Kirinji Vs The Tengu ((COMPLETE))

[CelestialBlack]

Location: Memorial Of the Suitengu
Time: 9:30 AM
Weather: Sunny, clear skies.

Standard Nightmare Rules Apply
Post order: Kirinji > The Tengu

The day was bright and sunny, not a cloud in the sky - this place? It came to you in a dream unlike any other that you had, a dream much a kin to almost, a window - gazing into the front yard of someone elses memory. Vivid as fresh spring waters...​

 

[Avatar]

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The golden rays of the fiery orb bathed the region almost as if they were blessing the land, which was odd. The tranquil aura itself was not odd, it was rather inviting, but it was the fact that it was not in this atmosphere where he had fallen into his slumbers. A pressing concern, especially with the amounts of times he had been displaced already. The same golden rays of sunshine that blessed the land forced him into consciousness and out of his slumber. It wasn’t immediate, but a gradual pace before he came to his senses. First, he felt the innate warmth inside him, followed by the feeling of his skin being kissed by the sun until he finally opened his eyes. His right arm came up just as the sunlight agitated his eyes which caused him to wince and close his eyes completely. His hand covered the sunlight as he lay on the grass, confused about where he was. As his eyes adjusted to the light, one would see that the color of his eyes matched that of the sun, scintillating yet frightening in the same glare.

The blue-haired man forced himself up using his robust core strength primarily and glanced around the area, “Have I been displaced again?” He said out loud before forcing himself to stand up with subtle grunts. “No, that can’t be it. This place feels—” the man moved each of his fingers around and then his toes before adjusting his neck, he was doing a check-in with his body to see whether or not it was functioning properly. It took a minute for him to notice, but his right arm had been completely healed. Free of the char, yet still lacking in feeling. It was something though, “—Dreamlike.” The feeling was strange because it felt as if he were in someone else’s body and experiencing their memories of some sort. It was different than the other dreams. The dream with Ai Yuki was one, more calming in nature in comparison to the other. This was something entirely different though.

Using his lower limbs, he pushed off the ground and positioned himself on top of the stone near where he had woken up. His right hand was over his eyes like the brim of a baseball cap as he looked out as far as his eyes could see in hopes of seeing someone else. The man knew better than now not to figure out where he was because that didn’t matter. You’ve been displaced, have ya? You better start feasting. Eat now, ask questions later, that was the rule. These dreams he had been plagued by ever since in Naraka always had their own sick twist to them. Better to be on the lookout than caught with your pants down because who truly knew what Naraka had in store for you?​

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[CelestialBlack]

There he was, indeed plugged into the mind and memories - and yes indeed perhaps even the dreams of another's mind. But who would that be in particular? It could not be told of the top of the matter but one thing was for certain, the dreamscape was in a way manipulated and influenced by what was going on in the ruminations of this persons mind. Even as the scene seemed serene and peaceful - and the wandering shinobi pull himself up to posture the sounds in the area contrasted. Screams and flesh rendering, the sounds of begging and curses as well as the voice of a woman in particular begging: "Not my baby! Is it the Tengu will to kill a child!?" If that were not enough to accurately foreshadow where he had ended up then the visage of a man in an olive drab jacket, hood adorned over his head would soon greet the eyes of Kirinji as he shaded his view-range to look upon the area. The man stood there at the monument - which had been garnished with plenty of beautiful flowers, trinkets, and blessing tags at the foot of its rest. The silent expression of the tengu mask upon his head stay staring at the monument, looking down. "Harbor no illusions. This is indeed a dream and yet, more then a dream. Why it is that you have intersected with me in this spiritual juncture is beyond me. Though, this is good as well." he started to turn his head looking at the male over his shoulder but decided against it, his own thought process pulled his face back to its attention as he found solace in the fact that his presence here at least eliminated yet another person that could be the spy within their midst...a puppet can not dream after all. However, it only rose more questions to him as to the matter of how was it and why was it that he was here. Dream-walking was a technique revered and astronomically hard to accomplish, so much so that even the strongest of the Tengu have not been able to willingly emulate such a technique since the late Suitengu. He was sent here involuntarily, for a matter good or nefarious beyond both of their knowing. Here...The Tengu was slightly different. Two swords - instead of the one that he had always been carrying, apparent that in The Tengu mind and memory this other sword was something he had grown a comfort to...it was familiar to the wanderer, though the exact placement would likely be vague. The man turned around now to fully face his new visitor, the motion of his body accompanied by strong gales in the wind as if the very nature around him moved as one. At first when he was here in reflection his fists had been balled tight, full of something that could not quite be placed...pain -languishing somewhere in a dark valley between mountain peaks of regret and anger. But now? Now they relaxed - not because The Tengu was relaxed by this man's presence - no quite the opposite. He was quite discomforted that someone had managed to dream walk into his dream in particular without being fooled by the mask...anyone could be "The Tengu" and there were Tengu before him...but this man had been lead past these misleading defenses straight to the genuine article. Someone...somewhere, was directly acknowledging him...no, acknowledging the both of them and he must not let his discontent with this party cause him to lash out at the party at hand...the mental scarring could be severe. "I know not who sent you to this place, nor why. I do not hold it against you, it was not an intrusion you engage in willingly. However, know that I must excise you. There are things that The Tengu know that must never be shared...knowledge that must never see light...secrets that must never be spoken." His motions were slow, delicate, and graceful as anything that could be seen. His arms came out at his sides, not wide nor flagrant in their expanse and he held his hands with palms turned downwards as if he was soothing the air beneath him and trying to keep balance...soon the winds would recoil - blowing in the opposite direction now as if they were beckoning Kirinji inwards towards the man...as he remain in this stance, mask facing the ground as he now became still as a statue...twice as silent.​

