of the SUN and MOON

[Messatsu!]

""You have agreed. Don't forget that when this is all over.""

Those words drilled deep into Masuyo's eardrums as his heart seemed to momentarily lose function and skipped a single beat. With a single hand-seal, Shiju beckoned forth a group of perfect replicas and were stationed around him in a pentagon formation. His eyes flicked back and forth to both corners of his eyes, just barely seeing the duplicates that weren't to his immediate rear. The young lad fixed his attention upon Shiju once more and watched him perform yet another line of seals. In an instant, the world of Mount Nobunaga was no more, replaced with a world of everlasting darkness. The world reminded him of the genjutsu cast by his sister which allowed contact between them, however, this world seemed all to dark and menacing.

". . ."

Concurrently, Shiju and his group of replicas seemed to have removed themselves from the general area, enough so that from where they were now, it was difficult to accurately make them out. Instead, a dark purple flame that magically appeared before Masuyo had then been his primary concern. The flames flew forward in a flash, swiftly enveloping Masuyo's entire body whilst retaining the same burning sensation. His eyes closed and his face cringed in pain, but, there was no sign of true pain. A single eye opened, and then the second after realizing he had not been harmed, but instead heard the maundering screams of the deceased. It was just as those disgruntled spirits reached out and grabbed onto Masuyo that his full attention was given. Shit just got real.

His arms and legs were forced apart, each limb bound into what now looked to be chains molded out of souls of the dearly departed. The chains seemed to stretch on for miles and the strength of each was immense and left him completely bound and defenseless. A nightmare, a true, manifestation of a nightmare formed right before Masuyo's eyes. Its size alone was frightening, as was the large carving knife that laid wedged between its teeth.

"You have a very large debt to pay, boy."

A large, fearful, gulp was taken as the shinigami made himself quite clear. So this was it, this was how his soul would be cleansed? Being the human that he was, he began to regret actually agreeing with this method, unfortunately, it was far too late to back down. Suddenly, he felt something touch his right hand. It was Shiju's own hand that took hold of his, almost as if to give comfort for the imminent pain that he so readily faced.

"I was the one who lead you on such an unforgivable path. We shall pay some of this price together."

And then it came. The shinigami's sword came down and across the chains which only caused Masuyo to feel the pain and suffering of each and every life he stole. It was almost as if he felt the exact way they passed, crushed, burned and battered. In one single jolt of pain, he felt it all. Next, the shinigami's blade passed through Masuyo's body, yet, no immediate wound was found or felt upon his body.

Huh?! Is that. . .my chakra?!

After the blade passed through his body, a visible trail of Masuyo's spiritual essence that represented the power he took years to develop. Without a doubt he felt 'weaker', but was it truly over? The chain around his right arm soon vanished, yet, still had no control over said arm.

"Wha-what are you?!"

[.DEVIOUS]

"I am the Shinigami." The simple pronouncement would be utterly profound. Everyone within this world had heard of the Shinigami, the spirit of death who existed solely to harvest the lives of the fallen. The creature was known to be sadistic, but pacifiable... if one was willing to pay the price. It was said that the Shinigami could steal the soul straight from a person in combat... if the summoner were willing to pay the same price.

"When you killed, these angry souls came to my realm and were trapped. They are my own... but I am bound to certain contracts, and I could not ignore a summons from your master. He wanted these souls released... but, of course, there is always a price to be paid."

Again, as the Shinigami spoke, it would be evident that the monster's mouth was not moving. The words were powerful, but completely incorporeal, spoken directly into the mind of the enslaved young boy, chained by ethereal chains inside of this realm of eternal darkness. The Shinigami hesitated only a moment before its knife was back within its right hand, a look of malice within its eyes so strong that no mortal could ever produce it.

Just at that moment, another clone of Shiju would appear behind Masuyo, this time taking his life hand. "It will be alright. We take responsibility for our actions. That is the way of this family."

And with that, the Shinigami's knife would fly through the air, once more slicing through its three targets. As the blade moved through the chain of spirits, it would shatter the bond and, with the sound of hundreds of screaming souls fleeing towards the light, pain would wrack Masuyo's body once more. He would feel the weight of each death. He would know the agony that he had caused.

