Starring:
Date: August 23, 2012
Summary:
Tsun 'abduction' crew make it to Land of Fire soil but, they are soon interrupted by an uninvited guest, with an unexpected offer.
Poster's note: Profanity filtered in obvious places.
"No Fate – Part 1: No Trust"
Somewhere on the Land of Fire Coast
Tsun takes a few pacing steps back and forth, unsure on what to do next she was free and now with someone that could teach her how to master the One-Tailed Beast but, that all seemed to easy. They just hopped in an overgrown slime-bucket and everything was done.
She didn't like that at all. Her head turns, looking off into the large expanse of ocean, expecting something to hop up.
"Nothing. Were they not even paying attention to me?" Tsun glares, she actually seemed a little bit ticked off that they weren't caught faster. "Eh… so what now? You got some sorta base or something. We're not going to be kicking around in the dirt like a couple of tree huggers are we?" Tsun kicks at the dirt to follow up her sentence, that instantly became no fun.
'Poor little Tsun-chaaan~ All alone, no one loves you~ No one is going to /save/ you. You're going to rot in this pathetic land, teeheeheehee!'
Tsun's angered face screws up even more but to the other two it may just look like time itself is causing the brat to become more and more agitated.
Goh had actually been away from the general area for a bit, perhaps ensuring that they indeed were NOT being followed. Not that the Akuu clan member had any doubts, but it was always good to make sure. Tracking away in a Salamander was always the easiest way to do it. Yet still, he looks a little bummed out when he comes back into the area, falling onto the grass with a soft thump. Obviously something was on his mind.
"Well, no-one should be bothering us. Wanryo is staying in the water, so he'll alert me when something is on its way." He rubs his forehead a little bit, maybe thinking. The gravity of the situation falling upon him. "Base?" He sort of peers about. "Not really. We sort of like just living on the road. Both Mushi and I have places we call home, but they aren't really super secret places." He pauses. "I'm sure Mushi has a plan. Somewhere she is going to take you. Or something! Heh."
"And what's wrong with hugging trees, anyways?"
'No one at all!'
"Hmph." Tsun turns her nose up this this thought, further reinforced by Goh's announcement on a lack of trackers. "Well, I guess that's impressive enough. Some Kirigakure ninja spend their day looking for trouble to hunt down, you just wandered up and took me away with only a drop of planning." A lazy two clap is given as she walks up to a tree and leans in close to it. "Hugging trees? They're scratchy, cold…" She pauses and flicks at the bark, "Usually have bugs on them." A flicked bug goes sailing away, regaining itself and about to fly away only for a tendril of water to whip out and slap it to the ground.
"Dead and boring too. Like how that fly is now."
Tsun lets out a sigh and flicks her hood up over her head. "Many other reason but, does that really sound huggable as is." Tsun's downer mode was at least letting her have a bit of fun. "Anyhoo. I don't like roads, they ****. I thought someone as dramatic as you too would have a cool base with a bed even a **** Queen sized one would be fine."
A lot of complaints coming from the girl that Mushi found half asleep standing up in the middle of nowhere.
Mushi is walking into view carrying a bucket, as Tsun and Goh talk. "Speaking of bugs, that's mine," she says. "The shichibi, the beetle bijuu. He's not too bad when you get to know him. A bit of a joker, actually." She grins. "As for the whole base thing, I have one but that's not where we're going. And I got you a present, Tsun-san." She shuffles in her pack and then tosses Tsun a black lump. Unfolded, it's a wig of sleek hair. Black, shiny, completely girlish. "Anyone can recognize you with this, but if we get any pictures of you going out it may be enough to fool some," she says.
She says, "What we're looking for is in this country, actually. I have some friends who helped me; they'll help you too, regardless of what country you're from. Unless you have some idea of where to go?" She seems abnormally cheerful for the situation, perhaps because they're out of the Land of Water for the time being.
"What a bother," a nearly inhumanly-deep male voice utters suddenly without any apparent source. A Jinchuuriki being abducted from her Village without anyone noticing? It seems to hope that was too good to be true. However, the one who appears now is no one that Tsun would recognize as being of the Hidden Mist… And yet one that Goh and Mushi would no doubt have no problem remembering. A shrieking vortex tears open the universe and reveals the awful Nothingness that lies behind moments after the voice speaks. The ground frosts over instantly in the area in front of the swirling, blacker-than-black rend in space-time, and water nearby freezes in mid-air. Air is torn from mouths for a moment, before being destroyed alongside rocks, grass, sand, and all the other light-weight things that fly to that horrific Void as though it were returning to its true home.
The Void collapses into a humanoid shape and then vanishes. The man is eight feet tall, wearing a black mantle with red clouds upon it. He has hair more gray than what was last seen by the Salamander-Sage and the wandering Medic-Nin, but the mask is the same. A black ceramic mask, perfectly smooth, with a red question mark emblazoned upon its surface. He rises from the kneeling position he arrived in and stands at his full height a few dozen feet away from the three who are now on the shore of the Land of Fire. So close… And yet so far.
