Diomed
Dec 6, 2014 20:59:19 GMT -7
Post by Promeleon on Dec 6, 2014 20:59:19 GMT -7
Diomed 'Dio' Rakhsha
Event Horizon
Event Horizon
Male
24
6'5''
210Lbs
True Neutral
Land of Wind
Sunagakure
Taijutsu Master [Non-Molding]
- -Boxing-
- -Muay Thai-
- -Chakra Gates-
- -Rokushiki [Future]-
- -Art of Throwing-
- -Dian Xue Shu-
Clans
- -Kaguya-
- -Kamyuja
Miscellaneous
- Alchemist
- ANBU [Future]
- Artisan: Technician
- Artisan: Weaponsmith
- Beast Master
- Jack of All Trades: Universal Miscellaneous
- Jack of All Trades: Universal Taijutsu
- Jack of All Trades: Universal Taijutsu
- Ritualist: Augmentation
- Ritualist: Restoration
Able Learner
Rank: "C"
Skill: Social Trait
Effect: The user has great aptitude for learning.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: When learning a skill, the skill states how many times a die roll may be applied to show how much they learned within that skill. Example, when a user learns "Botany" they gain 5 die rolls. This "trait" increases the amount of die rolls by 1.5 rounded to the highest number at 1 die roll per learning, however any number higher than 1 die roll is rounded down. For example: User learns Botany and gains 5 die rolls. With this Trait they will gain 7 die rolls. However if a user learns Lockpicking they normally get 1 die roll, however with this Trait they will gain 2 die rolls.
Limit: Must start with Character; replaces 2 Freebies.
Chakra Resistance
Rank: "B"
Skill: Chakra Trait
Effect: Some Humans are even less affected by Chakra.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Increases the characters natural bonus on saves vs. Chakra Jutsus & Chakra-like effects to +4 Trait Bonus. Users gain a Damage Resistance against Chakra Techniques equal to 20 points Racial Bonus. This trait replaces 2 Freebies.
Limit: Must start with Character; replaces 2 Freebies.
Grendle Ancestry
Rank: "B"
Skill: Heritage Trait
Effect: A trait that grants healing properties to the user.
Special: ---
Drawback: Cannot gain any other Ancestry Traits.
Description: Some human bloodlines trace their linage back to a grendle, an offspring born of troll and human parentage. Living humans with this racial trait are immune to bleeding out. If they are also "C" Class they heal Minor damage per 15 rounds. If they "A" Class and they lose a limb, an organ, or any other body part, once per day the user's severed body members (fingers, toes, hands, feet, arms, legs, tails, broken bones, and ruined organs grow back. The physical regeneration is complete in 1 round if the severed members are present and touching the creature. It takes 15 rounds otherwise. Regenerate also heals Serious Damage within 15 rounds, and rids the subject of exhaustion and/or fatigue. It has no effect on nonliving creatures (including undead). This trait replaces 2 Freebies.
Limit: Must start with Character; replaces 2 Freebies.
Physical
Diomed is a handsome and well fitted young gentleman; who manages to turn the image of years of excellent breeding onto its head. With his large physical form, he carries a large physical presence of grandiose gestures and a regal air. Of course; his toned body and handsome features are simply part of the act; aided by rather otherworldly style that has been shaped by a lifestyle of riches and partying. His appearance as a shinobi is questionable given his penchant for flashy clothing and over the top gestures; but that merely adds to his domineering demeanour. Using his height and larger than life air; he is usually able to become the center of attention in an instant.
- Mischievous -- Rarely can you mistake a smile such as the one that Diomed practically always wears for anything other than pure trouble. His smile speaks volumes about his personality merely in the way that it makes him seem very suspicious. It does not help that his overall attitude towards life seems to be pretending that he knows more about what is going on than he actually does, and the smile is usually the first line of defence against someone calling his bluff on any topic. His usual smirk does differ depending on his mood, and one can usually tell his emotion by how tense his smile is. A carefree smile usually means that he is up to no good, and a teeth-gritting smile usually means he is up to no good but in a malevolent way.
- Physically Fit -- Even by the standards of most Taijutsu masters, Diomed maintains a far more physically fit body than most due to his immense amount of pride. He takes his workout regime very seriously and sticks to a dedicated meal plan that involves a personal rule of no stepping over the line. Naturally, the underlying cause of his obsession with his physical body is to add to the image of being a complete badass, and attracting the opposite sex. Certainly he enjoys the benefits he gains in his professional life from maintaining such a high standard for his physical prowess; but his studies come in second behind aesthetics as far as he is concerned when it comes to having a reason for doing so. It helps that his selectively bred family has passed down genes that allow him to maintain such a body with considerably less effort than deserved.
- Clothing -- Shocking is a word that can be best used to describe the rather unusual outfit choices that Diomed enjoys; and it certainly is one of the reasons he chooses to do so. Preferring the louder end of the spectrum when it comes to colours; he has a penchant for unusual and out there patterns such as cheetah or zebra. Flamingo Pink is something that usually brings the mind to him, due to his almost ever present pink feather coat that adorns his large frame. Underneath the coat he can often be spotted wearing a pink shirt with deep burgundy snake patterns slithering their way down his shirt. His rouge pants with a single wavy pink line are held up by his pink and orange tasseled belt. Finally, and oddly enough most normally about his outfits, he usually wears a pair of black sleek loafers that end in a point. Overall, not the greatest fashion for fighting; but they are what he enjoys.
- Tanned -- Living in the hot climate of Sunagakure and being a person who prides himself on his appearance, it is no surprise that Diomed has spent a lot of time on his tan. His skin is bronzed and smooth and makes him look like a statue when he is in the nude. The dark tan is a nice contrast with his blonde hair and pale blue eyes; which are usually hidden behind his odd pink tinted and orange rimmed sunglasses. Due to his nature as a Shinobi; it is no surprise that he possesses a few scars hidden beneath his clothes, from actually training his body and being wounded in a spars. Thanks to his darker skin tone, he is able to stand out in the desert without worrying about burning from the intense heat.
- Grandiose -- Whether it is his actions or his words, Diomed seems to possess the innate ability to hold an audience with his expressive features and gestures. He himself is larger than life, being very tall and well built; but that is merely the roots, as his large sweeping gestures when speaking seem to attract people to him and make them want to listen. Combined with his unique sense of style and his boundless confidence in himself, his large personality and enrapturing gesticulation can capture the attention of all and hold them. Everything about his style is grandiose. Diomed takes pride in being someone who is seen as almost thespian in his theatrics; not over the top; but certainly not something that is seen often. Even through his conversations he manages to speak with an air of superiority.
- Arrogant -- Even from afar; one can feel the arrogance and the confidence that seems to emanate from the large Sunagakure Shinobi. Everything from his choice of clothing to his stance scream over the top self confidence. The way he approaches situations with his hands buried into his pockets and his stance so relaxed is usually more than enough to infuriate those around him who are taking the situation far more seriously than he sees fit. All part of his domineering personality, and is really only seen as arrogant by those who are not on his side. People who follow or are friends with Diomed see this arrogance as self-confidence which is an inspiring trait to see in someone such as him. In truth however, he is more brash, selfish and arrogant than he lets on.
Attitude
An aura of self-confidence and attitude exude from the figure of Diomed. Simply by seeing his form in the corner of your eye; one would know the kind of person they were dealing with. The brash and over the top clothing made even more arrogant by the ever present sneer on his handsome features. The Sunagakure Shinobi is most certainly one of the most apparently one dimensional creatures anyone would claim to meet, yet beneath that trumpeting exterior beats the heart of a man who knows what he is doing. A showman beyond anything else, he is certainly able to entrance and attract people to him; all the while manipulating things to how he wants them to be thanks to his exterior. The ultimate poker face is his most prized attribute and it has allowed him to deal with people in a manner that he is comfortable doing, as they treat him as a man with only one dimension. - Bold -- Regardless of what people think of him; Diomed has absolutely no concern about speaking his mind regardless of the trouble that it could get him into. This is gauged by whether or not he can acquire something out of the situation of course; as what would be the point in antagonizing someone if he could acquisition nothing. This does not mean he does not enjoy the reciprocation of a person who does not enjoy the boldness of his statements. If his way is somehow being blocked by someone who holds power over him, Diomed has no issues stating that he does not care for their reasoning and wishes to acquire his way anyway. A selfish man for the most part, and one who does not mind stepping on a few faces in order to elevate himself to the level where he needs to be.
