Kenzo Kurochi - A Clown's Grin

[Dysclerion]

A Clown's Grin...


This is where I will post Kenzo Kurochi, the Kazekage's whole life. Have fun reading but please do not post.

 

[Dysclerion]

Prologue : Pre-Birth Hate



Twenty-six years ago, Sunagakure would happen to be in the path of a constantly moving Nomad Tribe. During that time the situation on the tribe was pretty tense. The tribe's best warrior was requesting for more rights in the tribe. But the chief of the tribe happened to be a selfish person: He did not approve the request, but the warrior didn't quit. He challenged the chief for his position, and of course the chief accepted. Knowing the skills of the warrior the chief battled him in an unfair way. He sent assassins to kill the warrior one night before the battle. The warrior defeated the assassins quickly and went on for the chief's head. The chief was caught in surprise, however he alarmed his army and they together defeated the warrior. In his last moments the warrior managed to throw a simple knife at the chief and hit one of his eyes, such blinding that eye forever. The next day, the chief as arrogant and selfish as he was accused the warrior of treachery without announcing the circumstances of the warrior's "assault". Yet, he wanted revenge and the ones to take it were the warrior's only family; his wife and his unborn son. The chief decided to take the child just as he was born, because he seemed it as a valuable future warrior and then... kill the woman. However, the woman understood what was being planned and on the night when the tribe would pass by Sunagakure, she suddenly disappeared. That night she gave birth to her son and quickly left him on the door of the Kazekage. She quickly left the village so that she wouldn't be followed, her son was never meant to return to her. She was immediately murdered as she was seen with the small stomach again. But the tribe never found her child.

 

[Dysclerion]

Chapter One: The Child



It was another day of the Elders' Meetings, and being the Eldest and Wisest I had to participate. We discussed about many points regarding the village, but a good number of them was including the Kazekage. His manners, activity and recent losses by him were just too much, and we came to a conclusion: All he wanted was power. And the Eight tails was pretty active in the village, always chopping down houses, while the Kazekage did not do anything. Our jounin had to face it every time, and they were slowly falling in number. After the meeting, I went at my apartment and decided to take a break from all the stress and give my body - and mind a rest. I was informed before that of a Nomad tribe passing by our gates. Why did I just mention that? Simple, for a chunin came in and told me about an abandoned child on the Kazekage's door. I knew something: The Kazekage would not mind it, probably toss it away. So I tried to find the parent, well, not me. I told that chunin to find the child's parents, and while I first thought for the Nomads, I recalled that they did not stop at all. We searched then inside the village, but we failed. This child was left to me, the first person that chunin had informed about, and I asked for this fact not to be spread anymore. I took the child as the most suitable parent for him until someone would maybe find his parents.

Time passed and I think that I'm starting to understand this child. He is aggressive, never cries and is really problematic. So, due to him having a fighter nature, I decided to keep him as a normal villager would not teach him correctly the Shinobi way. I could raise this child to something big, doing this would gain me the respect from others. He is still only one year old, but has learned the basics, he can walk even talk to a good degree. I have been planning something for him, the Council will be testing young children and train them to be the Hachibi host. Sending him there would be a good idea, yes. I need a name... I'll name him... Kenzo.

Two years passed, I am getting older so I am going to hand Kenzo to the project. He's three years old now, he's learned talking perfectly, reading, climbing and such basic knowledge too. I have already trained his reflexes. I tried throwing slowly-moving balls at him. I am trying to raise his Agility. The sooner reflexes are trained, the better they are used later. However, that is all I can do for now. Tomorrow he'll be in the hands of the project trainers. And I hope I am alive to see this child grow the village's strongest warrior...

 

[Dysclerion]

Chapter Two: Raising The Beast



I see it only as a vision, maybe a dream or weak memory, but I can still visualize the day on which the old man sent me to the Hachibi Project. That man had become a father figure for me... Masaki was his name. I was greeted by name, however then I was only known as Kenzo. A psychologist, I don't remember his name but he always had this big fake smile on his face, so I called him Professor Delight. Prof. Delight was there to test our mentality so that there would not be just useless children. Most of the children were immediately eliminated, they were not ready for the Hachibi. Then our physical abilities were tested, reflexes, speed, strength, agility and stamina. I think I was one of the best, of course for my age.