His presence is significant. Chakra so potent is weighs down like a heavy hand upon others. Sensor-nin can detect something like this for miles if not properly concealed. The man known to many as 'Fuu' does not appear to care whether he is detected or not for the moment. Instead the tall man stands where he is, arms hanging at his sides, and says, "I have been waiting for a quite awhile for you to arrive, host to the One-Tailed Beast." The masked man raises a booted foot and then stomps it down, shifting a significant amount of earth in the process. "The Seals I placed here for tracking significant Chakra presences triggered when you left the Land of Water, but I had to wait to see which would trigger next before I knew where to meet you."
He is… Completely ignoring the other two isn't he.
"Your pained compliments give me great pleasure." Goh replies with a hint of sarcasm, though his goofy grin is enough to show that he's obviously not too bothered by it. "Some ninja focus on brute force, others illusions. I guess my thing is more of a sneaky variety." Looking at Tsun carefully as she begins to rant about the downsides of hugging trees, he himself looks at a nearby trunk. "I guess they're scratchy, but they do lots of cool things to. Like… I dunno, help provide shade on really hot days. Or help you be all ninja-like, y'know?" He scratches his nose, before appearing amused at her thoughts of him. "Really? A '****' Queen sized bed? Hmm. Even in my home, I've only got rugs pretty much. Certainly no luxurious bed, and you better get used to it. You're the apprentice of Mushi, now! I don't know how many hotels you'll be staying in, that's for sure. You'll be wandering all over the place, really."
And then Mushi arrives! He can't help but chuckle at the wig. "We must be super ultimate ninja if we're using something so basic to fool the ultimate tracking ninja of Kirigakure." He beams, almost as if he truly does think that. "Pretty good idea, babe! Way to outsmart the enemy." His head tilts a little. "I guess this is a Jinchuuriki club thing, yeah? You're taking her to a secret special training place?"
Of course, the arrival of Fuu is something Goh had not counted on. He was a sneaky ninja, but.. well, sometimes there was just no stopping this guy. The hairs on the back of his neck stand straight as the large man arrives, Goh's eyes widening significantly. Sort of staring at Fuu in an expression that the blonde rarely shows. Shock, surprise and a hint of fear. "Fuu?" He asks, still in disbelief. "What the **** are you doing here?" This arrival is such a wildcard. It could either be good or bad. Goh appears to want to know exactly what end, before jumping into actions.
"R-rugs?" Tsun's free eyebrow twitches as she tries to grasp that. "Well I guess it's a good thing I don't really sleep. This would be a nightmare." Tsun slouches forward just as Mushi appears along with her first words that makes Shukaku shriek into Tsun's head. 'WHAAAAT?!' "**** **** sticks! Ow!" The girl clutches onto her head with her right hand hoping that would somehow dull the pain of the tantrum king.
'That happy go lucky jerk?! Of all…'
"A… bug…" Tsun makes a grossed out face and instantly gets the image of the giant spider that attacked long ago. During the heat of the moment it didn't bother her but a giant beetle with seven random antennae wobbling about…
Well let's just hope Mushi doesn't have to transform any time soon. "Shukaku doesn't seem too found of him but then again, neither was he of the other tailed beast. Eh." Tsun shrugs, "It's a bug though so I'm gonna side with him on this one." Tsun wasn't entirely sure why Shukaku was talking to her again but, did not question it even though it was nothing but teasing and negative thoughts she was not found of the emptiness that was her thoughts without those. Leaving Tsun to continue being a brat, though a brat with a little bit of emotion now.
"So." Tsun reaches out, snatching up the gift and whipping it into its full form. "Is er.. this supposed to disguise me?" Tsun peeks into it then looks down to herself, her usual clothes being worn. She then tugs at the strap that held the giant snow white gourd in place. "If you really want to keep me a little hidden…"
A mischevious grin appears before she follows up with a genuine enthusiasm, "You should take me shopping for clothes! I need something new, some of girls in Kiri are trying to im-" Tsun was cut short by the sudden freakish voice popping out of nowhere. Her free eye shifts left and right, trying to pick up on the source, chakra starting to spike upwards as the world itself seemed to be turning against the trio and then a man appears. Which leaves her to wonder if a man who can do this any better than the world itself turning against them.
"Ugh…" The gravity of this situation was, quite literally being put upon her. Tsun was definately no sensor-nin but, this was hard to ignore. A trickle of sweat rolls down her forehead as Goh asks the question that Tsun could not at the moment. She was too busy staring into that unhelpful mask worn by someone who pretty much doubled her height and possibly her chakra.
