Twin Titans (Kazuki and Roku)

[Takahashi Aki]

Kuro had advised Sousuke a time ago about reconstructing the Anbu, and for a good time Sousuke had been taken counsel from Kazuki. The Senju was a former sennin of Leaf. His power set was a most unique set. From the discussions Sousuke had with him, Kazuki supposedly was in his age grouping, he wondered about that at times. At times it truthfully seemed like he had more life experiences that he did. Kazuki had spent a life in the sun, Sousuke had not. While Sousuke had more limited experiences, he had access to people who came from a different upbringing than his own. Roku was a good friend of Sousuke's. He had street experience and he had been flushing out the criminal element in Sungakure as 'the Kasha'. It didn't take Sousuke much to figure things out, but ... well Sousuke had some luck in the case that his grandmother had met with Roku as Kasha some time ago. She did deliver the message to him which explained what had happened to him. He didn't take it well, but it did appreciate (seemingly) what Sousuke had done for him.

Sousuke had called Roku and Kazuki to meet with him this evening. Sousuke stared out into the darkness as the sun had set some number of hours ago. This was the board room. The room had seen a number of uses that he could still count with a single hand. Sousuke abhorred his position as it were. He was being pushed and pulled in directions that was foreign to the Stewards of time past. Even Shiro ruled as a regent in the place of a Sunahoshi who was too young to rule. The truth was, there was no Sunahoshi left. The old religion was a farce. The whole concept of the Sunahoshi and Stewardship rule was a joke. Who was it that truly appointed his household to aiding the Sunahoshi? Shiori ... Suna? Yes. she had never truly appointed it. Thus it came to Sousuke to slowly undo the old religion and remove it was the canon. The residents of the village would have to look elsewhere for their faith? Kazuki knew of this. Sousuke would have to break it to others in time. another time of course. What does one look up to now? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Now was the time to introduce Kazuki and Roku to each other. The two of them were of two very different worlds, and the two of them would have to work together in the future.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

It was not long ago that Kazuki saw Mikaboshi being stripped of his Sennin rank. The ANBU branch became leaderless, but in the process, both the Overlord of the Senju Clan and the Highlord of the Takahashi Clan had their asses handed to them in a copper platter. A few weeks prior to that, the White Wolf and the Steward discussed the ANBU Branch's future and how the Deep Court Lord could not continue at its leader. And if Mikaboshi could not, then the branch needed new leadership. Being Leaf's last ANBU Sennin, the Silvery Haired Man was more than a viable candidate for the job and so he requested authorization to join the ANBU corps. Sousuke was wise, and so he naturally agreed. Reaper did not expect to lead the branch alone. He was a foreigner in Sunagakure, even he could be considered good friends with their leader. And so the Purple Haired Man stated he had a friend, a local ANBU, that would join Kazuki and together, they would Suna's ANBU Corps. With no reason to object, and feeling it was a very wise decision, the Overlord quickly agreed. Before parting ways, it had been decided, Sousuke would call them both into a meeting. The day had come at last. Today one of Suna's chapters about its future would be written down. Much would be decided that would be of great importance, and it was all about how Roku and the White Wolf would get along. If badly, well, you could start requesting large quantities of coffins because the Ancients would make quick work of them all. If they could get along well, then Sunagakure had some sort of future.

The Silvery Haired Man was dressed with his usual choice of clothing. A black and gray robe with silvery trimmings and an open colar, along with a large, red, flowing toga drapped around his body and across his chest covered the top part of his lean frame. Black pants and black combat boots covered the remainder. The opening on the robe allows other to spot half of a crimson colored tattoo on one of Reaper's pectoral muscles. The tattoo was a bleeding tree stabbed by a dark blade. The same opening also allowed others to safely concluded that Kazuki was extremely pale in his entire body. Despite this paleness, he was in no way in a sickly condition. His face showed, an almost, perpetual state of calmness. His eyes were pitch black and had the seemingly ability to pierce one's soul.

The Overlord entered the Kazekage's new tower. This marked the first time he had done so in Sunagakure. The old one was a bunch of ruins when he entered Sand, and he had never breached the new building after it was erected. He quickly made his way inside the tower as if he knew his way around, although he did so purely by luck. "Sousuke." he would state once entering the board room where the Steward expected them. Continuing on his tracks, the White Wolf would reach the end wall and lean against it. With his arms crossed by now, he would stare outside, waiting for Roku. The Steward was usually not affected by the strange phenomena that accompanied Reaper. Wherever the former ANBU Sennin went, everyone would feel a sudden temperature drop, his body being the epicenter of such effect. The howl of the wind would also become audible, even if there was not enough wind for such. And finally, any and all shadows immediately became livelier around him. Roku would undoubtedly feel such things. But if he was as strong willed as the Highlord, then he would rapidly become immune to them. The only phenomena that would not vanish was how the shadows were affected by Kazuki's presence. But even those could be ignored.

[MFT - 639]

 

[Raizo]

[col]With his hands tucked into his pockets, Roku would calmly make his way towards the meeting room. Passing by one of the few female staff members still putting in some last minute work, the white haired man would wink and expose his fox like grin.

Potential, maybe I need to make my way to this tower more often.

Since the last time he saw Sousuke, things have been changing in Roku's life. One of the biggest changes would be that his appearance had been altered to some degree. His height was still at six foot and two inches, his body was still adorn with scars and reminders of his series of fights, but his hair was now white and his eyes a piercing red. It seemed that venturing as close to Death's door as he had when using the Eighth Gate came with very funny consequences. One of the best things to come about opening all of his chakra gates was that his muscle mass had returned to its peak condition, so he no longer felt as scrawny as he had following the Cabal insurgence.

Wonder what smart ass remark will come out of his mouth...

Approaching the door to the meeting room, Roku would pause for a moment. The closer he got to the door, the more he felt it; the temperature was drastically dropping. Was this some sort of accommodation setting? Maybe one of the perks of being the boss was simply having access to insane air conditioning. Either way, it was nice that he wouldn't have to worry about sweating. But dang, the cold might have been a bit much for the meeting.

Pushing open the door, the red eyes of the Reckless youth would scan the room noticing several things. The first was Sousuke, the nerd.

"Bossuke, yo."

The next was a man with a serious expression and much more formal attire than Roku's red leather duds. The individual gave off an ominous and foreboding presence. He also gave off the sensation of strength, that mixed with the fact Roku did not know who this person was started to make his blood boil, driving his blood lust to slowly leak out from his body in almost a tangible aura. Everything in his body, regardless if it made sense or not, was telling him to punch this person.

"Hi."

His tone would not change much, but following his small greeting his canines would remain clenched. It would almost look like a smile, but one from an animal preparing to strike. But he would not act on his impulses. Instead, he would take a moment to acknowledge the third and final thing he noticed when he entered the room; the weird ass shadows. Everything seemed to be drawn to the other individual.

Roku would slowly make his way to a seat, placing him away from both Sousuke and the other individual.

"So who's the new guy?"

Maybe he was missing some of the seriousness that seemed to have wrapped up the other two.
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OOC: 505 MFT
|

[legend="[glow=maroon][b][size=5]Roku[/size][/b][/glow]"]

 

Name: Okayama Roku
Epithet: Suna's Raging Beast
Height: 6'2"
Build: Lean and Muscular
Eyes: Green
Blood Type: O NegativePersonal DataStamina: 50,400
Chakra: 31,200
Power Level: 3600 [CL: 15]
Stamina: 600 / 600
Agility: 600 / 600
Ninjutsu: 600 / 600
Taijutsu: 600 / 600
Genjutsu: 600 / 600
Chakra Control: 600 / 600Fight DataWiPActionsWiPWeapon EquippedWiPMood MusicWiPMISC X

