The Strength of Steel

Takahashi Aki · May 5, 2014

As expected Deadline was certainly an area of some problem for Sousuke. His MkII went dead, and slowly the effects of the overexposure had crept in on him. Luckily the Steward had somewhat forseen this and had prepared himself accordingly. From the MkII he was able to salvage together a breather mask. The Steward and surface travel did not go well. He always had to prepare for it, but this time he hadn't prepared himself for the possibility that he would be locked outside of his village.

Locked out. The idea took some time getting used to. If the Steward so much as tried to get in through brute force, the Cabal would merely detonate only of the many bombs and thus doing unseen or foretold damage to the villages. Hundreds possibly thousands of lives could be lost in an instant due to a hastily made decision. Okibi, Tama, and the child was asleep for the moment. Hiku? Who knew what he was doing. Did entities such as Hiku require sleep anymore? Secondly shouldn't the Steward himself need to be resting too? Yume would call this behavior and living style unnatural. She'd find it interesting for sure, considering that Sousuke didn't tire out. If it wasn't Yume, then it was Shuu too who would have had an interest in this. Why was it that so many people found him interesting? Was he that much of an abnormal homosapien? Even Mikaboshi often commented about how different he was from most people. Funny that.

What a joke this was. Even funnier? The one who denied himself entry was a joker. A jester who worked for a genius that had out witted Sousuke.

The Steward merely sat there against a corner and brooded. He sat with arms around his legs. He sat there wearing his breather and summoned red coat. Tama attended to him in what ways he could. The Steward was bandaged up. This was the best he had for the moment. "Still awake Judori-son? The hour is late." The Steward heard the voice of Prime Diamund, and ignored it. He was off in his own world trying to put together a plan of sorts. Unfortunately each plan he was putting together ran a sixty percent or above rate of failure. Nothing sat well with the Steward at this moment in time. In any event the enemy had some sort of communal link. If one of them were to merely cease functioning, there would be rammifications. The enemy couldn't be killed, but had to be incapacitated.

"I've been doing alot of thinking honoured Matriach." Sousuke answered her after some time. He thought of Yume, his parents, Katsuo, Uri, Harupia, Shuu, Nari, Mikaboshi, Shiori, Kuro, and many many others. If any of his plans fell apart at the seams then any of their lives could be ended quickly. An explosion, the concept of being buried alive, a flare bomb. All of them dead. He looked up, his eyes glowing red due to the lenses in the breather. "I've been trying to formulate a plan here, but the enemy claims to have technology that surpasses mine. I've battled foes before with great power, and I've bested them before through cunning and strategy. I'm simply put: locked out. I'm outmanned, outwitted, and outdone." He paused for a moment. "Be that as it may I still think of my family's motto: We're King's Men. My father endured trials and tribulations, and his sister before him, and certainly their father before them. I'm missing several pieces of a puzzle. I suspect in time I will come to acquire them all, but time is of the essence here... but I cannot approach this recklessly. I have to think and be certain that my people are doing what they can to keep themselves safe and functioning."

Enatsu · May 10, 2014

The giant beetle was a magnificent specimen. The puppet Hiku could create with his carcass would have been massive, but he would not dare try on such a creature who had affiliation with Sousuke. Speaking of the esteemed Steward he was worse for wear, his armor failing and he rightfully being "naked" in a sense out here in the wilds left without a clue on how to proceed. Hiku had always thought he'd be a kill on sight target for his fellow Sunans, but if there was anything he learned then it would be:

A) The village didn't have a right to be picky in who sticks there noses in the affairs of Suna anymore. Most likely after this troublesome time, Suna wouldn't even be Suna anymore. Least not the one he'd grew up in.

B) Sousuke "seemed" more so understanding at the sudden appearance of the puppet-man assuming that he'd found a way to counter his condition with a hybrid solution.

With those two points in his head, one could say he felt "safe" in the company of Sunan shinobi for the moment. Hiku peered over at Sousuke who was muttering to himself or something. There wasn't much conversation going on and honestly there should have been. They had to have a plan, but that was easier said than done. The enemy themselves were amazing to say the least. They had Suna shut down and if any of them died they had a contingency plan. What route could offer them something foolproof with the least amount of damages. Tired of thinking to himself he'd approach the Steward and begin to start his dialogue. "Greetings, it seems that you've found yourself caught between a rock and a hard place." The faceplate to the Captain Frame would lift revealing a somewhat human face underneath showing signs of advancements of puppet mechanics fused with human physiology.

Pointing to his face Hiku's mouth would begin to move, "The fruits of labor... You were right in assuming I found a way. I've come far since leaving Sunagakure. I've seen a lot out in the world and learned a lot. Biggest lesson, was that there is always a way to do something in this world of ours. Our giant friend at the gates needs to be incapacitated, depowered, and made weak. So helpless that he won't pose a threat, but still alive so bombs won't be set off. Regardless there is still no one hundred percent sure way to go about that without the possibility of his people finding out and still blowing up the village. Honestly a piece of me says let them do it, some will survive and then this group doesn't hold anything over your head. Paves the way for annihilation on their part. Leaves out the guesswork... But that's the heartless part of me speaking. You don't have that, you still feel normally for them don't you?" Hiku would stop with the questions now. He'd walk back to where he stood before and place his hands behind his back. There was a brief pause of silence in the air as the puppet man regathered himself.

"There's no time to feel sorry, you have to figure a way in and a way to overcome this Steward, if you ever plan on recapturing your village. You need a way to keep him from dying but getting him to become incapacitated? Tell me Sousuke, if you were to weaken the behemoth and then control his mind and let's say convince him his arms are a liability that need to be lopped off could that not solve your problem? He technically wouldn't be dead just not able to use his strengths. Barbaric but it gets the job done. There are always the options of binding jutsu, it just depends on how strong of one that you need. Such as the Black Blockade technique. I've never learned it myself, but I do know of it. There is also the risky of option of manipulating his life force, to make him appear alive to their senses but him not being alive. For example if we can kill him we could turn him into a living puppet. His core would still be alive but his free-will not so much. There is necromancy out in the world, my puppet skill closely resembles the theories. However I doubt anything involving his actual death would work. Whether or not Sousuke wished to make a move it was completely up to him, however the longer they waited the worse things would get. Not knowing the state of the village would tear these Sunans up alive and cause them inner turmoil. They had to get in and help see their village to safety. Not that Hiku was beginning to care about the village but he did want to help out an old friend. It was the least he could do or so he kept telling himself.

