Praise the Artificial Sun! [Anarchy!; Homura]

[Sand Council]

[Continued from: here]

Akio | Magnetica​

Located in the heart of the Sietch Zensunna was the Temple of Mother Suna, a place of worship and enlightenment. Somewhere thousands of people visited looking for advice, strength, and in recent times protection, but they would not find any of those there. In fact many had learned to steer clear of the black chapel since its new occupants had inhabited its hallowed halls. Men and women of the most cruel variety had taken up the name "The Hand of the Cabal" and began killing in the name of their new occupants like they owed some sort of debt and were attempting to repay it in blood. The Cabal didn't know these people and cared even less what they preached. There was a stark contrast inside the temple when one would walk in or green and red. This was one of the few places in Suna where green plant-life survived and was used as proof that Mother Suna watched over and nourished her followers, but the walls were stricken red with the blood of those who would praise her.

The leader of this gang was named Ramaru, a man who had served Sunagakure for numerous years as a shinobi and betrayed his whole squad for a handsome bribe by a now dead Soon's Merchant Lord. They had never seen it coming because he had slain them with their back's turned, unaware that they had a traitor among them. A most terrible and pitiful end to some of Sunagakure's finest. He now led a group of misfit shinobi and used their strength to freely murder and loot the residential area with little to no consequence. Other prisoners flocked to them, looking to become a part of the group, but many would die to the resilient sand citizens.

In the heart of the temple, where numerous people would gather for mass were rows upon rows of pews carved right out of the stone and fitted with cushions. The Hand of The Cabal roamed the halls, going about their ghastly deeds or planning future ones. At the head of the procession area was Ramaru and a handful of his entourage sitting at a large wooden table that was normally saved for sacrament. They spilled blood and booze on it indifferently as they discussed where they should fetch their next offering from. Situated in the center of all the pews was a man wearing a grey cloak and shrouded in shadow. At his waist was a sword that emanated darkness, an instrument most impure. This man had become known as "Akio", a merciless face that was making many public displays for The Cabal, helping cause mass hysteria and kicking the hornets nest. His feet were propped up nonchalantly as he thumbed through a codex of worship. Next to him was a woman composed of metal and flesh, a being who had been an enemy of Sunagakure not that long ago and was again, under the leadership of the man she was adjacent to. She sharped her reflective nails, wishing to be able to plunge them deep into something. At either side of the pew they occupied were two figures in gleaming black armor. They were still as statues, but at their waists were blades similar to the man they over watched; proof of their allegiance. If one were to peer into the depths of their helmets, they would see only an eerie darkness.

Bloody remains at the entrance to the temple denoted an exchange. The black knights were speckled with fresh blood, indicating that The Hand had been foolish enough to disrupt their approach; their ignorance had proven they didn't know their Cabal masters one bit.

"I find it funny that this whole group has not been massacred by some shinobi yet. Not that I wish them good fortune, but I figured the justice-seeking hierophants of the village would not be able to help themselves."<i></i>

"This is also a culture that had to overcome slavery by ancients and then insist on worshiping one of the same beings centuries later. To call them logical would be tantamount to madness, my lady."<i></i>

It would be then that a ruckus could be heard at the front of the temple once more. Ramaru and his men stood, hands on the weapons ready. The noise resolved and in strode another pair of people. This time it was Naganisa, and on her arm was Homura. Both were still spattered in the sanguine remains of the living. Naganisa had dispatched the door guards who had made a move towards them in a single cross-slash of her knives and left them to die in pools of their own blood. As they approached the imposing dark-armored beings, she curtsied and as if magically filled with life, it stepped back to allow her access to the row.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaai, Akkun."<i></i> She half-bowed and then waved past the man at Magnetica, "Haaai, Kizo-chan, glad to see you're back in good health. These sunan types can be such brutes to ladies!"<i></i> Her eyes sparked with realization as she finished her sentence and turned to the samurai just behind her. Hand in his, she pulled him forward, "This is Chikara-kun! He helped me tie up some lose ends annnnnnnd killed off his entire clan, 'cept for his little brother. He totally just left him to listen to his people burn alive!"<i></i>

Since their arrival Akio had shown little interest, but at the announcement of Homura's deeds he turned to gaze up through fiery eyes, "You must have done so or else your insides would be liquid by now. The Chikara too, a prestigious house too. Must not have been easy to kill them all."<i></i> His response contained just an edge of curiosity. Then he looked to Naganisa, "Did you confirm the deaths?"<i></i>

The young woman huffed, annoyed at the accusation his question implied, "Yeeeeeees. I made sure there were real people and that they died. Geez, you aren't even technically my boss and you're just as bad as them."<i></i> A burning hot glare was sent at Naganisa and she instantly hushed up. If it could halt the female assassin, it only proved how dangerous this man before her was.

"Why did you even bring him here anyway?"<i></i>

She shrugged, "He wanted to meet some of us. I figured since he killed his whooooole family I could at least show him you. You're not that special anyway!"<i></i> A finger reached up to her face and she stretched one eye open and stuck out her tongue at the man. Clearly she didn't get along with the shadow man at all, but she at least respected his strength enough to not cross him.

"Oi, you Cabal blokes just going to sit around all day and partake in our hospitality?" It was Ramaru. He had been watching the group since Naganisa and Homura had walked in.

