Nightfall blanketed Kumogakure no Sato, covering it in a darkness that was only penetrated by the street and house lights that were throughout the village. A cool breeze sweeping through the streets, blowing pierces of liter to and from, did nothing to deter the night goers from enjoying the activities presented to them at this time of the day. Couples, young and old, moved through the streets, chattering with their significant others, some of them doing it coherently and stability, and others not so much, as they moved around through the night.

Children zipped and weave through the legs of adults, paying with their friends. There infective laugher and boundless energy bringing a smile to some of the adults' faces. Not far behind the children were their parents or siblings who were watching over them like a guardian. Unknown to the blissfully unaware populace, shinobis were moving across the rooftops. The shadowless phantoms moving across them without a sound, and by the time anyone looked up, they would see nothing more than the stillness of the night.

And, just like the civilians who were unaware of what was going on below them, so were the shinobi at what was going on above them. A Great Horned Owl was flying through the sky. It’s wings making not a sound as the majestic bird cut through the starry night. Big, round eyes, hazel in color, shined with intelligence far superior to the avian’s brethren. The eyes looking at the denizens below, scanning about, as if it was looking for something. Spotting what it was looking for, the owl swooped down, to complete the mission given by its master.

Unknowing of the unwanted visitor heading towards the home shared with his wife, and children, Daremo was sitting in the living room. Dressed only in a pair of black hakama pants, the silver-haired male held a book in his right hand. Citrine eyes scanning over the contents of the pages that delivered more knowledge on different diseases which can cause necrosis. The cellular injury being something of interest of him since his time in the Okiya in Iwagakure no Sato, and had persisted to till the day. Even now, he remembered when his interest in the cellular injury came about. His mother having shown him and Marici how it was possible to cause cellular death, and the effects it has on the body. It was from seeing the effects of it on the human body that his interest was piqued.

Such a curious child he was back in the day, and while others would have shunned away from witnessing the disturbing effects of necrosis, he did not. How interesting was it to see the skin turn a purplish black as the cell was dying at a rapid pace. Fascinating it was to see how some times the skin swell up like a bubble, urging one to pop it, and becoming transparent enough to see the purplish blemish underneath? He marveled how necrosis could cause the skin to shrivel up and turn black like raisins. Out of everything he had seen, the ability of necrosis was something that piqued his interest like no other.

Flipping the page of the book, he looked up from his reading at the sound of tapping was heard. Setting the book down, he looked towards the window, spotting an owl that was perched on the window sill, and staring back at him. The owl was of some familiarity to Daremo, it is one means which messages were transported by shinobi, and in this case those apart of the rebellion. Walking towards the window, he unlatched it, allowing the bird to come into the house, much to Hiretsu annoyance who was cawking aggressively at the bird from her perch in the living room. “Behave Hiretsu.”, Daremo spoke, holding out his arm for the owl to perch on it instead. The fact his arm was not shredded by the avian massive claws spoke on the bird’s training. “What do you have for us this time?”, Reaching towards the bird, a small burst of chakra was used, and a scroll poofed into existence.

Unraveling the scroll, he scanned over the contents of it. Frowning a little at what was written on the scroll. The other leaders of the rebellion wanted to have a meeting to discuss what actions they were going to take to ensure that Hastur is removed from power. Many of them were expressing concern about the ability to do so without the backing of powerful allies, thus, something needed to come up with for the plan to work. The meeting, taking place in an hour from now,  was going to be held at a nearby Ochaya that was allied with them. The letter also mentions wanting all leadership members there, which meant Amaya would be coming as well. Rereading the letter once more, Daremo called for his wife, “Marici. Can you come here for a moment?”, once she came over, he handed her the scroll for her to read.

Petting the owl, much to Hiretsu’s annoyance, he waited until his wife was done with reading, “Now of all times they want to become more proactive in removing Hastur. All the other times they did not bother in asking for all leadership to attend, but, I guess considering how things are going, they need the input from everyone.” Indeed, asides from running a single mission with the group, Daremo had not been assigned to any other mission, and contact with the rebellion had been minimal at best. Needless to say, he was not impressed with the group, “Do you happen to have those medical files of the murdered men and women? Or do you need help gathering them up? We should bring it to their attention that another group led by an Iwa-nin is making amuk of things, and have been killing innocent people who they believed was a supporter of Hastur.  But, I don’t know what they will do with this information. Do you think they will actually care about this other group which is parading under the rebellion banner?”, he asked, his beloved, valuing her opinion on the matter.

---

1049

With evening hours underway it was time for the usual routine of getting the kids ready for bed - or rather, considering they were now ten, ensuring that they washed their faces and brushed their teeth and were in their beds before eight o’clock hit. Shinobi or not Marici kept to the eight o’clock bedtime whenever possible simply because it meant she knew her children could get enough sleep. For Marici the growth and development of her children was far more important than any mission or assignment the village might have for them. She paid no one any heed on how they thought about it either - the health of her children and their safety was her priority, not some big wig in a hat with a stick up his ass.

So it was not surprising that Marici was upstairs with the children, leaning on the doorway of the bathroom while Mamoru went about brushing his teeth and Zaylee, who had already brushed hers, went about washing her face: both children already in their pajamas which unsurprising were done in the same style with complimentary colors. The twins were adorable even now. Despite hearing the tapping on the window down below, almost nothing these days able to get past Marici’s well honed senses, she ignored it in favor of keeping an eye on the twins and chattering about nothing of important with the pair as she always did in the evenings: liking to take the time to catch up on what the pair had been doing, or any issues that had come up.

As both children finished up Marici smiled. “Alright, come on you two. Bedtime. Chop chop.”, she spoke, easily lifting up both of them with one arm each and carrying them to the bedroom they shared more by choice at this point then necessity. There was an empty room awaiting them when they wanted their space, but so far the pair decided to share, likely due to the close bond the twins had with one another. Marici saw no issues with this, nor did their father, so it was into their bedroom that she went, gently depositing Mamoru onto his bed - he wanting his bed by the door - and then Zaylee on hers. “Bedtime story!”, Zaylee exclaimed, sitting up happily, only for Mamoru to do the same before chiming in, “Yeah! Bedtime story, momma!”

Chuckling, and deciding to play hard to get Marici would look towards her two darling children with a playfully thoughtful look upon her face. “Don’t you think you two are getting a bit too old now for bedtime stories?”

“Nuh uh!”, Mamoru responded, grinning, knowing just as well as his sister did that this was nothing more than an act. “Yeah, you tell the best stories, momma.”, Zaylee chimed in, hoping to persuade Marici into telling them a story even though she knew full well Marici would give in in the end regardless.

With another chuckle Marici tucked both of the children in, giving them a kiss on their foreheads before telling them a quick tale of one of her missions, leaving out important details or the most violent aspects: this time around the story being a tale of how she saved a princess from a group of bandits. Even before she really had a chance to end the story both twins were out like a light, and after dimming the light down in their room she closed their bedroom door softly behind herself before heading downstairs. “I rather enjoyed that story.”, Marici heard a whisper in her ear, unsurprised to find her mother in law walking silently behind her, the woman having come over to stay the week at the insistence of the twins. “It was edited for content though, I see.”, Mayuko added with an amused smile.

“Of course. They don’t need those images in their heads before bed. Especially Zaylee.” Ah yes, despite the kidnapping of her daughter and the near death of her son now over a month ago she was still protective of the pair. She had noticed the changes in Zaylee, causing her to go from a bold as brass little girl into one that was far more cautious. Things could have ended far more badly than they did, but even still she worried about Zaylee quite a lot. She knew she wa strong enough to push through the boundaries that her kidnapping had caused, but it would take time. The same could be said for Mamoru, who she could assume was likely beating himself up over his inability to do anything beyond hiding in the face of so many strong enemies who would have ended him where he stood had Zaylee’s quick thinking not saved him.

“They’ll be alright, just give it time.”, Mayuko spoke before heading into her room, leaving Marici to answer Daremo’s call alone as she headed down the steps and into the living room. Looking towards her husband her gaze darted to the owl and then the letter, but she didn’t take it immediately, in favor of pausing near Hiretsu and gently running her fingers down the birds head and along her back. “I know you’re upset, Hiretsu, I don’t want to see that owl anymore than you do, but let’s not wake the little ones, yeah? They just fell asleep.”

Focusing her attention back on her husband she would reach out and take the letter, reading it over carefully but quickly, a frown forming on her face as she reached the end and glanced over to the clock. Needless to say she wasn’t happy about the timing: neither the fact that they had now less than an hour to get to the meeting location, but also the hour of the evening. Thank the gods the twins had bribed Mayuko into staying over for the week. “I have them, they’re here in my office.”, she spoke softly, knowing well her husband would likely follow her to her office. Heading inside the downstairs office she made her way to her desk which was actually cleared of everything minus a single small folder. It wasn’t this folder she paid any attention to though, as with a small burst of chakra she unlocked the second drawer on the right side of her desk and pulled it open, pulling forth from it a scroll. “Got them. Though I don’t think they’ll care at this point about what that Iwa-nin is doing. Though, his actions are certainly keeping the attention off of us, so for that I’m grateful. It’s also giving us another individual to blame should something happen.” Oh yes, while she didn’t agree with what the Iwa-nin was doing, nor the senseless murders he had committed or the fact that he was making his actions so well known which was drawing Hastur’s attention, it was nice to have an scapegoat to blame everything on. It would work in their benefit should things get too hairy or dangerous, and at least give them to time to get out should such actions be warranted.

