Vescrutia: Legacy

"Hmm, it seems that even with your life on the line, the serpent cannot be coerced to appear before it desires...Either that or..."

He dropped Jao, letting his body fall nearly limp on the floor, stiff as a brick. The white haze began to clear up.

"You truly believe in the depths of your soul that I would not let you die...Shinobi must detach themselves from all distractions...even allies Jao. One day, I will die, and when I do, what will be your reason for living? My son..."

Casually, the temperature of the expanse began to return to normal.

"You...and Yin...are...."

Yang turned from his child, sheathing his blade; this battle was over. However, Shadowfang's body began to emit a dangerous violet aura before his blade could be concealed, and a heavy downpour of malice stained the air. Yang turned, but as he did, Jao was seen standing before him, upright with his hand on Yang's stomach.

"You called?"

A messy plume of his hair covered Jao's face. With a brisk exhale, his hair slicked back, revealing his Endless Art; Dankestu-Mugen. The shadows weaved an odd sigil that manifested on his forehead.

"N-number 5? No....Wingless o-"

His open palm shifted to the tip of his finger, touching Yang's abdomen with the swiftness of a serpent bite and the force of a moving mountain. His blow sent an uncanny ripple of concussive force whose impact twisted his stomach, forcing him to spit out a glob of blood before he was sent barreling into the cave wall.

"Out of all the names you humans came up with, I've hated that one the most."

Darkness pooled at Jao's feet, amassing more like oil rising to the surface spill on the earth.

"Shad...Shadow fang..."

The maddening gaze of the serpent god leered at Yang, his eyes fighting the terrifying angst being forced inside him by the Nether serpent's power. Typically, the Dankestu needed to be revealed close for the delirium and fear that rouse the soul to have enough pull. But even from this distance, he could feel wave upon wave of ethereal assaults on his spirit, like the creature sought to lull his soul forth with the irresistible ebbs of a snake charmer instrument.

"Thousands of years have I waited, brooded, stewed. Finally, it is a vessel void of agency, vacant. You have raised a fine weapon...the last had too much...ambition."

It winced as if the mere mention of ambition was like sulfur on its tongue. It's child, the betrayer, the defector, the reason for its past failures. Yang tried to weave together a set of Ava trying to stand to his feet. The shadows devoured Jao's body before melting back into the ground, gliding across it serpentinely, solidifying before Yang; Jao was covered in shadow save for his ominous stare. Jao's foot pressed upon his wound. Yang let out a guttural grow as his crushed bones pressed against one another, deepening his internal bleeding.

"I am a living Cluster, Darkness, Chaos given breath. It was through me that all Shi came, and it is back to me that they shall all return. You are livestock, pieces of a puzzle broken by Zincara's wretched meddling. "

His breath was ragged and challenging, yet still, he tried to speak.

"W-we will never..bend to you will. My son...is..strong..."

A tendril of darkness snaked around Jao, slapping Yang deeper into the wall.

"Your son? The child you fashioned as a pawn of war? Your sun, who sacrificed his right to see the world for a speck of your approval. You waste his power; you fear his potential...you curse his birth...the death of his mother haunts you still...hiss...what a delicioussss soul that Yaaru woman was...."

The pain of remembering Jao's birth was etched into his stone face. The beast spoke no lies; Suzalu's death played a more significant part than he cared to admit in how he raised Jao, never allowing them to become close despite Jao's best efforts to please him. Seeing the raw destruction of his newborn son and the ability to slay his mother callously...it was a level of apathy that Yang, despite his harsh conditioning and pride as a shinobi, never truly got to. Though he did not regret Jao's strength, the fact that he had played a direct hand in preparing Aphosis with a power vessel cursed him with an abyssal feeling of shame, something he rarely ever felt.

"We will devour the souls of all who oppose us; we will dominate this land once more, the Age of the Unlit dawn brought to the horizon once more!"

The beast's presence grew too powerful for Yang to resist. His Dankestu deactivated, and his red retinas became emboldened with the violet gleam of Aphosis's chaos unrestrained. Yang's hand fell limp at his side. Helpless against the serpents beckoning...and suddenly Yang was torn from the serpent's gaze, a brisk chilling gale the only marker of action. Standing several meters away would be Yin casually holding Yang's limp body. Despite his son dwarfing him many times over, he had him by the color of his garb with but a single hand.

"This Yang Is why I can't quietly die in peace..."

He tossed his ragged body a distance away, and the wind casually whisked around Number 2's body, landing carefully out of the distance. Jao's essence hissed around him, his head abnormal. He turned to face Yin, his body slowly rotating in the same direction.

"Your recklessness is a constant thorn in my side."

"Such an intense evil...the spell hasn't broken yet despite him being averted from its gaze. A terrifying art..."

Yin thought as he turned to face Shadowfang, to at least what looked to be him. Sensing the darkness wrapped around his grandchild brought a subtle sadness to his heart. Yet, he could not let that emotion take root, knowing how the Dankestu worked and how to counter it. Though its power was great, it was still weakened, one of the reasons they only fed Jao towards the absolute end of his cycle. However, with the power of the Nether Serpent having grown this much even in its weakened state, it threatened them and Jao. He would not allow it to make a thrall out of his bloodline. In this modern day Shi who do not fight this war for power alone...

