Seeking the Steward

[Nanashi]

Drawing to the edge of the field of rubble which the memories they'd inherited from Sennin Toraono labeled the Kazekage's tower, the Nameless kept watch on all sides as the Assassin strode forward, her Sharingan alive as she attempted to pick out some indicator of an alternative or temporary center for the village's administrative tasks and governance. Repeatedly, from both the memories inherited via the Sennin and the observations and visitations they'd made themself, the Nameless noticed one thing above all others about Sunagakure. The village had been wounded. More than once they suspected. And it was not healing well. They looked over the mounded rubble clotted to the side of the ground like so many scabs or so much scar-tissue annealed over a badly-healed wound. It was not a functional space. At best it served to incite those around to dwell upon what had happened, and such past-obsessed meditations were only ever useful to a point. They could not help but feel that this ground should long since have been cleared. They were certainly tempted to do so, but they suspected this was one of that class of symbolic wasteful activities which served a memorial purpose or served in maintaining whatever ideas or principles people assigned it. Still, it seemed likely she would not find the village's leader in the midst of what was still little better than a ruin. Fighting back the temptation to have the Monster lift the entire mess up through the cavern's ceiling and into open air, they began to widen their search, hoping they could reach the village's leadership before it grew too late.
[MFT]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke sat at a round silver coloured table. His fingers cross as he watched the plasma feed that giving him details about trouble in wind country. Another warlord had decided to mobilize since the fall of the Diamond Sand. This was much more pressing though considering the fact that this supposed host was a man of intellect that was equal or superior to his own. It could not be denied or confirm that the host was indeed of that superior intellect. "Have to admit, his method of burnt land push is working."<i></i> Mako, the grandmother of the Steward, spoke up. The veteran was drinking from her flask as she watched the devastation. The plasma feed consisted of marching figures, and the host hovering above them. The host making gestures and causing implosions occurring. Building sucked into and vaporized.

The tent was red coloured. Nothing extraordinary about it. There was an octagon building on the surface, but the Steward had yet to declare that structure as the new Kazekage Tower. He had other things more important to do aside from establishing his new office. Wind country had became volatile. Creatures of legend re-surfacing. Ruins emerging from sand dunes. "His army came from the north western realm of Dread Skull. Rather romantic sounding if you ask me. He is marching to the Zephyr lands. I did answer their call for aid, and in three hours I depart to deal with this mess."<i></i> Sousuke spoke. Katuso was right about having to help Wind Country. Did all of these minute struggles really add up to the end game of the Sunahoshi heir? Resources could have been spent on pushing sand's progress further, but Suna need to improve their image. Heroes for hire was an odd thing to consider. Sousuke sat back in his chair. The sounds of a small commotion from outside the tent could be heard.

"Well. No one else has gathered their forces to throw at him. Should you fail, this will make us look weak."<i></i> Mako commented as she placed her flask down and flapped the cap down to shut it. The woman pocketed the flask. "Anyways. You have a guest to attend to."<i></i>

 

[Nanashi]

