Starring:
Date: September 9, 2014
Summary:
Ishino and Kiji meet a man at the gates of Kirigakure with a familiar face but a different being.
"The Company - Introduction of the Remnants"
Village Entrance - Kirigakure
Morning in Kirigakure, and, amongst all the preparations for the Silence, there is some confusion as a man approaches the gate. His face has a familiar look and quite familiar crimson eyes, yet his form is unknown, adorned in all black with armored shoulders and a trenchcoat that basically all blends together with his pants and shirt. Long silver hair adorns his head, flowing down his back about halfway. Even stranger, he bears a single one of the Kiba blades on his back and the head of an A-Rank Criminal in Kirigakure's Bingo Book in his hand. He stops at the gate looking up at it with some sort of amusement in his eyes as he waits for someone to inevitably approach him to try and figure out what's going on. For a sensor the strangest part would be that his chakra signature matches that of Yoichi, though it feels as if it's not quite whole.
Kiji was at the gate that morning, preparing for duty when she sensed a large chakra signature, but, familiar. She looked up and spoke to the nearby guards. "Someone's comming but it's.. very familiar… It feels like Yoichi-sensei… but..odd." Of course the two shinobi stood as Yazoo approached and met him at the door, one looking at his catch one at his person. Kiji tilted her head a little and peered at the man in black. She was wary but curious, her eyes were purple as she stood behind the two jounin at the gate. She was just there to sense things, they were there to do the actual questioning. The man on the left held up a hand. "Identify yourself, sir."
Ishino would happen to be strolling past the village gates at roughly that time. It was close to the cold springs that he was on his way to. Slowing as he'd hear Kiji, he mused and changed direction, pulling out that pocket watch to check the time as he'd come to stand behind Kiji. Silently the genjutsu masking his transition would drop, the ticking that was subtly there fading away as he'd watch the guards deal with an almost Yoichi curiously.
"Ah, here we are," the black-adorned man says as he looks to Kiji, almost looking past the guards. He then looks to the man speaking, holding up the head of the criminal and lifting an eyebrow. "This is who I am," he says before literally tossing the severed head to the man. "I suppose you can tell them to put it on Nii-san's tab. He may want to collect his bounties when he returns." He then looks back to Kiji, a knowing look in his eyes. "There will be a lot more of these coming. My brothers and I are having a bit of a competition. Someone will need to help us keep score. I do think Loz might cheat."
The guards looked a little confused. One turned back to Kiji with a stern look that demanded an explanation. Kiji just shrugged at him at first but when Yazoo looked past the guards and looked knowingly at her she blinked. Stepping forward she narrowed her deep blue eyes at the man suspiciously, then looked at his blade and the head he carried….. Back to Yazoo's face. "Y…Yoichi-sensei?" She looked hesitant but she couldn't deny what her senses were telling herr. He felt like Yoichi. He carried Kiba. If hewas not Yoichi he would die. It was that simple. no one may carry the Kiba but Yoichi…for now… A glance behind her at Ishino as he arrived got a quickl nod to the suited man before she looked back to Yazoo for affirmation. She wasn't sure what was going on but she wanted to find out.
Ishino watched the interaction, studying the person that was like Yoichi.. and yet not. Slowly, he'd walk forward, his shadow, that old man coming to fall in step next to him. It was a subtle thing, the ticking from Ishino or the old man, subtle but potent as it'd reach out around itself to touch those nearby, gathering them into that pulse, everything starting to move in time with it. It was a small thing and easily brushed aside by anyone who actively focused on it. "Greetings. I see there is some confusion here as you seem to be bearing one of the blades. However you are not Yoichi. So may I ask for a full report of what happen please? Otherwise I'm afraid we'll have to detain you.. I made sure to bring along a big enough bucket to do such."
Just as Yazoo is about to answer Kiji, Ishino steps forward, bringing a rather dark smirk from the man as he listens to him. "What happened, what happened," he muses as he looks to the suited man. "I'm afraid Nii-san has decided to go away for a while, to put it in terms you can understand. His eyes were opened again, and he's found this world lacking, so his being was split into three remnants, my brothers and I, to seek out if there is more meaning than that he has found. So you see, in a way, I am him, a piece of him that holds a piece of his power, and detainment is nothing more than a futile effort, along with being a waste of your resources when you have more pertinent things to worry about."
