Escaping One Hell In Favor of Another

Menza teleported to a small shack on the edge of the Isle of Whispers. The abandoned shack had at one point and time been his workshop. Fortunately, since then he had opted for a much bigger and elaborate workspace. Menza's new lab was located in Menzagakure but he wasn't about to bring Yui there. He had blessed her in the manner that his contractor had taught him before they hit the ground. He didn't want the crippled girl going mad due to prolonged exposure to the island's mystical proprieties. The landed on the floor with a clatter. The shack was essentially a barren cabin with a longe Flying Thunder God branded kunai jammed into the center. A single way station of many that he had scattered throughout the world. Menza looked down on Yui hoping he didn't cause a fatal injury during the course of their rough escape. He would be quite angry if she had gone through all this trouble to summon him, only for her to end up dying in his care.

The crippled girl would be given a chance to collect her bearings. In the meantime, the young man crossed his arms and gave her a less-than-amused stare. He wasn't above retreating from a fight. Survival was a victory in his mind and as far as he was concerned, Rin could die on his fool's errand and Konoha could burn with him. He had done his duty in saving Yui even though she had yet to repay him for his initial favor.

Yui was disoriented and felt a bit sick at the movement but her body struggled to even move. She wanted to struggle and tell him to go back for Rin but she knew he wouldn't. still, her heart weaped if he died she would not know what to do with herself. Her body screamed in pain as blood began to drip from her, she was barely keeping herself conscious.

"Rin...I... Rin... d...dont die..."

It was quite clear she needed medical attention almost immediately, if not she may die so if he wanted her to pay him back he would need to get to work fast. The shape her arms and legs were in was quite bad, compound fractures and bones sticking through the skin, the amount of force she was using was far too much for her to handle considering how hard she was heating that beast. A normal human would have died long before she had to do that damage to her body.

Yui didn't even have enough strength to beg for his friend's life. Pathetic. Menza shook his head and sighed. He didn't foresee their relationship souring so quickly but he tried not to blame himself. As a chaotician, he should have known that the more you try to cultivate people or events in a certain direction, the more they resisted and did the unexpected. The Nature Clansman next to the damaged girl and applied Mystical Palm. He would be able to stabilize her, but the damage done to her by the Gates would take time to heal. Time that he didn't feel like waiting. A green glow emanated from his hand as he passed it around her body, healing those parts that were in most dire need of treatment. He did not speak as he worked, instead he considered how he could turn this situation to his own advantage.

There was a semi-decent chance that Rin would survive his encounter with the Bijuu. Perhaps he could use that to recoup what he was owed.

As she barely remained conscious she would fall in and out of it as he continued his work on her, one thing he would notice is her left arm had taken extreme damage and would require a great deal more to fix than simple medical jutsu. In fact, it was near the level one would usually need an amputation, she really had put her all into attacking the beast and her body showed the results, against anything else it would have been completely killed by such attacks, however, this beast was not weak it was the strongest of the tailed beasts.

"Rin... d...dont die Rin... please live..."

She was not doing too well herself as her heart rate began to get erratic, the time she spent in gates had managed to also affect her heart. The strain it put on her certainly meant she would not combat able for quite some time, it even threatened the very chance she could remain an active shinobi. She was not one to give up though so she just may be able to deal with the damage her body had taken and push herself to become a strong shinobi once again.

The damage was quite extensive. Yui had truly given her all in defense of her friends and country. It was a miracle that she was able to even speak. The girl mumbled about Rin again but Menza ignored her. He continued his task of healing her wounds using Mystical Palm. There was only so much he could do with the technique and he contemplated prepping her for surgery. He shrugged and dismissed the thought. He would stabilize her and nothing more. If she wanted to heal the cellular and structural damage she had done to herself then she'd need to seek the help of Konoha's finest physician. That, some luck, and perhaps an additional miracle might be able to save her career. If he hadn't intervened she wouldn't even have her life. But that's all he would do. She had called for his help twice and now she had no means of repaying him. It was all he could do to stop himself from dissecting her and taking her organs.

The Nature Clansman finished stabilizing the young girl and laid her on a cot. She probably wasn't in any condition to carry on proper a conversation and Menza wasn't in the mood to entertain questions about the state of the battle. He leaned against the wall and patiently waited. He'd return to Konoha eventually but not until he was certain of the outcome.

