Valuable Specimen (ToW)

Kitsuki was hiding in one of the upper trees that made up the dense Hasaiko Forrest. The Meteor Wars were drawing to a close. The Land of Bears and the Land of Waterfalls could not sustain the conflict much longer and with the Great Dying War going on nor could the major powers. This glorified proxy fight would soon come to an end but the contest was consequential enough for the nations to send their best to wrap things up.

Kitsuki transfigured her bow into a cane and slung a single C-Rank arrow. Her partner was close by no doubt. They had eyes on the main road coming in. They were looking for a military caravan of some kind but so far nothing had passed through. The only thing that did seem to go past was relatively tame looking carriages.

Probably stragglers and refugees... she thought sadly.

Kit looked around. The Forrest was heavily mutated as a result of the meteor's impact. The bark was a blood red, the birds had become infested with the very worms they ate, the antlers of deer were black and burnt. Nothing about this land was natural and Kit speculated that if its inhabitants stayed, they'd become unnatural as well. She took a deep breath and re-focused her attention on the mission. Meanwhile, Zizz nestled in her hair providing a light glow. The creature gathered grace and filtered it into her host's body in preparation of the battle to come.

Grace Pool: 60.5 + 15 = 75.5

Ashitaka didn't like the Hot Zone. He didn't like it one bit. It had everything he could hate about a location: painful memories of failure that nearly led to death, horrible mutations that led to the environment making his own nightmares seem comforting and familiar by comparison, and an atmosphere choked with a vile chakra that hated life. At least he was partnered with the legendary Kitsuki Kurahasa for this mission, so that was reassuring. He vowed to himself that he wouldn't get in the way of her success like he had with the woman in the bunny mask. He was unaware of the apparition of the Sage appearing next to her in a state of existence exclusive to her own perceptions.

"Good evening, ladies..." the elderly Otsutsuki spirit greeted somewhere between warmly and smugly, as though ignorant of or apathetic to the tension of the situation they were currently in. Spying Zizz, he addressed the Angel directly. "Begging your pardon, Little Miss, but I'll need to imitate your power for just a moment."

A golden glow flared around Hagoromo's apparition for just a moment before leaving him to rocket over to the branch Ashitaka was hiding in and strike him in the chest, from where it spread throughout his body and caused it to grow. Thoroughly distracted by the surprise and pain of accelerated growth, he growled and hissed and fell out of the horrid tree, hitting the ground with a distinct absence of grace. His landing was noisy, but with the amount he was glowing, that fact was quickly rendered irrelevant. His aura was golden but with green streaks flickering in and out. Angry and sore, the now-adult bodied Senju dragged himself out of his impact site and into the road. He decided to make the most of his situation and formed a Ram seal followed by a Snake one. In stark contrast to his extremely obvious presence, his jutsu silently and subtly dispersed a broad net of vines that covered a considerable area and crawled up the trees with large flower buds dotting them at irregular intervals.

He suppressed the urge to lash out at everything and nothing as he activated the Senjutsu chakra he'd been collecting and his Sensing Field at the same time, waiting to put the caravan to sleep as soon as they entered the range of his ability.

___________________________

Stuff:

One wouldn't expect that the leader of the Society would be on a mission like this, but Nozomi knew that the major nations were sending some of their top shinobi to these missions. She had no real stake on whether the mission was completed or not, she was here for one reason and one reason alone: To see what sort of shinobi the Major nations were training. It was inevitable that the Society was going to war with the nations at some point in the near future, but she was waiting while they weakened themselves throughout the war. Even still, some special ninja, the ones surviving mission after mission, were getting stronger, which presented an interesting challenge. As the quantity of shinobi were reducing, the quality was increasing, and that piqued her curiosity.

Nozomi was dressed in a very dark kimono of incredible make. Unmatched in quality, it was definitely more than met the eye. Despite looking like a kimono, it was actually an armor grade battle kimono that matched and surpassed any other armor recently made, even surpassing some of the artifacts of the world. Attached to her kimono's sash was a dark ebony tanto, also made by the same crafter that had made the kimono, excellent quality as well, although not quite as impressive.

Her hair pulled back into a bun, purple eye liner around her eye, the pupils slit in a yellowed form, she had thinned out more than she usually would be. Her skin was even paler than normal, even her hair was reduced to a bleached white rather than its usual blonde. Nozomi rode on the back of a cart, masquerading as a merchant as per the mission. As unique as she looked, her base appearance was still similar enough to her non sage self, enough that even without knowledge of her sage mode appearance, up close a shinobi who knew who she was may be able to identify her. Still, the average person out there may not realize who she was, and it was the shinobi that tended to, which was fine enough.

Her sensory up, sage mode activated so that she had a boost to her range and sensing ability, in addition to having the ability to remain completely still and gather senjutsu faster than she was using it, Nozomi was able to feel out for several hundred meters, able to tell when anyone was in her range, when areas were effected by chakra, and if people had a larger than average level of chakra. Had she not been a sage herself, she wouldn't have noticed the senjutsu enhanced technique ahead of her. However, as soon as it entered her range of sensory, 500 meters out from her, she saw the trap coming way ahead of time.

A low hiss of air exited her mouth, only loud enough for her partner to hear her, although their enemies were still over 570 meters away from them. Their carriage travelled at a slow pace, a normal trot. "A trap up ahead. Sage enhanced technique. 490 meters. Thin, throughout the air." Nozomi's voice was low, soft, barely a whisper, but her partner would hear. However, it wouldn't tip off the ambush far ahead of them. It was still over half a kilometer away, quite some distance, and with the trees and coverage ahead, their ambushers weren't visible, but neither were they.

Her heartbeat increased as a sense of excitement rushed through her. Another sage? That was very rare, but just the type of opponent she had been hoping to encounter. Perhaps even a potential new recruit? The dense forest was soon to be a battle ground. As they traveled forward, assuming they stayed on course, their quarry still in their hiding spots, Nozomi and her partner's cover as merchants and not traveling with a military convoy would be maintained. Once she was 500 meters out from the ambushers, and they entered her sensory range, Nozomi let out another breath of information.

