"Emo's paradise" Hotel [ATI quest private]

[Draven]

It would start with a headache

After Anotsu finished his speech, silence would follow. Abaddon would be talking but no words could be heard. Along with the silent sobs of Miss Juliet, there would be no sound coming from anywhere. Not even the normal ambient noises that one would expect from a deep dank crypt such as this. Nothing, as if ones hearing were snuffed out. Something had happened, was it a Genjutsu? Had Anotsu fallen into the the trap of Abaddon? No it couldn't be, the mighty Anotsu being trapped within a Genjutsu. A headacke would start pulsating its way through Anotsu's head. And then there would be a sound. It would have started as a low barely audible chuckle. The source would be unknown. It wasn't Legion, nor was it Abaddon, it was Taro. Taro's shoulders and torso had shown it all... He had been laughing... and this laugh was slowly increasing in volume. The walls would seem like they were beginning to melt. Reality was starting to warp, focus was being lost...Taro's head would slowly raise...Then the eyes, the same eyes of the Uchiha had connected, with the same fiery red fierceness ringed with the small dots that signified the strength of the Uchiha...Taro's and Anotsu's eyes connected...Impossible.

If this were a Genjutsu, surely the Sharingan would have seen through this. Surely Anotsu would have been protected from such a fate. And if these thoughts were running through his mind, then these thoughts would have been confirmed. Taro's face was changing, into something else...Something of a far more darker nature than even that of Abaddon or Legion themselves... It was changing into the face of death...

It would seem Death had more tricks up his sleeve then what can be preconceived within the physical realm. If anything this would be an illusion created by the dark lord himself. "So you would have chose to kill him... Your own Kin... You have no respect for me... I will not grant you his death until you prove your respect for me... I require the eyes of another Uchiha before you are granted this ones death. I am the controller of the wheels of fate, so if you choose to deny me this boon, then you shall never find your quarry. You shall encounter many foes but the eyes of the another Uchiha is what I seek, you have until the second full moon to bring these eyes back to this crypt. For I am death, and I will not be denied. Now go and squallier in your fate..." And thus the ominous laughter would continue. The eyes of death would start to rotate with the same Uchiha eyes as Anotsu's birthright. The eyes would grow larger and larger, the headache would worsen. Focus would be lost and the eyes of death would only be seen, the eyes of the Uchiha... Reality would rip itself apart as a rigging would fill Anotsu's head...The world would go black...

On the tip of ones tongue...

It was as if it were all a dream, the two cloaked figures, the names, the seal, and even Taro. What was it again, the Crushed Seal. The Crude gift? The Crying darkness...? WHAT WAS IT... IT seemed Death had muddled the mind of Anotsu and only certain things about this vivid dream would have been remembered. Those involved would have been remebered, along with the power of the cursed seal. But not the names of the cloaked figures, and what was that seals name again? What was it?...And thus Anotsu's name would be called Anotsu!

Please don't leave me!

"Anotsu!!! Anotsu!!! ANOTSU!!!!!" Miss Juliet would yell as she held her hands over the gash that would lay across his face. Starting from Anotsu's forehead and angling down across the bridge of his nose down to the center of his cheek was a fresh wound. Blood would be oozing out of this wound and out his ears. Juliet had been working for what seemed like eternity but would have only been a few minutes. She was calling out to him. "Anotsu don't die on me!!" It would seem what had happened is that Anotsu as a last attempt to protect Juliet, thrust his body in front of Deaths hand. The explosion from the crystal would have decimated the the claw, but a second one would have sprang up from its destruction. And lo' even its other hand would have came out, and the shadowy figure of Death would have bared down on another attack against the granite platform. But by then Anotsu would have already been under the spell of the terrifying force known as Death. This was the point when reality fractured and fate was warped. A path was chosen that was not to Deaths liking, and thus would have been ripped out of Anotsu's true fate. For now a new path needs to be forged, for the confirmation would have been Death himself still peering at Anotsu from within the crystal ball.

As if to confirm the dream like reality that Anotsu had just experience the face of Death would fade from the Crystal ball, and a new path would soon begin...

[Umehara]

Limited realities...

It was all that appeared to have been manifest as Anotsu pulled himself from the shards of the nightmare, tattered memories cascading all around him as he frantically allowed his eyes to search the entirety of the room. A massive headache sprang forth from his cranium as both hands pressed to either side of it. Blinking multiple times, he'd struggle to adjust to what light poured into his cognizance. He remembered only small remnants of what had transpired. And yet, the foremost reality was the one of the Curse Seal that he had witnessed. Anotsu was to have been gifted such a thing by Abaddon and Legion themselves. Figures that only legendary tales seemed to hold, their webs of influence had filtered in and pilfered almost every inch of his brain's capacity to process. He was now nothing more than a newly formed vessel, piecing together the foggy remains of the last hour or so.

But he could feel Juliet's touch. After some time in preparation to move and healing what wounds there may have been, he finally sat upon the floor and willed the throbbing headache to cease. "...Just....just what was that..."? he questioned. He had seen a glimpse of power, and thereafter it had been ripped away. But lo and behold, it was the singular request of Death that was fresh upon his mind. The eyes of an Uchiha, he wanted. Most likely not just any Uchiha - one that held a certain significance to him. Gathering his wits about him, Atsuhiro could only wonder just what more he would have to traverse and overcome in order to accomplish the vengeance that Juliet had once before sought.

But before he could continue, the Uchiha had multiple questions flooding his mind. His eyes narrowed slightly as he regarded Juliet with a glare. "....Tell me what you know about Uchiha Abaddon and Legion. Surely, Taro didn't dwell in their presence without some traces of his power was evident to your Curse Seal. I want answers, Juliet. And you would do well to be truthful with them..."

His anger was justified, and yet he wouldn't take up action until he'd heard the account of what she knew and remembered. Another thought that remained -

What now?

[Draven]

A slow healing process

Juliet would be focused. She would be busy trying to heal Anotsu's head. The blood coming from his ears would stop, and hopefully she had fixed what ever internal wound was there. But it was not true, there would be a scar left there. One left by death. And the only way to heal this wound, well Anotsu would know, the eyes of an Uchiha were required. Evident in this fact would be Juliet moving onto the next wound. The scar on his face. The diagonal mark would not be that easy to get rid of either. The wound would close but a redness from the blood would be radiating from it. It would look as if the wound was just millimeters from closing but would just not close for the final healing process. This no doubt would leave a mark, but bleed it would not, it only leave a slight burning sensation as a reminder that death had touched him this day.

And so a question was asked, but what was the answer?

