Reunion, such as it is

[TyDie]

All of his hunches and leads had yet to pan out... the world truly had forgotten him in the past years it seemed. His information network was in shambles, not worth the Ryo he had paid them in the past. Many were dead or imprisoned, and those that still walked free were beyond his ability to locate for the time being. His organization was to the wind, with the few loyalists like Ichiro not able to provide much as of yet. No, that wasn't fair... he had helped Kenji gather the current state of the world, but the burning question that had been in Kenji's mind since he walked the earth again was still unanswered. Not Ichiro, not Katsu, not anyone had been able to answer him...

Where. Is. Suzume?

Silence, in regards to that question, was his only response. Perhaps an "I don't know" or "No one knows". Nothing helpful, not even a trail to follow. On the one hand he was frustrated that his daughter was so hard to locate, but on the other, there was a sense of pride. Perhaps, in his death, she had finally taken to heart all of this talks of secrecy and caution. Perhaps she had learned his lessons after all, and covered her tracks so well that she had practically disappeared from this world. Or... perhaps she didn't, and no one knew where her corpse was. This was the worst case scenario, but entirely plausible... Kenji preferred not to consider it.

But then, a glimmer... though it was more of an insult then a trail. Apparently, someone was passing through one of the many villages of Waterfall country. But it wasn't Suzume the people were clamoring about... It was Kenji.

Apparently, Hiraku Kenji was walking amongst the people of Waterfall Country.

Impersonating his image, utilizing his reputation for their own gain... These slights would not stand. Even in his weakened state, this imposter would pay the ultimate price... And so, the child-like shell that Kenji inhabited made his way through the streets, kept his ear to the ground, and located the foul mimic in a back alley in one of the more populated villages of Waterfall Country. Whoever this was, they knew secrecy, and local thugs were already bowing to their rule... The gall of such a person, to use the name "The Thing That Should Not Be" for themselves...

The young child was quick to eviscerate the thug guarding the door to the small hideout, ripping flesh and bone in an instant with his various tendrils, wordlessly making his way through the door and leaving a pool of viscera behind him. As he barged in the door, a few more brigands attempted to halt his forward motion - in vain, of course. They too were impaled and ripped asunder, though the commotion would likely get back to the imposter taking Kenji's name for their own. As he rounded a corner to the proverbial throne room of the hideout, he would look for the usurper, calling out for them to answer his challenge.

"...Who dares to take my name for themselves?" His raspy, threatening voice would echo through the chamber for any and all within to hear it.

[Willoria]

In the back corner was a rather simple chair and a table set up. The place might've been a hideout, but it was set up like an inn or a bar. Yet the one table was different if only because there were only two chairs in total. One char was in the back corner, and in it was the form of what appeared to be Kenji in his full strength. The other chair was across the table from him, and it sat empty. Though the form was Kenji, of course it was actually Suzume beneath the surface. She raised her head and turned to see the strange child who stormed in and spoke. Since her meeting with Kotaru she had managed to come back into Waterfall country and garner a few around her by using Kenji's form to her advantage. In such a place, the form was enough, along with a couple of example killings of course. Most of the men around her, maybe half a dozen in total, were mercenaries or samurai. Though off in another corner was a rather beautiful blonde woman in nothing but crimson clothing.

Suzume under the guise of Kenji still, eyed the child. "...your name? Strange claim, child..." She kept her own tones lower than usual, taking advantage of the tendrils to vibrate her own voicebox to try and cover the feminine tones. It wouldn't sound exactly like Kenji, but at the least it wouldn't sound so much like her for the moment. She raised an eyebrow as she lifted a hand and the flesh peeled back, three or four tendrils wriggling into view as men moved to leave the path between her and the boy clear. "Even a child should know better manners..."

The woman in crimson got up from her seat in the corner, stepping out for a better view of what was transpiring in the room.

Jutsu UsedShow

[The Thing that Should Not Be]
D-Rank Ninjutsu
After channeling chakra through her body, Suzume is able to use this more specialized form of the Transformation Technique to change her appearance to match her late father's form, Hiraku Kenji. This transformation being more reliable than the original Transformation technique, requiring a much more keen eye to see through this disguise. However, this form is insubstantial, and a single attack will dispel the disguise. Lasts for an amount of posts equal to Suzume's (Chakra Pool/2).

[TyDie]

The young child-like form scanned the room, studying the various people with their weapons drawn and ready to strike. But instead, the imposter would make their first act, extending a hand towards Kenji as the flesh peeled back and revealed small tendrils, not unlike his own. Whoever this was, they were good... But if they thought to intimidate Kenji with his own power, they were sorely mistaken. "Do not mistake me for a child, imposter. It will be the last mistake you ever make." His tone was even and calm, yet even as a child, that air of authority and fear flowed out from his form just as always. A black vignette of chakra began to coalesce around him as tendrils of his own emerged from underneath his robe, in greater number and with thicker composition then the false Kenji's. Even if this person somehow unlocked the secrets of Kenji's Jiongu technique, he would never master it's power to the extent that the true Kenji had.

"Your delusions of granduer end here, as does your assumption of my reputation. But before I eviscerate what's left of your little posse here, indulge me... Who are you really? This is no mere transformation jutsu, those tendrils are true Jiongu manifestations. Were you one of those who pilfered my realm? Did you truly think to follow in my footsteps and usurp my power for yourself? I must say, that you were able to decipher my findings and recreate the technique, however flawed, is nothing short of a miracle. However..." His tendrils, which had been waving around listlessly in the air, quickly narrowed on the various henchmen in the room, poised to strike like a snake.

