Shinobi

[CommanderQ]

"Tiring, as always. He asked me to cut my hair, last week incase you havent noticed."

 

Akagi nodded, "So I see, I imagine you disliked that."

 

He grinned, chuckling quietly.

 

"How about you? Havent seen you for a while - what have you been doing with yourself?"

 

Akagi once again nodded, he had been gone from the others for awhile now. It was something of a requirement for Akagi to train, isolation gave time to train and realize the true way of the Samurai.

 

"I too have been training, strengthening my technique. I feel quiet ready now...for just about anything. But right now...I feel damned hungry."

 

He laughed, and then his senses informed him of another presence incoming.

 

Akagi looked, seeing Dai walking cheerfully down the road.

 

"Dai-San! Hmm, it seems we've all managed to get the group together this time, don't you think?"

[Cyborg Ninja]

The past weeks had been the longest weeks Takeda had ever endured. Each day he trained himself to be better. He got up before the sun was up and went to sleep well after the sun did. He had trained by himself for most of the time and usually kept to himself. He hadn't seen the others in a past few weeks other than Asuka. He had been training with her each morning in order to help bring her confidence. The more time he spent with her the less awkward he felt about being around her. Training with Asuka and training by himself were not the reasons why the past weeks were long. Each night Takeda would leave the town in search of Karela. He refused to give up on his friend and would find a cure for her even if it killed him. He wore a different outfit that he made himself so that no one would no who he was. He never found anything helpful at night but he didn't give up. However the problem with trying to get his friend back and his feelings for Asuka were allowing Takai to influence him. At night he was far more brutal than he was in the day. Takeda stood over another body and shook his head in sadness.

 

I'll find a way to bring you back Karela, I won't give up.

 

He allowed a lone tear to drop from his face before returning to Konoha. He was careful to make sure no one was following him before returning to the village. He jumped from roof top to roof top until he arrived at his own hut. He looked down to see Kaneda and Akagi walking down the streets. As he turned his head he saw Dai in the other direction. He smiled as he saw his friends. He quickly jumped down and dove into his room to avoid being seen. He quickly put his regular gear back on before exiting his room once more. He walked up to his friends and bowed.

 

"Greetings to the three of you, I trust you've all been well."

[CommanderQ]

"Greetings to the three of you, I trust you've all been well."

 

The sudden appearance of Takeda made Akagi chuckle. Things usually don't occur as perfectly as this. For the past few weeks, they had all been training away from one another, and as it happens, on the same night everyone stops training, they run into eachother on the same road.

 

"Yes, indeed, we've been well....and I must say very surprised how this worked out. How have you been, Takeda-San?"

[Cyborg Ninja]

"Yes, indeed, we've been well....and I must say very surprised how this worked out. How have you been, Takeda-San?"

 

Takeda took a few seconds to recall all he did the past few weeks.

 

"I have been quite busy with all this training. I've been training by myself and helping Asuka train as well."

 

He felt a sharp pain on his left arm. He looked to see a cut left by the man he had attacked earlier. He hoped no one else would notice it or ask him about it.

 

"So whats keeping the rest of you up at this hour?"

[DrPhil2501]

"So whats keeping the rest of you up at this hour?"

 

"Tategami-sensai has been punishing me with his training regime; I need some recreational time by meself..."

 

Kaneda couldnt help it - literally - but he noticed the painful sensation on Takeda's left arm. He was abit suprised with himself that he is able to have been granted this new sensory so quickly. It wont be long till he can read minds like Tategami, he thought.

 

Given from his expression, Takeda didnt look like he wanted to discuss it. "I hear you're training with Asuka. How is she doing?"

[Shana]

"So you're a dead woman brought back from the dead, and now you have a mission to go on. Its good to know I'm not the only living dead person around here. I'm sorry about your sister...I lost my wife...and my daughter. I hope you find the people that made you suffer, like I'm still trying to do."

 

Shizuma grinned.

 

"You make it a habit of eavesdropping on people?", Shizuma said mostly in humour. "Then I hope you find them too. If you'll excuse me."

 

Shizuma said and left the hospital. She went towards the woods.

 

"You have a home here Kokoro?", Shizuma asked.

