Doing the Impossible [Requesting Shichi]

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

Continuing from here

The last time Kazuki went to the harbor things did not end well. First a complete stranger approached him with the intent of interviewing Stone's diplomat. Considering the Senju Overlord had been wearing a cloak with a hood, which was over his head, and had not announced his presence in any way possible, except for that chilling sensation and the howl of the wind, this was a very strange occurrence. But fate had determined this to not be the end of it. A weirder creature, with a strike resemblance to one of his own, emerged from the murky waters beneath the pier and assaulted the White Wolf. Its intent was to kidnap the Silvery Haired Man and drag him somewhere. Reaper had deduced they were both Sovereign members, although they real motives remained largely unknown. The unknown assailant not only helped him subdue the woman, but also destroyed part of the pier and killed several citizens that stupidly opted to remain in the area. With that accomplished 3 fled, leaving a relatively unscathed and confused Deep Court Hybrid behind. Luckily he had gained a prize. The Epitome of Patriotism had managed to rescue Shichi from drowning and then had successfully subdued her. Although not certain of so, the Occult Sennin hoped he had captured a member of the Sovereign he could question at his own leisure.

Roaming the deserts with an unconscious Shichi in tow, he eventually found the perfect interrogation spot. A small, but deep enough cavern, in the middle of nowhere. Kazuki would drop Shichi on the floor and place a special collar and wrist restraints on her. Her hands would tied behind her back but he would eventually lean her against the back wall. Why were those neck and wrist apparatus so special? They robbed people of their chakra and stamina. And to do so they would use said robbed energy. In a sense, they operated in a self sustaining cycle. The more they robbed the longer they could keep robbing. They were not indestructible, meaning sufficient physical strength could break them, but it was quite a feat to do so while having your stamina sucked out. Nonetheless, the Senju Overlord had chosen a cave for a reason. There were plenty of shadows, meaning his would mingle with her's. And once such contact had been made, he could bind people at will. A double layer of binds if you will. All that was left was light a fire and then wait for her to regain her consciousness.

He would patiently wait for her to wake up, seating near her but not close enough to promote physical contact. He was leaning against a wall as well, but his head was lowered, allowing the hood to conceal his face once more. A light purple glow would emanate from his eyes and that would, probably, be what she would be able to discern from him. "You are alive thanks to me. Why don't you share with me your story." the White Wolf would speak once he realized she had woken up.​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qMBans8jyM][b][u]Red Omen[/u][/b][/url]]"]

Reaper

[/legend][/col]

 

[Sand Council]

That bastard.

She awoke some time later, cold and sore. She could still smell the harbor in her hair and while she was for the most part dry, she could still feel the chill. It was a cold that rolled off the Senju in waves and it chilled her to the bone. She shivered but she feigned unconsciousness for a short time, she knew that she would not have long before he discovered that she had aroused. She wanted to know where she was. She expected to be apprehended, that was the plan after all. It was the plan for Saito, although it went awry. She was supposed to be a 'threat' to the aging Raikage and his allies were supposed to come to his aide. She was supposed to damage his pride before she took a fall, she would be captured and dragged back to whatever hole they dragged her kind into and she was going to place the blame on Sunagakure. She was supposed to offer her 'life' to support their cause, seeking friendship or enlightenment from the Kage and salve his burnt pride. She would have caused them to crumble from the inside, however even the simplest laid plans can fail. She was not even sure what happened and why her bind broke its hold or how she let them get away, all while in full-sight of yet another Sennin in a pathetic situation.

As for the Fire Country delegate, she had other plans in mind for the silvery haired shinobi. She shifted her weight but she could feel the tug on her shoulders when her wrists refused to move. "Argh," she complained. Her sight still bleary, she looked ahead. A crackling fire contrasted with the frigid, dark air and the shadows were lively in the manner in which they danced on these stone walls. The warmth of the fire did little to negate the Deep Court Hybrid's aura, but she would not know about the Senju's strange heritage only what was. "Where... what... what happened?" She tried to feign confusion as she took a moment to look around the room or rather cave -- was she underground? She expected him to take her to his people or what little was left of them considering their considerable losses. It was a demotion dealing with him instead of the Raikage, however they needed to fill their quota before the ceremony.

"You are alive thanks to me. Why don't you share with me your story."

"I... I am just a reporter," she claimed sticking to the story she had originally shared. "I... I was attacked by some sort of monster, please let me go." She pled, her voice wavering as she did so. She shifted again, her restraints still in place. "I do not know what is happening," she inched away less than a foot. "Please do not hurt me."

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

Eventually Shichi came to her senses. Her first realization was that she was bound. A triple bound, not only physically by the collar and wrist devices, but also by their second nature. And thirdly, by Kazuki's own shadow. Hopefully she would not realize it soon. The Senju Overlord was unaware of her combat capabilities, if she had any to begin with, but if she truly was a member of the Sovereign, then she should be a formidable opponent. Perhaps a challenge greater than he could take alone. Regardless he had started this and would go to its end. Bitter or sweet it may be. "I... I am just a reporter. I... I was attacked by some sort of monster, please let me go. I do not know what is happening, Please do not hurt me." she begged him. The White Wolf simply shook his head. She clearly did not understand this situation. "Let me make this crystal clear for you. The chance of me hurting you is the least of your worries and it is only up to you. That is a choice only you can make." the Silvery Haired Man made a momentary pause to let that sink on her. "There is only one way for you to leave this place, if you give me what I want. If you refuse to do that, then I will simply leave and block the entrance, letting you inside to rot. And in the off chance someone else finds you, let me assure you they will kill you on the spot, because the people that live around here are all against the Daimyo. So how is it going to be? My way or the dead way?" All of that had been spoken with a very calm and steady voice. Perhaps a bit too creepy even.

After waiting a few seconds, checking if she would become more malleable, if she were to remain defiant, Reaper would got up and start walking toward the entrance.​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qMBans8jyM][b][u]Red Omen[/u][/b][/url]]"]

Reaper

[/legend][/col]

 

[Sand Council]

"Let me make this crystal clear for you. The chance of me hurting you is the least of your worries and it is only up to you. That is a choice only you can make."

She made a futile gesture to pull herself free of her restraints. "What do you want!" She shouted indignantly.

"There is only one way for you to leave this place, if you give me what I want. If you refuse to do that, then I will simply leave and block the entrance, letting you inside to rot. And in the off chance someone else finds you, let me assure you they will kill you on the spot, because the people that live around here are all against the Daimyo. So how is it going to be? My way or the dead way?"

Smile. "I do not know what you are talking about," she cried, a stream of tears fell down the sides of her face on cue. "Y-you say that you want a story, b-but I do not have one." she insisted. She took a few deep breaths and let out a shout of frustration.