---

1,195

Calling out for his significant other, Daremo did not have to wait long before the sound of her walking towards him reached his ears. Although the meeting was supposed to take place less than an hour from now, he was not in a rush to get there. The two children upstairs, most likely sharing the same room, sleeping, took priority over everything else. They along with Marici was his only priorities, and if it came to going to a meeting, and spending time with them? He would chose his children over them every time. Having almost losing them once due to shinobi duties, he was not about to risk it again.

Daremo shook his head in amusement at Hiretsu allowing Marici to pet her. The vulture still finding some reason to peck him whenever he wanted to be nice to her. Though, he did not resent the bird for her actions, it having become something he expected of his companion. A soft chuckle left him at Marici’s comment of not liking the owl, “The owl is not that bad. At least he allows me to pet him.”, as if to exhibit this, Daremo reached out and stroke the feathery head of the avian, who closed his eyes in bliss. Having petted the avian enough, it was time to focus on the heart of the matter, thus, he handed the scroll to Marici.

Allowing her to read the contents of the scroll, he did not need to glance at the clock to see what time it was. They would need to arrive to the designated location quick, though it should not be a problem considering how relatively close they were to it. Still, he had wished there was some mentioned about the meeting prior to this, but, he assume there was a good reason for that. Couldn’t possibly let the meeting be known prior, and have one of the agency accidentally slip up and mention it in public. “Good, we will need the information. The others need to be aware of the second faction, and to be wary of them.”, the words were spoken as he followed Marici into her office.

With the information gather, Daremo nodded his head, “I doubt they will care either. For, you are right, with the reckless nature of the Iwa-nin, they are taken any suspicion off our back. As far as I am aware, no one knows about our group, outside of those who wished to support us. With Iwa sowing chaos, we can move without much problem, at least in theory, but there is still need to air on the side of caution.”. There was no way in knowing how much Hastur knew was going on behind the scene. The Raikage could very well know about the actions being taken against him, and was just waiting for them to publicly expose themselves. None knew what the man knew, and that could be dangerous.

Leaving out of the office, Daremo was not surprised to see Mayuko sitting on the couch, reading the book that he had put down. “You and Marici-chan need not worry about the little ones. Nothing will happen to them so long as I am breathing.”, The woman spoke, not once looking up from the book. “Now go to that meeting of yours. But, remember my teachings when dealing with others. Never take things at face value. Think and analyze for yourself. And if things seem off, then prepare to kill everyone in the room.”, Mayuko said, setting the book down long enough to toss them a scroll.

Catching the scroll, Daremo looked at his mother, “Iwa’s Anbu entire. In case you need to kill them all, you can blame it on Iwa-nins. Might as well use them for your own cause, right? I made sure they were tailored in your sizes.” Nodding in understanding, he slipped the scroll onto his person. Apart of him hoped it would not come to him having to use the contents of the scroll, but, he was prepared to, if the situation called for it. “Are you ready?”, Once his lover confirmed that she was ready to leave, he would make his way towards the ochaya.

The onyx black exterior of the Ochaya did not do it the inside of the place any justice. The soft red hue of the inside, and the soft lights used, brought forth a warming sensation to those who entered the establish. Both Daremo and Marici a greeted the familiar geisha, Junko. The woman having been friends with them from their past. She having left the Okiya in Iwa to marry a client who was from Kumogakure no Sato, though she kept in touch with the pair via Mayuko, and knew the truth behind Daremo. “Good afternoon, Daremo and Marici. The other guest are already here. So, if you will, follow me.”, Nodding, Daremo glanced towards Marici before following Junko.

Walking down the hallways, Daremo and Marici was taken to a secluded part of the establish. The bamboo doors were slid open, revealing three other people, two men and one woman, sitting at the long table, waiting for them. Taking a seat at the table, knowing that Marici would sit beside him, Daremo looked at the others who were there. These were the individuals who was picked and chosen by Raiu Mizuki, prior to the woman disappearing after getting him and his wife into leadership positions within the rebellion. Citrine eyes cut to Junko, the woman nodding as the door to the room was shut, and silence seals were applied to make sure no one could eavesdropped on them.

“Now that everyone is here. Let’s get down to business.”  Mao Fujioka, a respected Jounin who works in torture and interrogation, said. All attention was focus on the woman, “Support for our cause is not growing fast enough. We are in desperate need of more forces to join us. While Hastur has not made a move on us let, even though some of our agencies have been targeting some of his support. We need to be more active in our campaign against the tyrant. We can not sit back any longer.”

Daremo agreed with the woman’s statement. The rebellion won’t be going anywhere with the way things are going now. “Agreed, we need to be more proactive than inactive. But, first, we need allies outside of Lightning Country, preferably from the smaller countries.”, he spoke, the comment getting the others to look at him curiously.

“How do you propose we get this help when Hastur, if you believe in the rumors, is in control of the Daimyo, thus have the Kumo’s alliances in his back pocket? Surely, they won’t be foolish enough to switch sides. For, say what you will, Hastur does have the power to back up his claim of Godhood, and is enough to scare the other nations.”, Miyakawa Sou stated. The burly man bringing up good points. For, if there was truth in the rumors, those who support Hastur was large.

Hearing the concerns, Daremo spoke, “I understand this, but, you are forgetting that we have spies placed in many of the small countries. It was one of the things I suggested a while ago. And, now it is time to make use of these spies, more so than they already being used for. “. Instead of waiting for them to respond, Daremo laid out his plan, “The countries surrounding the Land of Marsh is prime for candidates for our causes. They are neutral in nature, but, that can easily be changed to them allying with us, if, people in power were accidentally murdered with the evidence being pointed back to Hastur and his group. By using spies, those who already in the village, or the locals who can be turned through persuasion, we can spread rumors of Hastur and his forces trying to move into the country. Falsified reports of Jashin sightings, and the killing of civilian and military alike, surely be enough to get them aware. Afterwards, it only take the killing of selected high-profile individuals to spark a hatred of Hastur. And when the spark is bright enough, whispers of a regimen working to oust Hastur and his group would spread through the countries, and I have no doubt the countries would jump at the chance to help this group - especially if we give them something they can’t refuse.”

“Are you proposing us to kill innocent civilians and shinobi!?” Sahaku Jouichirou exclaimed, looking appalled at the suggestion, “We are not like that monster and his group of murders!” Just as Daremo was about to respond, he saw movement from Marici, thus, he held his tongue to see what his wife had to say.

---

1469[2518]

Marici couldn’t help but to chuckle at her husband’s comment regarding the owl at least allowing him to pet it. She knew the way Hiretsu acted towards him and strangers compared to the way she was towards Marici, Zaylee, and Mamoru. Marici had been concerned at first about Mamoru interacting with the bird simply because he was male despite just being a child, but Hiretsu had took to him as well as she had herself and Zaylee. The bird went beyond just tolerating them, and thankfully the children were old enough to know not to be too rough with the bird in question. Of course, there was also some amusement there if she was being honest in watching the way that Hiretsu interacted with her husband despite how often Daremo tried to get on the birds good side. She hoped that with time Hiretsu’s mind would change in regards to the man, but considering that nothing had yet differed she was losing hope in that possibility. ”Careful, love. Hiretsu might eat that owl if you taunt her too badly.”, Marici would comment, smiling slyly as she gave voice to the idea if Hiretsu hadn’t had the same already. In truth she was playing favorites, but Hiretsu was part of the family now and that owl that her husband was petting certainly was not - in fact the sight of it annoyed her quite a lot because of what the owl likely represented.

Hearing her husbands words as he followed her to her office after she finished reading the scroll and went to retrieve the files that would be needed she couldn’t help but to nod her head in agreement. ”Yeah, having them all aware of the other group would be good. Much easier if everyone is on the same page. We don’t need the group we’ve got going getting conflicting messages or signals, and start doing what that Iwa-nin is. That would turn ugly for everyone, especially if we’re trying to take Hastur out through stealth and brains instead of brawn and stupidity.” Was she being too harsh in her judgement of the Iwa-nin? Likely, but she had absolutely no reason to trust him: she didn’t know his motives, and he was turning what was supposed to be done in stealth and secret into an operation that could end up turning into a full blown battle. Marici knew better than to think the self-proclaimed god was weak - with what he’d demonstrated he was anything but - which meant that if they ended up having to take Hastur out through combat lives would be lost. While many of their group knew this, and were prepared for such a sacrifice in the face of the greater good, it didn’t have to go that route unless the Iwa-nin gave them no other option. For now though, he was at least providing them with someone to blame, and shifting Hastur’s attention to him and not their group that was working in the shadows.

”I agree. That Iwa-nin is taking Hastur’s eyes off of us, but it’s also putting him on edge by making it apparent that someone is working against him. That man would be stupid not to be paranoid at this point, and that’ll make any plans of stealth that much harder to implement against him now that he knows someone is after his ass.” Yes, while it was nice that they would have someone to blame it was also counterproductive. Going toe to toe with someone like Hastur would be dangerous for all involved, but it seemed to Marici like that was precisely what they were going to end up having to do now. Gods forbid anything happened to her family because of this Iwa-nin’s negligence: there would be hell for that shinobi to pay.

