The Tale of Two Men, Sesshomaru and Toketsu

Late in the afternoon, many would see that the sun was setting over their homes and that even more so, feel the strains of a hard days work as exhaustion would be settling in on their bodies. However, in this Land, that was far from the case as no Sun ever made it through the black clouds that hovered above. This would be something that every citizen was accustomed to, however, it was a horrible disadvantage. One that would be addressed to Toketsu, the Honokage.

Sesshomaru, keeping his word, had found a home rather close to the Tower, and now was making his way up the mile high structure. Without running, it took nearly 30 minutes to walk, and the Prince of the Crescent Moon was more than ok with that. He would arrive at the throne room, which by now had most likely been deactivated by the Satsujin after his decline in being military leader. Sesshomaru stopped at the guards and waited to be taken in. With such a high altitude, Sesshomaru knew the man's secrets would be safe, but Sesshomaru needed 100% trust in the man. However, that would not go one sided. Sesshomaru had a story to tell as well.

I was sitting in my icey throne in my newly remodeled office. It was a hassle to completely rebuild it out of my ice but it gave it a much more homey feel being made out of something from my own system, also the chilled air caused by the ice was a welcome change to the heated temperature outside. The office would be very bland and all the same pale blue color from the ice. The windows too would be the pale blue only with much thinner ice, giving everything outside a blue hue. The only real prominent feature would be overtop the center of the room there is a large chandelier ornate with intricate designs and sharp protrusions and looked as dangerous as it did beautiful.

I would hear someone outside the door to my office and would swivel around in my chair to face the door and yell out to the guards out front "Let him in! he is of no harm to us! Then you have my permission to take an hour leave from my doorway." I only had one appointment today so there was only one person it could be, the protector of my village. I dismissed the guards to give us more privacy to discuss sensitive matters such as my true identity and past. I would wait looking at the door through my mask for my appointment to enter.

Sesshomaru would watch as the guards took their dismissal from the rigours of the duty that was bestowed upon them and left out peacefully and not so much as to say a word otherwise. This left the man to stand front and center, choosing to let the freezing air hot him one good time to surrender to it, then enter the room with much more ease. As he did so, the silver of his hair captured the sapphire hue and seemed to relish in its color. The man though had no time for such crazy experiments of color for he was here on official business. He would approach the near center, his eyes having wandered around to take in the view. The chandelier being the most prominent feature. He would now look before his new leader and allow the man to speak, remaining mute as his yellow eyes of no emotion cast upon Toketsu.

Hmm so he wasn't going to say anything. I knew where this meeting was going and decided to get the heavily anticipated part out of the way at the beginning. I reached behind my head and undid the snap on the back and a loud snap broke the silence and after a few seconds I would grab it with my right hand and slide it off, putting it on the table in front of me facing towards Sesshomaru. My facial expression would be blank and I would begin speaking "There, I got the negotiations started, this is my true face." I would wait, folding my hands in front of my mouth to see his response.

Toketsu had broken the silence, as the mask was removed, allowing Sesshomaru to see the true face of the man. He had seemed to be damaged, and it was the story behind this that Sesshomaru was interested in. He needed to know what his Kage had been through to fully understand where his Kage was wanting to go. The growing pains of the past, allow mistakes towards peace not to be made in the future. Sesshomaru would begin with words of his own.

"Your actions now, have shown me more about you than anything you did yesterday when we spoke. You are willing to sacrifice, and that is the quality that lacks in man these days. I want to know who you are by hearing your story. However, now I can truly give you my name before you begin. I am Sesshomaru of the Crescent Moon Island from the Land of Tides and I am here and accounted for.."

I continued speaking, closing my eyes now with my hands still in front of my mouth "It's an honor to meet you Sesshomaru, And you are correct I do have sacrifice, I have sacrificed much for the village and those I love...The mark of my love is my entire right side." I would then stand up and rip off my robe to the cut off shirt I had underneath and raising my right arm showing Sesshomaru the immense burn scars I retained from my past battles. I would then make eye contact with him, the stare blank with my one crystal blue eye and the other slate white as I waited for a response.

