[HHD]A Suspected Monster

[Flankingfox]

There was a foreboding silence that seemed to blanket the shoreline here outside Kirigakure no Sato. This island surrounding and concealing the village was for all intents and purposes a man-made island created as a defensive measure. Life wasn't supposed to take root and call this marshy mess of jagged rock home, but like always life found a way to make the best of the circumstances. Shiv gazed upon the treeline from his position along his personal vessel, aptly named 'The Kraken's Tooth'. The symbol of the Karagata family was proudly on display on the sails before being brought down as the vessel grounded. The champion fondly remembered these marshes as they were a place of training. When the terrain was both hazardous and extremely deranged with trees winding in all sorts of ways a person could get quite the strenuous workout.

Without even a thud, Shiv landed gracefully upon the sand before focusing his attention toward the inner island. His target could be practically anywhere, but tracking them wasn't exactly a difficult task as this was practically their backyard. Everything was shrouded in the usual blanket of thick mist so finding them solely using sight wasn't the best option. The champion came out here alone for the sole reason of scouting a potential operative for the 'Head Hunter Division'. This target was none other than Toukai, Chisaki. For some background on the target, she was a relatively young girl with a potent yet deadly mutation piled on top of an already impressive bloodline ability. Chisaki had the potential for being quite the lethal weapon against the threats of tomorrow. One could say this girl was one of a kind and that was usually the only thing needed to garner the interest any organization in the upper echelons of the village. If Shiv didn't scout the girl first she would undoubtedly be snatched up by the grubby hands of Hideki and his research group. That wasn't an option, with the number of threats constantly emerging, the division needed to be adamant on gaining an edge over their enemies.

In what only consisted of a blink of an eye, Shiv vanished from his position moving toward his objective of finding Chisaki. The information he had gathered around the village was that the girl enjoyed watching the wildlife outside the village with a somewhat odd tendency of taking naps in trees. Children these days seemed to always be doing that, the champion occasionally wondered why exactly but chopped it up to laziness and poor work ethic. There were far more imperative things to wonder about then the new generation and their sleeping habits. Moving along each tree, Shiv instinctively went into search mode listening to his surroundings for the smallest trace of life. To be honest, Shiv wasn't an optimal hunter usually relying on another to do this sort of thing, but with his speed, he was able to get the job done in the most primitive way possible. With his godly speed, the champion eventually found the supposed target he was looking for in what could be said to be a relatively short time frame. For the moment, Shiv would watch and make sure this was actually his target for the mist and trees obscured any recognizable features.

Jutsu UsedShow

[Heartbeat]
A-ranked Taijutsu Discipline
The user has attuned their hearing to the sound of heartbeats. This allows them to locate anything with a heartbeat within 15 feet of his person, so long as there is not an excessive amount of noise in the area.

[Very Quiet]
B-ranked Taijutsu Discipline
Whenever the user is moving at full speeds, they won’t be able to be heard moving unless the person has a jutsu to better their hearing. If the user sticks to walking, they won’t be able to be heard regardless of advanced hearing techniques.

[Diatenshi]

Chisaki was calming down from yet another argument with her clan elders. Several of the elders disliked her mutation and it was them that made it so she had to jump through hoops to train and practice her jutsu. It was bad enough they been part of the group that called for her execution. Her deviation from the main line's ability an abomination and an affront to the clan. Technically according to clan tradition she could have been said to have failed her coming of age ceremony, failing to master the virus that gave her clan their unique abilities. Some elders still called for her execution. It was only her track record and potential use to the village that had kept her alive so far.

This was once again brought into question as she'd recently converted another of her clan into a being like herself. She'd infected him with her strain of the virus while the original was clearly going to kill him in a moment of pity. At least she had thought so. He'd certainly looked like shit when she got to him. Besides, what was the point of letting a potential asset of the village die for foolish pride and clan tradition. Traditions she could never take part in due to her lack of blood. Maybe that was the real reason she turned him. Maybe she didn't want to be alone, the only one of her kind. Now she was the mother of a whole new race.

Lost in her thoughts letting the cool dampness of the mist relax her she searched for inner peace. Would she let those old fogeys get to her? No. No she wouldn't. She was gonna stretch out on a tree branch and take a nap like a cat. After all they were close to the village. What could possibly happen all the way out here? No civilian dared fuck with the village of Kirigakure and as for enemies? Well they'd have to find them first.

