Issei had spend the greater portion of a 5-month-period getting his life in order, securing a new place to live in Kirigakure, and taking care of his mother, whose health was declining rapidly with each passing day. His father wasn't much help in this process, as he was starting to suffer from dementia and was in ignorant disbelief of the reality before him. It wasn't his fault, and Issei didn't blame him, but the burden left for Issei to carry alone was proving to be the straw bound to break the camel's back. So, on a dismal Thursday afternoon, Issei decided to return to the "journey" that he had considered most important, even beyond the obligations of his family or his status as a ninja of Kirigakure or a person trying to survive. That journey was his lineage, the long-lost Kaguya clan, and the Surgeon, the missing nin that had taken him apart and made him whole again all in one, incidental fell swoop. Now, the Surgeon hadn't been seen anywhere recently and thus most people wouldn't have considered him much of a threat any longer, but Issei's paranoia always kept the upper hand, and so he was on edge and ready for catastrophe at any waking moment. For all he knew, the Surgeon could have forgotten all about Issei and moved on to another victim, or have been taken into captivity or killed, but the way Issei saw things, it was better to be safe than sorry. Regardless of circumstance, one burning question remained; what was the missing link, the piece that connected Issei's secret Kaguya bloodline to the missing ninja? The Surgeon was a formidable foe and clearly a trained medical ninja, but what did he want with Issei and how did he know that the silver-haired shinobi was of Kaguya descent if poor Issei himself did not, prior to his kidnap? The investigation was a lengthy and convoluted one, but the closest thing to a point of interest Issei found on his radar was the temple ruins on the far outskirts of the Village Hidden in the Mist, within the wilds of one of the smaller islands. These temple ruins had once belonged to the strongest clans in Kirigakure that had acted almost as ruling factions within the village, but had long since fallen into disrepair the clans lost influence (or, in the Kaguya's case, died off). The Kaguya temple was the furthest to the east of these temples, and when Issei arrived there after a leisurely trip, he found that the clan symbol was still emblazoned over the primary archway leading into the entrance. The walls were covered in moss and plants, and bricks from the structure had dropped to the ground and formed a barricade of sorts that impeded Issei's way. The decades that this sacred ground had weathered shown in its appearance.

The Chuunin had come prepared for this expedition, equipped with appropriate ninja attire. His Kirigakure headband was secured around his head, rather than around his neck as he usually wore it. His hands were bandaged, he had armguards on both arms along with a sleeveless, cropped white shirt, gray pants that were cut off at the shin and sturdy boots. His giant shuriken had been tied to his back, and over all of this, he wore a black and blue cloak that buttoned shut at the chest. Strapped to his left leg was a pouch full of additional ninja tools, should the situation warrant them, such as kunai, shuriken, and flash bombs. Around his waist was a utility belt that held bottled water, a map of Kirigakure no Sato, a compass, and a torch. He approached the rocks that blocked the temple entrance and started with the heaviest ones, squatting down to get a good grip with both hands before lifting them high using his leg strength, and finally tossing them aside into a pile to his right. He repeated this process for each individual rock and though it was strenuous, it was the most efficient way of the clearing the bath he had. He could've tried to use a jutsu or something, but he just didn't have any techniques in his arsenal that would be particularly helpful in moving or destroying the rocks. He made a mental note to purchase paper bombs when he got back to the village. Though it took him nearly half an hour, he opened up the entrance again and from there he brushed his dusty hands on his pants and stared ahead at the dark corridor before him. He wasn't quite sure what he was to be looking for, nor what he would find inside these ruins, but that was the least of his worries. People in the village claimed that the clans' temple ruins were riddled with traps, which was why Genin and Chuunin were not only advised not to venture there, but were also officially banned from the premises. That wasn't enough to stop Issei, though, especially considering no shinobi were patrolling the grounds because, once again, dangerous. Whatever threats there were, Issei was confident in his ability to defend himself. He lit his torch and took a few steps forward, following the corridor further into its darkness.

