Visions Of The Future (Req. Maikeru) (Bloodline Swap/Surgery)

[Siu]

​

Decrepit, collapsing wooden architecture amongst bitter, wretched souls found themselves utterly barraged from the furious downpour; the usual assaulting stench of the polluted slums significantly masked beneath the flooding rainwater pervading the streets. This impoverished district had produced only bad impressions for the Chuunin; every previous dealing in addressal to its rampant gang and crime scene; Which made this particular evening rather atypical—given that this would become her first venture without an undercover alias, or feigned concept; an unprecedented night where she'd actually appear as none other than her very self within the ill-famed district.

Thunder roared, asserting dominance as the battering rain forced the kunoichi to tug the leather hood further over her head.
"How does one even live in a place like this?" the kunoichi somewhat irritably mused aloud, the vicious weather further souring her already-bitter mood—Uncharacteristic of her usual nature, anyone well-acquainted with her would recognize. Yet, bitterness in response to such a sudden predicament was perhaps not uncalled for; For, when one suddenly learned their lifelong career had been inadvertently shortened through the very means they'd been utilizing to extend it, such emotions were not wholly unwarranted.
A shinobi without a niche, handicapped among multitudes of prodigies, ancient bloodlines, and shinobi-family backgrounds; Easy prey amongst the plethora of awaiting lions within the trade, a liability for allied shinobi, and liability for Kumogakure.

Most of all... further lamented the afflicted shinobi, How can I protect Shizuka, when I can no longer even reliably protect myself?

Through narrow, squalid alleyways littered with trash and sordid dealings, she navigated; keeping her visage downward in order to avoid unwanted attention. The raging storm at least assisted in that; For few desired to delay their hasty retreat indoors just to give attention to another soaked stranger underneath a hood.
The journey took longer than expected due to outdated and nonexistent street signs, which should have existed, within the unmaintained district, resulting in a number of wrong turns. The absence of clearly-defined direction felt something akin to navigating through an unpathed jungle.
Thick leather boots drew to a halt; the kunoichi's features tilting upward. Dark eyes peered through the thick veil of heavy rain, attempting to thoroughly examine the structure afront—or at least, what was left of it. Digging into her pocket, the kunoichi withdrew the soaked address paper; Disbelief redrew the female's features.
Surely Kumogakure paid their high-ranking staff better than this? How unsightly—even more astoundingly so than the young Senju's unkept residence upon their reunion.... If such a supposedly high-ranking leader of a Division lived under such poor conditions, what were the conditions of the lower ranked?

The single-hinged door loudly groaned as the kunoichi inched it open, peeking inside. A ruined structure appearing akin to a reception welcomed her presence—yet, without a receptionist; But spiders, broken wood, dust. and cobwebs aboded below... Was this a legitimate flat or an abandoned building? Perhaps in Chronopolis, they were one of the same.
The stairs creaked in agony from the strain of another's weight as the kunoichi ascended; whom proceeded concerned the decrepit thing might collapse at any given moment.
Somehow, it'd manage to support her up to the fifth floor. She'd have opened the following door—yet it'd appeared to have already fallen off, saving her the inconvenience. Entering into the thick-grimed hallway, a rancid stench assaulting her nostrils, she progressed through the cockroach and spider infested level. Sound escaped through a few of the many numbered-doors along the hallway—it appeared human beings really 'did' live here. Life in Kumogakure was seriously grim for a number of citizens...

"Still... for shinobi of such high ranking..." At this point, the more affluent female began to feel genuinely sorry for whomever lodged within the ill-suited accommodation

2...7....10...14...

Leather boots finally halted against the espresso-colored hardwood floor.

"18."

...Perhaps, the inside was at least more appealing than the outside?

A single fist lifted,

Knock, knock, knock...

 

[Maikeru]

The evening was usually a time of day for rest and relaxation. A time of day to unwind from the hardships and stress from one's daily life. For Maikeru, and a large majority of the Kaibatsu, however, it was just the start to their day. Monsters and the night were synonymous with each other like peanut butter and jelly, one could rarely be spoken of without mentioning the other. Needing to be on so many night hunts it wasn't surprising that members of the Monster Hunting division would find that they themselves were becoming nocturnal like the creatures that go bump in the night. So, when Maikeru heard the loud, unsuspected, banging at his door, it put him in a rather sour mood.

