Moonrunners [Entering Country/Kuroyuki/Kuda/Yomoko/Kage]

[Akechi]

Akechi read about the Moon Country in one of Iwagakure’s history books. According to those books, the place was isolated from the rest of the world. South of the Lightning Country, east of the desolate Fire Country, the Moon Country was the ideal place for a bunch of vagabonds to travel to. There was a shinobi village in the area but the village was under the control of some sort of religious organization; a corrupt organization that seemed to pull strings from behind the scenes. As ironic as this probably sounds, that was a blessing in disguise. It meant that their corruption would allow Akechi’s group relatively free movement within the country without fear of being caught. It also meant that an organization, and not a person or a symbol ran this place. In other words, replacing that organization would place them at the top of this place’s hierarchy. Somewhat of a base of operations…

”Ladies, I introduce you to the Moon Country. Watch your step as you allow your feet to grace this beautiful sand.” Yeah. He was excited to be here. He was here to bring change, a new beginning, and a bold and new direction for a world that had lost itself. Sure, some may have thought the man to be somewhat of a crazed zealot, but he truly believed in this form of extremism. After all, it was the path that he had carved out for himself. ”What promise did you make to, Ashuri-chan? I’m quite curious about it. I didn’t know that Ashuri had met anyone else other than a rather boisterous ANBU and myself. I’m glad to see her broadening her horizons.” The man laughed, jumping off of the ferry with a gigantic grin pasted across his face. Yup. He was ecstatic. I mean, he had to be the one guy that was generally excited to visit another country, especially when he was around these two. Kudaranai was just “curious” about everything, and Ashuri wasn’t much for emotions. Someone had to be the “tourist” of the bunch.

”Ashuri. You hungry?” He questioned. The Uchiha wanted to take care of her this time. He felt bad the way things went the last time, and he wanted to make up for it. Just a bit more guidance this time.

[Country Entered!]

 

[Sekuro]

Date: Saturday
Time: 11:48AM
Location: Moon Country: Western Shore[/right]

Ferry? Kagemaru didn't need no stinkin ferry. The Hyuuga had decided that he would catch up to Akechi as fast as possible once he realized the sizable lead that he had on him. As he followed the trail from Earth Country, Kage noticed that there were others traveling with him. One chakra in particular was that of Kuroyuki. The world was a very small one indeed. She had mentioned that she had an Uchiha friend and Kagemaru wanted to meet him. However, as luck would turn out, Kagemaru had already met the man prior to meeting Kuroyuki. Irony was afoot. He was wearing his newly bought clothes that resembled those of a traditional monk. Long white sleeves with black satin trimming, a silk black blindfold to mask his glowing eyes. Kagemaru had truly changed his wardrobe since he'd met Akechi and Kuroyuki. There was a reason for this but this was not the time for that.

The initial journey took him about a day. However, once he realized that he would need to cross water, Kagemaru gathered his stamina and prepared for a long haul across the vast expanse of water that was between Earth and Moon. The distance was nothing like the actual distance from the ground they stood on to the actual moon in the sky, but Kagemaru was beginning to feel the proverbial burn after a few hours of running across water. However he needed the work out. The overly sighted Hyuuga had been lax in his training since coming back to this dimension but this was a nice wake up call for him telling him he needed to get back into the swing of things.

With some luck, Kagemaru managed to catch up to the group just as they were arriving on shore. His suspicions were correct and Kuroyuki was indeed with Akechi as well as an unidentified individual. Deciding to make an entrance, and a flashy one at that, Kagemaru used one of his favorite short range transportation techniques, Flock of Shadows to bridge the distance from his current location to show up just in front of Akechi. Dispersing into a flock of black birds while still off on the horizon to those with normal eyesight Kagemaru would fly through the sky as flock and once within range of the 3-celled squad before him, he would reform his original shape in front of Akechi.

This must be the Uchiha friend you mentioned earlier Kuroyuki-hime-chan. Making a small opening joke to bridge the interruption that was his entrance. Kage was fond of calling Kuroyuki "hime" because of her doll like exterior and small stature, it was somewhat of an inside joke for himself to enjoy because when he grew up, his only friend in the world was often called "hime" or "princess" because of her nature. More so used as a term of endearment. Kagemaru had decided to bequeath this title unto Kuroyuki since his friend Sumina had been lost to him. The girl wouldn't know this of course but if she asked why he called her that, maybe he'd tell her. Or he would just lie about his reasons. At this point, Kage was likely to do either. Lying was something that he'd grown to do even on a subconscious level. Always justifying his reasons for it with some form of logic or another, but the end result was that he simply wasn't fond of people knowing the truth unless he deemed it necessary.

Its nice to see you again Akechi. Nodding to the Uchiha to whom he had a sort of respect for. Kagemaru was usually respectful for those with Doujutsu, specifically Byakugan and Sharingan users. Due to owning a Byakugan himself as well as his best and oldest friend in life having the Sharingan. He understood the pain that they went through with their eye strain more so then most people who didn't have the Sharingan. His own eyes were constantly active so strain and overuse was periodic. He also knew how powerful those eyes were and they only served to amplify the skills of the person behind them. So Uchihas or even those who were not Uchiha but owned the eyes by whatever means were to be respected at least a little bit. Looking over to the unknown third party, Kage would acknowledge her existence.

I'm Kagemaru. No one of any particular importance. There was no hiding his identity. Two of the people here already knew who he was. So his real name would have to be used. He didn't like revealing his real name to strangers but in Akechi's case, he was compelled to do so due to the company of those who were there. One of which was a demon who was probably reading his thoughts. Lying was not an option in that situation. In Kuroyuki's case, he felt comfortable around her which was odd considering her inner composition was anything but inviting or warm.