 

[Avatar]

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Just when it could not become more strange, it became more strange. As Kirinji sat up, his vision became blurred and the light before his eyes refracted and contorted into a manner that essentially etched a vision into the world, serving as a direct antithesis to the peaceful atmosphere. It was as if a ripped shirt had been resown with a fabric of another color. There was a piercing scream, a woman, begging—pleading for her child and in the same breath questioning the morals of the Tengu while pieces of flesh remain laying about. A war? No, that would imply there was a battle. This was a massacre. Kirinji gripped the side of his head as if he was nursing the onset of a headache. These—were not his memories, they were of someone else.

Before it could continue it was interrupted by someone he was familiar with. There were men of words, and there were men of action. Surprisingly, the Tengu was of both. A man of little words, yet when he spoke it was impactful. The Tengu entered into his view and thus blocked the illusion that was plaguing Kirinji. The words also assisted in bringing him to reality, or as much as this reality was. The blue-haired headed the words of the Tengu as he rubbed his eyes, “Whose dreams would they be?” He asked as the Tengu stood there silently by the monument. Kirinji once again felt the serene aura of the region taking it all in, soaking it into his body, and realizing that—he had been graced by the presence of the Tengu, in a rather unique region and that raised the question, “Is this Nirvana?”

His eyes focused on the Tengu once again as he asked that question. This time, with scrutiny, he observed the Tengu’s appearance. Subtle difference, two swords instead of one, one he was aware of, but another that appeared familiar. His eyes focused on it as if he was trying to find the missing puzzle inside his mind, something the Tengu would see when he turned around to face the blue-haired man. Each moment paired with strong gales of winds, the very nature of the world yielding to the Tengu in a way, yet Kirinji remained strong and unaffected by the winds. The body language of the masked man was tense, Kirinji could tell that the Tengu was confused yet relieved about the wanderer’s presence. He too had mutual feelings, the only difference was he remain tense once the Tengu spoke of the secrets they must keep. Instinctively, his left foot slithered back and there was some bend in his knees as he began to prepare for the worse. “Payment?” he said confused yet vehemently, “In what way?”​

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[CelestialBlack]

