subterranean endeavors [P]

[Exar Kun]

In the blink of an eye, Adrianna's bow went from hanging securely to the strap on her back to in her hands with an arrow nocked on its string. All manner of amusement was gone from the Chuunin's face, replaced with a deep-seated frown. Her eyes were wide and alert, the pupils darting back fourth in broad sweeps of the room. She was officially in battle-mode.

The blood, the body, the sounds. It all came together to create an intensely terrifying scene, enough to send a shiver and a sheen of sweat run down her back. But despite that, she hadn't made it to the rank of Chuunin by being easily cowed. Her sensei had trained her well on how to stay calm under pressure, and so even while her nerves were shot, Adrianna's mind was still thinking clearly. Questions were forming.

No aspect of their predicament made sense. The section of the sewer they were in was not that vast . To the contrary- it was actually rather narrow. There was nowhere to hide, and only two paths one could travel: across the bridge and deeper into the irrigation labyrinth, or back up the stairs to the sewer entrance. Why, then, did she feel as if they had been surrounded? And that was only the most distracting of the factors. Taking into consideration the sudden appearance of the body, and the blood, and the noises, and the oh-so-coincidental sandstorm that was brewing outside, trapping them within the clutches of whatever insanity dwelled within the dank corridors... the situation struck her as surreal.

Surreal.

Was this all the work of some exotic genjutsu? A chakra-induced ploy to create panic?

Adrianna’s gaze centered on her Sunagami comrade. Her eyes narrowed malevolently, like a feline assessing a threat. He looked as distressed as they all did. But in the ninja world, appearances meant little.

“Rokuto...” She said darkly, her voice sounding as close to a growl as a girl of her petite stature could make. “If this is some stupid genjutsu of yours, stop it right now. It’s not funny anymore.”

[Ikki Sanada]

Ikki Sanada moved almost as if he was in a trance. For reasons unknown his fear was melting away, being replaced with a sense of duty. He was a ninja of the Sand Village and it was his duty to defend the inhabitants of the Village. Just being in a scary place like this should not give him pause to act. As he felt this way Ikki started to move toward the body.

The Genin heard the people around him speak. First was Rokuto. "Holy sh... what the hell just happened?! Whatever the case, this is stone-cold murder, I have to do something..." His voice trailed off before coming back and getting even louder. "ALRIGHT, WHATEVER THE HELL IS THERE, SHOW YOURSELF!"

Next was Kenchiro who request that they make a beeline towards the exit. Ikki could hear his footsteps fall on the path and get small and smaller until he almost couldn't hear the boy. By this point ikki had reached the body. He knelt down on his haunches and examined the entire body. Hopefully his intense examination would lead to another clue as to how this man was killed. As Ikki was examining the body he heard Kenchiro return, moving slowly and cautiously.

Finally he heard Adrianne speak. “Rokuto... If this is some stupid genjutsu of yours, stop it right now. It’s not funny anymore." Her voice sounded dark and gruff, Ikki could tell instantly they she was pissed.

Ikki stood back up and turned to the group. "Rokuto is right, this is a murder. This was obviously a violent crime but I can't decide if there was just a fight somewhere above us in the cavern or this body was just dumped here. But one thing is clear, we have to find the culprit. Anyone have any ideas?"

The young Genin had an idea forming in the back of his head, that they split up and try to find the murderer, but this could spell their doom. he had no idea whether or not the murderer was a ninja or just a regular civilian. If they were a ninja they had to be extra careful.

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[Katsumaru]

"Are the preparations made?" a cloak-clad figure mumbled to a comrade. The man to which he spoke was much larger at six-feet and five inches, donning a white coat and rubber cloves, stained in blood and a tainted yellow liquid. The taller man nodded and took several steps towards a tube connected to numerous wires, fluctiating in color.

"Yes, yes, yes." the man wearing the cloke whispered, his voice colder than the frigid wastes of Yukigakure, swishing like the fiercest storms. His azure eyes shifted upwards to stare at the dube. A familiar yellow liquid bubbled within, embracing a creature -nay, a nude man, cuts across his body, blood intermingling with the yellow. The cuts have been inflicted by a thin blade, forming the fingers formed into a v upon hsi chest - a peace sign. "He will be ready soon."