[Entered as Hiku]

Takahashi Aki · May 10, 2014

Upon the arrival of Hikudori, Prime Diamund would nod her head. Sousuke needed to be in the company of his people, even if they were slightly modified. The matriach would listen to the two discuss a few items. She found Hikudori, for a human, quite strange. Stranger than Sousuke as at least Sousuke could change back and forth between metal and man. This one, Hikudori, was both at what seemed to be for long periods of time.

"Seeing the world lends you perspective." Sousuke would speak as Hiku spoke of the fruits of his labour. "Seeing the world gives you insights. It shows you things. This had been the first day I've been away from home. The first twenty-four hours I've not been under my village's roof for even a fragment of time within those twenty-four hours. A strange concept to take in, but it's true. I've never left our boarders." Sousuke began coughing. The overexposure he was subjected to wasn't as devastating at the time before. Sousuke listened to what Hiku had to see about how he could simply go and challenge their enemy. Force their hand, let the bombs go off, let survival of the fittest take its place. Yet Hiku understood why he wouldn't do that. He paused for a moment. Silence filled the air. The Steward thought of Yume, and while she was certainly one of the more fit people in suna, would she be amongst the fittest to survive? "Survival of the fittest doesn't work when the ones you love can be subjected to chance. Survival of the fittest has an element of random chance to it. Even a great lion can fall due to an infected wound brought on by a rabid hyena." He paused. "I've always been of a cold calculating logic, but things lately have been different for me... given the simple concept of finding a person you want to spend the rest of your life with... or at least a person who you think would do well with you." There was a pause. "My orders as Steward-Kazekage were to maintain the realm. Keep it in one piece until a Sunahoshi returns." He further explained. He left the part out about Katuso. Katsuo was more Masashi than Sunahoshi. He couldn't control the sands, but he had a right to the throne. Katsuo was one of the many trapped in Sungakure. "I will save the village. I will maintain it. The enemy upon it now is a cancer. I will surgically slice it out and eradicate it. We've done it before Hiku, with the Djinn, we will do it again."

The two discussed a strategy on how to deal with the enemy. "You're quite right. He needs to be incapacitated. Necromancy though involves the subject being dead for a time... which then allows the bombs to go off. Secondly the blood flow and human warmth become null and void, thus signifying a true death of sorts." He paused though. "At that time though we could virtually have him reveal everything to us because he would be under our control... but given that he described himself as a jester, I don't think he could tell us much." Sousuke observed. He fell silent for a time again. "There's also a deep freeze statis. I ran into an anomality a year ago named Rei. Fascinating subject ... she was frozen for several years, and sealed. She was alive the whole time but did not age. When I say frozen, she was done so quite literally. Encased in ice the report read. Unfortunately I'd have to have time to acquire a full and complete mastery of ice skills... which would take months to do." That option was out, unless someone in their current standings knew how to use ice technques. "Okibi knows gravity techniques, but I don't know how strong they would hold up in this fight. Secondly her injuries and her child are things to consider. Her mind would be elsewhere unintentionally, but understandably. She's still reeling in the concept of her being a mother. I on the other hand have come to grasp that I may be of an uncle, or grandfatherly surrogate position. It's a little hard to comprehend since ... to be honest time for me seems to slowly pass by. I've been the same person merely with scars and jewelry since the day I met her." The Steward rewound his mind back to what Hiku spoke of and the brutality technique. "I've resulted to brutality before. Granted it was calculated and with purpose. I suppose if required we could cart around an armless and legless Souki. I am of the strong belief is he is of the Akamichi household given his personal description. Sealing him in ice would be difficult. Granted in his case we may need to lure him out to Soon's and use the water there to form a prison, and then freeze it. The problem with that is we'd need time to draw the salt out of it or force the water there into a fresh state... allowing freezing to occur." He paused. "This feels like old times, you and I throwing out theories and ideas."

MFT WC: 867

Enatsu · May 10, 2014

It seemed Sousuke was coming to terms with his current situation, but he had not given up hope which was a good sign. Truthfully he didn't know that this was the first time the Kage had spent so much type above ground. Hiku could only hope the experience was revealing to the world. There were so many wondrous things in the Wind Country, and many things that could enlighten the troubled Steward. He did not take the bait to lose his humanity and simply let fate do it's work as he cleaned out the ones responsible. Instead, Sousuke was still tinkering with ideas on how to survive. The ones he loved, Hiku had none seeing as his parents were dispatched and they were the only family he'd ever truly known. It would seem that the cold interior of Sousuke had been replaced by warmth making him far more humane than he was before. There was a time when Hikuidori would have wondered if the Steward would sacrifice lesser pawns to save the rest of the board. It seemed as though the logical engineer had found love something that the puppeteer rarely thought of any longer.

The head of the village did not lose his resolve mentioning that they would conquer this threat much like they had conquered the Djinn. The puppet master produced a nod expressing that he agreed with Sousuke. The Djinn a creature of another realm, and a power all of it's own. Hiku had tried to enter the mind of the creature breaking something in his own. The Hidden Dunes, an organization he had once sought revenge and turned himself into a puppet to leave their mind control behind. Could they have been behind this? Their end goal was to convert the younger generation of Suna into their own personal soldiers, but they hadn't been able to progress that much. Their mind control was incomplete and as such they Hiku had saw to it that he developed was of outmaneuvering it. The Hidden Dunes weren't strong enough to complete this, even in his time away he still kept tabs on their activities using a few hired eyes to do his work.

