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

[Rater202]

"No, no, he's kinda gotta point Kimi-chan. You could do with a bit of humility... Or at least stopping to taste the soba every so often."

"Or you and Bunny-chan could just kiss already."

While that happens, Senko seals the victim's cadaver and turns back to the others.

"I have preserved the victim's body in a cadaver storage scroll, which I keep on my person at all times because well, you never know when you are going to come across a cadaver you need to be preserved. Honestly, this should be standard issue for all shinobi. While sealed, the body will not undergo further decay and can be returned to the morgue at our leisure."

"Temperature, rigor, and early stages of decomposition suggest that the victim was killed approximately four hours ago, at noon. If the mercenaries have an alibi at that time period, then combined with their lack of motif I see no need to arrest them. Detain them for questioning, perhaps, but not arrest them."

"Others would be more adept at investigating the crime scene proper for evidence that might lead to the killer, but with so long between the killing and the discovery it is highly likely that the killers will have covered their tracks by now so attempting to track them by scent will prove fruitless..."

[Lord Raziere]

Yuyuyu: Point out a Clue
"Um, Senko, I was investigating the rest of the house while you were doing that, and I found this open window and few things disturbed in a bed room. Whoever came in they did so came around the side and entered without using the door. Its possible that they were just using Silent Movement Technique and not a genjutsu. That and maybe they made a mistake this time."
"And it makes no sense for us to walk around and go through the window to kill him when we could just go through the door." says Yabe.

Meanwhile Kimiko is at first annoyed and confused by Menko's insinuation
"Humility is for the weak! and what do you even mea-"
She connects the dots then explodes with blushing anger
"BAKA SNAKE! AS IF I WOULD LOCK IN MY CHOICE THIS EARLY IN MY LIFE! There could be all sorts of wome- I mean advantageous political alliances that might be right for me!"
"You do know that no one here cares about your appearances of nobility right?" Chief Sumibu replies with a raised eyebrow "We're not in your hidden village, we're all commoners where such matters are nonsense to us anyways."
"Baka! Its because your all commoners that I need to remind you that I am not, or what would I be? Like everyone else!"
"Whats so bad about that?" Sumibu asks, confused.
"Just...just..baka! baka! bakabakabaka! Bakas, All of you! Hmph!"
She turns around and crosses her arms.
"Someone's being Tsun today..." Yasutoki mutters under his breath
"What was that!?"
"Nothing!" he says back.

[igordragonian]

Odayama sighed with a relief as it seemed not as intense as he feared.


Usagi swest dropped as Senko and Kimiko took over the scene.
"Well they COULD be missing nins!" she argued in the favor of the cop she grew to like.

"Not everyone get to be a geniouse baka princesses like you! Baka!' she argued with a bark.

Odayama summon Matamune here again.
"More fresh kill. Can you locate where the killer went through the smell of the blood or something?"

-"Maybe. But why a damn snake is in here as well?"

Odayama sigh. "Look, your animal realm politics should stay there. Right?"

-"N...Yes. I guess." and the cat go to do his job again

---

Yoroi

He sighed.
"No. Not really." he walk there.
"I just usually train here to steam off some frusrations... I am also... a Ronin born at the Land Of Iron but..."
he raise a eyebrow.
"A retainer? Of who?"

[Rater202]

Yuyuyu: Point out a Clue
"Um, Senko, I was investigating the rest of the house while you were doing that, and I found this open window and few things disturbed in a bed room. Whoever came in they did so came around the side and entered without using the door. Its possible that they were just using Silent Movement Technique and not a genjutsu. That and maybe they made a mistake this time."
"And it makes no sense for us to walk around and go through the window to kill him when we could just go through the door." says Yabe.

"Okay, so we can rule them out... That leaves the veteran and the traveling priests, right...?"

Menko seems genuinely confused.

"...What do you mean 'choice?' "

"Humans traditionally engage in long term monogamous romantic relationships."

"...Well that's boring. So you don't just group up with one or more mates and do stuff till the eggs come along, then level them in a hole in wall while you do other stuff?"

"Humans don't lay eggs. The fertilized egg cell divides and estates within the biological mother's womb and an infant is then passed out in process that involves a lot of screaming and shedding of assorted bodily fluids."

"...Humans are disgusting."

-"Maybe. But why a damn snake is in here as well?"

"Same reason your here, I was summoned."

Yoroi

He sighed.
"No. Not really." he walk there.
"I just usually train here to steam off some frusrations... I am also... a Ronin born at the Land Of Iron but..."
he raise a eyebrow.
"A retainer? Of who?"

"A short time ago, I... Acted in error, and now owe a debt to the current Snake Sage, one of your comrades. I believe she made a formal introduction on the radio a few days ago, a girl named Senko."

"I have sworn to serve her until such a time as my debt is repaid, as is the honorable thing."

[Lord Raziere]

Touzaki:
Officer Yasutoki says "An open window and you think thats proof? Maybe they opened it just to throw you off! You don't know. and the monks are staying with Hoga, our ninshuu priest, sure they're no religion I've seen before but such folk aren't harmful. Why Hoga has helped out many people all over the town with no thought of reward, he is the most kindly person I know."
"I would say thats a reason NOT to trust his judgment actually: Ninshuu Priests are spiritually obligated to provide food and shelter to any travelers regardless of their background or beliefs. The travelers as long as they stay have to help out around the shrine if they are physically able but even if they're murderers this ninshuu priest would have spiritual demands to try and redeem them if he was aware. Failing that, strong taboos against violence, killing or defiling the shrine by fighting within it. Finding the murderers there would be....troublesome."
The cat smells the corpses and sure enough the trail leads to the open window and into the town, not being on the two mercenaries at all. Will you follow it?

[Rater202]

"...You say you have never heard of their religious beliefs before? What can you tell m about them? Becuase our killer or killers... The murders are a ritualized kinjutsu. And a fringe-religion would be the perfect cover for any other ritualized behaviors or techniques they are performing."

"I mean, obviously they aren't openly preaching their worship of an Evil God* or anything, nobody would be stupid enough to do that and if on some chance they were then that would make them the obvious first suspects of a ritualized murder but..."

