Open The Wall in the Dunes

[Chikara]

Act I, Chapter I: The Wall in the Dunes NPC: Shizen Chikara WC: 1577

It was early in the morning and Chi was struggling through the increasing heat, having only just experienced a contrastingly cold night. Naku sat on Chi’s shoulder with legs hanging lose on either side of his sister’s shoulders. He was covered with the clothing that Chi had stolen from the village during her escape and yet every now and then he would let out a weak bleating. Chi tried to comfort him as best as she could but he simply wasn’t as strong as the former, future guardian of nature. The spear she held, which had also been stolen from her previous prison, was sturdy and provided her a bit of relief in the form of a walking stick. Still, every step would soon burn her feet in the sun baked sand and every glimpse at the spear reminded her that the Morisei had been stolen. That spear was her only connection to her old life, and it was in the hands of the men who killed that life. “Baaaahhhh!” Naku shouted. It wasn’t the weak kind of bleat that he had been giving. No, this time it was one fueled by fear cast towards Chi’s blind spot. She turned sharply with just enough time to leap out of the way of a sand wolf’s attack. It landed with a skid and Chi ducked down to three limbs, leaving one hand still clutching onto her weapon. Naku was unfortunately unable to hold on to Chi and flew several meters behind her. He let out a quick scream just before hitting the desert floor with enough force to partially immerse him in the warm sand. Chi looked back momentarily and the teacup goat gave a reassuring yelp, allowing her to return focus to the furious furry staring her down. The two animals growled at each other in a fruitless attempt to get the other to submit. Chi was opposed to fighting with creatures of the land, but she needed energy that his flesh could give her. Not to mention her skin was paler from being imprisoned in that fat bastard’s mansion for all those years. She had given the clothes she stole to her brother and was left damn near naked and exposed. She wasn’t taking to the desert sun very well, and her skin was very close to blistering. This wolf had decided that she was food and so Chi had no choice but to turn him into some sort of screen to shield her from the sun… A sunscreen if you will. “Owoooooooo!” The wolf was ready to attack, but Chi was already prepared. With the wolf’s head tilted Chi closed in, swinging the blade of her spear at her opponent’s neck. Fortunately for the wolf he just barely dodged the swipe. He toppled over and rolled on his back for a second before regaining his composure to stand and square off with the human again. Chi dropped to her knees while maintaining her vision on the canine and keeping Naku in her peripherals. The little goat was still lying down covered in hot sand, continuously letting out an almost bored bleating that paused only so he could take a breath. He captured the wolf’s attention who turned his head towards Chi’s brother and then back at her before he lunged at him. Chi intercepted by thrusting the blunt end of the spear into his face which flung him through the air. Chi was once again in the sand and was now panting from exhaustion. She was dehydrated and starving but she had to protect her little brother. The wolf got to his feet and that was when Chi noticed that he wasn’t in much better shape than she was. She took a deep breath and focused on the creatures presence, using her connection to the earth to feel his pain. She gasped, and a tear fell from both eyes. She lowered her head in the process and the sun reflected off her horns, piercing the wolf’s vision and momentarily blinding him. With tears still in her eyes Chi seized the opportunity. She channeled all of her energy into her legs and launched herself forward with her spear’s blade pointed forward. There was a high-pitched yelp from the beast as it was run through, and after Chi retracted her spear the flood gates opened an it wasn’t long before he was drained of all fluids. Chi stayed with the wolf while he bled out, stroking his fur softly with her forehead locked with the side of his face. She cried for him, not because he was dying by her hand but because he was dying long before she met him. She felt she was doing the right thing in order to secure her own safety as well as her brother’s, but didn’t mean that it was something that she had wanted to do. As the life left the canine’s eyes, she took a deep breath and prepared herself for what she would have to do next. It was another necessity if she was going to survive long enough to find the Morisei. Quickly and skillfully she detached the skin from the creature’s body in one large pelt and then covered herself, pulling string from the shirt Naku was wrapped in to keep it together. Blood dripped off the coat and onto her skin, staining the white fabric that covered her unmentionables. Now that the warrior was shielded, she went against her better instincts and ate from the raw flesh of the beast’s carcass. Naku finally pulled himself out of the sand at the sight of Chi feasting but she held him back, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to digest any kind of meat. Instead, she picked the goat up in one arm and her spear held in the opposite hand. Chi was used to eating meat raw and had been doing so most of her life, though the consumption of any food along with the salty blood that filled it would soon cause her to feel worse than if she hadn’t eaten it. Of course she didn’t know this. In a burst of clarity Chi connected with the earth once again and could feel the Morisei’s power was near. Still holding her brother and her weapon Chi ran as fast as her withered little body would let her. Traveling over just a few nearby dunes, she stumbled upon something strange. A wall. There was a massive, sheer wall blocking her path. She slid down the last dune and at the bottom she dropped her accessories, the spear and Naku, and proceeded to examine the exterior of this barrier. She dashed in one direction with Naku struggling to keep up with her. She held a hand along the wall as she ran, then she turned around and ran back to her starting point with her other hand against the wall. She passed by Naku again who slowly turned around and then trotted as quickly as his stubby legs would allow. Chi could tell the wall stretched in a curve, and there was no discernible entrance that she could see in her short pass. She slammed her fist on against her new obstacle’s metal material. She shouted in pain and in her temper she kicked the wall. Now reeling from two hurt appendages she hopped backwards and fell into the sand. Chi spat at the ground as she rubbed her tender knuckles. She decided to fall back completely to lay on the wolf pelt which opened up to reveal her barely covered form to the sun once more. She didn’t care. She knew the Morisei was on the other side of the wall, but at the moment there seemed like no way to get to it. She didn’t know what was on the other side of the wall, and she had no energy left to traverse the entire exterior to find a door. So instead, she closed her eye and breathed slowly. Naku approached her and gave her a soft, loving lick on her cheek which was splattered with droplets of wolf blood. She started to pet him and then it hit her. She knew what she needed to do. She didn’t know what was on the other side of that wall, it could be a Maigo base or possibly a friendly village, but she knew that the Morisei was in there so she needed to get herself in there. There was only one solution to this problem that made sense. “Baaaaaaaahhh!” She bleated. She bleated with all her might as loud as she could. She jumped to her feet and began to scratch savagely at the metal wall, having learned not to strike it. “BAAAAaaahhhhHHHH!” She bleated with a ferocity that only a human raised most of her life as a goat could muster. “Baaahhh!” Naku chimed in. “BAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!” They yelled together like that continuously while simultaneously attacking the wall with their various claws and hooves and horns. To any ordinary person it would appear that a horned young woman had lost her mind. Chi was nearly naked except for a few wraps and a wolf pelt, and seemed to be attempting to raid a hidden village with only a miniature goat creature. She stood at only five foot three and in her current state seemed like she could be knocked over by a gust of wind. She was tenacious however and would keep yelling and scratching until somebody came to check out what was going on.

