Drowning [P]

It hadn't been long since the Kaguya touched down in the strange and foreign land that he was suppose to call his home now. How long, well he wasn't entirely sure. One of, if not his favorite pass time was getting drunk. It was something he did all the time in Konoha and he saw no need to change now that he was here. His first order of business was to find a place to rest and leave his things. Eventually he would have to look into getting his own place. But there would be enough time for that later. For now he simply found a small hotel near the edge of the city and rented out a room where he rarely spent his time. Most of his time was spent at a bar drinking their sake. It was definitely not the same type of sake that was found in Konohagakure, but that was irrelevant. Alcohol was alcohol and if it got the job done then that's all the mattered. 

Today however the Kaguya had a change of heart. If this were to be his home he would need to familiarize himself with the in's and out's of this place. In his brief time here, the first thing he noticed compared to Konoha was the lack of greenery. It was as if where ever Konoha would have had some form of greenery, this place had water instead. Though was it really surprising? They were surrounded by it. The second thing he noticed was that more oft than not, the city was draped in a fog. Almost representative of the Kaguya's current state of mind. His thoughts on everything that happen as well as his own intentions were still unclear to himself. How he felt about Kiri's invasion, being taken from his home, and what to think of Xyxer. Was he really the enemy, or an ally? There was a clear opportunity to learn from this, grow as a shinobi to ensure what Kiri had done will never happen again. But as it stood the Kaguya's mind was too clouded with scrambled thoughts and drinking did very little to aid Kotsuzui with his internal struggle. So he took to walking.

Everyone he passed was a stranger. He felt like a stranger in Konoha after the invasion, and now he felt like a stranger here. The more he walked the streets the more he felt like he didn't belong. The first moment he saw to exit the village, he did. As he exited he had very little resistance from the guards. They all knew who he was. The green boy. Although little resistance was met at the gates, Kotsuzui had no doubt he was being watched and followed. He assumed he had been the moment Kiri's forces had re-organized themselves after their voyage back home. It's what he would have done. It did not phase him though. If there was a problem with anything he was or had done, then confront him. Maybe he could use a little confrontation. 

After a short time of walking drowned by his own thoughts, the Kaguya found himself standing on the edge of a long drop down into a large body of water. Directly beside him was a raging waterfall crashing down into the water below. protruding out of the waterfall were multiple large rocks which caused sections of the waterfall to split and come back together further down. With one leap Kotsuzui gently landed onto one of the rocks and took a seat on it with his legs crossed. He was relatively safe from the water itself but he could still feel the spray of water from it crashing against the rock he was on. He closed his eyes and began to focus on the roar of the water. A single stream flowing in one direction as he tried to clear his thoughts. His attempt at meditation did not save the Kaguya from his misery. For now he simply took in the moment of peace, wondering if anything at all would help bring the teenage shinobi out of this struggle.

Silence was the greatest companion of any person burdened with leadership. It allowed for them to meditate on their recent successes as well as their shortcomings, to take a breather away from the rabble without having to worry about your public appearance; how they were perceived by the outside eye. Xyxer had many excuses for his calming excursions: A hunt with his favourite dogs, honing his footwork on different terrains, perhaps even minor attempts of diplomacy with the fishermen of the adjoining islands. Xyxer had never been too good at diplomacy which was probably his greatest failure in this life, he'd never found it easy to take the viewpoint of another and to see their concerns as his own. Yet, now, as the cold water crashed atop his body while he sat on the surface of the lake he found time to address all of these concerns.

His navy shirt had been discarded on the bank, yet fortunately he retained his ninja pants. A sole chunk of amber in the shape of an oxen hoof sat just below the collarbone of Xyxer, swinging side to side as the descending water struck erratically. The token had been the only gift of note he'd received from another living person, a human of great value to the Abysswalker. A dear one stolen from him by his former friend under the duress of Konoha's shadow. She'd always been good with diplomacy.. Perhaps, if she had been granted a few more weeks in the light of the dying sun she could have taught Xyxer more about it. He'd never truly been able to metamorphosis from a brutal right-hand to a righteous Kage; he'd left that to all of those that came before him. 

