Special Thanks to Novrier as always.
Also Special shout-out to Scarease for his Welcome assistance with new OC's
Ryu was pacing, waiting for his temporary team to show up. His prisoner revealed enough to give Ryu pause, and he felt it necessary to inform his current Jōnin Sensei. He muttered curses, the man he killed just had to be the guy with the most intel according to his prisoner.
That was Ryu's only real issue with the dead body. Team Kurenai would likely take issue with both his position on it and the act itself. Ryu was mulling over keeping the man alive when Kurenai, Hinata, and Shino and Kiba arrived.
''You took your sweet time.'' Ryu grunts out.
''Are you hurt?'' Asks Kurenai.
''Yea, besides cursing the fact I should've killed this sod and not his buddy, listen to what he says, I'm gonna loot the corpse and burn it.'' Says Ryu nonchalantly.
Kurenai resists the urge to Vent her appalled reaction at such a nonchalant sentence and wording. Instead she goes over to interrogate Ryu's prisoner.
Kiba though apparently has no such prerogative of a silent discomfort.
''Just like you to take a Deadman's stuff.'' Kiba says.
''He's dead, I killed him, he's of no use, his equipment may yet be of use, and unlike you he doesn't talk.'' Ryu retorts.
''Ryu-kun, Kiba-kun please don't...'' Hinata tries but Kiba tries to push Ryu aside and loot in his place.
''Okay, you know what, you try that again and I'll give you a throwback to my pound of flesh for your catcalling.'' Ryu threatens humorlessly.
"Ryu, while I won't permit such a thing, your position is noted, Kiba one more tempting fate, and I'll report your behavior to Lord Hokage, do it more than that and I'll report it to your mother." Kurenai states. Kiba immediately pales.
"Speaking of your mother, she like cats? Cause she raised a Cat Caller named Kiba?'' Ryu says, trying his worst not to incite Kiba and laugh while doing it.
''Ryu, enough! If you can't get along then return to the Village.'' Says Kurenai sternly.
''Believe me I'd like nothing better, but I can't afford to do so right now. Especially since the Hokage chose to put a Jōnin with an apparent penchant for coddling weakness in her students, in charge of my first mission. Kakashi may be a late coming perverted dick, but at least he knows how to remove a students head from his own ass.'' Ryu bites back, he starts walking away.
''Where are you going?'' Asks Shino.
''To kill this idiots boss. I'll see you at Kuonaka Village., assuming Kiba doesn't get killed for that big mouth and tiny brain of his.'' Ryu says scowling in reply.
Kiba says something in cursing, but Ryu doesn't even Register it just keeps pushing on.
"Well, that's just great, what do we do now?" Kiba complains.
"We Follow, Ryu doesn't realize I didn't remove the Insect Tagged to him." Says Shino.
"If he want's to get killed then let him, no skin of my nose." Says Kiba.
"Kiba, the Tokugawa Clan are one of Konoha's most influential Clan's, if Lady Kuishia and Lord Hizuko found out you let the Clan Heir die without lifting a finger to stop or help him, then you had best start running, Lord Hizuko doesn't take kindly to negligence among Genin." Says Shino, who remembers the one time he was terrified in his youth all too well.
"Shino's right, my father said as much." Says Hinata.
"Ugh, fine, come on then." Kiba groans.
(Lazy Wife, Takeda Town Backstreets, Takeda Town, Land Of Fire Border, Land Of Fire, Shinobi World)
Usually the Lazy Wife was booming with business in Takeda Town, the Local Gangs were run by Udan The Flesh Ripper, Kiryu The life Eater, and Tabata Akimichi. They ruled the Takeda Town's Underworld, Tabata was a notorious Cannibal, Kiryu was a Seductress, and Udan a Bandit Leader. The three answered to two men, Jingo Yamanaka The Body Hopper and Kazu Nara.
And today seemed to be no different...right up until the kid showed up. Came in sword drawn calling out Jingo and Kazu, the Gangs didn't take kindly to that though, they jumped up, charged, and were basically massacred. Now the Bartender, one Jiguro Hazanura was last man standing, or last man still breathing without any major injuries.
"Where can I find Jingo and Kazu? I don't have a lot of time, and this is becoming an extended detour." The Kid demands.
"Back room, contains maps, messages, other stuff that should point you to where you want to go." Says Jiguro.
