[RP Location] Kyotoshiro Village

[CelestialBlack]

"Heh, yeah you're good. But like this? That wont matter - you just wont make it."

The man said watching the way that the man seemed to make a sudden change in himself as if an epiphany had struck him along with the explosions. He had blocked the brunt of it - but the man knew that there was much more that could happen from that point, after all he could use the technique again...or worse - he had much more that he could do here in this personal hell that he had fabricated of his own design. Here he was, with his goal in mind ready to strike. He had trained so long for this moment and it had paid off - now he could reap the fruits of his reward and admittedly? There was some ego of his own that had grown as the ego of the Young Seiryu had diminished. First the offspring of the demon, then next? The black throne...but he knew in the back of his mind that it would never be that easy. Izanagi, as they knew him - was an entirely different game from anyone else that he had come to conflict with here in Naraka. But as he stood here before the man, smirking as he saw the way that he spat down into the lake of blood he stood upon - intermingling what of his own blood had come out in his previous hack into the sea below he weighed his options. Yes, he was supposed to let him live...walk the door way - but at the same time he could collect right here and now and unlike what Ikki had suggested about being a pawn on the board what he was unaware of...the man before him if not one of the hands moving the pieces was at least a very very high ranking piece on a board, where he could move with impunity. The temptation was immense. Teach him yet another lesson - no, two. That death, often times is only the beginning. And most of all: "To bargain from a position of weakness, is complete and utter folly." he thought the second a'loud while his hand panned down to the lake below him. But as soon as it did such suddenly the dimension by which they stood within peeled apart, like watching a balloon pop in slow motion. The man seemed not phased by the disruption - however he did look around at the area before them while they were back aside the proxy and additional presence of Ai Yuki, which aligned his senses more so with the reasoning of what happened as he looked down and saw that part of the circle of blood had been broken by a slat of diamond like ice as the man chuckled and slowly looked up to Ikki once more: "It would seem someone feels like I was getting carried away. Fine. I'll break the shadow's oath and tell you this one time. The name's Shuzen. Shuzen Fujimori." The salesman turned its head as he spoke his name, mainly observing something that was going silent but was still loud enough to be acknowledged between the parties at hand. There was a stare being shared between Shuzen and Ai as if something that was not to be acknowledged had just been spoken so. Then after a moment a noise as if the sound barrier next to them had been pierced erupted through the forest and a bright light enveloped the area before the salesman: "It is done." With that Shuzen looked between Ai and Ikki and with his hands up and a big grin upon his lips he stepped back and away from the doorway as if not only gesting that he would bring no more to bare against the young Seiryu but that he was allowing full and open passage to the doorway. In that moment Ai looked over at Ikki with the same dead-pan expressionless gaze that she had always. She observed his features noticing some things different but overall her gaze was expressionless and unblinking as always as she spoke in the same delicate yet dry tone: "Were I you, I'd take the freebie and account this moment in particular to memory. Good luck." She said just before she turned and started to walk off. In doing so Shuzen would chuckle loudly and insert his own two cents in a sing-songy tone: "Haha, yes~ ♫This magic moment~♫" as he stepped back and turned his back to the rest of them. He placed his hand up under his chin, unknown what machinations he may be contemplating as the proxy stepped aside and held his hand to the aperture of light and spoke to Ikki, his face closing up from its previous grotesque manner as it formed fully to realign the masked head upon his shoulders and the disembodied voice called out: "Until we meet next time - Seiryu. I hope you find what you're looking for." Spoken genuine and truly - he honestly did hope that he find whatever it was that he was being sent to search for...for it only meant that the young shinobi would grow stronger - and with his heightened strength, a more supple meal for the feast. ​

 

[LucianRedgrave]

Their playground of carnage was stripped away not long after things had come to an end. Ikki knew very well what he was doing when he spat into the endless expanse of blood. Even as Shuzen stood before him with his own machinations in play Ikki was devising his own as he offered a bargain that would likely be refused but even if a pact for blood would not be directly taken there was one nonetheless. Ikki’s eyes flitted around a moment with a distinct lack of crimson within before turning his attention to the circle just like he had done when the trio had first met here. His hunch as right but his timing was just a tinge too slow in a moment of value such as this. He soon turned his attention to Ai with a deadpan look just the same as her own before responding to her remark. There wasn’t even an ounce of a micro aggression within his tone or upon his face.