Kazuki simply started to walk away. Was he really going to leave her in there to rot after all the effort he endured to get there was he really going to just leave her to die. Well, maybe. It was a gamble and there was little she could work with besides his ambition and his pride. "Wait," she seemed to relent as she bowed her head forward. "Wait!" She insisted with a hint of desperation in her voice.

One... two... three...​

"You did an excellent job. So smart. So... winsome and august. I just wanted to know you," she announced. "After all, why else would anyone take such a keen interest," she indiscriminately reached. She grasped at what he might be, what held up his ego and what he wanted to hear. Perhaps these things and the truth were all the same, alter all there is often a fine line between lies, slander and truth. "I was supposed to learn about you, that was all," she maintained. "You are a mystery and could have been Soon's darling."

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

"I do not know what you are talking about. Y-you say that you want a story, b-but I do not have one." was Shichi's response after Kazuki explained the rules for her. "The dead way then." he whispered and began his slow walk toward the exit. He had completely ignored the woman's tears dropping down her cheeks. Her emotions, or pretense feelings, were totally irrelevant for him. Not even a nuisance. He was here to obtain information and he was going to do anything necessary for it. "Wait...Wait!" she began to plead. In fact, the last wait had carried a hint of desperation. But was it truly felt or was this just an act on her part? Truthfully, the Senju Overlord did not know the answer, but he was willing to go to any lengths. Up to including leaving her there without gaining nothing from it. But alas she was really trying to make him stay. "You did an excellent job. So smart. So... winsome and august. I just wanted to know you. After all, why else would anyone take such a keen interest. I was supposed to learn about you, that was all, You are a mystery and could have been Soon's darling." The White Wolf stopped upon hearing this. What she said did not interested him. Yes, he wanted to know why he was singled out, but that was something to learn at a later time. He had requested her story, and that was what he wanted right now.

"For someone claiming to be conducting interviews on high dignitaries, you lack a very important attribute for your choice of trade." the Silvery Haired Man noted as turned around. He was still at the entrance of the cave, but at least, he was not leaving yet. "I did not ask to know why you came to me. I asked you, your story. I want to know everything about you. Will you tell it me or do I need to leave?" Reaper questioned her again. His right hand was touching the wall and it was starting to glow purple. Maybe he was channeling a jutsu that was going to seal her permanently.​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qMBans8jyM][b][u]Red Omen[/u][/b][/url]]"]

Reaper

[/legend][/col]

 

[Sand Council]

"The dead way then."</B><B>

Kazuki announced as he started to walk away. Was he really going to leave her in there to die? It was a possibility if she knew he well enough. It did not matter if it was posturing or a legitimate threat, she would have begged him to stay either way. And she would have talked just as she did, giving him the why. Reminding him that he was one of the beautiful people. The kind others aspire to be.

"For someone claiming to be conducting interviews on high dignitaries, you lack a very important attribute for your choice of trade."<i></i>

"What is that?" she asked as she tried to move her hands to the dirt floor but found herself incapable of doing so. She was doubly bound, she would not be familiar with the how or the why but she would have been knowledgeable enough to know it was some sort of ninjutsu. "I cannot move," she would announce changing the subject and stating what would be obvious to her captor but her mention would make it known that she was aware as well.

"I did not ask to know why you came to me. I asked you, your story. I want to know everything about you. Will you tell it me or do I need to leave?"<i></i>

Was he expecting some sort of sob story? Some revelation where she announces that she is everything he wanted to destroy? Was she either of those things, probably but she had no way of knowing he was anything more than a Fire Country diplomat housed in Iwa that has spent a protracted period of time in Sunagakure. Fuu never mentioned him beyond the fact that he was in the village as part of their census. His relationship with the Kazekage was a mystery, his Deep Court characteristics unmentioned and his status as one of Sousuke's trusted Sennins all omitted in her reports. "I am 27, I was born in Sora," she started. "My dad was a drunk bastard and my mom had no backbone to stand up for herself," she started with the sob story part. "Needless to say, I ran away as early as I could. Living on the streets was a better alternative than living with them, I was getting too old and too pretty and my mom lacked the will to protect me from him," she let out a sigh. "I survived for awhile on my own, went to school and then found a job," followed by a mediocre tale of victory. "I worked a few odds and end jobs and eventually moved to Soons. Took a job at the Herald just in time for the wedding coverage," she explained. Did she tell him enough? Did he believe her? That was the problem with truth and lies for a man of the Deep Court -- there was no such thing as a lie, only a misleading truth.

"Now let me out please," she pleaded. "It hurts to stay like this," she continued. "I mean, I cannot possibly be a threat to you. Look at me," she insisted. Assuming she was still in Steve Roger's ill-fitting attire or perhaps her own again depending on how odd and strange the good Captain was feeling when likely assisting in the transport of the unconscious woman. she did not appear formidable, in fact she looked the complete opposite. Barely 5 feet (1.5 meters) with pale, fine features and long pale purple hair who was restrained in a dark cave. "I am not a threat to you. I could not possibly be a threat to someone like you," she reminded him. Yet he had her twice restrained and she was not able to move an inch. "I cannot move. I cannot do anything. You have all the power and I find you very very scary." She let out a deep breath. "I just wanted to know you - the famed Senju, handsome legacy of such an old family with such a colorful career." She let out a sound of annoyance as if she was attempting to again loosen the darkness that had ensconced her or break the restraints that bound her. "If I was even a distant threat to you... why haven't you heard of me. You haven't have you?"

"Come closer and tell me something Senju-domo," she instructed. "That is all I want, even if I have to stay like this," she offered not that she was in any position to make deals or demands. If he heeded her call she would continue to talk.

"Don't you want to be known?"<i></i>

"Don't you want to be loved?"<i></i>

"Don't you want to be remembered for the glorious specimen that you are?"<i></i>

"You want all the things you deserve. All the things you have earned!"<i></i>

"Can you hear them? ...can you hear them cheering? They are calling out your name~"<i></i>

He would possibly hear the rumble of a crowd. The sound of clapping. His name being chanted, but he would never see it, only hear it. An overactive imagination? Perhaps if this seed was even planted in his head.

"Tell me... is there anything you want? What drives you?

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

"I cannot move," Michi announced. Kazuki silently acquiesced. It was rather impressive that she was aware of her inability to move. It was quite a clear tell that she was not who she claimed to be. To be aware of his bind, especially under such dim conditions was quite a feat. She was allot stronger than she made it out to be, but under such circumstances the Senju Overlord was king. He still had dominance there and she would have to prove she was stronger than him to overcome her current duress. "I am 27, I was born in Sora. My dad was a drunk bastard and my mom had no backbone to stand up for herself. Needless to say, I ran away as early as I could. Living on the streets was a better alternative than living with them, I was getting too old and too pretty and my mom lacked the will to protect me from him. I survived for awhile on my own, went to school and then found a job. I worked a few odds and end jobs and eventually moved to Soons. Took a job at the Herald just in time for the wedding coverage." she told him a condensed version of her life's story. Quite a pathetic existence she had so far, if any of that was even true. The White Wolf nodded and was about to question her more, but she continued. "Now let me out please. It hurts to stay like this. I mean, I cannot possibly be a threat to you. Look at me. I am not a threat to you. I could not possibly be a threat to someone like you. I cannot move. I cannot do anything. You have all the power and I find you very very scary. I just wanted to know you - the famed Senju, handsome legacy of such an old family with such a colorful career. If I was even a distant threat to you... why haven't you heard of me. You haven't have you?"