"That dumb lump of dough," Choumei grumbles. "He couldn't tell a joke if it stabbed him up the…'
"You say that, when you don't know how fond he is of your bijuu," Mushi smiles sweetly to Tsun. "Actually, before his cheerfulness Choumei was a bit of a sourpuss as well. Always angry, angry, angry. Maybe once Shukaku comes around, they'll be the best of—huh?"
Mushi falls silent when the vortex opens. Unlike Goh and Tsun she doens't simply stand there; she's already gathering herself for a fight. However, unlike most battle transformations hers isn't some maddening state or a surge of chakra. Rather, she's radiating control and a dangerous calm. Not that such a subtle change would make such an impression on Fuu, since he seems to be completely ignoring them.
She grins at Tsun. "See? If you'd put it on on time, he would never be able to recognize you," she says. She doesn't even acknowledge Fuu as she says to Tsun, "He's Fuu, though his name is prone to change. He can be troublesome."
She turns to Fuu and asks, "You're not here to cause trouble…are you? We wouldn't want to have to confront you again."
The masked man stands quietly for a moment until he others are done speaking. He does not turn his head towards Goh when he answers the questions asked by such — though the fact there are no eyeholes in that mask probably means he is not relying on sight regardless, "I am afraid this is a business call rather than a personal visitation, Goh. Chatting amicably with you will have to wait until some other time. Though, as it >has< been >so long< since last we spoke…" The giant turns his deep near-monotone slightly towards sarcasm. "A small update on what I have been up to: I have the Stone of Spirit and the Stone of Nature — what the Salamanders called the 'World-Pillar' — now. I went to pick up the one and found the other while I was down there. They were not especially willing to part with these items, but eventually they simply…" The man raises his right hand, with the kanji for 'memory' tattooed on his palm, and gestures loosely. "…>Forgot< why they had such an attachment to such trinkets."
The man waits for a few moments to let that sink in and then lowers his hand back to his side. He then answers Goh and Mushi at the same time. "As for why I am here… I am here to offer this Jinchuuriki — the host to the One-Tailed Shukaku — what you can not. >Proper< instruction in how to master a creature of pure Chakra and make it >obey<." Fuu is not quite the same now as he was before after all. It is not just his hair being a different color, his left arm is all wrapped in bandages, and these bandages are in-turn covered on every inch of their surface with a variety of Seals. Chains in turn are wrapped around the bandages. His arm was normal before, wasn't it? Did he do something to it?
"All that other Jinchuuriki know how to do is form a sort of 'partnership'… 'Cooperating' with their Bijuu. It is not that they are truly friends or even really allies. It is more as though they are simply >warden< and >prisoner<. This works well-enough for those who manage it, of course…" Again, the masked giant gestures carelessly with his right hand while his left hangs like a dead thing. "But ultimately, the power of the Tailed-Beast is dished out as that creature dictates. The prisoner is the one calling the shots as long as the warden cares about being strong. I have an >alternative< method to offer…"
The man points at Tsun and says, "I can make you the >master< and Shukaku the >servant<. When you want him to shut up, he will do so for fear of your power and the punishments you can deliver if he refuses. If you want to sleep, you will do so without interruption or infringing upon your slumber by that >beast<. If you want to stay awake, it will be >your own choice< rather than because of his >yammering<. If you want to hear what he has to say, he will speak and he will do so in the >exact manner you dictate<. You will have access to all of his power, whenever you desire, and with no need to bargain and coerce like the other Jinchuuriki…"
The man then lowers his hand and shrugs helplessly, finally lifting his left arm and showing it does indeed live — if in a rather twitchy manner. "Of course, you can simply trust these others to know what is best for you, to tell you where to go, what to do, where to lie down, and all the rest… You can be the weak one if you prefer." The masked man then lowers both arms slowly back to his sides and rumbles quietly. "But we both know you do not want that. You want to be strong, do you not?"
Goh darts his eyes into the direction of Tsun for a bit, looking at the Kirigakure shinobi as she seems to just gape. Fuu certainly had that lovely effect on people. The blonde sucks in a big breath, trying to keep himself calm. "Don't let the mask fool you." He says to Tsun, maybe trying to relieve some of the pressure. "It's an intimidation thing. The question mark on his face is a symbol of how he hasn't got much of a clue." He swallows, before taking a glance to Mushi.
As always, the symbol of stubbornness. She was like a rock in how she prepared, but even moreso when huge surprises arrived. He does smile, even if it is slight.
Hearing what Amuro had done, venturing down into the Caves and using his memory techniques, Goh shows a bit more emotion. His face narrows, and his fists clench tightly. "You son of a.." He stops himself before going to far, though it's obvious he's agitated by that. Despite the fact that Fuu could have done much worse in the grand scheme of things. And it is this thought that perhaps restrains the blonde, who otherwise would have flung himself at the man. A suicidal thought, to be sure.
