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| - "Haven't seen the deserts this calm in years. Kind of tranquil." The shinobi, named Kisui Iyoku spoke to himself. Most of the time the sandstorms of the deserts hindered his travels to Sunagakure, but the deserts were relatively calm. "Be that as it may, be on your guard, Kisui. These deserts hide many secrets, most of them people have died for." The voice came from a spirit that has resided within Kisui alongside his normal soul. The spirit is of an ancient shinobi who existed during the time of the First and Second Hokage, brothers Hashirama and Tobirama Senju. As Kisui walked through the deserts, he kept a tight grip on his wits, being careful to look around his surroundings to make sure nothing ambushes him. If he wanted to find Agaki, he needed to do so without having to use up any unnecessary energy. A red haired centipede dashed across scorching sands. Artificial skin no longer capable of feeling heat or any source of discomfort. Sand scratched against wood and his opened eyes void of all emotion. But those orbs remained hidden under a hooded cloak. His body cackled and click with each movement. His enlightened transformation took time to adjust. Erasing one's humanity required as much. But his mind remained clear, mimicking his home. A clear mind with only his mission circling through. A shorter figure followed in his footsteps. Long white hair hung from beneath her hood, draping well below her shoulder. Open, crazed eyes scanned a yellow sea with a frozen Cheshire smile imprinted on her face. A smile of absolute joy and glee. The same smile she died with, a side effect of Akagi's poison at the time of her original defeat. There, a connection created through a crimson thread spawned from his middle finger. Her skin was cold. It lacked any sign of life, yet it lived. A paradoxical existence. A statue stuck in time. "I wished you talked more, Rat." Akagi mumbled. "It's not everyday we have such a mission. Our guards said they saw a cloud nin snooping around the Land. He should be nearby if the coordinates are correct. What do you mean why should we care? Snooping around is a bad thing!" Although he lacked a body, Akagi still remained full of heart. A powerful organ constantly banging against wood. "Nooo," Akagi said to his corpse. "We cannot Leave it to the desert. No!" He stopped and took a deep breath. "I feel you. I sometimes wished this thing wasn't so fucking big." Her black eyes keeping her biggest secret hidden. The more Kisui kept walking, the more paranoid he became. He was in Sand territory, and they don't take a liking to Cloud ninja walking on their territory. But he had a mission; He was going to leave the Land of Wind with a collection of puppets or fail trying. Either way, it was too late for him to turn back now. As he walked further through th desert, he heard a clacking sound, like wood rubbing against itself. He was no longer alone in the vast desert. Someone was coming, and coming relatively fast. "I believe our target has arrived." The spirit's voice spoke out. Kisui couldn't help but agree. After isolating the direction of the clicking, he ran in the direction where it was loudest, closing in on the puppet master. Within a few hundred feet of traveling, he notice them; Two figures, one cloaked and a puppet, one with disturbing features that decorated her face. A crooked smile and wide, open eyes, as if she died smiling. Kisui couldn't help but feel partially disturbed by the puppet's features, but he was ready. He made a quick dash to the two figures, stopping just ten feet away from them. "Are you the one I'm looking for, the puppet master known as Akagi?" Kisui asked. He continued to eye the puppet known as Rat, feeling like she was almost hiding something, but he kept it in the back of his mind. His eyes darted back to Akagi, staring him down in his cloaked attire. Kisui grew even more paranoid, wondering what the puppet master could be hiding under those cloaks. He hadn't felt this paranoid since hearing about the assassination attempts going on in a lot of the villages. Seems everyone wanted to kill the Kage, and he felt that same paranoia as he did when he heard about assassins hiding in the villages. That sentenced had drilled itself into his psyche. A subconscious bubble covered in those exact words. Never to be forgotten. Repeated. Repeated. Branded across his physically nonexistence brain. Any opening given to Akagi was an opening he would instinctively use. Times occurred when Akagi nearly killed his own allies because they left an opportunity. As Sunagakure's highest ANBU officer, a rank he achieved through a near 100% mission success rate, Akagi lacked a moment where his guard had fell. To openly question Akagi of his identity created such an opening. An opening was a puppeteer's true weapon. It lived became a sword and shield. Akagi spent years learning such a concept and mastered it young. Soon, a gust of wind brushed passed both shinobi. Akagi closed an eye, a common action considering all the sand flying about. Lost of vision could occur if not protected. But Akagi's eyes, in secret, lacked organic composure. He closed his eyes, not to protect his sight, but