009. Titled: Picture Book || Video
The camera got a glimpse of what was on the paper - skillful paintings, the style identifiable as Sai's. The new handful was reduced to shreds before long. In his rummaging through Sai's belongings, Kite found the special picture book and flipped through it. For some reason that didn't seem to interest him as much and it's tucked under the mattress. ]
[He walked into his room having left to look over the civilians as the Kage had asked. He had begun to feel strange as he walked, feeling something shift inside of him. He needed to get back, he felt people watching him, looking for a potential weakness. He kept walking feeling slightly off balance without his chakra or ninjutsu. He didn't have his black back pack because he could not use his ninjutsu and so it was extra weight he didn't need to carry. As he drew close, he heard noises coming from his room and slowed his pace, stepping closer with the stealth of a well trained ninja. They had tried to ambush him he thought as he crept closer, picking up tearing noises inside.
He was at his door, and slowly opened it to get a glimpse of the intruder. Instead what he saw was total destruction. His small black pack where he kept all his personal belongings, it had been gutted open, and on the floor lay the remains. All his paintings had been shredded to pieces, carelessly torn, all his work gone. Yet, he didn't care about his paintings, had no attachment to them. They meant nothing to him, not those paintings but... dread crept down his back as he remembered his beloved picture book....
Sai felt something fall at the pit of his stomach, something ugly curling inside of him as his mind tipped over a threshold that usually was too high up to ever cross, but due to the experiment that threshold had been significantly lowered. He knew the boy. Kite... But that held little meaning now. His Picture Book. Where was his Picture Book!
Shin!
He slammed open the door the door hitting the wall at an alarming speed and crashing into it creating a loud smack. Coal black eyes were trained on the intruder, the enemy, as they slowly simmered with something never before seen on the shinobi.]
Where is it.
[His voice was controlled, but held a distinguishable edge to it.]
Where is my Picture Book.
[Kite didn't notice Sai until the door came crashing open. He turned towards the sudden noise and picked up his walking stick, stance tense and defensive. It was difficult to maintain the position in his weakened state, so he wobbled. Unable to process much in the late stage of the disease, he simply viewed Sai as a threat, a viral PC. But what was he supposed to do without his bracelet? Panic was starting to rise in his chest and he growled, baring his sharp little teeth. Picture book? What picture book? Sai obviously just wanted to destroy him, like all AIDA... ]
[He stepped further inside, closing the door behind him. Trapping him inside. His eyes traveled over the shredded paper and felt a distinguishable pain blossom inside of him at the very thought of its destruction.]
Where is it!
[He almost yelled. This time his eyes sparkled to life, as he took a very dangerous step forward, eyes locking on the rival ninja that had come to take him out his infected mind supplied.]
Going to kill me, cannot die again, cannot die until I cure aaah... ...all the infection. For The World, for...
[ He mumbled, Sai's demanding completely lost on him. His grip on the stick tightened as he dashed clumsily at the advancing shinobi, swinging the makeshift weapon at his head. Kite could see the black outline around Sai's 'PC', he was infected! And the only solution was to tear the AIDA right out of his body. ]
[Mixed with his already unstable mind, Sai reacted to the attack harsher than normal. He moved forward as Kite attacked and easily slapped the stick the away and slammed him harshly against the wall.]
Where is it!
Where is it!
What did you do to it!
[A little cry as his back hit the wall, but after that he turned absolutely feral, thrashing and hissing. Sai wasn't going to get an answer, and to display his contempt for the 'AIDA', as well as attempt to escape, Kite sank his teeth into his attacker's arm, sharp fangs ripping the pale flesh. ]
[A small hiss escaped him as that fang ripped through his skin adding to his perception of an assassination attempt, and back handed him harshly. A loud “Smack” audible through the room before he slammed him back against the wall, demanding answers.]
What did you do to that book! What did you do to Shin! Where is he!
