[Chapter 2] Ouka Prefecture

[CelestialBlack]

He had enough of the cordial play at this point. And most of all - he had enough of the bullshit that Eiji was putting out.
Ko grit his teeth holding back the full brunt of what he was feeling in his chest at the moment as much as he could - but that didnt stop the rest from coming into play. Everyone else was being very cordial about the matter and even Kasami was being more concerned then she had to be in the moment; she'd already given him non-verbal ques that went completely over his head that she was including him and that - much like Kirinji's attempt at sensible kindness went completely over his head. He got it, he understood just not being aware of social ques at all - but it was one thing when you were self-aware of that kind of issue. It was another thing entirely when you weren't and suddenly everyone else having human reactions and natural responses to such a thing started to be blamed on the content of their own character rather than the reaction being garnished from your own actions. He'd been aware of it from the start. Beginning from when Ko took out Jinsei to his absence at the Medical Ward scrimmage, but Ko had always taken him for just being fearful and a weirdo. This? This was just plain disrespectful and disassociate and Ko would not have that. Ko's hand struck up and before Eiji knew it - he'd have him by the collar and he dared him to try and push his hand away the same way he did Kirinji's. Ko's hand would start to glow - not yet touching Eiji's body but the heat could be felt from as close as his hand was and should he touch it himself he would feel the aching burn of Ko's celestial chakra on his flesh. Like that, it took nothing for Ko to lift Eiji off his feet while he gave him the most intense stare that he'd given anyone since he stepped out of that jar back at Tatsumi's. The Merchant heard everyone's vote - and while this happened he nodded and the scythe seemed to turn like a clock in fast-forward then dropped into his hand again after. He would hoist it over his shoulder as he started to sit back upon the mass bag that he had put down - using it as a seat as he watched what was transpiring. He seemed both entertained and reminiscent of something as he watched it going on - both relishing in Ko's intensity and the ability that he was displaying, and casting a particularly specific eye of scrutiny upon Eiji. He sat in silence and his demeanor seemed to shift entirely as he waited for them to be done, rubbing his chin as he looked at the ground in thought; a typical sign just the same as when someone looked upwards in conversation that he was recalling something from memory.



"I'm startin' to get real sick of you and your shit. That's not only real stupid of you - but disrespectful as well. Not only have you been behind the entire time on this journey but you've been a suspect and where as I personally never suspected you of anything other than maybe being a coward, I know well enough what happens to suspects in the field when the risks are too high. The fact that you're still here when anyone on the team could have killed you at any point is a big sign that no one ever meant you any harm. Despite all the crazy stuff you've done, hallucinations, and moments someone could have died relying on you. Think about that. Those were moments we only faced a single threat and now we face many? It's perfectly reasonable to feel you should stay behind and for someone shakin in their boots so much? I don't see why you're so offended. If you were using your brain more and your jacked up feelings less you'd see there's a good reason to port you back stupid! So why don't cha shut the hell up - and for once LISTEN to somebody!

As he said this he would turn back to Kirinji and toss him back over to his direction. There was doubtless more that Kirinji had to say and where as Ko had never broken focus of situational awareness and he was well aware of the plethora of reasons that Hiraishin would work better for this scenario - he would let Eiji hear it from his mouth itself. If he was ever to get stronger and come back to the team in a better state then he would have to put the bullshit insecurities in his head aside and actually make himself available to listening to the council of others and it was the kind of thing that started here. He didnt care if he landed on his feet or fell back on his ass when he tossed him. But after he would push his hand through his hair and grunt - only leading into a frustrated huff as he turned his back and started to mumble under his breath: ""Shit maybe I should have hit you instead of Jinsei. Knock one of those loose screws back in place." referring back to Ko's unceremonious entry into the team and Naraka back at the outskirts of the fishing hamlet. Ko knew what it felt like to be used by someone. Controlled and have a bunch of feelings on the inside that weren't yours and a bunch of voices in your head you didnt want to listen to. He was directly controlled by Daikokuten after all and still had a burning pit in his chest to get pay back for that matter. But the way Eiji was acting was senseless and childish. In addition to the more intense passions Ko carried in his chest per the moment thanks to Shuzaku. As he walked off he stopped by Misaho - noting that there was some confusion on the matter of who Eien was in the first place. He composed himself with a pacifying behavior by pinching the bridge of his nose and exhaling - then in non verbal communication through his body language he gest to her with a low hand, open palm towards the ground clarifying that his sigh and pacifying behavior had nothing to do with her not knowing. There were many faces in Naraka. He followed in with: "Eien, uh - you would have run into him a bit back at the castle. Younger guy, striking resemblance to Izanagi with black hair. Quiet type. When we first met him it was in another village here, he was pissed as all hell with another shinobi from Naraka and as a result a fight broke out. Pretty sure he was gonna try and kill all of us."
Ko kind of gave a nervous expression as if to add a "yea I know, yikes." to the end of that sentence and try not to make it seem so harsh. It seemed like majority of the people that they met regardless of friend or foe here in Naraka had tried to kill them in some way or another. Little did he know that even Misaho could relate - from her first run in with The Tengu. He felt like she needed to know that because for the fact of the matter as things were, he could say that one thing. This merchant, if he wanted to kill them he could - or at least make a damn good attempt of it without a thought; he did have each of them alone at some point before Misaho got here and he was pretty certain this man would be too much for them alone and separated - especially in his weird shops that seemed to be a realm of their own apart from where they had been. For Ko, it had been a rough decision but on paper - a logical decision but it was still important for Misaho to have that context at least for future reference. He realized that someone should fill her in on everything thats happened at this point - from their side, but he'd put that aside for when they were truly somewhere they could be at leisure like the checkpoint ahead. While all of this happened the merchant would have simply been watching with an odd smile upon his face. It wasnt the type of smile like they had seen from the man before. It was the smile of someone that was genuinely reminiscing about something as he was watching them all. He counted: 1,2,3,4,5,6 (including Sentou) and he couldnt help but chuckle...the chuckle lingering maybe longer then it should and somewhat growing in intensity - as if he was coming to realization of something and finding it funnier and funnier as he did. He muttered under his breath, apparent that it was mostly to himself if anything: "xxxxx, what would you think? I mean what are the odds of that?" As he waited for their business to conclude so they can proceed. He was patient - as you think someone that can "Change the flow of fate." would be...he had all the time in the world. And now, this interested him quite a bit.
​

 

[Megumi]

Kasami wasn't surprised at all at the events transpiring. Not with Eiji, nor Ko, nor Kirinji. Kirinji and Ko made sense to feel how they did, and for Eiji it didn't make sense, but that was what was unsurprising. Nothing about him had made sense to her the entire time. So as Ko grabbed Eiji by the collar and lifted him from his feet, she just stood there watching in silence with her hands in the pockets of her haori. In that moment she felt there was a decision that she had to make, and it was one that could possibly mean absolutely nothing or mean something to somebody. She could say something about the current situation and even to Eiji, and while it might not be encouraging, it could give him perspective as to how they feel. Or... or she could just keep it to herself and let him figure it out on his own. In normal circumstances she would have been the first, and perhaps the only one, to step in and try to defend him just like she had in many other scenarios. She had always tried to protect him, but... No, she was done with that. He'd spited her over, and over, and over again, each time looking to blame the reactions of others on no fault of his own. This delusional boy didn't fathom the absurdity of his demeanor or actions half the time, and she wasn't about to waste time talking to a brick wall. So, the one person he had on that team that did have his back- was now turning to walk away. Figuratively, of course. Kasami never moved from her spot of standing there waiting just like the merchant, but she never said a word, and the look in her eyes spoke volumes. Not a single care in the world for him- abandonment.

She watched and listened to Ko, and then as Eiji was shoved off toward Kirinji again, her expression shifted. She was curious now, watching to see what Kirinji would do, and there was one thing she wouldn't hesitate to do. If Kirnji made that decision, she'd be with him. She trusted if that was what needed to be done then he would make the right call, but until he did- she didn't. As much as she seemed like she wasn't feeling anything about it, there was an inferno raging in her heart. She was absolutely furious with Eiji and did a very good job hiding it this time, because why waste the energy being outspoken or showing it with him? He never got it. She'd done it once before and he was merely another item to cart across Naraka from there. In Kiyoshi's village, the brunt of her passion for staying together as a team had come down on him, and he stayed... "Stayed". Truthfully from that point, Eiji was missing more often than he had been with them. On the path to Kagetsuchi he disappeared, arrived at the very tail end of the conflict in the casino and from then until they were leaving Mebu castle- he was unconscious and in the medical wing. Before that? He was never a part of their conflicts but one, and he could have been a detriment to them. Eiji was as much a teammate as the flies on the wall following them around.

