YON HOSHI: Okiru

[p r e history]

Open to everyone. No needs to PM. Post when you feel you are ready. Since this thread is going to be large by expectations, there will be a posting order. I shall update it with every one of my posts as new people enter the thread. I'm not going to make a list of participants because it'll take far too long to update. Just put a link to your profile in your posts. Also, feel free to join this thread with more than one of your characters. This thread will affect the entire world. I'm not joking. It will. Therefore, not posting for three days will lead to a skip on your post. Without further ado...

BOOK ONE
3: Okiru

Akatsuki: Daybreak

It was quiet. Perhaps too quiet. Not only that, but it was cold. The night sky was slowly fading away. Brilliant lights would soon fill the sky, accenting the baby blue of the heavens. There would be small puffs almost like cotton floating so elegantly and care freely along the canvas that was the sky. Almost like hairs in the breeze, the grass of this particular field would sway back and forth, their blades following wherever Fujin's bag instructed. This particular field was larger than most. It was unrivaled in size in all of Hi no Kuni. What made it even more special was the fact it was located just off Hi no Kuni's center. The forests that usually lined this area simply were not present.

Accenting the grass was a single figure. His raven black locks swayed over his shoulder, swinging through the slightly more than gentle breeze. From his hands, a long red scarf swayed in the breeze, almost like a flag. It was attatched to a hilt. And the hilt to a piece of LEGENDARY steel. The blade was known to everyone who knew about the shinobi world. Who didn't know of the Kusanagi? Who didn't hear the legends about the Kusanagi clan, led by Kusanagi Ashinazuchi¹, who destroyed the armies of one thousand clans with the single stroke of the blade? But now, it wasn't in Ashinazuchi's hands. He didn't possess the power needed to dash away the Kusanagi's new wielder.

The new wielder was special just as Ashinazuchi. The long raven-haired shinobi hailed from lands north. Within him, was a creature of dark beginnings. Many knew of the creature. Legend told of the creature's wicked ways, and desire for power. These traits only transferred into the shell the HACHIBI now inhabited. His name was Saitama. He was the one who snatched the Kusanagi from Ashinazuchi. He examined the blade, smirking. The blade of legend fascinated him greatly.

He forced its edge into the ground. He took a seat beside it. From his back, he heaved a large scroll. He examined it, rubbing the casing. He rolled it out in front of him. The paper revealed a large array of seals in a star-like pattern. Smirking down on the work, Saitama raised his hands to his chest.

"... Finally. Power."

In followed through. His hands became a blur. He slammed his pale hand down onto the paper, causing the paper to glow. The seals filed off the paper, now dancing over onto his hand. He smirked. His arm began to glow with seals. His pale eyes examined the blade. His left hand grasped the hilt of the Kusanagi. His right shot onto the steel, gripping it tightly. His blood dripped onto the steel, and the light seals duplicated onto the blade. The sword and the man were now bonded. But it wasn't over yet.²

Within his soul, he stood in a dungeon. There on a elevated floor, was a large snake.

"Power... we must have it."

"No..."

The snake had what was a feeble Saitama in his clutches. His muscular body wrapped around what was a colored, shorthaired edition of Saitama. Nothing like what he was now.

"We must become powerful."

"No..."

"Power..."

"I said~ NOO~!!"

The serpent's grip on the feeble man tightened. His strange slit pupils began to glow a vibrant yellow.

"Power... is OURS!"

"Gugh~!!!

Blood poured from Saitama's mouth. His eyes red in agony, and his face hugging against his skeletal structure, the pale man's hands rested against the hilt of the Kusanagi. Warm liquid poured onto them. He tipped over, causing him to place his hands onto the ground, feebly supporting himself. He coughed a quantity of blood, dying the blades below in red.

Back within his soul, the serpent coiled around nothing. What was the feeble Saitama was no more. The Hachibi--Yamata no Orochi had taken over Saitama's body.³

"Power... is finally MINE~!

What seemed like black smoke rose from the steel. It contoured to his body. It seemed to enter him through his Tenketsu. Dark power possessed him. In the pits of his soul, the Hachibi embraced the incoming power. It having taken control of the body that was Saitama had nothing to hold it back any longer. It would take control of everything. It would be the King of the Bijū. In what seemed like no time, eight lumps began to show throughout Saitama's skin. In what seemed like no time, eight heads shot from his body. His legs joined together, elongating dramatically into a large muscular tail.

