Daraku stood outside of the Ishido Castle, with twelve readily armed and powerful Ishido ninja behind him. He hadn't bothered to learn their names, he was sure that he would get to know them in due time anyway. His priorities were set on something else, as of that moment. The gate to the courtyard was wide open, as he always remembered it. This area of Sunagakure was always an empty and silent place, especially in the dark of night as it was then. The moon in the sky was the only light keeping the darkness from overtaking the world and its serene beauty. The castle's silhouette was like a phantom, with dark sand flowing all around it. Not a single soul was in the courtyard, although it wasn't all that late. Something was up.

Daraku gestured for the 12 to stay at their current positions and be prepared for any incoming attack, just to be safe. He took a few steps forward, looking left and right. He sincerely hoped that no one would bother to attack them, he had been gone for quite a while but that didn't justify anyone of his closest family members attempting to kill him. That was just wrong in every sense. Then again, what had he just done? Killed his grandmother in Konoha. And what was his agenda for tonight? To kill his father. He supposed that if he wasn't above killing his own kin, why would they be...? He finally reached the door to the primary corridor, near the end of the courtyard, and he pushed it open slowly.

The first face Daraku saw was that of Kiyoshi, his uncle. He held back the urge to call out the man's name, and he suppressed the following surge of emotions. He kept his voice to a low whisper, as he was sure that Kiyoshi hadn't even noticed him and probably wouldn't recognize him, due to such a change in appearance over the last year, as well as the cloak and the mask and whatnot. "Uncle Kiyoshi. It's Daraku." Kiyoshi stopped in his tracks, turning away from the direction he was headed and looking at Daraku. "...it's really you...! Tsurugi told us all that you had died..."

"Figured that he would make up some lie like that to conceal my defection. Where's everyone else at? No one is in the courtyard."

"Everyone else is either in their chambers, in the Dining Hall, or in the library. I wouldn't worry, if anything, they'll all be happy to see you. I sure am...but what brings you back here, if you defected?"

Daraku's mouth bent into a crooked smile. "I'm putting the Clan back the way it should be. The Main Branch and our branch are going to be reunited, I've already killed Fuiyoka and now I'm after my father..." Kiyoshi processed this with a skeptical grin, but ultimately nodded. "I suppose it's for the best, Tsurugi's psychological well-being has only been deteriorating further in the last year that you've been away. I wish you the best of luck on your task, but I've got to head back to the library to give your aunt something. Your father should be in his chambers, I'll leave it up to you." Daraku heeded his uncle's words as the man proceeded through the corridor and out of an adjacent door to the right.

Daraku had all the information he needed, now was the assassination itself. He removed his Wolf Mask and tied it to the waist of his armor, and ensured that the rose on his cloak signifying him as a member of the Aoi Bara was concealed by reversing the cloak and putting it back on. He made his way up the staircase and was at the door of his father's quarters for a long time. He had his hand clenched into a fist and at the very surface of the door, but his mind was racing too much to knock. What would happen? Did Tsurugi already know that they were here? Would Daraku get ambushed as he walked it? The only way to tell was to just go for it and knock. He slammed his fist into the door three times, and the sound echoed through the halls. Within seconds, the sound of the door unlocking caught him by surprise, but he didn't flinch, and it opened slowly.

There, in front of him, stood Ishido, Tsurugi, his father. The man's hair had gotten significantly darker, now a chestnut brown color with streaks of gray, but his eyes were the same solid black color. "Welcome back, son. It's been a while." Daraku wasn't sure what to say, his father's voice was so monotone and emotionless. He kept it short and simple. "You know why I'm here, if you aren't surprised to see me." Tsurugi grinned widely, a true smile of warmth. It was unfit in this tense situation, but he didn't seem to care. He made his way across the room and sat down on his bed, staring out the window and into the night. "I knew one day you'd realize everything I'd done, how I'd done my part in this grand tragedy that is our clan. How I killed so much of our family, including your mother, Sayuri. I never understood why you so readily overlooked my transgressions and admired me so much...I was a bad person from the beginning."

"I never wanted to believe that, you were the only person that made me feel like I was worth something. You trained me, encouraged me to become stronger. You were a father to me, just as any father was. I couldn't accept the fact that you were a pathetic, desperate weakling when you were the only rolemodel I had to rely on. Now, I'm finally my own man, and I see right through you. I know what this clan needs to be whole again, and I won't let you get in the way of that."

