The Talons - [A]narchy

[Takahashi Aki]

Tama and Okibi were either continuing with their efforts to recruit individuals of some common grounding, or they were going to be here shortly. Of the two scenarios he had hoped it would be the latter of the two. Tama of course proved that the latter of the two would occur inevitably. The Steward in his ever multi-tasking mind was working up scenarios, counter scenarios. He had a cursed weapon with easy access to. The MkI and MKII armours were still unstable. That being the case the Steward had worked around that with new elemental designs.

The hour is late. Ryuuto is not here. Shade reminded Sousuke. The Steward had been at the meet up place for nearing an hour and a half now. This could have gone very wrong for the Raikage. His meeting could have gone very very wrong. Sousuke sooner or later would have to go looking for the man. It may interest you to know I can sense my other half's existence once more. Injured. On the move. Shifting about.<i></i> With that the Steward was feeling slightly better. Mikaboshi was bound to him, and bound to the people of Sungakure. If anything Mikaboshi was taking his revenge upon the individuals who blotted his existence out for a time. The Steward flagged down the proprietress to come by with another round of drink for him. Usually the small man was a light weight when it came to drinking, but his experiences with Roku, Hakumei, and Lord Nobu helped him to ... become superior at this thing called social drinking. The Steward lifted part of his breather up once more to consume his alcoholic drink.

He listened carefully to the discussions going on at hand. Nothing of great import to him at the very least. He finished his drink and paid for it. Time to go look for Ryuuto, or whatever troubling individual that had come over him. The Steward placed his hands in his pockets and made for the door with his bag in hand. Making a move towards Mako's achieves would be far too troublesome. He could visit Shino, but then again there was a high probability that there were some Cabal spies there. Best to observe the surroundings first and then make a proper well calculated move.

 

[Sand Council]

Shouki​

"Too late...!" a sing-song voice rang. Wearing a sombrero that shaded his slightly tanned face and a pair of cherry red louvered sunglasses, Shouki was dressed more for a vacation than a stand off. His lawn chair was twisted and mangled into what appeared to be a purposefully tied bow-knot but he appeared undeterred, a bright bath towel had a cartoon character giving the real world a thumbs up. One might wonder why the somewhat overly colorful scene. He was sunning but he was not sunning as his exposed abs were getting a tan but not his face and the various dark metal piercings. No shoes or socks, a pair of worn sandals could be found near Sousuke's feet, all he wore besides accessories was a pair of verdant tropical flower patterned shorts. "I leave Magnetica to cover my post for one hour. One hour! And she lets the village blow to smithereens."</B><i></i> He claimed, his hand miming his words with an uplifted center finger to signify the one. "And I was sooo bored,"<i></i> He complained as he sat himself upright and pulled the sombrero to the back of his head.

"...And Magnetica got to enjoy the first part of the show."<i></i> His gripe had an ominous ring to it, the door back to the village was partially ripped away, revealing only earth beyond the fractured barrier. <B>"Ah Steward-sama, do you want back in? I doubt the boss would care if you dug your way back down to share the fate of your friends now," he let out a guffaw. This game was ending too quick. A small crater formed where there was once a field of rolling dunes, the sand filled in the vacant space that was once the maw. "Poor soul that tried to break out ignored our warnings, we might like to kill and maim but we are not liars."

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Shouki. The Steward wasn't surprised to see the man still at his post... or apparently not. For one hour. One hour. Magnetica was left outside. Unfortunately the mistress of magnets was one of the foes that Sousuke could not truly engage with and deal with one on one. It took the village to take her out. This was troubling news. She was recovering from her defeat, and that was some leeway, but Sousuke would need to draw entirely upon shadows, and elementals to best her. The problem then would be that he would need to take her and Shouki out at the same time. He understood how Magentica worked, and only thirty-seven end game theories on what kind of fighter Shouki was.