A roar ensued. Darkness seeped from the giant serpent's form.


Meanwhile in Kaze no Kuni

A servant in the Wind Shrine stared down onto the prized possession of the shrine. She bowed before it on her knees, her nose touching the ground. She breathed gently, only to rush it up as she heard shaking. She raised her head, noting the shaking of the kettle. The shrine was broken apart; a large creature of beige and blue erected itself from the shrine. A roar ensued, causing a wind of sand to sweep the beast away, toward Hi no Kuni. There, the Hachibi's dark powers married with the limitless power of the Kusanagi would awaken what was meant to remain dormant forever. A powerful wind swept over all of Kaze no Kuni.⁴


Mizu no Kuni

In a shrine, a pot hung from the ceiling. The shrine was vacant with the exception of the patrol. The pot shook violently, banging against the ceiling. It began to blow bright before it ultimately exploded. A large turtle colored blue and red accompanied by a fish. It of course was within the Sanbi's mouth, unable to breathe air. The Sanbi said nothing. But like the Shukaku, it traveled toward Hi no Kuni. The darkness woke it too. A mist enveloped the entirety of Kiri no Kuni.⁴


Kaminari no Kuni

From a Thunder Shrine, a large weasel erupted from the land. A storm following it over head, it vanished in a flash of lightning which was followed by a thunder that all of Kaminari no Kuni could hear.⁴


Tsuchi no Kuni

A small shrine built around a small stone alter was completely destroyed. A large seven-tailed badger vanished into the earth. The earth of all of Tsuchi no Kuni shook. ⁴


They all converged on a single locale. The Hachibi awaited them.

"I shall obtain absolute...-"

---

Note¹: Kusanagi Ashinazuchi was the leader of the Kusanagi clan, as well as the crafter of the Kusanagi (Of course, that is untrue. I was unable to find the name of the Kusanagi Clan's leader. I mixed two tales."

Note²: A Fuinjutsu used by Saitama. When used, he binds himself to an object, and in turn, any abilities that it might have. He merges himself by inflicting pain on himself; with the object he bonds to himself. The sealed object will then vanish into his body, infusing itself with him.

Note³: While Saitama is the Hachibi's Jinchuriki still, the Hachibi has taken over Saitama's consciousness. Saitama is basically dead within himself, and is replaced by the Hachibi's persona. The Hachibi however reserves the ability to access knowledge that Saitama obtained.

Note⁴: In folklore, when the Hachibi merged with the Kusanagi, he unleashes a large quantity of dark magic. In this case, dark chakra or energy. This releases the lock on the five elemental Biju sealed by five of the Eight Immortals. I know, only four have been released at this point. You'll have to stick around for the fifth.

---

Saitama

[>> s e i ;;]

Ōka Seirō

---

The dark night was dimly illuminated by the stars and moonlight. Nothing much was in the area, although a moment later there was a whirlwind of cherry blossoms and, as they slowly fell to the ground, a figure was left standing there, motionless in the night. The man's muscles only moved slightly as he strained his neck to look around in every direction, attempting to see all around him. He had felt something, and the mysterious thundering and lightning wasn't helping. This was eerie, which meant supernatural forces were at work. And in the Ninja World, supernatural meant one thing; Bijū.

The figure charged chakra to his legs as he saw all the thunder clouds, and began leaping towards them. Not having a map, the man didn't quite know where he was going. However, after studying the skies as he moved, he judged that he was moving South-East. That meant he was heading towards Hi no Kuni, Kawa no Kuni, Ta no Kuni, or Kaze no Kuni. He didn't know which one he would go to, and didn't know where the distant figure was leading to. However, he figured he'd go to the largest of the Lands, Hi no Kuni.

[Toku]

Shikijō Kujaku

---

Mizu no Kuni, a feeling of peace and tranquility surrounded the country island with more than enough of a pall that one could've split the air with their own knife. It was near the middle of the day as the sun shone overhead and blanketed the small city the sound-user was now residing in. Lifting her head from the birch desk she had rested it upon earlier, she stared out of the window that sat adjacent to her spot, sighing as she watched the careless children go about their lunch break. She wondered just what she could've been doing besides helping the local school with it's academic garbage. Her skill was better used out in the field where she belonged, but she really couldn't turn down a mission just because of personal preference. She devoted her power to her clan, and she couldn't put out a distasteful front for them. Having no muse to put effort into taming the wild animals outside in the gardens, she let her head fall back onto the desk with a loud bonk that seemed to echo in the near silent classroom. "Great."

