War does not determine who is right - only who is left.
-Bertrand Russell-

[Intro: Mission to follow at next post.]
*Dreamscape...*
Strike. Retreat. Parry. Dive. Raiton. Slash. Shoton. Cleave. Eviscerate. Advance. Agonized screams, tortured souls rending the world alight with their tormented voices. Chaos ruled, a twisted, vile landscape guffawing with deadened mirth. Within its midst fought a lone warrior, broken, beaten, and submerged in the gore of his triumphs. Amethyst orbs flared, yet again the opposition falling before him in a spray of crimson and silver. The figure roared, an enraged beast of a man striking out in vengeance with unearthly force. Yet another neared, sickening grin only further enhanced by a set of bloodstained, uneven teeth. Blades, dulled from overuse, splintered under the might of his attack, breaking the abomination before him much as the same as his now useless weapons.

This did not slow him, nay, it only served to spur the grizzled figure on further, another malice engulfed howl echoing throughout the tainted landscape before him. As if to answer his summons, more of them came, each disfigured by their own corruption and carrying a weapon to match. With a deranged vocalization they launched forward, insane forms sauntering dangerously towards his now still form with weapons held aloft. Eyes, glowing eerily in the purple mist surrounding him, centered on the approaching mass with apparent glee. Almost as if by the grace of Kami herself they appeared, weapons of an unusual nature. Black crystals, glinting dangerously in the forsaken moonlight, shaped themselves into two swords, each identical to its twin.

Another manic grin found the first of the enemies cleaved in twine, organs and intestinal objects of a questionable nature spilling outward onto the crimson stained earth beneath. noting their comrades death, but caring none, the creatures circled deviously, licking their deformed lips in excited glee. At an invisible signal they lunged, six on one odds dictating the attack in their favor. Planting his feet, the lone swordsman spun rapidly, releasing his hold on his weapons as they plunged to the hilt within to of the creatures, crystalline tips jutting obtusely from the rear of each skull. With a foreign shout lightning erupted from the mans mouth, annihilating two more with a powerful beam.

Blade met skin in a brutal dance of death, two Kama piercing the leather armor of his back with uncanny ease. Pain evident on his toned visage, the warrior twisted his torso violently, dislodging the offending weapons in a gruesome tearing of muscle and sinew. One arm now disabled the man leaped, rearing back to deliver a devastating blow to the closest enemy. Said fist liquidized the internal organs instantaneously, the corpse flying backwards and off its feet almost thirty feet and into a tree trunk. It was dead before it left its feet. The other, now fearing for its miserable existence, attempted to flee. It was quick; He was faster. Right hand outstretched and with pure, unadulterated rage etched across his face, the man grabbed the being by its neck and squeezed with all his might, willing that, by some miracle, it would kill the creature.

As he choked the life out of his opponent he sighed, sides heaving from exertion and sweat coating his lithe frame. Using his remaining, if dwindled, energy he rose, using a summoned sword as a crutch of sorts as he walked onward into the mist. Crimson moon leering at him through the fog he finally arrived at his destination. An alter, containing many irregular patterns and dialects, stood before him, a sleeping, ebony haired maiden shackled upright to its central beam. The being spoke, a softness yet unheard present in his vocal tones," Tsuki..." With a soft thud he collapsed onto his knees before the steps, eyes glued to the figure before him.

Opening her eyes, the woman revealed indigo orbs of a cerulean nature, their pools containing the entirety of the universe, yet nothing but the abyssal hatred of a thousand demons. Blood, gushing forth as if pushed by some unseen force, leaked from her eyes sockets, ears, and nose. Yet she noticed not, instead choosing to smile a disturbing, evoking grin. Even as the apparitions appeared about her she spoke, voice calling out to him even as he reached out helplessly with his single arm. With a final jerk and a shudder, the ghostly figures slammed their appendages into her chest, crushing her heart nigh on instantly as he cried out it absolute horror. "Ikatashi..." "TSUKI!!!" Darkness absorbed him.
*Physical World*

With a start he awoke, lungs screaming for air and his body metted with his nighttime coverings. With every ragged, uneven breath his voice wheezed through, shivers wracking his slim, muscled frame. Hands clawing at the side of his head, Ikatashi sat, wide-eyed, in complete and absolute horror. Eyelids twitched nervously and without repose, muscles clenched at random, unyielding to their masters own will. Tears, unnoticed by the sliver haired Genin, ran continuously down his scarred face in twin rivers of abject misery. After minutes of regaining control over himself he finally had his first clear thought. "Kami-sama... Not again..." Today was, decidedly, not going to be a good day.