Following Daremo out of her office and back into the living room she was not surprised to find Mayuko sitting in the living room now instead of upstairs in her room and reading a book: the woman seemed to always know where she was needed and Marici assumed it had something to do with the woman's skills and abilities: those that were still past Marici’s own despite having spent more years than she would admit training under her guiding hand. The woman didn’t look up from her book as she spoke, but her words caused a smile to spread across Marici’s face: nothing would be happening to their children so long as Marici was around. Marici didn’t doubt for a second that she would protect the twins with her life: they had had the hardened woman wrapped around their little fingers long before they were even born. Mayuko had been as beastly protective over Marici while she was pregnant as Marici’s own husband had been, and that protectiveness over the little twins had not waned an ounce since they were born. As Mayuko went on to comment about keeping their wits about them, and to not accept things at face value, Marici found herself nodding in agreement. She had no ideas with killing those who they were supposed to be working with if things seemed off or wrong: she would spare no life to ensure her children’s safety. If Daremo and herself were found out their family could be in danger as well - guilty by association. It was a risk that neither of them was willing to take. If lives had to be lost this evening then they would be to preserve the safety of their family.

Watching as Mayuko finally book her book down and tossed a scroll over with her husband caught, she listened intently to Mayuko’s words, unable to stop the grin from spreading across her face. In that moment it felt just like old times, with Mayuko a bit more prepared than even they were for the situation they were about to head into. Having a backup plan such as this and being prepared for it was good, and it eased some of the tension that Marici was feeling but not allowing to show. ”Aye, that’ll work very well considering the Iwa-nin already stirring up trouble for Hastur.”, Marici would comment softly, knowing well no one would be able to hear her words beyond those within the home, and both children were sound to sleep upstairs with sound proofing activated on their bedroom walls, floor, ceiling, and door.

Looking over to her husband as he questioned if she was ready she nodded her head and followed him outside and towards their meeting place. She was quiet as she walked, her mind churning over the things she wanted to say in regards to the files she had found, as well as the information that she and Daremo had acquired. Arriving, she took in the exterior of the place, noticing the way it paled in comparison to the interior which give her a false sense of warmth that she didn’t fall for. They were greeted by a very familiar Geisha from their past, Junko, who led them to the room they would be having the meeting in. Arriving, she didn’t bother to say anything, and simply took a seat next to her husband. The first one to speak was a member of the torture and interrogation squad, and Marici listened as he explained that support for their cause was not growing fast enough, and that they were all desperate for more forces to join them. As this individual went on to mention that Hastur hadn’t made a move on them yet she found herself wondering if this had something to do with the Iwa-nin running amok and causing open issues for the self proclaimed God. Yet, Marici kept her opinions to herself, listening as the individual continued to speak on how they needed to be more active in their campaign and to not be inactive anymore.

When her husband spoke next it to was him she turned her gaze, listening as he spoke of needing allies outside of Lightning country, something which she agreed with wholeheartedly, nodding her head to his words to show her support. Following her husbands statement came words from a burly looking man who questioned how Daremo proposed that they go about that, especially as Hastur’s powers were great and the smaller nations had more than enough reasoning to be frightened of him. This was of course a valid issue: if Hastur wished he could easily wipe some of the smaller villages off of the map without anyone being the wiser to his actions until it was too late. He would not need an army of men and women at his disposal either, with power the likes of which the supposed God had. Yet, Marici knew that in this situation like many others in life, where there was a will there was a way.

Instead of commenting though Marici kept her silence for a bit longer, allowing her husband to explain how he wished to go about this. The spies they had on other countries would certainly come to use, and with the land of Marsh having prime candidates for their cause it was the perfect way to start gathering that much needed support. Daremo’s plan was certainly a sound one: by attacking those in political positions and killing them while making the murders look connected to Hastur it would raise the ire and anger of these smaller nations, giving them the much needed motivation to throw aside their neutral positions in favor of joining their cause to overthrow Hastur and rid Kumo of the man for good. Doing this would spark a wildfire of whispered rumors that would spread to other countries, which from sheer example alone and fear would rally to join their cause and fight to remove the bastard God from his position. It was a sound plan, one that Marici was in favor of, but of course she assumed someone would oppose.

She wasn’t wrong either. One of their little meeting group looked utterly appalled at the suggestion, and voiced it clearly, before questioning if they were to become monsters like Hastur and his allies. Deciding that she had kept her silence long enough, and knowing well the words that needed to be said, she lifted her head and shifted her piercing silver gaze onto the one who looked so disgusted by the idea. ”Did you truly think we were going to get through this without innocents being affected? If so then you are delusional and blind and should not be here. I’m not saying it’s the right thing to do morally, but it’s really the only thing to do, especially with the closing time table we have to work in.” Pausing, Amara pulled the scroll from her sleeve that contained the files of the various victims of the Iwa-nin who was running rampant around the country, killing those supposedly linked to Hastur. ”The death toll is already rising. There is an Iwa-nin who has been openly opposing Hastur, and targeting and slaughtering those he believes are allied to him: some of the poor souls who have already been victims of these murders were in his pocket, while others were simply innocent and presumed guilty. The longer this goes on the more weary Hastur will become, and the more closed off he will be. If we stand any shot at stopping the self proclaimed god then this is it. War is ugly, treason is ugly, and sometimes it forces good people to do horrible things. Are the lives of a few dozen or less politicians really worth the sheer horrors and terror that Hastur will cause to thousands? If we do not stop him now while we have the chance he will eventually get to the point to where he can no longer be put down. We will suffer, as will our children and their children. We need to strike as soon as possible, so unless you have another plan that will work as quickly and effectively to gather support for us than this is our best option. War is ugly on both sides, there is no deny this fact, but this is a method that will garner us that edge while we still have the chance, and give us the support we need to put that bastard down for good and restore some sense of stability to Kumogakure.”, all of Marici’s words were spoken in a calm manner, hiding the annoyance she felt at the sheer idea that one of them possibly thought this could go any differently. Even with some of her more hostile spoken words she was the picture of calmness, which seemed to radiate from her in waves like it often had when she was younger. She was doing well in controlling her temper, but how long would it last for?

---

2,155 | 3,350

It was good to see him and Marici was on the same page when it came to letting the others know about the Iwagakure no Sato shinobi who was running amuck in the village. No good would come from in keeping the information to themselves. As Marici said, by getting the information out to the rest of the rebellion, it would remove any confusion on the way things was being handle. They need to distant themselves from the Iwa-nin, drawing a proverbial line in the sand which separated their own ideologies and motives away from those of  the brute. The last thing any of them needed was for members of the rebellion to start following in the Iwa-nin’s footstep, and handling things with the finesse of bull in a shop of experience glasses. Being reckless is not the way to handle the situation, as they were not dealing with the run of the mill shinobi, thus, stealth would be ideal in this situation.

Though, with the Iwa-nin’s reckless behavior, they were taking away the attention from the rest of them. Hopefully, with Hastur’s attention on the Iwa-nin and their group, it give the rebellion a better chance of moving about without worry. They can go about their business in a way that they normally wouldn’t be able to if they were the only one working against Hastur. Daremo knew certain things would not have been possible for the rebellion without the other group being as reckless as they were being. But, on the same line of thinking, the behavior of the other group has caused the Raikage to become more paranoid than before. The man is undoubtedly looking for anyone to connect to the group(s) which are conspiring against them. Hastur would be foolish not to have noticed what was going on around him, especially considering what the Iwa-nin is doing.

Leaving the house, Daremo’s thoughts drifted to the scroll which his mother had given him and Marici. He needed not to know how the woman got her hands on Iwa’s Anbu equipment, though, he wonder, in his case, did she just adjusted his own attire to fit him now? For despite having left the village, he still kept his own Anbu gear. A remainder of the past which he both wanted to remember and forget at the same time. Such was the paradox within his mind when it came to the country of his true origins. He was grateful that she had given them the scrolls, and warned them of trusting everyone without having some leverage on them. Some might have called the woman paranoid, and they would be right on the money. Yet, one did not reach her age without some paranoia.

So, when she tossed them the scrolls, and telling to prepare to kill everyone in the room, the comment was not surprising at all. Learning from the elderly woman was the need to be polite and courtesy to everyone they meet, but be prepared to kill them if necessary. Do not get too comfortable, nor lower one’s guard, when around those who just strangers. Everyone has a motive and a meaning for their actions, and until they are founded out, one must be wary of them.  Was Daremo ready to do that, as in killing the leaders of the rebellion if needed? Yes, there was very little attachment to these members outside of people who shared similar ideas. He would kill them without a second thought.

Citrine eyes looked across the other leaders of rebellion. This was not the first time they had met. When Mizuki had came to them, proposing the idea of joining this rebellion, him and Marici was introduced to the leaders of the rebellion. The men and women who were in charge of making sure everyone was doing their job properly. Out of the three members, Daremo like and was wary of Mao Fujiko the most. Getting into the torture and interrogation field wasn’t something everyone can do. It took a special type of person to enjoy the twisted art. She was the one, if any of them, who would have the best chance of getting in contact with Hastur.  Her department dealt with extracting information for informants, that is brought to the Raikage, thus, if anything that could be damaging to the rebellion is found it, she would have the best chance to know. And it was because of how easily she can obtain information, and give it to Hastur, which cause him to be the most wary of her out of them all.

Daremo knew his proposed idea would not sit well with many. He was literally talking about murdering innocence and political figures, and make it seem like Hastur was the one behind it. From having to deal with Mizuki, and her diplomatic ways of handling things, he had pegged at least one of the rebellion members to be against the proposed idea. For, Mizuki was not the type to handle the darker aspects of being a shinobi. So, when Sahaku Jouichirou spoke against the idea, saying they were not monsters like Hastur’s group, Daremo’s predatory gaze fell onto the male, as he listened to Marici speak on the subject, and right away, he knew she was annoyed.

