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[Messatsu!]

The river of mud and mire served its ultimate purpose, constricting the fleeing shinobi, abruptly halting him in his tracks as the Robed man's respective counterpart continued his pursuit beneath the mounds of earth like a mole in winter. Startled and concocting a plan of escape, the young shinobi worked his magic, digging deep into his wellspring of power, but only to relinquish his sense of hearing from his body. At first glance one would have suggested that he had been purposely trying to handicap himself, not by far, instead, he was merely keeping himself out of harms way from his own ballet of desolation.

Concurrently his clones theatrically acted upon the shinobi's own whim all thanks to the mental link he shared with his loyal servants. Wasting no time, their mouths opened as far as possible, only to beckon forth a seemingly unending, unpalatable scream that held a level of potency that could put even the mightiest of men to their knees. Virgin ears were finally introduced to the cries of ototon's power as it traveled across a impressive 50 meter distance, savagely penetrating any ear it could find without leniency or mercy.

With the pain of their ears nearly crossing through the threshold of unbearable pain, the robed men lose function within their legs, virulently screaming and groaning in seas of pain that even a mother in labor could not fathom. This boy was a true shinobi, or a considerate one given that he essentially neutralized a unit of shinobi without even a shedding of blood, leaving them alive but in so much pain that death wouldn't have been a bad idea.
______

You were well on your way catching up the the old man, but given his chakra enhanced speed, a great deal of distance had been made, however, you eventually caught up to him after minutes of travel. Following the same trail as he, you'd come to a large opening of laid with a iron fortress the size of a small village lying 20 meters to your front. At your feet was a sea of decaying flesh and blood, possibly two hundred or so men with one kneeling in the midst of them all, battered and bloodied, but still very much alive. His body was coated in a destructive layer of raiton chakra armour that soon faded away seconds after your arrival.

What you'd make of the scene before you was unknown to all. Before long the aged man would rise before you, staggering in pain and exhaustion as he made his way to the fortress' front entrance which seemed to have been blow upon from the smoke that billowed from the door and its charred edges.

[chiatsuki]

♩ ♫ ♪ ♬ the war sonata

Behold the choir – a lot of three forming just before the battlefield. My clones ensured that my work had been done – signaling me by making an appearance to both of my sides that I had successfully damaged the four men that had followed after me. The number four seemed to suddenly fade from my memory as countless numbers of bodies draped the ground in a burgundy aftermath as I halted before the agonizing scene. This excited me to no end – my smirk deviously painted upon my face as if it I were about to win the lottery.

My hands swung loosely to my sides as I looked to the sides at my clones – reassuring them that I would need them. ‘Follow after me. We’re gonna help the old man any way we can but don’t step in his way..’ I’d say to them before stepping over the first body from which smoke had been permeating. A great cloud of mist steamed overhead from the small fires emitting from each body steaming from them as the flames seemingly died from the pure ration energy that the old man had used.

I calmly followed his imprints within the ground – telling myself to keep an eye out for everything and anything whilst conserving what little reserves of chakra I had left. Before me twenty meters out a giant fortress of iron stood tall and wide with the entrance engulfed in flames. Surely this old man hadn’t taken out an entire army himself. . . had he? And if so – why had these men been attacking us – coming out from the fortress where his said friend were to stay.

The possibility of me being right about his friend being an enemy struck me quickly as I reached the entrance of the door – allowing myself to keep a safe distance between me and the old man. I did not want him to know that he was being helped – for he may as well deserve all the gratitude for this revenge. The war sonata had only just begun – me and the choir simply whistling along as we entered the vicinity of the iron fortress awaiting our next encounter.

[Messatsu!]

This old man was odd, it was as if his body itself rejuvenated the more it was damaged. In just a few steps he went from a staggering stride to an upright walk that would put even the manliest of men to shame like a shaved cat to a ferocious lion. Just before crossing over into the fortress interior, he spat to his side, tainting the ground with blood of his own. With tarrying steps behind him, a quick glance contrived itself over his shoulder with a weary yet daemonic glow within his eyes.

"So your still here lad, I was beginning to feel lonely again Haha. And I see you've helped yourself to my bag of goodies. Good choice indeed, I had an old ally who used those gloves. Using it is quite simple actually, inside the gloves are sockets of sound amplifiers, many of which are primarily used to capture sound itself, and preserve it for later use. Interesting isn't it dont cha think?

Step after step he continued to attempt to exchange words with the young lad, in fact it seemed almost necessary, as they walked down this darkened corridor that seemingly held no end. Soon enough they came to a flight of descending stairs that spiraled into the lower levels. Their feet echoed against the cold, stone floors, giving hint to the spacious fortress. The shinobi would be wise to memorize this path, for he'd be lost without the old mans aid.

