The Page of Eternity [Self Modded Team Mission - Kanmuri]

[Kaen]

The young boy scaled the side of the building with ease, quickly reaching his target. The hooded figure stood with his back facing him as he watched Kaen down below, was he searching for something, some sort of sign? A visible wave of energy emanated outwards from Kanmuri, the man's cloak billowed from the rising pressure behind him. And yet he remained still and unwavering in his resolve, as if to say the boy meant nothing to him. In an instant the young demon closed the gap, hidden from view, and struck true with his attack.

But what's this?! The cloak fell to the ground as Kanmuri's Higuma easily dashed it to pieces. A swarm of buzzing insects exploded outwards and flew off into the battlefield below. -Twang... t-t-t-twang- The sound of triggers being released resounded outwards through the momentary stint of silence. It was a trap... Tiny glints of lights reflected all around him as the plethora of ninja wires closed in on him, binding him to the spot. "You shinobi are so predictable..." A shaky voice rang out from the shadows. The man inched his way into the light, revealing his identity. "Trust in me when I say that your end will not be swift, no. We will enjoy this, he... he will enjoy this most of all." The man coughed, as he did a small amount of blood trickled out of his mouth. This new found power granted to him by the book was destroying his weak and feeble human body. The strain was clearly too much for his inner, nearly non-existent chakra system.

"Now then, as I am a man of... well I suppose I can't call it honor. No, a man with a code, persay. I feel it appropriate to introduce myself. My name is... ACK.. URghhh... AAGGHHHHH!!!" Something was happening to the man, some deep rooted and intense pain was clearly overtaking his body. This was Kanmuri's chance to find a way free of his binds while his captor was distracted. Suddenly a rather large book dropped to the ground at the man's feet. The faceted gem upon its cover began to glow, attempting to look directly at it would cause distortions in vision. A dark cloud seeped out from its pages and enveloped the area, both the book and man faded behind a eerie cloud of malevolent, black energy.


Meanwhile down below...


Kaen's paced quickened with each step, the gap quickly closing between the Kaen squad and the swarm of buzzing insects. As if they were like a charging army, the insect's behavior grew more erratic. The chainsaw like buzzing intensified as if they were roaring back in defiance to their fiery doom. The desert sands began to whip around as Kaen's speed and the wings of the insect creations pushed it around with ease. And then the group collided! The collision was like a small bomb being detonated, groups of insects were tossed into the air as Kaen and his clones plowed right through them. "Agghh!" The furthest right clone lost his footing and was instantly swarmed and devoured. Kaen's face twinged as the memories came rushing in, clearly death by gnawing, biting insects wasn't the most pleasant.

Still Kaen and his two remaining clones pushed forward, knocking back each bug that came into reach. -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- -poof- All around him bugs were being destroyed, but there were so many of them it was hard to feel like he was making any progress. Suddenly Kaen lept high into the air and catapulted himself forward. With a deep breath, still floating above a dark cloud of wings, Kaen revealed his next move; "Chidori control..." Kaen clasped a hand to his right, suddenly the light intensified and the scream of a thousand chirps rang out, the tell tale sign of the lightning style move, Chidori. As Kaen began to rocket back to the desert surface he finished his action. "Chidori CONTROL!" A thunderclap resounded outwards as Kaen made impact with the ground, a massive discharge of energy reverberated outwards, a large group of insects instantly fell to the ground and 'poofed' away. Suddenly more thoughts came rushing in, his remaining clones had fallen, he was all that was left. 'Thwip' 'Thwip' A pair of stingers whistled towards Kaen, but his eyes were keen and quick and saw them coming. Kaen spun in the air as he caught both barbed stingers and released them right back into an oncoming swarm of bugs. A flurry of handseals later and the stingers multiplied exponentially. [Shadow Shuriken Replication] Another cloud of insects faded from existence, but so many remained.

Kaen thought quickly as to what his next action should be, and he had it! Whipping through another string of seals, he vanished from view, leaving a single clone in his stead. [Stunt Double] The cloud of bugs circled around for what seemed like a final assault. Without warning they all closed in on the clones position, instantly destroying it. But where was Kaen?! Wait, what is that over there? A slow moving cloud of sand dust revealed Kaen roughly a hundred meters away from the cloud of gnawing, buzzing insects. "Plasma Style, Majestic Supernova!" With a tremendously deep breath, Kaen then exhaled a violent blast of energy from his toothy maw that rushed towards the unsuspecting swarm of insect creations.


[MFT]

 

[Kanmuri]

Kanmuri’s arms became blurs as they went to work slicing and dicing whatever stood before him; however, as his attacks came to an end, what came to the ground was not a bloody, mutilated body but the cut up remains of a cloak, and out of nowhere, a swarm of insects would flood from the torn garment. Not knowing what to expect, the young boy would jump back and guard himself from what he believed to be an inescapable onslaught. Fortunately for him, that was not the case as the bugs flew down to join the battle happening below, but something still wasn’t right. The young demon-although filled with bloodlust-could feel something awry.

His eyes, dilated with lust, quickly scanned the rooftop as predatory thoughts took over his mind.

Where are you?! Why are you runnning?! Show yourself to me! How strong are you?! I want to know...I WANT THE PLEASURE OF PAIN!

It would be then, that blinding light would surround Kanmuri as the sound of objects whipped past his ears and behind his body. His genjutsu had failed. No, it didn’t fail. The pale man had easily brushed it off. What other explanation could there be? How else would he have not only seen Kanmuri’s attack, but dodge it straight in the knick of time? He had been outwitted and outplayed, and now the situation looked grim.

Unable to stand, the young prince was not only mummified by his bandaged anbu gear, but also by the ropes of his adversary. Kanmuri fell to his knees as his opponent mocked him saying, "You shinobi are so predictable..."</COLOR><i></i>

<COLOR color="#FF40BF">The man that was supposed to be my prey is talking down on me?! Kanmuri thought as the blinding lights faded. Slowly opening his eyes, Kanmuri would see the feet of the pale man slowly walked toward him. Still on his knees, Kanmuri would watch as the man walked ever so slowly closer to him. Kanmuri’s eyes would grow wider before seemingly bulging though with a lack of fear. All that radiated from the nine year old was anger.

