[RP Location] Kyotoshiro Village

[Oni Archives]

"Konohamaru huh? Nah, I haven't heard of him, I'm sorry. I wasn't raised in a village, I know a little bit about the things that have transpired in the past from my masters, but not the name Konohamaru." Giving Eiji a shake of his head, Sentou would slowly pull his arm back before the voice of Kasami quickly surprised him while revealing her own name. Looking in her direction he would not only see her, but a newcomer as well; before he could even muster a question about who this individual was he would quickly tell his name as well letting them know he would be their guide to the next village. "Hmm, so Eiji, Kasami, and Jinsei? Sounds like we've got ourselves a party!" Sentou chuckled, he was actually starting to enjoy this trip -- sure who knew what was ahead of any of them in this strange land, however being sour over the events they had been placed in wouldn't help escalate the situation any. "So, what are we waiting for? Are we going to the village now, or were y'all going to use y'alls free voucher now?" He asked, directing his question to both Eiji and Kasami both, he wouldn't vocalize it but he felt like the usage of those vouchers were really important, but then again maybe they were already prepped before coming to such an place.

Turning his attention to Jinsei, Sentou would look him over briefly almost as if trying to size him up -- something already felt strange about this individual but he had no reason to create tension within the group, "Sorry, didn't mean to stare you down. I recently learned Izanagi is the lord of Naraka? I ran into him briefly sometime ago, I had no idea he even existed until I did. Mmm, how do I ask this? I trained under his brother Totsuka, I haven't heard from him in sometime now, but I wanted to know is he too an Oni of this land?" Sentou would ask, he'd hope he wasn't coming off too strong to this stranger asking questions about things that he himself wouldn't know.



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[Oni Archives]

Kasami forced a smile to the two of them before turning her attention away for a moment. She wasn't as much curious about what Sentou had asked, considering she didn't have a personal attachment to the question he was asking. From there her gaze shifted toward the shops, and her attention returned to Sentou and Eiji. "Talk while we walk? We shouldn't linger here for too log. Stuff to do and all that." After what Kiyoshi had told her about the village, she felt uncomfortable there more so than she had before. Just the idea of them being puppets to someone that might want to kill them at some point didn't sit well with her. She motioned for them to follow and started walking, considering recounting everything that he had told her to them. Though really it was their fault they weren't there to hear it to begin with. "I don't necessarily have anything that I need. I have medical supplies on me, though they are more like salves and painkillers."

As they walked, whether they followed her or not, she tapped her fingers against her chin and paid attention to what kinds of shops she was passing. Thinking if there was anything she wanted or missed when she went over it in her head, or if any of them made suggestions. She didn't really care to use her vouchers yet. Two free items in a strange place, where things could be a lot more than what they appear to be. "Any ideas?" She looked over her shoulder at Sentou, who seemed like the easier to talk to of the two of them. There was just something awkward about Eiji that made her stray away from him. He seemed too uncomfortable to talk to her.​

 

[Oni Archives]

=Jinsei stood there before them, looking at the male known as Eiji as he introduced himself and nodded in acknowledgement of his name as he presented himself in the introductions. Then there came the introduction of the male known as Sentou - he had knowledge of who this was one from previous records from Izanagi and Totsuka, Izanagi had an eye on most people and his eye he kept on Totsuka by proxy gave him some knowledge of him - and most high level cyber initiative were linked to a core comprised of a single Jigoku mite from Izanagi so by that nature they inherited some of his memories and knowledge as well. But then there came the moment that he asked Jinsei about Totsuka - and one of the anomalies that came along with Jinsei being one of the only cyber initiative that was programmed to feel things, happened. The memories that both Izanagi and Totsuka had of the moment of their last meeting passed in his mind and he felt the things that came with it. The pain, rage, and other feelings from the moment all came to him and for a split second his bottom lip curled under his teeth as he bit down and cringed - and a single tear streamed down his cheek before he went back to his typical blank yet happy lil smile.=

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"Ah - Totsuka Uchiha. Yes, he was an Oni. He's dead now. Izanagi killed him in order to rip the secrets he held from him and gain the power he needed to protect Naraka. This is why he is lord here, he is the strongest among the Oni and has fended back the Mask Salesman for longer and with better progress then anyone to date. As well - he killed Mikaboshi. Its his birthright."

