Kirigakure Mizukage Tower Roof: Rooftop Garden

[Tieren]

+20 Total, 60/60 Learned

[Molokai]

Akiko's excited rush knocked the hat from Taisen's head, where it no longer obstructed his face. In the rippling shade of the tree, Taisen's shoulder-length hair could be seen going over the back of his jacket. The questions that poured from the girl fell on deaf ears, but the cacophony was more than sufficient to awaken him from his slumber.

He slowly brought his face up to look at Akiko, his shining eyes looking dull and barely aware. A full, shiny silver beard now adorned his stony features and a large scar extended over his left eye from eyebrow down to cheekbone. The voice that emerged from behind the beard was dry and raspy, as if he were fifty years old and a forty-nine year smoker.

"What?" The word was slow and without recognition, and after simply staring confusedly at Akiko for a few seconds his head drifted away until his eyes came to rest on the other form standing above him. Eyes suddenly widening in shock and horror, Taisen scrambled with his back against the tree until he got to his feet and jumped behind the tree, screaming the whole way,

"What the hell is that?"
"Who the hell are you?"
"Where the hell am I?"

As he rounded the tree, he pulled from the confines of the coat a long, curved blade with a basket hilt and pointed it shakily at the weird blonde girl and her living dead minion, eyes wide and crazy, nostrils flaring. What happened to the former kage?

[Corvus]

"Aniki..?" Akiko wanted to approach, but held her ground, mystified that he would point a weapon at her. And the clothes he wore hurt her eyes, gave her a headache. And she didn't know why. "This is my shadow clone Aniki, or my work in progress, watch this." Akiko and the skele-clone stepped back, facing each other and touching their knuckles together, "Form of," the tiny angel said, "a complete Shadow Clone." The shadowclone exploded in a brilliant burst of light, illuminating the entire village and darkening the sky for a moment. As the light faded, Akiko's front was blackened, her hair forced backward, as if a cartoon explosion had gone off in front of her.

"Well...that could have gone better..." Akiko said as she shook the char off. "Aniki, calm down," she said, remembering the de-escalation techniques she learned, "What do you mean? Could, could you slow down and explain?"

[Molokai]

Taisen just stared wide-eyed as the girl babbled about something he had no idea about, and when the skeleton exploded he promptly screamed and dove behind the nearest statue. He shook uncontrollably and tried to poke the sword back at her, but only made it half way before his arm collapsed in a fit of tremors. As the girl spoke, Taisen hid behind the statue trying not to hyperventilate.

When she finished, Taisen gulped and sputtered from behind the red tiger,
"L-look, I don't know what an Aniki is. I don't know who you are. I don't know wh-who I am. I don't know what this place is, and I certainly don't know what that was. I don't. . . I don't know anything so, please. . . please just let me go."

The Yondaime Mizukage, begging? Shaking with fear? Anyone who knew him knew that he wasn't afraid even in the face of certain death. What had he seen that had reduced him to a blubbering coward? And if such a thing could cause Taisen Kamyuja so much fear, what hope did anyone else have against it? What is out there?

[Corvus]

He...doesn't know? But he must be Aniki, he looks just like him. "A-um..you're...at least if you are who I think you are, you're my Aniki. You're the Mizukage...er, former Mizukage, Taisen Kamyuja. You disappeared a few months ago, and I've been worried about you," she explained."Um...I have a unique power, that I could use to confirm your identity. If I'm right, you're either my Aniki, or else you're his identical twin brother."

After receiving permission from the man, the supposed former Mizukage, Akiko began to channel chakra to her eyes, causing her irises to glow the color of the sea which she had grown up next to, which she had seen dyed red and black with blood and gunpowder the day she met the person before her. And as her abilities stirred within her, she became aware of everything within fifty meters of her down to the molecular level, letting her perceive even the structure of his DNA with more accuracy than even the most powerful scientific device.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve...every single marker was present. This man was an exact genetic match for her Aniki. "You are," she said, glowing eyes looking into his, "You are, without a doubt, an exact genetic match for my Aniki."

