[Kaze]

"Hm....We will see..."

Akio would rotate his arm as he allowed his presence to remain still...

While she appeared to have calmed herself, it was such an instant reaction that there was clearly a storm that had been building in the woman for some time. In the end, it was her demon to conquer, and he was no more suited to handle the interpersonal thinking of a person than she was at close-quarters combat. Not that this was a case of strength...

She had skill, but the rage within her was untampered and explosive...a fire that was rising inside of her and with it...something more...

If he wasn't confident of her claim of being of Takeda blood, he was certainly more aware of it now.

But his role was not yet complete....his assessment of her connection may have been confirmed, but that was not the end of his teaching.

"To continue with the story....while the clan's factions were divided and killing one another....one was born that would decide the future of the Takeda...."

Sitting himself down upon the dojo floor, he'd beckon for the girl to join him as he continued.

"Takeda Yoshiro was the first Pureblood in what seemed to be ages, donning the Devil Queen’s tail and ears. Many within the clan saw his birth as a miracle and a sign. Others saw it as a threat to their power. Despite numerous assassination attempts, Yoshiro survived and grew into a fine shinobi. It was his dream to see the Takeda clan returned to it former glory. Yoshiro was dubbed as the "Soft Devil”, often known for being a kind hearted soul unlike many of his evil fellow clansmen. Yoshiro saw that something had to be done..."

Looking over toward Sora, he'd note the state of her arm and shoulder, reaching within his pouch to retrieve an ointment as he tossed it in her direction, not allowing himself to be interrupted.

"It is through his efforts that the Knights of the Devil were formed and alongside him...their Devil King, were they able to create the greatest principle that we follow to this day...the idea of Kinship being of far more importance than personal gain....power is nothing without purpose....remember this...for it will be of value in your time here..."

That said...Akio would then close his eyes as he relaxed his breathing...

"I was not confident in your reasoning for being here...but as my role is to prepare those among us for their role within the clan...I see to it that those not only of strength...but with the knowledge of the greater good of the Clan above all else are inducted into the fold....so tell me....What is it that you value? What do you see as of greater importance to you?"

Sora Minami

[Sora Minami]

Akio spoke, and Sora listened. Not the half-hearted listening she had done earlier, picking up the gist of what was said without gleaning any of the heart or substance- this was honest listening, her attention turned fully to him, the storm in her chest exhausted and, if not under control, then too weak to interfere in what was going on. So when the Preceptor sat down she followed, almost collapsing into a rough sitting position as he continued his story. He spoke of the Soft Devil, a man who strove to unite the disparate factions of the clan into one entity, guided not by personal gain but kindness and compassion. It was a remarkable story, the kind one might find tucked in between the pages of a fairytale, but something in the Jounin said that it was more than that.

And then the Preceptor asked a question that caught her completely off guard.

"What do I value?" She asked back, her voice soft but no longer shaky as she took the offered ointment, wincing slightly at the motion. Once, she would have put a lot of thought into that question, mulled it over in her mind, chewed on the things that meant something to her and, eventually, spat out an answer that sounded right. But now?

What do I value? She thought, closing her eyes as she breathed in slow and deep, letting her thoughts range back towards the incident that had brought her down this path. She had read Ikana’s file, her story setting off a cascade of emotions that had sent her looking for answers- answers as to who her family was and, more importantly, what that meant for her life. She had met Uemon through those efforts, had tracked down this connection to the Takeda clan, met Sadako, and yet… In truth, there was only one answer.

"In my village, there is… a child." Sora said, opening her eyes as squeezed out a glob of ointment from the tube she had been handed, rubbing it over her shoulder while she spoke. "A former student of mine. She was… deeply wronged by the village. Punished for an honest mistake, made to suffer loneliness and rejection. And then I became her Sensei." She paused then, lips pursing in a tight, thin line as she looked up into Akio’s eyes, her sky-blue gaze, for once, reflecting her emotional state- a storm, calmed but not dead, waiting to flourish when the moment called for it.

