Isle of Kaiiki (Open)

[Rudi]

Nestled deep within a cavernous ridge to the far north-west of the Water country a collection of islands hid amongst the water. The islands rested in between a large, crescent shaped cliffside. Surrounded by fresh water, the islands enjoyed successful commercial fishing, and most of the citizens on the islands were tradesmen. The people were Water Country citizens, and most were engrossed in small town living with few threats and dangers besides flooding. Occasionally water monsters would terrorize the waters, or raiding mercenaries would steal from them. The islands were closely knit, and there were no ninja to protect them. Instead wizened elders would requisition ninja from Kirigakure to fend off threats.

Unknown to most of the island residents, the Elders in charge of liaisons with Kirigakure were Sages of the Ketsueki House. The Blood House was in charge of developing commerce for Kirigakure, by those who traveled through the inlet connecting the Fire Country to the Water Country. There were a few families belonging to the Ketsueki House that lived on the central island, only seen in passing. Things were mostly peaceful among travelers.

Yusuke had traveled to the collection of islands, after receiving a messenger hawk. The note attached to the bid read as follows: "Dear Yusuke, I am a Sage among the Ketsueki House. My name is Hidan, and I would like to formally respond to the passing of your father. Our house lost a great worker that day. Looking forward to your future, as the only Ketsueki Shinobi in Kirigakure right now, I would like to invite you to the Isle of Kaiiki. The House has spent many decades here, preserving ancient texts and studying unique methods of interacting with Genki though ninjutsu. The currents from Kiri will raise, allowing you safe passage to the coordinates. With great hopes to meet you, Hidan Ketsueki."

Yusuke's father had been gone for a year now, and he had grown familiar with the two-faced, formal kindness the author of the letter expressed; most Ketsueki within the Water Country felt the same way about his father. Despite Yusuke clearly inheriting great shinobi skills from his father, he was known by the House to promote conflict among Kirigakure authorities. The Ketsueki House had a long-standing reputation with crime, often arrested for failed feeding attempts. Yusuke's father actively fought against the oppression, and when he was murdered none were surprised.

The young Ketsueki ninja had grown accustomed to ignoring anyone's take on his father. He had taught him well, and kept his personal beliefs to himself. Yusuke of course publicly agreed with the House and Kirigakure; feeding was illegal inside the village. He had never been caught assaulting someone in the village, but necessity was often over-looked by those who respected the work of the scribes that the Hirohito family employed to gather Water Country knowledge on Fuuinjutsu. As long as the victim was left without harm, most investigators looked away from cases that had the markings of the Ketsueki House.

Despite lacking any faith that his father was an enemy in the Isles, Yusuke decided he would make the journey. After a few weeks the waters began to rise and he made his way by canoe. The waters were smooth, and he traveled for weeks before arriving to the inlet. Yusuke traveled through the islands, briefly exploring and making mental notes of the collection of villages on the islands. There were 3 islands inhabited by the public. The first one, closest to the east had residential homes, that featured children. There was a hospital there, and schools for children to learn academics. On the second island were shops that sold clothes and fish. There wasn't much variety, but dozens of traveling sales people held tents up to peddle their goods. On the third Island was a jailhouse, guarded by simple mercenaries. There was one prisoner and a sheriff to guard him. The prisoner had been caught trying to travel to the fourth island, which was forbidden due to the valuable knowledge stored in libraries by the Ketsueki House.

After sending a hawk to the fourth island, Yusuke was given pass to the fourth and largest island. On this island was a foggy marsh, connecting to the abbey where Ketsueki House members lived. There were two families, with 6 initiated members. Four Sages directed the families, and were in control of the Isle.

Yusuke was quite impressed by the society that lived quietly on the islands. The people were friendly and helpful, sure to follow the law and respectful of Kirigakures reach westward. After spending a few days getting used to temporary living on the Isle, Yusuke and Hidan sat down together to discuss the hot topics that had brought them both face to face.