What was that just now? Was she trying to break the shadowy bind the Silvery Haired Man had placed on her? Curious. Reaper stopped channeling chakra to his right hand and used his left one to stop her, apparent, motor mouth. "How do you know I am a Senju?" he calmly questioned her. He could have rebuked her claims, but both of them knew the truth. She was interpreting a role and the Occult Sennin would not entertain it further. Why waste time? "Come closer and tell me something Senju-domo. That is all I want, even if I have to stay like this." Michi asked of him. Kazuki pondered his choices. He had nothing to lose to re-approach her, since she seemed to be getting responsive after all. So he began a slow walk toward her. Unfortunately she took that action as the right to keep speaking.

"Don't you want to be known?"

"Don't you want to be loved?"

"Don't you want to be remembered for the glorious specimen that you are?"

"You want all the things you deserve. All the things you have earned!"

"Can you hear them? ...can you hear them cheering? They are calling out your name~"
"Tell me... is there anything you want? What drives you?

The more the Senju Overlord drew near, the greater the sensation a large crowed clapped and chanted his name. But it was impossible, he was inside a cave with a deeply tied woman. Fortunately his brain would not let itself be fooled so easily. He stopped right in front of her, but still with the fire between them. His head was lowered and he had both hands extended, seemingly checking them for something that could not be seen. He would start shaking his head as if he was trying to reach a decision. Eventually both hands would return to a more normal position. Reaper would sigh and shrug his shoulders. The sound of water drops falling on rock would become audible on the cave, but there was no source of water nearby to produce such sounds. Instead, drops of liquid shadow seemed to be dropping from the White Wolf's right sleeve. As more and more shadows flowed, most of them started to congregate around his hand and began to take a specific shape. The Silvery Haired Man had never stared into his hands, he had been doing so at Michi. Moments later the shadows would solidify into Frostmourne, Reaper's infamous blade. The sword had enough length to allow him to physically touch her without needing to move forward. He would attempt to pierce her right shoulder with the tip of his black blade. If successful, not only she would be physically harmed, but she would begin to feel a very intense cold sensation and a certain level of lethargy would afflict her as well. Any touch by his blade had the ability to start the process of soul absorption, even such light strikes. He would allow the blade to remain inside her for a full minute. "Do that again and you will learn that what I want is something you are unwilling to give me. When did you join the Sovereign Group?" he would question her after removing the sword.​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qMBans8jyM][b][u]Red Omen[/u][/b][/url]]"]

Reaper

[/legend][/col]

 

[Sand Council]

The ever complaint and good soldier, she would bide her time here in these restraints that sapped her essence from her and this unseen force that held her in place. She was known as the weakest of the Soverign if Fuu ever had a chance to share this secret, she had no secret boon to get her out of this situation beyond her durability and battle experience. At this time she could not move, however it was only a matter of time before whatever magic the Senju was using would grow weak. Only a matter of time before he grew tired on her and left her there to rot, but in parting his hold on her would become flaccid. She knew she was being bound by more than a pair of cuffs and the collar about her neck. The ability to sense the relative position of neighboring parts of the body and the strength of effort employed in movement or in her case lack thereof is known as 'proprioception.' This is not a superhuman ability or a monastically trained skill, rather a basic sense everyone had. Yes her hands were bound behind her and there was something clasped around her neck, but she was not able to shrug her shoulders, attempt to stand, even shift her weight on her own accord as she sat before the fire. She had awoken in this position and was being prevented from leaving it, it was a limitation in addition to her physical restraints that tethered her into place by an unseen but not unfelt force. While she did not know what, she did recognize as any could that she was twice bound.

Her gaze was set forward, a firepit between her and her quarry gave off a searing heat and was her sole source of illumination. Her view of her captor hazy through a steady stream of smoke that twisted and swayed past Kazuki and outside the maw of the cave. She told Kazuki what she thought he wanted to hear, that was until she was muted at the mention of his name. "How do you know I am a Senju?"The question was likely rhetorical unless he was the unconventional sort that found humor in asking then watching their subject struggle to comply. Unable to answer, she did not being cut short in her previous phrase. But of course she knew him, there was a time when he was known for his ties to that clan and that is the time she knew him from. In Iwagakure he was a Fire Country Diplomat and even Jouinins knew of the Senju Compound. His name and presence no secret in Earth Country. There was even a Senju Compound in Iwa, or more specifically the Pearl Tenements. The question for the uniquely pallid man should be -- how could she not know?

There would be a point where his invisible hood over her was partially relinquished and she was granted once again the ability to speak. She made a request with what limited time she had, undeterred by the obvious one-sided possession of power. She did not need to feign fear or make her voice tremble, the lack of autonomy was nothing new to her but familiarity does not breed comfort or indifference.

Kazuki acquiesced her request and approached slowly. All she could see through the smoky haze was the cowled figure with glowing eyes making a slow, purposeful approach. Despite her lack of control, her voice gained greater resolve as he drew nearer. Words has power and there was power in words. Not her words in particular but rather what she said. It was no incantation. It was not even a genjutsu. What he heard and what he saw was actually there for a moment, as if there was a rip in space or time. She has not wormed into his brain to create a crowd that would cheer him on, rather she spoke them into existence and when she stopped, they ceased to be. The faded into a puff of smoke, perhaps they were nothing more than smoke and mirrors.

Kazuki halted not far from her, standing on the other side of the fire. The light from the golden flames mingled with the unnatural shadows that lingered over his face and gave the appearance of an older presence. She could hear water dripping, sloshing, burbling, running. She could not turn around and inspect the anomaly, the shade had frozen her in place, but she did not need to look away to see liquified darkness that ran from his sleeve. The inky blackness would twist and writhe until it had created its chosen form. Having an 'infamous blade' only added to his fame, something he was perhaps ignorant of.

She could not run. She could not even speak if he did not want her to. There was a part of her that thought he might kill her, the threat had been more than implied since she had recovered her awareness. She knew he would not... not yet at least. He had went through considerable lengths to ensure that the alleged Soverign survived, a gamble on his part even with her restrained. Death was not something to fear but rather something most of them had come to embrace, after all her Jinchuriki cohort nearly drowned her to ensure this meeting. She knew he was going to hurt her and there was nothing she could do about it. She was used to pain and ironically they were making progress.