He would have not called Sahaku delusional and blind, even though the man was, but, rather a byproduct of Mizuki’s beliefs. The honor system was all nice in theory, but, it did not work in the day and age. Peace was no longer a guaranteed thing, and men who have longed for war and chaos was now rising up in the hundreds. Innocents would be caught in the crossfire no matter what they did. The Raikage, in his opinion, was not the type who would spare others if it meant saying his own ass. Peons can be replace, a God can not. They needed to act now. They have been inactive for entirely too long.

War was indeed ugly. Daremo had witness is twice already. Grant on both occasions they were skirmishes compared to the things tod in the history books, but, it didn’t take away from the horrors that come from war. It is during the moment of chaos where the true depths of man’s insanity and evilness is seen first hand. The words Marici spoke was full of compassion and blunt truth. If they did not use everything to stop Hastur than the man would only grow in strength, and cause more pain and suffering for those who do not follow them.



“Who is this Iwa-nin that has been killing innocence?” Miyakawa Sou asked, having never heard of this until now. Looking at the one who asked the question, Daremo spoke, “I do not know his last name, but, he goes by Maikumaru. Prior to his involvement in our mess, he sought me out to teach him medical ninjutsu. On a whim, I decided to teach him the basics, nothing which would give him an edge against me or others close to me. When we in Iwa, meeting up with Raiu Mizuki at the time, I ran into him once more. This time around, he had killed a Kumo-nin who, according to him, was a Hastur supporter. I - - “

“How do you know he was telling the truth? He could have been lying.”  Mao Fujioka spoke, cutting Daremo off to ask the question.

Not phrased at being cut off, Daremo nodded, “I did not know for sure. In fact, I did not believe him for one second. Speaking to him for a few moments, you will come to realize Maikumaru is a reckless individual who cares not for the chaos caused. He believes our country, Lightning Country has the inability to do anything against Hastur. That we are just allowing the man to run amuk. He said he was going to come here, and do what us Kumo-nins can’t, and that is to remove Hastur.”

“Posterous. One man can not hope to stand up against Hastur’s regimen.” Sahaku Jouichirou exclaimed, finding the mere idea of a single man being able to take down Hastur as impossible.

“I agree with my colleague on this. But, what came of Maikumaru, I am assuming you didn’t kill him considering he is the one who is causing the mess for us. Going to guess it was because this meeting took place in Earth County.” Daremo nodded, confirming Mao’s suspicion.  

“Yep, the only reason he is alive now is because of sheer luck. I would have killed him if he was in any other country, but I could not risk it while in Earth Country.” Daremo said, looking at those at the table.

“I see. Now the window for killing him is closed due to his new position as Tsuchikage, after the previously one went missing.” It was not surprising that Mao knew such information. The woman did work in the torture and interrogation department, and could have easily gotten it from others.

“You mean Iwagakure actually made this brute their Tsuchikage? Didn’t they have a better option than him?”  Sahaku Jouichirou asked. Mao shook her head at the question, “There were others, but, they really want this man for their Tsuchikage. I don’t personally understand it when Harichimo was doing a good job as it was.”

To regain their attention and focus, Daremo cleared his throat, “Let’s get back to the heart of the matter. We need to garner more allies to fight against Hastur. And while some of you might not like the tactics I proposed, time is running out and we need to act now.”, he said, “Secondly, we need to deal with the Tsuchikage is a manner that is beneficial for us. Do any of you have ideas for that?”

---

1658[4176]

As Marici went silent she listened as the conversation continued on. They wanted to know who the Iwa-nin was, to which her husband responded, giving the man’s name as well as adding on the explanation that the man had sought him out to learn medical ninjutsu. Daremo had taught him, but nothing along the lines of skills that could be used against them. She listened intently as her husband continued on, explaining that this Iwa-nin was under the assumption that Lightning country was incapable of handling Hastur, and that he himself believed himself strong enough to do so. As one of the others spoke up saying that that was a preposterous idea Marici found herself nodding her head in silent agreement: indeed it was. The conversation continued on, developing into new facts about this man who Daremo had once taught: he was now Tsuchikage. “I dare say that doesn’t sound like it will bode well for Earth country in the end. So newly appointed, but instead of handling the threats in his own backyard - like the Infinity Gang - he’s here causing chaos and trouble. If nothing else at least that’ll keep Hastur’s attention for now, though I can imagine that this Iwa-nin is nothing more than an ant to Hastur’s magnifying glass.”

Looking towards her husband Marici found herself shrugging her shoulders. “While I’m sure some would want the Tsuchikage dead, it would do us no good. However, this chaotic streak of death he’s on might prove useful in the future. It seems most villages these days want nothing more than alliances with one another, and if that pattern holds truthful then whoever is appointed after Hastur would certainly stand to gain by using the Tsuchikage’s own crimes here in Lightning country against him---” A knock at the door interrupted Marici, who immediately stopped talking as seconds later the door was opened and the same Geisha from before, Junko, stepped inside. She closed the door before looking at them all. “Some of our issues friends have shown up, I’m sure the seals will hold, but it would be best not to test them.” It was a simple warning, leaving out names, and leaving the words if they did happen to be overheard some sort of way to be up for interpretation: Junko could have been talking about the drunk in the next room whose buddies had just shown up after all, and not Hastur’s allies. Then again, Geisha’s knew the way of how to keep and preserve secrets.

Marici would watch as the group dispersed, filing out through different entrance ways and methods as to avoid detection or suspicion as to why they were all meeting together. Glancing at her husband Marici found herself rising from her seat, slipping her hand in his and leading the way if he were to follow out the side door and into a small garden, making her way casually over to the koi fish pond as they had numerous times before, as if they had just finished a cup of sake and some dinner and were going for a stroll before heading home. “Lark is sick. I heard his doctor talking about it. He plans on administering him some medication, but I think it’s the wrong one. We should switch it out for the right one.” The words were simple, the implication behind them was not. Hastur had some kind of illness, something which Marici had overheard, and he would be being given a series of shots that were meant to stop the effects of the diseases progression as much as was possible. By switching out the medication with the ‘right’ one, as in a poison, they could easily rid themselves of the self proclaimed god without anyone being the wiser, and leave one of Hastur’s own allies, his personal medic, to take the fall for it should an investigation be made into the exact medication that Hastur was given. While this had been knowledge she knew of, she had also been curious as to what would be said at the meeting, thus her silence before now. Her lack of trust for those involved had likewise played a part: the only person at that table she trusted was her husband. It was too easy to turn someone, too easy to fake being disloyal when one truly wasn’t. If this idea was going to go off without any issues then it would have to be executed in the utmost secrecy, and for that she needed just herself and her husband to play their parts well with no one else being the wiser.

770 | 4,120

Some people might not admit in being the one who taught someone who was causing them, or those close to them, problems, but, Daremo was not like most people. He did not care for others knowing who he had taught, nor for their opinions on the matter. Yes, he had taught the current Tsuchikage a bit about medical ninjutsu, along with helping him with his illness, so what? The man was one of the least threatening people Daremo had the pleasure of teaching or allying with. A former snake took that prize. In his eyes, the Tsuchikage was nothing more than a small nuisance at best.

Looking at the rebellion leaders, his gaze turned to his wife. Listening as she gave her opinion on the Tsuchikage, and his actions. The words she spoke were nothing but the truth. The Tsuchikage was a joke of a leader. Instead of handling things in his own country, the brute was trying to interfere in the affairs of another. His actions just showed where his motives lie, and they certainly were not with Tsuchi no Kuni, but, with him being in Lightning Country, and causing trouble, it gave the rebellion an unique opportunity. If they wanted to secure the opinion of the people, control the riots that might occur when Hastur is killed, a scapegoat was needed. And what a better scapegoat than the Tsuchikage?

A knock at the door, with Junko entering, caused Daremo to look at the woman in question. Her words causing the conversation and meeting between the members to an end. Other customers have shown up that could spell an issue for them if they overheard the conversations. Nodding in understanding, Daremo watched as the leaders disperse before standing up along with his wife. His hand interlocking with her own as they made their way out to a koi pond in the back of the establishment. Looking at the koi swimming about, Daremo’s facial expression remained stoic at the revelation of Hastur being sick. Though, on the inside, it was a surprising revelation that could give them a means to deal with the man. The stoic expression gave away with the next words his lover spoke.

A glorious idea was planted in the mind of Daremo by none other than his beloved. Both of them knew fighting against Hastur would not be the most advise thing to do. While both of them, in theory, would eventually be able to beat the Raikage, if the man was fighting alone, the lost of death and collateral damage would have been too high for their liken. There would have been no telling the amount of damage would been cause when the three clashed in the battlefield. Daremo’s own techniques did not lend towards crowd friendly, thus, many would be caught in the crossfire of them. And, while Hastur saw himself as a God, and the people as his servants, the silver haired male had no doubt the Raikage would care about those who got caught amidst the mayhem. Thus, another means to deal with the man would need to be thought of.

Poisoning. The one would was the solution which Marici had hinted at to him only two days after the meeting with the other leaders of the rebellion. If they did not want to fight the man, then poisoning him would surely do the trick. The act of poisoning another being something which had always been a tried and true method when dealing with the powerful or those who had far reaching influence. Poisoning him would ensure no confrontation would be ended, thus drawing little to zero attention to them, and the cost of life would be significant lower than in any other method. The idea was sound, better than the one who he had proposed to the leaders prior, seeing how the amount of time to accomplish such was incredibly long and there lies unknown variables with the other countries even falling for the bait. Time was not on their size, especially with the meddling of Iwa-nins, thus, Marici’s proposed idea was an incredibly sound one.