"I helped train her. Saw her resilience, even in the face of such overwhelming odds. She… became like a sister to me." Again a pause, the storm stirring slightly at her choice of words- but instead of fighting it, the Kiri-nin let the emotions come, allowing herself to feel the weight of what she was going to say, to know that it meant something. "No. She is my sister. My family, not of blood, but of heart. That is what I value."

Kaze

[Kaze]

"Connection....."

Akio would look toward Sora as she spoke her truth, holding his calm demeanor as he remain seated. In hearing this, it was clear that the woman held dear to this principle and believed it. Her eyes were enough to tell him as much.

"Similarly to Yoshiro...he too sought to preserve the importance of family...and believed that it did not come simply of blood...but of the unity in the bonds that were formed between others. Kin is never only those we are born to hold close...but the people that impact us...and whom we are willing to protect with our lives..."

The man would then grow silent, closing his eyes as he then spoke clear, yet firmly.

"The strength of the Takeda comes from the ability to see the value of all over the one....and the emotions we hold can be unleashed like a raging fire within...possession is the nature of connection...as we hold tight to the things we love...much like Devil Queen to her beloved...it is the same passion that can create a darkness that if uncontrolled can destroy even the strongest of individuals....you are no different...nor am I..."

Opening his eyes, his gaze would narrow as he continued.

"You lack discipline and control over your emotions...much like a wild fire it will consume you...but I see beyond that....Sora-san..I see you as Takeda....and I recognize you as such....little sister...."

In placing his hands before his face, he'd continue to hold his focus upon her.

"That being said....in regards to your display today....you apparently possess far more than just a fiery spirit....this comes from a distinct trait that exist among those of Takeda and often through a connection to the past. I dare not assume it's true nature...but be aware that it may be that you hold the same blood of the Pure bloods of old..."
Sora Minami

[Sora Minami]

"…Thank you, Akio-san." Sora said, bowing her head slightly as she suppressed a wince, pain shooting up through her left side; the man had hit her hard that first time, and now that the adrenaline had faded she was beginning to feel that effects of his punches, her whole body throbbing with pain, in particular her ribs. Definitely broke something… or several somethings. She raised her head then, listening intently as the Preceptor spoke on, even going so far as to call her "little sister,” acknowledging her status as a Takeda while simultaneously raising an entirely different, very distress point.

"I- I what?" She asked, incredulity spreading across her face as she looked up at the older man. Thoughts churned through her head as Akio spoke, her brain chewing through the connections at a furious pace, the storm in her chest eerily quiet. For decades now, she had been afraid of that storm, had fought it with every ounce of will she had, caging it like a wild beast, letting it out only when she wanted someone dead or something destroyed. And yet…

"Preceptor… what are you saying?" Sora asked after a moment, taking in a deep breath as she probed at the mass of emotions and power that sat inside of her soul. Immediately, the storm reacted, reaching for her chakra hungrily; instantly, she pulled her thoughts back, slamming the cage down on the feeling by pure instinct, the storm seething against the walls like a hungry predator… or a starving animal. Devil Bringer.

Kaze

[Kaze]

"Recall my story....The clan strength comes from unity....but it did not start that way....before Yoshiro they were in constant conflict over the aspect of blood. The power of blood that courses through us all, but only few manage to manifest it's true nature..."

Akio would then gesture toward her as he noted the slight shift in her chakra and then closed his eyes as he continued to speak.

"It is the demonic nature of our history that many sought and killed for...but it still lingers within the few who are able to control it....these traits...are aspects that many consider boons from the heritage of the First Devil Queen...the devil who made her bed with her beloved human savior...and display themselves in select few..."

The old man would then focus his eyes toward his arm, releasing a slow hum as his eyes narrowed and his chakra seemed to spike instantly, as if from nowhere. Within moments, his wrist would shift and the hue of it's skin would seem to harden as if replaced by scales. These scales would travel further across Akio's arm, spiking further out to the point his shoulder was now much like the flesh of a monster, a red tinted jewel encrusted on back of his hand as he then displayed it toward her.

"One of which....the Devil Bringer....one known only to few in the clan, but it's power radiates from our history....wars were fought in order to bring such power to heel and many died in order to try and control it. In essence...it is both a gift and a curse if unleashed without care...for it can easily overcome the user..."