"Release him, demon, or I will make you..."

"You, blind mouse, are but a treat of the pallet. Yes, you possess a fine soul, stoic, stalwart, like devouring a living fortress."

"I am Yin-Shi, Head Of the Denkou-Shi, Number 1 of the Descendants who fight for the freedom of Shi...harbinger of change."

"Freedom? While you chain this boy down like a typical guard dog, human hypocrisy, it suited my aims, never my taste buds."

He drifted lazily into a fighting stance, a wild form of the serpent's fist-fighting style. One that Yin had not seen since the early days of his youth.

"Jao-den will not repeat the sins of your last vessel Aphosis, My grandson; he is beyond you..."

"I am Lord of Chaos and Sovereign of Shadow; there is nothing beyond my reach, mortal!"

In a blur of black, he appeared before Yin with a swift palm strike aimed at his chin; Yin nimbly used the top of his wrist to deflect it before gathering naten within the tips of his fingers, sending a pointed strike at his pressure point, piercing its mantle of shadow, disabling his right arm.

"Have you not heard Shadow Snake?"

In a display of speed that made him appear in a daze, he tripped Aphosis but did not allow the being to fall; with a swift kick to its gut, he lifted the beast back up, taking his right hand and attacking the point in its left arm.

"There are no lords or Sovereigns in Edo anymore."

"!!!"

Aphosis felt Jao's body go comely limp as if a deadly venom had invaded his nervous system, shutting down his motor function. He fell to his knees.

"Only those with the power to bring about their ideals. The Shi today are not being bred just as tools of war! We covet power, not solely for the individual!"

His naten began to spark to life, like electric; it swiftly gathered around his hands as he moved them with a dancer's grace, yet settled in his form with the soundness of spirit begetting a master. His Aura burned brightly, creating an electric field of energy that made the air vibrate with intensity. He inhaled sharply, similar to what Jao used, the Urso's ability to improve their parameters by ingesting their aura and ambient naten in the air around them.

"But for the sake of severing our bonds to our past, freeing our chains, and carving our legacy a new!"

Orchi Style; Fang Zero

His body buzzed with energy as his projected aura coiled around him, invigorating his state before he accosted the serpent god, tackling him with his free hand, gripping his face, and propelling him into the same crater he forced Yang into. Only Yin's power sent Jao's body through that stone. Gingerly, his aura shifted to the tips of his thumb and the first three fingers manifesting a seal as the shadows were forced to decide.
"Sealing Technique; Coiling Slumber...."

His anointed fingers met in the middle as a door closing banished the darkness again, leaving Jao to return to his usual self. But not before leaving an omen behind.

"Before the rise of the next True Moon, I shall come again to claim my vessel in full. On that day, we shall see which is stronger. My right, or your desire to be free of it...."

"We are done being the playthings of lords and sycophants. We will fight for our right to exist even if it costs us our lives. You did not win this day, Aphosis, and shall win any other. Though you empowered us out of petty spite, this power and how we wield it will create a new path for Edo..."

----Three days later----

The Infirmary Wing was a hobble where the Flonne's, head of the medical and wellness of the clans, had adept knowledge of medical arts and took care of the injuries and nutrition; they were solely responsible for keeping the clan alive and never avoided the chance to let the others know it. Despite their snobby attitudes, they were a nurturing bunch, and although their aims were not always philanthropic, they were exceptional medical ninjas with an extraordinary understanding of restoration arts. Jao lay there attached to an apparatus that kept him with fluids; a brisk wind carrying an odd scent woke him. The first thing he reached for was his mask; noticing it wasn't on his face, he panicked.

"!!!"

He jolted up in a daze of confusion, bewildered by his sudden awakening. His head was pounding, his body heavy and sluggish, probably from whatever conctions the flonne devised to treat his wounds. His breath, her labored, weighted with the absence of how he got here. The last thing he remembered was a fight between him and his father.

"Uh, ma'am, he's awake. Number 5 is up!"

A young kunoich spoke as she noticed his sudden eruption. Her pink hair marked her as one of the Flonne, a medical assistant.

"Tero's tits, Tsumi, I heard you the first fucking time!"

A more somber tone barked back. Another woman spoke from the other side of the room, though she also had pink hair. Her gaze and overall disposition were much more stern and regal than Tsumi's, as it should be; after all, she was Number 4 of the Shi 10 and head of its medical unit. She stampeded her way over through the others, lightly shoving Tsumi aside. She held a single tessen, a fan whose blades remained hidden. As Jao continued franking, she took the bottom of her fan and pressed against his forehead, which had been covered with a special blindfold. Inhibitors, the Gamallow called them. Rags woven together with sealing magic and notes of technology capable of disrupting the naten flow in the eyes. Just enough to keep the power of the dankestu at bay. They learned of this method through their research of the mask created for the sunless.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

She displayed rather impressive strength, holding him back with this simple gesture.

