Blood Stained Grass. [Kusa Travel].

Age : 31 Posts : 1118

"Ogatami, what's happening to you? Why are you killing innocent people now?"
"Because, I'm starting to get good at it."

Leaving the village gates and setting off on a trek to self discovery was more invigorating than what Ogatami originally imagined. The stalwart steps that he took along with his comrades only exemplified their personage as being independent from their village. That confidence that he weilded, walking away from that village hidden in secrets, felt as if he was already forsaking his once loving home. Strangely, however, the once young boy with a precious heart could gradually care less as the weeks went by. The blood flowing through his veins was that of the Mogozuki Tribe. Before all external material matters, and even that of the heart, Ogatami thought that as the last descendant of his clan, he was destined to live up to their traditions, whether it be good, or bad. Some people, like his friend Sunaya, think that Ogatami should be his own man and make his own destiny. Yet, Ogatami rejected her notion with not the slightest sense of consideration. Being raised as a proper rich kid with no sense of identity nor heritage, this was his only chance at finding out who, or what, he really was. His self awareness and understanding was his focal point currently, and the affairs of the village came second to none. This was his life, and no one was going to control it anymore, no one.

Accompanying him on his journey to Kusagakure were his two cohorts; Sunaya and Rogan. His relationship with Sunaya has been steady since they met a few months ago, they have a sibling type of bond, yet occasionally there are emotions between them that are more intimate than that. His relationship with Rogan is fairly new. Rogan is the leader of his Ikaku platoon, who, initiated Ogatami after a gruelling drug process. Since then, both boys have grew fond of each other, somewhat of a brotherly type of friendship, which was quite surprising at first. He enjoyed the company of Ogatami, and watching as his personality naturally transitioned the more he became a part of the Ikaku, a criminal organization. Ogatami valued him for this honesty, yet sarcastic gestures that seemed to make light of any situation, which is a useful skill to have around in the criminal industry.

The trio were all appareled in their regular clothing under black leather hoods to shield against the rain. The rainy weather was welcomed in this occasion, it fitted the hole underground mission theme that they were set on. All that was heard within the valley that they walked through, was the splashing sound of rain drops hitting their surrounding greenery. In addition, to the mushing sound of their steps landing in puddles of mesh and occasional mud. Some conversations were brought during their stroll through the grassland. Some casual, while others more confidential between the three. One worth mentioning, was Rogan and Sunaya's growing interest to either defect from the Ikaku, or assassinate their leaders and become the new ones themselves. They believed, that with Ogatami's power, that they could potentially accomplish this feat. However, like always, they overestimated the young jinchuriki's abilities. The Ikaku Elites were at most, Kiken-level criminals, some of which are still secretly tied to the village. It would be a slaughter if the three of them went up against four high ranking criminals, it simply wasn't time yet. Hell, Ogatami got couldn't even handle one.

As predicted by the young psychic ninja, the rain began to increase to a harsher state that would last for only about an hour or so. Gusts of wind sent waves of water to the open field, enough to bend of the trees slighly in the forest that neighbored it. Luckily, Ogatami was capable of moving his team into forest as soon as the storm increased. If they were to follow the correct path to Kusa, through the open grass fields, they would met the storm face to face. "Ogatami, it's starting to become a lot." Sunaya complained. Her tone would have been louder, and surely angrier, but through the tempests of wind that whirled through the forest, it only sounded like a mere whisper. Both her, and Rogan were shielding their faces with the leather sleeves from their cloak. This started to prove unsuccessful, as their sleeves and hoods blew off their body, and left them scrambling to pull them back for coverage. Ogatami, on the other hand, was perfectly fine, standing there in the chaotic weather. That was his home, his core, his power. He was unaffected by the forces of nature, even against some of her harsher creations.

