Stranger in a Strange Land -- Act 1 [Requesting Head Journeyman]

[Ginyama Senshiro]

The entity known as Tetsushi marched onward to the majestic structure of stone, sand, and glass in the distance, a pair of chakra-tech gauntlets--the only somewhat functional part remaining from Damashi's exo-suit years ago--covering each arm up to the elbow. Although he loathed the idea of his talent with technology being abused by deranged cultists, he had little choice but to do what Father Soma will him to do.

But that didn't stop him from doubting that their encounter with the Head Journeyman would go well.

"You are twice the fool I thought you were if you think the Kazekage won't question how a student knows about Kumogakure technology . . . " Damashi openly yet silently insulted the cultist sharing his mind with him.

Soma's ominous laughter echoed in the back their shared mind, sending chills down the late Tetsushi's spine.
"Oh, I'm sure he'll figure out that you were the one behind Project: Early Bird and your little autonomous suit; in fact I'm counting on him knowing everything about who you used to be, Damashi."

"But why? What do you hope to gain from him knowing about my true identity?"

"You know nothing of this village, do you?" Soma's memories flooded their mind,
revealing ancient texts written in runic glyphs. [color=#]"Simply put, that little toy you used to kill my acolytes? That pales in comparison to the power of Primus's armor."[/color]

"Primus? As in First Man Primus?" Tetsushi's face paled from the horror of the Makaibatsu cult having that much power. "Is there no limit to your lust for power!?"

"Oh, this project isn't for me; in fact, consider it a gift for the Kazekage. Now . . . call him!"

Within mere seconds, a burst of overwhelming pain caused Tetsushi's body to crumble just before the threshold into the Journeyman's grandiose hall.

"AAARRRGGGHHHH!" he shouted in agony, struggling to remain coherent as he awaited for someone--anyone--to help him; if they did, he would ask, "Wh-where may I find the Head Journeyman? I have some information he may be interested in."

[Topic Entered]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Screaming. Lots of screaming. That usually was a sign of trouble. Sousuke would approach the situation with caution. That is what one must do in strange situations like this. Sousuke was not summoned per say, but as Head Journeyman he was at the centre of things. He was present when Shouki invaded Journeyhall and put a giant pit in the area. He was present when Shouki fell in the Ranger's training area. Sousuke was not the Kazekage anymore, but as Steward he was still a person who concerned himself with the people of Sungakure. In essence he didn't have the title of Kazekage, but he was still doing his works as one in a way. "It's a curious thing to be screaming, and then asking for my very person. I usually like to see people when they're ready physically to see me, and not screaming in pain and needing for some sort of medical assistance."<i></i> Sousuke held himself with his hands behind his back. His eyes fixed upon the person in question.

He would pull back in hand and hold it up. His metallic hands glowing a low green. He was looking for points of injury, and so he could apply some small form of medical aid. Ever since a particular incident from quite some time ago, Sousuke had learned some medical jutsus. Granted that some unseen force in the world would always and forever more hold him as a terrible medic. "Should we visit the hospital first, and then we have this information exchange? I would very much like to not have someone die under my watch at this present moment."<i></i> He asserted. The Steward was not overly happy in having to deal with death in general, at least be it of people who were not morally insane, and people who were under the Sungakurian banner. Those two characteristics could indeed extend to quite a number of people.

 

[Ginyama Senshiro]

Tetsushi blinked a few times before taking a moment to glance around; apparently his shouts of pain had not only summoned the Kazekage's steward, but also a few other members of the Journeyman Order; no doubt that if the runic glass ceiling of the Hall had not been so well-tempered, there would have been a lot of blood on his hands.

After a brief mental reprieve from both Damashi and Soma, the boy's body hoisted itself into a standing position before bowing before the armored man.

"My apologies, Takahashi-sama," Damashi spoke through Tetsushi's body, "I am not used to my predicament yet."