to connect it to Rat's through their thread. A spiritual bond between optic nerves so he could utilize her Visual prowess. He saw a large portion of chakra circling within his enemy. Two different colors...Something is off. Out here in the open, I can't hide or escape unseen. He contemplated. But spoke normally after a moment of silence. "That is no longer a name, it has elevated into a title." Akagi spoke. His voice darkened with power. He kept an eyes close to Avoid getting sand in it "There are hundreds who claim to be him, but not even he truly understands who he is." Rat's sharingan hid under her cloak. But behind an eye, Akagi prepared a genjutsu. He needed his opponent to look first. Slowly, Rat removed her hood. Keeping her eyes locked shut until her hood finally fell. An Uchiha in Sunagakure was truly a rare sight. Very few expected her crimson eye to stare into their soul. As it fell, she looked at Kisui once more. Her eye ready to enact her genjutsu should he make a misfortune of making eye contact. At first, nothing would change.... Meanwhile, Akagi's hood remained. Casting a shadow over his face. "A name means nothing in a world where shadows rule." "And in the shadows, the name is stripped of individuality, but the title lives on." Kisui replied. He kept a close look on Akagi, but almost felt tempted to look at Rat. "The Sharingan... In Sunagakure? But how?" The spirit asked. The spirit knew the puppet wasn't an Uchiha, but yet she bore the eye of one. "Transplant... The eye of the Uchiha fills her with dark energies. Be on your guard, Kisui. She's deadly if she possesses a Sharingan." Kisui knew of the capabilities of the Sharingan. One mere glance can pull someone into a genjutsu, no matter how swift the view may be. It also meant he would have to rely on speed now more than ever if Akagi sicced his puppet on him. "So that's why you remained cloaked.You possess a Sharingan. That's what makes you so deadly. You lull your victims into a genjutsu, unaware of their surroundings as you go silently for the kill." Kisui spoke to Rat, being careful not to look into her hypnotic gaze. He could see her face in his peripherals, an image of beauty haunted by a permanent face, bearing a psychotic grim. He figured she was as deadly as she was beautiful, and he pulled out a kunai. But using his peripherals was more than enough for Rat to lull him into a genjutsu. Kisui felt... wrong, like something was changing. That's when he knew he was in a genjutsu. "Dammit, she got me under her spell. Guess all she needed was more than a locked gaze. Looks like things might be getting interesting, spirit." Kisui thought to himself. "Perhaps, but all is not lost. Let me be your gaze within this spell. A genjutsu cannot harm the dead like it can the living. Let me be your eyes." The spirit replied. Focusing more spiritual energy into Kisui's body, the spirit gave Kisui his vision; His eyes became empty, almost apparitional in appearance. They were nearly transparent, revealing what lied behind them. He was still under the genjutsu, but the spirit's gaze gave him better sight in the darkness. It was time to battle. All Kisui was waiting for was the opportunity to strike. He always binded his time, letting his opponents deliver the first move and countering from there. But he knew of Akagi's reputation as a top ranking ANBU, so such an opening will be difficult to exploit, much less to find. But it's all he had, so he waited. Patiently waiting for anything, an opening. Akagi noticed a switch in his chakra. Almost a new face piloting a different horse. But he expected it. Very few could surprise him, though he felt Kisui had potential. Despite being a few years Junior. Figuring out Akagi's procedure after a few minutes of exposure showed something rare, analytically skills. Akagi's hand reached deep within his cloak and grasped an item. It emerged with his signature Umbrella, a stolen momento from a fallen target. Puppet masters existed unparalleled in weaponry. Anything Akagi could get his hands on, he transformed it into a deadly tool for use. And his parasol happened to become his favorite. When it blocked out light, Akagi lived in darkness. During battles, it erased entire squads instantly. Allowing for his potent enigmatic energy. His umbrella flapped open. "I see you have eyes like mine. Able to notice a crack in one's foundation." He chuckled, twirling his little toy. "You impress me, from how you approach battle. There is something inside of you not found in us. And your eyes speak of, Death." His hands slowly opened with a gust of wind carrying his umbrella higher up. An invisible thread remained attached to his umbrella as it gracefully danced high winds. Left to right, flowing ever so gently. Guided only by fates hand. Soon it hovered between both mighty warriors. "Tell me stranger, is there anything you are afraid of?" Akagi asked gently. His dark voice growing menacing. Umbrella, at first, slowly twirling. Gaining speed over time. Rat's crimson gazed locked upon Kisui. "Some people fear the dark, yet it's all that is left after light abandons us. Others feel death, the only promised kept by life. And there are thos who fear," Soon, it shot open further. Revealing