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The sun shone balefully down, baking the earth mercilessly. It was day seven of the worst heat wave in a decade, and the entire neighborhood was miserable. Tempers grew short as the thermostat climbed, and people did their best to remain indoors until evening, in the hopes that it might be a little more bearable then. In such a humid environment, there were only two businesses that were doing well. One was the ice cream truck, which found itself deluged with traffic. Not just children, but adults came rushing in droves at the nostalgic sound of that jaunty little tune.

And the other was the pool. The pool! That bastion against the heat! Where you could go to cool off, to lounge poolside and work on your tan, or take a dip and finally feel refreshed after the cloying, sticky heat everywhere else. This particle example of that treasured summer mainstay was a particularly robust specimen. More than a hundred feet long, and half that wide, it was currently filled by several dozen people, ranging in age from little children and their parents, to rambunctious teenagers, to a few staid adults lounging in the shallows.

All in all it was a perfectly ordinary, if unpleasantly hot and humid, summer day. Not a thing could go wrong, there were no troubles brewing on the horizons. Yet it was at times like that that you had to be the most careful, for fate had a way of bucking the odds and making the impossible possible. So it was that that day found its peace utterly destroyed. It had begun innocently enough; a teenaged boy had jumped into the pool before wading toward the deep end. His mother called out for him to not go too far, he wasn't a good swimmer. He only laughed and told her he would be fine.

A moment later, he was pulled under. He bobbed back to the surface, coughing and spitting out chlorinated water. Nothing too serious there, he must have forgotten to keep kicking his legs. But a moment later, he was pulled under again. This time he began thrashing and trying to call for help. But before anyone could get close, he was pulled under again. This time he didn't surface. Instead, a red cloud dyed the water in the immediate area, before it began to slowly expand in all directions.

At the same time, a triangular fin broke the water's surface before it began approaching another pool-goer. By this point, everybody had noticed what was going on. Everyone in the water began making a mad dash for the edges of the pool, to try to get out. Cries of 'Shark!' were heard as the mass panic ensued. People shoved each other, to try to get to the safety of poolside first. And in the chaos and confusion, another person was pulled under. Then a third, and two more crimson flowers opened in the water.

By that point, everyone else had gotten out of the water. They pulled back but turned to look at the gory sight, murmuring amongst themselves. The fascination with death and accidents was a known fact. Humans found themselves inexplicably drawn to such sights. Not liking what they saw, but unable to look away. Even now, they could see the fin cutting through the red-tinged water, back and forth as it patrolled for more prey. How had a shark even gotten into a pool, in the first place?! It wasn't connected to any natural body of water, and it was filled through a system of hoses and pumps, not by dumping water from a natural source through some other means.

Finally, one individual stepped forward. Grumbling, he jumped into the water, ignoring the cries of protest from everyone else. He waded purposefully toward the fin, even as it turned to orient on him. It advanced rapidly, and he crouched slightly, raising his arms to a ready position. Was he going to try to fight it? It was possible to wrestle an alligator, but a shark? That was impossible! Even so, the man seemed intent to try. And just before the fin reached him, he whipped his arms into the water, before grabbing something and pulling.

When the man pulled his hands out of the water, he was holding something. But it wasn't a shark. Not fully, anyways. It was also somewhat a human. Or rather, a combination of the two. Blue skin stood out in contrast to the red water, and set off the red of her eyes. She was wearing a school swimsuit, a modest one-piece with a name stenciled on the chest. Where the fin of a shark was on its back, her dorsal fin was on the top of her head. Currently, she was baring her teeth in a growl, showing off the mouthful of razor-sharp teeth she possessed. The man released one of her shoulders before he bopped her solidly on the nose.

She cried out and clamped her hands over her nose. "What'd you do that for, huh?!" Blood leaked out of her clenched fingers, showing she had sprung a leak.

"You were eating people!" The man roared, his anger more than evident as he shook her to emphasize his point.

"Not that many! I only ate three or four..." The shark girl turned her head to look away. She seemed for all the world as apologetic as if she had eaten a cookie before supper, rather than just killed and devoured three people.

"Three or f- Why you!" The man raised his hand to strike her, but she pushed him. Despite the size difference between the two, he fell back into the water with a tremendous splash. She grinned before sinking into the water, disappearing into the crimson expanse. The man tried to get his feet under him, but within moments he was under attack. He fought valiantly, but this time he failed to grab the girl. Instead he shouted as he was attacked, again and again. Finally, he coughed, and sank down into the water.

For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, just when all seemed like it was peaceful once more, there was a splash and the shark girl jumped clear out of the water, landing on the pool's edge. She looked at the people, who had all pulled back away from her. She only grinned before walking away, leaving bloody footprints in her wake. The last any of them saw of her was her tail moving back and forth casually. She went into the changing room, where she took the chance to wash the blood off and pull on her street clothes. She was still an unusual sight, but once she had dressed in something more than just a swimsuit, it became somewhat more challenging to recognize just what it was about her that was different. The blue skin was the only clue that was difficult to hide, and that alone wouldn't tell anyone what she really was.

