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"Next batch, I think." Westly bowed himself out.

Harou's brow raised. "two hundred and fifty villagers using bows. . .? I don't think we have two hundred and fifty ninjas to do so let alone villagers who can learn it fast enough to use them efficiently. . ."

(( I'm just gonna speed this up, I think we're all getting a little bored.))

After a number of a trips, Westly and his many "conscripts" arrived with the last batch of civilians. The entire village had been evacuated to the Seisatsu Grounds.

He'd received word from Azure through an Ichijin messenger that Chaos had retreated. Westly wasn't amused.

"He HAD us!" He swore, stomping angrily into the command center. "The sonnovabitch HAD us! We were scattered, we were scared, and every single ninja in the village worth a damn was pinned down fighting a duel somewhere against one of his minions. Chaos could've made his move on anything he wanted and we couldn't have hoped to stop him. Why the ******** would he have retreated?

"No, I don't believe it. Not for a minute. Chaos didn't become Chaos by being a goddamn moron. He's feinting. Well, screw him, he lost his chance. We've got the villagers in a bunker in the side of a mountain. Our best don't have to hold back anymore. With the people safely evacuated, there's nothing left in the village we can't rebuild. Even a group of 'mere' Genin like us can hold out against Chaos if we're dug in like this. And what a group we are!"

He grinned, changing the tone of his little impromptu speech. "I see here, standing tall, some of the greatest potential Gaioh has ever known since Chaos himself strode proudly from the Academy on the day of his graduation. We are the Jounin, the ANBU--the Sannin!--of the next generation. I don't really know what to pray for: that Chaos might overlook us that life might be preserved, or that Chaos, in his pride, might try to storm these gates, and realize to his sorrow who we really are."

Westly smiled. His eyes twinkled with that look of mischief and wonder that defined him. "Once, Chaos was Gaioh's chosen son, the pride of the village. Azure himself had hoped beyond hope that he had found at last someone worthy of taking his place, of looking after his people. The reason, I think, that Chaos has lived so long is that Azure still hasn't given up hope. But Azure is a saint, an angel of light in a world of grays. He sees only the best in people. I am somewhat more... pragmatic, I think.

"I pride myself on being unique, on being a trendsetter. Half this village already wants Chaos dead on a very personal level. So I decided that I'd do them all one better: I mean to prove to Chaos that we don't need him anymore. I don't mean to kill Chaos. I mean to replace him. I mean to become everything Chaos was meant to be, but never was. I mean to become a successor worthy of the title of Hanekage. To attain the wisdom and virtue to guide and protect this village and the people in it.

"At heart, Chaos is not a god, but a child. It's all a game to him. He breaks people--human beings with lives and hearts and dreams--like a child throwing a tantrum would break a toy. He acts as he does because he knows, deep down, that if he ever came back to Azure and promised to be good, he'd be forgiven, because there is still a place for him in Gaioh that he was meant to fill. More than power, more than pride, that place is what is most precious to him. And I mean to take it from him. I will not see him dead, I will see him reduced to nothing. Chaos will be replaced, Chaos will be cast aside, and Chaos will be forgotten. I will see to it!"

(( Edit: Okay, I may have been a little high when I wrote this, insofar as I was taking my ADHD meds, and insofar as the standard pharmaceutical treatment for ADHD is Speed. Trust me, it makes sense if you've taken a few courses in Neurology.

In any case, now that I've leveled out some, I'm having some second thoughts here. Too over-the-top, you think? Too easily misinterpreted? I mean, if your character's response is disgust or horror or something, then I probably botched the delivery. ))