OOC: Currently waiting for Kaen to post. We never discussed whether it would be a private event so I'm leaving it open for now

 

[Kaen]

With nigh unmatched cruelty the noon sun pelted the golden desert below with relentless heat. The entire sand-scape that stretched beyond the metallic walls of Sunagakure shimmered as the waves of heat created a plethora of mirages. Not the faintest tuft of cloud hung in the beryl-blue sky that might grant reprieve from the daylight. Such heights was the heat that each breath felt as if one had inhaled molten lava. While this might have been, to some extent, an exaggeration, it was truly not far off from the arid truth. Even the hardiest of Sunan shinobi were clutching desperately for any inkling of shade, but not Kaen.

Thanks to his particular amalgamated ancestry, hailing from the Court of Flames, Kaen appeared impervious to the sweltering heat that enveloped the country of Wind. For this reason he felt it necessary to scout along the walls for any sign of the Unbent. He knew far too well of the capabilities of Dominus' army, in particular their ability to withstand the natural elements. It was as if they were undead, unphased, unchecked by even the most blistering of days. What better a time than today for a surprise attack! While the forces of Suna sought shelter from the sun, even the lowliest of Unbent grunts would trudge across the sands without issue. And thus Kaen traipsed down the long metallic walls of Suna looking for any sign of trouble. Who knew this trouble would come in such an unanticipated form...

Some time would go by without much of anything of note transpiring, not even the faintest detection of any desert dwelling creatures. In truth Kaen was getting incredibly bored. Had this day took place in his younger years he might very well have shirked this dull responsibility and ditched. But seeing as how he was a Lord, and tentatively captain among his place in the Anbu, this was not something he could easily get away with. Well... Maybe he could, I mean, what would they do? Fire him? A coy smile spread across his face in the sudden realization that nobody was going to stop him if he did leave. But just he was about to leap off of the tall bulwark a creeping voice whispered in the back of his mind. He could almost literally hear the voice of Kasen berating him for such an irresponsible act. With an audible sigh he would turn back and continue his way down the wall with his hands in his fur lined coat.

Thankfully "trouble" would find its way to Kaen's ears as a subtle 'clang' resounded from below the wall. It was quickly followed by a painful sounding groan and then another 'clang'. "Ugh..." With a lamenting tone Kaen's eyes would roll in response to the sound. Chances are it was another senseless student thinking he could practice his taijutsu on the wall. How many times would he have to send another dimwitted kid to his sister Kasen's office for a broken knuckle?! "I swear to Mother Suna if it's one of mine I'm going to make them run laps around this damn wall..." Mumbling under his breath he would approach the side of the wall and pear down below. But what he found was most certainly NOT a student. In fact it was quite the opposite.

Had he been drinking something he most likely would have done a cliche spit take, but instead he would opt for a look of shock and awe. This was definitely not something he was going to expect for today's list of events, much less prepared. As his gaze remained unaverted from the scantily clad woman below. Were his eyes deceiving him? Had the heat actually gotten to his head? Perhaps not, or at least that was his first thought before what happened next.

Pulling himself out of the stupor the ill-dressed female below had caused him, he watched to see what she would do next. It was incredibly strange for a half naked person to be running around in this sort of heat. Was she a refugee from another encampment trying to find refuge in Suna's walls? That may have been his first thought, but it was promptly dashed asunder as a startling noise exploded from the woman. “Baaaaaaaahhh!” Nearly falling off the wall in surprise, Kaen felt deeply disturbed by the scene below. What was once possibly a pleasent daydream of half naked woman was quickly dissolving in a hellish nightmare. "What in the actual hell was that?!"

Soon enough a small goat companion had joined in on the action and they yelled, or bleated more specifically, in unison. “BAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!” Yep, he finally had lost it. Some how all the Ancient inside of him and evaporated and he was a regular human succumbing to heat exhaustion and he was most likely moments away from death. But her icy grip would never come and he remained very much alive. troubled and confused, but alive none the less. Honestly he shouldn't have been so surprised. There has been far more interesting characters to travel through Suna, or even currently residing with the walls. Why now, of all times, was he going to be so taken aback by something like this?