There lies a problem with the idea though. What type of poisoning would be needed in this situation? Whatever had to be used must be untraceable. Neither of them needed an autopsy to be done, and the one doing it finding out the type of poison which was used. Whatever was used needed to be something which could not be trace back to a specific plant, or analyzed in any manner which would give its identity away. For hours, Daremo looked through the various medical books, trying to find something which would be beneficial for them, and then he found exactly what he was looking for: Aconite

Deprived from the Monkshood plant, the particular poison was unique for it was almost untraceable postmodem, thus making the change of anyone finding out the type of poison used, nearly impossible. The untraceability of the poison was something which was desirable. The fact that it can be absorbed into the body with the slightest of touches was also favorable for them. Daremo figured the two aspects could be used in the creation of the poison. The effects of the poison on the human body would be deprived elsewhere. They just needed the basis for the poison to be untraceable and easily adminsterable. As for the effects of the poison, Daremo turned to Strychnine.

Deprive from the seeds of the Dog Button plant, the particular poison had most of the desired effects needed for the type of assassination. With it causing paralysis, asphyxiation, the likelihood of Hastur being able to move or react to anything would be slim to none. There wouldn’t be anything the man could do as the poison killed him. Though, while the poison had some favorable conditions, there was need for one. In order for there to be no doubt the man would die, and to throw off any suspicion of them. They did not want the poison to be fast acting, but something slow.

It was here that Marici suggested Ricin. Victims who were poisoned by ricin usually did not die until ten days or a week later. Furthermore, no symptoms showed up for anywhere between twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Both of the aforementioned characteristics was idea for their designer made poison. Neither of them wanted the poison symptoms to show up immediately, for Hastur would know something was wrong. Thus, by using ricin as apart of the poison make it, and tweaking it accordingly, something which would be simple for either of them considering their medical background. Knowing what they needed, the pair went about gathering the ingredients under the disguise of exploration. Now with everything gathered, it was time to make their move.

Nerves, Daremo would be lying if he denied not being nervous about what they were about to do. There was a difference between talking and planning out the assassination of a military leader, with the influence and power of Hastur, than actually committing and doing the act. Although they believed what they were doing was for the betterment of the Lightning Country, there would surely be those who would believe otherwise. For, no matter how one looks at it, Daremo and his significant other was about to commit a serious crime that was punishment by death, and their influence would not be enough to get them out of it, if they were found out.

“From helping Mizu no Kuni fight off against the Seven Bells forces to confronting the monster known as Lamya, and having scuffle with the unknown Konoha-nin, never did I think about the possibility of our death until now.” The words were solemn as he looked on at his sleeping children. Both Zaylee and Mamoru had been put to bed early, forced into a sleep by a jutsu of his own creation. Neither of them needed to know what their parents were going to do. Neither of them needed to worry about the possibility of what would come of their parents if they were found out.

“What we are about to do, if caught, can very well end up in our deaths. Under no circumstances can we allow that to happen.”, Citrine eyes looked at Marici with fear in them,“We need to make sure we survive this. If this succeeds, our children will have a future that is not ruled by a tyrant, but by someone who is fair and just, but do what is needed for the nation.” It was obvious he was talking about himself. There was no secret within the family that Daremo was aiming for the Raikage position. There was a growing need to step into the leadership position once more. To do something greater than he did in his small tenure in a life long forgotten. But, more importantly, to make sure be in a protection that would allow him to keep an eye on his family.

Selfish reasons were the man’s ambitions for while some was for the betterment of  Lightning Country, but also to protect his family. But, was it really selfish in wanting to protect his family? Was it really selfish to make a future where his family is safe? To a prominent military leader, arguably one of the strongest, in order to ensure a better leader would take up the mantle? Anyone in his position would do the same if it meant the survivability and well-being of their children, right? Daremo did not know the answer to the question, but, he can only assume they would.

Taking one more glance at the sleeping Zaylee and Mamoru, he turned around and made his way into the living room. “Are you two prepared for what you must do?”, Daremo looked towards his mother who was sitting on the couch, reading book. On the table in front of her were a pair of Anbu masks, one belonging to Daremo, and the other to Marici. Citrine eyes looked towards Marici as a silent conversation waged between them. Are they truly ready to commit this crime? To assassinate the Raikage. There was some hesitation before he answer, “Yeah, I am ready for this.” The words were spoken with some confidence, but not enough for his mother’s liken.

“You are probably assuming the worst, right?” Mayuko asked, setting down the book to look at her son and his lover, “Steel your hearts, and remove any hesitation you might have. What is being done is dangerous, but, there will be no future if you remain idle. You can not afford to wait for a miracle to save this country from its situation. The burden of this is on your shoulders, and you two have the best shot at this. You have been trained by me. You have been through hell. You have reached the doors of death but manage to escape. You have what it takes to complete this mission, to remove this man from power. Believe in yourself, and for what you are fighting for. Remember, you two need to come back home to your beautiful children. Do not leave them with both parents. Do you understand, me?”

---

1879[6055]

There was no doubt in Marici’s mind that if they went up against Hastur there would be casualties, there would be a loss of life. If they could find a way to handle this situation another way that would most certainly be for the best. The fact that Hastur was ill and being treated with medication offered them an opening that they otherwise wouldn’t have had. It gave them an option that would hopefully keep the amount of death and loss of life to an ultimate low, an option that would be safer for all involved.

Poisoning Hastur would certainly be easier, and cleaner. With both of them being medics it would be easy enough to get their hands on poison, or better yet make one their own to which there was no known cure. Something slow acting, that would give them time to put as much distance between themselves and Hastur as possible as to avoid any implications being placed upon them. Research had to be done in secret, which thankfully was aided by various books on the topics that they could get their hands on - books any self respecting medic would know. Together they came up with possibilities on the poison, a combination of several ingredients.

Gathering the ingredients were easy enough, a simple day off exploring easily bypassing anyone knowing what they were up to. With ingredients in hand they had returned home, beginning the preparations for what was to come, and hatching a brilliant plan that hopefully none would be the wiser of.


Marici would be lying if she said she wasn’t scared. What they were doing was a treasonous act of the highest order. It was punishable by death. More importantly it could lead to the death’s of their children and the rest of their family. While they had gone over the plan more than a hundred times in secret, knew it as well as the back of their own hands, there was always the chance that something could go wrong. Even something small could lead to larger implications, and neither one of them could take that risk. There was no way they would be able to get out of it otherwise, neither would have enough ground to stand on if they were caught.

Standing next to her husband she stared at their peacefully sleeping children. The idea of this situation going wrong leading to their deaths, to their children being without their parents, was incomprehensible. It was something that they could not allow to happen. Of all the situations they had faced together and separately this one was the one that scared her the most, mainly due to the fact that leaving their children without parents was the last thing she wanted to do. They could not fail this, but they also could not back down. Hastur would only get worse, and she did not want to see her children growing up under a tyrant, nothing more than canon fodder to be tossed at an enemy and replaced when they died. The jutsu that Daremo had used on the children to put them asleep would certainly be helpful: the last thing either of them needed was their children awake during this, not only because it was better off them not knowing what was going to be happening, but because if they did chances were the children would want to help, and it was impossible. Besides, neither herself or her husband would be willing to allow their children in harms way like that. “We will survive this love. There’s no option for us not to.”, Marici would speak softly before following her husband away from their sleeping children. Somehow, some way, they would come back from this, they couldn’t leave their children without both of their parents.

Into the living room Marici was unsurprised to find Mayuko sitting there and reading a book, and even more unsurprising that she picked up on not just her son’s emotions but Marici’s as well. The words the woman spoke though helped, and it made her focused. Mayuko was right, she had pushed them both to Deaths’ door through training, she had prepared them for this. They could do this. They had to if they wanted their children to have any kind of future. “I’m ready.”, she spoke, the words truthful.

---

733[4853]

The doubt and fear eating at his very being, consuming a soul that he previously thought was impervious to such, was almost but entirely vanquished by the words of Marici. Citrine eyes looked within those of his lovers, seeing the same emotions which had been eating him since the very morning, and they shine with appreciation for her words. Although she was feeling the same thing which he was, Marici, his beloved, still managed to speak words with calmed his emotions.  She managed to ease some of his worryness, and reminding him that there was no other option for them. They have to do this. Thus, with a nod of his head, Daremo turned away from the doorway of their sleeping children, and made it into the living room.

Daremo was unsurprised at his mother’s intuition. Even from the moments of childhood, the woman always had a way of knowing the thoughts and feelings of him. She was able to read him like a book, even when he tried to hide things for her. A few times he had questioned her on how she knew such things about him. The answer being a simple one, she was his mother, thus, there was nothing he could hide from her. No matter how old he will get, her sharp eyes will see through to the truth behind the facade that he elegantly crafted, and helpful words would be given. Words that would never leave him astray.

Thus, Daremo paid attention to the words the older woman spoken. Making sure to commit to memory everything she said, and take it to heart. The older generation had a wealth of experience and advice, and he would be foolish not to listen to his mother; one does not simply get to live as long as she does considering her former and current occupation. The words spoken were like a spark of fire, setting ablaze the worries and concerns he had for what they were about to do, and given away to some confidence; a confidence that would be needed given what was about to transpire.