Looks like I managed to catch up in time. He was calm through the whole process. Choosing to convey body language that showed he was comfortable around the others. This was not the actual case though. He was nervous. Small as she was, Kuroyuki still had a powerful amount of chakra inside her. She wasn't weak and she was the only one he'd actually known which he'd only known for a few hours. The other three were equally powerful and of the three others he only knew that Akechi was an Uchiha which was troublesome enough. The other two were a mystery outside of what he could see with his Byakugan.

[ooc: If you guys have any distinguishing features that would lead to conclusions about your character (ex: Having no internal organs - being a human puppet) that are visible... please note them so that I can oocly know what I'm supposed to know ICly. Cause if I don't know it oocly, then I can't know it ICly even if I'm supposed to be able to know it ICly. Thanks in advance. (I'd prefer you guys to tell me then look up your profiles)]

 

[Yomoko]

(OOC: I didn't come with Akechi, Kagemaru. I traveled on my own. Was reading your post and said "His suspicions were correct and Kuroyuki was indeed with Akechi as well as two unidentified individuals" Just so you know ahead of time and for future posts. not trying to be a jerk or anything, just an fyi. I know the title is a little misleading lol)
(OOC: Just a big picture, safe for work)

Spoiler

Until Kane had a game plan on where to go or how to request the village for work, it wouldn't be smart to deal with them just yet. He figured while he was in the area he might as well enjoy the scenery. He went around the village, which took only a few hours of his high speed moving like the wind. Mastering the Base Elements was his goal and wind was the last one he was still working on perfecting. He had a new goal in life. He couldn't become a true Chakra master unless he Mastered every, single, element. And he would do just that. He would learn not only the base elements, but the advanced elements too. It would take him a while, possibly the rest of his life to do so. However, he would attempt and complete this goal. There had to be a way for him to gain more power. A hidden technique... no... maybe a forbidden one. One that the villages deem unholy. One that wouldn't be safe behind the gates of their precious homes. This wasn't a blood lust for power. This had become a blood lust for knowledge.

He saw a group of people come off the ferry and someone meeting them what seemed like a type of shadow jutsu that he had never seen before. Possibly unique to a bloodline? Whichever the case it was definitely unique and different. Kane smiled at the thought of a new technique to learn. He decided to be a little "flashy" himself, getting close the group and using his Dark Displacement {master rank} to re-appear about a foot and a half away from where the other flashy guy was standing (Kagemaru). People were showing up faster than flies dropping.

"Afternoon everyone, hope I'm not intruding too much. Seems like you guys got quite the party going on here. Name's Masutaa Kane, but you can just call me Kane, ex-Chakra Master of Kirigakure now a Mercenary at your service. And you all are? The best thing about meeting new people is not needing to know who they really were. They could be whomever they wanted to be. His voice was emotionless. He slightly despised un-needed chit chat so he got out the important information out of the way immediately. There was no need to waste time when money could be made elsewhere. Or maybe it wasn't money Kane was after. Maybe it was a purpose in life... something to now live for sense his village was now frozen over an icy wasteland. His chakra was being contained at the moment{Chakra retainer} but if anyone had their doujutsu activated they could see a flowing stream of green chakra all around his body. Having so much due to his clans inheriting abilities was sometimes hard to keep all bodied up inside of him. He could tell that the two men and the older woman were all somewhat accomplished shinobi and all able to handle themselves just fine. Hopefully he hadn't pissed off anyone just yet. He needed a purpose in this world and personal goals just wasn't going to cut it for him anymore. Maybe it was time for a lone wolf, to run with the pack.

WC: 539
mft

 

[Rise]

It has been sometime since she had last seen such opened waters. To be precise, her last voyage was from the icy barren land known as Kirigakure to the lands of Iwagakure. The woman didn’t necessarily know what would have come of this journey, but she was particular interested in what its end result would have been. For most part, Kudaranai had kept herself away from Akechi and Ashuri, because let’s be honest here, the two seemed as if they had one of those weird intimate brother/sister relationships, where adding another odd ball to their group would be screaming for attention now. But it did give the woman some time to speak amongst some of the tourists and natives who been back and forth from the Moon Country so she could get a better understanding of their culture and civilization. It was interesting to hear that it was yet another religiously influenced country which was quite similar to Iwagakure in regards to that standard, just not as backward. She had also heard that the country didn’t have a “shinobi village” parse but was instead ruled by the leading members of the Shrine. This was great news for the scientist, it only meant she would have some wiggle room to traverse the town. The less amount of shinobi, the better. But then again, her choices of “Materials” tended to be rather tricky….

Finally, their journey at sea was at its end as the ferry reached port. It was the usual formalities by the people as they got in line leaving the boat, finally being able to step foot on solid land beneath their feet which seemed as if it has been forever since their last meeting. It was a new land which brought new possibilities, but as far as where she was heading she didn’t have a clue. Luckily, there was the fearless leader, shounen warrior, Akechi, at the scene to direct the woman. Because if she was to be left to her own devices, she would have already wandered off- which she would do after the meeting has come to an end. She couldn’t risk getting lost in all places.

“Messy Hair-kun, you can be rather cold for an Uchiha. Don’t you see there is another lady here who could be hungry too?”</B><i></i>, she would comment rather casually as her eyes scanned the bay. She didn’t necessarily “care” one way or the other, but she did have to give the impression of being human-like, after all that’s what great puppeteers were trained for, their very art was to fool masses with false emotions. Emotions that looked so convincing that it became true. But having this peculiar body, it had become somewhat harder for Kudaranai to correct her quirky mannerisms because now she was merely grinning baring her shark like teeth- making her look quite suspicious, menacing even.

