The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul [Private]

[Kamaru]

Kamaru lead the way briskly leaving the idea of keeping an eye on the boy’s actions to Kazuki and focusing on finding the place he had in mind as he moved towards Aventurien Street. In the early afternoon the area seemed to still be bussling in economic growth and trade as Kamaru navigated through the mercantile dealings and crowd focused it seemed on other things as he looked from building to building. Scanning areas as he passed Kamaru finally changed directions and made a beeline towards one specific tea shop. Entering the chatter had lessened to the sounds of outside slightly but still held a din of white noise of its own kind in the form of discussions, arguments, and orders being conversed about.

Making eye contact with someone Kamaru seemed to recognize he held up an index finger and nodded towards a direction where the liveliness seemed to not be as apparent. The others would notice the area mostly bathed in shadows down off to the side of the tea house nestled at the end of a thin hallway. The man recognizing Kamaru it seemed hurried along to greet him as they both bowed at each other. For the two guests behind in they would probably hear the idle chat on how work was going was discussed between the man and Kamaru before he asked if the backroom was free. Getting in an order for tea and pastries Kamaru stepped to the side and let the man lead the way back for the other two once he yelled out the order.

Once the two made their way into the back room they’d notice the sound of chatter was lessened considerably. Decorated in deep reds and black the room seemed for the most part bear besides modest decorations, a small table for tea, and several chairs. Once the order was brought Kamaru would take it once the rest were inside and watch the door slide shut behind them. With that Kamaru seemed to stare at the door away from the two for several seconds before he turned his face showing a look of indifference it seemed.

With the door shut the sounds seemed to stop almost completely now more of a vibration felt through the floor then something distinguishable in the form of sound.

”Now that things are a bit quiet…” Kamaru started placing the tray on the table and moved to sit casually, ”Tea anyone? And what is there to discuss?” Kamaru inquired serving himself a cup and sitting back mostly to listen and learn.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

The journey was not long. It was still perilous due the way Tsuchigakure had been built. A bunch of rocky, floating islands that were connected by feeble suspended bridges. Along the way, Kazuki prepared a few tendrils of his living shadow to immediately grab the boy should he lose his balance and fall to his death. With falls or attempts at it, the group reached their destination pretty much safely. Kamaru knew his way around and was apparently known as well. The Overlord could only guess how he knew so much already. Was his trip there so slow that the Sennin had more than a few weeks of advantage? Sure, his time as Shida's captive felt like a year, but he was certain that he was captive for a period of time no longer than two weeks. So it was impressive how quickly Kamaru had achieved such results.

Sounds gradually decreased the more they moved inside. The first step happening when they entered the Tea Shop. The second when they entered the private backroom and the third when the door was shut. The Reaper stood up until the waiter exited the room and closed the door. Then with a single tap of a finger, the White Wolf added a second layer of protection to the already existing ones. A barrier of pure shadow that should prevent outsiders from hearing what they were conversing and that should give them ample time to react in case someone tried to breach in. With that ready, the Overlord would make his way to a vacant seat. "I believe your question is directed to Ginjiro." Kazuki noted as he crossed his arms and gazed the kid. The ball was on his side of the camp.

[Topic Entered]
[Sorry it is short]

 

[Kazu]

What the heck kind of village was this? Why were these different towers upside down? How did they even build these? How many people fell off the edges each year? This kind of village made no sense. Ginjiro much preferred his walkways to actually be on the ground, not suspended however high they were off the ground! This was seriously freaking weird. The young man couldn't even wrap his brain around how people navigated like this. Keeping his composure as best as he could, the young man just focused on following the two older men to where ever they were going. At this point, the young man didn't care about figuring out where he was actually going—he just didn't want to look over the edge right now. That kind of sight was scary, even for him. When they'd finally gotten to the building they wanted to be at, the young puppeteer was so incredibly glad to be within a closed off room. It was easy to forget he was suspended high above nothingness when there were walls and a floor to block those sights. The old mantra of "out of sight, out of mind" really did work.

Sitting down, the young man made himself comfortable. He knew this was going to be a long session, so he figured he might as well be relaxed and seated for the whole affair. He couldn't exactly say it would be a bother, as he was the one who wanted this. Still, it was going to be a lot of work getting through all of this. Taking off his travelling jacket, Ginjiro exposed his torso and the full extend of his mechanical right arm. With a simple black shirt, with fishnet sleeves, being worn, the two would clearly see his silvery mechanical right arm. It didn't look to be in too good of shape, but it seemed to be functioning—that was the most important part, after all. It extended all the way up to the young man's shoulder, indicating that his entire arm had been severed. By what, they couldn't have known. Accepting some of the tea from Kamaru, the Ayatsuri calmly thanked the man. The man's next question, though, required him to hold off on the actual consumption of the tea. Kazuki was right, that was Ginjiro's cue to answer. "Well, there's actually quite a bit I'd like to discuss. However, we have to start somewhere. Kazuki-sama, my first question goes to you..." Taking a sip of the tea, the young man knew he'd need some liquid refreshment for his mouth. It would be a while before he got to taste it again. "I've been thinking long and hard about something you said as the village was being evacuated. Do you remember? We bumped into each other as the evacuation missions were being handed out. At that time, something you said struck me—it's taken me a long time figuring out why those words were so striking to me." Hopefully Ginjiro wasn't rushing into this question. He knew the man in front of him had his secrets. The puppeteer didn't want him to feel threatened with his questions. Still, he had to proceed. "You said you were the 'Chief of the Foreign Relations and Intelligence Gathering Department', right? I know that was supposed to be some sort of government position. But...I'm not so sure..."

"See, I was once sent on a long mission with a few others. There was one team member, in particular, that pertains to this. His name was Kagemaru, and I consider him to have been something of a mentor to me. He was very skilled, in both combat and subterfuge. As well, he had referred to himself as a 'Minister' before, which I know are members of your 'Department'. He's also said he specialized in 'information gathering and intelligence', whatever that means. I'd always been curious about what that all meant, until we had bumped into each other that time..." Leaning forward in his chair, and staring at the ex-demon hunter with a look of steely reserve and conviction, the puppeteer had a look in his eye that meant he already knew the answer to the question he was about to ask. He just wanted Kazuki to confirm it. "You didn't just gather information in that department, did you? You carried out other sorts of tasks and did other things. Tasks the Hokage could have ordered? Things of a questionable nature, in terms of the law?" The puppeteer needed to know this. They were only just getting started here, but he needed to know the answers to these questions before he proceeded. This was a lot to dump on the man, he knew. But Kazuki was strong. Ginjiro knew he could take it. Besides, the village is dead. There's no reason to hide these secrets anymore anyways.

