The Rise of Something [Open Topic]

[Enatsu]

Koga's eyes hung heavy on the scene in front of him. Ikoji clan members only a few circled around something. You could hear their wails even if you were a block away. There was no denying that these were the cries of people in pain. Koga stood over them with a few other Ikoji . He couldn't take his eyes off the corpses or his family, for they had lost three members of the clan in horrid ways. It was clear that this was the work of a harvester. Nothing was right about the way these people had died. They were mangled and obviously broken apart. Kenji the Grand Tiger made his appearance on the scene.

|

The Grand Tiger glanced at Koga and waved giving him acknowledgement. In childhood Koga and Kenji were close friends but ever since he became head of the Clan their friendship had drifted away. However today they both shared the same mindset. The same pain hung within their eyes. There was no other way to describe this sensation other than complete understanding. No one had to utter a word Koga just knew his brethren was thinking - This is sad, we will find the bastard and end him - Yes the monster of this crime would be nothing more than a faded memory when Koga found him. Exhaling deeply Koga would approach the bodies and begin to comfort the grieving Ikoji. He needed them to get away from the bodies so Kenji could examine them but these were mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, lovers, etc. etc. They couldn't just be moved because they were told to. It was times like these Koga's affinity could serve for more than one purpose.

He would take off his large cloak and place them over the three bodies of course almost instantly the grieving clan began to react but before they had a moment to complain Koga released his spiritual energy warming their souls. The golden energy streamed from his body visibly and his light was probably the brightest thing they'd been exposed to all day. "I'm the shaman, I have to ensure their spirits pass on could you please give me some room?" Even though he was using this as an excuse to get them away from the bodies he would ensure they would feel their final loved ones before they left because if there was one thing Koga did not lie about it was the spirits he was in tune with.

He would clasp his hands and begin to pray over the bodies. "Spirits of the Ikoji please give peace to Taka, Rosan, and Ouma. May their spirits find comfort in the everlasting winds. Before they bid please pass on their feelings to us of who are gathered. We will survive them and continue their legacy as we've done in the past for all Ikoji who've met their untimely ends" The words were nice words to say, even though he didn't need to it was always important to inform the people of what was going on. As Koga prayed he was constantly gathering the energy of the spirits around him. The spirit of Taka appeared next to him not visibly to everyone but Koga could feel his presence. The ethereal hand gripped his shoulder giving him strength in which he then gathered the Spirit of Rosan. Once more this spirit connected with him sharing their light he held within for his loved ones. The last spirit was Ouma but something unexpected happened.

As Koga called out to her spirit there was a response but he was blocked off from her. His eyes shot opened as he could feel her presence being ripped away from him. It was as if something was devouring her soul, it was as if she was being completely erased. Koga felt something touch his shoulder and turned immediately to see Kenji gripping his shoulder. Kenji nodded to Koga noticing something was off as he had a look of distress. Shaking his head the Shaman tried once more but realized it was futile. "What is this... Ouma's spirit has been destroyed?" a deep sigh took over him but he had to save face for his clan. So he would mix in his own feelings of sorrow and pain, and transfer them into good will hoping to add some cheer to his aura. His emotions were important since he was in-taking the wills of his deceased clan members. Slowly he would begin to trickle them to the Ikoji around and let them all share one giant moment for the souls of the deceased departing. However Ouma was gone, and there was nothing Koga could do about it. The feeling her spirit had, wasn't happiness or love no it was fear.