He would plunge the blade into her shoulder or at least the very tip. It would go in easily, she was made of flesh and bone, nothing more. The bitter cold that emanated off the Senju made the insertion of the weapon nearly painless; the pain she felt was not from the blade but rather the aura of the terrible weapon. There was a creeping fold that bit as it spread, leaving a path of frost where it traveled. Her teeth chattered and her body shivered. Indeed she moved. The darkness that held her shattered upon his physical insult and she did not shrink away from the weapon that pierced her flesh. She felt breathless, as if someone was pulling the air from her lungs. She struggled with air hunger, gasping for breath without relief because it was not air that Frostmourne drained but rather her essence. She would soon lack the strength to remain on her knees upright as her strength was sucked away. It was only the insistent hold of the weapon inside her that held her upright.

She did not scream. She did not cry. She did not remember how to as her mind entered a white-hot daze. The dark, foreboding hold over her had shattered with this insult and as he retracted his weapon from her body she fell over. She had only just regained consciousness from a near deadly drowning only to be brought back to a state of unconsciousness once again by Steve. She did not have much strength to take. She felt drained in that heap. Her breaths were ragged and she let out a series of weak, hacking coughs that shook her body.

"Do that again and you will learn that what I want is something you are unwilling to give me. When did you join the Sovereign Group?"

"...don't ...threaten ...me ...with a good time," she replied weakly. She did not sit back up, she lacked the strength to do so even if she wanted to thanks to the vigor-sapping blade. She let out a self-depreciating laugh. Kazuki would notice something off about the essence he assumedly consumed, it was certainly human but there was a strange aftertaste. It was something he had not sampled before.

"I am a reporter," she insisted. "The Soverign is simply a school for underprivileged youth," she rasped "...I am an alumni." She shifted as the chill started to dissipate, leaving a dull sting where there was once a numbness, some of the fine sand from the floor sticking to her blood. She was in pain, that was no act. "They gave me a life when nobody else would," she claimed with a soft, underproductive cough.

"How long have you been a traitor Mister Senju?"</B></GLOW><i></i> Soons Haven was far from the borders of Fire and even further still from the mountains of Earth. How many years has it been since he was home?

"How long have you been alone?"<i></i> She continued as she started to dig.

</COLOR>

"...Underutilized"​

"You must be so tired of it all."

"Nobody appreciates you in a way you deserve."​

<i></i>

She let out a whistling wheeze as she shifted a second time. She was trying to sit upright, her muscles would quiver from exertion before they would fail but her fall was mere centimeters at best. <COLOR color="steelblue">"I just came... I just found you by chance and wanted to..." cough "know you. I meant no harm," she insisted. She rolled to her side. "I was just foolishly trying to make a name for myself," she admitted. "I-I had no idea I would make you this mad. I am sorry. <GLOW glow="navy">You are powerful and terrible and I have made a mistake." She was looking up at the uneven ceiling by now as she made this turn in dialogue. <B>"I wish I could give you some fascinating tale about myself but there is nothing to say. I was a kid. I grew up. Went to school. Got a job. Tried to do my job... poorly."<i></i>

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

"...don't ...threaten ...me ...with a good time," Shichi weakly replied after being threatened by Kazuki with promises of more pain. He was still savoring the sliver of her soul he had absorbed when she continued. "I am a reporter. The Soverign is simply a school for underprivileged youth...I am an alumni. They gave me a life when nobody else would," Although he had listened to her response, Reaper's mind was slightly absent. What he had just tasted was normal. After years absorbing human souls, the Senju Overlord was quite familiarized with how their souls tasted like. But this was different, not vastly so, but sufficiently to peak his interest. He was aware that the Sovereign were being fueled by Ancients. And he was, as noted, quite aware of how a human soul should taste like. Considering that and the fact that she had managed to conjure sounds out of thin air, something an ordinary civilian would never be able to pull off, there was only one logical conclusion to reach here. She was one of the Sovereign. Would she be aware that she had just revealed her true self to the White Wolf? Unlikely, she would never suspect of his ability to absorb souls, but still he had to tread lightly here. Considering what he knew about the prowess of all Sovereigns, and taking back to his fateful encounter with 3, an adversary the Silvery Haired Man was completely impotent against to, then, regardless of how weak she was now, she was still a force to be reckoned with.

"How long have you been a traitor Mister Senju? How long have you been alone? ...Underutilized. You must be so tired of it all.Nobody appreciates you in a way you deserve" she would repeatedly question him, using that special voice of her. The Occult Sennin knew exactly what she was trying to do. She was trying to implant a seed of doubt within his heart, to damage his perfected armor. If she was to successfully gain a hold over him, then she would have won. But the Death Ancient was far more durable than that. Once again he would stab her, this time one inch closer to her heart. If such cycle were to keep repeating itself, she would eventually be stabbed in the heart and she would perish. Unless he was to shift sides and prolong her agony. "I told you what would happen if you tried that again. Do you have a death wish? I may as well fulfill it for you if you persist in making the same error over and over again. Kazuki would inquire. This time he would take even longer to remove the blade from inside her. He had noticed that she was able to move, but such freedom was expected. As soon as he had given her physical punishment, the hold he had was swiftly interrupted. His shadowy prisons were handy, but they had one flaw. Inflicting damage was a sure way to break them. "I just came... I just found you by chance and wanted to...know you. I meant no harm. I was just foolishly trying to make a name for myself. I-I had no idea I would make you this mad. I am sorry. You are powerful and terrible and I have made a mistake. I wish I could give you some fascinating tale about myself but there is nothing to say. I was a kid. I grew up. Went to school. Got a job. Tried to do my job... poorly." she managed to say despite the second stabbing. The Senju Overlord would again shake his head. She really thought he was a fool. He was half tempted to stab her again, but he held his hand from doing so.

"Do you take me for a fool? I know what the Sovereign are, I know what you are. Why did you companion attacked the pier and you? What did you hope to gain from such plan? Did you count on my mercy to rescue you? Was this imprisonment all part of your plan?" he questioned her in return. But he was done yet. "For how long have you been fed Ancients? And of what types?" he inquired her. He made a pause, expecting a look of surprise on her face, but he would continue regardless of her reaction, or lack thereof. "Oh yes, I know about that. Do you think the eyes of the Fire Country are blind to what is happening in the Wind Country? The Fire Daimyo knows what your master is doing and he has sent his top agent to investigate what he could and gain whatever information he could gather. Do you think he will be pleased when he is made aware that one of the Sovereign attacked me and another is deliberately trying to mess with my mind? Do you really think my mind is so feeble you can sway me easily?" Reaper told her. They were all blatant lies, but would she be aware of it? I ask again, when and why did you join the Sovereign? Were you abducted by Nao? he questioned her again.​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qMBans8jyM][b][u]Red Omen[/u][/b][/url]]"]

Reaper

[/legend][/col][/quote]

 

[Sand Council]

The tip of the blade broke her flesh a second time, the painful drain of essence protracted for well over a minute but she endured. Her fetters clanked and her teeth grit together. There was a distinct possibility that she would die here in this cave, if not to his malice then due to his persistence in finding an imaginary truth he sought. She could feel her heart slowing, it seemed to beat in cadency with her shallow panting breaths as she grew paler. She would never survive him reaching her heart at this rate, although the frightful intent was appreciated.