"So that's your goal, eh? Get the Main Branch and this branch to be one, have a complete clan once again. You know that it's been the goal of my life to keep the two separate, the Main Branch hates us, treats us like scum. We're just petty, greedy creatures to them. Don't you see that? That's why my mother, Fuiyoka, left in the first place. That's why Sayuri tried to follow Fuiyoka's path 14 years later. They hated us and they wanted to get away...so I ended Sayuri, and all the others that hated us. I didn't want that hate to be upon you or me or ANY of us, not anymore. We didn't need the main branch, we survived just fine, a true family..."

"Was it that they hated us, father? Or was it that Fuiyoka wanted to use our kekkei genkai for good instead of the corrupt baseness that we were using it for? Was it that you were just too childish to realize that and you stayed to be a rebel? Was it that anytime someone disagreed with you from then on, you reacted violently? You've become the creature that you believe they see us as, this is all just a picture you've painted in your mind and you're embodying it in yourself and your actions. You're a tyrant, ruling over our branch with fear tactics and death threats."

Tsurugi didn't reply and instead took a soft breath. He seemed so old and feeble now, unlike the tall, masculine symbol of power that Daraku used to think he was. "Enough talk. You can either submit and accept death gracefully, or go down swinging." He drew his sword from its sheath, and its chain clanged as he held the weapon low to the ground.

"No matter what you say, Daraku, I won't change my mind. We don't need the Main Branch, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep this clan pure--even if it means killing my own son. It's not too far a stretch from the sins I've already committed. Forgive me, Izanagi..." Tsurugi replied as he stood up, and held his arm out; a summoning jutsu activated, and a long blade radiating with Raiton appeared in his hand. Within a moment, another summoning jutsu made a second, larger steel sword that had grooves along the blade appear in his hand. Tsurugi held the two swords up in a crossed stance level to his eyes, which glared at Daraku with a unique combination of regret and passion. "Let's see if your sword technique has finally surpassed my own."

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Training Ninjutsu D > C:

"See you in the afterlife, father." Daraku sprinted ahead, going for a direct horizontal slice poised for Tsurugi's neck. He didn't expect it to be that easy though, and obviously it wasn't. Tsurugi blurred with speed, appearing behind Daraku in less than a millisecond before the blow hit. He spun wildly, holding his blades out and making him appear like a lethal top radiating with Raiton energy. Daraku flipped to face the man and blocked the blow as best he could with his sword, Hikō, using its wind chakra to negate the radiant lightning chakra. Tsurugi used the second weapon in his opposite hand to counter the wind sword, letting it slide smoothly into one of the blade's crevices and lock into place. Daraku did his best to attempt and pull the blade from its hold, but it was no use, and Tsurugi was sliding his foot back as if to strike again... "Behold, an art few experience in their lifetime...Dance of the Torn Soul!" He blurred again, as Daraku's eyes couldn't process his movements and their elite speed. Tsurugi's arm flailed into the air, throwing Hikō to the ceiling as he fell to his left knee and used the momentum to swing with his Raiton blade. The strike caught Daraku's leg, slicing into his flesh and pulling him forward to fall. Tsurugi smashed Daraku's gut with the hilt of the grooved sword, and followed through with a combo attack of 15 lightning fast slices. Daraku fell to his knees, already defeated. "I'm sorry, son. You never stood a chance."

Or so it seemed. The thing that was believed to be "Daraku" returned to its true form, a pillow that had been placed on Tsurugi's bed. It fell into a pile of torn fabric and feathers scattered everywhere, a perfect application of the Substitution Jutsu. Tsurugi turned left and right, his view obscured by the storm of pastel white feathers. Appearing from the storm, Daraku tackled Tsurugi with all of his might, enough force to throw the grown man out of the window ahead. The glass shattered, and Tsurugi's figure was falling. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, as Tsurugi's eyes set on Daraku with fierce retaliation. "Care to join me!?" he yelled as he pulled a kunai from his pocket and threw it directly at Daraku. Well, attempted. The kunai planted in the wall just next to Daraku, a pitifully close miss. Or was it? Daraku's eyes couldn't help but look over to the kunai to ensure it wasn't a trick, and discovered a paper bomb tied to it. Shit. The explosive slowly gained luminescence until it built to a bright glow. He immediately dived out of the window, with no other choice that would guarantee his survival. He plunged to the courtyard and landed on his feet, and Tsurugi did the same just a meter or two in front of him.

"Just give up now, Daraku! You don't have to do this. Ever since you left, you've changed so much...just go back to being the man I used to know! You had the promise and potential to be a legend for our clan!"

