Revelation on the Lion Volt [Tutor]

[Santaru Sayomi]

Days had passed since she had learned the truth and since that...person tried to take control of the Lion Volt inside of her, which only angered the creature more as it was the second time in recent memory where a mortal had attempted to use it for their own game. The insult seered the creature to it's very core and, whereas before he remained so silent that Sayomi was unaware of the raiju's presence, now it would often roar in its anger and bitterness. It did not attempt to take over, not at the moment, but she was afraid of what might happen if it did. She was just a weak genin, after all.

She decided to enter the village once more, to see if someone could help or, at the very least, say her good byes to people before she left. Sayomi had called down the creature, perhaps not initially to the mortal plane, but she was the one who drew it out on that fateful night, perhaps this was her punishment. If that were the case, it would be her punishment and not let anyone else be cursed to pay for her mistakes.

The frigid morning temperatures caused her to shiver as sun was beginning to rise at the delayed hours of winter and she hoped to find someone, anyone, who might be able to help. Ninjas generally were early risers for various reasons compared to the general populace, which was the reason the young teen had chosen such a time when the world was quiet, yet the lack of energy only served to dishearten the girl, making her realize just how alone she truly was.

[WC: 278]

 

[Okada Kaji]

There was a gargoyle carved from white stone overlooking a quiet suburb somewhere in the Hidden Cloud, basking in the soft glow of the sun rising over the horizon. The horned, dog-faced creature was eternally preserved in granite and a stark contrast to the human hand which was set flat upon it. Kaji Okada leaned against the winged canine made of stone, appearing in a stoic and wiry form. Perched on-high, Kaji was vigilantly watching one of many homes nesting on the slanting and mountainous rows of a lesser-known housing district. His emeraldine orbs held a soft glow. The rest of his form was almost ethereal as he embraced the typical morning haze.

Ever since that fateful night when the Lion Volt was summoned, Kaji Okada found himself making regular trips to this quiet district in the early morning hours. He was stopping by after his late nights in the Sileo Tempestas to check on the child. Of course, he had learned what had become of her— he filed the first report himself and the medical branch handled the rest of the diagnosis. In the passing days, a proper security detail was assigned to Sayomi's immediate family at the request of her more esteemed kinsmen. Of course, the Santaru wouldn’t want the one deemed responsible for Sayomi's condition near the child at all, so Kaji was not a part of the squad: a group of five who rotated a single guard every 24 hours. Avoiding the attention of hired guards was simple enough, but required that Kaji keep his distance… But he could not bring himself to neglect what had happened to Sayomi altogether, as the guilt might have consumed him in time.

These morning visits were never for long, if only just to see if the Santaru household was still without any noticeable incidents. He, like the guards, and like the Santaru themselves, expected that the worst could come to pass any day now if Sayomi could not detain the Lion Volt. The child was being regarded as a walking hazard to everyone around her, and so preparations were being made in secret to keep her safe, unbeknownst to Sayomi. Kaji would not have known either, but as the Vice Commander of the Anbu, he had access to just about everything afoot in the Hidden Cloud.

It appeared that this morning would be different from all the rest once Kaji noticed her— the lightning girl— walking alone, unguarded down a paved sidewalk. The street was quiet, even looking abandoned by his estimation. Her secret guard couldn’t have been far if they were worth their price at all, yet Kaji wondered if Sayomi had managed to give her security the slip. She wouldn’t slip away from Kaji though; instead, she had some explaining to do. With hand seals forming, Kaji seized control of the blanketing morning haze surrounding the area and thickened it, creating a white mist which shrouded young Sayomi. Kaji dove off of the cliff face and expanded his cloak into a stiffening, wing-like shape before softening his fall into a controlled glide. The sound of his landing was akin to a pebble skipping on the pavement, and Sayomi could hear this, turn, and discovered the gray-shrouded image of Kaji Okada.Only those bright, emeraldine eyes pierced the gray veil, revealing the mischief behind them in his sudden appearance. “Little Spark,” he said, referring to Sayomi in many ways, “It’s not safe for you to be out alone at this hour.” Kaji stepped forth a few paces slowly, disarmingly. He’d appear to her, looking just as he did on the night they faced the Lion Volt. “I have only come to see how you’ve been holding up since that night… But what business do you have wandering the streets so early?”

