Naruto SoundITP IC 1: A Melancholy Song of Hope To Come

[igordragonian]

Odayama change back from his sloth form, he can't move as quickly.
He also prepared his own way to deal with Senko.
Well... it were powerfull sleeping pils made by the Ottokage, more or less.
Powerful enough to put someone like his wife to sleep.
But it will be their plan B.



He grabbed Usagi and placed her on his shoulders.

'Hey! don't-'


'You can't summon Yojmbo here. Don't let your pride stand in the way. You can walk fast on your hands-' he say as he create clone, who seal them both in a scroll and throw it away as fast as possible, planned to open as it hit the ground.

'But this way is quicker.'

------------------------------------------------

Naibu blush and straighten her glasses. 'I... don't... quite understand the humor of Kikena-san' she has probably has heard it all..
esepcialy since the Komoros have built their homes to echo perfectly for their ability.
'Oh. How... wise of you.' she nod.
'It is possible. I also find it... disturbing.. that some terrorist, wear ears like mine as kind of deranged tro-trophy.' she play with a synthesizer.
'I guess it also will help, when eventually sooner or later missing nins from our clans will pop here and there.' she say as she play with the synthesizer.
'But the Fukaimi are... quite paranoid as it is. They always feel like the world is hunting for them, or at least press them to change. Knowing that we have devolped such a thing... might make them misunderstand things even more,'

[Rater202]

So Kimiko is going to get there just fine but unless someone picks up Odayama's scroll and carries it he and Usagi are going to take a while.

The next chamber has absolutely no one in it, though there is a giant sodoku puzzle, a twenty by twenty grid, embedded in a wall with answers in somekind of pigment scraped on it.

In the doubtful event that anyone stops to look, it should be noted that in one box, a pre-embedded three is drawn over with an eight.

Odayama's scoll lands in this chamber, but there's another chamber on the other side of this one.

Assuming that Kimiko keeps running into the next chamber, she finds Senko...

At some point during the tests, it seems that she removed her robe and tabbi, for some reason. You can see them on the floor.

Last time Senko transformed, she turned into a massive, ruddy-orange Oni.

That would probably be preferable to her current state.

The basic shape is the same, but her limbs are wrapped in strips of paper--though not entirely, with exposed muscle being visible underneath them.

Her ears are now long and pointed, like a knife, and there's something vaguely chiropteran about her nose this time.

she has a handful of extra ears--resembling both the Komoro's batlike ears and the long lobed Fukimi's--in various strange places, and there are jagged shards of bone emerging from her forearms and shins.

Surrounding her are half a dozen snakes, each as long as a grown man is tall.

A couple of them look injured and they all seem to be keeping their distance.

Tomoe comes in just after Kimiko.

"Are you still going to deny that your friend is the Oni of Debu... What the Hell is that!?"

"So, the problem started when I bit her and injected her with a hallucinogenic venom that confronts you with things from your past that you regret, like say, a friend who got hurt blaming you for it. The intent is a test of character--if subject gives either a rational reason for why it isn't their fault or takes responsibility for whatever wrongdoing they are confronted with, they pass, while someone who denies something being their fault but can't provide an adequate explanation for why fails the test and is eaten. I must tell, you, the best thing I've ever eaten was the chakra of a man who spent thirty minutes trying to argue that he wouldn't have murdered his ex-girlfriend if she'd have just had just lent him the fifty yen*"

"Your friend fell to her knees, started crying like a toddler, begged for forgiveness, and then turned into this."

You are pretty sure that this, currently nameless, snake did not follow you.

*So there is absolutely no ambiguity, this is less than half a dollar.

[Lord Raziere]

Jirou:
His brow furrows and he curses.
"Kuso. Of course they'd be that way about such a thing. and considering what my plan would be...it would make it even worse, even if I let them know I was going to do something like that. Dammit, the plan requires the entire villages cooperation, if the Fukaimi don't play ball or worse decide to betray me farther down the line over asking them to cooperate with what I have in mind, I'll have to discard it and come up with something else. There'd be too many false positives if they don't obey orders."
His plan was to basically get a really loud sound outside the range of human hearing then basically set up a situation where its broadcasted across all of Otogakure through the tower while the Fukaimi and Komoro clans all stayed gathered at home after all their members were confirmed to not be Futility-San. The idea being that Futility-san is hiding somewhere disguised as an ordinary civilian in Otogakure since thats easier than infiltrating a clan compound and replacing one of their members, so if he broadcasted the sound, most people wouldn't be affected by it, since all the clan people who can be effected would be accounted for, any "normal" person who heard such a high frequency sound would logically be Futility-San in disguise and thus experience visible pain. There would of course be Chuunin around on high alert with radios to spot a "civilian" doubling over in pain or something then report it and attack Futility San to try and capture or stall him while he and other more powerful forces would try and arrive in time to finish the job. The sound would go on for hours and be so loud that Futility-San would theoretically be unable to hear thoughts over it. But if the Fukaimi were going to be jerks about this, then it might not be his plan A. Shame, it was such a great plan to.
"Forget it then. Focus on the chill beats. I'll come up with some other way to take out Futility-San."
He didn't have the heart to tell Naibu that Kikenna was probably being completely serious about shipping them. There was a name for it: Cheatshipping. Its a term used by fans of a certain genre of romance in the shinobi nations that details fictional forbidden loves between various noble clans and the outcast ninja around them. Often the love triangles would get quite complicated and dramatic while both comedy and tragedy in equal parts would ensue from their interactions. Fans of course would come up with their own pairings that defy canon, often between couples already married to other people and the romance and drama of forbidden love after being bound to people they do not love at all would be focused on. Canonically most such stories end tragically but fans love to come up with happier endings. Personally it overused things like amnesia and secret half siblings too much for Jirou's tastes, but he caught his mother reading such novels sometimes.

Kimiko:
For a moment, she is fascinated.
"Interesting! Physiological changes dependent on absorbed bloodlines, is the senjutsu exaggerating their traits to a degree? Will have to take notes on it later.