The black knights turned on their heels and faced forward towards the man. In gesture alone it got the leader of The Hand to return to his table, staring death down upon those who would intrude on his throne room and disrespect him.

Embered eyes turned back onto Homura, "Then what is it you so desire? Did you expect her to take you back to some club house where we'd have cookies and juice?"<i></i>

 

[Randamu Kyarakuta]

[Beginning of Kinjutsu App!]

The Temple of Mother Suna, a place he had only heard of and never visited. His ancestors had laid the early brickwork for this place, and it had become such a large over-encumbering place and was now an epicenter for worship. Chances were it'd been rebuilt since then and not one nail would remain from that time. Only fitting, considering he was the only one left of his bloodline...except for his brother. His mind was floating to that moment as they approached and walked up the staircase into the temple proper, the two guard out front being laid down by Naganisa. He was numb to the violence now, a piece of him being ripped out with the murder of his family. He even looked over the gore outside, where an exchange had taken place.

"Homura..." he heard a whisper on the wind, apparently the only one to catch it. He turned his head to look behind him for the source but nothing. He shook it off as the wind, and continued into the cathedral of sorts. They would walk down the main isle and eventually reach a protected one, two very heavily armored beings nearby the two he had met previously. Naganisa bowed to the armor set and it moved, allowing them access. She would lead the way, and he would follow.

"Homura..." he heard the voice with a tin sound to it, causing his ear to twitch. His head turned to the big armor and his eyes squinted. Did the armor just speak to him? He cocked his head to the side as if thinking about it. Nobody else had heard it, or made mention of the call out. He had been through a lot, so maybe his mind was breaking?! At any rate, he would ignore it again and push it aside, catching up with Naganisa as they closed in on the two. Naganisa turned around and grabbed his hand, pulling him into their conversation as he was trying to absorb the bits of info coming across from what he thought was his fractured psyche and this area.

"This is Chikara-kun! He helped me tie up some lose ends annnnnnnd killed off his entire clan, 'cept for his little brother. He totally just left him to listen to his people burn alive!"

At that moment he thought about the intense inner pain he felt doing that very action and his look went blank. His eyes lost the light, he couldn't see anything in front of him and he felt like he was falling. Suddenly he was back to that moment in time, standing over his brother as he writhed in pain on the ground. Everything was frozen in time, nothing was moving. As if being stuck in a memory he couldn't escape. His gaze shifted from down to the small boy to the flames, they looked beautiful frozen like that. Almost crystaline in nature, as it where. From the flame stepped a silhouette of a woman. His eyes squinted to get a good look at her, and opened his mouth to speak out but before he could make a noise he was snapped back into reality. Had he just blacked out? He had felt like he was gone for minutes, but had only been seconds. As if he had been daydreaming.

"You must have done so or else your insides would be liquid by now. The Chikara too, a prestigious house too. Must not have been easy to kill them all."

Homura stayed silent as his gaze shifted between the two of them, Akio and Magnetica. He was still shaken by the events that had just transpired, but he would push that down for now and hope it didn't happen again. Whatever was going on, sure had a bad timing! He was however, listening to what they were saying even if the information wasn't registering. Good thing nothing had been directed at him, as they seemed to believe Naganisa was his boss or some other asinine thing.

"He wanted to meet some of us. I figured since he killed his whooooole family I could at least show him you. You're not that special anyway!"

He chuckled at her frankness, and that she made a joke of such a serious looking character while blocking out the bit about her . He was slowly coming back around to himself, though he felt a bit different. It was hard to put a finger on, but he felt less...scared of the situation, or of anything really. Then someone stepped up and talked in an angry tone toward the group, but quickly shut up when the black knights moved. They must have commanded much respect for that to have happened.

"Then what is it you so desire? Did you expect her to take you back to some club house where we'd have cookies and juice?"

"Heh..." he laughed smuggly, if this man attacked him it would be because of his attitude shift. Something in him was changing, but he felt rather uninhibited. "I can feel the crazy amount of assumptions you've made about me. I know you assume I'm some weakling, some suna-nin dog. I know you and you're organization look down on everyone here indiscriminately but I have a news flash for you. Some of us are different, we aren't all here by choice, we aren't all as loyal to the village as some. From what I've heard some of you even lived here before you decided to blow it all up, so you have no right to judge me. I didn't come here hoping to find a place to eat cookies with the terrorists. I came to join up, to get my pound of flesh out of sunagakure..." he stepped up on top of the pew in front of the group, and squatted down so his feet were balanced, but he was able to look at the two of them directly. He had answered the question, and asserted his dominance. Naganisa was one who responded well to the ballsyness he displayed regularly in her presence, he could only hope that the other two responded just as well.

"...and to answer you're inquiry, it was very easy to kill my clan, and they were blood." he looked intense, almost cold hearted. Inside he felt calm and at ease, almost as if something else was piloting his body, or at least mitigating his feelings in the situation. Whatever that vision was, he had a feeling it wasn't the last one he'd see before this meeting was over.