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=After he had answered the questions Kasami had requested that they walk and talk. It was apparent to Jinsei having known that she was given the true information about the village as to why she would want to keep moving. They were quite literally in the lions den right now so it was a grace that they were moving about without conflict what so ever. It honestly was perplexing to Jinsei just the exact premise of the situation. Did the salesman really want them to get so strong simply for sake of a better meal? Did he not care if they got too strong and were able to overtake him or was he simply that confident in his own power that he feels they could never achieve such a height in the first place? His thoughts rolled around that oddly constructed cranium of his while his facial expressions were unmoving - his pretty eyes unblinking less he decided to do so just to fit in with ordinary people, which he did not very often. The streets were lined with shops, some for food, armor, tools, survival kits and some for antiques - a chosen favorite of Izanagi. He would follow with them and answer what questions he could, all the while giving the group a quaint reminder:

"When you have decided you are good to go we'll depart. The path is just out the village's North gate so we should head that way if you all dont wish to pick up anything else here. Though I will say there is one more village before we reach our destination so the opportunity to pick something up again will be there along the way."​

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[Oni Archives]

Sentou listened to Jinsei's explanation behind Totsuka and how it was his brother Izanagi that killed him in order to gain some kind of secrets behind Naraka; that grin Sentou always wore so confidently on his face dropped, instead a blank look of his own was all he was able to muster. The sudden somewhat nonchalant way in which Jinsei spoke brought Shock to him, however before he even spoke Sentou noticed the tear rolling down his face. The news of Totsuka's death hit him hard, not just because of the bond the two may have had, but because Sentou strove to one day best him in return for their first encounter. The young Kenzai gritted his teeth as he took it all in, it wasn't until Kasami mentioned talking while they walked that he would begin to nod in acknowledgement -- he needed time to think and find closure, he wouldn't do much talking,

Jinsei mentioned there was another village along the way, there they could cash in the rest of their vouchers if need be. For the time being he was content, the idea of putting his newly acquired Tonfas to use to burn off some steam was the first thing on his mind, without saying anything else Sentou just looked up waiting to depart as the group moved.



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[Oni Archives]

Even if there was the opportunity to pick things up in another village, there was still a lot that could happen from here to there. Sentou not answering her bothered her slightly, but she'd give him at least a little bit of slack considering the conversation that had taken place about whoever it was he'd asked about. He didn't seem outwardly distraught as far as in mourning, but she could tell with just a glance over her shoulder that it had bothered him. She looked over toward Jinsei for a moment before she focused her attention ahead. After a few moments of deliberating, she stopped and reached underneath her bow at her lower back to dig into her hidden pouch. She pulled several little containers out, some with the same colored ribbon as others and some with different colors. It was how she told what was what. She counted how many salves she had, which was three, and a tonic of various herbs for pain. The two remaining bottles were much like something she had used a long time again. Separated, coagulated substances inside a small glass bottle that when combined by shaking, created a caustic reaction that would explode and release poisonous gas. The substances were too repellent of each other to mix together just jostling around in her pouch. It required a little bit more aggressive motion for that, so it was safe to carry even while running. Aside from those containers, she had three more of the needles that she had used in the bamboo forest previously wrapped up.

She put them back into their spots and closed it, before she turned toward Jinsei and scratched at her temple with a painted red nail. "Well, lead the way. We can head out, since no one has anything else that they need. Unless someone does something reckless," her attention moved toward the others travelling with her, "we shouldn't need anything else." She kept in mind that Sentou had explained careful thought wasn't his strongest suit, and that he acted without thinking a lot of the time. If he was in a bad place mentally or emotionally, he'd be at risk even more of just lashing out. There was something about men that made them aggressive and thoughtless when upset. It reminded her of her 'father'. The reminder alone caused her lips to purse, a slight eye roll as she turned her attention away from them to keep an eye on things around them, and started following Jinsei when he started to head out of the village.​

 

[Oni Archives]

=Jinsei stood there a moment looking between the three of the group watching as they did what he supposed they would call making preparations. He listened to what Kasami had said about not needing anything else and started checking her own little inventory to which he examined so that he would retain knowledge of what she had upon her. He started to move towards the North gate as she had mentioned leading the way - every now and then making a stop to look back and see if they were still with him - they were. With that he would depart in mind that they would follow out the north gate and down a winding road with rice fields on both sides. You could clearly see out down the hill that there was plenty more road in the horizon so it was apparent they had a ways to go: "Well - on we go. I do suggest that you all stay close" and with that he went on down the hill and would continue on to find the road, winding off into the distance till they got to a forest near the end of the road. He took a deep breath before going in and soon disappeared passed the shrubbery.=

[Jinsei --------> Shimeru Pass]

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[Oni Archives]

All seemed fine as they were leaving the village, the villagers hardly paid them any mind. Kiyoshi's theory on what was happening there lingered on her mind, going through her head over and over again. The Mask Salesman sounded like a really big problem, and it worried her that they may be a target. Well- it worried her that she may be a target, for the time being there wasn't a lot about the two characters travelling with her and Jinsei that concerned her at all for their well being. There was nothing that stood out to her to attract her to them on a personal level. At the present moment, as long as she made it out of Naraka safely, it was a win for her.

