Starring:
Date: June 30, 2013
Summary:
Meruin takes Kiyoshi to the ruins of a people once known to help provide a little perspective to the life he'll lead.
"Perspective"
The Ruins Beyond the Cavern
Ruins [Land of Water]
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
This place stands as a relic of what was once a great civilization, now gone. All that remains of them is this stone city. Several buildings of varying heights stand, all mainly set along what would be a main street, though there are a few set off for other winding streets through the area. Most of the buildings have vines and other vegetation growing up around them, uninhabited for ages and thus unkept. This place would make a valuable campsite area for anyone looking to hide out.
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Contents:
Kiyoshi
Exits:
In - (I) [Ancient Temple]
South - (S) [Hidden Tropical Oasis]
Meruin walks through these nameless ruins with an easy stride, every motion smooth enough to nearly make him appear to be gliding over the broken path rather than truly touching the ground. The light of day that manages to make it into this place reveals the what has befallen it. Buildings crumble, people and their remains have long since vanished, and the imprint and importance of human life slow continues to rot away. Nature is a scavenger, swiftening the process, it's various vines and weeds feeding off of the corpse of this once civilization. The Okumo turns his eyes to a building off to the side at a sound coming from it, looking back to the front as he determines it's just a rodent hunting.
"Do you know anything of these people?" he asked Kiyoshi, breath visible in the winter air.
"No," Is Kiyoshi's quick and civil response after dragging his gaze away from the surrounding ruins to look upon the back of his sensei. Those that once resided when the ruins were once fresh and lively were long dead. Thus they were of no consequence to him. Rather or not it was intended or not, Kiyoshi could not but begin to wonder about the significance of this place. Or at least what once was. Did the people back then procure a method in detaining great beasts? Perhaps even destroy something as powerful as a Bijuu? During the silent moment that followed Kiyoshi's the questions kept piling up; blinding him of the bitterness built up over being forced to wander about in the cold.
"Do… they have anything to do with whatz to happen today?" He asked warily, pointedly staring at the Okumo from behind the safety of plastic.
"No," is Meruin's reply. "In a direct sense, they have nothing to do with today's events. Indirectly, perhaps." The Okumo's hand lifts, gesturing to the ruins about them in a deliberate sweep of the arm. "These people are important for the sheer fact that they no longer exist. That you do not know anything of them. That none know anything of them." The Okumo comes to a stop, turning around to face the boy who was his ward. His placid gaze settled on Kiyoshi, the placids mists within slowly shifting in a blue calm. "This place is to serve as a reminder. Tell me what this place makes you think of."
Kiyoshi scratched the back-top portion of his noggin in befuddlement, but refrained from interrupting the Okumo. It is with a start that the Kirryu belatedly realizes the explination was at an end, and a question asked. "Uhm…" The youth languidly let his hand fall from atop of his head, and began searching there area with sharper focus being on the details. Although he had intended to search only from one spot Kiyoshi soon found himself wandering a few steps towards whatever ruin look the most interesting. Unfortunately, those same structures tended to stir unpleasant feelings.
"Hopeful Past-…" He sweeps a hand about the ruins to the left. "Same Future." He adds, doing the same with his right hand before letting both limbs fall to his sides. "Almost like one big, ugly cricle." He stated coarsely.
Meruin inclines his head at the youth's answer, cool gaze unshifting. With so little activity in his face, so little motion to the manchild, he seemed nearly like a statue. Like a machine, more, bred to a single purpose, and acting, moving, breathing only when necessary to see it completed. And then his hair slipped over his shoulders to his back, beginning to twist itself into a braid with languid sweeps and arcs, and he speeaks.
"What is your place in this circle?" comes on a fading wisp.
"…."
The answer was as clear as day to the youth; but even so, he could not bring himself to answer. Instead he tried to shrug off the responsiblity — both figuratively and literally — before turning away partially and crossing his arms over his chest. Better to seem rude than to continue fighting the urge to avoid taking into account how inhuman Meruin behave. As well as to better resist the compulsion to be mindfull, honest, and subserviant to the will of the owner of mist ladden eyes. The act is not enough for the peripheral still provides a window.
