through people. With a scattered brain it was no surprise that he mistaken bumped into somebody…Clonk...

That...didn’t sound right. But then again, the boy’s head wasn’t in the right place. Looking up at the much taller man. Kanmuri would say, “My apologies. I’m a little lost. Do you know where I can find information on Soon’s Haven, and possibly,<i></i> the young boy looked around to make sure no one was listening before he softly whispered. “Ancients."

 

[Kazu]

’I can’t just sit here all day thinking,’ Yatamaru thought to himself, his eyes tracing over the various books on power structures, voting systems, and various other subjects that made up the Political History section, ’It’s not like I can just wait for the answer to find me, right?’

He took a step out from the aisle, attempting to cross over into the next row of books, when he felt a small object collide with him. Roused from his internal dialogue, looking down at the disturbance with an expression of surprise and quickly-tempered anger, he realized that it was not some random occurrence but a child. He couldn’t be mad at that. Especially not when the first thing out of the kid’s mouth was an apology.

"My apologies. I’m a little lost.”

”Oh, don’t worry about it kid! I wasn’t looking where I was going, either.” Even his voice was different than normal, in case anyone was tailing him more closely than he’d anticipated. ’What a polite kid,’ he thought to himself. If only he knew he was speaking to Akkuma’s demon-clone-kid.

”Do you know where I can find information on Soon’s Haven, and possibly...“ The kid’s voice trailed off as he looked around them. The child’s suspicion and worry were infectious, and the disguised puppeteer couldn’t help but steal a quick glance one way or the other in imitation. The next word was a whisper: ”...Ancients?”

The dark haired man said nothing at first, merely looking at the child with what appeared to be shock, amusement, and...was that intrigue? ’Is this a divine gift?’ It didn’t really matter one way or the other, Yatamaru decided. An opportunity, ripe for picking, had presented itself — it’s said that opportunity is when luck meets preperation; Yatamaru was prepared to capitalize, and apparently lucky today. He would seize his opportunity.

”Hmm, Soon’s Haven and Ancients, huh?” He gave the child an inquisitive look, leaning down slightly to be more at eye-level, as if he were trying to judge the motive behind the question (because he was). ”That’s quite an interesting request for one so young, you know. Why would a young boy like you be interested in such things?” At first it seemed Kanmuri would have hit a dead end. Another unwilling adult, patronizing the child, and unwilling to help. Yet, mere moments later, a coy smile made its way onto the man’s face. ”You’re quite the curious one, aren’t you? Don’t worry, I think I can help you out.”

Motioning with one hand for the child to follow him, the disguised Yatamaru turned back around to return to the aisle he’d just come from. ”This is the Political History section. As the name implies, it contains books related to the history of politics: this would be where we’ll find information regarding Soon’s Haven.” The man was tracing his fingers against the spines of various books, searching for one that he’d noticed earlier. ”It should be around here...somewhere...aha!” His fingers landed on a rather plain looking manuscript. Pulling the tome out, gently, revealed a book titled ‘Nations of Wind Country’ with a rather plain looking cover. He handed the book to Kanmuri. ”I can’t speak to the engagement level required of this one, but it should contain a fairly descriptive account of Soon’s Haven’s formation, political structure, and place in this world. If you’d like to know about it’s culture, we’d have to go over to the Anthropology section.”

Next was the juicier bits. ”As for Ancients...I imagine we might have some luck in the History section...maybe Biology, if that’s your take on it?” He didn’t want to rush things. Didn’t want to appear hasty. He’d let the kid lead this interaction, and when the time was right…

’...well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.’ Yatamaru would not blow this opportunity. He couldn’t afford to.

 

[Kanmuri]

“Oh, don’t worry about it kid! I wasn’t looking where I was going, either.”</B><i></i> Luckily for Kanmuri, his scatter thoughts wouldn’t have any immediate repercussions. His small size and cute features would be what saved his this time around. Standing at four foot six, Kanmuri, miraculously, was grateful for his short stature and child features; this time they had saved him and were working towards his benefit. As the boy looked around suspiciously, the man in front of him did as well. It was actually funny; the young demon was easily, and unknowingly, manipulating the man in front of him.

Upon hearing the word “ancients,” the man’s face would morph into one a mixed emotions. There was surprise but there also seemed to be a sprinkle of interest on his face as well. “Hmm, Soon’s Haven and Ancients, huh? That’s quite an interesting request for one so young, you know. Why would a young boy like you be interested in such things?”<i></i> The red-eyed man would take a pause in between his words, and smile. To the ten year old, it seemed like his young features had just betrayed him after seemingly helping the young demon. He was about to open his mouth in retaliation before the man would continue speaking, “You’re quite the curious one, aren’t you? Don’t worry, I think I can help you out.”<i></i>