She walked down the street, whistling under her breath. That had been refreshing, she had needed a dip. But she always got so hungry in the late afternoons...
[1195 out of ??? ]

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A sudden piercing shriek filled the still air. No sooner had it started than a pair of eyes opened, staring intensely at the offender. Those eyes narrowed in concentration as their owner made a single decisive movement, cutting off the shrill sound instantly. A few more simple movements, and the deed was done. The unnamed form stepped back, their posture just barely relaxed now that they had finished what they had been sent to do. All that was left was the waiting.
Just a few minutes later, they moved once more, reaching down to grasp the object that had been the recipient of their earlier endeavor. Tilting it, they watched as a thin stream of liquid easily came forth to fill one of a pair of matching receptacles. A matching amount went into the second, the liquid's level in the two containers perfectly balanced, despite the lack of any form of measure beyond eyesight.
Setting the now partially drained object carefully down in its proper place, a small ceramic disc placed in the precise center of the stand. Only then did the figure finally deign to take a seat, slipping gracefully into one of two identical chairs. The other chair had remained empty during this entire process, and there was no reason to believe that would change in the future. A soft sigh could be heard, as the unnamed figure reached out and carefully picked up one of the paired receptacles, carefully holding the ceramic disc that it was balanced upon.
Cythera took a sip of her freshly-brewed tea, the delicate flavor bringing a hint of a smile to her face. She'd made it perfectly, just like usual. But what good was that skill, when her principal was still missing? She wasn't out searching at that very moment merely because the rumors had dried up, nobody could recall even seeing her quarry. That in itself was troubling, they weren't necessarily a social outcast. She knew that much, that they had been seen in other gatherings before, even indulging in a costume party of all things! Yet now, they had seemingly dropped off of the face of the earth, disappeared without a trace. She had followed them from village to village, exploring each siting until she was sure they had moved on. Finally, she realized she was going about her search all wrong. To find her quarry, she had to understand their mind better, to know what might make them decide to move on from a location, and where they might go.
So she had returned to the Academy. She had passed through those halls twice before. Once, when she was much younger than she was now, when she had actually come to be trained in the arts. The second time was early in the search for her quarry, before she had lost the trail for the first time. She had come back now to regain her focus, to let herself regain that edge that would hopefully help her cut through the dross of inconsequential rumors and find the few kernels of truth to guide her to her destination.
An outsider might think her cause not nearly so dire. But to her, and to her family, it was vitally important. Not for the money, though that did help. No, because her family's reputation was on the line. She was only the third member of the family to take up the mantle of this job, that meant that her success or failure could make or break her family's entire hiring prospects. Her parents had put everything they had into getting this business started, she wasn't about to let them down. Why her principal couldn't see that, and just come back, let her do her job; that was the question that kept her awake at night.
Letting out a slight sigh, Cythera set her cup down, the dregs of her tea lingering in the bottom. While a cup of perfectly made tea could cure plenty of ills, this was one of the few exceptions. She was stumped, confounded and bereft. There were simply no more clues to be found, and that ate at her. She wasn't about to give up, but all the same, frustration was beginning to build up. Even tea time, one of her more precious rites of the day, did little to take that irritation away. She'd have to keep trying, she'd have to venture out blind. She knew a good number of the locations where her principal had been sighted in the past, and a rough estimate of just when each of those sightings had occurred. Perhaps that would be enough, maybe it would allow her to make an educated guess toward where her principal had gone to ground.
That brought her to one of her other lingering sources of anxious nervousness. Just why had her principal disappeared like this? The rumors all indicated that they could take care of themselves, that they were respected for their abilities. Could they have been caught unaware, become the victim of foul play? No, she refused to consider that. If that was true, then all of this was meaningless. She had to believe that her principal was still alive, that they could protect themselves until she reached them again.
Sighing, she began to clean up, the rest of the pot of tea going untouched, the small platter of delicate pastries that accompanied any proper tea time going similarly untouched. The tea would not be saved for later, even thinking of such a concept was the sign of a heathen. The sweets, however, they could be tucked away for a quick bite while on the road. After all, they were designed to be finger foods, to be eaten with the bare hand and not with cutlery.
Several moments later, the only sign that she had taken her repast was the presence of the innocuous table and chairs. She would move them later, once she was ready to leave on her search. For the time being, they would remain, in the event that she remained for one more day. Since there was no clear indicator of where she could go, she felt hesitant to actually choose. Did she trust her family's livelihood to her own sense of luck? That was a large gamble, perhaps too large.
Still, what choice did she have? None, really. She had to try. But just because she had to, that didn't mean she couldn't hedge her bets. That meant she was going to do some more research. Not from books, from people. The instructor that had taught her principal was still here at the Ninja Academy, she was going to go track them down and ask them if they had any more information to give. Surely they remembered at least something more about her principal, some small clue that might point her in the right direction!
Unfortunately, first she had to wait for the classes to finish for the day. She didn't want to obstruct the class, so she waited in the hallway and listened in. She already had a passing knowledge of chakra and the basic skills of Ninjutsu, Genjutsu and Taijutsu. Her training had covered that, along with a myriad of other subjects, ranging from military history, haute cuisine, domestic skills, and of course a full curriculum of custom, tradition and propriety. But a refresher would not be unwelcome, so she paid attention. As she did, she thought back to the process by which she had learned the same lessons. Her school had been her home, and her instructors had been her parents. Along with the occasional fleeting presence of a tutor in a specialized field, of course. The coursework had been heavy, and the rules strict, but not unfair or inconsistent. She had risen to the challenge, mastering one lesson after another.
Finally, the day had come for her final test. It was hideously complex, and was designed to measure every facet of what made her distinctly her. Her personality, her intuition, her expertise. even her luck and aesthetics. The test had lasted a full week, encompassing day and night in a virtually non-stop assault on her willpower and resolve. By the end, she had hit her limit, and suffered through breaking past it. She'd suffered physically, too. The sheer toll of such focus for so long had left her bedridden for a further week. While convalescing, however, the only thing she could think of was finding out if she had passed or failed. But no matter how many times she asked, no answer had been given until she was deemed well enough to get up and move under her own power.
She remembered that day well. That morning, nobody had come in to check on her, to give her a chance to ask if she had passed or failed. Instead, there was just a change of clothes, and atop that, a small slip of paper. On it were a meager two words. 'Ten minutes'. It only took an instant for her to grasp the meaning, she had ten minutes from the time she saw it, to arrive at the room where her family discussed all important matters. If her own fate was to be held there, then that had to be a good sign, right?
