Starring:
Canis (emitter), Takeo
Date: July 30, 2015
Summary:
Takeo is called upon by an old hook-up he had been with ages ago. Now his past comes to haunt him in the form of angry men intent on spilling the Inuzuka’s blood.
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"Takeo’s Legacy: The Last Death"
Land of Lightning
A letter had arrived in Kumogakure, addressed to the new resident, one Inuzuka Takeo. The letter was sealed and said private, and so had been delivered to the Inuzuka still sealed so as not to pry into personal affairs. Once opened Takeo would find that the words within were written in a scrawling, horrible script that reads of a lesser education and, while it's pretty horrible, it is still legible:
To Takeo,
I do not know if you remember me, but we met years ago while you came through our village. Whether you remember it or not we spent a night together. That night turned into something more. You have a daughter here now. I didn't want to tell you before because I was afraid you would take her, but now she's in danger. Please, I need you to come help us protect her. We don't have the money to ask the Village, so I hope you can come on your own.
The letter's signature is unlegible, but the name of a village on the Lightning/Fire border is listed at the bottom.
Takeo finds an unexpected letter at this door, and with a flick of a thumb claw to open it, an entirely new thread is woven into his complicated life. He'd always known that he probably had illegitimate children due to the rather liberal tendencies of his travels. However, it hadn't really weighed upon him … until now. In the present, a more mature and responsible Takeo does feel a pang of responsibility for what's happened.
The decision is ultimately made to go to this village, if only to have a look at the place. He'd bear witness to the truth with his own eyes. As this is a family matter, supposedly, he doesn't take a team. Instead, the Jounin merely sends the Raikage a letter requesting a brief leave and also includes the name of the village in the original letter.
Supplies packed and suited up, Takeo heads off along the roads to this troubled border village, knowing well the geography an an efficient path.
The journey would be a long one, as the travel between the two lands isn't exactly swift or without it's troubles after such a wet winter. Though the main road is generally clear of any trouble or stopped carts it's also quite crowded as people begin making their way to festivals. The other, less used paths are the ones where Takeo might still come upon someone stuck in the mud, or perhaps even a stranger being hunted by some wild animal or another. It was time to start eating again, according to bear-o-clock. But when all is said and done Takeo would arrive at the village unharassed.
In the letter was a description of where this person lived, on the edge of the village set apart from some of the others. It wasn't the best house within the village for sure, but it was also far from run down. The owner took good care of their property even if the location almost seemed to make them some kind of local pariah.
What might be an obstacle for others is occasionally a tool of good use for Takeo. Where the snow has melted, his Wave Manipulation allows him to clear it from his path with a gesture. Some similar manipulation and a strong arm helps him to liberate unfortunates trappped in the heat of trouble, too. Although there was supposed danger at the end of his journey, he was still a good enough man now that he'd endured so much pain in his own life. It wasn't in his nature to abandon those in distress for the sake of a few extra minutes of walking.
In due time, Takeo arrives at the village. He looks about at it for a moment with a furrowed brow, as if he doesn't recognize the place. However, if it has a hot spring and a good ryokan, he may well have stopped off there at time point in the past. Kumogakure used to be his vacation spot before he immigrated there, after all, and there were stops for rest enroute.
The sage finds his way around the village and eventually comes to the house he believes to be the one. Its peculiar location and state immediately draws his attention; why would this person be so set apart from the populace? Guarded, Takeo approaches the house's front door and raps upon it once with his knuck
It takes a little time before there's any noise from inside the home, almost as if whoever was on the other side was unsure of whether or not they'd actually heard the knocking. Though the sound is too low for most to hear, Takeo would have no problem as feet shuffle closer, then pause just on the other side. A soft feminine voice calls from inside, "Who is it?" The voice sounds wary, tired, and sad. "If you're here to torment me more just leave. I've stopped listening!"