“I understand mother.”, The words were spoken with confidence that had been lacking previously, “We will come back alive.” Was there any other choice in the matter? They have to come back alive, or else not only they would die, but also their children. In what they were about to do, there was no ‘other option’, they have to assassinate the tyrant known as Hastur.  With his wife being ready, Daremo reached for the two Anbu masks on the table, and handed Marici’s hers, while securing his own to his face. Unlike in every other mission, Daremo opted to forgo kimono-esque attire, instead, wearing the Iwa Anbu uniform from his time as Iwa’s Anbu Captain. To choice being a simple one, for, if anyone sees him, the blame can fall on another country, not his.  

With a quick check of his equipment, along with making sure he had two vials of the poison, something both of them had on their person, Daremo nodded in the direction of Mayuko then glance at Marici, “Let’s go.”, the words signifying he was ready for what they were about to do. There was no turning back from this. It was time for they to succeed in their mission, to ensure their children have a better future. Walking towards the front door, he paused, and looked back at the closed door of the sleeping children, “For them.”, he whispered, while opening the door, and disappearing within the night, knowing well that Marici would follow.

Moving through the cover of the night, using the natural shadows provided, Daremo did not bother sparking a verbal conversation with Marici. The details of the conceived plan was known by both of them. Their roles and actions were already predetermined with enough room to make adjustments on the fly. They had been meticulous when it came planning, putting their years within Anbu to use. The first part of their plan was to find and locate Hastur’s personal doctor which only went by the name Zenith. When it came to individuals, this man was elusive as they came, at least when it comes to his origins. None of the files on the man spoke of where he came from, only that he became one of the head doctors at the hospital behest Hastur’s appointment to Raikage.

Although a support Hastur, the man was a brilliant doctor, that could rival some of those from the Era of Heros, something which Daremo could respect. What Zenith did outside of work was relatively unknown, but, the couple did find out that he was constantly shadowed by three individuals, presumably Anbu, at all times. The individuals most likely being handpicked by Hastur to ensure the safety of his personal medic. They would need to eventually deal with the hidden guards, if they desired to get close enough to Zenith, but only after the man leads them to where Hastur’s medicine was stored.

“Stop.”, the word coming out via hand sign, Daremo perched on one for the rooftops overlooking Kumogakure’s Main Hospital, and pointed down below. Leaving the hospital was their target in question, leaving the hospital, and citrine eyes noted the presence of three others surrounding the man. “Let’s not get too close. Follow from a distance.”, he signed, moving only when Marici acknowledge such. While he would have love to take out the hidden guards now, there was simply not an option for them, considering the amount of traffic tonight. Thus, the pair followed the man out of the village, and through a wooded area, until they came up to a small cabin.

From the perch on a tree branch, Daremo looked around the clearing, sensing to see if there were any others in the surrounding area. Sensing none, his attention shifted to Zenith, who entered the cabin, with his three shadows revealing themselves, and moved about into the surrounding area. “We need to take them out, non-lethally.”, Daremo signed, “Don’t get caught.” As the warning was given, the silver haired male moved, disappearing within the shadows of the tree, closer to the first target. Strong arms wrapped around the unexpecting victim’s neck, applying immense pressure to the jawline to the point the individual was knock out without making a single noise. Not allowing the body to drop to the ground, Daremo tugged it deeper within the forest, and move onto the next target. Just like the previous one, they too would be knock out.

With both guards down, Daremo waited for Marici to finish, before moving towards the cabin.

---

1119[7174]

If anyone had the motivation to complete such a treacherous task it was herself and her husband. This went deeper than just loyalty to a country in shambles, this was greater than just ensuring a tyrant was removed. If Hastur remained in a place of power then their own children, such young Genin as they were even now, would suffer and likely die. The man seemed to care for nothing beyond himself, he was reckless and a danger to all, which he had proven time and time again. He had to be stopped, and they needed to ensure a place of safety for their children to grow up in. Both herself and her husband had suffered much in their youth by various means, and neither wanted that pain, sorrow, and suffering for the two adorable and innocent children resting in their beds. This motivation would give them strength, of that Marici was sure, and it would ensure that they both came back alive, one way or another. Nodding in agreement with her husbands words about coming back alive, she took her mask and put it on: it had been a while since she had donned it, had promised herself never to do so again, and yet now she was because it would serve the purpose of keeping suspicion off of them as Kumo-nin, casting it instead on villages that had no place in this rebelion. While neither planned on being seen it would most certainly make sure that if they were the blame would fall elsewhere, and that was a must to make sure their children remained completely safe.

Following her husband to the front door she heard his whispered words, pausing long enough to give his shoulder a gentle squeeze in agreement with what he spoke as well as comfort, before she followed him outside. Moving through the night, using the shadows like old friends for stealth and secrecy, it was easy enough to keep up with her husband while remaining unseen and unheard. The plan of theirs was one that they had gone over time and time again with amendments made to it should they be needed, so there was no need for communication as they moved through the night like a couple of shadows themselves. She knew the location they were headed to and why: they had to find Hastur’s doctor and then follow him to another location - something which would be easier said than done considering the Anbu that shadowed him. To say the man was well protected was an understatement, but then again he was Hastur’s personal medic and thus it made sense to ensure the man’s safety.

Seeing the hand sign of her husband to stop she did so, perched within the deepest of the shadows, blending in as if she were a shadow herself. Silvery hues fell upon the figure below who she recognized as Zenith immediately. Perception granted her the ability to easily pick out the three Anbu following him, along with the civilian and hospital personal lingering around. There was no way they could take the doctor out here even if they wanted to, besides they had to see where he was keeping Hastur’s medication: a secret investigation revealed that Zenith was as paranoid as his master, thus it wasn’t being kept in the pharmacy but rather off site somewhere, making their task both more difficult and more easy at the same time. Attempting to switch out the medication in the pharmacy would have brought about a headache of having to cause a distraction while one or the other handled the swap, and then hoping that the medication was not checked before being administered. This way though, with only Zenith apparently having access to it, that took out the need to check and gave them a higher chance that this plan of theirs would go off without a hitch.

Seeing her husband sign that they should follow but not get too close she would nod her head in understanding: it was definitely best that they kept their distance for now. They needed to make sure that Zenith felt safe to head to the location he had the medication for the Raikage stored, otherwise their plan would not succeed. So once more the pair moved, Marici and Daremo like nothing more than shadows of the night, unseen, unheard, as if they didn’t exist at all. It was easy enough considering the distance from which they could move, perception playing a part in ensuring they could keep an eye on Zenith and his well hidden guard even from afar. Once out of the village Marici moved to the trees, moving with practiced ease from one branch to another, going lower only when it suited her cause. From shadow to shadow she moved, knowing that every step would bring them closer to their destination.

As the cabin finally came into sight she too perched herself on a branch like her husband, her gaze shifting from the guard which began to take up various positions as Zenith slipped into the cabin, and over to her husband, seeing him sign that they needed to take out the guards without getting caught and without doing so in a lethal manner. Nodding in understanding she watched her husband slip from his perch silently, choking out the first of the three guards before moving onto the second. Moving like a shadow once more she headed to the third, dropping down silently behind him and using the same method as her husband had as she choked him out in a way that would leave no visible marks while ensuring that he was unconscious and hidden. Once the guard was unconscious and hidden she would move once more to her husband’s side, following him to the cabin in utter and complete silence, leaving not a single trace of herself behind as she moved.

From inside the cabin she could hear the sound of music, though to call it music was insulting to actual music. It was eerie, wrong, and she couldn’t understand how the self proclaimed God’s personal medic could listen to such horrendous noise and enjoy it. Through the window, unseen due to the light inside reflecting the room back at the good doctor, she could see a set-up that was clinic and sterile, the kind of set up used for experimentation. While there was no victim within the room itself, the blood and gore, the organs and various body parts in jars along the wall of varying shapes and sizes that were filled also with liquid, gave insight to what the man had been up to on his own personal time. This didn’t surprise Marici though - Zenith was not the first doctor she had come across that was clearly experimenting on humans, but she felt her heart ache at the idea that even if there was a victim stashed somewhere in the house they would not be able to intervene for risk of giving themselves away. Yet, she was able to steel her heart nonetheless with the idea that this was for the best: the safety and wellbeing of their twins was worth far more than some random shinobi or civilian that had run amuck of the good doctor.

Looking towards her husband she nodded her head in the direction of the window before signing, “We can either fight him, or handle him like his guards. He looks busy, so chances are we can sneak in and sneak up on him and knock him out like his guards.” She would wait, curious as to what her husband would want to do, their plan having left room for either a direct attack or a sneakier approach if they could manage to pull it off: either way they couldn’t kill him, so stealth seemed the better of the two options.

---

1322[6157]

Moving towards the lone cabin, where the one who they were after was located, music reached Daremo’s ears. The haunting and eerie melody suited the atmosphere for the night activities. It was dark and twisted, like many of those who served the current Raikage, and would have brought a shiver down his spine if he was a lesser human. Though, the music explained why the occupant of the cabin did not come out during the moments of his guards being taken care of. For while both of them were quiet in their takedown, surely, the occupant had realize something was wrong, or were they confident enough to believe nothing would happen to them.

A quick glance in the window revealed the true nature of Hastur’s personal medic. Blood and gore, some looking relatively flesh and others having long since dried, covered various instruments laid out on the table. Seeing these instruments, and the clinic-like set-up, a realization came to the Daremo; this was not the home of Zenith, but, rather, a workshop of his. The silver haired male did not know what type of work Hastur’s medic did on his free time, but, taking a glance at the walls, he could take a guess. Jars, all of them were filled with formaldehyde, or a similar solution, and body parts were being preserved within the liquid. Hearts, livers, lungs, severed limbs, eyes, some of which being foreign to even Daremo, all of this were present within the jars.

