giant ya kitanda... the bed of the giant

[BLKND]

巨人の床

Heavy breath surfaced against a hot body. Sweat trickled down the side of her neck and slowly rolled onto the center of her bosom. Beads had formed on her forehead, and all the work that she had done to make herself more beautiful for him had gone to waste. Now her hair was tossed from one side to the other, and looked as though she had just gotten out of a pub brawl. Her fingers traced his chest. She felt stone beneath her tips. Her opposite hand did the same to his face, and as she stared into the uncanny eyes of a man who saw nothing but love- she returned the sentiment. Her mouth gaped open as she stared. His eyes had seen so much, but now all they did was focus on her. She had been to many places in her lifetime, but now she was here. They were together. His hand rose from wherever it had been to place a firm grip on her waist. The dark, tattooed hands contrasted her soft peppery skin, but she grew to love it. The warmth of this tent was uncanny. Fires blazed around them, but they took no notice. The furs beneath her were plush and silky. Luxury like this was something that they could afford.

The Akimichi clan and the Nara clan had long been intertwined, far before the last Great War, and the wars even before that. A marriage such as this was nothing out of the ordinary, and the clans had often married in to one another in order to keep their ties strong. This, however, was the first time that a member of the Hainoki had been married into the main house of the Nara, at least in Kumogakure. The Hainoki had always been considered a bit keener to tribalism as compared to the main house of the Akimichi. The dark bronze skin, the series of tattoos, the old rituals, and their want to keep their hair short- was always something that set them apart from their cousins. Nevertheless the houses lived in harmony, and were both considerably profitable in their line of work. She had married a medic, a very skilled medic, whereas he had married a spy.

[BLKND]

His tall, alabaster presence had remained the same since the day that they met. Tall even as a boy, she remembered looking up at him the first time. Lightning raged outside of the academy walls, as their teacher introduced them to the idea of kinjutsu for the first time. It was a fearsome idea- having something forbidden like that. Back then; he was ten and so was she. Before turning fourteen, all Hainoki boys were not yet allowed to cut their hair. Needless to say, his long, flowing white lox would hit the center of his back, contrasting greatly with the deep sage green that composed his kimono. He sat in his chair, leaning over the desk in which he shared with seven other children. The auditorium in which they had class every day littered with pictures of what they grew to admire. His piercing green eyes stared blankly at the Chuunin teacher who littered the chalkboard with her beautifully conceived handwriting. He showed little interest, but ate up every word. She remembered sitting behind him, two rows back. She was an attractive girl, even then. With long black hair that fell over one of her two dark brown eyes, she had such a simple objective: catch his attention. For that reason she would constantly raise her hand, constantly prove her intelligence, and constantly fall short in impressing him. Far from an outgoing student, every time he was called upon, he would grant the correct answer. He never had to ask for a chance to prove his knowledge. They were both considered geniuses of their graduating class. Their teacher recommended them both for the Chuunin exams immediately, and they both declined. He declined to study in the ways of medicine, and her to train in the ways of assassination under the tutelage of her older sister, Asuka. They didn’t see each other at all for the next two years, and by then they had both grown considerably. As they stood facing each other in the second leg of the test, peering in to each other’s eyes it was then that she knew that all she needed to get what she wanted… was patience.

“You really think you can beat me?” He said, his eyes cutting away from her gaze to her teammate, which stood beside her.
He was a boy of the same stature as the girl next to him, so looking up at his white haired adversary was a bit embarrassing. By then Moroku had been capable of cutting his hair, but declined to do so until he had passed the exam. His claim to his father was that he was not yet a man until he could prove it. His father laughed heartily and agreed with the boy.

[BLKND]

“I’m going to make you wish you had never been born…” The young man would say flagrantly, instantly removing his kunai from the pouch strapped to his leg.

She had never seen such power. While the battle was fairly even, it wasn’t until she witnessed Moroku’s tattooed fist swing passed her head, and demolish a small house behind her did she truly understand just what he had been doing the past two years. The battle ended promptly. Moroku and his team walked away with the folder that they had all been told to deliver to the rendezvous point somewhere within the ruined city that the exams took place in. He left one of her teammates badly wounded, but was the only person he did combat with that survived. She always thought of it to be a favor to her. They both went on to pass the exams, he for proving his exponential might and medical abilities, her for ensuring that her team survived after meeting him. Reveled as a genius to some, and a barbarian to others, the tall, youthful man would forever remain in the minds of those who witnessed him. His family held a feast for him. His sister prepared the majority of it with his mother, while he and his father entertained guests. She remembered him to wear a short, crimson kimono. His hair was short.