Hidan was an elderly man, with long ear lobes and unusually small fangs for an initiated Ketsueki. The elder was accomplished with Genki Star Fuuinjutsu, and hoped to impart some of that knowledge to Yusuke like had had for his father before him. To develop the skills he would need to use any practical Genki Star Fuuinjutsu, Yusuke first agreed to begin tutelage as Hidan's acolyte. His daily routine involved exercise, checking trap lines, and then studying ancient formulas that Hidan had preserved from the Ketsueki Houses beginnings in the Water Country.

Everyday Yusuke woke up and started his day out by cooking breakfast for himself and the Ketsueki elders. Egg fried rice was the daily breakfast, with roasted fruits as a side. Yusuke hadn't entered the Isle a chef, but after a few weeks of stirring the wok first thing in the morning; Yusuke was becoming a master chef. After serving his elders, Yusuke traveled to the surrounding waters and stood on the water where he honed his taijutsu wearing weights and shadow boxing. For hours he would 1-2 punch, and leap into the air spinning around in a flurry of punches and kicks. Once he felt warmed up, Yusuke then traversed the 4 islands and checked the land for any movement in the traplines. Often he would catch rabbits, or warthogs. Occasionally mountain lions would be caught in the snares, and Yusuke would have a fight at his blade.

One day, after a particularly difficult battle with a snarling beast, Yusuke struggled to concentrate and formulate the Fuuinjutsu concept he was reading. He couldn't get his mind off the way the mountain lion knocked his cheap sword away earlier in the day. His forearm was shredded as a result, and he could hardly move his left hand. Yusuke grumbled over his painful reminiscence, garnering the attention of Hidan.

"You seem disturbed," Hidan whispered to him. The elder was studying something in the library as well. He closed the scroll in his hands, and smiled at Yusuke. "Free your mind, and let me hear about your daily alms." Hidan was always welcoming, eager to give advice to the teenager.

Yusuke winced, struggling to move his left arm onto the table. He spoke slowly, "Well, I think I need a better edge in battle." Yusuke was talking about a blade. Growing up he had known Ketsueki teenagers who were adept with sword techniques. Yusuke himself was accomplished as a swordsman, but he had yet to find a blade that matched his personal style. Most became throwaways after a few sharpening's cracked the blade. "Do you know any blacksmiths on the Isle?" Yusuke gestured to the hand that had been chewed on by a wild animal. "I need something that might keep my hands safe, but not too heavy." Yusuke preferred speed over strength in his technique.

Hidan shrugged and replied to Yusuke, "Most weapons we get here are forged on the mainland or in Kirigakure. The mercenaries even buy their tools through us." Hidan wiggled his eyebrows, a dedicated tax collector among the Isle.

Yusuke wasn't impressed with his answer, and frowned. He wondered if his elder was hiding something from him and said, "I'm never going to be able to focus on our studies all beat up like this." Yusuke licked his lips, his long tongue curling ambidextrously around the valleys and curves. "How will I ever learn how to seal fresh blood without an edge to draw it!" Yusuke exclaimed.

"Fine, fine. Yusuke, there is someone on the Isle who fashions her own arrows. Her name is Yamir, and she lives on the residential island. Her husband died a few years ago, and she provides for her daughter with a bow. She puts her own arrows together, but where her bow came from is a mystery." Hidan scratched his neck. "Maybe she can give you a clue where to find something well enough for your taste." Hidan stood up and spoke one last time before leaving, "Be warned however, her husband knew the prisoner. They were friends, and it's been suggested by some of our own," Hidan tucked his hands in the pockets of his robe. "She might not trust those fangs of yours."

"Hmmpf, quite a chance to take." Yusuke growled, waving to Hidan as he departed the library. He decided when he healed up, he would ask Yamir if she knew any clues to finding a sword. Content with his resolution, Yusuke went back to studying. He planned on traveling to the first island where civillians lived, to meet Yamir and discover how she was able to acquire a bow in the rural Isle of Kaiiki.