When they made it to the path, she nodded to Jinsei about staying close. She stuck close behind him so that she didn't lose trac of him, off to the right slightly so she could still see the pathway ahead of them. The others had been completely silent, like they weren't even there at all. It was bothersome, but only because if she was going to be travelling with people and followed around by them- she'd at least like them not to be bumps on a log or awkward. She huffed to herself. Kasami had been the last one besides Jinsei to say anything, so she wasn't going to bother again. Instead, her focus remained on keeping up with their guide and their surroundings.​

 

[Oni Archives]

As they had begun talking and giving introductions to one another Eiji was taking in the information from the others while also thinking about several things but it seems as though while he was deep in thought the new addition to their group had started talking about something rather important which Eiji needed to pay close attention too. The information on Izanagi was something very valuable as even in Hiruzen's data, a former God of Shinobi, there was almost nothing on him. The only record was that he was a former Hokage but beyond that, he was almost like a ghost or a figment of peoples imaginations.

Now Eiji was just told very useful information and also told how Izanagi became the Lord of these "people" called Oni. After this Eiji would return to his thoughts categorizing all the information as they had begun walking towards their next location. He would stand at the back of the group keeping somewhat of a distance from the others as relations were already rocky and he did not wish to make things worse. He simply followed closely behind them taking in the scenery and thinking of what would lie in the next location and how long this journey would take before he found out what they were truly here for.​

 

[Oni Archives]

=The three of the four had started to move off out of the village. Leaving one of the guys there to finish whatever business it was he was up to and catch up to them in due time. In the moment as they left everything seemed to be normal and common place. But there were things going on here that not even the villagers around them could have possibly been fully aware of. A'top of a large building there was a figure that had been sitting up there for a while. Crimson red sharingan reflective in the sunlight looking down at them observing as they depart until finally they deactivated leaving deep black eyes upon them as they trailed off along the pass, slipping down to observe the male that had been left behind as well. The figure flipped his skateboard in hand and adjusted his beanie down a bit over his crimson red hair, a most displeased expression upon his face. He couldnt hear them from this distance - and his chakra was completely undetectable, no stranger to this he effortlessly noticed this on Jinsei. The figure's frown slipped into a slight smirk - and shortly after he flickered off the building and the sound of wheels on the ground trailing off could be heard=

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[Oni Archives]

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Lost in thought, sentou tried his best to stay attentive to what Kasami and Jinsei said as they began to leave for the north gate. With so much on his mind he wouldn't object to any of the cautions given and would follow with the rest of the group out of the town, despite lagging behind he made sure to keep a close look on the others as they traveled through the path before them.

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[Oni Archives]

...Much later - that night...

=There were nothing but villagers, going back and forth in a panic - a big frenzy running all over the place and a big smoke cloud up spiraling through the air towards the center of what seemed to be a common little fishing village. In the midst of the chaos if one were to cast their gaze far into the distance, south of the village they would find that there , across the clearing where there had been roads for trade paved and into the dense collection of bamboo just before you come out towards the village were two pairs of glowing golden orbs. These were the eyes of Jizo and Sonzai watching the ongoings as they transpire before them. The silver haired male knelt there in the bushes watching - tapping his finger to his chin he watched...almost coldly - he just watched. By the point that he really started tuning in things were getting worse and it was apparent that there was something going on making distress for the almost tribal looking mask wearing villagers - they were running about in high panic by now. Yet still, he watched...watched the flames dance across the memories of families once together known as housing - watching as the flames and some out of sight force crumble shops...livelihood for others and what seemed to be children and women go fleeing in the opposite direction....he watched - without so much as a blink. Jizo sat on his shoulder, and while doing so he looked at the village, casting a side glance to Sonzai and back - before long he was full on turning his head to stare at the male before he started to comment: "What are you making of it? If we wait any longer - ...." he stopped. He knew that Sonzai had a firm grasp on what would happen if they were to just sit and wait around. He had seen that kind of situation before. Ran those numbers. It was apparent here that the people of the village were not shinobi or militant for the fact that no one was seen in the act of using ninjutsu or otherwise to fight back against whatever was transpiring in the center of the village...or maybe all the fighters were there - in the thick of it. Jizo at this time, was simply wondering what was turning in the head of Sonzai - deniable maybe; at the thought that Sonzai would simply stand by and allow destruction to befall a potentially innocent village. It was a hard fight with denial...that cold, calculative stare on the eyes of Sonzai ever fighting back the optimism in Jizo's mind as he stood by...loyal, faithful - awaiting the gameplan as well as, the rest of the group.=

