Takeo- The Ignition

 Takeo swung the large blade to the side, cleaning the blood off the blade with the speed of motion. He slowly sheathed the long blade, taking care not to make any sound as he slid it home excruciatingly slow. There was another one of them lurking somewhere around here…

 Well, not somewhere. He was shivering in the nearby rock-concealed bush. Or was it a bush-concealed rock? Takeo bothered to ponder the concept as he cut both of them in half horizontally. A wet-sounding thump declared his success. Once more he cleaned the blade and slid it home. This routine was becoming far too droll – being assigned on a “reconnaissance” mission, to only observe, and then having his orders changed last second to “this is too risky, we need you to eliminate the loose ends.” He sighed.

 He didn’t like killing, he just did it well. And with all of the stains on their souls, it was easy. The weighing of people’s souls was a double-edged sword, though. He also saw the stains of those few whom he called friends, and had to resist the compulsive urges to expunge their sins. He shook his head, finding himself caught up waist-deep in his thoughts again. There was time for that later (a lie), and he still had work to do. Pushing his questions aside, he recovered the yellow kerchiefs from the thirty-eight bandits he slew, half of which not even knowing that they were being butchered before they fell. All for some rock.

 Two days ago, the bandits residing in the nearby mountains decided they had the guts to steal from the Raikage himself. The blood crystal they stole was a nice looking piece of rock but they hardly recognized its true value – the cage of a great oni who had once required the Raikage himself to capture. It could not be destroyed, and even with his advanced wisdom the most the lord scientist could do was contain it. If these petty thieves had accidentally unleashed the oni, it would have destroyed the valley. Not that it mattered, the valley was outside of the Raikage’s control (it instead belonged to the high-esteemed dragon clan). However, his king had a sense of justice akin to his, as much as it got on Takeo’s nerves to cross the land for bandit-butchering. More thoughts. Sometimes he felt like his thoughts were water and they filled from the ceiling down in the room he was in. Perfectly fine - until you’re drowning.

 He came to this conclusion in mid-jump, and it nearly caused him to miss the next branch. Multi-tasking had never been one of his talents, but when he set his mind to it he rarely deviated. He caught purchase on the branch and his body bowed like wheat in the wind as he tried to maintain his balance. He quickly crouched and grabbed the branch with a hand to steady himself, realizing that a fall from this height could be potentially lethal. For a normal man.



 Those worrisome thoughts again, constantly pressing against his skull. He idly rubbed the spot on his chest where he knew the cursed seal resided. An unwelcome mental image of the Deathless Doll flashed through his head, in the moment where her touch alone changed his life forever. The seal is what allowed him to be promoted to his current rank in Special Operations and Recon, but a week straight of being played lab monkey when he first showed signs of it wasn’t really worth the trade.

 He shook himself gently as to not lose his balance on the branch. He opened up the energy pathways to his legs and resumed his speedy ascent up and over the mountain. The Raikage himself had performed the experiments on him, and now he treated him like an old friend. If sense was something that could be made by the Raikage, he chose not to.


 Falling.

 He woke up on the forest floor, with the feeling of hot oil pouring down the back of his head. Something on his chest was on fire, right on the seal. He hoped it didn’t scar…



 A man stood over him, smiling with what looked like… Amusement?

 He woke with a start, his chest still ablaze. Upon quick inspection, Takeo realized that his chest was not actually on fire, but the seal was attacking him. He scanned the perimeter and the man from before appeared, sitting on a nearby log. “Nice to see you recover so quickly. But you’ll find you won’t recover as quickly as normal.” He held Takeo’s 6-inch shaku in his left hand, keeping his right one free to draw either of the two katanas he wore at his hip. The man had the look of a grizzled veteran, his hair beginning to grey but still kept cut clean. The covering of all of his face with the exception of his eyes was not lost on Takeo.


 Takeo slowly stood as he sized up the stranger. Not many were capable of inflicting pain on him, as his nervous system was entirely under his control. To duel this man would be a challenge, at best. He cleared his throat and spoke clearly, “Who are you, and what do you want with me?”



 “Cut straight to the point, I like that.” The man chuckled to himself, and Takeo could tell with trained eyes that he was sizing up his worth as well. The man’s face became suddenly very serious and he looked to Takeo’s bag. “Who I am specifically is of no consequence, you should know me as the person who took away as much as he gave. Speaking of,” he looked back up to Takeo’s deep red eyes, “Give me the stone.”

 “Why couldn’t you have just taken it from me as you did my sword? You knew I had it just as you knew I had my weapon. What game are you playing?” Takeo paced his words evenly as he let some of his analytical mind slip out of his lips.