Age : 31 Posts : 1118

"Hey, kids! Get out of the rain!" Yelled a masculine voice in the rainy distance. All members of the trio looked around in confusion at first. Normally, their ninja sensory would allow them to pinpoint the man whereabouts with relative ease at their skill level, possibly even distinguish his age and even body weight. However, the obscurity that the storm provided nullified most of their natural shinobi identification skills. Both Sunaya's, and Rogan's, inability to determine the mysterious man's whereabouts made them apprehensive. Ogatami could see it in their faces as they both looked at him to assess his current state as well. They both were hunched over while grabbing their hoods to prevent them from blowing off again. Their faces were drenched in water, and their eyes were squinted to prevent rain drops from irritating their corneas. Yet, Ogatami still remained in his impassive state ever since he left the village. He stood there tranquilly even with all the commotion going on around them, like a serene flower that remained beautiful even after a natural disaster. He closed his eyes, and harnessed his sensory ability to seek after an individual within his relative proximity other than his two friends. Instantly, he identified a man a few meters away that was slowly making his way towards them through the bushels of vines. Ogatami notified his cohorts of the approaching man as soon as he sensed him, keep his tone as emphatic as possible. Even though he was unaffected by the harsh weather, his friends were. Although he dearly wanted them to reach a point of safety, a part of him simply didn't care about their feelings at all, which secretly worried him.

"Hey, can you hear me!? I'm coming closer to you guys." The man continued to yell, his voice was becoming louder the closer he came to the trio. His image was now noticeable through the thicket. The trio all glanced at each other in a menacing exchange of stares, which in their own language, meant that something intentionally bad was going to come out of this encounter. After a moment of silent commune between them, all their faces lit up to appear like innocent little children, besides Rogan, he was huge. The man finally reached the kids and huffed as if he ran a marathon. All three of them looked at the stocky old fellow like predators identifying their prey, until switching up their facial expression once he caught his breath and looked up at them. "Whew.. wow, man. What are you kids doing out here this far from the village." He asked between his deep breathes, taking notice of their Konoha headbands. His attention shifted from the group to Rogan, thinking that he was their leader since he was the oldest, and the biggest. Both Sunaya and Ogatami looked to Rogan as well, playing along the man's assumption. "We're on our way to Kusagakure, got a mission there." He replied. The man smiled and began to giggle, finding some kind of humor at his response. "Jeez, you shinobi are something. Going on missions and such in rain or snow. You people got great stamina!" The trio smiled at his response, and laughed with their mouths closed. "Anyway, I have a greenhouse close by that you guys can shelter in until the storms pass, c'mon. My name is Mr. Toko by the way." He bowed, before nudging the trio to the greenhouses direction with his head, which, had a bald spot that Ogatami couldn't stop staring at. "Thank you, you're very kind. My name is Rogan, and this is Ogatami, and Sunaya." He humbly introduced. The four of them headed towards the greenhouse and made it there in about ten minutes, they stood outside the door for a few seconds before Mr. Toko found his keys. Sunaya had stole them out his pocket a while ago when they were walking, along with his ryo, but had to sneak it back in his pocket so he could open his house and get them out of the rain. She kept the money, however.

The greenhouse was a large establishment that was sort of like two homes bonded together, one side being wood, and the other being glass. The wooden side was Mr. Toko's actual house, while the glass portion was his greenhouse, which was a dome construct filled with exotic plants. Being in the center of a immense forest, and with a flower valley just a mile away, one could only assume that his greenhouse was filled with wondrous forms of vegetative life; which it was. Flowers of all colors, variations, and houses were rowed against the walls hanging from the ceiling. Ogatami got high off of all the life force packed into the room. His eyes whirled in circles and he pranced around effeminately while sniffing, touching, and talking to the plants. Sunaya, Rogan, and Mr. Toko, looked at him like he was some sort of alien that was initiating some sort of mating ritual. But, they didn't understand Ogatami. For as long as he knew, he was connected with nature for some unexplained reason. The flowers in the greenhouse were all speaking to him, each with their own voices. Some were masculine, some were feminine, while others were anonymous. One particular plant, located in the back, caught Ogatami's attention. It was complaining loudly that it wasn't getting enough sunlight, and that the herb next to it was hogging all its nutrients. Ogatami came closer to it and gave it a hug, it angrily told him to fuck off, but Ogatami continued to play with it anyway.