As glowing white veins flowed through the spectral like appendage, he'd then stare at Sora as he nodded toward her.

"This is what I believe you may also possess...yet it has not fully taken shape or form...there are signs that it is there...the raw chakra, the intensity of it's nature, the near possessive like tendency it has in overwhelming the individual...almost as if to feed upon them in any way it can...often triggered by emotions...."

Sora Minami

[Sora Minami]

Sadako is going to go ballistic. Sora thought as Akio answered her question and then some, laying out both the nature and form of the Takeda Kekkei Genkai, his words lining up in her head like bowling pins, only for them to be knocked down and connect with everything she had felt, everything she had struggled with, everything she had fought against for the last twenty years. All of it, every struggle, every slip, every person killed… all of it was put into context by this one, simple truth.

"...I’ve been using it this whole time." The Jounin whispered, her voice a mixture of horrified and awed, the pieces coming together in her mind at last. That was why the storm was so strong, why it had never gone away, no matter how she tried to heal or change. It was a part of her, just as much as the blood in her veins or the call of the blade in her heart. She could no more keep it down than she could stop herself from breathing- sure, she could maintain it for a time, but eventually she would have to come up for air… and eventually, her will would slip, and the power of the Devil would rise up.

"How do I control it?" She asked, looking up at the Preceptor, sky-blue gaze calm but earnest, the pain of her injuries fading into the back of her mind as she took in a long, deep breath, clenching the fingers of her right arm. Her gaze shifted down, following the curve of the older Takeda’s arm, noting how very different it looked… and how the storm in her chest, barely a squall now, seemed to echo with faint familiarity.

Kaze

[Kaze]

"Hmm...That is where one's own self comes into mind....it can be achieved through years of dedication to one's own perspective. How one views their emotions and how they place each urge and outburst into a clear direction..."

Akio would then wave his arm slowly as he looked it over, his eyes closed as he released a breath.

"Though many who seek to bring the full strength of this ability consider the alternative...understanding the it is but an extension of one's own self. Releasing the demonic nature within and harnessing it's power into such a form...."

That said, the old man would then narrow his eyes as he looked toward Sora with a serious expression.

"This comes by first channeling your chakra and the emotions that seem to release itself in unison. You must temper those feelings and focus it to create an connection between them and yourself..."

As his hand began to lessen in it's glow, it would seem to rescind back into itself, allowing it's original texture and flesh to return.

"The Devil Bringer is as much armor as it is a weapon...but it is balanced by the prospects of being charged by the will of the user and can be taxing as it drains energy from you slowly...be aware of this..."

Akio would then gesture for Sora to begin, his hands resting on his lap as he looked at her with a calm gaze.

"Now begin....start with your mind....create the connection...in it lies the key to the formation and the release of chakra to summon it forth..."

Sora Minami

[Sora Minami]

Sora listened to the elder Preceptor’s words with a sense of quiet dread, the feeling building up in the back of her throat as the man explained what she needed to do in order to harness the true strength of the Takeda Clan’s Kekkei Genkai. There had always been a part of her that knew she would have to confront the storm eventually: that she couldn’t keep pushing it down, wrestling it into an ever weakening cage and hoping that it would go away with enough time. But for all that part of her had known this was inevitable, it had never come up with a single answer as to what to do once those feelings were unleashed. And yet…

I have to try. The pink-haired woman knew better than to think she could keep things going as they had been; the only reason she’d even made it this far was because she’d had a panic attack in the MIzukage’s office, and that was far from the worst thing that could have happened.

"O-Okay." Sora said, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes as Akio relayed what she needed to do. She exhaled, forcing her muscles to relax and loosen up before she reached out with her chakra towards the squall in her chest, threading the thinnest line she could manage into the mix of emotions. The power reacted immediately, drinking in the energy with a hunger that shook the bars of the cage she’d erected, straining for more… and getting it, slowly, as she allowed the thread to grow into a line, then again into a steady flow.

She felt the power shift, felt it breathe and snap, pressing against her will, testing to see if she would let it loose, and her emotions shifted with it, all the pain and savagery she had pushed down bubbling up, pushing against her will and threatening to swell into a raging storm once more. Instincts honed by decades of practice screamed for her fight against the power, to push it back down and contain it, to not let it through, to not let it gain control- but instead of obeying them, she resisted, allowing the squall to feed off of her chakra without holding it down.