Thankfully, the appearance of one man whom manifested from a flock of black birds snapped her from her gaze. But really, if someone wanted to be subtle, this wasn’t the way to go about it but luckily no normal person was able to realize his sudden appearance. It was a young man wearing robes and a black blindfold to cover his eyes. Of course, the first thing the woman would question was as to why? Growing up under her mentor, the first thing he had taught her was to always look at the initial problem then work from there. It was a rather methodical approach in approaching any problem and quite a good one at that as it made Kudaranai a tad more perceptive than most. But could she simply ask or should she simply go with the flow of the conversation? The woman wasn’t entirely sure if he was blind or whether he was simply hiding his dojutsu. Onamuji and Akechi both had special eyes, so it wouldn’t have surprised her if there were more of them amongst this supposed “alike” minded people. She surely hoped so, it only meant more chances to gather rare materials. But as the conversation progressed, the man seemingly was able to greet the appropriate people and somehow knew where they were. Quite interesting….

“Oh- Kage…maru..”, the woman baffling said his name correctly on the first try without assigning him a random nickname. “Greetings. My name is Kudaranai. Freelance Scientist.”<i></i> She was quite formal and actually smiled, it was a fake smile that probably would have been noticeably by those whom equally played the role of a Jester, but to learn more of these people, she needed to be trusted by them. But her curiosity, it just held no bounds. She just needed to know to satiate that bothersome tick within her wooden cranium as the gear just couldn’t smoothly run. “Kage-kun, you are not blind are you?”

After she had asked her question, another man suddenly approached the group, quite flashily may I add, emerging himself from what would be the very shadows themselves. It seemed shadowy figures was the in thing these days. But the man whom called himself Kane did make a comment that struck home. Kirigakure. It had been a while since she had met any Kirigakurians. If she remembered correctly, the last was Hoshikata, the ex-Kage and Keiatsu. “Kirigakure… “<i></i>, the woman would merely mutter under her breath. <B>“It’s been some time since I’ve heard the name. The name of my second home… It’s almost as if the place doesn’t exist anymore the way people speak of it.”

Either ways, for those whom had the ability to concentrate on chakra or the ability to see through beyond the exterior of things, would have realized that the woman’s body wasn’t natural. On the surface it may have looked human, but the flesh was a synthetic material created to mask over her puppet like body. The only thing considered human like was the fleshy core lodged within the center of her chest. Her entire body was being moved by very thin almost invisible chakra strings that protruded from the core in a lace like motion. Also, she wasn’t wearing anything too out there. She was wearing her stitched up lab coat, brown slacks and sandals. It wasn’t hard to really guess her occupation at first glance.

[Marked]

((Country Entered. Final paragraph is simply just the descriptions XD.))

 

[Muramasa Maya]

Ugh....water. "..." No, she didn't get motion or sea-sickness; but nonetheless, the pale genin was distraught (not that her blank expressions showed much of it). "......." Her distraught was entirely because, well, she was irrationally afraid of water that was too deep to see the bottom. She knew that even if she did fall over the side of the boat, that she'd be able to either chakra-walk back over to the boat, or zipline her way back with the use of some of the plethora of fibers within herself. Providing she was able to keep herself calm enough to use chakra in the first place. "..............................." Even if she looked just as expressionless and stoic throughout the trip as she normally did, Ashuri was pretty high-tensioned for the duration of the sea-travel, to the point where she may as well have been glued to Akechi's side despite the fact that she was practically silent and said little more than a one-word comment here and there...

So, when they finally arrived to the land, the genin-away-from-home was all-too eager to run off the boat and enjoy the feeling of the sand against her bare feet. The whole thing almost made her seem like an entirely normal child once you ignored the stitches across her legs and forearms...providing one could catch a glimpse of them despite Ashuri wearing a several-sizes-too-large grey cloak to hide herself in during the trip. (Which she "found" amongst the ships supplies, likely for use during a storm at sea).

As for her gradually approaching hunger? Perhaps her unease on the boat hastened it, because surely she noticed it moreso now than when she left. "I am." She confirmed in a straight voice. "....Being nervous makes me hungry. Or maybe its just boats." She added. Once he was settled in, she wouldn't mind dragging Akechi along to meet the locals...
...But aside from that, there was something else she wanted to do. Kuda-san, or colorful-onee-san, was so...well, pretty in Ashuri's eyes. Seeing her stirred up memories best left forgotten, reawakened certain impulses that she felt they shared, entirely unrelated to her horror hunger. Although she was in entirely unfamiliar territory and knew she could easily get lost, she felt tempted to wander off on her own to satisfy her own curiosity.

Speaking of curiosity; his entrance certainly sparked it, and and cheered her up a bit after her near-traumatic trip across the sea (Those waves =( ). "....That was cool." She admitted, her emerald eyes gazing upon the blindfolded man, half-expecting him to burst into crows or vanish as some type of genjutsu. Based on his appearance, she was really, really starting to question whether he had told her the truth when the first met about not being a monk. Doubly so considering that this was Kagemaru, who had unintentionally taught the genin about deceit during their brief adventure. "...I didn't know you already knew Akechi. Or that you'd be here. But I'm glad you are." She spoke, managing a weak smile; that was pretty much as expressive as she could get without faking expressions. Regardless, she wasn't too surprised that they knew of eachother; it was only natural to classify two special doujutsu wielders into the same group. It kinda made her envious...although she conceded that her eyes were special too; she could crush them and have her less-than-perfect vision back to normal by the end of the week. Granted, that regrowth wasn't limited to just her eyes...