"Two above average signatures, 490 meters out. One in a tree, sage on the ground, straight on the road. Trap still about 400 meters away." Approximating distances based on her range, Nozomi also included approximate locations. They were perhaps now in engaging distance of long range techniques, but with their cover as merchants, Nozomi and her partner had the upper hand to start this off.

-------
Chakra: 290/290
-5, Serpentine Physiology UA activated
-0.25 Sensory [Sage Enhanced]
Chakra end: 284.75/290

Sage Chakra: 130/130
-5 Sage Mode
-0.25 Sensory [Sage Enhanced]
+10 Recharge
Sage Chakra end: 130/130


Active UA's and Techniques:

Perfect Sage Mode: Snake
Sensory

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Nozomi's Stats:
Strength: B -> A [Serpentine Physiology] -> S [Sage Mode]
Constitution: A -> S [Sage Mode]
Stamina: A+ [290/290]
Speed: A -> S [Sage Mode]
Coordination: A -> S [Sage Mode]
Intelligence: D
Perception: A ->S [Sage Mode]

As he waited for his opponents to approach, the man was struck by an epiphany of the pointlessness of his efforts. Having grown tired of all that he'd been through, Ashitaka did the one thing that even the Sage thought he'd never do: he gave up. On everything. Crossing his arms over his chest and closing his eyes, he erupted in blue flame. In a moment, his body was reduced to ashes. No one would have the opportunity to profit from his death.


[Using Body Elimination Technique. Exit thread.]

Kitsuki was so focused on the the approaching caravan that she didn't even notice the ghost of Hagoromo appearing beside her. Or maybe she didn't notice it because she couldn't. Either way, the Angelic Princess only had eyes for the lone individual sitting at the back of the wagon. Normally, it'd be impossible for anyone to see facial features this far out, but Kit was no ordinary marksman. She was one of the best in the world and her eyesight had evolved to superhuman levels allowing her to accurately spot and fire at a target from hundreds of meters away. Few archers in the world had reached this level of competence but those that did had dubbed the gift the "Eagle Eye." All that was required was a sufficiently high enough vantage point, a delineated target, a high quality bow, and the determination to loose it when the time was right. Thanks to the elevation granted by the un-naturally tall tree, Kitsuki could accurately make out the identity of the merchant sitting in the back. She opened her mouth and suddenly became aware that she had been holding her breath in anticipation of the dreaded shot. The result was a huff, followed by an exhale and an inhale as she considered the implications of this match-up.

"Kami no 栄光 Tengoku, that's Nozomi Himutsu!"

Kitsuki stretched the arrow back further. She couldn't afford to hold back. Not against an opponent this strong. She ran a few calculations through her head, but as she angled the shot, Zizz was dealing with a different kind of revelation. Hagoromo's appearance was noticed by her and the Angel flew out of Kit's hair with a quizzical look. The sheer energy that the Sage of Six Paths was giving off was enough to interrupt her meditation.

"Good evening, ladies..."
ⴻⵀ? ⵡⵀo ⴰⵔⴻ ⵢoⵓ?

Zizz knew better than to show herself during a mission like this, but this was an extraordinary circumstance. The being before her was on her level perhaps beyond. If he didn't belong to Ashitaka and instead was Nozomi's entity then they'd be in serious trouble. Before the Angel could get a better sense of who or what just greeted them, the spirit-senior boldly proclaimed his intentions.

"Begging your pardon, Little Miss, but I'll need to imitate your power for just a moment."
ⵡⵀⴰⵜ? ⵡⵀⴰⵜ ⴰⵔⴻ ⵢoⵓ oⵏ ⴰⴱoⵓⵜ? ⵡⴰⵉⵜ...ⵡⵀⴰⵜ ⴰⵔⴻ ⵢoⵓ ⴷoⵉⵏⴳ? ⵡⴰⵉⵜ! ⵏoⵏoⵏoⵏoⵏoⵏo

Hagoromo was....doing something. What it was the Chronokinetic Universal Builder had no idea but if it involved copying her abilities like he said, it was certain to end in disaster for everyone involved. When messing with time, so much could go wrong. Loops, de-aging, over-aging, Chronomania, just about anything that could go wrong often did unless you fully understood the properties of the fourth dimension. Zizz didn't have time to communicate the gravity of this warning to Hagoromo. Maybe Chel could have sensed what the spirit aimed to do and warned him against it but by the time Zizz could figure out a way to articulate her fears, the Sage had launched off in Ashitaka's direction. Zizz began tugging at Kit's curls in a panic as the glowing ghost struck Ashitaka and sent him tumbling through the tree. Kit's attention was pulled in the lad's direction anyways as she wanted to make sure he was set before she fired her arrow.

"Zizz, I'm in the middle of a miss-"

Kit's eyes followed the direction that the tiny Angel was pointing in. Ashitaka had tumbled out of the tree and hit the ground hard. He was convulsing, leaking energy, and growing? The boy was becoming a man before her very eyes.

What did you do?!
ⵉⵜ ⵡⴰⵙⵏ'ⵜ ⵎⴻ! ⴰⵏ oⵍⴷ ⵎⴰⵏ ⵛⴰⵎⴻ ⴰⵏⴷ ⵀⴻ ⵊⵓⵙⵜ ⵛopⵉⴻⴷ ⵎⵢ poⵡⴻⵔ oⵔ ⵙoⵎⴻⵜⵀⵉⵏⴳ ⵉ ⴷoⵏ'ⵜ ⴽⵏoⵡ!

The adult Ashitaka wasn't dead, he was just older. She remembered feeling bad for him when they had rescued him from the Scarecrow back in Iwa. He was awfully young to be serving on the front lines of a major war but that didn't stop him from being assigned to such an important mission. She guessed that this might be part of his hidden power but when he suddenly stopped and crossed his arms. The Angel and her host felt a sinking feeling in their stomach.

