It was his first time in the village and he was now able to explore a bit without having to look over his shoulder or spend his time healing in the hospital. He was always getting hurt and it was aggravating that it always seemed to be whenever Sanosuke was around and now this whole village was cursed to him considering he was now the Raikage. He sighed as he unwrapped the bandage around his arm and tossed it into the nearby trashcan. His wounds were pretty much healed though he was still a bit sore but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. Memories flooded into his head of the random assignments he had been given to work in tandem with Sano, his senpai of sorts. Now he was leading a village and Dameon was leading a team and in charge of a lot of his villages functions, mostly security. Part of him wanted him to be proud but the other half would hide those feelings. It had been a long time since he was that kid that hated the world and trained himself alone to keep from snapping. Though the last time they had spoken together his darker side had come out. He felt embarrassed by it now as he thought back to how he had butchered those enemy ninja without remorse. Perhaps it was the difference in ideals from village to village or perhaps Dameon really did have a monster locked away inside of him. He had gotten away from the main city for a little while and was now sipping hot chocolate at a café in the mountains not too far from the casino hotel they were staying at while his students competed in the chuunin exams.

It was surprisingly warm and not a single cloud in the sky as the sun sat overhead among the blossomed trees. The last time he had been out this far he was seven years old and surviving off the land. He always found it a bit odd that in his banishment he had completely passed Kumo without even the faintest idea it existed. Things could have ended up completely different if he had shown up to Kumo as an orphan instead of Kiri. His boy hardened and covered in scars from his past but the deepest ones were always inside. He had managed to escape form the Shikyo Four but he knew that they would be waiting for him to leave the village. On top of that they had mentioned taking the Shikyo raiton village to the far north coast hostage. He felt like his actions of escaping had doomed the village and he couldn’t wait any longer to get there and check it out for himself. After barely making it out of the last fight alive though he knew he couldn’t simply go alone. That’s why he was waiting for Sanosuke to see what he had in mind in terms of helping him out. He knew with the village being from the same country he would want to help but he didn’t know how much resources he would spend to help out an old friend.

He sipped the hot chocolate some more still refusing to drink coffee. While he held the cup in his left hand his right was twirling a kunai with an impatient pace in his hand. He had asked to meet Sano here sooner though he was only five minutes behind it felt longer. Dameon was uptight and on the edge fearing he had killed his former village. Sure they had banished him but he understood why they had done so despite hating it. They were a strict pacifist village if an enemy walked in and claimed it for their own nobody would protest or fight back. Hell if they did protest they would likely do so by harming themselves. This however was much different it was a mercenary group holding an entire small village hostage just because they had a contract to get Dameon. That was another problem he had been too busy to think about. The daimyo from the water country wanted Dameon arrested. He knew Aya would never add Dameon to the bingo book and that he would always be welcomed in Kiri. However the daimyo still wanted Dameon as a political prisoner and he would have no doubt sent word out to the other countries. Was that why Sano was late? It was too much to think about on his mind as he kept himself aware and looking all around looking for any signs of hunter ninja.

[765]

---

Despite being so close to the hot springs that just opened up, Sanosuke had to put forth all of his willpower to not walk into the springs and enjoy himself. Thoughts and mental images of beautiful and naked women from all over the shinobi world gathered in Kumo to view the chuunin exams are having a glorious time in the hot springs. Most of them would kill to have a riveting and pleasurable night with the Raikage under the sheets after they had their fun at the hot tubs. All of that he would be giving up. It was enough for a single tear to be shed from Sanosuke's feline, black cat form whose fur was detailed with golden rings that looked to be grown on naturally. As a man he could only scream injustice that he was doing such a thing. I will return my beauties. Wait for meee!!! Sanosuke screamed mentally as he heard a woman's voice squeal in delight followed by giggling. Damn his sharp hearing and senses. Even from this far away, he could still pick up on their fun. Life wasn't fair sometimes. As he approached the restaurant, he had to make sure this was the correct restaurant he had agreed to meet up for his appointment. A quick glance at it as he went through the front door confirmed it. This was the spot.

