Ninpocho Chronicles is a fantasy-ish setting storyline, set in an alternate universe World of Ninjas, where the Naruto and Boruto series take place. This means that none of the canon characters exists, or existed here.
Each ninja starts from the bottom and start their training as an Academy Student. From there they develop abilities akin to that of demigods as they grow in age and experience.
Along the way they gain new friends (or enemies), take on jobs and complete contracts and missions for their respective villages where their training and skill will be tested to their limits.
The sky is the limit as the blank page you see before you can be filled with countless of adventures with your character in the game.
An ambitious design, to rebuild what they already had and what they lost again on the surface. It seemed redundant to do so considering what there already was. There was already so much history lost the first time they fled the surface, it would be a travesty to see their heritage albeit only that of a neophyte in the subterranean hovel they had chosen but none the less it was their home and heritage. She opened her weighted tome to a blank page and scrawled the scene before her, the raw open expanse with exposed beams of steel and walls of stone. It was a rough transition certainly, no roads but rather a slightly worn groove in the sand where the earth had been packed tight.
She would not stay long, she was merely passing through. A picture now contained within her book of what some hoped would be the village's rebirth. She wondered if they would succeed or at least have a sense of victory however brief it might be before the armies of Sora came marching in.
It was late, the sun had receded over the horizon hours ago. A woman walked alone in the dead of night down this narrow ally. She was near the Oracle's Library, in fact she could see the front door from her window. It was a purposeful placement of course, she wanted to keep an eye on what these schlemiels and what they were about to do in 'reviving' her former Order. There was a reason she was the last. There was a reason she still recorded. There was a reason for everything because there was no such thing as fate but rather a collision of circumstances. She was not going to last forever and she was not about to take on a pupil of her own, but she wondered still what hubris a man or a woman must conceivably posses to think they could restore something they could not possibly conceive.
She came to her door and reached into the pocket of her shorts. She was still dressed like a barmaid despite taking on her natural physical form. Her pockets were empty. She frowned as she realized at that very same moment that she had forgotten something rather important in the bar. She plucked a pin from her hair, it held back an unruly fringe of bangs. She shook her head to shift the hair from her eyes as she carefully picked the lock to her own apartment. She would have to find a new lock. A new lock and a new key soon. For now she would just enter and drop off her book and then depart with a fresh, empty tome. She had some research to do still and the night was young.
The night was always young, and the job was never done. Working on a hunch, a chance and an opportunity, Kasha would continue to make his movements throughout the village. His lurking, no his stalking, would find its way up and on the surface. His target was a crafty one, but her general location was now known. With a key and an idea the cat would remained perched on the rooftops waiting for the prime opportunity.
And finally it would arrive.
"A key would make it easier to open that door, right?"
OC: 91 words. Good job. Did not expect you to make it.
IC:
Fuu The Oracle
"A key would make it easier to open that door, right?"
Fuu dropped the pin she was holding between her fingers onto the ground when she heard the familiar voice. She did not bother to turn around, she knew exactly who it was that called out to her. "The vigilante Kasha," she replied as she slowly turned around with her hands exposed in front of her. At the moment she was essentially unarmed less the blade in her boot and if she could avoid pulling it out she would. Screams in the middle of the night do only one thing: draw unwanted attention. "I did not expect you to find me so quickly," she admitted as her eyes surveyed the ANBU. She did not want to deal with him, not here and not now. It was likely he already knew more than she intended if he found and read those scrolls. She also did not need him in there. Her eyes darted towards the door, it was only a momentary tell before she suddenly reached out for the knob with her empty hand. If unstopped she would break the knob off with a single snap of her wrist.
It was good to be on this end of the conversation. So often it was Fuu that seemed to, whether by chance or choice, come upon him without any prior notice. To be the interloper, to be the intruder, it felt good. And while she might not enjoy anything like that, it was very clearly that she enjoyed the aspect of control that came with it. She was a bystander, a watcher, an observer of life. Unfortunately, and it might be getting closer for her to realize this once more, that she won't be afforded the opportunity to just watch. She was now in the middle of the ever growing shit storm; one didn't just sneak out of it. Now was going to be interesting point in this relationship. He knew she had ability, she was never shy to be close to the action so she must of had some ability to feel that confident. Her appearance and normal attire was that of someone who didn't just sit on the sidelines. While it might not be her forte, he knew not to underestimate her. Her eyes gave way to her true intentions.
Got to stop her...
His body would pulse with energy as a chakra gate within his body would open up, breaking one of his eight limiters. Within that same split moment reaction, his body would seem to flicker away into nothingness. As her hand reached for the door, within that very moment, Kasha would appear next to Fuu with his own outstretched arm. He would not be looking to grab the knob but to grab the wrist of Fuu to stop her. There was no inclination that she might break the knob within his actions. No, he was merely reacting as he did not wish to have her enter the domicile as he had no idea what devilish countermeasures she had in store. While the train of thought between the two was not the same, the end result would work for him if successful.
"Birdie doesn't want to play with the cat?"
He was right, she did not enjoy when the tables were turned. She prefered being in a place of control. When the encounter was on her terms there was already an escape planned. There was some leverage in wait, but not when she was unprepared. Her head hurt while her mind raced through a variety of scenarios. She could try to run but the ally limited the direction she could run so she would have to assume that she was the faster of the pair, an assumption where probability was only 50%. She had not yet seen his fastest pace. She could rush past him, setting him off-balance with her aggressive choice where she would not stay and fight but rather flee. Again, she was making a series of hypotheses with data she could not substantiate. She would have to break past him, risking the possibility that he might grab her and then again, even with a head-start she would have to be even or swifter than Kasha if she wished to escape. She could also try... try to stand her ground. A fight was actually her best chance, an 80% chance of success. That was still a 20% chance of failure that would likely worsen if she knew his full power set. The only path to 100% success was to talk her way out, the 100% meaning only that she could elect to enact the other plans at any future point.
She reached for the door. She needed to block his entry or at least create a point of interest. She blinked, or at least she thought she blinked and then the masked vigilante was gone. Her eyes widened as her mind announced that is new and 75% and 45% respectively.</I><i></i> His hand encircled her wrist and pulled it away. Her hand flinched, pushing only air. Her face betrayed her normally neutral and collected countenance as she scowled at him. She was a woman who was used to getting her way. Being able to manipulate and control those around her through her words and calculated actions. That was something she could not do with Kasha, it was what simultaneously piqued her interest in him and vexed her endlessly.
"Birdie doesn't want to play with the cat?"<i></i>
"You're <I>hurting me," she lied as she attempted to pull her arm free from his grasp. "Why are you following me, she accused as she looked down the empty ally past Kasha. She the scanned skyward, was there any of else here or was it just him and her alone in the dead of the night. The lights for the apartments adjacent were out meaning the homes were still empty or that the occupants had turned in for the night. This part of the village was newly constructed, the homes were in all actuality likely still empty but she could not know that for certain. "I'll scream," she threatened. A threat she did not want to have to follow through on, while her face was less known than her brethren, she wanted to keep it that way. She could actually coexist in this village society without the use of a hence if she so desired, a benefit she did not want to give away with too much attention drawn to her person.
He was able to take hold of her. His speed was growing, and maybe he didn't need the use of his chakra gates but he had never used them in front of Fuu before. The best way to overcome a know-it-all is to do something they don't know. She watches and records, so her data on his normal routine was probably mapped carefully. Her skill was absurd. It was probably safe to assume that just watching him she could discern physical details, to almost a surgical level, about him. Luckily, he made a point to differ between his style, demeanor and personality when wearing the ANBU gear. His normal physicality was not the norm for Kasha, who relied on sword play, stealth and finesse. There was no true great purpose in this, other than to help protect the identity behind the mask, but it seemed fortune would continue to favor him during this current lucky streak.
"You're hurting me."
Her words would fall on deaf ears as his grip would tighten.
"Not yet."
He would not wait for her to make the next move, time was running short. His free hand would dart forward jabbing his thumb into her shoulder as the finger would come down and latch unto the top of the shoulder. This hold would not cause too much discomfort, but wouldn't feel great. It also would not really stop her from moving her other arm, but it would allow him with his strength and speed to dislocate the shoulder without a second thought. While she was probably ambidextrous, he would take the gamble. If he had both arms, to some degree, he held the power to take them both away. She might not have a lot of vulnerabilities in the world, at least that were known, but her writing seemed to be her life. We she risk losing that?
"Why am I following you? I am a vigilante, like you said. You should know why I am here."
His expression could not be seen but his tone was clear. She then made the threat to scream.
