Treasonous Thoughts (P, Reggie)

Posts : 1729

Legend:

A dangerous line of thought.

If there was one thing that could be said about the fisherman's port, it's that it was loud. Two things, and a god awful smell of fish guts also edged into the picture. Being one of the busiest fishing ports across the entire sea board, and most certainly the busiest in Lightning country, the unimaginatively named "Fisherman's Port" was so heavily permeated with the smell of gutted, often rotting fish, that the locals actually complained that other villages, when the ventured from home, were nauseatingly fresh. One could get used to anything with enough time it seemed.

Hardly a day went by without some racket of noise further befouling the air, fishmongers calling out prices, ships mates roaring out catches of the day, and no small amount of inns, bars, and brothels trying to lure in weary sailors and visitors with the promise of fresh bedding, good sake, and... Other things. Sultry, sordid things. All of this was irrelevant to the KYOBU wandering the streets, though only the most viciously vigilant of shinobi would have been able to hazard to guess he was a shinobi at all, dressed as he was. Gone was his jacket and body suit, replaced by a loosely buttoned white collared shirt with sleeves rolled up, and a pair of jeans. His boots his kept, and secured on his waist was a fanny pack with his mask and a small assortment of his tools and weapons- but otherwise, Takeshi Gouka was naked, and he felt it.

One hand rose up, scratching at his cheeks. Though still scar-puckered to his touch, a minor Henge hid the true extent of his scars, though his black-haired, blue-eyed visage was otherwise unchanged. Were there anyone still alive that truly knew him, they'd be stricken by how conspicuously inconspicuous he was trying to be. There lived no people who had ever seen the Black Reaper in civilian clothes. It was above all, suspicious... That is, if any existed that still knew him. As it were, he appeared as little more than another wandering tourist; there were no shinobi in the area to take note of the way his eyes missed nothing, of how his careful gait carried him through the crowd with deliberate casualness, never once coming close to even brushing against another person, despite how thickly packed the street was. No sensors inhabited the area to take note of his large chakra reserves, nor the way he repressed them.

It raised a great many questions, why a KYOBU was going to such lengths to remain unnoticed, but the simply truth was that if any of his superiors or comrades stumbled across Takeshi Gouka right now, he'd likely be accused of treason. And it'd all started with a simple little note. Gouka still wasn't sure how the note had found its way into his pocket, but the contents had been... Alarming, to say the least.

He pulled his hand across his face, stifling a yawn as he thought over the events that had lead him to here. The nightmares were getting worse; every night, the Hebinoo pressed harder and harder on the KYOBU's mind, and he wasn't sure how much long he'd hold out without some kind of assistance. And there lay the rub; Gouka was loyal to his village, but he was not, by any means, stupid. He knew if he brought it up to his superiors, his best case scenario was to be barred from village duty, locked away as they poked and prodded him to see if the Hebinoo could be turned into a weapon for the village. Kumogakure was desperate for another Jinchuriki ever since the loss of their Nibi host.

He'd tried to learn on his own, studying the various Fuin in the libraries. But despite his best efforts, it wasn't enough; the KYOBU archives contained techniques simply too advanced, too dangerous, for a beginner to grasp, and the public libraries contained techniques too simple; it wasn't enough, not to give him something to use against the would-be serpent god. He needed to be walked into the more advanced levels of fuin, but that itself required outside aid; a teacher, a guide. This, of course, lead him right back to square one, risking someone discovering the Hebinoo within him. Which brought him back to the note.

He slowly pulled it out of his pocket, shielding it in his hand from prying eyes as he read over the crinkled paper.

You seem to have a keen interest in Fuin, and yet fear turning to your comrades within the village for help. Perhaps we can broker a deal.

No name, no insignia, just a time and a place. It worried the KYOBU more than he cared to admit that someone had apparently watched him without his notice- and even more so that they'd managed to gather as much as they did. If nothing else, he was here to assess what sort of threat the maker of the note poised... And eliminate them, if necessary. He folded the note back up, putting it back in his pocket. A part of him silently hoped that, indeed, there might actually be help to be had here; he was getting weary of the endless nightmares. Night after night, the only serenade in his mind were the screams. As much as they drained him, he worried even more that, one day, he might get used to them. Kami help him, down that path lay a fate worse than simple possession.

It was almost time, and he'd almost reached the designated meeting place. One way or another, he'd find answers, or eliminate a threat.

