The Ties the Bind

[Shu]

Once more the moon radiated over the lands, showcasing its full beauty. Tonight was a night of good fortune; though for whom it remained to be seen. After his brief visit with the Daimyō the tanuki was in an outstanding mood. A grin stuck on his face, but he could not shake the restlessness the full moon brought. Were the situation any different he would have picked out a few humans to maim throughout the night, as he usually did on nights of the full moon. Their tortured scraps would have their souls snatched away by his mercenary friend. However, tonight the people of Kaze no Kuni would sleep soundly knowing death would bless them with negligence.

Returning to his buried fortress Shu entered into Rinkō's library. Various scrolls and books littered the sandy floor, all of them marked with her notes. He recalled all of her sleepless nights as she tirelessly sought to develop her techniques. She was so absorbed in her research that she barely paid his taunts any mind.

Sitting down on the desk he flipped through few pages of a book, the contents speaking on the various applications of magnetic fields. "Such a boring woman," he said as he set the book aside. He had to admit, he missed messing with her. Sure, there was Cezerny, but most jabs typically went over the mercenary's head. With a bored sigh he looked around, trying to think of what else he could do with his time.

Then it hit him.

"Oh yeah!" There was one more person still around that he could pester. Closing his eyes he allowed his consciousness to drop until he found himself in the white void. Normally, he would need to be in closer proximity, but the full moon seemed to amp up the range of their telepathic bond.

"KU~RA~MA~!" the giant sand beast called out eagerly, making sure to block out the signal for his other siblings. Those that he still cared for would be contacted soon enough. Tonight though, he wanted to cause mischief.

[Sarutobi Sio]

Sio lounged at the top of Pain's tower, reclining among the twisted metal and bent beams. There was a momentary standstill regarding whether the tower would be modified or rebuilt. The greater majority of the village wanted it left as-was, a memorial to their fallen angels. A very small minority wanted it rebuilt bigger and more beautiful than it had been, and left as a monument.
Sio didn't mind what they did with it, as long as she could still come here when she needed to and lounge among the stars.

The Chunin Exams are starting.

[/color] Kurama said finally, breaking the silence.
"I know..." Sio said, a hint of something in her voice as she said so. Regret, perhaps? Or disappointment? She already knew. Ryuze had told her all about it. How they were in Kusa this time around, the three Amegakure teams who would be attending. Ryuze seemed distressed as she talked casually with Sio about it over dinner that night. Perhaps she knew how much it would hurt the Genin that she would not be able to compete.
"I'll make it up to you somehow, I promise." were her words to Sio. Even though it wasn't her fault that Sio couldn't compete, Ryuze was dead set on making Sio feel better about it. That, in and of itself, made her feel a little bit better, but the disappointment still stung. Minato was likely competing. It would have been great if they could compete as a team, or at least both as representatives of Konohagakure. But it just wasn't meant to be this time around.

"I'll be able to compete in the next one." she said optimistically. "We'll blow them away in a few years."
She could feel the Kyuubi grin from within her.
Their conversation would be interrupted by a booming voice inside their heads.
Fuck! Come on....[/color] Kurama growled, instantly recognizing Shu's "voice". Sio, on the other hand, was excited, leaping to a stand.
"Shu!"
Kurama rolled his eyes as he let their consciousness slip into that realm of pure white, the fox now standing with the tiny human before the massive sand tanuki.

"Shu! How have you been? It's good to see you again!" Sio said joyously, beaming up at the golden-eyed biju. Kurama was not even one-eighth as enthused as the girl was to see his brother.
What is it, Shu? he asked flatly, though his tone and demeanor was nowhere near as cold and borderline-venomous as it had been in the past.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Shu]

It did not take long for the two of them to show up, which left the tanuki rather surprised. He stared blankly at them for a moment, but his devilish smirk soon returned. His golden eyes fixated on the fox as he leaned forward. "Shu?" he queried with an amused tone. "This is unexpected. You, using my nickname? Not even with an insult?" the sand monster laughed a little to himself. "You've grown soft."