"During our first couple of run in's you expressed to me that you were part of a certain group that are not very well received around here... I can't openly prove that, but I am sure Kaito could verify. And if he can't, scream. Draw people here. Under this mask I am a shinobi of this village, under your mask you are, at the least, a questionable person."
Look at Roku using knowledge based on previous interactions, character development indeed! The reference to mask for her could easily be taken to imply the fact that she is someone who holds a lot of secrets, or just the fact that she transformed her appearance earlier.
"It is my assessment that a prompt strike will be your only opportunity for success...passing love notes, are we?"
Seems the cat was out of the bag on some of her little extracurricular activities.
OC: Finally got some computer access so I repaired the typos and made a mildly better post because a phone post is well... terrible.
IC:
Fuu The Oracle
"Not yet."
Kasha announced as his grip tightened about her thin wrist and now it actually hurt. She let out a gasp when his other hand reached for and dug into her shoulder. She started to try to shrug his grip off and break the hold when she felt his thumb press into her acromion process. With sufficient force her rotator cuff would be torn and her shoulder dislodged. She grimaced as she looked up at the ANBU's mask. Pain and fear would have been a fool's errand, but injury... as in the kind that take time and intervention to recover from she could not risk. The books she wrote in where everything to her, more than a mere chronicle of the world and its history but it was her identity. It was everything that she was, written on those pages these stories and these words of lives that were not her own but written in her hand from her perspective. A mental exercise,yes. But more than that it tracked what the mind refused to keep, like a rusted trap the mind forgets what the pen would not.
"Why am I following you? I am a vigilante, like you said. You should know why I am here."</B><i></i>
Kasha's voice echoed from behind the mask, his face not far from hers. Her right wrist encircled by the vigilante's and her and her shoulder in place with his grasp she had no other place to look but directly at him. She noted the mask's dull luster and wondered how long he had donned this alternative identity. "I have done nothing illegal,"<i></i> she replied defiantly. It was true, in theory. She had her associations certainly but she had always remained a neutral figure in the view of Sunagakure and Sora. Had she done anything 'wrong'? Of course, but that was more an issue of perspective. There were sides to take in a war, the victor most commonly being seen as the 'right' one. Remaining a stance such as hers would be impossible, she could not be an ally to both without being an enemy to both. As for 'illegal', of course the statement was a lie. Her crimes for the most part remained non-violent except in that one situation but she was confident that her trespasses would go unreported. Lurking, peeping and of course breaking and entering however, she had done all of these things. She had assumed several identities of her own as well, none of which except for perhaps one could be proven by Kasha but then again what harm was there in pouring a few men a couple of overpriced, watered-down drinks? Information was her lifeblood still. She would learn at any cost.
"During our first couple of run in's you expressed to me that you were part of a certain group that are not very well received around here... I can't openly prove that, but I am sure Kaito could verify. And if he can't, scream. Draw people here. Under this mask I am a shinobi of this village, under your mask you are, at the least, a questionable person."<i></i>
He called her bluff. She let out an annoyed sound, he had changed greatly since their last meeting. Was he even the same man? It was only a few months ago, or was it... it was closer to a year of more that he rushed into that unknown house without thought or a plan because he heard a scream. He was the 'hero' who did the 'right' thing even if it was not the 'smart' thing. Now it seemed like his priorities had reversed. She saw it in the bar as well when he bartered information for fear. He was right, she was not going to scream. "Are you really still mad about that?" Fuu replied, playing coy off the cuff which was not one of her strengths. "Haven't you ever made friends with bad people?"
"It is my assessment that a prompt strike will be your only opportunity for success...passing love notes, are we?"
She knew he likely knew what was in those scrolls. All but the last, blank scroll. She had nothing to say in response, it was not a question but rather a statement. "And? Are you now here to intimidate me into capitulation? Into reticence? To hurt me for saying churlish things about the health of your failing community?' While she talked her eyes continued to scan the immediate vicinity and consider the best scenario. She needed to leave his grip, she needed to break away if she wanted to meld with the shadows. <B>"Kasha, you have the advantage in terms of physical prowess... that much I cede to you, but every man possesses the same Achilles heel,"<i></i> she announced and with her left hand, the one that was relatively free she attempted to strike him with a terrible blow -- an uncalled for shot. He was right, his best chance against her was a preemptive strike. He did not understand her skill set and that was her only advantage in this situation. It was luck that he got the drop on her, placing him momentarily in control. A situation she did not relish. She needed him to let go of her, only for a second if she wanted to get lose, even if it resulted in a broken or dislodged shoulder. It was not an outcome she desired, but her choices were limited and with each passing moment he would get more organized. The first moments of an interaction are always the least organized, his advantage was the first move but perhaps hers could be the last move.
If she succeeded and broke his hold, even for a moment, even with a broken wrist or a dislocated shoulder she would attempt to flee for the shadows.
This world was crazy, mixed up place. Well laid plans often found themselves backfiring, best intentions going awry and those who assume control often find it slipping from their grasps. In this situation, Kasha felt like he had everything in hand. The belief, one he had put some thought into, led him to believe that this was the perfect course of action. He believe he had thought everything through, that there were no real flaws in his plan. Sure, something could go wrong. It would have been foolish to not believe that something might not go the way it should. But he never thought, not even once, that what would go wrong, was what would ever happen in this situation.
It was a slow motion moment. Within his mind the sound of classical music would be playing, providing some beauty to this tragic moment. His eyes would scan down towards the movement of her arm, quickly realizing where it was going to end up. This distance, this proximity, assured that he would not be able to do much to avoid this outcome. This train wreck was inevitable. It would feel like an eternity watching this all play out, but would only be seconds. The impact, to a point of pride, would set off a reaction; first his right arm would release the shoulder of Fuu, not removing it, but his grip on her right wrist would tighten as if a beast had clamped on to it. His body would then begin to drop to his knees, and with his vice grip he would forcefully drag Fuu down to meet him. Within this moment a new eternity would unfold, but this one would not be a hellish time freeze for Kasha. This time it was Fuu.
Again, things don't go the way you plan. It was probably her hope that this moment would cause him to fully release her. Instead, his reaction caused him to lose one grip while tightening the other. He wasn't really thinking that he had to hold on to her right arm, but the pain cause his hand to react involuntary. Fortune still seemed to be favoring him. Another fortunate thing about this, and his past life as a scoundrel; he had been hit below the belt before. That in no way lessened the blow physically, but mentally it numbed it a bit. As he pulled Fuu in closer, another chakra gate within him would instinctively open up, allowing another sudden rush of chakra to fill his body.
"ENOUGH."
Kasha, more so Roku, had been having a hard time finding stress relief since the Cabal situation. This led to him being very agitated. His busted jewels... didn't calm that building rage. In this moment Fuu probably did the one thing that would no longer guarantee a cordial end to this situation. Kasha did not fully believe her as a guilty person, she had benefited him in the Cabal incursion but her allegiance was always a mystery. While he was going to be very forceful in this encounter, things were now going to go off the tracks. Luckily for Kasha, the gate he opened was the Gate of Life, so his broken man bits would start to get the TLC they required. These gates, while a great benefit to shinobi, allowed Kasha, or Roku, to act ten times more reckless than before. Thoughts of his own body were quickly dismissed.
His now free right hand would dart upwards at Fuu's through, latching around her wind pipe. Within this movement his body would also raise up to his full stature, all 6'2", which depending on Fuu's height might take her up off the ground as he would slam her back first into her door. The changes of opening the second gate would continue to effect his body during all of this, as his muscles would become more defined and seemingly increase in mass.
"Enough. Enough dodging. Enough cryptic shit. You hold this bullshit perception that you are some spectator, merely watching and writing. That is horse shit. Stop it. You are just as much in the middle of this shit storm as anyone else. This, those scrolls, the Cabal, the merchants, this is going to consume us all. You can't merely hide behind the defense of just being a note taker. This isn't a fucking story. This isn't some passage in a history book. Real lives will be lost. Real consequences will be felt."
He may have wanted to say that to her for awhile.
"Tell me what you know..."
In the past when he was playing superhero he might have skirted, danced even, around this subject. He would give the benefit of the doubt, that she was talking directly to the Daimyo.
"Tell me about their forces... tell me what is coming for us."
Hopefully she wasn't hiding anymore hidden tactics.