Either he'd return to see Kurama alive and making his way to Konoha or he'd return to see Rin alive and the beast sealed. When he had left, the beast was weakened and partially sealed, but without his assistance the chance of Rin fending off the creature was slim.

"I give him a 10% chance of survival" Menza muttered to no one in particular. It wasn't likely Yui would be able to hear or even comprehend what he had said. Still, even if she had, she ought to thank him for being so optimistic. A solo encounter with even a weakened bijuu was enough to put most people at less than 1%. There was something about that Rin though. Perhaps he might be able to eek out a victory.

Yui wanted to speak but her body was in no shape as her wounds were being healed she continued to go in and out of consciousness. As he continued to take care of her she would only go into her dreams picturing her brother when he died and seeing Rin calling out for her, she had no idea if this was real or fake but one thing was clear she had to get to him somehow. As Yui felt like she had only been out for a few minutes she came to a realization from how her injuries were healing it had been a very long time. She could see Menza as her throat felt dry motioning and hoping he had some water for her so she could speak. Even if he did not offer she had many questions like how long it had been and where exactly she was.

"Menza... how long have I been out... the way these wounds feel it's been a while... where are we and has Rin survived."

She, of course, owed the man so much but she would wait until he brought up what he wanted, clearly, she could not offer a lot considering the shape her body was still in as her hand clenched her chest. Her heart hurt for some reason, something felt wrong and she was sure Menza would explain things to her.

Menza had come back from speaking with Rin. He was surprised to find that the boy was alive. 10% wasn't 0% but it was beating the odds to say the least. The fact that he had survived the encounter boded well for both him and Yui. It mean that Menza wouldn't be entirely screwed when it came to his repayment. Had Rin died he would have inadvertently taken out Yui as well. Menza would have stripped the useless little brat down to her prokaryotes in order to recoup the losses he had sustained as a result of helping her twice. Fortunately, he and Rin had come to an understanding of sorts. He would receive his payment and in return, Yui would be looked after and safe from harm. He had returned about a week before Yui woke up. He spent his time watching over her, conducting research, and of course taking a few harmless DNA samples.

One day, Yui woke up. A few hours earlier than he had expected but then again the blonde was full of many unpleasant surprise. He had been studying a piece of otherworldly DNA on a microscope near his workbench when he saw the young girl motion for water.

He sighed.

Menza stood up from his work and fetched a water bottle which he gingerly gave to Yui. Both time and the prospect of repayment had dulled his anger. He was not pleased with her but he was no longer in the same intense spirit of agitation. The first question was precisely what he had expected. It would have been child's play to simply lie to her. Hell, it'd be mighty interesting to see how she'd take the news. Chaos. Death. Violence. The girl was impulsive and Menza ordinarily enjoyed introducing chaos into the world to see how things played out. However, he preferred to do so as his own convenience. And the moment he felt his own experiments were taking advantage of him, he tended to put them down. That drastic measure wasn't necessary at the moment, but it did stay his hand with respect to toying with her.

"Rin is alive" he said truthfully in a neutral tone. "Where you are is none of your concern." He wasn't exactly in the mood to give her more details.

Menza sat at the edge of her bed and gave her a blank stare. With the shape of his eyes and his long dark hair, it was an eerie moment.

She drank the water coughing a bit as she was thirsty but she had not properly ate or drank for a while. Hearing the news Rin was alive made some tears flow down her cheek, this was the best news it also meant he had become powerful enough her clan could not argue with her choosing him. As she went to move her arms and legs she could feel the numb dulling pain, yeah they were most certainly broken and her chest hurt quite a bit it almost felt like she had recovered from a heart attack.

"I... am glad Rin is okay so tell me how messed up am I, I feel like even my chakra in unstable, I know I did a lot of damage to my body but I promise as soon as I can I will repay you."

She closed her eyes trying to ignore the pain her body felt, it hurt all over but she was slowly healing, her right hand felt numb, like something had been severely damaged and her left certainly felt broken.

"When can I be returned to the village, I assume they will freak out and try to find me if it's been some time."

