Seeking the Reaper [Requesting Kazuki]

[Michi]

OC: If this is better located in Old Suna, I can move the thread and make the relevant edits to the content of the post.

It had been years, decades even, since she last set foot in Sunagakure. As she finally returned to the place that held so many memories, there was one person she simply couldn't ignore - Senju Kazuki. She had left Sunagakure before the cataclysmic events of Godsfall, and despite her insatiable thirst for knowledge, she had never mustered the courage to uncover what had become of him. The thought of delving into his fate, both during and after those dark times, brought back numerous memories that she was both fearful and ashamed of.

There was a time when their bond had been unbreakable, when they, being herself, him and Roku were inseparable. But she was never able to embrace the gloom and shadows that consumed Kazuki so effortlessly, like the Reaper himself. She was never able to express herself in the way Roku could, bringing action behind his words. Even after her transformation, after her death, something remained amiss within her. A peculiar duality, some might say, where two opposing forces clashed within her very being, defying the laws of nature.

And yet, here she stood, on the precipice of reuniting with one of the three. The anticipation weighed heavily on her heart, as if the very air around her crackled with electricity.

As she ventured deeper into the heart of Sunagakure, the memories flooded back, threatening to overwhelm her. The bustling streets, once filled with chaos, blood and and fire, now seemed shrouded in a veil of melancholy. There was simply movement, life, but she was not entirely sure if they were living or just simply existing. The scars of the sins of the Cabal were etched into every corner, a constant reminder of the darkness that had consumed their and her world. With them gone, it should be a relief but it was not for her. In the absence of pain, she felt nothing in its wake.

As she navigated the bustling streets, a wave of nausea washed over her. Determined, she pressed on, seeking out the whereabouts of Senju Kazuki, the renowned former Sand and Leaf Sennin. Initially, she had anticipated finding his final resting place rather than his residence, his name had not been written in the papers for some time. In fact, she started in the cemetery where she paid her respects to Kaito. However, to her surprise, she discovered that the Senju Overlord was not only alive, allegedly well, but also residing nearby.

Physically, Michi had remained largely unchanged over the years, her hybrid nature a constant reminder of her identity. Yet, she couldn't help but wonder how time had shaped Kazuki. What had become of his life after achieving such a monumental victory against the Daimyo and his army? She envisioned a life enviable to many, surrounded by a loving family and a thriving clan. Perhaps Kazuki had mellowed with age, and like the rest of the denizens of Sunagakure simply existed.

As she adjusted the satchel slung over her shoulder, the weight of the books inside shifted, reminding her of the other task at hand.

She would eventually stumble upon the homestead, a labyrinthine maze of streets that had undergone countless changes over the years. The city, once hidden beneath the surface, had begun to emerge from its subterranean slumber. Above ground, new structures dominated the landscape, while below, a peculiar blend of antiquity and novelty prevailed. It was a peculiar sight, like patches of vibrant color on a canvas of monotonous gray.

Approaching the door, she hesitated, her knuckles poised to strike its weathered face. Perhaps she should turn away. Too much time had elapsed, leaving her questioning her very purpose for being there. A despondent sigh escaped her lips as she averted her gaze. It was too early, or perhaps too late. The sun's brilliance was blinding, while the sky's darkness seemed suffocating. Surely, there must be a valid excuse, a reason to retreat. Yet, deep down, she knew it was a lie she desperately clung to.

In the Gloaming Court, formerly known as Deep Court, one truth remained immutable - a member of the court, be they hybrid or otherwise, could never utter falsehoods even to themselves. She was simply a coward, and cowards had no place unless they had the audacity to knock. With a hesitating hand, she rapped on the door, each sharp noise echoing with a sense of urgency. Little did anyone know that these sounds were not merely external, but rather the manifestation of her internal struggle.

No matter who answered the door, she would utter the same words, unless it was the esteemed former Sennin himself. "I am looking for Kazuki, invite me in," she would assert. She needed to enter before her courage and determination left her deflated and defeated. She knew she had to be invited in, that was the rules. Her impatience simmered in her eyes, while her face remained stoic and unyielding, refusing to betray any lapse of emotion. Once granted access, and if not already greeted by Senju Kazuki, she would find him.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

OC: I'm so out of practice, bare with me.

IC:

Kazuki had returned to the village a few years ago, battered, covered in injuries, almost corpse-like. Godsfall had not ended without sacrifice from Kazuki's part. Instead of a triumphant return, hailed as champion of freedom, the Senju Overlord entered Sunagakure without any fanfare, befitting for a Sennin that had just secured a victory against the Wind Daimyo. It took years for Reaper to, essentially, reconstitute himself back to health. Time that he had passed in solitude, barely seen by anyone outside the Senju clan and even those scarcely glimpsed their leader. Only a few had the authorization to check on the Gloaming Court's Hybrid condition. Time passed and as health returned, Kazuki's presence began to be felt, rather than seen. As befitting of a member of the Gloaming Court, the temperature around his body decreased drastically and as he returned to health, the less subdued that characteristic became. Shadows, once more, became livelier around him, as if greeting a long lost lover, or master. It was time to return, it was time to become active once more.

The Senju Overlord had been musing about his next step, when his train of thought was interrupted by a series of knocks on the door. The rapid succession indicated urgency and the Silvery Haired Male wondered who could it be? He expected no visitors, in fact, he had received no one in years, beside the odd Senju that was authorized to check on him. Raising to his feet, from the velvety, comfy armchair he had been sitting on for the past hour, the Senju Sennin (maybe) calmly walked toward the door of his house. As he approached the singular, fortified entrance of his domicile, the temperature began to decrease rapidly. "I am looking for Kazuki, invite me in." words reached his years. It was a familiar voice, one that he had the obligation of knowing. A voice that exercised the memory center of his brain, forcing him to create a mental image of the face of the owner of that voice. A voice he hadn't hear in untold years. He couldn't really pinpoint her name, but he knew, deep down, that they had been quite close. After what had happened to him in Godsfall, his eidetic memory, wasn't so perfect anymore, he was still mounting the pieces, one at a time. "Come right in!" he declared as his door opened up without him moving a muscle to make it so.

 

[Michi]

She stood there, her ears straining to catch any sound, but the silence remained unbroken. Her insistent knocking echoed through the air, met only by a chilling stillness. The temperature dropped, causing frost to form on the doorknob as footsteps approached from the other side. With a creak, the door swung open, revealing a figure she had once known. Would she recognize him now, after all this time? It was the silver-haired Senju leader, the one who had miraculously survived the cataclysmic event known as Godsfall. Yet, there was something different about him, not the aura of darkness that enveloped him like a suffocating mist, that was the true constant. The space beyond him seemed alive, pulsating with a dark energy. She peered past him, searching for answers. Was he alone in the room?

She demanded entry, her voice filled with a mix of urgency and curiosity.

"Come right in!" More casual than expected.

The door swung open on its own accord. As she stepped inside, her eyes scanned the room, only to find it emptier than she had anticipated. Doubt crept into her mind, causing her to hesitate. "Are... are you Kazuki?" she asked, her voice tinged with unease. If the door closed behind her, sending a shiver down her spine. She despised closed doors, they held secrets, concealed truths, a means of egress. Where was everyone else? His clan? Where had they all gone? The questions flooded her mind, but she didn't want to turn their long-awaited reunion into an interrogation. However, he had betrayed her expectations. What had happened to him?

She walked past him, her gaze searching for any sign of Kazuki. She observed the room, but refrained from touching the furnishings. The air carried a distinct chill, but it hardly bothered her.

She would walk past him as if she was looking for Kazuki. She would look but not touch the furnishings. Sniff the air, get a sense for the sort of place she had entered. The frigid cold barely affected her. The chill of her own presence not nearly as profound as that of the former Sennin. "It has been years since I last heard from you. I believed you had vanished and met your demise." There was not a great deal of emotion in her voice, it sounded almost casual but for those that knew her, they would know that she sounded hurt. It was hypocritical considering the fact that she had left first, but he stayed gone longer. "I just wanted to say" she paused for a moment, "I'm sorry." She really did not need to make this trip to give an apology over a decade too late, but she has a lot to be sorry for. It was her fragility of mind that prevented her from making the lasting connections that mattered, from caring for the connections that she had already made.

