untitled [ Mugen / Kagai ]

[Mugen]

" Did you hear...? Kagai's single handedly caught two missing-nin WHILE he was on a mission."

"Yeah...they say his glare's strong enough to burn a hole straight through you. Kid's not stable."

"He's considered one of the best fire users in the village..."

So many stories. So many rumors. Kagai this, Kagai that...Mugen heard just about enough of this man. He was famous through out the village, though -- known to be a relentless shinobi at that. He showed no mercy to his enemies, and was known to burn most of his enemies to a crisp. But for Mugen, actions speak louder than words. Actually, words don't usually speak to him that much anyway.

Mugen was just that kind of guy. Making a rival out of someone he never met before. He only knew what he looked like -- kind of. And he still remembers the first time he ever saw him. He will never forget that day...the day he saw that boy drag two quasi-cooked bodies into the village like they were sunday's groceries...

The sun's flames roared in the sky, its intense heat asphyxiating any living creature within the vicinity. Its target? A dark haired silhouette sitting a few yards away from the mouth of the cave. It was a constant sandstorm. Its winds forcing Mugen's hair to dance like wild fire. But Mugen would be apathetic. Such a storm was nothing to him...after all, this was his favorite place. The place between the two worlds -- the place that connected Suna and the outside world.

The sand was too hot to sit on, but there was no better place for him to practice his special move than this. Both his arms stretched out behind him and his digits stretched into the hot sand. The heat of the sun above him amplified his flames...at least it felt that way to him. A melancholy tune echoed behind him, courtesy of the hollow winds that soared through the mouth of the cave behind him.

He was tired--very tired...And the god damn sun didn't really help that much. The young shinobi had just finished his chakra training moments ago, and he simply could not move.

"Damn that Kagai..." spoke the shinobi.

367

For Training.

 

[Kagai]

Kagai would be making his way back to the entrance of Sunagakure after having spent a good amount of his day at the altar and temple he was in the process of making near the spot where he had first seen the guiding light of Lord Kojin all those years ago. As usual when he made his way out into the diamond maelstrom, he was wearing a rather heavy cloak along with various armored pieces of clothing to protect his flesh from the storm which would surely rip it from his bones if it were exposed for too long.

While walking back, he could see a faint image near the Maw of Barnyx, though he couldn't recognize it. It seemed, whoever it was, was just lying around for whatever reason. Not one of the smartest things to do out in the diamond maelstrom, but who was he to judge the doings of others? Perhaps it was some manner of rigorous training, either way, it didn't bother Kagai all that much. He was wearing one of his old ANBU masks, the box Kitsune mask that is handed out when one first becomes ANBU-in-Training, but are quickly discarded for a more personalized version. Kagai kept his for occasions like this when he wasn't on ANBU duty, but wanted to conceal or protect his face...."Hey kid. You shouldn't be lying around out here. There could be Unbent out here wanting to eat you or something." Kagai said, making a reference to the creature he had run into on his last mission with Kumiko. The kid probably didn't have any idea what he was talking about, but it didn't matter, it was still true.

Without another word, Kagai kept on walking past the kid towards the elevator that would lead down to the actual entrance to the village, really wanting to take a shower and get some of this sad out of his hair.

 

[Mugen]

"Alright...it's way too hot, anyway."

"Unbent...?" his brow perked upwards, and a confused look marked his face. Listening to the advice from the stranger, the young boy would get up, and slightly dust himself. The sandstorm that encompassed the region was strong, but Mugen always thought that the people around him oversold its strength a little bit too much. After all, Mugen loved this place. It always reminded him of the journeys he took with his father when he was younger...of the days where he felt extremely safe traveling with the man that taught him everything.

"What's an Unbent...?" spoke the shinobi, imagining a comical straight-looking monster with big teeth. Both his fists were supposed to be covered in bandages, but instead strong burn markings were evident all over the white cloth. His fingers would slightly caress his fists slightly, an action that would remind him to place some ointment over the burn marks on his knuckles. He wore black and tan robes with gold trimmings and an open collar, along with a large, flowing white toga draped around his main body and across his chest. His feet, however, were bare. And on those bare feet were also some burn marks.

At this current moment, he almost looked like a hobo.