"...Do not mistake my surprise for acceptance. You now bear secrets that could lead to my own undoing. In addition to your slander of my good name, this is something I can't abide. Surely you understood all of this when you assumed my name and reputation... Now you pay the price." His tone grew colder towards the end, and one of the men got jumpy as he finished speaking, rushing Kenji without the others behind him. In a flash of motion, one of his tendrils shot towards him with blinding speed, wrapped around his throat, and quickly snapped the man's neck, dropping the lifeless corpse to the ground just as quickly as they had rushed towards him.

"...Who's next on the chopping block?"

JutsuShow

[Reach of Yog-Sothoth]
B Rank Ninjutsu
Through the power of his corrupted form, Kenji's body is capable of manifesting tendrils from his form at a moment's notice. This technique requires a permanent -5 chakra pool from his stats, but allows Kenji to manifest up to six tendrils of corrupt chakra from his body at any time, reaching up to a range of 60 meters and acting with [Control] speed and strength. Should a tendril be cut or damaged, Kenji must cast this jutsu to recreate the damaged tendrils.

[Willoria]

Suzume-Kenji did not move, but instead watched what transpired through narrowed eyes. She did not interrupt, even as one of her men was killed but watched the child before her as he not only spoke clearly in Kenji's voice and with his mannerisms but used his abilities without difficulty. When he seemed done and waiting for a response, and as her men seemed about to make a move she suddenly barked out an order in that deeper tenor of a voice. "OUT!" They all froze in place and turned to look at her and though none actually spoke a word to question her, their body language did it alone. Suzume-Kenji stood swiftly from the chair and stepped around the table. Rina moved quickly to her side without a word, facing her as the pair seemed to exchange whispers for a brief second.

It was Rina who turned to them now. "You heard him. Out. Now." Rina's voice, the woman in crimson, was like silk gliding on a cloud. Though quiet and soothing, it carried a deadly command all of its own and the man suddenly turned for a back door and left in a near silent and single file line. Rina herself remained, standing only a foot away from Suzume-Kenji.

Black chakra wafted around Suzume's feet as she grinned at the child before her and chakra channeled through her body. "How strange to hear your voice from a child." she commented, not bothering to alter her voice now as she not only let the transformation fall but was careful to make sure another rose flawlessly in its place for a moment. A moment later she no longer stood before him in Kenji's old form, but in her own as he would have once remembered her. Her takegasa hat rang quietly with its little bells as she smiled at him. "Someone had to keep you alive somehow... rumors can only do so much for so long after all." she told him, sighing quietly. "And I pilfered nothing. Hiraku lives forever does it not? Even when some of us didn't want it to... or stumble upon certain secrets by mistake..." Her words turned sad, and if she could have formed tears she might've as she let the second transformation fall in another swirl of black chakra.

And now Suzume stood before her now child-like father in her true form, bearing all the signs of the Earth Grudge Fear herself.

Jutsu UsedShow

[Personalized Transformation]
D-Rank Ninjutsu
After channeling chakra through her body, Suzume is able to use this more specialized form of the Transformation Technique to change her appearance to match that which she appeared before she ever attained EGF. This transformation being more reliable than the original Transformation technique, requiring a much more keen eye to see through this disguise. However, this form is insubstantial, and a single attack will dispel the disguise. Lasts for an amount of posts equal to Suzume's (Chakra Pool/2).

[TyDie]

Kenji was ready, willing and hoping to finally get to the task of ripping these people apart, leaving nothing but blood and gore behind him for the authorities to stumble upon later. His tendril, tense and awaiting the order to lash out haphazardly, faltered for a brief moment as the false Kenji barked an order to his men. The one cloaked in red proceeded to reinforce the order, and before he knew it the three were alone in the room. "Curious... You wish to spare the lives of these disposable pawns? You definitely aren't me, you have too much compassion." Kenji's insults and callouts were done, all that was left was to leave at least these two as bloodstains on the floor.

But then, the facade was dropped. Her voice rang through true, and her form slowly revealed itself as black chakra enveloped her. A moment later, the truth became clear... It was her. His tendrils receded within his body, his head tilted, and a twinge of surprise took him. "...Ha. Hahaha... Hahahahaha!" The entity that inhabited the young child broke into a fit of laughter as his daughter explained to him the truth of what had transpired since his death. "So you took the reins after all, and lived under my name to protect and arm yourself for the future. Truly, a brilliant move... One that only my own flesh and blood could handle." She had done the impossible, and moved through the underworld using his reputation. Not only did this keep her off the radar, but it kept his reputation alive - a win on all fronts.

Except for one...

The moment she revealed the truth of her new form, the man's zealous joy was quickly replaced with the somber realization that his daughter was as he was... She had truly undertaken the Jiongu transformation. "...Oh." Was all he had to say at first, his hand rubbing his chin in thought as he observed his daughter's form. "Well... what lead to this sudden change in opinion? I thought immortality was against what you desired, Suzume? Moreover, how on earth did you survive the process of transformation? Such a ritual took years to complete on my end, and even then, I died during the change. How... did you manage to discover this by accident as you claim?"

The question was two-fold. On the one hand, he was of course curious as to why his daughter would suddenly have such a change of opinion. She seemed adamantly against what he and her mother had become. But in addition, he needed to know how such a thing was possible in the first place; Because if she could discover it by accident... then so could another. His secrets needed to stay safe.

