Welcome to Gaia! ::

Hateshi arrives in a small town somewhere south in Kumojou, "This is it?" Tahei nods, "He's the closest one. You guys need to stay together. If you're caught alone you'll be lucky if he doesn't kill you." He looks at Hateshi, "I can't guarantee he won't kill you too if that happens." Hateshi stood there still not understanding, "That still doesn't make sense..." Tahei says, "They need to be convinced that they don't need to hide anymore..." He pauses trying to decide, [I still can't tell him...] "See Sensei was a really strong ninja. Those guys knew how strong he was. When Sensei was killed... that's why they're hiding. Anyone that may compromise their location... they may kill them." Hateshi understands, "Oh..." Tahei pauses, "Found him. Heh, he shouldn't have used Issekigan." They start running following Tahei.

Hateshi thought about something, [Wait...] "You can tell if someone's using Issekigan?" Tahei says, "Yeah. I know what Issekiha look like." Hateshi was confused, "Issekiha?" Tahei explains, "That's right... we never taught you how Issekigan works... Not sure I should even teach you that... since it's kind of top secret..." Hateshi wondered, [How does it work???] He tries to think about it, "So that's why we see things like that with Issekiha?" Tahei corrects him, "Well... see, it's kind of complicated... First of all it's not really 'sight' or 'seeing' in the normal sense of it. It's like... 'super x-ray vision' or 'super radar vision'... Eh, not exactly. Well, it's common knowledge to high level ninja in the clan anyway so I can tell you. Usually we're supposed to teach you more about Issekigan before showing you how to do little tricks with it." Hateshi remembered, "You mean like Nouhenkou?"

Tahei nodded, "Get ready to read Kamianshou." Hateshi nods and Tahei starts blinking, "Here's the basics. First when you activate it, it turns off all senses except the sense of touch." Hateshi realizes, [That's right... it makes you deaf and stuff...] Tahei continued, "That's why we're 'immune to kanjutsu.' After it does that then you gain a 6th sense. At level 1, Issekiha are emitted from the eye sockets. That's why it isn't 'sight' in the normal sense. It's practically completely different from that. You don't even need eyes to use Issekigan." Hateshi almost laughed then Tahei continued, "Issekiha are waves emitted with Issekigan that pick up all information about the space they pass through. When you activate Issekigan you hear what is called the Issekigan Boom. That's because your brain is just starting to process all the information from the Issekiha. After processing that information it gets organized into recognizable... stuff. That's why you can 'see'. After a while of using it you start to 'smell, hear and taste' with it. Why? Because your brain recognizes that stuff. It doesn't recognize the countless other things that the Issekiha are feeding it. Remember that those sense are actually off. So it's not 'smelling, hearing, tasting or seeing' in the normal sense." Hateshi was barely following along trying to understand the complexity of it. Tahei continues, "Sorry but it's the only way I can explain it to you in a way that you can possibly comprehend. After you begin to master it then you'll better understand exactly what its doing. Around then you may be able to unlock Issekigan." Hateshi asks, "Unlock Issekigan??" Tahei nods, "Right now, it's locked. By that I mean you're only 'seeing' a *small* amount of things that it's *actually* picking up. That's so that its actually useful for you. When you unlock Issekigan you can 'see' everything its picking up and theres a *lot* of data. By matching whatever you're looking at with what you're looking for, you learn how to filter through all this data. That's how you'll learn to see new things with Issekigan. *pause* That's how I learned what Issekiha look like. I watched you and Kousha using it and figured out what they 'looked' like. *thinks* Remember Kieto tracking Kiu through his energy signature? We can 'see' that too but I haven't figured out what that 'looks' like yet." Hateshi isn't sure, "I... think I get it..."

Tahei talks normally, "That's enough for now. I can't expect you to comprehend it you just kind of just started." He stops looking up at a building, "There he is. Hateshi look." Hateshi activates Issekigan and looks, "Uh... which one? There's like..." Tahei gets next to him and points. Hateshi nods, "Oh... wow that guy looks weird..." Tahei tells his students in a serious tone, "This guy's a very dangerous high class Hashi ninja. I recognize him. Hopefully he'll come in nice and easy."