It was a clean blow, and she tensed herself to make a break for it as soon as he relinquished his grasp. His hand let go of her shoulder and she spun herself about-face, she twisted the arm that remained in his vice-like grip and hoped that her unruly attack would be enough of a distraction for her to break-free. His fingers tightened around her narrow wrist and refused to let her arm go. As he went down to his knees and he brought her down with him. She crashed to the ground and she braced her impact with her newly freed arm. Her knees and shins were scraped as they hit the earthen floor and she was finally face to face with a man over half-a foot taller than she. She had always looked upward at him from a lower vantage point, the new perspective was fascinating. She noticed a change in his musculature, of what flesh was exposed which would likely be little as his identity was something he seemed to hold closer to his heart, but he looked bigger. She would not know it was yet another gate that had been unleashed and that a current of chakra was now rushing through his body like adrenaline. She let out an involuntary yelp on impact and in response to his tight hold on her that seemed to cut off the circulation to her hand. Did even her hand grow just a little? Was that what happened or was that her imagination? Taken off-balance, as even the worst of her plans most often work out in her favor. She stared into the hollows of Kasha's mask and announced, "I may have underestimated you, Kasha." She smiled, a strange response to her predicament but she loved surprises. For a woman who experienced few, this was an exhilarating sensation. From the other side a voice laced with anger announced --
"ENOUGH."
His left still encircled her wrist while his right shot upwards and wrapped around her throat. What air was inside her body remained there just as what was outside of her stayed there. Kasha lifted with a single arm the much smaller woman off of the ground, there was over six inches beneath her feet and the ground if they were to see eye-to-eye, more-so if he lifted her to a point above even his own head. Her back slammed into the door with a loud bang that shuddered through her body. The door rattled on its hinges and splintered on impact but remained intact although damaged. Fuu would yell out but no wind would pass her compressed windpipe. Her free hand would reach for Kasha's and she would try to push him back while her other was still held in place. A single prying hand would not be enough to peel back his fingers, not an adrenaline-fueled vigilante who just kick kicked in the balls. If he had compressed her carotids rather than her windpipe in this same forceful hold, then she would be left in an unconscious state after a matter of mere seconds. But that did not seem to be his intent, to simply incapacitate her. He was looking for answers and he was angry, annoyed, and perhaps a bit sore.
"Enough. Enough dodging. Enough cryptic shit. You hold this bullshit perception that you are some spectator, merely watching and writing. That is horse shit. Stop it. You are just as much in the middle of this shit storm as anyone else. This, those scrolls, the Cabal, the merchants, this is going to consume us all. You can't merely hide behind the defense of just being a note taker. This isn't a fucking story. This isn't some passage in a history book. Real lives will be lost. Real consequences will be felt."
Kasha unloaded. Fuu was not able to respond, someone was compressing her windpipe. Her back pressed against the door it groaned and bowed under the pressure. Her lungs hungered and screamed for air, they felt like they were on fire. She was a writer, that was a writer by nature and had taken an oath that she took seriously, but her word alone was not why she chose to share her information with who she did. She did in fact intervene, making her a hypocrite in terms of her Order. She tried to say something, perhaps protest, perhaps explain herself but she could not say anything. Her feet dangled over the ground, her legs bent and pushed against the door. The heel of her boot, kicked feebly against the already stressed frame. She needed to throw him off-balance, but she was not fighting the same man she encountered at the estates. The same man she studied. That Kasha seemed to posses a white-knight complex that was only enhanced by his acts of heroism. The only person whose safety he gave no regard to appeared to be his own, but now it seemed that he was more task-oriented and objective-based. He was seeking something from her and that was what he was going to get via. any means necessary and that was problematic. It made him harder to manipulate. Harder to control. She had plans for him, otherwise she would have never engaged him. Now, here she was lifted off the ground, unable to breathe being asked questions she could not answer even if she tried.
Death from asphyxiation -- a distinct possibility but unlikely if he wanted information from her.
Death from accidental asphyxiation -- more probable, anger management has become a new issue for this man.
<i></i>
"Tell me what you know..."<i></i>
Kasha demanded. His fingers still wrapped around her neck, the door pressed firmly against her back. The wood behind her cracked and she wiggled as she attempted to fulfill a basic biological need -- breathing. She nodded in concession just barely, it was the only method she had to communicate. She stared into his eyes, or at least the hollows of his mask where something glistened beneath, with a defiant expression. The world was starting to swim in a cloudy haze from a lack of oxygen. Her carotids might not be fully compressed but partially they were being a part of that portion of her anatomy.
"Tell me about their forces... tell me what is coming for us."<i></i>
She would not be able to answer him verbally. Something was making a verbal reply impossible. It was shaped an awful lot like a hand. The door continued to bow, on the brink of breaking under the force of this 'interrogation.' Meanwhile Fuu calculated her alternatives, that attack on his groin was her best opportunity for escape and now she was forced to consider another. She had no qualms sharing what she knew, it was compulsory according to her order but she also had a life to live and to survive. At this moment she was not only calculating her chances of escape but also her chances of survival. In a desperate final attack before darkness consumed her she kicked the door again with whatever strength and force remained.
If-Then Scenarios:
The Door Breaks:
If she succeeded in breaking the door, Kasha would be able to see the inner recesses of what she considered 'home.' There were few physical comforts here, a plain table with a pair of chairs. The table was covered with books and a small oil lamp, and one of the who chairs was also burdened with a stack of books. The kitchen in this studio apartment was rather utilitarian, it had no fancy mixers or cozy mittens. It seemed to be just another surface to place books on, less a small space where it would be assumed that she made her meals. A small 2x2 space that housed a jar of peanut-butter and a loaf of bread as well as a clean plate and butterknife. There was a futon, with a pair of pillows and a throw, likely a place of sleep but also a place of reading if that was a shock to anyone. A half-wall of books partially obscured even this basic piece of furniture. It did not appear she did much living here, or perhaps this was her version of life, a vicarious element where she lived and recorded and by proxy experienced their lives.
The Door Does Not Break:
Nothing in particular happens in response to the environment.
Kasha Continues to Compress her Windpipe:
She is knocked out.
Kasha Stops Chocking Her:
She is not knocked out.
Kasha Physically Loses His Grip on her while she is Conscious:
She attempts to enter stealth.
Edit: Added some variable and improved the writing because it was originally written in haste and looked horrid.
Through his mask he could see the world, he could see his actions and he could see the impact he was having, but his mind was still relaying this process slowly. His emotions, the second open gate and his own natural blood lust had him no longer seeing clearly. His grip was something that would soon end his line of questioning if he continued. The one dangling before him was struggling for breath, struggle for stability and ultimately struggling for life. It would be in that moment, that tiny little moment, the look of her face, the look in her eyes, that it would finally set in on him.
I'm killing her...
His grip would loosen on her windpipe, would no longer press against the carotid, but would maintain a grasp around her throat. She would feel herself slowly be pulled out of the door, easing the tension and keeping it from collapsing on itself. Lastly, her feet would make contact with the ground as Kasha would slide back a bit to provide leverage between himself and the body he was holding against the door. She was no longer being held with the intensity as before, but it was still apparent that he had no intention of release this little birdie.
"Speak."
His tone was not shaken from its firmness, but the curdling blood lust that was emanating from him would be dying down. He could not risk killing her. He could not accidentally kill her. He didn't want to kill her. There was no animosity towards her, but again, sometimes things don't go the way you planned. Pent up aggression and a well placed low blow seemed to be all that was needed to get him rabid. But he had come too far. There was no longer any going back in this situation, no feeling that she could just be fully released and not sent fleeing into the darkness. This was it. This was his 'all in' moment concerning Fuu, or so he thought given the current predicament.
I'm sorry...
--------------------------
Edited to clean up some confusing wording I wrote in my sleep delirium last night.
OC: No problem, I did some extra shifts myself so my threads may be a bit rambly.
IC:
Fuu The Oracle
The door failed to give way due to the pounding of her heel. The splintering surface that hugged her back only groaned. She could not get any air and her lungs were screaming for a moment's respite. Her vision was swimming and started to go dark. Kasha would perhaps notice this -- the way her struggle slowed and how her free arm fell to her side. Fuu realized just then that probability was not on her side and that she would likely die. She had always believed that it would have been a case of matricide that finally extinguished her life. It was at this moment, this threshold between consciousness and unconsciousness that she was granted a reprieve. As his fingers relaxed over her carotid, blood was vigorously being pumped to her oxygen-starved brain. Beneath his fingers he would be able to feel her bounding pulse. As pressure over her trachea was diminished, a rush of air would enter and leave her body in a series of rapid wheezes. She would not be able to buckle over and cough, Kasha never released her from his grip as a firm hand still pressed her against the apartment door. There was a mixture of confusion, relief and most unmistakably fear that painted the visage that was her flushed face. She was still breathing hard, perhaps out of fear that it would happen again.
"Speak."