"… A Trigger of Destruction."
"Near to it."
Meruin had been silent and patient, simply awaiting the boy's response through the whole of his internal battle, but his response was immediate after the answer had finally come. "As far as your village is concerned, you are not the trigger but the explosive. Your duty, as they ask…" He gestures to the ruins, empty of human life, most of their mark already wiped away. "Is to make this on their command."
The Okumo's expression remains the same. "And you have the power to do it, locked away. And you will develop it. And wield it." His hand sits by his side once more, his head tilting slightly as he regards the stubborn stanced figure. "But your place in the circle, in Kirigakure's Will, is not simply 'Cause destruction.' It is 'Cause focused destruction.' They will someday want for you to erase a people, but one of their choosing. And their cause? Perhaps it will be for power. But more likely it will be so that none will come here, to our home, and try to see to it that people walk through it wondering who built our walls, who we of Kirigakure were. But you have some freedom in your purpose in regards to this circle, some measure of choice.
"Tell me. What would you like to do with it, Moto Kiyoshi?"
The child within yelled its denial of the elder male's points.
He won't obey.
He -can't- make him do it!
It's wrong to take a life!
Outwardly, Kiyoshi tried to remain a picture of calm, cool-headness, and understanding. But no matter how hard he tried there was simply no deny how much the blunt truth spoken by Meruin rattled the boy. Angered him even. Gritting his teeth, digging nails into flesh, eyes squeezed shut — Just about anything and everything is tried to keep up the facade, but his body still kept trembling — albiet subtly — from the effort. He knew, or at least understood from the start what was to be expected of him. His predecessor, his Aniki had warned him of that much. Even so, he — accepted the responsibility. A heavy sigh escapes his lips upon re-affirming acceptance of what was to come. "What to do with this… freedom?" He asks, gradually undoing the gask mask before turning fully to face the shinobi and awaiting confirmation. If the question he voiced was essentially the truth, Kiyoshi make a point to stand up a little more straighter and reply, "To become stronger… Strong enough to decide for myself. Strong enough to protect Souta-Onii-san and Surumu-baka…. and Yuriko.. *glanes away* -san."
Meruin gives a silent nod at Kiyoshi's query of his own question, recognizing the weight behind it. The implication. But he gave no reaction to it, simply watching as his student stoof up straighter despite the demands and difficulties resting on his shoulder. The answer comes and he inclines his head at the it, paying respect to it, though the final name brings him to lift a brow in a rare gesture of surprise. "To be strong enough to decide. And strong enough to protect."
The Okumo's head lifts, his gaze direct. "Remember these words, Moto Kiyoshi. Remember this moment. You will need it. The desire for some measure of control and the desire to protect those who mean something to you will become, someday, the only reason you act. So you must never forget that there are actions that you can take. And you must never forget to be open to people becoming important to you. Otherwise, though it may take time, there will come a day where I or another must kill you. The beast will be captured for another body, perhaps after another civilization or two, and the circle will perpetuate without the influence of your will."
As suggested, Kiyoshi gave Meruin his full attention and took his words to heart. There's only one point he did not agree on — two as a technicality — and that was the matter of his end: there would be no continuation of the cycle. The Gobi's threat to those he care for, the potential abuse of the creature's power — all of it would end with the Moto. A dream that the young genin would make certian it became a reality no matter what.
"As you say, Meruin-sensei." He stated calmly, head inclined and eyes closed in an effort to keep even a hint of his intentions from being known to soon. "Though If given a choice-…" He started, cracking an eye open a little and peer at Meruin curiously. "I hope you leave my death up to another."
"I would not."
Meruin's chin lifts, the tilt of his head vanishing as he regards the boy fully now, no longer obviously appraising and simply conversing. "If you were to renege and cause undo issue and danger, it would have been purely because I failed both you and the village. It would be my duty to either bring you under heel or destroy you to prevent you from betraying the very ideals you put before me today. To both you and the Land of Water, I would owe this."