"No" Kitsuki whispered as she watched Ashitaka spontaneously combust in blue flame. Suddenly the mission shrank in importance. Getting the perfect shot at Nozomi Himitsu was as irrelevant as the price of tea in China. Kit bounded from her perch with a hefty boom and landed a few feet from where the Senju once stood. She gazed at his burning body until it turned to un-useable ash. Kit gripped her bow in one hand and used the other to cover her mouth in horror. Zizz, usually a bundle of optimism and energy, had gone still. Whatever that spirit had done, it had ended in Ashitaka's death. Kit walked over to the pile of ashes and sank to her knees. Tears were now welling in her eyes and she demanded to know why.

Was this Nozomi?! Did she do this? Anger was rising in her spirit. The same anger that she felt at the Eastern Gates. She glared in the direction of the wagon but her temper softened when Zizz landed on her shoulder.

ⵏo...ⵉⵜ ⵡⴰⵙⵏ'ⵜ ⵏoⵣoⵎⵉ. ⵉ'ⵎ ⵙⵓⵔⴻ oⴼ ⵉⵜ. ⵉ ⴷoⵏ'ⵜ ⴽⵏoⵡ ⵡⵀo ⵉⵜ ⵡⴰⵙ. ⵙoⵎⴻ ⴽⵉⵏⴷ oⴼ oⵍⴷ ⵎⴰⵏ. Zizz shut her tiny little eyes and began to paint a mental picture. She began communicating a dense but accurate summation of the man's appearance including: height, weight, facial features, and unique characteristics. When she was finished, Kit found herself wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She then shook her head in disbelief.

"No that's impossible....he's been dead for like....a thousand years. If he even existed at all!" Stealth had gone out the window at this point and while she remained alert, she couldn't pull herself away from the tragic sight in front of her. Zizz could say nothing. She had given Kit the requested information but she had no clue as to why the ghost of the Sage of Six Paths was loitering about the Hot Zone. Kit's eyes widened as a new theory sprang to mind. The Hot Zone. Was it the cause of Ashitaka's suicide combustion? This hellish warzone was created by a meteor and fought over by countless shinobi, some of them as young as....as however old the kid was.

No more Zizz....No more of this.....

Kitsuki began to removed one of her gloves and gently scooped Ashitaka's ashes into them. She would send them to Konoha. They were allies and she'd need to give them his remains in whatever form they consisted of. She tied up the glove and placed it in her inner jacket pocket. This war had gone on long enough. It was time to end it. Kitsuki bent her knees and bounded forwards at her top speed. Using her incredible strength, she pushed off the ground with maximum force. The resulting sound was a series of booms that echoed across the haunted forest and heralded her approach. For what she had planned, Kitsuki would not need stealth only confrontation. Her natural hair flowed in the breeze as she remained focused on the upcoming road and the elite warrior traveling on it. It would take her a bit of time to arrive since she wasn't all that fast but she didn't think Nozomi to be the type to run from a challenge.

Eventually, Kitsuki had arrived. She landed on the dirt road roughly 5 meters from the back of the wagon itself. The earth cracked underneath her feet as she found herself face to face with the enigmatic leader of the Enlightened Society of Rebirth and Reordering. Kitsuki could immediately tell that Nozomi looked very different from the way she did in photographs. She'd studied the kunoichi often enough in school. Headmaster Sukimori had pointed her out as an example of what happened with a young woman was confronted with the horrors of the modern era and lacked the proper foundation to deal with them. Kit had accepted this simplistic explanation for years, up until recently, when she found herself locked in a death match against her own leadership. Ever since that day, Kitsuki had longed for an opportunity to speak with Nozomi Himitsu. To ask her the why and how. To see if she had went through some of the same things that Kitsuki had. It didn't justify her affiliation with Honiko but maybe they could understand each other better. Kit hoped that she'd meet Nozomi under more favorable circumstances on more neutral ground, but that wasn't a luxury she had today.

Kitsuki was panting and she transfigured her bow back into a cane but she held her free hand in the air to demonstrate that she wasn't making a seal. Before Nozomi would stand a young girl with mocha brown skin and curly afro-pigtails dressed in an exquisite navy suit with bole tie, pendant, and designer combat heels. It was probable she'd recognize Kit on sight but the Angelic Princess wasn't so arrogant as to assume that was the case.

"Nozomi Himitsu.....My name is Princess Kitsuki Kurahasa of Kirigakure no Sato. I want to talk."

"Hm?"

The cart had been steadily advancing forward, but still quite a ways off from the trap Ashitaka had set. With her sensory, she was able to more or less detect everything that was happening, and things happened quite oddly. A new presence arrived, pure nature energy, hitting the boy, charging him with some other form of energy, and then....

The boy's internals began to super heat and then disappeared, turned to ash. The previous trap around them disappeared, his energy no longer maintaining it.

"No more trap. 1 opponent down. Pull to the side."

Nozomi rose up, stepping off the cart as it slowed down. Kitsuki was at this point just standing from scooping up some of the ashes of her fallen ally, and she began advancing. The series of booms, the cracking of earth, Nozomi knew the sound well and a tingle ran through her body. This woman was incredibly strong, which meant that a fight between the two of them would be interesting.

Kitsuki may have wanted to get the drop on Nozomi, but she had likely misjudged the perceptive abilities of the Kirikagure Missing nin. Nozomi had known where she was at all times, could hear her shifts, the earth cracking, see her and the changes of the environment in response, smell her scent as would a predator following an individual smell, feel the slight changes in the air from her moving, the shockwaves reverberating, even taste some random shifts of moisture as it was disturbed by motion. Her Sage abilities enhanced her to such a degree that she didn't need to only rely on sight or hearing, everything else was vastly enhanced.

This wasn't even factoring in the Sage enhanced Sensory abilities she was using. There would be no sneaking up on Nozomi, certainly not before she pulled over the cart and stepped out to meet the oncoming ninja.

It was that sense of perceptive ability though that clued Nozomi in to the fact that Kitsuki may not be engaging for combat. Her sense of elation dropped, a frown on her mouth appearing momentarily as she thought, before her expression neutralized more. No, if she was coming to fight, there would be a chakra flow, or she'd have launched an arrow. Nozomi wasn't sensing anything, and the Kiri-nin gained nothing by engaging Nozomi close up. Tactically speaking, distance was the best way to deal with a potential threat, especially when you had means for such an attack.

