We Live For The Society

Honiko had long cancelled the effects of Sage Mode revealing her true form to Bayushi and Nozomi for perhaps the first time. The woman's burgundy armour was torn and damaged yet her physical form was largely unharmed despite the historic battle that had occurred in the valley. The skin around her eyes had gone from black to a burnt red. Her eyes no longer had the wavy and ethreal blue flare and had instead turned to its normal white nature. It had been pinned up so that it only draped down to her upper back but its true length would have extended past her knees. Honiko had spent the trip in complete silence, she had Balerion snatch food from the sea and roast it for them but other than that the journey was uneventful. By now Nozomi would be awake although understandably quite tired. If the genin chose to arouse at the present moment she'd see the landscape of the Isle of Whispers coming into view as Balerion flew down to land on the jagged rocks. The group would be rocked as the large beast touched down and splayed his wings, head, and tail down to the ground allowing his passengers to exit. The casket he held tightly in his grip rested on the rocky surface. Nozomi being a native of this part of the world might have recognized the Isle and the dangerous tales that surrounded it. It was said that any person who set foot on the Isle for more than a day went mad. This was true but the reasons that it was true did not apply to the Dragon Sage and her new disciples. Honiko walked off the dragon via its head and signaled for her new students to follow.

When they had dismounted from the beast, Honiko gave a nod and the dragon poofed away leaving only smoke in his wake. The casket lay where it was and Honiko gave it a lingering look before turned towards their destination. They stopped in front of an old decrepit Temple that had been converted into a base of operations for her and her Society. Honiko crossed her arms and patiently waited for the others to arrive before entering the sacred space. A few acolytes had appeared from seemingly nowhere to take the casket to a secure location on the Isle. Honiko had said nothing during the trip and was saying nothing now. She had barely given her new students a second look. Did they really know what they were in for? Could they really trust their new benefactor?

The trip was uneventful. However Bayushi had been filled with tension, until he had watched the Dragon Balerion dive and hunt for food. Giving them sustenance to continue on their trip. It was a good distraction that caused awe in Bayu. Which brought up the fact that he was still a kid, although the epic betrayal and battle he had been threw would change that. They flew to an isle that was entirely unfamiliar to Raijin. He had never been out of Kumogakure before so this was an all new experience for him. After a while Honiko revealed her true appearance to them but said nothing the entire trip. Raijin found her fascinating, what allowed her to change her appearance so drastically. It clearly wasn't the transformation technique.

They appeared at their destination and Balerion landed to let everyone off at once. And the large casket in the dragons mouth was set down. Noz was starting to awake now and they would make their way off the dragon. Out of nowhere there was people there to tend to the casket. Which garnered more questions from Bayu but he held his tongue.

With a nod Balerion disappeared and Honiko started to make her way towards an old temple. Raijin followed along and entered the temple. Tension that had left and now returned quicker and heavier then before. She turned towards them and said nothing but her white eyes felt like the bore into his soul. What next?

Nozomi found herself surrounded by darkness, which was in stark comparison to her previously remembered moments, where she'd been in the middle of a fight. She didn't remember Honiko having sealed her back to normal, shutting down the Bijuu's progress on the take over. After what processed as a moment, but could have been a long time, her mind connected the dots, and she came to the logical assumption that the 3 Tails had actually taken over her body, and she was left in the darkness.

She let out a scream in her head, calling out to the 3 Tails. "Hey Turtle! Give me my body back!" Like she'd expected, she didn't receive an immediate response. "I'm talking to you! 3 Tails. Please. Answer me!" She went on for a few minutes, or at least what felt like a few minutes. She knew that time didn't really work the same in her inner realm. For all she knew, it could have only been a moment, or it could have been a few hours.

After only a moment or so, she felt her body shift into something more physical, and then she could see again. She wasn't really in the real world, but she was in her inner realm, and there was something there now. Surroundings, ground, and most importantly, the turtle, still held inside the depths of a caged off room. His eye looked back at her, piercing and glowing through the darkness out at her from behind the bars, but he wasn't active, more sluggish and tired than anything else.