Takeo waits for a moment before he replies. He's looking up at the sky, trying his best to match a face to the voice. In all honesty, the young man can't even truly recall if he's passed through this village before. This is the sort of trouble promiscuity gets you into, a more ideal father might've told him! At this point, he's come all this way, so it's time to at last confront the possibility of being a father - at least, to a child whose mother bothered to seek him.
"Inuzuka Takeo-sennin," he answers to the voice hidden behind the door. "If I'm not mistaken, you sent me a letter."
For a few moments there is no sound from beyond, possibly leading Takeo to believe he's not welcome. But then the sound of something semi-heavy being pushed away from the door can be heard before it opens and a young maiden is there, eyes and cheeks red with crying. "Takeo-kun, it is you!" She cries out as she practically collapses on the Inuzuka, wrapping her arms tightly around him and squeezing as she cries into his clothing. "I didn't think you would come."
Takeo looks rather different than he did in his younger years, but apparently, he's still similar enough for the young woman to be satisfied. His arms are held apart when he suddenly finds her opening the door and dropping right into a hug about his body. It's a moment's wait, mostly to see whether any blades suddenly spring out of the house or plunge their way into his back. Nothing so far.
How to put this delicately? "Uhm. Don't take this the wrong way, but …" Takeo clears his throat mildly and explains, "I've been through a great deal over the last few years, including dying once. I'm not so good with faces from the old days. You have me at a disadvantage, but you sounded despearate, either way."
The woman sniffles a few more times as she hugs Takeo tightly. There is no sharp pointy objects involved at all besides maybe her nails, but even they aren't that long or sharp. Nope, whatever is going here it doesn't appear to be any kind of trap at this point. "Y-you don't remember me?" She asks, pulling away a bit and sniffling as she rubs her eyes to try and clear the tears from her vision. "You were here only four years ago. We spent the night together, the best night of my life."
"Heh. Well, sixteen /was/ sort of my prime," Takeo says as he chuckles lightly, before composing himself once more. With a shake of his head which sends his long braid slithering against his back, he explains, "I'm sorry. All of the things I've said happened took place after that. You're not the only face who draws a blank, so don't take it personally."
Takeo places his hands upon the woman's shoulders and gently takes a step back. He's still wary, uncertain of what's going on, and the general mystery of it all prompts him to keep at least some distance. "Why don't you tell me more about what's going on? Your letter didn't say much. Your name would help, too."
The woman rings her hands in her skirt, drying them of her tears as well as she nods to Takeo. "Of course, I can't expect you to remember everyone on your long journey's," she says and curtsying. "My name is Cheri. I've lived here in this village all of my life." She motions to their surroundings though at the moment makes no mention of why her house is located where it is. "After you passed through I had a daughter…she's three now…and…" she starts crying again, "they took her! They said you owed them money and they came to take my baby!"
Takeo furrows his brow. "Well, that part would certainly be a lie," he says with utmost confidence. "I was a Jinchuuriki of Konohagakure at the time. They took good care of me and kept me funded on my trips. Nobody would've been left with a debt; I was an overconfident little antique back then, but not dishonorable." He looks at the woman for a long moment and then shakes his head once more.
"As hard as I try, I can't remember you. Why do you live so far apart from the other villagers?" Takeo also thinks to ask, "Are you … uh, sure that she's mine? The daughter, I mean to say. I've never actually had a woman lay claim to me as having fathered their child. She have fangs, claws, anything like that?"
Cheri's eyes widen at the mention of Jinchuuriki before she nods very slowly. "That might explain…she's a talent for chakra already, even at her age." The woman looks around at the mention of her placement before her head lowers. "The other villagers. They weren't happy when I had a child with someone just passing through." She explains before nodding slightly, eyes still lowered to the ground as she explains, "She has the markings of your clan…"
Takeo continues to silently assess Cheri as she explains her story. Internally, he's already processing what he suspects to be the likeliest circumstances. One, Cheri's lying and baiting him into a trap. Two, he really did have an affair with her he doesn't remember, and these supposed bandits are using him as a lure. Given that he's here alone, he doesn't like the odds of it all, but he can't just walk away. Now a Jounin of the Land of Lightning, he carries responsibilities.