[Flankingfox]

In the all-encompassing blanket of mist, Shiv stood for a moment struggling through his polarized visor, which was sprinkled by droplets of moisture, to make out the girl laying peacefully before him. Those hauntingly icy grey eyes caressed the body of the potential recruit he had been scouting for. Was this even the right person? A slightly confused Shiv lifted his hand to his face and gently wiped away the condensation leaving a rather unpleasant smear. Toukai, Chisaki is supposed to be a girl in her teens. This person here is anything but a girl, with her body being anything of an indication. This will turn out to be quite annoying if this actually is Chisaki. I'm not usually one to defer my baser desires, but in this case, it would be best if I at least attempted to be a respectable member of the village... The champion of the village abruptly turned his gaze away from the girl for a brief moment as if in an endeavor to break wherever his mind was about to wander. Everyone by now in the village knew of his apparent weakness of the flesh, however, there were lines that he strived to stay within. Glancing back now, Shiv immediately vanished from his current position and reappeared standing on a branch above the pseudo-woman laying so innocently.

Breaking the rather peaceful tune of the marshy outback surrounding them, Shiv inquired about the woman and if she was actually Toukai, Chisaki. In a silky yet frigid tone, he asked, "Would it be rightfully correct to assume you are the monster those Toukai elders loathe so much? Which would be quite an oddity, because, I don't see a monster before me... rather a pleasant young woman. However, I've also been quite wrong with my assumptions over the years." When she would awake from her would-be slumber, she would be met by the lifeless gaze of his golden visor, merely a reflection of her vulnerability, while he stood fully clad in his jumpsuit looking downward as if about to dispatch prey incidentally caught in a superficial web.

[Diatenshi]

She'd fallen asleep not too long ago so when she heard the voice her eyes snapped open looking into the golden visor above her. Her first instinct was to bite his head off. Literally. But something bout him triggered her self-preservation instincts. Maybe it was the fact that his suit seemed strange, alien even. Or it could simply be the fact that he had approached without waking her or disturbing the local wild life.

At least until he called her a monster. That rubbed her the wrong way and an unnatural tremor went through her arm as it prepared to morph, only to be halted by his next words which left her somewhat confused. She wasn't quite sure what to make of this weirdo standing above her. Friend? Or food? She'd give a teasing smile and narrow her eyes much like a cat getting ready to pounce.

"You know, I don't think anyone else has ever called me pleasant. I've heard cute, beautiful, whore, slut, monster, abomination even. But never pleasant"

She'd roll up on to her back into a handstand only for her feet to cling to the branch the man was standing on. He was taller than her... No surprise as most people were. But she was fun size and packed a whole lot into her little frame. Not nearly as skillful as Shiv, she made the tree creak from the newly added weight though it seemed it would hold just fine. She looked at the being before her and studied him intently.

"You know manners generally dictate one introduce themselves first before asking another's identity. As for whether or not I'm a monster. Well, that would depend on your definition of the word. The only part of me that truly changed after my conversion, is my diet. I don't have to watch what I eat or worry about maintaining this beautiful figure anymore."

She chuckled as her body wavered and tremored as her outfit began to morph into a new form. When the squirming and wriggling ended she was left wearing a blood red long sleeve crop top, with a deep V-neck. Her pants were replaced by a pair of shorts.

"So do tell. What is your definition of monster?"

[Flankingfox]

Analyzing Chisaki's minuscule facial responses after each word yielded somewhat curious results hinting at some sort of internal strife over how to react. With complete mastery over his body combined with years of experience dealing with reserved individuals who usually kept their tells private, Shiv was able to predict with some certainty that the word 'monster' was quite the touchy subject. However, before anything else was revealed, the young woman went the opposite route by expressing herself through narrowed eyes and a playful smile. Interrupted now, Shiv wasn't able to focus on his analysis as his mind started to fracture ever so slightly. Why couldn't she have acted like any other person? This sort of smile was the worst of the worst. This was a smile that could pierce through the jaded demeanor of the champion and turn him into an actual 'monster'. The words that came forth were a small comfort as it snapped him back to reality again.

That was already quite an assortment of names to be called for somebody so relatively young. Then again, a checkered background was the whole reason the champion sought this supposed monster in the first place. Often it's the people who've garnered a reputation that were considered the special ones. Even with that in mind, these names were quite extreme in severity which in fact made him more interested. Swiftly, the girl turned and jumped upward on the same branch Shiv was standing on. From here their difference in size was glaring, was this really the weapon he was looking for?! From the reports, she was supposed to be a fearsome foe capable of wreaking a hefty amount of havoc. Removing this doubt from the mind, Shiv did remember Katsu and how powerful that weapon turned out to be. Then came a somewhat short reminder of the importance of manners. Manners, surely those were mere pleasantries that had become trivial by now reserved for only when dealing with common folk or the noble caste who forcefully maintained the tradition to save face.

"A reasonable request; so you are Toukai, Chisaki then if I am to take your acceptance at face value. If this is truly the case and you can't actually tell who I am by my appearance then for a bit longer I shall remain anonymous..." Shiv's words trailed as Chisaki literally changed into something more comfortable. With a small nip, the unidentified man bit the inside of his cheek allowing a bit of blood to trickle out. Fortunately, the anonymity the helmet provided allowed for an outburst of expression or two without betraying intent. The question was the touchy subject brought to the forefront of attention. This label really did have its talons dug deep within Chisaki, Shiv wondered now what her thoughts would be after he conveyed his opinion here.