Anotsu would most likely hear a slight ringing in his ear. This was the aftermath of the intense headache he had just experienced. This lingering ringing would start to get louder as these questions shot through his mind. It would get louder still once he had verbalized his question. The ringing would have gotten so intense that he would not have been able to hear his own words. The words, curse seal, Abbadon, and Legion, would have never been spoken. In fact the entirety of the question would have been a jumble of consonants and vowels in a slurred speech. The headache would have peaked like a piercing spike being rammed through Anotsu's head. The pain would have quickly faded as question finished. And thus an Answer would have come. "Heh Death already told you, that information is not yours. I recommend you stay away from that subject." This came from a voice standing behind the crystal. Deaths face would have faded from the crystal but now a new figure stood behind it. The figure was, well it was Anotsu except it wasn't. This figure looked to have gray skin, and it seemed incorporeal. Was this a ghost.. But how can this be? Another oddity of it was the smile, it was a wide and toothy grin, and it seemed it had a heavy note of mischievousness to it. This was no spirit, Anotsu would have found out if it were, and the fact that Juliet did not notice it nor heard it should tip one off that this was no ordinary being. This, if one were to pry, was a minion of death and its function, "I'll be keeping an eye on you Anotsu, consider me your new conscience" With that the ghost like Anotsu would fade away, as if it were never there...

With that Juliet would be lost.

Had Juliet failed, had it all been a wash? She would notice that Antsou would be speaking gibberish, she would continue her healing efforts even though she had done all any master medic could do. The wounds in Anotsu's mind was there as a tool of an unearthly entity, and the scar across his face was the same, but as a reminder to Anotsu. They would not be healed due to any means found on this hearth, or rather without doing what must be done. There was still much to be done. Juliet still needed to see if she could scry with the crystal. She needed to find Taro, but without Anotsu it would all be folly. She needed him more than he knew, more than she knew for that matter. There was ploy's in the works, and one that Anotsu had just bore witness too. She would be just as much tangled within this web as Anotsu had been. But for her, her key to her freedom is the one she thought she is trying to save. The memories of the past are now back with her, and it was all for not, the price been paid if she could not bring Anotsu back. She pleaded with him, "Please Anotsu, say something. Let me know your alright. Please don't let it be the worse. Please, I don't want to be the reason for a destroyed mind. Please come back to me..." She would say as she continued her efforts...

Check...

[Umehara]

He was still reeling from the sensations, but naught but the true vice grip of death would seize him. As such, he merely allowed his fingers to trace the scar that had now been present across his features. Anotsu's vanity was not of the impression that he was concerned for aesthetics. All the same, however, he felt that this blemish was Death's own collar as he heard the voice of an entity that was altogether unfamiliar in essence. Narrowed eyes prevailed as he gained his sanity, searching the distance for some type of realness that he could grasp onto. This was much certain - Juliet's charm had all but worn off, replaced by the desire for completion. There was an ebb and flow within that was coaxing him to continue. Something that begged the completion of the task in which he had to retrieve the eyes of the Uchiha.

"I'm...fine.." he muttered finally. "A pawn can't take responsibility for actions that they couldn't have dictated. But we must move swiftly if we are to accomplish the task at hand. Death will wait for nothing. Surely, an exception will not be made for the likes of a mortal who has crossed his path.." he finished. The Uchiha struggled to stand as he examined himself. He was in one piece, at least. The foggy visions that clouded his mind were the only source that he had to dwell on. The knowledge of accursed power - perhaps this was the reward for treachery. The Uchiha Clan was continually steeped in the bad blood of life and its companions. They would be no exception.

As he checked his katana and sheathed it, he gave a look toward the crystal and also toward Juliet. "Where is our next destination? I've been dormant long enough. If Death desires eyes.....then so be it.." he finished. The existence of the Uchiha was already scarce. Nightmares abounded within as Atsuhiro lowered his head, shutting his eyes in tight fashion.

....He was about to eradicate yet another of his own kin, much like he was about to do to Taro. Why....why was he to be the usurper to the clan who had already killed so many of his kin before?

These transgressions were unforgivable. He could only help that grace and mercy would not see him buried beneath brimstone for the deeds that he had already done....and for those that had not yet been administered. Not even the innocent were safe from the wrath of determination. It was almost as if he thirsted for absolution.

And before it was all said and done, he would find it.

[Draven]

A new path was set

Juliet would look at Anotsu with a confused look on his face. From his attitude it felt as if he was accusing her of something. It felt cold, harsh... She would retract a bit, the confusion from not even knowing what Anotsu was talking about shocked her. And that feeling of that void would harden her. An emotionless expression would wash over her face and eyes. Nothing would matter anymore, she had to appears her ancestors, she had to lift the curse on her heart. This void she had guessed was something that Anotsu could not possibly comprehend. "Yes well, if your feeling better, then its time to continue."

The crystal

Juliet like before, in that other reality would have gone to the crystal. She would have placed a blood seal on her palm as before and set her hand onto the crystal. The same aura that came from her before, would pour into the crystal. But this time it was different. Anotsu could see what was going on inside the crystal, and what else, was Juliet was merely gazing into the crystal to see what it would show. And thus their next destination would show:

[/i][/ul]

Juliet saw something different...

To Juliet's eyes she would have seen Taro. She would have a single tear run down her expressionless face as she watch Taro give the kid a loaf of bread. To her it would have been one of those kind acts that brought them together. To her though, she had a lock on her heart, and she would not faultier, "There he is, Taro. He is in the capitol city of the Land of Wind, Hitofuki. That is our next destination Anotsu. We need to make haste if we are to find Taro..." And thus the wheels of fate continue to turn...Anotsu now a pawn to a game that Juliet was not privy to...

[Umehara]

Death, it seemed, was simply forcing Anotsu's hand. There was no turning back in the game that he had been locked into. Most would have simply crawled into a corner and huddled up to await its cold grip. The Uchiha, however, was quite the opposite. There was a mild curiosity at how it continued to weave it magics through space and time. Born even before the very Earth had been formed and populated, Death roamed the reaches of space and reigned supreme over all that existed. Of course, lore would have premeditated the birth of gods that lived for all of eternity. But even then, their subjects and those who worshiped were temporary and sacrificial. How ironic, then, that Death had chosen a life force like his own to represent his desires.

"....To Wind we go, then. I cannot say what will happen when we find what we are looking for. Though, Juliet..." the Uchiha began. He managed to turn toward her as he began his journey. "....I understand why you are still in this. I....I have a similar feeling for someone that I know.." he trailed off.