-The moment that the man had started to ask if this was Naraka The Tengu started to chuckle and shake his head, starting off mild and then it could be told in how persistently he did so and rapidly that he was no longer shaking his head to the question itself but to the idea of something else that was linked to it. He seemed reminiscent and almost resentful of something that was connected to that very question before he clapped his hands together and began to answer - the world around them waving, shifting and vibrating in an unnatural way, a way that only could be possible in a dream: "No....no but it is close. A place where the boundary between Naraka and Nirvana is very thin. It was his wish - the Suitengu of old, to be buried here - not in Nirvana...I believe that there was some significance to that." as he said this the man had stepped back a bit...but for what was about to happen? Here in this place? The Tengu's litany was like that of death, there was no distance nor speed fast enough by which one could outrun it. The wanderer inquired of him, in what way did he seek to excise him - to exact this tax? By which before hand he would snap his head up to face the man as the visage of the Tengu mask looked upon him and he harkened back to his previous statement: "A significant one." with that he released his clapped hands and slung one outwards to his left reaching far across as he did as one would when throwing a disk trying to get the most distance. As he did so the world on that half of the field would be utterly ripped apart, the very fabric of the reality there within literally torn in half as the field would no longer just be that...but another half of reality all together. Where as they stood in a bright sunny field at the memorial, the other half was dark...bleak and indoors, the sky not a sky but a darkness of a room expanding to the highest heavens and walls that seemed to stretch forever along the border of the field itself. Two things had merged, two memories, two dreams...pulled from deep within, and on the wall of the stone room that was pulled there would be a tablet - that of the sacred history of the Otsutsuki left behind within the Uchiha clan compound. This would have been pulled not only from Kirinji's mind, no it was not as simple as that. This technique - The Spiritual Coalescence was one that would pull a memory not just from the mind but of the most relevant nature from the very genealogy of the subject at hand. It took the life force of the subjects within the dream and merged whoever memory was not already present - with that of the one which was, a surgical splicing of spiritual proportions that required immense Hadou to conduct. The Tengu seemed more taken with what it was that he was seeing then the presence of the man at this time, lowering his arms as he examined the tablet - he knew what it was and knew well that he could not read it without the proper Doujutsu...but he did not need to. Mikaboshi had already done so in his youth and they had shared knowledge...what plagued him more was why? He wanted to scold Raidou for bringing this to him *He's Uchiha, we know -that- much. What am I to get from this?* he thought silently to the mask he dawned...but upon looking at it he started to understand...his head slowly moving towards Kirinji he stopped...and for the first time since they had all come here and ever laid eyes upon the Tengu he maintained a solid focus stare upon the individual unspeaking. As he stood at the tablet had Kirinji not moved then he would be standing somewhere that would pose strong symbolism to the revelation that was just made...between, on the border of light and dark between two different realities. "You're parents. who were they?" he said while rising to full stance - his body turned half way towards the man with his right shoulder more so directly pointed towards him he looked over his shoulder awaiting the answer intently...but it occurred to him, not only would that question likely be packed and full of convoluted twists and turns...but the man was no fool - he likely knew that there was a story behind his lineage and wondered the same at some point in his life so he would correct himself and say what - appropriately, lay on both their minds...ironically at this joining through dreams: "Or...who do you, suspect they are?"​

 

[Avatar]

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There were not many shinobi out there that Kirinji would refuse to trifle with. Not because of fear, but because it would come at a great cost. Minimizing damage was important, he never wanted to be seen as inefficient. Someone who can battle but maintain control—it was a sign of great strength and showed that the task at hand was not arduous in the least. However, there were some that would take every ounce of strength in his fibers out of him to match. The Tengu was fearsome and frightening, so he was glad that he was not hostile. The other dreams had not been so friendly. The blue-haired man’s body language seemed to ease, but he continued to maintain caution. Despite having history, he did not know if this was the same Tengu—anyone could dawn a mask.

The Tengu responded whereas Kirinji listened remaining strong in his stance. “Does this place have a name?” Kirinji questioned as the masked man spoke of the Suitengu. The concept of names is important. Every name has a meaning, and thus, some level of power, whatever that power may be. Kirinji asked about the tax that must be paid and for the first time, The Tengu stared right at him through the mask. The blue-haired man’s body became tense once again. Not knowing what to expect, the Tengu clapped his hands together and then snapped them outwards as if he were throwing a disk, and as he did so, it was almost as before as the very fabric of the reality in this world began to shift. It was as if a ripped shirt had been resown with a fabric of another color. Light refracted and bent before giving birth to duality.

On one end, golden rays of warmth illuminated the grassy field with the memorial. On the other? It was dark and bleak, an abyss, with the sky stretching into the heavens without sign of stoppage. And then came the Sacred Tablet in the Uchiha Clan Compound. Kirinji knew of it well, he too had deciphered it to the point he could and even more so with the assistance of others. But why was it here? It could not have been of the Tengu, even he seemed puzzled at what he was seeing therefore it had to do with him. Moments passed and not before long the Tengu fixated his gaze upon him, standing between the two realities of light and dark, Kirinji unknowingly stood between both puzzled. “My parents, huh..” his voice was light, you could hear the uncertainty behind it and that the man had given it thought before as well.

