Kazuo Murders Genjutsu (Solo)

Kazuo Kemuri sat alone in a meditative stance. He was actually training for once. Why? Because he was bored, and he realized that genjutsu was absolutely insane to fight against. Thankfully Kazuo had pretty powerful genjutsu of his own, but that didn’t change the fact that he should probably be able to combat effects used by other people. He recalled the time that boy, Kaigo Resu, had but him in a genjutsu. There were cats everywhere, shit was crazy. It was pretty crappy, to be honest. But yeah, the point was, Kazuo needed to be able to fight against the genjutsu of others, and he knew just how to do that. While he was able to perform the Genjutsu: Kai through the Dance of the Twin Lotus, he wasn’t able to do so when he was not carrying blades. To rectify this, he decided to practice the basic genjutsu kai technique, purging his chakra circulatory system over and over again, doing so without making hand seals. It was merely his raw chakra doing the work for him. Yup.
This is really boring Yomi commented. Kazuo shrugged.
I don’t have much else to do, Yomi. I might as well do something productive. He said with a shrug.
Wow, Kazuo, that’s hardly like you. Very out of character.” Yomi teased, to Kazuo’s annoyance.
I have no idea what you are on about, but if you’re accusing me of laziness, you’d best bite your tongue. Kazuo hissed. Yomi giggled.
No, practicing ninjutsu. I know how much you hate it. Yomi cooed. Kazuo scowled.
It has its uses. If I am to fight shinobi, I must know the abilities of the Shinobi. Besides, my mother was a Kunoichi. I can hardly hate everything about the art. Kazuo said, returning to his meditation. Yomi mentally shrugged. So hard, in fact, that Kazuo could actually feel the force of the shrug. How odd. Kazuo returned to his meditation, focusing on allowing his chakra to flow, flaring up and purging his system of any would-be genjutsu. Learning this was surprisingly effortless for the man. In no time at all he found that he could release a genjutsu without even making hand seals. Easy as pie. Cake even.

Well, that was easy. What now? Yomi asked boredly. Kazuo shrugged.
I have some other techniques I need to work on today, while I’m feeling productive. He informed her, standing from his meditative position. Interested, Yomi followed him in his mind’s eye.
Other techniques? Like what? She asked, curious. Kazuo smirked.
Just a few basics. While I’ve now mastered the Storyteller technique, I still need to perfect my singing blade style as a whole. There’s a level beyond what I’ve reached thus far. True mastery of the Singing Blade. Kazuo rhuminated.
And what exactly does that entail? Yomi asked, feigning interest. She knew how Kazuo was about these things. He continued, oblivious to her lack of interest.
It’s the perfected form of the style, the highest accolade it possesses. Your genjutsu becomes dominant over all others, dampening any nearby sound based genjutsu.
That was the level reached by Yozora. He explained.
Thrilling. Yomi agreed. Kazuo didn’t listen. He was already standing, a blade in each hand. Swiping them one at a time, they began to vibrate with Singing Blade energy as he began to work his magic, unleashing the storyteller technique, despite his lack of a captive audience. Hmm. Astute choice of words, Kazuo Kemuri. Captive indeed. Yomo watched from Kazuo’s mind’s eye, bored, but without much else to do as Kazuo continued to train in his sacred Singing Blade style. Geez, he worshipped that damned Bladedander book like it was some kinda bible, and like that Yozora lady was the god damned messiah. Yomi might have been jealous. Who knows. She didn’t like it when other people dominated Kazuo’s world. It was why she didn’t like his fixation on his dead girlfriend or his sensei. At least in their case, however, they were dead. Here, Kazuo could just read about her life like it was happening before him, and he could learn her techniques as proof that she had indeed existed. It infuriated Yomi sometimes. Kazuo had read that book over a hundred times, and every single time the words on those pages flickered through his mind, they flickered through Yomi’s as well. It was infuriating.

