The Man With the Red Eyes

Hayden finally arrived at a rest stop just a few miles from Hoshigakure. He was quite tired from his long walk here and had decided on stopping and sampling some of the local fair. But As he was looking at the menu it occurred to him that he had no money what soever. Being part of the Akatsuki had it's benefits, but one of them certainly was not a steady paycheck. Sighing he settled for a cool drink of water and to sit for a while.

I wonder where he wants us to meet him, he didn't exactly give specific instruction. Hayden wondered out loud. "If it comes down to it just hold me aloft. If he really can hear me then i too can hear him. It'd take quite a bit of concentration on both of our parts though, I'll be borrowing your ears after all." Tenno said, giving at least some solace to this long journey. "Who is to say, but we should not linger here to long. we'll rest a few more moments then be on our way." Hayden whispered in a hushed tone. He did not want to risk the attention of the rest stop owner.

Kaseki sat on the roof of the building. He was in no mood to play with his puppets. The less chakra he used, the better. He had just met a shinobi moments ago on his travels. It was only fair that he found a mission that would lead him to his destination anyways.

"Ready when you are." Kaseki called out. He watched Hayden walk into the rest stop. Nether of them were sensors, and so they wouldn't know. With the aid of puppets, Kaseki could see like the Rinnegan. It was only a small tool. His ethereal being was in his chakra. Should he run out, his body would fall lifeless and dormant until restored.

"I have some frames I need to get back in Konoha after we clear out my bingo book." Kaseki said, "But no rush, we turn this into a training exercise."

looking up Hayden say none other then his mentor, Kaseki. "So this is where I was supposed to meet you. You could have mentioned that in your missive." Hayden said as he stood up and stretched. He was ready to take down anybody who would prey on the innocent. Besides it being such an awful practice there was no sport in hurting civilians. Compared to ninja, they were hardly a threat. Now, Himself on the other hand, he was growing to be a threat. His skill with a weapons had improved greatly and if he could achieve that greatness with his bare hands He would truly be a force to be reckoned with.

"Well anyways, what are we hunting; your message spoke of a bounty." Hayden said to his mentor, assured he could hear him just fine from his perch, or wherever he had decided to move to.

OOC: Needed a reason so I had you send me a letter about the bounty.

He hopped down from the roof and landed before his pupil. He had grown accustomed to using his main body, rather than the tools of his puppets. He could have sprung out his five puppets of choice and sent them on their way to dispose of the target, but that was not the mission.

"I can only guess that the Uchiha were targeted yet again for their eyes." Kaseki briefed him, "However, the mission is to kill our target, not return the eyes. Should you bring those eyes to Kenpachi, then perhaps he will show you more to Akatsuki."

He took a turn to view around him, only to peer for someone approaching them. "Kenpachi is the second member. He will guide you after this, as I have matters to attend."

It was only so long until the robes would be ready. It was a tailor in the middle of nowhere. The owner was fond of Kaseki and his good deeds, and his descendants were the same. They liked him for the reason of bringing peace. His Akatsuki would carry this legacy as far as he could.

And if they didn't... well then that's why Kaseki had Kenpachi.
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OOC: Go like.. lead the way. XD

"Well i'll head to the village then. With any luck a little recon will at least present the target. Where will I be turning this in, once the target is down?" Hayden asked, looking at his leader. It was like him to withhold plans and for good reason. He knew what had become of the old Akatsuki all those years ago. Kaseki was playing things close to the chest, if only to protect his plan and keep it from failing.

"Simple." Kaseki said, "I'll reach out to Kenpachi when your work is done. You will bring the body to me, and I will take him to Konohagakure myself."

Kaseki had been itching to get his robe. He knew the power that lay within them and he wanted them badly. It resembled the first Akatsuki, the collectors of Bijuu, but held Kaseki's own spin. The colors were there, but the style was different... just like how Kaseki led now. "Besides, it will be good for you to meet Ken. After all, he is higher in rank, and our personal medic."

He had hoped to get the mission overwith. He wouldn't carry the body to Konoha, but rather seal him away. He had no power to do that, but in a village of ninja, he was bound to find a Fuin expert somewhere close.

"I will not fail you, I promise that." Hayden said as he turned to head towards Hoshigakure. He had only to eliminate one ninja in a village of ninja... How hard could that possibly be.

The man we are looking for was powerful enough to rip the eyes out of an Uchiha, we need to be careful here. Stealth will be our best ally or to strike when he could not suspect." Tenno remarked as they made their way down the path towards the village. "I know that, I don't think i could wrestle with somebody that strong yet... but if i could just control your changes... I could create a blade with which to slit his throat quietly. Hayden replied, cursing his lack of skill. He would have to find some other weapon once it town. Even a stray Kunai would do the job. He'd search out the ninja academy there and perhaps 'borrow' something to do the job with.