- Flamboyant -- An obvious trait given his clothing and stature and nature; but one that makes up a very large part of his personality. Larger than life in more than one sense of the phrase, Diomeds over the top and extravagant personality is more than enough to get him noticed even by the most staunch xenophobe. Luckily, where some would see his being as tacky; he is able to back up his many infeasible words with actions and will usually follow through with the things he says he will do. His flamboyant nature is a draw to most people and the only time that it is dimmed down is in the presence of his little sister. Sweeping gestures; a thespian way of speaking; ridiculous clothing; and a large and confident presence are all ways to make his large personality even larger.
- Thoughtful -- Perhaps the worst trait a man like Diomed could possess is the ability to empathize with others. Not because he would understand how they feel and adjust his actions accordingly; but because he understands how people think and chooses the route that is best for him regardless of what others would feel in the situation. Obviously he is not wholly self consumed in a manner where no matter what the situation, his outcome would be better; but for the most part he puts himself before others unless he can think of a reason that helping others would in some way benefit him in the long run. Looking past his flamboyant and brash demeanour it is possible to see that there is a brain behind all those colors; and it is not an overly moronic one. This is a trait most people assume he does not possess while he is putting on his show.
- Ambitious -- It would be apparent that his thirst for power is the reason behind his over the top and selfish demeanour; but even if he did not wish to be world renowned; he would probably act the same way. Nonetheless; he has a a taste of fine living and wishes to maintain a lifestyle of that manner. Kazekage is his current goal; but he is aware he is a few stages away from achieving that goal, but he does have plans. His ambition is not hidden away; and Diomed is not afraid of revealing his true intentions if it heeds his goals. Although he is usually able to command the attention of most of the people around him; he knows that as a Kage of one of the hidden villages he will be able to spread his influence and live the life of comfort that he has always wanted to achieve. Comfort through influence. Of course, riches and the ladies and all the other things that will follow his renown.
- Inexorable -- Ambition requires a keen devotion to a goal that one wishes to chase no matter what the consequences and Diomed is a man who is willing to chase a goal even if it leads him to his death. This is not something he would ever allow people to hear because his pride would not allow it. Once he has decided he wants something; such as the title of Kazekage and the freedom it would allow him; he will chase at the heels of his target until he captures it and makes it his own. Using his charming nature and his endearing personality; he can usually convince people to see his side of the picture; but failing that he is not afraid to do whatever is necessary in order to get his way.
- Charming -- It takes more than simply ambition and riches to attain ones goals when they are as lofty as Diomed's happen to be. The Sunagakure Shinobi is usually able to pull a crowd over to his side with his large personality and his charming ways. Charm is essentially his first line of defense when it comes to a confrontation and all the things in his life. His smile and looks are merely the basics; his approach towards people is genuinely casual and friendly in mannerisms and he is usually able to convince people to see his point of view and get them to help him out. Of course; the most flagrant abuse of his charm is when it comes with his interactions with the opposite sex. As with most mid twenty year old males; women seem to be his weakness.
- Proud -- Through all the confidence and charm and flamboyance; Diomed is still a man who is proud of his achievements and skills; and while he holds himself at a different standard than he holds those around him; he still despises his honor being challenged. Even the most pious man could fall from grace if his honor was challenged; and considering the Sunagakure Shinobi is a rather more underhanded fellow; he certainly can be riled up by someone attacking his pride. His damaged pride is one of the few things he finds it difficult to disguise unlike his anger and his guilt. His pride is also another reason he happens to be so ambitious and inexorable; feeling the need to acquire more lofty positions and more expensives possessions in order to falsely boost his pride through materialism.
History
One year before Diomed was even a twinkle in the eye of his father; his mother; Alina Tehrani; was manning shops in her fathers bazaar in the deserts of Kaze no Kuni. Being the daughter of such a prestigious merchant; there were many duties she needed to attend to and many suitors that she needed to stave off. Alina was the fairest girl in the land; and at a young age of seventeen, she was the most sought after of all the merchant daughters. Every day her father was offered a dowry for her hand, but he was a respectful man; knowing that his daughter wished to chose a man of her own. At seventeen, the Merchants daughter had received a high level education and was well read and written. Her knowledge of the market and bazaar business was quickly approaching the level of her fathers; and she was cool and collected even when the desert sun made madness of the most weak willed people. It was understandable why she was the most desirable woman in the country at the time. Alina was the picture of an exotic desert beauty; possessing smooth, tanned skin that she would moisturise with the freshest spices and herbs and assorted creams from around the globe that would meet at the bazaar. Her long black hair as dark as the night sky and as soft as cotton was the talk of all the girls in its perfection. Deep blue eyes of the purest blue; akin to the oceans that surround the borders of the country, and hold just as much life behind them; shining with compassion.
The bazaar was just as famous for the beauty of the merchants daughter as it was for the merchandise itself; drawing in explorers and all sorts of people from around the world to buy exotic trinkets and spices and to catch a glimpse of Alina. To say that Odysseus Rakhsha was interested in anything that the bazaar had to offer would have been a lie. The man who would eventually become Diomeds father had heard rumour of a woman who was beautiful beyond all others all the way in his home in the lands of Taki no Kuni and had become intrigued; being a man of refined tastes. Odysseus was a handsome man who had left behind a trail of broken hearts behind him and had decided that he wanted to see this desert beauty and make her his; after all, if she truly was as beautiful as they said, he could perhaps tolerate settling down as long as she was as rich as she was beautiful. With this thought in mind; he concocted a plan to travel to the land of wind under the guise of being a fellow merchant and meeting with the father of the girl; aiming to impress them both. She would surely fall for his good looks; and her father would be impressed by his riches and talent. There was no way that this plan could fail. It was clear that this man was only handsome on the outside.
In order to fulfil his plan to usurp the riches of the Kaze no Kuni bazar; he knew that he needed to pass himself off as a rich merchant himself so the first stage of his plan was to acquire the funds. Gathering a small group of people under the guise of being a Takigakure shinobi; they travelled to the land of River and robbed a small village under the pretence of looking for a man who had betrayed the village.
Alina would meet Odysseus one evening under the moon on a warm desert night, and she would not be fooled by his good looks and roguish charm. Her father on the other hand would be happy to see a man of such wealth and humour interested in his daughter. Although her father had said for the longest time that she would be allowed to choose her own betrothed, he was blinded by Odysseus and the possibilities, Alina would no choice in her husband after all. Odysseus spent many a night conversing with her father and swapping tales of false happenstance and whimsical things he had seen out in the world. Of course, hungry for the wealth that this new arrival had, The Merchant Prince was blind to any faults that this suitor may possess and all it took was a few paltry coins and honeyed words to sway the elder and his thoughts towards offering his daughters hand to this delightful young entrepreneur in order to multiply the wealth they both possessed, and allow them to build a grander trader empire and increase their profits. If the young man had not been such a snake in the grass, or had the snake perhaps had a change of heart, the trader empire could have grown to magnificent size and actually earned them quite a profit, but alas, he was too greedy. It took mere weeks in order for the wolf to hide itself among the sheep, fooling its prey into believing it was one of them.
Diomed would be born in the summer on one of the hottest days of the year; and his birth was met with another extravagant party thrown by his grandfather, the merchant leader. It had become apparent that while not running his kingdom; he really enjoyed throwing parties and used any excuse to do so. The lavish and exotic parties brought entertainment from around the globe, and excess was draped over the entire scene. Diomed, being only a baby had absolutely no awareness of this party thrown in his honour; but as he would grow older and merchants and others who had been there were reintroduced to him, their gifts would always be welcome thanks to his grandfathers ability to make strong connections with people. None of the gifts ever really appealed to him, as even as a child he preferred to make and break his own things, fixing and tinkering with things. Expensive pieces of equipment were his usual go to for things to mess with, but he was quickly barred from those when the cost to replace his toys grew exponentially.
Diomed found his childhood to be very uninteresting; as he had people at his beck and call at all times, begging him for favour with his family, willing to do anything. That sort of power goes to the head of a child, and from a you age he learned quickly that an overbearing and dominant personality sent most people into a fluster and they could be made to do what he wanted. The youth was not stupid; he understood that his plebeian followers were merely aiding him thanks to their fear of his family; which helped skew his rationality in an even greater manner. He discovered that by saying he was going to tell his mother or his grandfather; people would bend over backwards to prevent him from doing so, which was an easy way to get whatever he wanted to get his hands on. Needless to say; he was a very spoiled brat, and he would never quite grow out of that phase. Such a rich childhood did teach him that everyone had their price, and with the right words, people usually swayed their favour in his direction.
