Walking the High Bridge [Private]

[Takahashi]

</FONTFACE>

"11th Hour"
Drums Only
maretu0120
(Lamb of God Cover)​

<FONTFACE fontface="Comic Sans MS">
It had been a couple of days since the changes started happening. His hair color had begun to darken and his skin grew more pale with each passing day. The sometimes chocolate colored eyes he had before were now wet coals. His fingernails were growing steadily darker as well, and if it weren't for the fact he seemed so healthy one would wonder if he were sick. Gloves and dark clothing would keep his changing features out of sight for the most part. Staying inside the motel room made for a better cover, smoking and eating like any civilian slacker. Ashtrays and empty liquor bottles covered the table, while empty food boxes littered the floor. He wasn't always such a slob, but given his current mood cleaning was the furthest thing from his mind.

Maybe little over a week had passed since leaving Sousuke's house behind, but it was already hard to tell. The days melted into one another as of late for the adult Genin. It was just a little passed noon, so it was a miracle he was even awake. Wearing a sleeveless black shirt and dark jeans, he walked barefoot through the mess. Avoiding cardboard boxes and books at the same time nimbly until he reached the refrigerator seemed like training. The unlit cigarette in his mouth stayed firmly in place as he rummaged through the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. Today he was alone, and he hadn't called his hired companion since she commented on the changes he seemed to be going through. Groggy as ever, he wasn't really expecting company but wouldn't turn away his cousin who had other plans.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

A rattle. It started with a simple rattle. Then the rattling of bottles began to multiply over and over. The sound of a small whimper from a dog, and the dragging of something heavy could be heard as someone had entered the motel room. An unwelcomed guest, but not a malicious one. Should Jin'ichi turn on the lights he would find his younger cousin, the Steward, and his dog cleaning up the motel room. The Steward with a bag in hand and his bottles of alchol in said bag. The odd part would be the dog, an overly happy husky. The canine didn't bark or anything she was just wagging her tail about happily with her jaw open and her tongue hanging out. The canine always seemed to be estatic and good natured unlike her owner - a very tired looking Sousuke who was cleaning up a mess that wasn't even his. That being said it was the nature of the Steward. He gave his cousin a tired deadpanned look. "Good night Jin'inchi. It is exactly 2:36am, and this is exactly what it looks like. The house breaking part isn't exactly true. The proprietress of this establishment let me borrow the key, considering there was a blood stain she couldn't remove from some bed sheets, but I could. She politely asked that I did not question it, and assured me nothing illegal happened. She knows that I will come out in full force and study murder scenes or scenes of most questionable natures."<i></i> The bottled rattled again as Sousuke added another one to the bag.

The husky approached Jin'ichi curiously and sniffed him out. She turned back and returned to Sousuke's side. The canine not even more a moment seemed displeased with the setting. "We haven't really gotten to sit down and talk... which is owed to you."<i></i> He explained as he finished the small clean up. "I suspect you have a lot of questions as to who we really are, and what it is that we do."<i></i> Sousuke tied up the bag of bottles and placed it to the side. "Before you ask, I wasn't seen coming in. The proprietress isn't quite used to my abilities being used in a particular fashion, but at the very least this is not going to go down like the hotel a block away from here where I had the building ripped up and moved by a giant toad."<i></i>

 

[Takahashi]

It seemed like only a few seconds had passed since he'd grabbed the bottled water from the fridge. In reality, he managed to fall back onto the couch and somewhat out of reality at the same time. Suffering from a hangover, and having his senses disoriented by the alcohol still rising in his gullet, he was easy prey. So easy in fact, that it wasn't until the sound of bottles clanking together that he realized he had an intruder. Rather than jumping up with a shocked start, he allowed his eyes to open slowly and regain its focus. What his eyes couldn't see, his nostrils would attempt to identify. There was an earthen smell, dirt, with the scent of an animal... A dog perhaps, likely carrying negligible amounts of souls on the pads of its feet. The sound of Sousuke's voice would break the silence, sounding familiar enough for him to close his eyes once again. "Just- Give me a moment."<i></i> Was what he muttered, unscrewing the previously unopened bottled of water and raising it to his lips.

By the time he sat the bottle down on the little coffee table there was less than a quarter remaining. Wiping his lips and soaking in the words said by his cousin as well as the full breadth of the situation he found more energy. Yawning and sitting up, the unlit cigarette fell from his mouth into an empty pizza box between his feet. Frowning and leaning down to pick it up he'd scratch his head and finally get to talking. "Sousuke? What the- Dude..." He started, rising to his feet and stretching so that his joints would pop. Having noticed the husky, he allowed himself to be sniffed but the creature would reach Sousuke before he could attempt to pet it. Barefooted, he stepped over and skillfully over some of the leftover bottles until he reached the light switch. Flicking it on and leaning his back against the wall, he eyed his cousin and listened to the rest. He didn't really feel good seeing the place so messed up, and even felt a little guilt as Sousuke tried to tidy up the place on his own.