Without another word, the AnBu Wolf was on his way. The journey would be long and arduous. Coupling his already clouded mind with the physical scar that Death had left upon him, Anotsu was once more bound to time's journey. His footfall increased gradually as he moved toward the border of River, though his spirit and all that he had recollected were like an added weight. The baggage was enough to dissuade him from continuing. But it was the thirst for knowledge and this dark gift that pushed him forward. He had to continue. He had to solve this anomaly and receive the reward that Juliet had been bestowed. If he could, then the possibilities were endless.

But at a cost that he was bound to regret for the rest of his life.

To retrieve the eyes of an Uchiha was to become what he did not want fate to label him as. A murderer. A traitor. A heathen to his own moralities. There was little choice in the matter, and the sheer frustration of it caused Anotsu to grit his teeth as he moved forward. Midway through their travels, he'd ask Juliet to join him at dinner in a private restaurant that was nestled along the border of River. But it was for more than sustenance - he wanted to gauge her reaction to keeping him company. If they were to be travelling, then he would merely stay alert to the wiles of the world. But this way, with this peaceful gesture, he could truly search her eyes and find the motive behind her loyalty. Surely, Taro wasn't the only reason that she was facing Death's insanity with him. She could have lived vicariously through the crystal ball. Fortunately, she had chosen a higher road.

And quietly, Uchiha Atsuhiro was thankful. She had proven useful thus far. He would not soon forget what she had managed to accomplish for his progression.

[Draven]

The journey to wind.

It was a rather simple trip. The Land of River was a neighboring nation to their destination. This in turn would have produced a rather uneventful trek. The roads where clear, the weather mellow, and their wasn't any surprises that the two would have encountered. It would have been just past the boarder when the sun would be low and the two would find a small town with an inn. Within this Inn they would indeed find a suitable place to eat in some closed off area of the eatery. It was a corner booth really, something that would have given them anonymity.

Anxiety

Juliet would have ordered a bowl of soup, and some wine. She would of course have refilled her concave flask with a small order of bourbon on the side. Juliet would have had her eyes down focused on her food for most of the time. But the times when she reached for her drink she would given Anotsu an anxious glance. Perhaps unknown to Anotsu, this anxiety came from orders that had been pressuring Juliet this entire time to find this Uchiha, and bring him to them. Though the anxiety was also mounting because she had thought the crystal would have shown her an entirely different kind of vision. The plan was to bring Anotsu to a secluded location, so that he can preform this task for her. This whole business about going to a capitol city confused her. Aboddon specifically laid out the plan to ensnare Anotsu within the dark gifts grasp. But now it seemed plans have changed and she would have to figure this out. There was a fear in her heart now. Was her deal with these two devils turning out against her wishes. Was the plan to get rid of this void in her heart, to get rid of Taro, changing. Or perhaps were they continuing to test her, she just did not know. But she was afraid, this poor Anotsu, wrapped up in all this drama, wrapped up in some web that he cannot foresee... "Anotsu, are you sure you still want to go through with this? I mean, I can tell something has changed for you, I fear you may have been cursed by spirits, but I cannot fathom what you are thinking about all of this... Juliet would ask.

...Mind Games.

Just kill her, came an unknown voice, without a source as to its location. The night would have continued as planned but a voice within Anotsu's mind would have been whispering to him, Just kill her, it would be so simple... And as Juliet would finish her question, Anotsu's shadow would have been sitting next to her. This shadow, the one with gray skin and a devilish smile, the one that looked just like Anotsu himself, smiling, putting its arm around Juliet as if they were close friends. "Just kill her Anotsu, it would solve so many of your problems. You wouldn't have to deal with her drama." This "Anotsu's shadow" would turn to Juliet and with a chilly grin would take in a deep breath through its noise as it took in the scent of Juliets black hair..."Kill the dead weight. Kill her and put Juliet at her much wanted peace. Hell, it would be like releasing some poor dying animal from its misery. You don't need her anyway, those two will find you, you can trust me on that one. Well as long as you give Death his proper due..." And thus the incorporeal apparition of Anotsu's shadow would laugh...and fade back to whatever realm it came from... But the voice would still be there to remind him, Kill her killer, cause that is your fate. To be a killer, MURDERER... And the echo of a laugh would ring through Anotsu's mind as Juliet would be staring back at him waiting for an answer...

[Moved to wind]

[Umehara]

The vision seemed all too real.

He was no stranger to illusory combat. But this....this was a yearning that seemed to have welled up deep inside and rooted itself to his psyche. Every notion was one that attempted to pull at the strings of his being. The journey had consisted of working with Juliet in order to quell the demons of her past. Now, it seemed, the tables had turned. He was the one who was in the seat of manipulation. There was naught a way to escape. Only the confines of slavery would be his abode, and every turn he took seemed to only bring him closer to the madness that was this astral being and its whim to take her life. Anotsu's mind seemed to sift through the plethora of manners in which he could take her soul and cast it to brimstone. His breathing would even increase slightly as he held his head, the pounding too familiar. It was as if Burakku had agreed with this demon of sorts to steal the life of she who had helped him thus far.

Was he resigned to this fate forever...?

Breaking away from the very thoughts momentarily, Atsuhiro steeled his own psyche and placed his hands in his lap. His fingers clasped one with the other, tightening so that he might not lose his sanity and reach across the table to choke Juliet until her breath was no more. "I must. I must succeed....the will of Death demands it. And I will not be a pawn for the rest of my life. Such a fate, only the weak deserve.." he muttered. It was almost as if Atsuhiro wasn't even himself in those fleeting moments of response. He composed himself well enough so that he might stand, having finished his food in a quick fashion before turning toward the distance. "Come. We...we have to continue. There is no rest for Death. So shall there be none for me..." he muttered.

He moved forward, taking in the patrons of the establishment and reliving the nightmare of the Paradise Hotel. She had obstructed any sense of peace in that place and left many to die. Though Death's cold grip lingered and the scar upon his forehead reminded him of his unmerciful ways, he couldn't stand to allow the accursed power that coursed through him to unleash itself without his consent. Surely, the Uchiha would not sleep this night. This shadow that took on his own appearance. This wraith that threatened to steal his identity and lay waste to the foundations he had built. He had to battle it. He had to resist.

But it was so tempting...so alluring...

"How will we find him? Where do you believe that he resides...?" Anotsu asked, gritting his teeth through almost every syllable.

[Draven]

Confused but focused

Juliet would have nothing to say. It was definitely an odd response. What had happened that she had not seen. The response seemed to her, to be linked to death, but...Hmm no, her ancestor from the past, had put an end to Deaths manipulative ways. There could be no way a curse from death could have been bestowed on anyone anymore. Of course, there was no way to know, that type of knowledge of divining such things had been lost to history once her village had been destroyed. And unfortunately she had not gotten that far in the advanced knowledge of her village. She would have to push it to the back of her mind as it brought up unwanted feelings of remorse from the destruction of her village. She would just shake her head and continue with their focus.