[In his madness his mind twisted reality and instead of destroying his picture book, Sai felt as if he had destroyed Shin. Killed him. The last remnants that he had of his deceased brother were gone. And he felt a gut wrenching pain as the reality of it started to sink in. His hands clenched digging into the other before he back stepped and threw him across the room, pulling out his short sword.]
[No sound escaped him at the blow to his face; he simply tried to bite the offending hand after the painful contact. After all, it was the only weapon he had left. But he yelped as he was easily sent sailing across the room, smashing into the opposite wall. The yelp turned into another growl as Kite awkwardly threw himself at Sai again, pain levels still low enough for him to ignore. That AIDA had to be destroyed at all costs. ]
[He easily knocked him to the floor, and was on top of him in less than a second his short sword at his throat, drawing a drop of blood.]
You killed Shin!
[His voice held a distinguishable edge to it The Picture book--his last bond with his brother, with its destruction, he felt his brother disappear inside of him as well. And an answering echo of violence took over his mind as he flicked the short sword away from his throat and slammed it across his wrist, breaking it form the sheer force.]
[ The pain was beginning to register and Kite's cries grew louder. He twisted under the heavy weight, but it was hopeless. He gnashed his bloody teeth uselessly but gasped as he felt his wrist snap, the sharp, intense pain piercing his mental fog for a short moment. It wasn't just broken; fragile bones were absolutely shattered. Once he recovered, he hissed and yelled through the pain. ]
Off! Aaah... ...h-haah.... ...off, off!
[One. Two. Three. The sword ripped through his clothes with seasoned precision as exactly one centimeter of skin was cut through, his chest bleeding from three exact lines, exactly five inches apart. Each meaning to inflict pain rather than death.]
[The door was suddenly thrust open, and without even a second of hesitation, a kunai knife shot into the room. It wasn't aimed directly at Sai, but rather at the kunai that was in his hand. The same hand that was using a ninja weapon to strike down a civilian, and a child, no less.
There were few things that unnerved Gaara, but seeing one of his allies trying to kill another of his allies was extremely disconcerting. Especially coming from someone like Sai, a shinobi, against a normal civilian. Gaara didn’t know what had transpired between them, and at first, he refrained from getting involved when he thought it was a Leaf affair.
That changed after he heard Kite’s screams.]
[He deflected the shot by turning the short sword in his hand, and reacted in turn by throwing a sharp shuriken at the intruder. His accomplice, his mind provided even as he rolled away from Kite, and faced the new intruder.]
[Gaara knew full well that the kunai he had thrown would just be a distraction. When the shuriken came at him in retaliation, he stepped to the side, waiting for it to pass before he entered the room. He had diligently kept Sai’s training lessons in mind.
The sight was horrific: Kite bleeding on the floor, with Sai atop him, intentionally dealing pain. When Gaara got over the initial shock, his mind rationalized the possibility that Sai was infected with the mysterious mental disease. If that was the case, then… the level of infection must have progressed to the point where Sai could no longer distinguish right from wrong. Unfortunately, from what Gaara had observed and experienced so far, there was a delayed period before the insanity suppression came into effect. He had been standing outside for a short while, and he didn’t know how much more time was necessary.
Protect the civilian… That was his first priority.]
Sai, stand down. Immediately!
[A single word.]
No.
[In spite of the tense and frantic situation, Gaara forced himself to remain calm. It was clear that Sai had lost all semblance of sanity, and had to be dealt with carefully. Stall for time, his mind inserted. But he knew that reason wouldn’t work. At this point, physical force would be needed.
He stepped forward, closer and closer, his eyes never leaving Sai as he sought to use himself as a distraction, if necessary, to ensure Kite’s safety.]
He is a civilian. A child. You are dishonoring yourself as a shinobi.
[Coal eyes stared back at the youth.]
He killed Shin.
[And with that he pointed his short sword at him and attacked again.]