That silky tone of frigid ice came slithering back as he answered, “A monster, heh. Well, a monster at the core, is an acceptable target to eliminate on sight for it is a perversion of normality or otherwise useless to anyone except themselves. You, however, are far from that definition, and actually, if I was to make an assumption I would say you may be a fine piece of weaponry, maybe even a pleasant one at that. Only time would tell for sure... Where a monster is an acceptable target, a weapon walks a fine line of being much the same, but with the difference of being ‘useful’ with an intended purpose. In the eyes of those outside the village, we are monsters capable of things they could hardly fathom, but when used for their bidding we become weapons associated with a hefty fee... So if we are weapons, solely because we have a use, then tell me what are people like us without intent? Like those that aimlessly roam the lands pursuing their own devices? Would you say these people, that have abandoned their purpose are not the real monsters?”

[Diatenshi]

Despite the lack of outward reaction Chisaki still had the satisfaction of making him lose his train of thought as his voice trailed off. She wondered for a moment if it was her tits or her transformation that stunned him into silence. She was dying to know what face he was making beneath that helmet. She'd have to play with him another time. Perhaps with him more exposed.

Monster or weapon... He sounded just like the elders of her clan. Those that were afraid called her monster, those that saw her potential saw a weapon. Didn't seem like anyone saw her though. Was that really all there was to life? Well if she had to be one or the other she'd obviously would prefer to be the weapon. But who knows maybe one day she'd discover option C. However, the whole speech seemed planned. Like it was intended to trigger a response.

Ah there was the option C. To wander without intent, or rather to be to your own devices. In certain situations that would certainly be dangerous, but Chisaki personally felt that depended on the character of the person in question. Actually it reminded her a lot of Maido. Hmm she'd been running into a lot of famous characters as of late. Maido, Aimi, even the villages two Jinchukiri Shinji and Nishiki. And there it was a passing thought from her memories about another Bannin of the village. Karagata Shiv. The man in front matched in attire but there was no telling it wasn't just a look alike having never met the man herself.

"Powerful people left to their own devices could indeed be potentially dangerous. However, to be honest, that doesnt sound like a true opinion; that sounds like a sales pitch by a man with an agenda. So the question is, what are you trying to sell?"

She smiled and moved closer to the man looking up at him. She still had the expression of a cat, a predator's gaze mixed with blatant curiosity. In his own words the only reason he didn't see her as a monster is because he saw her as a weapon to be used. Not that she minded overly, being seen as a potential weapon was what had kept her alive all this time. But it did make her wonder why he was there.

[Flankingfox]

With a tilt of his mask, the visor glistened momentarily as the sun seemed to pierce through the shroud of mist. Shiv glanced around without moving his head before coming to a halt as he caressed the figure of the young woman before him once more. There was definitely something off about somebody so young having such a mature body. Chisaki was basically a venus flytrap ready to devour those that got too close. That fact alone seemed to irk the champion of the village as it meant a look not touch situation was the only option.

No matter, this conversation wasn’t supposed to be about Shiv’s personal vices nor have anything to do with his apparent hidden agenda. Recruiting this weapon before anyone else got their grubby hands on her was of the utmost importance. If those scoundrels in the village got to her first, what a bane that would be to the division. They were already lacking a great deal in terms of potential hunters as a great many had been killed in action over the course of the last few years.

“Clever girl... a sales pitch isn’t exactly what I had intended to convey, however, the similarities are far too evident to ignore. Indeed, this fabrication is exactly that, an opinion without much heft, but truly this is the most real opinion there is. We are a perversion of what it means to be human. Not just you with your intriguing ability, no, all of us that have embraced the life of shinobi and in essence have become a manifestation of a decision. If we are not then weapons for their use then we are absolutely monsters. That inherent ‘potential’ you mentioned is the monstrosity within us.”

Lifting his hand, Shiv would attempt to gently stroke the bottom portion of Chisaki’s chin as she willingly came closer. If only she knew what he was looking at, she wouldn’t dare get this close. For even though she gave off a demeanor of being a playful predator; to him, she was but prey to be used and discarded without even a second thought. His ‘higher’ purpose to the village is what kept the monster inside at bay. With this lingering on his mind he casually licked the blood that had run down his lips.

“More on topic now... I’m an envoy sent on behalf of the head hunter division, we would like to give you a chance to become a specialized weapon in vanquishing the various monsters that emerge within our ranks. Surely an opportunity like this isn’t exactly given to just anybody. You’re what we look for in a candidate. For we are constantly thrown at monsters and expected to come out unscathed... would you be interested in something like this or would you prefer to continue on fully aware of the monsters lurking all around?”

