Retcon [Shu]

[Sarutobi Sio]

It would be but a split second from the time Sio was transported from the battlefield to what appeared to be an underground sanctuary of sorts. She had no clue where she was, how she got there or even what time of day it was, but she looked around in awe at the grand ceiling above them, and the spacious midst in which they stood.
There would be no name for the emotion which Sio found herself enveloped in right at that moment. About 78-percent of it, though, was rage. Rage at what was happening, at the fact that she was not able to go home. At Shu, for doing this to her. At Masahige for not being able to protect her better. At herself for failing and being so weak as to submit to the whims of chakra beasts. She was enraged. She was sad and miserable. And she was embarrassed.

"Can you believe he called me weak?" she muttered to herself. "Fucker's underestimating me, saying something like that."
SHUT UP. Kurama bellowed, stunning the girl into silence.
"Kurama..." she said gently. The fox had been uncharacteristically quiet, to this point. There was something dark stewing within her. The silence was almost throttling...heavy and uncomfortable.
My brother is right. YOU ARE WEAK.
Sio felt as if she had been punched in the gut. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to slip within her own mind. The bright, open space that Kurama once inhabited was going dark. The "floor" beneath her feet was hot. She peered into the shadows, squinting. She could barely catch a flash of light glinting off a blood-red eye.
"Come on, Kurama...You don't mean that. We're a team, remember?"
There would be a blast of hot, dry air as the Kyubi stood, his tails swirling and flaring behind him.
A team? he snarled, leaning in dangerously close to the girl. If that was a real attack back there, you would have gotten us both killed. You're weak and inexperienced to the point of being dangerous. You're more lethal to your comrades than you are to your enemies!

Sio didn't know what to think. A lump was rising in her throat and tears balanced delicately on the lids of her eyes, but Kurama's sympathy was gone. Sio had run out that card a long time ago.
The brat was just as annoying and idealistic as you are, but at least he had guts! You're nothing but a bunch of hot air. 'Will of Fire', 'Sarutobi pride'. You're a failure. You never should have been given a hitai-ate. You never should have been given ME. You'd have been better off in the miserable, piss-reeking basement that they pulled you out of.
Sio collapsed under the weight of the fox's venomous words.
"Kurama...stop it."
Fucking idealistic brats and your empty promises and dreams. Maybe I'm the one who's weak, too. I believed in that load of shit.

Crimson eyes drifted toward the source of light in their metaphorical space. The braid that bound them together. A pulsating helix of orange and white energies. Kurama's steps were silent as he walked over to it, contemplating it.
"Kurama...what are you doing?" Sio gasped, still on the ground, shaking violently from the impact of Kurama's rant. He stared at the pillar for a moment, face twisting up into something malicious and angry.
Breaking this farce of a bond...I've been a fool for far too long.
The braid was maturing, but by all accounts of time, was still new. Sio could only watch as he parted his jaws, closing them violently over the pillar of light. Muscles tensed and flexed as he bit down into the braided energies, feet bracing to attempt to pull them apart.
At once, both would be filled with a searing pain. Kurama roared through clenched jaws, but continued his assault against their bond, head twisting as the energy began to splinter and separate.

"Kurama! Stop it!" Sio screamed, writhing on the ground, attempting to plant her hands beneath her and push herself up, despite the pain. Her words fell on deaf ears, though, as he continued to rip and twist. Sio managed herself to her feet, energy beginning to swirl around her. The different chakras began to layer in the ball in her hand, and she rushed at the Kyubi, thrusting the ball of Katon and water into the side of his face.
Stunned, he stopped, the fur by the side of his mouth burned away, exposing skeleton. Sio prepared another Rasengan as she stood between the energy and its adversary. The muscle in the hole Sio had produced began to knit itself back together, skin then forming next and fur sprouting as Kurama's healing factor came into play. Snarling, he turned and walked back to the shadows.
I have no use for weaklings. Or their empty promises. was all he said as he disappeared.
Sio looked back at the braid that had composed their bond and their friendship to this point. It was shredded, still together but damaged beyond repair.
Damaged beyond repair.
And it hurt. Both physically and metaphorically.

[Shu]

There was no telling how long he had been out. The only concrete sense of time Shu had was the hour he spent calling out to Rinkō, and even then he was in a dazed state. So it might have only been an hour since he left the battle with the Hokage or it could have been a whole day. He had no way of telling, and, truth be told, he did not care. Standing before him was quite literally the woman in his dream, in the…well, sand.

"This is so strange," she said as she extended her arms and observed her form. She was still wearing the clothes that she had on during the attack, but it was all aesthetics. Not only her body was made of sand, but the clothes were as well. Yet, to the touch, it felt as if they were the real thing. Running a hand against her cheek her skin felt incredibly smooth, but she lacked the proper warmth of actual flesh. "How do I control this?" Rinkō asked, her giddiness could barely be contained.

"It's all mental," Shu said with a light laugh. He had forgotten just how worked up she could become when it came to learning new techniques. A prodigy in the field, she only needed to see a technique once or twice before she could dissect it to near perfect accuracy. "Just think about what you want and the sand will react."

"I see," she said as she continued to study her form. Taking a few deep breathes she was fascinated to see that the sand had replicated a functioning pair of lungs. Poking around she could feel there was no defined skeletal structure until she thought about it, to which she could feel something akin to a rib. "This is so much more intricate than anything I could accomplish with Jiton. If that's the case, then…," she paused and closed her eyes and really began to focus. 

"What are you up to now?" Shu asked, thoroughly amused by the woman.  