Yet failure upon failure mounted before them all before insurrections stirred, and while that hadn't happened to Xyxer yet.. it was inevitable. He knew this was not the true way to lead and after his trip to Konoha the very thought of the blood games turned the man's stomach. Such a waste of loyal subjects, all for.. what? Amusement? The illusion that the victors will come out stronger? No, the victors emerged with mental trauma that wasn't understandable to those outside of the village. Xyxer wasn't creating shinobi, he was forging an army of monsters and psychopaths. The realization had struck him like an arrow from a master huntsman piercing the hide of a doe. 

For a moment his breath hastened under the glacial water that streamed down from the waterfall yet he soon wrestled it back under control. His tenure as a leader had been bloody and unforgivable, yet.. his deeds in Konoha earned him some respite, right? He spared so many people that even pacifists would find themselves humbled by his generosity.. yet his mercy slighted Sameonna's memory. She deserved her revenge in the form of a crater of blood.

Inhaling sharply, he purged the thoughts from his mind, only now noticing the approaching chakra signature. His footsteps were masked to Xyxer by the cascade of water, yet once his pink mohawk became visible it was clear who this individual was, and it almost made Xyxer wonder if he'd been tracked. Lifting his left arm up from his folded legs, he offered a wave towards the foreign man in a strange land. "Hello, Kotsuzui. I hope you are finding my village hospitable? Perhaps even homely?" Xyxer spoke without pause, still controlling his breathing under the freezing temperature; the exercise was vital in his book. Breathing was a key part of combat - Breathe too fast and you're gassed, ready to be killed, too slow and you can't react as rapidly as the situation requires.

The Kaguya had been so caught up in his own thoughts that he had not been aware of his surroundings. Considering how he was in a foreign land that was an unwise move on his part. Everyone here were strangers to him. It would be wise for the Kaguya to keep is guard up at all times. As a result of being distracted by his own thoughts he had completely failed to notice the chakra signature of someone located at the same waterfall he had chosen to be alone at. At first he had completely missed the person up until the waving of his hand had caught Kotsuzui's attention from the peripheries of his vision. His eyes quickly darted over to the direction of the man, his body tensing up for just a single moment as he got ready to brace for a potential oncoming attack. But there was no attack coming. Just the last man Kotsuzui was hoping to bump into when he chose to find a quite spot away from the village. The man who was causing all this confusion for the Kaguya. It was easy to tell he was none other than the Mizukage with the unusual color of his hair. But who was he to say anything.

He was being called over to join the Kage at the base of the waterfall. Was it an order, or simply a friendly gesture? Kotsuzui could no say. Could he really turn down the offer either way? Not really being in the mood to get all his attire soaking wet, he too would remove the upper layer of his clothing leaving him in nothing but his white pants. He didn't have to take anything off of his feet because, well the Kaguya never had any foot wear to begin with. Placing his clothing down beside the water fall he finally took one step off the edge and began his fall straight down to the bottom of the waterfall. As he reached the bottom, with the help of chakra enveloping his foot Kotsuzui stopped atop of the water sending a number of ripples in all directions yet barely disturbing the water at all. His eyes met with those of the man causing his own internal struggle. But from the outside Kotsuzui did his best to keep himself as stoic as possible. He however did not join the Mizukage under the waterfall. Instead, he sat down crossed legged a number of feet in front of him. 

Hospitable. Homely. The words ran back and forth through the mind of the Kaguya. He was no stranger to moving from place to place. He had done it quite often as a child until he and his mother finally found a place they could call home in Konoha. Konoha had been the only place Kotsuzui ever considered his home and it likely would always be that way. But that was not the Mizukage's question. He was merely asking if it was a homely place, not whether the Kaguya considered it his home or not. "I suppose so" Kotsuzui answered as he rested his hands on his knees. "Any place can be homely if in it long enough and given time to adjust. Hospitable, it's hard to say. Although your bartenders are quite welcoming" Kotsuzui spoke. That alone would likely inform Xyxer that the Kaguya was spending most of his time frequenting bars. After all drinking alcohol was one of his favorite hobbies, if it could be considered a hobby at all. In fact he still had a bottle with him at the moment stashed in his weapon pouches. Kotsuzui had been so caught up in keeping to himself that he hadn't met anyone other than those at the bars. He had no idea that his own friend, Hikari Hyuuga, had made the journey with them from Konoha to Kiri. "Maybe you can give me the run down on what to expect from your people" he added, "I only know them from what I've seen on the battle field and from hear say. What I know is they're born and raised to be killers. I can't imagine they take too kindly to outsiders."

