Out of the Valley, Into the Fry Pot [Baba+Kaji] [Private]

[Kagetsu Yuii]

It may have made more sense to some for the Sennin and Commander to call in their veritable army of nins to whisk 'Toko' away to prison, blindfolded and deaf, but in Yuii's mind that was just a wasted opportunity. They were all headed to the same place, so why not walk. There was no danger in giving this kid an inkling of what Kumogakure was like. What was one farm kid, poison kunai and a couple jutsu under his belt or not, going to do against two of Kumogakure's Sennin? Plow them to death? And so they walked. The trek to the Tarterian Specus, Cloud's above-ground prison, with him and Kaji in tow, was neither arduous nor lengthy, and it featured views of Kumogakure throughout the walk. An outsider without insight into their situation would have been forgiven for thinking they were on a companionable walk, or tour through the village. To the trained eye, one could see a plethora of shinobi on the ready in the cover of shadows should the young man in the sennin and vice commander's keep decide to attack.

Yuii, for her part, remained unconcerned and chattered constantly as they walked about nonsensical subjects that had little to do with their destination, profession, or the decisions to come. The conversation flitted from subject to subject and continued regardless of input from either man it was directed to. In rapid words, she spoke of the stone that their gate was made off, said to be near impossible to damage and cut with means lost to her people. As they passed it, she pointed out a tea shop that was said to make the best green tea paired with mochi in 'the world'. When the chill got through to her bones, she rattled about the weather and how the threat of lasting snow was on the horizon so the people of Kumogakure were in full preparation. She even hesitated to stare into a shop full of cakes, though not for any length of time that she needed to strain to catch up, to drool over the confections.

"Last winter, it was so cold so suddenly that trees in the northern lightning country began to explode as the moisture inside them expanded! A couple houses were squashed, but mostly it means that firewood was extra easy to chop for the woodcutters in the region this year and there has been a surplus. It's made fuel cheaper overall, which has most of the southern areas with farms very pleased. I'm sure as a farm boy yourself, you can appreciate that. Or were you from southern Earth country where you didn't need to worry about keeping a household warm?" the last of her banter ended as they approached the prison itself. A pair of guards, that faces covered in anbu masks, came out to greet them.

This was Kaji's forte and jurisdiction, and while Yuii stepped aside to allow him final word on preparations. she was not without opinion. "He's just being held for a short time while we have a chat and confirm the details given to us at the gate, right? There are 'comfortable' cells, right? And real meals, right? Peanut butter cake does sound divine~." Otherwise, it was in Kaji's hands. Reasonably, her paramour would be dissatisfied with her safety proceeding from that point unless he oversaw everything- his presence at that moment was a reflection of his protectiveness.

 

[Okada Kaji]

Re: Out of the Valley, Into the Fry Pot [Private]

Even in a position of authority within The Village Hidden in the Cloud, Kaji Okada could not help but feel a bit apprehensive as he made his way towards the Tarterian Specus, the village’s prison. He was the company to Yuii Kagetsu, who was delivering a suspicious visitor by the name of Toko Genbu for a temporary visit. Together, the couple and their prisoner walked at an even pace as if the stranger was some mutt they were taking for a walk. All the way there, Yuii led some small conversation with her buzzing, talkative side keeping an otherwise glum situation seeming rather casual. But despite all her efforts, the sound of clanking manacles attached to Baba’s wrists and ankles served as a constant reminder that this was work and that the stranger was not trusted.

As they drew closer to their destination, Yuii's attention fluttered from shops to the snowfall and some local brass tacks. Searching for some meaning in all the small talk, Kaji played along and said “that’s right Blue. I’m from the north country; the fields of Akatsuchi Farms. We harvested a lot of lumber for trade, but burned most of it just keeping warm in winter.” While deliberately straying from a couple facts, Kaji’s memory flashed backward in recollection of a childhood spent in serfdom. “In a cabin on the trail behind the Lord of the Manor’s home.” He knew how out of place the topic seemed— how personal he was becoming, but the subject of his homeland was one he rarely mentioned for a reason. The sight of this place stirred uncomfortable feelings and Kaji felt disgusted down to the pit of his stomach as two masked guards came to receive Baba from their care for processing.