[/legend]​

[/col]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Roku and Kazuki had arrived. Kazuki was his usual self. Roku on the other hand... "I'm caught in a time loop."<i></i> He said as he pointed at Roku. More specifically his hair. "So. First you mock my general path in life. Now you take my hair. I guess if you can't beat em, join em? So that means... you've finally admit your defeat to me. In all things."<i></i> A very curious smirk appeared on Sousuke's face. There was a sort of victory in this, considering that lately Sousuke had been trashed, beaten, demoralized, amongst most things. As per usual most people seemed to take somewhat unwell to Kazuki? At the very least Roku didn't refer to Kazuki as a fop like his cousin did. That much was good. "This is Senju Kazuki. He hails from Konoha, but their Daimyo made their lands inhabitable. I granted him sanctuary in Suna as his people had few places to go, being that Mist was frozen in an ice age. He has been an asset to the village. He is the Ranger Lord, given that the original one has ... ... well to be honest, I'm quite sick and tired of people coming to me and asserting how they can do so very well at their position and then becoming very lazy and falling short of it. It is very frustrating."<i></i> Sousuke's expression soured very visibly. "One Inuzuka Amaterasu comes to me claiming she has a grand history and lineage of Rangers. I build her the structure in accordance and she ups and disappears. Do you know how frustrating that is?"<i></i> For as long as Roku knew Sousuke, this was first time he truly unloaded his frustrations upon another individual. Perhaps even this was the first time Kazuki heard it too. "I will openly admit I am at fault of this. It changes now."<i></i>

Sousuke rubbed his temples. The frustration was so very present. "Kazuki. This is one of two best friends I have. His name is Roku. He is a very capable individual. He has aided me and helped me to develop a sense of snark."<i></i> He exhaled, he turned to Kazuki. "While I was locked out of Sungakure during the Cabal invasion he kept the streets in control. He is your opposite. Whereas you deal with the occult, he deals with problems on the streets. The occult gets out of control the moment one hones down on the street criminal elements. The moment you focus on the occult, the criminal element grows out of control."<i></i> He inhaled. "It is time both are kept under control. From this moment forward, you two are my new Anbu Sennin."<i></i>

 

[Michi]

[Updating those Banners. Roku and Kazuki now both have ANBU Sennin Banners.]

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]"Hi." would be the words coming from Roku's mouth upon discovering that Sousuke was not alone in there. Kazuki would shift his attention from the horizon to the Steward's childhood friend. Several things immediately stood out. The ANBU had red eyes and white hair. In a sense, they were equals. This guy was muscular and his dress code was completely casual. But above all, while the tone of voice had been a neutral one, the facial expression showed by Roku indicated otherwise. His slight elongated canines were clenched in a look that could only be lead to one conclusion. He looked like an animal that was gouging his adversary before striking. After carefully selecting one of the many vacant seats in the room, purposefully away from the other present company, the Reckless shinobi would speak again. "
"So who's the new guy?"." The White Wolf could have easily answered such query, but since it had been the Steward calling them both here, he would let the Takahashi Highlord do the honors. Leaving his spot near the window, the Silvery Haired Man would place himself precisely between Sousuke and Roku, although still standing. "This is Senju Kazuki. He hails from Konoha, but their Daimyo made their lands inhabitable. I granted him sanctuary in Suna as his people had few places to go, being that Mist was frozen in an ice age. He has been an asset to the village. He is the Ranger Lord." the Purple Haired Man would introduce Reaper.

The former Sennin gave him a quick glance before returning his focus toward the White Haired Man. Ranger Lord? So he had heard about Kazuki's meeting with Fuu and how he had taken over the training of two ranger prospects. Interesting. "Kazuki. This is one of two best friends I have. His name is Roku. He is a very capable individual. He has aided me and helped me to develop a sense of snark." the Steward would then announce who Roku was. Since the Silvery Haired Man was already looking at him, he would simply nod. "While I was locked out of Sungakure during the Cabal invasion he kept the streets in control. He is your opposite. Whereas you deal with the occult, he deals with problems on the streets. The occult gets out of control the moment one hones down on the street criminal elements. The moment you focus on the occult, the criminal element grows out of control. It is time both are kept under control. From this moment forward, you two are my new Anbu Sennin." Sousuke would further explain the ANBU's position, before culminating in his goal for their meeting. The former Sennin was already expecting it, but unless Roku had been warned in advance, he was certainly going to caught off guard there. Especially if he was not aware of all the things going on around Sunagakure. Ancient business specifically. It seemed it was time to don his mask once more. A orb of shadows would gather on his right hand and it will mutate into his ANBU mask. He was not using his former one, no. That was gone. He was going to use a new model, one designed to honor a cousin of his. After donning it, Kazuki's body would be covered in a black robe. "What does he know about the events currently unfolding in Sunagakure?" the Silvery Haired Man would inquire, his voice slightly distorted by the mask he was wearing.|[legend="[[b][u]Senju Kazuki[/u][/b]]"]

Senju Kazuki - Occult ANBU Sennin

[/legend][/col]

 

[Raizo]

Show and Tell[Him Off]'| ANBU Sennin Arc"][col]Only an eye roll would follow the remarks about similar hairs and the greatness of Sousuke. He would listen to Sousuke give a brief summary of them both, but something that stuck with him was his rant about individual letting him down. Based on his own investigation into some of the happenings in the village as it stood this would cause him to let out a small chuckle. He would let the Kage finish his plan for why they were both called here and deeming them as the ANBU Sennin.

Senju Kazuki. Konoha. Ranger Lord. Occult. I will keep an eye on this one as well.

"ANBU Sennins, huh? I guess your little 'pet' project has finally went to shit."

The rumors swirling around the incident that led to the fire that ran through the residential district, the initial reports that someone was describing a figure that could be Mikaboshi, along with the fact that the former Sennin had been absent from all doings with the branch for months already spoke volumes of the man... or thing... that was left in power of a specialized unit that was met to protect the village.

"Not to mention your other Sennin has opened his home to an outsider that has a whole mess of rumors surrounding him."

The rumors and documented hospital reports of students coming in with bizarre wounds, one actually missing his spine, and the stories of cursed seals appearing on young shinobi was increasing recently. All of it seemed to stem from the Dojo of the Toraono.

"I would say your house is in shambles. You allow Cabal members to roam around the village at their leisure. Now, you are placing an outsider at the head of the table, this proclaimed leader of an ancient order of this country."

His eyes would shift over to the man who was now donning a mask to get into the spirit of the ANBU business. Once more his eyes would snap back to Sousuke.

"My first action as Sennin, or co-Sennin... or better yet, as your friend is to ask you this; are you certain your decisions this time around will fare better than those of the past?"

He had no intention of hiding his distrust for his new, and sudden, co-leader of the ANBU faction. It seemed Sousuke's rationale for this appoint of them two of them stemmed from each of them holding their own personal expertise in some form or other. The mention of the occult was intriguing to say the least, which was surely not something he was well versed in so there was no question this person probably held a wider range of experience in it. But the wording of his own expertise, while probably intended to be complimentary, did not fully sit well with Roku.

"The streets? I have been busting my ass off to not just knock out crime but to uncover the level of deep rooted corruption that plagues this village and slumbers at the very core of this nation."

His work had led him down a rabbit hole of obtaining information on various moving pieces of the current landscape, including two letters wrote to the Daimyo by Fuu. Zazuki would then ask a question about Roku without addressing him, which would only serve to annoy Roku further (even though he had done it himself just a few moments ago).

"What do I know? The hell do you know?"

This situation could have probably started better.

"A war is coming to this village, that is what I know. The Sovereign, the Daiymo, the Merchant Lords; these are things I know."

His side job had been paying off lately. His attention would turn back to the Steward.

"I haven't just been out there busting crime. I have been single-handedly acting out the duties of the ANBU of this village. Our ranks are thinned, our leadership has never existed and the attention to us has been minimal... but here we are bringing in someone not from this village to assist with the running of the show AND then have me questioned like I am left out of the loop?"

Back to glaring at the masked man.

"The hell do you know about this village? The hell have you done for this village to give you any belief you should be in a position of power here?"

Back to Sousuke, in the match of eye ping pong.

"So am I missing something?"