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[Oni Archives]

Valkerie was next to enter the brush that the silver haired stranger would be crouched in, his emerald hues were glowing bright from the distant flickering flame and he was quick to take position next to the fox and stranger, knelt down as if he were ready to start running towards the scene if it were called for, his breath was heavy on his chest but he was able to keep it quiet for the most part - eyes flicking between the scene and the stranger, who had at this point clearly been in this land a lot longer then either the Haruno or the Hyuga. Valkerie licked his lips, his gaze now fixated on the scene before them, buildings crumbling and people running for their lives.. something about it made a shiver of both disgust and delight run down his spine. It was then that he chose to speak to the stranger and fox. "Any idea on who's attacking the village?" He spoke in a hushed tone. While he got lower into the brush. "Boy.." He looked back at the Hyuga lad with a pause "Can you use your eyes to see what's happening? He gestured with a nod of his head towards roughly where the center of the village should be. Seemingly thats where it would most likely be, whatever was attacking the village would surely be there.

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[Oni Archives]

Itsuki was the last to arrive, though despite his condition he somehow managed to keep pace with the other two. Where he seemed distracted with social queues and some internal turmoil before- having to push through his own exhaustion worked to steel his mind to the reality of his current situation. He was finally starting to grasp why emotions had no place on a mission. Though the boy was doubled over with a raspy breath, he gave the Haruno a short nod while wiping the sweat from his face. His Byakugan activated not a moment later, though as his eyes began scanning the nearby village, he wasn't too sure what to make of what he was seeing. He gulped out of habit, feeling himself tense with a slight sense of fear as he watched the panic unfold.

He squinted while he let himself catch his breath, trying to come up with plans of his own, but this was beyond him. "I might be able to try and get some villagers to safety if we get involved in this, but seeing how these houses are just breaking apart, I don't even know if shelter will be all that effective..." he trailed off, biting softly at his bottom lip. Every second wasted was another second someone could lose their lives, and he didn't know enough about his team mates to come up with something solid. "If you two are on the mindset to get in there and help out, then I'm with you. I don't think we'll get a proper grasp of the situation until we get in there. This village be our best bet at figuring out where we are."

He felt he was pointing out the obvious, but if they were to help these people, perhaps they would be more willing to aid them- that is, if they were able to. He continued to run through possibilities in his mind, but by the end of it he simply clicked his tongue and made the seal for a clone jutsu, his likeness being formed from the dirt beneath them. If neither of his companions made a motion to protest, this clone would immediately head out towards the source of the commotion to stand in the streets of the most recently destroyed shop, a test to see how the chaotic force would react to an unknown factor. Meanwhile, the original redhead glanced back and forth between his comrades, raising a brow at them before motioning his head towards the village. "Shall we?" if neither of them had more to add, he intended on following his clone at a distance. If this force showed itself to destroy his clone, perhaps that would be the best moment to strike.
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[Oni Archives]

((Listen while reading: Sociopath))


"I might be able to try and get some villagers to safet-"

=That was as far as the boy would be able to getbefore the moment came that he would choke upon his words....itw as wet - very heavy and apparent that this was done in a moments notice as functionality of his very body had ceased to give him that right. the moment that he did this he would find that he was trying to form words - his eyes widening as he realized that he could not speak...it was so difficult to speak...as he stood there frozen in his own body - a prisoner of his very own shell of flesh as his eyes wildly shot about trying to understand what was going on as the little fox hopped off the silver haired male's shoulders and scurried off into the village to do some recon on what was going on. He wanted to reach out - grab the Hatake male's shoulder - do something, anything that would let them know that there was something horribly wrong with his body but - it was so difficult to speak....as his hand shook against the will of his mind..he was so close - all he had to do was touch him but he couldn't his body was so stiff...paralysis - a very strong one at that as the young boy struggled....it was really a bad day and time for him to be thrown to this place...Naraka - there was no worse place for him to be right now...and it was so unfortunate for such a young boy . . . cause it was so difficult to speak. It wouldnt get any easier as the boy could look down to find that from inside his pants there slithered out a smooth silkly alabaster hue from inside his sleeve and out onto the ground - only to disappear into the grass....a snake....and a trail of blood along its tail end where he had been bitten at but where? When? Had it happened before? Far before - no it couldnt have how did he not feel it? Only just now? His eyes shook looking at his leg coming to grips with the fact that this...was poison, he had been injected with venom from the snake that was causing this - and now, it was so difficult...no...he had to it was the only option that he had. He needed to force out a word a whisper a whimper anything that he could to get the attention of the silver haired male before him. His eyes shot up, determination in his chest as he fixated his gaze upon......