“You embody the heart of the Akimichi, my boy.” An older man would say to him.

He had a thin gray moustache, and his hair was slicked back to the back of his neck. His age had revealed itself through the streaks of gray that lined the hair above his ears. His face was only slightly wrinkled and he had a fire in his eyes that proved that his age would not resist him from doing much more with his life. He was her grandfather, and the head of the Hansha family, within the Nara Clan. His simple getup resembled that of the rest of his clan; and a simple black topcoat and a long black kimono beneath it. The topcoat had a small clan symbol on its collar. This was quite different than the Hainoki’s style of dress. Very flamboyant, they wore shocking colors, of red, green or white. Their symbols, typically embroidered in white, would depict the symbol of the Akimichi, while a small emblem on their chest would depict the image of the Hainoki.

“Thank you, sir.” He would respond in a hearty voice, almost as if that was his goal from the very beginning.

“Your father was the same way at your age. As was your grandfather, haha,” He would chuckle, making way for the young lady who would crone behind him. “Have you met my granddaughter? She is having her celebration next weekend, I implore you to attend.” His hand would press against her back as she made her way forward behind the older man.

The moment their eyes met, flashes of the exams would peak into their heads. The burst of rubble beneath his bare knuckles; the flash of blood splattering against her face; the pain; the suffering; the look in his eyes. He saw nothing but an enemy; she saw nothing but his eyes.

[BLKND]

“I believe so. My name is Moroku.” He bowed to her, deeply.

He looked so different with short hair. She liked it that way. She bowed in pursuit before saying her own name.

“Nara Aisuru, of the Hansha family. It is a pleasure to see you again Moroku-kun.”

“Show the girl around, boy.” A hefty voice would bellow into the fray of the conversation. Appearing from the left, a massive, dark man would strut his way closer to the three of them. His beard was large and wild, matching his hair, which had been tucked back into a rather sloppy bun. He was a man that had an untold amount of muscle, but at some point his muscle had become less rigid, and his belly extended. He was proud of his girth. His massive hand slapped against his son’s back, propelling him into an uncomfortable distance towards the girl. He turned quickly away from her, his eyes falling back to the man’s own. He nodded, and turned to bow to the dark haired man. As he began to walk away, she followed casually, her eyes focused on the bright white stitching stuck to his back.

“We should talk.” The older man would say with a smirk on his face, distorting his moustache to a peak.
The large, white haired man would return the expression, wrapping his massive hand around the Nara’s shoulder as they turned to walk off to a more quite location. The feast had taken place in the Akimichi secondary estate, atop one of the lower mountains in the village. The balcony in which they typically had it was massive, and housed a handmade garden, with reflecting pool and even an outdoor hot spring. The Hainoki had asked to use it to celebrate Moroku’s acceptance, and they gladly agreed. It had been a while since an Akimichi had passed the exam, and the pressure was on to have them return to the spotlight that they once had been given. The table in which three families sat, the Akimichi Main house, the Nara and the Yamanaka was set at the tip of the balcony. It overlooked a beautiful valley and had a nice view of the city, even from this height. As Moroku’s bare feet pressed against the soft grass that grew in this garden, he would feel the cold, damp crush of the plants beneath them. The blades that danced at his nerves tickled his toes. The fireflies weren’t present tonight, as they typically were on nights like this. Instead, the bright flicker of torches lining the pool would illuminate their tour. He didn’t say much, flicking his hand from left to right to show her a few things that he assumed she would find interesting. She responded by giving him a satisfactory nod, or the occasional ‘ah.’ It was a frustrating experience to say the least. It lasted until he broke the silence in an abrupt, and abrasive method.

“You’re a lot stronger than you look.” He would state clearly, his eyes focused on the ground.

[BLKND]

His arms had lifted themselves into his kimono, and sat against his belly as his sleeves flailed in the wind that ran rampant in this altitudes. She didn’t answer for a moment, somewhat upset by what he had just said. He was clearly confident, but his arrogance was something that she had begun to pick up more and more.