She had hurriedly gotten ready, putting many of the tricks and skills she had learned to good use, so that after a sparse five minutes, she was as elegantly appointed as if she had spent several hours on it. She still had only a few moments to arrive at her destination, clear on the other side of the complex they had been given the use of. It was a mammoth affair, a myriad of rooms and hallways, not to mention the assorted secret passages that they had only begun to discover and make use of. She did so now, sliding back a panel to reveal a narrow path that led through pitch blackness. She'd only travelled it once before, but she knew that it would save her several moments, moments that she didn't have to spare.
A brisk march through the darkness, and she had arrived, just around the corner from her goal. As she approached, she was surprised to see a small gathering outside of the door. Several of them eyed her speculatively, with varying degrees of positive or negative reactions. Were these all potential clients; would her principal be from one of these? It was an intimidating thought. Knowing that she would be given over to guard someone, at the cost of her own life, without ever having even met them before. Even if they were spiteful or cruel, once her family had accepted the contract, there was nothing that could be done about it.
Remembering her manners, the extensive hours of being drilled over courtesy and appropriate responses, she kept her eyes downcast, and avoided the center of the hallway. As a bodyguard and servant, it was not her place to meet any of their gazes, nor to stand in the center of the hallway as their equal. Instead, she made her way carefully forward, waiting for an opportunity to enter the room without obstructing any of the others. It ate into her precious remaining time, but if she was late as a result, it would be her fault, none of the others. She could have arrived earlier to avoid such troubles.
Finally, she made it inside. The room was dimly lit, a quartet of candles, one to each corner, the only source of light. A simple mat was set in the center of the room, she knew before being told that she was to kneel their and await the coming pronouncement. She could see a trio of figures hid in the shadows on the far side of the room. One of them was likely her mother or father, but beyond that, she had no clue toward their identities. In the end, it didn't matter. Their authority was absolute in this, regardless of if she knew who they were or not. So she took her seat, and waited in silence, head turned down as she waited patiently.
Regardless of how short a time they had given her to arrive, they were in no hurry. By the time they finally spoke, her legs had begun to grow numb, falling asleep from the uncomfortable position she was in. She barely raised her eyes in the only show of acknowledgement permitted her, turned toward the center of the three shadowed forms. A voice, ancient beyond time, gender meaningless, slowly and haltingly spoke.
"Cythera Demeter. You have attempted the trials to become a full member of your family's calling. Before judgment is given, have you any words to say on your own behalf?"
She gathered herself for a moment, knowing this question was far more important than it appeared. "None, honored one. Only that any mistakes are my own, and not the result of inadequate teaching." This, then, would place the full shame of failure on herself, rather than her parents or tutors. It was not that she had that much confidence in her success, but merely that she owed it to everyone who had taught her, to spare any of them the shame of failure if it came down to that.
"Spoken well enough. Very well," the voice coughed dryly for a moment before continuing on. "It is the opinion of this group that Cythera Demeter... be refused promotion."
With those few words, ice water ran down Cythera's back. She had failed. Refusing to let the hurt or shame she felt touch her voice, she merely nodded her head, her eyes still staring at a point on the floor precisely two feet in front of her. "I understand. I thank you for your decision, and consideration." While she wanted to get up and run home to seek comfort in her family, she kept herself fixed in place. Even now, she had her pride, and her training. She was not permitted to get up and leave, not until all of the others had done so. So she waited, even as doubt wormed it's way deeper into her mind. Where had she gone wrong? What had caused her to fail? She wanted to know!
Once the trio had left, only then did she get to her feet. She was alone, but she still wouldn't cry, not yet. Her pride, while shaken, was all that was keeping her strong so far. She needed to keep a calm demeanor even as she departed. If the others were still gathered at the door, they couldn't be made aware of the decision by someone such as her. No, that revelation would come at the decision of those ranked higher than herself, and not the expression of a failed recruit. So she bit her lip, clenched her fist, and turned to leave.
Just before she touched the door's handle, however, a soft voice cut out of the darkness to barely touch her ears. "Are you satisfied with this decision? You actually passed the exam, they only failed you because one of them was offended by your parents' devotion to you. You should have been promoted before this, in fact."
Hearing this caused Cythera's face to go pale, was this true? Had she only failed because one of the shadowy trio had a grudge against her parents? That wasn't fair! She had done her best, shouldn't she have been allowed to pass or fail on her own merits? Then the simple truth hit her. She knew who this voice belonged to, and she knew what it really wanted. "I see. And you want to recruit me yourself, regardless of their decision?"
"I knew you were smart, that's it exactly. I can promise you a wage at least the equal of any of those stuffed shirts out there; and you can still gain a similar amount of renown for your family."
That did sound like a good deal. With that much money, she could definitely help her family come along in it's efforts to gain prestige. And if the trio had already marked her down as a lost cause, then she would never graduate, no matter how hard she tried. Better to make her choice now, while she still had some pride left. "You would offer that much to a failure? It's an amazing offer, truly so. But... I cannot. My place is here. Even if I am to fail every attempt, I did swear an oath of loyalty, and I cannot break it so easily. I apologize, but I cannot accept your generous offer."
"Think what you're doing, girl! You're throwing away your entire future, and for what? A bunch of old fools who don't even see your value? What makes them so deserving of your loyalty, when they feel none for you?!"
"They deserve my loyalty, because I gave it to them freely. It's as simple as that. Now I ask you to leave, do not try to tempt me again." She expected them to grow angry at her continued denial, but she would not sell her pride, no matter the price.
But rather than curse or bluster, the still unseen figure merely laughed. "You really wouldn't betray them, no matter what, would you?" They raised their voice somewhat, as if speaking to someone else in the room. "I think that's proof enough, are you all satisfied?"
Cythera tried to look further into the shadows, but still couldn't see anything. It was like looking at a black curtain... Wait... Cautiously, she approached, a hand reaching out to the darkness. Just before she could touch it, however, it was rapidly pulled back, revealing the other half of the room, lit with more candles, enough to well-illuminate the rows of seats. All the faces she had passed by in the hall, the shadowy trio, and even her parents, they were all there, watching her. Immediately self-conscious, she sank to one knee, bowing her head. What was going on?!
"Cythera, it's alright, stand up and face us. This was the last test, the final challenge of your exam. We needed to make sure of your loyalty, even if you yourself were betrayed. I think we've seen all we needed to. What about you, Nui?" This voice Cythera recognized as her father's, even as she uncertainly got to her feet, trying to avoid losing the strength in them.
That same voice that had tried to tempt her sounded again, this time from immediately behind her. She jumped in shock at the soft voice. "I concur, she resisted stronger than quite a few others, I really tried, too." The speaker was revealed a moment later, as they pulled a completely black facemask off, revealing a nondescript face.