 

No, I don't, I am relatively new in town. I had just arrived when the hokage sent me on the mission with Tategami and the others, Kokoro said.

 

"Well I guess we sleep in the woods. I don't mind though, I've done it countless times before", Shizuma said and then returned conciousness to Kokoro, her hair and eyes going to the way they were normally.

 

Sleep well Kokoro, training begins tomorrow, Shizuma said and Kokoro nodded. Laying down beside a tree, Jupo served as her pillow and they both fell asleep.

[Chevron 7 locke]

((CQ, do you want to fight Karela now?))

 

"Dai-San! Hmm, it seems we've all managed to get the group together this time, don't you think?"

 

"Indeed it does. I was just heading out for some ramen after a long day of training with Lee-sensai. You have no idea of the crazy ways to train that man thought up. He actually had me try to cut down a tree with a Kunai knife in under five minutes."

 

Dai shuddered at the memories of the training he had gone through.

 

"I'm not saying it didn't work. It actually worked quite well. I just plan on never training like that ever again."

[Lord of Hunger]

A few weeks ago

 

The Jashinists leaped at Yoroi all at once. Here we go, he thought--

 

And then they were gone, replaced by a blue-haired woman with a paper flower in her hair. Akasun's body had also disappeared. "You are worthy," the woman remarked, then made three hand signs that sent Yoroi into oblivion.....

 

* * *

 

Two days ago

 

Yoroi woke up to the sound of rain. He was lying in a warm bed, his sword on the nearby dresser.

 

"At last you have awoken."

 

The blue haired woman was sitting at the opposite end of the room. Yoroi yelped and seized his sword. "Who the hell are you?! Where am I?! What happened to the--"

 

"The Jashinists were my Genjutsu," said the woman. "I am Konan, and you are in Amegakure."

 

"Konan...." Yoroi muttered. "Konan, the Amekage? The former member of Akatsuki, attendant of Pain?"

 

Konan nodded. "You are the third person in the Ninja World to ever have the Rinnegan, the noble dojutsu of the Six Paths. I sought you out to determine if you are worthy of the teachings. You are."

 

"What teachings, and what are you talking about?" Yoroi growled. "I'm just some cursed Konoha Jonin who happens to have Rinnegan, nothing more."

 

Konan smiled. "You are cursed no more."

 

His heart skipped a beat. He could not speak.

 

"You have been undergoing an advanced procedure for several weeks," explained Konan. "I arranged for a procedure to remove the Nightmare Curse. You no longer have Nightmare Chakra, though you can still summon Nightmare Horrors."

 

"W-w-w-why....?" asked Yoroi, shocked in every sense of the word.

 

Konan stood. "Two reasons. One is the Arashi. I am aware of them, and as friend to the Sixth Hokage I will assist Konoha how I can. Two is my love for Nagato. You are of his nature, and I thus feel compelled to train you."

 

"This is too much...." Yoroi's head was filled with every emotion. He was now free of his curse, yet at the same time he was weaker than even a Genin, all because had been kidnapped and operated on by a former member of the Akatsuki in the Hidden Rain Village.

 

He focused on his inner self for a moment, and found no familiar Nightmare Chakra within. Instead he felt the five primary elements singing inside him.

 

"You wish to train me, you say?"

 

Konan nodded. "Please rest some more. Tomorrow, you must learn many entirely new Jutsu."

 

"Wait!" Yoroi exclaimed as she started to leave. "Arigato, sensei."

 

The Amekage nodded.

 

* * *

 

One Day Ago

 

"So now you have learned at least one different technique per element and all six basic cloning techniques," said Konan. "Therefore, you must master the Jutsu of the Six Paths."

 

"What do you mean?" asked Yoroi.

 

"When you had your nightmare abilities, you had a significant advantage because it was a unique ability. However it limited the extent of your abilities. Currently you have the polar opposite problem: you can master many basic abilities, but you have no special jutsu that gives you any advantage. Thus, you must master the Six Paths Jutsu.

 

"There are two different versions of this ability: Nagato used dead bodies while the original Sage of the Six Paths used all six different types of clones in a way where they were sustainable. I have taught you the tools needed for the latter."

 

Konan began to walk away. "Meet me here tomorrow when you can cast a single Shadow, Fire, Wind, Water, Lightning, and Earth Clone all at the same time. You will know that you are successful when the clones do not dispel upon being damaged."