Advancing to the sole red tent which stood within the grounds of the former tower, the nameless ones ducked inside, the Assassin approaching the table. Quickly taking in the group gathered about what was evidently some sort of technologically advanced planning table, she waited while they conferred, taking in details of the arrangements there. She frowned at the apparent implosions, it looked like the sort of thing extreme mastery of gravity jutsu could accomplish, or...perhaps dust if it was truly dissolved rather than compacted. To use those without a gesture suggested either a jinchuuriki or at the least a kekkei genkai of some sort. Or an extremely powerful Kamui, of course. As the elder accompanying the Steward pointed out her presence, she inclined her head in gratitude to her, then deeper to the effective Kazekage.
"Sir. You know what I am, presumably, since a similar sort is your chosen Sennin. I came because I intended to provide information about a problem and request a mission to take care of it," she looked back toward the table, "but you seem to have enough problems already. Mind, a rogue Jinchuuriki spirit will only keep so long. So is this a Jinchuuriki host you're facing? Er with an army, apparently?"
[MFT]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke wordless enhanced his plasma projection. He brought the face of the host to view. He tapped his chin. "I knew what you were when you spoke at my meeting regarding the Orders."<i></i> He answered fire and foremost. He exhaled as he took in the details of the prospect of this being a rogue Jinchuuriki. Considering the progress was a straight line and without a deviation, this was entirely possible. "The army is just working in unison... but he is the host. He gestures accordingly an entire subdivision goes up in flames. This is extinction he is pushing, extinction of lands. He burns them, but does nothing with them. Our intel suggests he takes prisoners but for what end?"<i></i> He focused on the army for a moment. He enhanced an image of them now. There were details of the host in the army. "Could be an army of advanced elemental clones. I wanted to say metal given their shine and detailing, but they are using fire accordingly. Black fire mind you, and you know what that puts on the table accordingly."<i></i>

Mako placed her hand behind her neck and rubbed the back of her neck. The one armed veteran gritted her teeth as she spoke her peace on the matter. "Hybrids. A new type of clone we've yet to see? Maybe their elemental composure does not allow them to melt after using said fire jutsu."<i></i> Mako eyed the woman, "Host as in an army leader... but you might be on the mark given the devastation levels.."<i></i> The image continued to play Mako continued to eye the woman curiously. "Right so. What is the sit rep of things with this problem on your end? Sousuke is listening. He's just multitasking at the moment."<i></i> Mako ran her hand through her hair which was the same colour as Sousuke's a dark shade of purple, save her hair was shoulder length, not short and spiky. There were streaks of grey ever present in her hair. Mako was not a 'senior' or at least in her mind she was. "Help us, help you cupcake. That way then we can all be about our merry way of kicking the crap out of some jackaninnies."<i></i> The tone was not sarcastic, and the word cupcake was spoke neutrally whereas usually it was sarcastic.

Sousuke raised his hand to silence his grandmother for a moment. "Forgive my grandmother. Her military method of life has transitioned into practically her ... every day language. Her tone is the tell, for future use."<i></i> He clarified.

 

[Nanashi]

Having been raised to serve a covert military purpose and with little other thought given to it, the former Uchiha nodded. "I could be of assistance with your problem there. If it is black fire, then the only known way I can think of it happening is the Mangekyou Sharingan." She called up her own Sharingan by way of credentials. "I was an Uchiha in a past life of sorts. I've heard of forms of the clan doujutsu being able to manipulate objects to suck them out of reality as we know it. The...metal part worries me somewhat. Is the metal on their armor fluid in any way? If so, then our problems might be connected, in which case I regret not bringing it forth sooner. If not, then you still have a Jinchuuriki spirit formerly attached to the Sunaku amongst my bodies that is loose. It is a hydra of mercury and attuned to metal and poison. I fought it once when in a host and survived by a mixture of luck and the discovery of new abilities I had not known came with the Rinnegan. It drives its hosts insane from mercury poisoning, so there that to account for as well. The host, as well as others, came here for me. To recapture me for my former...teacher...of sorts, a man named Senju Hizashi. She was accompanied by several others, all in that man's employ, all sent to capture me and return me to him. Thus far I have killed two of his agents and taken their bodies as my own. The Sunaku and a swordsman whose form I am still adjusting to. I have also confronted three others in Soon's Haven. That fight made something of a mess at the dockside. Of those one was an ice element user, the other seemed predominantly water-based."
[MFT]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

"Very good. Top marks."<i></i> Mako spoke when Nanashi spoke of the Nangekyou Sharingan. The veteran closed her eye for the moment and revealed her own Sharingan. The colouring was off due to the fact that her eye was blue and not blood red. Mako was a Masashi who was an offshoot of the Uchiha clan in Wind Country. Mako was one of the few who stayed in Sungakure whereas the major clan itself was nomadic. Sousuke's mother too had the same eyes, except she had both eyes instead of one. The woman listened to her explain herself. Mako snorted at the previous life part. Just how old was this girly? Past life? Mako looked to her son when she asked if this problem was related to her own problem of the girly's issue of this Jinchuuriki.

