Starring:
Date: April 9, 2013
Summary:
Meruin interrogates Masanori on his intentions and reasonings upon arriving in Kirigakure. He does so more gently than expected.
"Troubling Discoveries"
A briefing room in Kirigakure's administration building
The walk from the area outside of the docks to the administration building had proved just about as uneventful as the Okumo Jounin had hoped. The guards he'd sent ahead for arrived at the gates, accompanying him and the one called shinigami the rest of the way. Noone attacked anyone else and there was noone harmed, shinobi or civilian. It was the most that the young man could ask for. He left Masahiro with the guards at the lobby, who'd lead the tar user to a small room with a table and two chairs. There would be a wait, perhaps twenty minutes to those who were the kind to count. And then the man would be lead to this room. A briefing room rather than an interrogation room, the presence of a window the greatest change in the two. The guards would remain in the room after depositing Masanori here, waiting with him for the person who would come to speak with him.
Masanori does as he's instructed. Not intending to make any trouble for now. He gazes through Kirigakure in awe, seeing the symbol he has seen in so many books over and over again. "What does it mean?" He asks Meruin before he gets dropped at the guards, nodding at the two wavy lines. "It has been following me all my life and I never knew what it meant." He says, clearly a genuine hint of frustration in his voice. It does bring back bad memories. While his father did well to cover his tracks and never was reported a missing nin, technichally he was conducting illegal activities, even by Kiri standards. Yet he never seized wearing the two wavy lines, and even took to engraving them in his son's arm.
He sighs while he is walked around by the guards. Another room… another place. "Can I have some water?" He asks, followed by a long uhhhhh… "Oh right! Can I have some water please?" It's probably the first time he used that word, only read it in books and Masanori has never gotten its meaning properly. He guesses this is the correct way of using it, gazing at the guards. He needs constant hydration to avoid migrains due to the rapid fluid loss the heavier tar causes. An impurity which his father overlooked during the genetic and toxic manipulation.
Both of the guards are silent, as though deaf to Masanori's request for water. They simply stand, vigilant eyes on the man who'd come in atop a corpse-ridden sea carriage. Eventually, though, one shakes his head, deciding to speak. "Sorry. We're not allowed to leave this room until you do or our orders change. I'll see what I can do after, if I can." And with that, he settles back into silence and watchfulness.
It breaks, soon enough. Broken by the sound of the door sliding open, the interrogator swiftly striding through the door. He looks towards Masanori as he enters. In his hand sits a canteen, presumably filled with water. "Shinigami," is the Jounin's greeting as he closes the door and walks into the room, placing the cantene on the edge of the table and standing by it.
"We should share a few words."
Masanori nods symphathetically at the guard. "I think I understand." He says slowly, chuckling to himself. "It if would make it easier I could kill your partner, show that you're most likely no match to me… I'll even do it with my hands bound. Will you then get me some water? I promise I'll stay in my chair… much like I'm choosing not to hurt you now." He says these words as if it's completely normal to throw around death-threats like that. What's more scary is that he seems so sure of his case… Utterly convincing.
When the jounin enters Masanori thoughts get broken up, gazing at him with his curious blue eye. "I wish I knew how to share words.." Shinegami says without flinching. Absolutely having no idea how to give the Jounin words. "I didn't bring any books." He then concludes… Yea, growing up while cultivating on books does cause misunderstandings like this. His glowy eyes do trail to the canteen, but he does his best not to seem desperate. He has absorbed enough moist from the mist to produce tar enough to keep him running without a major migrain…. Migrains tend to send him into quite a bloody onslaught. Nothing too pretty.
"We should speak with one another," rephrases Meruin, nonplussed by the misunderstanding arising from the choice of words. He takes a seat at the table on the opposite side of Masanori, staring at the man with little in the way of expression shifting his features. "To begin, we will share names. Our reports say that the surviving pirate on the boat said that he and his former crew called you Shinigami." He sends a glance towards the guards who seem a bit… unsettled… before returning his attention to the man before him. "My name is Okumo Meruin. Meruin is suitable. Tell me your name."
"I have many names. And none." he says, while crossing his arms. "Shinigami is what they have called me. The black reaper is what they used to call me in my home…" He chuckles, gazing at Meruin. "Ironic, they still say I haunt the island.. I guess I deserved that name after…" He smiles, though the mask completely hides his facial expressions. "I mean no disrespect, I have never needed the name bestowed on me by my father. I think I remember it, but I don't see a need to divulge it. Besides, I like the ring of Shinegami. It keeps things… simple. Names are too emotional. And makes one so… vunrable. Don't you think, Meruin?" He asks, in fact reanacting an interrogation he read about in one of his books, in which the person who got interrogated started asking questions and completely threw the investigators off.