Sure, Roku did not know the complete picture of the impending shit show that awaited the village, but he was fairly confident that they did not see the full picture either. Two parties with maybe half of the information, it would be a miracle to see if they'd be able to get it together and on the same page to just see how screwed the village truly was in the near future.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OOC:[/b] 800 MFT
|

[legend="[glow=maroon][b][size=5]Roku[/size][/b][/glow]"]

 

Name: Okayama Roku
Epithet: Suna's Raging Beast
Height: 6'2"
Build: Lean and Muscular
Eyes: Green
Blood Type: O NegativePersonal DataStamina: 50,400
Chakra: 31,200
Power Level: 3600 [CL: 15]
Stamina: 600 / 600
Agility: 600 / 600
Ninjutsu: 600 / 600
Taijutsu: 600 / 600
Genjutsu: 600 / 600
Chakra Control: 600 / 600Fight DataWiPActionsWiPWeapon EquippedSeven Deadly SinsMood MusicWiPMISC X

[/legend]​

[/col]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke listened to Roku speak his mind. He waited for Roku to say his entire piece uninterrupted. "My pet project did indeed turn itself on its head. It's ... resolution is something I have undertaken to do and it may be very violent."<i></i> Sousuke answered, Mikaboshi would be sealed in a photonic prison. He would be either burned into nothingness or this time sealed eternally. Perhaps Katsuo could be saved. Perhaps he could not. "I admit my mistakes, and I am certainly not above fixing them with what resources I have."<i></i> Sousuke answered grimly. He exhaled. "For a time we had a Sunahoshi living amongst us. You would have liked him perhaps. I had tried twice to put him on the throne he would not have it. I respected his wishes in sparing the Cabal and giving them a second chance. It was his belief that killing them makes us no better than them. Perhaps I should have had them all killed. Had I done that we would have still been underground. Kaito yielded useful information, and I tolerate him. Perhaps I should have him and Naganisa locked up in a tiny cell. Naganisa was with the Sunahoshi heir and was fucking him. I tolerated it because I respected him, and his goal was to make Wind a better place. The Cabal were ... I suspect ... going to be instrumental to his dreams becoming a reality."<i></i> He admitted. "I have no one to give the throne to anymore. I will need to either take it myself or abolish it in its entirety. I am leaning towards the later... which I will disclose why to you."<i></i> He spoke darkly.

The news of the Toraono clan was disheartening. "Ever since the fall of the Cabal, the Toraono clan has been assaulted endlessly. I have heard rumors of Cursed Seals being used on children. It is something that does not sit well with me. I don't know if Kuro is aware that he is empowering and damning people at the same time."<i></i> He snorted, "Power is a funny thing. People seek it, but aren't always aware of its cost."<i></i> The news of the outsider was something that had yet truly come to the forefront. "Kuro likes his alliances. I do not know the details of the stranger he houses, but those rumors will need to be dispelled."<i></i> Was Kuro perhaps not as trustworthy? He hoped that this was not the case. He loved his older brother, but perhaps Kuro needed to be reigned in. Mayhaps he needed to be shown the error in his ways.

"I am very much aware of your actions. They are most appreciated. That being said the first time we ever fought something that was occult was the Djinn Roku. We survived that with strain and difficulty. Fighting spirits, creatures of the night, is very different from fighting men and women. Spirits and demons don't necessarily bleed out or die easily when we stab them in the heart. We then of course break middle ground with Magnetica, which you were not present for."<i></i> He listened to Roku outline the situation before them. "I am aware of the Daimyo. He has been silent for too long. Daimyo's of the other nations have turned upon their people. We are not subservient to him, and it never sat well with him that we have our independence. Yes, it does not take a genius to figure out what will happen, again. War is brewing. The Cabal had shut us down effectively. That is something I am working to prevent from happening again."<i></i> He exhaled. "What the hell do I know, what are you missing? The religion of Mother Suna, that which we have built everything on is a lie. Suna is not the benevolent figure who appointed the Sunahoshi or my clan, leaders of this state. It is fiction. The Ancients, they are returning. Suna is intending to revive Homura and Fuujin. We being are pincer attacked on both of these ends."<i></i> He shook his head. "So. Yes. Am I certain my decisions this time around will fare better? That is why I am coming to you for help. My nobles will support me, but I need grounded individuals. I am rebuilding and placing my faith in my fellow man than some bitch who bleeds red sands and eats the souls of individuals to nourish herself, or some legendary figure of some supreme bloodline."<i></i> Sousuke laughed out loud. It was the sort of laugh that a pessimist had. Clearly there was no idealism here. Merely a man who was broken and trying to fix what was around him. Sousuke looked to the roof of the room. " I was born and bred to have been an advisor. To serve some man or woman appointed to be supreme ruler. It's been a great joke. I will work with the hand I've been given, and we're going to have to fight this to bitter end."<i></i> He exhaled.His eyes shifted to his friend. "Honestly Roku, you're the most honest person I know. You don't ever need to call me Steward, or Kazekage. I'm just ... me. A simple socially inept human who is a little clever than others. I know how to balance books, how to avoid being trapped by debts, I know how to handle a blade. Will you help me Roku? It's not expected that you do. You can leave me here and now, and I will think no less of you."<i></i> His gaze shifted down. "That being said can you provide us a sit rep of this Sovereign? We will need to deal with this threat as we've done with others in the past. With our wit, with our will, and our fists."<i></i>

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]Wasn't this swell? Roku took Kazuki's appointed position in a bad way. But that was not exactly unexpected. If they were in reverse positions, the Overlord would have reacted just like him. "What do I know? The hell do you know?" was the Reckless words after the Silvery Haired Man had wondered how much in the loop he was. "A war is coming to this village, that is what I know. The Sovereign, the Daiymo, the Merchant Lords; these are things I know." he would clarify. "I haven't just been out there busting crime. I have been single-handedly acting out the duties of the ANBU of this village. Our ranks are thinned, our leadership has never existed and the attention to us has been minimal... but here we are bringing in someone not from this village to assist with the running of the show AND then have me questioned like I am left out of the loop?" and further clarify. The White Wolf perceived a slight tone of indignity on the man's voice, perhaps a sense of injustice. But one thing was certain though, he clearly was a hot head kind of individual. Sousuke did his best in explaining what was going on. Perhaps he could give Roku a few more details. "I was there when Suna declared war on us. Mother Suna, the revered figure of your religion, was none other than Takahashi Shiori. Not only that but she revealed the truth behind everything. And now she is on a crusade to kill us all. And she is not alone on this, no. The Earth Court Ancient has an ally. This partner is none other than Mikaboshi, former ANBU Sennin of Sunagakure, a Deep Court Ancient. And this foe has a greater level of grudge against us it would seem. And I was there when they finally allied with each other." the Sennin would speak, clearly gazing his coworker, despite the mask. "And I was also there then Mikaboshi and Suna teamed up on Sousuke. We survived the fight, but we were not victorious. Their power is tremendous. We were not prepared for such struggle and we were thunderously beaten. But that gave us a chance to learn. Next time, because there will be a next time, things will be different. Sousuke thinks he can count on you, for Sunagakure's sake, I hope he is right." And those were two situations that Reaper was present for, and Roku was not.

"The hell do you know about this village? The hell have you done for this village to give you any belief you should be in a position of power here?" the Sennin would question. Both fair questions, and while the correct man to answer them would be the Steward, the Silvery Haired Man would still shed some light upon them. "Compared to any native, I know little about Sand. But my meager knowledge about our village does not equate to loss of efficiency. What have I done for this village? Compared to you, my actions are certainly shallow. But Sousuke trusts me and I bring to the table something you cannot. I have past experience as Sennin of an ANBU Branch. I have past experience with treacherous Daimyos. I come from a village that was overrun by samurai at the behest of a Daimyo, and I will not let that happen to my new home. I have faced two Ancients in combat. I know more about them than most of this village. Should I continue?" Kazuki told him. Did that mean he was worthy of being a Sennin? Probably not, but the Takahashi Highlord had faith in him, and saw as the best candidate for the job, and that would have to suffice. "Do you distrust me?" the White Wolf would inquire a question he was going to answer in Roku's stead. "It is good that you do. I am an outsider, this is the first time we see each other. You would be a fool if you were ready to trust me from the get go. I also do not trust you, but I trust Sousuke judgment. And so I will work with you for the benefit of Sand. If we remain true to ourselves and stay true to our path, we will trust each other. We have to. If Sousuke falls, Sunagakure is doomed. We have to protect him at all costs. If he is the face of this village, then we must be his knights. The White Knight." the Overlord would state, pointing toward the White Haired Man. "And the Dark Knight." he would add while pointing to himself.

