Search for the cleaver.

[Yox]

The plains of Mizu no Kuni were not for the feeble-minded. It was a rough place out here, only a few could scale the land and make it back to the village in one piece. With the dense mist forever lingering, heading out into Mizu no Kuni made it a land of the unknown. What was truly out here? No one really knew.

With such mystery surrounding this place, it was no wonder that hidden treasures suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Treasures that had been recorded lost for centuries finally resurfaced from the midst of the mist. A few lucky individuals had what it took to recover such treasures. It was where our story took place on this day. The legendary Kubikiribōchō had been spotted, and one Masinari Yokumaru had been granted with the task of recovering it. Fate had decided that this man would be able to wield the blade for whatever he desired. Whether it was for good or bad; it was entirely his choice at the end of the hunt. For now though, he was alone in my game.

His story would begin just outside the gates of Kirigakure no Sato. The cries of a girl would fill the morning air, no doubt attracting the attention of anyone who was around. She was frantic as tears were gushing from her eyes and sweat dripped from her perspiring forehead. Trouble was on her mind. Something traumatic had caused her to act this way, but what was it? It was also a shame that not many people were around. In fact, there was only one. The protagonist for our story today. The name that I had spoken out already, one Masinari Yokumaru.

A higher being from above had placed him in this exact situation. It was as if he were destined to come across such a blade. For now fate was on his side, however how long would it last? The quest would not be an easy one. Our protagonist had a long road ahead. First of though, he would have to appeal to the girl in order to figure out what was troubling her. It was obvious to tell that trust was something she did not hand out easily. Although running, her stance was defensive hinting to the fact that she was not very open about what lay within the depths of her mind. It would be up to Yokumaru to unlock such secrets.

"I need a shinobi," she cried. Come to her plea, Yokumaru.

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[KEITH]

“Why am I here?” I said to myself, wondering why I had been out so early in the day. The morning was a time of day that really didn’t work for me, I just wasn’t a morning person, and it was as simple as that. But strangely enough, I found myself out here together, dressed and prepared to go forth into the depths of Mizu no Kuni for some difficult training. I had been taking it too easy, and hadn’t really had a taste of battle since the Kumogakure assault or the confrontation with the Nibi.

And, I was surely hungry for some sort of action—even sex had been an option, though I was still innocent in that area, never once laid with a woman. As a dedicated shinobi, I never had time for such leisure, I always had to work and move forward. I began my departure from the gates of Kirigakure, my mind had still be cluttered by idle thoughts which only existed because I really had nothing to do. I didn’t even want to train, but that didn’t stop me from carrying all of my gear upon my person, along with my casual Kirigakure attire.

Not before long, I heard a voice cry out within the mist, and it sounded like that of a girl. Naturally, I was alarmed, but I didn’t know what was going on, and why the girl had been crying out. With caution, I made my way into the direction I heard the noise coming from, by I would travel as quietly and quickly as I could through the mist. I couldn’t see too clearly through the mist, but I was able to see everything within a five meter radius of me pretty good.

Once I arrived within the immediate area of the girl who had cried out, pleading for the assistance of a shinobi, I had been intrigued. I remained silent, and at least ten meters from the western flank of the girl, seeing if she would give out any more information on her own before I had spoken. Why did she need a shinobi? Why was she out here? And, why was she crying? I needed these answers, but something inside of me wanted to see what was wrong. It had been apparent that she wasn’t a Kiri-nin, and to be honest, those were the only people I had really cared for.

Maybe it was a guy thing; my hormones wanted me to see what was wrong with the girl, to comfort her. Or, Akira’s good nature had touched my heart, and now leading me to perform good tasks. Whatever it was, something about this situation had called out to me, and caused my blood to boil—what was it?

“Girl,”

I was curt, I didn’t know how to speak to those I didn’t some sort of business with, or not even befriended in the past. But I had to keep going on for information sake. This could be some sort of trap, luckily my guard had always been up, and I was loose and ready for anything that could happen at a moment’s notice.

“What are you doing out here?”