Anyways, Tomoe, I will no longer deny anything. I knew she was the Oni of Debuita the moment you first came up to us after those bandits attacked. All those speeches were just to stall you so that her tests could be completed. Admittedly this isn't the ideal situation, but it'll have to do. If you want to satisfy your justice, speak with her after I seal her. I'm sure Senko will be more than ready to defend or submit herself to you whichever she wants. There is another way to get her back to normal but I doubt anyone here has the expertise to stab the right spot. Anyways what I need from everyone else is to distract and/or restrain her. This will only work if I can get close enough. Tomoe, you can either be a hindrance or a help. Decide quickly, we have no time."
Yuyuyu will use clone jutsu to make five of herself and begin running around in circles around the berserker to confuse Senko, While Kimiko knew given how all the other genjutsu kept sliding off her that the invisibility genjutsu probably wasn't going to work. She could try hidden mist jutsu for the first time, but it would render Usagi useless without somewhere to aim. So she used disguise jutsu to look like one of the Yuyuyu's then made clone jutsu of five more Yuyuyu's to confuse Senko even further.

[igordragonian]

Cave-


Usagi jump from Odayama's shoulders, determined to get through it, through her own power.
She smile.
'Yo, Kimiko. If I ever will fight you again, you won't get a chance to get to my neck again!' she place on a rather large arrow a long scroll. (like of Tenten's) she shoot it, and the scroll is rolled as it fly, in a circle around Senko, releasing bell needles, which fall in exact locations and circle around the raging girl beast.
Usagi grin. 'Not only you came with a plan!'

Odayama smile to himself.
He change to a his sloth form again, prepared to clash with Senko, and hold her down, or to block Tomoe.

-------------------

Naibu fold her ears.
'Maybe if it will come from the Ottokage himself.... or some insurance, that the device will be d-destroyed afterward.' She suggest.
She pause.
'I-if may I suggest... sometimes, through compromise, you can reach more....'

-----------

(If you are ready with Ameoku..)

[Lord Raziere]

Jirou:
"I'd rather not propose a solution that would make them suspicious of me in the first place. I'd be perfectly willing to do the compromise to that, but I'm worried they would suspect me of keeping backups they don't know about. If only there was some way to soundproof our minds defensively or reveal his location. I can tell Futility-San isn't unbeatable, he just is very careful about when he strikes and knows when to retreat. Shield our minds and he'd be unable to know our plans, figure out a method to easily reveal his location and we can simply repeatedly find and engage him until he runs out of energy- no matter how great his abilities he is only human. Being able to read our minds won't matter if we can tire him out and overwhelm him. my plan to use such a sound is not the only solution, just the quickest."
He also had an idea for something he could do with project on the Sage Seals....might be little risky though...
"....I'll keep my plan with the high frequency sound in mind as well as making sure to compromise. I certainly would not want such a weapon against a fellow clan of the Sound getting into the wrong hands."

Ameoku and the Kaguyas:
The Kaguya Clan Household is one that goes for the classic japanese manor look: shingle roofs, sliding screen paper doors, mats the works. They even have a pond with one of those bamboo things forever filling with water until they tip over and spill it into the pond and go back up again. The Kaguyas were after all an old clan believed to be of Indra descent. The pride of their lineage in some ways stronger than Ishikawa. For some time now they've been known as some of if not the strongest taijutsu users in the world due to their Dead Bone Pulse bloodline. A member answers her at the door bowing formally and greeting
"Welcome, Ameoku-taichou. come on in, we are always pleased to have Jonin commander Ameoku of the Three Thunders over for dinner."
As she walks she sees them practicing martial arts both basic and ones involving their bones in various ways, or sparring with each other. Some of them of course are medic nin studying the human body obsessively- and how their own bodies are different. Every one of them having completely white hair and have put red dots over their eyebrows. They dress similarly in white robe-ish and yukata or kimono like outfits. Their hairstyles are similarly old fashioned, seemingly emulating a lost time. Their shrine to the kami and their ancestors is in full view in the courtyard. Despite its relative newness, the Kaguyas have seemingly made all the effort they could to steep this place in tradition, more than the Ishikawas.
"As you can see we are hard at work training. We estimate we are mere years away from developing a full fledged force of Kaguya Jonin. Unlike the Ishikawas after all, our jutsu isn't dependent on stealing knowledge."
They will of course walk by Miho Kaguya doing her own training: it seems to be more about building up stamina, endurance and durability than any of the more skill and technique training she saw the others doing.
"do you have any questions so far or would like to speak to Clan Patriarch Takuma Kaguya now?"

[Rater202]

Senko reacts negatively to the sound of the bell needles.

Unfortunately, her negative reaction involves a bunch of shards of bone erupting from her body and shooting out in all directions.

And then an arc of solid chakra slashes across her belly, shredding the strips of paper and spilling quite a bit of her blood.

If one turns to look, they'll see Tomoe has stepped aside to get a clear shot and has her sword drawn, enshrouded in an aura of chakra that makes it seem more like a katana than a wakizashi.

So the question is... Do you do something about it, or do you take the opening?

[Lord Raziere]

Kimiko:
Various basic clones of Yuyuyu and Kimiko poof from the shards flying. Yuyuyu opens her umbrella and blocks the shards to protect both her and the real Kimiko at the same time, the shards bouncing off its hidden steel.
"I think the assumption that Tomoe would have a harder time with berserker Senko was the wrong one, Kimiko! Do something, now!"
"Working on it!"
Her mind goes into overdrive: Okay, apparently Senko has the enhanced hearing as well. Thats why the jingling of the bells hurt her ears and left her vulnerable to Tomoe's slash, which was not what Usagi had intended. She is bleeding now and even if she gets the seal off that would probably need to be taken care of. She is no medic-nin yet, but she does have bandages prepared for just such an occasion, ninjas gone into battle after all and it was expected of shinobi to work as a team to carry their comrades to safety, no man left behind after all. Tomoe was not here to help, therefore she was an obstacle. Kimiko needed to accomplish multiple things in a short amount of time: deal with Tomoe, seal Senko, get her bandaged up as fast as possible. But there was Usagi to think about to: if she behaves as predicted she will continue with her lullaby regardless, but as the snakes have been showing, genjutsu was not working on Senko. Odayama will definitely act to do something about Tomoe. Hopefully he has a plan to deal with a blade full of chakra outreaching him. No wait-that was it. Tomoe was most dangerous using her sword. Get rid of that and she is much more manageable.

