Entering Country The puppet is back in town

[Kureji]

Kurejī wondered around Wind Country. It's been about, what, a year and a half? Or something along those lines. This little cult that was in Leaf, from how the Leafies had acted, that cult didn't originate in Leaf.

Now if he was a betting puppet, he would take a guess that ol Pops would know a thing or two about this cult thing with the foxy ladies.

But he does have to find pops if he wants to learn more about this cult.

(Entering Country)
(1 hr run time)

 

[Miroku Akkuma]

The deserts were his lands & nothing came through without his knowledge. When the reports of a familiar chakra signature crossing the border the Sage began to make his move. Moving through the earth with the aid of his Ninjutsu he would arrive at the scene where his son was located. Rising from the earth like an unexpected horror of the dunes. "My dear boy...I knew you'd be back. I do hope you enjoyed yourself on your journey." he would say with a devilish chuckle. That sinister grin plastered upon his face. Dusting the sand from his robes he would take a step towards his son, noting the direction he had been moving from. "You look well, I see you've continued your interest in puppetry." he would say with a chuckle noting the subtle signs that would pass undetected to the untrained eye. But there had been many a Human Puppet in the Sages life, even recently. How intrigued he was to know what his ward had been up to. Even more so to know if he had any information that would be relevant to his current endeavors. Those emerald eyes burned with a warmth & mischief that Kureji had grown accustomed to during his time with Akkuma. "We have much to discuss my son." he would say in an almost matter of fact tone before returning to his welcoming manner. "But first & most importantly. Are you okay?" the question was a sincere one. While he had no doubts his son was capable Akkuma knew all too well the difficulties that could come with a life independent of the villages.

(30min Run Time, Due to Half-Time Card. Caught!)

 

[Kureji]

It wasn't long until he was found out. He wouldn't put it past his pops that he had all visitors of Wind Country be unknowingly screened and watched.

As the older man spoke, Kurejī listened. He figured that going in his normal, originating body form, that he would catch some glances, but even when he was a citizen of Sand, not a whole lot of people actually seen him, much less knew him. It'd be pretty easy for him, if he had so chosen to, to sneak back in and almost nobody would bat an eye.

"Ah, i've been doing good, Pops. Been in Tea for some time, before visiting Leaf. Met some foxy ladies there who seem to be wanting to make a cult. Which I might or might not be part of now, I don't really know all the nitty gritty details of their whole thang. But I have expanded my repertoire of different types of puppets."

He often wondered how things were back here since he had left without a trace, it'd be nigh impossible for anyone in Sand to know that a single guy from the background had turned to the dark side. Right? Right?! He chuckled to himself as he imagined an angry mob with pitch forks chasing him around. "So Pops, how have you been doing? I imagine that you have your fair share of trouble while I've been vibing around."

 

[Miroku Akkuma]

Those emerald eyes of the Sage held a genuine warmth within them as he listened to the concise telling of his sons journey. Upon hearing the comment about potentially being in a cult with some foxy ladies he would let out a devilish laugh. A joyous chuckle that was carried away by the wailing of the desert winds. When asked how he had been in Kureji's absence he flashed a grin full of wicked mischief. "I've been quite busy, as you have by the sounds of it. It would seem we have much to discuss." he would say with a smile before motioning for Kureji to approach him. "Tell me did you happen to catch the names of the individuals you joined up with?" he had his suspicion that the foxy ladies in question were Mizu & Xaiyu. If that had proven to be true he would be most interested in hearing whatever Kureji could report on their activities. Perhaps they would even be caught off guard by his preemptive knowledge of their activities. Such advantages & subtle reminders of his influence were valuable tools when wielded correctly.

"Oh nothing too exciting, just ushering in a new Age for this world." he would let the words he'd so casually spoken hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "If things go according to plan the scales of Fate shall be tipped in our favor. I intend to return things to the natural order. No longer will this world rot under the stagnation of humanities dominance & their unnatural systems." his words were cryptic & full of ominous suggestion. No true details had been revealed just yet but the theatrics of Akkuma would make one thing known. Something big was in the works, something so grand that even here in the empty deserts he erred on the caution of speaking it to the winds. For fear that the Fates would carry his will across the world to all those who would oppose it. "Come let us go somewhere more secure. There you can rest & we can discuss events." he would calmly state gesturing for his son to follow him towards the horizon.