a shower of poisoned senbon soaring at Kisui. Each with enough force to puncture skin with ease. Capable of shredding a persons flesh. A simple scratch could kill a man. But Kisui's mind still existed within Rat's world... Millions of centipedes flew at him. Crimson insects with thousands of legs launching at him. Pinching their teeth. Prepared to devour him whole. Like an orphanage who starved for weeks on end. Each centipede smaller than a palm, yet fierce. Waves of hissing blasted towards thheir target. Millions of legs all flying through the air towards Kisui. A basic genjutsu meant to mask his true attack. Rat remained at Akagi's side, connected through his eyes so he could watch Kisui's reaction. Akagi wanted to test a few theories out. And a shower of blood centipedes would certainly do it. "I have but one fear. Fear of losing those I failed to protect. But death, darkness? I fear neither." Focusing his energy, Kisui formed an intricate suit of armor that covered him from head to toe. From there, Kisui formed an array of massive sand pillars that pushed the "centipedes" away from Kisui while the armor protected him from the senbon that he wasn't aware of while he was within Rat's realm, which were disguised as centipedes. In the real world, the pillars were knocking back the senbon while the ones that missed plinked off of Kisui's armor. "To fear what happens in battle is tantamount to defeat. A true shinobi saves his fears after the battle ends." Kisui spoke out, eyeing everything that went on in the world of genjutsu, constantly moving sand pillars around that knocked away the "centipedes" that attempted to attack Kisui. Though it looked like it was chakra intensive, years of chakra reduction training has made it where such structures don't phase him as much as they used to. "Your prowess with genjutsu is impressive. These centipedes, they're part of the illusion, but in a genjutsu, a mind must be strong, lest they lose their mind within this realm. All intricacies must be taken into account, every subtle detail must be paid attention to. If you miscalculate, one wrong move could cost you your life." Kisui was focused, watching with careful eyes as his sand pillars knocked away the illusive centipedes that attempted to plague his mind. He wasn't going to take risks, not with someone like Akagi. "If that woman is a puppet, she'll be controlled by a thread of some sort, no doubt invisible to the naked eye." The spirit spoke to Kisui. Kisui couldn't do anything but agree, but figuring out where that thread is was a challenge. But it was now or nothing. Through his spiritual vision, Kisui saw two figures stick out in the darkness. Once again gripping onto his kunai, he created a formula that adorned the hilt. With one quick throw, the kunai made its way between Akagi and Rat. Once it made its way past Rat, he teleported between them, a sword in his hand he summoned while in the void and delivered a quick vertical swing, hoping it'll sever the thread between Akagi and Rat. The blade had alternating physical and spiritual energies that are meant to throw chakra out of its flow. At that moment, Kisui jumped back, waiting to see what happens next. He was mentally prepared for anything, but he couldn't do anything without knowing whether or not his tactic worked. Through Kisui's opening and his speech, Akagi prepared further. He summoned two more puppets at speeds that rivaled Sunagakure's wind. A gust that birthed three humans into existence. A strike of luck for Akagi indeed. Almost instantly, his thread had snapped. A cut released, he could feel his sister disappear. He's fast, Akagi thought as he flickered away. His two new allies following in his stead. And strong enough to break through my Genjutsu, albeit being a weak one. I underestimated this man. I won't do it again. Akagi looked to a fallen rat slumped over and lifeless. Meanwhile, two large males towered alongside their brother. One's hair was a long silver. Reaching down to his back. Almost resembling Akagi, The Red Centipede. His eyes just as menacing and filled with emptiness. Void of all life. An Obsidian secret of Necromancy. He bore similar clothing, black jeans and a black open jacket almost royal in design. Behind him twelve arrows levitated in a heavenly arrow. On his opposite end, a man with purple hair fell to one knee. His eyes a deep shade of lavender. Almost a flower. Both almost twins to their younger brother. But just as menacing. "You called Brother?" The silver haired brother finally asked. He scanned Kisui with dark eyes and sighed. "To think someone like you could be fast enough to outfox our sister. But do not worry, I won't make the same mistake." His voice deep and unfeeling. "Come on Dragon, before we keep Father waiting. Akagi-san, please step back and allow us to handle such a vagrant." Dragon stood up, showing his true height. His legs slim, yet strong enough to kick a star from the sky. "You speak of fear as if you have known it. But you have yet to truly face fear. And then, we will see how strong your mind is." Dragon seemingly disappeared. A master of taijutsu who dashed towards Kisui. Each step appearing in a different location. Dancing and twirling, careful to dodge