Ninpocho Chronicles is a fantasy-ish setting storyline, set in an alternate universe World of Ninjas, where the Naruto and Boruto series take place. This means that none of the canon characters exists, or existed here.
Each ninja starts from the bottom and start their training as an Academy Student. From there they develop abilities akin to that of demigods as they grow in age and experience.
Along the way they gain new friends (or enemies), take on jobs and complete contracts and missions for their respective villages where their training and skill will be tested to their limits.
The sky is the limit as the blank page you see before you can be filled with countless of adventures with your character in the game.
A blanket over a gurney, a supposed dead body DID exit the hospital and DID enter enter the Obsidian Palace. Her heels clicked on the floor, each step resonated off the stone walls. A white coat hung over her crimson bandage dress. Her long red hair was pulled back from her face in a finger-swept low ponytail. Unruly strands of hair fell over her face and her eyes, as if she had just completed a long day's work. Her sapphire eyes peer through round glasses and a plain black stethoscope hung uselessly around her neck. They were both stolen as was her lab coat, she had lost her identity when she lost her body but she resumed her mission. HE was partly to blame for Sousuke, and HE would suffer. Verily Mikaboshi claimed that Sousuke lived, a man made of shadow who fed on the souls of his enemies was more a monster than an ally. With the mass casualties Sunagakure had suffered and still the Kazekage has not emerged amiss this chaos, she had no hope still that her cousin had survived. She knew that they hated Sunagakure, she could tell by the resolute bounding of his heart when he declared the boy his enemy and called them monsters as he tried to take the girl. He was not a lone participant, there were others like him and they too would eventually sit in this chair.
Shouki was on the brink of consciousness. She pulled him from the stretcher and with a grunt she lifted him over her shoulder and plopped him into the chair bolted down to the center of the room. She had taken him to an old ANBU interrogation room. She had no idea how it worked, that is how the process of human interrogation went but she assumed it was unpleasant. She strapped his wrists and his ankles to the chair with leather restraints and let out a sigh as the last padlock clicked into place. She needed someone, an expert. She was no expert but she was a willing student. There had to be somebody in this place. With the mass exodus of prisoners, it was the duty of the ANBU to not only maintain the peace but to also recover the madmen the Cabal had unleashed. Someone had to be left to maintain the hive... somewhere.
"Help! Help, I need help!"Shiori called through cupped hands. It was not that she was in peril, something that would be readily obvious once the ANBU or good-natured shinobi would immediately discover when they came to her aid. That could easily be remedied. These walls muted chakra manipulation and seemingly leached it away. it was built in the very stones of the building. Each and every one etched with a faint seal that has survived decades of wear. What it could not prevent is the damage a wall can do to one's face ad arms. She did not pause for long, but there was always that self-preserving moment she would have to deny herself as she smashed her face into the wall and crashed both her forearms against the stones hard enough to hear her ulna crack. Abraded but not hemorrhaging... fractured but life not in peril... Her injuries were obvious, but not enough to warrant hospitalization.
She had a plan. She was seen 'saving' him in the hospital and taking him to the operating room. This is a fact that she could not deny. She took him from the hospital but she never said -why- her choice to transport him to the Obsidian is questionable at best. She could claim that she 'recognized him' and brought him here as a 'good citizen would' but without telling anyone? That would be a fool's errand. NO, she needed to claim she was attacked. That she healed him enough tat he awoke and he attacked her. That SHE was the victim but that she somehow overpowered him. But again, how would a simple healer subdue an attacker. An attacker that was recently severely injured. She would hit him in the rib, re-puncture the lung and claim that is what harmed him.
Was that footsteps?
With a flick of her wrist she struck him in the rib. Enough to re-fracture the bone she had so recently mended to steal him away. She had her setting. She had her reasons. She just needed her shinobi hero.
Where am I? Why am I not dead yet? This limbo which places me between life and death would prove not eternal. I am simply subject to the fates for the time, but if the fates side with me they will not regret their choice. I can take the path of the martyr if that is the destiny chosen for me but I am not a fatalist subject to the whim of the Gods. There are no Gods, only demons on gilded robes. Do your worst Sunagakure!
Harupia let out a small sigh as he approached the Palace, having just landed after scaling he rooftops for a few minutes. He yearned for the days where he could simply enjoy a stroll through his village. Though he guessed the current state was an improvement to some degree. After all there was no mass rioting or insane criminals running around and constantly wreaking havoc without him being able to retaliate. Now it was just more...surreal. The devastated streets, desolated after the events. All was going better than one would expect a few days before, but still...it would be quite a long time before they could return to a more normal...more stable life. Perhaps this was to be the norm of a Sunan warrior...and he was just lucky enough to sail through a good portion of his career without much of a hitch.
One thing he didn’t quite enjoy was the gloomy thoughts filling is head, though he knew he couldn’t fight it. He couldn’t let himself fall into self-pity and depression, but he needed to take all of this as a lesson. Learn and adapt, to be better prepared whenever something like this happened again. Could he do it while still remaining how he used to be? Would it be all a simple faced hiding some deep rooted pain? Was the fact that he was going back into the village among other Shinobi to assess the damages, in spite of desperately wanting to talk with his family and friends a sign of him being a diligent protector who puts the good of other's before anything else, or was it him afraid of meeting those close to him after all this, seeing their scars, having to support them while he felt he could use help himself. He of course met with his parents briefly, he knew the clan was safe for the most part, and while he didn’t meet them face to face he heard the Sousuke, Yume and the others were alive. Ehh...hopefully all this internal chit-chat would clear his mind somewhat...eventually.
Perhaps volunteering to inspect the Obsidian Palace wasn’t the best thing, considering his own inner turmoil. He could feel the buildings effect on his mind, the sense of fear and paranoia lingering into he back of his mind...and seeing how he was attacked the other time he came here, he was even more antsy. Still, he felt that he was best suited for the job. He felt confident to deal with anything which might have been lurking here still...or at least be swift enough to fall back with minimal risk. So here he was, wandering through the foreign halls, his mind seeming to play tricks on him... he could have sworn he heard someone calling for help.
A few moments later, and a stronger voice echoing through the hall's snapped him out of this semi reflective state. Someone was indeed calling for help. From within the Obisidan Palace. He couldn’t help but suspect a trap...but he did come to investigate after all. What was strange was that the voice seemed faintly familiar. He wasn’t quite sure...but he would find out soon. His footsteps echoed through the hall's...whoever it was would be probably expecting him. And after one last turn, he found the source... after being braced for a scuffle, it was not what he was expecting. A somewhat lithe looking red haired women he could not recognize, and burly red-haired male in pretty bad shape…strapped into a chair. He noticed after a while that it was indeed a interrogation room. One of the many areas he hoped to ever have to visit…but here he was. And someone was strapped to the chair. Looking towards the women, he said in a gentle and careful tone “I’d ask If I’m interrupting, but you did call for help earlier on… at least I hope it was you. What happened here?” He wanted to be just a bit more careful until he could confirm he wasn’t dealing with a surviving mental ward prisoner or something. He couldn’t recognize either of them…though the voice he heard still ringed familiar in his ears.