Kasami crossed her arms and closed her eyes, but as she drew in a breath if one was close enough to hear it, they would hear its unsteady shuddering. Truthfully, she was shaking with rage, it was just hard to see. ​

 

[Shinobi]

Given the mental state the boy had already exhibited and the attempt at removing Kirinji’s hand off his shoulder, the blue-haired man had a general idea of what he was about to say and was already exasperated by it. And had Kirinji not been able to control his facial expressions, it would’ve showed just how irritating he thought the young boy was being. He didn’t even let Kirinji speak and as his arm came up to take Kirinji’s right hand off his own shoulder, Kirinji would move his arm and hand in a circular fashion around Eiji’s hand and place it back on his shoulder just as before as he would begin to speak, he would be caught off guard about Ko grabbing Eiji ripping into him.

Not a word Ko said was false and it was settling to know that he wasn’t the only one that felt this way. Part of him had felt he was being too harsh on the boy, but when others also see what he saw and felt how he felt, it was a reassuring feeling. Kirinji hadn’t said a word as Ko yelled to him as he tossed Eiji over toward him, Kirinji would catch been there to catch him to stop his momentum from either falling or just stopping it in general. His hand positioned back on his shoulder as he began to speak, “Thank you, Ko.” The man turned his attention to Eiji again.

“Do not be a fool. You won’t survive the trip back through the forest especially with the Spider running about. You’ve seen the man that had been trapped in her web, they were being tortured.” Kirinji said sternly hoping that the boy would see the reason and not continue to be a fool. “There is no need to be an unnecessary causality in this war. I can take you back immediately and it will not require even an ounce of effort.” Kirinji who stare at him awaiting confirmation verbally or physically. This was something he had picked up from Izanagi unconsciously. He remembered long ago Izanagi had said something along the lines of losing a young shinobi life was saddening. They had not lived their life to the fullest. Had Eiji agreed, Kirinj would raise his bandaged arm and tuck his hand underneath his chest as he formed a seal. He glanced over at the others from the corner of his eye as he spoke, “I’ll be back.” (Hasta La Viesta, babeh.) and just as he finished his sentence the both of them disappeared in the exact instant.

Without so much of even a small hinderance they arrived at the location that appeared to be the outskirt of Mebu Castle where they had originally departed. Kirinji took his hand off the boy’s shoulder and at the same time his other hand that was at his chest went down. Simultaneously drifting them into his pant pockets as he seemed to have a mournful expression painted on his face as if he were saddened by the departure of the young man. If the young man had not said anything after a few moments of silence, Kirinji would speak and break the silence before departing back to the team. “What do you plan to do?” ​

 

[Earljt4]

It had been coming for a long time. All of Eiji's fears, misconceptions, and ideas about his team and his feelings that he'd tried to hide had come out in the worse way possible. When they came out he showed little regard for anything nor anyone as he already felt that he was going to be outcasted one day and he was always tense and waiting for the moment. Ko's reaction was not a surprise actually it was what Eiji expected from the entire group at this point. He did not respond nor give him any sign that he would do anything at all.

The surprise came from Kirinji who although with how Eiji reacted offered to take him back to Mebu castle. Eiji simply nodded in acceptance allowing Kirinji to take him back to Mebu castle. When they got their Kirinji asked Eiji what he was going to do now. Eiji looked at him confused, conflicted and distrught. What would he do indeed? He did not know how to leave, he was not useful to anyone or the mission at all due to his inexperience and not having the time to grow. He did not know what he would do, he could only tell Kirinji what he thought before wishing him off and apologizing. This would most likely be the last time he saw the group which were going to head to better places and become stronger than he could ever hope to achieve.

 

[Jello]

"Born to blossom, bloom to perish"-不幸の放浪者

Much like the merchant, Misaho had been watching everything from the side. She remained neutral to the outfall of a teammate, believing that this was something that oughta happen at any time. If not now, perhaps somewhere further on the mission or in the later future. Eiji would leave the team on his own terms or so he’d like to believe so. Because not a few moments later the overwhelming rage of Ko would not allow him to walk off without caring to look back. Misaho couldn’t help but feel slightly astonished as she watched how To hand grabbed ahold of Eiji’s collar as he continued on to confront the boy. She could see it, hear it and even slightly feel it; The buildup of anger that only became bigger overtime only to explode like a ticking time bomb. The young woman couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the team's emotions, not that it was noticeable from her outer appearance; she was too stubborn to let it be revealed and so she always kept her stoic nature present. Truthfully the overwhelming came from the lack of interactions in her life, so she wasn’t sure how to respond or how others would expect her to respond. This, however, wasn’t important nor really noticeable; the insecurities of her anti-socialness were a lesser issue or moment so it was masked by the bigger ones. And so she had no choice but to wait things out until it was time to move further.

Right after Ko’s outburst, it seemed that Kirinji was willing once again to bring Eiji back to Mebu’s castle instead of letting the boy fall to his grave on his way home. Ko himself had walked past the indigo-haired woman, after composing himself he had spoken up to her with the body language trying to tell that any sign of frustration and anger left in his tone or movements weren’t occurring to her lack of information. Her lips slightly curled up as she squeezed her eyes ever slightly followed by a soft headshake to both sides; a gentle gaze as if to imply she understood where he came from and that she didn’t take anything personally. However when he went in to explain who Eien was her gentle gaze turned into a more shocked and dazed one. “I guess I should be asking what wouldn’t try to kill us here the first time you meet it…” She made that remark as a joke, however, unbeknownst to her teammates it was partially a genuine wonder because of her first interaction with Naraka as well. She too wasn’t exactly met with a firm handshake, a smile, and a welcoming board when she got here. If she hadn’t opened up her mouth to try and settle things down at the Echigoya Estate she probably would be six feet underground… or whatever place they bury their enemies at.

Within that same moment that she and Ko had been conversing, Kirinji and Eiji had disappeared from the area and all she heard was the promise of return from their teammate. It seemed that this time Eiji gave no struggle or any petty remarks in return. The boy was surely something different, heck all of them were mysteries in their own way and Misaho wasn’t exactly one to judge. Who was sane in a world like this? The kunoichi exhaled as she folded her arms together then looked at her teammates and the merchant. The merchant who had been watching them patiently ever so slightly amused, but for how much longer would be so? The man who had been cordial with them up until now could have many tricks up his sleeve but it didn’t really matter because that’s everyone’s thing in this world. Soon things wouldn’t be as ‘peaceful’ as they were now.

 

[CelestialBlack]