"...Actually, religious fanatics would be exactly the kind of people who would perform a ritualized Kinjutsu to steal the chakra from someone. These are all just civilians, so it cannot be their knowledge or the secrets within their bodies, but chakra is the essence of life and the essence of spirit. Someone seeking to empower themselves, someone seeking to achieve some sort of immortality, someone attempting to perform a Reincarnation Technique without sacrificing themselves to bring back their target... Every possible motive for collecting chakra in this manner that would apply to civilian targets can be done for religious reasons."

[Lord Raziere]

Touzaki: Meet the Priest
"Well....they were two bald men wearing black gi's with white sashes. Not the oddest sight by itself. Nor was how they preached everything was apart of the natural cycle of life, thats what the kami are all about to. The weird part is that the only believed in one god and didn't believe in any other religions. They know they can believe in more than one right? Kami for Nature, Sage of the Six Paths for humanity, and Yin-Yang for yourself. They each teach different things and so they're all valuable, just common sense." says Officer Sumibu
"Yeah, they neglect the other aspects of things, who even does that?" Yasutoki says back. "Though I do find the Followers of the Way a bit hard to understand at times. What does "Do without Doing" even mean!?"

So, assuming you have nothing else to do, you all head over to the humble Ninshuuist shrine in the village, which according to the cat's nose would be place where you would've ended up anyways if you followed this second blood trail. Apparently they weren't so careful the second time around. Officer Sumibu knocks and a middle aged man in white robes with six black magatama on its collar, his hair black, messy and only kept in control by two locks streaming down his side and a white headband with no plate or symbol on it and sandals answers, smiling.
"Oh! hello Officer. I see you brought in some guests to our humble little town. Hello shinobi of Otogakure, I am Hoga Matsusuke, Ninshuu priest of the School of Pacifist Philosophy. How may I help you? If your traveling towards a mission I am happy to let you stay the night if you help around the shrine, though I already have some guests here and I only have water and rice available to eat as per my dietary restrictions, I was hoping to restock on other vegetables tomorrow, but I could move it up to today if need be."

[Rater202]

"Actually, no. We are in town investigating the murder... There has been a second victim, and we have reason to suspect that two wandering priests of an uncommon faith, who I believe to be are your guests here, may be involved. We would like to talk to them."

[Lord Raziere]

Touzaki Shrine: Hu's on First
His eyes widen.
"Oh! Thats quite serious. Very well, come in, but please, no violence within this sacred shrine. It is all I ask." the Ninshuu priest says with a respectful bow. The others introduce themselves as they walk in. He leads you inside, the shrine looks much like any other, an older style building compared to everything around it, very traditional, very austere and immaculate, its one of those humble shrines and doesn't have much decoration to it. You go into a room where two men in black monk robes are sitting cross-legged, meditating.
"Hello my fellow monks, there are visitors. These are investigators into a murder that want to speak to you." he informs them politely.
They open their eyes and see you. They begin introducing themselves with wide creepy smiles.
"Hello. I am Hu."
"And I am Yu!"
"Wait no, I'm me. who are you?"
"I'm am not Hu!"
"Yes I'M Hu! Not Yu!"
"Yes I know your not me, my name is Yuyuyu"
"Your three of me?"
"No I'm not you!"
"But you just said your Yu three times."
"Agh! But who are you?"
"We told I'm Hu and this is Yu."
"The latter is not an answer, are you telling me the former doesn't know their name?"
"No I am Hu."
"So you don't know, do you have a history of amnesia?"
"No, I remember everything clearly"
"and so do I"
"Who are you then?"
"I just told you, I am Hu!"
"and I'm Yu!"
"Your not me!"
"Of course not, I'm Yu!"
"But I just said-"
"That your who? I don't think being him three times is a real answer."
"I'm not you either!"
"I'm glad we agree that your not Yu."
"What no, I am me!"
"Your name is Mi?"
"No I'm not you!"
"Yes I know your not me. Your who again?"
"I'm Yuyuyu!"
"but you just said your not me!"
Kimiko has enough of this nonsense and says
"STOP! THIS IS DUMB! Ninshu Priest, what are they doing!?"
"Now don't be rude. Priest Matsusuke is what I prefer. These two monks are actually named Hu (胡) and Yu (ゆう), not the words. They seem to enjoy doing this sort of thing as a comedy routine as they travel to put joy on peoples faces. I can tell you I was a bit confused for a while as they did it but eventually the confusion cleared up. It seems to encourage charitable donations to their religion. I can't really fault them for that, I sometimes do something similar by reading various tales of the Sage of Six Paths, both old and new. Sometimes comedic interpretations of Hagoromo do more to spread his teachings than more serious ones, which I think the Sage would approve of."
"Ugh. Fine. I'll question them. Confusingly Named Monks! What is your religion? Explain it!"
They focus a bit more, but still smile creepily.
"Ah, you would like to hear the word of our daimyo and kami, Lord Jashin?"
"Very well! Jashin, you see, is all about the cycle of life. Birth, life, death. These are all natural things that happen, and we all have to accept that for one thing to live, another thing must die. All life feeds on other life, and thus one thing dies to uphold the lives of others. Predators kill prey, predators eventually die and picked apart by scavengers. Scavengers are in turned hunted and eaten. They eventually feed the ground, which feeds the plants, which feeds the herbivores which feed the carnivores once again. We are all apart of the world and nature you see. Jashinism is all about accepting this natural part of things and being one with it."
"You do know that "Jashin" literally means evil god right?"
"Ah that, well that is only the modern definition that has been used by the authorities to demonize us. It originally referred to a nature spirit embodying birth life and death, but was never popular because nature was seen as more dangerous during the warring states era."
Kimiko narrows her eyes suspiciously
"First I've heard such a religion."
"Well of course, Jashin was never as popular as other religions, we've been oppressed for so long."
"Yeah have some respect for the less fortunate! History is written by the winners after all!"
"So tell me, you only believe in one deity, you think them all powerful?"
"Of course!"
"Isn't that a bit ridiculous? If they're so powerful, why haven't they solved everything?"
"Because they already created it solved. You are just one who doesn't see the solutions already provided in nature. Lord Jashin needs not to do more and this is the best possible universe."
"Ha! This is not the best possible universe."
"To one without faith, perhaps. But we have faith that it is."
"How can you have belief in some ridiculous higher power like that?"
"Easier than you, it would seem."
"Yes I'm not as foolish as you, after all."
"Now, now, Kimiko this is a space where all beliefs are respected and welcome with open arms. No insulting others" Priest Matsusuke says chidingly
"....Fine I apologize. Anyways to get to the main topic: There has been another murder. One with the same triangle and circle symbol."
She shows the picture of the first murder to them
"Do you recognize this?"
"We will tell you like we told the cops before: we've never seen this symbol before in our lives"
"Yup, never seen it. Nothing to do with the murder."
She puts it away
"Where were you four hours ago?"
"Oh we went to local tea house of course."
"Sowari's Teahouse. Real good tea and rice, y'know to sample local cuisine."
"Yes I do remember you two telling me that you were going to Tea house to enjoy a lunch around that time." Priest Matsusuke says.
Kimiko just looks at Senko with an eyebrow raised, you can tell she doesn't entirely trust these guys stories.