“Don’t worry even animals test the waters before they drink. Every beating is just another memory to learn from.”



Ikki turned his attention back to the man who referred to himself as Shuzen with narrowed eyes and a gaze that seemed to be questioning in a way. If he was a Fujimori then Ikki’s mind he became very aware of just how earth shattering his very existence could be in the right hands. They were pawns playing two completely different games but their jobs were equally as important. If the young mebu was to replace his own father as the leader of Naraka then something like this was from being inconsequential. He didn’t bother to acknowledge with his own name as he knew very well everyone standing here knew exactly who he was. In the end he looked between the trio before giving a quaint nod and slipping into the gate that resided before them. Whatever happened once he was on the other side was going to be a sight to behold he was sure of it.

 

[CelestialBlack]

-In the moment that the young Seiryu said such a thing as the woman was preparing to exit she would have stopped...and for that brief moment the slightest semblance of emotion that they had ever seen upon her face would manifest. Irritation, looking at the shinobi like a scolding parent. The way that he spoke made her wonder if he had no perception of the level of danger that he was in at any given time, or did he just not understand how important competent soldiers were on his side of the battle. Izanagi was spread thin, and any strong soldier lost was a major blow to their chances on that end; had he not known exactly how many lives were riding on the preservation of his own? Back in the days before she fell cold to the world she had a lover - and the two of them had a saying: 'Be careful out there, you're heart beats for two.' and here he was not only beating for two but beating for a number immeasurable without putting all of Naraka on a scale. She spoke no words, but her expression told a thousand stories before she turned back and walked off. She'd not let her mask slip too far, just more reason for her to be more stalwart in her own objective. Meanwhile Shuzen remain quiet with his hand under his chin...it had been the quietest that the man had been the entire time that the young Seiryu had even made it to the meeting place. There was no way that either of them could have known. Ai had encounters with the man for reasons that go deeper then surface level and Ikki only just met him, neither had seen the true extent and horrors of his curses...but that blood? It changed the entirety of the balance between them, and bonded them ever deeper then even blood could go. Right now he was reading a book, his pupils seemed to distort, but with his back turned none would be the wiser as it seemed to make like a cell performing mitosis, splitting and sectioning off with tiny spots of black swirling...he was reading a book right now - and it was quite an interesting one. His pupil blending back to normal and merging into one he closed his eyes and rubbed his fingers over the top before finally he started to walk off, one hand in his pocket: "Be seeing you two, you can count on it." in reference to both Ikki and his spiritual companion.
Soon Ikki started to walk through the gateway, and once he had the Salesman would simply stare, watching the gate that was before him almost expectantly in a way. Silently observing the gate would start to swirl to a close more and more till finally it mended the tear in reality that the creature had wrought. With that, unmoving in any aspect what so ever, he started to float up off the ground, lifting off into the heavens. Before long he had ascended into the cloudline and simply ceased to exist.

Meanwhile....



Ikki was met with a sky that was brighter then neary looking into the sun. Much like the manner in which new people were greeted in Naraka by oddly colored vegetation and a chakra density in the air to be contested, arriving here? It felt like Naraka was just orientation day for what this was meant to be. Ikki had sustained some significant injuries - and the density of the chakra in the air was beyond that of naraka ten fold, it was hard almost just to walk - needless to say that kind of pressure on the body in the wake of what had just happened would not be good what so ever. There were trees all around and as the wind blew it seemed to carry a high pitch ringing to the ears as well as if there was a frequency passively on the air. You could look out around far and wide and see large huts erected upon wooden stilts out in the distance where it seemed to be a small village sitting aside a river of shimmering water - sparkling as if there were diamonds within. It was somewhat erie in here...like something was missing. Not a sound of children, men, women or even animals. Everything was just very oddly silent...it was as if the world that surrounded him - cast its gaze solely upon him, waiting to see what would be his next move. ​