Furrowing her brows, she pushed her body away from the desk and stood up, dusting her clothes from sitting on the wooden chair that once held the bottom of the teacher. Kujaku was not one to complain about her work, but she really did find this mission to be a little boring, even by her standards. Bending left to pick up a small bag that belonged to her client, she dusted the stitching on the side that formed a sort of old-fashioned crest, possibly some sort of family sign. "How very old. No offense old dude." She spoke into the silence, her words cutting the air with eerie precision. Starting toward the doorway, she hadn't noticed the slight shaking in the planks underneath her boots, the simple sign of a powerful force at work. With only one step out into the hall, her sole made a slow creaking sound as it touched down, displaying even more silence in the hallways. "Wait, where'd everybody go?"

Blonde hair swaying left and right, her blue moons peered into the creeping darkness of the hallway, despite the bright light that was erupting outside. Kujaku made her way down the hall with utmost haste, gripping the bag tightly as a child would hold a teddy bear when sleeping through a nightmare. Hand grasping for the steel door knob, she turned the object slightly, pushing her way out into the streets outside. Shock filled her eyes as she saw the streets deserted and empty, not a soul in sight. With closer inspection, she determined that the streets were abandoned only a short while ago as there were still toys laying around and the common stands that the vendors used were still standing. "What is this? It's like everyone disappeared or something." The thing that made Kujaku shudder with slight creepiness was that the sun that once shone overhead was now blocked out by a cover of utter darkness. Or, at least dark enough so that it was no longer deemed a bright and sunny day. Whistling breezes flew about the dusty streets while tugging on Kujaku's ponytail of blonde, leaving her to drop the bag for more mobility to search. It wasn't long after her first few seconds into the search would she feel a large trembling under her feet.

"What in the hell?" She slammed her right foot down as if in an attempt to quell the shaking. For a while, it seemed to work as there wouldn't be anymore quakes in the ground. Looking into the skies themselves, she saw a small pillar of smoke rising from the distance, a sign that something must've happened. Kujaku would make her way toward the tower of smoke before she noticed what seemed to be a shoulder of a seemingly impossible giant. A beast was the holder of that shoulder, a turtle beast to be exact. Even though she was quite far from the actual location of the monster, she could still feel trembling in the ground with each step it took. "Okay." Deciding to get to the bottom of this situation, she quickly ran down the street, making her long journey to the beast which from what she knew from studying the geography of the lands, was heading toward Hi no Kuni.

"Hi no Kuni it is." Mist rolled into the plains of Mizu no Kuni, bringing with it still omens of horror and the shadow of death.

[Saizō]

Saizō

---

There was all around strange feeling, a hush falling over the world. The sky was abnormally dark. From where he stood in Hi no Kuni, he could hear rumbling all around him. Most of the people around him had gotten the message and locked up inside. Shutters closed on their windows, and doors pressed tightly closed. Saizō stood his eyes fixated on the sky above. Obsidian black, it was painted. A drastic change since daybreak, where the sky was a delicate blue.

He was quick to realize that there was a large congregation in Hi no Kuni. Between the Bijuu. The giants sounded thunder as they moved towards one locale. It felt almost stupid to follow them, yet he did. He let his keen ear pick up the sound and his feet to track them. Saizō eventually inferred that there was a human influence behind all this. To draw them all together.

Heading towards this meeting was death. That's what it spelt for anybody who went alone. As he figured though, he wasn't alone. More curious shinobi would show up in the same place, and if not. Well, his game plan would be to take out the human influence behind all of this. The man behind it, he knew would be of incredible power. At any rate, all of this spelt trouble.

[Tarō]

Tarō
Tsunetomo [NPC]

---

A small wind swept in across between the rocky hills of Tsuchi no Kuni. Overturning the rocky debris in its path, the light gust finally made its way to the tallest of the hills to meet a dark figure. With the moonlight still shimmering slightly behind him, the man’s frontal features were completely concealed by darkness. His bold eyes opened and as the blue sky grew lighter, the figure was finally visible. Tsunetomo’s face was littered with deep wrinkles all the way down to his snow white beard. However, beneath his thick eyebrows lay his forever piercing eyes. They seemed as cold as the stone hill he sat upon. Beside him was a brown staff holding the same appearance as Tsunetomo. Scratches and holes in the wood, not deeply damaged, but truly withered by experience.