His tail swished enthusiastically, almost involuntarily. It was actually really good to see Kurama again. For one, it meant that he was still safe. Which meant that he could still prove useful in his war on the Bijūtsukai. Or on occasions, much like this, when he felt like harassing someone.

His attention shifted to Sio, he eyed her hungrily but would offer no cause for alarm.

"Little human…," his voice trailed off as he lowered his head to get a better look at her. For someone of her age, which to him was the equivalent of an infant, she carried a familiar aura of inner strength. For the sake of nostalgia, and maintaining the amicable nature of this meeting, he would not crucify her for speaking to him on such annoyingly cordial terms. "I don't believe I ever caught your name," he stated. Even if she had said it to him at some point, he rarely bothered to remember human names. For the most part they were nothing more than vermin to him, save a select few. Though, he was sure that neither Kurama or the child would take kindly to him calling her a meat bag.

[Sarutobi Sio]

Kurama bristled at Shu's observation, ears flattening and hackles standing up. It was more out of embarrassment than any matter of true anger. Truth was: Kurama was losing his edge. Sio was seeping into him, smoothing out those rough edges, mellowing that fiery soul. Not that he minded so much under normal circumstances. It was nice to not be so angry all the time, or rather to feel that anger but not to let it affect you. It was nice to be able to see something that might normally infuriate you and be able to shrug it off. But not when your brother called attention to it.

Sio shrank a bit when the Shukaku turned his gaze to her, hunching over a bit and lowering his head as if trying to get a better look. There was something about those beady golden eyes that burned fear into you, but she immediately recovered, straightening her posture and taking a step closer to Shu.
"Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Sio. Sarutobi Sio." she said, starting to extend her hand and getting it about halfway up before thinking better of it and lowering it back to her side, clenching a fist. The sand tanuki didn't seem to be the type to exchange such pleasantries. Not even if a single one of his fingers didn't happen to be bigger than her hand.

What kind of chaos have you undoubtedly been wreaking? Kurama asked, ears still flattened and a look of pure annoyance scrawled across that foxlike face. Segregated off in Amegakure, they were more or less cut off from the major hidden villages. It didn't help that Ryuze didn't seem all that interested in the happenings of that side of the world and mainly stuck to the dealings of Amegakure and Ame no Kuni, so if news didn't really come seeking her out, it went relatively unknown.

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[Shu]

"Hm," Shu murmured as he looked over Sio. It amused him when she shrank. After all, it was the appropriate response, but she recovered quickly enough. "Sarutobi," the name hung in the air as he returned his attention to Kurama, sand sprinkled from his form as his body shifted. "Konohagakure always did seem to pull out their finest for your prison cells." The tanuki spoke of jinchūriki as if they were some sort of fine wine, brought out only on certain occasions.

A smirk crept upon his monstrous visage when the kitsune asked about his activity. It was the main reason he had decided to host this little meeting. Sand whirled from his body, spiraling around Sio until it took the form of the Bijūtsukai standing behind the child.

"I'm so glad you asked, dear brother!" both beast and clone said in unison. The clone began to circle Sio, studying her. "I have been quite busy since our last encounter. Did some traveling. Kaminari no Kuni was rather entertaining," he said with a dark chuckle. "Really cut loose. Took out two or three villages with one Bijūdama."

It then dawned on him the peculiarity of Kurama's question.

"That was a month ago, though. I'm surprised you had not heard of it by now," he said questioningly. Both beast and clone's eyes narrowed on their respective focuses.

"Where are you?"

[Sarutobi Sio]

Sio drifted back toward Kurama, resting a palm back on his own hand and leaning back. There was something about the Shukaku that was still...unsettling to her. She liked him enough, don't get her wrong. But he was different than the others that she had met that night in this same place, so many months ago. He was...

There wasn't a word for it.

Though it was still a bit flattering when he referred to her as 'one of the best', even if it was for such an insulting term as 'jinchuriki'. She turned to face Shu's clone as he materialized. Though still threatening, he was much closer to her size.
"Two...or three villages?" Sio asked, brows furrowing. "With one Bijudama? Why?"
Sio still could not wrap her mind around wanton destruction. It sounded incredibly easy for the biju...but why? All those people killed. All those homes destroyed. All those lives changed. For what? For a tanuki's entertainment? Kurama, on the other hand, seemeda bit indifferent. He remembered those days, though he had been nowhere near as destruction-driven as his little brother. Still, he remembered the days, that warm and fuzzy feeling that came with mowing down a path of shinobi. Still...he had done it for survival, and for little other reason.