With hazy eyes he groaned, throwing the sheets that had covered his sleeping form to the side. The night terrors from the Mark of the King had slowed, only seeming to show themselves on nights where he hadn't hunted prior. Although sleep came easier, it wasn't something that came easy for him. Between the stress of the job, the fear of losing the one closest to him, and the uncertainty of what he was supposed to be anymore, insomnia had a fun way of creeping upon the Uchiha when he was least expecting it.

His tired remaining hand slapped against the wooden top of his night side table, before finding what they aimed for. Tipping a small box onto its side, he pulled a single cigarette out of the container before sliding it into his mouth. With a large groan, he managed to pull himself into a seated position, his eyes focusing on the tip of the cancer-causing stick before clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Of course, he had forgotten, his left eye no longer held the famed Amaterasu. Closing his eyes, and letting out a deep sigh, he slapped his hand hopelessly against the bedside table once again for the lighter.

Taking a long drag, he managed to equally drag himself from the comfort of his bed and slide himself into a pair of black pajama pants. He looked around tiredly for a shirt, before quickly giving up. If they were visiting him this late in the day, they could see him without a shirt on.

From behind the door, Siu would be able to hear the sound of glass clattering against wood, before a string of a foreign language floated underneath the loud commotion. Although unable to understand the words, the tone was clearly of a string of curses. It was a few more moments before the clicking of locks could be heard, and the door would be opened to reveal the form of Uchiha Maikeru standing behind it, a lit cigarette loosely hanging from his mouth.

The young man was pretty vastly different from the last time Siu and he had seen each other. Although the same in facial structure, his hair was cut shorter and still riddled with a bad case of bed head. His right arm, which had once been a mess of burned and rock like red skin, now seemed to be missing completely. In its place was a stump which seemed to end right above the elbow. His left eye, which had once been a deep cerulean blue, now held a purple Rinnegan, with six tomoe laid around the ripple-like pattern.

"Whadda wa- Siu?" The young man questioned, cocking his head to the side. "What are you doing here? Did we have an appointment? I didn't get a note or anything.."

Looking to the counter next to the door, the young man reached out with his stump before groaning to himself. He shifted his body, moving through a stack of unopened letters that were strewn across the wooden top. After a few seconds, he gave up, deciding instead to just push the remaining papers onto the floor of the kitchen.

"Well, whatever. Come in, get yourself out of the rain." He said, ushering her to follow him into his home.

Small. That was the best way one could describe the home of the Godslayer. As they walked in they passed a small countertop that seemed to also serve as a makeshift kitchen table from the two chairs that were placed on either side of it. The living room and kitchen were basically the same room, though it appeared someone once upon a time had taken great care to make this a home. Once upon a time. Now half empty take out containers and equally empty bottles of whiskey and scotch were spread across it. To the left of the combined living area were two doors, one of which lead to what one could barely call a bathroom and the other was half cracked and appeared to lead to a bedroom.

"So.. how can I help you?" Maikeru asked, slowly cleaning off a three-person couch that was pressed against a far wall. Well, as best as he could with one arm.

 

[Siu]

The Chuunin's head tilted, lips slightly pouting; Sound venting through the door indicated life within, yet...

They sure seem to be taking their time... Curious, the kunoichi's ear drew closer towards the wooden entrance.

"What are the—

Tiiiinng!!

The female slightly jumped, as whatever loudly collided now sounded to be rolling across the wooden floor. A string of undoubtedly displeased curses aired from behind, yet the Chuunin could distinguish not even the slightest bit of it; The tongue was neither Lightening nor Marshlanic—that was for sure.
Drawing her ear away from the door as locks began to shift after what felt to be quite the wait, the kunoichi's eyes would eventually settle upon the unarmed... unshirted?!

....Eyes instinctively averted upwards, wholly caught off-guard; the familiar voice eventually drawing the somewhat flushed visage back—the familiar voice that... knew her name? Attention shifting back afront, the female fixed her gaze upon the vaguely familiar figure, brows slightly furrowing as she rummaged through her memory.