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[Yox]

The tears that drained from her eyes began to cease once she had heard another voice. Finally, someone else was out here in the mist with her. It had been an hour since she had heard the voice of another. Throughout that time her ears had only picked up on the cries of her own voice, speaking out into the mist's forever nothingness as she ran through it. Finally, she had found what she had sought after. It was Kirigakure and this voice that responded, was he a shinobi?

She would inspect your clothes Yokumaru. It seemed your casual attire made her a little hesitant to assume what you were. The lack of flack jacket and obvious display of headband made it hard for her to realise that you were a shinobi. On closer inspection of the strap that held your juusui, she noted the Kirigakure symbol. And that was all she needed; some sort of proof that you hailed from the largest village of Mizu no Kuni. It was your duty to protect the helpless citizens of this land. She was a helpless citizen Yokumaru. It was time to stand up on behalf of the village. That was why you were a jōnin, wasn't it?

It was not going to be that easy however. A simple question from you was not going to allow her to explain the story she kept inside. She needed proof that you two were on the same level. A level that both parties could exchange information without the other simply departing. Yes, you needed to establish trust with her. You see she had just experienced something very traumatic. Her fragile mind was in no state to simply go and hand out trust to another. I suppose the fact that you didn't kill her on the spot said enough about your intentions, but yet... she needed more. If you could trust her, she could trust you.

She handed you an apple. Take a bite... Yokumaru.

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[KEITH]

I listened to the fading sound of her cries after she heard my voice, until they would have stopped completely. The girl didn’t say a single word, and I couldn’t help but get an eerie feeling coming from her. Just who was she, and why had she been so close to Kirigakure? None of it had made sense to me, and as I thought before, it could always be a trap. As an example shinobi of Kirigakure, it was wise to always stay on guard, no matter where you are, because you never knew where you would get struck from or who would do it.

The girl turned toward my direction, and I watched her carefully, making sure that I not only had a good image of her entire body, but also kept my awareness of the surroundings about me. Not before long, she would retrieve some sort of apple, holding it within her hands, as if she had been offering it to me. Since once again, she had chosen not to speak, I was a bit perplexed by her actions, and wondered what she had really wanted from me. The offering of the apple had reminded me of the crazy man from that crazy village, and if the girl thought I was going to take a bite, she was surely dreaming.

“Girl—answer me, who are you and what are you doing out here? If you don’t start talking, I will attack.”

The tone of my voice had shown my seriousness, this girl had been some sort of fool; I was starting to think that maybe I should have just attacked her from the distance and ended her. She is obviously a trespasser anyway, so she should be dealt with like any other criminal, like how I dealt with Helios. I gave her a bit more time to speak before I would have acted, my left hand moved to my back pouch, attempting to retrieve two kunai.

“This is your last chance.”

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[Yox]

Although the scenario was rather strange Yokumaru, it was best that you kept at ease with the girl. She was of no harm to you, and each time you pushed back it simply lengthened the distance between you two. Your imperative tone would get to her. She had already been on the edge, and you just had to go and give her that little nudge. The tears began flowing from her eyes again. She took a bite out of her own apple that she had offered to you previously. It showed that there was nothing wrong with it. Tossing it aside after the nibble, she fell down onto her knees before you.

She was in a position of vulnerability. Weak to the core; seeming as if all had been stripped from her. You see she wasn't from the same village as you Yokumaru. "I need your help, shinobi." She was able to spit out a few words whilst choking on her own hiccups. The girl needed comfort Yokumaru. The weapons that you were reaching for would not help out the situation to any extent. It was time to look deep within. Pull out the side of you that was more compassionate, if it even did exist. Violence and aggression was not the answer, for now.

"I am sorry. I'll start talking now. You see I come from a village on one of the small isles surrounding the man island in Mizu no Kuni. In my village there has always been a rumour involving the fact that a demon lurks within the surrounding mist. He wields a blade that no average man can hold. It has been a long time since he has attacked the village. I recall him doing so once when I was younger, however we were able to fend him away by offering him gifts. This time he does not want the same gifts. We were unable to expel him and many of our townsfolk perished in the process. I was able to escape before he got to me. That's why I have come here. I require your help shinobi. Please... please expel this demon from our village." How did this make you feel, Yokumaru?