"You can stop flipping out, kid. Your mask was shattered, and a new one should be ready soon. Until then, you have a band that will suffice to keep you...contained."

Her strength aside, those words liberated his troubled mind. It was odd to feel the smoothness of his face with his bare hands. Feeling a breeze upon it was a certain kind of healing for him.

"What...what happened to me? My fath-Number 2. Is he ok?"

She retracted her fan before unfurling it with a quick wrist snap, her eyes narrowing.

"Is he ok? Are you openly insulting me in MY med bay?"

Tsumi jumped nervously at the fan's whip-like crack, nearly dropping the tray of medicines she had been carrying.

"...."

He said nothing further, recognizing that anything he told further would just be poking the bear.

"Hmp, I am Uriko, Uriko Flonne-Shi, Head of the Flonne family and number 4 of the Shi 10; of course, he is ok, better than when he left, no thanks to you. Honestly, the gall."

Though her attitude was shit Jao couldn't deny the potency of her healing abilities. As the moment passed, the fog around what happened began to fade, and he recalled the moment Aphosis awoke...and the wound he gave his father. If he was back up and at him already, his survival was advocacy enough of her prowess.

"You should be a bit more concerned about yourself. Because of your little outburst, Yin was forced to damage your nervous system. Nearly irreparably so. It was a tediously meticulous task, but only one such as myself could've performed it...you're welcome."

The memory of Yin's tenuous strikes came back, ebbing through him like phantom pains. Such precision and holding such accuracy with no vision truly spoke to Yin's prowess in battle and Jao's juvenile understanding of his abilities. As long as he kept fumbling around in the dark, ignorant of the nuances of his anthem, he would forever pose a danger to himself and his family.

"Sigh...thanks."

He casually touched his neck to find that Kuro was not there. Before he could even get out his question, Tsumi stepped forward.

"He was... wounded in the fray but would not leave your side nor let us treat him. But Yin-sama was able to convince him to let him care for him. He..."

Uriko retracted her fan, abruptly silencing Tsumi.

"Enough, Tsumi. He is healed and, as of now, taking a bed from someone who might need it. You, Number 5, was it? Yin-donor requested your immediate council in his chambers following your discharge; I trust you won't keep him waiting another three days."

Jao's brow furrowed as she detached him from the medical equipment.

"Right..."

"Oh...and one other thing..."

She said, detaching the last node from his body. Her gaze met his; even from here, bound as he were, she could feel the shadows trailing behind his shut lids.

"I heard of you, a big shot who jumped from 10 to 5 in just four years. Not bad kid, not bad. But someone who can't even control their power, no matter how mighty it may be."

Beneath her soft words slithered a heinous aura of bloodlust. One that spoke of years of training and pinnacle progeny prowess. Her intensity was less like a serpent's hiss and more like the roar of a dragon. Jao kept himself composed despite the anxiousness her sudden display created. A bead of sweat formed near his brow before he readied himself to stand.

"Has absolutely no chance at defeating me..."

And just like that, the aura faded, replaced by a lighter disposition. Jao stood gathering himself and the things another Flonne assistant had brought him.

"Well...off with you then."


She said before walking away. Though he kept a solid face, his mind was churning in reflection. Dammit, she was right, her sentiment echoing Yang's words in their fight. But how could he grasp his abilities without ever getting the chance to express them earnestly? The clan, for all it had taught him, for all the refinement it had given him, had become too small, too frail of a container, and he was with it. Though there was no shortage of powerful ninjas in the Shi, he lacked more than raw power. He lacked understanding and the ability to explore and was denied the freedom to evolve. A vessel could only be as capable as the materials used to forge it. He resented his weakness, and before he begins to resent those who have placed it upon him, a decision must be made.

"I...I must take my destiny into my own hands...but first. I will check on Kuro and hear what my grandfather has to say; no doubt he's well-prepared a sermon..."

He heaved a heavy breath before making his way to Yin's dwellings.

It was a bit of a walk to Yin's quarters. In the meantime of traveling, he decided to visit the various spaces for what felt to him just might be the final time. In the depths of Jao's heart, a slowly festering sense of longing has been amassing despite his best efforts to ignore and repress it. He immersed himself in his training, trying to run from his emotions, his...

"Dreams..."

He reflexively shook himself of the thought. His only dream was breaking the bond of servitude on his people. That wish, that vision, has been the only sight allowed to him, and for so long, it was the only one he thought mattered, the only one emotion he was permitted to feel, loyalty, dedication, ferocity. And yet, it was those who he fought for who feared him the most, that ostracized and whispered about him. Even now he could sense their trepidation, the lash of their leer as he trailed to his grandfather. Ignorance bred these worries and so long as he remained ignorant of himself, it would only hinder him further.

"So what do I do then...If I go on like this...I'll..."