[Rater202]

"People are more ignorant about nature now than they were a few generations ago. Nature is not your friend, nature does not hate you, but nature does not love you, either. I spent a few years living on my own in the wilderness."

"While trying to forage some edible plants that lied near a stream, I saw a small mammal, I suppose a weasel of some kind, being followed by several infants of its species and I watched as the mature specimen fished up a bloated fish and begin to eat it alive. As the fish began to within agony, from its guts did spill the eggs it was carrying as it swam upstream, which were readily eaten by the younglings."

"A mother and her children lived because they cruelly slew a mother and her children."

"...Tell me, Priests of Jashin... Postulate the existence of a child born with an incredible power that they cannot control. This power builds up in them until one day it bursts free. The child is transformed, and this uncontrollable power drives them mad. When they come to their senses, the child finds that everyone they've even known and loved is dead. Dead in a horrible manner. Deaths that serve no purpose. And the blood is, both literally and figuratively, on the Child's hands."

"What would your God say about that?"

[Lord Raziere]

Hu and Yu:
"......"
They are silent for a moment, frowning. They seem to look like they remembered something, as if you've reminded them of something else.
"Lord Jashin teaches that there are Predators.....and Prey. The fact of the world is those that are stronger kill and consume those that are weaker. This is simply the way of the world, the order upon which it functions. Nations, companies, shinobi, greater causes and so on are stronger than anything under them and thus kill that which is lesser, like food. The greater gets to continue while the lesser simply dies. Some being are simply meant to die so that greater beings prosper. This hypothetical child was the greater and thus killed the lesser. Thus by the order of the natural world, it was a predator consuming prey. By some instinct this power followed, it was acting to become stronger. It was simply acting naturally. The plans of nature and Jashin are mysterious, whose to say that instinct didn't serve some purpose like that? These instincts and world given to us were laid down by Jashin long before we were born, they have persisted for a very long time, who are we to question them if they lead to the continuation of a strong lifeform?" Yu explains.
"Congratulations, you just described nobility. What else are you going to reinvent, the wheel?" Kimiko haughtily snarks back at them.
"We do not claim to bring a new order, simply to describe and explain that which already exists." Hu says

[Rater202]

Senko hums non-commitally.

"So, hypothetically, if one man could better himself by killing another, such as by taking the victim's power for himself, or extending his life with the remaining life of his victim, your god would consider this a good thing?"

[igordragonian]

Odayama let the girls to do the talks.
He and Matamune tried to sneak from the windows or roof to the ceiling, in his sloth form, so slow that it will be hard to detect, planting dozens of scrolls to rain on the priests.



Usagi riding Yojimbo looked...bored

[Lord Raziere]

Hu and Yu:
Yu suddenly yells out at this.
"....You little brats! You don't know our pain! We were in the Third Shinobi War. We remember like it was yesterday: Young soldiers recently recruited by all the propaganda posters and marching songs and speeches of bravery. We went into battle hoping to prove ourselves, to fight for our nation. We thought we were being courageous and strong, though we were protecting something. But then came shinobi like you. shadows out of nowhere blasting fire and lightning, killing our fellow ashigaru all around us. To survive we had to hide."
"When the battle was over, we were the only two ashigaru of our unit left. We were surrounded by the corpses of our fallen comrades. People we trained alongside in boot camp, people that we learned to work together with, captains that we learn to respect. Looking at all the death, all the lives lost, we couldn't keep fighting. Instead of trying to the main body of the army, we deserted. What point was fighting a war if you didn't live to be victorious? What point to war was there if you saw all your companions die around you for some nation?"
"In our desertion we saw others like us, we saw them steal things from the corpses of fallen soldiers: deserters like us, peasants ruined by the war trying to make whatever profit they can, thieves, mercenaries....scavengers all of them! Far from being alone in our cowardice, we were common, even normal in it. We saw the true nature of war and humanity, and knew that the cruelty and pain did not end at the battlefield and perhaps never will. We had to fight among the dregs and scum to survive and feared that we would die anyways and began to despair."
Yu stands up spreading his arms in an insane smile
"But then we found Jashin! Lord Jashin gave us hope! Gave us strength in such dark times! Gave us assurance that we would not die any longer! That we would triumph over the weak by becoming the strong! That he would show us the way as the new elite of this world!"
"Uh, well you see.....what he means to say is that....we would never try to consume another's life force for any reason.....yeaaaah...." Hu says nervously trying to save this.
"Please disregard, we are nothing but humble weak veterans, and have bad memories of our time in ashigaru service. Surely it is reasonable that we have some sore feelings about being the only survivors and finding new faith that.....encourages us to better ourselves. Yu here is getting carried away and mouth off at times, he really needs to learn self control."
"No Hu! We were the only survivors! We joined so that we would be strong in this world! Why do we have to grovel and cower before these shinobi!? Why do we have to be polite to people like the ones that killed all the people we knew!? Its not as if we're in danger!"
"Shut up, Yu...."
" Your now just contradicting yourselves, because you said you were "oppressed" and "less fortunate" before and Hu is saying that your old weak veterans. Now your saying your stronger and apart of the predators? What are you, strong or weak? What are the beliefs of your religion really? Because either you were lying earlier, or you don't know. And I doubt even people stupid as you can mistake opposing concepts. So.....which is it? Strong.......or weak?"
At this their faces get cross and Yu grits his teeth in anger.
"Why you......LITTLE BRATS! WHY I OUGHT TO-" Yu moves to try and draw his wakizaishi at his belt but then Priest Matsusuke suddenly steps in the way of both of them.
"Stop! Yu, Hu, think about this. If your innocent, don't draw your blade. And if your guilty, just confess and let this end nonviolently. You can still be saved even if your guilty. I will come to visit you in jail, to make sure your doing fine if that is the case. I will find someone else to manage the shrine if I must and work to rehabilitate you and make sure you move on from your trauma and pain. The Third Shinobi War hurt us all. You don't need to keep suffering, together people can heal. You don't have to divide the world into strong and weak but simply different kinds of strength that work in some areas and don't work in others and I'm sure we can find yours. Its not too late for you...for anyone. We can't let war define who we are. Or revenge be what drives us."
"Outta the way, Matsusuke! Jashin doesn't allow us to kill priests! we can't risk ticking off other deities."
But no matter how Yu moves, Matsusuke gets keeps getting in the way, not attacking anyone but just making this difficult by standing around.
"I'm giving you a chance to end this peacefully. this can still be solved another way."
"No! Never. Not after what happened to me. Not with those dang shinobi. I'm going to live, no matter what!"
"....Yu, lets just take finish this outside" says Hu "Lets not be sacrilegious."
Priest Matsusuke just seems sad and disappointed.
".....Very well, if I can't turn you from your path, not damaging this ninshu shrine is all I can ask, from any of you."
Hu and Yu will attempt to walk with you guys outside to finish this.