The guy sitting on the 3rd floor of a 6 story apartment building looks down at the group, [Who the hell are those guys?] Tahei curses himself, "Damn he's already spotted us." The guy looks worried, "How does he know I'm looking at him... Wait..." He sees both Hateshi and Tahei, "Those guys... No... I'll have to check to make sure." He gets up. Tahei tells the group, "Yeah he's waiting for us." The guy grins, "You really good at reading people huh?" Tahei talks as if speaking to someone the others can't see, "Ko'on'na. It's me remember?" The guy thinks, "We'll see about that. You could be an impostor." Tahei frowns, "Fine."

He Inyus into the room and the guy looks freaked out, "You're a shadow ninja!" He laughs a little, "In that case sorry naka'a. I dare say you were quite convincing with the accent and all but I'm going to have to kill you." Tahei giggles, "Come on Sleeves it's me." Sleeves looks at him, "Don't act like you know me!" He throws out his arms and bandages fly out trying to wrap up Tahei. Tahei flash steps trying to get close to him but he jumps back making the bandages fly around Tahei closing in on him. Tahei takes out kunai and slashes them up, "Hmm... It seems you've sharpened your skills a bit..." Sleeves slashes all over the place with the bandages cutting up the floor and ceiling. Tahei snaps his fingers making the floor explode. Sleeves flash steps and stops for a second, "Wait a second... no." He launches a barrage of attacks at Tahei who dodges them all, [Sorry but I'm going to have to hit you hard.] He spins towards him and Sleeves realizes something, [Is he using Kaitenshiki???]

He wraps up both Tahei's wrists. Tahei jumps up, pulls towards him, kicks him, backflips, disappears, reappears, strikes him all over the place then flash steps back. Hateshi and his teammates arrive, "You already took him down?" Sleeves was amazed, "Who the hell are you? You know shadow jutsu, Mokuzai jutsu, Kaitenshiki, Tenshiki, atten..." Tahei taps him on the neck and steps back, "It's me Tahei." Sleeves gets up, "You're really Tahei..." Tahei nods, "Yeah." He looks at him, "This... I can't believe you're really here..." Tahei says, "We trained day in and day out under Sensei. I helped train you in Kamosu Kai... although Kousha was your best friend so he ended up training you mostly." Sleeves asks, "Where is he?" Tahei looks grim, "Dead." Sleeves realizes, "That's why you know atten attacks isn't it?! You reversed him!" Tahei argued, "He told me to. He didnt' want to be tossed away and all that go to waste!" Sleeves calms down, "How'd he die?" Tahei cuts it short, "The whole thing with Suzaku is real. Suzaku came back and killed him. He's trying to become stronger..."

Sleeves sits down in a chair, "Man... s**t!!!" He punches the table breaking it. Breathing hard, "Okay. Okay." He stops and Tahei tells him, "I'm going to need your help finding the others." Sleeves nods, "Yeah." Tahei says, "If we split up that'd be faster... but you think you can take them 1 on 1?" He laughs, "What?" Tahei thinks, "Nevermind. Maybe it'd be better if we show up as a group..." Sleeves thinks, "I don't know na. I've been... evading people for a couple of years. You have any idea what that's like. I heard you were doing stuff but how am I supposed to know that's really you?" Tahei slapped his head, "Yeah I could have just been an impostor..." Sleeves just sits there tired, "I'm so tired naka'a. There're times I was thinking about just killing myself. I don't know... I mean whoever it was *killed Sensei*" Tahei nodded, "We killed him back though." He snickered, "Really?" Tahei told him, "Me, Kousha, a Himora named Katashi, a Kashoku named Kieto, although he just tracked him, and Hateshi here *he points* took him down. The guy was Kiu Dougahi." Sleeves realizes, "That guy? He must've been a really good assassin if he killed Sensei." Tahei thinks, "I don't know... anyway he's dead now." Sleeves nods, "Okay. Okay." He looks at Hateshi asking Tahei, "So you been training this kid." Hateshi asks, "Why are you all wrapped up like that?" He looks at his bandages, "Heh. It's my style kid." Hateshi looked at him weird, "Okay..." Tahei explains, "Oh yeah. Everyone has their own style of Kamosu Kai. Since it's always changing practically everyone has a different style of it. Sleeves specializes in using bandages while fighting. Quicker grappling maneuvers and ranged combat." Sleeves nods, "Yeah. But you won't really get your own style 'til you master the basics." Hateshi wonders, [I wonder what my style is going to be like.]