The only way he could come to understand his power, to master it, was to hold the key to his shackles...and freak free of them. Their knowledge of APhosis, this thing inside him, was only surfaced based. Since the fall of their family many things had been lost to him, things that might enlighten him in not only how to approach this war with himself as well but the battles to come in the grand war that is Edo. The enormity of it all, felt like the air in his chest was hardening. Jao for the first time in his life...was beginning to understand how narrow his sights had been so far. In his ceaseless yearning to gain his father's favor, he had aided in his bindings.

Shinobi must detach themselves from all distractions...even allies Jao. One day, I will die, and when I do, what will be your reason for living?

"What is it?"

His words echoed in the walls of his mind, bouncing endlessly, as unaccustomed to the room to speculate, to decide something.

"My reason to live?"

Unknowingly, he had made it just outside Yin's door. He placed his hand on the strictly winding design of metal and stone. He could smell the malichite woven into the mural in his mind's eye he could practically see it. He touched his face his hand creeping toward the blindfold, the urge to gaze upon it with his eye growing by the second. But before his desire could get the better of him the door began to open with Yin standing before him.

"Ah Jao-san, I am pleased to know you are well...come."

Jao felt himself tense up, he was being reckless. He composed himself before entering. The thud of their feet against the shaved stone that made up Yin floors dripped onto the air like droplets. Their pattern is almost identical, rhythmic even. Jao could smell the crisp scent of fresh water, the coolness meeting his face. Yin's space had such a natural calming effect to it. Often why he chose to mediate frictions in the clan here aiding in the de-escalation. Having always worn a mask, it was the first time he could feel it in earnest...

"Please, Sit...."

He did so, Yin domain was prioritized for the convenience of the sunless. Though they had little trouble navigating most spaces, there were subtle nuances that made them hypervigilant. Yin's room was designed to remove those concerns. Jao rested his knee on the cushions. His nose twitched, the scent of tea...it was a beautiful aroma. Weissberry, a rare find here in Mek as they tend to only bloom from the lands of Mhhoujou, on the complete opposite side of Edo. He had them only once, the day he made it into the Shi 10, the tase left such an impression that he delved deep into the study of herbology. He placed his hand gently around the cup, Yin could sense his troubled spirit, no doubt concerned about Kuro.

"...."

His hesitation spoke louder than his words. Before Yin sat down he went to a tank that held Kuro inside. The serpent slithered into Yin's open palm with a series of light hisses. Jao's ear perked up, his heavy heart gaining some alleviation of his concern and his guilt. If he had lost his friend, even more so, be the one to harm him. He'd never be able to forgive himself.

"He was a feisty one, wouldn't leave your side, even though he was badly hurt. You've made quite the friend...he's even gotten bigger in the last three days you've been out."

Yin would take his seat allowing Kuroa to travel back down his arm up to Jao. The serpent coiled itself around Jao who was shocked to find that his companion had indeed grown, a bit significantly in fact from the garden snake to an adult python. The young ninja wondered, what prompted this sudden growth spurt.

"Yin-Dono. I am....grateful, for taking care of Kuro..."

Yin smiled quietly as Kuro flicked his tongue against Jao's cheek prompting a slight smile from him. One once that faded just as quickly.

"About my father..."

Yin clicked his tongue in dismissal.

"Worry not boy, It will take more than a fledgling ninja to take out the great Glacial Snake of the Shi. Besides..."

Yin took another sip of his tea while Jao rubbed the top of Kuro's head.

"It was Yang's arrogance that led to him being harmed...though, I suppose that I am just as much to blame as he."

Jao was surprised to hear such words from Yin, he wasn't one to readily admit a shortcoming.

"Yin-dono?"

Yin's face became one weighted in contemplation, the brisk silence caused Jao's arms to pucker in anticipation, though he managed to contain his curiosity and his concern.

"Jao...you may remove your blindfold, I wish for you to look at me."

Jao's body became dosed in fear, his chest locked like a vault. What was he saying? Even Jao being exposed like this without his mask was disorienting and put him on edge.

"Yin-dono? I...I can-"

Yin's energy, nor the tone of his voice did not shift. He meant it.

"You cannot slay me with your Dankestu, Shadowfang, I have no eyes remember.."

Jao's hand sat clenched on his thighs, trembling in confusion.

"Yes, but, Yin-dono...I, I might.."

"Lose yourself?"

Jao breath got sharp axnuously timid.

"What does that mean to you? A war-forged blade? It won't happen, Jao; if you find it hard to trust my words, then trust my power. You cannot slay me..."

Yin placed his hand on his grandson, bringing his hand to his wrist so Jao could feel his pulse. It was steady; Yin was not just putting on airs. His heart and spirit were sound.

"Go ahead Jao...I have total faith in you."

Those words became like a whirlwind of resolve fanning the budding embers in his heart—words he never thought he'd hear, feelings he spent a lifetime forbade himself from indulging in. Slowly, his hand reached up towards his eyes, the tip of his fingers gingerly touching the fabric of his blindfold. Yin remained quiet; he could scarcely theorize what such a moment might mean for him.

"...."