"Thank you." The Kid says, before cutting his throat.
Surveying the scene, he idly notes the presence of the Traitorous Tabata Akimichi, guy was a rising star until one mission in which he became a Cannibal by eating his teammates to survive, then continued to be a Cannibal. Was a pretty decent price on the mans head too. Ryu approaches the bloated corpse, and with a single hard swing beheads him, takes it and after some alteration hangs it to his belt.
He does the same to the other leaders.
Now he just breaks down the back rooms door.
Looking it Over, he begins surveying it.
Ryu was pouring over the documents when he tensed and as he turned found himself with a Kunai in his stomach plates. "I assume you killed my men? I am Jingo, they call me the Body Hopper. Who are you?" Asks the newcomer.
"Ryu, Tokugawa Clan, Hidden Leaf. Thanks for saving me the trouble of hunting you and Kazu down. My Teammates won't approve, but if I take your head, I ought to be rewarded. I don't bounty hunt, but anything that gets me off rotation quicker is all the better." Says Ryu.
"Tokugawa Huh? Makes you a Magnet User, the boss may like this, if you've enough for him to feed on." Says Jingo.
"I don't subscribe to Cannibalism." Says Ryu as he takes the Kunai out and tosses it away.
"Ehh, Boss ain't so much a Cannibal as a Vampire, takes the name to whole new level." Says Jingo lazily, only to have to quickly dodge Ryu's Sword Thrust, aimed directly at his lower belly.
Jingo draws a short, but deathly sharp Tanto, using the smaller blade to sneak shots past Ryu's Longer reach and lay glancing blows to his already minorly damaged stomach armor plates. Ryu's frustration begins to mount with every strike his opponent lands against his armor, eager to reassess and prepare Ryu tosses his Sword into the Air and forms several hand signs before catching it and swinging it.
''Wind-Style: Wind Scythe Jutsu!'' Ryu utters loudly as he sends Blades of Wind careening towards Jingo. Rather than avoid them, Jingo channels his own Jutsu into his Tanto.
''Wind-Style: Pressure Vacuum Blade.'' Using the more focused Wind Current across his Tanto, Jingo casts Ryu's Wind Scythe Jutsu aside like it was nothing but a duller than dull razor blade among antiques.
''Face it kid, your outmatched.'' Jingo says smirking.
''Outmatched? Perhaps I am, but out of the game I ain't.'' Says Ryu as he slices his palm across his Katana, smearing it's razor sharp edge with his blood. Letting the blood drip onto his fingers, he brings it to just above the guard. ''You leave me no choice; Tokugawa Clan Secret Technique: Ghosts of Forefathers Eve Jutsu!'' Says Ryu as the Blood smear across the blade turns a sickly purple.
What one could only describe as Ichor begins to seep from the blood. Every Drop somehow becomes a large puddle, and from that puddle an Ichor ridden corpse barely held together arises from it.
''Ah, the infamous Dead Army Technique, I've seen it before, and your capacity for it is lacking. By my estimates you'll start coughing up blood within the next ten minutes. After that your muscles were become painfully taut, your bones will begin to crack, and your organs will begin to disintegrate under the strain.'' Says Jingo.
''Maybe So, but success is not the goal here.'' Says Ryu through gritted teeth. Jingo wasn't wrong, the Ghosts of Forefathers Eve Jutsu was a Sub-Jutsu under the Ghost Art's Army of the Dead Technique. It drained a lot of Chakra and Stamina for the inexperienced, and as Jingo said if the user's capacity is low enough, the body will begin a rapid deterioration similar to the Eight Gates Taijutsu Style.
Unlike the Second Hokage's Impure World Summoning Jutsu Technique, this was not a true Soul Summoning Jutsu. It summoned forth damned souls and drew upon their suffering and pain in order to fuel the technique. The smearing of the Blood across the blade was an offering, a ritualistic offering of one's own life-force in order to fuel the technique.
On occasion Three Great Demons of Tokugawa - three powerful spirits who had haunted the Clan since before the time of the Clan Wars -, would not permit the sacrifice of Life-Force.
The way The Tokugawa Clan Annuals told it; Fear nothing from Hagoromo The Father of All, be Wary of Hamura The Guardian for he knows your every sin, but forever beware the gaze Hagoma Sight-Steeler, for it may just be your sight he covets the most.