The knife cut through the replication of Shiju. Once more, the sound of physical screaming would rock throughout the world. Four voices sounded in unison, and somewhere in the distance, though Masuyo would not be able to see it, the Sennin who had conjured the Shinigami would fall to one knee, clutching his body as blood splurted from his second wound. It was much different then the sounds that the souls of the departed or the Shinigami made. Masuyo would be able to hear it with his ears, feel the vibrations pass through him, and he would know that this was genjitsu, not genjutsu - this was reality.

Masuyo wouldn't have time to contemplate that for long, though, before the knife was slicing through his body again. Memories would flash before his eyes, and suddenly he would see himself as he worked tirelessly to improve himself for the sake of himself, his sister, his family, and his village. He would remember the use of his techniques... what was it called again? The Dosu-Kinuta... or was it? Masuyo would find himself suddenly unable to recall...

And the blade was through his body, leaving a trail of spiritual blue essence once more. The Shinigami brought it to his body and, with a wicked grin, consumed the part of Masuyo's soul that he had stolen.

At the same time, Masuyo's other arm would no longer be bound by chains... but just like before, he would find himself unable to move it.

Finally, two chains were broken... more souls were released. But how much longer would it take before Masuyo would be freed from his spiritual burden...? And how much more would he have to sacrifice to see himself pure once more?

[/justify]

OOC: You've now lost 325 exp and all knowledge of Kyoumeisen (Vibrating Sound Drill). Please remove it from your bio and modify your exp count accordingly.

[Messatsu!]

A shinigami?! In the swiftest of moments, his mind tried to desperately wrap around the idea that god's of death actually existed. It had to have been true, the evidence itself stood before Masuyo in all its menacing glory. The shinigami spoke with a distinctive tone and sharpness which no mortal could have possibly conjured. Words infiltrated Masuyo's mind and filled up his bucket of fear with each passing syllable. To have not believed in such things and watched it manifest on the same frequencies as his perception, it was all too much.

"When you killed, these angry souls came to my realm and were trapped. They are my own... but I am bound to certain c-ontracts, and I could not ignore a summons from your master. He wanted these souls released... but, of course, there is always a price to be paid."

Masuyo's heart skipped a beat once more as the Shinigami palmed its soul shredding knife once more. There were three remaining chains that attached to his limbs and bound him to this world, they needed to be severed to ensure that his soul would be properly cleansed. The gravity of the situation finally began to sink in as the knife swooped down to cleave through its targets once again. Another replica of Shiju appeared to his left side similar to the previous, taking hold of his left hand in comfort.

"It will be alright. We take responsibility for our actions. That is the way of this family."
"Heh."

A quick grin swept across his face, feeling the same pain and agony as before without remorse. In order to keep himself from screaming, he bit down upon his bottom lip to the point where trickles of blood ran out his mouth from both corners. He heard a sudden scream that seemed to have originated off in the distance, but there was nothing for him to see. Was it Shiju or just another soul, it was hard to tell. Masuyo's contemplation's came to an abrupt end as visions of himself appeared within his head. He unwillingly recalled upon old memories of him using techniques that he couldn't even remember performing - odd.

For a moment, the pain subsided which only gave him a few free seconds if heavy breathing. Sweating and near exhausted, he looked up to the shinigami who feasted upon his soul with fervor. His respective arm was freed from the chains grip, yet still unable to fully function.

"h-halfway there, I can do this. I - I have to."

[.DEVIOUS]

Shiju stood at his distance, his crouching body covered from the blood that ran down from his chest. Pulling back his robe, two gaping wounds would make themselves evident... the kind of wounds that would kill a lesser man. However, the Sennin was a powerful individual, and he had developed several techniques for dealing with pain and injury that other mortals would have found difficult, if not impossible, to master.

His breath was heavy, similar to that of Masuyo's, but his whole attention was outside of himself. Whispering a prayer for the souls that were being released back into the Pure Realm, the Sennin then touched his hand to one of the wounds and began releasing chakra into the item. The pain eased, and the Sennin found himself capable of concentrating once more on what was happening.

Two chains had been severed, but that left two more. Both arms, now released, should have been able to move, yet still the boy did not do anything to protect himself. The Shinigami's wrath and power seemed to be greater than Shiju had anticipated, and the Sennin knew that he would need to intervene before it became too late to stop the Death God from claiming the soul of his pupil.

However, there was only so much that Shiju could do. Until this ritual was complete, he, too, was bound by the rules of the contract that he had signed, and could not act outside of them. The Sennin would have to wait until the Shinigami had cut through the other two chains before Shiju could take himself and Masuyo outside of this realm of eternal twilight.