"Akechi...Kuda..Kudaranai...Kagemaru...Kane." She repeated their names, mostly to herself. Three of which she knew to be powerful, skilled; it made sense for her to assume that the man she didn't know, Kane, also fit in as well. (Something is going on.) She thought to herself; though she was naive to the world outside Iwa, it didn't take a genius to figure out. She was curious to see what would cause so many people to gather, here on this remote island of all places. "...Hello." She spoke out blandly, unsure how she was supposed to react in this situation, and therefore unable to choose an emotion to mimic.

...To hide her unease, she pulled up the hood of her oversized cloak. Considering they were on a bright and sunny beach, that didn't look suspicious at all, right?

[MFT]

 

[Akechi]

“Nice to see you again, Akechi.”

Those words were spoken by a very familiar, yet unexpected voice. After all, Akechi figured that a mercenary that sought nothing but money would’ve ignored the invitation to join a greater cause than obtaining monetary value. However, Kagemaru had surprised Akechi once again. Not only did he track the Uchiha from another country, but he also managed to conceal his chakra from him. Well… at least he masked his presence somewhat. Akechi had a feeling that he was being followed. Not just that, but he also seemed to know of Ashuri and the alias of the demon that possessed her. Perhaps the two females that accompanied Akechi were impressed by his prowess, but Akechi was more skeptical than anything.

There was a question that needed an answer, and its answer wasn’t as simple as “friend or foe.” No, the real question was if the man was an obstacle to Akechi or would he serve as a beneficial aid in his quest for change. It was a question that needed to be answered, and in time it would be. ”You as well. Tell me. How do you know, Ash--” No. That wasn’t the name that she had given him, and he honestly wanted to know why she had decided to change it. Was it that Akechi had failed at concealing or at least controlling her true nature? Was he truly blind to the beast that lay within the girl? Just how foolish had he been? ”Kuroyuki-hime-chan?” The pause in his words was quite deliberate, stopping to glance over at Ashuri before finishing his question. Kagemaru was a merc with no apparent ambitions other money. What was Ashuri doing with a man like that? Genuine curiosity or something more? It would be the second time that Akechi’s dependability would be called into question by a woman that he claimed to protect.

It didn’t sit well with him…

”Mercenaries, like yourself.” He answered, speaking on behalf of everyone aside from Kudaranai, who identified herself a mad scientist. That wasn’t what she said but that’s what she meant. ”Kane-san, was it? My name is Akechi, a man that once lost his home as you did.” Akechi commented, folding his arms as he spoke with a purpose. Kirigakure, Sunagakure, Konohagakure, Iwagakure… it was all the same to him. The promise of safety within these villages only lasted while the ideals of that village did. Without them, they’d perish and the minds of those villagers with them. People become lost, mindless ghouls that wandered the world in search of purpose. Or something like that…

”For awhile I felt lost… until I decided to change what had crushed my home.” Akechi mused, grinning as he turned back toward Kudaranai. ”You don’t look like you eat, Kuda-chan. I can’t tell you’re your body would be able to digest. But if you want to eat something, I’m sure Kuroyuki-hime-chan wouldn’t mind sharing.” Again alluding the fact that Kudaranai wasn’t entirely human. Ashuri’s body seemed to only be able to find nourishment in human flesh, so what did Kudaranai’s body need for nourishment? It was a joke but he truly did want to know. In fact, it was cruel irony that he suggested a test… just as she would.

”Kirigakure doesn’t exist. It is a winter wonderland now, buried under nothing but ice.” Akechi spoke, kneeling over toward Ashuri and making gestures that resembled an ice storm. Of course, he had no idea if she’d get his reference. She never did tell them just how far she had gotten in these books of hers.

 

[Sekuro]

Date: Saturday
Time: 11:52AM
Location: Moon Country: Western Shore​

His appearance was welcomed in much the same way that he'd expected. It was also met with a greeting from the female of whom he didn't know. He'd seen it from the moment that they were within his eyesight. Which was miles away, that she could hardly be called human. But as she concealed her identity much like Kagemaru concealed his eyes, he could understand why she did as she did. He also had a new story to tell Ginjiro when he saw the boy again. Kagemaru had come face to face with an actual Human Puppet. Perhaps a bit of information from her could help Ginjiro with his dilemma.

I'll tell you if you tell me how you became a heart in a shell. A smirk went across his face as he said it. It was mildly amusing to him but he could also tell that his words may have been seen as somewhat rude. He'd meant no disrespect, but she was literally little more then what he'd said. A heart that pumped chakra to the rest of the body, Kage could see it working quite clearly but he didn't have any idea how it was working. That was sometimes the trouble with his eye sight. He could see everything, but just because he could see it didn't mean he understood it. By his words she could come to the conclusion that he wasn't blind. Though it was also possible that he could simply 'sense' things like that while being blind. Hypothetically speaking, due to being a puppet, she had no organs other than her heart, so she wouldn't have the smell of a human. Had Kagemaru been of the Inuzuka clan or any other similar clan, he could have discerned her insides (with far less accuracy) by smelling her. Had he been of the Hashigaki his sense of hearing would have picked up the hollow beating of her heart encased inside what was clearly not lungs and a ribcage. The resulting sound could have tipped him off. However, Kage was a Hyuuga and one blessed with particularly enhanced eyes. So he could visibly see her insides. Whichever conclusion she came to would be of her own logical process. Just how smart was this freelance scientist? Kage had already laid the first probe to test her out. It was a habit he'd developed over the years. Speak or act in a way to gauge the reaction of those around him. This aided in him creating a profile of the person's personalities. It was his job as an ANBU to gather information and he was quite literally built for it. Looking to Ashuri, she also voiced her joy at Kage's arrival. It was ironic that they were here due to how they left each other last.