But there is an opening available. She whispers a plan to Yuyuyu and she throws down a smokebomb, concealing only themselves. Out of the smoke Yuyuyu comes running at Tomoe with umbrella while she is distract to hit Tomoe' wrist with her umbrella to try and disarm her. While Kimiko runs straight at Senko with a sealing tag at the ready to try and slap it on her forehead to seal her.

[igordragonian]

Naibu think. 'Well.. maybe we can tinker some kind of headphones' she suggest.
'Sooner or later, we will need to face it. It's a weakness that someone will exploit sooner or later. I fear, if there ever will be a second war with Konoha, we should expect something.. especialy from the Uchihas and Hyuagas... they seemed to especialy dislike us... and again... I fear.... 'Futility-san' is just the first... both our clans try to keep ourselves in control, but sooner or later, there will be missing nins with our abilities... like this Mayuwo boy from the Fukaimi clan.... something about him disutrb me deeply'




---------------


Ameoku jumped from above, seemingly from the sky- but she simply just jumped very very high from other building, and landed with quite grandiouse feline way- her landing didn't made any sound.
'....Nya.....
A pink haired girl with a cheetah mask jump after her rather dramaless.
'Greetings! I am Shuryouhyou! The secretary of our kittiest of kitties'
Ameoku frown- her mask designed with genjutstus to show her expressions- at least those she wish to show.
'....I respect your happy go lucky attitude to raise the attitude in our office, but please try to be seriouse.' the thunder hissed with a tail whip.
'Of course, Ameoku-sama! It's easily peasily will be done!'

Ameoku grumble. 'Don't let her attitude fool you. She is useful... anyway...'
She look at Miho in her trainings.
'Would it be ok for me to give her... some pointers? She seems my kind of ninja.'

Shuryouhyou shift nervously. '...The Ottokage has asked you many times to stop those kind of tests. It's a miracle you didn't killed anyone yet'
'Miracles doesn't have anything to do with it! I just challenge my fellow ninjas! Push them to greatness! Few broken bones won't kill a true ninja!'

----------

Odayama try to slash toward Tomoe.
'T...this wa...s.. a mistake.' *yawn
Odayama mostly focused on distracting the young ronin.


Usagi hiss. 'Baka ronin! I'll deal with you later!'
And then take a deep breath. She start to play her harp.
A lullaby. This was her strongest technique- a lullaby taught her by the rabbit queen Nagasu.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otSc...annel=pinwoody

in combination with the needle bells it would be a powerful sleeping genjutsu- but Usagi aware of her mistakes, will stop if she see that if affect Kimiko faster then Senko.

[Rater202]

The monstrous berserker covers her ears at the start of the harp playing, leaving her wide open for Kimiko's sealing tag.

Meanwhile, The ronin changes her grip on her sword and pulls it into a block simultaneously to the blade of chakra around the sword growing longer and wider, protecting the young woman from the umbrella strike and the sloth slash.

"I think you are making a fundamental error, Sound Ninja. I am not a common thug with a sword I barely know how to use. I am a samurai from the land of iron. Born and raised by the blade, I've been trained in all forms of kenjutsu for as long as I've been able to walk."

"You can't win here. Not like this."

[Lord Raziere]

Miho Kaguya:
She stops, bows respectfully to Ameoku and says
"My goal is to become a strong ninja who protects her friends, family and village, Ameoku-taichou. This reason alone is enough to fight you. However I do admit that on some level, I enjoy the battle and look forward the challenge you present. After all..."
She makes bone armor form all across her body like an exoskeleton cross between samurai armor, ending with a sword like spine jutting out from both wrists.
"Dance of the Oak: Bark.....your an opponent I don't have to hold back against!"
She charges forwards at speeds more fitting for Chuunin to try and close the distance to Ameoku, spike extended to try and stab her in the chest.

Kimiko:
Yuyuyu will simply over her umbrella to act as a shield and just be in the way as possible. She knows she isn't that good- but she doesn't need to be, shields require less skill than parrying and all this was to ensure that Tomoe can't interfere.
"You talk too much."

Kimiko will slap the seal onto Senko forehead and hold it there.
"Sealing Tag!"
She will regulate her breathing to keep it fast and herself alert so that if Usagi plays her song, she stays awake. Kimiko has had training after all and can defend herself against genjutsu better now.

[igordragonian]

Usagi keep playing the lullaby, making sure she is making the right ally to fall asleep.
Or at least cover her ears.
It was a bit insulting- Usagi took pride in her harp skills!


Odayama smile as he keep parrying.
"I don't need to win. I have no need to kill you, just to slow and tire you down.'

----

"Yes. That the kind of ninjas we need!" Ameoku say with excitment, as much she isn't shy to shame those she loathe, she isn't shy of praises.
Ameoku felt like she could go less easy.
"Claws Of Whipping Ghosts!'
She parry the bone weapon with the claws of her left hand, imbuing chakra to empoower her claws just enough to parry, then she send a slash with her left hand.

Most of her taijutsu were more or less controling the volume of her body.
If she wished, her claws could be so weak, that won't cut a paper. If she wished she could cut through rock and iron as if they were paper.

[Rater202]

"You don't get it, she's playing you. And even if she wasn't—"

"Shut up!"

A white cobra falls from the ceiling and explodes into smoke, and out of that smoke falls Menko's human form.

She is wearing neither her normal kimono nor the Miko's outfit of her disguise, but something similar to the clothes that Senko wears under her robes.

