Unexpected Savior pt. 2 [Nozomi]

Nozomi was surprisingly understanding on the situation, or rather the events that led up to this point. If someone was to suddenly swarm on him like that, Rin would definitely hold a grudge or something. A price to pay for the attempt on her life. It was something that Rin predicted before it began hence is why he tried to talk Akihiro out of it. Yet his hatred blinded that brilliant mind to understand the consequences of his actions. He was too hasty, and in doing so Akihiro paid the price with the lives of his kin. Rin remembers well enough how useless himself was in that skirmish, and that he couldn't even keep up with her. Especially in that form of hers. She is incredibly strong without it, and with it Rin doesn't think there's anyone who can really stand as her equal.

Because of that skirmish and a glimpse of Nozomi's true strength. Rin realized how weak he really was. Still was in fact. Weak enough to be drugged and held captive on a knife's edge. No matter how anyone looks at it, Rin lost that fight no matter how close he was. He was so adamant into killing Menza that he was so close in doing so. Yet due to the unexpected aid of a former Mizukage, Menza lived. Although there's no point dwelling on that now that Menza is supposedly dead. Which was fine, as long as Rin doesn't see him again.

"A month… which puts me right at 16 then." Rin responded after Nozomi told him the current date. He hasn't thought about it before, but most kids at his age are either just starting out as Genin or just became Chunin. Not fighting off ghosts, wrestling in the mud with a bijuu, or even nearly killing a mad scientist and a rogue Kage. And his body itself shows with all manner of scars from years of service. A lot of it has been recent. Nozomi informs him that she's now taking up on the deal to acquire an Otsutsuki. Whether it was an honorary last order or there's something else involved.

"Well there certainly isn't one in Konohagakure. I figured there might be one in Kirigakure so I went investigating there. They were on lockdown though so sneaking in let alone convince my way in was impossible. Which leaves the other major village, Kumogakure. I'm not one hundred percent sure if there is one there, but if anything they'll be easier to deal with than having two nations allying together." Rin suggests as they were assumptions of his. He hasn't found anything concrete yet hence is another reason Rin didn't want to fight at the Kirigakure Gates.

"I see. Well I'm at a setback for the moment, but when I recover consider me at your disposal. Which I hate to inquire more information from you, but is there an expert in medicine per chance? Or an experienced engineer in this city?" Rin asks as he is wanting to consider his options on how to recover from his missing hand. Either regenerate his hand or find someone that's an expert with mechanisms to make a hand. If none are available, then Rin will ponder on some theories. Potentially dangerous theories as one of them involves using Kurama's chakra which means damaging the seal. But if anything he could use it as his way of making the bijuu chakra as his own.

"Finding one will take some time, I'll put some people on information gathering. It's not a top priority at the moment." Nozomi didn't understand why Otsutsuki were so wanted, but she didn't really care. They had something special about them, for sure. Honiko was half Otsutsuki herself, her mother, and her sister were as well. She'd most likely wait for Honiko to return to finish her deal on that end, as she didn't want to disrespect Honiko in that regard.

Picking her sketch pad back up, Nozomi shifted onward. Rin wasn't going to attack her, at least as far as she'd determined.

"Unsure. I don't quite know everybody here. Although you can explore your options, for sure. Losing a hand is quite a detriment. There are engineers here at least." Nozomi thought back on it. Her response was fairly quick, but then she remembered a name. "Yes, a few crafters. Okane in particular has been doing work on the village, but there are a couple of others if I'm remembering correctly. Perhaps start looking there."

From there, Nozomi would begin to return to her drawings. Isobu interrupted her. "He's a jinchuuriki. We can help him tame the 9 tails, if he wants it. That bijuu is stronger than I am, but with our combined efforts and your summoning, even Kurama would fail to hold out." A small pause in her hand movements as she thought. "Do you want help taming your Bijuu? Isobu and I have a bond, which means we can enter your inner realm and help you gain further control. Perhaps even someday have a bond of friendship with him."

It was unfortunate that Rin didn't have anything else to offer in Nozomi's search for these Otsutsuki. However with the information regarding them incredibly limited that not even the Society knows about them. It was strange, Rin thought, or perhaps sensitive information that doesn't concern their primary objective doesn't reach their ears. It was a possibility, but Rin keeps his mouth shut about it. Best to find out more about the internal structure of the Society. Which funny enough he worked for them before in exchange to acquire information about dragons. At the time it was just pure curiosity, but since then Rin developed theories and potential methods of fighting dragons.