Just five feet behind the old man lay another figure. This body wasn’t as intimidating or old. In fact, the lankiness and smooth skin gave off a youthful appearance. Unfortunately the boys face was covered by a mask. If anyone were to see him now he’d immediately be presumed as some kind of entertainer. Little would they know Taro’s muscles were compact, his hands swift, and his skills merciless… at least when he was awake.

The boy roared away in his sleep. The snores were capable of echoing far through the rocky field in front of the pair. Despite the ruckus, the older kept sane and silent. Everything seemed peaceful, until the Earth decided differently.

The ground beneath the two shook violently, smaller stones breaking apart in the wrath of vibrations. Taro quickly jumped from his sleep, only to see his mentor already standing and alert. “What was—”, his words stopped short as Tsunetomo’s words cut through his. A croaky yet firm voice projected from the older figure. “Taro, if you want to create the greatest masterpiece yet, we have to act quickly.” The old mentor’s eyes scanned the area. He calculated the pair was about a mile from the epicenter of the quake. What was more bizarre was the darkness that leaked into the sky above the epicenter of the quake. Surely that was the direction the beast was going. Tsunetomo himself hadn’t witnessed what emerged from the eruption but his knowledge of the Tsuchi’s sacred locations gave him a hint.

Disrupting the old man’s thoughts was an obnoxious voice. “NANDE?!~” Taro was puzzled. Not everyday do you wake up from an earthquake and are told by your sensei to act quickly to make a good drawing. Surely there was a better explanation to all of this. Unfortunately, before the boy could get his answer Tsunetomo had already moved forward. “K-kuso…” It would be the billionth time the old hag would abruptly run off without Taro. In a sense, Tsunetomo was teaching the boy a lesson to be quicker on his feet. Either way, Taro would always be a couple steps behind the old man despite his youth. Carelessly gathering his materials and stumbling to his feet, the masked chuunin leaped off the rocky hill and chased after his sensei. From what he could tell, they were heading towards of Hi no Kuni. Then again, he wasn’t good with directions either.

[Masamune]

Darkness.

That's the only way anyone could describe it. A dark aura had overtaken the land of Hi no Kuni. The usual bright and sunny days were now blocked by gloomy dark clouds. Joy and happiness seemed to be sucked right out of the inhabitants of the land. Anger and greed taking their place as crime in the region soared to new heights. People soon found themselves throwing their inhebitions to the wind, and recklessly going about their days. The deeper one ventured into the country the greater hold the effects seemed to have on people. A heavy burden was placed on all those that tried to fend off the darkness, and the harder they tried the weaker they seemed to become.

Dark times had descended upon the land of Hi no Kuni, and in the root of it all laid the Hachibi, otherwise known as Yamata no Orochi. The massive multi-headed serpent remained in the very spot that it resurrected in for nearly two months, spreading its evil influence across the country. It was waiting. Waiting for its fellow tailed beasts to awaken from their slumber and a chance to try out its new found power. Such a monumentous creature would hardly go unnoticed by the masses. Many attempt by the shinobi in the area as well as many of the Daimyo's troops have been sent to thwart the beast. However, all have ended with the same result. Utter defeat, which merely gave the beast something to feast upon while it waited for its adversaries to arrive.

Truly, the people of Hi no Kuni were going through troubled times...

...Elsewhere...

Within the confines of a temple in Hi no Kuni rested the true successor of Okazaki Masamune himself. In an attempt to find sanctuary from the dark aura that plagued the land Hoji had taken up residence within these holy grounds. Figuring that this place of prayer and spiritual wortship would offer some protection from the evil influence he soon found ut that his assumptions were wrong. The darkness had even crept into sacred ground. To fight off this evil the monks increased their daily meditations to help clear their minds, and struggled hard to not succumb to the darkness that was now filling their hearts.

Sitting underneath the only tree within the temple's garden Hoji attempted to find peace. Though that was easier said than done. The once beautiful flowers that flourished in the garden were now withering away to nothing. It was a depressing sight to behold. Sitting on his shoulder in a meditative stance was none other than his trusty companion, Yoshimitsu. The black squirrel let his bushy tail and long red scarf flutter gentle in the wind not moving. Like the monks the squirrel wished to keep his mind clear of dark thoughts. Thoughts that could revert him back to his wild state.