[chiatsuki]

♩ ♫ ♪ ♬ the war sonata

Sound was something else. It even allowed one to stem memory from the way sound travelled in a location. I was memorizing this array of repercussion from the moment I’d entered. The old man peered back at me – I sort of halted wondering whether or not he’d actually wanted me to come. My trek would continue after his description of the gloves. My eyes almost shot open as he noticed that I’d taken them – giving me information as if he were giving me the gloves by choice. He was surely something else – this old man – he gave me hope in the future of iwa.

As I gulped walking down the stairs turning into different sects I would alert myself to stay keen to my senses – I may not be able to have found my way back if I didn’t take note to where I was now. One of my clones would stay within the corridor of the first stair. My second one would follow along with me as we went even further into the cold stone stairs descending our own shadows into the silhouette of the entire structure. We had become lost within its confines.

‘Ah. That’s good to know. I’m an ototon user so these should come in very helpful. Is there anything I should be worried about…? You being here has let me know that this man is not your friend… and instead your foe. That is why you left the weapons and killed off all those men. Is it because he was planning to do something you didn’t approve of? Or is this a score you had to settle? Either way I’m not going to jump into your fights unless you need me to..’

My words ever so clever spewing from the mouth like a harmonic tune whispering past our ears. I could not take much more of the agonizing curiosity which was paltering at my conscious ever since I’d met him. There were holes in his story that I wanted to tie together – pieces that I thought that I knew but had to be sure of by asking. Hopefully he would tell me before another battle were to ensue – I was eager to find out who exactly lived here.

[Messatsu!]

A unsymmetric rain of footfalls graced the the narrow halls of the fortress as the aged man, the shinobi, and his duplicate cautiously trekked do the lower levels of the establishment. The stairs seemed endless, advancing at a moderate gait of travel, yet it still felt like the end was so far away. The man knew his way around this place, however, the size of it and time it took to reach other areas were tedious and tiresome.

Turning his head to the forefronts of his body, the aged man listened to the young shinobi as he inquired about having something to worry about. there was nothing to worry about, or so it seemed. Never the less his following questions were pinpoint, accurate and skillfully concocted, this boy, without the shadow of a doubt, knew how the properly handle words. A quick, sigh crept through the crevices of his mouth before he spoke with a tired, gruff tone.

"This man, he was a friend at one point but we grew apart. As shinobi of Iwagakure we made a pact to protect it by all means, but something happened to him and even to this day i still lack knowledge of what could have possibly caused him to betray our home. Not only this but he's committed several unspeakable crimes, and I am the only man that can bring him justice!"

Finally, after hours of travel and hundreds of shared words, the shinobi finally knew the truth of the matter. He knew why the aged man pushed himself so hard to reach this location, and to go out of his way to expend his powers to their limits to lay waste to his guards. With several more steps and minutes of travel, the trio finally came to the stairs end, being greeted with a 10 meter wide corridor that stretched so forward so far that it was impossible to see unless one bore the revered Byakugan. It was dark, cold, and damp, drops of water precipitating from cracks in the ceiling. Without hesitation the aged man continued his stride into the dark abyss.

[chiatsuki]

♩ ♫ ♪ ♬ the war sonata

This incessant jaunt down the steps of this construct was unbearable. I was one of the many men who held patience like a tightly gripped firm fist but as the hour lapsed I’d find myself trapped within a quizzical stare. The old man had conferred quite a bit of information that filled in those inconsistencies I had been inquiring. My place was only to support this man – simply taking on a role of leadership would prove faulty in a place of subjugation – a place that I were in already.

As the pit air filled through coursing my lungs I would find it harder to breathe. Transcending down such a path was damaging to ones lungs. Before now my lungs had been my main source of power – singing forth a matrimony only the deaf could bear to witness. But now – as I looked abaft to the gauntlets which now coated my hands in a thin layer of latex I would tell myself that I no longer even needed my own voice to compile the harmonious notes I’d been accustomed to.

It weren’t but a few minutes later after the hour had stricken to where the old man had halted. His broad body had hidden my view of the outstretched gaunt. My optics soon focused upon its entirety as my ears awaited the sign of any life within this vicinity. I held no remorse for this old mans friend – if he could even call himself such. With fists griped I’d refocus my attention on bringing down any threat to iwa – even if he were all the way here in hi no kuni.

Eliminating any threat or harm to my home village was an achievement in my own recording. Eyes slowly stirring to the world outstretched before me after passing the old mans figure in order to see this grand monument. It reminded me of the training grounds that Euraka took me to. It saddened me to remember once more that those days were long gone just like the memories of iwa’s past fading away with each passing front. I would reconstruct its confines even if it meant killing this man myself.