With that being said they were gone. Ko watched as they dispersed and the moment that they did so he would look back to Misaho after they had spoken, then to Kasami. They say that there was a bit of truth to every joke - and if that was true then every joke came as a coin, two sides. In the particular case of this joke Ko didnt laugh nor show any humerous response, it was much more of an introspective scrutiny in his face at this point. She was right and he had known that for quite some time but it was just that very thing that caused him to look at the situation a bit differently. Any other time that he had been on missions he had been calm - it always seemed like even in the face of conflict there would be a chance; especially with the political structure and method of engagement the normal world had. Here? It was either you get it done or you die - no grey area in between. Part of him couldnt blame Eiji for the choice that he had made. It was after all, a choice that had been given to them for a reason, and what good was that choice if it in actuality was not an option at all? But they were all out here, unprepared and with the odds stacked against them. It was more that self-depredating sense of infirmity that got him the most about Eiji. A mindset like that? How would he ever stand to achieve anything? And Kirinji taking him back? Well he was no stranger to reading between the lines either. Ko looked from the two and then to the merchant who sat there still waiting and he could read it on his face. There was something more ticking around in there then what he was leading on or talking about in the moment. Then - as he looked at him the merchant spoke back, addressing them all - mainly Ko, but centrally the way that he looked at no one in particular it was apparent that the words were simply coming out. He was reflecting on something:
"You know. I too once had a team myself. Of course, I had team mates. A particular one reminded me quite a bit of Eiji...there was also a particular one that reminded me quite a bit of Kirinji, heh. Funny thing how history makes fools of all of us."
As he said that he would stand up from the sack that had been planted there on the ground and when he did so he would call to the rest of them: "Best we move on ahead. Kirinji is quite capable and its not a long walk at all. However the Kappa are leaving, and without their presence and defenses this place will likely lose status as a safe haven. Best we prepare over at the checkpoint then~" And with that he set a hand upon the gigantic sack and patted it a few times. When he did such the sack poofed in a cloud of smoke. There was a very particular pattern in which he patted it - a password pattern perhaps? Who knew. Either way once he was up he held out his hand and the scythe seemed to throw itself firm back into his grasp, only for him to hoist it up over his shoulder and begin walking up the path and through the gates over to the road that seemed to serpentine and wind upwards along the hillside to the Temple gate checkpoint. Ko moved without words - it would not take much from him anyway. The moment that he had looked over at him he figured this would be the option he suggest, if not he was going to suggest it himself; no reason to sit around and wait for Kirinji in the moment. He had the map, and they had the guide. All would come together regardless. Hands in pockets he twisted and turned his lips in that stubborn way he did when he was going through with something he rather not, and he would follow behind the Pied Piper veiled in black before them. "He's right, we should get going." he spoke out as he proceeded along way with him. Silhouettes fast moving off to the side in the distance. Evidently the scouts that should have been returning from the checkpoint ahead had made their way back at this point and with that? The Kappa would be leaving very soon. The closer they got to the gate checkpoint the more Ko's neck had to tilt upwards to observe the tall structure.


The place was massive, even just for a gate ridge checkpoint. And as they stepped in and started to occupy the area Ko's eyes were wide open. Bright vermillion of his eyes wide open resonate in the shadows of the front entrance as they spiraled into crimson red, tri-tomoe hues. He scanned the room on high alert in stark contrast to the merchant, who seemed to saunter on in with no worry in the world that there may be anyone there to oppose them or cause any issue otherwise. The man in black went straight in, and ascended a flight of steps that were heightened in a square fashion without a second thought. He floated up the steps with elegant grace as if an apparition you see from the corner of your eye...you notice it - and then it was no longer there. Ko looked around the area and as he did he didnt find anything of much use. The doors downstairs were seals with protection charms and tags leading directly to outside. Perhaps they wanted to stop things from the village from getting to the temple...or maybe in the case of what all has been happening to the monks they wanted to do the exact opposite. Ko finished his scans of the front entry and looked back to make sure that the ladies behind him were in good order. Once done, he would ascend the stairs himself, hearing the feint crackling of embers as he started to get to the top only to be met with a gorgeous view of the temple side and previous village past on either side of the open observation landing that the stairs had taken him to.

There was open views to the north and south on either side of the floor. You could see the village that they were at on one end and the temple-side on the other. There was a beautiful tree, somewhat lacking in leaves at this point planted in the dead center where the fires were lit and just slightly above this floor was another with a walkway spanning the entire perimeter of the checkpoint. It would appear that these grounds were used not only for prayer, but for combat training as well. Ko stood there looking about - honestly overwhelmed. Everything in Naraka no matter the circumstance, placement, and purpose seemed to have such a beauty to it and was so intricately designed. Every step here reminded him constantly that this was an entirely different situation and circumstance then what they would encounter in the waking world. He knew not how, but with a deep breath he began to look inwards - focusing on himself as he sought council from Suzaku...there was something about this place that he was feeling. Something resonate and humming...low...but very evidently here. And for some reason - he knew to seek her advice on it, though he had never done so of his own will so fluidly before. As he stood there eyes closed for a moment, the merchant stood off at the northern end of the floor - looking out at the winding pathway that went upwards to the temple and all of the monks that seemed to be walking in meditative mantra in packs of four down below. They were tiny from up here and a distance away so he couldnt make out much else...but he smirked wide...he could see enough in his experience to get a pretty good idea of what was going on...he'd seen it before. He watched them as a Myrmecologist would watch a colony of ants; leaning against a wood beam as he simply waited for everyone to gather once more.​

 

[Shinobi]

The answer to Kirinji’s question had already been metaphorically written and sealed in an envelope, Eiji just hadn’t known yet nor would he ever. Truth be told, the blue-haired man did not even care what Eiji’s response would’ve been. From the moment he had offered to assist in his travel back to Mebu Castle until the last second as Eiji’s body would cease to ever exist as the Space-Time wave that was released from the blade would cut the molecular structure of the boy within a blink of an eye. The boy wouldn’t see it either or he had been trapped in an illusion from the very first touch on his shoulder back there. All that would happen would be Kirinji asking the question and mid-way through that sentence complete an utter darkness. Not a feeling felt, not a thought there. He wouldn't even feel death. Just like that Eiji had been murdered and there was not a spec of him left. No name going down in history, no action to be remembered by, only a name in some memories that would soon forget him. As he sheathed the blade, Kirinji thought about Izanagi’s philosophy and how the youth must be preserved. Unlike Izanagi, Kirinji was not one that abided by such rules. Or rather, he was willing to make exceptions. Everyone believes that their thoughts and actions are more important than the others. Everyone seems to be the hero in their own stories. That was how Kirinji saw these two parties. One of them believes they are correct while the other is wrong. In actuality, there is no right or wrong. Merely a goal. And between you and that goal are obstacles. No one really knows what is right or wrong until after the fact. They only believe they are. For all he knew, they could be traveling down the wrong path. But unfortunately for Eiji, he had become an obstacle despite working toward a common goal. His emotions filled with malice toward the unit, there was a possibility he could become a bigger obstacle later down the road. With the way they were able to snatch him up, what’s stopping them from doing it again? The man can barely fight back and with weak mental strength, there was potential for him to be turned. It was one of the main reasons Eiji had to be removed and removed he would be because unlike Kami no Shi, Kirinji was no fool. He was not going to take any risk. Which was why before returning to the team, he’d return to collect the puppet Eiji had for any residual chakra it carried and sealing it away in a dimension of its own. Kirinji wasn’t going to take any risk. That’s what always separated him from the rest: his cold-heartedness to make the tough decision for the mission.

It didn’t take long for Kirinji to catch up with the group. It was instant the moment he had done what should’ve been done long ago. And with a brief stop, he arrived beside Misaho quietly. The only give-away would be the gentle hand on her shoulder, in which had she been startled and glanced at him, she’d only see an amused smile as he would pat her shoulder. Immediately after he’d put his hands in his pockets as he scoped out the location they were in and checked in where everyone was. Protection Seals in the basement? Interesting. Kirinji too went upstairs joining Ko who had seemed to be in deep in his meditative state as Kirinji looked over at the Merchant who was on the northernmost side of the floor. Kirinji sighed heavily as if he was releasing some weight off his chest. He had become tired of the games the Merchant and them were playing and he had started to become tired of the lack of information they had. Consistently blind in whatever interaction or scenario they are in while everyone else holds the information but would not give it up. Kirinji then walked over toward the Merchant, following his eyes, and also stared at the ant colony that he was staring at. They seemed to be walking in a meditative state, were they being affected by the humming vibration? Kirinji situated himself on the wood beam over as he stared at the Merchant then the ants before finally asking, “What are they doing?”
​

 

[Jello]

"Born to blossom, bloom to perish"-不幸の放浪者

Her last remark left the conversation in silence as the cold hard truth came along with the joke. Everything was out to get them here and nothing would probably change that. Up till what Misaho has been told and what she’s been through so far in this place had been nothing of promises of danger and risks. With these risks came a promise of growth too, a promise that would give the young woman hope. And so she remained hopeful for a change of fate, she hoped for her to eventually cut loose from the wires that kept her tied to a future that would bring nothing but fear and suffering. All she ever wanted was to move past her promised demise and she hoped that she would make it through the end of this mission to finally make a move towards a brighter future. She only knew her own goals, that being said she knew nothing of the others and their goals aside from the fact they all yearned for growth. Then, her eyes followed the direction of the voice’s origin. The merchant confessed to them that he too was a part of a unit along with teammates that reminded him of two of her own, along with that came a remark that hinted towards awareness. For the kunoichi, it was a remark that surely caught her attention. Was he reminded of his past? Was he trying to relate to the situation or something? The slight wonders appeared in her mind but not for long as she shrugged her thoughts away.