"It's not about becoming a legend, it's about making things right again! Father, everything was ruined before I was born. Fuiyoka shouldn't never left, and you shouldn't have massacred those that remained and still followed her! Her departure was a day of unnecessary sorrow, and your violence was a day of unnecessary grief! And where are we today, because of those events? Weaker than ever before in a conflict against ourselves. What was the purpose of all of this!? I'm only fixing your shitty mistakes!" Their shouts back and forth were loud enough to catch the attention of the Ishido men inside of the Castle, and they began to come out into the courtyard and form a circle around the arguing men. All of them were either shocked to see Daraku or encouraging one of the combatants to defeat the other, but none tried to intervene and stop them. It was a match that had nothing and everything to do with them at the same time, and even then it didn't feel right to come in the middle of it. It was something Daraku and Tsurugi had to work out as well. The crowd grew until they had a full audience surrounding them.

"Enough futile talk! You said yourself that you wouldn't be convinced, and neither will I. I thought we were going to settle this with a deathmatch!" Daraku threw Hikō, but it sailed past Tsurugi after he made a swift dodge. Leaving no room for error, he pulled the chain back, immediately bringing Hikō back with it and attempting a slash from behind. Tsurugi dodged again but this time took the chain in his hand. He picked up speed until he was right in front of Daraku, and swiveled past, catching Daraku's leg in a restraint with the chain. He put Daraku into a wrestler's grapple and placed the Raiton blade to his neck, only to have his wrist bitten harshly. He released Daraku, clinging to his wrist in pain as Daraku did his best to get back on his feet and out of the chains. Before Daraku could fully regain his disposition and attack, Tsurugi sprinted out into the crowd surrounding them and found Kiyoshi. He choked him and pulled him out of the crowd and back into the center of the courtyard, using him as a hostage.

"Come at me again, and I'll off your beloved Uncle." Daraku was caught off guard by this. Tsurugi was always a man of honor in battle, adhering to general fairness during fights and keeping conflict within a set group. But now, things had changed. Innocent lives were being taken into account, and what good would it do to let another innocent life go when Daraku's whole purpose was to protect the innocents? Yes, he was a violent person and he'd killed many innocents in his day, but this was different. He was different, for the time being. He had to be the change he wanted to see in his clan, and the first step to that was to end all of the death, the corruption, the grief. He dropped his sword immediately. "You've got me. I won't attack you again, just let him go." Silence among the crowd. Tsurugi's eyes were alight with aggravated insanity.

Suddenly, Tsurugi threw Kiyoshi off to the side and dashed ahead, his blades ready to pierce Daraku. He was already moving far too fast, and Daraku didn't have any time to react. He heard the swords clash against something, but he knew it wasn't his armor, he hadn't felt them pierce him. It was all a blur, but he could discern things clearly again: a wall of Doton had risen in front of him and protected him like a shield. Better yet, Tsurugi's blades were stuck in the wall and he was struggling to pull them out. Daraku turned to see the one who had used the jutsu was one of the Ishido from Konohagakure that had accompanied him back, by the name of Akira, if he remembered correctly. Four other Ishido appeared, all making different hand seals. They created a large Fuuinjutsu Seal to prevent Tsurugi's movement; the rest of the Ishido followed behind them, all looking ahead at the Patriarch. The crowd gave surprised whispers, some of joy and some of despise for their counterparts from the land of Hi no Kuni. Daraku, either way, ignored them, and walked around the wall to face Tsurugi.

"And here I am again, with the upper hand. See? The Pursuers aren't that bad, they're willing to help me bolster this cause and defeat you in the process. Now," he slowly raised his sword up to his father's heart, "any last words?" This moment of glory wouldn't last forever, or even long enough to finish Tsurugi, though. Tsurugi summoned a gigantic, four-winged moth from a distance without need for a hand seal or even a movement. It swooped down and rescued him, and once he was out of the bounds of the seal, he regained his mobility. He mounted the moth's back and made a hand seal to release the summoning jutsu he used to conjure his two swords, freeing them from the Doton structure. He escaped on the creature, flying off into the dark night. Daraku didn't give up that easily, bringing a hand to his face and charging his chakra. "Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!" A cluster of fireballs escaped his mouth and headed for Tsurugi from different directions, but none made their mark, as he was already out of range. Within seconds, all of the Ishido looked to Daraku for guidance, shouting their concerns and comments at once. "After him!" "What do we do now?" "Who are these guys that just helped you?" "Patriarch Daraku, lodestar of the Ishido Clan..."

He silenced them with a calm expression and a raised hand. "I'm not letting him get away. These men and women are part of our clan, they're here to be a part of the clan based in Suna, so they'll be living here at the Castle. Make them feel welcome while I go after my father, I'll give you all a much needed explanation when I return." And with that said and done, Daraku sprinted away, following the path of the giant moth flitting through the sky.

(Exit, Thread Closed)

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Training Ninjutsu D > C
Word Count: 3,000/3,000 -Complete-

Training Suiton D > C
Word Count: 310/3,000 (to be continued in another thread)