Tomoe reacts o this... She's aware that there's a human-form snake summon falling on her... But she can't avoid it without opening herself up to Yuyuyu or Odayama. She hesitates, and Menko lands on her back.

Odayama and Yuyuyu can see that Menko has fresh forming bruises on pretty much every visible part of her body as the snake-girl starts punching the ronin in the side of the head.

"You're not there! You don't see the shame and fear in her eyes whenever she's around anyone! You don't hear the guilt in her voice! You aren't there when she cries in her sleep! You don't get to judge! I came back to a place that I hate with every fiber of my being because Senko-sama deserves to be free of this horrible burden that she never asked for! I'm gonna make sure she becomes the Snake Sage so she can use our libraries to understand and cure her condition, and then we're gonna retire to the Land of Beaches where she'll be worshipped fo her kind heart and genius by people who wait on her hand and foot because that's the only way the universe can repay what it's taken from her!"

"I'll kill you if I have to! Just leave her alone!"

Menko is crying right now, though her punches don't seem to be affecting the samurai at all.

Senko, meanwhile, struggles against the sealing tag as it's formula's spread about her while at th same time her wound seems to fuse back together, letting off steam in the process.

[Lord Raziere]

Miho:
"Hm."
She leans a bit out of the way, so that while her claws scratch the armor- she isn't good enough to protect against someone as powerful as one of Three Thunders- it doesn't touch skin. Miho then takes a very pointed step back and lengthens the wrist bone spikes farther so she can play the reach game, stabbing at Ameoku out of the reach of her claws and trying to maintain a very precise distance of closeness to continue attacking her without being in range of Ameoku's taijutsu.

Kimiko:
Kimiko....keeps the sealing tag on Senko, Her other hand, having the the Origami-No-Tsurugi in her grip will grow paper whips to bind and restrain her hands and feet in case she tries to break free mid-sealing.

Meanwhile Yuyuyu will keep her umbrella- shield up and push against Tomoe
"Tomoe! Even if she is guilty of what she has done....her "monstrousness" isn't a demon, its just a bloodline! A quirk of biology that makes her go berserk involuntarily because of senjutsu. We have scientists in our village that can confirm this. She voluntarily submitted herself to lab experiments, we have the data. Its a bit of a secret yes, but since you already know the important parts....we could confirm her story as true. You just have to give us a chance."
Presumably, Jirou and anyone else who knows of this top secret project would've run experiments or something double checking what Senko was saying without her knowledge to make sure she was telling the truth, as all good scientists would do: always repeatedly test to confirm independently of other peoples biases. Presumably Jirou or whoever else would keep these files someplace where he can access them. Yuyuyu doesn't know, but she is socially savvy to guess about this from her interactions with Kimiko and Senko and what she has seen of Jirou.

[igordragonian]

Usagi keep her lullaby, which seemed to combo well with what ever Kimiko is doing.

Odayama just support Yuyuyu's fight.
As you can see, Ronin-chan, it's under control. You need to let it go'

----


'Good. Stick to your strengh, and avoid your foe's strengh.' Ameoku smile.
Ameoku had many jutsus and tricks under her overly long sleeves... but they weren't fun.

She jump into the air.
'Cat's Soul Meteor' she spin in air, and landing with a powerful kick- simple and powerful. Those were her favorite techniques. In harder battles, Ameoku used her more refined techniques to lead her to a position where she could land taijutsu attacks.

[Rater202]

"It's not about control, it's about responsbility. Even if everything you say is correct, she's still knowingly putting people in danger just by coming here. If she's been subject to research and experimentation to control her condition then she should be under constant supervision as a patient in a secure facility."

"She's wearing a ninja's headband. The Ishikawa said something about absorbed bloodlines. And here she is, taking tests to steal the most violent and dangerous of the Great Summons clans from under the nose of the village that holds power over your own?"

"The best case scenario here is that your village is stringing her along with false promises about curing her condition while using her as a weapon."

"And either way, the people she left in her wake go unavenged. The girl seems to be neutralized. When she reverts, I will interrogate her and render judgment."

Menko punches Tomoe in the head again.

Speak of the devil, as the shifting of Senko's body finishes mending her wound, she begins to shrink until she's once more a child younger than you, with everything from the jawline down seemingly made of interwoven strips of paper and her ears oddly shaped in a way that doesn't quite match up with either the Fukaimi or the Komoro.

She's breathing heavily...

And Menko leaps from the samurai's back and full-on ninja runs to tackle Senko and pull her into a bear hug.

Don't worry Senko-sama, I won't let that inhuman samurai hurt you."

Senko is looking at Menko's bruises. "Did... Did I hurt you?" Senko sounds as if her heart is breaking as the realization hits her.

"Samurai, if it pleases you, you may take my head..."

Tomoe stumbles, the chakra aura around her sword dissipating, and she almost drops the blade in her hand.

It's clear from her expression that she did not expect that.

[Lord Raziere]

Miho:
The member guiding you has gotten out of the way of the fight by the way.

She will put her arms up above her saying
"Dance of the Oak: Leaf"
And forms a bone shield from her arms as thick as she can to try and protect her- but even this won't be enough to stop a Jonin's strike. It shatters as Amoeku brings down her kick. But the point of the shield was not to stop, but to slow the descent- so that Miho can grab Amoeku by the leg and attempt to redirect the force aimed at Miho and slam Ameoku to the ground with her strength like someone grabbing a hammer and swinging it down in an overhead strike.