.....It was so difficult to speak.......

.....As he saw Snake's gaze...cast back upon him.....

....In the eyes of the Hatake male....

He was looking right at the boy. Watching him struggle...he must have been looking from the moment that he looked down at his leg and noticed the snake itself - but the way that he was looking at him...it made his blood run cold....chills...he was so calm...so collected...it was apparent now - he wasn't shocked by this development or even confused at all....those eyes...they were expecting; and it was so difficult to speak...when he was right here staring down the face of what he could only imagine would be certain death....murdered...? He wasn't certain - and maybe he would never get the chance to be as the Hyuga's eyes rolled back through his skull - rounded moons turning to white skies in his eyes as he fell to the ground to die...but not from the venom...The boy laid face down on the ground and the Hatake male would look to Val - at first seeing if he had noticed or simply gone back to watching the village but if he had he would only retort with: "He was far too young...too weak...he'd hold us back...and then end up getting both of us killed then himself. Wherever we are...its a savage land...he wont feel anything this way...and it'll be quick. Just follow my lead for what comes next." and his hands glided up to the back of the boy's collar lifting his face from the ground by it as the other hand grasped a hand full of hair...his gaze cast to a stone next to the boy's head no bigger than a car muffler and soon - SMASH SMASH SMASH SMASH GNASH GNASH GNASH..over and over again as sickly wet tongue hand from half broken caved in lower mandible and gushing brain matter drip and leak from a capsized cranium. The Hatake male took a deep breath afterwards - his head shaking and for a moment if you'd look hard enough..perhaps regret......but he did also tell Val that Itsuki would feel nothing. He opened his eyes after his breath and when he did such - his eyes had returned to normal..no snakelike pupils and with that he lifted the body into his arms and was off. Moments later he came through the village streets - "N-no please! PLEASE HELP US! The boy - the boy I found him in the forest and the beasts there had already gotten to him we need help! Please anybody!" =He sold it well. Stumbling, screaming at the top of his lungs as he ran through the streets holding the limp body spiraling as if looking for any sign of assistance - even stumbling over his own feet a bit...you could tell that he had some extent of personal experience with the sense of dread one way or another. Soon he came to the center of the village where he would find the small fox with him - pinned under the foot of another....the male was seemingly young - and standing in front of a Burning workshop. He pressed his foot on top of the fox and tilted his head - his expression utterly emotionless as he seemed to be examining it when the silver haired male spoke up and broke the silence in the chaotic blaze all around them: "Ya know - theres more important things going on in this village then animal abuse. I'm guessing you're not gonna lay off my buddy there very easily are you?" As he said this the boy looked from the fox and up to him, his brown hair swaying from his gaze as he did nothing more then look..and then smirk in silence:

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[Oni Archives]

((Episode Ikki - CONTINUED))

=Where they emerged was probably not the place they had fully expected. It was close, very close - but just off the mark. It all started there in that forest, its where Kasami, Sentou, and Eiji first breached the veil into Naraka and now Ikki was on his way back. But instead - he landed somewhere that only one other person had been prior to this, Kasami - and that was inside Kiyoshi's workshop within Kyotoshiro, just on the edge of the forest down at the harbor. The aperture would rip to life at Kiyoshi's desk just a few feet away from the conveyor line where Kasami had previously seen the exoskeletons for the cyber initiative shinobi and beings. However, by now something horrid had happened. They were ransacked - destroyed, and there were quite apparent signs that there was a fight. Kiyoshi's desk was messy and strewn aside but there were still notices, memos, and other information all over his desk. The jet black lion, Misshaku burst through first, poised and ready for whatever may be there waiting only to find that there was nothing there at all....nothing tangible at least - though tension and the creeping presence of the unknown were very present. From there he would begin pacing around the aperture, waiting for Ikki and sniffing around - making sure that the area were secure....the double doors about fifty meters away were cracked slightly, and only a glimmer of light breahing through...but there was something not right and it felt like the boundary between the strange and less so - was manifested right at that door. Even Misshaku stopped to stare at the doorway, seeming distraught at the tension he felt at the idea of what waited on the outside, if it was so urgent that Izanagi would summon him after all this time.=​

 

[Oni Archives]

There was a clear and sudden shift in the atmosphere as they were arrived in the next area. What stood out most to Ikki at the moment was when they arrived the technique he had been trying to hone in on with every passing moment still needed to adjust. It was almost like stepping into a pitch black room for a moment. While Ikki wasn’t actually blind it was certainly an adjustment as he was trying to make this a more natural occurrence with this particular instance being his first big adjustment. However once he got his feelers out a picture of destruction was painted before him. Ikki wasn’t but a few moments behind Misshaku and once he had gotten adjust to this new dilapidated scenery his brow furrowed underneath the blindfold he was now wearing. There was very clearly something wrong here even if he hadn’t visited such a place before. There was a tangible sense of disarray as the room let alone the whole building was being painted in detail before him. Whoever or whatever was responsible for this kind of destruction certainly didn’t walk away without a scratch. In passing Ikki inevitably turned to Misshaku and spoke with a low tone.