[Willoria]

Suzume couldn't help grinning wickedly as her father laughed at her perceived brilliance. It wasn't often that she got to enjoy positive attention from Kenji. He had always found her so reckless, it was a relief and a feeling she wished she could wallow in for some time. At least until he saw her true form. What he tried to show as curiosity she knew was really hiding concern. It was Kenji's way of course. She seemed to sigh and motioned behind her to the table before moving to sit down in her original seat. Though she looked more like a heavy weight sat on her shoulders than anything, an expression that only seemed to worsen as she removed her takegasa and set it aside. "I say accident... more like my own idiocy." she remarked quietly as she waited for him to take a seat across from her.

Rina meanwhile eyed Kenji for a moment before following Suzume over to the woman's seat and resting a hand on her shoulder. "Suz..."

Suzume lifted a hand and rest it over Rina's with a shake of her head. "I'm fine, Rina." she assured her, as she spoke a single tendril slipped from her hand even and wrapped around the other woman's wrist briefly, even gently. "He's not what I described to you but this is my father, Kenji. I'd recognize him even in this body." Suzume released Rina's hand and turned to look at Kenji as she motioned to her. "This is Airi Rina, of the ones you saw she's the only one who actually knows any of my secrets and is completely trustworthy enough to know them. That was why I sent them out. The others don't know that was me in a transformation. I've managed to keep them from knowing that so far."

Rina looked at Kenji for a moment and nodded, briefly, but didn't say a word. She removed her hand from Suzume's shoulder but leaned against the wall beside her with her arms crossed.

Suzume looked at Rina with a raised eyebrow and shook her head before looking at Kenji again. "I've since hidden it, but I had your scroll with your Earth Grudge Fear secrets in it at the time. I was studying it when I had been meeting with another missing ninja. His name was Asura, he had a talent for corruption and transformations. They were usually grotesque things, he claimed they were gifts from his god. He was crazy frankly, a madman. But he claimed to have some beautiful vision for me." Suzume sighed, frowning as she looked at Kenji a moment, knowing he'd already see where she was going with this. "I was stupid enough to trust him, and foolish enough to have my hand on the scroll when he used his techniques on me..."

[TyDie]

The young form that was Kenji heaved his chest in a sigh, one of the few habits from his days as a human that he still maintained even though air was no longer a necessity for him. He walked over to the table she motioned to, observing her face and various features as she pulled off her hat and letting out a sigh as it became more and more clear that she truly had become like him. This was undoubtedly the Jiongu technique, the very same he had performed hundreds of years ago. "Idiocy hm? Explain then... what happened in my absence? The girl proceeded to introduce Rina, to which Kenji gave a mere nod. The woman was of no concern to him as of yet. If she was his daughter's bodyguard, she was better to be seen and not heard. He'd take a seat across from his daughter, and let her begin her exposition.

Finally, his daughter went on to explain herself... and Kenji could feel her disappointment and sorrow as she revealed her fault in trusting this "Asura" to help her. He started to dig into her, to berate her. She could see it in his visage, as his face contorted with anger. But before a single word was uttered, he paused... let out another sigh, and calmed himself. "Insulting you will do nothing. Your mistakes are a greater teacher then my rage could ever be. You misplaced your trust and it could have cost you your life. Frankly, the fact that you're even alive is nothing short of miraculous, regardless of the form you now inhabit. I can only surmise that whatever jutsu he used must have interacted with the latent chakra remaining within the scroll, and projected my transformation onto you instead of whatever foul form this shinobi had planned for you."

His mind went straight to the analysis and theoretical interactions of chakra with chakra, as it often did when presented with new phenomena. His mind leapt through various hoops as it searched for conclusions, but without any evidence, a true conclusion could not be reached. All he would have are theories... Still, these thoughts absorbed him as they always had, until he got a grip and returned to the conversation at hand. "Well... There's no sense dwelling on failures. Learn from them and become better, it's all you can do now."

[Willoria]

"I always thought it was something of your doing." Suzume admitted quietly. She looked at Kenji for a moment, feeling more than a little unsettled still to hear her father's voice from this child before her. "During the process, the person Asura is transforming is wrapped in this cocoon... and when I was trapped inside I saw you." she added, shrugging as she looked down at the table for a moment. "You chided me for trusting Asura, told me how yet again you had to step in to save me and this time from myself... I could swear it was really you... as much as I hate this, what I've become, I looked at it as the last gift you gave me because of all this."

She didn't look up, one finger tracing some invisible form on the table as Rina reached over again, not to touch her shoulder this time but to touch the back of two of her fingers against Suzume's cheek as if wiping away tears that weren't there. It was a simple hand motion for something that wasn't, but should have been, present. "I heard another voice too, a woman's. It seemed familiar somehow but... I couldn't place it if I tried."

After a moment Suzume suddenly cleared her throat and looked up. "Among a few of your other more precious secrets that needed keeping safe, that particular scroll I saved before the war forced me to destroy what was left of Chishiki headquarters I had in Dragon Country. I buried them where you buried what you had of Akane's remains... though the war left so much of the maps unchanged I couldn't even tell you where that is now. But I'm guessing you know without a map or reference where that is, so finding it again should be fine for you."

[TyDie]

Kenji stroked his chin in thought, the young frame he inhabited humming in consideration as Suzume continued to exposit what had happened to her. Truth be told, he was intrigued by the actions of this 'Asura'... Cocoons? Mutations? What a strange use of ninjutsu. But even beyond that, the girl had hallucinated during the transformation as she became like him, believed that it was truly him that granted her the power of Jiongu. Perhaps his memory had been imprinted within his chakra, and within the scroll containing what remained of his humanity? "How strange... I'm not sure how to explain it, but perhaps reanalyzing my scroll will grant me clarity. I'll be sure to follow up on that... And yes, I have a very deep recollection of the location of Akane's grave. The borders of this world may change and shift, but so long as the land marks remain I'll have no difficulties locating it."