A light rustling of feathers announced Atsuma in the form of his pale owl sweeping over the head's of those already present. The recluse, the silent hermit. Atsuma had decided that perhaps it was time to move on this business with Chaos. He after all, had a personal vendetta to consider when it came to the demon vine nin. His own foot-fall was silent in comparison as he emerged from a shadowed passage, blindfold-less and clad in shades of white and gray, to match his palid features and snowy lock.
"There are no secrets to be had in chaos's mind. No weakness's to exploit." He interrupted with that eerily quiet voice, his tones seeming to mimic the music of distant chimes. As the only shinobi in existence to have penetrated Chaos's thoughts and dreams, even manipulated them to show him exactly what he wanted... Atsuma would know what he was saying.
"Chaos is not a child. He's no longer even human. His body contains no heart to destroy and his mind holds only the fear, no, hatred of himself. of what he has become." Astuma's eyes, near pink in shade flickered over the boys before him, settling at last upon Westly.
"You can's break a spirit already that's already shattered itself. He's fallen so far that he's more monster than man and if it's logic your looking for you be sorely disappointed to find that reason is the last thing that spurs his violence. Azure, Nekage, the best ninja in this village have tried to defeat him but Chaos has become more than a man, and more than an Idea. He is not going to disapear simply because we pretend he's not there." He blinked, recalling the mission that they thought had ended the Demon Vine shinobi... sealed him away. But they had failed, he was back and it seemed hopeless to think they'd find a way to kill someone that had no real body. "No, if you challenge his importance he will only fight the harder. it's all he has left. He 'needs' to be the best and the only way you are going to take that from him is to destroy him in battle so utterly that the idea of a re-match is entriely hopeless even at first glance." The was a pause as Atsuma drew a hand though his loose hair, considering his own words and westly's earlier speech.
" So yes. Your plan would work. But only one-on-one and you are not ready for that. No one is. Not Nekage, Not even Azure."

Atsuma simply gazed at westly across the space between them, his eyes sadly devoid of any real hope. "It is very difficult to catch Chaos in a genjutsu, I could only do it through his dreams and i was lucky to even get that far, for chaos does not sleep. I'm perhaps one of the worst ninja to pit against chaos considering he's immune to my greatest strength" In fact even without fighting him, simply trespassing in chaos's mind had very nearly cost him his life... and his window had been less than an hour with a very high-risk of getting caught before he ever found what he was looking for.

Still, Atsuma accepted the sheaf, holding it lightly to examine the page. This he stared at for some time, his smooth brow furrowing in confusion. From what he could tell it was much like his own techniques that pulled from an opponents memory in order to create more believable genjutsu. In fact it was not un-like the skill he had used to lead Chaos's unconcious thoughts towards the memories he'd wanted to view. To bad chaos rested so little and gaurded himself so well when he did.

"The problem here is... to make a genjutsu take effect on Chaos at all. He must not be concious. In turn, chaos does not truly sleep, but rests for only a short time, mere hours, every few days at which point his vines guard him for almost a square mile in all directions. I had to use Oracle to avoid being detected. Even should i be able to adapt this technique of yours, as clever as it is... we don't know where Chaos is, let alone when and where he will next rest. " He paused and shook his head. "Not to mention, after my last inrusion I seriously doubt Chaos will be careless enough to leave his mind so unguarded a second time.

That was indeed the problem. Atsuma hadn't a clue how CHaos worked or even what he was. Despite his insider's look he still couldn't figure Chaos out, he couldn't quite grasp the complete lack of humanity. After all, every sentient being had a purpose that drove them no? Chaos's could not be so simple as a petty need to prove himself the best. And yet that seemed to be the only thing that spawned his desire for revenge. such a shallow pool to boil up such a powerful vendetta.

Atsuma's gaze had wandered to the floor, his thoughts mingling with Westly's very nearly patronizing tones in a slow churn. Ah yes. The auto-hypnosis. Atsuma had not turned a blind eye to Westly's clever talents nor had this particular skill escaped his notice. In fact it intrigued him far beyond any of the boys other experiments, as it seemed to be consistently effective.

The ghost of a smile shadowed the slight curve of Atsuma's flush lips as he lifted his eyes to rest upon Westly's face. The boy had faltered in his seemingly endless confidence, perhaps at the thought of giving himself over to a lab rat, but Atsuma also knew that this apparently new idea wasn't likely to be so new after-all. He doubted that westly had never considered matching his hypnosis against Atsuma's genjutsu... His ambition was to great for that. He'd want to know how he fared as much as Atsuma would want to break him.

That shade of a smile grew just enough to black out any-remaining doubt that it did in fact sit, perfectly conspicuous, on Atsuma's other-wise mask-still face. "Indeed. You are Right Westly." He conceded in his even to-calm way... leaving it at that. If the boy wanted to volunteer he'd have to do just that. Atsuma had a some minor conscience... or maybe he was just vindicative enough to want to make him say it.