"Thank the Gods you are here," Shiori bowed her head in greeting. Her manipulation seemed to be an added step but she did not know that Sousuke was alive and without his name and his family's protection her new body would not go unnoticed. While her transition was out of her hands, her actions were not. With tear-rimmed eyes she started fabricated a story to fit the scenario. "I-I am an aspiring Medic," she explained "I am gifted in ultrasound... a technique that allows me to see deep within someone without cutting them open." She took a breath, everything she was saying thus far was for the most part was true although she did understate her credentials but claiming that she was a Medic would mean he could call and they would know her name. She was not going to give her true name, be noted as not who she claimed and put away for impersonating the woman she was. "I was helping this patient and I determined that he needed emergency surgery to save his life. He awoke and he attacked me." She lied as she raised her arms and displayed her recently battered face and 'defensive wounds' on her arms. She frowned and held her broken arm. "He tried to escape, taking me as a hostage," she lied again. "I do not know where or why he was taking me, but I hit him in the rib where his bones were still weak because I just mended them. I punctured his lung and he went down. I-I was scared and I took him here." A partial truth at least.
She backed away from the bound man. "I do not know who he is, but I am scared of him," she whined as she backed away. She needed to complete her performance quick without hamming it up too much. "Y-you know what, I will heal him up and let you find that out... OK?" Her brow furrowed as she looked at him to determine some verbal or nonverbal sign of assurance. If she was not prevented she would run her hands through a series of hand-seals for perform the following jutsus:</COLOR>
If nothing else it would demonstrate the fact that she was a skilled healer. If she was a mental patient, a possible threat or a liar was something Harupia would still have to determine. What she had performed was more than enough to bring Shouki back to consciousness with sufficient room to spare.[/fontface]
By the Numbers:
Healed for 17870
Called Shot Level Reduced to 0
Bleed V ---> II ---> 0
I was enjoying a nice nap when I had to be rudely awoken.
Shouki awoke but not in the place he last recalled. His nose wrinkled as he caught the putrid scent of bodily fluids that no scrubbing effort could ever erase. It smelled GREAT. Shouki let out a laugh and rocked himself in the chair as he realized he was bound to the very place he said. "Huh?" He asked, his sight still blurry as the white-coat continued to revive him. "How... what?" He asked nobody in particular, befuddled at how he had come to this place until he saw his 'captors.' "HA! I know that it is hard to deny such a seck-say beast such as ME but... you darling are NOT my type. The before... might not have been bad, I like to tenderize my date myself." He let out a chortle. His head turned and he took in an eyeful of Harupia and a wry smile eclipsed his face. "But you lady... just my type" He gave 'her' a wink.
He fought against is restraints. "But seriously ladies, let me out..." his voice trailed off as his mouth opened to reveal rows of sharp, pointed teeth, each carefully filed down. "I will make you scream." He laughed like a madman. He had never been on this side. It might even be fun.
Haru listened carefully to the girl talking as hasty as her speech was. She did want to convey a lot of information in a short time, so he could understand that. And besides, it gave him ample opportunity to listen to her voice…and as strange as it seemed, it sounded all too familiar to him. It could have been his mind playing tricks on him, the Obsidian Palace affecting him… but he was an observant soul. Usually it was regarding his sketches and artistic work, but he was always keen of his surroundings and the people around him, regardless of circumstance. And while he heard it very briefly, not more than 2 or three sentence, it was enough for the voice to etch itself into his mind. He was almost sure he knew this girls voice…yet id didn’t fit the body in any way.
Of course, it could mean many things. She could be on a task herself, disguising her visage. Perhaps this was her true form, and she was in disguise when he saw her at the bakery? Regardless, she probably had a reason to hide who she was… the bound men? It would conflict with her story about the whole ordeal…but assuming she was hiding her identity, he could guess she wasn’t quite honest about the men here. He would need to find out in one way or another, and having the captive conscious and talking would help in one way or another.
As she looked at him he nodded while saying “That sounds like a good idea” giving her soft, reassuring smile. She didn’t attack him from the get go, so he could trust her at least to some degree. And it became clear that she was a skilled medic, doing her best to bring back the captive to a more proper shape…and it clearly looked that he needed the attention. The question was what caused him to end up in this shape. And there was the fact he remember the women healing the Oleg and Olgav, so that would fit into his theory as well. He wasn’t sure when to bring it up…but he was sure to keep it in mind.
As she did her work, the captive came to, seeming quite surprised at his predicament. Though it seemed he felt good enough to think about his own carnal needs. Harupia stared at the men winking at him with a bemused expression while saying “Well, not being able to differentiate between a man and a women is a symptom of a certain mental illness…though I wouldn’t say being stupid warrants being sent down here”. It has been a long time since he was mistook for a women…assuming the men wasn’t simply trying to taunt him. The long hair could put some people off…he wasn’t quite sure if his face was feminine enough though.
Regardless, as the men struggled in his binding, he took a step closer saying “I’m sure you’d like to. I’ve already heard enough screams here, that’s what got me here. I think our doctor doesn’t need more reasons to scream for a bit” after he had his fit of laughter. He carried on “You should be grateful, she did patch you up while you were looking pretty bad…and she had to do it twice because of you attacking her. Quite rude I have to say” pacing softly before him, before turning and looking him in the eyes as he said “The Palace is not a place many would like to visit, and it seemed quite desolate when I was here before… I can’t help to wonder who and why would decide to come here on his own accord, and then attack a Shinobi trying to help them. Care to enlighten me?”
Shiori was running a gambit now. She knew that she ought to run before the discrepancies in her story came to light. Would running off now work? She did not know how he would respond. She eyed the door and the shinobi. They had passed paths briefly in the past. She was a different person then, entirely. He fought the rampaging crowd that tried to break into the bakery and destroy Olgav's bunker. Her recent series of events that brought her to this state could be taken as a fortunate tragedy for her or a purposeful and criminal allowance. A woman died, but who would believe her if she tried to claim that someone randomly decided to give her their life force and that it was the catalyst to a transformation. Without the Takahashi family name to protect her, her safety would likely be fleeting.
She healed Shouki to a conscious state. It was him and men like him that took Sousuke away. She could have killed him. It would have been cleaner. Simpler. EASIER. But she did not want to see him die, she wanted to see him suffer. SEE was sadly the key-word in this situation. She wanted to SEE. She sucked air through her teeth as the gears in her head turned. Run now. Run now! She could not do it, or rather she would not. She wanted to make him hurt like she did. She did not care about right or wrong. She placed blame at HIS feet for all that he was complicit in. For all that he helped the Cabal accomplish. For all the things he might have or she imagined he had done.
“I’m sure you’d like to. I’ve already heard enough screams here, that’s what got me here. I think our doctor doesn’t need more reasons to scream for a bit”
Shiori nodded in agreement. Yes, keep the bad-man away.
“You should be grateful, she did patch you up while you were looking pretty bad…and she had to do it twice because of you attacking her. Quite rude I have to say.”
“The Palace is not a place many would like to visit, and it seemed quite desolate when I was here before… I can’t help to wonder who and why would decide to come here on his own accord, and then attack a Shinobi trying to help them. Care to enlighten me?”<i></i>
Her face dropped as Harupia almost immediately stated that he attacked her. An event that never transpired. She fought to maintain a straight face as she looked away and found composure. "He is lying!" Shiori protested in response or rather pre-response to whatever he would claim. "I was trying to help him like any ...M-I-T would when he attacked me!" She had to pause a moment to remember her lie. She needed to keep the facts straight or this dangerous game she was playing could quickly turn. Beads of sweat started to form on her brow as she readied herself for whatever the outcome.