It burdened him to know that the changes in the world resulted in Suzume having to relocate Chishiki's remaining provisions... It was a set back to be sure. "Hmm... Annoying, but ultimately a non issue. I'll be heading for Yaseyama shortly, seeking to build my frozen fortress away from the prying eyes of those who would oppose us. With the power of Jikukan, I'll bind all of my followers to the location, allowing for ease of access to an otherwise hostile environment. Our enemies would be foolhardy to attempt an assault in such a land rife with strife and chaotic snowstorms." He chuckled slightly to himself as the thoughts of his base ran through his head, but his attention was drawn to Rina instead of Suzume this time... her presence had him curious.

"You... you deal with monsters beyond the comprehension of most sane folk. Few are the numbers that do not fear us, and fewer still are capable of compassion towards us. What rock did my daughter find you under, and why do you risk yourself for the life of her?" His strange eyes honed in on the woman with malicious curiosity - he didn't trust her, and it would be clear on his face.

[Willoria]

Suzume nodded, happy to hear that Kenji could locate her mother's grave so easily. "This time I'll have to make sure to learn better from you how to find it without the map markers... losing that was more painful than losing my home." she admitted with a frown. 'As painful of letting go of Yozei even...' she thought, reaching a hand over to touch her wrist where a bracelet once sat but was no longer there. It took her a moment to once again recognize its absence and frown. A frown that only deepened as Kenji mentioned Jikukan and she remembered the kunai she gave up to Kotaru, thinking it wasn't such a big deal to give up since Kenji was dead. Her frown only deepened as she frowned and she forced her mind to move on. "When I buried it I did find mother's brand band... I was surprised it was there. I would have thought she'd want that returned to her clan." she admitted with a quiet sigh, in her eagerness for a new subject she didn't thoroughly think through her next words and their real implications. "I was able to make the arrangements and have it passed back to the clan, it should be with them now... finally."

As Kenji's attention was drawn the Rina, the woman raised a single eyebrow for a moment and rested a hand on Suzume's shoulder before looking to her. At Suzume's nod, and a touch of her hand over her own, Rina looked back to Kenji. Clearly the shared glances had been some kind of silent question asked and answered. In spite of how harsh his gaze and appearance might be, her own look was gentle and even kind. Her eyes were soft and she even smiled in return to his remarks. "I owe her my life." she answered simply at first, her voice still as gentle as before, though a hardened edge seemed to lay beneath the surface somewhere. "Your daughter found me literally dying in a ditch on the side of a road, owing me nothing. She took care of my hurt and took me to a place where I could not only heal, but I could train and become even stronger. I owe her my life, and even my strength."

Her smile grew for a moment as she looked down at Suzume briefly, before looking at Kenji again. "And I see no monsters here. I have never seen a monster in your daughter, not matter how many tendrils or stitches she bears. Nor do I see one in your chair, no matter how sternly you try to stare at me. No in you I see a man and a lady of fire at your back."

Suzume coughed suddenly, clearing her throat before interrupting before Rina could say more. "Rina sees the world differently than other people do. I haven't found a way to explain it yet, it's like she reads them differently, but she's loyal to an absolute fault once her loyalty is earned."

[TyDie]

Kenji's eyes narrowed at Suzume as she mentioned her mother's brand band, and that she had somehow managed to get it to Iwa. That little nugget would be filed away for later, but first he would address the woman behind her... and her claim that he was, in fact, not a monster. "Watch your tongue, I worked hard to cultivate my reputation and I'll not have your perspective sully it." He spoke with a twinge of sarcasm - it didn't bother him too much what the woman saw in him, however wrong it might have been. It was amusing, though, that she saw him that way. "You're clearly not from a shinobi village. Your mannerisms, the way you hold yourself, they all say samurai. I've encountered enough of your kind to know. It's interesting, then, that you see us in such a light. Most would view shinobi as foul sorcerers and wizards, conjuring majicks most diabolical for nefarious purposes. Your view, however skewed, is a marked difference."

He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair as he spoke, looking back for a moment as he realized that in his new form, his head barely rose above the back of the chair. With a grunt of annoyance, he turned back to the two women and continued. "Regardless... her loyalty means nothing to me, nor does her flawed view of who and what I am. What matters, as you well know, is her usefulness. Provided she proves herself to be of value, I could care less about the rest." He addressed the words to his daughter now, as his attention to the hired help was no longer needed. Which allowed him to fall back to that nugget he held on to later.

"Being that she is not from Iwagakure, tell me my daughter; How exactly did you arrange for your mother's brand band to get back to Iwa? I mean, you are right; It's what she wanted. And I care not for the original, as my journals contain the translations. However, to get the band back to Iwa... you'd have to have some form of connection to the village."

[Willoria]

Rina raised an eyebrow slightly at his remarks about his monstrous reputation. "A reputation sullied? By the words of one bodyguard? The same guard who has watched your daughter weep over the same-."

Suzume suddenly made a sound between her teeth at Rina, one hand coming up sharply with a light snapping of her fingers to interrupt her and causing the other woman to stop talking abruptly. "Now now. My little Faith, this one blots out your kind for fun, tone it down, dearie." she warned her in an oddly sing-song tone of her own that was gone a moment later, both woman turning their focus back to Kenji to allow him to continue once more.