[Rater202]

"Priest, I appreciate your perspective, but some people are beyond saving. Some people do not want to be saved."

Senko tries not to think about what's going to happen if she can't talk Ottomaru down.

"If these two are the murderers... And they have done very little to dissuade us of that notion, then they ritualistically stole the chakra from two people... Or maybe more? If we backtracked along their path, how many bodies would we find?"

"I mean, I am far from one to talk, my Clan possesses the same power... In fact, my Clan's version is rather... gruesome, but I have never murdered someone with it."

"Yu says that they cannot kill priests of other religions... But I would not put that to the test: hypocrisy and self-justification are common traits among those who think their suffering allows them to kill who they wish. Though it may break your heart, you may have to write these two off and focus on spreading the Sage's words to a more receptive audience."

Again, Senko is trying hard not to think about what will happen if Ottomaru can't be talked down.

She leaves the shrine, wary for the traveling murder-priests to make the first punch.

[Lord Raziere]

Touzaki Town: Fight!
Priest Matsusuke will simply sigh and reply
"I know, I know, my child. But I had to try nonetheless."
Kimiko meanwhile will say
"Hypocrisy? You give them too much credit, hyuhyu. They are intentionally lying to cover themselves, worse than mere hypocrisy."
Once they are out on the street, Chief Sumibu will blow a horn in certain pattern to signal to clear the streets with people running into their homes. Meanwhile Hu and Yu will draw their wakizaishis and Yu will say
"Okay you want a confession? Here is your confession: Jashin only preaches death and destruction. All that about nature and such was just lies to make him seem more palatable. Yeah, we killed that farmer and the merchant guy. They were weak, like we once were and deserved what they got. Only you get by in this world is by screwing others over so you can be at the top. Thats because Lord Jashin knows this world's bleak truth! But we're loyal servants, and thus we are protected by accepting this suffering and becoming its masters! You will never defeat us, shinobi! Come, try to kill me- if you can!"
Meanwhile Hu will back up away from Yu and begin drawing something in the dirt. Yu will step forward, confident and grinning

However the mercenary guards, who by the way followed you because they wanted to find the real killer as much as anyone, suddenly take out their crossbows and fire at Yu.
"You murdered our friend and client!" says Yabe
"We will make you pay for what you've done! We must avenge who we could not protect!" yells Ueki.
The bolts are competently aimed at the center of mass. He doesn't even block against them: they penetrate his heart and both of Yu's lungs....yet he still stands, unfazed. He looks down casually pulls out both with his free hand, and you watch through the holes in his black robes the wounds regenerate until they are closed. Their expressions falter a bit as the bolts, lethal against any normal man, had no effect.
"Behold.....the immortality granted by Jashin. You have no hope of winning.
But they weren't giving up just yet.
"Use swords!" Ueki decides "The ninja kept talk about him sucking out life energy or something, we cut off limbs he is probably going to either be more damaged by that or use up more energy to regenerate them than bolt wounds."
The two merc draw their own wakizaishis and begin to run towards Yu, but Yuyuyu jumps in and grabs Yabe to pull him away and jumping onto a rooftop with him in tow.
"Stop you fools! Your going to die!"
Yu sees one of the shinobi getting vulnerable and jumps towards Yuyuyu with speed rivalling a Chuunin, she responds by unfolding her shield-umbrella to block his blade.

Officer Yasutoku brings up his crossbow aiming at Yu saying
"Normal bolts don't work, but our tranquilizers might and if they're immortal anyways perhaps its best to just incapacitate them anyways..."
but Chief Sumibu pulls him back
"Don't be foolish boy, this is a ninja fight now. We're useless. Those two mercs should've known better than to get involved. we have to flee and prepare to get this own evac'd if these shinobi can't stop them."
"I didn't sign on to this job to run away! They need to be brought to justice!"
he slaps him upside the head
"Boy if this team fails the only way they will be brought to justice in Land of Rice is if we successfully escape, then go into debt to pay the Sound Village for tougher shinobi to be sent. Lets move!"
The two officers begin running.

Meanwhile Kimiko will run forward to Hu, drawing the Origami-No-Tsurugi and lashing at him with her paper whip to try and disrupt whatever he's drawing in the dirt with his sword, knowing full well what a seal could be capable of, scoring a big red slash across his back that begins regenerating. He winces for a moment at the pain and continues to draw.

[Rater202]

Menko will try to use her Genjutsu to sneak up on Hu and try an dd mess up the symbol she's drawing without being noticed.