In the Kaguya's earliest days as an established clan, long before their initial downfall, they were a group known as bloodthirsty savages. Quick to rush into war, lacking any coordination or intelligence in battle. Those within the clan that possessed the Shikotsumyaku were rare; one would assume that this ability would be their saving grace and give them an upper hand in their many battles, but this was not the case. Instead, the Shikotsumyaku users were feared, both by outsiders and clan members alike. Their gift was taboo because of the sheer power it granted. Perhaps this is what led to the clan's eventual destruction during their attack on the village of Kirigakure no Sato. Had they used the Shikotsumyaku to their advantage, they may have stood a chance. The forces of the village outnumbered their small clan greatly and all of them were killed, or so everyone had assumed. This assumption was proven wrong once the Shikotsumyaku was witnessed again on a man named Kimimaro, thus revealing himself to be as the last remaining Kaguya. His kekkei genkai was preserved in his DNA so that after his death, the clan would have a chance to be reborn again the future. Over a century later, the opportunity arose and the rebirth of the Kaguya clan started in Kirigakure, the very village that had obliterated their stubborn ranks, ironically. Unlike the original incarnation of the clan's bloodline, these Kaguya had a much larger portion of Shikotsumyaku users than ever before, and so they rose to power as one of the strongest clans in Kirigakure at the time, though they didn't start as a family but more like a group of experimental tests. The kekkei genkai stuck, however, and their lineage continued for decades on end, tapering off until the very moment in time Issei found himself standing within the abandoned temple's walls. Issei had studied the Kaguya extensively over the years. If he had learned anything from these studies, it was that he was a man of profoundly placid character for someone hailing from both the Kaguya and Momochi clans, which only added to his original disbelief after awakening his kekkei genkai and escaping from the Surgeon. Had he followed the norm of either clan, he would be a half-wit, arrogant, aggressive man bound to die young in the shinobi world regardless of skill or strength. It seemed he was lucky enough to be held to a higher standard.

Every little noise that Issei made in the temple resulted in a booming echo, which kept him more on edge than he already was. He was so focused on squinting at the dimly lit path ahead trying to make out where to go that he hadn't noticed his foot press down on a strangely shaped stone beneath him. The stone sank into place with the force of Issei's weight, and another echo sounded, this one more mechanical than anything before, which made Issei look down to realize what he'd done. He wasn't slow to react. A trap. He lifted his chin to bring his gaze to the ceiling above him as it split open. A wall descended rapidly, forcing Issei to roll forward to avoid being crushed. It hit the ground with a slam, trapping Issei inside. Had he not looked up within the few seconds then, he would have been dead, so he was grateful that he was alive, but now there was a problem of finding a way out when he needed to. It wouldn't be as simple as moving the rocks near the entrance had been; Issei was strong, no doubt, but there was no possible way to pick up the wall and lift it even if he wanted to. He lifted his torch up again to illuminate his surroundings, then followed a staircase along the path he'd been on down to a small room. There was a statue in the center of this room, larger than Issei himself, that held the appearance of some kind of demon or monster. Against the light of the torch, the statue sent a shiver down Issei's spine, but he merely shifted his focus to the three doors on each side of the room, not counting the one behind him that he'd just entered from. He didn't know where they would take him, but he didn't have many options considering his current situation, so he ultimately decided to make a left and hope for the best. He kept a close eye on his feet this time around to ensure he didn't set off any floor or wire traps. The Kaguya must have had a lot of enemies in Kirigakure if they felt the need keep their temples so perilous. Issei thought to himself. He suspected it must have been in an effort to protect the Shikotsumyaku, considering that it was such a highly sought after ability once it was discovered that the Kaguya DNA could be implanted into someone to awaken the kekkei genkai during the clan's grand rebirth.

Nearing the end of the hallway, Issei was presented with yet another door. When he went to try and open it, he discovered that it was locked, which complicated things. He would have attempted to break the door open, but it was heavy steel, so it wouldn't have been an easy feat. He looked down at his hand and activated the Shikotsumyaku, then forced a sharp bone through the end of his index finger, thin enough to fit into the keyhole. His red eyes were focused on the mechanism as he twisted and turned his finger, moving in response to each noise the lock made. It wasn't his first time lockpicking; he'd picked up a nasty habit of stealing when he was younger, and though he outgrew it, he remembered how to get into things when he needed to. Finally, the lock made a soft click and with a forceful push, the door creaked open. Issei's foot immediately caught on something as he stepped in, a thin wire that was pulled taught and initiated another mechanism. "Shit..." he muttered. The torch wasn't bright enough to light the room fully, so Issei couldn't quite tell what kind of trap he had set off until he heard the sound of metallic objects hitting the walls. They were being blasted through the air from the side walls, but Issei pressed himself to the back wall closed his eyes. The sounds continued for a good minute before slowly ceasing. Issei brought the torch to the ground to get a close look; the ground was littered with senbon. With that threat neutralized, he continued to the end of the room and saw a table covered in scrolls near a group of bookshelves. Never one to shy away from a good read, he took a seat in the old wooden chair and peeled open the first scroll. It was a list of names, around 30 or so of them, with a detailed description of their abilities and side effects of the Shikotsumyaku. They were likely the first group of people implanted with the Kaguya DNA in Kirigakure, but they didn't seem so lucky. Around 10 of them were recorded to have little to no control of their ability, and their body started to suffer lethal consequences such as bone cancer, or sickle cell anemia. Issei was anemic, and he always had been, but this led him to believe that it was likely caused or exacerbated by his kekkei genkai affecting his bone marrow and his body's musculature, as in those few times where he had used it extensively during battle, he found himself feeling extremely drained and fatigued moreso than the feeling of having an exhausted chakra supply, to the point where he would need to retreat in order to avoid feeling weak or passing out. He was glad that he ultimately had an easier fate than the Kaguya before him, though some on the list didn't have any negative side effects at all, which was a surprise.