While Yuii insisted that Toko Genbu be handled with care during his stay, the demeanor of the guards suggested to Kaji that shinobi behind the white masks would not be so kind to the outsider. That was not their way. A demand from the Main Branch Sennin only carried so much weight to these shinobi, who’d most-likely show their dominance as the ringmasters of the human circus that was the Tarterian Specus. Kaji stepped forward before allowing the guards to touch Toko and said “this is the one you received the call about. Toko Genbu. He’s not being processed in as a prisoner, just for holding while we look over things. You have a special private quarter for individuals like him… no gen pop, or else the commander will flip this place upside down.” The guards were stern and men of few words as they insisted on proceeding Toko inside for indoctrination.
“Aye sir” one chirped, almost inaudible through the porcelain mask.
Kaji seemed satisfied enough by the response, knowing his threat would be taken seriously. Outside of his Anbu uniform and mask, the anonymity of the branch meant that Kaji’s title carried little weight at the moment, but as Yoake he could follow through as needed. “Once Genbu has been processed in and shown to his room, let us know” Kaji added. “Lady Kagetsu will return with an escort to continue the registration confirmation with Toko Genbu.” That escort would not be Kaji Okada, but Yoake, who joined her within the belly of the beast.

- Kaji has entered the thread.

 

[Keigo Oen]

Handcuffed, like the pig he thought himself to be, as it would seem the world would think this of him. He wasnt safe from these thoughts. His own mother disowned him to the wolves in this world. Yet, she was the very one who created this monstrosity. She was the one that was in dark demand for the hand she played in all of this, Baba was quite sure he loved his mother even through all of this. However, he hated her for what she'd done... because immortality was a vice that no man should feel... to see and inevitably be aware that your loved ones would die... and there was nothing you could do? That was... the thought that ran through Baba as they walked through the village. Children seemed to stare, and all while, he would lift his nose up to the sky. Sniffing the air and taking in the smells and chakra in the air. It was delectable. It caused tendrils to raise from under his clothing reaching and waving to the sky like seaweed on a high tide.

Baba barely spoke while they walked... taking a liking to the woman, he would mostly respond to her, "I can imagine it being that cold... There was a blizzard not long before I got to this mountain... I had to make a stop at a cabin where a Man sold me the Wool Jacket I am wearing..." nodding he would smile along the way... this was a nice place but every place had its own fair share of drama. However, 'Just how perfect is this place?' Baba would proceed to think as he would arrive to the prison that seemed to be well kept, unlike the stories he was told before in the past. Something that surprised him... the stern tone that the male had taken with the ANBU in masks that were presented to him.

Strong chakra. Weak mentality. However, they respected this man. Who gave him a glimpse of a man who could very well be the leader of the masked army... as well as the Kage of this land. Who knew... Baba was quite sure he had to have some power almost like Tamashii back home. Who seemed to be less respected, than this man, but of the same cloth. After leaving though, Baba would find himself being escorted by several ANBU into a room. Padded and pleated. There was an air of chakra here but there was no sensory shakers here. This was... a nice room. Well equipped with a desk, single window and a small bed in case things took a bit long. As they would guide him here he would nod allowing them to close the door... However, he would not mention their lack of taking off his handcuffs as he would simply detach his hands at the wrist to allow the metallic bindings to fall to the floor in a muffled 'clunk'.

Looking around... Baba felt like this was going to be interesting, even looking out the window to observe how thick the glass was. It would go as no surprise they took measures to keep people from leaving this place easily without getting their needed information... however, the windows seemed to be chakra laced so nicely that if a mortal man tried to escape the last thing he would see would be enough explosives to take down a small army... which were backed with seals that minimized the damage done to the surrounding cells. However, Baba wasnt trying to leave... not yet. And as such he would find himself sitting down at the desk to await the two... or more that would come for this meeting.

