[Closed] Prisoner's Rights

[Ace Trainer]

The Temple of Shulsaga had been a religious site well over a thousand years ago. They had never had any need for prisoners or dungeons or anything like that, so when Indra had trekked into the Temple with the now thrice knocked-unconscious Shizuo in tow, they hadn't exactly had a place to put him. A dormitory had to be quickly evacuated, cleared, and then turned into a makeshift prisoner hold. Sakaze, who had fortunately been at the Temple, was recruited to place a [Chakra Forbid Seal] in the back of Shizuo's throat, removing his ability to manipulate chakra, a necessary step to ensure Shizuo didn't try any shenanigans.

Indra had immediately forbade anyone from entering the room. He had debated with the various leaders and elders within the rebellion of what to do with Shizuo, all of which Indra rebuked. He would not torture, he would not harm or hurt, and he would not bring himself down to the same tactics that he stood against. Indra's intention to travel more would be stunted by the subtle concern that if he left the temple he would not be able to guarantee the safety of his prisoner. That was not a nice position to be in, but Indra needed to stand true to what he believed in and as the lucent, he couldn't risk his decision being undermined by the others in the organization. He knew their feelings to be valid, they wanted justice and now it seemed Indra was in the way of that. But there were bigger things at risk here.

Kneeling at the door way, Indra would take his head to the floor as he muttered a prayer under his breath. The conversation he was about to have would not be an easy one. Indra wasn't an interrogator, he wasn't a manipulator, so trying to pull information out of his new friend would not be easy. Finally, he'd lift his head and push open the door, walking into the room.

Shizuo would still be unconscious, puppet strings suspending his arms to the ceiling, and keeping his legs tied to the ground as well. Even that looked like torture, even though Indra knew it was for his own safety. Walking up to the prisoner, Indra would tap him on the shoulder, slowly squeezing to wake him up.

"Oi oi...Shizuo-chaaan. Wake up. We made it.", he said quietly. As Shizuo would come to be, Indra would take a few steps back, holding his hands up defensively, "You're safe here. We're gonna give you 3 meals a day, paper and pen so you can write letters. You got a bed...anything you need.", he would gesture across the room towards the bed that had been set up for Shizuo. "Once you promise you won't be all crazy, I'll let you down okay?", he said gently, his voice soft as if talking to a rabid animal.

SpoilerShow

From Sakaze to take away Shizuo's jutsu

*[Augment Fuuinjutsu • Chakra Forbid Seal][/color][/b][/color][/b]
A-Rank Ninjutsu
After forming the necessary hand seals, the user will have their hand glow with five seals on each of their fingers before they make contact with their target transferring the seals. This seals off the target's tenketsu, disturbing their chakra flow and blocking it, essentially making the target incapable of utilizing their chakra for jutsu as long as the seal is on them.

From Indra to tie Shizuo up.

[Puppetry Style • In the Door of Purgatorio]
A-rank Ninjutsu
When the user has attached chakra strings to a person, they can adjust the strings in such a way that they then attach to something else, be that a wall, floor, tree, etc. The user can then disconnect the string from themselves, leaving the target bound by [Control] strength to whatever the string has been attached to. The user will need to be careful, however, as if whatever the string is attached to is weak enough, the target may be able to escape without breaking the string.

*[Puppetry Style • Perfection of Puppetry Technique]
A-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: *[Puppetry Style • Advanced Puppetry Technique]
Perfection of Puppetry is a Ninjutsu technique used by puppeteers. By releasing chakra from their tenketsu, the puppeteer is able to release chakra strings from their finger. These strings are able to move 65 meters away. This jutsu allows the puppeteer to attach their chakra strings to humans or animals arms and legs at [Control] Speed, using every part of the puppet to its max potential. In order to break out from this technique, the target must be willing to break out and have at least [Control] strength to resist the puppeteer’s control. While being controlled, the target is unable to move on their own and the puppeteer can move their arms and legs in any way.

[Kao]

Perhaps he shouldn't have surrendered. In the moment, yielding to the so-called jinchuuriki seemed like the best course of action. There were plenty of options in his jutsu arsenal, and if he'd had just even a few more seconds to strategize he may have been able to free himself of Indra's unreasonably strong mud. But he admittedly had panicked, and it was much easier to concede and play to Indra's apparent merciful side. But he regretted it the moment Indra unceremoniously choked him out.

More than once he had stirred and found himself in near pitch-black darkness. Each time had pushed through dizziness and splitting headaches and had attempted to punch his way out of what appeared to be a sturdy box. And each time he was subdued in the same manner as before.

When he stirred for a third time his breath came in shallow gasps as his eyes struggled to flutter open. His lungs seized as if remembering the sensation of being deprived of air, and his neck throbbed from the memory of being choked. His throat burned. Every breath felt like he was swallowing shrapnel and glass. Consciousness returned in pulses of pain and panic.