When the proposition comes, Goh continues just staring. "You're full of it." His tone still a bit angry from news of the Salamander. "You think you would know better than Mushi? Who's gone through the whole thing herself? At least you can count on her to not, y'know, put some sort of secret seal that would let her control Tsun's bijuu. Unlike a certain other someone here." Of course, this was Tsun's call in the end, not his.
"Tsun, this guy is whack. Any help that he is offering to you is fueled by his own plans. Trust that from someone who knows that directly." He pauses a little. "He will probably grant you extreme power, for a time. But you won't ever be in full control. And then eventually he'll figure out some way to control it himself, turning you into a puppet."
'This freakish power, he doesn't even seem to be trying. Could it be /him/? No… the number of tails can't matter this much.'
Tsun's eyebrow perks up, Shukaku sounded a bit meek, though she had no idea who or what the tanuki was yammering about though his fear was enough to snap Tsun out of her own. Mushi gets a sideward glance, surprised she had time to joke, maybe this was an easy opponent for the seven tail's host. Tsun's grip tightens on the wig. "Turn me into a puppet? It'd be no different than the majority of my life." Tsun's chakra begins to gather further, an unstable growth in power. "But, Goh is right how can I trust you'll compare to someone who is a jinchuuriki them self and has mastered it. But with that level of chakra you might very well be…"
'Tsun, calm down.'
Tsun's free eye turns black, a gold four pointed star replacing the human pupil. As a grin begins to spread across Tsun's face, fangs are revealed. "What are you so afraid of Shukaku?" Tsun's body tenses as chakra continues to grow, the dark chakra within now pouring out alongside hers as it looks as if she were about to challenge this Fuu guy head on without a care of losing control until suddenly…
The level of power radiating from Tsun drops and the dark chakra simply disappears. Tsun's eye fades to normal and goes wide as she looks down at her hands, "Wh-what?! Now you decide to not get into a fight?!" She had never witnessed Shukaku back out like this and she's fought tons of terrifying people before. Of course not on this level.
'I am not fighting the Nine-tails.' Shukaku states bluntly and retreats into the corners of Tsun's mind. Leaving Tsun to stand there dumbfounded, she had no idea what proof Shukaku had but, it wouldn't be totally unexpected with how the man just popped up. "You're just gonna punk out on me now?!" Tsun drops down to her knees, teeth gritted. The demon that made her life a living hell had at least one advantage, he was always there to help her win fights despite the fact Shukaku was the one who usually convinced her to begin the fights. In a fit of rage Tsun punches at the floor.
"What use are you?!"
Mushi looks surprised at Fuu's offer, and then immediately suspicious. What is his game? She doesn't think he's doing this out of compassion for Tsun, and she doesn't trust it one bit. She looks to Tsun to see how she may be taking this. The talk of the stones, though not fully lost on her, is still mostly lost. She hadn't been tracking that as closely as the other two. However, her jaw drops when he says that he'd managed to winkle them from the Salamanders. Her eyes narrow.
She glances at Goh to see how he might be taking it. Not too well. At least, he didn't attack. This isn't the time to inflame this situation, though it'd be a much different scenario if Tsun weren't around. Mushi crosses her arms and looks to Tsun. Is she going to bar Tsun's way? Shout at Fuu? She actually smirks and shakes her head.
"Well, there you have it, Tsun-san," she says. "You hardly had options for what you were going to do with Shukaku when you left. Now you have two. Master the bijuu the traditional way. Or crush him. However, he's wrong about one thing. You won't be more powerful. You'll be weaker. In the end, whether the traditional method makes Shukaku become your friend, he will be your ally. Not a "sort of" ally. One who can actually help you, as hard as that is to believe now. Now it's up to you…do you want a slave? Or an ally? As a firsthand account I'll say…choose the latter. Stay with me. You'll get strong. And I won't make you wear a question mark on your face."
Fuu Ka might be smiling behind that mask. Though none would be able to see it, it could be imagined. Or maybe he is scowling. Or maybe he has a neutral expression. Or maybe there is no face under that mask — just a freakish blank expanse of flesh with nothing on it. Wouldn't that be something? Imagining what is under that mask has to be put aside as the man answers Goh bluntly. "Yes, I do think I know better. I have been in the heads of other Jinchuuriki who have 'mastered' their Bijuu, and I have mastered something far stronger than any Bijuu. I have seen the memories of the Three-Tailed Giant Turtle's Jinchuuriki, for instance… I will not deny that I have used the promise of what another desires to gain aid and loyalty in the past. I have given power to obtain what I want. I also admit that this time is little different. However, there are three main things to remember." The masked man holds up his left hand, the twitchy one that looks like something wild and vicious is underneath those bandages and struggling to get out. The hand holds up one finger. "One: I have actually delivered what I promised." A second finger comes up. "Two: I am this powerful now and I am over one-hundred and thirty years old. You should have seen me a few decades ago. If I wanted to do this by force I would not be offering a choice. I would simply do what I wanted and be done with it." A third finger comes up. "Three: The one form of power that will always be its owner's to control is >knowledge<."
