Red Clouds & Red Eyes! [Jinchuriki Only]

A full cycle was made, leading him to the place he wanted to go to first, Kumogakure. After meeting with the Hokage, and making his deal, he had no choice but to find the other Kages. He knew the Mizukage would how him in the most hostile and violent manner, for it was that very village Kaseki took the blades of. However, this was different, his plan was to rally up these villages before the others could react. With one swoop, he could lead them into peace, or into war. Being the most broken creature, he naturally sought to be fixed. By the meaning of that word, he wanted to stop hurting where his heart once used to be.

However this was not about the Akatsuki, or even the Seven Swords. This was about the beast that lived within him.

It has been just a day since he killed a member of the Akatsuki, and only two nights since he encountered the voice. He knew what it could mean.... it didn't mean that he was a Jinchuriki, but rather that there were others out there. After all of those years, he was the one he least expected to meet a tailed beast.

And as it stood... out of all of them, he seemed to have gotten the most odd of them. How fitting.

But in Kumogakure, he could feel the change in weather. There were people who were no longer considered normal, and to start with... Kaseki was far from the word. However here, he would start something that would be considered insane when he was a child. If he could find another Jinchuriki.... just one... together they could master control of their tailed beasts... and in the end...

The rest would follow their footsteps. All it took was one confrontation...

Just one chance.

The Theme:

The winds of change were indeed in the air, and in the Land of Lightning, the spark that lit the fuse was the new Raikage Juri Han. It had been a week since she usurped the previous Raikage, placing herself in charge since he was too sick to continue. His little Raikage tournament proved itself irrelevant, because the winner couldn't stand against the Neon Bitch without pissing himself in fear. It didn't take much for the previous Raikage to hand over his power, all Juri had to do was give a speech about how he was unfit to rule and that the elders take him out of the office. Weak minded people do foolish things when they're scared, and the idea of them being leaderless when the village was already crime ridden mortified the elders. While the old man didn't approve with the decision, he agreed to it, and relinquished all power to his female successor.

While this was a major change, another came in the form of the three Kumo Kunochi that overnight became Jinchuriki, with the Raikage being included. How weird that something so complex as first capturing and then sealing a bijuu into 9 people without their consent or knowledge happened overnight. At this point Juri Han had only believed herself to be the only person that this happened too, so she's been locked in research about Fuinjutsu seals, the history of the Bijuu themselves and the Hero of the 4th Shinobi War (Uzumaki, Naruto). To no avail could she find what the hell was happening to her, which infuriated the young Raikage.

Since it was winter, it had been snowing recently in Kumogakure, but that ceased. For the past few days the temperature had increased, causing it to rain frequently and huge gust of wind to rattle the buildings. Right now Juri Han had been alone in her study, reading about the Sage of Six paths. It was nighttime and raining hard, thunder bolts shooting through the sky. In her time of solitude a familiar and dark voice began "Reading about the Sage won't impress me girl... why don't you use your power to actually do something fun, like start a war?" it was Son Goku trying to seduce the woman into gaining more power, in order to impress him. Juri kept a handle on things, shutting him out, but God was this beast annoying. "Nah... not interested in impressing you. I'll find a way to harness your powers, while keeping you silent." the beast roared inside her head, causing her to gain a headache. Juri grips her head, trying to shut his voice up. Eventually she does, but the fact that he's able to physically harm her doesn't leave the girl feeling pleased.

After about another hour of reading up on the Bijuu the woman decides she wants to walk. By now the heavy raining stopped, leaving only a slight drizzle. By now she's fully dressed up, but leaving behind her Raikage gear. With ANBU guards in tow, the woman begins to walk the streets of Kumogakure, with her mind constantly moving. She finds a little sushi shop and settles down, ordering a bottle of sake and some mochi. Her two ANBU guard Zan sits next to her and scans the room, while her ANBU guard Zing stands outside, watching for any suspension characters.

The light rain seemed to descend upon the earth. He admired the change in the world, only echoing the weather of Amegakure. His hands reached for his wrists, his sleeves cascading over his arms. All that could be shown was the cloak of the New Akatusuki, and the black cloak Kaseki wore under it. The black fabric was tattered where it kissed the ground. The black clouds over the dark scarlet cloth. Above the horizon if his waste is where the coat seemed to become night.