It was strange in a way, to see the acting Kazekage like this. It wasn't that Jin'ichi had thought his cousin above such gestures, but he can't say it was what he'd have expected from a man in such a noble position. With a mild shrug, and soft laugh, he proceeded as if his new home hadn't been broken into at all. Turning and opening one of the cabinets he'd grab another trash bag as well and begin to help. It was clear that he was still tired, and he smelled like booze so strongly that his breath could have started a fire with but a spark. "You didn't have to- Ugh, man... If I knew you were coming I would have done... Something." Crouching down to grab two bottles and slip them into his trash bag, he paused and looked at Sousuke. "I heard about that by the way, the other hotel. It's not everyday a giant toad wrecks shit so people still talk about it in the street." His attempt at small-talk might have been going well, but his need to stare down the elephant in the room kept him going. "Questions? Not so much... I mean, what's there to cover? My dad's a sack of shit and spat on everything the Takahashi stood for. From what I studied, he wasn't even a part of the main house."<i></i> There it was. The start of something more. "I guess I didn't get a chance to say more than thanks before I came all the way out here..."<i></i> Referencing his change in living arrangements, it seemed that while still disoriented he wasn't sure which topic to keep going. <i></i>

 

[Takahashi Aki]

"Don't worry about it. I keep those safe around me, and in turn they keep me safe. Well... at least that is it works sometimes. Granted sometimes people get hurt, but then those who hurt them get ..."<i></i> He paused for a moment. It was a lingering pause. Sousuke's mind thought of Kaito and Urufuu. He kept Urufuu safe, in a way, and Kaito? Well he too was alive. They were cancerous cells in the realm. They had both been sliced out. Sousuke's mind snapped to the moment where he had cut Kaito down with the Black Blade in hand. He cut down the old Veteran, he didn't defeat the man, but he did indeed injured his pride as his chakra armour did not protect him from the unleashed aspect of the Black Blade. "Get their just desserts. I think that is how the saying goes. I don't like metaphorical sayings. They annoy me because of the multitude of suggested understandings. The dessert in this case is not some sort of cake, it's ... well ... erm... the golden rule."<i></i> Sousuke fumbled at explaining this. He suspected his older cousin to understand this.

Jin'ichi spoke of the events at 'Expectations'. "The criminally insane require an appropriate response at times. Absolute and utter obliteration is required at times to those most deserving."<i></i>Sousuke answered quietly and clinically. Those events lingered on him. In retrospect, the scene there was cleaner than the foul mockery of corpses strung up by Shouki left as a greeting sign for the Steward when he returning from his business in Soon's. Sousuke continued to clean up the mess and in turn tied up another bag. Kitchy once again approached Jin'ichi still beaming at him. The remark came about the older Takahashi's father. "Things change... we are all very different people. It's a very long and drawn out process determining which events in our lives determining who we are. Some of us are galvanized by the death of another. "<i></i> He paused for a moment. "This is not where I wanted this to go. I wanted to check in on you, since ... since family for me is a very difficult thing to keep consistently. I didn't want you to think you're not welcomed at the house or anything."<i></i>

 

[Takahashi]

Although he was the older of the two, the recent transformations have seen to it that his youthful features became more prominent. In addition to being a bit shorter, one could easily forget whom was the elder. The difference between them was clear though, one being responsible for an entire village among other things... While the other had drowned his nagging thoughts in liquor and the company of uncouth women that cared nothing for him. He was smart, but Sousuke was a genius and the evidence had been all around the man's abode. Jin'ichi had no experience tinkering with machines and puppetry, and even less experience dealing with the manipulation of the elements that seemed so common among Shinobi. Yet, then and there the two relatives seemed quite normal compared to everything else that had been going on. Simply having a conversation and picking up junk. Most of the picking up was done by Sousuke, Jin'ichi being rather slow and leisurely in his movements, but a team effort nonetheless.

He laughed a little, standing up as Sousuke gave his metaphor and then went about trying to explain it. "I understand, but I'm the opposite there. Metaphors are all I've got sometimes. Doesn't help I'm still trying to figure myself out most of the time." The last part was said more to himself than to his cousin, but the sharing of thought and conversation continued unhindered. As he tied the trash bag he'd managed to fill, there was a subtle wince on his behalf at the mention of how Sousuke dealt with the crimnally insane. It made him wonder about what exactly fit the criteria for such a label, and whether or not he'd passed it a long time ago. It wasn't a topic his cousin cared for much though, and the Steward went on to express his reasons for coming by. At the same time, the husky found its way back over to Jin'ichi and simply stared at the Takahashi with this happy and idle sort of expression. It really made it hard for the mood to be taken too seriously at all, and with a chuckle he reached down carefully to allow the dog to sniff his hand before attempting to pat its head. Once Sousuke's words ended, he had a response lined up. Sort of. "You don't have to worry about me. I'm just..." There was a pause.

Having been at the Takahashi house for quite time time before coming to the hotel, he caught wind of a few things. Shiori, a woman he'd perhaps seen one in silent passing, was said to have been close to Sousuke. It was her son, Makeinu, that Jin'ichi had killed before ever setting foot at Sunagakure's gates. The child was considered to still be missing, but the disappearance seemed to have put the mother in seclusion. Who knew what she felt, how strongly or how little she was affected by something being taken from her without answer. Ultimately, Sousuke seemed very alone and to himself in that place even more so, and Jin'ichi blamed himself in part without being able to say why. "I'm just trying to keep myself out of the way."<i></i> That was the truth, even if not all of it. "I didn't feel unwelcome or anything like that, at least not at your place." He started, pausing to remember that the whole Makeinu situation was quite uncomfortable but didn't overshadow the pleasantries of their arrangement. Walking over next to Sousuke, and stepping on a few cardboard boxes to crush them before folding them up, he crouched again to shovel them into a new bag he'd opened up.