 

[Kamaru]

Kamaru observed the young boy Ginjiro, wondering if his time out of the village had toughed or hardened him. Was he looking for intelligene in Stone now as part of a job was a thought that came to mind to Kamaru. He seemed to have a slight case of environment and cultural shock during the trip to the tea shop. Although he didn’t stop and openly gawk it was readily apparent he was seeing things for the first time that seemed foreign and strange to him. From one point of view it was very different to what any of the three lived in during their time in Leaf City but Kamaru filed such things as a literal change in environment to this extreme as part of the price paid for the job he recieved. Since there was nothing in the form of safety nets at lower levels below the bridges and outcroppings of land from the side of the cliffs it was kind of assumed those who fell and died were just under occasions meant to be to Kamaru, etched into their fate just part of the way of survival. To Kamaru it implied the people in Stone were not that soft. He had seen a lady land face first from a pretty lengthy jump and stand up as well so in the very least the environment toughed their body he figured.On a side note Kamaru hadn’t noticed any clumsy people for the most part either that easily tripped and such possibly due to the environment. Kazuki had been taken aback a bit as well initially from the change of scenery and style of buildings but seemed to be getting use to the situation and processing things. Hopefully with time the young boy would as well, Kamaru hoped the sudden change wouldn’t have the boy experience things such as vertigo from walking around the village in a hurry. Kazuki seemed to take his part of watching the boy seriously though so thoughts of the boy getting lost in the trip and falling to his death were dismissed with someone watching him.

As Kazuki and the boy named Ginjiro settled into the backroom at the tea house Kamaru noticed the state of one of Ginjiro’s arms as he took off his jacket… Steeled from experiences in Leaf City Kamaru didn’t suddenly ask why the boy had a metal arm, in his time in Konoha Corporation seeing anything weird or out of place became a normality. From people making holes in metal walls when a door wasn’t readily available with a flute of all things to someone walking down from the mountains in leaf while conjuring metal steps to walk on, Kamaru had seen his share of oddities so he felt slightly jaded to the fact. If he had a metal arm there was a reasonable explanation probably since it wasn’t really Kamaru’s business he didn’t bother to do more really after noticing it than to look. As the discussion stated it seemed to lean towards something that will take a bit of time to explain and work through the boy explained sipping tea.

The discussion seemed to start with trying to establish what Kazuki did in Leaf City, for the village and as a government employee of sorts for the corporation. Talk of a mission Ginjiro had gone on came up as well with mention of someone Kamaru knew of, Kagemaru. Considering the way the conversation tilted Kamaru quietly sipped tea and listened for a bit.

Putting down the cup Kamaru folded his hands into his lap after dusting off a bit of dust on his pants leg before he jumped in at a pause in the discussion, ”Information can and always will be used…regardless of the job, village, or even if the person or persons be shinobi or not. Information is never ‘just’ gathered.” Kamaru injected into the conversation addressing the young boy with a cryptic comment of sorts, ”It’s exploited, withheld, used to purposely misinform others… things of that nature come to mind and in truth it is probably the most dangerous of weapons people in general have at their disposal to cause strife and malcontent… I’d say exponentially more so than any attempt to kill a person such as a kage or sennin of a village with a bomb or poison someone while they drink their tea.” Kamaru stated frankly picking up his own tea cup taking a small sip and regarded the small black tea cups in front of them,

”Regardless since there’s someone here representing the Iwa technically, I would ‘speculate’ Senju Kazuki protected Leaf City and its people’s best interests in whatever manner he saw fit, law in some situations of terms being bent or broken is subjective to the interpretation, reasoning, and ability to nullify or supersede such laws due to rank or position. Plus one has to admit the actions done if no proof is readily available... With that said Kazuki does not look like the ‘Kiss and Tell type’ to me so matters of Leaf will probably stay in Leaf regardless of if it’s dead and/or buried. Speculation of events past or currently happening could be open to interpretation as well by anyone in this room…So if it doesn’t involve Konoha Corporation internal secrets I say it’s open game for… speculation. Also how is the blindfolded young man of the Hyuuga? ” Kamaru continued the last comment added in as Kamaru was curious about the man’s wearabouts taking a sip of his tea his eyes dancing between Kazuki and Ginjiro as he talked trying to read their reactions around his cup.

Without saying it in so many words Kamaru was giving Kazuki a heads up to know that discussing anything of Leaf in general was fine and reminding him talking about secrets of Konoha Corporation openly would fall into information Kamaru would have to report on or verify being stated to Stone if it was in their interests or endangered them and Kamaru was questioned. Trade secrets as there were even to a fallen company sometimes stayed secret regardless. It made Kamaru wonder if the Ginjiro was fishing for information or if it was something he wanted to establish to build on what he wanted to talk about. Although Ginjiro was someone from the elder clans of Leaf City where his allegiances lay now was murky to Kamaru, for the most part Ginjiro was probably at the very least looking out for himself. Everything else was up in the air.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

Well, well. So the puppeteer had a puppet arm. When did the master became the puppet? If Ginjiro was not careful, he would lose himself in his art and all of his humanity surrendered. "I can improve that arm of yours if you wish, but it comes with a price." Kazuki noted after noticing that the boy's arm had seen better days. Perhaps it was a matter of over usage, perhaps who created it did not know what he was doing. Fortunately, as a Dark Sage, there were few things that the Overlord of the Senju did not know. But mechanical arms aside, the young Ayatsuri's next questions reeked of suspicion. The boy was asking dangerous questions. Inquiries about secrets that should not see broad daylight no matter what. Even if the three branches of Konoha were extinct, the city itself was not. It was not beyond salvation, the White Wolf believed it to be so. They would return and as such there was classified information that could be revealed. Unfortunately, the former ANBU Sennin was the caretaker of such info. The Department was nothing but a functional front. There was an Inner Circle, one that only few knew about and even fewer could ever reach. They were the ANBU of Konoha. A secret within a secret organization. Assassination, spying, capture, they were the best of the best and were assigned to do what other could not. But that was classified and would remain so.