Dead eyes flickered to follow the movement of Kotsuzui, all the way from his initial descent to the sitting. he was unfamiliar with the practice that Xyxer was carrying out and he couldn't blame him. Konohagakure had been incapable in developing human weapons, so it only made sense that they were unaware of the techniques that could mold a killer just like the heat of a forge could form a weapon. Kotsuzui's nerves had gotten the better of him in their fight and had it not been for Xyxer's sudden desire for mercy they would have been the reason for his death. Something Xyxer would iron out from the boy regardless of what method that needed to be used. 

Kotsuzui's response was a telltale sign that he wasn't handling the situation as well as Xyxer had anticipated. He relied on the warm feeling garnered from drowning yourself in alcohol, a temporary escape from reality rather than putting a leash on the situation. He waved his hand beside him once Kotsuzui had finished speaking, indicating for him to come and share the burden of the waterfall alongside him. "You have to be capable of mastering yourself in uncomfortable situations if you ever intend to be worthy enough to beat me, Kotsuzui. Sit with me and begin the journey." Those words would likely inspire the male, yet prove a double edged blade as it showed Xyxer's empathy; while it had been twisted and malformed to the point where he couldn't truly care for people, it still had some usage.

Regardless of whether the man followed his request or not he'd start to speak himself, his words unfazed by the continuous shower crashing upon him. "You can expect honourable, hard-working people. People that have endured more difficulties than people from your village can fathom, yet they hold their heads high none the less." Xyxer paused for a moment so that he didn't talk for too long, catching his breath before the stream took it from him, "Shinobi aren't like citizens, Kotsuzui. All ninjas are trained to be killers to some degree. We're all weapons to be utilised in defense of those who can't protect themselves. You were taught that much I'm sure, as your citizens were scampering and evacuating from your doomed village.. yet you were throwing yourself headlong into a kunai in defense of your de facto leader." The grey eyes closed once more, sheltering behind the protection of his eyelids.

The breaking of the water around them to make way for the cascades had became something akin to music for Xyxer, something that spoke with emotion that he was incapable of naming. It had a mild calming effect on the gruff voice in his mind, and as such the meditations always proved to be a valiant asset to impede the man's thirst for blood. Yet.. for a second, when his eyes opened again.. the lake itself was a crimson ichor and the demon became blinded from the viscous liquid coagulating around his eyes. Thankfully for him, these visions left no outward effect on his body as his eyes had remained closed.. he'd been used to these disturbing images for longer than he could recall. Perhaps that was the most terrifying thing about him.

The boy had defended the makeshift leader with what would have very well been his life, and Xyxer respected it. He fought with the same ferocity that he himself had, putting everything they had on the line in order to score a win, or perhaps.. just to feel something. Anything. Fear, relief, excitement, something to break away from the abyssal emptiness that mocked him as his namesake. "What made you act so recklessly on the battlefield, Kotsuzui? Someone specific you wanted to protect?" The words shattered his train of thought as he continued, turning his head somewhat to face the boy wherever he may be, "Who exactly is it.. that your heart misses the most? Now that you're away from your home in a foreign land." The words flew from his mouth without much thought, yet Kotsuzui's reaction was what he intended to analyse. Did the boy believe that he could hide things from a monster incarnate, or would he be truthful in the hope of further benevolence?

It seemed taking a seat in front of Xyxer was not what the man wanted. No, he wanted the Kaguya to take a seat beside him, to begin his journey under the cascading waters. He knew what was likely to happen the moment he stepped under the falling water, but could he even refuse the offer? Was it even an order? Whatever it was, Xyxer likely had a reason for wanting Kotsuzui to take a seat underneath the waterfall, so that's what he did. Rising from his seated position, the Kaguya slowly made his way beside the Kage. In one fluid motion he turned to face the same direction as Xyxer and took a seat beneath the waterfall. The moment the water broke upon the Kaguya's body all of his sense dulled out except for one. His sense of touch. He couldn't see, hear, nor smell anything as his entire being was now focused on the frigid temperatures of the water. He felt as if his whole body were shriveling up in a meager attempt to stay warm. For just a brief moment there was nothing in the world except him and the water. 