 

[Sand Council]

Akio | Magnetica | Naganisa​

Homura had indeed made a dramatic shift in attitude and it did not go unnoticed by Naganisa. The samurai had appeared bashful up until a moment ago and was fiercly loyal when ordered to kill, but it seem like it had been an act up until this point. Naganisa made a point of masking how hurtful that was to her. In death, in the glorious moment when a soul is released from its fleshy bonds it is easy to form bonds. The flaw of the assassin woman is that she did it all too easily. The somewhat awkward-but-charming-in-a-way swordsman that had followed her like a lost puppy dog was who she liked. This new Homura was intense to say the least, but it felt like a different person.

Akio and Magnetica let the man speak.

A wicked grin would service from the hooded man as Homura finished.

"Look who went off and made a bunch of assumptions."<i></i> Akio enjoyed many of the implications the samurai slaughterer had set forth and he enjoyed them immensely. "You seem to think I give a damn about a single person here or in "my" organization."<i></i> There was a pause with the "my" and he did the fingered air quotes to embellish it. "If you want more blood and death then go back outside with Naganisa and have your fill. You don't need to speak to anyone you think is a leader in order to do that. We created opportunity for the opportunistic here in Sunagakure. Those who wanted something before our arrival can take it now. It's complete anarchy. You want to go murder a couple hundred people? By all means. Indulge that bloody sweet tooth. I certainly know little Naganisa-chan has on numerous occasions."<i></i>

She shuffled her feet like a child accused of partaking in too many sweets. It did well to mask her true feelings as she wallowed in her personal betrayal. Magnetica sat just behind Akio, listening, completely devoid of emotion. The woman had been leveraged into servitude by The Cabal and while being ordered by a group of lesser beings, she did a means to an end; a way that she could achieve everything she wanted to.

"I also suggest you sit down like a normal person or else you won't have legs to stand with. It's rude to put your shoes on the pews. I don't care how much of a stone-cold killer you think you are. We are not barbarians. We have manners."<i></i> There was a clear threat in his message. The ornate black katana at Akio's waist radiated death at a glance and was a warning. Perhaps if Homura's new spirit demanded it, they would have a stand off, but it would be one Akio was confident he could win without even flinching. His gaze cast behind the man for a moment, observing Naganisa. Ever impetuous and easy to imprint on. Although she was one of the most gruesome murderers to walk the planet, she had a sever problem with clinging to people she managed to not maim or kill within a few minutes of meeting them.

 

[Randamu Kyarakuta]

He looked down on the two of them from his perch as Akio grinned like an asshole under his dark hood. Then he spoke up, as if not threatened in the slightest.

"Look who went off and made a bunch of assumptions."

Was he talking about Homura? He did make implications of implications, as reading between the lines wasn't hard, or so he thought until the next thing came out of his mouth.

"You seem to think I give a damn about a single person here or in "my" organization."

There it was, an assumption he had just made. However, instead of calling him on it he would let him speak. It was terribly obvious from all of this that none of them cared about one another. The look on Magneticas face spoke volumes, like she didn't want to be there at all. He must have had some leverage on her to keep her so close at all times and obedient, she was nothing like the stories had told, so either they were deeply embellished or she was in trouble. Naganisa had been playing rather koi with Akio, as if she was afraid of his power and what he could do, whatever that was. He hadn't met any other of the cabal but as it stood, he seemed to be the leader, at least spiritually, of the three. Or so he would begin surmising as akio spoke more.

"If you want more blood and death then go back outside with Naganisa and have your fill. You don't need to speak to anyone you think is a leader in order to do that. We created opportunity for the opportunistic here in Sunagakure. Those who wanted something before our arrival can take it now. It's complete anarchy. You want to go murder a couple hundred people? By all means. Indulge that bloody sweet tooth. I certainly know little Naganisa-chan has on numerous occasions."

He mentioned a clubhouse before, and a leader this time. He was probing for something, trying to trip up homura to reveal some hidden plot he was cooking up to get close to the top and assassinate the head so that the body would die. It was most certainly a truth but they didn't know that, which is why he was probing. Or so he would assume, but as the order of the day was not making those, he would take it with a grain of salt.

"I also suggest you sit down like a normal person or else you won't have legs to stand with. It's rude to put your shoes on the pews. I don't care how much of a stone-cold killer you think you are. We are not barbarians. We have manners."

At that moment, the whole world around him froze. It's as if he had slipped into his memories again, but instead of being back at the fire he was in this very moment frozen. Unable to move, a shadowy hand reach up from behind Akio and wrapped around his shoulder, long fingers with sharp extended finger nails and a arm following that was pale in color. This would happen in Homuras mind, and so akio would really feel nothing. His heart began to beat fast as he was unable to speak or move and it began to feel claustrophobic. His emotions began to filter back into his body as the rest of the form arose from behind him with a big grin on her face.

"Looks like you're at a cross roads. He issues what surmounts to a challenge, if you back down he'll have won, but if you fight him he may win any ways, not to mention how out numbered you are." she spoke in a slightly spazzy manner. Before he could speak up, she jumped over the pew and got in his face. He couldn't blink or he would have flinched right then. She would put her finger to his lips and make a shush noise. "I know I know, you're scared but I'm here for you. I always have been, for you see we're two of a kind you and I." she ran her hand down his chin, chest and to his belt, tracing her finger along side of it and resting her hand on the hilt of his sword. "All you have to do is let me in." she gripped the hilt tight, he could almost feel it as if it was his own limb. "Just say my real name out loud, not one of those pet names you're always giving me in company of others. she leaned in and placed a kiss on his cheek, staring him in the eyes. Her right eye would light up with the kanji for warrior. Then he would snap back to the situation, no time having passed. He would step down off the pew on akio's side and sit down next to him, though some distance away.