When he became old enough to begin training under various warriors who came to stay in the camp, he immersed himself into it, honing his physical form and becoming a very powerful child. At birth they had told his mother that his Chakra coils would never be fully formed, but that never stopped him before; as he excelled in other ways, being a cunning and strong child with boundless energy. His training was never directly in any arts; yet he was certainly introduced to them, and exposed to power he never imagined could exist. The training was done in a controlled environment, and his mother forbade the teaching of any combat techniques; which may have been the first rule imposed on him that he could not threaten his way out; as the threat his mother put forth must have been even more worrisome. This meant that though he trained with some of the most skilled warriors in the land, his skills were quite limited to the fast movement techniques of the Shunshin technique, or mastering skills on his own, which had had proved quite unskilled with.
At the age of ten his mother took him into the hidden village of the Sands to discuss some work with the Kazekage, and he was given a loose leash and allowed to explore the village with his bodyguards. He was introduced to a group of genin not too much older than him, and in his usual self-righteous attitude, he challenged them to a fight, believing that what he had been trained in so far was all he would ever need. The bodyguards were against it, but they were silenced when their jobs were threatened. The genin did not seem overly enthused to be being challenged by some outsider who was clearly a rich brat; but Diomed was a persuasive child. Insulting the genin was enough to get them fired up and ready to fight, which was exactly what the young merchant prince wanted. It would not be fair for him to fight all three of them at once, so he ordered they get in line and prepare for a beating. A life lesson was learned this day thanks to these young genin, but he would never admit it.
The beating from the genin changed him, and he began to grow out of being the bratty rich kid spoiled by excessive riches, and started watching the conniving and underhanded way that his mother manipulation others using her words and guile. Charm and promises seemed to work just as well as threats and warnings, but instead of leading to a beating, they allowed his mother to control her target, then when all was said and done, she turned her back upon them. Not all the time of course; she did make real deals with people, but for those who would not be useful to deal with, promising this and that and using them before disposing of them was more practical. This manner of dealing with people became his primary focus, learning how to use peoples wants against them, a very political game to play. This did not change his goal of living a life of luxury and power; but it did change the way he was going to go about it. The beating had given him the knowledge that he was not as strong as he wished to be, so that was something that he needed to approach too.
Beseeching his mother, he begged her to let him enter the shinobi academy so that he may learn how to become stronger. At first she resisted, not wanting him to become like his father, whom he had heard nothing of. In a turn of events that surprised everyone who knew him, he bowed before her and pleaded with her about allowing him to go. Diomed had never asked nicely before; and people were rather taken aback. Of course the people who served under him were very excited for him to leave; but his mother still felt protective, and allowed it on the condition that he attend with one of the other children from the camp. Seeing that his was the only way he was going to get his way; the youth agreed and arranged a meeting with the boy he would be attending the academy side by side with. The boy was older than he was, and did not look like much. Reedy and weak, yet exceptionally skilled with ninjutsu techniques apparently, which made for a nice contrast for the two of them, and he was deemed useful. Within a week of his asking; they were sent off to the academy with whatever tools they needed. Lacking the ability to use any ninjutsu techniques; the merchant prince was faced with a difficult task ahead, but he felt he possessed enough skill to shine above the rest.
Having completed the academy, he returned home to his mother who had decided that he was going to start learning the trades of being a merchant, something that Diomed simply had no interest in. He argued heatedly with his mother; but she was staunchly against his returning to the village to become a ninja, believing it to be beneath them. No son of hers was going to become a common village weapon. Their argument ended with him being placed under keen observation, with all of his movements being recorded and everything being reported to his mother. It was not a situation he enjoyed being in; but he was nothing if not intuitive; and he had many plans he was willing to try. The first of which was seeking out the student he had gone to the academy with to ask him for help. There was no reason for the youth to aid him, so the Kaguya spent many days thinking of a gift that would coerce the other ninja to aid him. After five days of thinking the idea dawned upon him and it was so simple that he could not believe he had not thought of it earlier.
The plan that he devised required the other boy to start a fire in the camp and then in the escape, use the sand techniques he had mastered to whip up a powerful sand storm that would cover the tracks of the fleeing Kaguya. The keys to his locked tent would be obtained by the ninjutsu master in the midst of mayhem, as he would pickpocket one of the guards while they tried to tend to the fire. It was simple and effective, all things that a plan should be. Now he needed to gain the trust of the boy he had once beaten and tried to maim in school. The conversation and the convincing would be the hardest part of the plan, and unfortunately it all relied on it working, as the boy was the only one who hated him enough for his deal to work. The hatred he felt for the Kaguya was so great that it overshadowed his fear of repercussions from the mistress of the market. On an evening where he was allowed to leave his tent and interact with the others around the market, he sought the boy out, finding him with a group of other children, all of whom quieted as he approached.
The evening of the escape was a cooler night than the desert was used to; but Diomed was not complaining, he would be out in the desert on his own for at least a day, the cooler it was the better for him, and the less likely he was to die. In his bag he had brought some things that he could hide, knowing that while he was out there, he would need to hide from any possible searches, and that he would have to lay low. There was food, water, and plenty of ryo and gold that he had stolen from his mothers treasury; knowing he would need it in order to pay his way to secrecy. The yelling from outside started, and the wind in the air picked up. The tent rustled and he was about to find out whether or not the plan worked. He shivered in anticipation; hoping and praying that the respect he had given the skills of his class mate was warranted. A small blonde head poked its way through the curtains and he had never been so relieved to see the ninjutsu master in his life. Quickly the two ran, dodging around the adults who were trying to tend to the fire. As they ran, the Kaguya looked over his shoulder to see the distraction.
The fire was less of a distraction and more of an out of control blaze that threatened to wipe the camp out. The level of panic that the Kaguya felt rose immensely as their lives were on the line. The two sprinted from the merchant city and into the desert, the sand rising around them, ridding them of any pesky footprints and causing even more trouble for their homes they had just abandoned. The adrenaline from the fear did not wear out for hours; and they collapsed in the sand, their bodies exhausted from the escape. Darkness settled around them, but the glowing on the horizon was evidence that their escape attempt was still causing trouble for those back at the merchant camp. It was at this point, now that the two were both running from their home; that Diomed believed it was time to learn the name of his co-conspirator. Through heavy breath; he leaned his head to the side and looked at the smaller male; asking for his name. The other boy looked at him suspiciously; as though he believed that the Kaguya would turn him in.
Noah.
A cigarette burned between his lips, the embers at the end the only light around for quite a distance. The two stood in the midst of the desert and waited. Their research had pointed them in the right direction; and after cracking a few skulls, they had managed to get a lead on where their supplies and cash were. If they had been learning the truth, their next order of actions would make them so much money that they were never going to have to work again. That sounded pretty promising, so they had decided to overlook their target for now, and watched how things went down. There had been a start up crew of thugs that had moved in from the Hidden Village in the Clouds; and they had a lot of resources backing them up; resources they were not afraid of throwing around. They had ended up making a turd deal with the crew that had stolen their money; and were now bringing in a massive shipment of drugs and money. Although the money alone would keep them from needing to live the life they were living; they rather enjoyed being the top dogs. The shipment would be coming in by air; and be travelling into the city in a similar manner, but over a long while.
They were waiting to see the shipment land, then while the guard was low, it would be an easy job to perform, and the pay off was amazing. The two have them had ran the place and underwent all the missions on their own usually; they paid their men well enough to keep them loyal and to spread their influence, but whenever there was important stuff to be taken care of; they were there. They had talked about brining at least one of their more competent guys, but they had decided against it in the end, sticking to their tried and true methods that continuously worked. They would talk first; as they were quite adept at bluffing with the best of them; they could probably secure some trust with the landing party; then when their backs were turned; it was time to strike. It was not a noble way to die; and Diomed felt great about that; as his philosophy was 'if you're in a fair fight, you didn't prepare well enough'. They were a considerable amount smarter than the men they would encounter, that was for sure; so their plans usually went off without a hitch.
Light reached his eyes once more; but his head ached, and he could not open his mouth. Diomed realized he was probably in quite a bit of trouble. The room he was in was small, but he could not even move around it due to the chains on his hands and ankles keeping him from moving. Noah was probably in a similar situation; hopefully; if they had brought him here instead of killing him. There was another advantage to being the face of an organization. If he was brought in; he was kept alive for questioning. They had done a rather good job of hiding Noahs level of involvement, but it was fairly obvious he was at least a co-conspirator. Hopefully that was enough for them to have kept him alive. The wait for someone to come in was agonizing; and he knew they were watching him from the other side of that reflective glass, just watching and waiting to see if he would crack. Unfortunately for them; he played the same mind games, and sat with his back against the wall watching the mirrored glass with the large confident smile upon his face.