Senko, meanwhile, well, since she was wearing the long robe she carefully takes it off, folds it, and hands it to either the chief or the officer, whoever is closer.

"Be very careful, the second victim's body is still sealed in the scroll in the pocket... If you have a sensitive constitution you way want to close your eyes."

Senko takes a moment to crack her knuckles and shoulders.

"You know what the most messed up part of this whole endeavor is...? Even though your God is obviously something that you made up to justify being a band of murderous wandering tramps... In a way you are right. Under the current system, harming and killing others is the only way to succeed in life to any meaningful degree... It is life's bitterest shame..."

Senko's markings spread along her body, completely covering her... Then expand out over her right arm until it turns a ruddy-reddish orange. A carapace begins to form around it, and a foot-long spike juts out from her palm.

"That is why I am going off the rails... Tearing down this corrupt system one jackass at a time... I think that I will start by stress-testing your supposed immortality. If you have even the slightest amount of faith in the blessings of your false-god, you had best not dodge."

With that, Senko runs full tilt towards where Yu and Yuyuyu are locked and leaps over them, unring in mid-air and attempting to drive the spike in question into Yu's back.

If successful, she will attempt to begin cellular regeneration absorption.

[igordragonian]

Usagi smile.
"Finally!" she a very little compassion.
The world was cruel. If you were too weak to survive, this was on you.
"Out of the way, weaklings!" she yelled to the Ashigarus.
Queen Nagaishu was queen of rabbits, a specie hunted by others. And they didn't tolerated weakness. She led Yojimbo in circles, using the others's action as a distraction for her landing a circle of bell needles, which were required for her lullaby.


Odayama started to delibratly drop scrolls to support the efforts- some rained kunais and shurikens, some tried to seal the Jashin priests.

- - - Updated - - -

Yoroi
"I dont listen to radio. I never met this girl. She just artificaly enhanced the power of Kimiko's team. But I guess it's impressive." he say.
"Though I dont trust those animals. Snakes. Rabbits. all those alien things... can"t be compared to a good blade."

[Lord Raziere]

Touzaki Town: Move Two
Menko's genjutsu succeeds automatically and the circle is messed up and Hu looks down and sees it, saying
"What the-? Did I accidentally smudge it with my foot or something? Or did that blue-haired girl do some earth ninjutsu?"
Before he can redraw, his wakizaishi is caught by her paper whip and Kimiko pulls, trying to get it out Hu's grip, but Hu is stronger than her in terms of pure physical strength and begins pulling her instead. So she uses her chakra to tear the end of the blade off, leaving some of it wrapped around his wakizaishi, retracts it back to normal size. Hu only seeing Kimiko takes a stance, see he won't have time for the circle and will dodge away the seals but take hits from the kunais and shurikens that Odayama throws

Yu meanwhile will turn around to look at what Senko is doing
"What in Jashin's name is-"
He gets stabbed in the front, thinking it won't hurt him. Then he feels himself getting....drained. Senko you feel as if Yu is full of chakra and life energy, like far more than he should be, but nothing out of the ordinary. Like this is excessive amounts of normal chakra and all the chakra your not absorbing seems to be converted into biomass to replace that your absorbing. He seems to feel it to, because he tries to use his right hand to try and slash at you and his other hand to push you off with his strength while he uses his legs to try and jump away from you and especially away from the sealing tags that Odayama throws with that same jump.
"Stop that! What....whatever that is! Jashin will have no mercy!"

Meanwhile Yuyuyu knocks out Yabe and turns invisible with her genjutsu while Yu is distracted using the opportunity to escape with the foolish mercenary.

Ueki, the remaining mercenary on the field.....is he intelligent enough to escape? Yes he is. He begins running away seeing what is going on, having second thoughts about this now, even if he feels some shame about not protecting his client.

Both of the Monks seem too distracted to do anything about the bell circle Usagi is putting down.

[Rater202]

Yoroi
"I dont listen to radio. I never met this girl. She just artificaly enhanced the power of Kimiko's team. But I guess it's impressive." he say.
"Though I dont trust those animals. Snakes. Rabbits. all those alien things... can"t be compared to a good blade."

"Fair enough..." Tomoe draws her own blade and begins going through the motions of her forms. "Of course, the same can be said of anything a ninja does. The Samurai of the land of Iron train in pure manipulation of chakra, its flow, its shape, undiluted by the elements. No tricks, just raw power tempered by a calm mind and channeled through an expertly wielded blade."

Touzaki Town: Move Two
Menko's genjutsu succeeds automatically and the circle is messed up and Hu looks down and sees it, saying
"What the-? Did I accidentally smudge it with my foot or something? Or did that blue-haired girl do some earth ninjutsu?"
Before he can redraw, his wakizaishi is caught by her paper whip and Kimiko pulls, trying to get it out Hu's grip, but Hu is stronger than her in terms of pure physical strength and begins pulling her instead. So she uses her chakra to tear the end of the blade off, leaving some of it wrapped around his wakizaishi, retracts it back to normal size. Hu only seeing Kimiko takes a stance, see he won't have time for the circle and will dodge away the seals but take hits from the kunais and shurikens that Odayama throws

Menko considers shifting into snake form and biting the mad monk, but thinks better of it: Her venom's effects are intense illusionary pain, but can be resisted by someone with more chakra than her.

Instead, she drops her genjustu and uses her Multiple Autonomous Clones to create a dozen copies of herself to run around acting crazy in order to add to the chaos and be distracting.

Yu meanwhile will turn around to look at what Senko is doing
"What in Jashin's name is-"
He gets stabbed in the front, thinking it won't hurt him. Then he feels himself getting....drained. Senko you feel as if Yu is full of chakra and life energy, like far more than he should be, but nothing out of the ordinary. Like this is excessive amounts of normal chakra and all the chakra your not absorbing seems to be converted into biomass to replace that your absorbing. He seems to feel it to, because he tries to use his right hand to try and slash at you and his other hand to push you off with his strength while he uses his legs to try and jump away from you and especially away from the sealing tags that Odayama throws with that same jump.
"Stop that! What....whatever that is! Jashin will have no mercy!"