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[Santaru Sayomi]

The morning hour was more than a bit unnerving, if she were being perfectly honestly, but she felt it necessary and only could pray to Raiden that someone would approach her at this point. However, it seemed that Kumo's lord worked in mysterious and rather frightful ways and the sudden onslaught of the morning mist growing large and dense, obscuring all vision the girl's hazel eyes could detect sent the young teen into a panic. The girl was jumpy and fearful since as long as she could remember and perhaps much longer, but the situation where she was a dangerous beast who could murder anyone if she lost control, it certainly did not help anything.

The girl shifted about, moving only a few feet in any given direction before changing and trying a different location and attempting a different route. A voice cackled deep and menacing inside her own head, mocking her and making her fear all the worse for it, thoughts about the Lion Volt trying to break free and take control only amusing it more. Sayomi wanted to cry out, but had no control over her own voice and made not a sound before a different voice was heard through the mist, confusing her quite thoroughly. "W-Who's there?! I...I can defend m-myself!" she said, not too certain of that statement, yet all too certain that the other person would end up a bloody mess at the hands of the Lion Volt.

Kaji's voice might not be familiar to her in her state, but as he came forward, even the panicked stricken kunoichi could recognize him and breathe a bit of relief for the moment, trying to assuage her nerves, taking in deep breaths and feeling no positive effect in the slightest. "K-Kaji-sensei...I...I...needed to talk...to someone...anyone...I n-need to leave the village. I'm...I'm a m-monster..." the girl said, tears welling up in her eyes and beginning to immediately drip down her pale cheeks. "I d-don't want to hurt anyone..."

[WC: 332]
[TWC: 610]

 

[Okada Kaji]

How might the beast within Sayomi Santaru stir once it realized the presence of Kaji Okada, the architect of its imprisonment? Kaji came just short of an arm’s reach where a more compassionate mentor might have provided a comforting embrace and reassuring words. While he rarely showed his sensitive side, Kaji had not risked visiting Sayomi just to watch her fold under the weight of her burdens. “You know well enough what we do to monsters in the Hidden Cloud, yet here you stand, Spark,” he said, a matter of factly. “This must be a huge— scary change for you, I know… ‘It’s going to take some time for you and everyone one else to figure out just how great of a gift you’ve received.” It is only human nature to fear what you don’t understand, and it was much like every shinobi society to watch newly-formed jinchuuriki closely— surely, Sayomi was no exception. The fact that she remained with her family and not ushered off to some secret facility meant the threat she posed was either minor or well contained. “To be honest, for how painful and confusing the last few weeks must have been, you seem to be taking it all in stride, kid. ‘Good job; being a Jinchuuriki takes guts.”

Then came creaking sounds resonating from a distance, and the clopping of a hooved creature marching slowly. Through the fog, Kaji noticed a compact mobile cafe drawn by an impressively large, six-legged oxen construct forged from living stone. With perfect timing, this vendor entered the area and an elderly couple in flowing silk garments setting up for the morning by a curb nearby. Wooden blinds were pulled up, revealing a service window, and the second of the two merchants pulled out seats which rotated inward to compact beneath the marvel. The was a placard above the innovative vehicle which read “Kyōgeki”, apparently famous for delicious spicy and stinky tofu.

A good alibi wouldn’t hurt, or so Kaji thought as he set his attention on the mobile stand. “Come on, let me treat you to some breakfast… dry those tears, and then get you back home before you upset your family.” He placed a guiding hand on Sayomi’s shoulder, and led her like a shepherd would towards a warm meal to settle the storm roiling within her. “You have to give these things time to pan out— you’ll see.”