The morality of doctors, or anyone in the profession, can easily be called into question given the contents of their work. It takes a special type of person to perform surgeries on others, removing or reattach their limbs, and to deal with the general hazards that comes with the occupation. There also the thirst of knowledge. Any body would like nothing more to break the genetic code of the human body, to perfectly understand the action of every cell, and reasoning behind certain unnatural occurrences. For a doctor, there is nothing more valuable than having the complete understanding of the human body. It is there where the morality comes into place, for, one must ask themselves, at what cost does one want the knowledge?

Like many others before him, Zenith made his choice in the matter. This was not the first time Daremo have seen a doctor go down the route. They were a dime a dozen. It was easy to walk down the path, caring little for the fellow patients, seeing them as just another expendable subject to be used and disposed of whenever. He had the fortunate, and unfortunate, chances of meeting many of those who were similar to Zenith. Many which he had killed with only three he allowed to live, and befriended, for his own reasons. Unfortunate for Zenith, he would not be someone the silver-haired male will befriend, all because of his alliances and actions.

Knowing the type of man they were targeting, Daremo steeled his heart. There was no reason to look over at his lover. For he knew both of them were thinking on similar lines. With the amount of gore in the room, there was a chance someone was held captive here, but, unfortunately for them, they could not be saved. Indeed, if someone was captive here, they would be left at the hands of their captive. Feeling eyes on him, Daremo looked at Marici, making sure to keep his appearance out of the window while doing so, “Doubt we can sneak up on him. He is Hastur’s personal medic for a reason. I do have an idea to knock him out.”, he signed. While he would love nothing more to sneak up behind the man, the endeavor was just to risky.

Spotting one of the windows being cracked up, Daremo moved towards it. A miniscule amount of chakra was moulded into his lungs before being expelled as a fine mist through the crack. The mist quickly expanding, blanketing the inside entirely. A thump and crash was heard within the cabin, and Daremo looked towards Marici, and nodded, “Let’s move.”, he signed, once the mist dissipated, moving towards the door of the cabin. Working quickly, he disabled the seals on the door, and stepped into the cabin. Citrine eyes  scanned about the room, looking for any signs of Hastur’s personal medic. “He should be around here. . .”, Daremo signed, moving towards another closed door, and opening it.

“So, he was. . .”, He spoke, looking at the mutilated body on the table. From the incision made, it seemed the man was just getting into the mutilation before he was interrupted. Knowing saving the mutilated male was out of the question, Daremo paid little attention to the down doctor, and started searching for Hastur’s medicine. There was no need to worry about the downed doctor getting up anytime soon, the jutsu used was one typically used by medics who needed to put a patient under. Thus, the only way the doctor would be woken up is if Daremo wished for it. So, for now, the pair had all the time needed to search for medication, though, there was still the risk of the guards waking up before they could find anything.

---

882[8056]

Nodding in agreement with her husbands words she shifted her attention from the window and the gruesome sight it gave insight into, and instead on her husband as she watched him move nearer to the window and then expel chakra from his lungs and mouth. A thump and thud from inside told her all she needed to know: whatever her husband had just done had obviously knocked the good doctor out, and likely anyone else that was within that cabin. It was still sad to think that if they found a potential victim of the good doctors inside they would be unable to help them, but it was the nature of their work. Setting a captive free would give insight to them having been there, and on the lives of their children they could not risk this plan going haywire on them. No, whoever was trapped in there would have to be left for their own fate, it was simply the way of things.

Waiting until the mist dissipated she would sign “How long do we have before the doc wakes up?”, before following him to the door and watching as he undid the seal there that would have otherwise barred them from entry. Stepping in after her husband her silver hues shifted to the environment itself, searching not only for Zenith and any potential captives, but also for any signs of traps or other seals on the interior: with how paranoid the man had to be considering his position as Hastur’s head doctor she could only imagine there would be more seals laying in wait for them to have to bypass, or traps of some kind. It would be her husband who found the doctor though, and who would also confirm their suspicions. Her gaze would take in the sight of the doctor and the mutilated male laid out like a pig for slaughter, finding comfort in the fact that at least for a short while his torture and experimentation would be put to an end, giving the victim a much needed reprieve from the land of the awakening. If the male was lucky his wounds would do him in and he would never awaken again, if he wasn’t… well the good doctor would still likely have plenty of time to get his torture on if he so wished.

Knowing that the man had to be left to his own fate she instead focused her attention on searching for the vial of medication for Hastur that had likely been stored in the cabin. As she searched she was careful not to disturb anything, making sure that everything was touched in the least possible way and showing no signs of having been gone through. It was a daunting process but as no normal surface gave way to any signs of the medicine she began to search elsewhere, looking for hidden compartments that would have been large enough to hide the medication while small enough not to be easily spotted. Eventually her search would give way, finding a push panel in the wall that gave way to reveal the vial. Like all prescriptions this one had Hastur’s name on it and yet there was something about it that seemed off. With brows furrowed she searched deeper, finding another hidden compartment inside of that one with the real vial in it, this one marked more secretively. “A decoy… the man is certainly paranoid.”, Marici would sign to her husband. The switch was easy enough to make, emptying out the vial and replacing it with the concocted poison she had on her person, leaving no sign of tampering or harm to the vial whatsoever. She was meticulous as she put it away, leaving everything exactly as it had been before.

Focusing her attention back onto her husband she would sign, “Done, and everything is exactly as it was left.” Glancing out the window, knowing that they wouldn’t be able to linger for long, she would add on “Let’s go, before the guards wake up.” If her husband had no issues with this plan she would head outside once more and into the night, her eyes quickly adjusting to the difference in light, becoming acclimated with the outside world once again, granting her a kind of perfection to her sight that allowed her to move just as easily and traverse the darkness just as well as any nocturnal creature could ever hope for. Hearing the obvious sounds of the guards waking up, noises that differed from those of the animals moving about, she would gesture to her husband for them to bail before body flickering away to safety, knowing well that her husband would follow.

---

786[6943]

Catching what Marici was signing to him, Daremo responded back in time, “Two hours. I can extend it longer, but, that requires extra chakra.” and made his way towards the front door. Unlocking the door was a complicated matter, for the doctor had numerous of failsafe seals hidden within the locking mechanism, but, luckily, Daremo had dabbled in the art enough to safely disable the seals without them going off. Stepping inside, he looked around the, what he assumed, was the front room of the house. Ignoring the collection of organs and other body parts aligning the walls in some type of morbid collection display, he scanned the room for any signs of laid traps, or anything that would give away that they have been there.  With Zenith being Hastur’s personal doctor, there is no telling how paranoid the male was when it came to things. He highly doubted the Raikage was forgiving when it came to mistakes done by his medic. Finding nothing of the sorts, Daremo moved towards a closed door.

The sight of the mutilated body did nothing to phrase the Jounin. This was not the first nor would it be the last time he would see a body in the condition, or worse. If the situations were different, he would have saved the man on the table. But, unfortunate for the unknown victim, Daremo was not his savior. Whoever the male was will be left to the hands of Zenith, and whatever experiments the man had for him. For all tenses and purpose, the mutilated body will be forgotten by Daremo, with the silver-haired male not losing a wink of sleep from not saving the unknown.

There was a notable lack of scent within the room, something that would have been possible given the amount of blood and gore about. The doctor was obviously using something to conceal the scent within the room. Then again, now that he thought about it, there was a lack of scent within the main portion of the house too. As curious as he was regarding the lack of scent, they were here for a pressing matter.  Seeing a group of cabinets, Daremo moved to touch them, applying a small application of chakra to his hands, the energy being used to hide his fingerprints, in case an investigation is done.  The last thing they needed was for their deeds to be found out via forensics.

Finding nothing within the cabinets, he moved towards the pull-out drawers in the room. Eyes looking over the various vials of poisons, toxins, and other concoctions the man had. Having an idea, Daremo quickly unsealed the vial of poison on his person and interchanged it with one within the drawer via switching the labels. If they were going to use Zenith as the scapegoat for Hastur’s death, the evidence needed to be planted to make it convincible. Putting the vial in the back of the drawer, where the other one had been located, Daremo closed it, and turned his attention to Marici, and saw her signing.

She seemingly has found the location of Hastur’s medication, but not without almost being tricked by a decoy “Aren’t all personal medics paranoid more than most?”, he signed back. Being the personal medic of a leader was nerve-wracking. It is the only position where the life of a leader is in the hands of another. A trust and bond must be formed between the two. With the leader having to have the uttermost trust in their medic and hoping they do not have ulterior motives. There is also the need for the medic to be meticulous with their work when it came to their patient. For the slightest mishap can cause issues for the leader that is being treated. In the case with Zenith, well, this mishap can’t be undone.

“Good, let’s go. If this works, we might be returning here to retrieve something.”, He signed. There was no time to elaborate on what he meant by that. The pair needed to leave before the guards awake from their slumber. Allowing Marici to leave first, Daremo followed behind her, looking to make sure everything was in its original place before closing the door and reactivating the seals. Stepping outside, citrine eyes adjusted back to the darkness of the night, and he followed Marici.  Hearing the noise of the guards waking up,  Daremo followed his lover’s example, body flickering out of the area.  