Despite not being aware of such secrecy, Kamaru seemed to be inclined into believe that there were secrets that could never be divulged, at least judging from the man's words. But it was more than that. Why would Ginjiro start the conversation with such questions? Was he a mole to the Daimyo? Or was he simply naive? Either way, the Silvery Haired Man would not share such sensible information with one he did not have much trust to begin with. Scratching his chin, the Reaper began answering. "My position in Leaf was the same as the Medical Sennin or Main Branch Sennin, in terms of ranking and authority. I leaded the Department while they lead the Medical and Military Police. It was as simple as that.". Kazuki paused momentarily so that the boy could absorb what he had just said. "The name of the Department says it all. That was our scope. However, what I and they did is now irrelevant, because Leaf's shinobi forces do exist anymore and to this conversation. If you want to know what I am willing to do for a cause, I can tell you. I will do anything once I am committed to it. So why don't you do yourself and us a favor and cut right to the chase?".

Kazuki could only guess what kind of angle Ginjiro was working there, but all would be revealed in due time, no doubt.

 

[Kazu]

Nodding slowly as he listened to the two speak, the young man folded his arms tighter together. "It's just as I thought then." Sighing, the young man moved to sip some more tea. He'd figured this would their reactions, and so the way they responded didn't really surprise him. The fact that they hadn't outright denied anything, though, was enough for Ginjiro. They weren't saying no, which meant they had something to hide. He'd hit the issue right in the face. Looking at them both square in the eye, the kid had really got some balls. This was a dangerous method he was using, but he hoped that it would work out. As Kazuki mentioned his arm, though, Ginjiro saw a chance. Looking down at his arm, the puppeteer gave the two men a small smile. "You know, this arm was actually made for me by one of those people you speak of. The Medical Sennin, Hasegawa Mana. That was...I don't even know how long ago..." Memories came to the young man about that experience, and the pain of the procedure came rushing back to him. The Sennin had been so sweet to him though. She numbed the pain, made it bearable, and had allowed Ginjiro to continue with his life by giving him this arm. Without it, he'd have died so long ago. He owed her his life. He even had a small smile on his face. The smile faded, though, and was replaced by a kind of somber look. Not really speaking to anyone in particular, the young man seemed merely to be remembering a bad dream. "The Hasegawa Clan is dead. When Mana finished installing this arm, I was taken to the Hasegawa Complex to recover. The night Leaf City was laid under seige, the Complex was set on fire. I only barely escaped with my life." Looking up to the two of them, Ginjiro had a look of horror on his face. "I couldn't save any of them. I don't know if anyone survived. Even Mana..." His face went somber. It was tough news to bear, and it seemed a tad out of place. It wasn't. Snapping himself out of his dream-like state, the young man tried to gain his composure and focus again. It took a moment, but the man had pulled himself together. Continuing the conversation, Ginjiro knew he needed to bring things back into focus.

"Look, I understand you have your secrets. I don't blame you. I'm not trying to question your methods, nor the validity of the magnitude of your secrets. If you feel so inclined, kill me now. I dare say that, as I am, I know enough about your 'Information Gathering' to be of a threat to the secrets you are keeping, so I would understand if you felt that I was a loose end that needed tying up. However, I would like to request that you not kill me quite yet." What the hell was the puppeteer playing at? Did the kid even know who he was dealing with? Obviously. Ginjiro knew this was dangerous, but it was the only way to make this work. There was still more to converse about, after all. "Konoha is, indeed, far from dead. Secrets must still be kept, for the sake of the future of the village. However, I am going to ask you to divulge some of these secrets to me, and I need to know that you will trust me with this knowledge." Staring Kazuki in the eyes, the Ayatsuri directed his next words at the man who could either kill him or help him to succeed in his quest. "The Ayatsuri Clan is dying. A cancer has wormed its way in, and is threatening to destroy my home, family, and any hope I have of returning to Leaf City. I have come to you, so that I may possibly learn more about this cancer, so that I may combat it. I don't know how much you know, but if anyone would know anything it would be you." This was the man's position. He had come to Kazuki for knowledge, of the kind that he may not even get. For all he knew, Kazuki would throw him out of the village, and never speak to him about any of this again. Was Ginjiro asking for too much? Who knows? It was too late now to back down. Ginjiro needed to say only more thing to Kazuki. "What can you tell me about Ayatsuri Katsu?"

[ooc]
Sending a PM to Kazuki and Kamaru with some additional information that is relevant to the topic.

 

[Kamaru]

Kamaru heard a bit about the boy had come about getting a metal arm and how of all people Mana as the Medical Sennin of Leaf City had performed the surgery…installed it? Kamaru shook the idea out of his head of the woman with wielding goggles on attaching it to the boy. Ginjiro seemed to be at a loss due to his arm with past memories resurfacing plus the news of the Hasegawas were all dead Ginjiro figured having been in the complex when the fire started. Kamaru thought about it and the fact the woman might be dead along with an entire elder clan of Leaf. While Kamaru wasn’t much for families he had to wonder why burn it down. Strategic value or tactical move to get the clan out of the way for the subjugation of Leaf City… it was possible.

In a way the boy seemed to have a breakdown of sorts or in a way throw a fit in Kamaru’s position. If he did understand why Kazuki handled things the way he did why the slight suicidal tendency. It boiled down to being worried about his clan… his family. While he didn’t seemed to worried about his metal arm or staring down a man who had an aura or fate that seemed to be surrounds and shrouded him by the weird, unknown, and sometimes very deadly and dangerous Kamaru seemed to snap into a teacher’s rule suddenly chastising the boy on his own value for his life.

”Personally I’ve never heard of him, but by the name I assume he’s a relative or someone from your clan that’s well a bit of a bad egg I guess to put it bluntly. But since you and Kazuki are alive it would be unfortunate for the Clan families I figure if Mana was indeed dead… but if you really want to see her again without verification of a body she is possibly either alive.” Kamaru stated looking at Kazuki, ”Or dead in ‘some’ form, either in the ground or something else…” It wasn’t like Kazuki could check a mental file world wide for the status of if someone was dead… if so that would be helpful but in some ways creepy and pretty dark, ”Regardless I don’t think she’d take too kindly to your talk of throwing away the life she fought to save and you’ve struggled to stay alive with… a lot has happened though and you may not have had enough time to grieve properly for the levity of the situation for yourself or Leaf City or the Corporation. If you truthly care about your Clan or family though being dead doesn’t really help them out if their in such a dire situation as you imply… Unless what you’ll do is a a threat to Stone currently or you’re a spy for the Fire Daimyo though I think you should keep living… struggle, crawl, be as pitiful as you feel necessary to get back into the game and survive. Besides there are worse things than just being killed some might think. Kazuki, what’s the ‘price’ of what you know?” Kamaru stated explained staring at the boy before eyeing Kazuki with a sideways glance.