To the city of Angels...

It was within this city, the city of Hitofuki (Gust) that Anotsu and Juliet would arrive. To find Taro was the task and the way about it was not clear. Juliet would respond to her query about the search with a simple answer, "The spirits have a way of guiding once a request has been asked. The crystal ball had shown me Taro. He had been in a merchant square of some type, and I believe we need to start our search there. I can only tell you at that point the spirits should leave use a bread crumb trail from there..." With that said, Juliet would look for some sort of information broker, or a small vender where she could get directions.

Bread crumbs from spirit...

As the two would pass a beggar in the streets, Anotsu could have caught something. It was the devil of the spirit that had been shadowing him. It could have only been a passing glance, the way that grin was and how the red hair peeked past an old and dingy hood would have given enough characteristics to give him a reminder of why he was truly in this city for. But then again, if Anotsu were to look again, the beggar would have just been a normal man on the streets begging for coin...Beggar, hmmm.


[Moved to Hitofuki (Gust)]

[Umehara]

A sudden realization was cast over him. He hadn't even registered it at first. But as the familiar feeling of grains of sand being felt within the air took to his skin, Anotsu recognized that he was now walking a path that he had walked so many years ago. Nostalgia crept up his spine and settled somewhere firmly within his cardiac muscle. He wasn't too far from Sunagakure, his original home and resting place. Atsuhiro stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes slowly fluttering to a close. His cloak whipped about lightly. This.....this was a sick, twisted joke. The agitation was almost tangible as his fingers curled into fists. His scarlet tresses hung loosely about his visage, fleeting expressions of searing anger flashing on his features before he forced them to the pits of nothingness again. ".....Death." It was all that he could muster.

Juliet's words reached his ears, however. Pulling him out of his slight slump, the Uchiha lifted his eyes and continued onward in his travels. It seemed that none of the patrons here recognized him. This had once been his home. He'd defended the lives of unworthy robbers and honorable figureheads alike. Now, it seemed, he was just as foreign to this land as it was to him. His hands passed by some of the stalls that were located here in the capital. Small memories of him as a child passed his mind's eye. It was here that he had learned how to be a Chuunin. Though the only thing that he had ever had was the guidance of a former KazeKage, he was at least grateful for the experience. Was it even possible that he was beginning to be homesick?

....Impossible.

Anotsu's gaze steeled itself. He was a beast. A monster. A creation that was birthed unto the world to deliver it from itself. And he would achieve this goal by bringing success to Otogakure. Mayu depended on him. And in that regard, he wouldn't even allow his old roots to keep him ensnared. Atsu's peripheral vision betrayed him as that same figure of his own identity flashed for a moment. Performing a double take, the AnBu Wolf member was ill surprised to see that a simple beggar now replaced what he thought he had seen. A hand slipped outward to confine Juliet to his southern flank. Beggar or not, even the trembling hands of a babe was fatal when a razor's edge was equipped. Slowly, Atsuhiro approached the figure with no hostility.

"Some coin for your trouble, friend..?" he murmured.

A gathering of 100 Ryo was pulled from his pocket. He slipped it secretly into the folds of the beggar's robe. Swaddled in tattered rags, Atsuhiro had felt the tug of strings upon his heart for a man who was now trying to survive on his home's streets. No matter the judgement, he would not stand to see the lame suffer. "You must keep your ear to the streets, my good man. Tell me - what do the shadows hold from a man vexed and his companion?"

[Draven]

It was odd. Anotsu would reach for his coin purse, well at least the 100 Ryo that he intended to give to the beggar and find it missing. It would have been gone, the 100 Ryo would have been missing from the spot where he had placed it. There had been a five finger discount to a girl who had just swiped it from him. This girl had already got the one up on him and was already in full sprint. This girl was the same girl in that had been seen in the crystal ball.

The same drabby clothing, the same muddled black hair, the same height, everything. This 12 year old street urchant of an orphan was booking it and had just turned off into a dark ally way. If Anotsu wasn't quick he would loose her in the back allies, not even speaking about spotting her either. He better act quick else he would loos his 100 Ryo...

Juliet had not noticed, in fact she had been a short distance in front of the beggar and Anotsu. She was curiously looking at the fountain, and she would look as if she would be in mid-investigation. Her motive of course would be to find Taro at all cost. This was the place that she had seen Taro at and it was her only starting point for this city...

[Umehara]

A game of cat and mouse, it seemed.

Half-lidded eyes turned rather swiftly toward the young girl as she pilfered his ryo. A small sense of deja vu crept up on him and gave him quite the inkling to follow the able-bodied thief. One hundred ryo was laughable to the rest of his wallet. But still, actions always came with consequences. Taking but a simple step forward, Anotsu vanished from sight and left a plume of smoke in the wake of his movements. His hands dropped down as he stalked his prey with little remorse for what outcome would meet her at her point of capture.

A scarlet-haired warrior now gave chase to the woman, rapidly using the walls to keep himself out of sight and into the shadows. Light upon his feet, even his cloak whipped about silently whilst keeping his form bathed in shadow. As he trailed quickly behind the object of his hunt, a single hand waved afront him. No sooner than when it had done so, something intangible shot forth and aimed itself straight to the girl who was making her way opposite his own direction. "I'll give you ONE chance!" he shouted. He was a noiseless apparition, almost incorporeal in essence as his vessel jettisoned and aided his speed with bursts of chakra toward his feet.

Soon enough, the girl would find herself tangled up in an invisible web. The likes of which that would surely trip her up, Atsuhiro would swoop down from the nothingness and masterfully apply a foot's pressure to her back to press her face lightly into the ground below. Footsteps echoed far behind him, his piercing gaze not even bothering to engage the Sharingan - there was no sense in useless murder. If nothing else, he had to applaud the efforts of this child. She had slipped inside his defenses. It seemed that Death's grip on him was effecting his abilities.

"One chance to prove to me why you don't deserve to die." His words were cold, and yet he took back nothing. What was this sudden darkness that once more crept over him? Narrowed eyes were almost feral in their observation of her features. The Uchiha looked as though he had made the wrong choice in sparing opportunity to shed blood. Was this what Death had reduced him to?

.....No. There was no one to blame but his own folly. Anotsu would not yield, though. As if being lead by some unseen force, his hand hovered around the handle of his blade. He wanted information. And he wanted it now[/u].[/font]

[Draven]

She was quick...