 

[LucianRedgrave]

Ikki knew he would inevitably strike a nerve with her but the very essence of his being needed a course correction. It was as if mother nature itself was giving him a lesson in being humble as the very foundation of the pride he held so dear was shattered in a matter of minutes. He had been so sure of his abilities, let alone his station in the world that he had forgotten just how many larger fish there were in the sea. The defeat Ikki just suffered was very tongue in cheek however it was a necessary evil. A tainted pact of sorts formed between the figure who he now committed to memory as ‘Shuzen Fujimori’ and even as he departed unto this new land he spoke to him as if they were going to be friends. Once the Ikki stepped within he would find himself no longer upright, in fact he was laying flat on his back at this point his crimson hues twirling in an attempt to acclimate to his new found surroundings. His body was battered and no matter how hard he tried in the moment it was as if he was fighting against the weight of the very world itself. Where lay would now be imprinted with his shape as if he were making snow angels on dry land as he sought to collect himself. His labored breathing continued for as with each passing breath the mental manifestation of himself stood before him judging.

“Pheeeew, seems losing is all we’re going to be good at!” The image scoffed at his physical form before squatting down aside his physical form before letting out a sigh of his own. Ikki scowled at his mirror image before thinking back to a time when he had first arrived within the confines of Naraka, thinking to himself that this place couldn’t be that different. The lack of ambient sounds accompanied by a high pitched ringing that resided on the air washed over his senses. His heart thumped in his chest and the wounds he bore were still leaking. His body was battered and beaten, yet his spirit wasn’t broken as he racked over his memories. He soon began to slow his breathing trying to claw his way back to a sense of stability despite his condition. He muttered under his breath for a moment just above a whisper “Breath. Just take it all in one piece at a time…” However just as his thoughts were starting to become clear, his thoughts began to become hazy and his eyes heavy. It was as if he was planning on taking a nap despite being in an unfamiliar place. His body was fighting itself to simply recover running hot with the absence of his waking mind.​

 

[CelestialBlack]

"The Unenlightened approaches."

A voice seemed to speak out. But it was weird in the way that it came about. There was a reverberation in it that at first would be jarring to say the least, making the ear drums rattle but not in the way as if it was too loud but almost as if the ear drums were grasping at air. Freaking out over their natural purpose being used and yet...no sound touched them at all. The voice seemed to come from inside of Ikki's head and were he able to work himself to recovery in the manner of sitting up then he would see a young woman of immaculate skin complexion and consistency akin to that of almost a doll standing before him. Her finery was...beyond nice - even for a dignitary back at the castle. It was apparent that her clothes had not seen battle at all, even a little bit or what could possibly be even more horrifying - if she had then she had not been touched or blemished what so ever at all. The way that her voice rung out not only was it as if she was speaking into the mind of Ikki, without moving her lips at all - but even Seiryu would react in a way as if he was not hearing through Ikki but himself. The woman stood there entirely still and had not disturbed the air or any semblance of atmosphere around them as she had arrived. It was like it was pre-ordained that he would be here and she simply knew where to be at what time. Her head turned slowly, and the light smile that she wore on her face was directed at Seiryu's mentally projected presence in Ikki's mind...she could see him too...the unenlightened was not just Ikki but the pair of them together. The woman pivoted slightly and began to walk, but the way that her feet glided across the top of the grass was as if she was floating...moving in a way smooth, effortless and almost musical across the very air itself. As she swiftly, gently and silently danced across the air she would come to his side had he not found himself on his feet and with an open palm turned upwards and lift of her hand he would have been delicately propelled up off the floor as if on a gurney of air, her voice entering his mind once more:

"You have come here to learn, and learn you shall - of a great many things. But first, we must tend to your countenance. You can not meet with The tengu and your true Saint Beast in earnest in such filthy manner. We must cleanse you. Your flesh. Your mind. And your soul - first. You, shall come with me. Dragon Of The Azure."