He smiled from under his hood. He could only imagine the next person he would meet. He sniffed the cool air, only to taste sticky rice and fish. "Now, I could use a snack." he said while licking his lips.

But then he saw the masked man standing outside of a building. "Oh, an Anbu Jinchuriki? That would be interesting." he thought.

---

"Aren't you a strange thing?"

Kaseki sat on the floor of the great shadowed room. There was no wall, there was no ceiling. A light seemed to emit from both of them , allowing them to see a good 10 meters of the ground from all the objects in the room. However, all they had, was themselves... and the chains.

Kaseki's legs were folded as he remained in his position of a half bow to the creature. He would take in more experience that anyone on his world. After all, the only one that had more experience than himself, was the great Sage of The Six Paths. Something Kaseki grew closer to everyday with his technique "The Second Set of Eyes."

"And what do you hope to accomplish?" The great insect asked. Her limbs chained to the ground. Her voice curious and unwavering. She was angered, yet... interesting.

"You're stuck with me." Kaseki simply said. He would control the demon that resided in him.

"How unlucky. I couldn't even get a role model." She seemed to try to egg Kaseki into a rage. Yet was unsuccessful.

"You asked for someone high up, and so you got the leader of the Akatsuki." He looked up, his eyes a vivid crimson, "You will never get what you wish for. You will only get the opportunity to grant your own wish."

Reference : Cloak:

After a cup or two of sake, the Raikage was feeling eased. It takes a lot to get this woman drunk, but even the simple taste of Kumogakure's smooth rice wine can put people at ease. A bowl of white rice, some mochi, some Yakizakana and two onigiri rice balls are presented to the Raikage, all free of charge. She smiles and nods to the cook, one of the few in Kumo that actually like her. "Itadakimasu." A meal like this is a mere snack for the woman, she burns calories way too fast. Zan orders a bowl of pork ramen for himself, while giving Zing two Onigiri rice balls while he's still on patrol. "Juri-Sama!" the ramen cook says "I wanna thank you for destroying that drug lab, those punks were bringing bad business here! We were afraid that we'd have to close, all the customers were afraid of the thugs that hook out in the area!" he bows. "No problem Hiyori-san, I simply wanted to do what was best for the village. Also I love the onigiri, best in Kumo." She says and smiles, the cook gives a thumbs up and sets two more onigiri in front of her. Zing is the more hardened ANBU member, he's 28 while his partner Zan is only 17. In his life Zing has been through a lot, and made a lot of choices he regrets, but he's happy to serve Juri now. Unlike a few ninja, he actually agrees with her methods, and is willing to put his life on the line for her. He's also the more vigilant of the two ANBU members, being the sensor. There weren't much people out tonight, actually the only people on the street were random shinobi guards and people heading home from work. So when a new presence he never felt appeared, Zing made a hand signal towards Zan to come here. Both guards caught sight of a figure in a black cloak with black clouds. Zan spoke up jokingly "Eh, what are you, some kind of Akatsuki cosplayer or something?" Juri turns her head to look at the cloaked figure, still eating her food. "Leave the guy alone, he's probably hungry." Juri says.

"Akatsuki, eh?" Kaseki replied to the masked man, "What an ancient word for someone so young." His tone was youthful, yet venomous with every word.

He smiled as he looked at the girl that seemed to order them around. By the powers of deduction, she could be only one of two things...

1.) The Anbu Captain
2.) The Raikage

His grin ripped a crescent tear in his face, only to reveal an ounce of pain that Kaseki bore on his back. There was no one that could ever amount to his loss. He had a family, only to have them killed before his eyes. His friends murdered and picked apart. The only thing that kept him going, was the dream of a world without pain. He walked past the masked boy to step into the shop. He took in the aroma of the world, and knew he was not where he had planned.

"Now you wouldn't happen to have ramen for an old soul, would you?" Kaseki asked no one in particular. One of the cooks seemed infuriated with his display of emotions, while another chef humbly bowed and began to cook noodles. "... What a lucky find." Chomei's voice echoed in Kaseki's head. He took a seat, only to suggest things to himself in thought. Someone there had to be of importance. Perhaps the Raikage could lead him to the next tailed beast.