This is the kinda thing that fantasies are made of. Him... Two somewhat fine ladies. Was that a camera he saw in the corner? Oh,what bad girls you both are! Even the smell did not bother him, it was a mixture of vomit and blood with a distinct note of excrement that he sensed. It was a wonderful boquet for a sadist such as himself.
“Well, not being able to differentiate between a man and a women is a symptom of a certain mental illness…though I wouldn’t say being stupid warrants being sent down here”.
Shouki looked down, well that was a quick way to fix one problem thank you very much. He did not swing that way. Maybe after a few pina colatas if he paid for dinner, but no... that would not work, it did not matter how pretty he was! He always had a bad habit of killing his dates anyways, they always looked better nailed to a wall someplace. Oh happy thoughts... And physical manifestation of happy thoughts. Darn."You sure know how to ruin a guy's good time don't you." He complained.
“I’m sure you’d like to. I’ve already heard enough screams here, that’s what got me here. I think our doctor doesn’t need more reasons to scream for a bit”
Doctor eh? All this screaming and he missed it. He craned his neck and tried to figure out who or why. The room was pretty clean but what it was used for was obvious. his tongue flicked the air and caught a fly. Crunchy...
“You should be grateful, she did patch you up while you were looking pretty bad…and she had to do it twice because of you attacking her. Quite rude I have to say”
"Huh?" That is a new problem. Sleep-killing? That just would not do. Killings should be savored. That would be like sleep-eating or sleep-fucking. A waste of a good snack or fuck. "Never met 'er. I promise you, she would not be in that condition if I had." He let out an insane laugh. There was some funny business going on here, but he was the funny man, not them.
"He is lying!"
Shouki convulsed against his fetters. They were strong. He let out a laugh. A liar? HIM? There were many things wrong with him. Many deeply wrong things, but he was no liar. "Liar-liar!" Shouki sang and let out another mad-laugh.
"I was trying to help him like any ...M-I-T would when he attacked me!"
She lied again. Oh, what a naughty girl! He never had to be framed before. This was a new game. "Nope, I would never forget a face before I cut it off. You kidnapped ME!" He seemed almost happy, that was because he was. Why whenever he did this nobody but him laughed was beyond him.
“The Palace is not a place many would like to visit, and it seemed quite desolate when I was here before… I can’t help to wonder who and why would decide to come here on his own accord, and then attack a Shinobi trying to help them. Care to enlighten me?”
Did not seem much like a palace, looked more like a dungeon to him and he said as much. "No wonder Akio had nothing but bad things to say about this place." He looked around again. "A palace huh? looks like a shit-hole to me." His statement sounded almost sober as he added. "I was just running along, leaving the village before it went BOOM when the sandy floor broke away below me. Next thing I know I am in your sex game. But I do not like dudes, so sorry." He pulled again at his restraint. It had a bit of give. Somebody should have payed attention in bondage 101. You always secure the tail after you buckle your restraint. Novices.
Haru let out a small sigh as he felt the captive speak up again, saying „My apologies, but I haven’t been in quite high spirits as of late. If the circumstances were better you might actually get a chuckle from me there”. He watched the man carefully, trying to deduce anything about him. He seemed to look rather healthy…now he wasn’t sure just how well fed inmates here were but he assumed he would look a little bit weaker…then again, it seemed that a fly whizzing through the air was a nice treat for him, as his tongue shot forward for it, with him biting into it with a unpleasant crunch. He didn’t know flies could be that loud…and he also didn’t usually see people with long tongues like that. Some kind of jutsu, or surgical enchantment?
What came next was to be expected to some degree, the male denying being the attacker and blaming the Medic on kidnaping him and taking him here. And who was he to believe. He had this young looking girl, with a voice he was certain belonged to a different women, and slightly stuttering in her defense. On the other hand he had a man laughing like some kind of psychopath while being strapped to an interrogation chair, seemingly enjoying being stuck in this situation. So it fit for him to be one of the mad man here. But the women seemed to be hiding something…and there was something admirable in laughing in the face of danger. Though joking around mutilating a person and acting like a psycho quickly striped away whatever charm there was.
Many things to consider…but then it all stopped mattering. While Haru was pacing a bit through this talk, he stood right in place, staring at the person in the chair. One word, one name…Akio. The shadowy warrior, the holder of “Retribution”. A member of the Cabal…And here was a person, looking quite foreign to his eyes, showing mysterious abilities and with a very carefree attitude to the slaughter of man… Harupia’s gaze was blank for a bit, unblinking as he looked at Shouki. IN the brief silence one could hear the sound of shuffling from outside of the door.
Soon, a large wade of sand drifted into the room from the outside, single specks of dirt and sand flying from inside of the room to. The sand would quickly convey towards the bound person, encasing themselves around his form, trapping him in place. His hands and arms would be exposed in the parts where the straps holding him down were, and he would be allowed to breath freely, but most of his body was neatly incased within the sand. Haru then spoke “Now now…I saw you fidget there. There is no need to rush here is there? Miss, I think you should try and pull the straps tighter…it looked as if he would be able to break free of them soon.” He said turning to Shiori, a faint smile on his face, though it wasn’t his usual, sincerely happy smile. This was small, polite…and quickly faded as he turned back to the captive. Silently he stepped closer, adjusting the straps on his exposed parts of the legs and arms, making sure they were down tight in case he’d be able to break through the sand (and mentally ready for an attack if that were to happen) and as he finished adjusting the one on his arm he said “Soo, you knew Akio…I wonder how well known he was amongst all of you before the whole invasion started. Were you retreating to rendezvous with him? Or perhaps to try and regroup with some other survivors of you little inner circle of psychopaths, hmm?” after which he would look in his eyes again, flaring at him as he asked “Just who the hell are you…and how much do you know about the Cabal?”
Mft, Wc=652
Attempting to use Sand Coffin to hold Shouki down. And attempting to adjust the straps to his seat regardless of how well the above goes.
OC: Short post is short. Not offended if I am stopped, it is just what she would do. She likes to avoid trouble and that changes immediately after she meets up with Sousuke in another active thread.
The madman continued on, being rude... crude and thankfully someone that nobody would like. At least that was her hope upon hope, that his obnoxious behavior would make him a preferable target. She had already backed herself to the wall and she was slowly making her way towards the door. She reached for the knob only to hear the rushing tide of Sand just in time as she ducked below the rushing torrent of sand that ensconced Shouki.
A Sunaku... that was just great. Many of the Sunakus were former subjects of the Earth Court in her prime. A force to be reckoned with truly, if anyone should have been concerned about a powerful lot of humans it was the Sunaku. She was just as surprised as anyone, perhaps more so when the war was won by a man flailing about with pointed pieces of metal. All the more reason to flee.
“Now now…I saw you fidget there. There is no need to rush here is there? Miss, I think you should try and pull the straps tighter…it looked as if he would be able to break free of them soon.”
His words to her remained that of a pleasant nature and tone, but his distrust for her was tangible. "I-I... am new at this?" she stammered, being truthful for once. In her long life, this was something she had never done. Lying, on the other hand, that would soon become a common pastime for the Ancient. She continued to creep towards the door once his attention was centered on Shouki once again. She did not know what his fate would be, only that it would hopefully be painful and brief. She needed to get away before she was discovered.