He didn't know how to feel about Sousuke checking up on him, in a lot of ways he could assume that he was being watched closely but that didn't feel right. The genuine concern was something he wasn't used to at all, and it felt good to a degree. The silence that lingered between them was only disturbed by the sounds outside the room's windows and the shuffling of garbage between the two men's work. "Family isn't really something I've had a lot of luck with either. Most of the cousins I've met before have usually tried screwing me over in one way or another, but I guess that's from my mother's side. You're the first Takahashi I've met that wasn't a sibling... I wasn't aware of how things were for us though. The clan that is... I never expected that I'd have a relative in charge of the whole thing, at best maybe a squad mate or two but-" Standing up and dusting off his hands, he saw the place looking like a new room already. "That's not important." Looking over his shoulder, the changes in his hair color and skin tone seemed so minute in the dim lights. "I know I'm still drunk, but I'm pretty good at reading folks. No magic tricks necessary." He opened and closed his hands, putting together makeshift hand seals just for show and to emphasize his point. "From what I can tell, you're pretty stressed or at least preoccupied in thought. Seems to be more than just this whole mess with the Cabal too."<i></i> While he was never good at delving too deep into himself, his reasons, and history... Jin'ichi had become accustomed to lending an ear and taking note of others.

"Set the trash down for a second. I'll toss 'em when I head out in a couple hours." All the bags he'd tied himself were piled near the door, but the lack of stench aside from alcohol showed at least the boxes were completely empty. Opening his fridge, he noticed how bare it was looking save for a couple of beers. It was time to go shopping. Pulling them both out and walking back over to the couch, he'd set the beers down after popping the tops. The bottles were frosty at least. Now sitting, he raised the bottle and gestured towards Sousuke to pick up one himself. Not taking a swig just yet, he lit his cigarette with his other hand. The window to the motel room was wide open, showing just how much he cared for the possibility of intruders in the first place. Jin'ichi seemed at times like a weary old man trapped in the body of a younger being, without any of the previous life's knowledge to see him through. It was a sometimes frustrating situation for himself, but for the most part he seemed to get on with others... Making it all the more odd that he seemed so antisocial of his own accord. <i></i>

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Jin'ichi's wince did not go unnoticed by Sousuke. "The man in question had murdered several Anbu, and is one of the reasons why our numbered are decimated. He made what he perceived to be an artist display at our gates. A terrorist who delights in the abhorrent worship of an old religion that thrives on suffering and blood rituals."<i></i> Sousuke explained with a deadpanned expression. "I hope you would come to an understanding as to why such action is required."<i></i> Jin'ichi would require a fuller and broader history. Another time of course. This was something else entirely for the time being. "Keeping out of the way is only a good thing for so long. That though is not the family business."<i></i> Sousuke added. He watched Jin'ichi react accordingly to how he was the leader of Sungakure. Leader. Not King. Jin'ichi spoke of how he was good at reading people. Sousuke ever so slightly grinned at the remark. "A family trait. Indeed reading people is something that can be done. Even the Cabal leader Kaito was put on pause as I told him about his size, and habits. Granted I still very much wish he had ... well, I will never be a fan of him. No forgiveness there, even if he had reason. That is something I do not think I will come to terms with."<i></i> It was a very polite way of saying he still despised the leader of the Cabal. Kaito had his uses, but the old veteran was a man of the highest disdain. Due to him Suna had found its way to the surface and end the storm, but one good deed does not erase one hundred others.

Sousuke did as his cousin bid him to. He placed down the bag and collected the cold frothing alcoholic drink. Sousuke stared at it for a time. He seemed to be dumb founded of being offered this drink. He had drank before, but not with family. Wait. No. That was not entirely true. He drank with grandmother before. Sousuke found himself taking a seat and trying to relax, his husky stood near his side. "This is ... strange, but ... refreshing."<i></i> He motioned to Kitchy. "My canine companion is named Kitchy, short for Kitchenzilla. She used to be a fully functional ... automaton made from my mother's stove... until a little mishap happened in which she was converted to flesh and blood."<i></i> The canine in a very curious manner titled her head happily as if to say 'how do you do?' Which was something very charming and most endearing given her most joyful nature. "She has been with me for a long time, through sickness, recovery, and ... other sorts of ... ill events only to bounce me back accordingly."<i></i>

 

[Takahashi]

"Nozomi (Hope)"
Sleep Dealer​

He wasn't the most informed about the Cabal and their crimes, having only arrived during the aftermath. Listening to Sousuke describe one of the perpetrators left a sour taste in his mouth. The hand holding his beer kept the bottle levitated by clutching the neck between his middle and index fingers. Frost melted against the warmth of his skin, cooling the flesh beneath. Normally seeming quite stoic and unamused, the senescent Genin found himself laughing a little. How his cousin could describe a person and situation of such magnitude with such... Indifference. Well, it was reminiscent of himself in some ways. "He sounds like a dick." Not the most proper response, but it got the point across. Hopefully. "I hope he didn't die too gently." A smirk etched itself onto his visage, pleased with the thought of such a cruel person being put down. "Seems like only wicked practice their faith in full these days." A societal comment, showing just how aware he was of the world extending outside of Sunagakure's influence.

It was surreal, the way the conversation carried on. He heard a little mention about the family business that wouldn't be elaborated on, but it snagged his ear nonetheless. It was impossible to suppress a broadening smile as Sousuke mentioned the family trait they shared, a trait he felt alone in possessing for so many years. While his mother and other relatives were no fools, they simply didn't have what it took to straight up read another human being like a book. While he didn't always make the best choices with what information he did glean from the natural talent, it had always proven a sharp tool. Soaking in the information about a man named Kaito as his cousin went on, Jin'ichi would get mild insight into the Cabal and their operatives. While he didn't garner anything like physical appearance or anything like that from the steward, the discontentment was real. Kaito, whomever he had been, erased the very prospect of forgiveness and reconciliation from the heart of a man Jin'ichi knew instantly to not be cold. The steward carried an unseen warmth with him, subconsciously radiating his desire to do the right things and protect so many people. It was something the Genin quietly admired about his relative. Jin'ichi hadn't such an aura himself, and if he did, tried stifling it whenever he could.