Kiyoshi listened and gave Meruin an extended look that border on bemusement before shaking his head softly and turning away to start putting on the mask again. "… Mizukage-sama did good again..," He murmured quietly to himself. Afterwards Kiyoshi busied himself with make sure the mask was secure and giving what little of their surroundings a quick look until satisfied with some unnamed desire. "…… So… When do we really begin Meruin-sensei?"
"We begin immediately."
Meruin's robes begin shrinking, pulling tighter to his form as he looks at Kiyoshi. "Your tailed beast. Tell me. How often have you interacted with it and do you yet have any ability to control it's power?" His hair suddenly burst free of it's braid, quickling settling in it's platinum wave down his back. There's a small pouch at his hip left, the only place not pulled in tight by the silk and lining the shape of his muscle or the steel weapons attached to his frame. He grabs hold of it, removing it to reveal silk beneath, eyes on Kiyoshi as he looks to the answer.
Kiyoshi was taken aback by the response, and is thus slow to even registers Meruin's words. The audible snap of a braid snapping shocks him back to the present. Although even then the youth does not respond, but instead inclines his head, holds out the fingers of one hand to the earth, then starts counting them slowly with the other. Once the count is down the youth belatedly snaps into an awkward basic kata in preperation before answering hesitantly, "O-oh-only once *gulp* Meruin-sensei.. Wait, no twice. Though the second time might've just been a really bad dream.." Just thinking back to that moment sent a shudder down Kiyoshi's spine.
"…. 'nd no. I… I don't really give it much a chance to surface." He added; relunctant now to add the episode with Souta and Surumu. Granted, for most of that particular incident he was uncouncious, and as a result uncertian if the elder duo weren't just pulling his leg or trying to manipulate him.
"A shame," replies the Okumo, tossing the pouch he held off to the side in a way that it rolled a small whiles once it hit the ground rather than bouncing. "With that being the case, I'll be forced to draw out the interest of your beast." His hair begins writhing in a slow undulation in the air behind him, stretching out as his body converts it's reserves into an energy that's a little less physical. "Here your impressive constitution will work against you. The beast will only likely respond if there's a chance that you are going to die. Because I will have to give it that, it means that you'll have to take far more abuse than most due to your physical durability." The Okumo holds his hands out to either side, feet together in a preparatory taijutsuist stance. "There is a true chance that I will beat you to death.
"I recommend trying to stop me."
"A shame." Kiyoshi… did not like the tone behind that one phrase. He gulped as his 'concern' is proven correct by the words that flow forth from the Okumo's mouth next. A genin against a jounin? The very idea of a such a pairing is so laudable that Kiyoshi lets out his own mad little chuckle before clamping a hand over the vents for his mask. "…nn.. hai, Meruin-sensei," Kiyoshi mutters weakily. A deep breath is taken to try and steady his nerves. A futile effort since it comes out in a coughing fit enducing rush. "Can't let him win," He murmured, psyching himself up just one last time before lowering his center of gravity and lead into a full on rush. Not a single punch is pulled once the Kirryu got within ranged and started lashing out seemingly wildly with a few punches, followed up by a more steady elbow strike.
Meruin watches as all of Kiyoshi's blows come in, striking the Okumo's body with slightly hollow thuds, as though it weren't flesh that were being battered. "You will not win," said the Jounin, arm suddenly lashing out towards Kiyoshi as the elbow is still being withdrawn, streaking to grab the boy by the bicep and pivot to toss him into the wall of the a nearby building. It was covered in vines, but the Okumo still saw the stone dust at the bottom, the myriad of cracks within the wall. It wasn't a very sound structure. "But if you fight hard enough anyway, you may survive."