Sousuke closed his eyes as he considered the connection of the two. "Hrm... "<i></i> He thought about it for a moment, "Difficult to tell, we have yet to see them bleed, but their movements are not stale or rigid. The movement itself is fluid. It is not an armour so much as a flesh, so yes ... I would agree to it being fluid."<i></i> Sousuke concluded. It would be make sense given that this would be a pincer movement from two almost unrelated forces. Sousuke listened more intently when he heard the woman speak of a Senju. Was the Senju in question known to Kazuki? Was he aware of this? The clan was rather extensive, but more importantly there was the possibility that not all Senju were on board with Kazuki. A battle ensued as a narrative continued and it would seem that more bodies were acquired for use by Nanashi. "Our relations with Soon's is not at a high point. This may a cause a problem if things are indentified properly."<i></i> Sousuke rubbed his temples. This could be very problematic indeed. This would require some finesse and some delicate workings, more over with the Senju clan. "While your stay within Sungakure has been limited, I am allied with the Senju clan due to the devastation in Leaf. Was this condoned by the main clan or by a rogue Senju?"<i></i> Sousuke inquired. Mako pointed to the clock in the room which sat on the table. Time was not exactly ... on anyone's side here. "That can wait. The Hydra, you are aware of its traditional powerset. Where is its current location?"<i></i>

 

[Nanashi]

The petite assassin gave Mako an unamused glance before permitting her Sharingan to subside. She quirked a brow at the color of the Sharingan shown, presuming the tint to be some sort of genetic variation or permutation. Returning her attenton to the Steward, she listened carefully, then shook her head. "I meant is their armor liquid. Does it flow in a manner not entirely dissimilar from water? Otherwise they are likely unrelated issues. As for Soon's...I did what I was able to prevent casualties with a minimum of disruption and property damage." Her expression seemed to fold in on itself as the Kage mentioned his alliance with the Senju. Her stance did not shift, but she did blink once, and when her eyes reopened her Sharingan were alight and slowly rotating within the ringed silver of her Rinnegan. She scrutinized the Steward's expression and body language for any sort of micro-expression or tic which might in any way inform the context of his words. "He was main branch under the Overlord's direct authority, in Leaf's black ops, though that doesn't answer your question directly." She shook her head slightly. "I do not know its precise location, yet. It seemed destabilized somehow without the anchor of a host to possess. It was last in the exanse of barren desert leading up to the village, but it is likely seeking to avoid recapture by those which bound it so harshly the last time. I do know of a way to locate it, but I do not as-of-yet have that asset in my possession. Are there any notable Hyuuga within the village here? It is no problem if not, I will simply have to up my timetable on assaulting my pursuers."

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The concept of fluid was explained more generally, Sousuke patted his hands together was silent for a moment as he thought about it. "Then no."<i></i> He finally answered. "I do appreciate your approach with Soon's. Sungakure has not been very popular in the eyes of most residents in wind country due to a long history that we have answered to. The answer that we presented them with was not one I wanted, but really there was no other path. People had not come to terms with our plight, and I hope someday they will. That being said Soon has in the past invested in us, and their investments ... tripled due to my own interventions. The Soon Merchant council is a force I would rather not test at this moment in time."<i></i> He explained. Sousuke was hesitant in general when dealing with the council given the fact that the Raikage of old had visited a Soon Merchant and had never heard from him again. From time to time, Sousuke did consider the prospect that perhaps the Raikage was not who he said who he was, but an imposter.

Sousuke shook his head when the woman inquired if there were any notable Hyuugas within the village. "You could inquire with a mercenary group. The one Hyuuga I did know of is retired and no longer operating."<i></i> He tapped his fingers, "That being said..."<i></i> He looked over to his grandmother.