Attempting to flee this topic before she is discovered.
He saw the woman slinking against the far wall of the room. The corners of his lips crept upward until they resembled a glasgow smile. He let out a cackle and asked, "what's the matter darling, the fun it just getting started?" It sounded like someone was tickling Shouki rather that tightly binding him as a a wave of sand crashed into him. "Awesome!" Shouki exclaimed as he lifted his neck so that the sand could be layered nice and heavy ...and tight.
“Now now…I saw you fidget there. There is no need to rush here is there? Miss, I think you should try and pull the straps tighter…it looked as if he would be able to break free of them soon.”
So, he was not a total idiot. This might actually be a fun game, he tried so hard to make his old friends have a good time but all they would do was scream and scream and scream when he cut into them. It was darn repetitive and he was being so careful to try and be creative. The pleading was a nice change, but it never seemed to last long. It was not like they needed both lungs, one was plenty. While he scolded that lying vixen, Shouki nodded his head and lip-synced (poorly) along with Harupia's admonishment.
He saw Harupia's smile turn to a frown, his face mimicked his captor's glower. "I am a grumpy ninja," Shouki mocked as Harupia approached. He tightened his bindings wordlessly, it was so boring. "Ouch," he complained as Harupia secured the straps.
“Soo, you knew Akio…I wonder how well known he was amongst all of you before the whole invasion started.""He's the boss""Were you retreating to rendezvous with him?""Yep.""Or perhaps to try and regroup with some other survivors of you little inner circle of psychopaths, hmm?”"Yep-yep"
Shouki answered quickly while Harupia was still trying to question him. His smile was starting to fade. All he did was ask questions. So many questions, but he should be asking for an answer. "How about this... Chuckles, I show you how to do this right because you either go big or go home."
“Just who the hell are you…and how much do you know about the Cabal?”
Oh right, we have a big girl here. She is going to try to do this all by herself. "A riddle then. Breathe this and die. Be loved only by this and know what it is like to be alone. Fear this and you will be either foolish or brave." He let out a maniacal laugh, the kind that wrapped around the room and hugged everyone so very tight, like a straight jacket on a cold winter's night. "Do you honestly think that they tell the guy who guards the door anything, he's meant to be killed." He was nobody's fool, nobody was coming for him. Nobody was going to make a man like him privy to their silly little plans. Not that he cared, this was not the first time he was left behind. His mother tried to drop him off at the wrong village several times and never come back. Dam lousy woman, of course he was trying to kill her and he eventually succeeded. But he differed in one place none of the other members of the Cabal did -- he was simply a madman. There was no hate,no spite, no malice towards the shinobi community. Hell, they have become his favorite toys.
"Oh-oh!" He shook excitedly against the sand coffin. "I just remembered something! She killed the Kazekage!" he lied. So maybe he was a LIAR after all. Lying about being a liar... whodda thunk? He was looking to get a rise out of one of them or both, Harupia was started to get peeved but the other one was trying to get away. He was not going to let anyone miss out on the fun and the fun was just beginning.
Whoever…or whatever he was dealing with here, it was quite…peculiar. It wasn’t a common reaction for someone who got caught in his sand technique to start cackling. He truly seemed to be enjoying himself too much…there was acting of course, but he couldn’t help but start thinking he was enjoying himself genuinely. Even openly mocking him as he realized just who he had on his hands. That’s was… well, not what he was used to. Not that he was used to the situation in general. Here he was binding a men who was just healed, both with his sand and with leather straps in an interrogation chair, in the middle of the Black Palace.
He always felt weird about the role of the ANBU…those of them who are expected to push the boundaries of sanity and moral’s almost daily, dealing with the worst criminals, trying ruthlessly to gain the information they needed. He didn’t know much ANBU…And now he was wondering just one of them would deal with the situation. But there was none here…he was there, there was a potential member of the cabal…and he had a chance to…what. Gain information? Take vengeance on those who were killed? Scratch some sick, twisted itch he felt in his own mind ever since this whole thing started? He could not say…but right now, he was to focused on his anger to care.
He seemed to be cooperative eat first…though it was mostly his questions were somewhat obvious at first. Then it seemed he started to go of the rail’s…talking about giving him a lesson, a riddle…the fact he mentioned guarding the gate did light a bulb in his mind. So he was the one to make sure no one would leave…at least at to some degree. That was always a bit of knowledge.
He ignored the accusation he threw about killing the Kage, but he did say towards the red haired medic “Leaving your patient behind? I can’t blame you…though I’d like to talk with you as well when the time allows for it. Till be nice to hear your voice again” giving her a polite nod. He wouldn’t try to stop her, at least now. He wasn’t sure who she was, but as far as he knew, she had helped him in the past…if the voice was the only thing to judge by. Hopefully he wasn’t letting another Cabal member run while he was holding down someone who was trying to hunt her down… he needed to focus on at a time.
Regardless if she actually left or not, he would say still looking to the side “Nothing…If I were to breath nothing, disregarding how something like that would be achieved, I’d surely die. If nothing was willing to love me, I would feel quite lonely…I’m guessing you can relate to that, hmm? And to fear nothing can be foolish or brave, depending how you look at it…is that a satisfying answer to your little riddle, guard dog?” he concluded, turning back to him and saying “You seem to be quire chipper for someone left for dead…But you were willing to teach me something. What was this thing you wanted to demonstrate how to do right, hmm? “
Her face dropped at the mention of her voice. She was hoping he would not be so astute, most of the men she has encountered over the years were meat-heads. Sure, they were powerful and they could be trained like a trick pony to do a series of ricks but rarely did they understand the rationale for their actions or even care to inquire. What she was doing was rather risky in the first place, bringing him here of all places under false pretenses even if his identity and crimes are true. 'Another time' she mouthed as she made her way to the exit with a polite nod to Harupia and a glare towards Shouki.
Oh, don't be like that. Don't go," Shouki taunted. "I am sure you had a very good reason to kill, Sousuke was it?" A dry guffaw escaped from his throat. It seemed that his blatant lie was ineffective. Had the Kazekage already shown himself? It is not like anyone had seen him in the last few days less himself and whoever it outside of the village. He could not be that quick, hell he'd be lucky if he could get past Magnetica. And people think he's crazy...
“Nothing…If I were to breath nothing, disregarding how something like that would be achieved, I’d surely die. If nothing was willing to love me, I would feel quite lonely…I’m guessing you can relate to that, hmm? And to fear nothing can be foolish or brave, depending how you look at it…is that a satisfying answer to your little riddle, guard dog?”
She got it right. Marvelous! This was going to be more fun than that time he murdered all those people. Which time was that? Does it really matter! His thin lips parted to expose a row of pointed teeth, they were not like that by nature, rather they were painstakingly filed to be that way. He wished he could credit himself with such a pleasant aesthetic, but no. "Fine, you can play my game." Shouki answered, his voice lower by half an octave. As if he was conceding to a loss at a hand of cards, utterly uninterested in his losses or perhaps hopeful at his anticipated gains when lady luck strikes in his favor.