The sickly looking man would stop shortly in front of Kanmuri and look down on him as he said, “Trust in me when I say that your end will not be swift, no. We will enjoy this, he... he will enjoy this most of all.”

Truth be told, Kanmuri had no idea what the man had just said. It was of no importance to him. The only detail going through Kanmuri’s mind was retribution. Retribution had to be given.

Disrespectful...DISRESPECTFUL! This man dares to look down on me? He dares look down on a prince?! He’s going to pay...I will make him regret succumbing to his temptations. It would be at this moment that something interesting happened. Blood rolled down the smooth face of the blood that reignite Kanmuri’s demonic power and bloodlust.

The lips of the man would move, but Kanmuri couldn’t hear anything. He could feel his body shaking with intensity. He was forcing his knees to stay as stabilized as roped body parts could. He would clench his fists as pleasure began to flood his system. He knew what was happening.

“Now is the time...Kanmuri-kun… The shinigami would whisper into the ear of the boy as the tattoo of a wolf on the top of his hand began to unravel and show its true form, a cursed seal [Kanmuri Activates Cursed Seal].

The black ink would spread under the bandage wrappings of the boy filling Kanmuri with power and euphoria; however, that was not all. Kanmuri began to seemingly blur as the ropes began to fall to the ground-phasing through Kanmuri’s body [Kanmuri Activates Tabula Rasa]. Slowly the young boy would reach his feet, and simultaneously, the man in front of him began to hack and wheeze before dropping the book of the mission. Through his peripheral, Kanmuri could see the majestic glow of the book, In fact, he could feel it...But it wouldn’t be enough to set his eyes off his prey. No, what stood before Kanmuri was a man who had disrespected him. This sickly man might as well have been a dead man, and when a black fog enveloped this dead man, Kanmuri would slowly and confidently walk into the fog with a lust filled grin.

[MFT: 743]

 

[Kaen]

As Kanmuri vanished behind the veil of darkness, the world seemed to come to a halt. The thrum of beating wings ceased to a disturbing silence. Kaen gazed out, still prepared for combat as he was sure would come. But he would be waiting for nothing. Every insect that had previously been buzzing about, burning in his flames or otherwise had completely stopped moving. It was as if whatever energy tethered their life force to this realm had vanished. With a look of confusion, Kaen relaxed his posture and took in the scene before him. "Well this isn't right. I wonder how..." Kaen's gaze quickly snapped to the rooftops, something was wrong. He couldn't feel Kanmuri's chakra, nor that of their target thief. "Shit..." Muttering curses under his breath, so sure that he had let his new apprentice be killed so easily was really going to ruin his day. With a hop and a skip later, Kaen quickly found himself scaling the walls of the complex where he had haphazardly sent his apprentice, Kanmuri.

"OI! You out there? You better not be fucking with me Kanmuri!" Kaen was trying to call out as he ran up the side of the walls. It wasn't until he reached the top that he would understand why there was no reply and no chakra signatures. Some strange, malevolent orb of pitch black darkness comprised of what could only be chakra was still in the same place it was when both the thief and Kanmuri vanished inside it. "What the hell is this thing?" Kaen wondered aloud. Focusing his efforts on the orb itself, he would try to pierce the veil that sealed the two inside. [Chakra sense] But alas he felt nothing, saw nothing. Whatever this thing was it was locked up tighter than the Oracle's vault. With that said, surely there was a way in, given the nature of the simile.


Meanwhile, inside the field of darkness...

The first thing one would notice inside this most bizarre realm of mystery would be a severe lack of sensations. There was no smell, no taste, no ambient noise to fill your ears, only the low thrum of your own heartbeat would resound within our ears. Even his sight was not untouched, but tainted by the malicious darkness that surrounded Kanmuri. At first glance, it would appear that he was alone, isolated from the world. The only thing that Kanmuri would notice was himself, bound in place, perched atop a cross-like structure that felt like wood. Suddenly his vision would clear and a most shocking and curious scene would unfold before him. A graveyard of sorts would sprout up and fill his gaze. Not only was he trapped there, but dozens of other crosses each with their own ghostly, ghastly remains pinned to the cross-like structures. But Kanmuri was the only one alive, save one other soul bound to a cross...

"I'm so sorry...


[OOC MFT]

 

[Kanmuri]

In the beginning...there was nothing. Before there was nothing, there was only darkness. No matter the times he felt his top eyelid open and close, the result never changed. There was only darkness, but there was only power and lust filling the mind of the nine year old. The primal, demonic instincts of the young prince was driving him--pushing him to continue running after what he yearned for, blood; thus, he ran and continued to run until he felt nothing, just a disembodied spirit moving through space and time for eternity.

"Kanmuri-kun…."

“Kanmuri-kun...you don’t have time to waste.”

There was a reminiscent feeling to the voice that echoed in the mind of the boy. Yes, there was no mistaking it. That alluring voice that promised power beyond that of the shinobi realm. Power that transcended reality. Power that came at the great price of one’s lifespan.

“Take a look around you. Look at the past failures in this space. The only one currently alive is you. It’s only you that’s still kicking and breathing. You, that are still somewhat conscious. You, that have the possibility to overcome what everyone else here has failed to do...

So stop messing around. Open your eyes and accomplish your goal...Kanmuri-kun”

It would be that last word that triggered Kanmuri to shake convulsively before opening his scarlet red eyes. As they scanned surrounding vicinity, all Kanmuri could see were people crucified on crossed. People that seemed to foreshadow his own death and future if he didn’t find a way to overcome his identical predicament. Although Kanmuri couldn’t feel pain, he was worried and scared. There was nothing-just a sea of dead people in the same position as him for as far as the eyes could see.

Where am I?! Why can’t I move?! Why am I powered down?!

More and more frantic thoughts would continue to fill Kanmuri’s head as the only other sound he could hear in this soundless place was the beating of his own heart. For once, Kanmuri was scared. It wasn’t a fear of losing or a fear of someone or something. It was the fear of dying and doing nothing. The idea of staying in this god-forsaken place for eternity before eventually dying and never accomplishing any of his goals-the goals he sacrificed his life for!-made Kanmuri want to cry, and the nine year old was about to before a familiar voice would send a chill down his spine and cause goosebumps to slowly erupt all over his skin.