“I was raised by Setsuna Uchiha and Neimura Senju, but they are not my parents.” His gaze left the Tengu’s as he looked around in avoidance, “Just like Eikou and Kouwei are not my brothers. There are subtle differences between us all, and yes, each individual is unlike the other, but between them and me—it was evident I was not one of them. The Senju bloodline was evident in their bloodline, yet even then, my strength..” His arms came up as he stared into his palms, remembering the blood on his hands as he shut his eyes tight and balled his fist until they were shaking before he released them, with it went the tension on his mind, body, and soul. “My parents, I- I don't know. My earliest memory is that of a woman with snow-white hair and golden eyes, holding me in her arms. She's talking to someone and then looks me in the eyes, and says a few words before she hands me off. The image is blurry and the words...I don't know what she said.”​

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[CelestialBlack]

In that moment the Tengu kept staring at the man as he went over the story about his past life. He knew that the man had asked him a question but this...this was something that griped him firmly and he couldnt help but pay very close attention; scrutinzing every detail of what he told him but not in the manner that someone would when they suspected another of a lie - no he suspected the man of no such thing, but he was putting together every little piece and trying to make sense of a puzzle that's sat at his table unsolved for time he admitedly was not comfortable with. It was like it all was another of the tengu's tests coming up. A measure of intellect to measure intellect to measure yet another criteria of intellect and just like he did back then he found himself perplexed by the complexities of this intricately woven net that was their associations and historys. The young monk from before, Sentou. He was connected to Totsuka. Ko was connected to Kasami, who was connected to Mikaboshi through the rinnegan....The young Sarutobi boy Eiji, he had no relation...a break in the logic of the case - perhaps a diversion? No, there was no such thing...something he was missing. Behind the crimson countenance of the mask his eyes narrowed upon the blue haired male but it was evident that he wasnt quite staring at him...but through him - framed against the panel board of a mystery he was drawing lines between. He knew not his parents...did the others? His demeanor was similar and it was evident that he and Izanagi had a history but how far...Izanagi had been the heir to the Senju in truth - conceived with the gift of the Uchiha to hold the blessing of Asura and wield the curse of Indra hand in hand against the Uchiha clan itself to end the cycle once and for all...yet here stand Kirinji Uchiha...why was that? Izanagi kept no prisoners and just so happened that one of the few he did wound up here but not through a forced entry like the salesman...he was pursuing Izanagi. He thought about the interaction...motivations...and none of it made sense to him, it had to have been more then that and perhaps even the man before him right now didnt understand it yet, but it had to be there. The woman he spoke of. . . the woman. Could that be the connection? Faced with the recollection that even he knew so little about the woman, this special guest of the tengu - he turned his head downwards in contemplation at this point as the question stung ever so harshly in his head: Who was she? Perhaps Izanagi was not this man's connection...perhaps it was...her: "Myokenguchi. Thats the name of this place. A sacred village by which only the purest of monks can find. Its one of few sacred provinces under which the tengu protect personally and choose their candidates from." The Tengu opened his palm facing upwards at waist level, slamming his closed fist down upon it and pushing the combined hand gesture forward - in doing so the split between worlds seemed to cleanse, moving in the same direction at the same rate that he moved his hands before they were finally back in the field. Looking over to the man he reached his hand out as if to shake hands but before Kirinji could even so much as consider taking it he would take the time to be transparent: "Your presence here, much like as in Naraka is no coincidence. Doubtless you are among those chosen for...something. I have excised enough from you and need remove you from my dream...before this tapestry begins to bleed into a nightmare...you would not find that pleasant. I shall grant you two more questions, then? Take my hand - and I will impart to you a gift...a trust of sorts, before I remove you from the dreamscape of The Tengu." ​

 

[Avatar]

There was a glimmer of hope in his eyes as watched the Tengu's body language. There was the hope that while the question was asked, the Tengu may have answers as well. A foolish thought, why would the Tengu know even if Kirinji himself didn't know? Setsuna never told him either or how he received Kirinji, it was always a secret amongst everyone that knew. Perhaps it was to protect him or perhaps it was out of fear. Kirinji never found out. So this hope was merely a young child's hope. The lack of answer forced Kirinji's shoulders down a half inch as if more weight had been added upon them. His hopeless eyes staring at the ground before her forcefully raised himself and looked at the Tengu in the eyes after having seen his hand out. There was a pause followed by a half-hearted smile. "I have no questions," Kirinji then took ahold of the Tengu's hand.