The time to guess these new terrorist's origins were irrelevant, and his friend was now ready to move forward and come up with a plan. Necromancy and anything involving his death was out of the question. It was clear they had to imprison him, but the question was how. It seemed that none of them were experts with Ice but Hiku was proficient with Water, and needless to say there were ways around this. He kept listening as Sousuke spoke of his ward Okibi who was now a mother. She was an irrelevant factor to this battle seeing as she'd likely become a liability and if she wasn't protecting her babe but was near the battle the Giant and his friends would surely make use of that. Another distraction to the Steward. The intuitive man would then speak about the brutal lopping of the guard's arms. "Luring him away from his post, will be difficult unless we can conduct battle with him. It'd be easier to force him away from the Gates but we could try asking him who knows he might even go along with it, he seems loony enough. Although I'd bank on excessive force, probably more fun that way." A small smile would spread across Hiku playfully hinting that he was joking around.... possibly.

Sousuke mentioned at the end of this all that it was like old times, the two of them hashing out ideas. Hiku clasped his hands together and began to twirl his thumbs. "Yes.. the good old days, when I was a tad bit looser in the noggin than I am now. I've gained a lot of clarity and perspective on my life and what to do with it. It's been the sole reason I left to as you say find myself. I'm a puppet now, and to gray the lines would only confuse things. Yet one day I still plan to find a way to simulate my humanity, I've got nothing but time." He'd release his hands and move to pull out a scroll. After applying a small amount of chakra puppet pieces would materialize in a small but vast pile. He'd begin rummaging through it, looking for certain pieces and extrensions. There were blades, poisons, puppet limbs with hidden compartments, bombs, orbs full of what seemed to be chakra in stasis.

"I missed those to be honest, you were one of my few friends in the village and that list was minuscule. Ideas and brainstorming is definitely something that can be hard to find. I do have an idea though, this frame that you see is simply that. A frame and the first of my Human Conversion trials. He was scum in life but he held a very good talent for projectile weapons. Since then he's been upgraded, and I've reacquired some of my former humanity. When I created him I didn't have much in mind for his elemental prowess, however like most things we can fix. When I create these human puppets they retain skills and I have room to infuse their will. When I created this one I made him have the affinity of the Wood Element just as I do. However it's not to say we can't find something different out there. What I'm suggesting to be more clear is that you help me acquire another human body for my puppet frames. Now I'd hate to stain my hands with an innocent but some scum? That can't be too hard to find. What you might require some months to do, I can do in a few days given we find the material and acquire. As for sources of water I think I have a solution to that as well. My proficiency with the Wood Element is good, but your man there is excellent far beyond anything I could ever accomplish. However the one thing any wood element is composed of is Earth and Water. Not suggesting that our jutsu could contain the water source you need, what if the Wood could be a conduit for the Ice to freeze over? If I can create a puppet with the affinity for ice and we can form a prison of ice and wood he'd be more than stuck especially with her affinity for Gravity to push him beneath the sands ever so gently. Even still I suggest removing that Guard Dog's limbs, we don't need his kind of trouble. Plus if he ever does get free, he'd be very useless don't you think?" It was a lot of guesswork on their end but they could create the Ice Affinity they needed with the right source. A prison could be created by mixing elements that shared a common make up. They could make him their prisoner if they found the proper way to go about this.

Takahashi Aki · May 14, 2014

Sousuke broke into a coughing fit. As he hacked up tiny bits of diamond sands, the breather shifted allowing the bits to fall out. "The only way we're luring him away from the gates is to fight him. I'd like to know how long range their communication is. Suna is far enough underground to cause most tech to fail, but ... if they're psionically communicating then we're at another disadvantage ... unless we were to have a mind swap occur. Unfortunately given our enemy's sick and twisted mind ... that is a very big risk. Even if you break in with a mental assault, they may have planted something to cause it to backfire and then promptly disable any further intrusion." The Steward hard Hiku's joke that came. The Steward in turn chuckled. It wasn't something he did often. "Yes. Let's try that... and see if he complies. Standing in the sun that long must have done damage to his brain."

A deep rumbling laugh came from Prime Diamund. "Your friend is good humored. I like him." She would speak. Both the Steward and the Kirishii queen would watch as Hiku would display his weaponry. The creature would watch with disturbed vision as she watched taboo come to being. This was a mockery unto her, and unto the Takahashi. Unnatural it was. Dark sorcery it was. A rumbling came from the honoured matriarch. A low rumbling. She understood that humans had ways that were many. It all boiled down to perspective. This Hikudori though, he had a very different mind compared to Sousuke. Was it sickening? Slightly so, but he did just speak of how his humanity had to be stimulated. "Is... is the spirit present? Or is it just a shell?" She inquired as she circled around the entity. Whether it was a real question or one that not meant to be answered, Prime Diamund presented Koga with an answer as to the 'scum'. "There have been and always will be a number of great powers in the desert. Some of them human, some of them not. House Takahashi, House Masashi, and House Toraono rank high in the lands. The insect kingdom has always had a pact with certain members of the Takahashi clan. There are crude entities out there of some great power ... but besting them would not be in our interest. We cannot afford to have enemies on two fronts."[/b]

Sousuke's coughing fit came up again. The Steward was weakening more and more it seemed. "This is not good." The earthen entity spoke as she turned her attention from the abomination to Sousuke. The last time he was present in deadlines he was not conscious. He was healed by a fragment of the Emeraldeon. It wasn't medicine or healing meant for humans, but it certainly did work for them quite well. The Kiriishi did resemble humans in several ways, and more importantly they resembled members of the Kyoujouran clan, except they were always more primate-like in nature. "Your healer. Spark. He is not well equipped to heal you properly ... but I will do what I can." The matriach back up for a moment. "Bosalt." She would call for. Another Kiriishi would come forward as most of them were residing in the caverns. As Bosalt approached his darker form appeared, he was certainly smaller than Prime Diamund by a foot. Unlike his leader, this Kirishii had no crown features upon his brown.