"Quiet. I'm concentrating," she said sternly as her entire form began to rustle. Her clothing began to dissipate into sand particles, circling around her and obscuring Shu's vision. Her short cut black hair began to grow as more sand began to attach itself, styling itself into a long braid. Skin complexion darkened a little, her clothing becoming more casual, and she decided to ditch the face paint for the time being. That was a symbol of Sunagakure no Sato, and she had already cast her die with Shu. There was no way that she would be able to return home any time soon. Not if any of the visions that snuck into her subconsciousness while she was in limbo were true. The mini sandstorm came to an end and Rin opened her eyes, which now matched Shu's shade of gold. "What do you think?"

"I think," Shu started out as he looked her over. "I think," he circled around her, his eyes finding themselves fixated on her ass and her breasts. His brow knitted with annoyance. For half a year he had this fascination with the female form and he still could not figure out why. They were just added bags of flesh. It frustrated him to no end. Truth be told, a lot of women ended up dead because of it, but Rin was a different case. "It'll do," he said, finally deciding on an answer.

"Oh, thanks," Rinkō said with a roll of her eyes. She would make a mental note to teach the tanuki how to pay a proper compliment once in a while.

"Anyway, let's get going. Kurama should be waiting for us," Shu said as he started to walk out of the room.

"Kurama?" Then it suddenly donned on her and her eyes widened. A smile formed. It had been so long since she had seen Naruto, and if was helping then this Bijūtsukai issue would wrap itself up soon enough.

_______________

As the duo traversed through the fortress, Shu filled Rinkō in on all the finer details that she had slept through. How he had rallied his siblings to join the fight against their hunters, all the influence he had gathered in the criminal underworld, how he had partnered up with Cezerny. All the fun stuff. Throughout most of the explanation Rinkō remained quiet, attempting to process months worth of information. There were a lot of things that she could not approve of, namely the murders, especially what happened in Kaminari no Kuni. However she was impressed at the lengths he would go to avenge her.

"So the reason I have a craving for cigarettes and alcohol is cause of the Tanukitsuki?" she queried.

"Basically," Shu answered simply.

"And you receive no negative effects cause of the body being made of sand. Interesting. Though if you called up some of the human characteristics," she said as she shifted her hand into her actual hand, the warmth of life was comforting, but she turned it back shortly after. "I suppose you could experience intoxication."

"Never thought about it. Maybe," he said with a shrug. They then entered into the room Sio was occupying. "There he is." 

"Who?" she scanned the room only to see the girl. "Is that Cezerny? Where is Naruto-sama? I thought you said we were meeting your brother," she stated as she turned to Shu.

"Yeah, well, I was disappointed too, but she's all we've got to work with now," he said cruelly. The tanuki still believed that Sio had a long way to go before she could truly become useful to him, but with Rinkō the process could go by quicker.

[Sarutobi Sio]

Sio sat on the floor, back against the wall. Her breathing was hard and heavy. If you were to ask her, she couldn't explain the part of her that hurt. But something was definitely wrong. Kurama had broken something deep within them both. He wouldn't admit it, as well, but in his dark corner within Sio, he was hurting, too. The girl opened her eyes for a moment, allowing the tears to fall, hot and stinging from her eyes, down her cheeks and onto her hands.
She couldn't believe Kurama would say those things. She wanted to chalk it up to some kind of frustration, or maybe just having a bad day. But deep down, she knew it was nothing of the sort. He meant every word of it. These words had been on his mind for a while, and who knew how long he had bitten his tongue before that moment? Perhaps he was right. Perhaps she did not deserve him. All that time spent in Amegakure had gotten her noplace. She couldn't access the tailed states because she had worked hard and trained hard. She could because Kurama had allowed her to.
He had given her that access.

More tears began to fall and her fists clenched. What was she supposed to do now? She had been dragged into this battle with Shu against the Bijutsukai, and now had a partner who, at best, wasn't willing to work with her and at worst, might try to kill her because she was a hindrance to him. She was basically stuck.
The voices roused her from her weary pain, and she rolled her head in the direction of the voices. The clone that Sio had grown accustomed to referring to as Shu was now accompanied by a woman in black. As miserable as she felt and as much as she wanted to rock Shukaku's jaw at that moment, the dull ache that now encompassed her both physically and mentally would simply not allow it. Instead, she just watched the two of them, a broken smile tracing along her lips. She as might as well make the best of this until she figured out exactly what she was going to do.

[Shu]

Rinkō examined the child as they drew closer, putting two and two together. Her heart sank to think that the great Uzumaki Naruto had passed. She had met the man on a few occasions when Gaara went to meet with his old friend. Though their interactions were minimal she knew he was a good man, and she could only hope that he at least got to live out his last days peacefully. However, that could not have been why the child was crying, and unlike the tanuki she was capable of showing compassion for others. Even ones she did not know.

"Hi there," she said as she walked over to Sio and leaned against the wall. Shu simply rolled his eyes and walked off to another room. She was going to be nice, and he was in no mood to be coddling children. "My name is Rinkō. I'm Shu's jinchūriki," she frowned as she thought that phrase over. "Well, I was. It's kind of a complicated situation. Everything is pretty backwards," the woman said with a light laugh, but it was clear she was still getting used to the whole situation. "What is your name?" 

[Sarutobi Sio]

Sio looked up at Rinko. She knew who she was, somehow, before she even said her name. It felt like she had met her before, seen her before, somehow. Sio knew that was entirely impossible, but she just couldn't shake the sensation. She tried to shift herself further up against the wall, and torrents of pain ebbed through her, though less than before. It seemed like whatever Kurama had done to them was starting to wear off. As much as it was going to, anyway.
She was still angry...angry at the Biju, angry at herself, angry at Shu. She wanted something...something to make her feel better. She wasn't sure what. She wasn't sure if there was even anything at all that would rectify this situation. It was all just so completely and utterly fucked, really. If Kurama was that mad at her, why didn't he just take control of their body? Why attack the seal? They were both themselves, and one another at the same time. He was equal in all of this, as much as she was.