"We noticed. I don't think the elders were thrilled by being called 'a bunch of old fools'..." A smattering of muffled laughter could be heard, as the trio even joined in. Apparently they weren't as serious and imposing as they had appeared, if they could even laugh at something like that.
It was all too much, was this entire affair just a last test? Did that mean she really passed, and they were just ensuring themselves of her loyalty?
"Methis, enough's enough. Tell Cythera it's over, can't you tell she's about to have a full-on panic attack?" And sure enough, the sheer shock, so soon after another shock, had wrought some stress on Cythera, she felt faint and light-headed. She was having trouble focusing on the words the others were saying, even though she knew it was important that she stay awake and listen. After all, they had yet to say she had really passed, if this was a test too... As the blackness swallowed her up, she was aware of someone catching her, but everything was soon consumed by the darkness.
Cythera snapped out of her reverie as the door opened, signaling the end of the day's lessons. A steady stream of young hopefuls trickled out of the room, most talking about one facet or another of what they had just learned. She watched them cautiously, just as prepared for a sudden ambush now as any other time. It seemed like simple paranoia, but her training had been comprehensive enough to ensure she would not forgot that mindset anytime soon. So she waited until all of the young ninja in training had left, before going into the classroom.
It seemed much the same as every other time she'd been in it, a standard array of benches arranged in staggered rows, with communal desks in front of each row of seats. At the front of the room was a podium, at which the instructor would stand to deliver the day's lessons. Behind them, a blackboard, still bearing the notes that had been written down during the course of the day's classes. In the far corner of the room was a small desk, at which sat a person wearing the distinctive vest of a Chunin. The instructor, almost certainly. They were shuffling a stack of papers in preparation for fitting them into an already-overstuffed folder. They looked up as she approached, wearing a hesitant smile. "Ah, yes, um hello?" They asked, rising from their seat to nod their head and hold a hand out.
Cythera accepted the hand, shaking it twice with a measured grip, before she introduced herself. After all, decorum demanded she give her own name before asking for another person's. "Good afternoon. My name is Cythera Demeter, I had made arrangements to speak with you. Would you have the time to indulge me a few moments of your attention?"
The instructor blinked, perhaps put off a bit by the formal tone Cythera had used to introduce herself. Because of that moment of confusion, their mind was a bit slow in reminding them of something they had heard before. "Oh, yes, I remember now. I'd been told that I'd have a visitor who would have some questions for me. What can I help you with?" They felt a bit nervous when exposed to such formality, but they would still try to help if they could. The memo they'd discovered that morning had only mentioned that a private concern was looking into one of the Academy's former students. It had given no clue toward why their guest was looking into the student; if they had gotten in trouble or even been killed or captured.
"Indeed. I've been assigned to find this ninja,' At that, Cythera pulled out the small picture of her principal, handing it over to the instructor. She had first made contact with the Academy itself, relying on its administration to direct her to the proper instructor. There were numerous instructors here, and any one of them could have been the one to teach her principal. 'and I was directed to ask you. Do you remember them?"
The instructor looked at the picture for a moment as they thought back to all the students they had taught. They'd been teaching for quite some time, to the point that they had already begun making plans for their retirement. But their mind was still sharp, and they still remembered virtually all of their students. "Ah, yes, I remember this one! A hard worker, but they seemed a bit too soft to really become a successful ninja. Did something happen to them?" They looked up, concern evident in their face. They'd been teaching for so long, that their students were almost like their children.
"No, nothing like that, to the best of my knowledge. I'm merely trying to find them, their family has become concerned over their continued absence. In their time here, did they give an indication of what their plans would be, after graduating? Any locations they wanted to visit, any friends they had made while here?" The questions were fairly vague in what they covered, but that was merely a reflection of how desperate the hunt had become. The severe dearth of clues to investigate had forced Cythera to this, to retracing her steps and going back to the beginning. If this didn't work... But she couldn't let herself get dismayed, she needed to remain confident.
"Hmm... A location they wanted to visit? I don't believe so. I don't think they had any friends either, they remained in a single-occupant dorm room their entire stay, I believe. Unless..." The instructor stopped to think, calling upon a memory from quite some time ago. "Yes, I think there was one student they had spent at least some time with. But who was that other student..." The instructor moved around the desk, and approached a file cabinet. Opening one of the drawers, they pulled it out, revealing a large number of alphabetized folders. These must be the records of all the students they had taught. Cythera didn't approach to take a look, she knew that those records were private and proprietary.
Finally, the instructor seemed to find what they had been looking for, a roster of the class in question. It listed all of the students they had taught for that class, including any early or late arrivals or departures. It had also been updated with a small bio of each graduate, and what they had gone on to do with their lives. Some had fallen in battle, others been relegated to rearguard, and numerous other paths. But where was the one they were thinking of? When they finally found the name, they paused, stunned for a long moment. "Oh. Oh dear..."
Cythera's mind instantly went on the alert, she could hear the mounting worry in the instructor's voice. Proprietary records or not, she needed to know what had them so concerned. So she moved closer, to see if she could find out what had caused such fear. "What is it? Did you find them?" She had a passing knowledge of some of the more famous and infamous ninja of the various villages, information like that had fallen within the demesnes of vital information. After all, while unlikely, any one of them could have potentially been an enemy, due to the ever-changing relations between the villages. When she saw the roster, only two names stood out to her, the name of her principal, and one other. She silently pointed to that name, afraid to ask.
Only for the instructor to nod, that was the one, the one her principal had made contact with while at the Academy. They were dangerous, one of the more lethal ninja she had heard about in all her various lessons. And they weren't simply dangerous, they were a killer, killing with an ease that was intensely disturbing. If her principal had encountered them again after leaving the Academy... Turning on her heel, she barely had the wherewithal to thank the instructor for their time before she left. Things had gotten much more troubling, and she couldn't afford to be lax in her attentions anymore. She had to go out and track that killer down. Once she did, she could try to figure out a way to get the information she needed, without becoming a statistic herself. To find out the last time they had seen her principal, along with anything else they knew about her principal.
As it would turn out, finding this other ninja was almost as difficult a prospect as finding her principal. Over the years, they had gone to ground after a particularly spectacular series of attacks on various villages. But she had to find them, as the last clue she had been able to unearth toward the location of her principal. For now, though, her time at the Academy was over. She stayed only long enough to formally withdraw, letting the administration know that her occupancy was ending. She had passed the curriculum in her first day, it had made for a change of pace and a nice refresher on the lessons she had learned before. So there was no reason she couldn't leave, and no further obstacle to her hunt, save the hunt itself.
[4688 x 2 = 9376 out of 2300? ]