"I plan to only be in the city for a night or so. I will probably be on my way in the morning," that was the intention at least but she was clearly mistaken. She did not know it yet, but she had plenty of reasons to stay, him among them. "I can leave if you..." she hesitated "don't want me around. Wouldn't blame you," she ran off with barely a word. Not that he went chasing after her. No that she was looking to be chased. She was not entirely sure what she needed back then. Hell, she was not sure what she needed now. Maybe nothing. She went where she wanted and she did what she wanted. Right now what she wanted was to be here in this dim and dismal space. "But I missed you for what it is worth."

 

[Senju Kazuki]

The opening of the door would reveal a black haired lady. Slim figure and copper eyes. She wasn't what, newer people would probably call, a ten out of ten, but Kazuki still found her to be beautiful. There was a sense of familiarity coming from her. He knew her voice, he knew they were once close, but he couldn't exactly remember it all. It was a nagging feeling that burden him. A sensation that he should know her well, but couldn't recall, no matter how hard he tried. "Are... are you Kazuki?" she asked, her voice tinged with unease. The Senju Overlord would nod, suddenly confused. Was his absence so long that people no longer knew him? Or was he physically so changed from the aftermath of Godsfall that he was physically unrecognizable? "I am Senju Kazuki, weren't you looking for him? At least, I judged it so, considering how you almost dislodged my door from its hinges." he would tell her as added confirmation. His voice was steady but there was an air of uncertainty that shouldn't be there, if you were familiar with the Gloaming Court Hybrid.

She would walk past him as he answered her, leaving the door to the outside of the compound (made it so that you actually knocked on Kazuki's house, instead of the entrance of the Senju clan hold) open. The Silvery Haired Male didn't bother to close it, there were no dangers lurking deep within his clan's compound. As she drew near, the air temperature around the former Sunan Sennin decreased further, a sure telltale that she was a hybrid like himself. Was that, perhaps, the reason, he sensed a feeling of familiarity? Or was that entirely unrelated? This was a mystery that was puzzling Kazuki more than he consider it to be possible. She seemed to know him, she was clearly close to him, at least once upon a time and she had no trouble giving him, her back, which meant one of two things. The natural tendency for over-confidence that the Gloaming Court showed or she trusted the Senju Overlord with her life.

"It has been years since I last heard from you. I believed you had vanished and met your demise." she would casually tell him. The Silvery Haired Man would shrug. "Stories of my demise are usually grossly exaggerated. Though, to be fair, it wasn't that far from the truth this time around." he could concede. Godsfall had ended in a victory, but it required an enormous toll on him. "If I am to be honest, despite the many years that have passed since Godsfall, I am still recuperating from that ordeal. I am still not the same man I once was. I am diminished." he would share with her. There was a few things that were particular to the Gloaming Court and telling the truth was one of them and the Hybrid was no exception to this rule, which is why he had just told this complete stranger, well almost complete stranger, how weak he currently was. He was creating a rather elaborate wooden chair, for him to seat, out of thin air, while gesturing her to take the comfy armchair when she spoke again. "I just wanted to say" she paused for a moment, "I'm sorry." Reaper was so confused by her words that he had to momentarily stop what he was doing so that his mind could compute. What was she sorry for? What had she done to him to warrant an apology? He honestly couldn't remember. "I fear I am the one that must ask for forgiveness because I do not know the reason for your apology. As I have said, I am not the same man I once was." he would pause, musing on a thought. "Regardless, I do believe you and I know each other. I have a sense of familiarity coming from you that I cannot explain. Yes, it might be because we are certainly of the same breed, but I am almost certain that is not the full explanation for this mystery."

He would take his seat on the wooden like throne, further gesturing her to take the armchair. "I plan to only be in the city for a night or so. I will probably be on my way in the morning. I can leave if you..." she hesitated "don't want me around. Wouldn't blame you," she ran off with barely a word. "But I missed you for what it is worth." Kazuki soak all of that in, raising his right eyebrow as he did so. Despite forcing himself to maintain his composure, he was in turmoil inside. "Stay! Take a seat. It seems my past has come knocking on my door and I would really like to add one more piece of this fragmented puzzle that is my memory these days." Reaper would wait a a bit to see if she would stand or take the chair as he had told her. "Judging from your words, I can certainly say we were once acquainted. In fact, considering this familiarity vibe I have with you, we were once more than that. Friends? Lovers? Who can tell? Unfortunately I cannot, not right now. Godsfall took something from me that I want back and I am tired of waiting for it to come back on its own. My clan is in disarray once more, we were never numerous, not with the amount of tragedies that befell us, but we are in a dire condition and that is partly my fault. I was once important in Sunagakure, but my depleted state and total absence as I tried to reconstitute myself, made me someone that was surely forgotten. Rightfully so, I might add." Kazuki paused, not only to catch his breath but because he was feeling something he hadn't felt in years, a desire to live, to aspire to something more than scrap for crumbs of a shadow that his life now was. "I have not been living since Godsfall, I have merely been surviving and your presence as awoken something in me. A fire I had not felt in years, a need to recover what was lost. I, once upon a time, had to rebuild my life and my clan from the ground. I think it is time to make it happen again." Quite a statement he was making and if the tone of his words were to be believed, what he had just said was a fact.

"Please stay, I have plenty of space. Help me recover my memory. If you are in my debt as it seems to be, you can surely repay me that way." he would almost plea, in a way. "If you are into books, I have a full library with rare tomes that I have collected over the years, some of them are from Konohagakure and cannot be found anywhere else. You can read them if you want." he would add, attempting to give her another reason to have her stay with him.

 

[Michi]

"I am Senju Kazuki, weren't you looking for him? At least, I judged it so, considering how you almost dislodged my door from its hinges."

He confirmed. Enough years had passed, this man could conceivably had been his son, a nephew who bore his resemblance. "You seem..." she was going to say different but the word was not fitting "...wrong" She admitted before commenting on the fact that she had been led to believe that he was dead.

"Stories of my demise are usually grossly exaggerated. Though, to be fair, it wasn't that far from the truth this time around."

And he never considered letting her know?

"If I am to be honest, despite the many years that have passed since Godsfall, I am still recuperating from that ordeal. I am still not the same man I once was. I am diminished."

He looked fine. As if she had seen him a few months earlier in fact. Likely in part thanks to the the Gloaming Court influence. "You seem..." her phrases uncharacteristically short "...unchanged." Physically in any case. There was an anger welling inside of her, it made her words quiver as they escaped her lips. It did not change her objective, to simply apologize. It was not his responsibility to seek her out when she left first. It was not his obligation to make any sort of amends. It did not matter if he was in perfect health claiming debility, looking still like a young man in his near prime.

She offered her sincere apology, though he had no inkling as to why she expressed remorse.

"I fear I am the one that must ask for forgiveness because I do not know the reason for your apology. As I have said, I am not the same man I once was."

As she braced herself for what she expected to be a dismissive encounter, the degree of coldness emanating from him exceeded her anticipations. Though certain features of his appearance appeared familiar, his tone lacked any semblance of soul, transforming him into a stranger before her eyes. She had prepared for anger, argument, or a demanded explanation. However, she found herself completely forgotten, or at least that was his claim. Such an act of forgetfulness could be perceived as a cruel game, belittling her existence to a state of insignificance. Her frown deepened as she contemplated this unusual behavior from Kazuki, who was not known for engaging in such mind games. It felt abnormal, yet she couldn't ignore the fact that he had not cast her aside despite the passing of years. This realization caused her to pause, her gaze searching for evidence of the life they once shared, hoping for glimpses of the person she used to know. Despite the rich setting surrounding them, it seemed devoid of life, as if existence prevailed over living.

She trusted Kazuki enough to turn her back on him. If his intentions were to end her life, she wouldn't have survived crossing the threshold. However, an anxious unease welled within her, hinting at something amiss. "What happened in Godsfall?" she inquired, having read the reports detailing their victory over the Daimyo and his sovereignty. The records, however, lacked information on the fate of the Daimyo following their triumph, insinuating that he had become a non-issue. His armies scattered, and he never resurfaced in Wind Country. If not dead, he was incapacitated. This victory, though hard-fought, came at a great cost, but the records remained silent about the destiny of the Senju. For years, Kazuki was absent from the papers, disappearing from the village for eight long years before returning, hollow and broken, to the gates, seeking quiet and scarcely domentented entrance. The absence of news about his demise didn't mean someone should have sought out their friends to tell them that he had died, that he went missing, that there was something to know, but she found herself angry all the same despite the unreasonable nature of it all. She never quite belonged to his family, it was only widows that got that somber news. Even if she had looked initially back then, she would have found no trace of him but that did not alleviate her guilt in the moment. "I thought Katsuo or Sousuke would have…" she shook her head, recognizing that they were not responsible for his welfare or her peace of mind. "I suppose it would have been strange to reach out and tell me you're fine out of the blue," she added, realizing that his condition was far from satisfactory. Although physically, he appeared unharmed.