And as she said this she would begin to glide away, Making motions as if walking and yet still gliding across the air with a very delicate bounce in her step. Had Ikki yet still not been able to fully recover - the combination of such daunting environmental acclimations as well as the wounds that he had sustained, then the woman would have no problem toting him off with her on the gurney - so that he could rest and see the sights around him in full focus in all their splendor. Otherwise had he pulled himself from the wind platform she had created for his physique, then she would simply continue walking off allowing him to follow behind her - a struggle as it may be. But one thing was for certain however....

She would simply not, allow him to fall behind. ​

 

[LucianRedgrave]

Ikki felt his heart pounding in synchrony with the world around him, struggling to adapt to his new circumstances. Each breath he took seemed to fill his chest with an overwhelming force, while his mind raced with its own complexities. Amidst this chaos, he could hear a voice, distinct and clear, surpassing the echoes of his own thoughts. The voice belonged to a woman, her gentle tone contrasting the tumultuous state his body had just experienced. Her words reverberated in his ears, almost as if she were speaking from within his own mind, similar to how his mirrored self had always communicated. Startled, Ikki's eyes flew open, as if he had just concluded a conversation with a divine entity. His crimson eyes, dilated with intensity, gradually focused and regained awareness. Everything seemed to be in hyperdrive during these moments. His body ached in a manner reminiscent of his initial battle with Oshirama.

Once his vision adjusted and settled upon her presence, he couldn't help but notice the pristine attire she wore, causing him to question the reality of the situation. He shut his eyes briefly, then reopened them, only to find that nothing had changed except his physical posture. As he observed the interaction between himself and his mirrored self, he realized that this woman could perceive him in all his metaphysical essence. The revelation surprised him, albeit to a lesser degree than his physical counterpart. He nodded in comprehension, acknowledging her presence. Gradually, Ikki rose to his feet, feeling as though he bore the weight of the world on his shoulders, his movements sluggish. This sensation was likely due to the overwhelming atmospheric pressure in this new world, surpassing any he had previously encountered. His bones creaked momentarily, his muscles pleaded for respite, yet he stood tall with a faint smile. It felt as though he were facing Oshirama once again. Rather than succumbing to his body's limitations, he chose to endure and persevere, committed to achieving his objectives by any means necessary.

With his muscles tensed and his blood staining his flesh without hesitation, Ikki swept his hand through his hair, revealing the very aspect that made him an intriguing prospect to his father—his relentless drive for progress. Despite his battered and broken body, Ikki regarded the woman with an unparalleled determination shining in his eyes. As she gracefully moved through the air, he pulled his body forward, akin to an unwavering army on the march. He refused to let this defeat, or any other for that matter, drag him down. His unwavering resolve propelled him forward, each step slow but resolute, as he continued his march towards his goals.​

 

[CelestialBlack]