☢ ☢ ☢ xxxxxxxx Ќӯσȷɪη Șυȥɑκυ ☢xxxxxxxxxxxxx

PLEASE DON'T STEAL!
JUST ASK!

☠ ☠ ☠Branded like an animal!
xxx☠ ☠ ☠I can still feel the burn in my mind!
xxxxxx☠ ☠ ☠I do believe that you made your message clear!
xxxxxxxxx☠ ☠ ☠I think I'm losin' my mind, I think I'm losin' my mind!

Staring at my creation… Kyojin, his new body, what Rikiya would have looked like in his 20s… I feel so happy, my creation looks perfect… But nobody is perfect! Especially not a human being… The Narrator was staring at Grumpy, oh poor grumpy, me and Narrator are letting out our… Frustration out on writing and beating the s**t out of the voices… Excluding Wrath, Feminine and The True Owner, and Kyojin doesn't seem to mind, he'd be happy enough to participate if he could hurt the voices in his head, but Narrator and I can actually give him the ability to do that, but I won't… The Voices are our personal toy right now… The Narrator looked at Grumpy, his face was disfigured and bloodied, The Narrator looked calm but he kept on punching and bashing the nonexistent being. Then again… The Voices are somewhat real but only to the crazy people, only one who sees them are the crazy ones, that’s how I made them… Me? I'm just The Writer, the one who created the voices and The Narrator… The Narrator controls the voices and Kyojin… None can see me save for the ones reading. "Well Grumpy? Had enough?" The Narrator asked, stepping on Grumpy's face, Grumpy nodded, "That's good to hear but the problem is… I'M NOT!" The Narrator rose his feet high up and smashed the voice's skull. "Evil! Neutral! GET IN HERE!" The Narrator said, the two victims walked forward, gulping and scared, ah the poor bastards, experiencing our Wrath. It was a simple and somewhat effective way of suppressing the stress for a moment, The Narrator grabbed Neutral by the back of his head and began to bash his skull on the ground, he didn't stop until The Narrator saw Neutral's skull, he stopped and kicked the temporarily lifeless body to the side, "NEXT!"