[Topic entered]

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Once Toko was taken away, Yuii vanished to get her own affairs in order. She needed a few key supplies before proceeding, and of course, the requested for peanut butter cake. All in all, she took no more than an hour, though that seemed long enough for Kaji to ghost the situation without a word. Part of her had expected him to remain at the prison to get things in order, but when she returned a strange anbu that joined her in his stead, leaving her to carry on without his strange presence. It was odd, but she tried not to dwell on it.

And so, it was Yuii alone who returned. Her arms were laden with a half dozen scrolls, a cheerful looking large cake box tied with string and a black silk bag. The anbu dogging her was kind enough to open the heavy metal lined door, Immediately she began to judge the surroundings. This wasn't what she had in mind, but then the law-abiding kunoichi did not have a very realistic idea of what the prisons in Kumogakure were like. However, she knew, without a doubt, that better existed for those affluent enough to be given a certain level of comfort no matter their crimes and that was what she'd had in mind to start. Apparently, her appeal was not enough though; such was inter-branch politics. Visibly, she wrinkled her nose at the drab but made no verbal comment. At least the room was warm and clean.

"So sorry for the wait, farmboy," she sang with an exasperated sigh and a half smile, "I'm a bit slow on my feet right now." The scrolls and box were dumped on the table, and she took a moment to rearrange them in an order only she could understand. The bag was dumped beside the second chair opposite his own.

Outwardly she was calm, almost serene as she pulled her chair free and sank into the unpadded surface, It felt good to sit on something other than the ground, even better that she wouldn't have to get up awhile, "You have no idea how difficult finding peanut butter anything is up around here. Those nuts don't grow very well up here, and shipping them is a pain since they have to come so far. I suppose the cost will go down once the rail line from the south is complete. I'm sure, as a traveller, you'll want to check that out. Soon enough we'll be able to get to Fire country in a day or two with comfort. So exciting." The chatter was more of the same for her, and she gestured towards the box for him to open. That his hands were free were either something she hadn't noticed or wasn't worried about. Inside would be the cake he had requested, though not the exact replica of whatever his memory held.

Sadly, the smell of peanut butter had made her slightly ill. The normally cake obsessed woman would have to wait until her organs settled before eating.

"I suppose the place to start would be with where you're from exactly," she stated without skipping a beat. The weary Sennin grabbed the first of the scrolls and unfurling it to reveal an accurate map of earth country, "I don't know much about Earth country, but Lightning is just as vast and tracking down a persons credential's can be a daunting task."

 

[Okada Kaji]

And so, with Toko taken into the supposedly brief custody, Kaji and Yuii split their own ways for roughly an hour’s time. That was long enough for Yuii to prepare her questions, the records, and those peanut butter cups she was so excited about. Kaji, on the other hand, needed the time to make a bit of preparation of his own. First came a much-needed change of wardrobe, as Kaji turned a few corners through the village proper and found an alley just a few blocks away from the Prison.

Few shinobi organizations kept their secrets as well as the Hidden Cloud ANBU. Kaji had roughly of a decade of service as a member of the Stone’s renowned ANBU Black Ops, and while their strength and tactics were incredible, Cloud’s ANBU had a certain finesse when it came to how efficiently their Order operated. Kaji approached an archway clad in stone with a thick door which held a keypad lock above the handle. He entered a code, and with a click, the door allowed him entry. He suspiciously scanned behind and above his location, making sure there were no onlookers before he vanished into one of many secret paths accessible to only the village’s ANBU. With a heavy snap, that steel door locked shut behind him.

Kaji Okada was for all intents and purposes, just your everyday shinobi if you didn’t consider his travels as some exceptional feature. He certainly wasn’t publicly known as an esteemed figure of Leadership among the Cloud’s ANBU: that honor belonged to his alter ego, Yoake— which was the written word for Breaking Dawn in the common tongue. As Yoake, Kaji decided to do a bit of digging of his own. In the process of his findings, Kaji received a scroll freshly delivered to his station, addressed from his friend, ally, and Hokage, Umashi in Konoha. It appeared that Kaji’s recent correspondence had made it to Leaf. Now, a reply had returned to the Cloud in letter form, with notes and instructions dictated by Umashi in the meeting Kaji’s clone held with him. Included with the letter came an abundance of information, so much in fact that one hour was not enough time to absorb it all. However, Kaji focused on something important for the time being; a decision by Leaf to entrust Cloud with handling the enemies of Leaf as mutual threats. Cloud would not deal out their punishment, but Cloud intended on apprehending enemies of the leaf, and either holding them or shipping them to Konoha for due process. Kaji found himself surprised when he found the name Masaru Yuuto among the list of those considered missing from the Leaf, though he did not overlook other names such as someone named Baba Gagoze.

