[OOC Requesting "Shouyu Hoshi" to be the first responder, followed by "Santaru Sayomi", "Ranna Tatsuo" and "Hirateuchi" (please and thank you)]
-Drip-
The sound of water could be heard in the distance, perhaps a leaky faucet or maybe even just the condensation dripping into a nice puddle on the floor. Whatever it was, it was the only noise Kaen had heard for the past few months. This place was so tight and locked down, not even mice or rats found their way inside. Yuii had made it possible for him to remain unchained for the majority of the time, save when They came to extract more data. He had been a guinea pig for the scientists in Kumo, once they read Kaji and Yuii's logs they nearly scrambled and ran each other over for the chance to investigate and research Kaen. Nearly everyday, seemed almost like clockwork they would come in and take more of his blood. other times they would bind him with chakra chains and move him from room to room, more tests, more experimentations. A multitude of wiring hooked up to every inch of his body on day, genjutsu invasive probing the next. Seems there was no end the types of tests they wanted to perform. They wanted, nay needed to know how Kaen ticked. How did his flame based powers work, how was his unique abilities tied into a commonly known cult of Jashinists. So many questions, so little answers really. For those they would have to track down the group that held him prisoner as a child. Thankfully the people here in Cloud weren't nearly as cruel and archaic as that place from his childhood. But he couldn't help but have flashbacks every now and then from that time. It felt the same really... The chakra collar that they had been so kind to outfit him with was just starting to become tolerable. It was such a pain and discomfort, it took months for the rashes and bruises to fade. Without access to his chakra it was difficult to heal. Pretty much the first few months were spent laying on the floor barely able to move. Kaen had become so dependent on his chakra that he took it for granted and didn't realize just how much he needed it. But with time Kaen had acclimated to his situation. The food wasn't half bad, the guards however couldn't be given the same phrasing. If they didn't ignore him, they would look at him with disdain. Labeled a monster, a demon, a psychopath as Kaji once put it so long ago. But that was fine, it would make it that much easier for when the time came. Can't be feeling bad for what needed to be done...
There is a saying that most everyone knows. Some bear witness to such experiences and others simply hear the words but don't truly listen to the wisdom of those before them. Idle hands are the devil's workshop. Kaen's entire time was spend idle, so many hours with nothing to do but think. The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. Kaen had all the time in the world, patience is what Kaen was forced to learn in his small cell. There is another saying, not so commonly known. More a joke than anything, but relevant nonetheless; Never trust anything that can bleed for a week and not die. Kaen's particular abilities were something of an enigma, a mysterious riddle if you will. The scientist knew what they wanted, but they couldn't understand it, therefore they could not control it. Kaen discovered it my accident, one day. Something that triggered a chain of events that would inevitably lead him to his salvation, his freedom. Let's explain a little further. A single cell, little to no human contact other than the samples and tests. One mattress, pillow and thin blanket. A toilet, a sink and that was pretty much it. Flat white and mundane in shape. Kaen grew more tired of his surroundings each day. Boredom, the desire for desires. It was most painful, this state of mind. Who cares though, right? Ah yes but you see, boredom always precedes a period of great creativity. What would you do if you had nothing to do, I wonder... Kaen thought it might be fun to feel again, something, anything. He was battle starved, his body ached and longed for any sort of excitement. Something to remind him of the thrill. Pain... Our pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Pain would unlock, reveal rather, a secret to Kaen.
Just a little blood, that's all it was. A few drops maybe, a little on the wall, a little on the floor right below where he was standing. The end result of repeatedly thumping your forehead against the concrete wall. The sight of blood was all it took for him, given how long Kaen had been deprived of a good thrill. The excitement welled up inside of him, a reaction that surprised him entirely. The blood caught fire, you see. Mother Suna never did explain just what she gave him, he had to learn it from himself. Kaen thought it was a fluke, all in his head the first time it happened. It took a few more practice runs before he finally understood just what was happening. It would be some time before it was fully explained to him, but there was more to his Ancient linage that met the eye. A dark and sinister practice that had been passed down the bloodlines, this would endow the faithful with the power to perform dark curses by drawing upon their own life force in place of chakra, or rather, in addition to chakra. But without chakra, how was this possible? The battle between himself and Kaji taught him something he had not fully understood till now. When your chakra is depleted, what happens then? You use whatever you can, your spirit, your physical energy, life force. Kaen had felt the sting that day, calling upon his own inner energies that day. In turn Kaen would begin to form a plan. Would it hurt? Yes... But tapping into that memory of surpassing his chakra limits, Kaen would learn to utilize his blood magic and call upon his life force to inevitably make his escape. He had the intent, he had the means. Now all that was required was the opportunity to set his plan in motion...