With another sigh he would prepare himself for this interaction. "Please speak some sort of human..." After that small personal prayer he would jump from the top of the battlement and enter the scene. With a subtle thud Kaen would make contact with the desert floor just a few meters from the bleating woman. As he rose he would release a small portion of his Ancient aura, flames would begin to lick outwards in a vivid display of power. By some chance if she was foe rather than friend, perhaps this would scare her off to some degree. He was not much in the mood for a fight today, which was surprising by his standards. "How much longer do you reckon it would take you to reach the other side like that?" He already knew the answer. Pretty much never. But he thought perhaps a bit of dry humor was a great way to hit it off with this enigmatic stranger.

 

[Chikara]

Act I, Chapter I: The Wall in the Dunes NPC: Shizen Chikara WC:

Chi was not a quitter. If she was she wouldn’t have made it this far in her life. She would have given up when she was captured by the nobleman and even after Naku arrived she wouldn’t have tried to escape. She definitely wouldn't have trudged that far through the desert in an attempt to reclaim her family’s prized weapon, the staff of Morisei. So not that she was up against a literal wall, there was nothing that would stop her from getting to what she wanted. Even as her body began to give up on her she used all of her inner spirit to push forward, and then back, and then forward again with each scrappy strike she inflicted against the massive surface in front of her. Then… A stranger appeared from the sky, landing a short distance from the goat girl. This surprised Chi as she wasn’t used to not being able to sense living bodies, but she was weak and she wasn’t used to threats swooping down from the sky. As his form came into the view of her peripherals Chi was startled into leaping in the opposite direction. She lost her balance and ended up falling to her back, but she immediately followed up by propelling herself backwards. She used her her legs to keep the inertia and her arms to push her back into the air. She landed on her feet, still holding the stolen spear and automatically positioned for a battle. “How much longer do you reckon it would take you to reach the other side like that?” He said “Foe? A guard?” Chi whispered to herself in a language that would be foreign to the man but was a common tongue in her village as a child. She could feel his aura through her exhaustion, and she wasn’t sure if the flames were real or if she was close to fainting. She breathed heavily and dripped a combination of her own sweat and the dried blood that the sweat picked up on its way down her face to her chin. Then she noticed Naku, the teacup goat, trotting merrily to the possibly enemy. He bleated softly as his tiny tail wagged swiftly from side to side. “Naku!” Chi cried. With a leap she closed the gap between she and her brother, scooping him up with the staff end of the spear. Gravity took over, and Naku slid down the pole into Chi’s arms. She held him firmly and took a couple of steps backwards as she thought of what to say. Her knowledge of the common language here was limited to what she had learned in her years living under the nobleman. “Ichiro,” she growled. She hoped that by naming her enemy she would see some kind of reaction to indicate if the stranger was with him or not. “Ichiro. Where?” She took one more step back and slipped in the sands, falling to her backside once again. She was in no shape to be making demands, but that wouldn’t stop her. “Take me him!” Her voice cracked, and she coughed with a dry hiss. At this distance the man was surely capable of seeing the blisters forming on her skin from the sun’s heat. Chi struggled to attempt to stand once again but found she was stuck in her own butt imprint. She was more than willing to fight from the ground if the situation turned to that, but she would surely lose. “My staff. My… Family… Baahhh…”

OOC:

 

[Kaen]

Quite the jumpy one, this enigmatic specimen. Her appearance seemed to be the forefront of mystery until she actually spoke. With a tongue of foreign origin she would respond to Kaen. A perplexed look overtook the man as the words entered his ears. He did not know this language, nor did he know anyone who might. This may be difficult. "Can you speak my language?" She was beat up pretty bad, weathered and worn. The desert had taken its toll on this woman during her trek, she might very well have died had she not crossed paths with Suna's walls. Covered in sweat, grime and blood she would pant heavily, obviously weakened from her current state. She was not a threat. But this friggin goat was!!!

With a cute little bleat the goat would trot on over towards Kaen. This little guy was of course not seriously a threat, more than this woman, but still not qualified to raise any alarms. The miniature furry ungulate appeared to be greatly treasured by the scantily clad foreigner as she wouldn't even let the goat get close to Kaen. With a harsh and dry cry she would call out "Naku" and leap to his unneeded rescue. Despite her feeble body barely sustaining her she was able to maintain some skill with her makeshift weapon and utilized it to scoop away the small animal. "Woah, there's no need to freak out. I can help you." Perhaps the language barrier was too much for her, or her weary mind was waxing under the heat of the sun. "Ichiro" she would snarl at him. But again the barrier was there. "Look lady, I don't know what you're saying." I suppose his approach was a bit too hostile and so he would extinguish his aura completely in an attempt to appear more friendly.

"Ichiro. Where?" Ok now we were getting somewhere, at the very least she knew some of his words. Pinching the bridge of his nose in response to the girl falling over once more he would audibly sigh. "Suna help me..." This was going to be harder than he thought, why didn't he decide to call in sick today. “Take me him!” It was painfully obvious that this girl was in dire need of some medical aid, water and a long, cool nights rest. She was most likely delirious and showing major signs of dehydration, heat stress and bodily decay. Kasen would know what to do with her, perhaps he would start there. Slowly stepping a few feet closer so as not to startle her he would attempt to reason with her. "I don't know who, or where, this Ichiro person is. But I can take you somewhere that will make you feel better. Are you thirsty?" Whether is was simply from wandering the desert for far too long or some sort of brain trauma she would give a response that both started him and confused him.