Nozomi agreed that missing a hand is quite the setback. Not that Rin can't weave handseals since he's more than capable of doing so with just one hand. However, there was another matter that is hindering Rin. One that he's certain that Nozomi isn't aware of given her later offer to tame the Kyuubi. The options slimmed to just either obtaining a mechanical hand or to create his own. Given the notion to fight Kyuubi for the second time, Rin knows that even a decent mechanical hand wouldn't be able to handle Kurama's strength. Rin has gone toe to toe with the Nine Tails before, and he's seen what Kurama is capable of just by using his outrageous strength. Even with aid, and even with Rin restraining Kurama he barely sealed the beast.

"Any help against Kurama would be greatly appreciated…" Rin responds as he trails off. Remembering how Rin was defeated by that water technique, and somehow it was always the suiton style. However, as Rin closed his eyes to fully envision what he remembers. He was so driven with hatred towards Menza that he went straight forward. Both Kurama and he wanted to kill Menza so much that Rin lost control. Had he paid more attention, perhaps Rin could have lasted a bit longer. If he hadn't lost control, then maybe Rin could have defeated Kyoji. Then he remembers of that form Nozomi took to get out of that hectic situation in Kirigakure. Memories flashed back to Hohoni, how the ghost materialized and when that sage opened his eyes. They weren't human.

That's what Rin, he realized, that to increase his chances of surviving Kurama for the second time. He'll need to become a sage himself, but such a notion is virtually impossible. Since the only one he's heard of was Honiko, but they were just rumors. Otherwise the only sage he's seen is a dead one. However, legends say that not everyone can become a true sage. The Snake, Snail, or Toad probably already chosen their sages. He's never heard from either of them. Then again, he's a nobody with no special bloodline or power to help him. He doesn't have a fancy Sharingan, Byakugan, produce trees with a clap of their hands, pull bones out of their bodies, manipulate shadows, or anything like that. Right now, the only thing that's special about Rin is that he's the host of the strongest known bijuu around. So what can Rin make out of what he has at his disposal?

His eyes crack open as he finds how ludicrous his line of thinking was becoming. "First I'll need to get this seal off from me. I can't even talk to him right now, but I have an idea. An incredibly insane one, but possible nonetheless." He'll have to find someone knowledgeable and capable of removing this five elements seal. Even if someone doesn't know it for some strange reason, Rin can easily teach it to them since he knows it himself. Still, if he needs to become a sage, yet isn't recognized by any of the known sage animals. That's not even counting on the fact that they might not even accept him because he hosts Kurama. Then the answer is simple in his mind. Baby steps are necessary though, and first order of business is to get his hand fixed. He'll need materials and the list is already made in his mind. He just needs to find someone to remove the five elements seal in order to access the prime ingredient to Rin's plan.

"This is just me being curious, and I want to hear your input on this theory. Do you suppose it's possible to combine Senjutsu and bijuu chakra by becoming the bijuu's sage?" An honest question as his knowledge to sages is limited. If anything however, Rin is a quick learner and adapts well to the situations thrown at him. Still, he's never even heard of the notion mixing both the volatile chakra of a bijuu and potentially equally dangerous nature energy. If Nozomi hasn't heard of it, then perhaps he should investigate more on these sages and how it works.

Judging by Rin's reaction, he wasn't super thrilled about fighting the 9 tails again. Perhaps there was a hint of doubt in his voice, as if he didn't think Nozomi would be capable of fighting it. A small flame of challenge lit in Nozomi's soul, as she was looking forward to proving that assumption wrong. He further went on to say he'd need to remove a seal, probably the 5 elements seal or something like that. Menza would surely have placed it on him as an annoyance to bypass.

"Unfortunately, I don't know how to help in that regard. I'm not a fuuinjutsu user myself. I'm sure someone will be able to undo it. Honiko had one on me for 2 years while I perfected my own base skills, so I understand the frustration."

Nozomi glanced at Rin as he asked about whether it would be possible to become the sage of his Bijuu. He tended to ask some pretty interesting questions, but he was a thinker, unlike her. Nozomi's scope, imagination, and world view was quite limited. She focused only on the important, and ignored most things that didn't fit into her immediate plans. Learning how to be a Sage, she only focused on perfecting the Sage abilities. Learning how to control her Bijuu's chakra, she focused on her relationship with Isobu, and he lent her his power. The two weren't the same, so she hadn't put a ton of thought into combining them.