"Ook. Ack. Yes Prime Diamund?" He would inquire. His speech certainly not as clear as his leader, and certainly not as fine. The matriach would in turn nod her head at him and made a gesture. The stone primate-like entity nodded his head and headed into one of the caverns ahead. In time he would return with a great emerald-like gemstone in the shape of a flower. It was

"Since the Elder Days we Kirishii have tended to the splendor at the beauty of the earth court. Your mother suna is said to have graced us with the Emeraldeon tree. This is one of its seeds." She explained. "It is what keeps us well, and it has ... always had a positive effect on injured humans. Some say that the first seed came from the Origins Mist. We think that out of the Mist came everything. Good. Evil. Fuujin. Homura... even your Mother Suna. To you it may just be a story, but to us it is how our world came to me." The Kiriishi held the Emeraldeon seedling before the Steward and with a mighty grasp, she crushed it whole. The Emeraldeon turned to dust which began to seep into the breather.

Enatsu · May 15, 2014

Hikuidori watched as the stalagmite beast circled him commenting on his humor and sizing him up. Many had not taken well to his recent transformation but this was one of those times they would have to get used to it. Rather than breaking his concentration hundreds of tiny puppet strings would exit his body connecting to different parts as he finally began to pick and choose his tools. His focus did not waver until Prime Diamund said something to him which made his head cock. Is my spirit still in here? Am I just a shell? I've heard this wording before, Sousuke's people think that one who molds with a mechanical body will lose themselves. I've never encountered one such as myself in my journeys. There is weight in their words, is it possible that many before me have failed? Am I but a rare breed in it's own league now. Hmm this only brings more questions to my mind. None that I mind seeking." Snapping back to the normal state of reality, Hiku listened as the Matriarch began to speak to him about the other powers in this desert. How disturbing them might have not been the best idea as it could cause enemies on two fronts.

"So if uprooting a potential corpse for my trials is not the way to go what is then? I've always been trying to play to the key strengths of my past utilizing projectile weapons but it's not enough. The Captain if only he had another skill. If only there were more to him than what he is. it might be time for me to run my new trials then." Hiku would stand firm as the Captain Puppet Frame began to reapply the face mask and shimmer like glitter. The chakra strings Hiku had out before began to curve around him and attach themselves to different parts of his body. As if being orchestrated, the strings would peel off pieces of the Captains Frame unlocking the puppet's seams with chakra revealing a different body within. Another Human Puppet lived underneath the frame but there was something different about this one. It was more human than the first, and there were many things that resembled a living being. The eyes, the hair, even the pigment of it's skin. The mechanical parts were obvious as the humane ones and there was a chest plate on it housing a mass of blue chakra. The puppet began to glow giving off spiked chakra signatures as the Chakra Threads that had been shot from it began to recede back into it's body. The eyes of this frame would burn with chakra as it began to snap upright lifting it's head up. The signs of chakra would fade as normality took place and a familiar voice would echo though in a softer tone.
[spoilername="Hiku shedding the Captain Frame"]

[/spoilername]

"Always hated disconnecting I have to make that process easier on myself. As for your earlier question honorable Matriarch, this is my main shell. I'm an entity of Chakra inside, so by rights I can't really call this my body but this is my main frame. I've come to integrate my past genetic material into this one although it did not seem to solve problems I wish it had. As you can see it's still a work in progress before I can say I've accomplished my goal but this is the big secret under the frames." Using another seal all of the Puppet Pieces of the Captain Frame would float in a circle gathering and reforming the frame on the ground. The inside of the puppet was open and if they inspected they would find that the wood that made the puppet was actually human organs and limbs turned into wood through some form of conversion. Hiku would cloak himself in black standing over the frame and holding his hand over the empty shell. Hundreds of the same chakra threads connected to the inside of the frame activating the receding chakra cells. As he analyzed his frame's biological make-up Sousuke would begin coughing more rapidly. This was enough to turn the puppeteer's attention away from his project.

Prime Diamund would note that his depleted health was bad. Tama could not heal well enough to help the Steward, for a machine this sandstorm simply caused wear and tear but for a human this wasn't the case. The stone matriarch would rise to the occasion having her people come from the depths. Her underling answered to her as they silently made notions to one another. Hiku observed as Bosalt rand back to cave returning with emerald flower that's form was a gem. She began to explain that this Emeraldeon Tree graced us with seeds that held ancient power. The Origins Mist something Hiku knew nothing about which she said encompassed all at one point. The dust from the seed seeped into Sousuke's Breather as Hiku watched on interested by the affects of this gas. Focusing chakra into ten of his strings to condense them, making them so thin that they'd be invisible. Before all of the mist had seeped into Sousuke's breather the chakra threads would lightly swipe across the mist attempting to absorb some of this mist for analyzation. If he was successful in even getting a little bit, Hiku would store this condensed energy into his Captain Frame. If not he'd let it be and continue to observe the Origin Mist's results.

"I assume now we wait for him to react. If you don't mind me asking what is the exact process we're expecting to come from this Prime Diamund, what is exactly supposed to happen to him?" Hiku would reattach his strings to his Captain Frame going back to analyzing the data as he questioned the stone ape goddess. Different cells on the puppet frame began to light up reacting more frequently to his probing. However there was another factor at work, here unknown to Hiku for the moment. He was gathering knowledge about the Captain's experiences and knowledge of the ocean. He was learning more about Water in the realest sense and soon his chakra infusion would begin to change the frame forever.