He had agreed to meet Dameon, a youthful shinobi he showed a bit around the art of the sword to during the Seven Bells war. Despite being so welcomed to teach the boy, he was always so bent on self-destruction and fighting for the sake of fighting that he wondered if he would ever come back from such a dark place. His ways cost him the heart of a lovely lady that lived in the village hidden in the sands, whom couldn't deal with her destructive means and went away. Hopefully that was what caused him to change. The old Dameon wouldn't think about asking Sanosuke for help no matter how dire the situation was. Based on what he said, it was something that he definitely would need his help for. Dameon was wanted by the daimyo of Mizu no Kuni for being a political prisoner, for reasons he would ask him once he met him. It took a lot of strings to pull for him to consult the daimyo of his own country to allow him to handle this situation. It took a lot of persuading on his end, despite the daimyo of the Lightning Country being quite fond of him; however the Daimyo of the Water country hated Sanosuke's guts considering a few years ago while working under his guard Sanosuke in secret took the virginity of his youngest daughter whom was 18 at the time. Still to this day, the loudest screamer of all the women he's slept with over the years.

Now with the situation being controlled by him, Sanosuke would get down to the bottom of this. And knowing Dameon, he probably brought trouble as well with him at his footsteps of his own village. If things got carried away, even his own daimyo would have to intervene despite her taking the liking to Sanosuke. Walking past the front desk of the restaurant, Sanosuke spotted the rather young Kiri shinobi drinking a cup of hot chocolate while twirling a kunai in his other hand. From the looks of things he was bandaged up recently and looked like he came out of the losing end of a fight. But what was what made it easier to identify him was the brooding atmosphere he had about him. Guess some things never changed. It was time to mess with his student. In his black cat form, Sanosuke approached the shinobi and meowed at him. Curling against his right leg, Sanosuke purred like any cat would when taking a liking to someone. In one masterful bound Sanosuke leaped on the head of Dameon and took several licks out of his mug of hot chocolate. When the young man would look up at the cat in annoyance, he would simply reply....

"Meow!"

---

700 WC

Dameon grinned as he sipped another sip from his hot chocolate with it already running low he simply sighed. With his senses so aware it piqued his interest when one of the things approaching him happened to not be human at all. He wanted to face palm himself but knowing he had the kunai in his hand he knew that would be a bad idea. He already knew it was Sanosuke, what he didn’t know was what the hell he was doing as a cat. Any other time he would just assume a cat was a cat but when he was waiting to meet with a shinobi known for doing shenanigans every now and then and not to mention it acted friendly toward him, normally cats hated him. Was this his way of making himself incognito, or was it a way for Sansosuke to try and annoy Dameon further. He really didn’t have time for his senpai’s antics. In fact this only made him question how the hell he had been made kage. If this was the personality of the leader of the village he could only imagine how bad off the rest of the village was. As the cat jumped on his head he simply raised his eyebrow and channeled raiton chakra to his skin to give him a bit of a shock, much like an electrified scat mat. Dameon would proceed to grab the cat by the back of the neck and place him on top of the table in front of him as he slid his kunai away. He would either wait for Sano to undo his transformation jutsu or just speak as a cat. Though Dameon would argue that a talking cat was just as much of an attention getter as him talking to the kage face to face.

”Better late than never I suppose,” Dameon said with a bit of a grin as he relaxed back into the chair as a cloud passed overhead blotting out the sun for a little bit. He had only left Kiri once and that was to go to Suna. It was then he had discovered that he inherently had a big issue with sand and all of its forms. Kumo was much nicer and in some ways reminded him of Kiri but it was a lot less wet and it had more sun. Though he was convinced anywhere but Suna was alright with him. A part of him missed Kiri but there was no reason to be there with his team in the chuunin exams and the daimyo after his head.

”I assume you know of my predicament or at least the Daimyo’s version of it. There is a lot more to it than that though and I could use some help. I am asking as a friend,” Dameon said as he noticed a few people out of the corner of his eye staring at him awkwardly with blatant signs of confusion on their faces. Dameon was going to make a gesture of confusion back at them but that was when he realized he was indeed talking to a cat or at least that was all that they saw. Dameon brought his hand up to his head and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger. He didn’t need this today.