Kenji helped Koga stand as the other clan members began to trickle away. "Are you alright Koga? You look like you're in distress, were you close with them?" Koga grasped his head and held it strongly as tears rolled down his eyes. No wails or cries just seldom tears. "Kenji... Ouma her spirit... It didn't just leave or move on. I felt her spirit... I felt it die. It was like it was being tormented and devoured she was scared. How does a spirit get scared Kenji? How? I don't understand this, I don't understand any of it." Kenji sat silently next to Koga and didn't say anything. He grasped Koga's head and ruffled his hair for a moment before even beginning to utter a word. "You have to live with such a heavy burden sometimes I wish I could bear it with you. However all I can do is this, sit by quietly and make some notion of our past childhood. To let you know you'll never have to shoulder the aftermath alone. Koga I can't even begin to understand either but maybe her pain is a glimpse at another side of this Shaman business that you didn't know of. Maybe it's up to you to figure out why it happened and prevent it from happening any further." Kenji would stand up and begin to stare into the rocky caverns that surrounded the village. "The ANBU will be investigating the bodies. Koga these deaths.... they aren't normal in the slightest. Someone did this with some sick plan in mind. If you and I still have similar mindsets then I know you want to track them down. Offer your assistance... There's something else about this case as well. It has to do with your mother." Koga's eyes would once again strain open as Kenji would walk away leaving him with the bodies and the few supporting investigators. ANBU, or Medical Koga had to help them do this job. Especially if it had connections to his mother's untimely end. Before the any entourages came along Koga would remove his cloak and kneel next to the bodies.

Rosan and Taka's bodies were ripped of their bones. It's extremely odd but obvious to see. There are entry woulds all over the bodies but one large cut through the chest cavity all the way down to the pelvis. It seems as though the bones were completely removed but the organs were left in tact, well those that weren't destroyed. The strange thing is that it's almost as if the bones were sucked out of the body leaving a skin sack with organs. It must have been excruciating. What can do things like these? I've never seen anything like it before... Not even another Kaguya could do this, they couldn't control another's bones. However what's more puzzling is why the bones? It makes sense if you know our lineage and now it's public knowledge to the village so the list of suspect only will increase. Taka inherited the bone manipulation of the Kaguya it makes sense why they would take his bones but why Rosan? He had no bone manipulation abilities. Maybe because he had the genes it would be enough but whoever did this had to be a high caliber warrior or strategist. Taka was a top warrior and Rosan an Elite guard. Besides the peculiarity of the bones the biggest mystery is Ouma. Not on the medical standpoint the only thing missing from her is her heart. I don't understand why her heart was taken but that's the only thing gone from what I can see. The strange part is her spirit and the manner it vanished it. In all of my years even upon my enemies I've never met a fearful spirit. They simply move on with warmth and light but Ouma... her light was cold and dragged somewhere else. Ouma had the ultimate feeling of fear, anguish, and despair all bundled in to itself. Her death as a spirit was truly terrifying...

As Koga examined the body anyone coming up would have been a surprise to him because he was completely becoming absorbed in this mystery.

 

[Toraono Michino]

It felt like a black day when he stepped outside despite the artificial sunlight. Something deep and dark was happening and he wasn’t so sure that he wanted to go out into town now. Yet there was a great need to restock on certain metals so he could get crackin’ on this new invention he was going to make a bloody fortune on.

Tama was dressed in a long blue button down shirt that was left untucked out of his blue jeans with a black vest over it. He wore what looked like your basic everyday sneakers with the fabric of his pants overlapping onto the white shoes. His long hair was pulled back into a quick ponytail and over his body was a long trench coat that was there to deflect off the odd chill he felt when he stuck his head outside. Sticking out of the vest was a small chain that leads to a fob watch hidden within one of the waist pockets.
He stepped all the way out of his house and turned to lock it when he felt a strange shiver run up his spine. His head snapped around to see if assassins had amassed themselves behind him silently again to see nothing but the neighbor kids playing in the little fenced off ‘yard’. Tama shook his head a little and headed off towards the market on foot, deciding to take his path slowly just in case.