"Regardless, I do believe you and I know each other. I have a sense of familiarity coming from you that I cannot explain. Yes, it might be because we are certainly of the same breed, but I am almost certain that is not the full explanation for this mystery."

"You don't…" Her narrowed eyes observed as he conjured a wooden chair with nonchalant ease. "Understand why I'm sorry?" Seeking confirmation, momentarily forgetting (ironically) who he truly was. She recognized that he was incapable of lying but she did not want to believe it. "We're the same breed?" She repeated his words, they were so cold. Colder than the room that was astonishingly not under a layer of permafrost. "Are we dogs now?" She sounded somewhat incredulous. And whole they were technically both Gloaming Court hybrids, how they came to be was so different that they could not be considered the same.

If he wanted to play this game, this claim that they were strangers, she would let him have it. It was complete madness showing up after all these years on his doorstep. She had no plan and was left only with questions and this awkward sense that she should not be there.

"Stay! Take a seat. It seems my past has come knocking on my door and I would really like to add one more piece of this fragmented puzzle that is my memory these days."

His past. Her ass. What are you playing at Kazuki? He indicated the chair nearest her, he had taken the newly formed chair he had manifested. She would hesitantly take a seat, she was vexed but she did not want to go.

"Judging from your words, I can certainly say we were once acquainted. In fact, considering this familiarity vibe I have with you, we were once more than that. Friends? Lovers? Who can tell? Unfortunately I cannot, not right now. Godsfall took something from me that I want back and I am tired of waiting for it to come back on its own. My clan is in disarray once more, we were never numerous, not with the amount of tragedies that befell us, but we are in a dire condition and that is partly my fault. I was once important in Sunagakure, but my depleted state and total absence as I tried to reconstitute myself, made me someone that was surely forgotten. Rightfully so, I might add."

"I remember you just fine," she protested. It was "you genuinely don't remember me?" It felt like a punch to the gut. The pain inflicted by his lack of recollection hurt more than any manipulative, childish game. She yearned for him to display anger, for it would indicate that their past meant something. That it wasn't solely a matter of convenience and opportunity, even if it had been at one point. The request for her to stay carried an unexpected sense of defeat. She had envisioned this encounter going differently - him being furious, his wrath affirming her decision to leave and remain gone. Instead, he claimed ignorance of his own memory, asking her to stay.

She wanted to stay, it was something she wanted to hear but she did not understand why.

"I have not been living since Godsfall, I have merely been surviving and your presence as awoken something in me. A fire I had not felt in years, a need to recover what was lost. I, once upon a time, had to rebuild my life and my clan from the ground. I think it is time to make it happen again." He sounded serious, while what he said was supposed to be inspiring perhaps, she was wrestling with the fact that his words were true. That he did not somehow betray his nature and utter falsehoods. She shifted uneasily in the seat he had offered.

"Please stay, I have plenty of space. Help me recover my memory. If you are in my debt as it seems to be, you can surely repay me that way." She was dumbfounded, hurt, and angry. "If you are into books, I have a full library with rare tomes that I have collected over the years, some of them are from Konohagakure and cannot be found anywhere else. You can read them if you want."

"This is not a fun game," her chin quivered as did her words. "It is fine to be mad, but your memory was the only that rivaled mine." She felt woozy, nauseated, her fingers felt numb. "Stop screwing around," she normally did not speak like that, she was frank but her vocabulary was usually better but she was off-kilter. "How are you doing this? Telling these lies." A member of the Gloaming Court could tell no lies. She, no they could not lie. "We were engaged," she blurted out the assertion, for that was the truth. "I left for Soons Haven and then Sora before our wedding, consumed by an obsession to bring an end to the Daimyo, the Merchant Lords," she sighed, shaking her head "...and many others…" Her voice trailed off, leaving her at a loss for words. Their union was an opportunity to draw their enemies to a single place and whole it should have been a day of celebration she was consumed by a different objective. "I made deals with demons," she added, mentioning Miroku Akkuma without saying his name, "essentially embarking on a self-destructive mission, prioritizing mutually assured destruction over living a life with you. Meanwhile, you took a more direct approach, as reported in the papers. I didn't hear from or see you again until now," she continued, her frown deepening as she recounted what she believed had been the conclusion of their story. Recognizing her own share of blame, she said, "I thought you were dead. I hadn't set foot in the village since, and I came here looking for your grave." His survival, though not necessarily his overall well-being, had caught her off guard. He was left here to languish these years while she simply tarried on.

"Have you been consuming enough souls?" Her gaze swept around the room, imagining its darkness as the shadows danced. Comparatively, he was a glutton for souls, it scared even her. It had been years. "Have you visited a… a" her uncharacteristic stammer interrupted her train of thought. "Doctor? Have you been tested, had your blood drawn? Truly assessed?" Assessed for what she could not say. A head injury, a brain tumor, something even more terrible if Nao got his claws into him. Did anyone ever look? Did he even check? But then she shook her head, realizing the impracticality of her suggestion. "No, I suppose not. They've probably been feeding you those dreadful soul supplements and letting you live in the darkest corner that they can think of." Accusation tinged her voice as she remembered the gates, harboring doubts about any superior alternatives the modern era might have to offer.

She was going to stay, but she had every intention of making Kazuki leave. Leave for the Omni Prime, some other healer perhaps.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

"You seem..." her phrases uncharacteristically short "...unchanged." Physically, Kazuki was still in his prime, being an Ancient Hybrid contributed to unnatural longevity and consuming souls, especially in the quantities Reaper used to, delayed the inevitable aging. Yet, he wasn't the same, not exactly. He was, essentially, a meaty shell that housed a sliver of his powerful soul. It took him a while to reconstitute himself from the final battle in Godsfall, just so he could return to Sunagakure. He never fully recovered from that ordeal and his memory fragmented, making it a shadow of its former keen mind he used to have. His Ancient nature made it difficult for him to be properly assessed, especially because few knew his true nature and, therefore, no one ever considered what kind of nourishment he really needed. The Senju Overlord needed a massive influx of souls to begin his path of restoration but, better yet, he needed to return to the site of that formidable battle that ended the Daimyo's tyrannical regime and recover the piece of himself that was left there. "What happened in Godsfall?" she would inquire. It wasn't a strange question, many had posed the very same one, over the years. There were few records of what actually transpired and even he, that lived through it, barely remembered what happened. "There is no victory without sacrifice and I had to sacrifice something of me that not everyone would be able to survive." He knew he had to use a piece of his soul, a piece of himself to allow his team to win the battle, it was a sacrifice only an Ancient, or a Hybrid of one, could survive, but that was the extent of his memory of that day. "It took me years to reconstitute myself, years in crippling agony, building cell by cell, until I could walk again. Until I could journey the blistering hot desert and make my way toward the relative safety of Sunagakure." Not everyone had heard his tale, especially not complete, but this was the extent of what he could share right now. Although he still perfectly remembered his life in Konohagakure and Iwagakure, not everything was remembered since he, and his clan, joined Sunagakure.

"I remember you just fine," she protested. It was "you genuinely don't remember me?" The Silvery Haired Man would shake his head. "If you truly know me, then you know I cannot lie. Members of the Gloaming Court always speak the truth. Sure, we may be able to bend it slightly to our benefit but, ultimately, only truthful words come out from our mouths. If I say I don't remember, as painfully as it seems, then I truly do not remember you." The Senju Overlord would gaze her with an approximation of his former self. "But you can help me recover my memories!" Could she? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Only in Godsfall were the answers needed, only there was the solution to his predicament. "This is not a fun game," her chin quivered as did her words. "It is fine to be mad, but your memory was the only that rivaled mine." "And it probably still does, if I can recover what was lost." He noted, with a hint of hope in his voice. He had no desire to remain a husk, her presence had reignited a desire to become whole again, something he lacked for so long now. "How are you doing this? Telling these lies." she would insist. The former Sunan Sennin would shake his head again. "I am not lying. I do not lie. And you, most of all, should know that." This was a statement both of them knew to be true. In fact, Kazuki's tone allowed no further objections to that matter. The Gloaming Court didn't lie and since they were both part of it, regardless of how they actually became hybrids, they both knew this to be true.