 

Yoroi immediately set to work. He was hardly at the level of a Chunin at this point, and if he was to be of any use against the Arashi he would have to learn the Six Paths Jutsu very quickly.

 

* * *

 

"Have you been successful?" Konan asked the next day.

 

Yoroi shook his head. "I can summon them all at the same time, but they still dispel. Sorry, sensei."

 

"No matter. I did not expect you to be entirely successful. Take some time off to visit your village. My guards report that you have been working very hard, so it's obvious that you have earned it."

 

Yoroi bowed. After he was out of sight, he broke into a run. He had every intention of returning, but there were so many people he wanted to speak with.

[Cyborg Ninja]

"I hear you're training with Asuka. How is she doing?"

 

Takeda's mood changed from saddened to glad, one could hear it in his voice.

 

"She's doing great. I've taken her to where I used to train in the beginning. Out in the open field you can let any emotions that you're feeling out and that's helped her a lot. Perhaps something to eat will take our minds off of training just for a bit."

[DrPhil2501]

"Perhaps something to eat will take our minds off of training just for a bit."

 

"I was just thinking that." Kaneda rubbed his belly. "My stomach is rumbling for a bowl of hot Ramen right about now."

 

He was about to walk off. "You guys wanna tag along? We havent caught up with each other for quite a while now."

 

He wasnt entirely fussed with the answer. He continued walking through the busy town at night. The lights sure made the village look pretty under the Full Moon light.

[SkywalkerRules]

The training with Takeda went real well. But now, Asuka was sitting by a tree, thinking about all that happened. As Takeda taught her: she couldn't let her feelings get in the way. But, she felt the need to sit for a while. Alone.

 

She was all healed up, that was good. But something inside her told her that she had to stick with her friends, and never give in to depression, anger, or hate. Those were the things that almost clouded her mind...

 

Asuka sighed. "How long? How long till everything around me shatters down. How long...?" she thought to herself. The young girl continued to sit by the tree, hand on her forehead with elbow rested on her knees, and lost in thought.

[CommanderQ]

"Perhaps something to eat will take our minds off of training just for a bit."

 

Akagi smiled, "That would be great...food is an excellent thought right now..."

 

He glanced off at the forest behind them, just curious. There was nothing different about it...but it seemed darker, and not because the sun had gone down. There was soemthing else inside...

 

The Samurai suddenly felt a need to confront this darkness...not only in an effort to cleanse it, but to rid himself of his own personal fear.

 

He looked to the others.

 

"I'll meet you guys over there...just have to handle an affair at this moment."

 

He left quickly, not giving the others time to respond.

 

The forest was indeed darker in many ways, and he had seen evidence of movement through the brush. He wasn't sure how many had been moving through the forest, but he knew it couldn't have possibly been one of his comrades, they had all been training seperately, and far off from here.

 

He clenched the hilt of his wakizashi blade and walked carefully through the thick undergrowth.

 

((Ok, Chev...now ))

[Chevron 7 locke]

Two dark figure watched as a lone samurai warrior walked into the forest and slowly got closer and closer to them.

 

Zarela whispered to her student. "He might have seen something, we can't allow him to report back to his Hidden leaf allies. I trust that after you take care of him you'll hang his body somewhere easily noticable?"

 

"Yes sensai. I'll make sure to leave it somewhere...noticable," Karela whispered back, thinking of hanging the Samurai's body from the Hokage monument."

 

Zarela nodded and then made a series of handsigns and was then engulfed in a blue light.

 

Karela watched as her sensai and then turned back to the Samurai who was now holding his wakizashi rather tightly.

 

Karela quickly jumped to one of the tree branches above before speaking.

 

"It looks like I get a chance to kill one of you after all. I managed to kill the Head of the Hyuga clan. You shouldn't pose much of a challenge."

 

The Village

 

A blue flash lit the area as the teleportation jutsu dropped Zarela on top of a building directly overlooking Asuka.

 

Zarela smiled. A leaf chunin...all alone. And better yet it was the one she had tormented in the forest! The weak one...The one who couldn't stand up for herself, the one who always wept at the first sign of difficulty.