"Sorry for my outburst, I think Naganisa rubbed off a little more than her body on me." he wiped his strained eyes with his fingers. He had tonally shifted back to how naganisa preferred him. It was one thing to fail to connect with one of them, it was another to make the one he had connected with alienated. Now that he wasn't being blocked by his sword emotionally any more, he could re-establish that connection. Which would begin with him looking at her and patting the space next to him as if to say 'come sit with me' "I'm not here to find some leader. I'm here to do what I can to further my own cause, which appears to be your groups modus operandi." he said, grabbing a book from the back of the pew and opening it, sifting through it. It was in a sunan dialect he never bothered to learn, like a real life church book in latin. "Question is how a bunch of seemingly unrelated people managed to pull something like this off." he continued to scan the book, the word Kurogane being seen more and more frequently as he turned the pages. He would rub his eyes again, the word disappearing from the text like a hallucination. "Also out of a morbid curiosity, who are these folks?" he said pointing to the two knights guarding the two of them and the guy brazen enough to stand up and shout at them earlier. He would seem a bit frazzled as he spoke, as if recovering from the vision nobody knew he had.

 

[Sand Council]

Akio | Magnetica | Naganisa​

Sit. Good boy.<i></i>

There was a snide smirk that spread across the shadowy figure's lips. Beneath his cowl all that could be seen were his intense gaze and perfect white teeth. It was akin to looking at death's face itself. Despite being able to peer directly at him it was impossible to pierce the veil that shrouded his visage. This was part of Akio's charm. Besides his cunning wit and biting sarcastic nature that so many enjoyed him for. Homura made a quick turn around after the threat had seated him. A test. One that he had failed.

Naganisa flanked the samurai now, sitting on her knees and letting her arms hang over his shoulders not too far from what the spirit entity had done in that realm of dream and illusion. The gesture to sit had been a welcome one, and she was easily soothed by the beat of his heat as she closed onto him. She physically and figuratively backed Homura now that she had felt comfortable enough to get near him. The shift had split the room once more, but all the power sat on one side of the pew. Homura had presented a chance for Akio to gloat a bit and he would indulge him, but he would do so last as he answered the questions put forth.

"My dear Chikara, these two are the harbingers of death. They deliver swift executions so that I may not dirty my hands. Although, I suppose symbolic the blood will be there all the same. Aaaaaten-Shun!"<i></i> Both knights at either end turned inward, staring towards the four seated, a single heavy boot slamming onto the tiled floor as he dropped back into a rigid stance of readiness. "They are my warriors. Swift, deadly, and without remorse. They wear black so that the blood of their victims only shows when they are upon you and before you know it-"<i></i> Akio snapped his fingers and both armored sentinels quickly drew their blade and slashed downward. Sheathing and returning to the same ready position they had been a moment earlier. "You have realized you forfeit your life. Admittedly, I'm a little proud of them."<i></i>

For the first time since their arrival, Magnetica let slip a small chuckle at Akio's comments. Clearly there was something she was privy to that no one else was. Turning his head, Akio looked to the forward part of the large hall and gestured with a single hand, waving at them a few times as if having trouble trying to drum up an accurate description to fit those who occupied the space, "Those primitive apes and lowlifes call themselves "The Hand of The Cabal" like it's some fucking social club that you can join. I mean, you-"<i></i> He turned back to look at Homura. "At least tried. Met an actual member of The Cabal and have gone and done some significant things. These imitators just went into the temple, killed the people hiding here, took up a name under The Cabal and have promptly had the locals bring them goods and supplies so they can just live out this whole ordeal in a lavish lifestyle."<i></i> By the way he spoke about them it was perfectly obvious Akio didn't like these individuals or how they chose to operate. It was also by this time that the handful of men sitting at the large table started to take notice of the bad-mouthing they were receiving.

"Just look. We walked in here, killed a few of their guards and they were happy to let us just post up like nothing happened."<i></i>

"Make that plus two."<i></i> Akio met Naganisa's gaze from over Homura's shoulder. "Good girl. The only reason why I haven't killed them all is because they serve a purpose. They are nothing more than pawns in a much larger game."<i></i>

Now the tension in the room had reached such a point that the men up front couldn't stand it anymore. The same gruff looking individual from earlier stood up, hand already reaching for his sword.

"You wot, mate? I'm gettin' fed up with your high and mighty act." The others near him stood and drew now as well and made their way around the table. Their approach warranted another sharply executed rotation from the knights whose hands rested on the hilts to their weapons. One. Two. Three steps forward and the sentinels began to draw. It was only a raised hand that stopped them midway.

"Now, now, boys. I can't let you have all the fun."<i></i> The black-clad warriors stood down. Now it was Akio's turn to stand and there was an unmistakable air of death about him as he met the gaze of the approaching leader. "You have three seconds to reconsider."<i></i> The threat didn't slow him, but one of his men did pause and remained back.