_____________________________________________

The melody most macabre rung out, a song of wretched screams, one cry after another ringing out in the shadow-clad sewers. The sand in the surrounding desert roared, clashing upon the buildings above, the sound of corroding rock heard even in these depths. What awaits those who wander aimlessly, with burning passion and will most bold? Mythical tales tell stories of the courageous overcoming all challenge. but that is simply fantasy, for it is not life. In lives, we are all tragic heroes, doomed by the greatest of human hubris - curiosity.

And to what did curiosity bring this group today? A lenghty path leading into a narrow hall, scarcely wide enough to fit. To walk through, the lot would have to squeeze. But a most disturbing feature would make the trip unpleasant - a viscerate tecture, a crimson covered in a thin layer of muscus. Hells, what horrro was this - organs, organs sprawled upon the walls. Then something flickered, something moved within that path.

It was a gaunt man, rib bones showing, and head covered in sprinkles of gray hair. Two dark brown eyes rested above bags of exhaustion and a crooked nose. His thin hands held an arm, bone extended through the joint, the rest of the meat chewed off, clenched in his sharpened teeth.

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[KID GAMBINO.]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420,true] ¤ THE HUMAN SANDSTORM OF SUNAGAKURE! ¤ There was no response, and immediately after the corpse came crashing into the platform, the drizzling blood ceased. Whatever caused this catastrophe was no longer there. The once-confident underclassman's voice was distraught and indiscernible as I contemplated our next move, but I could feel the mild hysteria that began to corrupt his composition. Unfortunately for him, retreating was no longer an option, and survival and expedition was our only choice. The sudden arrival of one of Sunagakure's infamous sandstorms bellowed from the above ground, and the thought of sending the Genin to inform higher-ups of what was occurring became out of the question. For now, the best decision we could administer would be to venture deeper into the cavern, hopefully unraveling more clues to what caused this random death, the murderer somewhere hidden in this maze of sewage. “Rokuto... If this is some stupid genjutsu of yours, stop it right now. It’s not funny anymore.” Ha! Was it possible that Adrianna was suffering from some form of memory-loss disease? If she would've taken the time to recollect our academy years, she'd remember that I was quite possibly the worst Genjutsu user in Sunagakure, most tests that required fundamental knowledge in the art nearly flunking me for those short years. Eventually, the obstacles were overcome, but until this day, I wouldn't be able to conjure an effective illusion to save my life... "That wasn't funny, Adrianna! I wouldn't dare resort to illusions, even for the sake of a humorous joke. This, my friend, is as real as your hands are... But, nevermind that, we need to remain alert and find out what the hell is going on here..." Just as I turned to confirm that the three humans were still intact, the adolescent Genin, one who I expected would've stumbled off the bridge from sh**ting his pants came to observe the damned corpse, his composure completely unphased. Sporadically, he kneeled and examined the body, and the only meaningless thing my mind could conjure was "dont drink the blood dont drink the blood dont drink the blood"... "Rokuto is right, this is a murder. This was obviously a violent crime but I can't decide if there was just a fight somewhere above us in the cavern or this body was just dumped here. But one thing is clear, we have to find the culprit. Anyone have any ideas?" Heh, I had to admit, this was quite a turn of events; the arrogant one was freaking out, while the questionable youngster actually rationalized and had the same tenacity I possessed. The light within this one was beginning to shine greater than I figured... "Good job, Ikki. Due to the fact that we can actually hear the storm outside, it is safe to assume that none of us will be leaving here anytime soon. With that said, and a dead person on our hands, we need to take this opportunity and investigate while the lead is still fresh, and prayerfully, we'll apprehend the culprit. We shall continue forward, and since I have the expert knowledge about the upcoming areas, I'll resume leading the group. Consider this an unofficial mission, and like I said earlier, remain alert. Let's move." Surmising that the two Genin and Chunin woman agreed to the terms, we would progress across the platform toward an open hallway, leaving the corpse behind. The architecture in these sewers were definitely unorthodox, the once-wide passageway suddenly decreasing into a narrow, barely-fittable sandwich of two walls, which was easily maneuverable thanks to my Kekkei Genkai, but would deem a challenge for the rest. However, this wasn't the most unmanageable feature; the walls had a slimy texture, and appeared to be bathed in... mucus?! Even more frightening... there was organs embedded into the structures. This was shocking, because such features weren't visible the last time I journeyed throughout these walls... Swallowing the suggestion of hurling in the immediate direction, it wasn't impossible to alleviate, and we nearly came to the exit of the thin alley, but the weirdometer would reach another level as I halted and noticed the bloodcurdling sight ahead of me... an elderly man that was apparently cursed with extreme starvation in-between the thin walls, and within his hand he held another human body part. Although the passageway was quite narrow, the thick gourd placed on my back still stood attentive and prepared for combat, and with my body in their line of vision, the comrades behind me wouldn't have the luxury of witnessing the spectacle. Hesitant to demand a response from the demon, such emotions wouldn't complete the task assigned, and I couldn't imagine receiving a sensible answer from the gremlin. Was this the culprit behind the murder? "H-Hold it, guys!... Y-You there, what are you doing here?!" ¤ smexy template made by renni of nrp ¤