Sousuke had asked for a report about the Sovereign. And he had done so the Street ANBU Sennin, but the Occult one also had something to share about it. "It was brought to my attention that the Sovereign is using a very special power source to fuel his war machine. He is draining Ancients of their power. If someone, whose key interest is in finding living ancients, were to know about this, I am certain we could gain an improbably ally against our impending war with the Sovereign. In fact we could use this to kill two birds with one stone."

[MFT - 874]|[legend="[[b][u]Senju Kazuki[/u][/b]]"]

Senju Kazuki - Occult ANBU Sennin

[/legend][/col]

 

[Raizo]

[col]It was disappointing, only Sousuke seemed to get worked up from his outburst. He was hoping to elicit more of a response from the new person.

Oh well.

He did learn a couple of neat things, with the most important one being Sousuke saying 'fuck'. Internally, the giggling was never ending. Externally, he maintained his composure to allow both of them to finish their thoughts. When prompted by Kazuki with his question of if Roku distrusted him.


"Sure do. In fact, your sudden rise to being a close confidant of the Kazekage and being placed in positions of power should be a huge red flag, but I guess if Sousuke sees no issue, who am I to judge?"

Kazuki seemed to understand why he would be frustrated. It wasn't too hard of a opinion to figure out. In this room he was the outsider, and while Roku had some intention of purposefully riling up both parties, Kazuki's relative calmness was more of a red flag for him than anything else. If nothing else, this man seemed calculated. It was odd that he, someone from outside of the village and country, had been doing so much work to get as close to the Kage as they possibly could and now their efforts were paying off. If anything, this type of person was the most troubling. Between Sousuke and Kazuki there was plenty of talk of these Ancients and their continually growing threat. There was a reference to a female bleeding sand from one and the other mentioning 'mother suna' being a Takahashi Shiori and now a partnership with the another Ancient in Mikaboshi.

Takahashi Shiori. Mother Suna. Mikaboshi. Ancients. Noted.

There would be more between the two; some minor puffing from Kazuki mentioning them as nights and Sousuke self deprecating. The final bit of Kazuki's chat would cause Roku to show the first facial reaction since he went through his yelling moment. The individual seemed to know about the Sovereign's use of the Ancients to empower the youth being trained in their midst. Could Fuu have mentioned something about this to Kazuki? Did they even know one another?

"My, my, isn't that just an interesting piece of information, wonder where you came upon it..."

If there was someone else with information on the Sovereign, Roku wanted to share some words with them as well. Pulling himself back in his chair he would let out a sign and prop his feet up onto the table.

"Geez, so much information to take in. Terrifying Ancients, magics and resurrection of gods. The religion being a sham, such a surprising revelation."

It was clear that these two were consumed with the more supernatural piece of this current situation. It was insulting almost insulting to being a human.

"They may not bleed out, but it would be pretty foolish, but maybe that is our track record, to discount the human element to our woes. I believe our dearest sweet Mother and the ex-Sennin Mikaboshi could attest to the truly fearsome nature of humanity; isn't that why they've both been out of the picture for this long? Isn't the human race the reason we aren't still living in a world completely full of these Ancients? The religion didn't just turn out to be a sham, it has always been a sham. Idolize and holding in reverence these creatures. They can be killed, they are no gods."

It was a pretty long moment of speaking but his tone and pace were slow as he seemed fairly unimpressed with all of it.

"The Djinn, geez, a freshly trained ANBU for that little moment."

It did seem like a different lifetime ago.

"Yea, yea... I get it. Dangerous stuff. I don't agree with the fact that two thirds of this gather are seemingly dismissing the Daimyo's actions... but who knows. Maybe I am not putting enough attention towards two false gods that are running around stirring up trouble?"

Fair question, even if he was questioning himself.

"Eating souls, huh? What a grotesques existence."

Clearly, he was never fan of these Ancients in the grand scheme of the history.

"Yes, the Sovereign is being built off 'feeding' individuals, namely children, the essence of an Ancient or Ancients, but to think that we would be killing two birds with one stone might not be correct. Half of the prime ten members of the Sovereign army... miltia... unti... seem to be based on the concept of being immortal or controlling the dead. Heck, one of them is potentially a reason that the Diamond Maelstrom was even a thing. He has a knack for raising the dead and seems to be interested in those of the Sunahoshi lineage. I would also be willing to bet that if those two parties, the Mother and the Daimyo, ever met one another they would share in more mutual interest in the short term before trying going after one another's throat. We would be the odd party out. Just because we can say the 'enemy of my enemy' is my friend, when they could easily see the same thing in an alliance among themselves. "

He assumed that would be interesting nugget of information if nothing else. Of course, maybe Kazuki had already heard all of this?

"Speaking of that lineage, you mentioned that one returned and you were thinking of giving him the throne."

Removing himself from his reclined position he would lean forward to Sousuke.

"I would have never respected someone that just appeared out of the thin air and was given leadership for no reason. I get that you blindly followed some silly prophecy and religion, but I am glad this individual did not accept the title for whatever reason. I always hated that title, did I ever tell you that? 'Steward'. What a load of shit. You've always been the Kazekage, so accept that damn mantle and stop acting like a socially awkward kids about it. Your the leader, embrace it. Shadow man over there..."

Thumb would jut out and point over to Kazuki.

"...said that if you were to fall then so would we as a village. He has been here for a fricken minute and he can draw that conclusion. I don't give a damn about boogymen, gods, Ancients, Mother Suna, Steward, Sunahoshi and all the rest of that stupid ass mumbo jumbo. So my second action as Sennin; if I ever hear you again talk about yourself as some impotent ruler again, I will beat you to the point that you wish some Ancient was there trying to kill you instead."

Roku would be damned if he was going to assist some half assed leader. Sousuke would either need to accept his place as the Kazekage or step down.

"Oh, yea... as you may or may not be aware the Cabal incident was never meant to be our demise. It was merely a practice run just to see how well we would fare, although our defeat would have been a nice bonus. Throughout all of it, there was one who was assessing our strength in order to relay their data back to the Daimyo to assist in their future attempt to eradicate us."

Popping his knuckles, he would once more prop his feet up and get into a relaxed position.

"Then again, that is just the words on the streets from the common folk ANBU Sennin. I know it is lacking in that magic and occult business, well I guess that isn't true. The 10 prime fighters did seem to be pretty occulty when I got their descriptions. So what is the next course of action? Where do we go from here?"

There was a source of resentment in his tone for the final comment, but the fact that Sousuke saw no issue or hesitancy in his immediate trust of someone who is a relative unknown to the village was something he could not let go of, at least not at this time. If the Kazekage was trusting him of his honest assessment of the situation, a grounded view on it, then it was his obligation to point out at the most immediate elephant in the room. Granted, this Kazuki person did seem together with it and confident. As much as he could potentially be an enemy, either in the present or the future, he be just as much of support in the upcoming conflict. It was now up to Sousuke to decide how he wished to proceed; would he merely continue on with the plan, would he attempt to defend his selection of Kazuki or would he act like the leader and get Roku on board with all of this. Time would tell...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OOC: 1363 MFT
|

[legend="[glow=maroon][b][size=5]Roku[/size][/b][/glow]"]

 

Name: Okayama Roku
Epithet: Suna's Raging Beast
Height: 6'2"
Build: Lean and Muscular
Eyes: Green
Blood Type: O NegativePersonal DataStamina: 50,400
Chakra: 31,200
Power Level: 3600 [CL: 15]
Stamina: 600 / 600
Agility: 600 / 600
Ninjutsu: 600 / 600
Taijutsu: 600 / 600
Genjutsu: 600 / 600
Chakra Control: 600 / 600Fight DataWiPActionsWiPWeapon EquippedSeven Deadly SinsMood MusicWiPMISC X

[/legend]​

[/col]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Kazuki had said his peace about the position now it was time for Sousuke. "Sudden rise Kazuki has been here longer than what you make think. While he may not be native to Sand, he and his clan has aided us in some of the rebuilding efforts. He was there to help us during the fires in the Residential Zone. We have also fought side by side on no less than three occasions. "<i></i> There was also the matter of Kazuki giving him vital information as to how to disrupt his clan if necessary. "I appreciate and understand your concern Roku."<i></i> Sousuke placed his hand behind his neck. Unfortunately he had rubbed Roku the wrong way about this. "I am sorry, if I have insulted you in any shape or form. You are right though the Daimyo is something we need to deal with here and now - least we should suffer a cataclysmic end-game event."<i></i> He listened to Kazuki and Roku detail what they had found out. It was alot to detail. Sousuke walked across the room and acquired a pad and paper he began to speed write out points in various symbols and signs. "The Cabal fell apart due to internal strife. Naganisa and Urufuu both had people they were close to in the village. Homura, not the ancient, was at a time a lover of Naganisa. He tried to kill her later. Urufuu is of the Inuzuka clan, an exile, he had ties to Yume. We will not be so fortunate this time around. Amongst the Cabal there was the Daimyo's bastard son Shouki who seemed to be on a complete different level compared to them. Taking him down wasn't easy."<i></i> He continued to make notes.