 

Still...she did kill her father, and he wasn't a simple pushover. But she had help, this shouldn't be too difficult alone.

 

"Hello Asuka," she said darkly before jumping down in front of her.

 

"Remember me?"

[CommanderQ]

"It looks like I get a chance to kill one of you after all. I managed to kill the Head of the Hyuga clan. You shouldn't pose much of a challenge."

 

This confirmed Akagi's suspicions, and he lowered his stance and looked up at one of the trees. He spotted the dark shape quickly, and watched as carefully as he could.

 

And there was something eerily familiar about the voice.

 

He did not draw his blade, instead staying ready to strike in case his attacker leaped from the branch.

 

"Hmm...such a dishonorable way to fight..."

 

Akagi assumed that this attacker was an Arashi Ninja, no doubt on a patrol to monitor their training. He had two choices, kill her, or take her prisoner, but no escape. No, that was something that could not happen.

 

"I can see you feel very confident about your skill, how about you come down from the trees and face me in combat...if you are truly as confident as you seem..."

[Chevron 7 locke]

"I can see you feel very confident about your skill, how about you come down from the trees and face me in combat...if you are truly as confident as you seem..."

 

Weakling. He doesn't even know how to infuse his blade with Chakra. This will only take a few moments of my time.

 

Karela jumped down in front of the Samurai, making sure that her face was obscured by the shadows.

 

"I'm going to see how long you can last with no chakra...with no techniques of any kind. Hopefully you'll provide more entertainment then the Hyuga clan did."

[CommanderQ]

"I'm going to see how long you can last with no chakra...with no techniques of any kind. Hopefully you'll provide more entertainment that the Hyuga clan did."

 

Akagi smirked, "I can garuntee it."

 

He still kept his blade sheathed, but began circling around, barely disturbing the ground he walked upon.

 

What a day to choose not to wear armor....a kimono doesn't protect anything, other then you're dignity....

 

The Samurai pulled his blade out a single inch, but no more. He wanted the ninja to make the first move.

[Chevron 7 locke]

"I can garuntee it."

 

A very faint smile appeared on Karela's face. She enjoyed a challenge and it looked like the Samurai was going to try and provide one for her.

 

"Very well. I'll start."

 

Karela made a very quick series of handsigns.

 

Fire release: Grand Fireball jutsu

 

A massive fireball formed directly in front of her, briefly illuminating her face before streaking toward the Samurai.

[SkywalkerRules]

"Hello Asuka," she said darkly before jumping down in front of her. "Remember me?"

 

Asuka looked up from her hand, and at that moment... she sighed with both quietness and frustration. "Oh. It's you." The young girl stood up and stood in an offensive stance, with fists clenched.

 

"Look, if you're planning on doing something dumb like last time, you got another thing comin'." She glared at the woman Zarela. "What do you want?"

 

Asuka felt that something wasn't right. Should she warn the others about the arrivals of the Arashi? Or should she fight them alone. Thinking it over, she made her choice.

 

To fight them alone...

[Lord of Hunger]

"Oi, you!" yelled one of two brigands on the side of the road. "All of your valuables right now."

 

"Don't have time for that," said Yoroi, somewhat irritated. "Bansho Ten'nin!"

 

One of the thugs flew towards Yoroi, who then slammed him to the ground. "Shinra Tensei!" The other thug was sent flying away.

 

He kept running, eager to meet his comrades.

 

* * *

 

"Kaneda!" He had just arrived and seen his comrade at the Ichiraku Ramen Bar. "Long time no see!"

[Cyborg Ninja]

"That would be great...food is an excellent thought right now..."

 

Takeda looked up and saw that Kaneda was already walking ahead.

 

"Yeah...especially for Kaneda."

 

Takeda looked over to see Akagi's mind was elsewhere. The samurai seemed to be looking at something or was just deep in thought. Either way it looked a little scary.

 

"I'll meet you guys over there...just have to handle an affair at this moment."

 

Takeda raised an eyebrow but just shrugged his shoulders as the samurai walked away. Curious about what Akagi needed to do Takeda's mind drifted off a bit. His body went a little numb and he shivered, something was wrong. He looked over at Dai and scratched the back of his head.

 

"Sorry I too need to leave at the moment, I'll be back in a bit."