And, like the starving beast it was, she felt it drink in her energy, drawing in more and more chakra until, with a singular push, the chakra forced itself outward, surging through her right arm in a torrent of power. Panic fluttered through her chest, the emotion spiraling across her mind as instinct took over, slamming a lid on the power before it could run out of control. She gasped, eyes flying open as she glanced at her arm, which still glowed with the fading ember of what she had nearly done.

"I-I couldn’t…" She sputtered, panting as brought her hands up to rub at her eyes.She’d failed to perform even a momentary transformation… but the potential had been there, for a moment. For a moment, she’d felt the power, felt it shift and whirl, felt it changing her arm, felt it strengthening her from the inside out. She just had to learn to control it. Somehow.

Kaze

[Kaze]

There was a silence as Akio watched closely, his senses attuning to the movement of her body, the sensation of her chakra spiking, the current that seemed to flow through many upon attempting such a connection to the demonic flow that rested in all Takeda. Though this statement was true, there were few that could control it to a point that it was weaponized. This was the strength that was sought after for many years and diminished when status got in the way of kin.

As the internal struggle waged within Sora, Akio continued to observe this as he did not see the shift nor the signs of the connection being made. It was being hampered, but he could sense that she was being drained by it. The presence within her clearly hungry and feeding upon her in her attempt to try and manage it. Before long, it seemed too much for her and she cut it off in earnest.

With her statement made in defeat, the older male would nod before then shaking his head.

"At this moment...yes...Were it a simple task everyone within the clan could perform such a thing...."

That said, the Preceptor would then open his eyes as he looked at the woman.

"You are making a pact...with a force that has been seen to kill weaker individuals for centuries...Where do you feel you are lacking?"
Sora Minami

[Sora Minami]

Sora lowered her hands, breathing slowly as Akio spoke, his voice calm but focused, laying neither blame nor rebuke for her inability to master the power within. Instead, the elder Takeda simply asked a question, probing with delicate words to see if he could uncover the reason behind the failure.

"Where aren’t I lacking?" She replied after a moment, her teeth clenching as the squall rose up again, pushing against her willpower, no longer the strange but peaceful thing it had been before; once more it raged like a beast in a cage, a wild animal that simply would not be contained, battering against her restraints with a ferocity that made no sense. "I tried holding onto it and the… whatever it is just went wild. It’s trying to break free right now."

The woman took in a long, slow breath, soothing her frayed nerves as she tried to think about what the Preceptor had said before, and the difference between what she had done and what he claimed would work. She had failed before out of panic- instincts had won out over rational thought, overpowering her intentions and clamping down on the power before it could fully manifest itself. But why…

"Why am I so bad at this?" Sora asked, her voice bare above a whisper as she closed her eyes and carefully peeled back the layers of her will, not feeding chakra into it but no longer trying to suppress and shove it down. She grit her teeth, the effort of it making her sweat as pulled her mental hands off of the power, the squall snapping out, wary but not violent or murderous. Just… scared. And just like that, it clicked, a memory floating up from below her consciousness, clear as glass, unclouded by the roiling emotions attached to it or the terror the power within her had evoked.

*****
Running. Days of running, of not stopping, of chasing and hunting and skirmishes, days without sleep or rest. She had followed the bastard the entire way, never letting up, never giving an inch, always making sure he didn’t get away, yet not engaging directly. Not yet. Not until he was worn down, exhausted by the constant chase. She was energized though, the storm of vengeance driving her on, sharpening her skills, her reactions, her strength. She would kill him, one way or another.

They clashed again, the old man summoning blades of bone from his palms, panting, clearly exhausted but determined to win; he ranted, raving about his position, about his impending death, about anything he thought might dissuade her. She kept attacking, Samidare a whirling line of death that battered at his defenses, chipping through the steel-hard bone, slicing skin and cloth in a frenzy of blood. She could taste his weakness, taste her victory, taste that he was going to die-

A shock of pain spliced through her gut, the taste of blood welling in her mouth as she felt, rather than saw, the Kaguya’s bone blade slip beneath her guard, puncturing through her flak jacket and running her clean through the gut. He was speaking, but the words fell on deaf ears. He had won. For all her training, for all her anger, for all she had fought and ground and bled… he had won.