It seemed it had been a while since Anotsu had visited this side of Wind Country. The familiarity of this city was there, but there had been some changes. All cities always are under development, weather it would be expansion or keeping up with infrastructure. This city would not be a special case to this situation as the evidence of the new world always swallowing up the old. New buildings were peppering in between the old, and the buildings themselves were crammed into the city blocks in an attempt to create efficiency while utilizing the precious resource of a land that a city is founded upon.

This street urchin of a girl was quick. So quick in fact that as soon as Anotsu would have turned down the alleyway to chase the girl, she had already slipped down a sewer hole. Apparantly she was no fool when it comes to pilfering and she knew the best places to go for a hasty retreat, especially when those that some times do give chase to her are hired ninja's. Though for her this came as a surprise to her, for such a small pittance this man gave chase...Careful Anotsu... came that familiar voice form within Anotsu's head...

The underground city...

The Girl had gone into the sewers. The sewers which gave refuge to the homeless of the city. The place where orphans who have no place to go turn to for survival. The makeshift shacks within the sewers were all build of drift wood, and debris. These sewers were a means for the city to get rid of rain water and are at liberty to flooding out, thus living in this dangerous underground dwelling was indeed a harsh life. But what was the other option?...Starvation?....Imprisonment?...Exposure to the harshness of night, and the shadowy figures that may take these homeless as they slumber on the streets?.. It wasn't much, and it was difficult to rebuild, but it was a certain kind of security that gave these orphans, these homeless, these street urchins a type of security, one that gave them a skill and a knack for escape...And thus she would discend into her world, her realm of living, the world she knew all too well.

[Umehara]

This game of cat and mouse had quickly turned from a child's play concept to a hunt for retribution. Footfall cadence in double time as the Uchiha narrowly missed her. His form jettisoned across the earth like a wraith of sorts. Barely able to contain the darkness that ebbed along his psyche like a steady poison, the ivory daggers of his maw grit together in evident frustration. The swell of Anotsu's chakra would cause a certain pulse of energy to radiate from him. Still, he had to contain these notions of murder and savagery. It was unlike this eccentric enigma to lose his indifference. Why, then, did this searing anger coax him to action?

Narrowed eyes blinked only once, and from within his repertoire of impressive abilities did he birth the one that would prove the most beneficial. The Sharingan Eye had been freshly born, thrice the tomoe slowly circularing around his iris before settling in. The darkness of the scarlet seemed to reflect an other-worldly glare as he vanished into the mixture of old and new. Without a single thought of precaution, he would pursue her down into the sewer hole. Leaving an apparition of himself behind, he'd descend the route with haste whilst keeping his hands close to his belongings for contingency. He was no stranger to the filth that lay beneath the city. But in retrospect, it was a spectacle that few would have passed off as mere happenstance.

The smell of poverty was more than evident as he kept a brusque pace into this underground haven. Torn and tattered, not even an inch of this decrepit appealed to any of the senses. Small fires poked out from this structural mass of garbage and grime, pillars of smoke raising into the air and filtering out through the openings above. Still, few likely noticed or desired to see the signs of life that cried out for salvation. Regardless, the Uchiha was certain that this refuge was a blanket of security for the girl who had pilfered his ryo. But what would it benefit a mouse to show a tiger just where she and her family reside? Either she was arrogant, or she was simply afraid.

Either way, it would not stop the Uchiha in his advance.

Atsuhiro took in the very surroundings of this underworld, his nose burning lightly before settling into a sense of familiarity with the horrible smell of the impure waters that trickled in beads and small puddles. Yet again did his footfall cadence along the gaia below, downtrodden pieces of driftwood and broken appliances being kicked aside as he made his way. Silently, he wondered if Juliet would have accompanied him here to this place. He ensured that all of his belongings were still fastened to him, even going so far as to tie his ryo bag a bit tighter so as not to have made the same mistake twice.

Keeping up with the figure of a girl via his Doujutsu, it would be relatively easy for the Uchiha to discern her path of travel. A simple bend of the knee, and he left the earth in favor of travelling lightly along the makeshift rooftops of the shacks. Noiseless and observant, he'd watch her form move deeper into this refuge of sorts. If she were not careful, however, he would merely make his own form of getting her attention. His character had once again been called into question. Tsukuyomi could see that dark version of himself manifesting within the air, swathed in shadow and grinning maliciously as a single thought ran rampant through him.

Destroy everything. EVERYTHING.

A slight headache overcame him, narrowed eyes still fixated on the girl and her wandering form. One could only wonder how much patience this newcomer had before he made his presence known in a much less subtle way than simply dwelling among the nothingness of the shadows.

[Draven]

This princess of the sewers was quick. If not for the Sharingan she would have lost Anotsu with a type of finesse that told all to well her knowledge of this underground society. She would snake around corners, slide down slopes, squeeze through grates. She was elusive, and if not for that prediction ability, her trail could have been easily lost. Thankfully just a glimpse was all it took, and that's all that could be seen. Just a glimpse was enough to predict that she would be turning down the next tunnel or avoiding another shack. Some of the shacks encompassed the entire width of a tunnel at some points, and she would have bolted into these places. Anotsu would find out that there always was an exit on the other side where this little girl would escape out of.

Trapped like rats

But the trail would finally come to a conclusion. Against a wall was a wooden door. Well really it was a drabby door that had been leaned against the cobble stone wall of the sewer. She had snuck behind it. Anotsu would know this because he would have foreseen this. In fact to anyone else, she would have preformed a disappearing act. Behind this door had been a false wall. A cut of fabric had been ingeniously placed over a hole. This cloth had been camouflaged to look like the wall itself and she had slipped behind it. Once Anotsu would pass behind this wall he would have entered into a room. This room was the home of what appeared to be former orphans. The story behind these children were that they indeed fled from an oppressive home for wayward children. They all looked young but they did not seem starved. Poor, but not starved. Some malnourishment but for orphans living in a sewer they all seemed like they were getting along rather well.

Their leader, the one that kept the group of 5 children had returned. Though unfortunately she was unaware that she had been followed. This girl that Anotsu had been chasing would never lead some one to this place, but she was so confident in her abilities that she was sure she had lost Anotsu a ways ago. And once Anotsu would come through their secret entrance the children would gasp and retract into a single huddle, with the one that Anotsu was chasing in front of the group, and the world would go black and white...

As if time stopped...