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[Kenchiro]

"Genjutsu..." Kenchiro could feel his composure returning, however slowly. Of course, he thought. No one could have possibly dragged a body to the ceiling and dropped it on their heads. Not without him noticing. But if this was all an elaborate illusion, then naturally matter could appear from nowhere, scenery could change according to whatever twisted thought processes the caster suffered from, and the Genin could be made to feel whatever they wanted him to feel. It was a solution that not only explained everything, it salvaged his ego, to boot.

He could see Rokuto heading further into the sewers and trotted in pursuit. "Hold on, Rock. Is it really a good idea to go running off half-cocked? I mean, we ain't exactly the ANBU here. We..." He trailed off, staring up at the walls. The walls which were covered with viscera. Human viscera, probably. Kenchiro had to remind himself that this was clearly an illusion. After all, who would line the walls with organs? It made no sense, but it sure was spooky.

He heard Rokuto questioning somebody. Even though he could not see past the Chuunin, he shook his head. "Rock, stop. Don't you see this is all an illusion? Whoever it is in front of you, he's probably fake. This whole room is fake. Watch, I'm gonna worm my way out of this, and we're all gonna be back in the graveyard like nothing happened." With an elaborate show of handseals, he put his hands together and focused his chakra. "Genjutsu... Release!"

SPOILER: Click to show

Rank: C
Type: Supplementary / Ninjutsu
Range: Self
Handseals: Yes.
Chakra: See special!
Special: User can only release themselves from illusions of equal or lower rank. Chakra costs is equal to the Genjutsu being dispelled.
Description: Kai is a Ninjutsu technique which allows the ninja to avoid the effects of a Genjutsu illusion. After forming the needed handseals, the Genjutsu technique will not affect the ninja. The ninja can also use the technique on another individual who was unable to avoid the attack. After forming the needed hand seals, the ninja touches the one affected to end the affect of the spell.
Domain: Universal Ninjutsu.

[Exar Kun]

The Sunagami's emotional denial caused Adrianna to shrink back slightly; she felt a spike of guilt for being so quick to accuse the man. Of course, even now she still couldn't be sure that he was telling the truth, the horrorible situation they had found themselves in could very well have been fabricated by him as some sort of perverse "test", but as he was still her comrade, Adrianna decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

A decision which, ultimately, did not help Adrianna understand their situation at all. If they weren't in a genjutsu, then what the hell was happening? She'd read murder mysteries that were less gruesome than they were facing within the sewers. The smells and sights within the chamber was beginning to get to her. She could feel moisture gathering in the back of her mouth as her body prepared to empty her stomach of its contents. Adrianna utilized every ounce of her shinobi conditioning to fight the feeling down.

 Though Adrianna didn't share Rokuto's zeal for capturing whoever had perpetrated the slaughtery, she could appreciate the idea of actively doing something as opposed to standing around and fretting,. As such, with a silent nod of assent, she moved to follow the sandman through the narrow corridor that led deeper into the sewerage system. With her bow held at the ready, she stalked cautiously forward, her jade irises sweeping the area for targets. Just as she reached the mouth of the narrow corridor, a random thought made her pause and examine the area behind the group. Kenchiro was trailing Rokuto, but Ikki was lagging behind them. Considering the geography of the bridge they had been on, it seemed impossible for anything to sneak up on them. And yet, that feeling that they were surrounded was still clawing at the edges of her concious. Better safe than sorry.

"Ikki, get in front of me." She said, gesturing for him to move forward. With the two genin inbetween her and Rokuto, it would be easier to protect them if the shit hit the fan. Well, if the shit hit the fan any more than it already had.