The woman halted for only a moment as Ikki stood from his position on the gurney. Her expression moved only very slightly when he had pressed on to move at the behest of his own body. A slight smirk acknowledging his determination as she continued to walk onwards. The world around them was gorgeous, its beauty seeming limitless...literally. There was something in the way that the sky warped and moved as if it was...alive - it made everything away from them seem much more distant then what it was, as if viewing through a kaleidoscope. As they moved along the woman seemed to hold the same mannerism as she did in meeting - even a good bit of the way into their journey. Evident that she was only a part of a multiple variable equation, and the land around them did not do much to aid the young Seiryu in calculating the sum. There was beautiful ponds all around and vast lakes in the distance - and the more that they walked across the field the more it would seem as if they were walking forever, much unlike any of the people that Ikki had met up to this point she maintained one thing better then anyone else, even Eien. Silence. She did not imply that the young man would have any questions nor did she impress any upon him or deign it her job to answer anything that had not been answered to begin. All she did was walk, with the eloquence and grace of a saintly ballerina. The cranes that flew across the sky were massive and upon some of the boulders they passed were gigantic tigers all of fur colors ranging between yellow, crimson, and white seeming to either watch the young man's approach or be caught in their leisure all together.
Finally they would make it to a large ascent of stairs - that seemed to go up for an uncomfortably long distance along a mass hill. The woman chuckled a moment and as she did such she would step upwards as if to plant foot on the steps before just as it would connect her stance took to a platform of air - as silent and soft as a pillow. The woman started to hum and bounce softly from left to right and as she did so she began walking up the very air itself - not so much as even grazing any of the stairs along the staircase. She took her time, seeming to float away like a spirit being called to the afterlife - but it was evident that this would be not only immensely hard on the young dragon's body but just the kind of challenge he would need if he wanted to grasp the improvement that he so adamantly reached beyond the barbs of his physical wounds to achieve. However, knowing what awaited him at the top? That was a subject that bore a weight of its own - and far more dense then the pressure he felt upon his body at the moment itself. For the first moments at the steps he would find no comfort for him as he traversed step after step after step. It would only be once he was a vast way up the steps - looking down on a lengthy blanket of what once was that he would start to see that there was steam drifting off into the sky the closer to the top that he got. ​

 

[LucianRedgrave]

Ikki trudged along behind this woman, and where she moved effortlessly, he moved with the weight of the world on his shoulders. His body cried out, but his mind was wrought with awe at the inspiring entirety of this place. While it wasn't out of the norm to see beasts of nature living in harmony, what made this place unique was the fact that the expanse before the young seiryu seemed nearly endless in all its aspects. The sky swirled and warped as they moved along, and even as he followed in the woman's former steps, Ikki couldn't help but notice that everything here seemed abnormal in stature, dwarfing even the tallest of men within the waking world. Ikki's eyes didn't quite widen at the sight, but his gaze was fixed upon them for a moment.

Once their trek had come to an end, however, Ikki's brows were knitted as he gazed upon the flight of steps before them. There was a level of frustration behind those furrowed brows and squinted eyes as he looked upon those steps. His teeth were gritted for just a moment before he threw his head back and let out a heavy breath, absent of steam. His body could hardly run, let alone run at the level needed to keep the kiln within his belly flowing freely. The flame within him was being snuffed, as far as those who could view him on an internal level were concerned. His legs marched onward, however. His muscles screamed, and the blood flowing through his veins, to keep each limb moving, begged for forgiveness even under the weight of the air itself, but he carried on. This woman only served to stoke Ikki's resolve as she seemingly danced up this perilous ascent with no issue. The first few steps would come with ease, but as time went on, he knew his body would cry out, only to be silenced by his determination, as if cupping a hand to his mouth. One thing was for certain however and it was that even if his body begged for him to quit he would merely keep going even if it meant that he would inevitably fall unconscious he refused to relive the past. When Oshirama had seemingly broken his body beyond repair, he simply gave up. That version of Ikki no longer existed just as the old man had spoken all those years ago, there was no room for weakness in this garden. Each step he took was merely a step in the right direction to prove just how right Oshirama was. When the two of them met again in the future he would hope the aforementioned would marvel at the man that Ikki had become.​

 

[CelestialBlack]