---

"How are you holding up, boy?" The Shinigami's voice would pound into Masuyo's mind, filling the entirety of the mortal's being with the sinister laughter of the vicious monster. The Shinigami knew that the boy would be unable to respond, and the whole idea almost made it excited. It had a plan, one that would see to it that he would gain all of the souls that he had lost before to this ritual as well as the two other souls that had come into its realm - the Sennin and the Sage In Training.

There was only one course of action that the Shinigami could take. To speed up the process, to weaken Shiju as well as destroy the might of this Soul, the Shinigami's knife found itself once more in its hand, and the spirit garbed in white robes would begin to cut towards the boy's right side. A Replication of Shiju would appear next to Masuyo.

"Stay strong."

And with that, the knife would cut through three things: the chain of souls, Shiju's replication, and Masuyo. The swelling screech of souls filled the area once more as the angry spirits were released back into the Pure Realm. The sound of screaming, of agony, as the knife cut through the Replication and, through the replication, the true Sage himself. At the distance, blood would splash out from the new wound, and the Sennin would close his eyes, attempting to focus himself through the pain.

And finally, the knife made its way through Masuyo's body, pulling with it a large glob of spiritual essence, which the Shinigami then brought to its mouth and devoured.

The third chain was broken, and only one more remained between the possibility of freedom... or death.

[/justify]

OOC: You have lost 500 exp. I have subtracted it from your sidebar.

[Messatsu!]

He felt tired, oh so tired, enough so that remaining conscious was in and of itself a battle of great magnitude. He huffed and puffed, attempting to regain his breath before the shinigami would begin his third assualt upon Masuyo's life force. Even though the process was roughly halfway over, it felt as though it had been going on for an eternity. He wanted to flare up in anger as the reaper mocked him, knowing damn well that he was experiencing a burst of pain that no lesser man could possibly bear. For the third time Shiju appeared at Masuyo's side with words of comfort. His encouragement to not give in and pull through was dearly appreciated, however, it wasn't quite enough to ease his pain to make it 'bearable'. Thoughts of his sister proved to be ineffective against the quick, harrowing bursts of pain.

"C'mon just get it over w-"

For a second he almost screamed as the Shinigami's knife cleaved through the third chain. With his will nearly broken and his body exhausted, the pain felt as thought it was amplified, yet, in reality it was all the same. Masuyo's eyes rolled to the back of his head, almost losing consciousness. His breathing only became heavier and heavier and soon the pain induced a series of violent coughs, namely ones that were accompanied by splashes of blood. Teeth grit and his eyes incessantly opened and closed, trying to clear up the blurriness that now obstructed his vision. It was quite amazing how he managed to remain conscious and continue on to the last chain, however, this one would without a doubt be the easiest to endure.

Both arms and a single leg may have been restricted from general movement, but fortunately he obtained a basic knowledge of Medical Ninjutsu. And with that he simply molded his chakra and charged his entire body with pre-rejuvenating properties, ready to take on the next blast of pain with what little confidence still dangled within. He wanted to speak but his body was nearing its limits and needed to conserve each and every ounce of remaining strength he had.

". . ."

SPOILER: Click to show

Prep_____

[.DEVIOUS]

Know the Days of Wrath

With a third wound upon his body, Shiju found it almost impossible to concentrate on what needed to be done. Like Masuyo, his breathing was ragged and haggard, strained to the boiling point. The Sennin knew that he would likely not survive the fourth strike of the Shinigami's knife, but he could not allow the creature this victory. He closed his eyes and Senjutus chakra enveloped his body. He stood, energy flaring through his body, his wounds closing almost instantly as he poured massive amounts of chakra into himself.

It was time for the fourth clone. The Shinigami was moving more quickly now... it could almost taste its victory over these fools who had tried to tame it. Its face set in a sinister grin, a wicked energy was released into the atmosphere, filling anyone who was talented at sensing chakra with a feeling of dread. Knife in hand, it raised to strike. The fourth Replication would appear on Masuyo's left side.

"You'll know what to do when the time comes."

And with that, the knife came down, slicing through the chains, and the sounds of the screaming souls existed in sure prominence once more. They flew, released and free, and the shackles which had held Masuyo were now broken. However, he would not have time to react as the Shinigami's knife slashed through Shiju's replication. This time, the world was silent. Shiju had prepared for this particular slash and had already healed his wounds. Like Masuyo, the old Sage was a Medic, and a very talented one, at that.