While Kamaru had been in Leaf City for the greater part of two to three years he wasn’t a native like Kazuki. Kazuki seemed pretty well set on protecting Leaf City and it’s people, it’s secrets were part of the package probably. Although he knew Kazuki would go to great lengths to do something to save not just the city but a country he knew there were things he wouldn’t do at any cost. So Kamaru was curious would the information be free or would it have a cost? And what would Kazuki wish in a bartering deal for the exchange.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

"So the Priest may have passed away." Kazuki simply noted as if he was commenting the state of the weather. He wasn't exactly happy with it, but he would not shed tears for it. They were not friends, they were not close, they were rivals and equals. Life and death, fire and cold, exact opposites. But while the Hasegawa clan was all but extinct now, the Senju had survived and would flourish again. Under the Overlord's leadership, they would regain their might and free Konohagakure from the clutch of that bastard,the Fire Daimyo. "Although the Hasegawa numbers are severely diminished, they are far from dead. You will learn that no matter the hardships we face, the Old Clans of Leaf are hard to destroy. We have recovered from worst and we will certainly overcome our current crisis. However, such recovery can only happen if we combine our efforts. Unity has been our greatest weapon since the birth of our clans. We have many differences, we even fought each other before, but no one can best us when we are together." the Silvery Haired Man would declare. The history of Konoha was rich with such events, times that they had banded together to overcome a superior foe. Internal strife was also documented, however, the sources for such eras was still inside the walls of the Hidden Leaf Village. Accessing them was not easy task, if possible at all.

"You think you are a threat? What makes you wonder your life is not forfeit already? I don't know what information you claim to know, I have no idea of what secrets you think you possess, but believe in me in when I say this. If I find that you shared something that should have been locked away, sensible information that may endanger people or prevent us from claiming Leaf, your death will be the least I will do. You will do well to learn your place in this world, just like I learned mine." the White Wolf would say. While his tone was calm, and in his face showed no ill feelings, his message carried a veiled threat. He had no desire to terminate the boy's life. He had no desire to strike him down on the spot, but Ginjiro had to realize that his life, just like Kazuki's was simply too small compared to the magnitude of Leaf. They were just two chess pieces in the grand scale of things. Their time would come, they would play their part and pass away and sometime later, their existence would fade away from the memory of the living. That was their fate unfortunately. But future was exactly was grim as one could paint. No, their lives could impact on something. Their names could linger, but only if they were smart enough to make the right choices at the right time. This was a turning point in the lives of those three. If the cards were played well, the outcome of their meeting could have a lasting impact in their lives and the lives of many, but only if they played well.

The Reaper was not a person to negate information. No, he knew very well how important knowledge was, albeit how you used said information was even more critical. He usually requested some sort of payment when doing something for others. If people wanted a Samaritan, they would do better to knock on someone else's door. But information sharing was usually free for the Silvery Haired Man. "Ayatsuri Katsu?" the former Demon Hunter mumbled. He had seen that name before. He knew that he had been a member of the Department with Kazuki, in fact, both had the honor of becoming an ANBU, but that was something he could not share, after all, the ANBU had long been extinct to the general population of Leaf. The former Sennin also remembered reading Katsu's file once he had become Sennin. Katsu had been reported for dead. The older Ayatsuri had been assigned an important mission and failed to return in time. Once a party was sent out, only his remains, or what medics identified as his remains, were found out. To this day, they were still in the dark to what had happened to the ANBU. Perhaps that was a mystery that they would never solve. "Ayatsuri Katsu. I remember that name. And with that name comes the memory of a face, a full body and a voice. He used to work with me in the Department. We even worked together in a few assignments. I believe he someday left the village with a mission and never returned. At least not alive, I was then Head of the Department when, what would later be identified as his remains, were returned home. That is the extent of what I remember. But why do you bring his name up now? What are you not telling us?" the White Wolf questioned.

 

[Kazu]

Their words were a little bit unexpected to the young man. Things had gone in a bit of a different direction from what he'd hoped, but perhaps it wasn't too late to clear the air? As Kamaru and Kazuki responded to his words, the puppeteer shook his head in slight frustration. "No, you don't get it. Perhaps this was my fault, though, for being unclear. I'm not very good at this sort of thing..." Taking a deep breath, the Ayatsuri had to maintain nerves of steel. These two men were powerful, no doubt about it. Ginjiro didn't want to anger them, or cast himself in a negative light. That was the last thing he wanted. "I don't mean to throw my life away, nor do I intend on selling secrets. I mean to show my conviction in my goals, and I mean to show that I would not dare sell a single secret of Konohagakure to anyone. Sorry about that, but I guess I'm still a little blunt? It's been a while since I've had to be diplomatic..." The young man looked tired. His body was weary, but his words were true. There was not a hint of mistrust or suspicion in his voice, nor in his eyes. As one should know, the eyes are the gateways to one's soul. If the eyes are pure, then it can only follow that their heart is too. That was the way Ginjiro saw it—but perhaps he was a bit too naive. Regardless, there was more to discuss, so the young man didn't linger on one subject for too long. There wasn't time to.

"Yes, they might have survived. However, I can't say that I'm too confident about their numbers. If anyone did survive, then they would surely be scattered and unorganized. While I don't doubt the Hasegawa's love of Leaf City, I have a feeling they'd be more concerned with bringing their clan out of its current shambles. It would be quite helpful if the Torrent General were alive, but I'm not too sure." Indeed, the Hasegawa weren't going to be too much help right now. They were leaderless, and above all incredibly weakened. The Ayatsuri and the Senju would have to rely on their own strength for the battles to come, which meant they would have to have a stronger bond of cooperation than ever before. They had to make up for a missing part, after all. "I can agree, wholeheartedly, to your words. Cooperation is key. That is why I am here, calling upon the might of the Senju Clan, to help me—and all of the Ayatsuri Clan—in my hour of need. I promise the strength of my clan in the reclaiming of Leaf City, whenever that time should come." The Ayatsuri and the Senju were powerful clans on their own. Together? There was nothing more terrifying than two of Konoha's Elder Clans joint together towards any goal. There was simply no stopping such a combination of strength, resources, and experience. And in the days that were coming, that kind of influence would be very needed.