Kasha demanded. Fuu shifted beneath Kasha's grip, testing pressure per square inch equivalent in her mind. "I..." she whispered in a hoarse voice, "require your query." She blinked hard and her brow furrowed. The man was in a near homicidal rage a moment earlier and did not know what would set him off again. Certainly testicular torsion would be something to avoid. "Your... question has no simple answer," she rasped, attempting to make use of her contused voice box while she still could in her own defense. "The scrolls are for the Diamyō," she tried to explain in response to his first stated objective. This was a fact that she assumed he already knew. "It..." she took a deep breath, "is my obligation to share with the Diamyō as well as the Kazekage or in this case the Kazekage's proxy the Steward." This is where it would be dangerous for her because she admitted something that was not in her best interest: her intent to share with both parties. Once their reunion was over she would seek the Diamyō again and answer his questions much like she was answering Kasha's. "The Steward holds the diamond throne despite the return of the Sunahoshi, meaning he is not my intended audience." She was referencing the Masashi-Sunahoshi heir who despite lacking access to the diamond sands was a legitimate heir. "He abdicated after our previous encounter," she continued, referring to the time she met Kasha at the Aburabuta estate. If memory served, it was she who sought Kasha out and not the other way around. "Both of these statements are of course irrelevant, because Steward Takahashi Sousuke III was presumed dead because my son, Shouki was guarding the Maw of Barynx and it was considered to be the most likely outcome. The demonbeast Toraono Kuro and the Ancient Mikaboshi both serve as Sennins and would be considered the next in line for my information but Mikaboshi was imprisoned for a majority of the duration of the incursion by the Spider and Toraono Kuro had already imprisoned Saiga. Which left me in a quandary where I had to find a repository, and you were my intended." She finally revealed. She wanted to protect her information and ensure that it was put to good use, the vigilante Kasha was put to the test when Aburabuta offered him a deal. He played the part of a hero well on that day and it created the framework for what she thought he was, what she thought he was until today that is. Now he was shaking down old women and nearly killing targets before he could interrogate them. "But you disappeared and the Steward returned. I met with the Steward once, gave him his opportunity to ask of me what he would and it was an opportunity taken but also squandered partially due to his hubris." It was a statement more of intuition than anything else, how one phrases things and how one acts or rather reacts creates a mental bias that she could not entirely ignore.
She swallowed hard as she tried to coat her dry throat. "The Cabal was a group of treasure-hunters," Fuu explained as she moved on to the next 'question.' "They caught, killed, unburied, or sold artifacts of power to the highest bidder. It is what makes me so familiar with Aburabuta." She let out a low cough as she tested a second time if she could break free. She shifted her arm, the one he had yet to let go and sighed. "He bought a fair number of our artifacts, but we were sent to Sunagakure for the purpose of chaos if you were to ask most of the members less perhaps myself, Shouki, and Akio. Even Kaito had only a rudimentary understanding, he knew that we were hired by the Diamyo but unlikely anything more. In reality it was a test, most of the Cabal members who were caught were intended to be. Akio had a personal grudge against the village that I cannot elaborate because I do not know what it is. Shouki was on guard duty and never supposed to enter the village, but he was aware of the Cabal's actual purpose. Kaito truly thought that the Cabal could overtake the village permanently." Again, she made a dangerous statement. She just admitted that she let people that one could theoretically conceive to be her allies to enter a mission they were intended to fail and that she done so without giving them warning. Would Kasha be angered for their sake -- perhaps but it is hard to feel indignant for the sake of one's own enemy. She also failed to mention Saiga, was it because he was special. Not in particular, it was actually because like Urufu and Naganisa, his role was rather insignificant.
"The Merchant Lords. There are many Lords and they control Soons Haven." She finally looked up towards Kasha's mask, her bruised neck somewhat sore. "I am not sure what you want to know... the biographies of the six Lords, their relative affiliations with the Diamyō or their reservations and support for what the Diamyō plans." She took a breath, they might again be a precious commodity because she did not know where this conversation was going because new variables had emerged. "The country is under the control of the Diamyō," she reiterated a basic statement of political structure. "Sunagakure is considered a sovereign entity within, Soons being a near-autonomous city-state due to the consolidated power of the Merchant Lords and their hold over international trade. Yet to say any outright oppose him, that would be a lie. Do they agree with his decisions, most do not. Will any act out against the Diamyō? Unlikely. But would any one of them make a similar choice if they were to somehow possess the power of the Diamyō? It is a certainty." Her voice, raspy and quiet still carried the grave warning well. "If they broke away, I would then be forced to share with them as I have with the Diamyō and Sunagakure." It was strange how she viewed this war that was coming. It was a fearful but wonderful thing, it gave her a new view of the world and the men who inhabit it. How she sought to share what she knew but how she did not truly care who it was shared with, as if the burden was no longer hers to bear. in a way, it was true. Kasha now had a trove of information at his disposal and now it was up to him to share or to keep it a secret and if he chose the former one would have to ask -- with whom? Was there a man left in Sunagakure that he truly trusted? There was also the matter of Fuu. He could not hold her by the neck forever. He would not be able to lock her away, with a mind like hers she would find a way out. Once free, she already warned him of her intent making her a threat. Yet, she was a resource as well. The determination Kasha would soon have to make is: is she more of a threat or a resource and even if she was more one than the other, did his ethics dictate a course of action to the contrary?
He listened and he watched. Watching each and every limit movement she could make, his eyes would continue to scan the woman trapped in his grasp. She would mention, once more, her affiliation to The Cabal, their purpose, their backer, pieces of them, pieces of her family. Something about that stood out. Something about that hung in his mind. She would continue, tying in Hirotomi and the Merchant Lords, talking about their resources, talking about their own distrust of the Daimyo but how their personalities would not change the outcome if the Daimyo had been removed. It was an endless cycle. A corrupted disease that had been festering across this landscape for decades, centuries, since the beginning. It wasn't important, the time of gestation did not matter. It was now ingrained in the fabric of this world. It was now just the way things were. It would be simple, or rather simplistic, to take this information and come upon a conclusion that others might with the same information, or pieces of it; we must kill the Daimyo. But this situation was not that simple. There was no way to simply kill the Daimyo, even if one came up with a filler from their own affliation, and take the throne. The Merchant Lords would suffocate that figurehead out with their own, legal, tactics and cripple the country to their whim. This matter was not also some simple matter of killing the lords. To remove all of these people would not end this ever growing madness. In their stead heirs would rise or opportunist would strike. There was no simple way to handle this. You can just cut out a disease, it had to be cured.
"Thank you. I have some more questions I need to ask, and dependent upon the answer I will release you."
Was that the correct course of action?
"If you lie... I will not be as bold or foolhardy to say I will kill you, you are valuable for what you currently know. I, however, will take from you something that will guarantee that you will never see how this future pans out.
Ominous threat or very pointed threat, it was all how well she could discern the words. She knew what was important to her and he did as well. She was a recorder of time, and even if she was no longer going to continue that line of work and allow the world play out Kasha was certain that she would still like to bare witness to all of it. That opportunity, that story, he would take that from her in his quest to pursue this path, this world, he had started. He did not want to take her life, he was not sure if he could justly take her life. She was an enemy, in various senses, but she had also been a great help to him.
"Who are you, and not just the simple fact of your name? I want to know, in some certain depth, who you are and why you are in this position you are in now. What is your relationship to the Daimyo and to the Kazekage that you would give information to both sides. What led you to this life, this pact, this calling?"
The mention of the son hung freshly in his mind. She allowed her son to take part in this fool's errand, to be some test for the Daimyo. It seemed calloused, it seemed to lack human emotion. So he wanted to know more about her. But he also had a more business related question to ask;
"The Daimyo's forces, describe them to me. Size, ability, location, all of it that you know."
There was also one last question that had been burrowing into his mind upon hearing the utterance of it not too long ago. Something that swirling around the village just as much as the Cabal situation, yet more unknown to the mass populace.
Fuu's predicament was thus -- she was subject to Kasha's will until his grip was relinquished. In a battle of brawn, Kasha's victory was certain. In a battle of wit, however, she was confident of success. Her mind sifted through a series of potential scenarios, most ended in tragedy. Her free hand hesitantly shifted and reached down towards her own pocket. Her hand escaped with something long, slender and cylindrical in her fist. This would not end well for her, but her options were limited at this point. She needed to force Kasha to withdraw his hand from her throat in case another bout of rage dominated his character once more.
"Thank you. I have some more questions I need to ask, and dependent upon the answer I will release you."
The vigilante thanked her for her forced compliance. Kasha assured Fuu that he would grant the Oracle her freedom if he heard what he wanted to hear. The conclusion would not be difficult for her to reach, she would have to lie. The spread of misinformation was contrary to her Order's directive but he was forcing her hand. Lies were difficult to track and even harder to remember. Falsehoods were magnetic as one would always attract another. She would recall them all if she had to so that she could weave this tale of deceit.