SCs:

Equipment:

Jutsu/Chakra Usage:

Summons/NPCs/Clones:

Posts : 760

One Day Ago
He was back in his hotel room cleaning himself off. He took a cold shower and walked back into the main room with nothing up but his lower jeans to cover him. He went into town not an half-hour ago just to pick up supplies he was going to be using today. He got coffee, a mug, two cold matcha tea drinks, paper, and a pen. He saw his prepared coffee on the table still hot from when he made it. The paper and pen was lying neatly beside each other.

He knew what he was going to be doing for the next few hours. He did not try to imagine his hands cramping up from all the writing he was about to do, but he felt the phantom aches in his joints when he bent his fingers into a fist. He had been absent for the past year and a half in terms of contacting both his organization and to his assistant Kia and the small family he had back in Water Country. Although Kia was not the worrying type when it came to Alayasha’s absence, the organization was more like a concern mother waiting for him to return from a night of partying and defilement. Silence for more than a year from him would certainly make one particular group of the organization come after him. They were not kind to the silent treatment, especially from one of their board members. The last thing he wanted blindsiding him was a particular group of hunter nin attempting to take him back to headquarters.

He sat down and took a sip of his coffee. It was comfortably hot, black and extremely bitter just the way he made it back when he first started drinking coffee. “Skip the bullshit” his father and uncle would say when they fixed the stuff. They didn’t want all the sugar, cream, milk or any sort of sweetener to give it any life. They felt coffee was good at its purest. Years later, Alayasha could only agree with the two. He smacked his lips and set the cup down. He grabbed the pen and began to write. He would first write to The Creed. Most of the paper he had would certainly be him writing down a report from the last time he wrote to them-which was when Kirigakure was destroyed by the Sanbi-to now with the current events of the Parabrahma and his formation of the organization.

Halfway into his report about the death of Shikyo, Shinjin he received a knock on the door. Alayasha’s eyes zipped to the door. His heart seem to skip a beat for a moment, and blood rushed all through his body. He knew the phrase speak of the devil and he shall appear. He didn’t think there was a new phrase “Think of the devil and he’ll be coming a knockin’”.

Well shit, I didn’t think the silencers were coming today. He looked over at his bowie knife laying on the bed. It was sheathed in its black leather holster. It seem so far away to grab and take out. He could grab it but his hands were far deadlier. He balled his hand into a fist feeling the power rise into his forearm.

He stood up and tip toed to the door. He kept silent for a few seconds. As his hand was hovering over the doorknob, the voice on the other side of the door spoke. “Bro, open the door.”

That voice. It was so familiar that when the realization hit, he swiftly grabbed the door handle and opened the door. The person standing outside of his door was five inches shorter than, short freeform locs that came down to his shoulders and a cartoon smile that was the epitome of charm. Alayasha couldn’t help but to smile back at the figure smiling at him.

“Hey, big bro. Long time no see.”

“You’re damn right it’s been a long time.” Alayasha embraced him, wrapping his arms around his little brother that would’ve crushed him.

Mashah wrapped his arms around him and gave him the same crushing hug. It was only a few seconds, but to them it was hours. They pulled away and Alayasha had a hand on Mashah’s shoulders. He patted them and saw that he had gained some lean muscle. “Whoa there, you’ve been gaining some size little brother. Last time I felt these shoulders, they were all chubby.”

Mashah chuckled. “Last time you saw me, I was still in Kaze no Kuni wondering what I was going to do with my life...”

Alayasha looked at his watch then back at the street. The timing was still off, in his opinion of course, but the person arriving would more or less believe that the timing was right. He was arriving to the designated spot. He figured if he was the one who was doing the teaching, he would pull the ‘arrive not on time but not early either.’ He had gone shopping to find some clothes for this little get together. Finding clothes his size was troublesome due to his size and height, but he managed to find a white shirt that was hugging his entire upper body and black jeans that didn’t want to strangle his goods. He tied his long locs back showing his angular and chiseled face. His bushy afro beard was long gone none, trimming it down to an inch and a half. He looked somewhat normal in a crowd.