Kyojin walked to the academy for the third time in his life, he wondered… Could he have won against Oaisis? "Maybe not." He muttered, that calm dead eyes stared ahead, looking deep within those eyes is a lingering madness waiting to break free… Deeper and you see that unrelenting greed and lust for power… Wrath for his own village, and that cannibalistic hunger, Kyojin was wearing a red shirt, a black coat with a hood and his dark blue jeans, he wore black boots, his sleeves and coat pockets held and hid his weapons, "First time dying involved me getting my body destroyed by a 10 or 11 year old runt… Second time has me getting my entire body blown up by a large breasted woman… What's third death going to be? Ripped to shreds by an elder person?" He muttered again and a young girl around the age of 12 or 14 maybe bumped into him, she muttered sorry and asked who he was… Kyojin answered truthfully, she looked surprised, a 20 year old student… "There is such thing young lady… A Class even has them, that's the class I'm going in right now." Kyojin said and smiled, she muttered something along the lines of weird and Kyojin being dumb, "Gave us a reason to kill her!" Wrath said, whispering in Kyojin's ear like a devil… Kyojin found Wrath acting like a devil a tad bit funny… The Creature was a ancient demon too, "You know you can't stop the Wrath… Daniel The Narrator's anger and The Writer's sadness and madness is just adding to the wrath I'm giving you." Kyojin didn't have to be told about the two creator's current… Situation… He pulled out a kunai and looked at the girl darkly, her eyes widen… Innocence was not going to save her. Blood gushed out of her neck after Kyojin slid it, she soon tried to scream but instead she drowned In her own blood. Kyojin wasn't… Hungry at the moment and she didn't annoy him, Wrath simply told him to kill the poor young lady and he complied, he had to keep this power, he had to make sure The Avatar of Sin doesn't leave him… He needed that power and he was going to keep it at all cost! "And I'm not going to let it get taken!" The Narrator added. Kyojin smiled at The Narrator, "What are we going to do with this girl?" Kyojin asked and while he asked Evil returned and stretched only for The Narrator to kick him in the gut and the organs inside came out including his spine… "I just came back!" Evil said before vanishing. "Burn her body then or just hide it in the bush." DaN said and Kyojin complied, he didn't have enough chakra to even burn her… He sighed and simply dragged her lifeless body into the bushes

Kyojin wasn't worried if they found the body, it must be that pride he still had, he was willing enough to beg for his life knowing full well there was no escaping that death… That wasn't pride that was him being a pathetic fool. "And yet I strangely don't hate her… Well must be because anyone would kill a person if they get annoyed." Kyojin nodded and laughed to himself. "I eat them if they annoy me," He added and he simply kept walking to the academy… He wondered about Oasis, pondered what kind of person she was… A Stunning Woman… "I haven't met anyone that meets her kind of… Beauty or strength… The strength of how she lifted me by my collar is explainable… It was adrenalin." Kyojin nodded and climbed the nearest tree he could find. "Or she really was a goddess in a human body." Neutral voice said, The Narrator dug his fingernails on Neutral's neck and ripped out his throat and watched the voice vanish. "There isn't such a being… If one existed, they don't care about… Us Humans." Kyojin muttered and he pulled the hood of his coat over his head, the darkness created by his hood hid his face save for his golden and red eyes. Kyojin wanted to take a nap… He was tired… He's been tired for years now. But he knew he couldn't sleep yet, he could sleep in peace if he fulfilled his dream and his mission… Start doing the things he needed to do. He couldn't believe he wasted 5 years traveling only to lose everything in his recent… Death. "You're a b*****d Daniel… You're a b*****d." Kyojin said and The Narrator simply grabbed Grumpy who had just reappeared and died after having his head and brain squeezed by The Narrator's palm. "But that’s my job! To torment you! To be a b*****d! I love my job!" The Narrator said and laughed, Kyojin simply scowled… He closed his eyes for a moment but soon drifted into sleep.

Kyojin's sleep didn't last for long due to the fact he awoke after 20 minutes… He placed his hand on his forehead and felt the sweat that had formed… Did he have a nightmare? "I can't seem to remember it…" Kyojin smiled and he laughed, "A nightmare that a person forgets… Well it's good to know I don't remember it… I wonder if you know what that dream was about." Kyojin said looking at The Narrator before jumping down from the tree branch, DaN smiled pretending to be innocent and laughed, "Whatever is it you think I know, is simple paranoia, I know nothing, I'm just a simple Narrator, the mouthpiece of The Writer." DaN said and he smiled, Kyojin flipped him the finger and walked into the academy. He wondered what else he had to do, what else did he need? Kyojin's thought went to the strange woman who had killed him. "What's her name Narrator?" Kyojin asked and he leaned on the nearest solid wall he could find that he could lean on, "What's the point of telling you my friend? I'll just erase that memory of you knowing her name!" The Narrator said and he laughed once more, Kyojin growled and simply leaned on that tree… He slowly sat down and looked up at the sky… He wondered what it would be like to simply live a peaceful life… Free of that hate he had, get married, have kids… "That's impossible… It would never happen to me… Not when I want to destroy Hidden Volcano." Kyojin said and he smirked, all those bastards getting burned alive, "You know genocide isn't really a nice idea… What if you became a sort of Kage, you'll become a senate, rule Hidden Volcano… Become a sort of king," The Narrator said and Wrath looked at Kyojin urging the man to think about it, "Sounds… Interesting…" Kyojin smiled, he thought about it long and hard… Him a sort of Kage? That sounded good… No he could rule the very village that made him an outcast… Then again… The person they turned into an outcast was dead… He was simply known as Kyojin now, Rikiya was dead… Burned alive. He laughed at the thought of what those fools would react when they recognize what he looks like now… An older version of Rikiya.