One.

Two.

Three.

At lightning speeds, the dark-metal katana at Akio's waist flashed from its sheath and a little whirlwind traveled through the great hall. Chakra crystals that were used as the lighting fixtures flicked. The first brief moment of darkness and Akio was gone from sight. The Hand of The Cabal back up against one another, shouting and calling for a location of their target. Each subsequent brief absence of light was met with a scream of agony, hissing as arteries were cut, and the wet thunk of a bloodied corpses hitting the floor. Illumination would return to normal once the clack of Akio's katana was heard and he stood before the single member of the attackers that had paused at his threat. Behind him was a gruesome scene of viscera and dismembered bodies. The man before him was shivering in fear and there was a wet spot between his legs where he had peed himself.

"You were much wiser than your friends. Because of this I will let you live so as long as you continue what they were doing here. Maintain the chaos and ensure people are weary to exit their homes."<i></i> An absentminded nod of a man staring death right in the face was all he got, but it would suffice. As the shadow-born swordsman neared, his knight stepped aside and he made his way back to his seat, giving Naganisa a pat on the head as he passed and sat down where he had been only moments before.

"To answer your question, we pulled this off with ease."<i></i> Perhaps his answer was disappointingly simple, but it had been true. "Sunagakure is uncharacteristically altruistic. They allow strangers in all the time, do not have protocols to maintain their awareness, and most importantly they're stuck inside this cave. Once something gets inside, there's no where else to run once you've closed the exits. This "attack"-"<i></i> He did the air quotes again. "Will last as long as the good people of Sunagakure let it or until the food supplies run out and everyone starves to death. In which case we just leave and this village fades away into antiquity because it was not willing to survive in a more harsh environment. Get to know the people, their habits and schedules, and it is oh so easy to just slip right in when the time is right. There has been an underwhelming response so far, hasn't there, Chikara? Only a few hours ago you watched as people were murdered in the street. Where were the village's shinobi? All hiding because they're cowards."<i></i>

Akio sank back into his seat, propping his arms up onto the back of the pew.

"It is what Sunagakure does when it is threatened. They hide. They did it when the plague came to Wind Country and they do it now."<i></i>

"Bingo. The only difference is they don't have anywhere else to run now. What else did they expect when they put themselves into a hole and something happened?"<i></i>

 

[Randamu Kyarakuta]

Superiority, it made people make mistakes. Even though his stressed eyes and confusion just moments ago was real, he had played a hand to fit the situation. He activated his trap card so to speak. When Naganisa had picked him up, she treated him as a pet that she could just whip if it pleased her, and because she felt so in control she divulged a ton of information too him. Looking weak in front of akio was appearing to have the same effect, as his sense of bravado took over. If there was a thing from his training stuck, it was emotional control in stressed situations. He had freaked out internally often during the course of this, but he kept his calm on the outside. Something that Akio seemed to lack, a cold snark when he was in the lead but a violent temperament when he was challenged, almost like a child.

"My dear Chikara, these two are the harbingers of death. They deliver swift executions so that I may not dirty my hands. Although, I suppose symbolic the blood will be there all the same. Aaaaaten-Shun!"

They moved on command, and where explained with the flare of a high-school drama teacher. He looked up from the bible he couldn't read to see them do in-tandem maneuvers. Magnetica giggling at his words. She was known for her control over magnetic fields, as the name would imply. Was she the one controlling these suits of armor? The people inside could very well be dead, if there where any. It was all pure speculation on his part though.

"You have realized you forfeit your life. Admittedly, I'm a little proud of them."

He boasted outright this time. Then turned his attention to the others he had pointed out. He would reffer to them as their nickname, the hand of the cabal.

"What a bunch of tools." He thought to himself, as they stood up and challenged the man. The black knights moved to intercept but were halted by a raised hand. One they couldn't see, so either they were both always watching him, or Magnetica was controlling the armors. It was a possibility he had that same gift, but it was doubtful. She wouldn't be here if he could do what she could, he made that pretty clear with the 'don't care' statements earlier. Akio would stand up and brandish his weapon, Homura paying extra attention here to get anything of information he could from Akio's fighting style. As the wind picked up and he launched forward, it would effect everything but him and naganisa, a small protective bubble around the two of them made of the very wind being pushed around. It was as if he was in the eye of a storm.

He would watch nonchalantly with an air of danger about him, a silent confidence and he appeared in no way impressed, afraid, or caring of the events unfolding. He simply watched, took notes in his head, and protected the two of them from the show. Though the third one he didn't do conciously, a side effect of having gotten closer with his weapon. The name of the blade would repeat in his head whenever he had no other important thought in his mind, like a clock ticking in a silent room. It got louder the longer he listened and would most certainly drive him inside unless he said it, or in this analogy, made noise to make the clock noise drown out. Such as he was doing now!

He decided to let the last one live as long as he continued to be of service to their grand plan. As he walked passed the two, Naganisa got a pat on the head, and once Akio passed by Homura, he would place his hand on her leg, fingers drapping over her inner thigh. It felt oddly comfortable, a real fake it till you make it moment.