 

Takeda quickly turned in a hurry and left the village. He made his way through past some trees until he arrived at the spot where he would train. Something was calling him here but he didn't know why, that was until he saw a woman with robes jump down to attack Asuka. He remembered from when she attacked the group in the forrest.

 

Ice Release: Sub-Zero

 

"Remember me?"

 

"Yeah, we do. You're the cowardly ninja who ran away from us in the forrest. You gonna run away again or will you stay so I can watch you bleed to death" He said to the woman, feeling Takai's presence growing stronger inside of him.

[Chevron 7 locke]

((Did you want Zarela or Karela to Kidnap asuka? If not Zarela then I'll let Cyborg or you kill her off in the next few posts.))

 

"Look, if you're planning on doing something dumb like last time, you got another thing comin'."

 

Zarela smiled darkyl at her.

 

"You have talent...and will serve the Arashi as well as your friend Karela does. If you go along I give you my word that this will be a lot less painful then it has to be."

 

Zarela chuckled darkly as another leaf shinobi arrived.

 

"Yeah, we do. You're the cowardly ninja who ran away from us in the forrest. You gonna run away again or will you stay so I can watch you bleed to death"

 

"I don't think so.

 

Zarela made a series of handsigns almost faster then the eye could see and a stream of fire erupted from her mouth and engulfed Takeda in red hot flames.

 

She turned back to Asuka with another dark smile.

 

"Now...where were we?"

[Cyborg Ninja]

Takeda just looked at the oncoming fire and smiled. The fire met Takeda's ice armor and melted it away also causing the flames to die as well. Last time she may have gotten him with that but he was well prepared this time around. Smoke now covered where he was standing. He charged up his ice ball and placed his right hand through it.

 

"Now...where were we?"

 

Takeda smiled taking that as his cue and lunged at the woman, hitting her in the back of the head with the ice ball. He jumped in front of Asuka and took a defensive stance.

 

"If you brain washing freaks think you're going to take another one of my friends than you've got another thing coming. Lay a single hand on her and I'll rip you limb from limb!"

[Chevron 7 locke]

((I thought Skywalker wanted Asuka to be kidnapped.))

 

"If you brain washing freaks think you're going to take another one of my friends than you've got another thing coming. Lay a single hand on her and I'll rip you limb from limb!"

 

Zarela smiled as she simply shrugged off the ice ball and then slowly began to walk toward Takeda and Asuka.

 

"Your friend put up less of a fight then you did. Or course she was out cold when the ANBU squad was taken out."

 

She made another series of handsigns and a brilliant blue light began to surround Takeda.

 

"You've got I'd estimate three seconds before that teleports you very far away," Zarela said cheerfully. "Now stop interupting me and let me take the girl away."

[Cyborg Ninja]

"You've got I'd estimate three seconds before that teleports you very far away," Zarela said cheerfully. "Now stop interupting me and let me take the girl away."

 

Move out of the way!

 

No, she won't get Asuka

 

Takai used all the force he could and forced Takeda to move.

 

"Why did you do that!?!"

 

"Fool did you really want to end up in a volcano or somewhere in the mountains?"

 

"I won't let her take her."

 

"You're weak Takeda, you couldn't stop her if you tried. Let me handle this."

 

"No, I can do this by myself."

 

"I bet that's what your friend Karela said before she failed too."

 

"You leave her out of this!"

[Chevron 7 locke]

Zarela watched in slight confusion as Takeda seemed to argure with himself for a few moments.

 

"You leave her out of this!"

 

"Ahhh...you speak of Karela," Zarela said cheerfully. "She's really turning out to be the perfect agent. Even as we speak she's dealing with your samurai friend."

 

She waved her finger at Takeda.

 

"That samurai shouldn't have been snooping around. I bet his body is hanging from someplace public even as we speak. My student wanted to make an impression on the Hokage."

 

Zarela the made another series of handsigns, this time begining with a different handsign.

 

Boar, Snake, Tiger. This should knock them both out for a while. Long enough for me to get the girl out of here.

 

Poison release: Paralysis needles.

 

A set of five chakra needles appeared in her hand. Three of them struck Takeda and the last two hit Asuka directly in the neck.

 

Now I just need to wait a few seconds until the poison takes effect on their systems.