"Wait... you're not in control?" She asked, piecing it together.The giant turtle lifted its head for a moment, and then dropped it again.
"No. The lady reinforced my seal. As I told you before the fight. Against her, we wouldn't have stood a chance." He said, keeping his one open eye on Nozomi.
"So she knocked me out then?"
"The seal did that. My chakra can't move through our seal while hers remains. If you need my power again, you'll have to remove that."

"I see." Nozomi said, sitting down. There wasn't much reason to sit, but she didn't really want to stand around in her own mind. Sitting let her feel a bit more comfortable. Pulling her legs close to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them and placed her chin on her knees. "So, what's your name? I'm Nozomi. I mean, you know that already, but I don't know anything about you."

A chuckled pierced the darkness, shaking the room. "Little one, I don't trust you yet. You haven't earned my name yet. You can call me the Great One, or the Sanbi if you like, but you'll need to earn my name in time, assuming you live that long. Now.... I believe it's time for you to go. Wake up."

And she did. The world rushed past her, and she thought for a moment that she was travelling through the sky. Opening her eyes, she noticed that that was true. Gripping onto Balerion, Nozomi looked around at her surroundings. She peered back at Honiko for a moment, sitting there in silence, and then turned to peer at Bayushi. Her eyebrows drew together as she squinted at him. She'd forgotten about him. Then she went back to looking at her surroundings. She knew where they were, she realized.

"The Isle of Whispers? We're in the Land of Water?" she asked as they were landing. Dismounting Balerion, he suddenly disappeared. Oh, the dragon was summoned? That's interesting. She looked around as some acolytes came out and grabbed the casket. As she watched them, Nozomi removed her Kirigakure headband, and pulled her tanto from it's sheathe, carving a gash into the metal, before sheathing the blade and retying the headband onto her forehead. She was a missing-nin after all.

She followed along with Honiko, surrounded by silence. She didn't really like it, the annoyance on her face apparent, but she knew better than to speak out of turn. She really shouldn't have asked about the Isle of Whispers already, but she'd just woken up to be fair, so it was understandable.

Honiko turned to look at her two new students. They were different in many ways. One was a girl, the other a boy. One had blonde hair and fair skin while the other had dark skin and brown hair. One was a Jinchurikki, the other a member of the Nature Clan. One was from Kirigakure, the other Kumogakure. Honiko guessed that their upbringings were different as well but she had no way to be sure. What they did have in common was a desire to become something greater and be a part of something greater. Honiko was not sentimental but she was not completely unfeeling. They had shown grit in the Valley and it made her proud to know that she had done well in selecting these genin as her new wards. Honiko looked at each of them and decided now was as good a time as any for formal introductions.

"This is the Isle of Whispers. It is the base of operations for our organization.... The Enlightened Society of Rebirth and Reordering. I am its nominal leader, although if you are fortunate you may have the opportunity to meet its true leader. My Master and sensei, the one who brought me into this truth"

Honiko was curious as to whether they would be surprised that she had a sensei. Many lower ranking members of the Society were shocked when they found out that she wasn't the head honcho. Those who were in the know were few in number and virtually all of them had only come to learn this fact after a few years of service. The fact that she saw fit to tell them right here and now was a testament to the trust she was placing in each of them.

"My name is Honiko Yoshidara" she looked at each of them expectantly waiting for them to introduce themselves.

So they were in the Isle of Whispers. A land he was unfamiliar with, whom resided on the land would be a new experience for him. Their attacker turned savior had started to explain something that were lost to both Bayushi and Nozomi. The group that they were now apart of was the Enlightened Society of Rebirth and Reordering. A mouthful Bayushi thought but it all had a meaning behind it. He was also surprised to learn that Honiko was not the leader as her power led him to believe. That she had a master that was her superior. Things were turning out to be just as interesting as he had initially thought.

Nozomi had awaken and was now drinking in the information as well. Then she finally introduced herself to them. Honiko Yoshidara. "I am...I was Bayushi Sojima. But he's dead. I go by Raijin now." He replied to Honiko. He wanted nothing to do with that name anymore, that only brought him misery. Letting him know that his clan was still, hated. He didn't need that daily reminder of his failure. But only needed to focus on his life with the Society now.