A sharp smile came Mako, "I'll put in a call to him. He'll sort himself out. I'll promise to take him down for drinks later."<i></i> The Hyuuga in question was a member of the Hell's Halberd division that Mako used to run years back. "Shiro couldn't quite refuse me anything, mainly because if he did he would be subjected to being burnt by a cigarette."<i></i> The Veteran shared. The Steward facepalmed at that point at that point. "Shiro isn't an accessory, but he can give you directions."<i></i> Mako added. "He doesn't fight much these days, except me when... well... let's just say I still have a few men in my life still."<i></i>

 

[Nanashi]

The Assassin shrugged in response to the Steward's appreciation. It had not made sense at the time to antagonize the folk of the merchant port. Particularly when their cooperation had been instrumental to her original plans to track the Garden operatives currently in Wind Country. She had to admit she had little knowledge of recent events in Sunagakure, so she simply nodded in response to the Kage's comment about not testing the Merchant Council. She listened calmly at the mention of a retired Hyuuga, merely raising an eyebrow, as comment went. As the veteran grandmother chimed in about the nature of her connection to the man, Nanashisimply listened, then nodded. "Very well. Let me know what the result is. If he is not able or willing to assist, then I have a backup, a way to obtain the use of byakugan. Though in that situation I would likely need to request combat assistance from another of the village's shinobi. Oh, and Steward? I have made the same statements to others, but do not trust the Senju. Their loyalty is to their own; first, last, always. There is no atrocity they will not commit for the sake of more power or for the security of their clan. Still. They have a single point of failure. Presuming you know the location of their damned tree, then you have the means to damn every last one of them to insanity and death. Kill the tree, kill the clan. Remember that, should they betray your trust."<i></i>

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Mako looked to Sousuke and then back to Nanashi. He nodded at her, "I'll put in the call. I'll give him enough hell to work with you. Just don't whreck the guy."<i></i> The veteran got up from the table and left the two in the tent. The veteran before fully leaving turned her back and waved her hand at her grandson, "Three hours and we're setting out. Don't do something stupid now like trying to solo the target. I know you're keen on ending this, but you need to realize your limits. I ain't here to bury you. It's your job to bury me."<i></i> The veteran spat on the floor as she left.

The Steward drank in the details of the Senju clan. He tapped the desk. Curious that she was sharing this with him. It was the ultimate insurance policy should things go awry. It was the means to turn the tables and flip the table over entirely. He knew of the tree. "The red tree is a symbol, I did not know that is was an actual thing."<i></i> Sousuke spoke remember of his encounter with Zenichi. He was an adopted Senju, but was he actually going to be affected by the tree as well? In the event that the Phoenix Force took over Kazuki's cousin, and if in turn he killed every single Senju, Sousuke had a trump card to play. Kazuki was smart of course, but some things should not be left to chance. "Duly noted."<i></i> Sousuke would rise from his chair. He clapped his hands together, "Now then. Back to your problem... what do I call you by the way? If anything. A mere courtsey does go a long way."<i></i> Sousuke inquired. He knew the name of everyone in the village except for this one and her other bodies. "As you know from the Orders, I am well inversed in weapons and armour. Not just simple tools, but rather specialist tools. Shall we visit the armoury to tilt the odds in your favor to complete your undertaking?"<i></i> The truth was the armory was underneath them. Sousuke had taken extra precautions in establishing a temporary hold of sorts.