“My staff. My… Family… Baahhh…” Did she just... Bah? Like, a sheep or something? It would seem Kaen had stumbled upon a missing link in the goat evolutionary chain, or this person was incredibly mentally ill. Then again the desert can really mess a persons brain up, it's like frying eggs out there. But instead of eggs its your brain. This exchange was not getting either of them very far, so he would attempt a different approach. Pulling out a water skin he would remove the stopper. "Water?" He would then pour a tiny bit out before taking a drink himself. This was an attempt to show her that it was not poisonous or something. He would then walk a little bit closer and extend his reach with water skin in hand towards her. "Drink." These long winded sentences might be too much for her right now, the real trick would be convincing her to come with him into the village.

Hopefully she would have accepted his offer and taken a drink. He would not ask for it back, she needed all the water she could get right now. He would sit down in the sand across from her a short distance. No need for her to stand and use up what little energy she might have had left. With a single hand he would then place it on his chest and say his name. "Kaen." After that he would point towards her animal companion. "Naku." And then point towards her. "Name?" Honestly this was his best shot. This was an entirely new experience for him, language was never something he needed to overcome. This was a good training lesson for him, both in cooperation and patience.

 

[Chikara]

Act I, Chapter I: The Wall in the Dunes NPC: Shizen Chikara WC: 846

Chi was frustrated. Also, cranky. Also, perturbed. She was most things involving being in an agitated state and it all started well before her trek into the desert. Her brother, Naku, kept her calm and it’s good that he did or else this stranger would be having a very different encounter. The language barrier was mainly a concern for the gentleman. Though she was not great at speaking the common tongue, she was well versed in understanding it so as to not get beaten by a fat, rich nobleman for disobeying him. She understood well that the words the man spoke seemed to suggest he was trying to help. In her delusional state she was having trouble keeping that in mind as he attempted to communicate with her. Then he said something that stuck a cord with her, the word ‘Suna’ was one she had heard from the nobleman many times. He frequented the village to seek shinobi to go on missions for him to retrieve items for his collection. The spear she held was one such item, which she didn’t know the origin of. “Suna… Hidden village…” She attempted finding the words in the man’s own language, staring at the giant wall it donned on her where she was. “Of course he would be hiding here.” She muttered in her own words while she rolled her eyes. Then the man admitted he didn’t know about Ichiro, but Chi wasn’t in such a state that she would be able to take him at his word. She wasn’t convinced that even as a member of a hidden village that he wasn’t working for her enemy. She was losing what little strength she had left when she watched the man pull out a water holding item. She had seen some of the natives of the village using them from the windows of the nobleman’s mansion. She licked her lips as she watched his show of good faith, pouring out a small amount of the clear liquid before taking a drink. She wasn’t thinking properly but if she were she might have thought he could have a resistance to any poison he may have put in it. She was too exhausted to think about that and from the moment she saw the water come out she was ready to take it from him. She was apprehensive about letting him get closer but she allowed it. When he reached his hand out to offer the water to her she looked at him. Then she looked at the water before reaching out with a quick jerk and snatching it out of his hands in quite a rude fashion. Still clutching Naku in her arm she put the open end of the water skin in her mouth and used her staff to propel her to her feet. This was short lived as she took as many steps backwards, away from the man, as she could before her strength gave out and she was once again in the sand. She kept her brother in her lap and slowly poured water into a cupped hand to let him drink first, keeping an eye on the now sitting man. She breathed heavily but she no longer feeling threatened by him. Still, she had learned to be cautious around humans. “Kaen.” She repeated before she took a drink of the precious water herself. “Kaen…” She repeated before taking another drink and allowing Naku to drink more. He was tiny, young, and not a warrior like Chi so she needed to make sure he got enough before she did. Her accent may have caused her to mispronounce his name, but she hoped it didn’t offend him. She needed to get inside the village and from what Kaen said earlier it sounded like he was planning to take her some place safe… A likely story. “Chikara. Call Chi.” She mimicked Kaen’s gesture by placing the hand holding the water skin up to her chest. Naku bleated and stood up in her lap in an attempt to get at his water source. She poured more of the water out into her hand and she took a deep breath. “Ichiro… Ichiro bad.” She cocked her bloodied head towards the giant wall. “In village. Stole me, stole staff, destroy home… Bad.” She grunted throughout the dreadful sentence knowing she wasn’t forming it correctly. She hadn’t a proper chance to learn to speak the language since she wasn’t allowed to talk frequently when she performed chores. She looked down at her rotten skin and sighed. “Help, yes.” She naturally meant to say she would accept his offer to assist her though he may have interpreted her statement differently. She was still hesitant to trust this human but he hadn’t attacked her right off. Now that she had received some water into her system, she could probably escape if he attempted harming her. She took one last drink from the water skin and looked at Naku. “Baah.” She spoke. “Baaahhh.” Naku replied. Chi nodded and then looked to Kaen and nodded once more.

OOC:

 

[Kaen]

Evidence spoke loudly towards the foreigner's ineptitude towards the common tongue, but they pair seemed to be getting by just fine despite this reality. Her specific accent did cause her to mispronounce his name, but this was not the time to get into semantics. Plus the majority of people had trouble with it, that or did it on purpose. He's heard everything from Cain, to Kane, to Kayne. One individual even got into the habit of calling him Karen. So yeah, it wasn't too big a deal for him. Another factor was the accent itself and the difficulty she had with the common tongue. It was, in a strange way, endearing to hear. He would smile and laugh lightly upon hearing her try and say his name.