Diomed sat there for what felt like hours, and his cheeks were starting to hurt; but he was not going to give them anything. His clothes had been torn and he was sitting in there with one shoe on; staring and smiling at the glass window, waiting for anyone to come in. Finally after a lifetime of waiting, the door cracked and a severe looking gentlemen walked inside. His air was as austere as the rest of him, the sides trimmed down and a crew cut so angular that it would probably be able to cut the chains binding the Kaguya with a knife. One eye was covered in an eye patch; and the other was a deep blue that had seen lots of combat and things that a man does not recover from. Deep lines were etched into his face, likely from years of such a stressful job and never smiling at anything. He wore the uniform of a chuunin and jounin, although his age revealed he was more than likely head of the ANBU torture and interrogation units. The wolves were not too friendly in the urban jungle, and he was damned sure that this bark was every bit as lethal as the bite.
"Rakhsha, Diomed; leader of a small band of drug dealers in our city who are responsible for a 6.2% increase in crime within the last two years of operation. Confirm?"
Diomed let his grin widen.
"He sounds like a lot of fun"
The interrogator ignored him.
"Your associate Hampshire, Noah is currently under our supervision, and his life is in your hands, as we have a deal to make"
The grin slipped a little bit. Were they really asking him to accept an offer he would normally refuse in exchange for the life of someone who was a great friend to him. Anyone else would have been left to rot, and he would have tried to find another way to get out; but Noah had saved his life and allowed him to begin again; he could never break the life debt to save his own hide again.
"Depends on what it is"
Grunts could be heard outside and the Kaguya gritted his teeth as someone was dragged in, a bag over their head. It was Noah; the clothes were still the same, and from the cursing and yelling from the man, his voice was quite recognizable.
"Rakhsha, Diomed, if you ally yourself with the village of sand and forgo your past, we will send this scumbag on his way, and you will never interact again. Understand?"
For once; Diomed was speechless.
"Do not comply and he will be exterminated, then we will move onto you"
Noah tried to speak; but the ANBU member holding him back punched him hard; making him swear; then quiet down. Diomed had to think; he was going to give up on his life and join the village as a shinobi? Either way he was never going to see the brunette again; they would make sure of that. If the situation was reversed, he knew that Noah would have told them to kill him, to kill them both, and they would have died as comrades. The Kaguya was not willing to sacrifice his life to maintain his reputation; and he was completely fine with starting over again as long as he knew that his companion did too.
"Where do I sign?"
The stern looking man snapped his fingers and a piece of paper was handed to him, and an ink press was pressed to Diomeds right thumb as they printed him. The paper was brought forward and he signed it with his imprint. Another snap of his fingers and the bag was removed from the head of the captive, revealing the heavily abused face of Noah. As the Kaguya was about to ask his friend if he was okay; the interrogator pulled out a very nicely crafted, but very deadly looking knife and Diomed felt his eyes widen in horror as the guard holding the chains binding his companion; grasped the long brown hair, pulled it back, and allowed the older man to plunge the weapon into his throat. Rage consumed the blonde, but no sounds escaped his mouth. He watched with a neutral expression as the last signs of life burbled from the throat of the corpse of his best and only friend. The soft brown eyes closed as he died, and that would be the last time Diomed would see the body of his best friend.
"Thank you for your cooperation; your indoctrination will begin shortly. Try not to hurt yourself"
Diomed said nothing as the body was carried from the room, and his bindings were released and he was lead to the next destination. He needed a drink.
The bazaar was just as famous for the beauty of the merchants daughter as it was for the merchandise itself; drawing in explorers and all sorts of people from around the world to buy exotic trinkets and spices and to catch a glimpse of Alina. To say that Odysseus Rakhsha was interested in anything that the bazaar had to offer would have been a lie. The man who would eventually become Diomeds father had heard rumour of a woman who was beautiful beyond all others all the way in his home in the lands of Taki no Kuni and had become intrigued; being a man of refined tastes. Odysseus was a handsome man who had left behind a trail of broken hearts behind him and had decided that he wanted to see this desert beauty and make her his; after all, if she truly was as beautiful as they said, he could perhaps tolerate settling down as long as she was as rich as she was beautiful. With this thought in mind; he concocted a plan to travel to the land of wind under the guise of being a fellow merchant and meeting with the father of the girl; aiming to impress them both. She would surely fall for his good looks; and her father would be impressed by his riches and talent. There was no way that this plan could fail. It was clear that this man was only handsome on the outside.
In order to fulfil his plan to usurp the riches of the Kaze no Kuni bazar; he knew that he needed to pass himself off as a rich merchant himself so the first stage of his plan was to acquire the funds. Gathering a small group of people under the guise of being a Takigakure shinobi; they travelled to the land of River and robbed a small village under the pretence of looking for a man who had betrayed the village.
The grass of the countryside was trodden silently underfoot as the troupe moved along through the path. The four men that he had brought along with him were not the most trustworthy; but they were men who were promised enough money that their silence was guaranteed; and that was a enough trust for Odysseus. With one gloved hand he swept his blond hair from his handsome face; revealing his tanned visage to the sun that was coming up from behind the treeline. Deep amber eyes met with the streams of light that peeked between the thick trunks and branches of the trees that lined either side of the path and reflexively his eyelids dropped a little to reduce the glare on his sight. The travel had been rather quick; even though they were in no rush. The men following kept to themselves too; which the ring leader appreciated. He wanted no questions about what was going to happen, as he had explained it once and had promised a large pay off, telling them that if they bothered him about the plan again, then they would lose their pay. Any man such as these would rather not know anything than give up a chance to make a tiny sum of money, never mind the money that they had been promised.
Not that he was ever going to give them any of the payout anyway. Simpletons. As he was lost in his thoughts; he was shaken from them as one of his companions called out about the town nearing up ahead. Odysseus was pleased. Everything was beginning to fall into place. Hanging back; he allowed his minions to enter the town and start the preliminary plan, where they would announce their reasons for their presence; and that they three would be the only three. The plan was that while they searched; he could stay hidden and scout out the village for where their treasury was. Considering his adept skills in thievery; he doubted that it would take more than a few hours to liberate enough of the gold. The three disappeared into the town and he scanned the buildings. It was a small unobtrusive town that held really no interest to anyone; except him of course. Approaching what appeared to be the church from the back, he climbed the wall and got to the roof of the building, looking around the village. There was only one building he was really interested in, and that was the town hall, where they would keep their collective riches to pay off the villages around them in order to maintain protection.
From his high position on the church, he could see his associates questioning people around the town and roughing them up just enough to cause a distraction. These men were certainly able to kill if necessary, but murder was not something Odysseus felt the need to be on trial for. The commotion would be enough to get some of the town officials to come out and see what was going on, but it would take more than one or two shook up people to do so. Once the officials left the hall, it would be open for him to explore and break into. He was rather pleased with himself. As he thought of the riches that he would acquire, he was distracted by one of the men on his team swearing as he was brought to the ground by a very large man, a man of such impressive size that the ring leader first mistook him for some sort of golem. His back stretched so broadly that he made the fabric of his obviously home made tunic almost tear as he assaulted his wives offender. The blonde male grimaced. They were obviously not the smartest men, and he was worried that if they killed this large man, then his plans would be ruined. Gripping his sword at the hilt, he stood to his full imposing height of six feet five inches, and readied himself to intervene when one of his men struck out at the large man with his bo-staff.
The staff snapped against the thick chest of the man, and his hand moved with such speed and such precision that the thug did not realize that his neck had been snapped with a swift chop of the tire sized hand. Odysseus moved with alarming speed from the church top. This had not been the plan, but the officials had left the hall and it had worked in his favour anyway, since the deaths of the thugs had been the plan all along. Entering the town hall was simple now the town had become enamoured by the fight between the large man and the two remaining thugs. Kicking the door open to the mayors office, he quickly located the safe under the desk and proceeded to take his thieves tools from his cloak. It took only minutes for him to break through the safes 'unbreakable' lock, and he pulled out the valuable resources inside. It was mostly gems and other expensive minerals, which made his life even more simple than he thought it would have been, as those were simple to hide and carry. Emptying the safe and disposing of any evidence, he exited the building silently and cast one last look over his 'companions' who had been arrested and were being escorted towards the building. Perfect timing really, but they would rat him out soon, if they had not done so already. Thankfully he had not revealed any information of worth to them, and they would not be able to ever trace it back to him.
Alina would meet Odysseus one evening under the moon on a warm desert night, and she would not be fooled by his good looks and roguish charm. Her father on the other hand would be happy to see a man of such wealth and humour interested in his daughter. Although her father had said for the longest time that she would be allowed to choose her own betrothed, he was blinded by Odysseus and the possibilities, Alina would no choice in her husband after all. Odysseus spent many a night conversing with her father and swapping tales of false happenstance and whimsical things he had seen out in the world. Of course, hungry for the wealth that this new arrival had, The Merchant Prince was blind to any faults that this suitor may possess and all it took was a few paltry coins and honeyed words to sway the elder and his thoughts towards offering his daughters hand to this delightful young entrepreneur in order to multiply the wealth they both possessed, and allow them to build a grander trader empire and increase their profits. If the young man had not been such a snake in the grass, or had the snake perhaps had a change of heart, the trader empire could have grown to magnificent size and actually earned them quite a profit, but alas, he was too greedy. It took mere weeks in order for the wolf to hide itself among the sheep, fooling its prey into believing it was one of them.
