-1 month ter-
Pov: Shuzo
Spiritual detachment- often referring to leaving behind the material and letting one become enlightened.
Not necessarily throwing away money or cking care for another... but rather the acceptance of detachment from such things... whether the money comes or goes, whether the person stays or leaves.
Detach yourself from feeling... let ones soul control ones mind and body- let it make you better in many ways.
Ones shadow, ones darkness- what one represses within, if you detach yourself from it you accept that darkness and simply let go... becoming the best you possible.
I however did the opposite- I gripped the darkness and didn't let go, I let it stay and stir within me... but not as some evil, but rather a guide.
A wall.
A hurdle.
Something to push me so I don't forget.
I let my mind and body take over my spirit, not to let it rot but make it thrive with the shit I repressed... attachment.
If detachment means untying ones soul from the body and mind.
Then I have done the opposite.
_______
Blessings:
[Kenzo] Shapeshifting: C×B×A×S?K?
[Kenzo] Genjutsu Resonance: E×D×C?
[Kenzo] Split Selves: K×
[Shuzo] Spiritual Attachment: A×S?K?_______
It took a week of thinking... of testing- but I figured it out, I attach my soul to something and grant it power based on my souls three shadows.
Probably only meant to attach to a sword or something and give it power... but I do my own thing.
I used my K-rank mending massage to mend what shouldn't be mended... I made my body and soul one.
Meaning I attached that power to my body instead of an item like intended.
And now that ability has... altered my statistics a little.
------
Shuzo Statistics:
Weight +9 [FIRST SHADOW ×2 = 18]
Density +7
------
I do not know what I did... but I have a feeling that detachment can often lead to feeling lighter in most texts... so it must be the opposite here right? Either way my first shadow makes me weigh 180% more than I should, when I step I have to use shifting bance to keep myself from breaking wooden floors.
Which led me to using the K-rank scroll on the bance skill, it has allowed me to tread lightly while I am so unnaturally heavy... I would like to see those Iwa ninja kidnap and carry me now!
The other two shadows must also be attached to my blessing, as there are two other ranks to increase I believe once I spiritual attach myself more... I could have my soul give benefits to my body.
Statistic buffs!
A great blessing indeed.
...
*Knock* *Knock!*
"Come in!" I say.
"We have a new lead, is the feeling near rivers?" Kurotsuchi asks me.
"Sort of... hard to find- but my soul is better than ever at finding itself, my arms are near" I nod my head and smile.
"Got it, I will tell the next team to search around the nd of Rivers then" Kurotsuchi tells me... and probably goes off to tell her grandfather.
...
Oh so terrible snake~
The hunt is on!
---
Pov: Ryū
What is Shuzo pnning... with his talk at the st chunin exams and the recent string of notifications that surround him... I worry for Kenzo at this point.
I worry for me... and so I must grow stronger.
------
Ryū Skills:
Juggling: E×D×C×B?A?S?K?
Burst Breathing: E×D×C×B×A×S?K?
Dragons breath: E×D×C×B×A×S×K (+1)
Lightning Dart: E×D×C×B×A?S?K? (+1)
Lightning Runes: E×D×C×B×A×S?K?(Bio-Runes + Lightning Absorption - B-rank)
Ryū Wire-Taijutsu: E×D×C×B×A×S×K? (+1)
Lightning Absorption: E×D×C×B×A?S?K?
------
Dragon's breath has upgraded for more efficiency and a lot of unhealthy lung use... something I wish I didn't have to remember- just constant exhaling until my eyes popped...
Lightning dart has increased through very dangerous and terrible training in a storm, though tolerable and easy to get through compared to most other trainings- it has practically upgraded on all basic aspects.
My taijutsu skills have been top notch tely, especially since I started teaching multiple teams- helps me grasp much more about my own techniques and merge the use of wires and unarmed fighting quit well.
My bio runes where an... awkward skill due to the fact that I don't have Kenzo to help me make them now... so the new merging of skills with the Lightning absorption skill I got a bit ago seemed fitting.
Basically I learnt how to apply seals onto my own body using lightning without shifting my body- it used the tiniest bit of chakra which is quite interesting for cracking the actual lightning sage mode I wish to have...
But for now I can use my body as the seal canvas- alongside the normal seal stuff I could do before the merging of skills.
I've also gotten three statistic scrolls and had them pced into my acceleration and reaction time... making them both an even five.
If I were to judge my growth? Lacking but overall its fine- my real growth has been in the political side of Konoha.