It seems that the business that we both had to take care of the last we met was one and the same. When we return to Iwa, we can conclude what we started there as well. Turning to Akechi who asked a particularly interesting question, Kage had an even bigger smirk on his face in response to that question. Also this was his attempt at feigning comfort around the group. The more he projected confidence and joked, showed that he was comfortable around them. At least thats what he concluded would be the result.

...Ashuri? Was that what you were going to call her? We met in a temple. Had some good conversation. She thought I was a monk. Good times... goooood times. His demeanor was one of being in a relatively good mood. Continuing to take the entire situation very casual even though Akechi was clearly suspicious of him; and for good reason; Kage continued.

Ah... Thats a good question Akechi. One words won't answer. You'll just have to wait and see what happens. After all, anything I say means very little if you don't trust me right? The true question is where is the trust? Then a new comer showed up. Much like Kagemaru, but Kage actually knew the technique he used. Kage was rather fond of that one as well. So much so, that Kage decided to voice as much to the stranger.

I'm rather fond of that technique myself Mr.Kane. Alluding to the fact that Kagemaru also knew and used that technique. It hinted at his general combat strategy, which was usually a no-no in the espionage game. But for this particular instance, Kage figured that planting this particular seed may come in handy one day.

And it seems like this is a gathering of misfits and orphans. I happened to lost my home as well. I'm originally from Leaf. But I was trapped in an other dimensional prison for a few years while it was being overthrown. Eventually I was released, and here I am. But you can call me Kage. The super-abridged version of the past few years of his life, but he was now trying to move things alone. Introductions were over so what was next?

So the reason we're here... Is that gonna start any time soon? I was thinking of getting something to eat before it all started. He didn't know Kane, so he wouldn't flat out state what they were doing in Moon, but simply allude to it. Akechi was surely smart enough to pick up on the gesture. Unlike the ones he'd met previously, he wasn't so quick to divulge sensitive information. Or he liked to think that he wasn't. Kagemaru didn't really have much information that was actually sensitive. Ultimately he liked to just play with words and keep people in the dark but that was on a subconscious level. To his conscious mind, he was always justified in his actions. Did that make him crazy? However, as they all conversed, Kagemaru had been stealthily recording their chakra with Snapshot He could only retain three of them so he would keep Akechi's, and also gained Kuroyuki's and Kuda's. Kane was not as important at the moment. Taking note of all their chakra would allow him to track them. This technique was also very sneaky as it was done simply by looking at an individual. No handseals required or expulsion of chakra. It was also how he tracked Akechi to this location but that would remain a secret for the time being.

[Marked]

 

[Yomoko]

Kane smiled to the youngest girl first as she said hello and spoke back "Hello to you too little one." His voice was polite in gentle as he gave her a small head bow out of respect for the young lady. Teach them mannerisms young and they learn to be killers when they are older. Though it was not his intention to teach her mannersims or how to kill, as it seemed she had two people that were capable of doing both.

Kage commented on Kane's entrance and Kane nodded politely to him "Its one of my favorite ways of making an entrance when I see someone else using such a flashy entrance themselves. You will have to teach me that jutsu you used one day Kage-san." He was keeping the conversation light, that was until he heard the other woman's voice and what she had said. Kane kept his emotions buried on the subject, still unsure on how to exactly feel about the cause. Though the one known as Akechi added to it. Kane's face stayed emotionless and carefree. He was a Mercenary now. His village was no more and it wouldn't ever be coming back. The past needed to be in the past and a new beginning would be started today.

Kane did a small mental note, just like the small girl did Akechi, Kage, Doctor, little girl with two names and don't know which one is correct.... got it

But apparently Kane was gate crashing on some type of meeting from what he gathered from Kagemaru's words of subtlety. He looked to Akechi and spoke to him And how do you plan on changing it? I'd say the same about mine, but I can't control nature, I can control the elements of chakra but not nature itself. He would pause for a moment and then add on to that last comment with an offer "... so maybe I can help you change what happened to your home. Its not like I have any family left, they all died in the frozen wasteland that Kirigakure came to be." If Kane could make a difference, even if it was in a way others would frown upon, that would be a personal goal accomplished for him. To change the world... now that would be a feat for a group larger than one present.

 

[Rise]

A mischievous grin surfaced to the woman’s lips as Akechi began to question her eating habits. To believe he was becoming more aware of her true form as time progressed. Though, she did know who or what exactly was the culprit of this man’s bizzare insight. It was his crimson hues known as the Sharingan. She could never forget the first moment she had laid eyes on this magnificent find. Yet he continued to intrigue her the more they’ve been together. Her curiosity simply continued to bloom. She wanted to know how far those eyes could possible see. How much they could uncover and ravel. To what limits. She wanted to know them. This must have been what it felt like to be a starving dog. To have food simply dangling before your eyes but unable to touch or even get a taste of it. Just how long could she control herself… Poisoning him wouldn’t be wrong, right?