"Ah, Father!, I've been looking for you!"The wedding day arrived and it was as though all the money in the world had been showered onto the glorious bazaar. A quite pregnant Alina and a nervous Odysseus were ready but hardly willing to exchange vows. The merchants daughter despised the man that was to become her husband, and the handsome con man had not thought his con would go this far, and he would soon be trapped. The money and time that he had invested made it impossible for him to come out of this with any profit if he did not commit, so he was planning long term at this point. The wedding was unlike anything he had seen before; as no expense had been spared and subtlety had been thrown out the window. Merchants from around the world congregated to the event. Connects and deals were made, deals and partnerships brokered. It was essentially an over the top merchants convention disguised as a wedding. It was here though that the conniving nuke-ninja was able to contract some nefarious partners to aid him in his plan of getting rid of his father in law, his wife, and the blasted child she was carrying.
It had become customary for Odysseus to call the elder male his father, as he had demanded it one night at a festival where all the merchants in the camp came together. A night of joy and generosity the likes of which the nukenin had never experienced before; almost enough to change his mind and settle down for good. Almost. The patriarch of the camp had gleefully announced the bonding of his daughter and his new favourite, much to her chagrin. No matter how many times the young man tried to sweep her off her feet, she always seemed to be disinterested or suspicious of him. Rightly so, but the woman would know her place in their marriage once she had been given to him for the rest of her life. Coming from his thoughts, he put on his most welcoming smile and greeted the merchant with a handshake, taking both of the elders wrinkled hands in his own young firm hands. The man was diminutive, but he carried a large and rather warm presence, and Odysseus could see why the man held such respect in the bazaar and even with his business companions. The merchant laughed his haughty laugh and invited the younger man into the tent in order to discuss marriage arrangements with his daughter. He really did not want to, but unfortunately for him, he needed to keep up appearances. Following the portly male, they entered the lavish bazaar tent.
The first thing that struck him, as it did every time he went beyond the heavy cloth curtains, was the aromatic weight of the air. The weight of the struck with a alluring force, making all who entered feel content, heady and warm. This was obviously a tactic used by the merchants to lull their customers into a content state so they would not mind the gouging of their wallets they were about to experience. The lighting was very dim and he could feel his eyes drooping already. How these merchants were used to such an atmosphere he would never know, but he felt as though he could do the bidding for anyone who asked nicely enough. If it was not for his own con man mindset, he would have been overwhelmed in this tent. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the tent, he spied, at the back, in a large bed of pillows, possibly the most beautiful sight that he had ever witnessed. Alina lay in garb that made his mind abuzz, so much of her beautiful body was showing. With his already slow mind, he did not realise that the length of time his eyes were scanning her luxuriously long, tanned legs, nor the fact that his mouth had become slightly agape at the sight of her. This was met with mirth by his 'father' but with an unpleasant look from his betrothed. It took a moment for him to shake it off, but he managed to try and save face.
"My darling, you look exquisite"
Alina turned her nose up at him, and he felt his admiration of her beauty slip into irritation at her lack of respect for her to be husband. His hand would solve that problem once they were wed. He did not even hear half of the words that his father in law spoke while they were in the darkness of the tent, his mind was too taken by the smells of the tent, the aroma of the food that was being carried in on magnificent silver platters. Giant suckling pigs stuffed and roasted to perfection; fruits from around the world placed beautifully on their own platters, the sweet scents mixing with the roast meats and delectable delights that surrounded him. With all this food and its perfection, it still did not take his mind from the one thing that would truly whet his appetite. No matter how much he tried to avoid her gaze, he knew her scowl was burning into the side of his head, as though she was attempting to read his thoughts. Thankfully she possessed no such power, as those thoughts would not be welcomed by her he was sure. With the food, the sake, the depraved thoughts, Odysseus was rather tired from the events of the night, and excused himself, only to be wrapped in the arm of the merchant before leaving the tent. His thick accent and drunken state made him a little harder to decipher than usual, but he managed.
"You! Boy! You are one of us now!
The night air was warm and stifling, the smell of perfectly cooked meat and aged wine filled the air. This night was one of wanton hedonism for all. Except the two whose love was supposed to be being consummated on that night. After their vows and their kiss, the act they were performing for the merchant leader was over and the two departed to their tent. Once they were hidden from view; their distaste for one another began to show. Alina had her back turned to her husband with her arms folded over her chest. It was bad enough that she had to bare the child of a man such as he; but having to pretend to be happily married to him was too much. Odysseus merely shook his head at her foolishness, as she was his woman now, and if she refused to obey his rules? Well, when the axe came to the chopping block, the executioner would not forget this disobedience. Their argument over, they moved to opposite sides of the room not looking at one another. Odysseus moved to let the two mercenaries he had conspired with.
The plan was for them to kill her, and for Odysseus to go outside and invite in his new father in law, where he would be killed too, and one would cut his way through the tent as the other would fight the con man. People would rush to see the commotion, then see two people escaping; with Odysseus crying over the body of his newly wed wife. The two had been paid a handsome sum, and they would never have to do anything ever again. Grinning as he grabbed his wife from behind, cupping her mouth to prevent her from screaming. Roughing her up; he held her before the mercenaries, throwing her to them.
"Gut her; I'll get dear old dad"
About to exit the tent, the laughter from behind him made him pause, then made his blood run cold. His wife should not be laughing, there should have been tears and pleading for her life. Slowly he turned to face her, the two mercenaries behind her with their weapons drawn, staring at him. He tried to run, but his wife still retained her agility even with child. Her blade sunk in deep, thrust from under the ribs and right through his lungs and into his heart. Alina watched the life slowly slip from the bastards eyes and then she wiped to blood onto her dress and face, removed her wedding ring. Both rings were given to the mercenaries, as they were worth far more than the payment that Odysseus had given them. The plan had been a rousing success, he had fallen into the trap and it had cost him his life. Alina had ordered the mercenaries to find him and offer their services; which he would partake. The plan was essentially the same, kill the target, pretend it was a robbery gone wrong.
Putting on her best damsel in distress face, she let out a wild scream, while the bandits tore at the tent and tried to escape. The scream drew in people very quickly, and faster than the marauders could escape, they were cut down by the party, screaming as they were engulfed by the horde. Alina knew exactly what was going to happen, she was far smarter than her co-conspirators, and her late husband. Three bodies littered the tent now; and she had gotten it all for free, just like the best kind of businessman. Her father hugged her close, telling her it would be alright, and she played the innocent girl, so devastated over the loss of the scumbag she had married. Everything she had ever wanted had been played right into her hands anyway. At the wedding, her father had announced his retirement and that the family business was going to his new son, and with his son out of the way; the reigns fell squarely into her hands. The princess of the merchants was not evil by any means, but there had been people standing in the way of her goals that were so inclined to use her; disposing of them had simply been necessary.
Diomed would be born in the summer on one of the hottest days of the year; and his birth was met with another extravagant party thrown by his grandfather, the merchant leader. It had become apparent that while not running his kingdom; he really enjoyed throwing parties and used any excuse to do so. The lavish and exotic parties brought entertainment from around the globe, and excess was draped over the entire scene. Diomed, being only a baby had absolutely no awareness of this party thrown in his honour; but as he would grow older and merchants and others who had been there were reintroduced to him, their gifts would always be welcome thanks to his grandfathers ability to make strong connections with people. None of the gifts ever really appealed to him, as even as a child he preferred to make and break his own things, fixing and tinkering with things. Expensive pieces of equipment were his usual go to for things to mess with, but he was quickly barred from those when the cost to replace his toys grew exponentially.
Diomed found his childhood to be very uninteresting; as he had people at his beck and call at all times, begging him for favour with his family, willing to do anything. That sort of power goes to the head of a child, and from a you age he learned quickly that an overbearing and dominant personality sent most people into a fluster and they could be made to do what he wanted. The youth was not stupid; he understood that his plebeian followers were merely aiding him thanks to their fear of his family; which helped skew his rationality in an even greater manner. He discovered that by saying he was going to tell his mother or his grandfather; people would bend over backwards to prevent him from doing so, which was an easy way to get whatever he wanted to get his hands on. Needless to say; he was a very spoiled brat, and he would never quite grow out of that phase. Such a rich childhood did teach him that everyone had their price, and with the right words, people usually swayed their favour in his direction.