Suzume also seemed to relax in her chair, until Kenji picked up on something she had slipped up and mentioned only a moment ago. If she had blood still, it would have run cold at his implications. Mentally she chided herself for her remarks and her own oversight. "You've been gone for some time, I have my own ways now." she tried to assure him, chuckling. But Rina beside her turned her head and looked down at Suzume almost warily. Rina had already been filled in on the details of the arrangement with Kotaru of course, since she would be the messenger most of the time to keep Suzume from being seen with the man personally again.

Suzume caught the look and sighed heavily, knowing Kenji wouldn't miss it and dropped her gaze to the table almost immediately. She looked much like a scolded child already. "Did you think nothing would go wrong if you disappeared and left me alone here?" she said quietly. "No help, no protection, no connections. I tried to keep moving, tried to keep you alive by rumor but eventually I had a run in that could have ended up badly."

Suzume saw out of the corner of her eye as Rina's hand rested on the hilt of her sword, she couldn't even blame her for expecting Kenji to react badly to the news. Suzume herself was expecting it. "I had a run in with one of Iwa's Bannin. Thankfully he didn't seem in the mood to kill me if I was in the mood to strike a deal."

[TyDie]

In regards to the interaction between Rina and Suzume, Kenji nodded and smiled. "Hundreds. Perhaps even thousands if you count collateral damage. There's more than one reason to call me a monster, child. My appearance is the least of them." Kenji frowned visibly as it became clear that his intuition, as always, was right. She was working for Iwa now... for reasons that she likely considered valid no doubt. That didn't change the danger, or the stab against Kenji by going to the very village that he once called home. "You expect me to believe that you didn't put yourself in that situation willingly on some level, Suzume? Like you did with Yozei, when you waltzed into Konohagakure of your own volition? Forgive me if I have a hard time believing that..." He let out a grumble and his face contorted from a frown to a scowl as anger flowed through him. His eyes closed in thought, wondering how to proceed.

A moment later, they opened again, and a small smile crossed his face. "Still, you're alive. That alone is a testament to what you've learned from me. We can fix this quite easily, just give this bannin a location and lure them into an ambush. I'll gut the poor fool and use their form as one of my own. It's a win win... I can always turn even the most horrible of situations to my advantage, Suzume. As always, you'll be hard pressed to truly ruin me." Kenji would assume his stance that he always assumed when he felt superior or in the lead; One leg crossed over his other knee, his elbows resting on the horizontal leg, and his chin resting on his intertwined fingers. "Now then... Aren't you the least bit curious how I returned, my daughter? I must say, I expected you to question me sooner."

[Willoria]

Suzume's eyes narrowed as her father made clear that he believed her arrangement with Iwa to be somehow her fault on every level, even going so far as to mention Yozei. Her fists gripped the chair arms tightly enough that her knuckles would've gone white if they still had bloodflow. Rina's eyes seemed to snap to the motion out of reflex, her body tensing as she waited for the inevitable. "How dare you..." Suzume's voice was low, the words spoken under her breath as she slowly rose to her feet and leaned forward, resting her hands on the table.

Rina's hands left the hilt of her sword, but she pushed off the wall and stood ready to move if she needed to.

"You think I wanted him to find me? I was just sitting in an inn when he walked in by pure chance... the Bannin Akari Kotaru, brother to the Tsuchikage himself! As if I could have any hope of surviving that much less getting away!" she snarled. The temper that always came with the Earth Grudge Fear flared as tendrils worked through the flesh of her hand and into the table, yanking it apart suddenly and shattering it from between them.

Rina moved fast to get between the pair and suddenly grabbed Suzume. Her hand seemed to go to the woman's collarbone to pull at her and push her against the wall and pin her suddenly. "Suzume, no!" she said in a hissing whisper in the woman's ear. She physically held Suzume in place, her body over hers, keeping herself between Suzume and Kenji as she tried to calm her. Not to protect Kenji of course, but to protect Suzume. "Please, please calm down..." she added quietly.

"You were dead! And I was alone! What the fuck could I do?!"

[TyDie]

Kenji didn't move an inch as the girl's rage overtook her, the table shattering in front of him and sending splinters everywhere, many of which stuck into his body. Still, he sat silent, his expression unchanging, as Rina dashed between the two and took Suzume away from him to a corner of the room. "I might have been dead for ages, but I've quickly gotten back up to speed, my daughter. Your name isn't even in the Bingo Books. You've done nothing to earn the ire of the villages, so what business would an Iwagakure bannin have with you? He walked in by chance, so what did you have to fear? No, whatever happened, I have no reason to believe it wasn't somehow instigated by your thrice damned curiosity."

Ironic, that the trait Kenji valued so much in himself he found so detestable in his daughter... curiosity, a desire to search for new information and knowledge. To him, it was the reason for living... but no matter how old she got, he still saw nothing but danger in it for Suzume. Finally he stood, his small stature dwarfed by the two women but his aura of authority dwarfing theirs in turn. "Akari Kotaru. I'll remember the name and work towards tracking him down. Fret not, I'll clean up your mess like always, my daughter." His tone was even, calm... while his daughter was in a fit of rage, hundreds of years had enabled Kenji to develop a stoic calm in any situation... though the desire to maim was still quite clear, his malicious aura filling the room.

"What could you do? Lay low, stay out of the lime light, and wait patiently for my return. That was what I expected of you. Instead you made allies with a rogue ninja who made you into the very thing you despise... Me." He looked to the two women, his head tilted in curiosity as the interaction unfolded before him. "...At least this one has your best interest in mind. One of you needs to."