[Messatsu!]

As you continued your path down the spiraling stairs you and your companion were met with a large, expansive corridor, though you cautiously trekked behind him, careful between each step, it however, didn't save you from stepping on a trapped tile. The tile was square, enough for one foot to fit perfectly on and by the time your reflexes could kick in to remove your foot, the trap had been activated. Right before your eyes a slab of the wall to your right bolted forward in a black blur, it was so fast that if one had even so much as blinked it would have been gone as if it never happened. Nevertheless the jutting wall slammed into the aged man's side, blindsiding him to the point he had no time to react or brace himself for impact.

The force sent his body revolving into the air and into the respective wall as it crumbled. By now if you had caught wind of the situation the man had fallen into the lower levels, his location unknown. With you now by yourself, and cognizant of traps, you'd have no choice but to advance given that the trapped tile also activated a descending door that prevented you from backtracking.

[chiatsuki]

♩ ♫ ♪ ♬ the war sonata

My vision seemed to falter within the moments of the stone striking me. I had felt the tile dig under more than the others had but there was literally no time within the second it took for the trapdoor to open . . . or was there? Within one seal would I have given myself the upper hand within the situation by subjugating with my clone. ^{replacement 1/1} Eyes widening to the darkness of the pit the old man had been dumped into – my hand outstretching but for a moment as my voice seemed to become caught within the moment. A non chelant poise about my figure as the door behind me shut ever-so-slowly leaving my chances of departure very slim. There was no choice.

‘tch..’ barking from the confines of a enraged maw. My two step insistently becoming a bit shorter and lighter – hoping to capture myself before stepping upon yet another trap. This was going to take some time and effort obviously – and I had just enough patience to withstand the pressures of the predicament I was now in. Flawlessly I had managed to sing my way through the orchestrated chaos. My wits about me as I descended even further down the only way I had left – hoping anyone to try me. Surely I had forgotten the ways of my former self – not having been in a true fight for a long time I quivered from the lust of blood that now befell my silhouette.

The sound of retuned amps would calmly stride from the center of the palm of both my gauntlets. It had taken in enough chakra – my senses telling me to use it only within the right moment for I’d be lost within space if not. Upon my ears did a song of redemption breathe within the atmosphere confiding me with all the stamina and power I had left within my reserve. With each passing step I walked closer to the final destination and battle that was surely to ensue – I just hope the old man could bear to wait that long and hopefully survive long enough for me to thank him for these gauntlets. Surely without him I would not have been born into this new world of justice – exciting me to no extent playing both the end with blissful strums.

‘bring it on then..’

[Messatsu!]

The journey across the corridor was far from over, possibly one if which had become tedious to your senses, but truth be told you didn't have much of a choice. As you continued forward, the darkness of the corridor hindered your sight, namely only being able to see 10 meters in front of you. If you thought your travels would go smoothly, you were wrong, though you had not activated a booby trapped floor tile, instead, it was your movement that triggered your next obstacle. Motion sensory arrows beckoned forth from the shadows in horizontal columns of two, one at neck level, and the other at waist. Their trajectory carried them no faster than an average kunai as they sped forward aiming to claim your life. Someone wanted to make sure you that you wouldn't find your way out, alive at least. But whom? Nevertheless, unless you managed to elude the swift arrows, it would matter very little who wanted you dead.

[chiatsuki]

♩ ♫ ♪ ♬ blanketed in darkness

My stride was long indeed. As my senses shut off so did the lighting in this area. Thoughts of the old man still encircled my mind with slow pace allowing me to gather the information all in one pool of energy. Only then would I be able to focus on my objective – which was first to protect any harm coming to the old man. That venture failed undoubtedly – his face still painted a picture in my head, falling down that eerie pit ever so slowly with his hand outstretched for mine. My fingers feeling the dust of the trap door as they trembled when I’d stood. All those visions – piling up against me as the next set of traps were to ensue.

My chakras were excited – edging me to my sound hunting sonar. I could hear the bladed projectiles file from my left and right. They would not falter my movement. I knew how fast my pace would have to be in order for the arrows to just slowly pass by my escaping figure. My destination was still too far it seemed as the arrows finally stopped shooting. I could feel I’d gotten cut somewhere along the back end of my calf but it were all too minor for me to stop to try and aid myself. I just hoped those arrows weren’t poisoned.

“gah..” my voice echoed down the ongoing tunnel which haunted me. The only things keeping me company were the constant sound of my footstep. If it weren’t for sound I do not know where it is I would have ended up. My eyes slowly transitioning around me to the darkness – knowing not where to go or even where to step. My journey was one that had been random from the very beginning – if I knew where I were going I’d have already been there by now.