But what came next dumbfounded the woman within her tracks, at least from what words had left the lips of the blindfolded man known as Kagemaru. He was dead on which was far too close for comfort or was it merely a coincidence? But never had she heard of any old sayings much less any sayings such as that which made her realize that this man wasn’t just any average ol’ joe as he made himself to be. “Poor Ashuri-chan. If she was to follow down the path of you two. Who knows what kind of Yankee she will become.” Quickly insinuating how uncouth the two men were, there was a high chance that Ashuri would have grown into a troubled youth. But what a laugh it would have been if Ashuri actually became a “Japanese thug”, it actually would have been far less dangerous than being a sociopath. So maybe, it was for the best. Nonetheless, the woman was merely having her own little fun. It wasn’t often she was able to speak so casually with people and as long as she had. Because on most occasions it was always business. Pleasure came from producing results. She never really had any reason to be social with any one person or thing unless it was for research. But when you thought about it completely, her own reasons for joining along these people was in fact just that, research. A being such as herself had no compassion within her heart to simply join because she found the affectionate display between Akechi and Ashuri to be cute and loveable as a brother and sister would. Ahh no, she wanted to chop Ashuri into pieces and see what made her tick. But of course, unlike her other prey she would surely put her back together… hopefully in one piece <3

Her rosy colored eyes would then focus at Kagemaru accompanied by a rather faint smile, “A woman simply doesn’t bare themselves with just any man. There is always a cost and my price is far too high.” The comment may have sounded *off* and a tad more adult than intended. But Ashuri (being the minor) probably wouldn’t have realized she was playing with words yet warning Kagemaru in a rather subtle way.

The conversation between the men was just as amusing. To believe little Ashuri was so important to them, it made her realize how valuable the child was. The woman would only grin with mischief knowing there may exist a kryptonite amongst them. But as Akechi made further mention about not being able to digest. The woman would quickly retort breaking from her rather ominous stare on the child.

“I’m no longer hungry for that kind of fulfillment. I know exactly what I want~”</B><i></i>

<B>“Either ways, shouldn’t we be on our way to this supposed meeting? I think Kage-san could probably survive till then.” Well, the woman probably seemed a bit brash towards the end but time was of essence, and truly, there was no other being whom could probably understand the definition of time more so than Kudaranai. She lived outside of it.

 

[Muramasa Maya]

"....."

He seemed confused. The Uchiha didn't speak as slowly as Ashuri herself did, but the pauses were enough cues for her to pick up on that something puzzled him about Kagemaru. His appearance? Or the 'hime-chan' suffix that she enjoyed?
...It never occurred to her to mention that she decided to keep her "Ashuri" name private. The name was a memento of her -past-, and didn't describe the person she felt she was now...And yet, she wanted to still hear that name on occasion, if only for the sake of reassuring herself she still existed. Likewise, "Kuroyuki" was a name she wanted to describe her in the -future-, idolizing the entity of the same name lurking in her shadow. Both names were correct. Both names were wrong. At this point with everyone knowing both names, she didn't really mind what she called; "...Call me Miss Poison Pebble. No, Poison Boulder."
...
....
.....It was a joke. Unfortunately, the genin's expressionally-challenged gestures and dull voice made communicating 'nonsense' difficult, and made it come off as serious. She was cursed to be just as bad as sending humor as she was at receiving it, unfortunately.

...Moving on. "Kagemaru is...someone I trust. He helped me." For what it was worth, the twisted-minded genin vouched for the Hyuuga to the Uchiha. Sure, he seemed very adept at hiding the whatever information he felt he needed to hide, but...he must've had his reasons. Regardless, Ashuri hadn't ever felt threatened around him; Kagemaru had plenty of opportunities to point her out to various religous zealots of Stone, and even defended her against that Ryujin woman...If that wasn't worth her trust, then she would certainly have been fooled. Perhaps she was still naive. "I think...You could trust him, too, Akechi."

"You can eat with me, Kudaranai." Although her end goal was the sharingan-warrior, she was perfectly content with the idea of sharing with others. She hadn't been able to introduce the Uchiha into cannibalism...yet. But she was persistent about the oddest of things, and would certainly keep trying; her goals weren't abstract and world changing, but something more simple and concrete. Like sharing a meal. "I won't charge..." She spoke, not quite comprehending exactly what Kuda meant with prices. As far as money went, the revenant girl had little use for it, preferring scavenging methods such as how she obtained her cloak. Blink. Blink* "...You cost alot?" The genin questioned to the colorful haired mercenary-scientist. "Are...we being paid?" She questioned to her and Akechi. Perhaps she was brought along on some mission of sorts?

As far as Kiri's destruction went...Akechi's gesture confirmed that she did, infact, hear right. *Blink. Blink* "...What I read was that Kiri was one of the most powerful villages of shinobi. If it could be destroyed, then...Villages aren't that unbrea-..umm...'immortal?'..." The cloaked genin commented timidly. Having mostly picked up books from libraries and second-hand shops, most of what she read was abit outdated. No newspaper headlines for her. Perhaps she'd head off and learn of more recent things while everyone taller than her went about this important event they alluded to.

"Akechi...It seems you guys have some kind of work. Do...you want me to go? Or...do I wait somewhere? I'll find something to do." She questioned, wondering what place she had in the Uchiha's reason for being here. Even if they had their own agenda, Ashuri was certain she could find something to hold her attention.