Senko blocks the slash by catching it with her free hand, allowing the blade to embed into her palm, and then grabbing it. All the while continuing to drain away.

"Why not? I am following his teachings. You said it yourself, if you are not strong enough to stop me from taking your power for myself, your cells for myself, your life for myself, from stopping me from exploiting you as a resource to better myself at your expense until you die, then you deserve to suffer and die for your weakness. Either Jashin exists and I am doing his will—with the power I was born with, the power that you bastards said was worth the deaths of everyone I had ever known and loved, or Jashin is a figment of your twisted imagination and I am putting down an unrepentant murderer who is resisting arrest."

"My power is Senninka, a natural ability to use Senjutsu. A power that the White Snake Sage says is the same as that of the Ten-Tails. Absorbing chakra, passively taking in natural energy, repurposing biomass for my own needs... Of course, I have not verified these claims, and honestly, I do not believe in Gods but... Honestly, 'Neo Sage of Six Paths' has a nice ring to it. Either the stories are true and fully recreating his power within myself will let me recreate Ninshu and try bring peace to this world, or the stories are not and I would still be the most powerful Sage who alive and able to easily defeat little bastards like you who make things worse for everyone else. Either way, it would be a glorious experiment."

"So right now, You-Who-Hypoctirically-Fears-His-Death, you have a choice... You can surrender, renounce your false god, stand trial for your crimes, and face justice... Or you can become part of something greater than yourself"

[igordragonian]

Yoroi draw his normal katana. The cursed one remain on his back.
"Well, I do know jutsus. I preffer not to use them, if I dont have to-but it give me the knowledge to resist and counter them.' he explain, trianing with the moves his father shown him.
"But I do have great respect to the first Ottokage, who helped me and my mother, when we were in need... so I serve the village in his name." he wonder.
"I don't think I ever had fair and honest sword dual..."

----

Odayama would keep spamming scrolls raining weapons
and Usagi has finished her circle of bell needles- starting to play the lullaby

[Lord Raziere]

On the Ground, Hu:
Hu is confused at all these little snake girls everywhere running around him and he makes a few slashes at them, not really hitting anything. The bells sound off and he falls asleep, having no genjutsu defense at all. Meanwhile Kimiko had turned into another Menko with transformation technique, flashes steps towards him while he is asleep, does a few quick movements that don't really seem to be trying to kill him? Then she dashes away among the Menkos.

Rooftop, Yu:
Yu meanwhile- well his blade cuts into palm as you grab it, Senko. It hurts. He slides the blade out of your grip, which hurts even more. Then he....licks your blood on the blade? What?
"All philosophies are flawed if you examine them enough. At some point? You got to take some things on faith, and your just arguing my faith's stance to try and show me those flaws. But you don't actually believe any of it. Jashin cares not for nonbelievers! I believe in Jashin because ninjas took away so much from me and Jashin offered me the power to get back at people like you-its not as if any ninja would teach their secrets to a lowly ashigaru to empower them. All you ninja are the same: secretive jerks who don't want anyone else in their little chakra club and killing anyone who tries to get in. All the while talking about your nation or your dreams that will never come true. Now-aw kuso."
Yu will pull your arm out of himself and jump away to Hu trying to pick him up and carry him away in retreat. He isn't dumb.

[Rater202]

Yoroi draw his normal katana. The cursed one remain on his back.
"Well, I do know jutsus. I preffer not to use them, if I dont have to-but it give me the knowledge to resist and counter them.' he explain, trianing with the moves his father shown him.
"But I do have great respect to the first Ottokage, who helped me and my mother, when we were in need... so I serve the village in his name." he wonder.
"I don't think I ever had fair and honest sword dual..."

Tomoe takes a battle ready stance.

"To first blood, then?"

Rooftop, Yu:
Yu meanwhile- well his blade cuts into palm as you grab it, Senko. It hurts. He slides the blade out of your grip, which hurts even more. Then he....licks your blood on the blade? What?
"All philosophies are flawed if you examine them enough. At some point? You got to take some things on faith, and your just arguing my faith's stance to try and show me those flaws. But you don't actually believe any of it. Jashin cares not for nonbelievers! I believe in Jashin because ninjas took away so much from me and Jashin offered me the power to get back at people like you-its not as if any ninja would teach their secrets to a lowly ashigaru to empower them. All you ninja are the same: secretive jerks who don't want anyone else in their little chakra club and killing anyone who tries to get in. All the while talking about your nation or your dreams that will never come true. Now-aw kuso."
Yu will pull your arm out of himself and jump away to Hu trying to pick him up and carry him away in retreat. He isn't dumb.

"...You know, if you were not a murderous psychopath worshipping a made-up god, we probably could have been friends. Think on that in whatever afterlife you end up in... Probably Hell. Yeah, if Hell exists you are most certainly going there."

Senko jumps after him and tries to land a kick on his head.

[Lord Raziere]