The overly larged and slightly cliche prison door was blown off its hinges. The two guards stationed just outside Kaen's cell nearly jumped out of their armor in reaction to the sudden contrast and conversion of silence to noise. "What the hell?! Quick! Sound the ala--" A woosh of black flames enveloped the first guard. The second readied his stance and dove into the darkness, taking the offensive. There was sound of a scuffle and then silence. A small stream of blood manage to trail its way through the open door frame. The steady pat-pat-pat of bare feet emanated from within the dark cell. Without a second though, Kaen stepped through the puddle of blood and out into the hallway. A low tha-thump noise could be heard. A trickle of blood dripped its way onto the floor, a still beating heart was held firm in Kaen's grasp. Kaen would look it once over and decide now wasn't the time, dropping it to the ground with a subtle splat. Someone surely heard the noises, even from way down here. He would need to be quick about this before someone else complicated matters further. Reaching down to the char-broiled guard, Kaen would snag a shiny set of keys from the man's belt. "These ought to come in handy..." It would take a couple of tries, but Kaen found the key he needed. A loud clang reverberated off the concrete interior as the collar collided with the hard ground. Kaen would rub his neck and crack it left and right. "UGH... Much better..." Kaen felt his power returning to him. His previously drained body, from making use of his blood infused explosion, was sore from tapping into his life force. He would not have been able to replicate that so easily without risking permanent damage. Now all that was left was to find his equipment and clothing and he would be homeward bound, most likely with a bounty on his head. Kaen's bare feet slapped softly upon the bare floor as he disappeared into the hallway in search of his possessions, leaving a trail of blood footprints in his wake.
A large plume of steam rose from the hot flesh as it made contact with the fresh, crisp night air. "Ahhhh!" Kaen exclaimed, his excitement was rising. This was getting increasingly exciting, such levels of joy had not been felt for many years. At least not since they first time he escaped imprisonment. A flash of memory darted across his mind, this was a little different from that time, however. An alarm sounded from within the complex, somebody had discovered the empty cell, the dead bodies. They would be on his tail in minutes. Although slightly weakened from his imprisonment, Kaen was still fleet of foot and bound from rooftop to rooftop making his escape. Thankfully this was the dead of night and there wouldn't be many people out, or so he thought. It was frigid and icy, the wind seemingly cutting through clothing like defenses. Though the cold air attempted to contest with the warmth of Kaen, it would lose in the end. Kaen's goals were in sight and the heat was rising within. Like a meteor across the starry skies, Kaen's heat created a distinct steaming path behind him, one that could be discovered if any wandering young shinobi happened to be out past curfew. In the distance Kaen could make out the shapes of a large gate and towers, the gate... He was nearly there, so close to escaping. As he drew nearer, he cautiously approached to gain sight of what opposition he would be met with. "Two?" Kaen quietly whispered it aloud. He did not understand why only two, but shrugged and formulated his plan. Perhaps it was the strange hours, statistically decreased chances of forced entry. Or perhaps short on men, others dispatched to the complex he had just escaped from. Whatever the reason, Kaen wasn't complaining.
Suppressing and concealing his fiery aura, Kaen slowly climbed up the side of the first tower. His previous training within the Sunagakure Anbu Corp was paying off with tremendous ease, for now... The first guard fell quickly and queitly, hardly putting up a fight. Guess that's what happens when complacency kicks in. With a single hand, Kaen transformed with near perfect replication into the guard he had just killed. Kaen walked across the overpass that connected the two towers and opened up the door. "What are you doing? You're not supposed to just abandon your post. If Kaji were to find out you would surely be repriman--" The second guard was not afforded the opportunity to finish that sentence. That was not a name Kaen was eager to hear. He lied to Kaen, tricked him into revealing parts of his past, his life, his history. And for what? To be branded a psychopath, a demon, worthless... Him and his woman in blue, they were to blame for his imprisonment... Releasing his transformation jutsu, Kaen stepped out onto the landing where a coll breeze caugth his crimson red hair. A step forward and a leap of faith later, Kaen landed softly into the dirt path below with a dramatic yet perfect three-point landing. A plume of steam ventilated from the sides of his mask, it was time to go home...