Will he lose control of his powers again? Would Yin be forced to slay him? His mind, constantly churning, always calculating, couldn't help but wonder these things. But with the steady tempo of his grandfather's pulse, with each thump of his heart, Jao found the means to quell his inhibitions and for the first time, chose from it. And so, he removed his blindfold. Slowly he opened his eyes and his dojustu released a deep veil of violet naten around them. Yin was bombarded with the fearsome ebbs of Jao's dark naten, his chaos trying to find an entry, and yet, Yin remained unphased. A wall of solid invisible energy before him. His eyes laid on his grandfather, stalwart and unphased.

"Well done...tell me, what do you see."

The design of the room had so many colors. Namely, the essence of the barrier before Yin.

"Your beard...it's gray."

Jao said as Yin removed his hand grabbing his tea.

"Ho ho, indeed, let us hope your beard comes in and has the chance to become so as well."

"But...The Nether Serpent..."

"Slumbers...for now. But it has bestowed an omen and will be soon to emerge again. But for now, we make speak, Shinobi to Shinobi."

Yin would rise and go to retrieve a box that was adorned with their clan's emblem acting as a lock. He sat it on the table before taking his seat once more. Naten trickled into his fingers before singing a series of ava that unlocked the box.

"Here...wear these."

He opened the box, revealing a pair of pitch-black sunglasses. Jao found himself perplexed. How would these aid aim? He followed Yin's instruction, however, and placed them on his face. The glasses began to send a series of faint electrical pulses through him before a red light they were blinking with turned green.

"Ah seems the resonance went on without a hitch. The Gamallow and their trinkets."

"What are they? Some magic?"

"I suppose you could say that these are a gift...from Eridin, Number 3. When you became one of the Shi 10, it became evident that your talent and potential would only continue to grow. His knowledge of modern technology, as well as my sealing arts and combined naten channeling, aided in the crafting of your mask, though he continued to protest against such measures."

Yin refiled his teacup.

"He's just a kid! Got a right to see his family's faces! ho ho..."

"...Over the years he has continued to expound upon that founding research and with present-day advances of the modern age. What the devil did he call it...erm...Natech I believe. "

"Natech...Naten Technology?"

Yin nodded

" Eridin said they would resonate with your naten signature, allowing you to use them via mental commands. While they cannot completely seal your Endless Art, they, in fact, can hinder its effects. To a much better degree than the mask thus far. Speaking of masks, while you're encouraged to explore your new vision I'm sure I don't need to point out the importance of keeping your face hidden. The instructions are in the box, along with a note from him."

Now he could see why his father was so adamant in destroying his old one. Had he known all this would happen? His motives ever a blur to Jao. Jao read the note from Eridin to himself

"Yo Shadowbite heard it's your 18th birthday, and you've gotten wicked strong. Can't wait to throw paws with you when you come for my spot! Till then, your gramps and I cooked you up a wicked pair of shades I call the "Draco' Gaze". Aptly named so, I assure you, but you'll learn all about that later. Aside from being immensely stylish, they were created with Owaki Natech we've "borrowed" over the years from their farms. As well as these nifty things called nanobots. Think of them as little mechanical bugs that do what you want them to."

Jao became visibly concerned. He wasn't a huge fan of bugs, and the thought that he'd have some swimming around in his body wasn't a thrilling idea.

"Don't worry, they won't invade your body and eat your brain! We had that happen once, and that guy has been rightfully compensated! Annnywho, they'll suppress your spooky vision allowing you to see like us boring folk buuut they are equipped with several other kinds of vision specs as well. I won't spoil all the fun and let you figure them all out. They also possess innate transformation arts allowing them to create a "mask" that comes with its own niftiness, again, I'll let you figure them out. Howver! this technology for a Dankestu like yours is still new and is powered by YOUR naten network. If, for a reason, your naten goes outta whack and exceeds the device's parameters, they will short circuit, and you, and whoever you're looking at, is going to have to figure it out! Got it?! Oh, and Happy Birthday. Kid--Eridan"

He placed the note back into the box, even more confused than before. A...birthday gift? He wasn't victorious in his battle against Yang and hadn't accomplished anything worth these liberties.

"I don't understand. I failed to suppress Aphosis, I..nearly killed number 2, and I am a danger to everyone around here. A Shinobi must be able to cut down their emotions and overcome the weakness of the heart. Callous, void...I have tried my best to be these things, but in the end...I"

Yin's brow furrowed. He understood his confusion.

"You cannot force yourself to be something...or someone you are not Jao. None of us can, especially the Shi. Our ancestors were tools forged from their time, so the shinobi of that time needed to be cruel instruments of vengeance and death. Power alone, however, gained determined the right to rule. However, whatever our claims, regardless of whether we are viewed as demons in the world, we are human. The times the Shi exist now call for vessels of a different sort. That I have only begun to recognize this is a sin I shall carry to my grave..."

"Be that as it may, there is still no shortage of wars being waged here. There is still a call for power, and I cannot continue to stall mines any longer. That lapse is what Aphosis used against me. "
The clan leader's head hung low momentarily, his emotions beginning to surface, namely, regret.