There's no withdrawing in time nor evading Meruin's vice like grip befoe it was too late. The most Kiyoshi could do was try to tap into the basics and roll with the blow. Or in this case slam against the stone wall; shattering more chunks out of it but thankfully avoiding the worst of it by rolling along it first, then staggering back into a barely recongizable defensive stance. "… *gronas*… Will *coughs*.. try…" He replies softly, steadying himself more after a dizzying few moments. Unless he felt like being slammed into -every- wall in the ruinis Kiyoshi would have to change his plans a little. So he pulled out a pair of shuriken and a kunai in hand. The former are fired off ahead as he charged to the side. Meanwhile the last is kept at the ready until he found an opening to charge in its wake of the blade and try to land a haymaker.
The Okumo began stalking towards Kiyoshi as the boy settled into something resembling a defensive stance. His pace never changed as the steel weapons came streaking in towards him. They'd been launched at his torso. The biggest target on the body and the most likely to be attacked, especially by one still developing a proficient throwing technique. It was an intelligent decision by the genin and the Okumo noted it. But it resulted in the shuriken bouncing off of him, the kunai doing the same not to much later. Kiyoshi's wide punch had no greater effect.
"You will need to get much stronger," said the Jounin as he lashed out with a leg, looking to kick the genin and send him flying backwards. "If you wish to protect anyone." He'd follow after if the kick struck, hand lashing out to grab the boy's arm once more and throw him. This time, he would go skyward flying over the roof of the building he'd been tossed onto. There was a hole in that roof, gaping, and the Jounin would leap through the cracked wall into the second floor interior, expecting to find Kiyoshi there.
Kiyoshi was starting to slip for he growled both in pain and frustrastion. Listening to Meruin speak, listening to him pointedly demeaning him (from Kiyoshi's perspective) did little to absolve his growing level of anger. For a brief the idea of emitting a retort is entertained, but within seconds the Moto was being pressed again. Both arms are just barely drawn back in to keep from being completely overpowered. Despite the effort his stance was still too sloppy to allow him to transfer the impact of the blow into the ground. He stumbles back, guard broken, mind hazy, and now relying on instinct alone to keep up with Meruin. The most he accomplishes is once more managing to avoid the worst… though being catapulted up to the roof top of a building just to drop down into its decrept structure made the act somewhat mute.
Everything aches. Blood was begining to spill freely. And yet, despite the aches, pain, and — as stated by Meruin — the very real possibility of being beaten to death without having accomplished anything, Kiyoshi forces himself to stand. He is barely back on his feet by the time Meruin finds him again. He yearned now to get back at the Okumo. He desperately wanted to. But his body refused to respond quicker to his demands. So, he chided himself mentally and kept trying to push it to at least getting him into a defensive possion.
Unbeknownst to both the beast had begun to stir. Seemingly its first priority however was to restore the more severe wounds..
Meruin's eyes locked onto the boy, watching a small cut vanish from his cheek. "Truly, I expect more," he said as he rushes in. His sudden, short dash ends in a skidding kick sent towards Kiyoshi's face. "You fight as though cowed," said the Okumo, stepping over a piece of stone rubble to follow after the boy into the darkness he would've picked up. A little derision had seeped into his voice. "I find it hard to believe you'd retain enough pride to keep your family name, representing it like this."
Words kept dancing at the tip of Kiyoshi's tongue and oh how he wanted nothing more than to lose himself to a triade! Meruin unfortunately would not provide him with such an opportunity, for after every moment to break down Kiyoshi's defenses came to be the Okumo stayed merciess. The latest attempt at smashing in his face mid-speech is proof enough with a nice size foot. Still drained of too much strength to even lift his arms in defense of himself, Kiyoshi bowed instead; 'guarding' himself with that overly thick head of his, but in exchange being kicked off into darkness and forced to ride the rubble carpet expresses.