Touzaki Town: Checkmate
Yu gets kicked in the head and crashes into a wall, sending cracks across it in the impact, making him fall to the ground. Kimiko throws a seal upon him while he is busy getting up, knowing that they kept evading the seal tags for some reason. Yu is still focused on getting Hu out of here however and runs up to him, picking him up like a fellow soldier even though he no longer feels any chakra, the seal cutting him off. But he sees another sealing tag on Hu placed by either Kimiko or one of the throws of Odayama when he fell asleep, Yu tries to rip it off, but- brute force doesn't work. He doesn't know how to take seals off and its stuck on him. Instead he curses and smacks him awake
"Hu! wake up they did the weird sealing tag thing to us! I can't feel chakra!"
"Huh? wha? oh okay, I can't either, lets go"
They immediately begin running having some knowledge of what this means for them. However Kimiko grins wide like a shark catching its prey and forms a single hand seal:
"Explosive Tag: Release."
Immediately the paper wrapped around Hu's sword from earlier? Yeah, that is filled with multiple explosive tag seals of ink. She put them there earlier in the tug of war. Hu looks at it, still a little sleepy in confusion while Yu more awake and quick on the uptake yells
"QUICK! THROW THE SWO-"
BOOM!
The explosive flashes with light and kicks up a bunch of dust as it covers the whole width of the street, shrapnel from the blade flying out from the center here and there, but body parts and pieces of black cloth as well scattered all around. When it clears, there is a scorch mark on the ground, bit of a rough shallow crater in the middle, its a mess. Kimikos face goes from enjoying the big explosion that happens to something more pensive as it fades. Yuyuyu jumps in and prods the severed head of Yu with the tip of her umbrella. Poke poke.
"They're really dead. How?"
"hyuhyu!
Kimiko's suddenly puts on a mask of ego again
"They're only dead because they were both sealed by tags. I was observing the whole fight and how they kept avoiding the sealing tags thrown by Odayama, so I simply figured that whatever kept them alive could be shut off and thus render them mortal again then I waited for my opportunity to finish them. They were never protected by any god, just a clever application of chakra, like anything else. The only trick they knew, because they clearly had no ninjutsu or genjutsu knowledge to help them. They were one trick ponies, nothing against me and my genius....and you guys. You all helped."
"Uh...huh.....though if they didn't have any knowledge of those things, then I figure that someone else gave them their one weird trick. Immortality even if its at the cost of other peoples isn't exactly basic or common knowledge jutsu. I doubt two random ex-ashigaru could come up with this and a made up cult out of nowhere. There is someone else out there who gave them this one weird trick. Someone who probably knows more how ninjutsu works. If they were still alive we could've asked them who, but now we might never know."
"Hm. Too bad I guess."
Priest Matsusuke will walk outside looking on sadly and says
"I will prepare funeral arrangements for Hu and Yu, as well as those who they murdered. They said they hailed from the Land of Earth when I spoke to them. Hopefully their remains will enjoy being buried in that style."
"You'd do that for them?" Yuyuyu asks
"Of course" Matsusuke says "No one else will." as if its the simplest thing in the world.

Officer Yasutoki stands beside Chief Sumibu and the two mercenaries looking at the victory
"....They have authorization to kill people, don't they?" asks Yasutoki
"Yyyuuuup." says Sumibu
"They took down immortal people though..."
"Yeah, let me tell the first advice they give you in the army: never fight a shinobi. They're the most flexible, resourceful and clever bastards in the world. Turns out, those guys were too narrow to win. Though if they were bit quicker they could've thrown the explosive tag back, I remember some of the quicker ashigaru being able to do that. Saved my life more than once."
"....I'm....I'm not angry about my assignment here anymore, if people like these are what is out there."
"Good! Stay cautious kid. You'll live longer."

[Rater202]

"Yes, we have the authorization to kill people as long as it is the pursuit o our mission or otherwise under an authorized circumstance. Technically, I think we would have been in our rights to just kill you for interfering in our investigation, but that would have been wasteful and excessive."

"It is really kind of a ****ed up system if you think about it. The cultists kind of had a point. Too bad they had to go and undermine it by being murderous lunatics."

Senko retrieves her robe.

"I will need to deposit the cadaver of the second victim at the morgue before we can do anything else, and... Priest! If you intend to bury the murderers... Do it in secret, and keep the location of their graves as a secret until it is your own time to pass from this world. There are all kinds of things that someone who knows what they are doing can learn from the remains of a chakra user and I would not want this parasitic immortality jutsu to fall into the wrong hands."

If it was Senko's call they'd just burn the bodies here and now... But she can sympathize with the priest's perspective.

[igordragonian]

Yoroi

Yoroi smirk with a joy. It was a joy of a foriegner, finding his own kind in a new land.
He doesn't exactly go easy, but he go simple. He send simple and strong slashes to test her reaction.
--------


Usagi grunt:"Well played, princess." she simply say.
Odayama go back to his human form panting.
"It was very impressive, girls! Good job!" He say with a smile.
"With other Genins,it might have went much more diffcult."
He wonder to himself. "But it is worrying. More of those guys might be going around. Hmm. Bad timing..."


Usagi while still on Yojimbo ride to Yatsuki. "Yo! Don't get softy!" she bark.
"I liked your style! With determination and creativity you can do anything!" She lift, stumps of legs.
"I wasn"t born to some fancy ninja family! Never settle down!"



While Usagi try to reinspire a normal cop...
Odayama turn to Senko.
"Well. Not always we are morally superior to our enemies." He sigh and place a hand over her shoulder if she is comftrable enough with him for such a gesture.
"What we can do, is to TRY. Violence is a tool. We ninjas masters of this tool, and at least my ninja way, and the way,I try to teach you... violence shouldn"t be the first soluation, but sometimes, it's what we got. If it help you to feel any better, by serving a village and a nation, on the long term... we might improve the world for the next generation. That why you all, are called the "The Hope Generation.". Who knows? Maybe all of you become the leading force of the village, you will call the next generation "the dream generation"?"

[Lord Raziere]

Touzaki Town: Wrapping Up
Matsusuke considers what you say
"Well....Okay. But in that case I should probably double check if the Land of Earth has any cremation rites in my books. It probably does, given the history of war we all share. Shinobi have been searching for secrets over one another for centuries in any place they can find after all and if that keeps their remains from being desecrated....so be it."
He walks away to begin collective the body parts and putting them to begin the last rites. How sad that such precautions have become tradition unto themselves.

To Odayama they respond:
Yuyuyu says raising an eyebrow
"While I appreciate the sentiment and faith in us Odayama-taichou....I think its a little early to be thinking about the generation after us. Let us go forth and try to solve things how we can, let us grow and try all the new things you never could and who knows where we will end up? Its too early to say. I will certainly try for one, its all I can promise. Life is full of surprises, who knows where our paths will lead us? We can only hope it'll be a good path."
Kimiko meanwhile scoffs and says
"Hah! I'm Kimiko Ishikawa, the Shining Star of the Hope Generation and Genius of the Ishikawa Clan! My brilliance will be so great, you won't even NEED anyone else after me! Hyuhyuhyuhyuhyuhyu...."
Kimiko says boastfully while Yuyuyu sweatdrops at this proclamation.

Yasutoki listens to Usagi and nods with a sudden fire in his eyes
"Y'know what? your right. Just because I have to be careful around ninja doesn't mean I can't do something about this world! This screwed up system! I just got to be smarter! There must be some way I solve all this my way, and if there is.....I'll try to find it!"