---

"Why do you try so hard?"

Kaseki's legs were folded, as his gaze remained on the insect's face. He held a joyful mood, yet a face without expression. He knew he held one of the keys to destroying the world, just as well as defending it. He could change his own destiny. With the power of that great beast Kaseki could restore the honor he lost long ago. He could repair himself to be normal once more. He could do so many things, yet here he sat before the beast.

"You don't have a plan, do you?"

She mocked him, waiting for him to burst. She would push him until he fell. She knew no one would be there to pick him up. However, Kaseki knew that since he was born. The difference was not that he held onto the great burden of loss, but he was alone. Every bone he made was eventually severed. Constant betrayal. Yet he always gave his trust, he always give his word, waiting for the one person who would change the world.

"I do." Kaseki said, "You're going to be my friend."

---

"But like the assassin said," Kaseki said lightly, his words floating away into the atmosphere, "Let's say that I'm Akatsuki, what would I be looking for?" He smiled as he lifted his right hand. He waved over at the girl that seemed to get fed for free. With a twist of his wrist the back of his palm faced her, "...but yet, I am a Jinchuriki." He smiled. He was fair from even beginning a bond with his beast. However he was an enigma... The Jinchuriki of the Akatsuki... the only Jinchuriki to meet previous Jinchuriki. He was Kaseki.

"Now you wouldn't happen to have ramen for an old soul, would you?" Juri raises an eyebrow, this guy's voice sounds younger than hers. He probably meant a old soul as in he thinks he acts older than he does, but the youth today all feel that way. 'I'm an old soul, I was born in the wrong generation. Today's generation is so stupid, all they do is shake their asses, I miss the good old days when racism and misogyny were A-Ok!" fucking twats. People have been saying "it was better in the good ol days" since the good ol days, the anti-culture were just as stupid as the culture. Juri didn't mind thought, she had always been her own person, interested in her own goals. She didn't care what people thought of her or the judgments they tried to pass... so long as they said it to her face and not behind her back.

The weird dude sits about 5 feet away from Juri, she smells something familiar on him, but can't place it. Kumo medics are required to train all senses to their maximum usage, because sometimes the eyes aren't enough. "But like the assassin said, let's say that I'm Akatsuki, what would I be looking for?" the man said this almost as if he was challenging the Raikage, Juri didn't take it as a threat though, he probably didn't know who she was. "If you were Akatsuki, the real Akatsuki, I'd break your neck before you could utter a "don't kill me"." she says this with a small grin, while looking down at her sake, though she can still see him in her peripheral vision. "Doesn't matter what you were looking for, I refuse to harbor terrorist in Kumogakure." Zan and Zing begin to approach the man, gripping their weapons. Zing begins to read his chakra in depth, since he didn't trust the man's chakra presence from the start. Juri raises her hand for the two men to back off, she then lifts her cup of sake for a drink. "...But yet, I am a Jinchuriki." Juri freezes, her lips touching the cup, but not sipping at all. Her eyes turn to face the man, but her head and body remain in place. Zing jumps back in terror as he can finally read the man's chakra, the image of a beast forces him to draw his katana and point it at the man. "HE'S A DEMON!" Zing yells, forcing the cooks to flee into the backroom. "Stand down!" Juri says, slamming her fist into the table, forcing it to completely fold inwards from the point of impact. Both ANBU guards still have weapons drawn, focusing on the man. Juri looks over at the hooded figure and raises an eyebrow, her face stuck in a curious expression. "You're a Jinchuriki eh? Why would you tell me this? For all you know I could be an Akatsuki member trying to extract it from you?" She's confused as to why this man would say this, maybe he was lying and just placed the trio into a genjutsu. Juri checks by dislocating her shoulder, then popping it back into place, nope this was real. Obviously this guy had balls, but still... why? Son Goku wakes up from his slumber and begins to examine the man, curious as well.

"You're a Jinchuriki eh? Why would you tell me this? For all you know I could be an Akatsuki member trying to extract it from you?"