But I suppose we could call this first interaction a win in his books. In the process of the whole ordeal he learned her name was Chikara, but deferred to just "Chi". This was more than fine for him as he thought about trying to say her full name but quickly realized his tongue was NOT going to cooperate with him much like her own difficulties with his own name. Furthermore we were beginning to uncover more about this illusive Ichiro fellow and his standing with the woman. From her brief description he would appear that he was a criminal of sorts. Having stolen some sort of staff that Chi held dear, and destroyed her home, all in all it was just as she described; "Bad" Now Kaen wasn't entirely sure what she meant by stealing her, perhaps he sold her into some form of slavery? If that was the case this Ichiro guy was going to be another name entered into a long list of those who would suffer under his hand. The human trafficking business was not something he took lightly. While yes, it in itself was a horrible thing, Kaen held a certain personal vendetta with these seedy types.

“Help, yes.” Cocking his head slightly to the side his eyes would squint with confusion. Did she mean to enlist his aid in finding this Ichiro, or was she referring to his offer to get her somewhere safe to stay and healing? Perhaps it was both? Either way he might very well perform both acts of service. If this guy was as bad as she made him out to be, and was currently hiding among the people of Sunagakure, he would offer whatever aid he could spare. These times were trying and full of strife for all walks of people. With Dominus and his Unbent ilk it made it difficult to spare both time and manpower towards anything that would not help prepare them for any sort of assault, not unlike that long night at the wall. The sudden echoing of "Baaaaaahs" refocused him away from his musings.

Climbing back to his feet he would dust off the sand from his lower extremities. He would then inform Chi of his intentions and welcome her to Sungakure, un-officially of course. She would need to go through customs of course, but her specific situation called for a slight detour from the normal process of things. Even just one more might help turn the tide in Suna's favor when it came to the climax of events transpiring in Wind Country. If he could earn the favor of even this foreigner he would say it's worth it. Plus, if this woman was able to survive the desert's sweltering head and desolate landscapes, she was a warrior of commendable strength and resilience. This was something he could come to respect. "Yes, baah is right. I will help you, but first things first." Kaen would approach the girl in the most non-threatening way he could. He understood she couldn't fully trust him, and that was ok. In truth he didn't fully trust her, or anyone else for that matter. But there has to be a first step for good or bad.

As he neared Chi he would extend a hand downwards in a gesture that seemed to indicate he wanted to help her to her feet. Even with the water her legs seemed unable to go on much further without some sort of aid. Surely she was tired of falling in the sand, he could give her enough to get by till he managed to get her to the Omni Prime Facility. There he would find his sister, Kasen. She was the most skilled med-nin he knew of, but he could just be being biased. With his free hand he would form a few one-handed seals and channel chakra through his hands. Should she take his hand she would instantly feel energy flowing into her body, Kaen's energy. He would assist her to her feet and hold onto her hand for as long as she felt appropriate. The flow of energy would continue for at least a few seconds, no need to make it awkward by holding on for a whole 10 seconds or anything. But what little energy she took it should be enough to see her through till he got her further aid.

With a kind smile he would reaffirm his peaceful intentions."Better?" If she attempted to hold onto his hand, more specifically if she needed more chakra, he would not pull away. He had plenty of energy in his stores that he could spare. Furthermore being a Hybrid such as he was, it was not overly difficult to replenish his chakra reserves, nor would it take him too long if he were "Resting". Once she was stable and able to walk on her own he would approach the wall where he had jumped from, and where she had been bleating and beating against. If she insisted that he help her he would of course let her lean on him for support. Either way he would place a hand on the wall and channel a most unique jutsu into it. [World Shatter]

Starting at the point of contact where Kaen placed his hand the wall would begin to illuminate with brilliant white energy. It would stretch further away, white energy lines tracing away like an incredible web. Suddenly, the once solid, metal wall would start to break into uniform pieces And then shatter all at once. A doorway had been created to allow them entry into Suna. "Chi," He would pause for dramatic effect. "Welcome to Sunagakure, the village hidden in the sand." The pieces of the wall would hover in the air, simply floating around being held up by Kaen's strange jutsu. He would take a step in and beckon Chi to come through the newly created entryway.

 

[Chikara]

Act I, Chapter I: The Wall in the Dunes NPC: Shizen Chikara WC:597

For years Chi lived among her people. She was taught how to use her inner power to defend the people she loved. Then all of that was destroyed, Chi's home was destroyed and she went to live in nature with the animals. The budding warrior fought against humans for over a decade to defend her new family but ultimately captured and sold. Humans were a threat to Chi, but there were stories she knew of the hidden villages. There were many strong warriors who protected each one, and first impressions told Chi that this man was one of them. Even though she didn't know what kind of people they were, she knew that she would need their help if Ichiro had access to the Morisei. He approached her. Chi fought the urge to retreat. She knew she couldn't keep backing away and expect to get anywhere. She saw his hand her first instinct was to bite it, but she resisted. Instead, she leaned forward and lifted Naku to hand level and then they both sniffed it. She let out a somewhat disdainful snort and let go of Naku to take the hand with hers. She saw his seal form but didn't recognize it as it wasn't the same seals that she used. When she grabbed his hand, she gripped it with all her might as she felt his chakra enter her body. It was a foreign feeling that she had only dreamed of feeling. For the Hosekimori felt that their natural energy was sacred and only those with close bonds would share chakra. She never reached an age where it was acceptable to do so. The sudden feeling of his chakra confused her at first until she realized what was happening. Her eyes opened wide and her mouth gaped open but after a few seconds it stopped and she retracted her hand and held it with her other as she took a few steps away with the a look that simultaneously showed horror and arousal. If these were the type of people that lived in the village she was either going to have a bad time or a really, really fun time. "No." She muttered, then she turned and yelled sternly, "no!" and points a disapproving index finger in his direction, if she weren't so burnt Kaen would see a flush in her cheeks. She picks up her spear and taps it in the sand, calling Naku to her side. She looked at the stranger and motioned with her head towards the wall to indicate she was ready to enter. She expected him to lead her to the entrance, but he didn't. He walked up to the wall and placed a hand on it's exterior. A bright light stretched into a web, reminding Chi of the large webs that were home to equivalent sized spiders in the forest. It was beautiful and then the wall shattered to create an opening for them. "Holy spirit." There was an air of disbelief in her voice that would translate from her native language. Then the man said something but she wasn't listening. Any dramatic effect was lost on her as she stared at the floating pieces of metal. She grinned happily and basked in the magic. She had never seen such a thing, though she had seen many amazing things. Her attitude changed yet again as she became excited to see what kind of warriors she would meet there. Then she noticed the man entering the hole he made, and she followed with little Naku trotting close behind.