But then he remembered Xyxer, sitting beside him under the same waters like it was second nature to him. And it probably was. "Breath, just breath" he told himself, as difficult as it had become he still needed to tell himself. Once he gained control of his breathing he could better manage the situation. Slowly after his shoulders straightened out, body becoming more upright as he tried to adjust to the rapid change in temperature. He was by no means getting use to the rapid drop of his bodily temperature and it was taking every ounce of his strength to gather himself. But he had to because Xyxer was speaking to him. Something he had almost missed completely because he was so focused on the cold waters.

He made no attempt to look towards the Kage as he was spoken to, afraid the movement alone would break his concentrate and send him plummeting back down to first steps of entering the waterfall. Kotsuzui listened as best as he could about who the people of Kiri were. Were these hardships he spoke of the same reasons he attacked Konoha? Or were they hardships bred within the village meant to harden their shinobi? He could only speculate, but perhaps his stay here may show him. He continued to listen as Xyxer reminded him of what it meant to be a shinobi. To defend and essentially kill in the process. He took the liberty of reminding the Kaguya of his attempt to defend the citizens of Konoha and Risako.

"But we're not just trained to defend, are we?" the Kaguya spoke in response. "We're trained weapons to obey orders. Even if that means killing people to fulfill one's vengeful conquest." As he spoke he kept his head trained forward. He still hadn't reached the point where he was comfortable enough under the ice cold waters to move. It was difficult to think which made it difficult for him to answer Xyxer's next question. What caused him to act recklessly? Who did he miss being away from his home?

"It wasn't one person in particular. It was everyone" he replied, taking deep breaths here and there to try and control himself. Staying under the waterfall was not easy task. "Konoha took me in when I had no where else to go. It was the first time I could truly call a place 'home'. Risako was the leader of my home. What other way was there to protect my home than to protect her?" He took another moment to himself, closing his eyes as if it would help to better regulate himself. "I'd be lying If I said that were the only reason. Fighting is in my blood. It's what I live for and it's what I want to die doing." A sliver of a smile crept upon the Kaguya's face as he remembered the excitements that he felt on that day knowing he was going to get to fight, despite the memories of how tragically that night went for him. "I couldn't pass up on the prospect of fighting the Mizukage at the head of his army. As foolish as it was, it's what I live for. Protect my home, and fight."

The next question was a straight forward one for the Kaguya to answer. So he would try to answer it as plainly as possible. "I don't miss anyone. There was only one person I was truly close to in the village. You may have seen him. The red headed one who took part in the execution of our own shinobi. But our relationship was purely competitive. A brother he may be to me, but we're not in the business of missing one another." For a slight second his thoughts shifted to another person. That of Hikari Hyuuga. But not because she was someone he missed. How could he, she was the last person he saw before leaving. No, he thought of her because he felt a connection with her. He owed his life to her after she saved him not once, but twice. He remembered his talk with her, how she wanted to come along to Kiri when the forces took their leave. Up until now he had forgotten about that. Had she actually come?

He left Hikari out, not believing that it was necessary to mention her. Which brought the Kaguya to his question. "Why do you want to know who I care for, what does it have to do with me being here?"

The conqueror paid close attention to his companion when he went about changing his position to be directly under the water. It'd be a shock to his system and would serve to truly test whether there was anything to be done with him at all.. The sudden lapping of freezing water upon your flesh was enough to cause the body to seize up, and of course when that happened maintaining chakra control to remain above the water would be difficult. Cold shock was a dominant reason for why people drowned when they suddenly found themselves submerged, whether by jutsu or nature. Kotsuzui appeared to hold himself together quite well considering he didn't go under.

After a few moments of adjusting to the new temperature the best he could given that it was his first time, the boy would respond to Xyxer. He didn't believe shinobi were trained to defend. His view on shinobi was archaic and incomplete, speaking volumes about his experiences outside of Konohagakure, that being that there were very few. "Every action is in defense of something, Kotsuzui, you can not continue to see things from such a limited perspective. People fight to protect their egos, to protect their families back home, their freedom. Even fighting to defend the best interests of their leader." Xyxer replied coolly, continuing on shortly afterwards, "Weapons we may be, but we are no less a shield to our villages. We're more than mindless puppets."