For even out here in the vast waste he had established sanctuaries. Places of seclusion away from prying eyes where he could work in peace. Although he was not the only person to do so for Akkuma knew of numerous individuals who had hidden their facilities throughout the lands of Wind Country. They would not have to journey far before arriving at their destination. As they approached the Sage would whisper a command into his headset. Upon doing so up ahead of them what would initially appear as a sinkhole began to form. Only to be revealed as a sliding hatch causing the nearby sand to crash into the opening. "Welcome to one of my many humble abodes." he would say with a chuckle before sliding into the entrance of the facility. They would drop into a wide empty room, aside from the sand that had cascaded in that was. After Kureji entered the facility the entrance would slide to a halt behind them and the entrance once more covered by the sands above in a matter of moments.

Suddenly lights flashed to life & the room would be well lit. Various slits in the wall obscured the numerous faces monitoring the entrance. Sized so that any intruders could be swiftly dealt with via arrows & jutsu while providing the defenders with sufficient cover. A section from one of the nearby walls would swing open and a masked Agent would step out. "Lord Akkuma, Master Kureji everything has been prepared." with those words the individual would give a respectful bow as Akkuma entered expecting his son to do the same. As they departed workers came out & began collecting the sand for filtering. For there were many valuable resources contained within the wastes. After a short while walking along a corridor that descended in a spiral the Sage would exit via a nearby door holding it open for his son. They stepped into a room of comfort, vastly different to the facility-like feel to what had been so far.

This was where he relaxed when not working on his projects that were on site. Various notes of his littered the tables & benches. A singular table had been cleared & a platter of food accompanied by drinks had been left for them. Various monitors hung on the wall showing different sections of the facility. An unfinished game of Shōgi sat on one of the nearby tables. One of the monitors footage was compiled of stories covered by the countries news stations. While Akkuma often cared little about what the official story was of things it did often help him understand the angle his foes were attempting to approach things from.

 

[Kureji]

As Akkuma asked for the names of the foxy ladies, Kureji racked his brain to remember. They sure were beautiful, but... "I think they called themselves Mizu and Xaiyu. They are both pretty hot if you ask me. But it seemed as if a lot of people were skeptical of them." As Akkuma spoke of bringing in a new Age, Kureji wondered what will be in store for them. "Are we gonna have some big party afterwards? Where the party goes on for weeks and weeks on end? Because that'd be awesome as hell!"

He followed Akkuma as they walked through the desert they arrived at the spot. At first, he was a bit confused, until the ground before them caved in, revealing a hatch. Yeah, he was a little bit impressed, he does love things that are interesting, and all the better if things such as this were to happen. As they walked around, he was greeted by one of Akkuma's agents who called him 'Master'. The very thought of someone calling him Master was funny as he chuckled and laughed to himself before replying, "What up Mask dude." With that done and out of the way, he kept following his father until they finally came to this one room that seemed to be a break room. Kureji sat down and waited for Akkuma to start talking, to see what was up.

 

[Miroku Akkuma]

Those emerald eyes of his gleamed with delight at the mentions of their names. Kureji posed his own questions to the cryptic statement from his father. Causing the Sage to give a devilish chuckle. "If things go according to plan our celebrations will last far beyond our own generation." he would proclaim as they made their way into the depths of the facility. Kureji would hear a soft chuckle as the attendant was addressed by their young lord. Once they were alone in the quarters the Sage would grab a sweet plum from the platter that had been prepared. Taking a bite & savoring its sweet taste for only a moment before elaborating further on the events that had transpired. "The Great shinobi villages have for quite sometime maintained a false semblance of peace. In an attempt to establish friendship between the nations without any effort to close the wounds of the past. In the face of calamities they have all delved deeper into their solitude & suspicion. Betrayed by those they had sworn themselves to & even their own brethren." this statement of course referred to the numerous wars & betrayals of nobles against their feudal tools throughout this past age. "One would think that these dangers would cause the nations of shinobi to call upon one another. Especially if they truly did intend to be allies. Yet recent history & events have shown us all that this is not the case." a devilish chuckle escaped his lips as he took another bite of the ripe fruit. Exposing the seed of the fruit to their sight now.