Kimiko:
She of course sheathes her sword and crosses her arms, grinning, smug at her victory.
"Behold! I, Kimiko Ishikawa-"
"AHEM." Yuyuyu reminds her
-Along with the rest of Team 3.....have once again completed the mission. Once again, I've been proven right, Tomoe Kurogane! Marvel at how she was contained without any loss of life! Once again my brilliance shines through!"
She turns to Senko, looking a bit more angry
"As for you, I'm disappointed that you of all people would insist upon this suicidal option. Your such a selfless fool that you'd do this yet you can't even consider how I'd feel about it if your were gone!? After all that I just did to save your life? How dare you. At least be a proper one and apologize for the pain your about to cause me, my team and my brother if you let this foolish ronin kill you. I will relay it to him after I've gotten my revenge on Tomoe by killing her in response and we'll have a proper funeral. I'll make sure your tombstone will have the proper epithet for your stupidity: "Senko. She Died doing the Right Thing." it will be sad, and no one will dance."
Yuyuyu replies
"Yeah while abrasive, Kimiko has a point: letting yourself die on her blade won't solve everything and Tomoe is a ronin- she has no actual protection under the law. And even if Kimiko doesn't succeed.....Jirou will just see a child under his care murdered by some stranger. I don't think he will take that lightly."

[Rater202]

"...Again, things are different in the Land of Iron... My Lord was a samurai who must follow the same rules and code of honor in regards to those who serve him as we did to him and he violated that code in regards to myself and several others, which severed my oath of fealty. I am essentially an independent bounty hunter with the same rights and protections as anyone else."

Tomoe's heart doesn't seem to be in it.

"Suicidal implies that I want to die. I want to correct my chakra imbalance and master my clan's sage mode. I want to stop being a danger to everyone around me. I want to change this world into one where people don't suffer and die in pointless wars or experimentations of cruel lunatics. I want to live, but..."

"...But if I can't... The whole point of you coming here was to stop me from... But I still hurt Menko..."

"I'm prepared to die to avoid hurting anyone else. I even purchased a ceremonial tonto, though I didn't bring it on this trip."

"Senko-sama, you know... As your bound familiar I am required on my honor to fight on your behalf. You don't want to hurt anyone, but... The only way the samurai is getting your head is if she cuts me down first."

Senko panics at that. "You aid the contract between us doesn't—"

"It says I'm allowed to refuse suicidal orders."

"...If you are so repentant, child, why did you not submit yourself to justice?"

"...Becuase there isn't an honest court on the continent. I told Ishikawa-sensei that I needed to be kept under lock and key, but that didn't pan out. I just... I just used the resources available to me to try and fix my condition and made plans to do the honorable thing if I could not do it by the time I became a potential threat impossible to contain."

"The honorable thing... The tanto...?"

"I know that jigai is considered more ladylike, but by the time I am eighteen I would probably live through that... Though, I have put off finding someone willing to be my kaishakunin. It is a difficult topic to broach..."

Tomoe sheathes her sword.

"Your teammate mentioned absorbed bloodlines. Why?"

"My body doesn't mold chakra properly. By itself, it would only be a minor issue, but my kekkei genkai results in my body naturally taking in natural energy and molding senjutsu chakra from my existing supplies, leaving me with my mundane chakra levels too low to practice chakra control... And then my body becomes overwhelmed by natural energy... I think that my transformed state is a safety measure. I am forced into corrupted Sage Mode to expend my excess instead of turning to stone... Unfortunately, it also happens if I am thrown off balance emotionally."

"By grafting cells to myself from donors, I can train my body to produce a more balanced chakra, build up my chakra control, master my transformations, and stop periodically entering a state of homicidal insanity... But it needs to be a distinct chakra from genetically distinct cells, or my body will simply crush the foreign cells and uses them to make more of my own."

"...I will need to verify that what you've said is the truth, but... At this time I do not believe taking your head is in the interest of justice."

(Normally I'd wait for Igor but we're a bit behind and this is now primarily a conversation.)

[igordragonian]

Usagi smile, and on parallel to Kimiko brag as well.
'The lullaby of Queen Nagasu is obselete!
But stopped on parallel by Yuyuyu.

'You are being silly Senko. How can you defeat everyone, if you are dead? Are you going to roll to the feet to every B rated Ronin?' and with that she point an arrow toward Tomoe.
'I will allow you to leave alive, if you will do so quickly.'

Odayama internly sigh. Can he really help those girls to remain human for long? Did any childhood remained to preserve in them?

But he just said.
'No need in threats at this point, Usagi. We managed to this without bloodshed, please don't provoke her.'

Usagi lowered the bow just a bit.
'She will think we are softies. People will think they can push around the Sound Ninjas!'



--------------------

Miho's plan was good- it worked near perfectly, but Ameoku's reflexes kicked in, and at the last moment, she sent her palms to block the fall, laughing with joy of the battle, sending her other leg for a low kick.
Shuryouhyou meanwhile use the distraction and drop... a seed.
she take a look around, also prepared to interverne if Ameoku go too far.

[Lord Raziere]

Miho:
She didn't expect this. The kick sweeps off her feet and she falls to the ground. She needed to act quickly so she tries to roll away back up to a standing position and fire bones spikes at Ameoku while trying to run in a circle around her.

Kimiko: Be a total Franciska Von Karma about this.
She frowns.
"Well....I guess my efforts worked then. What foolishness. Senko-baka."
She turns to Odayama petulantly.
"Odayama-sensei! Why do foolish fools foolishly keep trying to sacrifice themselves? It makes no sense! You will explain this to me at some point! Hmph!"
She turns around to being walking away. She is a bit angry that her threat/bluff to kill Tomoe in revenge for killing Senko wasn't even acknowledged. Like she just detailed how badly things would turn out for others because of Senko's actions and Senko in her self-proclaimed "selflessness" didn't even acknowledge it or take her feelings into consideration. Kimiko knows she is selfish, but if Senko doesn't even care whether her sacrifice would lead to revenge or that Jirou would be saddened by her loss....well she clearly wasn't that selfless then. Cares more about some stupid village she left than the people who care for her even after revealing her true nature. As she struts by Tomoe she narrows her eyes and gives a "I'm watching you" gesture then says.
"Your lucky sensei is merciful. C'mon, Usagi. Lets blow this popsicle stand."
She walks out of the cave to wait outside.

[Rater202]

Kimiko finds that the passageway she came in from isn't there anymore. It vanished at some point while she was restraining Senko and Yuyuyu and Odayama were fighting Tomoe.