Later, when Lady Kagetsu made her way back to the Prison, Yoake emerged to personally have her back during the meeting, both as her guard and as a witness to the exchange. Donned in his mask and Anbu attire, Yoake was like Yuii's shadow as she traveled on a direct course for Toko’s suite. Despite appearing all cloak and steel like the rest of the ANBU around them, Yoake was the only familiar warmth to Yuii in an otherwise cold and bleak environment. As they walked through the corridors they treated each other twice as distantly as normal in public spaces, so much that it almost hurt to maintain the charade. At the moment they pretended to be total strangers— such a pointless yet timeless rule, and one he thought to change if his position as a leader ever became concrete. There was little Kaji hated more than living in the shadows, and hiding one’s true self in the name of a purpose or cause.

“Allow me,” Yoake said in a gruff tone, altering his voice as he opened the door for his beloved. He then followed her into the small space, closed the door, and waited in the doorway with his back to it. Behind the white porcelain, Kaji’s emeraldine orbs glowed with a zest for life as he stood as their witness, and admired her from within the white cage. Oh, how he was beginning to hate being an ANBU.

 

[Keigo Oen]

Simple. Time seemed to go by slowly as Baba was left to his devices, during which he reflected on a lot of things. Hoping with everything in him that 'Cherry' was fine. Wishing that he had better control of himself… wishing that he didn’t have to control this sick urge within him to go ballistic and kill everything around him. To inflict the pain that he'd felt for years to many others, so that they may know the torture that was punished upon such a young child. No one could take away those memories… those vile things that haunted his dreams and made him into the monster he was afraid of. Maybe that’s what bothered Baba… He was afraid of himself. This guise, and insufferable ruse he put on, it was just that. A false demeanor. He put on this fake front, which he couldn’t help to show to the world. Something was happening within the mind of this young boy. Still maturing and such witling maturation was not guided by developed mind. He needed something, anything to show him the way. However, now he was a prisoner to his actions… but maybe he would be sparred. Maybe, just maybe he would not have to worry about the iniquities and short comings he was brought into… and made to believe were the truth.

At any pace, he sat near the desk mindfully watching the walls. Visions of despair entered his mind. Almost as if Genjutsu had been planted on him, something was crippling him a voice… 'You don’t have to be here… you can kill both of those who captured you… You can be free again!' which caused the boy to shake his head most frantically. Calling out in a blind hallucination, "No, I'm not a monster. I'm not what my mother said she'd created…".

Though the voice continued, 'Silly boy… don’t you know I am you. You are me. We are one. And the moment you accept me… is the moment your mind will be free from this world, free to embrace the immortality you have been blessed with! Submit to your hunger…'<i></i>

"NO! I CANNOT! I HAVE TO PROTECT CHERRY! I cannot do that if I submit to you and what you want. I am not you. You are a creation of my mother. And I will not succumb to it!"</B><i></i>, and with a flash of handseals, he would imprint a seal upon himself placing it on his thigh as it burned through his clothing and into his skin. The pain rippled through his body and would almost emit the sounds of a hissing snake.