"The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox…" he begins slowly. Did he somehow hear the conversation in Tsun's head!? "…can sense and is lured by human malice," he finishes. "So what I did was… I gathered all the malice of humanity since the beginning of human existence in one place, and let the Kyuubi come to me. You may have heard that Uchiha Madara summoned the Nine-Tails to battle at the Valley of the End, against Senju Hashiramako. Do you know who offered the Nine-Tails to him? Who taught him how to form a Summoning Contract with that beast? Who taught him how to >control< it?" The other fingers on Fuu's hand all go down, and then he raises his thumb and jerks it at his broad chest to indicate himself.
"I hold the knowledge of thirteen-thousand people in my head. All of their skills, all their memories, all their anguish, all their joy, their births, their lives, their deaths. Even things they did not remember themselves… I have visited your mind before as well, Kaguya Tsun. I know what I know about you because I have seen it for myself. You do not remember meeting me, but we >have< met. If all I wanted was a puppet I have plenty to choose from all over the world. If I wanted to make you obey me I could have placed a pain Seal on you and simply left it on until you agreed. I do want something here, but if I can not have it from you then I can obtain it somewhere else easily."
The masked man lowers his left hand finally, and it seems to want to rebel against the idea, sticking tendrils of red and black energy visible to the naked eye through the bandages for a moment. It emanates so much raw despair mixed with power in those moments before Fuu slaps his right hand onto the bandaged arm and applies a new Seal that burns bright gold that… It might very well support the idea he has that Fox in there. After a moment of flexing and testing that arm that now seems to act like a normal appendage, the towering figure says, "A Tailed Beast is merely an energy form that needs a human body to control it. Allies? You can >manufacture< allies. Furthermore, an ally, as you may have noticed, gives his or her power as he or she >chooses<. You have no say in how an ally will respond. If you rely on an ally, then it is up to that individual whether you succeed or fail. The only strength you can ever >truly< be sure of is the strength >you< command. If you command your own strength, and your own power… Allies will be easy to find and easier still to replace."
The masked man raises his right hand and a puff of smoke appears over his palm as he holds it facing the sky. When the smoke clears, there is a scroll laying upon it. "If you wish to take me up on this offer, open the scroll and read what is written there upon. You will be guided to a place we can meet… And one without >rugs< at that." He then throws the scroll towards Tsun. "…Honestly, >rugs<? Have you never heard of scroll storage? You could have a king-sized bed whenever you desire." He shakes his head in disgust.
As Tsun starts to break down, falling onto her knees, it draws the eye of Goh. "Calm down, Tsun. This is no time to be freaking out." He had no idea what happened, but by what the Kirigakure shinobi is saying, it seems that the Bijuu is not keen on fighting Fuu. Not that Goh could blame it. "A fight is the last thing we want to get into here. Kirigakure are probably looking for you. Having a brawl here will probably give us away." Just maybe. >_> "And it's something that I think even Fuu here could agree on."
The blonde looks back to Fuu, almost carefully. Fuu was powerful, but he was no idiot. Ignoring Tsun if she was unable to fight, he would still struggle against a souped up Mushi and sidekick Goh. Or at least, such are the thoughts of the vegetabler.
When Mushi begins her selling offer, Goh just seems to look at the man carefully. In the end, it was Tsun's call. Thought it would certainly **** if the Shukaku went away with Fuu after all the effort that Goh went to trying to get it! "While I can't promise you'll be sleeping on Queen sized beds, you'll at least know that you're safe. If you're with this guy here, well…" He pauses. "You'll be on edge always, constantly looking over your shoulder." His nose wrinkles at that thought.
When Fuu begins his spiel, Goh just sort of listens. Dropping the names of such legendary ninja around are a sure way to impress, that's for sure. And the personal jib at the end is noted. His fists clench hard again, not paying too much attention to the scroll as it is tossed.
"Tsun, I can promise you right now. If you take this guy up on his offer, you'll regret it forever." That's all he says about that, though he finally comes up with a sensible response to the personal jib.
"Yeah, well. You smell funny. And no-body likes you. So ner." Nice.
Tsun belatedly winces at the pain in her hand. "Tch…" Tsun waits in silence to see if Shukaku had anything else to say but, nothing comes to mind. It looks like this choice rested solely on her. Solely, despite Shukaku being right there. This little annoyance would simply prove Fuu's point, while Tsun had not mastered Shukaku they did have an estranged friendship. Tsun came with Mushi under the idea of simply being able to control Shukaku, not necessarily within the bounds of friendship through.
Maybe that was Kirigakure's teachings talking.
"Everything he says. He seems to know exactly what he's talking about. But, he just doesn't seem, right." Tsun's breathing becomes labored as she thinks and thinks and thinks. As the scroll is tossed her way, her eyes do not leave the ground but her hand manages to stick up and snatch it out of the air. Despite both sides wanting her, Tsun had felt incredibly alone here as she felt as if she didn't even have her own thoughts, she couldn't think right at all and majority of the words the others flung her way turned into mushed up grumbling..