"If you lie... I will not be as bold or foolhardy to say I will kill you, you are valuable for what you currently know. I, however, will take from you something that will guarantee that you will never see how this future pans out.
As if the vigilante had heard the captive Cabal member's thoughts, he threatened her further. Perhaps he could see the thought as it flashed before her eyes. She was not able to look away, only not gaze directly into the black gaps that hid his eyes and expression from her. She would take his words literally, she had no reason to believe otherwise at this juncture. The device in Fuu's hand twisted until it was perpendicular to her wrist. She clasped it against the base of her palm with her nimble thumb. She needed to keep talking, she needed to keep him distracted. "How will you know?" She countered as she brought her free hand up to his outstretched arm with a slow, careful motion. She closed her eyes for a moment, perhaps a hint of hesitation in case this did not end favorably. She focused on the sensation of her own heartbeat. It hastened slightly as her thoughts became actions and she let out a breath through her nose. She wondered if he was monitoring this vital. She took a short series of breaths and demanded of herself a metronome-like pace. It worked, but only temporarily as her heart slowed to a cautious rhythm. "What must you know?"
"Who are you, and not just the simple fact of your name? I want to know, in some certain depth, who you are and why you are in this position you are in now. What is your relationship to the Daimyo and to the Kazekage that you would give information to both sides. What led you to this life, this pact, this calling?"<i></i>
His first question was actually several. Who, what and why. Who she was and how she fit into this festering mess? Her free hand traced along the length of his arm until it reached his antecubital region. (this would be the other side of your elbow.) "I am an Oracle, it is synonymous with my identity. I disseminate information, it is what I do." Her answer was almost mechanical, that was not her fault in all actuality it was the product of indoctrination throughout a majority of her life. "I am the last, so I have no alternative. The bystander-effect no longer applies. The Diamyo killed the others and used what he learned to secure control over the whole of Wind Country." She was referring to a silent war that went essentially unnoticed a few decades earlier. Wind Country is made up of several domains, each regions controlled by a Lord. Sunagakure, being no different in that they too are essentially a locale in Wind Country that is led by a man who reigns with supreme authority. After Godsfall, the many tribes of man dispersed. Some returned to their nomadic roots, others of the same family line or perhaps Court of origin chose an agrarian way of living. People were herd animals by nature and required others like themselves to survive. These cities were small and scattered, the consolidation of power was near-impossible, especially considering the fact that only one village possessed a veritable army (Sunagakure). Then the storms came, Sunagakure retreated into the depths of the earth and Diamyo Ishii Shiro was able to take control of the country one village at a time. Bloodshed was limited, he did not fight a war with an army back then. He fought a war with the information he had forced from her peers. An already dying Order that kept to themselves for the most part, as they had abandoned their true calling a long time ago and selfishly sought only their own enlightenment. Before this time, these houses were in a state of Cold War where actions were subdued but always rode the line before mutually assured destruction. Ironically, since Diamyo Ishii wrestled control from there various Lords the wars ceased and there has been peace. Even the Merchant Lords of Soons have ceded control to Diamyo Ishii but unlike many of the other Lords, they were allowed to continue their day-to-day interactions for a reason that could be defined if specifically queried.
"I was but a child during the slaughter of my brethren. I was imprisoned for the remainder of my youth," she continued. Her fingers crept towards his brachial pulse. "I read the books they gave me, the manuscripts of my mentors." Her details seemed limited but it was obvious her mind was searching. Perhaps choosing what she was going to share. Were they kind to her in the cell she called home all of those years? Yes and no. She was a resource and thus her continued life was important but so was her compliance also. Younger, more malleable than her instructors she was perhaps the easiest to control. She was a scared child back then and it was not a difficult task to keep her confined. It was not a dim and a dirty cell, rather it was a large spacious place that resembled a library more than a prison. She was left to learn and had limited human contact these next few years. "I escaped, pregnant," her pulse hastened and the revelation of such caused it to bound. "I was pregnant but miscarried," she self corrected. She did not share the 'father's' name just then, but the circumstances of conception likely did not require details. Of course one could argue Stockholm Syndrome and it would be a fair argument. Was there anything between herself and a much younger Diamyo? Perhaps, but at this point and time passion was not a sentiment she had for him. Back then, she only knew what others had writ and what others had described in terms of love, passion and camaraderie. For someone so smart, there was a time when she was also so foolish. "They caught me, I never got far and I delivered a stillborn in the hospital. Shiro took my son's remains and he was revived by the power of Jashin." She called the Diamyo by his first name, an indicator of familiarity. Something she once felt she had with him at one time strangely enough.
Her fingertips located her target. "I never raised the resurrected child, he would be later known as the Diamyo's bastard heir, Ishii Shouki." Shouki was likely one of the better known Cabalists, he defeated the Kazekage, kidnapped his cousin and tortured another unfortunate girl. He slaughtered several Jounin cells independently and blocked the Maw alone. "I was eighteen when I delivered the dead boy. Knowing that there was a piece of me out there, I tried harder to escape. I studied. Eventually I succeeded and ran into the maelstrom, I intended to return for my son but never did."<i></i> She slid what appeared to be a hypodermic needle away from her wrist. "I cannot fight. I can, howbeit, hide. So I returned and from the shadows I saw what was spawned and Shouki was not my son."<i></i> She concluded, she did not detail what she saw because that was not his question. What she saw was a monster and a mother's love only goes so far. She also saw the Diamyo and his wife, a lovely little thing who was much older than she was. Twice her natural age if one were to take a guess, but some women age better than others and his lovely Hyuuga was also with child. Was there a sense of jealousy? Oddly enough there was a conflict of sentiments regarding this. What happened to her was 'wrong' but she accepted what happened as if it had happened and that was all that there was. She was emotionally stunted one could say, 'love' was not necessarily a sensation she had and with love often came a possessive nature that she would also not experience. She simply existed and fulfilled her biological need to live, thrive and survive -- the result not of her imprisonment in all actuality but her earlier life when she was an Oracle in training.
She pinched the syringe between her index and middle, her thumb over the plunger. "I left and lived on the fringe of Wind Country, surviving the maelstrom by any means. I was eventually conscripted into the Cabal, my detailed accounts of lore and artifacts appealed to them. I lived without incident and kept all I knew to myself, but then Shouki found me. Four years ago. He dragged me back to Sora by my hair."<i></i> the statement was literal. She was tossed at the Diamyo's feet beaten and bloodied. "I was sealed by Five and compelled to share."<i></i> She revealed as she stuck out her tongue and a small black mark was burned into her flesh. It was then, at this moment where she hoped the moment's distraction would be enough... just then she attempted to stab Kasha with the needle in hand.
IF-Then Scenarios:
Honestly, I have no idea what will happen here. If she is stopped, if she is physically capable of answering she would do so. She had grown attached to the concept of being alive but she will continually every other post make a strong attempt to flee similar to this unless she is not able to break away. If she succeeds and actually injects Kasha, he can determine the effect but it should be something either very painful, a paralytic or something to make him sleepy because those are what she uses. If he lets go of her, she would try to enter stealth and you would be in a moderated situation (so update your profile). This character primarily uses the stealth system to fight, meaning she is near useless in the open but from the shadows the same cannot be said.
It seemed that Fuu was going to listen to him and in return answer his questions. Before she began she prompted him with an interesting question, one he had considered prior when talking to Fuu. He would not audibly respond to that, and instead would let her continue.
She has not seemed like the type to lie, but her truths are lacking. She purposefully omits or refrains from sharing pieces.
This was something he had felt about her long ago, especially after the Hirotomi situation when she seemed to know more about the situation than she had originally led on. She wasn't deceitful, for Kasha that would seem more malicious. Maybe it was being cautious? Maybe it was a defense mechanism built up long ago? Maybe she just didn't feel the need to bare all? He honestly didn't care what it was, but was almost certain she would not lie to him during the question and answer process.
Her story would start. She would speak of the murderous actions of the Daimyo, the lack of push back in his conquest and his. Aside from that her free hand would be tracing his arm. This could have been easily overlooked, but because of who she was he could not look past it. He would continue to listen but his eyes would be fixated on her free hand as it seemed to reach across his arms until making it to his elbow. Fuu was not the type of person to speak or act without some reason. Every movement, every word was carefully planned.
Don't be stupid...