"Mai... Maikeru..?" Yes; Yes, that'd been it...

The following inquiry would be of the obvious; "What happened to your arm?!" .... In fact—"Not you too!" It seemed, the majority of her male acquaintances had become plagued with this matching affliction; Eishi, Shieo, and now the Uchiha... Was this some sign?
The second inquiry would be of the less obvious, yet no less unrecognizable— and terribly presumed; ".... And what happened to your eye?! Is this...is this some kind of Uchiha eye infection?! Oh my—did you see a doctor about it?! It looks serious—I mean, it's purple!"

A simple observation of the one-armed male's attempted sift through the overaccumulation of over-neglected mail explained quite a bit... Attempts to previously inform him of any appointments even aside from her own, or rather anything period via mail, appeared vain. Witnessing the disordered mess fly then float to the floor, the female lingered afront the doorway some additional moments after the invite, seemingly further investigating the abode from outside.

So small... the words almost verbalized from slightly parted lips, before she'd caught herself upon entering the residence into.... the kitchen or the living room? She couldn't quite tell which the first room really was...

"Maikeru," the kunoichi could hold back no longer; Though, she'd also not felt such a compelling urge to, given that the two were already somewhat familiar with one another at this point, anyways. Matters such as these especially, required one to be more upfront with the other.
"How much do they pay you? ... Or is there some strategic reason you live here? .... I don't think this is a very good place for you; Why not relocate somewhere better—like, the Seki or Susukino District? If you need help relocating I'd be glad to assist." The female's eyes roved about the takeout-container and bottle littered accommodation; "No one—especially a shinobi—should live like this. You give your life for this village, after all.... Why settle for living under such bad conditions in exchange?" A hand settled upon her hip as she finished the statement, rather irritated by the male shinobi's endured living-conditions. Wordlessly, she'd continue to dwell upon the matter, before her other hand eventually displayed the drenched, egregiously-wrinkled slip of paper; displaying a now hardly-legible address, above it written: 'Monster-Hunters Division Leader'; A nonverbal answer to the male's inquiry concerning her purpose.

"It's you?" she'd question, features easing whilst her head slightly tilted to the side, some doubt coloring her tone.

 

[Maikeru]

Assuming Siu wasn't too embarrassed to take an actual look at Maikeru's exposed upper body, a few things would become pretty quickly evident about it. The most note worthy of them was the red ouroboros mark that was more scarred than tattoed into his forearm, just below the fold of the elbow. ( Mark of the king ) After that would be the not one but two curse marks that adorned him in two locations. The first, which looked like the three tomoe of a Sharingan with strange marking around it ( Curse mark 1 ) was pressed against his abdomen, while the other which looked like a circular flame with a circle around it ( Curse mark 2 ) laid across his neck and shoulders on the left side of his body. Lastly, and only because it's bright and vibrant colors were such a stark contrast to the black and red around the rest of his body was a strange symbol that actually appeared to be a tattoo of some sort. ( Kashima Tatoo )

Siu really liked to talk. That was the first impression he got from the impassioned young Kunoichi as she began her bombardment of questions. Maikeru paused as she mentioned his purple eye, the very same eye drawing into a tight squint of disbelief. Holding an old T-shirt in his hand, which he tossed to the side with the other refuse from the couch he had been clearing in order to give the two someplace to sit while they talked, he turned to face her, disbelief evident in the features on his face. He opened his mouth as if to wordlessly speak his confusion to her, before sighing.

"What in gods name do they teach you at the academy?" He questioned, before picking up another piece of clothing from the couch and unceremoniously tossing it to the side. "It's not an infection. I inherited a Rinnegan, it's one of the three royal Dojutsu. It's where the Sharingan descended from. As for my arm, well, it's a long story. Let's just say that one spirit inside of me killed another, and that dead spirit was my arm. I suppose not that long now that I think of it..."

It was then the question that she asked really hit him, causing the god slayer to freeze in place. Partially because of the question itself, but also because of what item laid on the couch in front of him. It was a wooden picture frame, which appeared to be hand made. Inside was a picture of a black haired young man, appearing no more than fifteen years of age. Next to him, with her arm wrapped around his waist, was a shorter brown haired girl. Both wore wild smiles on their faces, and deep blue Yukata's on their bodies. The difference being the young boys had the Uchiha crest on the right breast pocket.