“Any Idea who or what did this? It seems to have been more than just a little scuffle..”

Ikki’s brow was still furrowed underneath the blindfold as he turned his attention to the cracked door some distance away. There was a certain level of palpable tension in the air even if they were here alone on the surface level. He took in a deep breath and then exhaled, keeping his mind centered on the task at hand in order to ensure that he didn’t let the unease that came with his newfound visual capabilities hinder him in any way. If Misshaku was here to protect him or at the very least escort him he was not going to let him do all the leg work. Ikki moved closer to the door being sure to watch his step just in case there was someone or something still lingering about.

 

[Oni Archives]

=Misshaku did not like the look of things. He strode forward and the moment that ikki had inquired as to what the cause of this destruction was, he hesitated. It was something that he'd not wanted to cause alarm towards if it was not a for sure fact of the situation and as such to seek confirmation the jet black lion lowered itself to the ground and started to inhale the scent of what was around him. He took a few choice sniffs, a scent here, scent there - dropped one and picked up another till finally they started to become consistent, familiar. "What was he thinking?" in reference to Kiyoshi - having built his workshop here in this very village. He couldnt fathom what it was that he had going through his mind while here. "Keep your guard up. It's already here - the salesman, or at least it's contraptions. You'll need to be ready, and no matter what you see, do not stop attacking." Ikki's guide bellowed out in a gruff huff under its mane as they approached the door. Misshaku would be first, leading with his nose in the doorway he would slowly start to push it open - until finally his head stuck through, and beheld the bizarre events that were transpiring here in the village.




The facade was over by a long shot, by now the villagers....or whatever was left of what was the villagers after their fall here at the hands of the salesman were completely showing signs of being not of flesh - but synthetic copies of what used to be the image of a person. They seemed to be getting erratic, some dancing, some floating about tip toeing in a wild, cartoonishly over-exaggerated two step of a manner. There were some blabbering unintelligible nonsense at one another and the others reacting acting entirely over the top - screaming back in wailing outbursts as if trying to overtalk the nonsensical gibberish. It was almost like they were arguing among each other - the symmetrical act and routine, mimicry of what they felt typical life was...was suddenly not so symmetrical anymore - especially not in relation to how it looked when the group had been here previously. Something wasn't right, something was in complete disarray - and it was evident to the fullest extent. Soon Missahku stepped forward, and reflexively - a light growl left his jaws despite wanting to be quiet; he couldnt help what was a natural reflex when he was so on edge by what he was seeing. Subsequently, it was as if an alarm went off in all of these make-shift villager's heads. They all turned towards the door and Misshaku and at first seemed normally interested, still arguing among one another and screaming. But the moment that Ikki would have come into view he would find that the sounds would fall deaf...all now entirely focused and interested with him...staring him down in silence as all of the faces in the village were now upon them - even without the full number of the villagers being in this specific location. ​

 

[Oni Archives]

I alone am the honored one...

Ikki was already on edge after arriving however hearing Misshaku say to do so was enough to give him the mental inclination to let the cup runneth over when the time came. When they stepped through the door and the wailing of these husk reached his ears even if just for a moment it was almost nerve racking. The cadence in which they had all come to a stop and the absent creaking of decayed flesh was enough to send chills down anyone's spine. However what followed from Ikki was a furrowed brow as he soon realized why they had stopped their wailing. His vision coming in waves for just a moment as he moved to extend his reach across the nearby area. In those moments it became clear what exactly was happening as it was akin to stepping into a cave of bats and rousing them awake with the mere motion of a sneeze. Each and everyone of the husk that were around had their eyes on the boy who thought himself heir to the obsidian throne someday. Once he got a clear picture of his circumstances even if it was just briefly for the things that were occurring beyond his immediate purview that wasn’t going to stop him from acting accordingly. His eyes were still healing so that meant it was time to put his other senses to the test and what better place to do so than under the guise of culling the herd. It pained him in a manner that was unspeakable to have to lay these people to rest without a proper burial but if they were tainted by the sinister machinations of the salesman or anyone else for that matter then there was no room for remorse.