Her eyes went glassy for a moment as she thought. Why had he just attacked the seal instead of just taking control over them and transforming into himself? By attacking the seal, he was acting...caged. He was acting like a Biju...inside of a jinchuriki.
Sio's brow furrowed as her teeth gritted.

If that was how he wanted to act, that was how he was going to be treated.

Rinko's voice brought her back to reality, and Sio looked up at her, planting her hands beneath her to shift herself into a perfect sit against the wall. The fatigue was beginning to leave her, and she was beginning to feel better.
As good as she was going to feel, anyway.
"Rinko...she said, shifting her gaze toward Shu. How was she here, anyway? According to what Shu had said, as much information she could get out of him, anyway, it would have been impossible for this moment to happen. But, as Sio knew all too well, anything was possible.
"Pleased to meet you....Rinko. I'm Sio. I'm Kurama's...jinchuriki."
The word was dirty in her mouth. It tasted acrid and gritty, and it hurt her heart to say it. But she had made a deal with the fox and the tanuki that she would help them, and she would go home once this was all done. And she would complete her mission, whether Kurama gave her his help...or she had to take it.

[Shu]

Rinkō simply observed Sio after she made her introduction. There was something seriously wrong with the girl, and she was not entirely sure if was because of the kidnapping. From the story that Shu told he had spared the girl no mercy, considering he had handicapped himself. If anything he was testing her, pushing her to see what she could do. Nevertheless, the trauma the girl seemed to be going through was too much for a simple defeat.

"Sio. That's a nice name," she said with a soft smile. Rinkō decided that she would address the jinchūriki situation a little later. The primary mystery was diagnosing Sio's current condition. "What's the matter?" she asked, leaning forward to inspect her reddened eyes.

"She got that ass whooped. That's what's wrong with her," Shu announced from across the room as he brought in two large bottle of alcohol, one being sake and the other wine. He then raised them up so Rinkō could see the difference, asking for her preference. As far as he was concerned this was a time to celebrate. Rinkō was back, Kurama was here, the war with the Bijūtsukai could officially start once Son Gokū was located.

"Don't mind him. He can be a bit of a jerk sometimes," she said before waving the tanuki off, to which he just shrugged and uncorked the sake. The woman looked at him as he took a swig of the alcohol. "Most times."

[Sarutobi Sio]

Sio flexed her fingers, feeling the fatigue seem to drain from them as she did so. She looked up at Rinko, debating whether to swallow the conflict between her and Kurama, or put her complete trust in this stranger.
That's when Sio decided she was plenty full for the first time in her life. There would be no swallowing today.

"Kurama attacked our seal..." she said, lifting her head from the wall. "I don't know why...if it was just frustration or what. But...he attacked it. Tried to sever it. He didn't succeed...but he tried. I think it hurt him as much as it hurt me, which is the only reason he didn't finish."
Kurama growled from deep within her, affirming her astute observation. She, in turn, cut her eyes at Shu when he spoke. He was the reason all this was happening. If he had never called out to them, if he had stayed put where he was supposed to, none of this would have been necessary. Sio could have been home. She gave up everything for the One and the Nine, and what had it gotten her? Scorn from the pair of them? Being kidnapped from a home she might not be able to go back to? She had agreed to this, and it all backfired on her in the end.

Sio closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself to retreat back within herself.
I have nothing to say to you. he growled, hidden within the shadows.
"I didn't come to talk." she said flatly, a slight look of irritation plastered across her face. The braid hung eerily behind her, frayed and tattered, ebbbing angrily. Sio walked up, extending her palm. At once, the chain link gates that had been opened wide for Kurama swung shut. He emerged from the shadows with a fevered rush, snarling and skidding to a stop in front of the tall gate door.
WHAT IS THIS?! he roared, tails flaring. Sio stood, unflinching as the doors of the gates locked, a seal forming over them. Kurama reached out and hit the gate, but it barely budged as he did so, repeatedly, roaring. Crimson eyes flashed uncertainly as he stared down at the Sarutobi girl. This was the same seal that had been used on Naruto. The backup seal, enacted for the possibility that Kurama might try to break free when the braid was still young. Sio had opened that gate not too soon after he was first sealed, as a sign of goodwill toward him and an offering of a friendship.

An offer, that it would seem, was currently revoked.

The gate was closed and locked now, and Kurama howled in rage as he slashed at the gate.
YOU OPEN THIS SEAL, SIO.
But she was already walking away.
OPEN THIS SEAL OR I WILL KILL YOU!
She continued walking, ignoring the shaking that was threatening to build within her, the fear that was mounting. She was weak, indeed, but that was all going to change, and he was going to sit and watch.
"This is MY body, fox. And from now on, you're going to do as I say. You call me weak, but I do have this much. I'll get strong. I'll do it without your help. I'll still fulfill my end of this bargain. But you wanted to act like a tailed beast, and so I'm going to treat you like one. Naruto thought there would be an end to jinchuriki, but I don't think the world is ready for that yet."

Kurama snarled again, flaring his chakra, but it would be to no avail as the seal held tight. Sio's resolve was strong, and though physically stunted in strength, she had no shortage of spirit and will, which would keep that seal strong, and their braid intact.
Sio opened her eyes again as Kurama continued raging within her. And try as she might to tune out his anger and pain, it was damn near impossible.
"I have yet to see him any other way." she said to Rinko with a laugh, speaking of Shu. She would show them both. She would show the world. She knew she was nowhere near Naruto, but she was no gutter bird, either. She had a place in this world, and it was not in her mother's basement.