His eyes darted towards the others who had decided to spectate his awkward introduction. The ever-curious mass that had gathered forced an annoyed sigh from his lips; though he understood that his presentation was abnormal, their lingering presence still bothered him.

"I am Oshiro Tetsushi, Student of Sungakure no Sato," he declared as he unlatched the gauntlet on his right hand and offered it to the senior artificer for inspection. Should Sousuke accept, he would surely notice not only the sleek, modern aesthetics, but also an weave of artificial chakra coils hidden underneath a panel on its back.

"In another lifetime, however, I was Takayama Damashi, Jounin of Kumogakure no Sato; these gauntlets are all that are left of the prototype exoskeleton that I had built years ago."

He paused for a moment, recalling the absurdity of what he had just revealed before sighing.

"I know that sounds ridiculous--I have trouble believing it myself still--so I will not fault you for any skepticism. But I would very much like to offer my services to the Journeyman Order, regardless."

---

MFD: 281

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The armoured man took a few strange things from this as a whole. He was talking to a student. Alright. That was always acceptable. Sousuke did not mind young people. They were always so inquisitive, bright, and brimming with ideas. So yes, what did he learn from the student? He learned that ... evidently the student had ... been around a second time in life. Alright. A person who died and came back was not something unheard of, but Sousuke had never really encountered a person who returned. That was very different mainly because this was the first time he had met a person who had in fact died and came back. Wait. No. Did Katuso count? He thought about it. Well, he didn't rot or anything, his body continued to repair itself due to Mikaboshi's presence which was a thing. Right. Going on forward then, the youth asserted he was a jounin of Cloud? As in the cold place? His eyes looked to the gauntlets as he took hold of them. There was some serious tech in work here, one that a child of genius intellect could manufacture. Sousuke held the gauntlet and looked at it. He took it apart and looked at it noticing the chakra coils. "Fascinating, for one so young to put together."<i></i>

He then listened to the final part. He was indeed a bit skeptical, but in this world they had some strange things occur. "If you made these years ago in another life, how did they get here?"<i></i> First most logical question to ask of the youth. "I have to think this is a reincarnation? If so ... why halfway across the world in a blazing desert? I'm not ... well learned upon of the spiritual or mystical world. Both or either of them infuriate me to no end because of how there is a consistent breaking of the rules."<i></i> He rattled off what seemed to be an annoyance of sorts. He returned the gauntlet to the youth. He held his hands behind his back once more. "Come with me. We're going to get you a hammer. If you're going to work as one of us, you're going to use the tools like one of us."<i></i> He spoke leading Tetsushi down the hallway to a wall of hammers."The hammer will choose you. It will impart wisdom, knowledge, or something more. Approach the wall when ready ... and try not to panic too hard when the hammer makes contact."<i></i>

(Going to let you choose what you experience, or if you want me to put together something for you, let me know)

 

[Ginyama Senshiro]

Tetsushi's eyes blinked a few times as the Steward displayed ignorance of the events that had led to Damashi's untimely death just outside Sunagakure no Sato.

"He can't be serious . . . " the Kumogakure shinobi within silently rejected the possibility that Project: Early Bird had been forgotten. "I . . . I died here. . . . "

His demeanor quickly became despondent as he began dreading just who had forgotten his sacrifice; had Kirie and their son already moved on as well? But before he could recede into a catatonic state, Soma's presence overtook Damashi's own.

"Here," the cultist within said as the boy's disposition perked up. After rearming himself, he fumbled around his satchel and within a matter of seconds retrieved a few old Sunagakure newspapers before handing them over for Sousuke to skim. "This should should shed some light as to who I really am."

Soma did not comment on Sousuke's superstitious musings regarding just how Damashi came to be in such as situation, instead allowing the Steward to believe whatever conclusion he would reach as two ventured to the wall of hammers. Tetsushi's eyes wandered towards a massive sledge-hammer--one more suitable to Soma's power-hungry taste as opposed to Damashi's more technical skill. The cultist within the boy's body could feel its pull on him, unaware of his own pull on it.