“I’m so sorry.”

Kanmuri would turn his head to look for the source of the sound, but it was just out of his field of vision. The sheer fear that filled Kanmuri would enable him to force the imaginary obstruction in throat to disappear and finally speak...specifically, yell.

“Who are you? Sorry for what? Where am I? Get me out of here!”

His yelling would only reveal the fear held within him as incoherent questions and commands would be spouted, but Kanmuri didn’t care. He needed to get free.

He needed to survive.

 

[Kaen]

In truth he took pity on Kanmuri, what was about to happen to him was far more merciful than what he had been enduring since he took that dreadful book. "I never meant for any of this to happen..." Yet again the familiar voice reverberated around this hellish shadow-scape world. However much he tried, Kanmuri would be unable to locate the man given his current situation, tethered to a cross. The man, or thief I should say, was inconveniently strapped to a cross himself opposite from Kanmuri, almost back to back you could say. He too was bound in place, unable to move or anything of the sort. The thief would continue; "My name's Rou, by the way. I am the actual person who stole that book. I've been trapped in here while you guys have been toyed with by the book's spirit." Surely Kanmuri would be interested, the thief would not tease him with info, he knew where his fate was headed, he only hoped there was enough time.

"The Oracles don't even know the kind of monster they had locked away. If you want answers, you need to look for a man named Sabaku, he lives in Earth Country, he wanted the Arcadianite that's on the face of the book, his exact coordinates are --" His 'spilling of the beans' montage was strangely interrupted, only silence could he heard screaming across the graveyard of crosses. After whatever Kanmuri might have to say about it, or a nondescript amount of time, a eerie voice would slither into Kanmuri's ears. "Tsk tsk tsk, quite the mouth you have Rou. Why don't you go ahead and tell him my master scheme..." A alien and bizarre creature stumbled and shook into view from the outskirts of the darkness that surrounded Kanmuri's currently tiny world. "Kanmuri, was it? Give me a moment, will you?" But he would not allow a response from Kanmuri either way. Should he attempt to speak, the being would casually wave his hand lazily and Kanmuri's mouth would cease to exist [Think Neo, from the matrix]. Afterwards, or if If he remained silent, the creature would saunter on around him to greet Rou. "How useless you have been. This kid, however not my intended choice, will have to do until the Ancient is thoroughly convinced and his guard is dropped..." Rou would speak up once again, that feeling of dread and fear quickly fleeing as a last moment of courage struck him. "You make me sick, I regret ever agreeing to get that book. I hope these ninjas fucking kill you, you piece of sh-- Aghkkrrrrbbblblblblllerrrrrr...." A disgusting and quite audible gurgling noise filled the air, Rou most certainly met a gruesome and messy end.

A few seconds later a loud crunch and slurping noises could be heard as the being plunged his fist deep into Rou's chest cavity, ripping out his heart. "How delicate these humans have become, I remember a time when they were a proud race, so much so they were able to topple over Homura himself..." The creature re-positioned itself in front of Kanmuri, heart still in hand. "But you are all to familiar with that, aren't you, Kanmuri-kun..." The being crushed the heart in hand, a glowing shard of substance glowed brightly in his palm. Without hesitation the creature would pop it into his mouth. A second later and another satisfying crunch later he would consume whatever the hell it was. "Ahhh.... it's been so long since I've had a soul. I wonder what yours will taste like..." With a quivering, shadow like tendril-y finger he would reach up and caress Kanmuri's cheek. If his mouth had vanished, in this moment it would return the moment the creature touched him. However searing cold pain would spread from the point of contact, some of his skin instantly being frozen and frostbitten. "But you are a cut above the rest, you will do nicely as my next vessel. What do you think?"

---

Meanwhile outside with Kaen...


The surface of the roof had become ravaged by various elements. Flames engulfed a large portion of the roof, a dark cloud crackling to life roars across the scene as a weathered Kaen thrust an equally ravaged arm down towards the ground. A streak of lightning burst to life, a concussive wave of thunder echoed across the sands. The structure beneath his feet quaked and shook as the bolt of energy crashed down upon the surface of the dome of pitch black shadows, the exact place where both the thief and Kanmuri had disappeared into. Exhausted and drained as he was, Kaen still pushed further in the hopes finding a way into the dome, to Kanmuri. It was astonishing that he was still able to stand, let alone use jutsu. But that was just like Kaen, even after nearly an hour of trying yet being unable to find a way in, he still pushed further and beyond, bordering on chakra depletion. Wait... an hour? Surely that's not how it felt to Kanmuri. That couldn't have been any more than 5-10 minutes of consciousness. How curious...


EDIT: Changed the colors of the being to help differentiate and see it better

 

[Kanmuri]

The man would continue without answering Kanmuri’s questions or demands.

“I never meant for any of this to happen..."</B><i></i>

With a voice filled with hopelessness and defeat, the man’s words only sent chills down Kanmuri’s spine. His eyes opened wider than before as reality slowly began to sink in.

“My name's Rou, by the way. I am the actual person who stole that book. I've been trapped in here while you guys have been toyed with by the book's spirit.”</B><i></i>

The book! Just the mentioning of that word is all it would take for Kanmuri’s memories to return flooding back. The creation of his anbu costume he currently had on; the debrief given to him by Kaen; the revelation about the true nature of his ANBU master; the bugs that made his skin crawl; the plan he came up with; the faceoff against the hooded man, and finally, stepping into the dark void.

So, this is how I got here. I came here of my own free will, and now I’m in this mess...but how do I get out of here? The young boy would think to himself as he tried to calm his nerves. His heart still raced with fear and adrenaline as the dead, crucified bodies in front of him only served as a reminder as a potential future; however, Kanmuri knew and learned from his father something very important:

A king cannot show fear lest his empire fall.

With that in mind, the nine year old boy closed his eyes, took deep breaths and allowed Rou to continue speaking.

“The Oracles don't even know the kind of monster they had locked away. If you want answers, you need to look for a man named Sabaku, he lives in Earth Country, he wanted the Arcadianite that's on the face of the book, his exact coordinates are --”<i></i>

The man’s words would be abruptly ended causing Kanmuri to pipe up saying, “The coordinates are where? What happened?”