Nozomi nodded. She had called it correctly. She'd heard about the Isle of Whispers, knew that people shouldn't go there, as anyone who had ended up going insane, and nobody had ever been able to figure out why. She supposed that it was something to do with this Society, who obviously wouldn't have wanted to be discovered out here. They had chosen this island and wouldn't let anyone get close to here, which was good. This close to her homeland, Nozomi wouldn't want to be tracked and taken in.

She looked down and away from Honiko as she said that she was the leader of the Society, although only in name. Even if that was true, then she needed to be a bit more careful with how she looked at her. The blonde was quite easily attracted to power, and Honiko was perhaps the very definition of power. Given that she was attracted to women as well, it wouldn't be a far stretch that she might end up liking this woman, and that probably wasn't a good idea to entertain.

Still, more information was given. She wasn't exactly the leader, and there was someone out there who had trained her. Whether he was still stronger than her or not was yet to be seen, but she admitted he was the real leader, which lent itself for her to believe that he was at least marginally stronger. Honiko then told them her name, Honiko Yoshidara. The boy introduced himself as well, Bayushi Sojima, but in his usual fashion, decided to make himself a spectacle, the subject of attention while he spoke. He would go by Raijin though, he told them. She didn't really care what he called himself.

Nozomi spoke up, her previous enthusiasm and energy from the lust of battle having all but dissipated as she shifted back to her more social ineptness and uncomfortability. "I'm Nozomi Himitsu." she said softly, something that may have been difficult to pick up to Bayushi's ears unless he was actively listening. The same could have been said of Honiko, except she was much more perceptive, and the sounds would have been hard to miss in the first place.

The old man known as the second Mizukage, Nikuyo Yuki, the Old Wolf and the Wolf of the Isle, squinted in the distance as Honiko's chakra signature came within his sensory range. There were a couple others with her that he didn't recognize along with some of the small fry disciples of the temple who belonged to the Order of... whatever the fuck that crazy woman belonged to. He wasn't a member, just a hired blade. The religious nuts on this island drove him nuts but he had agreed to regrain from killing any of them. And while Nikuyo was a completely and utterly violent and cruel human being, he was a human being that kept his word at the very least. He still had some honor left, just not enough for it to really matter in his day to day interactions.

"Almost there. Keep going," he ordered the girl walking in front of him. She was a rogue from some village somewhere, probably Kirigakure, who had found her way onto this island by mistake. And it would either be the best or worst decision of her life, depending on how Honiko took gaining an additional student. Nikuyo sure as fuck wasn't going to train her, that wasn't part of his contract.

He was sure the burned lady would detect his presence as well as this girl's before they approached. If not, well, then she dropped the ball. The duo would get to the spot where Honiko was introducing herself to the two people with her and they were introducing themselves. Nikuyo caught the tail wind of the exchange, only hearing Nozomi's name. He recognized the name from a file he read when he was the second Mizukage as being one of the ones he had dispatched to go fight Honiko. So her mission had been successful after all, though he didn't recognize the other young one.

Once they were within a few meters of the group, Nikuyo would step forward and quickly pushed the girl into the middle of the trio with enough force to throw her off balance. He was definitely not being kind. "I found this one wandering around on the island. The only reason she isn't dead is because she hadn't started babbling like a loon when I found her. Use her or kill her, I don't care. I'm going back to the Pits," he said upon approaching to Honiko. He ignored the other two, though when he turned to leave he would look at Nozomi. And there he would pause, his eyes narrowing on the young genin as his hate filled gaze bore into her own eyes. The hostile glare was full of a cold loathing, the sheen of his eyes dulled by a deep and ingrained hatred though there was a glimmer in the old man's eye. What it was... nobody would know. After the glare however, Nikuyo would turn and leave back the way he came. He had no business here. Not yet.




