Unexpected Bond!; [Otaku]

[Messatsu!]

Removing himself from the previously burning hows that still seemed to burn even after his departure, the Sennin retreated deeper into the forest, namely closer to the northern mountains. Having instantly transported himself to a 10x10 meter (diameter) opening of the dark forest, he refused to continue exploring its many corridors and instead sat in the center of said opening. His legs were crossed inwardly and his eyes were closed as his hands peacefully rested within his lap. Given the fact that his encounter with the space-time ninjutsu totting man hadn't even been 10 minutes ago, the Sennin had yet to replenish his mass storage of Senjutsu chakra. Although not extremely low, the Senjutsu chakra that was originally stored within his body took a steep declivity during his brief skirmish with an unnamed man. On a spiritual level, the energies from the earth and everything it entailed slowly gravitated towards Masuyo and flawlessly merged with his own tenketsu. Everything seemed to have been totally quite for the most part, save for the cries and chirping sounds of wildlife.

"I used quite a bit of Senjutsu chakra back there. This power is new and exciting, but, I've got to use it more tactically from here on. "

Thinking back no the little skirmish, he desired to know what kind of technique the man had been using to move around the way he did. His 'speed', to Masuyo, hadn't seemed like speed at all, but literally just appearing out of thin air wherever he so pleased. It was without a doubt a technique worth revering, evident by its ability that allowed the unnamed man to elude the otherwise incomprehensible speed and power of a Sage.

[marvolous.]

Seven years with Hiraishin and I was still impressed by it's usefulness. You see, traveling was virtually moot with my ability to warp to my different seals at any time I wanted. Essentially, what used to take many precious moments traveling to and fro many different locations, or even trying to remain silent to sneak up on a person through his flank, now only took a fraction of a moment - evidenced by my sudden appearance in front of my previous opponent.

It was very much like the instance I had taken the life of that Kumogakure child; one second he was by himself, the next I was there - silent and as lethal as ever. But I didn't attack this time, however; I appeared, though accompanied by a dead corpse, with my hands up in front of me. I meant no harm to the man, who's features were now made clearer due to our close proximity. I could tell, just by my Sharingan's vision, that just by remaining still he was refilling his chakra pools.

"Don't disappear again," It sounded much like an order, but it was more of advice than anything. Still, my hand shot forward, my index finger peaking out passed it's counterparts. "No matter how far or fast you run, with that on your arm, you'll never truly be away from me." As I spoke I sat down, allowing the small distance between us - about a couple meters - to be separated by the Kumogakure shinobi's dead corpse.

"Etsuko, Soratsu." My name, that is - t'was out of good faith. "I'm the Nidaime Kazekage."

[Messatsu!]

Little by Little, Masuyo felt the nature energy swell within him as it filled up to the brim in a matter of seconds. Upon completion, the presence of another plunged into his senses, namely a couple meters to his immediate front. Remaining in his meditative pose, the Sennin's eyes opened with ferocity and near-instantly recognized the man from moments ago. Once more the Sennin was impressed and bewildered by his level of speed, and now, perhaps even his tracking ability. Still desiring to understand the secrets behind the man's means for travel, he took the initiative to explain. The arm?! Hastily, the Sennin's left hand reached over to his right arm and pulled back the sleeve that covered it, noticing the black marking immediately. An eyebrow raised in surprise as he looked up to the man and then back to his arm before cracking a slight grin. He looked back up to the mysterious man as he decided to sit down with a corpse in his possession, did he have any respect for the dead?

"Etsuko Soratsu?! The man that aided Kouketsu during his revolutionary campaign?!."

Over the years, it seemed almost impossible to have not heard of Kouketsu and Soratsu, two of the more fabled ninja that waged war against several villages in a brash attempt to take hold of world peace. In the end, they achieved such a goal, however, the lives of many were sacrificed in the name of their cause. The Sennin reflected back on his solo attack on Kaminari's capital, seeing his old self as the same - remorseless beings. Having personally met kouketsu, even for the briefest of moments, he had to ask.

"So, Soratsu-kun, you know of Kouketsu Uchiha?"