He took a seat at one of the tables only to call over a waitress. She was dressed in black, and an amber apron. Her hair had been tied up in a bun as her kimono was the only uniform she seemed to sport. Her hands were busied with a platter that held nothing more than a wet rag.

"When you get the chance, may I get a bowl of ramen please?" Kaseki asked the girl. She had nodded and rushed to the back of the room, hiding away behind the counter.

Kaseki stared off into the trees around the stop, only to wonder about the task at hand. "Was it a good idea to send him to do that alone?" he wondered to himself. He lifted his hand, only to observe the markings on his fingertips. To the average human it would be his fingerprints, however to the ninja they knew it was seals. "Perhaps I should send the Five Knights after him..." he thought. He would be wandering blind with them for the most part, but with enough chakra he might be able to see through the puppet's eyes than his own.

The sun had now begun it's downward arc as Hayden entered the village. He target was clear as day, the largest building from which he could already hear the sound of training drills and educational lectures. It had been such a long time since he had been to an academy that he had almost forgotten the hope that had coursed through him during his time there. The childlike want to be some kind of hero. Now here he was, looking more like the monster, and yet, his was the path of the hero... perhaps there was a lesson to be learned there, but his concerns lie elsewhere.

As he reached the training grounds he spotted his quarry. A small box, unguarded, held several Kunai pouches undoubtedly full. Walking by causally as if surveying the field he nabbed one of the pouches and tucked it carefully into his coat. He now had his means and had only to make ends. There were four kunai in the pouch and he placed them into loops on his belt. Discarding the pouch he now walked the streets, keeping a close ear out for any information. His next target was the local bar where the town's shinobi liked to gather after hours. It was getting close to that time and he was sure somebody there may know where he could find his thief.

The bar smelled slightly of spilled alcohol but looked like a nice enough place; though Hayden did not drink. He spotted a shinobi sitting at the bar and took a seat juts a little was down from him.

"You new in town?" The man asked, not turning to look at Hayden.

"Yeah, you could say that. Looking for an old friend of mine. He'd be a colleague of yours, perhaps." Hayden said calmly, looking at the artwork on the walls.

"Oh, really..." The shinobi stated taking a drink from his mug. "Since when has a leaf genin ever been friends with a Star Jounin?" The man said turning to face Hayden now, a smile on his face.

"Since that man plucked out the eyes of a leaf villager...." Hayden replied now turning back to the shinobi. "I'd like to find him as quickly as possible, you happen to hear of anybody like that around?" Hayden's eyes had grown just a bit fiercer as he stared down the jounin. In a straight out fight he'd loose but Hayden was hoping for a different outcome.

"He has a hideout down in the valley, just outside of town. He is alone... if you hurry you'll make it before he does anything with those eyes." The shinobi stated calmly before returning to his drink. "The leaf wired ahead and said they were sending somebody to deal with him, otherwise he'd be apprehended by now.I just didn't expect them to send somebody like you, hope you are good kid..." He finished as he flagged the barmaid down for another round.

"That man doesn't have to worry... we have to be better then this man... or else we'll die." Tenno offered, his anxiety pouring into Hayden. "We'll be fine.." Hayden said quietly as they left the bar and headed towards the west exit of the village. This exit lead down into a valley caused by the meteorites impact. while it had not exactly been deep it was nearly three hundred feet long and erosion had caused it to grow since then, both wider and deeper.

The steam rose into his face, cascading a reverse waterfall of heat. Kaseki's mind drifted into the smell of the broth as he humbly lifted the two sticks of wood in his right hand. All was well in the world. He took a long whiff of the glorious bowl of food. It was serene to awake from a life of solitude to find his favorite dish so close to heart. He sank his chopsticks into the soup to tangle the noodles to the adventure to his lips. He was no puppet, he was a living creature... who used a puppet more or less as his skeleton.

A man in blue shirt walked in the stop, only to glare at Kaseki as he walked in. Kaseki rested the end of the chopsticks on his forked tongue as he looked at the man. His sleeves were torn and his face full of nervous hatred. But upon his head was a star, and in his hands, a fist. Kaseki chewed down on his ramen only to slurp the noodle into his mouth. He looked destructive, but weak in knowledge. It could have been that he was the target, but that wasn't Kaseki's problem. He had some ramen to eat.

Hayden stood, looking at the camp the man had made for himself in the ravine. It was all here: a old campfire, bedding and food stores, even some materials to keep the eyes fresh. However, the man was not here. Could Hayden be ahead of the man, or had the shinobi sent him on a wild goose chase. No, the evidence here pointed towards the man returning. Hayden had simply to set a trap and wait. A nearby tree would provide a perch from which he could get the drop on the returning man.

Climbing up the tree Hayden positioned himself so that he would not be visible from the path either way. The man would be cautious, but Hayden would be prepared even if that ment a one on one fight.