"I'm so terribly sorry," the middle-aged snake woman says.

"But you've become participants in the ceremony." Monaka adds.

"You can't leave until it's been seen through," Hebi-Hime finishes.

Since when were the walls of the cave white? And covered in scales?

Absolutely massive coils begin to move, and if you turn around you'll see a huge snake's head adorned with a turban and long, humanlike red hair.

Specifically, you can see the massive snake sink one fang into Senko's shoulder and the other into Menko's.

"Wait, I wasn't supposed to—!"

"Hohoho, child, you've taken each test by your master's side, it is only natural that you take the final test together." The massive snake sounds like an elderly noblewoman.

Menko has a look of panic, then her transformation destabilizes and she poofs back into a cobra.

You ever seen a snake hyperventilate? You have now, as red markings appear along Menko's body... And Senko's flesh turns from paper to white scales.

Senko looks even more panicked than she did when Menko revealed that she'd fight to the death to prevent Senko's.

"Kimiko-san. Please remove the sealing tag."

[Lord Raziere]

Kimiko: Be That Gal.
She....

Slowly...

Turns...

Around...

...to face the snake, a war of emotions being waged across her face. One side was fighting for scientific fascination at the situation and its implications. They were at war with the side fighting for caring about one of the few friends she has and resulting anger towards the snake biting her. However this was a multi-sided conflict where she was some anger towards Senko herself for not caring at all how she or her brother would feel about her death, a yet another side is fighting to express some kind of fear of what will happen to Senko when she tears it off, there is a small group of rebels fighting to be indignant about her exit from the social situation being cut off so she can escape and cool down, Another side fighting to be more angry at Tomoe for causing this situation, a second rebel group is fighting to be indignant about being ordered around by this snake at all, and there is some group of refugees fleeing from the whole situation in confusion about how a cave was a snake or vice-versa in the first place.
However this veritable warring states of emotion is soon conquered by the empire of Kimiko's pride and ego spreading a simple and undeniable truth: I AM KIMIKO ISHIKAWA, AND I GET THE JOB DONE.

So she walks on over to Senko, step by step. A very Jirou-ish advisor in her wonders if any of this was truly necessary to cure her but it is too late to wonder at alternatives never considered or taken. A very Mitsuko-ish dissenter in her head whispers questioning whether Senko really cares. An Odayama-ish thought says Senko is merely being inconsiderate and surely talking it out would help. Contradictory whispers, arguing in her head, uncertainty, uncertainty, uncertainty.

Of course, taking off seals like this wasn't as simple as ripping it off. If it were as simple as that, anyone could do it. Usagi or Yuyuyu could've if that were the case. But in reality, each fuinjutsu clan designs in their own little "chakra locks" that acts a strong adhesive much like the technique to walk up walls, locks that only the fuinjutsu clan know how unlock when releasing the seal and keeps them periodically updated as years pass. Its possible to figure out how to unlock/pick the locks of other designs but its slower. If not picked, the seal stays on. Brute forcing it by ripping it off can also be done but that causes great internal damage to what has been sealed, so not always a good option. The most extreme example being if you tear a tailed beast out of a jinchuuriki, they die. So yeah, Kimiko is probably the only person here who can probably remove this safely.

She stops right in front of Senko and crosses her arms.
"Not until you apologize."
"Come on! Do NOT be That Gal right now!" Yuyuyu calls from the side.
"Oooooh, I'm going to be That Gal right now. Look I know, no one wants to die and its not what you wanted. But your still made the decision to do so, Senko-baaka! Without even considering how WE'D feel about it. Acting of your own misplaced guilt for something you have no control over, thinking you need to sacrifice yourself to satisfy the justice of some stranger and some the fears of some village you left years ago, without even an apology to the people who care about you? Without even sparing a thought to those who taken you in? Did you think that if you died, that we'd all be happy that you solved some greater good problem for us? Tch. What bull is that? You think I'd give a damn about whats legal when your dead!? That I'd take your death lying down? Come on! The moment she tries....I'm killing her for good, no matter how good or bad it is for a shinobi to kill! I'll stop caring! You are far more valuable as a person to me than she is! I don't care how much good she has done or what rules she has behind her, she doesn't get to come in and kill my friend and teammate because your feeling guilty over something outside your control!

So. Apologize for not thinking how your death would affect the rest of us, baka. I won't remove the seal until you do. Hmph!"

[Rater202]

"Kimiko-san, I decided that it was better for me to die than harm others before I even met you. Ishikawa-sensei knew this when I first started working in the village, even though he clearly does not like it."

"It is not about guilt. Nothing I do can bring back the people who I killed, nothing I can do can make that right. But if I cannot be contained... It only takes a second for me to tear someone limb from limb within that state."

"You are chastising me for not considering how you would feel if I died? People can recover from the loss of a friend, Kimiko-san. They can't recover from death. Nor from the loss of a dream."

"How do you think I would feel if you died by my hand? If I shattered your arms and legs and spine so badly that you could never again use Ninjutsu, let alone learn them all? I am not going to be weak enough to be able to be contained by these simple tags forever."

"I am sorry for any emotional distress that my willingness to die to prevent harm to others has caused you, but Menko is about to permanently turn to stone and I would very much like to drain the natural energy from her body before she either dies or is trapped forever in an unending hell of eternal helplessness. She did not ask to take this test, it was thrust upon her. Can we please discuss this later? After I make sure she does not die. Which I need to be able to move to do."

[Lord Raziere]

Kimiko:
She narrows her eyes. It wasn't an apology. It was a debate full of logical reasons why she should do what Senko says. Why wasn't she surprised?
"Fine."
She grabs the seal, goes
"Release."
Perform the necessary chakra unlocking while she does so and peels it off. Then turns around and walks away again.

[Rater202]

With Senko now free to move, and as her flesh continues to turn to white scales, she stands and picks up Menko who is now covered in swirling markings.

Oh by all the Gods who might exist, I hope this works. I've never tried this before."