Anotsu's shadow would come out of some shadow in the corner of this room. That steely smile adorned its face. The red of its hair being the only real color that can be seen within this world that seemed as if it had stopped. With an ease it would walk over to the leader of this orphaned group and put its hand on the cheek of the 12 year old ring leader. And thus the daemon would speak..."And thus you have stumbled upon your bounty Anotsu." This malicious being would run its hand close to the eyes of the little girl and say, "And these are your quarry... The spirit started to chuckle as he would finally note, "You know you have to kill her for the eyes to accepted as a gift to death right... But oh the poor little orphans, what will be of them when she dies? What kind of feelings will they have toward you? What kind of monsters will you produce once they become orphans twice over? What kind of revenge will these children harbor toward you once the deed is done..." And with that the spirit would fade, the sly grin being the last to leave the reality that Anotsu saw...and the world would be colorful and alive once again with Anotsu standing there in front of this group of former orphans...

[Umehara]

The sinister scar upon his visage pulsed to life.

His heart rate began to increase. Standing beyond the veil that protected these children of abandonment from the rest of the world, Anotsu's legs threatened to give way as that abominable apparition appeared before him yet again. This monochrome world was unfamiliar to him. Paralysis slowly crept up along his spine, and in its serpentine travel did it freeze his mind's ability to properly comprehend with it. Even the idea of swallowing was difficult. This specter's garrulity was far too voluminous to subdue. All but its amorphous form appeared to captivate the Uchiha's senses, and within its small speech - annoying as it were - he revealed unto the wielder of the Sharingan that this girl was to be his prey.

"...But she's innocent.."

100 ryo could be dwarfed by the remnants of his wallet easily. And yet, the opposite side of the coin wove tales of auspicious proportion. Regardless of Anotsu's hope for catharsis, there was little that could be done to avoid this evil deed. But strangely...awkwardly....it had appealed to a side of him that he had not knew existed. It beckoned him to reconsider his stance, a sense of justification emanating from its presence and seeking to beguile him. Not even the Sharingan could have foreseen this. Unknowingly, his hand slid from its place at his side. The pads of his fingers felt the cold steel of his kunai dwelling nearby. His eyes watched the children cower in their fleshy huddle, the small girl shielding them from the fate that ebbed closer with every passing second.

"Allow me to tell you a story..." Anotsu began.

Momentarily, his digits relinquished their grasp upon the kunai. Before the small girl could protest, he had swooped down upon her in a brusque fashion and secured her with a powerful vice grip from his arm around her neck. The sudden scream was silenced by a labored breath. Stifling the horrid sense of what he had just done, the Uchiha's breaths came out in the form of a twisted chuckle. It was unfathomable, the deed that he was about to commit. "No! Please! I'll give you the money back!" his quarry screeched. Her writhing body pushed up against him, and yet the wall that she tried so viciously to escape from would not yield in its captive hold upon her.

"There once was a child who had been born with a special ability. One who....dare I say.....was given a wink from God Himself as fate spun the web in which he would be captured and forced to make his home.." His words were altogether meaningless to children who squeezed and held each other for dear life. But regardless of whether or not they listened, he continued in a ceremonious sway with his victim clutching at his arms. The ivory daggers of her fingers tore into his skin. Blood trickled from the wounds. Still, the sudden marionette of Death would not allow her reprieve. Her breaths were becoming more scarce. She was choking.

"The child inveighed all that had been granted to him. It feasted on his chakra, and brought with it a plague that would spread over any whose veins would flow with the blood of his kind. He was destined to be a child of dark prophecy. A pawn to the brilliant game of trust and betrayal. And you know what caused this sickness...?" He gripped the girl even tighter, her form now struggling to even maintain protest. Atsuhiro's fingers slowly moved toward her left eye. So slowly....agonizingly slowly....he pushed his fingers into her eye sockets until the very spherical property of her eyeball began to show. Those eyes - those eyes of precious value - shone brilliantly even against the dimly lit room.

"That's right. These eyes....these eyes caused the sickness..."

The girl's lungs were beginning to give way, her muscles twitching as she desperately prayed for release. Atsuhiro slowly lowered his lips to the top of her head. Caressing her cheek ever lightly...

Anotsu ripped out her eye.

[/u][/right]

The curtain of scarlet that spilled forth like a fountain was accentuated by the bloodcurdling scream of his prey's gullet. But soon after...VERY....soon after...he reached for the Apashi blade and stepped back upon his right foot. The beauteous screech of his kissaki defying the winds was all that the others would hear. The other eye would soon follow, its veins protruding still from her sockets. With one fell motion, the edge of his sword cleaved clean through her flesh. The Uchiha reveled in the moment. From the small child's neck, a ring of crimson would slowly trickle downward.

At least....before her head rolled forward and detached itself from her shoulders. Twice was there a thud - once for her body, now slumped over and laying with small twitches and early signs of rigamortis. The other, her head, rolled until slowly running into the leg of another of the children. Atsuhiro's bloodied fingers smoothed over the scar that rest upon his face, his countenance twisted. What was this capricious feeling that had now taken hold of his psyche? Pursed lips prevailed as he slowly stepped over her body, kneeling down as the children's tears stained their once content and innocent features.

"Don't fret. You will live no longer than the next few moments. As I carve and cut.....say your prayers to he who you believe in. Let us begin..."

If one listened closely from outside, they could hear the sound of multiple screaming voices decreasing one by one. Even after the final had been silenced.....the sound of swinging blade and mangled flesh were clear.

An eternity passed before Atsuhiro emerged from the darkness. Leaving behind walls painted with the vitae of those who he had "liberated", he stood with the blood of the innocents soaking into his clothing. He turned upon a heel as few handseals were formed. "What....what have you done!? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" he heard from behind him. The chaos did little to stay his hand. Bearing a malicious grin, he stepped forward and curled fingers around his mouth. "FIRE STYLE!! GREAT FIREBALL JUTSU!!" he roared. The ferocity in his voice was accentuated by the sound of flame, his chakra pouring out exponentially and supporting the sphere of fire that set ablaze this once safe haven for children. Its explosive property was enough to throw back any who surrounded him, a sea of fire now beginning to settle onto this underworld of filth and despair.

"I have freed you. No longer will you starve. No longer will you hunger. No longer will you serve to be an icon of poverty to those who walk the streets above. For now....fate has received its retribution.."

With the eyes neatly tucked away within an empty scroll upon his person, Anotsu placed it within the confines of his belongings and walked back through this burning, vile oasis. If Juliet had tried to interfere or follow him, she would only find a clone that he had left behind to stall her. Within minutes, the true Atsuhiro would emerge from the sewers and stand before her. There was no danger of the flames reaching the surface of the land. It would simply disperse among the grit and grime that barricaded the lower levels of the sewers from the rest of the outside world.

Anotsu looked at Juliet, his smile prevalent even with the amount of blood that he was covered in. The wraith of a figure cackled from within his mind, a migraine causing him to wince as he struggled to maintain his consciousness. There was one thing that was for certain - Uchiha Atsuhiro had betrayed his clan. And he would NEVER....be the same.