Yuyuyu meanwhile meets with Chief Sumibu and the two mercs to work out....a bit of a deal after everything else about the investigation was sorted out.
"Why have you called us here?"
"Oh, to work a few things out. First of all Chief Sumibu: you lied to us. Said this was a C-Rank mission but unfortunately this involved chakra using foes making it a B-rank. We are in our rights to demand higher pay even though you can't afford it. Buuuuut....I have an idea of what you can provide me so I can make sure this is all kept quiet so that you or this town keeps going economically."
"....Fine, I'll hear it."
"Simply provide me a copy of the case files covering the murder of Nakanishi Seiji, these two mercs client."
"Done." he says confused.
"Thank you!"
She turns to the mercs
"Now to you: you two don't really have any purpose now that you've lost your client you've been guarding for years. Another problem is that if the fact that said client got murdered on your watch, meaning if it got out that you failed to protect him this could ruin your reputation as your just minor mercenaries and even a black mark like this would basically make you useless to your mercenary company I wager. Who wants two random mercs that failed after all? You'd be out of a career. However you could become my spies, keep an ear on things in the Land of Fire for me and in return I won't use the Nakanishi Seiji casefile to out you about your failure and even protect you from being found out, make sure your in the clear."
"Hey whoa! But you haven't gotten the copy yet, right Sumibu? So why would we become your spies? We just have to go find different towns where Seiji didn't frequent and look for work there, you don't got anything" says Ueki
"Yeah, we just agreed to it" Sumibu says "you can't actually-"
Yuyuyu produces the full murder casefile about Hu and Yu from behind her, a clever little grin on her face.
"Already took the full casefile while you weren't looking. With this I can out both your failure and your lie more completely than if I simply had the copy. So you go make the copy Chief Sumibu and I'll hand over the real casefile, okay?"
"....Fine" he will trudge off to go make the copy
Ueki looks to Yabe
"Did we just get outplayed by a little girl?"
"Ninjas man. They raise 'im crazy."
After the copy is exchanged for the real thing Yuyuyu turns to the mercenaries.
"Now thats finished, I have a simple job for my two new spies: go to the capital of the Land of Fire, Hinoshuto, take jobs as bouncers or low level security guards and keep any eye out for any political or economic developments you can find and send me back reports monthly compiling all that you've heard. It should be safe enough for you."
"But how would that get any useful information for you just hanging out in the city?"
"Any tidbit can help, and one can extrapolate a lot from information from a city that is a center of trade for all the nations on the continent. Such movements tell more than you know, if you what connects to what."
"....If you say so" they say shrugging.

As Team 3 begins leave, Kimiko and Yuyuyu have a talk.
"You really think that they're going to be useful, Yuyuyu? They're not exactly infiltrating the Court of the Fire Daimyo itself."
"Hey, an aspiring spymistress has to start somewhere. It'll be more information about whats going in Fire country than I had before, and you know that more information is always better."
"I suppose, hope its worth it to you and all that."
"By the way Kimi, I'm surprised you didn't nerd out about that jutsu they were using. Figured you'd be all over somehow getting that with your goals."
"Oh....I wouldn't worry about that." Kimiko says back...
....Knowing there is a Book of Jashin stored in one of her scrolls on her belt, stolen from Hu when he fell asleep as they depart back for Otogakure.

[Rater202]

While all the wrap-up is going on, Senko deposits the second body in the morgue. She acknowledges Odayama's point but does not respond.

On the way back to sound.

"Why would she? Such a parasitic form of immortality would not play into her plans. How can she learn every ninjutsu if she must constantly murder others in the name of a made-up god in order to fuel her immortality?"

"Besides, if Kimi-chan wants to be immortal she can just ask Senko-sama if she can contract with the snakes. Pursuing immortality is kind of half of what we do. Her honored Battyness was around in the time of the Six Paths."

"I am sure that Kimiko-san would rather achieve her goals her own way."

All the while Senko continues to practice Mist generation. She's gotten to the point that she can shroud her hand in a dense fog that stays together for a few feat as she walks away.

"At this rate, I might actually be able to do something practical... Kimiko-san? Does Ishikawa sensei know the hiding in Mist technique? I am starting to have some nasty ideas for things I could do... Though I will have to work on improving my sensor abilities beyond the very basic before that becomes viable.

Tomoe

Tomoe, being older and a prodigy with the blade, blocks and parries gracefully. In truth, it has been a good while since she'd had a proper spar.

She tries for precise strikes whenerve she perceives an opening in Yoroi's guard.

[Lord Raziere]

Kimiko:
She snaps her fingers and points at Senko with a shark smile
"Hyuhyu, Correct Senko! Their method was simply incredibly impractical and inefficient. They should've tried for a power source like the sun or flowing water, much more constant sources of energy and less work to get access to, and less people angry at you. Sure it looked very impressive in its durability and regeneration capabilities but it was deeply flawed. That and it could be shut down by basic sealing tags, so as a form of immortality not ideal. No way I'm using it."
But study it and get some use out of learning from it? Definitely. Just because its flawed and comes from an ignorant source doesn't mean it can't be repurposed, improved upon, redesigned towards something better. Science was all about taking the raw messy parts of world, figuring out what works from them and Engineering was all about taking what works and figuring out how to make it work for you. This was no different.
"As for the Hiding in Mist technique, sure my anniki does. I've seen it before, my clan has periodic training sessions fighting in mist as counter-dojutsu tactics and to keep our combat hearing sharp. The number of times I've had to use nothing but taijutsu and my ears to block attacks incoming from all sides....hyuhyu, I've lost count. Why I bet you all one ryo, that I could do the Hiding in Mist Technique it on my first try, easy, right now. Anyone wanna take me up on it?"
She grins as she says this.

[Rater202]

"That is a sucker's bet, Kimiko-san. You possess an elemental bloodline that is composed n part of water and have demonstrated the ability to provide a passable performance with most ninjutsu after merely seeing the signs once. And that is assuming you have not already learned and mastered the technique—you have not actually said that you do not know the technique yourself, merely that you suspect you could pull it off now."

Senko starts drawing out the kanji of her name with the mist flowing from her hand.