He continued to stare down the man, only wondering how the day would end. Maybe he was just getting paranoid that someone would take some of his delicious ramen, But then again... the soup was still boiling... wait, then how could he eat it...

"You have the eyes?"

It was a frail Chunin, no doubt a pawn for someone of greater rank. He must have been a messenger, or rather a courier for goods and information. That could only mean that the man was none other then... "Right here." he opened his fist to reveal two eyes. Kaseki couldn't make then out, but the red iris was enough to confirm his speculation.

He bolted to a stand, a noodle hanging from his mouth, the chopsticks still in his right hand. His left arm pointed at the man, "A HA!" Kaseki exclaimed. He shot out his chakra threads and latched them onto the eyes. He pulled them back like a fisherman, attempting to grab his prize. The eyes retreated on the strings as they returned to his fingers. They hit his palm and were dropped in front of him... landing right into the boiling bowl of ramen.

"... So much for the eyes." he looked up, only to see the man furious with rage. The other ninja had already ran off. Kaseki threw his chopsticks at the man, only to realize...

He hadn't brought any weapons with him.


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Chakra Pool: 400 > -6 (-75% Cost reduction) > 394

Spoiler:

Hayden had been sitting for a scant few minutes when something grabbed hold of his arm. Whirling around he saw it was a strange puppet, the likes of which he had not seen before. Before he could question why it was here it dragged him from the tree and sped him across a field towards the rest stop.

"I had just got comfortable too.." Hayden said as the puppet came to a screeching stop a few feet from the front door of the rest stop. Inside a young ninja was threatening Kaseki. Yelling something about the eyes. Not wanting to waste anymore time Hayden sprinted into the establishment and tackled the young ninja through the other wall of the inn. Their combined weight sent them through the wall and tumbling into the field adjacent.

"You have blinded an innocent and for that you shall be punished." Hayden spoke as he pulled out one of the the kunai.

Kaseki hadn't thought it through, but jumping over the man and unsealing the sword to drop onto him seemed like a good idea. But that was of no use. He continued to lead his Green Knight puppet back to the rest stop, only to alert Hayden of the man.

Kaseki felt weak not bringing his Frame Zero with him. However, keeping the Green Knight tucked away in a tree for good watch was a good idea. "Oh good... it worked." Kaseki said. He looked around for a ninja who might have known some seals. He needed to carry the puppet with him, as well as the man back to Konoha.

He turned only to find a Hoshigakure Anbu behind him. "You know, I really hate when you all do that." He said to the man. He lifted his hand only to reveal his finger glazed an an aura of chakra. "Oh cool... you can read my thoughts too..." he said, offering his hand to the man to seal away the puppet. The seal itself would burn itself back to the scars on his body. It wasn't hard for him to do it, but to have someone actually do the seals, and not just the scribing was the useful part.

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OOC: Sorry for the weird post... kinda... lost.

"Look just give it up... you are out numbered and out skilled here.." Hayden said, almost hoping the man would just give in. Instead the Hoshigakure ninja rushed Hayden, attempting to tackle him to the ground. Side stepping Hayden ran the kunai across the man left arm. Blood spilled upon the ground as the chuunin's momentum coupled with his shock sent him tumbling to the ground.

"I will kill you... don't make the mistake of thinking i'll have mercy on you once you are beat..." Hayden's voice was as cold as his gaze. He felt like he had that night when the fires raged and the man had laughed at the death around him. His face brought up in Hayden the anger he had felt that night. With a cry of rage he ran forward kicking the chest flinging him back into the dirt. Hayden raised the kunai and plunged it into the man's chest a splatter of crimson flew from his mouth. Pulling out another he stabbed that one too into the man's chest. Then another and finally the last which he stabbed through the man's heart. He had died long before that final stab, but Hayden did not care.

He sat there for a long time almost hanging over the body before standing and grabbing the Shinobi's arm. Dragging him up the the broken wall of the inn a trail of crimson in their wake. "There is your quarry...." Hayden stated simply, looking at his leader. "If there is nothing else i'll be returning to Konohagakure to resume my training." Hayden said softly, he had not come to grips with the gruesome mess he had created behind him.


OOC: yeah i'm a bit off too, but whatever. Finish it.

Kaseki took the body and laid it upon the floor. The other ninja had already knelt beside the man, and before he knew it, the body was gone. He nodded as his member walked past him, only to hear Konohagakure in is ear.

He had to take the body there, and that was also the destination for his next quest. "Then we go with the last member of the Akatsuki as well." he said to Hayden, "It will be good to show that we aren't just a group haphazardly strung together." He turned to thank the Anbu member for his gratitude and went on his way.

It was a minor thing, and would be the start to a purge of chaos. Even Hoshigakure had it's corrupted ties. It just happened that Kaseki took the target of the Hidden Star's Anbu. It was a game of give and take.

And Kaseki took the evil of the world, and gave back peace.

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