-The woman continued to walk up the stairs in a manner that seemed almost like a dance. She was a leaf and each stair was a geyser of air that gently let her roost upon it before blowing her up and away to the next on a gentle breeze. She traversed the chakra leaden land with such ease that she looked as if she was a hallucination. Stopping to look back and watch Ikki she could do nothing but watch with a blank expression - faintly echoing a hint of warmth as she watched the man struggle against his wounds, the chakra in the air, and the weight of his aspirations for himself in the scope of his own potential. It was good to see that he would not give up on it...it was good to see that he would push himself to keep going. But it was also good to see that he would struggle...that he would endure great pains and through this pain he would be baptized in a manner that only the rigors of nirvana could bring him. His body sung tunes of tumoil, anguish, and frustration and the land of Nirvana knew how to translate those subtle melodies as well as tune them in a way that would make for a beautiful ballad. As he went on there was a great power that would resonate from the top of the stairs, beyond where either of them could see...a power unlike anything that he would have felt in the waking world or Naraka, that seemed to stretch out from the top of the stairs and cast across the expanse of the land in a way that seemed as if a weighted blanket was simply laid over the top of everything before them. This was the power of one of the great Tsui-Tengu. At the very top he watched the approach of Ikki, the son of the demon, the Azure Dragon himself, and he waited in great anticipation and expectation of what he would bring to the table before him. The figure was tall, abut eight and a half feet of hulking crimson might and muscle draped in white robes as his pointed nose jutted out from his goatee bearing stern features - arms folded as he observed all that happened across his region of the land and took particular interest in Ikki: "Ahead of schedule. Good...good. I like them early." Saying this he gripped a necklace of prayer beads in hand, each one bright red brimming with great Hadou before he balled it in both his hands and crushed the link, seeming to undo the ties that bound all of the beads before casting them all out down the stairs. Before he knew it Ikki would find a rain of beads all falling down, before, and around him on the staircase to a questionable purpose. As they all fell the woman would stand there a moment letting him witness it all before she would clarify the confusing chain of events that must have been stirring many questions in the mind of the boy:

"He will see you. But first - a trial. You must collect each of the beads before you proceed up into the tower to see him. This is the proclamation of the Tsui-Tengu of the West."

After such had been said - meanwhile the Tsui-Tengu wait in the small tower that sat a'top of the stairs - veiled in shadow at the arch of his balcony he waited...knowing how this trial went for most outsiders...he couldnt help himself. He wanted to know what this young prodigy had in store for them, what things would he illuminate about himself before them...what exactly was he made of? Truly. The Tsui-Tengu watched on in great anticipation...this - would perhaps be a beginning that he would one day boast of paying witness to. The ascension of the Dragon.

​

 

[LucianRedgrave]

I alone am the honored one...

The ascension of a dragon… for all it was worth the title that Ikki bore was not one he took lightly. He saw himself as the beacon for the newest generation despite his shortcomings as both heir to the demon and a shinobi alike. He wasn’t going to quit after he had come so far, fought so many battles, and even killed to accomplish goals; Ikki wasn’t going to let the marks of his past failures or even the merits of his success cloud his need to endure. Endurance was the name of the game and this instance before the Tsui-tengu was no different as he climbed the last bastion of stairs and the warmth of this figure's presence was set upon his physique. That warmth reminded him of the very flames that he worked so hard to kindle within himself. In those moments even as Ikki reached the end of his first hurdle both the woman and the tsui-tengu alike that looked upon him imparting their will upon him they could find the young seiryu standing tall. His body was beaten and yet his spirit was unbroken so once the trial was set in motion even the Tsui-tengu that looked down on him in hopes of a display could find his determination radiating from within.

Ikki’s chest bellowed and his wounds welled like the eyes of a crying child and rather than flowing forth with little control they seemed to close. Ikki was not only putting himself at risk but the very essence of his being was at stake. He took the woman's words with nothing more than a nod before turning his gaze towards the figure above and the aforementioned determination would be ever present in his crimson eyes. Ikki chipped away at another aspect of himself in the process of closing his wounds; it was damaging to his body to muster even the most basic level of chakra as he was already pushed to the brink of exhaustion once. However this was in a way a selfish desire to claim the black throne for himself. He knew in the end the responsibility that came with such a feat was nigh insurmountable but if the man he considered a father was capable of doing so than what was stopping Ikki himself from doing the same. Had the woman who played her part as Ikki’s guide paid attention to just how his wounds closed she could find that his wounds were burned shut, cauterized from within by the azure flames he called his own. A risk on his own life that he was willing to take in hopes of conquering the goal he set before himself. In the end even if he died here he knew he was going to die alone so there was nothing stopping him from giving it his all. In passing his right hand moved up to massage the back of his neck as if working out a kink that overstayed its welcome. The young Mebu spoke with a tone that was without fear or even pain in regards to the woman that led him here.