every misstep. Not a wasted movement. Dragon dashed quickly towards Kisui, aiming to draw his attention. And if he did, Dragon would begin his barrage. A kick combination of twirls and spins. At such a speed, massive winds surrounded the combatants with a large cloud of sand. Dragon had a unique composition. The balls of his feet were implanted with metallic fillings meant to increase his kicking power. A kick could easily destroy steel. And he unleashed a barrage of spinning kicks aiming to break through Kisui's defense if not break his bones. But also, Dragon's true power came from an aura which constantly radiated off his body. When close, Dragon's physical attacks absorbed life force. So with each kick a portion of life force would disappear. Which would result in a person feeling fatigued and weakened. Close calls resulted in feeling less weakened as well. He is so fast. Akagi thought of Kisui's earlier attack and how quick he disarmed Rat. I have to keep my mind clear. Horse waved his hand and two arrows show at Kisui. These arrows were metallic in composition. ANd with his magnet release, it allowed him to hurl each at bullet speeds. He also set up a magnetic field which repelled metal objects from a specific distance. The arrows were aimed behind Kisui. And attached to each were explosive tags. Dragon's kicks were aimed to force Kisui backwards towards said arrows. Another string shot towards Rat, reestablishing their connection. I need to see him. Sister, lend me your eyes! Her crimson eyes peered within the clouds of sand. "Don't let him hit you, Kisui. I sense a powerful aura coming off of this puppet. One hit could drain your life force quickly." The spirit spoke to Kisui. As Kisui kept putting up barrier after barrier to block Dragon's attacks, he had an idea. He observed just how fast Dragon was from his entrance, and he had the perfect strategy to counter against it. As Kisui began moving back he carefully timed Dragon's movements and threw his last kunai just a few feet behind Dragon. Despite being in the midst of combat, his mind was calm. He has been through combat for years, constantly sharpening his mind to look past the combat and see to his surroundings. Through the kicks, he heard something; a whizzing sound, the sound of arrows flying towards him. Kisui put his reflexes to the ultimate test, having just fractions of a second to react. As his adrenaline shot through the roof, it felt like everything around him was moving in slow motion, his fight or flight instincts being kicked into high gear. Quickly he teleported away, barely dodging the arrows. While in the void, Kisui summoned a hammer with fluctuating spiritual and physical energies. Stepping out of the void, Kisui swung the hammer against Dragon's back with every amount of force he had. Thanks to the hammer's weightlessness, Kisui could put all of his force into the swing. Once that was done, Kisui summoned another weapon, a bow with a quiver of arrows. Not just any arrows, though; These arrows had his Flying Thunder God formula "This is it. Time to party." Nocking an arrow to his bow, Kisui waited for Dragon's fall.. As Dragon fell over, Kisui fired the arrow. Being made of energy instead of metal, the arrow passed through the barrier. The moment it made its way behind Horse, Kisui once again teleported, another sword in his hand. With a quick swing, Kisui severed the chakra threads connecting Horse and Rat. Thinking quickly, Kisui formed a formula onto Akagi's back, then a barrier around him, hoping to prevent him from forming threads to his puppets again. "Every miniscule pattern must be taken into account, every part of your surroundings. Everything is my ally once my strategies come to fruition." Kisui's put everything he had into taking down three of Akagi's puppets, carefully forming one strategy after another. He literally played with life and death, mentally calculating everything he could. This was Kisui's specialty; All he knew how to do was formulate one strategy after another, constantly changing them to suit his current situation. This was his blessing, and his curse. Even outside of battle, strategies flow through his mind, constantly thinking of the battles ahead. "You fight smart. Your analytical skills give you a powerful advantage over your foes. It's without a doubt the one thing that has put you so high up on the ANBU rankings. You've given me a challenge that I've long been waiting for. I've decided, I'm not going to take your puppets. You share a bond with them, a familial bond that should not be severed." As Kisui stood in front of the barrier, he kept a safe distance from Akagi, wondering what would happen next. Through Rat's eyes, Akagi watched every movement. Every evasion. Seemingly appearing and disappearing. A trick of wind. Akagi took in every detail with her falcon like vision. Time slowed for her eyes, and not a detail went without scan. And after his second trick, Kisui became readable. He teleports to those marker, a seal much like mine. But let us see who is the true master of space and time. Akagi thought as he licked his lips. A pointed tongue swinging left to right on artificial skin. His long fingernails painted a deep crimson, a blood