I hope you don’t mind a meeting with a KYOBU agent, sweetie. He’s quite the enigmatic one. That was what one sentence of the letter his brother gave him said. His former lover sent him a message about a certain man in the ranks of KYOBU wanting to learn the art of fuuinjutsu. A few things popped into his mind that was still bothering him. Actually, a lot of things were sending red flags that was ignoring. The first fact was him dealing with anyone from Kumogakure. He did put a lot of emphasis on anyone because he knew that was against his work ethic. On the rarest occasions he ever engages in the former villages he was integrated in and those occasions were like finding gold in dog shit. The second fact or rather the question was why did Mya decide to hook him up with this individual? How she learned he was in Lightning Country was not surprising. Sooner or later one of her birdies was going to spot him, and they were going to inform the mistress.

He supposed he ignored all the warning signs because he was simply curious. Curiosity was the killer of cats, but Alayasha was no cat. He will say that this meeting was as risky as gambling with the top tier poker players of the world and he was risky a good amount of his fortune to see whether he’ll win the pot or not. All the same, he was so fucking curious as to why this person wants to have information on seals. So many questions, few of them answered by deduction alone, but some weren’t.

He saw a non-descript man standing at the designated spot. He wore a white button up shirt and a pair of blue jeans that fitted him well. He had a blank look on his face. Alayasha didn’t need to read it because he wouldn’t be able to. He was a blank slate, a man that concealed everything from any wandering eye. His eyes, however, were looking at him with intensity. If looks could kill… Alayasha thought. He wondered how many people thought that if they ever saw this man’s eyes. They probably wouldn’t if he was KYOBU. He looked like any normal person, but if he wasn’t an observant man he would’ve noticed the relax stance of the assassin. His stature alone was between relax and caution; he was in the perfect state for complete and utter awareness that gave him situational control of the enviroment. Oh he was KYOBU. He been in Kumogakure before and dealt with the men and women of Kumo’s hidden operations. He knew their stance, and he knew their style. No clothing could hide years of practiced blending and the aura coming off of him.

He stood at a distance. He looked at his watch and saw that he was two minutes late. He pulled out a toothpick in his pocket and placed it in his mouth. Oral fixations, he knew. If he was a smoker he probably would’ve lit one up right about now just so he could have something in his mouth to occupy him. He waited for the man to engage him. If KYOBU wanted something, he would have to ask him and not the other way around.

Posts : 1729

Legend:

Dangerous places inhabited by dangerous faces.

It was easy enough to pick him out; one trained killer to another. And while Gouka was unrecognizable without his mask, the man before him was certainly less so. Not many shinobi, KYOBU or not, could have failed to recognize Kuro Alayasha from his entry in the Bingo Book. A man who, by the rumors at least, had sunk the entire village of Kirigakure into the depths when he'd instigated the unleashing of the Sanbi. Gouka considered the man for a long, long moment, weighing his options.

On the one hand, Kuro had not, to his knowledge, acted directly against Kumo; not insofar as his Bingo book entry made mention, at least. That said, he was considered a criminal, a rogue nin; KYOBU existed to take down such individuals. He looked to be no more armed than Gouka, so a fight was within the realm of possibility, and yet... It was very, very widely speculated that the man had unleashed the Sanbi on Kirigakure, destroying the village. Beyond a doubt, the man was an accomplished fuin master. One who could unseal demons, by necessity, had the ability to seal them away as well.

It took him only a moment longer to consider; he was loyal to his village, but not stupid. And the nightmares had to end. It would, ultimately, be the lesser evil; seeking aid from a criminal was against his duty, yes, but without his aid, Gouka would either become a threat to the village, or removed from the force for experimentation. And however fiercely loyal the KYOBU might be, he would not die for his village on an operating table. So long as the price did not further compromise his integrity than seeking the aid at all did... He would take the nuke-nin's help. At worst, Gouka could always come after the man later.

Tilting his head as he made eye-contact, he silently bid that he follow; weaving through the crowd, maintaining the barest level of focus on his sensory skill let him keep a, if somewhat hazy, "third eye" on the man presumably following him. He'd lead along for a short time, before ducking under the flap of the seediest, grimiest looking bar he could find; "The Fat Bastard." Painted on the flaps were images of a Buddha in various states of undress, a conveniently placed bottle keeping any one from being too indecent, the faces flushed and red.

It was dimly lit within the bar, only a scarce few candles hanging from grimy, smoke-and-tar stained glass lanterns. The smell, while not overbearing, carried a distinct scent of stale vomit and weak, cheap beer. There were only a scare few patrons, secluded in little groups, some playing cards, all with much ado boisterous laughter and the occasional call for another drink. Fishermen on shore leave no doubt, enjoying every moment they could before the boats called them back. Only a single, harried looking serving girl walked the floors, a thoroughly bored looking man at the bar staring off into the distance as he mindlessly wiped a glass over and over.