By the time his guest had set down the remaining bags and picked up his brew, Jin'ichi had already taken his third puff of smoke. The taken aback expression he wore temporarily was priceless. In some ways he felt just as strange about the whole ordeal, never once having actually sat down with a blood relative over something as simple as a beer. It was one thing drinking with other knuckleheads in the street, or at some function surrounded by total strangers, but this was indeed quite different. The whole scenario was serene and dreamlike compared to the Hell both men faced daily. While the Hell for each man was different, it ebbed away at each man just the same. With a simple nod he agreed with how welcome this change of pace was. At the Takahashi home, the place was crowded more often than not and just as cluttered albeit for different reasons. Sousuke's home doubled as a work place it seemed and although Jin'ichi had lived there for weeks the two never really sat down and talked about anything. Things had really gotten awkward on for Jin'ichi when he found out about the missing boy, but at the moment such a mystery barely whispered in the back of his mind. He felt accepted. At least for now, and it felt good.

Listening to the canine's introduction and background, Jin'ichi would visibly be confused for a second. Blackened brows knitted together and a quizzical expression took over, but he seemed to be paying very close attention now. It was a magnificent tale, and something he'd never have believed if he hadn't seen so many strange occurrences since stepping into the Shinobi world. There was a snicker that he couldn't suppress at the name Kitchenzilla, but one of mild amusement rather than poking fun. When Sousuke was finished with that, it seemed the loyal creature had stuck with him through thick and thin. Almost instinctively, Jin'ichi tilted his head at the exact same time and in the exact same direction while looking directly into Kitchy's eyes. The coincidence drew another laugh. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kitchy."</COLOR><i></i> Raising his brew as though gesturing for a toast, he continued. "We might not have everything we want, but I'll be damned if I'm not thankful for what we have."<i></i> If Sousuke indulged him, the sound of two bottles clanking together would be followed by Jin'ichi raising it to his lips and taking a few large gulps before setting the bottle back down.

Wiping his lips and leaning back a little, as well as putting one of his feet on the table, he leaned his head in Sousuke's direction without looking. <COLOR color="red">"You said something about the family business." Clearing his throat a little before inhaling more smoke, he kept the ball rolling. "I don't have any interest in changing my station or moving up any time soon. The rank I've got now suits me just fine, as well as the basic duties I'm asked to perform every now and then. I wouldn't want to take on anymore responsibility until I get stronger and smarter. So this question is purely out of curiosity... What is the family business exactly? I only know a little, but scrolls and books can be filled with a lot of bullshit. I'd rather hear from you directly. I know some stuff about these guys called the First Men and all that, but I've only got bits and pieces. I'd love to actually know the full story. Who are the Takahashi?" He knew a bit more than he was saying, and he could always learn more on his own by going off and studying. The reason for his question served a double purpose, to gather information on his heritage while giving Sousuke a stage where he could be himself and talk about simple things. He witnessed first-hand the taxing chaos his cousin had to go through daily, and he didn't envy the position of steward or acting Kazekage one bit. Politics were a bad joke to him, but a necessary evil in a world structured on hierarchy.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke sat on a single chair sofa, and let his head rest against the back of it. He clinked bottles with his cousin and drank from the bottle. He closed his eyes as he began to speak about the family business. "We are the descendants of the First Men who battled the Ancients long ago. House Takahashi is one of two most well recorded families in Sungakure. We are the Stewards. The first Takahashi made the armour of the Legendary One King, Primus. He died in the process. When Primus died after defeating both Fuujin and Homura the Ancients of Wind and Fire. Our benefactor, Mother Suna the goddess, gave her power to House Sunahoshi unto which Primus came from. She took notice of our ancestors and decreed that House Takahashi would always work side by side with the Sunahoshi to maintain order in a post ancient world. We supported them, we councilled them, we took care of them... unfortunately thirty years ago the last formal Sunahoshi perished and so our family has been ... at odds with itself. What does a support or councillor do when their councilee perished? The final words of Sunahoshi Hiro was 'find my brother Daisuke, and keep Sungakure safe.' Those words were spoken unto my Judori who is my father."<i></i> Sousuke opened his eyes and stared not at his cousin, but at a blank wall. "My father did what his dead lord bade him to. Decades upon decades did he try to find Sunahoshi Daisuke, for you see it is the Sunahoshi that controlled the storms above us... originally we thought it was the diamond sand itself, but no... such was proven when my good friend Sunaku Harupia managed to manipulate it without being challenged by the storm."<i></i> Sousuke paused, "Sungakure was dealt a death blow, and we had spent decades trying to recover from it, and people expected us to save them during a time of environmental unrest. My father did what he could, but came up short in the eyes of many others. We were incapable of being heroes when the time demanded it, and ... for that in part, is why the Cabal attacked us... let alone other moving pieces in play that I have yet to determine to be fact or fiction."<i></i> Sousuke snorted at the incapability of people realizing the concept of decimation or weakness. Yes. Thirty years was a long time to recover, and perhaps a greater effort should have been made, but what could they have truly done? Heavy this undertaking was upon the shoulders of a man who had not yet a quarter of a century old.

