najua jina yako... i know your name

[BLKND]

粛清

The sound of glass would scream beneath the weight of his heels; the slow, psychotic squeal of pressure echoing throughout the city. Weight would shift from one foot to the other, as this mammoth of a man would saunter through the deserted city streets. His shoulders were broad, and his back was wide. His muscles protruded from his skin, and the etchings against his body would stay cemented in their place. The cold didn’t bother him- it rarely did. In fact, he might have enjoyed it. The bitter wetness would splash harshly against his bare arms, face and chest. His expression was solemn, as it often was. Another scream would emit from the glass beneath him. He took his time walking. Each step was thought out, and leisurely. While his stride made his travel much less of a chore, it was clear that he was not in any rush. The sound of the broken glass beneath him would be accompanied by another sound, however. It was the shifting beneath the bloodied body, which hung close to its captor that made the sound. The powerful grip of the giant would continue to hold this body by the long blue mane of the cadaver- or what could only assume to be a cadaver. The body was ruined and battered. There was no room for assumptions on this man’s life. The breath that sprayed outward in front of the giant’s face was warm and vibrant, whereas the air that scuttled from the lips of the other man seemed to be nonexistent. The concrete that supported these men, and the rigidity of the glass beneath them, was stained in blood. A trail of red would pursue them with every haughty step. The area in which they traversed was ruined. Where once was a sturdy wooden ceiling now hung a shattered assortments of splinters fraying further in the wind that pushed them. The night sky was bleak. There was no moon, no starts- only the soft hazy clouds that became synonymous with this storm. It had lasted what felt like decades. An entire generation had gone so long without a glimpse of the sun- and had grown to love it. This man was one of them. Despite his youthful face, and his exuberant body, he knew nothing of the sun. The only sky that he would know would be this dull, dark gray that hovered over his head.

[BLKND]

The wind was bitter. It nipped at his nose and tossed his hair to and fro. His eyes would remain defiantly open. Staring off into the shadows of this city, he could see that he was not alone. The small pack of men who had followed him here had finally arrived to confront him. Draped in loose black robes, they huddled to the front of the building, their swords exposed and their hearts racing. Frowns covered their faces as they looked upward. The second floor had been completely demolished, and the entire left side of the house had been removed. This is where the giant could be found. The concrete at his feet did well to keep him from falling- for he was heavy. The few torches, which would now light up the area surrounding the house, would shine deeply into the depths of the dark. These men had an obvious imperviousness to the cold. Their geta and kimono revealed the amount of skin one would in the spring- and considering the blizzard that had overcome this land, it made little sense to outsiders. None of them were among the confused. The ready anger that prepared these men for combat was evident. Various topknots would flood the area before all eight men had been revealed. The fire roared against the chill of the cold, and the ferocity of the wind. As a single man would separate himself from the crowd, his sword waving slowly into the air, he would point its tip directly at the image of the giant that he had come to slay.

“You will have one opportunity to heed our warning. Release our brother, and come down here to face your fate.” He would shout fiercely.

His power was evident. Defined muscle coated his arms as he pinpointed the man’s heart with his blade. A thin bush of facial hair covered his chin and jawline. He was an older man, around his mid forties, whereas many of his counterparts appeared to be fairly younger. It was evident that he was the leader. His words, as authoritative as they were, did not fall onto deaf ears. However, perhaps it was best if they had. The giant’s eyes would glimmer, and as he stared over towards this lot, his lips would purse into a grin. Lifting his mighty, muscular arm, the body within his grasp would soon be released. The loose black kimono, which covered the man’s body, would flutter as violently as the flames at the tips of these men’s torches before his body would find itself crushed by the weight of the land. None of the men would turn away, or mourn the pain of their perhaps dead comrade. Anger had overcome them.

“Your brother has been released. Now, I suppose, I must face my fate.” The giant would speak, his voice deep and invasive.

[BLKND]

It wasn’t quite as powerful as the men had assumed it to be. The sheer wonder of what this man was, who he was, what he stood for- the questions boggled their minds. Before they even knew what had happened, he had landed. His legs would straddle the lifeless body, and he would stand tall as he peered down at all of them. The snow, which would explode around the pressure of his weight, would soon fade into the rest of the rolling haze, and he would straighten his posture. His eyes were a sickening, almost fluorescent green. It was unsettling. The vibrant green paint that covered his eye would only amplify the oddity of the man. It was uncanny to see something so built. His hulking build made it clear that he was not of sound mind. Having dedicated so much time to building his body to such a degree, it would make them all feel uncomfortable as the stared at their adversary. His hands would meet before forming three odd hand symbols. It instantly became evident to the men, what they were dealing with.

“A ninja… what is your purpose here?” One of them would shout out, stepping forward before pointing his torch menacingly at the giant.

He would offer no explanation, simply enduring his grin. His head cocked to the side as he would lift his hand to the bearded man who had first spoken to him. Flat, and open, it was as if he was expecting something from him. It would only be after they would fold into his palm twice was it clear that this was not going to be another simple altercation. The taunt bore fruit. Within an instant the already tussled brow of the leader would lead to a gaping mouth- and an instant command to his men for an immediate attack. They would oblige without question. A mistake.