[Rudi]

Yusuke had been on the Isle for a while, and was growing more accustomed to the way things worked among the public. The Ketsueki House was largely unknown, and he was able to feed freely by night. However he could not appear freely without using a disguise. Members of the Ketsueki House had been exposed feeding on the public, and were pegged by their shiny teeth and white skin as specters. The families used to attack the public, drinking their blood in broad daylight; they had even savagely attacked some people, dismembering and killing, and for decades the Isle of Kaiiki had been known for having blood thirsty specters. Some of the rumors hinted that the villagers believed the specters to be demons of animal making, not capable of thinking and understanding. He was personally uncomfortable with the reputation his family had made for themselves on this island. He only fed at night, disguising himself innocently as a small child.

"Mother always said I favored the more cultured approach," Yusuke thought to himself, remembering the exciting poof of smoke that dispersed his Transformation Jutsu and gave him the moment of surprise to feed on the young womans blood. He wondered if she had claimed to have been attacked by a specter. Yusuke groaned, not thrilled by the reality of his life as a Ketsueki on these islands. He was expecting a more glorious life among his family.

Opting for a more organic disguise, and less draining, Yusuke sat at a mirror with a can of face paint. Not unfamiliar with the use of make-up, he put a foundation of flesh colored paint around his exposed face, making his complexion appear more pink. "Smudge free?" Yusuke wondered to himself and proceeded outside, hopeful the make-up would stay on in the moist airs of the islands. He didn't plan on talking and exposing his teeth, instead he would cover his face with his scarf. The vampire frowned, his pride struck down as he left the Sage's pagoda and realized he would likely face the publics view of the Ketsueki. His House family was small and certainly seen better days, but Yusuke couldn't help but think they were operating like common thugs. Hiding his family name from countrymen wasn't something he felt comfortable with, and hiding his fangs felt demeaning; however he was determined to find out where Yamir had found her bow so that he could acquire a blade worthy of his skill.

"Perhaps I'll gain the edge I need to recreate our name.." Yusuke whispered to himself as he stepped away from the pagoda and into the mist.

Stepping into the thick, dew filled airs of Kaiiki Yusuke covered his mouth with his azure scarf. He wrapped his robe around him and tucked it in to cover his Krigakure headband from the commoners. With his hair and face covered, Yusuke ventured toward the beachside incognito. This island had no bridge, and he would have to Water-Walk using ninjutsu. As he made his way closer to the water, Yusuke remember what Hidan had said to him about Yamir not liking his fangs. He wondered if she had an encounter with a Ketsueki, or perhaps her husband did.

Yusuke wondered to himself, staring at the waters separating him from Island Ichi, "Did Hidan say if she was widowed?" A carp jumped into the air from the waters in front of him. He channeled his chakra to his feet and made his first step on the quest to find a new sword, towards where the fish sprang up from its home below.

He wondered if Yamir had witnessed one of the so called Kaiiki Specters, and continued his journey toward the residential island. The journey was at least 8 kilometers to the island, and he began running faster with his arms flowing behind him. His robe whisked in the wind, whipping hard with the weight of the moisture it had collected. As Yusuke traveled further, the waters grew darker, and he stopped seeing occasional carp jumping from the water below.

The mist grew thicker, obscuring his trained vision. Yusuke could hardly see in front of him, when suddenly he began to sense ripples in the water. At first they seemed small, like from koi or perch. However as the mist began to thicken the vibrations grew. "Oh no...] Yusuke whispered to himself and stopped running.

[Rudi]

"Shit!" Yusuke screamed as he watched the waters in front of him. The chakra underneath of his feet glowed a faint red, overcasting a shadow over the water, however the shadow coming from below him was much darker. The creature swam quickly upward. Yusuke didn't have much time, and he was too far to run away in either direction. He would get pulled in if he didn't think of something soon.

The ninja wove together a series of perfect hand seals, and performed Secret Art: Genki Star • Crimson Parcel. 15 Meters ahead of him an orb of crimson red chakra appeared. The shadow was pursuing still, and was about to break the surface when Yusuke Kai'd with the red orb and switch places with it. Putting distance between him and the monster just in time, Yusuke teleported ahead while a giant claw stuck the chakra. Yusuke was running.

The beast emerged from the water, a giant crawfish. The beast was almost 2 meters long, swimming on the top of the water with its claws snapping ahead of it. The water sloshed around it as its 10 legs swayed the water behind it. The crustacean was quickly catch Yusuke when he had a moment of genius strike him. The crawfish had torn at sea weed all over the waters around him, leaving enormous leaves floating on the top.