[Diatenshi]

The stroking of her chin filled her with a kind of pride. It was the first time he'd let slip the emotions he was hiding behind that mask of his. She'd successfully gotten a reaction out of him. Her eyes gleemed with a childish delight of success and she wriggled her bum in excitement. His words intrigued her and there was nothing better than toying with a strong opponent and making them feel helpless and tortured till they beg for the sweet caress of death.

"Hmm sooo, in your words a monster is anyone with strength. Hrmm a monster because one is powerful, not because of what one is. I like it. Alright I'll bite ... I'll be your weapon. Providing you point me at someone worth sinking my teeth into. Weak people don't taste as yummy. So you gotta promise me they'll be yummy 'kay?"

She slipped into a childish sing song voice towards the end of he agreement. She knew he could simply order her with his rank and she'd have to obey. But she also knew how to play with people. Some were like her and liked to prey on the weak. Showing a vulnerable side could sometimes let them drop their guard. Other times itd help manipulate them into letting her get what she wanted. And what she wanted most right now was to not be pinned under the thumb of the Toukai clan and their strict traditions. Maybe this man was her way out?

[Flankingfox]

Shiv's eyes fixated upon the pseudo 'woman' before him as she allowed him to stroke her chin gently. At that moment, both of them seemed to genuinely get some sort of gratification out of the gesture. Surely the reasonings were different, but in the grander scheme of things served the same purpose. If the inherent weakness of the champion wasn't obvious by now to Chisaki, it sure was now, clearly laid before the two as if a book had sprawled open for her to read. As Chisaki wiggled in delight, a slight shiver ran underneath the skin of Shiv who miserably attempted to regain his composure, ultimately failing as the slightest of flinches came forth from his fingers as he pulled back. As if to conceal that moment, Shiv lifted that same hand, running across the visor of his helm to remove to built-up moisture that was rampant around them. The voice of Chisaki interrupted the juncture, freeing him from his apparent tether. Seemingly the young woman didn't exactly understand what he was conveying about what a monster is, however, that was hardly important. What was, was that she volunteered to be used by Karagata, Shiv.

Those last few words drove a figurative knife through the champion. What kind of sick monster had he become to fall for such an obvious lure?! Shouldn't the years of butchering have prepared the man more for trickery or was it these very experiences that turned him into who he was today? It was as if a canary was dangling in front of a cat, there was certain pleasantness to that. Shiv answered in his usual frigid cold tone, "Don't worry, I'll give you something yummy to bite on, for there is an abundance of people worth tearing to pieces." Bringing his hand down near his waist, he popped open a pouch allowing a scroll to slide out. Catching it, Shiv flicked it at Chisaki as he took a few steps back as if to leave before continuing, "These are your new orders with direction on where to meet for further instruction... I'll see you around kid. Enjoy the rest of your day. Oh, lastly, my name is Karagata, Shiv."

In a blink of an eye, the champion seemed to have vanished out of thin air. There was no trace of him having ever been there aside from the scroll Chisaki now possessed. Having accepted the offer, the next couple of weeks would be rather ghastly for poor Chisaki as she would find herself underneath in the belly of the village. There in the dark, dank headquarters of the division, she would be brutally indoctrinated into the head hunter division through rigorous drills and daily beatings by the best the division had to offer. These operators weren't as weak-willed as their commander, thus that voice used against Shiv would be best left for future encounters. For there wouldn't exactly be anything pleasant about this training, maybe even causing the woman to regret her decision to even willingly be used by Karagata, Shiv.

[Diatenshi]

She caught the scroll and watched him leave curiously. It was so strange to find a man so powerful so weak-willed towards women. She wondered if she could crack that shell of his further, make him expose his real self. It'd be a challenge for the future for sure. For now however, she had to go report. She did just receive orders after all.

She read her orders and reported to the proper location only to be escorted inside. It wasn't the first time she'd had escorts so she didnt think much of it. Apparently they'd done their research. They trapped her body in a glass container that her biomass couldnt break or slip out of.

The next two weeks, well she couldn't say she'd experienced worse but due to the unique composition of her body wasn't too bad. For the most part she was bored, a fact the "teachers tried to beat out of her. The beatings failed but they finally got smart and found a way to make her feel vulnerable.

They forced her to surrender her core. Her core locked up in a jar she was deprived of any and all senses. That was the worse part left alone in the dark with no sensation. There was no noise, no smell, no sight, even time seemed to loose meaning in that dark abyss.

She finally learned to listen after that. But she also vowed to form a secondary core that she'd hide and keep safe. Oh and that she'd get some kind of revenge on Shiv. Even if it was just driving him crazy she'd find a way to make him pay.