"Sunagakure is uncharacteristically altruistic. They allow strangers in all the time, do not have protocols to maintain their awareness, and most importantly they're stuck inside this cave. Once something gets inside, there's no where else to run once you've closed the exits. This "attack"- Will last as long as the good people of Sunagakure let it or until the food supplies run out and everyone starves to death. In which case we just leave and this village fades away into antiquity because it was not willing to survive in a more harsh environment. Get to know the people, their habits and schedules, and it is oh so easy to just slip right in when the time is right. There has been an underwhelming response so far, hasn't there, Chikara? Only a few hours ago you watched as people were murdered in the street. Where were the village's shinobi? All hiding because they're cowards."

He smiled, the feeling coming off of him and his sword was that of serenity but intensity. Though he would still respond like himself, the feeling was out there in the air for the other swordsman to pick up on. It would doubtfully be felt by ones such as Naganisa or Magnetica, who have no experiences in such things.

"I agree, when you all attacked I was shirking whatever duty I pretended to have and was playing with academy students. Then your big announcement and down went the phallic representation of power in the city. So I took a jog on over, stopped by a store to get liquored up and ran into my deadly lotus here." he squeezed her leg, signifying to her that he was speaking about her. "They let us go without a fuss, and I'm pretty sure I broke every protocol in the book and left with an enemy of the village in what some might say is 'collusion'." he shifted in his seat, as pews weren't the most comfortable thing to sit on for long periods of time.

"It is what Sunagakure does when it is threatened. They hide. They did it when the plague came to Wind Country and they do it now."

"To be fair, nobody wants the plague, I'm sure you'd run from it too if it did something disgusting like made you bleed from orifices and literally vomit your chakra up." he shrugged, playing the devils advocate on that one, as hes sure it sounded, as if he wasn't even convinced that was the right play.

"Bingo. The only difference is they don't have anywhere else to run now. What else did they expect when they put themselves into a hole and something happened?"

"Yeah yeah I get it, bombs everywhere will cave the whole place in." he leaned forward a little bit, placing his other hand on Naganisa's one that was rapped around his shoulder so she didn't move it. "I don't get it though, I mean I get the gist of the whole thing, this is all to make one big point. Change or die!" he said the last three words in a different, mocking tone of voice. "But why? Why is it important for the lot of you to do any of this? Is it a message to other villages, a ransom, what? Or is it that whoever organized all of this has a beef, and you all owe them a debt?" he said just picking idea straws out of his brain hat. "I mean my motives are simple, get even...and probably cut you down some time." he made an idle but joking threat, so he didn't seem too eager for information. "Also I like this one, she's a keeper!" he said, shifting his head toward Naganisa. Flirting kept his innocence she had been attracted too in tact, and hopefully she would jump in to help him out.

 

[Sand Council]

Akio | Magnetica | Naganisa​

Naganisa seemed to relax as she held her ground behind the samurai, jumping a little bit at the initial touch of her leg, but eventually drawing her form closer to his to seek out support and comfort. Taking the time to get to know people and their weaknesses would eventually come to the light. In this case Naganisa's over attachment was working well in Homura's favor as he had gained an unusual allie out of a group of rogues. The man sitting just across from him was less convinced of his act and when one such as him assumed everyone lied it made anything Homura said nothing more than entertainment to pass the time.

That wicked grin shone brightly through the shadows once more; enough to a lesser man wince.

"Well, which is it, Chikara? Do you or do you not get it!?"<i></i> The pressure was being turned on, and Akio leaned forward, the wild eyes and crazy expression amplifying. "You seem to only know what we've let you learn and even then you're unsure as to our motives."<i></i> A blatant accusation to shake the man's self-created identity as a lone swordsman with a thirst for blood and a bone to pick. Akio would tear Barnyx's whole skeleton from the earth by the end of everything, as it was the only thing that carried enough gravity to get his point across. And not even Naganisa knew what that was.

Shadows and light seemed to twist around the cloaked man. Each passing second and he seemed to slithered closer. Each blink of an eye or inhale of breath and the proximity between the two was closing.

"And what if I were to tell you the plan was to unleash a plague inside the village? One does not learn how to defeat an illness by fleeing from it. Once it gets inside, everyone will slowly die."<i></i> There was a mischievous twinkle in the fiery eyes bearing down upon Homura. "What if we had just infected one person and it is only a matter of time before they die and it spreads?"<i></i> More intense, his maddening tone and the ever-growing length of his smile. "What if someone at the tower had been laced with some sickness and breathing in even a single dust particle puts you at risk?"<i></i> The man's head tilt to the side, as if a canine curious of something new he had just seen. "Even our Naganisa was there. How are you feeling?"<i></i>

She seemed to act normal, looking up and down herself before back to Akio. Only at the twisting grip of his hand did she suddenly gasp and grab at her chest, wincing in pain.