Once the white-haired genin had moved up, she remained where she was a few minutes longer, her hard-edged stare practically willing something to jump out of the darkness around them. That was when she heard the screams.

Adrianna jumped, her already stretched nerves reaching the breaking point. In one motion she did a 180 and pulled the nocked arrow back until it was taut against the string of her bow. It was reflex, and also a useless gesture, for she the narrowness of the corridor caused the three boy's figures to obscure her vision. Whatever horrors had caused them to cry out was invisible to her. The blonde haired boy mentioned something about breaking a genjutsu, and she would have smiled at the fact that he had come to the same conclusion as she if she wasn't so scared out of her mind and jacked up on adrenalin.

"Rokuto, what is it?" She hollered down the corridor. If only the hallway wasn't so god damn narrow!

[Ikki Sanada]

The Genin heart was beating faster and faster, adrenaline was pumping and his body was reading itself for a fight. After finishing his examination of the body and giving his opinion, Rokuto thought for a moment before speaking.

"Good job, Ikki. Due to the fact that we can actually hear the storm outside, it is safe to assume that none of us will be leaving here anytime soon. With that said, and a dead person on our hands, we need to take this opportunity and investigate while the lead is still fresh, and prayerfully, we'll apprehend the culprit. We shall continue forward, and since I have the expert knowledge about the upcoming areas, I'll resume leading the group. Consider this an unofficial mission, and like I said earlier, remain alert. Let's move."

The Chuunin decided to lead the group away from the body. Maybe in the darkness of the sewers they would be able to find more clues. Ikki hoped so. No one deserved to die like that poor man did. His face covered in horror, his body mangled, with a strange open wound across his face. They had to find the culprit and bring him to justice. If they could be considered Ninja of the Sand Village this is what they had to do.

As they started their journey away from the body, the young pugilist caught himself looking at the body one last time. As Rokuto walked away Kenchiro followed behind him. Adrianna got Ikki's attention and asked him to get in front of her. She waited for a moment before following behind him. Of course this was her instincts coming into play, she wanted to keep the two young Genin in between her and Rokuto. Ikki took slight offense but ignored it. She seemed like a kind person and this wasn't the time to be arguing.

The boy walked forward and followed Kenchiro. As they walked into the darkness the air got progressively more hot and wet; after what seemed like minutes the group reached an area where the walls started to come towards the group as if they were alive. The walls got closer and closer until Ikki could only walk sideways. Rokuto and Adrianna would have to squeeze through but Ikki's still lithe body could pass through almost uninhibited.

The group was moving slower now, the closeness of the walls directly the cause of their drop in speed. With their drop in speed Ikki finally noticed the walls. They shined in a strange light, the boy put his hand out to touch them and found they were covered in slime. He moved his head closer and saw...organs... embedded into the walls. The boy slowed to a halt and started to gag.

As Ikki worked to keep his lunch down in his stomach he heard Rokuto yell out loud. "H-Hold it, guys!... Y-You there,
what are you doing here?!"

The young pugilist raised his arms as a reflex and he heard Adrianna nock an arrow into her bow. He hoped she wouldn't fire it. The tunnel was still very narrow and it might hit him or someone in front of him. The Genin wondered what the hell was happening up ahead.

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[☆ F ☆]

OOC: Apologies for the OOC, but I'm tossing a quick grade to what you've posted thus far so I can give you the monthly reward bonuses. You can still continue the adventure after this, however.

• Ikki - +50 EXP
  
• Laz - +50 EXP
  
• Kenchiro - +45 EXP
  
• Exar - +45 EXP
  

[Katsumaru]

Kenchiro attempted to release an illusion, but nothing change – he was within the crude reality, a damnable, wretched distortion of all that is righteous. The body was real, as wretched as the truth was to bear. The figure within the corridor fled before any more happened, scurrying through the dark for the safety of whatever horror awaited beyond. It moved rapidly, within a flash, despite the malnourishment. Before it disappeared, the curious man extended its tongue, and yet another disturbing trait was revealed – it was not a regular tongue, but rather, at least a dozen tongues stitched together by a thin fabric. The extended tongue dripped with a yellow liquid, dripping upon the ground.

The path through the thin, narrow hall was rather lengthy, taking over ten minutes to fully walk through. With each step through the way, should they chose to go along it, they heard chanting – its volume increasing the further they walked. The language was archaic, unlike anything ever heard before, and it was spoken with a curious tone that simply made even the sturdiest of men feel unsettled. Gharnath Ethuthi Gajene. Something about this language, the tone, was simply surreal and otherworldly.

