The Continuum Preface and Problem
Wind Country was a host unto terrors of all sorts. Demons, Ancients, and 'monsters' of various sorts. In the wake of Sungakure being put on the surface rather than the vast underground network, its position was exposed. It was exposed to threats just like the rest of Wind was. The former Steward, now Kazekage, had been paying more and more attention to the dealings in Wind. He dispelled various rumors and battled against forces that wanted to haunt the vast landscape in Wind Country. It was an attempt to continue his desire to be a superior individual, but at the same time he was trying to put into existence the dream of his mentor, Sunahoshi Katuso, into reality. The supposedly dead Sunahoshi wanted to make Wind Country a better place. That idealism, that honest dream, was what Sousuke wanted to preserve, and that is what he would do.The Takahashi clan had always supported the Sunahoshi clan. It was one of the reasons why their dynasty lasted as long as it had. The Takahashi had crafted the armour of Primus. Created most of the arsenal of the Sunahoshi. They were the caretakers of that noble house, but in time all things come to an end. What happened though when a Takahashi stopped supporting a dead house, and worked to further and make themselves better? A frightening prospect to consider as they efforts had given birth to Primus.
There would not be another Primus. It was counseled not to make another Shoki.
Yet there would an Ascendant, and there would be a weapon crafted to cut the impossible.
Force Back the Jungle
Sousuke had heard that Homura and Fuujin had returned. It was one of the many things that had kept him up at night. He had worked to solve problems in the various districts and zones in Wind. Most of them involved dealing with demons, bandits, or both. From what he had been fighting and dealing with, it seemed like the two of them were not part of it. No. They were hiding from him. Perhaps it was because they knew what weaponry and skill he possessed, and they feared him, or perhaps it was because they were biding their time and growing in power.
"I did not expect it to be true." Spoke the farmer. "I did not expect that the Kazekage himself to be present before me, doing things. I expected some associate or some of your men, not yourself. Are your numbers that decimated?" It was true. The Sunan forces had been decimated by the Cabal attack. They were recovering, steadily. "I heard stories about you. A Takahashi that had taken over the Diamond Throne. Out and about doin' stuff, trying to make amends for thirty years of inactivity." There was that too. Little did they know it was not really thirty years of inactivity. It was thirty years of trying to recover from a power loss of the Sunahoshi and dealing with the dangers of the underground. "Well better late than never. I'll give you that much credit. You've been active in these here parts." Sousuke said nothing to correct the man. It was best to simply take the snark, the jipes, and insults. He listened to the farmer's concerns and problems of something growing in the distance. Foreign vegetation that was encroaching his lands, and some others. These farmers had decided to reclaim the land too since the Diamond Storm had died out. Equally they had been attacked by bandits, but Sousuke had been called out by neighbours to deal with them. That he did, and now they were either in prison, dead, or reformed. Sousuke had indeed undertook to fix this man's problems, well not so much his problems but that of the community.
***
Well, foreign vegetation was not quite accurate. It was a jungle that was growing. A sickly foreign jungle that should not have been growing in the desert. It didn't take long, but Sousuke was laid siege to by absurdities. Moving trees that swung branch limbs at him. Human bodies that were no longer truly human, but were infested by their foreign vegetation. The disturbing part was that these bodies were hanging from vine-like nooses from the trees. Once the foreign element, one Takahashi Sousuke, was introduced the trees tore up from the ground and the bodies fell from extreme heights only to get up and attack him in a horde fashion.
The Kazekage had conjured his chakra and his armour. He was fighting in lighter armour, the usual black and white suit. His movements were quick but his defenses were not absolute. He was surrounded on all sides, more often than not. He countered this by releasing a plasma nova off burning up the vegetation and the infested that attacked him. The more and more Sousuke battled the more and more he burned through the vegetation and pushing it back. This foreign corruption was being decreased but the deeper he pushed their numbers seemed to be increasing. Deeper and deeper he descended into the madness that this corruption was.
The deeper he travelled, the more and more Sousuke advanced himself. He changed his armour. He was no longer wearing the lighter armour but thick and hulking plate. This was not the Primus design altogether, it was a modified design. It was the 'Ascendant' design as Sousuke called it. It was the physical manifestation of the power of the First Men. An old power, one that could force change. Primus had changed the status of humanity from slave to free. Sousuke was doing the same, forcing a change but on a lower scale. His armour was silver, with black runes moving about it. It was infused with elemental chakra, thus the runes. The helmet had a crown of Antler upon it. From time to time the vines would reach out to grab at Sousuke's head but a rotation of the head would cut through the vines given thanks due to these Antlers. In his left hand he had been wielding Skull Splitter. The axe seemed to enjoy itself. It readily dripped more and more blood as it sliced through great animated trees. These trees were felled and burned into nothingness with fire and lightning. In his right hand he had been wielding the Silver Edge in its unleashed state. He was working further and further towards his undertaking being completed.
In the distance the Farmers who hired Sousuke watched their lands expand once more. He was cutting through the foreign force, they watched as there was a storm above. They watched as lightning struck from above and burned away that what was threatening them. They saw fire, but it was not advancing anywhere near them. It was advancing in the other direction. "He's actually doing it, he's pushing them back." The farmer observed. His fear was, what if Sousuke failed? So far he had not.
***
Sousuke had returned to the farmer. He was not recognized at first, mainly it was due to the change in armour. After a discussion and some time, the farmer recognized his employee. It was Sousuke's voice that gave it away. "You're taller, alot taller now. You've grown like a bad weed." The farmer rubbed his forehead. He was sweating, but the life of a farmer was always hard. Sousuke held up a containment cube. Inside was a set of beans. "For me?" The farmer inquired.
"No. There was a farmhouse that was the source of this."<i></i> He explained. "A farmer was sold these beans, I suspect by some travelling merchant who ... has a vast inventory of misfortunes. He's dead now, I could not do anything about the corruption that overtook him. It had been there for a while, but I suspect with the weather of late, it gave the necessary conditions to flourish."<i></i> There was a hint of sorrow in Sousuke's voice. This farmer who was once human merely wanted to make better of his life. He was perhaps sold dreams and desires with this foreign substance, such was never realized. "There were quite a few farms to the north yes? They're gone too. I didn't realize what I was putting an end to, until I pieced everything together. You left that part out, the farms that is. Their bodies were infested after death. I can't bring them back, but I burnt them to ashes."<i></i> The farmer said nothing as he chewed his lip. Sousuke was right. Sousuke's armoured head looked skyward. What would Katuso have done? He was a Sunahoshi with the ability to change things. If Kuro was here, he could have brought them back from death. "Next time something happens, some foreign merchant shows up with exotic goods, or bandits. You get a messenger to me. Sunagakure will be there to help."<i></i>