But in the present, there were more pressing issues. So Katsu had been a Minister, huh? Figures. Ginjiro didn't quite understand the full scope of what that meant yet, but he was starting to get a vague idea. Missions, subterfuge, the works. There was more to Kazuki than met the eye, and one of these days Ginjiro intended to see what this man saw. But for now, he was merely happy getting a second-hand account of how events unfolded. "Yeah, that sounds pretty much exactly like what I'd been told when it happened..." Time to share the good news, the puppeteer supposed. Trying to recall as much as he could, the puppeteer began to explain. "Well, the man isn't dead. He tricked me, and he made his way down into the Ayatsuri Clan's most inner sanctums. It was there that he betrayed us all." Without moving his head, Ginjiro glanced down at his arm. Oh the memories. "He killed the clan leader, in one foul swoop, and did this to me. He threatened me with death if I didn't leave the city, and since then he's probably subjugated all of my clan. I don't know what his plan is, or what's caused such a change in him. All I know is that he's betrayed me, my clan, and the honor of Leaf City." Ginjiro needed a sip of his tea. There was a lot still to say, and his throat was getting a little parched. Finishing the rest of his cup, Ginjiro moved to pour himself another cup. "I had tried to fight him, at the time, and managed to sink a kunai into his head. But when he pulled it out, there was just...nothing...nothing at all. His body is different, for whatever reason, and I need to find out as much as I can about him. I want to stop him, Kazuki-sama. I need to. I came to you, today, to learn as much as I can about this man." Ginjiro wasn't sure about this last part, though. Should he? Shouldn't he? Fuck it, he'd come this far. He had to tread cautiously, but he also had to make his stance clear. There would be no ambiguity here. "I will do whatever it takes to find this man's weakness and bring him to justice. I would learn any technique, make any deal, or join any group." Staring Kazuki in the eye, Ginjiro gave a slight pause so that his words could sink in. "If it gave me a better position to take this man down, I would do it." His words, while vague, were probably clear. If they weren't, maybe he was asking the wrong questions?

 

[Kamaru]

From what Kazuki said he seemed to weave through positions, if Mana was dead she was dead to him and regardless it didn’t change his goals much. He spoke of unity of the three clans but considering the resources available it was slim pickings between a burnt one, metal armed broke one and Kazuki… well Kazuki would at least be well enough for the others to have a place to stay… once he got a place to stay. Talk of divulging secrets didn’t seem to sit well with Kazuki, certain things Kamaru figured the man would take with him beyond the grave to keep secret. He seemed to know the person Ginjiro was trying to find… from what was stated ‘most of him’ was found. It was interesting in what Kazuki picked up on from what he was told… it was what he wasn’t being told that seemed to interest him.

Realization of how he had appeared to be thinking or acting came up for Ginjiro. It was odd but he seemed to have difficult stating things the way he wanted. Kamaru listened and wonders about what or who he was talking about, was this Torrent General a person or maybe a spirit? That was a thing in Stone, spirits doing things… Kamaru hadn’t seen it himself really but considering all the weird things that had happened in Leaf City it wasn’t an impossibility to think. Ginijro agreed in a union or alliance between his clan and Kazuki’s whatever that meant.

It did appear this relative had staged a coup of his clan after faking his death to move around unseen. The supposedly change in the person did make Kamaru wonder. He had no love for Ginjiro it seemed since he chopped off one of his arms, or was that insult, permanent disfigurement over death as a reminder of the choice at the time. Now the talk of the allegiance of clans made sense to Kamaru, they would help once this Katsu was removed from the clan. The timing of things seemed too perfect to be coincidence.

”Scattered and unorganized could be said about all those who made an exodus from Leaf City. Granted it could also be said we’ve decentralized and more mobile and our plans and locations unknown even to each other… Injured predators merely lick wounds before they go out hunting again… they usually learn from their mistakes. In a way as shinobi that’s all we are… hunters.” Kamaru offered, ”While I might not be an insane ruler of a country trying to kill of the Shinobi in my lands and subjugate Leaf City’s civilian population, it would stand to reason if there are three clans that could hinder anything I’m doing burning down one clan and funding a coup of another clan does make doing what I want to do a lot eaiser… just because someone has insane viewpoints doesn’t mean they can’t have brilliant moments of tactical dealings to exploit a situation. This Katsu or anyone really could such as arsonists could have come in during the times of the civil riots and masked themselves among the city folk. Again though this is speculation on my part. I am curious what Kazuki’s viewpoint is on someone who’s faked their own death to get out of doing work and has possible ties to the Fire Daimyo… His not having anything on the inside I take is a new thing? It sounds… well unsettling.” Kamaru stated thinking of literally being empty on the inside.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

~That was allot of information to take in. Katsu was not only apparently alive, but he had also target his own clan for destruction. "Impossible." Kazuki muttered. When facing something unexpected, human's natural first reaction was denial and the Overlord was going through it full force. He read the medical files, the doctors were hundred percent confident that the remains they had found were Katsu's. But the more he thought about it and the more he considered Ginjiro's and Kamaru's words, the greater clarity his mind enjoyed. Soon, the Reaper had reached a logical conclusion. With the current data, his answer was the correct one and until they had found more information to prove him wrong, he would be right. "I believe I know the answer to your question." the White Wolf started. But before he could continue, the revelation that Katsu was a betrayer began sinking deep within the Overlord of the Senju Clan. And such information began changing his mood. And with his mood so changed the ambient temperature. The Silvery Haired Man was a master of Shadows and Death, and Death was deeply tied with Cold, thus, the room was now slightly cooler than before. A slight change but that would still be noticeable by trained ninjas. "I've pondered enough, and as I said, I believe I know why he was unaffected by your kunai. It can only be that his head, and probably, the rest of his body, is as human as your arm currently is." the former Demon Hunter noted pointing to Ginjiro's metallic arm.