Xyxer listened to Kotsuzui's reasoning, interested to learn more about the man that he'd drawn from his village back to the misty isles of Kirigakure. Through his eyes the defense of his kage was the ultimate way to protect the village rather than protecting the inexperienced shinobi. Perhaps he believed that sacrifices would need to be made in order to overwhelm the Kirigakure threat.. then his vice was revealed. His heart longed to fight, and Xyxer could not ridicule him for it. He shared the same beast deep within and if he could cut himself free from all of the attachments.. all of the allegiances.. he'd fight everyone. The marauder of the borders.. the demon from the depths. The Abysswalker. The once forgotten desire stirred once more, but it was tame. He nodded his head a little, offering only a minor quip, "I should apologise for depraving you of your wish."

The following answer amused Xyxer more than he could say, a knowing smile popping up on his face when the red headed Uchiha was mentioned. The one that had inquired about the sharingan and its enhanced states.. if the feeling was mutual, then Kotsuzui was going to truly be introduced into the world of Shinobi when it came time for Kisuke to unlock his Mangekyo Sharingan. He replied to the male's question while the smirk remained, "To see if you fight for them or for yourself. People are interesting creatures, they always change, their loyalties are fleeting. Today you say you're close to that boy, yet the coming month you may be the one to cut his life short. Only the smartest of us are capable of maintaining no relationships in this tricky world that seeks to claim everything from us." Xyxer explained before following up a few seconds later, "You've had enough time in Kirigakure for now, return to Konoha at your earliest convenience and stay with your brethren for a while, but don't forget to return when you've finished." He instructed, his eyes closed once more.

[exit]

1904 WC
http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t38673-so-this-is-the-mizukage-s-chambers-xyxer
1900+900=2800/3188 Swamp Of The Underworld Mastery

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To say the that Kotsuzui was getting use to the cold of the waterfall would be a long shot. But somehow he felt like he was more focused on the conversation now. Perhaps the fact he was using every ounce of his power to do so. When he first responded to Xyxer, he was on the defensive. He felt like he needed to prove a point to the Kage. But his perspective on the conversation had suddenly change, almost as though the waterfall washed away his defensive manor and allowed for a new way of seeing things to arise. As Xyxer responded, he instead listened to the message in his words. Rather than thinking of a comeback or a way to retort, he simply took in the message as best he could. Despite how he felt towards the man, he was surely an experienced person and Kotsuzui would do well to learn from him.

After Xyxer spoke, it got Kotsuzui thinking. What was he defending when he attack Konoha? His ego? The honor of his village for what happened to them in the past? Or was he defending anything at all? Was he merely doing what he enjoyed and that was to conquer? Kotsuzui decided to leave all these questions unspoken, further leaving him in an internal turmoil. Instead, he decided to return Xyxer quip with a remark of his own. "I'm sure there will be plenty more opportunities."

Kotsuzui continued listening, continuously bracing himself from the frigid temperatures of the water. He wanted to see what Kotsuzui fought for, himself or others. By his previous response it was quite clear that Kotsuzui did not fight for himself. But it was Xyxer's next words that would plant the seed of doubt in his mind that may potential cause him to re-consider who or what he fought for. Why would Kotsuzui ever be the one to strike down Kisuke? Although things have changed, the attack on Konoha being one of the many forces driving it. Who knows what the future held for the two of them.

The whole reason Kotsuzui came to this location was to help clear his mind from everything that was gnawing at him. This unexpected conversation with the Mizukage has only worsened his confusion. Though he was not given time to dwell on his thoughts any longer as he was given permission to return home and be with his people. But he must return when finished. When he finished? Kotsuzui just assumed that meant not to be away for too long. He almost had a mind to stay where he currently was to continue this mental and physical training he was going through under the waterfall. But he realized that Xyxer had no intentions of moving himself when his eyes closed. After all he was here first. So the Kaguya removed himself from the waterfall and went back to retrieve his clothing, relieved to be out from the water but also having wanted to stay. Despite being thoroughly confused about where he stood, he felt like he had learned quite a bit coming here. Which only helped to worsen his confusion.

[EXIT]
TWC: 2853
Purchasing Serum of Ebb with 1350 ryo and 1825 words to remove 5 points from my chakra.
(1250 ryo came from here)
1000 words to retrain the 5 points into strength
28 words into Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder (608/1500)
Memorize Xyxer's chakra signature.

Approved