He broke from his reverie as Gouka sat down, a grin alighting on his face as he waddled over. ""What can I... What can I get ya?" He faltered momentarily in the face of Gouka's unnervingly blank visage, but to his credit, it didn't slow him down long. Gouka kept his order short and curt. "Awamori. On the rocks." Nodding, the bartender would then take Kuro's order if he had it, and trundle off. Gouka wouldn't say a word until the man returned, setting his filled glass and the bottle down in front of him, ice clinking against the edge of the glass as the liquid swirled. He didn't actually touch the drink; Kami knew if he started drinking, he'd never stop.

For a moment, the bartender settled himself in front of the two, but Gouka gave him... A look. Not quite threatening, and no killer intent in it, but it was a look he'd perfect in his line of duty as a KYOBU; a look that said "You don't want to be here." The man caught on quickly, and with a harumph and a puff, wandered to the far end of the bar. Gouka wrapped his hand around the glass; it felt cool to the touch. Moisture, already beading on it, dampened his palm. The heady smell of the strong, distilled rice liquor bit at his nostrils. Finally, he spoke.

"Kuro Alaysha." He spoke quietly, swirling his glass carefully in his hand. "Most infamously known as the man who sunk Kiri into the depths when he unleashed the Sanbi... Ah, rumored, to have done so." He made a motion of bringing the glass to his lips, even faking a swallow, but none of the alcohol passed into his mouth. "Word of mouth puts you as an accomplished fuin user, if nothing else." He turned slightly in his seat, aiming to stare the man in the eyes. He felt a slithering sensation, deep inside his core, and a slight, almost imperceptible strain on his mind; good. The Hebinoo was paying attention, at least.

"I'm lead to believe you might be willing to pass on some of those skills."

SCs:

Equipment:

Jutsu/Chakra Usage:

Summons/NPCs/Clones:

Posts : 760

The man made eye contact. He motioned Alayasha to follow. He wanted to be in a disclosed area which made every lick of sense in Alayasha’s opinion. He followed behind him keeping to himself for the time being. Alayasha was trying to remember if he knew who he was, and maybe put a name to the face. From first glance, Alayasha could identify that the man was probably in his early or mid twenties. Judging from the stern look on the face plus the lack of anything remotely looking like a teenager, he was going to say that the man was in the latter category. So that meant he was twenty-four, twenty-five or twenty-six. That probably meant he was still a teenager when Alayasha first arrived in Kaminari no Kuni nine years prior. Shit, he thought. Had it been nine years since then? Technically, that wasn’t entirely true. He arrived here when he was still working in Kirigakure no Sato and brought his young cousin with him to make contact with his lover. It had been, however, nine years since he set foot in Kumogakure no sato. He couldn’t say this man was ringing any bells. Either he was born and raised in KYOBU and was bred to be one of those elite assassin’s or he hadn’t do anything prior to his intiation into the black operations of Kumo.

Either way, Alayasha still couldn’t name to the face. He doubted he was going to get a name now. The man had kept his silent when they enter The Fat Bastard and remained that way till they reached the counter where the smiling bartender took at a look at them and asked what they wanted. The tender had a momentarily glance of hestitation when he looked at the KYOBU man. When Alayasha glanced over, he saw the man’s face was molded into indifference and intent. I’m sure you’re a riot at a partyAlayasha thought.

"Awamori. On the rocks." He said curtly and to the point. He was a no bullshit, no chaser type of guy.

“Nothing for me, thank you.” Alayasha said politely. Something told me the bartender was glad he didn’t have to linger too long. He didn’t know if that would be a good thing or a bad thing. Joints like this where the stale beer lingered and piss was stained in corners, certain roaches had a tendency of joining the party. If the bartender was as scared as he looked, he probably wouldn’t try to call one of those big roaches to deal with him and Alayasha. If he wasn’t, then this day was going to be interesting.

It would be hard to discern Alayasha’s age just by look alone. If this guy was KYOBU then they would have some record of his age somewhere. He didn’t know how entirely accurate that little piece of paper was in the Bingo Book, but he was damn near sure they would have his age around his current one. Still, his appearance was misleading. He couldn’t say the same for this man, however. He turned to him and Alayasha saw that the man looked-well, haggard wasn’t the word he was looking for. He looked simply tired like he hasn’t been getting any sleep. At all. It made him seem older than what he appeared, in this light that is. He had the look of a killer, but he also had a look that said he hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep for two weeks.