"I can only assume that Katsu has turned himself into a Human Puppet. His entire body, minus his heart, is now made of puppet parts. This carries great benefits to him. He no longer needs to eat, sleep and breath. He can't feel exhaustion, his skin is much harder than normal skin. If he gets injured, he can easily replace whatever limbs are damaged. However, such procedure is not a sea of roses. It has its flaws. First of all, you are no longer human, thus most of the laws that would protect you no longer apply to you. Considering you no longer feel pain, there is no reason to hold back when fighting you. I can and I will use everything at my disposal to stop you. And third, I know your main weakness, if I want to take you down quickly, I will relentless attack you in your weak spot. There is no perfect solution for our quest of perfection, everything has its flaws. Believe in me, I know." Kazuki calmly explained. While his tone was calm, his two companions would notice that there was an underlying tone of anger in his words, as if he was containing something that wanted to explode. Those close to the White Wolf knew that the thing he hated the most was treason. Two of the closest people for him, his father and his best friend, had betrayed Leaf, the Senju and him, and were executed and were now suffering his eternal wrath in undeath.

There was nothing he hated the most. If there was something akin to a berserk trigger, betrayal was that. The Overlord's power began to steadily rise as his anger grew. His shadow spread toward the entire room, obscuring their vision as if the sun had been blocked by some celestial body. (Think Gandalf) The temperature in the room further decreased and a chilly wind picked up. Considered where they were, a sealed division of a teahouse, this was a considerable feat. Midway through this display of anger, the Reaper's eyes totally went black and a howling filled their ears. This was not a natural howling, being part demonic part the cries of restless souls. It would seem that the former Sennin was reaching a critical point and would soon explode, but storm was suddenly calmed. Regaining control, he was ready to act accordingly. Treason demanded punishment and he would give them that. "What you brother did is inexcusable. Treason deserves no mercy, no quarrel. If he did allied himself with the Fire Daimyo, then what he did is even worse, but his fate is sealed, regardless of the existence of that allegiance or not. He will die for his crimes and that is the justice he deserves. The same justice that the Daimyo will have at my hands. No man commits treason and lives, not while I live in this world. Sooner or later, I will come to them." Kazuki stated. Katsu was fully aware that once part of the Inner Circle, he fully belonged to the Department. Only death would allow him to exit the ANBU, and so he faked his death to escape. However, for as long as the Overlord was the Leader, not even death was enough.

"You will do anything? Then join Tsuchigakure's ranks and work alongside us. That is my price. And I will come with you to deal with your former brother and I will make him pay dearly for his actions. If he thinks he can escape unharmed after what he did, I will teach otherwise." he menacingly declared. If the former Ayatsuri knew what he had awakened, then even his puppet body would be trembling.

[MFT=875]

 

[Kazu]

Speculation was thrown left and right. Theories and conjecture were displayed for all to see, and while they alll had some merit none of them had anything to prove or disprove the claims made. Still, an educated guess was better than no guess. As the young man listened to the words spoken, the full gravity of the situation began to sink in. The memories of his brother, as the happy and kind man that he was, were being swallowed up in this hellish reality. Had he really partnered with the Daimyo to try and eradicate them all? Could he have really stooped that low? It made sense, of course. But sense isn't what drives madness. Madness is driven by emotion, instinct, and a little bit of innate insanity. "That's a lot to take in, honestly. You really think he's partnered with the Daimyo?" Even though the Ayatsuri puppeteer asked the question, he really did know the answer. His brother was a lying, manipulative, dirtbag. He didn't deserve any sympathy or compassion. To Ginjiro, the man was as good as dead. And in a way, he already was. "If that's the case, we'll have to find some sort of link..." Perhaps there was more to unearth with this story, but for right now they would all have to move forward with their best guesses.

As Kazuki began to explain things further, though, things started to get even more interesting. A Human Puppet? Why hadn't Ginjiro ever heard of something like that? From what the Senju Overlord described, it would certainly fit the bill. "I've never heard of such a thing. I can imagine that knowledge like that would have been kept...private...within my clan. They probably kept it under lock and key for this very reason. Katsu must have learned the secrets of the technique before his escape..." The pieces were starting to fall into place. While they didn't quite have the whole picture sorted out yet, they were getting the general idea of things. They knew, or at least were pretty sure they knew, what it was that caused Katsu to be able to live from a kunai knife in his head and why he was a hollow man. They had a theory as to his motivations, and they had a guess as to his connection with many more parts of this story. But to be sure, there would be many more steps needed. For now, however, Kazuki had heard enough. There was enough anger building up in him to seem to unlock the forces of evil and death from deep within him. As the darkness around him grew, a light around the puppeteer would begin to grow too. They were polar opposites, Ginjiro and Kazuki. One a Champion of the Light, one a Champion of the Darkness. They both sought balance, and they both sought peace, but their methods couldn't have been further apart. As the shadows diminished, so too did the light soften. In some odd way, the two did seem to balance each other out. Perhaps it was for the best that they were working together on this?

And then this happenned. Kazuki's price, for his cooperation in this fight, was that Ginjiro join Iwagakure's forces. Looking the man straight in the eye, the young man did not hesitate with his response. "I would gladly join your armies if it helped me reclaim my clan's honor and restore Leaf City to it's proper glory." Here, however, is where the young man had to pause. "But not now. Not yet." Breaking his eye contact with Kazuki, Ginjiro's gaze moved down to the teacup he help in his hands. The steam spiraled upwards like a gentle fairy slowly rising up into the air. "There's still too much we don't know. Blanks in our theories, and that information will be important for figuring out our course of action. What if Katsu is merely the first? Perhaps the Daimyo has enlisted the help of other rogues and betrayers, to aid in the destruction of Leaf City? I mean to fill in these blanks, and while I understand your desire for me to swear myself to this village, I doubt that you have the authority to grant me free access to wherever I may need to gain the needed information." Ginjiro would give his words a chance to sink in. Kazuki was asking the young man to become tied down when freedom of action was what was needed right now. As much as Ginjiro wished to work with them, he couldn't do that. Not yet, anyways. "I am still able to report to the village, feed it information, and be there when asked by the village. But if we want to be able to find out what we need to know, I can't be tied down just yet. Once we have our knowledge, I will gladly give up those freedoms to take up arms with you." These were not unreasonable things that the puppeteer was saying. There was much truth to his words, but it remained to be seen if the two men in front of him would accept the same truths that he did. That was up for them to decide.