"Actions have always spoken louder than words to me as I have been raised to believe that, and always will. You can proceed with your story Toketsu.."

Sesshomaru would stand idle by and await further detail into the story that was this man before him. Sesshomaru was taught to stand this way atop a large tree as part of a rigorous training regimen given to him as a soldier of the Crescent Moon. He soon would get to his story though, but for now, Toketsu was still in the midst of his own. Sesshomaru whose expression had probably changed less than Toketsu's mask had, would continue listening.

I would walk around my desk and lean with my back faced towards the chair with my arms crossed in what was usually only my sleeping attire. I would look Sesshomaru in the face with a blank expression and begin "The story of Toketsu Shokan, where to begin. I was born and brought up here in this very village and my parents instilled in me a very strong sense of patriotism and respect for the kage. My parents were loving people but went too far in their attempts to protect me from ridicule, so for almost my entire life my white eye was covered with an eye patch to keep people from ridiculing me. It's never been proven or tested but I believe this eye is what gives me the ability to use ice release without being part of a clan." I would shift positions and stretch before continuing my long winded history.

"I lived a natural life until I was attacked by a wolf as a young child, it was then that I was able to learn of my ice release when I used it involuntarily to slay the creature. My parents realized my potential and threw me in the academy to hone my skills. At the age of 13 I succeeded in graduating, but then I was put through something a child should never have to go through...a war."

"If you know of our history there was a war between samurai and shinobi that I was thrown on the front lines of, right out of the academy. I had murdered countless people in that war and any other normal child my age probably would've felt terrible, but the thing is, I didn't feel a thing. I felt it was necessary and I had to do it to defend my village and kage."

I would pause for a second and look out the window at the village before continuing "We were doing well, it even seemed like we would win without a hitch, but then we were betrayed by one of our own, an uchiha from the village. My comrade and I were resting when he attacked and doing our duty we stood against him. Remind you I was only genin in rank and my friend as well but this uchiha was easily jounin in rank. We fought and nearly got him but then he launched a fireball at my comrade.." I would clench the fist on my right arm and get a slightly angered look on my face before speaking again in a voice that was a mixture between sadness and anger "I pushed him out of the way, and the fire engulfed my entire right half but I refused to allow him to escape. So while I was still engulfed in fire I ran at the man full speed and leaped on him plunging a kunai deep into his heart. The next thing I saw was black, and when I woke up I was in the hospital back in the village with my jounin CO...standing there telling me I would never be capable of being a ninja." At this point I would be sent into a small rage and punch out one of the windows in my office, my face would be one of rage, my teeth clenched tightly and my body shaking. I would stay in this state for a few moments before cooling down and continuing, looking out the window now with my hands on the windowsill..."I left the village without telling anyone..I refused to accept that I would never be a ninja. I hid out in a cave until the age of 29, the age I am now, giving my burn wounds cold therapy using my ice release and then developing many hyouton jutsu and conditioning my body to be much stronger than before and eventually, when I heard of the condition of the village I loved, I disguised myself and came back in time for the attack, but I decided to calm down my people, which was a wise choice seeing as you were there to protect them." I would slowly turn back to Sesshomaru and make eye contact with him, after spilling my entire life story to him I said in conclusion "So there you have it, the story of Toketsu Shokan."

The story was interesting. Sesshomaru listened intently to every word as he had his idea of the things that Toketsu had to go through. War was something no man should ever have to go through and even more so, being betrayed within the middle of one. One would think Sesshomaru thought nothing of the story, for he stood still as ever. He would watch the overall display of anger as if he we unbiased to it, something not many would be. As the man finished, Sesshomaru finally spoke.

"Your story is one in which many who have seen battle can relate to. Betrayal on the battlefield is unforgivable. I can relate through my own experiences, not only with myself, but with my father as well.."

Sesshomaru would await for Toketsu to let him take the floor before continuing his own story. The two seemed to have much in common, even more than Sesshomaru had realized. This was potentially a great friendship in the making.