"You'd think people would be beyond that sort of thing, but I suppose there are still traditionalists …" Takeo plays for the moment with the notion that he buys her story. "Tell me more about the bandits. They say I owe them money, and they wait three years to take my dau- the child?" That one doesn't add up for him, either. Exhaling silently, he asks, "Where did they say I should go to pay this debt?"
Cheri shakes her head sadly, still wringing her hands in her skirt, here eyes staying stoicly on Takeo's feet for now. "They are very old fashioned here Takeo-kun. They were…very upset with me. My family…disowned me…" she admits softly, tears returning to her eyes before she wipes them away. Right. She has to worry about her daughter for now. "I don't know who they are. Three men came and took her right out of my house. I had opened the door because I thought it was a neighbor…but then…they just burst in and took her." She wipes her eyes again before pulling out a folded piece of paper and handing it to Takeo. "They gave me this…it says you owe then a hundred thousand ryo for some gambling debt. I don't know how they found out about Trina but they said you would come pay for it if you found out your daughter was in danger."
"One hundred grand?" Takeo sounds particularly skeptical about that as he takes the piece of paper. "I was well taken care of, but not /that/ well. This whole situation really doesn't sound like me. Maybe they're confused …" He shakes his head as he unfolds the piece of paper to examine whatever its contents might be. "The fact is, whether or not your daughter is mine, I have a responsibility as a Jounin of Kumogakure to go and investigate. Save her, if she's there."
He's still judging in the hidden depths of his thoughts. This Cheri's an excellent actress playing in on the plot, or it's a case of mistaken identity on the part of the villains. Or, perhaps he's being targeted for another reason, and it's obvious that he can't just ignore a young child being kidnapped for bait. Any way he looks at it, he's stuck with the end result of having to investigate.
"Alright. I'll go and see them. I'm not certain of what's going on here, but hopefully, things will become clear before long. I wouldn't usually gamble that way, and …" Well, his other debts about parentage are left unstated. Instead, Takeo takes another step back. "Like I said, I'll go and look. Stay here, where you're safe, and I'll do what I can."
The note contains basically what Cheri explained, though it also included a location for Takeo to bring said money if he wants his daughter back. When the Inuzuka says that he'll help she cries out again before trying to hug the Inuzuka tightly once more, "Thank you Takeo-kun," she cries into his chest before she quickly backs away towards the house again. "Please…please bring her back safely. I beg you."
Takeo studies the note before folding it up and tucking it into the folds of his kimono. "I'll do my best," he assures the woman as she retreats back toward her house. The young man turns then to set off for the destination indicated. Only once he's a fair distance from the house does he begin to speak lowly. It seems as though he's addressing himself, unless one were to notice the spikey-shelled turtle henged and hanging within his hood.
"Tamotsu, there's something about this whole thing that doesn't sit well. I can't deny that there's a chance I have a child by this woman," he says, "but the damage to my mind wasn't that bad. I have no memory of her, or of visiting this place. We'll use Senjutsu for now, but if anything should happen and I falter …" Takeo draws his lips into a line. "Go to Kumogakure, and tell Hiei. I don't wish him to think he's been abandoned."
And so, Takeo sets off on the journey to the lair of these bandits. He's cautious the entire way there, but only so much as human senses can afford. Those of the Inuzuka are sadly no longer his own.
Whoever these people are they don't appear to have anything waiting for Takeo on his journey. But then again they likely didn't know when the Kumo nin would be arriving, so there wasn't much they could plan in that way. Instead they had to make do with a number of scouts watching for his arrival once he's closer to the location indicated. And it appears they've done their job.
Once Takeo rounds a mountain and enters a hidden valley there would, a good hundred yards ahead, be a group of three men standing in a row facing Takeo. There's no child evident in sight at the moment, but this particular valley seems to have a rather large cave system in which one might be able to hide if they knew the lay of the land. Not only that but most are so dark after only a few dozen feet in that someone could be hiding inside there and would never be seen.