“You seem to be quire chipper for someone left for dead…But you were willing to teach me something. What was this thing you wanted to demonstrate how to do right, hmm? “
"This must be your first time doing this. Not a thumb screw in sight," he observed. There was a reason he said this, there was a reason for everything. With Shouki, there always was a secondary or even tertiary agenda. "If you are going to interrogate me, do it right," he seemed to scold in the awkward scene that appeared to unfold. "BUT, as luck would have it - I am a madman. I find this" He strained against the restraints until his face turned red to motion to what he was in reference to "...FUN." His eyes gleamed with the same madness he claimed, perhaps it was feigned but it was a risky statement to make. The role of a masochist is easy to verify but hard to satisfy.
"Fear of pain, loss or even death won't stir me. What I am is telling" This much was true and without a second meaning or even riddle. He and most of his cohorts were quite mad. They were simply pawns in a bigger game and despite their strength, valor, ethic, or even thinly veiled intellect, they simply lacked the sanity to notice one thing. He noticed it, he saw it for what it was. He had no reason to hate Sunagakure in particular, a rarity among his peers. He was simply, a madman. A powerful, eerily brilliant madman. He killed because he wanted to, being ordered to do so was simply an occupational bonus. He lied, because it was fun. He pointed Sousuke to the way in and even gave him a 'gift' for his trouble because it would be interesting.
But why... What would make a man such as Shouki into the monster we know? He enjoyed the spectacle perhaps. The dead he strung up at the gates to greet Sousuke. The riddles he gave Harupia and the Steward. But a spectacle can be done without violence, but come to think of it why didn't Shouki attack the Kazekage when he had the chance. They underestimate him if they think his merry band of friends would have been enough when he was wearing his carmot armor or if he transformed. Even if he was being simply cautious, Sousuke returned a second time alone and yet Shouki had no interest in seeing him dead. The answer was simple, something so delicate that even saying its name can destroy it -- silence. He was trying to prevent the girl from leaving, he was trying to keep the sand-ninja occupied. He was trying to prevent that terrible sound of nothing.
"To be effective, you have to determine my fear. I have already told you the answer to that as well," Shouki explained. Everything he said had double, perhaps even triple meaning. The vast void of nothing, the abject terror of being truly alone. Truly, it is the most lonesome of wretches that fear this state. "The only problem is, to subject me to the thing I fear most you would never get your answer," Shouki proclaimed with an ironic laugh. "It is funny really... if you threatened a kitten or a child, Saiga would tell you ANYTHING. Play on Urufu's honor, and he'd probably be your bodyguard by the end of the day. But you got ME!" A cacophony of laughter erupted from the Cabal member. This was so fucking hilarious.
He was laughing so hard, he felt short of breath. By the end of his rolling laughter he was left gasping for air. Perhaps Shouki was torturing himself in a strange way. A tear was rolling down the side of his face that he tried to shake off, darn sand in the way."Ok... Ok... I have to stop, but this is so rich!" he complained as his voice started to bubble with laughter again. "Stop it now," he scolded himself. "Butl... it... is... so... funny" he gasped. "For fuck sake you idiot, you are going to pass out," he snapped. "Ok...ok... k." Shouki struggled to regain his composure, the lack of events seemed to be more harmful than the average water-boarding beads of sweat started to roll down the sides of his face. "O' god where were we? Oh yeah. You need to ask a question of something don't you?" Shouki instructed Harupia. Harupia needed to ask a specific question or at the very least the right question.
Harupia would probably not appreciate being called a meathead…but fortunately he couldn’t quite read a men’s mind. Although at moments like these, he really wished he could…cause this situation was starting to be more and more of a headache. Perhaps he should have stopped the women, start interrogating her as well… perhaps his ascetic sense once again clouded his judgment. Still, he had no reason to believe the bound person, who already admitted to being one of the Cabal. Who I not them would want to sieve more chaos into the whole situation. He did not hear of Sosuke…he didn’t hear from many of his friends, but as he lead people to the gate he did hear mummers of Shinobi fending of the Cabal elsewhere. All of the members of the group he met so far he been not in their right mind anyway…though this one seemed to be one step ahead of the curve.
He remained silent for the time being, not quite sure what to make of him. He seemed to be quite wise for someone who claimed to be insane, as he saw though the fact Harupia wasn’t well versed in the art of interrogation (though perhaps it was simply that obvious at this time). At least he didn’t mind talking, though it was mostly blabbering with no sense. At least nothing to useful to him. He claimed that he didn’t fear death or pain. He seemed to be enjoying his bondage quite a bit…Ok, that gave him a bad mental image. As if his head didn’t have enough of those already. He mentioned other names, probably his comrades. He saw Saiga, the one captured by Kuro, and the other one he wasn’t quite sure about. His musings were interrupted as the man started to laugh, for quite some time now, the laughter sounding quite eerie within the Obsidian halls. He wonder if the wardens had to deal with such people on a daily basis…then again not every criminal was necessarily insane. He simply stood there in silence, watching he men speak to himself, regaining his composure… somewhat. Now he was arguing with himself. He wasn’t quite sure if the laugh was forced or not…but he really seemed to be getting a bit anxious. Maybe not about being bound, but about something.
Haru let out a deep sigh, starting at the men before, him, before looking around for a moment, and then slowly stepping to the side to get himself a chair. Of course, he could try and get the chair with his sand, but he wanted to see how his new acquaintance would rect. He made his was slowly back, dragging the chair behind himself, before sitting down in front of the captive and saying “It doesn’t make much sense for only the guest to be sitting here, does it? I must say, I am a bit surprised by one thing… for someone who seems to have enjoyed the state of the village, I didn’t quite see you anywhere. I had a chat with you leader, but I never even heard about you before. It’s must have been a drag to not be able to partake in this madness you like so much because of what you needed to do, hmm?”
"Felt good..." Shouki announced, his restrained breast straining against the restraint as he fought for breath. He struggled to regain his composure over his self-inflicted torture. There was an image of exhaustion painted on his face despite the brief time he was left in captivity. He shook his head to the side, as if trying to sift the cobwebs behind his eyes.
"Heh, sandwitch" he observed as his golden eyes followed the second act of earthen manipulation, the first being his cozy cocoon. "Doesn't it bother you that you are incomplete?" Shouki smiled, again revealing rows of teeth filed down to savage points. "You're from that clan that was supposed to keep these storms at bay. Were you just born wrong or are you just unwilling to try?" He sneered, he almost sounded sane for a moment there. Angry, but cognizant. Sunagakure existed within the confines of Wind Country but they answer to nobody and have no higher power than whoever can out-muscle them, making the Cabal their leaders in a way. Their reign was fleeting but it demonstrated what could be done if the rest of Wind Country was willing to fight. They were only the first wave in this war, it was funny how Kaito and the others failed to notice how much the doorman gets to know - the intricacies only he is privy to. A prodigy who chose to forfeit a civilized life and rather favored the brutal and short life of a criminal and the visage of a madman that eventually became is identity. Life would have been different for him, for everyone if these storms never returned. If these shinobis did something besides hide away in the burrows. The man he could have been was not even a dream, an afterthought or even a delusion, he was utterly forgotten over the years in this downward spiral. He even liked what he had become, that maddened visage that looked back at him in a cracked mirror.
“It doesn’t make much sense for only the guest to be sitting here, does it? I must say, I am a bit surprised by one thing… for someone who seems to have enjoyed the state of the village, I didn’t quite see you anywhere. I had a chat with you leader, but I never even heard about you before. It’s must have been a drag to not be able to partake in this madness you like so much because of what you needed to do, hmm?”