It seemed as though the man didn't care much for my life story but I wasn't offended. I wasn't some drama whore who tried constantly to get other people to feel sorry for the happenings of my own life just for the sake of getting attention. He asked for my story and I gave it, that had to have sparked trust and that's all I was aiming for. The man now began to drop hints of beginning to start his story and I took my place at the front of my desk and leaned against it again, intently focusing on the man waiting for him to begin his tale.

"I was born on the Island of the Crescent Moon, to an elite group of shinobi that were the top assassin ninja under the Shiokage of Harikengakure. My father was the leader of these men, and was always sent to do the most dangerous missions set forth by the Land of Tides. However, on his last mission, he did not return. It left my mother and I to fend for ourselves. She would soon pass on from grief of losing him which would leave me alone to an orphanage. Through my time there I was trained by my father's men. However, the whispers of his death began to surface among our people and the word was, he betrayed his comrades...."

Sesshomaru would pause to let some of the story sink in to Toketsu, letting the man know that he was more than uninterested in his new Kage's story. In fact it was the opposite. There was a silver lining in the relationship, but Sesshomaru wasn't finished. There was more.

I listened to Sesshomaru's story with great attention, the man's history was pretty somber as it was but it was similar to mine. He had to fend for himself for a while, just as I had to for 15 years. We were pretty similar this man and I but to keep up the constant emotionless contest we've been having I kept my face blank and seemingly uncaring, but it was exactly the opposite and I waited anxiously for the story of this ninjas past to continue.

"...I ignored these whispers for as long as I could, using the negative about him to shape the positive within myself. I grew to lead the same squadren as my old man in due time until I met the Shiokage, Dominic Edrick. It was soon after I met him in person that I decided to step down as leader of the group. We were killing in the shadows, yet no one knew our names. I realized that as long as I stayed there, my accomplishments would fall short of the things he was doing. So I took a path of solitude. Until I could find a place that I could flourish, not in the shadows, but as a true hero to the people. It was my father's betrayal that has molded me. I intend to become just as recognized as my former leader. Do you agree to this?"

Sesshomaru was now finished with his story. Not as glorifying in the end like his counterpart, but the similarities were all there. Everything about Sesshomaru's life consisted of shadows brought forth by those other than himself. The shadow of his father's past, the shadow of the Shiokage. Now he cast his own shadow over others. Here, he could claim the glory he had always strove for.

The mans story was over now and it was odd. He strove to be recognized and get glory while I cared only for the flourishing of my people. I would lean away from my desk now and begin to slowly walk towards Sesshomaru, speaking while I walked "So you wish to come to my village for glory? I am fine with this as long as you don't try to take credit for my own actions, ignore my opinions, or belittle the kage before me as they all tried to help the people in their own way. If your goal is to help my people then I would like to extend an offer for you to be my advisor." I would extend my scarred right hand for him to shake while making eye contact with him before speaking "Sesshomaru of the Crescent Moon, do you accept my offer?"

"Do not confuse my goals with self gain. So as long as I have a place in history for the sake of peace, it will remove me from the burden that I have harbored through my father and his actions. I accept, but have one last request. I would like a spar between us. Here and now. Can you give me a battle worthy of your new title?"

Sesshomaru would shake the hand of the man who he would be working with. Finally and on purpose, at the mention of a fight, the male created a smirk. This was a good thing. He liked this man, and his upfront attitude. However, he was not given the proper dual with Haru, which was the reason he was here to begin with. So he would hope to get one out of Toketsu.

I would smirk back to him when he issued a challenge for battle. I haven't really had a real fight to test my conditioned body ever since the war, this would be a great opportunity for me to not only test my own limitations but the strength of my new adviser. I would say to him with a slightly excited tone now "Of course we can spar, just allow me to put my mask back on in the event we end up down in the streets." I would then walk slowly back to my desk where my mask was located and put it back on my face restraining it with an audible snap. Then with my public face on I would turn back to Sesshomaru and get in a stance, focusing hyouton chakra to my hands, fists, and in my entire body and would say "Shall we begin...adviser?"