And finally, the knife would slash through Masuyo, drawing out the spiritual essence once more. Once more, the trainee's strength would be leeched, the might that he had accumulated being sucked from his body and devoured by the Shinigami. With the essence devoured, it would become perfectly clear to Masuyo that he still could not move his body. Incredible hatred filled the face of the Shinigami, and it spoke, filling Masuyo's mind with an authoritative baritone.

"You will not be leaving. I mean to claim you for my own."

While it might have been true that Masuyo was capable of molding chakra, he had no way of performing handseals, the prerequisite for performing almost every technique within this world... and even if he did, this was not the sort of creature that someone of his power could face alone. It was, without a doubt, a being that even the Six Path's Sage had been afraid of consorting with.

"Until a soul is taken, this realm shall not end. You will be trapped her for an eternity. That is the price that one pays for the summoning of the Shinigami. Your master was a fool for bringing you to me."

The Shinigami would then reach forward, its right arm stretching with an almost impossibly slow speed. Although the distance between Masuyo and the creature was short, it would feel as if an eternity was passing between each millisecond. In that moment of time, the distance between the Shinigami and Masuyo would stretch further and further away, the realm of shadows being manipulated by someone who was familiar with how this place worked: Sennin Shiju-sama.

With the distance between the Masuyo and the Shinigami increased, three appearances of Shiju would appear, spaced out in a single file line in front of Masuyo, each one marked with the eyes of a Sage. The Shinigami, surprised, could not halt his hand in time, and it passed through the first replication, ripping out its chakra and its "soul" and placing it into the second Bunshin's body.

"Kai!" the Sage directly in front of Masuyo would scream, and the Shinigami, bound by the laws of the contract, screeched in frustration as the creature reaped the "soul" of the first Kage Bunshin, sealing it inside of the body of the second one while the third one, the one directly in front of Masuyo, performed a series of handseals. The darkness shattered, and light filled the world, leaving only a very wounded and weakened Masuyo and a powerful, unharmed Sennin within the realms of Mount Nobunaga.

Shiju turned around just in time to see Masuyo, who would find that he had control over his body again, yet almost no physical strength due to the stress that he had just endured, fall forward as his jelly-like appendages refused to hold him. However, a quick inspection by the Sennin would reveal something horrifying: the amount of damage that Masuyo had sustained was critical. It was completely evident that he would die.

Shiju's fists clenched. What could he do?! He could not let his pupil die, but he was beyond the healing that Shosen no Jutsu could administer. How could this be...?

[/justify]

OOC: You have lost 500 exp. I have subtracted it from your sidebar.

[Messatsu!]

Desperately, the Sage in training tried to heal himself by anticipating the damage that awaited, unfortunately, everything that was bound by the shinigami's chains were undoubtedly forfeit. Carrying with it a menacing grace, the Shinigami's knife swept through and severed the last and final chain. The burst of pain was just far too much and pushed Masuyo's threshold of pain to the edge like a tilted glass already filled to the brim. He couldn't hold it back, not anymore, he screamed, screamed, and screamed some more, releasing a lifetime worth of pain and death through his mortal lungs. Veins bulged in his neck as the intensity of the pain was like no other, he couldn't take it, not like Shiju could. An endless trickle of tears ran down his face as he slipped in and out of conscious. The struggle merely continued.

"You will not be leaving. I mean to claim you for my own."

Had it not for his body's immediate exhaustion, his eyes would have widened beyond physical limits after having realized that his life would potentially end at the hands of this Shinigami. In truth, death itself was something Masuyo feared very little. Instead, he feared not being able to keep his promise to his sister more than anything. He found it insanely ironic how the moment he decided to turn over a new leaf, his life abruptly ended.

"Until a soul is taken, this realm shall not end. You will be trapped her for an eternity. That is the price that one pays for the summoning of the Shinigami. Your master was a fool for bringing you to me."

Shiju? A fool? Impossible, Masuyo denied this despite it being. Through his very own eyes, Shiju was by far no fool and was certain that if Shiju truly had known that the outcome would have been this horrid, an alternative would have been taken. But even then, Masuyo could have simply said 'no' and lived another day. With his vision blurred and consciousness failing to properly function, he barely made out the events that transpired before him. All that he had been able to make sense of was that facing Shiju's back was -in a odd way- quite comforting in his last moments. A sliver of hope attempted to enter his mind as the reaper seemed to have been tricked. That trickery inevitably allowed Masuyo to keep his soul, but even he knew that there had been no continuing, not then.