Shu's question caught her a bit off-guard for a moment.
None of your business. Kurama said curtly, glaring at Shu. Sio stepped forward.
"We're in Amegakure." she said simply with a shrug. Noting the incredulous look that Kurama gave her at that moment, Sio pointed at the Amegakure headband worn like a sash across her chest. It would have been as plain as day, eventually. "The Hokage sent us there to keep us away from the Bijutsukai, until that whole situation blows over."

She didn't see any point in lying to the Shukaku. Who was he going to tell, really? They both had the same enemy, so there was no risk, there. Besides, with the rampaging he was doing, perhaps it would be good that he know where his siblings are, to avoid potentially wiping them out.
Just try not to aim your Bijudama in that direction, if you can help it long enough. Kurama said flatly, irritated that his brother not only pointed out his softening demeanor, but also that he now knew where they were.

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[Shu]

Both clone and beast turned to look at Sio when she questioned why he would destroy the villages. They tilted their head as if trying to understand the meaning of her words. "Why?" Shu mimed. "To reward myself! I had been 'good' for so long. Two months on the lamb and my kill count was barely over thirty," he explained rather proudly.

His tail swished happily as he kept his attention on the girl. She was turning out to be far more pleasant to extract information out of than Kurama, offering it up so freely. His expression deadpanned when she informed him that they were in Amegakure.

"Don't fret, brother," the tanuki said listlessly. "That area is too wet for my liking." So for the moment, Kurama could relax. He would not have to deal with a personal meeting with his brother just yet. "But let's backtrack for a moment. If it will make the child feel better," he said looking down at Sio. "My rampage had more purpose than for me to simply having fun." The clone stepped forward some and paced.

"Attacking Kaminari no Kuni was to piss off Kumogakure and further drive Sunagakure's reputation in the mud. But I cannot focus on Sunagakure at the moment," his tone grew darker. "The Bijūtsukai need to suffer for what they've done. I have already claimed one." The clone bowed, as if pleased to have been the first victim.

[Sarutobi Sio]

Sio watched the actual Shukaku more than she paid attention to his sand clone. He definitely was a study in behavior and a twisted mind. He was unlike anything she had ever seen before. Stories about Kurama had drifted around Konoha, of his past deeds, current deeds, heresay of his personality from grandparents and great grandparents who had fought him in his invasion of the village, passed down from generation to generation.
And even the worst of what she had heard did not compare to what was in front of her.

"So...you like destruction. It's fun for you...kind of like a game." Sio said simply. It was not judgmental...she was simply trying to understand him. "Do you hate humans that much?"
She was at least reassured that he would not be visiting Amegakure anytime soon. That battle, between him and the Amegakure shinobi, was not something she would have wanted to see. While she knew that the Biju were strong, these were a previously-oppressed people who would probably be batshit crazy over protecting what they had only just gotten back. They weren't cushy and privileged, softened by not having to fight for everyday life for more than half a century.

She was not sure Shu would survive that battle.

Sio listened to Shu's explanation to his rampage, and Sio drank in each word, picking them apart, reading further into just what he was saying. Her breath caught in her throat when the clone bowed, telling her without words what she needed to know.
"Wait...so...this guy was one of them? And...he's yours now?"
Sio was a little perplexed, but she could not hide her satisfaction. Even Kurama had a congratulatory smile on his face. As soft as Sio was, she was still a shinobi, and a Sarutobi, as well. She would have no sympathy for their enemies
Good job, brother. Kurama said, applauding slowly and lightly. For once, there was no edge to his voice, no sarcasm or anger. These congratulations were genuine.

"How did you do it?" Sio asked, her repulsion with violence momentarily shelved as she gazed up at the tanuki. She wanted to know. She wanted every gory, sordid detail. Kurama, on the other hand, was starting to get amped. He wanted a tag in on all this.