"We were engaged," she blurted out the assertion, for that was the truth. "I left for Soons Haven and then Sora before our wedding, consumed by an obsession to bring an end to the Daimyo, the Merchant Lords," she sighed, shaking her head "...and many others… I made deals with demons, essentially embarking on a self-destructive mission, prioritizing mutually assured destruction over living a life with you. Meanwhile, you took a more direct approach, as reported in the papers. I didn't hear from or see you again until now. I thought you were dead. I hadn't set foot in the village since, and I came here looking for your grave."

Kazuki sat in silence for a full minute as he deconstructed her words. "Engaged?" he would mutter. His piercing gaze would observe her from head to toe. "Although I do not remember parts of my past, I can certainly state I know why I would be engaged with you." he would say with a slight smirk. "Still, I feel glad that you have survived the war with the Daimyo and came to me, even if the expected reception was not, well, what you had expected." "Have you been consuming enough souls?" she would question. There was but one simple answer to that. "None." he blurted. He had consumed none since Godsfall. "Have you visited a… a" her uncharacteristic stammer interrupted her train of thought. "Doctor? Have you been tested, had your blood drawn? Truly assessed? No, I suppose not. They've probably been feeding you those dreadful soul supplements and letting you live in the darkest corner that they can think of." He would shake his head again. "I have been lingering here, reading, trying to take nourishment from the what food is left on my doorstep. My clan is occupied, trying to survive with the scraps we are owed for our part in helping secure this Hidden Village. Therefore, I was forgotten, left for dead. You are the first real visitor I had in a year. At first, my clansmen came to me, checking regularly but, as time passed, those visits decreased until they stopped altogether. I do not blame them. I barely recovered since I returned and they a life to continue, a clan to maintain." It was quite a melancholic tale that he had to share. But that had been his life for the past years, a shadow of its former grandness.

"I do not recall hearing your name? Why not introduce ourselves to each other? I am Senju Kazuki, Overlord of the Senju Clan. Former Sennin of Konohagakure, former Jounin of Iwagakure and, I suspect, former Sennin of Sunagakure. I used to lead the Ranger Order, perhaps not anymore. I acted as Sunan's Diplomat to the Fire Country. I believe I was once a Special Ops operative with a peculiar codename, but I am not certain of that. How about you?"

[MFT] 1134 words

 

[Michi]

"Engaged?" Yes, engaged. She felt awkward saying it. As if perhaps she was wrong, that she misread the very obvious proposal, subsequent engagement and the wedding plans as something else entirely. "Although I do not remember parts of my past, I can certainly state I know why I would be engaged with you." Thank the gods, he remembered! And then a smirk that brought heat to her cheeks. She had never seen him make that expression before. "Still, I feel glad that you have survived the war with the Daimyo and came to me, even if the expected reception was not, well, what you had expected."

He was not what she expected. Despite being alone, in this strange melancholy he was inviting and expressive. "You're not who I remember, I liked who you were... but," she paused unsure of how to phrase this. "Who you are now is also good. You seem to be the sum of the parts I had not ever before seen." Not that it likely made much sense to him. But those that knew him would know that Senju Kazuki did not compromise, he did not express emotion or admit weakness or need.

She would ask about souls. If he was feeding or if he had relegated himself to the false hope that was whatever that strange armored man was touting.

"None."

That single word made her blood run cold. "No souls. As in none?" From a man who ate more in a given day than she consumed in a month. Not that souls were necessary for life, but they were a sort of short cut for the Ancient portion of their biology. Ancients were living embodiments of their respective element. They only required an abundance of their element, in their case - the darkness which soothed them, ameliorated their suffering and fortified them in ways that others might find uncanny. She never understood his appetite, not wholly but she had always suspected that he was not gentle with himself. That his exertions be in in training or unseen combat far exceeded what he could passively repair and she said as much. "You required a terrifying number of souls before..." she took a deep breath "Godsfall." If his disability had a physical origin, in time he would recover allegedly but not without adequate nutrition. "Souls are not necessary, we can get by without. But, your voracious hunger always suggested that there was a struggle to maintain yourself," she did not know specifically why.

She was pondering what resources they had. Where a substantial number of fresh souls could be procured. A site of horrific tragedy, either recently passed or self-made. Yes, she pondered the easiest way - to simply take the souls they wanted. She was more than capable even if he was lacking. He would have done the same she believed. He probably had, she reasoned. She never asked where he got all those souls, she preferred this rare instance of ignorance.

While she was deliberating the possible options internally, he would ask for an introduction many years too late. "I do not recall hearing your name? Why not introduce ourselves to each other? I am Senju Kazuki, Overlord of the Senju Clan. Former Sennin of Konohagakure, former Jounin of Iwagakure and, I suspect, former Sennin of Sunagakure. I used to lead the Ranger Order, perhaps not anymore. I acted as Sunan's Diplomat to the Fire Country. I believe I was once a Special Ops operative with a peculiar codename, but I am not certain of that. How about you?"

"You were an ANBU Captain, codenamed Reaper. You and Tenken lead the ANBU of Sunagakure for many years," she added. She had not had a chance to ask about him. About his friend Roku, she was never given an answer when she asked for him at the gates. He was a bit more solitary, he avoided the titles and the media recognition. In a lot of ways he was Kazuki's opposite. "You had this knack for climbing rank," she added. She had researched him vigorously before they had ever met the first time. "It was at times a source of envy and suspicion," or at least that was how the words sometimes written about him often read.

"I don't have the same level of acclaim," she admitted. She swallowed nervously, she never really elaborated on her history. He never asked. "You knew me as Fuu, after I died, Michi," she explained. "I am an Oracle from the first Order, Jounin-ranked shinobi of Sunagakure and ANBU," never a position of leadership or prestige. In fact, her credentials paled in comparison to his own. She was hesitating, but she continued "member of the former terrorist organization the Cabal, trained Sovereign, mother to the Sovereign General and potential Daimyo heir Ishii Shouki." There was more bad than good when she put it on paper. She then filled in the gaps, "you never really asked my story. I suppose it was never a concern or a consideration back then. You do not know my real name because I do not recall my surname or my birth name." It was the way of the old Orders that one gained a new name when they became a member of the Order, the Order being a primary part of their identity. "I was quite young when I was indoctrinated into the Orders. I came from a small village in the Southlands called Fen that was destroyed in the Silent Wars, my family a family of farmers." She had no prestigious clan, her bloodline talents were distinctly Yamanaka but he did not know that either. "I was considered to be naturally talented, I had started taking my assessments for the Oracle Order when I was three and I was offered a seat among the Orders as an Oracle in training when I was six. My Order was destroyed two years later by the initial graduates of Ishii Shiro's Sovereign army." She did not really discuss what happened there, there was not much to say. Fire, blood, screaming, she was sent with the other younglings into the desert with their mentor while they tried to protect the Great Library as they sought Babylos but they never made it.

"I was eight and I was taken as a prisoner. I was entered into the Sovereign Academy, an organization that conditions its members to become tools of war and forcibly hybridizes its members upon completion." She reiterated what they were in case it was not something he was aware of. "I was born completely human," she clarified. Not the same breed. "I was conditioned to become something which I still am and I am the last surviving member of my Order but likely only because I never underwent the transformation to become a hybrid." That came later. "They chose to forgo this because it had killed the rest and I was the youngest so the least likely to survive and I spent my adolescence in the Palace of the Glorious Immortal," the home of the Daimyo Ishii Shiro. "A prisoner. Being the final Oracle, I transcribed the tomes from the razed Great Library I had dedicated to memory as a child as a part of my training," she frowned. "Some of your books likely have me as the author. You know, I never mentioned in this meeting I liked books," she commented on this previous observation. Perhaps he has sparked a memory on his own. Images of the great library build in Sunagakure, the construction of the buildings that would eventually become the Ranger Training Grounds and the Hall of Hammers. Construction Kazuki would have bore witness to as well.