"The seed of suspicion is deeply embedded with the shinobi way of life. It is both their greatest strength & weakness. Humanity once used similar flaws in my own kind to divide us & established their own reign upon the world." his words held notes of malice & disgust. "Look at all they have accomplished with it." he stated with a mocking scoff of a laugh. "But that ends with us & our kin." the finality of his words were carried by the certainty burning in his eyes. For all doubt had been erased from the depths of his mind. He would grab a nearby scroll & unfurl it over the debris of a nearby table. Covering the various research notes he had piled upon it's surface. The scroll was a map of the known world. Gesturing towards the great nations Akkuma would begin to speak once more. "Attacks have been initiated against each of the great nations, done so under the guise of being orchestrated by the other villages. We have even implicated Sunagakure in the actions." he would state calmly, while he would elaborate on certain details if asked by his son he had not quite finished yet. "It won't be long until the investigations take place & conflict unfolds between the shinobi nations." he would say with a satisfied smile upon his face. Whether that was from his enjoyment of the plum or with how well his plans had gone so far could only be guessed.

"As you can see my boy I've been quite busy. But you must have questions. By all means ask away...I shall do my best to illuminate you." he would say with a devilish chuckle for no doubt many questions had been raised by the information Akkuma had divulged to Kureji. Then again Kureji had always been unique in his perception of things. Unencumbered by much of the moral weights his peers possessed, a trait the Sage was glad the growing shinobi seemed to continue carrying with him.

MFT

 

[Kureji]

The puppet listened as his father spoke. Even though he was born a human, he doesn't really have any feelings for the end of humanity, as he has the feeling that is what Akkuma is trying to accomplish. Granted, Kureji himself would barely even count as human. As each of his puppets wear a mask, with the exception of Teddy Bear, he made sure that nobody would really be able to discern who he actually was unless if they actually knew him.

He sort of understood what Akkuma had meant in terms of the Villages banding together, but nothing of the sort had happened, at least nothing that he has heard of. And then his father had asked him a question. He smiled underneath his mask, though his father wouldn't really be able to see it. He then said, "How about we get some of the other places involved too? Say if Cloud had attacked Moon Country and Leaf had attacked Tea? If we were to cause as much chaos around the world, then why not let some of the other countries that might have harbored an either secret hatred towards the Villages, or just rather seeking a reason to fight, to give them that chance? What if an 'ANBU' from the other Villages had tried to assassinate some people in power of Tea and Moon, only to gravely make a mistake and leave an identifier of which Village that they are from?"

 

[Miroku Akkuma]

The Sage made no effort to hide the look of pride upon his face at hearing the input Kureji had to provide. While he had taken in many youth under his guardianship during his tenure as a shinobi. None of his children had proven more suited to his life then that of Kureji. His growth over the years was inarguable. "I'm glad you make such an suggestion. It shows you have the right mentality & process of thought necessary for what is to come." his words were reflected the pride that was shown upon his face. "The nobles of the Land of Tea have been only happy to assist those working against Sunagakure in the past. A move from Sunagakure against them would be an advantageous development. In regards to Moon Country, Kumogakure has always had a difficult history with zealots." he said stating the obvious targets who would prove more suitable for such deception.

"Unfortunately my agents with the capabilities to conduct such operations are otherwise preoccupied tending to some other important business." he admitted for in order to successfully pull of such a mission would require very a specific skill set. Those emerald eyes holding Kureji in their gaze as he spoke his next words. "Your particular skill set does make you a suitable candidate." he said in a matter of fact manner although there was obvious concern upon his face. "I had hoped that the need to directly involve you in this war would not come so soon. But I find myself in need of your aid." The Sage admitted as his gaze shifted to a nearby map. "I need you to sow disorder among our enemies. Inciting suspicion & conflict between them." he would say to his ward watching his reaction. Deciding to elaborate on why this was necessary.