"I told you what would happen if you tried that again. Do you have a death wish? I may as well fulfill it for you if you persist in making the same error over and over again."

"...and end all your fun," she replied weakly with a wavering voice.

"Do you take me for a fool? I know what the Sovereign are, I know what you are. Why did you companion attacked the pier and you? What did you hope to gain from such plan? Did you count on my mercy to rescue you? Was this imprisonment all part of your plan?"

"Mercy," she let out a laugh, "...more like a Reaper." Did he take her for a fool in return. She knew what he was the moment she saw those shadows and felt that chill; he was not the only Deep Court Ancient she had ever seen. She had seen dozens before him, all of them now dead of course. He was correct, her predicament was planned. "To appeal to your hubris," she finally answered. She was bleeding heavily by now from the pair of wounds she had received, she was not even trying to sit up as she laid on the ground. "Or... perhaps I have a death wish," she admitted with the hint of smile. "But you have to admit one thing Mister Senju, there is a sick part of you that enjoys this."</B><i></i> She knew she was not wrong, she had seen her share of monsters and he was no different. "How long have you played this political game. Doesn't it grow tiresome? Not only do you have to hold your tongue but stay you hand. I can only bet that it is starting to hurt... in fact if I was to guess I would say that it has been hurting for awhile. Like an itch you cannot scratch."

"For how long have you been fed Ancients? And of what types?"

He interrupted and she stopped. She did not expect him to be so far along, how far down this rabbit hole has he already traveled and how much further was he willing to go willingly. He did not give her the time to respond before he continued which was fine by her.

"Oh yes, I know about that. Do you think the eyes of the Fire Country are blind to what is happening in the Wind Country? The Fire Daimyo knows what your master is doing and he has sent his top agent to investigate what he could and gain whatever information he could gather. Do you think he will be pleased when he is made aware that one of the Sovereign attacked me and another is deliberately trying to mess with my mind? Do you really think my mind is so feeble you can sway me easily?"<i></i>

Scary.

"I ask again, when and why did you join the Sovereign?"

<B>"When I was a kid. It was where I was supposed to be. It was where... where I could make everyone happy, safe and proud," she replied.

"Were you abducted by Nao?"

She furrowed her brow. "I was just brought someplace I wanted to be before I knew it. He did nothing wrong," she asserted. "You're the one hurting me, not him," she reminded him. "You're the one threatening to leave me here to rot if I live that long," she continued. "I. Just. Wanted. To. Know. You," a story she was sticking to. "And I have nearly died already trying to do so," she reminded him. Of course he felt it was a convoluted plan to put herself in this situation and in said matter he was not wrong. She knew he did not believe her and exactly what he thought because he vocalized it. "I was not trying to get myself killed meeting you, Three is a madman who was just supposed to grab my bag or knock me into the water. Not nearly kill me and possibly hurt other people. He is obviously unhinged," she appeared to confess with a sigh. "If I wanted a forced meeting and I had a power like his under my control and was willing to hurt you, wouldn't you be the one in chains?" She knew exactly how strong Three was and the fact that he was probably better than the rest of them at taking down a Deep Court Ancient. Of course the Senju was a half-breed but she did not know enough about their kind to understand such semantics.

"I was just supposed to talk to you and let you feel like a hero in the process. But I get it, you're not. You had some corpse pull me from the water and resuscitate me only strip me and knock me unconscious. I wake up in some cave in the middle of who knows where, I try to say and do nice things. Happy things and you keep stabbing me," there was a snap to her voice as she said that. "You threaten to leave me to die in this cave. You bad mouth a very nice man. And considering the fact that you're an Ancient I can understand why. Nobody likes to be a rung lower on the food chain. If I knew you were one of them I would have asked for another encounter."

She wished her attempt on the Raikage worked out. At least he was human. Get out of here and return to Fire Country you dirty dirty Ancient.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

"...and end all your fun," she replied after being questioned if she had a death wish. Judging from the wavering voice, she was close to death. Kazuki had the ability to stave her death for a while, but not even him could completely shut it down, not after the injuries she had suffered recently. Some done by his hand and others by one of their own. "Mercy...more like a Reaper. To appeal to your hubris. Or... perhaps I have a death wish. But you have to admit one thing Mister Senju, there is a sick part of you that enjoys this. How long have you played this political game. Doesn't it grow tiresome? Not only do you have to hold your tongue but stay you hand. I can only bet that it is starting to hurt... in fact if I was to guess I would say that it has been hurting for awhile. Like an itch you cannot scratch." The Senju Overlord would smirked upon hearing the word Reaper. How logical that word was when applied to his person. He had been a Reaper all his time. Even before he had awaken his Ancient genes. In fact, he had two alternate forms. One derived from his Deep Court lineage and another whose source he was not currently aware. A form that made him look like a Grim Reaper of legend. Perhaps an Avatar of Death itself. Suffice to say, he was far from being normal. "You are wrong. I take no satisfaction in doing this to you or to the countless others that suffered the same fate as you. I simply do what must be done." the Silvery Haired Man explained to her as he lowered his blade. "And there is something else you don't know. I never hold my tongue or stay my hand. Death has no need for it." he emphasized. Of course, even Reaper had shackles of some sort restraining him, but luckily, he had the uncanny ability to position himself into jobs that gave him the necessary freedom to pursue his goals almost freely.

"When I was a kid. It was where I was supposed to be. It was where... where I could make everyone happy, safe and proud," Shichi explained. She had been lied all life. The Sovereign was a war machine, but then again, how could the Deep Court Hybrid blame her. Would he be any different if he had grown under the Wind Daimyo's care? Probably not. They were two opposite sides of the same coin. The only real difference was that Kazuki was an outsider. He had been born in the Fire Country and as such, he had evaded all the politics between Sunagakure and Soragakure. He was untainted by them, although considering his background with the Fire Daimyo, it was no brainer that he had sided with the shinobi of the Wind Country. "I was just brought someplace I wanted to be before I knew it. He did nothing wrong. You're the one hurting me, not him. You're the one threatening to leave me here to rot if I live that long. I. Just. Wanted. To. Know. You,. And I have nearly died already trying to do so. I was not trying to get myself killed meeting you, Three is a madman who was just supposed to grab my bag or knock me into the water. Not nearly kill me and possibly hurt other people. He is obviously unhinged. If I wanted a forced meeting and I had a power like his under my control and was willing to hurt you, wouldn't you be the one in chains? I was just supposed to talk to you and let you feel like a hero in the process. But I get it, you're not. You had some corpse pull me from the water and resuscitate me only strip me and knock me unconscious. I wake up in some cave in the middle of who knows where, I try to say and do nice things. Happy things and you keep stabbing me. You threaten to leave me to die in this cave. You bad mouth a very nice man. And considering the fact that you're an Ancient I can understand why. Nobody likes to be a rung lower on the food chain. If I knew you were one of them I would have asked for another encounter." Shichi told him.