A sense of seriousness swept across Masuyo's face as his eyes burned deeply into Soratsu's own and the grin instantly left his face. He needed to know if the man truly was who he claimed to be, because if his identity proved to be the truth, then the Sennin might have very well found the key to finding Kouketsu Uchiha.

[marvolous.]

What? I was shocked but not surprised that this man - Masuyo, apparently - knew of Kouketsu. I could tell just by his Hitai Ate that he no longer held any allegiance to a village, but had hailed from Amegakure. Though I was aware of the impact both Kouketsu and I had inflicted upon the major nations, I never fathomed that such information would have reached the minor nations - especially when most of those villages were destroyed.

"Do I know of him?" It was a rhetorical question; I sighed, nevertheless, at him having put two and two together so quickly. "Kouketsu was the pioneer of my clan. Though only family through blood, he was my brother." Was - past tense. I paused with my words, allowing my hands to delve within my pocket and pull out the BINGO book I had just taken from the dead child. It was opened, almost automatically flipped to Kouketsu's page, and then shown to Masuyo.

"Hes been dead for seven years now. Just like how--" I paused again, flipping to the next page. There, right after Kouketsu, was a picture of myself with the words 'Presumed Dead'. It had been taken almost eight years ago, back when I was still young and had long black hair - a deep contrast to my appearance right now. "Just like how I have also been dead for the last seven years."

Masuyo seemed inquisitive enough, I doubted he would need more to figure out my worlds.

[Messatsu!]

"Kouketsu was the pioneer of my clan. Though only family through blood, he was my brother."

So he hit the nail on the head, evident by the following response Soratsu gave in regards to knowing of Kouketsu Uchiha. Masuyo looked into the man's eyes intently as he abruptly paused and searched for his own BINGO book. The Sennin looked down to see Kouketsu's profile and documented information before Soratsu managed to flip the page. For the umpteenth time, Masuyo's eye brow's raised in confusion as he declared Kouketsu's death as fact when he himself met with Kouketsu. Truthfully, had it not for Kouketsu's warped sense of 'kindness', Masuyo would have never found himself training on Mount Youbin & Nobunaga to perfect a power that few men have come to know. Nevertheless, he knew that Kouketsu was alive, but instead of abruptly interrupting with the truth, he let Soratsu speak once he showed that his own status was identical. The conformation of their deaths proved to be nothing more than a false belief; the two men were undoubtedly clever, but Masuyo could have helped but notice that Kouketsu was more inclined to stay dead, more so than Soratsu.

Once he connected the pieces together, everything seemed all too clear, enough so that it then made sense as to why he found Kouketsu so withdrew from the current world. To have realized he not only crossed paths with two living legends, but he battled them, survived, and prospered.

"Hmph, no wonder my techniques had no effect, was up against a ninja years ahead of his own time. I only met Kouketsu briefly, but my words can easily register as lies given his 'popularity'. So, just as you have given me proof, I will do so as well."

Remaining seated, his hands weaved through a long, complicated string of hand-seals, ones that heralded the coming of his fabled summoning technique. Upon completion, he bit the thumb of his right hand, drew blood, and slammed an open palm into the ground on his left side thereafter. Instantly black markings swept across the ground from his hand, and with a large, harmless emission of smoke, Ao sat directly behind Masuyo, easily towering over him. Both the eyes of Ao and the Sennin beamed through the darkness of night as moonlight bounced off the reflective layers inside their retinas. If Soratsu really knew Kouketsu to the degree that he claimed, the appearance of Ao would have been more than enough proof to wash away any lingering doubts about Masuyo's claims.

[marvolous.]

OOC: My writing has become sloppy with 1st person, so I'm switching it up.

Unlike Kouketsu, Soratsu hadn't planned on disappearing; it just happened as a result of Beppin's extreme desire to keep him safe. Having openly attacked several villages, Sora had many enemies. If they had found out what really had happened to him, Sunagakure would have undoubtedly been attacked. It was his wife's cunning nature that had kept the village afloat and safe for so many years, not Sora; he was forever indebted to her for that.