His mind would plead, but there was a growing feeling this would not end how either of them would hope. She would continue. Her words were patchwork, never really fully elaborating on anything. There would be a few nuggets to pull from her words that came off very real, very raw. The most truthful moments of her answers. The rest of her responses were vague and left plenty of room to interpret a couple of different ways, but still within them he could draw needed information about the man that was standing at the top of this festering wasteland. Her story of her child was heartbreaking. It was not something someone should have to live through. The piece of the son being resurrected and named the "Daimyo's bastard heir" allowed him to gleam some more answers from previous responses that seemed to lack information. Her story, up until this point, led him to one conclusion; the Daimyo knew no depths. But, she was a part of that man, to some degree. The fact that she was held prisoner, and was still alive, even after escaping all those times raised a new question for him; how much did the Daimyo care about her. This then fed to that thought of; how much did she care about him to continue to offer information. Was she giving him the information as an exchange for life or out of some lingering emotions. Either answer would not have pleased him, and asking it would not have helped her. She was already being forced to relive something she probably had pushed aside a long time ago. His eyes would then shift back to her hand. There was movement coming from it and it was clasped in a way that someone would if hiding something. Was she about to stab him? Would a blade cause him to let go? No, that would not be the most effective. It would either be something reckless, like a small explosion or something more clean like a poison. The fact she felt his arm until making it to the joint, the fact that she had her hand at her side for a moment before raising it, coupled with the fact that she had already tried to debilitate him earlier led him to grasping what she was planning.
Does this mean I should blind her? No. She isn't lying. My request was to tell the truth. Very well, she isn't trying to help. She is a caged animal trying to survive. She has been imprisoned, literally, and it seems that she did not take to kindly to that. This is no different. She feels trapped and will scrape and claw until she can free herself.
There was a piece of humanity seeking back into his persona. She would explain why she was divulging information and stick out her tongue to show the brand. That, that was a very unique and unexpected moment.
"Fuu..."
His eyes would cut down once more as he noticed a syringe now plunged into the inner section of his elbow joint.
Unfortunate...
His arm would grip intensely upon the throat of Fuu once more, much in the same manner as before. There would be no words shared during this interaction. He would just be clamping down on her windpipe with all of his strength for a few seconds. While in his clenched grasp, Kasha would consider that it would have been fair compensation to crush her throat, but her actions did have some merit; he did take a much more aggressive route this interaction. This would continue until the first tinge of pain would go surging through his body. His grip would weaken and he would ultimately let the woman go from both her throat and her other arm. She was now free and could do what she wanted.
"I may kill him. Are you okay with that?"
It wasn't openly stated, nor was there any certainty that she would still be around to continue to hear his words once he had released her. The next wave of pain traveled through his body as his left arm now felt as if it were on fire. His body would calmly start to walk away. He never said the man's name but his words were directed towards the Daimyo.
"Not for the country. Not for Sousuke. Not for this village."
The masked figure would continue to walk away from the homestead until he noticeably started to stagger. His feet were no longer raising fully with each step and would start to drag across the ground as if his strength was gone. In fact, it might be said that the fact he had two gates open was the only reason he was still conscious at this point. He would be feeling some after-effects soon.
"For you. For...for...the....kid..."
His body would finally stop moving and prop up against the side of the building. Sure, he knew the boy eventually was resurrected and turned into a weapon by the Daimyo, a member of the Cabal that was eventually involved in all this mess, but that wasn't who he referred to. That was not her kid, that was another broken being the Daimyo created. Her kid, he died at birth. He would carry that information with him as he continued his pursuit down this path. Another lost life that needed to reach atonement from the person behind this. He would not kill the Daimyo to save the country, because it would not save the country. He would kill the Daimyo because that man needed to pay a growing debt. Fuu was just another body in his wake.
If she wanted to leave, now was her chance. It was disappointing that he did not get to hear information about the ancients, but maybe he could find more insight into those beings from the use of the library behind him. She was mistaken when she said she was the last. Sousuke had made it clear that the Orders were attempting to make a return, so it would not be hard to reason that the Oracles would also rise from this situation. If that was the case, he could inquire further about that route to see if they happened to still house recorded information from the past. Maybe, even infiltrate the Order if needed. Anyways, it seemed his time with Fuu was drawing to a close.
She told him a superficial tale of her life, but it was not one intended to garner his sympathies. Her life was just one of the many lives lived by those who exist in Wind Country outside of the borders Sunagakure. How quickly men forget their heritage. The Daimyō was just a man like any other man. His power and his authority were not granted to him by God nor were his deeds proof of divine intervention. His place in society was not even the product of culture or habit, he was but one great land owner who had an army to back him whims and to pave his path. She could not escape his reach, not because she loved him or had any sentiment for her long dead son. They had resources and they would find her. She was young, too young when she was taken but she was not far from what the other Oracles became, jealous hoarders of information that they seemed to share on nothing more than an impulse. Certainly they had reasons, as did she for sharing what she knew with who - she was careful. Perhaps even more careful than they but it was still a dangerous game she played, but knowing what she did she was a perpetual threat to both sides but she was also a resource that simply could not be put down.
"Fuu..."
He did not have an opportunity to complete his statement or announce his revelation as she plunged the syringe into his basilic vein. His fingers would tighten again around her throat as she pushed the plunger downward. She could not breathe and she struggled again within his grasp as she was lifted from the ground by the single outstretched arm. Her back slid against the rough door and she tried to pull her wrist free from his vice-like grip. This would last for several seconds but feel like several minutes as the painful compression of her tissues left her consciousness waning. His grip surrendered, Fuu gasped for breath with her newly freed hand to her raw, bruised throat. She scurried off the the side, Roku had not doubled over despite pain that she could only describe as normally 'overwhelming.' She dipped into the darkness of the shadows, not that she was a Nara but rather she was merely adept at shadow play and finding a dark corner to hide within. She panted in the corner she had chosen and rubbed her throat and wrist as her golden eyes watched Kasha and attempted to determine his method of pursuit.
"I may kill him. Are you okay with that?"
Kasha called down the ally. He was likely referring to the Daimyō, either that or her son. In all honesty, she would have preferred to see them both dead. She did not answer him immediately, she couldn't so she bided her time until her voice returned from hiding.
"Not for the country. Not for you Sousuke. Not for this village."
The poison has started to take its effect. His gait had become ataxic, she could see a change in his stance. She could see it in his shoulders, in the curve of his posture. It was amazing he was still standing at all, she had seen her venom topple over men and beasts twice his size in half the time.
"For you. For...for...the....kid..."
He was fading or so she hoped. He would not die, he was certainly too durable for that. Uneasily she peeled herself from the wall she had faded into but she kept her distance. It was obvious that she had the ability to obscure her presence, that was how she was able to learn as much as she has from these environs undetected. "You misunderstand. I am not here to bring Sunagakure victory in this coming war, the enminity has made conflict unavoidable. I am here to ensure this is the final war." She explained in as plain of speech as she knew how. "A Pyrrhic victory at best, even I have to admit that under the Daimyō's tyrannical rule... this is the greatest time of peace Wind Country has ever known. Before the Daimyō consolidated the houses of the lesser Lords, they fought for space and resources. They kept secrets and they stole." she slowly approached the masked vigilante but stopped several feet away. "Since overwhelmed his rivals and the Diamond Maelstrom pushed out many of the heathen and dangerous nomadic tribes, it has only been in this time since that dangerous matters have begun to spiral out of control. If the Daimyō were to attack Sunagakure tomorrow, he would bring ruin to this community with minimal opposition. You saw what a band of untrained mercenaries could do," she was of course referring to the Cabal. "So I lied, told him that you have a chance for victory in a way without actually lying because to him I cannot commit perjury" She could lie to him and she might be right now but she had no reason to. "Win or lose, I want Sunagakure fully prepared because..." her voice faded off because what she said was going to sound quite cold. "I do not want there to be the chance that there is anything left of one community or the other to rise again. This Armageddon will be Wind Country's final war."That was her intent. She planned to see ONE KING. ONE RULING ELITE. She did not care if it was the Daimyō or if it was the Steward - she just wanted it to end.
"Stand Kasha, I know that you can still fight," Fuu demanded. "Now we are on an even plane in regards to fighting aptitude," she pulled a dagger from her boot. It was small and pain, made of what appeared to be silver with a simple ring on the end. It was no larger than the average kunai. "The Daimyō has a personal army that he calls The Soverign."
What Will Fuu Do?
0.0 AP Fuu declares duelist against Roku
2.5 AP Flash Counter - using 6 Basic Strikes with drawn weapon against first attack that takes over 2 seconds directed at her that was performed by Roku. [mastered]
1 AP Fuu attempts to enter stealth (repeat until success)
0.5 AP Draw weapon (poison applied due to strategist ability).
0.5 AP Fuu uses advanced channeling through her weapon
2.25 AP Fuu attacks Roku with Higuma (slashing taijutsu) [mastered]
2.5 AP Fuu attacks Roku with Shredding Torrent (paper ninjutsu) [mastered] using AE special move Advanced channeling and focus.