"He's.. kinda weird." Mr. Koto said from the front of the room. Rogan and Sunaya both dropped their heads and sighed at their beloved friend, they didn't know he was a hippie, a druggie, or a potential nukenin. Maybe a mixture of all three. The three of them went inside a room and left Ogatami in the greenhouse with all the plants. Ogatami snapped out of his hippie craze once he heard the door shut, but his attention was redirected as one of the plants called his name. "Ogatami, what are you doing here?" Said one of the plants a few rows over. Ogatami walked over towards it and leaned against its table, putting his fingers in the soil. "Oh, hey. Me and my friends are on our way to Kusa, I'm gonna find out what really happened to clan, the Mogozuki." He said to the flower. "The Mogozuki, of Kusa? Hmph, my flower bed is from Kirigakure. Since Kusa is just a mile away, this greenhouse is filled with its native flora, however, the eldest plant may know a lot more about your clan than the others. The Kodai Tree over there, with the red leaves, has been around for over a century. Go speak to her, she may have some information about your clan." It said. Ogatami glanced over at the tree and looked back at the flower. He humbly the flower for his insight, which stating that it was glad to help it's brother. Ogatami smiled. He walked over to the Kodai tree which was situated in the heart of the greenhouse, exemplifying its hierarcy among the greenhouse plants. It spoke to him.

Shinobi.:

Age : 31 Posts : 1118

"Those beautiful violet eyes, and curly black hair, you surely must be a seedling from the Mogozuki Tree. What a fine specimen of men that tree produces." Vouched the Kodai tree towards the young Ogatami. Despite its age, the tree was very miraculous looking and serene. It was tall, twice the height of the boy, with reddish bark and scarlet tinted leaves with light purple flower buds springing from their bases. Its mental voice came off as a hissing sound as it spoke that seemed to echo, maybe because it was a special characteristic of the tree, or because her voice was so unnerving that Ogatami couldn't get it out of his head. Either way, he could sense this tree was a majestic species in the plant variety, one of high decor and respect. He modified his bohemian tone to a more professional one, it was just his instinct when communing to nature, he couldn't help it.

"Lady Kodai, please, tell me what you know about the Mogozuki." Ogatami insisted. For a moment, the tree didn't respond, and Ogatami was starting to become impatient. He tucked his hands in his pockets and started to tap his feet, his face beginning to reveal his pent up frustration pulse by pulse. "I'm guessing you want me to start from the beginning. Well, that's gonna cost you, my son." She finally answered back. Ogatami eyes flickered, and he started to grind his teeth under his concealed mouth. He didn't have time to play games, especially with a tree that he barely even knew. What could she possibly want? "Okay, what do you want from me?" Asked the young boy. The plant responded in her hissing tone again. "You see, us Kokai trees are very special, in the fact that we are actually carnivorous. Instead of feeding on water, we feed on blood, preferably humans." Ogatami eyes widened, he thought that was so cool, yet very spine chilling at the same time. "So, what, you want some of my blood?" His tone had finally gotten serious now, his new menacing appearance was starting to shine through. Equally, the plants energy started to darken to a demonic chakra as well, her voice started to sound like grinding metal in Ogatami's psyche. "Oh, yes-yes-yes, my darling boy. Give it to me, just one little teaspoon, pleeeease." She pleaded, but from the way she made it sound, it actually came off as sort of a demand.