Kiji sensed the ticking, but wasn't familiar enough with it to pinpoint it and besides her attention was on Yazoo. When Ishino stepped forward she looked at him curiously. His tone was not lost on her however and she steppedback a pace. If this was actually Yoichi and Ishino and he went up against eachother…. Oh Sage the village would be in such trouble. That last comment made her wince too.
Yazoo started to speak and Kiji turned herr attention back to him. What he said made her eyes blank for a moment before darkening with storm clouds, a grey so dark it was almost black. She turned her eyes to the side, not quite looking down but definitely looking away. It was a brief moment before she looked at him again, sadly.
She turned to Ishino. "Ishino-sama, he has the same chakra signature as Yoichi-sensei and he has the Kiba blade. he would be stupid to return if what he says is not true…" She glanced back to Yazoo. "Right?"
"Arrogance is a kind of stupidity." Ishino would glance to Kiji with a small shrug. He looked back to Yoichi.. or at least the facimile of Yoichi for a long moment. "Interesting. Searching for an answer to a question he is the only one to know." Ishino shakes his head slightly at that, sighing softly. "It's a pity that he was not able to find the conclusion that would of kept him together. Alright. So what is your and your brother's names? So we might.. catalog Yoichi's leave of absense properly? While I could contain you.. As you said it would be a waste of resources and I don't feel like bothering with the paperwork."
Yazoo looks to Kiji, noting that look in her eyes but nodding simply. "Yes." He then looks back to Ishino and smirks a bit at him. "You might consider your own annoying brand of arrogance before you make such statements, Doihara-san. It might confuse some as to whether you're referring to yourself or who you're talking to" He pauses a moment then replies, "I am Yazoo. My brothers are Kadaj and Loz. As for your other statement, he's found it, but Nii-san is a man of knowledge. He would seek to be certain before acting on what it is that he's found and considering it a finality." With that he'd turn to approach Kiji, bring a hand up to lift her chin as Yoichi would. "Keep your eyes up as he told you. This was an inevitability, not something you caused on your own. Nii-san sends his regards and his thanks for your help in opening his eyes again."
Kiji listened to Ishino talk about arrogance but didn't quite get it. Truthfully she was listening to only half of the conversation at this point. She was relieved as Ishino agreed that detaining Yazoo would be a waste of resources and too much paperwork. Then Yazoo smarted off and listed the names of his 'brothers'. But she did catch the part where he said that Yoichi had come to an answer but wanted confirmation. The hand under her chin wasn't fought and she lifted her grey eyes.
Being told to keep her head up again got a half nod. The assurances that it wasn't her fault that Yoichi was suddenly gone like this would have been ignored anyway, but his other statement made her wince lightly. He thanked her for opening his eyes? She didn't mean to cause a problem and at this time too.
She did not have to gather courage, but she did have to push herself past the situation for a moment. "What about the Silence Yazoo-sama? What if they attack?"
Ishion smiles in response to Yazoo. "Mine is simply what it is. Just because I do have my arrogance, does not mean I am ignorant of it's results." Ishino mused as he'd listen to Yazoo, watching the interplay between him and Kiji for a quiet moment. Finally he'd shake his head slightly. "The reason Yoichi-san.. Now Yazoo.. is doing this, is because of the statement of the Silence, I believe. He feels that what the village does is.. incorrect. I'm presuming he's searching to see if there is anything worth keeping, or if the whole world should be flooded into non-existance." Ishino muses before shaking his head. "This is of course, simply off the observations I've had with Yoichi before.. this. So I could be in error."
"Ah, the Silence," Yazoo says, seeming almost amused as he stands back upright. "I've got my own ideas there, but, if I told you what they are now, it might spoil the surprise." With that he'd turn to Ishino, smirking at him before turning to start to walk away. "Interesting deduction, but you're still a bit off… and still just as annoying, as if you're the only one who can see the world around him clearly. Truth be told, I think you're just as blind as anyone else, just in different spots, but you want to protect what's dear to you, and I suppose that's good."