Sesshomaru would nod once, then press his right hand on Tenseiga getting into a samurai stance. Hisleft hand would hold his sheath with two fingers extended, index and middle. He began to charge his fingers with chakra as well, also with his entire body. He was already aware of his Kage's powers. Ice Release. This room was a major disadvantage. He would need to change that. He blasted towards the window, appearing to arch around to attack, but that would not be the case. He maintained a good 30 yards within the large room away from Toketsu. This battle would be one for the ages.

Right as the man would move towards me ice crystals would swirl around both of my hands, an icy blue katana in my left and a coating of thick ice on my right. Then I would expel the large amount of chakra from my body and it would show no physical change but if he were to get anywhere within 30 feet of me he would begin to get chilled to the bone by temperatures as low as -50 degrees. I would then leap over my desk and get to about 15 feet away from him and slide to a stop, just trying to get within range for my jutsu and I would bend my knees preparing myself for any attack from this man, there was no way he would just allow this, if he did I would be disappointed.

Spoiler:

270/320

As Toketsu approached Sesshomaru, the was something odd about things as he closed in. The temperature seemed to be dropping even further, making the fail safe all the more the route to take. Sesshomaru would slide his feet, spin on his right heel, turn his foot out and with a turn like he was about to draw his blade, Sessh instead pushed off, blasting back. To the dismay of his opponent, Sesshomaru shattered the window now behind him and disappeared. The battle would become a little more.....free.

His back now free falling and his still facing the direction of the window. Sesshomaru continued his charging of chakra. Something in him knew his opposition would be following.

I would watch as my adviser would dive out the window, he wouldn't get away from me that easy. I would follow closely behind him and leap out the window and angle my body for maximum speed increase, I could see the entire village below me a mile down but the only one in my sights was Sesshomaru. I would flip the blade in my hand to be facing up to the sky while keeping my arms to my side. Ice crystals would be falling around me as the air within 30 feet of me was -50 degrees still. I would begin focusing more chakra into my body as I hastily approached where Sesshomaru was located.

With Sesshomaru's back facing the fall, he wasn't very aerodynamic compared to Toketsu, who had dove like a madman out the window. Of course the wings were the advantage here, and he had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Sesshomaru would change this. He would dismiss his chakra charge, on his blade, but activate his full body charge. Suddenly, Sesshomaru would draw his Tenseiga and when he did, he would deliver a monsterous slash across continuously across the outside of the tower as he allowed his body to come forward, his feet now skidding down the surface. This would start a long and distracting cloud of dust and smoke, allowing Sesshomaru to stay hidden within. He index fingers were also charged, but he didn't reveal this jutsu just yet. He continued this pattern of creating the dust cloud. If somehow Toketsu was able to get underneath to where Sesshomaru was, the jonin would make him pay. Only time would tell, but Sessh stayed on with his plan

Spoiler:

210/280

I would continue falling and soon I would see a plume of dust come from below where I was falling, I would continue down through the dust and start spinning and release my chakra. I would become a spinning spike of ice sending small shards going in all directions while falling, aiming for some of them to hit sesshomaru as he was obviously the cause of it. My previous jutsu still being in effect, right as I got within thirty feet of him in the air he would feel as though the air dropped to -50 degrees and his reaction and speed would be slower, making it more likely that the shards would hit. I would then let go of my ice blade and begin charging chakra into the hand it used to be in while facing up to the sky now, waiting for my opponent to fall down after me.

Spoiler:

250/320

As the clouds surrounded the men, this is where Sesshomaru devised his plan. Even though they were both unseen to each other, it was Sesshomaru's keen ears and study of his Kage from the day before that would be his friend. He remembered seeing the wings of the man at the gate, and the effects. Since he couldn't see, he would have to anticipate. He did so. His blade Tokijin would begin to spin like a copter blade in front of him as he fell, releasing his feet from the tower. This would change things dramatically.

The kicker, would be what happened next. Since Sesshomaru had activated the Static After Image and was falling backwards, two images of pure lightning would appear in front of him, and again due to the fall, would separate themselves further than normal from the real man. This spelled trouble for Toketsu. Not only that, but Sesshomaru still had a whip hidden in his arsenal.