Meetings with the Nara... dinners with the Akamichi, the Inuzuka have taken a liking to me for some reason and the Yamanaka has spoken up about the benefits of the Battle-Sages- even though I have done nothing the Hyuga have surprisingly taken a liking to my emphasis on safety before risk in all the meetings I join in on... which is a lot of meetings when the Hokage forces you to join all of hers.
Pretty sure I am doing half the Hokage's job plus my own... but I am fine with that- I am not one to shy from work after all.
...
Akemi has been great, but my workload has increased... if not for working together on the Battle-Sage side of my job I would have only seen her twice this week when I ate dinner with her and breakfast the next morning.
Luckily we spend some hours doing deskwork with each other- keeping some talk between us.
---
Pov: Kenzo
"BURN YOU FUCKING FREAK!!!" A fire punching sand ninja says a she barrages me with small bsts of fme that explode off my bone tower shield.
"Keep her busy! Ill handle the seal" Kakazu states as he moves behind me towards the sealed cave behind us.
*BOOM!* *BAM!* *CLASH!*
two more explosions on my shield and a very sudden kick that sweeps my shield to the side.
I shift my unshifted arm into that of a small spear and lunge forward at the quick dy- *Woosh!* who dodges past me and runs at Kakazu who kneels down and focuses entirely on the seal.
I shift my shield hand into another spearhead before kneeling down and- *Wooosss* kicking up the sand behind me and unching at the dy.
*BAM!*
I suddenly swipe at her and she holds out her palms before sending an explosion that pushes us both away from each other... we are too close to Kakazu I need to take this away from here.
"What's wrong freak? Too slow!?" She yells before holding down both her arms and charging up another set of fire jutsu- probably to unch herself forward again.
"Need my masks?" Kakazu asks absentmindedly.
"No- focus up" I reply and gaze directly at the dy... waiting until a moment before she fires off her jutsu and then staring into her soul.
*Stumble-* *BLAST!*
She stumbles back and unches herself in the opposite direction unwillingly- I jump after her making huge leaps as I keep up my stare.
We traverse through a huge canyon in which she unches herself towards the exit with intense speed.
"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!" She yells before closing her eyes that tear up and aiming her hands at me.
*FWWHWHOOOOOM!*
Like using a fmethrower she hurls untamed fire at me and I blink at the sudden burst of heat straight into my eyes.
I shift all my parts to normal as we reach the entrance of this canyon, I slide across the sand as I make my final nding and I stare her down as she stumbles backwards into the sand taking heavy breaths.
"F-freaking monster-" she mutters to herself and I note the small group of ninja in the distance... closing in on us.
...
"Stay down- keep away and I won't bite" I warn the dy who stands on her own and gnces back at the oncoming reinforcements.
"I- I cannot- not now, not with our economy" She winces and hardens her gaze while biting her lip.
Ah- money. Kakazu is right, it can make one crazy or in this case foolish.
...
A standoff? I do not mind waiting until her friends arrive- more time is better for me.
...
..
.
*Flicker!* *Woosh!* *Shaaaa~*
A puppet wielding young adult.
A fan using young dy.
And a child gliding upon sand arrive in front of me.
Gaara, Temari and Kankuro.
The famous sand trio and the crazy brat who murdered me- great, I thought the reinforcements would be minimal considering the target... but desperate times call for desperate measures- Kakazu made sure I understood that the strongest ninja in wind could arrive even on D-rank missions due to their unique situation.
"Kenzo, it has been a while" Gaara of the sand stands tall and tells me.
"If you count killing me when I was vulnerable a 'meeting' then sure..." I retort.
"Didn't we see you at the stadium a month ter? Speaking of... how did you come back?" Kankuro chuckles under the tension I force into the air with my gaze.
"Good question. Got any others?" I ask.
"Naruto told me the specifics of what happened... he believes in you Kenzo- it is never too te to be better" Gaara warmly smiles, completely immune to my stare... if anyone was immune it would be him.
"I'm aware- I am better, better than ever" I scrunch my nose when he mentions Naruto... like I want to be here.
"I was once a monster Kenzo, I understand the struggles that come with that name... please let us help you clear that name, the same way I am" Gaara offers a hand and I stay silent for a moment.
...
He is trying to convert me back? Why? What changed in this brat that made him so sane all of a sudden...? Too bad I have to be a monster right now, I would have taken that opportunity before meeting Madara...
"No" I state.
"It doesn't have to be this way Kenzo..." Gaara closes his eyes as he raises the sand around himself.
"You don't understand what it's like" I state.
His eyes twitch and his siblings furrow their brows- I need to say whatever to buy myself time... if Kakazu arrives he can help-
...