The first of the men, and the most eager was also one of the few carrying a torch. He would be dispatched quickly. He couldn’t really tell until it was too late, but as soon as he would maintain the range of his enemy, it was clear that he had stepped into a place that he was not yet ready to be. Before him stood a thirteen foot man, the dimensions never computing until the reality of the giant’s hand would come hurdling against the side of his body. It was as if there was some sort of force, a boulder falling from a mountain, or a bull driving it’s head into the flesh of the unsuspecting. His body would fly to the side, his feet neglecting to even touch the ground before he would instantly smash, neck first into the house behind the giant. His body would continue to hurdle backwards, and he would soon find himself in just a state as the man that he had come to rescue. This display appeared to resonate. Within an instant, the barrage of men had turned into a wall of the same composition. Instead of brave, armed men, now stood what could only be described as a pack of cowards. He would use this to his full advantage. With almost two steps, he was upon them. His speed was incredible for his size. Taking the appropriate steps out of his way, he would choose the path of one of the lot. His boots pounded the earth below him, and flurries of snow would erupt beneath the pressure of his weight. The warm of his breath would become constant, and as if steam powered his blood, he would be within the grasp of these men- or rather, they within his. A massive gloved palm would envelope the torso of the nearest victim. He was a young man, his hair tussled and uncared for. His face proved his youth, having not been more than eighteen years of age. The shouts of the lot would fall upon deaf ears as they called out to him.

[BLKND]

The blow had knocked the wind out of him, causing him to fall unconscious for a second or two. Within that time he had lost the grip of his sword, which now lay planted in the frigid white substance beneath them. The giant’s fingers had wrapped around his neck, which stretched to his shoulders, leaving him with no real way to protect his exposed neck. He was helpless. Instantly raised into the air, his feet would dangle beneath him as he would struggle to control his state of consciousness. The lack of oxygen- this man’s might- it was too much for him to bear. Within seconds he would find himself black out, his unconscious body being tossed towards the lot- a few of them dropping their equipment in order to cushion his fall.

“I must say that your fortitude is commendable. You should know, however, that if you intend to combat me- I would not hesitate to kill you.” The giant’s voice would boom through the yard, echoing into the forest that surrounded the house. “Your brother has made some powerful enemies. The organization that I work for is one of them. If your lives, or the lives of your families, mean anything to you, then you will take your wounded, and you will leave. “ He stood amongst them, their breath heavy with fright, and the anticipation for battle. The glimmer in his putrid green eyes would return, and he would shift his body to face the leader once more. “Of course, I understand that your honor may not permit this. Come back. Face me on the battlefield when you can offer me more of a challenge.

The leader would rise to the occasion. His garbs would sling to the sides of his muscular body, the wind appearing to strip him of all decency. His hair would fight to become undone. His age had become more evident within these past few moments. The wrinkles on his face, and the chill on his lips made him appear ten years older than what others might have anticipated. He would open his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by the giant- his left hand rising as though to politely interrupt him.

“Meet me at the Hawa Bridge in three days time. Bring whomever you feel comfortable enough to have die at your side.”

“You really think we’ll let you leave here with our brother?” He would shout angrily.

“I am leaving here with that man regardless of the next time we see each other. Perhaps we should make this a little more interesting. I will delay turning your brother in for four days. If you defeat me in Hawa- he will be yours. You cannot defeat me as you are.” The giant would boast, taking a casual step towards his bounty, and continuing to do so until he finally arrived close to where he had left him.

[BLKND]

The lot of the men stood dumbfounded. This man’s stature was utterly incredible, and his might came at no surprise. It was honestly difficult for them to do something such as this. The idea of giving up a loved one, one that that they had come prepared to die for. Of course, this proposal was enticing.
“What guarantee do I have that I will see you there?” The leader would say, the density of the situation having obviously subsided.

He flinched at the sight of the giant tossing the body over his shoulder. The man turned to him, his incredible white hair tussling powerfully against his face, as he would peer through it- his eyes as beacons through the blizzard.

“I am interested in what your organization is capable of. You have my word.” His arrogance was palpable.

The men felt a small feeling of relief, save their leader. While this man was incredibly powerful, the Momo Sect was not simply a group of underground thugs as their public images portrayed. While being a mostly civilian group, there was a fair share of mercenary and veteran men and women who were among their ranks. Their funds were sustained by the constant contribution of their current leader, a high ranking official in one of the many countries off the coast of Mizu no Kuni. Their equipment, housing, effects- all set to train and sell private military squadrons for various business and warlords. A typical Private Military Corporation. However, where typical PMC’s would contract their work for specific insurgencies, the Momo Sect had grown renowned for typically dismantling opposing PMC’s through means surpassing combat. For this reason Momo had become an enemy of their brethren, making most mercenary organizations loathe them. However, with the dismantling of their enemies, it would leave many combatants without work- until they were offered a position within the Sect. For this reason they had amassed a substantial amount of armed men. This giant knew what he was doing, and yet still opposed Momo. While it had not yet been revealed whom he worked for, it was evident that they were all cut from the same cloth. The main difference being that he had been trained in a way that none of them ever could have dreamed. The ways of ninja were still a mystery, and while it was evident that he did not rely on deception or trickery to best an enemy, he still could not be trusted- and the leader of these men could tell as much.

“I will see you in three days time.” The giant would say, turning his back to the men as he would begin to saunter off into the blizzard.

“Wazimaki Udo.” The leader would shout to the massive, white back of the man- stopping him in his tracks.

Turning to face the men, he would turn to them out of the corner of his eye, never fully giving them his full attention. “I am, Hainoki Moroku.”



continued here

[KEITH]

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