As they would walk through the lengthy, narrow path, the very grounds seemed alive, for it quivered with anticipation, rumbling slowly and quietly as if it breathed. The chanting, which originated from the end of the path, echoed along the walls with such an intensity that the sound was impossible to block out. Finally, as the end of the path was reached, they arrived in a room much larger than the previous, thirty meters long and wide, surprisingly large and finely designed for being subterranean.

The viscerate texture was no more, but instead, the walls were covered in that familiar yellow liquid, but that was the least disturbing trait of this room, which lacked furnishing entirely. On the wall of each respective cardinal direction, north, south above the entrance, east, and west, bodies hung high upon the walls, stake impaled through their chest, wound dripping with fresh blood. The eyes of each body shifted as they entered – for they were still alive- and they all began to yell in synchrony. ”No, go away, flee! This is not meant for you to see!”. The door on the opposite site of the room slowly began to open.

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[KID GAMBINO.]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420,true] ¤ THE HUMAN SANDSTORM OF SUNAGAKURE! ¤ The uncertainty of the comrades behind me coupled with the compact, slimy barriers that could squeeze the four of us to death at any moment fueled the hesitation that loomed within me, a single hand pressed against the utility box at my hip while the other lingered in mid-air, prepared to cast the necessary signs if it came to that. The elder teenager's suggestion was definitely a good one, claiming that the grotesque appearance of the walls and the foul stench couldn't be anything other than an illusion, but this seemed too real to be mind games. Could it be that the years of insufficient Genjutsu training caused me to become vulnerable to even the faintest and weakest imaginative creations? I couldn't be satisfied with an answer, and as I stood between the distant creature and the remaining teammates, it would be my obligation to defeat the possible danger head-on. "Rokuto, what is it?" That voice... this wasn't a figment of my imagination, it was no one other than Adrianna, and the difficulty discerning what was reality and what was illusions had thrown the balance in my mind for a loop. Hearing the teenager's previous attempt to release the nonexistent illusion suddenly made me realize that what stood before me was either real or too powerful of an Genjutsu to be dispelled by a mere Genin, and moments after the kunoichi's plea failed to penetrate the thickened blockade around us, I had no choice but to respond. "I don't know... but it appears to be some kind of freakish creature... plus, there is a fucking arm in it's hand... this has to be the culprit... or at least one of them..." Concentrated pupils never left sight of the cretin as it stood several meters away, and with it refusing to respond to the question I had given it earlier, it was obvious that this creature was nothing more than a mindless beast. Before the sand could shoot forth to detain the murderous demon, it's slender body motioned throughout the corridor with such an ease that our own footsteps wouldn't be enough to sustain a prosperous pursuit. Just before my eyes, it had disappeared into the ungovernable darkness. "Goddamnit... It's gone..." Within my mind, I was actually relieved that the cretin decided to flee, the circumstances of our environment hindering us greatly if it were to ever lash forth with the same gluttonous thirst the murderer had for that corpse. Before the cretin's departure, from it's tongue, or should I say tongues, dripped a strange golden liquid that I wouldn't dare touch, but I couldn't help but figure that it could possibly be a clue, whether it just be normal saliva of burning venom. Upon noting that the creature had fled, I continued to move forward cautiously, alerting the crew to avoid the mysterious spill, the resonance of ethereal chanting echoing inside the walls. What the hell was going on?! Could it be... that we were descending into a literal hell?! Within a ten-minute span, the volume of the rituals became overflowing, shaking the cement around us with a demonic tremble. Something was definitely happening, and we were about to encounter it very soon. Abruptly, the narrow passageway ended, leading the four of us to a room that was finally expansive and tolerant of breathing. The fortification was still drenched in a glutinous texture, although different from before, but the openness was enough to be appreciate for. However, such relieved feelings would be short-lived as I turned and examined the room, which was completely devoid of any oher details... except the multiple, living bodies that hung impaled into the walls. The sudden urge to puke sand in every direction attempted to surface, but I cupped a single hand over the hole, preventing such regurgitation. The injured corpses literally spoke, wishing for our presence to have not occurred, but it was already too late. Mother Nature intended for this random squad to have witnessed this, vigorous chakra surging from my core as the sound of a door sliding open forced me to prepare for what would summon from the gateway. Vigilant, but nonetheless well-guarded, I stood an exact twenty-five meters from the commencing crevice, hoping that the fellow Chunin and Genin would be prepared to fight for their lives if what stood beyond the doorway was the true murderer that we sought. "The rest of you, be prepared... I don't have the slightest clue what lurks beyond here..." ¤ smexy template made by renni of nrp ¤