Slowly he wiped his thumb across the surface of the glass over the picture, wiping off any dust and debris that had gathered on it. This item did not get thrown, instead, it was gently placed on a table that sat to the left side of the couch.

"I make more than enough to not live here. You're right, I don't have to live here. With the number of monsters I've killed, I could easily afford pretty much any place I wanted. But.." He trailed off, letting out a deep, mournful sigh. "When we moved here we had nothing more than what money we could save, and what we could carry on our backs. We had a small nest egg, and it went pretty quickly on the travel here. So, when we got here we got whatever shelter we could as a temporary thing. It didn't help that the med branch is disgustingly underfunded, so my take back as a Medic in Training wasn't really enough to afford even the rent on this place. I'm about ninety percent sure that my pay was less than non outsiders, but I can't prove it. So, we stayed here, made it our home until Reicheru could get a promotion or until I could find some other way to make money."

He squinted his eyes as he looked at the picture once more, clearly trying to hold back tears that threatened to spill out at any moment.

"Now.. I just want her to be able to find her way home to me. If I move... I don't know if she'll put in the effort to find me..."

Another long, presumably awkward pause, before Maikeru coughed to clear his throat.

"Right, right, you're here to see.. god slayer Maikeru, aren't you?" He said, putting on the facade of a fake smile. "Yes, that's me. Captain Uchiha Maikeru, god slayer of the Kaibatsu division."

At this point, the couch was cleared, and Maikeru settled into the soft fabric and padding with a plop.

"So, I'll ask again Siu. How can I help you?"

 

[Siu]

"Rinnegan..." the kunoichi mused aloud, turning the title over in her mind—Though, nothing came to that mind. Maybe she'd been too occupied sleeping or daydreaming while they'd taught this subject in the Academy; Or, perhaps they hadn't taught this subject at all? Who knew... They were all foreign terms for her.
Red eyes releasing black flames.... purple infected-looking eyes—Hadn't one of her previous instructors also possessed a strange pair of optics themselves? Instructor...Hoshi, wasn't it? No, maybe that was different; His were colorless, weren't they? Or maybe it was the same...

Gah, forget it! Who knew....

Contemplations made attempts to shift focus towards the story of the Uchiha's missing arm... Unfortunately, that also wasn't any less difficult to understand. Waging war inside one man... spirits killing spirits.... something, something...

"I see.." the female finally responded, solemnly nodding her head after considerable silence—She really didn't see...

It was around this time she noticed the male fall curiously silent himself, a single raven brow elevating in response. The kunoichi's long form nosily craned over, attempting to gain better view of the minded object; Though, she still couldn't make out the picture until he'd eventually place it upon the table.

Sister... girlfriend... wife?

Concern determined the curious female's features as she gave audience to the Uchiha's story behind his decision to remain in such an ill-suited abode; her expression imitating his own as he struggled to hold back tears. Life wasn't easy for foreign shinobi attempting to immigrate into Cloud, it appeared; The Fire Country shinobi endured quite a number of struggles. He'd attempted to feign a smile, yet the visiting kunoichi's solemn expression didn't ease.

"Y..yes." eventually informed the delayed response, Siu's demeanor reawakening from her thoughts. The faintest of smiles curled; "You've come a long way since our training together, haven't you?" The kunoichi seemed to allow her statement time to settle. "Though, it appears we'll have reversed roles this evening, due to... unfortunate circumstances; I'll be officially resigning from my previous, more independent Main Branch duties soon, and it's been suggested I seek out transfer options into more team-oriented Divisions."
While the female stood over the worn piece of furniture, she had not immediately settled in it; One might question whether she were taking additional time to visually inspect its condition. Carefully, she took her seat; placing her hands atop her lap in formal posture. "But, I guess I'm not the only one facing challenges within this profession; Life is really strange, sometimes, isn't it?" she good-naturedly grumbled with a sigh, tilting her view towards to ceiling, closing her eyes; gathering her thoughts.
Eyes reopened, gradually drifting back downwards, stopping to reexamine the picture once again. "What's her name?" Features eventually turned back towards the male on the other end of the couch; attention somewhat straying towards the considerable number of patterns adorning his upper body.