"If we can divide them with false flag operations we can keep them distracted while we establish our foothold for the true war to come." If they could keep their foes weakened by dividing them & having them cull each other. Then they could amass their strength in private & emerge as a new power in the world. In their weakened state against a true foe they would have no choice but to take them seriously. Before long their forces would grow & the shinobi nations would be none the wiser if all went to plan. If things didn't go according to plan & the villages discovered what they were doing. Mattered not for the suspicion had already been sown among them. Divided they posed no real threat to his agenda. After all they had grown weak in their false peace & age of friendship.

 

[Kureji]

Kureji smiled as his foster father was happy of the idea that he had given to him. So, Tea has it in for Sand, and there could possibly be tension between Cloud and Moon, should he attack as the guise of a Cloud ninja. He figured that his own abilities as a Human Puppet will do good keeping his identity hidden from any who pry, and even then, he does have some ideas to throw some people off guard.

He doesn't have his old Sand headband, but it wouldn't be hard to acquire one through the black market. He'll have to get a Cloud and Leaf one from there also. Sand for going to Tea, Cloud for going to Moon, and Leaf for if he gets caught and his captors don't believe that he was from either Sand or Cloud. A perfect way to have the conflict brew even further if he does get caught. And he has the two puppets needed just for these two occasions. One would be pretty easy, the other, he'll need to finesse a little bit, but he has no doubt that he can get the job done.

"Don't worry, I got just the puppets in mind to help me with these tasks. And even if I do get caught, I have some backup plans in mind." Showing his emotions through his face would do nothing as he wore the mask, but his tone would be proof enough to his foster father that he was confident in his own skills. "Anything else you need from me, Dad before I go shopping and antagonize some other countries?" He did not say it sarcastically, but rather plainly. He knows that he's got quite the few of tasks ahead of him, it would do well if he can also get information on his target countries before going guns blazing. Not only does he have to be destructive, but he does need his facts straight to be all the more convincing that he is operating as a Sand ninja and a Cloud ninja for both Tea and Moon.

(MFT)

 

[Miroku Akkuma]

The Sage gave a devilish chuckle at his words words. For he had no doubt that Kureji would be able to handle the situation. Perhaps he'd hear about his exploits. When Kureji asked him if there was something else he needed before he left. "Since you're asking son. Should you find anyone that may prove sympathetic to my cause. Ensure they find their way to me." with those words Akkuma reached into his robe pocket & withdrew a small pouch of fine gems. "To aid in any expenses you may encounter in your journey." he would say tossing the pouch to his son.

"Good luck son, give them hell." he would say with a chuckle. For he knew his son was not unlike himself in his younger days. Before long he would be back on the road with chaos nipping at his heels. The thought brought him an odd sense of pride. Perhaps it was because he'd always wished to be able to work with his children. Kureji was the first one who demonstrated the capacity to conduct such work. Riyota & Kanmuri had both been corrupted by their time in the village. Blinded by the ideals of those they had become close too. Kureji did not suffer their same affliction of morals. Akkuma attributed it to the trauma the boy suffered as a youth. It had developed into a care free indifference to the expectations of society.

Which made him more then suitable for the tasks that were before him. How the Fates had smiled upon him when they had brought Kureji into his life. The crackle of static could be heard as Akkuma's headset came to life. "Sir, you're needed at Lab 5." with that Akkuma would sigh his emerald gaze returned to his son. "What is it they say? No rest for the wicked." he would say with a chuckle before activating his headset. "Understood I'm on my way." he would say with a smile at his son. Ending the headset call he would turn to depart.

[Topic Left unless stopped]
OOC: Good luck!

 

[Kureji]

Kureji nodded as his father asked for him to also try his hand at recruiting if he ever does find others that might want to be part of Akkuma's plan. A small pouch was tossed his way, opening it, he found various small gems. Small may they be, the puppet does know that just a single one of these things can pay for a whole assortment of weapons, plus a house, plus...

He refocused himself and nodded when his foster father wished him luck and told him to give them hell. With a nod, the puppet pocketed the gems and went on his merry way to the nearest black market. He had the thought his father had told him to try and get some people recruited for his cause. Kureji giggled to himself as he thought of getting a gruop of misfits together to cause some mayhem. Really sounds like it is straight out of a movie.

(Topic left)