OOC: I had to do it to ya.

 

[Kaen]

Unsure of how exactly he had offended the young lady Kaen would place that in the back of his mind for another time. The language barrier was a little too strong to have a lengthy discussion to determine what he had done. Sharing his chakra was not something he commonly did, nor did he think many people did outside of perhaps the Medical Corps. It was used on occasion to save a life, which he had learned from his sister, Kasen, how had ascended to the ranks of Medical Chief as of late. In truth Kaen thought it appropriate given the physical state of the woman, it wasn't as if he was going to carry her anywhere. It might not look too good if he were seen carrying a half-naked unconscious woman over his shoulder, now would it?

Putting a pin in that future conversation he would proceed to dismantle the wall before him and create an entry-way for the two of them, plus Naku. Still not understanding the words of her language, Kaen could fully understand tones. With a tone of wonder and amazement Kaen would smirk at the woman's awe. After she had passed through the entryway he would re-use the same method of skill to re-assemble the wall. Being the amalgamation that he was his body was well adapted to take on attributes from other benefactors. Whether that was in the form of some sort of genetic modification, such as one granted to him by Miroku Akkuma, or from the consummation of... Well for lack of a better term, souls. In any case Kaen's abilities seemed to know no limit on the things he could perform. Each day his knowledge of the ninjutsu arts grew, even beyond his original limitations of fire. The various skills of other warriors was always something that interested Kaen, he pondered what this woman could do. Albeit a little strange, she was obviously capable to some degree otherwise she would have perished in the desert. Turning to continue down the alleyway they had found themselves in, he would prod for information. "Where exactly are you from, Chi?"

 

[Chikara]

Act I, Chapter I: The Wall in the Dunes NPC: Shizen Chikara WC: 474

Chi decided that she would, for the moment, forgetting about the stranger's… gesture. She realized quickly that no one that lived in this village would understand. Their way of life was very different from her home's daily life. She had seen enough from her former master's prison to know that things were different. She was going to have to adapt if she was going to find Ichiro and retrieve the staff. He had bested her back in the forests, which was her home. Now she was in his world. These people were civilized and Chi was far from domesticated. She had hopes that this 'Keen' person might be able to help her, not just to catch her enemy but also to assimilate. Keanue let out a daunting aura earlier. He definitely seems like a warrior of some variety, but he also seemed gentle for a giant. Of course Chi thought everyone she met since arriving in Suna was a giant. She would have been above average in her village had she grown up there. As the duo walked Chi measured Khan from his side. She could commune with most animals of the world, even the environment itself at times, but humans were different. She didn't understand them like she did the wild. This was something the people of this village would have to understand if she was going to be accepted there. She had to learn to accept that not all humans are monsters. Then Chunk asked Chi a question that snapped the small woman out of her own inner dialog. She realized they were now in strange cavern made from buildings on either side. The sky still hung above them but there was cover here. It seemed odd to her that he would take her to such a place, but she was unaware of the actual structure of a large village like this. If she were she might think this was a shortcut to wherever they were headed. Instead she became tense as if cornered. She felt as a bunny who thinks she's heard a fox."Danger?" She thought to herself. Her eyes darted to select locations every few seconds when Kim wasn't watching. But in the mean time she still had to answer him so he wasn't suspicious. After all, this could all just be her instincts trying to kick in. "From…" Chi pointed a finger pointed away from her, and then with her other hand she rose the tip of the spear to point slightly to the left. "From the forests. North… this way." She forgot the word for west and instead tapped the spear on her wrist to signal she was referring to that direction. "Home destroyed." She looked away and then back up to look at Kanye. "You?" She says plainly, pointing with her free hand. "Home here? Family?"

OOC:

 

[Kaen]

A nervous tick in the back of his mind was wildly scratching away within. He could almost taste the apprehension in this woman's demeanor. Was she so estranged from civilization to feel so at unease? But just as quickly as the gnawing thought came a second more compelling conclusion came to mind. It felt like a lifetime ago, but there was a time where even he felt these same feelings. Empathy flooded his senses nearly to the point of tears. But his hardened mind pushed them back. He was not about to do that in front of some stranger. So long ago Kaen and Kasen escaped that dreadful 'place' and were lost to the world. Surviving like animals in the wild, unable to trust anyone or anything. Even after 'she' came along to help educated and domesticate the Shinku siblings the untrust never truly left. Their first time returning to some semblance of civilization was not unlike what Chi must be feeling now. He would treat her with patience and understanding more now, they shared a secret bond.