Kaseki grinned the most incredible grin. The guards reacted in a way that seemed mos typical. Little would they know how useless most of their attacks would be. But alas, if they followed the woman around personally, she was high in rank, and so were they. Everyone was of upmost importance. He had little patience for games. And besides, based on their reactions alone, meant he had the upper hand. His cloak masked his chakra, sure. But the Anbu were trained in tracking, they would see right through it.

He turned, to reveal his face to her, only to show the smile. "Without trust, our world falls into fear and war." He spoke it from experience. But that was not all. "You're smart, aren't you? Well look at my face, and tell me how old I am. Better yet, tell me what I am." He gave a small snicker, only to look over at the cooks cowering in fear. It was pathetic. If he wanted to kill them, they'd all have knives at their neck.

"But now your guards have scared away my ramen." His smiled faded away, his eyes looking at the two masked men, and his face remaining in direction of the girl. He was disappointed to have his meal ruined yet again. It seemed as if someone always seemed to ruin his time to eat moments before eating. He gave a sigh as he turned to face forward, looking at the cooks.

"Lady Raikage," Kaseki began to ask, "It's been a long time since I had some ramen. Could you please do something about this?"

---

"And if she isn't the one you seek?"

"If not, then it's the Anbu captain. But even then she would have the armor, or at least her mask." Kaseki pondered the thought, "She could be the Raikage's daughter, but seeing as she commanded the men without them uttering a word, means either this village was in complete tyranny, or she was the Raikage." he looked up at the great insect that was chained to the floor.

"No no..." Chomei corrected the creature, "I mean the one."

Kaseki rose a brow at her comment. "I'm not even human." He replied, "You can't tell me that that was the only thing of importance you had to suggest..."

Chomei seemed to smile, "Who knows, an ugly thing like you might get lucky with this one,"

Kaseki's hand rose to his face, only to result in an action referred to as a "facepalm."

"Chomei... You are just..." He was lost for words... He was stuck with probably one of the most irrelevant tailed beasts...
____
TWC : 1665
WC : 464

Under the veil, the strange man revealed his face. His toothy grin sent chills down the woman's spine, his mouth looking like that of a beast. "Creepy." Juri says unimpressed. "Lady Raikage, it's been a long time since I had some ramen. Could you please do something about this?" "If you want Ramen so much how about you go into the kitchen and cook yourself some, the fuck am I suppose to do? Do you want me to feed you? Want me to pull out a tit and nurse you? You're a grown ass man, you go handle your hunger on your own time. Matter of fact, there's a convenient store across the street that sells instant ramen, go pick some up on me." Juri says, pulling a Kumogakure dollar bill from her pocket and tossing it at the man. Zan begins to snicker at this display, but Zing doesn't let up, he's far too disturbed by the man. "Lady Han, let us deal with him. If he's really a Jinchuriki we should get him out of the village before he does any damage!" Zing says, in a low and cold tone. "Nah... I want to hear what he has to say. It takes balls to approach me with such confidence. We know he's not from Kumo, and I'm guessing he hasn't heard much about the Raikage, so you guy's presence probably let him know I'm somebody important. He chose Raikage, I'm guessing the other choice was someone in the royal family, a high ranking officer or the ANBU captain. Well pointy teeth you are right, I'm Juri Han, the Raikage." she says folding her arms, still standing and looking at this creepy guy. "Now who the fuck are you, and why are in my village?" Juri begins tapping her foot, getting a bit impatient. Her breathing slows, her eyes wander around his body, she's reading him. This could be an attack from one of her enemies, he could have a bomb planted, or be hiding poison. Being vigilant is always key.

"If you want Ramen so much how about you go into the kitchen and cook yourself some, the fuck am I suppose to do? Do you want me to feed you? Want me to pull out a tit and nurse you? You're a grown ass man, you go handle your hunger on your own time. Matter of fact, there's a convenient store across the street that sells instant ramen, go pick some up on me."

Kaseki smiled, "Two hundred years. I think I'm going to get some Ramen." He lifted his hand over the counter, pointing it at the cooks. He began to ignore the things she had been saying, only to hear, "Now who the fuck are you, and why are in my village?" He laughed, "Let me get my food, miss."