Reaper would shake his head. There were holes in her speech. Glaring ones in his opinion. What was the point in making him feel a hero? Let alone those words about how an angel Nao was, when the Occult Sennin knew the despicable things he had done to people. Stuff even worse than what the Deep Court Hybrid would do. "And so you have met me, but I am guessing the end result is rather unsatisfactory for you. Kazuki deduced as he raised his blade till the tip touched her flesh, without introducing it for a third time. He was not done with her. "Your words did not convince me. But you are correct one one aspect. I am no hero and I have no intentions of becoming one. I work better in the shadows, that is where my strength lies. I did not bad mouth anyone, but Nao did some very evil things to people, including you. Speaking the truth does not mean I am bad mouthing someone, just because you cannot accept it. This is your last chance to speak the truth. the Senju Overlord warned her. His body would immediately began to emit a faint purple glow. The chilling sensation that his body naturally emanated would only increase as the glowing intensified. The howling of the wind would deafen her as the decibels increased. Eventually all would converge into a singular moment, and afterwards an eerie silent would replace all the commotion. The intense glowing would disappear very quickly and she would be able to see again. The White Wolf was no more. He had grown larger. The flesh in his hands had disappeared and the skeleton was visible. Frostmourne had been transformed into a massive scythe, the tip of which was still touching Shichi's chest. And a pair of skeletal wings had grown on his back. "Let me make one thing crystal clear. I am not one of them, I am something far worse." he would note. His voice was also different, it had become deeper and colder. What was he after all? "What are the Daimyo's goal and what is the Sovereign's purpose?" he would inquire, perhaps for the very final time.​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qMBans8jyM][b][u]Red Omen[/u][/b][/url]]"]

Reaper

[/legend][/col]

 

[Sand Council]

The dialogue changed to one of death. She could feel the amour-propre, she could breathe it in. The air was salted and burdened with confidence and power. "Death has no need for it," she echoed. Her voice was small but loud enough to be heard. "One no longer has to toil in this mortal coil. Death has bound me but still death does not see. In the still of night the shadows cause a fright." The back of her throat stung from the bitter biles and her arm and shoulder throbbed but her own sanguine losses kept her warm.

"And so you have met me, but I am guessing the end result is rather unsatisfactory for you."

"Actually no," she replied as he raised his blade once again and she readied herself for this exquisite pain.

"Your words did not convince me. But you are correct one one aspect. I am no hero and I have no intentions of becoming one. I work better in the shadows, that is where my strength lies. I did not bad mouth anyone, but Nao did some very evil things to people, including you. Speaking the truth does not mean I am bad mouthing someone, just because you cannot accept it. This is your last chance to speak the truth."

The weapon did not enter and she craned her neck. "Have you considered the fact that I have not lied?" Of course he did not, it was uncommon for someone to consider someone as anything more than their vocation. That the thing they identify them as. "Do you think I live in a closet. That I practice drills every dawn. That my life is regimented based on your imaginary preconception of what I am?" That was something he needed to know, that even the most broken of the Soverign were still people even if they could barely be defined as one any longer. "But if I was the betting sort I would like to think that your days are riddled with the toils of being a shinobi and your nights with dreams of what could have been. Your thoughts of the hate you have for your enemies and your plans for how you will unseat your Lords." She was well aware of Kohona's destruction and the bitter sentiments and resentment that any true Kohonan would have knowing that those chakra sapping rains had driven him from his home.

He seemed to tire of this tête-à-tête and he transformed into something else entirely. Something that was certainly not human but she had already knew he was far from human. The unrelenting chill became more intense and a deafening howl cumulated as a quivering shadowy mass dramaturgically warped his hominal form into something else.

"Let me make one thing crystal clear. I am not one of them, I am something far worse."

Excellent.

"What are the Daimyo's goal and what is the Sovereign's purpose?"[/color]

"To be king," she answered. "And his reach has spread further than you could imagine." The answer was rather obvious, he was overtaking those who had the 'right to rule' and replacing himself with the fallen leader. "Have you considered the fact that the Diamyo is only such in name alone? Have you heard of any other in this entire country?" The answer was rhetorical, of course he had not heard any other names because there were no others nor had there been for years in most cases if not decades. "What does that make him already, less a single sovereign militia state ...? ...The Emperor." It was a truth that was in everyone's face for some time but nobody ever put the pieces together, it was strange how a thing as simple as a name changes how you see someone.

So, he wants Sunagakure. Would that be enough for him? Probably not.

"As for the Soverign..."[/color] she paused. "That is complicated. But I would like to think that we have done a good job collecting." That was an odd choice of phrase 'collection' - which one of them was in manacles? Perhaps she was delusional. She was on the ground dying after all. "I got you afterall."

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

Kazuki stood there silently. Just breathing and listening to the woman's answer. His mere presence was enough to make a common man tremble as if they suffering multiple maladies that could not be fixed. Once under his Ancient or Reaper form, even those with strong wills usually found themselves unable to cope with the sheer horror that the Senju Overlord's body provoked on them. Shichi was not a common woman. And she certainly possessed a great degree of self-control. In fact, as a member of the Sovereign, the White Wolf expected her to be as collected he was. As fearless as he was. He was not certain if his body's natural cold emanations had any ability to affect her, but he was surely not trying to. He was simply there. If his cold aura had the ability to mess with her, it would just represent one more trump card he had over the captured Sovereign. If not, Reaper was still ahead of Shichi. "Have you considered the fact that I have not lied? Do you think I live in a closet. That I practice drills every dawn. That my life is regimented based on your imaginary preconception of what I am? But if I was the betting sort I would like to think that your days are riddled with the toils of being a shinobi and your nights with dreams of what could have been. Your thoughts of the hate you have for your enemies and your plans for how you will unseat your Lords." she would tell him. Answering a question he had not vocalized. Of course he was aware that that Shinobi and Sovereign were two sides of the same coin. Both military man serving a different ruler, but beneath all part of humanity. With certain notable exceptions. And some more than others.