As Toketsu fell to within 30 ft. of the Sesshomaru he thought was the real one, along with the fact that he had just released hundreds of ice projectiles, the outcome was unfavorable. As soon as the lightning image entered heavily into the crowd of ice particles and shards, ice began to create an overflow of energy from the lightning, causing it to become rapidly unstable. Due to this instability and the fact that now the second after image had just entered the same area, a mass dry explosion would ensue and everything solid would erupt, causing a recoil of energy, shattering every particle of ice into nothing more than a mere powder form, nullifying all ice within the area of the 30 ft. This meant even the wings of the Honokage would be no more.

What was left of the explosion, Sesshomaru's spinning blade would keep away from him, but recoil him faster downward. He would then use the whip. Slinging his left hand within the spin of the blade, the storm whip slammed into the wall of the tower, which gave it tension. Sesshomaru would use it to sling around like a monkey on a vine and thrust himself in a circle firing back upward to Toketsu, making the whip disappear as he did. Now flying upwards, the Cyclone Deviation technique became pivotal, for it protected Sesshomaru's entire front as he put his left hand back on Tenseiga, but holding it upside down. He would have two different strategies now, the whip or the blade. Hell maybe a third, using both. As he flew, the streaming of the after images followed him. He was close enough to the wall to use it if needed. This could change position if needed.

Spoiler:

200/280

I would be surprised when an explosion was created between my ice and the mans raiton images of himself. The explosion would send me flying higher into the air and completely cancel out my ice fist I had on but thankfully I was charging more chakra and coated my right fist in another layer of ice. As I was dropping back down I was able to discern which was the real Sesshomaru by the one who launched himself back up at me with the whip made of an odd element I hadn't seen before. He was coming up at me spinning a blade forming a defense shield from my attacks, cancelling it out would take precise aim. I quickly pulled out a kunai using my left hand and launched it at the shield trying to time it up so the side of his sword would come in contact with the kunai causing the spinning to be interrupted so I could continue with my attack. If this succeeded he would still be coming up at me and his defensive cover would be a thing of the past so it would result in two conflicting forces meeting, me in free fall and him aiming to go up. I would use my ice covered fist and aim to punch him in his right arm, with enough force to cause him to drop the blade if it connected. I would then begin to charge chakra into my other hand and continue to stay vigilant in my falling.

240/320

Spoiler:

Just as predicted, the Kage slammed his kunai into the cyclone deviation technique to stop it. The Tokijin would clash to a stop as the two men were now face to face. Toketsu had thrown a punch right towards Sesshomaru's right shoulder. This would play right into the hands of Sesshomaru once more, as he readied his assault on his opponent.

As the punch was aimed, Sesshomaru drewTenseiga upside down, using a powerful thrust of chakra to assist his art of the draw. It was Iaido, the legendary draw method of the samurai. The speed of this draw was powerful, as it blocked the devastating punch coming for his opposing arm, stopping its momentum almost completely. There would be a cracking of the ice fist almost instantaneously as Tenseiga passed by, the intensity in Sesshomaru's eyes as his face crossed by the path of Toketsu. Within .25 seconds the second attack from Iaido would commence. He would stab down on the very same fist he stopped initially. The blade would stab through Toketsu's now cracked ice fist, finishing off the ice, shattering it, and potentially stabbing through his entire hand.

The attack was not over. Tokijin, having come in contact with a kunai, would allow Sesshomaru to do what he truly wanted. With the kunai stopping Tokijin and now having Tenseiga drawn, Sesshomaru was now 20% stronger than his Kage, pushing the arm up and out of the way, leaving the man's lower chest and stomach open. With polar opposite momentum, the collision stalemated the two for a split second before physics took back over, sending them back on their ways. This split second would be crucial. Sesshomaru would plant his feet into the chest, and with his superior strength, thrust kicked Toketsu into the wall of the Kage Tower, in an unavoidable attack perfectly set up by Sesshomaru. Due to them being so close to the wall, Sesshomaru was able to drive him deep into the structure, pushing in and off of his Kage. If his Tenseiga was indeed in the hand of Toketsu, it would rip back out and Sesshomaru would continue his free fall. He would not charge chakra, but keep his whip hidden. If it came time for him to use it in a counter, he would.

Spoiler:

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