With his eyes closed, Kanmuri would attempt to piece together everything Rou had spoken of as silence filled the air. Master Kaen mentioned something about the Oracles before...but what did he say...and what monster is this guy talking about? Unfortunately for the young prince, his silent question would be answered by an eerie voice would whisper into his ear.

“Tsk tsk tsk, quite the mouth you have Rou. Why don't you go ahead and tell him my master scheme…

On instinct, Kanmuri’s heart would race with the ferocity of a battle ready soldier; however, this nine year old was far from ready for battle. Upon opening his fear filled eyes, the young’s eyes would bulge with horror and fear would wash over his body. What returned Kanmuri’s stare was a bizarre, humanoid monster. It had white holes for eyes, fingers that resembled the legs of scorpions, skin black with the sins of its past owners and lacked a mouth. Yet, it continued to speak saying, “Kanmuri, was it? Give me a moment, will you?”<i></i>

The young ANBU’s mouth would tremble with panic--unable to form words--before casually disappearing from existence.

This would cause Kanmuri to freak out.

Despite being able to calm himself down before, the young boy didn’t have it in himself anymore. He was alone. He was powerless. He was scared. No matter how much he wriggled and struggled, Kanmuri could not break free.

Casually ignoring him, the demonic entity slowly made its way from Kanmuri as it said, “How useless you have been. This kid, however not my intended choice, will have to do until the Ancient is thoroughly convinced and his guard is dropped…”

What does it mean ‘I will have to do?’ What will that <B>thing do to me. Where am I? Why is this happening?! As panicked thoughts began to fill the mind of Kanmuri, memories of his tortures from the Kyoujoran would vividly flash in his head. No...NO! I will not have this thing have its way with me. I refuse to be objectified and used again. I WILL NEVER BE ANYONE’S SLAVE AGAIN! The young prince would violently think as he uselessly tried to break free. Then, Rou’s words would calm him down.

“You make me sick, I regret ever agreeing to get that book. I hope these ninjas fucking kill you, you piece of sh-- Aghkkrrrrbbblblblblllerrrrrr....”

Rou had drowned in something. This creature had committed some vile act--some evil act. Rou was dead.

The few seconds of silence that followed would only reinforce that fact and cause Kanmuri to begin struggling for freedom again. However, his struggling would stop once a CRUNCH<i></i>, which was the followed by a slurp, filled the void. The creature would speak once more.

“How delicate these humans have become, I remember a time when they were a proud race, so much so they were able to topple over Homura himself…”

The creature would then walk in front of Kanmuri; Rou’s heart beated in its hand. Kanmuri was paralyzed with fear as the being continued to speak, “But you are all to familiar with that, aren't you, Kanmuri-kun…”

Rou’s heart would then be crushed--revealing a glowing shard of something in the palm of the monster. Swiftly, the creature devoured the shard with a crunch and looked at Kanmuri as it said, “Ahhh.... it's been so long since I've had a soul. I wonder what yours will taste like…”<i></i>

Kanmuri wanted to cry, but he couldn’t be any more vulnerable than he was now. He lacked the strength to be. He was at his lowest.

The creature would then move its quivering, scorpion-esque fingers across the young prince’s face causing Kanmuri’s mouth to return. With its finger, the creature brought pain, a cold pain. A pain so cold that it burned. The burning sensation would spread and consume Kanmuri’s face causing parts of it to freeze over and become frostbitten. The bandages of his ANBU costume would freeze and fall to the ground revealing the young boy’s face. Normally, Kanmuri’s pain center was reversed; thus, he’d feel pleasure instead of pain. It was the reason why he became a beast in battle. However, it wasn’t the same now. The young demon wasn’t the same. He was fully human. He was defenseless prey.

The dark entity would then propose something to the broken boy, “But you are a cut above the rest, you will do nicely as my next vessel. What do you think?"

He was beaten, and all the odds were against him. Why wouldn’t he give himself over. Of course Kanmuri didn’t want to be a slave again, but the idea of his own death and failure to accomplish his goal...he hated that more. In fact, the nine year old was going to nod in submission, but seemingly out of nowhere a voice would echo in his mind.

“You and I share a common goal…”

It was the voice of his new master, Kaen the Ancient.



<B>“...with me as your master, and Akkuma as your father...I shall envy you the day you surpass us both.”<i></i>

But why was he hearing Kaen’s voice now of all times. Why Kanmuri thought as tears began to roll down his face and freeze. His master’s warm smile would begin to take place in his mind

“But I'm afraid power comes in response to a need, not simple yearning…”<i></i>


“It's up to you to find the reason, we all have our reasons for the things we do, the things we sacrifice along the way…”<i></i>

That’s right...Power doesn’t come because I want it. It comes from the tough times, the dangerous times; it comes during the scariest times of one’s life...I have a reason. I’ve found my reason. I have a cycle I must end. The cycle of vengeance of hatred. The misuse of gifts by others. There are people I have to kill.

It would be at this moment in his thoughts that Gin, the Uchiha that killed Tsugama, would flash into Kanmuri’s mind.

There are people that must be culled. Kanmuri thought as his fuel was sparked; his anger had ignited.

If there was some law to this world, it had been broken. Whatever shackles limiting Kanmuri’s abilities had been unlocked. Kanmuri’s primal anger and carnal drive for survival had enabled him to break the realities of this world. The young demon had returned, and deep inside the recesses of Kanmuri’s subconscious, a sly grin would crawl across the shinigami’s face.

Demonic enzymes began to burst throughout Kanmuri’s body causing him to visibly shake, albeit once. A toothy grin would take over Kanmuri’s face as pleasure began to take hold of his system. Kanmuri’s eyes changed from being filled with fear to that of excitement; his pupils becoming dilated in response to the pleasure. The frozen and frostbitten skin on the Kanmuri’s face began to fall off and rapidly regenerate while the young ANBU looked at the entity straight in the eye and said

“Me be your vessel? Over my dead body,” as he phased off of the cross using his Grandeur Phantom powers.

If this creature was going to use Kanmuri as its vessel, it would need to kill him first.