Yusuke put together his hands for more handsigns, levitating the water below him into 2 shuriken. His forehead was profusely sweating, all of his [Control] being tested at that moment. Besides performing Secret Art jutsu with little genki left from his last feeding, Yusuke had been traveling along the water for almost two hours. His chakra reserves were struggling to maintain. The jutsu had completed and the two water shuriken formed. He fired the first, aiming at the hideous crustaceans face. It struck, barely effecting it but causing it to pause for a moment. Yusuke took the moment to dive into the water and grab a seaweed. He fire the second shuriken, and jumped forward with the leaf sea plant in both hands. The shuriken struck, this time sever one of the crawdads antennae. It's eye stalk sunk into it's body and then protruded as it lunged forward angrily.

Yusuke dashed ahead as well, jumping into the air. He aimed for the crustaceans claws, and bound it up. The creature only had one, it's other too tiny to attack. Yusuke tied the claw up and returned to the waters surface. The beast began to flail around, and Yusuke flipped forward swinging an axe kick into the chitinous monsters stomach. It sunk ito the water, its shadow swimming lopsided from the seaweed stuck to it's claw.

Yusuke was hyperventilating, his chakra reserves struggling. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a standard sealing tag. His elder Hidan had given him it for emergencies, and Yusuke performed a Kai before placing it on his tongue. The paper began to seep fresh blood the elder had sealed into it. His chakra reserves felt improved, and his endurance returned. Eager to elave the scene where he might be attacked again, Yusuke continued his journey.

He had used his only preserved blood tag, and had about 1 day to find the source of Yamir's weaponry before he would have to feed again. Yusuke hoped the streets would be busy, and ran forward to Island Ichi were the people of the Islands lived.

[Rudi]

The afternoon sun was still high in the sky. The Island of Ichi contained the residential district of the Kaiiki Isles. There were housing divisions, schools, doctors, taverns, and inns covering the island.

Yusuke arrived on a beach towards a secluded cove. He walked for a good hour before reaching a dirt road. Following the road Yusuke kept his disguise up to keep from drawing attention. There was no one to be found traveling on this road however, and the misty trail eventually opened up into an alley way that led toward the night life district of the isle. In the day time the action was slim, with most people at work on another island.

Searching for someone who might know where Yamir lived, Yusuke stopped in a tea shop. There were a few people sitting at tables, sipping tea and reading the newspaper. The hidden Ketsueki bought a ginseng tea and sat at a table. He planned on being their for awhile, waiting for someone who was in the know of residents on the island. Yusuke sat for an hour, reading a newspaper delivered by a Water Country Tribune.

Hours more passed, and he had run up a debt with the tea merchant; as well he had tried a few new teas that were mostly all inferior to ginseng. With night approaching, Yusuke prepared to leave the tea shop. To his surprise a tall red headed woman walked through the door. On her forearm was an archers brace, and Yusuke was certain he had found his target. The lady bought a coffee, with goat milk, and sat at a bench behind the table where Yusuke was.

The Kirigakure ninja tucked his scarf over his head further, obscuring view of his fangs. The make up on his face held strong, and he was confident he was in appropriate attire to pass as a local; so Yusuke stood up and turned towards the door. With his target pinpointed, he prepared to follow her for a few days before questioning her. Hidan had said she was apprehensive about Specters on the Island, so opted to gain intel on the conversation he planned on having.

"She is certainly hiding where the materials for her bow came from, I wonder why she is so cautious of Specters. And what that might have to do with her husbands friend in prison?" Yusuke thought to himself, going over the knowledge he had of Yamir. He knew her husband had died, and that he was a friend of the prisoner before his death. Yusuke wondered what Yamir knew of his incarceration,; nd decided that after following her for a few days, he would interrogate the prisoner.