 

[Nanashi]

"The tree itself isn't red. The symbol is red because the thing they keep the tree for, its sap, is red. The tree itself is more a pale fleshtone. The sap rewrites them all mentally to have ironclad loyalty to their village and their clan--not in that order--and to do whatever they must to acquire and increase power for themselves. They're physically addicted to the stuff, and they would die without a stable and continued source of sap. I'm unsure the tree is natural, I suspect not, and their entire clan would rush to defend it at the slightest provocation, however. Still. There are reasons they don't like Uchiha to get too close to it without ascertaining their loyalties first." The Assassin listened to the Steward speak further before responding. "That is a...complicated subject." Behind them, the other bodies that had accompanied turned in tandem to regard the Steward. "There isn't a name that fits me. At least one person in the village has attempted to assign me one, but frankly it just adds to other dimensions of potential confusion. I am as much an us as I am a me. I possess one mind but several bodies. But, I am able to sustain separate trains of thoughts without any issue once I have moved to sufficient differences from my other bodies. Each body influences those trains of thought through hormones, reflex, and other considerations. For simplicity's sake, I suppose, when you wish to address me generally, you can call me Nameless. As for referring to a specific one of my bodies...I do tend to think of myself with certain descriptors for each. For this one, which I was born with, I think of myself as the Assassin. That is what and who I was as a shinobi."

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The Steward got up from his chair he motioned for the assassin to follow him. He listened to her attempt to describe a name for him to use for her. "Assassin."<i></i> He repeated. He remembered that there were three bodies total at the Orders meeting. "How shall I address your other bodies?"<i></i> He inquired then as he would lead her into a basement vault of sorts. Down a series of stairs. It seemed like they were going nowhere but the Steward knew the path easily. "Tools whether it be physical arms, or knowledge arm the Assaassin."<i></i> He spoke as he stopped finally descending and began walking straight. It seemed as if Sousuke was walking seemingly with no end in sight. He did stop. He merely turned around. The two would find themselves surrounded by darkness. Sousuke snapped his finger, and suddenly the room burst into light.

The Assassain would find himself surrounded by the Steward's armoury, or at least part of it. Kunai. Crossbows. Longbows. Kukuris. Moon and Crescent Blade Axes. Katanas. Halbeards. Rapiers. Various weapons of all degrees. The Steward looked about himself. "Take what you need to complete your task, but do return the weapons ... most preferably without stain. Broken is fine. I can easily repair broken weapons."<i></i> Sousuke explained. The Steward held his hands behind his back. He wasn't quite sure what to do with the knowledge the Nameless had given him. He had hoped that he would never have to use the knowledge that he had been given. He had also hoped that Kazuki would never betray his trust. So far the two of them had a most mutually beneficial relationship. "I suspect each body has its own preferences for weaponry, and specific skill set. I've always wondered how the mind adapts to having seen itself in different forms through different fields of view."<i></i>

 

[Nanashi]

Following the Steward down toward the basement room, the Nameless walked the bodies from outside the tent over to the meeting space. One, a thin, blonde man of just above average height and hands in his pockets inclined carefully coiffured head to the steward before saying, "This body is the Artist. Seemed the best fit for what the previous tenant did."

Stepping aside, the artist moved back a few steps. A pale woman, taller than the Assassin but shorter than the Artist, possessed of ruddy cheeks and nose and a moderate-length head of unkempt, raven-hued hair-- glossy blue-black with an oil-slick iridescence--took his place, smiling up at the Steward as she fidgeted and shifted from foot to foot. "I thought of this woman as The Monster, though admittedly she was at least as much madwoman as monster. Still, the Monster is how I think of the form now. She was the Jinchuuriki I spoke of before."

With that, the Monster literally glided back, carried backwards without any physical effort on her part by small layers of sand beneath her feet which hovered perhaps a half-inch above the floor and carried her away. The next figure to approach was the largest of the four. At 6'3, he loomed over the other assorted Nameless by a head or more. The sense of immensity was not at all diminished by his broad, heavily muscled frame, nor the black, tattered, voluminous cloak which swathed him. From beneath the cloak, an immense handle projected even above his head, reaching down toward a cloak-obscured object strapped to his back. From the large pommel capping it, it was likely that it was an immense sword of some sort or another. Even from what little bare skin could be seen around his face, the fact that he'd lived a life of intense conflict and battle was evident, as a multitude of scars crossed his flesh, including what looked like gouge marks scarring one of his eyelids. "And you can call this form the Swordsman or the Black Swordsman. Had been a toss up between that or the Beast."