[Cezerny]

There would be a puff of smoke in the foyer as the OTHER Feral Dog of the Yun arrived via Instantaneous. He rubbed the back of his neck, groaning, not even bothering to look up as he lumbered further into the lair. His nose was plum tuckered out from trying to track down the other Biju or jinchuriki, though to be plainly honest, he had only been half-trying really. The other half of his day was spent eating tacos at a little stand not too far outside of Kaze no Kuni. Of course, Cezerny was nowhere near stupid enough to return with breath reeking of spices and tomatoes. No, he had eaten the tacos earlier in the day so that the evidence would be long gone by the time he got back.

"No dice today either, bruh." he mumbled, now rubbing the bridge of his nose. "My shit is BLOWN, guy. I don't think I'm gonna be able to smell for the rest of the day now..."
That much was cut short, and the mercenary stopped in his tracks, sniffing. Of course, his earlier statement was hyperbole, and the smell that he immediately picked out were the two feminine scents now inhabiting their space.
"Who-o-o-o-a-a-a-a Shu!" he said, clapping as he looked up at Rinko and Sio. "You brought us home some entertainment!"
His brow wrinkled as he looked down at Sio, lips pulling back in a grimace. "Are we broke or something? This one doesn't look too well. Couldn't spring for the top-shelf whores, huh? Is she even old enough?"
He squatted down and began poking at her, cocking his head like a curious Labrador.

"I can go exchange her, if you want. Wouldn't take long. I can put a hustle on, get back in a jiffy and we can still party."
He continued poking at Sio, jabbing a finger into her head.

[Shu]

Well, she was right. This did go deeper than just losing a fight, but Rinkō honestly had no idea what to say. A bijū attacking their seal. It was something all jinchūriki had to think about, at least once in their lives. A chill ran down her spine as she once again recalled the night of the Bijūtsukai attack. How Shu hesitated to stop the seal from being opened. Though she promised herself that she would move past it, that was a memory that she would never forget. A reminder that everyone will think about taking that shot at freedom. Her mind raced attempting to find something to say to the child, but it seemed her partner didn't need any time.

"He did WHAT?" Shu's voice thundered throughout the fortress, his chakra flared as violently as his temper. The ground at his feet cracked as he set down the alcohol and walked towards Sio. His golden eyes bore into her own, but his anger was not directed at the child. Far from it, actually.

Closing his eyes he dived into the world of the subconscious, materializing himself into Kurama's realm. For a change he did not take on his true form, maintaining his Bijūtsukai appearance. "So this is how the humans view you," he said with a contained rage. Were the situation different he would relish the opportunity to taunt the kitsune. Seeing him caged in such a manner would have brought him unbridled joy, but not now. Not after all the effort it took to get him away. Not when he was about to initiate his war against those that would persecute their kind. "You are a giant; with such raw power. It radiates from you like a foul odor. No wonder they fear you," he said as he walked closer to the cage, examining the seal. It was much more intricate than the one that bound him, but it needed to be that way to effectively house Kurama. "Even by the standards of a tailed beast you are on another level entirely." He hated to admit it, especially to the fox itself. "But for all your might, you lack the brain to use it. You are a joke. Wasted potential." That would undoubtedly cause a stir in the fox but he did not care. "The child, she may be weak," Shu said as he started to pace outside of the cage, his eyes remaining coldly on the nine-tailed fox. This time allowing Sio and Rinkō to hear his words. "But the weak can be molded. Apply enough pressure and even a lump of coal can become a diamond. But there is no remedy for incompetence, and you have been so your entire life. You have been blinded by your own strength. You never think. All you can do is flaunt your power until the problem disappears." He started to walk away, a laugh escaped from him as he turned back to the fox. "What can you even do? All the Bijū have some special ability. I have my sand. Son Gokū has his lava. Saiken, his poison. I bet you never even thought to find out. So content with your self-proclaimed superiority." Closing his eyes he took a deep breath before looking at his brother. "Fix this. I have no use for a caged mutt."

And with that he made his exit.

His eyes opened once more and he glared at Sio. "I especially have no use for a fragile child like you," he growled as he turned around to see a puff of smoke appear across the room. Instantly, all his anger was washed away, replaced by pure...he had not found a word for this feeling yet.

"Who is that?" Rinkō asked as she eyed the man cautiously. "Cezerny?"

"Yup," he said in a defeated tone. Though, it was almost amusing to watch the shift in the woman's expression. At first she seemed thrilled to finally meet the only other human that Shu had made a connection with, possibly even made a friend. Then he went and called her a whore.

"Are you restricting my movements?" she asked, her tone was curt as she glared at the mercenary.

"Yup," he answered as Cezerny started poking Sio in the head. "Can't have you killing my second in command"

"He called me a whore."

"Still need him alive."

"He doesn't need all his limbs."

"Yes he does."

"Not all of them."

"Yes," Shu paused to think of her meaning. He glanced down. "No." He then reached down and grabbed Cezerny by the hair and lifted him up. "That's the Kyūbi's host." He then shifted to head towards Rinkō. "This is Rinkō. She used to be my host."

[Sarutobi Sio]

Kurama fumed in his own little space, back to the sealed gate. His chakra bubbled around him, acidic and violent. How could that little bitch do this to him? After everything they had been through? There was no way in hell that he was wrong. She WAS weak, and he had no use for her.
So why hadn't he gone through with destroying the braid?

Kurama snarled as that special brand of spidey-sense in his head went off at Shukaku's intrusion into his space. No doubt, the tanuki was here to taunt him at being locked up. He smiled wryly as he sat up, back still to the gate. He would take the taunts. But in the end, Shu would be against this. He would break him out. Or at least would talk to Sio to have her unlock him. He would not tolerate his ace in the hole being tethered to the doghouse.
Oh, how wrong he would be.