This does not seem to assure the panicking Menko, not one bit.

Senko takes a deep breath and then gains a look of focus and determination as she suddenly stands dead still.

Just as some of Menko's scales begin to turn grey, the markings on her body suddenly shift and move around, moving towards Senko's hands and up Senko's hands, turning into the fiery orange of her own markings before vanishing into her flesh.

Senko is now covered entirely in white scales. She starts to grow the horns of her transformed state, starts to bulk up, but then...

Then she lets go of Menko, who slithers to coil around Senko, and then holds out her hands palm up.

Senko is now using the mist generation technique... Though the mist is oddly colored. Purple.

It disperses.

And then, all at once, Senko's entire body turns black, glows firing red, and that glow retracts inside her body.

Other than her pupils now being slits like a snake's, Senko appears to be completely back to normal... Though black markings on her free arm, opposite the one where Menko's summoning contract reside, form taking the shape of another, similar spiraling tattoo. Presumably, the Snake Summoning contract.

The giant red-haired snake... where did she get that cigarette? It's just a giant cigarette in a holder longer than any of you are tall.

Ring the gongs. Initiate Menko has graduated from Sage in training to Sage of Ryuchi Cave, and the master she has sworn to has become the new human Snake Sage. Rise, my child. And Rise, Senko of clan Senju.

"It was cruel of you to force the... What did you just say?"

"Wait, Menko didn't pass the test, she had help."

"The test is to avoid transformation or certification. How is not specified."

[igordragonian]

Usagi is intense, prepared to shoot any snakes.
While snakers weren't as hated by the rabbits as the wolves are....

She just say.
'Huh. Cool. You did it. Even if you are overthinking it all. Do your best, '

Odayma also didn"t liked Senko's attitude.
'Listen... many in our village- especialy my generation, have been through dangerouse expremeints and curses, so-'
His narrow eyes are opened with surprise.
'Senju?'

-----------------

(To explain Shuryouhyou's ability?)

Ameoku purr. Entertained, slashing the bones with accuracy, with her claws.
'So much potential. Good.'
She jump on her hands, and start to spin powerful attacks toward miho's face as she run around Ameoku
'Cycle Of Hunt'


(something like this)
https://i.gifer.com/3fie.mp4

[Lord Raziere]

Miho:
She exclaims:
"Hey! Thats MY attack! How did you know about it!?"
While ducking under the kicks and grows a blade from her arm to swipe at Ameoku's arms while they are on the ground to either cut at her or to get her off balance. Now if Miho pulls out her attack out it'll look like she is copying Ameoku, Kuso....

Ryuchi Cave:
"Senju!? Whaaaaaaaat!?"
Yuyuyu says blinking and being taken aback.

Kimiko thinks on this revelation. She doesn't seem as surprised as the rest of you.
"Foolishly idealistic, self-sacrificing to a fault, and focused on a pie in the sky dream of world peace through some philosophy you champion. Yeah, Senju fits for Senko. Now it all makes sense after what she just pulled over the last minute. But its not as if its all THAT special, I'm related to the Senju as well. Distantly but its there. She must be from a branch or rival clan that split off from the main one long ago when they found out they had a different kekkei genkai and eventually got mostly wiped out for one reason or another. There is a lot of long-dead clans that got offed in the warring states era that we only know of as historical footnotes in the annals of the victors."
"Wow! Way to stereotype, Kimiko." Yuyuyu looks at her in askance
"Oh come on, you know I'm right. Senko lives up to her clans reputation perfectly. hyuhyu. Now she just needs to find someone to try and "save" against all sense and reason or naively make a deal with someone you shouldn't and the picture will be complete."
"Those traits aren't genetic, Kimiko." Yuyuyu now just looks a little tired at this.
"Well yeah of course not, but if she is truly Senju clan then her parents would've passed along the Senju tradition of being a selfless fool even while in hiding as citizens of random village. Got to have your priorities after all. She's a Senju, so she was doing what her clan does. I'm still angry about it but it makes more sense now."

[igordragonian]

Usagi wrap her hands.
"Clan that and clan that. Who care about that? No amount of million parents will make you a ninja if you are lazy and whiny!'

Odayama sigh.
"Kimiko Usagi, I don't think it's easy for Senko to absorb this... revealation of her true clan. It sure wasn't for me.'

------

Ameoku turn it into sort of a dance, lifting one hand at time, to dodge the slashes.
"Huh. Some might say I am a copycat.'
She spin and jump faster, and her spine move in inhuman dexterity- one of her clan abilities is flexible spine.
Ameoku liked this kunoichi. She might pick to train her.
If she is going to be Ottokage she need a pupil. She also started to grow tired of the chuckling cheetah.

[Rater202]

There's an effect, almost like space is warping, centered on the massive snake. A cyclone-like effect happens, and then...

You're in some kind of throne room, and where the snake once was is a short and portly elderly woman with the same red hair, turban, and cigarette holder as the snake. she reclines on a stone couch.

She puffs her cigarette.

"The Ishikawa is correct, albeit not for the reasons she suspects."

"Many years ago, a man of your kin by the name of Daichi came to this cave, not to take my tests, but to ask for my knowledge of the Otsusuki Clan, as I am one of the few beings who lived at the time they did."

"He had traced his family history to the warring states era, three generations before Hashirama Senju, to a man named Daisuke Senju. Daisuke was referred to as 'The Last of the Clan of Demons that replaced our children' and who fled what is now Fire Country after transforming into a form between Oni and Kami and defeating an entire platoon of his kin-folk who had attempted to kill him."

Daichi wished to emulate his ancestor but also wished to know where the power had come from.

Another puff on her cigarette.

"As best as I know, it is a mutation of the power to control the Shinju that Kaguya Otsusuki gained from eating its Chakra fruit and that was inherited by the Senju clan through Hogoromo's son Asura. The nature of your transformation resembles the transformation that Hogorom underwent upon becoming the Jinchuriki of the Ten-Tails and the struggle to control that beast's power, and the abilities of your clan resemble many abilities of both the Shinju and it's monster's ten-tailed beast form, albeit on a much small scale--your consumption of natural energy doesn't suck the life out of the very earth, for one."