If Kakazu arrives we might accidentally get the one-tails...
...
A small chance but we have been training to do this for quite some time...
...
Oh no... I have to make a stupid move here don't I?
"Of course I do-" Gaara states and I cut him off.
"Nope- you have a nightmare within you, I chose to kill those people, I chose to eat that flesh and drink that blood... you were raised wrong and I was raised right- the difference between me and you? Wider than this canyon behind me- now shut up and fight child of sand" I shut him off and grab my Akatsuki robe before chucking it away.
*BURST!*
A huge wave of sand suddenly appears in front of me- bigger than twenty feet this wave crashes down with sudden speed.
*CRASH!* *BANG!*
I jump backwards and backwards at intense speeds before jumping over the wave of sand and- *WOOOSH!* Being struck down again by a bst of intense wind.
*Sm!*
I roll backwards and slide along the ground- *WOOM!* before being buried by the sand, I try to resist but the sand tightens around me, unable to see anything I think quickly for a solution to mu problem.
*SINK* *STAB!* *PEIRCE!*
But four puppet bdes pierce my forearms and thighs suddenly- gasping out in annoyance I think about the st time I was trapped by this sand...
Man I am not suited to fighting this guy- especially not in the fucking desert.
And not with the other two siblings!
*SINK!*
Another bde pierces and sinks into the sand... resting just at my throat- the sand around my head uncovers and I see Gaara standing before me as he holds out his hand.
"If Naruto believes in you- I do too, stop this and come home" Gaara utters with clear anger on his face.
I look around for the other three but do not see them- but I feel their stares as they hide and wait to sneak attack me the second I show resistance again.
...
"Do you really think that I would turn for a few words?" I ask.
"Yes, that's all it takes" Gaara's hand softens from grip into a offer once again.
"..." I close my eyes and begin to shift the insides of my body, slowly but surely changing it.
"You were trapped in a corner- the only response you could do was bite back, some were hurt by you but the only way you can pay that debt back is by earnestly working towards fixing it... it takes time and the sooner you realise it the sooner you can be better" Gaara's voice softens.
But my flesh is hollow- I a small rat with my tail connected to my prior husk nd in the bottom of my shoe and start preparing my next shift- with a few seconds I can instantly burst into a new form.
I close my husks eyes and look down with deep sadness in them- buying just a few more seconds.
"You may think we are different but we aren't, regardless of choice I killed many and must suffer the consequences all the same" Gaara emphasizes.
...
Time to bring out what I had to use against might gai- *BURST* *SPLIT!* *CRACK!* *SNAP!* *SLAM!* *POP!* *RIIIP!*
My husk shrinks on itself quickly and colpses onto my rat body before my entire being bursts out of the sand right out of the chest.
My arm forms a fist as it punches a hole into the human shaped sand- bck bone armour smoothly shapes around it and has no room for gaps as my body shifts to accommodate an exoskeleton.
*SLAM!*
I punch through Gaara revealing himself to be a husk of sand himself- my entire body bursts out and reveals itself as I fly past the sand husk.
Bck bone armour that covers my entire body from head to toe- simir to pte armour but mixed with some very bug inspired themes, my helmet looking like an armet, and my armour growing to be thicker and greater... much better than normal armour as it is my body and I have greater strength to carry the weight.
If I were to have named forms... my first one would be [Nightmare Form] and this one would be named [Heavy Armour Form].
Heavy armour a good idea in this fight...? Or should I go with a lighter variant? No- I have the strength to push through this.
"Interesting" Gaara mutters as he rises from the sand in front of me... I look behind him at Kankuro and the fire dy sprinting towards Kakuzu...
He will have to deal with him, I can't beat these four on my own- not with my skill set at least... and I need to send Gaara retreating before Kakazu is done with Kankuro and fire dy.
*Cck!* *BOOM!*
I kick up sand behind me as I jump towards Gaara and punch- *SLAM!* into his annoying automatic defence.
*WOOSH!* *BAM!* *WOOSH!* *SLAM!*
I jump around him and show him my strength which manages to break through on the final hit.
*Woooosh!*
A wind assaults me as I cw inside the sand barrier at Gaara but my added weight doesn't get moved so easily.
*WWOOOOOSH!*
But the second bst carries much more power to adjust and pushes me out of Gaaras sand defence- I slide backwards as I try to keep my bance in the barrage of wide area wind attacks.
*SHAAA!*
Sand rises around me once more threatening to entrap me in a coffin- If I could walk I would be able to handle the wind... but this sand keeps me from moving slow.