“That’ll be easier said than done but thanks for getting me this far.” He said before grasping his right shoulder and rolling the joint. His body was very much under the strain of the realm he resided but he wasn’t going to let that hold him back in the slightest. He kept his attention fixated on the woman and posed another question and a simple one at that. “Any suggestions in regards to my wounds or even this weight i’m feeling?”

​

 

[CelestialBlack]

The woman could do nothing but stand and watch the young man as his wounds began to close. In the moment that it did so - she would begin to chuckle slightly and look up at the Tsui-Tengu in the tower, exchanging looks subtle and yet meaningful in the glance back to each other. There was something that had been said there between them in that moment that only the two would understand. As his wounds closed she watched them, evident by the way that her eye diligently yet softly kept focus of it. She was breaking it down in her head - understanding and within such there was a kind of...acknowledgment in her glance. When the young dragon made the comment about easier said then done she curtly smiled and nodded her head: "That is the point - after all." with a kind of sarcastic coyness to it - like someone rubbing something in and yet her gestures and mannerisms cast a kind of hypnotic softness and sincerity to it; her hand directing towards the steadily tumbling beads that lay adorned on the floor and now many of which bounced and rolled down the steps that had so previously ailed the man on the way up. The woman parted her lips with an audible click of her tongue behind her teeth, a scholarly curiosity on her gentle features: "But - tell me. Your technique, it seems to close the wounds. But internal damage, muscular density loss, physical fatigue. Will it serve you well in this endeavor to even bother closing them? This is an ordeal of fatigue after all - both mental and physical. Your father - heh, he languished over this for what felt like an hour. Gaping wounds, gashes, and the death of his brother still fresh on his hands. But...there is a significant difference in the two of you in this moment. Though...it would only belabor the confines of your thought process to explain it. Hm...you asked for advice on the task. If I had to give you any I would say. You wont gain an advantage here healing yourself. You'll need fuel physical yes - but mostly mental...emotional. We spend so much time shielding ourselves from the enlightenment of pain. When in fact pain, is the natural order of things. In short - I would say."

"Let go - and let be."
​

As she finished her sentence she punctuated it with the same smile. There was many ways that he could simply let it be. Give in to the pain? Give in to the frustration? Give in to - failure? Defeat? No - certainly not. Nothing that haphazard - the task was certainly one that was meant to be passed. But there was something there. the only problem with this, was the fact that there was so much mystery behind Izanagi, the black throne and come to think of it...the journey that he had taken to get there in the first place. No one really knew - not truly. The parts about fighting the blood wars, extinguishing the savage age, defeating Mikaboshi. The grandiose of it all - that was evident, everyone knew about all of that. But the things that happened in between. The things that closed such a dramatic power gap so quickly. The Takamagahara, the Tengu, his relation to the Saint Beasts and so much more...they were all a mystery that he had not told much of anyone including his own heir. And that was...perplexing in a way, even with Izanagi's clandestine nature considered. The key to the future, sat in the hands of the past. And it was up to Ikki, in this moment - his moment, to move it from hand to lock and turn said key. What he would find behind the door would be a question of recognition...if he could recognize all of the ones that had been broken down before it - and somehow piece them together to gain an understanding.

 

[LucianRedgrave]

He knew this woman would give such a straightforward remark in regards to his own. He knew very well the machinations of the beast that was Naraka’s circle of life and he imagined this was no different as he began to stretch the very fibers of his being. When she finished laying out her words of advice she would find Ikki’s lips formed into a curt smile. It was refreshing to here things be so simple in regards to just how intensive things were meant to be. This hint of refreshment was soon met with the labor of love that was the Kiln of Seiryu. His chest bellowed with a heavy breath as he exhaled and it was as if entering one of Konoha’s forbidden gates. His muscles seemed to relax as if he were a noodle being boiled in a pot. His physique seemed to bolster for a moment before subsiding to nothing more than his typical toned form, his skin no longer hot to the touch, and even his breath cold on the air. It would become apparent to the woman that had brought him all this way that he had truly given into the idea of letting go and simply letting things be as they may. His eyes flitted to the beads as they continued their beaten path down the very same steps he had come to scale in her company and soon they flitted to the sky above with a tilt of his head, followed by a sharp inhale. It was as if Ikki wanted to scream in those moments however nothing came. His body was crying out in a sense of relief as things began to unfold. In his eyes it was as if things had started over from the beginning. He was effectively reliving some of his very first hours within Naraka only now he stood at what could easily be the precipice of his career as a shinobi both in the waking world and Naraka alike.