The Ryuu, though known by most as the local mad scientist, was a surprisingly spiritual person. He had fallen a bit away from the faith he was meant to follow due to his heritage but that was mostly due to how much it clashed with his lifestyle. Still he had taken baby steps down the road of a Gaia Sage that were the holy protectors of his dead clan. There hadn’t been any since the Clan Wars had wiped out almost everyone’s military resources and so much of their special abilities had been lost. Still, if one was willing to spend outrages amount of money and knew the right people you could collect any information in the world.
It had taken him some considerable time to gather the small bit of information that he had on his collective seven part clan. Every part of the Seven had their own special kind of guardians but the Gaia Clan that he was born into supposedly held the most defensive of these soldiers.
Some of it was already starting to show like such as his ability erect chakra barriers without weaving a single seal and the proven fact that he was very hard to kill.
Yet to continue to grow in the strength that was offered by what little he had translated he would have to force himself into a terrible seclusion from everything and everyone including food and water. He would have to live purely on the force of the world for an entire year and it was just something he wasn’t ready to commit to; he was still trying to figure out relationships!

Though his training had paid off, what little he was still able to do without becoming a total monk. He was able to use a dojutsu that allowed him to see the spiritual and the rivers of nature chakra that flowed throughout the world. The amount of uses for this energy was nearly limitless though he had only began to scratch the surface on its healing capabilities. Combat wise it was really only good for making an attack overwhelming but other than that not much else.
His study of the energy had made him a little more in tune with the spiritual part of the world he had quite ignored for a great deal of his life despite being a thing that once feasted on souls to survive. It was a mix of these two things and the relocation of his original chakra coil that hit him with the sensation that indeed something was wrong.
When he came to the cross roads that split between the Lower Levels and the Market he felt something pulling him back to the slums despite all the wrong he had done there. Perhaps this would be a day he would be facing down some demons.

It didn’t take him long to find the crowd as he followed his gut and the strength of the sensation. Silently he walked up and pushed his way through to witness the words spoken by the man that he recognized from a mission he had been part of some time ago. He waited patiently as he spoke to another man with a familiar tone but couldn’t hear a word that they spoke between each other. They managed to get most of the crowd to disperse and move back towards their homes and very slowly the scientist walked up into the crime scene. Being careful to dodge around the bodies, he made a single circle to get his own professional opinion on the situation before crouching next to Koga.

“Looks like blood magic. Old blood magic. I’ve wrote a little bit about it and what small amount of knowledge I could get my hands on told of some very gruesome techniques that one gains when they can manipulate blood. Did you know that there is an ability that can liquefy the marrow in the bone and then heat it up to a boiling point until the entire skeleton was liquefied? Rather nasty stuff.<i></i>” He spoke as any professional killer would coming up on a murder scene; honestly. He had no idea that these were members of his clan so his tack needed some work.

 

[Enatsu]

A voice rang making their own inspection one that Koga had not considered. He never raised his head once he was too focused examining the bodies. "Blood magic is definitely not anything I've ever considered. I've studied a few blood rituals, as a priest they seemed spiritual I figured I should know the meanings behind them. However I never knew they could go to this extent. Would this form of extraction leave traces? If it were able to liquefy the bone do you think there could be traces left behind? Koga would examine the large cut on the center of Rosan's torso that reached to his pelvis. The incison was rigid showing signs of great tearing at the skin. This was made with a bonesaw like weapon, Koga's mind got the idea to examine Ouma's body as the other two's case were too surreal. He had to figure out exactly what this death was supposed to mean to him. Before that Koga would bring his head up to introduce himself to the other examiner.

As he met eyes with the stranger he realized immediately that this was a man he knew. He brought up his right index finger pointing at Tama with a surprised look on his face. "It's you? Tama right? It's been a while since I last saw you. Were you called here to this location to assist me?" He still had no idea who Suna would be dispatching to this scene, if anything Kenji could have possibly just sent a few personals to Koga, but it's not as if he had many allies just yet. "Well since you're here do you mind helping me search the other body and the crime scene?" Koga would stand and walk out the edge of the alleyway. He'd pull out a scroll from his handy dandy ninja phanny pack. Using a set of hand signs for basic summoning and bring out a large roll of first aid tape. However this was custom made for Koga by his clans blacksmiths. Infused with chakra and hardened minerals the first aid tape was nearly as durable as metal. They were also scribbled with tons of prayers and sealing "spells". The inscribing really didn't do much but they were things his mother used to carry around and he decided to turn them into weapons. However with as many as he had he found other uses for them. In this case Koga began to use them to close off the alley. Of course if someone wanted to come in they just had to go around them but they would deter normal citizens. He wanted to work in as much peace as possible.