As the Steward made his magnanimous offer, the Nameless felt a sharp discomfort. They were unsure how to explain that thus far they had their own weapons for those bodies which required them to any significant degree beyond stating such in a straightforward manner. Given that, they just did as such.
"Sir, your offer is exceptionally generous, but I am already fully provisioned in that respect, barring various disposable or quasi-disposable items such as kunai, shuriken, senbon, and the like. As to your suspicion, you'd be correct, but I had the advantage of seeing each body's skill-set in action...as I killed each of them myself. I also had the advantage of acquiring their equipment each came to kill me."

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke would meet the rest of Nanashi's bodies. Sousuke looked to the Artist and then the Monster. Sousuke scratched his head. So. He had names to address these bodies. Each of Kuro's bodies seemed to be able to speak for itself, and maybe each body had its own quirks. He scratched his head. "Is it rude if I speak to the core body? I know the answer is coming from one mind, but it seems rude to ask questions of a body that -- this is awkward. Yes. Kuro is one, but I can speak to each body differently."<i></i> There was also the Swordsman. He tapped his fingers together Each of these bodies have their own quirks, it was not like they were manufactured. "Do you retain the memories or do they simple have your memories?"<i></i> These were the sorts of questions he had to ask merely for his own curiosity. It would seem though that Nanashi had no need of his arms, as she was... he? No. She. She had taken the weapons from them as they were cooling corpses? Sousuke was nearly quite a bit more from this encounter.

"Suit yourself."<i></i> Sousuke would answer as he was ever so graciously declined. He would motion for them to follow him out of the armoury. As they left the armoury Sousuke received a call on his head set frequency. He held up his hand in an apologetic fashion. "Yes... ... ... ah ... ... ... very good then. Tell him to ... ... remain on standby. I'll have them meet up at the Red Cactus."<i></i> Sousuke ended the call. Sousuke turned to the core body of Nanashi. "My grandmother has successfully recruited the Hyuuga you need. He is at a pub named Red Cactus. I suggest that you meet up with him and go over the plan."<i></i> Sousuke advised. It was time to put two major plans into motion.

 

[Nanashi]

Eyeing the Steward curiously with several sets of silvery-purple eyes, the Nameless Shinobi offered a simultaneous shrug. "Given that it is your village, you are free to do as you wish, though to call any a core body would be a misnomer." The forms before Sousuke seemed variously discomfitted discussing this. "The Assassin is my original body, but in a very real sense, beyond sentimental attachment, it is every bit as disposable as the rest of them. Given sufficient distance from one another, each is capable of sustaining fully independent trains of thought, of which I maintain simultaneous awareness. As to memory, I maintain those I possessed before the matter. In terms of speaking with them, as I am now a we, speaking with any of the forms is equivalent to speaking with all active bodies. However, there may be slight differences in reactions, as each individual body comes with its own distinctive set of biological and/or hormonal quirks, as well as its own previously ingrained reflexes."

The quasi-hive-mind followed the fabricator Steward out from his workshop, waiting patiently when Sousuke bade them do so, then again while the Steward spoke. Considering the information, the Rikudo Sennin inclined their heads to the Steward and offered, "Again, should you need it, consider my assistance yours for the asking. As for this meeting, if I have your leave, I will proceed there."

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke would nod his head at the woman, "Yes, but of course."<i></i> From there he would see to his new acquaintances make their way off. The conversation had been indeed most enlightening. While Kuro possessed a skillset that was very much like hers, he would have to assume that the two of them had come across their abilities through very different means. Not everyone was foruntate enough to come across their skills in a 'bed of roses' as it were. Should either of them survive the trials that were to come, the story to be told of how she had acquired her skill set would be most fascinating to hear. "I wish you the best in your task ahead of you. Come back to me alive in some form."<i></i>

[Topic Concluded]