[553. 1318 total]

[1 EP]

Sesative as always, Sanosuke thought as he could feel his young shinobi friend tense his muscles while he rested on his head. Just to pick at the bear some more Sanosuke went down to take a lick of his hot chocolate as well. It tasted sweet just a bit too sweet for his taste. Sanosuke coughed at how sweet it was. What the hell did Dameon add to this hot chocolate, and entire tubaware of sugar? Dameon must have figured out already who he was despite his transformation and proceeded by giving him a bit of a shock from his raiton chakra. There wasn't enough to danger his life but enough for him to shift anyone uncomfortably. However Dameon couldn't possibly think that was enough to harm him. So when the lightning shocked him, it simply went into his body passively and allowed the golden marks on his body to glow and radiate from the power surging into him before it dimmed down after the raiton went through his body. This was too much of a good opportunity to pass up. As Dameon picked him up by the scruff of his neck to look at him, Sanosuke got out the cat eyes accompanied with a few tears in his eyes. Letting out a small weak cry of pain, it echoed throughout the cafe to get the attention of the other patrons.

Before he knew it, Sanosuke was taken into the arms of an attractive woman in glasses and auburn colored hair. She picked him up from Dameon's grasp and held him under his armpits. The woman than proceeded to holding the transformed Sanosuke directly into chest and her rather large and deep cleavage that threatened to swallow Sanosuke whole. "How could you do that to such a cutey! You should be ashamed of yourself!" The woman hissed at Dameon while holding Sanosuke protectively in her arms. As Sanosuke watched Dameon getting verbally ripped a new one, the transformed Raikage couldn't help but gloat and formed a mischievously smile on his face. Glaring at Dameon some more, she thought about slapping the Kirigakure shinobi which Sanosuke hoped she didn't because it wouldn't end well for both of them. Fortunately she knew better than that and backed off. The woman put Sanosuke back down on Dameon's table gently. With one last glance at Dameon, she made the indication that she would be watching him in case he would attempt to attack the seemingly defenseless cat.

She gently stroked his chin before kissing Sanosuke on the top of his head before walking back over to her table and getting her book out to begin reading it once more. Chuckling to himself, Sanosuke waved his tail back and forth with an air of superiority. "My, my Dame-kun. You should really do something about that temper of yours. Scares off all the ladies." Sanosuke mused as he used his paw to scratch behind his cat ears and curled on the table in a ball closing his eyes. He let out a yawn and pawed at the complimentary breadsticks that were left on Dameon's table that he guessed was given to him just because he was a guest. So hear he was, before this wanted man by the country of Mizu no Kuni to be a political prisoner. As he listened to Dameon's words, Sanosuke paid attention to them. "Yes I have indeed heard of your Daimyo's side of the story. He promised a rather large bounty to return you alive to him. It would put my village back in good faith with the Water Daimyo." One of his eyes opened to reveal the eye of a predator towards Dameon. Red piercing orbs with an animalistic slit gazed at Dameon to remind him just how badly this could go for him. He was in his village and no where else to go. With Dameon, he was before the Lightning Country's strongest shinobi; escape from him was a very low chance. He had taught Dameon much on how to fight, it wouldn't take long to incapacitate him.

However the last part of his explanation was touched with a bit of humanity that even surprised Sanosuke. He needed his help as a friend? This wasn't at all like the old Dameon that he knew from back during the Seven Bells War. He picked himself up from the laid out ball he was in on the table and walked over to Dameon. Both of his paws pressed up against both of his cheeks like an adult would do to play with a baby. "Awwww, Dame-kun! Who'd have thought you knew how to say the word friend?" Sanosuke teased at him while chuckling at Dameon's uncomfortable state from talking to a black cat in public. Keeping in mind Dameon's earlier showmanship of annoyance, Sanosuke bounded away from him snickering at the embarrassed Dameon.

"All right, as a friend I'll listen to this story of yours. Then I'll make my decision. But do me a favor first and order me a saucer of sake."