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[KEITH]

How did it make me feel? I was unmoved by her plea, not a single emotion had went through me that told me to assist this girl, not even the good side of my conscious. I carefully watched everything she did up into the point of her speech, trying to analyze what had been really going on. And if I really cared enough to question the girl further, no doubt in my mind that helping her would lead to getting me caught up into some mess. But, she did happen to mention something of particular interest to me.

She stated that there had been a “demon” who wielded a blade that no other man could. Just what could this “blade” that the demon wielded be? Also, how exactly was she able to get away from him? What kind of combative skill allowed her to do such a thing? Or perhaps, was she simply more cunning then her so-called “demon.” This was the only bit of information that intrigued me, and I wondered that even if I did question her and lend my help, how would I go about finding this man?

The only blades that existed in the world that normal men didn’t carry were the Seven Swords of the Swordsmen, the elemental blades, and the other miscellaneous swords—like Kusanagi and Totsuka. Could this demon be using a legendary relic? I wouldn’t know unless I received the information from the girl. No distance had been closed between the two of us, and the mist had thinned a bit over time to allow us to see each other clearly.

As I continued to keep a watchful eye on the girl, while remaining aware of my surroundings, my lips slowly parted as words exited.

“What kind of blade did this demon carry? Assuming that you actually escaped his grasp after coming into close contact with him, I suppose. Also, what is your name?”

I didn’t want to talk much, so I had to keep my speech relatively short and sweet. The kunai I had drawn found their way back into my pouch, after being somewhat guided by my hand. I watched the girl carefully, waiting for her answer to my questions. I wonder if that feeling from before would come over me again, the feeling of wanting to help her and feeling compassionate.

These were foreign feelings to me, and I surely didn’t like them. There were three things I despise in our world, and those things are; God, Money, and Women. You cannot put faith or trust into any of them, and expect something good to come out in the end.

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[Yox]

The girl was sure relieved that you had responded to her plea. She simply feared the idea that you would leave her presence, resulting in her yet again being alone within the mist. She hated it. The fact that you remained here with her made her want to tell you more. It was good that you could appeal to her Yokumaru. It was either your way with words or your attractiveness that enticed her. Either way, she continued on with her speak.

"The demon," she sighed, "he has always troubled the people of our area. The village elders believe that they owe something to the demon for not attacking our village. It's why we are often very poor. Our foodstuff and valuable relics all go toward the demon whenever he pays our council a visit. If we ever miss a payment though... he comes for us. Picking us off one by one like mice in an experiment. We can't live like this anymore. We're slaves to an unknown shadow who preys on us all."

She finished talking for a moment, pondering on what to say next. The girl noted the interest you gave in the type of weapon she spoke of. She thought about using that to her advantage, luring you into her issues by talking up the weapon of the demon. "He wields a long blade; the size of a very tall human. The tip of the blade curves at the end, and along the blade are holes in which a human's neck can fit perfectly. It's the perfect sword to cleave one's head right off... I should know, he did it to many of the town folk before I was able to escape." She glanced down to the ground, sobbing a little after speaking.

A moment later her gaze rose, looking deep into your eyes. "Please. Help me with my cause. The people of my village need the assistance of Kirigakure. I'm sure once you defeat the demon, you could take his sword back to your village as a reward."

She had no care for the sword itself, only whether or not the demon had been stopped. It had been too long that he had prowled on her village. The time for justice was now, and Yokumaru seemed to be the chosen one to carry it out. Before she finished speaking entirely, she answered the one last unanswered question that remained. "And my name... it's Kanai." She bowed her head in greeting after she introduced herself.

[KEITH]

OOC: Sorry, Yox. But I will not be able to complete this quest. Though, I may want to return to it in the future if you would want to. I am currently really busy with life and a bunch of other things I want to so, soooo, I need to put RP on hold for awhile.

Sorry for any inconveniences!

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[Yox]

OOC: All good man! PM me when you want to start this up again.