[ Kite managed to react in time by grabbing Sai's wrist with his good hand, but his arm simply wasn't strong enough to keep Sai's from descending. His eyes widened as the blade pierced the right side of his torso. He couldn't do a scan to find out if it hit a major organ or not, but it certainly FELT like it... ...there wasn't much to do except cry out, a little blood spraying from his mouth at the same time. The AIDA was going to kill him, it was...
...not...
... ...an AIDA... ...was it? His vision was blurring but he couldn't see the black outline anymore, couldn't see darkened pupils. What... ...happened? ]
[Eyes widening, Gaara lurched forward, trying to stop the sword from stabbing into the injured child. By the time his body knocked into Sai’s, the blade had already met its target, spraying blood on the floor. Kite’s blood.
…He wasn’t fast enough. He had failed to protect the child from harm.
His body tensed in disappointment when he saw the crimson stains. That sickening unease slowly gave way to anger, and the rate of his breathing increased as the redhead fought to regain control. But Sai was still a potential threat until the effects had worn off for certain, and so Gaara made a scramble toward the sword.]
[Slowly the fog lifted from his mind, reality shifting back into focus as he felt the Kage scramble for his short sword. He didn't know why he was trying to take his weapon away or why he was on the floor or .... actually he didn't remember that much, not yet. But now that his mind was once again firmly trenched back in reality he didn't fight back, letting the Kage do as he wished. He didn't sense an intent to kill, so he stood down, hoping he would explain things afterwards.]
[Once the sword was in his hands, Gaara immediately whirled around and shoved the Leaf shinobi against the wall, using his own body as a shield between Sai and Kite.
With a somber expression, the redhead held the blade directly against Sai’s throat. His adrenaline was rushing now, causing his body to tense in anticipation of further confrontation.
A small part of his mind was urging him to apply pressure and cause Sai to feel the same pain that he inflicted on Kite… …No. Such an action would be counterproductive and unnecessary. Seeking vengeance was… his former mindset.]
Stand down, Sai. Do not go near Kite. That is an order.
[His body hadn't protested against the assault. He let the Kage do as he wished, not putting up a fight. His eyes were the same blank coal as usual, and his voice was just as emotionless.]
Understood.
[OOC: Backdated to Yesterday, Nov. 25, Sai's Birthday.]
[He walked into his room having left to look over the civilians as the Kage had asked. He had begun to feel strange as he walked, feeling something shift inside of him. He needed to get back, he felt people watching him, looking for a potential weakness. He kept walking feeling slightly off balance without his chakra or ninjutsu. He didn't have his black back pack because he could not use his ninjutsu and so it was extra weight he didn't need to carry. As he drew close, he heard noises coming from his room and slowed his pace, stepping closer with the stealth of a well trained ninja. They had tried to ambush him he thought as he crept closer, picking up tearing noises inside.
He was at his door, and slowly opened it to get a glimpse of the intruder. Instead what he saw was total destruction. His small black pack where he kept all his personal belongings, it had been gutted open, and on the floor lay the remains. All his paintings had been shredded to pieces, carelessly torn, all his work gone. Yet, he didn't care about his paintings, had no attachment to them. They meant nothing to him, not those paintings but... dread crept down his back as he remembered his beloved picture book....
Sai felt something fall at the pit of his stomach, something ugly curling inside of him as his mind tipped over a threshold that usually was too high up to ever cross, but due to the experiment that threshold had been significantly lowered. He knew the boy. Kite... But that held little meaning now. His Picture Book. Where was his Picture Book!
Shin!
He slammed open the door the door hitting the wall at an alarming speed and crashing into it creating a loud smack. Coal black eyes were trained on the intruder, the enemy, as they slowly simmered with something never before seen on the shinobi.]
Where is it.
[His voice was controlled, but held a distinguishable edge to it.]
Where is my Picture Book.