"The Cabal had objects in their possession. They had corrupted summoning contracts, twisted them, bent them to their will. What higher than a summoning contract. Ancients. It makes sense that the game would be upped."<i></i> He produced from his sleeve a ring. He tossed it at Roku to inspect. The ring had a sense of wrongness about it. Sousuke stopped writing when he heard about the fact that Sovereign and the undead. "I don't think it was potentially, I think it was. I was there. At the eye of the storm. We fought ... something there that was controlling the storms. The storm has been active before my birth, which would mean that ... ... this game the Daimyo has been playing at has been in the making for over thirty years."<i></i> The logistics of that was... "This plan of his, has been in the works for a very long time."<i></i> Sousuke was putting the facts together bit by bit. "Sunahoshi Daisuke had been missing for a very long time ... and Katuso was far too young. It could have been Daisuke, what was Daisuke, at the eye of storm."<i></i> Sousuke placed down the notes he was working on and placed his index finger, middle fingers on the sides of his forehead. "When Katsuo put an end to the storm ... it must have put things into motion for the Daimyo. He's got a timeline he's been going by. That was a good while ago now so... that means we're not sure how forward along ahead he is in his plans."<i></i> He exchanged glances with the two of them. "Your informer, older woman. White hair? About maybe ... forty?"<i></i>

Sousuke shook his head. He had listened to Roku go through the whole bit about how he thought the Stewardship was really just ... fluff. Sousuke turned his head to the side. "You beat me? Heh. Okay. Alright. Alright. I get it. Kazekage Sousuke it is then."<i></i> He scratched his head. "The words on the streets carry power Roku. A kindness to a beggar does pay off in the long run. I should know, I once gave my ... well ... it was a coat Kuro gave me as a handmedown ... granted I had to shrink it to fit me but ... anyways point is rumors on the streets can always be used in our favor. Someone records it, it goes out and ... people get misinformed sometimes. That being said ... ... listen, I should have worded that better. You know me, I had to learn insults from you. I'm not quite as good as you are with them, but ... you know where I'm going with this."<i></i> Roku and Sousuke had a history. When Roku's body failed him, Sousuke kept him on life support and had his body resuscitated numerous times. He cared deeply for the man. Sousuke looked after Roku, and Roku in turn looked after Sousuke.

"We need to figure out when the Daimyo is going to throw down. What step of his plan is he on. These ten individuals powered by the ancients. I'm certain the Ancients themselves should they be as well informed as we presently are would go on the offensive. Their pride is insufferable. If they pull the trigger on the war first, and should they fail then the Daimyo's ten people get even more ... of a power source to draw upon."<i></i> He closed his eyes. "Kazuki get Rangers in the fields. Figure out what you can if anything has mobilized. If some wildlife suddenly becomes extinct, we need to know about it. Roku I know you had an interest in the Rangers. Did you still want to continue on the path?"<i></i> His eyes shifted to the man, "I know you fight with your hands, in the event I'm not here, dead or otherwise, I would like for you to get yourself situated with my tech."<i></i> Sousuke ran his hand across the table. The walls upon the room would flip revealing a small armoury of sorts. "If nothing here is your 'bag' as it were, I would make something for you personally. I know you're measurements."<i></i> Sousuke tapped his chin with his index finger. "It is always easier to defend than it is to attack. The Daimyo would have learned this from his encounter with us. He could try to take us again. That being said, we need to place ourselves in a defensive position."<i></i> He motioned to Kazuki, himself, and Roku. "We're going to have to learn how to fight as a team. This is what is is going to go down to. It took four of us to put down Shouki, it'll take more to put one of the ten down."<i></i>

 

[Mikaboshi]

"It is terribly rude to talk about someone who is in the room as if they can't hear you."

The evening was late in the board room of the Kazekage Tower and much of the staff for the building had gone home for the night already. Even before his expulsion from the position of ANBU Sennin, Mikaboshi had possessed a way of simply going where he pleased regardless of those that would have otherwise wished to prevent his egress. It stood to reason that now without any standing loyalty to the city of Sunagakure that even if his way into the tower had been barred that the security in question which made that poor decision would have met with a sorry fate. Mikaboshi's very presence in the tower made it entirely possible that Sousuke might be required to review files for a new security team on the morrow. Fortunately for Sousuke, Mikaboshi had not made a mess of anyone on his way through the tower. Not that he hadn't been willing to but really it was only because he had not come across anyone of enough significant worth to delay him. He was a busy creature, after all. Places to be, bridges to burn.

"Is this a bad time?" The smugness in Mikaboshi's statement was unbearable. The last time that he'd appeared suddenly in the midst of Sousuke, he had brought with him a child prepped with an explosive seal that he could detonate at any time to use as leverage. What horrible counter-measure had he brought with him this time?

Standing in the doorway of the board room, Mikaboshi stood leaning against the door jam with his arms folded across his chest and the man-faced mask that he'd become infamous for in lieu of an actual face... with no innocent people in tow this time, thankfully. Still, even though that might come as an immediate relief it might also be at the same time terrifying. If he felt confident enough to walk into the board room of the Kazekage Tower without Suna at his side then he had come here almost certainly with a plan of some kind and so far Mikaboshi had proven himself more than willing to harm anyone and everyone around him to execute his schemes.

"I'd hate to interrupt something important, after all. Go on, you were talking about the impending war with Sora?"

This wasn't the first time Mikaboshi had heard such talk. After overhearing a debate in the heart of the Toraono Dojo, Mikaboshi carried in his memory the plans of a small group of shinobi which Kuro was harboring there that involved striking at Sora and overthrowing the government with the intent to place their own pawn king on the throne. It wasn't a bad plan per say. It was classic, at least. It was their execution that lacked. They failed to plan for the fact that the Wind Country noble class would never bow to a weak ruler put into place by the right of marriage. By killing the daimyo and attempting to take his throne those three would ignite a war that would almost certainly consume the entire region in civil war.

Which was fine by Mikaboshi. He preferred it, even. Perhaps... that was why he was here?|[legend="[[b][u]OOC Notes[/u][/b]] - [[url=https://youtu.be/5CfNarCjSHMJ_E]SCENE BGM[/url]]"]

Mikaboshi - Ancient Rogue

[/legend][/col]

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]"Maybe I am not putting enough attention towards two false gods that are running around stirring up trouble?" Roku would eventually state. "Sometimes we have to start with the more immediate threat before tackling the remaining ones. Suna and Mikaboshi are on our playground right now, the Daimyo and his agents are not. This is not to say we should overlook that threat. No, our plans should and must take him into account. But we cannot afford to ignore the threat posed by the Ancients. They reap souls, together they could severely diminish Sunagakure's population and grow stronger by it. We have to consider that and prevent them." Kazuki would reply. Perhaps it was a bit hypocritical of him. He did exactly the same, not that his coworker knew about it.
"Yes, the Sovereign is being built off 'feeding' individuals, namely children, the essence of an Ancient or Ancients, but to think that we would be killing two birds with one stone might not be correct. Half of the prime ten members of the Sovereign army... miltia... unti... seem to be based on the concept of being immortal or controlling the dead. Heck, one of them is potentially a reason that the Diamond Maelstrom was even a thing. He has a knack for raising the dead and seems to be interested in those of the Sunahoshi lineage. I would also be willing to bet that if those two parties, the Mother and the Daimyo, ever met one another they would share in more mutual interest in the short term before trying going after one another's throat. We would be the odd party out. Just because we can say the 'enemy of my enemy' is my friend, when they could easily see the same thing in an alliance among themselves. " the Reckless would then continue, effectively confirming what the Overlord had just stated. "Your informer, older woman. White hair? About maybe ... forty?" the Steward would then inquire as well. "Yes, pitting them against each other might backfire spectacularly, but at the same, it might provide us with necessary window of opportunity to strike them both down. There is no sure way to know how it will work until we take the initiative and do it. I am not advocating we follow this through blindly, but it is an option we need to consider. And as Sousuke pointed out, their pride would probably prevent such allegiance from occurring." the White Wolf responded. It was hilarious that Roku was talking about raising the dead, when there was one guy in the room that did exactly the same. In fact, if one where to think about it, the Silvery Haired Man had more in common with their enemies, than with them. "It was Fuu that told me about it, yes." he would clarify.