 

[Maikeru]

"Yes.. well.." Maikeru started, getting up from the couch he had been residing on. Walking across the kitchen/living room, he stopped at the fridge before opening the door to the small amount of mist that met the warm, humid air. "Beer?'

He'd offer, before moving back to the couch. If she accepted he would pass one to the kunoichi, before opening his own. Either way, he would settle back into the couch with drink in hand, taking a small sip of the amber liquid. Although Siu continued to inform him of her reason for coming, she never got to an actual reason. She mentioned that their roles would be reversed, but not how he could help with these team divisions she was being reassigned to, nor the reason for her required departure. Taking another sip, he waited for Siu to finish her bit of the conversation before continuing.

"Oh? Do I get to kick you this time? Well, let me just stretch.." He jested, rolling his eyes slightly. "I'm happy to help you Siu, but you gotta give me something to go off here. Do you want me to give you a recommendation for monster hunters? For the medical branch? I'm not sure exactly why you were given an appointment with me as I think is fairly evident."

As she gestured to the picture, Maikeru closed his eyes and lightly shook his head. He was honestly surprised she didn't know, considering the name his estranged was making for herself. Hell, even his own division often head bets about which young Godslayer would beat the other. If things kept up the way they were, some people may owe some money they never expected to pay at this rate. Still, it was rare for someone to take an interest in his history in leaf, and even rarer for someone to actually know about it.

"Reicheru.." He said solemnly, taking an ever large swig from the bottle in his hands. "Saitou Reicheru. But, if you want me to answer more questions about my love life you're gonna have to answer some questions for me."

Getting up once again, he crossed the small room they were in to a small table that was pushed against an opposite wall. In the middle of the table was a drawer that Maikeru slowly pulled out, the drawer sitting low enough she could see it's contents. Or at least, a large amount of them. On top was a blue folder, which Maikeru retrieved, revealing a leather tome underneath it. If Siu tried to focus on the text it would seem, off in a way. She would visibly be able to see lettering and images, but as she tried to focus the images would blur and almost seem to change languages. Next to the book was a small, square felt covered box that opened in the middle, with what appeared to be a red string braclet wrapped around it.

The most disturbing item of them all was a largeish almost whiskey glass, which would have made sense given the home's occupant. However, the strange bit was the brackish, green blue liquid, and the single Sharingan that seemed to hover inside of it, it's three tomoed appearance seeming to look into Siu's soul.

Moving back to the couch, he threw the blue folder onto the table, several of the papers spilling out just slightly. From the various words and phrases that appeared, it would be easy to surmise that this was a grouping of ready to accept missions.

"Monster hunters isn't for the feint of heart, and it's not for those who can't operate individually. Solo hunts are a part of this, an entire division can't always be gathered when we're most needed. So, tell me, why did you lose the ability to perform on your own. Let's start with that, see what we can fix."

 

[Siu]

"Oh!" uttered the female, features sparking with surprise from unexpected generosity; "Why yes; Thank you, very much!" The treated guest reached out, gloved hand guarded from the chill of the bottle.
A gaze of unchanged expression evidenced her delayed perception of the jest; faintly curled lips eventually revealing amusement.

"No recommendations yet." Returning attention from the uncapped bottle, the kunoichi seemed rather bemused; Had her explanation really not been clear? "I'm just here to learn more details about the Monster Hunters for now—I still haven't even considered all my options yet..."

Eyes curiously followed the male as he stood from the couch again, making his way to a drawer on the other side of the 'room'.

Love life... So—definitely not a sister...

Naturally, curiosity led her to peep at what she could from her seated position—the leather tome particularly grasping her attention; Was it a book of secret jutsu or rituals? Ancient history long forgotten? Blurring lettering motived the kunoichi to reglance at her beverage.... Just what alcohol percentage was this? She'd only had but a few sips...
Attention shifting back, her figure froze; eyes fixated upon the most disturbing object of the discernable contents.

