Snake business! [Summoning Quest]

[sachi]

So here he was, on a trip that was seemingly a waste of his damn time. Kain had always been interested in his heritage, in the beginnings of his clan, and his clansmen in general. Cliche as it was, he didn't know of his parents or where he came from, hell, he barely knew himself! All of this was why he was here today though, of course. Word around the countryside was there had been a weird "snake man" around somewhere, and of course the only explanation the young Kagehebi could think of would be somebody with powers like his own - or that's what made sense at least! He had been wandering around all afternoon, making his way from village to village, until he had at last given up on it for the day. The sun was quickly setting on the horizon, the temperature was dropping and Kain just wanted to get inside and get something to eat, thankfully he had been slowly approaching a small village nestled in amongst the mountains. He wasn't exactly knowledgeable of these parts, but he figured ALL towns had some sort of inn or tavern! I mean, it'd be awfully unfortunate if he had to break into a house or something, now wouldn't it?

"Tch, what a crock of shit this all turned out to be!"

He spoke to himself under his breathe, right boot promptly kicking a rock that lay along the dirt path that lead into the village. This place wasn't all that big, but it wasn't small either, it was a moderately-sized farming town that had grown quickly over the last few years. New houses dotted the landscape in all directions, large sections of crops covering most of the land available - he imagined with the harsh mountain environment crops were probably more useful than ryo around here. Onwards he continued at a casual pace, cleaver clanging behind him with each step; the large sword getting him more than his fair share of worried looks from passerbys. He supposed this far out ninja weren't all that common, let alone one that carried massive swords, huh? The streets weren't all that busy, by now most people were headed home or already inside, but it was by following a pair of men that Kain would indeed be led to a tavern, and boy was he happy!

"Finally!

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He marched right on inside, big black boots thudding on the wooden flooring, immediately making his way over to the bar, although his choice of beverage was best left to daycares and the homes of children.

"You serve chocolate milk?"

It sure was odd for such a menacing-looking man to ask such a question, especially when surrounded by men drinking alcohol in a tavern.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/font][/justify]

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said a calm sturdy man walking behind the bar. The light hit him in an array of importance with his black wife beater and white towel hanging over his own shoulder. He looked up at Kain with bright green eyes and a smile. He wasn’t an asshole… no… but there was something else to this guy that seemed important. The men around the tavern laughed their assess off hearing chocolate milk escape his mouth. Kain had sure picked the right place… or had he?

At a table not too far from his position men were gathering around one guy who cloaked himself. He had been talking of the tale of Salzor. The famed snake god who adored their features so much that he had placed a ritual upon himself to turn him into a snake. The one speaking sounded as if he had a slur of sorts… something did not seem right with him either. This town was weird itself if one were to pay attention closely enough.

The town had smelled of blood… thick in the air. There were but a few people actually still roaming the city streets at this time of day because within the evening everything seemed to just vanish. The man who had cloaked himself stood after his story had been told. A crease within the hood would let Kain know he had gestured to look towards his direction… but after the gleam of his shinobi headband marked true he seemed to want to leave almost instantly.

The bartender were cleaning his glasses and placing them atop the stood where they all looked shiny and neat. The loud laughter subdued just as the mans silhouette peered towards the exit. A simple silence overtook the entire town it seemed and but only moments after the swinging door would begin to revolve would sound be brought back into the tavern with the mens boastful laughs continuing with their awkward drunkenness.

A mystery was afoot… but just what mystery was it?

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[sachi]

So, it appeared he was a bit out of luck with the chocolate milk, which of course he considered to be a possibility. Normally he would just demand it outright, but even he knew that childish beverages weren't exactly served in bars! The downside to all this (aside from no chocolate milk!) was that Kain hated alcohol, he couldn't stand the taste of it, and so it seemed he would have to settle for a glass of water. It obviously wasn't his ideal choice after chocolate milk, but after the reaction he got from that he figured asking from apple juice would just get the same response, and then he'd have to start teaching people a lesson or two. With a sigh, the young Kagehebi dropped and sat at one of the many stools, behind sure there was nobody on either side of him (he liked his personal space) and then resting his elbows on the table, once more motioning to the bartender and requesting a new drink,

"Just give me some cold water then"

Left arm propped up, palm tucked under his chin as he tapped his foot. What was with this place? The more he looked around, the weirder it all looked, but what was MOST notable was the smell of the air once he'd actually entered the town. The air felt thick with each breath, and the smell of it held a tinge of iron, almost like blood - but he hadn't seen any signs of fighting, or even bodies, could it be some sort of mine? Or the mountain air? But no matter how much he tried to think of an explanation, he kept coming back to the conclusion that he was indeed smelling blood in the air, but for the entire town to smell like that was impossible, right? But in the end, it mattered little to him, he didn't know what was going on and he didn't really care that much, he was wandering through here on a quest of his own, and he would do what he could to find out some info if an opportunity presented itself!