*Woosh!*
I effortlessly jump backwards and tank the wind barrage as I struggle to think of a solution to my problem.
A terrible match up... why am I always in a terrible match up- am i just weak? Only meant to tank hits and keep people distracted? All that Jun has taught me means nothing at this moment... all that I learned fighting might gai means nothing especially when I have great advantage over taijutsu users.
...
Sand control and wind manipution... what should I do...
Eyes don't work on Gaara and Temari is too far away to do anything with that at the moment- my touch is useless when fighting two mid to long range ninja... and most my other skills are infiltration and interrogation focused.
Damn- all bark and no bite.
At least this armour I have shifted is standing its ground, that is pretty much all I have going for me.
...
*SLAM!* *CRASH!*
Two giant piles of sand unch at me and sm into the desert around me as I jump out of the way once more- almost getting hit by the second one due to the thrashing winds.
I can't keep jumping backwards... I need to make some ground- wait- ground? I have an idea...!
Instead of jumping backwards once more I shoot bone spikes from my heels into the sand and stabilize myself against the wind before- *POW!* punching the sand below me.
*BAM!* *BOOM!* *WOOSH!*
Almost as if setting of explosive tags in the ground the sand shoots up from my dangerously strong punches- but the spectacle is not what I want, the sound vibrating through the sand is!
Now obviously I cannot target Temari with our distance and the very loud wind disturbing any noise I make- so my target is Gaara... my noise usually needs to reach his ears but if I use Yin picking to guide it...
All I need is for him to take the bait and pour some chakra into the sand around me.
*POW!* *BLAST!* *WOOOOSH!*
The sand swirls in a unique pattern around me- creating a dome that blocks out the light as it slowly shrinks in on me.
Snap.
My eyes lose focus as I follow the yin chakra out of my punch and into the sand... slowly tracing the sound until I feel it... the chakra that Gaara uses that almost pulls mine in.
I focus my mind on that sense... and suddenly I lose connection to my senses as I fully focus on that slither of Yin chakra rushing through the sand.
...
*ACK!*
Pain.
*CRUSH!*
I do not lose my sense of pain.
*CRACK!*
The sand around me breaks my bone armour.
*SLAM!*
And slowly breaks my bones.
*TEAR!*
Before twisting my arms and tearing my flesh.
*STRETCH!*
Pulling my legs and cementing the fact that Gaara is giving no more chances.
*CRUSH!*
Haaaa-
....
...
..
.
.
..
...
....
Haaaa- Haaa- Ha- Ha- Haahahahahahaha!
The sand falls around me and I rise from it as I enter into his mind... in the desert me and Gaara stand opposite each other as his eyelids grow heavier slowly.
"Hahahahahaha! What's wrong? Growing tired?" I ugh loudly as my bones snap back into pce.
*SNAP!*
But as I connect to his mind and forcefully make it rest... I see the visage of the one tailed beast gring at me.
*TWIST!* *STRETCH!*
As the blood leaks from my armour I twist my arms back around and correct my legs... the sand around me is dyed completely red and I lose my armour as I am forced to maintain my unshifted body.
The second I lose focus is the second I die.
...
"What are you looking at?" I snarl at the beasts image and slowly walk forward.
*WOOSH!* *WOOOSH!*
Wind barrages me again but this time the winds simply pass by me as I shrug off each bst- my walk slowly but surely making my way to Gaara.
*WOOOSH!*
She suddenly stops attacking and goes all in on flickering forward at an intense speed, she is too far away... I had been pushed quite some distance.
I reach Gaara seconds before her and stare down the tailed beast threatening to cause chaos.
"Stop! Stop!" Temari cries out as she reaches her hand out and leaps at Gaara.
*BOOM!*
My eyes suddenly widen as the ground beneath her bursts open and I focus my gaze seeing if Gaara suddenly gained conscience.
"Ack!" Temari gasps as a swarm of dark wires punch her in the gut and wrap around her... Kakazu crawls up from the hole as he chucks Kankuro who is tied up and unconscious near me.
"We will keep the siblings alive- The Cloud vilge won't accept a good price for the heads... as for the Jinchurikii... how long can you keep him like that?" He asks as he punches Temari over the jaw and ties her furiously with wire.
...
Fuck.
"I can keep him for a bit- this genjutsu is very precise... he isn't fully unconscious as to release the beast- he probably feels like he has not slept in days and his body craves sleep... I am just not letting it" I tell Kakazu who nods and punches Temari once more finally knocking her out.
Shit.
...
If Temari wasn't caught off guard so much she could have applied enough pressure to 'wake' Gaara from the genjutsu and force us to make a fight or flee choice.