" As he did with his vessel before you. Yet, the reason Ains fought for power differs from why we do. He sought to use the fear of our history to assume total dominion over Edo. To enslave all under his thumb. It could only be poetic justice that we instead became so..."

Shadowfangs fist tightened. He begrudgingly agreed, not being able to deny having thought the same.

"Then what does it mean? What does it mean to be shinobi?"

"If I'm being honest, my boy, I'm not entirely sure anymore..."

He looked at Jao with a straight face that slipped into a smile.

" But I do know that right to find that answer for ourselves is why I fight, even now. For over two centuries now, since I first began the descendants with the original ten, our mission has been to win back the right of every enslaved Shi to be able to determine their answer. The now Noble Shinobi families were pillars raised in a time when bloodshed was the only common language. Even to this day, despite what they appear to many on the outside, at their core, they are still the savage, scheming criminals they have always been...then again, though we covet it for different reasons, perhaps in that regard, we are still connected. But losing my eyes opened me to the many other ways we move in this world."

"Yin-dono"

"Much of our history has been taken from us. Eons of tomes and texts dating as far back as Tero, our founder himself. Burned, destroyed, or stolen to keep us broken and ignorant. Yet the greatest of the clan's secrets were salvaged. Including the truth about both the Dankestu and our lost heirloom.Subjugation; The Ring of Power. The Elders of the Clan hid this knowledge through the ages, often giving their lives to do so. As the one who may hold the clan's future on his shoulders...that knowledge, however finite, must become yours. Afterward, Jao, you may choose for yourself the next direction your life will take."

Number 2's words are heavy like stone, solid as the earth they sat upon.

"But first...please...your tea."

His eyes laid on his grandfather for just a moment longer. The pressure of the knowledge he was about to take and what that information could do to his mindset and choice. His retinas trembled under contemplation, but he stilled himself, containing his newfound curiosity and quelling his thoughts; the pitter-patter of the springs helped. He lifted his cup, though he had not yet drunk from it, and the tea had not dropped in temperature. No doubt Yin's doing. He sipped lightly, his eyes twinkling with surprise. The flavor was a curious blend of rich and subtle, with the weissberry not overpowering. With a master's touch, his widened gaze became content.

" It's delicious..."

Yin nodded proudly.

"There is a common misconception about our anthem. One that even the others, the first 4 of the Shi 10 aside, remain ignorant of."

Jao could feel Yin's hesitancy. He lifted his cup and gestured an affirming toast. Yin smiled quaintly.

"Indeed. While it is true that the eyes of the shi can steal the souls of those they gaze upon, it is not an act so simple as swiping the spirit. Nor is it one that can be stopped by something so barbaric as merely plucking out our eyes. I believe the other elders speculate this and thus the inhibitor traits of the mask. But tell me, What did it feel like when Aphosis forced your gaze upon Yang?"

Jao was unsure where his grandfather was going with this; in truth, it was a sight he would sooner see scrubbed from his mind that reliance on it. But he would humor Number 1. As he began to recall what it was like to set his sights on one as powerful as his father, riled a sensation that still perplexed him. There were many feelings, but the strongest was...

"It felt like...I was drawing him in...it didn't feel like snatching, more like..."

"Like the pulls of a siren's call or a snake charmer's flute."

"!!!"

" As you know, snakes do not possess inherently good vision, so they rely on their acute sensitivity to vibration to determine their course. The soundwaves of a snake charmer's flute produce a series of vibrations that provoke the snakes, and so they follow what they perceive to be a threat or meal, both often being the same. Feiging hypnosis, when in truth, it's simply the manipulation of its basic instinct. If we likened the glare of the Dankestu to that flute, one could infer that the Dankestu possesses the ability to provoke the souls of its victims..."

Now Shadowfang became geunilwy intruiged. Because of his strict feeding schedule, he had scarcely the time to savor a meal. Few were of true quality and only barely satiated his curse, let alone truly appease it. They were swift, voracious devouring. But his experience with Yang was different. Yang possessed a soul beyond anything he had experienced till now, especially when he acted that forbidden technique. No doubt that was what provoked Aphosis to respond. He was beginning to understand.

"My father said it was like a mirror trying to draw in the reflection of the one looking at it. So, the Dankestu is truly but an instrument. A means to channel our soul's ability to provocate...yet the curse itself..."

"Is the breath that makes an instrument work."

He said, placing his hand on his lap.

"And fear...it's melody. After all, Aphosis is a slithering deity itself; its eyes are the scariest part of a snake at first glance. Fitting, here I thought our heralding of the snake was merely philosophical. To think it is so much deeper than that."

"Precisely, you're pretty sharp lad. Yet we do not reflect their fear...we expound upon that emotion, hypnosis of sorts, and use that connection to lure the soul from them. However, the eyes are not the source of our abilities, but they remain a potent reagent in dark arts. They still carrying a hefty amount of cursed power. It is though possible for the sunless to wield their curse."

"Profane Embodiment..."