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to have he-"

He cut his sentence off right there, one word heard amongst the banter of the patrons jumping out at him, one he heard all too often; snake. It could have been nothing, but seeing as it was relevant to why he was here, Kain promptly turned to face the side in which he heard it, the one figure that stood out amongst all the others being a cloaked figure, their face unable to be seen from here. The anonymous figure too would turn to face Kain, even then the face unable to be seen through shade his hood brought, but it was only moments after they met eyes that the stranger got up and was seemingly on his way out,

"Who is that?"

He spoke to the bartender without looking at him, crimson eyes following the cloaked one's movements, an eerie silence falling upon the tavern. For whatever reason, all talking stopped, the sounds of drinks hitting the tables, all laughter, everything save for the thud of Kain's boots as he rose from the stool, lower back now leaning against the bar table. He couldn't explain it, this vibe he was getting, the fact the person was talking about snakes, and was it some kind of ritual? It was hard to hear exactly what was going on over all the noise, but it was enough to pique his interests, even more so when the entire room seemed terrified of the man's presence.

"Tch, I'll go find out."

Kain promptly turned around and downed his water (assuming he'd been served), wiped his mouth and headed for the door, right hand over his shoulders grasping the handle of his cleaver out of instinct.

There was something weird going on here, huh?

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[/i] but a rolling pile of straw that swept from his left to his right. It at least gave him hint of what way the wind was travelling.

The sound of the doors swinging back and forth would cut any other sound off if there were any. Though… if the boy listened closely he could depict that something in fact was above him… scratching at the rooftops of the bar. It was quick and long but took no time to make its move away from him. It was as if seeing the head band had startled the thing…whatever it was… back to its place of rest.

The sun was at its resting place… a bed coated on the horizon. It beamed a cool red and waved lazily through the heat waves. There were no clouds in sight and just a few stars peeked their eyes through that scarlet blanket. Within the dirt just in front of Kain there was a skid mark that stopped just after the steps as if the person had completely disappeared. Maybe that scratching on the roof wasn’t such a coincidence after all.

Move quick young shinobi. The hunt has commenced.

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[sachi]

Out he went, the feeling of a chase in the making building up ever so quickly - but why? What was this dam vibe in the air that put him on edge? It wasn't just the situation he was in, but this entire village seemed to make him cautious, the fact he was subconsciously grabbing at his sword was proof of that enough! Kain pressed forward, pushing through the door and into the streets, although he wouldn't find the figure he was looking for, only footprints, scuff marks and a quick breeze that sent straw flying to his sides - was this the wind itself or the work of some quick movements? The prints in the dirt ending in a sudden skid suggested something happened, and it must have happened quickly if it were to happen before Kain could even exit the building! Brows furrowed and eyes flickered to each side to take a look around, that was until he heard noises above him of course.

"Oh? Are you up there?"

When he thought about it, going UP was the only explanation for the disappearance, huh? Kain quickly spun in place, head immediately tiled backwards to look up to the roof, and then in one mighty jump he would head straight up there himself, ready to track down the source of this noise - and if it came down to it, it was better off to scout from the highground anyways. Through the air he went, chakra-imbued feet allowing him to run up the rest of the wall as his jump reached its maximum height, at which point he immediately moved towards where the noise had originated from. Caution was quickly slipping into a sense of fun, I mean, if you knew anything about Kain it was how much he LOVED to hunt, the fact it was for something relevant to his interests just made it so much sweeter.

"Hey! Where you at?!"

Kain shouted loudly in no direction in particular, eyes flicking in all directions to get a grasp of his surroundings. Now, just what was making that noise?

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[/i] was Kain… and Kain lusted for the chase that this man, or whatever it was, was giving him. Follow him … and from here a new world will unfold before your eyes.