It certainly didn't take long for Takeo to officially immigrate before he became involved in some sort of personal scandal. Why did I do such stupid things in my youth? The thought nags at him, though he answers himself at the same time. She didn't look half bad, and you were sixteen! Sighing heavily, Takeo lifts his arms to stretch and then lowers them to tighten his topknot against the back of his head. Everything in order for what's to come, whatever that might be.
Rounding the mountain and descending toward the valley proper, Takeo encounters the first of the bandits. Seems they're present in numbers greater than a small group of kidnapping gamblers. He assesses the situation and comes to a stop still fairly high on the slope, lifting his voice so as to be clearly heard.
"I am Inuzuka Takeo-sennin," he says, this time introducing himself formally to either interest confused gamblers or to trip the expected trap. Takeo reaches into his kimono and fetches the letter, holding it up. "A woman I have no memory of claims to have a daughter kidnapped by you, whether she is mine or not. A one hundred thousand ryo debt is also claimed, of which I also have no memory. Anyone want to clear this up?"
"You do owe us this debt, Inuzuka Takeo. You took it in ways you may not expect. But before you try to get any ideas of not paying it, or perhaps trying to do something foolish, let me introduce you to your daughter." The man who'd spoken, the middle of the three that were apparently visible, motioned behind him. Out of the mouth of one of the caves steps a man, holding a frightened, tearful young girl up by her shirt. As to whether or not she is indeed Takeo's blood. Well, she has the red markings of an Inuzuka on her cheek. Sure she may not exactly be Takeo's without some kind of blood test, but there's no doubt she has Inuzuka blood.
Takeo shifts his attention to the right and gives the child a looking over as she's finally brought to light. Although she may have the facial markings, he remains unconvinced. "I frankly have no idea whether she's my daughter or not," he answers to the central figure. "That said, she's a child and she succeeded in getting me here for you. Holding her any longer would only be cowardice. Let her go and deal with me."
"As for doing something foolish. I'm fairly certain that I wouldn't have gambled to a debt of one hundred thousand ryo. I was an idiot when I was sixteen, but not in so many ways," Takeo continues. "Idiocy does involves choosing poor terrain, though, and a cavernous valley fits the bill for you. So, let the girl go and we talk this out."
"The debt you owe truly has nothing to do with money, though that's how much I've been offered to see you dead. No, I wanted you out here because I have a score to settle with you." The apparent leader watches Takeo closely, arms folded over his chest as he gives Takeo a moment to let all of that sink in. "So here's the deal. Either we can have two dead people, or one. You give yourself up and we'll let the kid go. You don't and we'll kill her, and then we'll kill you."
At his words the caves become suddenly much more active as people step out, weapons in hand all along the mountain wall, high and low, apparently to try and keep Takeo from escaping by running up a wall. Behind him more people arrive, cutting off the way he'd just come though for the moment they don't come any closer. They're just a show of force.
Takeo takes in a breath and sighs wearily. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but I've been dead before. It'd take a while to explain it all, but suffice to say, somebody else beat you to that one," he replies. Lifting a hand, the sage sticks a thumb over his shoulder, toward the valley's exit. "Right now, there's water everywhere around you. I know you can't see it, but it's there, waiting for me to draw it out. I guarantee that I can flood this entire valley, conveniently shaped as it is, before you can throw off enough of whatever you've got to kill me again. So."
"Let the girl go. She was bait to lure me here, and now I'm here. You know I won't just walk away because I'm me, or because I'm now Jounin of this land, or for so many other reasons." The sage then resolves, "There are my terms, take them or leave them. I don't know the woman who sent me, and I don't know whether that's my daughter or not, so that wasn't the most effective way to manipulate my heart."
"You wouldn't let this child die, that much I know about you," the man says, motioning over his should which causes the man holding the child to pick her up and hold her over the edge of what might be about a ten foot drop. Would it kill her? Hard to say. But if he floods the valley he's not only taking the girl with them, but there are enough men positioned high above that they would be out of any kind of drowning.