That said, even without the prospect of a fight imminent, Nozomi's interests were piqued. What would be so important that this girl would approach, throwing away her 'element of surprise'? Upon her landing, Nozomi was already standing, waiting, still as a statue once again, although fully attentive. The short kunoichi only a few meters from the princess. Quite trusting, the woman had entered a danger zone at this point.

Introductions were one sided. Nozomi knew she didn't need to introduce herself, given that Kitsuki had addressed her by name, so she didn't bother introducing herself. There was a little familiarity for Nozomi as to this girl, although it was more so that she had heard that Kirigakure was under new leadership, a triumverate of sorts, and that two of them had been integral in taking down the former regime. Hana Kaguya, a woman who had seen fit to interfere with Nozomi's entrance of Kirigakure last time, when she was attacked by Akihiro.

It didn't endear her to Nozomi either. Forever robbed of the opportunity to make Hana pay for her interference, Nozomi was more annoyed by the actions than not, although ultimately it didn't matter to her in the long term.

"Princess? Right, Kiri's an empire."

Her eyes narrowed at that thought. All of the big three major nations had become empires, some even multiple times. Princesses, monarchies, dynasties, it was all pretentious. At the very least, she knew that it was done with power, so she didn't care too much about what they were called, they all amounted to the basic fact that the current leaders were all powerful.

"Fine. Talk."

The pale snake sage hadn't moved a muscle except to speak or to eye up the dark skinned princess, intent on keeping her Nature chakra source replenishing now that they'd engaged. There was a stark contrast between the two of them, one panting and gesturing expressively, the other stationary to the point that one might have mistaken her for a statue at times. Nozomi's skin and hair an almost albino white, Kitsuki's a dark mocha color with black hair. Even their sense of fashion, Nozomi's a traditionalist kimono, with Kitsuki's a more modern suit. Visually, the contrast between the two of the was as night and day as they came.

While Nozomi had been waiting, she'd been sizing up Kitsuki as an opponent. Noticing the cane was more than it appeared, a finely crafted weapon that wasn't just a cane. It had been a bow as well, and likely had some enchantment that made it more formidable. She had no minor chakra signature either, almost as much as Nozomi's own stores, which was impressive enough without factoring in Isobu's bijuu chakra or her Sage Chakra Pool.

Her strength had already spoke for itself, rivalling Nozomi's as it was currently, which was very impressive, as few people baseline had as much strength as Nozomi's Sage mode granted her. With that also guaranteed some level of physical durability, at least to withstand her own backlash. Perceptive abilities around her own level, to have identified her from so far away. Her speed was lacking, given the time it had taken to reach her, but over all, the woman was definitely an impressive one. And all that was only the tip of the iceberg.

And then there was the tiny winged humanoid on her shoulder. She had no clue what manner of being it was, but could sense no chakra system in it. The energy around it was much different, even different than nature energy. She'd sensed something similar from a different source before the other person turned to ash.

---
Chakra: 284.75/290
-0.25 Sensory [Sage Enhanced]
Chakra end: 284.5/290

Sage Chakra: 130/130
-5 Sage Mode
-0.25 Sensory [Sage Enhanced]
+10 Recharge
Sage Chakra end: 130/130


Active UA's and Techniques:

Perfect Sage Mode: Snake
Sensory


Nozomi's Stats:
Strength: B -> A [Serpentine Physiology] -> S [Sage Mode]
Constitution: A -> S [Sage Mode]
Stamina: A+ [290]
Speed: A -> S [Sage Mode]
Coordination: A -> S [Sage Mode]
Intelligence: D
Perception: A ->S [Sage Mode]

When Kitsuki arrived at Nozomi's location, she was surprised to see the Nuke-Nin standing and waiting for her on the road. It was as if she knew and expected the Princess to be there. She shouldn't have been all that shocked though. The terrestrial booms she had made on her way over were loud enough to wake the dead. Nevertheless, there was something eerie about arriving somewhere and having a Snake Sage standing before you.

Nozomi's expression was as inexpressive and cold as Kit thought her to be. When she spoke her voice wasn't heavy but it had an edge to it that reminded her of some of the upperclassmen at the WASP.

"Princess? Right, Kiri's an empire."

Kit was aware that her statement was meant to be a dig at their hometown. She recalled that Nozomi had broadcast a message to the so-called great nations of the world criticizing them for their imperialism and hypocrisy. She wasn't exactly calling for anarchy but she had recognized just as Kit had that the Hidden Village system had brought significant misery to the populations of the world. They needed to be put in check and she had declared herself that agent of balance. Kit raised her head a quarter of an inch and stood up perfectly straight. She would not be intimidated by Nozomi Himitsu. She was stronger than she was when she had first read about this kunoichi. She had won the right to stand toe to toe with her and no amount of condescension would change that fact.

"I want to negotiate a peaceful end to this conflict.....as you know the Land of Bears and the Land of Waterfalls have proven to be evenly matched. Neither have been able to get the better of the other and all that's caused is more bloodshed. Look around Nozomi."

Kitsuki gestured with her free hand to the air around them. There were cinders floating about in the air. Those with high enough perception and with sufficient attunement to the unseen in the world would feel that there was something off about this place. The entire area was the product of an otherworldly radiation and when shinobi fought and died in this land, it became even more corrupt and haunted. As warriors of the highest caliber, they weren't affected but it was possible that others might be.

"This place is cursed and every soul that dies here....is lost" This was more of a hunch than a knowledgeable fact. Kit didn't know for sure what the consequences of this meteor impact would be but she felt in her heart that if the conflict continued it would only damn those in this world and beyond.

"I don't want that to keep happening. I don't want people to suffer anymore. I don't want the Land of Waterfalls to win only for the Land of Bears to come back and attack them when they think they'll have the upper hand. I want to break this cycle of violence and I want to do it with words not fists."