"What is this gift?" Kirinji questioned the Tengu, awaiting what was to come next. His mood was still down, he was talking more gently than before and it was as if the Tengu had reopened a chapter in Kirinji's life he had forced himself to forgotten. Clearly, he had not done a good job at doing so. And it showed. The subtle timidness, the despair in his golden eyes, the forceful body language. He was a fighter none the less. While this all would be apparent to a master of someone who could read body language, it would appear as if he was in stoic disposition to others. Kirinji held the Tengu in high respect. Clearly there were more, but this one, the one had met and forged his blade, Kirinji respected him highly. Perhaps it was the tenants of the Tengu philosophy themselves or perhaps this was just how the man was. Nonetheless, it was admirable, yet comforting at the same time.​

 

[CelestialBlack]

The man said that he had no other questions...but The Tengu knew - that no, this was only the beginning of his questions. As the man stood forthright and asked what the gift may be The Tengu saw fit that it would best be better to simply give it to him rather than explaining. With lightning fast reflexes his hand whipped out and grasped that of Kirinji's as if to shake his hand. It was funny, any time that The Tengu offered his hand it was guaranteed that there was something pivotal to follow - once to the two kunoichi from before and now to Kirinji. The moment that he grabed his hand a bright radiant light would fire off from his body like that of a solar flare, and with it a loud high pitch ringing would follow. It was overwhelming and the Tengu's grip was absolute - there would be no escaping from it even by reflex towards the reaction of the sudden disturbence. What would occur after would be an anomally the likes of which Kirinji had never experienced before. Wave after wave of emotion painted in intensities and vividness that he couldnt imagine. Anger, despar, regret, doubt - were these all of the things that The Tengu supressed in his memories and ongoing ventures to maintain his steadfast loyalties to Nirvana? Kirinji would soon se the sources of these feelings - a brief moment of utter clarity allowing him to gaze into a memory. There was a man, vaguely familiar floating in the air as he now stood among countless villagers watching right glowing meteoric chunks falling towards the ground. Looking up to the sky just below the sun was that floating figure with hand raised high...this was none other than Hakai Nobutsuna Sarutobi, master of the fist. It would seem that he did not talk, they were too far away to hear if he did. But what he heard was thought....memory, spoken in tandem at the same time as The Tengu's memory - shared voices: "Not this...no he wanted it to end like this...I-....I played straight into his hand. We played into it..." and just like that, as if film reel peeling over the next frame the memory was pushed away by another flickering onslaught of images, thoughts, moments till finally another calm moment of clarity transpired and he beheld another scene. Standing in a corner of a room while two men argue...one was the former - Hakai and the other his brother...a man of long purple hair and resonate rinnegan....Mikaboshi. The latter of the two sat cross legged by a fire in the stone room while Hakai stood at the opening ready to depart...the last words he heard from the man played in his mind again: "The Tengu of Nirvana...they will use you, you know. Not all that is powerful can be all good. And not all that claims to be good can both be powerful. Their righteousness only knows one purpose. Do you think that The Ashina Tengu went rogue for no other reason?"
It was a memory that still played over in the mans head every time that doubt root deep in his heart...and Kirinji would be able to feel every inch of that as if it were his own in these passing moments. As it were before he would be met with another blender mix of images, thoughts and memories till finally his mind would settle on an image of serenity....the clouds were pink and the sky was almost a bright turquoise green. He was not there, not in reality but through this new found ability...through The Hadou being force fed into his being he could feel and experience every bit of it as if he were through the memory of which he observed...through the Eyes of The Tengu. He could feel what it was like to be three entities at all times, Body, Mask, And Blade - each of the three conversing in their thoughts about what was before them...a'top a large shrine there was a small sauna - housing a single bath. He stood at the outside of the door while a tall, gaunt, and powerful looking figure stood over the bath...a figure of bright red skin - wrinkled and wizened as he would observe the face and see an elongated nose pointing from it, red wings collasped at ease behind the white robed figure as another set in the bath...soon, she would start to sit up from the waters and even for the Tengu...everything would reverberate in a way as if the world around them simply did not agree with her existence here...he did not agree, with her existence here as the long snow white haired woman sat up and fixated her serpent like features upon the man...bright golden eyes radiant and glowing and a long ear to ear smile from her soft lips that spoke to him almost as if he was being childishly scolded: "And here I thought your represenative was well under the charge of the tengu? Hmph...why do you look upon me in such a way? Chosen warrior? Why do I taste...such......




Contempt."