She would continue on. Some stuff Kazuki once knew, some he did not or if he did he never understood the context. Again, he never asked but he needed to be fully and honestly informed. "When the Daimyo failed to conceive with his third wife, I became a convenient vessel not by choice. His first born, Ishii Shouki was the bastard heir apparent until a later wife was able to bear him two children." Kazuki had met Shouki more than once, he had fought him and he had witnessed the carnage the boy was able to inflict. Michi was a talented illusionist, a memory they shared would play out a scene. A tall red-headed man with multiple piercings and a cruel expression on his face was wielding a greatsword. The people around him seemed small, almost like a childish recollection of some sort of monster but the scene was accurate, He stood at 7 feet feet. He was massive and he was having fun. He would laugh as he tore through his victims, as his enemies tore into him. He was experiencing a pleasure best described (in an under R rated setting) as "carnal" from the pains that tainted the scene in a disturbing light.

"I eventually escaped after several failed attempts for a short time, I joined an adventuring organization that you would come to know as a terrorist organization known as the Cabal," as she said this there would be an array of images. She was not with him when he faced most of them, her son being among the members. Some faces he knew, and others faces he had not experienced. "I was eventually found, brought back, hurt and ultimately sealed" she did not bother with the name. Kazuki never met him, she rarely spoke of the man from Tea that was the true source of knowledge and power, Nao. She did not show him any scene, there was nothing for him to recollect. "To ensure compliance and then released back to the Cabal. The Cabal was originally an adventurer group but there was a great deal of resentment towards Sunagakure, we felt abandoned by the village that chose to swallow itself into the earth rather than save us from the maelstrom. When the Cabal were hired by Ishii Shiro to attack Sunagakure, a member laid out explosive charges through the city that had been recently damaged in a previous incident. We then attacked," and she gave him an array of images. Of the people that were hurt, killed. Of the villagers that tried and failed to flee. Of the infrastructure that crumbled. Of the speech that was heard through the caverns that day. It was an honest and perhaps too graphic an account of what happened. were responsible for a lot of death, fear and suffering.

"I turned on the Cabal and ultimately the Daimyo, sharing what I knew when the opportunity shown itself," an image of Roku, of some of the personas he had donned over the Anarchy years. "The seal however made me a liability to Sunagakure and my knowledge a liability to the Daimyo. Someone would have to kill me, while locked away in the Obsidian the Lord of the Gloaming Court found me, tore me apart and then put me back together as something else entirely. The seal inert and myself forever changed as we became in your words the same breed," she lifted her shirt to show the scar. She would also show him an illusionary image of the Obsidian, of the cells, and of the halls. Halls he once roamed and knew well, better than she. "I was released from my cell, given a technical rank and status in Sand despite never attending the academy and I was obligated to rebuild the Orders which had been destroyed during the wars. My freedom in exchange for a return of the old ways, I continued to study and write. The Orders resurfaced. It was shortly after my death that I got to know you, we traveled together. We got engaged during a return trip to Kohonagakure," she explained. They knew of one another before, some flashing scenes where she had white hair, others after the change with the dark. The memories a bit muddled here, some from before and many more after where they fought, often on the same side but she had been observing him long before they had ever met. He would see evidence of this in some of the scenes. Articles with his name from dates and times that were still within his memory. She would show him a scene covered in a cloud of glitter and a young girl who would one day become Hokage.

Other scenes were quieter, just travel on long roads. How he used to carry souls with him. How he would pull them from places of death. The faces of the unfortunates he had tethered to him as a Dark Sage. Some scenes were good, happy even but the happiness was punctuated by periods of pain, terror and overwhelming odds that were not in his favor. There was a lot of fighting, they were rarely still, almost never at peace. And she felt a number of things that she did not know how to express, only articulate. "You seem lonelier now but softer."

She had no expectation or delusion that he would be cured by a little story. He simply needed context, understanding, a view of what was. If it sparked something, be it good or bad, she would live with it. "The question I have is - is this state supernatural, mental and physical? After all these years, unless you have been abusing yourself, you should have recovered even in the absence of a good meal. But just in case, we need to feed," she concluded. "They are probably terrible, but there was this young egotist at the gates the other day. He mentioned a supplemental option," which would have to do until she killed someone. "While there, we can have you looked over. Worst case, they find nothing and the supplement brings you nothing of value. Best case, we have cured you. In the expected, we have ruled out one of the three possibilities." How would she manage psychological? She had a hard time imagining him going to therapy. Tricking him into a session would be a manipulation of monumental effort best left to another day.

TLDR (Sorry there was too much content)
- Michi tells you her name.
- Michi tells you her backstory, you IC knew some of this likely but if you happened to get your memory back, you would learn additional details since she never went into detail about her life.
- Michi tells you she has an adult-aged son.
- Michi shows you (illusionary genjutsu) scenes that you both shared, images that she feels you might have known as she tells you her story.
- Michi tells you that you are 'different' she recalls a colder man that was less expressive.
- Michi wants to feed you (it is fine to hold off on this) and is suggesting a supplement and eval.
- You are not aware of this - she is thinking about where there are people she can easily kill.

[MFT] WC: 2478

 

[Senju Kazuki]

"You're not who I remember, I liked who you were... but," she paused unsure of how to phrase this. "Who you are now is also good. You seem to be the sum of the parts I had not ever before seen." Yes, he was changed. The events that he went through would change anyone, even Kazuki. Especially the Senju Overlord because he had lost the majority of his soul to ensure victory for his side. Losing one's soul could have a tremendous impact, if you could survive it. "There are things in this world that can change even us, almost eternal-like beings. I have memories of who I was before joining this Hidden Village, of how I was and I know there is a missing piece. Can I go back to being who I was? Do I even want it? Should I, if fully recovered, go back to who I was? I have been wondering about this before and your presence has forced me to rethink about this question, yet again." Was the world better because Reaper had changed? Was this change in his persona for the better? Or should he, if possible, return to his former self? Questions that surely needed an answer, but they were to be responded on another time.

"No souls. As in none?" Michi asked, receiving nothing but a head shake from the Silvery Haired Man. "You required a terrifying number of souls before..." she took a deep breath "Godsfall." It was true that he used to consume an enormous amounts of souls before Godsfall, in fact, ever since he was born. He never wondered why, never bothered to know the reason, he simply did what he needed to do. He never felt addicted to such action, but he knew he required it for survival and to maintain his power level. Was there another reason for such need? "Souls are not necessary, we can get by without. But, your voracious hunger always suggested that there was a struggle to maintain yourself," Was Reaper's need to eat souls because he had none of his own? Or was it because he had been born with a fragmented soul that he tried to fix by consuming others? An interesting thought, terrifying, but interesting nonetheless.

"You were an ANBU Captain, codenamed Reaper. You and Tenken lead the ANBU of Sunagakure for many years," she added after the former Sunan Sennin introduced himself. "You had this knack for climbing rank. It was at times a source of envy and suspicion." Kazuki didn't have to wonder why, a foreigner and a quick rank climber would raise suspicion about what was going on. "I don't have the same level of acclaim. You knew me as Fuu, after I died, Michi," she explained. "I am an Oracle from the first Order, Jounin-ranked shinobi of Sunagakure and ANBU, member of the former terrorist organization the Cabal, trained Sovereign, mother to the Sovereign General and potential Daimyo heir Ishii Shouki. You never really asked my story. I suppose it was never a concern or a consideration back then. You do not know my real name because I do not recall my surname or my birth name. I was quite young when I was indoctrinated into the Orders. I came from a small village in the Southlands called Fen that was destroyed in the Silent Wars, my family a family of farmers. I was considered to be naturally talented, I had started taking my assessments for the Oracle Order when I was three and I was offered a seat among the Orders as an Oracle in training when I was six. My Order was destroyed two years later by the initial graduates of Ishii Shiro's Sovereign army." The Senju Overlord began wondering if he had heard her tale before, he really had no memory of it. Regardless, he listened, silently, with absolute intent in absorbing every bit of information she was willing to share. Raising his right eyebrow, here and there, depending on what she was telling him.