To enter the prison he would have to pull strings with the Sages of the Islands, which would take at least a day. The mission seemed to be going well for the young Yusuke, and he smiled underneath his scarf as he silently paid the bill for his tea. He exited the teahouse, and checked behind him to make sure no one would see him jump onto the roof. Sure the coast was clear, Yusuke delicately leapt high into the air and landed gracefully on the rooftop.

[Flankingfox]

Shrouded in the blanket of mist, Okami must have looked like a thick tree on an initial scan. There was seaweed scattered amongst his armor, clinging to it like a second skin. Probably why he went unnoticed as the giant figure slowly loomed closer and closer toward the tea house. Coming into view now, the giant of a man noticed a small person emerge from inside before looking around and then springing into an upward jump to the rooftop. Quite interesting thought the man who stopped in his tracks suddenly to observe the oddity. Didn't think there would be anybody of ability in this part of Water Country, wonder if this boy is from the great village? There were few commoners with the inherent ability to master the arts taught in the great village and even fewer without the proper teachings, meaning this could actually be a living and breathing ninja. In a thunderous tone that seemed to echo like a boom throughout the entirety of the surrounding area, Okami shouted, "Ahoy, you there... atop the roof. Get down from there, you're going to damage the poor old place. Can't you see there are plenty of natural climbing places!"

Once the words had left Okami's mouth, he treaded forward once more toward the direction of the tea house with his focus now on the lone figure above. At least that is what one could assume, considering the man's facial features were obscured behind a mask. Maybe, this child could share any recent news from the great village as it had been quite some time since the towering figure had been able to inquire from any of his contacts. That troublesome war not long ago had the dire consequence of making it fairly difficult to get any sort of relevant information. Everything was either laced with lies or exaggerated to the point of being meaningless. Not that the giant needed anything from the great village, just was curious about how they fared and how his family made out at the end of it. When Okami got closer, the boy would notice the large blade Okami was carrying on his back. This wasn't your typical run-of-the-mill mercenary and or bandit due to just how large of a weapon that was. Nah, this was somebody not to be trifled with as he looked rather hardened from countless conflicts.

[Rudi]

He had only been on the rooftop for a second when the shout from afar shook the entire teahouse. Yusuke pivoted on his heels in the direction of the enormous figure that had called to him. "Oi.." He groaned, the rain pipes still shaking from the exposition the man declared.

The figure began stepping toward him, from a not too far distance. Quickly, Yusuke stepped toward the edge of the roof and stuck his ear to the rain pipe. There were no noises down below by the windows of the teashop, so he figured no one had taken notice to the Kirigakure genin being scolded for leaping on the roof. Yusuke considered the fact that he was about to jump down for fear of being in trouble by an elder, when he noticed the roof was rather rusty indeed. Had he been any less agile he might have fallen through indeed.

Yusuke leapt across the building to another rooftop, closer to the stranger. He leapt once more, this time getting close enough for finer detail viewing. Yusuke put his finger to where his lips would be had he not been incognito, then pointed toward the tea shop. He looked back toward the entrance to the tea shop, a long alleyway, hopeful his target had not left without him.

Preparing to hop down and distract the man with conversation while he watched the door from behind, Yusuke gestured downwards to indicate that he was about to venture closer to the giant stranger that had so easily seen him beginning to track someone in the late of night.

The Ketsueki ninja hoped his family on the Blood island were planning on stalking another Island for feeding tonight, a psuedo-specter attack from one of the so called nobles would be the only thing that could make this mission harder. Yusuke scratched his head, hoping the stranger wouldn't notice his supernatural appearance behind the make-up and scarf. "Boy this took a quick turn sideways, or rather downwards." Yusuke thought to himself as he stuck a thumb upward and prepared to jump onto the ground and speak with the tall stranger.

[Flankingfox]

Would seem that the apparent young lad had a hearing problem as he continued to do the very thing Okami warned against. Was the giant not loud enough for his voice to carry that far? The giant stopped as the boy moved toward him with another leap. Scratching his head slightly, Okami leisurely watched this person do gestures that he couldn't really comprehend. Something, something, quiet teahouse. Okami looked toward the tea house again. Nothing about it looked particularly out of the ordinary. However, maybe the people inside weren't too agreeable to loud voices. Oh, the people inside must be reading? Agreed this wasn't exactly a place to be shouting. The towering giant looked back up toward the disguised individual who gave him the universal gesture of 'yes'. What was that gesture for exactly? Was this small-looking thing asking him if he could come down now? Without anything else to go on, Okami lugged his arm upward and proceeded to copy the gesture. A thumbs-up sprang into view in an attempt to convey that the proposed jump downward was acceptable or something. Okami felt kind of stupid going about with this, but maybe there was a point to this whole display of sneaky business?