"Sudden rise Kazuki has been here longer than what you make think. While he may not be native to Sand, he and his clan has aided us in some of the rebuilding efforts. He was there to help us during the fires in the Residential Zone. We have also fought side by side on no less than three occasions." the Takahashi Highlord would state, vouching for Reaper's presence and recent election. The former Sennin of Leaf, now turned Sennin of Sand, would stand silent at that time. He had said his piece, now actions would prove, or not, his worthiness. "So what is the next course of action? Where do we go from here?" Roku requested. The Purple Haired Man's answer was ready. "Kazuki get Rangers in the fields. Figure out what you can if anything has mobilized. If some wildlife suddenly becomes extinct, we need to know about it. We're going to have to learn how to fight as a team. This is what is is going to go down to. It took four of us to put down Shouki, it'll take more to put one of the ten down." Kazuki would nod. "The ranger order is still taking its first steps, but we will do what we can. The Senju Clan also stands ready to do their part, you can count it. And I will also pull all SHIELD assets I have at my disposal, in the upcoming war effort." The Steward, maybe full Kazekage by now, had also questioned if the Co-Sennin still wanted to join the Ranger Order. The Overlord would not oppose his joining, but it would create an interesting, if very awkward, dynamic between them. Co-leaders in one branch, leader and subordinate in another.

"It is terribly rude to talk about someone who is in the room as if they can't hear you." a voice would reach them. If neither of them had ever heard that voice before, they would certainly not recognize who was speaking, but at least two of them had. Mikaboshi, the Deep Court Ancient Lord. "Is this a bad time?" he would inquire. Since the voice was coming from the doorway, Reaper would direct his gaze toward it. Unfallibly, there he was. Same outift as last time, same smugness and overbearing. At least this time he was alone. "You gotta be kidding me" the Silvery Haired Man would think. "I'd hate to interrupt something important, after all. Go on, you were talking about the impending war with Sora?" he would declare. "Oh, no, no. Please enter the room.Take a seat, there are plenty of them for you to choose." the White Wolf would calmly answer him, motioning him several vacant chairs near the door. "Want something to drink? Maybe a cup of tea?" he would serenely add, regardless if Mikaboshi had accepted his offer or not. "Of your own blood and shadows perhaps?" he would peacefully finish. Mikaboshi clearly had some nerve to join us like that.|[legend="[[b][u]Senju Kazuki[/u][/b]]"]

Senju Kazuki - Occult ANBU Sennin

[/legend][/col]

 

[Raizo]

[col]And that seemed to be that. Sousuke, driven by his own continued blindness, seemed to place a grand authority to someone not even from the village. What a stubborn man. At this point in the venture, Roku had attempted to speak his mind and in all actuality had spoke more in his few moments then he probably should have. This was reasons why he attempted to avoid these sort of meetings; the talking heads were always so full of their own rhetoric that they cared not for the other opinions, just merely the platform to push their own agenda. This was why he was in ANBU. This is why he was for all intensive purposes the last ANBU in the village at this point. Through his mask division, he is able to slide past all this chit chat and render a decision. And now, Sousuke once more finds a way to complicate this matter; first with an errant leader and now by placing two heads at a table that only needs one. Leadership in a co-roll, it is a difficult and tricky thing to do and the best case scenario would be that they actually work in harmony, the worst case scenario is that the corps becomes split between the two leaders and in-fights and the reality of it is probably closer to the middle. Either way, it would seem the leader was once more making a foolish decision and was once again making another deal with a new devil. The amount of time Sousuke could have spent with this Kazuki, even if giving him the benefit of the doubt with how long he had been in the village, would be laughable if stacked with any other member of the village. And the fact that he had nothing to do with the ANBU of this village, luckily his face would remain hidden as if the remainder of the corps were to find out that one of their leaders was an outside... well if nothing else it would play out favorably for Roku. Nifty little trump card.

"Yea, Journeyman. Cool."

It was clear that these two were much closer than Roku apparently though him and Sousuke were. So, he was now bored with all of this. It did bring a small chuckle when Sousuke mentioned that it would take more than one of them to beat one of the Sovereign.

Hmmm...

Maybe there was a funny memory he was trying to recall about someone else. Did it end well? Maybe he will remember later.

Then, a voice appeared followed by an interesting face. It was like an scorned lover walking in and catcher her man with his two new side pieces. What a fun moment they were all in for.

"Oh deary, what a surprise guest ♪♪"

His words almost made it sound like he was singing. Kazuki already seemed to be welcoming the former Sennin into the meeting, and then offering to make him bleed. Roke, on the other hand, felt just a smidge conflict; he had fought so long to gain the attention of this person and yet was never able. Then he worked so hard to begin the crumbling of his foundation within the ANBU but only to have that stripped away by Sousuke's actions and bastardized in the same fashion by the same person. Either way, he was just a tiddle bit pissed, at everyone in the room, but was sure entertained at the time begin. Roku would eagerly await to see how this all played out, as he propped his elbows up on the table and rested his chin in his palms.

"Always cute when your first bad decision meets your next, aye Sousukeee♪♪"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OOC: 618 MFT
|

[legend="[glow=maroon][b][size=5]Roku[/size][/b][/glow]"]

 

Name: Okayama Roku
Epithet: Suna's Raging Beast
Height: 6'2"
Build: Lean and Muscular
Eyes: Green
Blood Type: O NegativePersonal DataStamina: 50,400
Chakra: 31,200
Power Level: 3600 [CL: 15]
Stamina: 600 / 600
Agility: 600 / 600
Ninjutsu: 600 / 600
Taijutsu: 600 / 600
Genjutsu: 600 / 600
Chakra Control: 600 / 600Fight DataWiPActionsWiPWeapon EquippedSeven Deadly SinsMood MusicWiPMISC X

[/legend]​

[/col]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke rubbed his temples. Yes. Attempting to get Roku and Kazuki together on the same level was not going to be easy. It would take work, and that was going to take time and effort. Mikaboshi being present was not helping here. The contents on the shelves rattled as Mikaboshi made himself known. Thankfully most of the staff had left for the evening. Certainly Rioshi had left to go home. That much was certain. Sousuke when he worked late nights and didn't go 'home' he would go about the tower turning off every single light switch so as to save power. Either way the big elephant in the room was Mikaboshi. Roku had began singing and Kazuki had threatened Mikaboshi in some manner. The Kazekage's hands lowered. He began to formulate a plan.

Mikaboshi had weather manipulating techniques. Turning up the temperature wasn't hard. Mikaboshi had no hostage on him yet. "Practically speaking, it being cute? This isn't fluffy and filled with rainbows or kittens or rabbits."<i></i> He answered with enough snark. Sousuke's eyes shifted to the roof. They were one floor above the armoury. Unfortunately Mikaboshi wasn't above the glass cases he used to keep his armours in place. A glass case couldn't hold Mikaboshi, but the element of surprise mixed in with enough modifications could create a good enough trap to hold him in place. That being said he was three metres away. He would also be dropping a suit of armor on him too. Sousuke wanted to keep some element of surprise available. Sousuke wasn't Primus, but that being said it was merely a matter of time. The potential was there. "Don't let the door hit you on the way in."<i></i> He remarked as the panel door came down.