[MFT: 1,528 WC]

 

[Kaen]

While Kanmuri internalized his thoughts and monologues, the being would continue unaware of the epiphany growing within the young boy before him. "Fret not young one, most are speechless upon learning that their time had just run out. Let your past go, you have a grand future before you. At least until your use has run its course, but you will be alive, within my realm here where you will have a front row seat to it all." The being would wave his hand in the air, within the sky a shimmer would flicker by and a scene from outside the dark orb would be presented for both him and Kanmuri to view. "You shinobi are all the same, so eager to leave no man behind. Does he even know what you are? These silly humans..." Humans? Perhaps this being was unaware of Kaen's peculiar genealogy.

"He will the same as the rest of these fallen ninja within my world. Just like before, their significant others will end up killing themselves trying to save whoever fell into my trap. Well... I kill them heuh heuh hueh." A sickly and distorted laughter escaped the non-existent lips of the being. "No... He will tire himself out, and by that time the transference will be complete. And I'll have myself a little snack as a pick-me-up for my new body." So it was true, it was completely unaware that Kaen was a hybrid, and that his longevity would far surpass that of his lesser, humanoid lineage would normally have lasted. "But alas, I've prolonged the inevitable. I have a terrible habit of going on and on with these monologues. My apologies Kanmuri-kun, let us being..."

“Me be your vessel? Over my dead body,” Kanmuri surprised the being as he phased off of the cross using some foreign technique that not even Kaen fully understood yet. "WHAT?! How did you... GRRRAAAUUUGGGGHHH!" The being cried out with rage as his victim somehow escaped the spider's web. The being slithered into the ebony-like void that was the 'ground' they stood upon, reappearing a short distance away. It would raise its arms into the equally void-like sky. Thousands of tendrils would burst from the ground attempting to regain control of Kanmuri. Even should he flee, more arms would grow up in defiance, even so much as extending themselves into the air if he tried to jump away. But the being was frantic, careless in his efforts due to the overwhelming surprise that Kanmuri put him through. "Stop moving damnit, otherwise you're going to..." Suddenly the void around them shook, was it something that Kaen had done? No... this felt different. It was almost as if this being was the only thing keeping this place together. "No no no no!!! This can't be happening, this ends now!" The void-like being's hands sparked to life as a powerful jutsu was channeled without the use of handseals. A massive rift opened up in the sky, what could be seen behind the vale was disturbing to say the least, some strange and warped hell laid on the other side of the tear. Horrific limbs, eyes and masses of flesh protruded outwards, as if attempting to escape the metaphorical hell. Enourmous gates would begin to take shape, rapidly, hovering just above the scene below. "HUAAAAA!" The being cried out in rage, signalling his attack from above. Would Kanmuri prevail and find a way to defeat this malevolent void being, or will he fall and become yet another victim in this being's long line of sacrifices? Find out next time on NCZ!


[OOC MFT]

 

[Kanmuri]

It was weird.

As Kanmuri phased off his cross, everything seemed to be going in slow motion--including his descent. Even the face of the hell-damned creature became enraged at contorted at a slow speed. Maybe it was just his brain’s way of dealing with the rapid surge of power.

Yes...There was no mistaking it.

Kanmuri had never felt this powerful in his life.

The muffled, intensity of the creature’s scream would also cause Kanmuri to notice something else, his heartbeat. The extraordinarily slow, yet loud, beating of his heart was the predominant sound resonating in both his head and ears. Throughout this chaotic hell, the single most source of stability was the metronomic beating of Kanmuri’s heart. And it was that stability that allowed Kanmuri to, for the first time in his life, have complete control of his power.

Unable to grasp with the sight of its prey breaking free, the demonic creature would sink into the ground only to reappear slightly further away from its sinking point and stretch its arms up toward the sky as if calling unto the gods for unearthly power. To a normal person, what would happen next would appear as certain death. A sea of sharp, slimy, wriggly tendrils would shoot out of the ground at random points and aim for its prey at blistering fast speeds. Many would appear in the blind spots of the young, nine year old boy and from a spectator’s perspective, only death awaited. It would be the undeserving end to a short life of a young boy. How tragic it was...would be the thoughts of spectators, if there were any, not brave enough to continue watching. Because the events waiting to unfold would truly be quite the spectacle.

...So this is power. There’s no fear, no excitement, no doubt, just overwhelming confidence that masks itself as “normal indifference” The young demon thought to himself as he jumped into the air.

2, 4, 8, 16, over 64 tendrils are slowly, or at the very least appear to be very slowly, coming out of the ground. Somehow, I can tell exactly where all the tendrils are--even the ones behind me. There’s no way to dodge them all, but I definitely won’t die. Not in this state.

As the tendrils appeared to slowly swarm towards their desired target, the young boy would dance, flip, and dodge them with ease. A few would narrowly miss his head and other extremities but, regardless, it was clear. Kanmuri was superior. A few tendrils would spontaneously strike at the young prince, who would spin in an attempt to dodge them, but only one would miss. The other two would would not miss--far from it. The tendrils would go straight through his body--one through the heart and the other through the head. But that wouldn’t be enough to take out this demon. In fact, it was nothing. It was if Kanmuri’s body was permeable--almost as if it wasn’t real--as the remaining end of the tendrils phased through Kanmuri’s body. He was left standing--surviving everything the creature was able to throw at him. It was already over.

The ground under both the feet of Kanmuri and the creature would begin to tremble as the creature performed hand seals that would rip apart the fabric that held the very sky together. Splitting like the separation of tectonic plates, what laid hidden within the sky would cause even the strongest of shinobi to falter unto one knee.

Mangled pieces of flesh, eyes, bones, hands, legs, and heads were just a few of the masses that would attempt to escape the literal hell. Heat hotter than fire would exhale from the mouth of the opening. Gates would appear to cover the hole in the sky, but it wouldn’t be long before the creature once again decided to unleash its next onslaught.

The power flowing through Kanmuri’s veins was unbelievable but fading. Time was running out, and the one-sided skirmish needed to end. Kanmuri was no longer going to waste time.

I remember when I lost to that pink-haired lady. All my power felt taken from me; everything just seemed to be...reversed. I felt helpless, just awaiting whatever could be thrown at me to be thrown at me. I read about a genjutsu like this, and with the power I have now, I can execute it, but that won’t be enough.