"Ain't that the truth." He casually acknowledged Masuyo's slight compliment with a curt nod. "By any means, show me this 'proof'." His hand extended outwards, beckoning Masuyo to do - or show - whatever he deemed was enough to suffice as proof of his contact with Kouketsu. Soon thereafter we were greeted with the presence of one of his summons; a summon, that in it's own right, was as infamous as himself.

"Ao." Another nod. "It's good to see you again, old friend." Nothing else needed to be said. Despite Soratsu's appearance having shifted considerably since the war, forgetting the intensity his demeanor and very presence emitted was impossible. Ao, too, seemed to have changed over the years. Not only just his appearance, no - but his personality; for him to have accepted another summoner, Masuyo must have made quite an impression.

"It appears that I was correct. I shouldn't be surprised that such a fabled art actually exists. That chakra, the one that gets replenished far easier than regular energy, works in correlation to him, right?

Much like Sora had done when pointing his picture out in the BINGO book, his fingers shot forward and fell directly on Ao.

[Messatsu!]

"It appears that I was correct. I shouldn't be surprised that such a fabled art actually exists. That chakra, the one that gets replenished far easier than regular energy, works in correlation to him, right?"

Ao nodded in return when Soratsu immediately recognized him after so many years and acknowledged him as an 'old friend'. It put a smile on Masuyo's face to hear Soratsu speak to Ao in such a friendly and casual manner. He was sure that those who survived the attack on Kami no Shima saw Ao, his brother Dayo, and even their father as lawless beast; in truth, those people had every right to think of such things. Nevertheless, Masuyo heeded Soratsu's words and went on to respectfully give his response.

"In essence yes, but it wasn't Ao alone that granted me the power to manipulate nature energy. His father Namyeol, and my mentor, Shiju, both privileged me with this power after having cleansed my soul for the destruction I inflicted upon Kami no Shima."

A light tickle and pressure suddenly swelled up within Masuyo's nose and caused his head to whip and tilt backwards. Not even a moment later had his head ferociously whipped forward with a violent sneeze. In that same moment his right arm raised up to his mouth to contain said sneeze. "Excuse me." He politely said, now waiting for Soratsu to respond. Meanwhile, after giving Soratsu enough time to answer, Ao casually spoke to Soratsu, expression concern for Kouketsu.

"So, Soratsu, what the hell is up with Kouketsu, haven't seen him in years. I figured you of all people would know."

[marvolous.]

"Destruction of Kami no Shima?" Soratsu had been aware of what had occurred within the city through his many sources, but none of them - including himself - knew who the perpetrator had been. Still, this natural energy Masuyo spoke of was a rarity; coalesced with the raw talent he already possessed, it wasn't hard to believe he had done what he said. He'd be a scary foe, but an even better ally.

"Impressive." Soraeyes fell back on Ao, though his demeanor remained void of much emotion. "Not only your ability to manipulate nature energy, but the sheer fact that Ao trusts your judgement; that in itself speaks volumes. There was a slight pause in Soratsu's words as Ao questioned him about his former master. Truthfully, he was as clueless as Ao was; if Kouketsu truly wanted to remain hidden, no one - not even Soratsu himself - would be able to find him. "Your guess is as good as mine, my friend."

Several minutes would pass as Soratsu explained what had happened during the war many years ago. He used this opportunity to learn more about Masuyo, as well. Before they both knew it, a good amount of time had already passed.

"As a nukenin, I know how it feels to live without a home. If you accompany me back to my village I will give you just that, as well as anything else you might need. In exchange, however..."

Sora inched closer to the corpse, his right hand falling onto the boy's chest whilst his left, very slowly, reached out towards Masuyo. If he truly grasped just what Hiraishin was capable of, he would know what to do.

"I'll require your services as a shinobi."

[Messatsu!]