W-what...the...? Was that...really an eye? From its unidentifiable-liquided glass prison, the lone organ's seemingly-returned fixed gaze towards her aroused strange, unsettling emotion from within, causing her to feel rather uneasy.

A folder slapping against the closest table jolted the kunoichi back to the present.

"....Isss, that so?" distraited words responded, their speaker attempting to regrasp the present. Dark eyes drifted towards the spilled documents, skimming over some of the contents; A sigh emitted from Siu's lips, her expression grown somewhat disheartened. "Then I may not be qualified for this Division either..."

Rationally, she really hadn't a legitimate reason to conceal her affliction from the Uchiha—rationally, that was. Yet, life wasn't completely rational; And while she understood the majority of her insecurities to be illogical, it did no aid in easing her unwillingness to reveal them. She'd still been recovering from grave wounds—lacerations upon her self-worth; both as a shinobi and an individual. Another sip of alcohol ushered preparation.

"It's not something fixable, I'm afraid," solemn words eventually informed in a matter-of-fact tone, a taste of sulkiness within. An iota of annoyance snuck into her usually-cheerful features. There was stillness as the kunoichi sat there, staring towards the wall across from her, seemingly in deep thought.

"That's right," later resumed a seemingly-spontaneous murmur, attention returning back to the male; "You saw it—didn't you?" Expression easing somewhat, the female's head tilted to the side. "When you used those eyes of yours to perform that Genjutsu—do you remember that day? ....Well, in short, I've lost the ability to do that..." Nonchalant as the elaboration voiced, emotionally the confession hadn't at all been easy to divulge.

"I'm a handicapped shinobi now—if still a shinobi at all. That wasn't just a unique technique, it was my means of survival in this trade. It's what's kept me alive up to today.... And now, it's been stripped from me. That is why I can no longer continue individually with high-risk assignments.... That is why is must resign.... That is why I must transfer Divisions... That is why"—the kunoichi's attention shifted back towards the spilled documents across the table—"I'm likely wasting your time with this."

 

[Maikeru]

"So, you're just going to give up then? Throw in the towel and accept that you're now a garbage shinobi? Is that what you expect me to believe?" Maikeru scoffed at the girl, shaking his head as his eyes slowly shifted away from her. "Here I thought you were a determined, self-sufficient woman. But, I guess I'm not as good of a judge of character as I once thought. If that's all, you can leave. I don't have time to deal with quitters."

Maikeru stood from his seated position, crossing the room once again back to that drawer he had procured the files from. His hand hovered at the handle for a minute, trepidation clear on the face of the young Uchiha. There was an internal conflict going on inside of Maikeru that even the worst at reading people could have connected the dots to without much effort. Closing his eyes, he bit his lower lip, before slowly sliding the drawer out once more.

"However, if I was right about you, I.. I may be able to help you. Maybe..." Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, he turned his attention back to his unsuspected house guest. "What I show you, what I tell you, can never leave this house. Legally speaking I'm not entirely sure if I am allowed to have these, but I wasn't going to put them in the hands of the medical branch. I.. well.."

Removing the large glass from the drawer, he held it gingerly in his hand as it's contents became much more visible to Siu. Inside was not one, but three Sharingan, all in different states of evolution. The most notable, and the one that Siu would recognize more than likely was Maikeru's own Mangekyo Sharingan that seemed to hover in the back of the group. Walking to the small coffee table, letting the piece of furniture stand between the two shinobi, he placed the jar for closer inspection.

"I have in my possession three Sharingan, and I can spare two for you. I can help you become the Shinobi you are, not the one you believe you should be." He let the words settle a bit before he continued. "But, before we get any further into this, there's one question you need to answer for me, and yes it's an important one. Tell me one thing, Siu, why do you think you deserve the eyes of my clan? Why should I let you, an outside, wield the powers of the Uchiha clan? Can I trust you not to use these eyes to dishonor my families name, and instead to do the one thing thought impossible by so many Uchiha evidently, shine a good light for the entire world to see on the clan's prowess? If you give me an acceptable answer, I can make you more powerful than you ever imagined. I can give you the power I saw in you from the first moment we started fighting."