"I was eight and I was taken as a prisoner. I was entered into the Sovereign Academy, an organization that conditions its members to become tools of war and forcibly hybridizes its members upon completion. I was born completely human," she clarified. Not the same breed. "I was conditioned to become something which I still am and I am the last surviving member of my Order but likely only because I never underwent the transformation to become a hybrid. They chose to forgo this because it had killed the rest and I was the youngest so the least likely to survive and I spent my adolescence in the Palace of the Glorious Immortal. A prisoner. Being the final Oracle, I transcribed the tomes from the razed Great Library I had dedicated to memory as a child as a part of my training. Some of your books likely have me as the author. You know, I never mentioned in this meeting I liked books," Reaper would nod upon hearing her last remark. If she was paying attention to his posture, she would easily notice that his hands were grasping the sides of his wooden chair, his knuckles becoming whitish with the force he employed on it.

"When the Daimyo failed to conceive with his third wife, I became a convenient vessel not by choice. His first born, Ishii Shouki was the bastard heir apparent until a later wife was able to bear him two children. I eventually escaped after several failed attempts for a short time, I joined an adventuring organization that you would come to know as a terrorist organization known as the Cabal. I was eventually found, brought back, hurt and ultimately sealed. To ensure compliance and then released back to the Cabal. The Cabal was originally an adventurer group but there was a great deal of resentment towards Sunagakure, we felt abandoned by the village that chose to swallow itself into the earth rather than save us from the maelstrom. When the Cabal were hired by Ishii Shiro to attack Sunagakure, a member laid out explosive charges through the city that had been recently damaged in a previous incident. We then attacked." the Last Oracle would use her skills with illusions to show Kazuki a series of images that depicted what she was telling him as she was telling him. If he was mightly grasping his chair before, Michi would now notice that the air around the Senju Overlord would begin to vibrate as his anger rose. Shadows would coalesce around him, further darkning the room they sat. A few wooden figures would raise from the ground, without him moving an inch from his seat. The figures would quickly be shaped into perfect replicas of the former Wind Daimyo and his bastard son along a few other enemies of Sunagakure that Reaper had faced and Michi had shown him. Killing intent became visible in his gaze and he slowly raised his right hand toward the replicas and as it finished its ascension, the wooden figures were quickly pulverized into nothingness. Following that, the Senju Overlord growled with anger as the building itself began to tremble. This was a show of anger and prowess that would befit the former Kazuki and something unseen for years. Although forcibly changed into a shadow of its former self, there was one thing that would remain constant, the Senju Overlord hated tyrants and oppressers and witnessing Michi's life account, made him desire to go back and kill the Daimyo once again. "There is no words in the tongues of Fire, Earth and Wind that allow me to describe how much I want to raise the Daimyo and his ilk from death and kill them over and over again." he would state with gritted teeth.

"I turned on the Cabal and ultimately the Daimyo, sharing what I knew when the opportunity shown itself. The seal however made me a liability to Sunagakure and my knowledge a liability to the Daimyo. Someone would have to kill me, while locked away in the Obsidian the Lord of the Gloaming Court found me, tore me apart and then put me back together as something else entirely. The seal inert and myself forever changed as we became in your words the same breed," she lifted her shirt to show the scar. The former Sunan Sennin would see the gaze with a hint of sadness appearing his face. Yes, he was showing more emotions during this conversation than during all the time they had been together, before Godsfall. "I was released from my cell, given a technical rank and status in Sand despite never attending the academy and I was obligated to rebuild the Orders which had been destroyed during the wars. My freedom in exchange for a return of the old ways, I continued to study and write. The Orders resurfaced. It was shortly after my death that I got to know you, we traveled together. We got engaged during a return trip to Kohonagakure." She would show him more images, some of them were in Konohagakure which involved a cloud of glitter, which made the White Wolf frown a bit, even though he had no idea why he was frowing to begin with. Some scenes depicted him absorbing souls from the recently dead, some showed him killing people and claiming their souls. Yet, not every scene was violent, there were peaceful ones, happy even. Yet, those were the minority. It would seem Kazuki was followed by chaos and violence wherever he went.

"You seem lonelier now but softer." The Senju Overlord would nod. "Perhaps. I have been feeling lonely as of late, as all physical companionship slipped from my fingers, as I was left alone to recover and sulk in the corner. Forgotten. Forsaken. Left to rot in the pile of my own misery and comtempt. Perhaps that was to be my fate for all eternity." He said that eyeing the ground at his feet but he would raise his gaze to match hers. "Until now!" The Last Oracle's presence had awoken him from his stupor, from his slumber. The enemies of Sunagakure should quake because Kazuki was about to be brought to activity and once fully recovered, if that was possible, there would be payment to be payed in full.

"The question I have is - is this state supernatural, mental and physical? After all these years, unless you have been abusing yourself, you should have recovered even in the absence of a good meal. But just in case, we need to feed," she concluded. "They are probably terrible, but there was this young egotist at the gates the other day. He mentioned a supplemental option. While there, we can have you looked over. Worst case, they find nothing and the supplement brings you nothing of value. Best case, we have cured you. In the expected, we have ruled out one of the three possibilities."

"Physically? No, I feel fine, albeit weakened. Mentally perhaps?" he would muse outloud. "Although our lives take a toll in our mental state, I do not believe my mind has lost its keen edge. Though, to be fair, living a life of isolation surely does not make wonders to our mind." Was Kazuki suffering depression? Was this just a mental issue that could be cure with medical treatment? Doubtful. "Our best guess is whatever is and has happened to me, is a direct result of Godsfall and is, quite likely, supernatural in natural. I should go there, to the battle site and inspect it, mayhaps I will find whatever happened to me there." Was the journey even possible? Was entrance allowed? Could he even survive such travel?

 

[Michi]

"There are things in this world that can change even us, almost eternal-like beings. I have memories of who I was before joining this Hidden Village, of how I was and I know there is a missing piece. Can I go back to being who I was? Do I even want it? Should I, if fully recovered, go back to who I was? I have been wondering about this before and your presence has forced me to rethink about this question, yet again."

She was not sure. He seemed more human now. His face changed, the corners of his lips were no longer in this neutral pose. He looked and sounded miserable, is that what being human would mean for the Senju? While he might be more palatable in this wretched state for others, she wondered what was 'best' for him. A decision she had no right to make. Was feeling, or at the very least expressing nothing, better than the sorrow he presently expressed? She would start to talk and she would watch his expression change. Evidence of empathy, something new.

So she would tell him her story. Kazuki already knew bits and pieces - that she was a prisoner of the Daimyo, an Oracle, a member of the Cabal, that Mikaboshi made her into what she was. She never directly told him about Shouki, if she had perhaps she had forgotten as unlikely as that might have been, it has been years, but it was likely he was told by someone. Roku was aware, he admittedly knew her better. He asked more questions, demanded more answers. She never mentioned her family to either, where she came from. Her life as far as others were concerned started shortly before they met and she became relevant to them. Not that it was their fault or that they were wrong, she never offered unasked inquires. Perhaps she should have back then. Perhaps understanding could have given substance to their relationship.

The glint in his eyes was one that she was more familiar with -- the seething rage, the killing intent. His hands gripped his seat, that was new, those white knuckles betrayed the lackadaisical posture he generally offered even in the presence of devastating circumstance. He always gave a sense that he did not care, that he was indifferent. She was not watching his reaction not to satisfy a need for recognition but rather to satisfy a need for recollection. She was temporarily hopeful, even if that sentiment was steadily becoming muddied, that his memories had returned when she saw the terrifying visage of the Daiyo, varied members of the Sovereign, her son, and others. Pulverized by a force from within in a display or anger, the shattering would leave broken wooden vessels and fragmented splinters of wood.

"There is no words in the tongues of Fire, Earth and Wind that allow me to describe how much I want to raise the Daimyo and his ilk from death and kill them over and over again."

After the expression had come to pass, she hesitated in giving him the news. "They don't die," she reminded him. Of course he had forgotten. "You've killed my son before," she clarified. It was a strange statement for those that did not know her, the circumstances of their strained relationship, but she wanted them both dead. She did not know Daimyo Ishii Shiro's fate at their hand, if he ever truly died, but she knew that neither could remain dead. That much she knew. "Jashinists consider suffering to be an expression of faith," she explained in case he was not familiar any longer with the tenants of faith. "They can't die," and the vengeance rained on them was not something to avoid but rather celebrate. It was a sick cosmic joke really, there was no true way to hurt them that did not bring them glory, or dare one say pleasure.