"That one," he said just before the behemoth masonry tool hurtled towards him. Realizing that his own mental presence was in danger, Soma relinquished control back to Damashi just in time for a small ball-peen hammer with a rubber grip to clash with its giant cousin, saving Tetsushi's body from a second demise. Damashi instinctively grabbed the metal-working tool's handle, transferring enough chakra into the tool to send the sledge-hammer flying back from whence it came; had the building not been of superior craftsmanship, the impact would have caused some serious structural damage.

"On second thought," Damashi spoke via Tetsushi, "This one seems like a better fit."

As he began to examine the tool more carefully, it began to impart its secrets and expertise upon Damashi; skills much like his own, but to a more professional caliber.

---

((Some previous literature regarding Takayama Damashi [LINK]))
((edit: cleaning up syntax))

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke took the papers from Tetsushi and began speed reading them rather quickly. He folded them back up and handed them to the man. He had an even better grasp now of the situation. "I suppose the question is better framed as to why hasn't Cloud come to collect what one could deem their country's technology. I know if one of my father's puppets showed up in a foreign land, I would be sending someone, or I myself would attend the personal collection of it... "<i></i> Sousuke seemed to be perplexed by the state's choice of action. Perhaps some individuals such as the Duchess he had met, Kitsune, was less caring or involved in pressing matters such as these in a whole. Maybe Cloud was behind Sungakure in surveying and collecting instruments. Such a notion was thought odd by Sousuke who recollected a particularly strange glowing tablet object that Kitsune had.

Sousuke watched with an intense interest as two hammers became active. Given that this person was a reincarnation ... how would a hammer work with that? Would there be a war in the mind going off? Wait. Two hammers got pulled? Sousuke watched as the smaller of the two hammers bested the larger one. Sousuke's eyes behind the lenses would widen for a moment as this was something of a first in the Hall of Hammers. His eyes glowed white as he was indeed impressed. "Truly fascinating. No other individual has been judged worthy by two hammers. Alas you have made your choice, may your arm be strong and may the hammer ring true for you."<i></i> Sousuke spoke. He held his hands behind his back. He adopted a waiting position. Sometimes the knowledge that was going to be imparted was ... sometimes violent, sometimes peaceful, sometimes inspiring.

For Tetsushi what would next come to him was the knowledge. Metal had a way of speaking to people, and to those who were of the Journeymen Order, they could hear the metal speak to them as clear as ever. The hammer imparted the name of a metal. Fulgaurum. It held about it the power of lightning and the luster of gold. Gold was known for being malleable. Tetsushi's mind was being filled with images of the metal being warped and forged elegantly into various shapes such as swords, shields, but also other objects of household use. The last image to enter his mind was a palace made entirely of Fulgaurum.

 

[Ginyama Senshiro]

"Fulgaurum," Damashi spoke absently as the hammer he gripped imprinted visions of the lightning-infused metal and its applications within the world. Of particular note was the magnificent palace made of the elemental gold; the structure was a feat of mechanical and architectural ingenuity matched only by its own fulgaurum-forged sentinels. Almost any part that could've moved did so in a predictable, mechanical rhythm, marching to the pulsating of panels inlayed with gems brimming with electricity themselves. The sentinels worked in much the same way, except something was off; the servants seemed too sentient to be mere automatons.

Damashi meditated upon the hammer's knowledge, begging it to reveal more of its secrets. Begrudgingly the tool complied, revealing a process by which a person's soul was stripped from their body and pounded into a gem-inlayed panel not unlike the ones he saw before, its willpower beaten into submission in the interim. The result was an entity more than willing to serve its master, whether in war or in labor.

Tetsushi's body shuddered at the mere notion of lost autonomy as Damashi forced himself back to reality.

"The Forged Ones," he mumbled, before looking to Sousuke, feigning composure to the best of his ability. "My apologies; I am ready for whatever is next."