So when he began talking, revealing his identity, and the rumor that he may had a hand in destroying Kirigakure, Alayasha asked himself this: How was he going to play this? Could he confirm the fact that he perhaps had a hand in that? Sure, he could roll with IT. He wouldn’t have to explain that the seal on the Jinchuuriki was already in a weaken state and it was probably the host itself who broke it. It wouldn’t matter, of course. Most village shinobi saw black and white with this sort of issue. He could roll with that sort of rumor. It’s not like he wouldn’t think less of him being a criminal.

Ok, so he was going to roll with it. Now what? Well, he should at least engage in the conversation and see where that goes. “You must be really desperate to ask me. Judging by our little secret meeting that my ex-lover decided to put on…” he swiveled his head to look at the bar they were in. The table where the men were playing cards seems to have increased their chatter. Someone was probably winning, which probably meant one was cheating. “…then I admire your audacious behavior.” He continued. “I wouldn’t say my fame is for fuuinjutsu in the shinobi community or underworld for that matter. I’m more so famed for my-well, let’s just say I’m better in knowing when and where to invest my money into. Regardless, thank you for the complement” He was jesting with that last bit, but he reminded himself that the man was probably as serious as dried toast with unsalted butter and water. Alayasha now wished he asked for something to drink. He was probably going to be thirsty after all of this. Plus, it was a good distraction. Instead he continued talking, “There are plenty of fuuin master’s within Kumogakure that are more than willing to teach you that kind of stuff. In your eyes, I’m a criminal. I have no loyalties to anyone but my own. The fuuin master’s there would be ready to teach you and gain nothing from it but the satisfaction of training a powerful man.”

“But…” he hesitated, looking at the man again. He just couldn’t put a name to the man and it was bothering him. “From the way you brought up that little rumor and judging from the way you look like you’ve been doing a ton of all nighters, you have something in you that is giving you a hard time and you rather the world not know this little secret. The shinobi world is a dangerous place where information of that sort can be critical. Especially in your line of work.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know what you have inside you. Whether you’ll tell me what it is will help me decide in the grand scheme of things. My main question is why should I teach you? As a businessman, I invest in things that will bring me some sort of ‘income’. Teaching you this and you give me nothing in return would be a loss in my eyes. ” Alayasha waited for the man’s answer. In the back of his mind he got the sinking suspicion of someone-or something watching him. It wasn’t the people within the room, but rather something inside of this man.

What exactly do you have in you?

Posts : 1729

Legend:

Too close for comfort.

Gouka slowly raised the glass to his lips again, faking another drink. Outwardly he presented the same cold, emotionless visage as ever, but inside, his mind was racing. Kuro Alayasha was far more intelligent than his reputation gave away, and had guessed far too much for Gouka's liking. The Awamori has a high enough alcohol content that a splash in the eyes might blind the S-rank nuke nin, giving Gouka time to retrieve his daggers, or toss off a jutsu. As the glass sat down upon the bar once more, every muscle in his body tensed. INSOLENT WHELP. YOU THINK MERE FUIN WILL HELP YOU AGAINST ME? I, WHO BROKE A SEAL CREATED BY THE VERY GODS!? YOU WILL FAIL MORTAL, AND I WILL FEAST UPON YOUR SOUL FOR ALL ETERNITY WHEN YOU DO. His free-hand gripped tightly into his knee, visibly tensing as his hand shattered the glass, lacerating his digits and splashing high-proof alcohol across the bar top.

He flinched, hissing for breath as the between the glass shards and alcohol burning the newly created wounds. The bartender bustled over, mouthing opening in question, but Gouka quickly waved him off, lying through his teeth. "Set it down too hard. Another glass, and some napkins." He wasn't paying attention to Alaysha, striving not to appear shaken by the incident. It was true, to an extent; the Hebinoo took far too much joy in making the KYOBU squirm like that, even if he didn't try to take control of Gouka except in his sleep. The bartender soon returned with another glass and a handful of rags, which Gouka graciously accepted. Wordlessly, he picked glass shards out of his hand, leaving them in a bloody little pile on another napkin. Finally, he spoke up.