Koga would then make his way to Ouma. She was beautiful and had long red hair that reached all the way to the middle of her back. She also sported large bangs that now covered her face. Koga knelt to close to her and the spirits around him began to stir like they were feeling sorrow for this woman once more. He didn't know Ouma very well in fact this was probably the first time he had seen her today. Even though they were "family" his father Saizan, kept Koga so busy that he didn't really have time to connect with the clan anymore. Kenji was an exception since they were childhood friends, but even at this point they were drifted well enough.

Upon closer examination Ouma's body had a reddish tent and there was some vomit around her mouth. It seemed like she threw up blood as well before her death because there was dried up blood smudged around her lips as well. Koga wasn't too sure what to make of it as he had not been privy to anything like this before. He then got the idea to check her eyes which looked as if they were red from crying or straining. "It's like she choked on something but that doesn't explain everything. I've never examined a body like this, I'm just not sure what to make of it. From what I gather though there was something else to kill her first. If she really did throw up then there should be a pile right? Maybe that could help us out. Maybe you can make something out of her death that I'm missing." Koga would begin to search for the pile of vomit because he felt that if he found it he could get some answers as to how she was killed.

 

[Mikaboshi]

"Your kind is so fragile. It is no large feat to kill you without physically harming you."

With blackness trailing behind him as he materialized out of the gloom, the ANBU Sennin's golden eyes were drawn to the corpses laying on the ground making it easy to tell why he had been drawn to the scene of the crime. Violent death was not an amazingly rare occurrence in Sunagakure but the destruction of a spirit not slain by his own hand? That was something to take notice of. Like a shark being drawn to blood in the water, Mikaboshi had arrived to inspect the event which had piqued his curiosity so much.

"Your average human mind has so much going on inside of it. Fears, doubts, grudges, regrets. Even the strongest among you have them even if they won't admit to it. And each constitutes a lever to be pulled or a knob to be twisted." Explained Mikaboshi, his volume barely above the casual whisper that it always was. "Your brain is not unlike a series of carefully measured pressure valves. If you vent one in the wrong direction... well. It all comes toppling down."

Save for the fact he was talking, it might be hard to tell that he event noticed Koga and Tama as he spent no time letting his eyes wander to where they were. He instead stayed fixated on the corpses, moving first to where Rosan lay on the ground with the practiced grace of a dedicated killer.

"And you suffered, didn't you?" It seemed he was talking to the corpse now. He didn't touch it but it was clear that his mind was making notes with each shift of those gilded eyes. "Tell me a story, little ape. Tell me who dares to hunt in Hahvulon's woods."

 

[Toraono Michino]

"Aye, it's me. Sorry for bailing out on that mission back then but I was barely able to keep myself from losing my vision. Hell I've started to wear glasses just so I can read these days, but that's beside the point. I just happened to come across all of this to be honest with you...I felt a sort of odd disturbance in the World Flow that usually means only one thing but...this was not at all what I expected to find.<i></i>"

Tama raised a hand up to his chin to scratch a little at the beard that was starting to grow there as he eyed the corpses and listened with strong intent to what Koga had to say about what he knew so far in the scene. His eyes moved from the body to the rest of the scene that he could gather without moving and caught a few things that seemed a little out of place. Really he wanted to dissect the bodies and take a look at their organs as well in order to gain a deeper understand on his level of thinking. Usually he was able to piece together the puzzle of an attack by revealing the inner workings of the body and what caused damage to what.
There was a mention of vomiting and that sent his mind down at least five different thought paths. Was it chakra forced? Pain? Did the victim suffer an odd attack to her muscular system that forced the reaction? An autopsy would reveal all of this to the scientist if he was given permission to do so.