"You've done extensive damage to your tenketsu and the surrounding organs. You've forced upon several gates and remained in them well past your limit. I don't expect you'll be doing anything of significance for several weeks. I can aid in your recovery but no matter what I do, that will be a slow process. As for your repayment...you'll see your obligations through one way or another"

Yui then asked Menza when she could return to Konoha. He hadn't fully decided on what to do with her. On one hand, she was correct. Konoha would become suspicious of one of its Nin missing. Additionally, the shinobi that Rin had brought with him to fight the Nine-Tails might talk and reveal his role in the affairs. A search party would be sent out and his projects would come under scrutiny by a foreign power. On the other hand, Konoha was not exactly a heavy weight. The combined might of the Society was more than capable of checking them. Yui was also a valuable piece that he could use. Holding her hostage would ensure Rin's cooperation. She might also prove useful for another operation he had been planning. The Nature Clansman brushed a dark strange of hair out of his eyes and replied.

"You won't be returning to Konoha anytime soon. You're coming with me to Kirigakure."

When Yui heard him say she would not be returning soon the glare of death she gave him could likely send chills down his spine. She wanted to see Rin so badly but he was now going out of his way to keep them apart, the one thing in the world she wanted and he was forcing her to not have it. Why would he take her to another village there was no way they wouldn't be suspicious and she was sure Konoha likely had already sent out the word she was missing and had been taken. Even if Masuyo was stubborn no way she wouldn't look for her student.

"Why.... why would you keep me and take me to Kiri, there is little doubt if my village finds out I am in Kiri it would be almost a declaration of wa.... no way is that what you are after you want Konoha and Kiri to go to war... the chaos... that is your goal isn't it."

She was sure this was exactly the man's goal, he had planned from the beginning to cause chaos and Yui being found in Kiri would infuriate her village. This was bad but it wasn't like she had a way out as she clenched her chest, it started hurting badly once again. Still, she would find a way to get out of this, if her village went to war so many lives would be lost.

Menza didn't react to Yui's hateful glare. He returned an empty, cold, and blank expression. Ordinarily, he would have been more diplomatic about it but given her current state she was of zero threat to him. If she was at full power he'd still be able to kill her albeit given her recklessness the collateral damage she'd cause in the process would set him back years. Fortunately, all the girl could do was scowl impotently. The price of abusing the 8 Gates Menza noted to himself. She accused him of trying to start a war between Konoha and Kiri. This caused him to smile. It appeared the young lass was finally grasping who she was dealing with and what often drove his motivations. She was close to the mark, but not quite. He had his own reasons for keeping her in Kiri and while a war between the villages would prove interesting, it was not his primary motivation.

"Close but not quite Yui-dear. Just because the Mizukage knows your here doesn't mean Konoha has to. You will remain in Kiri so that I have a chance to study you and cross-reference the development of your bloodline with that of several others from this village. In short, you'll make a fine experimental subject. Don't worry, I won't do anything to jeopardize your health long term...soooo long as Rin does as he's told that is. I don't like the word "hostage" but I suppose you use that term to describe your current situation. Bringing you along, might help convince the Mizukage to allow me to conduct the experiments I have planned on his soil."

Menza yawned.


"You could refuse, but that'd be most unwise. I do relish chaos and stripping you down to your organs and sending them to Rin would almost certainly spark a war. Unfortunately, my employer has a specific plan in mind and it doesn't involve war...not at this stage at least. So as long as you cooperate, I promise the peace between nations will not be disturbed, no lasting harm will come to you or Rin, and you will be reunited as soon as I have been repaid for my services."

Crunch

Crunch

Crunch

The sound of boots crunching against the rocky shore of the Isle of Whispers was the only sound that he could hear, though he could sense a few others nearby. Likely just some of the caretakers of the isle that this blasted Society kept around. How had he gotten caught up with such a crowd of people? Him, the Old Wolf, the champion of the Pits? He knew how, of course, though it was for a reason nobody would suspect. A promise to give him that which he desired most and had yet to be given despite his years of service. Typically this would have caused him to go into a rage and kill whoever had decided lying to him was a good idea. He had tried that. Once. As embarrassing as it was to admit, that had been a very poor choice on his part. Even for a man as dull as he was, at least when compared to other shinobi, he knew how foolish it had been.

A thick bearskin cloak covered the enormous stature of this man, his 6'9" height matched with a muscled and stocky frame. Everything was proportional though, making him appear smaller than he actually was until he was close enough for an accurate comparison. Scraggly hair rested on his chest, where a hard leather cuirass protected him from minor nicks and cuts. Disheveled black hair with streaks of grey in it stopped between his shoulder blades, hanging free in the salty sea air. Loose, black pants covered his legs and the tops of his close toed boots that rose halfway up his calves. A plethora of weaponry was hidden under that bearskin of his, various knives strapped on his person alongside smaller weaponry pouches and a few specialty items for when he felt like having a little bit of fun.