He blinked against the blur, barely hearing what his captor had said. The man's words caught up to Shizuo's brain, though he couldn't yet respond. His arms were sore and stiff in the constraints and his legs felt no better. There were undoubtedly fractures from his brief time buried in the mud. He tried to channel chakra, expecting the green glow of iijutsu to greet his half-closed eyes. But he felt nothing. No surge, no warmth, no sensation of power that came with manipulating chakra. When he finally opened his eyes fully, Shizuo looked up at Indra with gleaming nascent rage.

Shizuo tried to give a short response but all he could manage was a hoarse croak. So he instead nodded and dropped his chin to his chest, trying to focus on anything besides his pain. It was an impossible task. He closed his eyes and went completely limp again, his breaths shallowed and labored as he awaited whatever torture Indra had in store.

[Ace Trainer]

As Shizuo stirred, Indra would nervously shift his weight from foot to foot. What was going to happen? would he curse at Indra with rage? I mean, it wasn't like he was dead or anything, Indra had spared him, a kindness many Sunagakure shinobi had not been granted. It could certainly be a worse scenario for Shizuo. But, he recognized it probably wasn't fair to be expecting appreciation for his kindness - he was a hostage after all. The Earth Country soldier that Indra had taken hostage previously had also been pretty violent upon his awakening, but he'd been subdued into a gentler disposition. Indra expected it would not be quite as easy with Shizuo, as unfortunate as that was.

The struggle and then glare would be seen second to the storm that Indra could sense inside of Shizuo. His soul, what had been a bright day, now raged like a desert storm. Like the outpouring of the rain monsoon rains. Indra's eyes would nervously fall to the ground, not wanting to the meet the gaze of his captive out of guilt. He didn't have the stomach for this, truly. How could he? Actions like this were not considered holy, but it was an unfortunate necessity of their circumstances.

The hoarse croak would be met with a sort of panicked sympathy, Indra's eyes filled with a deep pity as he looked at Shizuo trying to figure out what to do. Without many other options, Indra would rush over to a desk, grabbing a small cup with a spout already filled with water and approaching Shizuo, "Here Shizuo-chan, drink.", he'd offer. Whether Shizuo responded or not, he'd lift the cup to Shizuo's lips, slowly lifting his chin with his free hand to pour small amounts of water into Shizuo's mouth. After a moment, he'd take a cautious step backwards, this time looking Shizuo directly in the eyes, the same intense sympathy and pity behind Indra's hazel gaze.

"I didn't have the medics evaluate you yet...", his voice was soft, "I wanted to make sure you wanted them to check you out. Seems silly but Yuumegure teaches the importance of autonomy and the self. I didn't want to make you take care if you didn't want it from us...", he'd look at the ground again before looking back up at the man before him.

[Kao]

Eyes still closed, Shizuo's browed furrowed at the way Indra addressed him. It was overly familiar. Cutesy, even. Had he been in any other situation the jounin would have said something along the lines of "Just Shizuo is fine." But as a captive of a Sunagakure rebel he wasn't in a position to make any requests. It took several long seconds to coax him to drink. It could be poison or some other trick. But eventually he parted his lips and allowed the cool water to slide down his burning throat. When there were no adverse effects, he opened his eyes. Indra would find the same anger flooding Shizuo's grey irises.

"I could do it myself," he rasped, "had you not sealed my chakra." The reminder that he was helplessly at Indra's mercy sent another surge of ire crashing through him. It was perfectly understandable and reasonable that a shinobi prisoner would have his chakra sealed. But Shizuo never thought he'd be subjected to such an indignity.

When their gazes connected, the jounin was surprised to see Indra appear so...compassionate. His face scrunched, brows and nose wrinkling while a tension in his jaw betrayed both puzzlement and discomfort. 'What's with this guy?' Even back in the desert, Indra had shown some reluctance in their clash. It was strange behavior for a self-proclaimed jinchuuriki rebellion leader. The two stared at each other for a while before Shizuo mustered the energy to continue speaking. "Can you let me down?"

[Ace Trainer]

The prisoner finally relented, drinking the water that Indra offered and bringing at least a small amount of relief to him for his injuries. This didn't seem to quell his anger though, and as Indra backed off he could still feel the thundering anger resonating from Shizuo. He knew his hostage had no reason to trust him, so the anger made sense, but it did only make Indra feel more guilty. That was further reinforced when he made the comment about the chakra. Indra would give a sort of shrug, as if he was surrendering to something beyond his control even if it had been entirely his decision, "You understand why...", his voice trailed off, he didn't want to argue, they would be clashing plenty over the coming days, there was no need to find other things to argue about.

"Yeah.", he said quickly. He'd lift a hand, chakra strings coming from his fingers and connecting to the ones attached to Shizuo, before causing them to release. The tension would slowly decrease, giving Shizuo plenty of time to brace himself and catch his balance so he wouldn't fall directly to the ground. It was a subtle kindness, but one Indra was intentional to provide. No need to cause more harm.