Misshaku had already given Ikki the go ahead to let loose when the time came. However it wasn't a matter of how for Ikki but when. Normally Ikki would only keep the Kiln of Seiryu running with the intention of defending or dismantling an opponent’s main focus of attack. Yet this interaction was different had Misshaku been capable of sensing or very well feeling the warmth that was now radiating from Ikki’s body with each passing breath he would find it blanketing an ever encroaching area that was the workshop. An idea birthed from his encounter with Ai and subsequently put to the test in practical application with the idea of heat engines. However, where the aforementioned used machinery to remove heat in order to provide refrigeration Ikki was applying chakra. In turn Ikki could be seen expelling a wreath of warmth to get the ball rolling as he soon took in a dose of golden chakra to form a simple bell, its entire being clad in gold ready to toll at a moment’s notice.

He soon spoke to Misshaku with his usual deep tone posing a simple question. “How long?” This was more so in reference to the fact that Ikki had no clue how long these people had been this way. Had the salesman's reach really extended so far to completely remove entire populous’ from the map and more importantly could these be the same people from the medical ward. The thought was daunting to say the least yet in the end it was important that these people receive a peaceful death. The second answer Ikki very well didn’t want just as much as he did was how long did Misshaku think it would take to remedy an issue such as this one. This of course was something that Ikki could speculate on some other time. Now was the time for action as his breathing grew heavier he was merely waiting for these creatures to make the first move.

 

[Oni Archives]

=Misshaku observed the spike in chakra as Ikki began to warm up to the demand for combat at his own pace. As he did so he could detect the sweltering presence of intense heat, and though he considered Ikki well enough a skilled shinobi to be able to avoid collateral damage he still knew that warriors at their best performed better when they knew they had a wide berth. In this case - it would go for the both of them. Misshaku would bolt up into the air and land on an elevated roof of the workshop. All the while before Ikki could ask him how long, a metamorphosis came to pass. Misshaku started to stand on his back legs. The cracking and splitting of bone and sinew could be heard as he growled and roared out in pain as his very physical anatomy started to reconstruct and reform in various ways closer pushing his stature into a more humanoid semblance. Soon - Misshaku was battle ready. Standing on his back legs like a human being with perfect balance Ikki posed the question, to which Misshaku bent his arms in, elbows at his rib cage and strained until finally from his shoulders burst a handle each to a half of a single blade: "Six months. It's been six months. His influence touched here just like Kagane, ages ago. But the village had been quiet - completely. It wasn't until a month before our new arrivals got here that these husks appeared and we implanted Kiyoshi in the village to keep track. They hadnt done anything different till now, acting out their every day lives like they didnt even know any different. We learned very little in the time." As he said this - he clasped the blades together and let them form one single blade, simple in appearance but the blade itself was large, beautiful and wide - extremely reflective. This was known as The Murakumo - a blade imparted to Izanagi by Huang Long himself and as result imparted to Misshaku for safe keeping, both of the blade and himself. At the presence of the flame wreath - the husks rattled and shook, hissing as they folded backwards over themselves and crab walked away only to climb up on top of houses and in between boat racks. . . reacting more like some type of bug then anything else. Soon Misshaku took to the sky - hurling through the air as he slammed down on the roof with a large mass of them. His blade parted back into halves and as it did, so too did the hoard of husks that betroth him. A mass piled onto the roof after him, weaving his body almost as if paddling a boat with a paddle in each hand, he flung and cut mass chunks of the waves away only for them to hit the village road sliced horizontally in half and protest with loud rattles and wails as they slapped the ground and tried to climb back up with only the use of their hands. While this occur, so too would come a wave for Ikki - running over and jumping across each other to make their way towards the new vessel of Seiryu.=​

 

[Oni Archives]

I alone am the honored one...