[OOC MFT, previous permission to perform my exit this way was granted via Cloud Council]
-Drip-
The sound of water could be heard in the distance, perhaps a leaky faucet or maybe even just the condensation dripping into a nice puddle on the floor. Whatever it was, it was the only noise Kaen had heard for the past few months. This place was so tight and locked down, not even mice or rats found their way inside. Yuii had made it possible for him to remain unchained for the majority of the time, save when They came to extract more data. He had been a guinea pig for the scientists in Kumo, once they read Kaji and Yuii's logs they nearly scrambled and ran each other over for the chance to investigate and research Kaen. Nearly everyday, seemed almost like clockwork they would come in and take more of his blood. other times they would bind him with chakra chains and move him from room to room, more tests, more experimentations. A multitude of wiring hooked up to every inch of his body on day, genjutsu invasive probing the next. Seems there was no end the types of tests they wanted to perform. They wanted, nay needed to know how Kaen ticked. How did his flame based powers work, how was his unique abilities tied into a commonly known cult of Jashinists. So many questions, so little answers really. For those they would have to track down the group that held him prisoner as a child. Thankfully the people here in Cloud weren't nearly as cruel and archaic as that place from his childhood. But he couldn't help but have flashbacks every now and then from that time. It felt the same really... The chakra collar that they had been so kind to outfit him with was just starting to become tolerable. It was such a pain and discomfort, it took months for the rashes and bruises to fade. Without access to his chakra it was difficult to heal. Pretty much the first few months were spent laying on the floor barely able to move. Kaen had become so dependent on his chakra that he took it for granted and didn't realize just how much he needed it. But with time Kaen had acclimated to his situation. The food wasn't half bad, the guards however couldn't be given the same phrasing. If they didn't ignore him, they would look at him with disdain. Labeled a monster, a demon, a psychopath as Kaji once put it so long ago. But that was fine, it would make it that much easier for when the time came. Can't be feeling bad for what needed to be done...
There is a saying that most everyone knows. Some bear witness to such experiences and others simply hear the words but don't truly listen to the wisdom of those before them. Idle hands are the devil's workshop. Kaen's entire time was spend idle, so many hours with nothing to do but think. The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. Kaen had all the time in the world, patience is what Kaen was forced to learn in his small cell. There is another saying, not so commonly known. More a joke than anything, but relevant nonetheless; Never trust anything that can bleed for a week and not die. Kaen's particular abilities were something of an enigma, a mysterious riddle if you will. The scientist knew what they wanted, but they couldn't understand it, therefore they could not control it. Kaen discovered it my accident, one day. Something that triggered a chain of events that would inevitably lead him to his salvation, his freedom. Let's explain a little further. A single cell, little to no human contact other than the samples and tests. One mattress, pillow and thin blanket. A toilet, a sink and that was pretty much it. Flat white and mundane in shape. Kaen grew more tired of his surroundings each day. Boredom, the desire for desires. It was most painful, this state of mind. Who cares though, right? Ah yes but you see, boredom always precedes a period of great creativity. What would you do if you had nothing to do, I wonder... Kaen thought it might be fun to feel again, something, anything. He was battle starved, his body ached and longed for any sort of excitement. Something to remind him of the thrill. Pain... Our pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Pain would unlock, reveal rather, a secret to Kaen.
Just a little blood, that's all it was. A few drops maybe, a little on the wall, a little on the floor right below where he was standing. The end result of repeatedly thumping your forehead against the concrete wall. The sight of blood was all it took for him, given how long Kaen had been deprived of a good thrill. The excitement welled up inside of him, a reaction that surprised him entirely. The blood caught fire, you see. Mother Suna never did explain just what she gave him, he had to learn it from himself. Kaen thought it was a fluke, all in his head the first time it happened. It took a few more practice runs before he finally understood just what was happening. It would be some time before it was fully explained to him, but there was more to his Ancient linage that met the eye. A dark and sinister practice that had been passed down the bloodlines, this would endow the faithful with the power to perform dark curses by drawing upon their own life force in place of chakra, or rather, in addition to chakra. But without chakra, how was this possible? The battle between himself and Kaji taught him something he had not fully understood till now. When your chakra is depleted, what happens then? You use whatever you can, your spirit, your physical energy, life force. Kaen had felt the sting that day, calling upon his own inner energies that day. In turn Kaen would begin to form a plan. Would it hurt? Yes... But tapping into that memory of surpassing his chakra limits, Kaen would learn to utilize his blood magic and call upon his life force to inevitably make his escape. He had the intent, he had the means. Now all that was required was the opportunity to set his plan in motion...