Moments passed and Baba would enjoy the sounds of silence. This caused the thoughts of loneliness as sweat dripped from his brow… however; the sounds of a shaky handle would straighten him up before he would smile to the azure haired maiden. She was older; he could taste her chakra in the air. Strong but slightly meek. The man was strong as well, but his was tempered like glass that had been casted through a fire. Nodding, Baba would find himself captivated in the smells of the cake.
<B>"I-uhh…"<i></i>, coughing a bit his voice would change… back to a normal tone. The one before almost sounded as if he were growling just seconds before. But brief enough for Baba to shrug it off and continue, "Aye… as I said before, I cannot state my name. Because my identity is surely something I have to keep to myself, for safety. And out of disrespect could you please not say it if you happen to think you know it? Please…?", he would look between the two for a moment before continuing, "…I am not from Iwagakure, or even the country, it happened to be the last place I came from though… and it is where I left my friend who is from the Yukata clan there, If you are a native I'm sure you've heard of them, but if not this is the truth, and you can fact check if you need to… but I am from Fire country. Near Crater City is where I was born, but my reasoning for being here is something of a run away from my problems sort of ordeal. I needed to get away from those scientists… Doctors… and all the needles and pin pricking on my body… " visibly shuddering he would sigh and continue, "…At any pace, is there any other questions you have; aside from my name?"

[OOC: Sorry for the Text. I need to figure out a better color to use.]

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

"Eh?"

Yuii froze and stared at the young man like he'd grown two heads as he spoke. "Ehhh?" Had she fallen down a rabbit hole? Had she been sleeping through their first meeting? "Ehhhhhhh?" Had it been overconfident to leave her conversation record behind on her desk in the Torre Celeste? "S-said before?" She echoed his first words, her voice void of the airy cheerfulness that had persisted through their earlier interactions. Oh god Raiden, was this guy one of those weirdos with two or three personalities that couldn't keep a story straight? Had she fallen for some kind of trick? Or could it be her!? Had this awful job as Sennin finally driven her insane!? Or was it the hormones? So many quests, no answers to be had!! Her hands were shaking, and she wasn't sure if it was out of humour or rage over the situation. Her time, effort and kindness had been robbed!

"Seriously!?" she screeched once 'Toko' finished speaking, because she had yet to be privy to Konoha's information. The request not to speak his name was lost on her, as was whatever the Yukata clan meant. With a sound not unlike a pterodactyl she rolled the map back into a tube and swung it at Toko's face. "Sure as the nine hells I have questions!! Do you have any idea how many bloody stairs this place has!? Do I look like someone who wanted to take a long stroll through the village!? And worse! worse! You interrupted my cake and nap time!! Do you have any idea how little rest time a Sennin gets!? I have been up since the ass-crack of dawn you know!!"

This wasn't fair, Yuii lamented. She'd been so nice and her kindness had been thrown in her face. The anbu would be laughing at her for years to come. Her gate calls would be questioned into eternity! "I am NOT going and fetching the appropriate paperwork for this!" she groaned, sinking into her chair. Her feet really did hurt, there was no way she was going back to the Torre again! "Fire country. Needles...Ugh. This changes everything." Her face found her hands, and it legitimately looked like Yuii was ready to have a mental break down. "There's the alliance... Boots. I can't piss off Boots right now... admission forms? Record the conversation?" she muttered to herself, horrified. Not investigating 'Toko' and sending him back to Leaf if he was a missing-nin could jeopardize Kaji's ability to stay. Speaking of who, how dare he not be there! He'd understand what a 'Yukata-clan' was and would have Konoha's insight into the situation.

"Eat your cake! I need to think! Bloody Vice captains never around when you need them... "

 

[Okada Kaji]

Despite being treated so well, Toko Genbu resembled a tortured prisoner when he was joined by Yuii and the masked Kaji. Through the rectangular holes of his white mask, Kaji was pointedly observing the estranged behavior exuded by their captive. His body language was wholly uncomfortable with gestures just short of writhing in pain. With not even a single hair on his head harmed by the guards, it became clear that this experience was causing some suppressed mental trauma to surface for Toko. A single burn mark in his freshly donned garb revealed that Toko might have been resorting to self-harm, but kept it to a minimum. Something was wrong with him and he was trying to warn them, trying to cope. He was sitting there, triggered by something, but clearly, nothing said be Yuii, who was more concerned with what an inconvenience all the commuting proved to be.