 “Because I hold the cards in this deal, and frankly, I don’t care to slaughter you like you did those bandits. I saw your handiwork, I know your ability. I will tell you right now, you are not ready to fight me so if you try I will cut you down while you beg for either mercy or death.” He repeated the same cadence as Takeo, slowly pacing each word with the same rise-and-fall of his tone. It was a subtle “I can do all that you can and more.”

 Takeo pulled out the stone with one hand and began to form the symbols with the other hand that he knew would open up a small dimensional pocket that only he could access - a trick that he had figured out himself. He was nearly complete when he noticed the man had already drawn his sword. He tried to rush the last few signs when he noticed his hand wasn’t moving. It was lying on the ground, and his arm slowly pooled blood from its new opening. He swore. Loudly.




 The man simply looked at him as he swung Takeo’s blood off of the blade, sheathing it in a flash. “Give. Me. The Stone.”

 Instead, Takeo did the only thing left he could do – and vanished. The man swung his sword where Takeo was standing a moment before, but the Reconnaissance Specialist had already disappeared. A quick stab confirmed that he had taken his hand as well, which was of no real consequence. The Raikage had more than enough resources at his disposal to have Takeo’s hand reattached, it was meant only as a deterrent. In time, he would get what he wanted. He always did.

 Meanwhile, Takeo watched the man depart from atop the trees. Takeo was no sham with a sword, he was a Kichida – the family of weapon masters. And among the Kichida, Takeo was, if not the best, the fastest swordsman they had. He called his sword back to him and it turned invisible as it reappeared at his side. The man who had nearly exited the clearing hardly seemed to care – whoever this was, they were far too dangerous to let live. He had to report to the Raikage, and get his right hand reattached. What an interesting morning.

 Later that evening, Takeo noticed the text delicately inscribed on the right side of his sheath. He had no memory of carving it there, nor seeing anyone else write it. In precise and elegant curves it read:

 “I see you are having fun with the curse I gave you. Don’t forget that it is mine to give and take away, and tell your little sister I wish her well.”



– Dad

 Takeo threw the scabbard into the fire with such speed that it completely submerged itself beneath the coals, and made a mental note to rush that hearing with the Raikage. Great, now he had to replace his scabbard. Flexing his reattached hand carefully, he debated whether or not his morning was better than his evening.

         

Takeo sighed as he gathered his things. Working with a team was hardly new to him, but when he put in a request to hunt down his father he didn't think it was going to be with an entire squad alongside him. Not beneath him, to be noted. They were squad 17 and Takeo had worked with them before, so it could be worse. Their leader, Hiroto, was probably the hardest to get along with, constantly being a jerk to everybody except for his precious squad that he treated like his own family. But mostly, Takeo didn't like him because he was aiming to retire. Ninjas, samurai, and other warriors don't retire, especially young. But the young warrior was determined that each mission was going to be the last.


Takeo actually liked the female member of the squad, Akane. She had always been a quiet person just like him, and they had worked together on a team while they were in the Academy. She had beautiful blue eyes that showed no emotion, but seemed to take in the world. Shirou was perhaps one of the most rediculously aspiratious of all of Kumogakure, but crossing him would bring the wrath of Hiroto like an angry father. Shirou had reason to be as he was, he was one of the many war orphans of his village. Takeo felt that they had that in common, but Shirou's perception on life became quite twisted when he lost his siblings in the same attack that took his parents.


Takeo made a silent note to appreciate his sister more when she was around.

He met up with them outside the barracks that had the numbers 14 and 17 inscribed on the walls around the doorway. Takeo offered them a polite greeting with a bow, and thanked them for their assistance.


Hiroto simply coughed and said, "C'mon, we don't have time for your silly tea-party manners. We have work to do." The other two members made no comment, as they had grown used to their leader's brash behavior, but Takeo was suddenly overcome with the urge to strike the man down. He took in a deep breath to calm himself, and then turned and started walking towards the exit with the squad in tow.


Takeo had done research on the geography of the land that he had recently worked, and found that in the mountain range nearby there was a pocket of mountains that formed a tight circular valley with only a few hundred feet across at the base. No better place for those who don't want to be found to reside. Takeo made the downwards plummet that was required to reach the ground beneath Kumogakure and quickly performed the simple handsigns that would slow his decent when he reached near the floor. The squad all followed him in this, having each performed it thousands of times that they have traveled to and from the hidden city in the clouds.


"You know, you should try to get along with Hiroto-sensei." Said the young Shirou to Takeo as they made their way through the trees. "It's not that he doesn't like you, he's just... Different."


Takeo turned to him and gave him a blank stare, retorting, "If he was different he wouldn't act like the common rabble that inhabit the lands which we protect, showing no appreciation or any signs of common decency. Taking others for granted." He said, with careful enunciation on the last part. That seemed to shut Shirou and his happy idealisms up, but with a quick glance Takeo noticed that Akane was staring holes in the back of his head. He shook his head and sighed, picking up the pace through the trees.