"To be king, And his reach has spread further than you could imagine. Have you considered the fact that the Diamyo is only such in name alone? Have you heard of any other in this entire country? What does that make him already, less a single sovereign militia state ...? ...The Emperor." she would explain the Diamyo's goals. It would seem that every Daimyo was the same. Just like the Fire one had sought complete control over the Fire Country by purging his country of any and all shinobi presence, so did the Wind Daimyo sought dominance over the Wind Country. It would seem though, judging from her words, that he was after much more than just this country. Was he after world domination? "Are you implying he is trying to spread his reach over the entire world? That he was to take the throne of our planet. Does he really think we will just submit to his will? Or that he can take the world's armies and win? That will never going to take place." the Silvery Haired Man answered her. If he really though he could succeed then the man had entered a downward spiral of madness. No matter how strong the Sovereign was, no matter how many Ancients had been feed on them, not even them could take on the world's combined might. Impossible, inconceivable.

""That is complicated. But I would like to think that we have done a good job collecting. I got you afterall." Shichi would attempt a partial explanation of the Sovereign's goal. Collecting? What were they collect would be the main question. "What and why are you collecting?" the Occult Sennin would inquire.​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qMBans8jyM][b][u]Red Omen[/u][/b][/url]]"]

Reaper

[/legend][/col]

 

[Sand Council]

"Are you implying he is trying to spread his reach over the entire world? That he was to take the throne of our planet. Does he really think we will just submit to his will? Or that he can take the world's armies and win? That will never going to take place."

Her eyes never left him as she nodded. "Why would he need to take their armies when we can have their men do it for us?" It was a statement that could be seen as so burdened with hubris that her words might seem ludicrous but her face was calm. Perhaps she was the mad one here, making such a lofty claim. "You will help destroy Kohonagakure," she replied confidently. "Such a small, fledgling village... only one or two men would be sufficient," she commented. She was well aware that Kohona had a recent resurgence in the shinobi arts due to a coalition between Iwa and Kohona and would state as much if asked. "The Fire Country Diamyo was a fool believing he could simply push the shinobis out of their lands. The shinobis would simply band together much like your Iwa-allies did with former Kohona shinobi to unseat the Diamyo and his Hokage puppet. But let's be honest here Delegate Senju, your place as a political representative of Iwagakure and Kohonagakure ended with the formal signing of the Defense Agreement between Iwa and Konoha leading to free movement of shinobi from one state to the other. It is simply one big conglomeration of shinobis from varied and storied backgrounds, you know as well as I the brutal belief structures of Iwa. They will not be inert for long, once they have a handle on Fire Country they will twist it to their intentions and root out those who do not share their ideals." She shrugged. "You will have to pick a side and regardless of the one you decide... we will win."

She was unaware of his defection to Sand. How he betrayed both of his former homes. Her hands shifted behind her. She was suggesting an international war between every shinobi nation resulting in mutually assured destruction. "You see, Iwa, Suna, Kiri, Kumo... every great shinobi nation is a threat to you and what is yours. To your family, your homeland and your legacy," she explained. She winced as she shifted through a sloppy array. "Diamyo Ishii has no need to go to war because every nation will go to war on their own. Every nation will try to protect what is theirs. If you intervene perhaps what is yours will remains safe, perhaps even survive when the dust settles." She explained, almost egging him on if he entered this train of thought.

If undeterred and uninterrupted her shoulder would finally stop bleeding but she would be ghastly pale. Blood would stain what she wore, be it her robes or if she was still wearing Captain America's costume. She would suddenly attempt to shrug her shoulder with an impressive display of force, enough to cause something to audibly crack.

"What and why are you collecting?"

That was a simple question. She let out a low laugh. "The world has been at the cusp of war for years, I am just here to push you over the edge." It was an answer, but hardly specific. "I am here for you, any Sennin or foreign Kage. All I need is a few minutes of good conversation," she scoffed. "Good is relative however," she continued. "Because in your case I have given you a predicament. You realize that I... or those like me have sought others like you. That they too know that others like them have been contacted. Some with greater ambitions and fewer morals surely. Knowing that their homeland is at risk from others like them the question I pose is -- what would you do? What do you think they will do? Can. You. Be. Absolutely. Certain. That. They. Will. React. In. That. Way? Perhaps you will be forced to perform a preemptive strike. Maybe they are already planning the same thing." She was taunting him but she was not wrong. She stated she had a type and that type was him. she had spoken with others and there was no telling how many others she had already manipulated in this way. It was an endless cycle of fear and paranoia that was self-perpetuating once the cycle started. It was a cycle that was inherent among shinobis as it was, shinobis are raised fiercely nationalistic and it is natural to be ethnocentric, to have a fear of losing what is important and to want to preemptively stop others from taking what is yours. Kazuki would know these feelings more than most because his home was already taken from him once and a war would mean that there would have to be a loser. Would he be willing to lose his home twice?

Perhaps he had moved on.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

"Why would he need to take their armies when we can have their men do it for us? You will help destroy Kohonagakure. Such a small, fledgling village... only one or two men would be sufficient. The Fire Country Diamyo was a fool believing he could simply push the shinobis out of their lands. The shinobis would simply band together much like your Iwa-allies did with former Kohona shinobi to unseat the Diamyo and his Hokage puppet. But let's be honest here Delegate Senju, your place as a political representative of Iwagakure and Kohonagakure ended with the formal signing of the Defense Agreement between Iwa and Konoha leading to free movement of shinobi from one state to the other. It is simply one big conglomeration of shinobis from varied and storied backgrounds, you know as well as I the brutal belief structures of Iwa. They will not be inert for long, once they have a handle on Fire Country they will twist it to their intentions and root out those who do not share their ideals. You will have to pick a side and regardless of the one you decide... we will win." Shichi would tell him. Unbeknownst to her, the Sovereign member was telling Kazuki a bunch of news he had yet to know about. So finally Konoha had been freed from the shackles of the oppressive Fire Daimyo. Although this had happened through the help of Iwagakure, it was still good news that Leaf had been liberated. His home was free at last. Unfortunately, she was right on one thing. Stone was very strict, the Senju Overlord had been imprisoned because he was a user of the dark and deathly arts. If allowed to rule, Konohagakure would never truly be free. But there was little he could do. There was a war inside the Wind Country brewing and Sunagakure was his home now. He remained silent and Shichi took it as a cue to continue.