Returning home, Daremo took a deep sigh, trying to calm his beating heart. The deed was done. The vials had been switched. The only thing remaining was for Zenith to do his job properly. “You two made it back. Good.” Snapping his head up, he looked at his mother, the woman still sitting on the couch as she had been. She looked like she hadn’t moved from the spot.  The woman idly stroking the head of Hiretsu, who was enjoying the treatment, “I am assuming the mission was a success?” The question was a hard one to answer. While, yes, they did manage to switch the vials with poison, but, only time would tell if the mission were a success, “We did out part. Just got to hope, Zenith does him, and not care onto anything.” Daremo spoke. “Good. Now, both of you, check on your children, remind yourself why you did this, and then sleep soundly tonight.” And that exactly what Daremo did. He took several minutes to stare at his beautiful children, and come to terms what he did was for them

“Let’s go to bed.” He spoke to his wife, reaching out for her hand, and leading her to their room. The night would not be one of rest for them. No, he needed a distraction from what was done, and he found it in the form of his lover.  Silent seals were active, and clothing was strewn across the room, as Daremo downed himself in the love of his wife.


Normalcy. The word perfectly describes the start of the day. After waking up at his normal time of 5 am, he went about exercising and meditating until the rest of the house became alive with activity.  As the children stirred from their slumber, he made his way back inside, making a beeline to the bathroom shared with his wife. After the shower, the delicious aroma of food greeted him, and, instead of Marici cooking, Mayuko decided to cook for them. The woman gave them a look of understanding as she shooed him and his wife out of the kitchen, as she needed the space to do her own thing.

Breakfast was a delightful affair. Conversation being abundant with the family. A smile is brought to Daremo’s face as he got into the conversation. Every now and then, he chuckles at something which was mentioned. Time went by for them, and soon breakfast came to an end. The plates and other dishes were wash and put away by the silver-haired male. Who had no problem in doing dishes. Once they were done, he joined his family in the living room and watched tv. Although everything seemed fine on the outside, mentally, he was wondering what happened with Hastur.

The answer would come around 12 pm, moments after the family had sat down to eat lunch, in the form of a knock at the door. “I get it.” Daremo, respond, getting up from his chair, and making his way to the door. Two Anbu greeted him, and for a split second, his heart sank as he thought they were caught, but the words that came out of the Anbu’s mouth erase such thoughts, “Both you and Mrs. Kobayashi is needed at the Emergency Ward immediately.” Nodding in understanding, Daremo called for Marici, and explained to her what was going on. Once Marici was ready, he followed the pair of Anbu to the hospital.

Arriving at the hospital, he glanced at Marici, as the Anbu led them through a back entry meant to hide the identity of certain patients. Citrine eyes looked about as doctors and nurses ran down the hallway in control chaos. The men and women showing signs of panic on their faces, for reasons, Daremo did not know of.  As they turned down a hallway, having entered the emergency ward section, his gaze fell on the number of Anbu guards surrounding a door. “In here. . .”, As the Anbu opened the door, the reason why they were called was present on the table.

There, stripped of all clothing, wearing nothing more than the hospital gown and connected with various ivs was Hastur. The self-proclaimed god was perspiring badly as something was happening to his body. “Doctor Daremo. Doctor Marici. I am glad you too can make it.” Daremo’s eyes looked at the one who spoke, Zenith,. Nothing about the man hinted at his emotions. Even his words were measured and even as if he had practiced them countless of times before. “What is the situation?”, Daremo asked, sliding into a professional mode with ease as he listens to Zenith example how Hastur had simply frozen up after given medication. Zenith further explain the medication was the right one, he made sure of it. Throughout it all, Daremo listened as he began checking Hastur’s temperature and other vitals with the help of Marici.

“Never seen anything like this. Whatever the medication was, it paralyzed him and causing organ failure. “ Daremo spoke, looking at the notes that were meticulously taken down by Zenith, “What do you think, Doctor Marici?”. As he waited for a response, Daremo tried his best to heal the damage caused to Hastur’s body, but, alas, after an hour of trying, the monitor which kept track of his heart rate, flatline. Any attempt of reviving him failed, and by 1:20 pm, Miyamoto Hastur, the Raikage, had passed away.

Sadness descended within the room as the shinobi mourned the man’s death, though, Daremo was secretly happy for it. With the end of Hastur, Kumo was able to start anew. A new beginning and uncertainty was on the horizon for the Village hidden in the Clouds. For their God had fallen, now the question remained, who would take up the mantle now?

-Exit-

---

1735[9791]

Training for Summoning Contract(Vultures) 5000 | 5000

Malignant Miasma | S-rank | 2250 (Quick Learner)

Marici couldn’t help but to incline her head in agreement with her husbands statement about medics being paranoid: this was indeed true. Only a medic could truly understand what went into making a poison, only they knew the true effects that occured moments after a poison was taken, the way it would affect a body. They knew how easily one poison could be disguised as another, the art of slipping something into someone’s drink while they were none the wiser. So yes, medics had a very good reason to be cautious and paranoid, especially one who sat in the position as the personal medic to a Kage.

The trip home was a chance to mentally cleanse herself of the deed, to shake off any doubts that came with the action of taking the life of another. It was one thing to kill another shinobi on the battlefield when your own life hung in the balance but it was entirely another creature to kill a man through the use of poison. Did she regret her decision? No, absolutely not. Hastur needed put down, and this was surely the best way to do it in which the least amount of harm would be caused. Yet, Marici couldn’t help but wonder the backlash that would occur once the self proclaimed God was dead. Surely his allies would raise a stink, and if their plan went off without a hiccup that death would be blamed on Zenith, ridding the world of not one but two evil people.

It was only because of her self conviction that they had just done the right thing that allowed Marici to be calm when she and her husband walked through their front door once more. Her grey colored gaze shifted to Daremo’s mother, Mayuko, who was in the same spot she had been in before only this time instead of reading a book she was stroking at Hiretsu, the bird seemingly pleased by these actions. At Mayuko’s question about the mission at hand she listened as her husband answered it in as best a way possible: it would be up to fate on if their plan would be a success, so all she could do was nod in agreement to his words.

Though she was headed in the direction of their children’s room before the suggestion was even made or her body had even moved, she couldn’t help to smile at the way Mayuko always seemed to just know things. They had done this first and foremost for the protection and safety of their children, and while they had both been frightened before leaving they had come home entirely unscathed. So a short glance into the room of their twins was indeed in order, if for no other reason than to concrete the fact that what they had done was for the best: that their reasoning was sound. Seeing their twins exactly where they had left them, both sleeping soundly, caused Marici to let out a sigh that released tension she didn’t know she had. Taking her husbands hand she would follow him to their bedroom after several long minutes of just gazing at the sleeping lives they swore to protect.

A night of passion would take place of sleep, both needing the union of their love over the concept of rest. They could rest enough when they knew their deed was completed, but for now they needed the comfort of each other, the knowledge that they had each others back.


To find Mayuko in the kitchen was a rare affair, but rarer still was when Marici relented the kitchen in the charge of another. Cooking had been her thing as long as she could remember, and she didn’t share her kitchen space with just anyone. Today though she was all in favor of letting Mayuko make the delicious smelling breakfast in order to spend more time with her husband and children. Unfortunately, as breakfast got underway it would be interrupted by a knock at the door, Marici’s own heart skipping a beat as she froze where she sat and watched her husband rise to go answer it until he was no longer out of sight. She listened intently to the conversation and withheld breathing a sigh of relief in favor of rising from her place at the table. She listened to her husband explain things as if she hadn’t been listening with the most rapt attention from her spot, and followed him and the Anbu to the hospital, slipping in through an entrance that was quite familiar to her.

She was unsure what to expect, and yet could not ignore the nagging sensation at the back of her mind that kept telling her “This is it, Hastur is dying”, which of course she would not dare to try and communicate to her husband considering they were not alone. Stepping into the room her gaze shifted from Zenith and to the man on the table: stripped of all clothing save for his hospital gown that was standard for any patient was none other than Hastur. From the vital signs that the machines were monitoring it was clear that the man was barely hanging on to life, and without proper medical intervention he would not make it - their poison was waging war on the self proclaimed God’s body, and the God was losing the fight quickly. Just as her husband had she slid into professional mode as well, hiding the inner glee that counted the seconds until the death of the gown wearing man. She gave Zenith the same rapt attention she would give to any doctor calling for her aid, with her attention only shifting to the monitors from time to time as they normally would when a patient was in distress.

She checked over the notes that Zenith had meticulously taken, taking note of the medication that the Raikage was supposed to be given. Despite their “best” medical intervention her and her husband would be left to pronounce the time of death for Hastur at 1:20 in the afternoon: the man’s body having finally given out, proving that even Gods could not escape nor defeat the clutches of Death. While her face showed the same sadness as everyone else Marici was secretly glad that their plan had worked: the Raikage was dead, leaving open the spot for a new leader to take the reigns of the village and lead it to greatness. She was no fool to think it would be an easy task: those on Hastur’s side would certainly look into this, an investigation would be launched, and in the end a culprit would be found and executed for such crimes. Who knew what else would occur after? What Marici did know is that this would leave an opening for her husband to claim the title, and he would have the protection, backing, and support of his family while he did so.


Final WC: 1,170 | 8,113

Training the Following Jutsu in this thread:
Vampiric Style: Bloodletting (A-rank) 8,113 - 2,000 = 6,113
Vampiric Style: Fledgling (A-rank) 6,113 - 2,000 = 4,113
Vampiric Style: Blood Frenzy (A-rank) 4,113 - 2,000 = 2,113
Vampiric Style: Unwanted Rest (A-rank) 2,113 - 2,000 = 113

Remaining WC: 113