"When I was seventeen years old, a fresh KYOBU recruit, I stabbed a little girl in the back." He raised up his hand, staring listlessly at the ruby-red fluid staining it. "She was a genin, but at twelve years old, hardly more than a child. She broke down during her first assignment and tried to prevent me from killing the enemy. When I attempted to take her into custody, she... resisted." He wrapped his hand carefully in rags, binding it up tight. "I severed her spine, and ashed her corpse with her own supply of exploding tags." Finally, he looked Alaysha in the eyes.

"Her death was the first atrocity I committed for my village, but far from the last. There is no line I won't cross, and when the time comes, I will lay down my life as my duty demands it." His hand slowly, unconsciously, clenched into a fist. "But I will not die for it being experimented on on some operating table." He turned away from the nuke nin, picking up the glass and, for once, actually drinking the foul liquid. It burned his throat like fire, but dangerous as that one drink might be, he needed it. "Suffice to say, 'what is in me' is my secret alone; I am still a KYOBU, and this meeting alone is already damning enough as it is. You will get no further leverage on me. Suffice to say, I have a... pressing need, to learn the art of fuin. As for payment..."

Gouka considered for a moment, before deciding quickly. Making slow, carefully deliberate movements, so as not to make the man think he was moving to attack, he reached into the fanny-pack, pulling out a single, long blade. The cherry-oak sheathe glimmered faintly in the dim tavern lights, the dull leather-wrapped handle fitting comfortable in his hand. A soft click preceded the unsheathing of the blade, twelve inches of rippling, serpent-like tungsten and steel. He placed the blade on the counter, spinning it around to present the handle towards Alayasha.

Ripple Effect:

"Hakyū Kōka. Tungsten carbide with a steel core, making it as close to indestructible as a weapon gets, while still flexible for combat." He tapped the blade lightly. "I won't bore you with the precise specifics of the forging, but suffice to say it's highly chakra conductive, and acts as a genjutsu disruptor; channel chakra as if you were attempting a Kai, and for a fraction of the cost, it disrupts the illusion for a few moments." He leaned back. "Handy, in the face of high-ranking illusions that are prohibitively chakra intensive to break out of; a fast enough wielder can use the disruption to target the caster and attack."

He looked up from the blade to meet Alayasha's eyes once more. "Blades like this are prohibitively expensive to make, the resources for which are usually restricted to properly clearanced weapons users; you're unlikely to find any other weapon that matches its ability and quality. Does that strike you as a sound investment?"

SCs:

Equipment:

Jutsu/Chakra Usage:

Summons/NPCs/Clones:

Posts : 760

KYOBU, that was what Alayasha was going to call him now as there was no helping it, seem to feint relaxation. Like a game of chess, when the opponent was surprised by the other opponents move, they had this momentary instance of absolute and utter calm. The calm before the storm, the rest period before destruction, call it whatever it was. Alayasha saw that KYOBU was making a decision. He could guess what KYOBU was churning in that black op head of his. He probably didn't guess Alayasha would reveal all of that in one fell swoop. That much information revealed made him dangerous and KYOBU knew that people like Alayasha were dangerous.

As KYOBU took a sip of his drink and set it down, the man's body seemed to be seized by something. No one else would off notice it at a distance or at a first glance. The bartender had his back turned and the poker players were beginning to pick up in chatter. If Alayasha hadn't guessed that something inside of him he would've assumed KYOBU was having a mild seizure. The glass in his hand shattered making Alayasha raise his eyebrows in response. The bartender turned around to see what had fallen. He could an immediate shock, one Alayasha was familiar with when one of the patrons had done something to cause a stir. All the glass sliced into the man's hand, yet KYOBU showed no sign of pain or even an ounce of surprise of his action.

The bartender came around, listened to what KYOBU had to say, and was heading off to get him a towel. When the bartender came back, Alayasha got his attention. "Bring me a glass of water, if you may." The bartender nodded and came back with both a glass of water for Alayasha. He grabbed the cup and weighed it in his hand as if he was inspecting the content for poison. He took a sip of his water, nice and cold Alayasha thought gratefully, and set it down next to him. He watched KYOBU pull the pieces of glass out of his hand one by one. As he was doing so, Alayasha was speculating what exactly had taken control of him. He certainly didn't give off the vibe of having a bijuu. He knew it was some sort of spirit that more so hindered him rather than help him like the relationship with Kyosuu and Son Goku or Kirima and Matabi. No, this was more of a host and parasite situation, and from that viewpoint Alayasha was beginning to understand why KYOBU wanted to get this under control.