[Rudi]

The teahouse had all of it's lights on, and some people seemed to be entering the building. Yusuke sighed, hopeful Yamir was still inside, but more concerned with supressing anyone from exposing him from stalking the night.

The young man nimbly jumped down and cleared his throat. He dusted his robe off, making sure to keep his appearance covered, and spoke in a slightly higher tone of voice than usual. His large teeth distorted some of his words, but he spoke softly and clearly. "Hey! Don't tell anyone.." Yusuke plead as innocently as he could, still curious if the man was aware of the Ketsueki presence hiding among the Isle. "My name is Kazu, I'm the son of a mercenary from Kirigakure, bled for the Karagata gamily." Yusuke left out his bloodline surname, unwilling to lie and too proud to disguise himself as another House.

Lies came quickly to the sly ninja, and he continued; "My sister told me lots of cute girls read at the teashop," Yusuke's voice squeeked, and he presse dhis fingers together feigning a shy expression. "I was hoping I could find a ladyfriend.. Don't tell anyone you seen me stalking from the rooftops? Please!" Yusuke's eye twinkled, not with innocent sincerity but rather a devilish grasp at the hope this man wouldn't suspect him up to anything else.

[Flankingfox]

Jumping down, Okami was able to take in this person first hand. What could he say on initial inspection, the child looked more like a wimp than somebody raised in Kirigakure no Sato. Dusting off his robe he squeaked forth a plea to keep this whole thing a secret. A weird fellow to say the least, but this was before he introduced himself as part of the Karagata family. What a coincidence indeed to come face to face with another kinsman. However, the oddity remained why was a Karagata child so far from the village? There wasn't much this far north aside from either peasants or scum feeding off the backs of the peasants. More like that of a cesspool if he was being honest. This would beg the question as to why Karagata, Okami graced this place. That would be a long story indeed, but the gist of it was that his ship had capsized after an 'incident' and without an idea as to where he was; swam to the nearest piece of land he came across. Regrettably, it was this ramshackle place without much in the form of lucrative work.

In a boisterous yet vain attempt of keeping it somewhat hushed, Okami replied, "What are the chances! That is great news. We are basically family, little Kazu. I hadn't expected somebody from the Karagata house to be this far from the village. Right, introductions. I'm Karagata, Okami; bled and born for family Karagata. Now, I haven't been to the village in quite a while but I thought it was common courtesy to also convey your surname? Unless, in fact, you are attempting to keep that secret out of shame of what you're doing here tonight? Anyway, your sister. She here too on the island?" The imposing stance of the man seemed to buckle when it was revealed that the lithe-looking boy in front of him as part of the same family. Taking down the more combative, standoffish look from a moment ago he attempted now to look toward the tea house for a glimpse of the lady the youngling spoke of. Crouching at times to get a clearer look inside the somewhat obstructed window. Wasn't much to see, but the giant took the words of the boy at face value for now. What would lying to somebody like this even be worth, especially if he ended up being a senior military member of Kirigakure no Sato?

[Rudi]

The elder had bought his lie, and Yusuke breathed a sigh of relief as he listened to the man. To his surprise the man was a Karagata as well. Yusuke bowed, common tradition among family members. Regarding his surname Yusuke replied, "Maskanaka, we're a small family that maintains the integrity of naval ports around Shaikki." Yusuke pointed his thumb backwards, past the tea show and over the small fjord separating the Isle from a large occupied island. "We keep the ropes oiled, and repair the docks; all the ships tied to the ports around the larger island west of here, we built em." Yusuke was lying off the top of his head, with the only true part of his words being that the Maskanaka family did indeed build the ports for the Karagata to dock their ships.