[Willoria]

Suzume snarled and pushed at Rina to try and get past her, but Rina's grip on her only tightened, causing her to gasp and her tendrils receded just a few inches. Rina still held her in place against the wall, her hand's placement hidden by her own body from Kenji's view. Suzume still snarled in frustration and rage. "It was because of you, you bastard!" she snarled out, shaking her head. "Damn it when will you ever get it?! I don't need to get into trouble anymore, its your damn name that gets me there! I was laying low! Traveling every two to three days to stay ahead of rumors, hole in the wall places, staying out of trouble. I spoke to him because his hair was a different color I didn't expect him to be that person! The moment he realized who I was, he was grilling me about you, damn it!" She let out a gasp of a sob and started to slide down the wall and Rina seemed to move with her.

When Suzume sat on the floor, Rina knelt in front of her. Suzume was looking up at her with a pleading look on her face and Rina seemed to finally release her, the hand that had apparently been on her chest came up to touch her cheek in a comfort and Suzume leaned forward to rest her head on the woman's shoulder. The pair seemed to whisper between them before Rina stood and turned to look at Kenji, her face almost stoic. "I think it would be best to let Suzume rest or meditate for awhile... she hasn't done so for a week and it is showing." she told him simply, glancing at Suzume before looking at Kenji again.

"Once I have her sorted out in a room, you're welcome to ask me anything. She's given me permission. But I think she's done for now." Rina stood carefully in front of Suzume in an effort to keep the woman from Kenji's view, but if he looked he might notice his daughter seemed to be staring at nothing, almost as if asleep with her eyes open.

[TyDie]

Kenji crossed his arms and stared at the two as Suzume laid into him some more, earning nothing but an eye roll from the young child as he waited for it to end. However, he couldn't help but notice as she gasped at the end, the way Rina let her down to the floor. His ire rose in his throat, and his urge to defend his daughter's life was at the forefront of his mind. However, it became clear a moment later that Rina released her, and proceeded to explain that Suzume was done for the day. "So be it. I haven't rested since my return, but I recall it was more difficult for me hundreds of years ago. I'll grant her that at least." He'd say no more, waiting for the woman to take care of his daughter and return to him...

And when she did, she'd find all six of his tendrils poised and ready to dismember her.

"I'll make this brief, child. Regardless of what your connection to my daughter may be, regardless of what services you give unto her... Never again will you touch her heart like that in front of me. She may be foolhardy enough to trust someone that much, but I am not. She may be your ward, but she is my flesh and blood, and the hell that I will visit upon you if you disregard my demand will be beyond anything your feeble mind could imagine. Do I make myself clear?" Only when the woman had responded to him would his tendrils recede within his body, and he would lean against a nearby wall, standing in a pool of recently spilled blood.

"Now then... there's more you aren't telling me. About yourself, about your connection to my daughter, about something. I'd be foolish to believe you aren't hiding something from me... so spill it. If I find out for myself, it will be much worse for you, believe me."

[Willoria]

When Kenji gave his permission, Rina would turn and help Suzume to her feet carefully and escort her out of the room and up a set of nearby stairs to a series of rooms. It would take some time to get her settled to rest, helping her to feel like she was going to sleep even if she really wasn't. After all, Suzume's body did not sleep anymore, the best she could do was meditate. But still Rina helped her out and soon came back to speak with Kenji again. When she re-entered the room she sucked in a breath at the sight of his tendrils so ready to kill her and fixed her eyes on Kenji's face a moment as he made his threats and she shook her head slowly.

"I understand your concern, but that is done with her permission and at her insistence." she informed him. "The first time I ever saw her temper flare like that and tried to get in the way, she nearly killed me herself. She impaled me at three points with her tendrils and I nearly died, she was beside herself for days as she waited for me to wake up after getting me to a healer... after that happened she gave me a direct order. That if I ever found it necessary to intervene like that again, I was to take the most extreme of measures to restrain her. She was the one who told me the only way to keep her from impaling me or others on instinct when she becomes that enraged was by grasping her heart." Rina swallowed hard and shook her head. "You may not believe me, but I despise doing it. And it wasn't to protect you, if she had attacked you, I worried you might have killed her. I intervened to protect her from you."

She eyed him for a moment as she realized this explanation may not satisfy him still. "If you can swear that you would never kill her, even if she attacked you in such a rage, then I can swear I will never go so far to restrain her again either." she admitted.

When he seemed to calm and moved against the wall, the woman simply shrugged however. "There is little else to tell about me. I am known as The Ethereal Faith. That is the nickname your daughter has given me. She calls me her Ethereal Faith. We are close friends, we trust one another completely. She has called me this ever since she saw my other form. It fascinated and comforted her. That and the fact that I am not bothered by her form, never have been. The only other person she's ever met who treated her normally after seeing it was apparently this Bannin she struck a deal with."

[TyDie]

Kenji didn't agree with the steps Suzume was having Rina take to keep her anger in line. It was far too much, he knew full well the pain that even touching her heart caused her. Akane had touched his once before... and once was enough. But what she was asking of him, to not kill Suzume... He had to laugh. He wouldn't tell her of course, but he had killed Suzume at least a dozen times. Sometimes it was accidental, sometimes it wasn't. But every time, he simply took command of time and undid the act. Now that he had two hundred years worth of control and a death behind him, perhaps he could at least answer her honestly. "The woman has a way of pushing buttons. However, I do believe all of my buttons are gone. I won't kill her unless she deserves it, and lashing out in rage hardly counts for that. However, don't be surprised if I dismember her once or twice. I know how her body functions, she can handle that."