There wasn’t time for any of that anyway, she agreed with the suggestion that it was better to move on before things would turn ugly around them. She moved along behind Ko and Kasami after the Merchant had prepared to withdraw from their current place and walked on ahead. She took an interest in the difference between her teammate and the merchant, one who took safety precautions and scanned the area and the other who wandered around without a thought or worry. It turned out she was solely too focused on the two of them that she hadn’t noticed anyone besides her. The woman could feel something gripping her shoulder; the weight and feel of a hand. She slightly flinched and tensed up only to ease down when she recognized it was Kirinji’s. When she turned her head in his direction she was met by his amused smile to which she returned an expression that complained that he scared her in a playful manner. While he then made his way over to Ko she would remain behind Kasami as they all followed them up the stairs.

Something about this place sure gave her the chills, it was probably the fact there were brainwashed monks walking around this place if not more of the surprises that awaited them. Misaho looked over her shoulder a few times as she walked up the stairs and around herself for a few times. Places like these brought back memories from the waking world and not the ones she’d like to remember. Then, her eyes laid upon the protection charms who knew what separated us from what was sealed behind them. It was better not to tamper with stuff like that and so she made sure to avert her gaze from it. These stairs took them to a place where you could view the north and south side floors. Another beautifully designed place from the fires that surrounded the tree that lacked in leaves and the flooring and walls that complemented the furniture. Yet again, its beauty held enough mystery to give anyone the creeps however that was mainly because of the situation they were in. Misaho moved towards where the Merchant stood, who was amused by what he saw. As soon as she followed his gaze she slightly tilted her head in bewilderment, she wasn’t sure what was entertaining about this but she was sure it wasn’t something endearing.

 

[Earljt4]

Blur... This was the word for what happened with Eiji. His memory of the situation that occurred to him was a complete blur, everything happened so fast that he only remember one thing. That he was separated from his team. It happened in such an unnatural way that he only remembered being told to go back to Mebu castle. Everything from after that moment was a complete blur and Eiji was racking his memory to try and remember what happened. He couldn't remember if Kasami, Ko, and Misaho were safe at all nor if the merchant was the cause of this gap in his memory which brought up another idea in his head. If the merchant was the cause, with all that he seemed to know about them to say and do to them, did he cause them to separate? Did he take care of the others? Why was Eiji safe?

The answer to all these questions was far different and much less fantastical than Eiji thought. The gap in his memory would probably never return as he completely forgot one teammate. The one who was the cause of all this as in his memory the one who told him to go back was Ko and he accepted it as Ko seemed more genuine and open than normal. He believed he came back with the jump jack but he was wrong and far off. There was a fourth teammate which was removed from his memory as that person was the one who told Eiji to go back. That person offered to bring him back with a powerful technique from Konohagakure and that person did something unforgivable.

Eiji was teleported back by another being as the other person attempted to kill him. He doesn't remember why, how, or what they did but everyone else could know that person was about to attack him with a weapon before the weapon could even touch him or they could cause any harm. Kirinji just disappeared from the area while Eiji was teleported to Mebu castle's safety. His mind blanked and his memories of the situation altered completely. He was confused and flustered as he did care about his teammates but he was insecure and always felt someone was out to get him. If he remembered the situation that feeling would be increased and more than likely worsened for the rest of his life. Now Eiji's main feeling and concern was really whether everyone was safe and if they were going to continue the mission or be able to finish the mission. He looked around the castle for a moment and simply had to hope and believe that Kasami, Ko, and Misaho would be ok.

Eiji himself had to figure out what his next course of action would be now. His main ideas were to seek a less adventurous mission from Izanagi but only after seeking out possible training and surgery from both Kiyoshi and the doctor he met before. He thought both of these things could help him and make him stronger and able to be more of assistance to the team and the whole of Naraka. He truly wanted to become a better person, shinobi, and friend. He wanted to show them that he could change and that their kindness from before even if he seemed to not notice it was not taken for granted even with his insecurities.

 

[CelestialBlack]

Meanwhile


There was a mass disruption that had overcome the area...the region? No - it had overcome all of Naraka. A pin-drop all the way at the end of the hallway, echoing around the corner. Quiet, subtle, but just different enough to be noticed by the most lucid of reality...just enough to know something was off. Somewhere inside of Mebu Castle there was a resonate glow of chakra inside of the castle walls. It illuminated a dark room and within that room stood a single small figure. None other than Kotsei Yagyu - the feline that had been each of the new entries chaperone through the castle. He seemed to be observing some kind of fuinjutsu seal...in fact - it was one almost identical to that of the one the merchant used back in Ouka. The only exception here was the fact that where as the merchant had seemed to be moving it - Kotsei observed the movement himself without any means of manipulation on his own. Was he surveying the exact same movement that the Merchant had caused? His demeanor all together seemed to be different, much more serious as his expression was still and unblinking watching what was happening - seeming to examine the fuinjutsu in a way that only someone who understood it in full could; as if he was deciphering some hidden meaning to its ever shifting formula. Finally - as it did with the group at Ouka the fuinjutsu stopped, and then dispersed and as it did so the room fell yet again, back into darkness. "I see...so it's there? Is it really so important Mitsuhedei? Does it truly serve to the purpose? Or is this something of yer own design?"

In the current; There was a disruption, a sound behind him that gave the kind of feeling where...you just arent satisfied not turning around and giving your brain the peace of mind. When Misaho had stopped - he turned around and for but a shift of a moment he thought he saw a figure next to her. As subtle as a shadow you catch out of the corner of the eye it was there and then in a blur it was gone. He double-took for a moment, and in that time he looked upon her maybe longer in silence then he should have almost as if he wanted to ask her with his eyes if she had seen it too or was he the only one? But a'las - nothing was there, and it seemed in his mind there was an empty slot to boot. It was the kind of forgetfulness that you push to the back of your mind rather than rack your brain trying to figure it out; and just like that it was a worry of the past to him. The vermillion haired boy stood there on the stairs waiting for her - observing where here eyes had been going and taking a gander in kind. When her eyes had met the protection charms so did his - having not paid much more attention to it before he would be now and he could only imagine what she had been thinking: "Creepy shit. It's the kind of thing I used to see in a fucked up kind of dream. But I guess we all have that in common, living our lives then suddenly - tossed to this nightmare of a scenario. . . Hey (he realigned conversational focus) This is the kind of nightmare we'll see wash out into a dream. Together, we'll make sure we all make it out into a reality worth living in. We got your back, ok?"
With that, he turned and went back up the stairs just in time to see Kasami and the merchant while he was leaning against a pillar on the edge of the balcony watching the monks walking about. He would let Kasami and Misaho catch up (and Sentou depending on path taken) and it was as if the Merchant felt the eyes upon him and beat them to the punch. He turned a bit their direction and started to talk about exactly what it was he had been observing: "Its such a fascinating thing. I wonder - if they're all conscious of whats going on or if this functions as a singular mind. I wonder. Heh, regardless - we can bed down here the night if you need to take a moment to rest, and get your head in the game or we can continue moving forward. No better time like the present I say, and there's no telling if despite how devoted these monks seem to be now - maybe they go back inside once night falls. And then we'll certainly have more to deal with once inside. But I'll not press, I'am simply accompanying you and ushering you along the way - the path you choose is still your own." Can they be saved? (Ko quickly inquired) "If they're being controlled...or worse. If its like what happened to me. Can they be saved with enough time? the merchant seemed a bit shocked by the question, turning fully at this point to look at Ko and face him directly when his curious expression turned into that of an amused one. He chuckled: "Well they say that no one is beyond saving in any case my boy - but if there is a way I know not of one. Curious. You haven't been one for mercy before - the fact that the thought crossed your mind makes me wonder. Is this the curiosity of you, or is that Shuzaku tugging at your heart strings?" There was pause between them both. A long yawn of silence as the eye contact between them communicated enough and even at this point Ko did not know truly how to answer that question...he didnt like that. "Regardless. To the west of the path below is the cliffside pathway the Kappa had spoken of. We can follow that cliffside and stay far above our friends down below and hopefully we need not confront any of them to get inside the temple. Salvation or no, if we simply avoid conflict then we can let someone else come and find the answer to those questions themselves. Ladies? What do you think?