Pride was not his weakness, nor was is station as a watcher. He was more than capable of making his own fun. "What is tan... then RED?" He inquired with another riddle, he was egging his captor on it would seem. He let out a cackle. "All those Chuunins returning home." His brow rose as he announced his own punchline and then frowned. "It is no fun if you don't play. DO SOMETHING!" he complained or rather whined. Was he simply not taking the situation seriously or did he really enjoy being hurt? Either was troublesome really. He did enjoy pain, but who wouldn't. The moment you feel that searing sensation your heart hastens and for a moment biology reminds you that you are alive and perhaps that you want to be ALIVE. A life without pain is simply dull, there is no risk... no victory... no common sense. "Also... just thought I should remind you. How long do you think your sand prison will hold before you tire out?" Again with the 'helping' while simultaneously attempting to coerce Haruka into a fight. "Before I am free, because we both know it is an eventuality... have you determined what I am? You better quick before someone else dies." There was a gleam in his eyes, he knew something others did not.
Haru remained silent as he withdrew the chair, contemplating the question he received. Well, it seemed more like a taunt then a honest question. Not surprising by now, coming from this men’s lips. Still, he couldn’t let himself get provoked. This was a strange game he was playing…would it be worth it? Who knew…perhaps he was getting himself in to much trouble then it was worth. Still, something urged him on…Would he gain any answer? Would anything what the men had to say justify the hell the village went through over this time? Maybe he just wanted to see how insane he was to justify killing him, and give him the peace of mind of seeing all these Cabal members as psychopath’s… This whole ordeal was sickening, yet he couldn’t pull away. A bit masochistic in nature if you thought about it… Was this men rubbing of him so easily?
Regardless, it seemed that his silence was starting to slowly getting to him. He was starting to complain…though it was soon followed by what could be service as a threat. After some more silence he said “I can hold you in for a while more. And I can break your arms or legs before you break free, so I’m not feeling that worried. Wouldn’t want to ruin the medics work so soon now would we?” he said with a small chuckle. After that he adjusted himself a little before speaking on “Does it bother me? The fact that me and my clan, who roamed these lands for centuries, spent our lives taming and understanding the sand under our feet, couldn’t tame the desert when we were most needed? Of course it does. I spent all my life training to one day tame the Storm, to fail where my ancestors failed. But I wasn’t stupid about it. I knew I need to find some way, something we were missing, some hidden power or technique. But before I could truly try and search for a way, you and you buddies decided to make a bloodbath in the village”
Gently rubbing his chin he said “Quite honestly I’m surprised you worked with them…then one you mentioned before, Aiko? I bet he must have grinded your gears. I can see him droning on about his vengeance or how he would cleanse this village…I couldn’t stand it after a few minutes, can’t imagine how you took it so well…unless you a glutton for mental punishment as well” He took another break to inhale deeply before he carried on “What are you? Isn’t that the question of the day…you didn’t give me much to go on. You act mad…but I can’t really believe that. There is some kind of method to this all. Asking for punishment, being under the boot of a self-righteous fool… You seem to be really desperate for any sort of amusement in your life. Are you trying to push yourself to your limits? Trying to see how much your body withstands before it breaks? There are many legends in Shinobi lore of many countries… A few days earlier, I’ve killed a men who was able to rise the dead…and now, I’m wondering if I may be facing one who is unable to pass to the other side…” Was his theory farfetched? Perhaps…but many treated the stories of Shinobi being able to rise dead from their slumber, or powers of the Sharingan eyes which could bend the matter of reality itself…and he managed to witness those. At this point, nothing was too much of a shot in the dark.
This game was becoming monotonous; the sand cocoon was cozy- he felt like a he was being constricted and consumed by a Sandworm. Was it a terrible thing to admit that he liked it, that glorious pain was neigh near orgasmic! Carnal desires aside, he was a utilitarian at heart. Pain was necessary for more than enlightenment and ecstasy, pain was a weapon against cretins. Pain was meant to be shared.
“I can hold you in for a while more. And I can break your arms or legs before you break free, so I’m not feeling that worried. Wouldn’t want to ruin the medics work so soon now would we?”
A wry smile emerged. "I like the thought of broken bones personally. Please start with my legs." He requested much like someone would ask for another bowl of porridge. He strained again against his warm cocoon now partly soaked in his salty sweat. Perhaps it would crack or bend against the force he exerted. He was a strong man, even by a shinobi's standards but he was a far cry from the giant-blade wielding fighters he faced and defeated at the gates. His strengths were based in his wit, even a madman can be a genius.
“Does it bother me? The fact that me and my clan, who roamed these lands for centuries, spent our lives taming and understanding the sand under our feet, couldn’t tame the desert when we were most needed? Of course it does. I spent all my life training to one day tame the Storm, to fail where my ancestors failed. But I wasn’t stupid about it. I knew I need to find some way, something we were missing, some hidden power or technique. But before I could truly try and search for a way, you and you buddies decided to make a bloodbath in the village”
Shouki let out a mad cackle. "Your whole life! HAH!" He taunted. "You can command the sand to go where you want, what does the SAND have to do with the storm?" He rocked against his restraints, laughing like a lunatic. "It is a STORM, not waves of sand or a quavering earth... if that was the case, you'd never be able to hide down here!" A tear escaped the corner of his eye, was it so funny that it brought him to tears or was it a look at the man beneath the facade. His contempt for shinobis as a whole was palpable. "If you really wanted to make a different, you would have been up there with us!" Shouki snapped, losing his composure for only a moment. These self-righteous fools, thinking themselves the hero just because they live within the laws and the standards they themselves made. In the end, the victor writes the history books and the valiant and righteous shinobi people will be a thing of song and legend and the incursion of the Cabal would be relegated to fearsome night-terrors. "Sunagakure had more than two decades to right this wrong, when the storms came they took everything from us and while YOUR PEOPLE fled into the depths WE had to flee or die trying to survive. Do you think any homesteaders still exist in the Maelstrom? THOSE WHO TRIED AND TO CONTEND WITH NOMADIC SAVAGES AND BANDITS TAKING AWAY EVERYTHING THEY WORKED FOR! I spent my life becoming something more than human, I have none of your shinobi assets, training or lineage at my disposal and we shut down your village in a matter of hours."
“Quite honestly I’m surprised you worked with them…then one you mentioned before, Aiko? I bet he must have grinded your gears. I can see him droning on about his vengeance or how he would cleanse this village…I couldn’t stand it after a few minutes, can’t imagine how you took it so well…unless you a glutton for mental punishment as well”
Akio was a little shit-head, but he was their little shit-head. He did not know that guy's game, but he did know he was playing both sides and for that reason he had no reason to protect him, shame he did not know his actual name. That was something he would have given his captor for free. Those bombs failed to go off, well the bombs that would have ended this chapter. Finalized this complacency. "The little shit-head was not wrong," Shouki contended. Shouki was challenging every Sunan's ethic. Was he far off-base? These cabal members might have been paid mercenaries or mad-men, but they were strong and while they did not appear to want to die a martyr's death they were taking unnecessary risks if all they were doing was a job. There was a vendetta to settle. Shouki professed that he was a madman, yet he was stringing Haru along in his own way, attempting to foster a response from him in a matter most unsettling.