I was best in the Mentality parameters, for I was emotionally stable, did not react to any kind of attraction and I was independent. Reflexes, strength and speed were no problems for me. But Professor Delight told me that Agility was necessary for the position, as Hachibi would cover up my Strength, reflexes and stamina. So, I needed the Speed and agility, one of which I already possessed. And I began my training focusing mainly on agility. Now that the most suitable children from each age category were selected, I was chosen from my category. We were transported in large, wide rooms. We had to learn what solitude was. Soon the number of the competitors began to fall and I was left with teenager competitors; I was only seven. Ah... teenagers, their rumors and different methods of winning. They would say that some of the competitors went insane from the isolation just to win. This along with their age, made Professor Delight to choose me as the Hachibi's host for a reason mainly. The teenagers have had their friends, and their life was set as social, Hachibi would ruin their lives and they would give up on it.

I was once more transferred into a more suitable area for physical training. And my next Six years were monotone, every day training. My routine was simple: I had six years to spend, so I trained each ability once, while I got to practice Agility twice. I was pushed to the edge, I was alone for those six years and had not seen a single human in those years. Food was transported by an eagle: My only friend for Six years. And when it was all over, I saw the big smile of Professor Delight again.

 

[Dysclerion]

Chapter Three: The Dancing Flowers



As soon as I was retracted back to the borders of Sunagakure, I was greeted by the death of Masaki. The old man was another victim of the Deadly Flu and had departed from the world just a few days before my arrival. For an unknown reason, I was not touched by this event. I simply shook my head to approve the messenger's leave and never thought about it, maybe it was my disconnection from humans for too long, I just know that I cannot say that it was simply me and my personality. I was then approached by Professor Delight again, he told me about this tournament evolving at the Center of Town, just in front of the Kazekage's large tower. Not sure if I wanted to expose or if I even had those abilities, declining his invitation was the first choice I made. The next day I went out in the town, just to roam and begin to adapt it into my eyes and mind as after all, it was the first time I walked through it. I went to the marketplace where I grabbed fruits, some water and with that I escaped. Stealing was the only way of securing me food as I yet had to win some ryo in order to be able to actually buy something.

I did that for some weeks, and despite not liking it I had to constantly watch after myself and my steps. And in another such day, suddenly the marketplace was empty. Believe me, no man roamed the cities, but I found a new road that I heard noises come from. As I walked through the road, the noises came brighter and louder, only to reveal a large group of villagers around the 'arena' as they called it. It was the tournament Professor Delight spoke to me... The Dancing Flowers. I never understood why that name, or what meaning it really had, but one thing I knew; This tournament could secure my next five years if I continued with eating fruits. I did not understand luxury and simply thought about stopping the thievery, no one adored it. Such I enrolled into the tournament, only to notice that I was placed first under the participants. Professor Delight had predicted me, he told me weeks before the tournament and already knew my answer: He then enrolled me first as many normal shinobi did not know of it's existence.

My first battle was rather delayed, the other shinobi was missing and the fellow participants had finished their battle by the time that I could. Either way, the preliminaries were seriously easy, it all was. I did not have large competition, I was even called 'Kurochi', meaning Dark Chi or Dark Aura for the other competitors thought that my personality was too closed. I ended the battle quick, and never celebrated on it. The true difficulty came in the final round. Only after that did I find out that the finalist was actually a Chunin in disguise. This also served as my Chunin Exams, as I beat a fully qualified ninja of that rank. But this did not really matter as I had two other, more important rewards. I won the large number of ryo, and my really praised reward; The Dancing Flower haori. This was the name of the whole tournament, a haori with patterns of flowers colored in weak crimson and faint gold. The base itself was a stronger crimson and I was given the opportunity to edit in a symbol into the haori. I decided for my family's symbol, as it was seen in my old cloth I was handed with. And in the end, a Sunagakure symbol. I swore to never give it away, sell or even lose it. Instead I saved it for my future, as it was too large for my body to wear at that time. I had the money to survive now, and never returned to thievery anymore. I was ranked Chunin, given no teammate and no other Sensei than Professor Delight.