“What does that mean?” She shot back with a taste of attitude.

He would take notice to her tone, and turn back to her with an honest face.

“Your teammate, the swordsman, at that moment, I was certain I was going to kill him,” He said, looking down, remembering the feeling.

She could see it too, or at least imagine it. She looked through him into the eyes of a thin blonde. Perfectly cut hair and thin blue eyes. He had been disarmed, and his fists rose to form an ‘x’ as he prepared to take the hit from the giant. They all knew that it was a fruitless defense, and that if anyone were to take the hit from Moroku, they would instantly fall. However, directly before the dark, patterned fist crashed into the two arms, he felled a powerful pull backwards. He extended his punch, breaking the boys arms instantly, his body pushing itself through the air as he fell like a rag doll against the ground. Moroku’s arm was frozen in place, and as he looked down at himself he could see a multitude of what appeared to be ‘whiskers’ coursing through his arm. He had lost feeling, and the blood running from his body came at a dangerous pace. It would only last a few seconds before his own team mates would come to attack her, forcing her to break her technique.

“I’ve wanted to thank you for stopping me. I didn’t realize the magnitude of what I could have done until I had done it,” she questioned him with a silent gaze. “I don’t mind hurting my enemies, none of those Taki or Iwa ninja made me second guess myself. It’s just- when I saw the clouds etched into his hitai-ate; I knew that I shouldn’t have been doing what I was doing.”

This was a side to him that she had never witnessed before. Not that she knew him that well to begin with, and not that this was very intimate, but she had never seen him to be anything other than cocky, serious, and most of all, bloodthirsty.

You’re a lot stronger than you look.

[BLKND]

“They’ve trained her for this pretty well. I believe I can honestly say I’ve underestimated EDEN.” The hooded specter would say with a chime of humor as he gripped the head of what appeared to be an unconscious woman.

“Does that mean that you can’t get anything out of her?” Moroku would ask, a few feet behind him, his legs stretching out in front of him as he began to outfit himself with more than just his gear.
His tight battle armor would cloth his naked torso, his muscles flexing with each rudimentary action. Another body, Asuka, who also covered her head with the hood of her poncho, the shadow covering her eyes, but not her pulpy beige lips, had joined them. She didn’t offer much to the situation- not that she was present for most of it.

“No, that’s not what I mean. I mean that they’ve done better than what I would have expected them to. After all, the average ninja is the equivalent to a Kumogakure Genin. Their special teams might offer us more of a challenge, but given our line of work, we will hardly be dealing with them,” he said this all in a rather unfocused tone, obviously paying more attention on the task at hand. “With that being said, they will be privy to typical ninja tricks. Henge won’t work on their defenses until after we’ve already breached.”
“That’s straying from the objective,” Asuka would add, saying something for the first time since she had arrived. “Our mission is to deliver this package to EDEN. The plan of action will present itself after then. Disguises are hardly needed.”

“True, but given our second objective-“

“Second objective?” Moroku would interject.

“Yes. You were to be kept in the dark until we reached the rendezvous point, but as we are so close, there is no reason to continue your ignorance.” Asano said with a hint of cheer at the tip of his voice.
Asuka turned away from the blonde, making her way over towards her gargantuan teammate before crouching down in front of him. He stared at her with blank, green eyes as he awaited an answer. He finished pulling his arm through his sleeve, and continued to sit. She was inches from him, and his legs spanned what seemed like fields around. She took his hand, and whispered the words.

“There is a man working for EDEN; a high end grunt who has been there for only a few months now. Before EDEN he worked for an organization, another PMC named Pedal.” She had a chance to finish her sentence, but was immediately hounded by the giant, not resisting the grip she held on his hand.

“What is his name?”

“We don’t know.”

“What do we know?”

“We know that Pedal was hired to burn down the Yellow District of Turtle City. We know that he was involved in the same incident in which your wife is assumed to have been killed in.” Asano would say clearly enough to break any lingering chances of anticipation.

[BLKND]

Moroku didn’t bother to look at his back. His eyes instantly fell onto Asuka’s as his hand finally gripping hers in return.