Still, at least it gave him something productive to do. As Kazuo swung, weaving a story with ihs blades and playing sweet music through them, the song that his weapons created resonating through the empty woods of the shadow country in which he practiced. As his blades whirled in the air, their song began to change. Indeed, right before their very eyes, Kazuo saw the fruits of his labor. The Storyteller technique seemed to change, change in a way that Kazuo couldn’t directly explain at first. It was evolving. Becoming something more. The song became more deep, more grounded, more true. It was as if this song were irrefutable, and any other song could not hope to contest it. It was a true song of the Singing Blade. Mastered at last by Kazuo Kemuri, now only living master of the art. Of course, he did not know that. Maybe he never would. Yozora Shinkou hailed from Tengakure, which had recently taken over Shimagakure and become Kirigakure. As Kazuo had wronged Shimagakure in the past, he was sure he would never be able to pay Yozora a visit. Assuming she was still alive. The Abyssal Village had not heard from her. For all he knew, Yozora had died somewhere between Tengakure and Kirigakure. Who knew what fate befell his surrogate master. For now though, Kazuo could take solace in the Singing Blade style, which he had finally mastered. As he swung his blade, they sang an ancient song, told an ancient story, expelled an ancient power. A power that threatened to rend any and all that dared oppose it. This was true strength. This was magnificent. Kazuo felt more powerful than ever as his blades sang to him, weaving their song through the very air itself and purging it of any other sound. It was beautiful. It was terrifying.

Here he was, weaving his song through the air, having finally mastered the singing blade style. As he finished his symphony, Yomi sat upon a nearby rock in his mind’s eye, clapping nonchalantly, with just the slightest touch of sarcasm’s cruel, biting edge.
Bravo, bravo, encore, encore... She sneered. Kazuo scoffed at her.
I would expect you to have a little more respect for the art. You’ve used it yourself, when we were fighting those bandits. Kazuo retorted. Yomi shrugged.
I just think you take it too seriously. This Yozora chick was a Shinkou too, and you don’t seem too keen on doing any work with ME. She hissed. Kazuo shrugged.
You have a nasty tendency to kill my friends when I let you loose. He explained. Yomi sneered.
One time! That happened one time! He was going to turn you in, I couldn’t let him do that!
You didn’t know that, Yomi. You took matters into your own hands, and you didn’t even give me the chance to make that choice for myself. I could have cleared my name by now if not for that. He said.
I did what I thought was best for you! I’m sorry! Yomi sobbed. Kazuo hesitated.
Look, it’s in the past, so there isn’t anything I can do or say to change it. I know you were trying to help, but I wish you wouldn’t just wrench control from me like that. Taking power away from me doesn’t solve our problems. It just compounds them. Kazuo said. Yomi sighed.
Okay. She said simply. If you want, we can continue your training, then. If you want to know a way to fight against genjutsu, I might know a way. She told him. Kazuo raised an eyebrow, curious. Yomi sat up from her boulder, holding out a hand. It’ll be easier to train if we go to the mindscape. There will be less distractions. She told him. Kazuo looked around doubtfully. They were in the middle of nowhere, after all. Anyone or anything could come after them while he was vulnerable like this. Yomi saw his concerns and tried to reassure him. I can take control and scan for threats while we train. I promise I won’t do anything else with your body while you train. Cross my heart and hope to die. Yomi promised. Kazuo hesitated once more. You don’t trust me? She asked, offended.
After what happened last time I gave you control, I think I have a right to be a little skeptical. Kazuo snarked.
Oh, come on, they were just bandits. You should be thanking me, because I saved you the trouble of fighting them. I won’t kill anyone unless they come after you first, I promise. Yomi reaffirmed. Kazuo hesitated again. Oh, come on. She pouted. Kazuo sighed.
Just this once, I’ll trust you. Do not make me regret this. He said, taking her hand as Kazuo’s consciousness rushed into the inner recesses of his mind, away from this physical realm. In a way, this was his own dimension, although it wasn’t quite as cool as actually possessing one’s own personal pocket of reality to bend to one’s whims.