A groans is all that is forthcoming from the Kirryu as he laid there: Defenseless. "…. Shut… up…", He murmured and thoughtlessly began scratching at the ground nearby. If only he could find a nice size brick or two…
Abruptly, Meruin would be standing over Kiyoshi, hand launching towards his throat. "Do… what?" The Okumo's voice came out as calmly heated, somehow, nearly as though there were two voices speaking in separate tones. The Jounin lifted Kiyoshi, turning and smashing him through the wall of the building, sending weakened stone flying with the impact. He'd hold the boy out over the edge of the house through the hole in the wall, the light entering to catch the red in his misted gaze as he'd growl. "You shouldn't anger a man holding you over the edge of a building, Moto Kiyoshi."
Weakly, Kiyoshi managed to grasp a brick just as Meruin meandered over. If he was fast enough he could've pulled a decent swit—-just who was he going to kid. His body practically wasn't even listening to him. And when he tried to summon up his chakra to try and perhaps doing something about said issue. All he felt was an undeniable sense of negativity encumbering his ability to draw out a spark of it. 'Stay… back… Stay awaay' He thought, futily hoping at this point the beast might have some tender mercy on him. That it might actually listen and pretend that all those options shots at him —
Every thought in his noggin is overridden by pain; all consuming and blinding to the point he didn't even notice the outcy that had drawn out along with it.
"You shouldn't anger a man holding you over the edge of a building, Moto Kiyoshi."
The words could scarcely be heard over the sound of wind, let alone the rush of his heard thudding in his chest. It was all over. Any moment now the Jounin would drop him. End his misrable exisence. And in doing so doom someone else… someone else to take his place.
Someone worse…
Someone….
'Fine…. Just… Just don't…' Kiyoshi's mind all but disappears into a haze of darkness. "What a hardhead young man.."
A guttural growl is Meruin's only warning as to what has gone one within a span of a few seconds. Chakra, thick, visible to the naked eye, and a contradictory energy that rends flesh if exposed for two long, yet greatly restores the damage inflicted upon Kiyoshi as it bubbles forth from his pores. Smothering all within its prescence and very well sending any early warning chakra sensors within range into shock.(re)
A hard chitinous shell abruptly covers the Okumo's arm down to his fingertips as the caustic chakra rises from the boy in his grip, his eyes narrowing some. Swiftly, he turns and tosses the chakra creature back into the light speckled darkness of the building, not enough force behind the throw to send him to the other wall. The armor on his arm smoothing away the damage done to it by the chakra, Meruin briefly examines the beasts form. The chakra surrounding it tangible, a visible silver-blue tint.
He inclines his head to the first manifestation he'd seen of it. "I am pleased to meet you, tailed one. It is an honor." His misted gaze loses it's red tint, instead reverting to the blues and purples it often holds. "I've called you to let you know that the boy you live within will either be your partner or your master. I will not allow for anything else but his death in the attempt of it. And you are aware that his death would mean yours. So come." He spreads his arms, looking to the chakra covered Kiyoshi with near disinterest. "Test me as you must."
If it had been given another moment more Meruin might have just lost more than just a bit of skin from the beast. An extra moment that would not have been necessary if Kiyoshi's subconsious as well as the seal been less had not slowed it down. The modifications it made during that short interlude on the otherhand were successful; granting the normally graceless beast in human form a level an earnest agility. Kicking and scrabbling, negating his weight, he managed to catch himself and twist around into a down on all fours fighting stance, ready to charge.
Meruin's words however gives it pauses, stirring apart of the creature that has thus far been shut to the wayside thanks its prisoners. "… Test?" 'Kiyoshi' replies, duel voiced and head canted to the side. 'His' eyes narrows to slits. "Mis.. taken," 'He' added harshly as he begun to stalk forward a few feet, then circle around. The cloak — while not exactly dim — is the only thing beyond his eyes that can be seen as he padded admist the shadows and the occasional beams of light through the roof. "Hardly a Jest.." He spoke again darkly and choppily. The corner of his eyes twitching as the seconds ticked by. The desire to charge was strong in the beast. But… but it needed to wait. Meruin did make a point after all about the death of his host… in a way. Thus, he waited and kept working on fixing up the poor child's broken body while there was still time.