“You- you knew? Why didn’t-“

“There are no concrete connections. The only thing that we know for sure is his affiliation to Pedal, and that his name was mentioned during intelligence retrieval from Mizu no Kuni. That is why this team has been formulated. The three of us haven’t been on a mission since you two were Chuunin. Since you were Chuunin…” She had been doing that a lot these past months- trailing off.

“This can’t be true. Eiichiro banned investigation of the incident. I confronted him myself.” Moroku would say, instantly having received some sort of energy boost from the news.

“Eiichiro was a Yamanaka, there was no way that he would let an incident concerning his brother clans go unpunished. He just wanted to ascertain more evidence before a formal investigation took place. This mission is top secret, which is why it was hidden in the shadow of our primary objective. We are not to cause suspicion, or needless violence. Our job is to discover this individual, and if the opportunity presents itself, acquire as much information as we can. That is where the statute of limitations ends. You were originally not supposed to accompany us on this mission- your father was. I pulled for you because I feel that you and I deserve to know more than anyone. Don’t prove me wrong.” She said, having lifted herself with him.
She looked up at him, and her hood fell off of her head. At that moment he could see her younger sister in her face. That same stern expression that evidenced her concern was clear on her face. He was an intimidating man to say the least, and as he looked down at her, it was clear that she did not care. They exchanged stares for a moment before the sound of Asano’s approaching footsteps reconnected their focus.

“I believe we’re ready to go. I have the location of the second rendezvous point- we can bypass the initial.”

“Moroku, let’s repair the cargo. When we deliver him to EDEN, I went them to have something to play with,” Asuka would say with a clear grin. “We will stay black. Asano and I will secure the perimeter for traps. I will send a bunshin back to relay that the area is secure. You can proceed only after that.”

[BLKND]

Moroku nodded, and within an instant, the two had vanished. Turning back to his new patient, his head would swivel over to the comatose woman who Asano had been grappling with, mentally, for this entire time. As a double agent, she would no doubt have to be known only by a few as such. However, if she were to breach the walls of EDEN, she could easily inform the necessary parties of her capture, and the true identity of her three captors. He would have to deal with her later, however. She had been fed a drug by Asano, something made up to make interrogations such as that easier, disabling conscious mental combat, allowing him to read minds that much easier. Focusing back on to the older man, Moroku would take two and a half steps before arriving, looking down at the distorted bone structure and rapidly swelling limbs. They had broken him in a way to repair him later, which was helpful, but still tedious.

Taking a hold of the man’s right ankle, he would place his left hand at the bend of his knee. It had been displaced, with minor fractures from the pressure of being carried so carelessly. A massive, gloved hand held the knee as he drove the ankle upward, snapping the bones in to place. The ligaments needed work, ripped and stretched from the added dead weight. Pressure would be applied, and Moroku’s right hand would rise to just above below the knee. A bright green aura, to match his eyes would emit a warm feeling on the man’s exhausted muscles. A few minutes later, the leg had fully healed, save the fractures, which honestly would take too long to heal in the field- Moroku’s specialty. The same procedure was given to the second leg, taking his time to stretch the muscles on either side; he massaged them- giving him the same care that he would any of his other patients.

“Thank you…” He would mutter at the giant.

He was ignored. There was no point in thanking him; within a day’s time it would happen all over again, and this time it would be much- much worse. Moroku looked at the man for the first time since their encounter on the bridge- for the first time as a human being.

“We’re taking you to EDEN… we’ve been hired by them to take you, in fact. They’re going to torture you, and they might kill you. You will endure a considerable amount of pain,” He would say slowly, finishing the massage of one knee before moving back to the original. “What I’m saying is… I can kill the nerves of many places on your body, save your legs. Is there anything you want me to do?”

The older man chuckled as he looked up at the giant. His smile was sincere.

“You remind me of my brother- rough on the outside… “

[BLKND]

That’s all he would say before laying his head back onto the top of the branch. The wood was surprisingly soft, despite its rivets. His hands remained flaccid, but the feelings in his legs had returned. They hurt. The giant had removed the swelling- as if by some form of magic, and he would use them with little hesitation. The two sat in silence as Moroku tended his wounds. The knife hit hard, but its cut did little against the skin. As her hands grasped the handle that plunged into the man’s stomach, his yelp of pain was hardly endured before a stream of crimson bubbled from his lips, and onto his beard.