Moving on to the other documents, he found that another scroll contained a statement from the former Mizukage, revealing that he had been the one who had started the project to use the Kaguya DNA, likely in an effort to bring more strength to Kirigakure's forces. The books on the shelves seemed less vital, as they were just a collection of various texts that mentioned the Kaguya throughout the years, both as historical accounts and a few personal memoirs and stories from the members of the Kaguya, telling of intense battles and the thrill of war, all holding the same strange bloodlust that was common in the clan. Issei opted to keep the list of names, in case any of those on the list turned out to be important. He would do his research later on in the village. After skimming through the rest of the documents, he put the scroll into a loop on his utility belt and headed to the doorway. He continued straight across the hall to the other door from the previous room, and into that corridor. The path opened into a circular room reminiscent of an arena, and there were combat dummies and weapons set up. It seemed silly in a temple, but since that Kaguya had a reputation for violence, Issei wasn't necessarily surprised. From that room, Issei could see that there was a staircase leading up but the entrance had been boarded shut. He started walking over there, figuring he could just destroy the wooden boards to get in, when he heard a footstep behind him. Once again, the torch wasn't quite bright enough to light the whole room, so Issei dropped it altogether and activated his Body Heat Perception. "Who's there? Come out now and I might not kill you immediately." No response, but Issei wasn't about to let it go that easily. He started to search through the room inbetween the combat dummies, waiting for the slightest change in his temperature...

From the shadows behind Issei came a blade in the hand of an assailant. Issei's sensory technique detected it a bit before it could land and his body did the work for him, reflexively adjusting his skeleton to accommodate his ribs moving to his back and protruding in defense. The blade was caught between two of the ribs and the third rib extended just far enough to stab into the hand of the attacker, spilling warm blood onto Issei's back. Issei leaned forward and used his right foot to kick the torso, then put a hand down to the ground to push himself up and follow the kick through into a flip, catching his heel on the attacker's chin with a sharp crack. He landed on his feet a short distance away, now facing forward and holding the torch out to get a good look at the person who had tried to kill him. It was a woman, wearing a Kirigakure headband with a slash through it, now fallen to her knees and holding her jaw in pain. A rogue ninja. Issei smirked, assuming that he had broken it. "Who are you and what do you want? Answer me." She glared back at him with hatred, removing her hand from her mouth and spitting out blood. Before Issei could react, she jumped forward, knocked the torch from his hand, and tackled him to the ground. He could hear her blade unsheathe again and he pushed her off before she could impale him, rolling away in an attempt to grab the torch again. She reached it first and stomped it out, leaving them in darkness. "Fine, this isn't my first time fighting blind. I'll snap your neck." he said, collectedly. Surprisingly enough, she didn't try to lunge and attack with her sword again, but rather she kept her distance, just out of range of Issei's body heat sensory range. She figured it out, eh? She must have felt the heat...

The missing nin decided to speak up while she was relatively safe from Issei. "You chose the wrong ruins to go poking around in, these are my hunting grounds. You already fell for two of the traps in here! The Kaguya are doing all the hard work for me, I just pick off whoever gets stuck down here and loot them."

"Well, it's a wonder you haven't managed to kill me yet. Or maybe you've underestimated me, and the prey is now the predator." Without hesitation, he untied the giant shuriken from his back and lobbed it at full force, sending it spiraling into the shadows. It made contact with the boarded staircase and must have lodged in the wood, by the sound of it. Switching gears, he started forming hand seals beneath his cloak. His spine started to extend, pushing out of the back of his torso just above his tailbone. With a quick turn, he whipped his tail in a sweeping motion just as he heard her rapid footsteps approaching. She dodged the attack by jumping over the tail and landed just within range of his sensory technique. Katon chakra was building in her lungs, so as soon as Issei saw the orange glow of a flame appear he jumped away, just in time to avoid being consumed by a fireball. From there he landed on his feet and weaved 3 more hand seals to form a rushing wave beneath him that carried him to her within a second. He initiated with a jab to the chest to leave her breathless, then forced his arm to her neck and pinned her to the wall as the wave dissipated. His tail's sharpened point was poised to her jugular, and he stabbed it in before she could reach for her sword. Then, poof, a cloud of smoke. Issei raised an eyebrow. Shadow clone? he thought as he turned around, but the rogue was gone without a trace, and his sensory jutsu wasn't picking up her body heat anywhere.