"We have protected the Sunahoshi from themselves, we have saved them from demons. Our ancestor Shiro ruled as Regent-Kazekage at a time when the Sunahoshi heir was far too young. He hated it, he had to stop a Sunahoshi civil family war of sorts. He was happiest when she was crowned Kazekage and took her throne. When she was older she was manipulated by a demon lord, Shiro rode to war to save her. In essence the young heiress had come to realize the importance of the old Steward, and offered him married. The one rule is that we never married into that line, instead we've married a myriad of families ... most times for political reasons to strengthen bonds and friendships within the village. For that we are sometimes referred to as mongrels, Urufuu of the Cabal seems to take it most personal with our breeding. He does not enjoy the concept of his niece and I in a relationship due to ... such a mixed bloodline marrying something pure. Something I have come to realize as of late. He did seem to enjoy honourable combat. He could not slice through me, and I stood my ground against him."<i></i> A harsh mock laugh that was mechanical came out of Sousuke. "Urufuu is an exile of the Inuzuka clan, although wronged by his own clan he did not ask for my father's help. He instead went about and made a mess of things... and for that he was exiled. He returned with the Cabal armed with ... something I do not wish to disclose because I do not want to give wrong information about IT that he has."<i></i> Sousuke detailed. There was something about the IT, that Sousuke fixated upon. It was something he had yet to truly confirm. "Our blood is not pure, it is always mixed. Our skills with metal and our mind is what we have throughout the age. We are not wealthy due to material wealth, we instead have a wealth of knowledge."<i></i> Sousuke's eyed narrowed. Kitchy had been whimpering. She did not like it when Sousuke got into this brooding mood. The canine placed her head on his knee. "Forgive me. I dwell too much about the Cabal. Even though it has been months since, their very existence is like an illness that lingers on me that I truly and utterly despise, but you've gathered that already. I will not speak of them. Again. At the present time. Onward."<i></i>

Just like Sousuke changed the topic, returning to the original one. "In the absence of a Sunahoshi we've tried our best to maintain the realm. I advise my nobles on how best to replenish trust funds, finances, and the likes. If they're left to themselves they will cannibalize each other. Akamichi Nobu the large man introducing people at that large meeting is one of my nobles. He is most supportive of me."<i></i> He explained. "...When I say protect the realm, I mean not only finanically but physically as well. We've been a host to ... stranger incidents and invasions. We live in a world of ... some horrors unraveling from time to time. That is the long and short of it."<i></i>

 

[Takahashi]

The sound of their glass bottles clanking echoed throughout the small motel room, and Sousuke's tale would begin. Sinking more into his own comfortable seat, and letting the cigarette hang from his lips, he imagined it all. The First Men were legendary figures throughout Wind Country, mythological even. While the bulk of reverence went towards Primus himself as an almost deified being, the First Men fought by his side as comrades. Back in those times, scenes too old to be dated, humans had been enslaved by the Ancients. The Ancients themselves were said to be comprised of elemental energies and raw power. Though the beings were sentient, they were something entirely different. Easily able to manipulate the forces of nature, it was no surprise to see the Ancients bend the world to their will. They'd develop a feudal system that included not only the eventual human slaves, but beings from other spiritual realms as well. These were legends that reached even Gutai Makai, the island Jin'ichi had grown up on. It seemed hard to believe his blood carried the genes of such important men.

Everyone knew about Primus, but outside the village of Sunagakure who knew about the Takahashi? They were the group of men who gave life to Primus' armor and indirectly made victory possible. Parts of the tale never having left the walls of Sunagakure, now escaped Sousuke's lips. Jin'ichi would try to imagine the degree of the so-called goddess Mother Suna herself appointing his family to look after another. After the Takahashi blacksmith had died creating his armor and Primus died after defeating the two Ancients, their families were ordered into an alliance without end in sight. The Sunahoshi were just as their name decreed, Sand Stars... Blessed by Mother Suna herself with power over the desert. The Takahashi instead were just as their own name decreed, a high bridge that held the Sunahoshi up. With the last known Sunahoshi having died over thirty years ago, it left the servile Takahashi without anyone to serve. For some it wouldn't have seemed such a tragedy, but when all your life was built around one simple thing... It was easy for it all to come crashing down when that one thing disappeared. There was another Sunahoshi, Daisuke, but that man would never be found and Sunagakure fell into the hands of the obligated hands of the Takahashi stewards.

Without the Sunahoshi there to control the storms, a man called Sunaku Harupia stepped up to the plate. A close friend of Sousuke it would seem as well. Jin'ichi recalled seeing him days ago at Project Rebirth, during the meeting Sousuke held about the Orders. He had been announced as Lord Harupia of the Sunaku Clan, and Jin'ichi remembered being told by Harupia that the ability to control sand was in his blood. What else he remembered, was the humble way Harupia admitted to being no better than anyone else until he honed his abilities with the help of his father. It seemed that despite all the hardships the village faced, Sousuke and his collective group of comrades managed to scrape by. Lady Luck saw it fit to deal them the hardest hands to play, and unable to return to the deck, Sunagakure would fight on. Sousuke's father, Judori, had carried on the search for Daisuke for decades only to fail in the end. Their village was hit hard by all sorts of catastrophes from demonic invasions to opportunistic terrorists. By all threads of logic, the village shouldn't even be standing anymore. Yet, both descendants of the First Men called it their home now.

Though he was still listening, Jin'ichi began to wonder about his own destiny. Consideration about whether or not he'd end up taking part in the 'family business', and whether or not it was even his responsibility. The clan of Primus seemed less interested in fulfilling their duties than the Takahashi were. All their lives seemed focused around a group of people that more or less should have been able to exist without them. It was frustrating to see them abandoned and saddled with not just their half of the goddess' request, but that of the Sunahoshi's as well. Unable to even marry into the clan of the other, the Takahashi settled for political pairings and assets over love. They denied themselves so much, and for what? His cousin went on, and it seemed that he'd found himself a love interest nonetheless, but that came with complications too. Her uncle was not only a criminal, but a member of the Cabal itself and having a direct hand in all that befell the village. This, Urufuu, hated the watered down and servile nature of the Takahashi... The mongrels simply weren't good enough for his pure bred niece. It was a scenario Jin'ichi was familiar with even before coming to Sand, separation between classes or race. He had fluctuated between extreme poverty and mildly comfortable living during his youth... But had always been less than desirable to the upper class.