When he became old enough to begin training under various warriors who came to stay in the camp, he immersed himself into it, honing his physical form and becoming a very powerful child. At birth they had told his mother that his Chakra coils would never be fully formed, but that never stopped him before; as he excelled in other ways, being a cunning and strong child with boundless energy. His training was never directly in any arts; yet he was certainly introduced to them, and exposed to power he never imagined could exist. The training was done in a controlled environment, and his mother forbade the teaching of any combat techniques; which may have been the first rule imposed on him that he could not threaten his way out; as the threat his mother put forth must have been even more worrisome. This meant that though he trained with some of the most skilled warriors in the land, his skills were quite limited to the fast movement techniques of the Shunshin technique, or mastering skills on his own, which had had proved quite unskilled with.
At the age of ten his mother took him into the hidden village of the Sands to discuss some work with the Kazekage, and he was given a loose leash and allowed to explore the village with his bodyguards. He was introduced to a group of genin not too much older than him, and in his usual self-righteous attitude, he challenged them to a fight, believing that what he had been trained in so far was all he would ever need. The bodyguards were against it, but they were silenced when their jobs were threatened. The genin did not seem overly enthused to be being challenged by some outsider who was clearly a rich brat; but Diomed was a persuasive child. Insulting the genin was enough to get them fired up and ready to fight, which was exactly what the young merchant prince wanted. It would not be fair for him to fight all three of them at once, so he ordered they get in line and prepare for a beating. A life lesson was learned this day thanks to these young genin, but he would never admit it.
"You! I'm not fighting all three of you weaklings, I'll take you on one at a time"
The three youths seemed unimpressed and advanced on him. The bodyguards had been sent away, but he was fairly certain that they were still in range and he was safe. Instead of lining up for their beatings like he was supposed to, all three of them advanced on him, and their fists and feet and whatever weapons they had on them proceeded to teach Diomed that words were weapons of great power over people, and that some inspired anger towards the speaker, and that some inspired a hatred so great that they would abandon their jobs and risk their lives in order to allow their charge to be beaten within an inch of his life. Left in a pile on the ground and covered in his own blood, he would discover he was lucky enough to possess the blood of ancestors that were far hardier than himself, and though he had been beaten impressively, their attacks had done very little other than to slow him down. Justifiably furious, after some recovery time, he picked himself up and located his mother at the Kazekage tower, speaking to her of the treachery of his guards.
The beating from the genin changed him, and he began to grow out of being the bratty rich kid spoiled by excessive riches, and started watching the conniving and underhanded way that his mother manipulation others using her words and guile. Charm and promises seemed to work just as well as threats and warnings, but instead of leading to a beating, they allowed his mother to control her target, then when all was said and done, she turned her back upon them. Not all the time of course; she did make real deals with people, but for those who would not be useful to deal with, promising this and that and using them before disposing of them was more practical. This manner of dealing with people became his primary focus, learning how to use peoples wants against them, a very political game to play. This did not change his goal of living a life of luxury and power; but it did change the way he was going to go about it. The beating had given him the knowledge that he was not as strong as he wished to be, so that was something that he needed to approach too.
Beseeching his mother, he begged her to let him enter the shinobi academy so that he may learn how to become stronger. At first she resisted, not wanting him to become like his father, whom he had heard nothing of. In a turn of events that surprised everyone who knew him, he bowed before her and pleaded with her about allowing him to go. Diomed had never asked nicely before; and people were rather taken aback. Of course the people who served under him were very excited for him to leave; but his mother still felt protective, and allowed it on the condition that he attend with one of the other children from the camp. Seeing that his was the only way he was going to get his way; the youth agreed and arranged a meeting with the boy he would be attending the academy side by side with. The boy was older than he was, and did not look like much. Reedy and weak, yet exceptionally skilled with ninjutsu techniques apparently, which made for a nice contrast for the two of them, and he was deemed useful. Within a week of his asking; they were sent off to the academy with whatever tools they needed. Lacking the ability to use any ninjutsu techniques; the merchant prince was faced with a difficult task ahead, but he felt he possessed enough skill to shine above the rest.
"Diomed, without being able to perform chakra based techniques, you know that things will be very difficult for you right?"
The young blonde nodded with a scowl on his face as the chuunin tried to explain to him the difficulties of being a shinobi who could not wield chakra as a weapon. Diomed; of course; had no time for the weakness of this man, and his inability to teach; as he was too busy trying anyway.
"Difficult or not, I'll just work harder"
The chuunin smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder, but the merchant prince removed it gingerly. He did not need peons dirtying up his clothes, he was training hard enough to mess them up anyway. So far he had been unable to participate in a lot of the activities that they were training the students in; but he had made up for the lack of skills with chakra with very quick speed and intense power for his age. His resilience was noted by the instructors, and he became known as a student who could take immense amounts of punishment and walk away from it not too much later. Every time something like being unable to mould chakra got in his way; he trained thrice as much as the rest of the students, hiding and doing it behind the scenes to maintain the appearance of a carefree genius who was capable of growing stronger when he needed to. Tears and blood were shed in the shadows as he forced himself to overcome obstacles that were presented by his disability; but not even his mother was allowed to see the work that he put into his body in order to keep up with the other students.
During the sparring on a day close to graduation, he was paired up with the student that he had been sent to the academy with. Neither of them enjoyed the presence of the other, and both had something to prove, being from the same home. If Diomed were to lose to him, the boy would be able to brag back at the merchant oasis, and his reputation would be ruined. They both had reasons to win. The instructor warned them that any dangerous activity would be dispelled by him if things got too hectic; but they did not listen, intent on harming each other as much as possible. By now Diomed possessed a couple of offensive skills, such as the Hassendan from his Kaguya lineage; which was a very effective jutsu replacement for not having chakra. The fight started and he fired a bullet at his opponent, but he learned quite early into the academy that release techniques were a pain in the ass for him to overcome without chakra, and this boy happened to have access to quite a few techniques that were remarkable. Facing a master of the sand release proved very difficult.
Sand swept up around the boy and the bullet was captured in the rising mineral defence, which fired the bullet and sand shuriken back at him. If there was one thing that Diomed excelled at; it was escaping, and those ranged techniques did not stand a chance. Moving swiftly around their battle ground; he occasionally fired off more Hessendan techniques, trying to keep the ninjutsu master on the defensive; but his ability to be on the defensive and offensive at the same time thanks to his sand shield forced the Kaguya to make changes to his plan. Through frequent sightings of the sand shield, he had noted that it was not as quick as most people; and that was the biggest disadvantage; as he could simply overcome it with speed. Dodging a massive scythe of sand that would have removed a limb; he tore around the other student with blinding speed, creating after images to fool him, and firing bone bullets with rapidity, and from all directions in order to get an attack in through the defence. The crying out in pain as a bullet sunk into flesh was all he needed to move in for the attack as the guard was dropped. The sand shield made an opening for him to enter and he burst through, arm back, ready to pummel his target.
"Enough!"
An arm grasped him and held him back as the chuunin ended the fight. It had been a little too much for him to watch, and he had decided first blood would have been good enough for the two of them to decide who won without risking one life over the other. Diomed had his answer though, and would go on to graduate with remarkable results for someone with no working chakra coils.
Having completed the academy, he returned home to his mother who had decided that he was going to start learning the trades of being a merchant, something that Diomed simply had no interest in. He argued heatedly with his mother; but she was staunchly against his returning to the village to become a ninja, believing it to be beneath them. No son of hers was going to become a common village weapon. Their argument ended with him being placed under keen observation, with all of his movements being recorded and everything being reported to his mother. It was not a situation he enjoyed being in; but he was nothing if not intuitive; and he had many plans he was willing to try. The first of which was seeking out the student he had gone to the academy with to ask him for help. There was no reason for the youth to aid him, so the Kaguya spent many days thinking of a gift that would coerce the other ninja to aid him. After five days of thinking the idea dawned upon him and it was so simple that he could not believe he had not thought of it earlier.
The plan that he devised required the other boy to start a fire in the camp and then in the escape, use the sand techniques he had mastered to whip up a powerful sand storm that would cover the tracks of the fleeing Kaguya. The keys to his locked tent would be obtained by the ninjutsu master in the midst of mayhem, as he would pickpocket one of the guards while they tried to tend to the fire. It was simple and effective, all things that a plan should be. Now he needed to gain the trust of the boy he had once beaten and tried to maim in school. The conversation and the convincing would be the hardest part of the plan, and unfortunately it all relied on it working, as the boy was the only one who hated him enough for his deal to work. The hatred he felt for the Kaguya was so great that it overshadowed his fear of repercussions from the mistress of the market. On an evening where he was allowed to leave his tent and interact with the others around the market, he sought the boy out, finding him with a group of other children, all of whom quieted as he approached.