Shukaku would unleash a verbal assault onto the kyubi, the likes of which he had never heard before and would never hear again. And with every snide word that left the sand tanuki's lips, his rage would grow, but there would be something else laced in there. His lips pulled back in a snarl at the insults, ears pinning. He was shaking inside. But it was not all anger. There was a feeling in the pit of his gut that he had not felt with Naruto. The youngster had grown with him, embraced his hatred and brushed it off. Sio and Shukaku would not be so easy. They were calling him out on his shit. Forcing him to be accountable.

And it made him feel embarrassed.

Kurama was indeed embarrassed. He was ashamed, most of all, that Shukaku had called him out on not yet having discovered his ability. To this point, he hadn't needed to. He was the strongest. Or so he thought. His shockwaves could cause tsunami and level mountains. But raw strength aside, he had nothing.
And it made him feel as weak as his container.
Finally, Shu completed his tirade and left, leaving Kurama alone. Finally, where no one could see him, his ears sagged, shoulders slumped as he allowed himself to slide back into a laying position, head resting on his arms as a low growl rumbled deep within his throat.

Sio glared at Shu as he declared her weak once more and walked away. She was getting sick of that word. She was going to show him, first and foremost. That was going to be her tackling fuel, so to speak.
And now, there was some strange blonde poking her in the head. A hand whipped up and grabbed his hand, squeezing it and threatening to break his fingers.
"I...am not...a whore." she growled, releasing his fingers as Shu grabbed the man by his hair and hauled him up. There was something...familiar about him. Deep down and deep within, he reminded her of someone she's met before.

"Ow wow wow!" Cezerny howled as he was yanked up. "I'll say you aren't."
He looked at Sio, grinning. "On the way back to the whorehouse, I was about to get on my Judge Mathis shit, tell you that you need to turn your life around and get out these streets. You'd make a crappy prostitute."
He rubbed his head, then turning his gaze to Rinko.
"Pleased to meet you, Rinko, ma'am." he said with a bow. His mother had taught him to respect these hoes. Especially if they weren't hoes. "Sorry to mistake you for a 'stute. Shu likes to party, you know? We don't get too many ladies in our company nowadays who aren't about that life, so I assumed...Well, anyway, you're gonna be hanging out with us now?"
He grinned.
"I bet that makes Shu happy. And that's that shit I like, there. Seeing my bruh happy."
He turned toward Sio, still grinning.
"You, too, young thing! We're gonna be one big, happy family! As soon as we find the others, too!"

[Shu]

Rinkō was beginning to understand what the tanuki meant when he was describing the mercenary. Infuriating. Just like he had said, before he would get through his first round of speaking she wanted to execute him. Yet she found herself unable to go through with it, mostly because of Shu's interference, but as he continued to speak she noticed his...charm? As her desire to kill him receded she simply shook her head and smiled at the man lightly.

Shu on the other hand just walked over to the alcohol that he had left and sat down on a nearby stone. He was annoyed. He had built up all this righteous fury and unleashed it upon his simpleton of a brother. It felt good to put the fox in his place. Then Cezerny's arrival completely deflated that mood. While he would neither confirm nor deny Cezerny's claims about him being happy he created a table out of sand to set the bottle on.

"He's rarely ever 'happy.' I've known him just about all my life, but he does seem pretty close to it," the woman said as she walked to the table. Closing her eyes she concentrated and the sand began to form a small cup. Picking it up she had the sand smooth itself out before pouring herself some of the sake. 

"Yeah yeah," Shu grumbled as his eyes narrowed on Cezerny. "How long have you been searching now? It took you less than a week to find me, but you can't find a giant monkey?"

[Cezerny]

Sio only watched this ragtag gang with a raised eyebrow. This was what she had traded freedom for? A crazy guy, a tanuki and his recently-awakened ex-host who was now apparently sealed inside of him. If guns existed, Sio might have relished the chance to take advantage of one right at that moment. She just sighed, bringing her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on them. Not one of these people were likely to help her to get strong enough to fight Bijutsukai. Kurama sure as hell wasn't going to help her. She would have to depend on her own will of fire to get her through this.
And so, as they all began chattering away and drinking, Sio let her mind drift, closing her eyes and trying to figure out exactly what in the hell she needed to work on and how she was going to do it.

"Yeah, I only seen Shu here happy a couple of times." Cezerny said, taking his own seat on the floor and leaning against the wall. The cool marble felt good against the back of his head. He opened one eye to look at Shu.
"Well, if I had any clue what a giant monkey smelled like, I'd prolly have found his ass yesterday." he retorted, allowing himself to slide over on the wall until he was laying on his side on the floor. "Don't worry, bawse. I got this. Just give me a minute. I'll find you TWO biju before you know it."
It was only a bit of a brag, but the man grinned big as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"So, how did you manage to get ahold of the Niner? And how'd your host get on the outside of you? I missed some shit, didn't I? I missed a good time."
Cezerny's face twisted into something resembling dismay. Was this what was going on while he was eating tacos?

[Shu]

"I can only imagine that happiness was when he was killing someone," Rinkō said with a hint of disapproval. She understood the tanuki's craving for blood, Gaara had thoroughly explained his personality to her while she was under his tutelage, but he stressed it prior to his death. He hated humans, for good reason, but that hatred had created a psychopath. He killed humans because they threatened him. He killed humans because they feared him. He killed humans because it was Tuesday. He killed them simply because he could. Worst of all, he enjoyed it. That bloodlust would not vanish any time soon, but as long as she was still bound to the beast she would at least try to prevent innocents from dying by his hand.

On top of that, she would serve as one of the generals in Shu's growing army against the Bijūtsukai. He would protect her, and she would protect him. Then there was the matter of researching her own situation, understanding the benefits and limitations that came with being a "reverse jinchūriki." There was so much new information that she needed to process. It was almost too much to take in at once. That was when her gaze shifted to Sio. She was going through just as much as she was at the moment. The only difference was that she did not have the life experience to help cope with something such as this. Forming another sand cup she poured some of the wine into it before going and sitting next to Sio.