He smirked towards the end and pushed off of the wall, eyeing the woman up and down as she mentioned her connection to Suzume. They were friends, she almost killed Rina, so on so forth. None of that truly concerned him. But as she mentioned her 'other form' Kenji's eyes twinkled with interest. "Ha... there it is." And as he spoke, with a master's grace, an aura of black chakra grew around Kenji as his chakra reached out towards the woman. "Be at ease, no harm will come to you. Not this time anyway. Just allow me to search for your secrets." In an instant, Kenji's chakra would flare up stronger and stronger, crackling around him and pushing away dust and blood on the floor as it grew to immense concentrations. All of this chakra would reach out invisibly towards Rina.

As time would roll on, all of her information would be laid bare for him to view, as his eyes scanned over every ounce of her power. "Your physical prowess is... to be admired. You're a great deal stronger than most of your kind... Dare I say you may even match the crazy witch. And this power of yours, this secret you bear... It's clearly some form of transformation, but its different than most I've seen. It seems to hardly have any basis in chakra. Perhaps there's more to you then I initially thought Rina... I'll be sure to keep this power in mind for the future. After all, todays ally may be tomorrow's enemy."

As his chakra returned to him, the aura receding from around him, a strange feeling overtook him. His eyes became hazy, his hearing dimmed to a single, ringing tone, and his legs grew weak. With a grunt, he dropped to one knee and let out a huff. "Gah... Curse this frail form. These techniques were nothing to me, now they leave me crippled. Infuriating..."

JutsuShow

*[Sensory Style • Beyond Senses]
C-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisites: Ninjutsu/Control/Instinct stats of 10
This sensor jutsu is used by shinobi to feel chakra sources within a radius of 25 yards. While this jutsu is fairly helpful in sensing chakra, it is unable to actually pinpoint specific chakras outside of 10 feet. This only gives the Shinobi an idea of how many entities with chakra are present in their general area

*[Sensory Style • [Target Lock]
C-rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisites: Beyond Senses
The sensor will activate their sensory jutsu, and focus on one source of chakra they can sense. By doing an additional hand seal, and holding said hand seal, the user will be able to continue to sense that source of chakra, even if they are moving around, so long as they are holding the hand seal. If they, or the chakra source, moves out of range, the user will lose track of them.

*[Sensory Style • Augmented Evaluation]
A-rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisites: Augmented Sense, Target Lock
After activating both prerequisite jutsu, the user will do a series of hand seals, having released the hand seal for target lock. Once finishing the jutsu, they’re reform the single seal for target lock. Doing so will give them knowledge of the targets Control, Chakra Pool, Speed, and Strength stats.

[Sensory Style • Apocrypha of Laldagorth]
S-Rank Ninjutsu Prerequisite: 40 Ninjutsu, 50 Control
Kenji first leads off with a sensory technique such as [Beyond Senses] or some variant of that technique that gives him sensory capabilities. Thereafter, he will gather a large amount of chakra within himself before exerting this chakra into the tenketsu of anyone he is capable of sensing at the time. Doing so, Kenji will read their tenketsu for any and every method of chakra molding the target has ever used. This enables him to learn of any chakra based concentrations, or chakra based abilities, the target possesses. This includes things such as genjutsu trigger methods, affinities, Hiden jutsu, Kekkei Genkai, Control based Regeneration, Elemental bodies, and the list goes on. It must be noted however that Kenji is incapable of readily identifying a concentration or ability he has never seen before, but can thereafter identify it should he see the same style in another target.

[Sensory Style • Archive Signature]
B-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: 25 Instinct
Kenji begins by performing a sensory technique such as [Beyond Senses] or some variant that grants him sensory capabilities. Then he will activate this technique with a small flare of chakra, which allows him to archive the signature in his mind. Doing so enables him to pick out the chakra signature amongst a crowd, put a name and face to the signature, and even recall previous sensory information about the subject such as previous evaluations performed on the signature. This archiving lasts indefinitely.

[Willoria]

Rina crossed her arms as Kenji's chakra flared but she made no moves towards him or to try and stop him. She wasn't entirely sure she could stop him if she tried even. She sighed quietly as he continued on, talking about her transformation and her strength. Nothing of what he said was a surprise after all. She simply waited for him to finish. She wouldn't say it, but this kind of power coming from a child still felt strange to her and she wondered if he'd ever look how Suzume had described him, the way she had expected him to look. Thoughts that she allowed to wander through her mind for several moments until he seemed to be done and his little body seemed to waver for a moment.

She moved beside him and knelt, reaching out a hand to offer to help him up if he would take it. "You're weakened." she said, a simple stated observation. "I won't be dumb enough to presume and carry you without asking, but I can set you up in a room beside your daughter. There's also an extra bed in her room if you'd rather spend time with her while she's resting." she went on. "Seems you need the rest too... your daughter has told me you prefer to seek shelter in your realm to rest but here may actually be more secure right now because of her arrangement with Iwa and some of what she gave up to them. Until you're strong enough to deal with it anyway."

If he'd let her, she'd at least help him back over to a chair for the moment.

[TyDie]

Kenji grimaced at the weakness flowing through his body right now, cursing the form he was forced to inhabit through grit teeth. As Rina moved to help him, he looked up at her and bat her hand away weakly, forcing himself back to his feet. "I'll be fine. A minor setback, nothing more." With a frustrated tone, Kenji righted himself again and blinked away the fatigue, getting his head on straight so that he could continue on. Rina proceeded to explain they had room for him, but he shook his head. "I have a room with me everywhere I go. It's far safer than anything you could provide. But of course my daughter went and revealed that to you... I swear, she has no concept of secrecy sometimes." He shook his head as he was about to open a portal into his realm, but the final bit of what Rina said caused him to stop.