"What do you want?"
A simple question laced with as much venom as the boy could muster. It made Diomed smirk to see that he began to rub his shoulder where the bone bullet had damaged him instinctively. There was no need to provoke him though, he was not an easy target, and with back up, the prince of the market did not need to try and fight his way out of this one.
"I've come to you with a proposition"
There was an uncomfortable laugh from the group.
"I don't make deals with double-crossers"
A jibe at his mother; who was merely making her own way in the world! Understandable though; and he remained smiling as the boy tried to insult him, this plan meant more than a few hurt feelings and emotions; if it worked, he would never have to deal with these people again.
"I'm sure you'll find that this offer works greatly in your favour"
There was a murmur as the group talked to each other for a moment, out of earshot for the Kaguya. The boy broke away from the crowd and walked towards Diomed, he held out his hand to shake the boys. He hesitated at first; but clasped the hand and they shook awkwardly. The small group that had been with the other youth dispersed, leaving the two of them alone in the grounds. There were no tails on him, as it was a saturday evening and he was not allowed to leave the camp anyway, so there was no danger of being overheard. They spoke for a while, as the Kaguya youth discussed the plan and why he wanted to escape, telling the other boy what he had never told anyone else before, revealing his true intentions and why he needed to leave. The boy did not speak much, nodded and making an agreeing noise where appropriate, but by the end of his explanation; the blonde could not tell if he was going to get the help of his classmate or not. He looked thoughtful for a minute before speaking.
"So what do I get out of all this?"
Diomed smiled, he had the perfect offer.
"You'll never have to see me again"
The widening eyes and the dilation of the pupils were enough of a sign to reveal to the Kaguya that they had a deal. Shaking hands once more, they parted ways until the night of the escape.
The evening of the escape was a cooler night than the desert was used to; but Diomed was not complaining, he would be out in the desert on his own for at least a day, the cooler it was the better for him, and the less likely he was to die. In his bag he had brought some things that he could hide, knowing that while he was out there, he would need to hide from any possible searches, and that he would have to lay low. There was food, water, and plenty of ryo and gold that he had stolen from his mothers treasury; knowing he would need it in order to pay his way to secrecy. The yelling from outside started, and the wind in the air picked up. The tent rustled and he was about to find out whether or not the plan worked. He shivered in anticipation; hoping and praying that the respect he had given the skills of his class mate was warranted. A small blonde head poked its way through the curtains and he had never been so relieved to see the ninjutsu master in his life. Quickly the two ran, dodging around the adults who were trying to tend to the fire. As they ran, the Kaguya looked over his shoulder to see the distraction.
The fire was less of a distraction and more of an out of control blaze that threatened to wipe the camp out. The level of panic that the Kaguya felt rose immensely as their lives were on the line. The two sprinted from the merchant city and into the desert, the sand rising around them, ridding them of any pesky footprints and causing even more trouble for their homes they had just abandoned. The adrenaline from the fear did not wear out for hours; and they collapsed in the sand, their bodies exhausted from the escape. Darkness settled around them, but the glowing on the horizon was evidence that their escape attempt was still causing trouble for those back at the merchant camp. It was at this point, now that the two were both running from their home; that Diomed believed it was time to learn the name of his co-conspirator. Through heavy breath; he leaned his head to the side and looked at the smaller male; asking for his name. The other boy looked at him suspiciously; as though he believed that the Kaguya would turn him in.
Noah.
Diomed sat on the black leather chair, the rips and tears in the fabric revealing the foam padding inside. He stroked the rough hairs on his chin in thought as he pondered the situation they had found themselves in. With his right leg pulled up; his ankle resting on his left thigh, he sat in a very relaxed position, deep in the chair with two rather buxom young girls resting on the arm rests, one playing with his platinum blonde hair; the other smoking a cigarette and looking rather bored with the whole situation. The light was dim and fading; it's source, a low hanging bulb with a cover on top where the rips revealed the light inside. Three other people were in this room; two of them looked quite at home standing on either side of the door; and the third looked between the door and the blonde in front of him, wondering which was the safer bet. The Kaguya could honestly say that neither of his choices ended up with him leaving this room with his head still attached to his shoulders. The news the shaking man had delivered, was that their supplies had been rerouted and then stolen, and this idiot could not begin to describe who it was that was going to die.
"Dio; you know it's a waste of time, let me have a look"
The familiar voice sounded before the owner of it moved into view from the door frame. Noah had come back from investigating the situation and the Kaguya knew the look on his face and the severity of his tone did not mark a good end for their silly delivery boy. Without speaking a word, the smirking blonde gestured an open hand towards the kneeling man, giving his blessing for his second in command to go to work. As the protests of the man sounded out; Diomed thought on his mistake in calling the brunette his second, after all, they had started this together, this little Mafia-esque club. His companion had grown from the nerdy little dork he had been, and in the seven years since; he had become a calculating demon of a man. It almost brought a tear to his eye on how proud he was of his influence over the once law abiding kid. The man cried out in fear as Noah delved into his mind using the Yamanaka techniques he had been learning from pilfered scrolls. Noah was certainly not his second in command, if anything, he was the brains, and the taller Kaguya was the face and voice.
Although it sounded simple; his position was one of dire consequences, as his façade meant everything. When they had first arrived in Sunagakure; it had been his ability to bluff even the most hardened of men out of their wallets; using simple trickery and often offering them their dreams, and tearing it away once their usefulness had diminished. They had become ruthless, and his smirk and guile had allowed them to corner most of the drug smuggling and 'protection' that was being run in the underside of the city. Whenever there was conflict between the gangs and various organizations; it was himself and Noah that turned up; and they were usually able to seize control of the meeting quite quickly, getting word of their affairs out. The begging of the man on the ground broke him from his thoughts; and he watched as his partner drove his thumbs into the eyes of the idiot who had lost all their money. With a few last throes, he quieted as his killer extracted his thumbs from the eyes. The brunette did not look happy; but he looked a little less well, unemotional than previously.
"Find anything useful?"
Noah ran a hand through his lengthy auburn hair; looking a little troubled for a moment. One of the two guards at the door stepped behind him and grasped the hand of the body on the floor and picked it up; throwing him over his shoulder, then walked out to dispose of it.
"His mind was a little clouded, the guys an idiot and he was drunk; but I think I can at least give us a place to start"
The grin on the face of Diomed grew larger, looking cockier than ever. Now that was all sorted out, they could party. Tapping the girl on the right hand of his chair, she rolled her eyes and stood up; her tight red dress shifting as she stood, and seemed to glow eerily in the dim light. A canter of bourbon sat in the corner on a desk that was cluttered with paper and maps, the blonde beauty in the red dress picked it up and poured two glasses, and brought them both over, handing one to the Kaguya in his leather chair, and the other to Noah, who nodded to her as she stared him deep in the eyes and trailed a hand up his arm and across his chest, the fabric of his long sleved shirt the only thing keeping her from stroking his skin. As she walked by the two men clinked their drinks and grinned at one another; a rare sight for Noah; and drank deeply from the cups. They had their information; they had their weapons, they were going to get their money and supplies. They would need to make some room in their treasure chests for the heads of those responsible too.
A cigarette burned between his lips, the embers at the end the only light around for quite a distance. The two stood in the midst of the desert and waited. Their research had pointed them in the right direction; and after cracking a few skulls, they had managed to get a lead on where their supplies and cash were. If they had been learning the truth, their next order of actions would make them so much money that they were never going to have to work again. That sounded pretty promising, so they had decided to overlook their target for now, and watched how things went down. There had been a start up crew of thugs that had moved in from the Hidden Village in the Clouds; and they had a lot of resources backing them up; resources they were not afraid of throwing around. They had ended up making a turd deal with the crew that had stolen their money; and were now bringing in a massive shipment of drugs and money. Although the money alone would keep them from needing to live the life they were living; they rather enjoyed being the top dogs. The shipment would be coming in by air; and be travelling into the city in a similar manner, but over a long while.
They were waiting to see the shipment land, then while the guard was low, it would be an easy job to perform, and the pay off was amazing. The two have them had ran the place and underwent all the missions on their own usually; they paid their men well enough to keep them loyal and to spread their influence, but whenever there was important stuff to be taken care of; they were there. They had talked about brining at least one of their more competent guys, but they had decided against it in the end, sticking to their tried and true methods that continuously worked. They would talk first; as they were quite adept at bluffing with the best of them; they could probably secure some trust with the landing party; then when their backs were turned; it was time to strike. It was not a noble way to die; and Diomed felt great about that; as his philosophy was 'if you're in a fair fight, you didn't prepare well enough'. They were a considerable amount smarter than the men they would encounter, that was for sure; so their plans usually went off without a hitch.