 

[Kamaru]

Kamaru sat quietly letting Kazuki calm down. Thoughts of dissention of his brother with speculation seemed to weigh heavily on Ginjiro adding to the stress as the young man asked about a possible loyalty to the Fire Daimyo, ”It is merely speculation of thinking the worse of the worse is possible. But I don’t think the Daimyo partners with shinobi as much as keep them on a short choke chain for use when he sees fight, if you’re going to betray your village, or literally the family you were born into or are a part of, what’s to say you won’t bite the hand that feeds you. What’s to say you a shinobi betraying those close to you trust a Daimyo bent on wiping out shinobi, possible shinobi or shinobi sympathizers if you’re well… a shinobi. Keeping enemies close means being about to look at them in great detail though…That’s why I stated we should speculate, to look at all possibilities. Even the worst case scenarios need to be discerned to be a possibility within reason.

I will say he’s probably not working in the previous Clan Head’s wishes or interests or your own for that matter honestly. It’s interesting why he didn’t just outright kill you and make you into something ‘else’ considering what Kazuki stated he could have already done to himself possibly and how he’s moved to the leader of your clan he doesn’t seem the squeamish type. Regardless we need a confirmation either way; it could be lead to him getting booted out of your clan by the clan members regardless of the truth behind it if they think he’s walking them out to be executed by the Daimyo for whatever reason figuratively. Subjugation is usually out the window with the thought of mass murder on the table as an end game result.” Kamaru explained.

The comments of kazuki seemed to gain ground with Ginjiro since he thought it made what had happened in the situation make sense to him or he could rationalize it as a possibility.

Althought he young man seemed to partially agree to an alligence of sorts he open ended the start date of it. ”He does have a point in a way, joining Stone would put him at odds for how he currently moves and operates, having to gather intelligence and ivenstigate things might fall into different… grey areas. Plus if things go south having a ‘spy from Stone’ in Fire Country might throw the Daimyo into the possible idea of an invasion or worse a reason at least in his mind to invade Earth country… I don’t think my new boss would appreciate that much. I agree moving around as he is now gives him better options and anonymity. We can’t provide that currently via the Main Branch anyway.”

 

[Senju Kazuki]

"It seems you have misunderstood me." Kazuki calmly noted after both Kamaru and Ginjiro spoke their minds. What the puppeteer had said was perfectly logic. They were effectively blind right now. There was no such thing as a Intelligence network operating deep within the Fire Country, feeding them with information they desperately sought. Since their sudden departure, the Refugees had cut all ties with their Home Country and if they wished to return, they clearly needed to know what was going on so they could plan ahead. The Overlord of the Senju Clan already had an agent deep within the Daimyo's forces. Another rogue element reporting directly to him, would not hurt his chances. However, one had to ponder if a young Ayatsuri just like Ginjiro was the best candidate for the job. He was young, barely had any seizable experience under his belt and was operating with revenge on his mind. Ok, the last part was also firmly implanted in the White Wolf's man, but at least he was not young and he had plenty of experience. "I wasn't implying you were to join Tsuchigakure immediately. That would be counterproductive to our cause. We are, like you two pointed out, effectively blind to the outside world. Before we can even start planning how our return will be, we need intel. We need people out there acquiring information for our use. We need people risking their necks for a greater cause. There is no way to deny that we need to start by that. However, I am questioning myself if you are the right person for this task." he noted. The Reaper began scratching his chin while analyzing Ginjiro with his pitch black irises.

Judging from his reaction, it would seem that the Silvery Haired Man was ready to not allow the young Ayatsuri to undertake such job, since the risks could outweigh the rewards. "I could invoke the fact that our allegiance lies in Leaf and that my rank is superior to yours, thus I could not allow you to go in such venture. However, considering the circumstances, I will not do so. If you are ready to tackle the risks, I will not prevent you. However, carefully take into account why you are doing this and what end you want to achieve. Do not forget that you are not alone in this and we seek something greater than petty revenge. Do not be mistaken, I will exact revenge upon the Fire Daimyo, he will suffer for his actions, but my main goal is to reclaim Konohagakure from his clutches. Nothing else matters and nothing should. Do not let revenge blind you, do not let hate sway you from the true path. If you want to spy, do so. We will expect reports, so find a way to send them to us. Now, is there anything you need from us?" the former Sennin declared.

With that said, he was ready to give Ginjiro a gift right now. Assuming he had permission, the Silvery Haired Man would touch the Puppeteer's metallic arm with his right hand. Upon impact, Kazuki's fingers would transmit his dark chakra into the prosthetic limb. But this was no ordinary chakra transfer, the Overlord was giving Ginjiro, the gift of gifts. It would begin slowly. What was once damaged would now be pristine. What was once weak would be strong. The once normal looking arm would now sport dark runes all over it, runes that would eventually recede back into a small point in the Ayatsuri's under wrist. Coincidently or not, Ginjiro would notice that the runes had condensed into the shape of his clan's banner. He would also feel a surge of power, like never before. Exhilaration was the norm after being scribed such a seal, a feeling that would seen be swept away by fatigue.

[Attempting to give you the Terra Cursed Seal.
Since I am a Dark Sage, this is free for me.
Ginjiro sacrifices 1 week of training to receive it, in case he accepts it.]

 

[Kazu]

Listening to the responses of Kamaru and Kazuki, Ginjiro felt revealed to hear them agree with him. While he wasn't against joining Tsukigakure just yet, he still had a lot more to do before then. While he did those things, he would also help out their cause by supplying information to Kazuki about his brother and the Daimyo's plans. After all, these things did coincide with his own goals well. He was happy to cooperate with them, as that would give the man a better pool of resources to draw upon. The Ayatsuri was quite comfortable with this arrangement. However, it would seem that he might be one of the only ones. Kazuki was the first to vocalize in opposition to this, or at least voice concern, with Ginjiro as the best candidate for this sort of mission. Ginjiro was a bit stunned, and little hurt, to be honest. He hadn't expected this sort of a response, even though he probably should of. The young man was more skilled than most others his age, and many more who were even older than him. The young man was somewhat of a genius. Yet still, the White Wolf thought him not good enough? Ginjiro tried his best to hold his tongue, but he couldn't say that his face was holding back any of the frustration and anger he was feeling. He gazed at Kazuki with great intensity as the man continued. He looked into his soul as if to try and challenge the man to continue speaking. How dare he say these things?! How could this man allow him to carry out the mission?! Did he have any idea of how powerful the young Ayatsuri wa—

Wait a minute.

