Gaara
In the dimly lit cavernous chamber of the Midnight Palace, Maguro stood beside a pool of writhing, blackened liquid. Gaara knelt before him, his heart filled with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. The air was heavy with an aura of malevolence.
With a voice laced with both authority and temptation, Maguro spoke, his words dripping with dark allure. "Gaara, my devotatious disciple, it is time for your rebirth. Let the Corruption take adobe within you, for it is the path to the real power."
Maguro spoke like an idiot trying to sound smart, but Gaara knew that actually, Maguro was testing him, seeing if he would be foolish enough to fall for such a ploy. It was testament to his true genius. Maguro's words and plans were so complex that Gaara couldn't even comprehend them, so they only seemed foolish to a mere mortal like himself. Gaara wanted to grip at his hair in frustration at his inadequacy to comprehend the depths of Maguro's brilliance, but he restrained himself.
Gaara's heart raced, his body trembling with a strange mixture of fear and excitement. He knew that by surrendering himself to the corruption, he would undergo a transformation beyond his wildest imagination. Slowly, he extended his hand, allowing Maguro to guide him towards the pool of black liquid.
As Gaara's hand touched the surface, ripples of wicked energy ran up his arm, blackening his veins. The corrupted liquid seemed to respond to his touch, swirling and churning. With a gesture from Maguro, Gaara submerged himself, feeling the thick liquid envelop his body.
For a brief moment, Gaara felt an overwhelming sense of suffocation, the darkness threatening to consume him entirely. But then, a surge of power coursed through him, igniting every fiber of his being. He felt as if his very essence was being rewritten by the corruption's touch.
Maguro's hand grasped his, and pulled him from the pool. Gaara looked down at his arms. His skin bore darkened markings, swirling symbols of the corruption etched upon his flesh, the same symbols he had once been told by his advisors to paint upon the structures of Sunagakure. The black liquid clung to his form, flowing off him like tendrils of shadow. The arm of mercury that had taken the place of his leg was now just a puddle on the pool's surface. In its place was powerful-looking red leg with jagged spikes and a wicked clawed foot.
Gaara picked up his mercury and it became a top hat which he put on.
Maguro observed Gaara's rebirth with a mix of pride and satisfaction abouthis face. "Rise, Gaara, as my harp bringer of darkness. Let the corruption flow through you, granting you power beyond comprehenchmen. Embrace your destiny and let the world jiggle in your wake. You have been granted the gift of the Crimson Mantis Leg."
Gaara stood tall.
"Together," Maguro said, "We will sow the seeds of justice and reshape this twisted world."
Over the next few weeks, more and more people began appearing at the Midnight Palace as if by destiny.
Maguro initiated these people into the cult. Most became common members, but besides Gaara, eleven others were chosen as the Exalted, those who Maguro called the 12 Fingers.
There was Haruka. Haruka was once a street orphan who found solace in the promises of power and belonging within the cult. Drawn to Maguro's charisma, she willingly joined, seeking a place where her natural agility and venomous nature could be honed.
Then there was Clementia, with her beast-like arm. She had brought quite a number along with her to join the Corruption.
Kajiki Hoshihake was a former mist ninja. He seemed to value strength above all else. Maguro let him in because he also had a fish arm (which he'd been born with), two of them in fact.
Tetsujin was a vengeful warrior seeking retribution for a personal tragedy. He found opportunity in the teachings of Maguro, who promised him the strength to exact his revenge through the power of the Corruption.
Natsuki was a talented tracker and survivalist. Fascinated by the corruption's ability to manipulate nature, she willingly joined the cult to gain control over the mysterious forces at play.
Ayumi - The Dragon's Flame: Ayumi was a fiery soul, yearning to unleash destruction. She joined the cult because it gave her the chance to really cut loose, without any "goody-good types" holding her back.
There were 4 others including another mist shinobi named Koshimaru that Gaara wasn't familiar with just yet.
Maguro had fought all of them, defeated all of them, and bestowed upon all of them a gift of the Corruption, the same sort that Gaara had received himself.
Everything went smoothly.
And then the twelfth and last of Maguro's upper echelon appeared. She looked to be in her late teens or early twenties. She bore no headband or other insignia to indicate which village she hailed from nor did she even carry a pouch most shinobi used to hold theirnvarious weapons and gear. She had deep crimson eyes and wore a Katana at her waist.
"Hey, is this the right place? Are you the Avatar?" She asked Gaara.