​

---

With Eiji
As Eiji arrived back at the castle there was an erie silence as he stood there on the bridge that lead to the castle walls. He stood between the main grounds of the castle, and the path back to Kagetsuchi - the bustling town in which they had met Genichiro before. The silence may have been sombering, a good time to reflect if it wasnt for the creepy fact that just because he seemed to be alone - didnt mean that he was. There was a squad of TENGU Legion troops all lining the bridge around him...but he could not see them as of yet or even so much as detect them. But in this moment had he been able to he would see them all looking slowly back between each other and then to the boy, wondering how it was that he just so suddenly appeared back here like this. Though the legion was of one mind, and they knew if the others were thinking that this may be something need be reported. However, truth is - in Naraka this was not the weirdest thing to happen by far. As he stood there, trying to gather thoughts on what it was that he would do from this point there would call out a voice from behind him suddenly from no where: "You're the runt that smashed my window with that shitty looking bird. What are you thinking about breaking now?" And had he turned around he would have been met by nothing but a thick cloud of cigarette smoke to the face as he would be met by none other than the man himself - Genichiro Of Seven Winds.


The red gloved male seemed to be on his way to the castle and bumped into the lost looking boy as he was doing so. The question was facetious of course, but he was genuinely wondering why he was here, alone, and out about looking so utterly clueless. He could tell from the time in his casino that the crew didnt quite seem to have it all together but this was another thing entirely. He stood there taking another drag from his cigarette while he awaited an answer of some nature from the boy standing there before him. Otherwise - had he found it not suitable enough he would simply ignore the boy and walk off.​

 

[Megumi]

Kasami followed them all to the checkpoint and joined them on the second floor, but it was evident that her mind was distracted. She stood at the railing with her thumb resting on her bottom lip as she just watched the monks on the ground. There was a lot to consider about this situation, bearing its similarities to what happened to Ko during their travels to Kugane in mind. If it was one in the same then the simple solution would be water, but an entirely different situation would leave her more questions than solutions. There were many things alike each other in this world by few traits and yet they fell on opposite ends of the spectrum. This could be a myriad of things- from their faith, to their duties, to outside or internal forces. Wracking her brain wasn't aiding them in any plans or information about the state of the monks though, and as much as she didn't want to take unnecessary risks, there were some things that she wanted to test. Whether that was for her own curiosity or because she felt like it might be useful remained to be seen.

Without a word, Kasami turned and headed back for the stairs, and while she was doing so she was picking her braids up and tying them together above her head so that the wind chimes were stuck in place and not moving around as she moved herself. It was evident what she wanted to do involved some level of stealth, but for those that knew Kasami they would know that she was actually more careful than she seemed. The only time she had been hurt since they had gotten to Naraka was her own overexertion and when she had taken the hit of Eiji's ice so they didn't piss Eien off more than he already was. As she made it to the bottom floor again, she walked around and found some small, unimposing rocks around the area and gathered them up between her breasts. With her hands free she went back to the second floor and then moved to the railing. After she pulled herself up to balance on the ledge, she made a small jump and grabbed the overhand of the checkpoint's roof, pulling herself up onto it while she kicked her shoes onto the deck near her team. They wouldn't hear her footsteps but they might sense her movement as she went to the opposite end of the outpost and knelt just behind the peak of it, with only her upper torso visible- which would still be hard to see from the ground.

She waited quietly for a moment as she pulled the rocks out and piled them all up in her left hand, picking one out with her right. And then she threw it- not directly at the monks but near enough that the rock hitting the ground would make a small sound. This was to try to get a sense of their reactions to their surroundings. She wanted to know the nature of this "trance" they were in, and whether or not they took note of things such as small noises with no chakra presence or unnatural disturbances. After watching for a moment to see what they did, she would throw another rock on the opposite side of the group of monks from where the first one had hit. And she'd watch again quietly. Following that rock, would be another but this time she coated it in her chakra, throwing it on the same side as the first. Alternating which directions she was trying to draw their attention would make it more obvious to her if they took notice of anything she was doing.

After that last time, Kasami took what information she could from the experiment, if any at all, and went back to the team. She swung into the deck with her team from the roof's edge from behind them and landed on her toes in a crouched position, a disappointed look on her face regardless of the outcome of what she had done- cause if she came back with anything, she just had more thinking to do, and she loathed things not being simple anymore sometimes. ​

 

[Sentou Sanada]

Between learning the truth as to why Izanagi had killed his brother from Oshirama, to meeting the silver-haired merchant in Kagetsuchi and learning about the Takamagahara (As well as Totsuka’s purpose in regards to it), a great amount of information had been disclosed to Sentou over the last three days and he was still trying to gain a solid understanding about what it all meant to him. Hell, who could forget the sickening sensation that enveloped him from the monstrous gaze of the Mask Salesman locked underneath the confines of Izanagi’s castle… As much as he wished he could burn that image, that very memory from his thoughts he just couldn’t, and now here they were. Set off to acquire these idols before they fell into the clutches of the Burning Dawn. Not a word was uttered from Sentou as they departed to Ouka, he just couldn’t shake the tension that had been built due to his lack of hindsight to take the Lord of Naraka’s feelings into consideration with his moment of misspeaking. Having previously spoken out so dismissively about the gifts they had received from Izanagi wasn’t a jab to the Dragon, but rather the Kenzai monk who was so far away from home projecting his own insecurities and shortcomings aloud. To say Sentou had been scared speechless was still far from the truth however, his small mind was going into overdrive trying to process every scenario he had been involved in. It hadn’t even been 24 hours since his encounter with Totsuka’s doppelganger, corpse, whatever…and the only form of clarity he had received were the oh so wise words of not paying it any mind so he could focus on the mission at hand. He was aggravated, not so much at the advice Kiyoshi had given him, but because he was so lost in the dark in a foreign world he knew little to nothing about. He was but a droplet of rain engulfed in the large ocean.

He remained quiet as the group made their way through the foliage of Ouka, even during their rather short encounter with the giant spider. The only words he’d mutter to break the silence would be harsh profanity as he was unexpectedly swept off from his feet by the cavalry of dogs with the arrival of the Kappas that came to their aid. Much like Ko and the others, he simply brandished his talisman after realizing it was their ride ticket, however, it was very uncharacteristic of him not to gush at the foreign creatures he was unfamiliar with. Once they arrived at the checkpoint, Sentou quietly dismounted the dog, but despite his shitty mood he couldn’t help but give the animal a few pets. Like a child who had recently thrown a tantrum and found solace in their favorite toy, Sentou felt slightly relieved - his mind beginning to slow down as he was focusing on the present, and the dog’s fur coat felt very cozy to the touch. Whether forced or not, Sentou would try to smile, but just as quickly as he felt the serotonin kicking in to increase his mood he was just as quickly falling back into that very slump he had left. Instead of congregating with the rest of his allies to take in the scene and question others, he remained by the side of the dog and Kappas. There was already enough on his mind, he was sure his head would explode if he tried to take in any more.

Time felt as if was beginning to slow to a crawl as the young man’s mind became at ease, was he coming to terms with the news he had learned? Perhaps he should’ve said something to Izanagi, an apology, or at least spoken his mind further. All this shinobi stuff was honestly too much for him, he wished there was a moment that he could sit down and just live his life like the kid he was again, sadly he didn’t have that luxury.. Hell did any of them? For the first time since they were ported to Ouka, he was beginning to think about how the others possibly felt. Surely they were battling their own traumas too.. What made him so special to act the way that he was? He felt embarrassed. Perhaps the others saw him as a spoiled brat now. Just how could he make this right? As he continued to ponder and mull over his thoughts, Sentou would be pulled from his own little world abruptly to the sound of wood snapping violently. Directing his attention towards the small shack in the distance, the only question on his mind was were they under attack? He hated himself for not getting involved during the spider incident, so without much thought, his body began moving on its own involuntarily.