"I care little for your terms. You are the one that must care for mine or this child dies." The leader sneers at Takeo. "Whether she's yours or not, you aren't going to let her die. Because you are an honorable shinobi." The man almost seems to be mocking this fact about Takeo as he speaks, a bit of a sadistic smile on his features.
Takeo lifts his eyebrows slightly, issuing a smile. "Well, now, that's very kind if you to say. If you believe the Hokage, I'm an exile and a traitor," he says, "though the Raikage completely disagrees with the latter of the two. I wonder which one's correct?" The Jounin makes a single hand sign and, true to his word, water begins to rush along the floor of the valley. Careful control lets him contain the rate of ascension for the moment. "As soon as my hand shifts, whether it's by my choice or your men attacking me, this jutsu explodes and a tidal wave floods the valley. The men above'll have nothing to drop into save for a lake, and the ones in the cave, well …"
"Speaking of harsh tactics, you never did tell me who you were or why you've got such a stick up your ass about me," Takeo says. "Or your employer, or whoever it is. My memory's not so perfect when it comes to the last few years, you see." Again, he states, "Let the girl go. Two innocent deaths to clear out a great many violent criminals. Acceptable tactical losses, considering the circumstances."
As the water begins to flow into the valley floor the leader and his two goons jump up to stand next to the man holding the little girl. The leader shakes his head as he takes the girl in his hand, turning her to face him for a moment while she continues to cry before turning her back towards Takeo. "Did you hear that. Your daddy here thinks it's okay to kill you as long as he gets us in the process. That doesn't seem like a very honorable thing to do does it?"
While Takeo uses the water below he would feel someone fighting against him for control. Not just one, but multiple other water jutsuists are somewhere within the valley. "Did you really think we'd be unprepared for such idiotic tactics?" The man asks. While the others fight for control of the water, making it nearly impossible for Takeo to do anything with it, the man holds the girl over the edge and drops her into it's flow.
Takeo dips his head into a low, understanding nod. "Of course. Even a dog can be trained to react properly if he's put through the paces often enough." Thin mist begins to flicker about his lips the sort one might expect on a very cold night. The girl having been droppled into the shallow flow plays to his advantage, as she's now out of the way and likely to be quickly swept to the valley's exit.
"I'm not hearing an answer, by the way. You've obviously got something personal involved here, beyond a bounty. Othrwise, you wouldn't have bothered bringing so many people." Takeo looks all around and over his shoulder, an opportinuty to simply whisper to Tamotsu in his hood, "Go." His Turtle Clan companion complies, vanishing in an unseen poof.
"You're right," the leader says, not even watching the girl as she floats away. He pretty much assumes his men will take care of her with the water, which they might with just how much they are working to control it as well. "You, Inuzuka Takeo, killed my brother years ago. I've waited all this time to get my revenge on you. Plotting, planning, gathering the people and resources. And now I have it all. And now I have you." The man shakes his head from side to side. "You have no chance to escape. The only option I offer you is a mostly painless death. If you fight back then it will be far worse."
Furrowing his brow, Takeo inquires, "Your brother, ten years ago? I would've only been ten years old, myself." He's buying for time right now, but it does pique his curiosity. "I suppose it's possible that someone ordered me to do it while I was still a student. After all, Konohagakure and I parted ways because I don't agree with their methods." His right leg shifts just a little, putting it further out to the side. "Look. I'm sorry about your brother, I really am. If you know me as well as you say, then you know I've never been inclined to kill, even though I'm a shinobi. I always prefer the diplomatic solution."
"… It's just that there are times when you know the other side doesn't want to be diplomatic." Takeo says this as he feels the girl brush against his leg on passing within the water. All of the moisture covering the valley floor dries up as he parts his jaws and turns his head to the left, enlarged canines bared. That mist previously lingering about his mouth is constricted down to a single point before loosing itself in the form of a pure water spear, which lasts as he quickly whips his head from left to right. Then, it fades away.