However before he could even get his tongue to start speaking to his fellow pseudo detective a presence of which he had not felt for some time sent a creeping terror up his spine. Tama's mind instantly shot back towards the terrors of his youth and the dark tutelage of the master that materialized before them from the shadows. He remembered suddenly what souls tasted like and a hunger that he had not felt in such a long time gripped his soul. The blonde gritted his teeth and fought down the terrible addictive hunger with sheer willpower as he had done since the loss of his first chakra coil; since he had silenced the voices.
Instinctively the scientist stood up and gave the Ancient the honor that he was due by giving him a slight bow - he owed him at least that much show of loyalty despite the lack of contact with the wraith.
"You were more of what I was expecting, Master, <i></i>" Tama said as the Ancient went to move by the corpse of the woman, "Do you suspect another attempting to touch that which shouldn't be by mortal hands?<i></i>"

 

[Enatsu]

Tama spoke to Koga confirming his identity. He explained his well being since the mission concerning his eyes, and how he'd have to wear glasses from now on. Koga still did not understand Tama's so-called "borrowing" of power. He could only conclude that this medical shinobi planned on replicating the Sharingan's power. However the question that came to mind was how? How in the world could Tama copy the abilities down to someone's genetic level? Hell in order to even know wouldn't you need to test it? How does one test something like that? What are the drawbacks, the consequences, the results for such a technique? Koga took a look around at the scene again. He took a glance from the bodies and then at Tama. Just passing by eh? Koga was beginning to get nervous, but he knew that he couldn't just accuse someone. but what if he was here ... Tama just fits this scene too perfectly ... No don't like that Koga, focus. Koga took step to the wall of the building next to alley and slammed his palm on the bricked wall. He was upset, clearly unfocused but he couldn't rule out anyone. Even if it was someone new he had to consider all the possibilities. It's what Kenji would do, to get to the bottom of this.

The red headed warrior mumbled under his breath, "When did you trade your syringes for magnifying glasses. Think, think, think where else could there be clues?". His sky blue eyes looked upon the wall that he slapped as he hoped for the skyless gods to give him an answer. He noticed that the wall had some rigid marks on them, cuts if you will. Before he could further examine his process was disturbed he noticed something, a presence if you will. Koga turned his head to see a man exiting the shadows who immediately began to examine the corpses. Does every passerby avoid the wrappings? Tama himself was not here on call, he was here due to a "disturbance" in the world flow. It sounded an awful lot like Tama had a connection to something other wordly, one could only assume that this was a drawing place of spiritual power at least this new visitor made him feel that way. Koga was about to ask the man who he was, and what he was doing. However the man not once uttered a word at least not to Koga nor Tama. He was fixated on the corpses but only by way of sight. He didn't touch them he only stood over them, possibly muttering from what Koga could hear.

Tama seemed to know the mystery man of shadows. He referred to him as Master, and they began to conduct a conversation or at least Tama was. He exclaimed that this could be another attempt to touch something which mortals should not be able to touch. Koga hated when people played the role of a God. It made him sick to his stomach, because he felt very strongly that people were bound to their mortal shackles no matter how hard they tried to discern it, they were all flesh and blood in the end (in some way or another). Things such that the gods treaded upon should have been reserved for just them. Koga felt it to be a good chance to make an introduction to this man. He would approach him and extend his hand, whether or not the mystery man would take it was entirely up to him. "I am Ikoji Koga, these three are of my clan. Rosan, Taka and Ouma. You know Tama so I assume you ended up here to help as well. Rosan and Taka's bodies were stripped of their bones entirely. Organs still inside, skin still there, wounds, but no traces of the bone. Ouma's heart is gone, but there seems to be vomit around her mouth. I think she was poisoned but I still don't know much." As Koga waited for a response he would persist to think about the crime scene. It was clear they had a fight, he knew his clan better than that to die while lying down unless their enemy was -that- powerful. He didn't believe someone could take down two warriors and a priestess with no trouble. It wasn't just the fact that he assumed there was battle it was the fact he was so sure there was a battle but no evidence to prove it. Where were the torn streets? Where was the struggle? Koga would begin to glance back at the wall he saw earlier with the marks. Hmm what if...