Having opened up to Soratsu, it was only natural that he responded, however, it briefly ate him up inside that the destruction of Kami no shima was considered impressive. Perhaps back then he felt superior and proud of his 'accomplishment' but now, after having seen the true error of his ways with the aid of his mentor, he was ashamed of it. Despite even that, he turned it into a reminder of what he used to be and the path that he used to walked. He had no desire to ever go back. For a quick second he looked back to Ao as he spoke, inquiring about Kouketsu's whereabouts. Although he hadn't ask, he was curious as well and thus looked back to Soratsu for a what he registered as a disappointing answer. Time past, several minutes to be exact, but Masuyo truly lost track of time as he and Soratsu opened up to one another, exchanging thoughts, ideals, and even history.

"As a nukenin, I know how it feels to live without a home. If you accompany me back to my village I will give you just that, as well as anything else you might need. In exchange, however..."

Almost instantly after those words fell from Soratsu's parted lips had Masuyo recalled upon the events that transpired seven years ago within Hi no kuni - the day he met Uchiha Faust. He remembed times where he walked around for hours, sometimes even days before he found something to eat or a comfortable place to lay his head without fear of being attacked. With Amegakure still relatively in ruin, having a home of sorts sounded like an undeniably good idea. Interested, he watched Sora inch closer to both himself and the corpse, holding out an open hand thereafter.

"I'll require your services as a shinobi."

Raising yet another eyebrow, Masuyo looked at Sora's hand and back to his eyes as he hesitantly reached out and gripped Sora's own. The moment he committed, he gripped his hand knowing that had been very likely that he was blessed with an opportunity to experience Hiraishin first hand.

"Deal, but. . ."

That one word was all that Sora needed to hear to know that Masuyo agreed with his stipulations, but under one condition.

"During my service, don't expect me to kill. Crippling and rendering unconscious is the farthest I will go, nothing more."

[marvolous.]

"Deal, but. . ."

Soratsu's eyes fell on Masuyo's as he said this, a slight grin creeping upon his features. Being a shinobi who can't - or, refuses - to kill was redundant; however, Sora didn't question his reasons. Instead, he laughed - a light, charismatic, laugh. "Do not worry, that will not be a problem." With Masuyo's hand now within his own, Soratsu activated the very technique that brought about the moniker of The Flying Thunder God; instantly transporting both Masuyo and himself through dimensions and all the way back to Sungakure in seconds.

"Take a deep breath, the first time is always the most uncomfortable." he said. If Masuyo hadn't noticed himself, by the time my words reached his ears we were already in Sunagakure. Almost as instantly as we had arrived did several servants of my estate rush outside, their sole purpose to carry the young child's corpse back within my mansion.

"First things first." He began. "We have to pay a visit to the current Kazekage. For your safety, as well as my own, you'll need to wear this." With a light toss Soratsu threw the ANBU mask he had retrieved from the corpse to Masuyo, using that same opportunity to don his own as well. From there, well - he vanished. Not through Hiraishin, just pure speed. The quicker they reached the Kazekage's office the better.

[Messatsu!]

Infected by Soratsu's sudden laugh, Masuyo grinned and chuckled himself while taking a deep breath just like Sora advised. Literally a second later, Masuyo sat within Sunagakure and instantly felt the all the physical changes that entailed. He felt the drastic increase in temperature, the hardness of the ground beneath him and the thick, hot air that began to fill his lungs. The feeling was quite intense, for sure, but nothing that he deemed to be too overwhelming. Nevertheless, he noticed the group of severants that swiftly seized the corpse and moved it somewhere more suitable. Presuming the walls that surrounded him were in fact safe, the ink around his eyes faded as his chakra regulated, returning to its normal capacity. "That was uhhh, quite an experience." He said as he unfolded his legs and raised up to a full stand.

Looking to Soratsu as he motioned towards Masuyo meeting the current Kazekage, he caught the tossed ANBU mask, but, before putting it on he unfastened his horned Amegakure headband and removed it. Swiftly, he tucked it into his robe and assumed the mask. With no time to take in the surrounding scenery, he followed Soratsu's path of likely travel, truly anxious to meet yet another Kage. If his plan truly wanted to grow vigorously, he needed the help of men and women who held some kind of political power.

[adero]

56 Gene
47 Naga