As Kanmuri’s thoughts raced through his head, the gates would slowly begin to open once more--blowing the intense heat onto the space where Kanmuri stood. With time not on his side, it was now or never, and with a plan forming in mind, the young prince would dash at the sinister deity of this world. If everything went according to plan, the creature would be stuck in place, rendering the creature paralyzed and ending the jutsu--not weaving a single handseal (Casting A-Rank Visual Genjutsu: Reaper’s Gaze [Mastered] with Cerebal Control). If successful, then Kanmuri would then race his hands together and the result would be the chakra in the creature flowing the opposite direction, which would cause all the energy of the creature to seemingly vanish (Casting A-Rank Will Genjutsu: Chaos of the Mental Plain [Mastered] with Sensory Switch [Audial]). The finale of Kanmuri’s onslaught would be another string of hand seals that slowed the flow of chakra from the fear receptor of the brain to the eyes which would cause hallucinations (Casting A-Rank Will Genjutsu: Torment of the Physical Plain [Mastered]).

If everything succeeded, the once tormenting, vicious creature would end up as nothing more than a powerless, terrified body paralyzed with the fear of Kanmuri’s presence with whatever jutsu it performed vanishing.

If this was the case, then Kanmuri would stare the creatures in the white voids that appeared to be it’s eyes and say in his rather high-pitched, pre-pubescent voice,

“Release me...now.”

 

[Kaen]

Lightning tore across the void-like sky, a concussive wave of thunder cracked and boomed above their heads as the rift became unstable and started to collapse on itself. Kanmuri's plan was working, the being froze in place, a look of terror filled his vision as Kanmuri's Shinigami phased into view locking the black being down where he stood. "Nooooooo! You... can't... keep me!" It's power flared up in an attempt to break free from Kanmuri's bind, but the blows kept coming. The being would slump to his knees in subtle defeat, his power was fading quickly, the rift in the sky now closing up, bits of flesh still protruding out into this realm were cut off and falling to the ground around them. Suddenly the creature's vision blurred and Kanmuri faded from his sight, and then there was only darkness. It would seem his deepest darkest fear was just that, a representation of exactly what this thing was and what they stood for, funny how it feared itself most of all. Withered by time and seclusion to this realm, barely sated by the occasional body that he managed to enthrall via the book was now succumbing to a mere boy. How far this particular amalgamation had fallen...

As the being's power began to fade, so to did the realm they stood inside began to crumble and deteriorate around them. The earth shook and the ground split apart revealing a swirling vortex of nothing-ness. Falling inside would surely spell certain death. "You've doomed us both boy, enjoy your victory while you can. How embarrassing, to fall to a demon mutt like you. But there's always an ace up the sleeve, you've overplayed your hand BOY!" What started out as defeat quickly turned to what appeared a ploy set forth by this creature. It would raise its hand to cast whatever final trick it might have had, but his hand only hovered in place, a spurt of black ooze that might have been its blood spattered out of its mouth. "H-homura..." These were the final words of the Hybrid before its eyes faded to grey. From the center of his chest was a ooze covered fist, a dark stone within its grasp.

But there would be little time to react as the world around them fell apart at an accelerated rate now that its caster was gone. The fist withdrew itself and the body fell to the ground. "Well you've sure been busy it seems." It was Kaen! But their reunion would be cut abruptly short as the ground split even more below them, threatening to cast the entire mass of land into the swirling vortex below. Kaen rushed over to Kaen before he could even speak or act and grabbed him by the waste and chucking him a short distance. It seemed as if he was just going to fly past the scene and into a hole where the vortex awaited his body eagerly, but instead he slipped through whatever slit in the fabric of this place's reality and landed heavily on the ground back outside in the real world. Kaen was right behind him, hot on his trails. Using his innate flame powers he jettisoned himself towards the rip in space like a rocket, also falling to the ground beside Kanmuri. Together they witnessed the violent collapse of the dark orb. It cracked and caved unwillingly on itself until it the size of a child's ball. Rushing to his feet, Kaen would punt the orb off the top of the building they were currently located. Not even a few seconds later it would implode in the sky, sending a massive wave of energy outwards, knocking even Kaen to ground again. Kaen would hold up his hand inspecting his prize. Kaen could feel its power bubbling to the surface, so cold and dark he almost didn't want to, but She had instructed him to do so and so he would, in a moment. Turning to Kanmuri he would furrow his brows. "What the hell was that about?" After Kaen inspected the stone like object, he knew what that thing was, but not the where and why.


[OOC MFT]

 

[Kanmuri]

The sound of crackling lightning and booming thunder filled the horizons and ears of Kanmuri as his prey knelt down in front of him. Kanmuri’s plan had worked; the being had been working, but just as the creature’s powers faded so did its control over the world they were currently in. As the ground beneath Kanmuri’s feet slowly began to spasmodically quake, it became clear to Kanmuri.

This world will soon be destroyed…

And with this thought, a wave of panic would begin to wash over the nine year old. Thoughts of never returning back home to his father; thoughts of dying in this godforsaken hell hole, and worst of all, the thought of not completing any never completing any of goals would cause him to cry out.

“Let me go!”

Kanmuri didn’t care about how he appeared to the enemy right now. He was in control. He did win, right? As more thoughts, rushed into his head, Kanmuri’s heartbeat would quicken and his confidence would slowly begin to fade along with his power. It would be at this point, the went when the young prince’s power began to drop, that the creature decided to speak once again.

"You've doomed us both boy, enjoy your victory while you can. How embarrassing, to fall to a demon mutt like you. But there's always an ace up the sleeve, you've overplayed your hand BOY!"</COLOR><i></i>

Kanmuri’s scarlet eyes would swell as he saw his supposed “prey” break free from his genjutsu. He had been tricked and trapped; it was truly over. It was Kanmuri’s loss. Disappointment and sadness would be the only feelings Kanmuri harbored. There was no longer malice or hatred as there was no one to blame but himself. He had the bag of success and victory in his hands, but it would be those same, small handles that fumbled that bag. However, his will to live was stronger than ever. Within that disappointment and sadness laid a flame that wanted and needed to survive...and call it a miracle, but that flame would call out to his master--to Kaen.