[MFT]

Spoiler

-Righto well as you can see I'm leading the site to the rooftops of the nearby building. If none of you bite to go up yet then I'll lead the way. If one of you plan on going up what you'll find will be vomit from ouma, and a good bit of it. Large clumps of broken up mineral, some degrading bone pieces from the Kaguyan warrior. Also a few rigid blade trails.

-Other than that go ahead and get creative, I'm sure it shouldn't stray too far from what I'm trying to accomplish. Looking forward to more RP'ing :-D

 

[Mikaboshi]

[Oi. This post was really rough coming together.]

Mikaboshi did not immediately acknowledge either of the other living men present with him at the crime scene as they addressed him. Tama would likely understand this; it simply was how the Sennin existed. With his mind focused on the task of examining the corpses Mikaboshi was not necessarily ignoring them so much as simply de-prioritizing them down his mental list of priorities. Raising his hand, Mikaboshi held his open palm over Rosan's body and the corpse shuddered lightly as the shadows within it's open cavities delved into it's secrets. Though it might appear to Tama and Koga that Mikaboshi was just standing over a corpse looking at the back of his hand what he was actually doing was exploring the corpse with mental tendrils. Raven black appendages as small as a #2 pencil poked here and there, sometimes out of Rosan's wounds, as the Sennin explored the corpse. This was a strange kill by every definition even without the removal of the subject's bones being factored into things. Mundane slayings in Sunagakure were not usually so... thorough. While the killer had been careless, or arrogant even, as to leave blatantly murdered corpses out and about they were very particular about the way they went about things. It very much reminded Mikaboshi more of a butcher than a murderer. Standing from the crouch he had taken up over Rosan's body, Mikaboshi moved his attentions over to Ouma's body.

"Too obvious for my work. Killer either stupid or arrogant to leave bodies where they could be easily found." Explained Mikaboshi to Tama, answering his comment regarding having expected to find his teacher present at the crime scene. "Especially given their unique nature. Certainly not an average slaying."

Stepping over Rosan and nearly gliding over to where Ouma's husk lay on the ground, Mikaboshi cocked his head to the right as he repeated the same process with her as he had with Rosan.

"I am very old, not stupid Ikoji Koga of the Ikoji Clan. I can very well perceive they do not have skeletons." The Sennin admonished without looking at Koga. He didn't need a report on the bodies. What he needed was less tangible than visual examination. Ouma suffered the same total lack of bones as Rosan but had no bodily wounds in the same way that he did. Rosan's body sported a massive tear in his torso which-- hypothetically-- could have been the exit point for the removal of his skeleton. But this one... her skin remained unbroken for the most part and if not for her lack of skeleton one might be led to believe she died of something potentially natural. With a twitch of his fingers, Mikaboshi caused the shadows writhing inside of her body to force her body to sit up and face him as if she lived once more. She turned her head to the right for a moment, then to the left. And then dropped like a puppet with it's strings cut as the Sennin released his hold on the shadows within her. "Tama. Make a lap about the area, report back with your findings. If there is any further evidence of a battle we should know about it. I expect you know what you are looking for." Mikaboshi's face swiveled to Koga as he stood and clasped his hands behind his back. "It is clear that your clan has found itself an unusual foe in my city. I am Mikaboshi and I am the ANBU director for Sunagakure."