The optical lenses of the Steward's breather helmet would glow bright red as Shouki spoke of the village exploding. He went on at some length about the matter, and after some time the redness of the lenses would die down. People were still alive down there. That was what mattered most. Finally Shouki stopped speaking. "I think I know now the pains of my rambling."<i></i> He spoke as the Steward phase shifted forward. Shouki would find his vision less red, and more colourful as he would find his glasses missing. The Steward was now holding his glasses as he was very neatly closing them by the ear frames and hooking them onto his red leather battle coat. The Steward was used to dealing with bullies as a child. Shouki was just that. Bullies once pushed sometimes pushed back. It was time to see what the result was. "Your boss may not care, but you would I'm thinking. You can also simply show me the way in, and then the real fun begins. Ennui is a very terrible state of existence. I am familiar with it."<i></i> The Steward now looked to Shouki. "I do want back in, but I am suspect that I will need to ... end your ennui to gain entrance through whatever means you have that will not cause further damage."<i></i> The Steward's form would glow a sickly dark blue ever so slightly. It was time to begin testing. All what was to be done now was to observe, and react accordingly. The Steward was certainly fitter than he was before when he had last approached the gates. "Tell me Shouki. What is large, red, wooden, metallic, and not bored?"<i></i>

(MFT 404)

 

[Sand Council]

Shouki​

"Your boss may not care, but you would I'm thinking. You can also simply show me the way in, and then the real fun begins. Ennui is a very terrible state of existence. I am familiar with it... I do want back in, but I am suspect that I will need to ... end your ennui to gain entrance through whatever means you have that will not cause further damage."

YES, he was so fucking bored. The sand, miles and miles of it. The rolling hills of nothing but heat and dirt. The Chuunins kept him busy for a few minutes, as did a group of Jounins and a smattering of Genins. They were so far and few in-between and stringing them up took some time, some effort before Magnetica buried their remains because of the 'stink'. Dam woman, ruining his fun and bringing back this picturesque scene of nothing - those bodies added a splash of color to the perpetual earthen tones. "Yes Steward, entertain me."

"Tell me Shouki. What is large, red, wooden, metallic, and not bored?"

"You blade covered in blood,probably my blood,"</B><i></i> Shouki answered, he empathized 'my' perhaps more than he should. Shouki rolled his eyes and his face dropped, his expression was pained with disappointment much like a boy on Christmad morning only getting a lump of coal. That was not a good riddle, he wanted something FUN. Something that might last longer than the duration of a scream or for the as long as blood was contained in a living vessel. "My turn," he announced unimpressed. "You enter a cave and you have 1 match, a wax-candle, a kerosene heater and an oil lantern. Which do you light first?"<i></i> He folded his arms over his chest. It was not much of a riddle, listing the answer among the options seemed like a lazy-man's riddle because it was. He was throwing the Kazekage a bone with this one, he did not expect him to get it anyways so why bother making it something fancy-like.

"Answer me right... I let you in. Answer me wrong, I'll still let you in but I won't tell you how to win your game." Shouki taunted as his lips peeled back to reveal a row of pointed shark-like teeth. "Hell, stump me... I'll send you off with a parting gift."<i></i> Little did Sousuke know, Shouki had already been given the order to let any new visitors inside the village now that it was about to blow. His answer was entirely irrelevant, but his information could change the tides of battle. Commanding officers should be more careful when they give orders to their subordinates: Tsk Tsk Akio-sama, you left me bored and alone without a clear purpose. <B>"So, how about it Kazekage-chan, willing to play a game with your village and my information as collateral?"

In a time where brawn is often favored over wit, Sousuke has been faced with a different kind of challenge if he accepts. The fate of the village is in his hands... well brain. GOOD LUCK, NO MATTER THE OUTCOME I WILL COME OUT THE WINNER, SO LET'S PLAY!

 

[Takahashi Aki]

"Close Shouki. Very close... but very wrong."<i></i> The Steward would answer. Shouki would perhaps fell a chill down his spine as there was something not quite right. The Steward's face was covered completely, but he could sense a smirk. Smirking was something Sousuke did not to. "The correct answer is you converted into a human puppet and operating at the hands of my friend Hiku. Though to get to that point my blades would be covered in your blood, but no wood would be involved yet. My sheath is not fashioned from wood. There is a 'got wood joke' to be had here I suppose, but we're beyond that."<i></i> The Cabal knew that the Takahashi clan had an absolute disdain for human puppetry. The concept alone of Sousuke willing to allow such a thing to occur would show just how serious and wild he could have gotten. "I think you would look nice with a pair of cannons on your shoulders. Or perhaps I could have one come out of your mouth."<i></i> He added.