Moroku’s grasp was quick to take her elbow, his opposite hand smacking away the knife with more than enough ease before he pinned her to the ground with what seemed like less than sufficient effort. Her body was lagging. It didn’t move the way that she desired, and as his massive hand grasped against her chest, it felt as though a ten ton weight had been applied. She gasped for air, and her eyes hated him- they seethed with anger. His did the same, and for a second he contemplated crushing her skull the way he initially intended. Her legs kicked, her arms flailed, but she couldn’t reach anything of significance. His opposite hand reached for his belt, and he removed a rather large knife that he would, without hesitation, drove into her arm. It cut through the wood as if butter. The entire blade would thrust through her arm, and she would soon let loose a wild scream as she fought to somehow remove it. He quickly released her from his mount to tend to the older man, who had no begun to cough wildly in an attempt to breath. Blood had no doubt filled his lungs. Moroku’s hands would instantly meet, and he began to form hand seals that he performed millions of times over. Placing his hands gently against the man’s solar plexus, a soft wave of chakra would wash over him. The diagnosis was exactly what he had presumed. She hadn’t been able to cut him too deeply, but in her exit she had ripped his stomach, which caused excess bleeding. His chances were high, but the procedure was going to be a tedious one. Stripping himself of his gloves, he would reveal his tattoos to the man, who would feel as though he was clinging to life, and would never have the same opportunity to see them again, his hand would raise to touch Moroku, only to be set down easily by the giant.

“Your arm is broken, try not to move it. Stop panicking, you’re going to be fine.” He said calmly, his hands instantly forming a diamond shape as he would look down at the entirety of his subject.

His hands would cover the wound, and as though directing them through a maze, would scan the surface of his body. It would take a few moments, but after reaching his lungs, he would remove his hands from the man’s body, only to reveal what appeared to be a massive red ball. Tossing it to the side, it would splatter, sending an odd mixture of crimson and yellow in various ways against the tree.

[BLKND]

“That was your blood. You’re going to feel a little light headed- you might pass out. Don’t resist it.” He said, coaching the man, who had begun to look up into the trees.

It was evident that he had begun praying for some higher power to assist the giant. Next, the green light circling Moroku’s hands would appear once more, one of them being placed onto the man’s stomach, and the other onto his chest. His eyes would close, and the light would grow brighter. The screams of the woman continued to persist, and each tenacious screech revealed another inch of the machete lodged in to her arm. Moroku stayed focused, however. It wouldn’t be long before the stomach had been closed, and the bleeding had been ailed. A small treasure of blood had been separated from the body, bile included. The cargo had passed out after the second cleanse. The second after Moroku had finished, he rose to his feet and turned to see the woman still grappling with the matte handle which connected her to the tree. She tugged vehemently, only to tire herself out. Moroku walked towards her, placing the heel of his boot onto her sternum as he reached down and quickly yanked the blade from its place, letting the tip dangle at her throat.
“You’re not a very good spy. You have your priorities straight, yes, but you don’t know much about tact.” He stood up straight before launching the blade at her head.

It ran into the tree just as far, cutting her shoulder- off by what looked like an inch.

“I know who you are…” She said violently- in a way that rather appealed to Moroku. “EDEN or Momo may not know- but I do. I was there, that day three years ago. I never thought I’d see you again, but here you are.”
Moroku stared down at her with an uninterested face. Not many people would know what she was referencing, nor would they care. However, to have someone here, of all places, pick him out. It was interesting to him.
“Funny. You don’t look like a native of the islands.” He said, cocking his head to the side, searching for some sort of resemblance. His attempt was useless.

“I’m not,” She said, cradling her wound as she slowly attempted to resist his foot pressing against her ability to breath. “I was out on assignment. Some low rank mission to harvest some fruit that only grows down there.”

[BLKND]

The sun was hot, and sweat soaked their faces, shamelessly. They had been equipped with equipment more suitable for the weather, a short sleeved, short legged jumpsuit, with a thin utility harness strapped to their backs and waists. It was lightweight, and didn’t expose them too much. They appeared to be some sort of swimming unit, but their sandals trekking against the rough red dirt made that a little less likely. The islands were beautiful this season. A strong gust of wind would crush past them as they made their way over the final hill and finally into the view of the ocean. She was with two men, both rather generic looking. She herself had pinned her hair back, and hugged her hips with a tired stance.