"You see, Iwa, Suna, Kiri, Kumo... every great shinobi nation is a threat to you and what is yours. To your family, your homeland and your legacy. Diamyo Ishii has no need to go to war because every nation will go to war on their own. Every nation will try to protect what is theirs. If you intervene perhaps what is yours will remains safe, perhaps even survive when the dust settles." she would finish her explanation of the Daimyo's plan. A perfect application of Divide and Conquer. He was going to pit every nation against each other. Once the dust had settled he would have the strongest army in the world and mopping whatever resistance left was an easy and simple task. In fact, the more time passed until implosion happened, the stronger the Sovereign would become and that would only serve Ishii's plan. They were trapped. In one hand, wars between the 5 main countries were inevitable. And the Wind Daimyo would just give them the right nudge and let it happen. Very clever and almost impossible to stop. But fortunately there was, at least, one individual outside the Daimyo's control that knew about his plan. A single grain of salt that could jam the cog and break the man's crafty and clever idea. "Your Lord is a very clever man. Unfortunately for him, he is not alone in that department. This will never work but I will not tell you why. There is no point in you knowing that because you will never be able to use that information." the White Wolf declared.

Still undeterred, Shichi would continue, this time explaining why and what they were gathering. "The world has been at the cusp of war for years, I am just here to push you over the edge. I am here for you, any Sennin or foreign Kage. All I need is a few minutes of good conversation. Good is relative however. Because in your case I have given you a predicament. You realize that I... or those like me have sought others like you. That they too know that others like them have been contacted. Some with greater ambitions and fewer morals surely. Knowing that their homeland is at risk from others like them the question I pose is -- what would you do? What do you think they will do? Can. You. Be. Absolutely. Certain. That. They. Will. React. In. That. Way? Perhaps you will be forced to perform a preemptive strike. Maybe they are already planning the same thing." The Silvery Haired Man in his Death Reaper form began to chuckle. "This is what I will do about it." Reaper answered her. Her bleeding had stopped after the attacks on her body had been paused. But he was about to inflict, or try to, much further injury than before. With a firm grip on his huge scythe, the Occult Sennin would rotate and attempt to pierce her heart with the blade of his ominous weapon. The force of his attack would be more than enough to propel the woman against the wall and stuck her there. Her feet would stay above the ground and she would be suspended by the scythe alone. There would be no escape from this deadly attack. Death was the only way out, but considering what Kazuki was, it was not even a way to leave this nightmare. She would die and her soul would become his. Once under his grasp, the Senju Overlord would return to Sunagakure and have her explain everything to his allies. The Daimyo would never win.

[MFT - 927]
[Attempting to kill Shichi and capture her soul]​

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qMBans8jyM][b][u]Red Omen[/u][/b][/url]]"]

Reaper

[/legend][/col]

 

[Sand Council]

Shichi​

Her bindings had broke and she did not strike out. She did not even move as the scythe swung around at her. She could see it and she understood the intent. She did not have to die so easily but she did. Shichi could feel the curved blade pierce through her. It felt cold but it was near painless in insertion, the sting came after. This burning sense deep in the pit of her breast, through shattered bones and a broken heart. It was not difficult, the tip of the blade would break through her sternum and rip through her heart in a single clean and decisive sweep. The force of the attack would launch her back with a crash she would only feel after. She found herself pinned against the rough cavern wall, her feet inches above the ground. The pain would be terrible but it would also be fleeting, unlike the Sennin she could not live without a heart. Her hands aglow and free would reach up and instinctively touch the wound. It felt warm and wet, her fingertips would shake. She knew. She knew that she was about to die. She always knew she was going to die in the war, just never when or how. "Thank... the... gods..." she would cough, a spray of blood would escape her mouth. "So glad I did not have to... to... k---" She would never finish her final phrase as the light left her eyes and her hands fell to her sides. She was not playing dead, he could check her pulse to be certain. He could kick her, she would not move or protest. She was not there any longer.

That was rather anticlimatic~​

He had what he needed but perhaps not what he wanted or intended. There was one thing that the Senju forgot: a Dark sage might have mastery over life and death but you only get their body and their soul, not their mind. She was a wealth of resource but that was gone once his blade broke through her and he took her life. He would have her blood on his hands but it did not matter, they were already quite red He learned enough for the fallen Soverign and he gained the sovereign's benevolent skill set (if this becomes an official corpse) and her likeness but nothing more. He would feel the influx of her essence, but it would feel wrong. Such a bitter acerbic taste that would seem to cling. There was the distinct taste of humanity, but only a thread drowning in a sea of something distinctly not.

No redemption, only death. Shichi's tale ends here.

Shichi is DEAD​

 

[Senju Kazuki]

[col]

Death had finally come to the one of the Sovereign. Kazuki was not aware if this was the first toll in their war. And if this one was the first of them to die, but a death was a death. And now they had one less enemy to contend with. Shichi's body was still stick against the wall. Suspended by his massive scythe. The Senju Overlord could have retrieved his weapon and leave the cave with the information he had acquired. But he intended to use the woman's body for his own. Although he had not seen in her in combat, the White Wolf had the strange feeling she was a superb fighter. After all, she had been fed several Ancients and, thus, augmented tenfold that way. Although already possessing an impressive array of strong fighters under his command, the Silvery Haired Man could always use one more. Receding back into his natural human form, Reaper started his preparations. The massive scythe magically shrunk and reemerged as Frostmourne, the black blade that reaped souls as easily its master. Shichi remained firmly where she was as the blade was strong enough to suspend her, just like the scythe once had. With a flick of his wrist, the blade would turn into a immaterial, shadowy blob like state, and would vanish. Shichi's corpse would fall heavily on the ground, lying there like a rag doll. The Occult Sennin would kneel in front the corpse and he would place both hands on the cave's floor. A runic circle would circle the body of the once Sovereign member and they would glow purple.

Four pillars of stone, covered in the same pattern of runes, would emerge from the ground, one for each cardinal point, surrounding the corpse of the benevolent woman. The Deep Court Halfbreed would begin a low hum, chanting in a foreign language that only those of the same skill set as he would understand. As the chant grew in intensity, but not in decibels, the glow in the runes would increase and the circle would begin to shrunk. The runes covering the four pillars would drop and would begin to cover the corpse, until all that could be seen was a black covered human body. Moments later the cadaver would also begin to glow purple just like the runic circle. Since they were inside a barely lit cave, the glowing would become so intense, the Senju Overlord would become half blind, but his resolve did not waver and he kept his chant. His voice began to rise and so accompanied the glowing. A climax would be reached were he would become fully blind by the light and his chant would be shouted. This sudden storm would be followed by a calm. The lighting inside the cave was normal now. The Silvery Haired Man was standing again and the pillars were gone. The runes were also nowhere to be seen and the only thing left, besides the fire, was the body of Shichi. All the damage she had sustained had been repaired by the magic ritual of resurrection Reaper had just done on her. "Rise." he would command her. The IWR would open his eyes and get up as commanded. "I hear and obey Master." she would answer once she stood in front of him, head reverently lowered. "Come. We have a Daimyo to slay and a Sovereign to dismantle." the Hybrid would tell her. And with that he left the cave.

[Turning Shichi into a IWR]
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|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qMBans8jyM][b][u]Red Omen[/u][/b][/url]]"]

Reaper

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