"How many do you think there'll be?"
Diomed inhaled the cigarette smoke and pondered it for a moment, before expelling the smoke from his nose. Even in the dark his pink sunglasses were still hiding his eyes.
"Not too many; there's going to be a lot of people paid off for this move; they really want in on our turf"
Noah nodded and sipped from his bottle of water. Then he spoke again as he tightened the lid back onto it.
"You should quit smoking you know, it's bad for you"
The snide grin on the face of the blonde softened for a moment.
"So is telling me what to do"
Noah closed his eyes and lowered his chin, a burst of air coming from his nostrils revealing his amusement. Lights in the sky that were certainly not stars made them aware of the upcoming action. Dropping his cigarette into the sand; the blonde male walked forward, hands buried in his slim fitting black jeans that clung to his long lithe legs. His upper body was partially covered by a long sleeve black dress shirt with the buttons undone, exposing his chiselled, bare chest. Noah was a step behind him to his right, one hand buried loosely in his left pocket, while his right hand swung lazily as he walked, his index finger and thumb pinching the bottle between them. His while dress shirt was buttoned up and held to his frame by two green suspender straps that were attached to a pair of burnt orange pants. Overall the two looked as though they were going to open a strip club together as opposed to two dangerous thugs who were about to bust some heads and introduce contraband substances into their village. The lights from the vessel lowered until the approached the sand, and Diomed could see the shape of a large eagle with a massive bag beside it. Three men surrounded it.
It was going to be easier than they had initially thought. As they approached; the three men grew very suspicious and aggressive; but Diomed raised his hands and smiled his most charming smile. The two continued walking as the three drew their weapons and spread out a little; ready for combat. They stopped walking at about fifteen meters between them, trying to keep the cloud thugs from growing more aggressive.
"Get the fuck away or you're dead"
Diomed continued to smile.
"Relax idiots; we're here to show you where the entry point is"
The leader of them, a thick looking man narrowed his comparatively small eyes. His body seemed too big for the small head on its shoulders, and he was garbed in leather armour that was strapped all around his body; but it was worn, and all of it looked about two sizes too small. He looked like an awkward man who had suddenly gotten a growth spurt and had not gone shopping.
"We know where the entry point is; we have it on a map"
The blonde lowered his hands while he chuckled quietly to himself, shaking his head and looking to the ground for a moment before placing his index finger and his thumb on his forehead and sighing deliberately.
"Obviously there were a couple of hitches in the plan; there has been some activity in the city lately and the guard has been doubled, we had to change the location last minute"
The thick bodied, small headed man thought on it for a moment.
"We weren't told anything..."
Diomed acted surprised at the man's apparent idiocy.
"That's because it was last minute, now hurry up and get that shit packed so we can take you"
Two of the guys shrugged and began to move, but not the thug who had been doing all the talking.
"Don't pack anything up you two, this guy could be full of shit"
The thug pointed a finger at him accusingly.
"Prove it"
The Kaguya chuckled again, but inwardly he cursed. This guy was smarter than he gave him credit for; the simple tactics weren't working.
"You want me to prove it? What the fuck more do you want from me?"
He turned to Noah.
"He wants me to prove it"
Turning back to the thugs, he gestured a finger at the man in the middle, grinning more madly than ever, making the mans eyes widen.
"Here's your proof!"
A bullet of bone broke through the skin and tore at the man, who did not know how to respond, and in response; his brain exploded all out of the back of his skull and into the face of the man behind; whom -rightly so- was quite surprised. Noah held his hand out and two bolts of lightning finished off the other two in a flash of light, and all that remained were the two Sunagakure natures, well over a million ryos worth of drugs and money. Essentially this was their ride to the top. With this amount of stimulus in their systems, they would be able to set up a network and hire as much help as needed in order to dominate the mainland. Moving toward the piles of supplies and cash, Diomed felt like something was wrong, and as the sizzling sound of a tag reached his ears; he knew they were too late and had fallen into an ambush. Explosions rocked the area. The drugs and the money were torched in a torrent of smoke and heat, and the two Mafioso tried to find a path to escape, but each route they tried they encountered another explosion. Deafened and barely able to breath, the smoke making their eyes water and blocking all light, they were done for as the bodies moved through the smoke and seized them roughly, throwing even Diomed onto the sand before a leather boot caught him in the face and blackness overtook him.
Light reached his eyes once more; but his head ached, and he could not open his mouth. Diomed realized he was probably in quite a bit of trouble. The room he was in was small, but he could not even move around it due to the chains on his hands and ankles keeping him from moving. Noah was probably in a similar situation; hopefully; if they had brought him here instead of killing him. There was another advantage to being the face of an organization. If he was brought in; he was kept alive for questioning. They had done a rather good job of hiding Noahs level of involvement, but it was fairly obvious he was at least a co-conspirator. Hopefully that was enough for them to have kept him alive. The wait for someone to come in was agonizing; and he knew they were watching him from the other side of that reflective glass, just watching and waiting to see if he would crack. Unfortunately for them; he played the same mind games, and sat with his back against the wall watching the mirrored glass with the large confident smile upon his face.
Diomed sat there for what felt like hours, and his cheeks were starting to hurt; but he was not going to give them anything. His clothes had been torn and he was sitting in there with one shoe on; staring and smiling at the glass window, waiting for anyone to come in. Finally after a lifetime of waiting, the door cracked and a severe looking gentlemen walked inside. His air was as austere as the rest of him, the sides trimmed down and a crew cut so angular that it would probably be able to cut the chains binding the Kaguya with a knife. One eye was covered in an eye patch; and the other was a deep blue that had seen lots of combat and things that a man does not recover from. Deep lines were etched into his face, likely from years of such a stressful job and never smiling at anything. He wore the uniform of a chuunin and jounin, although his age revealed he was more than likely head of the ANBU torture and interrogation units. The wolves were not too friendly in the urban jungle, and he was damned sure that this bark was every bit as lethal as the bite.
"Rakhsha, Diomed; leader of a small band of drug dealers in our city who are responsible for a 6.2% increase in crime within the last two years of operation. Confirm?"
Diomed let his grin widen.
"He sounds like a lot of fun"
The interrogator ignored him.
"Your associate Hampshire, Noah is currently under our supervision, and his life is in your hands, as we have a deal to make"
The grin slipped a little bit. Were they really asking him to accept an offer he would normally refuse in exchange for the life of someone who was a great friend to him. Anyone else would have been left to rot, and he would have tried to find another way to get out; but Noah had saved his life and allowed him to begin again; he could never break the life debt to save his own hide again.
"Depends on what it is"
Grunts could be heard outside and the Kaguya gritted his teeth as someone was dragged in, a bag over their head. It was Noah; the clothes were still the same, and from the cursing and yelling from the man, his voice was quite recognizable.
"Rakhsha, Diomed, if you ally yourself with the village of sand and forgo your past, we will send this scumbag on his way, and you will never interact again. Understand?"
For once; Diomed was speechless.
"Do not comply and he will be exterminated, then we will move onto you"
Noah tried to speak; but the ANBU member holding him back punched him hard; making him swear; then quiet down. Diomed had to think; he was going to give up on his life and join the village as a shinobi? Either way he was never going to see the brunette again; they would make sure of that. If the situation was reversed, he knew that Noah would have told them to kill him, to kill them both, and they would have died as comrades. The Kaguya was not willing to sacrifice his life to maintain his reputation; and he was completely fine with starting over again as long as he knew that his companion did too.
"Where do I sign?"
The stern looking man snapped his fingers and a piece of paper was handed to him, and an ink press was pressed to Diomeds right thumb as they printed him. The paper was brought forward and he signed it with his imprint. Another snap of his fingers and the bag was removed from the head of the captive, revealing the heavily abused face of Noah. As the Kaguya was about to ask his friend if he was okay; the interrogator pulled out a very nicely crafted, but very deadly looking knife and Diomed felt his eyes widen in horror as the guard holding the chains binding his companion; grasped the long brown hair, pulled it back, and allowed the older man to plunge the weapon into his throat. Rage consumed the blonde, but no sounds escaped his mouth. He watched with a neutral expression as the last signs of life burbled from the throat of the corpse of his best and only friend. The soft brown eyes closed as he died, and that would be the last time Diomed would see the body of his best friend.
"Thank you for your cooperation; your indoctrination will begin shortly. Try not to hurt yourself"
Diomed said nothing as the body was carried from the room, and his bindings were released and he was lead to the next destination. He needed a drink.