For a long time the two would sit in that spot in silence. Hoji could hear in the wind the land's pain. Nature had been poisoned by this darkness, and it was crying out for aide. Aide that he unfortunately could not give. Sighing deeply Hoji looked up into the cloudy sky, vainly hoping to see at least a glimpse of the sun.

"Regrettably, you will not find what you seek, my child."

An aged voice said from behind the young swordsmith. Hoji was not surprised or caught off guard by it, as he knew very well who the voice belonged to -- Sabaru Norishige, the head monk of the temple. During his short stay with the monks the two had become rather close friends. Norishige would preach his wisdom to Hoji, and Hoji would readily listen to whatever the man said.

"I heard a rumor during my travels," Hoji spoke after a breif moment of silence. His head still rested against the tree, and he had not bothered to turn to face the older monk. "They speak of a massive serpent. Taller than any building, and claim that it has eight heads and eight tails. Yet, they are all connected as one. Apparently, it has started demanding that all the villages near it to give up their daughters to it. One daughter each week or it'll destroy their village," he continued, his tone rather calm and seemingly carefree.

"Ah, so you have heard the tales. However, I have actually witnessed horrors similar to those you speak," Norishige spoke, and glanced back over his shoulder. Looking at the shrine within the temple he narrowed his eyes on it. "And I pray that it is something you will never experience."

[.s e i n a]

NOTE: Seina is coming in my next post. If that's unacceptable I'll just edit this one to include her post too.

Sister & Brother

Sabōsha Kaimu
the original sin

[/color]

The evil which now gripped the world was ignored for a solitary moment by a young man who, for the hour, discarded his mortal soul for the opportunity to sin. Within the nooks and crannies of the same sacred temple the successor of Okazaki had taken refuge in another sort of darkness was festering. Soft sounds of hindered short breaths and ragged pants radiated from a corner of the garden as another 'refugee' took up his habitual 'praying'. The woman he had against the ground almost squealed just a little too loudly; as cute as her voice was while in the throes of passion, Kaimu didn't believe that the two lovers being caught would help his mission. Not that what he was doing was much help to his cause.

He gently slid two fingers into the maiden's wet mouth, pressing them down on her tongue. That muffled her cries and gave her mouth something fun to do...a win-win solution in Kaimu's twisted mind. Even he had a hard time controlling himself, someone who took part in such trespasses on a daily basis. As her nails clawed down his naked back, he pressed his lips against the crook of her neck and trailed his tongue upwards towards her right ear. Too soon both of them were a spent and they had to break from each other's arms.

The woman was blushing and mumbling his praises shyly as she redressed herself; he merely pulled the top of his jinbei on, smiling to himself as he pretended to listen to her. Before long one of the much older (and less attractive) nuns went outside the shrine and called for someone named 'Sakurako'. The girl became flustered and hastily got to her feet, fixing her muddled hair. Kaimu frowned, becoming confused, until he made an important realization:

“Oh, right! That was her name.”

He scratched the back of his head, then stood up and stretched his arms towards the sun. The afterglow and smell of her perfume and sweat still lingered on him as he began to search the garden for the real reason of why he was there. When he caught two male voices engaged in conversation he headed for their direction, grinning cheerily as he recognized the man sitting by the tree as his new target, Okazaki Masamune. He knew very little of the guy except for two things: one, that he was a great sword smith and that two, Kaimu was going to kill him. The latter would have to be in due time, though.

“Do you mean the Yamata no Orochi? I thought it was just a legend.”

Kaimu sat down next to Hoji as if the two were old friends, a gentle and inviting smile on his face. He doubted that the sword smith would offer him the same friendly gesture as he didn't seem to be the sociable sort. He leaned back a little, raising his eyes towards the steady clouds that swam above them.

“Heh, if it ever came after my Kokoro-chan, I'd have to find a way to kill it. I can't really sympathize with the fathers who give up too easily.”[/color][/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[p r e history]

Kazan¹ stepped over through the golden gates, a smirk upon his face. His brown hair swayed with the cool breeze that surged over the land. His green dying still hung over his eyes, barely blocking his eyeshot. Over the gates, men bearing blank metal plates on their foreheads stood. Their faces were hardened with anticipation. Some even looks nervous. Kazan has recalled what he was told by Noshiyagi only a few days prior to this truly eerie one.

"Kazan... my son. I have longed the day that this would come."