There was an apology about dwelling on the Cabal topic, but Jin'ichi waved it off. "Nah, you go ahead. Talk about those bastards as much as you want. I wasn't here for the whole thing, so I haven't heard nearly enough and I'm sure you haven't said all you could say about them either."<i></i> Falling silent and thinking back to what he said about thenobles and Akamichi Nobu, the shorter but older Takahashi would pop up onto his feet. Moving over towards the window and flicking the last of his cigarette down onto the street, he leaned against the frame. "I can't say I'm really a fan of the Sunahoshi from what I've heard, but they don't really matter at this point. They're nowhere to be found, and you're the one that's stepping up to the plate. For all we know, Daisuke or whatever his name is, is having the time of his life on an island."<i></i> Giving a little shrug he kept going. "If they cared about this village they'd come back to it, and if they simply can't, then maybe they aren't the ones we need. What makes this Mother Suna's words so special any way? Look at how huge the world is... Are we really going to limit ourselves to the law of one entity we can't even prove exists? Furthermore, one that even in theory, only has domain over Wind Country." Raising his bottle to his lips and taking another gulp he wondered if he was going too far. "I understand this is our home and the desert gives us a certain level of protection and challenge, but lately it's been the ingenuity of you and your men keeping things together. Not some lady in the wind. That being said, are you satisfied with our destiny being set in stone as serfs and nothing else?" He didn't seem angry or frustrated, but quite obviously perplexed. He had questions that surely his cousin did not.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke sat quietly and thought about what his cousin had said. "One Sunahoshi did come back. The son of Hiro, Katuso. I'm related to him as my mother is a cousin to his mother. He did not wish to take the throne, but he came in during a time when we needed it most. Katuso is also one of the reasons why the storm is no longer in effect, thus allowing the Sunaku to control the diamond sands. Katuso was raised with no knowledge of his family's abilities or position until later in life."<i></i> Sousuke explained. He leaned back in the chair and seemed to drink in the perspective of his cousin, "Katuso, myself, and two mercenaries journeyed into the centre of the storm. We battled a man present who had control of weather elements. What frightens me most is that... that we battled Daisuke, or at least another Sunahoshi. There is a lot of unanswered questioned. Too many unknowns, and too many things that I am uncomfortable with not knowing. Unfortunately our enemy was vaporized so I could not confirm anything."<i></i> Sousuke did not like playing the game with uncertainties.

The questions posted by his cousin caused Sousuke to look at the ceiling. "Truthfully?"<i></i> He paused, "I have never considered anything else. The years that I've been in power, I have spent investing and maintaining resources. Keeping things afloat and improving what is around us."<i></i> The mention of Mother Suna made Sousuke pause. There was something at the back of his mind, something that had ... caused him to question a few things regarding Mother Suna. The details were fuzzy at best. "Lord Nobu suggested I drop the title of being the Steward-Kazekage... and proclaim myself Takahashi Sousuke the first of his name, Kazekage."<i></i> He continued to stare at the ceiling. "A thought I am uncomfortable with... but one that may be required. I do what is expected of me. Someone has to do, at least in this life time."<i></i> He paused, "Nobu met the Sunahoshi heir, Katuso. He doesn't agree with some of the heir's thought such as keeping the Cabal alive, and making some of them see the error of their ways. Nobu is justified. The Cabal killed two of his sons, his daughter remains. Nobu doesn't want to see his line vanish into the night. Sometimes I think Nobu would pay for an assassin to have Kaito put to death. Not that Nobu is an indept man ... he is merely older and less skilled than his brother."<i></i> Sousuke's gaze turned downwards to the floor. "I've been working Sungakure with little to no sleep for the past few months. Every day, every hour, every second of my life is spent working really. Do you know what that is like at times? I push on because people need better. We need to become truly and utterly superior."<i></i>

 

[Takahashi]

Sitting in the window frame with his back against the pane, Jin'ichi laughed a little as Sousuke started. It seemed that despite all the restrictions, a member of the Takahashi would end up related to a Sunahoshi either way. It was the same mixing of blood that their law forbade, but it created another spiteful comparison nonetheless. Katuso, like Jin'ichi himself had no idea of his background. He had helped them bring down the source of the wicked storms, revealed to be a suspected Daisuke, but came up short in a lot of ways. For one, it was clear he had no interest in fulfilling his familial obligations. Secondly, Nobu, Sousuke's right hand, didn't quite like Katuso either. Knowing his own brand of justice would be far different, Jin'ichi already found himself at odds with Katsuo's decisions involving Cabal members. If the shoes had been on his feet, would he have been so different from Katuso, or was he being a hypocrite?

Sousuke hadn't considered anything else aside from duty in his life. The man was humble, and at the same time had more power than he could ever fathom. As reluctant as he was to assume true command, Jin'ichi would find himself in agreement with Nobu. Sousuke was annihilating himself by overworking, and left no time for recovery whatsoever. Day in and day out he exhausted himself taking on as many things as he could, and despite the loyal soldiers at his side none had the skills to truly help him build. If they did, they hadn't bothered showing it thus far and it was worrying. Looking out the window and noticing the trash can at the far bottom of the motel, he smirked to himself. Reaching out and dangling his now empty bottle by its neck, his fingers opened and let the bottle sink through the air. With a resounding thud instead of a shatter, he successfully landed his trash in an already full garbage can. "I know I haven't been here that long and all, but I know a thing or two about the world."<i></i> As he looked lazily down into the streets, the crimson lights hit his face dead on. It made his darkened eyes seem to glow with little crimson rings, reflecting the string of lights outdoors.