With that the visions would be released from the man's mind. ad he would find himself back in the same state of the dream as he was before. However as he come to - he would see that the Tengu was just in the process of releasing him from the dream as he had intended before. Blade being drawn from his back, leaving the mortal blade as it were by its lonesome in its sheath aside it The Tengu drew his most common blade and held it high....even though nothing happened visually - he could tell that there was great power being stored and built up there. Still grasping Kirinji hand he would look upon him while holding blade high to the heavens and comment:
"Now you begin with new found clarity. Hadou to call your own and with it...hopefully a tool to help you face the battles to come. I will be seeing you much later." Had Kirinji been still taken a'back by the brobdinagian release of emotion, memory, and fervor that he had experienced he would see that the blade would strike down with such speed and force that it would distort and blur the very air around whence it traveled. Hurling straight down towards the crown of his head like a meteorite due to split him from this dream and back to reality.​

 

[Avatar]

As The Tengu’s hand clasped onto Kirinji’s hand, a radiant solar flare bursted off the body of the Tengu temporarily blinding him. His eyes closed themselves disturbed by the bright light as his free hand shot up near his eyes to shield him from the light. Naturally, he also tried to pull away, but the Tengu’s grip was absolute and so Kirinji had to return the favor in equal fashion. The high pitched ringing was the most annoying and it felt like someone was sliding a needle in and out of his ear, but there wasn’t much he could do but to withstand as much as he could. Even then, it was an odd feeling as he stood there holding Tengu's hand. Yes, the light and the ringing played a part but there was something even larger at play and it took him mere seconds to realize the wave of emotions intensifying in his body.

Anger. Despair. Regret. Doubt.

All intensifying and pushing themselves to their boundaries as Kirinji’s body would feel like it had been set ablaze by an uncontrollable flame. For a moment he would think it was him, but not before long a memory would come into picture before his very eyes. There stood two men floating above the rest, one of them vaguely familiar, but the other one he knew of. He’d encountered this man long ago, Hakai Sarutobi, when Kirinji was merely a child. The Tengu spoke, or perhaps another, and the memory contorted and twisted into an entirely new scene. The brothers argued as Mikaboshi warned Hakai of the Tengu of Nirvana and to something Kirinji could agree with. If you borrow from another, most of the time they are the ones that benefit from it. The memory began to change again. The light from the memory began to turn to countless specks of radiant light before streaming past at his incredible speed as if he was traveling at hyper speed through space before abruptly stopping. And when it did it was an entirely different scene.

He was not there, but he could feel the memories as if he was there in the current moment. The sound of the water running in the small sauna and as he stood outside he could feel the warmth of it all. Underneath the soft pink clouds and the bright turquoise sky stood a powerful, crimson skinned figure just outside the door. For a moment, Kirinji could feel the entities conversing amongst themselves and feel out exactly where they were. An unusual feeling, something that was nauseating and overwhelming as they wouldn’t stop. There were more people there and one that especially stood out. A woman, whose existence seemed void, yet there she was before the eye of the Tengu. Clear as day yet the world denied her existence. The bright golden eyes radiated, the lush snow hair, it was Tengu's memory, but as Kirinji witnessed his memory unlocked as well.

The shade that blurred out the woman when he was a mere toddler lifted and revealed that this was the exact woman. This woman was her mother. As he stood there still in hand with the Tengu his eyes remained open without ever so much blinking, as if he had been hypnotized by the light and memory. His eyes would begin to water as streams of water would rain down his cheeks. The memory faded as the woman finished her sentence and he was back with the Tengu. Still stuck upon the memories, the Tengu would have already drawn his blade overhead before Kirinji had even noticed. Paying no attention to the blade coming down upon him, he shouted out as his own grip tightened on Tengu's hand. The power of the Hadou played a part in strengthening his grip as the surge of anger seemed to overtake Kirinji’s body.

“Wait!” He screamed out, “Who is that woman?! How do you know her?!” The Tengu would be able to hear not only the blue-haired choking up, but also the sound of desperation in his voice.​

 

[CelestialBlack]

A spike of pain...and a surge of anger. He too had felt it before. And it was for that very reason that it was important for him to end this here and now. As the blade started to come down it would seem to be on an imminent path towards his head till suddenly he called out: "Wait!" and almost as if hearing an echo of the moment within himself he stopped...perhaps not even hearing Kirinji but hearing himself in a moment that he had pleaded the same, through him. The blade stopped, with enough force to send loose clothes and hair blowing in the after shock as the Tengu looked at him from around the blade in curiosity as to what it was that he felt the urgency to ask...doubtless he would have some questions however much to his dismay he asked the one that he couldnt answer in any form of detail to this regard and the adamant dislike of that very factor almost manifested in the low growl of a response he got: "Unfortunately, I don't. But she seems to have great importance to the tengu of Nirvana...and honored guest it would seem."

"Honored guest is right isn't it? Heh...not like that. You must show him the truth..."