Tahei tells the group, "Time to get the next guy. Last I remember he was an expert with Issekigan. Hateshi get ready to activate Issekigan upon arrival. If we're lucky he hasn't completely mastered his style." Hateshi thinks, [I wonder who we're going after this time.]

They arrive in the Toshira capital Bisaie. Hateshi was confused, "Isn't this backwards?" Tahei asked, "What?" Hateshi thought, "This is the place we were attacked at during the incident. Wouldn't he have run *away* from it not stay in it?" Tahei laughs, "Nah this guy's pretty smart. You would expect him to get away from here so you would *not* expect him to be here." Hateshi gets it, "And since he's really good at hiding..." Tahei laughs, "No he's not hiding exactly. He's in plain sight, except he's posing himself as a cop. He's blended into society below ninja level."

They walk into a police station. Tahei looks around thinking, "Hmm... Hateshi why haven't you activated Issekigan yet?" Hateshi does so, "Sorry." Tahei grins, "He sensed us. Caught him..." Tahei stops, "Where'd he go?" Sleeves looks concerned, "Did you see that?" Both of them look around, "How'd he do that?" Hateshi asks, "Do what?" Someone comes up to them, "Looking for something?" Tahei, Sleeves and Hateshi don't hear him but Resshi does looking at him wondering who he is. The guy looks at the Hashi ninja, [Hmm...] "You guys need something?" The Hashi ninja just stand there looking around as if they can't hear him. He grins, "Can you hear me now?" Tahei, Sleeves and Hateshi jump as they're suprised by his presence, "What the..." Sleeves asks him, "How'd you do that?" The guy thinks for a second, "You seem to be Hashi... But I'll have to do a more in depth check for that." Tahei, Sleeves and Hateshi take the Hitoro stance. Hateshi whispers, "Who is this guy?" The guy answers bowing, "You may call me Nisemono (Liar)." Tahei adds, "He's supposedly been advancing Issekigan. The last thing he was working on was becoming invisible to it." Sleeves realizes, "Wait that's why we couldn't see him???" Nisemono grins, "Lets begin shall we?"

Tahei flash steps at him but he flash steps above, "Don't worry I've rendered us completely oblivious to everyone here in the station. Do try not to hurt anyone okay?" Sleeves wraps his feet and slams him onto the ground. Nisemono appears behind him, "If I remember correctly there was someone in our clan called Sleeves. Might that be you?" Sleeves flash steps everywhere slinging the bandages at him. Tahei just stopped fighting and analyzes the situation, [Fighting him is pointless. He can just manipulate our Issekigan. He's managed to create Kanjutsu against Issekigan somehow...] "Guy's stop. He can completely cancel out Issekigan it's pointless fighting him." Nisemono laughs, "Oh? Did you forget I can tell when you're lying? Not even a Hashi ninja can fool my eye." Tahei glares at him, [Damn. He was the freakin head of security...] Tahei raises a finger, "Then I'm just going to end this real quick." Nisemono gets hit hard and falls to the ground, [What the?]