A shaking hand tucks the scroll away into her jacket but does not say a single word or even look into the eyes of those around her. Tsun's only objective now is to try and regain her breathing to its normal pace.
Mushi can't help but stare at Fuu's faceor his mask, to be sureas he gives his rather extensive qualifications for how-to-train-your-bijuu. To be fair, he has had a century more time to do so. Speaking of which…130 years old? Mushi shakes her head in astonishment. How can a guy like this exist in the world? She runs a hand through her hair and glances over her shoulder for a moment, as if a Hunter Nin will burst into the area any second. And they'd surely get a ripe eyeful. But what could they do? The most powerful medic, the strongest Genin, the greatest Sage, and a man radiating such chakra. It wouldn't even classify as S-Rank. This makes Mushi chuckle, though she doesn't give it an explanation. She looks to Fuu.
"Your powers are amazing," Mushi says, "but that doesn't mean you're the best fit, Fuu-san. And I'm sorry…I really can't give her up after all. She's my precious apprentice, haven't you heard? If she's desperate enough to come to you afterward, she can. But I really don't think she will be. I'm a pretty good teacher. I suppose we could argue whose better here, who could help her better. But the truth is, I didn't go into Kiri, jump down a slimy salamander throat, and run here just to hand her over to you. Nor do you have the right to say you could leave her writhing with a pain seal. Since that implies two things: one, that you could take us, and two, that I couldn't remove it. You have excellent skills, but I've undone a few myself. So you've given her your scroll…please go, or this will turn into a fight."
Fuu bows dramatically towards Goh, Tsun, and Mushi, adding a flourish of one arm. "I have said what I wish to. The choice is in Tsun's hands now… Figuratively and literally. There are no more guarantees with these two or that Jinchuuriki in the Hidden Leaf than with me. The only thing you will know for certain, Tsun… Is the results of your decision when you make it. I can not promise you friendship or companionship… I can not offer you love or devotion… " He straightens up then and says simply, with no hint of mockery in his so-deep voice, "All I can offer you is knowledge and the power to decide who is >really< in control."
Then a swirling black vortex appears over his torso at about his sternum, howling and tearing at the air like the fingernails of a demon upon the Soul of Everything, freezing the leaves upon trees, turning sand to granules of ice, and then the masked man is sucked into this horrendous anomaly of… Of… >Nothingness<. The Void is gone moments after its creator is. If anyone has heard of the rumors… Of Higuregakure, the Twilight Village in the Land of Rivers… Of that entire Village being replaced with an abominable Void… What is wielded by this man may strike a chord of similarity to that unfortunate event.
He may not have shown any sign of hearing or caring about what Goh and Mushi said towards him, but where the masked man now stands in one of his secure sanctums, many thousands of miles away… Fuu Ka decides he should set aside some time to check on his adopted daughter, Tomoyo, and to arrange for his first meeting with his biological daughter… Uzumaki Shiiko.
He does not have all eternity.
Goh takes another big breath, before exhaling slowly once more. It seems that, hopefully, this is starting to come to an end. With Mushi talking herself, Goh just stands there for the moment, not saying a whole lot. Almost stoic for a moment. "You've made your little spiel, Fuu." He begins, the scroll having been caught by the now trembling Jinchuu. Confirming what Mushi had just said.
"Now beat it." The pickler says rather coldly, this whole experience has been a bit bothersome. At least to Goh, who is starting to get more and more on edge. There were things that he wanted to do quite immediately, but couldn't.
The pickler watches, as in a similar fashion to how he arrived, the imposing figure is gone. There's a few seconds of silence, before Goh's fists clench again. "****." And with this, he turns to the two girls. "Mushi, can you look after Tsun by yourself for a bit? The Sala…" He begins, his tone filling with some sort of family affection. "I… I have to check on them. And the caves. Make sure that **** didn't leave anything behind." His voice wavers a little bit, "More people getting hurt, because of me, because of me." He turns and heads for the water that they arrived from, his shoulders noticeably slumped. As if he's trying to carry the world on his shoulders.
Tsun looks up at the man, the man who came through absolutely nothing to offer her power. Where were these people suddenly popping up from and why. There had to have been some reason that exactly within these last two days two powerful people tried to nab her. Maybe neither was different, while Mushi appeared to be sunshine and rainbow, her nature seemed rather aloof, she appeared to be uncertain in things as if she couldn't say all that was on her mind.
All the while this Fuu came off as cruel though seemed very sure in every action he made, despite the malice that came from him she felt almost certain that she had no choice in the offer when the scroll was given to her. He seemed to know. Know what? She wasn't sure, it was as if he was in her mind. Was he… was he there again? Her hand shakily reaches up to her jacket and reaches in. "Get out… get out…"
'TSUN!'