Dameon sat there ignoring the ladies words as she talked to him about harassing a ‘cat’, of course Dameon knew better but telling the ignorant they were wrong only fueled the fire. Dameon simply sighed and kept his glare on the ‘cat’ even as he smirked. He knew he was enjoying himself too much when the woman basically swallowed her in her breasts. He would wait till she left and finally the ‘cat’ spoke back. Though he did his best to ignore most of what he said as the cats paws pinched his face. He wanted to reach across the table and smack him out of his transformation but he also knew drawing more attention was the last thing he needed. He massaged his eyes again with his index and thumb as the cat spoke back to him with Sanosuke’s voice warning him with just his tone and gaze. So it had gone that far, not only had the Daimyo hired the mercenary group the Shikyo Four but he had also offered a public bounty as well. He could only imagine what the hell he wanted from him. No doubt the Daimyo wanted a way to get to the Mizukage and as one of her most trusted shinobi he was more valuable than he had initially thought. He was to be captured alive though and anyone who had ever done a capture mission before knew how difficult it would be to catch someone of such a high rank and keep them alive. Dameon listened to the Raikage's request but it was something he had already anticipated. Dameon pulled a cold bottle of sake out from his coat and placed it on top of the table though he would not pour it for the animal. If he wanted to drink it he would have to either transform or find another way.

”Interesting. I wasn’t aware there was an open bounty. He had already hired the Shikyo Four to grab me as it coincided with their own goals. That is actually why I am here in the first place. There had been a lot of chatter in Mizu no Kuni for a long time about the Shikyo Four and…another group. One group is tasked with taking out a particular individual while the Shikyo Four were hired to capture me and return me to the daimyo alive but were granted permission to also use any means necessary and on top of that want to use me for some kind of experiment involving our clan’s blood. It is because they want to do this that they won’t let you simply capture and return me. You know as well as I do that you would probably have to be an escort personally to make sure I didn’t escape on the way back to Mizu if you did go that route,” Dameon said as he leaned back in the chair risking tipping himself over as he rocked himself back and forth with expert balance.

”Anyways, I was given a letter during a routine patrol I was leading in Kiri. The letter asked for a meet with one of the Shikyo Four. A wind user and the pseudo leader of the group. I as given the ultimatum of leaving with them willingly or resisting and having them blow a series of explosions around the village on top of that they also have my home village on the northern coast of Kaminari held hostage by an unknown number of enemy shinobi. So I left with them and of course the Mizukage resisted but they had gone over top and had orders from the Daimyo which was the first we had ever heard about it. There is something sprouting up between the Mizukage and the Daimyo and I am not sure of what it is in its entirety but it’s because of this I was falsely accused and had a bounty put on my head. I honestly don’t care what happens to me Sanosuke. If imprisoning me will help your people than go for it but I need help to prevent the execution of my village,” He said as he explained and started to stare down at the ground as he ran his hand across the back of his neck and across the branded scar that sat there as a reminder of his banishment. Sure he had been banished from home at such a young age but that was no reason for a hundreds of innocent people who were pacifists to be slaughtered just to punish him.

” When they captured me they were apparently heading to Kumo or were planning to pit stop here. When I came to after being unconscious we were less than a mile or so from the village. My students were heading this way for the chuunin exams and caught wind of my location and they engaged recklessly without thinking. I escaped my binds to keep them from getting killed. My initial prerogative was to use my capture to learn all I could about the Shikyo Four and to break them down from within and either kill or at the least learn what their plans were but I wasn’t about to let my students get themselves killed. I broke out and a fight took place. The rest you know and now here I am,” He said finishing his explanation of the events that had led him to Kumo.

”Now that I escaped I fear that they are travelling to village to execute the people there or they suspect I will try to free them. Either way I know they will be there and they know I will come. That is what I need your help with. I am in no shape to take on one of them right now let alone all four of them at once. I have no doubt they will execute them…those from the other clans see the users of raiton as blight and are extremely prejudice against us and my people, even though the people of my village are dedicated pacifists as I have told you before,” He stated as he leaned back forward and set the chair back down on all fours, feeling more worried as he spoke it all out lough. It didn’t seem like there was much they could do. If he showed up they would just capture him or kill the villagers again or both. He couldn’t really expect anyone else to risk themselves for his dilemma. He leaned his head back to look up at the clouded sky as he sighed trying to vent out stress in vain.

”I am out of ideas. I can’t think straight being so closely involved in this,”


[1131. 2449 total]

(2 EP Total)

From the look and the glare Dameon was returning Sanosuke as the transformed Raikage was rather comfortably snuggled between the large breasts of an angry beautiful woman. He could tell that his patience was wearing thin. Although it was made mostly for his own amusement, he wanted to test out the boy's mental state. If he was in his humane mental condition, then his involuntary movements in his body would be more agreesive towards Sanosuke's teasing. But for him to be so calm, it seemed as though he was not alright. As though his limiting of his own actions was to conserve his energy for a fight. When he was placed down, Dameon gave quite the straight answer to his bluff. It was a bit too straight and nonchalant. He actually didn't care if he was captured. Was he this mentally drained that he couldn't comprehend an immediate danger right before him? Sanosuke had to know more about this. Once Dameon put the bottle of sake down on the ground, he used his chakra to control the sake and have it poor slowly into his saucer. The sake bottle glowed gently with blue chakra while he poured and listened.