Taking a few steps back, Indra would find a desk behind him and sit on it, pulling his legs up and crossing them under him, placing his hands on his knees and spreading into a wide smile, "Sorry about that, I'm just doing my due diligence, I'm sure you understand. So, like I said, we'll make sure you have 3 meals a day, you'll get pen and ink to write letters if you need to. Anything you want or need, I'll make sure you get.", he paused, "Within reason, of course.", he'd smirk, not wanting to leave any loopholes in his agreement.

"So since you're here, I guess I'll start over a little. My name is Gekko, Indra. I am officially a Chuunin of Sunagakure, though I suppose I am technically an S-rank Missing Ninja now. I'm not sure anyone left in Suna even knows I existed. I am informally the leader of the Hokori, which is the name we have given to the rebellion. And I am the 118th Jinchuuriki for the Soul Genma.", he'd smile, patting his legs rhythmically. "Your turn.", he said with a small gesture forward.

[Kao]

Shizuo groaned as the tension of his restraints slowly released. His shoulders ached with a deep, miserable throb, and his shins felt as if they would splinter as his weight shifted to legs. He managed to stand for only a few moments before he crumpled to the ground. He tried to fall slowly, as if the movement was deliberate and of his own accord. But even that was too much effort. Even more of his already eroded dignity left him.

In a sudden burst of panic, his hand shot up to his neck. Fear left as quickly as it had come when his fingers found the familiar beaded necklace. His fingernail scraped against the dried mud as Indra began chattering. The wakizashi normally kept at his waist was gone along with his weaponry pouches. Envy, however, was safely back around his neck. It always naturally returned to him like a beast to its handler and he was glad Indra hadn't taken it. Anger still churning behind his eyes, he wondered if it had been intentional or if Indra simply didn't make the connection between the swarm and the necklace. The latter somehow seemed unlikely.

"S-ranked, huh?" That explained a few things. Indra's confidence, for one. But it didn't provide any insight on why the man was so well-mannered. Shizuo leaned his head against the wall and slowly stretched his legs in front of him. Might as well get a little comfortable while he had the chance. "You already know who I am. So just ask me what you want to know." He tried to keep his tone subdued for now. After all, Indra hadn't started torturing him yet, and he preferred to keep it that way.

[Ace Trainer]

There was a deep sympathy in his eyes as Indra watched Shizuo adjust out of his restraints, he truly did feel bad about this. The panic reverberated off of Shizuo's soul like thunder in the storm, but before Indra could come forward to attempt to calm the panic it left. Whatever had caused it, it seemed the man had tempered his own fears. He could see as Shizuo assessed himself and realized he'd be stripped of his weapons and belongings save the clothes on him. 'Simply procedure.', Indra thought to himself. If Shizuo got too defensive, Indra would be able to just exorcise him, so it wasn't too much of a cause for concern. The man's beat up state didn't make him much of a threat, especially without the use of chakra.

"Well I can only assume.", he shrugged casually, "I think once Iwagakure sorts out who I am, I'll be an S-rank missing ninja. I'm certainly the strongest shinobi in the rebellion.", he stuck his tongue out teasingly, "Sakaze might disagree but...well, she doesn't get to see everything I can do either.", it was clear he was trying to be reassuring, his laissez-faire attitude and casual speech offering little to impose of Shizuo or threaten him.

"Ah man come on.", he practically whined as Shizuo refused to offer up any information about himself, "All I know you about you is whats written in the bingo book. Look, look.", Indra would rife around the desk draw before pulling out what Shizuo would recognize as one of the tightly bound bingo books often carried by shinobi. Flipping through the pages, he'd stop on one and roll his eyes, "Look, you see what it says about me in there? Five foot six inches! A hundred and three pounds, and all I've done is failed a chuunin exam. Its not exactly accurate. Whats it say about you?", he'd flip through the pages again before holding the book out at arms length as if trying to focus his eye, a ridiculous pantomime. "Says you were in Soul Country, you were in Sunagakure, 26 years old. Is that right?".

He tucked the book away, leaning on one of his hands and looking at Shizuo, a pout on his face but his eyes staring deeply at Shizuo, "Come on, you gonna let that book define you? Gotta be more to you than that.", he insisted.

[Kao]

His eyes narrowed when Indra described himself as the strongest member of the rebellion and mentioned some Sazake. Frankly, Shizuo didn't care about their rebellion. Whenever the inevitable clash happened, he was sure that the resistance would be crushed. If they somehow managed to regain control of the village, it didn't change much. Sunagakure's secrets were now theirs. As far as Shizuo was concerned, Suna could burn to the ground or be swallowed up by its own sand and he wouldn't blink an eye. So long as his own village was safe, he was content.