[exit]

"We really oughta find a better name." Was the only comment Shin made, as he emerged from the shadows of the forest surrounding the abandoned temple. He arrived just as the group was introducing themselves, but decided to stay back for a little bit in order to get more information. Now he had their names, but more than that he was able to take a look at all of them without having been observed himself. He would look at each one of the ninjas from head to feet. All of them were rather interesting but the one Shin was most curious about was Honiko Yoshidara herself. He had met and spoke to the woman before, but he had never seen her abilities in action. The other two she brought in were complete strangers to Shin, but very much like him they had the air of lost souls in a foreign land. Shin watched as Nozomi took off her headband and carved a gash into the metal, symbolizing her defection from her Hidden Village. Shin couldn't say he understood that. What could possibly make a girl loathe her village so much that she would completely forsake it? It struck Shin's heart, the sight. But only until he remembered he didn't have one of those. He'd given it up for power long ago.

"Honiko. Glad to see you're alive." Shin lowered his...shin, a bit in acknowledgment of the woman's presence there. Towards the other two he merely glanced at and smiled. "Name's Shin." It was hard enough for the two of them to be out here on their own with so many strangers, and Shin had no intention of making it harder. Once upon a time, his reputation as a fearless leader and shinobi of the sand had been everything to him. But nowadays he lived for a very different purpose. Whatever it was these two thought of him mattered little for now, but he had no wish to antagonize either. Shin was shorter than any other person in the group, so whenever he was staring at someone's eyes he always had to actually look up. It made for a rather curious scene, really.

"Bijuu wielder."
"!"

Shin's glance focused on Nozomi and his expression suddenly turned serious. "Are you certain?" "Yes." Taking a deep breath, he turned his gaze towards the older woman. This could very well complicate things but he had to admit Honiko seemed to always draw the right cards at the right time.

"The Kirigakure assault is completed. A prisoner has been secured. I'll brief you later, just thought you should know. I'm off to do some rep-" He was interrupted by the arrival of Nikuyo, who seemed to like this place and their company as much as he liked pink unicorns riding on cotton candy clouds. "Nice to see you too..." Shin muttered. But the Mizukage didn't seem to notice it, he was too interested in Nozomi. So had he noticed it as well? Interesting... So if Honiko had decided to bring Nozomi because she held a bijuu, then what made that other Genin special? Shin stared at him again. apparently, nothing. But looks could be deceiving, the short man knew.

Nikuyo had brought an interesting guest with him. She had been present at Kirigakure's outskirts when he attacked. Shin turned his glance to Honiko. "She was at Kirigakure. Troublesome bone user, proficient in close-combat. Don't know why Nikuyo didn't seem to like her. She seemed to me like his kind of student, bloodthirsty in battle. Bet she has the attitude too." the ex-Kazekage chuckled. "I recommend you keep her alive, we should see if she can be brought to our side." he advised Honiko. "She's not too fast right now, but in time she'll grow to be very dangerous I'm certain." Shin had trained alongside hundreds of soldiers at Sunagakure no Sato's Forge. He could usually tell whenever someone had potential, but after battling the Kaguya he was absolutely sure she'd be a menace to anyone if given a chance to grow. And that included Honiko. Shin grinned. Things were turning out to be a lot more complicated than he'd predicted.

(FYI Shin: This is more like the island Luke Skywalker was on in the Last Jedi, there isn't really a forrest around the temple. Just lots of jagged rocks and maybe some grass hear and there)

Bayushi had spoken his name. He had given his birth name but then insisted that that name was dead to him. He would go by Raijin now. It was a bit presumptuous for someone as weak as him to style himself as a Lightning God but she would respect his decision all the same. In time Honiko was confident she could bring him to a level where that nickname would ring true to all those who dared challenge him. The blonde who was far stronger than Raijin whispered her name: Nozomi Himitsu. Honiko got the impression the girl was anti-social and was reared to be a bold warrior but not a leader per se. This was problematic. She would need to speak loudly and with greater confidence if she was to receive the gifts and responsibility that the Dragon Sage planned to bestow upon her. She turned to face the blonde directly and spoke a single word:

"Louder"

She had heard Nozomi's name but she did not want the girl to get into the habit of responding to commands and questions with meek whispers. Assuming Nozomi repeated her name at a louder volume, Honiko would nod and turn towards Shin who had approached. She could sense his signature from the moment he had arrived along with the artifact he had lashed to his curious device. It was not an ideal situation and it violated her sincere beliefs regarding Bijuu but she had allowed the situation to stand given their circumstances. She would need to speak to her Master about it though. Honiko ignored his comment about The Society's name. He was an impious imp in her eyes. The single greatest living puppeteer on the planet but an imp all the same. She gave a brief introduction in case Raijin and Nozomi didn't immediately recognize him.