It happened fast...inconceivably so even in regards to all of the feats of speed that had been witnessed by the two present at the time. No, this was no feat of speed at all...it was like he was always there...inoculated to the senses of the mind meant to perceive danger as imminent and nested there in the root of the heart as if a long lost friend. There was suddenly a man there between them - rubbing both of their shoulders with a strong grip. A powerful hand and yet the caress was something sinister...that kind of touch that just you knew in the back of your head something wrong was rubbing off on you...something infectious and nasty...that would rest with you for the remainder of your years. The man had dark magenta hair and a smile that was inhuman - stretching from ear to ear with widely pronounced sharp teeth looking between them with dead pink eyes that seemed to rattle the very soul every time his gaze shifted upon them despite how lazy and sleepy they looked. Then suddenly, he gripped their shoulders tight and almost as if h was a conduit linking between the two of them...he forced a memory to flood from The Tengu into Kirinji. In a much more abrupt, less caring, and ostensibly more jarring manner Kirinji was back in a memory of Tengu's. A river village burning to the ground, blood and bodies everywhere severed and cast across the ground. The Tengu was on top of a man, holding him down to the ground with one hand placed directly over the top of his face - keeping him there with immense force and the other directing the Katana down into his heart. The man was struggling, screaming...wild hair like fire and a chiseled physique - Kirinji may not be the one upon the man but through the memory he could feel everything that The Tengu felt in this moment right down to the burning tension in his body and limbs just keeping the man down...but most of all. That resolute Tengu determination was not there...this time there was nothing but regret...carrying out a task not because there was any conviction in his belief in what he was doing but because...he had to. Given a job, tasked with a duty, and commanded by orders straight from the top - he was obligated to carry this out. The man below him would scream out: "And what now?! Huh!? is it to go to Kazumasa!? Your tengu are so xenophobic, so afraid of anyone else having power! What? Do you think they wont just have you kill him too when he gets too big for his britches or what? Not suspecting a coward that would sell out his own to be capable of any meaningful ambition?! What about my daughter!? You better kill her too if you have any sense! Or what? You'll let the tengu take her and raise her into their little indoctrination cult as one of their own like they did you? They didnt really give you many meaningful options did they you poor, lost, fucked soul! Know why? Because at the end of the day you're still one of us. You're still like us. And you will never be one of them, even with that mask on your face! They'll never think of you as one of their ow-" his words were cut off by the piercing of the blade into his heart as the Tengu pulled him by his hair up into the sword. He fell silent and soon his groans were drowned out by his own blood as The Tengu rest his head down on the floor. It was apparent what this was now more then ever...he could hear the name of it in the back of his head the same way that it haunted the back of The Tengu's mind every day that he lived. Fujimori Village. This...is the truth of how they died out. The Tengu rested a'top of the man...Shuzen Fujimori and catching his breath he relaxed for just a moment...processing the horrors and regrets that he had in this moment...the mans words dug deep..and for the slightest moment he considered what if it was for nothing....what if there was no higher purpose...the men....the woman....the children - oh god the children, as he looked around at all the bodies that adorned the floor and river, turning the very waters red and cataloged all of that which he contemplated. Then suddenly he heard the ground shift behind him, withdrawing blade spinning around ready for attack...
and there she was...

A small girl of bright blue hair...and cold silver eyes...staring upon The Tengu that had just killed the man whom given her a home...and for once, a family.

"NOOOOOO! Not! Like! This!"

Some levels of pain were never meant to be shared with another. And this memory was one that brought soul shattering emotion back into his being. It was a shame that he felt and wrestled with for eternity and now not only was it his to bear - but Kirinji had been forced to share in that with him...it was not only something that he did not wish to share openly with anyone but the biggest thing of all...it was not something that he ever wanted the Hadou to ever be perverted in its purposes for, and anyone else around him be forced to live that overwhelmingly blighting sorrow that he held within...that guilt that bubbled back up to the surface every time that he saw her face. The smiling man from before was gone...he had done what it was that he wanted to do and the work had been done. The Tengu radiated an untold amount of power now. Hadou unleased from him - as he not only released a large amount of what he had to offer but he saturated the dream in it entirely...almost as if casting a type of warding over the entirety of the dream - a warding comprised solely of his own intimate components. Once he had done so it seemed that he had entire control of the dream itself, moving it like a maestro conducting an orchestra. His hand stretched outwards as if to push away and as it did so it would seem as if the floor under Kirinji would stretch and elongate backwards creating a gap between the two of them. "Protect your emotions and those of the ones around you that can perceive the Hadou. That man..he is unnatural...a sworn enemy of The Tengu. Bladed Thesis. We can not linger any longer - he has our scent. But you must not indulge in Black Hadou, less he find you. Every negative feeling, anger, sadness, regret...he thrives on it. You must starve him at every corner you get the chance. If Naraka's suffering is a disease...the salesman is only a symptom while this man...this creature...is the blueprint of the virus as a whole. If you've ever trusted anything in your life be it this, from the word of the T-....no, from the mouth of Hakai Sarutobi. That creature, must NOT thrive. Give it none of you." and as he finished the man would bring his hands above one another as if to clap and suddenly smash his hands closed over one another, the entirety of existence around them seeming to warp and suck into itself collapsing the light itself as if smashed into the void of a black hole - and The Tengu would collapse the dream entirely, waking both of them from this unsuspected slumber.
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Unlocks: "Hadou affinity, Perception, and manipulation", Knowledge Of The Night: Nirvana, Tengu, Fujimori Village.