A faint smile crept onto his lips as he listened carefully to her endearing explanation of her origins. While he wished that she could more easily speak his language, or that he could speak her's, it was amusing in a nice way to hear her fumble through the common tongue. Though the mention of forests would cause his eyes to widen. How had she managed to survive in the desert for so long without any supplies? The nearest forest was so far away! Kaen was beginning to form a hint of respect towards this woman and her hardiness and determination. A pang could be felt within as she mentioned her home being destroyed. Another commonality between them. In a sense his own home was destroyed when he and his sister were ripped from the hands of their now deceased mother. Suna had become a new home in a way, but it would never be the same.

Chi would break the cycle of abjection in his mind. She proposed the same question towards him. It was nice to see she was sensible enough to hold a conversation. This told him she was not some neanderthal like wildling, perhaps she was quite intelligent. "You?" She says plainly, pointing with her free hand. "Home here? Family?" By now the pair would have came to the end of the alley, a few passing civilians could be seen walking up and down a market street. He would pause a moment and look back the scantily dressed woman. Perhaps he should find her something to wear? But alas there was nothing to be seen. As he begun to remove his own coat he would start to respond. "Well... That's kinda a long story. To put it shortly, this is my home, now. I'm not from here though. Here, put this on." Kaen would then hand over his coat to Chi. Though he wanted to explain the reason why, he wasn't sure if a cultural barrier would confuse things for her, so he chose a more understandable reasoning. "It would be best of nobody recognized you. Just in case." Though Kaen was unaware that Ichiro might be looking at for her, perhaps she did and a disguise would help? But it was mostly so they didn't draw too much attention to themselves, as a half-naked woman usually would. Kaen was not all that large, only standing at around 5' 11". But I suppose he was taller than most. So the coat would probably fit her like a small dress and cover up... most of the things.

After she donned the coat he would beckon her out of the alley and begin to walk down the street. He knew his destination, it wouldn't be too far from here. In fact you could see the building looming in the distance. The Omni Prime Medical Facility. With Kasen in charge it was probably the safest place to house Chi other than staying with her himself. At least there she could receive the best treatment and care, making a swift recovery from her desert journey. "As for my family, I only have one member left. It's just my sister and I. You're actually going to get to meet her when we get to where I'm taking you. Her name is Kasen, I think you'd like her. She's quite personable and friendly." Kaen would pause a moment at a nearby vendor type stall and purchase a small snack for each of them. Kaen would then hand Chi a stick with a few breaded balls skewered onto it. They were light pink in color, but would be sweet to the taste. "Try this, it's called Dango. It's a snack of sorts, I think you'll like it." He had purchased the cherry blossom variety, and would eat one of the small pastry puffs off of his own stick to show Chi that they were safe to eat. Now that he thought about it, why was he being so nice to this woman? Normally Kaen would have just scoffed at her and the situation she was in. Was he... becoming more humanized? A natural conflict was almost always at war within himself between his human nature and the Ancient within him. Perhaps he was gaining more control over his nature and nothing more. Shaking the notion from his thoughts he would smile gently towards Chi who was suspicisouly eyeing the food. "Don't worry, I'm not trying to poison you or anything. Let's keep going, we're nearly there." Kaen would turn to keep walking towards the hospital. Hopefully he would find Kasen, and that Gary had taken another day off. He would not leave Chi in the care of that worthless sack of... Well yeah, Kasen would be preferable.


[OOC MFT]

 

[Chikara]

Act I, Chapter I: The Wall in the Dunes NPC: Shizen Chikara WC:836

The two exchanged short explanations of their past, mangled more by the language barrier. It seemed to Chi that Karry might have been in a similar situation to hers. Of course, to her the only reason she could think of to leave home would be if your home was destroyed or you were kidnapped. So odds were it was probably one of those. The man didn't give much tangible information before he stopped them. They had arrived at a new area. Chi peered out to see what she could see and then noticed Kim was handing her his coat. His reasoning seemed sound. If Ichiro knew about the staff then he probably knew Chi could sense it. Once he hears the tiny warrior escaped her prison she'll certainly be on his watch list. "Thank." Chi reached out and grabbed the coat with her free hand and then looked herself over. She didn't want to stand out in the crowd. She flicked the tip of one of her horns. Chi leaned her spear against the nearby wall and untied the wolf hide she had covering her. The head of the wolf slipped off from the top of Chi's head and she shook her head wildly for a moment. Then she licked her hand and began to clean off the blood while she looked for a reflective surface. "Mirror." She said in her tongue as she came across an object made of metal. She put the coat on over her blood stained skin and picked the object up. She looked at her image for a moment to look over her blistered skin. She whimpered slightly and then rubbed off the blood from her face. Once it was barely noticeable she would pick up the wolf felt and hold it in her elbow. Her other hand grabbed the spear and she stamped the blunt tip into the sandy street beneath them. "Go." Chi followed Kimberly out into the streets. They passed other citizens of Sunagakure, some of which stared at her horns momentarily. Most didn't seem to care to notice her. She sighed with relief as Koala began to speak about his family. He had a sister named Kasen, and Chi was about to meet her. His words suggested to Chi that it would be nice to meet her as long as he isn't lying. While Chi was pondering that notion her guide seemed to be acquiring small balls from someone in a box. Chi cocked her head to the side as he handed her a small spear that held the balls in place. It was obvious what was happening. "Fight?" Chi chocked. She was caught off guard. It seemed he had taken her in to the village in order to perform some kind of strange ritual. He explained what they were but she didn't understand enough of what he was saying to catch on right away. Her muscles were tensed and then he rose the spear to his mouth and took one of the balls off. The woman realized the tiny spear was a skewer. She had cooked meals with them for the noble. She relaxed and look at her own. "Food." She chuckled and smiled real big. She mimicked Konny's actions and removed a ball from the skewer. It touched her tongue and she would let out a small yelp and cover her mouth. Wide eyes glazed at Kaleidoscope as she chewed. This was the first time she had anything sweet besides the berries of the forest. Her diet was largely protein based with vegetables and fruits tossed in every so often. At the mansion the Noble fed her some kind of gruel that Chi would say looked like dog food if she knew what that was. "I will never eat another thing so long as I live." She spoke in gibberish to the common tongue users. "More?" She questioned the shop keeper. "How? What do? Tell me!" She sunk back and composed herself. The man was either concerned or amused and she didn't mean for either. Naku jumped to a standing position against Chi's leg and bleated. His tail wagged as quickly as his tiny body would allow and his sister knew exactly what he wanted. She took another ball off and put it in his mouth. He seemed as excited as she was. "Sorry." She would say, both to the shop keeper and Kentucky. They kept moving, and Chi thought deeply about what had happened. Her instinct was to do whatever she wanted. She was the strongest in the forest and the animals there knew it. Here, she was just a stranger. Here she was among people that could be just as strong as her if not stronger. She wanted to meet their leader, she assumed he must be the most powerful in the village. If she didn't want to meet him under poor circumstances it was best if she culled back her animal habits and tried to mimic the other workers at the mansion.