Shizuo looked his captor up and down. Indra's bingo book info was definitely out of date. The jounin's dry, cracking lips parted so that he could take in a deep breath and then slowly release it in an attempt to manage his exasperation. "Twenty-eight." Give or take. "I don't know what you want me to say. I'm a medic. I do tenkujutsu research. I don't particularly enjoy fighting."

He gingerly rubbed his throat, being careful to not press the bruised skin too hard. "I bruise easily." After a poignant pause he continued, "Look, I don't like talking about myself and interrogations go better if you ask specific questions." Indra obviously wasn't very good at this, and Shizuo had no intentions of making the overly casual interrogation easy for him.

[Ace Trainer]

There was one good thing about all this, Indra didn't need to be careful with what information he let out. So long as Shizuo was here, there wasn't much concern about information leaking, which saved Indra the stress of trying to be delicate and purposeful without saying too much. Keeping his mouth shut was definitely not a strong suit of his. 28 years old, "Wow.", Indra mouthed as Shizuo explained a little about himself, "Ah, well sorry I had to drag you into this then, you know. Kind of serendipity? So, that bums me out.", he let out a heavy and clearly disappointed sigh. "I'm sorry you can't heal yourself too. I can get a medic to come in if you want...", his voice trailed off as his eyes fell to the ground again.

But he would quickly look up when Shizuo mentioned an interrogation. Rather dramatically his eyebrows would come together, and he would blink slowly as his tilted his head, obviously confused. "Interrogation?", he repeated, pushing himself off of the desk and onto his feet. "This isn't an interrogation.", he insisted. "You just got hit pretty hard, and then dragged a few hundred kilometers through the desert to be here. I was just checking in to make sure you were okay. I'm not planning on interrogating you. No one is.", he took a cautious step forward at Shizuo, reaching for a large kettle of water and moving it forward on the desk it was on towards Shizuo, clearly indicating for him to take it if he wanted.

Moving backwards again, Indra looked at him with a sort of quizzical confusion, "I told you, I'm the host of the Soul Genma....I don't need to interrogate you. I mean, if you want to tell me stuff you can. But, once you've settled in and recovered a little I'm just going to read your soul...", Indra didn't need to interrogate Shizuo. When the time came he'd just rife around in the depths of Shizuo's soul and search for whatever secrets and information the rebellion needed. The capturing of Shizuo wasn't about information, it was about taking a piece off of the board. The information was just a bonus to benefit them in the long run and make their own moves easier. "You don't really know anything about the soul genma huh? I guess if you don't like talking about yourself, maybe I can answer questions you have?", he offered.

[Kao]

A shock of surprise lit up Shizuo's eyes, and it quickly melded with the beginnings of sullen resignation. If he wasn't there to be interrogated, then the rebels must just want to make an example of him. Maybe send his pretty head back to Iwa as a warning. He closed his eyes, trying not to imagine the confusion that would surround his sudden execution. The thought barely had time to marinate when Indra mentioned he was checking in. 'Checking in? After choking me out three times? Yeah right.' Shizuo practically radiated distrust as the other man began to yet again claimed he was the Soul host.

"Wait, what?" His brows furrowed, head jerking back as if Indra's words had physically hit him and then apologized with a gentle caress. "Read my soul? What do you mean? How-" He stopped, a memory returning. "Oh. No, I'm still inclined to not believe you about being a jinchuuriki. Tenkujutsu didn't work on you. You being a jinchuuriki who's immune to tenkujutsu is improbable." But not impossible. Still, he hesitated to believe it without any evidence.

There was a long pause while Shizuo considered the situation. Eventually he decided it couldn't hurt to ask questions, especially if they were likely going to kill him. "Fine." Despite the touch of exasperation in his tone, excitement bloomed within him. "How was your sealing? How did your body respond to the sealing? Any pain, nightmares, fevers, migraines? How often does the genma speak to you? What is its personality like? " When his throat dried and his voice became hoarse, he stopped to drink several gulps of water. ”Why doesn't tenkujutsu work on you?

[Ace Trainer]

Immediately there was excitement in Indra's eyes as Shizuo seemed to let up a little, his face spreading into a wide smile as Shizuo asked began asking questions, only to stop himself and push back on the entire notion again. This was much more entertaining. "What?! Come on man.", he said with a laugh, leaning again against the desk. He would take a long braid of his hair, fidgeting with it as he seemed to ponder what to say next. Finally, Shizuo would come out with a few more questions. Slowly the feeling resonating off of Shizuo's soul was less like a thunderstorm and instead felt like the first rays of sun breaking through the heavy black clouds. "Really caught up on that part huh.", he said with a nervous laugh.

"Alright, alright.", he would stand up straight and drop the cloak on his shoulders, revealing the simple clothes he wore under it. Large, flowy black pants and a simple tank top. His face would flush red as he lifted his shirt up, looking off to the side careful not to make eye contact with Shizuo as he exposed his stomach to his captive. There was no reason to be embarrassed but Indra didn't regularly show this to people and...well it was kind of embarrassing! With his free hand he would charge a small amount of chakra and touch his stomach, his black hair melting to the white color Shizuo had seen previously as his jewelry began to glow behind his lifted shirt.