Sousuke hands curled into fists. He summoned Kou to his side. The tiny insect swarm formed outside, and then little host began to scurry about the lower levels finding what Mikaboshi had or did not have in place. It stood to reason the Kazekage tower would be blown up, just like his apartment, just like his ancestral home. "No."<i></i> Sousuke answered. He wasn't going to go on about this. He wasn't going to reveal that Suna would have to take a defensive stance in this. "What now? Are you going to reveal that you've got some position in Soragakure that you feel the need to reveal?"<i></i> Highly unlikely. Possible. Like a miracle level of possibility. "The torment bell must have been wrung."<i></i> Sousuke's hands opened and closed. He was getting ready for a fight if necessary. In fact he was fully expectant of it. "Out with it."<i></i>

 

[Mikaboshi]

[col]A large metal shutter came slamming down behind Mikaboshi but it didn't seem to bother him in the slightest that he was effectively trapped in the room with Sousuke, Roku and Kazuki. The sudden closing of the metal apparatus designed as some kind of panic room defense grid did not even serve to cause the former ANBU Sennin to jump. He knew Sousuke too well for that. The previous tower had been likewise outfitted with various gizmos and gadgets intended to secure Soususke's office if he came under attack. He'd been the Hand of the Steward for many years and had come to learn much about predilections of the man that he'd served. Sousuke was a strange mesh of both cautious and careless owing mostly to his inability to piece together details into a larger puzzle. He could plan against details and solitary things -- such as a sudden attack on his office at the Kazekage tower, for instance -- but he had trouble confronting the totality of far reaching schemes.

"You're too kind." Mikaboshi remarked dryly to Kazuki, making clear that there was no love lost between them. The threat in Kazuki's words was clear enough but Mikaboshi found it banal at best. There was no need for threats between them -- his very coming here was a threat in itself. They were at war. A threat was a measure of dissuasion. A warning to convince another party of the violence which would ensue if things continued at their current pace. No, there was no need for threats. Not really.

Violence was going to ensue no matter what. Perhaps not at this particular juncture given his numeric disadvantage but either way. Further violence was indeed coming.

He'd arrived late to the party but heard enough to bring an excited grin of mischief to his lips behind the grimace of his mask. Originally he'd just come to perhaps toss Sousuke out a window or some such to remind him that he was a threat but this was far more interesting. It seemed that Sousuke sought to fill the vacuum of power in Sunagakure by placing two people into the position of ANBU Sennin. He'd not overheard the particulars about their specializations but that part was irrelevant to Mikaboshi. He was a danger to Sunagakure both of the occult nature and mundane nature for the trouble he could stir without ever having lifted a single finger. Even at that point in time Mikaboshi had already gone about setting Sunagakure up for a fall by encouraging the bumbling idiots Akkuma and Akujin to attempt their silly take over of Sora. It would paint Sunagakure in an aggressive light and would serve as the spark to unify the rest of Wind Country against them. Then at that point Mikaboshi only had to step out of the way and allow the roused giant that was the combined forces of Wind Country to lynch Sunagakure through the power of faux righteousness.

Sousuke summoned on of his insectoid contract beasts and then refused to move on with the conversation regarding their strategic position they were taking with Sora. That was fair, surmised Mikaboshi, and was probably the smartest move given that Mikaboshi could and certainly would use such information against them if the opportunity presented itself. It seemed as if Sousuke believed that Mikaboshi might have found himself a position with the Daimyo in Sora and to that the ancient fought the urge to roll his eyes. As if he would chain himself to serve another primate after only so recently having been freed of the last one. Truth be told, even though he would not make the observation for Sousuke if the Steward could not reach it on his own, Mikaboshi and Sunagakure had a shared enemy in the nature of Soragakure and the Daimyo of Wind. It was unlikely that the Daimyo would suffer Mikaboshi to be free in the land of Wind even if he bought that Mikaboshi had broken ties with the shinobi of Sand after so many years of loyal service. The stories about the monstrous creature that served at the right hand of the Steward-Kazekage were told enough that it would be an uphill battle to convince anyone that he no longer served the Steward in any capacity and they would be right to doubt such a story. It was an easy lie to tell and one that could have disastrous consequences for the war if they simply ignored an agent who might be acting for the interests of their enemy which was as powerful as Mikaboshi.

"To tell you the truth, I have grown remorseful for my actions and have come to surrender." He said, likely to the shock of everyone in the room. Raising his hands, he pointed them towards Roku and knelt -- his face mask hiding the smirk on his face. "... to my former subordinate."|[legend="[[b][u]OOC Notes[/u][/b]] - [[url=https://youtu.be/5CfNarCjSHMJ_E]SCENE BGM[/url]]"]

Mikaboshi - Ancient Rogue

 

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?Commentary X

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[Senju Kazuki]

[col]"You're too kind." Mikaboshi remarked after being offered a cup of tea by Kazuki. The Overlord would nod with apparent sorrow. "I know, I know. It will be the downfall of this world, this niceness of me." he would retort back. Unlike Roku's apparent happiness for the Ancient's presence, neither the White Wolf nor Sousuke rejoiced with that fact. The Steward readily closed the entrance with an impassible metallic fence, effectively shutting them all inside. Whatever was going to happen, it would stay inside those walls. "To tell you the truth, I have grown remorseful for my actions and have come to surrender." the Deep Court Lord noted as he knelt before Roku. "... to my former subordinate." he added, further reinforcing the message he was trying to convey. It was perfect acting from Mikaboshi's part. Even the Silvery Haired Man felt touched by that performance. Two little pearls of water began to race down through his cheeks, except they did not. But Reaper did clap. Such sound would certain sound bizarre in their current situation. In fact, the other two humans would certainly consider the possibility that Kazuki had just gone insane. "Such a great act daddy-o. You have certainly passed Sunan's actors guild course with flying colors. You have such performing skills, please teach me." he dryly noted. "Did you really think you could fool us Lord of Lies? Did you really consider we were going to fall for that ploy Master of Deceit? Did you ponder we would forget your latest actions and words?" the Silvery Haired Man triply inquired.

"You beat us soundly Mikaboshi. Do not play yourself as weak or as capable of repenting because I trust neither, just like they don't." Reaper stated. He was not going to be fooled by the Ancient in their presence. No, he was not gullible enough for that, not naive enough. He trusted the Steward was not going to fall for that as well, give his recent treatment at Mikaboshi's hands, no less. But Roku was a different case. The now ANBU Sennin had been a subordinate of the Deep Court Lord before. He probably aspired to become like him. If there was a weak link in this triad, it was the White Haired Reckless. "Do not trust his words Roku. Deep Court Ancients are known as apt deceivers and liars. He is an ancient on a roaring path of revenge. He is not doing this because he has repented his actions, or wants to, he is doing this because it will further his agenda. And whatever furthers his agenda will only accelerate our downfall." the Sennin told him. Roku had to know better than accepting the truth in Mikaboshi's words, especially because there was no truth in them. "Sousuke, he has come to further cause dissent among our ranks and prevent us from presenting an unified front against his assault. Divide and conquer. That is his goal." Kazuki answered. Was he far from the truth?|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qMBans8jyM][b][u]Senju Kazuki[/u][/b][/url]]"]

Senju Kazuki - Occult ANBU Sennin

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[Raizo]

[col]What a surprising turn of events. It seemed that Mikaboshi appeared before them to say he was turning himself, itself, over to the group, but more precisely to Roku. The whole notion cause a joyous sensation to pulse through Roku as a small smirk appeared on his face.

What is his game? He can't think there is any love or loyalty between us, I have been working behind the scenes the past few weeks to try and build a case against him in his own, at that time, headquarters. So what is this? Is it just a jab at Sousuke and Kazuki? If that is the case I am the butt of the joke. Not a fan of that. However, why not enjoy this moment. Why not play the hand dealt and see what comes? I mean this is the most exhilarating thing to happen so far! I mean I would love to just roll around on the ground laughing, because everything about this moment is great. How this must piss those other two wet blankets off. Usually the games I play are behind my mask, but this is my first chance to play a game as myself. What a rush, I hope Mikaboshi is a good Player 2.

Roku's eyes would shift over to Kazuki, who turned to a rather chatty little dog at this point in time. Was this the effect of Mikaboshi? Should Roku have been panicking more like the other two about this appearance.

That is what makes these two weak. Bending to this notion of a label; Ancient. Just something that has outlived its time

"Don't trust his words... pot, are you calling the kettle black? Talk of furthering one's own agenda coming from someone who has so entrenched themselves into a village that is not their own, sorry if I find it funny."