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke would quietly stand and observe. Each hammer when pulled had an effect on people. The telling part was usually what they said first after they beheld a vision, a memory, or wisdom from the hammer. Tetsushi spoke of a single metal. Sousuke knew of it. He would nod his head. "Curious."<i></i> He began. He held his hands behind his back and looked skyward for the moment, "Elemental gold, or to more specific ... lightning gold is the vulgate for those who ... need to simplify things to the basest description."<i></i> He stated. Sousuke could only wonder what he saw in particular that was cast in Fulgaurum or built from the actual resource itself. It was never his place to truly ask, as that knowledge was intimate with an individual. The only thing Sousuke could do was simply wonder.

The next thing he would say was spoken in a low mumble. He heard the words 'the forged ones'. Sousuke had heard this term before. It could have been a way to describe human puppets. It made him slightly wary considering the nature of human puppets which was a taboo for his clan. Human puppets did exist in Sungakure, but Sousuke for the most part had social issues in relating to them. It was only until recently with Yatamaru and Rensuke that he was able to be in a better position to deal with such people. Sousuke would make a gesture for Tetsushi to follow him. He would lead him down a hallway of various rooms, some of them were labs, others were forges, and some were more akin to a locker unit. "Next we're going to find you a place to begin your work."<i></i> Room by room they would pass by and each room had its various quirks about it. Some were deeper, some were longer in length, others had windows, some did not. "Tell me when you've found a room to your liking."<i></i>

 

[Ginyama Senshiro]

The boy known as Tetsushi complied and followed the Kazekage's steward down the hallway before stopping before a thick, black door with a valve-like handle. The hammer he held resonated again as he touched the cool, dark metal.

"Penumbral lead--a great insulator of heat, electricity, light, sound . . . really any kind of energy," Damashi noted as he heaved the vault-like door ajar and freed a flood of intense, pulsating light, momentarily blinding and disorientating anyone unfortunate enough to be in its path. But before the boy could shut the door, the towering shadow of a bearded man peered out into the hallway.

"Ever heard of knocking first, boy?" he addressed Tetsushi before his bespectacled eyes wandered to Sousuke, then to the hammer Tetsushi clenched in his fist, then to the similar one he held in his hand. "Let me guess, Sousuke; this youngster is a new recruit, and, by the looks of it, one that chooses to follow his hammer's visions as opposed to his own." The figure raised his free hand to massage his chin through the mass of hair that hung from it before shaking his head and sighing.

"At least you've got a good head in your hands," the man said with a chuckle as he pulled a spare pair of spectacles from the wall beside the door. "You're gonna need these black glasses if you're going to be my apprentice, boy. Now, put them on and I'll give you the walk through of my workshop." He nodded to Sousuke. "I only have one extra set, and I'd hate to have to explain why the Kazekage's steward is permanently blind, so you'll have to pardon us, Sousuke. But don't worry; if the hammer has as much sense as I think it does, this tour should be over in no time."

After Tetsushi donned the black glasses that shielded eyes against the potent light, the man led him into the cluttered room and commenced the tour, starting with the massive stalagmite crackling with electricity in the middle of the mess. "That right there is what makes this whole thing tick," he stated before continuing on to the thick, twisted bundles of fulgaurum wires sprawling in different directions from the crystal power source. "One of them leads to the forge, another to the grindstone and polishing stone, several more to the cooling unit--don't want to roast myself, ya see? The smaller ones go to the tools you'll be using; well other than your hammer that is. Oh, don't forget the the oil reservoir, the supply bins, and of course the anvil."

As soon as the man concluded the brief introduction to his workshop, he released the boy back into Sousuke's custody. "Don't know if he gets it himself," he addressed the man directly, "but I trust you know what you're doing."