"No. Maguro is inside." Gaara pushed open the enormous doors of the Midnight Palace.
Maguro's voice echoed out of the cavernous palace. "Approach."
The kunoichi put a hand above her eyes and leaned over gazing around at the wonders of the Corruption within the palace.
"I know the palace is impressive, but pay attention," Maguro said.
"Oh yeah," she chortled. "Actually I was expecting more after seeing the outside."
Maguro silently stared daggers into her.
"Cool throne, though." This seemed to dispel the tension a bit. She approached the throne. Gaara followed after her.
"I am the dark lord, Maguro, chosen vessel of the corruption. Who are you?"
"Oh yeah, hi. I'm Nora."
"So, you have answered the call of the Corruption and have come here to obtain its blessing?"
"I already got one."
Maguro chuckled a bit. "I'm sure the Corruption has granted you some measure of power, but I'm offering you the chance to be reborn and join my elite."
"Sure, I'll join. But I was already reborn."
"That doesn't make sense. To be reborn, you must pargo the ritual that I, the Avatar, administrate."
"Huh." Nora scratched her head, looking confused.
Maguro's eyes twitched. "Look, how about you tell me exactly what led up to you coming here."
"Hmmmm. I walked here." She blinked at Maguro.
Maguro stood up. "You know what, just fight me. If I win, you'll tell me the full explanation and undergo the ritual. If you win, you can join us without doing any of that."
Nora drew her Katana. Gaara could see that it appeared to be made mostly of flesh with teeth-like blades lining the edge.
"Of course, you'd better at least show me you're strong enough to join before I force you to prostate yourself before me." Maguro said.
Nora giggled. "You're funny. Okay, let's have fun!"
Gaara giggled as well. Quite some clever word play there from Maguro, "prostate" instead of "prostrate," because he intended to kick her ass. Not that she had a prostate, bit that's what made the wordplay all the more complex.
Maguro released a wave of black sludge from his fish arm.
Instead of running away, Nora ran towards it. With a swing of her sword, the sludge parted and she ran down the divide, straight for Maguro.
Maguro waved his arm at her, but nothing happened. "Why isn't your sword corrupted!?"
"Oh, it is."
That was indeed strange. Maguro had been able to control all Corruption until now.
She closed the distance and slashed at him. Maguro's fish arm moved faster than a river full of frogs and pushed the strange sword aside.
Nora twisted her sword and sent it right back, but Maguro parried once more. She released a flurry of attacks, but the arm effortlessly deflected all of them.
Then she grinned. Suddenly she dropped into a low stance and slashed at Maguro's feet. Maguro bent down. Or it was more like the arm pulled him down. But the arm's strength didn't seem to match its speed and Nora's blade reached Maguro's shins.
Then it stopped.
"Do you concede?" Nora asked.
"Go ahead and chop them off. They'll just grow back. You see, I am invisible. You were doomed to lose the moment this fight began."
"Invisible?" Nora asked, moving her lips to the side. "That means they can't see you, silly. I think you mean in Vince the bull."
Oh God, she was so fucking dumb.
The black sludge from before crashed back down. Nora tried to move, but Maguro's fish hand was suddenly around her throat.
And as the goop covering them sloshed to the ground, Nora remained unchanged.
"That's impossible!" Maguro said. "You should have been turned half-way into a Corruption monster."
"Oh? Oops."
She slashed at Maguro's fish arm and he released her neck.
They went several rounds with Maguro being cut and regenerating and Nora being untouched.
"Want to call it a tie?" Nora asked.
"No! I'm about to win! You haven't even seen my in Vince the bull fire shield yet."
"Why do you need a shield if you are already in Vince the Bull?"
"Because shut up."
Maguro was clearly frustrated. One as great as he could bot afford to lose or offer a compromise… but perhaps if Gaara initiated. Gaara spoke up. "Avatar Maguro,as you know, your shield would only prolong the battle. Perhaps instead of calling it a draw, you can be the winner, but Nora does not need to undergo the ritual."
Maguro thought about it for a moment then said, "Alright, fine. As long as I'm the winner."
"Okay!" Nora said. "So what should I do around here?"
"Nothing here. Go to Konohagakure. Tell them they must prostate themselves and exclaim my greatness or die."
"Okie-dokes!" Nora said with a salute. Then she turned and left the way she'd came.
Once the massive doors shut, Maguro said to Gaara, "Follow her. Watch her. Find out if she can be trusted."