2 AP Mystical Replication prepped as a conditional action if Roku uses any BL/CA applicable technique that she might be able to copy.
1 AP Enter stealth if taken out of stealth
Make sure your profile is up to date and let me know how detailed you want the fight info to be. This is about having fun, if at any point you want to stop this fight I will happily oblige.
Episode 8: 'Cat and Bird-Part 8'| Fuu the Oracle Arc said:
[col]It did not seem like it was going to be the end of this encounter. The woman, Fuu, continued to talk, this time with much more vigor.
What a pain in the ass. Quiet when I have you in my grasp and squawking when you have me poisoned.
She gave her rant, her rational, her belief and further insight to her actions. It seemed that she cared for neither party. She was neither a champion of the village or a supporter of the Daimyo. It was confusing to just listen to, and it was even more confusing with poison coursing through his veins. But in retrospect, it wasn't that hard to grasp. What Roku was doing, doing under the banner of Kasha, was similar. His actions did not necessarily align with the village nor did they directly oppose. He was acting in the way he felt best suited the current situation. So there wouldn't be a strong place to judge her in that respect. But what he could not ignore, what he could not forgive, was her statement on the end game of the impending war. While it was true his actions weren't necessarily at the behest of Suna, they were because of his feelings towards the village and the people in it. But larger scale, looking further past that, having been a member of a nomadic tribe from within Wind Country until finally finding his place in this village, he found a grander sense in the words Fuu spoke. He didn't need to save Suna, he didn't need to save Sora, he needed to save all of the country.
"Win or lose you just want... want... it to end? Suna or Sora, you don't care?"
She asked him to raise to fight, and he would comply. His muscles would begin to tense as the power of the two opened gates still coursed through his body.
"Steward or Daimyo... fuck that. Mutual destruction of both to bring forth something new? Bullshit. I will tear this all down my own. So piss on you and your Armageddon. War, Peace, Daimyo, Steward, Suna, Sora... I'm the guy with the mask. I will end this my way."
Even in hostility, there wasn't any reason he couldn't try to siphon more information out of a chatty bird.
"Sovereign. Where did he find an army to rival a shinobi village? Mercenaries or training in Sora?"
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OOC:Sounds good, apologies for the delay. I will do better, or you can kick me to the curb, ma'am. Actions entered into the Actions Tab. Profile is updated but if you need me to send or place any of my character data in the tab to help with the rolling, just let me know! |
Name:"Kasha" Epithet: Demon of the ANBU Height: 6'2" Build: Lean and Muscular Blood Type: O NegativeANBU DataStamina: 50,400 Chakra: 31,200 Power Level: 3600 [CL: 15] Stamina: 600 / 600 Agility: 600 / 600 Ninjutsu: 600 / 600 Taijutsu: 600 / 600 Genjutsu: 600 / 600 Chakra Control: 600 / 600Fight Data
0.0AP to declare Duelist on Fuu (Melee)
0.0AP to use Initiative to activate Fifth Gate and Third Gate
0.0AP to Quickdraw Unarmed Weapon (see Weapon Tab)
2.25AP to strike Fuu with Dragon Assault - Mastered with .50AP for Special Actionx2
2.25AP to strike Fuu with 16 Hit Combo - Mastered
2.25AP to strike Fuu with Spear Hand - Mastered
1.25AP to strike Fuu with 4 Hit Combo-Mastered
Conditional: First strike that lands on Kasha will activate Body Flicker (Activated Auto-Dodge) and followed with Tiger Hook-Mastered at 1.75AP
Remaining 2AP to go to conditional or next round
ActionsBoomsticks
Alright you primitive screwheads, these are my boomsticks! [Roku's fists/arms]
[spoilername="Passives"]All Unarmed Taijutsu costs -10% CP.
Mastered Offensive Stance: Allows user to gain +1 accuracy per -1 dodge, up to a maximum of +4 accuracy and -4 dodge.
Ignores up to rank 3 bleeding
Monstrous Strength - Bulls Strength: +10% Weapon Damage Modifier. +6% Suppression and/or +6% Bleeding, depending on which status the weapon is capable of inflicting. Reduces all Natural Negative Accuracy Modifiers from Custom Weapons by -2 to a minimum of 0.
+15% melee damage
No Limits: Max damage cap for melee Taijutsu is increased to 80%. However, for every 10% damage beyond the 50% cap the user adds, they take 5% recoil damage for all melee attacks made.
Shinobi 101 - Wind Element -> Melee Accuracy
Nimble Hands: may perform jutsus or handseals for +0.25 AP while a weapon is equipped.
Insight: Hidden Actions are revealed to the user through PM.
Healing Factor: The user gains 3% Max HP at the end of each round. All Medical Jutsu are +10% more effective on the user.
Bloody Mess: The user's Critical hits will always increase bleeding rank, even if the attack does not normally inflict bleeding. This does not apply to non-offensive techniques aimed at allies that can crit. When attacking a target at their maxed Bleeding Rank, the user has a base chance of 10% to deal 1.5% Max Hp damage immediately. This chance may be increased with the user's Bleed bonuses up to a 20% chance, but may only effect a target up to three times per round. When either of the above effects trigger, the target will take an additional +.5% Max Hp damage per round from bleeding on top of their current Bleeding damage. This does not stack.[/spoilername]
[spoilername="Effects"]Gates:
+10% damage to unarmed weapons. Bolsters unarmed to 60% damage cap.
Regains 2% max HP every round Duelist:
+2 Melee Accuracy and +10% damage towards Fuu. +10% chance to auto-dodge the targets attacks. -2 Dodge/Save to any other opponents targeting the user[/spoilername]
[spoilername="Passives"]All the user's attacks have a 10% chance of being a Sneak Attack. All Sneak attacks gain +1 Critical and deal x2.5 damage upon a Critical hit; this does not stack with other critical damage modifiers.
The user has a 30% chance at remaining in Stealth after performing a Sneak Attack. Once per round, the user may make a Sneak Attack without being dropped out of Stealth; this may only be done three times per battle.
Whenever the opponent misses a melee attack on the user (melee taijutsu included; they may only counter once per jutsu), the user may counterattack with their current equipped weapon dealing Basic Strike Damage at no cost. This has no limit.
When making called shots while in Stealth mode, The user suffers no accuracy penalty.
Whenever an opponent misses a melee attack (melee taijutsu included; all hits must miss for one disarm attempt per jutsu, not one disarm attempt per missed hit), the user may attempt to disarm them at -1 melee accuracy. On a full hit, the user grabs the weapon, otherwise the weapon is flung away. If the enemy is unarmed, the user can attempt to cripple their arms or hands at -4 accuracy; if successful, it will increase the called shot rank by one. This penalty does not stack. This may only be done once per round.
Whenever the user attacks someone in stealth normally when doing a Blind Shot without the need of an Awareness check.
If the targeted opponent's Ninjutsu is lower than their Taijutsu, the user's Ninjutsu damage is increased by 10%. If the opponent's Taijutsu is lower than their Ninjutsu, the user's Taijutsu damage is increased by 10%. If both stats are equal, both Ninjutsu and Taijutsu are raised by 5%.
User can choose to have .5 AP removed from one round and added to the next. Cannot change over more than 1.5 AP this way.
The user may activate up to 2 Activated Auto-dodges a round. The second costing +50% CP.
The user resists -3 Accuracy and Dodge from terrain effecting techniques such as Hidden Mist or Earthslide River, this amount is reduced from the cumulative debuffs and not per-jutsu. In addition, the user has +1 Dodge against all Delayed attacks, traps and binds.
If the opponent uses the same technique as they have previously, the user gains +1 to resist or dodge it. Stacks twice. This buffs cancels if the user switches styles. Basic melee attacks are exempt from this.