Mount Nobunaga returned just as quickly as it left. Wounded and weakened, his limp body fell backwards, causing him to look heavenwards. Beginning to take his final pulls of air, images of his sister, family, and village burned into his mind as he looked to Shiju one last time, his face thrumming with fear. Finally, his torso declined with his last intake of air, never exhale again. His eyes remained open, dilated and empty. The book of his life finally came to a fitting end.

[.DEVIOUS]

Shiju stared in horror as the one that he had tried so hard to save lay dead beneath his feet. Tears began to build within his eyes. Would this be the end of the boy who had come so far?! It couldn't be. This was a reality that Shiju could not face. His fists would clench as determination built inside of him, and then the Sage did something that he never thought that he would end up doing.

Performing a string of complicated handseals, the Sage's digits danced their way throughout the galaxies, forming numerous constellations in mere moments. Upon the final one, Shiju would place his hands upon the chest of the young boy and thick, powerful blue light would envelop those hands. Stretching outwards for almost a foot, the blue light reached deep within the body of the deceased boy and found what it was looking for.

After years of working with the Shinigami, Shiju was adept at sensing the spiritual essences of people, their souls. It was the soul that left the body and made it almost impossible to resurrect a person. However, for a newly deceased, the soul would not have had time yet to leave the body. There was still a chance here, a chance for the Kekkai to survive!

At the same time as Shiju's soul searching, the blue light was doing other things, too. A technique far more powerful than Shosen ate away at the damage that the body had received, dissolving areas of pain and suffering and replacing them with parts made brand new. The work was quick... one could almost say instant, and it moved rapidly throughout the body, restoring it to near perfect health. The only thing missing that would make this body a viable candidate for life was the soul.

With calm coaxing, the soul of Kekkai would find itself removed from the light at the end of the tunnel, the door shutting firmly behind it. It would be aware as it floated aimlessly through time and space until it would see its body again. From there, the soul would know what to do, slipping back into the shell that had housed it for so long, and the boy would find himself unable to stop himself, his eyes snapping open, life once more within his grasp.

There was a side-effect for using this powerful of a technique though. Bringing a soul back to its body was a difficult task, and it required the giving of something just as valuable - the caster's own life. As Masuyo would awake, Shiju's body would begin to deteriorate, the chakra which had held it in such great shape for so many years unraveling. For the first time since Masuyo would have met Shiju, he would be looking upon an old man, one who had seen the world, survived its horrors, and enjoyed its wonders.

"I'm glad... that you lived, Masuyo. Do not... let yourself fall back into the realms... of Darkness. You know what awaits you... if you do."

A smile filled the old Sennin's face, and he would collapse, exchanging his life for the sake of his students. There would be a few moments of silence, and then...

A gargantuan roar filled the entire space of Mount Nobunaga. To hear the roar would be to know pain, and it would take but an idiot to know its source. The great Giant Bear Namyeol, who had taught the Sennin Shiju so long ago, was made aware of the Sennin's passing, and he grieved. It would be up to Masuyo, now, to hold onto the great line of Sages from Mount Nobunaga, and he would need to see to the mental wellbeing of his contractual companion.

[/justify]

[Messatsu!]

"Is there life after death?", an age-old question asked throughout the ages. Philosophers, scholars, shinobi, and even civilians all -at some point in time- inquired about the possibility of an afterlife. Unfortunately, once death claimed one's physical shell, there was no way to return to the world of the living to simple say, "Yes, there is an afterlife". To Masuyo's soul, it did not truly feel like 'life' itself, rather, it hadn't been what he was used to for a great many years. Despite that, he knew his 'life' hadn't be over, but merely existed somewhere else in the universe. Aimlessly and listlessly, his soul wandered on an unfaltering path towards a white light. After some time the light itself ceased to exist, yet, the soul continued to aimlessly float through time and space, that was until its was seen off in the distance.

Instinctively the soul move towards the body with an steady pace, gravitated towards the body more and more against its will. Influence by a power and force greater than its own, it soon slipped back into the fleshy cell which could have easily been called its 'home'. Dilated eyes widened and returned to their normal state, shifting to their left and then their right before looking back towards the sky. The return of Masuyo's soul triggered an explosion of awareness within him, causing him to quickly sit up in shock and confusion. His breathing was accelerated as if his adrenaline ferociously pumped through his very veins. As if being re-birthed, he took long, healthy pulls of air as he looked to his side to only see the smile of an old, withered man.