As he spoke, his index finger emit a fog, only to create a Green Knight before him. With a single string, the puppet calmly walked along the floor like it was alive. Kaseki prefered to give his puppets a bit of... life.

He turned to Juri once more. "I am Kaseki. I'm here to find the other Jinchuriki. NO doubt people will go out to collect this power." he smiled, "So with them, we can all train and become stronger. That is all. That is why I am here."


____
1100 CP > 1089 CP (Unsealing, + Chakra Strings)

Without even casting hand seals the man summons a green, childlike looking puppet and controls it to walk around. "A puppet master eh?" She says softly, sitting back down and folding her legs. She motions for the cook to stop being a bitch and make some ramen. "Bring sake." she tells a young barmaid behind the counter. "There aren't any Jinchurki in Kumogakure Kaseki, other than you of course. If there were then I would have found them by now and "dealt" with them already. It seems your journey has led you to a dead end, not only that, but it led you into a lion's den." A small bottle of Kumogakure's finest sake is presented in front of the two by a beautiful young woman, she also sets down a bowl of Beef Ramen with metal chopsticks with a cloud sign engraved. "I'm sure you haven't heard of me, but I go by the name of the Neon Bitch around this village. I don't let people off easy, if I let them off, and I'm cruel. A jinchuriki just entered my village, from what I can see alone, and he's already surrounded. What's stopping me from just knocking you out and extracting the Bijuu from your body? I could sell a Bijuu to another village for a large sum, or even use one as a weapon to destroy another village. Konoha's been a thorn in Kumo's side for a while, a bijuu could be the perfect doorbuster." she sips the sake "Where is the leverage?" Juri says.

Kaseki's finger twitched, the green knight following the steaming bowl of ramen. The cooks seemed to sweat with fear, just as the women did. Kaseki listened to Juri's words, only to grow bored and lose interest with each word.

"You know, I died fighting for Konoha, at least twice. Once against Pain, and the second time against Madara in the war." His gaze remained on the girl, the two violet circles on his hood facing the puppet, and the other Anbu. "The Hokage was too keen of my nature and dream. He was quite a bore, however you sit here and throw threats around like it's nothing. I wonder if they hold any meaning." He cocked his head, almost in curiosity like a a puppy. He wondered what she really was like. And judging by the damage on the counter, meant Taijutsu. "Leverage? I have none."

The bowl was set before him, his puppet climbing over the counter like a child. "Now, would you kindly stop lying to me." He lifted his hand to point at her neck, "Unless you already took care of that as well." He pointed at the seal on her neck. He was foolish, and looked at his opponent with unchanging eyes. It was all he did. He analysed things. "Now, either we can come together and achieve things, or we can fall apart and go our ways." He smiled, "I only wonder if your people know."

---

"Kaseki..."

He sat there, laughing. He found the whole event comical. He sat so close to his victory, only to ruin it himself. She seemed so serious, yet full of puns and jokes. Surely she would lighten the mood. After all, she seemed to show more power than the Hokage. He wasn't sure to help them bring peace, or let them destroy each other. Both seemed quite enjoyable.

"Yes Chomei?"

"You're really stupid."

---

He gave a small chuckle. "Go ahead and ask me anything. I have nothing to hide." He almost mocked her for harboring secrets, "You want some Kekkei Genkai? I have some. Oh... and you should know as well... I already have some inside people in every village... so ask me a question." he smiled, "Ask me anything."

Apparently this guy died, twice, which is quite interesting. He would make the perfect test subject for a scientist or a medic, good thing Juri was the greatest medic in the entire Land of Lightning. Maybe she'd capture him and test his DNA, she'd been trying to find a way to boost her skin's endurance. If he lived that long maybe he was immortal like that one Akatsuki member. Hmmm... Juri ponders what to do next. Right now this guy was useless though, other than his impressive DNA. "Oh this?" she points to her neck. "This is simply a tattoo I picked up to congratulate myself on becoming the Raikage. It means power, which is what I have. If that's all you've got I'm afraid we have nothing else to talk about. Since you've wasted my time you can make it up by paying for the damage to the table, the drinks and ramen. I'm out." she says rising up and heading towards the exit.