 

[Kagai]

"Nasty creatures. Humanoid in appearance, but have an almost insect-like carapace or exoskeleton upon them. They like to eat and absorb anything they can to make them stronger at that point in time. Fought one once, it absorbed my fire ninjutsu. It was a damn headache." Kagai went on to say, replaying that very battle within his mind...."But yeah, those are just one of the things that go bump in the diamond maelstrom, hiding in places our eyes cannot see." Kagai would add, looking towards the boy whom almost resembled the types he preached to in the slums. The markings on the wraps on his hands, however, were burn markings most definitely.

As they moved on into the maw of barnyx and out of the storm, Kagai would remove his black hood, showcasing his crimson red hair which would appear slightly dirty thanks to a little bit of sand that worked it's way underneath his hood. He would also remove his kitsune mask, allowing the air to touch his bare face once more. His golden-orange eyes would seem to burn with an inner fire as he looked down at the boy while plucking a black colored cigarette from out of his cloak pocket and placing it upon his lips..."Got a light?" He would ask with a smirk, making it obvious he had noticed the burn marks upon the boys hand wrappings.

 

[Mugen]

The stranger's hair spoke of a distinctive colour. It was red, almost blood like. It only took Mugen a few moments to recognize him. The man that stood in front of him was none other than...

"...Jenosaido Kagai. "spoke the young boy, his voice monotone with every word. The man that stood in front of him was his bench-mark---the man that he vowed to surpass no matter what. This monotonicity slowly faded, crumbling away, and replacing itself with a slow-moving, yet confident smirk. His right fist hung heavily on his side, a product of digits clenching themselves tight enough that it almost hurt. It was then that a spark of chakra would cause for fire to slowly envelop his fist. The fire, however, was not the usual red and orange fire that was visible in every day life. His fire consisted of several different shades of blue, reaching white at its lightest shade and purple at its darkest shade.

It was truly something unique. The boy would then lift his fist close enough to the man's face in order to let him light his cigarette.

 

[Kagai]

It seemed his assumption was correct as he leaned in and inhaled on his cigarette so that it would catch, taking a deep drag before allowing the blue-tinted plume of smoke escape his lips. While the fire, as beautiful as it was, didn't exactly surprise him, the fact that he knew his name sparked his interests a bit...."That is me." He would reply, bowing his head a bit...."How did you know that?"

Kagai had no knowledge of any fame or notoriety he may have gained, as he never paid attention to that, so the idea of his name being known to people outside his personal circle always came as a surprise to the young priest of Kojin...."And who might you be, while I'm at it? Can't say I've noticed you around the village."

 

[Mugen]

Mugen chuckled slightly, before his golden orbs would slide beneath his eyelids. His left index finger would hook itself to the side of his collar, before dragging the side of the toga to the side to reveal a small scar. The wound was located a few inches besides his collar bone, where a kunai was plunged deep into him. "You don't remember...?" uttered the young Mugen, as the side of his mouth painted itself slightly crooked with a smile.

"6 years ago...on the outskirts of Suna."

Indeed. It was one year after his parents had disappeared. He was attacked by rogue shinobi who just wanted a thrill. He was stabbed right in the chest, but they never got the chance to go any further. Mugen never saw him after that -- he didn't even know he was part of the village. Well, all that until a few weeks later, where he saw him drag two slightly cooked shinobi in for questioning.

It was that day that Mugen vowed to become strong...just like the man in front of him.

To become better than him, even.

 

[Kagai]

"Hmmm...." Kagai would say, taking another slow drag off of his cigarette. He had been on many missions, and barely remembered the ones he had gone on during his younger years as an AiT, but he did seem to recall something about this. It was the first perpetrator he had brought in, if memory served. Just some strung out, academy drop-out looking to take out someone who was obviously weaker than himself. Kagai, though back than his ANBU alias was Paladin, had seen this while out on patrol and quickly dispatched the rogue with extreme prejudice, and also brought the boy to the Caducus Tower to be treated.

"The details are a bit blurry, but I do remember the basics. Could of been worse had I arrived any later....Glad to see they fixed you up, though. Kojin was with you that day, I believe. And it was he that protected you, using me as his vassal. Hopefully you have not squandered the life He has allowed you to live."