[Kite didn't notice Sai until the door came crashing open. He turned towards the sudden noise and picked up his walking stick, stance tense and defensive. It was difficult to maintain the position in his weakened state, so he wobbled. Unable to process much in the late stage of the disease, he simply viewed Sai as a threat, a viral PC. But what was he supposed to do without his bracelet? Panic was starting to rise in his chest and he growled, baring his sharp little teeth. Picture book? What picture book? Sai obviously just wanted to destroy him, like all AIDA... ]
[He stepped further inside, closing the door behind him. Trapping him inside. His eyes traveled over the shredded paper and felt a distinguishable pain blossom inside of him at the very thought of its destruction.]
Where is it!
[He almost yelled. This time his eyes sparkled to life, as he took a very dangerous step forward, eyes locking on the rival ninja that had come to take him out his infected mind supplied.]
Going to kill me, cannot die again, cannot die until I cure aaah... ...all the infection. For The World, for...
[ He mumbled, Sai's demanding completely lost on him. His grip on the stick tightened as he dashed clumsily at the advancing shinobi, swinging the makeshift weapon at his head. Kite could see the black outline around Sai's 'PC', he was infected! And the only solution was to tear the AIDA right out of his body. ]
[Mixed with his already unstable mind, Sai reacted to the attack harsher than normal. He moved forward as Kite attacked and easily slapped the stick the away and slammed him harshly against the wall.]
Where is it!
Where is it!
What did you do to it!
[A little cry as his back hit the wall, but after that he turned absolutely feral, thrashing and hissing. Sai wasn't going to get an answer, and to display his contempt for the 'AIDA', as well as attempt to escape, Kite sank his teeth into his attacker's arm, sharp fangs ripping the pale flesh. ]
[A small hiss escaped him as that fang ripped through his skin adding to his perception of an assassination attempt, and back handed him harshly. A loud “Smack” audible through the room before he slammed him back against the wall, demanding answers.]
What did you do to that book! What did you do to Shin! Where is he!
[In his madness his mind twisted reality and instead of destroying his picture book, Sai felt as if he had destroyed Shin. Killed him. The last remnants that he had of his deceased brother were gone. And he felt a gut wrenching pain as the reality of it started to sink in. His hands clenched digging into the other before he back stepped and threw him across the room, pulling out his short sword.]
[No sound escaped him at the blow to his face; he simply tried to bite the offending hand after the painful contact. After all, it was the only weapon he had left. But he yelped as he was easily sent sailing across the room, smashing into the opposite wall. The yelp turned into another growl as Kite awkwardly threw himself at Sai again, pain levels still low enough for him to ignore. That AIDA had to be destroyed at all costs. ]
[He easily knocked him to the floor, and was on top of him in less than a second his short sword at his throat, drawing a drop of blood.]
You killed Shin!
[His voice held a distinguishable edge to it The Picture book--his last bond with his brother, with its destruction, he felt his brother disappear inside of him as well. And an answering echo of violence took over his mind as he flicked the short sword away from his throat and slammed it across his wrist, breaking it form the sheer force.]
[ The pain was beginning to register and Kite's cries grew louder. He twisted under the heavy weight, but it was hopeless. He gnashed his bloody teeth uselessly but gasped as he felt his wrist snap, the sharp, intense pain piercing his mental fog for a short moment. It wasn't just broken; fragile bones were absolutely shattered. Once he recovered, he hissed and yelled through the pain. ]
Off! Aaah... ...h-haah.... ...off, off!
[One. Two. Three. The sword ripped through his clothes with seasoned precision as exactly one centimeter of skin was cut through, his chest bleeding from three exact lines, exactly five inches apart. Each meaning to inflict pain rather than death.]
[The door was suddenly thrust open, and without even a second of hesitation, a kunai knife shot into the room. It wasn't aimed directly at Sai, but rather at the kunai that was in his hand. The same hand that was using a ninja weapon to strike down a civilian, and a child, no less.
There were few things that unnerved Gaara, but seeing one of his allies trying to kill another of his allies was extremely disconcerting. Especially coming from someone like Sai, a shinobi, against a normal civilian. Gaara didn’t know what had transpired between them, and at first, he refrained from getting involved when he thought it was a Leaf affair.