Kyojin explored the surrounding woods of the academy, he heard giggling and laughing, Kyojin narrowed his eyes, he followed where he heard them and he saw two apparent couple… Kissing, he turned his head and raised his eyebrows before he shook his head and turned, the couple must have heard him because they stopped and called out to him. They called Kyojin a old pervert and Kyojin growled, "I'M NOT OLD YOU LITTLE ********> Kyojin ran towards them and pulled out his Katana, he stabbed the girl in the chest and turned boy into a woman before decapitating him, Kyojin sighed and kicked the bodies to the side and watched them roll downhill. "Well I can relax here though… I see no reason why I should be sad that I killed them… Besides, they insulted me," Kyojin muttered and he sighed again. "Why did you kill them just because they called you old?" Feminine asked before looking at a the ground... "I'd understand you getting angry because they called you a pervert but you got angry at the fact they called you old… Why?" Kyojin shrugged, "How the hell am I suppose to know? I got angry and I killed them. They insulted me and they died for it… What are you looking at Feminine?" He walked towards where Feminine was looking, "Something was recently buried there…" Feminine said and Kyojin bent down, he dug out the dirt and soon he touched something solid. It was a shoebox and Kyojin opened it. A Sort of thick stick was covered by a wrapper and tied around it was a note, Kyojin grabbed the note and opened it. "The guy I just killed wanted to give this to the girl… I wonder what it is... Maybe we can sell it." Kyojin said and unwrapped it, he looked at the object in his hand, his eyes widen and Feminine was blushing. "I don't think we can sell that…" True Owner said and laughed, the object was… Plastic, black and studded, a little heavy… "Hey, it’s a little bigger than you-" Evil was cut off with Kyojin's death glare, "DON'T YOU DARE SAY IT!" Kyojin shouted and he looked at it… "Say can I take control of you Kyojin?" Feminine asked and Kyojin looked at Feminine, "Go. Away. I am not going to let you damage my a*****e!"[/coor] Kyojin said and he threw the annoying item away.

The Object flew inside a teacher's window and she let out an ear shattering screech that her window shattered into million pieces. There were about six or maybe eight students just outside, they were scolded because the teacher thought they were trying to tease her… The Poor bastards were reprimanded for something Kyojin caused, Kyojin wiped his hands and he gulped a bit, "So apparently you're… Um Lacking in size?" Evil asked and Kyojin growled at the voice, "I. Am. Not. 'Lacking'. IN SIZE!" Kyojin said before The Narrator ripped Evil into shreds, "Yep, you're not lacking in size but you're not big either… You're… Basically Average." The Narrator said and gave Kyojin a pat on the back before laughing and smiling. Kyojin just growled at the stupid Narrator before leaving the place and going to get his graduation papers. He just wanted to get out of this academy and get it all over with, he was getting bored of the place and he was already strong enough to become a genin… If he wasn't so lazy he might actually be a jonin by now! But no, Kyojin was to busy traveling for 5 years and then die a painful death just because The Narrator had something in mind, Kyojin walked out of the forest and entered the academy, he walked in its halls for the third time and entered a room. They handed him a few items and wished him good-luck, it was time to continue his training, he had to get stronger and find the woman who killed him… It won't be hard, he was sure of it, where do you find a…Big breasted woman that had pink hair? The Village where he died would surely know who she was! He had a good feeling about her… Maybe she could even aid him in his quest to becoming more powerful and to take over his village… Genocide was far from his mind now… If only he were powerful… What was the point of him dying the second time if he wasn't going to get anything out of the deal? Kyojin shook his head as he left the academy's walls; The Narrator was a b*****d, a true b*****d who wasn't going to leave Kyojin the hell alone. Kyojin had to endure a lot more because The Narrator and The Writer would be satisfied… The Sadistic jerks... Kyojin stared into the forest outside the village, he wondered… Could he really become a Kage? If that were possible, he would make sure he would also try and become something more… He could even create himself minions that are extremely loyal to him… Loyal until they are dead… He wondered if he could actually perform such a feat… Create his own Clan, he heard that such a thing was hard… But Kyojin knew he could do it… No he wanted to do it, he was going to fulfill his dreams and nothing was going to stop him… No-one was going to stop him anyway… Who Will? Who was going to try and get him to stop?

...Don't know how much I can take☣ ☣ ☣
...Secret thoughts inside me wake☣ ☣ ☣xxx
...I've lost what was within me☣ ☣ ☣xxxxxx
...Oh sweet insanity☣ ☣ ☣xxxxxxxxx

The Technique

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Word Count - 2,437 x 2 = 4,872

????? - Total Chakra

Remaining Chakra - ????

Henge No Jutsu - 300 Chakra/Words [x]
Bushin No Jutsu - 300 Chakra/Words [x]
Art of Substitution - 400 Chakra/Words [x]
Tree Climbing - 600 Chakra/Words [x]
Water Walking - 600 Chakra/Words [x]
Chakra Molding - 500 Chakra/Words [x]
Leaf Concentration - 500 Chakra/Words [x]
Shuriken / Kunai Target Practice - 200 Chakra/Words [x]
Weight Lifting - 300 Chakra/Words [x]
Weight Running - 300 Chakra/Words [x]
Dummy Fighting - 200 Chakra/Words [x]
Sparing - 300 Chakra/Words [x]
Meditating - 300 Chakra/Words [x]

Sanity Level Song:

Low - Normal
Dangerously Low - Danger
Madness Unleashed - Run the F**k Away

The Quote of the Voices:
Stare into the darkness... Become the monster... Let it all out
Am i with a possible target(s)?: Nope
Am i losing control of my Fragile Sanity?: I guess?

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"How are you doing today, Paul? I'm doing good, how about you, Raz? I'm good. A tad bored though, there's not too many people around to play with!" A boy sat around against one of the protective walls of the Academy, a crudely made puppet that was certainly not battle ready was seated beside him. Normal rope like strings connected from his fingers to the puppet itself as he used his free hand to move the jaw up and down while responding to himself in a higher pitched voice. A smile spread across his face as he looks at the doll, obviously either pretending they were an actual person, or believing it. It was really hard to tell which was the case. A few shinobi in training walking by would turn their heads and look at the stark white clad male as he spoke to the puppet in his hands, his fingers connected to the strings twitching to make limbs move while he moved the puppet's jaw up and down in order for it to appear that much more lifelike. The young male's golden yellow eyes looked up from the doll he had been conversing with and immediately upon the people who were giving him weird looks. The smile fading from his face as he slowly began to rise to his feet and released the puppet, having it dangle by just the strings it was connected to him by. "What are you looking at!? Don't make me send Paul after you! It's a serious badass in battle!!" Raz screams, ripping his hand upwards in order to throw the puppet into a standing position. The puppet itself jarring uncontrollably and ripping from the strings in order to send the entire body flying into the air with pieces of the strings sailing behind it. The crude puppet corpse would fly high into the air, much to the shock and dismay of Raz as he simply stood there watching it sail through the air, before crashing to the ground a few feet away from where he was standing. Limbs scattering everywhere combined with the sharp crack of the body itself breaking from the impact, it would seem that 'Paul', wasn't all that much of a fighter after all. Raz's face quickly shifted to a look of pure horror as he rushed forwards and dropped to his knees before the decapitated and limbless broken puppet, his hands scrambling to try and push the pieces back into the sockets of the torso, even though all the strings that were holding it together had been ripped clean from the body itself.