MFT: 476

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke gave his fellow journeyman an odd look, "I'm very much aware of bright lights leading to blindness. "<i></i> Sousuke answered his companion with a grin. The grin came quickly and it left quickly enough. He would allow the two to enter and make the tour inside. Sousuke would wait for a few moments and he would look up. His mind would simply go into a series of calculations of invisible numbers. The two of them would return in a short time later, but Sousuke had already went through a series of calculations for later projects and other things. He looked to the man who was his senior in age, but not his senior as a Journeyman. "I have faith."<i></i> He answered. "Remember when I told you about Frigid Steel and you did not want to wear the parkah?"<i></i> He brought up some old history. Sousuke when training people to work that particular metal stressed about the dangers of the working environment, and no one took him seriously when he spoke of how cold it got. It was all in the past, but sometimes bringing it up had some merit.

Sousuke would then look back to Tetsushi. "Shall we continue, or would you like to begin your work here?"<i></i> He asked the boy. He awaited his response. He would ring his hands as he awaited a response. Sousuke did not have an issue with a Journeyman who persued the vision of the hammer. Some people were capable of doing it, some people neglected it, and others lost themselves in it. It was all about vision and ambition. Ambition, his father Judori taught him, was a dangerous thing. One always had to keep their ambition in check and that they should not befall it. The Steward wondered if Tetushi was capable of managing his own ambitions. At least he was following what the hammer had shown him, but he could always follow his own design once he completed his first task.

 

[Ginyama Senshiro]

The old man roared with laughter for a good second or two before his lungs started to give out on him and he started to cough profusely. "Ain't that the truth," he joked with Sousuke about his past mistakes; mistakes that he would do well not to repeat again. "I'm lucky that the frostbite did cause anything major." He then held up his palms, revealing skin that been permanently discolored from prolonged exposure to Frigid Steel. "I have to say it does make using the forge a pain in the rear."

Tetsushi remained silent, mimicking Sousuke's own militaristic stance with his hands behind his back as he waited. Perhaps it was the Steward's own influence, or perhaps it was his own habitual nature to copy what others did; either way he nodded towards the elderly journeyman as the latter sealed himself back in the room.

"From what I saw in there," Damashi started as he tilted his head towards the vault door, "This forge is quite the improvement from what I am used to. I'd like to work here, but I'm sure you would expect more of me than my preference of hammer and forge, correct?"

The boy paused for a moment as an epiphany set in, his eyes widened. "My apologies for bringing this up so soon, but in my previous life, I was the heir to the Takayama Mining Corporation in Kumogakure-no-Sato, and while we were mostly known for precious gems and metals, we also handled elemental versions of those as well. If you or other Journeymen are ever in need of additional resources, I can help provide those resources . . . provided my family is provided for."

---

---

MFT: 281

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke would be surprised that humor was found in all of this, that the old Sunan took well to it. People like him were rare, and they were infact a treasure. It was people like these who one had to protect from themselves, or from the vile world outside. "You look after yourself. War is coming, and we all need to be ready for it."<i></i> He spoke to the man before the vault door closed. Sousuke's lenses seemed to die down in their brightness for a moment. Indeed. War was coming. Sungakure was readying for it, and the city-state would continue to be doing so.

Sousuke would look to Tetsushi. The boy had adopted a pose like he did. As he spoke, Sousuke reminded himself that he was dealing with a person that was of a former life. "In time, yes, but for the time being you need to be comfortable with your new surroundings. There is no point in having expectations of a person who is acclimatizing to their new situation and resources."<i></i> He explained. Sousuke would give the boy a moment or two to think, but seconds later his expression would give away. Sousuke wondered what exactly what it was that had dawned upon the boy. "Provided for in terms of monetary value, or in a place to stay?"<i></i> He inquired. There were a few ways of understanding provided for in terms of what it meant. "I once met a Duchess from Cloud, her name was Kitsune. Are you familiar with her? She seemed to have quite monopoly of things."<i></i> His gaze shifted to the ceiling for a moment before shifting down. "She gave me a crystal from her supposed crystal forest."<i></i> People were sometimes full of themselves, and here Sousuke had a second opinion from someone who had a presence in cloud. He wondered if the Takayama and the Shinrya clan were rivals or anything of the sort.