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[Santaru Sayomi]

If the words Kaji spoke were intended to calm her down, it did little to that effect and had rather the opposite on the girl itself, while the Lion Volt's amusement since the girl's mentor had arrived on the scene seemed to grow quiet, but even Sayomi could feel her hairs bristle with the electric beast's resentment and anger. The teen tried to respond, but found herself at a loss on how such a disaster could even be considered a gift, particularly since, at least in her mind, they had summoned the beast to their location in order to put an end to its destructive behavior. So many were injured, so many buildings reduced to smoldering rubble and ash and the girl did not even know the death count that had arose from the confrontation, she feared to ask, for the guilt of knowing even one person might have died was to much to bear all by itself. She nibbled on her lower lip, listening to him as he spoke for a few moments, all the while her eyes directed towards her feet on the cool day before building up some energy to speak.

"Jinchuuriki..." It was a word that was well known among the shinobi world and rather terrifying to many people, from low class citizens of the village who did little more than tend to the every day affairs to keep it functioning to the high class jonin who were both feared and renowned for their incredible prowess as shinobi. For Sayomi, the word itself did little for her in the past, a fairy tale dream that she would never see in her lifetime, but now it caused her to shake almost fearing her own body would turn against her at any moment.

The seconds passed on signs of life began to spring up in the village with the introduction of a lone vendor pushing their cart and setting up for meals to be served during the day. She looked over curiously and Kaji seemed to read her mind, or perhaps her stomach betrayed her as she did not have a decent meal in a few days, only things she could find and prepare herself, so without thinking she allowed her stomach to speak for her as she nodded to her teacher, reaching up and wiping the tears from her eyes with her sleeve. She moved quietly to the cart with him and took a seat, trying to think of something to say or even something to order. Meal options were limited when you were poor and her family had to make due quite often. The description of "stinky tofu" perhaps didn't appeal to her so much by simply thinking of the name. "C-Could you order for me, Kaji-sensei?" she requested thinking in silence, her feet dangling off the ground a few inches from the high chair she sat upon facing the counter. Silence, save for the sound of cooking and preparation, seemed to fill the air before once more she saw fit to question something yet again.

"H-How could...such a thing...be a gift, Kaji-sensei?" she started and then lowered her voice in a hushed tone so only the two shinobi could hear. "I-I'm...dangerous..."

WC: 541
TWC: 1,151

 

[Okada Kaji]

Perhaps a warm meal and a bit of an explanation were all the child needed, or so Kaji speculated as he led Sayomi to the ox-drawn eatery. They both took seats at the counter, which was crafted from rustic wood. The cook was an elderly woman draped up and dripped out with green and white silk garments, and a beaded necklace in a variety of colors. If wrinkled skin could be compared to the rings of a tree stump, she would have seemed ancient. With a smile, she welcomed the shinobi, but went about her work in preparing the small kitchen and let them continue their heart to heart conversation. Ordering was the focus of the moment though; a simple menu with about twelve options was written in chalk on a board to the back of the small kitchen. Robust scents were both inviting and frightening to the palate, as some funky odor penetrated the otherwise sweet and savory aromas.

With a nod, Kaji agreed to order for himself and his pupil, electing to embrace the culture and specialty of Kyōgeki to the fullest since it was his first visit. “We’ll take two bowls of the house special, please,” said Kaji, which was listed as the Kaminari-Style Stinky Tofu noodle soup. This variant was really more like mapo tofu, with broad bean paste, ground beef granules, fermented black beans, freshly ground kaminarian peppercorn powder, garlic greens, and stringy noodles. The warmth emanating from the kitchen quickly outweighed the malodorous stench, making their wait for stinky tofu worthwhile as the conversation shifted back to the previous subject.