"Go ahead and ask me anything. I have nothing to hide. You want some Kekkei Genkai? I have some. Oh... and you should know as well... I already have some inside people in every village... so ask me a question. Ask me anything."

People inside every village. So he was Akatsuki. Perhaps this man was more interesting than Juri thought. "Oh? Are you saying you have someone in Kumogakure?" she says, turning her head to once again look at the puppet master. "If so I'll play ball if you can give me an honest answer."

Kaseki smiled, he had her attention. "Yes. However if I left him in the Leaf, last."

The puppet grabbed a pair of wooden chopsticks from behind the counter, only to hand them over to Kaseki. He took the sticks and plunged them into his bowl of ramen, something that seemed to still be boiling. He lifted the noodles to his mouth, savoring the bit of ecstasy of the food. Kaseki didn't need to eat. It was a choice he made to do. He enjoyed ramen for the reason of reminding him of what he was. He didn't care for rice, liquor or anything else... only noodles and broth. He picked apart the ingredients as a little game of his. It was fun for him.

He slurped the noodle into his mouth, his Green Knight taking a seat beside him, spinning in the barstool. "...and before you ask, I might as well tell you I am Akatsuki. However I can assure you that my goals are much different than that of those Uchiha descendants and Pain." then he smiled. He wondered if he was part of the stories passed down. The ninja who fought with crows. The ninja that was the team that took down Sasori of the Red Sand. Maybe he was mentioned... maybe an unnamed hero... maybe as a medical ninja... but alas, it was not his fate to be remembered. He was destined to be forgotten, and this was no different.

Then Kaseki got his own little idea.

---

"Chomei, how many times can I die?"

She grew confused at the question, only to read through Kaseki's expression and question. She knew exactly what he wanted to do. He was going to create something that would be unheard of in his time. But, then again.... a Jinchuriki never became a puppet master, especially before becoming one. She knew Kaseki would rarely tap into her charkra, if he ever used it. He was a chakra conservative.

"You're already dead."

---

"... And why is it that the Leaf has so many advanced clans, yet Kumogakure has few to none?" Kaseki asked. She would catch his drift... The Leaf were always given power, from the very start. This was the first step to his plan. Kaseki would unite the countries into one. There would be no more Kages. There would be only leader to look over each country... and Juri han seemed to be the one Kaseki picked.

____
TWC : 2664

"... And why is it that the Leaf has so many advanced clans, yet Kumogakure has few to none?" Juri, being clanless herself, smiles at this question. "It's because while Konoha has been born into power, Kumogakure earns it. We work for everything we get in life, we're not like those chumps that require Uchiha and Senju to keep them powerful. I'm the example of the village hidden in the cloud's will, hard work and dedication gets you far in life." With this being said the woman gets up and heads out. "Sorry your information wasn't enough to keep me here. We'll be seeing you later though... Akatsuki." Zan and Zing look confused as to why their leader is leaving this confirmed Akatsuki member alive, even behind their masks Juri can see their faces. "Don't even start." She tells them before they can even begin to speak. Into the night the Raikage disappears, with her own intentions of how the handle the Akatsuki. Zing and Zan follow once the woman is out of sight. A beautiful shimmer begins to light the village, the clouds above having dispersed, showing the moonlight. Juri Han was a complicated woman with complicated plans, and while the Akatsuki may be safe today, lightning is always unpredictable.

-exit-

Kaseki smiled as he turned back to his food. She walked away, fully knowing the name of the leader of the Akatsuki. He enjoyed each feeding of the noodles, finally enjoying his meal. It was in Kumogakure that he finally was able to have a bowl of ramen in peace.

"How interesting." he spoke aloud, his puppet spinning in the seat next to him. "I know what I'm going to do."

---

"Well.. Perhaps the Sage was right." Chomei looked down at the sitting creature, "You nearly threatened a country, and in turn you got a bowl of ramen."

Kaseki began to laugh as he sat there, thinking of his plan. Chomei knew the face and the expression. All the betrayal, the hunting, the corruption. The tree planned it all.

"Act one had concluded. Perhaps it's time the Clouds have a chance to strike."
____
TWC : 2807