A slimy-tar like substance would spurt out of the mouth of the creature as it could only mutter one word, "H-homura..."<i></i>

The creature’s bright wide voids it used as eyes would slowly darken to gray as an ooze-covered, clenched fist protruded from its chest; a dark stone in its grasp. With its controller dead, the world quickly sped to its destruction. The fist would retreat back to its wielder before a familiar voice comforted Kanmuri’s scattered mind, "Well you've sure been busy it seems."<i></i>

Kanmuri stood there speechless and wide-eyed as emotions surfaced, dived, masked, and revealed themselves. He had been saved, but if his thanks, if he could even find the strength to speak, would have to wait as the world wasn’t wasting any time to obliterate itself. The ground, which was once rocking, was now forcibly tearing itself apart revealing a vortex of some kind below, but before Kanmuri even got a chance to process everything, Kaen rushed toward him, grabbed his waist and chucked him a short distance.

“Hey-Wait-Kaen! What are you doooooiiiinnnnngggg!” Would be the only words Kanmuri screamed as he saw himself inevitably falling into the vortex below. As the nine year old screamed with his eyes closed, the sound of destruction around him would soon be replaced by cicadas and the blazing rays of the desert sun on his face.

Still screaming, Kanmuri would peep open one hand, feel the concrete under him, and frantically feel himself.

“I-I’m alive! But...where’s Ka-”

The jetting body of Kaen would interrupt the words of the young demon. Crashing to the ground, Kaen would immediately get up and watch as the orb he just flew out of began to shrink, crack, and cave in on itself. Not skipping a beat, Kanmuri would grab the orb, which was rapidly shrinking in size, and punt it away. Almost instantaneously, the once crackling orb or dark energy would explode sending concussive shockwaves to permeate all around the surrounding area--causing Kanmuri to tumble back like a ragdoll.

Still lying on the top of the concrete structure, Kanmuri stared at the non-ripping, stable, clear blue skies. It had been an interesting day and mission, but now, it had finally come to an end. His original ANBU gear and bandages had come off. All he had on now was his regular white shorts and black tee. Part of him wanted to sleep there, but it would be Kaen’s words that catch him attention,

"What the hell was that about?"<i></i>

A chuckle would escape Kanmuri’s lips as he recounted everything that went down. There was Rou’s death, the revelation about the truth of the book and its contents, the creature, the fear, and the taste of power. There was too much that happened, and time felt neverending. So it wasn’t surprising to hear Kanmuri’s response.

<COLOR color="#FF00BF">“Where do I start…”

 

[Kaen]

And so the pair sat on top of the large metallic complex where the excitement had previously taken place. It might have seemed trivial to most, but Kaen enjoyed hearing these kinds of reminiscent tales of battle, strife and hard times. Kaen listened with baited breath, all the while fiddling with his prize. Back and forth they traded their respective experiences of the day, it had been a productive day to say the least. It was almost sad to say the day was done, save one last action.

In end Kaen would come to realize exactly what that thing was that had entrapped Kanmuri. Unsure of exactly how strong its linage was, there was no doubt that it was some sort of dark and shadowy Ancient, but changed. He could feel the presence of his kind, but it was intertwined with something sinister and foul. It felt familiar, but unlike the intense flame within Kaen, this one felt ashen, cinder-like. It didn't matter though, a soul was a soul, Mother Suna, had instructed him to seek out as much sustenance as he could without risking himself, and this was even better. An Ancient soul was far superior to that of a mere mortal's. While not full of every element, an Ancient's soul could very well help him unlock another portion of his already strange, yet powerful lineage. Considering how close it was to his own, Kaen could only ponder as to how it would expand his own ties to the Flame Court.

Knowing full well who his father was and what he was about, and given their interesting interaction earlier where Kaen revealed his true identity, he didn't exactly thing it necessary to shoo the young demon away. Chances are his father would give him the 'run down' on how these things worked. Perhaps he already had. But his prize would not last, he would need to consume it before they left if he wanted to reap the benefits of such a boon. He wouldn't admit it, but Kanmuri very well could have saved his life this day. Who knows how it would have went had Kaen been the one to take their thief on and Kanmuri fight the swarms.

After their tales had been told and their area in order and supplies put away, had they used any, Kaen would turn to Kanmuri and hold the dark stone up to the light for him to see. "Do you know what this is?" Kanmuri did a once over on the stone, cocked his head slightly before his eyes widened upon recalling the events earlier. It was that that dark being from inside the orb, the one who killed their thief, ripping something from his chest. He knew, he understood what this thing was. "It's a soul, right?" Kaen would nod in agreement and then continued. "That is precisely what this is. Every living creature has one... I think." Kaen pondered in this moment whether animals had souls just as the bipedal races did. Not to mention the unknown things like his Tsukomogami contract. "Anyway, I've never had a demon soul before, I was told they tasted quite terrible and have little to no value in terms of sustenance or power." Kaen smirked as he teased the young demon Mirroku before him. "Ancients on the other hand are incredibly potent, pure power in the form of the base materials of life. But its only ever one element. Myself for instance, I embody the flame of life, or destruction depending on your outlook heh heh. Now humans, they are complicated. They are composed of everything."

Kaen would turn to face the now setting sun, a radiant collage vibrant hues of red, orange, and yellow. He would hold the stone up to the light to inspect it further. I'm not entirely sure how consuming one would effect someone like you, otherwise I might very well offer it to you. Though your father might not approve, I've yet to convene and discuss your future quite yet, it's on my to do list. So as much as you may have earned it, today is not your day young Kanmuri." Kaen would then place the soul into his toothy maw where he would close his mouth over it and bite down. Instantly the temperature around him became super heated, but dulled to a pulsating dark glow, like the low embers of a desert fire. For the first in years Kaen felt alive. Not since the first time Shiori granted him her boon of flames, the essence of Homura. He could almost feel the loneliness and suffering that the being had endured for who knows how long, doomed to live in undeath, never allowing the flame to truly die out. The taste was harsh and bitter, almost as if it had been burnt, or charred. As he swallowed it down, his throat felt as if it were on fire, instantly parched beyond belief. And then the light around him seemed to fade, darkness and shadow creeping around from around Kaen.