Ogatami took out a kunai from his pouch and cut the tip of his left index finger. He hovered the bleeding finger over the plant, and watched as it shook with excitement, something that he never seen a plant physically do before. The scarlet leaves of the Kodai plant started to turn a bright crimson color, and red sap started to bleed from its bark, reminiscent to blood. The voices of the other flowers in the room started to fade. This "thing" of a tree, was literally sucking the life force from the other plants. He could hear their cries as their energy began to suffocate from that of this seemingly demonic tree. Ogatami was startled beyond words, he retreated back a few steps as he watched the horrifying process take place. "Oh, that was simply delicious. Thank you." The plant said in a new masculine tone. Ogatami removed his hands from the front of his eyes, and gripped the kunai in his hand even tighter. "What the hell was that?" He cried, eyes widened with fear. "Plant's gotta eat right?" The tree responded. Ogatami stood up from the desk and circled the tree until he was on the other side of the room, spectating it from all angles. "Alright, I'm not for this crap today Lady, ehm, Mr. Kodai Tree." Just tell me what you know already."

"Humph. Well, let's see." It said with another trailing pause. "In feudal times, the Mogozuki clan were a very infamous mercenary tribe that colonized the northern region of Konoha and most of Kusagakure. Members of the clan are born with a very special type of chakra, which makes them suitable for harnessing multiple nature transformations and connecting them to their very own soul. Their abilities were channeled through their unique spirituality, which I think they called, "Reikon Ōen," Soul Rooting. Their power could even rival that of the famed Senju and Uchiha clans at one point. Which is how they managed to stay in solitude for so many years, because no one could force them to join any village, nor could anyone threaten them. They were quite a forced to be reckoned with back then."

Ogatami was amazed at the information given to him by the Kokai Tree. This plant may have been creepy as hell, but it supplied him with information about his clan that he dreamed of hearing since he was a child. He eyes lit up with light and excitment, his forefathers, his legacy, sounded amazing, and shrouded in secrets. "So what does that mean for me and my chakra. Is that why I can wield the five elements." He asked passionately. "In a way, young seed. You acquire your power from the Lord Gobi, the God of Nature. The special chakra of the Mogozuki makes them more suitable hosts for the Demon. No other clan can wield his power at the capacity that you people can." It said. "Okay, but what about modern times. Do you know about their genocide? What happened to them? What about me? Are there any left?" He asked repetitively, stepping closer to the plant. The plant didn't respond, and Ogatami could feel it's energy fading back into the earth ."NO, COME BACK, I STILL NEED ANSWERS!" He screamed, as he clasped the trunk of the tree. But there was nothing, only the seemingly lifeless trees and plants that now surrounded him.

Age : 31 Posts : 1118

Blood Stained Grass. [Kusa Travel]. 43ba35ee-6251-4b32-905b-21cec898a665_zps9726e85b

Mr. Toko, the kind older man that aided the three young children by sheltering them from the rain, was now tied up in his own home, held captive by the hands of both Sunaya, and Rogan. He laid on his dining room floor, tied professionally by the hands of the young criminals. He couldn't move within the metal binding, only squirm as he watched his precious belongings being sealed within the scrolls of the two people who he trusted. He projected his voice through the tape covering over his mouth that they placed on him, his voice flaming with the fires of deceit and betrayal. "You lousy scoundrels are not from Konoha! You're criminals! Filthy stealing scum! How can you do this to me?!" He cried. Sunaya was analysing the man's precious golden vase, who he said was a heirloom of his mother or some sort. But she turned her attention to the man once he started ranting, she hated when her victims were too loud. "Shhh..., you don't want me to cut your tongue off now." She said benightedly in her signature girlish tone. The poor man started to weep, tears pouring down his wrinkled face in a very sad sight, as his property was being taken right before his very eyes.

Rogan was in the bedroom area, scouring through the forum decor and sheets looking for hidden safes or stashes of money somewhere. He looked within one the his drawers and stared at a picture of Mr. Toko with a woman next to him, with three young children hugging his legs. Heartlessly, he broke the picture and pulled the concealed money from behind the frame and stuffed it in his pocket. He tossed the picture back in the drawer and kicked it over, breaking its legs. Suddenly, screams were heard downstairs, and the blue haired bandit raced down the flights to see what was happening. When he walked in the dining area, he witnessed one of the most gruesome sights he ever saw.