Nisemono coughs, "You know atten attacks?" Sleeves adds, "And Kaitenshiki, Mokuzai jutsu and shadow jutsu." Tahei taps Nisemono on the neck. Nisemono gets up and looks at Tahei, "Tahei..." Tahei greets him, "Habacha?" Nisemono remembers, "Kousha knew atten attacks... did he teach you?" Tahei shakes his head, "I reverse engineered him." Nisemono frowns, "Ah he's dead then?" Tahei nods, "The whole thing with..." Nisemono knew, "Suzaku." Tahei looked at him, "How did you know?" Nisemono said like it was obvious, "That's the most logical explanation." Tahei nods, "Oh..." Nisemono, "Well, thanks for finding me. So you're bringing the clan back together huh?" Tahei nodded and Nisemono bows, "Head of Security, Nisemono at your service." Tahei laughs, "Yeah I know." Nisemono says, "I see why you came for me second." Tahei said, "I figured you'd mastered that technique by now." Hateshi asks, "What technique?" Nisemono answers, "Manipulating other's Issekigan. That's how I appeared invisible to you guys. Your other team mates could see me because they don't have Issekigan, and I was only targeting those with it." Hateshi was surprised, "I thought... Isn't that impossible???"

Nisemono answers as a matter of fact, "It's *nearly* impossible. Nothing is impossible to the weilder of Issekigan. It's only a matter of time before it becomes doable. By knowing how it works, you can advance it further than what seems possible with it. Hence, it took me a while to develop kanjutsu against Issekigan." Hateshi asks, "Isn't that a bad thing?" Nisemono explains, "Not exactly. As the head of security, having this power is a plus. Any traitors within the clan can be more easily disposed of." Hateshi jokes, "But if you're a traitor then that's bad for us." Nisemono grins, "Yeah true, but I'm no traitor. Another thing is only those with Issekigan can use these kanjutsu because it requires it." Tahei nods, "Nisemono, go ahead and split from the group. You should have no trouble getting other members." Nisemono bows, "Yes sir." He flash steps disappearing. A cop looks at the group standing there, "What the? How'd you guys do that? You just appeared out of nowhere???" Tahei taps him in the neck knocking him out, "Lets go guys." They walk out of the building to continue on their journey as the cop falls to the ground.

Tahei tells the group to hurry up as he gets on the bus. After getting on Hateshi looks out at the rainy streets, [I wonder who the next guy is.]

After about a while of riding the bus they get off at a small city. Hateshi steps off the bus being sarcastic, "Well it should be easy to find him considering it's night now." Tahei thinks for a second, "Hmm... found him." Hateshi looked at Tahei, "You're getting really good at finding..." Tahei giggles, "He's at a bar." Hateshi realizes, "Hey you can't go drinking at a time like this na!" Tahei grins, "Okay jeez."

They're about to walk in and Tahei tells the kids, "Stay here. You aren't old enough." Hateshi smirks and sits outside, [Fine I'll just watch from out here.] Sleeves follows Tahei in, "Aren't you going to tell him not to use Issekigan?" Tahei shrugs, "Nanmo." Sleeves shrugs, "Okay." They walk past a couple of people and stop. Someone in a big coat turns around and looks at them, [Who the hell are these guys?] Tahei and Sleeves walk up to him. He finishes his drink, "Do I know you?" Tahei tells the bartender, "I'll have a..." The guy sitting there throws out scrolls causing the place burst into flames then flash steps. Tahei sighs, "Ugh naka'a. Sleeves clean up this mess I'll go after him." Sleeves asks, "What am I supposed to do? Piss on it?" He looks at the fire growing as everyone runs out of there. Tahei flash steps leaving Sleeves alone, "Hmm..."

Tahei catches him at the top of a building, "Was that really necessary?" The guy stumbles and looks at Tahei, "What the... Go away... *hickup*" Tahei giggles, "You owe us a drink for having to clean up your mess." The guy laughs, "I owe you...." He falls down and stumbles back up. Tahei flash steps next to him, "Come on..." The guy attacks him and Tahei deflects, [Hmm... Kaitenshiki.] The guy falls on the ground, "Hah... You can't win... *hickup*" Hateshi watches, [Man this guy's an even worse drunk that Tahei.] Tahei sighs, "I'll just knock you out already. You'll be easier to handle when you have a hang over." The guy opens his jacket, "Hang over?" A couple of scrolls fall out and cover the area in smoke. Tahei sighs, "You should know that smoke bombs don't work on..." The guy charges at him and Tahei strikes him in the neck dropping him, "*sigh* Hey Sleeves hurry up." Sleeves was smoking a cigarette, "Hold on." Hateshi was surprised, "Sleeves smokes?" He answers, "Yeah. You got a problem with that?" Tahei shakes his head, [Man the image we're giving these kids.] Hateshi asks, "What? Does Nisemono drink/smoke too??" Tahei flash steps carrying the drunk guy, "Yeah he does both." Hateshi could tell he was being sarcastic, "At least someone's clean."