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[Shu]

Shu's golden eyes monitored Sio dangerously as she made her hypothesis about his behavior. She was not incorrect in her thinking. Destruction was very cathartic for the tanuki, but there was so much more to it all, and she was only just scratching through the first layer. However, her tone is what really made him take interest in her. She spoke without any hints of judgement. In his long life, there were only five humans that had granted him such consideration. His eyes narrowed on her for a moment when she questioned his hatred for humans, but he would shelve that statement.

Shu grinned confidently as both Kurama and Sio praised him for taking down one of the Bijūtsukai. If there was one thing that Shu enjoyed it was having his ego stroked. It was made even sweeter when the praise came from someone who once ridiculed his power.

His grin soon faded when Sio asked the question he had overlooked. The how. As nice as it was to flaunt his victory it was not a story that he wanted to retell. The price he paid was heavy. Far too heavy.

"It was dusk when he appeared," Shu's voice grew solemn, no longer performing his ventriloquist act. The clone just stood there, eyeing Sio. "Him and his group of lackeys. Figured they had what it took to take down Rinkō and her team," he said with a light scoff. "That's how it seemed at first. They would take me through force," his expression hardened as the memories played in his mind. A smile threatened to emerge when he recalled how Rinkō killed those two twins for making the painted lady joke. She really hated that joke. "They put up a hell of a fight, but it was just a diversion for him." The last word was spoken with so much venom even the clone seemed uneasy.

"He has a jutsu that allows him to control the thoughts of others," the clone spoke as he extended his hand and revealed a crystaline magatama of chakra, for the two of them to see. "When the battle had finally cooled down he struck, tagging Rinkō and forcing her open my seal. She reached out to me. She asked," he cut himself short. Tempering himself so that he would not convey anymore emotion than he had already let slip. "I acted too late," he stated coldly. "Once I was free he attempted to control me in the same manner, but nobody can overpower my will. Instead of catching me with his technique he fell prey to one of my own." Sand whirled around the clone, imprisoning him in a mound of sand before the tanuki violently crushed it under his paw. "I sealed his body into my own and from there I ripped apart his mind until he was nothing more than an empty husk," he said with a sadistic chuckle. "I will destroy the Bijūtsukai with one of their own. Poetic, no?"

When he was finished he allowed his grin to return, but it was forced. A part of him questioned why he just told them all of that. He could have just as easily lied. Perhaps it was the full moon clouding his thought process. Maybe he wanted to finally confide in someone. He did not know.

[Sarutobi Sio]

Sio watched the Biju as hungrily as he watched her, but for a different reason. She was hungry for knowledge. She was hungry for understanding. Shukaku was not a monster. Just being sentient made him unable to be such. And while he was exceedingly violent, apparently, and reveled in it, she had already seen things that showed her that there were even threads of sensibility and...dare she call it: humanity, within him. The fact that he cared about his siblings, the fact that he found enough fear or concern regarding the Bijutsukai to become proactive against him, and the fact that he felt pride at being congratulated on his accomplishment at conquering one of the enemy.

There was something about her fusing with Kurama that brought such things into light. Biju weren't people, but Sio was beginning to understand them similarly. She was becoming able to read the tanuki's body language and tone. He was quite similar to Kurama, even if both would likely behead you for even mentioning it.
She kept her gaze locked on him as he began to recount the tale that had brought this Bijutsukai member into his custody. Rinko...she sounded to be his last host. His voice was not filled with bitter venom or hatred when he spoke of her. He said her name as casually as he said other words, which told Sio more than she was anticipating to learn at that moment.

She gazed at the crystalline chakra magatama that Shu produced. It allows him to control thoughts...a very useful skill for a member of a group sworn to capturing biju...now Shu's useful skill in their war against them.
but soon after, there it was.
Almost too fast for someone to catch who might not have been paying attention, Sio picked that little hiccup out of Shu's story.
Rinko trusted him. She trusted him enough to ask him to do something. What...Sio would not know. But he was asked to do something that he had not intended to be included as part of his story, sidestepping around that and taking another path altogether. And if Rinko trusted Shukaku, then he must have done something in order to earn that trust.
Sio's brows knitted as he continued, her mind stuck on that part but still trained to his words.