KYOBU would do anything he was told. He murdered a child, a crime Alayasha was also not unfamiliar with and other atrocities for the sake of his village and country. He understood that he was a living and breathing blade, but KYOBU would be damned if that same country were to betray him for the sake of the creature inside of him. KYOBU didn't reveal what was inside of him. That would make things a tad difficult on Alayasha's part, but Alayasha didn't show that he cared or didn't care about that. KYOBU wouldn’t be in this business if he just let out a secret that could determent his entire existence. Besides, now that he witnessed this sign of possession he was more than just curious and fascinated. He would be lenient…for now.

KYOBU considered a moment then he made a move to the pack that down by his waist. He was slow in doing so as to make sure Alayasha wouldn’t get the wrong impression. No, Alayasha thought, you had a moment where you wanted to, but this is too important. The man pulled out a blade that was held in a beautiful sheathe. He set the blade down on the counter and spun it so the handle was toward Alayasha.

As KYOBU explained the weapon and the attributes attached to it, Alayasha took the blade in one hand carefully inspecting it. There was no lie in the statements from KYOBU; the blade was given extra care and time in the creation process making it next to the perfect as far as Alayasha knew. He had gotten better in seeing differences in makes, metals, and quality over the week after his re-learning of weaponry. The refresher had brought back that interest to Alayasha and made him want to study up on what makes a weapon truly unique. The weapon would be useful. Even if he wasn’t skilled with it like KYOBU, the traits the blade possessed made it up.

He set the weapon down leaving the handle towards him. He didn’t answer immediately after the response. He looked at KYOBU for a short length of time before turning back to his water and taking another sip. Those sips then transformed into slow gulps. He seemed to savor the water this time letting not one of water escape from his lips. He drank half the content before he set the cup down. “I have to say,” Alayasha said, finally. “This seems small for the lessons that I’m about to teach you…” he paused again letting the words linger out. Alayasha could refuse it. He had nothing against the man despite him being align to one of his former cities he use to invest it, but that was just business. He had no attachments to anyone there besides family, and this man was the farthest thing from family. He was a stranger to Alayasha. A familiar stranger, yes, but a stranger nonetheless.

He looked at the hand where he crushed the glass. Those would turn into scars he knew. They would be constant reminders of the thing that plagues him. Whatever spirit was within the man it would only get worst not better. He looked at the man’s eyes and saw the rest that had evaporated from him. Alayasha was a lot of things in life. Some things said about him he would agree with, but cruel? To an extent, he was cruel. He was not a perfect man, but he was far from being a truly cruel man. In the end, he did not want to condemn this man to suffering. Not even on his worst enemies would he want them to battle a spirit.

He grabbed the blade again by the handle. “This will suffice.” He said. “I won’t be able to teach you right away, however.” He raised two fingers. “Two reasons. The first one is because I don’t know what exactly you’re up against. I can only assume right now and I rather not put myself in the assumption category. I want to be close to 100 percent as possible as to not get you…well killed. The wrong seal, the wrong formula and that thing could free itself and do whatever it is capable of doing.” He directs his attention at the hand. “Clearly the thing inside you acts as a parasite in some fashion and has no desire of you trying to seal it off.”

“The second reason is rather-well, let me start off by saying that I can help with sealing that thing away, but because of my lack of information I’m going to put some general parameters around this. Despite this not being a bijuu, the process for sealing is universally similar. The body, mind, and spirit have to be of one accord. In order to do that you’ll have to do a bit of purging.” He points to the glass of water. “You’re going to have to be as clear and empty-minded as water.”

He paused. He was thinking again, estimating the exact amount of time KYOBU needed in order for this sealing to work. He looked at those eyes again. Twenty-four going on forty, Alayasha thought. He wondered how long KYOBU been going through this. A year? Two years? Three? He didn't know how the man's sanity was handling, but he had doubts the man would want to go through another week of torment. He continued. “Normally, you’ll need two weeks of a tsum or a true fast. That means no food or water for the next two weeks. I doubt you want to wait that long so here is what I would like for you to do. Go to an herbalist and find some Valerian, Peppermint, Sage, Lavender and some herbs for chakra purification. Take twice the recommended dosage and begin the tsum then.”