"This is Shin Kazehana. The former Kazekage and currently the strongest puppeteer in the world"

She didn't say that to stroke his ego but to give them an understanding of what they were electing to be a part of. They would be standing alongside some of the most feared and powerful ninja in the world. The natural consequence was that they had to strive to become legends in their own right or they would perish when given elite tasks. She gave Shin a small nod as Nikuyo would now be approaching. She had sensed him and his captive long before they had arrived. Honiko had judged by their movements that nothing was particularly amiss and so she did not run to see what the situation was. The former Mizukage had it under control and she would look weak if she ran towards him at the first sign of unusual activity. Honiko looked at the grizzled and amoral old man. The way he carried himself irritated her. He moved as if he was better than the faithful on this island. Honiko crossed her arms and kept her eyes on him as he explained why he had brought the pink haired girl to her. Apparently she had visited the island yet had somehow resisted its maddening effects. This was odd given that any who stepped foot on the Isle went crazy soon thereafter. Honiko had blessed Raijin and Nozomi prior to their arrival. Nikuyo had likewise been blessed when he had joined them. Honiko's blood and affinity with natural energy provided a combination of acquired and natural resistance. And of course, Shin being more machine than man had provided an artificial immunity to the Isle's effects. Nikuyo despite being a common brute in her eyes was wise to keep her alive as her mysterious immunity raised questions that needed answers. Answers that would be easier to garner if she was allowed to live. Honiko said nothing as Nikuyo said his piece before leaving to head back to the fighting Pits. She didn't like the way he fought for sport rather than duty. He was also drawing more attention to himself than she thought appropriate but alas she was under explicit orders to refrain from antagonizing him. She could sense he had a death wish and if the Universe was just the man would be granted his wish sooner than later.

When Nikuyo gave Nozomi a look of malicious intent she became perfectly still. It was as if every cell in her body was primed for combat. He was the Mizukage and Nozomi was a Kiri-Nin. He likely knew who she was and what her being here meant for his village but Honiko wondered if he cared enough to risk conflict. Apparently not. The Old Wolf kept it pushing and Honiko relaxed, the difference was extraordinarily subtle and would be missed by Nozomi and Raijin but not by the Human Puppet.

"That was Nikuyo Yuki. Former Mizukage and one of the most dangerous killers you'll ever meet. If you have the misfortune of being in his vicinity while I am not present say and do nothing. Leave the area immediately and do not draw attention to yourself."

She turned to the manlet as he presented an interesting tidbit of information about the girl that was before them. She was apparently a Kaguya Kiri-Nin with a non-insignificant degree of skill and zeal. He recommended sparing her which, despite her dislike for him, was weighed heavily. Shin was worldly and impudent but he knew what people were worth and his perceptive capacity exceeded her own.

Honiko turned to Akira for the first time and looked her in the eye.

"What is your name stray dog? And why did you come to the Isle of Whispers?"

Honiko's question also echoed out to Nozomi as well. Raijin looked to Noz and waited for her reply. She said her name but it was barely audible. For all purposes she appeared to be shy. He wondered why, with that much power inside her. One would be shy of her. Raijin just shrugged not paying in mind, at least he had a name. Then everything began to turn sideways, they were quickly met with quite possibly the strongest ninja in world. The first to arrive was the former Kazekage Shin Kazehana introduced by Honiko. Raijin had heard stories of the Kage, it was a surprise to see that he had shown up on the Isle of Whispers. The strongest puppeteer in the world. A wealth of power and knowledge.

The next to arrive was the former Mizukage Nikuyo Yuki. Like Shin, there was a tense pressure about being around them. It felt like anything like death can strike at a moments notice. Unsettling at best, which was backed by the fact that Honiko strictly warned of never that if he were ever left alone with him, that he was to book it. But he was not alone. Nukiyo brought someone with him as well, and it was someone for Honiko it seemed. A Kaguya. That's a first. He was seeing all kinds of people today. Honiko had powerful allies. She asked the girl for her name and like Raijin, he was interested to know.