So he was also able to draw people into his body and basically integrate them into himself? That was kind of scary. Cool, but scary nonetheless. She wondered in Kurama could do anything like that. She was almost afraid to ask.
"Wow...Sio said, finally, after digesting that story. There was almost more information there than she knew what to do with. "So, this guy tried to steal you, and he ended up stealing him instead. What happened to Rinko? Did she...did she die?"
Sio knew it was potentially a dangerous question to ask, but some part of her needed to know.

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[Shu]

The sand that formed his body shifted almost as violently as his tail when the question of Rinkō's fate was asked. A low growl reverberated from him, but aside from that he would stay quiet for the moment. Meddlesome infant, he thought to himself, but her quest for knowledge and understanding was too similar to overlook.

"She would have," he stated coldly as he raised his hand. The sand that had formed the clone began to swirl once more until it reformed into a body. This time it was a feminine form, dressed in black garb, with a black hood concealing her face. This was the first time that he had ever called upon her form, and it was for good reason. It was hard to look at her. Her entire being was a symbol of his failure. His selfishness.

"I sealed her before the seal that bound me could drain her of all her chakra." But that was just her physical body. Her mind was still lost to him, seemingly shattered when the Bijūtsukai invoked full control. Rinkō's form shifted until a green haired man was standing before them. "But that is neither here nor there," he stated flatly as he decided to shift the conversation. He had dwelled on his failure for too long this evening. "Along with the full range of abilities of anyone sealed the most useful part is the memories," the clone explained as he tapped the side of his head. "I think I may be the most informed individual on the Bijūtsukai outside of actual members."

[Sarutobi Sio]

Sio got what she wanted, and she watched the reaction in Shu once more, the sand seeming to agitate as a barely-audible growl peeled forth, dissipating into the space around them. It bothered him to talk about Rinko. It bothered him that Sio was asking about her. His jovial nature was gone now. He was dark and turbulent. Any other biju, particularly this one would be happy that they had escaped their prison. If not ecstatic, they would at least not look negatively upon it.
Unless it was in a manner they didn't look favorably upon. Or unless they had even the most menial relationship with their host. Even Kurama was bothered by the loss of Naruto.

Sio was learning more about the Shukaku, and immediately felt guilty about her initial judgement of him. He was not evil. He did not destroy chiefly because he liked it. He did it because he was angry. And after what had happened to him, he had earned some right to hate humans.
The tankui replied and raised a hand, the sand beginning to swirl and form until another shape had manifested. This one was far from the beady-eyed clone he normally used.
No, now a woman was forming, her face barely visible beneath her dark hood. The lower portion of her face was visible, painted in what appeared to be similar to the Kabuki style. She was not as animated as the other clone, only standing silently. A green-haired man would then materialize next to her, and Sio eyed him, brows furrowing.

"That is useful...They wouldn't be anticipating that the ones they're hunting would have bothered to gather intelligence on them." she said finally, looking back up at the giant sand raccoon-dog. "Is there anything useful, like a base of operations, or intel on any other members?"
Sio paused before she spoke again.
"It's good that you were able to seal her before she died. Maybe there's someone out there who might be able to bring her back. She seemed to mean a lot to you."
Kurama looked down at Sio, and then back up at Shu. Kuarma knew of Rinko, though they had never met. Still, there was something about the period of time that Shukaku was sealed in her. Shu was...quieter. And less Shu-ier. He didn't know the extent of their relationship, but Sio was right when she said that the now-sealed woman seemed to mean something to him. He would not have bothered sealing her, if it wasn't true.

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[Shu]

"Enough!" both beast and the green haired clone barked, and the sand tanuki veered closer to Sio. His fangs bared, tail flared, sand rustling with anger. This was her only warning. The clone that held Rinkō's form exploded lightly before the sand was recalled into his body. He would have no more talk of Rinkō. He would not waste his time dreaming of the impossible. "You are becoming more annoying than Kurama's last brat," he threatened, allowing Sio to experience the full extent of his killing intent.