"Scary, isn't it?"<i></i> The insanity in his voice slowly ebbed away and he sat back to where he had started in the pew, crossing a leg over the other. Naganisa took a deep breath and she seemed to be fine a few moments later. "I could care less what The Cabal's plans are. They aren't my people."<i></i> He said nonchalantly. "But I would see the village punished for its crimes."<i></i> There was a unsaid truth in the air, something Akio wasn't just quite spelling out. "What if I told you, Chikara, that Sunagakure has been killing its own people for years? "We" at least state our intent. Sunagakure does it under the ruse of justice and being righteous and being "King's Men"."<i></i> At least now there was a clue as to who had fed Naganisa the lines she used earlier during their escapades. "To lie so boldly to the faces of the village, to the people who expect protection and care, and in the end receive none. I mean, look outside. This group of brigands has been executing civilians on a regular basis and yet they're allowed to exist. Why? Fuck all if I know. Even I have killed more of them than the respective sand shinobi."<i></i>

There was a pause and Akio looked back to Homura.

"Do you get anything yet?"<i></i>

 

[Randamu Kyarakuta]

"Well, which is it, Chikara? Do you or do you not get it!?"

It was a good question, he was pretty much talking in circles and spinning his wheels. If this was a slide puzzle, he'd be spinning the pieces around unable to make a coherent picture. Compounding onto the threat of this man, was whatever this power was he had a hold of. He put on crazy face and stepped toward the three of them.

"You seem to only know what we've let you learn and even then you're unsure as to our motives."

"As I'm sure is your intention." he said nonchalantly, as the man before him began to turn up the heat, most certainly to get a reaction out of him. He began to talk about a plague, something that hadn't been seen or heard of or mentioned since they announced they were here and made a show of force. He would continue to look forward and not bat an eye. He walked further forward as the light flickered, giving a false sense of small distance gliding/teleporting. A true scary movie trope if ever there was one.

"Even our Naganisa was there. How are you feeling?"

Homura had been watching him this whole time, stoic and still trying to analyze what he was seeing, and he caught the signifier of pain, a grip of the hand. Naganisa would grasp her chest as if in pain at that moment, too coincidentally to be anything but what he expected. She wasn't so scared of him because she couldn't kill him, but because he could kill her anytime he wanted, or so it would appear. At the feeling of her shifting in pain his grip on her leg would tighten as if feeling the pain with her, it appearing as though he was gaining an affection for her, and maybe he was. Things were often not so cut and dry in the business of espionage.

As he sat down, her pain would subside which made his grip lighten. For just a moment there, he was ready to call his swords name and rip the head from that mans shoulders, and destroying all the information he has with him. That would be a duty for another day however, as he still had much more to learn before he could act later.

"But I would see the village punished for its crimes."

Their crimes? Crime was literally everywhere in the world, what could it have been that Sunagakure did so bad to warrant such a response? Is that why the whole cabal was here? They were all wronged by sunagakure in some way and are here for revenge? He probably wouldn't fully understand motives without them being spelled out, so all he could make where guesses based on what he'd been given. What was this mans problem? His next sentence would be likely full of clues. As he spoke, Homura would shift his eyes to Naganisa to see if she was ok, and then move his whole head to face the now sitting Akio.

"What if I told you, Chikara, that Sunagakure has been killing its own people for years? "We" at least state our intent. Sunagakure does it under the ruse of justice and being righteous and being "King's Men".

was that it? Had he felt wronged by the village by having someone important taken away from him? Did the cabal use that as a way to get him to work with them? Obviously whatever it is, is personal. He would assume for now that it's the same with everyone present except naganisa, which he was sure was a sellsword more than anything else. Magnetica was being controlled as her actions where implying, but she DID have quite the beef with Sunagakure, whatever it may be so perhaps she was enjoying it also? Or maybe biding her time until an opportunity for freedom presented itself. Just a bunch of thoughts floating through his skull as the events unfolded.

"Do you get anything yet?"

He sighed and leaned his head back, looking up at the ever flickering chakra crystals above.

"Every place is the same. We live in a world where children are molded into vicious killing machines. I was trained to be a murderer before most civilians could walk. We live in a time where secrecy saves as many lives as it takes." he over embellished. [color=#40008]"So the whole plan is to sit here and wait for Sunagakure to act. You want them to fight to survive and challenge you, if you didn't it would just have been easier to just blow the whole place up without even making an announcement and walk away."[/color] he was referring to the sense of self righteousness he was spewing out, as if forcing an entire village to murder itself to survive as long as possible was the right answer to whatever wrongs he wanted to correct.

"Even if I'm not fully getting the whole picture here it doesn't matter, what matters is the here and now."

"You're so dense, I don't get why you don't call my name and just kill these three?!"

The voice of his sword interrupted his train of thought, he would shrug it off, doing his best to ignore the voice. However it was getting stronger, and might soon be too hard to tune out. He couldn't take all three of them, Akio maybe, but magnetica took a whole squad to take down and Naganisa had grown on him, a sentiment his sword didn't share.

"I also think that we've over stayed our welcome Naganisa. We should retire for the night, I'm getting hungry and need to think on what your buddy has said." he referred to Akio. "We should return to my clans compound, it's well fortified, has it's own provisions and will be safe for the night. Plus, they have a big liquor cabinet!" he said excitedly. It would be safe to stay in for the night at least, and would be a good place to talk to Naganisa without prying eyes. "Before I depart, I have one last question." he said, standing up as if preparing to leave. "Where did you get that weapon?" he said, pointing to his sword. "I want one..."

"Hey?!" the voice in his head rebounded. Not funny mister! he smiled, but it worked both ways. He smiled at the swords reaction, and to make it look like he really wanted one.