His diguise was complete; Kazu Maskanaka, a Karagata steward of the ports. Tasked with maintaining the oiled ropes, the young man ventured into the night to stare at young ladies from rooftop. Yusuke couldn't help but let a dry cough loose as he considered the plain life of Kazu.

Yusuke turned around ever so often, checking for any movement in the tea shop. It seemed that the night was begining, and many people began to enter the teashop as the two were talking. There was even a faint sound of strumming heard from the swinging doors. Turning back to Okami, Yusuke said; "Must be an artist performing tonight." Yusuke rolled his eyes, expressing a tortured pubescent teens exasperated range of angst. As his eyes traveled around, he noticed a beautifully crafted sword

Eager as a swordsman to hear of the weapons origin, Yusuke asked, "What a lovely piece of craftsmanship you keep strapped to you, what kind of material is it?" The supposed Karagata nodded his head in rapid succession, and gave the man a big thumbs up.

[Flankingfox]

Stopping from the fruitless attempt of looking into the tea house, Okami stood back up straight while gazing downward at the young man while he started to speak. Okami wasn't the heaviest of thinkers, thus these supposed lies went over his head like a spring breeze. Already were the gears attempting to formulate a way out of this rural backwater. For all the giant knew there was a family by that surname and with a bit of persuasion he felt confident in this new route. At least better than walking aimlessly around here. In the same tone as before he calmly replied, "A Maskanaka? Never heard of that family before, but the main family does have ties all across the land and somebody would be hard-pressed to know the intricacies of every moving part. So I guess it would be safe to assume that I could find more Maskanaka west of here probably pull a favor or two. That does sound interesting... maybe another boat or at the very least passage toward a more populated locale. These people on the fringe are hardly capable of providing any sort of challenge. Actually, why are you here? Have you stalked this lady friend of yours all the way here?! An impressive gesture, but also quite feeble in nature..."

Yusuke kept turning toward the tea house, but before Okami could comment on that he was asked about the hefty blade strapped upon his back. Distracted now, Okami pulled it upward and brought it down in front of him. This large blade was also covered in a variety of vegetation from when Okami reached land. Stabbing it into the ground slightly, the giant started to clean the blade realizing now his appearance wasn't exactly fitting. This child was right, the craftmanship was fittingly perfect in comparison to anything you could find across many of the surrounding countries. If Okami was being honest, he knew not the material of the blade. For this was a weapon handed down over the years, once even belonging to the late yet infamous Karagata, Karasu. "Frankly, I have no idea. The blade belonged to my father who had served as a member of the seven swordsmen. Kraken's Fang is what they called it. There is something about it that I haven't truly tapped into, but I can feel it almost nagging at me every time I grasp the thing as if wanting something that I'm yet to understand..."

Finished now with cleaning the blade, Kraken's Fang looked very much like something out of the ordinary from another time completely. Pulling it from the earth, Okami placed it back to its resting position. That curiosity for a blade wasn't exactly surprising as many of the youth from the great village were fascinated by swordplay forever chasing the dream of becoming one of the famed seven, yet those days of swordsmen of worth had all but fallen to legend. From the ashes, there were some attempting to bring back the former glory. However, they were eclipsed by those that came before and if there were people of worth, Okami would have liked to shatter them before cleaving them in two. Nothing better than the thrill of destroying something powerful with your own two arms. Without thinking about it much, Okami asked, "Interested in swordplay then, where is your blade?"

[Rudi]

The teashop was rocking and rolling now. Yusuke figured they pulled out the sake or something, and calculated that his target was enjoying a nightlife experience. His nerves relaxed a bit, and he was able to live his life. The Kraken's Fang was beautiful, and his attention thoroughly shifted to Okami's telling of it's membership as a Mist Swordsman blade. Usually the nimble Ketsueki's sword rested on his waist, for optimum drawing potential; a blade on the back usually meant the user was capable of fantastic feats of strength. Yusuke could see a giant like Okami carving through a sea beasts hide with it, and gave him a thumbs up.