Takahashi Aki · May 16, 2014

"Origins mists always have different effects on different people." Prime Diamund would explain. As Hiku played with the origin mist as he would try to contain some of it in the Captain Frame he would catch a glimpse of something very strange, and for that matter anyone who approached. For a moment Prime Diamund would not quite be herself. For a moment a sort of astral projection would form on her very being. What would be seen is a very humanly figure. The figure would stand tall and at attention. The features were feminine but he would see a humanly guise. What he would see was perhaps a fragment of what the Kirishii were, or perhaps were once upon a time. The spiritual countenance stood strong like stone. It was not a frail human frame but a larger one. The project had of this humanly form had hair which stopped about roughly around the upper neck area. As Prime Diamund turned her head, so would the projection. "We have done this before to Sousuke... the result troubled us as we panicked..." As she spoke the Steward seemed to go unconscious as his MkII armour began to phase it, but as it did it was starting to crystallize. "We did not know what to do as it happened ... for that we may have erred. The Diamond Sands in his lungs and begin were taken out but not entirely..." An expression came across her primate features, and the same expression came over the more human-like projection. A sort of sadness as it were. "Judori-Son has always had a hard life... it has always seemed like he was missing something..."

Her gaze would shift from the crystallized MkII back to Hiku. It would seem that Sousuke was truly unconscious as she would begin to speak of his family. "His father before him too had a rough time in life. We healed him during a time of sickness, and it was I who had to tell him of his sister's demise." Both her image and her actual self placed a hand on the heart. "He did not speak for several days. We though the sickness had taken his voice ... but no. He opened up in time and he was a grim lad. He was always focused on his work. Never smiled. Never laughed. Much like his son before us now. I wonder if that is what it means to be a Takahashi, to put everything else before your own desires and well being. It was quite a surprise to find Judori many years later, bald headed and laughing." There was a pause. The earthern seemed to realize that she had forget Hiku's question from earlier. "Now we wait. The first time we did this his form grew dark and shadowy. Not now though. The last time we ceased the treatement."

Enatsu · May 16, 2014

The receding cells in the Captain Frame continued to react getting stronger with every pulse as if in synchronization with something. His attention would whir back to the Human Puppet on the ground realizing that there was something changing the way this frame was reacting. Hiku could feel the energy inside of Captain, it was growing changing at an abnormal rate as if it was going back to it's purest form before Hiku tampered with the make up and infused his own will. The chakra he felt emanating from the puppet was one he had mastery over himself. The Element of Water. It was what this Sea Captain knew since his youngest years through pillaging and Hiku could feel every ounce of it coursing through his strings. He kept inspecting the change not sure what to make of it. This is unexpected, I'd even wager to go as far as calling it astonishing. From what I can tell the chakra cells are purifying themselves becoming clearer and easier for me to read. They're not exhibiting much of my chakra that I infused. Does it mean to show me that there is potential in his original body? That's right I spec'd him to skills that would resemble what I had in my Yamanakan past. I am not the same it is quite invigorating to accept something yes? I chose that I was a tool, and would never change until I learned how to become a man. I accepted my fate, but did I accept what I was? Accepting is one thing, but utilizing it is another.... Interest. His mind would race as he examined the frame that while on the outside did not change the energy on the inside did and extensively. However now was not the time for a complete analysis. Content with the change he would release the Puppet Strings and walk closer to Sousuke's body.

The Prime Diamund had revealed a form one that was astral as if in spirit, but familiar. It must have been her old form, before the Mist if this was what she was getting at by revealing this form. Sousuke's armor began to form crystals around itself clearly undergoing its own form of change. Hikuidori watched as the armor continued it's change and the matriarch continued to speak. She mentioned that Sousuke had always lived a hard life, it was only when Hikuidori underwent his transformation did he get closer to the Steward and understand the type of person he was. The father shared the same fate, even hardening himself through loss which begged the question if Sousuke had experienced a similar fate. If that was why he acted the way he did, although it always seemed natural and as if his life was sheltered beyond the danger the village had to face.

The stone primate finally answered Hiku's question about the results of Sousuke's evolution. The previous time this this happened it seemed the Steward was overtaken by a dark energy apparently dangerous if they felt that the treatment had to cease. This take was more glorious in some form. It was beautiful watching the armor crystallize and transform into something else. While the puppeteer would have loved to connect his chakra strings and analyze the process, he did not feel want to tamper with any bit of the process. The Steward was experiencing something abnormal and any tampering might skew off the result. This event would be better left to observation. Hiku would begin speaking to the Matriarch revealing a bit about himself as if to help pass the time. "It was funny, the way you looked at me. Many had done the same in the past wondering what I was and what made me. I am the line between human and puppet something lost in the transition. Sousuke once told me I was committing a grave offense but it didn't concern me what he or anyone else thought for that matter. I did it for myself and my own gain, for revenge that's probably far off at this point in time. Oh how deeply I wanted to kill those who had tampered with my mind, but now it's so much smaller and pales in comparison to what I want now. I want to grow and create a future worth living in and I want to understand completely what I am. I even sought out others in the desert who were like me. More than just anyone who could be a puppet man as well, but people who were alone and left in the world. I was meant to be a sleeper agent to this village, I've only just recently pieced together their final goal. However look at this ruin and not even by my enemy's hand. I wonder where I stand now. Do I wish to help this village, or simply a friend? Am I still a man or simply a weapon? Is this really still my home, or simply a place? I wonder if when they see me, when I get this frail bastard in the village. Will I be hunted or welcomed back... Hmph it isinteresting where our minds wander in when silence.