"Have some. It'll help with the stress," she said as she offered the child the cup of wine, the weaker of the two choices. Not typically an advocate for offering children alcohol, or drinking at all, Rinkō understood the benefits in times such as these. "As cold as he might be he hasn't written you off," Rinkō started out as she watched Shu conversing with Cezerny. "He knows the endless potential for growth humans possess. It's part of the reason he hates us so much. Compared to a bijū we are no different than ants. But what we lack in strength we make up with our creativity," she said as she tapped the side of her head. "We take the cards we have been dealt and push them to their absolute limits. Then strive to go even further." She brought her shot of sake to her lips and tossed it back, allowing herself to shift to her actual body. As the alcohol ran down her throat the seal that once bound Shu activated, but with no beast to draw power from it sought the next viable source. She gasped as a large portion of her chakra was sucked from her in an instant, and swiftly shifted back to sand, her breathing shallow.

"Hey! You two, get over here," Shu called out as he finished giving Cezerny the general run down of events. The alert that he got of the Hokage's movements, the fight that happened thereafter, and how Rinkō woke up and sent the Hokage running with his tail between his legs (almost literally). He skipped over all the emotional, introspective journey of his dream for the sake of not dealing with Cezerny's reaction. He could only imagine tears would have been involved.

"You'll get stronger," Rinkō said as she regained her composure and pushed herself up the wall. "You'll have to if you're going to keep up as my training partner." Yes, there was a lot that she needed to figure out in terms of her body arrangements. Now more than ever. But first, she would hear what Shu had to announce.

Once everyone was gathered around Shu's expression became more serious. "Cezerny already knows a good portion of my plan, but I'll break it down for the three of you. Over the past couple of months I have been amassing influence across the nations. Built up an underground army and intelligence network." Running through a few hand seals he clapped his hands and summoned a book and tossed it to Sio. "In there is all the information that has been found about our enemy. Headquarters for their followers, key supporters, some of their actual members, yada yada yada. From there we will formulate our attack plan, but first we need the rest of our little family; Son Gokū, Chomei, and Isobu." He purposefully left out Gyūki and Matatabi. They threw their lot in with the villages. Until further notice, they were dead to him. "But before any of that I think Cezerny should show you where you will be training."

[Sarutobi Sio]

Sio opened her eyes as Rinko's shadow fell over her, the woman taking a seat by her side. Sio couldn't help but be comforted by the gesture, though she was slightly taken aback by the offer of the wine.
Recounting everything that had happened thus far, it didn't take Sio long to come to the conclusion that she needed that drink, and so she took the cup graciously from Rinko, slamming the contents faster than she should have and faster than she intended to.
The liquid was room-temperature, as red wines are meant to be served, heavy and fruity yet acidic. It burned her throat on the way down in the most welcoming and comforting way, and the alcohol went right to her head, hitting her with a wave of exhilarated exhaustion. Sio sighed, turning her gaze to Rinko. She wanted more, but knew better than to ask. She wasn't supposed to have it to begin with, and this was a bad time to start that kind of habit.

She listened to the woman's words, turning her eyes toward Shu, who was now conversing with a very animated Cezerny. Rinko would be her closest connection to anything normal now. She was once the same as Sio. But it made her feel better to hear that. She had to remember that Shu wasn't happy, feely positivity. He indeed had not written her off. And that aggressive insistence that she do better was probably the best she was going to get in regards to kind words and friendship. He could have killed her time and time again. He could have supported Kurama's attempted breakout, but he instead chastised the fox, who still remained sulking angrily within her. Sio had no words for Rinko's assessment. She would only let it marinate for a moment.

It wouldn't be long before Shu was summoning them both back over into his and Cezerny's vicinity once more. Sio obliged, standing and wobbling a bit from the wine before walking over to them. She caught the book that would be tossed to her and looked down at it, thumbing through it lightly.
"I'm already on that business!" Cezerny proclaimed upon the mention of the other Biju, pointing at his own chest proudly. "But yeah...About yous training space...I need to work on that. I can't take y'all to where I wanted to, on account of the possibility of you all getting shredded up like pulled pork. So...yeah. Hold tight and I'll figure something out!"

[Shu]

Shu growled lowly at Cezerny's news that he could not take them to their little pocket dimension. He glanced around at the two new recruits and begrudgingly had to agree. During his very first venture into the space he was literally falling apart at the seams. His mind was nearly sucked into the void, lost in the countless flashes of past and present, every moment of life on display all at once. His eyes narrowed on Sio and Rinkō. The child was physically beaten and battered, by in large thanks to him, and mentally damaged thanks to that idiot fox. She would not have lasted more than a few seconds in that space. Rinkō had just come out of a deep coma and though she was putting up a good front her mental stability was still in question. Besides, he could not risk losing her again.

"Figures," Shu grumbled. He had been getting ahead of himself. Excited to take the war to the Bijūtsukai, ready to baptize this alliance with their blood. However, this was still in the building stage. He needed to gather Son Gokū into his ranks. He needed Chōmei and Isobu as well. Not to mention he needed to make contact with Saiken, who in large he had written off because of his failure to make the meeting. "Your training in learning how to use Kurama's power will stay on hold then," Shu said to Sio. "That should give my brother enough time to retrieve his head from his ass." His golden eyes shifted to Rinkō. "In the meantime, the two of you will train. You need to get a better understanding of your new abilities anyway."

"Will you be joining us then?" Rinkō asked with a raised brow. "You will need to learn how to make use of my abilities as well."