After a brief pause she would continue to the parts Kazuki would be more familiar with, where the scenes she shared she was certain he had experienced because she had lived them with him. Some were good, they were the minority and others were bad. He lived a life of hardship, smoke, fire and blood. There was not a single scene oddly enough that shown him laughing or smiling. She wondered if this Kazuki could smile. If 'fixing' him was wrong. He seemed lonelier, but softer.

"Perhaps. I have been feeling lonely as of late, as all physical companionship slipped from my fingers, as I was left alone to recover and sulk in the corner. Forgotten. Forsaken. Left to rot in the pile of my own misery and contempt. Perhaps that was to be my fate for all eternity."

True, but the door was unlocked. He had the financial resources and the social clout. Even if he did not remember the people in his life, did they do anything but bring him misery. Forget about him. Her welling doubt was something she would keep to herself for him. "Until now!"

"I would like to see you happy," she claimed quietly. A truth, but the meaning of the words perhaps seemed deceptively generic. For now, she would pursue a cure, albeit more slowly. Respite and recollection being the objective. This way he could be truly informed and then embrace or reject the life he had. That was the ideal, but it was a struggle. She would quash her personal want, her preference to rebuild from scratch. She would share her honest thoughts - that he needs to eat. She was not hungry but used the word 'they' all the same, she had taken in more than her fill as of late. That there was an imbalance or a malady of his body, his mind or his body caused by physical, psychological or magical trauma.

"Physically? No, I feel fine, albeit weakened. Mentally perhaps?" He would consider a more mundane possibility. "Although our lives take a toll in our mental state, I do not believe my mind has lost its keen edge. Though, to be fair, living a life of isolation surely does not make wonders to our mind." True, but his memory was lost before he shuttered himself away in his apartment. "Our best guess is whatever is and has happened to me, is a direct result of Godsfall and is, quite likely, supernatural in natural. I should go there, to the battle site and inspect it, mayhaps I will find whatever happened to me there."

"The site of a battle well over a decade ago?" She echoed, doubt or perhaps regret creeped into her mind. He claimed he had sacrificed a portion of himself in the final war, that it took years for him to reconstitute. That he walked away and somehow found the hidden village in the wilds of Wind Country. That such incredibly luck had been on his side. That he did not somehow end up in Claw, or Fang, by the water's edge in Soons Haven or Sora. "We can go there," she immediately regretted the offer. She was more than capable, she had ventured further on her own in the desert many times before, although she always avoided Godsfall. Godsfall would be an archeological treasure trove, but she knew better than most that those sands were soaked in blood. If there was a nexus of forgotten, terrible power in Wind Country, it would be there.

She just wanted to delay it. His recollection for perhaps her own selfish purposes even if she tried to tell herself that it was for him. That taking his choice would be in his best interest. As despondent as he might be, with every low comes a high. What if he could be happy? What if, as terrible as it is to consider, what if they could be happy? She would remove her satchel from her shoulder and place it on the floor, it was the only thing she had taken with her. "We will seek the Kazekage's permission," she started to consider how bureaucratic she could make the process. "They will likely want medical clearance for you," they being his clan as well as Sunagakure. Kazuki might be presently inert, but he was also a valued resource. A reasonable consideration one could argue. "They might expect a guard for your protection," not from the elements or from external dangers "from me." She did not make a great initial impression at the gates where she met the Kazekage and another high-ranking member of the shinobi village. [Excuse to drag a Genin or two on a mini adventure]

That was all she could think of, in truth he could probably just tell the guards at the gates he wished to leave and they would allow him to leave without complaint. He had a high enough rank to demand his own egress. He just likely would not remember the power behind his name, his rank and his previous influence. She could not tell him it was something she was certain they would require, that would be a lie. Her words were however crafted in such a way that it was merely a deceptive moment. They would seek the Kage's permission rather than need. They would likely want medical clearance, with a vague statement regarding the 'they.' They might expect a guard, likely the most true considering how vulnerable his amnesia had left him and her admittedly suspect past. Arriving on the arm of a man who could not recall their engagement to bring him into the wilds to help him recover his memory could only be made worse if she got an insurance policy taken out on him the night before.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

"They don't die," she would remind Kazuki of the Daimyo and his son's immortality. "You've killed my son before. Jashinists consider suffering to be an expression of faith. They can't die!" Yes, the Senju Overlord suddenly remembered that they were Jashinists and if their creed and powers were to be believed, they were incapable of dying. "Well, there is always a first for everything. Maybe we just did not find the right way to permanently end their existence." He wasn't exactly fully confident in those words, after all, we was, more or less, undying as well. Could he survive complete dismemberment as the Daimyo and others like him could? Certainly not. But he could, essentially, live forever unless killed by force of arms. "Perhaps we should research a way to counter their immortality. Dismembering them and sealing them is not the most effective solution, even if it is the only one we have."

"I would like to see you happy," MIchi would tell him. Reaper would nod and smile. "The sentiment is mutual. I may not remember our engagement and I may not remember our shared moments, but if I cared enough to get engaged with you, then I am certain I valued your well being. And if I did not before, I certainly do so now. If there is anything I can do for you, tell me and I will make it so." That was quite a statement, but as always, quite truthful. She was helping him, at least, trying to, which was more than he could say of countless of others. Was she doing this because she felt guilty of her previous actions? Or was is it because she genuinely cared for him? "I do have a couple of questions for you, if you indulge me. You have said you liked who I was before but what I am now is also good. What is your preference? My former self or this current iteration?" Question number 1. "I understand you left me and the village, obsessed with vengeance, before we could actually get married. Was your return to search for me, out to pay a debt or because you care for me?" Question number 2 and, perhaps, even trickier than the first one. Truth be told, the Silvery Haired Man's demeaner and previous statement wouldn't change based on her answers but he was curious to know, even if he wasn't sure about why he was eager to learn those answers.

"The site of a battle well over a decade ago?" She echoed. The former Sunan Sennin would simply silently nod. He felt, within his heart, that only there answers could be find, only there he could solve the mystery that plagued his life for the past decade. "We can go there. We will seek the Kazekage's permission. They will likely want medical clearance for you. They might expect a guard for your protection," not from the elements or from external dangers "from me." Kazuki would snort upon hearing her last words. "And I will have to refuse such protection, if offered. If wanted me dead, you could have done so already. Can I defend myself from you? I sure can, but considering my state, can I actually survive a confrontation? Perhaps not, but I do not fear death, I have conquered, I have become its knight, its herald. Killing my physical frame does nothing but force me to return, slightly weakened but still me." And there was his former bravado and grandiose. Was it missed? Was it untrue? He certainly believed in what he was saying and had survived griveous wounds that would have killed lesser beings, but he was no Jashinist. "I am ready to go whenever you are but I feel you deserve something from me before we depart. Compensation perhaps." The Senju Overlord would slowly raise from his chair and walk toward Michi. His right hand would form a fist and he drew near, not to hit her, but because he was working his magic, so to speak. He would stop his motion mere centimeters from her and he would reveal what had been doing in his closed fist. A precious gem would rest on his palm, a heart shapped pink diamond. "We were once bethroded and could not pursue a life together. Perhaps we can now, who knows what future has in store for beings like us? Nonetheless, I offer you my heart once more." If Michi remembered, Reaper had a hole in his chest, in fact, it was partially visible despite his clothing. The hole was were a human's heart would be situated and it was an icy cavity with a fiery core, his heart. She wasn't the only one making deals with demons, his had left a permanent mark.

 

[Michi]

The issue was never one of power, but rather endurance. A Jashinist cannot die unless they will it.

"Well, there is always a first for everything. Maybe we just did not find the right way to permanently end their existence."

That was optimistic.

"Perhaps we should research a way to counter their immortality. Dismembering them and sealing them is not the most effective solution, even if it is the only one we have."

And as far as she was aware, it was the best and only option. Not that they ever got quite so far. She presumed that such was the Daimyo's present fate but in truth she did not know where he was and she would be wrong. Why has he not returned? There was a paranoid part of her that wondered what could possibly be worth the years he has remained in wait and what his next steps would be. She was not aware that the Daimyo was in Tea. She only knew that a man who could not die fell at the very battle Kazuki had lost his memory and that whatever happened, the Jashinist had not found a way to come back.

Maybe it was over. Wouldn't that be nice, a happy ending for everyone. She wanted to be happy, she was not sure how. She wanted him to be happy, and it looked like he could be now.