He began to cough violently. Over the past weeks, Noshiyagi had developed a sickness. A sickness that was beginning to inhibit his ability to go out, and expand his new compound. However, he still needed Kazan to run this errand. He would simply have to stick it out for now, hoping Hi no Kuni didn't pull a stunt in Kazan's absence. As it stood, Kazan was the barrier between Hi no Kuni, and the Minami Hoshi.

"Kazan..." he hacked. "Hi-- Hi no Kuni.. I need you to venture there."

Kazan nodded, saying nothing as Noshiyagi began to cough even more violently.

"Go to Shinji-san at Kinmon. He'll tell you where you need to go."

What else was Kazan to do other than go to Shinji? Shinji was a relatively old man. He living in Hi no Kuni all his life. He didn't live the life of a shinobi, but instead, worked under his father, a diplomat for Hi no Kuni. He and Noshiyagi were friends from their youth, and therefore, worked secretly with one another in building the Minami Hoshi movement. Shinji to this day aided the Minami Hoshi. He was a direct link to Hi no Kuni's real government. The base in Un'mei Machi.

"Noshiyagi-sensei told me to see you, Shinji-sama."

"I expected your arrival."

"I would hope so."

"... No time for small talk. Venture to Un'mei Machi..."

"But what is in Un'mei Machi?" Kazan began. "Noshiyagi-sensei told me to see the Hi no Kuni Daimyo..."

"Where do you expect him to be? Tanzaku Gai? Come child, you should know this country better by now... Nothing is know for sure. You should know this after your actions..."

Kazan knew this to be true. His history was rather dark. However, now, he was starting to visit them once again. The Minami Hoshi movement was forcing him to, at least. But truly, Kazan knew he never wanted to see those memories ever again.

---

"... Strange..." Kazan mumbled as he started from Kinmon. He ventured to Un'mei Machi, somewhat baffled. He didn't know how he was supposed to find a Daimyo in a secret capital. But he knew he would. Noshiyagi would have it no other way. If Noshiyagi would have it no other way, it went without saying that Kazan, and even the rest of the Minami Hoshi wouldn't either. They could... but who wanted to face Noshiyagi's fury?

His thoughts would be severed quickly however. The hair on the back of his neck began to stand on end. His hand stiffened. His pupils shrunk. Instantly, he shot his head upward, his draw dropping in surprise.

---

Hours Later

By this point in time, the Rokubi had arrived to the locale of the Hachibi. The black sky quickly grew louder as clouds swept over them, lightning surging out of the clouds, and thunder clapping down after the escaping colts. Kazan stood atop a tree, mesmerized by the site. Kazan had heard about these fantastic creatures. That was all. But never had he even thought that he would see one. That was something he hadn't even dreamed of. However, it brought a smirk to his face. And not a smirk of innocent. No, this smirk was that one smirk no one wanted to see on Kazan's face. For it hinted, to say the least, to battle.

The beast bearing six tails shot forth, electricity surging off its massive tails. Its wide mouth shot open. What sounded like thunder shot outward. Its sharp teeth shot every which way out of its mouth. But that wasn't the end of the matter. Rather quickly, a large yellow orb formed in front of its mouth, shooting forward in nearly no time. However, the Hachibi intercepted the attack with a large inky-like shield. The lightning simply sank into the dark inky matter, never surfacing again. Slowly, Hachibi's crimson eyes peered through the darkness.

What looked like a smile crept onto the center head as its seven other heads began to coil upward.

---

Note¹: Kazan

[Masamune]

Hoji watched with uninterested eyes as the strange man approached him, and offered no sort of greeting as he sat down next to him. Blue orbs looked at the dark haired man from the corner of his eyes before returning to viewing the ever darkening skies. The scent of the man's lustful encounter was still present on him, and it wouldn't go unnoticed by Hoji or even Norishige. This man seemed to be the embodiment of everything that Hoji despised about people. Just by looking at him he was able to see the greed within him, the lust that he harbored. No fake smile or friendly mask could hide that. Even Yoshimitsu noticed the dark traits that the man held, his tail hairs beginning to stand on end.

Knowing that Hoji would not be the one to respond to such a man, Norishige decided to speak up. Hoping to lighten the mood. "While it may be a legend, by child," he started off. "Legends do tend to derive from truth. That said, I wonder if either of you two have ever heard of the beings known as Bijū..." as he asked his voice trailed off as he watched for their expressions. Most people had heard of them as childrens tales, but if the two were willing to listen he would enlighten them on the truth behind them.

[ Yeah, sucky post. I know. ]