"At this point, the only thing our village does is exist. That's a part of what makes us such an easy target. We're no different from any other Shinobi village, in the sense that all we've done is hire ourselves out and maintain infrastructure. We sit on this high horse of neutrality at times, according to the scrolls I've read any way. Which is what made it so easy for the Cabal to win the hearts of those we've let down. All the power we've got, and we're falling apart instead of expanding. There's little more killing this village than the people inside it, and one of them is you."<i></i> There was a deadpan silence, mirroring the one his cousin would give at times. Staring off, pupils lifting from the streets to the distance, Jin'ichi continued. "If we don't make decisions, the world will make the decisions for us. We can't always expect things to just turn out in our favor if we do the right thing. Every now and then, you gotta' grab destiny by the horns and make her your bitch. Not everyone gets that opportunity, but when you do don't squander it." Giving a quick shrug and laughing before looking at his more weary relative, he smiled. "I support you steppin' up to be a real Kazekage, one thousand percent. Once you do that, you can delegate and start to build something that'll endure. Get your own steward, divide up the work...Have an audit done, see which Shinobi are still here after the chaos and which aren't. Check on their status, and change up the leadership if you've got to."<i></i>

Though it was their first heart to heart, it would be just one of many. If there was no one else in the past, present, or future that Sousuke could get direct words from, it was Jin'ichi. Having spoken so candidly and openly about the matter, he revealed a sliver of political or even militaristic knowledge. There was more to him than met the eye, and his intelligence beyond the surface had depth upon depths. "I ain't sayin' do a hostile takeover or anythin' like that, but I read a quote once. Dude said 'Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expectin' different results."<i></i> With a sigh, he thumbed the side of his nose. "If what's worked for so long hasn't worked as of late, it's time to change up the game. If we don't do that, we lose. If it's not the Cabal, demons, or some other assholes... You can bet the other Shinobi villages will smell our rottin' corpse and come pick us off like vultures. We have two choices, cousin. Evolution, or extinction." Breaking the grim statement would be a sudden smile on his face, causing the formation of a slight dimple. Laughing and throwing his head back just a bit, he would exhale after the fit of humor. His laughter wasn't loud or maniacal, but to laugh at oneself was still not considered common. "Seein' as I've only just gettin' into this thing. Evolution seems the much better choice. Hmph, my two cents any way."<i></i> Looking at Sousuke, he then looked towards his own clock taking note of the time. Not bothering to comment on it, he awaited a response. Was he out of line, even though they were both off duty? Was the steward or Kazekage ever off duty?

 

[Takahashi Aki]

"Mist is frozen in an ice age. People frozen to death, their caskets of ice keep them visible for all to see. Leaf is a deadzone. No crops cannot be grown there due to a kinjutsu used upon them."<i></i> Sousuke spoke in reference to sand existing. "The alternative to merely existing is death. I know what you're saying. We need to take a side, but the question is when do we become the aggressors that is so abhorred by all others? Yes you can pick a side, help out the lesser of two parties, but then you enter a more complex game. The party vanquished. Their allies and neighbors will come after you, and so begins a cycle of endless battles and conflicts."<i></i> He paused, "That being said, what few allies we do have I have supported. You know this world, yes, you know it better than I do. What I deal with in particulars are the exceptions to the world... particularly those of ill intent."<i></i> Sousuke placed down his beer and sank into his chair. "There is an old story of sorts... that comes to mind of a person or entity known as the Samaritan. In my heart I wish for us to be the Samaritan who aided the traveler who was bleeding on the road. It is referenced that the traveler was mugged perhaps. The Samaritan took the injured traveler to an inn. Gave money to the inn keeper to let him stay there for a few days, to bathe him, clothe him and feed him. As of now ... at this point in time we are not the Samaritan."<i></i> His colour seemed to pale slightly. "We are the traveler, who was set on a road by the ill intent. We were bloodied bruised and beaten. There is no Samaritan to help us, but we will not become the ill intent in return. I refuse."<i></i> He spoke almost harshly. There was a sharpness in his tone not aimed at his cousin, but in reference to the content that was the ill intent. "We are recovering, but we will break the ill intent who put us on that road which we should not have been on."<i></i>

Then for a time Sousuke listened to his cousin speak. "I will consider your counsel."<i></i> He seemed to relax a bit more given that a few moments there was something ... strangely intense about his adaptation of the story of the Samaritan. The concept of ... himself ... assigning a Steward if he had indeed become Kazekage seemed ... absurd. It was the most difficult for him to accept truthfully. It would need to be done though. He would need to appoint new individuals to new ranks. "I am trying to push an evolution though. That is why I am trying to integrate Orders. It might be a step backwards, in terms of it being something historical and old. I do feel strongly though about it being a boon to us. What do you call it though? Is it evolution?"<i></i>

 

[Takahashi]

Although the first couple of weeks in Sunagakure had been filled with diligence, Jin'ichi had become lax in his efforts. He recalled something slight about the villages of Kirigakure and Konohagakure, but neither seemed relevant. Now he knew why. Sousuke told him about the disaster befalling both villages, and then mentioned a cycle. The cycle was one of war and death, conflict never resolved because the pain caused to a remaining loved one or associate. It was something that the roguish Takahashi had thought about many nights, long before visiting the desert, during times of childhood even. He had been surrounded by violence, suffering, and death his entire life. Unlike most children, he hadn't the luxury of being oblivious to it all. Not even for a few years, infancy serving only to form subconscious feelings as well. He had long since come up with a solution. One that was as brutal as it was efficient, a cold-blooded move based on pure logic. It was an answer he was hesitant to share, but the alcohol soaking in the pit of his gut urged him onward. "Sometimes we have to do the things we don't want to, in order to be able to do the things we want to do."<i></i> The introduction was less than subtle. ]"If you want to make sure no one comes back, make sure there's no one left." Letting his sentence settle in and meld with the following silence, Jin'ichi would shrug. It wasn't an answer he was confident would sit well with the future Kazekage, but it was a viable one nonetheless.