Thunk. The sharp, wet crack of flesh meeting resounded throughout the bathroom, the lack of running water banishing any form of noise the small area might bestow upon his heightened senses. Ikatashi, still thoroughly soaked from mast to stern, rested his forehead lightly against the damp stone of his shower. Head still swimming after a rather mortifying night terror, the slightly unstable teen had attempted to use the age old remedy of taking a cold shower. Noting the lack of clarity this granted his clouded mind, the mentally besieged shinobi returned the knob to full heat, assaulting his young, yet scar ridden skin with a stream of steaming liquid.

A sigh of contentment, and five more minutes of utter, blissful wonder later, he set about preparing for the morning ahead. Slipping into yet another set of his standard mission garb, he ambled towards his weapon rack, a small, nearly barren wooden stand designed to hold a large variety of weaponry. Having just begun his military career, Ikatashi had bought it preemptively, so as to have a place to store any and all future purchases and finds. As it were only a single weapon stood amongst the oaken shelves. A bland, non-descriptive katana. A small, almost indeterminable smirk consumed the teens visage for a moment, his hand now grasping the sheathed weapon with emotion bordering on affection.

While nothing special in build or style, the blade had served him since his earliest days, and would continue to until he either he found something of a higher quality, or it outlived its usefulness. With comforting ease and a practiced motion he slipped the covered weapon into the newly acquired leather holster situated firmly on his back. "It fits well, considering it's... Hers..." Behind veiled eyes an abysmal figure lurked, ebony lochs flowing infinitely behind her even as her hand stretched towards him. Blinking harshly he shook away the phantom, steeling his mind in an effort to deter future visions of a similar nature.

Now properly equipped for the objective at hand, he opened his bedroom window. One leap of faith later saw him outside his house, bounding across rooftop after rooftop in an attempt to stave off Kumo's Mid-afternoon traffic. After what seemed to be an eternity later Ikatashi arrived, a large oaken door barring his entrance into the Mission HQ. A callused hand reached out, pushing the wooden obstruction out of the way. With a calculated, measured pace he continued onward, ambling down the tiled hallways until he was met with a single desk, a lone woman sitting behind it. She had yet to notice him, seemingly caught up in a scroll, giving him ample time to size her up as he approached.

Said female, while obviously a konoichi of some nature, was rather bland, lacking any noticeable features that might set her apart from any other women on the street. Shoulder length auburn hair pulled into a short ponytail, dull hazel eyes, small nose, and freckles. To Ikatashi she could have been a random citizen, if not for the headband strapped tightly to her forehead. Clearing his throat garnered her attention more then expected, as not a millisecond afterward she jerked her head upward, eyes piercing into his with unexpected ferocity.

After a few tense seconds, during which Ikatashi's own hand hand unconsciously landed on his sword, the women calmed," What do you need, Shorty?" The teen bristled immediately, jaw clenched and enamel wearing. 'Insufferable wench...' "Kessho, Ikatashi. I'm reporting in for a C-rank escort mission." Noting his less then pleasant glare, the konoichi reigned in her teasing and relayed the mission scroll," Kessho, Ikatashi? Right here. The person in question is actually a councilman from your clan." An eyebrow arched. Now that was interesting. He had heard that there were other Kessho spread out amongst the vast expanse of the Elemental Countries, but had always assumed he would meet one on the battlefield, not in his own village.

Nodding, he snatched the rolled parchment from her outstretched hand, deigning to ignore the nonplussed glare crossing over her visage. Moving onward at a brisk pace, the young Genin quickly scanned over the smaller details of the parchment. A scowl bubbled to the surface not a moment later. True enough, the man in question was of his clan, and a member of the council no less. 'Kessho, Maka, Civilian Council.' A non-combat efficient Kessho? Disgraceful, to say the absolute minimum. Based on the information scrawled upon the scroll this "Maka", as he was listed, had literally no combat experience, and needed a ninja to escort him back to his home in the countryside. Being that he was the only Kessho in Kumogakure, it was tasked specifically to Ikatashi.

An untamed, furious pyre burning brightly within his Jet orbs, the Genin set a blazing pace to the meeting point without delay. Dashing over rooftops at near his top speed turned many a head, but he noted none of it. Instead he focused solely on his current objective; To find Kessho Maka.