"I'm glad... that you lived, Masuyo. Do not... let yourself fall back into the realms... of Darkness. You know what awaits you... if you do."

Shiju collapsed after having voiced his final words, he looked happy even after giving his life to ensure the safety of his student. Masuyo only smiled back with an aura of sadness that towered over him. A moment of silence fell upon the area as Masuyo stood over Shiju's body, looking at him with a everlasting smile and unwavering sense of respect. A mighty roar snapped through the atmosphere of Mount Nobunaga, audible enough to where all living things felt and heard the power behind it. Masuyo cut a quick glance back over his shoulder towards the direction of the roar, he knew it was none other than Namyeol and considered it a signal that his presence was required. Unfortunately, for now, that had to wait, Masuyo refused to just let Shiju lie there without proper preparation. He deserved a proper burial.

Looking off into the distance, he saw a nearby cliff and decided that would have been absolutely perfect as the view allowed one to see the beauty of this world during all hours of the day. A single hand-seal activated his proficiency in doton ninjutsu, creating a human sized coffin, large enough for Shiju's body. Gently, Masuyo picked up and carried his body and lightly sat him down within, unable to stop smiling. Standing some meters away from Shiju's feet another single seal closed the coffin burying Shiju's body into the womb of Mount Nobunaga.

"For the first time in years, I'm back on the right path, all thanks to you. I promised my sister something, but now, I will make one to you as well. Never again will I walk along that path of darkness. Rest easy. . .Sensei. "

Turning about face, his eyes momentarily closed and within that same second, burst open with red ink surrounding both eyes. With inhuman speeds, the Sennin in training took off and headed towards Namyeol's throne. What would have normally been minutes of travel was cut down to mere seconds as Masuyo came to an abrupt half before the Massive Namyeol.

"Shiju-sensei, he's. . ."

The gravity of the situation continued to sink in as he suddenly lost his train of thought before his contractual companion.

[.DEVIOUS]

The massive beast known as Namyeol, the Sage of the Bear Family, knew only torment. His long time friend, the first man to ever obtain Senjutsu from the Bear, had been taken from him. Agony seared through the bear's mind while he contemplated how and why this could have happened... After all, what kind of beast could have been strong enough to take down one of the most powerful elder shinobi in the world?!

As these thoughts continued to roll within his mind, Namyeol suddenly came to the realization that Masuyo, the boy that had been brought to Mount Nobunaga to learn the ancient arts of Senjutsu, who the bear himself had battled and deemed almost ready, was before him. It was to Masuyo that Shiju had been given to as a teacher. After all, if one could not learn from Shiju, then one would never be able to master the techniques.

However, the fact that Masuyo was Shiju's student told Namyeol that this was his only chance, perhaps, to figure out what had happened. As Masuyo began his explanation before coming to a stop, Namyeol called upon the full strength that the ages of existence had given to him, and he slouched forward, bringing his face to the ground, so that his eyes would be level with the Sage's Apprentice.

Pure force radiated from his eyes, and when the Bear spoke, there was no one on this planet who would have the audacity to resist the authority within it.

"Tell me what happened."

[/justify]

[Messatsu!]

He hesitated in his speech, feeling the full weight of his sensei's death. To make matters worse, Namyeol's massive head leaned forward, leveling his eyes with Masuyo's own. The Sage's eyes radiated with a uncontested power, something no mere human could ever achieve. It was quite intimidating to have looked into the Sage's eyes after having been partly responsible for the death of his old friend. His eyes looked down and away from Namyeol, overwhelmed by the power within his eyes, but then he looked back a moment later and continued.

"Shiju died. I believe he died in order to revive me. Yes, I'm sure of that. Shamed about the things I've done, he made a proposal, and I agreed to it - to have my soul cleansed of all sin. Right after I found myself in some kind of alternate reality and confronted by this demon - the Shinigami. Trying to claim my soul as his prize, shiju managed to stop him, but I turned out that I couldn't handle the process.

. . . I'm sorry."

His words were sincere and carried with them a strong sense of regret and sadness. He truly wish that the outcome of this entire thing would have gone differently, namely by everyone being alive and healthy. He'd truly miss that teacher and student relationship, in his eyes the only bond truly greater than that was the bond of one's own family.