"The sentiment is mutual. I may not remember our engagement and I may not remember our shared moments, but if I cared enough to get engaged with you, then I am certain I valued your well being. And if I did not before, I certainly do so now. If there is anything I can do for you, tell me and I will make it so."

She was not entirely certain that there was care, passion, or any particular sentiment. Kazuki was never one to express emotion, she remembered the engagement like it was yesterday despite the passage of years. They had spent a lot of time together, traveled together, came to know one another but they were not romantically entangled up until that point. He never expressed passion, want, even like. He also did not express anything negative or unkind towards her. She was just there and so was he. It was a strange dichotomy, to hear words that she wanted to hear but she did not want to hear them: these words of affirmation from the right man, wrong mind.

"I do have a couple of questions for you, if you indulge me."

She normally liked questions but she felt her stomach drop. "Anything," she replied, her voice a bit smaller. Less certain.

"You have said you liked who I was before but what I am now is also good. What is your preference? My former self or this current iteration?"

"I--" how was she supposed to answer that? She knew what she wanted to say, the original him. The him he was trying to return to. The goal he had already made for himself. She even tried. Tried to say it. Tried to lie. The words would well up in the back of her throat, like the building of a bitter gall. "Want to lie," she blurted out. That was not what she intended to say, nor was it the answer to his question.

Fuck. A mortifying moment, "I hate the Gloaming Court." She could feel heat in her face rise. How was she supposed to explain it? How do you explain to a person who they were and a relationship that he cannot remember from a perspective that was not his? "This..." how should she phrase this. "You is interested in me," she could feel herself deflate with the admission. She preferred being seen as capable, independent and unflappable. She also was never particularly skilled in expressing, articulating or even admitting to herself her emotions and sentiments. "I have no idea how the previous you felt, if you did or could feel anything." There was an engagement, the act in and of itself an expression of interest, but interest in what? A question that was never answered was how he felt towards her? She knew how she felt about him. "I want that you to say these words," and she did not know if the Reaper she knew could. "But, this you can," if that made any sense. "And maybe if the old you finds his way back, he can learn from you." It sounded selfish because it was. She hated that, she felt guilty.

She would watch for a change in his face, feeling gutted and hollow and it gave nothing away. But he had more questions.

"I understand you left me and the village, obsessed with vengeance, before we could actually get married. Was your return to search for me, out to pay a debt or because you care for me?"

"Neither," she answered. This question was easier and did not dig into the only shame she intended to hide as long as she could but it seemed he was quick to catch on so she was not sure how long she could last. "I never returned all these years, I thought you were dead. I stayed away out of guilt, I returned for other reasons and I sought your grave" she shrugged "to say hello?" She was not sure really, it was not like dead men speak. It is not like dead men forgive and alleviate loneliness, longing or regret. "Learning you were alive left me angry," as exhausting and nonsensical as that would seem. "I mourned you. Then I felt guilt and shame, I never checked. Felt that you chose to hide away. I was embarrassed, confused. So I came here to see the life you had chosen instead and resent you and myself for it," she took a breath "to apologize for walking away so abruptly and for being the cause." She frowned, feeling dejected. "And now I am just sad. Hopeful. Ashamed. Guilty, sure," who was cutting onions? "I was always guilty, I could have been more present. Appreciated what I had and built on it. You might not have met the Daimyo in Godsfall. You might be fine right now. If I had returned earlier," she sighed. "You might be fine now." She waved her hand in an exaggerated way as if she was wiping away an imaginary slate board. "So, I came because I cared, but what I feel is more complicated," she swallowed but her mouth felt dry. "No debt, this is all illogical emotion..."

She would make it work. Bring him to Godsfall if that is where he wanted to go. Not that she was in a particular hurry as terrible as that was.

"And I will have to refuse such protection, if offered. If wanted me dead, you could have done so already." She shook her head. He was definitely overestimating her. "Can I defend myself from you? I sure can, but considering my state, can I actually survive a confrontation? Perhaps not, but I do not fear death, I have conquered, I have become its knight, its herald. Killing my physical frame does nothing but force me to return, slightly weakened but still me." Was he really the same if he did not remember the life he lived?

"I am ready to go whenever you are but I feel you deserve something from me before we depart. Compensation perhaps."

"You don't owe me anything," she claimed.

He would rise from his chair, she would not move. Cautious curiosity considering. His right hand would form a fist and he drew near, he never hurt her before so she did not consider the possibility he would hit her. Even if such a fear crept into her mind, she was listing in her own head the regret she had. The sloppy articulation. He would stop his motion mere centimeters from her and he would reveal what had been doing in his closed fist. A heart-shaped pink diamond. "We were once betrothed and could not pursue a life together. Perhaps we can now, who knows what future has in store for beings like us? Nonetheless, I offer you my heart once more."

It hurt.

It hurt her heart a bit as she accepted his.

Kazuki had given her a reason to stay in Sunagakure longer than intended. "Tomorrow," her head swam. She would sleep there, this chair was more than comfortable enough. "A passport," she was still cupping the heart like an idiot. "Maybe... a doctor." What if she drops it.

OC: Grats, you broke her brain. Where to next - you have a queue of interested friends.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

"I do have a couple of questions for you, if you indulge me." Kazuki tell her. "Anything," she replied speaking so lowly that the Senju Overlord almost had to lean forward so he could hear her words. "You have said you liked who I was before but what I am now is also good. What is your preference? My former self or this current iteration?" "I--" she made a rather large pause as if she was struggling to answer his question. The White Wolf understood this was a difficult question, but she seemed to know him well. Well enough to became engaged and since his memory was faulty at best, knowing who she seemed to value best could be an indication of he would should do in the future, should he be fortunate enough to recover what had been lost. "Want to lie," she blurted out. The Silvery Haired Man would tilt his head to the right, allowing his face to show a confused expression. What? "I hate the Gloaming Court." she would mutter, not low enough so Reaper failed to listen those words. He allowed the confused expression to vanish as he patiently waited to hear her thoughts, if she was able to verbalize them. As far as he remembered, and he remembered little, Michi seemed to have a way with words that few could match but today, she was staggering like never before. "This... You is interested in me," Pause. "I have no idea how the previous you felt, if you did or could feel anything." Another pause. "I want that you to say these words," Yet another pause."But, this you can. And maybe if the old you finds his way back, he can learn from you." It was clear she was conflicted. She clearly preferred his old self but, as a twist, she liked a faced of this new Kazuki. In a way, she desired a blend of the old with the new. Interesting.

"I understand you left me and the village, obsessed with vengeance, before we could actually get married. Was your return to search for me, out to pay a debt or because you care for me?" Would be his second question. "Neither," she answered. "I never returned all these years, I thought you were dead. I stayed away out of guilt, I returned for other reasons and I sought your grave to say hello? Learning you were alive left me angry. I mourned you. Then I felt guilt and shame, I never checked. Felt that you chose to hide away. I was embarrassed, confused. So I came here to see the life you had chosen instead and resent you and myself for it," she took a breath "to apologize for walking away so abruptly and for being the cause. And now I am just sad. Hopeful. Ashamed. Guilty, sure. I was always guilty, I could have been more present. Appreciated what I had and built on it. You might not have met the Daimyo in Godsfall. You might be fine right now. If I had returned earlier," she sighed. "You might be fine now. So, I came because I cared, but what I feel is more complicated. No debt, this is all illogical emotion..."

"I am ready to go whenever you are but I feel you deserve something from me before we depart. Compensation perhaps." the former Sennin announced. "You don't owe me anything," she claimed but she was wrong. "Yes, I do!" He presented her with a heart-shaped pink diamond that she seem to hesitated a bit to pick up, but to his happiness, she did take it. "Tomorrow," she would state. "A passport." The Senju Overlord noticed she was now cupping the heart with, apparently, all her might, as if she was afraid to lose it from her sight, or Zabucho forbid it, drop it and shatter it. "Maybe... a doctor." "If you feel a doctor is necessary, we shall see a doctor." Kazuki would tell her as he nodded. "Come with me, I will show you the visitor's bedroom so you can pass the night." Kazuki gestured for her to follow him, leaving his hand slightly behind as if inviting her to grab his hand. He wasn't entirely conscious he was making this gesture though. He would also refuse to allow her to pass the night on that armchair, insisting she should use the room he was offering.

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