Then it would show itself to Shizuo. An intricate seal that spread across Indra's entire stomach. Starting at his belly button and spreading out into small symbols and shapes, tightly woven upon itself, easily recognizable as the jinchuuriki creation seal Shizuo would surely be familiar with. Overlaid upon it, Shizuo would be able to see another, completely foreign seal. The Exorcism one reflecting the Exorcism that Indra had conducted on himself.

Suddenly, he'd drop his shirt and look at the ground sheepishly, his face still bright red. His hair would slowly fade back to black as the glowing on his jewelry stopped. "See.", he said, "I'm the real deal. My sealing wasn't great, but I took to it well. The after effects was...", he paused sort of uncomfortably, "The Soul Genma isn't really like the others.", he muttered. Suddenly he would look up at Shizuo and smile widely again, hopping back up on the desk and swinging his feet, "And Tenkujutsu doesn't work because I am blessed by the Sun.", he slowly said the words, as if mocking Shizuo for asking a question he'd clearly already answered, "I'm telling you, thats all there is to it Shizuo-chan."

[Kao]

One brow raised in curiosity as Indra made a show of standing and shedding his cloak. Initially, Shizuo's lips were in a tight line, the corners slightly downturned. He held back a scoff, doing his best to be reel in his skepticism and humor his captor. For a second he wondered if Indra had inked a fake seal somewhere on his skin to keep up the ruse. He could have easily done so while Shizuo was unconscious. Even as Indra began to glow, the jounin didn't react and maintained his borderline disdainful expression.

That changed when a familiar seal blossomed on Indra's belly. There was no mistaking it: it was the seal of a jinchuuriki, and the intricate lines were identical to the seal of every genma host he had ever encountered. The second seal was wholly unfamiliar to him, but its placement clearly indicated that it was some sort of enhancement. Shizuo's lips parted in awe, a visual indication of his thoughts: Well, shit. He dragged himself forward on the floor as quickly as he could, ignoring the pain and cramping of his legs and stopping when he was only about two feet in front of Indra.

He traced the lines of the seals with his eyes, focusing on the one unfamiliar to him. It wasn't something he could fully understand by just looking at it. He needed to examine it with his own chakra. Study it. Test it. Without warning Indra dropped his shirt, leaving Shizuo blinking as if coming out of a trance. He belatedly noticed he had unconsciously raised his hand, palm out, ready to place it on the seal. But of course, nothing would have happened.

Shizuo closed his eyes for a moment, allowing despondent realization to settle in. Indra wasn't lying. A major development related to his life's work was sitting right in front of him and Shizuo couldn't do anything to analyze it. Not only that, but Indra was still attributing his tenkujutsu immunity to religion of all things, and now he had to actually acknowledge the Sun. It was a nightmare.

"Fantastic, you're actually a jinchuuriki," He lamented as he lowered his hand. "What do you mean it's not like the others?" He really didn't want to know about the Sun. "This isn't fair, you know. If you and your people aren't planning to interrogate me then why did you lure me here? Don't answer that. Can I at least live long enough to study you and Soul and take some notes?"

[Ace Trainer]

When he dropped his shirt, he was surprised to see how close Shizuo was. For a moment he'd feel defensive, but he'd quickly get his wits back about him. Shizuo didn't have access to his chakra and without it he wasn't exactly imposing. More questions would follow, and Indra couldn't help but smile at his new friend coming out of his shell ever so slightly to test the waters. It was evident Shizuo was a bit of a nerd when it came to these things? The mild excitement, the continuous questions, it was good to see. But it was also clear he was concerned about his eventual destiny.

Indra would hold a hand to his chin, looking up at the ceiling thoughtfully as if trying to process Shizuo's question. It was a bit theatric, but he was trying to appreciate the moment. Finally, he would pull his hand away with some sort of finality and then shake his head, "Well hopefully you live long enough to have like 3 kids and a wife that loves you and retirement so you have some years to relax.", he shrugged, "Thats what lots of people want at least. My dad used to always say stuff like that.", he would look down at Shizuo, staring him directly into the eyes, a sudden seriousness coming over him. "You are not going to die here, Komiya, Shizuo.", his voice was gentle but firm, almost as if he was making a promise. Perhaps he was, he wasn't even sure. Shizuo was, for all intents, a test run. Sakaze had made her stance clear, 'Kill the dogs', he could practically hear her saying it. But Indra had also made his stance clear, and he had said - no, he had decreed that they wouldn't harm prisoners. If he kept his promise to Shizuo, it would mean he could feel confident bringing others into their grasp as well.