[.DEVIOUS]

What was this? The most talented Sennin the world had ever known, a man with secrets and knowledge so powerful that he had sequestered himself from the rest of the world had given his life in order to save and protect this little whelp?! It was almost too much to bear, pardon the pun, and Namyeol found both tears and rage building within him, threatening to spill out at a moment's warning. The idea of crushing the boy here and now as punishment for allowing Shiju to die passed through Namyeol's mind, but...

The great Bear knew that there had to have been a reason for Shiju to risk so much. It sounded as if Shiju had used two, if not more, of the forbidden techniques that he had picked up over the years. One did not simply bring all of these tools out into the open for no reason. Was there a chance that Shiju had seen something in the boy that he had deemed worthy of such presentation?

It was then that Namyeol looked, really looked at the pupil before him, and he found himself surprised. This was not the same boy that had come to him seeking training in Sage Mode. This was not the same boy that he had battled to test the boy's worthiness. There was such a profound growth there that Namyeol found that he could not believe that it was the same person. However, inside of all that change, Namyeol could see the pure soul of the same child who had come to him just a few short months ago, and he found that he suddenly understood what Shiju had given his life for.

This Shinobi had the chance, the opportunity, to become the next Shiju, one that didn't make all of the same mistakes that Shiju had. That had been why Shiju had displayed so many of his talents, and why he had been willing to, in the end, give of himself utterly to bring this boy back from death itself. There was a new strength there, a core of power within the boy's soul, that was pure, and it shone more brightly than anything that Namyeol had ever seen before.

Suddenly, the Bear was chuckling, a smile filling the creature's face. Moving back to his natural position, he would stretch for just a moment before looking down at the boy.

"Well, boy, you ready for your final test?" Namyeol would wait only for the boy's assent before nodding. "Look deep into your soul and bring out your Sennin Modo. Then touch my paw."

[/justify]

[Messatsu!]

Although it may have not been so readily noticeable, but, the way Namyeol's eyes stared into Masuyo's own took a large amount of will power to simply stand without faltering in the face of his powerful glare. Namyeol was like a mystic elder that made even the most powerful warriors regret ever crossing him, which was all Masuyo tried to avoid. Suddenly, as several moments of eye contact continued to pass, the atmosphere seemed to change, swapping presence with a sense of awkwardness. He noted the look in Namyeol's eyes as he looked closer as if to looking inside his very soul. Despite knowing that he couldn't have possibly guessed what Namyeol had been thinking, he was confident that what he would see was something entirely different from their initial meeting.

Back then, he was nothing more than a child, spiritually and mentally, he needed to mature, grow, and develop. It wasn't until recently, right after the death of his master, that Masuyo realized just what Shiju tried to get him to see during their time together. Initially, Masuyo believed that the lesson being taught was patience, but in truth, it proved to be much, much more. He was taught not only to have patience, but also how to increase and better his sense of judgment which ultimately strengthened his personal morals. Were it not for Shiju's banishment, it was safe to say that the possibility of him having reunited with his elder sister was relatively low. He experienced so many things over the past months, the results of patience, the weight of guilt behind ones actions, the effort it takes to redeems one's self, and to feel the pain of lose but also grow from it. These were lessons that not many ninja or people for that matter had the privilege of being taught.

What Shiju left within Masuyo's mind was something invaluable and carried with it the power to make a change within the world. An eyebrow raised in confusion as Namyeol's demeanor suddenly changed with a bestial chuckle and smile. Following Namyeol's words, he gently drew power from nature's wellspring of power and activated his Sennin modo, the perfection of the power evident by the lack of physical change aside from the eyes. In the following moment, he stepped forward, just hands reach from Namyeol's lower paws. Raising his right hand with an open palmed, his arm stretched out to touch said paw, wondering what this 'final test' would be.

[.DEVIOUS]

As Masuyo touched Namyeol's paw, the boy would feel what would appear to be a massive burst of wind fly past him. However, his feet were planted and he remained stationary. In fact, nothing at all seemed to actually move... just the mind of Masuyo. As insane amounts of Senjutsu energy burst through the walls of Masuyo's mind, the man would find himself suddenly aware.

What was he aware of? Everything. He could feel the very essence of the world around him. He could feel the immense strength and wisdom of the elder Bear before him. He would be able to feel, be able to know, the world about him. It was as if a veil had been placed over his mind, as if that veil had been there for the human's entire life, only to have it suddenly ripped from the top of the boy's mind, granting sight for the first time.