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[Kenchiro]

He looked around, noticing that, to his chagrin, he was still in the tunnel. He chuckled, feeling a lump rising in his throat. "No worries. I hear that Kai sometimes... needs a while for the effects to take." He was at the critical point where admitting the danger they were in to himself was liable to cause whatever brave face he could put on to evaporate completely. So, he continued to believe that they were all trapped in an illusion, at least until he could stop his heart from pounding so loudly.

He carried that attitude even as he wandered into the larger chamber at the end of the hall. "Oh, how very avant-garde. What do you suppose this room is supposed to be, then? The rumpus room? I gotta say, the corpses are a nice touch. Adds a bit of..." He leaped a little bit when the bodies all began to move and speak in unison, but recovered with an angry shout. "Oh, come off it! You guys are so clearly fake, it's stupid! This whole thing is stupid! I can't wait for that Kai to..."

And then he saw the door opening. Even his self-delusion was starting to fade in the face of all the suspenseful things that were happening at once. And, like anyone who's carefully constructed plans were falling apart, he took refuge in the only thing he had left; blind, unfocused anger. Reaching into his pouch, he threw three kunai straight up into the air as well as the one he had been holding in his hand. With a few quick handseals, he held out his arms, as the knives began to float in place in front of him, all pointed in the direction of the door. "I've had just about enough of this nonsense! There had better be something normal coming out of that door, or so help me, I'm going to start rewriting this stupid ghost story, and whoever's doing this is not going to like the ending."

SPOILER: Click to show

Soushuuha (Manipulate Advancing Blades)
Rank: C
Type: Supplementary / Ninjutsu
Range: 0 – 10 meters
Handseals: Yes.
Chakra: Low
Special: When first learned, the user can control up to 5 projectiles/secondary weapons and send them flying up to 10 meters. However, each time re-trained, their control number goes up by 5. For every 20 projectiles the user can control, consumption goes up one rank.
Description: Soushuuha is a ninjutsu technique used in order to give aerial projectiles a slight edge in combat. After the needed handseals, this technique allows the user to hover multiple projectiles, like kunai, in the air while they approach a target. They can then unleash a torrent of projectiles much faster than if each was thrown individually.
Domain: Universal Ninjutsu.

[Exar Kun]

The gruesome sights the squad had thus far been met with seemed vaguely familiar to Adrianna, and in-between the bouts of vehement terror that were striking her core being ever more frequently as they journeyed deeper into the sewer, the Chuunin silently mused over where she'd seen such atrocities before.

Just as the archaic chanting reached its crescendo, the narrow corridor they were in opened up into a vast chamber. Whereas the hallway had been well-lit by soft-glowing lamps hung every few meters on the walls, the chamber Adrianna and her cohorts had just entered was dark by comparison. The vast space possessed lights as well, but the lamps were space apart at a far larger distance as if the original builders of the structure had run low on lamps and been forced to space them more economically. The end-result was that there were no parts of the chamber that were completely devoid of light, rather, a gloomy dimness hung over the room, making it difficult to make-out exact shapes from a distance.

In addition to the ethereal chanting, Adrianna could make out more sounds, this time actual human voices. The thought that they may have finally stumbled upon some living things was heartening, but then her eyes adjusted to the gloom, and what Adrianna saw nearly made her drop her bow and sink to her knees in horrific shock.

The origin of the human voices belonged to corpses. Living corpses, pinned to the walls. The concept was self-contradictory, but Adrianna knew that her eyes weren't deceiving her; and besides, it ultimately wasn't any more strange than the other things her and her comrades had thus far faced. Walls covered in pulsing flesh, otherworldly chants emanating from every direction and yet from nowhere at all, rivers of blood- whatever madness that was responsible for the living hell they were witnessing obviously cared little for the laws of nature. It was as if the sewer itself was a sentient being, complete with an ego and ambition, and it was trying to out-do itself at every turn in producing something more horrific than the last. Adrianna's lips curled into a ghost of a smile at the grim realization that at this point, paradoxes were simply to be expected.