Yin sighed and nodded in agreement. It was not a topic he liked to speak of so quickly, but after Yang's reckless display, it was something he knew he could not keep from Jao any longer.

" It is an ancient technique that I recalled from the stories of my youth. One that I did not remember until after my light...was stolen—tales about mystics with the power to speak to spirits. Even conjure remnants of their abilities. Like many of us, I once revered my eyes with the utmost pride, the glare of a gorgon. Yet when I became sunless, I felt like the symbol of my pride; my very soul was taken from me. I walked this realm dismayed, nothing but a hollow shell of my former glory.

"That's right...you were not made sunless until your later years."

"Now robbed of my ability to hunt, I knew it was only a matter of time before the curse would take me...I stepped down from my role as head, wishing not to endanger my family in a frenzy, and retreated to the Jungle Of Carnage and waited out my final days in Zaria, our homeland. I wallow in the mire of my despair...and it was in my lowest low that it came to me."

"Zaria? Why there?"

"It is every animal's nature to return to their places of birth before the end of their lives...I wished to join the bones of myansetecs. As I sat there, nearly mad from hunger, my curse manifested...and that was when I learned the truth."

"..."

"You see, the Soul of a Shi is mighty. All the ambient mystic power of our prior victims exists within us as an amalgamation. It is possible to rein in the curse by weaving it into not just the flesh of the eyes but another part of the body instead."

"You don't mean..."

"Yes, by mustering a will strong enough, one can create a new use for their curse by changing instruments."

"I can't imagine achieving something like that is easy or comes without a cost."

"Nothing comes without a cost, Jao...and such manipulation has drawbacks. You are using naten, your very life force, to craft a sudden vessel for a massive, wicked influence. But doing so provides an inexplicable boost in power on par with the Supreme arts of the Yaaru and even the destructive ability of the Owaki. By taking on the form of your curse...and ripping the soul straight from them."

"Incredible..."

"Whatever part of the body that houses the curse will be lost...given to the serpent within. So, as you can now imagine, why is it not common knowledge?"

"If it became common knowledge, there are those who would abuse it; they are all willing to put their lives on the line; they would not hesitate to invoke their serpent's power."

"But we are not the Djyn bearer of the original curse. I can't even begin to fathom what such a technique in your hand could become. As you are now, we cannot know what performing this technique would cost you...."

"Doomsday...I could very well reincarnate as Aphosis in mortal form...playing right into its hands."

"Yet... there is one thing that possesses power enough to bind the Nether Serpent soul to your will...."

"The Ring of Power...said to have vanished along with Ain's remains after his grab at power failed."

"The Stones Of Kaosu: three rings made with the essence of divine beings possessed of unfathomable abilities. Each is in the hands of the great shinobi families. Ruin: Ring Of destruction, given to the Owaki, said to give the wearer the power to wield the essence of description itself. The Ring of Hatred, aptly within the grasp of the Yaaru, provided a devilish boost to their already heinous magics....and Subjugation, The Ring Of Power, gave Denkoushi the ability to bend the wills of others to their whims..."

"I see...it all makes sense to me now."

There was a feeling in his stomach, a fluttery sensation like butterflies. There was an apparent overarching air of concern about all that Yin had shared...but underneath his inhibition was another emotion...excitement. Ambition.

"And what is it that you see Number 5?"

He said as he finished the last of his drink. Jao's face sat in contemplation. He was now sitting in front of the proverbial forked road of destiny—one that, depending on his actions, could redefine everything he knew—everything he sought to be. Whereas he once strove for greatness, vying for his father's approval to prove his superiority, he began to see how narrow-minded he had been.

"That, like always...my father was right. I...was not ready."

He adjusted himself. The sting of this revelation hurt initially, but Yang's motives were more evident.

"For 17 years, I have tried to personify that past glory, stuffing my whims inside...even my will. I, we, have been chasing the ghost of what a Shinobi used to represent, that one needn't have a will nor purpose that deviated from the clan's goal. Denkoushi have selflessly given both their lives and freedom to uphold this...

"But the last few months, I have found it almost impossible to repress my curiosity...the desire to see the world I have bled for. But now...I wonder if the template...the archaic blueprint that fashioned the shinobi ideals of old...if they were just another means for the Nether Serpent to control us...control me."

Yin could hear the emotions steadily growing inside Jao, like a polar cap succumbing to a rising heat.

"My father wished to show this to me; I have been parading my restraints around as symbols of something, someone, superior. But they make me dangerous...a liability. I was focused on bringing to life a persona of the heartless demon they saw me as and the one I felt I should be. But I remember something grandmother said to me...the only words she ever said to me, right before she died..."

Yin's head raised in an anxious shock. Mira, his wife, had passed away from a sudden illness when Jao was very young, roughly three or so. She wasn't the most approving of Shadowfang, sensitive to the dark pulses within him. However, before she drew her final breath, she requested to see Jao. Yin's disposition became noticeably solemn. The death of his love was a difficult one to discuss.

"It is not the form of a thing that matters. It is its nature..."