Fun was not exactly on his mind today. No, not fun, though it was related. The creature the society used as an engineer had sent a message some time ago requesting his presence. Something about discussing some plans as well as testing out some new toys. That had been a couple weeks ago and the Pits had kept him occupied until the last few days. So many people thought they could kill an old man, even if that old man happened to be him. It still amazed the Old Wolf that people could be so foolish as to think a number had anything to do with how lethal someone could be. Yes, the bones began to creak and things didn't work as they once did, that was natural. But when he needed his body to react like it had in its youth, it would do so without hesitation. The aftermath was worse, but the actual movement itself? That was absolutely glorious.

As he walked along the beach, his sensory capabilities picked up on two chakra signatures in a building ahead. He recognized one, though not the other. "I wonder what stray he dragged here to cut apart this time," a gravelly voice muttered. The Old Wolf continued his solitary trek towards the building, both arms tucked inside the bearskin with his right absently resting on the hilt of a dagger on his hip. The other held the skin closed and was ready to toss it off at a moments notice in case the situation became dangerous. With all the nuts on this island that was likely, more than he really cared to openly admit.

It didn't take him long to get to the building once it was within his sensory range. One of the signatures inside was somewhat weak, as if they were recovering from something . The signature itself hinted at strength, it just trembled slightly as the body recovered from whatever trauma had wreaked havoc on it. The other... the other was Menza. The Old Wolf didn't know if he believed the story about this one, just as he didn't believe what he had been told of Honiko. It seemed too fanciful for his taste but it really didn't matter when push came to shove. Their past is their burden just as his past was to him. One he could not wait to be rid of, one way or another.

The Old Wolf stepped up to the door, left hand sweeping out from under his cloak and pushing the door open somewhat violently to announce his presence. His towering figure would not fit the doorway and he had to duck to enter, as was usual for a man of his size in a land where the average height was less than six feet. "What do you want, Menza," he asked with a harsh voice that sounded like two rocks violently grinding together. Dead eyes full of raw malice and brimming with contempt swept around the room before they focused on the second person in this shack. A young woman not from the Land of Water was the source, likely a genin or chuunin if his instincts were correct. She should know who he is of course. There weren't many men his size, and fewer still with his reputation for violence and fighting. No, there was no mistaking who he was...

Nikuyo Yuki.

She listened to what he said and continued to scowl, she was in no position to try to fight back, she had her one trump card but being hardly able to move he would easily stop her. This was when she heard large footsteps before a massive man stepped through the door, she recognized him for sure the former Mizukage, this was just great the situation was getting worse and worse.

"The former Mizukage here... now I feel like I am delusional but I am sure this is real by body certainly tells me it is. I guess when you pick a fight against nine tails having injuries is to be expected."

As for wanting to see the difference in bloodlines she wondered just what he was up to, was he thinking of trying to create some new bloodline or something? It was rare to meet someone of her clan with such power, after all, so he was likely checking to see what made her so strong. The former Mizukage was known as an incredibly strong fighter, certainly, she would behave around him as she knew he was no-nonsense and would rather live than die by his hands.

"Do not worry I know my limits and am in no shape to start a fight with two people as strong as you are. I still think you could have got what you anted returning me to Konoha but I guess you see things differently."

Right on cue, they were joined by the mammoth-of-a-man known as Nikuyo Yuki. The Old Wolf spent most of his time in the pits these days. Fighting and Killing. Killing and Fighting. It was obvious that he had a death wish, but he hadn't found anyone strong enough to permanently take him down. And those who had the ability to perhaps end his life, intelligently realized that such a feat would be hard-fought and the risk of death great. Why would such an individual risk their own lives to gratify the desires of a particularly nasty old man. Nikuyo demanded to know why he had been summoned and Menza turned to the tall man and spoke with a hint of amusement in his voice. Unlike Honiko who despised speaking to Nikuyo, Menza enjoyed needling the former Mizukage.

"Ah! My dear friend Nikuyo Yuki!" Menza was bold enough to address the misanthrope with colorful language but he restrained himself from playfully slapping the man's back. Nikuyo tolerated his insolence but only to a certain degree. Push to far and one might end up in an icebox. He turned to Yui, addressing her surprise in a fashion that answered Nikuyo's question indirectly.

"I see things differently because I'm infinitely smarter than you Yui-dear" Menza said in a decisively condescending tone.  