It would piss off Kurama, but even if he killed Sio his plan would proceed unhindered. There would just be an extra boss to fight at the end of the game.

But just as quickly as his temper had flared it dissipated. His usual grin returning as he backed away some. "But yes, it is useful. Although, my intel is a bit outdated I know enough," Shu said casually. "Base of operations, key members, methodology, as well as the highlights of their plan, and more." The clone padded its pockets, subconsciously hoping to drawing a cigarette. "They are patient and methodical, but rightfully distant of each other. The only thing that binds them are their mutual feelings towards us."

[Sarutobi Sio]

Sio jumped back a little when Shukaku bellowed, and likewise, Kurama jumped to his feet, standing over her, fangs bared and hackles bristling.
It's obvious you have some hangups over this host of yours. I won't ask, but I will tell you: watch yourself. That 'brat' did for our kind what decades of these wretched shinobi probably could probably never even trouble themselves to dream about when they went to bed at night. And she'll be the one to continue that legacy. She and I, as well as humans like her... like Naruto will be the reason you will be able to continue to flatten villages with Bijudama as you so please.
This would likewise be Kurama's warning to Sio. He did appreciate his brother for what he was doing, but no one would threaten HIS oasis. He never thought the day would come that he would jump willingly to the defense of a human, but what else was there to say that time can work wonders on a heart of stone.

The mood simmered and tempered when Shukaku spoke again, and Sio edged forward, though still this time staying close to Kurama. She had never experienced killing intent before, and it would simply not suffice to say that she did not want to again. It was one of the first times that she could recall fearing for her life legitimately. Still, Kurama's courage and his words would rebound her more quickly than she ever would have on her own.
So he had intel, though aside from names and possibly locations, it was unsure of what would still be relevant and correct. Neither Sio nor Kurama would fault the information for being dated. Anything was better than nothing, and a less than solid fact could still be a lead.

So they're looser than the Akatsuki, only really bound by an ideal but mostly acting. Kurama summarized, stroking his chin with clawed fingers.And we know of two...Ojin, and the guy you secured.

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[Shu]

"Ah, there it is," Shu said simply in response to Kurama's sudden call to arms. It was good to see that he still had, at least, some of his bite left in him. That was good. He would need it in the days to come. "Looser, yes. Which makes them harder to predict. Ojin is the voice of the group. It is by his will that all this has come to pass." The green haired man shifted back into the Bijūtsukai. "They have a set time frame of events, but nothing specific is spoken until weeks prior. Just know that they are preparing to move into the second phase of their plan since it would seem diplomacy has failed them."

Shu eyed Kurama, sizing up his brother. Of the tailed beasts he was on a different level, power-wise. He possessed a raw, unyielded destructive power that only a group effort could match. It was freakish and annoying, but the fact remained undisputed. But that knowledge made him arrogant, which lead to mistakes.

Shu could not afford any such mistakes.

"They will come now with force. They are extremists and their followers are fanatical. Do not underestimate their strength," he said sternly to his brother. His gaze shifted to Sio. "And do not fall for their polished words."

[Sarutobi Sio]

Kurama settled, a bit indignant that he had let Shukaku get him all worked up. At the same time, though, he grinned inwardly. It was starting to feel like old times again. Kurama truly did miss these times. They reminded him of past times with the Rokudo Sennin, back when they were initially split. The short time that they were together were some of the best of Kurama's memory until recent times. The shit inbetween...he could have done without. The fox became a bit pensive thinking about the past. He wondered if Kokuo could be saved, and if they could ever be reunited again. He worried for his siblings. He had not been in contact with any of the others, partially his own fault, really, but he had to wonder if it was because they, too, were busy with their own business, or if something had happened to them.

Particularly with hearing that the next portion of their plan would be the force. He nodded in response to Shukaku's warning.
"I won't." Sio said. "There's nothing they could say to me."
And it was true. There was nothing they could say to get her to betray the word she had made to Kurama, and the promise that she had made to the rest of the Biju. The Bijutsukai's very ideals were opposite of hers, and there was nothing that could change that, no middle that could be reached. That's all there was to that.

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