The sudden shout causes Tsun to recover her hand drops from her jacket. 'There is no one in here. Hmph to have you lose your cool so easy, I'm ashamed to be sealed inside of you.' Tsun blinks a few times, when she began focusing again she'd realize that Fuu was already gone but, she would also come to the realization that neither of these people could be trusted and Shukaku would agree. 'Just this once. I don't like this either Tsun.' It was interesting to see Shukaku so serious for such a long period of time. Though as interesting as it may be, it also pointed out the level of danger she could possibly be in.
In an instant the dark chakra would return but, Tsun would not use it to attack. Instead she raises one hand in the air and the gourd on her back bursts open.
The bloodied water begins to spread and thin out into thick, foul smelling mist. She had to escape, hopefully this cover would be enough to get away from these two. She couldn't truly trust Fuu to be gone, it could've been some sort of illusion. "Don't worry about her looking after me." With that said Tsun would flicker within the mists no doubt Mushi can most likely track her but, logic was overridden by fear.
Tsun would have one second to stare at Mushi's stunned face before the mists overtake the whole area. No, not mist, it's red and smells like blood! So gross. With the foul stuff all around her Mushi can't see even a few feet in front of her. And no matter how hard she looks she can't find the little brat. Is this what it's like having kids? Mushi rakes her hands through her hair and takes a calming breath, and then coughs. Bloody air.
"Tsun-san, don't do this," she says. She meant to sound authoritative and calm, but there's a desperate edge to her tone. "I know how it is. The dark voices, the pain in your head and mind, the desperation, I was there too." She glances back to make sure Fuu is well out of the area, though it's hard to tell. "And if you think you don't need me then come back, see if you can beat me, and then leave. And if you leave like this I'll chase you down, find you, and help you anyway ya brat before Punctuation-san gets to you!"
As the mist envelops the area, Goh pauses as he walks down. He sort of narrows his eyes and looks around, before holding out his hand. Out scurries a small Salamander from his vest! Down his arm and onto the back of his hand. Goh relates the location of Tsun to the small Reiko, who then hops over to Mushi's head. Likely to direct her to give chase!
The blonde wouldn't just leave her stranded, after all. ;)
It would appear she had gotten away, the mist would eventually dissipate and Tsun clears the area. The girl was unsure which direction she was running in, "Great plan that was." Tsun /had/ been in the Land of Fire on multiple occasions maybe she could figure this out!
The Shukaku like eye darts left and right the girl slowly taking on her full form as the gravity of her chakra continues to pull ice shards towards her. This all making her footing a bit off for a moment and causing her to stop. "What the heck is the point of this form anyway? It's not helpful at all I just need the chakra." Tsun would just hear a childish giggle from Shukaku within, it was obvious the older Tsun transformation was just a bit of eye candy if nothing else, from somewhere in the corner of her mind she could hear the word 'Flat'.
"Tch whatever. Maybe this scroll he gave me can at least give me some bearings on where I am." Tsun reaches into her jacket, tugging on the scroll that somehow got awkwardly jammed in her inner coat pocket. "I bet it's all this stupid ice." 'I bet it's all nyeh nyeh. Nyeh nyeh.' Tsun ignores this and pauses, was something following her? Her eyes squint over her shoulder as she stands still. That man found her so easily before, he could probably just do it again.
Her heart locked up for a second. "You better not run this time…" She mumbles to the cowardly tanuki as she prepares for the worst.
Mushi flinches when Reiko lands on her shoulder. But once it's clear he's there to help she says tersely, "Thanks," and without a second thought follows the directions he gives. As she does, she gathers chakra swiftly at the same time. So Tsun would see someone coming after her. Namely Mushi, with a salamander on her shoulder. And a particularly pissed off expression. Everything had been going okay before—this was all Fuu's fault. His fault, and Tsun's delinquent teenage hormones, what age was she at to be running off like this? Unbeknownst to herself, Mushi is actually grumbling this underneath her breath.
"Tsun-san stop right there!" she orders, this time more firmly. "We're going shopping, finding a place to stay, and helping you master your bijuu! No way you're going off by yourself with some dumb scroll and no proper idea of how to tame your bijuu!" She'd make a few seals then and a wave of clear chakra washes out in a wall. If it hit Tsun it'd simply wash over her but leave her completely paralyzed.
Tsun hesitates when she spots it's Mushi, as much as she had planned to instantly attack whoever came up behind her it seemed to have faultered when this woman showed up. "Tsun, do something! Tsun!" Shukaku's thoughts being voiced by both in a loud authoritative shout. Tsun does nothing though, instead the meager auto defense comes up and partially seals her away from the attack. Tsun has no choice but to stand still now, not like she was doing anything else a moment ago. A determined look in her eyes, she stares on ahead and forces her mouth to move through the paralysis.