Shouki next had a riddle for Sousuke. The Steward was silent for a moment. He merely stood there allowing the question asked to have a deeper understanding. The Steward entered his mind palace and allowed himself to operate within it. His red glowing eyes would die down for a moment. After finding his answer, his eyes would once again light back up. "The match. I'll even give you a bonus answer as to why. Elementary really considering you cannot light any of the other items without lighting the match first."<i></i> Came his answer. Common sense really, but this was a riddle. There was a trick to be had here. His father was an expert in realm of riddles, and several times during his childhood Judori would ask Sousuke these riddles, and Sousuke tripped over them consistently.

"This isn't a game Shouki. This is something different. Though I suppose it doesn't matter to you seeing how you're not the one to lose things here. I am the Steward. Not the Kazekage. I was tasked with the maintenance and protection of the realm in the absence of a Sunahoshi. I will not commit the original sin of disobeying my father, or what has been bestowed upon my clan by Mother Suna herself."<i></i> Shouki didn't care. The world did, however, history did. This day a Takahashi son would do as his father did before him, and his father's father, and his father thrice before him. "Wtih that being said I have proven to be more than enough entertainment to bring an end to your ennui."<i></i>

 

[Sand Council]

Shouki​

Buzz went the fly...​

"Close Shouki. Very close... but very wrong... The correct answer is you converted into a human puppet and operating at the hands of my friend Hiku. Though to get to that point my blades would be covered in your blood, but no wood would be involved yet. My sheath is not fashioned from wood. There is a 'got wood joke' to be had here I suppose, but we're beyond that."

Shouki loved riddles, Sousuke's riddle was silly and convoluted. It made no sense. Shouki's face dropped with disappointment as Sousuke gave the 'correct' answer. Trying to look smart does not work with the company he was presently in, most of his comrades were six-hundred feet under. Even the recently slain shinobis that tried to break past him were halted by their lack of limbs or blood inside their bodies as he painted the desert red. So, you are an idiot then," he responded with a huff as he tried to take a sip from a fruity drink he had brought back from Sora. It had a sour flavor, it had already gone bad. He spit out the bitter contents of his mouth onto the ground as Sousuke tried to continue his taunt.

Buzz Buzz said the fly...​

"I think you would look nice with a pair of cannons on your shoulders. Or perhaps I could have one come out of your mouth."

"Wishful thinking,"</COLOR><i></i> Shouki responded indifferent. "You honestly have no idea what I am," he added cryptically. His tongue flicked the air, it was long and thin and it shot in and out in the blink of an eye. O'nooz said the fly... Shouki chomped away at his little snack while he waited for Sousuke to answer his riddle.

"The match. I'll even give you a bonus answer as to why. Elementary really considering you cannot light any of the other items without lighting the match first."

He did get Shouki's riddle correct. The guy was a retarded genius. Then there was a rant, the kind of rant where he phased out of awareness and let the Steward ramble on, ladies... coconut bras and grass skirts swaying in a breeze... No, a strong breeze. Better. What was Sousuke on about. Victory. Justice. The Sunagakurian way? Something about his mother. Oh bother, take a breath man.

"This isn't a game Shouki. This is something different. Though I suppose it doesn't matter to you seeing how you're not the one to lose things here. I am the Steward. Not the Kazekage. I was tasked with the maintenance and protection of the realm in the absence of a Sunahoshi. I will not commit the original sin of disobeying my father, or what has been bestowed upon my clan by Mother Suna herself."

Shouki held both his hands over his gut and proclaimed dramatically, "ACK! Egads! You have found my one weakness remorse... no,sense of duty... HA! boredom..." A sly grin came across his face, his thin lips peeled back and rows of white pointed teeth glistened. "One final riddle then," Shouki proclaimed, entirely recovered from his dramatic but useless statement. This would be a fitting end to their game.