Kitsuki had no idea if this line of argumentation would work on Nozomi. She figured that the S-Rank Missing Ninja had to have some sort of a conscience. Why else would she leak footage of Chiheisein's torturous experimentation? Why would she free the being if she didn't feel the same love and affection for all living creatures that Kitsuki did? Even though she was affiliated with Honiko, a notorious terrorist, Nozomi herself appeared to believe in justice. She had fought to stop the fall of Kariforunia Island and had sent Ken Tetsudashi to the gates of hell. If that was the case, then hopefully the Princess's reasoning would appeal to her.

Are you getting anything from her Zizz?
ⵏo....ⵙⵀⴻ'ⵙ ⵛoⵍⴷ. ⵉⵛⴻ ⵛoⵍⴷ.

The Angel perched on Kit's shoulder had taken the same tack as Nozomi. She declined to move a muscle while the interactions were taking place. She was gathering Grace in preparation for a fight, even now she could see futures where the two titans collided. It wasn't pretty. The beautiful being hoped diplomacy would work but she could not see the same sort of kindness in Nozomi that she saw in Kit. She didn't bother trying to make contact with her as like Sero she already knew what the result would be.

"That's why I'm here."

Nozomi's expression shifted to a scowl momentarily before reverting to a baseline neutral visage.

"The Land of Bears and the Land of Waterfalls have their problems with each other. However, the Major nations have been fighting a shadow war of their own using these nations as a staging ground. "

Nozomi's hand shifted, playing with the ever present cinders in the air. She could see it, feel it with her sensory, but it was like Kitsuki said, the area was off. Nozomi more so than Kitsuki could feel it, especially with her connection to the surroundings and absorption of the natural energy in the world.

Unbidden, the energy shifted her form, turning her face more snake-like as she wasn't as fully able to control this form of energy, although she regained control over it after a moment, adapting quickly as she always did.

"I came here because the Major nations keep this fight going. You've all been getting stronger and stronger, sending your more experienced shinobi. It was time for me to enter the battles and put an end to them. So you know what I see?"

Nozomi's eyes pierced Kitsuki's. She was trying to see the woman's reactions, to determine the truth of the matter herself. Kitsuki's claims of peace on the surface seemed to be unbelievable given everything leading up to this moment. Nozomi didn't know the woman personally, nor her policies. She'd heard that Kiri's last Mizukage had been deposed by a princess triumverate.

"I see an ambush set ahead. I see you and a partner set up for another fight. Then I see something unfortunate happen to your partner, and you notice who I am. I see you realize you don't win this match. I see you scrambling to think of some way to survive this encounter. Then you come over here and pretend that you care about these nations. It's all words. Show me you care."

Nozomi let her sage mode drop, returning back to her base form for the time being. Her skin colored a little bit more, her hair regaining some blonde shading. Her eyes shifted from their yellow slits to the normal blue with luminescent green ring and dots. Her body filled out ever so slightly, although it was the dense muscles simply expanding out slightly more rather than her actually changing any.

It was a small token, to show she was listening. She could activate it at any point that she wanted.

---
Chakra: 284.5/290
-0.5 Sensory
Chakra end: 284/290


Active UA's and Techniques:

Sensory


Nozomi's Stats:
Strength: B -> A [Serpentine Physiology]
Constitution: A
Stamina: A+ [290]
Speed: A
Coordination: A
Intelligence: D
Perception: A

Kitsuki was expecting Nozomi to be resistant to her approach. What she hadn't expected was for Nozomi to turn the tables on her. She insisted that her purpose in accepting this mission was to stick it to the Major Nations who are using the conflict as a proxy war. This startling revelation coincided with a change of physical and emotional expression Whatever was in the air, Nozomi was aware of it and it appeared to affect her. When her face became more snake-like Kit braced herself for an incoming attack. Fortunately, the Nuke-Nin gained control over her form and pressed on.

When she articulated her theory as to why Kitsuki was suing for peace, she immediately became offended. Kit's grip on her cane tightened and she drew her leg back a bit as if to prepare for combat. It was one thing for Nozomi to not believe her, its was another thing entirely to imply that she was a coward. Kit frowned at her foe and contemplated attacking her outright. Nozomi was strong, but so was she. The more pugnacious part of her spirit wanted to test her mettle against one of the best kunoichi in the world.

How dare she! Where does she get the nerve? An internationally known criminal affiliated with the likes of Menza and Honiko lecturing me on what is right? Is she mad?!


Zizz could feel the angry vibrations coming off of Kitsuki and she immediately intervened.

ⴷoⵏ'ⵜ ⵍⴻⵜ ⵀⴻⵔ ⴳⴻⵜ ⵜo ⵢoⵓ ⴽⵉⵜ...ⵔⴻⵎⴻⵎⴱⴻⵔ ⵜⵀⴻ ⵎⵉⵙⵙⵉoⵏ...ⵔⴻⵎⴻⵎⴱⴻⵔ ⵡⵀⵢ ⵢoⵓ'ⵔⴻ ⵔⴻⴰⵍⵍⵢ ⵀⴻⵔⴻ.
Easier said than done. Nozomi must have aced her version of charm school.... Kit thought sarcastically.

She paused for a moment as she wondered how Nozomi appeared so knowledgeable about the situation. She acted as though she had some kind of extra-sensory perception. Either way, Kit wasn't about to confirm any of that. It wasn't true even if that's what it looked like on the surface level. Kitsuki respected Nozomi as a warrior and she had a hunch that the blonde was not a bad person per se. She had seen the ugliness behind Kiri's government and had tried to forge her own way. The problem was she got wrapped up with the wrong people. She wasn't beyond redemption and that's why Kit sympathized with her. On the other hand, she wasn't about to let Nozomi treat her with disrespect.

She did notice that Nozomi had dropped her Sage Mode form. She either thinks I'm too weak to warrant it or she's doing it as a sign of trust.... Kit decided that in the spirit of cooperation, she'd assume the charitable interpretation. She wouldn't let Nozomi get off impinging on her honor and skill as a warrior Princess though.