Running around the side of the building and arriving in a rather frantic manner, Sentou would look up in major confusion. No one seemed to be around now, strange, he was positive the source of the commotion had come this way. From left to right, Sentou’s head would jerk back and forth as he desperately searched for the other’s whereabouts. It wouldn’t be long until he found a large crater on the side of the wall. Intrigued he took a moment to examine it, something occurred here, but just what exactly he was none the wiser. “How did this happen? Weren’t they talking with the captain? Just what the hell..” He said aloud, taking a knee to get a better view of not only the crater in the building but the grass itself. By no means was Sentou a tracker, however, he did learn the fine basics of analyzing his environment during his time with Chimera (a group of shinobi hailing from the Sound Village) in the Land of Lightning. Eyes scanning the very ground, he searched for any disturbed pasture of grass, from what little he knew about tracking he could easily make out footprints through the crushed turf, however, what he couldn’t tell from these tracks were they had been joined by another. Returning to his feet with a simple goal in mind, Sentou would follow after the prints, and in his dismay would take little to no time to find that the path he followed led to an even taller establishment.

He froze momentarily as he laid eyes upon the temple and the many steps… all he remembered was their time arriving at the Shimeru Temple.. Experiencing Deja Vu, Sentou recalled the battle with the book-wielding man, he had yet to learn his true name, or if he had he easily forgotten it by now, but nonetheless, memories of a bloodthirsty and mind-controlled Ko flashed through his head. At first he wished not to scale these steps in fear of a repeat, but deep down he knew if his companions were truly in trouble he’d need to face his fears, if not for his sake than for theirs. Despite not knowing each other as well as they possibly liked, they were in this together. Surviving. Through gritted teeth, Sentou would muster the inner courage to take the first step until finally, he was at the foot of the entrance peering inside. It was quite dark for his own taste, but that was the least of his problems as he laid eyes on everyone. It appeared everyone was safe, for now, but something felt…off? Eiji was nowhere to be seen, and they appeared to be accompanied by a stranger of sorts..no..”Oh, it’s you again!” He practically blurted out as he saw the merchant from Kagetsuchi was here. He wanted to quickly ask where Eiji had gone, but it didn’t take rocket science to read the situation at hand. Ko and the Merchant stood by a wood beam as if they were peering down at something. Turning his gaze he quickly saw Misaho, but what about Kasami? Did something happen? Thankfully his mental question would quickly be answered as the soft thud attracted his attention. Peering at the source he could see what was responsible, shoes? “Did someone lose their shoes?” He asked Misaho as he approached her slowly hoping not to scare their newest companion. “I’m sorry for just catching up.. It’s hard to get out of my head sometimes.. What did I miss?” He continued. “I saw a hole in the side of the shack and came to check on you guys, but you were all gone.. Now here y’all are with ‘em.” He pointed towards the silver-haired merchant as he spoke, directing his gaze onto the strange man. He had helped Sentou in the past and answered questions, but even then those very answers only left him with more questions about this individual. Whether Misaho indulged Sentou’s curiosity or not, he would stumble back from the sudden drop of Kasami, “What the hell- Oh..it’s just you Kasami..” He huffed with a hand over his chest, he damn near felt his heart jump out of his chest. “What were you doing up there?”

 

[CelestialBlack]

The merchant was being cryptic as always and the more that this pattern continued the more that Ko's narrowed gaze upon him started to get sharper and shaper by the minute. What did he have to gain? He just couldnt understand it - contemplating there right in front of the man's face he didnt care whether or not he could read minds or it was simply apparent by his straight forward stare...he couldnt place it and it bothered him. By his own words - he had somehow altered the design of "fate" simply to come with the rest of them on a journey to this temple because there was something there within he had business with. In spite of that - this very same man was against giving him an opportunity to save these people, and seemed to want to cause as few waves as possible...to alter fate for such a seemingly rudimentary desire, yet be opposed to giving a straight answer on such a thing? Ko wasn't a stranger to when someone was working an angle. Often times on black op missions in Konoha you end up negotiating, playing the cards and rolling the dice of another's table while trying to sus out a possible motive or angle being played. This felt very familiar. He started to open his mouth to inquire further but just as he was his lips were left parted at the arrival of Sentou, and as he appeared there was an alleviation in his chest that expressed itself more forward and openly then he may have originally intended, as if reflex: "Oh, well shit - there you are. No don't worry about it a lot happened in a short time - figured you wanted to get your head on straight for what we've got moving forward. Eiji went back to the castle, probably best that way. Not sure if you're familiar but we have a way in and it seems relatively safe if the rare occurrence of something going as planned actually pans out. Here - check it out." As he said these words he would begin drawing out the map from his back pocket. Had that been it? He pondered. He had felt like someone was missing in the moment and perhaps it had just been Sentou a bit behind? It was too convenient to be otherwise, and so it had to be right? Just like that he would write it off and unfurl the map - holding it up and turning so that Misaho, Sentou, and eventually upon arrival from her test Kasami could see the comparison with everything they were looking at before. He had been too drawn into himself and the situation with the merchant to notice that Kasami had been gauging the monks perception so he would be waiting there for everyone to gather anyhow. Meanwhile, down below as Kasami threw the rocks the monks seemed to march along their intended path, one straggling stopping each time that each rock struck the ground - however, it didnt seem to be anything more then a sub-human acknowledgment that something in the area had made a sound; immediately turning back as intended once it was confirmed no one was there to match the sound of the thud - chakra or chakraless rock regardless, before continuing their marching patrol with a sick, almost plastered on smile fracturing across his face. Once they were there, Ko would point to the path on the map and in the distance to the cliffside left of everyone that merged into the side wall of the checkpoint. It seemed the Kappa had excavated a hole in the wall where they could go through and come out on the cliffside adjacent and walk the path: "Like our silver haired friend here said, if we go this way we should be able to make the trek without any conflict - at least not from the ones down below. But theres no telling whats waiting for us on the inside. Either way - it'll take us a good bit (three cycles) to traverse this end here and we need to make sure we do it as quietly as possible so not to compromise us up there. Its very open and vulnerable so if we're spotted or draw attention we'll be sitting ducks. On top of that. If it gets hot and heavy inside the temple we need to make sure that if any of us need to retreat - depending on how bad it is we either need to do it via jump-jack, or make sure we arent followed at all. If we lead anyone back out this way, then they'll discover that theres a way across and into the checkpoint and our safe haven will be given up that way. Run a route if you need to, draw attention away, but whatever you do dont let them trail you back. This is gonna be our base-camp for now. By all means, unless you are given no other choice. Stay together." As he was running these things down with the group the merchant was sitting on his perch behind him. He didnt bother looking at the map at all, and didnt bother involving himself in the strategy either. He seemed to be completely at ease...in control. When Sentou had come up before he had gasped like a school girl that hadnt seen their friend over summer vacation and watched her step into the class room for the first time, waving frantically and swaying his feet back and forth. But when Ko finished talking and had been looking between everyone he couldnt help but chuckle, looking down at the floor a bit as he silently contemplated and felt Ko's gaze loom over his direction from over his shoulder. He met the gaze this time with sharp eyes of his own and when (or if) there was silence left between them he would simply ask Ko a question of his own: "Why child? Why are you. Holding back?" He asked with confrontation and almost...disappointment in his voice only for Ko to continue looking at him in silence. All this time they had been spear-headed by someone else...and right under their nose there was Ko here.. Misaho would have never had a chance to know, and it had been so long and so much that happened in between that it was likely Eiji, Sentou, and Kasami had utterly let it slip their minds...but Ko had been holding back...hiding something all this time and there would be the same ideological question posed to him as he wanted to the merchant. What was the motivation? The purpose? The angle? Ko had no answers for him. Instead Ko simply looked at him in silence and waited to see if the others had questions about their impending objective. If everyone overlooked it and didnt question - then he would not answer. Simply ignore the merchants question as he dismissed his concerns for the monks down below.​

 

[Sentou Sanada]

​

As the young Lotus warrior stood around patiently, awaiting an answer from either of his companions, his attention would be snatched as the voice of Ko addressed his return. Redirecting his gaze onto the red-haired Uchiha, Sentou would acknowledge Ko with a subtle head nod. There wasn’t much time for him to get caught up to speed 100%, however, Sentou would listen carefully to the little bit of information Ko had to share; from the news of Eiji returning to Mebu Castle, to explaining their next course of action. Revealing a map that he pulled from his bag, Ko showed him and the others the path they would take while elaborating on the importance of silence. Sentou casually rolled his eyes and released a small huff from his chest at the mention of that, sadly the subtlety of silence wasn’t his strong suit, but regardless he knew there was much at stake so he’d have to bear with it for now. “Sneaking around isn’t really my specialty, I’m more of a hands-on kind of guy, but I also understand this is much bigger than me. Just let me know what it is ya need me to do.” He said as Ko finished his report. No sooner had he said this than something about the merchant caught his eye. Peering over towards the silver-haired male, he watched as the latter waved frantically at him with a smirk, truth be told it was a little awkward considering everything he had experienced since their last meeting, but deep down he knew the man meant well.