How could bonding with a creature like the Lion Volt be a gift? Sayomi's questioning summarized her reaction, fully doubtful if her pouting and streaming tears didn’t expose her well enough. “Power is always dangerous” Kaji answered. “The creature within you can be incredibly dangerous, yet it allowed you to become it’s host— whether that was intentional or an accident. The Lion Volt’s power is yours now, and you must decide if it will be a gift or a curse… All shinobi work to obtain power and learn to control it; your journey is no different, it just happened in a unique way.” Sayomi was rightfully frightened, Kaji knew. The Lion Volt was just as new to their bond as she was, and most-likely terrorizing her in ways Kaji couldn’t fathom over their breakfast outing. Though Kaji’s knowledge of Jinchuuriki mostly pertained to studies, he understood well enough that Sayomi would need ample aid in taming her inner beast. “What you need is a set of training wheels” Kaji said with a grin which offset their gloomy chat. He then grabbed a napkin and a pen from his pocket. Kaji went on to doodle a design of his own Duality Seal, which housed his own reservoir of chakra. Holding up the doodle, he went on to elaborate, “there’s so much power coursing through you that it's difficult for you to do anything without a risk of the floodgates overflowing. What you need is a seal to help you restrict the Lion Volt’s energy flow to amounts that you can use effectively.”

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[Santaru Sayomi]

The pungent aroma of the work of preparing the food necessary for the days meals left the young brunette a bit taken aback by the unpleasantness to her unrefined palate, but if Kaji-sensei recommended it, it surely couldn't be all that terrible. Though that was not the last recommendation he would give that day, nor even that moment as the two waited in silence for the meals to be cooked after he had ordered for the unusual pair of shinobi. "T-Thank you, sensei..." She said and when he spoke once more, she listened intently as any good pupil would.

The Lion Volt was power, that was true, but it was not power that she wanted and would reject it immediately, expelling it from her body if she were able to, though that did not seem possible. The strange other shinobi had tried to control it, tried to control her, but failed miserably and nearly lost his life due to its power. Kaji nearly fell victim as well. Power like that was not her desire.

The kunoichi perked up on her seat, leaning over to get a peek of what he was drawing and blinked in confusing as the doodle was confusing and even more upon its completion. At least, it was to Sayomi. Peering through her eyes, the Lion Volt, the Raiju, saw all and if its indignation was great before, it was on the verge of exploding and each word that Kaji spoke inched it closer to that breaking point. It did to accept being bound behind yet another seal and made its point loud and clear with its roar echoing through the young girl's mind to the point she felt like breaking. She doubled over in her seat, clasping hands to her ears in a futile attempt to drown out the assault on her senses. "P-Please stop...please...I w-won't...I c-can't...Kaji-sensei...." she cried to herself, babbling as if insane, to outsiders it might seem as if she had lost the good sense she was born with, but the demands of the creature pained her to such extents and she feared she might lose control completely.

wc: 357
twc: 1508

 

[Okada Kaji]

Both the chef behind the counter and her partner lingering around the diner looked to Kaji and Sayomi, fairly baffled and concerned as the girl started to panic. They too were shinobi, Kaji knew, just from the hardened gaze of the chef and the way she handled her knife. Keen on their conversation yet polite, the chef shot a look at her partner and calmed him as well, and the duo casually witnessed the estranged ritual. Well, this wasn’t exactly as natural as a ritual, but the chat seemed appropriate, maybe even necessary to the prying old chef. She continued preparing the food for the time being, and her partner took out a stubby cigarette to calm his nerves. “Ehhh, we’re so sorry” Kaji declared about three times, each more awkward than the last. But then he focused entirely on Sayomi, intently pondering what steps he could, or should take next.

But then a sensation rushed over Kaji, the chef, and her partner, all the same, making their skin crawl in unison. The density of chakra emanating from Sayomi became was strong enough that the three witnesses could feel the beast reaching out from within, not manifesting but something just short of it. The heat rivaled that coming from the kitchen, and static electricity lifted Kaji’s raven strands up from their combed posture.