The situation was that bad? Even for Dameon he wasn't the person to get close to many people without good reason to at least. He was a lone wolf that always longed for attention from the pack but was scared that his presence would do them more harm than good. Afraid that his past might end with his new family being killed. For him he understood that sense of loyalty to his birth village being held captured. It was where he was born; no matter the situation, you protect the spot of earth that you were born onto with your life, no matter the dilemma. Even if his birth village hated all shinobi to their core, Sanosuke as the head of the shinobi village hidden in the clouds, would fight tooth and nail to protect his xenophobic home. Dameon had that same sense as well. He was conflicted in fighting two forces that wanted to harm his birth village, and the village that gave him source of humanity back.

Even though Dameon didn't want his soul returned or to get attached to Kirigakure when coming here at first because he was afraid he might hurt the village, it happened anyways. Sanosuke hadn't just not noticed how Dameon had began letting people back into his heart. Him fighting this two pronged battle was tearing him apart from the inside. It was like fighting 2 dragons coming at you from the ground and the air; similiar to looking to the left and the right. He needed help. Putting the bottle down, Sanosuke looked at Dameon once his story was done. His tail landed gently on Dameon's shoulder to get his attention. Whenever the Kiri shinobi before him would choose to acknowledge his touch and look at him, they would be met with supporting eyes even through the transformation of his black cat form. It was gentle and supportive. "Cool it, you can breath here." was all Sanosuke said. He had been through too much by himself. If he kept on fighting this 1v2 that he was barely continuing on his own, it wouldn't end well for him or the villages he was fighting so hard to protect. Dameon would be forced to watch both of his villages that had his heart in them, before dying himself. Sanosuke wouldn't let him go through with this but not alone at least.

Before Sanosuke could say more words, a chakra sensation prickled his fur. Being a master senjutsu sage, his body makes very short trips into sage mode before changing back. It allows him to very briefly sense all chakra signatures. This process was very similar as treat his body as a human radar. When it blipped in his mind he knew the sensation was friendly. His chakra pulsed normally yellow as it was sensing something coming. When his brain finally processed it as an enemy, the glow markings on his fur glowed crimson instead of golden yellow. An enemy. Someone had followed Dameon here, there was no way for him to have accurately tracked him in the state he was in. Damn it, Sanosuke thought as he looked around. There was someone approachingly quickly. And there were numerous of thems coming. "An enemy." Sanosuke's fur bristled angrily as he turned his back to his saucer as tried to use his senses to track the pursurers. They were coming in hot diffinitely. If he had to make a guess, they would be here in roughly 10 minutes. But there was so many people that he couldn't tell any more than that.

"Everyone evacuate. now." Sanosuke growled low, his chakra enhanced his vocal chords so it sounded more deep and also ancient as well to coax them that being here at the cafe was a bad idea. For remaining here would lead to their deaths. The commoners didn't think about questioning the voice they all heard so hurried out. Sanosuke and Dameon were fortunate that they would have the place to themselves for these guests to come through as well. They would need the space...

Dameon listened to Sanosuke and felt reassured even if only for a moment. It seemed like despite everything he still had allies. He had to worry about dodging the Daimyo’s, the assassins, the shikyo four, and worry about both of his villages but at least for the moment he could relax. It seemed both of them had picked up on the approaching chakra even from the distance. He had let his guard down, a feeling of shame washed over his body as he stood up sluggishly. Something wasn’t right though he turned in the direction that Sanosuke was facing and he lowered his finger to the ground and sensed as far ahead of him as he could and could accurately identify one contact of the Shikyo clan approaching them as an incredible rate and would be arriving in moments. Something didn’t sit right with him though; there was no way they would only send one knowing their exposure in the large village. So where was the other one? Dameon ran this question over in his mind as he looked to Sano who had also not detected the second shinobi this could only mean one thing. He knew Fuyu with wind nature was also a sage she could easily hide her presence from another sage if she was smart about it. This meant she could be extremely close or at least within visual range.
 