He couldn’t help but think about the true impracticality of going back down the very same steps he had worked so hard to climb with this woman at his side. He wasn’t going to forgo the idea but its impracticality was a gnawing thought to say the least as he felt as though his long journey had finally come to an end only to have to do it all over again. His first step was a heavy one, a burden unlike any other not because the weight of the air itself pressed upon his body but merely because it was one of sacrifice. It could be likened to throwing the entirety of one's life savings away into a bonfire. The very idea of that sacrifice in the eyes of those founded in greed and necessity without cause. It was something Ikki himself couldn't truly comprehend on his own but it was still at the forefront of his mind. However the sacrifice of life was something every shinobi knew all too well, so in the end this was nothing more than another stepping stone on the suffrage of man under the guise of the acquisition of power. Ikki would take his first steps down the stairs and without a second thought almost continue unconsciously until he’d come upon the first of many beads.

 

[CelestialBlack]

The woman watched as he descended, smile upon her lips as the man started to approach the first of the many beads that had been strewn across the ground. Up in the tower above, the Tsui-Tengu run his hand through his beard - eagerly anticipating the beginning of things as they were. Anticipating the reception to the lesson that was to be taught, curious to know how it would be digested. The first bead was simple enough - sitting there waiting patiently, without so much as an idling roll or movement unlike some of the others, that still rolled a bit threatening to imminently fall down to the next step and begin a new plummet if left too long. The moment that the man picked up the bead and stood back upright he would find himself hearing a voice:

​

"I don't have time for this! He just keeps throwing them down! My brother is dead - and for what?! The ultimate power of playing a janitor!?"

The voice was angry, enraged even - and tinged with pain. Had the man turned around and looked, he would find himself back at the very top platform of the steps looking at two beings. One, very familiar from the tablets, paintings, statues and other depictions that were all over Naraka. A dark purple haired man in fur lined armor with two wide, intense rinnegan surveying the other male. This was none other than Mikaboshi. However the other man sitting on the ground with the beads was less familiar. At least in this manner. His hair was long - snow white and his sharingan was intense, seeming to almost glow and radiate with chakra. He wore azure armor, chipped, broken, and battered from recent combat, as was his face - covered in scars and wounds.
"There would be no point in waiting for it to pass. For you to cope. Izanagi Senju. The finest forging occurs when the steel is struck hot. There are tests that must be had. And you must have them. So close your heart to what is done. And continue with the test of the Tsui-Tengu."
What accompanied that was silence, followed by a grunt and loud shout as Izanagi punched the floor, shattering a tile as he stood to his feet and looked over at Ikki, no - looked through him, at the series of beads that doubtless he had to recover as well at this point. "....This is the fourth fucking time..." He spoke through fatigued breaths, not at all excited to continue this on and hope that he didnt reach a fifth time. He began to walk forward towards the beads and steps, at the point that he'd have gotten to Ikki he'd pass directly through him and the scene would dissolve like washed by water. A foreboding recollection of the past - that had perhaps been....imprinted - on the bead? He would be left with this memory, these thoughts, this possibility - that what already seemed so wasteful and frustrating, very well may not be the only time it happens. Worrisome to be sure, but perhaps - there was more to the memory there within then it appeared. Perhaps - it may also open Ikki's eyes to more about his father, and bring them a bit closer in a way. Or perhaps...it was simply tradition for the last person to walk this past - to leave a literal part of them behind for the next. ​