 

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It was as if the talons of a beast had wrapped around every crevice of his mind forcing him to acknowledge his presence and at the same time become frozen by its presence. Yet it was not in the savage manner of an animal but in a much more calculated and meticulous manner. There was a finesse to it and careful calculation. He knew exactly what he was doing by manipulating pieces so the dominos would fall into place. The presence would nearly cause the blue-haired man to become stuck in place. Kirinji had even stopped breathing as only his eye wandered over to glimpse over the way of the man and completely forgot about the white-haired woman as well as the response the Tengu had returned. It was so quick and there was nothing they could do as the man between them served as a conduit and forced a memory onto Kirinji.

The scene changed almost immediately as he could now hear the crackle and pop of the burning wood as well as the smell. He could tell by the village burning and blood and bodies everywhere that there had been a war of some sorts here. Kirinji was on top of the man, holding him down to the ground with one hand placed directly over the top of his face. The force he held him down was immeasurable and felt as if he was holding down an animal as the man struggled and screamed. Yet it did not matter what he did, it was absolute and with the katana directed down into his heart, his fate was sealed. Regret filled his heart as he looked down upon the wild-haired man as he fought the strength and screamed out toward him.

His words were cut short by the piercing blade into his heart as Kirinji pulled him by his hair up into the sword. It became silent and all that could be heard was wood popping as the sound of the village falling apart and crashing into the ground. With the groans of the man drowned out by his own blood, Kirinji rested his head down on the floor as he processed everything he had done here at Fujimori Village. The horror, the regret filled heart, the sin. But this was duty was it not? This was done by command. This was how the Tengu operated, was it not? Oh the children.. the children. In nearly a panic he looked around at the river of bodies and just as he did he heard the ground shift behind him. Immediately he looked over and his heart immediately sunk. A small girl of bright blue hair and cold silver eyes.. Ai Yuki .. of the Fujimori Clan witnessing the end of not only her clan, but the end of the man who had given her a home and family. He felt it in his very bones the remorse of what he had done here.

"NOOOOOO! Not! Like! This!"

Of course these were not Kirinji’s memories, they were the Tengu’s. But he lived through them just as they were his own in the sense that he felt everything. It was much different than any other memories or nightmares he had felt before. Back then it was as if he was merely watching a movie on screen and watching the actors acts, but here he felt it all from the strength it required to hold down the man to the warmth of the fire that burned down the village. With it came the heavy heart, the sorrow, the sadness, the regret. These powerful emotions were present and he could feel it with a great hypersensitivity to it. These emotions were so palpable in the air to them that if he wanted he could taste it by smacking his lips together. Perhaps it was the nearly acquired taste of the Hadou or perhaps the emotions were just that powerful. Whatever the reason may be it did not matter because the truth in either scenario was that they were amplified causing his body to become hot. You could tell he was an amateur in the concept of Hadou because as he felt the emotions, they overwhelmed him. There was no balance. There was no dipping his toes into the water to see how deep the water was. He was just thrown into it involuntarily.

The Tengu took control again of the dreamscape as he saturated it with Hadou. The man who had appeared before them was no longer present and he finally felt as if he could breathe again. But it was one thing after another. The Tengu used the Hadou to manipulate the reality with masterful precision and the floor under Kirinji elongated and stretched outward forcing a gap between the two as The Tengu ushered him off with the final piece of advice. It was not of the Tengu’s though, it was of Hakai’s. Kirinji’s eyes widened at the realization and forced him to step forward with his hand stretched out toward him, “Hakai?! Wait!” But it was too late. He knew with the man Bladed Thesis had snuffed us out, this dream had to be ended one way another. Hakai’s hands closed over one another and the existence around them smashed into a void of a black hole, awakening him..

[Continued in Story]​