".....Let us return to the crypt."

[/font]

[Draven]

A blood bath

The room would have been filled with the crimson mirror of the surface of blood. It pooled and reached out to all corners of this makeshift dwelling. There would have been a cool breeze from outside of the room wafting in from the entrance... The betrayer of the Uchiha clan has done the dirty deed, all witnesses have been dispatched, save for one...

Stall attempt failed...

It had been too late, Juliet would have had a glimpse of the girl back when the chase started. Juliet would have recognized the girl from the vision that the crystal had given her. There would have been no stopping her from trying to talk with this child in hopes to find Taro... Thus, the clone would have been pushed aside, told that she needed to talk with that girl, any means necessary save for voilence to get past Anotsu's clone. And Juliet would have succeeded even if she needed to awaken her cursed seal to follow. She would have followed the real Anotsu, and this would have revealed to her part of his tricky, though she would not really have an opinion on the matter, clones where quite common in the ninja world, and she was not shy to deception. Though she would be there having pushed the disheveled door away from the wall and pulling back the fabric that had hid the enterance, and thus the wind would breeze into the room that Anotsu had just committed the sin of murder...

Horror...

Was the look on Juliet's face as she bore witness to the gruesome fate of the orphans bellow. The marks of the cursed seal dancing on her face. A look of shock frozen upon her features. And once again Juliet had been betrayed. Thoughts of why Anotsu would kill her only contact to Taro raced through her mind. The thought that Anotsu impeding her progress in something that he had agreed to help her out with only spelled out betrayal to her. All trust was lost and the rage had caught her mind. That same rage that she had displayed within the hotel had come forth once more...

Juliet would scream out, "I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!!!" as Anotsu would be producing his handseals. It would only be a split second and a mass amount of force would be applied to the wall as Juliet's raging fist would smash into the side of the entrance to this tomb of a sewer... A mass amount of destructive chakra would have been injected into the structure of the sewer walls. An enormous tremor would have been heard and a frightenening blast wave would have been the initial shock to everything and everyone within the tunnel system. But the destruction that followed would have been immense.

there would have been a cave in started, and a chain reaction. The entrance to the room would have already started to crumble, Juliet would have already vacated. She had blasted a hole to the surface of the city, one in which there was only enough time for Lady Juliet to escape. She would have jumped from boulder to boulder and followed her own shockwave of destruction as the hole closed up behind her. Tears streaming in her eyes as she gave out a blood curdling crazed scream, "EIIAHHHHHHHAA!!" And she would be gone out of site, to who knows where...

Poor Anotsu, he would be in the epicenter of this destruction. The sewers caving in on itself. No where to run, no where to hide. Worse yet if he would complete his technique he would find his only salvation would be a furnace of a place. If he held still, not moved, this room would have had enough structure to create a small pocket for him to not be crushed by the debris of the earth falling down. The might of the surface bearing down on the once home to the homeless... Anotsu would have been safe, but not for long, the pocket would have been but a temporary haven and he would have to figure something out quick else he be crushed by the earth above.......

SPOILER: Click to show

Curse seal activated.

Infuin seal activated.

Mimei Hakaisha (Divine Destroyer)
Rank: S
Skill: Ninjutsu/Taijutsu
Effect: The user focuses such chakra into a punch that it utterly obliterates everything before it.
Special: --
Drawback: Causes incredible cellular damage in the user’s hand, rendering it highly painful and utterly unusable. The user must have surgery performed on it by an A ranked medic or higher within 10 posts. Requires 8 months of storage or 600 IC posts.
Description: The user gathers all of the intensely powerful chakra released by the release of the Shadow Seal, creating a palpable, visible aura of blue chakra glowing blindingly bright around the user’s hand. The user then releases the chakra in a single punch, letting it blast forward. This technique utterly obliterates everything in front of the user, creating an explosive blast of destruction before them roughly 50 meters long, 15 meters wide, 10 meters high. The intense chakra flow sears the cells of the user’s hands and breaks a number of them apart. For every extra month or 100 IC posts that the user stores chakra beyond the original 8 months/600 IC posts, the user adds 10 meters to the length, 5 meters to the width, and 5 meters to the height of the blast.
Limit: Must know Infuin. Must know Infuin: Kai. Must know Kunjou no Te. Must be B ranked, must be a Medic.

[Umehara]

"Sacrificial lambs to a purpose greater than their own."

The words were muttered just loud enough for Juliet to hear even through the sewers beginning to crumble beneath the influence of her singular punch. Anotsu's concentration would finish moments after her punch had landed. And without remorse, without a single moment of hesitation, he'd let forth that great gout of flame that turned into a spherical beast of a projectile. It slammed into the already weakened defense of the now damaged structure, its colossal flames spreading out and devouring the driftwood and other materials that had been holding this meager place together. Atsuhiro's Sharingan Eyes flickered with animosity as he was buried beneath a sea of flame, the cave-in occurring rather rapidly and threatening to leave him here to rot for the rest of his days.

But Anotsu had other plans.

His repertoire of abilities was put to great use as his Doujutsu allowed him to dodge stray chunks of pipe and gaia alike. Like a graceful dance, he was able to avoid the majority of the initial damage that the underworld had suffered. His cloak was pulled tight about his body as he took to pushing chakra toward the soles of his feet. Kinetic energy was exerted as he shoved forward, a simple Inkaten maneuver carrying him upward and toward one of the loosely hanging pipes that stretched out over the expanse of sinkhole that was now being artificially made. The Uchiha climbed higher and higher, jumping from fixture to fixture as more handseals were used to aid his great evasive maneuvers. He'd given Juliet an incredulous look as she escaped her own attack. "You are responsible!" he roared, though he knew full well that she could not hear.

She had killed hundreds at the Paradise Hotel. He'd only killed a few, all in the name of a dark glory that was rightfully his. It was almost offensive, the hypocrisy that this woman displayed. Every inkling of explanation was hers to give to HIM - she had killed an entire dwelling of people. And for what? To satisfy her thirst for vengeance in attempting to leave Anotsu dead and eternally resting among the filth. With this realization given, his final handseal was put to use before the earth below began to morph and twist. His palm lay flat against a surface of gaia, its outstretched circumference rumbling to life and beginning to remove itself from the very edifice upon which he stood. Still, the debris kept falling. But before one of the larger chunks of metal and driftwood could find its home atop Atsu's human body, a titan-sized hand of earth would swipe it away.