Issei sighed as he reached for the shuriken still lodged in the wooden boards, ripped it free, then used it to chop away until the staircase entrance was open. A light shone from the top of the staircase. Sunlight, signaling a way out. This was a welcome find, but Issei wasn't quite done in the temple yet. He started to backtrack to go through the third door in the statue room, and see what he could find in there. He didn't release his Spinal Tap or his Body Heat Perception, just in case there were to be any more "surprises".

Jutsu Used:

The final room in the temple was as dark as the rest of the temple, and without his torch to rely on any longer, Issei lifted a hand and used his Katon affinity to create a small flame, just enough to light the area immediately around him. There was debris scattered everywhere. It was clear that this had been looted multiple times, as everything that remained was unrecognizable and ruined or destroyed altogether. A number of torn rugs, scrolls, pottery, shelves, robes, rusted weapons, what looked to be ceremonial daggers, and crushed skeletal remains. It was a haunting sight, and imagining what it must have looked like so long ago was difficult for Issei to manage. Just as Issei knelt down to get a closer look at the remains and discovered that the floor was damp, strangely enough. Then, he froze in place at the sound of metal whizzing through the air. A kunai, no doubt, headed for him. He raised his tail in defense, but the kunai missed altogether, which caught him off-guard. Instead, it sailed to the far wall and sank into a brick, which caused the floor to start to rumble. Familiar, mechanical noises started again and Issei found himself in another trap, this time likely set off by the rogue ninja. He turned his head from side to side but couldn't see nor sense her presence. Two bricks on each side of the wall slid out from the framework and thudded onto the floor, and behind them water rushing into the room from both holes. It was a bit more difficult to escape than the previous two traps, but if Issei was anything, it was clever. He bolted for the door and finally sensed the missing ninja within his range by her body heat, but she was sprinting away just as quickly having slammed the door behind her. When he went to reach for the knob, it came off and fell to the ground at his feet. Pulling and pushing on the door was a hopeless endeavor. The water was coming in fast and was already up to his shins. The last remaining solution was to plug the holes as best he could so he could have some time to break the door open.

The flame in his hand was starting to putter out as splashes of water threatened to drown it, leaving him with very little light as he reached the first hole. He tried the obvious and picked up the brick, but when he tried to put it back into place, the water pressure merely forced it out again.  His next idea was to create a bone to fill the socket, since that would hold for a while before the pressure broke it free. He placed a flat palm next to the surface, keeping his other hand clear of the water to preserve his flame, and a bone formed, filling the hole completely and stopping the flow. Now the water was coming in at half the rate it was, slowing down as he reached his waist. He waded across to the other side and repeated the process, and the trap's effectiveness was halted briefly. The bones wouldn't hold forever, though, so he needed to find a way to break the door down quickly. A discarded axe near the destroyed pottery seemed sturdy enough to break the door with enough strength behind it, so Issei picked it up and charged at the door like a raging bull with axe overhead. He brought it down upon the door, cracking the blade onto the metal hinges. It didn't budge at first, but Issei was relentless, striking repeatedly until the hinges gave way (along with a piece of the axe that broke away under Issei's powerful grip). From there, he kicked the door down and water flooded out of the room in a large wave, filling the statue room and flowing into the other two hallways.

Issei ran his hands through his soaked hair and released his jutsu, causing his body temperature to drop, his tail to retract, and his eyes to return to their normal color. He let out a long sigh as the strain from using so much chakra lightened up a bit, but he needed to get out of the temple before the rogue ninja he'd encountered could try something else. He caught his breath and broke until a full sprint through the armory, up the stairs, and out onto what seemed to be a balcony overlooking a side entrance. The woods of Kirigakure were sprawled out before him and sunlight danced on his face, bringing a smile to his lips. He hopped off of the balcony and took off into the trees, not stopping until he knew he was safe. Eventually, he found solace at sunset upon a mossy rock next to a clearing. He took a seat on the rock and opened the scroll he had taken, praying that it hadn't been rendered useless from water damage. Much to his excitement, it was wet but still legible and not torn, so he carefully placed it back on his belt and took a swig from his water bottle.

"Today wasn't a complete failure, then. And hey, I'm alive, so that's good too. I guess I should head home before it gets dark." he muttered to himself as he got back to his feet.

[ Exit, Thread Closed ]

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