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[sachi]

Through the air he went, chasing the unknown noise that was seemingly coming from directly above him - what exactly the noise was he couldn't pinpoint, but it was definitely odd and the only real explanation for where the stranger went! Thankfully Kain's suspicions were confirmed, because not moments after he'd landed on the flat rooftop did he see the figure darting on ahead, his movements seemingly leaving images of himself in his wake - whether this be genjutsu or testament to his speed was uncertain, but it definitely showed that this person was not normal. The Kagehebi smirked, his predatory nature just begging to be let loose, and he had to remind himself a fair share that he wasn't here to KILL the stranger, he only wanted to talk (really!). Right left shot forward, black boots thudding with each step, until a wet smack and a squishy texture let him know he stepped in something, and it took him all of a second or two to recognize what it was. Kain was an expert on poisons and acids, so when he noticed the sizzling noise and the fact it was BURNING into the building, he did not hesitant in leaping over the strange slime, and upon landing broke into a full-on sprint.

"Hey! Where you going?! Come talk to me!"

His right hand released its grasp on the cleaver, and his arms were now pumping at his sides with each long stride of his legs. He was having fun at this point, and to be honest he didn't even care if this guy didn't have any information, the chase itself was the reward for him! But where in the world was this mysterious person leading him? From what he could see, there was an obscure dirt path on the other side of the tavern, which seemingly lead into a cave in the mountains, which simultaneously screamed 'danger' and 'adventure'! With a tuck and roll off the edge of the roof Kain would regain his footing on the dirt path, sure that his taijutsu prowess would enable him to catch up fairly easy (even with these weights on!), assuming of course, that this stranger wasn't athletic as he was.

"C'mon!"

Despite the shouting, Kain knew he didn't want this to end TOO soon, which is the reason he would follow in the stranger's steps without hesitation, into the mouth of the cave whether it be lit up or dark entirely. Of course, he would have to take a moment or two to asses the situation inside.. I mean, he wasn't THAT hasty!

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[chiatsuki]

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[/i] this poor child. But little did he know was that this kid was a shinobi of the village of earth. He had seen the head band upon his head but he simply disregarded it because he had not been fed in many days. He had been to the bar to dish out some fresh new meat and he did just as he did everyday… ran to his cave hoping that someone would follow. Luckily for him, someone had.

Upon the entrance of the cave Kain went. His legs stretched to and fro to reach its unwelcoming alms though once within the cavern he might have had to stop because of its smell alone. This cave was not dark at all… yet it was filled with bodies. Rotten corpses hung from the ceiling – blood dripping from their bodies into vessels along the sides of the cavern. The vessels connected to an orb protruding up from the center of this cave where the hooded figure now stood. He seemed to be gasping somewhat as he reached the orb, dipping his head within it and taking gulps of the blood. He would lift his head almost suddenly after doing this for a couple of seconds with the sound of relief escaping his maw.

Curiosity was contagious. The hooded figure turned around once more to reveal that he indeed did have a set of burgundy oculars. His skin was pale and seemingly shedding. The cloak fell to the ground revealing a naked body. As weird as this would seem to the young kain the man had no testicles or private part at all – sort of like how the kids Barbie dolls replica of a person without the genital area. His body was muscular but scars tattered his skin almost as if it were a camouflage. The beast had pearly white teeth that cringed as soon as he bore a smirk upon his face seeing that the boy had followed him.

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[sachi]

Legs pumped furiously, his pace quickening with each step he took; the athletic prowess of Kain on display as he closed the gap in no time at all, but boy, did he ever stop dead in his tracks once he actually stepped inside the cave. The stench of the bodies hit him like a tidal wave, the smell so overpowering at first that he had almost started gagging right there - had it not been that he was used to the smell of death, he would have certainly lost his lunch on the spot. The smell wasn't the worst part though, it was the fact that the bodies themselves still remained, dead and decaying all through the cave - just what the fuck was going on here? It was clear that something sinister was happening, and perhaps in his rush for information Kain had fallen into some sort of trap, but he had always been able to find a way out of sticky situations!

"What the fuck are you on about?"