"As for my associate, Nikuyo is here to ensure that you cooperate after you heal from your injuries. He's also here to ensure that the Mizukage accepts the proposal I am about to offer him. If you both know what's good for you, you'll avoid wasting his time so he can go back to the pits and do what he enjoys doing....which is?"

Menza looked at Nikuyo expectantly and eyebrow raised.

What did Nikuyo enjoy doing in the pits?

The girl was annoying, too. Of course she was. Why the fuck wouldn't she be annoying? For the love of god, she was breathing. That was supposed to be annoying, right? Or perhaps it was just his proximity to Menza, the bastard of a scientist Nikuyo wanted to kill... third most in this place. He was annoying too, almost to a lethal degree on his part. Luckily for him, Nikuyo did have the ability to show restraint. It was just that he didn't care to do so for a good majority of the people on this planet. Nikuyo's icy stare remained on the girl as she spoke to him like she knew him. She said some nonsense about fighting a bijuu. Like she could have survived something like that. Not even Nikuyo was foolish enough to believe that, but if this girl was something Menza wanted to play with then there wasn't much Nikuyo could do about it. Yet.

She also blathered something about not wanting to pick a fight with the two of them since they were strong and something about getting something from Konoha or something. Nikuyo had ignored Menza's initial greeting, knowing that any retort he made would likely be physical rather than verbal. While he was sure he could kill Menza at such a short range without much trouble, he knew that there was a chance it could turn ugly. None of the higher ups in the Society were there without reason, Nikuyo included. But the girl? She annoyed him, more than one usually would. Nikuyo turned to Menza after she finished, listening to his reply to the girl.

He was supposed to be a babysitter? No, not a chance. Coercing the stripling of a Mizukage? That was something he could do. Babysit this girl? Bad things might happen to her if she was left as his charge. Nikuyo would reply sourly to Menza's final question, informing both of the other people in this shack just what his opinion was.

"Cutting the tongues out of people like her and running a knife through the ribs of people like you," he spat in disgust. "Do you really think I'm going to babysit a teenage girl just because you want me to? The last one you gave me tried to sleep with me and I had to cut her apart, I'd rather not waste my time having to do so again," he finished bitterly.

His eyes fell onto Yui. "You're not a whore, are you? Can you keep your mouth shut when you aren't asked a question?"

To most people it would sound like he was being rude, but in reality he was holding back no small degree. That he hadn't just gone up to Yui and cut her tongue out was a miracle in and of itself. He knew Menza could fix it, so what would be the harm in teaching the whelp of a girl how to be quiet for a little bit? It was a valuable life lesson to learn, particularly among this crowd of sunshine and rainbows that was "The Society". Menza could afford to learn it too, honestly. That day would come. Soon. Soon...




Using: Sensing

She listened to the two as her deep glare continued, he continued to insult her intelligence unknown to him she was actually not as stupid as she appeared. She had a short temper and lost her cool but she was a lot smarter than people gave her credit for, she even formed her own martial arts style focused around her blast ability. Not many could say they can use blast and also use the gates, sure she was beaten up but had this been anyone or anything other than the tailed beast she would have obliterated them and had far fewer injuries. As the former Mizukage spoke she could feel his aura, he was not a kind man, no he was evil to the core and unlike Menza appeared far less stable. Him calling her a whore and saying the last person tried to sleep with him she would never defile her body sleeping with such a boorish man.

"I am not a whore...as for speaking I can hold my tongue considering I am recovering... Believe me or not I did do serious damage to nine tails ask Menza if you don't believe me."

She would be quiet after that, she knew she couldn't push her luck right now as she continued to move her fingers feeling her feeling coming back in her arm. The good thing was it seemed her arm was recovering and she could begin to feel the chakra flow in her arm, she would continue to knead chakra into her clay inside the mouths. She had to be ready if she had to she would end everyone including herself to save her village and Rin."

Menza smirked when Nikuyo threatened him. The old man was just as vile and hateful as ever. He was like Nee-san except with no pretense of professionalism. Menza analyzed Nikuyo from top to bottom, taking in everything about the man. He recalled all he knew of the Mizukage and decided on a particular course of action. With that action came the requisite formation of counter-measures and contingencies.

"That is quite unfortunate, Nikuyo. I don't believe Subject #871 was a prostitute by trade although desperation may have turned her into one. Little did she know, the one thing she had to bargain with was of no interest to you. She was quite valuable to me and I'm disappointed that you'd take such a measure" the former assistant sighed and placed his hands on hips before addressing Nikuyo in a slightly agitated tone.