At this point those that had been onlooking him in both confusion and criticism, were now outright laughing at the odd spectacle. After all Raz had just claimed that the obviously faulty puppet was a truly exceptional fighter, only to have it basically smash itself while he was trying to make it show off. For the most part, he was not really doing a good job of showing off even the slightest bit of skill in puppetry, despite how hard he had been working on such aspects of himself. Raz looked from one person to the next, before his fists would begin to curl in anger and his entire body disappeared. Only the sound of him running off, and the shifting of the grass where his feet landed would be able to reveal that he had even been there to begin with. As soon as he had raced off in his invisible form long enough, his entire appearance would snap back into view. The full kitsune ears, tail, and all for pure view for anyone to see. He frowned at himself, his tails flicking behind him in annoyance as he began walking down the pathway he had found while he was running off. Closing his golden yellow eyes for a moment, the tails and ears would vanish from sight once again, and he would reopen them so he wouldn't trip and fall or anything while he walked. He hadn't been to the Academy for that long now, but he had learned that a lot of the weird things he apparently did on his own, were things that other people would like to make fun of him for. Though such things didn't really upset him, they sure got annoying for someone who hadn't the strength to really be able to stand up for himself yet. Raz veered off the path and took a seat underneath the shade of a tree, his back leaning against the hard bark as he watched a group of shinobi in the distance attempting over and over, running up and standing on the side of some of the larger trees a distance away. Perhaps that was what he should be doing here, training and becoming stronger? He tilted his head back to look up at the leaves, pondering the thought.

There was a loud thump as the boy's body fell a good height from one of the taller trees in the area. His body landing directly on his back as the air releases from his lungs in a hiss. He would lay there silently for the time being, his eyes staring blankly up at the leaves above him until slowly he rolled over and began moving back to his feet. He had been trying to run up and stand on the trees for a while now, mimicking the same motions and the basics of what he could notice of the chakra as those across the way from him that were training to do the same thing. Perhaps he should go about trying it in a different way? Raz sighed lightly as he moved himself back to his feet and looked up at the tree he was practicing on. Was the tree too high? Was there only certain trees this technique worked upon? He frowned and took a step back, his eyes closing for a moment as he rose a hand and dropped the fox mask over his face. His eyes snapping open as soon as the mask had settled, he ran forwards at full sprint, chakra flowing around the bases of his feet as he rocketed up the tree and towards the high branches above him. His gaze hardening slightly as he moved up the tree and soon reached the branches, actually running upside down along one of the thicker ones and standing there upside down on the tree. His arms flailing around him for a moment as the kimono he wore slipped over his face and head as soon as gravity had set in upon him ceasing movement. This sudden lack of sight caused his eyes to snap shut instantly, his concentration focusing purely on the act of his chakra holding him in place while a smile slowly slipped across his face. He had done it! He managed to climb the damn tree and make it to the top without issue! As soon as he had realized he succeeded, he would release the technique with a single hand seal, causing himself to fall downwards towards the ground. A flip in the air would send him from a head first crash, to a feet first resulting in first his feet, and then his butt to take the brunt of the landing. With his clothing back in place now, Raz slowly rose to his feet a second time, his hand shifting and rubbing his now injured back as he slowly began walking away and off to find something else to learn from his surroundings.

Shifting and dropping the mask from his face, his golden yellow eyes would cross over the main gates of the Academy. A black clad female crossing into his vision as he raised an eyebrow slightly. He couldn't tell the overall age of the female, but he figured she had to be at least roughly the same age as he was now. Out of sheer curiosity, the boy slowly wandered his way towards her, trying to act as non-suspicious as possible towards the fact he was basically investigating the oddly dressed female, even though he was one to talk in his old fashioned sheer white kimono. After he had gotten close enough to see both the girl in better detail, as well as the smirk that was spread across her face. Raz could feel a slight shiver run down his spine, a smirk like that was certainly not something a playful kitsune like himself was used to seeing. It practically held a sign towards the intent of ill-will towards another. He sighed slightly and walked towards her more, he would need to better investigate her now that he had noticed such a disturbing feature about her. Should she be evil, he would need to figure out how to deal with her correctly. Hopefully he could persuade her to not do anything sinister in the Academy while she was there, since bloodshed wasn't really something needed a place of learning. "Hey! Girl! You busy?" He calls out as he raises a single hand upwards in order to wave the female down, his golden yellow eyes narrowing in order to look at her better from the narrowing distance between them as he walked towards her. Perhaps he could get her to train with him? He was certainly he could help her through the steps of Tree Climbing, and then they could work on water walking or something? He smiled lightly, that'd be nice. Especially since poor Paul broke the way he did a little while ago, Raz didn't have anyone to talk to again! Meeting this female may just change that, you never know she could be hardly evil at all. Just having a bad day.