"Don't got time for that. Besides, I have all your memories and experiences. All I need to do is," Shu managed to get out before getting clocked in the head by a baseball sized sphere of sand. The force knocked him on the ground and he groaned in feigned pain. "The fuck?" he queried as he picked himself back up.

"You will do no such thing," the woman said harshly, her face attempting to conceal a slight blush. "My memories. My thoughts. My mind are my own. You will respect my privacy."

The tanuki glared at the woman but she did not back down, retaliating with a cold stare of her own. "Fine." That was the last Shu would speak on that matter.

"Alright then," Rinkō said as she looked at Cezerny and Sio. "If we're going to be working together I think it's best we get a handle on each other's abilities," she said as she ran through a quick series of hand seals. Clapping her hands together a large black pot filled with black sand appeared behind her. "I have inherited the Yondaime Kazekage's kekkei genkai, Jiton¹," she said as she raised a hand slightly. A tendril of iron sand began to rise up from the pot and circle around her forearm. "I am also a bit of a genius when it comes to analyzing ninjutsu," she bragged a little. "I even developed my own kekkei tōta, Shimetsuton.²"

---

¹Jiton = Magnet Release
²Shimetsuton = Annihilation Release

[Cezerny]

"Oooh, ooh....me next, me next!" Cezerny exclaimed, bouncing a bit and waving his arm. Stepping forward into the center of the room, he cleared his throat. Cezerny could not resist the urge to brag about himself to anyone who was willing to listen.

"My name is Uzumaki Cezerny." he started, giving Sio and Rinko a wink. "My ma was a Yun, but I don't use that name because apparently, they're dicks and some don't take too kindly to the name."
Sio's eyes widened a bit at the mention of the name "Uzumaki". This scatterbrained asshole was in some way related to her mentor and friend? No wonder something seemed so familiar about him, as much as she didn't like the guy. Something in his eyes and his smile and his attitude.
Cezerny pointed to his nose.
"I can smell individual chakra signatures and track them over long distances. I can also bite and eat people's souls, I can summon a dragon, and I'm damn good with a seal. I can transport anyplace I've marked, and bring people and places to us, and I can break seals. I also look damn good, smell damn good, and everybody loves me."
He said the last part with a wink and a laugh. He was being facetious at his own expense, of course. He knew he wasn't liked by pretty much anybody, and there were good reasons for that. Bitches didn't like him because he was kind of a douche. Guys didn't like him because he was always trying to steal their ladies. Shinobi didn't like him because he steals their jobs and stacks more paper than them. Other mercenaries didn't like him because they were afraid of him. But none of that mattered to him, because he was in the company of the one person who didn't-like him the least. The one person who wanted him around. That would be enough for Cezerny, in life. If Shu even liked him a little bit, then he could die happy right at that moment.

He looked to Sio, now. She was the only one left, and she squirmed under his gaze, as non-aggressive and curious as it was. She stood, squirming her fingers around within her scarf.
"I'm Sarutobi Sio..." she said, looking around nervously. "I'm...learning fire and water jutsu, and...I know the Rasengan, and have even created a fire version of it and adapted a steam version of it. I can make durable Tajuu Kage Bunshin. I'm...the jinchuriki of the Kyubi, Kurama."
She left it alone there. She had no idea if she could manifest any of his tails herself, or if it was ALL him helping her. She had no desire to make claims that she couldn't back up. But she sounded lame in comparison to the rest of her current company. Rinko had created her own Kekkei Tota. The asshole Uzumaki seemed downright lethal, or at least he would if she could for one moment take him seriously. And there was nothing to say about the Shukaku.
Still, saying her abilities aloud, she had done quite a bit without Kurama's help. And in terms of getting stronger, it would seem that she was in the right company. She smiled a bit at this thought, feeling the best that she had since being abducted here. She would not need to ask Kurama for any of his help, and if he insisted on not speaking to her ever again, she would probably be okay with that.

[Shu]

Rinkō's interest was piqued with the mercenary. Not only had he managed to befriend Shu, to an extent, but he was also fairly stacked in terms of abilities. She could certainly see why Shu had not killed him, despite how grating his personality was on the tanuki. However, what she really found interesting was his mention at being good a fūin. Now, more than ever, was that a necessity in her life.

"Since when?" Shu asked at the mercenary's mention of being able to break seals. If that were true, and honestly, he had no reason to lie, then Cezerny turned from just a sidekick to a trump card.

"You learned the Rasengan?" Rinkō asked with a little surprise. It was Uzumaki Naruto's signature technique, and the fact that she knew it showed that she was truly his heir. But what really impressed her was that she was able to create her own elemental variation on the technique. She eyed the girl curiously, breaking her down in her mind. It must be the Sarutobi. They were exceptional when it came to learning jutsu.

"Alright. Since no training can take place today, everyone get some rest. Cezerny, keep searching for Son. I need to make some preparations. The full moon is coming soon," Shu said as he picked up the bottle of sake. "I'll be back soon." With that he made the one handed seal and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

With the tanuki gone Rinkō turned to Cezerny and shook her head. "You taught him how to teleport. Wasn't he dangerous enough?" With a light sigh her expression grew a little more serious. "I need your help."

[Cezerny]

Cezerny scratched his mop for a moment, eyes turned up in thought.
"I dunno...I haven't mentioned it before? I thought I did. It's not like I just registered it a few days ago or anything. But yeah. I can do that. So...yeah. Let me know and I'll break some for you, guy."
He grinned and nodded, unaware of how much more valuable he just became to his present company. Sio considered him for a moment, wondering if it was worth interacting with the man in order to get an answer. Finally, she bit the bullet.
"Cezerny...can you...repair seals also?"
He looked at Sio, surprised she was speaking to him before smiling and running his hands through his hair.
"I'd prolly have to see what kind of seal it is, first. It might take some time, but I definitely won't say it's not workable. What's the seal do?"
Sio hesitated a moment. Already, this wasn't going the way she wanted. So there wasn't one fix-all solution to broken seals. And with this particular seal...
"It's...not a common seal, I guess. It's a braid...that keeps Kurama and I together."