Takahashi Aki · May 25, 2014

Prime Diamund listened to Hiku's speech. She merely nodded her head, she had never experienced what he had, but she forced herself to understand. "Had you achieved your revenge? Some people once they have it, fall into a sort of ... misguided state of existence. Some think their life had ended, and thus do nothing. Others find new purpose and go on. From the sounds of things it seems like you had given up, but ... you either realized how futile it was or you have simply moved onward." She addressed his other questions, "The eternal question. It has many answers... but this is mine: Man is always a weapon, be it through their ideas, or their mortal coils. Yet man can always break weapons down, and turn them down into tools to make their living easier. If I had to answer, I would say you've become both as you are questioning if you are aiding this village or your friend. Tools are used, but not always maliciously. Tools can be used to help the homestead grow. Tools can be used to preserve lives. I have used my hands to save lives, to deliver lives. I have ended lives as well." She paused for a moment. "We're all part of this earth. We are connected to it more than others, but we're all part of it. Some of us are spiteful and wish to burn the earth we walk on, and thus destroy the homestead. Others will rise to stop those. There are some who wish to harm others because they can, and there are those will stop them. Every action has one to harm, and it is swiftly followed by one to prevent the same. Those who are harming Sungakure will be met by those who try to save it. Those who save it may bear weapons, others may be raw skill. That is nature taking its course. One side will prevail, one side will not. Both sides will be changed, for good and ill combined to form a greater sum."

The Dream said:
The Steward awoke. He was the head at a table. This was a very strange place to be considering that he was being turned to crystal by the Emeraldeon. At this table sat a number of individuals. Most strangely was the young man to his left which had curly brown hair and pink eyes. He wore the exact same clothing as Sousuke did. The red leather coat was the most notable. He seemed very familiar. Then to his right sat a very fierce and older looking man. He had markings like Sousuke did, in fact he had exactly the same face wound. This man though had even darker hair tied in a knot top. "Ah. Here you are my old ... friend." The term friend was spoke with a certain tone that Sousuke couldn't detect whether it was sarcasm or honesty. Sousuke opened his mouth as he was going to state the obvious... "We've never met. You don't need to state it. I know this might be all very confusing for you."

"I'd say so too, considering Gramps here never sleeps" spoke the brown haired individual. The scarred faced individual rolled his eyes. He seemed very unappreciative of the tone that was being used. He gave the speaker a very stern look, one that seemed something like his father would do from time to time. "The last time you feel asleep was when Gramps?" It seemed like the stern look was completely being ignored.

"Why do you keep calling me Gramps...?" Sousuke paused for a moment. His eyes narrowed. He was analyzing the details. The face the eyes, they were quite similar. They looked very much like Okibi's ... but ... "I am not insane. I am not of the moral insanity inclination. I am quite capable of sustaining my mental health. I have never had any problems with determining reality and illusion unless I was subjected to a very powerful genjutsu, and even then I can work my way out of it in time. I have done it before."

"Of course you have." A smirk followed. "Mother told me about it... and how you've defeated monsters and beings of fantastical proportions. The supposed aged and matured son of Okibi spoke with a confidence that surprised the Steward. Perhaps it was Tama's ego or other characteristics that had rubbed off on him.

"This is incredibly awkward. We just ... saved you from what would be years of enslavement and experimentation." Sousuke began, it hurt his head thinking about this. He wasn't even thirty years old and theoretically he was a grandfather on some form of technicality. "Why do you mimic my appearance? Is this destiny? Is this how it is supposed to happen? What is it that caused you to be as you are now? What is the entire point of this? All this? Is this some sort of ... pep talk? I know Suna is under siege. I am trying to think my way into a proper response to do this." Several questions came out of the Steward. Most of them rhetorical.

The scarred man shake his head. "You're thinking too much Takahashi Sousuke. You ought to wind down a little bit. Maybe enjoy a drink or two." as if on cue a glass of red wine appeared in the man's hand. To Sousuke it seemed most natural. "This is a dream Sousuke. Remember that first and foremost. What happens here may happen, depending upon what occurs. Some it may not occur. This is not destiny, merely a possibility." He inclined his glass slightly but not spilling the contents. "Take from this what you will. Perhaps you'll find something resourceful from this gathering. Mayhaps some inspiring words." The scarred individual sipped on the red wine. "Ah. Suna Wild Fire. Always good." He paused as he swirled the contents of the glass with a rotating motion. "Have you ever felt empty Sousuke? As if you've ... been missing something."

"No." The answer came quickly.

"Are you sure?" He was being questioned. It was an odd off setting thing to be asked.

"Yes." Sousuke answered quickly enough once more.

"I know that look. You don't understand the true meaning of the question Gramps. Spoke Okibi's son. "No point in pushing it though. Not everything can be observed inwardly." He shrugged his shoulders. He was acting as if this was a lost cause.

"This topic has gone on for long enough. I have done what was required of me which was to answer the question. What more is there to this?" Soususke grew annoyed and irritated. Such was evidenced in his voice. He wasn't sure why he was this way. It was probably due to the way he was being treated. "If this is how you're going to be when you grow up, I will take actions to prevent this."

"This is a dream. You don't even know that I'll turn out like this, or be alive tomorrow." Okibi's son countered. "Maybe I'll grow up to be like my real father...

"That's not happening." Sousuke snapped back. Uncharacteristically a very sharp and angry answer came out of Sousuke. He had gotten this way before in front of Uri, Katsuo, and Shuu. That time it was not aimed at either of them.

"Well at the very least he's adamant about that. Very good Sousuke. I think you're starting to come around." Spoke the scarred individual once more. He reached down onto the floor and placed a horned helmet before him. Sousuke had seen the design before. It looked like it belonged to one of the picture books his mother read to him as a child. The story of a knight who saved the life of a princess who became queen in Bird Country. This individual had made names, but he was at times called Shade. Other times he was called Seitoshi. He travelled with a ebon wolf called Fang. "It's not every day one of your childhood story book heroes come to live, am I right? Or am I right?" This hero though was wronged though in many ways and yet he endured... just like Sousuke had when he was a child.

"No. It isn't." Sousuke was slightly stunned. He didn't recall Shade or Seitoshi drinking wine. He didn't recall him being so ... so ... relaxed and calm. He had personality, a lot more personality that Sousuke had. Sousuke wasn't disappointed, he just never had a moment like this with a hero, so to speak.

"Well hey. I got to meet my hero. He's sitting across from me... but then again that needs to be determined by time."