The awkward tension seemed to flourish into something else entirely as the merchant turned his attention to Ko prior to questioning him. Sentou felt like it was none of his business and tried to occupy his thoughts until then. Drifting off towards the wooden beam, Sentou placed his hands onto the rail as he looked down to the ground floor - watching as the monks moved around almost autonomously without purpose. A sudden chill ran down the back of his neck as he observed them, it was like they were stuck in a loop while the rest of the outside world moved as intended. Just what was the source to this madness, he wondered. Taking two steps back to get away from the sight, he approached the merchant carefully with a rather cautious look, “Kinda strange meeting you outside of the shop, but it’s cool to see you were honest about the whereabouts of everyone… How’d you know exactly where they were?” He asked him, referring to their time in Kagetsuchi when the merchant disclosed to Sentou that the others were at the Lucky Tiger. “I’m not sure how, but it feels like you’ve got eyes everywhere. If that’s true, do you know how Eiji’s faring back at the castle?” Finishing his train of thought.

 

[Megumi]

Kasami gave a half shrug when she was asked what she'd been doing on the roof, standing to walk toward them and only taking an extra moment to scoop up her shoes along the way without stopping. "Not anything of use to us, sadly." Her tone was kind of dismal. All things considered- they were shooting in the dark here. They had little information about the trance they were in that could help them. Whether that be how to break it or how to avoid conflict with them. The monks had reacted the same way regardless of how close she threw them, if they had chakra or not, or how loud the sound had been. A mere glance in its general direction and then it wandered on its way. It would have been a better experiment if she could have gotten some semblance of chakra near them without any sound at all, but she didn't know how to do that. She really just wanted to test if they were so zoned out of their minds that if they could get past them in silence, they didn't have to worry about any sensory skills chakra related. It might have made things a little easier once they got inside of the temple itself. She joined them near the merchant and started to mess with the ropes on her pants, untying them and not bothering to turn away as she readjusted some things. There was little to expose more than she already was, since the pants were just an extra layer to her clothes. She looped her sandals into the rope that held up her pants and retied it, shifting them so they sat against her hip and out of her way. Either way stealth was going to play a big part in this, and she didn't need her loud, annoying shoes she didn't like wearing in the first place tripping up or making extra noise.

Kasami listened as Ko went over the map with them, standing near Sentou's back as if she was peering around him. When he mentioned Eiji she looked up at him from the corner of her eye and frowned. The kunoichi stood up straight and moved to stand beside him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Not at the moment, no. I'm sure he's fine- though I don't know how he's going to do without his puppet. He was taken back without it. Or at least that is how it looked. Hopefully he had a means to recall it, but if not... I might feel generous enough to take it back to him. We've got an extra jump jack to spare after losing a body on the team." She looked at the temple across the way and shook her head. "Unless he steps on anybody's toes, he's probably in the safest place for him right now. I'm just hoping he doesn't cross paths with... Whoever is supposedly Mikaboshi's royal guard." Her gaze trailed over to the merchant. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?" Her little passenger hadn't responded when she had asked him to clarify, and it was kind of nagging at her in the back of her mind without the context. Kiyoshi was someone she was starting to admire and wasn't sure how keen she was on the fact that someone else was parading around in his skin. She just wanted to understand it a bit more. "Would you mind filling me in sometime if you do?"

 

[CelestialBlack]

Ko had finished his brief of the map and what the options were that they had at their disposal at the current. As he had hoped - no one really bothered to question the matter that he was referring to when it came to what he was holding back. And that was fine by him - having people on a dont ask dont tell basis was the kind of thing that not only was he used to but that he preferred, it left room for less complications. That being said, the merchant hadnt bothered to say anything about the matter any further either. In the brief pause between the opportunity that anyone had to question it he saw the way that Sentou distanced from the convo with his eyes and of course Kasami asked no further. He couldnt help but scoff slightly at not only the lack of curiosity but the lack of philosophical ambition...but perhaps it was a growing development that took time...Naraka would push them there yet. Then came the moment that Sentou had asked about how he knew the others location as well as if he was able to discern the position and well being of Eiji and before he could answer in stepped Kasami - taking the liberty for him. Evident that she had mistook the question's direction at this point or at least so he would hope with his quick she was to answer; but after she had said such he would lean forward with a chuckle and retort; "A Good magician never reveals his secrets. but trust I'am not the only one capable of such things - though fortunately I'am however the only one with the gall to actually involve myself with you lot directly. Hm - yes in fact I am aware of Eiji, his current status and how he seems to be fairing with such. He's fine - in good capable hands and among watchful eyes. Though the boys temperament and mindset are as usual - doing him no favors with anything. He'll manage. *He shuffled in his seat leaning back a slight* Though I must say Kasami it seems like you are the one that should be filling us in. Mikaboshi's royal guard - whatever do you mean and who gave you such a nugget of information?"

The salesman smirked and kicked one leg over the other waiting for her response. Up to this point it had not been known to him that anyone among them had told her, nor that anyone else was aware of someone being Mikaboshi's royal guard. From his perspective this was another nugget of information that someone in the team had kept away from someone else and potentially from a source that had been kept away from the team as well. He was curious to the explanation that would come forward and how her team would also deal with that in response. ​

 

[Sentou Sanada]

Sentou's question was answered, but instead of the Merchant, it was Kasami who filled him in about Eiji first. A small sign of confusion was upon the boy's face as she mentioned Eiji had been sent back without his puppet. "When'd that asshole get a puppet?" He asked under his breath with no indication as to who he asked, had he really been so caught up with his own demons that he hadn't noticed Eiji acquiring a puppet? He let out a rather awkward chuckle, hoping none of the others heard his rhetorical question on the matter while he continued to listen to what she had to say, but it seemed what else she had to say was directed towards the merchant and not himself. Following the conversation, he looked at the merchant, he too let out a small chuckle before addressing him for his previous question. A good magician never revealed their secrets, huh? And what did he mean, he wasn't the only one capable of doing such a thing as keeping tabs on all of them. How many more variables were involved in the grand scheme of it all? As always, the merchant's answers only left Sentou with more questions, but before he could muster up the confidence to immediately ask, he noticed how the man in question would look at Kasami and question her about her knowledge of royal guards. Sentou groaned, scratching his head anxiously, "What the hell is a Mikaboshi, let alone his so-called guards? Am I really out of the loop that badly?" He asked them both, It felt like his head would be spilt down the middle from all this information, it was one of the many reasons he skipped out on lessons back at the Lotus Society. He wasn't joking when he told Ko he was a hands-on kind of guy, hell he would've had a difficult time trying to envision what the Takamagahara was if it wasn't for the merchant's impressive light show he did with his hands. With his eyes still on Kasami, he hoped she was capable of explaining this all in a manner he wouldn't have to think too hard.