[Molokai]

Taisen's shakes slowly subsided as he got over his disorientation. Still wary of the necromancer girl, he didn't come out from behind the statue even after he managed to calm down. He looked around from where he was and found it totally unfamiliar, but at least now he could make some sense of it. Meanwhile, the girl was trying to coax him into something that he knew would be bad news. As hard as he tried to block her out, he couldn't help but hear it since there was nothing else to hear.

"If I am this Aniki person, which I'm not," he shouted from behind the statue, "what's it to you? Who are you? Where am I? I want answers, now!" It seemed that he was gaining at least a little of his courage back, as he now started forming an escape plan and analyzing the layout of the weird gemstone statuary. If all else failed, he would jump before he allowed himself to be captured, assuming he hadn't already been captured and this she-devil wasn't his twisted voodoo jailer.

This was not looking good.

[Corvus]

What was Aniki to Akiko? That was a rather complex topic. "Well, to be brief," she began, "you're the one that found me. After my home, my entire village was destroyed...you're the one who found me and brought me here. If you hadn't...I probably would have starved." Akiko decided to explain herself next, "I'm Akiko, now Ayumu Akiko thanks to your intervention," she spoke with a jaded edge that someone her age, real or apparent, should not have, "I became the Mizukage after you disappeared."

Akiko gestured around her, at the city which could be seen through the afternoon mist, "This is Kirigakure, the Village Hidden in the Mist. One of the Five Great Ninja Villages, and located within the island nation known as the Land of Water." Though Akiko didn't know, her animal companions all began to stir where they were, Omori in the hospital, Hayate at her home, Amateratsu and Tsukuyomi in the wilds, and Archemedies flying high above them both, though the fates were only just beginning to guide them together. "Is there anything else you'd like to know?" Akiko asked, trying to maintain a cheery expression to ease his concerns.

[Molokai]

"So, you're telling me," Taisen said after much apparent mental deliberation, "I'm on an island in a secret village populated by ninjas?" He sounded incredulous, as if he wasn't willing to accept what he heard but for some reason couldn't shake how familiar it sounded. He also sounded worried. As he thought, his face all but narrated what he was feeling, eventually landing back on suspicious and concerned. "Am I. . . under arrest?"

He still didn't seem to fully grasp what was going on, he continually looked over his shoulder without ever really taking his attention off the girl. It's not as though anyone could argue his concern, with the way he was dressed it's not unusual that he is concerned about ninjas. That being said, he was once a leader of ninjas and a powerful ninja soldier before that. What had occurred that caused him to be suspicious of the people he once guarded with his life?

If nothing else, Akiko was managing to calm him down, even if he was still having trouble believing his surroundings. The shaking had stopped, the sword was lowered but not entirely put away, and he was less hysterical. There might be some hope for the madman after all.

[Corvus]

Akiko nodded at first, but then frowned when Taisen, at least the man who was a genetic and cellular match for Taisen, mentioned being under arrest. "Uh-uh," the tiny girl shook her head, coincidentally identical to when the man last saw her, "You're not under arrest at all." At least it looked like he was calming down though. And luckily, none of the AnBu had popped out of thin air. That might have spooked him something bad.

The village had changed quite a bit in his absence, and without any memories, it might be difficult for him to find his way around. Especially given he is a rather prominent figure. His head still adorns the Super Colliding Super Dojo. "Though I'd like someone to keep an eye on you for the time being, if that's alright. It might be problematic if the former kage were wandering around without any memories."

[Molokai]

Just as expected, not technically "under arrest" but still under surveillance. Also, whatever a kage was, she seemed to think he used to be one of them. Thinking back, Taisen didn't remember anything before waking up to her and her undead minion, so what she said might possibly be true. At least, she seemed to have a better handle on this than he did, and the fact that she hadn't attacked him yet at least made it seem like she wasn't going to.

Still, he was resistant. "Let me guess, I won't be allowed to leave this place until this has all been figured out, right? And your 'escort' won't be leaving my side? Figures. But I'll take it over a cell." At last, he put the sword away and came out from behind the statue, but remained wary of the shadows. Lacking any better ideas, and no memories to speak of, Taisen had no choice but to trust this tiny mystery magician. For better or for worse, he was now under her charge.