It was of course in response to what this.... creature had said. Not only did this thing not seem to be human, but it seemed as if it was drinking blood, like those monsters you hear about in stories. It was clear whatever this thing was, its intentions weren't good at all, but at the same time Kain couldn't exactly just kill him... I mean, he might have some information after all! With a look of an annoyance about him, Kain finally tugged up on the cleaver on his back, the massive chunk of metal whooshing as it sliced through the air in front of him, the tip of the blade promptly being stabbed into the dirt at his feet, both hands resting upon the hilt. Regardless of what this thing had planned, the brandishing of a weapon like this surely gave the impression it wouldn't be so easy, and the fact he was several meters away gave him ample time to cock back and slice him in half - should he be so inclined!

"Just wanted to ask you some questions..."

A single hand tugged up on the cleaver, removing it from the dirt and swinging it backwards, the flat edge now resting across Kain's right shoulder; a position much more suited to reacting to some form of attack.

"...Are we going to be civilized, or do I have to hang you from these walls?"

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[chiatsuki]

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He snapped his fingers a bit whilst turning his head just a little. His eyes would keep flickering on and off of the boy with a giant cleaver in his hand. He didn’t fancy being taunted by such a weakling… but he did not need to kill him either. From a well in the bottom of the cavern just behind the man did a figure crawl out. A giant black snake which crept over the mans shoulder almost knocking him off balance if it were not for his brute strength. The snake blinked twice at Kain with its green eyes and black tongue sticking out every few seconds. It was tasting his fear… if he’d had any to begin with. With a slight gulp it’d reassure the position of its mouth along one of the many bodies hanging from the cave top. It took little time to gulp down and even less time for it to grab another to continue its feeding sequence. A snake this large must have to eat twice its own weight to stay healthy.

”I asked you your purpose in chasing me. I have no need for you… but there must be something I can aid you with. Are you lost…?” He said with a snarling grin almost as if he’d wanted the boy to be lost. The lumps in the snakes throat went down smoothly as the man responded to kain. What was it exactly that Kain was here for..? This man could possibly help…

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[sachi]

Kain stood still, only adjusting his shoulder occasionally to accommodate the massive sword, although far from tired or uncomfortable. What was this guys deal? Why had he been lead here, what exactly did he drink so desperately? I mean, was he really slurping up blood? More importantly, what was the story behind this huge collection of rotting bodies stored away in this cave, and how did it involve Kain? The situation was all a little unsettling, but he was comfortable with being uncomfortable so long as he managed to get some information out of it; he certainly hoped that this wasn't the rumoured "snake" creature spotted, because he certainly wasn't like an Kagehebi Kain had ever seen... not that there was too many.

"What are y-"

Words stopped coming out when he seen the massive creature emerge from the back of the cave, the sheer size of the snake halting his train of thought. It was well beyond a snake's natural size, surely THIS had been the creature that started all the fuss? But what the hell was it? Genetically modified creatures? Rare breed? A miracle? Was it a fabled animal summon? He had never witnessed one himself, but tales from the war circulated, rumours of creatures that could dwarf buildings, able to fight on even ground with the most powerful ninja, displaying feats of ninja-like ability. But, this was all wild speculation on his part, there could be a whole plethora of reasons behind this creature's size, what he needed to focus on was the fact it was feasting on the corpses without hesitation. It made sense a serpent of that size would require a ridiculous amount of food, but to have such a massive collection of bodies to feed it?

"What is that?! Is that the snake I was hearing about? I came hear chasing rumours about the Kagehebi!"

The cleaver tilted down and was once more stuck into the ground, his posture now much less threatening and much more interested. Just what in the world did he stumble in on?!

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[chiatsuki]

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The slimy man looked at Kain in an awkward stature as he mentioned the word kagehebi. This man was very fond of that clan. He himself was said to be the founder… but could it truly be that someone had chased him this far just to find that out..? Surely not. There had to be another reason behind the trouble that the boy had gone through to get here. “Ah… the kage hebi. Ahaha.

Yes… the fabled clan people have said I’d created. Pardon my manners. My name is Gyo-Raito and this is my fabled beast of legend…” he said whilst licking the blood off of his lip. The truth behind him drinking blood were solely the purposes within kuchiyose. Kage-hebi had a special bond with summoning and blood. An example would be portrayed of this in just seconds as Gyo-Raito spit blood upon the ground. It steamed slowly forming a snake of similar color.