Tahei drops the drunk dude off at the hospital. His cell phone vibrates so he takes it out and looks at it, "Hmm..." Not recognizing the number he answers it, "Who's this?" Nisemono says on the other end, "It's me baka. Who else you think would call you?" Tahei scratched his head, "I don't know... I really didn't expect you to call..." Nisemono asks, "So how many guys did you get so far?" Tahei shrugs, "Uh... 1 really drunk guy..." Nisemono laughs, "Come on be serious na." Tahei was serious, "What we had to clean up this guy's mess and s**t..." Nisemono giggles, "Well then I already got the other guys. Don't worry na. Later." Nisemono hangs up and Tahei flips his cell closed.

The nurse asks Tahei, "Is he...?" Tahei nods, "Yeah, hence why he has the birthmark." Hateshi looks and sees the triangles around the guy's eyes. The guy wakes up, "Ugh..." He makes a long yawn then gets up noticing the cute nurse, "Ooh... wait..." He realizes he's in the hospital then notices Tahei and Hateshi, "Wait a minute..." He jumps, stumbling out of bed looking for something, "What the... Where's my stuff?!! Who are you guys?" He takes the Hitoro stance. Hateshi giggles at this guy, "We can't seriously take you seriously when you're wearing hospital clothes naka'a." The guy yells, "Where the hell are my clothes then!" Tahei tells him, "Calm down na. Jeez what kind of reunion is this?" The guy jumps to level 15 Issekigan, "How do I really know you're Hashi?.." Tahei jumps to level 15, "Hmm... this good enough for you?" The guy drops to the ground as Tahei appears behind him. He was amazed, "You know atten..." Tahei shrugs, "Yeah." He taps the guy on the neck and he bows, "Sorry naka'a..." Tahei assures him, "Don't worry. Anyway I'm Tahei. Your name is?" The guy looks at Tahei in amazement, "Tahei? The son of Sensei Tahei?" Tahei nods, "Yeah." The guy bows again, "Sorry for the..." Tahei nearly punches him but he dodges, "Stop apologizing bakaera. I asked for your name." The guy bows, "I uh... I don't feel safe giving my name..." Tahei sighs, "What do you go by?" The guy finally says, "You can call me Page." Hateshi asks, "Why doesn't anyone just use their real name?" Tahei answers like it was obvious, "Because they just got out of hiding. They still want the option of disappearing off the face of the Earth if they need to." Tahei flash steps and reappears with Page's belongings, "Here's your clothes and stuff."

After Page grabs his clothes he checks all of his scrolls, "Good they're all intact." Suddenly Hateshi hears a voice, [Come here]. Hateshi spaces out then walks out of the room. Tahei looks and ignores him then talks to Page, "Just to put this upfront, I'm the new Grand Master." Page looks at him in amazement, "Damn... Wait... What about Kousha?"

Hateshi walks outside following the voice, [Over here.] Hateshi follows as if mesmerized by it. Suddenly someone grabs him and they disappear. A tall dark figure stands behind him, "I've been waiting for this." Hateshi shakes his head, "What the..." He looks around, "Where am I?" The man behind him speaks into his ear, "You know why you're here?" Hateshi freezes sensing what's behind him, [This guy's ryoku... What the... That's... So much suppressed ryoku.... That isn't even human.] The man giggles, "Heh you seem to have the ability to sense ryoku even if it's hidden. You're afraid of that? That's not even 1%."