“I’m not going to sugarcoat it, you’re going to go through a heavy reaction to it. Depending on your body, you’re going to go through a lot of pain. Not just physical, but mental too. While you’re awake, you’re going to feel like you have no strength. You'll feel as though performing the simplest of tasks is like performing the most difficult of jutsu. This concoction should help you sleep, but you’re going to be having some crazy dreams and possibly be attacked by whatever it is inside you. But the thing won’t be able to do much if it is like a parasite. The concoction may weaken you, but it’ll weaken the hell out of the thing making sealing easier on your part. During those three days, I’m going to prepare the seal and give you the location of a certain place I use to study back in the day. By the end of the seventy-two hour, the concoction will run its course and by then you’ll receive a message stating the location of the facility.”

He took a sip of his water, grateful now that he had something to sip on now. "At that facility, I will teach you how to seal it and I will teach you the art of the seals."

Posts : 1729

Legend:

Once more into the frey.

Gouka relaxed, in that casual way that only a trained killer can relax; in a way that, by relaxing, only now brought to attention the fact that he had tensed up at all, as Alayasha agreed to his offer. He listened patiently as the man went over the risks; the wrong seal, and Gouka was dead. The wrong seal, and even worse, Gouka was dead, and the Hebinoo was free. It didn't take him long to decide which of these was the worse options; better that he die, than live on to be that twisted creature's puppet. He'd seen bits and pieces of its memory, knew what the creature was capable of in a host; in the body of a Jounin... It did not bare thinking on, the havoc and destruction he could wreak.

Shaking off the worrisome thoughts, he focused, eyes unblinking as he took in the nuke-nin's advice. Clarity, tranquility; emotions Gouka had not felt in a long, long time. He could recall faintly hearing something of "tsum" in the academy, but the memory was there and gone. With a pang of regret, he found himself wishing Kirima were still here. She knew what it was like. Suffering under the stigma of the Nibi all her life, she could have helped Gouka prepare. Taken away some of the sting he felt, dealing with a criminal for help. But she was gone; a broken women with broken memories, and no desire to ever recall them. He'd face this as he'd faced every other challenge in his life; alone.

He took careful mental note of the various herbs Alayasha rattled off, paying close attention to the time frame. Three more days. That could be easily managed. Some of the comments though, tickled something. ~~"I doubt you want to wait that long."~~ 'Crazy dreams.' He didn't know why, but something about the man's... concern, clicked something into place, deep inside Gouka's mind. Or rather, something snapped completely off.

It bubbled in his chest for a long moment, a thoroughly unfamiliar sensation, before a croaking noise parted his lips; it took Gouka a moment to realize he was laughing. It was a dry, ugly sound, like a corpse rattling air through dry, withered and mummified lungs. There was nothing, not a trace, hidden within the noise that could cause someone to mistake it for mirth. His fist pounded on the bar as he roared with unlaughter, Henge flickering around his scars. He was aware of the bar going dead silent except for the terrible noise- and all of a sudden, he stopped.

His mouth clicked shut, and he turned slowly, surveying the room. Something in his eyes must have clicked some primal, feral instinct in the gathered men; those playing cards were focused on their respective hands with an intensity that suggested the fate of the world rested on them. Or at the very least, their ability to go home in one piece that night. The barman had disappeared down behind the counter, a rattle and clink signifying the needless organization of bottles and glasses.

He turned back to Alayasha, leaning in slightly, finger twitching as if to beckon the nuke-nin closer. He spoke in a hoarse whisper; "If this thing can give me any dreams 'crazier' than it has for the past six years, I will not survive to our meeting." He leaned back, standing up from the bar as he carefully rummaged into his pouch, pulling out and throwing down a handful of ryo notes. "Three days, two weeks; it doesn't matter. I'll ransack the local herbalist, and you send your message whenever you decide to send your message." He turned, almost as if to go, but paused.

Death or release; both very real possibilities of the wrong seal being applied. The man would need more information, if he was to teach him the right information. Grudgingly, he turned to him, leaning in as non-threateningly as possible, for one final conversation. "You have eyes and ears within the village, I'm sure. Look into the fates of one Mikado Kaze and Vandheer Lorde Haretsu." He paused a moment, considering, before he continued. "And you may be interested in the mythology section of the local library. Suijin, in particular, had... Interesting children."

Without another word, he left off, swiftly exiting the bar and disappearing into the crowd, leaving both the Nuke-nin and his dagger behind. Three days; three more days, and maybe some of his nightmares would cease. Whether Takeshi Gouka lived or died, in three days, at least some part of the agony that was his existence would be eased.

[Exit]