Takeo raised a hand and swung downwards to the forest floor. The squad instinctively followed, more out of habit than out of respect for his command. He looked at the setting sun for a moment before turning back to the squad. "We should make camp here for the night. We don't know what exactly we are getting into so we shouldn't just hand them the advantage..."


Hiroto, as expected, spat with the same respect he gave Takeo. "We need to get this done as quickly as possible. My squad and I aren't tired, but if you feel like a day's travel has hurt your tender sensibilities then I guess we can continue without you." He crossed his arms, his thick and muscular forearms looking quite imposing to the onlooking eye, but hardly even phazing Takeo.


Takeo responded by idly resting his hand on the hilt of his dagger, and not breaking eye contact with the grey-haired man. "I don't feel like reporting about how an insane squad leader threw away the lives of his team so he could hurry up and quit." It was as a spark jumped the corded muscles of Hiroto that Takeo found himself alone in an empty place, unable to move. He recognized it as a genjutsu but found himself unable to break its bonds on his sensory and motor controls.


The loud voice of Akane boomed like a god all around him "You two need to calm down. We will make camp for the night and play it safe, but it is all for nothing if you two kill each other in your sleep. Make nice, or I will have you hugging the same tree all night long until we are ready to head out again. Hai?" Takeo didn't even have to speak the words as he found himself back in his own body, looking at a disoriented Hiroto. The squad leader gave Takeo a look and then turned to Akane and pointed at her, but seemed to have lost whatever he wanted to say. The group of them awkardly broke formation and began unpacking the few necessities that they had brought along.


Several hours later, they had gathered around a campfire and were passing rations to and fro. Hiroto had already set up bell traps that would alert them of anyone careless enough to pass close to them while they slept. Everyone was a bit jumpy at the bells, as the wind kept blowing softly enough not to be noticed but swaying the bells and startling everyone at the camp. As the night entered its deepest point, the group had finally extinguished the fire and were asleep atop their bedrolls. Hiroto woke a few times more at the wind-swept bells but eventually put the gentle rings out of his mind.


Takeo's eyes snapped open at the sound of the scream. He shot up, looking towards its source: Shirou. A creature, that Takeo assumed to be an Oni, was atop Shirou ripping out his innards with its terrible claws. The scream and initial panic that Shirou had issued as it attacked him faded as he blacked out within seconds. A wicked cackle came from the Oni's fanged mouth, but it continued its gruesome work until it was put to a stop by Takeo's blade. The two halves of the demon fell and the body evaporated as Takeo swung its acidic blood away from his blade and sheathed it, shifting it back into the form of a shaku. The entire procession, from Shirou's piercing scream to the click of Takeo's sword sounding home, was 6 seconds.


Shirou opened his eyes and found a strange dark rim surrounding his vision, a faded tunnel vision of sorts. Probably from the bloodloss, he thought. He looked down to see Akane stuffing his intestines back in his shredded abdomen, reassembling him like a broken toy. He tried to smile but when he did his head simply reclined back onto the grassy floor of the clearing. It sounded like someone was crying.


He felt a shock as his heart weakly tried to continue to pump blood, and he heard a voice that sounded rough and torn screaming ".. you leave me!" He saw Akane kneeling nearby, her emotionless face almost a mirror image of Takeo's as all eyes appeared to be on him. He then noticed the dark figure that was atop him wasn't the Oni, but his sensei who was trying to restart his heart. He let out a soft sigh and rested one of his hands atop Hiroto's, who was pumping his chest.


"It's... it's ok." He let out weakly. "As long as..." He began to say, but the words faded from his mouth as the light left his eyes and his hand went slack. Hiroto let out a terrible cry, burying his head on the chest of what was like another son to him. They had worked together for 11 years now, from the academy to ANBU, and Hiroto had the pleasure of watching the young orphan turn into a young man with resolve. Now, all of that was gone as Shirou quickly faded from a person to a memory and a name on a stone.

"Are you going to be ok..?" Takeo asked Hiroto, placing careful emphasis to imply that he was talking more about his ability to continue the mission rather than his own personal feelings. Hiroto let out a grunt of affirmation, and quickly packed up his bedroll as the sun began to rise in the early sky. They were still about six hours away from their valley destination and still didn't even have a clue as to what they were going to find.

Takeo mentally sighed as he thought, "And then there were three..."

Onwards through the trees and open forrest they ran, making the best time they could without tiring themselves out by the time they got to the mission site. Normally, this was time for casual conversation to be tossed back and forth in low voices but after last night's events the three warriors were silent. To fill in the silence that would soon turn to distraction in his mind, Takeo rested his hand on the hilt of his sword as he felt the familiar presence fill his mind.