"...What did she give them, Rina?" His tone suddenly grew cold, the implications of what Rina had said were already causing a furious rage to boil within Kenji. If she had compromised his own safe haven, his own realm... the consequences could be dire.

[Willoria]

Rina felt every muscle within her tense at the shift in his tone, as if some chill washed over her then. "The kunai you gave her that was connected to it." she answered him. She didn't hesitate it nor try to soften the blow. She had a feeling either action would only anger him all the more, and the answer would infuriate him enough as it was. "She claimed it was dead and useless, that she had tried to use it multiple times to find her way back to no avail. She even studied your own secrets of space and time, dedicated herself to those studies to try and find a way back. Between that and your death she saw it as a useless artifact."

Rina sighed, having a hunch that somehow there was likely still information in the piece that could be found. Though Suzume hadn't told her father about it herself yet, she felt it was something he needed to know before he sought the realm for rest. Giving the information herself had only been interrupted by their argument, and Rina accepted the challenge of relaying it instead as her role of guardian. "I don't know if she was right in its uselessness or not... regardless I feel you should know it was given up before you seek refuge there. I can guard the both of you here tonight while you recuperate and figure out a plan. You may not trust me, but perhaps the trust your daughter places in me is enough for a single night."

[TyDie]

Kenji's head drooped to the ground as Rina revealed what Suzume had given away... the Kunai that he had given her, connected to his realm for the sake of easy transport between the two. Without him being alive, it was useless to her, that was true. But that didn't make it completely useless. "...I'll have to dismantle my entire realm and start from scratch. While that anchor can't be used in it's current state, someone with knowledge of Jikukan could use it to break into my realm, following the traces of chakra left behind to create a path into my realm. Damn it Suzume... why can't you just keep these things to yourself? Kenji pinched the bridge of his nose as he pushed off of the wall, his eyes fluttering slightly with exhaustion.

"I suppose you win then. Find me a room, secluded and secure, that I might create a clone to watch over my rest. A few hours at most should be all I need." The creature would then wait for Rina to direct him to whatever room she had in mind, while mentally preparing to expend more chakra for a shadow clone to watch over his rest.

[Willoria]

Rina raised an eyebrow as Kenji remarked about Suzume not 'keeping things to herself', and the woman shook her head. "I think when the item felt dead to her, unable to take her to your realm, it lost what importance it had left to her and perhaps she simply wanted to be rid of it." she remarked. "She'd never admit it, but when you died she became nothing but a nameless orphan again, aimless and wandering with nowhere to belong in the world. All it reminded her of was what she lost, perhaps she thought giving it away could both save her, and take away some of her pain." Rina made a face, making it more than clear she disagreed with what Suzume had done. She herself still didn't know the full details of the deal Suzume had made with Kotaru, in fact when Suzume had tried to tell her more at the time she had forbid her from telling her all of it. Rina herself had her own hatred of villages, and in her role of protecting Suzume she simply didn't want to know more. It was hard enough to protect her knowing what little she did know.

As Kenji spoke of winning, Rina chuckled to herself and shook her head. "This isn't about winning or losing, Kenji-sama. I serve only to protect her, which includes protecting you when need be. You are exceedingly valuable to her, and to her life." she told him as she turned and motioned for him to follow as she led the way up the stairs. If he needed it she would help him along, but only if necessary.

"What little I know of chakra from your daughter... using a clone would only use more, and make your rest less fulfilling. I understand not trusting me fully, so I won't argue with you. I'll only point out that it isn't necessary." she mentioned. "Whether you use it or not, I'll still be outside the door as well. None of the others will stand guard, that's a duty that only I take up in these regards." she told him. They got up to the rooms and she opened a door, stepping in to check it over before motioning him inside. "It's clear." she told him. "Your daughter is next door. You're free to share one with her if you'd rather, otherwise this one is free for you to use." she told him, stepping out of the room to give him privacy.

She stepped across the hall from both doors of the rooms and leaned against the wall, arms resting at her sides as she made sure she could see both doors. Neither room had windows or other points of entry, and she simply nodded at Kenji.

[TyDie]

Kenji sighed as he followed the woman, capable of supporting himself though not without a stumble here or there. "All that tells me... is that the girl still has much to learn. And my absence hasn't helped her in that regard... I hope she's ready to crack down. There's much to teach her regarding her new body and it's many talents." He had no response for the woman's comments about protecting his daughter and him. He didn't need protection, but he'd made that abundantly clear already. "You misunderstand Rina. It's not that I don't trust you fully, I don't trust you at all. In fact, I would say I don't truly trust anyone, even my daughter. After all, she's clearly made decisions that put my well being at risk."

As they reached the room, he looked it over and gave a small nod. "It'll do." Kenji said with a huff as he performed a series of hand seals. As he completed the seals, his eyes fluttered, and a clone of himself stood before him a moment later. "Play lookout. No one gets in." The clone nodded silently as Kenji fell forward towards the bed, flopping on it face first. The clone would then speak to Rina in Kenji's stead, turning to face her. "Now leave me. If you want to protect Suzume, do so, but I will be fine. When she awakens, knock on the door to inform me and I'll be out soon after."

Once the woman stepped out of the room and leaned against the wall, the clone merely nodded in response to her position and shut the door on her before walking over to a nearby chair and sitting while he watched the door. The clone would make sure that Kenji got the rest he required to replenish his chakra reserves...