Ogatami, had the detached head of Mr. Toko dangling from his hand, rocking it back in forth from the few strands of hair that didn't depart from his age. On the floor, was the headless body of the man, blood pooling out of the neck and spreading all over the floor in a horrific site. The room fumed with the scent of fresh blood and terror. Ogatami was crazed. His eyes lit up with insanity, and he uncontrollably laughed as if killing the man was simply an act of humor. His body was awkwardly posed; he was hunched over, his jaw extended beyond what appeared normal as he crackled, and his chakra took on a sinister red cloak. His Demon Mode was triggered, and slowly, the power of his enraged Bijuu began the process of taking over his body. The red chakra around his body poured through the house, past Rogan, and up the flight of stairs as if it were an entity on its own. Rogan coughed repeatedly as the miasma passed him, he crumbling down the stairs and met Sunaya at the base, who was laid down in a fedal position watching Ogatami in horror.

"HAHAHA... HA...HUHUHAHAAAAHAHA." The possessed boy howled as he snatched Mr. Toko's corpse with his other free hand. The monster proceeded to drag the corpse into the greenhouse area, life still pooling out of its body which left a gruesome trail of blood. All the plants began to decay as he passed them, disintegrating into a pile of ashes along with their pots. It went up to the Kokai Tree, and threw the bloody head and corpse into it's soil. The ground around tree simply turned blackish red in return, and no effects were seen from the tree. Bijuu mode Ogatami was now enraged, he furiously roared, generating a shockwave that nuked the entire greenhouse, shattering its walls and sending its plants flying into the backyard forest. At this point, a single tail started to emerge from the young boy form his red chakra cloak, thins were getting bad.

"Ogatami, please, stop this now!" Cried Sunaya. The young kunoichi now mustered enough courage to face her lover at his current unstable state. She couldn't bear to see him in such a way. If saving his soul mean that she would have to risk her life doing so, than she was willing to make that exchange. No matter how dark they both were, how evil they will grow to become, the love they had for each other was innocent. Sunaya approached the unstable jinchuriki from what would have been the doorway. Ogatami looked at her through with fearsome eyes, whatever emotions he had for her was burning with the chakra of the Gobi. He was so blinded by rage, blinded by the fustration, of nothing in his left going the way he wanted it to. He hated it, he hated himself, and he was lost in his sorrow. Sunaya kept approaching, even with all the warning signs, and continued to move closer to the boy. When she got within a few meters, she began to speak some sense into him. "Ogatami, what's happening to you? Why are you killing innocent people now?" She asked in tears. Demon Ogi crookedly smiled as he responded. "Because, I'm starting to get good at it." He hissed. A third arm of demonic chakra sprung out of Ogatami's back, and the beast intended to rip Sunaya apart with it. It wasn't until Rogan flickered in front of Sunaya, did Demon Ogi halt his attack completely, as if petrified. There he was, staring into his Sharingan eyes, mesmerized by their eternal spiral of power. Rogan was a Uchiha, and all this time, Ogatami never knew. Rogan drew closer to Ogatami, so close, that he penetrated his chakra cloak, yet was unfazed by the burn. He embraced Ogatami, and momentarily, the boys demonic chakra cloud began to subside back into his body.

"Ogatami, please, let go of that anger. I need you to be strong, we need you, I need you, because.. I'm in love with you. I've always been." Rogan said into his ear. Before passing out, Ogatami eyes widened at his male Uchiha friend's revelation to him. He returned his hug, and from over his shoulder, saw Sunaya still in a state of shock. He didn't know if she heard Rogan or not, he hoped not. Because things were about to get a little awkward, but atleast he was back to normal again, and tired, very.. very tired. He fell asleep into Rogan's arms, still under the trance effect of his Sharingan. Oh boy, this is gonna be a long trip, he thought.