"But! I don't know about this studying me. Is this how you treat your jinchuuriki in Iwa? I can't imagine they like feeling like lab rats.", he said indignantly, the tone of the conversation suddenly shifting back to the lighthearted and chipper way Indra had been attempting to force it to take. "I know Sunagakure kind of keeps a lot of what it does under wraps, so I guess you don't know a whole lot about the Soul Genma. Hmmmm. Hmmm. Well, you're like an expert right? So you know the Soul Genma was the first Genma to be defeated in Wind Country alllllllll those years ago. Or at least, thats what Suna's archivists say. Well. I guess he holds grudges cause he's still not a happy camper.", he crossed his arms, squeezing his chin again.

"Like I said, I'm the 118th Host of the Soul Genma. The Heaven Genma is in like it's 50s or something, I think? Maybe even less? My predecessors have not tended towards longevity. So, its a bit different for jinchuuriki like me.", it was a bit of a round about answer, and Shizuo would probably see through that, but Indra was not going to get into the finer details about how the Soul Genma had tortured him over the years, and the ways it manipulated him.

"Do you want papers so you can take notes?", he suddenly asked. What an accommodating host.

[Kao]

Indra's words hit like a bucket of ice. He could count on one hand how many serious relationships he'd ever had, so the thought of settling down seemed a bit foreign. Shizuo had only ever considered the possibility exactly once, and he'd never even had the opportunity to even begin to explore it. The Life Genma took that chance away from him.

The jounin's expression became more solemn when Indra ensured him that he would survive this ordeal. His knee-jerk reaction was to scoff, but his captor's sincerity stifled the sound and made it condense into a lump in his throat. He didn't dare to allow hope to bud within him. But despite himself, trust had already taken root somewhere behind his guarded defenses.

The somber atmosphere shifted suddenly, and Shizuo found himself blinking rapidly as he mentally adjusted to the topic change. "I don't think they mind being studied since I'm trying to extend their life expectancy. It's not like I'm hurting them." Not on purpose. Accidents happened, after all. He listened as Indra offered up more information, some of which he already knew. Many historians debated which genma was the first to be subjugated, but he didn't think that mattered for this conversation.

"Paper would be nice." Shizuo tried not to think about the possibility that no one in his camp would ever read his notes. He tried not to think about his potentially fast-approaching death. Indra might like to spare him, but as the 'breaker of walls and chains,' the other rebels might object and try to overrule him. That type of insubordination wouldn't be acceptable in Iwagakure's ranks, but he had no idea how Sunagakure rebels with nothing to lose would think about being merciful. He quietly wondered how Indra would respond to dissent.

Once he had paper in hand, Shizuo would begin to sketch. He drew the second seal from memory, glancing up at Indra expectantly. "What do you mean he holds grudges? What does he say?" He flipped to a new page, writing Day 1 at the top. "You've had the Soul genma for a while then? The hair color change thing. That's not from the genma, is it? Your hair did that when you were kidnapping me and, as far as I know, you were just using puppetry and mud style." He jotted down notes as he spoke, writing down what he remembered from their encounter. "So is that a Sun thing or a you thing?"

He paused thoughtfully and added, "What is there to eat?"

[Ace Trainer]

The request with paper was met with a smile, and Indra would lean forward, pulling open one of the drawers his legs currently hung over and rifling through it before pulling out a small leather bound notebook and a couple of pencils handing them over to Shizuo and watching with a soft smile as Shizuo began to take notes and draw pictures. It was a shame, really, because none of it mattered. Shizuo wouldn't die here - probably - but he would not remember any of it anyways. Just as much as he would eventually rife through Shizuo's memories like he just had in the drawer, he'd take them all away at some point too. Which meant the notes would offer no merit or benefit.

He laughed lightly, when asked about his hair, and would sweep the long loose strands back over his shoulders, running both hands through his long, raven locks. "Eat? Well.", he looked towards the door, "I can get you food. Its getting late so maybe after you're done with your questions, I can go get you food and then leave you be for the night? I can't imagine you had restful sleep while you were out", he offered sheepishly. "Most followers of Yuumegure are vegetarians. Believe it or not a vegetarian lifestyle is easier to maintain in a desert. So I hope you don't mind vegetarian food. There is occasionally eggs and stuff...but, we're going to be sharing all the same food. For now, anything I eat, you eat.", he didn't offer an explanation for why, but it seemed obvious - as ominous as that was.

"Anyways, uhm. Yeah, its all the Sun. All the power I use is either mine, or gifted to me by The Sun. When I use Her gift, I radiate Her Light. Its as real as it gets.", Indra had lived in Sunagakure his entire life, so it was rare to run into a nonbeliever, though they weren't uncommon in the village, they didn't make a point of making it known. Yuumegure was still widespread throughout Wind, but it wasn't as common, and the past 5 years had been a baptism for Indra as he had learned how often people doubted a higher power, even when it provided for them every day. Shizuo's doubt was no different or no more surprising then, especially as a foreigner. "You study ancient creatures of unbelievably deep and primordial power, but question a higher being?", he said, a sincere smile on his face.