"Who do you think you're speaking to?" she said in an annoyed tone. "The radiation must be clouding your vision because not only is it incorrect, its insulting. I'd never use my comrade's death as an excuse to save my own skin and you should know better than to imply such to a Princess. My sensei always said that you would have made a fantastic kunoichi, you just lack proper instruction. I know a good finishing school you'd benefit from but I think you're a bit too old to enroll"

Kitsuki held up her cane and bathed it in a golden radiance. The object was instantly transported to millions of years in the past, segregated from the existence of prehistory until such time as Kit had use for it. She was effectively dis-arming herself.

"You want to know if I care? How's this. Kirigakure reduced the size of its military by more than 50% since the Triumverate took over. We've identified those responsible for the senseless masscere at Moonspire and brought one of them to permanent justice. Hana Kaguya? I'm sure you've heard the name. We're forcing Kumo and Konoha to the negotiating table to end this war before it gets any worse. I personally made sure Kyoji will never harm the people of Iron or any other Minor Nation ever again. I'm not the Kiri leadership that you grew up under Nozomi and I've proven it before and I'll prove it again."

Kitsuki removed her glove and tossed it to the side. She walked forwards until she was now less than three feet from her opponent. A bold move taken to demonstrate that she was not afraid of Nozomi. She held out her bare hand and offered it to Nozomi.

"If you agree to end the Meteor Wars with me right here and now....I'll let you have my piece of whatever it is they're fighting over....but only on the condition that you re-join Kirigakure. I've shown you my hand and now you must show me yours. I swear that we aren't the same village you left. We're going to be better than that...but I need your help Nozomi. Your smart, strong, and I think the world is wrong about you. You have a sense of honor and justice that 99% of Kage lack. You can renounce the Society. Turn your back on people like Honiko and Menza. They're evil....they don't have the same goals as you. If you break with them, I can get you a pardon and a position in our government. It won't be easy but somehow I trust you. Your many things but not a liar or a backstabber. Join me and together we can really help people"

Used: Angelic Return

Nozomi wasn't amused by the insinuation that she wasn't a fantastic kunoichi, or that she needed a proper finishing school and education. Her neutral expression maintained as she listened to Kitsuki speak. Her upbringing had really taught her to listen and speak very infrequently, so she didn't interject. Her inner anger boiled at the high and mighty Princess reference, the insult levied to Nozomi directly after.

Still, Kitsuki also symbolically removed her weapon from the field, but likely would be able to draw it out at any point as well. Her explanation began, an attempt to get Nozomi to see that she truly did care about the people she claimed to. With the deaths of Hana and Kyoji by her hand, it was a definite blow to Kirigakure's military power for sure, and a demilitarization was also a good effort, but it could be for a few different reasons. If Kitsuki was powerful enough to kill a Kage, two even, then she certainly had quite a deal of power. Average military of Chuunin and lower realistically didn't pose a threat to people like them. Having them was pointless in terms of power, beyond keeping an iron fist over a mass area of civilian level threats.

Still, if she was to be believed, it was purely for benevolent reasons that Kirigakure was demilitarizing. Eyes trained on the girl, she watched her move forward, holding out a hand and presenting her offer:

Renounce the Society and rejoin Kirigakure.

For a moment, Nozomi simply kept her gaze piercing into Kitsuki's eyes, mulling over her thoughts in silence. The silence stretched on for a few seconds before Nozomi took a step back from Kitsuki, although in a non hostile manner.

"I'm the leader of the Society. I am in charge. Renounce it? And rejoin under someone else's rule? No. I'm not a tool for anyone. Menza's evil, sure, but Honiko isn't and has asked me to leave him alone for the time being. You don't even understand what our goals are anyhow."

Finally breaking eye contact, Nozomi sighed, staring past Kitsuki.

"Honiko's not one to ask for things or explain to most people. She knows it won't matter, so she doesn't waste the effort, and instead focuses on action, taking the quickest routes to solutions. Her attack on the Valley was due to the people there guarding an artifact that she needed. Asking for it would have resulted in a rejection, so a fight was inevitable. The villages had already mobilized special task forces to search for a massive creature that had been attacking their scouts. Of course, the villages were all problematic, so Honiko's summons had been wiping out scouting troops. We came upon her and attacked her, and she let every single person leave their with their lives despite having the ability to kill everyone at the Valley single handedly."

To Nozomi, the declaration that Honiko was evil was simply unfounded. Had she been a member of a village completing orders and missions for the village to do the exact same things, she wouldn't have been declared evil, or a terrorist. She simply would have been a shinobi completing jobs and missions. The jobs she undertook each had purpose, and each brought her closer to her goals.

"We followed the rules of Kumogakure during the Chuunin exams, and caused no problems. For several years, we didn't even interact with any of the nations. We took a job to free a prisoner from the Blood Prison, but of course Chiheisen was in the middle of the prison and was treated horrendously for no reason. She is also Honiko's half sister, so I showed no mercy for the evils that allowed the atrocities committed at the prison to continue. In order to get to her, we had to break through to the center. I offered the Warden a chance to free Chiheisen to my custody and in return we would round up everyone released, but he refused."

Talking wasn't usually Nozomi's thing, but she was getting annoyed by how often people viewed her and Honiko as the bad guys. Sure, she wasn't a good person necessarily, but Nozomi wasn't evil at all. She knew that Honiko was much the same. They were more neutral, which was a common trait among shinobi, as people with super strong morals didn't often stay involved in the business of being a shinobi for very long.

"If we were village members and these were sanctioned missions, we wouldn't be labeled evil, we'd be praised. That's the real hypocrisy. That's what I hate about the villages."

---
Chakra: 284/290
-0.5 Sensory
Chakra end: 283.5/290


Active UA's and Techniques:

Serpentine Physiology UA
Sensory


Nozomi's Stats:
Strength: B -> A [Serpentine Physiology]
Constitution: A
Stamina: A+ [290]
Speed: A
Coordination: A
Intelligence: D
Perception: A

She was thinking about it. She was actually thinking about it! Kitsuki felt her heart skip a beat as she watched Nozomi mull her speech over in silence. For a moment, a flicker of hope appeared in her spirit. If Nozomi re-joined Kirigakure then there were no limits to what they could accomplish. We'd be unstoppable!