Yoake then took a few paces forward and set one hand upon the back of Yuii's chair. He needed her trust again, but that also went for the renegade across from him— they both required transparency if he was to intervene and be of aid in what might have been the edge of a dangerous scenario. What he did next was a break in protocol— but who cared? He was the highest ranking ANBU, the Vice Commander answering only to the Raikage himself, so Kaji saw fit to do as needed. His hand reached over his mask face and swept downward, dispelling the white mask into countless dispersing fragments. The raven blades of his hair fell over his forehead, and his face held that trademark scowl as Kaji Okada revealed himself. His energy and stance seemed protective of Lady Kagetsu as he stood beside her chair, and his sight was locked on their subject: the renegade from the Land of Fire.

“That’s right, we know who you are” Kaji confirmed with a steel tone. “It only took about an hour of digging to find all the information we needed to narrow down our suspicions; at least you are ready to talk now instead of us resorting to mind games.” It was truly a relief, as Kaji and Yuii had already gone down that road with a captive before and it wasn’t pretty. The last thing they wanted was to revisit another mind tormented by a dissociative identity disorder. There was never enough room for outsiders to poke around in minds like Baba Gagoze, and so any breakthrough they might reach had to be achieved through invested conversation, or interrogation. “And we’re not here to study you, but we can help you… But to do that we need clarity first.” Kaji then revealed a document in a scroll container from beneath his ANBU cloak and passed it to Yuii. It contained records about Leaf renegades on the move recently procured from Konoha, fresh off the Hokage’s desk. These records, in particular, were trimmed down by Kaji to two particular suspects: Yuuto Masaru and Baba Gagoze, but this lad clearly wasn't Yuuto. “Even the Leaf has tried to blur the details as to why their medical branch wants you so much, so come clean if you want help. Let's skip the who; names are just a formality for shinobi anyway— tell us, what are you?”

 

[Keigo Oen]

…This was the question, he didn’t know what he was… Baba's eyes would flicker, black the back to normal. Once… twice… Then the last time he would shake his head before huffing, 'I'm a monster. I'm a monster. I'm a monster. I'm a monster. I'm a monster.' He repeated. The inner turmoil within him was something that he could not hold unto. He needed to speak it. However, his body would not allow it. To speak of the beast would unleash it. To unleash it would mean he would succumb to the pleasures it desired. To Kill. To Feast. More Hearts. More Chakra. To devour. Like pestilence and famine incarnate his soul needed to be cleansed. Spirit needed and yearned for the next phase… something he would not get being out in a world where no one cared about his soul.

"I… I am.." huffing again he would shake and shudder once more. "I am… an experiment. A child born with a rare disease, one that would kill most people and looked to take my own life but as you see… I am alive. Immortal… almost.", nodding again shaking his head and rocking slightly back and forth. To and fro. "I am… what my mother called me… The Boogey-man's child… A mons-…", still he could not say it. So he continued to talk around it. To feed into the thoughts that enamored him with adoration… but pulled him back to reality. "I am… someone that can only be saved by the Goddess. She is the only one that can cleanse my sins… That can hold me like my mother should have held me…", more and more volatile did his voice become. So much so that they would see the tendrils reaching out to the sky from every corner of his limbs. Reaching to the sky for a reprieve. Waving to the air around, and whipping around his skin…

"…I am… I</COLOR><COLOR color="green">…Am… The man who saved one of your people… healed him up after whats inside of me lashed out at him. He went by the name Kiri… And before my body let itself go… I stopped IT from killing him… and I healed him…", huffing again, he would look to Kaji, "Please let me go… I have to get back to my Goddess now… Back to Konoha… She is there… She can save me.", nodding once again he would look almost as if he could cry, his eyes swelling up and pushing forward as the reddened skin would begin to overtake the skin around it.

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Like her words had been a spell of summoning, Kaji revealed himself in her moment of confusion. His decision to do so was a shock, as all were aware of the Anbu corps' strict rules on identity. There was a small chance of fallout from his choice, so long as Yuii kept her mouth shut, but this would make for an awkwardly worded report. Yuii pushed the urge to fret on his behalf aside and tasked herself with focusing on the new wave of information being presented to her. Her Anbu counter-part allegedly had information that had not been made available to the Main Branch and possibly the village yet. His well-timed allusion to knowledge was such a convenience and relief in the face of the personality flip that the man formerly known as Toko had taken. A ray of light in a situation she would have otherwise been left floundering in trying to make sense of what had happened. The scroll passed to her would further help to vanquish her confusion, and she took it and unfurled it eagerly.