The Okumo stepped into the building as the apparitional light of the bijuu began moving in a circular path rather than a direct one, his own path one that'd cut straight through that circle. One that, should he be allowed to traverse it without molestation, would see him on opposite sides of the darkness filled room to the possessed Kiyoshi.
"Jest?" he asked as he walked. "I never claimed humor, tailed one." Time spent on words. Time undoubtedly spent recovering from the earlier beating. This creature was not one to be quite so easily goaded into rage and attack. "I speak fact. I speak reality. And I grow tired of talking." Meruin raises a hand to beckon, pale digits barely visible by the light of the dangerous chakra. "Come to see, or you will force me to show you."
So the Okumo had finally grown intolerant with 'his' stall tatics. That was fine. Words wasted pointless was never Kokuo's preference. They had to have more meaning, more purpose than just one. Or at least that is what was believed, but if the Bijuu had to be honest, maintaining his sense of self — whatever that was — was gradually proving more and more difficult. A war on four fronts is not one that can be handled as carelessly as he had been before.
"Come then." Pointed nails attached to dark digits dig into stone surfaces as the Bijuu settled in to sit like an upright dog. "Come, little Spider." Eyes bearing on hostility settle into a glare. "Come!!" A fist is slammed down into the ground at the possessed Moto's side; shattering rock, corrupting and displacing grass, and dispersing dust in the wake of the strike. There would be no further prodding out of the bijuu. Meruin would either have the first move now or end up a smear against the wall within the next few moments. In the meantime, the beast would take this one last moment to seal what final wounds he could.
"It is a pleasure to have met you."
From the dimness Meruin stands within streaks a platinum chord, it's length limned blue in the deadly glow of the Bijuu's chakra. It twists as it pushes through the dirt thrown into the air by the force of it's challenge, the caustic poison it's soaked with giving it an almost organic image as it strikes out at the beseiged boy. "I do hope that next time will come with a little more strength on your side," he says as he moves into a flurry of lashes. "Fewer limitations. And perhaps a greater understanding."
The Gobi is taken aback at first, then inclined his head briefly in response. The 'child' before him was disturbing, yet interesting all at once and would make for a — a flicker in the light sets the Bijuu on edge and on instinct he bore down in preparation to spring closer to the boy. He is but a second too late, because within that fragile few seconds it takes to act the web has already found his flank, shoulder, and even cheek; burning everything it touches, be it flesh or cloth. Crippled by pain, the beast is slow to force its borrowed body to get back steady and began spring forward. Along the way lashes are avoided to the best of his abilities but a few manage to scrape off more pieces with every second he tried to approach.
One last step. Just one more and he would be within range. Just a little more and — he ducked, narrowly avoiding another lash. Not wishing to face a repeat, the Gobi chose to take a wild leap, horns first in a position to gore Meruin in passing. Unless thrown away or cut off guard, the beast kept up the attack by landing front hooves, er, hands first, twisting, then spring back at Meruin. Horns first as before more alongside claws.
Meruin stepped to the side, pivoting to allow the chakra cloaked boy to slide by, the horns scoring only air. He swayed backwards, the horns passing by uninhibited by his form. The claws strike his arm but seem unable to pierce them, though the chakra coating them brings a red, irritated look to it before the Okumo steps away, hand rising to lash out with that same length of burning rope.
"Kiyoshi is a stubborn creature, you are aware," speaks Meruin as he backs away from the beast, apparently planning to simply whip it until it's beaten into submission and leaves the boy. In the meantime, he'd take advantage of it's wakefulness to speak with it alone. "But he can be taught. And he can have worth. He will attempt to do something self destructive at some point. You must prevent this. And later, he will think of leaving Kirigakure. This, you must also prevent. For the sake of the both of you."
'… Hmm.. mmmm…. Whose calling me?'
After neither horn nor claws scores a hit upon the Okumo's form the Gobi all but snaps at this point, and as a result of allowing anger to blind him, the platinum lash returns faster than the beast could think to dodge. It lacerates him mid-futile attempt to evade the web, causing the possessed boy to hit the ground rolling, snarling in anger inbetween the yelps of pain from whenever an open wound is pressed. Righitng himself takes time. Time it could ill afford to waste while its prey seemed devoted now to yammering on about something.