“What are you? Isn’t that the question of the day…you didn’t give me much to go on. You act mad…but I can’t really believe that. There is some kind of method to this all. Asking for punishment, being under the boot of a self-righteous fool… You seem to be really desperate for any sort of amusement in your life. Are you trying to push yourself to your limits? Trying to see how much your body withstands before it breaks? There are many legends in Shinobi lore of many countries… A few days earlier, I’ve killed a men who was able to rise the dead…and now, I’m wondering if I may be facing one who is unable to pass to the other side…”
All of which was true. He was a monster of his own making and probably smarter than the lot of them next to Urufuu but cheaters cheat. the smart ones rarely have the 'look' just like the quiet ones are the ones you need to look out for. "If that was the case," and it was "then you would not have to damage your precious ethics during this session." His head cocked to the side and again his teeth were bared, those strange teeth filed down to points. "Here, it is to the masochist that you cater... Otherwise you will spend hours talking at me and we simply go around in circles until we are both dizzy. We have a social contract that you are subject to fulfilling - you the torturer and I the tourturee. The final word a confabulation but it was likely that the word would be understood all the same. Besides, it would be less that fulfilling if the woman got too far that he could not hear her scream.
Harupia blinked at Shouki urging him to break his legs…quite the demented individual he had on his hands…or at least one playing the part quite well. He didn’t quite want to indulge the men…though he felt this was part of his game, him not really believing he’d be able to hurt him. And as much as he hated to admit…part of him did. Especially after he went on his tirade after, talking about the Storm, the people on the surface, and of course insulting him and his own people. As he was uttering the word hours, the sand shoot up from the makeshift bindings he had him into, two stands shooting up into his nose, and going in quite deep, bulging the nose quite a bit, cutting of his ability to breath, almost threatening to slide into the men’s head…before backing of. Harupia said matter of factly “It may not be broken legs but I guess that was pretty fun for you as well hmm?”
After that he waited for a bit, deliberately taunting the men with being idle before saying “Sand. Storm. Sandstorm. Does that concept sound familiar? Strong winds blowing the lose particles of sand into the air in an uncontrolled frenzy…”He mused, spinning a bit of sand in a whirlwind before their eyes as he spoke “I don’t think I need to tell you what the Maelstrom is. A untamed wind, stronger than any amongst the land, strong enough to dig through the deepest layers of the dessert, reaching into the harshest minerals, diamonds , able to shred the skin of any living men. Unleashed by the gods long gone, or by a ruler gone mad, controlled by the Sunahoshi, who are no more. And now, my clan trying its best for the past 20 years if not more to try and emulate their control, years of research, training, trying to tame it, yearning for the surface, while risking our lives to try and maintain peace within the village no one really wanted. You have no idea how many of my clansmen died out on the surface, striped to their bones, trying to tame the storm. And yet we still couldn’t make a difference…and how would us being up there be any different? So far all you and your friends proved is that you can move though the storm. Something I knew when I was around…10 maybe. I’m sure you are all proud of yourself”
Taking a deep breath he said “All the people out in the surface… all these tribes, including your probably? What do you expect from me? An apology? I can never imagine all the lives lost because of this storm? I think about it every day…as well as I think about all the families living here, which were saved, but now were forced to live in horrible conditions, I a place they hate. It’s all pretty horrible isn’t it? Those self-righteous Sunans ruining everything for the common people? Who cares that if it weren’t for us they would all be dead…who cares that many refused to come down here or decided to leave of their own volition, trying to seek out life on the surface against all odds…and as you noted, often failing. Many lives were lost even within here, as Akio made sure to note My father seemed like a truly cruel men to me when I was a child…training me till I almost fell unconscious when I was a child, telling me cruel stories of the past and how I should be ready to put my life and the life of other on the line if needed.” He lowered his head at this point as he said ”But as I’ve grown, I came to understand why he was like that… he tried to prepare me for the harshness of the Shinobi life…for the death’s that I would face as I grew up, both of my friends and enemies…and he wanted me to know that even in the face of death, and how bad things might be, wallowing in self-pity would only lead to more misery. One must move on and try to rebuild from what was left. I am sorry for those lost on the surface…but I can’t let the sorrow stop me from doing what I feel is the best for everyone…”.
After that, he raised his head with a raised brow asking “Hmm, probably bored you with all that? Got some quips about how foolish I am and all of this is my fault? Well here some more news …whatever you say means shit to me. You want to blame Suna for this attack? You had all these answers to our problems apparently, and instead of coming to our aid, you decided to attack us. And all this talk about the nomads of the surface…as if you weren’t the one slaughtering people within the storm, huh? All these years practicing your craft…IM sure you had a lot of targets out there. You really want to pull that card on me after all this chaos and suffering you and you people caused? And you know what funny?” he said with a chuckle “You say you infiltrated us in hours…how many of these hours did you spend bribing people from within Suna to help you cause, or sneaking into the village? How many months years did Akio prepare his little cursed? How much of inside info did you need to use? Face it, if it weren’t for the Sunan traitors helping you, you wouldn’t even be able to scratch us. And if your claim of not being a Shinobi is even true, is the same true of you companions? Akio was once a Sunan Shinobi. I’m sure his knowledge and training was a nice help to have hmm? And with all this advantage you had, and after all the damage you caused, Suna stands. Your leaders fell or ran away like cowards. And you sitting here listening to a young, naïve little Shinobi…must be horribly dull hmm?”
Shouki was right, there was a strange pact between the two. He was supposed to try and extort information form Shouki, make him talk. Hurting his body was clearly not the best way…right now, in Haru’s mind, he was trying to but the mental bolt to his head. Annoy him with his good nature, and rub in his failures to him. Or at least the failures of the group. He still wasn’t quite sure how tied to them Shouki was…and he would not admit now, but his words did cause a stir in his mind. He simply hoped he would begin cracking the cod, both with his words, and just trying to bore the men’s mind.
Sand shut off his ability to breathe, filling his nares and traveling down his trachea to the point where no breath could be felt. His lungs and diaphragm pulled against the stationary force insufficiently and his chest burned for air. His body trashed against his unyielding restraints, until the metallic fetter that held his right arm snapped.His face ruddy, eyes bloodshot and his lips cyanosed. His hand reached for the tendril of sand, an intangible filler that could not be pulled as the earth was replaced with fresh earth despite his attempts. It was like he was being buried alive, only better because he could see the man digging his grave. Finally... Despite his thrashing and inherent sense of self-preservation, was this the end he so dutifully sought? This glorious pain, the most pronounced upon the agonies of death.
I am a five-letter word and am feared by most but experienced by all.
If you remove my first and last letters I bring life.
If you add an ‘r’ between the third and fourth letters I am almost nothing and if you remove the first letter from this new word, I am your home.
What am I?
--Death
“It may not be broken legs but I guess that was pretty fun for you as well hmm?”
As the sands relented (assumedly), air filled his lungs and the color returned to Shouki's ashen face and pallid lips in a rushing wave. A series of wheezing gasps coupleted with hacking coughs. "The divine glory..." Shouki panted, his ribs aching. "Don't fucking stop," he rasped.
Win Scenario #1 Met: You make it hurt so good.