That changed after he heard Kite’s screams.]
[He deflected the shot by turning the short sword in his hand, and reacted in turn by throwing a sharp shuriken at the intruder. His accomplice, his mind provided even as he rolled away from Kite, and faced the new intruder.]
[Gaara knew full well that the kunai he had thrown would just be a distraction. When the shuriken came at him in retaliation, he stepped to the side, waiting for it to pass before he entered the room. He had diligently kept Sai’s training lessons in mind.
The sight was horrific: Kite bleeding on the floor, with Sai atop him, intentionally dealing pain. When Gaara got over the initial shock, his mind rationalized the possibility that Sai was infected with the mysterious mental disease. If that was the case, then… the level of infection must have progressed to the point where Sai could no longer distinguish right from wrong. Unfortunately, from what Gaara had observed and experienced so far, there was a delayed period before the insanity suppression came into effect. He had been standing outside for a short while, and he didn’t know how much more time was necessary.
Protect the civilian… That was his first priority.]
Sai, stand down. Immediately!
[A single word.]
No.
[In spite of the tense and frantic situation, Gaara forced himself to remain calm. It was clear that Sai had lost all semblance of sanity, and had to be dealt with carefully. Stall for time, his mind inserted. But he knew that reason wouldn’t work. At this point, physical force would be needed.
He stepped forward, closer and closer, his eyes never leaving Sai as he sought to use himself as a distraction, if necessary, to ensure Kite’s safety.]
He is a civilian. A child. You are dishonoring yourself as a shinobi.
[Coal eyes stared back at the youth.]
He killed Shin.
[And with that he pointed his short sword at him and attacked again.]
[ Kite managed to react in time by grabbing Sai's wrist with his good hand, but his arm simply wasn't strong enough to keep Sai's from descending. His eyes widened as the blade pierced the right side of his torso. He couldn't do a scan to find out if it hit a major organ or not, but it certainly FELT like it... ...there wasn't much to do except cry out, a little blood spraying from his mouth at the same time. The AIDA was going to kill him, it was...
...not...
... ...an AIDA... ...was it? His vision was blurring but he couldn't see the black outline anymore, couldn't see darkened pupils. What... ...happened? ]
[Eyes widening, Gaara lurched forward, trying to stop the sword from stabbing into the injured child. By the time his body knocked into Sai’s, the blade had already met its target, spraying blood on the floor. Kite’s blood.
…He wasn’t fast enough. He had failed to protect the child from harm.
His body tensed in disappointment when he saw the crimson stains. That sickening unease slowly gave way to anger, and the rate of his breathing increased as the redhead fought to regain control. But Sai was still a potential threat until the effects had worn off for certain, and so Gaara made a scramble toward the sword.]
[Slowly the fog lifted from his mind, reality shifting back into focus as he felt the Kage scramble for his short sword. He didn't know why he was trying to take his weapon away or why he was on the floor or .... actually he didn't remember that much, not yet. But now that his mind was once again firmly trenched back in reality he didn't fight back, letting the Kage do as he wished. He didn't sense an intent to kill, so he stood down, hoping he would explain things afterwards.]
[Once the sword was in his hands, Gaara immediately whirled around and shoved the Leaf shinobi against the wall, using his own body as a shield between Sai and Kite.
With a somber expression, the redhead held the blade directly against Sai’s throat. His adrenaline was rushing now, causing his body to tense in anticipation of further confrontation.
A small part of his mind was urging him to apply pressure and cause Sai to feel the same pain that he inflicted on Kite… …No. Such an action would be counterproductive and unnecessary. Seeking vengeance was… his former mindset.]
Stand down, Sai. Do not go near Kite. That is an order.
[His body hadn't protested against the assault. He let the Kage do as he wished, not putting up a fight. His eyes were the same blank coal as usual, and his voice was just as emotionless.]
Understood.
[OOC: Backdated to Yesterday, Nov. 25, Sai's Birthday.]