​

 

[CelestialBlack]

"Oh boy - it's gonna be one of those kind of trips huh?"
-Ko commented as to the moment that the questions arose about Mikaboshi, royal guards, and the origins of the information that Kasami apparently had. With a grit of his teeth and sigh in his chest he readied himself for a long moment of disclosure and explanation that he had the strong feeling - would only be something that need be experienced before actually understanding in fullness.
Much later
Ko looked ahead, his focus was solely in that direction per the moment after the explanation that had transpired whence Kasami would divulge what she could unto Sentou to inform him and the others about the matter at hand. He wasn't sure what to make of it all but there was one thing that nagged on his mind. How did -he- know so much? Who was he? His questions plastered on the back of that same man's head as he watched the merchant saunter across the narrow pathway towards the hole that had been breached into the side of the monastery. He traversed the narrow cliff not only with ease - that wasn't so much of the issue, Ko had plenty experience with that after all and despite what would happen after, a fall from this height wouldn't be much of a consequence. It was the grace, ease, and absent-minded nature in which he went across that got him so much. A man that knew as much as he did and he went everywhere as if the results and possibilities had been pre-determined to his knowledge. Ko couldnt help but contemplate - if it ever did come to such, how do you defeat an opponent that already knows your moves and the results of the fight before it even occurs? Right when he was going over this and the discomfort in his mind about that potential threat, as the merchant completed his route and traversed inside. He was met with something that became even more of a concern then that. His eyes gliding across the ground below them at the note too distant monks walking the path like lifeless drones, he traced the upper section of the path now that it was in view of him and followed the road towards the monastery front gate only to find something that may or may not become an even bigger problem then before: "What in the hell even is that?"

=Down below in front of the gates was a single creature that unlike all the other monks did not travel a pre-determined path what so ever. Instead this ever looming figure stood stationary. A nightmarish sentry that stood guard at a freakish nine-foot seven inches with a naginata that matched the expanse of its body. The creature was sporting religious garbs and prayer beads all around and dawned a hanya mask that covered what seemed to be a recess of pitch black darkness beyond its face. The entity looked like it had crawled straight out of a grave...or perhaps out of someone's nightmare, strewn with dirt and wear as its ragged black hair blew in the wind - casting off a scent of death and decay to any that had been unfortunate enough to be downwind from the stench. Ko upturned his lip as he frowned looking at the creature and thinking about the map - drawing the conclusion that not only is that the icon that was faced before the gate the Kappa had marked...but it was also between them and whatever had been marked a mystery on the other side in the mote around the monastery. Curiosity killed the cat, and Ko was the type that was focused solely on the primary directive of his mission. A situation like this? It wasn't too hard to keep from getting curious in the first place and as such? He disregarded the questions in his mind and kept forward with his path followed by the others. They had to make use of the daylight that they had. For some reason, he had a feeling that this was not really the kind of mission you wanted to carry on through the cover of night. =​

 

[Sentou Sanada]

As usual, there was quite a bit of information for the young warrior to digest as he played catch up once more - this Mikaboshi fellow was apparently some force of nature said to have died long ago, yet he still lived. Or at least, that’s how Sentou took it, it was confusing considering how quickly Kasami explained the situation, but he couldn’t blame her given this was hardly the time nor place to dilly dally and give a full-blown explanation about the matter. The hardest piece of information for him to swallow was her mention that her strange eye not only belonged to him, but she frequently holds conversations with the latter in her head as well. It didn’t really make complete sense, but for the time being, he’d have to withhold questions until further notice. “Huh, so that’s why your eye looks funny. I thought you had some kind of infection, y’know, like pink eye. Hm, can’t remember if I’ve ever heard of a Rinnegan though..” He briefly interjected with a genuine smirk on his face as Kasami finished providing disposition to the previous question, however, deep down he could feel himself frowning as he mulled over past conversations. The name sounded familiar, but nothing seemed to click just yet. It seemed she answered him, but when it came to the merchant, she gave a quick answer with much less explanation. Was she being honest, or perhaps Kasami was hoarding information at the moment? Nonetheless, he was secretly relieved there wasn’t more to discuss.


Once Kasami had finished her disposition on the subject at hand, Sentou would turn his gaze towards the merchant to see if he could confirm everything she said to be the truth, but instead, he watched the individual turn his back towards them and walk off towards the breach. It left Sentou curious, generally, the merchant seemed to know everything, so for him to question Kasami and not explain his half seemed a little odd. Oh well, he thought as he visibly shrugged prior to turning his attention towards the others, “He’s fishy, but he did help me find you guys after we separated. I guess we can trust him for now, so we probably should catch up with him before something weird happens.” Sentou said having read the room, he wasn’t sure if their silence of lack of conversation pertained solely to the merchant or the task at hand. No sooner had he made his statement, Sentou would begin following after the silver-haired male observing his pathing so he wouldn’t be out of sight. Hopping down moments after their temporary guide, Sentou observed the room hoping to gain a visual of a clear path to their objective. It wasn’t hard to keep track of the two monks that roamed the halls, seemed like they were still stuck in a trance - good that made things simple, he thought. He was positive if all of them got the drop of them there would be no issue dispatching them, but at the same time, there was bound to be more lurking deeper within the compound. There was no point in taking such a risk considering the chances reinforcements would be signaled.

As Sentou pondered about their course of action, he’d quickly be pulled from his thoughts once the merchant spoke about his discovery. Tilting his head towards the aforementioned individual, Sentou would lay eyes on a larger monk by the gates. He shuddered momentarily at the sight of his even larger weapon, but the fact it remained stationary was really rubbing him the wrong way. It looked like it was guarding something behind the doors it stood before. “I don’t even want to know to be honest.” Sentou quickly responded to the merchant’s question, whether rhetorical or not. Had the others followed behind him, he would turn to Ko, “What do you make of it? Looks like he could be a real pain in the ass. Should we make a detour or sneak around it?” ​

 

[Megumi]

Kasami explained a minute amount of information. That teensy bit was really just that she had a rinnegan that belonged to someone else, but she didn't go into excess detail or express how she felt about the whole ordeal, simply because it was not the time or the place and she did not have much information to provide. She did tell Sentou if he had questions later on after they dealt with the threat at the monastery then she would sit down and tell him as much as she could, but sadly that wasn't much to begin with. The Merchant more than likely knew things about the rinnegan in her skull that she didn't yet, and even knew things about Mikaboshi as well. And who this... royal guard was. Someone was either accurately mimicking Kiyoshi's appearance or they were puppeteering his body. No one seemed alarmed by that, and she knew that kind of thing wouldn't just go undetected to the likes of Izanagi, so it just had her wondering. The Merchant certainly knew what she was talking about judging by his expression and the way he asked her what she meant, but he didn't answer her own question. She stood there watching him walk off with Sentou at her side, chewing on the inside of her cheek in thought. His joke went over her head for a moment till her mind finally tracked back to their conversation and she shook her head, glancing over at him as she tilted her head. "It feels that way sometimes- like an infection. It burns, becomes bothersome. I'll explain that later too though." Her gaze followed his back to the merchant when he mentioned he was fishy, and she nodded in agreement. "I share the same sentiment. He's certainly never given us an exact reason not to trust him, nor a reason to trust him. He reminds me of Izanagi... Knows everything. Always seems ten steps ahead and doesn't ever seem genuinely surprised. Secrets. A lot of secrets and subliminal hinting. All I know is he is better on our side than against us." She rolled her tongue across her top teeth for a moment before waving the thought away as if it were tangibly floating next to her head. Her feet were light and silent, still carrying her shoes in hand. As they moved to follow Ko and the merchant, she picked up each of her braids, removing the inside "clapper" from the glass chimes hanging off of them to keep them from ringing. They now had reached the point in which it was vital for them to move quietly, and she was not going to be the reason that they were not.

Sentou followed the merchant and Ko down, and Kasami had followed suit, landing quietly and remaining there for a moment. Something hadn't felt quite right, and when she saw all of them paused looking at something she had been unfortunately on the money as far as instinctively having a bad feeling. She moved closer and looked around Sentou at the... creature, and then looked at Sentou as he asked Ko what he thought. She squinted one eye at him like he'd asked an odd question. Her voice was low and hushed as she interjected. "I hardly feel we're prepared to go toe to toe against that thing. We haven't had much time to adjust to threats here and the last time I saw you face of something less than human you nearly burned a forest down. It would attract too much attention to try to confront it- I think we should detour.... Unless our lovely guide has a quick and quiet way of disposing of it." She looked toward the merchant out of the corner of her eye, almost in a scrutinizing way. Was he actually there to help them or was he going to sit back and let them handle things?