"A Kaosu warrior should not be driven by his personal feelings during a battle… Because, in this chaotic world, the struggle for survival requires a fair amount of temper… And emotional distance."

-From "Kaosu Jutsu" (the Kaosu warrior's Code)

7.

Nakkuruzu za Echiduna

After exposing the undeniable paradoxes and idiosyncrasies the Kaosu Jutsu is engulfed in… One more question comes spontaneous…

Can anyone be a Kaosu warrior?

And the answer is yes… And no. It is true that being a Kaosu is about the courageous attempt of following and trying to achieve our chosen life's goals… To be free in the Chaos of existence… But it is also true that an individual usually has to fight for his/her own purposes… And not anybody is capable of doing it.

Even the strongest of the warriors could fall like a pitiful leaf during Autumn if not enough strong willed and mentally open. That is one more element that justifies the existence of a series of rules for this discipline…

A book of rather freely interpreting rules… More suggestions than rules but useful none the less… If not misunderstood.

Then again, what would possibly be the rightful way to interpret such rules? If there is one, that is... Which could very well be not the case, for what I know.

Still… Discipline is important, no, fundamental, for becoming a warrior… And that's why not anybody can be one…

You need to be trained, first… Or is it?

Perhaps, this individual can be the proverbial exception that confirms the rule…

Or maybe he's just a random assclown… Only time will tell.

Anonymous.

Station Square. Earlier this week.

A very drunk and pissed off echidna lay on the ground of some forgotten bum's alley, trying not to drown in his own vomit. He was bothered, to say the very least, by that hedgehog's words.

He said he was going to defend those worthless farmers' village from Dokuta Egguman's troops… The fucker. That was suicide, even the echidna could tell… It was a totally idiotic and illogical thing to do, to risk your life for… Those filthy, stinky, pathetic villagers.

He despised farmers with a passion that went beyond the common boundaries of hatred… It was something deeper and more painful than anybody could ever imagine or guess… They were the lowest scumbags on Earth and yet, that Kaosu was going to put his own life on the line for protecting them…

THEM!!!

Not some rich and wealthy lord… Not some king or queen… Them! The poor proletarian peasants no one would ever care about…

The sewer's rats of this society caught in the middle of a conflict that didn't belong to them.

The invisible victims of war and famine.

And thus, Nakkuruzu cried.

It was going to happen again… The screams of terror. The pleads for mercy. The blood and the dead. He couldn't allow that to happen… Not now, not ever.

Not anymore.

Slowly, Nakkuruzu raised from his discomforted position and managed to find a proper balance despite his condition. He exited the dark alley only to be stopped by a strange cloaked individual with a hood that covered his head.

"Who the fuck are you!?" The echidna "asked".

The hooded one's unique gaze fixed itself over the clearly agitated rodent and with a reassuring voice, began to talk.

"Say… Would you like to be a Kaosu warrior?"

Present time.

The followship has left the big city rather early in the morning, as Sonikku stated they needed to arrive to the village as soon as mobianly possible because, after this day, they would have only had 1 week before the impending attack.

Emi, Maiti and Biggu were staying ahead of everyone, leading the group to their village… Eagerness and un-mistakable shards of hope could be easily read in their smiling gazes and shining eyes… At least the first two of them. Biggu's mind was focused on other more urgent matters like how he was going to fish during wartime or if the noise of metal steps was going to keep him awaken at night… And other pointless things that didn't really deserve anymore space on this page.

Right behind them, were the 6 chosen Kaosu for this dangerous task:

Sonikku za Hejjihoggu, unquestioned leader of the group stood proudly on the team's head, his mind already pondering about possible strategies to adopt against the metallic menace… With just some minor deviations over a certain black, red striped individual he had the "pleasure" to re-encounter.

Right behind him, Bureizo za Kyatto and Ruju za Batto were lovably discussing about their battle experiences, corpses' collections, favorite brutal finishing moves and other girly stuff. During this carefree chitchat, the lilac feline would occasionally turn her head over her back and fix her golden eyes on the mysterious black eyed warrior that joined their company as its latest member… The emotions that would be showed in those eyes were so many that they almost nullified themselves, leaving the cat's mind… In a void. She'd never felt so scared and confused yet, so angry and irate towards anybody… Not even towards her savior, who dared to challenge the mighty flames in order to rescue her. When he would look over her, she would just turn her head again and pretend nothing happened… But she could not fool her current chatting companion, who smirked within her overly attractive self.