With that acceptance came a sense of reassurance, admittedly miniscule, that allowed the Archeress to consolidate some of the frayed nerve she'd lost over the course of their journey into the hellish depths they'd found themselves in. The fierce trembling in her hands steadied into a manageable quake, and her breathing pattern resembled something more akin to what one would expect of a human being who was simply walking down a hallway, as opposed to only moments prior, where she sounded as if she'd just got done jogging for three hours.

Adrianna was getting a grip on her fear, and then the door on the opposite end of the room began to open, and her composure disappeared as quickly as it had come.

She wanted to add to Rokuto's warning about being prepared, but she was too preoccupied not shitting herself. So instead Adrianna sufficed with simply gritting her teeth and preparing to put an arrow right through the face of whatever monstrosity rared its ugly face out of the doorway. She was done trying to figure out what was going on. She just wanted to survive it.

[Ikki Sanada]

Ikki couldn't see what was going on ahead. He heard Kenchiro try to cancel a Genjutsu, the thought that they were inside of a Genjutsu never even even crossed Ikki's mind. When the cancel refused to work, Ikki had to face the harsh reality that all of this was happening to them.

He heard muffled sounds coming from in front of the group but as the corridor was so narrow, he couldn't see what was happening. From behind him Adrianna spoke out loud, trying to get Rokuto to describe what he had encountered. What he said horrified Ikki. He spoke of a creature with a human arm in it's mouth. But just as the specter came it disappeared, without notice or warning.

Rokuto began moving again, and as the group went forward, the Chuunin called back and asked everyone to avoid the mysterious fluid on the ground. Ikki didn't see where it had come from, nor did he want to know. The group kept moving, faster now that the corridor started to widen. The mucus was still covering the walls, and as they moved Ikki thought he heard strange voices from around them.

Rokuto was still leading the group when the passageway ended abruptly, he lead them into a large room. What Ikki's saw there chilled his very bones. Bodies where pierced by large spikes coming from the ground. At first Ikki believed they were dead, but when the group was fully inside the room they seemed to awake. The boy realized they weren't dead at all.

They started to write and call out, noticing the group, and pleading with them to run away. Saying that whatever was happening to them was not meant to be seen by their eyes. As they lamented, Ikki heard rock scrape on rock and saw a door start to open across the room.

Whatever it was, it was coming. Ikki Sanada shifted his head to the right and to the left. To his left was Rokuto and Kenchiro, to his right the archer Adrianna. Rokuto had a hand over his mouth, Kenchiro was preparing a jutsu, and Adrianna held her bow with an arrow nocked in her hands. The young pugilist felt a sense of calm come over his body and he raised his fists. Whatever it was, it was coming, and he was ready.

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[Katsumaru]

When man was spawned into this world, climbed his way forth from the mother’s bloodied womb, he was born a curious creature. It is this curiosity which drove mankind to the highest peaks, constantly spurring those fragile, little, petty creatures into avenues unseen. With man’s exploration came not only the light of knowledge, the fires of passion that gave strength for each and every breath – nay, but delving into the darkest of depths. But it are exactly those darkest depths no one must lay their eyes upon, for in them lurks a horror that the mind is simply not meant to stumble upon. Some say the forbidden fruit of knowledge made life truly difficult, that it brought hatred and envy, but truthfully that was the least of the wretched realities which is called forth. The macabre. Therein lied the greatest of dreads. These shinobi were truly courageous, walking on when they had already looked upon works of a wicked mind; accomplishments so miserable that many a man would fall over, nauseated and disgusted, crumbling together in a heap of fear.

But what lied behind the door? What could be so wicked that no man must see? That…of course must wait.

The sandstorm outside came to a sudden halt, a brooding, eerie, foreboding sign as they walked on, steps echoing through the sewers. Screams rung out as they would come closer and closer to the door, a bright light within illuminating the path. From that door a figure stepped forth, a bald man, rather short at only five feet and five inches with an angular chin. One dark blue eye was set into his face, an empty socked in place of the other eye, the white bone behind scarcely visible. Above his thick, chapped lips sad a nose that appears to have been broken at least once. He was dressed rather finely, in a black suit, carefully kept for not a single stain of dirt covered the woolen fabric. He wore black leather boots, in stark contrast to his formal appearance, their shoestrings covered in thick layers of blood. He spoke, voice melodic, almost enthralling – it was not only soft, but sweet and melodic.