Ikki’s brow furrowed even after misshaku had gotten comfortable and answered his question things simply began to unfold right before them. These creatures were already victims to the salesman’s clutches from the sounds of it. It caused his teeth to clench tight as if he had every intention of creating diamonds with the amount of force he had bitten down with. It was odd to think that a shinobi of his caliber let alone someone in his position could have compassion for people he hadn’t truly met on a personal level. His jowls clenched and another breath of warm air was introduced to the environment as if he was awakening a beast within himself. The very essence of what he had worked so hard for even as he stood before a potentially endless expanse of now wasted human life. Their encounter was beyond eventful as Misshaku sprung into action before Ikki’s eyes. There was a certain level of artistic nuance that came with combat in the eyes of some. When it came to Ikki the fluidity of it was what made it beautiful under normal circumstances but this time was different. While the pair of them were set to move with grace and fluidity these lifeless husk stumbled over themselves. It was sloppy as if they were streaks of paint on a canvas ready to depict an abstract painting. There was no value in their movement as they moved to flood every nook and cranny they could. A horde of desecrated corpses began they torrential ascension towards Misshaku and not long after Ikki was met with a similar maelstrom of bodies. Their bodies rattled and creaked as if bound by shackles but little did these creatures know they signaled a final death knell. The bell in Ikki’s grasp tolled as he took to his own devices. It wasn’t exactly a perfect science on such a large scale but even as Misshaku burst through and took the roof even this noise added to what was to come. Ikki rang that bell and had one been capable of ignoring the coming toll they were sure deaf by every sense of the word. Every inch of the workshop would likely rattle as it rang true even thought it was only a moment. A sudden yet abrupt change in temperature would spring to life as the first of the horde reached his position, its skull being the very thing to cause the bell to toll.

His mind flashed back to that fateful encounter with Oshirama and how his body was dismantled with the most fluid of blows. It was art birthed from violence this encounter was no different as the beast that accompanied him tore through his own section of lifeless husk. There was a phrase that always stuck with him from that encounter and it was true even now years down the line ”There is no room for weakness in my garden.” Ikki was younger than his means for combat unrefined and sloppy, broken by a single technique. This was no different as the bell met with a creature’s skull and that wreath of flame sprung to life with the tolling of the bell. It would be strange to think that someone so proficient in the use of flames would produce such a cold technique both literally and metaphorically. It was birthed from science and yet its efficiency was something that even science itself could not truly mimic. The temperature would drop immensely as every inch of the building that had been touched by his flames grew cold. Metal groaned, the floor would become slick even if only for just a moment as he used the sound of the bell to add an aggressive vibration to the air. This in conjunction with using the building itself as an echo chamber of sorts would allow for an aggressive form of acoustic refrigeration turning heat into cold air or in this case turning these lifeless husks before him into terracotta statues even if it did only last a moment as Ikki sprung into action even further. It was only a flash as things began to unfold even further. Where Misshaku carved through his targets Ikki graced them with the Kiln of Seiryu as the bell dissipated from his grasp and soon his pace increased. Much like being met with the force of Night guy or even the after shock of such a technique his form would fly forward with a violent embrace of heat coating his body. He only wanted to slow their ascension to being an unstoppable force even though he knew that numbers could truly trump even the mightiest of foes. Yet he seemed to be running on something feral or almost instinctual. Ikki was taking everything he had encountered to date between both family, friend, or foe and embracing it to its fullest. When the bell in his grasp dissipated and his body flung forward only to send these corpses asunder with a flash of blue and gold. Even Eien had placed a stamp on his life during their most recent encounter as Ikki was reminded that he could embrace his use of Souzou Subarashii to create more than just weapons. This flash of blue and gold was Ikki doing just that as his body revealed to be wreathed in an armor while simple in design meant to fit his style of combat. It wasn’t clunky like Eien’s had been, it was sl eek designed for his love for close quarters combat but more importantly it turned his love for striking into a devastating force when backed with his flames. He had effectively turned himself into a boxer wearing padding but rather than cushion his blows upon others his limbs had become like blades. A streak of azure and gold emerging from the horde with each burst of corpses as he tore through the initial mass with relative ease.

His body coming to a skidding halt with each pass as no matter how hard one wanted to defy physics they truly couldn’t. His vision of gold through the use of souzou subarashii had given him a sort of advantage as he could see these figures enmass no matter how many fell or joined the fray. Had one been capable of viewing the young Seiryu amidst the chaos they would find him reveling in the meat as some might say. His anger for the situation was well placed and much like all the uchiha before him the hate he bore was nothing but fuel to fire. In turn one could find that he had grasped his next victim by their own visage only to be used as a sort of battering ram. Ikki had taken this creature and used him to beat his compatriots to pieces inevitably using its body to create an exit just the same as Misshaku had done springing to the roof. Where Misshaku left corpses left in pieces Ikki was intending to leave nothing but ash in his wake as he felt these people deserved a final rest. Had this all gone according to plan these creatures would find what Ikki left in his wake of azure and gold streaks was nothing but flames for each corpse he touched. He could only think to himself “Evil begets, Evil blood begets blood.” In this instance he knew that this was far more than simply evil meaning that there was no room for hoping to save these people they needed to be reduced to nothing as he came across the lingering victims of Misshaku’s onslaught still clambering for his position. A violent combination raised and cared for by the same figure, Izanagi the demon on the obsidian throne.