The Great Lash Clone

As if reveling in his narcissistic persona, the being of pure earth slowly began to raise up from the earth and shield Atsuhiro from harm. Its back received the brunt of the loose structures that had been falling. And yet still, its massive hide was strong enough to shrug off the blunt trauma from the scraps of makeshift abode overhead. The Uchiha ascended easily up its body. Eighty feet in height, the bestial roar of the Betrayer of the Uchiha echoed out for meters. His doppelganger of colossal size reached out with its hands and managed to climb above the explosive force of Juliet's technique. Admirable it may have been, but it was also reckless and with no regard for life. Yet again, her true colors had shown.

And yet again, he had seen that same dark gift.

The intoxication of its prowess had now been fully realized. Delivered from the constant sound of broken and beaten pieces of the city slamming into the void below, Anotsu managed to jump from the crown of the Lash Clone's head to roll across the ground in a hurried fashion. Immediately thereafter, the clone broke apart at the limbs and fell lifelessly back into the pit of what was once a shelter for the poor. The clone's operation would be two-fold, however - the large hole that Juliet had punched to start this chain reaction would be covered by the lash clone's composition, large mounds of earth splaying over the open wound of road that was no doubt present.

Standing to his feet, the Uchiha wiped sweat from his brow and shook his head as the scar's pain subsided once more. He was anomaly in a world of peril. And the grip of Death was waxing worse upon his psyche. If he didn't move with swift efficiency soon, there was no telling what more would transpire in the wake of his search for the dark gift's bestowing.

Katon - Goukakyuu no Jutsu (Great Fireball Technique)
Rank: "C" "B" Rank
Skill: NinJutsu
Effect: The user is capable of performing a few handseals in which gives them the capability of blowing a large body of fire in size of a large sphere that has great fire proportions and explosive capabilities.
Special: "Handseals"
Drawback: Depending on the Rank, is dependent on how strong or how much the user is capable of doing with the Goukakyuu no Jutsu.
Description: The user quickly performs a few handseals. The user then places the hand over their mouth creating a small like circle. This technique in turn is then to help the user control the great flame. The use then blows out and creates a large fireball that twice the size of a normal human body. When the "C" Rank version is first learned the user is only capable of blowing out the Great Fireball that is can not be moved or go anywhere else. This also means that the technique does not explode in a fieiry explosion, but burns greatly to anyone that is caught within the technique. When the user learns the "B" Rank version then the user is capable blowing the Great Fireball into the distance, sending it away from the use it to hurl towards the very opponent. This technique is only capable of going into a straight line and this is capable of having the size three times the size of a human body. This technique when launched at an opponent then becomes dangerous because at this point the technique can explode causing even more devastating damage.
Limit: Must have the Fire Release

Dairasshu no Bunshin (Great Lash Clone)
Rank: "S" Rank
Skill: Ninjutsu
Effect: Creates an 80 foot tall earthen replica of the user which can be controlled by the user. The golem is capable of using techniques if the user performs the required handseals for the technique, but for an additional chakra expenditure.
Special: "Hand Seals"
Drawback: The user is incapable of using any techniques beyond Doton-based techniques for five turns, or while the technique is active, whichever is longer. The user must be careful on where they use this technique, for using it in cramped places could result in massive destruction. Drains a "D" Rank amount of chakra per turn that the creature is active. The user must keep physical contact with the golem in order to keep it in existence.
Description: A powerful Earth-based Ninjutsu that is often used to combat against opponents who have powerful summoning allies. The user, by performing the correct handseals, will channel their chakra into the earth around them. From underneath the user will rise a perfectly proportioned, although 80 feet tall, replica of the user. The golem is controlled by the user's will and can do anything that the user is capable of doing, including having the capability of performing earth-based Ninjutsu. The Earth-based ninjutsu that the golem uses causes the user to expend an additional amount of chakra equivalent to one rank higher than the rank of the jutsu being used by the golem, but it is also proportioned in size to the golem, meaning that the attacks would seem much larger than usual. The golem, which is covered with the user's chakra, requires an "S" rank amount of damage before it will break.
Limit: Must know Rock Creation "B" Rank. Must know Ishikyojin Kuchiyose no Jutsu. Must know Mimicry of the Earth. Must have Doton no Jutsu.

[Draven]

Juliet

She would be gone, long gone, the blight of betrayal was all too known on her heart. To her the killing of that child or even the children were of no consequence to her. But for her, she had no clue what kind of dark deal had just transpired and she would be in the dark as to why Anotsu did what he did. But from her perspective, it was a betrayal of their goal, in fact that was the girl she needed to get in touch with Taro, to find him. With that girl, Juliet could have found a trail of Taro's soul, with that girl, she mite have talked and asked for information about Taro. But no, Anotsu had snuffed out that girls light, leaving an empty shell, a road closed off, and it felt almost malicious, as if Anotsu was acting against Juliet. Well at least that was her perspective...

The devastation.

Buildings would have been falling into the sink hole. Lines of crevasse would have been opened, creating what looked like a river of cracks adorning the city streets. The vendors of the market place in shambles and rubble sliding into the once vacant opening of the sewers. The city was in an uproar. Soon guards and all manner of police and emergency aid would flock to this area. With the lash clone in plain site the implications of who was at fault could be a real threat to Anotsu if he did not act. There were plenty of eyes to see who was at the head of this mess, and who stood out at the center of the newly created crater. It was time to go, and his destination should be clear enough, as a voice from within Anotsu would compliment, Good Job.....

[Umehara]

It was just like it had been so long ago.

Anotsu used the shadows to hide his ministrations as the earthen creation dispersed into large chunks of gaia, falling into the pit before any would recognize its appearance or its creator. Settling into the nothingness, the Uchiha watched all that transpired as he silently moved toward the least populated section of the oncoming traffic. His cloak veiled him as the uproar of the village broke out, his stride casual and his scarlet locks falling about his countenance. There was no turning back now. Even through Juliet's rage, his hunger for knowledge had all but satiated him; nothing else would satisfy the thirst. He silently allowed a hand to reach his inventory. The eyes were still there. Though he suspected that it wouldn't be long before the curse that lingered upon them took hold of him.

So he ran.

He ran for everything that he was worth. That ugly wound upon his face once more vibrated to life with the painful realization that he had been marked and tainted. As strange as he felt to his own mind, it was his body's willingness to distance itself as far as possible that alerted him to the conviction that he now felt. How could he have slaughtered them? How could he have put his own selfish whims before all else, losing his sense of morality in favor of this accursed secret that he couldn't even begin to describe? The taint was enough to drive him to drink. And as he made his way across the lands, he dare not take too much longer before indulging in the lust of alcohol to subdue his chaotic thoughts.

He had to have resolve. He had to have closure..

- Move To Land Of River -