 

[Akechi]

”A heart in a shell? You mean like a puppet?!” Akechi blurted out, one of those occasional instances where his thoughts leaped out into the public. I mean, he had been attempting to place his finger on exactly what this “scientist woman” was this entire time, and look who showed up and spoiled everything. Mr. Stalkermaru in the flesh. It was fitting that he knew exactly what she was though, no matter how infuriating his omniscient act was getting. It just seemed like he was kind of showing off for no reason. ”Ah. Leave it to the Hyuuga to figure that out, I guess.” Ocular powers between the two were leaps and bounds different, in terms of power and insight. The Sharingan’s abilities were steeped in the void of reality while the Byakugan steered toward what was tangible. In terms of insight, Akechi’s Sharingan was underdeveloped, seeing only the irregular chakra pattern of the mad scientist instead of the totality of the system as the Byakugan had done. Though he didn’t fully trust the man, Kagemaru had the potential to become a powerful ally…

Or a worthy adversary…

”Nope. Poison Pebble-hime-chan.” He answered in response to Kagemaru’s assumption, partially giggling as he switched “Ashuri” with Poison Pebble as the young woman had suggested. Small things were entertaining at times. Funny how he could still laugh when the situation was only going to get more serious from here. The Uchiha shuffled his attention back toward Ashuri as his eyebrows raised a bit. The Hyuuga and Ashuri really did know one another from some “business” that they had with one another. To be honest, he wanted to say something about it right then but he was starting to feel like it wasn’t his place. It may not have been some big secret but she kept it from him anyways. Whatever it was, Ashuri seemed to desire Akechi’s ignorance pertaining to her business. As hurtful as it was, the man rose from his knelt position and turned back toward Kane without saying a word. ”You can’t. My loss is irreversible. However, I can right the wrongs of this world… this world that caused my pain and the pain of so many others.”

Akechi then turned his back on the group as he spoke, using Ashuri’s words as a point of reference. ”Villages aren’t unbreakable, Ashuri-chan. Just the opposite in fact. It is because of this that they attempt to survive off of the lives of others, spewing hatred and fear as means of subjugation and oppression. I will stop it. I will change it.” The man took two steps forward before peering over his shoulder at the people that gathered behind him. ”If you are interested, follow me. Same goes for you, Ashuri-chan. If you really want to learn about this world, you’ll come.”

And with that he simply walked off into the distance...

His body beginning to fade into the void as he uttered one last statement…

”The tracker should know where to go.”

[Topic Left/On to that meeting]

 

[Sekuro]

Date: Saturday
Time: 11:58AM
Location: Moon Country: Western Shore​

<i></i>

He understood the woman's joke. A bit adult for a joke, but she kept it moderately clean. Probably due to Kuroyuki's presence in the group. Perhaps she wasn't sure that the young girl was near Kage's actual age. There was no telling how old Kudaranai was as she was simply a heart in a false body.

The fact that you're female may be subject debate too. He said jokingly. Perhaps he was acting a bit more familiar with this woman then he should have been due to this being their first meeting, but Akechi put a stop to the jokes shortly. Akechi had managed to one up the Hyuuga as well with his comment which further proved why he didn't like others knowing much about him. He'd intended to keep it a secret a while longer from the Human Puppet but with his outburst everyone there knew now.

Low blow... He thought to himself while he could do nothing but brandish a somewhat devious smirk that signified that he'd been found out. He was a Hyuuga by blood and his eyes were the reason why he could see what he could. As Akechi left, he expected the group to follow. However, before he vanished, he'd left with a statement putting their hopes of following them on him. Twice now he was one-upped by this Uchiha and in 30 seconds worth of time. He'd pay the doujutsu user back one day. The game was afoot. Though he had to note that this Akechi man would make a powerful ally...

Or a worthy adversary... Once he was gone, there wasn't much left to do but relay what Akechi meant to the group.

Gimme a sec... Taking a second to focus his chakra to his already powerful eyes, Kagemaru was using a technique called Scan to widen his visual range in an attempt to see where Akechi transported to. There was a range to how far one could teleport via the Sharingan and hopefully Kagemaru's eyesight exceeded it. If it did or it just so happened to be that the meeting location wasn't THAT far away, Kagemaru soon had a fix on the location. This was in part due to his chakra sensing Akechi's new location soon as he once again walked in thsi dimension. That told him where Kagemaru should look. Once he knew the direction, it was a simple task to continue to look until he found the man outright with his enhanced vision.

Yeah... its a cave a ways that way. Go straight... He was pointing in the direction of the cave

...In that direction for a while and you should see it. Taking the time to remember that he wanted to help his friend and student Ginjirou, he looked once again to Kudaranai.

Jokes aside, I have a student who is a puppet user. I'm pretty sure his brother turned himself into something similar to you and if you could help me understand how that actually works, I could relay the message to my student and maybe help him figure out his family crisis. But we can talk about that later. You guys are free to go I guess. Don't bother looking for me, I'll find you. He was a tracker after all. He'd scanned Kuda's and Yuki's chakra so he could find them almost anywhere now. However the wild card was still here. Not really Kage's concern, but he'd give him some parting words as well.

Akechi pretty much said you're welcomed to go as well... so I guess if you've got nothing better to do then maybe you should show up. At almost the exact moment he was done talking, his body violently burst into a flock of crows and flew off in the direction he'd previously been pointing in. Flock of Shadows It was such a dramatic technique and overly useful in battle as well. He loved this technique more then almost all his others. Though as he flew away, he realized he didn't say any parting words to Kuroyuki. They would chat later though so it was of no major consequence.