Did he just say that he was allowing Ginjiro to go? That was a bit of a shocker. It had caught Ginjiro completely off guard, and had gained the man Ginjiro's full attention. So he was allowing it, but under warning, huh? Interesting. The man's words did not go unheeded, as they gave Ginjiro a chance to take a breath and reflect on the words. He was right, Ginjiro had to make sure not to act out of revenge. He had to be smart about this—they probably wanted him to be reckless and dumb out of anger. But Ginjiro wouldn't let them. "I understand, Kazuki-sama. I will be sure to contact you, and Kamaru-sama, when I get word of anything important. Shall I send it in the language of our people?" Ginjiro didn't know if they knew Fuego, so he had to check. If they didn't...well, then he'd find a way. "The only thing I need is to see someone to fix this arm. Can't go into battle like this." It seemed, though, that Kazuki had a better idea. Extending his arm, the White Wold placed just the tips of his fingers on Ginjiro's mechanical arm. Before the puppeteer had time to say anything, he could feel an outburst of energy welling up inside the arm. "What the heck?" Suddenly, a burst of chakra seemed to erupt from his arm. At first, the feeling was painful. It was dark, and it felt evil—it felt like the life force of a human's soul was being used for this power. But Kazuki should have known that this wouldn't work out exactly as he had thought. Ginjiro was guarded by the energies of the Kami Contract, which were designed to counteract the evil in this world. Ginjiro began to glow brightly, and the runes that began to quickly spread around the young man's arm began to glow a hot white. What happened next was nothing short of extraordinary. One by one, the wailing spirits that seemed to have come from Kazuki's chakra were being torn out of the chakra that he had placed inside of Ginjiro. The Kami spirits were liberating the infused souls, and were becoming separated from the chakra used in this jutsu. It wasn't until every last soul was ripped out of the chakra, and the seal began to recede into a single point on the Ayatsuri's wrist.

Things calmed down. Ginjiro stopped glowing, and the seal marks began to settle down into an inky black color. Looking down, the young man could see that it had formed into his symbol of the Ayatsuri Clan. Furthermore, his arm had seemed to mend itself into an almost pristine condition. Not a moment later, though, he felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. Reaching out his his human arm, the young man stabilized himself. Looking at the Overlord in confusion, Ginjiro spoke up. "What the heck was that?"

[ooc]
Accepting the seal.
Also, sorry for my tardiness. Just started a summer Calculus II class this last Monday, and I just went through a break up with my girlfriend of 1.5 years on Friday. Has not been a fun week.

 

[Kamaru]

(OOC: Thought I posted my apologies)
Kamaru listened and was about to say something when Ginjiro mentioned about his arm, Kamaru wasn’t all that into technology so he wasn’t an expert but the arm was far from being in ‘good condition’ before Kazuki did something and things happened to the young man’s arm. Blinking several times Kamaru quickly dismissed what just happened as odd, abnormal, weird, or just plain ‘freaky’. One of the luxuries from being in Leaf City was his personal raising of the bar of weird things going on.

”Hmm I never did learn the ‘langauge of the people’ in the two years I was in Leaf. But if it’s some super secret type thing I’m sure Kazuki is more then capable of knowing what needs to be known, He’ll just let me know enough in vague terms where it’s not a conflict of interest if he can help it. If it’s something I’d really need to know he’ll let me know others if I don’t need to know I don’t have to know.” Kamaru responded after a few seconds bouncing back into the swing of the conversation having recovered looking at Kazuki, ”Hmm I would take it that was Kazuki doing something nice? Unless you find the hand choking you in your sleep.” Kamaru added looking at the young man then Kazuki.

”If I’m not needed anymore I think I’ll take my leave. Ginjiro if you’re handling things from the path you’re taking I’ll see about seeing what could be found out through other means… Kazuki I’ll be in touch.” Kamaru stated after standing as he buttoned his jacket and nodded to the two. Kamaru rubbed the side of his nose with his index finger once when he left looking at Kazuki once he got eye contact and moved to leave. Once outside he mentioned something to an attendant and had them put a specific incense to burn outside the room.

[Topic Left unless stopped]

 

[Senju Kazuki]

"That was a gift and the only one you will receive from me in the near future. I am a man knowledgeable of many crafts and I can bestow many gifts. Some would label me as a Sage, but I prefer to be known as a Dark Sage. I will bring Darkness to this world, yet, dark is not inherently evil. Your actions are evil or good, not the powers you possess. And as for the gifts, you have to earn them. You have earned one, continue working and you may receive more." Kazuki noted. Perhaps half of his speech was cryptic. Perhaps it was damn well understood by his present company. Either way, Ginjiro and Kamaru could digest the Overlord's words at their own leisure. "You can send messages in our native tongue, I will translate as needed. However be cautious. You should also utilize other encryptions. Natives to the Fire Country should known that language so they should be able to translate it. I suggest that you send one message in Fuego, another with a different method and so on. I will trust that you will know when and how to send them." he noted.

Their meeting was over. Kamaru got up and after achieving eye to eye contact, exited the room. "Unless you have anything else to add or request, I believe our meeting is over. The time for action is near, soon we will savor vengeance and reclaim our lost home. But for now we bid our time, we plot, we gather strength, for when we strike, we will bend steel." the White Wolf declared as he got up. He purposefully made his way toward the door in a slow pace so that the young puppeteer had time to stop him. If not stopped, he would simply leave.

[Nothing much else to add.]
[Topic Left unless stopped]

 

[Kazu]

His mind was still a little fuzzy from whatever had happened. He had become exhausted rather quickly, which was a little weird for the young man. It was causing him to not really hear very well, as the words being spoken were kind of going in one ear and out the other. He struggled a little to keep his eyes open and focused, though there was only so much he could do. The men were saying something about communications, good and evil, encryption, and then bending of steel. Ginjiro thought he got it all, or at least the vague idea behind their words. Whatever Kazuki had done to him just now was really messing with him. He would need to rest here a little bit longer. Putting on a polite smile for the two of them, Ginjiro did his best to sound awake and alert. "Understood. I'll...I'll just stay here for a little bit. This tea...is very good..." Probably didn't come off as nicely as it could have, but whatever. If Ginjiro needed a rest, then that's just what he needed. Lying back a bit as the two of them left the room, Ginjiro took a series of deep breaths to try and stabilize his mind. It worked, but only a little.

As he sat there, contemplating everything that had happened so far, he had to admit he was rather pleased. Everything had gone over quite well, and he'd gotten the kind of information that he needed. He was a step closer than he was yesterday. Now he would just have to keep taking those steps. That would have to wait, though, until he could muster the strength to actually get up and walk out of this tea house...

[ooc]
Topic Left.