black. He prepared himself, awaiting for Kisui to step into his trap. It was simple really, Kisui aimed to severe each connection in hopes of having Akagi remain open. But Akagi stood as Sunagakure's strongest puppeteer. A trait he inherited from his parents. His art bore a title of Taboo and became ultimately synonymous with necromancy. His puppets were branded with a similar mark. One Akagi crafted himself in a process similar to summoning. Two formula's which created a dual summon bridge. A puppeteer's greatest substitution. When Kisui aimed for Rat's threads, Akagi swiftly and covertly switched positions with his puppet, a process which he combined with a transformation technique so it gave her his appearance, while Akagi took on her's. Within the barrier, Rat stood lifeless. To Kisui, it would appear as if Akagi had lost all life. In fact, Rat slumped lazily against it. While Kisui spoke, Akagi launched five of his threads at snapping speeds towards Kisui's body. Each thread with low enough chakra to appear invisible, but strong enough to establish a direct connection. Akagi had aimed for such an action since he saw Kisui's unique energy. In truth, Akagi had yet to reveal less than ten percent of his true powers. He had no intention of killing Kisui. Instead, seeking something greater. And with Kisui's attention focusing on Rat, Akagi had a deadly opening. When his threads connection, his spiritual chakra linked with Kisui's. Creating a new dimension in between two bodies. A mental world within both, controlled by the Puppet Master himself. Day turned to night. Sand into blood and the sun into a giant red centipede which curled into a ball. A closer look would see that the blood really comprised itself of thousands if not millions of scuttling centipedes. rustling and whistling through it's billions of legs. Shifting and forming, waves upon waves of centipedes. Said desert centipede went on for miles. Never ending...Akagi's inner sanctum. The thirteenth level of his own mind. "As a shinobi, you talk to much." Akagi sighed. "Do not show off your primary attack with little to no care. Although you hold enough power to truly understand a puppet master's one weakness. So it will be I who will let you live. But first there is someone I want to see." Akagi used his own spiritual energy to draw out Kisui's inner spirit. The different being from himself. See, Akagi had a similar damage to his body. Twelve personalities all equipped with memories and chakra. Each living inside Akagi's shell. So he recognized Kisui's own. Rat stood up alongside Horse and dragon. But no longer did strings connect. They lived inside his world. They lived, breathed, thought and felt. They became no different than humans within Akagi's mind. "It is rare for us to be in Brother's domain. You should feel blessed." Horse spoke up. "I am not mad, it's so creepy, plus I hate bugs." Rat chimed in while Dragon remained silent. Dragon's eyes locked onto Kisui's inner spirit. Such a strong spirit could also take some control of his domain. But Akagi's combined personalities, well three of twelve, boosted his control to an overlord. "It is you, I supposed, that helped this highly capable shinobi today. And it is you I wish to learn more about. I also have a request," Akagi's eyes diverted to a marking on Rat's body. "Which involves that Kunai that allowed you to teleport. For your life, and an ever lasting truce, or even a friendship, I would like one. And I shall give you a home within my home. Something about you," Akagi placed his hand on his cheek. "Tells me you are an adventurer who will not remained tied to one village. Well every adventurer needs a home at some point." Looking around, he saw the puppets Akagi controlled. But seeing them live, he saw more than just puppets. He saw people, people who lived to serve and fight alongside Akagi. He could see them living, breathing, each of them bearing their own personality. It was a unique sensation. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a kunai. The kunai had two heads of perfect length. Kisui's formula intricately decorated the hilt and blades. Handing it to Akagi, he bowed his head. "I thank you for this opportunity. I have a feeling that one day I'll have to put it to good use." Kisui spoke out. As he walked to the three puppets he fought, he bowed to them as well. "And I thank you three for a most well thought out battle. You each fight admirably, watching each others' backs. Dragon, is it? You're quite the tough fighter. There were some points I didn't know whether or not my barriers could hold against your kicks. And Horse, is it? You were smart. You worked well with Dragon, putting me in a position where I may have not been able to survive were it not for my keen senses. And, I believe you are called Rat. Your Sharingan prowess is unique. Your eyes can see through even the thickest darkness, letting you see what's hidden from view." He felt like he was actually talking to someone as he admired each of their skills. The rest of the puppets were shrouded in darkness, not being able to see them completely. He had a feeling he may see them one day, but today was not that day.
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