Yusuke spoke to Okami, a plot hatching in his mind; "The Masanaka live in the Isle mostly, our ties with the Karagata family on the larger island west of here could point you towards a boatsman." Hiding his accent was insuperable, and Yusuke's B sounds had a V accent to them. The teenager pulled his scarf up to his nose, self conscious of revealing his Ketsueki ways. He assumed Okami had some strong ties to Kirigakure however, holding such a weapon; and the military man bred inside the Academy began to shine.

Regarding the vampire swordsman's lack of a blade, Yusuke spoke with his thick accent."Err, last week my blade broke. We don't have a lot of money, so I'm saving up to make it big with my special style." Yusuke pretended to grab at his sheathed blade, and ducked back and forth playfully. "In fact.. I heard that this older lady I've uhh... taken a shine to." Yusuke scratched his head, unsure how to explain why he was following women at night.

"Well I hear she has a bow, which as you can tell is rare among the poor residential island. I'm hoping if I get the courage," Yusuke's lies were growing deeper, but it would seem that "Kazu" and Yusuke might have similar goals. He wondered if Okami's journey coincided with his own and continued, "She can't afford to buy arrows, so I'm hoping I can swoon her and get her to tell me where she finds the material to make arrow heads, strong enough to pierce thick shelled mud crabs that swarm the Isle of Kaiiki."

Yusuke laughed uncomfortably, catching hold of his risky idea. Considering the confinements of his Masanaka lie, Yusuke wondered if he could get some help from Okami. If the Sage Hidan could provide him with a boat to reach the greater Island Shaikki, he could assist him with a way around the sea in exchange for some protection while recovering the mysterious material the arrow heads were made of. It was still unclear where she was finding this material hard enough for arrows to pierce the chiton clad monsters of the Isle; and Yusuke was sure he might need a heavy hand after the crawfish attack on his way to Island Ichi. "If you're willing to help me find what these arrows are made out of, I'll get my... father to pull some strings and get you a boat."

The deal was offered. If Okami would travel with "Kazu" to find the material around the Isle, he would use his Hidden Ketsueki ties to find a boat the giant could maneuver around the sea. Little did Yusuke know; the arrowheads were made of black pearls that Yamir found while fishing in a cove near the forbidden prison island. To collect the material they would have to brave the chance of sea monsters attacking, and without a sturdy raft they would have to Water-Walk for quite some time.

[Flankingfox]

"Well in the grand scheme of things a blade is just a tool, the real weapon is yourself. You don't need a blade when you have your own two arms! I tell you, I've probably popped countless skulls with these bare hands. There isn't anything like that pop sound to get the blood pumping, am I right?!" Okami chuckled loudly forgetting they were supposed to be tactful in regard to the woman inside. As the giant reminisced over previous battles he heard the kid mention that this woman was not just a commoner but a fighter of some sort? That was interesting indeed, somebody with combat training here in the boonies was surely a person to inquire about. Perhaps that is the real reason the boy was here standing in the dark on a roof waiting and watching? The whole thing still sounded a bit sketchy, but kids these days were quite the opposite of when Okami grew up.

As Kazu continued speaking it became clear that the 'fancy' this child had wasn't what Okami had initially assumed. The child was looking for a weapon and using the woman to remedy his misfortune of losing his blade earlier. So the child wasn't exactly being a pervy boy, but instead, a would-be entrepreneur to improve his worth as a warrior. A worthy cause that the giant could get behind, especially now that he hadn't an actual heading or anything. Suddenly came an apparent deal, instead of going about getting a boat himself this boy would wave any sort of tedious asking in exchange for helping in finding some materials. Surely the boy recognized that something of this level was far beyond the scope of somebody like Karagata, Okami? Fortunately, without much else on the agenda, the boy was going to get quite the bargain as Okami made up his mind to help. The booming voice replied now, "Aye, sounds like a deal I can get behind."

Turning his head slightly toward the tea house, Okami glanced at it with renewed intent. In a colder tone like that of the main family, Okami asked, "She is in there right, why not just barge in a coerce her into giving us the information and then be on our way? Way easier than sitting around in the shadows like some kind of pervert. So, what say you? Shall we bust down the door and take her hostage or what?"