​

 

[Yomoko]

(Ooc: I'm on my phone. Will be back from visiting family on Sunday. Unfortunately i probably won't be able to post again until then)

Kane listened as everyone talked to each other as no one really addressed him until akechi answered his comment. True there would be no way to fix the past but he would be able to help him fix the world for the future. Apparently there was a second meeting that they were going to and he was invited by akechi to come as well. Kane merely nodded as akechi left and kagemaru said a few parting words and telling him how to get there. Kane didn't say a word to the two ladies as the two doujutsu users disappeared in their own way. Kane started to walk the way to the cave and then the next moment the shadows engulfed him and he was gone. Disappearing in his own fashion.

(Topic left)

 

[Rise]

“I can eat with you? Ah such a kind Pebble-nee-chan”, the woman would put her own spin on the already ridiculous name. “That’s only a metaphor”, she further added. “Akechi surely hasn’t taught you much has he?”, the woman eye’s would gaze down at the clueless child, finally tapping atop of her head with the palm of her hand. The woman’s hand would have felt cold, lifeless and a tad heavier than what would have been expected from someone of her slender frame given that the girl has yet to realize she wasn’t “normal”. “But no worries, I will teach you all kinds of things.” What Kudaranai saw in Ashuri was a monster of infinite possibilities. Ever since that day she had seen the girl’s unique ability she became so captivated by it. Never had she seen such dark, dense blood. Blood that moved and was able to mend. What she also saw within the girl’s eyes, it made her weak in the knees merely thinking about it. Yes, the sensation, Ashuri too enjoyed the sight of blood… cutting, tearing into flesh. She had those very eyes when she was a child. Ashuri had the makings of a great scientist if molded appropriately… The possibilities… The woman would have been salivating if she had the capacity to but at this point, she would only be seen with a menacing grin plastered across her face as she stared within the eyes of the oblivious child.

The woman’s gaze would suddenly shift towards Akechi as he mentioned the word “puppet”. It seemed Kagemaru’s insight had become even more of a nuisance, that the Uchiha was finally given the final piece to can make a more appropriate assumption.

“So that’s what YOU are.~”

The woman suddenly chimed in after hearing Akechi’s comments concerning Kagemaru’s “insight”. So her initial hunch was correct, as the man could clearly see. But to believe she had now witnessed three dojutsu users since joining amongst this venture along them. She now realized she had to be careful as to how she exhibited herself amongst these men as lies only seemed to unravel before their miraculous eyes. The woman was becoming all the more eager that her mind slowly began to go off tangent, thinking of all the possibilities of research she could unravel about their eyes, bodies and mental stabilities. All these people were unique. She wanted them all to herself, every last one of them. Her very own test subjects…. Hue hue hue…

“How cruel Kagemaru-san… are you implying that someone as colorful as me could actually be male?”

The Hyuuga however did have a point, as there wasn’t any concrete proof to distinguish whether Kudaranai was actually male or female. But as far as her external appearances and her body type, she had the appropriate curves and guise of womanly organs fixated where they should been, but if she really wanted to, she could have swapped to a more masculine frame and all she would have needed to do was to amend the region down below by adding a bit more skin and an adjustable puppet trap –cough-. Not that she was interested in that kind of thing of course. "Well I guess that is the closest thing of you asking me out on a date?"<i></i>, she jested to her Hyuuga acquaintance after hearing about his student's predicament. It seemed there were far more equally interesting people out there in the world in which she truly she had to meet, people with a similar thought process as herself. She needed to meet this fellow and learn more about his brother...

The conversation amongst them did however come to an abrupt end, especially after Akechi’s speech about bringing justice and changing the world. The woman enjoyed listening to this man speak, not that she entirely agreed but because she enjoyed monitoring people’s behaviorism and their mental state. The more she understood it only bettered her analysis, and she was sure this research would have taken time to complete… but the way they spoke, she wondered if she would have enough time to fully compile what she needed.

Akechi was the first to vanish leaving behind poor Ashuri-chan and the rest. Thankfully, Kagemaru was generous enough to provide a general direction of where the meeting would have been held. So stretching her hand towards Ashuri, she wasn’t sure if Ashuri was comfortable enough to hold her hand or simply remain behind to loiter as she pleased. But if she followed, she would walk with her towards the supposed meeting place. Of course they would have been fashionably late, but they were woman-well at least believed to be so it was understandable.

[Topic Left / To Meeting Grounds]

 

[Muramasa Maya]

*Head tilt left* *Blink Blink*

Well...She wasn't really sure how she felt about the Uchiha's ability to vanish into nothingness. Of course, not that she -planned- to; but -if- she ever wanted to it might be a future complication.
Err, moving on; she didn't really understand what was exchanging between Kuda and the two gifted eyeballers. Was she also different in a way? Sure, her hair was colorful, but the genin didn't think it made that much of an impact. ""

She waved her hand lethargically as Kagemaru and Kane left to whichever event was going to take place...or taking place already given just how obnoxiously rapid each of them burst off. She was half surprised Kagemaru even directed them where to proceed beforehand. Maybe they all had to use the bathroom? It was a long boat trip afterall, and perhaps they needed more privacy than a boat had to offer? If that was the case, Ashuri was thankful that her body no longer had to concern itself with such an inconvenient relief.

Once it was the two of them, Ashuri took Kuda's hand and wasted no time lowering her face to it, with "...I want to smell you." being the only explanation given. Her face never left its perpetually-distant-minded expression. "...I don't smell anything." She finished, at that point tagging along with Kudaranai. Although her smell was nowhere near the levels of a tracker or such, Ashuri did seem to be able to tell certain things when close to a person...or so she thought. Perhaps it meant others just didn't wash enough, but she was unable to tell anything from Kuda, whereas the Uchiha smelled incredibly delicious.

Further inspection may be required.

[Topic Left]