His Sennin Modo would change. He would find that he had developed a complete change, his body almost transforming into something else entirely. He was now a true Sage. Namyeol looked down upon the boy... no, the man, and he smiled

"The final test is this. Not everyone can become a Sennin. You could have completed all of the training in the world, but at the end of it, if you had not been able to understand the world in this manner, not been able to sense it such as this, then you would have died, right here and right now. The tasks set before those who attempt to learn Sennin Modo are always meant to attempt to open the mind, to grant awareness. You have passed."

And just like that, the Bear would release another roar. This one was not the same pain-filled sound that had rocked Mount Nobunaga just minutes earlier. This roar was one of triumph, alerting the world that a new Sage had been born. All around Mount Nobunaga, this Bear Family would release their own roars, letting it be known that they heard and they respected the man who had managed to overcome all of the obstacles and become successful.

When silence finally reigned, Namyeol would gain just another mote of seriousness and ask, perhaps, the most difficult question.

"What will you do now?"

[/justify]

OOC: I have taken 300 exp from you. You may add Sennin Modo to your bio.

[Messatsu!]

The moment Masuyo's hand made contact with Namyeol's paw, a massive blast of wind swept past his entire body. Strangely, this wind affected nothing on a physical level, but instead, affected the clarity of his mind. It was a feeling almost indescribable, feeling as though his own mind was a erupting like a raging volcano. The world around him suddenly became clearer than it ever was, feeling and acknowledging the life many forms of life that he was suddenly able to sense. Just as his mind felt entirely different, his body also underwent a drastic change. Examining himself, his body seemed older and felt more powerful and healthy than it ever was, perhaps that was what it felt like to be in the prime of ones youth. Exchanging smiles, Namyeol went on to give a speech, one that Masuyo not only wanted to listen to, but appreciated.

"The final test is this. Not everyone can become a Sennin. You could have completed all of the training in the world, but at the end of it, if you had not been able to understand the world in this manner, not been able to sense it such as this, then you would have died, right here and right now. The tasks set before those who attempt to learn Sennin Modo are always meant to attempt to open the mind, to grant awareness. You have passed."

Masuyo's face lit up with joy, smiling from ear to ear with a light chuckle. He watched Namyeol release yet another powerful roar which triggered a series of following roars from the other bears scattered around Mount Nobunaga. The noise settled and Namyeol spoke once again as his trademark sense of seriousness returned to him.

"What do I plan to do. Quite a few things, actually. I want to continue searching for my sister, but this time, doing so the right way. Additionally Shiju seemed to approve of the idea of removing the Daimyo from their political positions, so I will pursue this as well. And finally, I won't say that I can remove all hatred and bring peace in this lifetime, but I will use this power and awareness to suppress as best as possible without needless bloodshed."

SPOILER: Click to show

Sennin Mōdo (Sage Mode)

[/u]
Rank: S
Type: Senjutsu / Kinjutsu
Range: Self
Chakra: ---
Special: Allows the user to draw upon Senjutsu chakra for a plethora of different uses. Determines the amount of Senjutsu chakra that a person may store within his or her body before he or she must replenish the Senjutsu chakra, as well as Sennin Mōdo. The technique must originally be trained under the tutelage of a Summoning Family Sage; however, after that, the trained may spend stored EXP to retrain the technique. Allows the user to store one 'Massive' amount of Senjutsu Chakra, plus one 'Massive' amount for every time the technique is learned.
Description: By learning to remain utterly and completely still, a shinobi can begin to sense the natural energy around him or her. Over time, the shinobi will learn to draw that energy into him- or herself and blend it into the user's natural chakra circulatory system. During the training time, the user will constantly begin changing form; essentially, the closer one gets to nature, the more nature will attempt to pull one in. By resisting this urge, the user will gain the ability to command and draw in natural energy without hazard. If the user ever exceeds the amount of Senjutsu Chakra that he or she can control, they will immediately petrify. The natural energy, processed in the same way as bodily energy through the chakra circulatory system, releases a new brand of chakra, known as Senjutsu Chakra. Senjutsu Chakra can be used in a plethora of different ways, from using it to fuel Nin and Genjutsu, to increasing the strength or speed of a user's Taijutsu, or even beginning to predict the actions of an incoming opponent through the ability to read intent through the energy being released into the atmosphere. The only way to recharge Sage Mode is to stand completely still for one turn.
Domain: Kinjutsu. Must be taught by a Summoning Family Sage.[/spoiler][/font][/justify][/blockquote][/blockquote]