"You are the superior Takahashi Sousuke. Do you know how you what comes next? Do you know what you have to become?" Sousuke shook his head, "Legend." Shade/Seitoshi answered. "Like your father, and his father before, and his father before him as you like to say. It is up to you to take the next step. It does not occur over night, it takes time. It takes decades upon decades, to centuries upon centuries, it may even take mounts to be grinded to dust by time." Sousuke was listening intently to every word spoke. "All Men, all women must become superior, but only few can become legend. It is not defeat should you fail, but the story of one merely stops. Those stories that become legend echo through time, and influence individuals like yourself in times of need like this." Shade/Seitoshi nodded his head, "Go now to become even greater. Go on to save your village. It may take time, but things will fall into place. Do let doubt fester and grow in your heart. Have faith."

The sounds of bells ringing came first. Then the sound became twisted and even more harmonious as the sounds became that of crystals cracking. Sousuke broke out from the Emeraldeon surface. For a moment he thought he was alone, his vision was coming to. For a moment he still thought with the two who had given him council, but no it was still Prime Diamund and Hikudori. The Steward shifted. His breathing was normal, and not compromised by the diamond sand. "How long was I out for?" He spoke, his voice stronger than usual and with it came a true sort of concern.

"Twelve minutes. For a time I was concerned as your form grew dark, but that had passed. Perhaps it was poision from your previous engagement being removed ... perhaps it wasn't. Are you well Judori-son?" The matriarch asked. To Hiku her spiritual form would vanish slightly in time before the crystalis broke. "You seem healthier than you usually are? Is that how you feel?"

Sousuke paused for a moment. He felt weaker usually. He certainly had strength of a higher degree but it always felt empty. Now it felt whole. In a way he had not entirely been truthful in what had occured during those ... twelve minutes which really felt like thirty. Was this emptiness that had become simply accepted by Sousuke gone? "Different. Now sure how to explain it, but certainly I'm breathing easier." He rose up with no effort. No hesitancy, and certainly no injury. There was a confidence in his movement. Had some aspect of Uri rubbed off on him? Like the time he had challenged Magnetica? Or was this something else? "We're going to need materials Hiku. Shall we hunt or find some?"

(MFT : 1914)

Enatsu · May 26, 2014

Each word Prime Diamund spoke rung through Hikuidori. Man were weapons in their own right. Many men before him had created this theory through their own actions. The line between the two were often muddied these days, but none the less it was accounted for inside of himself all at once. Allowing the words to marinate gave him time to digest what she was telling him. The world would acknowledge him as a tool or a man who by his own accord had become more weapon than man. Prime Diamund offered much wisdom however Hiku didn't have much of a response to offer. As the rocky deity continued it occurred to the puppet meister that she could be far more in tune with his predicament than he initially assumed. There was now a question forming about her past and how she was shaped, but that was soon thrown off course by the serene ring of something close to them.

Sousuke and his armor had been encased inside of the Emeraldeon, which had now grown into a full size cocoon. The sound was like a bell chiming and resonating with some unknown force. In a burst of energy the Steward broke from the crystal coming bringing himself out with a stronger frame. Hiku began to immediately analyze him from afar as he spoke with a stronger voice and more emotion. If you knew the Steward then you knew that emotion was a rare thing for him to show even in the tone of his voice. The emotion he was displaying seemed to be organic, rolling off of his tongue with ease. There was no hesitation, or oddity, it was simply there.

While Sousuke had only been unconscious for a short period of time. She took to question Sousuke while Hiku would take the time to reseal all of his materials. The spiritual form she exhibited before had disappeared. There was a chance that she was hiding the form, not wishing to show it to Sousuke or maybe there was something else behind it. He would not speak on it, allowing the natural flow of time and process be the answer. Instead he'd await for the Steward to approach him in his new found glory. He said that he was feeling much better, healther and easy to breathe. The Kazekage had become stronger from the Origin Mist's source that much was obvious. Without much hesitation he approached the puppeteer and went to work.

"My my, less than a minute free and you're already ready to go. Impressive Sousuke, regardless yes I do need to gather some materials. I need a creature or a person, who has a great affinity for the elements of Water. I've learned the element to a greater degree due to the cells in my puppet. He was a Sea Captain before they taught me about the ocean. I've summarized that I can use my Puppet Conversion technique on animals as well, just all depends on their abilities. Are their any creatures in Sunagakure who have amazing control for the Water or Wind Elements? If so I suggest we go acquire one." Yes he didn't always need to pervert the body of man, it could also be a wild beast but they had to be strong chakra wise. It had to be enough there for Hiku to alter and infuse his will into. "You may lead the way Steward, I'm sure there is much we need to talk about."

Takahashi Aki · May 27, 2014

Sousuke blinked twice as Koga spoke that it was only two minutes and he was already to go.The Steward pulled back his breather mask revealing a set of blue eyes instead of gold and silver. More importantly his eyes were no longer dark either. "Well..." He paused for a moment, "There is no time like the present." He paused for a moment. "Has it only been a minute? Truly. How extra ordinary." There was a sort of cheery good hearted nature in his realization. Certainly the old Sousuke would be hard pressed to have this quality. For all that good cheer one moment turned to a sobering fact as it came to rise that they were stuck out there with no way back into Suna. It wasn't that Sousuke had forgotten his predicament, which was why he was thinking of going out on a hunt to acquire some resources. "The only Water Elemental beings I encountered were at the Starlit lake, and that was a year ago. I would have called in a favour, but we're locked out. I certainly don't want to go so far as Soon's. They have pools there, but I doubt they have anything ... of great import there. It's not like they're hiding anything of use to us." The Steward gritted his teeth and furrowed his brows. "There are creatures in the sky, most of them from stories of old like the Skywake Sirens. They're large bird-like entities..."