 

[Sand Council]

Akio | Magnetica | Naganisa​

Naganisa seemed to get closer and closer with each passing second as she found comfort in Homura wherein the room had turned against her. Homura had learned. Homura had learned a few things from his sit down with the cloaked man. Naganisa did not answer to him, but dared not to cross him; which carried significant weight considering how carefree and kill-happy she was. The man was also deadly with a sound and moved fast enough to appear only as a flicker and a flash of steel. There was also the peculiar death grip he had exhibited onto the assassin that now was seeking shelter from the samurai to keep distance between the two.

Some where the two groups, The Cabal and this individual, had similar interest enough to work together, but there was a clear imbalance of power. These signs pointed towards something more going on within the ranks of The Cabal.

"Take from it what you will, but never believe someone's motives are as obvious as they appear."<i></i>

An obvious warning. Akio was a man who found little fun when a whole village would just roll over and die. There was a challenge to be had and he was poking and prodding the right areas to get proper responses so he wouldn't be forever bored.

"Only living in the moment just means you won't see your death when you take your next step. The young ones always live so impulsively."<i></i> This was a shot at both Naganisa and Homura, who were apparently not as far along in years as the shadowy swordsman was. As Homura asked his question as to the origins of the sword, he visibly stiffened. He stood, his thumb flicking out the first few inches of the mastercraft blade. It glistened black, like the deep void of a starless night. "This sword was forged from the torment of the neglected. It was given to me by a lost soul who had lost all hope of living."<i></i> Akio halted his thought for a moment and let the weapon slide back into its sheath with a clack. "She had been no older than Naganisa-chan. Alone and left without in her own home, allowed to be agonized and terrorized to the point that she would take her own life."<i></i>

Akio turned and Magnetic stood with him. The metallic maiden started her way towards the opposite end of the pew, the two black-armored knights meeting her over there.

Back still turned, he spoke one last time.

"This was her treasure, a family heirloom. She left it to a stranger who she had only met twice. I will make sure that it is used to right the wrongs that caused her death."<i></i>

That said the four left the temple, the heavy footfalls of the knights the only thing they could hear as they turned out the same bloodied entrance.

[Topic Left; Akio, Magnetica]

 

[Randamu Kyarakuta]

"Take from it what you will, but never believe someone's motives are as obvious as they appear."

He just looked forward, listening to the man speak.

"Only living in the moment just means you won't see your death when you take your next step. The young ones always live so impulsively." his brow furrowed. If only the man knew how hard he was playing a game right now, the stakes were his life so he was treading for more carefully than the man would appear to believe. He did however strike a nerve with the question of where he received his blade. It was drawn ever so slightly, showing the black sheen of the blade. He had seen it before when he slaughtered the hand of the cabal members, and again more clearly here. A twinge in the back of his head was set off, the sword itself felt like his...maybe not exactly, but something like that. She wanted to speak out at just that moment, but he thought to himself 'shut up, just shut up' and he could hear her voice in his head yip a little bit.

"She had been no older than Naganisa-chan. Alone and left without in her own home, allowed to be agonized and terrorized to the point that she would take her own life."

He went on to explain this girl to him, that hadn't come up before. Perhaps he was getting a small peak behind the curtain of what made akio do this.

"This was her treasure, a family heirloom. She left it to a stranger who she had only met twice. I will make sure that it is used to right the wrongs that caused her death."

"Is he that man?"

The voice sounded sad in his head, he thought to himself 'maybe' as if the sword and him had began to understand one another. As they left, he turned to naganisa and grabbed her, holding her tight. "Are you ok? What did he do to you?" he said, beginning to walk away from the pew with her in arms, heading toward the compound. "Tell me everything, so I can make him pay for hurting you." he sounded like a protective boyfriend just then, intentional? Maybe!

[Topic Left]

 

[Sand Council]

Naganisa​

The tension in the room had seemed to melt away when the duo of super-powers had taken their leave. Sole survivor of the Hand still remained on the floor, panicking and in a puddle of his own piss. The gore that decorated the front half of the temple was ghastly and looked to be something set out of a horror movie. Homura turned and through his actions urged Naganisa to follow him out of the large chamber. After Akio's display, she didn't seem like the same agent of chaos she had been when the samurai had first encountered her. In fact, it was now the secret agent leading their actions as opposed to the assassin. Each drawn in breath was let out with a small shiver that would shake her frame. Whatever had happened it had entrenched fear into her.

"It felt like he was crushing my insides...I couldn't breath..."<i></i> As they walked, she lightly put her hands on her throat. "My heart was racing--or at least it tried--but he strangled it so tightly that it stopped pumping."<i></i>

When they finally got outside, there were no signs of the other two. Naganisa stopped and turned to Homura, taking his hands in hers. There was a pleading look in her eyes. "Do not cross that man. You will not survive him. None of us will."<i></i>

There was a clear concern for Homura's well-being there and the warning served as a foreshadowing for events to come. Whatever Akio was doing there, whatever his reason for being brought along with The Cabal, he was a step above their orders, their plan and he had his own machinations at play. Someone in the village had a target painted on them and that grim black sword would eventually take them apart.

"Let us just go and drink and have a good time. That's all that matters."<i></i>

[Topic Left with Homura]