"But he can be taught."
The beast slows, cloak flickering for a moment.
"And he can have worth."
A disturbing mixture of mud brown and cereulean eyes peer from beyond the cracked visor of the boy's gas mask; wary yet still hostile.
"He will attempt to do something self destructive at some point."
He chuckled grimly, recalling a few events regarding that particular subject. Why did the Okumo felt the need to point all of these things out? The boy would not even be alive at this point if it had not already expected the child to falter so easily. He opened his mouth to voice that very same opinion. However, not a word leaves the boy's mouth as the last part of Meruin's speech had begun to sunk in. "I will be no slave to this boy. Nor a master. He stated pointedly after stubbornly forcing the burned, cut, and bloody body to rise shakily back into his first stance. " But… I /shall/ bar him from such paths so long as this little body and wounded heart remain his afflictions. /That/ is all that shall be promised." He ended with a tone that brokered no compromise on this matter. While he awaited for the Okumo's response, the Gobi — with its tail swagging lazily behind him — made certian to keep a keener eye open for the whip incase the 'child' decided to try and forcefully prove a point. Albiet keeping its eyes open was easier said then done with all the poison corroding and fighting its attempt to keep its host healthy. Troublesome stuff.
The silken rope gives a quiet hiss as it slides along the foliage in the room thoughout the time the beast spoke, rescinding into the arm of the Okumo, leaving only enough for a single coil to lay about his feet. Meruin's head inclines at the end of this, speaking, "For the moment, it is enough. On my end, I shall endeavor to make him see just why such exploits would be counterintuitive. If all goes well, you will have little enough need to help guide his steps regardless."
The Kirigakure Jounin stands up a little straighter, chin lifting slightly. "I do suppose that you will choose this time to leave and rest. Assuming this is so, I bid you pleasant musings until next time I wish to… speak. And of course, I will see to the boy's wounds." The Bijuu had already been drawn out, and before Kiyoshi had been taken to a near death state, no less. There was no longer any need for the damage.
The Gobi is slow to reply due to its earlier promise to watch for the lash. Once it is fully retracted however he offers Meruin a curt nodded before closing its eyes, never quite welcoming what was to come next, but accepting what was to be. It helped that after cracking open an eye to peer at the hand of its own cloaked form it came realize what an instead stay might very well due to his host body. "Such interesting young ones of this era." 'He' comments off-handily, and then seals his eyes once more to aid in its retreat back to the seal just beneath his clothes.
After the last vestige of chakra disappears from view, Kiyoshi starts to sway back and forth before ultimately collapsing onto his knees and slump forward. Unless rescued at any point before this by the Okumo, Kiyoshi's hand is the only thing that saves him from the face plant. "Nngh… Mmm… *coughs coughs*….. Where… What happ-ened…" Kiyoshi glances up and scans the area until his eyes focus back in on Meruin's form. "Meruin… Sensei..?"
As the Bijuu's chakra begins dissipating, leaving it's hold on the boy, the webbing continues it's travel back into the body it came from until it was gone and the chakra abandoned Kiyoshi, leaving him swaying. Meruin turned around then, slowly walking until he stepped into the light let in by the gash in the ceiling of the building. He turned his head to the side, speaking over his shoulder. "Come, Kiyoshi," he speaks.
"We are finished for the day."
Kiyoshi stared blankily up at Meruin for a moment or two, silently hopefull for more answers. None is of course forthcoming from the enigmatic spider. So, the Moto rose, if a little slowly due to the jolts of pain coursing through his body with every movement he made, and followed Meruin's lead. Out of spite and lingering curiosity however Kiyoshi treaded slowly; examining their surroundings while trying to place what had happen. A chance glance at the ground revealed the building's floor having been clawed deeply. He nearly paused right then and there to look a little closer. A stronger instinct compelled him to keep moving.
"…."