“Sand. Storm. Sandstorm. Does that concept sound familiar? Strong winds blowing the lose particles of sand into the air in an uncontrolled frenzy…”
The Sunaku made a mistake relegating some of the sands that held him to his airway, even if it was for a short time. One of his arms was freed, that was a big fucking mistake. His hand reached for his left manacle, his long claw-like fingertips digging into his own flesh to meet the underside of his binding. The metallic constraint groaned with the forceful tug that ultimately cracked this fetter much like the first. The veins in his arms dilated, some pulsating. A trickle of blood ran off the the side of his arm and dripped onto the floor.
“I don’t think I need to tell you what the Maelstrom is. A untamed wind, stronger than any amongst the land, strong enough to dig through the deepest layers of the dessert, reaching into the harshest minerals, diamonds , able to shred the skin of any living men. Unleashed by the gods long gone, or by a ruler gone mad, controlled by the Sunahoshi, who are no more. And now, my clan trying its best for the past 20 years if not more to try and emulate their control, years of research, training, trying to tame it, yearning for the surface, while risking our lives to try and maintain peace within the village no one really wanted. You have no idea how many of my clansmen died out on the surface, striped to their bones, trying to tame the storm. And yet we still couldn’t make a difference…and how would us being up there be any different? So far all you and your friends proved is that you can move though the storm. Something I knew when I was around…10 maybe. I’m sure you are all proud of yourself”
Shouki could not help but let out a laugh, they were having an almost polite conversation. "Move through the storm? I got this tan in that storm, do you want to see some tan-lines?" He winked. "If you know so much about the maelstrom, you should know that a sandstorm is not made from twisting sand... it is made from twisting winds." He replied in response to Harupia's encyclopedic definition of what the diamond maelstrom is. "The storm is because of you Sunan assholes," he exhaled.
“All the people out in the surface… all these tribes, including your probably? What do you expect from me? An apology? I can never imagine all the lives lost because of this storm? I think about it every day…as well as I think about all the families living here, which were saved, but now were forced to live in horrible conditions, I a place they hate. It’s all pretty horrible isn’t it? Those self-righteous Sunans ruining everything for the common people? Who cares that if it weren’t for us they would all be dead…who cares that many refused to come down here or decided to leave of their own volition, trying to seek out life on the surface against all odds…and as you noted, often failing. Many lives were lost even within here, as Akio made sure to note My father seemed like a truly cruel men to me when I was a child…training me till I almost fell unconscious when I was a child, telling me cruel stories of the past and how I should be ready to put my life and the life of other on the line if needed.”
"An apology would have been nice," Shouki shrugged. "But you... you are missing the point just like the Kazekage did and just like all those Chuunins. You don't think you are stronger than them did you?" He inquired with mock concern. "I am with the Cabal because I choose to be, perhaps it is because it feeds my madness... perhaps it is a curse I am forced to suffer in exchange for the power I do in fact have. Or perhaps it is penance for his many sins. It might even be something he feigns, but for a man to take a vocation such as his, it is probable that he is simply cracked. "I had a perfectly civil conversation with your Kazekage on more than one occasion. A lost cause I am afraid," Shouki added not revealing that the Steward had survived just yet as he had earlier claimed otherwise and had not forgotten.
”But as I’ve grown, I came to understand why he was like that… he tried to prepare me for the harshness of the Shinobi life…for the death’s that I would face as I grew up, both of my friends and enemies…and he wanted me to know that even in the face of death, and how bad things might be, wallowing in self-pity would only lead to more misery. One must move on and try to rebuild from what was left. I am sorry for those lost on the surface…but I can’t let the sorrow stop me from doing what I feel is the best for everyone…”.
Win Scenario #2 Met: You apologized.
"If only the Steward played my game and realized what was wrong he and his friends could have been let in days earlier," Shouki mused. There was also a slip of the tongue, something that Harupia might have missed.
“Hmm, probably bored you with all that? Got some quips about how foolish I am and all of this is my fault? Well here some more news …whatever you say means shit to me. You want to blame Suna for this attack? You had all these answers to our problems apparently, and instead of coming to our aid, you decided to attack us. And all this talk about the nomads of the surface…as if you weren’t the one slaughtering people within the storm, huh? All these years practicing your craft…IM sure you had a lot of targets out there. You really want to pull that card on me after all this chaos and suffering you and you people caused? And you know what funny?”
"You are fucking misunderstanding me, one of you Sunan assholes is causing the storm." Shouki's tone grave. "This has been fun and all... but enough of this juvenile game," his leg strained against his bindings. "I missed out on all of the fun... and yes... I mean FUN. Drink. KILL. FUCK." Shouki announced, venom dripping from his tongue. "We tried to reach the eye of the storm. We tried to reach whoever was there, only to be launched back by a powerful gravitational force. Had no idea why Akio wanted to come here, but he found that angry metal-lady and sent everyone but me on vacation here for a few days." This could be another one of Shouki's mind games. Perhaps it was, or perhaps it was the truth, something Harupia pulled from him and this was in a sick way his reward for letting Shouki experience pain. Maybe he just liked the 'shinobi who thought he could.'
“You say you infiltrated us in hours…how many of these hours did you spend bribing people from within Suna to help you cause, or sneaking into the village? How many months years did Akio prepare his little cursed? How much of inside info did you need to use? Face it, if it weren’t for the Sunan traitors helping you, you wouldn’t even be able to scratch us. And if your claim of not being a Shinobi is even true, is the same true of you companions? Akio was once a Sunan Shinobi. I’m sure his knowledge and training was a nice help to have hmm? And with all this advantage you had, and after all the damage you caused, Suna stands. Your leaders fell or ran away like cowards. And you sitting here listening to a young, naïve little Shinobi…must be horribly dull hmm?”
"Not one." Shouki admitted. "Akio is one of you and you all placed your trust in the wrong man." Shouki explained. "We hate you because you people betrayed us... our trust. Well, that is why I hate you. In my greatest sorrow I found the divine and for that perhaps I can thank you, but knowing a true God is something that should have been left a mystery." Shouki added. Perhaps he was being serious, he did not add a riddle. He did not make a wise crack. He did not even taunt the Sunan, it was as if the wind was knocked from his sails. "The attack was a job, nothing more. The gang was told to have fun... and fun they had. I do not know why Akio attacked Sunagakure, it might have been something personal finally coming to a boil but I doubt it." Shouki conceded. He never really trusted Akio, not that he ever knew the man's actual identity and he wondered if even Sunagakure knew his real name or face. "Men like him hold grudges forever, but they do not get where they by reacting in accordance to their emotion alone."
Shouki was a simple man when you got to the heart of it, through the fanfare and malice. He was a lonesome genius, revolted by his own nature to which he had become a slave long ago. He wanted to live in the sun, under an endless sky with friends and family, all of which were dead and none of which would know or care for him if they knew the monster he became to avenge them. He wanted the storm to end, to destroy this cycle of violence and to end Sunagakure's complacence with this situation. There are words and there are promises, but he lived his life on the surface and it was indeed rare that his path crossed that of any shinobi. In fact, since this incursion he has seen more shinobi this past week than he has seen his entire life.While they toiled and suffered and died, not by the wrath of the storm alone but poverty, violence and disease as well; the shinobi commissioned to protect these lands were absent from their duties leaving a terrible gap that had to be filled by the unprepared.
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