+1 accuracy with all Mastered jutsu. Additional +.5 accuracy to all attacks every round after the second. Cannot gain more than +4 accuracy on any attack.[/spoilername]
[spoilername="Effects"]Duelist:
+2 Melee Accuracy and +10% damage towards Roku. +10% chance to auto-dodge the targets attacks. -2 Dodge/Save to any other opponents targeting the user[/spoilername]
::What Happened?::
0.0 Seconds | Roku declares Duelist on Fuu (Melee)
0.0 Seconds | Fuu declares duelist against Roku
0.0 Seconds | Roku uses Initiative to activate Fifth Gate and Third Gate
0.0 Seconds | Roku uses Quickdraw to draw Unarmed Weapon (Boomsticks)
1.00 Seconds | Fuu attempts to enter stealth (repeat until success)
Stealth Roll: 8 Success
Awareness Roll: 17
1.50 Seconds | Draw weapon (poison applied due to strategist ability).
2.00 Seconds | Fuu attempts to use advanced channeling through her weapon
3.25 Seconds | Roku attempts to strike Fuu with Dragon Assault - Mastered with Special Action x2
Stealth Roll: 2 Roku is aware of Fuu
Awareness Roll: 13
Roku may attempt a blind shot
3.25 Seconds | Fuu uses Flash Counter - using 6 Basic Strikes with drawn weapon against first attack that takes over 2 seconds directed at her that was performed by Roku. [mastered][/list]
3.25 Seconds | Roku activate Body Flicker (Activated Auto-Dodge) and followed with Tiger Hook-Mastered.
Fuu is no longer in stealth
Roll to attempt to remain in stealth. 30% chance to remain in stealth from Flash Counter. Roll: 42. Failed.
Fuu is still no longer in stealth.
Attack Roll: 8 + 29 + 2 = 39 HIT!
Evasion Roll: 4 + 23 = 27
10% chance to auto-dodge. Roll: 81 Failed
30% Chance to cause suppression: 55 Failed 18% chance have the targets next Offensive Jutsu cost an additional +15% Cp.
10.0 Seconds | Fuu attacks Roku with Shredding Torrent (paper ninjutsu) [mastered] using AE special move Advanced channeling and focus.
Attack: 12 + 2 + 32 = 46 HIT
Evasion: 9 + 21 = 30
36% chance of increasing a called shot of a random limb. Roll: 59 Failed
36% chance of increasing a called shot of a random limb. Roll: 39 Failed
36% chance of increasing a called shot of a random limb. Roll: 68 Failed
10% chance of auto-dodge. Roll: 23 Failed
Notes:
- Did not have the time for everything.
- Forgot to mod poison. Too lazy to update for poison. *shakes fist*
- Strongly rec. moving your CA stuff around to make space and use of Zaraki Style. Feel free to give it a shot in here to see how it works for you.
- Strongly rec. opening up a third gate because you will not have any debuffs in doing so. Also reconsider your present choices. 1008 additional health regained in a round may not be as valuable as some of your other options (like acc/dodge or the addition of 1 AP).
"Win or lose you just want... want... it to end? Suna or Sora, you don't care?"
Was that truly a terrible thing - utter and complete neutrality. She just wanted it to end, yes she was tired of the aggression that she had seen and suffered throughout a majority of her natural life. Her hopes for peace or at the very least to be left alone were slashed when her son found her and dragged her back and laid her at the feet of the Daimyō. There was more to it, a cruel curiosity that could not be sated otherwise -- the wondered, she truly wondered if this world ended as they knew it what would wiggle from the mire?
"Steward or Daimyo... fuck that. Mutual destruction of both to bring forth something new? Bullshit. I will tear this all down my own. So piss on you and your Armageddon. War, Peace, Daimyo, Steward, Suna, Sora... I'm the guy with the mask. I will end this my way."
"Excellent Kasha," Fuu commended him. "Then let your practice commence, if you cannot defeat me you will certainly not be able to defeat my son or his father or his waiting army," she taunted it would seem as she egged him on to bring the fight to her. Her eyes saw him increase in size, one could not see the definition of his muscle beneath the billowy robes but his relative girth was something she did indeed spy. She disappeared into the shadows and drew her small silver blade. Roku had a good eye and he found her in that narrow alleyway but she was prepared, in the blink of an eye she faded from sight and came to his side where she attempted to barrage the vigilante with a flurry of attacks. He too was prepared and in a moment's breadth he shot out of her periphery and came up behind her with uncanny speed. She let out a surprised yell as his powerful blow sent her reeling back.
"Sovereign. Where did he find an army to rival a shinobi village? Mercenaries or training in Sora?"
She tried to fade away once again but it would seem that Roku was a keen observer. "The same way I was taken, in their youth but in greater numbers than just the one," she replied just before the masked ANBU unleashed a fusillade of shots. Many of them connected with the Oracle and some of them even drew blood. Blood dripped from her lower lip and a gash she now donned on her shoulder. She reached up and felt the hot sticky fluid between her fingers. "Have you considered an even more offensive stance? You fight like a wild-man, show me your unrestrained potential," she demanded. Her small hand encircled her kunai-like blade she fought with as she replied in kind to Kasha's powerful flurry of blows. She let out a huff from the exertion as she added, "I was locked in a library and they were locked in a school. Any child from the streets... any unwanted that would not be missed that shown an iota of potential," she started to explain as she returned to his previous question. "You become exceptional for passion and desire, they to survive. One can become excellent at almost anything if they have no other avenue to pursue." It perhaps explained in part even her madness, not quite the sociopath of her peers, she was still not what one would consider a 'kind' or benevolent woman. Still, for whatever reason she had taken an interest in Roku in particular. Perhaps it was the mystery. Perhaps it was the mask -- mysteries had a special sort of allure that a woman such as she could only appreciate.
Roku was scratched in her assault and countered with a single, wild strike that whistled past her. Fuu spun about on her heels, her hands ran through a rapid series of handseals and a spiraling vortex of razor-edged paper surrounded the ANBU. They cut and they tore into the unfortunate target. "The graduates are few, perhaps only thirty or so, but most are a non-issue... that is with the exception of his top ten."
Actions:
- Quicksheath weapon (forgot she had quickdraw)
- Maelstrom Document[Mastered] with both special actions targeting Roku. [3 AP]
- Shredding Torrent[Mastered] targeting Roku. [3 AP]
- Shredding Torrent[Mastered] targeting Roku. [3 AP]
Episode 9: 'Cat and Bird-Part 9'| Fuu the Oracle Arc said:
[col]The first wave of the battle came and went in a violent, and at the same time very efficient, pace. His style was wild, fueled by the rage within him and the effects of the poison that had been trying to cripple him from before. He was merely a wild beast thrashing around. This seemed to be to his benefit in some of the exchanges as he was able to make contact with Fuu, something that she would grow to regret with each connection. At the same time, he learned of her own power in battle. She was not a head up fighter but one that relied on ninjutsu, stealth and slashing. She managed to tear his flesh on multiple occasions. Each cut, no matter the source of the depth, would leave a lasting and painful effect. If not careful, she would draw out too much blood and end this battle prematurely. In that regard, he liked her style and in retrospect she might have been the more violent of the two, but her's came with a bit more precision and surgical strikes. It was time to amp this up, he needed to make every hit count.
The ground below him would seem to fracture, even while surrounded with a maelstrom of paper, as chakra would once more explode forth from his body as a third gate opened. Now a very visible aura would be pulsing off of his body, tainted red like the blood that had been drawn from him and he had drawn from Fuu.
"Top 10..."
That did not seem like a big deal, but seeing the work that the Cabal did with roughly the same number did cause some concern.
"Any idea of their skills? Is there some unified art that these Sovereign are taught or is it just anything that will increase their power?"
Not getting the chance to fight Fuu's son came with a disadvantage of not realizing what skills this unknown army might have, but the notion he was resurrected gave him some inkling to pursue this line of questioning. Surely there was some dark arts that these individuals in Sora were making use of to do such a thing. Now the question came down to what it was they were doing and how many of them could utilize such a scary talent.
If I can't beat her, I can't take on the Daimyo. So he is a fighter. Very well...
His stance would change for the next series.
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OOC:416 words |
Name:"Kasha" Epithet: Demon of the ANBU Height: 6'2" Build: Lean and Muscular Blood Type: O NegativeANBU DataStamina: 41,995 Chakra: 28,210 Power Level: 3600 [CL: 15] Stamina: 600 / 600 Agility: 600 / 600 Ninjutsu: 600 / 600 Taijutsu: 600 / 600 Genjutsu: 600 / 600 Chakra Control: 600 / 600Fight Data
0.0AP to deactivate Gate 3 (did not see a cost for this) 0.00 AP to use Initiative to activate Gate 6 and Gate 7 0.50 AP to activate Zaraki Style (Trying it out) 1.00 AP for Precision Blow (Dependent Special Move of Reckless) to be attached to 2.75 AP for Afternoon Tiger-Mastered (A Rank Taijutsu of Hachimon) 2.25 AP for Fist of Sin-Rank 1 with Special Action Pride 2.25 AP for Ura Renge-Mastered (B Rank Hachimon) Conditional: Activate Body Flicker upon first hit following Afternoon Tiger; C Rank Move to accompany body flicker is Dragon Assault-Mastered at 1.75 AP
ActionsBoomsticks
Alright you primitive screwheads, these are my boomsticks! [Roku's fists/arms]
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