"It was many years since Daichi came to my cave, I know not where he is now, but when he left he was heading for Lightning Country. If you wish to find him to learn what he knows, I would start there."

"But, I am sure that you are tired and wish to return home. Child, when you are ready to begin proper training or wish to be educated in matters to which you are known entitled, Hebisennin, perform the summoning Jutsu but picture yourself appearing outside my chamber. You will find the reverse summoning more continent that traveling on foot."

A fourth humanoid snake comes over and presents Senko with the robe and tabbi that she discarded and Senko pulls the robes on, though this time brings the tabbi in the robe... Presumably, she has a pocket for them.

"Over the next few days, the other residents of the Cave will be informed of your existence and that you have signed the contract... and, as a courtesy, I will send a representative to the Leaf Village to inform them that the position of Snake Sage has been filled. Your name will be withheld, to give you time to get used to your rights and responsibilities, but I would be most remiss to deny them the knowledge of where they must find the person they must contact to continue their long tradition of alliance with this cave..."

" Oh, and as I administered my final test? I got a taste of your chakra... Use your familiar's cells, if she is willing, the next time you enhance yourself. Her chakra has just enough yin-affinity to make your chakra more or less balanced, and you should now have a highly compatible chakra..."

"And please, keep me informed of your research. I am most curious."

After that, she seems most focused on her smoking. It seems you are dismissed and...

Tomoe seems to have left while the White Snake Sage was talking, so presumably, you're free to leave.

If no one ha anything to say, you do so and find that leaving the cave is much easier than getting to it in th first place.

[Lord Raziere]

Miho:
She gets hit by renewed kicks, taking a hit and rolling the momentum off to a distance and decides to use her armor as ammo for a spherical spike burst attack, radiating out in all directions from her body to try and catch her with some attack at all.

Kimiko:
While angry, her scientific, curious mind does notice one thing: this serpent spoke as if things like the Chakra Fruit, the Shinju and so on actually happened. The official story of the Ninshuu religion differs from this in a few ways: some of the more mythical feats of prowess that Hagoromo and Kaguya do (like conquering the world or turning Ten Tailed Beast into the moon) are considered be metaphorical or allegorical, the tailed beasts are considered to be divine punishment on all of humanity in response to Indra's actions, while scientists current theory is that chakra was actually discovered through experimentation and learning from the meditation of sages. While the current theory of the devastation of a thousand years ago is that a small meteor hit the earth way out to the West and thats why so much of those lands are wastelands, and that what really happened is that Kaguya just some post-apocalyptic warlord who got overthrown by Hagoromo leading a normal rebellion. Scientists have no explanation for the Tailed beasts, considering them something that needs further study, like black holes.

The fact that this snake was thinking that these events were actually true....was interesting. This would require investigation. She doesn't say anything though.

Konoha, Some time Later:
Konoha in general will not publicize this information. The strength of a village depended on being able to present a strong face. To admit that one of your assets were compromised out of the blue was politically inadvisable. However a few key individuals will be informed, secretly so as to keep security about this tight. Gekateki Kaizen is one of those individuals being a shinobi who had intended to groom the next Snake Sage. He/She (The terms are interchangeable with this one, Kaizen is technically modified to be biologically both and doesn't care which terms are used on him/her but for the sake of simplicity we will say "he".) when he hears the news while in his lab, frowns and speaks his dual-layered voice, sounding like a man and a woman speaking both at the same time:
"Well. That is....disappointing. I'd hope that the Snake Sage's abilities would contribute to my research. Upgrading humanity is fascinating work. But no use crying over spilled milk...."
He will put down his tools for now, walking past various artificial organs grown to give someone one ability or another. While he could never get clearance to replicate actual bloodlines, it was fascinating the potential was in how one could be enhanced through surgical implants alone. The highly rare accounts of some Uchiha giving their Sharingan eyes to close friends and them working fine had made him curious and the results after so many years did not disappoint.

He will find Emi Azami after she was done in some hospital rounds healing people. Medical Ninja were allowed to do this as D-C rank missions depending on the severity involved, though C-Ranks often involved Medical Ninja rushing to help some minor village facing some health issue like a disease (though sometimes this was just village-wide malnutrition) and D-Ranks were often just normal hospital treatments they are capable of healing up. She was of course practicing her taijutsu on a training dummy, regulating her super-strength so as to not hit it TOO hard, the medical nin's ability to enhance their strength by optimizing their biological abilities with chakra was not to be underestimated.
"I have bad news my apprentice."
"I'm sure it can't be that bad. Nothing can get me down after I healed that kid's broken arm or that little dog's broken leg today....so cute."
"The position of Snake Sage has been taken... by a Sound Nin."
The dummy suddenly shatters under the impact of her next punch.
"WHAT!?"
Tsk tsk tsk. She lost control....he knew she wouldn't take it well....

[Rater202]

The rest of the mission... The cover mission, that is, goes swimmingly.

You make it to the temple and Menko manages to go through the motions of a pilgrimage and though she's somewhat awkward about it, manages to complete it without being caught on as a fake.

Likewise, you manage the return trip back to the border without much incident--there was one incident where you encountered group of Leaf Ninja, but that lasted only a few seconds until you saw that you were escorting someone in a Miko's clothing and just assumed you were on a legitimate mission, leaving without a word.

In not much time at all, you're back home in the Hidden Sound Village.

As soon as you are back within the village walls, Menko poofs back into a cobra and slithers up one of Senko's leaves.

"Ishikawa-sensei is probably going to want to ask me how things went and if acquiring the power of the white snake succeeded in accelerating my recovery time, so I will be heading to the laboratory to check in and report..."

"We will probably also have to discuss how to formally announce myself to the village as the new Snake Sage."

"And... Thank you, for coming with me."

With that, Senko departs for the labs, seeking to speak with Jirou.