Sluggishly reaching into his pocket for his pack of smokes, he soaked in the tale of the Samaritan. It was a familiar one, but ancient beyond several millennia or so. It was the first time since his youth that he'd heard anyone bring it up, repainting it all so clearly and filling in the forgotten blanks. It was true that there seemed to be no Samaritan counterpart for Sunagakure, but did they really expect to find one? Jin'ichi didn't, and never truly did. What gestures of kindness shown his way were always returned, but there were a myriad of reasons behind every action. There wasn't a bone in his body naive enough to believe just any old thing. Everything had a price, or an intention attached to it. People like the Samaritan were rare, and becoming rarer by the day. "If the traveler doesn't have the luck of finding a Samaritan, then the traveler must become his own savior." A little smirk etched its way into the corner of his mouth. "You don't have to become the wicked, to crush the wicked where they stand."<i></i> Another ancient adage thrown into the conversation, one Sousuke would have perhaps heard before. If not, then there would be something gained between relatives, other than mild inebriation.

"You just have to be decide. We're all going to suffer as long as we live, and we're all going to die. Even those that claim immortality now. What's important, at least I think... Is what we're willing to suffer for. What things that you see as actually worth dying for. Just as much, you have to be willin' to kill for the same things. Then still be able to live with yourself after your choices." As the topic of the Order would sneak its way into the conversation, Jin'ichi gave yet another shrug. This time, lighting up the cigarette he's pulled from the pack. Taking a long drag, the ember at the end lit up brightly and seemed powerful beneath the red lights of the night. Tapping on his own forehead idly before speaking, he simply shrugged again. "It sounds like a bad ass idea, but I still don't understand how it's going to work. Right now we don't even have a medical Sennin, and the one appointed for ANBU hasn't been heard from either. I've asked around."<i></i> The smoke snaked its way around his face in swirls and loops as he spoke. "Kuro's the only one that's really accounted for. As far as your Sennin go. Besides that, a huge chunk of the work force hasn't shown any sign of activity since we've been hit. I'm assuming we lost a lot in combat, and some may be separated if even still alive...We haven't really had a break, and I keep saying we because after joining and being accepted... Well, I owe you. I'm a man of my word, and I wouldn't swear an oath I don't intend to keep." He laughed a little. "You should take this break, and reform the three divisions, or branches as you guys call them. It'll be hard having leadership and instruction for the Orders while still lacking it everywhere else. I'm not saying scrap the idea or anything, but look at what's on our plate now before ordering another meal."<i></i> Again with the metaphors.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke made a small hand gesture as what his cousin said was ... indeed quite true. Salting tactics, why they were named that was beyond the Steward, was indeed something that could be used to completely demolish a foe. Or was it burnt land? It was an older ideology of sorts. It was always an option. Unfavourable but necessary at times. His cousin spoke of how in order to truly stop the wicked, one did not have to become the wicked either. "All too true. Some people are not beyond the capacity of becoming evil to stop evil itself. The question is where does it end? If I do not kill you, will you stop killing? Not you as Jin'ichi but the metaphorical you. There are stories of heroes who finally crack and break their moral code in order to stop a threat that is all consuming. The endgame of that ironically is that the villain in the question, their end goal was to turn their hero astray anyways. There is always something in that final moment of breaking an individual and having them succumb and become what they hate most. At the same time you have those who do not revel in what they do, they punish the guilty became no one else will. In that respect we go back to the concept of old law, of an eye for an eye... but then in the end everyone becomes blinded ... ... heh ... no ... ... that was a bad joke. I'm never very good at jokes."<i></i>

It all boiled down to choices, "I am, and will always be my own harshest critic. One of the ... less confrontational Cabal members, who is a recorder of histories once told me ... something akin to ... it doesn't matter what I do is good or ill, merely the fact that I must do in order to exist. She is a very strange creature mind you. She did not attack us, unlike her comrades, she merely recorded everything. To what end? It was to her order, but personally I believe it was to an opponent we have yet to cross swords with."<i></i> His cousin spoke of the positions of power in the office. "The medical profession is cursed. My last medical sennin was pregnant with child and vanished into the night. My girlfriend is of the medical profession but thinks herself unworthy of the title. Granted there are political complications given her uncle. My anbu sennin ... my mentor ... he too has vanished into the night almost literally ... but he is not what he seems to be. He is more akin to a fictional creature than ... well I will leave that with you. The appointments will have to be made, yes that much is true. Truthfully the branches and the Orders are meant to operate apart from each other, but there is something to be explored in that truthfully. We will see what happens in time."<i></i> Sousuke exhaled. He reached into his pocket and removed a very old pocket watch. For a man of science and technology it seemed quite ludicrous for him to have such an old object. "This was passed from father to son, and when my son is of age ... he will too own this object. My father gave it to me to remind me no man can control time, he can only be aware of it."<i></i> He flapped it open. "I allotted myself the time to check in on you and to clean things up. This will not be the last time this will happen."<i></i> He patted his husky to rise up with him. "Thank-you for the drink, dear cousin. I bid you good morning as it is ... indeed the morning. May you succeed in your undertakings ... but more importantly thank-you for well ... being here. I'll find my own way out. Trust me. You go back to sleep now."<i></i>

[topic left and marked for training 650+]