"How… can… I… trust… you?" Tsun growls out, her fingers starting to twitch, the girl already fighting her chakra prison. "The… same…" Tsun's whole body is visibly trembling but, that is all she can do for now.
Mushi is already making more seals, and now she slaps her palm on the ground. A huge, intricate black seal appears right under Tsun but does nothing yet. "How can you trust me?" Mushi echoes. "How can you trust Fuu!? Thinking he could beat us both, take you any time, when really with us together he can't. His jab at Goh's summons was a clear attempt to make Goh part from us, and Goh fell for it. He could come back any time. Do you want to be dragged away unwillingly? You need me to keep you safe, it's clear that guy isn't looking out for your best interest."
She sighs and runs a hand through her hair, before indicating the seal. "That seal is to drain you dry. I don't harm my opponents, I leave them unable to lift a finger for months. But I need the chakra to protect you in case Question Mark comes back. So I'll let you go and tell you why you can trust me." She dissipates the seal and then says, "When I was seventeen Choumei, my bijuu, was destroying our countryside. My brother who would've been Kage of our village, some Jounin, and I finally managed to corner it. And at the cost of his life, he sealed the bijuu within me. Well, lots of people had put contracts out to stop the bijuu and our village got them all. I took some of the money and left, and used it to make a medical center, to help heal the war torn people who didn't have access to the better facilities in the Great Shinobi Villages. That's how the Neutral Medical Center began, and the reason why we remain neutral is because I don't want my center tied to the dark fate of the Great Shinobi Villages. Look how they can destroy, drag down, corrupt! It'd drag my Center down into the mud. And for that reason I've spent years standing aside as friends, allies, people I knew were killed and I did nothing for the sake of neutrality. I shed tears as I never took sides. And now I've risked everything to steal you from the village and help you train…and you ask how you can trust me? I've risked everything I worked for. Depending on how this goes down, I may be banished from the Center my brother's sacrifice made possible…forever! And a missing nin. And yeah, I'm not looking forward to if Fuu pops out right now and tries to lay down the whammy if he sees I'm still with you. If that doesn't gain a little of your trust, enough not to run away for a few days, I don't know what will!!!"
Tsun would stay silent, at first due to being paralyzed but, even when she was free she continued to keep silent. Soon the dual voice rolls out, "A story like that." Tsun's head bows as if sorry for her actions, "Has no effect on me." Tsun looks up to glare at Mushi with that sole eye, "In my fifteen years of life, I've learned that every human does something for a reason and it is usually selfish, even if they believe it is righteous or if they know their goals are corrupt. While in my countless years I've seen nothing to disprove Tsun's short life." Tsun's head tilts back and a loud pop is heard, "I never said I trusted Fuu. I'm not retarded. But, he did make me realize something."
When Tsun's head drops forward it pops again. "You aren't someone I can trust. Someone coming all this way to help me, to risk everything, just fr kicks? This thing you call neutrality includes turning a child rogue and forcing her by your side. THIS IS MY TSUN-CHAN MINE! I WILL NOT TRUST YOU WITH MY TSUN! KRRRAAAAAH!" With the war cry, her chakra levels begin to wail along until…
"Nani?"
Tsun blinks a few times before exploding into shards of ice, the girl's appearance returning back to normal before she dropped to one knee. It'd take her, what seems to be a few minutes to catch herself and she recovers with a cocky smirk. "That was not me… but, to say I disagreed with everything Shukaku said. That would be a lie. Anyway, you said we were shopping? Guh." Tsun grips her gut with her right hand, "I'll just need a sec." This was new, this time she wasn't even aware of Shukaku even getting remotely close to taking over. 'Just how bad did this Fuu guy mess me up, just by standing around?'
Tsun was not one to be beaten and when she does it isn't taken lightly. A small anger stirs within her just from feeling so weak after a simple meeting. For now, she will paly off this whole thing and act 'normal'.
Mushi may not just be dealing with Tsun's teenage hormones. Mushi stares at Tsun as she speaks in that unearthly tone. And as the chakra levels begin to rise, Mushi is already gathering herself for an assault, her face set till…huh? No explosion? In fact, far from trying to run away or crush Mushi, Tsun decides that they should go shopping. Mushi lets out a huge sigh of relief. She handled that quite well, never mind that she's practically sweating bullets. Mushi mops her brow with the back of her sleeve.
"Yup, we're going to go shopping in Otafuku Gai," Mushi says cheerfully. Translated, that's "Homely Woman Town." It has plenty of hotels and fun places. "It's all business, and turns a blind eye to anyone there so long as they're paying customers. You should be safe with the wig." She holds up the forgotten hair piece and then would toss it at Tsun, along with a fat purse of coins. She says, "Tsun-san, there's not much I can say. I want to be your friend, your ally, but I can't really prove any of that unless you give me some time. Just stick around and see." Then she'd set off in the direction of Otafuku Gai. "It's not far."