As "Toko" strived to elaborate as to 'what' he was, Yuii read and listened at the same time. It was not that Yuii did not care, but she could not appear to do so too deeply now that their meeting had grown so complicated. It was hard to pair the struggling youth with the personality they had interviewed at the gates. Something had aggravated an extreme emotional response out of him, was Yuii's best guess. That had made him irrational and unwilling continue whatever ruse he had been previously committed to in order to enter Cloud. Knowing now that he was a missing ninja, and with references to medical prodding that brought back painful memories of Kaji and Yuii's last invasive interrogation, the strange turn of events made sense. His mentions of a 'goddess', a word that was coming to be connected with deities of harbingers of destruction in Kumogakure, were troubling but worse was the indication that 'Toko' had battled one of their own shinobi. Her expression fell to a mask of disappointment and exasperation in place of the fear that his volatile state should have called up.

"This one, then?" she asked quietly for Kaji's ears, brushing her fingers over the papers. Once she had his confirmation, she knew the best and only course of action.

"As a wanted deserter of Konohagakure, our southern allies, I, Kagetsu Yuii, see no other course of action but to return you...", it wasn't worth saying his name, "-you to the hands of your people to meet their justice. Whether this is the path to your goddess or not is of no concern to Kumogakure no Sato. For the offence of lying to our gate guards about your identity and the heinous crime of wasting my time and kindness; you are banned from entering into our village and country for a ten-year duration. After which, you will only be welcome with cause, official two-week notification and a ranked chaperone. For the alleged, and admitted to, crime of attacking a shinobi of Kumogakure, your short time with us will be in chains designed to sever your control over chakra. Further charges may be applied after an investigation. These conditions will be issued to your Kage and superiors by the Anbu escort charged with returning your personage to Konoha." Whatever 'Toko' had come to do in their village, be it simple or devious, had been stopped. While her curiosity ran deep as to what had driven his erratic behaviour, it was better for them all that they did not pry. She didn't want to know what kind of fate she was sending him home to. Konoha would deal with their own, and Kumogakure would go on.

There was no gavel to drop, and yet Yuii felt her words were heavy enough to have been one. "I can trust you to take care of the arrangements for transport?" she addressed Kaji cooly while standing. It took only a moment to gather up the maps she had brought for nothing then Yuii was headed for the door. "May your life see some improvement. Goodbye."

[Exiting unless stopped o3o)/]

 

[Okada Kaji]

With a nod, Kaji confirmed Yuii's assessment as she tapped a finger on the name “Baba Gagoze” typed on the transcribed report. And then it seemed that she reached the same conclusion as Kaji, quickly shifting gear and speeding their meeting into some finality. Yuii knew the powers of her authority as Sennin and wielded them with power and precision comparable to how Kaji worked with Eelspine in hand— Baba was suddenly banished from the Hidden Cloud for a decade or longer. And with Baba being understood as a rogue ninja now, Yuii was ready to see the proper precautions be taken in the process of transporting Baba; this is where Kaji came back into play.

Things were swiftly decided and Yuii began to take her leave from that depressing cell. “Aye. See ya later” Kaji answered before Yuii said her parting words and slipped out the door. Kaji was happy to see her go and hoped to leave soon enough as well, but not without seeing things through to the end. Baba was a danger to himself and others; and while he might have wanted to return to Konoha at the moment, his mental instability was clear. Precautions had to be taken in case he had a change of heart, and Kaji wouldn’t risk his subordinate’s safety for any outsider.