I could have shifted that choice into flee.
...
"I will contact the Akatsuki to understand what we must do" Kakazu states and throws Temari next to Kankuro.
I take a breath as he slowly walks away around twenty feet and starts using the ring to perform a communication jutsu.
...
I stare back at the Tailed beast ready to burst into chaos... I can see him due to connecting my Yin energy to Gaara's... can he hear me?
*Thump!* *Thump!*
Kakuzu looks back to see me thumping my chest... I cough up some blood and give him a thumbs up... he turns around and I focus on pouring more Yin chakra into Gaara.
'Can you hear this?' I ask.
'I... can...' Gaara slowly mumbles out some thoughts.
...
I focus harder and dig deeper.
'Let me out! Let me hurt him! Let me HURT HIM!' The tailed beast wails out.
'Shut up. I cannot let you be taken by us- if you have any cards use them now' I command coldly.
'Shut up!? Me!? You trapped us in this genjutsu! Release it!' He growls out.
Fuck- fuck- shit- think!
...
Okay- I have a pn.
'You can create a pretty good looking clone right? At the stadium during the invasion you slowly turned Gaara's flesh into sand... could you mimic sand into his flesh?' I ask the tailed beast.
'Bah! Not in this condition! Release me!' It yelps out in annoyance.
...
'Shut it- focus up, Gaara I am waking you up but make no sudden movements- this is the pn:
Step one: I am going to eat half of you One tails- give me your yang energy and I will hold it within my body... luckily it has the capabilities to do that- and hopefully half will be enough to satisfy Kakazu on this losing deal he will make.
Step two: as you feed me your sand flesh you will pce a clump of sand that 'surprises me' and causes me serious internal damage... lets say you pnted that during the fight and I didn't notice.
Step three: after you are released from my genjutsu take your siblings and run- I will reason with Kakazu and say my wounds are too much... normally he would just leave me and come back ter after having hunted you down and grabbed you while you were vulnerable... but I will have an 'insurance' in the form of eating half of you... so he will not take the risk and see the bigger picture- we both get what we want... and hopefully half the tailed beast isn't enough for the Akatsuki's pns...' I finish my pn and both Gaara and the tailed beast go silent.
'Shukaku- there isn't another option' Gaara states to the beast before it can whine.
... please...
'Fine' The tailed beast agrees.
'Good- feed your flesh through the sand... I will open a mouth at the bottom of my feet' I ask and so our operation begins.
'Naruto was right' Gaara says.
'Sh' I hush him.
"We need to keep him till tomorrow morning, keep him still-" Kakazu raises his hand at Gaara and I suddenly jolt.
"Wait- watch-" I yell out and before Kakazu can react my chest explodes with powerful sand.
*BANG!* *BOOOOM!*
A sand wave pushes us back and I raise my head to see Gaara surfing on sand carrying his siblings beside him- moving quickly away from us.
*Shift!*
"Wait!" I yell out to Kakazu and he stops for a second.
"What!?" He yells out in anger.
I dizzily roll onto my side and through the hole in my chest I open my ribcage... showing my stomach- the compact bulk of chakra sits there... waiting.
"You- how?" Kakazu looks at me in wonder.
"I wanted an insurance in case my weakened state let him slip- he caught me off guard... but I took half of that beast" I smile and Kakazu looks at me with shining eyes.
"You... crazy brat- I will carry you to the cave we are supposed to head towards tomorrow... if the Jinchurikii escapes now that won't interfere with our current pns of ying low... while we also get the beast we want- you have been a great asset" Kakazu chuckles- his eerie ugh leeks out as his wires grab my legs and start dragging me along the desert.
...
He doesn't expect me to live.
'Why did you blow up my entire chest!? I wanted a surprise attack- don't kill me bastard!!' I yell at the bundle of chakra resting in my stomach.
'Just walk it off like st time- plus... that won't kill ya brat, my chakra will... kekekeke' It chuckles with a whine and I wince.
'What?' I ask it.
'You are about to ingest me... that will hurt. A lot' It ughs louder and I grit my teeth as I shift my torso closed.
I can stay alive till tomorrow... if I don't lose focus... but if it hurts as much as it says it will... I will be a corpse infused with a tailed beast.
That's why Kakazu thinks I am going to die- I am.
There is no way out of this.
...
I slowly shift my body to normal and stop holding back my shifting blessing from ingesting the yang chakra.
It hurts.
Hurts enough for me to lose focus.
Hurts enough for me to die.
Gaara just killed me twice. Fucker.
Thanks for reading :)