In the end, it wasn't her who came up with the answer to the question, but Isobu. "We Bijuu are proud creatures. We are made of chakra, but Nature Chakra is something different from us entirely. It is not possible to become a sage of a Bijuu, especially as their Jinchuuriki. A sage, much like a Jinchuuriki, pulls in chakra from something outside themselves. A Jinchuuriki already pulls from the chakra of a Bijuu, while a sage pulls from the chakra in nature. Since we ourselves are not nature chakra, it's impossible to be our sage. Anyone pulling from our chakra is more or less a Jinchuuriki."

"That isn't to say that Nature Chakra and Bijuu Chakra can't mix. As I said, we are proud creatures, and often don't let our chakra mix with Sage's nature chakra, but that's because we simply don't allow it. If there was a bond formed, as between you and me, then they could mingle rather easily. Go ahead and try it. There is just an upper limit on how much power a body can output, so your physical abilities will swap between the two, instead of adding together."

Nozomi responded with a simplified version, relaying Isobu's words. "Becoming a Bijuu's sage isn't possible. You're already drawing his chakra in, but his chakra isn't nature chakra." Nozomi took a moment and closed her eyes, standing up. Reaching into her pool of Nature Chakra, she activated her Sage mode for the first time in the presence of someone else.

Her skin tone bleached out, turning a greyish white. Her eyes shifted to a slitted form, and her hair color whitened out. The top of her face grew more dark, more scaled, but across her exposed skin, a light scaled appearance webbed over her. 4 Tiny horns grew out of the sides of her head, 2 on each shifting backwards and giving her an appearance similar to some dragons. The snakes and dragons may dislike each other, but they had a similar look on occasion.

Power surged through her body, and she could feel the nature energy throughout the entire area more intensely. "This is the Snake Sage Mode. It's purely derived from drawing in Nature Chakra. You've seen my Bijuu Chakra Mode already."

Nozomi tapped into Isobu's power, and let it flow through her, merging with her own chakra, and merging with the nature chakra going through her. Her body started to glow, and the changes that she went through remained, combining with the light blue flaming sheen of her chakra mode. "Both are active. I can't combine the pure strength of both, but I have access to the abilities of both."

Returning to normal, Nozomi dropped both Sage Mode and Chakra Mode. Her skin color returned to its usual pale white, rather than the greyish white it was. Her eyes shifted back to normal, and the scales faded away, disappearing. Her hair's color ran back into the bleached out fade, and her horns disappeared. "Without establishing a close bond to your Bijuu, its pride won't allow you to mix Nature Chakra with its Chakra, as they want their Jinchuuriki to rely on them instead. Even if there are foxes out there to teach their version of Sage Mode, the 9 tails won't be able to. The thing that stops Nature Chakra and Bijuu chakra from mixing is Bijuu pride, since they just don't have or use nature chakra."

Sitting down, Nozomi began to meditate, drawing in nature chakra back into her to replenish her expended energy.

Rin’s mind seemed to be breaking down the information that Nozomi was saying about the idea of mixing both nature energy and bijuu chakra together. Based on what was said, it’s not that it’s impossible to achieve, it’s just that bijuu are incredibly prideful sort that refuses aid of any sort. Rin for once since he woken felt Kurama stirred from the explanation, and from what Rin is hypothesizing since it practically would go against the bijuu’s wishes. Just feeling that Kurama is still there and awake actually brought a smile on Rin’s lips. He didn’t think that Menza would be desperate enough to unseal Kurama, but at the same token Rin wouldn’t put it past the mad scientist if Rin was used like a ticking time bomb on any of the major nations.

Witnessing the changes of the sage mode was a bit surprising to Rin as he never heard of Nozomi being a sage. Then again, enemies shouldn’t know of your ace in a hole and lead them to thinking it’s something else entirely. Then Nozomi flashed into that same form she displayed back in Kirigakure. One that granted her phenomenal abilities that not even Akihiro could contain her despite his efforts. ’So not only has she completed her bond with Isobu and made his power as her own. She also became a sage.’ Rin thought to himself as he’s reminded how far behind he was. It was a bit frustrating to think that despite the years he put into training and working on himself it was never enough. Eventually Rin just came to terms that there are always going to be someone stronger than him.