Takeo spoke without his voice, as did the samurai spirit before him. "What do you make of these Oni, Tamanaiken?" He always addressed the spirit by the name of the sword out of both respect as well as the fact that the life force that resided within Tamanaiken - meaning Soul Sword - was incapable or unwilling to reveal its name. Tamanaiken answered only to the voice of its master, and was highly coveted for its magic-bound loyalty.

"The blood of these demons tastes foul, and their bodies lack a soul to converse with." The spirit, in traditional Iaijutsu garb as in death, crossed its arms as it spoke and looked straight at Takeo. "Even the servants of the unhallowed have a wailing soul. These creatures are made into what they are by human hands, no god or devil involved."

Takeo looked at him and began pacing as he thought. His scattered thoughts were projected across the room of light while he was in this state, but the spirit seemed inclined to neither care nor comment on thoughts that were not addressed to him directly. Finally, Takeo turned on his heel and looked back at the spirit. "Can this be undone, Tamanaiken?"

"No," the spirit replied. "Their fates are lost in the wind, their souls unbound and scattered like sand."

His fears confirmed, Takeo released his hand from the sword as his consciousness returned to him. They were still running - his motor and sensory capabilities still worked while he was in the Antechamber, as he had taken to calling it - and they were less than an hour away. They began to slow their approach even more, taking extra care to hide their presence from prying eyes. Stealth and teamwork were the two first things a warrior learned in a ninja village, so the trio of ANBU neither spoke nor slipped up as they went through this now routine drill.

Takeo nodded to Hiroto to find a way up the large cliff-like mountain as he shook his head to his own thoughts. These monsters that had been attacking villages for 300 square miles were being created by someone, and Takeo had a fairly good idea that his father was involved with it somehow. If he was capable with placing the seal Takeo now bore on him then there was no knowing what he might be able to do. The man was capable of creating the Deathless Doll, so he wouldn't put it past him either.

Hiroto looked back to him, saying, "Let's get this done." Takeo noticed that Hiroto still wore a steely expression and looked almost... older. The loss of Shirou was evident in his mood, and Takeo suddenly didn't feel so close-minded on the idea of the squad leader retiring.

Takeo eyed him carefully and said slowly, "When we get up there, don't jump. Remember, we are still on a recon mission unless we find something too dangerous to let continue. This isn't an act of vengeance." He didn't break eye contact for the entire statement to the now red Hiroto.

"You have no business telling me what to do, as I have decade of experience on you." He scoffed and looked off towards the mountain as he tensed his legs to jump. "And last I checked, you are the reason we got into this mess in the first place." After that, he rapidly began the ascent up the side of the mountain, leaving Takeo a bit stung by the accusation. Takeo glanced over to Akane who had also been quiet for this portion of the trip but that wasn't any different from any other trip with her. She looked back at him and opened her mouth slightly like she was going to say something but instead shook her head and followed after Hiroto. Takeo tried to dismiss his concerns as they were nearing the goal up the mountain.

They quickly assumed positions behind cover as they looked into the small valley below. Sure enough, a large troop of the armored creatures were residing in the center of the valley while what looked like normal people told them what to do and wandered freely throughout the camp. Takeo counted the Oni to be about 200 and the humans to be shy of 30. One of the Oni looked larger than the others, and its place in the corner of the platoon identified it as some sort of commander. Takeo spoke softly. "This is worse than we thought..." No sooner had the words left his mouth the one that seemed to be commanding issued a gutteral bark that was immediately followed by the large platoon marching double-time out of the small crevice on the opposing side of the mountain.

"Now's our chance, we need to go in to get some more info," the young Akane said out of the blue.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... We aren't supposed to..." Takeo began.

"She's right. Whatever we currently know isn't going to give our guys an advantage, and I doubt 90 percent of the camp is going to empty out while we have guys here again. We move now." With that, before Takeo could offer another protest, the two made their way down the mountain to the base camp. Takeo altered the area around him and vanished into thin air as he began his descent down the mountain. The two had taken cover behind a large stack of supply crates, and Takeo made his way over to the opposing side to try and guide them towards what appeared to be a small tunnel.

The room was filled with large man-sized machines, several of which had permanently been stained with blood. Chatter could be heard following the approaching shadows, and the three made quick work of dispersing thoughout the chamber in various hiding places. Takeo watched wide eyed as three freaks, one of which he recognized as the Deathless Doll, the other two being a colossal muscle-bound man with strange gauntlets on and a athletic man with nodes all over his body that identified him as one of Kumogakure's Shurai Toshi were walking into the room but quickly moving back out into another nearby hallway. This place seemed to be an underground complex, with the cavern that they hid in being only the entrance to it.

Hiroto had a look in his eye as he watched them leave and gave everyone the hand signal to keep moving forward. This was hardly the time or place to object, so Takeo and Akane followed the man into the depths of earth and sanity.