“Quell the child or I will” warned the chef, who slammed her knife on the cutting board and smacked her hands together, ready to begin forming hand seals. Behind the master and student, the old gentleman opened his thick-lidded eyes wide, bulging optical veins around his eye sockets and cheeks, and revealing lavender Bakugan in a shade darkened slightly by his old age. The man flexed into a Jyuken Stance, preparing to disable the child’s chakra points at a moment’s notice. “Calm her at once” he commanded Kaji with a threatening tone.

“I’m sorry, Spark,” Kaji said, both guilty and resolved as he quickly concluded what he must do: a most worrisome exercise. “Yes you can” he assured her while a hand reached for her so quickly, brushing her forehead softly like a comforting pat. He felt the violent sting of voltage singe his palm, even before his soft stroke became a flat palm gripping her like a hand on a game ball. It was a flicker of movement as he went into a flurry of single-handed seals performed so expertly and well-practiced.

While his talents paled in comparison to his wife— she could easily reach into a subject's perception of present and memory; years of interrogation instilled Kaji Okada with the tempered skill needed to meld his consciousness into another. This was one of the apex abilities of Genjutsu: wading through the chaos of another person’s mind’s eye. “Hmph… I would have just shut her points down” criticized the old man as he witnessed the master and apprentice turn silent and still.

A pair of emeraldine eyes were familiar to the prisoner within her own mind and the Lion Volt which loomed over Sayomi's self-image. The beast let out a fearsome roar which sounded the same as that night in the Dawnbringer’s Plaza. The hypnotic greed orbs then transformed into the full image of Kaji, appearing as if he had stepped into Sayomi's mind from outside. He stepped beside Sayomi and set a guiding hand on her shoulder. “You have no power over her, Lion Volt” Kaji declared, only to face a burst of voltage from the beast, which was deflected in-turn by a shield of energy from the legendary Eelspine. Even here the blade was one in the same with Kaji. “She is but a child and you’d run amuck, terrorizing her— she is your keeper now…” Yes, Kaji Okada stepped forth, daring to intervene. “Say what you will before we tame you, beast... Make your threats... promise wrath and ruin... all your final words.”

Actions:
- Kaji used Mind's Eye Chaos to Manifest within Sayomi's consciousness.
- Kaji has bound the Lion Volt with The Reaper's Gaze.

 

[Santaru Sayomi]

The outside world mattered little to the young genin as the searing pain of the Lion's protests made it difficult for the girl to concentrate on anything, much less care about the judgement of others who did not understand the situation, let alone be able to comprehend it. No, they would likely slice her throat with the knife rather than look at her if they knew the truth, but that is what she assumed about nearly all those who did not know the secret. Things were beginning to progress quicker than she could possibly imagine and soon once more she found someone in the deep forest of her inner world and inside, she was just as afraid as she was on the outside.

She did not even notice the invasion by her mentor until he touched her which shocked her enough that her senses were jolted into coherency. Her own eyes looked up, filled with panic, and met Kaji's as she was ushered out of the way and behind him as the former Konoha shinobi went to speak with the Lion Volt directly who, now face to face with him, smirked. No longer was he a form of electricity, now he was a massive being that radiated power incomprehensible. Now he was complete, yet he still growled in anger at the man as he paced around the man, to show intimidation.

"First the treacherous Uchiha and now the worm who should be grateful he still lives," the creature stated as with a deep voice as he sneered. At that moment, Kaji sought to insult it, at least in the Lion Volt's mind, and it barked it's retort at the insolence he dare show. "NO MORTAL IS MY KEEPER, OKADA KAJI! Keep your insolent tongue or you shall know my wrath. I shall break free of these bonds and end those who originally summoned me before leaving this plane once more. Hear me, Okada Kaji. For you will see Raiden before I do!"