-BOOM-
The overly larged and slightly cliche prison door was blown off its hinges. The two guards stationed just outside Kaen's cell nearly jumped out of their armor in reaction to the sudden contrast and conversion of silence to noise. "What the hell?! Quick! Sound the ala--" A woosh of black flames enveloped the first guard. The second readied his stance and dove into the darkness, taking the offensive. There was sound of a scuffle and then silence. A small stream of blood manage to trail its way through the open door frame. The steady pat-pat-pat of bare feet emanated from within the dark cell. Without a second though, Kaen stepped through the puddle of blood and out into the hallway. A low tha-thump noise could be heard. A trickle of blood dripped its way onto the floor, a still beating heart was held firm in Kaen's grasp. Kaen would look it once over and decide now wasn't the time, dropping it to the ground with a subtle splat. Someone surely heard the noises, even from way down here. He would need to be quick about this before someone else complicated matters further. Reaching down to the char-broiled guard, Kaen would snag a shiny set of keys from the man's belt. "These ought to come in handy..." It would take a couple of tries, but Kaen found the key he needed. A loud clang reverberated off the concrete interior as the collar collided with the hard ground. Kaen would rub his neck and crack it left and right. "UGH... Much better..." Kaen felt his power returning to him. His previously drained body, from making use of his blood infused explosion, was sore from tapping into his life force. He would not have been able to replicate that so easily without risking permanent damage. Now all that was left was to find his equipment and clothing and he would be homeward bound, most likely with a bounty on his head. Kaen's bare feet slapped softly upon the bare floor as he disappeared into the hallway in search of his possessions, leaving a trail of blood footprints in his wake. A large plume of steam rose from the hot flesh as it made contact with the fresh, crisp night air. "Ahhhh!" Kaen exclaimed, his excitement was rising. This was getting increasingly exciting, such levels of joy had not been felt for many years. At least not since they first time he escaped imprisonment. A flash of memory darted across his mind, this was a little different from that time, however. An alarm sounded from within the complex, somebody had discovered the empty cell, the dead bodies. They would be on his tail in minutes. Although slightly weakened from his imprisonment, Kaen was still fleet of foot and bound from rooftop to rooftop making his escape. Thankfully this was the dead of night and there wouldn't be many people out, or so he thought. It was frigid and icy, the wind seemingly cutting through clothing like defenses. Though the cold air attempted to contest with the warmth of Kaen, it would lose in the end. Kaen's goals were in sight and the heat was rising within. Like a meteor across the starry skies, Kaen's heat created a distinct steaming path behind him, one that could be discovered if any wandering young shinobi happened to be out past curfew. In the distance Kaen could make out the shapes of a large gate and towers, the gate... He was nearly there, so close to escaping. As he drew nearer, he cautiously approached to gain sight of what opposition he would be met with. "Two?" Kaen quietly whispered it aloud. He did not understand why only two, but shrugged and formulated his plan. Perhaps it was the strange hours, statistically decreased chances of forced entry. Or perhaps short on men, others dispatched to the complex he had just escaped from. Whatever the reason, Kaen wasn't complaining. Suppressing and concealing his fiery aura, Kaen slowly climbed up the side of the first tower. His previous training within the Sunagakure Anbu Corp was paying off with tremendous ease, for now... The first guard fell quickly and queitly, hardly putting up a fight. Guess that's what happens when complacency kicks in. With a single hand, Kaen transformed with near perfect replication into the guard he had just killed. Kaen walked across the overpass that connected the two towers and opened up the door. "What are you doing? You're not supposed to just abandon your post. If Kaji were to find out you would surely be repriman--" The second guard was not afforded the opportunity to finish that sentence. That was not a name Kaen was eager to hear. He lied to Kaen, tricked him into revealing parts of his past, his life, his history. And for what? To be branded a psychopath, a demon, worthless... Him and his woman in blue, they were to blame for his imprisonment... Releasing his transformation jutsu, Kaen stepped out onto the landing where a coll breeze caugth his crimson red hair. A step forward and a leap of faith later, Kaen landed softly into the dirt path below with a dramatic yet perfect three-point landing. A plume of steam ventilated from the sides of his mask, it was time to go home...