Alas, it was too good to be true. Nozomi considered the offer and promptly rejected it. She took a step back, away from Kit's outstretched hand, and re-affirmed her allegiance to the band of marauding terrorists. She was loyal to the organization, despite Menza's proclivity for evil. This Honiko had Nozomi wrapped around her finger and as Nozomi continued to speak, Kit realized why. There's truth to what she has been told about the shinobi world..... She let her hand drop to her side.

Kitsuki wasn't at all persuaded by Nozomi's excuses for Honiko's behavior. The attack was immoral at every conceivable level and if Noz was defending it, then it could only mean that she was just as committed to Honiko as a sensei as Kit was to Headmaster Sukimori. There would be no breaking Honiko's hold on her. Kit didn't have the knowledge nor experience to de-program that kind of relationship and she knew if she tried it would only anger the Snake Sage. The Blood Prison situation was troubling and Kit was at a loss for how to defend the penal institution. She could argue that while the prison was evil, the people inside were dangerous and if reform was necessary it ought to have been done using the proper procedures. This argument, however, would be disingenuous. Kitsuki hadn't gone through the proper procedures to remove Hana as Mizukage. She hadn't arrested the woman or called a Princess's Council. She had taken action despite knowing that the consequences could be severe.

The real kicker was the very last thing she had said. Kitsuki looked away in shame when her opponent called it out. If the Society were a village and it had raided an entire town pre-Desecration of Demons, few if any would have cared. It'd be an act of war but ultimately a routine occurrence in a land known for its militancy. Their motivations were shrouded in mystery but their activities were typical. Nozomi said that hypocrisy was what she hated about the villages and Kitsuki sighed and smiled. She looked Nozomi in the eye and without saying it, her eyes replied. You and me both.....

The difference was that Kitsuki was not ready to give up just yet.

Just as Nozomi's Mistress was committed to operating outside the Hidden Village system, Kitsuki's own sensei was committed to defending it. Nozomi was right in that the hidden village system had problems, but they were ultimately accountable to the people whom they served. Hana, Kyoji, and Ken had all gone too far and for that they were disowned by Kirigakure. As one of the nation's leaders, Kitsuki was building a new regime and she was already beginning to see the fruits of her labor payoff. The system was broken, but it could be fixed. The Society, on the other hand, answered to no one. Menza had been given a blank cheque by Honiko to experiment on the innocent which in Kituski's opinion made him just as bad, if not worse, than the Warden of the Blood Prison. She didn't know what Chiheisen had done, but she was willing to bet that the alien wasn't as innocent as Arisu. Then there was the matter of killing an entire village for a single artifact. Nozomi had said she wouldn't understand their objectives but judging from that operation alone, Kit was convinced that their over-arching plans would not be net beneficial for the world.

The Angelic Princess did not argue the point though. It was futile. Kitsuki's offer had been rejected and judging by the tone of Noz's voice, there would be no re-consideration. They were on opposite sides of the law and though she hoped they could be allies, she had no choice but to consider Nozomi an enemy. After the jinchurikki stopped speaking, Kitsuki ruminated on what to say next. "I.....understand. I don't agree....but I understand." She curled her thumb and middle finger into a tight ring and ventured further with: "I don't want to fight you, but I can't let you walk away the victor here. You may not be a bad person but your willing to let people like Menza and Honiko operate with impunity. Whatever your organization's goals are....they are contrary to mine and that makes us enemies." The prospect of ending the Meteor Wars peacefully was growing dim. Kit was prepared to test her mettle against one of the strongest shinobi in the world, but she wasn't one to rush into combat. She decided to make one last bid to end things peacefully.


"I won't arrest you or take you in" Kit was aware of what she was implying but she had to project confidence or Nozomi might think she really was just trying to worm her way out of a fight. "But I can't let you claim whatever it is these nations are fighting for. If it would be acceptable to you, we'll find a mutual third party who can benefit from the research in the Hot Zone. Not every product has to be lethal or deadly...maybe we can press the Land of Bears and Land of Waterfalls to make something that will help the people for a change and not the military"

Kit wasn't sure her counter-offer would stick, but in case it didn't, she began to prepare for war. Without a word, Kit would send her Angel into the future. A plethora of possibilities opened up to Zizz and each one of them were replayed in reverse giving her a tactical advantage over the powerful, but still linear-bound, Nozomi. Kitsuki prepped a technique of her own by channeling chakra into her curled finger. Hana and Chigetsu had taken advantage of her delayed reaction before and she swore to never allow that to happen again.

Prepared: Temporal Pincer Movement & Mystery Technique

Nozomi's use of sensory tipped her off to the channeling of chakra to Kitsuki's finger. It had been the entire reason she'd picked up the skill, so she could monitor the more subtle hidden cues of someone preparing for combat. Her eyes shifted to Kitsuki's fingers, where the chakra had circulated. Nozomi's replies came out in her usual deadpan, matter of fact way of speaking.

"Enemies. Allies. It's all subjective. Yesterday's allies are tomorrows enemies and vice versa."

"I won't arrest you or take you in"

Folding her arms, Nozomi felt a surge of adrenaline running through her veins. Every fiber of her being wanted to rise to the implied challenge. Kitsuki couldn't have truly been insinuating that she possessed the ability to do so in the first place, could she? The chakra held in her hand at the very least meant she thought she could.

"Certainly not. You could try, but we both know how that would turn out."

Again, where some people would have been bragging, the way Nozomi spoke was quite matter of fact. Her victory, at least in her own mind, would be unquestionable. Despite Nozomi's comment though, she held her ground. It was unusual that she didn't initiate combat, the blonde was a woman of action normally, but there was something about Kitsuki that didn't seem disingenuous. She really would rather avoid fighting, which was a novel concept to Nozomi.

"Still... if you don't want to fight... I don't really care who wins, Bears, Waterfall. Let them sort it out for themselves. Your suggestion is agreeable. For the people then."