"What are the hosts in Iwagakure like?", he said, "Long lived and compliant, I take it.". It was obvious Indra was not going to answer Shizuo's questions about the Soul Genma specifically, and while it may have seemed like Indra was being withholding, it was much more the truth that it was simply a topic he did not want to visit on. It had been almost 5 years since the Genma had creeped into the back of his mind. When he sealed it deeper within himself and cut off the ties, it did not go out with rage or fury, but silence. That was good enough.

[Kao]

Shizuo lifted his shoulder dismissively, uninterested in the details of what kind of food these rebels preferred. As long as it was edible and not poisoned, he cared little about what they put in front of him. What he did care about, however, was Indra's explanation about his abilities. Once again, they were on the subject of the Sun and exasperation rolled around his mind.

"Well, yes. Just about everything supernatural or superhuman has a chakra-based explanation. Whether it's a spirit or a person's own ability, it always comes back to chakra and its origins. Your Sun may or may not be real. But I've found divinity is never divine." His tone was matter of fact, with nearly no room for debate. Shizuo was a man of reason, not faith. Even when faced with apparent evidence of the Sun's existence, he refused to believe it was something other than chakra of some sort.

When the topic changed to Iwagakure's jinchuuriki, Shizuo's lips pursed. "They're fine. You'd probably like them. Jinchuuriki for the genma tend to get along despite their respective villages' actions and politics." He didn't want to say more. They were young and inexperienced, and protecting them was a top priority. "Don't worry about them. They're not part of any of this."

It was becoming clear that Indra was not in the mind to tell him anything about the Soul genma. It was more than frustrating. He doodled on his paper, the lines coming together to make an angry face with deeply furrowed brows. "You're not giving me anything interesting to take notes on. And you're being very stingy with your genma. I take it you don't have the best relationship with it?" He didn't expect a straightforward answer, so he focused on Indra's comment about longevity. "That's a big difference in number of hosts. A hundred eighteen versus fifty-something? Soul hosts must not live very long. Is it a compatibility issue, you think?"

[Ace Trainer]

Indra had a natural inclination towards making friends, he was an extrovert through and through. Most of his life, making friends and getting along with people came naturally, even people that he differed from greatly he tended to be able to build relationships with. So even if it had been a short interaction so far, Shizuo's bristly and resistant demeanor felt a little personal. Of course it was, Indra had just tricked, trapped and and kidnapped the man, but it still turned him off. Nonetheless, as Shizuo pushed back on the divinity within Indra's belief system a small smile would creep, "And who is to say chakra is not divine? Look at what it is capable of.", he spread his arms wide, perhaps intending to be gesturing to himself, the two of them, the temple they were in, or the entire world. "There is a Light in all of us.", he winked.

Regardless, he was sure he would get along with Iwagakure's jinchuuriki. He'd only ever met the Heaven host, Ashura. He hadn't forgotten that they would need to broach that topic eventually but, how much did it really matter? At some point or another, Indra would just pluck the memories out of Shizuo's soul and read them all himself, Shizuo's own feelings about it be damned.

"So they've met a lot of other hosts? From other countries? Have you too?", his voice sped up slightly, clearly excited about it, "What are the hosts at the other village lik - yeah, I guess you're right.", he'd stop himself, tempering his excitement as he resigned to the rather accurate evaluation of Indra's resistance to share. "Look, its nothing personal okay.", he said, looking away, his face flushing lightly in a mix of embarrassment and frustration. "I'm not trying to run you in circles or nothing, y'know. Its like...", he paused thoughtfully, "You understand how the genma and jinchuuriki are related, so right, like our chakras are intertwined, they get access to our minds and experience the world through us. We're their jailer, for all intents, right? Imagine if instead of a jail cell, the jailer simply had to drag a man in shackles through his every day life. He sits at dinner with the jailer's family, goes to work every morning, to temple each afternoon, sleeps in the bed next to you. Eventually, surely, some jailers and prisoners would be become friends, perhaps even sympathetic to their separate struggles. But surely some of the prisoners would just do whatever they could to make the jailers life harder. The sentence for the prisoner would become a sentence for the jailer as well..."

His voice had become mournful, more serious in a way that signified this was a great burden on Indra's heart, "And imagine, everywhere the jailer goes people respond one of two ways. Either they praise the jailer every day for the hard work he's doing, how important he is, how lucky he is to be bound to his prisoner this way, completely oblivious to the things the prisoner can do when they're alone. Or they flee and hide because of the prisoner. The jailer loses who he is, his value becomes tied to the prisoner shackled to him.", he let out a light sigh, "You probably wouldn't want to talk about the things your prisoner does either.".

It was a bit of an answer to both questions, even if it wasn't directly an answer to either. "Sunagakure is a risk averse village by nature. When Soul Hosts show signs of instability, it is easier to find a new host than to try and remediate a problem that seems inevitable.", he said with a pained laugh, "I'm not like other hosts."