It takes a moment, but the intention is plain soon enough. That technique can cut through anything, including valley walls. The severed portions near the top crack and begin to fall down into the valley proper, while Takeo makes another sign and vanishes into a cloud of mist. Sensors in their band would have difficulty seeing him, because the mist shares precisely the same appearance as his own chakra, preventing the two from being visually separated.
Furrowing his brow, Takeo inquires, "Your brother, years ago? During the war with the Recluse, or just when I was younger?" He's buying for time right now, but it does pique his curiosity. "I suppose it's possible that someone ordered me to do it back in my Jinchuuriki days, or especially if he threw in with other bandits or the Recluse. It doesn't mean I enjoyed it. After all, Konohagakure and I parted ways because I don't agree with their methods." His right leg shifts just a little, putting it further out to the side. "Look. I'm sorry about your brother, I really am. If you know me as well as you say, then you know I've never been inclined to kill, even though I'm a shinobi. I always prefer the diplomatic solution."
"… It's just that there are times when you know the other side doesn't want to be diplomatic." Takeo says this as he feels the girl brush against his leg on passing within the water. All of the moisture covering the valley floor dries up as he parts his jaws and turns his head to the left, enlarged canines bared. That mist previously lingering about his mouth is constricted down to a single point before loosing itself in the form of a pure water spear, which lasts as he quickly whips his head from left to right. Then, it fades away.
It takes a moment, but the intention is plain soon enough. That technique can cut through anything, including valley walls. The severed portions near the top crack and begin to fall down into the valley proper, while Takeo makes another sign and vanishes into a cloud of mist. Sensors in their band would have difficulty seeing him, because the mist shares precisely the same appearance as his own chakra, preventing the two from being visually separated.
The move seems to take some of the men off guard as the walls above and around them start to crumble and cascade down, crashing onto some cave shelves and bypassing others. The majority of men seem to get away from it however they can't yet find Takeo in the stuff. Still, the entirety of the valley is surrounded by men, in and outside of the mist, so escape would not be easy. "You run and hide, do you? Too afraid to face me like a man? I didn't know the Jounin of Kumogakure were such wusses."
Takeo works for the benefit of the child. With the mist still lingering, he uses his fine control of water to draw any excess fluid from her throat and cast it aside. "Go. Run home and don't stop," the sage whispers, touching her shoulder and pushing her gently toward the exit from the valley. That's all the time he can give to the girl, whether she's truly his daughter or just a lure. At least the bandit was right about one thing: Takeo wouldn't let her die.
"Of course I'm going to run and hide. Haven't you heard that I'm a terrible fighter?" Takeo can be heard, even if he can't be seen. "Besides, I'm a master of water, not some bluntly minded rock manipulator."
A crack issues through the air as water bursts forth from Takeo's palm, firing off like a shotgun blast toward a group of men gathered following the avelanche of rock. Their clustering is convenient, though the force of the blast does push the mist away at the same time.
The men that Takeo had aimed at aren't able to see his blast through the mist and are taken by surprise, crying out as the water shreds their skin before they collapse into the small pool of water at the bottom of the valley floor, turning the water red. The blast was all people were waiting for, however, as jutsu of about every type imagineable shoots through the mist to the spot that Takeo had shot from, throwing up dirt, rock, water, and blasting the mist the rest of the way out of the valley.
As for the girl, after she's revived she looks at her shoulder where he touches, looking frightened still and now soaked as well. At least she's smart enough to give a little nod at his instructions before she turns to start running. She may not make it far with the men still surrounding the area, however.
Considering he sent Tamotsu away to alert Kumogakure of what's going on, Takeo has to take additional care. He's working on his own merits against a small army of bandits, without the benefits of Bijuu chakra or Senjutsu to help him match their numbers. Once the mist has cleared, it's obvious that he hasn't emerged from the barrage of attacks unscathed. His hair's a mess, his kimono's torn, and blood trickles from various places on his body. However, the sage is still standing.