"They are quite clever and quite ruthless. They enjoy snatching my people up and dropping them. We survive, but I think that in their sick twisted mind they would sooner like to see you two go ... splat." Prime Diamund warned. Her eyes narrowed as if she remembered such an occurrence. It was not pleasant. Not in the slightest. "They tried making a nest once upon the Onyx Slab. I was forced to deal with them. They dropped me three times, it took two males and their matriach to lift me up. It was almost a fourth time except I took their matriarch a hold by the beak and crushed it. She still lives, but she certainly doesn't come down. Their feathers are hard like iron, but they are not truly invincible."

"I'm certain Ken could maybe try and grab us a few, or get their attention while we try to find their matriarch." Sousuke thought as he tapped his chin with his index finger. "We could establish a Grim Ward on his horn, and that would perhaps send them in a rage. I'm assuming you have some bones of them left for me to fashion one?" Sousuke inquired.

"That could work. Bear in mind you're dealing with ... well the human stories often depict them as hybrids but really they're more avian like in nature. They are most like hawks ... as my father described them except they can mimic some human sounds. They're larger too, and they can project their features like one does an arrow from a ...." Prime Diamund made a motion to what would be understand to be a bow.

Enatsu · May 27, 2014

Hiku content with the new Steward did not question his seemingly unknown personality and changes. The Origin Mist had did something to him like it brought him something. How did any of this work? What could this Mist do? What properties does it bring out? There were so many gray areas. do many things that the puppeteer did not fully understand, but the possibilities could be vast. It was clear that this Mist could backfire on a person who used it as they mentioned that Sousuke's form got dark before. This likely meant that these Emeraldeons could cause a berserk like state, or even death. Sadly there were no clear answers for the puppet man, not now at least. He's gather more in due time, he'd see to the small sample he collected did not go to waste.

Focusing back onto the task at hand, they would discuss a plan to capture a creature of great power. The preferred creature would be one of water, but instead they could only find one out here with a great access to Wind. The Skywake Sirens, creatures of avian and humanoid decent. Some would even go as far as to call them demons. Hiku had heard of them briefly before but never encountered. Inside his puppet body, the thousands of chakra strings would maneuver the inside locks to his body shifting his arm to long metal tube that extended from his forearm. This tube was connected to a canister on the inside of his Puppet Body. By utilizing fuel, and a chakra spark it would create a Puppet Flame perfect for dealing damage. "I know of these creatures, well of their kind. It is said that harpies, which these Sirens seem to resemble are weak to forms of Fire. It would make even more sense if they utilize the air around them. I believe with precision flames we can clip their wings."

While the ninja's normal method of attack would be harder to fight creatures in the air, the Sirens would find it difficult as well. They couldn't rely on grabbing them and just dropping them to go splat. Namely due to Sousuke's incredible armor, and Hiku's Puppet body was simply a shell. They had the advantage in defense and if these steel like feathers protected these creatures from physical harm, the elemental Fire attacks the pair could produce could rival them in terms of offensive power. With the Giant Beetle, Ken on their side a commotion would be a grand option. "Yes most definitely, finding their Matriarch will be important. What about their nest? As bees separate the workers from their queen and have their gatherers, do these sky creatures have a system? Strong guards, by the queen? I highly doubt the Matriarch is ever alone these days." Hiku would move to his scroll which had just been used to reseal his puppets.

"The Puppet I just sealed, the Captain. It's a projectile based puppet meant to deal damage from afar and has hawk like vision itself. I don't always need to be inside of it, I just feel safer when I'm wearing layers. Regardless of such, I can have this puppet attack while coordinating projectile, explosive, and fire attacks from a distance. I will partially be a target but the Puppet is like a sword to me, you just have to know how to defend." Hikuidori would pocket the scroll again and proceed to ask more questions in mind. "So which way do we go from here? I'm ready whenever you are." When they left, Hiku would make sure to bow to Prime Diamund as to show her respect for her hospitality and help of the Steward.

[Will leave with Sousuke when ready]

Takahashi Aki · May 28, 2014

Sousuke tapped his chin a moment more, "We'll need some gravity techniques to be used to try and draw them down should the Grim Ward not work." Okibi wasn't in the best of shape, but certainly she was faring better. She could simply remain hidden inside of Ken's carapace like she did before. Her breather too was working quite well. Certainly with a few pelts he could put together something for her. Her body suit was ... well it wasn't made for taking a hit. It was made for her mobility primarily, or so Sousuke figured. At the very least he could make something bearing in mind both mobility and defensive. Sousuke seemed to frown a bit. The last time he had made her a suit it proved to be useless to her. It didn't stop those men from hurting her, or... No. This time it was different. He would be there with her. No sending her off alone. While he didn't doubt her own fighting ability, he was merely cautious.

Hiku spoke of how he was going to engage the foe. The Steward battle within himself the simple fact of putting his protectiveness on the side, and trying to figure out a plan of attack to draw down some Skywake Sirens. "I'll draw them in. I imagine though if they do get me airborn, I'll simply have to trust you to break my fall, or make sure I don't go as Prime Diamund said it 'splat'." The Steward made a shrugging gesture. "I know Ken would try and catch me. It isn't hard considering his size. I'll certainly deal with it in what ways I can should the worst occurs and something happens that I did not calculate to happen."

"If you're intending to bring Sousuke-Sister, we would best address her injuries to our fullest ability." Prime Diamund would bring up. "While she wasn't subjected to the diamond sands as long as you were, and most of her wounds were closed ... some of them still need some work. Let us tend to hers and Spark's too." Sousuke nodded. Yes. He had indeed closed most of her wounds using plasma techniques, and it was patchwork at best, what Prime Diamund offered was certainly a step up.

"I believe that is our first order of business then." Sousuke made his way with Prime Diamund into the caverns. "This shouldn't take long Hiku."

(Topic concluded)

The Strength of Steel

Takahashi Aki

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Enatsu

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Takahashi Aki

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Enatsu

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Takahashi Aki

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Enatsu

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Takahashi Aki

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Enatsu

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Takahashi Aki

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Enatsu

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Takahashi Aki

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Enatsu

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Takahashi Aki

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