Shado za Hejjihoggu was walking side by side with his former pupil, Mairusu Paua, now forever known as Teirusu. The kit was still ecstatic about the black hedgehog's sudden reappearance and the fact that he joined this followship, just made his day. He was overly excited with the prospective of fighting along side his sensei and (let's face it) surrogate big brother. He was eager to show him his progresses as a Kaosu and overall just happy to see him again. The content expression of the vulpine boy was almost childish, such was his genuine happiness… All the grieves and painful memories he'd recently endured were magically gone. There were so many things he wanted to discuss with him, he didn't stop talking for a single second since the journey began.

Shado looked fairly exasperated yet, patient at the same time, he could not blame the boy for being a little too much communicative… He knew first hand what he's been forced to go through all his young life and it pained him the fact that he's not been able to completely heal his soul… Yes, Shado also knew about his feral side, the regressive process made possible by a whole life of punishments and abuses. He has grown really attached to the kid, even though he never truly expressed it due to his emotional composure. Teirusu was like a brother to him… A brother.

The hedgehog's gaze fixed itself over the other cobalt one a little ahead from where he was. Once again, the all too familiar feeling of sadness took control of his heart, making it bleed. His entire life has been engulfed with guilt due to his actions… To what he did to his real brother no longer than 10 years before… And to what he unconsciously did to Teirusu. He made him his substitute brother. He felt lower than ever because of that. He would have cried if he could have remembered how to do it… Then again, he would not regret his actions. He was a Kaosu with a precise goal and he needed to overcome his own weaknesses in order to succeed.

But still… It was not easy.

Not. At. All.

Noticing his "big brother" and role model's distraction, Teirusu suddenly stopped his relentless talking, took a deep breath, and finally decided to ask him about a certain topic that has been bothering him for a while, now.

"Oni-chan (big brother), what happened between you and Sonikku?"

Shado's reaction to this delicate question went visibly unnoticed, his constantly stoned expression didn't betray any kind of emotion other than his usual angry one… Mentally speaking though, it was a whole different story. He imagined himself to be squashed by a giant human feet the very same moment he heard the vulpine's enquiring. He fixed his blood gaze over the demanding fox and answered.

"Nothing…"

Teirusu wasn't convinced, that kind of rushed answer wouldn't even fool the dumbest being on Earth… Not even Biggu, for that matter. He decided to drop the topic for the time being, it was pretty clear his "oni-chan" didn't want to discuss about that seemingly displeasing argument. He let out a soft sigh and narrowed his eyes in annoyance, being careful not to be spotted by the other one, of course. He then turned his head backwards and noticed the latest acquirement of their party staring right at him with his ominous empty eyes.

Void wasn't a very social individual, he's been a loner for the majority of his life, a thing he had in common with Shado, as he could guess by observing his ways to act in a public environment. The green haired Kaosu was behind everybody, purposely isolating himself from the rest of the group… From any kind of possible emotional contact that could drive him into unbearable pain. He was so used to his own lack of emotions, to his own namesake emptiness, that the simple experience of a sentiment could hurt him in unimaginable ways… It could burn him from the inside… Just like They burned.

That's why he limited himself into observing others' feelings through their body languages and facial features, from a safe distance so he could not have been involved in their businesses… So he could not actually feel them.

What he, however, could not avoid was those others' curiosity over his unique form. Right now, the two-tailed fox boy known as Teirusu was staring at him, he probably figured out he's been watched for all this time, Void could say. His big blue eyes were still full of sheer and genuine curiosity but there was also something more… The boy admired him, that was obvious… And his big brother had one or two secrets he didn't know about. Calmly, Void diverted his gaze from the fox, only to once again met Bureizo's one from a little ahead. And again, she hastily turned it away. For once, Void had some curiosity of his own towards another being… This cat warrior lady, who's more than the eye could tell, intrigued him… And for that reason, he was bothered… And pained.

Suddenly, Void stopped dead on his track.

"We've been followed." He said with his juvenile yet, firm voice.