Nozomi didn't care who did what with any of the research. She'd been here to interrupt the Major Nation's involvements, and get some more information on them anyhow. Seemed to her that it wasn't necessary for either of them to fight in particular then, given Kitsuki's assertions. With the Princess's ally having turned to ash, and Kitsuki's willingness to step away from either of them having a victory, Nozomi was fine not fighting. A little dejected, but there was no reason for it, and she didn't have to kill one of the more level headed Nation Leaders.

-----------
Sensory stuff.

Once more, Nozomi spit fact that were hard to dispute. The ever-changing nature of the ninja world made it so that countries that were once bitter rivals often became the closest of allies, while friends that were joined at the hip were usually torn apart and pitted against one another. Kitsuki had promised never to forsake her friends but even she knew what little worth that vow carried in a profession marred by deception. Nozomi's posture and words indicated that she was offended by the very notion that Kitsuki could take her down. Truth be told, Kitsuki was not entirely confident in her capacity to defeat Nozomi. She wouldn't let that on however. When Nozomi spoke to the contrary, Kit declined to provoke her but she did give a statement that could be interpreted in one of two ways.

"Certainly not. You could try, but we both know how that would turn out."
"We do"

She projected total certainty in the outcome even though she had never fought anyone nearly as strong as the legendary Nozomi. She remained braced for combat should Nozomi refused her offer, but much to her surprise, she expressed disinterest in combat. She was actually willing to step aside and let the Land of Waterfalls win so long as the fruits of the research were turned over to the people as opposed to the war machine. Kit stood there stunned and in total silence. She wasn't sure if this was some kind of trick and so she remained on guard for a few more seconds. She realized that by acting so shocked, she was potentially insulting her. The fact that the situation was being diffused through diplomacy and not violence was a major accomplishment and Kitsuki wasn't willing to risk permanence. She released her curled fingers and executed a respectful bow. She was still on her maximum guard but as she had stated earlier, she coudln't see Nozomi trying to get in a cheap shot. At least, not against an opponent who was still a relative unknown comapred to Akihiro and Shimiko. It would tarnish her honor and Nozomi struck her as the sort of person who cared about that kind of thing, even if she'd never openly admit it.

"Thank you Nozomi-sama."

The act wasn't one of submission but rather deference and respect. Whatever the world thought of her, Nozomi was a military icon and for her to accept Kit's terms was a show of pure magnanity. Kitsuki wouldn't look the gift horse in the eye. If she continued talking or flattering the obviously deadpan kunoichi then she might very well change her mind. Instead, Kitsuki slowly and deliberately walked towards the wagon that housed her prize. She kept Nozomi in her line of sight at all times and while rummaging through the back of wagon. After a few seconds of searching, she found the mental box. She opened it and was greeted with a complex looking metallic contraption that contained a moving black fluid inside. It made a sound that could best be described as futuristic gurgling. She looked at Nozomi and if the Snake-woman did not protest, she'd tuck it away on her person before walking away from the wagon.

There wasn't much more that the two had to say to each other. Kitsuki would have liked to invite her to dinner where they could perhaps get to know one another better. The present circumstances did not lend well to mutual exchange. Its fine....I have a feeling our paths will cross again some day soon. Most like as enemies....but hopefully one day as friends. You can never tell in this line of work. .

"For the people" she'd repeat At the end of the day, Kit walked away from this confrontation knowing one thing about Nozomi Himitsu. And it was that her heart truly was in the right place. Not many warriors could stand aside and turn power over to the ones they supposedly fought on behalf of. Kitsuki turned around and walked the way she came.

ⵜⵀⴰⵜ ⵡⴰⵙ....ⵙⵓⵔpⵔⵉⵙⵉⵏⴳⵍⵢ ⴻⴰⵙⵢ.
Maybe it was all part of her master plan?
ⵜⵀⴰⵜ oⵏⴻ? ⵎⴰⵙⵜⴻⵔ pⵍⴰⵏ? ⵉ ⴷoⵓⴱⵜ ⵉⵜ. ⵙⵀⴻ'ⵙ ⵍⵉⴽⴻ ⴰ ⵔoⴱoⵜ ⵜⵀⴰⵜ oⵏⴻ ⴰⵏⴷ ⵉ ⴷoⵏ'ⵜ ⵍⵉⴽⴻ ⵠⵉⴱⴻ ⵙⵀⴻ ⴳⵉⵠⴻⵙ oⴼⴼ. ⵜⵀⴻⵔⴻ'ⵙ ⵙoⵎⴻⵜⵀⵉⵏⴳ oⴼⴼ ⴰⴱoⵓⵜ ⵀⴻⵔ.
Well we were raised in the same country She has a right to be a little messed up. Who from the Isles isn't?


[Exit]
[Declaring Victory for Waterfalls]

Nozomi was hit with an urge to punch Kitsuki in the face. She didn't, resorting to simply watching Kitsuki as she went and grabbed the specimen. Kitsuki was apprehensive, but had lowered her guard. Not in so much as she stopped paying attention, but she lowered her prepared attack. If Nozomi was a different type of person, she might have capitalized, but she didn't really care all that much.

The urge had been there, but faded a little when Kitsuki bowed, referring to her with a respectful title. She seemed to be somewhat trustworthy, with some sense of respect and honor. Nozomi tended to take people at their word. She wasn't the best at reading lies from those trained to do so, so it was easier to just believe things at face value. The way she viewed it though, Kitsuki would either give it to the people, or she wouldn't. If she had lied, then Nozomi would take care of it, and then hunt down Kitsuki and deal with her.

Sighing to herself, she watched as Kitsuki left. Being a leader rather than a soldier was unfortunate to her. She had to act quite a deal different than she normally would. It forced her to think and move towards an endgame rather than just indulge her own urges. While she might normally fight, that had been before she'd become the leader of the Society. Now she had a different task, and this suited her interests more than having a fight.

Going back to the cart, Nozomi directed her silent partner to head out. Her job here was complete.

----
[Exit]