”I know who followed me. There are two of them one of them is a master in senjutsu. I don’t mean to underestimate your abilities Sano but if I am not mistaken these two and myself are faster than you especially if they are using our clan’s jutsu. I think the best strategy here might be for me to counter their attacks and lay them out for you to flank them. I know you have stronger attacks than I do but I can at least keep up with their movements even in my current state,” Dameon suggested as he formed a couple hand signs to activate both his electrolocation and his clan’s specialty speed enhancing jutsu. It was at the moment he activated his technique he felt his sensory jutsu tip him off of someone’s location. He turned his head to look behind him as he saw Fuyu exiting the shadow of a dumpster that had been directly behind him. He turned quickly to face her attack with her large bastard sword drawn. Fuyu would go for a quick horizontal slash and Dameon would parry with his Midnight chakra blade forcing her guard open. Dameon would immediately go to follow up with his speed riposte technique but be met with Fuyu’s own blade that had already been dropped back down.
 
”Too slow,” Fuyu said as he channeled the chakra through her blade and sent the fuuton chakra out through the open holes in the blade. Overwhelmed by the strength of the fuuton he could feel the ground leave his feet as he flew backwards and crashing through the window of a store front before bouncing off the ground and smacking his head against the wooden wall that had stopped his movements. He rubbed the back of his head where it had made contact and swore under his breath. If he hadn’t been injured still he would have easily landed his last attack on her and they would only have one of them to worry about and three of them overall. That was when it dawned on him that there was still a second one that had not shown up yet. He scanned around and Fuyu had already spread herself out expecting the Raikage to do something about her attack. He needed to get back to the game plan that he had said before he had been ambushed. Dameon stood up and walked out of the window he had just been sent flying through.
 
”Sano. Remind me to start lifting weights after this,” He said as he cracked his neck. The shirt he had been wearing was torn and now the bandages that were wrapped around his prior stab wounds were not clearly visible and spots of red were now seeping through. His stitches had come undone. That was the least of his worries though as the second one arrived right next to Fuyu. This one was Siyho, the beautiful blue haired maiden who specialized with suiton and was also the group’s medic.
 
”I would explain to you who they are and what they do but they color coordinate themselves. I just refused to walk around wearing yellow,” He said glancing over at Sanosuke.
 
”Oh hey, the Raiakge is kind of cute Fuyu. Can we take him with us as well? I kind of want to show him a few things. Though a guy that good looking probably sleeps around a lot and would break my heart,” Siyho said as she pouted and drew her weapon out. A staff that would create a water spear tip on it the moment her chakra met the seal on the weapon. Dameon had not yet seen what her weapon could do. Dameon stood there waiting for someone to make the first move as he heald the midnight childs blade in his right hand while his left hand kept a hand seal prepped.
 
”Remember the game plan. If I am in your line of fire don’t hesitate to go for the kill shot.” he stated as he finished channeling the chakra and patted Sanosuke on the back across his Raikage’s cloak (assuming he is no longer cat at this time). Dameon charged forward with his sword and his speed going as fast as he could excelling past fifty meters per second as his two foes had done the same. Fifty meters was the optimal speed for them as it allowed them to move rapidly while still making complex movements. Fuyu would block his initial attack with his sword but not use the ability. He would make note that it apparently has a cool down. Siyho however would see the opportunity for a counter attack from his side. Dameon would step backwards and run backwards as he jumped up and back and flung himself off the wall of the closest building. With Dameon now in mid-air Siyho used her weapons ability and shot a highly pressurized blast of water out of her weapon in a line looking to slice Dameon in half. Having anticipated this after seeing the tip of her spear form out of water her formed the second seal with his left hand and created a raiton clone who would quickly throw Dameon aside to avoid the mid air strike. Secondly the blast of water would hit the clone and cause it to explode with raiton damage that would travel through the water and to Siyho. She would yell in pain.
 
”Now!” Dameon yelled to Sano but he also had no doubt that Sanosuke was already on top of things.
 
[1,159. 3,608 total toward Endurance]

[3 EP Total]

Fuyu Profile:

Siyho Profile:

[End and exit due to no reply]