He had dodged a bullet. Had he opened his mouth and respond to the man’s pause with a disrespectful remark, things could have turned out very differently. Luckily for the demon, they hadn’t, and with a motioning of his hands the black haired man would walk down one of the aisles and give the youth a tour. “This is the Political History section. As the name implies, it contains books related to the history of politics: this would be where we’ll find information regarding Soon’s Haven.”<i></i> The pair would stop and the eyes of the taller man would begin to scan the different books that surrounded them. After his eyes landed on a location, the man with blood colored eyes would raise his hand to the books before tracing the spines of all of them as if he was looking for a specific book. “It should be around here...somewhere...aha!”<i></i> His fingers would stop on a manuscript of some kind. It looked plain and unremarkable in appearance, but based on the title, it seemed to have the necessary information. “‘Nations of Wind Country’...” Whispering the title to himself, Kanmuri couldn’t wait to read all on it. He was tired of “being out off the loop.” From now on, he would have as much information as he possibly could. The boy didn’t have any aspirations to be a scribe or Oracle as of yet; right now, all he wanted was to get educated.

A smile would begin to show on the ten year old’s face as the book was handed to him. The feeling, weight, smell, and excitement were just a few of the many feelings that Kanmuri would make note of upon receiving his first book. However, it would be the man that reminded him of his second reason for coming to the library. <B>“I can’t speak to the engagement level required of this one, but it should contain a fairly descriptive account of Soon’s Haven’s formation, political structure, and place in this world. If you’d like to know about its culture, we’d have to go over to the Anthropology section. As for Ancients...I imagine we might have some luck in the History section...maybe Biology, if that’s your take on it?”<i></i>

Oh yea, I need to learn about Ancients too! Kanmuri thought to himself with a smile, but Kanmuri didn’t completely agree with the thoughts of his adult advisor. “Biology? I don’t think so, Mister. Ancients are like gods--scratch that--they are gods. If an acient were to ever release its aura. All in proximity would bow.”<i></i> They scarlet eyes of the boy seemed to be brimming with confidence. Either he was firm in his stance about ancients or he had the experience to back up his claim; it was the latter. “If they had to be in any section, it wouldn’t be Biology. I think Mythology would be appropriate. Wouldn’t you agree?”<i></i> The ten year old’s words were scarily confident and intense--similar to kids who swore that there were monsters under their beds. One could only wonder how the adult would react.

 

[Kazu]

This kid sure seemed excited about books. There weren’t many children who were. This begged the question: what was his interest in these subjects?

The red-eyed Yatamaru watched with interest the way the young boy seemed to cradle the boring manuscript. Yatamaru imagined that, once faced with the reality of how much reading, cross-checking, verifying, and over all catching up he would need to do just to begin to understand such a dense book, he’d come to understand that things probably wouldn’t be as easy as he thought it might be. Yet the child’s enthusiasm didn’t come from no where.

Soon’s Haven and Ancients? Where had the ANBU heard that combination before?

“Biology? I don’t think so, Mister. Ancients are like gods--scratch that--they are gods. If an Ancient were to ever release its aura, all in proximity would bow.”<i></i> The kid was cocky. Confident. Knowledgeable, or perhaps maybe foolhardy? For such a rare subject, with seemingly few people interested in studying what everyone knew to be a myth at best, or a closed chapter of history at the worst, this kid sure seemed convinced of himself. Yatamaru suddenly had changed his view of the boy — no longer a pawn, this child was a bishop. He had value, in the form of knowledge.

”Oh? I didn’t realize I was speaking to an expert.” He smiled innocently at the child, almost patronizingly. It was the look an adult gives a child when they’ve said something ‘cute’ or ‘precious.’

“If they had to be in any section, it wouldn’t be Biology. I think Mythology would be appropriate. Wouldn’t you agree?”<i></i>

”Of course. How foolish of me. Though, I wonder...” his voice began to trail off as he lazily turned in place, reorienting himself within the library, ”...it seems you know exactly what you’re looking for. I wonder, what ever do you need me for?” He gave the kid a sideways glance, a sly smile, filled with knowing and playful strife. He was toying with the kid, who obviously didn’t know his way around but knew what he’d need when he saw it.

He would chide the child a little more, adding in, ”Although, it seems clear to me what it is you’re really after, little boy. Tell me, are you sure you can keep your secret safe for long? Did you really think I wasn’t going to find out with you so obviously and carelessly flaunting your motives about? Come now, do I really look that dumb? That clueless?” He was pressing the child. Playing to his motives. Smoking him out. Backing him into a corner, making him think there was no way out, except for him to come clean and admit it already. Admit the secret reason he was so interested in the country that Sunagakure was, currently, waging war against, and the long-dead enemy of mankind, shinobi, and mortals everywhere. The pressure, by now, must be choking at the kid. ”You’re a big history nerd, aren’t you?”

What? That was it? Talk about anti-climactic. Or was it? The red-eyed, black haired, adult would watch the child carefully. ”Don’t worry, I won’t tell the other kids how big of a bookworm you are. But what does ‘a bookworm’ call himself?” He gave the kid a smile, then pointed behind him. ”Come on, bookworm. Mythology is over this way.”