After having been ordered to speak up, Nozomi straightened up and stiffened a bit. Speaking more loudly and clearly, although without any sass or negative inflection in her voice, Nozomi repeated herself. "My name is Nozomi Himitsu, ma'am." She tried to be more careful with these types of people. Questions could be shrugged away, but commands were not to be ignored.

It was then that more people arrived, and left Nozomi with quite a deal more questions than answers. Shin spoke up from the shadows, approaching the group. He spoke to Honiko, offering that he was glad she had returned safely. Nozomi wasn't sure that there was a scenario in which she wouldn't have, but remained silent on that note. She'd noticed a twice over look from the short man, and returned the stare with a small inquisitive look of her own.

She could feel a small stirring inside her, the Isobu no doubt registering something, but they had a lack of connection at the moment, at least when she was awake and conscious. Still, something was strange. She could feel it. "What is it?" She asked in barely a whisper, mainly to herself, but partially hoping he 3 tails would respond. That wasn't to be the case unfortunately, so she scanned on as Shin's attention left her.

The people she saw next sent a chill down her spine. A pink haired girl, who didn't really matter all that much, but escorting her, the bloody Mizukage himself. Her hand shifted to her pouch of kunai, just in case she needed to fight. She was ready for it. The glare he gave her was so intense, as if to say he would kill her for abandoning Kiri. However, it appeared that he worked with this group and didn't want to make a fight just at that moment, because he left without doing anything. Nozomi never relaxed, her hand ready to draw a weapon in case he changed his mind.

And just like that, Honiko said something that made her snap to attention again. Mixed with Akira's words, things weren't making much sense. "I know Nikuyo. He was the Mizukage when I left for my mission to kill or capture you and your dragon. He wouldn't go down without a fight. And Shin, I've heard of him as well. As you say, he was the former Kazekage, but he was in charge when I left for my mission as well. And now this Akira girl said Kiri isn't safe for her anymore. What the hell happened? Was there a coup? Did someone take over the villages? How did that happen without killing Nikuyo?" The questions flooded out of her mouth, a little faster than she could stop them.

Some thing had happened. There was a power shift while they had been gone from the mission. Shin and Nikuyo were allies to Honiko and her organization, the very same that a joint task force had been unknowingly sent to fight. Had they known? Why send them if they had? Why was Nikuyo glad she was here? Had she been sent to die? Or was his loss of power because she hadn't been around? So many questions flooded through her, but she wasn't sure when she would even begin to get answers to them. She looked to Honiko, obvious confusion on in her face.

Honiko ignored Nozomi's questions for the time being as they would be answered shortly. Instead she kept her gaze set on the pinkette. Akira gave an honest and short reply. Honiko knew the girl was telling the truth even though she hadn't elaborated on exactly why the village was no longer safe for her. If she survived an encounter with Shin then perhaps she was worth keeping alive. After a few moments of intense staring, the Dragon Sage spoke directly to her.

"Very well Akira. You'll be permitted to stay here until we find something for you to do"

She turned to Nozomi. "This stray is your responsibility. If she proves useful put her to use. If she proves useless put her down"

Honiko had planned to delegate Raijiin to Nozomi as well but for now it would be best if he continued to receive training directly from her. For now she would place Akira under Nozomi's care and see how the two of them fared. If the Cherry Blossom blossomed under her leadership then maybe there would be more responsibility in the Jinchurikki's future. She looked at Shin and then walked in to the Temple with the implication being that the group should follow. The Temple was filled with eschatological and apocalyptic imagery. Statutes depicting judgment, destruction, and death. Paintings and murals showing the unmaking of the old world and the rebirth of the new. The inner cloiser contained a stone table with a few chairs. Honiko would gesture to the seats one for each of the people in the room: Raijin, Nozomi, Akira, and Shin. There were two remaining seats in the room that would remain eloquently empty. Once everyone was seated Honiko would stand up straight and clasp her hands as she spoke up.