Suddenly dark energy enveloped Kaen, a concussive wave of energy emanated outwards attempting to push anything and everything away. The energy whipped around violently before enclosing itself on Kaen, similarly to the dark orb that had entrapped Kanmuri. And then everything went black and when he opened his eyes, Kaen was met with a world similar to that of the being's. Kaen would look down to find even he had changed, his vision even. He lifted his hand to get a closer look, gripping the air he would gauge his strength. Wisps of malevolent energy seethed off his body, mixing together with his own fiery nature to create a new, more powerful aura. Whatever happened to him, it was for the better, the soul had improved him, changed him, Kaen had evolved. Suddenly all at once, just as quickly as it had happened, the world around him rushed back into him and the aura was gone. The orb collapsed, leaving Kaen on his knees panting and sweating. His body had returned to normal, but he certainly didn't feel normal. He was different now...

Pulling himself up to his feet, Kaen would compose himself as best he could, obviously drained from whatever metamorphosis his amalgamation-like body had gone through. Kaen would turn to Kanmuri, a faint smile creeping onto his face. "Well... It's probably best we head back. I'd call this a success, even if the book will never function again. We apprehended the thief, sort of." Kaen would begin to laugh, but suddenly a coughing fit took him over. He needed rest, more importantly water. Kaen could only wish he was capable of using ice ninjutsu. "Right then, let's gather our things and head out." Kaen would slowly walk over to where the book was still laying, opened with empty pages facing upwards. Kaen would tuck the torn page they had used to track their thief into the pages and shoved the entire book into his pack. "Good work today, Kanmuri. I look forward to our next mission." Kaen would give him a sly wink and turned to head back to Sunagakure.


[OOC Mission completed, well exceeded the word count. Topic left]

 

[Kanmuri]

And so, Kanmuri would recount the experiences within the void. The fear, terror, motivations, goals, power, and ultimately the defeat of the creature he had fought would all be discussed to Kaen as the two laid there on the roof of the metallic structure they relaxed on.

Still on his back, Kanmuri would turn his head after hearing an inquiry from Kaen,

"Do you know what this is?"

In his hand, Kanmuri’s red-haired master would twiddle an orb or rock of some kind that was completely enveloped in darkness--so dark that the landscape around the two reflected off its surface.

Kanmuri’s brows would furrow and his eyes squinted as he tried to think about what the object in Kaen’s arm could be. In fact, When did Kaen even get tha…

An image would pop into the boy’s head as the thought ran through his head.

Kaen’s clenched fist through the chest of the creature’s chest.

Yes, there was no mistaking it. Upon realizing it, Kanmuri would see the similarities between the object in Kaen’s hand and the one the creature devoured in front of Kanmuri’s very eyes. What Kaen held in his hand was no ordinary rock or orb.

It was a soul. The soul of the creature they had defeated. To ensure, Kanmuri would reply to his master saying, "It's a soul, right?"

Kaen would nod and confirm Kanmuri’s thoughts and make fun of his demonic nature--mentioning how he’d never had a soul of a demon. A small smile would spread across the face of the nine year old. It was evident that he wasn’t a normal boy, but how far off he was from human was also something Kanmuri was unsure of. He’d been called a demon since his years with the Kyoujoran and despised it. Now, things were different. It was something he could smile about because the people around him harbored no malice to him. Despite not knowing exactly what he was, Kanmuri was fine being labeled a demon for now because in the future, his title would be “King.”

Kaen would then go on to explain the difference between human souls and souls belonging to ancients, and in essence, it was a matter of purity. Whereas humans’ had compiled of a combination of base elements, souls belonging to ancients were incredibly strong and potently filled with the element that embodied them. Kaen would go on to say that he embodied fire, specifically the flame of life and death. Finishing up his explanation, Kaen would congratulate Kanmuri on a job well done and consume the dark orb in his hand, the soul of the creature.

Upon its consumption, the air around Kaen immediately rose to superheated levels. Still on his back, Kanmuri could feel the instant rise in temperature but thankfully, he wasn’t close enough to Kaen that the air would burn him. With his eyes on Kaen, Kanmuri’s face was a mix between awe and disinterest. Had Kaen not explained everything before hand, Kanmuri would have immediately jumped up in surprise but, right now, he had all the information he needed; he was tired. So, the young boy would watch the events unfold in an attempt to recover from his physical and mentally draining day.

But, Kanmuri wouldn’t be able to catch a break. Seemed like fate had other plans.

Upon closing his eyes, Kanmuri’s body would be flung across the rooftop by several waves of concussive dark energy. Opening his eyes and trying his hardest to hold his ground against the waves of energy, it would be then that Kanmuri saw what had become of Kaen. Surrounded in swirling waves of darkness emitted power that would resonate within Kanmuri.

He wanted it. He had no idea what it was, but if would help him reach his goal, then he wanted it. Kanmuri wanted to have the soul of an Ancient.

Soon, the malevolent maelstrom of darkness would be blown away and in its place was an egg-like structure that surrounded Kaen. Then a crack would appear, and that crack would spread and multiply all over the orb before it shattered and dissipated. Out of it was Kaen panting and sweating profusely. He’d then get up to his feet, and it was then when the inner workings of Kanmuri would begin to stir. Deep inside his biological matrix, the demonic energy within Kanmuri was warning him to stay back; Kaen had gotten stronger, and because Ancient and Demonic energy were on opposite sides of the spectrum, Kanmuri’s instincts took over, and he unconsciously jumped back in fear. The faint smile on the Flame Court’s face seemed to be filled with malice and destruction to Kanmuri’s demonic eyes, and it wouldn’t be until Kaen called out to him that Kanmuri would snap back to his senses.

"Well... It's probably best we head back. I'd call this a success, even if the book will never function again. We apprehended the thief, sort of."<i></i>

The young demon would take a quick, sharp, nose-filled breath as he heard Kaen’s voice.

"Right then, let's gather our things and head out. Good work today, Kanmuri. I look forward to our next mission."<i></i>

And with that Kaen began to head back. It was surreal, but if Kanmuri was gonna get back home, then he needed to follow, so he followed his captain back to Sunagakure as they raced across the sand dunes.

[OOC - Mission Completed; Topic Left w/ Kaen]