So Shadow Puppets over there must think I am an idiot. 'Don't trust him', bitch, I don't trust half this room. Mikaboshi was long on my radar before you and the Kazekage started having tea parties. The nerve of people...

His eyes would turn back to Mikaboshi, but surely Sousuke would be having some form of panic attack at this point, but Roku hoped his words would be heard and met with a response. He would pull himself up from his seat and place his hands into his pockets.

"It seems that the rest of the gathering would rather have your head then see you taken into custody, so what would be the terms of your surrender? What would you be hoping to gain from being taken into custody and what do we gain from merely locking you up instead of putting you down?"

That simple. Sure, Roku could have played his usual mocking tone in hopes of riling up the newest partymate, but instead elected to play this much more civil. Mikaboshi had a plan, everyone saw that, but Roku was more interested in what this current plan led to instead of simply jumping away from it. An Ancient that was once, what Roku assumed, under the possession of the village has now gained some form of freedom, so of course it was hard to believe he would turn right back around and get shackled once more. Even getting a piece of his motivation would allow for a better look into the situation. Of all the threads Roku had on the board his investigations into the former Sennin Mikaboshi and the current Sennin Kuro were still the most unexplored. It was time to start pulling one of those threads. Hopefully the other two wouldn't react based on their fear and would be more open to acting as well.
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OOC: 618 MFT
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[legend="[glow=maroon][b][size=5]Roku[/size][/b][/glow]"]

 

Name: Okayama Roku
Epithet: Suna's Raging Beast
Height: 6'2"
Build: Lean and Muscular
Eyes: Green
Blood Type: O NegativePersonal DataStamina: 50,400
Chakra: 31,200
Power Level: 3600 [CL: 15]
Stamina: 600 / 600
Agility: 600 / 600
Ninjutsu: 600 / 600
Taijutsu: 600 / 600
Genjutsu: 600 / 600
Chakra Control: 600 / 600Fight DataWiPActionsWiPWeapon EquippedSeven Deadly SinsMood MusicWiPMISC X

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[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke sighed audibly. Kou and his siblings were informing him that Mikaboshi had yet to damage the building. The intel being fed was sound, but that being said things could heat up or chill at any moment. Sousuke rubbed the middle of his forehead with his index and middle finger. In contrast to what Mikaboshi believed Sousuke did not consider the Ancient forming an alliance with the Daimyo. If Sousuke had proven to be a terrible master over Mikaboshi based on two occasions during the several years he had been with Sousuje, then the Daimyo probably would have had that multipled by several thousand fold. It stood to reason that if Shouki enjoyed hurting Gambuta that he would have Mikaboshi on a choke chain of sorts while having himself attached to one himself and Mikaboshi running the other way would not prove to the masochist a great thrill. The problem was that well ... Sousuke hadn't come to a conclusion about what to do about the Daimyo yet. His removal would provide a power vaccume and then one would have a very fat and large Mikaboshi present from having gorged himself on so many souls that it would probably take ten people to just push him around. The image Sousuke's mind would generate would be a very disturbing one. Either way Mikaboshi would have been like a fat man at a buffet line if he was present in Soragakure having nothing but civilians and untrained nobles. Maybe if Mikaboshi had been that fat they could roll him off a cliff and into a ... no. Let's not even let him get that fat to begin with. The number of souls he would have to devour alone would be probably in the hundreds of thousands.

Kazuki stepped in and began speaking his peace to Roku. The Steward kept silent. There was some damn game being played at in front of his face. Maybe it was sheer embarrassment. Sousuke's face did not turn red, he merely stood there and held his hands behind his back. So. Mikaboshi wanted to give up. Roku wanted terms of surrender. For Sousuke there was the more important one of getting Mikaboshi separated from Katuso's body. He still did not know if the body was a cadaver, or if Katuso had been sealed. Sousuke's eyes looked downward to the sennin. There was certainly words to be said. Sousuke's hands behind his back tightened into fists. He very much wanted to sock Mikaboshi in the face with his metallic arm. He couldn't do that because it would result in Katuso's undetermined-status body either brain damage or even worse fatality. "Cat doesn't have my tongue first and foremost."<i></i> Then Mikaboshi would do as he usually would do an possess another individual. "I suppose then, you've given up your plot of revenge to murder everything in front of me, and then murder me last?"<i></i> Sousuke opted not to add on 'because Sunahoshi Nori made a very poor decision and murdered your best friend ever in this world'. Mentioning that friend resulted in him being thrown out a window last time. Though ... saying it out loud would perhaps cause Mikaboshi to become enraged and thus cause the game to reveal itself. That was a trump card he had, he could easily trigger Mikaboshi. Not a good idea, but one to at least cause this current plan of his to go sideways at the expense of a new Kazekage tower.

 

[Mikaboshi]

[col]Mikaboshi glanced up at Kazuki as the newly appointed ANBU Sennin made a fool of himself with his exaggerated clapping and praise. He quickly accused Mikaboshi of being a liar by assigning to him a handful of slanderous titles but that was a mistake in itself. The fact that he had only recently acquired the ability to truly lie was a secret known only to himself and perhaps Suna if she'd puzzled it out by now. He'd told no one about it and had no intention to do so. It was a powerful card that he held for in every story and fable in which he starred as the quintessential villain there was one constant about his personage even if his appearance, motivations and mannerisms were different.

Mikaboshi could not lie.

He could fail to provide context or lie by omission but he could not make a statement which he knew to be factually false. It was a cruel quirk of nature for a creature who was born with a compulsion to deceive. For Kazuki to accuse him so readily of lying outright was to make a compound mistake. The first was to reveal to Mikaboshi, and by extension the others in the room as well, how little Kazuki actually knew about the history and lore of the Wind Country. For as long as Sunagakure had stood, Mikaboshi had been demonized by stories and myths which made him out to be a monster whose sole motivation in existence was to bring low the heroes in the stories he featured in. None of them were true, naturally. But given his relationship with humanity which had been of the predator and prey variety it was easy to understand how the stories had gotten started to begin with. The second part of his mistake, and perhaps the more grievous of the two, was the way he'd jumped to denounce Mikaboshi. He sought immediately to discredit him in the eyes of Roku who had not been there for the battle in which he and Suna had defeated Sousuke and Kazuki. Mikaboshi opened his mouth to retort but Roku beat him to it by scolding Kazuki for his hypocritical position as an outsider who had rapidly catapulted up the ranks suddenly and without warning.

Despite his recent turn, Mikaboshi had been stalwartly loyal in the past. What loyalty had Kazuki proven to Sunagakure as an institution thus far? Roku directed his next statement at Mikaboshi and to that the former sennin offered a non-committal shrug at first.

"There is a war coming. You know this. If truly the capital of Wind looks to destroy you then you must know that you will have few friends in such a conflict. The merchant lords fear the Daimyo more than they fear you and thus they will side against you with him. Can Sunagakure think to stand against the might of all of Wind Country all on it's own? I think not, no."

Even if they didn't trust him the truth of his words were undeniable. Sousuke was popular in the courts of Soon's Haven and might be able to sway some favor from the houses there but the most they could hope for would be for those lords to recuse themselves from the war in much the same way that some ancient courts had chosen not to fight against the humans. No merchant lord would be foolish enough to throw in their lot with Sunagakure against the power of the Wind Daimyo especially not in the wake of the Cabal attacks. Next it was Sousuke's turn to speak and to that Mikaboshi offered a laugh at Sousuke's statement.

"Given up? No, Sousuke you and I very much still have a score to settle. But for the time being circumstances have changed as such that other matters require my undivided attention. What I propose is a truce between us." Mikaboshi explained, his voice low. "Until such a time that the threat of Soragakure is ended."

Mikaboshi had little faith that the humans in the room would fully honor the agreement of a truce between them. After all, Sunagakure had a history of breaking it's word when it mattered. But that was the key difference between the now and the then. Mikaboshi had every intention of seeing the truce through until his pieces were properly in place. New opportunities had arisen in the form of the new dueling sennin positions and before he proceeded any further he needed time to fully explore those opportunities.|[legend="[[b][u]OOC Notes[/u][/b]] - [[url=https://youtu.be/5CfNarCjSHMJ_E]SCENE BGM[/url]]"]

Mikaboshi - Ancient Rogue

 

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?Commentary X

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