Once Yazoo let his hand come away she looked at Ishino, his explaination of what had happened didn't quite mesh up with what she knew about this situation. Which, of course was very little…But she could hear a hint of something in what was said. She'd have to mull it over later… Her eyes remained dark and grey as Yazoo told her that he had an idea abotu the Silence but didn't want to ruin the suprise which, oddly enough, made her relax a little. She also assumed that this 'split' meant her training was kind o fon it's own for a while which was alright, she would have to help Kazumi probably. When Yazoo called Ishino blind she raised her eyebrows, but tilted her head a bit as she watched the two interact.
"Most likely. Loyalty, while the main thing that I hold dear, still has it's down sides. However, I accept and acknowledge that such can lead to trouble. No matter who is the one pushing. We all have our limits." Ishino would give a small nod, watching Yazoo. "The reason why I feel I see more than others is because I manipulate my reality, Yazoo. There is never a clear path. It is action and reaction. It's just pushing the action the right way and guiding the reaction to what is wanted.."
So manipulating people makes you the one that sees more clearly," Yazoo says, seeming amused by that and simply continuing to walk. "Yet the same kind of knife you've readied to plunge into one person's back is the same kind they or another will have ready to plunge into your own. A friend is naught more than an enemy that hasn't made himself complete yet. Such a way for a people to live their lives."
Kiji watched the two men go back and forth and for a moment she wondered if all Swordsmen were like this or if these two simply did not like each other…. She tilted her head a little at Ishino's comment about manipulating reality and Yazoo's comment in response. She shook her head as if to clear it but when Yazoo said that a friend was just an incomplete enemy she frowned, her eyes darkening again. She remained silent and turned back to the two jounin who had backed off when Ishino had arrived, lookking back to where she was to be stationed. Tensionand emotion or not she had a shift to work…
So manipulating people makes you the one that sees more clearly," Yazoo says, seeming amused by that and simply continuing to walk. "Yet the same kind of knife you've readied to plunge into one person's back is the same kind they or another will have ready to plunge into your own. A friend is naught more than an enemy that hasn't made himself complete yet. Such a way for a people to live their lives." (re)
Kiji watched the two men go back and forth and for a moment she wondered if all Swordsmen were like this or if these two simply did not like each other…. She tilted her head a little at Ishino's comment about manipulating reality and Yazoo's comment in response. She shook her head as if to clear it but when Yazoo said that a friend was just an incomplete enemy she frowned, her eyes darkening again. She remained silent and turned back to the two jounin who had backed off when Ishino had arrived, lookking back to where she was to be stationed. Tensionand emotion or not she had a shift to work… (re)
Ishino glanced to Kiji, smiling faintly her direction before lookign to Yazoo. "Friends are special that can be trusted once it's verified they're not simply a temporary ally. Like you." Ishino would wave a hand vaguely towards Yazoo. "Manipulation of people is simply part of what I do. You do as well. I live like I expect everyone to betray me, Yazoo-san. Even Akane. While I know her to not be a spy.. despite what you.. or what you were.. might think.. she is still her own living, breathing person and the potential of her going against my plans is always present. That is true of anyone. Everyone. To think otherwise, to have a black and white world.. that sets up failure." Ishino would settle his arms across his chest loosely with an easy smile. "It is within the shades of gray that reality is made."
As he continues to walk away, Yazoo simply waves back at Ishino. "Glad to see you feel the need to prove to yourself what you're saying in front of a remnant and a Genin," he calls back without even looking as he starts to vanish down the path. He does, however, look back at once of the guards. "Make sure to mention to keep count. I'm sure Loz is going to try to lie." With that, unless impeded otherwise, he'd be gone into the mists of the forests surrounding Kirigakure.
"Like hunting people is proving you?" Ishino would watch Yazoo leave and shake his head turning away as well to walk into the village. This was definitely poor news. The one who held the blade is now.. three.. and deciding how to make the world die because.. what? What exactly did he suspect he saw? Ishino mused contemplatively as he walked, the old man with him pulling out an umbrella to put up over their heads.