‘No.’

The storm in her chest roared as the Kaguya ripped her mask off, recognition flashing across his features. He spoke again, but she didn’t listen; chakra bloomed from her skin, her voice growing to match the raging tempest in her heart as she seized his wrist with her left hand and let loose an impossible scream, every fiber of her heart, of her very soul bent on killing this man, this monster who had stolen her family. Something in her shifted with the scream, power seeping into her right arm as she raised Samidare in a fury and brought the weapon down across his neck, the demonic claw-
*****
Sora opened her eyes, breathing heavily as she unclenched her right fist, having unintentionally raised the arm while the memory had replayed itself in her mind… and froze in place, eyes going wide at the sight. When she had closed her eyes, her arm had been utterly normal, but now it was far from it- covered in blackened scales the looked almost as if they had been scorched, the limb surged with a pulsating electric-blue glow, her fingers looking more like claws as than proper digits.

For a moment, all the Jounin could do was stare at the alien appendage, unable to fully process that this was actually her arm- but then, with a breath, the instincts she had held down came roaring back, her heart skipping from a calm rhythm to the staccato beat of sheer panic as she clamped down on the power, stuffing it in deep, shoving it down harder and harder, her limbs shaking from the effort it took… but she did it, her breathing heavy and uneven, the storm seething beneath its bonds.

"I… I don’t…" She sputtered, arm flopping to her side as she took in several shaky, almost shameful breaths, unable to articulate what it was that had so gripped her heart. It wasn’t until her heartbeat had slowed to something resembling normal that she spoke again, more to herself than anything else, laying back on the dojo floor with an exhausted sigh. "I don’t know what I’m so afraid of."

Kaze

[Kaze]

"Fear is often a question that many consider when it comes to their path. It is a question that only you can answer..."

Akio did not condemn or scold her on her inability, nor comprehend just what it was that she was referring to in regards to her fears. In truth, within this wide world, everyone was afraid of something. It didn't matter the individual or the length of time one existed on this plane. That one or many things that could freeze someone was always looming in the shadows, and it could pressure them into doing the unthinkable or to do nothing.

As he rose to his feet, he'd move over to her, nodding his head toward her transformed appendage as he then for the briefest of moments, displayed a smile on his face.

"Though it appears...you may be growing slowly to it...find solace in that....and press forward to seeking it out..."

Akio would then allow the smile to disappear as he began to move toward his office, opening the door as he then spoke.

"In light of what you told me in regards to your reason for wanting strength....consider the connection between that and what was lost....I do not doubt that you will find the path that will guide you...but for the moment...meditate on what you have learned...and consider how you wish to proceed...for this...you must do alone...."

That said, Akio would then turn to face the woman as he then gestured toward the doorway.

"Sometimes the rain helps in washing away what lies within..."

In that, Akio would close the sliding doors, allowing for Sora to be alone and to decide for herself on where she would begin.

Sora Minami

[Sora Minami]

Sora stared up at the ceiling of the dojo while the elder Takeda spoke, his voice calm and almost comforting as she breathed in and out, doing her best to recover from the two near panic attacks that had seized her in the last few minutes. She listened, but there was nothing more to say- not on her end anyway. She had tried her best, had done what she knew to do, had used every tool at her disposal… and had still failed. Why?

The Jounin closed her eyes, letting loose a long, slow breath as Akio left her to her own device, the relentless clatter of rain the only sound in the dojo as she lay there, thinking. There had been something, a moment where she had been able to call forth the power, transforming her arm just as the older man had- but it had been unstable, easily shattered by a single tremor in her emotional state, as if part of her was rejecting it. And she had no idea why.

The pink haired woman laid there for a long while, listening to the rain- but, eventually, the ache of her injuries forced her to open her eyes, get up, and hobble out of the dojo towards the infirmary… and then, maybe a snack. She hadn’t eaten anything all day, after all.

fin