Everybody stopped as well and stared back at him. Sonikku smirked once he found out who's been following their followship… And was now pretending to be casual.

For some unknown reason, Nakkuruzu, the sole proclaimed Kaosu, has been chasing them since they left the city. He was whistling and kicking some random rock in his stoical attempt to seem casual. It was a masterful interpretation, I must say.

His improvised crowd had different reactions over his Happening Play. Some of them seemed rather amused, some other, annoyed and at least a couple of them showed complete indifference… Guess who?

"Let him follow us… Let's see what happens." Said a very entertained blue hedgehog before turning again and re-starting the trip.

Nakkuruzu continued his pursuit until they all together arrived at the village.

From the high cliff's edge they stood on, the small rural town of Knothole could be seen very well… It was the picture of misery. Just a few small wood huts, a main dirty street that crossed the middle of the cluster and an old looking wood gate that surrounded everything. An almost harvested barley camp was just outside the town and the Mystic Ruins forest was just up ahead.

Maiti's face was full of genuine contentness now that he was finally back at his humble home. He filled his lungs with the land's fresh air and emitted a loud enough whistle for his people to hear.

He was back and he had the Kaosu.

When they entered the village, however, Maiti didn't exactly receive the kind of welcoming party he was expecting to find… As a matter of fact, no one was on the street, eagerly waiting to shake his hands and compliment him for a job well done… There weren't joyous kids dancing like monkeys around the new comers, there weren't older people smiling at him and improvising a festivity of some kind… There was not a single soul.

"Hmpf… A unique way to greet the people who could save their collective rear ends, isn't it?" A particularly poisoned Ruju suddenly uttered, interrupting the unnerving silence of the freshly ghost town.

At this, Maiti simply snapped. He was embarrassed, to say the very least… And frustrated, too. His group managed to find the only warriors brave (or stupid) enough to protect his people from harm… And what his people did? They just cowered in fear in their little dumb huts for Chaos knew why!

"EHI!!! COME OUT OF YOUR HOUSES!!! I'VE BROUGHT THE KAOSU!!! THEY'RE THE KAOSU, FOR CHAOS'S SAKE!!!" He cried and yelled but to no avail. His frustration grew by the minute… Only to be replaced by desperation.

Emi, on the other hand, being the stubborn girl everyone knew and love, was just angry like a crazed baboon on a fight for territorial supremacy… Not a good sign.

The other were just showing a rather annoyed expression… Farmers can be very ungrateful people, they could tell.

Nakkuruzu, who by now was considered an unofficial member of the group, just smirked… He already had a plan. While everyone were distracted, he just reached the town's emergency bell and ring it unceremoniously.

"THE BOTS ARE COMING!!!" He yelled a few times, obtaining the desired effect and pushing the now scared like hell villagers to run out from their houses in panic.

"AHA!!! You stupid morons! Uuuuh… Look at me, I'm a scared little farmer, please save my life from those ugly robots, oh mighty Kaosu dude…" He mocked while mimicking the morons' frightened facial features.

Everyone laughed after that… Well, anyone who was not a frightened peasant… And Void, of course.

Sonikku smiled over Nakkuruzu's direction, who smiled back. His opinion towards the echidna had drastically changed, he was starting to like him.

"He certainly knows how to treat this people, uh?" Blaze enquired, still chuckling light-heartedly.

"Indeed… He has his utility after all." The cobalt hedgehog stated in a "smart cookie" fashion.

They all laughed a little more… Then, the crowd of peasants divided itself into two halves, allowing an important looking person to pass through it.

She was an orange echidna girl with long dreadlocked quills, big blue eyes, an overall sweet and comprehensive gaze and she was wearing a curious Mayan outfit. She clearly was the chief.

They all stopped laughing and focused their collective gazes on the rather young girl, who's features shown nothing but wisdom.

She spoke.

"My name is Tikaru za Echiduna, the head of this small and humble village… I thank you for your coming, oh noble Kaosu." She politely said while bowing in respect.

They all did so… Except Nakkuruzu.

"Ehi there, Tikaru… It's been a while." He muttered, apparently in a very good mood after his successful joke.

She just sighed.

"Yes… It has… Nakkuruzu, my brother."

The seventh Kaosu.