 

[Dysclerion]

Chapter Four: The Clown's Grin



Professor Delight had told me that soon I would step in front of the Council so they could decide if I was definitely the correct next host. I had proven my abilities in battle and now I only had to pass their 'Spiritual' Part, Delight told me they would ask me some questions on my ideals and goals, but he considered them 'worthless crap' so he told me to just pick up a lie and fill their minds. I agreed, I had no intention to motivate the village with my demon - I had to protect the village with it. I was shown the personalities of each Elder so I would understand their questions, and eventually predict their questions. I did this for six weeks, a week per person. Each of them would test me and in the end give their report. In the end I was 93% suitable as the Hachibi Host, this number was the highest one of these tests in the History.

I was sent into a dark room, no light source, no light. The only source would be the ground; there was a large circle specific for Sealing Rituals. I could only view the details of the room after the circle was supplied with chakra, which was also when it started glowing a light green color. I woke up the next day, I could not remember the actual sealing, I think it was a post-traumatic experience the reason I had forgotten, but I knew what had happened. I could feel something foreign in my body, another source of chakra. At night I entered a state similar to sleeping, only that I found myself in a giant underwater cave. I could surprisingly swim easily, and at first I did not notice the entrance to the cave. Only after a few weeks did I notice the black hole, so I decided to inspect it closer. It was a sudden situation, the hole was placed on the end of the sea, but yet when I entered it the gravity was suddenly reversed. I fell from the top of the cave, landing just in front of cage sealed with a symbol. That was when I met Hachibi, the Bijuu I held inside. The creature tried to corrupt my mind, and this is where I met the first steps of Professor Delight. My narrowed mind was for the simple reason of protecting me from the Bijuu's offers.

The following years were to train my mind and learn to control Hachibi. The Council supplied me with information about the former Hosts and their behavior around the Hachibi. I learned from their mistakes, but did not follow them, created my own way of interacting with Hachibi and visited it fairly regularly to gain information on his being. I did this routine for three years, but it was not a monotone routine. My relationship with the Hachibi developed with time, and while my life outside consisted of basic survival acts, in my own world I befriended Hachibi. I was fifteen when I ranked up to Jounin and it was also the time when the status of Sunagakure intensified. Iwagakure was in a desperate state, they did not have a bijuu and seeing as Sunagakure had the second strongest Bijuu along with a history of failures of keeping Hachibi in a host, they provoked a war hoping that the host would go out of control such setting Hachibi free again.

Sunagakure noticed this and planned to continue the war, as Iwagakure wanted. The Council create a special squad, sent to infiltrate the forces of the opposing village. Because of me being the main target of the war and also a skilled fighter, I was put in this squad. We would take away any evidence of us being Sunagakure shinobi, and then go inside Iwagakure. The squad would then spend a year building bonds with officials and civilians of the village, only to massacre each one of them later. I played the role very well, but toned down my power so I would not show I was the Host. In the meantime, the council faked a security move of the 'Hachibi Host' who was a puppet manipulated from distances. It was given the signature of the Hachibi's chakra, while the volume would not matter as the opposing forces would take that he was simply surpassing his levels to keep a low profile. The puppet was supplied with strong chemicals, explosives strong enough to evacuate the whole island it was placed on... And it did so. This move was done a year after we were sent into Iwagakure, and it was time for our move. Our forces attacked from outside, gathering the attention of the soldiers while we did the Dirty work from inside. A group of five shinobi massacred a whole village. All of them failed soon, not having the courage to continue and bring end to the mission. Some pleaded to me to stop the mission, while the others went insane from what they had seen. I, well, I continued the mission alone. I saved a specific district for the end, maybe give them time to escape. This district was my 'neighborhood' for that year, and my bonds were so tight I gave them a chance. When I had finished the massacre, I turned to them. Only to find out that the neighbors did not move, they actually smiled when they saw me arrive, thinking of me as their savior. I went through the houses, and watching their innocent faces told me to just stop and retreat, but my body said otherwise. "Do not worry, it will be alright." were my words to them, a smile carved on my face before I quickly ended their life. In the end, I sat there just by the last body awaiting the signal. "When its ears alarm him, the bird takes the move." was all I was told, and then I heard the gates crash down violently. I closed my eyes, and felt my body grow as my arms shrunk, releasing out tentacles, pure chakra. The Hachibi looked around, before setting the village in ruins. I was praised when I returned, but no one seemed to realize that... I still had that Clown's grin in my face.