"However, I need to call upon your services again and perhaps if I explain a bit more you'll be more restrained. This girl is our hostage and she is of significant interest to my research. Research that our shared employer finds very important. Unlike the whore you killed, not only is her genetic material important, she is a valuable bargaining chip. As we speak, plans are being put in motion to deliver critical artifacts and test subjects....all for this naive young girl. The people who want her back are strong, dare I say it, strong enough to take her back by force if we aren't careful. I need someone who is a good enough killer to keep her under control but also good enough to fend off any rescue attempts. As silly as she looks, she is quite powerful and once she gets to full strength there are few people who can keep her from escaping."

Menza brushed a long strand from his face. Unlike Nikuyo, who seemed to enjoy keeping his hair in a rugged look, Menza meticulously combed and groomed his silky long hair. One of the many contrasting characteristics between the two S-Class ninja.

"Nikuyo please do try to see past your own rage and misanthropy. It is your job to kill. It is my job to think. For the good of our joint benefactor, listen to me and do as I request."

Menza was playing with fire here (or rather ice). Nikuyo could very well take offense to his words and attack him. To that end, he had prepared a specific technique. He'd rather not fight in front of Yui and risk her being provided an opportunity to escape, but that was out of his hands. How Nikuyo reacted was up to him, all he could do is explain the situation in a way that the man could understand. The endless complexities and probabilities of his designs were so far beyond the old man, that he may as well have been speaking another language. Rather than risk confusion by explaining the full extent of his plan best to be forceful and blunt, and allow the chips to fall where they may.

How unfortunate Shin is engaged in his own research. The Kazekage is far more reasonable and logical...

Yui answered Nikuyo's question. Good. Then she proceeded to blather on about how strong she was. Bad. Assuming he was not engaged in fighting the former Mizukage, he turned to the girl and slapped her across the face.

"Please stop talking. If he decides to kill you, I cannot guarantee I will be able to stop him. Keep chatter to a minimum and your breathing low."

- One Technique Prepped.

Before Menza had gotten even halfway through his first sentence, Nikuyo knew that he was going to regret coming here. He hated this loathsome creature, treating people like they were just toys to experiment on. Nikuyo at least had the decency to kill his toys once he was done playing with them. Menza couldn't get enough, and that was his problem. By instinct, Nikuyo's powerful chakra would surge as his cold Yuki chakra immediately chilled the air. Ice particles began to form in the damp air, falling to the ground as they solidified. Within seconds, one could see their breath inside the small room. Generally it took longer to reach this stage, but when one was surrounded on all four sides in a relatively small building it didn't take long for a Yuki of Nikuyo's caliber to quickly chill the place.

An ice spike formed in each hand, one sharp and the other dull. Both hands were covered by the bearskin cloak he kept wrapped around him, with only his entrance into the building disturbing that fact. He ignored Menza as the man blathered on, sensing that the girl was doing something really fucking weird in her body. Her chakra was moving, but not in a normal way. It was almost as if she were infusing it into something, perhaps even storing something within her body. Whatever it was, it was strange and Nikuyo didn't really care for strange.

Take Menza for example. The man had eyes Nikuyo could hit by throwing a kunai with his pinky toe while blindfolded. And he did all these typically gruesome experiments on people unfortunate enough to not be him but who still interest the creature. He waited a bit longer, a blank expression on his face as he ignored Menza's rants and story about how this girl was somehow more important than the rest of them. He waited until the moment he knew would come. He waited... and the wait paid off, in a way.

The girl opened her mouth to speak and said a few words that Nikuyo didn't really like after a time, and in less than the blink of an eye the hand that wasn't holding the skin closed flashed from under the cloak. The dulled ice spike in it flew from his hand towards her still moving mouth at speeds too fast for fully 90% of the shinobi he had ever known couldn't track. From this distance, he doubted she could evade it in any way. Even if by some miracle she managed to get a hand in front of it, there was sure to be broken fingers from the impact. Nikuyo had thrown that thing hard. It wasn't a killing strike, but it was meant to strike the girl squarely on her upper lip and just under her nose. He wanted to shatter that bone and drive the girl's entire set of front teeth down her throat. All she had to do was say "yes" or "no". But no, the arrogant whelp decided to keep yapping her lips while the big kids were speaking. Plus, if she really was good enough to fight a bijuu and not die then this shouldn't be too hard for her to avoid. Or perhaps she was doing just as he thought she was; bluffing.