”Welcome to my abode.” he said, extending his right arm to the door, motioning for them to come in. Turning on his heel, the man walked through the door. ”I have heard of your arrival. It has been some time since I had company. Please, join me. Today, we shall dine.”

The room into which he walked, fifty meters long and wide, was truly the work of a disturbing mind. For the lack of a better phrase, what lied within was truly fucked up.. What was it that awaited within? Torches – but not a candle or wood was burned, but human hands doused in oil. Over two dozen torches were placed upon the walls in the room. A lengthy table, a banquet upon it, a variety of meats, fruits, and vegetable spread across it on white platters – a closer inspection revealed that these platters were made of rather small, delicate, soft bones – infant bones, judging from their size. The table, at twenty meters long, had a score of chairs, each of those covered in a layer of skin – and the chairs had no woolen padding’s, but rather, layer of flesh was placed upon layer of flesh to serve as a seat. But that was far from the worst.

The true misery was seen on the ceiling.

From the ceiling, at least a hundred bodies hung, bloodied, all dead, numerous wounds upon their figure. From cuts to bruises. Some of the bodies lacked organs, as evident with their cut bellies, while others were cut open, organs hanging free. The bodies swayed softly from side to side, blood from the wounds of some bodies dripping onto the floor to form crimson pools. These were not the bodies of the elderly nor of aged men – no, they all belonged to children, none older than ten. Horrified gazes were upon their face, betraying the complete and utter suffering they experienced before death.

Near the banquet table stood a sign, words scribbled upon it.


Choose Your Own Meal! Fried, baked, raw? It is up to you!

Kidney: 500 Ryo
Liver: 750 Ryo
Heart: 1,000 Ryo
Brain: 2000 Ryo
Other: 1500 Ryo
Appendix: Really? Who eats an appendix?

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[Kenchiro]

A man in a suit stepped out. A man who clearly needed an eyepatch, and whose boots were a suspect color, but a man in a nice suit nonetheless. It was normal enough to throw Kenchiro off his game; he disengaged his jutsu, catching his knives out of the air and putting them back in his tool pouches. "Right. That's a bit better. Maybe now we can actually figure out what this nonsense is all about." He followed after the man. For a moment, he was optimistic. Maybe it was finally time for him to worm his way out of this horror story and figure out it was all a complex practical joke. Maybe...

Maybe children's corpses would line the ceiling and the chairs would be made out of human skin. Kenchiro was not even angry anymore. Nor was he looking for a cunning way out, nor was he convinced he was in an illusion. No, there was only response left in his arsenal; a complete and utter loss of sanity. "Heh... hehehehe... heheheheheheHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!... AHH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAH!"

He held out his hands, motioning to the scene before him with a grand gesture. "Look at this! This... is wonderful! Terrifying, completely devoid of aesthetic pleasure, but wonderful! I thought the whole 'corpses on spikes' thing in the last room was good but you, you've outdone yourself yet again, you certifiable, one-eyed, addle-brained genius, you! I mean, look at this detail!" He held up a plate. "Are these baby bones? Well, they must be! That, or whittled down midget bones." He tossed it behind him like a piece of rubbish, moving on to the sign with equal fervor. "And he's got a menu, guys! A bloody menu! Just like those fancy restaurants down in the Land of Fire!" He lifted his foot, about to kick the sign to the floor, but stopped in mid-kick to stare at the items. "I didn't know you could eat heart. Being raw muscle and all, I always thought it'd be a bit gamey." He followed through on his kick.

He marched back to the table, spinning a chair on one leg. He was about to sit down on it, staring at their waiter with an abstracted air. However, when he looked down, he was reminded of the cushion, and promptly heaved the piece of furniture over the table. "Bravo, mister crazy man! I mean bra-bloody-vo! How did you find the time to put this little show together and do it all underneath the Village Hidden in the Sand? I feel like you shouldn't even be punished for taking it this far. You should be rewarded, even! Tell you what, in recognition for all this, I'm only going to make you beg for mercy for an hour before I finally wipe your sunken eyed, smelly boot wearing, can't properly appreciate the shelf life of organic wallpaper face off the face of the planet!" He drew a pair of kunai, one in each hand, and spun them both on his middle fingers. "Time to stand and deliver!"