Superstitious perhaps, but not without some level of truth to it.
Old Stories from the old homeland told of the Ghost of Tokugawa, he who inherited the wicked sight stealing power of Hagomo. Theorized to be why The Ghost had become the Ghost, breaking The Samurai Honor Code of Bushido, that power was deeply reviled by many within the Clan.
Digression aside, in the rare occurrence of the Three Great Demons refusing the Offering of one's own Life-Force, a new bargain had to be struck. Usually it was between the supplicant and Hagoromo the Father of All or Hamura The Guardian, as only the truly desperate, stupid, or mad struck a new accord with Hagoma The Sight-Steeler.
Ryu was already feeling the Strain as his only previous use of the Technique had been learning it in the first place. It was an absolute last resort as it was labeled a Forbidden Jutsu. In this case, it was Forbidden because using it too much or too long meant a severe draining of one's Life-Force, which if it reached too low equaled either a long-term, or an even possibly permanent coma, or more often than not, resulted in death.
The Tokugawa didn't have the luxury of the Natural Stamina of the Uchiha or the practically insanely strong Life-Force's of the Senju Clan, their strength laid in their mental capacity. They weren't talking intelligence, but rather the Spiritual Energy that helped improve one's Chakra Control.
Ryu however had some problems with that area. He lacked the control needed to perform more advanced techniques, he barely had the control necessary for the Wind Scythe Jutsu. Wind-Style was significantly harder for him to flow into his Katana than his Secondary Affinity of Lighting-Style, but his opponent didn't need to know that.
"Your Pale boy, struggling already?" Mocks Jingo with an increasingly sadistic grin on his face.
Gritting his teeth, Ryu couldn't maintain his technique and had to cancel it...
Collapsing to One Knee, Ryu began to cough up blood.
"You might just be worth our time boy." Says Jingo as he stabs Ryu in the neck...With a Syringe...
(Takeda Falls, Land of Fire Border, Land of Fire, Five Great Shinobi Nations, The Shinobi World)
Ryu was in a foul mood, his offering had clearly been insufficient and was now captured. The whole place stank, one side was rank with death, the other was rank with the filthy, dying, and decrepit. Worst of all was the disturbing lack of smell in the center.
Ryu obviously was in the Center. He was strung up by his wrists and ankles. The Guards took sick pleasure in his pain, but he only found a measure of strength in his pain.
Eventually he found himself in a more torturous experience, Kazu Nara, an all too unwelcome relative of Ryu himself. Jingo was present too, throwing his own jabs in here and there, most surprising of all was the presence of Udan, Kiryu, and Tabata.
Looks like his taken heads belonged to public doubles whose job was to be seen.
Well, Shit...
Ryu felt his vision blur before it blackened completely.
Watching the prisoner's resilience were Twelve Figures each shrouded in darkness save the outline of them.
''His resilience is delicious, you say he Channeled the Army of the Dead Technique?'' Asks a sly and seductive voice, which came from the Figure sat in a lavender colored chair.
''Indeed, his Chakra is strong and powerful, but wild and chaotic. I think he'll make an excellent candidate for Project R, do I hear any objections?'' Asks the Figure in the Green Chair.
Murmurs of agreement filter through, and the figures in all but the lavender, green, and purple chairs disperse their transmissions.
''Is it ready?'' The figure in the purple seat asks.
''I'll need to test the boy, but his ability to endure such torture marks him as a suitable candidate. As for Operative's K, S, J, and Y, they may prove suitable for augmentation and rejuvenation if the boy should prove suitable. Don't forget unless a suitable host is found an already critically endangered element shall be lost to us.'' Says the figure in the lavender chair.
''Could you accelerate the process?'' Asks the Figure in the Purple seat.
''We'll see.'' Says the figure in the seat whose for disappears soon after.
''How we need him I'll never know.'' Says the figure in the green chair whose own form quickly disappeared leaving the figure in the purple chair alone.
''Time to begin feeding.'' The figure in the purple chair says standing up to reveal a man with a sadistic and almost animalistic and even feral hunger etched upon his face.
The monster was hungry, and needed to feed...
Ryu was numb, his confidence in himself had led to indescribable agony, Ryu was bloody, bruised, and honestly ready to die.
Then the scene shifted as footsteps were heard and someone new arrived. Not willing to die on anyone's terms but his own, Ryu's willingness to die is drowned out by his refusal to die and let his captors live knowing he broke because of them.