[Kao]

Shizuo nearly rolled his eyes. He couldn’t help it, not when so much potential knowledge was just beyond his reach. It was as if his fingertips were able to just barely brush against a veil, behind which held the treasure trove of his wildest dreams. But this Sun, this light obscured everything in front of him. His expression didn’t change when Indra’s excitement surged, maintaining a healthy dose of reservation and frustration as the jinchuuriki wrestled with his existence.

When Indra finally finished his musings, Shizuo gave a deep, weary sigh. “That was a very long winded and roundabout way for you to say you don’t really want to talk about your genma in detail.” The jounin dropped his pen and then folded his arms over his chest. “Fine, be that way I guess. But I will say this: I’m probably one of the few people who would actually understand your plight. Your frustrations and fears. I’ve seen several young jinchuuriki struggle with their power and what it means in the greater scheme of things. I will say, though, if you shoulder it all on your own, it will consume you eventually. Maybe your Sun and your Light will prolong the inevitable, but…it’s just what you’ve said. Inevitable.”

Shizuo stretched his legs and visibly grimaced at the pain. If he didn’t get mended soon, the recovery would be worse down the line. But he was loath to allow some Suna rebel - besides Indra, he supposed - come anywhere near him with chakra. “I’m not saying this because I’m trying to get information on your genma.” His lips twisted for a moment as he contemplated his own words. “Well. That’s not the only reason I say it. It’s generally better for everyone that jinchuuriki don’t navigate their predicament alone.”

He sighed again, resigning himself even more to his own predicament. “Well, if you’re not going to answer my questions and you’re not here to interrogate me, then I guess l’ll take that medical assistance now. Then maybe you or someone else can tell me what the plan for me is.”

[Ace Trainer]

"Maybe it was.", he stuck his tongue out, his eyes smiling with is lips, revealing the genuine enjoyment he was having in talking to Shizuo. In truth, every interaction he had with people in the temple had a gentle underpinning of the priest and parishioner power dynamic. There were plenty of 'non-believers' in the Temple of Shulsaga, but they still treated him like some sort of elevated being, someone just barely out of reach of them. He didn't like it. He was just a boy in his mind still, the scared chuunin forced to hide in the underground during the war., yet they saw him as a savior. Shizuo was different, they were two guys just chatting. Of course, there was a layer of Shizuo wanting to experiment on Indra, and Indra wanting to dig his fingers into Shizuo's soul and poke through his memory...but those were just details.

He sighed thoughtfully as Shizuo's offer, "I'll keep that in mind.", he said wistfully. He didn't mind the idea of being able to talk to someone honestly like this - the problem was that if he was too honest with Shizuo he ran the risk of Shizuo goading him in the right ways to give the soul genma some power.

Pushing off of the desk, he crouched down to be eye level with Shizuo, "Its late, I'll go grab food. I'll have a medic come in and treat you. They're gonna do it the old fashioned way - no chakra so you don't have to be suspicious. Any materials they use, they'll show you, if you don't trust it, they'll pass on it. That sound fair?", he smiled sincerely again. Indra had promised no harm would come to Shizuo, he intended to keep that promise. "I'll go grab food and come back with her, sounds like a plan?", he extended a hand, a chakra string launching from his hand and attached to the wall behind Shizuo then disconnecting itself and as it pinned to Shizuo's back. "A little bit shorter than the door way....just for security.", he gave a sort of sympathetic half smile, standing up and walking towards the door. He'd give Shizuo a moment alone before returning.

[Kao]

Shizuo nodded, silent as Indra looked him directly in the eyes and made promises that his lackeys would apparently keep. He stayed seated and his grey eyes followed Indra's extended hand. Of course, despite the attempt to plant a seed of trust within Shizuo, Indra decided in the end to keep him on a leash. It was understandable. A good idea, even. But the string attached to his back was the perfect metaphor for the nascent relationship between them.

There was only so much trust that one could afford the other. Shizuo was an enemy of the natives of this land. He had a hand in subjugating Wind and Sand, had been present when the village's walls crumbled. It was an act of self-preservation to not take Indra fully at his word. Sure, he hadn't made threats on Shizuo's life nor had he indicated that any form of torture would follow their brief meeting. But despite Indra's kindness, he was still Shizuo's captor. He still had people to protect from breakers - invaders - like Shizuo. The trust they shared could only extend so far - exactly like the puppet string on the jounin's back.

He seethed. Shizuo wanted out. He wanted information. He wanted what he couldn't have and it set his teeth on edge. His mind and soul churning, he managed to climb onto the bed and lay on his side, facing the door that was maddeningly just out of reach. The jounin would bide his time by embracing patience and his temporary status as prisoner. After all, he had no plans to leave without getting what he wanted, and what he wanted could only come from one person.

Gekko Indra.