"As of this moment you are all members of The Enlightened Society of Rebirth and Reordering. All of you are here not because of chance but by divine decree. Our mission....your mission....is to aid in the reconstruction of the world as we know it. This will start with subterfuge but will inevitably end in an iconic war. The end result will be a society of peace, understanding, and joy. Just as the Founder of our craft intended it to be. This world will be remade into a paradise and each of you sitting at this table and our allies beyond this room all have a part to play"

Honiko held up her fist and tightened it.

"In order to fight this war we need tools and weapons of unimaginable power. Several of which are already sitting in this room.  Several of which are in our possession on this island. Several of which lay in the hands of our allies or pawns. And many of which lay in the hands of our enemies. Over the next few years we will wage a relentless war to reclaim our weapons and put them to rightful use. Each of us must be train to be better, stronger, and more powerful. With each passing day the end times draw near....and at the end of it all humanity will either die and be reborn or die and wither"

Honiko fell silent. Rousing speeches were not really her thing but apocalyptic and ominous spiritual sermons she could do.

"I leave you to reflect, plan, and pray for the time being. I will notify you when I have need of you again."

And with that Honiko would leave hoping that the group would be ready for the hard future that awaited them.

Exit.

It seemed Nozomi would have a fledgling along with her. The new recruit known as Akira would be paired with Noz. Raijin eyed Honiko, it seemed she would be his sensei instead of Noz. Honiko turned away and began walking towards the temple. Raijin followed along. The Temple was creepy as was the mood there, with all these strange people who would eventually become allies. Then once everyone was situated within the temple, Honiko started her speech.

She welcomed them to the Society. Their goal was no simple goal, to reconstruct the world. Then war. She held a fist in the air as she continued on. There were weapons that they would be tasked to get. These weapons she said would aid them in taking over their enemies and it seems...the world. Raijin was moved by the speech, in this new world he can make his clan walk without shame. They would never be referred to as the Cursed Ones again, but the Blessed Ones.

Honiko finished her speech and told them to wait, she would have need of them again. Raijin nodded and also left to his new quarters.

(Exit)

Nozomi's eyes fell on Akira once more, as Honiko spoke. A frown appeared on her face, but otherwise she said nothing in response to the new delegation. She didn't really want to be in charge of this girl, but she supposed for now she would have to. Nozomi nodded her affirmative, despite the frown, and fell back closer to Akira as they walked, but said nothing further.

Honiko wasn't particularly interested in answering her questions it seemed, nor had anyone else deigned to, but she'd have answers to them soon enough, even if she had to find them out herself. She was fine with it, just curious about it as well.

Taking her seat, she listened to Honiko, finally getting the message of the group, their goal. Restructure and reorder the world? That would be interesting for sure. Nozomi smiled to herself. This was exactly what she wanted. She'd be able to fight some pretty strong people for sure this way. And with the artifacts and weapons she was talking about? The Society was shaping up to be exactly what she needed.

War. That was something she could get behind.

-Exit-

Akira grimaces in silence, mostly just accepting that she wouldn't get out of this situation anytime soon. For the most part she just focuses on trying to think of what she'll do in the near future, if she can even stop avoiding this. It all happened far too quickly. This group just screamed bad news that she didn't want to be a part of. It was shocking how she went from one place that would be troublesome for her to be in to the exact same environment because of her own mishaps. Once she's delegated under the other girl's leadership and lead into another room, the female quietly listens to the speech.

Divine decree? Paradise? She isn't really sure how to feel about the whole thing. It was off-putting in a way. Sure she hated a majority of her clan, and was well aware that the feeling was mutual, but full on Reformation? Starting anew basically? It sounded like a pipe dream that could never be brought to fruition. Part of her felt that regardless of what kind of good will could come to herself or the people around her, that there would always be trouble around the corner. It was always one step forward and two steps back, and it just felt like that would always be the case. That this was the natural, unavoidable order of things. Maybe she just didnt have faith though.

'You say allies as though you didn't put my life under someone's disposal.' The female muses, pursing her lips as she peers about the room. There were two more members of this... revolutionary team(?) if she could even call it that. Maybe in some ways the girl had completed the last piece of the society's puzzle. Had she finally found a place or a group she could consider herself welcome to? It certainly didn't feel that way. Regardless of a decree, it still felt like she was alone. She still felt like an outcast.

Just to a different cause.
(exit)