[OOC MFT, previous permission to perform my exit this way was granted via Cloud Council]
No effect... Kaen was prepared, anticipating the boy's bout of offense. Having been classically trained by the Anbu of Suna, Kaen was afforded the knowledge of such a jutsu. The night sky still swarmed for a brief moment before three Kaens took shape from the shadowy fluttering of wings. 
A high pitched whirring noise emanated from Kaen's palm, dark malignant energy quickly formed and a moment later he cast it forward towards Hoshi's direction. An immense blast of heat radiated outwards from Kaen, vaporizing anything that stood in its path. The due that had been beginning to form on the leaves would instantly hiss away and so too did the leaves and grass wilt and turn to ash in the wake of Kaen's scorching heat wave. Hoshi would have little to no time as Kaen quickly combed into a second attack that would blast out and up into the air from underneath Hoshi. Kaen was relentless in his assault as he followed Hoshi's movements, whether that was dodging or falling, and let loose a viscious roar that was followed by a continues stream of flames. How would lady luck favor the young Hyuuga this night? Would he make it out unscathed, or would he succumb to the might of Mother Suna's Chosen...
To Kaen's astonishment, the boy turned on Kaen. A laughable matter, surely he witnessed Kaen's display of raw power, he knows not what he is getting himself into. The boy was quicker than Kaen anticipated, but Kaen was ready none the less. Kaen's look for surprise quickly shifted to that of a well entertained child. If this boy wished to succumb to the powers of the Flame Court, so be it. Kaen channeled his dark virulent blood magic into his body and spewed forth a swarm of shadowy serpents to clash head on with the wooden boy's own tendrils. The collision was brilliant and devastating. Kaen's shadow serpents ate away at the weak kindling that dared to threaten him. Yet the boy still persisted! 
But what's this, has the entire Kumo academy come out to play past curfew?! A third, more prestigious looking sort, approached the trio. The ever so slight -Hiss- began to make itself painfully obvious as the rain drops began to plummet to the earth below. Each collision made with Kaen's skin made him wince and react violently to them. A dark flaming plume of steam would rise from each rain drop that met his skin. 
Everything had inevitably led up to this culminating moment in time, the fighting spirit of the next generation pitted up against an insufferable tragedy and the unfortunate path he was forced upon. One one side of the field stood Kaen, devastatingly outclassing each of these young ninja, on the other, three valiant souls headstrong in their resolve. So certain of their victory, so utterly consumed by their fighting spirits. Hoshi, the mighty shinobi of resolve , Tatsuo the Intrepid hero and Hirateuchi, Cloud's little push pop. Three young souls destined to dance the dance of death with a creature so foul, so vile in nature it would threaten their very existence. Kaen witnessed the trio's boldness, their will to endure the crimson wrath that was Shinku Kaen, the Flame Court Ancient of Sunagakure, Code name Ruin, faithful of the Mother of Suna, Queen of all Ancients. A voice in his spoke softly to the young Ancient; 
With the loud clatter of metal on metal, Kaen released the hidden chained kunai that was forged from the very essence that was bestowed upon him from Mother Suna herself. It held within it the power to take life with the utmost ease. Hoshi had little time to prepare himself, Kaen was already on the offensive. The chain hummed as it flew through the air, a quick slash infused with his own energy. But the leader of the trio would continue to surprise Kaen. In an instant his body flickered out of existence and appeared beside the flaming fiend. With a flurry of strikes, the young hyuuga laid into Kaen, each strike taking a little bit out of him. He felt weaker almost... But it mattered not as the chains changed course with unnatural direction. This time it would find its mark, striking true. Still Hoshi remained within arms length, boldly continuing his assault on Kaen, so much so he managed to wrap Kaen up with some wire and land a few more hits. This kid had spirit, Kaen had to give him that. But Kaen would do something that would surely surprise the Hyuuga. With his weapon still firmly within his grasp, Kaen let loose a raging inferno without the use of handseals. Another boon granted to him from Mother Suna herself, such power above all others... Though he attempted to move out of the way, he just wasn't quick enough for the fire master. Even after the fact, Kaen continued to follow Hoshi's path of escape and found him at every turn, there would be no respite for him...