And so, he brought the porcelain mask back to his face, and Kaji Okada faded so that Yoake could do what must be done for the Cloud and its allies. “You know... I have dealt with one of your kind before while I was a resident of Konoha, Baba” Yoake said, causing a breaking in the ambiance of Baba’s rocking causing a squeal of the bed springs. “I saw one of your kind take out a whole room of people... and it almost got me too. He knew the perfect way to plunge his hand into one victim's’ chest: I saw him rip the heart right out of a guy.” Then Kaji held up a hand and simulated his memory of the revenant clutching a beating heart. “Then his chest cavity split right open like popping a clamshell, and he jammed the heart in there like it was nothing. It was easily the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen.”

He took a few slow paces forward to close the distance between them. “We are sending you back to the Leaf, but you should understand that as you are considered a rogue shinobi, we have to take the proper safety measures, for your sake and my ANBU delivering you.” The words barely served as a warning before Kaji shifted into motion with incredible speed and grace— he joined his hands in a flurry of motion, forming seals and molding chakra before parrying any effort Baba might have made to oppose him and pressing an open palm on Baba’s chest. It would hit with a thud and shake him to the core as a restricting force would spread over the wanderer. “Nothing personal, kid,” Kaji said as he pressed Baba back, all the way to the wall behind him. If the lad fought back he’d take harsh strikes to compel him not to resist until the morality seal fully hindered the voice in his head. “It’s just a little forced calming for you for a while. Nothing permanent, but it will do for some time.” Presumably working hard to keep Baba pinned, Kaji proceeded to form more hand seals, this time using only a single hand— his emeraldine eyes began to glow as an entrancing genjutsu began to impair Baba entirely. “Petrification,” Kaji said coldly as his illusion froze the rogue.

Once the struggle was concluded Kaji backed away and pressed his mask lightly to trigger his mic. “I need a unit to the diplomacy cell to prepare for a transport.” The pumping adrenaline had his chest rising with deep breaths as Kaji kicked aside the useless manacles on the floor— only binding jutsu and seals could detain shinobi. Standing there, Kaji’s look of regret was hidden behind the mask and owned by the cloud. “There’s nothing worse than when I assume the worst in someone and end up right about them. Only in a perfect world could you have been the person we gave you a chance to be. Hopefully, you find some help waiting for you where you’re going.” Then he remained idle with his arms folded until his subordinates arrived in a pair to whisk Baba away.

- Kaji Subdued Baba with Morality Sealing and Petrification.
- Topic Left Unless Stopped
- I will Roleplay as ANBU NPCs expediting the transport of Baba Gagoze back to Konoha, as needed.

 

[Keigo Oen]

The moments seemed to stand still, Baba felt like everything was crumbling around him, everything was not going as he'd wished but he'd only done it to himself. He made the woman mad... he was not deserving of her cake. Or her niceness. Or this villages Kindness. However, He did turn himself over willingly. He wanted to get away from it all. To take a stand against it and hopefully he would manage. Though, Baba felt the guilt coursing through his veins. It was like a burning in his gut that said, 'You fucked up.' and he did. He would not be able to return to these lands for ten years. Maybe longer, because of the stipulations that seemed to be poured onto it. At any pace and at any time he would watch her leave not saying a word as she did so. Only nodding.

Kaji on the other hand, he would do the thing that Baba most feared. Being Sealed. Locking up his inner demons. Within Baba's Mind there was a chamber now locking him away from the rest of his chakra. This was just to say that with the evil of Baba locked his face looked completely normal. The tendrils died and fell to the sides and he would almost smile, not before being completely locked like a stone statue. His entire body locking up, joints and all as he would listen to the words of Kaji, this was a man that Baba feared. He seemed calm and calculated. Someone that Baba wouldnt not like to face in closed quarters combat. At the end of the day Baba would nod with his eyes... there was nothing he could say to make things better and at any pace He'd gotten what he sorely wanted and needed from all of this. Maybe the Goddess would cleanse him, maybe she would save him.

Who knew...All things considered, he was happy that Kaji spoke to him before all of this, but Baba would not muster the strength to speak. He didnt want to make things worse on him. Or anyone else for that matter, he would hope that Kiri would be okay and with that he would be carried away? Who knew but maybe this was the beginning of his long trudge home.

[Topic Left with Kaji]