“You have heard much about this snake probably… but it concerns me as to how you know nothing yet are standing within my presence. It angers me… to tell you the truth. I must ask you to leave as I’ve already given you much information about the kage-hebi… and you are not of any kin to them so you have no business here either…”

As simple as it all sounded that were not the case. Kain had much to do with the kage hebi and if he’d let the man know sooner he would not have acted as rash. The man turned around after his decisive dialect to drink a bit more of the blood that’d formed within the bowl.

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[sachi]

What in the hell was this man talking about? Not only did he have an expression that suggested he knew of the Kagehebi well, but then he went on to say that it was suggested that he was the founder of the clan, meaning he was in some way blood related to this man if that statement held any truth.. but, could it be? He definitely had some snake-like qualities to him, but he was far beyond anything Kain had ever seen before.. he had traits that were neither human nor snake-like in their appearance, he had the appearance of some creature that RESEMBLED a person! Kain wasn't in any position to tell him he was wrong, considering the shady, unknown beginnings of his bloodline, but he wasn't so gullible as to believe a stranger so easily, but he was indeed considering the possibility of this all being true. I mean, clearly his people evolved from somebody at some point, could it have been him? If so, how old must he have been?

"Did you? Create the bloodline?"

Kain wasn't even thinking about the bodies and how bad they smelled anymore, or how nobody had noticed this rotting hole behind the tavern, or even what this man's intentions were, he was far too interested in getting more information from him. What if were able to learn of his roots? To learn the origins of this MASSIVE snake? Was it possible to attain such ability within the bloodline? Kain had several questions to ask, and he planned on doing so, right up until the man spat blood, the sacrifice spawning another creature in a cloud of steam. It was as he had heard, despite this being a unique variation. Right before his eyes, Kain witnessed the summoning of another massive snake, very similar to the one already in the room. It was clear this man had tapped into some power unknown to Kain - and to be quite frank, he wanted in, which was the reasoning behind what happened next.

"Can such a technique.. be taught?"

Kain's arms rose away from the cleaver embedded in the dirt, his arms spread to each side and pointed outwards. Although nothing appeared to be happening, it would only take a few seconds for the familiar hissing to be heard, and then in a quick darting motion a snake shot out from each of his sleeves, arching backwards and slithering up his wrist, at which point they wrapped themselves around each forearm. Surely this was proof enough he was not only kin to the Kagehebi, but one with control (albeit minor) over the blood that coursed through him.

What he had in store he couldn't be sure of, but it was for damn sure that chasing rumours had indeed pay off, in ways that Kain couldn't even have imagined!

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[chiatsuki]

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Gyo chuckled as the snakes slithered from his sleeve only to snatch at the dirt. He hadn’t even looked at them. His eyes remained hesitant upon the boy now. He was intrigued. “ah.. so you have come for power…I see. Kuchiyose of the snake is a very sacred contract… and can only be given to those who defend their honor within the pits of Gundor. That is where all the beats of origin reign. If it is your call to become leader of a snake then it be your fate…”

He was blunt but at least he’d given it all at one time. He seemed very tired and in a state of fatigue. Though his chakras were unmatched to him by Kain it seemed as though he lacked the mental strength to continue. “the tunnel behind me leads to there. You may travel there at your own expense…” he said finally and afterwards turned his back to his beast petting its belly as it snatched another lifeless vessel from the tops of the cavern.

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[sachi]

Was it really all this easy? With a mere demonstration of his bloodline, Kain was seemingly being given the opportunity to not only increase his ability, but to potentially rule over a family of summons. The young Kagehebi had always imagined growing to master his powers completely, but often relied on his taijutsu and athletic prowess to carry him to victory - little did he know there were such amazing creatures ready to be tamed, able to be used at a moments notice.. and well, let's just say that this is something that interested him greatly, and he was for damn sure going to give it a shot. But was this all true? Was this all part of his trap? Kain couldn't be certain, but the offer sounded too good to refuse, and with that said the sort-of Iwa shinobi would take his first steps forward, cleaver removed from the dirt and trailing behind him.

"The tunnel, huh? Wonder what's in there.."

Kain spoke to himself, although was half-asking the man that was occupied with the snake. Cautious movements would carry him to the entrance, all the while being sure to keep an eye on the man AND his creatures so he wouldn't get a nasty surprise!

He'd gone from ready to kill this man, to listening to him and wandering ahead into this strange entrance, god knows what waiting ahead. For all he knew, this was the trick he used to lure people in and kill them for his snake.. but it was worth a shot, right?

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