[Messatsu!]

You were swift, like a fox through woods or snakes in grass, your finesse was impressive to say the least, but you if you thought you completely eluded danger, you'd have been dead ass wrong. It was wise of you to keep moving as you escaped the trajectory of the speeding arrows, only suffering a minor woud upon your calve. You were smart to keep on your guard, awaiting enemies, but little did you know these parts were nothing but empty, only the most skilled shinobi could possibly pass through this maze of traps.

Your vision was still slightly impaired, seeing only what lay 10 meters before you, but that didn't matter as yet another trap activated. The entire floor before you began to ascend into the air as if purposely gravitating towards the ceiling. It wasn't as fast as the protruding wall that preceded this one, instead it moved at a fair speed, you had time to move forward and attempt to clear entire hall in one fell swoop, but if you failed, only death awaited.

[chiatsuki]

♩ ♫ ♪ ♬ blanketed in darkness

Surely death were to ensue my being – it seemed as if destiny had called my name pushing me towards the heaven with one giant swoop. But no – what was this feeling overcoming the simplistic ideals I’d set forth in annoyance? Foreboding the warnings my senior advisors had given me about these places I kept my speed – finally picking it up a bit just to escape the moving pillar into the doorway. As my figure jumped through what I could sense as an open way I could feel the clenched edges of the stone just barely miss the edge of my shoe as I fell face first to the tiled floor.

I had passed yet another one of these foolish tests – but for what cause? What was to become of me now? The way back were surely closed off by now – hopefully it wouldn’t be too long before I reunited with the old man.

[Messatsu!]

Impressive, I see you have some skill boy, unlike that pathetic old man who couldn't even find his way through a child maze without getting killed.

A man spoke out to you as the floor merged with the ceiling of the corridor behind you, with that being the only source of light, everything was bitch black. All of your senses clearly functioned normally and how you wanted him to, however, you sight was impaired, not even having the ability to look upon your own hand and make out a single shape. You knew nothing of your surroundings and was incognizant to anything it entailed, oblivious and helpless like a newborn baby. The man continued. . .

"Look at you, your perfect, you're just the kind of ninja I need in my army. You should consider joining, you could be eat like a king, live like one and even lay with women like one. I could make you rich, far more than even a nations Daimyo, but only if you follow me and lend me your power, so. . .whadda'ya say? huh"

The mans voice echoed and reverberated throughout the entire room around you, it seemed to you like he was omnipresent, however, you had specific things that could possible pin point his location even when blinded.

Question is, what happens once you do. . .

[chiatsuki]

But just when I’d thought it were over – a voice springing from the foundations of the pitch black pool setting before me would startle my insides as I cringed to my full poise. My heart moaned for the voice of the old man – seeking his light hearted words in order to spring me forth to light once more. But no. . . this light would be different. It were the sound of a murderer – calmingly summoning my will for his own use. “stand still…” I’d say – he probably wouldn’t even have the time to comprehend the words.

My hand grasped at the arrow that had cut my calf – springing forth right into the neck of the man and the wall without thinking twice. I wanted to silence him – his voice were something of a petty annoyance after speaking cruelly of the old man. Green tears poured forth from their emerald pools as both my hands coiled around the arrow puncturing it right into the mans jugular. “Tell the old man to wait for me at the gates…will ya?” I’d say finally just before snapping the back end of the arrow throwing the other half along the ground.

[Messatsu!]

After decades of patience, decades of waiting, the battle was finally over, as was the mans tyranny. The arrow swiftly rived through the mans neck and into the wall behind him, pinning his body like nail on wood. His death had not been instant, no, it was a process, one where he himself witnessed it all, from the pain to the geysers of blood that spilled from his neck and into his lap like a waterfall of death. He gasp for air, but it only sounded like a helpless man hacking up bodies of water from his lungs, unable to properly breath. His face contorted into anger, bewildered how this shinobi could have possibly ascertained his location with the darkest of rooms.

With the life fading from very being, the lights of the construct lit itself, elucidating everything with this stone room that grossly resembled that of a kings chamber. However, as the stillness of this mans heart came to bear it seemed it triggered some sort of 'self destruction' activation. The entire structure itself began virulently shaking as bodies of rock and earth plummeted from the ceiling, hinting away at is impending collapsing.

---

As the area began shaking you'd nearly lose your balance, however with the training and physical conditioning you've received as a shinobi, it wouldn't have been hard to regain said balance. There was a hidden doorway that revealed itself to your far right, an elevator of sorts. You knew not where it would lead you but there was no other signs of exit for you to take hold of. So. . .will you challenge the unknown, or perish like the man before you?