”I see, well it’s just a theory. I can run it through Kurama and see what he says, but knowing him. He’ll probably get extra grumpy again. Probably give me the silent treatment, but I just figured if it was possible through a combination of agreements and breaking every step down. That bijuu could be sage animals and grant their own sages just like the snakes and toads can.” Rin speaks as his eyes glance up at the sky. For a moment there was a sliver of red circling through his sea green iris before it fades away. Besides, he feels a bit challenged when he’s being told that it’s impossible. Perhaps it wasn’t so much as Rin doesn’t feel like Kurama is weak. It’s the fact that with the enemies that revealed themselves neither Kurama nor himself would survive if they keep focusing on themselves. Perhaps with this theory of becoming Kurama’s Sage would be a step towards establishing this bond Nozomi speaks of. Little does he know however, that he’s already well on his way of establishing said bond just from being able to seal Kurama in the first place. Anyone can say what they want that Rin had help, but Kurama wasn’t someone that Rin can take lightly. Not even now rather.

”Yeah, it’s a problem from not only unable to communicate with the bijuu. But it also hinders everything chakra related. But anyways. I’ll ask around for anyone versed in the sealing arts. There’s bound to be someone here who can take it off.” Rin speaks as he looks down at the cast on his right arm. Where the stump of his hand is. Reluctantly, Rin begins taking it off as he needs to make sure of something. Aside from the fact that he’s missing a hand, Rin is relieved to see a kanji over his right wrist on the palm side.

”Good news is that weapons wise I’m not completely deprived of gear. I’m surprised that Menza didn’t remove it to be honest.” Not that Nozomi probably was paying attention seeing as she was meditating. Rin wished he could actually sleep, but whenever he does he always end up in the mindscape with Kurama. He actually needs to talk with Kurama just to check up on him. After all, Rin did open all doors so to speak and was letting Kurama take full control over Rin. Mostly because at that point Rin was willing to die if it meant that Kurama could escape from the clutches of the Society.

A sigh escapes from his lips as he glances over at Nozomi, seeing that she was still in that state. If anything either she’s trusting Rin or she’s just that confident in herself. Either way, Rin will remain where he is in silence unless she’s speaking to him. Whether she has something else to say later or she was done with this meeting. Rin isn’t going to leave her in this meditative state when anything can happen. It would be bad if some kid with special eyes trying to glare holes into Nozomi again. So Rin will remain alert to his surroundings, not that he wasn’t alert before, just that he’s actively looking as far as the horizon in detail and keeping his other senses in tact. Rin might have been drugged for a month, but at least his senses haven’t waned.

Rin patiently waited until Nozomi was finished with her meditation. Granted no one asked him to do it, but he didn’t need to be requested. The person he owes his life to is trusting him enough to be in a trance, and a month ago Rin reluctantly tried to fight her. However, he is merely a human that managed to do the impossible. Now that he thought about it, maybe Rin was expected to die at the hands, or claws, of Kurama. After all, Masuyo left Konoha to the care of a cat that was more interested in chaos. Rin wants to believe that Tatsu held Kotoshura clan’s interests at high priority, but given the recent news he isn’t sure if Tatsu was being sincere or it was all just a coy. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time as a brief image of Alkaid’s face bathed by the moonlight emerged in his thoughts.

Rin’s expression grew tight as her face hasn’t made its appearance in his head for a year now. The pain was more of an echo of what it once was, but whether it’s because of his recent call to the dead or not Rin barely felt anything about the Satomi situation. A blink to draw his consciousness out of that emotional pit, Rin looked up at the sky for a moment.

”Well, I’ll get back to resting. I’ll let you know when I depart.” Rin spoke to Nozomi, and he waits to see if she responds, but after a few seconds have passed. Rin stands up on his feet, and given his state reminding him that the Tohsaka hasn’t recovered he stumbled a bit to the side. Of course he catches himself, and Rin cast a glance over at Nozomi before he departs for his hospital room. Where he’ll continue to rest and go through physical therapy until he’s back to full strength. Well, mostly at full strength.

[exit]

Nozomi had gotten very lost in her meditation, although her senses were around for if there was a dangerous situation. Given that Rin hadn't actually done anything stupid like attacking her, Nozomi felt comfortable letting him exist around her while she meditated. Her nature chakra fully restored, Nozomi awoke to full consciousness alone. Some birds had touched down, landing on Nozomi and using her as a perch. Careful not to disturb them, Nozomi smiled.

Moving slightly, the birds jumped down to land on the bench, but had grown accustomed to Nozomi enough that her moving didn't scare them away. "Alright, time to head on out."

Standing up, Nozomi headed towards the exit of the gardens, so she could begin to prepare her things for travel. If Rin was going to do some of his own physical therapy and soul searching, perhaps now was the time for Nozomi to make her own actions and movements. She still needed to give some money to Kensei so that he could further develop Iron, while she took her own actions elsewhere.

-Exit