''Still alive huh, well not for long.'' Releasing a half-strangled cry of pain, as something bites one of his Tenketsu, draining him of Chakra rapidly.
Ryu's life is barely there and the fading laugh of his attacker fades long after his footsteps do.
''This...looks...like the end for me...Hagoma Sight-Steeler, hear my cry. If...you exist...or ever...existed...give me the tools to survive this, and my life...i-is yo...'' Ryu's plea goes unfinished as he is out of enough Chakra to stay alive...
(Pure Land)
Three pale figures with grey hair and white robes stood beside each other, watching Ryu's plea.
These were Hagoromo The Father of All, Hamura The Guardian, and Hagomo The Sight-Steeler.
''Well Brother?'' Hagoromo asks.
Ryu dies, but something prevents his soul from passing on...
I hear you blood of my blood, flesh of my flesh.
Your plea may be unfinished, but you are not.
Like my nephews, my spirit will live on...in you.
Take my power, and my soul.
Become the man you were meant to become.
Become a beacon amidst light and dark.
Become a paragon, but one who is forced to watch love and hate war upon each other.
Become...A Ghost...
''We're too late.''
''Damn it, Ryu was a Prick, but he didn't deserve to die like this.''
''Kurenai-Sensei, what do we do?''
''We take him home.''
Team Kurenai had followed Ryu, and to see him like this, beaten, tortured, and devoid of life was sickening.
Kurenai often would feel pity for someone unfortunate enough to incur the Tokugawa Clan's Wrath, but the level of brutality inflicted upon Ryu left such pity at the door.
Kiba felt a measure of guilt, he'd indirectly caused this to happen, he had been butting heads with Ryu for years. Even in death, Ryu got one other on him.
Shino didn't show it, but he was angry. The one Genin in his year who he considered even remotely as his friend was dead. Someone had to be held accountable for this.
Hinata was sick to her stomach, Ryu was dead, died like an animal. A single tear fell from her eye.
When the tear dropped and hit the bloody ground, Ryu's body Jerked hard, as he took a sudden arched breath a potent green light emanating from his eyes..
The light coursed through his body and began to repair the damage. When the light show ceased Ryu's restraints were obliterated, letting him fall to the ground.
Slowly standing up, eyes closed. His rotation teammates noticed the green pigment around his left eye, and when he opened his eyes, Hinata's Byakugan instinctively activated.
To Hinata's shock, his entire system was alive with activity. His Chakra, which was usually a vibrant shade of Indigo was now forest green. But whereas the Heart pumps blood and Chakra usually. The Chakra is strongest in his eyes.
Ryu stalks past his temporary teammates and pursues his killer.
The impossible had happened...A dead man came back with a heart filled with vengeance. And unlike the usual happenings, this was not some hoax or a Reincarnation Ninjutsu, this was pure unbridled vengeance...no, that wasn't it...Ryu had unfinished business.
It was just that simple...Nothing more, nothing less, just unfinished business, plain and simple.
The Ghost was born again, may all who seek to harm Konoha tremble before his wrath...
Damn if that doesn't feel good.
I've been sitting on that for ages, Ryu is descended from Hagoma, and yes he is an Otsutsuki born of Kaguya. Little bit of history first though, Hagoma was the balance keeper, and like his brothers and his mother, he had a powerful Dojutsu.
The Eyes in question are what birthed his nickname of The Sight-Steeler. Find out why later on.
Hagomo mentored Indra and Asura, but was forced to stand and watch as they fought each other for Hagoromo's Legacy. Indra in particular he was fond of.
Hagoma, Hamura, and Hagoromo are the Three Great Oni, or Three Great Demons. The Tokugawa are Hagoma's descendants, as much as the Hyūga are Hamura's and The Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki are Hagoromo's.
Ryu has the added benefit of already possessing Hagoma's Special Kekkei Genkai but it's sleeping. Now that New Ocular stuff is brought to the surface it is primed and almost ready for debut, got two or three more missions before it starts waking, and then following that it'll start it's rebirth.
As for the Ghost Stuff, well I'm gonna have to be tight-lipped in that regard.
Also as far as the Twelve Figures? No dice I'm not sorry to say, That too has to be kept under wraps until the Chūnin Exams, later folks!