We had just trekked the long way from our outpost in Kaze no Kuni. The desert. We hadn’t faced any resistance on the way; after all, we were just going to collect some sort of fruit.


As the cell entered the small port town, they would be greeted by a bazaar of bright red and white buildings and awnings, pulling them closer to the enticing idea of purchase. Various meats cooked on wooden grills and stovetops. A multitude of fruits filled crates with appealing glows. Her temptation grew powerful enough for her to extend her hand to take an apple so round and red that it had to taste just as delicious as it looked. It would only be then that she realized just how severe the trembling had become. The apple fell to the street; as did her eyes.

I don’t even remember moving- I think one of my teammates might have picked me up. It was such a blur.

Her body fell to the ground, and the wooden debris which once stood to make something would shatter into millions of pieces, mixing with the crushed fruit, dirt, stone and brick. Her head twisted backwards to catch a glimpse of three men cutting through what appeared to be a giant hole making its way further through the city. More debris flew into the air, and the quake of more buildings falling to the earth horrified her. She jumped to her feet to catch their backs, two rather tall men, and a third rather plump- he ran just as fast either way.

We had been assigned to recover one of our lost ninja, a man named Akimichi Uo. He was a cousin of mine who went missing after he got a taste of something that he could only get in Star Country. He has made his way to the Branch Islands in an attempt to make his way over the ocean. He had routed him and cornered him before he could escape. In turn, he decided to destroy the town, and indulge himself in what he had found up there. That’s a story for another time.

[BLKND]

Moroku’s eyes stayed focused on her as he finally lifted his foot from her body.

“I thought about killing you, but considering that you are Momo, I think you should be thanking me. This gives Momo an excuse to wipe out EDEN, whose been planning your demise for a little over four months now- but I’m sure you know that. Given the fact that your role even exists proves that our power play works in the benefit of Momo. For that reason, I will let you live… however,” He said, lowering himself closer to her with a slow crouch. “If I discover any animosity between Momo and my village, I will find you, and you will have a stark reminder of why they call me what they do.”

She looked up at him, her hair starting to stain from the blood that had not stopped pouring from her shoulder. She nodded, and began to sit up further.

“You’re right. There’s no reason for a planned attack on your village. Thank you.” She added at the end, a small smile emerging from her rigid expression.

After a while, Asuka had arrived. They left her alone, and Moroku carried his cargo with a little more care than he had previously. With a wounded stomach, he had moved his grip beneath his knees and his shoulder, carrying him in a very supportive way that didn’t take too much out of him. They arrived within the hour, to find Asano and Asuka waiting for them at the gates. There was a man with him, with a padded jacket, black slacks and combat boots. In has hands; he held a spear and shield, with a short sword at his waist. This was the typical EDEN uniform for this time of year. The area in which they stood was poorly taken care of. While there was grass in front of the outpost, it was wild and untamed. A massive, charcoal wall separated any intruders from coming, with this man merely acting as the eyes and ears while a number of archers assisted from behind the walls. Surrounded by a rather large forest, it made sense that they would remove much of the trees surrounding the outpost, especially for those not concerned with ‘hiding.’ They had entered EDEN territory, and as compared to Momo’s military, EDEN had the upper hand. Having a leader who apparently was once a trained ninja, he taught his subordinates the ways of the ninja, most of them knowing basic ninjutsu and chakra properties. While they could utilize their chakra, they were not very versatile and often used their abilities for face-to-face combat. They were soldiers, who just so happened to have an extra leg up on the competition. This one in particular appeared to be an obvious example.

“Is this your third party?” He would say, turning to look at the giant as he made his way from the shade of the forest.

“Yes, and that is our cargo. I have already provided you with the signed contract from your commanding officer, a Daigo Juhi, to deliver the cargo to your headquarters.” Asano said, not bothering to reveal his face from behind his mesh hood/mask.

“Yes, you have. I will grant you clearance to speak with our base commander so that you will be provided the proper paperwork for clearance into HQ,” He said, turning back to Asano, raising his hand into the air to signal for the gates to be opened. “A soldier will direct you to the commander’s tent. Please proceed.” He would say with a wave of his hand before continuing his duty; another soldier exited from behind the walls to join him. The four entered the walls, and the gates closed behind them.

[KEITH]

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