Nikuyo kept his gaze on Menza, eyeing the creature and wondering which leech infested swamp he had crawled out of before coming here to serve the Society. Nikuyo needed to keep his attention on him since he was the bigger threat if the girl was going to be compared to him. The former Mizukage felt he had the advantage on him though, since Nikuyo was the more experienced of the two with him being only one of a few placed ABOVE S class. He was the cream of the crop, the bees knees, the man with a big stick. If he was going to kill you, you were likely already dead. Menza knew that. No amount of acting could fool Nikuyo, and whatever Menza did Nikuyo could see. Both shinobi knew it would probably be better to just heal the girl after Nikuyo left though. Could medical jutsu regrow broken teeth? Nikuyo didn't know for sure, honestly.

"Will you both just shut the fuck up? It's like you two want me to stab you," he said icily, his voice the definition of hateful. Mist flowed from his angry lips as he hissed, his next words coming in much the same tone."Send her to me whenever you're done with her. You know where to find me." With that, Nikuyo would leave the building. The second ice spike was just in case Menza got a wild hair up his ass, which was also likely because the man thought he was smarter than he really is.



Short and Sweet- 2 spikes for 2 cp

Sensory- .5

Heart of the Champion- 1 tier to Strength, - to Intel. 1 cp

Exerting Chakra (Yuki ability)- 1 cp


Strength for throw: B

Coord: S

Projectile speed: A+




EXIT(?)

It was going down. Menza could tell by the way Nikuyo breathing, looking, and moving that an attack was imminent. The man didn't even go through significant lengths to hide the fact that he was about to strike. In fact, he was almost flaunting his desire to maim one or both of them. He telegraphed his moves with such obviousness that Menza was insulted. He could understand Nikuyo believing that Yui had no answer to what was about to happen, but did he think so lowly of Menza that he assumed that he would not interfere? Regardless of his opinion of Menza, the scientist had an interest in Yui being alive and more importantly her being alive and not maddened with destructive vengeance. The second the ice pick was loosed from Nikuyo's hands was the second Menza could tell that its impact would badly injure the blonde. Having marked her with Flying Thunder God previously, he teleported in front of her unwilling to risk the possibility that she might not be able to deflect the projectile.

He grew his arm to twice its normal size using natural energy and batted the projectile away. The ice weapon was sent flying across the cabin where it made a hardy dent in the wall. Menza's expression went from playful to deadly serious. His arm returned to normal size but a thin grey vein protruded from his temple indicating that he was growing cross with the Mizukage. Nikuyo demanded their silence and with every word Menza could see his breath. The temperature in the room had dropped and Nikuyo's Ice Release was in full effect. The scientist kept his right arm out while his left reached behind his back. He agreed to watch over her, albeit in Nikuyo-speak which meant it was punctuated by threats and violence. It was what Menza wanted to hear but not the way he wanted to hear it. It also sounded like Nikuyo had no interest in helping him intimidate the current Mizukage, which was fine. He'd manage by himself. The old grey bastard stormed off leaving him alone with the girl.

Menza followed through with his previous slap and more or less re-iterated what he had said before. Yui was to keep her mouth shut. If successful, Yui's cheek would be as red as an apple.

"Please stop talking. If he decides to kill you, I cannot guarantee I will be able to stop him. When in his presence keep chatter to a minimum and your breathing low."

"Unfortunately, Nikuyo will not be joining us on our errand...but you will soon enjoy the splendor of his company. He's going to be your jailer for the duration of your stay in the Land of Water. But for now....off to the Mizukage we go!"

He'd grab her by the upper arm and tighten his grip. Grey veins poking out from his hand as he increased his strength with natural energy. Once he had a firm hold on her he'd teleport them to Kirigakure.

Exit to Kirigakure

As Yui saw the man begin to aim an attack at her Menza suddenly appeared before her protecting her before grabbing her arm and teleporting the pair. This was bad, what the heck was going on she had no idea but that man was clearly not someone she could trust. Menza still kept her alive, so she had her uses she was unsure what he wanted as he has never made this clear but he clearly wanted something from her. The feeling of travel and disappearing would slam her body, still not fully recovered it would begin to sit her into fits of coughing, she had a long ways to go in order to recover.

-Exit Thread Kiri-