The Raiju in all it's pride began to charge Kaji, bearing both fangs and claws, sparking and wanting to end him for, like the Uchiha, daring to bind it to their will. However, unlike that man, Kaji was able to complete his cast and bound the creature within its own prison and moments later, they returned back to reality as Sayomi cast her eyes up at him. "K-Kaji-sensei? Did...you trap him f-for good?" she asked as she could now turn off it's protests or perhaps it had calmed down. She was too afraid to know for certain.

 

[Okada Kaji]

While it did not take a dare to do so, the thunder beast quickly put its rage and ill will into words, professing Kaji’s destruction with a deep, booming tone. The beast reared fangs and raking claws, magnificent weapons all held at bay as the mighty lion volt was bound amidst its charge. This was the power of another genjutsu at work within the mind, holding the lion volt in place with Kaji Okada’s Reaper’s Gaze. Kaji had come to this place with the proper jutsu prepared, or so he revealed as he stood before the beast, not flinching in the slightest. Those days prior were spent planning in the chambers of the Sileo Tempestas, gathering the jutsu he’d need just for this moment. Outside of the girl, outside of Sayomi's mind, there was no sure-fire way of stopping the beast if a rampage began aside from the one thing he would not do... and so the strategy came down to this.

“No, this bind won’t hold permanently, but it should work as intended” Kaji answered the girl, trying to provide some kind of assurance. In truth, it was the next part that really posed a mystery to Kaji, and a threat to Sayomi as its failure would mean a new level of aggression from her inner demon. “The energy of the Lion Volt is too much for you to handle as-is, but I have devised a sealing technique to restrict the beast’s dark (yang) chakra. Without it, the beast should be pacified.” His last words lacked the debonaire confidence he spoke and acted with beforehand, but he showed no sign of regret towards the coming act.

First, Kaji began weaving sealing signs, though, within the mind these actions appeared more movement oriented than the usual fare. He multiplied himself by three, revealing a second Kaji with ebony skin, sable trestles, glowing white eye sockets, and clothing in dark grayscale shades. The second close was a total opposite of alabaster skin tones, hair so black it was incapable of a sheen, and soft white apparel barely silver-shade. The two clones turned inward to face their maker and the trio began united hands seals, weaving their hands together in ways only a hachiashi could manage alone. The bizarre ritual quickly served its purpose though, as their efforts were bringing about complex molding and configurations of the Lion Volt’s chakra, creating the beginnings of structures forming within the mind.

“Bastille of Thunder. Slating Stars, Nadir Seas. With Light, Divide this in Two!” The three Kaji’s spoke an incantation in perfect unison as the sealing technique designed for three was manifested by one, and rails of light formed an encircling prison around the Lion Volt. This space within Sayomi became a temple, and the creature suddenly moved way to the back of it as the space elongated, contained upon a large, elegant altar. Knowing their jobs to be done, Kaji’s cloned variants vanished, and he dropped to a knee with heaving breathing and wandering eyes, marveling at the creation. “The beast has been sealed.”

Those emeraldine orbs opened and looked about, back to consciousness as Kaji recognized a return to normalcy at the mobile diner. While he and Sayomi were under the genjutsu, two bowls of steaming food had been set in front of the duo. “Your food is ready, but you’d better eat fast,” said the old chef with an open palm reaching. “And pay first.”
“Oh, of course,” answered Kaji, then he searched himself for his coin pouch and revealed a few silver coins. He leaned over the counter to provide his offering, and turned his attention back to his pupil, hoping she was faring much better than before. The strong meal would help with the weakness she most-likely felt from that experience.

“How do you feel?” He asked Sayomi the question as if a simple answer were expected, though he hoped she attained some peace from the sudden change. But the other elder, the driver, took another drag from his cigarette and interrupted the budding conversation, adding “please do hurry, we are trying to seat another party shortly.” Kaji looked over his shoulder, expecting to see a number of things, but his eyes glared at the sight of five strangers in similar black shinobi uniforms. Their shapes and genders varied, but upon each face, they wore perfectly white porcelain owl masks. “Neat masks… but those are no ANBU I’ve ever seen before.”