A fleeting glance over Takeo's shoulder tells him that the child hasn't yet escaped. He'll have to find some way to clear a path for her. Why, he asks himself, is he worrying more about her than simply destroying these fiends while he has the chance? Evidently, acceptable losses are different for him than what he claims.
Takeo uses the last of the mist to dash behind some rubble. It's not that he's cowering so much as he needs to be unseen for a moment. Why? Well, a single gesture follows through on that.
Suddenly, two likenesses of Takeo charge forth from behind the barely settled rock, their intent to attack the men blocking the valley's exit being very clear. They may or may not realize it in time (hopefully not, for the child's sake), but both are clones of the real deal, who's but waiting for the child to clear the area before he commits to his final maneuver.
For those men who are guarding the exit and path that the girl is taking, they are rather surprised by the arrival of two copies of the Inuzuka. They ignore the girl, letting her go by as they follow their orders based on getting Takeo rather than the girl. They aren't as skilled as Takeo, but they sure can put up a history of a fight as a number of swords slash and stab towards the sennin.
Meanwhile, from the rest of the mountain there is no indicator at first of others chasing. That is, until the leader arrives. With a shout of anger he appears above the clones and slashes at them with impressive skill and speed. Not only that, but his blade is also covered in lightning.
Lightning. Good, Takeo can make use that. He'd always felt that, after such a sadly inappropriate life, he wanted to perish in a noble fashion. It should've happened when the Recluse tore Isobu from his stomach, but a small spark of that Bijuu's chakra was left behind to sustain him for a limited period. Time to let it burn out, and hopefully excise a bit of evil in the same gesture. It's the least he can do for a world which had given him so much, across so many iterations of his existence.
With attention being paid to the clones by swordsmen and lightning alike, Takeo sees the girl make her departure from the valley, and that's when he sets into his final option. Time to become one with the water he's so often relied upon. Takeo dashes out from behind the rubble and makes a hand gesture as he takes in a breath, brow tilted forward in daring fashion.
A roar issues forth from the valley ascent, followed shortly by the coming of a rising tidal wave intended to charge its way across and fill the valley. Its caverns will be flooded, and men on the surface will be swept away, to be dashed against the rocks he's driven down from above. As for Takeo himself, well, he's prepared for the end. Shame that he never got around to learning how to breathe water.
If only things were so easy! Indeed, men do get smashed amongst the rocks, cries cut off as they're blasted from their high perches and consumed by the violent tidal wave. The leader though, he jumps a little further away from the wave before pulling out a seal. Holding it in his hand the man grits his teeth, forcing the water to bypass him as men fall and fly past him. No, he's waiting. For Takeo.
When he finally sees the Inuzuka in the water the lightning returns to his blade as he grimaces, almost losing hold of the seal but managing to hold it. It's not until Takeo is almost there that he finally releases it, only to drive the sword through Takeo's chest. The he's whisked away by the water as well. He may have died, but he still got his revenge…
Takeo would've drowned at the bottom of the valley, but in his fury, the leader of the band apparently can't help but chase his white whale to the very end. There's not much worse he can do to the man than drowning him under a crush of water, so when his hand comes up to form water spears, it's with slim hope. The sword impales him through the chest before its owner's electric quality can do what he'd hoped, which would be to electrocute its wielder.
Eventually, all of these corrupt individuals have either been 'dealt with' or fled. Unfortunately, in the doing, Takeo gave the last of himself. He might've endured the blow in Sage Mode, but no such luck. As an ordinary human, it was a deadly strike through his heart.
A short while later, Takeo surfaces, laid out flat to float upon the surface of the water flooding the valley. LIfe begins to fade from him, much like the spark hidden within the space where once he hosted his Bijuu. He looks up at the sky and does as many whose lives are slowly slipping away do: he contemplates. The wins, the losses, what he'd done right, and the many things he'd done wrong. At least he was surrounded by water, and a blue sky above. He was perishing cradled by his beloved element, and the blue all around makes him feel truly engulfed. At peace.