[Corvus]

Akiko was relieved when Taisen stepped out from behind the statue and sheathed his blade. "Now," she said, visibly glad he was calming down, "Aniki, would you mind telling me what happened? The last anyone heard of you, you were going on a training journey. My pet and ally, Omori, went with you." Akiko gazed down at the grass, recalling the night when he reappeared, "Omori showed up more than month ago. He had the map I loaned to you and him, there were some bloodstains and scorch marks on it. Omori collapsed at the gate and hasn't woken yet. Everyone's thought you were dead..."

"Oh," Akiko looked up, "Sorry, I'm being rude. Are you hungry? Or thirsty? If there's anything you'd like, I can have it brought up to us," she offered. He didn't know when he last ate, any they'd been talking for a while now. It would have been terribly rude to ask for answers without feeding him.

[Molokai]

Taisen looked at the ground and started stroking his shiny silver beard. He made a face for a few seconds before sighing in resignation and looking at Akiko again.

"I don't remember anything," he said with a bit of disappointment, "everything before waking up just now is a complete blank." None of that sounded at all familiar to Taisen. Omori was a new name, and none of the events she described rang any sort of bell. Her voice was starting to be come more familiar, and his suspicions of her started to descend despite his lack of memory. Perhaps he really was who she said he was, but if that were true, how did he get this way?

Also, she said her pet arrived a month ago, which meant that whatever happened to him happened at least that long ago. But not only was there a whole month of his life missing, everything before this moment was just a hazy recollection of nothing relevant at all. He didn't remember how he came to be up on the tower, how he came to be dressed as such, or how he even remembered his own name if he couldn't remember what he had spent his life doing.

As he continued trying to remember, he started to become aware of the smell of the place. No doubt, he had smelled this before. It was a smell that was hugely familiar, just right on the edge of remembering. He continued sniffing the air, trying to place that unmistakable odor. He knew that he had to have been here, or somewhere like here, before. Could it be that he really was from this place? If so, then what happened to him.?

[Corvus]

Apparently he wasn't hungry. And he couldn't remember a thing either. Well, wasn't that a fine kettle of fish? Akiko let her unanswered question drop and began to try and piece things together. Here he was, dressed up like it was All Hallows Eve, with a cutlass at his hip, and a bad case of amnesia. Hopefully though, there wouldn't be any decent involved, dark or otherwise. There was more than a month missing from his life, probably even more. And he couldn't remember anything from before his improv impact, lovely.

Akiko nodded to herself, "unu! If you can't remember, then we'll just start looking until you get your memory back, alright Aniki?" She couldn't allow herself to get depressed or dismayed. Not now of all times. No, she had to stay focused on running the village, as well as helping Taisen recover his memories.

[Molokai]

Taisen stroked his beard again for a moment as he processed everything again. Somehow, he wound up on a rooftop of a huge tower with absolutely no memories a little girl who claimed to have known him before he "disappeared." Lacking any real explanation so far, he nodded in submission and said, "yeah, maybe walking around will trigger a memory or something." He then turned and went to leave, stroking his beard again as he did so.

After a lap or so around the garden he approached the little girl and said, "how do I get down from here?" Once she pointed the way, he would head into the village to try and regain what he had apparently lost.

[exit]

[Corvus]

Akiko nodded, "I'll have an AnBu escort you around. I still have some business to attend, so I'll catch up when I can." The Cherub-like girl tried, and failed, to whistle. All the same, an AnBu appeared instantly, causing Akiko to reprimand him(...her?) "Ne~ Don't you have any tact?" She scolded, "you could have spooked Aniki." The AnBu apologized and vanished again, only to walk up the stairs like a normal person, "You called, Lady Mizukage?"

Despite the ridiculousness, Akiko nodded, "Yes, I'd like you to accompany Aniki around the village. He's lost his memories, so try and find a place to help him remember, alright?" The masked AnBu nodded and lead the way, intending to escort the former kage around as the current kage requested. Once they left, Akiko stretched and headed off to finish up her day's paperwork, including sending that one Genin a message.

[exit]