<COLOR color="red">"I reach up to the sky and back down to the ground. Sometimes I reach far to the sides to touch my brothers. I conceal people and things.
Through me, not a window. I am what you would find in your pocket when it is empty. Just here all the terrain tells you is lies.
What you seek can be found at the start of a tragedy, fills the space between the beginning and the end of a moral and I am not complete until you take what fills honor."​

He stopped, gave Sousuke a moment to digest what he said before he let out a sigh. "And as promised... your bonus, even if your riddle was wrong. I can run but cannot walk. I sometimes sing, but never talk. I have to hands upon my face. You check on me to keep your pace."

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke watched as Shouki's tongue fired out of his mouth and latched unto the fly. The Steward recollected his first meeting with the Cabal agent, and recollected him mentioning the devices from earlier. "I have a better idea now."<i></i> He answered. "I can say the same thing, but repetition causes ennui."<i></i> The Steward wasn't surprised at his foe's response. He listened and listened carefully to what was spoken next. It took a moment to digest. It took a moment to decode. Nothing was simple when dealing with the Cabal. Chaotic individuals were the worst to deal with.

The second part finale of what Shouki spoke was a simple riddle. "A clock naturally."<i></i>He rewound the words Shouki spoke and replayed them in various tones blocking out the severe annoyance that was Shouki's voice. "I see now, or rather I hear now."<i></i> He nodded his head. "My turn."<i></i> He would say as he would begin his own finale. The Steward's form would be displaced in a shadowy formation phasing out from what seemed to be existence itself. Flame would then begin to surround Shouki. The corpses he had played with earlier caught flame and soon enough the flames would grow around him. Slowly but surely Shouki would find himself surrounded by walls and walls of flames. Not random but they had a design to them. Should one have looked down from a skyward look they would see the symbol of Sungakure. Structured walls of fire forming the symbol. The voice of something ancient and something from the depths would rumble. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust. To the Night lands to stay with the ancestors. Go now to your next incarnations. Live again if at all possible. Rise and rise again until lambs become lions.<i></i> The flames did not die out, but they continued to flicker and the heat was maddening. For those who malice has wounded this land, your undoing will come upon you.<i></i> The walls of flames would draw towards him. The heat increasing and perhaps the maddness that was around him. Was this Sousuke's doing? The young Steward had a mastery of fire. The Takahashi were known for the Fire-Forged Steel. Perhaps was this merely the final crack in Shouki's already insane mind. In time... in time ... in time...<i></i> The walls of flame would simply vanish leaving only a burnt mark in the grounds. Enough of the defilement. Those who had passed were now properly attended to. Cremation. One final show of the theatrics would come as a Shadowy Horse-like entity would run through Shouki. The screams of the stallion filling the air.


***

The Steward as he made his travels to the dojo was in the presence of Tama, Okibi, Prime Diamund. As they made their way Shade would quickly appear. "I think you quite enjoyed that. Quite the theatrics you played." Shade spoke to Sousuke.

" Their turn is over. Like I simply said. My turn. It is high time my enemies realize they are dealing with something ... superior."<i></i> With that the Steward found the entry point Shouki spoke of. The Toraono dojo. Dad. Mom. Yume. Shiori. Katuso. Kuro. Mikaboshi. I'm coming to help.<i></i>

[Topic left, heading to the OV dojo]

 

[Sand Council]

Shouki​

And with that dramatic exhibition, the buried bodies Magnetica so carelessly put away were ensconced in flames. The pungent scent of charred human remains wafted through the air, it was a glorious scent. The crisp embers caught the wind of the maelstrom and were blown out before they could be carried far but appeared as a flock of fireflies into the air. It was not bothersome, it was rather a brief respite from his boredom. With the Kazekage heading towards the entryway, he would now return to Sora. He still had much to do, screwing over his allies was one thing, screwing over Akio was another. That little bastard had this coming trying to play both sides of the field like that.

"Bye-Bye! I'll see you in a few weeks Steward-chan."

[Topic Left]​

 

[Takahashi Aki]

[Leaving IV zone to to go OV 30 mins to departure?]

 

[Michi]

[Sousuke has successfully left this topic]<i></i>