Yin dropped his cup. A stunned silence grabbed the room, and for a moment, the temperatures dropped so low that the cups of tea froze. Kuro became fringed; his cold blood nearly chilled instantly. He slithered into Jao's cloak, wrapping himself around his torso, with his head sheepishly peering from within the safety of Shadowfang's hood. The waters in the spring were frozen in the blink of an eye, stuck in the air like super crystals. Realizing what he had done, Yin snapped out of his dismay, unable to shed tears for the woman he risked everything for. Words he thought he'd never hear again...

"Yin-Dono?"

The warmth began to return to the space. Kuro remained hidden.

"Forgive me...tell me, what do those words speak to you now?"

Jao pondered for a moment what words would best describe what his late grandmother's words brought up for him in fullness. It was difficult for him to narrow down, so he trusted the thing that spoke the loudest.

"The concept of the Ninja arose eons ago when Edo was still infantile. People were thirsty for power and willing to abandon their humanity to gain it. The Shi foremost of all...and we continue to pay for I dearly. And yet..."

"That was the form they needed to take to survive the times they were in. The Denkoushi then used fear and cruelty, but who we are today, we fight to free our family of that. I have never fought for power... to possess it. If I had sought it, it would have been only to walk the next stepping stone to my path of mastery because the lives of my people rest on that power. I...I am not fighting the war that Ains fought, nor the one that Tero began."

Jao began to feel his temperatures rise and a bloom of inspiration within him.

" And that, my boy...is because being a tyrant is not your nature. I never once believed it to be...how could a boy so beloved by animals, the wisest creatures of us all, be one."

Jao was slightly embarrassed.

"It is not the form of the thing that matters. It is its nature. Those were the words your grandmother said to me...the day we met. It was a day that shifted the trajectory of my life and that of the clan. These words also inspired my recollection of the tales that inspired our forbidden technique. That she would use the last of her life to share them with you...well, she must have felt that you needed to hear them most of all."

Jao felt a strange sensation in his chest—an almost fluttering excitement.

"I have made my choice..."

Yin poured himself another glass.

"And what would that be?"

Jao's disposition became firm, more solid, and more sure than ever.

"I need to step out into Edo and witness it for myself. I refuse to be more than a gullible meal for APhosis's leisure and will not continue to have the clan worry about my inadequacy to contain it. So..."

Jao would stand, his fist tightened.

"I will leave the clan, search for Subjugation, and master my Endless Art. Only then can I be ready for the serpent's return. And decide for myself...What does it mean to be Shinobi in this present age of conflict? What form must I take? What is my true nature? If I ever hope to be as great a leader as you, Yin-dono, I must find these things. "

"So you off then? Do you even know where to begin?"

He inquired, walking to the back of his den and sifting through some of his belongings.

"I have to go where it all began, to see Zaria myself. For years, it's been overrun by bandits; it's time to clean house."

"I see. I would be cautious. Rumor has it that the group is claiming to be the true Denkoushi. We've let it go on to distract the other families from our true presence and intentions. The families ignore them so long as they don't make a fuss. They assume a real shi would never be so bold. Finding the ring is essential if you plan to take on the other families and continue our work independently. Of them all, be most cautious of the Yaaru; once they discover who and what you are, they will come for you, unrelentingly."

"They have a long-seated hatred for our kind, I'm aware..."

"Jao, about your mother.."

Jao took a sharp breath, his fist shaking before he lifted it in protest.

"That's enough revelation for one day, Yin-sama. Besides...right before Aphosis took control, my father was about to say something to me...I need to be ready to face him as an equal...so that he can tell me with his own mouth about her...and him."


Yin smiled. He was quite proud to hear Jao speak so freely. He was indeed beginning to change and hoped to live to see what that change would bring.

"Be sure to stop by the Gamallow quarters. I anticipated you might decide to journey on your own, so Eridin had them prepare a bit of a care package for you—a going away gift, you could say."

Yin extended his hand to his grandson.

"This isn't goodbye...you hear me? Search, claw, and climb..and when you reach the heights you are destined for..make sure to return here. This will forever be your home, Jao-Den Denkou-Shi....Shadowfang of the Shi clan..."

Hearing his full name recited to him brought a wave of atonement and an odd boon of comfort. This affirmation—his first steps into the world unknown—he would take confidently.

" Be careful, old man."

Jao grabbed his grandfather's hand firmly.

"If you spend all your free time sipping tea, I may just surpass you."

"Hohoho, cheeky, You haven't got a chance in hell, boy..."

Yin gripped his hand firmly in kind. Jao's gaze softened for a moment. Remembering his days as a child under Yin's tutelage. The many lessons, guidance, and corrections he experienced....he knew it would be quite some time before he saw his grandfather again, but he would take these treasured memories with him, knowing he was never truly alone.

"Walk tall, Shadowfang, bend, but never break."

Jao's gaze became sturdy once more.

"Till then...Grandfather..."

He took leave, following Yin's advice and retrieving his gifts from the Gamallow unit. Leaving the Basilk Valley behind, a new horizon before him.