Yomi was there, at the same table as always, wearing the same smile as always.
You’re here, too? Kazuo asked.
I’m an ancient and powerful form of sentient energy. Who says I can’t be in two places at once? Yomi retorted. Kazuo shrugged, defeated. Yomi grinned.
So, what are you planning on teaching me? He asked.
Well, there is a technique that allows you to feed me more chakra in order to- She began. Kazuo stopped her.
I already don’t like this plan. He said coldy. Yomi pouted, so Kazuo let her continue.
-In order to grant yourself more Yuumei. This can be crucial in a fight when you run low on the stuff, but more importantly, it allows you to temporarily increase your overall chakra potency, allowing you to break out of a genjutsu’s effect more easily. She explained. Since the theme of your training today seems to be beating genjutsu, this seems right up your alley. She said, hands at her side in triumph. Kazuo had to admit, this sounded pretty useful. At the cost of giving Yomi more power, though? Could Kazuo truly risk it?

Oh, come on, if you’re in the middle of a fight and caught by someone else’s genjutsu, I doubt you’ll care if I take the wheel and let you ease your poor, tired mind. Yomi joked. Kazuo sighed in annoyance at this sentiment, but said nothing.
Alright, what is it called, and how do I do it? He asked, being short and to the point. This might serve him well as a last resort, in any event. Yomi nodded quickly, in her overly peppy way.
That’s a funny story, actually. I didn’t know what it was called until recently.You actually heard someone talk about it while you were in the Village of the Abyss. It’s called Clarity Through the Eye of the Void She informed him
Clarity Through the Eye of the Void? Kazuo asked.
Clarity Through the Eye of the Void. Yomi affirmed.
What a mouthful. The Shinkou sure do love their long names. Kazuo commented. Yomi giggled.
Anyways, all you have to do is feed me chakra. She told him. It’s as easy as that.
...Alright, let’s say I wanted to give you more chakra. How would I do that?
Like this! Yomi said, and Kazuo suddenly felt his chakra circulatory system moving of its own accord, under the influence of Yomi, as she forced him to feed her chakra in her dominant state. Kazuo felt the strange, slightly tiring sensation, and sighed as she continued to feed upon it, sapping away at his chakra. She knew he wouldn’t kill him, she wouldn’t even injure him, but it scared him that she could simply take chakra as she pleased like this.
Got it? Yomi asked when her demonstration concluded. Kazuo grimmaced.
Got it. He said through gritted teeth.
Give it a go! Yomi encouraged. With a shrug, Kazuo began to control his own chakra circulatory system, bestowing some of his own energy upon Yomi as he allowed her to consume his chakra, feeling Yomi’s influence grow with every ounce of chakra he fed her. It was a little bit terrifying, given the chakra parisite’s track record of committing mass murder when she took control of Kazuo.

As they finished their training, Kazuo stood, sighing, lightheaded from all of the chakra he had fed her, not to mention all of the shrugging and sighing he had done throughout this training topic. It left him beat, and with a shrug and a sigh, he left the mindscape, returning to his own body. Huh. It seemed Yomi had kept up her part of the deal. Kazuo had not moved from his last spot. Thank god. He was afraid that Yomi had ran off again while they were training, but it seemed he was mistaken. As he began to walk off, Yomi was glad that he didn’t turn around and look on the horizon, for she’d just returned from slaughtering and absorbing a whole slew of black market shinobi. It wasn’t like they were good guys, after all, Kazuo would hardly care, right? Besides, what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. That was how the saying went, and as long as its words rang true, the only ones that would be hurt would be the scum that Yomi took out her aggressions on and fed on. She couldn’t have Kazuo trying to starve her of chakra, now could she? That would be most counter productive, after all. No, she needed to keep her strength up. Without her, what really was Kazuo, anyways? Just some Samurai with a lot to prove and a price on his head. He would not last more than a week without the help of Yomi. Luckily for Kazuo, though, Yomi lived to serve, and she lived to serve him alone.


(2629)
(Exit)


350/350 Genjutsu: Kai Mastery
750/750 Singing Blade Style Level 5
1500/1500 Clarity Through the Eye of the Void


Everything reduced as per the 25% max stats reduction

Approved.