OOC:

 

[Kaen]

Satisfied with the coverage his coat provided for the scantily clad Chi they would find a peice of metal to examine herself. Woman never change, no matter the origin it seems. After proceeding out into the open where Kaen provided a small snack Chi would continue to keep her defenses up as she questioned the food he was attempting to give her. Kaen would laugh in response to her first instinct that they were to fight with these small sticks. "Ha ha ha, no it's not for fighting. It's food, see?" After demonstrating how it was meant to be eaten Chi would chuckle back with an endearing smile. For a brief moment Kaen was caught off guard and his eyes widened with alarm. Chi's small yelp caused him to think maybe she had poked herself or something. But all was well as he realized she was just surprised at the flavor. "It's good, right?"

The shopkeeper sunk back with apprehension as Chi bombarded the man with ill-formed questions and looked to Kaen for some sort of help. Still Kaen could only laugh, it was so amusing to watch this girl attempt to function and communicate here. In time she would get used to things and slowly figure it out, assuming she stayed long enough. After a sincere apology Kaen would ushered Chi and her goat companion further along, they weren't far from their destination. Seeing that Chi was deep in though he offered his last ball of yum to her. Perhaps that would be enough to raise her spirits back up. "Here' you can have the rest of mine, since you enjoyed it so much." If she declined his offer he would instead try to give it to Naku, and if that was still a hard pass then he would simply shrug and eat it himself.

Thinking that Chi might stay awhile, at least to check for any signs of Ichiro, he ought to try and give her a small glimpse into the lay of the land. Pointing upwards towards a large tower further inside the village he would start; "That over there," Attempting to grab her attention he would keep going; "That's the Kazekage Tower. Lord Raizo is our kage, the leader of this village. " Turning slightly he would point in the direction they had come from. "Back that way you will eventually run into the village gates, and no far from there is Toraona Dojo, where our academy is currently located." Seeing that they were nearly there he would point forward as the looming Omni Prime facility's tall structure came into view. "And that up ahead is our hospital, the Omni Prime Medical Facility, which is where my sister works and where we will be able to get you some healing." Hopefully Kasen wasn't too busy to see her, he honestly didn't trust any of the other doctors there besides here, least of all Gary. What a waste of air...

As they neared the wide steps leading to the rotating door that served as the entrance for the building he would reach up and mess with something under his collar. Finagling with a few dials and buttons on his radio he would make sure she was even in today. "Kasen, you have a visitor. You in your office? I'm down at the entrance. I... I'm gonna need your expertise with something if you don't mind." Turning to Chi he smiled "So, what are your plans after you are feeling better? Gonna try and find that Ichiro guy? I might be able to find someone to be your guide while you adjust to our lifestyle and language." Any moment Kasen's voice should be heard over the radio, assuming she was even in today. If she was out on a mission than it was unlikely she would hear the call.


[Continues/Moved to: Chia pet watering]

 

[Chikara]

Act I, Chapter I: The Wall in the Dunes NPC: Shizen Chikara WC: 314

Chi became lost in her own thoughts and then was brought back by the ball that appeared in her vision. Her face turned to shock and awe as she swiped Kanary's offering. She devoured the sweet piece and left Naku bleating at her heels. She pointed at him and bleated back slightly more aggressively than her brother. He let out a frustrated sneeze and looked away. Chi turned her attention back to her new partner in crime instead of engaging Naku for being a baby. He was pointing at a rather large building looming over the village which she hadn't noticed with all the other distractions. He said it was the Kazekage tower, home of their leader. "Kazekage." Chi squints her eyes with a silent determination. She wouldn't speak her mind but instead looked to the other directions the man pointed at. Then he came to the location coming up along the path they were walking. He told Chi that inside that building his female sibling could heal her. She was interested in meeting the second spawn of Kelly's parents. Chi hoped that this sister could help her recover from her journey through the desert. As they approached the entrance the man spoke to himself and Chi cocked her head to the side. "Who you talk?" Krunkalicious smiled at Chi and she looked away. A flooding of feelings flushed through her system as she remembered his chakra flowing into her. He asked about her plans to catch Ichiro. He offered to find a guide for her but she misunderstood him and thought he was offering to be her guide. She darted her eye back and forth between Kornucopia and the doors in front of them. She started to connect some dots that had no reason to be connected and a thought came to her mind that maybe he was trying to mate with her.

OOC: Continuing onward!