"I come from an Island… my father comes from these lands." He says, while nodding at Meruin. "Bearing that symbol." He is utterly calm, and yet a little suprised by Meruin… is he trying to be friendly? "Additionally, I do not have a title. Shinigami is my name. Among other names." He says calmly, while shifting in his chair a little. "I have others, it's merely a way of identifying someone." He sighs, while glancing at Meruin. "I guess the answer you want is the following. My name, and full name is Himitsunoi Masanori." He pauses, it took him ages to pronounce his name, and if Meruin would only be a little attuned to chakra he would immidiatly notice a significant flare within Masanori. A bubble of tar forming on his shoulder, which suddenly pops, splattering tar all over the table, maybe even leaving a droplet on Meruin if he doesn't dodge.
"Apologies… This hasn't happend in… years." Masanori says while looking at his own shoulder, seeming a little worried. The last time he had an abreaction like this was when he visited the island where he slaughtered the entire population. Where his father had a house and a lab… where Masanori has spent his entire youth waiting for the death that didn't come. Cursing him for his reluctancy to take him…. Part of the reason why he has taken to that role. He feels like he does his victims a true favor.
"My father his name was Shoda." He says slowly, again another flare in chakra, though no bubbles. This time it gets controlled. "I do not know more, he had books that spoke of these lands. But they must be old, since they aren't very accurate. He spoke of duty and obligation to the men of the symbol… Otherwise all I heard was praise for the fact I wasn't dead yet."
Meruin nods as the man divulges his name. This was where he marked the beginning of the conversation, and with surprisingly little posturing and prodding. But recognizes this as a time for silence and listening, however. Though, the tar bubble forming on the man's shoulder was… the bursting was a surprise, though not a whole one. A thin wall of spider silk erupts from the Jounin, covering him as a small protective shield against the tar.
Nearly immediately, he realizes that it was not an intentional assault and lifts a hand, signaling the guards to stand down even as the silk retracts and detaches from Meruin, forming a large ball that soon finds it's way next to the canteen. "It is a miniscule event," replies the Jounin of the moment, simply watching closely and continuing to listen. It is clear that there is much to know.
A hand finds it's way onto the canteen, and it's soon sent sliding along the tar towards Masanori's side of the table. The first gift given. The first reward earned. "Himitsunoi Shoda," he says, repeating the name to ensure that he has it. "We will check our logs for the name and any information regarding it. "
His long platinum hair rises of it's own volition, beginning the slow process of braiding itself. "There are a few things that I will need to know. The first is your age, to the best of your knowledge. Your father's age follows. I'll also need any information that you can give that might provide insight as to where he had taken you. And lastly, how did you find your way here?"
The tar seems to instantaniously absorb and process the moist, nothing left of it. Even the detatched tar next to Masanori his body seems to have absorbed a droplet of nearly its size, another smaller tar drop only absorbed half a water droplet. It seems they can't absorbe more than their own size.
Masanori gazes at Meruin. "I know the concept of age, but not its calculation." He says slowly, gazing at Meruin. "I am… an adult." He says, shrugging. "That's the closest I can guess." He states, while clearly pondering. "I don't know what age my father was… he died an older adult." Masanori then proceeds to pause for a moment. "I was taken to an island of Kuzuba, two hundred and three inhabitants. Twenty-three children, seventy women and the rest men. All of them are dead." He says slowly, showing no emotion or quarrel of the situation. It doesn't take an expert to find out who caused that. "The Island of Kubuza is now uninhabited. And I have destroyed all my father his research notes. Who disappeared when I was a child." He says, trying to force away the images in his mind.
"He was sick and dying however, and I wouldn't be suprised if he crawled into a hole to get the embrace I never had gotten." He's completely calm under the whole conversation. It sounds almost like he's disappointed death didn't claim him when he was young.
I grew up by myself on that island, and after the embrace of the islanders I walked out to sea. I was the only one on the island who could do that… I can also stand on the roof." He remarks, as if that's supposed to be something very special.
"I found a ship after several hours walking… The captain ordered my death so he faced his." Masanori sighs, recalling the events of his youth. "I fought among and against pirates. Between mercanaries…wherever death was neccasery I could provide. It is the only thing that filled the void." He remarks, clearly making a large leap in time. "I was hired by the currently dead pirate crew to go and take out some competition when I received a letter allegedly from my father." He remarks… while another drop of tar drops off his arm.
*Masanori continues speaking in the same bored tone.*
*We're keeping the rest of the log classified to avoid (unconscious) MG*