Cezerny's eyes widened momentarily.
"A braid, you said? Twisting together the spiritual energies of two entities?"
He was surprised he would come across anybody who possessed that seal. The chances were close to nil, and yet here one sat right in front of him.
"Yeah."
The mercenary laughed, slapping his knee.
"Hell no...that kind of thing is beyond even me. I've tried to replicate that seal with absolutely NO luck. It's one of those things I'll probably get the grasp on on my deathbed."
Seeing Sio's face drop, he quickly backpedaled. "But, but, I know who made it. He could definitely mess with it, do whatever you needed with it. Jones, yeah. Jones is your guy. It's his seal. I see...I see now. My ma and pa went there, to Konoha, so many years ago. Before I was even born. She met Naruto. And as a sign of good-will, she taught him that jutsu. He wasn't all that good at it, but he must have worked at it if it was used on you. Jones will know what to do...just let me know when you're ready to talk to him about it."

Sio turned to Rinko, her spirits now brightened by knowing that there was someone who could repair the seal. She had no idea who or what Jones was, but she would give anything to fix what was broken.
"Yeah." she chirped proudly. Naruto taught it to me when I was about twelve or so. I spent the next three years trying to modify it to my chakra nature with his grandson and succeeded last year. Not too soon after that, I learned how to lace water into the fire Rasengan to make kind of a steam version. I definitely want to work harder on it...I think I can make it better."

Cezerny nodded, glad at the decision to get some rest over training. Tired, he definitely was. He could sleep like a log right at that moment. But not before Rinko would catch his attention. He laughed a bit at her comment, shrugging his shoulders.
"You'd be surprised at how fast he learned it, too. It took me more than a decade to learn what he smashed in two days. Kind of puts me to shame."
He grew more serious, though, with the tone of what she asked him next. "What with?"

[Shu]

Rinkō blinked when the mercenary mentioned that it only took the tanuki a matter of two days to learn how to do the jutsu. On her best days it took her just over a week to get a new jutsu down. It was kind of frightening. This was also the first time that she heard of a Bijū learning a jutsu. From what she gathered they had everything that they needed, and yet Shu was not satisfied. She could respect his hunger. It was the same hunger that drove her to reach the status as Sandaime Kazekage's reincarnation. And she would do everything in her power to see him succeed. "It's kind of terrifying. Don't you think? A tailed beast training to be stronger," she asked, expecting no real answer from either of them. With Cezerny's shift in attitude she felt a little more comfortable about bringing up the situation at hand. Removing the white vest she was wearing she closed her eyes. The sand that made up her body began to darken around the area where her heart would be, forming an intricate tattoo-like seal. 

"This is the seal that my great-uncle and I created in order to house Shu," she explained. What was being presented was a mere replica of the seal. She was too scared to shift to her human form so that the actual seal could be examined. "To explain it simply, it takes chakra from what it binds to create a...," she paused. "Cage." She disliked the analogy, but it was the most accurate. "In any case, with Shu no longer sealed it draws chakra from the next best thing, me." She placed gripped a hand over the faux seal. "The amount needed is more than I can produce, even as a jinchūriki. If I allow myself to return to my human state and not this sand golem I will die."

[Cezerny]

"Oh, I dunno..." Cezerny said with a shrug. "It actually made me happy, when Shu said he wanted me to teach him the jutsu. Besides making me feel needed, there was...kind of a connection there. You never expect to hear a biju WANT growth. Much less to want something that we have. Seems like it's evolution, maybe. I dunno. Whatever it is, it's what makes me want to follow him. He wants shit. He aspires. Shu don't wait for shit to happen. He makes shit happen. I respect that. I want to see him get what he's working toward. I don't even expect nothing in return. I'm just glad to be part of something big with him. I'll do anything to make sure it happens."
It was a rare, introspective moment for the mercenary. Rinko would be witness to a time where he wasn't being his normal self, but was more sincere, more human. Unfortunately, those moments never last long. But it happened all the same.

He watched as Rinko removed her shirt, and for once, Cezerny's eyes were not locked on the obvious. He was, instead, drawn into the replica of the seal that etched itself on her chest, over her heart. He committed the image to memory, locking it away while focusing on it right at that moment. He observed everything about it...the scent of the chakra that was used to inscribe it. The number of points. The type, the color. It's width, height and location. All of it was important.
It was certainly a heavy seal. Very sophisticated, though brutishly simple at the same time. This would be one that might be better studied and figured out, but given their situation and the amount of time they had, it would be of more benefit to them to simply break it. However, Cezerny would gladly find a middle ground. After all, there would be no point in killing himself to break it. No...he would study it, figure it out. Use the least amount of power necessary to break it. Cause less stress to Rinko, and more danger to him.
"It will be dangerous to break...but that don't mean I can't do it." he said, ramming his hands into his pockets. "I'd need to counterseal it to weaken it. I'd supply you with my chakra...enough for you to shift and not have to worry about dying. The seal being under strain through use will weaken its integrity further. That will allow me to break it. I'd have to do it quickly...and it might take a couple of hits. But I don't see this being able to stand up to me."
He grinned a bit boastfully. It was definitely scary. He had an increased chakra pool...nowhere near jinchuriki status, but he was confident that as long as nothing interrupted them and his calculations were correct, he could help her maintain the transformation and assault the seal without killing himself.
"Just give me a few days to study the seal, make sure there's nothing I'm missing that might slow us down or help us. That should be all I need, and then we'd be ready to rock and roll, girl!"